Saiyan Foster Parent

Chapter 13
Meanwhile in thelab, Atomique stirred chemicals
together in the setup she'd put together like tinker toys. Burumawas glad to see
her new friend liked the organic lab she had donated funding for. Wearing a
whitelab coat over her smock, Atomique seemed quite at home for the first time
in months.

As Buruma handed her a fresh notebook, she glimpsed the scarf
around her neck. "What's that for?"she asked Buruma.

"Oh… my scarf?" she
asked.

"Yes… if you don't' mind me asking… is it something personal?
Every time I see youyou're hiding your neck…"

"Oh… well if you must know,
it's well…"

"Where Bejita bit you?" asked Atomique. Buruma's blue eyes
widened.

"What do you know about that?"

"Well Gohan… bit Videl
there… and I saw the mark this morning," said Atomique.

"Really! That's
great!" Buruma laughed in joy. "Does that mean that…"

"Yes!" Nodded
Atomique. Both women laughed and danced. Buruma hugged her tightly, and then
slappedher back, like she was an old friend. She released her friend and saw her
pull at the collar of theChinese silk shirt she wore.

"You okay?" she
asked.

"Nothing… it's just so exciting…"

"You seem a bit
overdressed… isn't silk kind of hot inside under a coat? You could have wornone
of those new…"

"Um I prefer this style," she said quickly, turning from
Bulma.

"What's' wrong, you can tell me… did you… are you…"

"I…"
she trailed off, grabbing the lab counter. "I'm not sure… and now seeing…that's
the way that…"

"What ever are you talking about. Did something happen?"
asked Bulma, catching her shoulder.

"I don't know… Buruma… how does
Bejita know that you're his… mate? Because ofthat?" she asked, pointing to
Buruma's scarf.

"Well, yes… but we do have wedding rings… I mean he DID
marry me but why are wetalking about me instead of what's bothering
you?"

"It's nothing… nothing you should worry too much about… I mean it's
not like I can beas close as you and she were and I'm not expecting just
because…"

"You're not making much sense… believe it or not you DO have
friends here, despite thelength of time, and if something's bothering you, I may
be able to… wait… did he DOsomething to you?"

"Jeannie appeared in my
dreams. I dreamed about Star Child…"

"Your husband…"

"Yes… but he
severed the mind link with me. I can't hear him in my thoughts… andJeannie
appeared in my dreams, and then Son Goku…"

"Wait, slow down!" Bulma said
quickly. "Why don't we talk about this all over coffee… in
thekitchen…"

***

Once they were alone in the kitchen, Bulma poured
coffee for herself and her distraught fellowscientist. Atomique had said little
since they had shed their labcoats and sat down beside oneanother at the small
wooden table in the breakfast nook. Chairs creaked slightly as Atomiqueshifted,
taking the mug of fresh coffee steaming in her face.

"Arigato," she
nodded. Bulma nodded back, setting down a plate of tempting pastries that would
haveput her mother's blood level of glucose to shame.

"My mom always
loved these. She and my dad are out of town. Chocolate always makes me feel
betterwhen I'm mixed up… and I'm sure you're confused as hell by the look of
it…"

"Bulma, I know you and Son-kun… and…"

"This has nothing to do
with him, so don't worry about that," said Bulma quickly. "My friendshipwith you
doesn't need anyone's approval. Now just please relax and tell me everything. I
promiseI'll do whatever I can to help… I might be a bitch to some people because
I tell it like itis, but that doesn't' mean I won't listen when someone needs an
ear…"

"When I woke up, Radditz drew off my excess energy. And then the
next thing I know… onething led to another…"

"Okay… you can tell me all
right. I'm not going to flip out or get mad. Goku's one of myoldest and dearest
friends. If something's happened with you… and he's part of it…it's my business
to know… or is that why you didn't want to tell me that he bit you?"

"You
know?"

"It's obvious why you're so worked up…"

"Because you're his
best friend, I figured you might be leery to know… what happened. Andthat you
might still think that he belonged with… or should I mean we're talking about
hisbrother here…"

"Like I said, this isn't about that. Did he bite you,
on the neck? Is that why you're hiding withthat smock?" she asked. Atomique
nodded, unbuttoning the top silk buttons to reveal a red bruise inthe exact same
place that Bulma recalled hers. Untying her scarf, she showed the mark she bore,
andglanced at both.

"Exactly the same place… you can see why I'm nervous,
because I heard that they mate forlife… and if…" trailed off
Atomique.

"No wonder you're freaked. Are you sensing any thoughts or
feelings not your own?"

"Yes. Just like with Paul, only more… intense.
It's like I can feel… and sensethings… like I'm partly somewhere
else…"

"Did you bite HIM?"

"Yes," she nodded, looking
guiltily.

"Thank heaven for small favors, or you'd be going nuts and so
would he by now," said Buruma.Reaching across she took her friend's hand and
squeezed it. Both women embraced, as she gave her amuch-needed hug.

"I'm
happy, and it's great, but I'm scared…"

"Are you scared because he might
hurt you? Because Bejita would make sure…"

"Bejita can't stand me," she
groaned.

"Bejita hates most people. But he respects you, and it's not
just because you kicked his student'sbutt…" Buruma giggled.

``I refuse to
believe that till I see it…'' said Atomique, rolling her eyes. Buruma
grinnedlike a Cheshire cat and squeezed her shoulder.

``Look, take it
from me, those monkey men can be bakayarous, but deep down there's nobody
moredevoted to a female then one of them. If you caught him, then I'm sure it's
all good. After all,he's Goku's brother. There has to be capacity for good… and
I don't' think you need to hithim on the head either…''

``I care deeply
for him. God… Kami knows why, but I've fallen deeply in love withhim… so
quickly…'' she smiled shyly.

``Good. Then it's a chance to celebrate. I
figured he had the hots for you the instant you twostarted
arguing…''

``Is that a Saiyan thing as well?''

``You kidding? It's
part of how they show affection… by yelling at each other…'' shesnickered,
mimicking Bejita's expression eerily.

``I'm doomed,'' she groaned. ``But
Son Goku doesn't seem exactly happy… is it true whatpeople say?''

``What
do you mean,'' Buruma asked, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.

``He seems
disappointed when I came in with Radditzu this morning. Like a lost puppy. Did
he reallyhave… feelings for me?''

``Kami… I'm afraid so. Look, I'm glad
this happened. Because what I'm about to tell you willclear it all up… you
should know the whole story behind why Chichi left him…''

``But is there
a chance… I think he still loves her…''

``He does, but let me start from
the beginning. They divorced nearly two years ago. But Chichi hadbeen talking
about leaving him for a long time, since he was dead… and she had been
lonely,and in that time she'd met someone else. I figured it out, because I put
2 and 2 together, andBejita smelled another male on her whenever she'd come by
with Goten…"

"Bejita knew?" groaned Atomique.

"Yes. He didn't care
for it, but he figured that since she was human, she'd be lonely. He knew fora
while that this was going on. But since Son-kun was dead… and then when she
heard that hewas coming back for the Tenkachi budakai… she stopped seeing
whoever it was. Things seemedgreat, because she was going to see her Goku again.
But then Majin Buu…" Buruma frowned.

"Goku told me parts of it… that
awful battle…" shuddered Atomique.

"Yes. Chichi was changed into
something else like all of us were. When she realized Goku was reallycoming back
to life, she wasn't sure how to take it. Shortly after that, she came over alone
to talkto me. She asked me to promise not to tell Son-kun, but she was planning
on leaving him… ofcourse I was angry, hurt and confused for both their sakes.
But I couldn't say that I was surprised.Of course Bejita overheard the whole
thing, and it was all I could do to stop him from making an assof his smug
self…"

"How did…" blinked Atomique, gulping the last of her coffee.
Buruma poured her a second mug.Listening to her friend she dumped sugar into the
swirling black brew.

"I tried to convince her to give it another chance,
but she said she'd made up her mind. I askedher if she was going to take Goten
and Gohan. She said she suspected Gohan already had figured itout, and she
didn't' want to take Goten out of school. I said that I'd take him if she wasn't
ableto… because she'd gotten a job in another city, and was wanting to move in
with the man she'dmet…"

"A job? Good for her!'' nodded
Atomique.

"She's been hired as an accountant for a pretty prestigious
firm. She didn't waste her time thoseseven years just doing nothing. So after a
long talk, she gave me some money to set up a trust fundfor the boys. Then she
told me that she was going to see to it that Goku learned what it waslike… put
him in her shoes. I demanded that she tell the whole truth. So a few days went
by,and then I went to see both of them. Son Goku was devastated because she'd
finally broken it to him.Vegeta and I showed up at his house and he was an
emotional wreck. Needless to say, Bejita waspissed, but I told him to back down.
So we took Goten for a few days while I stayed with Son Goku,and Gohan.
Eventually the whole story came out. She had pretended everything was fine for
those lastfew weeks… and then she left when Goten was visiting
Trunks…"

"She just left them, Goku said. But I don't think she's the sort
of woman who would do that withouta good reason…''

"She had told Goten
she was going away on a trip, and that he was to stay with Daddy because
Mommyneeded to go do something important," sighed Buruma. "And that when she was
done, she'd come backand have him come for a visit. And then in a few months,
she and Goku took the family to dinnerhere, and everything was explained. I'll
tell her that she did the whole thing with class, becausethere was no shouting,
no screaming and just a very matter of fact explanation to both sons that
itwasn't their fault. Goten was really upset, and Gohan wasn't too happy, but
she made it quite clearthat she couldn't live with him anymore. Of course Goku
got it in his head that he was going to dowhatever it took to make it right, so
Chichi said the only way he could was to take care of the boyshimself. And then
that's how it happened…"

"He became Daddy Daycare," said Atomique
quietly.

"Bejita and I have offered help when we could, surreptitiously
of course. Chichi didn't expect Gokuto last a week, and had it in the custody
papers that if he wanted to transfer Goten over anytime hefelt in over his head
he could. But he never did. I guess she was shocked to see he actually wasn'ttoo
bad at it."

"I haven't seen when she sees the children?" asked
Atomique.

"Whenever Goten's over here, she sees him then. She doesn't
like going to Mt. Paozu because shefigures the less contact with Son Goku, the
better for him to make a clean break…"

"Weren't they…
bonded?"

"Bejita says that Saiyans can bond in three ways. By blood, by
children, and by soul. Rarely do allthree happen in a mating bond. It's true
that a Saiyan bites his mate on the neck to claim hisproperty. But she has to
bite him in return if she wants to show that she is truly his. She canrefuse,
but still bear his children."

"Goku said that they raised kids in
incubators…" said Atomique, shivering visually.

"Yeah. And shipped 'em
offworld. Only Royals were born naturally anymore. So most of the matingbonds
were more for the sake of sexual release. But Saiyans are monogamous after they
pick onepartner to breed with. Sex, food, and fighting are the three desires
most important. But it wasgetting more and more socially unacceptable to form
lasting emotional soul bonds. Those are onlypossible if the female continually
drinks the male's blood, and lets her mind open to his the firsttime they mate
after that exchange…"

"He has her children…" nodded Atomique. ``But
that's not enough?''

"Chichi never bit him back. He said he could sense
her, because they had children together, thatbonded them in one of the ways, and
because he'd marked her, that counted as a typical Saiyan bond.But she never bit
him back. Usually 2 out of three are required to be officially mated, in
Saiyansociety."

"So you can have children and share blood. Or share
children and a soul bond if both mutuallybite?" asked Atomique.

"Yes. Or
you can choose not to reproduce and so forth and so on. It's rare to have all
threehappen… like in the case of Bejita and myself," she blushed with
pride.

"Chichi and him are bonded… though?'' nodded Atomique, hoping what
she suspected was stillpossible.

"By the fact they have children. But she
never fully accepted the soul bond or the blood bond. Andwell… it's hard to say
how a Saiyan bond works with a non Saiyan… it's totallyunpredictable…" Bulma
shrugged.

"I feel like I'm encroaching someplace I shouldn't be…" she
shivered.

"It was Goku's silly idea to take you in anyway. And now that
you've done this, it solves oneproblem already…"

``Now we can get Goku
and Chichi back together, right!'' nodded Atomique.

``Absolutely. Unless
she doesn't' want him back… and I'm hoping to Kami she does…''

``Let me
know how I can help…'' said Atomique. Then her face
fell.

``What?''

"That's why I'm scared… I made such a commitment
once to a man who wanted me… andlook where it got me. I don't think I deserve
such an honor… I mean Radditzu is a greatguy… once you get past the raw meat
eating, and the past he's got… but you and Bejitaare happy…
right?''

"Hey, he did it cause he cares for you, baka," sighed Bulma
impatiently.

"I thought I wasn't capable of falling in love, but now I'm
in over my head," she gasped, shiveringas she sobbed into her hands. "And I'm
not sorry, but I'm scared it will be taken away… andwhat if Paul comes
back…"

"He's the one who shut you out. He's dead… unless you have some
religious thingabout…"

"Till death do us part I swore. But he made it
clear he cannot be what I want of him," saidAtomique quietly.

"I'm just
really happy that he's found someone special. Take my advice and don't look
back. You begood to him, because he's my best friend. And I'll support this if
you both really want it…"said Bulma with a smile.

``But what if Chichi
doesn't want Goku back?''

"If you're worried about Chichi, don't be.
She's happy, and I'm glad she is. You're not responsiblefor her, or Goku's past.
So let it go. Just enjoy the special thing Radditzu's offered you, becauseyou're
a hell of a lucky woman. Hopefully Chichi will see what Goku's done, and she'll
learn howmuch he's willing to do to prove he loves her alone."

``Good I
hope so,'' nodded Atomique.

"Now, why don't we see what those idiots are
up to… because I for one don't want anothercrater in my yard?" Buruma
grinned.

"Where's Jeannie?"

"Who the hell knows?" Bulma shrugged.
"Bejita made it clear he wasn't training her as long as shekept ranting about
revenge!"

"But he always says he's going to fight Goku…" Atomique
winced.

"He always does. It's a male thing. But Jeannie was threatening
to take the twins away, andactually kill you. Goku and Bejita never would kill
each other's families. They keep their thingbetween THEM," Bulma said
quickly.