Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Saiyan Foster Father ❯ Son Goku the foster father ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 2  

Charred wood crackled. A thick smoky smell assaulted her nostrils. Her eyes felt like leaden weights when Atomique next tried to open them. Someone's arm was passed under her neck, pushing something against her lips.

"You're waking up," said an unfamiliar male voice. Too high pitched to be an older man's, but low enough to be older than an adolescent.

"Second…" whispered Atomique, blinking up into the face of one of the two men she'd seen yesterday.

"Easy now… you'd better not try to move much," he said, supporting her head while pressing the glass to her lips. "You should probably drink some of this…"

"How long… where is Second?" Atomique asked, blinking up into the young stern face of Son Goku. Smudged with soot and grime, he held a slight frown mingled with concern. Anger boiled just under the surface before being pushed away.

"Second won't bother you any more," said Son Goku quietly. "I've dealt with him…"

"Your son?" asked Atomique. Son Goku shook his head, frowning deeply.

"Gohan's alive," Son Goku said. "But you… you've slept in… it's been almost two days… and… we hunted down all six. Their devices were all destroyed…"

"It's my fault," Atomique said, scrambling up despite the efforts of the strong man to hold her down. "Your home…"

"Don't try to get up… it's not something that…" Son Goku said quickly.

"No, you're wrong, I'm responsible," said Atomique, shoving him away. She glanced wildly around, seeing the charred pieces of timber stretching overhead. Ashes blew in the wind, scattering pieces of crockery, silk, and bits of paper in all directions. In the distance she saw the huddled shape of a young man slowly rising to his feet. He turned to see the woman rushing away towards him.

"Second destroyed your home…" Atomique stammered.

"They did, but they'll pay… I swear it," Gohan said, forming fists as his young face twisted with rage. "But at least those Destroyers have no way of returning home. I smashed each and every last one of their devices..."

HE pointed to a pile of messed circuits. A fire burned steadily, close to a small hut that they were all gathered outside of. "What are we doing out here?" she asked.

"You seemed to need some fresh air. Dad suggested we bring you out here so it might revive you…" said Son Gohan.

"And it's my fault… if I hadn't come here…" said Atomique. She turned away, gritting her teeth.

"Miss… what the… wait!" he stammered brushing tears out of his eyes. "That's not what I meant…"

Atomique slammed into a solid muscular chest. Strong arms stopped her, trapping her against his body. "He's right. There was nothing any of us could do… miss…"

"Because of me you could have died… you and your son! And you don't even know why…" Atomique gritted. "First my husband, then my children… I don't know if they are alive or dead, and now you could have died… someone who wasn't even involved…"

"Not because of you or any reason…" Goku said quietly, grasping her arms tightly as he held her there. "Don't you see, I don't BLAME you… I'm just as angry as you are… they had NO right… but blaming yourself or us won't help get them back…"

Atomique nodded, wiping away tears. "How can you not…"

"I know," he nodded. "And they'll pay. But right now we're still alive. And there are ways of taking care of things like this…"

"You said your sons, and husband was murdered by those things?" Gohan asked sharply. She flickered her head around to him.

"That's right…"

"We've dealt with them all. Gohan, Me, and the other Z fighters," Son Goku promised. "And as for your husband, they'll be plenty of vengeance for both of you… it's been dealt with…"

"But they'll send more… they'll know that they've not returned!" protested Atomique. "Don't you see it's only the beginning?"

"Thank Kame… Goten was with Trunks…" Gohan choked, wiping away his angry tears.

"You'd better go back to Capsule… and stay with him there. There's something I gotta do here…" said Son Goku, glancing at the nearly outraged and hysterical alchemist wringing her hands.

"Alone?" asked Gohan quietly. "But what if those things get back here… like she said!"

"I'll take care of her here. And if they show up, they're gonna get a nasty surprise. You go and protect your brother. I can't risk you getting hurt as well, and someone needs to inform Bejita the threat's not over," said Son Goku.

***

He turned to face her, still clutching her arms with his strong hands. "Don't blame yourself. You can't do everything to everyone…"

"Easier said then done…" said Atomique quietly, wiping away tears.

"Your husband… was he only recently dead?" Goku asked.

"It would have been three years ago," she said, stammering. "Why do you ask?"

"I was only just brought back to life myself," Son Goku said quietly. "I might have seen him…"

"I'm from a different dimension… how possibly…"

"In Otherworld," said Goku quickly. "There are lots of warriors that fight in a tournament. I might have possibly fought against him or trained him…"

"His name was Paul. He was called Star Child…" the alchemist explained as patiently as she could. Something about the older man's demeanor seemed naïve, almost childlike.

"I DID see him," Son Goku blinked, with a slow smile. "He was there… kinda lost… but I gave him a few pointers. The only problem was that when both of us tried to come back… the whole thing with Majin Buu happened before I could complete his training…"

"What?" asked Atomique, blinking.

"Um well… he might still be able to be wished back…" said Goku quickly.

"Son Goku… where is your wife?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't something unpleasant.

"Um… well… she kinda got angry that I was never around," Goku said sheepishly. "She decided a while back that… she didn't want to stay with… a no good martial artist such as myself…"

"I shouldn't have asked," said Atomique quietly, glancing away.

"It's not your fault. It was mine. If I'd been a more attentive husband…" Goku hung his head. "But she's with someone else now… after I came back to life… I found out that she'd up and left…"

"Didn't she take the children?"

"Nope. She left them behind. Said they'd probably become martial artists like me. I guess she wanted me to get a taste of what it was like being a single parent… but I never figured… she'd find someone else…" Goku said quickly.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "Damn…"

"I can't change it now. She's gone, and she's made it clear she wants nothing more to do with the boys or me……" said Goku quickly. "Her loss… but all t hat time… I was away… she…"

"You don't have to tell me any more," said Atomique quickly. "Tell me, how I can get my husband back…"

"But wait… aww crap I forgot they don't work if you've been dead for more than a year… DAMN IT!"

"What are you going on about?" Atomique demanded.

"The Dragon Balls," he said quickly. "Able to grant any wish…"

"We don't have anything like THAT in any of the worlds I've visited… and you'd better explain because I'm not only upset but confused… and I can't think if I haven't eaten!" she cried.

"You aren't kidding… I'm the same way…" he blinked, letting her go as he felt his own stomach growling. "The main house is pretty much shot, but my grandpa's place is still standing… I think there's a steamer and a wok…"

"I don't know how to cook," she groaned.

"Don't worry… Chichi taught me how, one of the few things that she said would be useful, and one of the last things she enjoyed doing with me before she… left," Son Goku said as cheerfully as possible. He motioned to the woman to follow him. Still feeling confused about her host's demeanor; she walked across the property to the small pagoda shaped house.

***

"I still don't see how you can be so casual… when your wife just up and left you…" she murmured, sitting down as he puttered around with the steamer. Mumbling to himself he threw rice in with copious amounts of water.

"My getting upset won't bring Chichi back," Son Goku said, with his back to her. "Sure I'm furious… and outraged and everything else… but freakin' out won't help… and as for your husband… I'm saving it all for the fight ahead…"

"Stuffing your emotions down isn't healthy," she said softly.

"Oh no, it helps me fight," Son Goku interrupted, turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

"Every bit of anger, hate, and fear I store away in my heart. At the right moment it becomes my strength… in the heat of battle."

"Like my husband says," said Atomique thoughtfully. She swallowed hard; wiping away her own sorrow at the memories long buried.

"Uh huh, that's right," Goku nodded, placing the lid on the enormous bamboo steamer. "Now… if I remember it's 15 minutes…"

"I still can't get my head around it… how you can be so damn cheerful… don't you feel ANYTHING?"

"I do, I really do," he said, whirling around to face her. "I've seen my friends killed countless times. Seen monsters kill and torture my family and friends too. But if there's one thing I've learned is that you have to keep a positive attitude and hang in there. Otherwise you can't hope to accomplish anything…"

"I can hardly think," she shivered.

"Because you're hungry, and nobody can think without a good meal… I should know," he chuckled. "But make no mistake, I'm angrier then you'd believe…"

"You have how many children?" she asked quietly.

"Gohan's my oldest, and Goten's the younger one. He's stayin' at Bejita and Buruma's place… that's where I sent Gohan, to make sure he's okay..."

"I'm sorry," Atomique swallowed hard. "If there was anything I could have done… to prevent those creatures from attacking…"

"You gotta cut it out already… stop blaming yourself. If anyone's at fault it's me, because I didn't get there soon enough…" Goku chided gently, whirling around on her. "Now am I gonna haveta get mad at you?"

"You're a strange guy, Son Goku," she mumbled, shaking her head. Again she sank down to the table, resting her head in her hands.

"You'll feel better with some food. So will I… cause I'm STARVING…" he babbled quickly.

"You don't have to go to the trouble…"

"It's no trouble…are you kidding?" he exclaimed.

"I guess not," she said softly.

"You're a mom, aren't you? Tell me about your boys," Goku said, trying to get her to stop blaming herself. "I bet you're really proud…"

"They've been missing for almost a year or so. Every time I think I can settle down and find a safe place to raise them… they're taken away… and now I have no clue where they are… or if they're alive…" she trailed off.

"I know, but maybe if you think of how much they mean to you, and how proud you are of them, who knows… maybe you'll be able to help them hang in there. I know that always helped my boys… sometimes no matter how far apart we were, if I was thinking about them, and they were about me…"

"You've got a telepathic link?" she asked.

"Telepathy… that's where people speak mind to mind, right?" he said, scratching his head.

"Of course that's what I mean," she blurted out, frustrated.

"Sorry, forgot for a minute… I was trying to see how much longer it would take for the rice to cook…" he apologized with an awkward grin.

Atomique exhaled, counting to twenty. When she finally regained self-control she sighed in a long puff of air before continuing. "They're twins, named Fermi and Bohr. There's no knowing how old they'd be now… but I haven't seen them in almost six months… there are two enemies who constantly recapture them… the poor things are probably traumatized for life…"

"Twins?" Goku asked, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"Yes. Dark hair, dark eyes, like mine… and they have unusual powers… well not like YOUR powers… but they're telepathic… and there's no telling…"

"Two boys… almost four years old?" Goku choked.

"Yes… wait a minute… have you seen them…"

"Shimatta!" Goku exclaimed.

"Wait… Son Goku you HAVE seen them? When and where!"

"Crap… Chichi and I… we cared for two kids… just like that… just a few months ago… before Chichi up and left me… before they went back to Capsule and Jeannie…"

"Jeannie? Goku, what's going on here! You HAVE seen them… WHERE… WHERE!" she cried, leaping up and grabbing the front of his orange training outfit.

"Settle down… easy…" he urged, holding his hands up as he tried to calm her. "If they are your sons… they couldn't be safer… because their auntie took them in…"

"Jeannie… you saw JEANNIE?" Atomique gasped in disbelief. Her fingers tightened to twist the orange fabric more tightly between them.

"Is she your sister…? I mean she and this other girl with the same kind of powers… they've been trained by Bejita for the last year or so…" asked Goku, sharing her excitement.

"She's not my sister… I mean she's my

"Who the HECK is Bejita! Where are they?"

"Wow this is great… they ARE yours… well they're fine… and when we've eaten I'll take you to Capsule so you can see them!" Goku said quickly, grasping her wrists with his own hands. She let go of his shirt, and backed away, wiping away the sudden spurts of tears forming in her eyes.

"This is too good to be true!" she cried, backing away. "Here… all the time? On YOUR WORLD?"

"I guess so! Pretty neat isn't it? Which means it isn't all bad… your kids are okay… and that is something GOOD…" he reassured her. Son Goku let go of her wrists, smelling the steamy scent of thickening rice reaching his nostrils.

"I still wish there was a way to make this all up to you… I owe you more than I can ever repay and here I am calling you an idiotic emotionless fool…" she groaned.

"I've been called a WHOLE lot worse by Chichi, and all my friends. I'm used to it," he shrugged with an awkward laugh.

"Still, calling people names isn't very nice, and I don't make a habit of it… and I'm sorry I misjudged you …"

"Enough already will ya?" he again interrupted with a squawk of that alto voice. "It's time to chow down! Cause its ready!"

"Need any help?" she asked, feeling an awkward flush settle over her.

"Well if ya wanna help set out the dishes… it's gonna take a whole lot till I'm done… but it's no trouble really… you ARE a guest…" he said. Yet his words fell on deaf ears because she was already digging through the cupboards to try and extract bowls and other utensils while he drew the pot off the stove.

"How MANY plates?" she wondered, blinking at him in disbelief.

"About thirty… I'll just load 'em up and line 'em up… too bad they blew up that really BIG plate… darn I liked that…" he mumbled, plunking a mound of rice in a huge bowl in the center of the massive table.

"I guess you have no forks… considering the place…" she said, ladling out soup while he dished out a massive portion of rice for her that made her choke to see it. He dumped easily a whole pot of steamed dumplings into another serving bowl she pulled out, and then followed with two steamers of mixed steamed vegetables.

"Don't forget the yum-cha… and the egg rolls," he gasped, throwing down two more pots.

"You're kidding me right… there's no WAY I can eat all this…"

"Whatever you don't finish I'll take," he said, pushing a pair of chopsticks into her hand. "Now let's dig in!"

"Good Lord," she shook her head, sinking into her chair. Immediately he snatched the first bowl and shoveled the food into his mouth. Bits of rice and other pieces of food flew all over his hair and face when he finished the first, then moved onto the next.

"Sorry, I'm just ravenous… help yourself!" he muttered through a mouthful of Sui mai. Unable to restrain herself she attacked the mammoth bowl of rice before her. In order to prevent losing her appetite she averted her gaze from her starving host stuffing his face.

***

"You gonna finish that?" he asked hopefully across the table. Piles of bowls and plates clustered on the floor and table around him.

"No, I'm stuffed… it's yours…" she groaned, holding her stomach. Eagerly he snatched her leftovers away, quickly polishing them off with a clink of chopsticks on crockery.

"Mm man that was good!" he commented, leaning back in his chair.

"You're not kidding… I can't believe I just saw you eat the entire menu of a Chinese take out! And you made all that by yourself?"

"Chichi was always complaining that I didn't help out enough around the house, so I learned how to cook a few simple things. And now that she's no longer here…" he trailed off. Black eyes grew dark with anger, and he clenched his fists on his lap. She bit her lip, burying her face in her hands as she remembered the events of a few days before.

"How long and why?" she asked quietly.

"She met someone else who could make her much happier than I could," Goku said quickly, his face twisted with hurt. "someone… normal. Who could be… with her… in a way I couldn't… without hurting her…"

"If it hurts you to talk about it…"

"I sometimes don't know my own strength. Also I enjoy fighting… going on adventures. I always figured she'd be here waiting for the boys and me… I died twice… and she blamed me for so many things. She was right… in many ways, but she left the boys behind, and even saw someone else… after I came back… alive… after I saved the world, with Bejita…" Goku said quietly, sitting up in his chair to look at his guest. She sniffled away her tears.

"Damn… how did you find out?" she asked him.

"I smelled another man on her," Goku said firmly. "My sense of smell is much better than a normal person's… and well I put two and two together… I wanted to think that she was being taken against her will but…"

"Harsh," said Atomique quietly.

"Maybe you should change those clothes first… they're kinda ripped…" he pointed to her uniform.

"It can wait…"

"My grandpa always told me that a guest should be cared for well. I think I have something that might work," he said quietly, standing up and walking around to her side. "Please?"

"All right, Son Goku," she said quietly, letting him lead her towards the back of the small home. He pushed open the rice paper door to reveal cabinets of silk robes.

"I think these might fit… I mean I don't know much about ladies clothes… but when we get to Capsule, Buruma can fix you up… if anyone loves shopping its her…" he stammered, blushing profusely. "These belonged to my Grandpa Gohan's wife. She died long before I came to live here. But they are still good…"

"Beautiful… I can't wear these… they must be ancient…" she whispered.

"Nah, they're prefectly preserved in that cabinet. Nobody's touched them for years! I want someone else to have them, who needed them more than she did, and I'm not trying to be weird," Goku said quickly as he darted out of the room. "I'll just be… out here… when you're done!"

"What the heck is his trip?" she shivered, taking out several robes and lightweight silk pants. A shudder went through her at the thought of wearing his dead granmother's clothes at first. Nevertheless, Goku would insist vehemently otherwise. Poor guy was so damn innocent in some ways, and in others not so innocent. What sort of a man could face death, and cook a meal in the same week, while blushing about the subject of women's attire?

Her fingers traced over the purple silk of one top that seemed to be variable enough to fit across her chest. Luckily his Granmother must have been amply large figured, and on the short side, although not wide hipped, or this would have no chance of working. Soon she found an outfit that would work as a loaner, with matching purple bottoms and a long top that came to her knees. She drew on the white socks and a pair of china flats that fit her in a pinch. At the collar she buttoned the silk frogs, and then turned to look at her in the mirror. She folded her blue military uniform, putting it aside in what seemed to be the dirty clothes pile.

***

When she emerged from the back bedroom she saw him with his back to her, piling bowls into the massive wash basin. Already he'd cleaned most of the soiled dishes. She strode up, and called out to him, "Need a hand…"

"Oh yeah… that'd be great… say, you found something to fit… great…" he said, turning his head to glance at her.

"I feel weird wearing her things… just so you know… but they are pretty…"

"I'm sorry I don't have anything else… really," he laughed awkwardly, glancing back at the sudsy water he'd plunged his hands up into the elbows in. She grabbed a towel and stood next to him, drying the nearest bowl off.

"No, it's okay…" she reassured him. "Honestly… I'm the one with the hang-up. You've been so nice and I'm acting like a jerk…"

"Hey, it's not the first time someone's thought I wasn't too swift… but you needed something to wear, and I don't think you'd care to put on my training clothes or Gohan's… I mean most women don't… they prefer women's clothes…" he stammered.

"I'm washing dishes… like it was just another day in the house… and yet…"

"If we don't, who will…" Goku mumbled, passing her another plate. "Gotta keep it clean, since she won't be able to…"

"What did you tell your sons?" she asked. "When it happened."

"Gohan already knows… and Goten…" he trailed off quietly. Slowly he plunged his hands into the mounds of suds again. Dishes rattled under his searching grasp.

"If there's anything I can do…"

"I'll let you know…. But don't you dare feel guilty, because it's not your fault… and neither is what those stupid Destroyers did to my home… or almost to Gohan," Goku finally said. He turned aside for a moment and wiped his muscular hands on his improvised apron. Reaching out he grasped her shoulder, squeezing it gently. She allowed him to leave it there, laying her head reflexively on his shoulder.

"Thanks… that means a lot to me. If I blamed myself for everyone who died in battle with me…" she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"It's just not… not what they'd want. And they're not dead… when they're alive… in your heart…" Goku nodded. "So you see?"

"You're something else… nothing phases you, does it?" she asked, backing away. Her cheeks flushed hot at the contact of her hands with him. She turned away, wiping away her tears that matched the ones seeping down his cheeks.

"I know. They're always saying I'm sappy, but you know I don't care. It's true, right?" he shrugged, with a small alto laugh.

"This was your grandfather's home?" she asked, glancing around.

"Yep. My grandpa Gohan lived here… named my first son after him… man he'd throw fits if I didn't help clean up after playing…" Goku laughed, drying his hands.

"Your other home…"

"Chichi and her dad built that one after we got married," Goku explained, grabbing a massive stack of dishes.

"Does this go over here?"

"Under the sink… that's where the pots are. Bowls are to the left… chopsticks in the little drawer," Goku explained, showing her the appropriate places.

"But you still have stuff in this home…"

"Well this is where company stays," Goku said. "When Piccolo was training here with me… we had him put here. And when Chichi got ticked off, the beds were way more comfy than the sofa…"

"Ouch," she teased, rattling the bowls she carried. Goku grabbed them quickly, stacking them in the overhead cupboard.

"This was where Gohan and Goten stayed when your boys were here a few times…" Goku explained. "They were sure full of mischief… but it wasn't a problem…"

"How long did they stay?" Atomique asked him.

"For a few months… till your friends were able t' take 'em… but it wasn't a problem… believe me. Been a while since I've taken care of little kids. I love doin' it…" he laughed, grinning widely.

"You're almost like a kid yourself," she commented, then stopped herself at the thought of saying something so rude.

"It's true," he chuckled.

"Well, sometimes I shoot my mouth off," she mumbled, turning away.

"I'll just freshen up, and then we can go see your kids… and mine," he said. "Gotta go get myself changed…"

"Okay… I'll put the rest of this stuff away," she said, struggling to grip her self-control. Son Goku wandered back into the bedroom to find a change of clothes for himself while she waited.

***