The Aftermath

Hiya everyone, how's it going? So I'm gonna just come out and say that I am a huge Dragon Ball fan, own all animes, most mangas, games, etc. But I have never did a Dragon Ball story before and after some considering, decided to put together this one-shot. If it gets good reception, I may yet do another. Who knows?

Anyway, before I get sidetracked, as you can guess by the title, this is a story focused mainly on Goku, Gohan, Chi-Chi and Goten, exploring their reunion. This takes place shortly after the Kid Buu saga. Enjoy folks and don't forget to review.

Defeating Kid Buu had been without a doubt the most difficult fight of their lives. It had been a long, tiring battle with many causalities, but it was finally safe to say that it was all over. The earth was once again safe.

Until the next threat, that is.

Goku knew this too well. As his wise and former mentor Mr. Popo had warned "No matter how strong you become, there is always going to be someone stronger"

But for the first time in a while, he didn't want to fight. Right now, all Goku wanted to do was go home.

Turning towards his friends, the saviour of earth smiled. "Thank you, everyone for everything. I couldn't have done it without you, especially you, Vegeta."

The prince didn't respond and remained turned away with his arms crossed and usual scowl. Goku was not at all surprised, even despite the two finally putting their differences aside. Vegeta would always be stubborn to thank anyone for help.

Chi-Chi took Goku's hand, catching his attention. "Goku, I can't believe you're finally back. Is this it? Are we finally going to be a full family?"

Goku nodded with his signature smile. "That's right."

"No more Other World?"

"Nope."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Nearby, their eldest son Gohan was quietly speaking with Videl away from the others. Without the other's eyes watching them, he could speak to her in private. "Videl...I just wanted to say..."

The daughter of Hercule eyed him, though deep within, she was struggling to hold a smile. "Yes?"

"Uhhh...Nice haircut," Gohan stuttered, nervously brushing his hair with a small laughter.

Not the answer she was looking for, but it was probably the closest thing to a compliment. She merely grinned and playfully bumped him in the arm.

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi called out, breaking his attention. "It's time to go!"

Gohan nodded and picked up the pace with his discussion. "I'll see you soon, Videl! I'll call you!"

Goten was also on his way, waving farewell to his best friend. "See ya, Trunks!"

The family of four reunited and joined hands with each other, preparing to leave and return home. Without another word, Goku placed two fingers to his forehead and in a split-second, the Instant Transmission brought them to the one place they all sought: home.

The Lookout was gone and now they were back in front of the Son household. Everyone released hands as they entered the home. Goku was never more grateful to return.

"Wow, it's like I never left!" Goku noted before placing his hand against his rumbling stomach. "Uh, Chi-Chi, what's for dinner?"

Chi-Chi merely chuckled, ever so amused by her husband's desire for food. "Oh Goku. Just like old times."

"Now that he mentioned it, I'm kinda hungry too, Mom," Gohan agreed. "The kais are great trainers, but not the best of cooks."

"Guess it's time to get the dinner on," Chi-Chi assumed, but for once, she was happy to feed her bottomless pit of a husband. She leaned up and pecked Goku on his cheek. "Settle back home, Goku. Oh, and change your clothes."

Goku nodded as he inspected his gi, noting it was practically destroyed after the battle with Buu. He retreated upstairs and almost forgot which room was his. Upon entering, a sense of déjà vu hit him. Their bedroom had not changed a bit. Same bed, same wallpaper, same room. He located the closet and upon opening, felt relieved to see that Chi-Chi had not thrown away any of his clothing. Not shocking, he simply changed into another gi, tossing his old one into the trash.

As he prepared to leave, Goku froze when he sensed his eldest son's energy grow too notable to ignore. Curiously, Goku turned and searched through the window. Outside, Gohan was training with himself, shadowing fighting while occasionally jumping around.

"Gohan's training?" Goku noted curiously. Odd indeed. Goku was usually the one training like crazy while Gohan focused on his studies. Did they trade places?

Too curious to ignore, Goku opened the window and jumped down, landing a few feet away. "Hey Gohan! You might want to take it easy, son. Training can only get you so far if you don't rest."

Upon sensing (and hearing) his father's presence, Gohan paused for a brief second to face him. Before long, he was back to it again. This lack of response left Goku concerned.

"Everything okay?"

Realising he would not get peace until he replied, Gohan paused and turned towards his father, his usually happy and friendly expression changed to one of determination. "Sorry Dad. But everything's not okay."

Goku eyed him curiously, placing both hands to his hips. "What's wrong? Aren't you glad to be home?"

"Of course," Gohan assured. "But all of this, Buu, Dabura, Babidi, it's all my fault!"

"I...I don't follow, son," Goku said confused. "You didn't cause any of this, your heart is as pure as good itself."

Gohan shook his head. "That's not what I mean, Dad. I should have been stronger! I could have ended Buu but I let my confidence get the better of me again! Just like Cell! Don't you remember?!"

Goku remembered all too well. It was the last time they had saw each other until the present year. "I do remember, Gohan. Not a day goes by that I don't. But you can't blame yourself, you defeated Cell-"

"NO!" Gohan snapped. "Don't you get it?! My cockiness cost you your life. You trusted me with the fate of the earth and what did I do? Nothing. I slacked off and got weaker. Had I trained, had I kept my promise, I could have been so much more! I could have ended it all before it even started. And then when Elder Kai unlocked my hidden power, I let it get to my head and it cost us again! I couldn't even catch an earring. I hate myself for that. I have to be ready for next threat that attacks earth!"

This was certainly a lot to take in for the saiyan. Goku knew that his son had gone through a lot these past few years, but he never expected this. Now seemed like a better time than any to finally tell him what he should have a long time ago. "Gohan, I understand your frustration. I know what it's like to make mistakes. I've made many myself, but the biggest mistake I ever made...Was my parenting to you."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. Goku wasn't the brightest tool in the world, but a bad father? Never. "What do you mean, Dad?"

Goku stepped forward and placed one hand upon his son's shoulder. "Gohan, I haven't been the best father to you. Ever since Raditz first tried to take you, nothing but trouble has followed since then. Throughout it all, you've been forced to fight. Not because you wanted to, but because you had to. You didn't get to live out your childhood because of that. And when we fought Cell, I put a lot on you to defeat him. Gohan, what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry, son. I should never have put the pressure of you to defend earth. I didn't just leave you, I left Chi-Chi and Goten. You have great potential, but I'll always be your father and it's my job to take care of you. I'm proud of you, son, no matter how you choose your life."

If there was one thing Gohan had missed the most of his father were his wise words. He wasn't the best of parents, something Goku himself acknowledged, but when it came to his family having self-doubt, he always found the right words to offer reassurance.

"Father...Thank you," Gohan thanked with a small nod. "It's been too long."

"Too long, son," Goku agreed. "Too long."

"But my point still remains," Gohan responded firmly. "After Buu, we can't afford to let ourselves go soft. We have to be ready."

No doubt about that. Kid Buu was too strong for any of them to beat alone, could they take that risk again?

Goku nodded. "Then let's get stronger together! Think you can keep up with your old man?"

Gohan grinned and begun powering up his ki, now able to access his full potential without transforming thanks to Elder Kai. "Let's find out."

Young Goten watched his older brother and father spare outside through the kitchen window. As a half-saiyan, he loved nothing more than to fight with his brother and best friend Trunks, always jumping at the chance whenever Chi-Chi was in a good mood. But now, seeing the new man he now accepted as his father join in too, he no longer felt that excitement.

Chi-Chi noted his tethered mood while she simultaneously made dinner. "Don't you want to join your dad and brother?"

Goten shook his head.

This left Chi-Chi concerned indeed. Was it because of Goku's return? Sure, they had met and bonded at the tournament, but since then, they had no time together as a family. They were still practically strangers still.

One thing for certain, that was going to change.

Dinner between the Son family went well as they ate for the first together as a whole. Cooking for saiyans whom had bottomless pits was a challenge for Chi-Chi, but it was never something she would throw away. They were a full family now, something she didn't do want to change.

As soon as food was consumed and the night had arrived, everyone was ready for a good night's rest. The battle against Buu had left everyone drained, both physically and mentally.

Goku forgot what it was like to sleep in a comfortable bed. Living with King Kai for so long wasn't bad when it came to training and peace, but actually rest was a different thing. The dead didn't exactly need to sleep.

Chi-Chi never felt more relieved to have her husband beside her again for the first time in years. She did not hesitate to snuggle up towards him. "Oh Goku, I missed you so much."

Goku smiled. "As much as when I died the first time?"

"Don't remind me," Chi-Chi responded, recalling the conflict with Raditz. "I never want you to go again. Don't leave us like that, keep us together. Can you do that, Goku?"

Goku could have sworn they had this conversation before, but he replied all the same. "I will, Chi-Chi. I won't be travelling to Other World anytime soon."

Though a part of her felt otherwise, Chi-Chi knew her husband would never lie to her. She trusted him. "Thank you, Goku. That's all I needed to hear."

There was a brief silence between the married couple as both had different thoughts racing around their minds. Goku was trying to adjust back to normal life while Chi-Chi was trying to adjust to sleeping with someone again.

It was not until a moment Chi-Chi recalled their youngest son's noticeable silence during dinner that she spoke up. "Goku, there's something I want you to do tomorrow."

"Anything. What is it?"

"I want you to spend some time with Goten."

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

Chi-Chi nodded. "You were there when Gohan was growing up, but Goten has had seven years without a father. I want you to bond with him, connect and help him to know you're his father and not a complete stranger."

This was an usual request from his wife, but it wasn't as if Goku was against the idea of spending time with his son. "I can do that. And you don't mind how we do so?"

"You can go hiking, fight, I don't mind what you do," Chi-Chi answered, actually surprising Goku. He didn't recall her giving permission with Gohan in the past. "I'll take Gohan out the house for the day, too. He may have helped save the world, but he has school all the same. Think you can manage that without me?"

It would be a small challenge, but when it came to beating limits, that was something he thrived for. "It'll be great, Chi-Chi."

Goten wasn't sure whenever to be excited or nervous at the thought of spending time with his father. True to his word, Goku agreed to spend time with his younger son, taking him out towards the woods. No doubt to avoid causing unnecessary damage to their home.

Now alone, Goku finally got to ask the question that had been racing around his mind: "Goten, how did you become a Super Saiyan so fast? It took Gohan and I intense training and power to unlock it's power, and even more so for Gohan to reach ascended form!"

The young half-saiyan shrugged. "I don't know! Mommy was training me to fight and then it just happened. Mom didn't like it though, said something about being a delencuent."

Goku chuckled. "You mean a 'delinquent'. Gotta say, I didn't think Chi-Chi would be so generous with you training. When Gohan was a kid, she never let me train him and wanted him to stick to the books. You're a lot stronger than I was when I was a kid!"

"Really?!"

"You betcha!"

"Cool!" Goten exclaimed. To demonstrate his ability, the young boy transformed, his hair spiking up before transforming into it's unique golden colour. "It's really easy! Dad, can you show me Super Saiyan 2? I've never seen it before!"

Goku smiled and powered up his energy, transforming into a similar form. His hair was slightly longer while electric sparks emitted around his body. "This is an ascended form, twice as strong as a normal Super Saiyan. Your brother got this form first when we fought against Cell. And you already saw Super Saiyan 3 when we fought Buu. Now why don't we power back down to avoid wasting energy?"

"OKAY!"

Goku powered down first before moving on to the next part of their day. "So you know the Kamehameha wave, too?"

Goten nodded and positioned his hands to the side of his stomach, slowly charging his inner energy towards the palm of his hands. "Want me to show you? Kamekameha!"

Before Goku could even protest, Goten had already released his power, firing directly towards a nearby tree. His energy wave lost direction halfway, missing its intended target and colliding with a boulder instead. Although it was one of the most powerful attacks on the planet, Goten did not charge enough energy to do too much damage.

As the damaged ceased, Goku stepped forward, laughing slightly with a mixture of nervousness. "Not bad, son, but you haven't quite got it right. It's pronounced, "Kamehameha", and you're letting go of the wave too early. You need to focus if you want it to hit your target in a straight line. Want me to show you?"

Goten jumped in excitement. "Ya!"

"Okay! Follow my lead," Goku bent his knees and lowered his body, preparing to teach his son the same way he did: through mimic. A strong trait of their race was the ability to learn techniques quicker than other fighters, reaching limitless power while doing so. Goten followed his pattern, copying his father like a mirror.

"Ka-a-a-a-a-a-a...M-e-e-e-e-e"

Goku cupped both of his hands together in front and slowly moved them to the right side of his body. Slowly, be begun to concentrate all of his inner ki between their hands, channelling all of their power into one spot.

"Ha-a-a-a-a-a-a...M-e-e-e-e-e"

Between the palm of their hands, the blue energy ball begun to form, getting larger with every second. As the energy formed further, four streaks of light appeared in every direction, spinning around in a three-hundred and eighty-degree angle. Now with all of their power gathered, only one part remained:

To release.

"H-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!"

Simultaneously, father and son thrust their hands forward and released the streaming, powerful beam of energy. Their combined attack blasted through the sky, shooting past the various clouds until reaching space itself. Together, they ceased their attack and allowed the energy wave to fade away.

"You did it, son!" Goku praised, rubbing his hand through the hair passionately.

Goten giggled in response. "Hey Dad, are you gonna get stronger?"

As if he had to ask. Goku couldn't avoid a chuckle of amusement. "All the way. We saiyans have no limits. We'll become the strongest in the universe."

"Cool!" Goten replied. "Will you train me too, Dad?"

Goku nodded. "Always. After Buu, it's important we get as strong as we can. Next time, we'll beat foes on our own!"

That was a vow Goku intended to follow with. All his life he had spent training, surpassing any foes and striving to become the strongest. If there was one regret Goku had when he came back to life was that he couldn't defeat Buu on his own. Even with the help of Vegeta, Gohan and the rest of the earth, they had just about defeated the evil being.

No matter the obstacle, Goku intended to keep training and surpass the strongest of them all! It was a Saiyans will.

And conclusion! Thanks for reading, folks. Like I said before, first time writing a Dragon Ball story so hope I did this one-shot justice. Be sure to review and if reaction is good, I may do more DB stories. Until next time, ciao.