A/N: This take place in the years following Goku's departure to train Uub.
"HA!" Goku yelled as he threw another punch at his student. Uub ducked it as he weaved across the sky with his mentor. After the final defeat of Majin Buu, Goku had taken the young Uub under his wing so that he'd be able to achieve his true potential and become a great fighter.
"Alright Uub, I think you're ready." Goku sternly said to his student.
"Really? You think I've achieved the power you've been talking about for so long?" Uub looked up at his master with joy as they floated through the skies above their training grounds.
"That's right Uub. There is nothing left that I can teach you." Goku said, his face forming into his characteristic grin. "Now hurry up and get ready to go. We've gotta leave fast."
Uub's face scrunched up in confusion. "But I thought we were done training. Where do we have to go so urgently?"
"Home! I haven't had a good meal in years living out here in the middle of nowhere." he laughed.
Uub couldn't help but smile back at his master. As serious as Goku was during training, he was a goofball at heart. "Okay, I'll get my bags." Uub replied.
Not a minute after their conversation ended, the two warriors stood ready to go back to civilization. "Okay Uub, you know the drill. Grab my arm when you're ready and I'll take us out of here." Goku said, looking down at his young companion.
"Right. Can you drop me off with my family first? I haven't seen them in so long; I bet you can't wait to see yours as well. Who knows what's changed since you've been gone." Uub looked up with a smile.
"Yeah. I can't wait." Goku said, his face showed that he was deep in thought. Uub was right. It had been years since he'd last been home. Since he'd seen Gohan, Goten…Chichi. "Chichi, I hope you're not too mad I stayed out so long." he thought as Uub grabbed his arm and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The two instantly went from the empty sky to a tropical island. "Whoa, that was fast, Goku!" Uub said in disbelief. "No matter how many times you do that it still amazes me!"
Goku turned to his gawking student. "I hope Kame House is close enough. I was thinking of seeing Master Roshi before heading home."
"That's fine Master! I know my way from here. Besides, they'd love to see me fly in instead of just appearing behind some bushes." he laughed. "I'll be at my village if you want to train some more. Bye!"
Goku waved at his student as he flew off toward home. "Seeya Uub! You can count on me coming by real soon!"
Suddenly, the door to Kame House burst open, and out came a flustered old turtle hermit. The man looked like he had just survived a hurricane! His sunglasses were crooked, his shirt was half buttoned, and to top it off, his signature purple turtle shell was hanging by one strap.
"Hey! Master Roshi! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Goku said as he happily greeted his old master. "Say, what's the matter? Did Oolong steal your dirty mags again?" He made a "puff puff" motion as he spoke.
"Goku you stupid punk! What the hell are you doing here?" The turtle hermit bellowed at the saiyan.
"What am I doing here?" Goku said with a smirk. "Why am visiting my old master, that's what. Why? Aren't you happy to see me after so long?" Goku was surprised at the greeting he had gotten from Roshi, never had he been this worked up over someone coming to visit. "Well except for that one time with the mermaid." Goku thought.
"That's great that you've come to visit me Goku, but you should be visiting Chichi!" Roshi screamed once more.
"Well I thought she since she's waited this long, she could wait a couple minutes while I came to see how you were doing. Besides, I had to drop Uub off nearby so I thought I'd come here." Goku said, utterly confused now as to why his actions were such a problem.
"Wait a minute a couple minutes?!" Roshi was nearly taking off from all the steam shooting out his ears. "Chichi's dying in the hospital and you want her to WAIT A COUPLE MINUTES?!"
Suddenly everything came together for the saiyan. "WHAT?! Chichi's in the hospital? What happened?" Goku's face spelled out the emotions he was feeling perfectly. Shock, sadness, and most of all regret. How could he have been out training while his beloved wife was dying?
"So you didn't know." Roshi said as the blood left his face and he began to settle down. "Goku. I think you need to go see her." he said solemnly.
"Yes! Yes! I do! Now please Master, tell me where she is?!" Goku now begged the old man.
Roshi's face turned utterly serious. "She's in Briefs Memorial Hospital in West City…"
"Thank you Master Roshi! I've got to go see her!" Goku shouted.
"Now wait just a minute! I was getting ready to go too. How about you take me with—"
The old hermit was cut off as before he could finish his sentence; Goku had disappeared yet again, gone to West City in an instant.
"Damn…Guess I'm taking baby Gamara again…" Roshi said with a sigh.
At the Briefs Memorial Hospital in West City
Goku materialized in the middle of the waiting room of the hospital. It didn't look like a waiting room at all, but that was to be expected if one knew the hospital's designer, Bulma Briefs. The walls were painted a dark violet. All the chairs were made of very fine blue leather that were perfectly comfortable to sit in while waiting for bad news. The windows were a light violet which had a weird effect on how everyone looked inside the room. Even the lamps seemed an odd pick for a waiting room as they were all ruby red and adorned with capsule style numbers.
But the festive appearance of the room differed greatly from how the other occupants looked. All the Z fighters were there along with those that supported them; each one looking just as glum as the last. "Goku!" Krillin yelled as his oldest friend appeared before him. "It's about damn time you got here! Chichi's not in a good way!"
Goku looked down at his long-time buddy, they had gone through countless battles together, countless horrible situations. Goku had seen many grave looks desecrate his friend's features, from Frieza, to Cell, and finally Majin Buu. Krillin's face always said just how bad the situation was, but the face he saw now was far grimmer than any the saiyan had seen before. This was bad. "I know. I was just at Master Roshi's. He told me things aren't well."
Gohan stepped forward and approached his father. Everyone else backed up and gave the two a little room. As the oldest son, it was Gohan's responsibility to inform his father about how his mother was doing. "Dad, you've been away for far too long." Gohan's face didn't change from its stony expression as he spoke, it had been years since he'd last seen his father, normally his face would have been lit up in joy at the occasion, but this was not a time for happiness.
"I know son. How bad is she?" Goku said his voice full of worry.
Gohan didn't say anything for a few moments. He slowly looked down and took off his glasses to clean them on his shirt before speaking. "She's been bed-ridden with a fever for weeks now. The doctors say it would take a miracle for her to recover."
Gohan's words hit Goku like a bolt of lightning. It was as if each word were a death beam, each one penetrating his heart, one after another until he felt he was barely able to stand. "Take me to her now." Goku breathed while holding his heart, desperately trying to control its beat, lest his old heart virus be reinvigorated.
"Are you sure, dad?" Gohan said with a frown. "You haven't wanted to see her in years. Why do you want to see her now all of a sudden?"
"I SAID TAKE ME TO HER NOW!" Goku bellowed, the floor started to shake as his regret at not being with her combined with his anger at his belligerent son. His hair briefly turned bright red as the rest of the room backed away in shock and worry.
Although flustered, Gohan stood his ground. "Okay Dad, follow me." he said as he stepped into an elevator, his father close behind. The two Sons left the waiting room and the other Z fighters as they made their way to Chichi. "Gohan." Goku said turning to his eldest. "I'm sorry for snapping at you back there, and I'm sorry for not being here before, but I'm here now and I need to see her."
Gohan's stony expression crumpled as he let his real emotions bleed through. "Dad! I'm so glad you're back!" he wailed, hugging his father in the magenta-colored elevator.
Goku held his son's head against his chest as he cried. "Son, I know it's going to be hard, but when we get to her room I'm going to need you to go back down to the waiting room with the others. Alright?"
"Sure Dad, Whatever you say." Gohan said, drying his tears with a tissue from his pocket.
The pair soon arrived on the top floor. It was where all the ritzy rooms were. Goku looked around in awe. It was like the waiting room downstairs in terms of color, just with a lot more gold. "So she's all the way up here?" Goku said in surprise; he hadn't expected her to be in such a fancy area, considering they weren't exactly the richest people around.
"Bulma got Mom the room." Gohan replied. "It is her hospital. Remember?"
"Right." Goku said sternly, his mind quickly returning to the grave situation at hand.
Gohan stopped outside a door. "Okay Dad. This is it. Room 07." he said, opening the door.
Goku walked in and saw Bulma stand up from her seat. She had been sitting next to Chichi, comforting her as much as she could in her hour of need. "Goku." her ruby red lips not nearly as cheerful and pouty as usual spoke with a grim tone. "It's about time you got here."
She grabbed him by the arm, pulling the older of the two saiyans close as she spoke much more softly. "She needs you, Goku. More than anything she needs you. Go to her Goku…" her voice trailed off as Goku looked away from her and stepped out of her hold, leaving Gohan to lead her downstairs so that his parents might have some privacy.
As the door shut behind Gohan and Bulma, Goku approached his sickly wife's bedside. The joyful pink bed sheets did nothing to ease the sense of imminent death that was present in the room. He sat down in Bulma's seat, scooting it as close to his wife as he could. "Hey, Chii'ch. How are you?" he softly spoke to his wife. He suppressed as much of his power level as he could as he cradled her feeble hand in his.
Chichi seemed to make an effort to talk, but she was too weak. Nothing came out. Goku realized then that while she was still with him for the moment, he probably would never hear her sweet voice again. Never would he hear her call him to dinner. Or yell at him for blasting a hole in the house because he trained to hard…Never would he hear her call out his name in ecstasy as they made love.
The thoughts tore at the mighty saiyan as he broke down in tears before his wife. Chichi let her head sink down into her pillow while she listened to her husband choke on his own tears. There was nothing she could do to console him, just as there was nothing he could do to keep her with him.
Several Hours Later
Darkness had fallen on the hospital quite quickly. Goku had cried himself to sleep next to Chichi as she slept, in some ways side by side as they always had, and in others, worlds apart.
Goku awoke with a start. He looked around to see that it was 3:00 am. Looking to the right of the clock he saw that his wife was still in a terrible way. His face sank as he stood up, wanting to stretch his aching muscles, but the muscle that ached the most could not be soothed by a few simple stretches, his heart could only be healed by one woman, and she was nearly gone.
Goku looked out at the dark sky outside, Chichi's plush room afforded her a spectacular view of the night sky, too bad she was unable to enjoy it. He gazed at the full moon. Bright and large, it dominated all, illuminating everything in a pale glow. He remembered how looking at the full moon used to bring bad things. Tonight though, he was hoping it would bring good.
"Dende. I don't know if you can hear me, but I know how bad of a husband I've been now. I realize that I've neglected the people that love me most…the person that loves me most, just to become stronger. I know it is something that I've accused Vegeta of before, but it is obvious to me now that I have been the real neglectful one, not him. So if you can hear me. Please do what all the medicines and power in the world can't do and make Chichi better. Please! That is all I ask. I'd rather be the weakest man in the universe than live in a world without Chichi. Please Dende! I…beg…you…" he lowered his head to the light of the moon as his words dissolved into tears.
Goku sat by Chichi's side, day and night, for days on end. Having given Gohan the go-ahead, everyone was able to come through and wish Chichi their best. As his seventh day by her side drew to a close, Bulma stood up and gave Chichi a hug goodnight. Chichi didn't move as she was still fast asleep, not having the energy to do anything more.
"I know you love her, but try to get some sleep, Goku." Bulma whispered as she pulled the seated saiyan's head into her soft bosom. "You won't do her any good if you fall apart too."
Bulma left the room, pulling the door shut behind her as she did, once again leaving the Son couple alone in the dark. Goku stayed awake as long as he could, like he did every night, waiting for her to move, waiting for her to say his name. It was not until the wee hours of the morning that sleep finally took him; and as it did, the room grew still.
Goku woke up in the morning to a sharp tapping on his head; he had been dreaming, in his dream he had been trying to save Chichi from Frieza and the evil tyrant had just gotten him in a chokehold. The demon was now punching him in the head repeatedly. "Ah! Stop it Frieza!" he wailed, trying to bat the hand away when a beautiful voice hit his ears.
"I'm not Frieza you big dummy now get offa me before I suffocate!"
The voice was not the horrible raspy one that belonged to the evil emperor, but the wonderful sing-song one of his wife. "Chichi!" he started. Finally awake from his dream. He sprung off of her with lightning speed, nearly toppling over in his chair as he did. "You're alive!"
"Well of course I am silly. Otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you." she giggled.
"But, the doctors said there was no hope, that it would take a miracle to save you!" Goku said frantically, he couldn't believe that his wife was okay. It was unbelievable!
"That's what they told me. They said it truly was but a miracle that I was even able to breath, let alone speak." she said with a grin.
Goku just stared at her with stars in his eyes. His Chichi was okay!
"Goku…did you stay here the whole time I was here? The doctors said they could never get you to leave." she said tilting her head curiously.
Goku grabbed his wife's hand with as little strength as he could muster. "Oh Chichi, I don't know how long I've been here. I came as soon as I returned from training. Master Roshi told me everything."
"You were out training still huh?" Chichi said turning her head away a little.
"Chichi, I am so sorry that I was never here for you. I never thought about how you'd be affected when I went to Namek, or even when I died by Cell and chose not to come back. I never asked you about anything; then I left to train while you sat here in pain. I know I am a terrible husband, and a terrible man, but could you ever forgive me?"
Chichi merely grabbed the man's big dumb head with both hands, lifting it up from the bed sheets as she looked him in the eye. "Would you just shut-up you big dummy? I love you." she said as her eyes glowed like the full moon.
Goku stared right back at her with his onyx stones as their lips at last met in a deep and passionate kiss.
A/N: There you have it! Another great request if I do say so myself. This one was more than a simple pairing request, as most are. The plot and title were both made by the gifted Charismatic Beauty while I wrote in the blanks. Please leave a review as I crave those and I do take requests so pm me if you have one. Seeya!