Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the DBZ franchise.

Gohan lay under one of his favorite trees with his eyes closed, soaking up the sunlight that filtered through the canopy above and listening to the quite noises of the wildlife around him. He loved this. The clam, peaceful forest and all of beauty that surrounded his family's home. It never failed to give him a place to relax and just enjoy the best this world had to offer. These mountains had so many good memories in them and the potential for so many more. It was the memories of his dad that he cherished the most. He loved his father more than anyone in the world (though Goten had mostly taken that spot now) and sometimes he liked to lay out in the places they used to go to when he was little. He still remembered the way dad would throw him up in the air and catch him when he came down. Gohan had never once been afraid when he was with his dad, because he was always there to catch him when he fell. His father would play out here with him and Gohan could still remember the feeling of awe at how big the world was. Still remember how safe and protected he always felt with his father's arms around him, carrying him from one adventure to another.

He missed his dad terribly sometimes and he didn't know what to do with himself when things got too much, but it would help to come out here and remember. There was just so much joy to be had here and he didn't mind the solitude, his mom and little brother were always close after all, not to mention that all of his friends only lived a short flight away.

Speaking of friends, he remembered that he had agreed to spar with Piccolo and Vegeta today. He paused for a moment to chuckle at the thought of what Vegeta might do if he knew Gohan thought of him as a friend. And he really did, well…maybe more like a grumpy uncle. Yeah, that was better. Vegeta might not be easy to get along with but Gohan didn't really mind his surly personality. He knew Vegeta had a hard time growing up, like a really hard time, and that kind of horrid environment is bound to change someone. Besides, Vegeta would rather die than admit it out loud but he genuinely cared for his family, maybe even loved them. And Gohan knew that despite the prickly, stand offish exterior, if anyone ever threatened them Vegeta would be there protecting Trunks and Bulma with everything he had. That, despite everything else, is what had Gohan convinced that Vegeta was really a good person at heart.

He also knew that not everyone shared his opinion, though he had no idea why.

The birds around him continued to chirp and he could feel the deer that lay close to him stirring from its sleep. He cracked his eyes open and smiled at the small butterfly that had landed on the tip of his nose. Gohan shifted and sat up, gently removing the bunny on his lap so he could stand up and stretch.

Oh well, he figured he had spent enough time relaxing for today, if he didn't leave soon he'd be late for training. He paled a bit at the thought of how much harder they would both go on him if he showed up late. Besides, he felt bad enough about skipping out on his studies today, no need to add to the guilt list. He had really needed the break though. He knew his mom was only trying to help, she just wanted him to have a good job and be able to provide for himself in the future. But still, even he thought she went overboard with it sometimes. He was studying things people four times his age never bothered to learn, let alone other 16 year olds. So he figured he could afford a little break every now and then.

Finishing his stretch he smiled and ran out further into the open field to take off. Flying through the air he spun around and laughed, laying on his back he watched the clouds spread out around him as he flashed by. This made him feel so alive. He couldn't imagine not being able to do this. To take off into the skies and just let loose. It was so freeing, feeling the wind surround him and watching as the landscape flew by bellow him.

Spotting the ocean coming up ahead he grinned and lowered himself close to the sparkling surface. Reaching his hand down he drug it across the top of the water, enjoying the spray of the ocean that rushed up to meet him. He watched as a school of dolphins raced around him, trying their best to keep up. He gave them a broad smile and waved before lifting himself up further in the sky and taking off toward the training grounds.

He was actually looking forward to sparing with his mentor and Vegeta. After the Cell games he had been reluctant to get back in the game, so to speak. He honestly didn't remember much of what happened after he went SSJ2, not until Cell threatened to blow himself up and the world along with him; he had snapped back to his senses then. But he did remember how he felt. The emotions behind that overwhelming power. They were…it was…it wasn't something he wanted to feel again, not ever again.

But then he learned about Goten, about his precious baby brother, and he thought. I have to protect him. I've got the power to protect everyone but I have to learn how to use it. When dad had died he told Gohan that he would be able to protect everyone in his place and Gohan had been determined to make his dad proud of him. But he didn't want to use that power, he refused to even think about it. Because, what if he lost control again? What if someone else he loved died because of his mistakes?

Never again.

So he decided to keep it locked away. To put away that power that turned him into a mindless beast made of nothing but rage and sorrow and agony. And then he heard he was going to be a big brother and he knew. He had to go back and face something he hadn't even wanted to consider before.

What if something stronger than Cell came along?

What if something he couldn't beat without becoming that thing came and threatened his world, his friends, his family?

What then?

So he started training. Despite his mom's reluctance to let him do so he manage to convince her that if he stayed strong, got stronger even, then there wouldn't be anything in the universe that could hurt him. Even she couldn't argue with that. She hadn't considered it before, all she had been able to think about was him getting hurt if he fought. Not him being able to protect himself if anything came after him. And lets face it, being Son Goku's son means trouble is always just around the corner. So she caved and allowed him to train so long as he kept up with his studies.

It had been five years since then. And just one year ago he was finally able to gain complete control over his powers. There was no more blacking out, no more giving up control to his emotions. Not only that but he could feel something else, something just beyond the surface that screamed of more power. Gohan hadn't told anyone yet, especially not Vegeta, but he thinks there might be another level of Super Saiyan, something even stronger than SSJ2.

He was nearing the training grounds when he felt something heading toward the Lookout. He stopped and narrowed his eyes, that wasn't a ki signature he recognized. He could feel everyone else, Krillin and Yamcha were at Master Roshi's with Marron and probably 18. Tien and Choatzu were at their usual secluded training spot. He could feel Trunks and Goten at Capsule Corp. where he had last seen them that morning and Vegeta and Piccolo were at the trainings grounds. He could feel them going at it pretty hard and winced a little, they must have gotten impatient waiting for him, that wouldn't mean anything good for him later on.

So if none of them were anywhere near the Lookout did that mean Gohan was the only one that sensed that strange energy? No one else seemed concerned enough to go check it out, but for some reason it was making him feel uneasy.

"Well, since Piccolo and Vegeta seem occupied enough, I guess I could go check it out."

That decided he took off in the other direction and headed towards the Lookout. It was probably nothing, the ki signature seemed pretty weak, but he would feel better with a look around anyways, just to be sure. If it turned out to be a threat he would take care of it. He was one of the strongest people in the universe and that wasn't arrogance speaking, just fact. He had a duty to protect this world and he would gladly fulfill it. As long as no one he loved got hurt, as long as innocent people didn't have to suffer he would take on anything. As much as he hated to hurt others, even evil beings, he would suffer that so no one else would have to. As long as everyone was safe, he was happy.

Once he got there he lightly touched down outside and looked around, confused. Everything seemed fine, nothing was out of place and he could sense Dende and Mr. Popo inside somewhere and their energy wasn't distressed or even a little worried. Had he been imagining things? Scanning the area he couldn't sense anything, the strange ki was just gone.

Weird.

That didn't set right with him. Gohan knew he had sensed something, and energy signatures don't just disappear like that, not unless whatever was giving it off died. He relaxed a little though, relieved that there was no immediate danger to anyone.

Maybe Dende would know what had happened, the ki had been headed this way and honestly he really wasn't in any hurry to go back and face Piccolo and Vegeta; who were both no doubt angry that he still hadn't shown up. If they got mad enough to come looking for him maybe Dende would hide him.

Walking through the halls he tried to follow his Namekian friend's ki signature but for some reason he just couldn't get a lock on it. One moment it felt like Dende was in just ahead of him and then in the next he was in a completely different part of the Lookout. Gohan knew these rooms could put a person in different places, some of them that made no sense what so ever and that meant a lot coming from him, but this was getting ridiculous. Is he messing with me? Eventually he got so turned around that when he stopped to see where he was, he realized that he was lost in a part of the Lookout he had never been in before.

Well this is just great. He though with a sigh. Oh well, at least this might give Piccolo and Vegeta a harder at time finding me.

He was just about to pass a door on his right in an attempt to find his way out of this maze when he halted abruptly. Tilting his head he listened closely and…there! He heard it again. Turning toward to door he opened it and found, as he thought by the noise, a room filled entirely with clocks, all of varying sizes and shapes.

Strange, I've never heard anyone mention a room like this before.

Stepping inside, he made sure to leave the door open. He'd heard from Dende about how some of the rooms in the Lookout had special purposes that only activated when someone was shut inside and he didn't feel like getting stuck in a room that did who knows what to its occupant today, thank you very much.

Venturing in a little further he stopped to look at a clock when he noticed the strange date on it.

Why in the world would the Lookout have clocks that didn't tell the right time? Not only that but this clock was off by 50 years.

Inspecting a few others he saw that they all had years and dates and times that were way off. The entire room was filled with them, nothing else. It wasn't a very large room but craning his neck up he strained to see the ceiling but it looked like it had no end and every inch of the walls were covered with the strange clocks.

He was just deciding to leave and ask Dende or Mr. Popo about the room later when it happened. He never even sensed the dark shadow approaching him from behind, he only felt something solid shove him toward the wall in front of him which quickly morphed into a black hole. He yelped in surprise as he was sent through to the other side, the shadow slipping in after him, unnoticed.

The hole in the wall closed up with a snap leaving no trace that Gohan had ever even been there.

—

In another part of the Lookout Dende looked up from the intense meditative pose he had been in and turned to Mr. Popo to shake him from his trance.

"Did you just hear something?"

"No sir."

Dende frowned, he could have sworn he heard Gohan. Giving the Lookout a quick scan he couldn't sense Gohan anywhere in the area.

"Hmm, it must have been the wind..."

—-

Until next time ~

—

So what do you think? Be sure to leave a review with suggestions, ideas, or things that you'd like to see in this story. P.S. the Time Room is actually canon :) go check out Dragon Ball ep.129