Road to the Future
Disclaimer: Premise and characters borrowed from Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.
Author's Note: I've seen different translations uses different names for Goten's GT girlfriend, Palace/Paris. I'm going with the Palace version from the sub because in subtitles she seems more naive and overly sheltered where she just seemed like a peerless airhead in the dub.
Chapter Four: Dinner at the Son's
"Pan-chan, would you put these dishes on the table for me?" Chichi asked.
"Sure thing Grandma," Pan replied. Sh picked up one steaming bowl then started trying to balance a second on top of it.
"Multiple trips," Videl suggested.
"But Mom!" Pan protested.
Her mother gave her a stern look. Pan sighed and relented.
Gohan stuck his head in the door. "I finished chopping the firewood. Mom, are you sure there's nothing else you need taken care of?"
"Stop fussing Gohan, I'm not infirm yet and dinner's almost on the table. Go get washed up." Chichi ordered. "I wonder were that brother of yours has gotten to. If there's one thing I thought I could count on it was you boys being on time for dinner."
"He'll be here," Gohan said. "He's using Super Saiyan Two to make better time."
Videl tilted her head to one side and focused on her ki-sense. "He was in West City? He is making good time."
"I don't know how Trunks-kun has been getting any work done with the amount of time Goten has been spending over there these last few months," Chichi said.
Gohan jumped out of the path of a golden blur that resolved into Goten. "Hi Mom, sorry I'm late, gotta grab a shower, don't start dinner without me!" Goten exclaimed in a happy rush as he gave his mother a quick hug then ran for the bathroom.
"Um, did Uncle Goten have a black eye?" Pan asked.
"More of a welt," Gohan said and that had only been the most obvious bit of damage that he'd noted. Gohan frowned, puzzled. He knew how Goten and Trunks sparred; they had outgrown the habit of running for the nearest mother after the first serious hit landed but they still called the spar at that point. They'd decide that they were getting out of control and find something else to do.
Gohan remembered his early training with Piccolo. He'd felt and looked like he'd been put through a meat-grinder by the time they called it quits for the night. Then they got up in the morning and did it all again, for months on end.
What Trunks and Goten did was good enough for tournaments, but Gohan knew what Piccolo had done to him was utterly necessary to prepare for a real battle. When it was for real, when it was life and death you couldn't call it quits or fall apart at the first hit that landed. When it was for real you had to be ready to fight through pain.
Goten looked too damaged and too happy to have come out on the losing side of a spar with Trunks. To Gohan, he looked like he'd been seriously training. And Goten looked like he'd been at it for long enough to have developed an understanding of what training really entailed.
Five minutes later Goten returned, clean scrubbed, grinning and with a distinct welt on his cheek, the sort caused by having the flesh mashed against the cheekbone so hard that it tore from the inside out.
"Sorry I'm late everyone," Goten repeated as he slid into his place at the table. "This looks great."
Chichi gave a soft little sigh but didn't question Goten further.
For a time everyone focused on eating. Once things slowed down Chichi asked Videl, "How is your father doing?"
"Better since Uub moved in with him," Videl replied. "He helps fill the void Buu left."
A sudden, uncomfortable silence fell over the room.
"Oh stop looking at me like that!" Chichi exclaimed irritably. "I've long since gotten used to Goku's wandering ways. He'll come back to me, he always does."
Chichi's declaration did nothing to relieve the others' discomfort.
During the hours and weeks following Goku's departure with the Eternal Dragon what Vegeta had realized instantly gradually sunk in for the rest of Goku's friends and family: This time he wasn't coming back. Now, more than half a year later, Chichi was the only one who hadn't accepted that.
Over the years Chichi and Goku had had their rough patches. They hadn't quite seen eye to eye on raising children when it came to training verses schooling. Chichi had never had an easy time resigning herself to the notion of sharing her family with the rest of the world. But they'd always loved each other, deeply and truly. Goku had said he'd come back and as far as Chichi was concerned there was no more to be said about the matter.
"So, Goten," Chichi said brightly. "You've been seeing that Palace girl for quite awhile now. When do we get to meet her?"
"Palace-chan?" Goten scratched at the base of his skull and laughed nervously. "I guess I could invite her to Bulma's next get-together."
Videl gave Goten an incredulous look. "You really think that's a good idea? You know how, well, boisterous those things can get."
"Palace-chan was pretty cool about my whole fight with Baby on our first date," Goten replied with a shrug. "Even the part where I was kinda rude on account of being possessed."
"Great!" Chichi exclaimed. "I'll just call Bulma up after dinner and suggest we might be over due for one."
"You walked into that Goten," Gohan said softly.
"Uub let me spar with him," Pan announced excitedly. "Grandpa Hercule said I was being too hard on his students. So Uub said he'd spar with me!" Pan giggled. "He kept blushing."
"Pan!" Chichi exclaimed. "You're much too young for that sort of thing. I have half a mind to call that Grandfather of yours and give him a piece of my mind!"
"Chichi, I'm sure it's nothing..." Videl began. "Wait, blushing?"
"It's been a while since Uub and I have talked," Gohan said thoughtfully.
"Argg! What is with you guys!" Pan shouted.
"Is everyone finished?" Videl asked. She waited for nods then said "Help me clear the table Pan-chan. Let's talk more about this sparring match."
"Goten, for old time's sake?" Gohan suggested with a gesture toward the back door.
"Sure," Goten replied.
Gohan dropped his jacket on the couch and set his glasses on the mantle. Goten followed him outside.
The brothers faced off in the air above Mt. Paozu. At an unspoken signal they flew at each other.
Goten was amazed by how easy it was to follow Gohan's movements. He had no trouble predicting and countering everything his older brother threw at him.
After several minutes of trading blows Goten threw a quick ki blast at Gohan's head, not bothering to take the time to really power it up. Automatically Gohan raised his arms to block the blast and Goten landed a solid punch to his solar plexus. Gohan doubled over, dropping to his knees as the breath was driven from his body.
Goten landed nearby and waited for Gohan to get back to his feet.
"I yield," Gohan said when he had the air to speak. He took a few deep breathes then climbed to his feet. "You can tell Vegeta I said he's doing a good job."
"Huh?" Goten said.
Gohan frowned and Goten gave up the innocent act with a shrug. "It shows huh?"
"Not quite as much as my style shows the influence of Piccolo's training, but yeah." Gohan replied. "And you're a lot better than you were six months ago, there's no one else who could have trained you."
Goten grinned. "I don't think I've ever worked this hard before in my life."
Gohan sat down on the grass beside his brother and stared up at the night sky. After a moment Goten sprawled out beside him.
"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Gohan asked quietly.
"I'm just doing what Dad wanted me to," Goten said. "What I should have been doing all along. I should have been helping Dad when the Dragon Balls started hatching. I should have been good enough to make a difference."
Gohan sighed. "You know, for every time Dad ran into someone on the way to the grocery store who he just had to help there was always another time when the North Kai or Kaiosama came and asked him to take care of something for them." Gohan smiled sadly. "You know Dad, he could never turn away someone who needed help."
"Yeah, I know," Goten said fondly.
"And with the Lord of Lord calling on him help, there was never going to be a shortage of people who needed him," Gohan continued. "Even when he did have a quiet year he always kept training. I'm sure Vegeta's explained why with more vehemence than I ever could."
"Not a game. Get sloppy, end up dead. Always someone out there who's stronger," Goten paraphrased.
"He's right you know," Gohan said. "I wanted school, a normal life, time with Videl and Pan, a day job so I can take care of them. Before I knew it I'd lost so much ground."
"But I can't regret it," Gohan continued after a moment. "I don't want my life to be forever revolving around getting ready for the next battle."
"Dad and Vegeta seem pretty okay with that," Goten said.
"I could count the number of people who'd dare to ask Vegeta for a favor on one hand," Gohan said. "North Kai doesn't even come close to making that list. Kaiosama would only consider it if he had solid proof that acting was in Vegeta's own best interest." Gohan glanced away then said "Vegeta's cold enough to pick his fights."
"He's not that bad," Goten protested.
"I don't think Vegeta's entirely wrong," Gohan admitted quietly. "He puts his family first, so do I. But I couldn't stand by while knowing that I was capable of helping. So I don't train. Goten, I don't want to be able to help the whole Universe. I can't do that to Videl and Pan."
"It's not really an issue for me." Goten shrugged. "I'm not smart like you. I don't have a big company to run like Trunks. Do you see me doing anything else important?"
"Now maybe," Gohan said. "But what about this Palace-chan of yours?"
"She's been okay with me fitting dates around Vegeta's training schedule," Goten said. A puzzled frown creased his brow. "Sometimes she gets this weird look in her eyes and says she'd like the watch me train..."
Gohan chuckled. "Little brother, for all your smooth talking, you're still totally clueless about girls."
"Like you're any different!" Goten huffed as his cheeks turned pink.
"You remember Erasa? Videl and I's friend from high school?" Gohan asked. "That girl was utterly shameless. If I didn't get what she was implying she'd explain, in detail, with diagrams occasionally."
Goten snorted.
"Don't believe me?" Gohan grinned. "Ask Trunks sometime if Bulma likes watching Vegeta train. I will bet you that he turns two shades of pale and starts making gagging sounds."
"Trunks only does that when something makes him think about his parents having... Oh," Goten finished. He grinned. "So Palace-chan..."
"Probably hopes that your work-out clothing as a tight as that stuff Vegeta wears," Gohan stated.
Goten blushed bright red but his grin only got bigger.
"Seriously Goten," Gohan said. "Is this want you want to do with your life? Do you want to spend the rest of your life getting ready to fight the next bad guy who comes along? And just thinking that Dad would have wanted you to do this isn't good enough. It's your life."
"Geeze Gohan!"
"No, once you get too far along this path you won't be able to get off if. You'll have too many enemies and too many people who have gotten used to depending on you, you won't be able to quit." Gohan said. "I don't want you trapped by this before you even think it through. You're Son Goku's son, the Universe already has your address. It won't take long for them to start noticing you."
Goten sat up and met Gohan's eyes. "It's what I want," he stated. "I'm tired of not being able to make a difference."
Gohan saw the certainty in his younger brother's expression and clapped his brother's shoulder in a silent show of support.