Goten blinked around at the new surroundings and gave a tiny sigh of relief. His father had kept his word and brought them to Ireland instead of taking them home. He shrugged off his pack and wrapped his arms around his father's neck. "I'll take care of Paige and Phoenix. I promise. I just, I have to do this, Dad. I can't let her get away with killing Dende and Rose." He suddenly didn't want to let go and he scolded himself for feeling so childish in that moment.

Goku hugged Goten back tightly, burying his face into his son's wild hair. "I know. You will do just fine, you all have a power within you that we can't even begin to touch. I know you can do this," he said pulling back slightly, smiling down at his youngest son. He reached out and fixed his Thor's hammer, making sure the necklace was in place. "You do this for Rose and Dende," he said before he reluctantly stepped back. "And don't think you are out of trouble. You are still going to have to explain yourself to your mom and dad when you get home after this is all over," he teased, sticking his tongue out at him before he went to give his grandson a hug.

Phoenix laughed at the defeated look on Goten's face before he hugged Goku. "I'll keep them out of trouble," he snickered, knowing full well it was going to be the other way around. He couldn't help but to be excited. "Just make sure you're outside when you tell Mom. She might, you know, accidentally set the house on fire again or something if she gets mad enough." He laughed and hugged his grandpa tighter. "Thanks for letting us do this."

Goku cringed when he thought about telling Lindsey that her baby boy wasn't going to be coming home just yet. "Just remember your training, all of you. And I know you haven't had any training for the full moon, but avoid it if you can and when you get back I'll make sure that Tora and Vegeta take you somewhere remote so you can learn how to control it." He ruffled Phoenix's hair before he turned and gave Paige a big hug, "Keep these boys in line for me, alright?"

The young Namek grinned and nodded, hugging the Saiyan back tightly. "You got it," she said, "But you know I'm going to be the one causing trouble." She pulled back and shouldered her bag, giving the two full-blooded Saiyans a wave goodbye. There was an excitement in her chest that threatened to bubble over. There was a part of her that was nervous, but mostly she was angry, hurt, and excited. She was ready to begin.

Goku frowned at her, crossing his arms. "I know that look on your face." He looked at all three, "You all listen to me. Anger is well and good, but don't let it control your actions. It will turn you into something you won't like and you won't be the same as before."

Goten swallowed nervously. Anger was the driving force behind his actions right then, the whole reason he had decided to go after Antonia. In fact, he wasn't sure that anger even began to scratch the surface of what he felt. He was furious that Dende and Rose had come to such a sudden and tragic end. He felt guilty because Rose had protected him when he was little and now he had not been able to do the same for her. He felt sad, vengeful, but most of all he was angry and somehow his father seemed to know that. He looked down and picked up his pack, adjusting it on his shoulders without looking at his father. "We'll be alright, Dad. Please tell Mom and Dad that when you get back. We'll come home as fast as we can."

Goku reached out and ruffled his son's hair, scratching lightly at the scalp. "I will. I love you, son. I love all of you." He stepped back and cast a glance at Tora, giving a nod to signal he was ready to go back to Capsule Corp. "Good luck," he said to them.

"Love you too, Dad," Goten said and watched as the two older Saiyans disappeared. He looked at Paige and Phoenix before he set his face determinedly. "Let's get going."

Tora and Goku appeared just outside of Capsule Corp and Tora cringed dramatically. He could feel the energies of their friends and family inside. Not just Vegeta and Bulma, but Jenny and Piccolo, Gohan and Lindsey, even Sabriena and Tien had come to the city. It seemed everyone had come to Capsule Corp to "greet" the children when they came home. He had to mentally smack himself. They weren't children anymore. And that was what the others needed to realize, too. "So this is the part where I run home to Eighteen and hide while you handle all of them, right?" he asked with a charming grin, but deflated at the look Goku gave him. He squared his shoulders, his face taking on a seriousness he only reserved for battle. "Alright then," he said and clapped a hand to Goku's shoulder. "I got your back."

Lindsey was pacing the living room floor, chewing her nails. She was going to kill both of those boys when they got home. What were they thinking?! Pulling a crazy stunt like this. She'd known them to get into some really stupid pranks and a heap of trouble before, but this was insane. No note, no phone call, no NOTHING.

Gohan sat back in the recliner, his glasses pushed to his forehead, rubbing his eyes and groaning. "Stupid kids," he muttered. "We didn't do stuff like this when we were younger, did we? Please tell me we didn't."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow at him. "You really want an answer to that?"

"That doesn't make it okay for them!" Lindsey shouted.

Jenny had long since dried her tears, rereading the note over and over again, it was crumpled in her hands now, and she drug a hand through her short hair for the umpteenth time that day. "What did they think they were doing?! Paige... my baby girl... They are all walking right in a big mess they don't know what's at the other end of this path!" She started shaking her head. "I can't... I can't see them dead like Dende and Rose!" She stood up and started pacing with Lindsey. "And where is Goku!? Shouldn't he be back with them by now?!"

Lindsey paused her pacing. "They'd better hope they didn't get hurt, because if they did, I'll kill 'em."

Gohan heaved a sigh and leaned far back in the recliner towards the window. He was worried sick about his brother and his son. He knew somehow that he should've expected this at some point. It was just the sort of thing he used to do when he was younger, running off to train as soon as his mother wasn't looking, going to fight whatever monsters his father and friends were up against as if he were one of the adults, too. Add in his wife's rebellious nature and well, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

Piccolo frowned deeply the instant he felt Goku and Tora appear in the yard. His daughter wasn't with them. Oh, those idiots. He should've known better than to trust them with this. His frown turned into a snarl as they came in the house. "Where the hell is my daughter?" he demanded.

Goku held up his hands at the angry looking group, his heart beating faster than he could remember it ever being. He would rather face another magick dragon, than to have to tell them why the kids weren't with them. "The kids are fine. They were at Gramma's, asking for her help. I know this looks bad, but guys, they need to do this without our help. I mean, think about how young we all were when we started fighting to protect the world," he quickly blurted out before he could get blasted, he was sure of it.

A stunned silence fell over the group for a moment as they absorbed Goku's words. It was broken the next second by Lindsey who screamed, "You let them go?!" She couldn't ever remember being angry with Goku like this before. She ran her hands through her hair, pulling at it as she stared at him in disbelief. "And Gramma didn't try to stop them either?! Oh, of all the stupid, irresponsible decisions you could've made. Did you NOT watch Phoenix's match? That other boy damn near killed him!" She started slapping at every inch of him she could reach. "Dad! You were supposed to bring them back to us!" Gohan jumped up and grabbed his wife by the shoulders, pulling her away from his father and steering her to sit in the recliner. She was slapping at her thighs in frustration. "I need a smoke. I need a smoke."

Gohan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, you don't. Now calm down. I'm sure Dad has a perfectly good explanation as to why he didn't bring them back," he said, shooting a dark glance over at his father.

Sabriena pressed her lips to a thin line, shaking her head slowly as she stared at her Saiyan husband. She knew Goten was strong, he knew how to fight, but he hadn't put in the training to take on something like this. He'd never faced the Atlantians before. He didn't know magick. This was a suicide mission as far as she was concerned. And Goku had just let him go, wished him luck and sent him on his way? She was so angry, she couldn't see straight. She swallowed harshly and turned away from him, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Fear for her son curled around her heart, seeming to tear at it. It made her eyes burn and her cheeks go hot. She silently cursed herself. She should've made Goku teach her instant transmission years ago; she could go after them herself now if he had.

Goku let his eyes narrow at his daughter. "Yes, I saw the match," he said, "I've seen matches all throughout my entire life. I know that I lost some battles, or that I would have lost some battles if not for my friends. Haven't you been in battles like that? If we don't give these kids a chance, who will? We aren't going to be the protectors of earth forever. Someone is going to have to take our place to protect the earth. If not our children, then who? Would you want anyone lesser looking over the world? If not, than who?"

Lindsey's mouth worked like a fish out of water. "Well, yeah, but when they're older! He's only sixteen!" She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. "I… I don't even know what to say to you right now," she muttered weakly and flopped down on the couch, brushing the fearful tears from her eyes. She couldn't remember being so frightened before in her life, and that was saying something, considering everything they'd dealt with over the years. But this was different. This wasn't her going into battle. This was her baby boy. "He's too young for this," she gasped, choking on a sob.

Vegeta nearly rolled his eyes. "And your husband was only eleven when he defeated Cell and saved the entire planet from destruction. That android was a far more formidable opponent than one pitiful Atlantian. An Atlantian that Paige has already beat, may I remind you. Have some faith in them." Vegeta was torn. Part of him could've smacked Goku for letting the children go, while the other part of him agreed that this was a perfect opportunity for them to flex their muscles, to see what they were made of. But most of all, he knew better than to question Arthusia's judgment. If she decided this was something they needed to do, then he was not about to argue with her.

Jenny didn't know what to say to that. She had been ready to pull her daughter aside and tell her how irresponsible she had been, rushing off in the middle of the night after such a horrible act had been committed. Now, to hear that the kids had Gramma's blessing, she wasn't sure what she thought. True, this had to be a better path than what she, Lindsey and Sabriena had been on when they were closer to their kid's ages. Jenny about tore her hair out. "What in the world was that girl thinking?! Was she thinking? Goku, you needed to bring them back here! That freakish girl murdered Dende and Rose and you are letting them go after her? Yes, yes don't give me that look. I know Piccolo and Vegeta trained her well. But that's still no excuse."

Goku shrank back from the unhappy looks that he was getting, especially from his own mates. "Gramma said that anyone who disagrees is to go see her." He was surprised that Vegeta agreed with him, but then, he had trained Paige well and knew what she was capable of and more. He looked back at Sabriena and Tien, "Goten can do this, you guys. You know he can. Tien, he even had his pack from you already to go and everything. They can do this."

Tien nodded. "Alright, Goku. If you think he's ready, then I support your decision," he answered. He was nervous and worried for their son, but deep down, he felt like Goku was right. He cringed when Sabriena gave a skeptical snort. She was not going to be convinced so easily. He gave his head a little shake and looked away from her. He knew she was going to be like this for a while. "Goten's a smart kid. He can handle this and he'll keep Phoenix safe. I'd say Paige too, but I think she might be the one keeping both of the boys safe," he said with a slight chuckle.

Piccolo was not amused. "I'm not worried about Paige handling herself like that," he muttered darkly and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. Now that he thought about it, he was much more concerned about Paige and Goten being unsupervised out there together. Alone. He only prayed that Phoenix proved enough of a pest to keep them from getting too close while they were out on this mission.

Jenny frowned. "Piccolo, do you really think that Paige is all that innocent?" She had talks with her daughter about protection and she suspected that she did more on her dates than she let on about. "And after what's happened, I don't know. I would like to think that would be the last thing on their minds." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"It better be the last damn thing on their minds," he grumbled. He cringed internally at his wife's question. In reality, his wife was probably right. But the father in him just wanted to picture his little girl as just that - his innocent little girl. He drew a long breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his temper. "I suppose what's done is done. We need to get home. Alice is there alone. Jenny put up more protective spells this morning, but I don't want to leave her on her own for long right now. She has a lot of work to do."

Goku winced and shrunk back a bit more. "Ah, that was the other thing Gramma wanted me to talk to you about. She wanted me to remind you that your brother was much younger than her when he became the Guardian of earth. She needs to find her own was as well without interference."

Jenny frowned. "I'm not going to leave her alone up there right now. I won't interfere with her work, but I'll be damned if I let her go it alone." She thought about having Goku to take her to see Gramma so that she could give the older woman a piece of her mind, but she knew about how far that would get her in reality.

Piccolo snorted. "So now we are to have no say-so in raising our daughters?" He was growing more irritated by the second and he didn't know how much longer he could hold his temper. He needed to go home, to meditate, to figure out how to deal with this and come to terms with his daughters changing so fast, taking on these responsibilities. He hadn't even had time yet to mourn his brother's passing. He reached over and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We should go."

"Hold on just a damn second," Sabriena snapped, turning around to face everyone again. "Just how in the hell do they even know where they're going? We were never able to track down the Atlantians except for that one time we HAPPENED to find the damn castle. But it was destroyed. There's nothing to guide them, no plan, no nothing! What, they're just going to go out and wander around and hope they stumble across something?"

Goku scratched at his head. "Well, they have Gramma's spell book. Apparently Antonia had the key on her when she attacked Dende and he managed to get it off of her. Paige had it on her and was able to unlock the back section of the book with it. The locked section had many spells and locations where magick was strongest in this world. The Atlantians have to be hiding in one of those places. Or it's a good place to start, right?"

"Gramma gave them her book?" Lindsey asked, blinking up at him through teary eyes. She couldn't wrap her mind around that. That book never left Gramma's side. She scrubbed at her eyes and sniffled. "Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better. Paige knows how to work spells, maybe she can keep them safe. Still, I can't believe Gramma let them take it. That just blows my mind." She gave a shaky exhale and hiccuped, trying to calm herself.

Goku nodded. "She gave Paige instructions to bring it back to you once they get back and for you to pass it down to Scarlett when you think she's ready," he said, edging his way from behind Tora. He was still wary, expecting to be hit or slapped at any time. He turned and went to sit on the couch, pulling Lindsey to him until she sat in his lap and he rubber her back soothingly and spoke quietly to her, "Phoenix is ready, Lindsey. He's got this. He has Paige with him, who learned healing from his mother. And he has Goten. I trained both of the boys myself. They will be just fine. You'll see. And Paige is out for blood. She wants that woman's heart in her hands. "

Lindsey was staring miserably at her knees. "How did you do it, Dad? How did you let us go and fight those battles? Weren't you scared?" Her mind was running through all the fights they'd been in, the unbelievable odds they'd gone up against. At the time, it hadn't seemed so scary. But now, looking at it through the eyes of a parent, she was terrified.

He let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding before he said, "Yeah, I was pretty scared. Heck, I still am scared every time we go up against a new threat, but I trust you guys to know what to do. How can we expect any less from those kids out there? They grew up on us, just like you kids grew up on me." He reached out and tilted her chin up, looking into her tear stained, red eyes, "Relax. You know deep down they got this. And we will be ready to help them as soon as they need it. Okay?" At her nod, he hugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's going to be okay." He gave a sigh and looked over at Sabriena. He briefly wondered what that night would bring. He knew that he wouldn't be kicked from the bed or not fed supper, but he hated to see Sabriena so torn up.

Tora nearly snickered at the way Goku cautiously looked around the room. "Those kids are strong and they're smart. All of you have taught them well. I think you should give them and yourselves some credit. It'll be okay." He could feel the tension in the room and he just wanted this over with so he could go home to Eighteen and Marron. At least at home, he was safe from the drama.

"That's easy for you to say. It's not your kid out there," Sabriena snapped. Book or no book, she was still not happy about this situation at all. Her throat felt tight and her eyes burned as she thought about what their lives would be like if they lost Goten. She didn't think her heart could take that kind of loss and she did not want to see what that would do to Goku if he lost his son. She wanted to rage at him, at Tora, at everyone in the room, but she didn't trust her voice not to crack or the tears to fall from her eyes, so she kept her mouth shut.

Goku blinked at Sabriena, he could see the hurt in her eyes. The worry of a mother reflecting deep in them. He finally walked over to his mates, reaching out for her and drawing her close, "Nothing bad is going to happen to them. They will look out for each other." He slid his hand into her hair, his other hand reaching up and gently thumbed at the mark on her neck. "They are going to make the Atlantians pay for what they've done to us."

She went stiff in his arms and jerked out of his grasp. "Don't touch me right now," she hissed and turned away from him. She'd never been this angry with him before, but this was Goten they were talking about. Her son. Couldn't he understand how terrified she was? He should've brought their son straight home and not let him go on this crazy adventure.

"Sabriena!" Tien scolded, his eyes wide at her reaction. He'd never seen her treat Goku like that. He understood that she was upset, but that wasn't necessary. "Don't be like this. Goten can handle himself out there. Goku knows that. If he thought any different, he would've brought him home."

Jenny nearly snorted at Sabriena, sharing a glance with Lindsey before she looked over at the blonde. "Never thought I would see the day Sabriena would get like this over her baby boy." It even sounded weird on her tongue. She watched as Goku shrank back from his wife, looking defeated. "True, I would have hoped our kids would have told us what they were doing, but then we wouldn't have this problem." She didn't know what to think or what to do.

Goku had never been pushed away from Sabriena like that before; they hadn't really had anything to fight about since they had gotten married. "I was ready to bring them home. I really was. As soon as they woke up, I was planning on grabbing all three of them and getting them back here, but Gramma insisted that I let them do this on their own. This is a turning point for them. Goten is strong because of you and Tien, you've done so much for him. Let him do this for us. Let him prove himself."

She didn't answer. She didn't trust herself not to say something that would hurt him even more, although she was sorely tempted to. She gripped her arms so tight, her nails started to dig into her skin. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room for a moment before she finally spoke again. "Take me home," she said roughly, still not looking at anyone.

"For once, I agree with Sabriena," Piccolo said, thinking very much the same as her. "Let's go, Jenny," he said and nudged her towards the door. He gave everyone in the room a dark look and shook his head disapprovingly again as they left.

Goku swallowed harshly and turned, giving Tora a little wave before he went to his mates and took them home in a flash. He stepped back from them as they arrived and turned, heading down to the river. He didn't want to be yelled at; he was hurting just as much as they were. To be so close to his children and not able to bring them back unless he wanted to face Gramma's wrath had not been an easy decision to make. He sighed as he sat on the bank and stared out over the water, briefly wondering if he would be sleeping out under the stars that night.

Tien shook his head as he watched Goku walk down to the river. He turned on Sabriena as soon as Goku was out of earshot. "You need to knock this off NOW," he growled. "He doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He made the decision he thought was best. Don't you think he's worried, too? Goten's not just your son, you know."

"This whole thing is stupid, Tien!" she snapped back. "Goten could die out there. And the really screwed up part? We would never know. What if he just doesn't come back? Can you imagine wondering what happened to him, never knowing? Or even worse, to find out that he was killed by that crazy bitch. I don't like this! I want our son home!"

"Don't yell at me," he growled. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "You know what? How about you just let us know when you decide to calm down? I'm not going to stand around and argue with you when there's no point to it." He turned sharply on his heel and strode down to the river to sit next to his husband. "She's just upset. She'll come around."

Goku lifted his head to look at Tien. "Aren't you upset with me too?" he asked before he looked back out over the water. "I'm kinda frustrated with me, that I didn't bring them back home. That I let down everyone here who were expecting their children back safe and sound, but I don't know. I think Gramma's right. They need this. Desperation brings out powers that they won't find in any training that we could give them or put them through. And how young were we when we started saving the world?"

"I think you were younger than I was," Tien chuckled. He drew his knees up and rested his crossed arms on them. "Nah, I'm not mad at you. I'm concerned. I'm worried about them. I understand why Sabriena's upset, but she doesn't need to act like this. We're all worried about them." He sighed and reached over, rubbing at Goku's back. "If Arthusia said this is the right thing, then I think you were right to go along with her."

Goku nodded. "They're worried too. At least, deep down I think. Worried about what they will come home to, if they come home to us at all. So many things could happen to either side, you know? I am worried about them too, but I think Gramma is right. There are some lessons to be learned. Perhaps Phoenix will learn from his defeat at the tournament and they all have a power that's untapped. I wish the peace had lasted, I'm not ready for this."

"I don't think any of us are," Tien said. "We all took Dende and Rose for granted, thought that they were going to be around forever." He frowned and closed his hand over Goku's mark as he stared out over the water. "I don't know, Goku. I just hope they come home soon. I don't want to have to deal with that for very long," he said, thumbing over his shoulder at Sabriena who was stomping around the outside of the cabin, looking more murderous by the moment.

Goku felt himself ease up at Tien's touch to his mark and he leaned against his husband, resting his head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I don't think I can stand to have either one of you mad at me. Though, I can't blame her," he said before he let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose she doesn't know how to feel. I mean, she really embraced this whole motherhood thing. I'm really glad that she's been an amazing mother to Goten all of these years. He's really rubbed off on her."

"She is a good mother," Tien agreed. "She just doesn't know how to handle this. She'll calm down." He glanced over his shoulder at a sudden loud squawking from the chicken coop and watched with wide eyes as Sabriena carried one of the chickens over to the stump by its legs and promptly chopped off its head. "Or maybe not," he muttered. "Well I guess we know what we're getting for supper. We'd better stay away from her while she's got that axe in her hands, though."

Goku winced at the squawk. "That wasn't the rooster was it?" He felt his heart sink, when he heard the axe thunk against the wooden stump. He had a knack for befriending the roosters, their wide-eyed stares at him as he would tell them a story when they were fussy. And he really liked the rooster they had now. He swallowed harshly. "I suppose I should be grateful that it's not my head she chopped off, though I'm sure that's what she was imagining."

"I don't think so," Tien said. "This rooster hasn't attacked her yet. I think he's safe." He wrapped his arm around Goku's shoulders and pulled him closer, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Everything's going to be alright. The kids are going to be fine and Sabriena will calm down in a little bit." He hated seeing Goku so upset, looking so defeated as if no matter what he'd done, he would've pissed someone off. "You were in a hard spot and that was a difficult decision to make, I'm sure. I wouldn't have wanted to do it. You did the right thing."

Goku nodded, finally relaxing against his mate, turning his head and planting a kiss on Tien's cheek before he moved to lay down on his side. He rested his head on Tien's lap, looking out over the water. "It wasn't easy, but I think that's my lot in this life. To make tough decisions that no one else wants to touch."

"I know," Tien soothed as he rubbed Goku's back with one hand, the other threading through his dark silky hair. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose as he heard another chicken meet its fate at the end of Sabriena's axe. "You think I should hide that thing from her when she goes in the house?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

Goku frowned. "What good would it do? I've seen her twist their heads off before with her bare hands. Better to hide the chickens." He looked back up. "I might have to take the rooster and hide out somewhere. I don't want her getting him," he said as he let a purr escape his throat at Tien's hand slipping through his hair. "Maybe if I go stare at her, she'll stop," he pondered.

Tien shrugged. "It's worth a try. But if she transforms, I'd say you better run like hell," he said and helped Goku to sit up. "Go on. Talk to her. Make sure she doesn't murder the rooster." He pulled Goku in for a lingering kiss before he leaned his forehead against the other man's, cupping the back of his neck. "Just remember, no matter how angry she is, she still loves you. And so do I. Nothing will ever change that."

Goku smiled against Tien, still feeling butterflies after all their years of marriage. "I love you too, Tien," he said before he pushed himself up and stretched a moment, hearing his back pop. "I think I'm getting too old for all this drama," he muttered before he turned and headed up to the cabin, hopping the little fence to the chicken coop. He looked around and spotted the rooster with several of the hens scratching in the corner. He sighed in relief and walked over to them, kneeling down next to the rooster, reaching out and running a hand down his soft feathers. "You okay there, buddy?" He turned his head as he heard Sabriena coming back, "How many have you gotten? Surely that's enough."

"Four," she answered, resting the axe on her shoulder. "You want me to do that one next?" she asked hatefully and nodded at the rooster.

Goku snatched the rooster up and held him protectively. "No! And if you keep killing the chickens, we won't have eggs soon. If you are mad, you have to take it out on me, not them," he insisted.

"What's the matter? Feels pretty shitty when something or someone you care about is in danger, doesn't it?" she spat. She pointed at the ground. "Goku, put the rooster down." She narrowed her eyes to thin slits when all he did was cradle the bird closer to his chest. "Trust me, you don't want me to take it out on you right now."

Goku felt like he had been slapped in the face. "Yeah, it is shitty when someone I care about is in danger." He looked pointedly at her, remembering when she had been kidnapped. "It feels like the whole world is crushing down on you, knowing that they are out there and that there is nothing you can do to help them. Do you think it was an easy decision for me to make today? To let them go like that? After everything that Goten has been through, the last thing I want to do is to put him in a situation where he could end up hurt or worse."

"And yet you did it anyway!" she cried, feeling tears trying to prick her eyes again. His words stuck something in her heart. That was exactly how she felt, like her whole world was going to fall apart and she was completely helpless to stop it, helpless to protect their son. "You can't do this! You can't just let him go out there on his own and get killed like Dende! You can't just let me love him like this for all these years and then just… just…" She growled in frustration and swung the axe down, hacking at the ground over and over. "This. Is why. I never. Wanted. To care. About. People!" she screamed, every word punctuated by a swing of the axe. She swung again and her feet slipped, causing her to collapse to the ground where she stayed and gave in to her tears.

Goku quickly put the rooster back down on the ground, giving him a little push back to the hens before he went to his wife's side, kneeling down next to her. He could feel her pain radiating from her being. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, but he was afraid of being pushed away again. "I know it's terrifying, but that's just another thing about being a parent. As much as we want them to, our babies grow up and eventually they take everything that we've taught them, prepared them for and they meet the world head on. I'm scared; I am really scared for them. They need our trust now more than ever. We have to trust them to do what's right, to look out for each other. Goten is strong Sabriena, he gets that from you."

She shook her head slowly, her fingers digging into the grass as if she was trying to cling onto her sanity. "I'm not strong," she sobbed. "I'm not strong enough to deal with this. It hurt bad enough to lose Dende. If something happens to Goten…" She couldn't even finish her sentence. Her voice cracked in a squeak and she cried even harder. She could barely form words around the blubbering and sobbing escaping her as fear for her son overwhelmed her. "I can't do it, Goku. I can't lose him. What are we going to do if something happens to him?!"

The Saiyan finally said to hell with it and reached forward, pulling his mate into his arms and held her tightly. "You are so strong, you've been through so much, changed so much. You are a strong woman and so fiercely protective. You protected Goten from so much and now, he wants to make sure that we are protected. He wants to protect you from the evil that murdered Rose and Dende. If I were to bring him home and then something happened to you, Tien or me because of that, he would never be able to forgive himself if he thought that there was something he could have done to prevent that. We can't be wished back, Sabriena. Do you know how terrified of that he is? That he might lose us forever?"

Sabriena gave in and wrapped her arms tightly around Goku's waist, hugging him for all she was worth. She nodded against his chest; his words made sense to her. "This should never have happened at all," she cried. "I'm so used to looking out for him. I never thought he'd be the one to try to take care of us. I'm just so scared right now, Goku. I'm so scared." She buried her face in his shirt, unsure of whether his embrace was calming her or just making her want to cry even more. Or perhaps a little of both. She felt guilty again. "I'm sorry I took it out on you. I just don't know how to handle all of this. I got so used to the peace," she whined.

Goku hugged her tightly, burying his face into her hair. He was relieved he had finally been able to get through to her. "I know. I think we all did. We all wanted a break from it so badly and it ended too soon." He gently rocked her back and forth, speaking in what he hoped was a soothing tone, "I know you are scared. We all are. No parent wants to outlive their children, no parent wants to see their child put in harm's way. They've trusted us for so long, it's time for us to trust them. You know Goten can do this. He has the power to do it. He has the help he needs. You and Tien taught him so well."

"You have, too," she said, choking and wiping at her nose with the back of her wrist. She looked up at him with bloodshot, teary eyes. "Okay. If you say to trust him, then I will. I just hope he comes home soon." She sniffled again, knowing she must have looked like a hot mess. "I'm really lucky to have you and Tien. You're both so patient with me. I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry for being a bitch. I just freaked out. I didn't mean to be so hateful to you. Can you forgive me?"

Goku leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I already have," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers. "You have every right to be mad at me. I'm mad at myself, but they can do this. I know they can. I just want them all to come back to us safe and sound." He gave a slight laugh, "I still want Goten to be little, but I suppose he had to grow up sometime." He moved to stand up, helping his wife up as well, "Come on, let's not let those chickens die in vain."

She nodded and slipped her hand into his, threading their fingers together. "I hope you're hungry," she said with a watery laugh. "There's going to be plenty of fried chicken tonight." She cast a glance over her shoulder and sighed. "And I promise not to kill the rooster you're so damn fond of."