"Goku, not that I want to mourn the loss of my best friend but are you sure about this?", Krillin asked the taller fighter. Goku's clothes were in tatters and his normally wild hair was plastered down his neck with sweat. Still though, he nodded and said, "I'm sure."
"Well, okay, but she looks pretty peeved, and you don't look ready for a round two," Krillin muttered. Goku chuckled and said, "You can take this one."
"No way! I'll just take Piccolo next time," the bald young man argued. Just out of earshot, Chichi stood glaring with teary eyes at the newly dubbed Champion, Son Goku.
"Maybe we should get out here," Tien pitched in as he pulled a small bean from a brown bag. The triclops shoved the bean into Goku's shaking palm. The young champion grinned as he felt the magic of the senzu beans restore his body to peak condition.
The other two grinned sheepishly, thinking they were about to escape the heart-broken glare. Instead, Goku squared his shoulder and headed towards Chichi with a comforting smile. Bulma, Roshi, and Launch were all peering out of their hiding spot from the recent battle of Goku versus Piccolo.
Each of them waved their hands in a frenzy but the oblivious fighter continued on. Goku stopped in front of Chichi with the same soft grin and reached his hand out, "I'm sorry, I let you down."
"Then fix it, Goku," she snapped. His smile faltered and his hand dropped just a hair before he said, "I can't do that. I didn't even know what I had promised. I thought I was getting food."
He gave a nervous laugh as his out-stretched hand hung in the air. Chichi huffed and smacked the hand down before she shoved a finger in his chest and said, "Marriage is better than food! What's so hard to understand about that?"
Goku finally let his smile fade as he reiterated, "I said I was sorry. I'm already apologizing for something that we're both in the wrong for. The least you could do is accept it."
A near audible inhale came everyone nearby as the crowd that had braved the destruction of the fight had been evesdropping. Chichi's mouth pursed up as though she'd eaten something sour. Goku realized too late how hateful he'd sounded as her slim but powerful hand cracked across his jaw. He blinked in shock several times as she turned and marched blow had hurt his pride more than anything but he stood dumbfounded nevertheless.
Bulma slinked out of her hiding place to Goku's side and said, "I'm sorry, Goku, we were trying to warn you."
"She slapped me. I tried to do the right thing and own up to my mistake and she slapped me," Goku half pouted. Bulma patted his shoulder and said, "She was under a lot of stress, but that doesn't mean what you did was bad. You did the right thing. I think she'll appreciate that later on."
"I just want to go," Goku continued to pout while Bulma lead him back to the group of their friends. The blue haired scientists kept a hold of his arm and chuckled as she asked, "Really? You just won the tournament that you've dreamed about since you were a boy and you just want to go? No big dinner or a new change of clothes? Nothing?"
Goku looked over and said almost shyly, "Well, I guess a little bite to eat would be good."
Bulma and Krillin each sat on one side of Goku with twin grins as the Saiyan ate and ate in their customary restuarant. After every tournament, they'd come here to eat. The staff had actually been prepared for his enormous appetite this year.
"Have you not eaten in the last three years?" Bulma asked. Roshi sipped at a cocktail from the otherside and cut in, "More importantly how are you going to pay for all this? I swear you're eating triple what you used to."
"You know, I think he's right? Are you okay, Goku?", Krillin cut in. Goku looked up with an eggroll shoved in his mouth. He slowly nodded as he gulped down the mouthful of food and answered, "I'm fine, I've just been so hungry for the last year or so. Ever since I got stronger and grew I can eat a lot more."
"Yeah about that, I was beginning to think you were like Krillin. Were you just a late bloomer?" Bulma asked.
"No, I don't think I'm flower," Goku answered simply before reuming his feasting. Bulma shook in surprise her head while Krillin scowled around Goku at her.
Once all the plates were cleared away and the others had finished their drinks, the owner walked up to the table. She was an older woman in a frayed apron and her grey hair pulled back in a loose bun. She bowed and smiled at Goku, her hand resting on his forearm.
"Was everything good, dear?", she asked. Goku grinned and said, "Oh, yes, ma'am it was great like always!"
"Good," she patted his arm before pulling her hand back and continued, "I have a bit of a request for you, if that's okay?"
"Okay?", Goku replied, uncertaintity settling into his voice. The woman pulled a small camera from her apron pockets and said, "My husband has been a fan of yours since the first time you entered the tournament. He swore that you would be the champion one day. He's seen all of your fights, and thinks the world of you. He told me just this morning that this would be the year. He wanted to feed you for free.
After you've saved us I must say that I agree with him, you are truly something else. Anyway, I was just wondering, would it be okay if I got a picture of you and you signed it? It would mean the world to him. He got all exhausted in the excitement earlier today and had to turn in for the night, but I think it would really do him well. Please?"
"You think a picture of me would help him?" Goku asked in surprise. Bulma rolled her eyes and answered for him, "He'd be honored to, ma'am. Would you like me to take it so you can be in it?"
"Oh no, this is for Han, not me," the woman said as she backed up and aimed the camera. Bulma elbowed Goku's ribs and hissed, "Just be yourself."
Then she and Krillin both got out of the way. Goku looked at the camera for a moment before putting a hand behind his head and his other stretched out in a peace sign.
Roshi snorted off to the side and muttered, "A peace sign. The boy destroys an entire temple just hours ago and has the audacity to hold up a peace sign."
"Oh leave it be. You know he didn't mean to destroy anything," Bulma fussed as she watched Goku chat with the old woman. Krillin chose that moment to ask, "Speaking of destroyed, where's Yamcha? Last I heard from him, he was telling Tien how you wanted to casteruate him."
"We are not discussing that two timing bastard. As a matter of fact, I don't know where he is and I don't care if I ever do. We're through. You hear me, Krillin, if you see him then you better tell him," Bulma was working herself up at this point while regret was quickly showing on Krillin's face.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just wanting to check on everybody. I'll leave it alone," Krillin said. Bulma stopped with a huff and looked back to see Goku staring at them with the owner gone back to work.
"Are you guys ready?" Goku asked with a nervous smile. Bulma sighed as she calmed down and said, "Yeah, let's get going. I'm ready for my own bed."
The group walked out, thanking the staff repeatedly, and headed down the street towards the nearest designated take off spot. Roshi went first, decapsulating an old small jet.
"Well, Goku, where are you going now?", Roshi asked, his wrinkled hand gripping the doorway to haul himself up. Krillin peered through the cab from the otherside while Bulma looked at him from the side. Goku shrugged and answered honestly, "I don't have a clue. I never really thought past this."
"Well, you're always welcome to visit Kami house. I think Turtle misses you," Roshi said and pulled himself in he gave a final wave and pulled the door shut. In seconds the engine roared to life and the two took off into the air. The other two watched them go as the roar drifted off into the sleepy night.
"You really don't know what you want to do now?", Bulma asked. She fiddled with her own capsule case, not ready leave but knowing the day was coming to a close.
"I don't know," Goku breathed out and continued, "I'd like to go find grampa, again."
"Well, why don't we?", Bulma asked. Goku shrugged, "Every time I do, something bad seems to happen. Wait, we?"
"Yeah we. I'm ready for more adventures!", she cheered. Goku smiled and asked, "What about if something bad happens? Like Piccolo comes back after me."
"Then you'll kick his ass and I'll be there to see it a second time," Bulma stated. Goku tried again, "What about Yamcha?"
Bulma grew quiet for several seconds before she said, "I don't want to talk about Yamcha. Let's just get going. Come on, we can be at Capsule Corps in a couple of hours, packed in four, and on the road just after breakfast."
"Are you avoiding Yamcah?", Goku asked. Bulma ignored him as she threw her own capsule out. A sleek red jet popped out of the smoked cloud.
"Computer, start the engines," she declared as she pulled open the door. A computerized voice came from the console with the affirmative as the engines gave out a low hum. Bulma turned back while hanging in the door and said, "Come on, Goku, if nothing else you need the radar from home."
Goku looked around nervously before finally getting in the passenger seat and hanging on as they took off. The aircraft hurled through the nightsky with Goku peering out the window at the dark ocean down below.
"On an adventure again, right, Goku!" Bulma declared. Goku just smiled and let the topic die, having tried to reason with one eccentric woman already for the day.