Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ When It Rains ❯ When It Rains 02 ( Chapter 2 )

No real warnings in this chapter but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me. So don't sue.

When it Rains

By: Kaineko

Chapter 02

Goku winced as he spit out a mixture of blood and dirt. If he didn't know better, he'd swear that a few of his teeth had been knocked loose by that last hit. He blinked several times to clear the grit from his burning, watery eyes. Through his hazy tears he could barely make out Vegeta floating above him, no doubt waiting for him to attack, thus signaling the resumption of the fight. Instead he stood there watching the blurry silhouette of the prince intently through the unsettled dust. He realized that he had been slacking off in the last half hour of their spar. He should have never been caught by a blast that obvious. A sense of shame welled up within him, and he wanted to apologize to the Ouji for his less than stellar performance. It seemed he always had some inherent duty to his prince to give his very best. And he had started failing miserably. Truthfully, he knew the reason for his slacking was that he was a bit distracted by hunger to actually put up a worthy fight. He'd been feeling the tell-tell pains for a while, but his love for a battle against Vegeta and his reluctance to end his physical interaction with the Prince, seemed to sustain him and outweigh the dull ache in his stomach. It seems that now his base need to consume enormous amounts of food had overtaken even his desire for battle.

As the dust finally settled completely, and his burning eyes became focused, he could see Vegeta clearly. He started at the way his opponent was looking down at him. It wasn't with annoyance, like he would have expected, but it was more like the prince was analyzing him. They both remained still, holding each other's gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Goku tried to swallow past the thick lump that had formed. He had to fight the urge to shift nervously under the scrutiny. Vegeta had a way of seeing through his exterior to his very soul. It was a place that few people ever got the chance to see and he was certain that he wanted to keep it that way. He just didn't trust anyone enough to let them see into him, not even his wife of so many years. There were just too many things about himself that he didn't think anyone else would understand. He had too many years of practice hiding behind a happy mask and he wasn't ready to be exposed now. The very thought of someone removing it, especially Vegeta, and viewing Son Goku for what he actually was scared the tall warrior like no enemy ever could. He was sorely losing his battle to remain calm as he fidgeted nervously. Intimidation and anxiety fluttered through him under the hawk-like stare, and he abruptly broke eye contact with the Ouji. He took a moment to compose himself before he signaled for Vegeta to land, thus calling an end to their spar.

***

Vegeta floated several feet above the ground. He had just delivered a particularly forceful, but nonetheless obvious ki blast to the other warrior, knocking him from the air to spiral downward into the ground. He watched through the settling dust particles as Kakarrot pulled himself from an oddly shaped hole in the barren earth. Vegeta knew that something was off with his fellow Saiyan. It was especially apparent since he hadn't been able to dodge such an apparent blast. His mind came up with a million scathing remarks he could say about the man's lack of skill as a fighter or something equally derisive, but he just couldn't bring himself to utter the words.

He narrowed his eyes scrutinizing the golden haired man that became visible as the dust particles finally settled back to the ground. They had been sparring nonstop for hours and he wasn't anywhere near ready to stop. Though there were no visible indications, his body was practically tingling with the overwhelming feeling of exhilaration that the other warrior always seemed to give him. He couldn't understand why, but Kakarrot could make his blood boil with excitement and force him to new heights of battle lust. He had the uncanny knack of bringing out the extremes in people…either the best, or the worst. The Saiyan prince was no stranger to either extreme and he often cursed Kakarrot for being the one to affect him in such a way.

Kakarrot wasn't well versed in matters of intellect, but if ever there was something the man wanted to achieve, nothing could stand in his way. Not even the most ruthless, maniacal tyrants had a snowball's chance in hell of stopping him. Though many had come close, none had ever succeeded. He always fought with a dogged determination that Vegeta had seen in no human and relatively few Saiyans. You had to admire a man that not even death could hold. Vegeta himself had tried and failed so many times, to bring the indomitable warrior to his knees. It frustrated him to no end that he would seemingly never surpass the man's undying will and sheer good fortune.

The Ouji caught Kakarrot's gaze, his analysis of the other man never waning. The earth-raised Saiyan was truly an enigma that Vegeta had secretly been trying to figure out for years. The first time they battled, the prince had sorely outclassed Kakarrot's strength and skills as a warrior. Only Kakarrot's freaky luck and his emotional brat had led to Vegeta's defeat. As if that weren't bad enough, when they met again only about a month or so later on Namek, their roles had completely reversed. It had taken Vegeta 3 years and a near death experience to even catch up to the other warrior's level of power. He had never understood the dynamics of Kakarrot's motivation. The younger warrior seemed to derive strength from helping others, or fighting for others. His selflessness was so distinctly un-Saiyan, yet it allowed him to tap into his very Saiyan powers. His emotions were like catalysts for his power. He seemed to pull them in and fuse them with his intrinsic Saiyan nature to create something more powerful than ever thought possible. He could always achieve things that the Prince couldn't and he always seemed to be one step ahead of Vegeta. The Ouji should have been resentful. And for a long time he had been…bitterly so. But somewhere over the years, at a point Vegeta couldn't place, his feeling of resentment faltered and was slowly replaced with one of mutual respect and anticipated challenge.

That caused him to think of his own strength and accomplishments. As much as he hated to admit it, Kakarrot seemed to be the driving force behind most things that Vegeta achieved…Mainly his ascension to Super Saiyan and beyond. He sometimes wondered if he had never met Kakarrot, would he have ever attained the powers he currently possessed. He hated to admit it, but deep down inside he knew that he would probably have never ascended to anywhere near his current level. He wondered briefly what his life would have been like if he'd never encountered the earth-raised Saiyan. A shiver ran through his spine at the thought. He'd probably be dead by now…or wishing he were. Frieza wasn't exactly known for his mercy.

Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, he realized that he wasn't at all disappointed by the way things had turned out. This was apparent by the fact that though he could travel anywhere in the universe that he wanted, he chose to stay on Earth. There really was nothing out there for him. His arch nemesis was long gone, and thus he was free to live out the rest of his life any way he chose. Maybe one day he'd get the urge to travel the galaxy, but for now, Earth was his home. It was the first place that he'd been able to call that since the destruction of Vegetasai. And he no longer felt guilty for calling it so. He'd been given a chance for a life where he was free to do his own bidding, and he very much intended to do so.

Vegeta's thoughts returned to the other warrior as he watched Goku fidget nervously, before looking away and signaling for him to land. He wondered briefly at the nervousness before dismissing the thought completely. It was obvious that the spar was over, so he landed next to Goku pulling off his bloody gloves that were missing several fingers and allowing his own golden mane to fade black.

"Finished already Kakarrot? Was I too much for you?"

"Nah…I'm just a bit hungry. Let's stop for lunch."

"Do you ever think of anything besides your stomach, Baka?"

Goku smiled sheepishly. "Gomen Vegeta. I had a really small breakfast this morning. Chichi was gone when I got up and there wasn't much food in the house. She must've gone shopping, because I pretty much cleaned out what was left in the pantries."

"Hm…whatever. I guess we could take a short break. But after that we resume our spar." He said, feeling slight hunger pains in his own stomach. Goku nodded and they both flew back to Capsule Corp to grab a quick lunch.

***

Bulma was a bit startled when she walked into her office and saw a man there she'd never seen before. He was sitting behind the secretary's desk writing something on a piece of paper. As he looked up his beautiful crystal blue/green eyes caught her breath, sending her into a daze reminiscent of her teenage years. An awkward moment of silence filled the air, before she regained her bearings and stepped completely inside.

"May I help you?" She asked the handsome stranger.

The man stood up smiling warmly and walked around the desk. Bulma took another moment to completely view this fine specimen of a man. His smile was warm, friendly and inviting. His perfectly straight, white teeth seemed to gleam in the sunlight that filtered through the window. Now that he was standing it was easy to see that he stood well over 6 feet tall, and his perfectly proportionate muscular frame revealed much time spent in a gym. His dark silky hair fell in short, loose waves perfectly framing his handsome face and giving a startling contrast to the translucency of his eye color. His creamy tanned skin looked as smooth as that of a newborn baby and glowed with a healthy vibrancy. He was positively gorgeous, giving new meaning to the term tall, dark, and handsome. She briefly toyed with the idea that he was one of the models for a new Capsule Corp commercial, but immediately dismissed the thought. It's not that he couldn't have been one. It's just that he wouldn't have a reason to be in her office.

Ian immediately recognized his potential employer when she walked into the room. She was a famous woman after all, and he'd seen her on television and in newspapers many times.

"Ms. Briefs. I'm Ian Mori." He said pausing a moment to give her a chance to recall his name. When she didn't seem to realize who he was, he added, "We have a 10:30 meeting this morning…about the Assistant position." Realization finally shone on Bulma's face. She glanced at her clock noting that it was just before 10:30.

"Oh, yes. It's nice to meet you." She said walking to the small table across the room. She vaguely wondered what he was doing at her secretary's desk. As if reading her thoughts he said, "The phone rang and since no one was here to answer it, I took the liberty. I hope you don't mind." He said flashing her that oh so charming smile again.

She had to get a hold of herself before she melted into a puddle on the floor. The man was just that gorgeous.

"Mind...? Oh not at all." Bulma was actually rather impressed by his initiative.

"I took a message. It was Allied Chemical Corporation calling about a 2:30 meeting with Dr. Eito Tashi."

Bulma took the slip of paper that he was holding toward her, broken from his mesmerizing eyes as she rushed over toward the phone.

"Oh I forgot all about that. I can barely keep my appointments straight without an assistant. I need to call her back right away, please excuse me." She said over her shoulder, seemingly all in one breath.

Her back was facing Ian while she confirmed the appointment. After she hung up, she turned around to face him again. She'd been so engrossed in her conversation that she hadn't even noticed the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee until she turned around. Talk about initiative. He was only there for an interview and he had already made himself useful.

"Would you like a cup?" he asked holding up an empty mug.

"Hm…" she said a bit startled to find him looking at her again, with that irresistible smile.

"Coffee…would you like me to make you a cup?"

She smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, 2 sugars and no cream."

He handed her a steaming cup of coffee and she smiled. 'So far so good. This may be the one.' She thought. 'Now lets see what else he has going for him other than good looks and resourcefulness.'

"Please come into my office so we can talk."

Ian followed Bulma into the lushly furnished executive suite. The walls of glass shelving and the large plate glass windows gave the room a modern feel, while the solid wood desk and hardwood floors were a more traditional touch. The two styles blended well creating a very inviting, comfortable environment.

"Have a seat." She said motioning to the plush leather chair that she'd draped her blazer across earlier.

"So Ian…" she said taking her own seat across from him, "…tell me a little about yourself and why you want to work for Capsule Corp."

***

Almost an hour had passed and it was safe to say that this guy was a definite winner. She flipped through his thick portfolio noting that he was a certified executive assistant, with over 8 years experience, 4 of which were in a technical/scientific environment. She really couldn't have asked for more. He proved to be smart, friendly, and he seemed to have his head together. Maybe Dende had actually been listening she thought. She'd have to thank her long time friend when she got the chance.

"Well Ian. You definitely are qualified for the position and I must say that I'm more than impressed with your skill and qualifications. How soon can you start?"

He smiled brightly. "Immediately."

"Good because I need someone immediately. I want you to start tomorrow morning at 8:00. On your way out, stop by the Human Resources department to fill out some forms."

Ian nodded again and they both stood.

Bulma walked around her desk and shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to Capsule Corp Ian."

"Thank you Ms. Briefs."

"Bulma…call me Bulma. I insist."

He nodded, "Thank you Bulma." He said as she escorted him back out.

Thank Kami…or perhaps Dende. She finally found someone to fill the vacant position. He had a lot going for him and was extremely handsome to boot.

'Damn, now that was a man. Too bad I don't believe in office romance,' Bulma thought. 'Maybe I should have dated him instead of hired him.' She smiled at the thought before dismissing it. She was just glad that he was so qualified to fill the position. He was smart, witty, and self-motivated. All qualities she'd been looking for.

Glancing over at the clock, she noticed it was nearing lunchtime. She grabbed her crumpled jacket from the back of Ian's chair, frowning slightly at its condition, before heading out the office. She hated eating in restaurants alone, so she decided to eat at home. She'd have just enough time to make it there, relax for a while and make it back before her meeting. On her way out, she stopped in the research lab to arrange to have some new chemical samples delivered to the boardroom. She'd need them when she returned to headquarters for her meeting with Allied Chemical Corporation.

***

Chichi walked into the East District Bank with a small briefcase in her hand. She had gotten up extra early that morning because she had some business to take care of. After signing in she took a seat and waited to speak with a finance advisor. Only a few minutes had passed when a young woman with long brown hair and overly large eyes approached her.

"Mrs. Son, please come this way." The woman said gesturing toward a section of offices. Chichi stood, clutching the small attaché case and followed her into the office. She took a seat across the desk, noting the name plaque with 'Marian Ellis' written in elegant script.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mrs. Son?" Marian asked, breaking the silence.

Chichi shook her head negatively. "No thank you. I have some other business I need to get done this morning, and I don't have a lot of time. If you don't mind I'd like to just get this over with." She said opening the case and taking out several documents.

"Of course. What can I do for you today?"

"I'd like to withdraw all of the money from my current account and move it into a new account. Here are my current account numbers and identification." She said passing the documents to Marian.

The advisor gave her a puzzled look before taking the proffered papers. Though the request wasn't completely unheard of, it was just not an everyday request. Normally people only did that to hide money, which was no doubt her client's intention. When the account information finally appeared on the screen, she gasped.

"Is there a problem?" Chichi asked.

"No Mrs. Son. But…"

"But what?" She asked starting to get annoyed by the younger woman's ineptness.

"According to our records, your account balance is over 2,000,000 Zeni." (+)

The account was jointly listed under Goku and Chichi Son. So logically her client was trying to hide the money from her husband. Marian felt it was more than a bit amoral to close an account without both owners present, but bank policy didn't require both owners to consent. She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"That's correct, and I want it all transferred to a new account." The iciness in her voice brooked no arguments. She had other things to do, and she didn't feel like getting into an argument with the bank advisor. She was well within her rights, since she was listed as a joint owner of the account. Besides, she had a good reason for what she was doing, but she didn't feel obligated to justify herself to anyone, let alone Marian. It was really none of the young woman's business anyway.

Noting the disdain in her client's voice, Marian decided to just do what was requested. "Yes ma'am." She said, beginning the funds transfer process.

***

Bulma pulled up outside of her mansion. The building had once been the headquarters for CC as well as her home, but with the company's exponential growth, they had relocated to downtown West City. They still used the offices for Research and Development of the Cybertronics line and other smaller projects, but all business was handled at the new headquarters. Bulma of course still retained her private lab at the building, which is where she prefers to work. Things were so much simpler if she always had proper equipment on hand in case she suddenly had a brainstorm.

She hopped out of the metallic burgundy sports car and encapsulated it before walking up to the building. The day had turned out pretty good, despite its less than stellar start and she was very excited about her new employee. She just hoped her 2:30 meeting with the vultures from ACC didn't dampen her mood. She shook her head at the thought, refusing to allow anything to ruin the way she felt. Inside the entry hall, she laid her keys and capsule car on the small table and immediately went toward the kitchen. She entered to be greeted by a familiar sight. Goku and Vegeta were stuffing their faces with Saiyan abandon. They were wolfing down everything in sight, like food would be banned tomorrow.

"Hey guys." She said greeting the two Saiyan warriors. She only received a grunt from the arrogant prince, though she really hadn't expected more. Goku, however, paused momentarily in his chewing and looked up. Smiling around a mouthful of food and pointing to a chair next to him he said, "Hey Bumfa…sif don n jon ufs."

She laughed at his antics, watching as he returned to his food. Gladly accepting the invitation, she pulled off her jacket and draped it across the back of her chair. It was way too warm in the house and she made a mental note to have maintenance adjust the cooling system. Plopping down in the chair she took a couple slices of pizza from one of the few boxes that miraculously still remained untouched. She glanced around her normally spotless kitchen at all the empty pizza box carcasses that littered the floor. It's a good thing she arrived when she did, or there wouldn't have been any left.

"So Vegeta…no cooking today?" She asked.

It had become a sort of ritual with the two full-blooded Saiyans. They would spar all morning before coming back to Capsule Corp. to eat. Normally Vegeta would cook, figuring that to be one skill the other warrior lacked. It seemed almost laughable to him. He was in fact the Saiyan prince, and here he was cooking lunch for a low class warrior. His father would definitely be turning over in his grave. Though he found the task menial, he still did it. There really was no other choice. When Dr. Briefs had retired, he and Mrs. Briefs moved to a house outside the city. Chichi had vehemently refused saying that it was too much work and she had enough to do as it stood. And Bulma couldn't cook to save her life. Surprisingly Vegeta had stepped up to the responsibility and he'd turned out to be an excellent cook.

When Bulma asked him why he cooked for both of them instead of just sending Goku home he'd said that though the task was beneath him, he'd have to eat regardless of whether Goku joined him or not, and this way they could get back to their sparring quicker. She'd accepted his answer but always thought it was really because the Ouji was concerned for Goku's well being and that he enjoyed the other man's company. She was a genius but didn't need to be to figure out that he cared for her friend.

"This was easier." He grunted in reply to her question.

***

Goku abruptly stopped eating and eyed Bulma after she'd sat down. He sniffed the air a few times almost choking on a strange cloying odor floating in the air that her movements had stirred. He frowned slightly, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was a disturbingly familiar scent…he was sure he'd smelled it somewhere before. But the more he wracked his brain trying to place it, the more elusive its origins seemed to become. He was used to Bulma smelling like the various chemicals and other materials she worked around, but this was different. It had a more organic aroma to it. Normally he wouldn't have even paid any attention, but this smell was affecting him physically. He didn't know why, but it made him feel sick and lightheaded.

The scent was faint, like the residual of something she'd come in contact with, but Goku's keen sense of smell and the unseasonably warm climate amplified it. The pungent odor seemed to float all around him, assaulting his olfactory senses and overwhelming him. Painful cramps of nausea suddenly wracked his normally steel stomach, which seemed next to impossible. The food in his mouth had turned acrid, and only made him feel worse. Frowning disgustedly, he swallowed the last bit of food and pushed his plate away. He glanced at Vegeta fully expecting the other Saiyan to have a disgusted look on his visage. But apparently he hadn't noticed it since he hadn't slowed in his food consumption. Goku felt nauseous and dizzy. He had to get away from Bulma quickly. He didn't think anyone would take too kindly to him throwing up right there at the table. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair to the floor with a loud bang. The noise magnified the pounding in his already swimming head and he had to grip the table for balance. It felt like his throat was closing up and it was getting increasingly difficult to breathe. 'What the hell is that scent?' He thought trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. It felt like it was in his head instead of his chest. He could hear as well as feel the blood throbbing in his ears.

Vegeta visibly winced when he heard the chair hit the floor. His keen hearing augmented the sound, causing fleeting pain in his ears. He stopped eating and glared at Kakarrot, wondering at the strange behavior. He could feel Kakarrot's ki starting to rise but waver at the same time. His eyes went wide when he noticed how pallid and unsteady his sparring partner looked. Vegeta frowned at him, confused by his strange behavior.

"What the hell is wrong with you Kakarrot?" He demanded.

"I…I suddenly don't feel so well." He stammered; sweat starting to form on his brow.

"You don't really look so good either. Maybe you should sit back down." Bulma said with sisterly concern laced in her voice.

Goku shook his head. "No I think maybe I…just need some air." He said walking a bit unsteadily toward the back door with his hand on his head. He realized his mistake too late. The jarring movement made him even dizzier and a particularly violent wave of nausea overtook him. He passed the back door, and instead dashed to the first floor bathroom. He shoved the door open then slammed it shut behind him with more force than he'd intended. Several pictures and knickknacks crashed to the floor, shattering into small pieces. He didn't have time to survey the broken décor. Dropping to his knees in front of the white porcelain, he made it just in time as he was unpleasantly reacquainted with his lunch.

***

Bulma's eyes followed Goku's swiftly retreating form with concern. She jumped slightly when she heard the bathroom door slam followed by the sound of glass breaking. Turning back to Vegeta she noticed something akin to concern flash so quickly across his face, that she almost convinced herself that she'd only imagined it. Almost. Vegeta was a master at masking his emotions, and Bulma knew from experience not to question him. It just caused him to guard them more fiercely.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"How should I know onna? I don't have any more insight than you." He said sarcastically, trying to mask his own concern.

Bulma rolled her eyes heavenward. "I mean did something happen earlier while you two were sparring? He looked ill and I thought maybe he'd said something about not feeling well."

Vegeta shook his head. "Nothing unusual."

"How strange. He seemed fine when I first came in, then he just got sick all of a sudden. I know Saiyans aren't susceptible to many earth illnesses, but I swear he looked like he had a sudden case of the flu or something. Did you see how pale he became?"

"Of course I did. Apparently there's something wrong with him, but I doubt it's some pathetic earth virus."

Bulma shook her head. "Yeah but Saiyans are susceptible to some earth viruses…like the heart virus."

"But that was later found to be a genetically engineered virus that your feeble military was trying to develop as a bio-weapon."

Maybe she was worrying over nothing. But she couldn't very well act as if nothing was wrong with her friend. "That's true. But how do you know that there isn't another genetically engineered virus floating around?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and shrugged. There was really no point arguing with the onna. She was the most melodramatic person he'd ever met...well aside from the harridan Kakarrot had married. He briefly wondered if it was something inherent to human females. Probably so, as evident from all the silly talk shows and soap operas that came on TV. Shaking the thought from his head, Vegeta tried to continue eating. His thoughts unwittingly kept returning to the earth-raised Saiyan. He told himself over and over that he really wasn't concerned about the third-class baka. However, no matter how he tried, he just couldn't finish the food. It had become wholly unappealing. A little voice deep down was telling him how concerned he really was about Kakarrot, and it made him lose his appetite. The fact that his sensitive Saiyan hearing picked up on the sounds of the other man retching didn't help much either.

Bulma also pushed away her meal. She had to make sure her friend was okay. She stood up walking in the direction that Goku had retreated to, but Vegeta's deep voice called her to a halt.

"Leave him be. He's a big boy. He doesn't need your help, and if he did, I'd surely think less of him. He probably just got sick from this food." He said gesturing to the remnants of pizza .

Bulma was stuck in her place. She wanted to go check on her friend, but maybe Vegeta was right. She didn't know much to turn Goku's stomach, but it had happened once or twice. He would probably be fine once he got the offending food off his stomach and there was really nothing she could do anyway. She glanced at her watch noticing that time had begun slipping away and she still had to prepare for her meeting.

"Fine, I won't bother him. I have to get back to work anyway, but will you keep an eye on him? If there's anything really seriously wrong with Goku, would you call his wife, and then call me." She said. She frowned at the look of incredulity he flashed her, not seeing the request as unreasonable.

"What do I look like? A nurse? Like I said, Kakarrot's a grown man. I'm not going to baby-sit him. Besides, he'll probably be alright after he finishes puking his guts out." He said in a voice that almost sounded convincingly apathetic.

She quirked her eyebrow then smiled at him. It was evident that he was worried about Goku and trying to reassure himself, but also trying to put on an air of indifference to hide that concern. Besides, he looked so cute with that 'I'm insulted cause that's beneath me' look on his face.

"What's so amusing?" He grumbled.

"Oh nothing." She said snapping out of her thoughts. Turning serious once again she said, "Please Vegeta. Just look after him…for me"

The Ouji just shrugged his shoulders and hmphed.

"Thanks…" she said grabbing her stuff and leaving through the kitchen door, to return to her office.

***

The late morning sun was high in the sky signifying that it was nearing 11:00. Chichi had spent more time in the bank than she intended, and thus she was going to be late for another appointment. She glanced at her watch and noted that she only had about 15 minutes to get across town. She uncapsulated her car, a present from Goku, and hopped in. Surely she committed multiple traffic violations as she sped through lunchtime traffic, trying not to be late. About 10 minutes later, she pulled up outside a tall glass building. The sign read 'East District Office Complex'.

'Good...' she thought glancing at her watch as she encapped her car. '...I still have 5 minutes to spare.' She strolled into the building and took the elevator to the offices on the 8th floor. A woman, about her age, greeted her as she walked in.

"Good morning..." The woman said in a well-rehearsed voice. "...How can I help you?"

Chichi stepped up to the receptionist's desk. "I'm Chichi Son. I have an appointment with Robert Kimoto."

The woman checked her schedule logbook. "Please take a seat Mrs. Son. Mr. Kimoto will be with you shortly." She said motioning to the area apparently designated as a waiting room. Chichi took a seat, looking around at the few people that accompanied her in the waiting area. A few minutes later, a short portly man with wire-rimmed glasses and dark stringy hair in a bad comb-over walked out.

"Mrs. Son?" He questioned, extending his hand.

"Yes. I'm Chichi Son." She said standing and bowing slightly, but ignoring the hand.

"Uh…yes well, please follow me." He said dropping his hand and walking back the way he'd come. Chichi followed closely behind into the man's office, and took a seat across his desk.

"Mrs. Son, I have prepared the final closing papers for you to sign."

She picked up a pen from his desk and poised it waiting for the papers that would put her one step closer to freedom.

"Before you sign them, I'm required by law to review the terms of the purchase."

Chichi frowned. More holdups and she'd already wasted more time this morning than she'd intended.

"Fine, but please give me the abridged version. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

The man nodded quickly, pushing his glasses back up his nose. For some reason the woman scared the crap out of him. He'd been working with her for a few weeks and she was seemingly brash, and very unfriendly. He'd be glad to get this over with also. As quickly as an auction announcer, he recapped the terms and pushed the stack of papers in front of her. After she scrawled her signature on all of them she watched impatiently as he checked each document's accuracy. Ten minutes and eons of frustration later, he looked up smiling and handed her a set of keys.

"Congratulations on your new home. As you requested the condo is habitable immediately. You may move in as soon as you're ready." He said.

Chichi thanked him and left the office. She had to hurry home and get packed before Goku returned from sparring. She had already spent most of the week preparing things to be capsulated. All she had to do now was encap them, pack up a few of her other things and leave. She stepped into the bright afternoon sun and smiled faintly. She was about to open a new chapter in her life, and it was a bit exciting. She looked at her watch, noting that it was close to noon. She had at least 4 more hours before Goku arrived back home from his daily spar with Vegeta. She' wanted to be gone by then, hoping to avoid the confrontation that was inevitable as long as possible. She hopped in her car and sped toward the outskirts of town and back to the mountains she once considered home.

***

Goku gripped his stomach and the toilet as he retched painfully. He had long since thrown up all of his food and was now just dry heaving. After his stomach settled a bit, and the dizziness subsided to just a light wooziness, he flushed the toilet and stood at the sink. He rinsed his mouth out with cold water, and rubbed some on his face and neck to try to refresh himself. He didn't know what had overcome him, but he knew it had something to do with that strange scent. He stared at his reflection in the vanity mirror and noted that he was getting a bit of color back in his pale cheeks, and his breathing had returned to normal. He was feeling a bit better so he decided to go back to the kitchen, but only if Bulma was already gone. He hardly wanted a repeated episode.

He stretched his senses and was relieved to discover that she was no longer on Capsule Corp property. Hopefully whatever she'd been around today was only a one-time thing, and he wouldn't have to endure that again. He'd really hate to have to start avoiding his friend, and he'd dreaded the thought of telling her that she smelled…well, funny. He winced at the thought of what she'd say to that. He fixed himself up the best he could, and picked up the few shards of glass that littered the floor. Then he left the bathroom to find Vegeta and cancel their evening spar. He felt a bit better, but then he still felt a bit bad. All he really wanted to do was go home and take a nap. Maybe then he'd feel 100%.

***

Vegeta continued sitting at the kitchen table after Bulma had left. Every few minutes he would search out Kakarrot's ki just to see if it had stabilized. It still remained elevated, and erratic. Vegeta stood, walking toward the door intent on checking up on Kakarrot. Before he reached the hallway, he stopped and growled under his breath.

"What the hell am I doing? I don't care what's wrong with the baka," he snorted under his breath. He turned completely around, this time intent on going back into the kitchen. But for some reason he was frozen in his place. In the back of his mind he could hear a little voice telling him to check on Kakarrot, if for nothing more, to satisfy his own curiosity. He searched out again, telling himself over and over like a mantra, that it was just out of curiosity and nothing more, definitely not concern. He couldn't stifle the relieved sigh when he felt the other man's ki at a normal, stabilized level. 'Good,' he thought and strolled back into the kitchen. He programmed the cleaning bots to come pick up the mess, not wanting to hear the onna's mouth about leaving her kitchen wrecked when she got back home. He turned to leave the kitchen and ran right into a rock solid chest.

"Damn it Kakarrot. What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled rubbing his forehead. He was more than annoyed that Kakarrot had been able to sneak up on him like that.''

Goku shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Something about Bulma's scent was strange…it made me sick." He said hesitantly, not wanting to sound weak. The corners of Vegeta's mouth twitched before he started laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" Goku asked, completely baffled.

"Are you saying the woman smelled so bad it made you sick?"

Goku held up his hands in a placating gesture. "No...no it's not like that. I mean maybe it was something she worked with today…I don' t know. Didn't you smell it?"

Vegeta continued to snicker for a moment. "No Kakarrot. I didn't smell anything unusual, and there's definitely nothing wrong with my senses. The onna was worried about your baka self. I'm sure she'd be interested to know you thought she reeked."

"Don't say that to her Vegeta. I didn't say she smelled bad...just funny. Besides, she'd kill me for saying something like that." He said hoping Vegeta wouldn't tell Bulma what he'd said. He never would have mentioned it to Vegeta, if not for wondering if the Ouji had smelled it too.

"Fine baka. I won't say anything." He said still smirking. "Are you ready to finish our spar?"

Goku shook his head. "I really don't feel like it. I still feel a little bad. I think I'm going to head home and rest for a while. How about we finish up tomorrow?"

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders, a little disappointed that he wouldn't have a sparring partner.

"Fine. Tomorrow then." He said walking off toward the gravity room.

Goku brought two fingers up to his forehead and disappeared. A fraction of a second later, he reappeared outside his mountain home. He remembered how much Chichi hated for him to materialize in the house. On more than one occasion she had fainted in startled fear when he just appeared out of nowhere. The first thing he noticed was her car uncapsulated and parked out on the lawn. He thought it was odd because she never left it parked…unless she was unloading it, or leaving right back out. He peered inside the vehicle to see if there were some groceries that he could bring in, but aside from a small briefcase, the car was empty. He frowned slightly, figuring that she planned on going back out. For some reason unknown to him, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Chichi had already gone out this morning while he was asleep. So where could she be planning on going now? She was a homebody. He'd never known her to be one to stay out long. He briefly pondered why he was suddenly feeling nervous. Dismissing the thought, he walked into the house through the kitchen door, fully expecting to see his wife in her apron, standing at the stove or sink. Instead, he was greeted with the stillness of an empty kitchen.

Frowning slightly he called out to get his wife's attention.

"Hey Chi…I'm back!"

***

End 3/?

Uh oh, Goku's back early. I wonder what he'll do when he finds out what Chichi's up to? What's this whole deal about Bulma and strange scents? And who does Vegeta think he's fooling? Oh btw, lets just pretend that 2,000,000 Zeni is a lot of money…I really have no idea.

A/N: Chibi Gemi, Christina G., and Alfarrar…Thanks for the reviews. It keeps me inspired to know that someone is actually reading my story.

kaineko@hotmail.com

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"Inspiration comes from comments, criticism, and feedback in general…oh and hot naked Saiyans romping around shamelessly."