#guy who's had super strength his entire life just now discovering how easy it made flipping people over

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a special thanks to @/humming-fly for this comment

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Life With You: XXVIII

Part Twenty-Eight:

 Fallen Warrior

  Goku paced himself as they flew to South City. They will arrive after nine flying this slow but with the heart virus making itself known, Goku knew he had to take it easy. All those visits to Dr. Sims told him overexerting himself will make the virus spread faster. Piccolo flew alongside him, conserving his own energy, too, but Gohan flew ahead of them eager to reach South City. He put a lot of distance between him and Piccolo.

 “Gohan!” Goku called to his son. “Slow down. We’ll get there in time. You’re gonna burn yourself out before we even fight.”

 Gohan slowed his pace. With Piccolo confident he can defeat the Artificial Humans but still having a sense of dread about today, his own health issues, and calming Krillin whom they met along the way, Goku put on his best acting job he was as cool as a cucumber.

 When they arrived at South City, Yamcha and Tien were waiting for them on a mountain but so was Bulma with baby Trunks in her arms.

 What the hell? Goku thought as he landed. He knew Bulma would have a child but he didn’t think he would be meeting them today. “What are you doing here?” Goku scolded Bulma. “The Artificial Humans will be here soon. This whole area could be destroyed. You’re putting yourself and your baby in danger.”

 “Oh, hush,” Bulma ignored Goku’s worries. “I just want to see what they look like and I’ll be off.”

 Goku slapped his forehead amazed at Bulma’s foolishness. He made some mistakes with Gohan when he was a baby but he never would’ve done this. Goku tried again to convince Bulma she needed to leave. He did not want his friend to die because of her own curiosity. As kids, Bulma got herself in over her head and it was up to him to save her. Knowing he was infected with the heart virus, Goku knew his fighting could be hindered.

 “Bulma, you really should go back now while you still can,” Goku warned. “If you don’t care about yourself, think about your baby.”

 Bulma remained happily stubborn. “Like I said, once I see the Artificial Humans, I’ll go home. Besides, with you here, I don’t have to worry. You’ll take care of the bad guys like always.”

 Goku threw his hands up. Stubborn as always.  

 “So, how did you really know?” Bulma asked Goku suspiciously. At Goku’s questioning gaze, she said, “You really knew Vegeta is Trunks’ Dad by looking at him and guessing his name was merely a coincidence?”

 “Oh,” Goku laughed nervously. “Maybe I discovered psychic powers in these three years.”

 Bulma wasn’t entirely convinced. “So, you really haven’t seen Vegeta and he didn’t tell you about me and his baby?”

 “Bulma, the last time I saw you two was three years ago. Honest.”

 Bulma took a step closer to Goku. Goku wasn’t a mind reader but even he noticed Bulma looked a mixture of hurt and disappointment. “I haven’t seen Vegeta in months. Like I said earlier, we’re not living together.” She pressed a kiss on Trunks’ temple as he babbled. “Not all Saiyans can be domesticated I guess.”

 Bulma sat on the grass preferring to sit as they waited. Gohan entertained baby Trunks while Krillin looked on repulsed Bulma had Vegeta’s kid. Goku loved Gohan’s friendly approach to Trunks. Gohan was good with little kids. Aki’s daughter always followed him around when he visited. Goku could see the same thing happening with Gohan and baby Trunks or his own baby brother or sister.   

Perhaps after all this is over, me and ChiChi can try having another kid. Gohan will be a great big brother.

The remaining hour passed in peace but when the clock turned 10am and minutes passed undisturbed, the group became anxious. Goku considered they enter the city looking for any suspicious activity when Yajirobe’s car exploded in the air. All watched as the remains of Yajirobe’s car crashed in the ocean. Piccolo was the first to spot the Artificial Humans but it was Gohan who brilliantly guessed that because they were Artificial Humans they didn’t have Ki. After giving orders to everyone to search and not engage the enemy and for Gohan to check on Yajirobe, Goku ventured into South City.

 Yamcha was the first to find the Artificial Humans and it nearly cost him his life. While Krillin carried Yamcha back to Bulma who held the senzu beans, Goku, Piccolo and Tien encountered the two Artificial Humans and led them away from the city to fight in a remote area.

 Goku didn’t know if it was the sudden stress of the situation; seeing Yamcha near death; seeing half of South City be destroyed by one of the Artificial Humans, something Aki warned him about, but Goku felt a change in his heart. The heart virus was spreading fast. He could feel it. The tightness in his chest grew and he felt winded as he led these two monsters away from the city.

 I’m only flying and I’m getting tired. I gotta finish this fight fast. Body, please hold on.

 Goku was out of breath when he finally landed. I need time to gather my strength. I can’t fight like this. “Tell me something before we fight. How do you know about us?”

 While the one who called himself No. 20 spoke, Goku recovered enough to fight but he was stunned the death of his friends and son in another timeline was caused by a grudge against him. The Red Ribbon Army. Goku hadn’t thought about them in years. He never heard of Dr. Gero. It was disturbing learning all these years a madman spied on him, studied him to build these Artificial Humans to kill him, his son and friends.

 Goku felt he had an advantage. Super Saiyan. Once he transforms, he’ll take care of these monsters. This was his fight. Not his friends. There was that little wiggle of worry about his heart virus but Goku believed being a Super Saiyan will give him enough strength to destroy these monsters before he’s weakened anymore.

 Super Saiyan will give me enough speed and strength to defeat them before this virus weakens me anymore. Body…. please hold on.

 With a cocky smirk that would make Vegeta proud, Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan. He can easily transform at will into a Super Saiyan but because of his heart, Goku gradually built up his transformation. Anyone observing would think he is showing off with the explosive expanse of his muscles and exaggerated yelling but Goku was conserving his strength drawing this out. He felt the surge of strength and speed at his transformation but Goku also felt weak.  

 Damn. My strength is fading. I gotta finish this fight fast.

 “Stay out of this, you two!” Goku told Piccolo and Tien. “I’m the one they want.”

 Goku expected the ones called No. 20 and No. 19 to be fearful of his transformation but they were oddly calm and confident. No. 20 decided to stay back and let No. 19 fight him. It didn’t matter who fought him first, Goku knew he had to end this quickly.

 Goku attacked first. Every punch and kick Goku gave No. 19 had all his power behind it and didn’t stop him at all. It was deflected and blocked. The hits Goku did land on No. 19 didn’t have the affect Goku wanted. A normal punch would’ve put a hole in No. 19. The show of speed and skills might be impressive to No. 19, No. 20 and Tien but Goku knew Piccolo suspected something is wrong. He gotten stronger over the three years they trained together. His power as a Super Saiyan should be far more staggering.

 I haven’t put a dent in this guy and I’m getting tired. How am I gonna defeat him and No. 20 like this?

 After an aerial assault that sent No. 19 to an explosive impact on the ground, Goku became aware of Gohan, Yamcha and Krillin’s arrival. The battle took a turn against Goku when he fired a Kamehameha Wave. No. 19 absorbed all the Goku’s energy from the wave. His increased power outmatched Goku’s diminishing strength.

 Goku knew he was in trouble when he saw No. 19’s wicked grin. He moved too fast for Goku to block No. 19’s knee hitting his stomach and the slap across his face which sent Goku spiraling to the ground. It was a desperate move but Goku decided to use a second Kamehameha Wave. He already heard from Piccolo No. 20 and No. 19 can absorb energy but Goku was out of ideas. His body was breaking down at a rapid rate. Sharp stabs of pain jabbed his heart; his chest was on fire and his back, arms and legs were throbbing from the blows he received from No. 19.

 I ain’t going out like this. Gohan. ChiChi.

 That last blast of the second wave took what remaining reserves Goku had left. Against his own will, his body descended to the ground. Dropping to one knee with one hand on the ground, Goku clutched his chest.

 Damn. Damn. I can’t stop this! My chest is on fire. Ugh! It’s like someone is squeezing my heart.

Gohan. ChiChi. I can’t stop. I can’t stop fighting.

 Goku accepted a senzu bean from Krillin. It gave Goku a temporary burst of power but it wasn’t enough to stop Goku from being No. 19’s punching bag. No matter how high Goku jumped or how fast Goku tried to avoid him, No. 19 was always nearby to kick, punch and bruise Goku’s weakening body.

 One painful kick to Goku’s back soared Goku several feet in the sky. Before he could stop himself, No. 19 appeared behind and punched his chest. Goku spiraled. Before Goku’s body slammed against the rocky ground, No. 19’s menacing face appeared again to thump Goku’s face. Flying up with no way to stop, No. 19 popped up again to kick Goku’s back. This time Goku landed on the ground, sliding several feet before stopping.

 Pain coursed through Goku’s entire body from his head to his toes. He was so out of it, his vision blurred and he lost the ability to control his body to maintain his Super Saiyan form as he returned to his normal state.

 I can’t even transform anymore. I ain’t winning this.

 “Argh!” Goku screamed as No. 19 dropped his heavy body on Goku and locked a hand around his neck. Goku struggled but No. 19 had an iron gripped on his throat as he drained what was left of Goku’s life energy. Goku could hear his friends and son to try help him but No. 20 blocked them.

 This can’t be it. I can’t go out like this. I gotta kill these monsters. I ain’t letting them to kill Gohan and ChiChi!

 His spirit was willing but Goku’s body grew weaker with each passing second; the pain in his heart worsened; his vision worsened and his grip on No. 19 started to slip when a sharp white boot kicked No. 19’s face. No 19 released his hold on Goku as he was knocked several feet away.

 Dazed, Goku’s eyes darted up to see who came to his rescue. White boots. Blue spandex. White chest plate. That wild spiked hair and that cocky smirk.

 Vegeta.

 “I’m the one who’s going to defeat Kakarrot. No one will steal that victory from me.”

 Vegeta. Took you long enough.

 Vegeta shook his head at Goku disgusted. “I saw everything, you jackass. You noticed the anomaly in your body but you turned into a Super Saiyan anyway! You fool! You knew it would put more strain on your heart!” Huffing and puffing heavily, one weak eye of Goku’s opened to see Vegeta scornful gaze. “My target has always been you…. Kakarrot. Don’t you fucking die on me.” Vegeta kicked Goku’s back, thrusting him off the ground and into Piccolo’s hand. “Someone take that fool home so he can take his medicine.”

 Piccolo lowered Goku on his knees. Goku’s heart was on fire.

 “Dad!”

 Goku felt his son hold him up by his chest. The worry on Gohan’s face reminded Goku of the looks ChiChi gave him. He never wanted Gohan to look at him this way.  I let them down. I… I can’t fight anymore. Gohan…. forgive me.

 Goku’s eyes closed; he collapsed in his son’s arms. “Dad.” Gohan hugged his father. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll take you home. Mom will take care of you.”

 “No,” Yamcha stepped forward and gently took Goku out of Gohan’s arms. “I’ll take him. I’m the least useful here.” He placed Goku over his shoulder and with a few parting words to everyone, Yamcha left the group. Yamcha considered himself the weakest out of everyone but wanted to contribute somehow. He’ll help by taking Goku home. His friend saved his life so many times. Yamcha was proud for once he can return the favor.

 ****

 “I see it, Aki. I’m watching the news now.”

 ChiChi stood in front of the TV watching the breaking news of the mysterious attack on South City. ChiChi knew the fighting had started and her husband and son were in the middle of it. The only causalities mentioned were of the people from the city.

 “There are reports half the city’s destroyed. I warned Goku innocent people will be caught in the crossfires.”

.

ChiChi understood Aki’s frustration but she knew to trust her husband. “You know Goku would never intentionally let innocent people get hurt, Aki. Goku will use the dragon balls to wish those killed back.”

“I hope so. I’m getting my family in the shelter now. My cell phone works there. Kala!” Aki suddenly raised his voice. “Put that down and follow your mother. We’re going to the shelter.” ChiChi heard Kala responding. “You have plenty of toys in the shelter. We’re not taking anymore!”

 As ChiChi listened to Aki argue with his daughter, ChiChi saw Yamcha landing in her front yard with Goku tossed over his shoulder. The phone dropped to the floor as ChiChi ran screaming, “Oh my God. Goku!!”

 ChiChi nearly knocked the door off its hinges as she ran to her husband. “Goku!! What’s wrong?! Is Goku dead?! What happened to him?!” His face was contorted in pain as ChiChi cupped his sweaty face. “His face is burning. Goku, I’m here.”

 “It’s the heart virus,” Yamcha informed ChiChi. “It struck Goku during the fight.”

 ChiChi remembered Dr. Sims warning. “He could’ve made things worse for his heart. Bring him inside.”

 Yamcha followed ChiChi inside to her and Goku’s bedroom. Yamcha laid Goku on his bed and removed his boots while ChiChi went to where she kept Goku’s medicine. ChiChi opened the case shocked it was empty.

 “Where is it?” ChiChi pushed aside the clothes in the drawer. “Where did it go?”

 Yamcha finished removing Goku’s boots. “What is it?”

 “The medicine. It’s not here.”

 “What?!” Goku suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his chest and thrashed violently on the bed. Yamcha held Goku down. “You have to find it! Goku needs his medicine!”

 “Don’t you think I know that?!” ChiChi yelled back as she looked through all the drawers. “Goku looked at it this morning. He’s the one who put it away.” ChiChi rummaged the room looking for the medicine. “Where did he put it? Why didn’t Goku put it back?” Hearing Goku screaming in pain agitated ChiChi further and made her panic. ChiChi feverishly searched the room, checked the closet, opening drawers of her nightstand and tossing everything out as she searched for the medicine. ChiChi sat on the bed with her hands on her head frantically thinking where Goku put the medicine. That’s when she noticed her knitting basket.

 It was out in the open and near them when she and Goku talked. It doesn’t make sense for it to be here since Goku was told to put it back in its proper place which made it the perfect hiding spot. ChiChi picked through the balls of yarn and spotted the medicine hidden at the bottom of the basket. “Thank heavens. I found it.”

 ChiChi transferred the correct dosage to a needle and injected the medicine into Goku. Both breathed a sigh of relief when Goku’s arms stopped flailing.

 “Whoo,” Yamcha wiped his forehead relieved. “That was a close one.”

 ChiChi wasn’t relaxing like Yamcha. Goku received his medicine and it was taking some affects but he was still in pain. His body and forehead were scorching and he was sweating profusely. ChiChi rushed in the bathroom and came out with a cloth, bowl of water and thermometer. She placed a cool wet cloth on Goku’s forehead and the thermometer in his mouth. “Goku’s body temperature has always been hot but he’s burning up. He needs a doctor.”

 “Are you sure?” Yamcha asked. “We should let the medicine work and how can we explain to a doctor what’s going on with Goku? This virus isn’t on the news.”

 “Goku’s been going to a cardiologist for three years. I was trying to prevent Goku from getting this virus, but I guess you can’t change your fate.” While blotting Goku’s face and neck with the cool cloth, ChiChi asked, “What happened? Goku was fine when he left this morning. At least,” she dipped the cloth in a cool bowl, “I thought he was fine.” ChiChi remembered their conversation before breakfast. “I bet he knew and he fought anyway.”

 “Are you sure?” Yamcha knew Goku to do foolish things but this was extreme. “Why wouldn’t Goku take the medicine if he was feeling sick?”

 “Because he wouldn’t be able to fight if he did. This is heart medicine, Yamcha, and Goku’s doctor studied the medicine’s ingredients. He said Goku would be bedridden until he recovers.” Goku twisted in bed and raised his hands near his neck as if fighting off someone attacking him. ChiChi grasped his hands and whispered soothingly to him until he calmed down. “Dr. Sims warned Goku of the possible side effects if he fought while infected with the virus. He went against his doctor’s warnings.” The medicine should heal him but ChiChi wondered what the lasting effects could be. “Oh, Goku, what did you do to yourself?”

 “He was saving us,” Yamcha spoke up. “You should’ve seen him, ChiChi. Goku gave his all fighting No. 19. You would’ve been so proud how amazing Goku fought. I would’ve been dead if he hadn’t saved me.”

 Though Yamcha gave ChiChi a glowing review of Goku’s fight, ChiChi wasn’t impressed or happy. She was angry. “That’s all you and Goku’s friends ever think about, isn’t it? How Goku always save you. He’s your savior, your bodyguard.” She pushed down the tears threatening to surface. “You don’t care how much damage Goku did to his body fighting for you today! He was fighting that monster when that virus was killing him inside! Who knows what the lasting effects will be! But as long as Goku saves you, you don’t care about that! You don’t care he’s a husband and father and we’re the ones that will have to pick up the pieces when this is over!!”

 “ChiChi…” Yamcha was at a loss for words. What could he say? “It’s not that we don’t care. I….” he stopped again unsure of what to say. “I looked out for Goku but he never needed me. He always took care of himself. Goku always bounce back. Saving everyone is what Goku does.”

 “Until he couldn’t,” ChiChi tossed back. “He was dead for a year and my family has never been the same. All you people, Goku’s friends, only thought about Goku coming back to save you. You never gave him and the sacrifices he made to keep you alive a thought.”

 Bulma told him ChiChi was like this but unlike his former love Yamcha understood ChiChi’s anger. He saw Goku as a friend, a little brother but ChiChi saw Goku as a loving concerned wife saw her husband. Goku wasn’t a savior or bodyguard to ChiChi. Goku was her husband and father of their child.

 “Where is Gohan?” ChiChi asked. “He should be with his father. Why didn’t he come back with you?”

 Oh, boy. Yamcha rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea telling Gohan to stay behind. “Gohan was gonna bring Goku back but I told him I’ll do it.” Ooooo. ChiChi didn’t like that. If looks could kill. “Gohan would be more useful than me fighting those Artificial Humans.”

 “Hmph,” ChiChi turned away disgusted. “Like father, like son. You only see him as a bodyguard, too.”

 ****

 Over two hours passed since Yamcha’s arrival. Goku slept peacefully but ChiChi paced worriedly thinking about Gohan. While Yamcha stayed with Goku, ChiChi called Aki. She forgot about him when Goku returned home sick.  

 “How’s Goku?”

 “He’s sleeping but he still has a fever. Sometimes he’s screaming like he’s having nightmares. I want Dr. Sims to look at Goku, but his voicemail said he’ll be in surgery until two. I left messages for him to call back. I’m thinking about sending Yamcha to East City to pick up Dr. Sims and bring him here.”

 “Where’s Gohan?”

 “Still fighting. I’ve been coming to the window every twenty minutes looking out for him.”

 “South City is under rescue and recovery mode. No other cities are reporting any attacks. This may be a good thing. Maybe Goku’s friends have stopped those Artificial Humans and Gohan’s on his way home.” ChiChi hoped that was the true. She couldn’t take anything happening to Gohan, too. “I don’t think you should send Yamcha to get Dr. Sims. You may need him there to help you with Goku. I’ll get Dr. Sims and bring him over. Maybe Gohan will be home when I get there.”

 “Aki, you shouldn’t.” ChiChi appreciated his gesture but he had priorities. “You should be with your family.”

 “My family’s safe in our shelter and it doesn’t seem like any other areas are being attacked. Goku’s my friend and he put his life on the line today. The least I can do is help him when he needs it.”

 “Okay,” ChiChi accepted his help. “Thank you.”

 ChiChi hung up her phone just as a knock tapped the door. Gohan wouldn’t knock but it was possible he was carrying someone like Piccolo home and needed help at the door. ChiChi rushed to the door and slammed it open. “Gohan!” Her happiness quickly dampened seeing Krillin at her door. “Oh, it’s you Krillin.” She noticed a startled young man beside him. He bowed and greeted her after Krillin whispered she is Goku’s wife. “Who are you?”

Before the young man could speak, Yamcha appeared greeting Krillin and noticing the stranger, too, “Oh, hey the kid from the future. Did you beat the Artificial Humans?”

 Startled, ChiChi looked back at the young man. Goku told her about him. This was Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma’s child.

 “I’ll explain later,” Krillin rushed out, “but we gotta move everyone to Master Roshi’s now!”

 “Why? What’s going on?” ChiChi wanted to know. “And where’s Gohan?”

 “Gohan isn’t back yet?” Trunks appeared surprised. “We left him over an hour ago.”

 “Left him where?” ChiChi stepped to Trunks. She didn’t care if he was Vegeta and Bulma’s child and he’s a Super Saiyan. If he knew the whereabouts of her son, she wanted to know now!

 “Um, ChiChi, you don’t know this,” Krillin started, “But this is---“

 “Vegeta and Bulma’s son, Trunks. Goku told me three years ago.” Keeping her attention on Trunks, she asked again, “Where is my son?”

 “What?” Yamcha gasped. “You’re their kid?”

 “Uh, yes,” Trunks addressed Yamcha understanding how awkward this had to be for him. “I am.” He turned back to ChiChi because he saw the woman growing agitated her question wasn’t being answered. “We left Gohan with my mother, my younger self and Yajirobe. He was going to bring them here but I guess he decided to take my Mom home first.”

 “Why?” Yamcha asked. “Bulma has a car.”

 Krillin noticed the annoyance on Trunks’ face. He understood the kid’s frustration at what he saw. It wasn’t a shock to Krillin. He knew Vegeta but he imagined it was stunning for Trunks to see his father not rescue his baby and the mother of his child.

 “No. 20 is actually Dr. Gero, Yamcha. We had Dr. Gero cornered but Bulma showed up and provided the perfect distraction where he blew up her car. Bulma and her baby are okay but Dr. Gero escaped and freed the Artificial Humans Trunks fight in the future.”

 “Wait,” Yamcha interrupted. “The one that punch a hole in my chest and the one Goku fought aren’t the real ones?”

 “No. No. 17 and 18 are the real ones and there’s another one: 16. They are even stronger and uh, are a lot different than them physically, too.” Krillin thought of the kiss 18 gave him. “Especially one of them.”

 “Even stronger?” ChiChi gasped. “That’s crazy.”

 “I don’t mean to be rude,” Trunks interrupted, “but we have to get out of here. 16, 17 and 18 are on their way here to kill Goku. We have to move him to safer spot.”

 “Right,” ChiChi agreed. Getting Goku to safety was top priority. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Assassins were on their way here to kill her husband and she was forced to abandon their home: the one place she thought they would be safe.  

 Trunks helped ChiChi with the packing. Once Trunks loaded Gohan’s bag in the airship, he went back to assist Krillin and Yamcha with Goku. While Yamcha and Krillin carried Goku out of the house, Trunks removed the futon and bedding.

 ChiChi stepped out and took one last look at her home. This was her sanctuary but it will soon be invaded by wicked beings wanting to kill her husband. She wondered if she will have a home to return to. These destructive monsters may destroy her home just for the hell of it.

 Gohan returned as they finished loading Goku into the airship. In the airship, ChiChi made a call to Aki, warning him to not come to her home but meet her on Master Roshi’s island.

 ChiChi and Yamcha got the entire story on what happened after Goku succumbed to the heart virus. She listened as Trunks expressed his frustration on not understanding how time changed but her comforting advice seem to help him. Trunks was so well mannered like her Gohan. Since Gohan trained Trunks, ChiChi wondered if his good manners rubbed off on him. Still, as well-mannered he was, she noticed Trunks looking at her a few times. When he was caught staring, Trunks looked away. ChiChi wasn’t the only one getting looks. At her home and on the ship, she noticed Yamcha looking at Trunks a few times.

 Gohan and Trunks left when Bulma called to investigate a duplicate of Trunks’ ship being found. This left Yamcha and Krillin to explain everything to Master Roshi while ChiChi stayed upstairs to care for Goku. 

 ****

 Trunks didn’t understand how the infamous day that changed the course of everyone’s life didn’t go as predicted. He planned to return the day of the Artificial Humans arrival to aide Goku and learn from him a way to kill the Artificial Humans in his time. With three years notice of what will happen, Goku, his father and their allies should be strong enough to defeat the Artificial Humans but that didn’t happen.

 Goku’s heart virus attacked later than predicted, he encountered two different Artificial Humans than the ones Trunks fight in his time. The ones Trunks currently battles were released but they were stronger than the ones in his time and there was a third one named No. 16. He’s not violent as 17 and 18 but he’s still deadly as his only goal is to kill Goku.

 17 and 18 defeated him, Vegeta, Piccolo and Tien without breaking a sweat. It made all the hard training Vegeta, Piccolo and Tien put in worthless. Vegeta suffered the most having his pride wounded by 18. She defeated Vegeta with ease as if Vegeta’s strength was that of a child compared to hers.

 On top of this, a new enemy surfaced: Cell, the final piece to Dr. Gero’s maniacal madness. This growing menace from another timeline had his father, Goku, Piccolo, Freeza and King Cold’s DNA but needed to absorbed 17 and 18 to reach perfect form. Civilians in two towns were dead because of Cell. More will die as he eluded Piccolo and continue his rampage to accumulate his power.

 It looked bleak but there was some hope. Trunks and Krillin returned to Dr. Gero’s lab, destroyed Cell in this current timeline and found Dr. Gero’s blueprints of 17. Trunks gave the blueprints to Krillin to give to his mother and grandfather to study for a weakness. While Krillin went to West City, Trunks planned to find his father in hopes of training with him and ascending pass Super Saiyan. Before he met with Vegeta again, Trunks had a detour to make. He returned to Master Roshi’s island.

 “You’re back!” Gohan greeted Trunks as he landed on the island. “Where’s Krillin?”

 “He’s on the way to my Mom’s home but he’ll be back.” Trunks entered the house. “How’s Goku?”

 “Still resting,” Gohan and Trunks went upstairs. “Mom’s with him but what’s going on? Why did we feel my Dad, Freeza’s and King Cold’s Ki? It was near Gingertown where we found your ship.”

 “It’s a long story that Krillin will explain when he gets here. I can’t stay long.” Trunks stopped at the door where Goku rested on the other side. “But I wanted to check on your Dad and I need to talk to your Mom privately.”

 “My Mom?” Gohan didn’t understand. “Why?”

 “It’s something I have to do.”

 “Oh,” Gohan didn’t understand but he trusted Trunks. “Okay. I’ll wait downstairs then.”

 Trunks entered Goku’s room. Goku laid sleeping on his futon but his head was on ChiChi’s lap who softly sang to Goku. ChiChi abruptly stopped singing when she noticed Trunks.

 “I’m sorry to intrude but I came to check on Goku.” He knelt at Goku’s side. “He looks better than he did on the ship.”

 “Yes,” ChiChi caressed Goku’s hair. “The medicine is working. I’m forever in your debt for saving Goku’s life.”

 Trunks blushed at the compliment. He wasn’t used to it or the woman holding Goku tenderly. “Gohan and my Mom told me a lot about Goku. I’m glad I can help save his life.”

 “What happened that day? May 12th?” ChiChi suddenly asked.

 Trunks eyed ChiChi with mild surprise. “Goku didn’t tell you?”

 ChiChi’s fingers delicately caressed the bangs of Goku’s hair. “He said everyone died except Gohan but Gohan was killed several years later. If these Artificial Humans are so destructive how did Gohan survive that day? Did Piccolo or Krillin tell him to leave?”

 Trunks wasn’t sure himself. He only knew of what his mother and Gohan told him. “Gohan never liked talking about that day. He came after the fighting started. Piccolo was already dead when he got there. He never went into details how everyone died but I think he saw their deaths. Gohan barely escaped with his own life. The way Gohan described it sounds like he was left for dead.”

 “So, Gohan was late,” ChiChi guessed.

 “Yeah. Mom said it was an ordinary morning. She was changing my diaper when the TV said something about an explosion in South City. She didn’t pay any attention to it but half an hour later, Dad came to Mom wanting her to call everyone. He felt Piccolo Ki’s dropping and wanted to know if the others felt it. Mom called Yamcha. He felt it. So did Master Roshi and Krillin. Dad left to find out what was going on.” Trunks eyed Goku mournfully. “He never came back. They all died that day except Gohan.”

 ChiChi felt Goku’s forehead warming up again. ChiChi reached for the cool bowl beside her and pulled out a damp towel. After wringing it, she placed the cool towel on Goku’s forehead. “I’m pretty sure myself in your time held Gohan back as long as she could but when Piccolo died, there was no way she could stop him.”

 “After South City’s fall, the world’s military stepped in but they could do nothing,” Trunks continued. “Mom said King Furry was killed on live TV. 17 and 18 created a paranoid fear where days will go by with no attacks and just when it’s too quiet, they appear out of nowhere and destroyed everything. West City was attacked months after everyone died. Most of the city was destroyed and Mom and I were forced to live underground.”

 “What about your grandparents?” ChiChi asked.

 “They were killed in the first attack.”

 “First attack?”

 “West City was hit multiple times but during the breaks we got, people tried rebuilding. Sometimes 17 and 18 came back and destroyed some more just for the hell of it.” Silenced followed for several moments. Trunks could hear Gohan downstairs laughing at something Yamcha said. It was strange to hear his mentor so happy and young. It wasn’t the Gohan he knew. “Gohan visited a lot. Sometimes he took me away from the city for weeks to train. He was a good teacher and my best friend. I learned a lot from him.”

 ChiChi dipped the towel in the bowl again and placed it back on Goku’s forehead. “Where did you and Gohan go?”

 “The country. It was always far from the city since 17 and 18 and didn’t venture to the countryside too much. It was peaceful there. Sometimes you didn’t think the world was in a living hell.”

 “And you and Gohan were alone in your training?”

 “Yes,” Trunks answered not understanding why ChiChi would ask that. Of course he and Gohan trained alone. They were the only fighters left.

 “So you never visited Mount Paouz.” Trunks shook his head. He’s been to several mountainous areas; all of which he knew the names of but he never heard of Mount Paouz. “No. Where is that?”

 “Mount Paouz is where Goku and our family live.” She emphasized. “It’s where Gohan lives.”

 “Oh….I didn’t know.” Slowly, the wheels turned in Trunks’ head as he understood what ChiChi was getting at. Gohan took him to train in the mountains but never his home. Now he knew about ChiChi, Trunks wondered why. ChiChi must be asking that same question, too.  

 “I noticed on the plane ride here you looked at me a few times. I didn’t understand why but now I do. You never met me in your time which means I’m dead, too, right? Did Gohan or your mother say how I died? Was I killed by those Artificial Humans, too?”

 Trunks didn’t even know where to begin. Either way, Goku’s wife would be hurt by what he tells her. “When Krillin and I came to your home, it was the first time I’ve seen that area. It’s true I never met you in my time and when I saw you I had no idea who you were. I didn’t know you existed.” Trunks wished he could take back those words if only to erase the shock on ChiChi’s face. “Gohan and my mother never mentioned you. I didn’t know Goku had a wife. I know Gohan had a mother but I always thought she was dead since Gohan and my mother never mentioned you. Even after Gohan died, nothing was said about taking his body to you and after what happened to it…” he sighed. “It didn’t matter anymore.”

 “What happened to Gohan’s body?” Trunks diverted his eyes from ChiChi. “Trunks,” the sharp tone in ChiChi’s voice forced Trunks to look at her. “What happened to my son’s body?”

 Trunks entered the room, limping. His mother wanted him to sleep but he couldn’t. These days have been horrible. His body was still recovering from the last fight and his mentor, best friend, Gohan was dead. Gohan lifeless body laid in the preservation capsule his mother had built several years ago. Trunks didn’t understand why his mother kept Gohan’s body in here than giving it a proper burial. It’s been days. When he entered he noticed his mother standing before Gohan’s capsule but staring at a phone on the wall. Quietly, Trunks approached her.

 “You should be asleep,” Bulma told him.

 “I slept enough.” Trunks figured he had to take care of Gohan’s remains since his mother wouldn’t. “I should take Gohan home. I think he would want to be buried there but he never told me where home is. I asked but he said it was safer I didn’t know.”  

 “Last time Gohan went home, 17 and 18 almost got him,” Bulma explained. “That’s why he spent his last weeks here or other places. I think it was a couple weeks ago he went to what’s left of Korin’s Tower and Kami’s Temple. He tried to find something that could help you.” Bulma stepped away from Trunks and sat down. “There was nothing he could use. Maybe Goku could’ve found something.” Bulma sighed as she pulled out a lighter and cigarette. “He knew everything about winning a fight.”

 That name again. Gohan and his mother brought it up many times. Was Goku really as great as they said? Could he really stop 17 and 18?

 “Guess it would be a waste if I went there but Gohan’s home,” Trunks brought up again. “Where is it? I couldn’t save Gohan. The least I can do is bury him at his home. He would want that.”

 Bulma blew off smoke from her cigarette. “It wouldn’t be safe to travel with those killing machines out there.”

 “I can evade them.”

 “You can barely walk!” Bulma yelled at Trunks. “We lost Gohan! I’m not losing you!”

 Trunks gave up. When his mother yelled at him to not do something, her word was final. “Then what should we do? Gohan’s body can’t stay here.”

Bulma exhaled smoke from her lips. She stared at Gohan’s capsule. “I’ll take care of it, Trunks. I promise.”

 “A few nights later, West City was attacked again. My home was hit again. Part of it caught on fire.” Trunks could see ChiChi putting the pieces together in her mind. “Gohan’s body was in one of the rooms. It was incinerated. There was nothing left.” Tears rolled down ChiChi’s face. “I’m sorry.”

 ChiChi accepted his apology as she wiped the tears away. It wasn’t his fault. It was someone else’s. “I don’t understand.”

 “The attack was sudden,” Trunks told her. “It was in the middle of the night. I was still hurt. I had to get Mom underground before I could go back for Gohan.”

 “No,” ChiChi stopped him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Gohan was dead for days. Why wasn’t I contacted? Even after his body was…..” ChiChi cried overwhelmed at the awful visual of her son’s body burning up. Trunks patiently waited for ChiChi to stop crying. “Even after that, it doesn’t seem like any contact was made to me. You didn’t know anything about me. Why did your mother keep quiet about that?”

 Again Trunks didn’t have an answer. All of this was new to him. “I don’t know.”

 “If I was dead, Bulma would just say it. So would Gohan. I was alive when my son died and I wasn’t told. Eventually, I probably found out but I didn’t know for days! ”

 Trunks agreed. If ChiChi was dead, there would be no reason for Gohan or his mother to keep that from him. “Does this mean you are still alive in my time?”

 ChiChi hoped that wasn’t the case. That would be such a horrible future. “No. Gohan’s death would’ve killed me. To live in a world without Gohan and Goku, I couldn’t bear it but before Gohan’s death, I’m sure I was alive.”

 Now Trunks understood why Gohan was so cryptic when talking about his home and why he spent weeks with him and his mother instead of immediately going home after escaping 17 and 18. Gohan was protecting his mother. But why did his mother keep the truth about Gohan’s mother from him after Gohan died? Trunks learned the more time he’s in the past the more he realizes his own mother embellished things. His knew his father wasn’t a martyr but it was still shocking to see his father not save his mother and him as a baby. He wondered if his mother had regret for her actions. It would explain his conversation with his mother before he returned to the past again.

 Bulma handed Trunks two letters. “Take these with you and deliver them to these people.”

 Trunks took the letters from his mother and read the names. One was addressed to his mother and the other had a name he didn’t recognize. “Who is ChiChi?”

 “Give it to Goku,” Bulma instructed. “He knows who that is. He will take care of it.”

 “Okay.” Trunks put the letters in the pocket of his jacket. “But why do you want me to send letters to ChiChi and your younger self? I thought you said the future can’t be changed.”

 “Our future can’t, but that future can.” Bulma sighed. “I made some terrible mistakes, Trunks. I didn’t mean to but I’ve hurt people. It’s too late for me to do anything about it in this time but maybe in the past I can correct some things .”

 Trunks dug in his pocket for ChiChi’s letter. “My mother wanted you to have this.” He gave the letter to ChiChi. “She told me to give it to Goku and he’ll pass it to you since I didn’t know about you.”

 Wary, ChiChi took the letter, opened and read it to herself.

 ChiChi,

 I know this letter comes as a surprise. We were never friends but that’s why I’m writing this letter. I’m sorry we never were friends. We could’ve been but I did a lot of things that sabotage that opportunity. Goku was my oldest friend. You were his wife and I treated you so badly. I didn’t go to you the day Goku died saving Gohan from Raditz. I made sure you didn’t know what was happening to them on Namek. I attended Goku’s funeral and continued my life without calling to see how you were. I was vain, selfish, spoiled and in denial of things I didn’t want to acknowledge.

 I thought not keeping contact with you after Goku died again would be my biggest mistake but I kept making them with Gohan when the Artificial Humans attacked. As a mother who had a child fighting, too, we should’ve been bonding and supportive of each other and it’s my fault we weren’t. I should’ve reached out to you. I should’ve convinced you to live in West City with me so you didn’t spend so many lonely days worrying about Gohan. Instead I treated you like I always did and I hate myself for it.

 I hate how things turned out with Gohan. I hate not telling you immediately when Gohan lost his arm. I hate not telling you immediately when he……Please believe I am truly sorry for that. I hope if the Artificial Humans are defeated in your time, you and myself can do what we should’ve been done: be friends. I know it won’t be easy. We’re women of strong personalities and different viewpoints but if you and myself can make that happen, it won’t be the best friendship but it’ll be a good one.

 ChiChi read the letter again, thought over what she read and folded the letter. “I really am dead in your time.”

 “Hmm?” Trunks questioned. “How do you know?”

 “This letter your mother wrote should’ve been given to me in your time. Either I’m alive and want nothing to do with Bulma because her handling of Gohan’s death was the final straw or I’m dead. She feels guilt for how things were between us. She mentions things that hasn’t happened to my Goku and Gohan.” ChiChi placed the letter back in the envelope. “She wrote this letter to ease her guilty conscience. Whatever happened when I learned Gohan was dead, it wasn��t good because you still didn’t know about me. Your mother wants forgiveness. I guess since she failed with me in your time she tried with me in the past.”

 “Oh,” Trunks understood from ChiChi’s tone, she didn’t sound pleased with the letter. Hearing ChiChi’s side of things, Trunks had mixed feelings about the letter, too.  

 ChiChi didn’t mean to sound harsh to Trunks. It wasn’t fair Trunks was in the middle of this. She couldn’t tell Trunks Goku friends, including his mother, had a history of leaving ChiChi in the dark on matters she should’ve been told about and her relationship with Goku’s friends was never good because of what they did to her. They never apologized to her for not telling her about Goku and Gohan immediately after the reunion; never apologized for deceiving ChiChi on what Goku knew when he died the first time or apologized for keeping the truth about Namek from her. They were always good at having unkind feelings towards her while ignoring their actions that contributed to ChiChi’s anger towards them.

 A heavy silence fell between them. Trunks decided to leave. What he learned was troubling. He vowed to get answers when he returned home. With this conversation with ChiChi and his father’s actions, it was clear his mother kept things from him. “Please excuse me. I need to get going. I’m going to try training with my Dad. He thinks he can surpass being a Super Saiyan. If he can, I should, too.”

 “Good luck,” ChiChi knew Trunks will need it, “And thank you again for Goku’s medicine.”

 As Trunks went towards the door, he heard a knock with Gohan speaking from the other side. “Mom. Mr. Aki is here and he brought Dr. Sims!”

 “Doctor?” Trunks opened the door and faced two men he’s never seen. One was a blonde man and the other was an older man with a large medical bag.

 “You came!” ChiChi’s spirits were lifted at Aki and Dr. Sims arrival. While Aki and Dr. Sims entered the room, Trunks quietly left. He wanted to stay and but he needed to find his father.

 “Sorry I took so long,” Aki apologized, “but it’s a long ways from the village to East City and here.”

 Dr. Sims knelt to Goku and opened his medical bag. “How’s my patient?”

 “He got the heart virus this morning,” ChiChi explained as Dr. Sims took out some capsules from his medical bag. Two opened to reveal a portable x-ray machine and another medical machine.  “I gave Goku his medicine. He was in a lot pain earlier and screaming. The screams stop but he still has a fever.”

 Dr. Sims pulled out his stethoscope. “Get this heavy shirt off him. I need to give Goku a proper exam.”

 As ChiChi slipped Goku’s weighted blue shirt off him, Aki put his hand on Gohan’s shoulder. “Come on, Gohan. Let’s leave the doc and your Mom alone with your Dad.” The two stepped out and walked down the stairs.  “Are you worried about your Dad?”

 “Yeah. I never seen him sick before. It’s weird but he’ll pull through.”

 “Of course he will. Goku’s not going out like this but are you all right?” Aki glanced over Gohan. “No injuries?”

 “No. I didn’t fight. I saw part of Dad’s fight but I was mostly helping our friends.”

 When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Yamcha and Master Roshi were waiting for them as Tien and Piccolo stepped in Master Roshi’s home. When they arrived, Gohan rushed Aki and Dr. Sims upstairs without a proper introduction.

 “Hey, Piccolo.”

 “Aki,” Piccolo appeared surprised at Aki’s arrival. “What are you doing here?”

 “Brought Goku’s doctor here. He’s upstairs checking on him.”

 “You know this guy, Piccolo?” Tien eyed Aki cautiously. With all that’s going on, Tien was wary of any new person he met.  

 “I met him a few times when I lived with Goku’s family.”

The answer was acceptable to Tien and Yamcha but Master Roshi had questions. “How do you know Goku?”

 “I met him when ChiChi brought him to King Gyu-Mao’s village. We’ve been friends since. I stood with Goku at his wedding,” Aki added proudly. “Goku told me all about you. You’re Master Roshi.” He pointed at Yamcha. “Yamcha right?” Then Tien. “Tien.” He bowed before them. “Nice to finally meet you.”

 “Can the doctor really help Goku?” Tien asked.

 “He should. He’s been Goku’s doctor for three years.”

 “Goku hates doctors.” Master Roshi saw proof of this during Goku’s time in the hospital. There was no way Goku had a primary doctor for three years.

 “After his first experience, I can’t blame him,” Aki joked aware of all the testing Goku went through when ChiChi was pregnant with Gohan. “Goku complained about Dr. Sims checkup sometimes but ChiChi’s only looking out for him and he knew that.”

 “ChiChi,” Master Roshi grumbled. “That explains a lot but Goku still got sick. Why didn’t this doctor catch the virus?”

 “Dr. Sims did say with Goku being an alien, some things will go undetected with his machines since they’re built for humans. Dr. Sims tried everything to prevent or slow down the virus even changing Goku’s food regimen. Goku hated that but he couldn’t win when ChiChi agreed with Dr. Sims.”

 Again Master Roshi snorted. “With her constant yelling, I see why Goku gave in. Wait a minute,” Master Roshi wanted to go back to what Aki said. “You two know Goku’s an alien?”

 “I didn’t find out until I visited Goku at the hospital. Kinda of wild but made a lot of sense. Goku always acted different from others but I should’ve suspected something at Gohan’s birth when I saw his tail.”

 “You knew about Gohan’s birth?” How did this man know so much about him and Goku when he knew nothing about him?

 “Yeah,” Aki said not seeing why that was a big deal. “I took pictures. Kinda had to help Goku a few times, too. He didn’t know anything about babies but he caught on quick.” He patted Gohan’s back. “Your Mom is protective of you but your Dad was too when you were a baby. You wandered off once when your Dad and I were fishing.” Aki laughed at the memory. “Your Dad panicked until he found you.”

 From the smile on Gohan’s face, Master Roshi suspected Gohan and Aki had a familiar relationship. During Aki’s stay he noticed Gohan chatting with him more than Piccolo. He even helped Aki bring packages of food in the house from Aki’s car.

 Eventually, ChiChi and Dr. Sims came downstairs. “How’s Goku?” Tien asked.

 “It’s not as worst as I feared,” Dr. Sims answered. “I did an X-ray. There’s some damage to Goku’s heart but the medicine is working. I don’t think Goku will be asleep for ten days. Saiyans heal faster than humans and Goku’s body is working with the medicine to speed up Goku’s recovery. At best guess, he might be awake in four days but it could be sooner. He still has that fever but I think it will break soon.”  Dr. Sims told ChiChi, “Administer Goku’s medicine every four hours and those shots that will keep Goku’s body hydrated every three. Call me when he awakens. I want another look at his heart.”

 “I will,” ChiChi promised.

 “There’s nothing else I can do.” Dr. Sims was blunt but hopeful. “Everything is in Goku’s hands but I think he’ll make a full recovery.”

 “Thank you, Doctor.” ChiChi bowed to him. “I am forever in your debt.”

 “Just doing my job.” Dr. Sims turned to Aki. “If you’re ready, Aki, I’m ready to go home. It’s been a long day.”

 “Tell me about it. It’ll be dark when I get home.” Aki stepped to ChiChi. “I brought some food. When I told Reia what’s going on, she insisted I give you some of the food we have in our shelter.”

 “Thank you.” ChiChi was moved to tears with all the help she was getting today. “Tell Reia I thank her so much.”

 “No problem. You take care of Goku.”  Aki bowed before ChiChi. “Goodbye, Princess.” Aki gave Gohan a quick hug. “Protect your Mom and Dad, Gohan.”

 “I will.”

 “Nice to meet everyone. I hope you can stop 17, 18 and this Cell monster.” Gohan and Yamcha followed Aki and Dr. Sims outside. Piccolo followed ChiChi upstairs to check on Goku. This left Tien and Master Roshi alone. Though it was a friendly meeting with Aki, Tien felt tension in the air from Master Roshi. Something was bothering the legendary master and Tien intended to find out.

 Master Roshi went to the kitchen and examine the storage containers of food Aki’s wife left. He opened one and inspected a casserole dish with his fingers. Rolling his eyes, Tien handed Master Roshi a fork. “Master Roshi, excuse me for being blunt but what is your problem with Goku’s wife?”

 Master Roshi tasted the food carefully. “Needs a little more salt.”

 Tien watched Master Roshi grab a plate and load it with food. “Master?” he asked again.

 “Why do you think you I have a problem with ChiChi and it’s not ChiChi who has the problem with us?”

 “Things Yamcha told me implies the problem is you.”

 Master Roshi dusted his food with a salt shaker. “What did Yamcha tell you?”

 “Only that this tension between you and ChiChi started because of what you, Krillin and Bulma didn’t do when Goku died and Gohan was kidnapped. Yamcha’s got an idea of how you three felt towards her. Well, Krillin thinks differently now but you and Bulma don’t like her. Why?”

 Master Roshi gripped his fork tightly. What would Yamcha know about how he, Krillin and Bulma were treated by ChiChi? He wasn’t there. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

 “I think you did, Master. How could you let Goku’s wife not know what happened that day? Didn’t you think she’d worry when her husband and child didn’t come home? Even Master Crane wouldn’t be so cold.”

 Comparing him to Crane, was a terrible low blow. How dare Tien. “You consider me colder than Master Crane after what he did to you and Chaozu?”

 “Despite our falling out, Master Crane was loyal to those he considered family. He maintained a loyal bond to his brother even when they were estranged. You and Goku weren’t estranged and yet you were disrespectful to his wife. The Master Roshi I knew and respected during the chaos of King Piccolo wouldn’t have been disrespectful to his best student’s wife. That man shouldered responsibility and looked out for his students. What happened?”

 No one but Tien spoke so bluntly to him. Of all his students, Tien was the most mature. As much as he hated, he had to credit Crane for that. Crane, before he lost his way, was always the most mature and level headed among them while Roshi, though a serious student was more fun loving.

 Master Roshi put down his fork and pushed aside his plate. “Did you know we haven’t seen Goku for five years before that day?”

 Tien didn’t but he didn’t see the issue with that either. “Goku got married.”

 “Anyone who’s trained with me are like my children. Even when my students, Gohan and Gyu-Mao, left, they kept in touch over the years. I knew about Goku and ChiChi when they were babies. When Goku showed up with Gohan as his son, it was shocking. I was proud Goku finally learned sex but it was hurtful Goku was a father and he didn’t tell us. I did a lot for Goku. I took him in and taught him all I knew. You can’t imagine how upsetting it is to see someone you care for cut you from their life.”

 “I can’t, Master, but Goku didn’t cut you out of his life. He was living his life with his family.”

Master Roshi shook his head stubbornly. He refused to accept that. “If I didn’t have that reunion, I never would’ve known.”

 On some level, Tien understood Master Roshi’s frustration but on another level, he thought Master Roshi was petty. “Anyway, this doesn’t explain why you don’t like ChiChi.”

 “Who do you think is the reason behind Goku not telling us about Gohan?”

 Tien thought the answer was obvious. “Goku.”

 As he suspected, Tien didn’t understand. “It was his wife. You haven’t been around her enough to know what she’s like: always angry, always against fighting. You didn’t see her when we were on our way to pick up Goku and Gohan after his fight with Vegeta. You didn’t see her at the hospital when she tried to stop Gohan from going to Namek. I bet she was against Gohan fighting the Artificial Humans even though Gohan has proven himself to be a capable fighter like his father.”

 What Master Roshi said was true. He hasn’t been around ChiChi as Master Roshi, Bulma and Krillin have been. He saw it as a good thing because he wasn’t bias like them. “Gohan is Goku’s son but he is a child. A mother wouldn’t want their child fighting in the fights Gohan has been in. I don’t want Chaozu in this fight with the Artificial Humans and if Chaozu wanted it, I would stop him.” Tien came to an understanding why Master Roshi disliked Goku’s wife and he found the reason ridiculous. “All due respect, Master Roshi, but do you know your student?” Master Roshi didn’t answer but behind those dark shades, Tien knew Master Roshi felt insulted. “The little I know of Goku, he didn’t stay in the same spot for long. For Goku to be with his wife and son for five years, meant Goku was happy. How as his teacher you didn’t see this and only thought of yourself?”

 Master Roshi admired Tien’s directness but he was going too far with this. “There is nothing wrong in a teacher wanting to see his student!”

 “No, but you were upset Goku kept you out of his life. You blamed his wife when it’s Goku you should be mad at….if you want to be that petty. Goku’s wife is very faithful staying by his side during his absences. She’s tried to find a prevention of the virus that has stricken him. She’s been by Goku’s side since he’s fallen. What have you been doing these past three years to help Goku?” He was harsh but Tien thought it was the only way Master Roshi will reflect on himself and his actions towards ChiChi. “Goku is your best student but you and everyone else fail to see Goku more than a fighter. He’s a husband and father now. It’s time you see how important Goku is to the people he is closest to.”

****

 It was nighttime when Master Roshi headed upstairs. After his talk with Tien, Master Roshi was reflective. He wanted to tell ChiChi what happened to Goku and Gohan but he backed down when Bulma and Krillin didn’t want to go. As eldest, he knew they should’ve told her but ultimately, he didn’t want to and he let his bias towards her not do what should’ve been done.

 Master Roshi admitted to having some distasteful feelings towards the woman. Letting ChiChi wait a day before telling her what happened to her family was a mistake he never owned up to. Instead of taking responsibility, he lied to her when ChiChi confronted them on what happened to her family. ChiChi wouldn’t have leapt over Goku that day if he didn’t mislead her to think Goku knew what happened to Gohan. It was ironic he had disdain for ChiChi when he was the cause of her anger and misunderstanding towards her husband. Until Tien talked to him, he didn’t realize it was his own pettiness that caused a lot of tension between him and ChiChi.

 Perhaps, he was jealous how Goku moved on with a family and didn’t think of him at all. That hurt Master Roshi. When Goku lived with him, he tried to learn more about his student’s grandchild but he never did. Goku always appeared distracted by something else and didn’t seem capable of thinking of anything but fighting. ChiChi saw through that and got him to open up in ways Master Roshi never thought Goku capable of.

 It was the start of visiting hours when Master Roshi casually walked to Goku’s room. Normally, he would arrive two hours after visitor’s hours started but with Gohan in space, Master Roshi thought Goku was bored and wouldn’t mind him visiting early. He smiled at nurses along his peaceful walk. Nurses ran or stood behind the nurse’s desk seeing him approaching. A few weeks of groping nurses and he gets a bad reputation with them. Oh, well.

 Master Roshi pushed Goku’s door open, quickly closed the door and opened it slightly to peek inside. Goku and ChiChi were in bed together kissing. Oh, yeah! His best student definitely picked up a thing or two while married. So, ChiChi’s mouth was good for something.

 Goku pulled back hardly breathing while ChiChi panted breathless. “I thought about you and Gohan a lot. You might not believe me but I kinda wished he didn’t have to go to Namek with Bulma and Krillin but he’s the only one strong enough to protect them.”

 “You’re right,” ChiChi caressed his face. “I don’t believe you.”

 Goku opened his mouth in protest but smiled instead noticing ChiChi’s face. He hugged ChiChi close to him. “Ah, ChiChi, I love how you get me. No one else does. Not even my friends.”

 “They don’t understand. They only see you one way; how they want instead of how you are.” ChiChi cupped his face. “But I see you. I’ll always see the real you.”

 Goku and ChiChi resumed kissing again. Master Roshi shut the door. What did she mean by that? He knew Goku as well as ChiChi. In fact, he knew Goku better than her. He was sure of it.

 Master Roshi thought that then but now he wasn’t sure. He opened the door partially staring between the small crack. Gohan was in the room with ChiChi playing cards. Gohan had two sets of cards in front of him while ChiChi held one in her hand while her other hand caressed Goku’s hair while his head rested in her lap.

 Gohan put a card down. “Draw Four, Mom.”

 “Oh, no,” ChiChi laughed. She picked up four cards and put down one. “I’m never gonna win.”

 Gohan laughed. “Dad’s gonna win again.”

 ChiChi playfully poke Gohan’s nose. “I think you’re cheating for your Dad.”

 Gohan giggled. “I am not.”

 “Yes, you are,” ChiChi teased. “You’re always helping him. When we played Monopoly last month, you were helping him.”

 Master Roshi observed the warm banter between mother and son. Master Roshi thought ChiChi was a strict, no fun enforcer who put fear in her family but ChiChi had a warm and playful side that Goku and Gohan knew very well and he didn’t.

 Maybe I have been wrong about her.

 Master Roshi pushed the door opened and stepped in the room. “How is Goku?”

 “Getting better.” ChiChi put her cards aside. “His fever finally broke.”

 Master Roshi observed ChiChi caressing Goku’s face tenderly. “You’ve been caring for Goku all day. It’s almost nine. Have you eaten anything?”

 ChiChi shook her head. “I’ve been too focused on Goku to eat. I wanted to monitor his fever.”

 “You said it yourself. His fever broke. Go downstairs and get something to eat. Take a break for an hour,” Master Roshi suggested. “Gohan and I can watch Goku.”

 “I….” ChiChi hesitated. “I really shouldn’t.”

 “If you pass out from not eating, who will take care of Goku?” Master Roshi sat on the floor besides Goku. “Go eat. Rest a little. Gohan and I can take care of things.”

 “We can,” Gohan agreed. “If something happens with Dad, we’ll call you.”

 ChiChi put a hand on her stomach. She really could use something to eat. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “All right. One hour and I’ll be back.” She was genuinely surprised at Master Roshi’s kindness. “Thank you.”

 When ChiChi arrived on the first floor, Piccolo was in a corner meditating, Yamcha and Krillin were on the sofa talking and Tien was in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes. ChiChi entered the kitchen seeing some of the opened dishes laid out.

 “Is everything all right with Goku?”

 “He’s fine, Tien. His fever broke. Master Roshi kinda kicked me out of the room.” She chuckled. “He thought I should eat and relax for a while.”

 Tien smiled. He was glad he got through to Master Roshi. “Good. Have a seat,” he suggested. “I’ll fix you a bowl of stew Chaozu made earlier and a plate of food Aki’s wife left.”

 “I can fix my own plate.”

 “You’ve been taking care of Goku all day,” Tien patted a chair for ChiChi to sit. “Relax. Let us take care of you.”

 ChiChi was speechless. She never expected that from Goku’s friends. “I…. thank you.” ChiChi sat. Tien poured a bowl of hot stew for ChiChi and arranged a separate plate of food. He placed both before her and poured ChiChi a glass of water.

 The food smelled and tasted delicious. ChiChi happily ate dinner while Tien resumed cleaning up. “How is the stew?”

 ChiChi swallowed a spoonful of stew. “It’s delicious. Chaozu’s a very good cook.”

 “Chaozu will be pleased to hear that from someone like you. You’re Goku’s wife. You must cook a lot.”

 ChiChi chuckled as she ate more of the delicious stew. “I do and it’s very nice to not have to cook.”

 “Goku never cooked for you?”

 “Oh, he does,” ChiChi ate a forkful of Reia’s casserole, “but it’s mostly over a fire. He can use the stove but not as well as me.”

 “I can’t believe Oolong kept this a secret for so long!!” All eyes turned to Krillin. Yamcha was on his feet trying to get away from Krillin who followed him around the room. “He always talked about you two arguing and breaking up and getting back together again and again!”

 “Oolong lives with me and Puar since Bulma and I broke up. He knew to keep quiet about it.”

 “What happened between you and Bulma that she went to Vegeta?” Krillin wanted to know. “Why didn’t you tell us Bulma got pregnant by him?”

 Yamcha knew this will happen when everyone reunited but he didn’t want to have this conversation. “What does it matter, Krillin? What’s done is done.”

 “Yeah, but I don’t understand how. You shouldn’t have allowed Vegeta to stay. He took your woman!”

As if he had a choice in the matter. “I didn’t want Vegeta to stay but it’s not my house. Bulma invited him and her parents allowed it. You know how they let her do anything.”

 “That’s true,” Tien agreed while ChiChi resumed eating. Since she already knew about the breakup, she focused on her food and tried not to listen to the conversation.  

 “I can’t believe you let a murderer like Vegeta take your girl! Sure he helped me and Gohan on Namek but he was responsible for your, Piccolo, Tien and Chaozu’s deaths!” Krillin wouldn’t hold back his shock and disgust at the situation. “I wouldn’t have allowed that!”

 Yamcha stopped walking. He turned around. Krillin was a friend but he was pushing it. “Like you can talk. You’ve never had a woman. Hell, even Goku got a wife and kid. Have you even kissed a girl or even gone on a date with one?!”

 ChiChi mentally cheered. Good one, Yamcha.

 Krillin stammered; his face flushed embarrassed. 18 kissed him on the cheek. That should count, right? “Y-y-you can’t compare me to Goku. If he hadn’t made that promise, he still would’ve been in the same boat as me.”

 ChiChi half rolled her eyes. She highly doubted that. Someone would’ve snagged Goku. He had that magnetic appeal to attract people. With his body and looks many women would’ve flocked to him. Still, ChiChi wished Krillin hadn’t used her and Goku as an example. Goku was naïve but given their quick courtship and the wedding night Goku would’ve responded to a female advances eventually.

 “Yamcha. Krillin,” Tien addressed his friends. “That’s enough. Don’t embarrass Goku’s wife with your talk.”

 Whoops. Krillin and Yamcha both turned and noticed ChiChi eating. She didn’t speak to them but, Krillin, worried ChiChi will scream at them, ran upstairs offering to check on Goku. Yamcha sat on the sofa and watched TV. Piccolo, who saw the argument, shook his head.

 After her meal, ChiChi stepped outside for some fresh air. She sat on the porch and gazed at the clear sky filled with stars. If it wasn’t Master Roshi’s island, ChiChi thought this could be a very romantic place. ChiChi closed her eyes. Maybe she can take a quick nap before going back to Goku.  

 ChiChi heard the door open behind her. She didn’t move from her spot. If it were Gohan, the door would’ve slammed open with him telling her Goku was having another attack, but no, the door opened quietly.

 “Hi, ChiChi. I didn’t know anyone was out here.”

 Yamcha. ChiChi kept her eyes closed. “I’m just getting a moment to myself.”

 “Yeah,” Yamcha shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned on a wooden post. “You’re probably sleepy. You’ve been up all day caring for Goku.”

 “A little.”

 Yamcha apologized. “I’m sorry you heard me and Krillin talking.”

 ChiChi opened her eyes. She wasn’t getting her nap. From the look on his face, ChiChi could tell Yamcha was still bothered by what Krillin said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Huh?” Yamcha shook his head awkwardly. “No…I can’t. There’s nothing to talk about. Besides, you have a lot on your mind with Goku.”

 That was true but Yamcha wasn’t going to stop talking. “It’ll be a nice distraction.”

 Yamcha looked so relieve to talk about this. The only other people who knew about his situation were Puar and Oolong. Talking to them didn’t help. “Krillin doesn’t understand. It’s not like Vegeta took Bulma from me. Things haven’t been the same since I came back to life. Before I died, I thought of myself as invincible. I was confident in myself and more reliant on Goku than I wanted to admit. I knew if I were in trouble, Goku would come through and save me. When he died, I realized how weak I am without him. I died and I left nothing. I didn’t marry or have any kids. I vowed when I return things will be different. I envisioned marrying Bulma, having kids, but she…. she didn’t want that.” His eyes cast downward. “At least not with me.”

 ChiChi knew Bulma and Yamcha will break up but she didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t her life, her business and she didn’t know them. It had to happen so Trunks will be born. Bulma and Vegeta had to come together. She and Goku knew it will happen but neither considered how much heartbreak it would be for Yamcha to lose someone he loved.

 “I was pissed to come back to life to find Vegeta living with Bulma. He’s the reason I’m dead and now he’s living with my girlfriend and her parents. I let Bulma know I didn’t like it but it didn’t change anything.”

 ChiChi understood how Yamcha must’ve felt. There was no way to explain this was the best course of action but ChiChi tried. “Vegeta did need a place to stay. He was marooned here. If Bulma didn’t invite him, he could’ve attacked the world looking for shelter and food. This was the best way.”

 Yamcha grumbled incoherently. Maybe ChiChi was right but he didn’t want to hear it. “Well, it wasn’t that bad the first year. Vegeta spent most of his time away, exploring the world and training. We hardly saw him. Things were good between Bulma and me. I even proposed but Bulma said no.” ChiChi thought Yamcha would be disappointed but he was smiling. “It wasn’t the first time I did it. A year after Goku left us to marry you, I proposed.” He laughed. “It’s actually a funny story. With the tournament permanently over, I had to do something with my life. I didn’t want to mooch off Bulma forever. I turned my baseball hobby into a career. It paid very well. We went to an expensive resort where Bulma was completely pampered. Bulma could pay herself but it felt good I could do this for her. One night, we were on the beach by a fire; I had Bulma in my arms. We were talking, kissing and being happy with each other when Bulma suddenly said, ‘It’s been a year since we’ve seen Goku. Do you think he’s still married?’”

 The smile ChiChi had on her face as Yamcha relive happier times with Bulma fell to a frown. “What?”

 Yamcha kept smiling unaware of ChiChi’s annoyance. “Wild, right? I’m holding my woman in my arms. We had a perfect day. It’s the perfect mood for sex and Bulma brings up Goku and what’s he doing.” He laughed. “We were like that a lot. Bulma would be in a romantic mood and my mind is somewhere else or I’m ready for sex and Bulma’s mind is elsewhere. Bulma cares about Goku. I do, too, but I wasn’t thinking about him in that moment.”

 Yamcha was laughing but ChiChi didn’t find this funny at all. “So, a year into my marriage with Goku, Bulma questioned if we were still together?”

 “Well, to be honest, when Goku left with you, we all wondered what the hell Goku was doing. Master Roshi thought it was a good thing for Goku since he’ll finally have sex, and after King Piccolo and Piccolo thought Goku could use a break from fighting. Bulma thought it was insane since Goku didn’t know you and wondered why you would hold Goku to a promise he made as a kid.”

 “We were both children,” ChiChi defended herself. “I thought Goku wanted to marry me.”

 “Bulma’s like a big sister to Goku so she was understandably concerned. Krillin thought Goku was too young to get married but I think he was frustrated his friend was leaving him again after seeing him for a short time. Tien and Chaozu thought Goku was honorable and wished you a good life. I also think Tien was hoping marriage would slow Goku down so he can be stronger than Goku again.”

 “And you?” ChiChi questioned. “What did you think?”

 “It was cool but I didn’t think Goku really understood what marriage meant. He’s always running around from one adventure to the next. I didn’t think he would settle down but we hadn’t heard from Goku in a year. I started thinking Goku did understand and I was the dumb one. Goku meets his fiancée for the first time in years and marries her. Me and my girl for over seven years are still dating. There’s no more tournament, I’m starting a great baseball career and I can finally afford to treat my girl. I wondered what I was waiting on. So, on the beach, I proposed to Bulma and she said no."

 This time ChiChi heard some of the cheerfulness leave Yamcha’s voice. “Why did she say no?”

 “Bulma didn’t want to get married or have kids. It wasn’t her. I wanted it but I wanted Bulma, too, so I thought I could be happy just being with Bulma but then Trunks came and told us of our future.” A somber look too over Yamcha as he recalled Trunks’ visit. “I started to panic. I came back to life a year ago and three years from now some Artificial Humans will kill us all, Goku will be dead again and can’t save us. Life wasn’t turning out the way I wanted it to go.”

 Yamcha stepped away from the post and paced. “I told Bulma my fears about the future. I told her I wanted marriage and kids. That way if I died, I’d have some legacy. I thought this time Bulma will say yes to marriage, yes to kids but she said no. I asked why she is being selfish.” Yamcha stopped pacing and released a heavy sigh. “Sometimes I wonder if things would’ve been different if I didn’t say that.”

 ChiChi didn’t have the heart to tell Yamcha it wouldn’t. In Trunks’ timeline, Bulma and Yamcha broke up without knowing Yamcha’s fate to 17 and 18. Even with this Yamcha knowing the future, it wouldn’t stop the breakup. It had to happen.

 “Bulma hates it when she’s called selfish. Sometimes I think Bulma thinks she’s a saint. I love her but her ego sometimes….” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, we had another fight which was typical of us but I didn’t let her do all the yelling this time. I yelled back. I went into everything wrong in our relationship, how she always got mad at me for thinking I was looking at other women while she always looks at other men and I brought up Vegeta.”

 “Vegeta?” Oh, boy. Goku told her he noticed something between Vegeta and Bulma. If he noticed, Yamcha must’ve seen A LOT.

 “Bulma always accused me of being unfaithful but she was the one with the wandering eyes. I didn’t let it bother me because Bulma never did anything and she didn’t spend a lot of time with the guys she flirted with. They were never interested in her or were,” his eyes met ChiChi’s for a moment, “married and living far away. Vegeta was the only threat. He was single, stronger than me and living with us. You would think Vegeta being a mass murderer would be a turn off but Krillin told me Bulma flirted with some guy called Zarbon on Namek and he was one of Freeza’s henchman.” Yamcha shook his head frustrated. “Bulma’s a genius with science but with men, excluding me, she was not that bright.

 “We were both yelling at each other and Bulma said, ‘I don’t wanna look at you anymore.’ I told her I didn’t wanna look at her either. So, we broke up. We’ve done this before. Argue and,” he raised his fingers quoting, “‘breakup’. When this happens, I’d move into a hotel for a few weeks before Bulma calls. We’ll talk and I’ll move back in again.”

 One didn’t have to be a genius to guess what happened next. Yamcha sat beside ChiChi. He was quiet for several moments. ChiChi saw the emotional turmoil on his face. “I thought it would be for a few weeks but after months of silence, it sunk in our last breakup was final and Bulma meant it this time. I couldn’t believe it was really over. I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. It was hard to accept but I realized it was what we needed to do. Bulma and I were together since we were teenagers and we’re in our thirties now. We were each other’s first for everything. That and a lot of things are probably why I put up with some our issues for so long.”

 “That must’ve been hard to deal with.” ChiChi admired Yamcha’s patience for dealing with a lot red flag issues in his relationship with Bulma but she also questioned Yamcha’s lack of action. If he didn’t let Bulma get away with all the things she did, their relationship wouldn’t come to this. Maybe they would’ve broken up sooner and Yamcha would’ve found someone else. With what little she knows of Vegeta, ChiChi knew he wouldn’t allow Bulma to flirt with other men while with him.

 “I moved out of the hotel, got a place of my own and continued my training. One day, Bulma called me. She was crying and begging me to come over. She needed to talk to someone and I was the only one she could talk to.” Yamcha smiled again. “It felt like old times when Bulma and I made up. I thought she wanted to get back together. I started dating other women but I wanted to try again, too. I cleaned up really fast with a fresh shower and sharp clothes. When I saw her, I had all these thoughts of what we will do now that we are back together.” ChiChi braced herself. She had a bad feeling about this. “Bulma was waiting for me on the balcony. She hugged me, told me she was happy to see me, so happy I came but then she started crying. ‘My life is a mess. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe him.’ I knew it was about Vegeta and I begged Bulma to tell me what’s wrong. I wasn’t stronger than Vegeta but I wanted to do something. That’s when she told me she’s pregnant and Vegeta’s the father.”

 ChiChi winced. She knew what Bulma will tell Yamcha but she didn’t think Bulma would drop the news so fast. “That had to be hard to hear especially when you wanted Bulma to have your babies.”

 “It was crushing. I couldn’t believe it. Vegeta? He was responsible for me and our friends dying and Bulma gets pregnant by him. I thought Vegeta forced himself on Bulma. She told me it was consensual.”

 “Did she tell you what happened?”

 Oh, she did and it didn’t ease Yamcha’s hurt. “She thought Vegeta was lonely. He rebuffed her flirting several times but one night it happened. Bulma thought it was a mistake and a one-time thing but….” Yamcha let ChiChi figure out the rest. “When she became pregnant, she told Vegeta. Bulma never expected that reaction from him.”

 “Vegeta wasn’t happy?” ChiChi presumed.

 Yamcha shook his head. “No. Bulma never told me what Vegeta said but it was enough for her to call me. Bulma and I haven’t spoken since we broke up but her pregnancy made us realize even though a romantic relationship isn’t for us, it didn’t mean we couldn’t be friends.”

 “That’s admirable, Yamcha.” Kind of foolish ChiChi thought but admirable. “You pushed aside your heartbreak and you were there for Bulma when she needed someone. You’re a good friend and a good person.”

 “Admirable.” Yamcha shook his head amused. “Good friend. Good person. You’re the first person to say that. Oolong called me a fool and sucker. Puar thought I was making the biggest mistake of my life letting Bulma into my life again. Puar even worried I would try to get back with Bulma when she and Vegeta broke up.”

 “Broke up?” The news surprised ChiChi. “But they have a child.”

 “Yeah, but Vegeta moved out when Bulma was pregnant. Her Dad set up Vegeta at one of their vacation homes. Vegeta still comes by a few times but,” Yamcha shrugged. “I don’t know. Some days Bulma seems to miss Vegeta and others she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Lately, I thought maybe Bulma and I should try again but now that I know her baby is that kid from the future, I think I’m done.”

 “That should make Puar happy.”

Yamcha laughed. He never thought his sweet cat could have such venom towards a person. “Puar’s never gotten over Bulma having Vegeta’s kid. I was with Bulma for 15 years, wanted to marry and have kids and got nothing. Vegeta has a child with Bulma without trying. What Krillin said about Goku fits Vegeta, too. ‘Things came easy for him.’”

 Any sympathy ChiChi had for Yamcha was replaced with hot anger. “What?” Her raised voice sent Yamcha sliding a few inches from her. “What did Krillin say about Goku?”

 Her anger was surprising but somewhat amusing to Yamcha. “Things came easy for Goku. He got everything without really trying.”

 “Without really trying?” ChiChi gasped. How insulting! “Do you know how many hours Goku trained to get as strong as he is?!”

 “Not that. Fighting yeah, Goku worked hard but not as hard…” Yamcha stopped talking. ChiChi looked ready to scream at him. “Krillin and Goku were friendly rivals growing up. Goku was always stronger than Krillin. He caught onto fighting techniques faster. He was always taller. Krillin thought there was one thing he had an advantage over Goku. Women. I remember him saying, ‘Goku might always be stronger and taller than me but I will get a wife before he does.’ Then you show up to remind Goku of his promise and he gets a wife without even trying. He never had to ask a girl on date. He never worried about proposing or her saying no.”

 Oh. Yamcha had a point. “Oh. Well, maybe that part was easier but Goku worked hard in our relationship. We had good times and bad times. It was not easy.”

 “No,” Yamcha respectfully agreed. “I guess it wasn’t but those five years must’ve been something special. We didn’t see Goku for five years, and if wasn’t for that reunion, who knows when it would’ve been. Goku must be very happy with you and Gohan.”

 “I’m happy with my husband and son, too.” Speaking of her husband, it was time to get back to him. ChiChi stood up and stretched. “I need to check on Goku.”

 “I understand. Thanks for listening, ChiChi…. and I’m sorry.”

 “For what?”

 “I know what caused your tension with us. I had no idea of what they did until after I came back to life.” Yamcha shook his head. “It was wrong. As Goku’s friends, we should’ve treated you better.”

 Another one of Goku’s friends treating her kindly. ChiChi wondered if something was in the water. “Thank you. It’s not your fault but thank you, Yamcha.” ChiChi left Yamcha and entered the house. As ChiChi walked up the stairs to Goku, she thought of the kindness of Goku’s friends today and wondered if relations between her and them have finally softened.

 ****

 ChiChi woke up with a stiff back. She slept with her back against the wall and Goku’s head in her lap. Gohan slept soundly by his father. ChiChi felt Goku’s face. It was warm but normal for him.

 ChiChi gently slid Goku’s head from her lap to his pillow. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. “Good morning, Goku.” Being so close to Goku, an unpleasant scent touched ChiChi’s nose. Goku was a little rank and ChiChi knew where the source was. Dr. Sims warned her this will happen. With Goku in his deep sleep, his bodily functions would move slowly. It happened over the night.

 ChiChi gently shook Gohan awake. Gohan’s eyes slowly opened. “Mom.” Immediately, Gohan looked over at his father. “Is Dad okay?”

 “Dad is fine.” Gohan sat up and rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Since we have to worry about these Artificial Humans, you can train with Piccolo this morning.”

 Gohan dropped his hand from his face. He was wide awake now. Did Mom tell him to train? “You want me to train?”

 “Just a little and get some breakfast. Reia left food for us but it’s almost gone now.”

 “Oh, I get it!” Gohan understood. “Okay. I can spar with Mr. Piccolo and bring something back for us. I kind of want to spar with Mr. Piccolo anyway. He’s so much stronger now that he’s merged with Kami.” Gohan put on his shoes, gave his mother a hug and left.

 It was early morning when Bulma descended on Master Roshi’s island for a smooth landing. While her Mom and robots watched Trunks, she and her Dad spent the night studying 17’s blueprints. She fell asleep in the middle of the night and woke up just before dawn when Dr. Briefs was ready for a break. So while her Dad got some sleep, Bulma used the time to visit her adult son and Goku.  

 “Hey, everyone!” Bulma cheerfully announced.

 The TV was on with the morning news recapping yesterday’s events in South City, Gingertown and Nicky Town. “Bulma, what are you doing here?” Krillin poured coffee for himself and Master Roshi while Tien drunk his tea and Yamcha flipped the channels on the TV. “Where’s your kid?”

 “My parents and robots are watching him. I thought I’d see how my adult son and Goku are doing.” Bulma looked around. “Where are they?”

 “Trunks hasn’t been here since yesterday. He’s with Vegeta and Goku’s upstairs sleeping.”

 “Oh,” Bulma was disappointed. “It’s good Trunks is spending time with his Dad but why isn’t Goku awake from the virus yet? We need him.”

 “It’s gonna take a few days before Goku recovers.” Krillin explained. “What about those schematics you got from Dr. Gero’s lab?”

 “Dad and I are still studying them. Dr. Gero was a brilliant scientist. Such a shame he wasted his brain.”

 ChiChi entered from the stairway. “Good Morning,” she sleepily greeted everyone as she went to the sink with two wash basin in her hands. Master Roshi, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin stared at ChiChi. Last night they saw ChiChi covered up in her cheongsam outfit with her hair up in a bun. This morning ChiChi’s hair was down and she wore a pale blue robe. It was loose but more form fitting than the cheongsam with pants ensemble. As she walked, teases of her tone legs peeked through her robe.

 Bulma noticed how all the men were looking at ChiChi. She couldn’t remember the last time all of them stopped and stared at a woman. She couldn’t recall this happening when she sunbathed on the beach. Master Roshi tried to touch her but Yamcha and Krillin didn’t do anything.

 “How’s Goku?” Tien asked.

 “Much better. Goku only had one nightmare.” ChiChi held one basin under the running water. “I’m gonna give Goku a sponge bath so please give us our privacy.”

 “Sure thing.” Tien approached ChiChi and took one of the water basins from her. “But let me help you carry one of these so you don’t make two trips down here.”

 ChiChi was appreciative of Tien’s help. “Thank you.” Once the second basin was filled, Tien and ChiChi returned upstairs with Master Roshi, Yamcha and Krillin still staring at ChiChi.

 Once both were gone, Master Roshi finally spoke. “I wish she’d give me a sponge bath.”

 “She’s strict,” Krillin added, “But she’s still beautiful.”

 “With her hair down like that, she’s as pretty as she was at the tournament,” Yamcha remarked. “She’s a good listener, too. Goku got himself a good one.”

 Bulma was dumbfounded. Where was all this praise for ChiChi coming from? What did Yamcha mean about ChiChi being a good listener? Why were Master Roshi and Krillin staring at ChiChi with admiration when they never did before? When ChiChi visited Capsule Corp to see Porunga, none of them paid attention to ChiChi. Sure she looks different, perhaps younger and prettier with her hair down and wearing nightclothes but it wasn’t that much difference. “You three are disgusting! Goku’s sick and you three are ogling his wife!”

 Tien returned but blocked Bulma when she tried to enter the stairway. “Where are you going?”

“Upstairs. I want to talk to check on Goku.”

 Tien frowned. Didn’t Bulma hear ChiChi? “ChiChi has to give Goku his bath.”

 Bulma tried to go upstairs again but Tien blocked her. “I’ve given Goku a bath before. I’ve seen it all.”

 “As a kid. Not as an adult, Bulma,” Yamcha reminded her. “You can’t have access to all Saiyans.”

 Bulma scowled at Yamcha. What was he implying? They remained friends through their breakup but it didn’t stop Yamcha from getting in digs occasionally. With Tien acting as a wall and all eyes on her, Bulma sat on the sofa and waited for her chance to check on Goku.

 ****

 A closed bag stood in the corner of the room by the two water basins, fresh sheets were on the futon and ChiChi dressed Goku in boxers and a blue shirt that wasn’t like the weighted one he usually wore. She was laying Goku back on the futon when a light knock tapped the door.

 “ChiChi, it’s Bulma. Can I come in? Are you still cleaning Goku?”

 Bulma’s visit was unexpected. Yesterday, Krillin said Bulma and her father were studying 17’s blueprints. With Trunks’ letter still on her mind, Bulma was not the person ChiChi wanted to see anytime soon. ChiChi reminded herself this Bulma didn’t send her that letter but they did need to talk. “Come in.”

 Bulma sauntered in the room as ChiChi pulled the sheets to Goku’s chest. Bulma knelt on one side of Goku. “Goku looks the same,” Bulma remarked. “The way Trunks and Gohan described him, I thought Goku would look like he’s at death door.”

 “He was in bad shape yesterday,” ChiChi admitted, “but the medicine is working.”

 That medicine made Bulma so happy. “I’m so proud my son saved Goku. Pretty amazing my son has gone back in time to save all of us and I built a time machine. It’s usually Goku who does it but history shows Goku isn’t the only Saiyan to save us. And,” she pointed to herself and giggled, “humans can, too.”

 ChiChi wasn’t sure how to take Bulma’s words. Was she bragging and taking credit for something an alternate version of herself and child did?

 ChiChi pulled out the medical case Dr. Sims left her. Bulma observed ChiChi sticking a needle in Goku’s arm. “Is that the medicine?”

 “No. This will keep Goku hydrated and nourished since he can’t eat or drink anything.”

 “Looks like it works.” Bulma patted Goku’s chest. “Last time I saw Goku sleeping, he was a little boy. Thought he was a runt then but looking back, he was a cute kid. He’s….” her fingers lingered on his chest, “definitely not a kid now.”

 ChiChi noticed Bulma’s eyes on Goku; Bulma’s hand on her husband’s chest. ChiChi took Bulma’s hand and placed it back on her lap. “Bulma, we have to talk.”

 “About what?”

 “I know about the talk Goku had with you when he came back from space. As Goku’s wife, I think we need to talk.”

 Bulma remembered that talk she had with Goku. If she could, she would smack Goku now! What was that idiot thinking telling his wife about it?! “It was a small thing, ChiChi. Nothing to get worked up about or still think about three years later.”

 “Ten years ago it was a small thing but carrying these feelings for years when Goku is very married and has a child makes it a big thing.”

 Bulma inched away from ChiChi. That face and voice told her ChiChi was ready to strike her if she said the wrong thing. Bulma knew ChiChi was still in martial arts shape. If those hands hit her….. “I know it sounds bad but there's nothing to worry about. Goku would never be unfaithful.”

 As if ChiChi didn’t know that. “I know that I have Goku’s heart. It's you I wonder about. Are you finally over these feelings? Have you accepted only friendship is all you can have with my Goku?”

 Bulma thought the big important thing that happened to her would be proof of that. “I had Vegeta's kid.”

 “But you're not together now.”

 Unfortunately not. Vegeta moved out when Bulma was pregnant. She was furious her father helped Vegeta relocate to one of their vacation homes. Her father accepted Vegeta’s excuse he needed to concentrate on the Artificial Humans arrival. He did come home a few times but it was always brief and disappointing especially after Trunks’ birth. “Regardless of what Vegeta and I have or had you don't have to worry about me flirting with Goku.”

 Maybe she didn’t but it didn’t make things good between them. With her own suspicion over the years and Trunks’ letter, ChiChi was reaching her breaking point with Bulma. “Tell me Bulma; keeping things from me; speaking badly about me; was that due to me having Goku and you didn't?”

 “Where did you get that idea?”

 “Other than getting the dragon ball from my father’s castle, you haven't been welcoming towards me. When I was at the tournament, there wasn't time for me to get to know you. I wanted to because you were my fiancé’s friend. I should know you. A good wife knows her husband's friends. I became Goku's wife, had his child and I learned about you through him. When I lost my family, no one came to me. I had to track you down the next day.”

 That day again. ChiChi will not let them forget that. “We were wrong about that. Goku told us we were wrong.”

 “It shouldn't have taken Goku to tell you that!” Why were his friends so thick in the head? “While I worried about Goku and Gohan that year, I picked my brain on what I did to deserve such disrespect; to deserve to be kept in the dark all night. We didn't know each other and you did this. You got the dragon balls Goku collected and nothing for a year from any of you. I had to force myself on the island the day Goku came back.”

 No one expected ChiChi to show up there, especially Master Roshi. They all thought ChiChi would stay home and wait for Goku. “Why did you come to the island? You would have been safe at home.”

 “Safe and ignored you mean. That's how you both wanted it, isn't it?” Bulma didn’t have to say yes. ChiChi saw it on her face. “Goku told me I should go there if he was ever in another big fight. He said Master Roshi's place was the safest place to be.”

 Oh. Bulma never guessed Goku was the reason. “Wow. I never thought Goku had that kind of insight.”

 That wasn’t surprising. ChiChi knew what Goku’s friends thought of her husband. “There's a lot about Goku you don't know. There's a lot about you I don't know either. When I learned you had feelings for Goku, your treatment of me made sense. You didn't like me because I had Goku.”

 “Chichi.... it's not that simple. It’s complicated...”

 “Then why?” ChiChi heard enough excuses. She wanted answers. “Why have you said awful things about me when I've done nothing to you? Why did you treat me, your oldest friend’s wife, like I'm trash?”

 It was rare Bulma felt pressed against the hypothetical wall; pushed to be honest instead of hiding behind lies and bravado; losing control of the situation she wanted to manipulate. The only time anyone had her in this position was Vegeta. She wanted to seduce him; she wanted to control the courting as she did with Yamcha. Unlike Yamcha, Vegeta was stubborn and confident and Bulma was out of her league playing those games with him.

 A firm hand slammed against the wall over Bulma’s head. Bulma jumped at the sudden force. Her eyes darted up to see Vegeta staring at her.

 “What’s your game, Woman? Always trying to find ways to be around me. When I come out of that training room, you’re there. When I want to eat alone, you’re there. You want to know about my life under Freeza. You want to show me Earth’s culture.”

 Bulma’s heart raced as her eyes swept up and down Vegeta’s shirtless, muscled body; as he stood inches from her in his black boxers. He wasn’t tall like Yamcha or Goku; didn’t have women immediately swooning like Yamcha when she dragged Vegeta out her home, but there was a magnetic appeal to him.

If she can win him like ChiChi won Goku….

 “I’m trying to be a friend to you. You’re marooned here. No friends. No family. You must be lonely.” A brave hand gripped his muscled arm. Was Yamcha’s arm ever so tight? “I want to show you what Earth has to offer.”

 Vegeta grope a breast through Bulma’s thin, white buttoned shirt. He smirked as he squeezed the soft flesh, watching the deep blush spread on Bulma’s face. “That includes you, doesn’t it? This vulgarity appeals to you.” He dropped the hand chuckling at her. “The courtesans in space have more subtlety than you.”  

 Bulma’s face turned red again but she wasn’t aroused. She was angry. Did Vegeta compare her to a prostitute? Bulma raised a hand to slap him but Vegeta caught it and pressed it over her head.

 That arrogant smirk on his face turned to an angry scowl. “Dressed how you are; throwing yourself at me as you have; you’re in no position to feel offended.”

 Before she could use her other hand, Vegeta grabbed that and pinned it with the other. Vegeta gazed at Bulma watching her body language, looking in her eyes. No fear. “Are the men on this planet so inadequate you seek me to satisfy you?”

 Bulma answered with silence.

 It was enough for Vegeta. He released her. “You intrigued me, Woman.” He walked away from her. “Come if you’re so curious.” He stood by the door to his bedroom with his arms crossed. “If Kakarrot hasn’t killed his wife during mating, then I guess you’re strong enough for me to not kill you. But if you do,” he smirked, “you’ll die with a smile.”

 Bulma fumed at Vegeta. He read her like a book. He knew what she was doing all this time. He insulted her; threw Goku and ChiChi’s intimacy in her face. How dare he compare her to ChiChi! She was much better and can handle anything ChiChi can. She should walk away and pretend this didn’t happen; leave with dignity but she couldn’t. She was challenged, forced to admit her feelings. It was enthralling; exciting. Yamcha never made her feel this way. Bulma smiled, opening one button of her shirt after the other as she walked to Vegeta’s room.

 This time Bulma didn’t feel excitement or challenged. She felt vulnerable and open. The wife of her oldest friend demanded answers of her mistreatment; answers Bulma felt she ChiChi deserved to know. Only problem is, it will leave ChiChi knowing things about her, Bulma wanted to keep bottled.

 “You’re pretty,” Bulma told her. “You probably didn’t notice everyone looking at you when you came downstairs. They never looked at me like that. Yamcha told me I’m pretty but he was my boyfriend. Krillin never called me beautiful but he did about you. Hmph,” she scoffed. “I remember Krillin thinking I was a guy because I hid a huge diamond down my bikini bottom.” Bulma noticed ChiChi’s eyes go up in confusion. “It was an adventure we had with Commander Blue.”

 ChiChi’s anger simmered as confusion rose. Where was Bulma going with this?

 “When you became Goku’s fiancée, I felt threatened. You had Goku’s eyes since the tournament. He married you.”

 Threatened? Goku’s eyes? What was Bulma talking about? “I didn’t have Goku’s eyes then. He married me because of the promise he made. It was after we married, he fell in love with me.”

 “Maybe but you had Goku’s attention. Yamcha told me what happened between you two during the preliminary rounds. Goku watched all your matches. He kept saying he felt he knew you but couldn’t remember where. Yamcha could tell Goku was excited to be paired against you. It was the first time Yamcha noticed Goku responding that way to a girl. It was a bit annoying Goku never reacted that way to me.” She pointed to herself. “Look at me. I’m gorgeous. I yelled at him when we reunited at the tournament but he didn’t react at all. You do it and Goku couldn’t stop looking at you.”

 Was this true? Goku did say it was exciting fighting her but he never talked about what he thought of her during the preliminaries. She saw him a few times but she didn’t know he was there for all her matches.

 “I’m rich and beautiful but I didn’t have friends growing up,” Bulma continued. “I could make them easily. I’m rich after all but I couldn’t keep them. Goku was my first real friend. With him, I found a guy and made more friends. I like the attention I got. I like how I got my way. As terrified as I was, going on those adventures were fun. I didn’t feel threatened losing the inclusion. Not even with Lunch. Lunch couldn’t help them. Lunch wasn’t as pretty as me. Lunch wasn’t even strong. Her guns only made her appear strong and she was left behind a lot.” Bulma moved to touch Goku again but seeing ChiChi’s hawk eyes on her, Bulma decided to keep her hands to herself. “Goku would’ve allowed you to come. Everyone would want you to come on adventures with them.”

 ChiChi listened attentively. She believed Bulma until her last words. Now she felt Bulma was trying to dupe her. “Are you playing me for a fool, Bulma? Me be included in your adventures? You shut me out like you did Lunch. I’m the last person you want around.”

 “You’re beautiful,” Bulma told ChiChi again, “Very strong and you know martial arts. If you stayed as a fighter, being Goku’s wife, you would’ve automatically be included on adventures like Gohan is included because he’s Goku’s son. You had everything to take my place in the group. I didn’t want to lose that.”

 “Oh, my….” ChiChi put a hand over her mouth sickened to her stomach. Bulma did what she did for those reasons? “So, you led the charge to exclude me; keep me uninformed in what’s going on with my family; said awful things about me all so you---.”

 “Your attitude shaped some of that.”  

 “Only because I was kept in the dark!!” ChiChi nearly lunge towards Bulma. Bulma put her hands up. ChiChi exhaled and she stood. She needed to put distance between her and Bulma or she may do something she will later regret. Maybe.

 Bulma moved closer to the door in case she had to make a quick escape. “When Goku told us you didn’t want Gohan learning about martial arts, you called it a waste. Master Roshi laughed it off but Krillin was hurt about that. It was easy to convince them you were always an angry woman only focused on Gohan’s education and will kill anyone who got in the way of that. It was easy to exclude you.”

 In the hospital, Goku told ChiChi about his talk with his friends. ChiChi denied that was the sole reason for their hate. It was too ridiculous but hearing Bulma…..

 “Did you ever stop to think Goku’s fight with Piccolo was my reason to not have Gohan fighting?” ChiChi couldn’t believe she actually had to explain herself. “Maybe it traumatized me but I didn’t want my child going through what my husband went through. Also, Gohan was four years old. Now that you’re a mother, maybe you will understand.” ChiChi went to her bag of belongings. “Now I know what you mean in that letter about being in denial about things you didn’t want to acknowledge.”

 Letter? What letter? Before Bulma could ask ChiChi what she meant, ChiChi dropped the letter in her lap. “Trunks gave that to me. It’s a letter from his mother. You and she aren’t the same person because you haven’t lived her future but you two were the same in the past and she said things that made me think you feel now.”

 Bulma opened the envelope. It was definitely her handwriting. Bulma read the letter. She cringed as her future self in another timeline brought up her mistakes with ChiChi. Her mouth dropped reading how she continued to keep things from ChiChi while Gohan fought 17 and 18.

 Bulma met ChiChi’s stern gaze. “What I’m saying in this letter, ‘I hate not telling you immediately when Gohan lost his arm. I hate not telling you immediately when he….’ did I keep Gohan’s death from you?”

 “In that timeline, yes.”

 Bulma groaned. “Oh, shit.” Even Bulma couldn’t believe she did it again. “When did Trunks give you this?”

 “Yesterday.”

 Dammit. Bulma wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Ugh! She bragged about making a time machine and Trunks saving Goku while ChiChi had this on her mind. No wonder ChiChi so was frosty with her today.  

 “I never wanted to take your place among Goku’s friends. All I wanted is to be Goku’s wife and have his children. A wife and a mother. That’s all I wanted.”

 Bulma knew that. It took her a long time but she finally saw that. ChiChi was innocent in the mental war Bulma waged against her. With her future self writing this letter…… “I should go.” Bulma returned the letter to ChiChi. “I need to get back home. I need to help my Dad finish analyze 17’s blueprints so we can build a weapon against him.”

 “I wish you luck in that.” ChiChi returned to Goku’s side. Her back was to Bulma. She was done speaking to her.  

 Bulma felt the chill but said nothing. She couldn’t. ChiChi had every right to feel the way she did. If she was treated the way ChiChi has been for years, Bulma would be furious and want nothing to do with any of Goku’s friends.

 “I know my place with Goku, ChiChi. He’s your husband and I’m only Goku’s friend. That’s all. You don’t have to worry about me. Believe it or not, I actually grew up in these three years. Motherhood is changing me. I’m still making mistakes but I’m understanding you more, too. Maybe after all this mess with Cell and the Artificial Humans, we can sit down and talk; maybe we can try to be friends.”

 Bulma’s request was met with silence. Bulma accepted that. ChiChi should feel this way right now but Bulma hoped in the future, ChiChi would give her a chance. Maybe two strong personalities like them can be friends.  

 ****

 Another night and day passed in peace for ChiChi as she stayed by Goku’s side and cared for him. The world was in growing turmoil as the populace in more cities suddenly disappeared. Piccolo led the hunt for Cell only to always miss him. Gohan stayed behind to guard Goku in case 17 and 18 arrived. It was Piccolo who told Gohan to stay but ChiChi knew it was the Kami side advising Gohan.

 Tien, Krillin and even Yamcha left with Piccolo. Gohan stayed on the beach sparring alone and keeping his skills sharp. Sometimes Master Roshi sat on the beach with a beer cheering Gohan on while ChiChi watched from the window. ChiChi thought Gohan could be using his time studying but even she knew that would be a waste.

 The world was in trouble and as much as ChiChi hated it, she knew Gohan will fight. With Goku recovering from his illness, ChiChi thought of herself in Trunks’ timeline and her lost. That ChiChi lost her husband and son. What was it like in their home for that ChiChi to watch her son dedicate himself to getting stronger, taking Trunks under his wing, lose fight after fight against 17 and 18 and eventually his life? Some nights she and Goku talked about that time and wondered what went wrong.

 “I don’t get it, ChiChi. Gohan shouldn’t have died. Gohan should’ve been much stronger.”

 Goku laid on his stomach as ChiChi massaged his body. It was an almost nightly ritual for them when Goku finished his training for the day. Sometimes the massage led to intimacy and other times it led to Goku and his wife simply talking.

 “Everyone’s dead in that time.” ChiChi’s strong fingers penetrated the muscles on Goku’s back. “Gohan lost you and everyone who could train him when he was nine years old. He had to teach himself and Trunks. That’s two kids fighting monsters without proper training.”

 “Yeah,” Goku groaned as ChiChi massaged his lower back. “A little to the right. Gohan survived alone for six months. He taught himself a lot. Yow!” Goku yelped as ChiChi slapped his backside. “What?”

 “Those six months didn’t help Gohan be a better fighter. Gohan just learned to survive.”

 “Yeah,” Goku agreed. “You’re right. I used to think because Gohan was so young and never been in a fight that’s why he froze fighting Nappa and Vegeta but it was Piccolo’s way of teaching that caused that.”

 ChiChi moved her fingers to massage a leg. “What do you mean?”

“Today Piccolo was harsh with Gohan. He yelled at him because Gohan missed an obvious attack. He screamed how the Artificial Humans won’t show mercy. Piccolo attacked again and Gohan made the same mistake.”

 “You know Piccolo was that way with Gohan for six months.”

 “Yeah,” Goku didn’t sound happy about that. “I know. I’m working with Gohan now to undo some of Piccolo’s training.”

 “You know,” ChiChi realized, “In that other timeline, you were alive for two and a half years before you got sick and died. Life was peaceful. You probably never trained Gohan in that timeline. He never got the training our Gohan is getting from you. Maybe that’s what went wrong.”

 “I think you’re right. One of these days, maybe after we fight the Artificial Humans, I’ll take Gohan for training; just the two of us.”

 “Goku, no. We talked about this. After this fight, there’s no more fighting for Gohan. You agreed.”

 “It was different then. Your arm was broken and now I know Gohan in the other timeline never received my training, I have to train him.”

 “No!” ChiChi took her hands off Goku. “I won’t let you! You’re trying to find a way to keep teaching Gohan martial arts! You want to keep interfering in his studies!”

 “But, ChiChi…..”

 “No, Goku! I won’t change my mind on this!”

 Goku dropped the idea of teaching Gohan alone. Now ChiChi realized Goku was right. Gohan needed that training with Goku. He needed it now! Gohan in Trunks’ timeline didn’t get that training. He wasn’t strong enough to defeat 17 and 18. He lost an arm. He died. ChiChi vowed to not let this happen to her Gohan.  

 “Gohan!” ChiChi called from the window. Gohan stopped sparring on the beach. Immediately, Gohan flew to the window.

 “Is it Dad?” Gohan climbed in the window much to ChiChi’s chagrin. She didn’t want her son picking up his father’s bad habits.

 “Dad’s fine. I want to talk to you. Next time there’s a Cell sighting, I want you to go.”

 “But,” Gohan protested. “I have to stay here and protect you and Dad in case the Artificial Humans come here.”

 “We’ve been lucky hiding your Dad so far. Let’s hope it continues.” ChiChi rest a hand on Gohan’s shoulder. “Besides, you want to go. You want to find Cell and stop him from killing these people, don’t you?”

 Gohan nodded. “I do. He could be anywhere, Mom. Grandpa’s village could be next. He’ll kill Grandpa, Mr. Aki and his family. I don’t want them to die. I wanna stop him.”

 ChiChi’s heart swelled with pride. Gohan was no longer that shy, timid child. He didn’t fight like his father but he had so much of his father in him. “Then you should go. But you promise me, you’ll be careful. If you encounter Cell, you listen to Piccolo. If he, Krillin, Tien or Yamcha want you to escape and leave them, you do it.”

 “I will,” Gohan promised. “Thanks, Mom.”

 Later than day, ChiChi wished Gohan to be safe as he left with everyone to hunt for Cell.

 ****

  It’s over. I’m alive.

 Those were Goku’s first thoughts when he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling above him. He remembered sleeping in this room when he lived with Master Roshi as a child.  

 I beat the heart virus. I’m cured.

 The pains. The nightmares. It was over. He was alive! Goku was still in disbelief. That heart virus crippled him. He thought he was gonna die. In another timeline, he did.

 I can’t believe I survived.

 Goku was alone. He could’ve sworn he felt ChiChi’s presence. Her presence was the one he felt most over these horrible days. He felt the cool towels ChiChi laid on his forehead during his fever; heard ChiChi’s soothing words; felt her arms around him as he screamed through his nightmares; felt her sweet lips on his forehead and lips every morning and night.

 Where was she now?

 Slowly, Goku sat up. He beat that heart virus but he was still drained physically. He wasn’t starving but he was hungry. He shouldn’t get up right now. He should stay in bed for a few more days but he couldn’t.

 There was a new threat out there. It was stronger than the Artificial Humans. He could hear his friends talking over him, begging he get well so he could defeat this new threat. Goku shook his head. Would it hurt if his friends wished him well or weren’t so eager to put him back on the battlefield? From what he pieced together, Vegeta, Trunks, Piccolo and Tien got their ass kicked by the Artificial Humans. What chance did he have if they were defeated so easily?

 He couldn’t be upset with ChiChi for scolding them.

 Goku gingerly stood. He took a couple steps, wobbled and grabbed the windowsill to balance himself. Immobile in bed for three days without real food left him weak. He was aware ChiChi gave him something so he stayed hydrated and nourished but his body needed real food and water.

 Goku smiled at the afternoon sun, at the water washing up on the beach. It was a beautiful sight to see. He cheated death many times. He would laugh it off and not think much of it but this time he felt different. It really hit him how close he came to it all being over and the unfinished business he was leaving behind.

 Slowly, he climbed out the window, jumped and landed on the sandy beach. His legs wobbled but he maintained his balance. He was rusty but his mind was focused. There was a new threat and he had a plan to do it. Goku knew he will be sacrificing his body but Goku knew he had to do it.

 For Gohan and ChiChi, he will do it.

 Part Twenty-Nine: Family Ties

 AN: Since DBZ began, there has always been tension between ChiChi and Krillin, Master Roshi and Bulma which started at Goku’s first death. Krillin had a change of feelings I think since Namek but Master Roshi and Bulma still had issues towards ChiChi and that didn’t change until the Cell arc.

 When Future Trunks arrived at Goku’s house, Krillin had to tell him who ChiChi is. This implies Trunks never knew about ChiChi which is a mystery. If the Future Trunks movie is accurate, ChiChi was still alive before Gohan was killed so Trunks should’ve known her. Unlike in the Boo Arc where ChiChi and Goku’s friends were friendlier, it doesn’t seem fences were mended between them in Trunks’ timeline as ChiChi was shown on the outside.  

 In Dragonball manga, Yamcha wanted to get married.  

 When everyone waited for Goku to arrive after Trunks killed King Cold and Freeza, Bulma told Krillin what Vegeta has been doing in the past year. She was obviously intrigued and keeping tabs of his whereabouts but three years later when asked Vegeta’s whereabouts, Bulma angrily refutes not knowing and says they’re not living together. It does imply Bulma and Vegeta’s beginnings were a fling that soured and Vegeta was not living at Bulma’s home for a while. He probably left to be alone to concentrate on the fight. Obviously this changes as Vegeta does move back in and he and Bulma do work to build a relationship.

 The heart virus was poorly explained. The anime and manga had various versions of how it was administered. In the anime Yamcha and ChiChi poured the medicine into Goku’s mouth but Yamcha in a different scene dropped the medicine in Goku’s mouth from his hand. There’s another scene showing the medicine is liquid and not a solid form so I took liberties for it to make sense.  

 Trunks said Goku will get well in 10 days and the dubbed badly implies it was 10 days when it was actually three.

[carryonmywaywardwriters]

Love How You Hate Me - Sam x Reader

A/N: I had some time, am back home, and figured I’d just start reposting back from the beginning. I wanted to start with something that I haven’t seen in ages. Something that’s more personal to me. Edit and change it as I post. Because I’m in a far different place than I was three years ago, and I hope it shows this time around. So...I hope you enjoy <3

PSA: I am NOT a minor friendly blog. If you are below 18, please come back when you’re older. I don’t want to lose my blog because you were too eager to grow up. If I discover you, I WILL block.

Upcoming Warnings: Show level violence. Mentions of childhood trauma/sexual abuse sprinkled in (not super detailed. I do have my limits). Smut. A lot of detailed smut. Kidnapping. Near death experiences. Etc. Individual chapters will have different warnings. Read at your own risk.

Word Count: Roughly 3,500

“Could you get anymore annoying?”

“Sure.” You smirked broadly, eyeing up the competition with nothing short of arrogance. “I could be just like you.” That made Sam clench his jaw, and eyes flash dark. A reaction that showed just how much you were getting to him without even trying.

“Why do you keep her around?” Sam turned to his brother at the table, clearly attempting to hold back as much of his rage as he could manage. His knuckles were white against his skin while gripping his fork. Face carrying just a hint of red in his cheeks that pulled in tight. Revealing twin sets of unimpressed dimples. You couldn't help but to ponder what his blood pressure was. Definitely on the higher end.

He'd been in a mood from the moment he walked into the bunker, according to Dean. Sam had been 'perfectly fine' before then. It's probably because I was the first thing he'd spotted when he'd opened the door.

You two had been verbally sparring ever since. Nothing new. Your heart beat a little too fast from it all. Maybe I should check my B.P. while I'm at it.

“The entertainment value alone is worth it.” Dean grinned broadly at his brother. Drawing you back to the dinner time conversation. “She's the only one I've seen you really lose your temper with, Sammy. Plus, she's a mean cook.” He took a larger than life bite of chicken to emphasize his point. A grunt of approval was released while his eyes closed in bliss. “We can't cook like this. We'd be back to take out nonstop if she left, or I'd have to take up the mantle. And that...” Another giant piece of meat was shoved into his mouth, “That just feels like a crime.”

“I'd play humble, but I agree. I did knock it out of the park tonight.” You moaned out after a bite of your own. Noting the way the younger brother's eye twitched in response. “Plus, I'm a great maid. And am great at sorting through that mess called a file room when you're done with it. I could go on for hours, but you're already looking a little green, Sammy. I'd hate to see the food I worked so hard on go to waste.”

The flush darkened from your never ending sass, or the 'Sammy' usage. Either way, it was working. He was coming unhinged. His scowl got deeper as he shoveled his food into his mouth, eager to flee from your presence.

Whether he liked it or not, you really had assisted in making their lives easier in multiple retrospects; including the home cooked meals- something they rarely had before you joined the gang. And as a result of your ability to coexist with his boar of a brother, Sam was stuck with you. For life, the way things were going.

You had learned to appreciate getting under the younger Winchester's skin to some degree, and fought back another grin of triumph. Of course, he happened to see your lip twitch in amusement; forcing his glower to deepen further. It really was too easy most times.

It had begun the very first moment you two had met. You'd been a bit of a klutz that day; dumping coffee on his lap before you could even say hi. Tripping over your feet from the anxiety.

Dean had made the introductions while Sam suppressed his annoyance; attempting to not chew you out right from the start. You'd sat in embarrassment, trying not to cower from his dark looks. From there, the tension only got worse until it was clear he despised you even to poor- typically clueless- Castiel.

Unfortunately for Sam, you and his older brother had become close before you'd ever met him. Even if you had been useless to their lives, Dean would have kept you around out of nothing more than emotional attachment. Poor Sammy had no choice but to suck up your presence in the bunker as a result. Only getting a reprieve when him and Dean left for a hunt, or he went out solo.

At first you'd tried. Really tried. You'd even talked to Dean about ways to get his younger brother to warm up to you. You hated the tension and awkwardness that Sam seemed to feed off of. Nothing worked. If anything, every shy overture increased the hostility. Eventually, you had just given up. Dean had gone to the bat, determined to assist until he saw you start to give it as good as you got it. Then, he decided to step back and enjoy the show.

And what a show it was. For just over two years, war waged in the bunker. You didn't return Sam's deep hatred, but you certainly weren't above rising up to it. For every barb thrown your way, you returned one. More if the circumstances were right. And often, they were more than right.

At first, Sam had been surprised when you'd rebelled. It was enough to give you some peace for a few weeks, even. Giving you space as he processed the change. Then, he'd adapted to the new attitude. Finally finding someone he could take whatever was wrong in his life out on.

Over time, it became almost like a game between you two. Who could take the most heat? And for the most part, once you'd joined in, you two were equals in the battle.

“So, what'd you do while we were out?” Dean asked, mouth still full. They'd driven straight through; crashing as soon as they'd hit their rooms. He hadn't really had much time to catch up.

“Made a little head way on the file room. Dusted. Put all of the books in the library back. Ya know: maid stuff. But, most of the time, I ended up at Alice's.” You answered with a shrug. It wasn't a terribly exciting life you led. Unlike him and Sam.

“How's she doing?” His interest piqued. Chewing slower as he waited for you to give him the details.

“As happy as a woman on bed rest, in her eighth month of pregnancy can be.” You chuckled, thinking of your friend. She was a taller, naturally willowy woman with long strawberry blonde curls. Sporting a belly as big as a yoga ball in front of her. “Bane thinks she's going to pop any second. He's turning into a wreck.”

“Poor, guy.” Dean chuckled. Picturing it with ease. “I'll have to drop in sometime. Grab a present for the beast-to-be. Maybe that'll calm some nerves.”

Bane was slightly taller than either Winchester, but less bulky. His hair was practically black, it was so dark. The pair of had-been-hunters had been a package deal with you. Dean had joined into the gang without a problem once he'd met you. An amazing feat for the natural loner. Sam had taken to them with a similar ease- one that had excluded you.

“I'll go with you.” Sam spoke up, ignoring the sour look his words dredged up. Just great.

–

“Sam!” You screeched, tearing down the hall the next morning. As soon as you were able, you slammed onto his door with your fists. “Open up, you coward!” Teeth ground together as his bed creaked, but no other sound emitted. “Bastard!”

“What the hell is going on?” Dean peeked his head out of his door to see what was going down; hair sticking up everywhere. Ever the sleepy hedgehog. “Y/N? What's your problem, now?”

“He put dead fish in all of my drawers, and then shut off my air conditioning!” You hissed out. The putrid scent still clung to your nostrils. Riling you up further. “So, not only does my room smell like rotting fish- No, that wasn't good enough. He made sure that the heat stuck the scent to everything. I can't get it out! I've gone through three air fresheners! Three! I don't have a window I can open, Dean!” You turned back to the door, putting your entire strength into the knock. The wood shook with the force of it. Every bit of murderous rage transferring from you to the door in the process. “Sam Winchester! You're dead! Do you hear me? Dead!”

A string of very detailed- though empty- threats ensued, making Dean roll his eyes and walk away; carrying an 'it's too early for this shit' look on his face. With a sigh, he tightened his robe. Moving to seek out coffee. Wondering, not for the first time, if it was truly worth it to have you both at each other's throats.

Sam grinned as he heard the muffled sounds that were no doubt promises of retaliation over the music thumping in his ears. He'd decided you'd earned a present for all of your 'impeccable' manners the night before.

She really should've remembered to lock her door. He'd learned you were a fairly solid sleeper early on, and had used it to his advantage when he felt the urge. Sam was almost insulted that you hadn't kept your guard up. Maybe I'm getting out of practice? The increased echoes of you shouting confirmed that wasn't the case.

He'd rarely started prank wars in his life, preferring to finish what Dean started. But in your case, he'd made an exception. Several times. Wonder how long it takes her to check inside her box spring? His grin grew wide while he pondered over that one, turning up the volume until nothing else could be heard. Letting Celine Dion block you out. She thinks she's mad now...

--

You left to visit Alice to cool down; knowing that the moment you spotted the younger Winchester, you were going to lose your cool further. Exactly what he wanted. You'd be damned if you'd give him anymore satisfaction than your blow up that morning had already delivered.

“He did what?” She was trying not to laugh, making you narrow your eyes her way as you paced through the pale, homey room. She coughed to cover up her broken chuckles. Finally, the blonde almost made it to a serious note. “No, you're right. That isn't funny. It's awful.” A snort she couldn't seem to help left as she rested on the couch.

“It's like he's a five year old!” You grumbled, crossing your arms as maturely as you could. It failed. You resembled a sulking child, yourself. “I had an easier life in that one foster care home. The one with all the boys- The James's house. You know all of the horror stories from that place.” A shudder ran through you as you recalled being the only girl out of nine kids. “As bad as they were, at least they learned not to piss me off. This guy gets off on it.” Your eyes narrowed further as you thought about your room, again. “He could at least pretend not be so cruel. I mean, a water snake in the toilet would have been less evil.” At your friend's disbelieving look, you clarified, “That doesn't make all of my possessions reek indefinitely. It's short term misery.” Because that made perfect sense.

“I'll have to remember that one.” Sam's deep voice made you spin around to the living room entrance. Speak of the devil and he shall appear... 

He looked too comfortable resting near the kitchen. The way his plaid glued to his shoulders made him too large for you to stand. His expression too smug. It made you wonder just how cocky he'd look once you gave him a black eye. Maybe a split lip.

“Don't even think about it, Winchester.” You hissed out. He grinned in merriment as your E/C eyes flashed his way. “I grew up with that one. Always look before you sit.”

“Great advice.” 

“I try to be helpful.” Your tone was anything but. If looks could have killed, Sam Winchester would have been a dead man. Again.

You wanted nothing more than to strangle him for his childish prank. But, giving him any more satisfaction? You'd rather die.

Instead, you pulled out your inner ice queen that drove him crazy. All the while plotting your revenge. You felt your features relax into the cold mask you'd picked up in your childhood as you two looked at each other. The tiniest twitch in his left eye made it all worthwhile.

“Sammy!” Alice cooed in joy, holding her arms out for a hug. He stopped the stare down so he could move to bend down to her; wrapping her in a warm embrace. Careful not to crush the bump at her middle.

“How's the beast doing?” He asked before settling beside her on the couch. Behaving like a regular human being rather than a monster. You leaned against the wall, unwilling to take any of the open seats beside the giant ogre.

“Having a great time using my ribs as a trampoline.” She chuckled with a light grimace as her stomach rolled lightly from the movement of the child inside of her. Made all the more visible by her thin tank top.

“See, the perfect nickname.” He teased, having coined the unborn child once it started becoming more active. Watching the infant lull inside the womb with amazement.

“I don't know. I'm sure I can think of someone more fitting for that title.” You smiled sweetly, making sure to bat your eyes for the extra appearance of innocence. 

No one in the room bought it. Not even the child. All movement seemed to cease in response.

“So, have you two decided on a name, yet?” He ignored you, and went back to the baby talk.

You'd known he didn't have much to do with kids having grown up the way he had. Sam was thrilled at the prospect of being exposed to an infant before he eventually settled down into that life style himself. It had never been a secret.

As much as you disliked the man, you couldn't help but appreciate how intrigued he was with the entire thing. It was oddly adorable to see such a closed off- to you, anyway- man so enthused about new life. Though, you'd let a bus run you over before you admitted that out loud.

“We have an idea for a boy-”

“And a girl?” You asked, knowing exactly what was coming. However, you couldn't resist the jab.

“It's a boy. Why would she worry about a girl's name?” Sam looked at you as if you were crazy for even suggesting that option. The normally- when you excluded yourself from the equation- rational man was a hundred percent certain that he was right. You hoped it was a girl out of nothing short of spite.

“You're aware that we didn't allow them to give up the sex, right?” Alice chuckled at how solid Sam was on the baby's future identity.

“I just know.” You rolled your eyes at his response, earning a look from Alice that screamed for you to behave. With a low sigh and pursed lips, you forced yourself back to the nothing. Leaving your face empty as it relaxed.

“There's our favorite girl,” Dean walked in through the kitchen's entrance with Bane at his side. The proud papa-to-be was all decked out in his work gear- having landed a job with a local mechanic. Dark hair mused from the long shift. Meanwhile, his counterpart was in his usual clean cut layers. Spick and span without a hunt in sight.

“I thought I had that title?” You mock pouted as Dean trotted over to kiss Alice's cheek; forgetting  about the mask you were supposed to be sporting.

“When you're stuck in a bed- or on a couch- for four months, you can have your title back.” He sat down in the rocking chair beside her, making sure he winked your way first. Dean rested as close as he could. Always the protector of the young and innocent.

“You're not crazy doped up on hormones,” Bane walked over to you. Making up for the Winchesters' neglect. “So, you definitely have the edge.” He wrapped you up into a friendly hug. Giving you a sense of calm that you hadn't felt since Sam had walked back through the bunker's entrance.

You loved the big man like a brother. The both of you had met years ago while running away from your foster homes- well before Alice had joined the party. You two had been closer back in the day. Even so, the newfound distance regular life threw between you two didn’t take away any of the affection.

“She's just crazy in general,” Sam muttered, earning a swat from the closest thing your group had to a mother figure. “What? Am I wrong?” She just stared him down. Waiting for his will to crumble. Sure enough, he gave in. “Fine, sorry.” He grumbled. Then, the conniving bastard played his hand. “See if I give you the chocolate I bought...” His lips quirked up as he teased her, knowing her weakness.

“Chocolate?” She quickly agreed with his assessment of your character; earning a small, fond, smile from Sam. You were almost jealous at how easily he had taken everyone else. You'd never once received that look.

You didn't remain long after that. Hated feeling like an outsider within your own group of peers. You never stayed long once Sam infiltrated your favorite get away zone.

Instead, you fled to the closest store to pick up more air fresheners and groceries for the bunker. You took your time. Conversing with the locals and grabbing some food. Knowing that Bane and Alice would feed the other two.

By the time you forced yourself back to the bunker, they still weren't back. Part of you was relieved. The rest of you? Frustrated. You didn't let yourself dwell on it. Instead, you threw yourself into work.

“That dick.” You hissed, pulling out the last dead fish from under your bed. Without a hitch, you tossed it into your trash can beside you. The rotting corpse churned your gut. It took everything in you not to gag as you glanced around to make sure it truly was the final one.

“He's upped his game since the last time we'd gone at it.” Dean's voice made you jump. The action slammed your skull against the frame loudly. “Oh, damn. You okay?”

“I'm good.” You rubbed your scalp lightly, wiggling out from the danger zone. “All of my clothes are in the washer. I think I finally found the last piece of tuna. And, I can kind of breath in here, again.” You had fans on, and the air fresheners were finally making a difference...slowly. “I think I'm good for right now.” It took every bit of strength you had not to rub your head as you flipped the can up to tie the bag.

“You know, if you wanted to leave...I wouldn't stop you.” Dean's words made you freeze for a moment. When you finally looked up? Dean looked haggard from the day he'd had.

“Why would I want to leave?” You played deliberately obtuse as you moved to slowly sit on your bed.

You should have known that he'd have been able to read you like a book. He was awful when it came to himself, but you? He'd noticed the wear the bunker was leaving on you.

“Come on, Y/N.”  Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'd have to be blind to miss how miserable you and Sam are around each other. And you? You seem to be having a harder time than usual. And that got me thinking-”

“It's nothing compared to some of the homes, Dean.” You sent him a soft smile. He knew all about your past, and winced at the thought of what you'd been through. “Not to mention, you two aren't the only legacies. This place... It's in my blood.” You looked around your room, taking in the only place you'd ever felt safe enough to sleep soundly in. It was amazing what a simple DNA test could uncover. “Plus, what would I do without Dean Winchester down the hall to turn to?”

“That's just it.” He was clearly bothered by what his mind had conjured up. Frowning even deeper as he started to pace. His hand moving aggressively as he talked. “We're not here all of the time. We're gone way more than we're home. You don't have me just down the hall-”

“So, get me a puppy to have for company while you're gone.” You laughed lightly. Getting to your feet, you reached to grip his broad, navy covered shoulders. Forcing him to look at you. “Dean, I'm fine. Really. If I had any complaints, I'd let you know.” 

You appreciated his concern. It made up for everything else. Even with his brother's behavioral problems, you were happier in the bunker than you'd been in your entire life. It didn't matter if things were a little more heated than usual the past few weeks.

“That's just it, Y/N.” He looked you deep into the eyes. “You're always 'fine' nowadays, but when's the last time you were more than that?” Just like that, your face fell. You hated when Dean got deep, and hit home...

Part Two

[cyanidefilledcandy]

Out of curiosity, if you had to pick, what would be your favorite scenes from DragonBall Z?

Oh wow! That’s a pretty bloated one. lol I’m pretty sure I’m going to miss a few, but here’s some off of the top of my head. 

*Vegeta’s atonement scene. I know, I know. It gets mentioned all of the time and I know people are tired of Vegeta right now, but it’s SUCH a great, emotional scene and such a pivotal moment for him as a character and his story. And I like that it wasn’t overly sappy and his hug was pretty barebones, but it’s very fitting of his character. One of the issues I have with DBZ is that while I LOVE redemption characters, I feel like a lot of them come way too easy. In reality, it can be very difficult to break a worldview you’ve had since you were young, especially if it’s literally how you were raised. And you could tell that even though it was small, it meant the world to Trunks who he’d kept at an emotional distance until then. I could go on forever about this scene and the ones after (him accepting that he’s going to Hell, his inner speech about how he was doing it for those he loved (Yes. Even you, Kakkarot.), his smile, as well as Piccolo remembering him afterwards), but I don’t want to bore you (if I haven’t already. :P)

*Speaking of Majin Buu, his scenes with Mr. Satan were so great and so unexpected. We’re used to the beaten bad guy learning the error of their ways after being defeated by Goku, but this was the first time that we actually see a villain actually having a very childlike frame of mind in that they were just doing what they were told. Not to mention that it was Mr. Satan of all people who did....and simply by asking. And the subsequent scene where we get a friendly reminder of the darkness of humankind, and for the first time in the series see a no-nonsense side of Mr. Satan who is rightfully pissed off. We also see a bit of his true strength firsthand where he not only makes quick work of the fiends, but kicks a freakin bazooka several feet away. It’s just great all around.

*And to piggyback off of that scene, when the gunman returns and shoots Mr. Satan, basically killing him were it not for Buu, but him being healed isn’t enough to repair the damage that was done. In the English dub in particular, I remember just how well the voice actor for Buu did in portraying his anguish and I really, really felt that scene.

*Another good really emotional scene that was done phenomenally was Gohan’s death in Trunks’ timeline and Trunks discovering his body. The setting, the tone, everything about that scene was done so well. And even though it deviated from the manga, I think having that actually be the trigger for his Super Saiyan transformation made it that much more impactful.

*Cell’s introduction is another very good, and I feel, underrated scene. Probably one of the best villain intros in the entirety of Dragon Ball, I feel, if not THE. It played out so much like a horror movie and was done extremely well. The entire mystery surrounding this new creature that was attacking cities and leaving them completely empty and desolate with not even bodies to be found. That entire buildup as well as when Piccolo is looking for him in the empty city, searching around corners and we kind of see him lurking. It has very real tension to it and, like I said, is very reminiscent of a very well done horror movie and I love it so much! 

*Goku meeting Goten for the first time was such a cute moment. It was so simple, yet heartwarming.-Same with the scenes at the end of Z where Goku is hanging out with Pan and we see how bonded they are. 

*Also, I LOVE filler. Not the “let’s spend 20 minutes of this episode recapping what happened last episode” type, but the legit filler where we kind of see what the characters are life in real life outside of battle, especially how they interact on interpersonal levels. IDK....I always love those little slice of life moments thrown in. 

*This is technically still DBZ, but the Battle of Gods movie where Dende is explaining how all of the Saiyans there had good hearts, including Vegeta. And so everyone just like....gives him a standing ovation for not being an asshole anymore. It’s so ridiculous and stupid that it’s amazing! xD Also, Gohan’s reaction to finding out Videl is pregnant, specifically in the movie, is so absolutely adorable and heartwarming! And how everyone stops to clap for them and offer their congratulations. 

Ah.....I know I’m missing a LOT, but I can’t remember everything clearly (especially not the Saiyan and Namek sagas, which I haven’t seen in FOREVER). Maybe I’ll add more as I remember. Though.....maybe it’s for the best considering what a windbag I am... (^^’) Sorry about that, but greatly appreciate the questions! 

Love you much! <3

[themyskira]

The Life of Captain Marvel - issue #5

This is it; the final part of this embarrassment of a comic.

Through sheer incompetence, Carol and Marie have set a Kree cyborg assassin on an unsuspecting town.

This issue they face off against the attacker and, through sheer incompetence, are soundly defeated.

Along the way, Margaret Stohl also manages to retcon the 1960s Captain Marvel continuity to give Carol even less agency.

The issue opens on a flashback. Carol is an Air Force Colonel and she’s finally where she always wanted to be: flying spacecraft for NASA. Well, technically she’s there on loaner from the Air Force to test pilot a new prototype, but that doesn’t stop her disobeying direct orders by refusing to slow down, thus jeopardising a billion-dollar spacecraft and everything she’s worked her entire life for.

Carol: You getting this, NASA? NASA officer: Affirmative. Now slow it down, Danvers. Carol: Speed is all relative, Doc. Relative to the Earth, I’m going fast. But relative to… a quasar? I’m wastin’ time. NASA officer: Just don’t waste that billion-dollar prototype. You’re burning up fuel. Carol: Just a little higher. NASA officer: Direct order, Colonel. Carol: Just to the other side of those clouds. NASA officer: Do they not do direct orders where you come from Air Force? Carol: With respect, NASA, I’m a loaner. Until they stamp the paperwork, you’re not even in my chain of command…

(To be fair, Carol is a speed-jockey, and her pushing a prototype beyond the original test parameters is very much in character. But written poorly, a hotshot pilot can become a reckless jerk, and this is how she comes across here. A smug asshole who’s made it to NASA and thinks she can now do whatever the hell she wants.)

Page two delivers an abrupt right turn. A second spacecraft appears in frame; its pilot, we discover, is the NASA officer Carol has been speaking to. He keeps telling her to turn back and Carol becomes increasingly insubordinate and unprofessional, challenging him to race her. Again: this is the only job she’s ever wanted, and now she has it, she’s behaving like a friggin cowboy?!

Fortunately for Carol’s career, it turns out that NASA guy’s commands to slow down were all some convoluted form of flirtation, and he leaps at the challenge.

Later, Carol and NASA guy get cosy with each other on the bonnet of a convertible. And now we learn NASA guy’s name: Doctor Walt Lawson.

Otherwise known as Mar-Vell.

Carol: It’s… it’s like I’m waiting for the universe to show its face… or show up and… I dunno… Mar-Vell: …recognise you? Carol: Sounds crazy, I know. Mar-Vell: No. Sounds familiar.

oh, you fuckers.

I talked a lot in the issue four recap about Carol’s lack of agency in the 1960s Captain Marvel, the series in which she originally (albeit via retcon) got her powers. About how the creators of The Life of Captain Marvel recognise this lack of agency, but attribute it to the maleness of her legacy rather than the fact that her role in her own origin is entirely passive.

Given that, I was surprised Stohl decided to include Mar-Vell in the story at all — she’s been working hard up till this point to distance Carol from him — but not surprised at all by the way these flashbacks play out: with a passive Carol who does nothing to further her own story. A Carol who, in fact, does even less than the Carol Danvers of the original 1960s Captain Marvel comic.

What do I mean by that?

This is Carol in her first-ever comic appearance in Marvel Super-Heroes #13:

Mar-Vell: By the way, Miss Danvers… Just why did you oppose my seeing the robot? Carol: Nothing personal, Dr Lawson… but your dossier is still being examined by my security division! If you must know, you’ve always had a reputation as a recluse… even an eccentric! And frankly, after seeing that strange briefcase of yours…! Well… General Bridges: That’s enough, Miss Danvers! Coming, Lawson? Mar-Vell: Yes, sir! Mar-Vell [thinking]: An eccentric! If only that’s all she suspects! Carol: I’ll see you both later! Carol [thinking]: Somehow I can’t help feeling… that Walter Lawson is hiding something! If he is, I won’t rest till I find out what… and why!

This is characteristic of Carol’s early appearances in Captain Marvel. She distrusts “Walter Lawson” from the start, suspecting him of hiding something even as her superiors welcome him, and she goes to great lengths to try and uncover his true identity and intentions. The writers never allow her to get very far, but it’s an early indication of her intelligence and tenacity.

As Stohl tells it, though, Carol suspects nothing. She’s too busy swooning over his chiselled jaw to notice anything else.

Back in the present, thanks to Carol and Marie’s incompetence, Blue, Busty and Naked is holding JJ hostage. It’s surrounded by murderdrones and also flying, which is new (were we supposed to know it could fly?).

Tide Pod informs Marie that she has been tried in absentia, found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death. Evidently the Kree assassin units were programmed to respond to Marie’s locator beacon, and when Carol inadvertently switched it on, Kleenex was automatically deployed. Well done, Carol.

Carol goes to deck Dishwasher, before Marie points out that maybe attacking the being currently holding her brother by the throat isn’t the greatest idea.

Bargain Basement Mystique flies off with JJ, leaving its drones to rain down destruction.

The two women fly into action. Marie is struggling a little, being out of practice.

“Look at that. I’m the worst thing that ever happened to this town. This is all my fault…”

Aw, don’t be so hard on yourself, Carol. This is at least fifty percent Marie’s fault.

They split up. Carol finds JJ in town, hanging from a burning building. She flies to his aid, but Joe yells out, “No no no, Carol, it’s—“

Klinger: —A TRAPPPPPP!

What is this?! How shitty an assassin do you have to be to announce your own ambushes?

So Admiral bloody Ackbar lands on Carol and starts beating up on her, while she starts having a panic attack because who the fuck knows anymore.

Carol: Get— [wheeze] offa— [wheeze]

Marie, who last we saw was zooming off to the other side of town, is inexplicably on the scene. She flies up to rescue JJ, scooping him into her arms just as the burning building collapses.

Before I move onto the next page, I want to just take note of everybody’s positions. Carol is lying on her back, hyperventilating, as Janitor holds her down and beats her. Marie is in the air, cradling JJ in her arms.

Because this is the next thing we see.

Marie, hovering alone in the sky, is struck by some kind of beam.

Carol flies up from behind to catch her.

What happened to JJ?! What happened to the blue fucker?! What happened to the goddamn panic attack?!

Anyway then Carol is like LET OUR POWERS COMBINE and she and Marie go full Care Bear Stare, and I know I’m mixing my early nineties cartoon metaphors, but it is what it is.

I mean, it’s supposed to be a photon blast, but what else would you call this?

[Carol and Marie sparkle furiously] Marie: It’s working… keep it up!!! Carol: Ugly Space Face… is falling back!!!  …with the power of all Hala… Marie: …with your strength, and with mine…

(btw, somebody needs to ban this woman from using exclamation marks.)

But oh no! Something goes wrong! Carol manages to sparkle too hard!

Carol and Marie, in unison for some reason: Don’t… let… up!!! Carol: Wait— Ma, it’s— it’s too much! Can’t… control… Pull back!

They sparkle so hard they make an explosion!

They sparkle so hard they get thrown up into the air!

They sparkle so hard that Carol sees her life pass before her eyes!

I wish I was even partially kidding.

We flashback to Carol and “Walt”, aka Mar-Vell, in full astronaut gear on the outside of a space station. Mar-Vell says there’s something he’s been trying to tell her for a while, and then takes off his helmet.

(For those keeping score: Yes, this is one of Mar-Vell’s powers, but it’s not a universal Kree power. Neither is half the stuff Stohl attributes to Carol and Marie’s “natural” Kree abilities.)

Mar-Vell: You want to know the truth about starstuff, Carol? We’re all made of stars… just not the same stars. Carol: I… I can’t believe it… Mar-Vell: You have to. Because I’m not the only one. We’re in danger, Carol, and if they come for me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you…

In the original Captain Marvel, Carol never quite manages to uncover Walter Lawson’s true identity. It’s Mar-Vell’s show, she’s just the love interest, and he always outsmarts her in the end.

In this version of events, she never even suspects him of duplicity. She just stands there gawping while he tells her everything, because he’s afraid his enemies will target him through her.

Which they do.

“Mar-Vell was right. The enemy struck. And when Yon-Rogg couldn’t get to him… he got to me.”

You fuckers. You had the power to change this. You had in your hands the opportunity to give Carol an origin story that was actually about Carol and not a just dick-measuring contest between two super-powered men.

You could have done so much, and what you decided on was ‘yep, that’s exactly how it played out, except Carol was less capable and intelligent and active and also she already had superpowers to begin with.’

You. mother. fuckers.

“[E]ven then, the Kree didn’t see me as a threat. I was just a weak human. And when the Psyche-Magnitron hit, it was easy to believe the powers I gained were Mar-Vell’s. Nobody knew the truth… my secret birthright. Not even me. […] Just as nobody ever knew the reason I’d always flown higher or pushed further or run faster or given more: to let flow the awakening stars beneath my skin, though I didn’t know why I craved them, or what they were.”

So again, all of Carol’s dreams and ambitions? All her drive and grit and perseverance? Her hunger for speed and flight, pushing herself to go higher, further, faster?

None of it’s hers. All of it, all of it, is explicitly attributed to her alien blood. Not her accumulation of experiences, relationships, successes and failures. It’s simple genetics. Base instinct.

Fuck you, Margaret Stohl. Fuck everybody who had a hand in this colonoscopy of a miniseries. Carol deserves better.

Meanwhile, the Khambermaid has decided that it might have an easier time killing somebody if it’s wearing clothes.

Janitor: Upgrading combat suit… [manifests armour] Carol: Coming, Ma! Janitor: …and weaponry! [manifests a giant spear]

Why did you not start with this, then?

For that matter, why did you not just send your drones to bomb the Danvers house rather than theatrically announce your presence, take JJ hostage and formally announce Marie’s death-sentence-in-absentia?

So of course Mopster throws the spear at Carol, and of course Marie throws herself in front of it, and of course Carol cradles Marie in her arms and begs her to go because “I just got you back”, and of course she dies while telling Carol how proud she is.

Carol asks Marie what her missions was, why she came to Earth from Hala. And Marie, the woman who as we have established has made her daughter feel alienated and neglected and undervalued for her entire life says “It was… you. My mission was always… you.”

(The Karpet Kleaner has already fucked off back to space at this point, btw.)

Two weeks later, this is how Carol reflects on her feelings about her mother:

“When I look for Ma in our family albums, I don’t even see her face anymore… now she just looks like some kind of bright star to me. Captain Mari-Ell, daughter of Hala. A ball of cosmic dust and burning light… But as much as her light hurts my eyes, I can’t look away, and I can’t outrun her or even outfly her… because nothing’s faster than light.”

what.

what.

Marie has done nothing to earn this mythic status. She’s a terrible parent who, as best I can tell, had two real conversations with her daughter in Carol’s entire life, and both of them happened in the last six hours of her life. She’s not a ball of radiant light or whatever, she’s a snazzy costume with all the personality and heroism of a potato.

What are you doing chucking perfectly good photos into the void of space? There’s no logical symbolism to it. You scatter her ashes in space, you’re returning her to the stars, taking her on one last flight, etc. You scatter family photos in space, you’re just littering.

You already did the crying-tears-that-turn-to-ice-in-the-vacuum-of-space. Just because you wasted it on a hacky moon tantrum back in issue two, doesn’t mean you get a second go at it.

Carol meets Tony on the Moon and tells him she needs to get back to work.

Carol: I feel closer to her when I’m Captain Marvel than when I’m… not. Tony: You know what you are, Care Bear? You’re hers. Maybe that’s the thing about all this ‘daughter of light’ stuff. That light is in you and she’s in you— Car-Ell, daughter of Mari-Ell— yadda yadda yadda mumbo midichlorians jumbo— you catch my drift.

what ‘daughter of light’ stuff? NOBODY HAS MENTIONED ANY ‘DAUGHTER OF LIGHT’ STUFF.

Then it’s back to Maine to farewell JJ and Nice Guy Louis — who finally gets his kiss, though not without passing up the opportunity to complain that he’s been waiting fourteen years for it. I cannot believe this fucko was the love interest.

Finally, Carol flies off amid more wanky narration about how she is truly her mother’s daughter and her story will live in Marie’s legend (what legend? Marie only did two things in her life, become a Kree military officer and have a daughter, and she couldn’t be bothered following through on either one of them) and Marie will live in her heart.

Writing tip from Margaret Stohl: Having trouble building a believable relationship between your characters? Try not doing it and saying you did! Marie may be an empty shirt of a character, and her neglect may have caused Carol lasting scars into adulthood, but the important thing is, Carol tells us that they had a rich and meaningful relationship. That means it must be true!

[jrubalcaba]

Testing

CHFIL - Testing

author: jrubalcaba feat. @suz-123

featuring: OFC Evelyn “Evie” Rogers x Steve Rogers, Sarah and Robby Rogers, Bucky Barnes x Alice Winters, Becca Barnes, Simon x Maggie

word count: 10723 words

Rating: PG

warnings: cussing, fighting, drawing blood

A/N: Here’s another bonus chapter for CHFIL and Impact. This explains how Alice was able to have Becca at all.

A/N 2: In the comics, T’Challa and Storm have a son named Azari. In our ‘universe’, T’Challa has a son with Gail, and we came up with T’Zari, so it would fit with how T’Challa and T’Chaka were named.

Life with three babies is insane, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Becca, Sarah and Robby loved playing together, and I know it made Steve and Bucky happier than ever to see their kids growing up together.

Growing however, has got me thinking overtime.

While I was pregnant, I was exposed to the super soldier serum, which enhanced my hearing and strength. It’s been almost nine months since the kids were born though, and I’ve noticed that I’m not as strong and my hearing has gone back to normal.

That’s a problem.

If my exposure and the resulting effects wore off, then what would that mean for Sarah and Robby? Would it wear off on them too, making them more like me? Or would it stay in their system for life, like it is for Steve?

As an anatomical pathologist, I set myself the mission of finding out what would happen. Since Steve and Bucky are the only men to have the serum, there’s no precedent, which means that any research that I do will be the first of its kind. The thought of being the first to discover the long-term effects of super soldier serum in Steve and Bucky’s offspring was both exciting and terrifying.

I began by running tests on myself. I know my genetic makeup like the back of my hand, no pun intended, so it was easy to see if there were any real changes. The serum, apart from making my hearing and overall strength better, did nothing to me. I could still get sick, there were still hereditary illnesses I could develop in my life, and I was still ageing at the same rate as I was before I even met Steve.

That was the main thing that worried me about all of this, the ageing process.

The main function of the super soldier serum is to keep Steve and Bucky’s cells in peak condition. That’s why they’re as strong and fast as they are and can heal almost instantly. The serum finds an issue and cures it. When cells age, their functions break down and the cells die. The serum, however, keeps that from happening, meaning that Steve and Bucky’s cells don’t age. The average person’s cells change every seven years, which means that the cells you had at birth are completely replaced by age seven. In Steve and Bucky’s case, their cells are the same from when they received the serum. In the 70 years since they were injected, their cells should have changed ten times, but they haven’t. If the cells ain’t broke, the serum won’t fix them.

That’s when it gets interesting.

If Steve and Bucky don’t technically age, then what would happen to Becca, Sarah and Robby, since they are only half super soldier? Will they age like their mothers, like normal? Or, would they reach a certain point in their lives and begin to age slowly, looking like they’re in their 30’s when they’re actually in their 100’s, like their fathers?

Do Alice’s abilities have any kind of say-so on what happens to Becca? Alice has explained to me that magic is what made her into a Slayer, but what extent would magic affect Becca’s growth and development? Normally, I would have laughed at the notion of ‘magic’, but I work for SHIELD, I’m married to a literal super soldier, and I’ve met an actual God, so I’m willing to go on a little bit of faith.

I was hesitant to breach the subject of testing the kids with the others because, well, the three of them have been through enough labs and testing of their own, especially in Alice’s case, so why on earth would they want to put their children through that?

The seven of us were hanging out in the living room one day, watching as Becca was trying to teach Sarah and Robby how to crawl. She started to get ahead of herself when she fell over and got a little bit of rug burn on her chin. Bucky beat me to her (damn serum), but I still checked her out because I’m the actual doctor. I watched with utter fascination as the spot on her chin went from angry red to shiny pink to not even there in the span of a few seconds.

“That is amazing,” I muttered in wonder. Bucky grinned proudly.

“Well thanks. She is mine, after all,” he joked smugly to which I rolled my eyes.

“I meant her healing, you dum...my,” I corrected at the last second. With Becca being over one now, we’ve all had to watch our language, much to the amusement of Bucky because Uncle Steve still swore like he was in the Army. “It’s incredible how fast she healed, and she’s only half super soldier.”

“Well, she’s also half Slayer, so that helps too,” Alice tacked on. I nodded, still amazed.

“I know. I just wish I could figure out what that's gonna mean in the long run,” I muttered the last part under my breath, forgetting that they could still hear me.

“What do you mean ‘in the long run’?” she asked. I turned to her, shaking my head.

“It's nothing, really.” I was not wanting to bring this up now, so I hoped she would drop it. Her hand grabbing my shoulder and holding me still was proof that she wasn't.

“Evie, haven't you learned by now to not keep things from us?” she snapped. I sighed.

“Yes Alice, but this is something that I know you'd say no to, so why bother bringing it up?” I challenged. She smirked at me.

“Okay, but it wouldn't hurt to hear the windup and the pitch,” she teased. “Come on Evie, you know you'll end up telling me anyways.” I huffed in irritation, because dammit she's right.

“Fine. So, you know how the kids are all half super soldier, right?” I turned to glance to Steve and Bucky, including them in the conversation. They all nodded, curious as to where I was going with this. “Well, I’ve been wondering, ever since you told us about Becca really, about how that would affect her, and now Sarah and Robby’s growth.” They all gaped at me like I had grown another head.

“What would that have to do with the kids growing up?” Bucky asked.

“Think about it, the primary function of the serum is to keep your cells in peak condition. In a normal person, like me, when my cells start to deteriorate, they die and new ones replace them. My cells change every seven years, which is how long it takes for them to deteriorate and die. That’s how I age.” I stopped to catch my breath before going on. “In your case, when your cells break down, the serum fixes them, which in turn means that your cells don’t get replaced with new ones. Your cells are basically the same as they were the moment you were injected with the serum, which is why you still look like you’re in your 30’s when you’re way older than that.” Alice, I could tell, was intrigued. I guess she didn’t really know how the serum worked.

“Huh. That’s interesting. So, if the guys don’t age because of the serum, what would that mean for Becca, Sarah and Robby?” she asked quietly.

“That’s the thing, no one knows. Becca, Sarah and Robby are the first children to be born with the serum already in their veins, so we have absolutely no idea.” I looked around before adding on, saying the one thing that was sure to scare them. “There hasn’t been any testing done on them, so their future is literally unknown.” Alice’s face went white as the reality of my words registered with her.

“No. No. No. Absolutely not,” she refused, eyes wide with fear.

“I know, that’s why I didn’t bother bringing it up before. I knew your history with testing and labs, so there was no doubt in my mind as to what your reaction would be. Out of the question, I know,” I replied. “Becca is off limits, which is entirely understandable.” I turned to Steve next, walking over to grab his hands. “I have to ask, but will you let me test our children’s blood?”

“Wait, you’d be running the tests?” Alice interrupted, her voice cracking at the end. I looked at her over my shoulder and nodded.

“Of course. You really think I’d trust someone else to do it? Besides, it’s literally my job to do testing like this. It’s my field of study,” I answered her. “I’d draw the blood myself and run the tests too. These are my children’s lives, and the only other person I’d even remotely trust with any of this is Bruce, and he doesn’t even have any idea I’ve done testing on myself.” At that last statement, Steve grabbed my arm and turned me back to him.

“Wait, you’ve done your own tests?” he asked incredulously. I nodded slowly, not understanding why he sounded so tense.

“Uh, yeah. Who else would do it?” I looked at Bucky and Alice, who also looked like they couldn’t believe it. “You guys do realize that I am both a medical doctor and a scientist, right? I can do both sides of the doctoral profession, and if I may be so humble, I’m fucking phenomenal at both.” I smiled smugly at them, loving the look of awe that spread across my husband’s face.

“Why did you have be tested?” Bucky asked after a brief pause, which caused me to sigh.

“Because the effects of the serum have worn off on me, and I don’t know if that will happen to Robby and Sarah.” It was Steve’s turn to go pale as comprehension dawned on him.

“If the serum wears off on the kids, then it might wear off on us?” he asked, somewhat hopeful.

“I honestly don’t know. That’s why I want to run tests,” I replied. “So, do you give me permission to draw our kids’ blood and do the tests?”

“Evie, you’re their mother. Why do you need Steve’s permission?” Bucky asked before Steve could answer.

“Because it’s a conflict of interest if I just do it on them. As their legal guardian, he has to give permission for me, a doctor, to run the tests. If I publish the results, I have to show that I got consent from the patient’s parent. It’s unprofessional to just run tests on someone just because, even if you gave birth to them,” I explained.

“Even though most of this is science jargon and I don’t understand it, it’s dead sexy when you talk doctor to me,” Steve cooed, pulling me into his arms. I smirked up at him, as this was new to me.

“Is that so? Maybe I should go get my white coat and stethoscope then,” I teased. Bucky cleared his throat loudly, bringing us back to reality.

“So that’s why you liked going to the doctor so much back before the War. Seeing the doctor turns you on,” Bucky teased. Steve began to blush as Bucky and Alice chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s no wonder he never got over Evie! She’s the prettiest doctor he’s ever seen!” Alice joined in. “I bet he got a stiffy when they were introduced!” Steve’s face was now the color of Tony’s suit, and I felt bad for him.

Kinda.

“Alright, that’s enough,” I insisted. “And for the record, Steve was a perfect gentleman when we met.” He smiled, while Bucky burst out in hysterics.

“Yeah, okay,” he snickered. “How’s that saying go? ‘A gentleman in the streets, a freak in the sheets’?” He started laughing again, Alice joining in. I bit my lip to keep from laughing, as Bucky didn’t realize how right he was. Once I got my laughter under control, I swooped in to save my husband again.

“Getting back to business, Steve, what say you?” I asked one last time.

“Yes,” he answered. “I’m honestly curious about all this now too, so definitely yes.” I smiled, glad he was okay with the testing.

“Well, if it’s okay, I’ll go grab my stuff and I can draw their blood really quick, since we’re thinking about it.” I headed for the stairs.

“Evie,” Alice said shakily, catching my attention. I turned back to her, waiting for her to go on. “You said you’d draw the blood yourself? And run the tests yourself?” I felt my forehead crease as I tried to see where she was going with this.

“Uh, yeah? I mean, I did spend all those years in school learning how to do all that for a reason. Why?” I asked. She began wringing her hands together, looking around nervously.

“If you were to, I mean, if we were to say okay, you would be the only one to draw Becca’s blood and the only person testing it, right?” I walked over, stopping in front of her.

“Right. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bruce dearly and I trust Helen with a lot, but this is one thing that I would do on my own, off the record.” I looked over at Steve and Bucky before looking back at her. “This is our family business, no one else’s.” She nodded before glancing back at her daughter and then Bucky, who nodded as well.

“Good. Okay, you can test Becca’s blood.” She sounded sure of her decision, which blew me away.

“Alright. Just tell me when and I’ll do it,” I replied. I started to head for the stairs again when she grabbed my arm to stop me.

“You’re gonna draw the twins right now, right? Well, just go ahead and do Becca’s too.” I could tell my eyes were huge as the reality of her statement sank in.

“Sure. Do you want to come with me and watch me get my supplies? I find that having patients watch me get everything set up helps them relax,” I offered. She nodded as she followed me upstairs to my room. She was next to me as I pulled three sets of tubes out of the container and set them on my tray, followed by gloves, my sharps container, some suckers, bandaids, cotton balls, alcohol pads, a few vacutainers and butterfly needles. We went back downstairs and headed to the kitchen table, where Bucky and Steve were waiting. “Let’s do Becca first, but let me get my stuff set up before you grab her. The longer she sits, the crankier she’ll get when she can’t move.” I washed my hands in the sink before pulling my gloves on, sitting in the chair next to Bucky. I got the bandaid half opened and set it down so it would be easier to place it when I was done with her. “Alice,” I started as I continued getting things ready. “Would you rather stand and watch as I draw her blood or sit and hold her while Bucky stands?” She took a deep breath and thought it over while I finished getting ready.

“I’ll stand and watch,” she answered before walking over to pick Becca up and bringing her to Bucky, who set her down on his lap.

“Becca, sweetie, Aunt Evie has to poke your arm, okay?” I told her as she looked at me with interest. “You just sit still on Daddy’s lap so Aunt Evie can do her job.” I checked her left arm first, looking for a good vein before checking her right.

Bingo.

I grabbed a pad and swiped it over the vein, cleaning the area. I dried it off with a cotton ball, looking up at Alice to make sure she was still good with me doing this. She nodded, to which I smiled.

Here comes the fun part.

I grabbed the needle, making sure the tube was in place and the vacutainer was connected properly, before bringing it to my niece’s arm. “Little stick sweetheart,” I warned as I carefully pierced her skin, causing her to fidget and cry. I glanced at Alice, who was slowly squeezing Steve’s arm as Becca fussed. “Daddy, you need to hold her arm still, or the needle could hurt her,” I instructed Bucky. He secured her arms, which upset her even more. Her little heart was racing, which helped pump the blood quicker and fill the tubes faster. Finally, all the tubes for her were filled, so I placed a cotton ball over the injection site before slowly easing the needle out and putting it in the sharps container. I grabbed the bandaid and put it over the cotton, keeping it in place before opening a sucker and handing it to her, kissing her forehead. “Such a big girl you are, Becca. You’re all done.” She was all smiles as Alice picked her up, cuddling with her. “Mommy, are you okay? Do you need medical attention?” Alice’s face was white, so I steered her to the couch before she fainted. I looked over at Bucky, who had an amused look on his face.

“I half expected her to throw you across the room when Becca started crying,” he confessed. “She did good for her first time.” I quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Who, Alice or Becca?” I asked. He smiled softly, while I giggled and Steve flexed his arm. “Do you need medical attention, Captain?” I teased. He rolled his eyes at me.

“Not in front of them,” he replied, sweeping his arm out to include everyone, sending a wink my way.

“Behave, Captain. Doctor’s orders,” I stated. His eyes dilated and nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. Wow, I had no idea this would turn him on this much. Bucky watched us, fighting the urge to burst out laughing.

“Pretty sure Evie has all of the power now,” he chuckled. “All she has to do from here on out is wear her stethoscope and white jacket and Steve’ll do anything she says.” Alice chuckled weakly from her spot on the couch at this, causing Steve to blush even more.

“Alright, alright. Bucky, can you grab Sarah so we can get her done? She’ll sit still better on my lap than yours,” he snapped, shooing his brother out of the way so he could sit down.

I got my stuff ready again as Bucky handed her to Steve before finding a good vein in her left arm. Feeling so incredibly guilty, I cleaned the site before grabbing the needle and sticking my daughter, who immediately began to cry. Knowing that I was making her cry made my own tears begin to fall. After a few minutes, all of her tubes had been filled, so I gently removed the needle, covering the site with a cotton ball and placing a bandaid over it. I gave her a sucker and some mega hugs before Steve sat down to cuddle her. Alice was feeling better and Becca had gone over to comfort Sarah, so she sat down with Robby, who was a complete surprise, not flinching or crying at all. He also got a sucker after he was all done, prompting Sarah to grab his and give hers in exchange. They love to share everything.

“I’m going to head to the Tower and start the tests. Anyone wanna join me?” I asked, to which Steve, Bucky and Alice all agreed. Once we had the kids ready, we headed out in my Suburban, since it has plenty of room for all of us, including the dogs. After arriving, I headed straight to the lab and began working on the samples.

Robby and Sarah’s were interesting to look at. I could see the serum had penetrated every cell, just like it did with Steve. That was good news, because if the serum was present from the beginning, then there was a good chance that its effects wouldn’t wear off on them. Since it was introduced to me in such small quantities and wasn’t present at the time of my conception, it wasn’t remaining in my system, which was fine with me. I could tell their cells were aging properly, but I wasn’t sure if it was because they were only half-enhanced. I’ll just have to check it from time to time and see.

In the years I’ve known Steve, I’ve gotten to know his genetic background quite well. After all his time in the ice, on top of all the years that have gone by since he was first given the serum, Steve has been curious as to how it would affect him. Since Dr. Erskine never got to pass on his notes on the matter, I’ve kinda become the expert on Steve. Looking back on it though, now I realize why Steve didn’t really mind coming by the lab all the time.

When Bucky (and Alice) came to New York, Steve somehow got him to give a sample of his blood for, as Shuri calls it, ‘research purposes’. I’m not an expert on him, but I know his genetics pretty well. But, when it came time to check Becca’s sample, I hit a snag.

I don’t have any of Alice’s blood, so I have nothing to compare Becca’s to. This was going to be fun.

I went back upstairs to hang out with everyone. I didn’t say anything to the others, as we had all agreed to not say a word in front of anyone. We spent the whole day hanging out with the team, all of the kids completely worn out. After nursing ours to sleep, I told Steve what I had found out.

“Well, that’s good. What about Becca?” he asked. I froze, looking over at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah, about that…” I trailed off. He quirked an eyebrow so I went on. “I’ve only ever gotten Bucky’s blood. I don’t have any from Alice, so I can’t really do any testing on Becca’s.” His eyes got wide as the implication sank in.

“She won’t listen to me. Maybe you can talk to Bucky about getting it from her.” I shook my head at this.

“No, I need to be the one to do it. Ask her for the blood and take it if she says yes. If she doesn’t, I guess I won’t do any testing on Becca.” He nodded at this, realizing that I was right. We went to bed, or rather, he went to bed while I stayed up trying to figure out the best way to ask Alice if I could have some of her blood. Exhausted, I finally fell asleep.

The next few days went by before I could approach the subject. Luckily, Alice and Bucky didn’t ask about the blood tests, which was good for me because I wanted to talk to Alice about it alone.

Alice and I were watching Steve and Bucky play with the kids outside when I finally got the courage to talk to her. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this nervous, so nervous that I was shaking as I walked over and sat down next to her.

“Hey, Alice?” I asked, my nerves making my voice vanish. She looked over, a residual smile from watching our men play with our kids.

“Yeah?” I swallowed thickly before rushing out the words.

“InorderformetorunthetestsIneedyourblood.” She raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

“Come again?” she replied. I squared my shoulders and tried again.

“I need some of your blood so I have something to compare Becca’s to.” Her smile was gone in an instant as my words registered. “If you say no, then I drew her blood for nothing because I just have Bucky’s for comparison but she’s only half him. Having yours would help so much, but like I said, if you don’t say yes, then I can’t run any tests.” I sat and waited for her to make her decision, even though I already knew her answer. There’s no way in God’s green earth, Midgard, whatever, that she would let me-

“Okay.” I felt my jaw hit the floor and end up halfway to China. “You’re right, and it’s not like I’ll be held down like I was in the Lab. And it’ll be you doing everything, so I have nothing to fear. Let’s do it.” I stared at her, waiting for her to laugh and say it was a joke. When she stood up and began to walk toward the house, she looked over her shoulder at me. “Let’s do it now so we can get it over and done with.” Realizing she was serious, I jumped up and followed her.

“Since all of my supplies are up there, wanna do it in my room?” I asked, to which she nodded. We climbed the stairs in silence, steeling ourselves for what was to come. Once inside, I had her sit on the edge of my bed while I grabbed the chair from my vanity and brought it over. She watched with wide eyes as I got everything I needed, holding every item up and showing her that it wasn’t messed with in anyway. When she was satisfied, I brought my supplies over. “I’m going to go wash my hands. You can watch me through the door, okay?” I walked in and stood in a way that she was able to see everything I did. Finished, I came back and sat in the chair, slowly pulling on a pair of gloves. “Alice, I’m going to check your arms now to find a good vein. Is that okay?” She took a few deep breaths, no doubt trying to keep calm.

“Yes, thank you for asking.” I shot her a quick smile before holding my hand out for her arm. I waited for her to give it to me instead of just grabbing it as I figured grabbing it would be a bad move. She gave me her left arm first, letting me check but I was unable to find a good vein. Then she offered her right arm for me to check, and I was finally able to find one.

“Okay Alice. I’m going to clean the site with an alcohol swab now.” I wanted to already be done with this, but I knew that I had to tell her everything I was doing so she wouldn’t freak out. “Alice, now it’s time for me to insert the needle into your arm. Are you still okay with this?” This was it, the big moment.

“Yes, go ahead,” she answered after taking a few more deep breaths. I nodded before reaching over and grabbing the needle and bringing it to her arm. She began to tense up, so I stopped, knowing I had to give her time to adjust. “Just do it Evie.” She was still tense, her face all screwed up as she waited. Seizing my chance, I brought the needle back and carefully pierced her skin with it. Her breath caught in her chest at the feeling before slowly releasing it. I let go of the breath I had been holding as well, now that the hard part was over. One by one the tubes filled up until the last one was done. I put a cotton ball over the site before pulling the needle out, grabbing a bandaid to put over top to keep it in place. I disposed of the needle before I took a good look at Alice. Her face was still pale but the color slowly returning and her breathing was still heavy. I grabbed her wrist to check her pulse, glad it was returning to normal.

“If you want, you can lay back on the bed until you get your bearings back,” I offered. She slumped back at once as her body continued to calm down, and after a few minutes, she sat back up, looking like her old self. “So, how do you feel?” I asked, checking her pulse again. She smiled softly, taking one last deep breath before answering.

“Ya know, out of all the times I was tested, that was the least...objectionable experience.” She reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. “While I’m not keen on doing that again any time soon, as long as you were the one doing it, it wouldn’t bother me.” I felt so happy knowing that I was able to do this for her. I gave her a huge hug before helping her up, in case she was still woozy. When she was able to walk down the stairs without fainting, I knew she was alright. As soon as we got outside, she all but ran to Bucky and Becca, whispering in my brother’s ear and the three of them went to their apartment. I walked over to Steve, who looked puzzled.

“Why’d they leave?” he asked. I kissed him before smiling.

“I just drew Alice’s blood. She’s just wanting some snuggles I’m sure,” I answered. He grinned back at me.

“I’m impressed, and all without any bloodshed. Well, from you,” he added, as he realized what he had said. I chuckled at him.

“Wanna go to the Tower with me so I can run the tests? Figured they’d want some alone time and I’m sure Bruce won’t mind seeing the twins again so soon.” He nodded so we took the kids inside to get them ready before we headed out, leaving a note on the counter in case Bucky or Alice happened to come over looking for us. Once we got to the Tower, Steve took the twins upstairs and I went straight to the lab.

Looking at Alice’s blood under the microscope was amazing.

Her cells were normal, but there was this faint bluish glow to the entire sample, which was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my years of study. 

I came to realize that this must be the Magic that made her a Slayer. Getting deeper and deeper into things, there wasn’t much else that made her so different from me. I could see that she had similar traits that Steve, Bucky, and the kids had like the accelerated healing and increased strength, but apart from that and the Magic, we were the same.

Now that I had something to go off of, I was able to run tests on Becca’s blood. There was no glow to hers, but unzipping her genes was amazing. Whereas Steve’s genes mostly overrode mine in Sarah and Robby, Alice and Bucky’s genes had combined so well for Becca it was honestly like looking at a complementary set. Not that Steve and I weren’t compatible, but Alice and Bucky were truly made for each other. I also noticed that Becca’s cells did age normally, but I couldn’t be sure if they would suddenly stop or slow down like Alice’s did when she was Called. Hopefully, Alice won’t mind me checking every few years, like I would do with the twins.

Finished with the tests, I returned to my family so I could hang out with Bruce. He took ‘Papaw Boo’ detail very seriously. He doted on all three kids, which surprised some people (cough Alice cough). I could see where she was concerned though. Becca wasn’t related to Bruce in anyway, so why would he treat her like another granddaughter?

It was because she was.

We were all family, from Thor, our hipster cousin down to Peter, the little brother we were fiercely protective of. Over the years, our ‘family’ has grown, starting with Tony, Nat, Clint, Bruce, Thor and Steve, and expanding to include myself, Pepper, Rhodey, Laura and the kids, Coulson, Maria, Nick, and Jane. Then, Wanda (and briefly Pietro), Sam, Vision, Scott and Cassie, Peter and May, Bucky and Alice joined. With the addition of Bucky and Alice came T’Challa, Gail, Kerry, Shuri, Simon and Maggie, and just when we couldn’t think our amazing family couldn’t get any bigger or better, Becca, Robby, Sarah and T'Zari came into the world, proving that life finds a way to give you everything you ever wanted.

#

One day, some time after I had run all the tests, Simon and Maggie arrived in Wakanda to check on the status of Kerry and a retired Slayer. Simon called to see if they could stay with us for a few days, as their visit had been spur of the moment.

“Hey Si. Of course you guys can stay here,” I answered. “That room has unofficially been dubbed yours, especially since neither of the kids will ever move into that room after you two defiled it.” His subsequent snort made me giggle, but what he said after had me rolling.

“You defiled it first. We’re just adding a bit of flavour to it.” I cringed as I started laughing.

“Alright, but it better not look like a Jackson Pollock painting the next time I take a black light in there,” I warned with a final chuckle. “SO, how are things over there? The remaining Slayers doing alright?” I wish I could visit over there, but Steve doesn’t want to chance it in case any vampires happen to attack.

“Eh, they’re doing okay. Ever since this ‘ole thing with Gail and Alice ‘aving kids, Slayers’ve been cropping up pregnant more and more. There’s these two girls, Tina and Amy, that’ve been friends since they were able to walk. Tina is a Slayer and just gave birth to a baby boy about a month ago, and now Amy is pregnant. It was the weirdest thing, ‘cause Tina ‘ad no inkling of wanting a family until one day Amy pushed her out of the way of a oncoming car. Not too long after that, Tina turned up pregnant. That ticked Amy off, ‘cause she and her boyfriend wanted kids but she wasn’t getting pregnant.” Simon stopped to take a breath and I was able to interrupt him.

“Wow. That sounds like how it was for me and Alice. Steve and I were trying like hell to have a baby, but we just couldn’t. Nothing wrong with either of us, but it was like as soon as Becca was born, a few weeks later BOOM.” I sighed. “Hell, even to this day we still don’t know why it took so long for me to get pregnant.” He was so quiet on the other end, I thought the call had dropped. “Simon?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m ‘ere. I was just thinking about Maggie.” I rolled my eyes.

“God you’re such a sap. And people used to be afraid of you? Gimme a break,” I teased.

“No, not like that. Maggie and I don’t exactly use much in the way of protection, but she ‘asn’t ended up pregnant yet. Not that we’re trying, but it still ‘asn’t ‘appened,” he explained solemnly. “I was just wondering as to why.” Well, now that he’s brought it up, I’m wondering too.

“Really? Like, there’s no protection at all, but it’s still not taking?” I was curious now.

“Yeah. I mean, kids might be in the cards for us someday, but ‘onestly, with as much as we go at it and the minimal precautions we take, you’d think we’d would‘ve ‘ad one by now.” It was my turn to be silent.

That’s exactly how it was with me and Steve. Once I came off the birth control, we went at it like bunnies, but it wasn’t until Becca was born that I finally got pregnant.

“Evie? You still there?” Simon called through the phone. I brought it back to my ear, not realizing I had dropped my hand.

“Yeah Si, I am. This Tina and Amy, they’re best friends, borderline sisters? Are both of them Slayers, or just Tina?” The wheels in my head were turning with a theory, but I had to gather more data before I wanted to say anything.

“Uh, yeah. Been best friends since forever. Grew up together and do everything together, until Tina was Called. Amy is a regular, like you and Maggie. Why?” My heart was starting to race with the direction my thoughts were going.

“And Tina didn’t get pregnant until Amy pushed her out of the way of that oncoming car, right?”

“Right. Evie, what’s going on?” Simon sounded impatient, but my brain could only go so fast.

“Simon, the Magic only affects women, right? There’s no way it could latch onto men?” He paused for a moment, clearly not expecting me to ask that.

“No. Never in the history of Slayers ‘as a man been Called. It’s only ever been women.” That kinda explains it…

“Did Gail happen to mention anything...out of the ordinary happening before she got pregnant with T'Zari? Like something that maybe Queen Ramonda or Princess Shuri might have done for her?” He sputtered on the other end, trying to figure out where I was going with this.

“Well, fuck I don’t know Evie!” he snapped. “I do remember Gail saying how Shuri took some kind of oath to protect her like the Dora Milaje, now that I think about it,” he added after a brief moment.

“Shuri, an ordinary woman, like me and Maggie,” I murmured. “Speaking of, has Maggie gotten close to anyone in particular over there?” I could almost see his face contorted in thought.

“Yeah. She and Kerry are like sisters. Can’t ‘ave one without the other,” he said fondly.

Just like me and Alice.

Just like Gail and Shuri.

Just like Tina and Amy.

“Si, when will you and Maggie be here?” I choked out, my theory finally having substance in my head.

“Uh, we’ll be there tomorrow morning. Why?” I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

“Because I got something that I wanna run by you and Alice. See you tomorrow.”

“Uh, okay. Bye.” He hung up, worry evident in his tone. I took a few deep breaths to calm down as the implications of what I was thinking sank in.

The rest of the day I spent in my head. I did everything on autopilot and it wasn’t until dinner that Steve and Bucky ganged up on me to pull me from my thoughts.

“Evie, what the hell is wrong with you?” Steve called from my left. I blinked as I turned to him.

“Nothing. Why?” He and Bucky rolled their eyes at me.

“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second. What’s eating you, sis?” Bucky retorted. I smiled, shaking my head.

“I talked to Simon earlier. He and Maggie will be here in the morning. They decided to make a spur of the moment trip over to check on the retired Slayer they sent to Wakanda,” I stated. The three of them looked at me in surprise.

“And, you’re just now telling us?” Steve cut in, eyebrows raised. I rolled my eyes at my loving husband.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had to get permission for friends to come over, Dad,” I sassed. “Daddy, can a couple of my friends come over and stay for a few days? It’s not like we don’t have the room,” I asked in a too sweet baby voice, batting my eyes for effect. He clenched his jaw as Bucky and Alice began to laugh.

“I don’t care, just don’t call me daddy ever again.” He shuddered, causing Bucky to laugh even more.

After dinner, I was on my computer when I got a wild thought, and pulled up what I needed.

Holy. Fuck. I have to show this to them tomorrow.

The next morning, Simon barged in like he owned the place, Maggie trailing behind him.

“Alright Evie. What was with the Spanish Inquisition yesterday?” he snapped as they walked into the living room. Steve looked at him in surprise, ready to throw down as Simon normally didn’t have such an attitude with me.

“‘Cause no one expects it,” I replied, smirking. Simon huffed and crossed his arms as Maggie and Alice cracked up, leaving Bucky and Steve looking confused. “Relax, Si. I was waiting on you two to get here before explaining everything.” The other four turned to me, Steve, Bucky, and Alice finally understanding my preoccupation since yesterday. “Come on. Let’s go in the kitchen and talk while the kids play in the living room.” We all walked in, the five sitting at the table while I stood at the counter, opening my laptop.

“Evie, are you keeping shit from us again?” Alice snapped and I pulled up the blood results I had looked at last night.

“No. I literally thought all of this up yesterday,” I answered. “Okay, so when Simon called yesterday, we got to talking about this and that and he told me about how now that you and Gail have had kids, Slayers are coming up pregnant more and more. He told me about this one, Tina and her best friend Amy. The two of them have known each other since infancy, growing up and doing everything together, until Tina got Called and Amy didn’t. Simon then went on to tell me that one day Amy pushed Tina out of the path of an oncoming car, saving her. Shortly after that, Tina ended up pregnant.” I stopped to catch my breath before going on.

“That wouldn’t be an issue, but Amy and her boyfriend were desperately trying to have their own baby. They tried and tried for months, but it never took. Within a month, however, of Tina having her baby, Amy wound up pregnant. Sound familiar?” Alice, Bucky and Steve all looked at each other, because we had all lived that same scenario. “Some time before Gail got pregnant with T’Zari, Shuri took some kind of oath like the Dora Milaje to protect Gail. After the oath was made, BOOM, Gail is pregnant. Simon, what did you tell me about you and Maggie yesterday?” I directed at the gruff looking man. Understanding washed over his face as our conversation came back to him.

“That Maggie and I barely use any kind of protection, but she ‘asn’t gotten pregnant in the three years we’ve been together.” I nodded as the other three gasped, looking to Maggie for confirmation.

“And are you close to anyone in particular, Maggie? Someone that you would, oh I don’t know, protect with your dying breath?” I asked the brunette. She nodded.

“Kerry. She’s the sister I never had. I have her back, and I know without a doubt she has mine.” I smiled, because that’s how it is with me and Alice.

“The Slayer to a Regular. Like Tina and Amy, Gail and Shuri. Like me and you,” I spoke directly to Alice now. “The Magic is jumping. It’s jumping from a Slayer to a regular woman, one that has proven that she would do anything to protect the Slayer, such as pushing them out from in front of a moving car, taking a warrior’s oath, always having their back, or...putting a tracker on the Slayer so they’re always accounted for and therefore always safe.” Alice’s eyes grew big as the weight of what I was saying sank in.

“That’s…..” she trailed off, not sure what to say.

“Impossible? Unheard of? Crazy? I’m gonna go with option D: all of the above. If you want more proof, here. Take a look,” I said, turning the laptop towards them. When I was met with silence, I explained what they were seeing. “The sample on the right is the one I took from Alice a few weeks ago. The blue glow that you see? That’s the Magic. Under the proper magnification and filter, you can actually see it.” Alice and Simon jumped up and crowded the screen.

“Bloody hell that’s amazing” she wondered out loud. Simon nodded in agreement before pointing to the other sample.

“Who’s is that, then?” I smiled sweetly, knowing I was about to drop a bomb on them.

“That’s mine. Taken after we returned from our honeymoon and before Becca was born. Proof that I’m right.” I heard the table crack before Steve stood with a chunk in his hand.

“You mean to tell me, that all of the heartache and pain you went through, all the tears that you shed over not being able to get pregnant, were because Alice’s Magic had latched onto you and kept me from knocking you up?” he reasoned slowly. When I nodded, his jaw clenched, and I knew that he wasn’t happy with my discovery.

“Steve, come on,” Bucky said calmly, noting how angry his brother was getting. “It’s not like we knew this would happen.” Steve glared at him, nostrils flaring.

“But Evie didn’t ask for this! You have no idea how many nights she spent crying herself to sleep over not being able to give me a child or how much she beat herself up over not getting pregnant month after month. It killed her watching Alice parade around with the baby that you guys never even wanted! You don’t realize how hard it was to watch her go through all of this, and to find out that it was because of Alice, who didn’t protect Evie at all while she was pregnant!” Bucky stood now, looking equally angry with Steve. Alice and I jumped between them, hoping to keep it from coming to blows.

“Take it easy,” I warned Steve, placing my hands on his chest. He looked down at me, those baby blues peering into my soul.

“Baby, don’t you remember all the pain and suffering you went though because of this?” he asked, placing his hands on my shoulders. I nodded.

“Well yeah, of course I do, but Alice went through her own pain and suffering. It’s only fair that I share the load.” He glared down at me, clearly upset that I wasn’t on his side. “Besides, we were rewarded generously. We have two kids instead of just one!” I was trying to help him see the bright side of things, but then Bucky had to open his mouth.

“You think Alice wouldn’t have helped if she could, Steve? The woman who put her life on the line for strangers?” he snapped, stepping closer.

“Evie, I didn’t know! I would never have stopped you from having kids if I had known!” she pleaded with me over her shoulder, as we didn’t want to take our eyes off our men.

“Allie, you came to terms that I could protect you when I put that tracker on you, huh?” I asked over my shoulder. When I heard her murmur ‘yes’, I laughed humorlessly. “I fucked myself over with that stupid thing. When you fully understood that I would risk life and limb to protect you, the Magic sensed that and jumped to me, taking my ability to get pregnant and gave it to you. Once you had Becca, I was able to get pregnant, but the universe apparently took pity on me and doubled my chances, which is how we ended up with twins.” It was startling to come to terms that I had done all this, albeit unknowingly. Alice scoffed.

“Evie, c’mon. Neither of us could’ve known and-” she was cut off by, guess who? Bucky.

“Well, y’shoulda never put a damn tracker on her, should ya?!” he chastised, and I could tell he had his hands on his hips.

“DON’T TALK TO EVIE LIKE THAT!” Steve bellowed suddenly, causing Alice and I to jump.

“FUCK YOU!” came Bucky’s reply. I put my hand over Steve’s mouth, as I could tell he was about to go off on his best friend.

“Buck, last I checked, you were okay with it, so hush,” I called over my shoulder before glaring up at my husband. “Steve, he’s family. He’s got more right to talk to me like that then anyone, even you.” Alice giggled before I spoke to her. “I’m not blaming you Alice. I’m just reaching an understanding that I did it to myself.” She and I let our hands drop but stayed between Bucky and Steve. I heard her mumble something about ‘your husband’ which made Steve take a few more steps forward, pushing me up against Alice.

“Alice, I’m warning you-” he began before I cut him off.

“And what are you gonna do, ‘cause you’ll have to go through me to do it!” I snapped, pushing his chest with both hands.

“He won’t have to go through you, Evie. I’ll knock Steve on his ass if he comes for Alice,” Bucky growled from behind me. I bowed my head. Can’t Bucky just stop goading Steve for a bit?

“Firstly, Steve? Bite me. Secondly-” Alice started.

“Bite you? Like Ivar did?” Steve spat at her. I felt Alice freeze at my back, and I knew that Bucky was frozen too. My right hand came up and connected with his left cheek, leaving a red handprint there. I was shaking I was so mad.

“Steven Grant Rogers, how dare you!” I snarled at him as he held his face. He blinked rapidly for a few moments before his vision cleared. “Apologize to her now!”

“I’m gonna go,” Alice murmured before leaving, no doubt heading for their apartment. I was suddenly aware that I was the only thing keeping two super soldiers from beating the hell out of each other. Steve was still reeling from my slap so I turned to Bucky, who clearly had murder in his eyes.

“Bucky, please don’t. He didn’t mean it. He said it out of anger,” I stammered, trying to keep them apart. Bucky was slowly striding forward, so I put my hands on his chest, which was about as effective as trying to stop a train with my bare hands. I kept pace with him until my back was up against Steve’s chest, sandwiching me between a rock and a hard place. When neither of them said anything, I tried a new tactic. “Uncle James, please don’t.” Bucky blinked before looking down at me in surprise. I’ve never called him that, but apparently it worked as he started to back up.

“Fine. I’ll go. Evie, you’ve got Becca right?” he asked quietly, still glaring at Steve.

“Yes,” I answered, nodding. “Absolutely. I’m sure Simon and Maggie won’t mind watching her either,” I added after seeing the two aforementioned were no longer in the kitchen. Probably good that Simon didn’t hear what Steve said, ‘cause I don’t think I could fight off Simon and Bucky at the same time. Bucky stomped out of the kitchen after Alice as I turned to Steve. “Give them both a chance to calm down before you go fix this. You will not be sleeping in our room until you do, so you best figure out how you’re gonna do it or find the comfiest couch we have.” I stormed out, leaving him there as I entered the living room, seeing the kids playing together. Simon and Maggie both shot me a quizzical look before I shook my head. “Later, when the kids are asleep.” They nodded before we all joined the kids in their little games.

Steve’s POV

I have fucked up royally.

My wife has kicked me out of our room.

My best friend/brother wants to kick my ass.

My sister hates my guts.

All because I let my anger get the better of me.

I stood in the kitchen, still reeling over the fact that I had actually said that to Alice. It was a truly despicable thing to say, and even though I was madder than hell, that was still no reason to say that to her. To top it all off, Evie slapped me! I know I’ve really messed up when she feels the need to get physical on someone else’s behalf. I walked to the doorway of the living room and peeked around the wall. Simon, Maggie, and Evie were playing with all three kids, not paying attention to anything else.

Hanging my head, I turned and walked through the house before going down the walkway that connected the main house to the garage. I looked up at Bucky and Alice’s place, guilt flooding my whole body. I sighed before getting in my truck and driving away. I sent Evie a text that I was going for a drive to clear my head and to figure out how to apologize. I didn’t get an answer, but I knew she had seen it so she knew where I was.

I headed to the city, but decided against going to see the Team. Tony said that he was going to be moving them to the Compound, but since it was out in our direction, I didn’t feel like doubling back. I drove around for what felt like days, but it was only a few hours. I remembered that Alice was out of tea, so I stopped and bought her more along with her favorite chocolate. I grabbed flowers for her as well, before heading back home. Once I parked in the garage, I sat there, hoping that I was able to fix this.

I walked up the stairs to their apartment door, taking a deep breath before knocking. A few minutes passed before Bucky opened the door, his patented Winter Soldier glare in place.

“What the FUCK are you doing here?” he snarled. I held up the stuff I had bought to which he shrugged. “What the hell is that?”

“I got Alice more tea, some chocolate and flowers. I’m here to apologize because I need to fix this,” I explained. “Also, Evie has kicked me out of our room until I do, and I don’t want to sleep on any couches.” He smirked but still wouldn’t let me pass.

“She’s a Barnes alright. Our temper is legendary.” His smile fell as he went back to glaring. “That was a fucked up thing to say to her, Rogers.” Last name? Ouch.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I was just angry and it came o-” I tried to apologize before he cut me off.

“No. I don’t wanna hear your sob story. The mother of my child is distraught because of something you said, and you honestly think bringing her food and flowers is gonna magically fix everything? No. I don’t think so.” And with that, he shoved me.

I set the tea, chocolate and flowers down before pushing him back slightly. He shoved me back harder, to which I responded in kind by openly shoving him through the door into their living room. We started pushing and shoving each other more and more, each time getting meaner and meaner. I couldn’t see an end to our fight until Alice stormed in, looking angrier than I’ve ever seen her and yanked us apart, sending us falling back on our asses.

“Bucky, you’re better than this, getting into a shoving match, and stupid Captains of America shouldn’t be fighting like a little bitch,” she snapped. We both stood, heads bowed.

“Sorry, Alice,” we both apologized before I grabbed the stuff I had bought and held it out to her.

“I come bearing tea, chocolate and flowers. All I ask is that you give me a chance to explain myself and let me apologize. Hell, I’ll even let you hit me as much and as hard as you want,” I explained quickly. She snorted indignantly.

“Why?! So Evie can bitch slap me too because you came back with a broken jaw?!” She had me there.

“True, but the offer still stands.” She looked around for a moment before sighing.

“Bucky, could you give me and Steve some space to talk?” she asked. Bucky took a deep breath in before walking to their bedroom, passing by to press a kiss to her lips.

“Buck, if you’re still pissed after we’re done talking, we can go out back and I’ll let you kick my ass,” I offered as an olive branch. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“You’ll let me? Motherfucker I will, whether you like it or not,” he shot back, taking a step toward me. Alice jumped between us again to keep us apart.

“Bucky, come on. Give us a minute to talk.” He huffed before storming to the room.

“I’ll come back if you need me,” he promised before slamming the door. Alice rounded on me then, and suddenly I was wishing I was still fighting with Bucky. “You are such an asshole!” She screeched, poking my chest with her finger. “Why would you even say something like that?” Her face was all blotchy and her eyes were red, obviously from crying for most of the day.

God I’m such a jackass.

“Alice, I am so sorry. I know nothing I do will ever take that back, but I will send the rest of eternity trying to earn your trust back.” She raised both eyebrows at me, surprised.

“Eternity, huh? You’re awfully optimistic that it’ll only take that long.” I am in such deep shit.

“Whatever it takes, I’ll do it,” I swore. She scoffed, clearly not believing me. “You don’t think I’m serious? Alice, I pined after Evie for years! Waiting for the right time to strike so I could finally be with her. Then you came into the picture and fixed it so I could, so I owe you.” Her face was turned up in such a sneer, it was truly remarkable how scary she could be when she wanted.

”Is that so? Then what the fuck is your problem?!” I hung my head in shame. “What possessed you to say something so vile and cruel to me? It’s not like I don’t still dream about him.” Fuck. I didn’t think she still had nightmares.  

“Alice, I’m sorry. You know I would never mean it.” She shot me a look that would have killed me before I was born.

“Then why did you say it?!” she yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

“I was just so angry about all the suffering that Evie went through, I wasn’t thinking straight.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I know it doesn’t excuse what I said, but can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” She looked so upset, and I knew I was to blame.

“Possibly with time I could come to think about forgiving you, but as of right now, I can’t. That was the lowest blow anyone could’ve dealt me, and it came from my own brother no less.” I nodded, knowing that this was better than nothing. “Do you honestly think that Bucky and I didn’t want Becca at all?” she hissed at me.

“No, Alice. Of course not. I didn’t mean that you guys didn’t want her at all. I meant that you two had come to terms that you couldn’t have kids, or so you thought, so it wasn’t as devastating when you ‘couldn’t’ get pregnant.” I started to tear up as I remembered the anguish that Evie went through all those months. “Evie was in so much pain, negative test after negative test. She got it in her head that I deserved a better wife, someone who could actually give me children. She was sneaking out of our bed and sleeping in what’s now Simon and Maggie’s room. Night after night she did this, because she didn’t feel that she was worthy enough to share a bed with me anymore.” I was full on crying now, but all she did was glare at me. “Then there you were, going on and on about how happy you were and what a miracle it was, and Evie kept it to herself how bad it hurt. You know how much it hurts you to see Bucky in pain?” When she nodded I went on. “That’s how it was watching Evie cry herself to sleep every night over something we didn’t even ask for.” I stopped to catch my breath and to try and stop crying.

“Steve, I am truly sorry about that, but Evie and I already went over this. It’s not fair for you to keep bringing it up and using it against me. Evie has forgiven me and I her.” She walked over and shoved my shoulder hard, and I tensed, waiting for more, but it never came. Instead, she gave me a tentative hug, which I gladly returned. I saw the bedroom door open as Bucky stuck his head through, gauging the situation. He walked out, approaching slowly and stopping once he reached us.

“Everything okay?” he asked quietly.

“I’d say possibly, but I’m not the one who got their feelings hurt by me,” I answered as I looked down at my sister, unsure of where we stood. She smiled softly before nodding.

“I’m not forgiving him right now, but I could eventually see myself thinking about it,” she replied. She grabbed the tea, chocolate and flowers from where I had dropped them and carried them to the kitchen. “You got me the proper kind of tea and my favorite chocolates. Not a bad way to start on the road to forgiveness, Steve.” I smiled, happy to know that I was on the right track. My reply was lost however as the door swung open to reveal Simon, who stalked in and decked me. I stumbled back as his punch registered, and I noticed Maggie and Evie standing at the doorway, both looking worried. Simon then dove at me, tackling me to the ground as he began to punch every bit of me he could reach.

Evie must have told him what I said to Alice. Shit.

I knew that I deserved having the crap beat outta me, so I let him get all his anger out. He finally stopped, his chest heaving. I stood slowly, noting the soreness all over. Luckily he’s not as strong as Alice or Bucky, so the injuries I had would heal within a day or two.

“Where the fuck do you get off saying anything like that to her?!” he bellowed.

“Si, relax,” Alice replied, placing her hand on his arm. “He’s been over here apologizing to me for it, and he’s going to be apologizing for the rest of his life.” I nodded in agreement as Evie walked over to inspect me.

“Apart from the broken nose, you’re okay,” she assessed. “Travers, is that really the best you could do? Even Bucky was able to put him in the hospital.” He snorted before going off.

“Yeah, well I don’t have a fucking metal arm and I’m not super like them! So yes, that is the best I can do!” Evie smirked at him before turning to Alice.

“Honestly, I don’t think apologizing for the rest of his life...is enough. Whoop his ass, girl. He totally deserves it,” she taunted. Alice laughed before shaking her head.

“Nah, it’s okay. It’s not like he hit me at all. Besides, you, Simon and Bucky got him for me.” Evie smiled as Alice looked around. “Where are the kids?”

“Oh, they’re asleep. We put on a movie and the three of them were cuddled up together and just zonked out all at once. Figured it’d be better than bringing them over here and possibly witnessing their dad/uncle getting the hell beat out of him by their other uncle.” We all nodded in agreement, as we all had agreed to not fight or yell in front of the kids. “Come on. Dinner should be done here soon.”

We all trickled out of the apartment, Simon and Maggie holding hands in front, Evie and Alice linked arms behind them, followed by me and then Bucky. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him.

“I’m still mad at you, but I’m glad you apologized. That was a pretty shitty thing to say to her, and it’s gonna leave a mark on her,” he scolded.

“I know Buck. Like I said, I’m gonna spend eternity trying to make it right between me and her.” We paused for a moment before I thought of something else to say. “Maybe tomorrow morning you can kick my ass when we go on our run.” He smirked widely before nodding as we walked back to the kitchen for dinner.

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Younger post-ep ramble 5x07 part 1

Ok, so the feelings about Younger 5x07 are real, my feelings are real (see what I did there 😉) and they are many. I have watched the ep many times because there is SO much happening in it and I’ve discovered new gems each viewing. I’ve decided to split my ramble into 2 posts, this one is going to be the episode overall with a bit of a superficial reference to Charles and Liza perhaps, but I’m going to dedicate a separate post to them and their interactions throughout the episode because this one is going to get out of control otherwise!

Words are below the read more and there’s a good chance it’s going to be many words long with intermittent flailing thrown in for good measure. Proceed at own risk.  

I’m always cautiously optimistic going into an episode that has been as hyped as ‘A Christmas Miracle’. Anticipation was high, hopes were high and this ep certainly did deliver, in many many ways. And yes, OBVIOUSLY the Team Charles shipper in me has thought about how the pairing might eventuate and I will most definitely be talking about all things Charles and Liza in post 2/2, but there were also some of the best one liners and moments of the entire series in this ep and it is quite seriously like a Christmas stocking stuffed to the brim with delightful treats!

So first things first, let’s get this whole Maggie/Penelope/Luca thing on the table. WHAT THE WHAT??? I mean, Penelope and Luca most certainly struck me as fishy last ep, but the golden handcuffs and sort-of-flirtatious-but-not-quite-oh-look-now-I-own-you vibe was making me wonder if the movie being referenced in this holiday delight was less Bridget Jones’ Diary and more Silence of the Lambs meets Eyes Wide Shut. So flipping weird. And it actually made me a bit sad for Maggie for two reasons: 1) all of that work Maggie has done is now locked away in storage and that must hurt and 2) while her calling out the weirdness and walking out of the party was A+ excellent, I feel like Maggie would be a very good judge of character and the fact she didn’t pick up on their bizzaro manner and general existence and at least comment on it seemed a little out of character to me. In saying that though, I totally get that as an artist, a big fat pay-cheque is rare and the thought of people buying and displaying all your work would be overwhelmingly flattering. I hope Maggie gets another big exhibition this season with success in the form of slightly less creepy buyers.

I’m going to jump to Kelsey now and her whole situation. Oh Kelsey, you’re in a bit of a pickle now, aren’t you? We all knew that the double dipping was going to end badly and I certainly don’t think we’ve seen it all play out yet, but there was a little part of me that quite enjoyed her torment over how she would manage being at the party with both Zane and Jake. We’ve seen Jake’s true colours in this ep and I gotta say, they ain’t pretty. I was also a bit conflicted about Zane, despite feeling sorry for him and the way he got bumped from the book. Now I said it last week, I’m warming up to Zane more and more and I genuinely felt bad for him, but the comment he made to Kelsey that he should’ve ‘stopped this the second I saw it’ did not sit well with me. Dude, stopped what? The book? Kelsey working on it? Or Kelsey’s free choice about who she sleeps with?

I definitely don’t think it’s wise for Kelsey to be sleeping with an author as she’s trying to get a book finished, but would Zane care what she was doing if he wasn’t also into her? Probs not I’m guessing. I can see that there may be other interpretations of that line, but that’s how I took it and coupled with Jake’s possessive move to get Zane off the book and lock Kelsey in a basement all for himself I feel like these guys, who in one breath hail Kelsey’s intelligence and strength, are also thinking they have some kind of claim over her. I’ll give Zane a chance to redeem himself and put his comment down to the pain of losing the only book he has going at the moment, but Jake is officially bad news IMO. Watch this space, but I sense DRAH-MAH on the horizon.

Two words: Diana Trout. That woman is an icon and some of her lines in this ep were some of the best of the series, hands down. And so were her scenes. The Enzo/Christmas tree situation was heartburstingly adorable. What I love most about this blossoming relationship is that neither Diana or Enzo try to change the other, they really do like the other just as they are (Bridget Jones reference intended). It would have been so easy for the writers to have Diana feel uneasy about Enzo and keep him separated from her public life or for her to feel embarrassed or try to change him, but these two are so absurdly different yet it works and it’s just a joy to watch. I read a couple of comments saying that we’re seeing Diana soften but I actually think that it’s not that, it’s that she’s willing to show her softer side to Enzo. I know that distinction may sound tenuous, but I feel like Diana has always had that side to her but she only reveals it once she feels comfortable with people (which we’ve seen as the series has progressed and her relationship with Liza has developed). I also realised I’ve never seen Diana laugh, heartily laugh, like she did after the champagne cork popped and I have to wonder if that was a break in character that they kept in or if it’s the lighter side of Diana we’re getting insight into? 

And of course the gift exchange with Liza, ugh, I actually cried. It was so incredibly moving, the mutual respect and admiration was emanating from my screen. Not to mention the line that should win an award: ‘Neckwear should inspire envy Liza, not seizures’. I’m dead set laughing as I type it. Diana continues to evolve and surprise me as a viewer and I think she is one of the best characters to have ever been on TV. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the season takes her.

Apologies for the jumping from one thing to another but I have just come back to life after this episode rendered me dead, so my thought processes are still a bit all over the place…ah yes, Josh. Now I know that there is a bit of frustration out there about the way Caitlin is fuelling Josh’s hope but funnily enough, it did not bother me overly in this ep. When Josh comes to the apartment with the gifts (one for Maggie and one for Liza) it becomes clear pretty quickly that Caitlin’s last conversation she had with her mother was around the fact that they’d broken up but were no longer on good terms. Which is beside the point tbh. As Liza herself says, her romantic relationships are none of her business. From that one would hope Caitlin might think perhaps that means there have been or are other relationships other than Josh…but nope.

The thing I really liked about the present scene was that Caitlin’s immaturity is showing here so badly, highlighted only by Maggie’s ‘wtf is wrong with you?’ looks. The idea that a relationship can go from romantic to platonic is beyond her (although she is right that Josh is still in the loves with Liza) and the aspect that bothered me about her going to speak to Josh before he left was more that is was a super immature thing to do. It’s immature in its sweetness and desire to see her mum happy, as well as immature in the lack of consideration that there may be complicated factors at play that she’s not privy to. I get that she thinks she’s helping fix a situation but it’s really very disrespectful after Liza was quite clear about where it stands. So Caitlin doesn’t bother me, if anything it shows that there is a really big disconnect between who she thinks her mum is and who her mum really is and I do hope that is rectified in the near future.

And my take on the Josh situation is as it stood last week. I feel like we’re beating a dead horse here. The whole ‘don’t give up on her’ line, I know the writers want to keep a flame flickering but at this point it’s actually just tiresome. I’m trying to be objective and think how I would feel if I was Team Josh and this was my situation but you know, I legitimately watch this show because I love it overall and if the ship I was digging wasn’t sailing I’d still  be watchng, I just wouldn’t be so invested that I feel the need to write atrociously self-indulgent posts about my thoughts and feelings after every episode...but if my main reason for watching was the ship and it was Josh/Liza I think I actually would’ve stopped watching. With Liza’s growth and development this past season and a bit, even if she doesn’t end up with Charles, it would be a complete disservice to her character to go back to Josh. I said it last week and I’ll say it again, the character of Josh has stagnated so badly that he is quickly becoming unlikable so I really, genuinely, hope that the writers give this character some kind of rejuvenation and a life. At some point the desire to try and keep ALL fans happy by trying to maintain a limping love triangle is going to backfire and no one will be happy.

This is absurdly long so I will close part 1 of this ramble and continue shortly with post 2, the Charles and Liza chronicles…

[troubleblurose-blog]

My Dumbass 5SOS Experiance // Part Uno

I know exactly what you’re thinking. I know, because well, I am one of you. The 5SOSFam that is; I made it sound like we’re our own separate alien race. But look at the people we stan... It makes a little too much sense, doesn’t it? Not even a paragraph in, and I’m already unraveling a conspiracy theory like Shane Dawson. You know him- “You look so fucking something, in my underwear while she wearing them! There’s my poop stain, on her butt.” Yeah, that funny motherfucker. 

You’re probably thinking- ‘Oh, just another fan who really wants the same thing I do.’

I’m not gonna pretend, or lie to make my situation seem special. You’re fucking right, that is exactly who I am. We all have our bumps in the road, after all, we’re all human. Or aliens, I don’t really know anymore. It’s not only science that has gone too far at this point, I am now a contributing factor to the random things that make you question what the fuck this world is becoming.

I’m not about to level with you, or give you a sob story. It could seem that way, but every detail I write is a detail I wouldn’t ever erase. Every problem I’ve encountered, or dumb ass decision I’ve written is something that made me the well rounded person I am today. These are past events, though I am currently handling some of the debris of them. I’m still coping with illness, and things like that. When I write these events, just know, while they are awful I am used to them. That sounds bad, but I don’t know any different. They do hurt greatly at times, but that’s just building more character and strength in the end. 

-Trigger/Graphic Event Warning-

Let’s start out simple and #relatable; I struggle(d) with:

Bi-Polar Depression (Mood swings between extremely jolly, and devastatingly upset.) 

Anxiety (Having a hard time staying composed in times of little stress, or in many social situations.) 

Insomnia (Getting little to no sleep/getting no well-rested sleep at night.) 

Self-Harm (Hurting yourself in ways such as eating disorders, or various forms of mutilation.)

Suicide (Trying to end your own life.)

Those are the things this is somewhat covering, but by no means are they the point I’m trying to make. They aren’t what make up me, and they aren’t what make up this letter. 

To understand the substance of the seemingly overused words on your screen, you need to know a bit about who I am first. Otherwise this could seem like every generic fanfiction. You know what I’m talking about. Eyes are always called orbs. Every meeting involves someone spilling something on someone else. Dicks are always refferred to as members. Calum is usually an asshole with a tragic life story. Mikey is usually a bad boy; who gets a soft spot for the main girl for some unknown reason. Ashton is either super sweet in his old dad way, or a complete arrogant prick. Luke, well he always bounces between popular and nerdy often. Have I made my point?

I’m gonna get relatable again when I say, there isn’t a lot I’m good at. When I am good at something, it has no use in my daily life. I can’t divide fractions, but I can hit every note in guitar hero. I can’t socially interact, but I can make bomb-ass Turkey Bacon Cojacks. I don’t know where all the states are, but I can rap Migrane. My skills are only useful to me, basically. My point being, I was practically useless in class. When I was staying home from school on the normal, from avoiding my problems and lack of motivation, I felt so useless. Like as useless as a newspaper is to a teenager. 

We all have some activity that makes us feel important, though. To Donald Trump, it’s putting down anyone who isn’t a straight white male. To Bo Burnham, it’s making people laugh with his odd perspective and unique means of comedy. Me? It’s always been when I’m on stage. I love hearing my voice being amplified to bring together people from all walks of life. When I’m writing lyrics, I feel like every syllable can make a difference in someone’s life. There’s just something thrilling about worrying you’ll sing the wrong lyric, and doing so because you were worrying about it. 

I’m not gonna say this was always my passion; when I was younger I made a very motivational speech about wanting to be a mermaid. “I WILL be a mermaid, and I WILL live under the sea.” If you think that’s odd, I know of a kid who wanted to be a trash compactor. After I discovered I couldn’t grow a tail, and I ended up not being a fan of swimming in a casino, I wanted to preform. That’s been my dream since I can remember. I’ve always been pretty witty, like I’d have to leave my wit behind   before boarding a plane it’s so sharp. I learned I get more happiness when making others smile, than I do by making myself smile.

A stage is the one place I’m not useless, and being a musician is what I was born to do. I will look anyone in the eye and tell them I'm gonna be so famous one day, because that's exactly what I believe. I know I'm not where I want to be, so it's as simple as I'm gonna move. You need to remember that the only way you can fail is if you give up. It's pretty annoying how bad I am at that. I don't only try to achieve my goals, I try to over-achieve them. I live off my intuition, I'm definitely the ride-or-die type of person in EVERYTHING I do. Making a fool of myself? I'll record it so people can hold it against me for the rest of my life. Dissapointing my parents? Well I am going to Uni for music with no back up plan. Meet 5sos? Well... That's where this fiasco begins.

Welcome to the jungle my fellow fam.

Let’s go back to the first weekend of May 2017. Yes, I really did start this journey on a weekend in May. Yes, I really did it just so I can make that reference. Maybe I started a bit before that, but I committed to it on that first Saturday. At that time I had been in the fam for a couple of months, and  I did go through the phase when I couldn’t tell Lucifer and Ashtonio apart. I however didn’t assume Calcium was Asian, I assumed he was Hispanic. I mean have you seen the ‘Hey Everybody!’ video? That was rhetorical, of course you have. He walked dogs, he was practically Ceasar911! 

Well at this time I was still self-harming, I was still suicidal, and music is very influential to me. I tend to form bonds with songs because music tends to be my main comfort. Music has always been there when no one ever was. There's just such an intense bond for me, with listening and creating it. When I write I don't just think about lyrics, I can hear the chord progressions and melodies. Unfortunately I don't have enough experience with intstruments yet to share the finished product of my own music. 

With 5SOS however, that connection was a lot different. I  appreciate the artists always, though I never tend to feel anything more than that. I didn't feel that at all, I felt a boner. I'm kidding, I just really wanted to say that. Usually with musicians, since I am a fellow musican, I tend to idolize the ones who make music I enjoy. Yes, I know I'm stating the obvious. The thing is, after the whole initiation of binging keeks, interviews, funny moments, and the movie- I didn't once feel like they were above me in any way. Not even in a sexual dream  enduced by falling asleep to Aerosmith. No, that wasn't too specific of a scenario.

They just made me feel understood in a way no one has. Not just because I'm so proud about being a gigantic dork. We were in the same boat, we had the same oar, we wanted  to get to the same island that appearantly no one has heard of, we had the same belief that it exists, and the same thing  about not being satisfyed with any of the millions of already existing islands. That was quite the metaphor, hehe. It's chalked down to similar situations, interests, humor, personalities, and  impeccable music taste. It could also be that we are close in age, but then I'd be connected to millions of other people. That doesn't sound possible for me at the moment, but wait a couple years.

So I was chilling, laughing at Calcium crossing the border with his homie Mike, when I had the thought- What if I met them? In my mind, I thought there would be at least a year before they come to Illinois again, so I had time to save money. It became a goal for me, one I was quite sure would never happen. As we discussed, I'm an over achiever with all of my goals. So what did I do? Well it would be so easy to say I wrote each of them a letter. I can't do anything that simple, I'm far too creative for that simplicity. 

From then to now, in almost a years time, so much happened from there. I met one of my closest friends who happens to be an Aussie; all because of a 5sos meme post, and her lack of ability to use Instagram properly. My family fell apart, and I'm not keen on going into detail. Let's just say I've gotten to consider the 5SOSFam as my only real family. I love you guys, you're a wonderful group of humans with a trail mix variety of nuts. Thank you for existing, and for reading this far. 

Over the time I worked, I wrote and drafted maybe 500 different letters? As of late, I actually haven't gotten any letters finished. I made 4 bracelets, not a giant accomplishment. I'm 4/5 the way done with a poster I designed for Calcium. I made Lucas a fetus 5SOS wooden box, and a 5SOS money jar. I wrote Mikey a novel about him as a superhero, with a fan-art for it. That's kind of big actually cause I've never finished writing a longer story before. There's more things, but I don't want to get too technical with it.

I think I have to say the thing that I put most my effort in was a large journal for Ashton. That's because it's filled with art, tumblr posts, and lyrics. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to all of those things. At this point it has some holes because I've drafted the entire 100 or 200 pages over at least 8 different times. Nothing in it is original to the day I started, I made so many mistakes early 2017 for myself and that journal. I was working on the journal when I decided to attempt suicide for the second time.

It's completely crazy, but I've been through a lot with that journal. All of that started with the smallest idea. From the time I started to right now, I've changed so fucking much. I know how to handle my illness, I'm clean of self-harm, I lost a family and gained a new one, I failed at dying and learned how to live, I made an amazing friend, I got closer with my already existing amazing friend, I got a drum-kit, I somehow became a good lyricist, I found my music sound, my singing voice matured unbelievably, I got and lost pets, I got and lost relationships, I'm now in Uni, I'm more independent... I'm finally at the point where I can believe it does in fact get better.

That seems crazy given I've gone through more in 2017-2018 than I did when I came out about my depression, but maybe that's because I know how to spin it. I know how to handle life. Now everytime I'm scared to do something, I do it. Cause that is how you live, that's how you write, that's how you learn. I wouldn't recognize myself. I've gone from broken, bullied, and suicidal to seeing the beauty in my missing pieces, realizing I deserve better, and actually getting out of bed.

I think it might be because of the journal... 

Hear me out, hear me out. I'm not saying it made me who I am, there's a difference between knowing and believing. Just like the difference between reading and comprehending. The difference between seeing and feeling. When I started that I could only talk the talk. Hell, when I started I had a case of putting them on a pedestal. It was never intentional, at the time I didn't even think I was worth anything. Now I see them as equals in most ways, cause when I see them be how they are I feel like I belong somewhere. I mean, I've always strayed from the majority just because I'd rather be myself and be disliked than be liked for being someone I'm not. I never saw the appeal in fitting in other than having someone to sit with at lunch. I didn't need to belong, even though it would have been nice to feel at home somewhere.

That's what I got when I found the dorks. I don't have to play a part to feel like I belong around them. I can be me, and still feel like I fit in. Not conformity, but genuine compatibility. Before them I was made fun of for being weird. I was made fun of for having my own style, for the song references no one understood, for how much I giggle. I was made fun of for my a many ambitious, none of which being realistic. But I still do all of these things. I still sing louder than everyone else. I still air drum and head bang to songs like Careless Whisper because it's really funny in contrast. I still play games, randomly balance objects on my head, dance in public because I don't give a shit about what people think when I'm having fun. 5SOS just helped me realize that girl who I wished I wasn't for most of my life, is actually the only person I'd ever want to be. Unless I could be Will Smith as Deadpool, then I immediately trash my last statement. 

This is gonna get a bit heavy for a moment, but during that last attempt, as I was losing life I was legit thinking about them. How messed up is that? My life was so shitty my dying thoughts were about four idiots from Sydney. But that's how it was, they were my coping skill. I couldn't hold onto life for me after that, so I held on for them. Not because they'd know the difference if I was gone, let's be real, they wouldn't. If they knew of me then maybe, but I was so low on life's food chain at that point. I held onto the idea of making this epic stuff, and handing it to them. 

I'm not even done with the journal!

I had a history of putting too much of myself into things and then being let down and loosing that part of me. So I don't do it, but it became something I did without realizing it. I don't know what I thought would happen. Maybe they'd like who I was, and would want to have a conversation. Maybe I'd be thrown into the fanfic life and get to hang out. Like a beach bonfire filled with laughter, various awesome people, classic rock, teasing, and knowing me, lots of dick jokes accompanying many innuendos. Maybe I'd end up in LA, and get signed to a rock label. I know I'm saying it like it's simple, trust me, I know all too well the effort it takes.

I gained some real maturity, and became even more well rounded. Though I was always the mature one who made a few mistakes here and there. That's one of the reasons I didn't fit in, I was like a 30 year old when I was 13. I'm not gonna say it wouldn't be cool to end up being their home diggle, but now I'm living for me. I saved myself, and they influenced me to. They leant me a helping hand. It would be epic to chill, or to collab on a song. Hell, if I got an opportunity to get signed to Hi or Hey I'd take it in a heartbeat. A small part of it is because I think the dorks are cool in their own odd way, but mostly because the company itself is an awesome fit for me. It produces the same sound I'd like to make, and it sends the same message-

[wayward-marvel-sommer1196]

Almost Like A Horror Flick

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Warnings: Blood, torture, murder, hostage, reader as bait, creepy clown mask (I have a sort of clown phobia so I put this just in case)

Word Count: 3118

A/N: This was written for Samii Gets Scary Writing Challenge @senselesssamii . Congrats on all the followers. My prompt was “You know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? This is it?” This whole horror thing was cool to try. As always, no beta all mistakes min and feedback is more than welcomed.

Summary: You and Steve go for a night out at the movies. After the movie and on your walk home your night turns into something straight out of a horror movie.

^ignore the words 

Steve Rogers was Captain America. This is a fact that everyone knew. This was how everyone saw him. He was always Captain America and never just Steve Rogers. You knew that feeling all too well. Being raised and trained in the Red Room with Nat all you were ever seen as was the killer assassin you were made to be, not y/n l/n, the innocent girl that didn’t have a choice. This fact was how you and Steve became best friends. This was also how your routine with him began.

Every Friday, if y’all weren’t on a mission, you and Steve would go out and see a movie together. Nothing fancy, just two friends going out to see the funniest movie they can find in the theaters and getting the junkiest junk food they can to distract them from the horrors they have seen in their lives. The theater y’all frequented was only a mile away from the tower so you always walked to get some fresh air and feel normal every now and again.

This Friday, however your mission ran late. So, instead of seeing the usual 5 o’clock movie, you had to catch the 8 o’clock which you didn’t really mind. The movie ended a little after ten and you guys began you little journey back to the tower. You were glad you chose your sweater outfit as it started to get a bit chilly.

After a few minutes of walking the hairs on the back of your neck started to stand. You felt like you were being followed. You looked over to Steve, who had his arm over your shoulder, and he gave you a squeeze telling you he felt it too. So, you both made the decision to walk in the opposite direction of the tower, not wanting to lead anyone back.

You found yourselves walking in an alley way in almost complete darkness. The creepy factor was really starting to settle in. Suddenly, a noise caught your attention and you turned only to see one of New York’s famous giant alley rats. You chuckled to yourself thinking you were just being paranoid and your assassin spy side was just creeping to the surface. That’s when you felt Steve starting to fall to the ground. There was a dart sticking out of his neck. Before you could react, you felt a sharp pain in the side of your neck and the darkness took over. You were hit with a tranquillizer dart and who knows where you would wake up.

Slowly but surely you began to open your eyes only to discover your hands were strapped to a table above your head and your legs were strapped down as well. Your arms and legs where spread apart and who ever tied you down knew what they were doing. You looked down to see your sweater had been torn off. You were stuck and for once didn’t know how you were going to get out.

You looked around to find Steve with no luck but noticed you were in a run-down warehouse of some sort. You couldn’t tell exactly due to the lack of light in the building. You heard a clatter almost like metal on metal and you turned your head to the direction the noise came from. That’s when you knew you were fucked.

The noise came from other girls who were chained in cages in nothing but their underwear. They seemed drugged up to the point they had no fight in them. Their stomachs and arms were covered in old white scars and some fresher red ones. For the first time since you were a young girl you were scared for your life.

That’s when a bang on the cages caught your attention and you saw your capturer. He had a considerably large blade in his hands and a fucking clown mask over his face. Really!!???!?!!? It had to be a clown mask. You hated clowns. It was stupid and childish, you knew that, but hey they freaked you out and just made this situation so much worse for you.

“You, my beautiful specimen, are going to be the next part of my collection,” he said with a nightmarish voice as he used the blade to wipe the hair out of your face.

“Over my dead body,” you respond with venom dripping from your voice. Your spy training was really coming in handy in hiding your fear here.

“That’s the plan, my dear.”

A sickening chill ran down your spine as he said that. You could really use a blue eyed, 6-foot super soldier right about now. Or rather just his strength to pull from these restraints.

“Where’s Steve?”

“Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little face about your precious boyfriend, my dear. He will be taken care off.”

You didn’t bother to argue about the boyfriend comment. It actually came up a lot. Since you and Steve were such close friends many people misconstrued that relationship as a romantic one. But you couldn’t lie you didn’t mind him being called your boyfriend.

“You keep telling yourself that, creep. He won’t be so easy to put down.”

“You let me worry about that. You should be more concerned about yourself at the moment,” he said as he dragged the blade across your stomach.

You let out a blood curdling scream. The knife was exceptionally sharp and he had to have gone down at least three inches into your scream.

He dragged the blade across your abdomen a few more times. Each time feeling deeper than the last eliciting screams and tears from you. You could feel the blood dripping down your stomach, rolling off our sides. He began to attack your arms when, thankfully, he decided he needed a different blade. You let out a sigh of relief for the break.

Steve POV

I felt stiff and like I was laying on a concrete floor. When I opened my eyes that is exactly where I was laying on a concrete floor in a steel cage. A thick steel cage. I tried to pull the door of its hinges but that didn’t work. I tried to push the door out but that didn’t work either. Whoever took us knew how to keep someone locked up.

That’s when I remembered y/n. She wasn’t in here with me. Where is she? No, no, no, no, this can’t be happening. I looked out of the cage only to be met with a gruesome sight. A metal table that looked to have restraints attached to it. It was covered in a layer of blood. It didn’t look to fresh or maybe it was. I couldn’t be sure. It was really dark in this warehouse. If it wasn’t fresh than it couldn’t be y/n’s right? Or maybe it could. How long have I been unconscious?

Whatever they used to drug did a good job at jumbling my brain a bit. It couldn’t focus on one thing. It started asking so many questions that I couldn’t answer. The only one thing I knew for sure was that I needed to find y/n. I need to make sure she is okay and hurt anyone who made her not okay.

She was my best friend, or at least that’s how it looked to the outside world and that’s the part I played. The truth is I am in love with her. Have been since about a week after I met her. I know that sounds really soon but she was beautiful, badass, and saw me as Steve Rogers, the kid from Brooklyn, not Captain America, the super soldier out of his time. That last part is my favorite thing about her. She sees me as me, just like I see her as her, and not the killer spy assassin she was made to be. I see y/n the kind heart girl who didn’t have a choice and did the best she could to survive.

She survived the Red Room. I had to make damn sure she survived this. She didn’t escape hell to be taken out by some psycho. No, I’m had to get her out of this.

As he was trying to come up with a plan to get out of the cage he heard you scream. A scream of pure pain. He knew that scream. He had heard it before.

Moscow – 3 years ago

You and Steve were posing as an undercover couple to get knowledge from a Hydra operative. You guys were supposedly wealthy and wanted to invest in Hydra. Besides the criminals and the breaking the law part it was nice. Even if it was pretending it was nice to be a “couple” with you even for a little bit.

The initial meeting had gone perfectly and the guy loved you. He actually seemed excited to bring you guys on as business partners. However, the second meeting he acted strange the entire time and kept eyeing you up and down making Steve clench his jaw and ball his fists.

The next day he had a solo meeting with the man and when they were done he definitely knew something was wrong. He rushed home, or what you called home for the mission, and saw the place was trash, there was blood drops all through the place and you were gone.

Turns out one of your old contacts from your days as the Red Widow had been in on this deal and recognized you and blew your cover. Ivan was his name and he had taken you. He had you for two days beating you, slicing you, and using different torture methods to get what information they could out of you.

When Steve found you, he heard you scream and saw that you were knocking on deaths door. Turns out they underestimated you because they gave you everything they had and you never cracked. Steve simultaneously loved and hated that about you.

He almost lost you then, he wasn’t going to let it happen again. Your scream gave him the strength he needed to kick down the cage door. He ran towards your screams as fast as he could.

Reader POV

You were getting really light head from the blood loss. You could still feel it streaming down your sides onto the table below. You couldn’t believe you escaped torture just to be thrown right back into it. Of course. It figures this would be how you go.

Suddenly, you saw a shadow approaching the table you were tied to.

“Please, no more. I can’t take anymore, please,” you begged as the tears started to stream down your face.

“Hey Doll, shhh…. It’s just me, Steve. I’ve got you. I’m going to get you out of here sound good?” he said rubbing the top of your head to calm you. He looked to your restraints thanking god they weren’t chains but rather leather belts. He yanked them out of place, all four of them, and grabs you off the table placing you on your wobbly feet. He noticed your state of undress so he took off his shirt and gave it to you to cover up. Thankfully he still had his white tank top on underneath.

“Steve, he’s coming back. He just went to grab another blade to continue to slice up my arms,” you said looking at Steve with fear in your eyes which through him for a loop because you never looked scared.

Before he could respond your capturer knocked Steve over the head with a heavy lead pipe, disorienting him, and grabbed you.

“You can’t leave my dear. You are far too beautiful and make a perfect addition to my dolls,” he said as he flicked the lights on and saw dead bodies of women much like yourself hanging on the walls almost like they were on display. He takes this moment of distraction and starts to drag you away from Steve, but Steve picks up the lead pipe your capturer dropped and hits him over the head with it. He grabbed you and y’all ran.

The warehouse you were in was quite large and held many rooms. Each room you passed was mush like yours with the metal table and restraints. Most still had blood in them which made you sick to your stomach thinking about your own table. Each room held a different torture method. Some had hammers, some had knives like yours, some had electric paddles, and so on and so forth. This guy made it his life’s journey to torture women and you had become his next victim. You were beginning to think you were never going to make it out of there alive.

You heard him coming so you and Steve hid in the nearest room. As soon as you heard him go by you turned around to see the arsenal behind you.

“You know I really wish you had your shield right now,” you said looking at Steve.

“Well Doll, I try to make it a habit not to bring my work on a date,” Steve said turning red at the word he used.

“Uhhh… Date???”

“Night out, chill out, hang out, whatever you want to call it. The point of it is to forget about work and Captain America.”

You looked at him strangely and felt a tingling in stomach. You couldn’t help but like the sound of a date with Steve. What? No. You don’t like Steve like that. He’s your best friend. There’s no way you have those feelings, right?

Before you could think about it any longer you heard a noise and grabbed the closest sharp weapon to you which just so happened to be an axe.

“You know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? This is it,” you stated hunched over looking at Steve.

“Y/n, what are you about to do?” he said looking at you with a raised eyebrow.

“You got my back, right?”

“Always Doll.”

“I’m the bait,” you spat out and before he could say anything else you ran into the hall calling out for the sick son of a bitch to come get you.

He turned the corner and came charging towards you. You managed to lift the axe and slice his arm pretty good, but it wasn’t enough. He grabbed you and pulled out his blade.

“You stupid bitch. You could have been part of something beautiful but instead you chose the jock who will through you away like a piece of garbage like they all do,” he spat in your ear.

At that moment Steve jumped out with a sword.

“I would never do such a thing, you are the messed up one here,” Steve retorted.

As your capturer went to stab you in the stomach Steve took the sword and rammed it through your capturer’s stomach effectively killing him and saving you.

He dropped the bloody sword and scooped you up in his arms giving you the biggest hug he could muster.

“Ouch, Steve. Still kind of bleeding out here,” you said wincing and he let you go.

You reached down in the man’s pocket looking for his phone only to be surprised to find your phone. You took and dialed Tony’s number.

“Y/n, hey. Where are you? It’s like 4 in the morning,” Tony said groggily through the phone.

“Yeah sorry about that. Ummm… I don’t know where we are. I need you to trace my phone and come get us.”

“Us? Us who? And how do you not know where you are?”

“I’m with Steve and it’s a long horrible story Tony. I’ll tell you it once I’m back at the tower and not bleeding out where Ii stand.

“Shit, okay. On my way now,” he said as he hung up the phone.

Tony was there in less than minutes and had you in the infirmary in 15. Which is where you were now. Laying in a hospital bed in a hospital gown wishing you were anywhere else. But the 100 stitches in your abdomen were telling you to stay put as well as just about everyone else in the tower. Natasha went into a frenzy wanting to kill who did this to you but you told her Steve already took care of it. She smiled and left you alone with him so you could talk.

“You know you were incredibly stupid for doing that,” Steve said with an expression on his face you couldn’t quite read.

“For one, I told it was going to be stupid and two I knew you would have my back and that was the only way to draw him out to kill him.”

“Well, you can’t do that to me because I love you damn it and I can’t stand to see you hurt,” he said with anger, concern, and sincerity written all over his face.

This confession left you shocked. You had just been pondering the possible feelings you might have for him and now he says he loves you? You couldn’t form any words. Maybe you did love him. He was the only stable close male relationship you have ever maintained in your life. He always saved you and had your back. You loved the time you spent with him. Was this love? The only way you could think to respond was to pull him into a kiss and to your surprise he grabbed your face with his giant hands and deepened the kiss.

You finally parted and you said, “I’m sorry for scaring you, but if we want this to happen you are going to have to get over it because we are both Avengers and it’s the job.”

“You’re going to be the death of me Doll,” he said with a smile as he sat next to you on the hospital bed.

“First, yeah probably. Secondly, as much as I love it, I’m going to need you to stop calling me doll. At least for now. Because when I hear it, all Ii can think about are those poor women and what that psycho was planning for me,” you said with a smirk as you cuddled into his side.

“Got it, sweetheart. I’ll also let Buck now. It’s just kind of an old habit, but I get it.”

You both laid there in each other’s arms until you both fell asleep and the rest of the Avengers started exchanging money on the bets they made on how long it would take you two to admit your feelings for each other. Ultimately Buck and Nat tied and were both the happiest that you guys took the swan dive.

Tag List: Let me know if you want on my Marvel list 

@tomshollandz @buckyappreciationsociety

[trekadvisers]

12 Stops to Make On Your Southern California Family Road Trip

Courtesy of The Points Guy by Jon Bailey

We’re all California dreamin’ once in a while, so when the Golden State calls you for a visit, bring along this handy list of hot spots for a family road trip with kids stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

One caveat: There is so much to do in Southern California, that it can be overwhelming. Take it from a local — don’t make yourself crazy trying to hit everything in one trip. Plan for at least five nights so your family can properly enjoy the sights and avoid being stuck in the car the whole time.

The view at sunrise from Santa Barbara’s East Beach.

San Diego

Start with flying into the super easy San Diego International Airport (SAN) and hop the shuttle to its brand-new rental car facility. Once settled into your vehicle, you and your family will be ready to roll on over to some of the great experiences San Diego has to offer.

Warm Sands: Visit La Jolla Shores Beach for warm sand, clean beaches and family-friendly waters. You can bring a picnic lunch and spread out on the grass, or walk into the nearby village for sandwiches or tacos. Up the road a bit is the stunning Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the UCSD Birch Aquarium. (Entrance to the aquarium is $19.50 for adults, $15 for kids 3–17 and free for kids 2 and under.)

Wild Animals: San Diego is famous for the zoo, and it is really an amazing place. However, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a less-crowded and very interesting alternative when you have a car. (A one-day pass is $56 for adults and $36 for kids 3–11.) The safari park is about 32 miles from downtown San Diego, and well worth the drive to see wild animals in their natural habitats. Giraffes, gazelle, rhinos and more all graze on open acres of hilly grasslands. For an extra fee, consider the Caravan Safari package that allows families an even closer view of the animals. ($125 per person plus park admission; participants must be 6 or older.)

Get up close and personal with the animals at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Legos for Days: If your kids are younger, Legoland California is an all-time favorite. Exhibits and characters made completely of Lego bricks dot the park landscape. Rides and shows are geared to an audience 12 and under, but parents and older siblings will have a pretty great time here too. For an amusement park, the food is pretty darn good and there is plenty to keep you busy for the whole day. Legoland is in Carlsbad, about a 40-minute drive from downtown San Diego. (Admission is $90 for kids and $95 for adults if bought in advance online.)

Related: The Best Credit Cards for Entertainment Spending

Anaheim

Just over an hour up the coast from San Diego, Anaheim is home to the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, among other attractions. It would be hard to drive past the Matterhorn and Space Mountain without stopping for a visit, so by all means stop and stay a spell.

Always a favorite — everyone loves the Mad Tea Party ride at Disneyland (except Dad — ugh).

So Much Disney: Anaheim would be a sleepy orange grove without the dreams of Walt Disney, and his Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park are a magical legacy. The parks, just down the road from Disney studios, are a little more quaint and OG than Florida’s Disney World. Buy the two-day Park Hopper Pass as you simply cannot do it all in one day, though three days might be too many unless this is your only destination. Admission to Disneyland parks varies. (Here’s where to stay at Disneyland.)

Knott’s Berry Farm: Amusement park junkies should consider including a quick visit to Knott’s Berry Farm. Just 10 minutes from Disneyland in Buena Park, Knott’s is one of our kids’ favorites for straight-up thrill rides. Without all the Disney hoopla, this park does a great job with crowd management and plenty of entertainment (and some stomach-dropping rides that had us all in laughing fits). Plus, they have darn good berry pie a la mode — it is the same family that started the jam empire. (Daily admission for ages 3 and up starts at $49 per person.)

Rides for both daredevils and littles are easy to access at Knott’s Berry Farm.

Trendy Food Hall: When you grow weary of amusement park food, drive 10 minutes to the Anaheim Packing District for decent grub. A converted orange-packing warehouse, this collective is a group of interesting food vendors spread across two large floors. We love this place because the food is fresh, healthy and diverse, so we can all get different things and still sit together in the center court.

Lots of great food choices at Anaheim Packing District.

Los Angeles

Broadly known as “LA,” the Los Angeles area is vast. It’s comprised of many cities and neighborhoods that run together in a jumble. A car and much patience is necessary for getting around this area, and a good mapping app on your smartphone will help you gauge traffic flow. (Don’t make these mistakes that travelers make in Los Angeles.)

The rides on Santa Monica Pier

Carnival Over Water: The Santa Monica Pier and surrounding beach, often used for TV and movie scenes, are a must-see. On the sand near the pier, locals and visitors can show off their skills bouncing on a springy tightrope, rolling across the sand in giant inflatable “hamster balls” and swinging on giant monkey bars. On the pier, enjoy the rides at Pacific Park throughout the day and into the night. Restaurants and shops help entertain those who might be less ride-inclined. You can buy a wristband that entitles you to unlimited rides all day for $32 (ages 8 and older) and $17 for kids 7 and under. Otherwise, pay per ride. Admission to the park itself is free.

Glass Slide Above Downtown: Not for the faint of heart, OUE Skyspace is part Hollywood museum/part observatory/part thrill ride as it perches 70 stories above Downtown LA. The views from here are exceptional, with outdoor balconies sporting nearly 360-degree views of the Hollywood sign, Santa Catalina Island, the sometimes-snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains and more. But that slide! Curving around the outside of the building, the slide is completely made of high-strength glass. Sliding down that tunnel means stomach-dropping views through the floor to the streets more than 1,000 feet below ($25 for adults and $19 for kids 3–12, plus $8 per person for the slide).

It’s unnerving to slide on glass 1,000 feet in the sky.

Planets Day or Night: At the famous Griffith Observatory, our solar system and galaxy are on display in various entertaining and scientific ways. Exhibits feature discoveries about the planets, space and our views of them throughout human history. The huge telescope was not in operation when we visited, but good timing might allow guests a peep into the stars. Along with an excellent planetarium ($7 for adults, $3 for kids 5–12 and free for those under 5) and various shows throughout the day, this is a different kind of star-struck Hollywood experience. (BTW, the Hollywood sign is directly adjacent and looks enormous up close.) Note that the observatory is closed April 22–May 6, 2019.

The first telescope Griffith J. Griffith used to view the stars, on display at Griffith Observatory

Santa Barbara

One of our favorite cities in California, Santa Barbara, is about two hours up the coast from LA. The view as you hit Ventura and drive up along the beaches and oceanfront is one of the most beautiful highway vistas on the West Coast and well worth the drive. (You could plan to fly out of Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) or choose to drive back to Los Angeles and depart from LAX.)

The Queen of Missions: Built in 1786, the Santa Barbara Mission is the 10th of 21 constructed as part of Father Junipero Serra’s sojourn from Mexico to Northern California. Every California fourth grader learns about the missions of California, which means our kids could recite interesting facts about how adobe bricks are made and the fine art of basket weaving. This stunning mission is so well preserved that guests can really get an authentic feel for mission life in early California. Time your spring visit to coincide with Santa Barbara’s I Madonnari Italian street painting festival, when renowned artists paint masterpieces on the pavement outside the mission steps.

Visiting the Santa Barbara Mission on the right day, we enjoyed the chalk painting festival.

Bicycle Built for Two (or Four or Six): On the waterfront near Stearns Wharf, a variety of two- and four-wheeled cycles are available for rent by the hour (prices vary). The ride along the paved boardwalk is one of the most beautiful in California, with wide beaches, waving palms and gorgeous ocean views. For families with younger kids, the four-wheel buggies might be the best bet. On our last visit, we left our kids asleep in the hotel room and rented bikes for an early morning view of the local fishing boats heading out for the day’s catch.

A ride along the Santa Barbara beach boardwalk is a great way to enjoy this city.

Food and Photos: Near the wharf, a once-blighted warehouse district has been reclaimed as the Funk Zone. Wine-tasting rooms, trendy restaurants and fun art exhibits have given this area a lot of character. We explored the Funk Zone by taking a great food tour called “Eat This, Shoot That!,” an combination of a walking eat-a-thon and food photo class. Our tour guide instructed us on how to take great pictures of food with our smartphones while we tasted and sipped our way through the streets. (The tour costs $99 for adults and $89 for non-drinkers and kids 6–21.)

On the Eat This, Shoot That! walking food tour, we sample great dishes.

Where to Stay

We’ve done this drive a few times now, discovering new things to do each time we visit. Along the way, we’ve stayed at some great hotels. If you’re planning your own Southern California road trip with kids, you may want to choose one hotel group for the entire vacation to consolidate using elite status or earning points via various promotions. We chose Hilton, largely because of its extensive Hilton Honors program that allowed our family to cash in points for some stays while amassing new points at other properties.

Every view is fantastic from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

San Diego

Hilton San Diego Bayfront: Downtown on the waterfront, this high-rise hotel is centrally located with all the conveniences. Award rates from 31k–60k points per night.

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines: Overlooking the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and ocean beyond, this hotel is near beaches and a fun hang glider port. Award rates from 43k–50k points per night.

Anaheim

Hilton Anaheim: Across the street from Disneyland, the Hilton Anaheim is in the midst of it all and slightly removed from the bustle of Disneymania. (Here’s some information if you’re debating staying on-site at Disneyland or at an off-site property.) Award rates from 33k–50k points per night.

Los Angeles

Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City: Literally walking distance to Universal Studios and Universal Citywalk, this large hotel also is very close to Hollywood. Award rates from 50k–60k points per night.

The Beverly Hilton: Steeped in Hollywood history, the Beverly Hilton is an original grand dame and host to the Golden Globe Awards each year. Award rates from 60k points per night.

The Beverly Hilton Hotel has been host to many celebrities over the years.

Santa Barbara

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort: This hotel is right across from the city’s main beach and is a short walk to the wharf, Funk Zone and more. From 59k–80k Hilton award points per night.

The view from our room at Santa Barbara Hilton.

If you’d like to stay at Hilton properties on your Southern California road trip too, there are some good welcome bonuses available for its cobranded credit cards.

Credit Card Welcome Bonus TPG Bonus Valuation Annual Fee    Elite Status Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 150,000-point bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $900 $450 annual fee (See Rates & Fees)(up to $500 in annual travel credits) Hilton Diamond status Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card 125,000-point bonus after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $750 $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Gold status Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 125,000-point bonus after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $750 $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Gold status Hilton Honors American Express Card 75,000-point bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $450 $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Silver status

  Want to read more about family road trips? Here are a few related articles:

6 Tips for Surviving a Road Trip With a Large Family

10 Remarkable Road Trips in the U.S.A.

5 Epic Road Trips Across America

9 Ways to Help Your Children Remember Family Trips

Best Credit Cards for Road Trips

Jon Bailey covers LGBT family travel for TPG and blogs at 2DadsWithBaggage.com. Follow Jon and his family’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

All images courtesy of 2DadsWithBaggage.com

For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Ascend Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Card, click here.

Original Article: https://thepointsguy.com/guide/southern-california-family-road-trip/

Check out the original post here: http://www.jamcosolutionsllc.com/12-stops-to-make-on-your-southern-california-family-road-trip/

[atakportal]

Super Hero Home Workout

New Post has been published on https://pin.atak.co/super-hero-home-workout/

Super Hero Home Workout

Product Name: Super Hero Home Workout

Click here to get Super Hero Home Workout at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Super Hero Home Workout is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

Description:

Look, we all have our own struggles to deal with.

And no, it’s not going to be easy to overcome these… But if you’re already wondering “where does one start”. You’re already on the right path.

The first thing you need is a challenge to shake you up. Next, you need someone to guide you through this challenge. Not just anyone of course… but someonewho has actually gone through it all, and then some.

My name is Anthony Arvanitakis and I’m a 3-TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR on Amazon.com. I’ve been also featured on websites such as:

The Art of Manliness | One of the largest independent men’s lifestyle websites in the worldaskMen.com | No. 1 ranked website in categories such as “men’s Lifestyle – Men’s Sites”T-nation | One of the top 5 Strength training websites in the world

After a disastrous accident at age 22, I spent the following years mostly in bed. Having surgery after surgery, feeling depressed and eating unhealthy, while the doctors tried to reconstruct my severely fractured leg…

After 5 dark years I (finally) realized one thing…

Feeling sorry about yourself doesn’t ever get you anywhere. When life is hard, remaining motionless is easy. It does not require any effort. And the more we stand still, the more paralyzed we become. So, instead of letting ourselves sink in the quicksand of our despair, there is only one more choice left. We have to pull ourselves up from your own bootstraps!

Not only did I get up again – but I decided to become the strongest version of myself. First stop – getting back in shape. During that time, I didn’t even have access to a gym. But it didn’t matter… Why?!

And that is what I did. Oneday I simply said “Enough”!

Because, I already had my mind set to my goal and I told myself that I would achieve it no matter what. With just one pull-up bar and four walls (my tiny apartment) at my disposal, I started working out using mainly bodyweight exercises.

Results? Within 6 months I was strong and lean, without going to the Gym! As a matter of fact, I even turn all this into a bestselling book.

After my first transformation, I noticed that I looked great when I stood topless in front of the mirror. But, the moment I wore a shirt, I looked like another ordinary thin guy. And that’s when I discovered my new challenge. I decided that :

So I made my goal public. I would create a new training program to build a Superhero Physique from the comfort of my own home. People around me (other than those who thought I was joking) said I was over my head. They said I couldn’t do that without steroids and going to the gym.

People like to stand in your way when you’re going against the grain. But, a Superhero’s journey starts when he stops craving others’ acceptance and begins carving his own path.

My new challenge wouldn’t be easy to pull-off, I was fully aware of that. If I was to become a superhero– I would need my own super-power…

After a couple of months of training with the superhero homeworkout plan, some people who saw my progress on Youtube, implied that I might be using illegal substances. Little did they know that the means I used to transform myself is completely free and available for anyone. It doesn’t come in a pill nor a bottle. As a matter of fact, it comes from within (more about this in a moment). Just like Superhero-powers.

Gaining muscle and losing fat is considered the holy grail of bodybuilding. Well, within a few months, not only did I gain 15 pounds of Muscle, I even got more shredded!

The Mind-to-Muscle Connection (MMC) might have been just a theory a while ago, but studies done these last years have begun showing that MMC is not just a theory – it’s a fact! Of course, this is something that experienced people with amazing physiques already knew for decades now (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, Eugene Sandow, Max Sick and the list goes on…)

WHAT IS THIS MMC (MIND-TO-MUSCLE- CONNECTION) YOU SPEAK OF?

I don’t just talk about Mind-to-Muscle connection in abstract terms (as most people out there do). I’ve created a whole supplementary bonus guide(!), in which I’ll be giving you clear guidelines (instructions, videos, mental cues) on how each exercise can be performed, in order to induce superior muscle activation.

Instead of adding extra weight in an exercise, you can learn to focus on specific inner cues/sensations that cause your muscles to contract harder. Why care? Well, this increased muscle contraction and it’s effects (greater muscle-fiber recruitment, increased neural activity and increased local fatigue (aka “the burn”) lead to greater strength and MUSCLE GROWTH!

The Superhero Homeworkout will teach you that the strongest muscle of your body isn’t your back, chest nor your legs… It’s your mind!

Let’s say the weather is great and you’re in the mood to train outdoors?

No problem! All you need is a place with a pull-up bar (or anything you can hang on – such as a tree branch, sturdy pipe, etc).

Or let’s say you have busy work days so that the only time to workout is during your lunch-break and the only place available is the gym.

No problem… Homemade Muscle programs are all about flexibility!

Admit it, you’ve used these excuses at some point in life…

Have a look at my before picture above… Do you see a person predestined to be a Superhero? Either Physically or Mentally? Nope! And now guess what was the biggest reason for me being in that state for years? It was the fact that I kept on telling myself the same excuses…

Look, I won’t lie to you – genetics do influence our results. But… if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can overcome almost anything if you have the right tools and mindset.

Admit it, you’ve used these excuses at some point in life…

Have a look at my before picture above (albino picture)… Do you see a person predestined to be a Superhero? Either Physically or Mentally? Nope! And now guess what was the biggest reason for me being in that state for years? It was the fact that I kept on telling myself the same excuses…

Look, I won’t lie to you – Genetics do influence our results. But… if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can overcome almost anything if you have the right tools and mindset.

Through this book I don’t just want to help you build a Superhero physique. That’s just half of the reward. The other half is building the Superhero mindset that can go with the body. Studies have shown that exercise is one of those habits that trigger widespread positive changes in one’s life. I can vouch for this since it’s what helped me restart my life after spending 5 years in bed!

And that is why I also always focus on the mindset when I create workout plans. People who have completed the Superhero Homeworkout told me personally, and even posted in our secret Superhero League Facebook group, about all the other positive changes that were triggered from this book.

Some improved in their business goals, others got the girl they always wanted, some improved at school/university… Depending on what you’re focusing on most right now in life, this plan will help you get there faster and certainly with great possibilities of success.

To complete a challenging fitness goal such as the Superhero Homeworkout, you’ll need to develop both physical and mental toughness. Qualities such aspatience, work-ethic, determination, and tenacity slowly arise – and if you’re mindful enough – you can learn to apply these in the rest of your life’s fields.

Click here to get Super Hero Home Workout at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Super Hero Home Workout is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

[atakportal]

Super Hero Home Workout

New Post has been published on https://pin.atak.co/super-hero-home-workout/

Super Hero Home Workout

Product Name: Super Hero Home Workout

Click here to get Super Hero Home Workout at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Super Hero Home Workout is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

Description:

Look, we all have our own struggles to deal with.

And no, it’s not going to be easy to overcome these… But if you’re already wondering “where does one start”. You’re already on the right path.

The first thing you need is a challenge to shake you up. Next, you need someone to guide you through this challenge. Not just anyone of course… but someonewho has actually gone through it all, and then some.

My name is Anthony Arvanitakis and I’m a 3-TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR on Amazon.com. I’ve been also featured on websites such as:

The Art of Manliness | One of the largest independent men’s lifestyle websites in the worldaskMen.com | No. 1 ranked website in categories such as “men’s Lifestyle – Men’s Sites”T-nation | One of the top 5 Strength training websites in the world

After a disastrous accident at age 22, I spent the following years mostly in bed. Having surgery after surgery, feeling depressed and eating unhealthy, while the doctors tried to reconstruct my severely fractured leg…

After 5 dark years I (finally) realized one thing…

Feeling sorry about yourself doesn’t ever get you anywhere. When life is hard, remaining motionless is easy. It does not require any effort. And the more we stand still, the more paralyzed we become. So, instead of letting ourselves sink in the quicksand of our despair, there is only one more choice left. We have to pull ourselves up from your own bootstraps!

Not only did I get up again – but I decided to become the strongest version of myself. First stop – getting back in shape. During that time, I didn’t even have access to a gym. But it didn’t matter… Why?!

And that is what I did. Oneday I simply said “Enough”!

Because, I already had my mind set to my goal and I told myself that I would achieve it no matter what. With just one pull-up bar and four walls (my tiny apartment) at my disposal, I started working out using mainly bodyweight exercises.

Results? Within 6 months I was strong and lean, without going to the Gym! As a matter of fact, I even turn all this into a bestselling book.

After my first transformation, I noticed that I looked great when I stood topless in front of the mirror. But, the moment I wore a shirt, I looked like another ordinary thin guy. And that’s when I discovered my new challenge. I decided that :

So I made my goal public. I would create a new training program to build a Superhero Physique from the comfort of my own home. People around me (other than those who thought I was joking) said I was over my head. They said I couldn’t do that without steroids and going to the gym.

People like to stand in your way when you’re going against the grain. But, a Superhero’s journey starts when he stops craving others’ acceptance and begins carving his own path.

My new challenge wouldn’t be easy to pull-off, I was fully aware of that. If I was to become a superhero– I would need my own super-power…

After a couple of months of training with the superhero homeworkout plan, some people who saw my progress on Youtube, implied that I might be using illegal substances. Little did they know that the means I used to transform myself is completely free and available for anyone. It doesn’t come in a pill nor a bottle. As a matter of fact, it comes from within (more about this in a moment). Just like Superhero-powers.

Gaining muscle and losing fat is considered the holy grail of bodybuilding. Well, within a few months, not only did I gain 15 pounds of Muscle, I even got more shredded!

The Mind-to-Muscle Connection (MMC) might have been just a theory a while ago, but studies done these last years have begun showing that MMC is not just a theory – it’s a fact! Of course, this is something that experienced people with amazing physiques already knew for decades now (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, Eugene Sandow, Max Sick and the list goes on…)

WHAT IS THIS MMC (MIND-TO-MUSCLE- CONNECTION) YOU SPEAK OF?

I don’t just talk about Mind-to-Muscle connection in abstract terms (as most people out there do). I’ve created a whole supplementary bonus guide(!), in which I’ll be giving you clear guidelines (instructions, videos, mental cues) on how each exercise can be performed, in order to induce superior muscle activation.

Instead of adding extra weight in an exercise, you can learn to focus on specific inner cues/sensations that cause your muscles to contract harder. Why care? Well, this increased muscle contraction and it’s effects (greater muscle-fiber recruitment, increased neural activity and increased local fatigue (aka “the burn”) lead to greater strength and MUSCLE GROWTH!

The Superhero Homeworkout will teach you that the strongest muscle of your body isn’t your back, chest nor your legs… It’s your mind!

Let’s say the weather is great and you’re in the mood to train outdoors?

No problem! All you need is a place with a pull-up bar (or anything you can hang on – such as a tree branch, sturdy pipe, etc).

Or let’s say you have busy work days so that the only time to workout is during your lunch-break and the only place available is the gym.

No problem… Homemade Muscle programs are all about flexibility!

Admit it, you’ve used these excuses at some point in life…

Have a look at my before picture above… Do you see a person predestined to be a Superhero? Either Physically or Mentally? Nope! And now guess what was the biggest reason for me being in that state for years? It was the fact that I kept on telling myself the same excuses…

Look, I won’t lie to you – genetics do influence our results. But… if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can overcome almost anything if you have the right tools and mindset.

Admit it, you’ve used these excuses at some point in life…

Have a look at my before picture above (albino picture)… Do you see a person predestined to be a Superhero? Either Physically or Mentally? Nope! And now guess what was the biggest reason for me being in that state for years? It was the fact that I kept on telling myself the same excuses…

Look, I won’t lie to you – Genetics do influence our results. But… if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can overcome almost anything if you have the right tools and mindset.

Through this book I don’t just want to help you build a Superhero physique. That’s just half of the reward. The other half is building the Superhero mindset that can go with the body. Studies have shown that exercise is one of those habits that trigger widespread positive changes in one’s life. I can vouch for this since it’s what helped me restart my life after spending 5 years in bed!

And that is why I also always focus on the mindset when I create workout plans. People who have completed the Superhero Homeworkout told me personally, and even posted in our secret Superhero League Facebook group, about all the other positive changes that were triggered from this book.

Some improved in their business goals, others got the girl they always wanted, some improved at school/university… Depending on what you’re focusing on most right now in life, this plan will help you get there faster and certainly with great possibilities of success.

To complete a challenging fitness goal such as the Superhero Homeworkout, you’ll need to develop both physical and mental toughness. Qualities such aspatience, work-ethic, determination, and tenacity slowly arise – and if you’re mindful enough – you can learn to apply these in the rest of your life’s fields.

Click here to get Super Hero Home Workout at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Super Hero Home Workout is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.