AN: I began writing this fic as I was intrigued by the questions that one might have had at the end of "Just One Cut". The time line of the story may be a bit confusing for some people. Let's just say that in the following chapters, none the events in chapter 1 have happened yet. The 1st chapter is set a week after Chi Chi changed. The flashbacks within that chapter have actually not occurred yet. I have gone back in time in a sense, charting the days immediately after Chi Chi turned into a little girl. I hope that everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I am relishing writing it. This happens before the events in Chapter one, thus Chi Chi is still wearing a dress. The relevance becomes obvious later. (**…** denotes thoughts)

Youthful Perceptions:

Chapter 2- Restored Youth

The first thing that she had noticed when her eyes had opened the day before was how big everything appeared to be. The rooms seemed twice as large and empty as they had been before and even her bed now seemed to be like a huge open field, her sheets like swaddling cloths. The second thing she had realised was how happy she felt because she actually had gone through with it. She had no feelings of worry, none of regret or fear. She was in a state of actual bliss. The whole world seemed to be beckoning her and urging her to go forth and explore it and it's mysteries and wonders. It was as if… yes it had to be that… it was as if her childhood curiosity and longing for adventure had returned to her in the blinking of an eye.

Her family's reaction to her desperate act was not unexpected. They were actually in shock, amazed that she has done something so reckless. She had always been the dependable one, the stable one… the mom. Yes she was the mom, the one who had always made sure that food was on the table, that the house was clean, the clothes washed and that the kids had done their homework. Yes, that was her life's purpose. She was the mother of Gohan, Goten and sometimes Goku.

*Goku…*

She sighed sadly, as she thought of him … She had always felt like she was the only adult in their relationship. He was always off saving the world with his friends, sometimes willingly sacrificing himself for the 'good' of the world. She always had hated it when he left her. She thought that he disappeared for good when the dragon had taken him away, but he had returned a few months later, grinning goofily and telling everyone how he had made an agreement with Shenlong to sacrifice his ability to turn super saiyan in order that everyone, including him could be revived on earth without the dragonballs in existence. Yes, she was glad to get him back, but there was one big problem. Her beloved, but innately naive husband was still stuck in the 12 year old's body that the stupid blue elf, Pilaf had wished him into. Of course he did not really seem to mind it at all and actually brushed off its importance sometimes. She folded her hand into a tight fist. From the idiot elf, to what was left of the saiyan race, several maniacal androids, an insane ancient demon, an evil alien being and then the dragon himself, it was as if she was destined never to know true happiness.

Then, suddenly remembering, she looked down at the fist she'd just made. A whole day had passed since she made the cut and she was still in amazement at the drastic change she had undergone. She slowly relaxed her hand and uncurled it from the tight fist. It was her hand, but it was so much different from before. The wrinkles, which had appeared in droves over the years, had disappeared. The calluses had as well. They had developed on her palms from heavy housework. Instead of the old, rough skin she had grudgingly grown accustomed to her hands were now covered with china-smooth, soft skin, which glowed with… that thing she had lost long ago… youth. But she had beaten her continuous plunge into becoming an "old woman". She was now young again and there was the still healing wound in her palm as glaring proof of her act . It was a risk she was very glad she had taken.

Chi Chi arose from the kitchen table she had been sitting and reminiscing at and went over to the sink. Looking up, she frowned. There were some setbacks to being a 50-year-old mother and homemaker in a 12-year-old girl's body. This was one of the more irritating aspects. Since they had never had the need to buy a stepladder before, she was now too short to reach the high cupboards, the stove and the sink. For the last day she had been depending on mostly Goten, who was the only tall one left in the house, and sometimes Goku, who could always levitate to the height he needed, to reach all the high things for her. ** I really need to learn how to do that trick** she thought to herself grumpily.

She walked back over to the kitchen table and dragged one of the heavy chairs over to the sink. Then proceeded to awkwardly climb on to it. However, to her frustration, the bottom of her long dress dragged on the ground and weighed her down. "Stupid dress!" she exclaimed out loud. **Maybe I should get some new clothes like Goku said that I should**. In her smaller body, none of her dresses fit anymore and she had taken to wearing some old dresses of Videl's, which she had found in a box in her daughter-in-law's attic. The dress was frilly and long, with lace sleeves and a V cut neckline. It was one of Videl's dresses from when she was a young girl, and as the daughter of Mr Satan, had to constantly live in the public eye and it was therefore a terribly girly dress.

At that point in time Chi Chi wished that Pan was feminine enough to wear clothes which she could also wear, but no, her granddaughter would never be caught alive in anything which even mildly resembled a dress and Chi Chi did not think that she could stand to wear her granddaughter's usual wardrobe of jeans and cut off T- shirt tops. Even in a twelve-year-old's body, she could never get used to the idea of wearing cropped T-shirts. But what else in the world should she do for clothes? Chi Chi balanced precariously on the chair, her face contorted in a strange way due to her deep thought.

It was then that Goku appeared in the kitchen directly behind her and chirped happily into his little wife's ear, "Hey Chi!" Chi Chi jumped suddenly, the chair she was standing on began to tilt. And in a second Chi Chi was laying face planted into the ground, the chair upturned and next to her.

Goku walked up to her, still smiling cheerfully. "Chi, why are you laying on the ground? Is this some new exercise? It looks pretty cool." And with that Goku laid on the ground next to her, imitating her position on the floor.

Chi Chi groaned at his almost deadly cheerfulness and then after a few seconds sighed resignedly. He was still her naïve, fun loving husband, Son Goku. Nothing, not even death could change him. She decided to humour him. " Yes Goku, I was exercising, but now I'm finished." She pulled herself off the floor and straightened the frilly dress. Her fingertips lightly brushed over the bottom of the skirt and she felt some thing out of place. As she looked down at the bottom of the lacy contraption she realised that there was a huge rip in the cloth. "KUSO!!' she screamed in frustration. It was the only dress she had that fit her properly.

Goku was up off the floor in a flash, thinking that the scream was aimed at him, but relaxed when he saw her staring forlornly at her dress. He did not really understand why she was upset but for once her anger was not aimed at him, and he was glad. " Hey Chi?" he began slowly, unsure of the extent of her anger.

Chi Chi looked up at him. His face was bright and flushed. **He's probably been sparring with Vegeta** She thought wistfully. He was smiling at her with that heartbreakingly sweet smile of his. He looked exactly the way Goten looked when he was 12. He looked like the Goku she had met and fallen in love with all those years ago. Even though a few seconds ago she had felt like throwing something (or someone) out of the window, for some reason she could not help but smile back at him. " Yes Goku?"

Goku's smile widened even more. "I'm hungry and I was wondering if you finished cooking yet?"

Chi Chi sighed and looked down at the floor. She had used the magic Knife of Mao to restore her youth and allow her to really live again with her husband, but it seemed like nothing had really changed. She was still stuck in the house waiting for him to come home and eat while he went out and fought, had adventures and sacrificed himself for the good of the earth. Even though she always loved being the wife and mother of the family, she often wished for adventure as well. But she was never strong enough and unlike her friend Bulma, the heart for constant adventure had waned as she grew older. She had wanted to settle down, and have a normal life. But adventure followed Goku like an eager, lost puppy and he was always ready for it. However, acknowledging her limitations, as she grew older, she had resigned herself to the fact that her role was just to be a good mom and wife. And so, She was always left at home, waiting for her boys to return to her, looking for food to satisfy their Saiyan appetites.

She looked back up and him and said bluntly, " I haven't even began to cook yet. In my excitement I forgot to go shopping and I have not been able to really leave the house since then so there is nothing to cook." Goku's face immediately fell as she said those words. He looked so disappointed. She knew that if there was one thing Goku could
not live without, it was food. Some times she wondered if that was all he really stayed with her for: the food. Chi Chi suddenly had a bright idea. "Goku, we can always go shopping now."

At that his face brightened once more. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's go." Goku ran to the window and yelled to the open sky. "Nimbus!!" The air was still for a moment, but soon there was a slight shift in the wind and seconds later the speedy yellow cloud dropped down from the sky into the open window. Goku grinned at his old friend," Hey nimbus, you feel up to a little trip?" The cloud waved gently in the air as if to nod in agreement.

Chi Chi stared at him and laughed inwardly. It was moments like these that really amazed her. The energy that he exuded about the smallest things some times astonished her. Sometimes it made that fact that he never really seemed to care much about her lessen in the pain it caused. Goku jumped onto the cloud, looked back at her and held his hand out. " Come on Chi, the sooner we get groceries, the sooner you can start cooking."

Chi Chi looked up at him and smiled. "Ok Goku" .She took his hand and he gently pulled her up onto the cloud. She landed in his arms and she closed her eyes to absorb the smell of his body, as it was so close to hers. Then she remembered herself and pulled herself from his arms. **Remember, We are 12. We can't really BE together for a while** She thought sadly to herself.

Goku sat cross-legged on the cloud and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her steady on the cloud. He knew that if he did not hold onto her tight, she was liable to fall off. And she could not fly and would probably end up getting hurt if she hit anything before he caught her. And they flew up if the sky, towards the west where they would be sure to find a good market place.

**************

Chi Chi hefted the large watermelon and inspected it for green spots. Even in her small state, she still had enough strength to lift the heavy watermelon, but it helped having Goku around to carry everything she eventually bought. **Thinking of Goku, where is he?**

They had been in the market place for only half an hour so far and already she had lost Goku. The last time she had seen him, he had been hanging around the fishmongers' section holding their basket of food, comparing the fish that were displayed there, to the fish that he regularly caught on his hunting trips. Chi Chi had left him there annoying an exasperated fish seller about the size of her trout. Chi Chi has just wandered over to the fruit stalls to checkout the prices. She carefully put down the watermelon back it its place and turned around to search for Goku. The market was a bit crowded that morning and people was bustling to and fro, carrying packages and baskets of all shapes and sizes. The marketplace was full of the usual sounds of the vendors advertising their wares and people hackling at the prices and quality of the goods. It was extremely busy and loud, but Chi Chi knew that if she yelled loud enough for Goku, his sensitive Saiyan ears should pick up her voice.

"Goku!! GOOKUU!!!" she said loudly. The chickens at the adjoining stall stopped their clucking and turned to looks at her. "SON GOKU!!!" She was becoming a bit more annoyed at his disappearance and it told in her voice. The people at the surrounding stalls stopped and stared at her. She continued to scream his name loudly.

Finally, a man dressed in a yellow silk shirt and green pants of the same material, his hands covered with white gloves, stepped away from his stall and approached her. He walked directly in front of her and bent down to talk to her. By this time her face was all red and puffy, due to the shouting and her own frustration. " What's wrong little miss?" the man asked in a curious tone. "You lost your mama and papa?"

Chi Chi glared at the man, already a little frustrated. And here was this annoying man treating her like a little girl " No idiot, of course not. I am looking for Goku. He keeps walking away from me and not telling me where he is going. And I am a big girl and I can take care of myself"

"Oh, I am sure you can little miss." He said patting her on her head, She growled at him and he stepped back involuntarily. Goku? Is he your brother?" the man asked, with a patronising look on his face.

Chi Chi was about to answer him, but then was lost for words. No one would believe that she was married and was only 12 years old. She could not call Goku her husband. That would arouse too much suspicion. "Ummm… yes... my brother. We were just shopping and I lost him in the crowd."

The man stood up tall once more. " Don't worry little lady. I'm sure we can find him. What does he look like?"

Chi Chi paused for a moment, then she began to speak slowly, "Well… let's see. Goku is …well…he' s 12… just a little taller than me. He has black hair. It's very distinctive…very spiky. Oh yeah... and he is wearing a blue shirt and yellow pants with a white band."

The Vendor looked down at her and smiled benevolently, " Well that was not too hard not was it? We will find your brother." He held her hand and led her back to his stall. " Just sit here and I'll send a message around the market and tell him to come to this stall, ok." The vendor smiled again.

Chi Chi glared at him suspiciously, but then decided to follow him. It was the only way, as it seemed that Goku was to far away or too distracted to hear her calling. She followed the large vendor over to his stall and sat on a cushion behind it. This vendor seemed to be selling antiques and rare objects. Some of them were actually quite beautiful. Something on display glinted in the sunlight and attracted her attention. She got up and walked over to it, then picked it up in her hand. It was a jade piece, intricately designed and carved. It was actually a jade dragon, coincidentally reminding her of Shenlong, the dragon who had been a major determining factor in her life. Shenlong was the reason she had met Goku in the first place, which was on his search for the dragonballs with Bulma. They had always relied on Shenlong to grant them wishes to save the world and to bring their loved ones back. She herself had been wished back from Enma Daioh's more than once. Now Shenlong was gone. They were probably never going to see him again. The though actually made her feel a bit sad. It was as if she actually missed the big, sarcastic dragon.

"OHH, you like that do you?" Chi Chi jumped as the large smiling vendor just appeared behind her. "It's one of my favorite pieces. I got it from an old temple near TuFu Village. The villagers said that the Jade Dragon of Lima once belonged to the Priestess of Soya. The legend described her as very powerful woman. The legend also said that the Jade Dragon was her most powerful amulet. Interesting ne? I thought so. I like myths and legends, and when I go on trips to find new trinkets to sell, I usually try to learn as much as I can about each piece so I can pass it onto the new owners." The man was smiling through this entire explanation.

Chi Chi looked up at him and gave a quick grin in reply. "It is beautiful, that's for sure." Then she replaced it in the place she had taken it from.

" Ohh…I also came to tell you that we found your brother. He was on the other side of the market watching the boxing match. Boys will be boys you know." The smiling vendor added.

Chi Chi's face lit up. " You found Goku? That's great!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. He's on his way here now. Now are you sure that you will be all right now?" The Vendor asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine. Thank you and goodbye." And with that Chi Chi ran out from the stall and immediately ran into Goku who was happily running towards the smiling vendor's stall.

"Chi!! I was watching that boxing match. The guys who were fighting, their technique was so sloppy that Mr Satan could beat them with his hands tied behind his back. They had no defence at all and were timing their moves all wrong." Goku blathered on like this for a full minute before he paused, realised that Chi Chi was glaring angrily at him.

"Umm. What's Wrong Chi? Did I do something?" Asked Goku a bit warily. Chi Chi growled fiercely at Goku and after showing him an unforgiving scowl, she turned on her heels and stalked away from him. **Let him be worried for a while. Her deserves it.** she thought maliciously. **It will teach him a lesson.**

"Chi!!" yelled Goku nervously, "Are you still going to cook?" By this time they were attracting a lot of attention and the nearby vendors and shoppers had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the diminutive Chi Chi, who was walking away from the screaming boy, smirking evilly. Goku gave up shouting and decided to run after her and grab her hand to make her stop walking. "Chi, I am sorry, really I am. You know me. I get distracted easily. Don't be mad, please."

Chi Chi looked into his eyes with a look of false anger. " You left me there all alone, Goku-san. As usual, you will never change." She paused for a minute and then smiling, she added slyly, "That's why I have to change to suit. I can't always be depending on you to protect me."

"What is that supposed to mean Chi?" Goku asked with a perturbed look on his face.

"Oh nothing." Chi Chi said secretively. "You'll see." And with that she began to scamper out of the crowded market and back into the forest where they had landed with the Nimbus.

**********

Chi Chi could hear him as he practiced his katas outside. They had return from the market and she had cooked and fed her husband after having to shoo him away from the kitchen for nearly an hour. Now he was happy and full and he had left her to her own devices. She was sitting on her rocking chair, needle and dress in hand and ready to sew. She touched the frilly lace material gently. It seemed unlike her. She was used to her practical cotton leggings and an overdress. Even as a child she had never worn lace. The only day she had ever worn lace was on her wedding day, and that was so long ago. It seemed wrong for her to wear it. Firstly, it was not even her dress. It was borrowed and old. Her hand relaxed and the fabric dropped from her hands. She could not bear to mend it and wear it again.

She had done all this so she could make herself happy, and yet so far all she had done was to continue down the same path of mother and homemaker. Pretty soon some thing else would happen to draw Goku away from her again. She thought of Gohan and his family. They led a relatively normal and happy life, but some thing always called them to battle when the earth was in trouble. Even Videl who was human, was always was ready to protect her family. She had always fought the abnormal theme that seemed to creep into her life and influence it. When she had lived on Mount Frypan, she constantly fought monsters and evil, greedy people who were trying to steal their treasure. When she had asked her father why they just never gave up and move away from the burning castle, he had told her that it was their duty to protect it, not only because it was their home, but because it was their purpose. She had never understood him then, and that was why She always fought when Goku and her sons had to fight. She never understood the word 'purpose'. She had never truly discovered her own purpose. She had just always done her duty.

She banged her fists against her legs in frustration and let out a mournful moan. She rose from the chair quickly and stalked out of the room still gripping the lace cloth firmly in her hand. She had suffered enough. She was going to do some thing about this depressing feeling she was getting. And she knew just where to go to get an idea.

********