Dragon Ball SS: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 

Chichi paused as she put the last of the dry dishes in the cupboard. She sighed, then glanced toward the front door. Goku still had not come in from outside; what was almost worse, she couldn't tell for sure what his mood was or what he was thinking, and he had not been forthcoming with that information himself. She took off her apron and set it aside, then walked to the door.

 

Goku was still sitting on the lawn, his knees drawn up in front of him, in the same place he'd sat after Vegeta and Tullece had left. His expression was unreadable through the heavy shadows the afternoon sun cast across his face, but he stared unmoving at the lawn in front of him. Chichi quietly walked outside and sat down beside him.

 

"Goku-sa?" she asked softly.

 

Goku sighed and looked at his feet. "I didn't realize that my son hated me so much," he said solemnly. "I knew that he didn't like training...I thought he was just lazy because the world is peaceful now." He held his head in hands for a moment; he glanced sideways at the house standing across the hedge from their own, then turned his eyes back to his feet. "I wonder if Gohan feels the same way...if that could be why he and Videl built that second house in the city."

 

Chichi wrapped her arms around Goku's waist and leaned against his shoulder. "Oh, Goku-sa," she said. "I don't think they hate you. It's just frustrating for them is all, you know? And Gohan's always thought highly of you; he and Videl just wanted the house in the city for when he's working."

 

Goku didn't respond right away. He continued to stare at his feet, his expression blank and his eyes unfocused. After a few moments, he spoke again. "Chichi..." he began hesitantly.

 

Chichi tilted her head to look into his eyes. She was surprised to see distress and pain shining back from them. "What is it?" she asked.

 

Goku hesitated, then drew a breath before answering. "Chichi...I think I might not be a very good husband," he said. "I try, but...it seems like it's really hard for me to do things right." He paused slightly, then continued. "Did...did Tullece make you happy?" He ran his hands anxiously through his hair and gripped the back of his head.

 

“Goku-sa...” Chichi began. She paused as she considered her next words. “I know it's not right of me to think such things, because it's not what an ideal wife does...but...he did make me happy.”

 

Goku's head sank forward, and he closed his eyes.

 

“He made me happy, because I thought he was you,” Chichi continued gently. “I...thought perhaps that you'd been affected like Gohan and Goten have been, and that it'd made you like me more.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she folded her hands in front of her face. “I know it's not right,” she said. “And if I were a good wife, I could make myself happy with you as you are. I'm...I'm so sorry, Goku-sa.”

 

“Chichi...” Goku reached out hesitantly and took her hands in his hand. He paused, trying to find the right words. “You're a great wife, Chichi,” he said. “And you've done a great job raising our sons. I'm not angry with you...I'm angry with myself.”

 

Chichi slid herself up against him and hugged him tightly. She rested her head on his chest for a moment, then looked up into his dark eyes. “I was just about to start dinner,” she said. “Why don't you come inside? With just the two of us here, I'm sure it won't take long.”

 

Goku smiled gently at her. “Sure,” he said quietly. He stood and helped Chichi to her feet. “That sounds great.”

 

 

Vegeta and Tullece landed amid the fallen timbers and dense brush that enveloped the wrecked spacecraft. Tullece nodded toward the open hatch, where a door was hanging ajar, half-fallen from its hinges, and vines were creeping around the frame.

 

“It was wrecked when the Shinseiju was destroyed,” he said. “I couldn't make any attempt to move it or repair it without drawing attention back here, and I was in no condition to battle Kakarotto again. By the time I'd healed and learned how to suppress my ki, it was beyond salvaging.”

 

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and examined the ship critically. “This is one of the older model ships from Freeza's fleet,” he said. “How did it come into your hands?”

 

“It wandered into my territory on a purging mission one day,” Tullece replied. “I...relieved the captain of his duties, as well as most of the crew. A couple of disloyal crew members chose to join the Tullece Crusher Corps rather than suffer the same fate as their comrades.” He frowned as he looked over the ship himself. “This was, sadly, one of my easiest acquisitions. I simply had to disable the tracking sensors and the rest of the fleet assumed it had been destroyed.”

 

Vegeta snorted. “And, of course, no one bothered to check on any pitiful weaklings who would have been sent to a frontier planet,” he said. “If they were noted to be dead, there would be no reason to follow up.” He looked toward the back of the spaceship. “Is your original space capsule in the cargo bay, then?”

 

Tullece shook his head. “No,” he said. He motioned for Vegeta to follow him inside and stepped through the broken doorway. “I didn't want to risk Freeza being able to trace me through it,” he continued. “I pulled the computer from it long ago, mainly so I'd have it if I ever needed to prove my heritage for anything.” He led the way through humid, encrusted corridors to the captain's quarters. The door to the captain's room was also hanging open, and inside, sunlight filtered down through a hole in the roof.

 

Tullece noticed Vegeta examining the damage. “Yeah, it went to hell quickly after it was wrecked in my battle with Kakarotto,” he said. “I found...other living arrangements; I just come back here periodically to make sure no one takes any of my stuff.” He walked to a far cabinet and pulled open a narrow drawer. He drew out a smooth, white box and opened the lid to reveal a computer panel with cables and wires trailing off it. “It worked the last time this spacecraft had power,” he said. “I can't guarantee anything after all these years.”

 

“We'll take it back to Capsule Corp,” Vegeta replied. “There is certainly equipment there that will make it work.” He gestured toward the gaping hole in the ceiling and blasted off into the sky; Tullece was right behind him.

 

The two of them flew in silence until they were over Capsule Corp property. As they approached, Vegeta noticed a group of vehicles with news station badging parked on the street outside the Capsule Corp gates.

 

“Nosy Earthling pests,” Vegeta muttered. He turned his head to look at Tullece. “We're not landing here; we'll circle around back and land in the center of our property. I won't be hassled by the moronic Earthlings hovering in the street.”

 

Tullece nodded and followed Vegeta as he arced around the compound and landed in a quiet part of the yard. Vegeta led him to the house and motioned for him to follow inside.

 

Bulma looked up at the two of them as they walked into the living room, but Vegeta spoke before she could get a word out in greeting. “Do something about those pests who are herding around the gate,” he snapped. “I won't have them harassing my family.”

 

Bulma sighed and held out the newspaper Trunks had brought back. “It's too late for that,” she said. “The kids went to the mall and tried to spend time with their friends, but they were approached by reporters – probably in relation to this.” She watched Vegeta's expression carefully as he took the paper from her and opened it. “Trunks brought that back with them – it's apparently on the news stands today.”

 

Vegeta's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he scowled at the front page. His dark expression deepened as he skimmed the article and saw the additional photos. “Who took these photos?” he demanded. “These shouldn't exist! Particularly this one from East Capitol – Nappa destroyed that city mere moments after we landed. There was nothing but a burned crater left behind!”

 

“I've already made some phone calls about it,” Bulma replied. “I'm waiting to hear back from the editors of that paper, as well as some media advisors I know. We'll figure out where the photos came from, as well as where they're getting their information.”

 

“What nuisances,” Vegeta replied. “I'm going to examine this computer from Tullece's ship,” he said. “See that I am not disturbed in the meantime.”

 

“Vegeta, I could just -” Bulma began.

 

Vegeta waved her off. “You're better at dealing with the Earthlings,” he said. “I can handle this.”

 

Bulma sat back in her chair. “All right,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything.”