Short chapter is short. Don't worry, the next one is nearly done and it's over twice the length of this one.
Chapter 4- Family
"Your time is up. Please put down your pens immediately and remain seated until all of the examination papers have been collected and accounted for." The chief exam supervisor's voice cut through the tense hush and frantic scribbling of desperate students.
Gohan silently cheered and dropped his pen onto the desk, stretching his arms above his head in relief as his student ID was checked again, and his paper was collected. He was confident he'd at least passed, and that he got most of the biology section right…
"You may leave." The supervisor finally announced.
When Gohan was finally able to run outside, he jumped into the air from pure relief. It was a little too high to be normal, but he was too distracted by post-exam euphoria to care. He ran into the car park where his mother was waiting eagerly for him to return.
'Good job kid, but I can't believe you're going back for more of that in just a few months.' Piccolo thought at him. Gohan's sudden burst of joy had been more than enough to distract him from his meditation session.
Gohan just laughed and thanked him before returning to the physical world in order to speak to his mother.
"So, dear, how was it?" She asked as she pushed away from the car bonnet to approach her son. She had used the three and a half hours of examination time to buy various foodstuffs from the huge Orange Star shopping centre. She still studiously refused to refer to the place as Satan City.
"I think it went well. I guess I'll find out for sure in a few weeks." He answered with a stupid grin on his face.
"That's my boy." She smiled in return, putting an arm around his shoulders. Or she would have, if she could still reach them. "Let's go home. I'll make you a special meal tonight-"
She was cut off as Goten stuck his head out of the open car window and called, "I knew I smelled food!" He grinned in a similar manner to his brother, pleased, and bounced up and down on the seat. He had opted to see Trunks while they were here, instead of going with his mother.
"Oh, thanks Mum!" Gohan replied, "Can I go see Piccolo before dinner? I haven't seen him for ages and all…"
"Last week is not ages ago." Chi-Chi only hesitated for a few seconds after her sharp retort, before answering. "Sure, Gohan, if it makes you happy. Take your brother so he doesn't try to eat dinner faster than I can make it." She adopted a teasing tone, ruffling Goten's hair. "I've also invited grandpa; he hasn't been by for a while."
"Great!" He said as he got into the car beside his brother so that Chi-Chi could drive them home.
'It never occurred to you that I would be otherwise occupied?' Piccolo asked. Despite his annoyed tone, Gohan could feel Piccolo's Ki heading in the direction of his house. At this rate, he would beat them there.
Gohan gave the impression he regretted his impolite actions, but he also joked that he didn't think Piccolo had much of a social life. He tried to think in more focused constructs, like the way Piccolo was able to make him interpret his thoughts into specific sentences with no ambiguity, but he still struggled with it over long distances.
'Yes, because I have so many friends.' Piccolo answered dryly.
"Hey, hey Gohan, mummy bought us a new house today!" Goten proclaimed, successfully distracting his brother from his thoughts once more. He still seemed to be bouncing up and down on the car seat with barely contained energy. "She said we get to share a room now!"
Chi-Chi glanced over her shoulder in an almost guilty fashion before taking off on a course back to their home in Mount Paozu. Of course Gohan knew that his education and lack of employment were draining their remaining money, not to mention the amount he and his brother ate. He'd been expecting his mother to sell some of their assets for more money for ages now.
However, a more pressing concern arose in his mind: what if he powered up in his sleep again? It hadn't happened again yet, but the potential that it could still worried him, and this time Goten would be in the same room…
"You better not snore too loudly!" He joked with his brother, covering his concerns for now.
When they arrived, Gohan immediately got changed into his gi and got both himself and his brother out of their mother's way. Since Goten hadn't learnt to fly yet, Gohan sprinted in Piccolo's direction with him lagging behind.
"Come on, is that as fast as you can go?" Gohan teased, grinning at his brother over his shoulder.
"No!" Goten quickly answered with a pout, before a look of determination overcame his face and his speed slowly increased until he was abreast with his brother.
Gohan was surprised by this immediate turn around in both ability and attitude. If he didn't keep up with training once school started again, Goten could very well surpass him in just a couple of years. It was a little frightening to think, but what could he expect when the little tyke resembled their father in every other way as well?
Soon enough they reached Piccolo, who had been waiting by the stream that ran near their house in anticipation of Gohan's need to train.
"Hi!" Goten smiled innocently, looking every bit his father's son. However, this was the first time he had actually spoken to Piccolo, so he was a little shy. Alright, he was a lot shy, hiding behind his brother's leg after giving his surprisingly bold greeting.
Gohan just laughed. "It's ok Goten; you don't have to hide from Piccolo." He bent over slightly and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, encouraging him to step forward.
"Hello, kid." Piccolo answered somewhat grudgingly at Gohan's silent request.
"Do you want to do some Ki training with us, or just play around?" Gohan asked his little brother, kneeling down to his level.
Piccolo privately snickered at the fact Gohan was giving his brother a choice. He was as bad as his father when it came to being ridiculously nice to the people around him; he was a pushover when it came to just about everything. However, Gohan was also ridiculously hard on himself.
Goten looked up at Piccolo and quickly looked away again, nervous. "Um, I think I'll just play over there for a while…" he mumbled.
Gohan followed his brother's gaze and suddenly remembered just how intimidating the Namek was when you only came up to his knee. "Ok, just let me know if you need anything. Don't go too far." He added, worrying as ever. He probably would have been less worried if he saw how well Goten fought when training with Chi-Chi.
"…kay." He mumbled, running off to climb up the tallest tree within a fifty meter radius.
As soon as Goten left, Gohan noticed that Piccolo was feeling rather disconcerted. Goten's appearance seemed to have triggered a memory that belonged to his 'father'. It was the last one he had, in which Goku sealed his death by running him through with his entire body.
Gohan was surprised by this. Usually his father didn't kill. He didn't even end up finishing Frieza after everything he had done. Then again, Tien's life was being threatened at the time.
But Piccolo ignored Gohan's train of thought in favour of his own. He thought about the purpose for which he had been brought into this world: killing Son Goku. Then about actually fulfilling this purpose by killing Raditz and Goku, who was now an adult; the way Gohan had always known him. Finally, Gohan saw his first meeting with Piccolo from his previous mentor's point of view.
"Wait, you ultimately took me away to train in order to try and use me in your plans for world domination?" Gohan asked, somewhat surprised. It was a small wonder he was the only one who thought 'Mister Piccolo' had really been a nice guy beneath his rough exterior.
"Yes, and look at who ended up being used." Piccolo replied ruefully. "To think, between your education and my common sense, we would have been unstoppable."
Piccolo was beyond belief when he realised Gohan even felt guilt about this. It was a joke, that was in the past now! He shook his head and pushed Gohan, not really expecting it to achieve much. But Gohan either allowed himself to be pushed away, or he wasn't paying enough attention to do anything about it, since he fell onto his backside. Yes, definitely a pushover to an unhealthy degree.
He finally realised that with this action Piccolo had been trying to lighten the mood again and not get caught up in the past. As he stood he commented, "Don't tell me you're still thinking of world domination, Piccolo?"
"Oh yes, I would definitely succeed if I tried now." Piccolo replied, rolling his eyes. "In fact I like watching humans cower in fear so much I save Earth from the tyranny of others on a regular basis."
Gohan laughed, slowly brushing the dirt off his pants. "How things have changed."
Piccolo smirked, before pushing Gohan back onto his backside. "And stop being such a pushover; I thought I taught you better."
The pushover thing is just me trying to make sense of HOW Videl can push Gohan over in the show. I chose to interpret it as a psychological thing, since it definitely has nothing to do with physical strength :P
Important: There are hints at potentially more than a bromance in some of the chapters after this one. Don't say I didn't warn you ^^