Hello AnimeWolfGirl9 here! If you have chosen to even read this far into my first fanfiction, then I thank you. Since this is my first (and so far, but hopefully not) fanfiction, please mind my ability to "put into words" what this fanfiction is. This fanfiction starts eight days before the Cell Games (highlighting the main events leading up to it), includes the Cell Games, and the three years after. Hopefully I will be able to improve in that as this story continues. I will have to say though that this story will get better as it continues. Once again, thank you and I hope you enjoy the first chapter of "I Need You"!

Full Summary: "But that doesn't mean that I don't need you" Gohan said as he stared at the sky. If only he knew how much those words meant...

Gohan is getting over the death of his father after the Cell Games. He is trying to also not disappoint his mother and to try raising his younger brother. Sometimes anger and grief can only go so far...

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its other content.

Chapter 1: Wandering Thoughts

A gentle breeze was blowing and the sun was shining brightly in the midafternoon wake. A boy was flying just above the bright green trees. He had spikey blonde hair and teal colored eyes. The boy stopped flying and looked around him, taking in the mountains and the seemingly endless forest surrounding him.

This forest just seems to have no end, the boy thought with worry, I need to hurry and find another town soon. Mom won't be happy if I keep her waiting.

The boy closed his eyes, as the wind blew threw his hair, and thought back to what had happened earlier that morning.

"Gohan," a woman called as she searched through the house for her son. The woman had black eyes and her black hair was sitting neatly on top of her head. As the woman rounded the corner, Gohan came out of his room. He had currently been studying when his mom had called.

This must be important if mom had to interrupt my studying, the boy thought as he walked into the hallway.

"Gohan, I would like you to go and pick up some things from the store," the woman said as she stared at her son, "I will give you the list and could you go pick them up, please?"

Gohan knew that his mom's last statement was not a plea, but more like a demand. He figured he should be studying, but he didn't want to upset his mom. If there was one thing that Gohan and his dad Goku were afraid of, it was Son Chi-Chi's wrath. Gohan nodded to signal that he understood and, as his mother started to walk toward the kitchen, followed. His mom walked over to the kitchen counter and took a neatly folded piece of paper off the countertop. She placed it in Gohan's outstretched hand, and as Gohan turned to leave, he saw his dad and Krillin in the living room.

"Daddy I'm going to go for a fly," Gohan stated as he walked into the room. His father looked back at him and smiled.

"Ok have fun," Goku said as he stifled a yawn. Krillin just smiled and shook his head at Goku's laziness. Gohan stared into his dad's teal eyes and then started for the door. When he got outside, he used his Ki to levitate himself into the air, and flew off into the distance.

Gohan sighed as he opened his eyes again; the light from the sun was too bright at the moment since his sudden change in darkness back to light from having his eyes closed. His teal eyes blinked a couple of times and then started to scan the horizon.

He started to fly in the direction he started before he had stopped, but his thoughts were still occupying most of his attention. It had been two days since Cell, an android created by Dr. Gero of the Red Ribbon Army, had announced that he was holding a tournament ten, now currently eight, days from then. Gohan and his father had been in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at the time the tournament was announced, training to master their Super Saiyan forms; but they had quickly been informed by the rest of the Z fighters when their training was done. Afterwards, Goku had said that they would have three days of rest, then three days of training, and then three more days of rest. The "Cell Games", as the Z fighters were calling the tournament, was where fighters around the world came to challenge their strength against Cell. If the Z fighters lost, then Cell was going to destroy the Earth.

Gohan shivered, not because of the wind, but almost because of the fear and dread he felt inside. Cell had been strong in his first two forms, and knowing that he had only gotten stronger was frightening for Gohan. It almost reminded him of when they had gone to Namek to wish their friends back to life after the Saiyans attacked; only to be confronted by Frieza whose power level, although hidden for most of the time, was scary because no one knew just how powerful Frieza was. That was what scared Gohan the most: the unknown.

Gohan shook his head to get rid of the thoughts from that time. That was when he was only a five year old. He was almost eleven now; but still, Gohan was sometimes plagued with nightmares where he couldn't protect anyone close to him. This thought brought Gohan back to the Cell Games. Gohan had always known that his father could overcome any obstacle, but when Goku had measured his power level to Cell's, he said that Cell would probably beat him. That had also scared Gohan, because for once in his life he wasn't sure if they could win this fight. Another thing that bothered Gohan was that his dad was acting all calm that he might not be able to beat Cell. Gohan was confused on the most part why his dad would be acting so calm when the world was, literally, at stake.

He had asked his dad if they could actually beat Cell, but Goku had told him not to worry. Also, Gohan was puzzled about something else; while at Korin's Tower, Korin had asked Goku if he had discovered a secret while in the Time Chamber, and he had said yes. Gohan didn't know when his father had the time to discover something because he had been with him the whole time.

Gohan inwardly sighed as he continued to fly.

How can daddy be so calm? He says that he might not be able to beat Cell, and he's acting like everything's ok. Oh well, guess I should just trust him on this.

Gohan then started to see something in the distance. He started to fly faster, hoping that this time it was a city. As he got closer, Gohan saw that it was a small village. Sitting on a hill near the village, he saw that there was a big dome shaped object.

I hope someone here can help, Gohan thought, this is the fourth village I have been too. Most of them have been empty though. Cell must have really scared people.

As he finished thinking, Gohan saw something in the corner of his eye. A normal human wouldn't have been able to see it, but since Gohan was half saiyan, he could see it since he had better vision. He flew down closer to the tree tops; the green leaves tickling his skin, and saw that what he saw was a girl. The girl looked to be around the age of ten, with brown eyes and hair that was tied into two braids at the sides of her head.

Gohan looked closer and saw that the girl was trying to get an apple at the edge of a branch, straying dangerously close to the river below. Gohan continued to watch and saw that the branch was starting to bend under the girl's weight. He was going to call out and tell the girl about the bending branch when the tree limb separated from its trunk and fell into the water, the girl following close behind.

I have to help her, Gohan thought desperately as he saw the girl struggling in the water.

He flew down to where she was struggling and picked her up out of the river. He landed a few feet away from the river and put the girl down so that she could stand.

"Are you ok?" Gohan asked, still holding onto the girl to make sure that she was steady. He saw her look down and push away from him, the quick motion sending a light wind to move his golden hair.

"You meanie!" the girl spat as she glared at Gohan. She then stuck her tongue out at him and started to run away. "Go back to where you came from!"

Well I certainly can't do that, Gohan thought as he watched her run into the forest. Then he got confused.

What did I do to make her so mad?

Gohan decided to forget the instance for the time being and, lifting off into the sky, started heading for the village nearby.

So how did you like the first chapter? I hope this doesn't seem too unlively for you in the beginning. This chapter is mostly based around the episode "A Girl Named Lime". I have watched it several times and I would recommend it. Later on in this story though, it does get darker, so if you don't like that kind of element in a fanfiction, you might want to consider either skipping it or something else. Although, it won't be as descriptive because I am not as good of a writer yet. Also, I have to say that this is not a "Gohan death" fanfiction, so if you were only reading this for that reason, I suggest you might be a bit disappointed. Sorry! Either way, please read and review. I do take constructive criticism, but please no flames since this is my first fanfiction and I am still trying to improve on it. Thanks!

- AnimeWolfGirl9