As the sky began to darken, and the sun began to set over the trees in the distance, Chichi allowed herself a moment to just breathe. She had her knees to her chest as she sat on the table of their family's picnic bench in the garden, her eyes lost to the setting sun.
For a moment, she didn't really feel like she was there. She felt numb, unsure, like she was just floating in this nothingness.
She felt lost.
She was emotionally bruised, and those types of bruises take time to really show themselves. And it had been quite some time since it all first started, all the pain, the anger, the loneliness. She had no idea that her life would turn out the way it did. After first meeting Goku, she had such a simple, yet beautiful idea in her head. She wanted to marry the man of her dreams, have children and a life with him, and live happily ever after, just like they did in those fairytales.
But that's exactly what it was. It was a fairytale. And fairytales weren't real.
They had been through so much. She had been through so much. Her children had been through so much.
Gohan, her sweet Gohan. He had been through the most, yet, he was the strongest of them all. From the age of 4 years old, Gohan was thrown into a man's world. He was thrown into a world where his father was killed and he was taken from her, forced to fight aliens stronger than him, where he had to endure the death of his friends and travel across space to try and revive them. He had to train hard for years to become stronger, so he could help protect their planet and their Universe, missing out on the things that children his age did, like making friends his age, going to school, going to birthday parties and sleep overs.
He was beaten relentlessly, he suffered endless nightmares after his time in Space. As an eleven year old boy, he had to watch his father fall right in front of him, and watch helplessly as his father sacrificed his life to save him. And he blamed himself for it all. For not being strong enough, brave enough, for not being good enough. And that guilt ate at him for 7 long years. It consumed him like poison, and it took for his father's revival to finally remove that heavy burden from his shoulders.
His innocence was taken from him. His childhood was stolen from him. And it wasn't fair.
Things were better with Goten. Goku sacrificed himself against Cell and made the decision to stay dead. Goku blamed himself for all the evil coming to Earth, as they were always after him. He decided to stay away, to give his family peace. He told Gohan he had nothing left to teach him. But what he didn't know, was that she was pregnant with their second child. She didn't even know at the time.
Goten was lucky enough to have a childhood. He was able to live without fear, in a time of peace, for the first 7 years of his life. And even though Gohan was battling some demons, he was able to find some sort of normality again, by going to school and making friends.
Chichi suffered for 7 years. Her boys didn't know it all, but she suffered.
Her boys helped her get through it. If it wasn't for them, she wouldn't have made it.
The grief of losing her husband the second time round come in waves, grueling, stealing away her identity, her meaning, her purpose. She found it hard being able to fall asleep, and then not being able to wake herself up in the morning. She could have just laid there, not caring about anything else, like nothing else mattered in the world anymore. He was all and everything she knew. He was her rock, her comfort, her safety, her company, her friend.
And she lost him. She lost her best friend.
It was like a shard of glass in her gut that she could never remove, though over time the edges dulled some.
Only he could wound her so deeply, he had her heart after all. She couldn't be more raw than that, more exposed, more pure. She pushed away the unforgiving waves that came rolling in every day. She never stopped fighting.
She went through periods where she loathed him. She hated him for leaving her, for breaking her heart, for allowing her to raise their children alone. And then she felt sick to her stomach with guilt, angry with herself for ever feeling that way towards him because she loved him with all her heart. Because he was her Goku. She went through a very dark time when she was pregnant with Goten. She felt as though she was down this deep, deep hole and she was looking up and there was this little dot of light and she had to scream at the top of her lungs for anyone to hear her, but they never did.
Thank Kami for her boys. They had no idea, but they saved her life.
People can grow strong enough to whisper at the iron bars that hold them and see them bend out of their way. And that's what she did. She managed to get through it all. She was strong enough to take it, but that didn't mean she deserved it.
Chichi pulled her knees tighter to her chest, holding herself tighter as the once gentle breeze, picked up it's pace. Right now, she needed to be alone. She was hurting too damn much. She needed time to think. She needed time for her. She'd never given up on him before. She always remained loyal to him, always waiting for him to return with open arms. Because she loved him, even through all his messes and his mistakes.
She gave every part of herself to him, trusted him with every part of her. And yet, he handled her like a glass ball in his hands, and he dropped her one too many times.
Goku was a restless man, always bouncing off the walls, clawing at them when he had been contained within them for too long. Goku needed his freedom. That's the way he was. He would never be fully happy staying at home with her, and she accepted that. She dealt with his foolishness, his selfishness, his reckless behaviour. She fed him, clothed him and loved him her entire life. She never left his side when he was completely paralyzed in the hospital after fighting Vegeta. She never left his side when he suffered the virus that attacked his heart.
She had always been there for him. She worshipped the fucking ground he walked on.
But him running off, deceiving her. HER of all people. The one person who she trusted the most and he was supposed to trust her. And he lied. And the lie had gone on for quite some time, telling her that he was never going to admit the truth to her, and only did because he got found out.
It led her to wonder if he had kept anything else from her. He had lied to her before, but nothing quite like this. Goku was normally a terrible liar, only barely getting away with the odd little white lie here and there, but this ... this was not the husband she knew.
She had always trusted him, but now she felt she had lost some of that trust.
She was so angry. So angry because of everything they had been through together. So angry because of everything she gave to him. So angry because of how much he meant to her.
It had been 20 years with her husband. Could she do another 20 years like this?
It was close to dinner time, and Goku teleported himself and Goten to their garden. Goku had spent some time with his son and had taken him fishing. Goku really needed it, and felt better for spending time with the little guy.
"Dad, do you hav'ta go? Can't you come home now?" Goten asked his father, a glint of sadness in his eyes. Goku paused for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on his son, his mouth suddenly going dry. How was he supposed to answer that? What was he supposed to say? Goku crouched down to his little son's level, sitting on his heels.
"Hey, Goten" he gently soothed his son, softly ruffling the boy's identical wild hair, "I know you probably don't understand it all, but ... right now ... It's best I'm not here"
"Doesn' mommy love you anymore?" Goten looked horrified as the words come spewing out of his mouth.
"Hey, mommy loves all of us. Mommy is just ... mad at daddy for somethin' daddy did"
"Did you say you were sorry?" Goten asked him.
"Yeah, I did"
"Did you get mommy some flowers?" Goku couldn't help but smile lightly at his question.
"Yeah, I gave her some flowers"
"Then, why is mommy still mad at you? You said you were sorry. You always forgive someone when they say they're sorry" Goku's heart melted at his little boy's innocence.
"I know, buddy, but ... daddy really upset mommy this time. Mommy needs some space right now. So, I hav'ta give it to her" Goku tried to explain. Goten's eyes fell to the ground somberly, his shoulders slumping. Goku sighed and grabbed his little son, pulling him in for a big hug.
"Look, daddy really wants to come home, I really miss you an' mommy, but I hav'ta respect what your mommy wants right now. That doesn' mean we can't hang out. I can come an' see ya whenever you want! An' we can go fishin', huntin' an' whatever else ya wanna do, okay?"
"Can I come to your house, too?" Goten suddenly asked, pulling back from his father's large chest.
Your house. He'd only been living away from their house for a month, and already their home was no longer his home.
"Yeah" Goku breathed out, "You can come to my house" Goten smiled at this.
"Okay, kiddo, you best go in before mommy wonders where you are" Goku told him, ruffling his hair once more before standing.
"Okay, dad" Goten agreed as he walked off towards the house. But he suddenly stopped and turned to face his father again.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, buddy?"
"I love you" Goku smiled a little sadly at his son.
"I love you, too" His little son grinned and ran towards the house.
"Hey, uh, Goten?"
"Yeah, dad?" Goten asked as his hand reached for the door handle.
"Can ya do me a favour? An' tell your mom I wanna talk to her?" Goku asked his son.
"Okay, dad!" Goten chirped, flinging the door open and running inside.
Goku let out a long, deep breath and walked over to the family's picnic bench. He sat himself down at it and waited for Chichi to come out. He wasn't really sure what he was going to say to her, but he had to talk to her again. Goten already saying Goku had his own house really bothered him. He didn't like that.
"Goten said you wanted to talk to me" Chichi spoke dimly behind him, startling him. He turned on the bench seat to look at her. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, her cooking apron on, and she was wearing his favourite purple dress beneath it. No words came out of his mouth and Chichi caught his eyes wandering, so she cleared her throat.
"What do you want, Goku?"
"I want to come home" he told her.
"Goku, I'm not doing this right now"
"D'you know Goten thinks that I have my own house now? That it's my house? Like, this isn't my home anymore?" he told her, referring to their little home behind them.
"Well, you aren't living here, Goku. So he doesn't think it's your home"
"But it is my home!"
"Me and Goten are living here, Goku, not-" Chichi tried to finish.
"-This is my home too! That's my grandpa's house!" Goku shouted at her, pointing to the small cabin in the distance, "you can't just kick me out!"
"Okay, so, you want me to leave with Goten?! You want us to be kicked out of our home?! When we are the ones that have always been here, whilst you have been off fighting or dead?! How is that fair?!"
"No, I don't want to kick you out!"
"One of us need to leave, so if you're not gonna kick us out, then it has to be you!" Chichi hotly voiced.
Chichi was about to walk away from him but Goku's grip on her waist stopped her. He pulled her to him at the bench, cradling her small body in his trembling arms, burying his face just beneath her chest, as he always did when seeking comfort.
"Please, Chichi. You're the only person that gets me. Nobody knows me like you do! I don't know anyone like I know you an' I don't wanna know anyone else! Please, Chichi. Please let me come home. Please let me know you. I miss you. I miss Goten. I miss our home. Please, Chichi. I wanna come home."
Chichi swallowed hard and unwrapped his arms from around her, trying to contain the tears as she pulled herself free of his longing grip.
"Chichi, please, don't" he breathed out when she broke his hold on her. He looked up at her, with the most pained expression on his face, nothing like she'd ever seen before.
"You can see Goten whenever you want outside of school. I won't stop you. But you can't keep coming here to have this argument with me" Chichi told him firmly. She suddenly remembered something and dug her right hand into the pocket of her cooking apron and placed his mobile phone and charger on the bench in front of him.
"Here's your phone and charger. Just text me when you want to see him and we will arrange it. My number is saved in your contacts" Goku just stared lost at his phone on the bench table.
"You need to go, Goku, please. I don't want to cause a scene in front of Goten". She quietly told him, before walking back towards the house.
Goku sat there for a few more minutes, his eyes focused on the cellular device in front of him. This was just one big mess. And he had no idea how he was going to fix it. Chichi had been with him, through all of his messes and mistakes, but this time, he was on his own.
How was he going to get through this without her?
Gohan marched into Capsule Corporation, his feet stomping down the entrance hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. He promised Videl he would keep his cool, but now that he was there, he was finding it hard to control his emotions. Aside from Videl and Pan, his parents and Goten were his absolute world. And he had so much love and respect for his parents, that when anyone so much as tried to bad mouth them, he was straight on the offensive. No one said a bad thing about his parents when he was around, and no one meddled in his family's private business.
Videl had told him that morning that Bulma was the one that told his mother about the whole scenario with Hit. 18 told Videl during a playdate with the kids the day before, after hearing it from Panchy, who had been present when Bulma told Chichi. 18 had visited Capsule Corp the day before meeting up with Videl, and was supposed to be meeting Chichi there with Bulma. She questioned why Chichi wasn't coming, and instead staying at home, and that's when Panchy explained what had happened. Chichi was really upset by the news, and didn't want to see anyone.
Yes, his father should have told his mother the truth in the first place, but Bulma had no right sticking her nose in. Bulma loved to gossip, so it was no surprise that it was her that went running to his mother. But, Gohan wasn't there to argue with Bulma. He wanted to find Vegeta. His father had taken off, and no one knew where he was. If anyone was gonna know his father's whereabouts, it was Vegeta.
Gohan announced himself at the main desk, and was immediately given access into the main building. As he continued to frog march down the hall, his eyes caught sight of Bulma in one of the lounges, sipping on a hot drink and conversing on her phone. Gohan shook his head, ridding the thoughts of shouting at her, and continued his search for Vegeta. But, to his dismay, Bulma suddenly called his name.
"Gohan! Hey, Gohan! Over here!" Bulma called sweetly as she put down her phone. Gohan come to a stop and huffed out a frustrated breath.
"Hey, you, it's been a while, how are you?" she chirped as she reached him. Gohan tried to force a smile on his face as his eyes met hers.
"Yeah, i'm lookin' for Vegeta, is he here?"
"Is ... everything ok?" Bulma questioned him, noticing the irate look on his face.
"No, not really" Gohan told her shortly.
"Gohan, what's wrong?" Gohan couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Why did you tell my mom about my dad hiring Hit?" Gohan directly asked her, his face angry.
"What?" Bulma snapped back at him.
"My parents are in a mess, why did you say anythin'?!" he pushed.
"You're blaming me for this?" Bulma uttered in shock.
"I'm not blamin' you, Bulma, but you didn' need to meddle in this!"
"Excuse me?" Bulma shrieked at him.
"This should'ave come from my dad, Bulma, not from you!" Gohan repeated himself.
"Well, maybe your father should have been honest and told your mother the truth in the first place!" She fumed, placing her hands on her round hips.
"Yeah, he should'ave! But just 'cause he didn' tell her, didn' mean you had to!" Gohan reminded her.
"Am I interrupting?" a gruff voice from the side caught their attention. Both Gohan and Bulma turned to see Vegeta perched up against the bar of the visitor's lounge, a familiar scowl on his face.
"Vegeta, I came lookin' for you. Do you know where my dad is? I can't sense him anywhere on Earth" Gohan questioned him, walking away from Bulma and towards the shorter man.
"Beats me" Vegeta shrugged.
"Vegeta, if you know where he is, tell me. I need to know he's okay" Gohan pressed as he reached his spot.
"Why should I care?"
"Please, Vegeta. My mom kicked him out and I just know he's in a mess right now. I'm worried about him"
Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"He's off planet somewhere, but I'm unsure where exactly. Give him some time, he will be back" Vegeta advised, before walking off down the hall, leaving a deflated Gohan to gape at him.
Bulma hurriedly followed Vegeta down the hall, her heels click-clacking against the hard floor as she tried to keep up with him.
"Hey, Vegeta, wait!" she called her husband.
"Woman, I'm not interested in your dramatics" he told her, turning left to go down another hallway.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Your business with Kakarot's eldest, I'm not interested, so don't bother" They both reached the end of the short hallway and Vegeta took off his glove and hovered his palm over the sensor pad, the door in front of them whisking up.
"He was shouting at me, y'know? Blaming me for Chichi kicking Goku out!" she enlightened him.
"Well, if you hadn't opened that loud mouth of yours, this wouldn't have happened" Vegeta agreed as he walked through the doorway, slipping his white glove back on.
"Oh my god! Are you serious? Why am I the bad person here? I told Chichi the truth, unlike her own husband! And anyway, if anything this is your fault! You told me about this!" she put the blame on him.
"My fault?" Vegeta fumed, spinning on the pads of his boots to face her, "you were supposed to keep that to yourself! I told you that in confidence!"
"Pfft, yeah right" Bulma hissed as she crossed her arms.
"Honestly, can't you keep anything to yourself?"
"Y'know what? Next time, don't come moaning to me about Goku! You were the one venting and letting the secret spill. Go and find someone else to complain to from now on" she miffed at him. Vegeta growled under his breath.
"Fine! I will!" he spat, turning back around to walk off.
"Where do you think you're going?!" she suddenly questioned him.
"To lie down, if you don't mind!" he sassed at her.
"Oh, no, you don't. You are going to go and find Goku!"
"What? Why? I want nothing to do with this!"
"You are a part of this mess, whether you like it or not! So, go and find him and make sure he's okay!"
"And what if I don't?" he tested her, a smirk on his face. Bulma mirrored his smirk.
"If you don't, I will shut down that gravity room and you won't be fed!"
"Please, I can just train somewhere else, and your mother wouldn't let me starve!"
"Fine, then I won't have sex with you. See how you cope without that!" she stuck her nose up at him and went to turn her back on him to walk out of the room.
"FUCK SAKE!" He shouted in annoyance behind her.
After speaking to Whis over Bulma's wrist phone, Vegeta found out that Goku was on Beerus' planet. And after promising Whis some deserts, Whis kindly collected Vegeta from Earth, and took him to see Goku.
"Be gentle with him, he's sad" Whis told Vegeta once they arrived, before walking off humming delightfully to himself with the puddings in hand. Vegeta rolled his eyes before ambling over to Goku, who lay amongst the grass beneath the shade of the trees.
"Alright, you need to get your ass back to Earth!" Vegeta shouted as he approached his once arch rival.
"Huh? Vegeta?" Goku shot up, startled as he observed Vegeta walk over to him.
"Your son is worried about you and I'm getting it in the neck from my wife, so, lets go!" Vegeta ordered, halting his footsteps as he reached Goku's spot.
"I'm good here. Just tell Gohan an' Goten you've seen me an' I'm okay" Goku told him quietly, before leaning back against one of the trees.
"Not a chance! You need to come back to Earth! Whis has agreed to take us both back as soon as he's eaten his pudding"
"You brought puddin'?" Goku perked up slightly.
"Kakarot, I swear to God!" Vegeta boiled, his bed calling him for the afternoon nap that was so rudely taken from him.
"Geez, no need to be so cranky. It's not like I asked you to come here" Goku bickered back, crossing his arms over his chest. Vegeta composed himself slightly, knowing his agitation would not win Goku over and convince him to come back with him.
"Look, let's just wait for Whis, and go home. I'm sure I can get some more pudding for you, if that'll make you feel better" he spoke through his teeth.
"Thanks, but it's gonna take more than puddin' to make me feel better" Vegeta let his arms droop to his side, his face contorted into frustration.
"Don't do this" Vegeta groaned.
"Don't do what?" Goku wondered, side-eyeing Vegeta.
"Make me talk with you! You know I hate having these repulsive, meaningful conversations with you!" Goku cocked an eye brow at him.
"Then don't. Just go home" he told him bluntly, facing away from him. Vegeta slapped his face in annoyance. This fucking clown! He practically flung himself on the ground next to Goku, shaking his head, berating himself. Yes, his main priorities out of all this was to not be banned from sex with his wife and to finally have his afternoon nap. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he did care about the fool next to him. Hmm, okay, maybe care was the wrong word. Maybe he sort of liked him and respected him. After all, he was a fellow Saiyan like himself, and they were the only two full breeds left in their Universe.
"Talk" he grunted at Goku.
"We don't hav'ta talk" Goku quietly responded.
"Will you spit it out already?" Vegeta snapped at him. Goku sighed and let his eyes drop to his feet, his legs crossed and his right hand fumbling with the tie around his training boot.
"I dunno what to do" Goku uttered.
"About what, exactly? The fact you lied to your wife? Or her kicking you out?" Goku frowned at him.
"Both"
"Well, you can't do anything about the lie. It's done. And, I don't know, I've never been kicked out"
"What? Bulma has never kicked you out?" Goku questioned him, surprised by this. Bulma could be just as feisty as Chichi, if not worse sometimes, how did he get away with not being kicked out? He was an asshole when he wanted to be.
"Well, yes, I have been kicked out, many times. But I just let myself back in. I couldn't care less, I just go and sleep in one of the guest rooms". Vegeta blazingly told him.
"No kiddin'" Goku gaped at him.
"Why don't you just do that? Assert your authority! You are a Saiyan warrior! Have some pride!" Vegeta admonished him.
"Says the guy who was probably blackmailed into comin' here. There ain't no way you came here off your own back" Goku gave Vegeta a small smile.
"Shut up" Vegeta hissed at him.
"Well, either way, it ain't as easy as that. She's real mad at me. The maddest she's probably ever been. I really messed up this time. I'm not so good at this husband thing. Y'think I'd learnt by now, huh"
"I'm sure if you were that bad, she'd have left you years ago. She doesn't seem the type to settle for anything less than she deserves" Vegeta thought out loud.
"So, what do I do? How do I fix this?"
"Are you really asking me?"
"Well, yeah. You're a Saiyan like me, an' you're married, too!"
"How the hell am I supposed to know? You and I are nothing alike! And I only married Bulma because she wouldn't shut up about it! I couldn't care less about Earth's customs. I picked her, mated with her, and she birthed my child. As far as I'm concerned, the deal was sealed"
Goku looked dejectedly back down at the ground and Vegeta huffed.
"Look, we are very different people and have different relationships. What works for me and Bulma might not work for you and your wife"
"I will try anything at this point" Goku almost whispered. Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Ugh, fine! What is it your wife likes about you? What do you do that makes her happy?"
"Umm ... well, working on the farm, being with the boys, being home with her and Goten, spending time with Pan ..." Goku thought on the spot.
"Okay, what else?"
"She loves it when we're intimate, she especially loves it when I-"
"Dear God, NO! I don't want to hear about that!" Vegeta yelled in disgust.
"But it's something she likes me doing! You asked!" Goku whined.
"I do NOT want to hear about your sexual relations! Besides, she kicked you out! Dicking her down isn't going to help you right now!"
"Dicking her down? What does that mean?" Goku asked cluelessly.
"Forget it" Vegeta told him bluntly. Goku sighed, a moment of silence passing between them.
"You told Bulma, didn' you?"
"What?" Vegeta questioned him.
"You told Bulma that I hired Hit to assassinate me, didn' you?" Vegeta pursed his lips.
"My bad, I let that slip when I was venting" Vegeta admitted.
"Venting about what?"
"I was pissed at you for getting more enjoyment out of fighting Hit, than me, and it just came out. But she did say she wouldn't say anything. Obviously that damn woman can't keep her trap shut!" Vegeta grumbled.
"You thought I enjoyed fightin' Hit more than you?"
"Let's not go off topic" Vegeta quickly replied, embarrassed at his own stupid feelings on the matter. Goku stared down at the ground again.
"Well, I didn', just so ya know" he told him quietly, "it was fun, but, I dunno, I guess you know me and how I fight. I know you, too. I think that makes it better". Vegeta groaned.
"This is getting way too soppy for my liking" he told the wild haired man next to him.
"You were meant to keep that to yourself, y'know. I did ask you not to tell anyone"
"I was angry and it slipped out. I didn't purposely tell her. And like I said, she told me she wouldn't tell anyone".
Goku eyed him for a brief moment before facing his boots again.
"Look, I'm sorry I dropped the ball, but irregardless of what's going on right now, you need to come back to Earth. Your sons are worried about you. You always tell me how much they mean to you, and how much you missed when you were dead. Don't add to your guilt" Vegeta told him firmly. Goku turned to face Vegeta, a thoughtful look on his face.
"You're right" he agreed.
"Running away from your problems won't solve them" Vegeta told him as he stood up, putting his hand out for Goku's.
"That's fine words comin' from you, Vegeta. How many times have you run away'?". Goku smirked at him as he took his hand. Vegeta rolled his eyes and pulled him up.
"I was a dick back then"
"Was?" Goku teased. Vegeta smirked back at him.
"Shut up, you idiot. Let's go"
Goku had been back on Earth a couple of days and he found himself at Fire Mountain. His eyes gazed up at the castle in front of him, his palms suddenly a bit sweaty. The Ox King was way out of Goku's league when it came to strength, but that didn't stop the fear he imposed on him. He'd had run in's with the Ox King before, when he had upset Chichi, and he didn't take it lightly. Goku felt nervous coming to the Ox King for advice, being Chichi's father, but he didn't have anyone else to turn to.
"Goku! My boy! What brings you here? alone?" The Ox King wondered as he suddenly emerged from one of the side entrances, noticing Goku wasn't at least with his mini clone, who followed him pretty much everywhere that he went.
"I ... uh, wanted to talk to ya, if that's ok?" Goku spoke nervously. The Ox King gave him a small smile. He knew what this was about. He had been over to the Son residence a few times since Chichi kicked Goku out, and although Chichi hadn't told the Ox everything, he knew enough.
"Sure, son, do you want something to eat? I can get someone to fix you something yummy before we talk?"
"Nah, I'm okay. Thanks, though" Goku told him glumly. Ox was surprised by this. Goku declining food? This was unheard of!
Father-in-law and son-in-law took a walk to the hills just outside of the kingdom. It was a rather quiet walk, the Ox King telling Goku about some of fruits that had started to grow near by. Some of which were Goku's favourites. They stopped their walk when they reached the top of one of the smaller hills, both of them sitting down amongst the lush, green swaying grass. Ox waited patiently for Goku to talk, his eyes on him, his solemn look and sunken form more than noticeable.
Goku wasn't the most expressive when it come to his deepest emotions. The Ox had seen Goku during sad moments, like before the Cell Games. Goku was very troubled and asked him if he could be with Chichi when Goku fought Cell. The Ox King knew something wasn't right, but Goku wouldn't tell him what it was. It wasn't until Gohan fought Cell and then Goku sacrificed himself, that the Ox King realised what was eating at him. But by then, it was too late.
Ox had seen Goku at his happiest, too. But Goku was generally a very happy person. And it was contagious, Goku could smile and light up an entire room, even in the darkest of moments. It was almost like a magic power of his. Goku's happy, playful, bouncy personality was something Chichi fell deeply in love with. His boyish charm and innocence drew her in, too. This was something Chichi told her father many times before.
But, it seemed that wasn't enough for her anymore. That beautiful smile of hers had faded from her face, and that really bothered the Ox King.
"I really messed up this time, didn' I" Goku spoke, his eyes still focused on the scenery in front of him. Ox sighed.
"Yes, you did" Goku's eyes drifted down to the grass beneath him, his right hand reaching out to pick at the green blades.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" The Ox King questioned him.
"I guess, I didn' want her to worry. I know I probably went about it the wrong way, but I just wanted to fight this guy at his best. I thought I had a good chance of beatin' him. I had trained so hard, and I was stronger. I wanted to test myself out. I thought I had a chance" Goku murmured.
"We talked about this, a long time ago. You should never keep secrets from your wife" The Ox King reminded him.
"I know. I shoulda told her. I regret not tellin' her"
"Do you regret not telling her, just because you got caught out?" The Ox pressed. Goku's eyes met his, and the Ox King could see a bit of anger in his expression.
"Ya don't have'ta say it like that" Goku almost grumbled.
"Well, if you hadn't got caught out, would you have ever told her?" he questioned him again. Goku let out a short breath.
"Probably not" he admitted quietly.
"You understand why Chichi is angry with you, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, I lied to her" Goku answered him, his eyes brow cocked in confusion by the question.
"It's not just the fact that you lied to her, son, it's the fact that you put your life on the line. You've put yourself in that position many times before, but it's always been to protect your family and the Earth. And as much as that always hurt and worried my daughter, she understood and accepted your reasons for it. This time, though, it was just to have some fun fighting someone strong".
"But, I wasn' purposely tryin' to get myself killed. I don't wanna die again. I been dead too many times an' I missed so much. I just ... I didn' think" Goku huffed out, a frustrated frown perched on his face.
"No, you didn't think. You should have thought about what could have happened if your plan went wrong. You should have weighed up the risks before you decided to hire him. Goku, you are a smart, skillful fighter. This was reckless and not thought through properly".
"I know" Goku murmured.
"I'm disappointed in you, son. Chichi is deeply hurt by all this. She always ends up being the one who gets hurt and that doesn't sit right with me" the Ox King told him sternly.
"I didn' mean to hurt her" Goku told him quietly.
"I know that, Goku. But, you still did". Ox tried to tell him.
There was a short silence between them as they both stared off into the distance, the sun starting to set over the small Kingdom.
"I don't know what to do" he admitted to his father-in-law.
"Just give her some time, son" he advised.
"How much time?" Goku wondered as he looked up at him.
"As long as she needs" Ox told him, his eyes now on his son-in-law. Goku nodded sadly, his eyes staring down at his clasped hands in his lap.
If he didn't feel like scum before, he did now. Just someone else who was disappointed in him.
Goku was really starting to wonder if he was ever going to be able to fix this. Had he gone too far this time?
Goku was worried.
It had been 2 months.
2 months.
It felt like it had been at least 6.
Goku had tried two more times to talk to his wife, but she shut him down again, both times.
Goku was sat, leant up against one of the wooden pillars of his home. He had just finishing building a little cabin for himself, really deep into the woods, a few hundred miles from his old home. Gohan had helped him with some measurements, as Goku wasn't so good at that part, but he was fine managing the rest. He'd helped to build his own home after all, before he and Chichi got married and moved in there.
The cabin had only one room, which had a bed, table and two chairs and a chest of drawers with his clothes in. He had no indoor plumbing, and instead washed and bathed in the nearby river. He had a log fire outside where he would grill fish and other animals he caught to eat. He would also cook rice and vegetables from the farm over the fire. He was living with the very basics, something he did as a kid. It wasn't until he married Chichi that he had what he called 'luxuries', with indoor plumbing, heating, a large indoor bath, fluffy towels, a real toilet and a fully equipped kitchen. Sure, he experienced such luxuries on his travels around the world with Bulma, but he never actually had it for himself.
Goku watched as the many birds fluttered through the trees, some of the smaller land animals coming to life as the sun rose higher into the sky. The cool breeze swept through the branches of the tall, bushy branches, nipping at the skin of his bare chest and arms, the coldness rousing him to wakefulness. The gentle sound of the wind helped make him be still, his eyes closing slowly as he listened to the birds as they sang their morning song. The rustling of leaves and the calming sound of the nearby river, only added to the stillness he so craved to be.
His mind was restless, and he was finding it hard to shut off every night. He barely slept a few hours with everything he had running through his head.
He missed home. He missed his son.
He missed her. And there was really nothing more to say.
He dragged himself up some time after, and caught himself some fish for breakfast from the nearby river. After grilling it over the fire just outside his little hut, he sat and ate it, sharing pieces of his fish with one of the small deer's that regularly passed through this side of the woods looking for food. He was a very inquisitive animal, curious about Goku from the offset. He was skittish at first, but it didn't take long for Goku to gain his trust. If Goku was being honest, it was nice to have some company as he ate his breakfast.
Around an hour later, Goku was sat against one of the large tree stumps outside his cabin, just watching the world go by, when he spotted an air ship coming from the sky. The ship stealthily landed just up from him, the wind from it's turbines making Goku close his one eye from the dirt blowing from the ground. No more than a few seconds later, out hopped Bulma, her painted lips curling up into a smile when she saw him.
"Hey, you" she gently called as she walked over to him. He gave her a small smile, before letting his eyes drift back to the burnt out log fire in front of him. Bulma chewed her lip nervously.
"Hey, can I sit with you?" she asked him.
"Sure" he quietly responded. Bulma straightened up her knee length red dress and sat down next to her old friend.
"Did you build this place yourself?" she wondered, as she took in the small cabin behind them.
"Gohan helped, but for the most part, yeah"
"You did a really good job"
"Thanks" he answered her, his eyes not once taking notice of her.
"Do you have electricity?" she wondered.
"Nah, don't need it" Bulma noticed his mobile phone, perched on the grass next to him.
"What about charging your phone?" Goku paused and looked down at his phone for a few seconds before responding.
"Guess I didn' really think about that". And he hadn't. He'd barely used the phone since Chichi gave it to him. If he wanted to see Goten, he generally just searched for his Ki and used instant transmission to get to him. Bulma suddenly stood and wandered back to her air ship. After rummaging around in the back of the ship for a couple of minutes, Bulma returned with a small black Capsule Corp carry case. She sat back down next to Goku and placed it on the ground in front of him.
"Here, this is a mobile solar powered socket unit. You can plug all sorts in here, including the charger for your phone. Just make sure it's charged up during the day in the sun and it will work" Bulma told him.
"Don't ya need it?" he wondered
"You know me, I have more than one. You can have it"
"Thanks"
There was a short silence between them, both of them staring out into the woods.
"It's really peaceful out here" Bulma commented.
"Whatcha really doin' here, Bulma?" Goku questioned her.
"I just wanted to see you. I've been worried about you and wanted to make sure you're okay" she answered him.
"Why now? It's been 2 months since ya told Chichi about Hit, so, why all of a sudden now do ya wanna check on me?" Bulma could practically taste the venom in his voice, the tension in the air thicker than smoke.
"Goku, that's not fair" She watched as Goku got up from the ground and he started pacing besides the outed fire.
"Why did you tell her?" he asked her directly, his eyes on her.
"Because it was the right thing to do" Bulma answered him quickly.
"Why did you really tell her?" Goku snapped at her.
"What?"
"I might not be the smartest, but I know you, Bulma. An' I know ya don't just do things for no reason. There had to be somethin' in it for you, so what was it?"
"Are you serious?" Bulma exclaimed.
"Why did you tell her?!" he questioned her again.
"Because she deserved to know the truth! For a long time, me and Chichi didn't see eye to eye, and I wasn't always honest with her. You know that! We had this conversation a long time ago, back when you were injured in the hospital. You know we lied to her, and as much as I didn't want to admit it then, you were right and we shouldn't have lied to her and kept things from her. I carried a lot of guilt with me, but I've learnt from my mistakes and I won't be made out to be the bad person again. It's taken some time, but we have become closer and I consider her a good friend of mine, now, and I don't wanna ruin that". Bulma explained.
"So, that's why you told her? To quelch your guilt? To make yourself look good? Because you were wrong before?"
"No, that's not what I-"
"-You told my wife somethin' huge, somethin' that's completely ripped us apart, just to make you feel better?" Bulma jumped to her feet.
"How dare you throw this back at me! You are the one who's in the wrong here, not me! You should have told her the truth in the first place!" she shouted at him.
"Yeah, I shoulda told her the truth! Me! Not you! You told Vegeta ya wouldn' tell anyone, but you went an' told her anyway!"
"If Vegeta told you something huge and wanted to keep it from me, even though it would be a lie, would you keep it a secret from me?" she questioned him, her hands perched angrily on her hips.
"Yeah, I would, so long as your life wasn' on the line"
"Bullshit! You're telling me you would be okay with Vegeta lying to me?"
"No, I wouldn' be okay with him lyin' to you, but it's also not my place to say anythin'! Unlike you, I don't gossip an' meddle in other people's relationships, that stuff is between you an' Vegeta!"
"Oh, look at you, being a god damn martyr! Where was this sudden passion to be a good person when you lied to your wife?!"
"What happens between me an' my wife is none of your business! You spent the most part of your relationship with Yamcha sleepin' around! An' so did he! Your words! An' you and Vegeta didn' even have a relationship until Trunks was 4 years old! Again, your words! I was listenin'! Did I ever run to anyone an' spill your private business? No! Did I ever judge you for the things you did? No! I didn'!"
"Goku-"
"-You are supposed to be my friend, Bulma! One of my best friends! You heard what I did an' you went runnin' to Chichi, instead of comin' to me to listen to my side of things. You went straight to her and made me out to be this bad person, instead of just talkin' to me. You didn' even know the full story because Vegeta didn' tell you it!" Goku yelled at her. Bulma was gob smacked. Goku never raised his voice at her. They had their moments where they disagreed and bickered, and Goku had told her firmly how angry he was at her, back at the hospital following his fight with Vegeta, but nothing like this.
Bulma could only stare at him and watch as he showed a side of him she'd never seen before.
"I messed up, Bulma! I know I did! I shoulda been honest with Chichi! But you shouldn'ave told her! You shoulda come to me about it, because you're my friend! An' now, I feel like I've lost her an' I dunno what the fuck I'm 'spose to do about it! I'm here on my own in this stupid little cabin, not knowin' what to do with myself an' all I can think about is how my closest friend didn' care enough to come to me!"
His tired eyes were glistening, curse words coming from his mouth. This wasn't the Goku she knew. Sure, he cursed from time to time, but he had never dropped the F bomb on her. Had this really affected him this badly? Was this whole situation a lot worse than Bulma initially thought?
"Goku, I do care about you! Please don't think that I don't!" she tried with him. Goku turned his back to her, his palms resting on his hips as he tried to compose himself. Bulma walked over to him and gently placed her soft hand on his left arm.
"Goku, I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant for anyone to get hurt, or for anyone to get into trouble. I just thought she deserved to know the truth".
"How can ya tell someone the truth, when ya didn' know the full story? How can ya tell someone the truth, when you weren' even there?" Goku asked her, but his back remained facing her.
"Son-kun" Bulma gently called him by a little nick name of hers.
"Don't" he cautioned her firmly.
"Goku, please look at me" she asked him, tugging helplessly on his left arm.
"I want you to go, Bulma" he muttered.
"What?" she questioned him, shocked by his words.
"Please, just go" he told her again. Bulma remained where she was for a moment, stunned by his words. She quietly sighed and started to walk back towards her ship. As she was about to climb in, she turned to look at her friend who stood silently by the outed fire.
"Goku, no matter what, I am here for you. But I'm here for Chichi, too" She got no response from him, so she hopped up into her ship and pressed the door pad, closing the ship door. Goku listened as the ship's engines rumbled, and moments later Bulma's ship took off into the sky once more.
Goku closed his eyes and exhaled. Maybe he was a little harsh on Bulma, but he felt let down by her. It's not that he wanted her to keep a secret for him. He just wished she had come to him, to understand what happened first. Maybe she would have seen things a little differently and he wouldn't be in this mess.
Goku exhaled again.
Kami, it was such a fucking mess.
It was a few days later and Bulma was sat at one of her garden tables, with Chichi and 18, a hot cup of coffee in hand. It took some convincing, but Chichi finally agreed to spend some time with them, and Bulma was hoping Chichi would open up about how she was feeling. It took some prompting, but Bulma finally had her talking.
"He's always been addicted to fighting, but it was never as bad as it is now. I don't know what it is, but the more power he gets, the more he wants. It's never enough for him. And he gets so consumed by this need, that he just doesn't think about what he's doing. But he can't see that"
"Vegeta is just as bad" Bulma added in.
"Vegeta didn't lie to you, again. He didn't nearly die on you, again" Chichi remarked, silencing Bulma. Chichi took a short moment before speaking again.
"Maybe ... maybe I should just ... let him go ... let him be free. He can just be free and do what he wants. I want him to be happy and to be who he is. Maybe he will be happier to just go and do as he pleases, fighting whoever he wants whenever he wants. Then he doesn't have to think about me" Chichi uttered.
"Chichi, I don't think Goku wants that. He's an idiot, but he's happy with you. Goku isn't someone who sticks around for nothing. No matter how many times he's left you, he's always come back to you" Bulma reminded her softly.
"Yeah, so he has a roof over his head, a full stomach, clean clothes and a warm bed!" Chichi bitterly responded.
"You don't mean that. You're just angry. Goku doesn't just come home for that"
"Then what does he come home for? He clearly doesn't think he can even talk to me, so it's not to talk to me or seek comfort from me! I'm his wife! I've always been there for him! But suddenly, he can't talk to me? Suddenly, I don't deserve his honesty? Suddenly, I'm not worth it?!"
"Chichi" Bulma gently called her name.
"I can't keep doing this, Bulma! I can't keep feeling this way! I don't want to do this with him anymore!" Chichi voiced her frustration.
"So, what are you saying? Your marriage is over?" Bulma quietly asked her friend, sadness in her tone for her friend.
"I don't know" Chichi uttered, her tired eyes staring into her coffee mug, her fingers anxiously dancing around the ceramic cup. Bulma and 18 exchanged a shocked look before both of them took their attention back to Chichi.
"Whatever you decide to do, Chichi, we are here for you, okay?" Bulma softly told her, taking one of her clammy hands and squeezing it reassuringly. Chichi's eyes rose to meet the gentle blue eyes of Bulma. She gave her friend a small smile.
"I know a good divorce lawyer, too, if you want one" She added, 18 letting her mouth gape open at her words. Irregardless of whether Chichi was really done or not, surely that was too soon to suggest? Plus, wasn't she Goku's oldest friend? Why was she encouraging this?
18 didn't know Goku like the others did, but she knew him enough from the interactions she had with him since his return from the dead and what Krillin had told her. And he told her a lot. Goku was a pain in the ass and he could be really clueless and naïve, but he was not a bad person. He wasn't always around for his family, but when he was, he would spend all his time with them. He clearly cared about his family and openly gloated about his kids and how proud of them he was. He also never had a bad thing to say about his wife.
She knew him enough to know he loved his wife. Even Krillin could vouch for that. Krillin had spoken to her about it the day they all found out that Goku was returning for 24 hours. Krillin was so excited and couldn't wait for him to meet his daughter. He told 18 so many stories that night, about their childhood, about how much he admired him. 18 questioned why Goku made the decision to stay dead, wondering if he actually did love his wife and son when he so easily abandoned them like that.
Boy, did her husband shut her down. And he did it with such passion, that she couldn't help but smile and hang onto every word that shot from his mouth. Goku consoled in Krillin a lot, and had done for many years. Krillin had done the same with him. Admittedly, some of the stuff Krillin vented to Goku, he didn't understand or couldn't relate too, especially when it came to dating women. Goku skipped that part and got married straight away, without having a clue about what he was getting himself into. But that was just Goku. He was a "dive right in and ask questions later" kind of guy.
18 would never forget the pain in Krillin's eyes when he told her about their last heart to heart, just a few days before the Cell games. Goku had told him just how much it meant to him, being with his family, and how important it was to him that his wife and son were happy. Krillin didn't realise it at the time, but when he thought about it after Goku had died, it broke him, knowing that Goku was saying his goodbyes ... and he had no damn clue. Goku already had it in his head that if things went south, he was going to be the one to take the fall.
Krillin loved Goku to bits, and had the utmost respect for him. 18 admired that. And it was definitely reciprocated, 18 witnessed this herself when Goku came back. The man had a huge heart and he certainly wore it on his sleeve. But 18 could understand Chichi's anger and frustration. She hadn't been through what Chichi had with her husband, but from what 18 did know of their relationship, it has been a long hard road.
18 breathed deeply through her nostrils as she stared at Chichi's gloomy form, drooped over the table.
Yeah, she knew Goku enough. And she knew if Chichi ended things, it was going to destroy him.