Bulma swallowed down her nerves as she quietly observed the dark haired woman in front of her, as she took a bite of her lemon slice from her iced drink.
She was surprised, actually, that Chichi was even sitting with her, after everything that had happened. She asked Chichi yesterday over the phone, if she'd like to join her for a drink out on the balcony today, just the two of them to chat, and she wasn't expecting her to say yes.
She wanted her to say yes, because there were things Bulma wanted to get off her chest, and she had a feeling Chichi did, too. But, she just wasn't expecting it, not at least without some hardcore bargaining.
Chichi put down the remnants of the lemon slice and took a sip of her ice cold mojito. Chichi wasn't a big drinker, only caring to have one or two glasses of something when there was a special occasion. But, after the stress of the last few months, she needed this. After taking her sip, she placed the glass back on the table, her eyes shifting to the blue haired woman in front of her.
"Did you tell Mr. Haruto that Goku hit me through a wall?" Chichi asked her directly. Bulma was just sipping her own mojito and almost spat it out at her question.
"What? He said that to you?" Bulma shrieked out.
"Yes, he did. Only me, Goku, Gohan, Piccolo and you know about that. And you only know because I told you. I definitely didn't tell him about that and neither would Gohan, Goku or Piccolo. So, that leaves me with you" Chichi accused.
"Oh, Chichi, I'm so sorry. I may have said some things over a few wines. He was asking about Vegeta and I was telling him about how heavy handed he was and how he slammed me onto the bed before and broke it in half. I then said something about you being thrown through a wall, but not in a way you would have liked. We both laughed about it and that was it. I'm sorry Chichi, I didn't think he would take it that way and use that against Goku".
"You had no right telling him our private business!" Chichi raised her voice at her.
"You're right, I'm sorry, Chichi" Bulma agreed.
"When I talk with you and 18, I expect our conversations to go no further than our husbands!" Chichi firmly told her.
"I know, Chichi I-"
"-I trusted you with that story! Me and Goku went through a really hard time when he came home from Yardrat! Him hitting me through a wall was not a fun experience for either of us! And you sit there with that pretentious lawyer, laughing about it over drinks?!" Chichi yelled at her.
"Chichi, it wasn't like that-" Bulma tried.
"-Am I just a joke to you? Is Goku a joke to you? Are we just a gag for you to use at your fancy parties?"
"Chichi! No! No, you're not!"
"Well that's how it feels, Bulma!"
"I'm sorry, Chichi, I truly am, but that's not how I see you two" Bulma tried to assure her.
"I knew I shouldn't have agreed to all of this. Why did you even suggest him to me in the first place? He's an arrogant pig! Not only did he completely disrespect Goku, but he basically offered to give me a discount on a divorce if I slept with him!". Bulma's jaw hung low at Chichi's disclosure.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am! You told me you knew him and that he was a fantastic lawyer and I was in safe hands! I don't know what your idea of safe is, but that wasn't it! Is that the kind of people you associate yourself with?!"
"What? No! I've known him for a few years through another acquaintance, I was at a party of theirs and that's how I met him. I had no idea he was like that! He has a high success rate, he's had such good reviews, and I just wanted you to know your options! I thought maybe speaking to someone like him would help you. I'm sorry, Chichi! I really am! I feel terrible!"
Chichi went silent for a moment, her eyes focusing on the alcoholic drink in front of her, her eyes watching as the condensation drizzled down the side of the ice cold glass.
"I won't be speaking to him again. I don't want to associate myself with someone like that. I'm sorry for what he said and I'm sorry if that hurt you. I never wanted that. I hope you can forgive me" Bulma tried, but Chichi still remained silent. Bulma sighed lightly, a question coming to her mind, one that had been eating her up for some time.
"Should I not have told you? About Goku lying?" Bulma asked her. Chichi took a breath.
"No, I appreciate that you told me, Bulma. But, I just want to deal with this by myself from now on. No more advice, no more divorce lawyers. I will deal with this in my own way" Chichi told her, before taking another sip of her drink.
"Okay, that's fair. But, I just want you to know that I'm here. I know you probably don't trust me right now, but I want you to be able to. So, if you need to talk, or you need anything at all, I'm here". Bulma told her gently. Chichi gave her a small nod, the two of them then sitting in silence as they finished their drinks watching as the sun began it's descent in the sky.
Chichi felt a little less stressed the following day, when 18 and Marron joined her for lunch at the mall. 18 could tell Chichi's mind was elsewhere, and she knew what was on her mind. Or specifically, who was on her mind. As 18 observed her drink her tea, she wondered for a moment, if talking more positively about that certain someone might help, rather than focusing on the negatives. She knew her friend was stuck between a rock and a hard place deciding the fate of her 20 year long relationship, so would it hurt to talk about the better things?
"So, what did it?" 18 asked her directly.
"What did what?" Chichi questioned her with a confused face.
"What about him, did it for you? Aside from the obvious" 18 handed her young daughter her juice box before taking her eyes back to Chichi.
"The obvious?" Chichi was still confused.
"His good looks and incredible body, obviously" Chichi was stunned at 18's comment.
"What? You don't think I noticed? Just because I've never said anything, doesn't mean I didn't take notice of how he looked. I know I'm clearly into short bald guys, but Goku is attractive, there's no denying that. But, I know you, and I know there's more to it than good looks"
18 was right, she hadn't mentioned anything like that before. Chichi supposed they were very alike in that respect, they were both very private people when it came to their relationships, to a certain extent anyway, so they kept things like that to themselves. They laughed and joked about their husbands and vented too, of course, but their conversations didn't go too deeply into the more intimate side of their relationships. It was normally Bulma who spewed out that information and she would egg them on to spill their naughty secrets. It was a rarity they did, it made them both feel uncomfortable.
Chichi couldn't help but smile. 18 was a lot like her, and it was one of the reasons she opened her arms to her in the first place. Chichi was an outsider and was treated badly by Goku's friends initially, and that's exactly how it was for 18. Sure, it was a bit of a different story for 18, she was a killer android at the time, who tried to kill them all, but after she was granted a human life by Krillin's wish, Chichi sympathised with her and felt she deserved a second chance.
Chichi shook her head. Goku's eagerness to see the good in people and give them a second chance most definitely rubbed off on her.
She smiled sadly. It seemed a lot of things he did rubbed off on her after he died against Cell.
She calmed some and allowed Gohan to train, and she was the one who introduced Goten to martial arts. She was a lot more relaxed, allowing both of her sons to have fun and a childhood, well, for Gohan what was left of it. She still pushed them to learn and do their studies, but she wasn't as strict about it. Looking back, maybe she was too hard on them, especially Gohan. But, pushing them into the books was her way of keeping them safe. No matter how many times she tried, she was powerless against Goku's drive to pull their sons into fighting. It was in their genes too, after all. No matter what, she always gave into Goku, and allowed him to train them and take them off to fight super strong aliens and save the world.
Making her sons study and get an education was all Chichi had to protect her sons and keep them in the safety of their home. It was the only normality they had in their crazy lives. It was the only normality she had. And she needed something. From the moment she chose him as her husband, Chichi was instantly thrown into the chaos that was Goku. And it was fun and exciting at first, Goku was a hundred miles an hour, and he was adventurous, and there was never a dull moment with him. But, there was also the side that frightened her, and she will never forget watching him be completely beaten down by Piccolo at the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament. She may not have been really in love with Goku back then, but seeing him hurt like that and with a hole through his chest ... it crushed her and she was never able to forget that.
And that was one of the reasons why she stopped fighting after they settled down and had Gohan. It was one of the reasons why Chichi forbid Gohan from engaging in the trade. Chichi's mindset changed some when she became a mother, her focus shifted to nurturing Gohan, teaching him and keeping him safe. . She was probably overbearing and she probably did smother him too much, but that's all she had! That's all the power she had against her husband.
It was funny, really. Goku joked their entire lives about how she was the strongest. He even told the boys that he could never defeat her. But in reality, that was far from the truth. Nobody saw it, nobody knew the power he held over her. And it wasn't that Goku was controlling, because he was far from it. He was so laid back and casual, that Chichi could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. But he had this power over her, and she couldn't say no to him, not really. She tried, God damn it, she tried so many times to fight against him. But he won pretty much every single time.
She caved to him and melted against him, like a flower leaning towards the sun. And it drove her mad, it made her angry sometimes, but she loved how he made her feel, even in those times where she fought and caved.
People have said to her, you knew what you were getting yourself into when you married him. But, she really didn't. The man was practically feral! He had never engaged in a proper regular hygiene routine until they got together, he only owned the Gi that he always wore, and owned no socks and no underwear! He was more used to living off the land and being homeless, and had no idea about the responsibilities of being an adult, let alone a husband and father. Then, to top it all off, they find out some years later he wasn't even human, and that he was a battle hungry Saiyan.
How could she possibly know what she was getting herself into?
She was taught since she was a young girl, the proper ways to please her future husband, how to be a good house wife and look after her children. It was what she knew, it was all she knew. She wasn't prepared for what she had to deal with. She wasn't prepared for the chaos and heartbreak. She wasn't prepared for how deeply she would fall in love with him.
Chichi sighed as she held her tea cup in her hands and thought back to 18's question.
What did it for her?
She felt her shoulders slump.
What didn't do it for her? What didn't she love about that idiot of a man?
He was infectious.
The little things he did could be both infuriating and loveable all at the same time.
And she just couldn't help herself. She just couldn't stop herself.
She loved his naivety, his innocence, his smile, his laugh, his goofiness and stupid jokes, the charm he'd use to get himself out of trouble, the way he'd nervously scratch the back of his head, his terrible habit of forgetting the simplest of things or things she had just told him. The way he'd poke her boobies and giggle like a man child when they jiggled, how he would grin and tell her that her angry face was cute when she was trying her damn hardest to stay mad at him, the way he'd blow raspberries on her belly pudge and laugh like it was the funniest thing in the entire Universe. The way he'd babble nervously when he tried to pretend he was working on their farm and not training, when she knew it was bullshit.
The way he'd troll her and tease her on the daily, starting play fights with her, tickling her when she wasn't in the mood to be tickled and being excited and turned on when she would retaliate aggressively. How he'd persistently throw his dirty clothes on the floor, instead of in the hamper as she requested a hundred million times before, or he'd throw his sweaty, dirty clothes onto their kitchen table, either after training or from being on the farm, and just leave them there as he walked off stark naked to the shower. How he'd drag mud into their nice clean kitchen, usually after she'd just mopped it, how he'd eat the sweet, warm apple pie she'd just baked for them to eat that evening, with no sense of remorse for doing so.
The way he'd bury himself just below her chest when he was troubled or needed comfort or he was sucking up to her when she was mad. How he'd hold her and touch her during their most intimate moments, his nose nuzzling her face and neck, his purr vibrating against her skin, the love that he expressed in his own little Goku way.
A small, sad smile graced her features.
What did it for her?
Just him.
Her heart all but crumbled even more, if possible, at the thought of it all.
18 caught her far off expression.
"What are you thinking about?"
Chichi shook her head. She needed to get Goku off her mind.
It was draining her.
"I'm just thinking that I would like to go and do some retail therapy now" she told her friend. 18 cocked an eyebrow at her. That wasn't what she was thinking, but 18 knew that was Chichi's way of wanting to move away from that subject, and she respected that. She gave her friend a smile.
"Let's get going, then" she told her, a giggling Marron hopping off her chair, juice box in hand, as she followed her mother and auntie Chichi through the mall.
When Chichi got home, she was kind of relieved Goten wasn't there. It wasn't a school day, she knew he'd run off with Trunks somewhere, but she thought he might have been back by now. Honestly, she just wanted some time to herself, so after putting away the groceries she had bought and laying out some new clothes for Goten on his bed, Chichi made her way to her own bedroom.
She kicked off her boots when she entered the room, her soft white socks gently padding towards her en suite bathroom. Her eyes glanced over to her vanity table and she felt a sense of emptiness as she looked at it. She frowned at herself trough the mirror and walked into the bathroom. She needed to relax, so she turned on the tap to run herself a nice hot bath. As she gathered some salts and essential oils, she found herself being thrown into her thoughts once again. Her mind going back to her vanity.
There was something missing, and it was unbearably noticeable. She had removed his photo from her vanity, and she knew she had removed it because she did it! But even though she removed that dreaded photo, she still kept checking her vanity to see if it was still there! She didn't know if it was insanity or if she was just completely broken, or maybe both, but she couldn't stop herself from looking.
But she had to remove it. She had to because it was too damn hard to keep looking at it. She had always looked at it, and it both haunted her and comforted her when Goku wasn't there. But now, it just completely destroyed her, every time she looked at it. So, she removed it. She stopped looking at it. She needed to be completely free of him, in order to sort through the mess that was in her head.
But, it wasn't really helping much, because let's face it, everything in that damned house reminded her of him.
She let out a heavy breath and poured some oils into her bath, her one hand then slowly swirling the oils around in the water.
She loved that photo of him. He looked so happy and carefree in one of his tight black shirts, one of her favourites on him, his arms crossed over his chest as he perched himself up against one of the many trees of their garden. They'd had such a lovely day that day, a picnic by the lake, Gohan was still young and had enjoyed playing with his father in the lake, before kicking a ball around the grass. It had been a very difficult time for them as a couple, when Goku returned from Yardrat, but once they were finally able to patch things up, it was like the bad things had never happened. Things were so good between them, even with Goku training nearly everyday for the upcoming fight with the androids, things were just so good.
They put so many plans on hold, like expanding their family, trips away together, Goku getting a job and them renovating their home. They had so many plans ...
Chichi began to undress once her bath was ready and she was more than a bit relieved to sink into the steaming hot, relaxing water. She sniffed the air, her lavender oils reaching her nostrils and calming her some.
Even though their plan to expand their family did happen, it happened without them even realising it, and then Goku died against Cell. The rest of their plans didn't unfold until Goku returned to life seven years later. And she wasn't complaining, she was thankful for her husband's return, she was thankful she had him back in her and her sons' lives, but the peace, the happiness ... it never lasted.
She found herself staring at the wall of her bathroom, a far off look on her face. She always stayed home, waiting for him, hoping he'd walk back through that door when her sons did. There had been a few occasions since his return to life where he didn't involve their boys, especially Goten, and she wondered why he didn't fight her much on it. He'd simply ruffle Goten's hair and tell him to stay home with her, when Goten really wanted to go with his father.
She wondered just how much he kept hidden behind that smile of his. Because he did hide it. A lot of the time, she could see right through him, but other times, she didn't stand a chance. The man was a vault, too locked down. She wondered if he had regrets about Gohan's childhood, just like she did, and that was why he wasn't so eager to take Goten along with him. She wondered what other regrets he had.
She gently sighed and picked up her shower puff and laggardly washed her one arm. She had always stayed home, no matter what happened, she always stayed in their little home in the mountains. Because they agreed she would, because he wanted her to. Goku was very firm on the matter, knowing she was safe in the mountains, away from the busy cities and civilization. He didn't have to worry about her when she was safe, so he wanted it kept that way. He was happy with their arrangement, and for the most part, so was she.
Yes, there were times when she ventured out and joined the rest of Goku's friends when Goku and some of the others were fighting a new enemy. But, it was a rarity. Goku didn't like it, and when Goku didn't like something, he made it known. And he made sure she knew about it. And not in a threatening way, Goku was far from that, he was always sweet and gentle with her. But he made his feelings known. All it took was one look for him, and it was subtle, no one else would notice it, but she knew he wasn't happy that she had ventured out from safety.
As she idly washed down her other arm, she thought about just how attentive her husband actually was. Not in a normal "conventional way", because let's face it, Goku was far from normal, not that she was opposed to that, but in his own little way, he really did care about her. His main concern was her safety, always, hence their agreement for her to stay home. He moaned and groaned like a child sometimes when he had to go to work. She knew he would rather just run off and train, but he still made the effort and done his farm work. And he did a damn good job of it, too!
He always had the biggest smile on his face when she'd come and inspect his work. He'd give her a bashful look after she complimented his hard work and he'd tell her how much he wanted to make her happy and feed them lots of yummy food. He was happy because she was. He was proud of himself because she was proud of him. Her acceptance, her approval, her praises, it meant the world to him!
As she sunk down into the suddy water, leaning her head back against the tub, she wondered, for the first time in months if he was doing okay. Sure, she thought about him all the time, which irritated her, but she didn't really think about how this was all effecting him. Should she even be thinking about that? Should she be worrying? Because this was all his fault anyway! She knew she wasn't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but he put them here!
She let out a long staggered breath.
She missed him.
She hated that she missed him.
She stayed there, submerged in the steaming lavender scented waters, lost in her thoughts, until Goten came home a little while after.
It was a few days later, early afternoon, when Goku and Vegeta came out of the gravity room to get some air. Chichi, 18 and Bulma were enjoying an afternoon with tea and cake in Bulma's garden. Chichi spotted her husband as soon as he came outside, and she suddenly felt anxious.
"I didn't know they were both here" Chichi commented, taking her attention back to her hot tea in front of her.
"Oh, they've just been beating the living hell out of each other in the gravity room, of course" Bulma rolled her eyes, "Why I upgraded it for him I don't know. He spends all his time in there".
Vegeta felt Goku's apprehension as soon as they came outside, his eyes not daring to look over at his wife.
"Still not speaking to you?" Vegeta questioned the other Saiyan as they walked side by side across the lawn.
"Not unless it's about Goten or our farm" Goku told him quietly. Vegeta eyed his once rival before staring over at the women as they sat around talking and drinking tea.
"You need to try harder" Vegeta told him. Goku frowned, turning his head slightly to give him the stink eye.
"Where've you been? I have been tryin'! She don't wanna listen to me. Keeps tellin' me she needs her space an' she don't wanna cause a scene in front of Goten".
"Screw that! That half breed is as dense as you anyway, as if he even knows what the hell is going on" Vegeta scoffed.
"Hey, don't be so mean! That's my kid you're talkin' about!" Goku scolded him.
"Exactly. It's true and you know it"
"No it's not! He's way smarter than me! An' he's a good kid, so shut ya mouth" Goku huffed out. Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, when I say you need to try harder, I mean you need to try a different angle"
"Whaddya mean?" Goku asked cluelessly as they neared one of the shaded tables in the garden, which was filled with snacks and iced coolers and bottled water for them.
"You need to see if she's still attracted to you! If she's still attracted to you, then there's interest, if there's interest, then there's still a chance" Vegeta told him as they reached the table. Goku scratched the side of his head in wonder.
"How do I do that?"
"Take your shirt off and flex" Vegeta instructed.
"It won't work" Goku shut him down immediately.
"What? Why not?"
"I tried it before, lots of times" Goku shrugged before reaching for a bottle of water.
"And you're telling me it has never worked?"
"Well, yeah, it has worked before, but not when she's real mad. She's really really mad at me, it ain't gonna work"
"You don't know until you try" Vegeta encouraged him, grabbing his own bottle and removing the top and glugging it down.
"I know Chichi. It ain't gonna work" Goku countered.
"Come on, just try! Take it off!" Vegeta ordered after finishing his first bottle of water and placing the empty plastic bottle on the table.
"No, it won't work, Vegeta!" Goku told him again, about to open his own bottle of water.
"Just take your shirt off!" Vegeta tried again, starting to get annoyed.
"No! I won't take it off!" Goku threw back.
"Just take it off you pansy!" Vegeta raised his voice, gripping Goku's shirt.
"No! Get off! I'm not takin' it off!" Goku argued back, trying to free himself of Vegeta's grasp.
"For the love of Kami, look at them! They're bickering like children!" Bulma huffed as they watched the two Saiyans argue across the garden.
"Just take the stupid shirt off! What have you got to lose?!" Vegeta shouted at him. Goku was about to open his mouth, but stopped himself. Vegeta was right, what did he have to lose?
Vegeta let go of Goku's shirt and reached for his second bottle of water.
"This is what you're going to do. You're going to take your shirt off nice and slow and throw it aside casually. Then, you're going to tilt your head back and get your bottle of water and pour some of it over your face and down your chest, as if to cool yourself off. To finish, you're going to chug down the rest of the water and crush the bottle with your hand and throw it into the trash can next to you". Goku cocked an eyebrow.
"Have you done this before?"
"Maybe" Vegeta muttered.
"An' it worked?"
"Will you stop asking questions and just do it!" Vegeta shouted at him.
"But this is stupid. Ain't it gonna look too obvious?" Goku practically whined.
"Just do it! And I will strip my shirt off just after you, so it doesn't look too obvious" Vegeta told him. Goku let out a deep breath.
"Okay, fine" he relented, putting down his bottle of water. He did just as Vegeta instructed and slowly stripped off his Gi shirts, throwing them casually to the side of him. He reached back for his bottle of water and unscrewed the cap, flicking the cap off once it was lose enough. Vegeta almost smiled, that was smooth. Goku tilted his head back slightly and poured some of the water onto his face, letting the cool liquid drizzle down his neck and large chest. He finished pouring the ice cold water and gently shook his head, letting beads of water whirl around him from his wet bangs.
Oooh, Vegeta was impressed, that was a nice touch. Goku finally put the bottle of water to his lips and downed the rest of it before licking his lips, crushing the plastic bottle in his hand and launching it into the trash can beside him, almost like aiming a basketball into a hoop.
Vegeta caught a glimpse of Chichi in the distance and he smirked. Her mouth was gaped open at the display, her eyes in a trance and her cheeks tinted red.
Yep. She was still interested alright.
Bulma had watched the entire scene and she couldn't help but mirror her husband's smirk. She let her gaze shift to Chichi and she couldn't help but shake her head amusedly as her friend openly ogled Goku. Chichi was just as naïve as Goku sometimes, so she hadn't caught on, but Bulma knew that act from Goku was intentional. Bulma crossed her arms and sniggered quietly to herself. Vegeta must have set him up to it, her husband was a sly dog when he wanted to be.
Vegeta removed his own shirt, as promised, before taking a seat in one of the lounge chairs and laying back to relax in the sun.
"Told you" he uttered smugly. Goku huffed out a laugh before snatching some fruit from the table, and taking a seat next to Vegeta.
Gohan touched down in the front lawn of the Son family home the next afternoon, and almost immediately he felt his blood run cold. He'd only popped over after work to check in on his mother, and his heart rate quickened at the sight. There were bullet holes in the front door, bullet casings on the ground and what looked like blood stained into the grass. What the hell had happened? Shit, where was his mom? Was she okay? His heart nearly dropped out of his ass, panic setting in as he felt for his mother's Ki.
"MOM! MOOOOM!" he screamed for his mother as he made a run towards the front door. It was no more than a second later when his mother swung the door open, a troubled look etched across her own face.
"Gohan? What on Earth is going on?!"
"Mom? You're okay?" he gasped out as he reached her, taking hold of her arms, inspecting her carefully.
"I'm fine, Gohan, nothing I can't handle" she assured him. He noticed she had a cut lip and it was a bit swollen.
"What happened? Who did this?" he questioned her firmly, a concerned frown forming on his face.
"Just some guys trespassing, nothing more. I took care of them and they went running" she told him, a self-satisfied look on her face.
"Just some guys? They had guns!" Gohan blurted out.
"And I'm okay, Gohan" she softly reassured him, now holding onto his arms and gently rubbing them to console him. Gohan eyed his mother for a few more seconds, debating with himself as to whether she really was okay.
"I wonder what they were out here for" Gohan thought out loud as he inspected the front door.
"Probably just seeing if the place was lived in. Low life thieves looking for a quick raid to make some money" Chichi huffed out.
"Maybe" Gohan said, "but I'd feel better knowin' the house is definitely secure and they aren't in the area anymore". He checked the locks on the front door, two of them in place and both in good working order. He then walked into the house and started inspecting the window locks in the kitchen, Chichi following him.
"Gohan, honey, you're sweet checking, but honestly I'm fine" Chichi assured her son. Gohan made his way into the living area to check the windows in there.
"Better to be safe than sorry, mom" he told her before making his way down the hall and to the bedrooms. Chichi let out a sigh but allowed her son to finish his checks. Once he was done, he met her back in the kitchen.
"I'm gonna call dad, they may head in his direction, so best to warn him" Gohan said as he pulled out his phone.
"Your father hardly needs to be warned, Gohan" Chichi eyed him suspiciously. As if Goku needed a warning that thieves were in the area. The man could simply breathe and they'd be dead.
"Well, I'd feel better him knowin'" Gohan added before stepping outside and pressing his father's contact on his phone and placing the phone against his right ear.
It was a lie, of course. He wasn't worried about his father at all. He was more than capable of dealing with anyone that crossed his path, but he needed to know what happened with his mother. Gohan had to tell him.
It was seconds later when Goku sat up from his bed and cocked an eyebrow. What was that sound?
He turned to let his legs dangle over the side of the bed and he glanced around his cabin. Is that my phone? He didn't even know what it sounded like when it went off. He got up from the bed and followed the sound to the chest of drawers by the door and after rummaging through clothing, he found the device.
"Gohan?" Goku said out loud when he saw it was his son phoning him. His son never phoned him. His son would either fly over to come see him or Goku would teleport to him.
"Uh, hey, Gohan, everythin' okay?" He spoke once he answered the call.
"Well, there's been a bit of an incident at home. Looks like some guys tried to trespass and caused mom a bit of trouble and..." Gohan paused. The line had gone dead.
"Um, dad? You still there?" He asked into the phone. He jumped when his father materialised before him less than a second later.
"Dad" he called his father.
"What happened?" Goku demanded to know, concerned as he looked over at Chichi.
"Just a bunch of bandits, obviously trying their luck 'cause I was home alone" she told him.
"A buncha bandits with guns, mom! You coulda been hurt!" Gohan told her with concerned eyes. Goku scanned the front of the house, taking note of the bullet holes in the front door and bullet cases on the ground.
"I'm fine, Gohan! They didn't even get in the house! I took care of it" Chichi reminded him.
"One of them bust your lip, mom! You got hurt, it coulda been worse, you coulda-"
"-They hurt you?" Goku questioned firmly, interrupting his son, his eyes drifting to his wife's lips, a cut evident on her bottom lip"
"I'm fine, Goku. One of them hit me with his gun. I hit him right back. They left shortly after" Chichi tried to tell him.
"Have you checked to see they aren't still in the area?" He questioned Gohan.
"I can't sense anyone in the area. I've checked the house too, just in case, all the locks are fine, the house is secure." Gohan told him.
"Where's Goten?" Goku wondered, taking his attention back to Chichi.
"He's at Capsule Corp with Trunks, he's fine. He doesn't know about this, I don't want to worry him" she told him.
"Probably best" Gohan chimed in, "but he's gonna ask about your bust lip"
"I'll think of something" Chichi shrugged. Goku eyed the surroundings of their home. It was a rarity people came out here, there were only a handful of neighbors in the area, but none were very close. They'd had enemies knocking in search of Goku many years ago and they had kids trespassing before, obviously checking to see if the house was abandoned, but nothing more than that.
Goku wondered what those guys were looking for. Were they simply being nosey, just like the kids were before? Or was it something else?
"I'll go an' check the area an' make sure they've gone" he told them both, before turning his back on them, about to take off.
"Goku, I took care of it. They all took off pretty fast! I can take care of myself, y'know" she huffed slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. Goku sighed and turned to face her.
"I know you can take care of yourself, Chichi, but they had guns an' I'm not okay with that. You're human, remember, you can die from a bullet shot"
"Well I avoided all of these just fine" she reminded him, pointing at the bullet casings on the ground.
"Chichi, I'm checking the perimeter, it's not up for discussion" he told her firmly. Chichi slowly let out a frustrated sigh and nodded to him, allowing him to do what he needed to do. Goku took off a second later and Chichi watched him disappear into the sky. Gohan let out a breath, the tension between his parents extremely high.
"Well, I spose we better clean this up, if you don't want Goten knowin' about it" Gohan thought as he stared at the casings on the ground, "Dunno how we're gonna hide the bullet holes though" Gohan wondered, looking at the front door.
"I'll fill the holes and paint over it before Goten comes home. It will dry quickly enough out here" she told him, heading inside to get the necessary tools she needed. Gohan smiled as his mother went inside. She worried him to death sometimes, but he admired her strength and independence.
He turned to face the sky, to the exact spot his father took off in. He hoped his father didn't run into those guys. As much as he was angry one of them hurt his mother, they were only human, and they wouldn't survive a punch from his father. And with his father's emotions all over the place right now, he didn't trust his father going easy on them. The man had narrowly escaped jail time once already, Gohan didn't need that happening again, thank you very much.
Gohan stayed with his mother until his father returned, helping her clean up the bullet casings and patching up the front door. His father found no sign of anyone in the vicinity, only some tracks down the dirt road, possibly made by motorbikes, so it was plausible the perpetrators were the cause of that and were long gone. Gohan was satisfied the coast was clear. His father, however, wasn't, and told his mother he was staying the night in his grandfather's cabin. He wanted to be sure the bandits didn't return that night. Gohan could tell his mother didn't need that, but she also didn't try and argue with him.
It was a very rare occasion when his father put his foot down with his mother. It was actually quite surreal to witness it. But, it was fruitless trying to argue with him, he was firm on the matter. When it came to his family's safety, there was no talking him down. And his mother knew that.
It was a couple of hours later and Gohan had since left to go to his own home and Chichi was making a start on dinner. Goten sat at the kitchen table with a colouring book, listening to his mother as she hummed a small tune to herself at the kitchen counter.
"Hey, mom?" Goten called out to his mother sweetly as he scribbled his red pencil on his drawing book.
"Yes, sweetie?" she responded as she sliced up some onions.
"Can dad eat with us tonight?" he asked her innocently, his question immediately halting her movements. She stood still against the kitchen counter, her eyes on the onions, her hand with the knife simply hovering above the half cut vegetable.
"I-I'm sure your father has already eaten by now" she barely choked out, her nervous hand twitching over the onion.
"He didn' eat, mom"
"How do you know?" Chichi questioned her son as she turned to face him.
"'cause he ain't left great Grandpa's house yet, so how's he gonna eat, if he ain't come out yet?" Goten told her matter of factly.
"He hasn't, Goten, not ain't" Chichi corrected him. Honestly, if he didn't already look like his father's double, he was starting to sound like him, too.
"Well, he hasn' come out yet" Goten repeated himself, putting down his colouring pencil, "an' I don't want daddy to be hungry, mom" he pouted.
Chichi scoffed at her youngest son. Just stab a stake in my heart, why don't you, she thought to herself.
It was only a few moments later, that she watched her youngest son bound over to his great grandfather's cabin in the distance, his excitement to invite his father to dinner so wholesome yet painful.
Goku was led on his back on the futon in his grandpa's cabin, his eyes staring at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts when there was a small knock at the door.
"Come in" he called out, little Goten scurrying in as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Daddy! Guess what!" Goten chirped as he ran to his father's side. Goku turned to face him, a smile on his face at his son's excitement.
"What is it?"
"Mom said you can have dinner with us!" he blurted out, jumping up off the ground as he said it. Goku was baffled. Chichi wanted him to eat with them?
"Uh, are ya sure 'bout that?" Goku pressed, sitting up on the futon.
"Yeah! She said it's fine an' that dinner will be ready at 5.30! But you have'ta wash up first an' you mustn't be late!" Goten warned him comically, pointing his finger at him. Goku chuckled lightly. Yeah, that was Chichi alright. Goku reached over to ruffle his son's identical wild hair and gave him a warm smile.
"Okay kiddo, if ya mom said it's cool, then I'm in" he told him.
"Yay!" Goten bellowed, hopping around the small cabin, making Goku shake his head in amusement.
"Alright, ya little rascal" Goku gripped his son and gave him a little noogie on his head, "get that butt back to the house before ya mom comes lookin' for ya" Goku told him.
"Okay! See ya at 5.30!" Goten sang out before running through the door and slamming it behind him.
It was exactly 5.30pm when Goku nervously knocked on the Son family front door. He made sure to watch the time and not to be late. Chichi answered the door a moment later and just looked up at him.
"Um, Goten said it was okay to join you for dinner?" Chichi nodded at him and let him come in, walking away from the door and leaving him to close it behind him.
"Come an' sit with me, dad!" Goten piped up, his colouring book still in front of him, along with what looked like some school work. Goku smiled at him and took a seat next to him at the table.
"What's all this?" Goku asked his little son, who was quick to grab a sheet of paper and hand it to him.
"I got an A in my science project! Gohan helped me a little, an' mom did, but I did the rest by myself!" he quickly told his father.
"And you did a fantastic job, Goten" his mother added from the other side of the kitchen, making Goten smile wide.
"Heh, I wouldn't have a clue how to do any of that. You're real smart, Goten. I'm proud of ya" Goku told his son, ruffling his hair affectionately. Goten grinned.
"Okay, let's make some room for dinner" Chichi told him, so Goten quickly removed his colorings and school work from the table, placing them on the sideboard before promptly returning to the table ready to eat. Goku chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. He was just like him when it came to food. Chichi began to fill the table up with plates full of food, some of which were Goku's absolute favourites, and he couldn't help but gaze at it all dreamily. He sniffed the air, the aroma making the hairs on his arms stick up. Man, he missed her cooking.
It wasn't long before both Son boys dug into their food, getting through a goliath amount of plates before they finally became full. Although, Chichi noticed, Goku didn't eat as much as he usually did when she cooked for him. It had been a while, but she never forgot these things. She wondered why, but didn't dare ask.
Dinner went by quite smoothly and she felt a lot more relaxed that she initially thought she would. Goku put most of his attention into his food and his son, but she did catch him glancing her way a couple of times.
After finishing her own plate, she quietly cleared the empty plates from the table once they were both finished. She listened as Goten told his father all about the upcoming school trip that he really wanted to go on, because Trunks was going too and it sounded a lot of fun.
"So, why aren't ya goin'?" Goku wondered out loud.
"Mom said it was a lot of money, an' wouldn't accept Auntie Bulma payin' for it" he sulked.
"We talked about this, Goten. We don't take hand outs like that" Chichi reminded him.
"But, I really wanna go, momma" Goten pouted to her.
"Goten, no more, please. Why don't you go and find a good book to read to your father before it's time for your bath and bed" Chichi suggested. Goten sighed and nodded, before solemnly walking off towards his bedroom.
"Is it really that expensive?" Goku asked Chichi, once his son was out of sight. He didn't understand all of this stuff, but surely a school trip wasn't that costly.
"It's a lot, Goku. If I pay for this trip, there's gonna have to be some cut backs and-"
"-I'll get the money for it" Goku interrupted her.
"Goku, you'd have to sell double what you normally would to afford it. I have to pay for it in 2 months' time, we just haven't the time to put that sort of money together" Chichi tried to tell him.
"I'll do it. I'll make extra"
"Goku-"
"-I'll do it, Chichi. If it means I have'ta work longer hours on the farm, then I'll do it. I'll figure it out" Goku assured her.
"I don't know, Goku" she spoke unsurely.
"You always say ya want the best for our kids with school an' stuff right?" he questioned her.
"Right?" she eyed him suspiciously, wondering where he was going with this.
"An' this trip is gonna benefit him in school, isn' it?"
"Yes, it's a science trip for four days. He will get to visit two different science museums and the space center" Chichi told him. Goku thought Goten and Trunks could literally just hang out at Capsule Corp and learn enough from there. He really didn't know what the difference was, but he wasn't about to anger his wife by opening his mouth on that one.
"Then, let me do this for him" Goku told her gently.
Chichi met his eyes and both of them just stared at one another silently, until Goten's boisterous voice snapped them out of it.
"I found a book, dad" he cheeped as he jumped up into his father's lap, showing him the book.
"Okay, ya wanna sit on the couch an' read it to me?" Goku asked him.
"Okay" he beamed, suddenly giggling when his father lifted him up and flung him over his shoulder like a fish he just caught, and walked them both over to the sofa.
After putting his son to bed, Goku thanked Chichi for the food and left the house, returning to his grandfather's cabin. As he sat on the edge of the futon, he suddenly remembered an old chest, which he hadn't seen in a very long time. He retrieved it from it's usual place and he sat on the floor and started to rummage through the old memories of his grandfather, some letters and photos from a very long time ago. It wasn't long after when he heard a gentle knock at the door.
"Come in" he called out, his eyes still on the chest in front of him. Chichi walked in a second later, holding a teacup in her hand.
"I haven't seen that chest in a long time" she commented when she saw him with it on the floor.
"Yeah, can't remember the last time I looked in it" he said sadly.
He then put some of the items back in the chest as she still stood at the entrance.
"I made you some tea, if you'd like it. I made some for me, so …"
"Sounds great" he told her before getting up and walking over to her and carefully taking the hot brew from her hands.
"Thank you" he told her quietly before sitting on the edge of the futon bed. Chichi fidgeted with her fingers before speaking.
"May I?" She said, gesturing to the space next to him. Goku acknowledged the empty space next to him before his eyes met hers again.
"Sure, if ya want to"
Chichi sat down next to him and nervously smoothed down her skirt.
"I um, just wanted to say thank you"
"For what?"
"For coming here today and making sure it was safe, you didn't have to"
"Course I did, you're my family. It's my job to keep you safe" he told her before taking a sip of his tea.
"Well, I still wanted to thank you"
Goku put his tea down on the small table next to him before looking at his wife again.
"It's okay" he paused for a moment, trying to find the right words, "I know I haven't always been here, but I am here, if ya need me"
"Okay" she barely whispered, their eyes all of a sudden becoming locked in a trance.
"An' the same with this thing for Goten. If ya need extra money, ya just need to say an' I'll do it"
"It's easier said than done, Goku. And you aren't always around to do it" she reminded him.
"I know. But, I am here right now, so I can do it" he told her softly.
Goku swallowed hard at their closeness, his heart pounding like a jackhammer in his chest, his hands nervously gripping at his kneecaps. Chichi felt her breath catch in her throat, as he leant forward towards her. Their noses almost touched and he felt his eyelids go heavy as his lips went in for hers.
"Goku" she breathed.
"What?" he whispered back.
"Don't" she whimpered out before standing from the futon and making a beeline for the door.
"Chichi … I'm sorry-"
"-I need to go. Just … leave in the morning, please" she told him lowly before leaving the cabin.
He felt a flicker of anger in his chest as he tried to swallow down his frustration. He was so giddy that she didn't argue too much on him staying the night in his grandfather's cabin, and she allowed him to join them for dinner. Then, she willingly came to see him, bringing him some hot tea and they were actually talking on a level for the first time in months! He was so close, and then he messed it all up!
He sighed and palmed his tired eyes.
He told himself he was done fighting, yet here he was trying to fight for her again.
Because why wouldn't he? How can you look at the person you love and tell yourself it's time to walk away?
If you love someone, you don't give up on them. You might hurt each other, and make each other angry sometimes, and you may not agree on everything, but you have to work through it and forgive each other, because that's what two people who love each other do. That's what she told him 20 years ago when they first got married!
Didn't that matter anymore?
Had he fucked up that badly that all those words, all those promises, all those moments meant nothing?
He let himself fall back onto the futon, landing on his back with a little bounce.
His eyes darted back and forth as he stared up at the ceiling of nothingness. His mind soared and his heart raced as he contemplated what to do.
He'd do anything to just go into that house right now and hold her, snuggle up to her and bury his head in her chest and tell her how damn sorry he was for everything he'd done! He'd give anything to feel the warmth of her skin against his own, to breathe in her scent, to interlock his fingers with hers and just tell her everything he was feeling.
But, he wouldn't. He knew he couldn't. He knew she'd reject him, yet again.
He closed his tired eyes.
He wanted to run. He wanted to get as far away from there as possible. He wanted to escape the reality he was in.
His heart was tired of aching for her. He just wanted her back or to be left alone in peace. There was no in between.
He couldn't keep doing this.
How many times did he have to get knocked back before he drew the line? He lived for her love and her acceptance.
Her rejection was killing him.
There comes a point when it's not that you don't care anymore, you just can't.
And he couldn't. He couldn't do this anymore.