*In the last Chapter of Karrots and Cellery, the first work in this series, Ellery has a terrible dream. Unbeknownst to her, that nightmare was about to become a reality.*
What time is it? Ellery groaned as she rolled onto her side. Her partner was not in bed, and it was still dark outside. While it was the wee hours of the morning, the sun was only minutes from showing itself. Goku was teaching a sparring class at The Harmony Center.
Ellery was surprised when the class agreed to do a sunrise session. Most humans don't like to get up early unless they have to from what she's witnessed. Although he's been cleared for his regular training regiment, Goku finds himself wanting to go back to the basics. If he was going to get stronger, ensuring that his technique is flawless on the simple moves was paramount to his success.
The Saiyan woman continued to squirm in the bed. No position was comfortable. She tried for several minutes to find a new way to lay down, hoping to sleep a little longer. However, her body wasn't having it. After laying in bed for days on end, she was just tired of being there.
Ellery's stomach growled underneath the blanket she was covered in.
She was taking it easy just as Bulma ordered. The mother wasn't sure who was having a tougher time, Ellery, or Tarro. The little Saiyan was used to holding onto his mother for comfort. It was a difficult transition from flying into his Mom's arms, to only being able to snuggle with her if she was sitting or laying down. The Saiyan woman did her best to help with the transition, allowing him as much quality time as the little warrior needed.
After realizing all the extra complications of this pregnancy, Ellery didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the baby. Since her appointment last week, the mother has only been getting out of bed to stretch, and for the necessities.
This left all of the work to her partner, Goku.
Taking his new position in stride, the warrior has been an amazing help to Ellery. He almost never left her side, other than to get necessities. After his 'playdate' with The Omni Kings, the Saiyan has taken over as his new role of house husband. Goku didn't realize how much work it would be, especially with a little Saiyan around.
Thankfully he hasn't been alone in that endeavor. Bulma and Vegeta, as well as Jean and Chi-Chi have been checking on the family, ensuring they have everything they need. Trunks and Goten are excellent when it comes to babysitting Tarro. Ellery was extremely grateful for all of the extra support in their time of need.
Although she's happy about the extra hands, it left Ellery feeling completely useless in her own home. She remembered what it was like being on bedrest with Tarro. Although there was a major difference in being eight weeks pregnant vs the full twenty-four, the danger Ellery was in was much greater than before.
Unable to go back to sleep after waking up in the wee hours of the morning, Ellery made the decision to go downstairs. The mother slowly moved her weight, trying her best not to wake the little Saiyan in bed with her. Finally, she got out of the bed, nearly yelping as her toes felt the cold floor. On her way, she stepped over the couple of toys that lay on the floor.
The Saiyan woman walked towards the kitchen, immediately going for the refrigerator. She grabbed two leftover pizza boxes on her way outside.
A cool breeze came from the south, making the hairs on the young woman's arm stand. Ellery walked towards the hammock, enjoying the morning air.
For the first time in weeks, the mother decided to relax outside of her home. The Saiyan woman was glad she did. Beautiful wildflowers scattered the grass and even into the pond on top of the lily pads. She could feel several different species of animals in the forest around her. Their energies were friendly and peaceful, only adding to her serenity.
The mother closed her eyes once more, feeling the auras around her interacting with her own. Ever since Ellery was able to feel her youngests energy, she's been more aware of the other ki signatures around her. She would read each of them, observe their behavior from a distance before she would decide to react, or let it go.
After she was settled in the hammock, Ellery opened the pizza box she'd placed on her thighs. She took out a piece and began to eat, loving the taste.
While she watched the sunrise, Ellery could feel the small energy close to her. When it began to move around, the young woman felt a small movement in her stomach. The mother's hands gravitated towards her lower abdomen. She felt the movement begin there. She loved the sensation of their child growing inside of her.
You're growing nice and big, little one. I'm so proud of you. The Saiyan woman smiled happily, her thumb stroking her stomach as her hand rested there. Yesterday marked the second week of the Second Trimester. Her abdomen had grown slightly in size, but not as much as she did with her first son.
With a shorter gestation period than humans, Ellery was hoping she could get through the next few weeks with no complications.
"What's your name going to be, little one?" The Saiyan woman grinned as she started speaking to her youngest. She's been doing it more often as the pregnancy has progressed. "Maybe…Okara or Onio…. Oliva?" The mother looked down at her abdomen.
"What do you think?" She whispered as she continued to run her fingers across her stomach.
"Mama!" Ellery heard a small voice coming towards her. A little Saiyan boy with spiky hair was attempting to run in her direction.
"Tarro, what are you doing? " The Saiyan mother glanced towards her home. Her oldest son was running outside towards her, tears running down his cheeks. It was normal for him to wake up early, but not as the sun was peeking over the trees. She began to wonder how long Tarro was looking for her.
"I had bad dream, Mama." There were tears in young Tarro's eyes. "A man took Daddy away!"
Since the little Saiyan turned one, his vocabulary has increased exponentially. His playdates with Gohan and Bulma have definitely been helping with this.
Ellery's features only lightened as she heard her son's story. She reached out her arms, allowing him to crawl into her lap. The young mother stroked her son's hair gently while she kissed his head. A light purr emanated from her chest.
"Sweetheart, it was just a dream. If someone came to 'take your father away' I have no doubt he would be able to handle it."
"But Mommy, it felt so real!" The little Saiyan boy was shaking in his mother's arms.
"My little Tarro. My sweet, sweet Tarro." Ellery whispered to her son, holding him tight in her arms. "Your father is one of the strongest men in the Universe. I don't know a being that can take him against his will. It was just a dream."
"Okay…" Tarro whispered into his mother's chest. The little body in Ellery's arms had stopped trembling. "Can we do the poses?"
"Of course, my little warrior." The Saiyan woman beamed. Ellery's son leaped out of the hammock, running to the clearing.
As the young woman stood from the hammock, a sharp pain struck her lower abdomen, bringing her to her knees. Ellery cried out as she felt like her insides were being ripped apart.
"Mom?" Tarro turned the moment he heard the cry. "Mommy!"
Ellery could barely hear her son yelling for her. His voice sounded farther away with each scream. As the young woman looked down, she noticed a pool of blood on the earth below her. Ellery's gi was soaked in it. Unable to cry for help, the Saiyan woman fell the rest of the way to the grass. She did her best at not falling on her stomach, instead most of the impact was taken by her shoulder and back.
KAKAROT! The mother fell to the ground with a thud.
Immediately, Tarro's heart began to race. He flew to Ellery, noticing the blood that was soaking her clothing. Panic began to set in. The little boy was unsure of what to do. Seconds felt like hours as he stood there in shock.
His father wasn't at the house this morning. However, if he stood and concentrated, the little Saiyan could feel his aura nearby. Would he be strong enough to make the journey? He'd never flown that far on his own before…
But he had to save his Mom. Taking to the sky, Tarro elevated quickly. "Daddy!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Hopefully his father would be able to hear him before he saw him.
Within seconds, Goku appeared out of thin air. He scooped Ellery into his arms. The little warrior flew to his father, latching onto his back as fast as he could.
"Great job, guys! Keep it up!"
Goku walked slowly through the lines of students, observing their technique. This morning's training began with yoga poses for stretching, along with a meditation, and a light spar..
It was something the warrior has started to implement into his own training. He feels that it's been making a tremendous improvement on his connection with his own body. Moving in and out of the Non-Mastered Ultra Instinct has become easier. His defense has become impeccable.
However, like in the Tournament of Power, it was the offense that was the most difficult to master.
Now, the students were getting into the more 'rigorous' aspect of their training. Goku was teaching his students the art of energy manipulation. While he didn't think they'd be able to produce ki blasts anytime soon, the warrior was more than happy to teach them to fly.
"Okay! Are you guys ready for somethi-"
KAKAROT!
Suddenly, Goku felt an immense pain in his abdomen. He immediately went into action, placing two fingers to his forehead. He disappeared out of the sight of his students, reappearing in his backyard. Not having any time to act other than his instincts, the Saiyan immediately transported out of the area to the only person he knew that could help.
The warrior appeared in Bulma's lab. The scientist was at her desk, working on one of her latest projects. She felt a shift in the air, causing her to turn around. The sight in front of her nearly caused her heart to stop.
"HELP!" Goku screamed.
Immediately, the scientist went into action. She helped Goku place Ellery on the bed. As she turned to find a piece of equipment, Bulma noticed little Tarro clinging to his father's gi. He had a horrified look on his face as tears continued to fall down and soak his shirt.
"Get him out of here, now Goku!" Bulma yelled as she pointed to the door. "Go find Vegeta. I've been training him on what to do in this kind of emergency. You don't need to be in here right now."
"But-" The Saiyan tried to interject.
"NOW! GO!"
Using Instant Transmission, the Saiyan disappeared to the other side of Capsule Corp. He reappeared inside of the gravity chamber, the machine on full power. The baby Saiyan fell from his back onto the cold tile floor. Tarro felt as if his body was being crushed by a large boulder. How could anyone stand to be in this kind of environment? He immediately started to cry, alerting Vegeta that visitors were in his room.
"Kakarot?!" The warrior ran to the emergency switch and turned it off. "What in the hell is going on?!"
"Bulma needs you…" The Saiyan panted. "Please…'
It took a few moments for the shock of being intruded on to subside. Once it did, Vegeta noticed that Goku was covered in blood around his stomach and legs. His eyes widened, realizing exactly what was going on.
Going into action, the Prince flew at the speed of light to his wife.
All of the adrenaline pumped out of him, the spiky haired warrior collapsed on the floor. Thankfully, he was able to catch his fall, and sit down on the cold tile. He noticed his son laying on the ground, as if he was afraid to stand up.
"Come here buddy." Goku quickly reached in front of him and pulled his youngest to his chest.
"Is Mommy otay?" the little Saiyan questioned, tears staining his cheeks and shirt. "What abou- little baby?"
"Aunty Bulma's gonna do everything she can." The warrior's voice cracked as he clung to his youngest. Although he could still feel Ellery's aura, Goku couldn't feel the life energy of their second child. He wanted to break down and cry, throw caution to the wind as he cursed the Gods of the Cosmos for tearing his family apart. He wanted revenge, but there was no one to blame in this situation…
Looking down at his son, he knew he had to remain composed.
"Your Mommy's very strong Tarro. Even stronger than Daddy in a lot of ways." The warrior couldn't help but smile, thinking of all the ways Ellery has made his life better. "She's going to make it.
"Oh my goodness!"
Chi-Chi ran into the Gravity room, looking at the state of Goku's clothing and assuming the worst. "Can you move? Do I need to call Bulma here?"
"No… Uh.. '' Goku wasn't sure what to say, his mind was jumbled with everything going on. However, it cleared enough to say this coherent sentence. "What are you doing here?"
"Aunty Chi!" Tarro reached up the moment he saw her.
"We came to drop Goten off for a play date with Trunks. I know he can fly, but I wanted to come and see Bulma." The older woman took the child into her arms, giving him a once over. She didn't immediately notice any blood on him.
"Is your Daddy okay?" She asked the little Saiyan.
"Mommy fell!"
"Fell?" Eyes widening, suddenly all of the blood made sense. She looks at her ex-partner, noticing that he wasn't going to be able to help enhance the details. Chi-Chi jumps into action.
"I'm going to take Tarro to our place for the night. I'll be bringing you a change of clothes and something to eat."
"You don't nee-"
"Goku." The woman said sternly. "You're not budging me on this." She says as she turns on her heel, walking out of the room quickly.
"TRUNKS! GOTEN!"
Within seconds the two boys were in front of her, eyes wide at the tone in her voice.
"Mom I'm so-" Goten immediately began.
"I need you two boys to do me a huge favor." She mentioned as she looked at the little Saiyan in her arms.
The two half-Saiyan's looked at each other skeptically. Normally, Chi-Chi would never allow this kind of behavior. What was going on?
"Mom, is everything okay?" Goten asked curiously.
Ignoring his question the older mother continued. "I need you to go to your father's house and get him a change of clothes."
"What happened? Is Goku okay?" Trunks wondered.
"Now isn't the time for backtalk!" The mother screamed. "Go! Now!" Chi-Chi was beginning to become impatient and it was showing in her voice.
"Okay! Sorry!" Goten said quickly as he took his friend's hand, running towards the front door.