The End

A/N: Not unexpected, but here is the end of the story. There's no point to mince words as we all have an idea as to how this will end. More will follow the conclusion.

Room 312: B

Goku was outside of the room, it hadn't taken him much to fly directly here. He wanted to know the truth, to see it for his own eyes. Believing that perhaps this was some type of ruse, or maybe some concocted farce.

But the face of Chi-Chi's father told him more than anything, a man in pain, baring himself in the moment where there was nothing else. He had seen it before on his grandfather's face and now he saw it again in a man who treated him like a son for almost a year.

Yet as he approached Chi-Chi's room there was a feeling inside of his very soul, that kind of gnawing where there was little hope of this being the lie he wanted it to be. There was life inside that room, but it was less than faint, he could pass it having the same energy as a plant, a minuscule fly, or a drop of rain.

He took a breath and entered, and before he had even closed the door he found himself sick. "God's… Chi-Chi… not like this." The anger and hatred he felt for this woman was buried beneath a sea of pain. He had loved this woman, loved her more than he had his grandfather.

A large respirator was put inside her throat, the steady beeping of a machine that kept her body breathing because she no longer could. Her arms having several I V's stuck into them to supply her with fluids and nutrients.

Her once flawless features were grotesque and twisted by the science around him. The large hole that had been cut into the side of her skull was barely healed, a large incision cut from her forehead to the side. Her raven locks reduced to a patched mess of hair that no longer had any vibrancy, gray splotches, matting. Is there no care for her even now?

She was almost bones, her limbs having lost what little muscle mass, her breasts sagging and miss shapen. The beauty queen was nothing more than a skeleton with flesh hanging from it. Chi-Chi… was truly gone.

Goku's hands gripped the railing of her hospital bed as he slipped down to his knees. Why… Why do I hurt? His eyes clenched shut, unable to push the image of this… this corpse from it. "I don't want to see this," He said shaking his head wanting nothing more than this to be a lie.

His head looked upwards and when he un-clenched his eyelids there was still only the mockery of the woman he had loved. "Why? Why didn't you try and tell me any of these things? I may have been angry with you. I may have wanted to see you hurt, but I never, never, imagined that this would be your fate. You should still have a life, even with everything that you did. You deserve a chance to make amends, to do what was right!" Goku almost shouted at her but there was nothing, only the beep and sound of her ventilator pumping air inside of her lungs.

"You can't do this to me, you can't just die like this Chi-Chi!" There was a burning in his eyes and heart, "One day you were supposed to find me, see what you had lost, and then maybe, just maybe we could start again. Because I knew the real you, I saw that scared girl. The one afraid of being seen by others as a failure, as anything less than the best and perfect. But if you die… if you DIE how do you see what you did wrong? How… HOW DO YOU JUST GIVE UP AFTER HAVING A CHILD!?" He almost screamed the long held back emotions of almost a year brooding over them, suffocating through them were slipping past his control.

Where was the sense in all of this? Covering his face with his hand Goku just couldn't face anymore of this. There was going to be no apology from her, no attempt at reconciliation. Even if they were to never speak again, he could hear it from her. At least know that she was alright, but this, this was nothing. "She's already gone…"

Lost in his own thoughts the door opened up to Chi-Chi's room. It was a nurse, come to check on the noise coming from the room. "Excuse me sir," Her eyes focusing on the man in the room. He looked nothing like the guests who had visited before. "What is your business here? If you aren't on the list of guests I'll ask you to leave-"

"She was my boss, I saved her life during the bombing." Goku's eyes focused hard on the nurse who had come inside. "I just wanted to know how this happened," Perhaps someone might know? "Can anyone tell me how she grew a tumor back and no one noticed it? Why weren't there any signs or symptoms if it could kill her so quickly?"

Studying him for a moment, the nurse did recall the big scene in the papers and the two faces of the survivors… Oh my god! Her eyes widening in shock. "It is you!" The image was not forgettable, they had their pictures posted front and center for three straight news and magazine cycles. "Oh forgive me for not recognizing. I'll see if I can find the doctor if he's available."

He simply nodded as he looked back towards Chi-Chi, the horrid sounds of the ventilator pumping air in and out of her lungs was like someone raking nails on a chalkboard in his mind.

His hands just gripped the base bar of her bed once again. "I don't understand, you could've said something to me. Did you know this was happening or maybe push me away because you didn't want me to see you like this? Was this another one of your games? A long con job on me to make the pain of you dying easier?"

Yet there was no answer, just the blips of machines keeping the husk of her body alive. He could feel barely the tiniest flicker of life and his mind reached out attempting to find that unique signature of energy that belonged to her was still not there.

His mind did find something else. A young life that was far more pronounced than anything else, he couldn't say what it was, but the slow rhythmic fluctuations that weren't anything like regular people could tell him that either there was someone like him in the hospital or that it was in fact the child that Ox had told him about.

That thought, the idea of him having a son. One part him, one part Chi-Chi. What can I do? How can I raise a son? Yet those words he spoke to himself were hollow. Grandpa didn't know what to do with me, but he still tried. He gave me everything.

He couldn't turn his back on his own child, not after everything he'd experienced so far. His son would need him.

As he was caught up in his moment, the door opened back up and Chi-Chi's doctor came inside. The medical professional having heard that there was an unlisted guest inside the room for Miss Mao. "Apologies sir, but I am the physician in charge of caring for her." Gesturing to Chi-Chi but found the glare of the man who snapped his head to him almost terrifying.

"Do not refer to her current state as care, there is no life inside of her. Do not attempt to tell me that body is alive, because that is a grotesque mockery of life!" His finger pointing directly what they referred to as 'alive'. "I don't care what you call living or not, there is nothing there. Do not attempt to falsely correct me about that." His voice rumbling into a growl, lips peeling back into a snarl.

The tension and heat was turned up in the room as the doctor held up his hands motioning for the man to calm down. "I apologize, I try to treat everyone in my care with their humanity. I understand that she was important to you." Watching as Goku's fists unclenched but the tension is his body still showed. "Is there a way that I might be able to help you, I believe you had some questions about the current situation?"

Releasing a long held breath through his nose, Goku's eyes flicked to Chi-Chi's form then back to him. "How did this happen? She was healthy, functioning as a lawyer. Wouldn't there have been some symptoms or signs leading to this?"

The doctor exhaled and grabbed a chair, moving to take a seat. "I'd ask you to sit, there is quite a bit to discuss in regards to this. Because what occurred was unnatural and to be blunt, sir, there is no logical explanation for any of it."

He did not take a chair but rested against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to control his outbursts. Everything in his body was tense and he was trying to maintain a balance as his emotions were becoming undone. "Explain."

"Miss Mao had tumors early in her life and most of them had been cut away to fix a spinal defect. The pressure upon her vertebrate caused damage to her motor skills and delayed her development mentally."

"I'm aware of that, so how did it come back if she had them removed?"

The doctor scratched his head, truthfully he wasn't sure himself "I can't tell you, most successful removals have a sub one percent chance of returning after so many years. Perhaps there was something missed, or maybe it had spread deeper than the original operating doctor could tell. There was an alteration, a genetic flaw, or maybe some trait that is beyond science. Miss Mao's pregnancy caused a reaction that is not explainable by science, after the incident she had a thorough level of tests done and what was there should've revealed this tumor based on its stage, growth, and development. But there was nothing, as if this all grew within less a few months, no doubt caused by her bodies accelerated metabolism and white blood cell count." Shaking his head as he still had her charts nearby, "A normal woman who suffers from cancer has an antigen to neoplasm ratio of zero to thirty five per milliliter. A woman above those limits would have a high probability of cancer, predominantly ovarian but… Miss Mao had a level ten times that, her white blood cell count was hyper aggressive and began to oversaturate her body. Her body's required intake for food reached levels that a man standing eight foot ten, weighing seven hundred plus pounds would require in caloric count alone and that wasn't enough. Her body began to cannibalize her muscles and slow down her organs to sustain the pregnancy. The marrow in her bones is so poor that it was a miracle she was able to stand up until three months ago. I can only guess whatever complications occurred drained everything from her body. Perhaps it was her spirit alone that kept her functioning. We had an emergency C-section done to remove the infant child after only seven months which was fully developed of that for a nine month old." Releasing an exhausted sigh the doctor just looked at his patient. "Miss Mao suffered an aneurysm shortly after giving birth, it was then we discovered the regrown tumors, her red blood cells had broken down and were targeted by her white blood cells. It's like her own body didn't realize its own functions and rapid lumps grew throughout her body until it shut down, I can guess the tumors grew at the same rate as her bodies metabolism, the acceleration was greater than ten times above a normal human, a small growth developed in perhaps the time frame of ten to twenty years where as it should've only been one. Given Miss Mao's family history there was no doubt the possible of a benign tumor was there and not caught only to flourish during this phenomena of her pregnancy."

Goku didn't say anything as the doctors words began to slowly sink into him.

Her pregnancy.

"Having my son… it actually... This was… I," That was a harsh slap of reality right to his face. "Was it possible she had the tumor prior? Maybe a year or so?" His eyes looked at Chi-Chi.

"It is possible, even people with growing tumors can still function highly. It might've caused some erratic behaviors, higher aggression in many aspects of her life, along with periods of depression as it affected the emotional center of her brain. I'm sure with the records from her doctor she had a high stress lifestyle, no doubt that could've added to the problem and I doubt her habits of binge drinking on some nights along with a hormonal imbalance could've been seen earlier as an underlying cause. But most doctors aren't expecting a person with ten plus years of recovered full health to lose all of that progress and fall apart in a year from a pregnancy but whatever happened as a result of this, her tests during the pregnancy are still not comprehensible. She shouldn't have been able to do anything with the way her tests showed, we're awaiting approval from the grandfather to perform some blood work and formulate some type of explanation when we are able to perform an autopsy on her."

"Why would you do that?" That wasn't what Goku wanted now, hadn't her body suffered enough? Did she deserve to be further mutilated!

The images of doctors cutting around inside of her, examining her poor body. His teeth were grinding against one another.

"This is an abnormality, without a logical cause of death we need to understand why. But of course Miss Mao has to be taken off life support before that can happen." It was a mystery to those here in the hospital, understanding the why could possibly save lives in the future or just document this case with the hope of finding an answer.

"Excuse me."

It was too much, too fast. He left the room, going to an open room with a balcony where he could just take a moment to breathe. Grabbing the neatly painted white ceramic balcony bars Goku felt everything washing over him.

"The pregnancy killed her." He said solemnly letting his head fall down to his chest. Where there was only one thing left to admit to himself. "I killed her. Even if I didn't know, it was because of me she is dead. That she became that!" His head fell down to his arms, releasing a pained gasp as his heart set off a wave of emotions throughout him. "The mood swings, the irregular behaviors, how easily she flipped from loving and sweet to her old ways without even batting an eye."

"She suffered all alone, Chi-Chi was destroyed because of me. How could I!?" Goku began to cry as he forced the blame upon himself, spending a year doing everything he could to resent her. To expect some shining moment of realization that she had truly made a mistake and come back to grovel for his forgiveness. Instead, he was greeted with a body without a mind, a soul long since faded.

What kind of bastard am I? I loved her and I turned my back on her, I should've stayed. I could've saved her, I might've been able to understand. I could've even made this last year mean something if it was going to be her last.

She had disappeared months ago from the press claiming illness, he had thought it a lie just to cover for herself. But truly she was ill, so ill and no one knew anything.

The blame was on him, for all of his good intentions he turned his back on her and only came to see her long after there was no hope of finding some measure of resolution.

No happy ending, no having a real family. Just another burden of guilt he would bear.

Wiping his eyes, "No time for that… I'll grieve when this is really over." Pushing himself from the bar, Goku had something to do.

[***]

A nurse in the maternity ward was doing her usual rounds, checking on the newborns who were still separated from their mothers for a variety of reasons. "Row one. We have three," Her eyes moving from her checklist to the row, "Check."

Moving to the next row, "Five little lovelies." She hummed counting them all off one by one.

Coming to the last row, "And our last three. All of you sleeping soundly." She smiled as she added the final check. Moving to fix their blankets so they were all nice and warm until she felt a chill behind her. Her eyes turning to the back window that was now open. When did that get opened? Was it like that when I came in here?

Walking over the nurse went over to the window. Her eyes looking over it as she was certain it had been closed when she came in. A quick look over the frame she noticed the top lock was broken, it had been snapped clean off. There were pieces on the ground below her, "Did someone break this?" Grabbing the plastic sliding from the floor and studying it. "I guess I should tell maintenance after this, don't need the sweethearts having an open window now do we?"

Pushing the window closed, however with the lock broken there was no way to make sure it didn't slip out of position. Though she had to put some force to open the heavy window. It was a head scratcher for her.

Sighing as she went back to the last row of infants and began to fix some of their swaddles to make sure they were comfortable.

Though before she made any progress she felt another chill breeze. "That damn window again?" Irritation evident as she looked back at the window which had once again come open. Walking back over to it with some frustration she once again closed it. "I need someone to get this fixed now, I'll lose my job if this keeps falling open and gets one of the children sick."

The nurse quickly went to find someone to fix the window, however in her haste there was one child missing from the second row. The blankets undone leaving just an empty basket.

[***]

The hospital was suddenly rocked with a violent tremor, the entire building shaking. Papers on desks fell to the floor, medicine and cups lined on trays were scattered all over, as the lights flickered off and on.

Staff and patients alike were caught off guard, some rushing to the exits and hunkering down in the stairwells as the most secure areas in an effort to ride out the shockwaves of the unexplained earthquake.

Some prayed, others clutched each other, and a few sent phone calls out as the shaking grew in intensity then- Nothing.

Those gathered about in the secure areas or outside were shocked at what was happening. "There is no fault line around us, how could we be having an earthquake?"

"Was there drilling or something underneath the hospital?"

Everyone was asking questions and no one had an answer for one another. Though as the panic settled down another emergency kicked in as those looking upwards saw thick black smoke escaping from the window of one of the rooms.

"Oh no!" One of the doctors cried out and raced back inside, fearing for his patients still left inside. "Fire third floor! Get fire and rescue here now!"

It was the same doctor who was in charge of Chi-Chi Mao and as he flew up the stairs, his white doctor's coat flapping in the wind behind him as he rounded the stairway. Unwilling to trust the elevators that could've been damaged by the unexplained tremor.

Coming to the top flight he threw open the door and could smell the stench of smoke along with escaping from the bottom of one of the doors.

Immediately he knew which one it was. It was Miss Mao's room, he could hear the crackling of fire on the other side he covered his mouth to stop himself from coughing with his arm.

His hand grabbed at the door handle and immediately felt a burn, his hand ripped away from the metal handle as if he himself had been touched by the flames. He tried to peer through the small window inside but he could only see more smoke and the flicker of orange flames.

"Damnit." Rushing over towards the large red case by the kiosk he tore out a red fire extinguisher. He was sweating profusely, the intense heat and exhaustion of his actions were numbed by the adrenaline pumping in his system.

He smashed the end into the glass breaking a portion out, but as he did a rush of air surged inside the room igniting the blaze with fresh oxygen. Coughing as more black smoke pushed out from the room he grabbed the extended black handle and began blasting the white mist inside of the room.

Even if she was in a vegetative state, who knew if she could feel pain? Or what was happening but he couldn't let her be burned alive-!

[***]

It was two hours later, Ox was standing on a large table overlooking the downtown. He was in his office, a phone held loosely to his ear as his other hand fixed the small knot around his chest that was stuck with his tie. "Can you tell me anything?"

"I'm sorry, Sir," The apologetic representative of the Human resources department had come to explain what had transpired at their hospital. "During the chaos of this afternoon we failed to realize that your grandson had been stolen from the maternity ward. We've contacted the police and are looking doggedly to find out what happened."

Ox swallowed as he took a breath taking the moment to slowly breath. "And you said that my daughter…"

"My deepest condolences, she was caught up in a blaze. The staff rushed to safety during the tremor and no one noticed the fire that had started inside of her room. Our protocol was to evacuate, during certain emergencies and I can only guess that during that time frame your daughter's room was caught up in a fire. Though I would love to be humane as I could when saying this but, there is nothing left of her remains," The voice released a sigh. "I can't express how much we are deeply sorry for this incident, its inexcusable, please give us some time we might be able to find some leads about your grandson at least."

"I trust you'll do what you have to. Please just let me have a moment," Ox felt guilt in his heart, but a small glimmer of happiness.

"Oh, of course. You have my number, please call me for anything."

Ox clicked the phone off and tossed it away. "I'm sorry my beloved, I failed you and our daughter." Tears pooled in his eyes but he refused to shed them as he snorted them back up. "I should've been a better father, I should've done something more for her and for you." The picture of his wife and daughter were on his desk. His lovely wife dying before her time and his daughter just the same.

"There is little that I can do to make amends for this, so please forgive me, everyone, for my shortsightedness."

He looked past the city, towards the direction of where he had gone to find Son Goku. A man who wasn't human, from what he had learned from his daughter's diary and speaking with Goku in person about his origins he knew that both of them would be alright.

"Gohan, you'll make your mother proud if you're raised by that man. I just wish that your mother would've been able to see you take the journey." Smiling, Ox closed his eyes and imagined Goku flying away with Gohan. As long as Gohan was with his father the two of them could live peacefully, no one would know about his father's origins and about what had happened to his daughter. Sure the tabloids would explode after this, but that was of little consequence.

He opened his eyes and saw the sun rising just over the horizon. "Take care of my grandson, Goku."

With a kick of his foot, the table fell over and the tightly wound knot of the noose that had been wrapped around his neck snapped tightly, held by the metal beam above his head. His leg's kicked for a moment but soon they slowed and steadied. Only his slightly swaying body remained as his head remained held tight at an odd angle.

He wouldn't be another hour until he was discovered as he did not answer any of his messages paged up by the secretaries. But by then however, when someone came to check it was too late.

No one would know what happened to Gohan, his daughter, and the strange man called Goku. The only one who knew where Son Goku was had silenced himself and any chances of finding his grandson.

[***]

(Three years later)

A small boy stood with his father, dressed in a small gray suit holding his father's hand. In the other he held a small rose. It was one from the bouquet that his father was holding.

He had been quiet as he saw his father just looking down at an engraved rock in the ground. They had driven a long way to come here and the boy was curious as to why. He looked up at his father, the mess of black hair that matched his own that now hung around his shoulders.

His fingers squeezed, "Dad?"

"Yes son?" His father's voice was soft but there was a waver in his words.

Looking to the ground littered with stones of all shapes and sizes, some words he could read, others he couldn't. The numbers also didn't make sense as each one had different ones on them. "What are we doing?"

"Visiting your mother."

He looked around, "I don't see anyone." There were nothing but flags and a few trees scattered about.

A slight chuckle escaped, but as he did Gohan smelled salt in the air. "No, Gohan, your mother is right here. See?"

The little boy watched as his father knelt down and pointed at the stone right in front of them. "This is where your mother is Gohan, her spirit is here watching over us."

Gohan stared at the stone. "Ch-Ch-Chi?" He attempted to read the stone that his father was pointing at.

"Chi-Chi, Gohan, your mother's name was Chi-Chi." Gohan read out his mother's name across the stone surface. "I'm sure she's happy to see you here and saying her name." He didn't quite understand what this meant but he smiled and waved.

"Hi mom!"

He bit on to his tongue to keep himself from becoming emotional. He'd spent so much time mentally preparing for this moment.

But it appeared it wasn't enough.

"What did mom look like? Was she like you?" Gohan asked pointing the rose at his father's face.

Goku set down the bouquet of roses in front of the headstone and rolled it to expose a picture that had been taped to the side of it. It was a picture of Chi-Chi from the paper, her hair in a bun wearing the usual blue business suit. A gentle smile on her lips with a pair of small gold looped earrings.

It was before everything had happened, when he had just wanted to share a coffee, a meal, a few passing moments with her. "This is your mother, see Gohan?"

The boy paused and leaned his face close to the picture, "Mother was pretty!"

"Yes… Yes she was." He wanted to remember her like this, but there would be nothing that could wipe away the image of what she had become. Because of me.

He had to end that shell of hers, painlessly, quietly Goku had removed her oxygen tubes and then snapped her neck. The act while merciful was nothing short of agony for him, he never wanted to hurt her. But Chi-Chi would never want to be seen like that.

After stealing Gohan he had ended Chi-Chi's suffering and then burnt the room, setting fire to the linens stored inside and the nearby alcohol for sterilization created a suitable fire. Meaning she wouldn't be hurting anymore, no one would carve up her body looking for answers that weren't needed.

What he hadn't counted on was the suicide of Ox. He could guess that the old man had probably planned for all of this, Chi-Chi's funeral had been quiet and done in secrecy by the company beside her father. The assets sold to a company and then taken over as no one stepped up to fill the massive void at the top.

It had taken a lot of time and contemplation to finally make the trip here, to say hello and goodbye after so long. "Hey Chi-Chi, it's me Goku, and Gohan. Your little boy has grown up and I brought him to see you." Looking at he picture as if it were her. "I know you're probably happy to see him after so long." Looking to his son and nodding his head.

"Here mom, I got a rose for you!" Gohan said setting his single red rose on the boquet that his father had laid down. "I know you can't talk but Dad has told me so much about you! I think you're the best mom ever!"

Goku couldn't stop his tears, as he knelt behind his son letting him have a conversation with his mother. Holding his son from behind Goku just let his eyes flow freely, I'm sorry Chi-Chi. We should've been a family I was just too damn stubborn and I killed you. I killed you and now have to raise our son alone.

As his son continued to talk to his mom Goku silently whispered. "I love you… always."

But as the slight rumble of an approaching storm came in Goku knew that it was time for them to part ways. "Gohan… it's time to go. Say good-bye to your mom." He had to get them back home and Gohan ready for bed. He would be starting preschool soon.

No doubt like his mother would want.

"Buh bye mommy!" Gohan waved as his father picked him up and let his him look back at his mother's grave.

"Dad?"

"Hmn?" Goku grunted as he kept walking.

"When can we come back and visit mom again?"

Goku chuckled as he brought a hand to wipe his tears from his cheek. "We'll come back every year on this same day and we'll show her just how much you grow." Goku pulled his son's head to his own as he just held him close for a moment, it was the only piece of Chi-Chi that he had left now.

"Okay, I'll make sure to write everything down so I can tell her!" Gohan exclaimed happily hugging his dad right back.

"I know you will son and I know your mother will love to hear it…"

The End

A/N: The Go-Chi awards are over and unsurprisingly I finished last, though the nomination was appreciated it's not the level of quality you expect from me. I had intended to revisit the ending of it should it have won just a commemoration but that would be wrong of me to announce that to expect votes. I'm trying new story ideas, most of which you can still see littering my page with half attempted fanfics.

Some of you like them, but if I can't get more to like them that means i'm not improving and i'm stagnating. Interest in my works are lower than ever and it's because I can't make something that both parties can enjoy. Writing for me is just a past time, I get no real satisfaction from it. I barely read my own work because I see so many problems with it.

This comes to another issue I have, I don't have an editor. Someone who can help map out ideas and give me creative feedback and catch things that are not apparent to you the readers. I have someone to work on my grammar, but I need someone to stop me and say 'hold on, this doesn't make sense' and so forth.

Well enough of my spiel, give house of bardock a read if you haven't already and tell me what you think.

R&R

Kerghan