Goku was dead- gone along with the cell games, leaving the rest of the Son's (Chi-Chi and Gohan) Alone to fend for themselves.
But Goku didn't just leave them.
He left his newborn son- Goten.
The evening son was just setting into the orange arrange of fluffy clouds, the effervescent of Goku's last ephemeral still on the tips of the Son's family tongues, with goodbye still just of the edge of their lips. The gambol that was once in the air by Goku's presence left along with his spirit- Gohan now without the affection of a father, and Chi-Chi, woebegone Chi-Chi, was cold every night without the warmth of a husband next to her.
It seemed like the house could never be full again. Even the shingling seemed to droop, the plants dying all to quickly from the brown garden. All the talisman that was once in the house left, hope fleeting to the edge of the cliff to dangle then fall quickly- to deep for anyone to grasp.
As of now, Gohan lay next to his comely mother dearly, the black core's of his pearly eyes gleaming in the depth's of the horror deep down. Cradled in his arms was the soft, fresh skinned pureness from a newborn child- certainly the next generation of Goku's legacy. Large quantities of black hair spewed over the child's spherical crown, and strong arms beat Gohan's wrist with such force for a tiny creature. It wasn't possible that this wasn't Goku's son.
"Oh Gohan," His mother's voice was desperate, lingering to catch the hope over the cliff... but was all to late. "I haven't been able to pick out a name. I need Goku here to help me."
Gohan let out a small sigh, his eyes watering madly at the memory of his father. The eleven year old remembered how, just the year before, his father was with his- cheerfully happy and light-hearted to be home with his family. They ate lunch together down by the lake, and swam to catch fish for supper. Now, how could he possibly go back to find the memories of his father? The demure son shook his head to clear the thought, adding in helpfulness to his mother, "How did you name me?"
Chi-Chi smiled, her eyes glazing as the memories enfolded her mind again. Gohan shivered- what was it like to be named? How did they name him? He had heard about Grandpa Gohan, sure, but was that the only reason?
"I didn't even want to name you Gohan at first." Gohan jumped at his mother's voice, his mind on other topics. "But every time I tried to name you something other than Gohan you would cry and cry." she smiled at the thought of her son, a mere child again. "Gohan was perfect, in memory of the man who saved Goku."
With a quick exertion of piece added to his brain,Gohan popped up an idea, still holding the tiny child into the bare of his muscular arms. The newborn seemed to be falling asleep, his black eyes flickering on and off with the idea of sleep consuming him. Gohan smiled, and gave his thoughts.
"I think, since I am in memory of Grandpa Gohan, this child should be in memory of Son Goku- our father. With," he added, "A traditional theme to the family. A Son." It was only a perfect solution to give the child memory of the father he would never get to know- never get to meat. Dad was the most amazing person ever, and it was a great loss to Goku's son to never even get to feel his dad's presence underneath his tiny arms.
Chi-Chi sighed, her eyes blank like black coals, no longer lissome but all to gone- as if she left the feeling that she used to have behind them. Oh mother- what happened to us? Gohan's thought's churned with desire to name his brother after dad, but mom looked so weak...
"What," Chi-Chi began, her voice hollowed out and forgotten. "Could we possibly give to this child in a name form that honor's Goku? Goku's love? Son Love? Son Saved the World? Son I was a Good Dad until I had to Die to Save Us All?" Hot, foamy tears sprung into the pool of dark eyes, over flowing like a cup before spilling over completely. Gohan's mother buried her face into her arms, trying to hide the dark patches of scarlet covering her pale face.
"Gohan, we can never find the panacea. The solution's are all gone."
Gohan swallowed, the fear in his heart replenishing at the thought that they couldn't give a good name to his newborn brother to honor Goku. The little boy was fast asleep in his arms, tired after a long day of feeding and screaming for food. He was only just born a couple sunrise's ago, the tear in his heart not yet cracking at life without a father. He was still fresh and innocent. Just like his father...
"We could name him Goku," Gohan added slowly, lost in idea's and in thought. "To honor dad."
"I don't want his child to be named his name." chi-Chi sobbed, blinking back more tears and fighting to stay strong and on her feet. She had to- for her sons. "To much pain is brought on by that name. It will be honored a different way. But he will not be named Son Goku."
Twiddling his thumbs together absentmindedly, Gohan struggled to keep hold himself. Seeing his mother fighting back against her weakness- pain- made him remember his time back in the Time Chamber with his father, trying to become a super saiyan. "Remember Gohan, it comes from a need, not a desire." his father has said. What else was it? "It is triggered by pain and loss." That sure is how he felt right now. He was sure that anytime now, even though he could control it at will, he could turn a super saiyan and destroy everything in sight. His time in the chamber got Gohan to remember more than he would have wished, but he wasn't about to give up now.
"We must stay Pyrrhic!" Gohan swallowed back his tears- his memory of loss. "We must stay successful! Dad may be gone, but his family is not."
Chi-Chi sighed, deep and heavily that so unmatched her. "For ten year's, your father was the greatest man alive. For ten year's, he did the best he could to be a perfect husband. And a perfect dad." More tears sprung to the pools of his mother's eyes, but she finished her sentence with grief. "That is what your father is known for, Gohan. Ten years of pure joy, even though he was gone for some of them." She smiled, a tentative, upsetting smile.
"For ten years," Gohan murmued gently, rubbing the nap of his thumb against the Saiyan's tiny head while he slept. "He was here for me. And for the rest of my life, he will be my father." He glanced down at the boy in his arms, and with a great smile latching onto the ear to ear grin forming across his face, Gohan actually laughed for what felt like the first time since Goku's passing.
"For Ten years, Son Goku was living with us in our lives. Now, Son Goten will help me finish our father's journey."
In answer, the tiny child awoke with a large smile on his face, and he giggled as Gohan tickled his tummy with large, eleven year old fingers. "Welcome to the family, Son Goten."
I have had this in my head for a while. Don't know if this is actually why they named him Goten, but I thought it was cute. I wrote this all in the past hour, so it may turn out to be bad. Don't know. You decide!
I do not own Dragon Ball Z or it's characters.