A/N: Okay, I know I'm bad for writing this when I haven't updated my other stories in so long. But I kinda needed to get the creative juices flowing before I tackled them, and I got the idea for this while I was at the hospital last month.

Goku pulled his hand away from King Kai, almost hesitantly. Convincing his son to leave him in Otherworld wasn't exactly easy, even if it was the best thing for everyone. He put his hand behind his head as he usually did, though right now it was just because he needed something else to do with it, and smiled at King Kai. "Well that's all done. How about we get something to eat?" Yeah, that should help. Eating and training could get his mind off just about anything.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEED YOU AFTER YOU BLEW UP MY PLANET?" King Kai screamed.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that,"

"FORGOT ABOU-?! THAT WAS MY-

"Where can we get some food then?"

"HOME YOU INSENSITIVE-" King Kai stopped talking for a minute. Goku could tell someone was talking to him by all his nodding and muttering under his breathe.

"What is it King Kai?"

"Goku, King Yemma wants to see you at the front desk. Apparently someone isn't happy about your choice to stay in Otherworld, so they got someone to try to change your mind." He spoke so gravely and dramatically, Goku just tilted his head.

"I don't think that'll work King Kai. Do I really have to go?"

"YES YOU HAVE TO-"

"Okay, bye!" Goku put his fingers to his forehead and left quickly to King Yemma's desk. Better to go here than listen to King Kai keep yelling.

"Oh Goku, nice of you to get here so fast." Goku turned to see King Yemma smiling down at him. He wondered if there were many more Kings he would meet in Otherworld.

"Hi King Yemma." He floated upward, so he could look the giant in the eye without craning his neck so far.

"Goku, we know about your decision-"

"We?"

"Goku, would you let me finish?"

"Sorry King Yemma." He smiled but tried to look embarrassed. ChiChi told him he was supposed to do that when he made someone angry.

"Yes. Well. We know that you decided to stay in Otherworld, and usually since that's how things usually work we don't concern ourselves with whether or not someone wants to be here. But you can go home, and it is felt that the earth will need you again, so we've decided to pull some strings."

"I don't understand King Yemma. What strings?"

"Not that kind of... Oh nevermind Goku. We just got someone for you to talk to. It wasn't easy either. He's been informed on what's happened and it's his job to get you to want to go home." King Yemma sat back in his chair, as if to rest after all his talking.

"I already want to go home King Yemma, but I can't."

"You don't have to agree to go back, it is still your choice Goku, since the dragon won't bring you back if you don't want to go. But you do have to go talk to our guest after all the trouble I went through to get him here. He isn't even from this dimension! Do you know how much paperwork I had to do to get him here?"

"Well no, but I only just told everyone... It couldn't have been to much, right?" Goku asked hopefully.

"Wrong! We have known about your decision since you made it. I've been doing overtime on your paperwork for weeks! Oherworld weeks! They're longer than earth weeks!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll talk to him." Goku tried to placate the giant ogre. No reason to get the demon with a temper that ran the front desk mad at you. Even Goku could figure that out. "Where is he?"

"Through that door. Listen well Goku. This decision is important."

"I promise to listen and think hard about it." Goku turned, floating down to the person-sized door, and walked through.

It was an enormous white room, a lot like The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The only thing Goku could see for miles was a tall man with dark hair wearing... was that his gi? No... The symbol on the back was different, it was... Piccolo's?

"Hello?"

The man turned, and Goku didn't move.

"Dad... " The man broke out into a big smile and quickly came closer.

"Gohan? But you're so big, and you look... different." Goku looked his son up and down. His hair was short, much shorter than that of the much younger Gohan Goku had been with not so long ago. He has scars on his face, like Yamcha's he supposed. But they didn't look right on his son's face. And worst of all, his son's right arm wasn't there.

That didn't stop the young man from pulling him into a hug.

"I know Dad. I'm Gohan, but I'm not really your Gohan. I'm from the future... Trunks' future."

"You died fighting the androids... Trunks told me. I'm really sorry Gohan." He hugged his son back, and couldn't help but think how strange it was that this man, who Goku noticed was a bit taller than himself, was killed by androids his own eleven year old son could now defeat so easily.

"Don't be sorry Dad. When MY father died, it wasn't by choice. We lost him to the heart virus... Everything that happened after that could never be his fault, or anyone else's... Except for Dr. Gero and his androids. They told me you refused to be wished back. I don't understand it... "

"Gohan, every big fight we've had in this time only happened because of me. I don't want to put everyone in danger by staying."

"What? How could it be your fault? All you ever did was help people Dad."

"Raditz came looking for me, and the fight with Vegeta happened because of him, and Namek happened because of that. Frieza cam looking for me on Earth. Dr. Gero only built the androids so strong to beat me. In my time that lead to Cell becoming perfect, and he nearly destroyed the planet. I save everyone, but lately I only had to because I put them in danger."

Gohan stepped back a little, so they could see eye-to eye. Or almost. Goku was looking up slightly to make eye contact. It was pretty strange.

"Dad, if you hadn't stopped the Red Ribbon army they would have taken over everything by force. They would have killed a lot of people. And if you had died before Raditz came looking for you, don't you think there's a good chance he would have gotten away with me? He said he was going to take me if he didn't get you. I don't think Mr. Piccolo would have fought to save me by himself back then... "

"No, probably not..." The thought made him smile a little. Piccolo had come such a long way over the years. The then ruthless Piccolo had come such a long way.

There was a bit of a silence, and Goku wasn't sure what to do about it. He still wasn't ready to change his mind.

"I grew up alone."

"What?" That got his attention back, and he watched the older version of his son, the version he was now thankful his own small child wouldn't have to be, and waited for him to continue.

"I know you grew up alone Dad, most of the time... but I didn't want to be alone. Once the androids knew about me I couldn't risk going back to Mom in the mountains. Especially when Mom was going to try to keep me from fighting them, make me study instead of train. When I grew up I went to visit her a couple times, but... I was alone. All of our friends were dead, besides Bulma... I went to see her too, but never for too long. I would train alone, fight them, recover, and start over again."

"My little Gohan, he's not alone though. He has Chichi and Ox King and all our friends."

"Even if I'd had them Dad, they would never make up for now having you there. And like I said, I could never blame my father because he didn't have a choice about leaving. But you have a choice, and you're making the wrong one."

Goku had never felt especially ashamed of himself. A lot of people had told him he should, but he never understood why. This time he understood.

"He needs you Dad, for some of the same reasons I needed you and probably a hundred new ones. Like needing you to make sure he know's he didn't fail you."

"Gohan has never-! He just lost control of the transformation, that isn't his fault!"

"They let me watch the Games Dad, The Cell Games. They've known for a while that if you died in the fight you would choose to stay here, so they let me watch, so I could be informed... We both know he thinks he's a failure. I know it first hand. I know I've felt guilty again and again for letting everyone down whenever we were in a fight. For not being brave enough to fight the Saiyans, and losing Piccolo. For not being strong enough to stop Frieza when he killed Krillen... Then for not stopping the androids... because I wanted to be like you. And I knew you could do all the things I couldn't."

"Gohan, that's all crazy. You were a little kid in all of those fights. You didn't have anyone to help you get stronger for the androids. You shouldn't put all that burden on your shoulders." Goku grabbed his son's shoulder now, trying to really get his attention. His own son had just recently let out that he blamed himself for being weak, and it made Goku a kind of angry he'd never felt any other time. He couldn't stand that his son couldn't see how amazing he was, ESPECIALLY for how young he still was, his power was enormous.

"Thanks Dad, but I couldn't help it. I was surrounded by heroes growing up, with the greatest one of all as my dad. I was always going to set the bar high... Dad, he needs you. He needs you more than I ever did, so that he won't blame himself for the world losing you. He will, I can promise that. Telling him it's not his fault will never be enough to convince him... It's only a matter of time before they all need you. You make all the difference Dad... if Trunks' time travel proved anything it's that you were the key to winning."

"I didn't even beat them, you said you saw."

"I did see. He only won because he had your help Dad. He still needs your help. The world still needs your help. It is only a matter of time before the next threat comes, and you should be there for it. Come on... you have to know I'm right."

Goku stood quietly, thinking. This Gohan made a lot of good points... Some without even trying. This Gohan had to fight alone, and here he stood with only one arm left. That arm was gone because it had been up to him to fight, because his father hadn't been there...

He hugged his son. "You're right Gohan... I can't let you grow up without me again. I'm going to get Bulma to talk to the dragon again, and go home as soon as I can."