"She's dying, son." His father's voice was sympathetic over the telephone line, yet bridled with a feeling of weary sorrow. "She doesn't have long left...you should get over here as soon as you can, to say goodbye."
The words echoed cruelly in Gohan's head, and he fought against the sick feeling rising in his stomach. His mother...dying? He knew it was coming, but...she always was so strong, so invincible, it seemed impossible that she had turned into such a weak and fragile old women. And now...
"Gohan, honey?" Videl murmured, stepping softly towards him. "What's wrong? Why are you up so late?"
He turned, looking over at his wife over his shoulder. He must've had a look on his face, because Videl froze and her skin turned pale.
"It's Chi-Chi..." Gohan managed to choke out, leaning against the wall as the telephone cradled uselessly in his hands. "She's not going to make it."
Videl gasped, hands rising to her face. Shock distributed across her face, intermingled with a deep, piercing sadness. "Oh...Kami, no..." She whispered, eyes filling with sympathy and tears.
It seemed that in that moment, with his mother's imminent death hovering over his mind, that Gohan realized his life, too, was almost over. He was nearly 80 years old, weakened by age but still strong and hearty. But, his children were long gone, off to live their own lives and find their own adventures. He had nothing left, save for his wife and the home they shared.
"Gohan...I'm so, so sorry." He heard Videl say, her voice hoarse with tears. "I can't...imagine..."
Squeezing his eyes shut, Gohan turned towards his wife. "Goku said she didn't have long left...and that we should come over as soon as we could...to.." He cut off, the words hanging in the air between them.
Videl's eyes sparkled with wetness in the dark room, and she finished softly, "...to say goodbye."
He nodded weakly, drained of energy and craving sleep. But his mother...his poor, poor mother was dying this second. He couldn't sleep...he couldn't imagine sleeping for a long, long time.
"I'll go get dressed," His wife muttered weakly, stumbling quickly towards their bedroom. Gohan stood where he was, staring absently at the floor with a burning knot working in his throat.
His mother, dying. Who would be next? His father?
He gasped aloud, a sharp stab of grief running through him at the thought; he should've prepared for this, but...a life without his parents? It seemed so unreal.
"Gohan, honey..." Videl whispered to him, shaking his shoulder gently. "We can't delay this any longer."
He looked up, startled by how long he had wasted staring off into space, fighting off the tears threatening to spill.
His shoulders slumped, and still in his pajamas, he crossed the threshold of the house towards the door, his wife in tow.
"I know," Gohan murmured, voice cracking.
Goten's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel of the sky-car; his palms were slick with sweat and shaky, and a sick feeling was burning in his stomach.
The radio spit static at him, intermittent with fits of gravelly speech. He could've flown, but truth be told, he didn't know if he could concentrate long enough to keep himself in the air until he got there.
He couldn't speak; he couldn't think. He didn't want to, didn't want any of this to be happening. It felt like his worst nightmare, the day he'd wake up and know his parents weren't alive anymore.
A sob choked him, and he swerved recklessly in the air. No, no, he had to hold it in until then. Chi-Chi didn't need to see him break down; there was plenty of time for that later.
After she was gone.
His childhood home came into view, and he steered the car towards the ground. The door was open, spilling light onto the dew-encrusted grass. His father took up the space in the frame, one hand leaning against the frame. He spied Gohan and Videl as well, rushing towards the door. They must've arrived only minutes before him.
Goku looked up, meeting Goten's gaze as the car rested safely against the ground. The elderly Saiyan's eyes were weary, and weighty with a soul-cutting sadness. His father braved a smile, but it was shaky and didn't quite meet his eyes.
"Glad you all could make it," He said, raising his voice slightly as they neared the doorway. "She's upstairs, waiting."
Videl's hand covered her mouth, and she leaned against her husband's shoulder, unable to meet her father-in-law's eyes. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered feebly, vision blurring with tears.
Gohan swept his hand over her shoulder, pulling her close as she dissolved into sobs. "Can we see her now?" He said quietly, his gaze empty and weak as he stared desperately at his father.
Goku nodded, and stepped aside to usher them in the door.
Footsteps rushed up the stairs; Chi-Chi turned her head, blinking slowly as the room was suddenly filled with people. No, her family. She smiled slowly, face brightening as she reached out with an unsteady hand.
"I'm here, mom," Goten said hoarsely, eyes shining as he encircled her wrinkled hand with his own. "We're here." He corrected, glancing back at Gohan and Videl as they stood at the end of the bed.
Goku moved around, pulling up a chair directly next to Chi-Chi's side of the bed. He rested his hand on her shoulder, and murmured quietly, "They're all here now, hon; you can say your piece."
"Thank you Goku," She said softly, turning to gaze affectionately at her husband. The elderly woman looked over at her children now, her silver hair spread in a curtain around her head. She smiled, and squeezed Goten's hand once.
"I wanted to thank you all for coming," She began slowly, her voice hoarse and weak, "I'm sorry it came to this, but as I told your father, I'm only human. And my time is up."
Videl sobbed quietly, collapsing to her knees as she covered her mouth with her hands. Gohan stood shakily, patting his wife's shoulder as he struggled to keep his composure.
Chi-Chi took a breath, and exhaled softly. "I want you all to listen to me for now, and let me say what I want to say. I won't take too long, I don't have much left in me, anyhow." She chuckled, and collapsed into coughs. Goku reached over and patted her gently, until she could regain her composure.
"Gohan," She began, looking at her eldest child, "I've always been proud of you; I'm sorry I was so hard on you, but I was young and a new mother, and I only wanted the best for you. I hope you can forgive me." A smile lit across her face. "But, I can see that you didn't need me to get the best out of your life, you did that all on your own. You're so much like your father, in ways I'm not sure even you understand.
"I want you, as well as the rest of you, to live your life as best as you can. Don't cry for me; I'm just an old, simple woman. I never saved the world or fought monsters, not like you. I'm not worth crying over. But I want you to say all the things you want to say; don't leave something unsaid. Do all the things you want to do, don't wait until it's too late. Live your lives until your last breath; just because you're old doesn't mean you can't live. It's not over until it's over.
"Goten, my youngest, I'm so proud of you. All the amazing things you accomplished, the power you're capable of...you're just like your father, it's almost frightening." Chi-Chi laughed, and squeezed his hand. "The same I said to Gohan applies to you, my boy. Keep doing amazing things; keep being amazing. Never give up, never stop fighting. Not until it's over. You still have decades ahead of you before you're life is done; there is still so much to discover and so much to explore. Don't think that because I'm gone, that it's all downhill from here. That there's nothing left to do and nothing left to learn, because there is. You just have to keep looking for it.
"Videl, I'm glad I got to meet you, and I'm glad you're a part of our family now. You're the perfect woman for my Gohan, and I wish you the best in the remainder of your life. Never forget to love your husband, and remember that the worst of times you may have with him..there's always a solution. Don't stay mad, forgive each other. Marriage is hard, my dear, but it's so rewarding. "
Tears glimmered across every face, and no one was free from the grip of sadness; but, respecting Chi-Chi's wishes, they all remained silent. She turned now to her husband, a blissful smile captivating her face. Goku's shoulders shuddered, and he swept her free hand in his.
"Goku, my love, I was not the best wife. Nor was I the best mother...but you stayed with me anyway. You kept your childhood promise to me, and you made your life with me. That, I cannot thank you enough for...I cannot thank you enough for the children we had, the life we shared. Forgive me, my love, for all the grief I gave you...I only did it because I loved you, though it may be a feeble excuse..." She weakly laughed, and squeezed his hand as he brushed his lips across the back of hers. "I don't regret marrying you, I don't regret anything in our life together. You may not be the strongest in the universe anymore, but you'll always be the strongest in my heart."
She leaned back against the bed, her breath growing softer and softer, eyes losing their focus. Goku gripped her hand tightly, and sobs filled the silence.
"Mother..." Gohan moaned, kneeling next to her bed. "don't go...please."
Goten remained quiet, save for the gasps of his weeping. Videl leaned into Gohan, wrapping her arms around him.
"Good-bye, everyone," Chi-Chi whispered softly, her eyes slowly closing. "I hope...I don't see you...all...for a...long...long time..."
Her breath shuddered, eyes widening, then...nothing; her hand grew limp in Goku and Goten's hands, slipping free and slumping against the blankets on the bed.
"Chi-Chi..." Goku whispered, weeping as he spoke, "no..." His shoulders shook, and he dissolved into tears, crumpling against the bed, face buried in the blankets as he held her hand.
She was gone.