Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Hey, everyone, I know it's been a while. Grad school had gotten in the way of many of my stories. I'm now trying to get caught up with my fics. I've gotten almost all of them updated this year. Here's hoping *fingers crossed*
Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing. I hit the one year mark of my father's death, a day on which I posted a one-shot, The One Left Behind. Emotions are still all over the place, but things have been getting better with lots of distractions including graduating from graduate school, my cousin's wedding, moving around a lot, but also getting a really great internship that I'm insanely excited for. I have many chapters of this story planned out, so I hope to be able to focus more on it. I thank everyone for their support and I hope to get better with updating on a regular basis. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 3.
Though still going through transitions, Gohan had taken Piccolo's words to heart. He still had no idea what exactly he wanted to do with his life, but he did decide to take a break from training. Distancing himself from that part of his life was what he needed to do for some clarity. He still hadn't made any decisions, nor did he plan on making any at the moment. Instead, he started trying to catch up on the work he let pile up. Without his mom forcing him to do it, it was a welcome distraction.
"Gohan," he heard his mother call from downstairs. The demi-Saiyan paused in his work and looked towards his closed door in confusion. It was too early for his mother to be calling him down for lunch. His curiosity overtook him and he quickly raced down the stairs.
"What's up, mom?" Chi Chi looked very tired and worn, he noted and instantly frowned. "Are you okay?"
The mother forced a smile to appear on her face, not really feeling her best that morning. "I'm fine, Gohan," she answered honestly. "I just ordered a small package from the drug store in West City. Would you mind going into town and picking it up for me?"
Gohan smiled kindly at his mother. "Sure, no problem. Do you need me to get anything else while I'm there?"
"No," his mother replied. "Just the package. Thank you, though."
At her rejection to his offer, Gohan decided to head to West City. As he began to fly, he realized that it had been quite a long time since he had called upon the Flying Nimbus. A small smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands around his mouth yelling out, "Oh, Nimbus!"
Instantly, the orange cloud shot over to him and Gohan descended on top of it. "Alright, Nimbus. Let's head towards West City."
When he got into the city, he found a discrete place for Nimbus to land before sending the cloud off. He could always call him up later or fly home on his own, though the latter did not appeal to him at the moment. Thankfully, he didn't have to linger on that long. Instead, he focused on picking up his mother's order from a drug store. The pre-teen handed the money he had been sent with to pay for the package, and the cashier smiled at him and said he was a good son. He forced a smile, feeling a small jab in his heart. He hated thinking this way, but it was the truth. A good son wouldn't have toyed with Cell. A good son would have ended it before anyone else had to die, his father included.
His mind was lingering in dangerous territory, and he needed a distraction. Whenever he needed a distraction in the past, he would train, but now he needed something more real and less mind-numbing. Hey, this is West City, he reminded himself. I can go see Bulma and Trunks.
He hadn't seen either of them since Future Trunks returned home after Cell's defeat. It had been kind of strange, now that he thought of it. Why hadn't he thought to visit them sooner? Well, at least he thought of it now as he ran into an alleyway to sneak away and fly to Capsule Corp.
Things had been eerily quiet around her home. Ever since Goku had died, there was rarely a hum in the GR. Vegeta barely made a sound. Bulma herself was struggling, just trying to keep her mind busy. The only noise she could count on was Trunks's cries in the middle of the night, her mother's chatter that seemingly never ended, and the sound of metal clanking against each other as she worked, maybe even the sound of pages turning from her magazines or her father's paper. The house did not feel as lively as it had been before.
Strangely enough, a knock sounded on the door and she paused in her reading. Huh, that's a new one, her mind pointed out as she heard someone answering the door. "Oh, Gohan!" she heard her mother greet cheerily. "Why don't you come inside? It's been a while. You've grown so much, haven't you? Why don't you come into the kitchen and have some cookies?"
"No, Mrs. Briefs, that's okay," the child tried to deny. Bulma only smiled as she closed her magazine and started to walk to the door. Gohan would not be able to deny his mother.
"Oh, nonsense! A growing boy like you needs to keep up his strength. You have your father's appetite, after all."
Well, that had done it.
Again, the room grew eerily quiet as Gohan let the woman drag him into the compound. "Mom," Bulma stated, sadly smiling at a startled Gohan, "I can take it from here. Just bring some cookies into the living room."
Gohan was thankful that Bulma had sent her mother away. He didn't fault the woman for not being able to sense his uneasiness, but when she mentioned his father that had sent him reeling with emotion. He looked over to Bulma, who was still wearing a sad smile. "Um, thanks," he said awkwardly.
"No problem, kid," she said softly and warmly. "Let's go sit."
The two of them were alone in the living room, sitting in silence even after her mother brought cookies into the room. Bulma, knowing her mother would stay out now that she had given them food, asked, "So, kid, how are you and your mom holding up?"
Gohan nibbled on a cookie, not really that hungry but not wanting to be rude. "Some days are better than others," he admitted before changing the subject. "I just had to do something in town and thought it would be nice to visit you and Trunks."
The sounds of Trunks crying instantly rang through the room. "Heh," Bulma chuckled. "Looks like someone's ears were burning during nap time. I'll go get Trunks. Just wait here."
Gohan managed to finish the cookie and reached to take another. His mind was still so clouded and distracted. He didn't even notice that someone else entered the room.
Vegeta had sensed the boy's energy as soon as he touched down. Kakarot's son. The only last remaining being that could provide the Saiyan prince with a challenge. He grimaced at the fact that his greatest rival was gone and left some child in his place. It was true; Gohan had the strength, but lacked the experience. Well, Vegeta could do something to change that. The kid was the only remaining worthy opponent he could ever have.
"Boy," he spat his greeting making Gohan jump. Gohan looked over to Vegeta warily, just staring at him with empty eyes while wondering what the prince wanted. When the child didn't answer, Vegeta scoffed and motioned for him to follow.
Gohan joined Vegeta in the kitchen and sat at the table watching the Saiyan prepare himself something for lunch. "What are you doing here?"
"Me?" Gohan questioned earning a glare from the other Saiyan. "Um, well, I needed to do something for mom, so I decided to say 'hi' to Bulma and Trunks."
"Hn," Vegeta grunted. "Your training?"
Gohan was surprised that Vegeta was attempting to converse with him. It reminded him of when Piccolo came to him not too long ago, but this was different. Vegeta didn't understand human sentiments or mourning, probably… He didn't know that Gohan was trying to find himself.
He didn't know that he hadn't been training much and had stopped all together this past week.
"Uh, well, I haven't really been training much this past week," he said awkwardly. He didn't know Vegeta well, but he did know he took training way past serious. He had been an enemy turned reluctant ally. Gohan would never forget how they fought together against Frieza on Namek or the story the prince had told them. It made him see the prince in a different light, but he still couldn't come out and say that he wasn't sure he wanted to fight anymore.
Vegeta's attention snapped to Gohan. Did the child actually say he hadn't trained for a week? Even Vegeta had been training in the cover of night when no one was awake. Grief was a normal emotion, but avoiding something as important as training…no. No, he couldn't allow that. Even if he hated Kakarot and his spawn, they were still Saiyans. He couldn't allow the human emotions to overcome the half-Saiyan child. He wouldn't even be able to allow that for his own son.
He stopped making his sandwich and turned to face the table where Gohan was sitting. Gohan stared at him with wide eyes as his narrowed. "Gravity Room," he growled. "Now."
Gohan almost gasped, but kept his composure. "But Vegeta, I-"
"Do not let these human sentiments sully what you really are," he ordered. "You are a Saiyan as loathe as I am to admit it, and you will always have the drive and desire for fighting. Until you figure it out, you can't just sit on your ass and do nothing. Now, Gravity Room."
As much as Gohan wanted to avoid it, he followed Vegeta outside to the GR knowing he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. It was probably a mistake, however, maybe training with someone wouldn't be so bad. Of course, Gohan wasn't taking the fact that he wasn't training with his father or Piccolo. He was training with Vegeta. Of course it would be a mistake!
But all rationality had left him when they entered the metal sphere and Vegeta turned to face him. He was already in his stance, but Gohan had yet to move. "Well?"
Gohan sighed and fell into a defensive stance. He decided he would just humor Vegeta, fight a little bit, and then leave and return home to his mother. He really hadn't been prepared for Vegeta to go all out in a simple training exercise, which is exactly what the prince did.
Speedily, he charged at the boy who managed to dodge the hit. The two of them exchanged blows, but Gohan was finding the prince to be too intense. Eventually, Vegeta pulled back, ready to shoot a ki blast at Gohan who was just standing there like a deer caught in a headlight. "Why are you barely fighting back, brat?" Vegeta shouted as he sent the blast Gohan's way.
Gohan jumped into the air and out of the way. Noticing what Gohan was about to do, Vegeta had already sent another flare of ki just right above him, pushing the kid back. The demi-Saiyan stood up and went back on the defensive. "Because I'm not sure I want to fight," he whispered to himself with a sigh.
"What was that?" the Saiyan prince shouted as he charged the boy again and smacked him against the metal wall.
"I said 'I'm not sure I want to fight!'"
Instantly, Vegeta pulled away unexpectedly allowing Gohan to drop to the hard floor. The pre-teen looked up at his father's rival, surprised to see him glaring harshly down at him. "You aren't even worth my time."
He left the GR quickly, confusing Gohan as he pounded on the outside of the metal sphere once. What's his problem? the demi-Saiyan thought. Gohan knew that he had said the last thing Vegeta wanted to hear, but he still had yet to understand his reaction to it. The prince had seemed more wound up than he had seen him in the last few years. He couldn't have truly been angry at him for his response, right?
Sitting in the empty GR would not get him answers, and he really wasn't looking to run into an angry Vegeta again, so Gohan entered Capsule Corp. again and found Bulma feeding Trunks in the kitchen. "Hey, there you are," Bulma called out. "Come sit down."
Gohan smiled sheepishly and sat in the seat across from Bulma beside Trunks. The baby seemed very happy to see him, laughing and reaching out to Gohan. "Oh, no, mister. You need to finish eating. Isn't it nice that Gohan came to visit us?" The proud mother then looked to Gohan. "By the way, did you want to stay for dinner?"
"I don't think so, Bulma," Gohan replied, "but thank you. I really need to get this package back to mom. I don't even know what it is." The boy saw Bulma grimace slightly when he mentioned the package. "What?"
"It's nothing, sweetie," Bulma assured him. "I just wasn't thinking. Maybe you should call your mom and let her know you stopped by. If it were my son, I'd be worried."
Gohan felt bad that he hadn't really thought about that when he thought to visit, but he knew she was right. "Sure, just give me a moment."
Gohan had returned home and given the package to his mother who thanked him. She had asked him where he had gone since it was already getting late, so Gohan relayed that Bulma had said 'hello' and to call if she ever needed anything. Chi Chi had given him a hug before she told him she'd be turning in for the night. She told him to get some rest, which he agreed to do, clearly a lie.
He couldn't stop thinking. Gohan remembered a time where he would be able to empty his mind of everything, but now he just couldn't silence his thoughts and fears of the unknown. He decided to do some more of his schoolwork. That would be at least a little distracting, though it too was tedious and mind-numbing.
It was getting later, after the midnight hour, and he was still looking at a page of equations. He had already caught up with his studies and was looking ahead. He simple used his hands as a pillow and glanced over the page, every so often flicking his pencil with his finger very gently, watching the writing utensil roll up and down the inclined plane he set up for his book. Eventually, in his constant thinking and exhaustion, he just passed out there on his books. His mind was silent.