Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. I just like to watch it and dream about it.

How to Carry On

By Catherine D. Kobasiuk

One morning 5 years After the Cell Games

"Hi Chichi, I'm back!"

"Hello Yamcha. Did you get the rice?"

"Sure did, and everything else on the list."

"Great let me wipe my hands and I'll help you put it all away."

Yamcha closed the kitchen door behind himself using his foot while he balanced 3 bags of groceries in his arms. He quickly made his way over to the table and put the packages down. Chichi put her towel down on the counter and immediately began emptying the bags out on to the table. Yamcha proceeded to take items off of the kitchen table and place them in the appropriate cabinets, taking care to put the very large bag of rice in it's special spot in one of the lower cabinets.

"There. That went quickly." Said Chichi as she put the bags away in another cabinet. "Thanks again Yamcha."

"No problem Chichi. Did you need help with anything else today?" The scarred warrior/ballplayer asked grinning.

"Well, how about I make us some tea first and then you can help me pull some of Gohan's old clothes out of the attic?" Suggested the pretty woman as she took the already boiling kettle off of the stove. " I tried to get some things down yesterday but I think they are a little to heavy and bulky for me to move on my own."

"Sounds good to me." Agreed Yamcha as he turned a chair around to sit on with his chin resting on the high back. "Oh, ya, before I forget I have the tickets and everything for opening day for you and Gohan and Goten to come and watch. They will be having the usual opening day party afterwards for the players and their families too." Enthused Yamcha.

"So how have things been in Spring Training this year? Inquired Chichi as she poured the tea into cups.

"They've been fine for me but everyone is worried about the team. We are having pitching issues. The owners traded our youngest pitcher from last year for a heavy hitter. But now the two older starting pitchers have turned up with arm injuries."

" Oh dear" Chichi nodded. She let Yamcha continue on with his description of all the things going on with the Titans for the up coming season. Chichi actually enjoyed Yamcha's stories about the inner working of baseball. Including the technical aspects, the personalities and even the politics. She always felt comfortable letting him go on about his work, just like he always seemed comfortable listening to what she had to talk about. Which usually meant the boys, her father, her homemaking and local issues of concern.

Comfortable. That's what it is. For the last 5 years since the Cell Games, since she lost Goku, Yamcha has been a comfort.

A little more than an hour later found Yamcha standing on a low ladder grunting and straining to pull a trunk out of the attic opening high in the kitchen wall.

"Ratz! I think it must be hung up on something." Gasped Yamcha. " I was going to ask again if it was this black trunk for sure but even if it wasn't I'd have to move this out to get to anything else up here."

Chichi stood at the foot of the ladder looking up anxiously. " Be careful Yamcha! I don't want you to hurt yourself!" She said as she held the ladder steady.

"I'm more worried about wrecking the house or the trunk, Chichi." Yamcha laughed in reply. " OK, I'm gonna give it one big tug...right...NOW!"

And with that the trunk moved but so did the ladder. Yamcha quickly levitated himself in the air as the ladder fell from beneath him. "Watch out Chichi!!" He shouted as he continued to yank on the trunk. The trunk having begun to move picked up pace so that Yamcha was almost surprised when it popped out of the attic door. He WAS surprised when he found the weight of the trunk dragging him straight down to the kitchen floor. The trunk landed with a loud crash on the floor followed by a loud thud and grunt as Yamcha landed on top of it.

"OH NO! Yamcha, are you alright?" Cried Chichi, eyes wide and shocked. She dashed over to where he lay on top of the trunk.

Yamcha rolled over onto his back."Holy Cow! Chichi! What do you have in this thing? It must weight as much as a tank!"

Chichi shrugged. "Well, it's just some old clothes and books of Gohan's. I had Goku put it up there before the Cell games."

"Before the Cell Games?! " Yamcha bolted upright. " You mean when Goku and Gohan were in permentant Super Saiyian form ?!" He stared at the lovely women in front of her like she had just grown another head.

"Um, yes?" Chichi looked at Yamcha uncertainly.

Yamcha started laughing. "Kami!" he gasped between guffaws. " You couldn't' tell me that you had me moving a trunk that an ascendant Super Saiyian had stored for you?!" He barely got the words out he was laughing so hard. " You were trying to kill me! Weren't you?" His laughter only got louder and harder.

Chichi blushed and grinned. "I'm sorry Yamcha. I didn't think about it."

Yamcha grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the trunk beside him as he continued to belly laugh. Chichi began to laugh too. " Oh, that was so bad of me, we could have been hurt!" This thought sobered Chichi up and she touched Yamcha on the shoulder. "I'm sorry Yamcha." She said sincerely looking him in the eyes.

Yamcha quieted down. "That's ok Chichi. We're ok, but I'm not guaranteeing anything about the trunk or the floor." The attractive man who sat next to her smiled into her face.

The world seemed to shrink. Chichi felt so good. A feeling of warm connectedness washed over her. Yamcha's smile seemed to bloom inside of her. He was so warm, so comfortable, and so happy. She felt she was being drawn to that warmth and joy like a moth to a flame. Chichi was hardly aware that she was leaning in close to Yamcha. Her eyes were so fixated on his smile that she didn't see the flicker in his eyes as she leaned all the way over and kissed him. The kiss was gentle, soft and warm. The warmth shivered like a spark that was about to burst into a blaze. Chichi wanted to draw all of that softness and gentleness into herself. Just as she was about to reach out and take a hold of Yamcha the kiss was severed.

Yamcha had leaned so far back, in an attempt to get away from Chichi; he had fallen off of the trunk. He sat there for a moment staring at the woman he had know for so very long, his eyes wide with shock. Chichi blinked. Her thoughts were frozen by the sudden removal of the warmth and joy. "Yamcha?--" She started to speak.

The sound of her voice broke the spell that had kept Yamcha still and silent on the floor. He jumped up and before he even had another breath he bolted out of the kitchen door. He didn't bother uncapsulizing his car; he just dove into the air and flew away.

Chichi followed Yamcha to the kitchen door and watched all that warmth and comfort and joy fly away without looking back. She turned around and let her gaze fall upon the kitchen, the empty, lonely kitchen. That is when it struck her. "Oh, Kami." She whispered touching her fingers to her lips." What have I done?"

TBC