It was mid-morning when Goku touched down into the Son family garden, little Goten landing next to him a few seconds later. Goku felt for Chichi's Ki, curious as to why she wasn't home, when he couldn't feel her.
"Hey, kiddo, where's your mom?" Goku asked the little boy, who had already raced ahead towards the house.
"I dunno, but it's okay, she'll be home soon" he chirped. Goku gave him an unsure look.
"Oooooh, can I show ya somethin', dad?" Goten suddenly exclaimed, running back to his father and grabbing his hand, tugging him towards the house.
"Um, I dunno if that's a good idea, Goten. Maybe I should wait out here" Goku tried telling his son. But, Goten wouldn't listen and insisted quite forcefully that Goku followed him inside. Goku allowed his little son to pull him into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him when he was in.
"Just wait here, dad! I'll be right back!" Goten told him, before bounding off towards his bedroom. Goku chuckled lightly at the little guy's excitement at whatever it was he wanted to show him. He decided to stay in the spot he was in and leant against one of the kitchen counters whilst he waited for his son. His eyes drifted around the kitchen, a longing feeling suddenly surfacing as he looked around.
He missed this place. He missed his home.
His eyes swiftly drifted to the side of him, where a painting was perched upon the counter, most definitely done by Goten. It was a painting of Goku, Gohan and Goten fishing. Goku couldn't help but smile. He also couldn't help but wonder when they had last gone fishing together, all 3 of them. That's when his eyes caught sight of some paperwork on top of the microwave.
Goku raised his eyebrows as he nosed at the paperwork, his eyes then skimming a particular document on the very top of the pile.
Information about the parties
Information about the marriage
Date of separation
Request for divorce
Goku froze, a hideous chill sweeping over his body.
Request for divorce?
Goku snatched the paper from the microwave to get a better look. He was speechless. They were divorce papers.
He knew what divorce meant. The Ox King had educated him on that when he first married Chichi. He shrugged it off after learning what it was, there was never a point in their marriage where he worried about divorce or even thought about it.
But, his wife had divorce papers.
Was she going to divorce him?
He was devastated.
It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon just a few days later, and everyone had gathered at Capsule Corporation for a BBQ. It was a rather formal event, with some of Bulma's work acquaintances present. Goku was sat at one of the garden tables with his eldest son, the navy suit he was forced to wear by Bulma, was not to his liking as he held the half empty beer glass in his one hand, swishing it back and forth.
He found himself watching his wife intently from across the lawn, as she enjoyed conversing with Bulma, Yamcha and 18. He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over her body in the black, knee-length bodycon dress she wore, with a slit up the one thigh. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, with two bangs hanging down the sides of her face, perfectly sculpting it. She looked incredible and it just made him long for her even more.
That's when he noticed a strange man approach them, who greeted each one of the women with a kiss to their cheek, and a shake to Yamcha's hand. Goku observed as the man stood next to his wife, his eyes lingering on his wife for far too long.
"Hey, Gohan?" Goku called his son, his eyes not leaving the man that stood too close to his wife.
"Yeah, dad?"
"Who's that guy next to ya mom?" Goku questioned him.
Gohan grimaced. He knew exactly who that guy was. Videl had told him all about Mr. Haruto, the divorce lawyer. He was one of Bulma's many acquaintances, who happened to hear about his mother and father's situation. Gohan suspected that was Bulma's doing, and he was staying clear of her for another argument. What Gohan was trying to figure out, was what this guy's motives were. Was he just looking to cash in on another potential divorce? Or was there something more to it? Was he interested in his mother? Gohan also wondered why his mother was so casually talking to him, when she knew who he was, and knew his father was present.
"Hello? Earth to Gohan!" he heard his father's voice ring in his ears.
"Um, that's Mr. Haruto" Gohan notified his father.
"Mr. Haruto? Who's he?"
"He's just someone Bulma knows" Gohan informed him, hoping his father wouldn't press on the matter.
"What does he do?" Goku pressed further and Gohan groaned internally.
"Um ... he's a divorce lawyer" Gohan disclosed hesitantly, his eyes remaining on his father.
Goku felt his breath hitch in his throat, his eyes staring in complete disbelief at his wife.
A divorce lawyer? A fucking divorce lawyer? So, that's where she got those papers from! A divorce lawyer ... was she really planning on divorcing him?
"Dad?" Gohan called, his eyes cautiously observing his father as he felt his Ki spiking.
Goku, for the most part, was a laid back, gentle soul. Considering he was a Saiyan warrior, and the power he held in his hands, the man was the most purest of people and wouldn't harm a fly if he didn't have to. He was a happy go-lucky man, and anger was an emotion he rarely displayed.
But, right now, in this moment, he was seething.
His dark eyes were locked onto the divorce lawyer, the man's hand suddenly coming up to rest on the small of Chichi's back. His blood boiled and a sudden unfamiliar feeling gripped him.
He felt threatened.
But, not in a way he was use to. He could snap the man's neck like a twig, he was nothing to him, but with his current predicament with his wife, he felt outmatched. The man was tall, taller than him, wearing an expensive looking suit. He was obviously an intelligent man, with a very good education, due to the job he had, which Goku could never compete with. The man also clearly had money, and probably mountains of it. He could offer Chichi a lot of things that Goku couldn't, and that had Goku feeling intimidated.
He was use to Master Roshi ogling his wife and never really had to address it with him, as his wife always beat him to it. Master Roshi may have been a pervert, but he was still Goku's old master and practically family to him. It irked him sometimes that Roshi would openly flirt with his wife, but he also did this with everyone else's. But he never had to worry, Chichi always put the man in his place, quite aggressively, and something about that got Goku's blood pumping.
But this man? No fucking chance.
"Dad, are you okay?" Gohan asked his father, trying to reach him through his fury. That's when Mr. Haruto's hand sifted just a little bit lower on Chichi's back, which was way too low for Goku's liking.
Goku snapped! He was done with this guy!
Quicker than Gohan could fathom, his father was on his feet and behind Mr. Haruto, gripping him by the arm he had on his wife.
"DAD!" Gohan yelled across the lawn.
Goku roughly pinned the man's arm to his back and slammed him face down onto one of the dinner tables, almost cracking it in half. Bulma screeched next to them, shocked by Goku's actions, Chichi's mouth gaped open also.
"GOKU! What the hell are you doing?! Let him go!" Chichi shouted at him. But Goku didn't budge and instead squeezed the man's arm even harder, making him howl in pain.
"Hey, buddy, how about we let him go, ay?" Yamcha tried to calmly deescalate the situation as he reached his friend, rubbing Goku's extremely tense shoulder.
"Goku, let him go!" Bulma calmly but firmly told him. Goku contemplated breaking the man's arm off completely, but reluctantly he let him go, watching as he rolled off the broken table, wincing as he held his arm protectively.
"Ahhhh, I think it's broken!" Mr. Haruto groaned. Bulma helped him to his feet and started to push him away from the crowd.
"I'm so sorry, let's go and get it checked out" her eyes met Chichi's briefly, an incredulous look upon her face, before she walked off. Chichi spun on her heels and glared at Goku.
"What is wrong with you?!" she accused.
"Me? He's the one in the wrong! He put his hands on you!"
"What? He was just being friendly!"
"Just bein' friendly, huh?"
"Yes, he's an acquaintance of Bulma's and he's been nothing but nice to me!" she informed him, her hands resting on her hips.
"Was that before or after he gave you those divorce papers?" Goku spat. Chichi went silent, realisation dawning on her at what Goku was probably thinking. And how did he know about the divorce papers?
"What?" she gasped out.
"Yeah, I saw 'em when I took Goten home. Good to know where you're at" his words slid off his tongue like venom and Chichi could barely look him in the eye.
"Guys, please, not here. Everyone's watchin'" Gohan spoke lowly to them as he reached them, his eyes darting around at the watching crowd.
Goku and Chichi remained in a stare off for a few more seconds, before Goku shook his head at her and stormed off back across the lawn.
"Dad!" Gohan called after his father, about to rush after him, when a hand to his shoulder abruptly stopped him a few paces later.
"Leave him. He needs to cool off" Piccolo advised. Gohan eyed his mentor and exhaled, a heavy feeling on his heart as he turned his gaze and watched his father put two fingers to his forehead and disappear. He frowned when he heard sniggering, both him and Piccolo turning around to face an amused Vegeta.
"How is this even the slightest bit funny?" Gohan bit.
"You can't tell me that wasn't entertaining. Kakarot nearly ripped the man's arm off. He's lucky he got away with his life"
"My dad ain't like that" Gohan countered.
"You sure about that?" Vegeta returned coldly, "Thing is, brat, you're only a half breed, so you don't have the same impulses running through your veins. Your father may be good-natured and a clueless idiot, but he still has the possessive trait of a Saiyan. And let me tell you something, that is something you don't mess with! You don't touch what is his! Kakarot is experiencing this for the first time, so, if I was you, I would stay clear of him until he calms down".
Gohan held Vegeta's gaze for a few moments, contemplating his words, before he turned back to face the spot in which his father last stood.
"Dad" he whispered out.
Goku was fuming! He was absolutely livid! He roared, venting his fury, his Super Saiyan blue aura thrashing around him and ripping up the ground beneath his boots. He snarled and punched one of the trees that had barely withstood his exploding Ki, slicing it in half with his knuckles and sending the fragments of bark flying across the terrain. His eyes caught sight of a large, torn up old boulder, sticking out of the grassy ground. he instantly ran to it, digging his fingers into the ground and ripping it from it's earthy constraints. An enraged scream erupted from his mouth as he lifted it over his head and threw it hard across the land, sending it soaring back into the muddy ground, the impact smashing it to pieces.
He then stood still. He stood in silence, the only sound reaching his ears was that of his pounding heart beat. His ears then picked up the sound of someone approaching from behind.
"Don't, Piccolo" Goku warned.
"Don't what?" Piccolo asked, standing with his arms crossed.
"I know why you're here, but now ain't a good time!" he fumed as he paced the ground in frustration.
"And why am I supposedly here?" Piccolo questioned him calmly.
"I appreciate that ya probably wanna give me some advice or some words of wisdom, but I don't wanna hear it! I'm not in the mood!"
"I'm not here to do that. I would just appreciate it if you didn't blow craters all over the place". This was somewhere Piccolo regularly meditated, and he didn't need it looking like a war zone. Piccolo observed as Goku angrily paced back and forth, muttering under his breath.
"How could she?" Goku seethed.
"Did she sign the papers?" Piccolo suddenly asked.
"What?!" Goku snapped, ceasing his movements and eyeing Piccolo.
"The divorce papers. Did she sign them?" Piccolo questioned him again. For a moment Goku went silent, his eyes drifting from Piccolo's for a few seconds, before returning to his friend once more.
"No" Goku spoke more calmly.
"Then she's obviously got her reservations. Which means there's still something there" Piccolo assured him.
Piccolo didn't completely understand relationships, but he lived with the Son Family for several years, initially with Goku and Chichi, moving on to Videl and Gohan some years later. He learnt a lot in the time he lived with them, so he had some understanding of how they worked. He also knew what divorce meant, after hearing the word before, Piccolo took it upon himself to look it up in one of Gohan's dictionaries. If Piccolo was being honest, he was shocked that Chichi had divorce papers.
Piccolo and Chichi had a turbulent relationship at first, back many years ago, but he learnt very quickly from observing her with Goku, how much he meant to her. She looked after Goku, fed him, cleaned his clothes, kept the home in pristine condition. She would laugh and play with him, comb her fingers through his hair and kiss him (when she thought Piccolo wasn't watching) she was worried about him getting the heart virus so she took extra precautions to ensure Goku was as fit and healthy as he could be by changing his diet and giving him daily vitamins. Goku moaned about it, but Piccolo knew that Goku appreciated it deep down.
When Goku returned from the dead, she acted like he had never left and was more than overjoyed to have him back. It was probably the happiest Piccolo had ever seen them. Piccolo learnt there was a deep respect and appreciation between the two of them, something Piccolo had never experienced before. So, to hear that Chichi had gotten divorce papers, that really surprised Piccolo.
"Look, stop destroying the place and go home and sleep it off. I'll tell the boys you're okay" Piccolo assured him before taking off, leaving Goku to calm down.
A day passed by and Goku had calmed some. But he couldn't shake the fact that his wife of 20 years was contemplating a divorce. He sat before his little log fire outside of his cabin, a long, bare branch in his hand as he poked at the wood that crackled in the flames. He sighed to himself as he poked and prodded the blaze with his stick, a sudden familiar Ki approaching from behind in the distance. He cocked an eyebrow. Krillin?
A few minutes later, Krillin touched down onto the grass just behind him, a smile on his face when he saw him.
"Hey, buddy! Just the guy I wanted to see, how's it goin'?" Krillin chirped as he ambled over to his friend. Goku shrugged.
"I'm good" Goku murmured, his eyes back on the fire. Krillin grimaced. He was most definitely not good.
"So, uh, whatcha doin'? Fancy hangin' out?" Krillin cheeped as he sat down next to his glum friend.
"I'm fine, Krillin. Ya don't have t'come check on me" Goku told him bluntly.
"I just wanted to see ya, pal. Besides, we haven' hung out in a while, just you an' me" Krillin reminded him.
"No, I guess not" Goku returned quietly. Krillin placed his hands on his knees and tapped his knee caps hesitantly.
"Ya wanna talk to me? I'm here for you, y'know?" Krillin spoke gently. He observed as Goku frowned and rose from the tree stump. Krillin watched as his friend paced for a few moments, the frustration rising from his body like smoke from a flame.
"I have never felt like this before! I didn' think this was even a thing! It's never crossed my mind! 'Cause we love each other! An' we been together since we was kids! I have never, in my life, thought for one second that I would ever be without her! 'Cause why would I? Even when I came back from Yardrat an' things were bad between us, not once did I think we would be over!"
"I know, buddy" Krillin gently responded.
"Even when I was dead for 7 years, she still took me back! Sure, it was strange for a little while an' it took some work, but we were good! So good!"
Krillin nodded, unsure of what he could say to ease his friend's frustrations.
"How am I s'pose to feel? How am I s'pose to react, Krillin? We're meant to be together! She's my Chichi! An' I'm her Goku. An' that's all it's ever been! I don't know anythin' else!"
Krillin was dumbfounded. He'd had girlfriends before and the relationships ended, but they weren't really serious relationships. 18 was his first serious girlfriend, but even they hadn't been together anywhere near as long as Goku and Chichi. Those two had been together forever! How long had it been? 20 years? That was a lifetime! And there was a possibility it was gonna be over? Krillin couldn't imagine how Goku was feeling right now. Krillin knew he'd be an absolute mess if 18 ended things with him.
Goku was very naïve and rather clueless about women, but he at least knew his wife. Chichi taught Goku everything about relationships, marriage and having kids. Goku didn't have a clue about any of that until he got with Chichi. But she had been in his life for almost the entirety of it, and Goku knew nothing else but her.
"I wish there was somethin' I could do for ya, pal. I hate seein' ya like this" Krillin told him sadly. He watched as Goku's sunken form stood with his back to him, watching the flames of the log fire in front of him.
"What am I gonna do, Krillin? I ... I can't lose her" he spoke quietly. Krillin stood up from his perched position on the tree stump and ambled over to his troubled friend.
"I guess if I was in your shoes, I would just keep tryin' to fight for her. Show her how much you love her, show her that you are there for her"
"But, the divorce papers ..." Goku barely whispered, his eyes catching Krillin's, and it was an expression Krillin had never seen on his friend's face before.
He looked completely broken.
"But, she didn' sign 'em, right?" Krillin reminded him, "So that has to count for somethin'!"
"But, she still got 'em. That has to count for somethin', too" He murmured. Krillin rubbed his friend's large arm to comfort him.
"Just don't give up, buddy! You ain't someone to give up in a fight without givin' your all, so this is no different" Krillin tried to reassure his friend with positive words. Goku had no words to respond to him, his eyes just staring blankly at the fire.
"Y'want me to stay here tonight? I don't mind, could be like old times" Krillin offered with a smile.
"Nah, it's okay, you got a family at home, Krillin" he said sadly.
"I really don't mind pal, 18 will understand"
"Honest, I'll be fine, you go home" Goku urged his friend, giving him a small smile, "thanks, though, Krillin. Means a lot that you're here, y'know?"
"I know, buddy. Always" he punched Goku's arm playfully, gaining another smile from his oldest friend.
"I'll check in with ya tomorrow, okay?" Krillin told him. Goku nodded. Krillin took off a moment later into the skies, leaving Goku alone at the fire.
Mr. Haruto met with Chichi a few days later, both of them sitting at the picnic bench in her garden, cups of tea in their hands. She had agreed to meet with him, to talk to him more about divorce. What she wasn't expecting, was his blunt reaction to her apprehension.
"You're stalling with the divorce. You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Mr. Haruto questioned her, almost mockingly, "the man is feral and completely neglects you as a husband. I'm sure he's just as much of a failure as a father". Chichi almost gasped at the statement, her eyes catching his, her expression one of disbelief.
"Excuse me?" she breathed out.
"He can't even fulfil his duties as a husband, so god knows how he fulfils his duty as a father. Your children probably resent him. I'm sure they will be glad when you divorce him" he commented, before taking a sip of his tea with his good hand, his right arm still in a sling from his recent ordeal with the brute of a man.
Chichi saw red.
Irregardless of Goku's lack of presence in their sons lives, which was never a constant thing, until he died and remained dead for 7 years, he always made the effort to spend time with their boys when he was there. And she never had to tell him to spend time with them! That was all him! He'd always give them his time, whether that was simply talking with them, taking them fishing, camping or sparring. He'd play fight with them on the sofa, play airplanes around the kitchen, sit and colour artbooks with them and play hide and seek in the woods.
He consistently told their boys how proud of them he was and was always pushing them to better themselves and encouraged them to be good people.
He may have been a bad influence on them sometimes, interfering with their studies to train or to run off hunting for dinosaurs together, but he was still spending time with them! He was still a positive presence in their lives and was a massive inspiration to them.
And they adored him! They absolutely idolised their father and had nothing but respect for him! He was their hero and nothing would ever change their view of him. And whether Goku and her were together or not, she knew that would never change.
"How dare you" she seethed.
"What? I'm simply stating facts, and you're the one who complained about him not being around!"
"For me! He hasn't always been there for me! He has always been a good father to our boys!" she defended him.
"I know you are scared about divorcing him, because you have been married for so long, but don't fall into that trap!" he advised her.
"What trap? There is no trap! He is a good father and I won't have anyone say otherwise!" she countered.
"That brute knows nothing but violence! I heard he once hit you through a wall! How do you know what he's like when you're not around? How do you know he's treating them right?"
Chichi's mouth hung open ... how did he know about that? and he surely wasn't insinuating what she thought he was, was he?
"My Kami!" she fumed, abruptly standing from the picnic table, "first of all, that was an accident with me! And second of all, how dare you claim my husband mistreats our children! He would never do that! And he wouldn't be standing if he did, either, 'cause I would wipe the floor with him!" she bellowed down to him.
"You are blinded by the feelings you still have for him! So, you are naturally going to defend him!" he told her calmly.
"What? No I'm not! I know he doesn't mistreat our boys! And I won't sit here and listen to you bad mouth him any longer!" she fumed, spinning on her heels, about to walk away from him.
"You are foolish if you cannot see the truth! He's probably been unfaithful to you, as well! With all the 'time away' he's apparently had. He seems the type!"
He seems the type? Her sweet, innocent Goku seems the type? He didn't even know him!
"Look at what I'm offering you here. You can dump the unwanted baggage, you and your children can go on leading happy lives, and I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement for a discount" he suggestively winked at her, "what more could you want?"
Chichi felt her blood boil ... an ugly pent up anger bubbling up inside of her. She threw herself at him, punching him square in the nose, sending him flying off his seat and across the garden. His weak body hit the ground with a thud, a groan sifting through his lips as he lay amongst the grass almost lifeless.
"You got 5 seconds to get off of my property before I really lay it on you!" she threatened him fiercely.
He thought she was bluffing, he really did, that was until she started counting. With a howl he got to his knees and practically crawled away from the house, his heart pounding like a jack hammer in his chest from fear! Holy shit! The woman was crazy! CRAZZZYYY!
Chichi crossed her arms over her chest proudly as she watched him struggle to run away.
That'll teach him!
Goku exiled himself for several days. He spoke to no one, he saw no one.
He couldn't sleep, he couldn't focus. He was completely lost.
He couldn't get her off his mind. How could he? She was his entire world, his best friend, his Chichi.
She was his security blanket. She was the one constant in his life.
She grounded him. He wasn't aimlessly wandering anymore, he had a place to call home.
She was his home. He loved his home. He missed his home.
He leant his elbows on his knees and palmed his tired eyes as he sat upon the mountain top, his legs dangling over the edge.
How could she do this? How could she end it like this? After all their years together! After all the work they both put into the relationship!
How could she let him go? How was she okay to let go of him, like he was absolutely nothing to her?
They'd shared so many goodbyes in the past, but he would always return to her, he would always see her again. But this wasn't a goodbye. Letting go was something different. Letting go was permanent. Letting go meant he would never be able to hold her hand again, because it was no longer his to hold.
It was like they were both drowning in the river, fighting for their lives, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they could. But in the end it was just too much, the current was too strong, they had to let go and drift apart. That's how it was. And it killed him, 'cause they loved each other their whole lives and he never wanted to let her go! He never wanted to lose her! But, he promised her he wouldn't let her drown.
He couldn't let her drown anymore.
He swallowed down a lump in his throat as he let out a trembling breath, a sudden presence behind him catching his attention.
"What do ya want, Vegeta?" he barely whispered as his eyes remained on the scenery below him.
"You know I'm no good at this. But, as much as you irritate me to no end with your constant foolery and that stupid grin, I'd much rather put up with that than deal with this miserable old sap, lolling around feeling sorry for himself". Vegeta told him bluntly. But he drew no reaction from the Saiyan and this irritated him.
"For the love of God! Kakarot, you need to get your act together! Your wife has divorce papers! And you got that vile shit face divorce lawyer sniffing around her! You can't let this happen! You have to stop him!"
"What's the point? She's clearly already made up her mind, so why bother" Goku grumbled. Vegeta looked horrified. He stormed over to Goku and gripped him by the neck of his shirt.
"Have you no sense of pride?! That's your woman! You don't let another man swoop in there! She is yours and no one but you can put their claim on her! You are a Saiyan warrior! Fight for your harpy woman!" he bellowed passionately.
"Fight for what, Vegeta?" Goku yelled back, roughly pulling his shirt free from Vegeta's grasp, "I don't care 'bout none of that Saiyan pride crap! Never have! I know I did wrong! I know this is all my fault! But she's the one ending it! She went behind my back to get a divorce an' I had to find out by accident!" Vegeta stood quietly, taken aback by the man's emotional outburst.
"She didn' even speak to me 'bout it! She just went an' made that decision without me!" he jumped to his feet as he continued his rant, "I will never be able to take back what I did! I was wrong for lyin' to her! I was wrong for lettin' her down! I was wrong for not bein' there for her! But it's okay for her to be secretive? It's okay that she didn' speak to me about the divorce? When she yelled at me for not tellin' her things!" Goku's voice boomed.
"It's okay that I'm the one who's lost everythin'? 'Cause I have, Vegeta! I've lost fuckin' everythin'! I've lost her! I've lost my home! I've lost it all an' that's okay?!"
"You haven't lost! Not yet!" Vegeta shouted at him.
"I lost the day she got those papers! Her pops told me that a divorce means ya no longer wanna be married to someone! That ya no longer wanna be with them! So, she doesn't wanna be with me anymore! Otherwise, why else would she get them? I've lost her, Vegeta! I've lost her, an' it fuckin' hurts! Through all the times I've been away from her, fightin' or 'cause I was dead, I still always came home to her! She always took me back! An' i'm here! I'm alive, I'm on Earth, I'm right here an' I'm not with her! An' I can't deal with it! I don't know how to deal with it! I don't ... I don't know what to do anymore!" He suddenly trailed off, dropping to his butt upon the grass. Vegeta groaned internally. He was really gonna have to have this talk with the fool!
"Kakarot, you've somehow managed to keep that woman for 20 years, so you must be doing something right, otherwise why would she wait for you all those times you were away? You said so yourself, you made the decision to stay dead and leave your family! You were gone for 7 years! And what did she do? She remained faithful to you and waited for you and took you back without a second thought!".
"That was then, Vegeta. An' yeah, she may have taken me back, but it weren' without it's conditions" Goku informed him.
"What do you mean?" Vegeta wondered as he sat on the grass next to him.
"She took me back, but I had to agree terms. To get a job, an' to never hide things from her an' leave her like that again. She said if I did that again, that I can stay gone, 'cause she wouldn' want me to come back. She said she would be done. I really hurt her when I made that decision, Vegeta"
"Noted, but she still did take you back. An' you were both the happiest you been in a long time, you said this!"
"Yeah, we were" Goku murmured, a sad smile gracing his features as he thought back to it.
"You're an idiot, an' you did mess up, I will agree with her on that, but even I know you didn't mean to hurt her. As clueless as you are, I know you care for that woman. You talk about her enough to me, unfortunately" Vegeta rolled his eyes. Goku remained silent.
"I piss Bulma off all the time, we have that in common" Vegeta added.
"Maybe, but ya never made Bulma feel the way I made Chichi feel. I feel like the worst person in the entire Universe. I feel like such a failure"
"Maybe you're a little bit of a failure, but that don't mean you can't fix it" Vegeta shrugged.
"An' what if I can't, Vegeta? What if it's gone past the point of fixin' it? Then what? 'Cause I've tried, Vegeta! I been tryin'! An' she keeps shootin' me down! An' now she's talkin' to some guy 'bout a divorce?! What do I do?!" he almost pleaded to Vegeta for his help, his eyes meeting his. Vegeta could see the desperation. Vegeta sighed and rested his elbows on his knees as he glanced over the edge of the mountain.
"If she's really done with you, and you have really tried, then you walk away" he told him.
"I dunno if I can do that" Goku barely breathed out.
"You'll have to. Out of respect for her, you will have to. But you don't give up until you have tried everything you can to get her back! That's one thing I will give you credit for, you don't give up without a fight! But I never said that" Vegeta grunted, sitting back up and crossing his arms over his chest.
The two Saiyans sat in silence for a while, both of them just staring out at the evening sky and the valley below. Vegeta glanced at the man next to him, from the corner of his eye. He appeared exhausted and done with their conversation, and Vegeta wondered what the man was going to do next to try and win his wife back.
It was a lovely warm afternoon, and Bulma, 18, Videl and Chichi were enjoying some afternoon tea in the back garden of Capsule Corp. Pan was napping inside, whilst Marron, Goten and Trunks enjoyed a game of hide and seek with Mr. Briefs inside the large dome. As the women enjoyed some gentle chatter, three officers suddenly made their appearance through the patio doors, escorted by one of the secretary staff from the front. All four women exchanged curious looks as the officers approached. 18 shared an unsure look with her husband, who was one of the officers approaching. He looked very unsettled.
"Is everything okay, officers?" Bulma questioned them as they approached their table.
"Mrs. Son, we need you to come with us, please" the one officer told Chichi. All of them looked horrified as they swung their heads to look at Chichi, a look of shock on Chichi's face, too.
"What? What's going on?!" Bulma demanded to know as she eyed the officer up once again.
"There's been an allegation of physical assault, so we need to take Mrs. Son down town for questioning" the officer informed them.
"She's not going anywhere with you!" Bulma bellowed at the officer.
"Please, Bulma, don't make this difficult" Krillin begged.
It was at that moment that Goku and Vegeta teleported onto the lawn, just a few meters up from them. Krillin swallowed nervously. His evening was getting worse by the second!
"Do you even have any evidence to back this up?!" Bulma questioned the man, her hands perched accusingly on her hips as she stood from the table.
"Look, we can't discuss anything more with you, we just need to speak with Mrs. Son". the officer nervously responded.
"What's goin' on?" Goku interrupted them, as he and Vegeta approached the table.
"They are saying that there's an allegation of physical assault against Chichi! They want to take her to the station for questioning!" Bulma informed him angrily.
"Assault? Who did she assault?" Goku wondered.
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't divulge that information." The officer explained.
"I'm her husband, an' I wanna know who said she assaulted them!" Goku responded firmly. The officer swallowed.
"It was probably Mr. Haruto. He paid a visit to the house and didn't like what I had to say!" Chichi grumbled. Goku caught Chichi's eyes, curious to know more about that visit.
"Mrs. Son, please, we can continue this conversation at the police station" The officer pressed.
"It was me. I'm the one who assaulted him" Goku suddenly blurted out. Everyone stared at him wide-eyed.
"But ... he stated Mrs. Son assaulted him" the officer repeated.
"An' I'm tellin' you it was me" Goku responded more firmly, "so, take me with you. She had nothin' to do with it". All three officers exchanged confused looks.
"Goku" Chichi gasped out, instantly standing from the table.
"It's fine, Chichi" he told her dolefully, before following the officers towards the patio area.
"Goku, I will get my best lawyer down to that station right now! Don't say another word, ya hear me?!" Bulma shouted after him.
Krillin followed Goku and the other two officers with slumped shoulders to the patio. He turned to face his wife before entering the doors, who could only return the same sad expression. This just wasn't happening right now. Goku was his best friend. With a heavy sigh he walked through the doors and followed the other officers and Goku out to their vehicles.
Bulma paced her perfectly cut lawn aggressively as she held her mobile phone to her ear. She growled, adjusting the phone to hold it at her mouth.
"You better get him off the hook, or I swear to Kami, I will make your life a living hell! I will fire you! And I will make sure no one else hires you! You got that?!" she screamed down the phone. Her lawyer stuttered a "yes" at the other end before she hung up on him.
"Smooth" 18 murmured next to her, as she leaned against the wall.
"What? He just needed a bit of encouragement. Perfect for his personal development" Bulma commented before walking back towards the table where Chichi sat with a concerned Gohan. As soon as he heard what happened from Videl, he was straight over to see his mother. Honestly, though, Gohan couldn't take anymore stress! With his parents on the brink of breaking up and now his father was at risk of going to jail, his heart was gonna give out.
"Did he say anything?" Chichi asked Bulma as she joined them at the table.
"Nothing yet. But, he's my best, Chichi. He will do everything he can for Goku" Bulma assured her, placing her hand on top of hers.
"So, ya really punched him, mom?" Gohan questioned his mother.
"I might have" she muttered, angry just at the thought of that spineless bastard. Gohan shook his head at his mother. Although, he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit proud of her for standing up for his dad. Despite what was going on between them, she was still defending him to the ground. Gohan knew things were bad, and his mother was upset and hurt by certain things his father had done, but there were some things she could never fault him for, and it showed.
It was a few hours later when Bulma got back off the phone, a huge smile on her face.
"He did it!" she almost screamed as she ran over to them where they all sat at the table.
"He did? My dad's off the hook?!" Gohan wanted to clarify, Goten next to him with a hopeful expression, too.
"Sure is! I knew he could do it!"
"How did he manage that? That Haruto guy had a broken arm and nose, he definitely had proof that he was beaten" 18 thought.
"There is absolutely no evidence against Goku, or even Chichi. There's no finger prints, no DNA, no video evidence, nothing!" Bulma informed her.
"But, Goku said he assaulted him. He took the fall for Chichi, remember?" 18 added, making Chichi shrink in her seat a little.
"And my lawyer cleverly noted that Goku never once admitted to physically assaulting him. He stated he assualted him, but that could be verbal abuse! Mr. Haruto reported that he was physically assualted, to which Goku never admitted to and there's no evidence to suggest he did. Case closed" she spoke chipperly.
"So, just like that? He's free to go?" 18 wondered further.
"Why are you asking so many questions? Goku is gonna be fine, isn't that what matters?" Bulma threw back at her.
"Well, yeah, of course, I was just curious. It also means your lawyer gets to keep his job" 18 smirked at Bulma who only rolled her eyes.
It was at that moment that Goku materialised before them, a small smile on his face when he saw them.
"DAD!" Goten shouted as he tackled his father's legs.
"Hey, buddy!" he greeted his little son, ruffling his wild hair.
"You okay, dad?" Gohan asked his father as he walked over to him. Goku placed his large hand on his son's broad shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Yeah, I'm okay" he told him.
"Where's Krillin?" 18 wondered.
"Oh, he's back at the station. He said he had a few things to finish off before he left. But, don't worry, he's okay. We're both fine" he assured her, knowing she was worried about Krillin because of the awkward position he was put in.
"Goku …" Chichi's gentle voice took all of his attention as he eyed her standing up from the table.
"It's ok, Chichi, I'm fine. Saw what ya did to him, though. Gotta say, ya still got a mean right hook" he told her with a small smile. She couldn't help but give him a small smile back. But, before she could say anything more to him, he thanked Bulma and bid his goodbyes and vanished with his little teleporting trick.
Goku appeared in the garden of the Son home and he felt some sort of relief seeing it again. As painful as it was not living there, it still had a calming effect on him. It was his home for so long, after all. Being as everyone were still at Bulma's, Goku took it upon himself to let himself into the house. He wasn't going to be long, what he needed to do would only take a short amount of time.
He entered the kitchen and flicked on the light, the sun was starting to lower in the sky, the light blocked by the many trees of the woodland surrounding the house. He slowly ambled down the hallway, his eyes scanning the many picture frames that hung on the wall. He found himself smiling as he recalled the memories that sprouted from the photos, of Gohan as a child, family gatherings and even times where he wasn't around, such as Goten's birth. The wall heaved with memories and Goku found himself lost in them.
He sauntered down to the first room to the right, which was Goten's. He gently pushed the door open and walked inside, his right hand flicking the light switch on as he did. He stood in the middle of his young son's room, scanning the entirety of it, as if memorising every bit of it. This was Gohan's room first, before Goten came along. Then the boys shared it for some years, and this continued when Goku returned from the dead. When Gohan eventually flew the nest, it became Goten's room, and it was honestly so different now, to how he remembered it when Gohan was little.
Goku walked over to Goten's desk and placed his hand on top of some of Goten's drawings, carefully flicking through the many pieces of artwork that he could see. He smiled proudly as he came across a graded piece of homework, math it looked like, and Goten had scored an A. Of course he scored an A, the kid may have been Goku through and through, but Chichi was his mother and Gohan was his brother. Of course he was gonna be smart. He eyed a picture frame next to the desk and he picked it up to study it better. It was a photo of all of them at the beach, back when Goku first returned from the dead. It was Goten's first beach trip with Goku, and he voiced many times that it was his favourite beach day in the whole world. So much so, that he wanted a copy of the photo that Piccolo was forced into taking that day.
Goku smiled again and placed the photo back on the table next to the desk. He gently pushed Goten's desk chair back under the desk neatly, before he took one last look around the room and left. He closed his son's door and made his way down to the room he once shared with his wife. The door was open, so Goku walked straight in, turning on the light as he entered, but he found himself glued to the floor. He stared around the room, it all looked exactly the same as it did the last day he was there. It was pristine as always, the bed was made, there were no clothes on the side to be put away. He moved over to his wife's vanity and pulled out the soft cushiony chair so he could take a seat.
He slumped back in the chair, his eyes bouncing from object to object that was neatly placed on her vanity table. He studied her different creams and ointments, remembering what each one was and where she used it on her body. It was almost like a ritual every night, something she always did and something he always watched her do. He couldn't stop the small smile from dropping from his face when he noticed there was a picture missing from the right side of her vanity. A framed photograph that had always been there from the moment she took it. Because it was her favourite photo, one he would always see her look at before she went to bed, one she would always tell him she'd look at when she missed him and he wasn't there.
It was a photo of him, smiling his biggest smile with his arms crossed, leaning against a tree in their garden. Chichi told him it was her favourite photo of him because he looked so happy and relaxed. And she also loved the tight black shirt he wore, too.
But, the photo had gone. It was no longer in it's usual place, where it had been for most of their marriage.
Goku felt sick to his stomach, his heart caving in beneath his tight chest.
Chichi had removed the photo from her vanity, and after he scanned the room, almost hoping it was somewhere else, he realised in that moment, that he had completely lost her. He sat still, in complete silence for a few moments, his eyes catching sight of his reflection in the large mirror on top of her vanity table.
To him, this was it. This was the sign he needed to tell him that Chichi was done. She had really let him go, she must have for that photo to be gone. And there was no point holding onto someone who had already let go.
You can't keep watering a dead flower.
Goku dragged himself up from the chair and walked over to the bed, to her side specifically. He opened the drawer to her bedside table and rummaged around for the satin box he had come for in the first place. He grabbed it when he found it and perched himself on the edge of the bed. He took a breath and opened the small blue velvet box, 2 golden bands safely encaged inside. He couldn't even bring himself to smile as he stared at their wedding rings. They never wore them, well, they did when they first got married, but Goku had a knack for losing his or forgetting where he put it after taking it off when training. After that, Chichi decided the rings were too special and kept them safe in a ring box in her bedside drawer.
He wasn't sure why, but he found himself laying in bed thinking about their rings the one night, and he wanted his back. He took the much larger ring, leaving the small dainty one alone in the box. He placed the box back inside her drawer and closed the drawer back up. He stood up and inspected his ring in his hand, rotating it slowly to get a good look of it. This ring never really meant much to him, he knew he was married and that's all the reassurance he needed. He didn't care about a piece of jewellery or some papers. All he cared about was his wife.
But now, all he had left was this piece of metal in his hand.
He slid the ring onto his wedding ring finger, he remembered which one from before. He gazed at it one last time before vacating the room, closing the door behind him.
And he left. He left without a second thought. And for the first time in his life, he didn't ever want to go back.
Gohan smiled lightly when he spotted the small island in the distance. Roshi's island. It had been a while since he'd been there.
He quickly touched down outside the front door, knocking gently before letting himself in.
"Master Roshi?" he called out, before stepping in any further.
"Hey, what's up Gohan? Good to see ya, come on in!" Roshi chirped from the sofa, remote control in hand, and something inappropriate on the TV, Gohan noticed. He was more than a bit relieved when Roshi turned it off and faced Gohan as he walked towards him.
"How is he?" Gohan asked the old master.
"Very quiet" Roshi told him truthfully, shrugging his shoulders. Gohan nodded slowly before making his way out to the back of the small beach house, where his father sat in one of Roshi's deck chairs.
"Hey, dad" he gently called his father, Goku's head turning to see his son approaching him.
"Hey, Gohan" he returned back lightly. Gohan dragged a deck chair over so he could sit next to his father, and he noticed as he sat down that his father had his wedding ring on, his thumb playing with it and rotating it around his finger. Gohan cleared his throat before speaking.
"You're not givin' up on mom, are you?" he blurted out unsurely. His eyes watched his father intently as he stared down at his hands.
"I've been selfish for way too long, Gohan. This ain't about me now. I just want your mom to be happy, even if that's not with me. Whatever she wants to do, I'll accept it". He told his son somberly, his eyes just staring at the golden band on his wedding finger.
"Dad" Gohan barely whispered to him. He was stunned by his father's words. He was going to let his mother go? He wasn't going to fight?
"Dad, you can't give up! It's mom!" Gohan reminded his father desperately.
"It's not that I'm givin' up, Gohan. I love your mom. I will always love your mom. But, if she decides it's really over, then it's over. I don't wanna cause any more pain or make her more angry than I already have. She don't deserve that"
"You just gotta fight for her, dad! Please, don't give up!" Gohan gently told his father.
"I'm done fightin', kiddo" he told his son, turning his head to look at him, a sad smile on his face, "What have I always told you boys? Your mom is the strongest. I could never beat her. Heh, I lost that battle 20 years ago when I fell in love with her" he chuckled out. Gohan gaped at his father, his heart clenching at the pained expression on his normally bright face.
"Truth is, your mom needs someone who will always be there for her, someone she can rely on. I can't give her that, Gohan. I've never been able to give her that. I've always gone off fightin' an' savin' the world. That's just who I am. I was never there for your mom, when I shoulda been. An' I wasn't honest with her. I will never be able to make up for those mistakes. I hurt your mom, Gohan, and I can't take that back".
Gohan was speechless.
Goku's eyes drifted to the rolling waves as they lapped at the golden sandy shore of Roshi's island.
"It's up to your mom, now. I'll do whatever she wants. It ain't about me anymore, son." he spoke quietly.
Gohan could only stare at his father.
Was this it? Was this really it? Were his parents over?
*I used part of a quote during Goku's thoughts, called "Never let me go" by Kazuo Ishiguro.