Ch.1

"Gohan breakfast!"

Gohan opened one eye and slowly pulled the covers down as he let out a yawn. The smell of food instantly made him more alert and he almost felt giddy as he started to pull himself out of bed.

Until he saw the Gi.

It was navy and orange, and he slept with it as a blanket every night. He missed his father so much it hurt, and this was the only way he could keep his father's scent with him now. Without his father's presence, the house had become somber. Although his mom tried her best to be upbeat during the day, Gohan could often hear her crying at night, which broke his heart.

If only his father had come back.

Feeling grim, Gohan dragged his feet as he headed towards the kitchen. Upon entering, he immediately saw the table covered with all his favourite dishes.

"Gohan I hope you're hungry. There's plenty."

Chichi hummed to herself as she set the table. It sounded forced to Gohan, and it only made him feel worse as he sat down to eat.

"Thanks mom, it looks great." Chichi looked up at her son's gloomy tone.

"Gohan, do you want to talk about it?" It had been three months since the Cell games and Chichi couldn't stand to see her son looking so upset. She knew he desperately missed his father. She missed him too.

"Not really mom. I just didn't sleep well." Chichi nodded and both mother and son started to eat in silence. Chichi knew she had to do something to help Gohan with his grief, but she just couldn't figure out the best way to help. She'd been trying to cope with her own grief, as well as the big news she'd been waiting for the right moment to share with him. But it didn't seem like today was a good day for that.

"Gohan, could you get some firewood for me this afternoon? We're running low." Chichi watched her son's face go from sad to neutral. Any physical task seemed to help change his mind.

"Sure mom." Chichi waited a beat before continuing.

"Also…I'd love to have some fish for dinner. Would you mind catching a few?" Chichi was a bit afraid of her son's reaction to this request. Either he would be okay with it, maybe even enjoy it, or it would make him feel worse. She hoped it wouldn't be the latter.

"Sure mom. No problem." Chichi breathed a sigh of relief as Gohan got up and brought his dishes to the sink. Without thinking, she stood up and grabbed him, pulling him in for a hug. Gohan was momentarily startled by the gesture and how tight his mom was holding him.

"Are you okay mom?" He looked up at her concerned, but she said nothing. She quickly let go and headed to her room without another word.

…

Gohan loved being outside. The fresh air and wind in his face as he flew helped to ease his sorrow. He decided to talk to his mom over dinner and make sure she was okay. They had both been struggling with his father's death, and he felt guilty that he'd been pulling away from her. He didn't want to cause her more pain.

Happy with his decision, he landed close to a stream and surveyed the water. He knew this spot well; his father used to take him fishing in this exact spot when he was younger. It made him feel close to his dad just being there. The young demi-saiyan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before a small smile crossed his face. He barely felt his body move as he dived head-first into the water.

The cool liquid hit him with a jolt, and Gohan felt happier than he had in a long time. As he swam, he felt his muscles burn, a feeling he hadn't felt since his fight with Cell. It felt…good. Great actually. He'd barely moved since it all happened- just studying and staring off into space. But now he felt alive again.

Gohan quickly found a large fish and caught it between his hands, flying out of the water and tossing it onto the shore. He was sure his mom could make a great meal out of it, but he wasn't ready to stop fishing just yet. With a laugh, he jumped back into the water in search of another fish.

It all happened so quickly, he was completely thrown off guard.

As he'd been approaching his next fish of choice, a sharp pain in his chest made him yelp. Clutching his chest, he struggled to swim to the surface, his panicked breath leading him to take in water and choke. His vision started to fade as he finally broke surface and pulled himself onto the shore. The pain had now ceased, but the demi-saiyan started to cough as he struggled for breath.

"What was THAT?" He wondered. Confused and worried, Gohan sat for a while staring at the water as he wondered where the pain had come from. He kept expecting the pain to return, but luckily, it seemed to have passed. He was getting ready to get up when a thought suddenly popped into his head.

"It couldn't be…" Gohan shook his head and got up, ready to head home. He wouldn't let himself overreact over a momentary pain. It was probably because of the lack of exercise these last few months, he reasoned. Grabbing his fish, Gohan started to fly home, determined to calm himself so he could have a nice dinner with his mom.