"What are we gonna do little man?" Bulma questioned the baby Saiyan. The Aunty was on babysitting duty while Ellery and Goku spent time at The Harmony Center. While everyone loves seeing Tarro around, he's become very rambunctious as he learned to walk. Many humans would be shocked, and possibly deterred by his behavior.
The bluenette didn't mind in the slightest! Aunty Bulma was always willing to babysit. Having raised half-Saiyans, the little one was similar to Trunks growing up. Tarro got along well with both of her children. It was rare for her oldest to tire out quickly. With the little Saiyan boy in the home, the purple haired warrior has been brought to exhaustion. Each night that Tarro comes over, They end up sneaking away to play in Trunks' room. Bulma will find them either there, or in the yard. Both of the boys will be snoring, too tired to stay awake after they play together.
" 'Geta! 'Geta!" Tarro chanted. Remembering his Uncle's words, the little warrior wanted to train with him! His Mom has been allowing his big brother, Goten, to spar. However, the baby Saiyan was looking for more of a challenge. The Prince seemed like the kind of person to not hold back, even on an infant/toddler.
"Uh, I think he's busy right now…" Bulma glanced towards the hallway. She could hear the buzz of the Gravity Room in the distance. Vegeta hated to be disturbed, especially when his Afternoon workout just started.
"Mom!"
A purple haired teen ran into the living room. He was going to ask his mother a question. But, the second that he noticed the baby Saiyan, his train of thought completely changed. "Hey! When did Tarro get here?"
"Just a few minutes ago. Did you need something?" The bluenette asked.
"Uh… No, but can I play with him?" Trunks smiled happily.
"Tunks!" Tarro giggled as he flew out of Bulma's arms.
The Scientist stood from the couch. "You two have fun! I'm going to my lab. If you need anything, please come get me."
"Sure thing!" Trunks waved goodbye to his Mom. This left the two Saiyan boys alone in the living room.
"I heard you earlier, ya know?" The purple haired warrior mentioned, a sly grin on his face. "Do you really think you're ready to train with him?"
"YAA!" Tarro punched the air excitedly. "Uncle 'Geta!"
"Shhh.. Keep it down." Trunks gestured for the little one to stay quiet, placing a finger over his lips. "If Mom found out that I was going to let you near the Gravity Room, she'd kill me." The half-Saiyan looked surprised as the baby warrior nodded, as if he completely understood.
Tarro proceeds to tip-toe across the hardwood floor, doing his best not to make a sound. He went for the hallway, knowing exactly where his uncle was training. Trunks followed the baby Saiyan down the corridor. The purple haired Saiyan was a little anxious about his father's reaction. However, the half-Saiyan noticed that his dad has a soft spot when it comes to Tarro.
Once they were right next to the metal door, Trunks knocked on it. He could hear the whirring of the machines powering down. Normally, his father would yell 'GO AWAY' at the first sign of a disturbance. This time was different. The large door swung open, nearly hitting the two young warriors in its path. Both of them were barely able to dodge it as it crashed into the wall.
"What do you want? This better be good." The Prince's arms were crossed over his chest.
The purple haired Saiyan rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the floor. "Well you see…"
"Train!" Tarro jumped up and down excitedly.
"Hn." Vegeta chuckled, a smirk appearing on his features. It was rare when the oldest Saiyan smiled in front of anyone. "I see… You're finally ready to become a true warrior. Let's get started."
"Thank you for coming, everyone!" Ellery waved to the group of students. Coming back to her Yoga Studio was just what she needed. She didn't realize how much all of her friends and students missed her.
The Saiyan woman had people lining up to fill rooms that she was teaching. Instead of cramping the small studios, Ellery decided to follow Bulma's advice. Goku assisted in building a small platform. It was tall enough that a large group could see her, but only large enough to fit one person comfortably. Now she could have more than fifty students per class.
Each class the instructor taught grew in size. It easily fills the lawn, and begins to encroach on the sparring platforms.
After Goku's last check-up with Bulma, the couple began teaching at The Harmony Center part-time. One or two days a week, Goku has been able to train with other humans. It has been a humbling experience to say the least. After the strain he put on his body, some of his students were giving him trouble.
The Saiyan warrior came home winded after his first few teaching sessions. It pained Ellery to see her partner distressed like this. There was a specific occasion the Saiyan woman remembered from a week ago.
Ellery closed the door of Tarro's bedroom. After coming home from aunty Bulma's, he was sleeping like a rock. The little warrior didn't even wake up to the smell of food being prepared. After making sure he was comfortable, the young mother walked down the stairs. She glanced around the living area, searching for her partner.
Today was a particularly difficult day at The Harmony Center. One of Goku's students was able to best him and knock him out of the ring. It was something that no one saw coming. The Saiyan warrior lost his footing and was unable to correct it. This resulted in his loss of the sparring match. Watching the event take place, Ellery was sure that her partner could've stopped the fall. If he would've tapped into his actual strength, it would've been easy-peasy. However, in that moment something stopped him.
"Kakarot?" The Saiyan woman called out, noticing he wasn't in the kitchen. One of the double doors near the dining room was cracked open. Following her intuition, Ellery walked to the door and opened it slowly. Outside, her partner was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Goku's head leaned back, as if he were looking at the sky.
"It's not everyday I see you meditating." Ellery mentioned as she made her way to her partner.
"I've had a lot on my mind lately…" Goku stated quietly, keeping his lids closed.
"Keeping it all to yourself?" The Saiyan woman chuckled. "I'm your partner, Kakarot. We're supposed to share our struggles with each other."
"This isn't something I talk to anyone about." The Saiyan's voice wavered. "I don't like my friends and family to see me so…"
"Vulnerable?" Ellery kneeled next to Goku, her left hand began running up and down his back. "Even the strongest have their breaking point."
The spiky haired warrior could feel his eyes beginning to sting as he held back tears. The soothing touch of his partner's hand was helping.
However, Goku couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling that without his transformations, he's actually not that strong compared to the Cosmos. The warrior is afraid that he's been too reliant on his Super Saiyan abilities.
Ellery could sense the emotions her partner was battling with on the inside. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I love you, even if you're not the strongest person in the universe." The Saiyan woman could tell it was eating at her mate's thoughts. "You are a loving and devoted partner, as well as a great father. I know you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be the strongest."
"No I don'-" The Saiyan warrior attempted to interject.
Goku's partner didn't stop her train of thought. "Ever since I met you, your goal has been to become stronger than the last opponent you faced. Instead, why don't you make a commitment to become a stronger you than the day before?"
"Uh…" The Saiyan warrior was actually speechless. He didn't have a retort for his partner. In the beginning, that's what Goku's life consisted of. He was gaining the strength for the fun of it, and for his own personal growth. Somewhere along the way, after defeating Buu, the Saiyan's life became about defeating the next opponent instead of getting stronger for the sake of growth itself.
Sure, you're going to have slip-ups. But, if you're trying your hardest, I know you'll persevere in the end. You have everyone else backing you up. Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo…Hell, even me." Ellery chuckled.
"I believe in us as a team, Kakarot. Together, we can accomplish anything."
"But… Without my transformations.." Goku began.
"What do you mean?" Ellery raised a brow.
"Guys like Jiren and Sinthe don't rely on transformations. They have raw power and might. Without them, I'm-"
"Still one of the strongest beings on Earth." Goku's mate stopped him. "Probably still in the top one-hundred strongest in the Cosmos. You came second to 'the strongest in the Universe' in a Tournament that was broadcasted around the entire Multiverse. Billions of people signed up for this Tournament, Kakarot, and you came in second. Is that not enough?" The Saiyan woman questioned.
"If I can't protect the things I love… Nothing will be enough."
"Great session today, El!" Sophai grinned as she waved towards her friend. She walked up to the platform, taking the young mother out of her daydream.
Ellery smiled brightly at her. "Thanks Soph. It's so good to see you."
"I feel like we never cross paths anymore." The curly haired woman leaned against the platform. "Everyone misses the heck outta 'ya."
"Life's crazy when you're married to Kakarot." Ellery laughed. "He injured himself training recently, so I've been taking all of my extra time to make sure he's got what he needs."
"Is he okay? Should he be teaching classes?" Sophai was concerned.
"He's been cleared by the doctor." Ellery smiled, knowing most humans stop asking questions once a 'professional' is involved. "They recommended it as part of his recovery. He just has to take it easy. Compared to the kind of training he's used to, this is nothing."
"How did the Tournament go?" Her friend asked.
The Saiyan woman's eyes widened. "Huh?"
"You mentioned the two of you entered one. I thought that's why you were gone for so long?" d
"Oh yeah!" Ellery chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. She tried to keep her other life separate from The Harmony Center. A lot of things Goku's introduced her to, would drive a normal person insane. To know there's multiple universes, with people in them that could potentially cause harm to us…. It's a lot to bear.
"We made it through the preliminaries. Unfortunately, we ended up losing. There was a lot of good competition!" The Saiyan woman shrugged.
"Where's your little tagalong?" Raina walked up to the two ladies. "I haven't seen him since the two of you have been back."
"He's spending time with his Aunty Bulma." The young mother smiled in relief. "She's the biggest supporter in our little village. Every night she babysits, Tarro comes home exhausted. I don't know how she does it. He never seems to run out of energy around us."
"I know how you feel." Sophai chuckled. "My three kids run my life."
"One's just about done me in." Ellery laughed with her friend. "I couldn't imagine three of them."
"They'll certainly grow on you." Raina grinned. "After we had our daughter, we couldn't wait to have another."
The Saiyan woman thought of having another child on occasion. Tarro was so young, and a handful on his own. Besides, their family was already bigger than the three of them, including Goku's two boys. Ellery felt even Chi-Chi, Jean, and Bulma's clan were a part of her own. All of them were so close, spending several days out of the week together.
Could they add another into their mess?
Suddenly, Ellery's phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her bag, seeing who it was. "Sorry ladies, I gotta take this. It's the babysitter."
"Hey Bulma! We were just wrapping up here. Gonna head your way in a few minutes." The young woman waved at her friends, bidding them farewell as they walked to their cars.
"That's actually why I called!" her best friend had a cheerful sound to her voice. "The boys actually tuckered the little Saiyan out. He's down for the count. If you'd like, we can babysit for the night and you can get him in the morning."
"Really?" The young mother's eyes widened. "You'd do that for us?"
"Of course! He's safe here. Besides, this will give the two of you a little bit of alone time." Bulma's voice became sultry, insinuating many things with her tone. The gesture made Ellery giggle as she shook her head.
"I know it's been a long time since the two of you were able to just have some time to yourselves." The bluenette continued. Since Tarro's already asleep, we'll be able to handle it for one night.``
"You're the best girly. I'll have to thank you later." The ebony haired Saiyan laughed.
"No need. I'll see you in the morning!" Bulma said her goodbyes as Ellery put her phone back in her pocket. A smile was still plastered on her face.
"Everything okay?" Goku asked as he walked up. His class walked through the lawn, getting to their vehicles.
The Saiyan woman nodded. "Bulma called. She said that Trunks and Vegeta wore out the little man. So they're going to keep Tarro for the night, and we're going to pick him up in the morning."
"Wow" The warrior sounded extremely surprised. It's been over a year since the two have been in the same place, alone for a few hours. "A night to ourselves?"
"It would appear so." Ellery smiled. "It's been a long time."
"What should we do?" The Warrior rubbed the back of his head.
"The possibilities are endless, Kakarot." The Saiyan woman grinned as she took her partner's hand. "Let's lock up and head home."