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~!*!~

"Pan!"

She jumped with a muffled squeak at her father's harsh voice, then immediately lowered her eyes shamefully. She had been caught in the act. "Um...sorry?"

He more or less marched over, anger and disappointment in his face. She had gone against his direct command, which for her wasn't extremely unusual. But this particular situation was serious. He had hoped she would grasp the gravity. Truly, she had, but that hadn't stopped her. She told herself she didn't care what they said; Broly couldn't possibly be the big bad man they made him out to be. She could tell.

"Pan, I told you to stay away." He stopped right in front of the bedridden Saiyan, causing him to push deeper into the back cushions with a barely audible whine. "Why did you disobey me like that? I know you don't understand everything yet, but I tol-"

"I want to know why you're so mean to him!" Pan suddenly burst, then immediately bit her tongue. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Then she swallowed, knowing there was no going back so she might as well find out more.

"I said I would explain later, though maybe I shouldn't, with how you've been acting." There was a definite threat there. He knew she was dying to know.

"Papa!" she complained earnestly. "Please, can't you just tell me what the big deal is? Don't you see-he wouldn't hurt a fly! Why-"

"Goten." Gohan looked sharply to his younger brother and Goten stood at attention. "How much did you tell her?"

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Goten averted his eyes. "Not much. Just that you and I knew him from a long time ago."

"And that he's a Saiyan," Pan added. Gohan sighed.

"That's all you need to know for now, more than enough," he said tiredly. Pan could tell by his voice he was conflicted. Between what?

Her mother came up behind Gohan, rubbing his shoulder. "She didn't mean any harm. If anything, she was doing what you'd always taught-being a good person."

"I know..." He tightened his jaw and looked up at Pan again. "Just don't do again, alright? Not now."

"Not now...?" She was so confused. Maybe there were things that needed to be settled, and until then she couldn't talk to her new friend. Thinking about that, she almost considered telling her father what had been established between the two of them. But now wasn't the time.

"And you." He scowled at Broly, but it wasn't nearly as furious as before. Just weary and unsure. "If I catch you even looking at her again..." He shook his head, unable to verbally state a threat but warning that it wouldn't be pleasant. Biting his bottom lip anxiously, the Saiyan nodded slightly. Gohan's shoulders relaxed.

"Good."

~!*!~

A couple hours later, arrangements had been made. Pan and her mother had gone back to their house, while Gohan stayed behind. It wasn't that he didn't trust Goten, he just felt better staying with them for the time being while all of the insanity was going on. He still hated having his mother in the same vicinity as Broly, but as of now there wasn't much to do. Not to mention, when he had subtly hinted at her perhaps leaving the house, she had strongly declined. She was unwilling to leave the Saiyan in his current condition, even if it wasn't necessarily life-threatening. Gohan didn't understand it.

He allowed her to stay, though, knowing she wouldn't have it otherwise. So now he was on guard duty, reclined on the second couch, but in no way relaxed. No, he wouldn't relax until Broly was gone. For now, he appeared to be asleep, rolled on his side so his back was facing out. Gohan no longer seethed at the sight of him, settling on emptying his mind as he blankly watched the other's gentle rise and fall of breath. So peaceful...as though he had never been the ruthless monster that had destroyed entire galaxies. The one that had very nearly killed Gohan and his loved ones on multiple occasions.

Problem was, the fool had no memory of it. No memory of the millions he had hurt, families he had torn apart, worlds he had ruined. It was sickening. He had paid for his crimes by dying, true enough, but still... He had done nothing to redeem himself. Gohan simply couldn't forgive him. At least not yet.

He narrowed his eyes when Broly gave a low moan, moving so he was lying uncomfortably on his stomach. The way he tensed it was easy to tell he was in pain. ChiChi had done what she could with what she had to figure out what the cause was after he had reluctantly admitted: headache, nausea, fever, just about everything in between. By now, he was already diving into the symptoms of a cold, a result of at least one day out in yesterday's terrible weather. No doubt he was nothing short of miserable. To be honest, Gohan wanted to feel bad. He hated seeing others suffer. It was just a little harder with this one.

Then he was snapped out of his thoughts by noticing he was being watched. For the first time, Broly didn't look away when Gohan met his eye, two pairs of deep dark eyes locked, one sharp and intense, the other unfocused and clouded. Gohan had always remembered his eyes as being a cold, furious green, the mark of a true Super Saiyan. It was hard to pull up the memory of his normal state, when they first met. It was strangely unfamiliar. In his original form, his face lacked that certain strength. If anything...it held sadness. Or loneliness. He had never noticed before.

His eyelids fell heavily before he blinked awake, massaging his face with one hand. Gohan frowned. He seemed so desperate not to fall asleep, despite his obvious state. It made sense that he was wary, but they had done nothing to hurt him-as of yet, anyhow-so he had no real reason to fear. What else was there that kept him awake? Gohan almost considered asking, but held back. No reason to communicate unnecessarily.

"That girl was your daughter..?" Gohan hadn't been expecting the question. Sounding as terrible as he looked, Broly watched him patiently, awaiting an answer. It took a few seconds for Gohan to decide whether or not to oblige.

"...Why do you want to know?" he asked rather harshly. He relaxed the scowl that had suddenly grown on his face, hoping he wasn't being too aggressive. No need for that. He blamed it on his lack of sleep the night before, and the knowledge that he wouldn't get any tonight.

"I..." He was thrown back by the response. "I just wanted to know..."

Gohan studied him quietly. He found it hard to believe a guy like that could lie smoothly, especially now.

"Yes. She is." He shot him a look. "You know that means you'll answer to me if anything happens to her, right?"

The other swallowed dryly, nodding and turning his eyes down to the floor. Gohan silently chided himself. He was being too hard on him. A part of his mind said the Saiyan deserved it and more, while the other, calmer side disagreed. He was another person now, like it or not. He didn't like it, but he had to accept it. If he acted out like that, Broly wouldn't understand. After a while, he would probably come to despise Gohan for it. That was something he definitely wished to avoid.

"What did she say to you?" Gohan suddenly felt the need to ask. He was curious more than anything in this regard. When he had looked over, she had been smiling happily. He could only imagine the conversation they had.

He got suspicious when the Super Saiyan's already tinged pink cheeks grew brighter. "Um...she..." He couldn't seem to process his own thoughts as he knit his brows, a bead of sweat making its way down his forehead.

"She said she was my friend."

Gohan stopped. Friend...? Pan had said that? It wasn't the most unusual thing in the world-she was outgoing and typically friendly, even though a bit characteristically rude occasionally. But to be so kind to a man she had just met, especially one she had been specifically warned to stay away from. She was most likely acting out of disregard to her parents. Except, he couldn't see her lying so outright to someone like this. Maybe she honestly did think of this man as a...a friend for her own valid reasons. She probably pitied him.

"She did, did she...?" he murmured mostly to himself. He would have to talk to her about it the next day. In the meantime, however... "Why don't you, er, get some rest?"

Broly stared at him again with those infuriatingly innocent eyes, puzzled by his suggestion. Then he furrowed his brow and absently rubbed at his temple. "Can't."

"You can't? Why not?"

"Just...because."

Very well, then. Gohan quit trying and instead leaned back in his own seat, folding his hands behind his head. It wasn't hard to tell Broly had gotten little to no sleep the past however many nights he was in the woods, what with the dark circles beneath his eyes and his sluggish movements. He appeared ready to pass out. But Gohan wouldn't argue. It wasn't his problem.

~!*!~

When he opened them, Gohan's lids felt like they were weighted with rocks. He yawned, stretching sorely. Then he stopped. Had he just been...?

Darn it all, he had fallen asleep.

That woke his attention and he sat straight up. The room was light now, meaning he had slept through the night. He silently cursed in his head. Some guard he was!

But as it turned out, his panic was uncalled for. He reluctantly released the unconscious strain in his body and let out a short sigh. Albeit positions changed, the Super Saiyan was in the same spot he'd left him in. Now he was snoring, one arm and leg hanging off the side of the couch, the old blanket discarded on the floor in a heap.

All of a sudden, his half-awake senses tingled overwhelmingly. That smell...it was heavenly. And it was coming from the kitchen. His legs started moving on their own.

ChiChi turned around when he came in and smiled. "Well, look who's finally awake."

"You should've woken me up," he mumbled, not paying much attention to anything other than the sizzling pan on the stove. "Er...is this almost done?"

She laughed a little, turning back to her cooking. "Yes, just be patient. And go wake your brother up, would you? I'm surprised he hasn't come in already."

After shooting a brief glimpse into the living room to see Broly still passed out, Gohan did as told and popped into Goten's bedroom. The deja vu he received was pleasant. Waking Goten up nearly every morning as the boy loved to sleep in, waiting impatiently for his mom to finish breakfast preparations. Typical day, just as he liked it. Except now he had his own family, own house. And he loved it that way as well. Reminiscing was always good, but one had to stay focused on the present. Unfortunately, now the present was riddled with a few problems.

When he quietly opened the bedroom door, he hadn't expected him to actually be awake. Nor did he expect Goten to almost plow him over.

"Whoa! Gohan?" Goten instinctively reeled back before running into his brother. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Mom told me to wake you up, but..." Gohan smiled, then almost stumbled as Goten thoughtlessly brushed by him. "Hey!"

"Sorry! Breakfast is calling!"

Gohan rolled his eyes, but was soon on his heels.

Not long later, the three Sons were seated at the kitchen table, pancakes stacked high. No time was wasted before the boys happily dug in, thanking her distractedly with full mouthes. ChiChi just nodded with a small smile. Despite having to make a considerably larger meal each time, she obviously loved having her eldest son back at the house, disregarding the fact he only lived in the next house over.

"So..." she said slowly to Gohan. "How long do you plan on staying here? I mean, I'm not saying-"

"I get it." He chuckled, mouth still stuffed with food. He took a swig of his orange juice glass before frowning lightly. "I really don't know. You can be sure I won't leave here till Broly does. I refuse to leave you two alone with him."

"Gohan," Goten remarked, "I get your worry about Mom, but...you know I can protect her, too, right?"

Gohan blinked, the argument having never occurred to him. "No, no. I know you can. I just...I just feel better staying here. I don't doubt your ability to keep her safe-heh, you held up against him astonishingly well those other times."

"I did, didn't I." He grinned teasingly.

"On that note..." Their mother placed her cup down gently. "Have you decided what you plan on doing with him?"

The two fell silent, lapsing into thought. Gohan only wished he knew. Truth was, there wasn't much they could do. At the moment, he was no considerable threat, clearly lacking fighting spirit due to his memory wipe. That meant they couldn't fight to get rid of him. The mere thought of killing him in cold blood sent a shiver down Gohan's spine. That was no option. To be quite frank, the only thing they were able to do was keep him within their sight, just watch and see. There was still a chance he could get his memory back, and that would be dangerous. That was the main reason Gohan stayed so close.

"We can't do anything, I guess," he finally admitted softly. "Keep him close, see that we stay on his good side. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Who knows," Goten piped up in the same low tone. He had a crooked grin. "Maybe he'll even join our side."

Gohan snorted half-heartedly. "Wouldn't that be interesting."

"Um..."

All three immediately turned at the tiny voice. Gohan stood, the chair screeching harshly as it slid back. "Broly?"

He wasn't shocked at his presence, rather the fact that he was standing upright, more or less. The disheveled Saiyan leaned heavily against the doorway to the kitchen, looking to be only partly attached to reality as he took in the room, overall settling on the dwindling plate of cakes. It was then that Gohan realized he most likely hadn't eaten in days, and the pancakes indeed smelled like godly food even to someone who wasn't starving.

ChiChi stood as well, though much calmer. She noted the direction his bleary gaze was aimed at and acted accordingly.

"You must be famished." She gave him a comforting smile. "Care to join us?"

"Mom!" both of her boys exclaimed indignantly. She ignored them.

Broly, for his part, held back, wavering uneasily. It was plain to see he was barely restraining himself, but perhaps he was more polite-or smarter-than Gohan had initially thought. Had it been nearly anyone else, Gohan would have been the first to invite them to a meal, especially someone so physically and mentally frail as this one. He still supposed he was being a somewhat overly-aggressive towards him, but he had good reasons. In this case, he was still unused to seeing the same face that had tried more than once to kill him in his kitchen.

But he grit his teeth and remained standing in his spot while his mother continued playing doctor and went over to him, unhesitatingly pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. She twisted her lips and crossed her arms loosely in thought.

"Your fever's still high. Are you sure you can eat?" Then she jokingly rolled her eyes. "Oh, what am I talking about. You're Saiyan, of course you'll eat."

Gohan sent his brother a look when Goten snorted with amusement.

Said Saiyan didn't seem to know what to make of the comment, but went along wordlessly when she entered the living room, gesturing for him to follow. Both Son boys were behind her in the blink of an eye, sending off warning auras that Broly most undoubtedly caught. Ignoring them both, ChiChi pointed to the couch.

"You stay there," she instructed Broly, waiting for him to meekly obey before going on. "I'll find you something to eat. Goten, please get me a wet cloth."

"Al...alright." He left the room hurriedly and returned within seconds, holding a rung-out cold washcloth. "Here."

She nodded her thanks, taking it, and laying it across the sick Saiyan's brow. He opened his mouth to protest when it hung over his eyes, but instead chewed his lip, evidently trusting enough. Gohan had to admit he was slightly surprised at that. Broly certainly favored ChiChi over any of the others, save maybe Pan. It was likely because he understood the circumstances. He was smarter than Gohan made him out to be. But in Gohan's defense, all he had ever seen Broly as was a giant lunatic.

"Let's see..." ChiChi murmured to herself as she reentered the kitchen, tapping her chin in thought. "See, this is where I almost wish one of you guys would get sick. I have nothing in the house...!"

Gohan couldn't keep from smiling a bit. He knew she hated not having exactly what she needed in the house. Part of that probably came from there not being many stores within the twenty mile radius. Unlike when he was growing up, they actually had a car now, so it was significantly easier to get around.

"So." Goten had his arms crossed, but not angrily. He carefully sat on the coffee table, glancing back to make sure his mother didn't see. "Broly, was that baby dinosaur your friend?"

"What?" Gohan blinked, raising a brow at his brother. What dinosaur?

Broly hesitated for a second, then nodded. Goten smiled like he was satisfied to be correct. "The little guy helped bring you here?"

"Yes."

"I love baby dinosaurs." Goten leaned over so his head was propped up in his hand. "I had tons of them as friends when I was younger. I mean, I still do now, but they're not babies anymore."

"Goten, what are you talking about?" Gohan interjected. "What baby dinosaur?"

He looked up at him with a twinkle in his eye. "When we first found Broly outside there was a little dino hovering over him. He was so heartbroken when we brought his friend inside without 'im."

"You and your animal friends..."

"Says you! You had tons of them when you were a kid!"

Gohan laughed quietly. "Yeah, I know. Just messing with ya. I've still got Icarus around, after all."

What had once been a cute and tiny purple dragon had since then become a huge yet still sweetly attached beast. He was getting up in the years, but he would on the rare occasion stop by the edge of the woods while Gohan was outside, the two exchanging greetings. He had a family now, and Gohan had watched them hatch years ago. Fond memories, for sure.

And to think even Broly had made a creature friend. It wasn't too shocking-baby dinosaurs had a tendency to be curious and very good at making friends, even if the other was opposed. He just felt bad for the baby-his partner had been taken from him. He wouldn't surprised if it were right outside now.

They sat in silence for a while, clanking from the kitchen a suitable background noise. Someone could have written 'awkward' in the air with bold letters and it still wouldn't be blatant enough. All three were relieved when ChiChi finally came back in, holding a steaming white bowl. Gohan didn't care that he had just eaten-whatever that bowl contained smelled delicious.

Before placing it in his lap, she pushed the cloth higher on his head so it was no longer veiling his eyes, causing him to blink in the light. When he looked down at the hot dish, his eyes brightened with a love every Saiyan had for food. ChiChi nodded to herself, pleased, when he immediately began shoving the piping hot soup into a mouth that hadn't seen food in days. It was impossible not to compare him with Goku right then.

And as similar as anyone could get to her husband, he laid the bowl down again in less than a minute. Goten noticed and he nudged his brother playfully, only getting an eye roll back.

"That's all you'll get for now," ChiChi told him regretfully, taking the dish from his reluctant grip. "I don't want to chance you getting sick. Now rest."

Both he and Goten gazed after her with disappointment as she disappeared into the other room, willing the soup to come back. Though also a bit hungrier after catching a whiff of his mother's rare chicken soup, Gohan simply sighed and sat down on the other couch. Beyond the window, clouds were gathering thickly once again after a day of reprieve, the wind picking up and whistling. In turn, the room was darker now, setting a more brooding mood. The day had only just begun. There was no telling how the rest of it would go.

~!*!~

He's pure evil...! You're not fighting a Saiyan...you're fighting a monster. He should be dead!

The pounding of his heart was deafening in his ears. The voices would not stop. Just blurred images, fading in and out, never constant.

...a power level of ten thousand! ...power like that could overthrow the king!

His entire body was trembling, breath coming in shallow gasps.

He's a threat. He should be killed.

Killed. A shadow loomed above, deep inky black. Metal scraped and horrified chills arced through his body. A bright gleam flashed before his eyes. The shadow reared back its hand.

Time to go to sleep, little fella.

The blade plunged into his heart and Broly woke up screaming.

A dream. It had been a dream. Then why did it feel so agonizingly real?

He couldn't breathe. His chest hurt where it had been pierced, the rest of his body tingling numbly. He was shaking uncontrollably, drenched in a cold sweat. Why couldn't he breathe? It was just desperate, ragged gasps. He was terrified.

"Broly...Broly!"

He knew that voice. The one who had tried to save him. He was lifeless on the cold floor. Another shadow fell over his tiny body, eyes wide and fearful. He had been whispering his name, resting a large rough hand on his own twitching, red chest. At the shadow's touch, he had wailed.

"Hey...snap out of it!"

His vision sharpened. A steady hand was on his shoulder, not his chest. The voice that spoke his name was also familiar, but belonged to another. Everything around him was warm, not black and icy. He was safe.

Be it as it may, his unsteady hands went to his face as he unintentionally let out a hoarse moan. He was safe, safe. Not dying. Not dead. Perfectly alive. Repeating those words in his head was almost second nature by now, yet this time it didn't work. He couldn't be consoled. He was choking, hot tears spilling over mercilessly. Those voices...they made his blood run cold. And he couldn't get rid of them. Even now, they were whispering in his ear.

He was breaking down, mind collapsing, body failing. He was so unbelievably scared. He hated it. Hated, hated, hated it.

"Broly! Stop!"

His hands were roughly yanked down and he was forced nose to nose with a horrified face. Teeth clenched, a bead of sweat running down his temple, Gohan backed up slightly. Two voices sounded at the edge of his hearing, growing louder, the kind lady being one of them. She was coming. He was safe. She would take care of him. He wouldn't die.

The mere thought held enough overwhelming relief that he didn't even attempt to restrain his sobs.

~!*!~

Thank you for reading!