Self-edited to the best of my ability. Sorry for the near two month long hiatus; writer's block, school, work, SLEEP, and now a broken laptop - I'm tired as hell ... enjoy.

...

Meanwhile ...

Chi-Chi rubbed her hands together, her nerves completely jumbled as she paced back and forth on the wooden surface of the kitchen floor. Her ebony tresses were askew and her rumpled yellow cheongsam held more worry lines than her own skin. Lunch - or rather what was supposed to have been lunch - had gotten cold more than a few hours ago and though Chi-Chi was more than positive that her husband would've returned before noon to devour his meal, his absence had caused her to shove everything into the oven.

Over the span of the past few hours, Chi-Chi hadn't gotten anything accomplished. Since Goku had straightened up the house earlier that morning, it only left her with cooking and since the meal had been prepared and later got cold due to the absentee fingers of the universe's savior, it left the housewife with absolutely nothing to do but ... wait. Her frenzied nerves wouldn't allow her to sit still and while she had doted on herself, making sure that she was as spotless as the house itself for Goku's return, she couldn't help but pull out the cleaning supplies and sanitize something when more than an hour had passed.

She didn't know why she was so worried when often in the past that was what she mainly did - wait. She waited for Goku's return for holy matrimony; she waited a year for his return after his death by the hands of his arch-rival-turned-friend; she waited for his return from Namek after nearly two years; hell, she even waited for his return after seven long years of separation even though at the time there were no plans of him ever coming back! So what, pray tell, made this instance any different than the lasts?

Maybe it was the guilt, the same guilt that had been nibbling away at her heart for the past few days. That pained expression was the last thing she had seen of Goku after her accusation and it only made her feel more and more worse as time went by. Was he ever going to return? Did he want to be with her after that terrible outburst? A heavy part, the more rational part of her told her that she was just being silly. It wasn't as if things like this hadn't happened before.

Their relationship was more rocky than the earthquakes the Z-Fighters caused, so again, what made this instance any different? Chi-Chi found herself yelling at her husband more than once a day, but it wasn't as if she never had a reason for not yelling at him. Having the purest man in the universe for a husband was like a double-edged sword; it cut both ways.

Chi-Chi didn't realize the extent of what she was getting herself into when she uttered those two little words at the alter. All her life, she had envisioned Goku as this embodiment of perfection incapable of flaws and faults, but when she married him, she learned that his purity, his innocence, his naivete was perhaps one of the biggest flaws he'd ever possess. He had no previous knowledge of the world other that what she and his friends had ever taught him; he was a Saiyan warrior, a savior, inside and out, and it had only dawned on Chi-Chi when and after he had died for the second time. That was why she had mellowed out; that was why she trained Goten and allowed Gohan to train; that was why she wasn't as bitter about his lifestyle as she used to be. She had finally learned, after all those years, to accept that Goku was a Saiyan and she could only wonder what life would be like if he wasn't.

Fighting was in his blood; he craved battle almost as much as Bulma's husband did and she could never change that about him. It was a vicious cycle, Chi-Chi used to think; for however much stronger Goku became, an equally or even more powerful opponent would grace the headlines and he'd have to go, because 9 times out of 10, he was the only one who could do something about it. Telling Goku not to train was like inviting an enemy to their doorstep and though Chi-Chi wished that it wasn't that way, it had to be that way; yet, as frustrating as his innocence and sense of justice was sometimes, it was probably one of the things Chi-Chi loved the most about him.

When he had parted away from the Earth and informed the family of his stay in Otherworld, Chi-Chi could only think that it was her fault for him doing so. Did he leave because of the way she treated Gohan? Did he leave because of how much she used to yell at him? Did he leave because she would nitpick on how terrible of a husband he was? About how he never got a job, never did anything besides fight, eat, and leave? Did he leave her because he simply didn't love her? Day in and day out, she would ask herself such pitiable things; however, each thought came to a screeching halt when Goten was born and that was when Chi-Chi finally understood it all.

Shame on her for thinking that Goku didn't love her. As much as he enjoyed fighting and battling, how could she even think that Goku didn't care? He was always such a long-term person, never one to ponder on the here and now, but always one to think ahead and he probably would've never left if he didn't think it was for the best. Oh, how he must've felt when he even suggested staying in Otherworld, knowing that he would never be able to return not only for the protection of the world, but more importantly, for the sake his wife and sons. Despite the fact that Goku always wore his heart on his sleeve, only Chi-Chi knew that half the time it was a mask.

Her pacing came to a standstill and Chi-Chi released a breath of air. What was the point in her even thinking any of these things? As frustrating as he was sometimes, she knew more than anyone that Goku loved her and though she knew she was more than a handful as per the eyes of his friends as well as herself, she knew she couldn't live without him (even if she had done so on more than one occasion), so what was there to even think about?

"This is so infuriating," the widow thought aloud with a moan. If only Goku were home right now ...

Come to think of it, where was he anyway? In the note he left, he said he'd be going to Krillin's house and even though Kame House is a ways away from Mount Paozu, it shouldn't take him that long to return, right? Surely, Goku wasn't really planning on leaving her, right? Chi-Chi shook her head and frowned. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of such trivial things! It was time for her to stop moping, get her act together and save what little she had left of her marriage before someone else decided to screw it up even more!

Chi-Chi made a mental note that if she ever saw Sir Suita again, she'd make sure to punch him square in the face. After all, he was the reason they were even going through this in the first place.

With new found determination blazing in her coal irises, Chi-Chi took one final, albeit nervous breath as she curled her fists. "Son Chi-Chi," she berated in a tone similar to one she'd use when scolding her sons and husband, her pupils set ablaze.

"You don't mope! You don't whine, you don't cry, and you certainly aren't helpless! You're a princess! You scream and yell and pout and throw tantrums to get your way, and you'll be damned if you let the best thing that's ever happened to you slip right through your fingers! Now, you're gonna march your butt right down to the adviser's office and demand that he fix your marriage!"

Seemingly satisfied with her thunderous pep talk, Chi-Chi smoothed out the wrinkles in her yellow dress and flattened the mischievous tresses threatening to pool from her bun before she made her way towards the front exit. Without a second thought, Chi-Chi swung open the wooden door; however, her face fell and her fiery tenacity was reduced to mere ashes as the housewife was left sputtering and tripping over her words in a thoughtless babble.

"M-Mr. Visor?" she stammered with widened eyes as her cheeks set afire. "W-what are you doing here?" Oh, Kami, please tell me he did not hear any of that! she thought as she caught the crazed expression on his face.

Said man's fist was raised nervously in midair as his attempt to knock had been foiled and a weak smile curled on the edges of his lips as he dropped it to his side. "Good evening, Lady Chi-Chi," he greeted with a bow.

"Good evening," she returned embarrassingly, bowing in hopes of hiding her flushed face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Visor ran a hand over his balding mane as he took a deep breath. He adverted his teal eyes away from hers for a split second before he gave her a strained lopsided smile. A wave of tension settled over them and before Chi-Chi could address the adviser, he spoke.

"Pardon the intrusion, Milady. I know how much you detest unannounced visits, but I simply couldn't put this off any longer." He paused, making eye contact with the heiress before he continued. "I remember you telling me to come prepared the next time I visit, but the truth is, I've been prepared before you kicked me out of your house ... I just didn't know how to tell you."

Another wave of silence ruptured over the two as embarrassment over the memory coursed through Chi-Chi's veins. If it weren't for the casual way Visor had worded his sentence, Chi-Chi might've taken it as an insult, but coupled with his guarded expression and her anxiety, she paid it no mind. Besides, she was still too embarrassed over her boisterous pep talk to ponder on it.

"May I come inside?" he finally asked.

Chi-Chi didn't know whether or not she should've been happy or angry at his visit, so she did what she did best when dealing with compromising problems; she smiled. The mere thought of this whole marriage fiasco being over made the woman near-ecstatic, but for some odd reason, the way Visor voiced his words made her feel slightly shaken up, scared almost. Chi-Chi nearly shook her head at the thought; there was no more time for moping and crying, remember?

"Please, do enter," she said, peeling the door open for her visitor. Despite her smile, however, she just couldn't shake away the terrible sensation brimming in her belly.

...

In the few hours that Goku had finished talking with Bulma, he had decided that it was finally time for him to venture home. Time had passed by faster than the warrior realized, though being in his friend's window-free lab was the blame for it, and Goku found himself wanting to be near his wife again. Of all the advice he had received today, Bulma's advice left his brain tinkering the most, yet somewhere in the back of his mind, Yamcha and Oolong's accusations of Chi-Chi only caring for marriage and not for him surfaced every now and again.

As the hero waltzed the maze-like halls of Capsule Corp., he could only think of just how wrong his two friends were. Sure, Chi-Chi took that promise that he made out of context and barreled into his life with her sights set on being with him, but all that did was make Goku feel wanted. Of all people Chi-Chi could've married, of all the people she could've spent the rest of her life with, avoiding heartbreak, separations and death, she chose him! She chose an orphaned Saiyan who knew nothing outside of the little hut in the confines of Mount Paozu as her husband-to-be.

She was a princess; there were so many other choices, better choices out there for her! She could've chosen someone with a job, someone who was smarter, someone who could've given her the things she wanted out of life. She even could've remarried, although Goku was absolutely repulsed, mortified even, by the idea of his wife marrying someone else, but she didn't. She wanted him and Goku would've had to be just plain stupid not to realize that for himself.

A smile tugged on his lips at the thought.

So distracted was the hero that he failed to notice the only other full-blooded Saiyan in the universe walking opposite of him and they bumped into one another. Goku blinked confusedly as he was knocked from his thoughts and his eyes fell on the scowling prince in front of him.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, clown," Vegeta remarked callously as he began to sidestep Goku.

Still slightly dazed from his collision with his friend, Goku's previous smile broadened and he said rather happily, "Oh, hey, Vegeta! I almost forgot that you lived here since I haven't seen you at all today."

"Lucky me," Vegeta muttered, swiping the white towel draped over his shoulders across his forehead. Silence ruptured over the duo, putting Vegeta on edge, especially when he caught the idiotic expression on his rival's face. He was hoping against all odds that he wouldn't run into Kakarot at all today, but the gods just insisted on screwing him over (as always).

When more than a minute had passed, Vegeta's scowl had deepened and he barked, "Spit it out already!" He was already exhausted from a day of training and coupled with the fact that he had to babysit two hellions and a moronic teenager today, he wasn't planning on nor did he want to add a fourth child on his list of things to do.

When Goku finally opened his mouth to speak, Vegeta held up a gloved hand and cut him off. "On second thought Kakarot, I don't want to know."

"But you didn't even let me say anything!" Goku whined, causing Vegeta to roll his eyes.

"There's no need," the prince stated, baffling Goku. "If it has anything to do with the fact that you've spent more than half the day flying around like some adolescent teenager, then I'm sure it's something stupid."

Goku laughed as he waved off Vegeta's insult. "Oh, come on, Vegeta. You know that's not true."

"Oh, is it now?" Vegeta questioned, crossing his arms over his chest and gracing his rival with a cocky smirk. "Humor me then, Kakarot. Your brats have been here for the past two days going on three and instead of being home with your woman, you're busy zipping around like some confused cockroach which means she's either got you running some absurd errand or she kicked you out. As I'm sure that you have the attention span of a brick, I know you aren't running errands. You have no intention of collecting your spawn, so the only logical explanation of you being here is over something stupid."

"I wouldn't call my marriage with Chi-Chi stupid, Vegeta," Goku countered with a slight frown, but it easily slipped into a lopsided smile when he saw Vegeta roll his eyes again.

"Right," Vegeta replied gruffly. "Because being put out of your house over some ludicrous piece of paper isn't your idea of stupid."

Goku blinked. "Wait, how did you kno-"

"Your brat doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut," Vegeta answered before Goku could finish his question. "I've spent the better part of yesterday listening to him whine to Trunks about it." The prince released a deep breath as he removed the towel from around his neck and he prepared to walk down the hall again; however, before he left, he stopped shoulder-to-shoulder at Goku, the warm hues from the setting sun outside the window washing over the them. It nearly made Vegeta's scowl appear softer than usual.

"Listen Kakarot; I know you came over here in hopes of attaining some sort of advice on your idiotic relationship with your woman, but I'm here to tell you that you're wasting your time. You don't need me or anyone else telling you something that you yourself should've realized a long time ago. Of course, knowing you, you'd need someone to spell it out for you. Now if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop traipsing around like some lovesick puppy. Your depressing ki is giving me a headache."

And with that said, Vegeta began to make his way down the hall again. Goku stood rooted in place as Vegeta's footsteps filtered into his ears and the warrior found himself grinning a mile-wide smile as he turned around to face the prince.

"For what's it worth Vegeta, I think you should marry Bulma too!"

Vegeta paused mid-step as the corner of his lip twitched; yet, it didn't last long and the prince continued to march down the corridor until he was out of Goku's sight completely. The Saiyan continued to stare into the dimly lit void, his smile still glued in place until it dawned on him that he didn't know his way of out Capsule Corp. Immediately, Goku ambled down the hall after Vegeta with a frantic wave of his arms.

"Hey, Vegeta, wait up! I need you to show me the way out of here!"

It didn't take long for Goku to find his way to the front; however, this did not go by without him being berated on his lack of common sense by Vegeta. Honestly, what was the point of possessing the Instant Transmission if he wasn't going to use it? From where he stood, he could see the oversize television playing some cartoon movie or another with Goten and Trunks stretched out on the floor in their pajamas behind a barricade of couch pillows and junk food.

The warrior had a fleeting thought to leave the duo be, but his thoughts were cut short when Goten turned around. Immediately, his face lit up and he nudged Trunks in the side as he muttered something to him. With annoyance flashing across his face, the heir to Capsule Corp. begrudgingly paused the film and he watched as Goten hopped from his spot on the floor towards his father with nothing short of a smile.

"Hey, Dad!" the little fireball greeted as he reached up to hug his father.

Goku chuckled as he knelt to his son's height and returned it. "Hey, buddy. Havin' fun?"

"I sure am!" Goten answered, pulling back and directing a quick gaze towards the pile of half-eaten snacks on the floor before turning back to Goku. "Trunks' grandma brought us a bunch of movies. She even got us our favorite snacks!"

"Hey, don't eat too many sweets now," Goku scolded lightly with a smile, placing a hand atop his son's head. "You and I both know your mother wouldn't like that."

Goten nodded his head. "I won't," he said, looking towards the floor while he quietly shuffled his feet and twiddled his thumbs together, his smile evaporating into a guilty look. Goku quirked an eyebrow as he rested his elbows on his knees, remarking on how fast his son's emotions altered.

Concern filled his ebony irises and the Saiyan asked seriously, "What's the matter, Goten?"

Goten nibbled on his bottom lip and he found himself staring into the eyes of his father as he asked, "Are you and Momma mad at me?"

If Goku's eyebrows could skyrocket past his hairline, then they most certainly would have. "No, of course not," Goku answered. "What would make you think something like that?"

"Well, it's just that," Goten stammered, adverting his eyes again. "When I read that paper the other day, Momma started yellin' at you and cryin' and stuff," he said as his nose slowly evolved to red, his glassy eyes filling with tears. "Is it my fault you got yelled at? Are you and Momma gonna break up?"

"No," Goku immediately answered. Goten, on the other hand, didn't buy it as he swiped his forearm across his face, fresh tears coating his too-large pajama sleeve.

This situation was all-too-familiar to Goku as he was instantly reminded of Gohan.

He used to think the exact same thing, especially when he and Chi-Chi argued with one another. He would burst into a fit of tears and it'd normally take both of them to calm him down and reassure him that they weren't going to separate. Goten, however, was a new breed all on his own and Goku supposed that he couldn't fault him for thinking such a thought. As Bulma told him, this was the first time he's ever had both his parents together, so what passed as an everyday thing for the old family of three didn't apply to the newest addition to the family.

Goku took a deep breath and he placed a hand atop Goten's head again, halting the boy in his quiet sniffles. "Look, Goten," his father said in a warm tone as a soft smile crossed his lips; Goten brought his tear-filled gaze to his father once again, sniffling back a nose full of mucus.

With his smile still in place, Goku took the rim of his orange gi and wiped away his son's tears. "Blow," he commanded, placing it over Goten's nose. The boy did as he was told and blew; regardless of the amount of gunk that came from his nose, Goku paid it no mind as he asked, "All better?"

Goten nodded his head.

"Good," Goku said, pulling the boy into his arms for a firm hug, careful to avoid the boogers coating his gi. "Nothing is your fault, 'kay, kiddo?" Goten nodded his head in his father's shoulder. "Your mother and I aren't going to break up. Besides, you and I both know that she'd kill me before she lets that happen, right?" he asked, earning himself a short-lived giggle from the child in his arms.

"Really?" Goten mumbled into his father's shoulder with a sniffle.

"Really," Goku affirmed, ruffling his son's hair again and earning himself another giggle. "Now, I gotta go or else your mother really will kill me, so I'll see you in a few days, alright?"

Goten pulled back and nodded his head with a well-placed smile. "Okay!" he answered with a little more bounce in his voice than earlier as he wiped away the tear stains in his face.

"Now, go have fun with Trunks," Goku said, turning Goten around and giving his son a small, affectionate push in the back towards his friend. "And don't stay up too late!"

"'Kay!" the look-a-like chirped, taking his seat back on the floor with Trunks.

Finally, the savior of the universe stood up from his place on the floor, directing one final, reassuring smile towards his son before he set for the front door and with a boisterous good-bye to the residents of Capsule Corp., Goku exited the mansion and took off in a burst of ki towards his home in the secluded area of Mount Paozu with nothing or no one but his wife on his mind.

...

As the cool night's breeze combed harmlessly through Goku's hair, he found his thoughts lingering on the very woman he was rushing home to see: Chi-Chi - his wife. Goku half-wondered why he didn't just propose to her on the spot. How could he have been so ... so stupid? There shouldn't have been anything to think about! He loved Chi-Chi; he loved her like crazy and it shouldn't have taken him nearly a week to figure out something that he should've realized in less than a few seconds.

Goku remembered when they were first wed; Chi-Chi would sit in her rocking chair as she wove together a well-crafted sweater or a ripped shirt just for him. He remembered when he got a bruise or a scratch from training day in and day out, and she'd scold him on his reckless behavior; yet, no less than a few seconds later would she pry open the first aid kit and tend to his wounds, placing a chaste kiss wherever needed. He remembered when Gohan was born - Goku would never forget the time when Chi-Chi yelled at him for building a nest (he'd honestly thought babies were born from eggs) - and how she'd place his larger hands over her ever-growing belly to feel a kick or a toss and a turn.

He remembered when he was rendered completely useless, encased in bandages after his gruesome battle against Vegeta, and how Chi-Chi doted on him when not even the doctors and nurses could handle him. He remembered their tearful reunion after his return from Namek, he remembered being held after discovering he killed his grandpa or when he'd have nightmares, the many passionate nights after Namek and before Cell. He remembered it all.

With a larger-than-life smile in place, Goku finally touched down on the never-ending grass that was the lawn of his home. He could already imagine things now. He'd walk through the door and Chi-Chi would be preparing dinner, chopping a handful of vegetables before dumping them into a pot of bubbling broth, all the while trekking throughout the kitchen as she stirred this and seasoned that.

He'd tiptoe from behind and engulf her in one out of many of his bone-crushing hugs; then, he'd set a trail of loving butterfly kisses down her neck before trying to sneak a taste of a meal not yet prepared, only to get to get hit with a kitchen utensil - often times a wooden spoon - before she'd begrudgingly allow him a nibble. They'd eat dinner, he'd propose, and then everything would go back to normal.

Yeah, Goku thought peeling open the front door and allowing the light from within to swallow him whole, completely unaware of what had taken place just hours before he came home.

...

Anonymous Reviewers:

Just a reader - Thanks for reading and reviewing. Lol, no, Goku didn't propose to her with the Four Star Dragon Ball in any episode. It's only apart of the story. Trust me, if he did, I'd definitely tell you, haha. I'd probably lose my mind if he did that in the manga/anime.

tevinssj7 - Lol, you'll see. Nice observation though. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing.