Chi-Chi hummed quietly to herself, her attention completely divulged in fulfilling the task at hand – preparing lunch for her boys.

The day had started off fairly early; Goten had awaken before everyone, barreling throughout the house with a spark of energy and headed straight for their bedroom, but not without waking up his big brother first. It had been like this for awhile now. Ever since the defeat of the evil and twisted fiend Majin Buu, the family had opted to spend some well-deserved time together. Goku hadn’t been able to go a day without being bombarded by his sons, Goten especially, not that the Saiyan had a problem with it.

Even now, Goku was out with Goten and Gohan on a father-son fishing trip. They had been planning the small bonding trip for awhile now (it had been the reason behind their youngest son’s early morning charade). They had planned to include camping into their cleared schedule, but Chi-Chi disapproved – much to Goten’s dismay – suggesting that they all go as a family instead. Goku agreed, steering their son’s unhappy mood to bristling excitement, Gohan being just as ecstatic about the ordeal as his brother.

And now Chi-Chi was busying herself with fixing a hearty meal for husband and children. A knock from the front door disturbed Chi-Chi from her musings.

“Just a minute!” she called, placing a large try of assorted sandwiches on the kitchen table, her ebony eyes darting to the pot of bubbling soup on the stove. Quickly, she adjusted the fire to a low heat, wiping her sullied hands on her apron before heading to the door. Back already? Chi-Chi thought. But the boys aren’t due back for another half-hour or so.

She opened the door, gracing her presence was a clean, tall man, his height equivalent to that of her eldest son. Dirty blond locks sat in a parted wave and piercing blue eyes scrutinized her carefully. He was dressed in formal attire and in his hand was a small black briefcase.

“May I help you?” Chi-Chi asked.

The man dug in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Is this 439 East District?”

“Listen mister, whatever it is you’re selling, I’m not interested.”

Seemingly panicked by the woman’s sharp tone, the man sent her a reassuring smile. “I assure you Lady Chi-Chi; I’m not here to sell you anything; not at all.”

Chi-Chi bit back a retort, her eyebrows rising at the formality used in her name. “Excuse me, but did you just address me as “Lady” Chi-Chi?”

As the man placed a hand over his heart, his smile grew in size and he bowed. “Oh, but of course. It’s required of me to refer to the Princess of Ox-Kingdom with nothing but the utmost respect.”

“I’m flattered, but I must object,” Chi-Chi responded with an awkward smile. “I’ve long since relinquished my title as princess. I’m married now.”

The man raised his head at her statement, but his smile did not falter. Instead, he simply shook his head in protest. “I apologize for the intrusion, but may I come inside for a more … proper discussion?” he inquired.

For a spare second, Chi-Chi regarded the stranger with a skeptical gaze; however, before she allowed him entry into her home, she asked him, “May I ask your name?”

As if the blond was caught red-handed, he fixed her with a flabbergasted expression. “Where are my manners? My name is Sir Suita,” he replied, reaching for her hand. Immediately, Chi-Chi recoiled, sending him a reassuring smile.

“That’s not necessary, Mr. Suita. But I appreciate the gesture,” she responded, peeling the door open. “Please, enter. You can have a seat at the table; just give me a minute to clear it. In the meantime, can I interest you in a cup of a coffee or tea?”

“Tea is fine, thank you,” he answered as he stepped inside, his piercing azure eyes scrutinizing the house in a calculating gaze. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the princess all but barreled into the kitchen, ridding the table of its contents as she began her work in preparing his drink.

He walked, albeit slowly, to his seat before stating, “What a lovely home.” Small, but lovely nonetheless, he thought, taking a seat at the table, but not without catching a glimpse of the pictures on the stand, particularly the picture of Chi-Chi and her husband’s wedding.

“Thank you,” Chi-Chi responded, her back to the man whose face was contorted into a half-smile, half-frown.

“If you don’t mind my asking Lady Chi-Chi, why is it that a woman such as yourself not living in a castle?”

Chi-Chi paused in her task for a brief second and replied, “As I’ve stated earlier, I’m no longer living the lifestyle of a princess. I am nothing more than a simple housewife.”

Eyes wide and in shock, Suita sputtered, “A housewife? But you’re a princess! Surely, Lady Chi-Chi, you’ve married a suitable husband. Princesses aren’t meant to be housewives.”

“I believe the correct term is “were”,” she countered, placing a cup of steaming tea in front of him, taking a seat from across him. “And Goku is a very suitable husband. I gladly took up the responsibility of caring for my family as a housewife and I did it without the consent of the Kingdom,” she continued angrily. “Now, Sir Suita, what is a man like yourself doing in a place like Mount Paozu?”

Suita resisted the urge to twist his lip. He supposed that he had that one coming; he was learning firsthand that the rumors of the Ox-Kingdom were true – the princess had a fiery temper. He half-wondered if what they said about her fighting skills were true as well.

Clearing his throat, Suita placed his suitcase on the table and opened it, briefly making eye contact with the woman across from him. “As you know, you are of royal blood Milady, and as such you are required to uphold certain … standards in regards to the laws of the Ox-Kingdom.”

Chi-Chi paused in drinking her tea, her grip tightening around the handle in an iron hold. “I beg your pardon? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hear me out, Milady. I was just as shocked about the ordeal as you are. According to Law B19, a widowed princess is required to have married by her 25th birthday and as it would seem Madam, you haven’t been married for almost twenty years.”

“That can’t be true and unless you have proof to back up your claim, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” she retorted bitterly, her brows masked into a frown.

“Oh, but I do have proof,” Suita said a bit arrogantly. Chi-Chi watched with an observant eye and boiling blood as the blond pulled a handful of papers from his briefcase. Smugly, he placed them on the table, two pieces of paper standing away from the rest. “It is from my understanding that your late husband Guru passed a little over fifteen years, correct? And if I’m not mistaken, he also, however the gods allowed it, passed seven years ago as well.”

His sly comment did not go unnoticed and as a result, Chi-Chi slammed her drink on the table, startling the man. “His name is Goku, Son Goku, and you’d be wise to remember that. Now what does any of this have to do with my marriage?”

“Take a look at the two papers on the left and please read them carefully,” he said, sliding them within arm’s length of Chi-Chi.

She did as she was told and snatched them from the table, but not without regarding the man with another hard stare. It was her and Goku’s marriage license as well as his death certificate (both of them). A soft smile tugged on her lips as she glimpsed over the chicken scratch also known as Goku’s handwriting and her neat cursive written at the bottom right hand corner of the page.

So far, she had seen nothing out of the ordinary, but she didn’t say a word as she tucked away her marriage license in place of her husband’s death certificates and with an ever-observant eye, Chi-Chi read over them, her heart clenching.

She remembered these instances all-too-clearly. She hadn’t wanted to file for her husband’s death, but she didn’t have a choice. It was the law of the land and as such, she was required to uphold it. Of course, Chi-Chi had handed that privilege to her father, so she couldn’t help but wonder how in the world this man was able to get his hands on such vital information.

Clearing her throat, Chi-Chi put the papers in a neat stack on the table, one hand coddling the edges protectively. ”I did as you said and I’ve yet to understand the problem. But there is one thing I’d like to know; how did you get your hands on this?”

“I simply asked for a copy,” Suita replied, folding his hands on the table. “The council obliged once they learned the reason behind it; anyway, that it neither here nor there. Are you sure you’ve read your marriage license in its entirety, Lady Chi-Chi?”

“Yes,” Chi-Chi practically spat, her hands itching to snatch the man sitting across from her in a death hold. “I would rather you just tell me what’s so important about this rather than beating around the bush. My family is due back home in the next fifteen minutes, sir.”

Suita nodded his head in affirmation. “According to your marriage license, there is a certain phrase in it that renders your marriage with your husband null and void. You see Milady, the phrase “Till death do we part” is always, shall I say, bypassed, and because death is such a natural thing, no one ever expected this sort of thing to occur.”

“However, it would seem that your husband has been a victim of this particular scenario twice over and as a result, you two are no longer bound to one another. So, to put it as lightly as possible, you two are no longer married. You, Princess of the Ox-Kingdom, Lady Chi-Chi, are a widow, living under the roof out of wedlock with a man, whom I still can’t believe is alive, with two children, one of which is an illegitimate child.”

Chi-Chi stared at the man seated from across her, her pitch black eyes wide with disbelief and shock. She was left at a complete loss for words as she half-listened to Suita prattle on and on about how the situation was a “misfortune” and “a serious problem” and how he’s “sorry that he had to break the news to her”. There wasn’t much that she could say or do for that matter, because what he had said was, in fact, the complete and utter truth.

Goku had died more than fifteen years ago and he had come back within that same year with the help of the Dragon Balls. And more than a few years after his comeback, he had died again, only he hadn’t returned to Earth until seven years later. Chi-Chi had been so caught up in the riff-raff of her husband being in her arms again, of her husband being home with the children, and family, and friends that she had never given it that much thought, nor had she ever given it that much thought, nor had she ever cared to. She loved him and she didn’t give a damn about the law, and if it were left up to her, she would completely abandon any and all rules and regulations in regards to her marriage.

But the truth of the matter was, she couldn’t.

Because she was a princess … Princess of the Ox-Kingdom and as Suita had said, she had certain standards that she had to uphold. She was a widow; there was no getting around that. She had been living with an unmarried man, whom she thought she was married to, for the better part of her life without knowledge of it and Goten was, indeed, a child conceived out of wedlock. The thought made her stomach curl and she found herself unconsciously raising a hand to her mouth.

So caught up in her thoughts was she that she hadn’t felt the swelling of tears in her eyes. She had never been one to outwardly show weakness or express grief as that was the benefit of being married to the strongest man in the universe, but at that moment she didn’t care. She was hurting and there was nothing she could do about it; not her, not her father, and certainly not her husband or shall she say ex-husband.

“Which is why I’ve proposed a solution to this devastating predicament,” Suita finished, catching Chi-Chi’s attention. “I’m truly sorry for your loss Milady, but I’m very willing and able to ask for your hand in marriage as I’m sure that I would be better suited to take care of you and your sons they way a princess and her princes should be. I know that your ex-husband didn’t have a job, nor did she know anything outside of the savagery known as martial arts. Why, he didn’t even have an education. But, I’m here to let you know tha-“

“What the hell did you just say!” Chi-Chi interrupted, standing up from her seat in a flurry of anger, knocking her chair over and shaking the table.

“I said that I could take care of you and your sons Mil-“

Chi-Chi didn’t give him time to answer as she all but stormed over to the now shaking male, her face pulled into a vicious frown. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifted him from his seat at the table and tossed him to the floor in a bout of anger.

“First of all, how dare you come into my home and insult my husband! You have some nerve as to think that I would actually stoop so low as to marry someone like you, who probably wouldn’t know two shits about martial arts if it bit you in the ass! Goku may not have had a job or knew anything outside of martial arts, but I didn’t give a damn then and neither do I do now!” she screamed at him, stomping a foot on his hand as he tried to scurry from the floor; he cried out in pain.

“He tried and I won’t fault him for the things he did or does! You don’t know anything about me, my husband, or my children! And how dare you call Goten an “illegitimate” child! Why, I ought to kick your sorry ass for all it’s worth, which says a lot ‘cuz it ain’t worth much!” she continued, her forgotten country accent pouring into her fierce words. She snatched him by his collar again, her face dangerously close to his; he visibly quaked in fear. “Now, you have ‘til the count of two to get the hell out of my house or by Kami, I’ll make you regret ever showin’ your face ‘round here! Now get out!”

Suita didn’t need to be told twice as he dived for his belongings. Before he could reach for the marriage license and death certificates, Chi-Chi turned to look at him, her fists curled and shaking in raw anger. “Your two seconds are up,” she snarled, her onyx eyes flashing. Suita “eeped” and immediately ran for the door. He sent a fearful look Chi-Chi’s way and due to his careless mistake, he hit the closed door. He released a high-pitched scream as Chi-Chi grabbed him by the back of his collar, opened the door and tossed him out of her house with all of the strength of a fighter.

“I better not catch you around here ever again or things won’t be lookin’ too good for you!” she told him with a snarl and before she could get a word out, Chi-Chi roughly slammed the door shut.

She waited until she heard the blond move away from her home before she pressed her back against the door, her breath ragged from anger, frustration, and worst of all, hurt. It wasn’t until she was sitting on the floor, her eyes hooded, that she released a strangled sob.

How could this have happened?

Only the sound of soup boiling over in the background could be heard, Chi-Chi’s soft cries drowning out the silence.

Gohan held the stained casual clothing at arm's length, his nose scrunching up at the awful smell that resonated from them. He watched as his father pulled off his orange gi, peeling his feather-weighing blue shirt from over his head with it. Goten, whose cheeks were tainted pink and head was bowed in shame, plucked the clothing from his father's large fingers, his bottom lip caught in between his teeth.

"It's alright, Goten," their father said as he pulled his orange top back on. "We know it was an accident; there's no need to be ashamed. If it makes you feel any better, how 'bout we take a swim?"

Immediately, the young hybrid perked up and nodded his head, his wild mane bobbing in unison. "Okay!" he chirped, tossing the over-sized blue shirt to the ground before racing towards the lake, clad in only a pair of lime-green boxers. Goku laughed, removing his clothing until he was only in his boxers as well. He tossed Gohan an apologetic smile.

"Hey Gohan, you mind taking those back to the house for some fresh clothes? Your mother would kill us if she saw Goten come back in that," he said, his nose twitching at the gut-wrenching odor that radiated from the bundle of clothing in Gohan's arms.

"Come on, Dad!" Goten yelled after popping up from underwater, beaconing his father over with a frantic wave of his arms. Goku turned his attention to his youngest and sent him a grin with an equally excited wave of his arms. Gohan's eyes softened and he smiled.

"Sure thing, Dad," he replied, catching his father's attention as he turned to face home. "Mom's probably done with lunch by now anyway."

Goku nodded his head, sending his son a cheeky grin and ran off to join Goten with a bout of rambunctious laughter. With one last look, Gohan watched as Goku grabbed a hold of Goten's torso and tossed him into the water and, immediately after, the two began to wrestle like a pair of wild animals.

The teenager gave a subdued smile before taking to the skies, the horrific odor filling his nostrils once again, instantly reminding him of his reason for heading home so early. What had originally been a peaceful fishing trip had turned into something more. Gohan had never pegged his little brother for the shy type (aside from his first meeting with their dad, in which the hyperactive half-Saiyan hid behind their mother's leg like an embarrassed preschooler), so it didn't surprise him when the little boy reverted his attention from fishing in the lake to hunting and, most likely, wrestling dinosaurs in the mud.

As it would seem, the latter had been true. Not a minute after they set up their fishing rods in the ground did Goten disappear off into the wilderness, causing Goku to become confused; however, Gohan had told his father that there was no need to worry. After all, the same thing had occurred when both brothers were training for the WMAT (World Martial Arts Tournament).

Gohan wasn't able to get five minutes into his training without Goten screaming his name about something pertaining to a dinosaur or a bug. So again, it didn't surprise the teenager when he found his brother going head-to-head in a mud pit against an onslaught of baby dinosaurs or at least in what he had thought was a mud pit. Gohan didn't know how Goten didn't notice it - probably because he was too distracted - because the smell was overwhelmingly powerful! What Goten had thought was 100% mud had been, in fact, a mixture of fresh dinosaur feces and the young boy hadn't noticed it until their father had pointed out the terrible odor. He had every right to be embarrassed as he was slathered in the brown goop from head to toe!

Gohan couldn't help the smile that pulled on his lips. The way his father and Goten were spending time together reminded him a lot of the time they had spent together during their week and a half break before the Cell Games seven years ago. It was a part of Goku's "Make-Up-For-Lost-Time Policy". The Saiyan had apologized to the family for being away (which resulted in one gigantic family hug full of loving tears of joy) and had made a promise that he'd spend as much time as he possibly could with everyone. So far, the warrior had been holding true to that promise and thus was the reasoning behind their father-son fishing trip.

Just a few weeks prior to the event, Gohan and his father had spent the day together near their special waterfall. At first things had been nothing short of awkward, what with Goku not knowing how to get a conversation flowing between them. His son was, after all, nothing like the 11-year-old boy that he had left behind. But then things had quickly became not-so-awkward when Goku had brought up Videl and the two fighters had spent hours upon hours clowning and joking about the many comparisons between wife and girlfriend. They had even spent some of their time creating poses and heroic phrases for Gohan's alter ego; Goku laughed for hours on end due to the many similarities between the Great Saiyaman and Ginyu Force.

Now this week would be both boys and father spending time together, next week would be Goku and Goten, then the entire family, and lastly, husband and wife, which, in Gohan's opinion, mattered the most to him.

Gohan saw the house come into view and what he saw made him raise his eyebrows. There was an unfamiliar red hover car parked in the driveway. They hadn't had a visitor in weeks now, Krillin being the last person to pay them a visit. Gohan didn't dwell on the topic for long as he entered his home; the smell of Goten's clothes was beginning to make him dizzy. The rich aroma of food wafted throughout the house and Gohan felt his mouth water, a rumble of his stomach following. The teenager made a beeline for the restroom, where he dumped Goten's clothes into the hamper and thoroughly washed his hands. No sooner had he finished did he change, the rotten smell clinging to his clothes.

Once he gathered a fresh pair of clothes for Goten, he made his way towards the kitchen, no longer able to control his raging appetite. Muffled talk soon became as clear as day upon his entrance and Gohan found himself quirking an eyebrow. His mother, whose eyes were puffy and were, bit-by-bit, narrowing into an all-too-familiar glare, was engaged in a conversation with a middle-aged man and to say that he looked completely nervous would've been the understatement of the year.

He looked like he wanted to wet himself!

"Hi, Mom," Gohan greeted nervously upon entering the kitchen, his eyes trailing to the ungodly stack of papers that littered the table.

Chi-Chi, who looked as if she were getting ready to pounce the poor man sitting across from her, who was shaking like a frightened Mr. Satan, turned her attention to her son. "Gohan, what are you doing home so early? And where's your father and Goten?"

Gohan gave her a nervous smile. "Goten ... uh, had a bit of an accident. He and Dad are still at the lake."

"Dinosaurs?" she asked him.

"And a mud pit, only not-so-much mud and a little more of ... something else," Gohan replied. "Dad's getting him cleaned off now so I came for some clothes. By the way, Dad wanted to know if lunch was ready."

Before Chi-Chi could respond, the stranger cleared his throat. "I apologize for interrupting, b-but-"

"Oh, where are my manners?" Chi-Chi said. "Mr. Visor, this is my son, Gohan."

"Nice to meet you," Gohan greeted. Visor gave Gohan a weak smile in return, straightening his long tie for the sixth time since entering the quaint home. "What's all this anyway?" the teenager asked, gesturing to the table.

"These are files from the archives in the Ox-Kingdom," Visor answered hastily. "Particularly a set of documents pertaining to the laws, codes, rules and regulations regarding marriage and divorce."

"You're getting a divorce!?" Gohan exclaimed as he turned to his mother. Chi-Chi fixed her son with a fierce stare.

"Of course not!" she retaliated. "And watch your tone!"

"Yes ma'am," he instantly replied. "... Then if you're not getting a divorce, why are all of these pape- Is that Dad's death certificate?" he asked incredulously, his eyes catching wind of a lone piece of paper amongst the stack of them.

"Certificates," Visor corrected, wiping a clammy hand across his forehead in an attempt to rid himself of sweat. "And yes, it is."

Previous hunger forgotten, Gohan asked, "May I see it?"

Chi-Chi visibly flinched before removing herself from the table. "I'll go prepare lunch," she said hastily. "Would you like anything?" she asked, turning to Visor, who watched Gohan like a frightened rabbit. Hopefully, his reaction to this bizarre case wouldn't surmount to the same as his bipolar mother.

"Thank you, but no thanks," the visitor answered. "I had a big breakfast." Or maybe I'm just frightened at the mere prospect of eating anything from you because you keep looking at me like you want to kill me!

"Suit yourself," she replied before scurrying to the sink.

"How did he die twice?" Gohan questioned, his eyes trailing to his mother, who was pretty much hacking those poor vegetables to pieces. Strange ... lunch was already prepared. Plus, she only did excess cooking when she was stressed.

"Excuse me?"

"My Dad," the teen said, turning his attention back to Visor. "I thought he only died once."

The adviser released a nervous chuckle, his forehead practically drenched in perspiration. "W-well, you see, at first I didn't believe it either," he said, licking his chapped lips. "Son Goku died a little over fifteen years ago during that bizarre alien invasion. And, uh, if I'm not mistaken, he died in those crazy Cell Games seven years ago too."

"Oh," came Gohan's one word reply. That was ... so long ago. That had been when Piccolo had kidnapped him and Vegeta was still evil. No one had ever truly considered that death much of a death simply because it was a known fact that the Saiyan was coming back within that following year. Gohan had honestly forgotten all about it, what with his "Big Green Uncle" being there to fill the void.

But that still didn't explain all of the papers, or his mother's weird behavior, or the trembling stranger sitting at the table and with those thoughts in mind, Gohan asked the million dollar question. "If you don't mind my asking, what does any of this have to do with marriage?"

No sooner had he asked that did Chi-Chi release a cry of anguish.

"Oh, Gohan! Sweetheart! Your father and I aren't married!" she bawled before crumbling to the kitchen floor in a heap. It briefly reminded him of the time she thought he dyed his hair gold.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, trying his best to remain as calm as possible. Maybe his mother was just overreacting.

Amidst Chi-Chi's sobs, Visor cringed. "Well, about that," he nervously started, a cross between a squeak and a chuckle bubbling from his throat. "This is a very, um ... bizarre case. When a married person dies they part from their partner, thus is the reason we say "Till death do we part". But this ... is strange; very strange indeed."

Gohan blinked at the man who ran a shaky hand through his thinning hair. "Son Goku died ... twice and it ... uh ... rendered the marriage contract ... void. Your parents aren't together by law."

Gohan's throat was suddenly dry and he found himself wanting to scarf down a pitcher of water.

"No one counted on people ... um ... rising from the dead ... twice, so-"

The poor man wasn't given a chance to finish before Chi-Chi rampaged towards the table. Gohan threw himself in the way before she could get to Visor, who had released a high-pitched squeal. Gohan had to do a double take before he wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders.

"You're supposed to be finding a loophole!" she yelled, trying her darnedest to get out of her son's iron grip. She was failing. Miserably. "You call yourself an "adviser!" Why I oughta-"

"Sir, I think you should come back tomorrow. I won't be held responsible for anything that happens if she breaks loose," Gohan warned, dodging a flurry of punches from his mother.

Visor didn't waste anytime gathering his belongings, not bothering himself with organizing anything as he all but slammed everything into his briefcase before bolting for the door. When Gohan was positive that their guest was away from the house, he released his hold on his mother. He watched with a keen eye as his mother's previous anger dwindled into nothingness.

"Mom ... Are you okay?"

Chi-Chi cast Gohan an emotionless stare and for a moment Gohan felt his heart lurch. He had never seen her look so ... dead. This oddly felt like the aftermath of the Cell Games all over again. Fortunately, it didn't last long and the tiny woman flashed her son a reassuring smile; Gohan wasn't sure if it were for him or herself.

"I think ... I think I need to lie down," she replied and not a second after did she pass out on the floor.

Gohan dived for his mother and placed her on the couch, his head spinning. He didn't know what to think! Things were quickly becoming dangerous. Whenever his mother had meltdowns and blackouts, things never looked good for the party involved when she came to. How was it possible that every time Son Goku came back from the dead, something bad always happened?

Oh no! I completely forgot about Dad and Goten!, Gohan thought.

At that moment, the front door burst open and in stormed a fuming Goten followed closely behind by their father. Gohan's eyes widened and his eyes skirted to his mother, who had just flinched upon hearing the loud crash from the door.

"Gohan, ya big meanie! You didn't come back like you said you would!" Goten pouted, Goku's blue t-shirt hanging off of his tiny frame like a night-gown as it pooled around his feet.

"Yeah, what happened Gohan?" Goku asked, his eyes trailing to his wife, who was sprawled out on the couch. His eyebrows rose briefly before the smell of food captured his senses. He immediately made a beeline for the kitchen, his black eyes skirting from the pot of steamy soup on the stove to the haphazardly hacked vegetables on the counter to the tray of mouth-watering sandwiches on the counter. He made a nose-dive for the sandwiches, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

This is not happening right now, Gohan thought, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Uuh." It was the only sound Gohan could form at that moment in response to his father's question.

"There was a red car speeding down the hill super fast!" Goten exclaimed, his previous anger forgotten. "Daddy stopped it though 'cuz the man in it almost hit a tree. He looked like a zombie."

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but he was having a hard time finding his voice. Just then, Chi-Chi began to stir, a groan escaping her lips. She put a hand to her head and blinked back the fogginess that clouded her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"Hey Momma!" Goten greeted excitedly from the table. Gohan bit his lip, his eyes widening. Any minute now ... "We're home!"

Chi-Chi blinked and sent her youngest a smile. "Hey sweetie. Why are you wearing your father's shirt?"

"May smoney," Goku greeted, popping his head from around the opening of the kitchen, his mouth full of half-eaten sandwiches.

"Hey, Gohan?" Goten called from the table, his mind drifting from his mother's question. The teenager's eyes drifted to his younger brother and he tensed up. "What's a "mirage" license"?"

Goku blinked confusedly from the doorway, but he didn't move, too preoccupied with stuffing his face. Gohan's attention flickered to his mother, whose face was slowly filling with nothing short of realization. With quick thinking, Gohan snatched the paper from Goten, who cried out in protest. He had to do this fast if he wanted to get away in time; he did not want to be around for what was about to happen!

"Goten, let's go to the lake." Gohan didn't give his brother a chance to speak as he tucked the boy under his arm and all but barreled for the exit.

Goten squirmed in his brother's arm. "But we just got back! And I'm hungry!"

With lightning fast reflexes, Gohan doubled back and snatched a sandwich from his father's hand, mashed it into his brother's mouth and ran out of the door like a football player on drugs. Perplexed beyond all reason, Goku stared in the direction that his children ran off into before his eyes drifted to his wife. Goku knew the look on her face all-too-well to know that something was wrong.

He hadn't been given a chance to voice his concern as she curled her fists and screamed. Loud.

"Goku! We're not married!"

Gohan cringed.

Gohan adjusted the straps on his backpack, shutting his locker with more force than intended and with sagging shoulders, he began his journey down the hall towards his class. He had never felt so bad in his entire life. He hadn't been able to get an inch of sleep last night, his mother's high-pitched screams and cries of anguish radiating through the walls. Goku wasn't able to get a word in; not one word at all and although a part of Gohan thought that his mother's reasoning for yelling at his father was justified (a little), screaming and cursing him for the better part of the day and denying him access to his bedroom was a bit of an overreaction.

Chi-Chi had even directed her unyielding shouts towards Gohan and Goten; she screamed at Gohan for throwing Goten's filthy clothes in the hamper when they should've been thrown in the sink and she yelled at Goten for soiling them in the first place, claiming that he knew better. All in all, everyone suffered the wrath of Son Chi-Chi.

Between answering Goten's questions pertaining to his mother's fussy attitude and his father's "banishment" from his bedroom and trying to get an ounce of sleep for the following school day, Gohan didn't know which was worse.

Heavy bags pooled beneath his eyes like face paint and his normally clear eyes were more red than Goku's eye-gouging, blood red (not to mention hideous) Hawaiian shirt. His spiky black hair hung loosely like wet kitten hair and his usually pressed clothes were wrinkled as if he had just thrown them on without even thinking; the fact that his uniform wasn't in the least bit coordinated seemed to add more emphasis to his uncharacteristic appearance.

"Hey, Goh-"

Gohan jumped at the voice and hand that touched his shoulder, and whipped around so fast that a small gust of wind shot down the hall. Immediately, he assumed a fighting stance, his arms laced out in front of him in an offensive position, but he dropped his guard the minute he saw who it was.

Videl quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend, her hand still hovering over the place where Gohan's shoulder had once been before it dropped to her side. Concern filled her blue eyes and she asked, "Hey, Gohan, you okay?"

The teenage boy sent her a reassuring smile, a yawn soon following. "I'm just fine. Super fine. In fact, I've never been more fine a day in my life."

"You do realize that you've said the word "fine" three times, right?" she questioned, her concern still evident.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Well," she started off, closing the gap between them as she began to inspect his appearance like a scientist. "Considering the fact that you aren't matching, your clothes aren't ironed, your eyes are red, your hair looks like a mop, and you're as paranoid as I am now that Majin Buu is living with us, then yes; it's that obvious. I'm guessing you had a rough day yesterday. Something happened?"

Gohan sent her a weak smile and released a tired sigh. ""Rough" doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked him, her fingers lacing around the limp bang that tickled his nose. Her eyes briefly skirted over his wrinkled green t-shirt worn over his long-sleeved red shirt. Goodness! Purple pants and mix-match shoes? What did he do? Sky dive into his laundry basket?, Videl thought as she repressed her laughter.

"What about class?"

Videl fixed Gohan with a haughty smirk, her eyebrows knitting together as she put her hands to her hips. "What about it? I'm sure the teachers wouldn't mind if Videl Satan and their valedictorian, defenders of peace and just-"

"Alright, I get it," Gohan grumbled, but he smiled nonetheless. "Lead the way."

...

Visor sat at the rectangular wooden table that framed the kitchen to the Son household. For the third time since entering, he straightened his tie and dabbed his forehead with his near-soaked handkerchief. The eldest son - what was his name? Goron? - had told him to return tomorrow due to the flaring attitude of the raging princess from yesterday's fiasco. He was scared, frightened, down right wet-himself afraid of even being within six feet of 439 East District! As much as he wanted to turn tail and run for his dear life, he knew that he couldn't do that. The bristling young boy that ran amok the living area, the child that looked identical to his gigantic, burly, muscle-bound father, who was strong enough to stop his car from hitting that oak tree yesterday, kept bothering him every five seconds.

Not only did the youngest son of the household prevent him from leaving, but so did the crazed housewife, er ... widow that kept glaring at him every five seconds. It wasn't his fault he kept stumbling over his words! If she'd just stop pulling out that ridiculously heavy, black frying pan - the one that slightly resembled a mace - then he could function properly. Visor deduced that this family simply wasn't normal. Not the sons, not the woman of the house, and definitely not that incredibly steroid-pumped man that kept walking around the house in a wife beater!

No ... nothing about the Sons is normal.

Chi-Chi cleared her throat again (for the sixth time ... Visor was making sure to keep count) and folded her hands on the table. "You were saying, Mr. Visor?"

"Uh ... yes!" Visor squeaked, placing his briefcase on the table. Today would, hopefully, be the last day that he'd have to deal with this. He planned on laying absolutely everything out on the table. If everything went according to plan, then he'd never see them again; no more marriage licenses, no more death certificates, no more rules and regulations and codes and laws, and definitely no more nightmares of crazy ax-wielding widows haunting him throughout the night. He nervously popped open his briefcase with a click of a button and pulled out a thick pamphlet.

Before Visor could get a word out, Chi-Chi directed a fierce glare towards her husband, who had just finished walking through the room for what ought to be the 50th time since Visor entered the house. "Would you sit down already, Goku!"

Goku, whose mind had been so absorbed in whatever it was that was on his mind, jumped at Chi-Chi's tone and without a word, he bolted for the couch. Soon Goten had joined him and, immediately after, the clones began to engage in a very animated conversation. Chi-Chi turned back to Visor, who hid behind the opening of his briefcase, and tossed the middle-aged man a smile. "I apologize. Please, continue."

"Oh, um, right," he nervously said, leafing through the thick pamphlet that he had placed on the table minutes ago. Visor adjusted his tie again as he briefly making eye contact with the woman seated across from him. Visor ... you can do this. Don't let her speak until you're finished. Get it all off your chest right here, right now. And then, run. Run for your life! "Where shall I start?"

"You can start by telling me about those loopholes you missed yesterday," Chi-Chi immediately snapped, her arms crossed over her chest. "Is there any way to get around that accursed Law B19?"

Visor bit his lip. "Yes, Lady Chi-Chi. There is."

She perked up, her previous anger dwindling into nothing short of happiness. "Well, don't just sit there! Tell me!"

"You can ... uh, remarry."

Chi-Chi's smile grew wide and she clasped her hands together as laughter bubbled from her throat. "Really? So, I can just marry Goku all over again and pretend this whole thing never happened?"

"B-but," he started up again, causing Chi-Chi's eyebrows to draw together into that scary frown again. Visor gulped and even though the other two males in the house were happily chirping away in a flurry of rambunctious laughter and silly noises, it did nothing to quell the erratic beating of his heart.

""But" what? What is it?"

Visor pulled at his collar before he coughed into his hand. "Well, you see ... it's kinda like ... um, how shall I explain this ..."

Slowly, but surely, Chi-Chi's eyes began to narrow until they were dead set in a furious gaze. "You don't know, do you?" Chi-Chi took the adviser's silence as an answer and she found herself growling. "What about Goten's proclaimed "illegitimacy"?"

"W-what?"

"That is it!" Chi-Chi bellowed as she stood up from her seat at the table. Goku and Goten watched with raised eyebrows as the housewife pulled her skillet from off the table and stomped over to Visor, who could do nothing but watch. "How dare you come into my home unprepared! What kind of adviser are you!"

Goku quickly ushered Goten out of the room, telling him to go play outside and with lightning fast speed, he stopped his wife in her attack, the deadly weapon coming to a halt inches away from the man's skull. Chi-Chi cast Goku, who held a worried look in his eyes, a teary-eyed pout and she found herself dropping the kitchen utensil to the floor with a clang. She quickly adverted eye contact before she pointed a finger to the door.

"Out of my house."

Visor stared at her quizzically before she pried her wrist away from Goku's hand.

"You heard me! Get out! Right now!"

She fixed the adviser with an irate glare before she grabbed him by the back of his collar, but not without slamming his belongings into his briefcase and shoving it into his arms, and began to pull him viciously towards the exit. She shoved him out of the door and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "The next time you come back, you had better be prepared!" And with that said, she slammed the door.

Goku gulped, his black eyes laced with worry. "Chi-Chi, are you okay?"

She turned towards him with tears in her eyes, her face pulled into a scowl. "No! I'm not okay, Goku! We're not married and ... and you act like you don't care!" she heaved.

"That's not true; I do care!"

"When I told you yesterday, all you said was "Oh, is that so?". It didn't sound like you cared! I feel like such a ... such a ... prostitute, living in a house with a man I'm not married to and for more than fifteen years too! It doesn't help that two other men had to tell me this either! And to make matters worse, Goten is an "illegitimate" child!" she shouted bitterly. "If you would've never died, if you would've just stopped fighting and training then none of this would've ever happened!"

"So no, Goku. I'm not okay! And ... I don't think I ever will be!" By the time Chi-Chi finished yelling, her face was puffy and laden with tears and her eyes were swollen and red. She didn't give the warrior a chance to speak as she brushed past him and made a beeline for her bedroom, where he was sure she locked the door.

Goku stared at the door that shielded his wife from the world and released a sigh. The way she was yelling and crying and screaming almost made him feel as if the entire thing was his fault. He hadn't meant to upset her yesterday. While what she said had been true, he had only said that because he was shocked, not because he didn't care. She had spent the entire day fussing and nitpicking over everything, and she wouldn't let him say or do anything to calm the situation.

She had even locked him out of the bedroom, not to mention he and the boys had to go the day without dinner, in which he had to result to primal instinct and camp out for the night. This incident reminded him of his return from Planet Yardrat. When he had returned back home, he had been hoping to see his scowling wife, staring at him with childish delight and feigned anger. But she had simply given him the cold shoulder and what he had thought would take weeks to mend had ended up taking more than a month to repair. He hoped that this instance wouldn't be the same.

Goku took another breath. He had to fix this.

He had to.

...

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I were," Gohan said, rubbing his hands in his face in an attempt to keep himself awake. "I've never seen her so upset before. At least, not like this. Some of her yelling was justified though ... I mean, Dad can be kinda careless in his word choice. But, I can't help but feel bad for not only him, but for Mr. Visor, who's probably dead right now."

Videl quirked an eyebrow. "Who's "Visor"?"

"Oh, he's an adviser that my mom hired. He's suppose to be one of the best. I can't help but feel as if I made a mistake by telling him to come back today," Gohan explained with slumped shoulders.

Currently, Gohan and Videl were floating a ways off from their school, their heads buried in the clouds that framed the afternoon sky. Down below, birds flew past, singing their songs of peace and tranquility, and further below the daily traffic jam of Satan City crowded the streets. The sun shone high and bright in the sky, contrast to the gloomy feeling that lingered in the air.

The pair didn't realize that they had skipped an entire day of school, but as it would seem, neither of them fretted about it. Not when a mid-life crisis regarding a hero and his wife was afoot.

"So what is your dad going to do about it?" Videl asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Huh?"

Videl frowned slightly, crossing her arms for added emphasis. "Is he going to remarry her or what?"

"I'm not sure," Gohan answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm hoping that he does. Whether he chooses to remarry her or not doesn't matter to me, although it'd be nice if he did; I just don't want them to break a part."

Videl twisted her lip, her brain tinkering. "No offense, Gohan, but do you think it's right if they remarry?"

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, his head tilting to the side in bewilderment.

"What I mean is," Videl stated carefully. "Your dad ... he was barely around and when he was, he only trained, and he didn't have a job or an education either. Your mother pretty much raised you and Goten on her own, often suffering because of his absence. What if the same thing happens again? Then what? Is he going to remarry her and repeat the process?"

Gohan crossed his arms in a contemplative gesture, his eyes trailing towards a flock of pigeons. "That's not really fair, Videl. I mean, half the reason my dad was gone was because of some idiot threatening to destroy the planet, if not the universe, or trying to kill us. You can't exactly blame him for being away so much. He only did those things to protect us, not because he wanted a personal vacation away from Earth."

"Still ..." Videl said, catching the gist of what her boyfriend was saying. "All she wants is for him to be home. Is that so much to ask?"

"Well, no," Gohan replied, scratching the back of his head. "And I think he should've been home more often too; trust me when I say that. But, I don't think my mom's anger is that justified."

Videl paused in her next statement and narrowed her eyes. "You don't think it's "justified"? Gohan, your dad was barely around. Remember that party we had at Capsule Corp.? Because I sure remember it. Your dad didn't show up until everyone was leaving because he was concerned over some dinosaurs! Seriously?"

Gohan could do nothing but stare at the fighter floating across from him. She was fuming, that much he could tell. But why, he didn't know.

"I mean, I like your dad Gohan; I really do. But, it's like he doesn't appreciate Chi-Chi sometimes. You can almost call them distant friends instead of husband and wife. She does nothing but give and give and give, and all he does is take. I feel sorry for her and honestly, I don't think they should remarry. Not unless he changes."

And with that said, Videl flew off in a spark of light, leaving behind a confused Gohan.

She hadn't meant to be angry with him, but she couldn't help herself. This entire fiasco bitterly reminded her of her own parents' relationship. Ever since the fame and glory over that ridiculous championship title went to her father's head some odd years ago, he had slowly, but surely abandoned her mother until she left. Although comparing her parents' scorched marriage to that of Goku and Chi-Chi's was ridiculous due to the circumstances that caused the Sons to even be in such a state, she couldn't help but feel that way.

She was steadfast in what she said. Goku didn't deserve Chi-Chi and unless he changed, then he never would.

Chi-Chi awoke with a stir, her black eyes staring up towards the white-washed walls of her bedroom ceiling. Out of habit, she turned her head to her left, her lips crinkled into a soft smile and her eyes blooming with nothing short of adoration, but all emotion left her face as quickly as it had come.

Empty.

Again.

For the third night in a row.

Chi-Chi didn't know if it was the scent of fresh pine trees and sunflowers that tainted her senses or if it was simply the large imprint left on the opposite side of the bed, but whatever the reason may be, it left her waking up to yet another restless morning of not seeing her husband beside her. The haunting memory of Goku's face from yesterday's blow up plagued her mind; she hadn't meant to accuse him of not caring for her. It was just past frustrations lumped into yesterday's humiliation with the adviser that overwhelmed her and the remembrance of Goku's comment had fueled the fire. And as a result, she took her anger out on him.

Chi-Chi brushed all thoughts of her broken marriage aside and decided to get the day started. Frustration for a third morning in a row was not the way to start of the day, and as such, Chi-Chi cast her bed sheets aside to get prepared for the day ahead of her. However, before she removed herself from her bed, the sound of sheets against paper filtered into her ears and she found herself quirking an eyebrow.

A large sheet of paper was taped haphazardly onto Goku's pillow, its form wrinkled and crumpled with struggle, its edges bent in a vehement fashion. Chi-Chi deduced that if it were handled any more roughly then it'd surely rip to pieces. The widow reached for the paper, but found herself lifting the entire pillow instead. Whoever decided to use tape obviously had no idea how it worked because the entire paper, as well as parts of Goku's pillow, was littered with the sticky material.

Chi-Chi sighed, her eyes skirting over its content. Immediately, she recognized the scratchy, otherwise Kami-awful penmanship, and she found herself unconsciously raising a hand to shield her trembling mouth, a cross between a smile and a pout marking her lips. That's why she smelled him …

Scribble-scratch and crossed out words decorated the paper in an onslaught of broken and misspelled words. Smudged and splattered ink dotted the page also, yet she was able to understand it all, particularly the last sentence written carefully, yet so humorously wrong and damn near illegible at the bottom left corner of the page that it made her cry out in guilt.

"Deer Chi-Chi … I den ent wana wak u up but I wint to Crilens hows. I wil bee bac hom layter. I luv yuu."

She definitely had to make it up to him.

And apologize.

…

Peace.

Quiet.

Tranquility.

These words rang true through Piccolo's head as he took a deep breath, basking in the silence bestowed upon him by the gods (with the exception of one very powerful, very thundering waterfall just meters away from his being). How long had it actually been since he experienced such a remarkable thing known as peace; Piccolo couldn't recall.

After that Buu debacle, Trunks and Goten had become even more attached to him than before. The Namekian didn't know if it was due to the insane amount of time he had spent with the boys when they were undergoing their Fusion Training or if they simply enjoyed aggravating him. Whatever the case may be, Piccolo didn't ponder on it for long. Meditation was all that mattered to him at the moment and nothing would break that; nothing at all.

Except for … maybe, Son Goku.

At first Piccolo had thought nothing of the warrior's presence. Goku did, after all, have a penchant for showing up during the most bizarre of times; however, even when he did show up, if he saw that someone was engaged in an important activity, he'd go out of his way not to bother them and come back another time. Of course, this didn't pertain to everyone.

It didn't bother Piccolo when he sensed Goku flying in his direction. It didn't bother Piccolo when Goku sat on the large boulder right next to the waterfall either. No; what bothered Piccolo was the fact that Goku was staring at him, not so much as uttering a peep, which was extremely unlike him.

The Namekian could always tell when someone was watching him; being asked more times than he could fathom "Are you sick, sir?" or being told "You're looking a tad green, sir." did that to a person and, as such, it always made him a tad bit … self-conscious when someone watched him. Gohan did it. Goten and Trunks did it. Humans did it. And now, Goku was doing it and to say that it was nerve-wracking would've been an understatement.

Resisting the urge to grit his teeth, Piccolo released a deep and slightly aggravated sigh before he peeled an eye open. So much for a day of meditation, he thought as the blinding orange of his teammate's gi filled his eyesight.

As he predicted, Goku sat, much like how he was in the sky, with his legs and arms crossed only, instead of bowing his head and actually meditating, the Saiyan warrior was staring at him with a distant look in his eyes, almost as if he were looking through him and not at him. Piccolo quirked a brow bridge and before he could voice his, for lack of a better word, concern, Goku spoke, his voice filled with a less-than-enthusiastic tone that the fused being was so accustomed to.

"What's up, Piccolo?"

Piccolo blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly before he shut them. "I was meditating. What brings you out here?"

Goku rubbed the back of his head, a smile pulling on his lips. "Oh, nothing," he replied. "I was just on my way to see Krillin and I felt your energy nearby, so I decided to pay you a visit."

"You decided to fly," Piccolo stated.

Goku seemed surprised by his statement, but he simply laughed whilst he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah; I usually fly when something's on my mind."

Piccolo knew all-too-well what the warrior meant. Brief images of Goku skirting about the planet when he and his wife butted heads crossed his mind; those three years … those three long years were … odd to say the least.

"Something's on your mind?" Piccolo asked, not bothering to look at the warrior.

Goku didn't respond right away; his eyes trailed to the thundering splash of whitewater pooling near the boulder that he sat on and a soft smile highlighted his face. He recalled having short, almost one-sided conversations with the Namekian whenever something was on his mind. Gohan had always told him that the fighter was a good listener. He was always blunt and straightforward with his answers, never sugarcoating anything, which, for the most part, seemed harsh and inconsiderate. Sometimes he fumbled with his words or even over-thought his answers, but he meant well and that was one of the things Goku honestly liked about him.

He was like a semi-nicer version of Vegeta.

"I just found out that I'm not married," Goku said before erupting in a burst of anxious laughter. "It's got somethin' to do with those two times I died so Chi-Chi's been pretty upset for the past couple days."

Piccolo remained silent as Goku continued to prattle on and on, his words spilling like baby vomit.

So, he wasn't married to Chi-Chi and it was eating the warrior alive knowing that his wife was upset about it. If there was anything that Piccolo learned about Goku, it was that he was terrible with words. He either said too little or too much. This instance definitely counted as too much and Piccolo was willing to bet that Goku had said too little in regards to his upset wife.

"What are you going to do about it?" Piccolo asked, cutting Goku off as he was just beginning to talk about how he'd gone without a home-cooked meal for three days straight.

"Huh?"

Piccolo fixed Goku with an annoyed frown and the Saiyan laughed.

"Well, I'm gonna ask her to marry me again, I think. It sounds like the right thing to do and I want her to be happy," the Saiyan answered with a small grin.

"Then marry her," Piccolo deadpanned.

Goku looked at Piccolo for what felt like an eternity, causing the Namekian to sigh. "You think I should?"

"You're the only man on the face of this planet who can put up with a woman like her. And the same can be said to her for you," Piccolo answered bluntly, a smirk highlighting his forest green lips. "Besides, can you picture yourselves with anyone other than whom you're with?"

Goku howled out in laughter. "You really think so?"

"I've lived with you for three years. If there was anyone who could see that, it'd certainly be me. And if there was anything that I learned about you and Chi-Chi, it's that you're both loud, obnoxious idiots; you deserve each other," Piccolo replied humorlessly, his eyes staring directly into Goku's.

Piccolo had meant every word he said. When he had first met the brash female, he thought her to be nothing more than a shrill, screaming tight-wad with nothing better to do but yell. She shoved the thought of education down Gohan's throat every chance she could get and she yelled at Goku for some of the stupidest things sometimes. But after he observed her, observed Goku, observed Gohan, and the way the family actually functioned, he saw her reasoning behind half the things she did.

She was nothing more than an overprotective woman who showered her family with the love and affection of a person willing to do anything to protect them, even if she couldn't do much to help. She didn't want Gohan to become like his father and she didn't want Goku getting himself into danger, and the more Piccolo thought about it, the more sense it made to him. After witnessing her fearless proclamation against Majin Buu before she was transformed into a dairy product, it proved what he thought of her.

She loved her children.

She loved Goku.

And even if she had a funny way of showing it, Piccolo couldn't deny that no more than anyone denied him of being green.

"Don't you find it a little strange that I'm asking you for advice, Piccolo?" Goku asked, causing the fused being to quirk a brow bridge at the Saiyan. "I mean, you don't even have female Namekians. Or male Namekians, right? Can your species even get married?"

Piccolo resisted the urge to shoot a high-voltage ki blast at the fighter sitting on the boulder below him. What the hell kind of question was that? "Shouldn't you be fixing your marriage?" Piccolo growled out.

Goku brightened at Piccolo's response before standing up and stretching. He cast the alien one of his brightest smiles before levitating above ground. "You're right; thanks, Pic! Gohan was right; you should be a therapist!"

"Say what?! And I told you to stop calling me that damn name!" Piccolo exclaimed, his cheeks tingeing pink at Goku's proclamation. Before he could erupt in a clatter of shouts and embarrassed sputter, Goku took off in a burst of energy, his laughter radiating in Piccolo's ears.

"Earthlings," Piccolo muttered bitterly, embarrassingly under his breath before he fell back into a meditative state. "A therapist … damn you, Gohan."

...

When Chi-Chi had finally decided to get out of bed after bawling her eyes out over the note that her lover left behind, she found that she didn't have to lift a finger for the duration of that morning. A sweet love note was all that filled her senses as she wallowed about the house. Turns out that fixing up the bed and taking a shower were the only things she really needed to do.

Goku - oh, her sweet, sweet Goku - took it upon himself to clean up the house. Although it wasn't done in the way she would have fixed it, it was the thought that counted and, as such, she wouldn't meddle. It was his way of apologizing for upsetting her the other day - Chi-Chi was sure of it - although she was thoroughly convinced that he had done absolutely nothing wrong to do such a thing. She was, in fact, in the wrong and as she walked through the house, scrutinizing it with a trembling smile and glistening ebony eyes, it had only made her feel even more guilty for yelling at him.

The floors, from front to back, were free of any dust and dirt. The pillows were fluffed on the couch from where the Son patriarch had slept yesterday and the blanket that he used was curled in - what Chi-Chi was positive that Goku thought was a fold - a tangled knot. The chairs were neatly placed underneath the kitchen table and were dusted and wiped to perfection. The dishes weren't so much as touched, the remembrance of her refusal to cook anything for the past three days flowing into her memory.

All in all, the house was spotless, from the ridiculously half-folded laundry to Goten's usually messy play area, and it filled Chi-Chi's heart to the brim knowing that her accident-prone husband, who ran in fear of having to lift so much as a duster, went out of his way to clean up the house and all over a stupid, one-sided argument.

With a determined smile, Chi-Chi snatched her apron from its holster and tied it around her waist.

She was going to make it up to him, one way or another.

It was a known fact that Son Goku was poor at keeping in touch with his friends. His knowledge of the Instant Transmission didn't exactly provide him with the best excuse in the world for skipping out on seeing his friends either. He was a Super Saiyan, which meant he had super speed; not only was he a Super Saiyan, but he was also a Super Saiyan 2 and 3. He didn't just have access to the Flying Nimbus, but he also had a driver's license with a car.

So again, he couldn't provide his friends with an excuse as to why he never bothered to visit them, unless he counted the fact that he was either: engaged in some heavily needed catching up with his family, training, or, in most cases, dead.

And if the stated reasons weren't very good reasons as to why he never bothered visiting, then the newly discovered one certainly was.

He was facing marital problems.

So it was all with that last thought in mind that Goku flew to the serene beauty of the tiny little get-away stranded out at sea, with its dancing palm tree and beautiful, yet quaint, pink and red house stationed in the middle of its sandy front, the words "Kame House" printed so eloquently in big, bold, red letters on its forehead. Soft waves rocked the sandy shores, sea critters played peek-a-boo through the salty waters, and a crowd of seagulls flew by every few hours, the intensity of the sun's warm rays beaming down and allowing their shadows to grace the grounds.

Goku was so accustomed to seeing little to nothing but water surrounding the house that he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he noticed not one, but two hover cars parked in the rear of the house. The fresh scent of sweet barbecue wafted in the air and Goku found himself captivated by the aroma as his nostrils flared, the burning desire for food blocking out all thoughts of seeing his best friend.

The minute Goku touched base on the island, he made a beeline for the front door, where he immediately brought up a hand and knocked.

Goku raised an eyebrow when he received a series of short grunts and not a second after did he hear Krillin's voice, his tone filled with annoyance.

"Door's open!"

The warrior peeled back the door, his eyebrows still quirked with confusion, and he poked his head inside. Gracing his view was Krillin, who was sprawled out over the table that framed the small den area, and in his hands was a large, black garbage bag. An onslaught of beer bottles, paper plates and cups decorated not only the table, but most of the floor and couch as well and from the looks of it, Goku could very well tell that Krillin was cleaning up what was most likely a very big mess.

From where the Earth's savior stood, he could see images of something or another flash across the television screen, its sounds and music making its journey across the house and into his ears. Figures. It was nothing but another one of Master Roshi's silly aerobics tapes.

"Goku?" the monk called, rubbing his head as he stood erect. "Well I'll be darned! What brings you out here?" he asked, maneuvering around the couch with a smile. "The boys finally decided to give you a break or did Chi-Chi kick you out of the house again?"

Goku chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Well actually, what if I said it was a little of both? I actually came here for some help, but ...," he trailed off, his eyes shifting from the garbage bag in his friend's hand to the guests scattered across the floor near the table. Their faces, especially Yamcha, that were most likely tickled red from drinking, were buried in the floor, except for Master Roshi, whose head was shielded by a lamp post, and Oolong, who had one of the Turtle Hermit's prized possessions (a dirty magazine) covering his entire face excluding his ears.

The fighter looked back at his friend. "What happened here?"

Krillin sighed and if he could pinch the bridge of his non-existent nose, he most certainly would have. "The girls are out right now, so Oolong decided to show up unannounced with Yamcha in tow. As you can clearly see, I got stuck playing babysitter for a bunch of drunken idiots," Krillin explained with sagging shoulders, bending over to pick up a lone plastic cup. "But enough about my problems; you said you needed advice, right? Well, Goku, if it's advice you want, then you've come to the right place."

Goku offered his best friend one of his many world-renown smiles before his nose perked up, the smell of food permeating his senses yet again. "Before we talk ...," Goku started off idly. "Do you have something good to eat? I smell barbecue."

Krillin slapped a palm to his forehead, bending over to pick up more trash before he laughed. "You're still the same bottomless pit after all these years, I see. Lucky for you, I just ate. Help yourself to the leftovers in the fridge. The drinks are in the cooler by the sink. In the meantime, I'll just clean up this me- Goku?" Krillin looked around, taking note of the fact that his childhood friend was no where to be seen. That was, until the monk heard the hustle and bustle of dishes and utensils from the kitchen, followed closely behind by Goku's giddy laughter.

He sighed, stepping back towards the drunken guests of the house before he began collecting empty beer bottles again. "Mention food and he's no where to be seen," Krillin grumbled with a laugh.

...

Tired and aching.

Tired and covered in flour.

Sweaty and bathed in grime. And just so gosh darned tired!

Chi-Chi wiped the perspiration that tickled her forehead with the back of her hand and plopped down into one of the many chairs that framed the kitchen table. Who knew apologizing could be so much work!

Chi-Chi knew that her pride would never allow her to express her sentiments to her husband in the form of words (not unless she was screaming her lungs out anyway or crying). She always thought that she got her point across through cooking, committing her time to accomplishing subtle favors, or more often than not, performing a layer of sweet offerings in the privacy of their bedroom.

She commended herself on deciding to perform such an action, because not only was her festive preparation a means to make up for her - looking back on it - silly confrontation with Goku yesterday, but it also helped take her mind off of the grueling events that unfolded in the last days. She needed something to focus on other than her marriage and cooking was just the way to do it.

Often in the past, the housewife found herself divulged in something, anything that could take her mind off of her husband's death. Those seven years had been tough on, not only her, but their son, who had spent the better part of those years wallowing in both depression and guilt. If she wasn't scrubbing something down or obsessing over an item that just seemed so out of place, then she was cooking (and excessively so) or comforting Gohan, which, oddly, seemed to help her through most of her problems.

But that was neither here nor there and, as such, Chi-Chi eyeballed her accomplishments with nothing short of a smile.

Steam nipped at all four corners of the table as it poured from an unfathomably large bowl of rice, seasoned and speckled with spices and peas as well as with another variety of add-ons. Savory meats, whether it be fried, baked, grilled or bathed in a homemade sauce, from fish and chicken to beef and - dare she say it - dinosaur, surrounded the bowl of rice like an army waiting to ambush its enemy. Potatoes Au Gratin, drizzled in a blend of cheeses, hugged a basket of buns, whose hair was coated in a thin layer of butter.

Soups simmered in the pots on the stove like lava in a volcano and, like icing on top of a cake, Chi-Chi was preparing one of Goku's favorite desserts - a two-tier cake shielded in a fresh coat of homemade whipped cream frosting with a trail of strawberries mounting its back.

All in all, it was a feast fit for a king! Her king.

Chi-Chi couldn't wait to see the look on Goku's face when he returned home. Just thinking about it made her feel as if she were a newly wed!

With an added pep in her step, she stood up from her seat and set an immediate path for the restroom. If Goku was her king, then she was his queen and being covered in sweat, grime, and flour was not the way she wanted to present herself to him when he made his voyage home.

And with that thought in mind, she happily cleaned herself off with thoughts of Goku filling her senses.

...

Goku released a loud belch as he tossed the last of his finished barbecue chicken onto his plate. He had honestly forgot what a home-style barbecue tasted like and devouring the leftovers that Krillin offered him reminded him of one of the many reasons why he missed Earth so much. One just couldn't get meals as fine as this in Otherworld. As good of a cook as King Kai and Bubbles were, nothing could surmount to the decadent morsels that Earthlings prepared.

"Man!" Goku exclaimed, stretching out his muscles before patting his stomach. "Compliments to the chef! I haven't had a meal that good since I died!"

"Thank you," Krillin replied once he stepped into the kitchen. His eyes nearly flew from their sockets when he saw the mess that his best friend had made and he immediately found himself laughing. "It's a good thing you used paper plates or else I don't know what I'd do! You Saiyans are like bottomless pits, I swear," the monk bellowed, shoveling Goku's trash into the garbage-filled bag that he carried in his hands before tossing it in the large trash bin stationed a few feet away from the dishwasher.

Goku burst into laughter after he wiped his face with the napkin around his neck. "Where did you learn how to cook like that!" the warrior exclaimed, tossing his food-covered towelette onto the table.

Krillin colored red at Goku's question, clearly embarrassed, and coughed into his hand as a means to rid himself of the burning sensation that haunted his cheeks. "What's all this talk about advice?" the black-haired fighter questioned, changing the subject.

Goku brought his hands down to his lap as he settled down, the vibrant expression that was on his face falling into an awkward smile. Krillin pulled up a chair to the table, concern etched across his face much like how one's grandmother frets over her grandchildren.

"Can I ask you something, Krillin?" Goku asked, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

In response to the fighter's question, Krillin chuckled. "You already did, bro. But hey, why not?"

Goku twisted his lip and if Krillin could guess, he'd say that the Son patriarch was really putting a lot of thought into his question. "What do you think of me and Chi-Chi?"

Now that was definitely not something the monk was expecting!

"Huh?" he responded, his eyebrows flying to his hairline.

Goku burst into a round of laughter, his hand flying to the back of his head in response. "Something told me not to ask you that." Krillin released an awkward chuckle, but when he saw that Goku didn't say anything in return, his eyes nearly bogged out of their sockets.

"Wait, you're serious, aren't you?" Krillin inquired. "Hmm ...," he thought aloud, bringing up his hand to stroke his chin. "I think you guys are ... well, you're both ... let's see ..."

Goku waited patiently for his comrade's answer; when he received nothing for a long period of time but fumbling words and half-put-together phrases, he found himself getting ready to say "forget I asked".

"Wait, what's this all about anyway!" Krillin shouted, his hands flailing in front of his stout body as if he were deflecting an unwanted attack. "You asked for help, not a counseling session! What's Chi-Chi got to do with any of this?"

"Well," Goku took a deep breath, cracking a grin at his best friend as nervous laughter bubbled from his throat. "Turns out I'm not married thanks to Raditz and Cell and Chi-Chi's been like a walking time bomb for the last few days! I wanna remarry her, ya know, make her happy again 'cuz I really hate seeing her cry. I guess ... I mean, what do ya think?"

Krillin stared at Goku for what felt like an eternity and to say that it was making him nervous would've been an understatement.

It was a known fact that Son Goku never talked about relationships, let alone his marital status. As a matter of fact, Krillin honestly believed that Goku was pretty private when it came to issues with his wife ... er ... ex-wife. He'd had the privilege of seeing some of their relationship from when he had spent those last couple of days over at their house before Goku parted to the afterlife. Majority or rather all of their friends had viewed Chi-Chi in such a negative light and he was no exception. When he first met Chi-Chi when they were teenagers, he thought she was a pretty decent person. She was pretty, beautiful even, and she seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders and she was an awesome fighter to boot.

But then came that impromptu proposal from Goku due to a forgotten promise he made when they were children. Everyone knew that Goku was as loyal as a lion was to its lioness and when the fighter made a promise, he always kept his promise, but Krillin couldn't help but think that Chi-Chi somehow manipulated Goku into marrying her. The man didn't even know what "marriage" and "bride" meant and who could blame him? Goku was always out on his own; he pretty much raised himself all his life! The closest thing he's had to a father-figure after the death of his grandfather was Master Roshi, but hell, the Turtle Hermit's view of women wasn't exactly the most positive of views (although, Krillin was thankful that Goku hadn't picked up any of their old master's traits in regards to that aspect).

Krillin didn't have anything against Chi-Chi, not in the least bit. As a matter of fact, he rather liked her because she reminded him a lot of his own wife. But, he simply didn't think it was fair of her to show up in Goku's life after Kami knows how many years and dump the idea of marriage onto his back like a master did its mule.

"Piccolo thinks that I should marry her," Goku blurted, genuine laughter rolling from his throat.

"Whoa, you went to Piccolo for advice!" Krillin hollered, causing Goku to jump.

Goku smiled. "Yeah; I mean, it's not like it'd hurt or anything. And Piccolo thinks that we deserve each other; he called us both idiots."

"The "idiot" part sounds a lot like something he'd say alright," Krillin muttered before smiling at his best friend. "But I never pictured that guy being the type to give anyone advice on anything, especially something like marriage. He's as serious as Vegeta when it comes to stuff like that. I'm surprised he didn't curse you; Kami knows Piccolo is more emotionally constipated than a child that's ate too much cheese."

Both fighters promptly burst into a ring of laughter, their loud voices reaching the ears of the sleeping guests sprawled out on the floor of the television room.

When they both calmed down, Krillin sent Goku an awkward smile before he released a deep-rooted sigh. "Listen Goku," he started off, earning the attention of the world's savior. "When I first met Chi-Chi, I didn't think it was fair that you married her. It was like she forced you to do it; you didn't even know what it meant to be married and to me, it's like she played with your emotions. You're a loyal guy, ya know? And I've never seen you back away from a promise."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't marry her just because that's what she wants. Marry her because that's what you want. I've no doubt in my mind that you love her because hey, how many men do you know that would die for their wives? Twice?"

Whether or not Krillin gave Goku the answer he wanted to hear, Goku tossed the monk a genuine smile and in return Krillin did the same