Author's notes: Next chapter. I know it took a while, but this isn't my primary story on this site, that is 'Fate Intertwined'. So for now, untill that one is finished, this takes second place. Enjoy!

Reviewers:

Nickyjoet: Thanks for the review and I know my grammar is bad sometimes. English is only my third language so that might explain it. If you see a huge mistake please tell me and I can correct it.

Xdevil-childx: Thanks for the review!

Funeral and Flowers

Until this moment, life had begun to calm down for Son Goku. With the help of Bulma, he was finally beginning to understand how much attention was really necessary for Gohan. She was brilliant. Together they were able to calm Gohan down, and have fun with the little tyke.

Today had given birth to the renewal of overwhelming anguish, the piercing pain that enveloped Goku's heart every time he thought of ChiChi. His life had been such utter chaos since her death that he was too busy to dwell on it for long. It had only been two days, so it was no wonder that he was still in the primary stages of grieving.
Today was a very monumental occasion. Today was the day he would lay her to rest. It was the day that he would finally come to terms with reality. ChiChi was not on some sort of vacation. She wasn't coming back. To put it crudely, but accurately, she was as dead as a doorknob, and it was time to recognize this horrifying fact. He needed to say goodbye. He was so unsure if he would be capable of standing it, of saying that single word that meant so much.

He speculated the peculiarity of it. Goodbye could mean so many things at once. It could mean farewell forever. It could mean, see ya' later. It could hurt, and sometimes it felt relieving. The fresh relief one feels when someone who has overspent their stay finally leaves. Everyone remembers that annoying acquaintance or family member that is nice to see for a day or two, but after a week, you're silently wishing them to depart already. Some people congratulate themselves for finally gathering the courage to say goodbye to someone of whom they had once held feelings for, but those feelings had slipped away while they weren't looking. There are so many reasons to say goodbye, Goku mused silently in despair; why did his have to be the worst of them all. He loved ChiChi! He needed her! He didn't want to say goodbye! He wasn't ready to say it because ChiChi's goodbye was permanent! It would be traumatizing to realize she was gone!

Chichi was buried at the foot of Mount Paozu. She lay sheltered beneath a gorgeous and ancient cherry blossom tree. It was a perfect sunny day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The tree that towered over her simple headstone was in full blossom, and with every slight breeze, small pink flower pedals drifted and swirled around ChiChi's gravesite.

Fortunately, Bulma had thought of Goku's circumstances at the time of the funeral planning, and she went over his initial plans, editing them to her liking. If it hadn't been for her, the funeral would have been mediocre, but she had transformed it into something spectacular. For this, Goku would forever be grateful to her.

The Ox-King was completely inconsolable. Bunny Briefs stood beside him, rubbing his rather large backside in compassion. 'This poor man had lost his wife, and now his daughter too! He must think that this is a very cruel world!' thought Bunny in pity.
Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaoutzu, Master Roshi, Bulma, Mr. Briefs, Puar, Oolong... everyone, they had all come to grieve for Goku's wife, for the Ox-King's daughter. Everyone's faces reflected sadness, but also an overwhelming degree of pity. ChiChi had been very independent. The only people she had ever attached herself to was her father, the Ox-King, and Goku. The crowd that came to her funeral weren't friends of hers, they were better known as acquaintances, or rather, her husband's large supply of friends.

It was only natural for them to feel pity for their friend more so then the sadness for ChiChi's death. They didn't know her, but they were sad for Goku's loss. Perhaps Bulma had been the only of the group to meddle in-between Goku's relationship with ChiChi. She was curious of his happiness, and she had visited them from time to time. ChiChi was one of the most tough and indignant of women Bulma had ever encountered. She was a true character that would never be forgotten.

Goku did not love her at first. He didn't even know what was going on when he proposed to her. This had sort of ticked Bulma off at the time. Goku deserved the best, of course she had to worry about her best friend's wellbeing. She cared about him a lot. She was relieved to see that he indeed found happiness with ChiChi. He grew to love her in the way she had loved him since the moment she had met him when they were just little kids. ChiChi doted on her husband. She reprimanded his poor manors and lack of hygiene, but she improved many of his faults. She made him grow up to some degree. She loved him more than anything regardless of how difficult he was at times. For this, Bulma thought, she deserved the greatest of all recognition.

Bulma stood beside Goku throughout the entire procession. She held his hand in what she judged was the most difficult part: the time when the casket was finally lowered into the ground, and was covered with dirt to forever conceal its occupant.

Goku strode forward and stroked the fine shiny oak wood of the coffin. He leaned down and kissed it, tears welling in his eyes. He then moved back and witnessed it lower into the cold earthy ground forever. Bulma squeezed his hand in reassurance as everyone grabbed a handful of moist dirt, and approached the burial ditch.

"A fine woman, that was," muttered Master Roshi, sprinkling the dirt upon her coffin.

"She wouldn't take no for an answer. She was the only one who could defeat Goku," offered Krillin, his handful of dirt joining Master Roshi's.

"She was not swayed easily. She was determined to get what she wanted, namely Goku," said Bulma, glancing at Goku with a smile. "She was beautiful inside and out. She was independent. I could count on her to take care of my best friend. She made him happy, and for that I will forever be grateful to her. I can only hope that after spending so much time with such a perfect creature, that Goku can once again find solace elsewhere. That he may find happiness once again. Farewell, Son ChiChi, you bear your name well. Watch down upon your husband and son, they still need you to be their rock." With that said, she proudly tossed her handful of dirt in to join with the others.

And so it went on.... one by one... until it reached the Ox-King...

He rubbed tears away from his eyes, "She was the most perfect daughter a father could ever ask for. She was the mirror image of her mother," he hiccupped, sobbing slightly, "She was and will forever be my shining star, my pride and joy, my little girl... ChiChi..." He began to choke up, and could no-longer continue to speak, he lifted his trembling cupped hands, and gently poured the dirt over her grave, as if her were caressing her fragile face.

"ChiChi, you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. You taught me so many things. You've given me endless joys of which I never would have thought possible. You are the love of my life. You gave me a son. You were so strong, and defiant in spirit. I hope you give those souls up in heaven a run for their money," Goku said solemnly, he didn't know what he was saying, he was just saying whatever came to mind, he felt that she deserved better, "I'm going to miss you more than I've missed anything! I don't know how I'm going to cope without you. I don't know how I can possibly manage to raise Gohan alone. Don't worry though; I'll be trying my best. I know you would if the shoe was on the other foot. You were amazing, you are amazing! You could do anything... I wish I had an ounce of your courage, of your resilience... right now... The truth his ChiChi.... I'm scared. Expect to be getting visits from me often... I don't think I can handle letting you go. I need your advice, or at least, your presence. I need you..." Goku was now crying desperately, "I'm so sorry Chi! You deserved the best, so much better than a dufus like me! I want you to know... I – I want you to know that I love you more than anything and that my heart will always be with you..." he paused, emitting the subtle sound of sobbing, his voice trembled as he uttered his last word to her, "G – goodbye..."

He kneeled down before the large hole in the ground, spreading out his fingers, and watching the dirt seep through, watching gravity pull it down. The day wore on, as all days do. Time flies by, but this day, time went unnoticed by Goku. He stayed at the gravesite much longer than anyone else, well into the night.

Bulma approached Goku with baby Gohan bundled up tightly in her arms. He was layered in clothing and blanket. It was getting cold out. She watched Goku as he sat at the edge of ChiChi's grave.

Son ChiChi – it said, "Loving daughter, wife, and mother"

Bulma wondered how he could sit there so straight. He looked completely stoic, so unlike his natural self. His facial expression was deadpan, as if the life had been sucked out of him. She had heard him cry, while talking to his deceased wife earlier. Perhaps... he had nothing left to say. Maybe, for the time being, he felt numb, maybe his emotions were spent. He had added some wild flowers to the many bouquets of flowers that adorned ChiChi's gravesite. The gesture was very respectful and endearing, but it was time for Goku to come home now. He had Gohan to think of at the moment. He could not spend hours on end sitting at his wife's grave in a trance of despair. Long-lived mourning was for people that had the time for it. Gohan needed his father. Whether Goku wanted to or not, he needed to learn to cope with it.

Bulma sighed; Goku hadn't even sensed her approach with his son. She missed the old Goku. She kept reminding herself to not be impatient, that these things needed time. She just wanted to see him smile again. She wanted to see genuine joy and excitement reflected in his innocent eyes. She needed her Goku back. This Goku wasn't even a shadow of what the true Goku was; this was just your typical stagnant depressed person. He needed his spirits to be lifted up.

'I'll make him smile again. I'll make damn sure of that!' Bulma thought to herself with the utmost of determination. 'But... I'll wait... I'll give the poor man a little more time to adjust before I force him to see that there is still life out there, just waiting to be lived...'

It was a quarter past three in the morning when Goku finally trudged through the front door of his humble home. The noise he encountered as he awoke Gohan forced him back to reality.

'Who's watching Gohan?' his mind screamed at him condescendingly, 'You inconsiderate idiot! How dare you make her promises you can't keep!'

Goku stumbled through his house to the nursery. He paused in the doorway, as he witnessed Bulma lifting Gohan out of the crib and gently shushing him.

"There, there, sweetheart, your daddy's just home, that's all," she whispered, glancing up at Goku's baffled expression.

Goku blinked in confusion, "B-Bulma? What are you doing here?" he stammered.

Bulma smiled softly at Goku, amused by his complete bemusement, "Well, someone had to watch Gohan."

"O-of course! I realised that way too late... I was so terrified when I... when I came in and heard him crying. How could I have forgotten about it so easily? H-he needed me, and I wasn't there..." Goku trailed off, glaring at the ground in contempt of his stupid mistake.

Bulma seemed surprised, she approached him, cradling Gohan in one arm, using the other to touch his cheek softly in compassionate understanding, "Goku," she muttered, staring directly into his sorrowful raven eyes, "Nobody is expecting you to be a perfect father. You are in a rut right now. You have other things on your mind. Gohan's absolutely fine, Goku, look at him." She removed her hand from his face, and lifted Gohan up into the spotlight. He smiled at his father, and giggled slightly. He unexpectedly reached out to him with his chubby little hands.

Goku smiled a genuine smile. He held out his arms for Gohan. Bulma gladly handed him over. They needed to start bonding.

"Goku, if you don't care, I was wondering if you'd mind me staying for the night. I'm always coming so early in the morning anyway. Besides, I'd get more beauty sleep since I wouldn't have to drive all the way back home for the time being," she said, slightly unsure of being so straightforward.

"That would be great, Bulma. You're such a big help. You're so smart. You always know what to do, and Gohan really likes you. You can take the guest room. I think that it's free of junk, but if it isn't give a yell and I'll move it somewhere else," he said, glad she was staying. Somehow, he felt unusually comforted by her presence as of late.

Just then Gohan decided that he was no longer content and began crying crankily. Goku seemed worried. What had he done? Gohan became even more disturbed and began to scream as piercingly as he could muster.

Goku glanced up at Bulma with a startled and helpless look on his face that said, 'What do I do?!?'

Bulma let out subtle lilting laughter, she couldn't help it, and the look Goku had just made was so adorable!

"I think that he needs to be put to bed. It's kind of late, and newborns need a lot of sleep. Whether you believe me or not, Gohan was really antsy while you were gone. It was incredibly difficult for me to calm him down," explained Bulma.

"Really?" asked Goku in earnest pleasure. Gohan really liked him enough to miss him? Goku handed Gohan to Bulma and she began rocking him and calming him down before putting him to sleep. Goku watched her every move, determined to learn how to do it himself properly.

"Hey cutie, you're sleepy aren't you?" said Bulma in a soft comforting voice.

Gohan couldn't understand a word Bulma was saying. He just knew that her voice sounded good, and that she was warm and soft. He yawned and began to become very drowsy.

Bulma carefully lowered Gohan into the crib, and tucked him in gently. She then turned and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door silently behind her. She was surprised to see Goku watching her intently. He had an awkward look upon his face. She wondered what he was thinking about.

Goku nervously averted his eyes, "You're really good at that. I hope I can be that good someday."

"It's not hard, Goku," answered Bulma with a quiet laugh, "you'll be pro in no-time!"

Goku looked down at his feet in embarrassment, "Really, ya' think so? I hope you're right! Thanks, Bulma!"

"You don't need to thank me for anything, Goku," she replied earnestly.

Goku smiled slightly, "Well, goodnight, Bulma!" he said, turning and leaving hastily.

When Goku heard the door of the guest room close he sighed as if a large amount of strain had been lifted off of his body. He really didn't have a clue as to why he had suddenly become shy and embarrassed around Bulma. He knew her better than anyone. She and he had been friends for what felt like forever. She was the second person he'd ever met. She was the first girl he ever met.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that something had felt different between the two of them as of recently. He had felt rather peculiar when he had seen her standing over the bed of Gohan. He knew that she was in the exact spot where his wife should have been standing, but his wife wasn't here anymore. She was dead. She would never have the opportunity to stand in that particular spot, holding her son tenderly, speaking to him in a cutesy voice. Bulma stood in her place, acting the part of a mother Gohan didn't have.

Goku suddenly clenched his fists in frustration, 'No!' he thought adamantly. 'Bulma could never take her place! What was I thinking?!?'

Goku lay down in bed, glaring at the ceiling. Why was life so unfair? What did he do to deserve this sort of torture?

The Next Morning:

Goku awoke the next morning in a haze. He felt so exhausted! His bones ached as if he had just done an intense workout. His muscles were stiff. For what felt like the first time in his life, he didn't want to pull himself out of bed and face the new day. He just wanted to lie there, doing absolutely nothing. He wanted to fade into nothingness.

He heard some rustling and banging in the kitchen. He had what felt like a mental relapse, why was there noise in the kitchen? He lifted himself out of bed in angst. Could it be?

"Chi," he whispered in astonishment, striding quickly to the kitchen with an eager sort of gait. He rounded the corner of a hallway, and passed through the kitchen doorway, only to be slapped in the face. Well, not slapped literally, but it certainly felt like someone had decked him.

"Hi Goku! How are you this morning?" chimed Bulma. She was perfecting her new art of cooking eggs and toast.

Goku tried not to look too disappointed, but he suddenly felt horrible. "I'm fine," was all he said in response.

Bulma frowned at him, worry evident on her face; she began to leave her post, "Are you alright?" she inquired.

Goku threw her an awkward half-smile, "I'm fine, really."

"Okay..." she mumbled, turning back to her cooking.

Goku approached Gohan, taking a seat at the table nearest to his highchair. The shock was beginning to wear off. He began playing with him. "And how are you this morning little man?" asked Goku, pointing his index finger at Gohan.

Gohan giggled and grasped Goku's finger. "Woah!" exclaimed Goku with a laugh, "You're really strong aren't you?"

"Are you going to train him when he gets older?" asked Bulma.

"Yeah, I think so! I'm so excited!" Goku replied.

Bulma set a heaping plate of food in front of Goku. Goku caught a whiff of it, and could feel his mouth salivating in response to the delicious smell. He gasped melodramatically, "Oh my Kami! Is that blueberry pancakes!?!" he exclaimed.

Bulma laughed, "Yeah, I experimented a little. I had the eggs and toast to fall back on if I failed. I tried some, and I think I actually did a good job..."

Goku had already taken a bite of the pancakes, "This is delicious!" he complimented her with his mouth full.

Bulma laughed, taking a bottle, and feeding Gohan. Goku glanced up at her in confusion, "Oh! You don't have to do that, Bulma. You can eat. I'll do that!"

Bulma smiled, "That's, okay, I already ate something."

When breakfast was over Bulma left and headed home. She offered to stay, and help, but Goku said that she needed a break, he could handle it today. She seemed excited, and said something about working on a new project she'd thought up recently. She refused to tell him what it was, but she told him that he'd soon find out.

She remembered him giving her a sad smile, and saying he was going to miss her. With that stated, she squeezed his hand in reassurance, and told him that she'd be back later that day, so he wouldn't have to miss her for very long.

At Capsule Corporation:

"Mom, dad, I'm home," hollered Bulma as she entered the living room and dropped her luggage on the couch. She walked around looking for her mother and father. She finally found them in their vast indoor yard. They were feeding their animals.

Mr. Briefs glanced up at his daughter upon her entrance into the yard, his little black cat sat upon his shoulder; it too was looking at Bulma with its inquisitive eyes.

"Oh hi, honey. Did you have a fun sleepover?" he asked.

Bulma rolled her eyes in annoyance. What type of question was that? He still treated her like a little girl. She was a grown woman now.

"Dad, it was fine. I only stayed to help Goku with his son, you know that," she replied.

"Of course, sweetie, I knew that," replied Mr. Briefs without really listening, "No, kitty, you're poking holes in my suit!" he reprimanded the little black cat on his shoulder.

"Would you like some coffee and homemade vanilla-walnut biscotti, hun?" asked Mrs. Briefs.

"No thanks, mom," Bulma declined, "I'm going to the lab to work on my project."

After having said so, she rushed off to her lab to get started. She'd been thinking about this nonstop since she'd begun the blueprints for it. She was sure it would cheer Goku up.

When she entered her own personal laboratory, she went straight to her workbench. She smiled while ruffling through some papers. She was really proud of her project and wanted to finish it before Goku could come and visit her at Capsule Corp.

As she sat down she finally found what she had been looking for: self-made blueprints of a training room. It wasn't just any mundane training room, no; she had taken the original layout of a dojo, but had added a system of gravitational control. That way, the user could choose to train at a higher or lower level of gravity than the one that was normal on Earth. It was also going to be built with special gravitational reinforcers around the walls, roof, and floor, so that it could withstand extremely powerful ki blasts, strength, power-ups, and generally any type of thrashing someone could think to give it. She had been working on the blueprints for it nonstop since she'd thought of it. Now she was overly excited to get it done.

'I'm positive he's going to be so happy when he sees this! He loves to train and get stronger!' she thought.

She pictured her best friend's smiling face and immediately went to work with the utmost of determination. She wanted to get it done in time, so she had to rush as quickly as possible.

Author's notes: Now I do wonder if I should insert Vegeta in the story, or if the Saiyans should come at all. I don't know, what do you guys think?

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