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As Chi-Chi followed her forever-growing son through the throngs of people, her gaze scanned over the new amenities, only vaguely taking in the changes from the last time she was here, as her mind was more preoccupied going over her mental checklist.
Hair? Tidy and neat, not a single strand out of place—and still just as dark and silky as the day they first reunited here nearly twenty years ago.
Outfit? Wrinkle free and very flattering—not that it was difficult seeing as she was still in fantastic shape.
Skin? Soft and supple—which was the true miracle considering how little time she’d had to prepare.
Combine that with the plethora of all his favorite foods that she had stashed away in the capsule in her purse and she was more than ready to meet her Goku today after all this time.
Finally he would be home!
It had been seven long years but today she'd be able to see him again…hear his laugh…hold him tight and feel his warmth. Goodness she couldn’t wait to spend the day together!
Of course he’d be participating in the Tournament so she couldn’t see him for most of the day but that was okay. With him and Gohan participating, they’d have enough prize money to get out of the hole and make repairs to the house, while still setting a little aside for her boys education. So having her time with him cut short didn’t bother her too much, although why he chose to come back today instead of one he could spend with his family…
…then again, maybe he preferred it this way.
He did choose to stay dead after all…instead of returning to his family…but Gohan had told her that Goku thought it was best. That it would keep them safe.
What a load of dinosaur dung that was.
Still, she had to believe it. Why else would he stay away? It’s not like he’d done so bef…no wait, there was that year he’d spent away learning that stupid insta thingy he loved so much, instead of returning home when they asked Shenlong to return him, but that was it…accept for that year he’d spent training with King Kai instead of returning back to life and saving her Gohan from that despica—
No, no…Piccolo was good now, she shouldn’t think that way about him.
And Goku was coming home! She wouldn’t think about all the bad things, what good would it do? She’d spent enough lonely nights crying over that man, about how much she missed him or how her son had never known his father…
…or that Goku had said goodbye to everyone else but her.
She knew their marriage had it’s rough patches, but she had thought that they were doing better before he died. That they just needed to get through this last battle before they could return to the happy days they’d had when they first married.
That he loved her.
“This was a mistake,” she muttered, stopping in her tracks as her gaze darted around desperate for an escape.
“Mama?” Goten called, tugging on Chi-Chi’s dress with concern. Normally he’d be out in the lead or walking side bye side with Gohan but he was being uncharacteristically shy today. “You okay?”
Great, now she was worrying her already nervous son.
She brushed his bangs back with her fingers and smiled.
“Yes baby, I just…I just need to find a restroom real quick. Gohan?” Chi-Chi called to her eldest, who turned back immediately though his eyes kept searching the crowds, clearly eager to see his father again. She did her best not to show how her heart broke at that thought and added, “Look after your brother, will you? I just need to find the ladies room right quick.”
“W-What? Okay but you better hurry! Dad will be here any second!”
“I’m sure he won’t even notice I’m gone, he’ll be too shocked to see how tall you’ve gotten!” she teased, ruffling his hair and giving Goten a gentle shove towards Gohan. “Be good for your brother now until I get back. I’ll only be a minute.”
That’s all she needed, just a minute. Just long enough, to collect herself and regain her composure. Then she could face the day and whatever it threw at her.
But first…where did they put the ladies room? If she remembered correctly, there used to be some on the far end of the venue, though that was before Piccolo blew the whole stadium away…
o0o
Goku held both his boys, one in each arm, barely able to look away from the two. His little Gohan was now a giant and Goten—a son he hadn’t even known existed!—was practically his clone.
He’d missed so much in the last seven years…and he’d keep on missing things…
Just thinking of not being there to see the both of them grow up…
Goku squeezed his boys tight, smothering them into his chest, and laughed as he blinked away the tears. Thankfully there was lots to distract him…like the fact the one particular person he’d longed to see the most had yet to greet him.
He swiveled his head around, hoping to spot Chi-Chi, but only managed to catch Gohan’s attention.
“She should be back any minute,” he told his father, catching his searching gaze. “She went to the restroom.”
“Hm?” The toilet?
Oh.
For a second there he had thought…so she wasn’t hiding from him?
Goku quickly honed in on her ki, able to pick her warm energy out from the hundreds on the island nearly instantly, and smiled when he realized there was no one nearby. He handed Goten over to Gohan and before his oldest son could stop him—oldest! wasn’t that wild?—he disappeared, instant transmissioning into the ladies room. Chi-Chi still wasn’t anywhere in sight, but he could hear her muttering to herself inside a stall.
He could also hear the voices and footsteps of people just outside. Thinking fast he flicked the lock, just as someone pushed on the door.
“What the hell? Why won’t it open?”
“Maybe it’s out of service.”
“Ugh, just my luck!”
“C’mon, I think there’s anoth…”
A toilet flushed and Goku turned back around in time to see a stall door swing open, revealing the beautiful lady who had lived only in his dreams for the last seven years. Her hair was different but other than that she looked no different than the morning of the cell games.
Chi-Chi…
He watched as she made her way over to the sink to wash her hands before splashing a little water over her face with a sigh.
She was beautiful.
Then she looked up.
Goku swore if his heart could still beat, it would have short circuited the moment their eyes connected.
“Hiya, Chi-Chi.”
“Goku!”
Chi-Chi spun around in shock, eyes watering with emotion. He was here! Her Goku!
And then she heard the voices coming from just outside the restroom, snapping her back to reality.
“Goku! What are ya doin’ here?! This is the ladies restroom! Ya need ta leave!”
She turned straight for the door, but Goku’s hand snatched up hers before she could take more than a step. “Chi-Chi, relax. It’s fine. No one’s comin’.”
“It is not fine!” she hissed, still facing the door. “You can’t be here! And why are you here anyways? Have ya greeted the others yet?”
Goku frowned and tried to catch her eye but Chi-Chi seemed determined not to look at him. “Yeah, I just saw them.”
“Oh!” Chi-Chi gasped, startled. She hadn’t expected that. Then that meant…
Her gaze darted up to his and away again.
“Does…does that mean—so you met Goten?”
Goku smiled and pulled her closer. “Yeah, he’s great Chi.”
“He’s so much like you,” she admitted ruefully. So full of life and joy and adventure. “He’s been wanting to know you for so long…w-we really should be gettin’ back to the others.”
Chi-Chi made to leave again but Goku stopped her, wrapping his arms around her to make her stay.
“Chi-Chi…why won’t you look at me?”
“What are ya talkin’ about Goku? I’ve been lookin’ at you. We just had a conversation for goodness sake! Now let go!” she demanded, struggling to remove his arms so they could leave. “We really shouldn’t be here!”
“No! I wanna know why you won’t look at me!”
“I already know what you look like!” Chi-Chi argued, “it’s your son who doesn’t! Now let g—”
“No!”
He wouldn’t! He’d waited so long for this moment and he wasn’t going anywhere! Not until she told him what was wrong!
“Is it…” he gulped, the fear that had been gnawing at him for seven years jumping to his mind and sticking in his throat, “is it because I didn’t come back? Do you…do you not love me anymore?”
“What?” Chi-Chi gasped, whirling around to face him only to immediately look away again. “No, that’s not—”
“Then why? Why won’t you look at me?” he whined.
“Because it’ll hurt!”
“...what?”
Goku blinked, unable to understand, thankfully Chi-Chi didn’t leave him guessing for long.
“Not a day’s gone by that I haven’t…” she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, “and tomorrow I’ll have to lose ya all over again!”
All that she could deal with happily though, if she weren’t so afraid to look into his eyes and see he hadn’t been hurting all these years like she had.
“Chi-Chi…”
Was it possible for a dead heart to break? Because Goku felt like his would. He clutched her tighter, afraid that if he let her go it would really be the last time he held her forever.
“I’m sorry Chi-Chi, but it’s better this way.”
“Better for who?!” She snapped, her furious eyes finally connecting with his, sending alarm bells ringing through him. Normally he loved seeing her eyes alight with fire but something about the way she looked at hi—
“I get that our marriage didn’t start off conventionally but I had thought…”
Chi-Chi tore her gaze away again but not before a horrified Goku noticed the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
“I had thought that you had come to care for me a little…or at least our son!”
“What? What are you talking about, Chi-Chi?” She couldn’t actually mean…
“Chi-Chi, I love you!”
“Don’t!” she hissed. Chi-Chi hated how her heart skipped a beat at his words, he so rarely said them being more a man of action, but she couldn’t listen to them now. She didn’t want to hear it.
“If that were true you woulda come back.”
He wouldn’t have abandoned their marriage, their life together. He wouldn’t have abandoned her.
“Chi-Chi, you know why I didn’t. You and Gohan were safer without me, the world was safer without me.”
“Ya really think the world has been at peace this long because you died?” she demanded flatly.
Well…
“Yeah.”
Obviously.
Chi-Chi huffed, rolling her eyes. “I’ve heard others call you dumb before but I never believed it until now.”
“Hey! That’s not fair,” Goku pouted. “Everything that happened was because of me and you know it!”
“Even if I agreed with you—which I don’t!—do you have any idea how much it hurt when ya said goodbye to everyone else but me?!”
Wha—but that wasn’t his fault!
“They were going to wish me back,” Goku cried. “I needed to stop them!”
“And what about today?”
“What?” he questioned, finally dropping his hold on Chi-Chi as he tried to understand this newest accusation.
Chi-Chi immediately took a step back, out of his reach.
“You chose,” she continued, doing her best to keep her voice level but failing. “To talk to everyone else, again, about returning today instead of me, your wife.”
“I…”
“And of course it had to be for the tournament! No need ta waste time spending it with your family!”
“I..I didn’t have a choice…”
“Sure.”
“Chi-Chi…”
But Chi-Chi didn’t want to hear his excuses. She was too angry at him to hear anymore…but mostly she was just angry at herself. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. She hadn’t wanted to ruin his one day back but he never did know when to leave well enough alone and she didn’t do well when pushed.
Chi-Chi closed her eyes, hating how hurt he had sounded, and sighed, feeling all the fight drain out her.
“Just go, already. I’m sure the others are waitin’ on you.”
“But I don’t wanna be with the others!”
“You don’t need to lie, Goku…”
She turned to leave but before she could get very far Goku yanked her back, pinning her against the nearest wall.
“I ain’t lying!” And he’d prove it!
Before Chi-Chi could ask what the hell he thought he was doing, Goku had slammed his lips on hers with such a fury that she would have feared getting a concussion if his hand hadn’t already been cushioning her head. He was nipping her bottom lip in the next second, forcing a gasp, and then his tongue was surging forward, exploring every surface of her throat and mouth as if he were a starving man licking up every last drop of a favorite meal he’d been denied for far too long…
…maybe he was.
As it was, even though she didn’t have a concussion, Chi-Chi feared she was still seconds away from losing consciousness when Goku finally released her lips, allowing her air, and forced her to look at him, the both of them breathing hard, their gazes just the slightest unfocused.
Goku would have given anything just to continue, used to far too many fiery sessions starting off in such a way, but he couldn’t, not now. Not with Chi-Chi losing faith in him.
He cradled her precious face in his hands, rubbing her cheeks as gently as he could with rough thumbs—and finding comfort that she let him.
“Please Chi-Chi, ya have to believe me. King Kai wouldn’t let me talk to you after, I didn’t have a choice! He was mad that I got him blown up. And I didn’t choose today, Baba did. I wanted to go home to you and Gohan on Mt. Paozu, but it was this or nothin’!”
Fighters had to fight. That was the only way he’d been allowed to see his Grandpa, so he hadn’t questioned it too much but now, seeing how much it hurt Chi-Chi, he wished he’d had.
Chi-Chi didn’t respond but she didn’t push him away either.
He lowered his voice and crouched down so that they were eye to to eye, needing her to see the truth in his words, to know just how much he meant them.
“Chi-Chi…without you I’d have no reason to come back.”
“You have the boys.”
“Only because of you,” he whispered. “Without you, Gohan and Goten wouldn’t exist. You gave me them.”
Chi-Chi whimpered, her eyes welling up to dangerous levels. She tried to look away, but Goku’s hands were still cupping her face, forcing her to look at him as added his next words.
“Chi-Chi…you…you’re everything to me.”
She couldn’t stop the tears if she tried.
“Oh Goku!” She cried, breaking free of his grasp and throwing her arms around him. “I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, Chi-Chi.”
He held his sobbing wife close, pressing soft kisses in her hair, as he took in her sweet, familiar scent. Smoke and wildfire and all the little smells he associated with Mt. Paozu.
Home.
Chi-Chi, his Chi-Chi…man had he missed her. He didn’t realize exactly how much until this moment.
He lifted her off of her feet, pressing her as tightly to himself as he dared, and felt his body begin to melt in her embrace, finally able to relax after all this time, now that they’d been reunited. He’d forgotten how good it felt to be in her arms…to feel her strong but soft body against his…and as another part of him started to stir, he remembered something else he had forgotten.
“Chi-Chi,” he murmured, setting her feet back on the ground. “I only have twenty four hours, Chi-Chi.”
“I know, I know. We should really get back to the others,” she sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
She turned to leave once again but Goku was quick to block her way.
“Goku? What are you doing? We need to get back already.”
“I only have twenty four hours Chi-Chi…”
“I know, I heard you,” she frowned, trying to walk around the brick wall that was her husband but Goku caught her around the waist and crushed her to his chest instead, confusing her further. “What are you doing Goku? Let go.”
“…we need to make them count.”
Chi-Chi’s eyes widened, finally understanding, but before she could stop him, Goku dipped his head and planted a toe curling kiss on her that would have left her weak in the knees if she’d still be on her feet. However, Goku was too busy making up for lost time to let her fall and instead scooped her up and pinned her back against the bathroom wall.
Chi-Chi's legs wrapped around his waist automatically, and it was only when she felt the steel rod in her husband’s pants pressed up against her that she was suddenly reminded what they were doing—and where.
She gripped his biceps for support—which did nothing to help her in her fight against temptation—and tore her lips away, reeling from the heady feel of Goku’s kiss. It had been a long time since she’d last felt this way…but…but she need to get a hold of herself!
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, she slapped a hand against Goku’s chest and pushed—though he didn’t budge an inch.
“Wait! We can’t do this here!” she told him, but Goku didn’t see the problem.
“Why not? We’re alone.”
“We’re in the ladies restroom! What if someone comes?”
“Doors locked.”
Oh. Well that certainly explained why no one had interrupted…but still, they couldn’t!
“The others…” she tried but Goku just leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“Can wait.”
His words sent a shiver down her spine…or maybe that was from the way he was nibbling down her neck.
“Goku…”
Her husband didn’t say a word, but smirked as his little wife surrendered to his touch…
…
“I can’t believe we did that,” Chi-Chi groaned, straightening her dress.
“I can! Wanna go again?”
“We can’t! We’ve already been gone too long. We shouldn’t have done that to begin with!” she cried, torn between being horrified but also more than a little regretful that they couldn’t. Well…at least as far as being with her husband, she could do without the unsanitary settings.
Chi-Chi huffed as she checked herself over in the mirror and then, seeing that Goku was presentable, unlocked the door and thanked kami that if anyone had been waiting they had long since given up.
“What was I thinking? How could I…and in a restroom of all places!”
Goku frowned, listening to Chi-Chi’s mutterings. “Chi-Chi, what’s the problem? Didn’t ya miss me?”
“Of course I missed you but—”
“You don’t…there ain’t someone else…is there?”
Chi-Chi stiffened and then whipped her head around in shock. “What?! How could ya even ask me that, Goku?”
Goku shrugged, not bothering to answer. “Well is there?”
“Do you honestly think I would have done that with you if there was someone else?”
“I was your husband first.”
“Yeah well you lost that title when you chose to stay dead!” she hissed as they made their way through the crowd. Goku ignored this, instead tugging her hand to bring her to a stop.
“Chi-Chi,” he said seriously, “promise me there’s no one else.”
“You know there isn’t!”
“And there’ll never be anyone else.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“Promise me Chi-Chi!”
“How could ya even ask such a thing of me?!” Chi-Chi snapped. “Don’t you know me at all?”
“Chi-Chiiiii, promise me,” he begged, pulling her closer.
“I promise! Not that you…you…why are you smiling?”
At her words Goku’s smile grew even wider and in a singsongy voice he added, “No reason.”
“Liar! You…” she caught his eyes flicker down her body and up again and wrenched her hands away. “You did that on purpose! Why are you pickin’ a fight with me?!”
Chi-Chi pressed her fists to her hips, giving Goku her best glare, but that only made Goku’s smile morph into a smirk.
He reached for her again with eager fingers.
“Babe, ya know you’re hot when you’re angry.”
“Goku!” Chi-Chi gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing. “You big pervert!”
“ Your big pervert . ”
She blushed and slapped his hands away, hurrying back to their friends.
“Not another word!”
He grinned, giving her another silent once over, making Chi-Chi groan. Even without words he was impossible!
o0o
“He’s been back for less than ten minutes and they’re already fighting!” Bulma griped, looking down at her watch. Well okay…maybe a little longer than that. Actually a lot longer. In fact they were really cutting it close to the end of signup time. What on earth had taken them so long?
Knowing Chi-Chi there had probably been yelling.
“I knew we should have insisted on throwing that party at Capsule Corps. We could have acted as a buffer for poor Goku.”
She said this aloud to no one really, always one to voice her thoughts, but she’d also learned throughout the years that her ever present but grumpy shadow could be cajoled into making conversation with her if she said enough of them in his direction.
This time was no exception.
“What are you even talking about woman?”
“Chi-Chi!” she huffed, waving towards the irritable woman. “She’s going to upset him on his one day on Earth!”
What?
Vegeta eyed the couple to determine if he would have to run interference—he would not allow his once chance to fight Kakarot be tarnished by a subpar performance due to something as pathetic as a marital spat—but after a few seconds he realized he needn’t worry.
“Think what you want,” he smirked, “but Kakarot’s exactly where he wants to be.”
He saw his fellow saiyan make a quick grab of his woman’s rear, much to the woman’s fury.
“Well, almost,” Vegeta laughed, walking away. He’d let Kakarot have his fun for now, he’d be wiping that smile from his face soon enough.
Bulma, however, still couldn’t see what he saw. “What? What do you mean? Hey! Don’t walk away from me!”
She hurried after him, leaving the Son brothers waiting for their parents alone.
Goten watched his mom and dad for a minute and then tugged on Gohan’s pants leg, “Big brother?”
“Yeah Goten?”
“Mama sure looks happy that daddy’s here.”
“A little too happy,” Gohan grumbled, looking away with a blush, but Goten couldn’t agree.
“Nuh uh. Mama deserves it. I wish daddy could stay forever.”
“Me too squirt,” he smiled, ruffling Goten’s hair, “but we only have twenty four hours, so we better make them co—”
“Goku!” snapped their mother. “Put that back! How did you even sniff it out? What are you, a bloodhou—”
There was the telltale sound of a Capsule Corps’ capsule exploding followed by an excited whoop from their father.
“Chi-Chi! Did you make all this for me? Oh boy!”
Both Son brothers stiffened as the sudden wafting aroma of food told them just what their father had found.
“Hey wait! I want some too!” Goten cried, running to get some of his momma’s cooking with Gohan close on his heels.
“I’m sure there’s enough for all of us, right mom?”
Chi-Chi didn't get a chance to answer as the next second Goku was shouting, “Hey! Hands off Vegeta! Chi-Chi made these for me!”
“Try and stop me, Kakarot!”
“You bastard!”
“Goku!” Chi-Chi snapped, “Save the fighting for the ring!”
“But—”
Vegeta smirked and opened his mouth, intending to mock his rival, but Chi-Chi cut him off before he could utter a word.
“Vegeta if you so much as take another bite I’ll make sure you never eat another dish from me again. Understood?”
Vegeta froze and huffed a ‘whatever’ before tossing the dish back on the pile of food and walking away. Goku snatched it up and beamed at his beautiful wife.
“Aw, Chi-Chi, you’re the best!” And then he realized his sons were already making quite a dent in the buffet of food she'd cooked. “Hey! Save some for your poor dead dad!”
Chi-Chi would have groaned at his poor choice of words but she was too busy smiling at seeing her family whole once again. She wished they could stay this way forever, but she’d make the most of this day while she could.