Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The One Who Comforts ❯ Tolerance/Confusion ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters.

 

Chapter 4-Tolerance/Confusion

 

About two months later…

 

The afternoon heat was becoming unbearable. Gingerly sitting down on the old sofa in the living room, Chi-Chi let out a sigh that spoke of her fatigue and discomfort. Using the wooden coffee table in front of the couch as a prop, she put her feet up, giving relief to her swollen ankles. Absently stroking her visibly expanding mid-section, she closed her eyes intent on only resting for a few minutes.

 

With her eyes shut, her mind drifted upon a sea of never ending thoughts. How long had it been since Goku had died? It was already mid-September and abnormally warm for this time of year, so counting back, it had already been close to four months. Yet strangely, it felt like his death had happened even longer ago than that. Her sense of time was skewed, most likely because of how things had changed around here since his departure for herself, Gohan, and the child within her. Things were definitely different than before, but she was still trying to decide if those changes were good, bad, or neutral.

 

As her mind continued to drift, Chi-Chi could almost feel as though the oppressive heat inside her home was diminishing. She felt relaxed and comfortable, so the thought of getting back up out of her spot to start making preparations for dinner in the equally hot and humid kitchen was not very appealing to her. Dinner could wait…life could wait. It had been so long since she felt this relaxed in her current condition, she inadvertently ended up drifting off into a light slumber, her soft snores indicating to anyone who should pass by what she was doing sprawled across the couch in such a fashion.

 

Laying there like that, her eyes twitching slightly behind her closed eyelids, Chi-Chi almost felt like she could sense…Goku. Suddenly, without warning, she found herself in the middle of the empty glade behind their house where she and Goku used to take walks together before their life and been interrupted by the arrival of Raditz all those years ago. Walking along a path that ran through the center of the glade, she watched as a pair of swallow tailed butterflies floated past her and landed on a nearby wild rose bush. Smiling slightly as she watched the butterflies fold and unfold their wings while they sipped the nectar from the flowers of the bush, a sudden movement and flash of orange caught the corner of her eye. Turning abruptly, she saw…him, standing not even five feet from her with his back turned towards her. Sensing tears start to swim at the corners of her eyes, she hastily brushed them aside as she picked up her skirt and closed the distance between herself and her husband.

 

Running towards him with her hair flying behind her, she bounded over to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling relief that she could touch him and feel the softness of his muscles compared to the steel that composed the rest of his frame. He was real, not some vision or figment of her imagination. And when she felt his hands grip hers, she held onto him even tighter than before.

 

Without warning, she felt him push her arms away as he spun around, returning the embrace she had just given him. Closing her eyes, she pushed her face onto his chest and let him cradle her against his body as he rubbed her back gently. Even though he had angered her with his decision, even though she had felt used and abandoned, just having him there in front of her where she could see him and touch him was enough to make almost all of her previous unharmonious thoughts towards him disappear.

 

“G…Goku. Goku!”

 

She tried to speak against his chest, but before she could say anything more besides his name, Goku's hands on her body stilled slightly before he pulled her even closer towards his enveloping warmth.

 

“I'm sorry Chi-Chi.”

 

“It's fine, it's fine. Now that you're back, everything is going to be fine. You don't have to be sorry. I'm just happy…just happy that you've come back to your family. Just don't…don't leave us again like that. I couldn't bear it and neither could Gohan.”

 

She mumbled her thoughts against the soft fabric of his orange gi. Yet as soon as she finished saying those words, Goku let go of her and stepped away, causing her to stumble slightly before catching her balance. Straightening up, she glanced over to where had walked, creating a safe distance between the two of them.

 

“No Chi-Chi, it isn't fine. And, well…you have to get over me. That's what you need to do. I mean, I'm glad that you can forgive me like that, but…you aren't thinking clearly.” With that said, Goku scratched the back of his uncertainly; watching her warily so see what she would do, no doubt.

 

With her frustration growing, Chi-Chi once again found herself closing the gap that separated the two of them until her toes were almost touching his.

 

“What do you mean I'm not thinking clearly? You belong here with Gohan and myself, not on some adventure. You have a family to think about Goku, a family! And whether I like it or not, I…I love you, you big ox!”

 

It was true. Every word that she uttered was completely true and she would take him back no matter how many times he broke her heart with his somewhat thoughtless actions. And maybe, if she pounded it into his thick head, he might finally get the idea. Yet somehow, what she was thinking rang hollowly within her. She did love him, but…she let her thoughts drift off. Refocusing her gaze on him, she once again found herself wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, trying to ignore the uneasiness in her heart that told her the thoughts she had about him might not be completely honest.

 

Goku seemed to have other ideas in his head when it came to her, though. Grabbing her arms, he pushed her away from his body, and then moved his arms to her shoulders.

 

Looking upward into his dark chocolate eyes, she didn't understand why he was being so stubborn. Why couldn't he just come back to her and Gohan? Why?

 

“Chi-Chi, you need to wake up.” Shaking her shoulders, it was if he was trying to snap her out of some sort of stupor, yet she was completely aware of what was going on around her. Struggling against his gentle shaking, she tried to convey that she didn't want him to leave.

 

“No Goku, you're the one that needs to wake up! I need you, don't you see? Why can't you see that?”

 

“Chi-Chi, you don't need me. You have somebody else watching out for you. And even if they weren't, you've always been able to take care of things because…because you're strong like that. I would just get in the way. So snap out of it and wake up.”

 

She did not want to wake up, nor did she feel as though she were the one that needed the reality check. In a moment of desperation, she pushed herself forward and closed her eyes, deciding the best way to convey her feelings for him was by giving him a kiss. Yet as soon as their lips met, the hollowness from before returned full force. And instead of picturing herself in an intimate embrace with Goku, her mind conjured up an image of the least likely person she could ever picture herself kissing. Startled by the image, she let out a muffled shriek and snapped open her eyes only to find herself…

 

Back on the living room couch with somebody towering over her frame. Letting out a blood-curdling scream, she tried to push herself away from the creature that was cloaked in darkness from the lengthening shadows of early evening, but it had its talons firmly entrenched into the soft flesh of her upper arms. Wriggling her body back and forth, she somehow tried to break free but whatever was holding onto her was stronger than she was. Giving into desperation, she closed her eyes and started to beg.

 

“Let me go, I beg of you! I'll give you anything that you want, just don't hurt me or my son.”

 

And just like that, her arms were free. Shocked that it had been that simple, she snapped her eyelids opened and looked at her attacker only to realize in embarrassment who exactly had been holding her against the couch.

 

“I…Piccolo?”

 

Blinking owlishly, she looked at the tall Namek as he straightened out his body and crossed his arms. It was obvious to her that he was upset, since his body was extremely rigid and the growl that erupted from his throat was anything but pleasant. Wondering exactly what she had done, her dream flooded back to her, giving her a sudden feeling of insight that wasn't particularly welcome. She hadn't tried to…

 

A blush was starting to spread across her cheeks as she thought about what transpired between her sleeping self and the fully conscious Namek standing in front of her. Letting her morbid curiosity get the better of her, she decided to ask him.

 

“Umm, nothing happened between you and me when I was asleep, did it?”

 

Hearing a surprised grunt, she watched as Piccolo shook his head in the negative.

 

“Nothing…happened, unless you count the fact that you tried kicking me when I attempted to wake you up. Gods above, you're like a she-devil when you sleep.”

 

Letting out a sigh of relief that she hadn't realized she was holding in, she began to relax. Comprehending that she must have fallen asleep, the time of day suddenly made itself apparent to her. She must have been out of it for hours before Piccolo came in to check on her if it was already almost dark. Seeing that he was standing close to the light switch on the opposite wall, she politely asked him if he would turn it on so that she wouldn't trip over anything on her way to the kitchen. He complied with her request without saying anything, and when he turned back towards her, she got a good look at his face, which told her more than words ever could.

 

There was a deep, purplish mark starting to become visible along his lower jaw line. To top it all off, there was no mistaking the heavier pigmentation that spread across his nose and upper cheekbones. It was slightly surprising to realize that Piccolo was physically able to manifest the feeling of embarrassment through a blush, something she had never really thought about. Yet the evidence was right in front of her to see, as clear as daylight. This only made Chi-Chi more introspective. She had to have done something to Piccolo in her sleep, to make him look like that beyond just socking him in the jaw.

 

Putting aside her own embarrassment and her residual discomfort of being near the Namek, Chi-Chi slowly stood up from where she was seated and shuffled towards where Piccolo was still standing uncomfortably near the entrance that lead to the kitchen. Pushing down her own uneasiness, she gently grabbed hold of one of Piccolo's arms and started moving towards the kitchen.

 

Her actions obviously both surprised and confused her houseguest because the moment she touched his arm and started to walk, he balked and planted his feet firmly onto the boards of the wooden floor.

 

“Wh…what do you think you're doing?”

 

Rolling her eyes at him in exasperation, she found herself letting go of him and crossing her own arms, mirroring Piccolo's appearance.

 

“I don't know, maybe I was going to try to fix the boo-boo on your jaw. Or maybe I was going to pull you into the kitchen so that I could turn you into Piccolo stew for supper. Whatever the reason, I can't believe you're afraid of following me into the next room!”

 

She observed as the blush on his face slowly started to spread downward while the frown he was wearing deepened visibly. Obviously, she had inadvertently fallen onto a touchy subject with the man standing in front of her, though why it was touchy was still a mystery.

 

“What makes you think I'm afraid of following you into the next room? Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?”

 

As if to prove her wrong, he stepped around where she was standing and forcefully moved himself into the kitchen, turning on the light as he made his entrance. Walking behind him, she motioned him towards the table and then told him to sit down. She could tell that he wasn't happy about being given an order, but instead of arguing with her about it, he did as he was told which surprised Chi-Chi somewhat, although it probably shouldn't have. The last couple of months since he had visibly become a part of her household had slowly begun to show her a side to Piccolo that she had never expected, so focused on her prejudices and grudges that she held against him from the past. However, just as her son had discovered the complexities behind Piccolo's character, she was also starting to find out exactly what kind of person he was.

 

Mentally shaking her head, she walked over to a drawer and pulled out an old dishtowel. Gathering a plastic baggy, she went to the refrigerator and pulled some ice cubes out of the freezer, placing them inside the baggy that she then wrapped within the dishtowel. Stepping over to where Piccolo was grouchily seated, staring moodily out the window, she placed the makeshift ice pack against his injured jaw. At the contact, she observed Piccolo's adam's apple bob nervously, while the skin around his face visibly flinched. She supposed it had to do with how cold the ice must have felt against his heated flesh, but she was puzzled as to why his body language was giving off the clear sign that he was uncomfortable with how close she was to him.

 

Feeling irritated with him for acting so fidgety and uncomfortable and with herself for taking offense over his behavior, she was about to drop the icepack away from his jaw in annoyance when Piccolo's arm shot up and his hand wrapped around her wrist.

 

Suddenly, Chi-Chi felt like she was the one who was uncomfortable and nervous. Gulping, she found her eyes glued to Piccolo's as he held onto her wrist firmly. Unconsciously, she took a step forward until her legs brushed up against his. It was at that exact moment when reality seemed to rear its head with Piccolo, because he dropped her arm as though it were a red-hot poker. Catching the ice pack as it fell towards the table, he put it back against his jaw and then averted his gaze from where she was standing, giving the clear sign that whatever moment had passed between the two of them was clearly over with. Still unsure as to what was transpiring between the two of them, Chi-Chi retreated and walked over to the kitchen sink, opening the window to cool off the room that was decidedly warm for reasons Chi-Chi didn't clearly understand.

 

Perhaps part of her discomfort lay with the fact that she seldom spent any time alone with Piccolo, mostly because Gohan was usually always present when the two of them interacted. However, she had a feeling that the reason Piccolo was acting so strangely had to do with whatever had transpired between them when he had attempted to wake her up from her dream about Goku. And if she were honest with herself, she also was embarrassed about that dream, especially the part that had occurred right before she had woken up.

 

Pushing all that to the side, Chi-Chi decided a change in subject was in order to lift the oppressive atmosphere surrounding herself and the other occupant of her small kitchen. Making sure not to look at Piccolo, Chi-Chi went back to the refrigerator to pull out items needed for the evening meal when she addressed him.

 

“Where is Gohan?”

 

She could hear the chair creak that Piccolo was sitting on, indicating he was shifting positions before his deep voice broke the silence between them as she continued to pull food out of the refrigerator.

 

“He decided to go for a swim after we finished training, taking advantage of the overly hot weather.”

 

Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Chi-Chi closed the refrigerator door with her elbow and then dumped the food in her arms onto the counter, making sure nothing rolled off onto the floor. Once again, she pulled open a drawer, taking out a knife to cut up the vegetables she had in front of her. Setting up her cutting board, she started to rhythmically chop them up, dicing them into small, bite size chunks as she thought of something else to say, while she also wondered why Piccolo had come back to the house by himself.

 

“To make sure you hadn't accidentally killed yourself. Why else do you think I would have come?”

 

Chewing on her lip, she wanted to hit herself for accidentally letting her thoughts spill out in the open. She secretly thanked Kami that she hadn't said something even stupider in front of him as she moved her cut up vegetables to the side.

 

“Thank you for your concern Piccolo, but I'm sure you've noticed how I've been taking better care of myself. You didn't have to come here by yourself, since I know being around me makes you uncomfortable.”

 

She didn't know why she felt compelled to take a jab at him, but for some perverse reason, she found that she enjoyed irritating Piccolo. Well, that wasn't quite true. It was more that she enjoyed arguing with him about something pointless because he was so unlike Goku in the fact that he didn't like backing down unless he found the conversation to be completely irrelevant. When the conversation was directed at him, he hardly ever turned down the opportunity to point out how flawed her ideas where when they concerned him. And in this case, it was her method to take away from the lingering discomfort over whatever had happened between the two of them in the living room.

 

With that thought, she was about to bend over to take out her giant stockpot when something grabbed her arm and stopped her from moving. Stilling her movements, it took her a second to realize that Piccolo was no longer seated at the table. Instead, he was standing directly behind her, and the sudden sensation of butterflies in her stomach asserted itself.

 

“I'll get it,” Piccolo muttered, his warm breath running over the shell of her right ear.

 

With that said, he let go of her arm, pulling away and giving her enough space to let him in front of the cupboards underneath her kitchen counter. He opened the cupboard door and pulled out the pot, putting it on the counter next to her pile of vegetables before he backed away and then sat himself back down at the table.

 

Looking at him with visibly widened eyes, her thoughts started to run rampant.

 

What was it about him that was so unnerving as of late? This wasn't the first time that she felt uncomfortable for other reasons besides the fact that he used to be Piccolo Daimo. It was as though sometimes he had no idea about how to keep a proper distance from her, his body inadvertently invading her personal space. And sometimes, like just now, it felt as though he were intentionally doing so, just like a man who wanted to show his interest in a girl would do. But that didn't make any sense, especially considering it was Piccolo she was dealing with.

 

She remembered asking Goku long ago why it was that Piccolo never seemed interested in being with someone like she was with him. He had explained to her, albeit in a very embarrassed manner, that Piccolo had no desire to bond with somebody in that way because there was no necessity for him to do so. Therefore, his interaction with her couldn't be based on that. It was more probable that he knew how he could unnerve with his close proximity, so he used it as a strategy to intimidate her or prove a point. However, that didn't explain her…her reaction to him, and that was what was making her so uneasy around him.

 

“Are you sure I'm the one that's uncomfortable? It seems to me that you're the one with the issues, not me.”

 

Huffing at him, she moved her unease in the direction of anger, tossing the vegetables into the pot with vengeance. Lately, she had started to think of him as a kind-hearted individual beneath his harsh exterior, but then he would do something to prove just what an ass he truly was. And if there was anything that Chi-Chi absolutely did not like, it was being made the object of some sort of inside joke, which seemed to be a recurring habit with Piccolo. No matter how far she had come in tolerating his continued presence in and around her home, he would say something to her that would make her temporarily forget the kind feelings she was developing towards him in her heart. Walking the pot over to the sink, she started to fill it with water before she turned around to face his smirking countenance.

 

“Oh really? So that's why you were acting so nervous when I tried pulling you into the kitchen and you were blushing like some youth who had finally received their first kiss?”

 

She didn't know what possessed her to say that to him, but it was out of her mouth before she could stop it and the comment did not slide past Piccolo's overly large ears.

 

Grimacing at her, he stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back with such force that it fell over onto its back with a resounding thud.

 

“Are you implying that I did something to you of which I am ashamed? Is that what you're trying to say?”

 

Putting her hands on her hips, she glared back at him, suddenly caught up in a ridiculous argument that really made absolutely no sense when it all came down to it. However, that was the pull she felt whenever she was around Piccolo, and for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from entering into a fight with him.

 

“Maybe I am! I mean, normal people don't…they don't lurk around other people's houses in the dark and tower over them when they are asleep unless they mean to do something sinister!”

 

She knew her comments were completely out of line and they made absolutely no sense whatsoever, yet instead of scoffing at her argument and telling her she had no idea what she was talking about, Piccolo only seemed to become more agitated then before. Walking around the table, he came around so that he was standing directly in front of her, making it necessary for her to crane her head up just so she could look into his angry face.

 

“For God's sake, listen to yourself! I don't know what it is about you Chi-Chi, but you have the most irritating habit of saying things without thinking them through. Why would I harm you, or…or kiss you? It's ridiculous!”

 

“I don't know! But if something didn't happen between you and me in the living room, why are you acting so embarrassed about it? Why can't you just tell me what I did?”

 

He took a few steps back, and let in a breath before he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

 

“Why would you even want to know? I told you that nothing happened besides the fact that you were yelling about Goku and you punched me in the face when I tried to wake you up, so just leave it at that.”

 

Without another word, he sidestepped her and shut the water off, which was currently spilling out over the top of her stockpot and into the basin of the sink. Tipping the pot to the side, he drained some of the water off and then picked the heavy container up for her, putting it on the stove.

 

“I don't know how to work that thing, so you had better do it unless you want your house to explode into a burning inferno.”

 

She didn't know if he was attempting to lighten the situation with a stupid joke or not, since he was hard to read most of the time, but she nodded her head and tried to stop thinking about why she was so interested in finding out what she had done in her sleep, which Piccolo obviously did not want to confide in her about. He was most likely right anyway. Why would she want to know? It wasn't like it was that important to begin with. Stepping over to where he was standing impatiently, she turned the burner the pot was sitting on to high in order to bring the water to a boil.

 

“I apologize Piccolo. I shouldn't have implied such a…such a thing. I know that you were just trying to keep your promise to look out for Gohan and me. Sometimes, I get a little carried away.”

 

Peeking up at him, she noticed he was still watching her, but his face had softened and he almost looked…peaceful, she supposed. Taking her hand, she gingerly touched the bruise forming on his jaw, satisfied when he didn't flinch away from her ministration.

 

“I'm sorry for this too. Does it…does it hurt much?”

 

He shook his head no before he once again grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from his face. But just like before, he didn't let go right away and it looked like he was also trying to puzzle through something in his mind, something about her.

 

She didn't fully understand why, but there was a sensation of heat slowly creeping down her body the longer he held onto her wrist. It was…comforting, and the fact that the comfort was coming from Piccolo surprised her. She had always assumed the worst about him, even when he had shown her over and over again during the time that he had trained with Goku and Gohan before the Android invasion that he wasn't really that way anymore. However, it was difficult for her to let up on her preconceived notions about his personality and who he was as an individual besides the demon he had been when he had tried to kill Goku during the 23rd Tenka-ichi BudÅkai. Yet here she was, sharing a space in her small kitchen with him while he held onto her wrist. It was bizarre, yet it was starting to feel right having him here in her home. And that thought was somewhat scary, with its veiled meaning.

 

“Mom, Piccolo? Is everything okay?”

 

Snapping back to reality, she felt Piccolo slowly drop her wrist as he gently backed away from where they were standing in front of the kitchen stove. Glancing over to where Gohan was standing in the kitchen door, his wet hair hanging limply around her face, she smiled at him.

 

“Everything's fine. Piccolo was just helping me out in the kitchen. Why don't you take a quick shower and then head back downstairs? Dinner will be ready in about a half an hour.”

 

With that said, Gohan nodded his head and raced out of the kitchen and up to his room, leaving her alone once more with the enigma known as Piccolo.

 

“Are you…are you going to stay for supper? Gohan would probably like that. You know how he is.”

 

That was the truth, but for some reason, it wasn't so much Gohan's like for his mentor and teacher that prompted her to ask him to stay, but rather the fact that she wouldn't mind the company of having another adult around. It did get rather lonely around the house with just her and Gohan.

 

Unfortunately, Piccolo seemed to have other plans. Shaking his head no, he walked towards the kitchen doorway, stopping at the entrance.

 

“I'll have to turn you down. Anyway, you know your food would be wasted on me since I don't eat like a human does.”

 

“I know that Piccolo, but that wasn't why I…”

 

His chuckle interrupted her sentence. Pursing her lips, she watched as he smiled, something she had rarely, if ever seen him do.

 

“I understand Chi-Chi, but I have…have things to sort out. So I'm going to have leave it at that. Tell the kid I said good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

With that, he stepped out of the door, closing it softly behind him, leaving her alone with her thoughts about what was happening to her and Gohan and how Piccolo was somehow becoming intertwined with her family.

 

* * *

 

Piccolo relaxed against his favorite tree near the Son household, his legs and arms crossed as he watched the house in the deepening night. He could see the kitchen light through the window, spilling soft light out onto the grass below it. If he looked carefully enough, he could make out the shadows of Chi-Chi and Gohan as they moved about, most likely cleaning up after themselves from the meal Chi-Chi had made.

 

He regretted not taking Chi-Chi up on her invitation, but there was a reason why he had decided not to linger within the house itself and that reason happened to be Chi-Chi. His thoughts about her were starting to become jumbled and convoluted, the clear delineations and assumptions he had made about her as he watched her interaction with both Goku and Gohan becoming skewed. And to top everything else off, he was starting to feel a resonance with her beyond just an accepted tolerance that he had to help her out for the sake of Gohan. He was beginning to actually like being around the aggressive harridan, and it made absolutely no sense to him.

 

To make matters worse, he couldn't understand the pull she was having on him. He was starting to feel differently around her than any other person he had ever met, including Gohan. No matter how hard he tried to hide his growing sense of…of something for her, it wouldn't leave him alone, prompting him to check up on her when she was alone and Gohan wasn't anywhere around. At first, it had started as part of his promise to make sure she was taking care of herself, but it slowly was beginning to change. Today wasn't the first time where he had found himself in her house, observing her while she slept. Growling under his breath, he wanted to lash out at Kami for making him so damn soft hearted. Ugh, it was…it was disgusting! Yet deep down inside, he knew that he really didn't think that way.

 

Expelling a deep breath, he glanced up at the stars and tried to puzzle through the most confusing and most intense interaction he had had with Chi-Chi up to this point. Her ridiculous dream.

 

He had decided to check up around the house after leaving Gohan at the lake. Finding the lights off, he could feel a strange sense of apprehension within the pit of his stomach. Not liking the sensation, he'd entered into her house only to find her sprawled across the living room sofa in a deep sleep, her limbs twitching randomly. And then she had started to yell. He hadn't really understood anything she was saying, except for when she yelled Goku's name. Deciding it was probably best to wake her up, he had stepped between her and the coffee table, grabbing hold of her shoulders and shaking her to try and wake her up. And that's when it happened.

 

She had grabbed his face and pulled it in towards her own. He had been so shocked by her actions that he hadn't moved away in time to avoid…avoid her lips against his own. Even though he was a Namekian, he had been around humans long enough to know what it was she was doing to him in her sleep, and that thought unnerved him completely. Kissing somebody…that held a significant meaning. He understood that she had been dreaming, but that sensation…he had never felt anything like it before. In all honesty, he shouldn't have had any reaction whatsoever. None. But that hadn't been the case at all. It was like some connection was made, and not one of his making or choosing. He didn't know what it signified, and so he had the intention of putting it firmly in the back of his mind. Yet is wasn't that easy because for some reason, he was making a link with that moment and his growing appreciation for Chi-Chi.

 

Growling in frustration, he closed his eyes and concentrated on meditating. He was out here to take care of Gohan and watch over Chi-Chi, nothing more. Whatever had happened inside the house tonight had been an unintentional accident, one that Chi-Chi hadn't even been aware she was doing. There was no sense in thinking about it or her for that matter, end of story.

 

However, no matter how many times he tried to tell himself that, he couldn't keep his thoughts centered on his mediation. Instead, his mind kept wondering back to Chi-Chi. This whole damn excursion had started out as a way to help her cope with the loss of Goku, but somehow, and Piccolo wasn't sure why, it was changing into something different. And all it was doing was leaving him more confused then ever about his own responses towards a particular female he hadn't even liked to begin with.

 

Well, this chapter developed a bit differently than how I had it mapped out. I tried to keep Piccolo and Chi-Chi as in character as possible. Please let me know what you think through a review.