Maintaining: Preparations

Maintaining
By Pixelgoddess

Chapter 4 - Preparations

Chichi had enlisted Goku and Goten to help her set up the tables outside. Originally, 18 and Krillin were helping with the tables, while Goten and Goku were bringing out the food, but that was quickly changed when Rezu came out with a stack of plates, joking about the bottomless pits.

"Goku! Goten! You better not be eating any of that food!" Chichi yelled, as she slammed into the kitchen.

The pair stared at her wide-eyed, caught in the act of taking the cover off a plate of deviled eggs. Goku opened his mouth to protest, but Chichi held up her hand to stop him.

"No. I don't want to hear it. There is too much to be done for me to stand guard over you two. Go out and ask 18 and Krillin to come help with the food. You will help with setting up outside." She crossed her arms and glared at the pair.

"Awww, mom... I'm hungry..." Goten whined.

"You'll live." She went to the kitchen door and held it open. "Out."

"Come on, Goten. You heard your mother." Goku herded his clone out of the kitchen, scooping up some cookies with his tail as he left. Chichi spotted them and plucked them out of his grasp.

"I swear, you are worse than the kids," she muttered.

Once outside, Goku passed on Chichi's request to his friend and his wife.

Goten went to help Rezu with the set up.

"Told you," she said, grinning.

"Tattletale," he complained.

She snickered.

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Chichi and Rezu were driven to distraction, trying to keep the lunch protected from two hungry Saiyans. Rezu finally lost her temper, nearly chopping off Goku's fingers when she slammed the cover back on a dish.

"Go away! Go spar! Do something! Anything! You two are not going to eat until the others get here!"

Goku rubbed the back of his head, and grinned in embarrassment. "Sorry, Rezu, it just all smells so good." He looked down to see her glaring up at him. "Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands out in front of him. "We're going. We'll be down by the creek. Come on, Goten."

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Goku sat down and leaned against a tree. He watched with a contented smile as his youngest played, acknowledging his frequent cries of "Watch this, dad!"

He felt the kis of Vegeta and Trunks approaching. Goku chuckled when Trunks caught Goten unaware and tackled him, rolling them both into the water.

"Vegeta," he said, not taking his eyes off the boys.

"Kakarotto," the prince quietly answered, sitting down several feet away.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Vegeta was uncomfortable, and his tail twitched. Goku, on the other hand, was dying to talk to him, but it had been so difficult lately. Every time he tried, it was like the prince withdrew into a shell.

"You haven't been by lately..." he began.

"Training," Vegeta answered shortly.

"How has it been going?"

"Fine."

Goku wanted to scream in frustration. His tail swished in annoyance. Why was he getting these one-word answers?

"Have you developed any new attacks since your tail came back?"

Vegeta turned to stare at him. Goku calmly returned the look, but gasped inwardly at the hollow expression in his eyes.

"No," he finally answered, turning away to look at the ground before him.

Goku knew this wasn't the time to let him know he had become even more powerful He felt the pain rolling off of Vegeta, but didn't know what to do or say. He was struggling for something to say when the ringing phone in his pocket interrupted them.

A quick conversation later, and he called, "Hey you two, get out of there and dry off! Time to eat!"

There was a cheer and a flash of ki as the boys flew back to the house.

Goku grinned, and turned back to where the prince was. "Vegeta -," but he was gone, already walking away, tail nearly dragging on the ground.

Goku sighed and followed, trying to figure out some way to help.

TBC