Time Period: Pre-Saiyan Saga

...

Eleven-month-old Gohan sat on the floor in his bedroom, his round black eyes staring at the colorful building blocks that were scattered in front of him. Goku sat in one of the two rocking chairs provided by Chi-Chi, his elbows propped up on his knees. With his chin in his hands, he watched his son with a keen eye.

It had been almost a year since he was first introduced to the 'scholar-to-be' (as his loving wife liked to dub him), otherwise known as Son Gohan. He had remembered very clearly when his son didn't have a name. Out of all of those Kami-awful names that his father-in-law suggested, Ox-in-the-Box and Ox-Monkey were the ones that stuck out the most to him (and not because he thought they were good). It was a good thing that Gohan had burst into a fit tears after he finished the list. They were downright terrible. Goku figured that had he would've been in Gohan's place, he'd cried too.

Chi-Chi was no better. Einstein? Who was that guy anyway? Thankfully, Gohan had cried at that name too.

And then he had to choose, but he was too hungry to answer at the time. He had one. And Goku thought it was a pretty awesome name too. One that he thought not many people had. Plus, it stuck out.

Stewart.

Son Stewart.

It had a nice ring to it. Not too strange, not too ordinary. It was just right.

But then he had remembered when Chi-Chi had yelled at him for asking for some food first. Had it not been for the fact that she had mentioned his Grandpa Gohan's name during another one of her screaming fits, they would be saying 'Stewart' instead of 'Gohan'. But Goku didn't complain. 'Gohan' actually fitted the little man. And the fact that he giggled whenever it was mentioned was an A-Plus in his book.

Goku was so absorbed in his memories that he had failed to notice his son crawling over to him, his mouth forming what Chi-Chi referred to as his 'gummy bear smile', an orange-colored block in his hand.

With a goofy grin, Goku leaned forward on his knees. "Hey. What ya got there little man?"

Gohan, who had been like a train on tracks, came to a screeching halt in front of his father and looked up at him. Goku had been about ready to reach down to lift up his son, but felt his heart deflate when the little boy placed his building block right in front of him and bound off to the rest of his trinkets. Eyebrows raised, Goku knelt over to pick up the block that Gohan had left in front of him, only to look up and be met with eyes full of tears. And then it happened.

His son started to wail, almost as loud as Chi-Chi had been when she got really, really mad at him for licking the icing off of that triple chocolate cake she made last week. Glancing at the doorway with fear laced in his eyes, Goku threw himself to the floor, his finger flying to his lips.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay, Gohan. Daddy's right here," he said in a hushed tone. "Just tone it down a little before Mommy comes. Please?" he begged when he noticed that the little boy's cries weren't lowering, but growing in volume. Gohan pointed to the block that was in his dad's hands causing Goku to look down at the toy. "You want this?" he asked, jiggling the cube near his son's face. Soon, Gohan's bawling was reduced to nothing more than blubbering sputters with a mixture of drool as he clumsily pried the toy from Goku's hand.

And as if right on cue, Chi-Chi came, standing in the doorway to Gohan's room, her burgundy apron decorated in powder. "What's wrong with Gohan? Is he alright? I heard him crying."

Goku fanned his hand, a nervous smile playing across his lips. "Nothing's wrong," Goku reassured his wife. "He's doing just fine. He was missing one of his building blocks is all." At least he didn't lie. Goku figured that things would play in his favor if he didn't tell Chi-Chi that he had been the reason their son had just thrown a temper tantrum.

Chi-Chi smiled, much to Goku's relief. "Well, alright. But the next time he cries, you're coming out of here. Dinner will be ready in a few hours." And with that said, she exited the room, leaving Goku behind with his son. He released a deep sigh, tossing Gohan his signature grin.

"That was a close one," Goku whispered jokingly, sitting on the floor near his son as the little boy went back to playing with his blocks. "Make sure you don't tell your mother that I was the one who had your block, 'kay?" Gohan seemed to understand his father's words as he flashed the full-blooded Saiyan with another one of his semi-toothless smiles. And so for the next five to ten minutes, Goku sat on the floor and watched his son arrange and re-arrange his building blocks, his round black eyes focused solely on the orange one Goku had taken away from him earlier.

Goku couldn't help but stare at the little baby boy. If it weren't for the sharp nose, spiky black hair, and defining cheekbones, he could honestly say that he looked just like his mother. He had her piercing charcoal eyes and that deafening scream down pat. Staring at Gohan, Goku found his mind drifting to the day he was born. That had been his very first time seeing a baby being born. Having been on an abundant amount of adventures at a young age, Goku couldn't recall there ever being a time where he actually saw an infant. Gohan had been the very first.

He was so small back then. Fragile even. He definitely filled out, eating darn near as much as he himself.

Goku often questioned himself in regards to his family, particularly his parenting skills.

Would he be a good enough parent? His grandpa had died while he was at a very young age so he pretty much grew up on his own until after he had met Bulma. And even then, there were periods of time in his life where he was still on his own, only the thrill of adventure there to keep him company. There were no parental figures in his life, so was he truly capable of taking care of a child? Could he even deem himself as being worthy of being called a parent? A dad?

Chi-Chi often pointed out that she didn't want Gohan to be raised the way he did, not that he'd blame her or anything. Goku, when he actually thought about it, didn't want Gohan to grow up like him either - an orphan with no real parents to call his own.

Goku felt a slight tug on his pants leg, Gohan's cherubic face tilted to the side as he stared up at his father with those large black eyes.

"Huh?" Goku blinked confusedly, his elbows resting on his legs.

Gohan simply gave Goku another one of his grins as he crawled into the man's lap, resting his head against his stomach as he stared in front of him. Goku looked down, Gohan's head lifting up to return the look, and slowly Goku fixated his gaze on the building blocks that his son had been fooling around with earlier. He could feel a smile tug at his lips, and he looked back down, only to find his son's pretty ebony eyes still staring up at him.

With a grin, Goku lifted the boy up and turned him around so that they were facing one another.

"'Dada', huh?" Goku asked, earning himself a giggle from his son.

Goku leaned his forehead onto Gohan's, his grin still in place. "I may not have been raised like a normal boy should've been, but I promise that for as long as I live, even after I die, to try and be the best father that I possibly can. Okay, little man?" Gohan's hands instantly latched onto his father's cheeks, his infantile giggles and Goku's cheerful laughter filling the room.

From the doorway, Chi-Chi watched, her heart swelling with nothing but love and affection for her boys.

And here her father was saying that it was too early to teach Gohan how to spell.

...

Requested by: Gonstika

Edit: 3/8/12

Seru-Chan - Thanks so much for reviewing. At first I had a completely different image of an inappropriate picture in mind, but I figured that since Goten pointed out Goku's ki spiking to nearly Super Saiyan level that I just had to have him draw that. Lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing.