Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The One Who Comforts ❯ Anger ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3-Anger

 

Clenching her fists tightly, Chi-Chi could not even begin to fathom the nerve of the Namek standing behind her, acting as though he had some…some right to discuss with her the happenings of her family. Who was he to act like he could even begin to understand what she and Gohan had been trying to endure for the last couple of months since Goku's death? And how could he even think to bring up her deceased husband into the equation, as if Goku would actually care whether or not she was suffering? It was as laughable as it was insufferable and there was no way she could let his comments go without rectifying the situation, to point out how arrogant his assumptions about Goku and herself were.

 

“Do I think Goku would like to see me like this? The honest answer to that question is he wouldn't give a damn. He wouldn't see me at all. If he were here right now, he'd be off training, leaving me to do everything that I'm doing at this very moment. That part hasn't changed at all. But what am I saying? He's not here is he? He's not coming back. Not for me, not for Gohan and not for his unborn child. He doesn't care and you'd be smart just like him to not care either.”

 

With the bitter and angry words spilled across her lips, her courage at facing Piccolo suddenly left her and with its departure came a deep sadness that her husband whom she had pledged her love to could leave her like this. Not wanting to shame herself by breaking down and crying in front of her husband's former enemy, Chi-Chi whirled back around and tried to save face by marching resolutely back to her small house. However, apparently Piccolo had other ideas in regards to whether or not their conversation was at an end.

 

She found herself face to face with him, his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a terrifying snarl, exposing his overly large fangs for her to view as he grabbed a hold of her shoulders and pulled her towards his towering body. However, she wasn't going to let him intimidate her, even if deep down inside, Piccolo's presence unnerved her. Standing stiffly, she tried to pull away but Piccolo was much stronger than she was and she knew that he wasn't about to let her leave until he had his say.

 

“It doesn't really matter what Goku thinks anyway. What does matter is your son and I am not leaving until things are satisfactorily settled between the three of us. If you won't take responsibility for him, then I will. End of story.”

 

She could feel her eyes widen before the anger that had been building inside her for months suddenly erupted. It was as though she had completely snapped and the man standing in front of her was the catalyst that caused her imminent explosion.

 

Shrieking, she used her head as a weapon and crashed the top of it up into his chin. Not expecting such a violent display from Chi-Chi, Piccolo was taken by surprise. She could hear him grunt as the force of her blow caused him to bite down on his tongue, purple blood splattering over his white teeth and dribbling down his chin onto her hair before he let go of her body.

 

He backed away a few inches, his eyes suddenly snapping with a fury similar to what she was experiencing. Not waiting for his inevitable reaction towards her violent behavior, she pushed herself forward and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could muster, but all that resulted was her fist being caught in Piccolo's hand. Even though she was furious and her anger had heated her blood to the point that she was willing to damage herself and the baby she carried in physical confrontation, Piccolo's reaction speed was such that even though he was still surprised by her attack, he managed to grab hold of her once more in her moment of vulnerability. Using her hand as leverage, he yanked her towards him and wrapped his large arms around her body, holding her against him in a tight embrace so that she couldn't move.

 

Struggling against him, she kicked her heels against his shins but it was like attacking a statue. He had her in a tight grip and he wasn't going to release her until he was sure that she was in control of herself. The last thing he wanted was for her to damage herself in a moment of anger induced stupidity.

 

He let her kick him and try to bite him with her mouth, but he held steadfast until he could sense her desperation give way to exhaustion. After a few minutes of continued struggling, Chi-Chi could feel her limbs as they became heavier and the desperate and irrational anger that had suddenly flooded her system disappeared as quickly as it had come. Going limp in Piccolo's arms, she crumpled to the ground as soon as he released her and stepped away, covering her face with her hands as she once again found herself weeping.

 

An awkward silence seemed to fill up the space between them, the only sound being made were her sniffles and choked down sobs as her shoulders shook from her effort to contain her emotions.

 

“Stop crying.”

 

Looking up in surprise, she found Piccolo seated across from her with his arms crossed and his face set in a resolute grimace. She hadn't heard him settle next to her, so intent on trying to quell her humiliation at losing in battle against him and then breaking down into a sobbing mess. Wiping her tears away with her fist, she took in a shuddering breath and then looked at her lap.

 

“It's not like I enjoy crying, you know. I just…I just haven't been myself lately.”

 

She could hear Piccolo grunt in agreement, but that only added to her own sense of inadequacy and humiliation. How much of this had he seen in the last couple of months since Goku had died? Up until a week ago, she had been blissfully unaware that the giant Namekian was continually monitoring both her and Gohan. Only a few times had she ever felt as though somebody or something was watching her and her son. But last week as she found herself once again laboring in the garden, that sensation of being watched flooded her system and with it came the realization that she could recognize who was observing her work. It was creepy and disturbing, yet there hadn't been any way for her to prove her suspicions without alerting Piccolo to the fact that she knew what he was up to. So she had let it go. Obviously, if he had meant to harm her or Gohan, he would have done so already and she had a feeling his watching was more as a protective response towards her son then anything else. Yet it didn't sit well with her that he knew just how much she was struggling with Goku's departure, nor did it make her feel any better that he thought she was acting like an unfit mother to her son.

 

“I'm doing the best I can and I resent the fact that you think you could do any better.”

 

Poking her head up, she noticed Piccolo's eyes narrow slightly at her statement.

 

“I never once said that I could do any better than you. However, I draw the line at the point where your son so worried about you and how you are dealing with the loss of Goku that it takes away from his own well being. Do you have any idea how worried he is about you and how your stubbornness in not allowing him to take on some sort of role around the house has caused him to feel valueless in front of your eyes? Normally, I wouldn't even bother concerning myself with you, but Gohan comes first and if he's making himself sick and uncertain because you can't get a handle on things, then I don't have any other alternative but to become involved.”

 

Pursing her lips disdainfully, Chi-Chi snorted angrily through her nose at his comments before firing a retort.

 

“I have a handle on things. This isn't the first time that I've been left alone to fend for things, nor will it be the last. I mean, god forbid that Goku could ever stick around longer then a period of three years without something happening to him. And since when do you know anything about taking care of a family, huh? I know what you put Gohan through after Goku died the first time. You left him…you left him to survive in the wilderness alone when he was still only a baby! And yet you think you know more about what it means to raise a child. I don't know when you decided you had any rights to Gohan or to this household, but it can stop at anytime. We…don't…need…YOU!”

 

It was like the dam had finally been breached, and whether she wanted to or not, Piccolo had become the focus of her anger: anger that she couldn't take out on the person who more or less truly deserved it. Forgetting her earlier fear and humiliation, she stood up and walked over to where he was seated. Putting one of her hands on her hips, she jabbed him in the forehead with her other hand. Piccolo certainly wasn't expecting that sort of reaction from her, so he just sat where he was with his brows raised in curiosity mixed with derision.

 

“Gohan is my…he's my son! Not yours, mine! Stop interfering with things you don't understand, could never understand! What are you but a demon anyway? You tried to kill Goku, you took away my son from me, and now you're thinking of doing it…doing it again! And I won't let you! Do you hear me? I…won't…let…YOU!”

 

At this point, Piccolo had had enough. He was tired of listening to her tirade, especially when all she was doing was making wild guesses as to what his true intentions were. And on top of everything else, her comments about saying he couldn't understand what it meant to be part of a family, to care for someone other than himself, hurt. He'd unintentionally learned what it was like when he had kidnapped Gohan all those years ago after Goku died fighting against Raditz. She wasn't thinking clearly and for some reason that was unknown to him, seeing her in such a state of distress bothered him more than it should have. Instead, he should have felt scorn for her idiotic comments and concerns but he didn't. Not wanting to waste the time trying to figure out why his thinking was skewed, he abruptly stood up, knocking Chi-Chi off balance. Grabbing her hand so that she wouldn't end up falling back into the dust, he watched as her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed before she hastily stepped away from him and his inadvertent bodily contact with her. Clearing his throat, he interrupted her before she could once again open her mouth and aim acidic barbs at his tough hide.

 

“Would you just be quiet? You are making absolutely no sense whatsoever, and you are jumping to wild conclusions without thinking anything through thoroughly.”

 

“Well, what am I supposed to think? You come here telling me how you have to become involved because I'm not taking proper care of Gohan! The last time you became involved was when you took my son without even asking me if that was okay or not!”

 

Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Piccolo closed his eyes briefly and tried to center his thoughts and his own anger before he lashed out at her for being such a temperamental witch. It was difficult to continue reminding himself that she had just lost her husband and she had the stress of raising not one, but two children alone out here in the relative remoteness of Mt. Pazou. But one could only take so much, and that included him.

 

“Enough! Shut your mouth and listen before you spout off anymore asinine comments about what you think I intend to do with Gohan! Sit!”

Barking out the last command, he was slightly surprised to see Chi-Chi's shocked face as she slumped back down into the grass. No doubt, it was the first time anyone had ever stood up to her bullying tactics and given her an order that was meant to be obeyed immediately. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Piccolo followed suit and once again found himself with his arms crossed facing a sullen and angry looking Chi-Chi.

 

“I have no intention of taking Gohan away from you. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. But for his sake, you need to start taking care of yourself. Yes, you are a strong willed and strong-bodied individual, but you aren't invincible. And your attitude and lack of common sense when it comes to your own well-being is worrying your son and making him miserable. He already feels guilt enough over Goku's death, and your attitude isn't helping him to get over his grief. You have to stop this Chi-Chi. You're only going to end up destroying yourself in the end, and what good would that do?”

 

He could tell she was listening to what he had to say, and part of him felt relief over that. She could be even more stubborn than he was, and in this instance, her stubbornness was going to be her undoing if she didn't get it under control. Relaxing his position slightly, he waited patiently to see what she would say, if she would say anything to him at all. He didn't have long to wait.

 

“You make it…you make it sound so easy. But it isn't that simple! Do you think if I had a choice I'd be out here doing the things that I'm doing just to make sure we can get by? I'd have left by now if that were the case. I'd have burned this hut to the ground and moved as far away as I could just so I…just so I could forget the memories and the pain of being left behind. I'd start all over again. But…but it's…it's impossible for me. There's nowhere for me to go, and there's no way I can ever forget…forget him. And I hate it.”

 

Rubbing his forehead in irritation, Piccolo watched for what seemed to be the millionth time as Chi-Chi dissolved into another set of tears. He was really starting to tire of her overly emotional states, yet he supposed he could understand on a base level that she was trying to release some of her own misery and loneliness. Peering at her, he relaxed his arms slightly before trying to help her see that she did not have to be stuck in the rut she was in.

 

“You can make things as easy or as difficult as you like. No one said getting over the death of someone close is easy, but you have a son who would like nothing more then to help you out, yet you won't let him be a part of that. I'm not saying I understand human tendencies, but don't you think you're going about things backwards? If Gohan wants to step up and take responsibility for things, let him. Stop trying so hard to keep him from growing into the man he will eventually become. He's ready…no he needs this challenge.”

 

“I just…I just wanted him to have his childhood back again. He's never really had one, except for when he was very young…before Goku's brother came here and everything changed.”

 

Piccolo studied Chi-Chi as she sniffed slightly and then leaned back on her arms, looking up at the clouds as they lazily floated past on the breeze.

 

“Gohan can still be a child with you, if that's what you want. All I'm saying is that you need to let him help out besides just having him do his schoolwork. It wouldn't kill you to let him pull up the weeds from the garden, or hang out the laundry, or do any of the other pointless things you do around your house. And if you…I'll stay around and make sure things get done until your other child is born.”

 

He wasn't sure why he had just made that declaration. Grimacing inwardly, he felt like a total and complete idiot. It was one thing to watch over Gohan in order to make sure he was well, but to volunteer to help Chi-Chi out with her useless domestic duties was not something he would have normally done. Yet he was once again at a crossroads with Gohan being the mitigating factor. He did not want his student to continue agonizing and worrying about things that were out of his control. Letting out a rueful sigh, he wondered how much of this decision was because of Kami's influence. And if that were the case, he was sure his good counterpart was laughing within him.

 

“You'd…you'd help out? Why would you do that?”

 

Looking at Chi-Chi, he answered her honestly.

 

“I have no idea.”

 

“You have no idea?”

 

It was like a light had been suddenly switched on within Chi-Chi. At first, he thought she was crying again, which disturbed him slightly, but in an instant, her head was thrown back as peel after peel of laughter bubbled forth from her. Frowning darkly at her, he tried to make her stop by giving her a death glare, but the sound was so refreshing after hearing her cry for the last few months that he found his own lips quirking at their edges.

 

He could see as she fought to control her mirth and within a few minutes, she was taking in deep breathes of air as she held her stomach with her hands.

 

“I'm sorry…I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just that…well, I mean, it's unexpected. You don't have to help out. I'll…take your words to heart and have Gohan help were he sees fit. I don't want him to worry about me either, and I guess I've been too blind lately to see what my attitude has been doing to him.”

 

Nodding his head in affirmation of her statement, Piccolo felt slightly conflicted. He had promised her, in his own way, that he would help. And in order to make sure that she was doing as she said, he would have to continue monitoring her and Gohan's behavior. Standing up, he walked a few steps backwards and then turned away from her.

 

“No. I'll…do what I can for you and Gohan. And I'll be making sure that you are fulfilling your obligations to him as his mother. That means if you need money for items, not being to proud to ask your friends for assistance. That means going to see the doctor, which I know you haven't done since you realized you were going to have another child. It's my duty to make sure you do those things for yourself because…because I too have an obligation towards your son.”

 

“Now just wait one second. I gave you my word Piccolo. I'm not going to back out of it even if doing some of those things goes against my pride. Your concern is appreciated, I suppose, but…”

Turning back around, he set his eyes on hers, locking gazes with her. He wasn't entirely sure what was prompting him to take such drastic action, but it felt…it felt right to him for some strange reason. He didn't care if his interference made her upset or angry. It was all about Gohan for him, and he had made a promise to himself to make sure the lad was well cared for and well provided for.

 

“There are no buts, Chi-Chi. This isn't something you can argue your way out of. I'm not like Goku and I'm not going to be cowed into submission just because you don't agree with what I'm going to do. You haven't proven to me that you can take care of things, so I'm just ensuring that you will, nothing more. And I'll be bringing Dende over tomorrow when I see you again.”

 

Licking her lips and trying not to tremble at the fierceness in Piccolo's eyes, Chi-Chi asked him why he would bother to bring Dende all the way out to Mt. Pazou.

 

“Because, I know you won't go see the doctor and he can make sure that everything is fine with you and the child you harbor within you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my leave. Tell Gohan I'll see him tomorrow.”

 

With that said, Piccolo used his ki to push himself upward and off the ground, leaving the Son property in a gust of wind.

 

Rubbing her arms absently, Chi-Chi silently viewed Piccolo as he climbed high into the sky, no doubt heading towards the Lookout. Finding herself alone once again, she felt the breeze as it rippled her dress before she slowly exhaled the breath she was holding inside.

 

What had just happened? How had she lost her control so badly? She had attacked him…attacked Piccolo. Shuddering slightly at how foolish she had acted, she found herself chewing on her bottom lip as she let his conversation take root in her mind. He was going to be watching her, keeping an eye out to make sure she took care of herself for Gohan's sake. On the outside, she felt offended that he didn't trust her and angry that he had forced his way into the inner workings of her family. But deep down, on the inside, she felt flattered that somebody actually cared enough about her to want to make sure she was alright, even if that wasn't completely the case. She had no question in her mind that Piccolo was only acting in such a manner because of Gohan, but for the first time since Goku had left, she could feel the bud of something positive growing within her. She wasn't sure what it was, or what it meant, but she had no doubt in her mind that it was because of Piccolo. Piccolo.

 

How will things shape up between Chi-Chi and Piccolo? Will he keep his word and will Chi-Chi be able to stand having an outsider push their way into her family? Find out in the next chapter. And if you would like to leave a review, it would be much appreciated.