"Goodbye!" Kasumi murmured tearfully, embracing Chi-Chi one last time. "I'll never forget you Miss Chi-Chi!"

"Be safe," Chi-Chi murmured, before taking a step back only to be intercepted by Kasumi's mother, Aina Daigo.

"I've packed ya some things to eat, for after ya done." Aina said, pushing a few capsules into Chi-Chi's hands.

"Oh no we couldn't, you've done so much already—"

"Nonsense," She huffed. "After what you did for my girl? 'Sides, I'm sure your young man will work up even more of an appetite over at Kanda's place. No sense lettin' either of ya go hungry after a hard day's work."

Chi-Chi blushed at Goku being described as her young man but decided to accept the motherly gesture with grace, as well as a hug, and another one from Kasumi.

While they were exchanging goodbyes Mr. Daigo pulled Goku off to the side to say a few words of his own.

"Now don't forget yer lessons."

"I'll try," Goku promised, knowing he was likely to forget something just based off the sheer amount Mr. Daigo had told him.

"When yer girl finally says yes, you stop on by again an' let me know. We can celebrate an' I can teach ya a few more things you'll need ta know for the big day."

"Big day?"

Mr. Daigo laughed. "Don't worry 'bout that for now. Just take it one day at a time, young man."

Goku grinned, he could certainly do that.

"I will, thanks again!"

Goku and Chi-Chi said their final farewells to the Daigo family, hopped on Nimbus and then zoomed away. They had a long day of work ahead of them, thanks to Goku and Daigo's efforts to find someone in need of a couple of extra hands, and while Goku wouldn't have minded running there, he wanted Chi-Chi to conserve her energy.

She'd done well enough in their lessons that Goku had instructed her to maintain her ki at an elevated level while they worked. This would exercise it and teach her greater control, but it would also tire her out quicker. Since Chi-Chi's ki was normally hidden away in a dormant state, he doubted she'd ever overused it before. He'd have to keep an eye on her, as ki exhaustion could be deadly, but he was confident Chi-Chi would handle herself fine.

Despite the fact that they were now zooming over mountains, they soon came across a fairly large farm nestled in a valley, with fields spanning at least twenty acres in every direction from the main house and storage facilities. They swooped down to see if this was the farm they had been told about, spotting two men not far from the house, one with a balding head of white hair and the other a solid looking man with a round face. The older man was directing the younger one on something and was just waving him off as Goku and Chi-Chi pulled up to greet them.

"Hullo! I'm Son Goku. Are you Mr. Kanda?"

The old man stared curiously at the cloud as he nodded in greeting.

"Yes, that's me. Curious transportation ya got there." He said, patting the cloud like he would a dog. "Daigo just ranged me up tellin' me you were on yer way. Didn't think ya'd get here so soon but I won't complain. It's been hard to get a steady set of workers, somethin' going around I s'pect. They've been droppin' like flies."

Mr. Kanda gestured to the young man beside him. "My son Kenji here can show ya what needs to be done. His brother Daichi's already out in the field with Vlad and Camilla, a young couple much like yerself."

Goku noticed Chi-Chi blushing furiously at this, but shrugged it off and turned to Kenji. "Well no need to worry 'bout that with us. Lead the way!"

Kenji gave them a lift on his capsule atv over to the fields ready for harvesting. There was still some lettuce that had yet to be collected and the eggplants had ripened early and were ready to be gathered into the cooling bins. He gave them each a set of gloves and pruners and a box to collect their crop before taking it over to the bins. Goku got Kenji to give them four and nine more boxes a piece, knowing with their strength they could easily handle the weight before needing to empty the crates.

After seeing that they had everything they needed, Kenji told them how to determine what was ready for harvesting and then directed them where to start and they got to work. They snipped the ones that were ready, ignored the ones that weren't, and steadily made their way through the field without a word between them, their focus on the task at hand.

It was simple work, but bending low for hours under a hot sun was taxing, even for Goku, and they ended up breaking after a few hours for lunch with Vlad and Camilla, while Kenji and his brother ate back at their house. Luckily for Goku, their employer had been more than happy to give him several prepackaged meals after seeing how much work he'd managed in such a short time, and he was halfway through his fourth before he slowed down enough that the others felt comfortable enough to make conversation.

"You have a large appetite," grinned Vlad. He was a pale lanky fellow who, despite the heat, wore long sleeves and pants, as well as a cap with a handkerchief tucked in to cover his neck, but didn't seem to break a sweat. "And the way you've zoomed through the fields…you must have a lot of energy."

"Yuh naf suh bag yuhsuf," Goku managed between stuffing his face. Vlad wasn't as good as him, but he'd still managed to do more than the average man he'd worked with while training under Master Roshi.

"Hey now, you boys can't take all the credit. Chi-Chi and I have done more than our fair share so far. Isn't that right Chi-Chi?" asked a pretty blonde woman who, like Vlad, was also covered in long sleeve clothing with the addition of a large sun hat. She threw an arm around Chi-Chi and grinned. "I suppose you have to be strong to keep up with him."

Chi-Chi smiled uneasily. She wasn't used to someone being so familiar with her after just meeting. Still…she didn't want to be rude. "I don't think anyone can keep up with Goku," she responded, shooting the man in question a small smile.

Goku gulped down his food and grinned back.

"That's cause ya don't eat enough."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "If I ate like you I'd just get fat," she huffed.

"Nah, you'd have to eat waaaaaaay more than me before that could ever happen," he told her, making Chi-Chi blush and Camilla giggle.

"You two must be newlyweds," she said, squeezing Chi-Chi close. "You remind me of Vlad and I when we first married."

"Yes…you were quite the blushing bride," Vlad grinned, eying his wife appreciatively. He then turned that gaze on Goku. "She was quite spirited then, full of energy, just like you."

"W-We're not married," Chi-Chi stammered, wanting to make that fact clear, only for Goku to follow up with a statement of his own.

"Yet."

She shot Goku a scandalized look. How could he be so presumptuous? Sure she'd agreed to travel together, 'marriage training' as Goku liked to call it, but that was it! Chi-Chi still reserved the right to walk away once Goku finally realized this wasn't what he wanted afterall.

Goku trembled, sensing her anger. He wasn't sure what he'd done to set her off but the look she was giving him said she'd deal with him later. Unwilling to maintain eye contact any longer, his gaze drifted, only to spot Camilla staring at Chi-Chi with an odd gleam in her eyes. She was holding Chi-Chi's arm so tight in her grasp, it was a wonder she hadn't drawn blood yet!

Such odd behavior naturally drew Goku's thoughts to her companion. His gaze turned to inspect the man, only to find Vlad was already staring right at him!

"Ehehe…" Goku laughed, feeling more than a little awkward. "Women sure are feisty, ain't they?" He scooted closer to the rest of his food to create some distance between the two, and resumed eating though his attention remained firmly on the suspicious pair, particularly the one who had her claws on Chi-Chi.

Unfortunately, Vlad wasn't put off by his behavior in the slightest.

"You know," the man murmured, inching closer. "We should all visit the local springs once we're done here. They stay at a constant temperature all year round and after a day like today, the waters are sure to feel cool against our skin."

"Ooooh, that sounds like a great idea! Doesn't it, cuz?" Camilla grinned, turning to Chi-Chi, much to her confusion. Was Camilla addressing her?

Goku, meanwhile, wasn't liking this situation at all. He wasn't willing to go anywhere with them.

"No."

"What? Why not?" When Goku didn't answer but just kept on eating, Camila turned big sappy eyes on Chi-Chi. "Chi-Chi? Say you'll join us?"

Chi-Chi wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, she really didn't want to hang around these two any longer than she had to. On the other…well, she'd been raised better than that. Sometimes being a princess meant you had to put up with people that made you a little uncomfortable. That was life. Besides, a cool bath did sound really nice right then.

"You don't wanna cool off Goku?"

Goku shook his head no. No way was he going anywhere with these people. Had Chi-Chi already forgotten about the witch and woodsman?

Thankfully Chi-Chi seemed to be willing to follow him on this because she just smiled and said, "I'll have to pass as well but thank you for the offer."

"Aw but cuz," Camilla whined, leaning on Chi-Chi, "We could have so much fun together."

Chi-Chi didn't know why Camilla kept calling her cuz but she was starting to get annoyed by the woman's clinginess. She stood and stretched, breaking the other woman's hold.

"Thank you but no. Goku's right. If we finish here today, then we plan to leave early in the morning and we'll need our rest. Speaking of," Chi-Chi turned her attention to Goku, who was finishing up the last of his food, though he looked a bit odd as he did so. He wasn't eating in his usual carefree manner. Instead he was more rigid, as if keeping on alert. She frowned, wondering if he'd sensed something she hadn't.

"You almost ready to get back to work, Goku?"

He licked up the last remnants of his meal and then dropped the box in the pile alongside the others.

"Yup! Let's get going Chi. Lots to do!" Goku slipped an arm around her shoulders hurrying her back to the fields, leaving Vlad and Camilla behind. "See ya out there!" he added, shooting a friendly wave over his shoulder.

"Goku, is everything alright?" Chi-Chi whispered, once they were further away.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, fine. Just peachy." Goku nodded, though he maintained his steady pace, determined to put as much distance between the two couples as possible.

Chi-Chi didn't believe him for a second but she kept silent, figuring it was better to wait until they were alone. Instead she took the time to enjoy his closeness, the feel of his muscular arm around her, before realizing she'd dropped her ki level while they'd ate! Strange, she thought she'd kept a steady pressure on it…maybe she just used more than she'd originally thought. She pressed back down, elevating her levels again and was rewarded with Goku shooting her a proud grin, clearly having noticed her efforts.

She smiled back and then slipped out from under his arm, moving a little further down the field. It was time to get back to work.

o0o

"You just had to hang all over the girl didn't you?" Vlad sneered, watching the young couple walk off. He'd never met two individuals with such abundance of energy. It was practically oozing off them. He licked his lips at the thought of that tasty energy.

"Me?" Camilla hissed, "You're the one who looked at the man like he was a big juicy steak!"

"Can you blame me? He clearly has more than the girl."

"Yes, and knows how to use it. He's much more controlled. Little cousin however doesn't yet have such restraint." Camilla bit her bottom lip. She could have a lot of fun with that one.

"That is true," Vlad agreed. "Perhaps she could be used as a lure…if she was able to snag a man like that, her attraction must be stronger than ours."

"Are you saying I can keep her?"

"Only if you can control yourself dear one," he smirked, rolling his eyes. Camilla was always so eager for a pet, whether she was capable of keeping one…

Well either way, it would only be a matter of hours before Goku and Chi-Chi were theirs.

o0o

The sun had just started to set when they finally wrapped up their work day. Mr. Kanda had paid them almost triple the sum he originally told them, grateful that the young couple had somehow managed to do the work of ten men. He offered to pay them the same amount if they came back the next day but Goku, still on edge from lunch, turned him down much to Chi-Chi's annoyance.

"Goku! That was good money we coulda made. Would an extra day really have been so bad?"

She hopped onto Nimbus beside him and glared, much to Goku's disappointment. He knew he was failing Daigo's lessons but it was either money or keeping Chi-Chi safe, and frankly Chi-Chi's safety was more important. If he needed to find another way to make money, so be it.

"We can work longer at the next place," he promised.

What if there wasn't a next place? Had he ever thought of that? Chi-Chi sighed and glanced in his direction, expecting to see his typical happy expression, but was surprised to see how serious and upset he looked.

'I guess he has his reasons.'

If she was being honest, Chi-Chi hadn't really been looking forward to spending more time with Camilla and Vlad. Goku rushing them off spared her of that, and she knew he had been as uncomfortable as her around them.

Still. He could have talked to her about it first.

"Goku, there's a little market over there. Do you mind stopping for a bit so I can restock our supplies?"

"Sure!" He directed Nimbus downward when an idea came to mind. "Hey actually, can I just drop ya off? There's somethin' I need to do."

Chi-Chi blinked. What could he possibly need to do? Still, it would make things easier for her this way. The last time they'd gone shopping for food together, he'd practically wanted the entire store. It was probably a lot like shopping with a toddler…or five toddlers given Goku's size and energy.

"Alright, but don't take too long. I wanna go to sleep early tonight. That training of yours has me bone tired." As if to emphasize her words, her body chose that moment to yawn.

"I'll be quick," Goku promised.

Nimbus stopped in front of The Market, low enough for Chi-Chi to step off easily, and after a "Be back soon!" She was left standing there, staring up at the sky as he zoomed off.

"What on earth is that man up to now?" She wondered, her brows knitted in confusion. After standing there a few moments longer, Chi-Chi shrugged and made her way inside. She'd probably find out soon enough anyways.

She moved quickly, grabbing rice, veggies, stock and dry goods, anything filling or she could stretch went in her cart. By the time she was done, the capsules were stuffed and her wallet a lot thinner but at least they hadn't had to use her father's funds.

Chi-Chi stepped outside and spotted Goku just as she was tucking away the storage capsules. She smiled sleepily upon spotting him and hurried in his direction, eager to get somewhere they could set up camp and call it a night.

"Were you waitin' long?" she asked as she attempted to climb up on Nimbus. Goku pulled her up easily and waited until she was settled before taking off.

"Nope, just got here."

"That's good." She would have felt guilty if he'd been waiting long. As it was, she was just so tired.

Chi-Chi dropped her head against his back and eventually leaned against him so heavily that it was the only thing keeping her upright. She yawned, appreciating how warm and firm his back felt. Strong and broad…goodness she was tired. It would be good to get somewhere they could set camp up…and sleep. She definitely wanted to get some sleep. Maybe she'd even skip dinner tonight…

"Chi-Chi…Chi-Chi…"

"Mmm?"

"Chi-Chi wake up, we're at camp."

"Goku?" She blinked wearily and looked up to see Goku smiling softly down at her only to realize they were in a small clearing, surrounded by trees and mountains. Goku had already set up their capsule home and had even started a fire that currently had several thick slabs of meat grilling over it producing the most delicious aroma. Chi-Chi hadn't realized it until that moment but she was starving!

She slipped off Nimbus and stepped closer, unable to stay away from such mouth watering aromas, when she noticed a small path off to the side that disappeared between two rock cliffs.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi murmured, tilting her head curiously. "Where's that go?"

"I dunnoooo," Goku grinned, "Maybe ya should check it out."

Chi-Chi eyed him suspiciously but figured if Goku was acting like that, it couldn't be a bad thing. There was a soft rumbling that grew louder and louder as she moved down the path but it wasn't until she rounded the corner that she discovered the source.

It was a waterfall! A small but powerful one that poured into a clear pool that reflected the many stars in the night sky.

"Oh." Chi-Chi gasped, "Oh Goku!"

"Do you like it?" He asked, his voice sounding uncharacteristically shy. As if she could possibly hate something so pretty!

She spun back to Goku, beaming, and launched herself into his arms. "Oh Goku! It's beautiful!"

"S-So ya like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you!" Chi-Chi spun him around and pressed a firm kiss to his cheek before running off to the house to grab her bathing things, leaving a blushing Goku staring after her in shock.

He rubbed his cheek and stumbled over to check on the food.

"That musta been some nap!" Goku mumbled, more than a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected her to like it that much.

Goku had barely recovered from Chi-Chi's first kiss when she ran back out in her robe and did it again!—this time on his other cheek—before running back down the path to the waterfall.

He stared after her, stunned. Maybe Mr. Daigo's advice worked a little too well…but if this made up for his earlier actions then he supposed it wasn't so bad. In fact…he was really starting to like Chi-Chi's kisses…

"You're certainly looking cheerful."

"Geyaaah!"

Goku flipped around, startled, only to find Vlad leering at him from the trees.

"You!" Goku glared, "What are you doing here?" And why hadn't he sensed him?

"Enjoying the nearby springs of course," Vlad grinned, eying the younger man greedily. There was a woosh of motion and suddenly Vlad was standing right beside his tasty treat but that didn't seem to phase Goku like it had so many others. Instead the man smirked, and swiveled to face him head on.

"You're lying. Now why are you here?" Goku demanded.

His delicious energy was rising, and Vlad knew if he could just touch him…

Fast as lightning Vlad reached out to grab him but Goku avoided him easily, maintaining the distance between them.

"Why such animosity? Hm?" Vlad implored, "Are we not friends after laboring under a cruel sun all day together?"

"You're not my friend."

"No?" Vlad smiled, knowing full well it didn't matter. Goku would be his whether he liked it or not.

"Perhaps your lovely companion feels differently?"

"Leave her out of this!" Goku growled, stepping forward aggressively.

Ah young love. Men were so quick to rush to a damsel's aid. Too bad it always proved their undoing. Vlad's smile slid into a sneer, his sharp teeth gleaming from the eerie light of the campfire.

"She certainly is a pretty little thing. I'm sure she looks so delicate, exposed as she is, under the moonlight…"

The punch struck his face quicker than he'd anticipated, but a touch was all that Vlad needed. Goku's fist stayed where it was, as if glued to Vlad's skin, and Vlad welcomed the connection happily, feeding off the excess energy radiating off Goku in his fury—and then alarm—at what was happening.

"Stop it!" Goku cried, dropping to one knee. It felt like something was sucking the life out of him!

"I truly am sorry," Vlad grinned, though he hardly looked sorry with his head rolled back in ecstasy. "But a man has to eat. You know how it is."

Like hell he did!

"Gaaah!"

Goku gritted his teeth, as he struggled to think. There had to be a way to break free from this!

"I wish you could understand how I feel," Vlad purred, sucking up his victim's delicious energy. "You are a feast before a starving man. How could I not help myself?"

"A feast huh?" Goku smirked, "Well if you're so hungry, why don't you have some more?"

He grabbed the arm holding him with both hands and focused his ki.

"Ka….Me…"

"What are you doing? Let go!" Vlad struggled to break free but Goku held him tight.

"Ha…Me…HA!"

The usual bright beam of light was nowhere to be seen, instead it went straight into Vlad, who was confused but pleased at first, until all too quickly it became too much. First his clothes became tighter, then the buttons started to pop off as he floated up into the air. Vlad tried to expel the energy swelling inside him but he couldn't burn it as quickly as Goku fed him.

It was too much!

"NO! STOP! HELP ME! PLEAS—!"

BOOM!

Breathing heavily, Goku fell on his butt as the remains of Vlad's clothing floated down all around him, and smirked.

"I guess I should watch how much I eat. Wouldn't wanna end up like that guy. Although with Chi-Chi's cooking, what a way to—"

Goku leapt to his feet.

Shit!

He'd forgotten about Chi-Chi!

o0o

Chi-Chi dipped her foot into the cool water and sighed. It felt as lovely as it looked. Just the right temperature for an early summer evening in the mountains after a long day under the sun.

"Oh that wonderful, sweet man!"

She pressed a hand to her cheek thinking of how cute he looked after she'd kissed him. Perhaps she shouldn't have done that but she just couldn't help herself after he'd done something so sweet!

"I'll have to bake him a pie as a reward for findin' this place…make that several pies," Chi-Chi giggled, stepping further into the water. It looked deep, no doubt going well underground, but shallow enough around the edges for her to feel comfortable bathing there.

Chi-Chi set her things down on a small boulder and wrapped a towel around herself as she considered what she'd make for Goku. She hadn't made anything too complicated yet, given that it would cut into their training time, but maybe if she timed it right she could do something on one of their rest days. He'd certainly earned it!

"He probably felt bad about turnin' down the trip to the springs and wanted to make it up to me," She sighed. "Oh Goku, how am I supposed to keep my distance if you do things like this?"

"Oh cousin, why would you want to stay away from such a delectable man?"

"Camilla!" Chi-Chi gasped, spinning sharply on her heel. She kept one hand tight on her towel, uncomfortably aware of how exposed she currently was. "What are ya doing here?"

The blonde beauty shrugged, moving out of the shadows so the moon's light reflected off her pale skin. It took Chi-Chi a moment to realize why she found the sight odd, but then she remembered the woman had been completely covered earlier and yet now she barely had any clothes on! What on earth was she doing here dressed in what looked like a…crimson negligee?

"W-Weren't ya supposed to be at the springs?" Chi-Chi stammered, wide eyed. That couldn't be anywhere near here, not with how determined Goku was to avoid it.

Camilla didn't answer. Instead she started walking along the water's edge, circling her. Chi-Chi took a step into deeper waters automatically. The woman's silence was making her uneasy.

"I didn't realize they were this deep in the mountains…" she tried again.

"What's the matter, cousin?" Camilla purred, stepping into the pool. "You seem nervous."

Chi-Chi scowled but stood her ground. She knew that was probably Camilla's goal but damn it if she was going to let the other woman treat her like a coward!

"Again with the 'cousin' talk. I don't know who you are but you're no cousin of mine."

"No?" Camilla asked, amused, taking a step closer. "Don't you see the resemblance? How similar we are? Both strong women." She took another step. "Drawn to powerful men." And another. "Craving that extra something we need to feel alive."

Chi-Chi snorted. She knew it wasn't lady-like but right now she really didn't care. There was no other response she could give to such ridiculous words.

"Whatever you wanna tell yourself but ya still haven't answered my question." She slid her foot back and prepared to raise her ki for the fight that was clearly coming.

"Why are you here?"

"For you sweetheart."

The attack happened faster than she could blink. One second Camilla was still five feet away, the next her nails were dragging down Chi-Chi's arm as she just barely managed to dodge. If she hadn't been training with Goku for the last few weeks, she probably wouldn't have.

As it was, with her footing on such a slippery surface, she wasn't able to get away a second time, and Camilla caught her in a vice grip, locking her in place.

All at once she felt the little ki she had flow up and out towards Camilla. It felt like her body was caving in on itself, withering away. If she had been tired before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. With an odd feeling of certainty, she knew what would come next.

She was going to die.

Poor Goku would have to tell her Papa what happened, if there was even anything left of her for him to figure it out. Maybe she'd just fade away…just like her Mama…

NO!

Chi-Chi's eyes flew open as she latched onto the arms holding her, pulling, practically yanking back her ki. She would not go out like this!

"What are you doing?!" Camilla hissed. She tried to shove Chi-Chi away but Chi-Chi wasn't about to risk letting her go.

She dug her nails in, her eyes lighting up as the familiar whitish pink light appeared around her and slowly turned into to a darker reddish glow; but still she pulled, taking all the ki Camilla stole and then some.

Camilla let loose a ghostly wail as her features began to sink inward, her limbs turning frail, her skin becoming wrinkled.

"POWER POLE EXTEND!"

What remained of Camilla was slammed out of Chi-Chi's grasp and flung into the sky, only to come back down and be smashed into a million pieces by Goku's power pole.

Chi-Chi stared for a moment longer, shocked to have it over so quickly, and then turned to spy her savior looking just as confused by the turn of events.

"That was weird," Goku muttered, staring up at the falling remains. His gaze dropped back down to Chi-Chi who was fading fast after having used up so much ki.

"Goku…"

"Chi-Chi!"

He raced to her side as her knees gave out, catching her before she hit the water.

"Woah there," Goku murmured, scooping her up, only to cringe at her icy skin.

She was freezing!

He'd have to get her warmed up quick. Better yet, he needed to get her dressed but…Goku gulped realizing she was just in a towel. She would kill him if he did it for her! At least there was a fire already going.

He turned and made his way back to camp, holding Chi-Chi close as he examined her ki.

She was out cold, but he could tell it was due to exhaustion and not because she'd been drained. Goku glanced up at the sky, wondering what that had been about. Whatever happened went much differently than his fight with Vlad.

Still, he knew one thing, Chi-Chi had fought and won.

Chi-Chi was strong.

He grinned, squeezing his precious bundle close, and hurried back to camp.