Sorry this took so long guys! Internet's been down on campus for four days! GRRRRR. Anyways, enjoy this chapter and the next!
We've finally started our training, though it was not easy coaxing Gohan into it again. He's been very timid about his every blow; like he's afraid he'll hurt me.
"Gohan, only in your ascended state are you stronger than me. Seriously, punch me. I'm not feeling any of this," I say, exasperated. He hasn't fought this weakly since he first started training under me.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Piccolo. I'm just afraid. What if I accidently power up?"
"Kid, I will knock you unconscious if I even think you might go Super Saiyan," I say sarcastically.
"Really? Okay, great!" he exclaims, a broad smile now across his face. I can't help the sweat drop. He's entirely too… excited… about possibly being knocked out. Strange kid.
"I heard that!" Gohan says, aiming a kick at my chest.
Oh yeah. The kid and I have been spending our free time trying to develop the Namekian bond so that we can control it better. While I am infinitely better at it than Gohan, my thoughts sometimes still slip through, and the kid thinks it's a riot every time.
My retort is swift as I punch him across the cheek and he flies backwards, skidding to the ground. I wait for him to get up. I don't like the way this is going. He hardly fights back and he has yet to even attempt to block or dodge a blow. It's like he wants to get hurt…
"We're done for the day," I say, floating up into a lotus position. Gohan bounds up to me and plops himself in my lap, something that has become a habit for him. He leans back heavily with a sigh.
"Whew. Man, am I beat. You got me good today, sir," he says, rubbing the bruise on his cheek.
"You didn't even try to dodge it," I grumble, perplexed. Gohan's hands drop to his lap and he begins to twiddle his thumbs. "Spit it out, kid," I say. He fidgets a lot on he's nervous and it's annoying. I pick him up and set him on the ground facing me.
"Well…" he starts, but trails off, hanging his head and shuffling his feet against the dirt.
"Just say it," I say impatiently. I can already tell I don't like where this is going to go.
"I want to be beat up."
"Why on earth would you want that?" No child should ever have these thoughts.
"Because… because I feel like I deserve it, somehow. I don't know… it just feels like this is how it should be."
"No. You're strong, Gohan, and you are not just going to lay back and be beaten up. I will not do it. And forget about going to Vegeta."
"But Mr. Piccolo…"
"No. We're going to go see Kami. Now," I say, lifting off. The kid follows behind, sulking slightly. I have no idea how to handle this. I've never known anyone who wanted to be hurt. As much as I hate to say it, I need the old man's help.
When we land on the Lookout, the old man is already waiting for us.
"Piccolo. Gohan," he says in greeting. I grunt in reply and Gohan bows politely. "What brings you up here?"
"Fix this," I say, pushing Gohan forward gently. He looks at me brokenly and I feel a pang of sorrow in my heart.
"Fix what? I see nothing to fix here," Kami says, inspecting Gohan. Great, the one time I actually want him to listen in on my conversations, he doesn't. I growl slightly in agitation.
"No Piccolo, I was paying attention. But there is nothing to fix here. I can't fix that which is not broken," he says calmly.
"What? Listen old man, no child should be having these thoughts! Now make him better."
"It's out of my hands."
"No it's—"
"I'm still here, guys," Gohan says softly, interrupting me. We both look down at him and my hand automatically goes to his shoulder in reassurance.
"We know, Gohan. Piccolo is just worried about you, child. Now you must tell me what is troubling you," Kami says softly.
"There isn't anything wrong, sir," Gohan mumbles.
I sigh in exasperation. "Gohan…"
"I think he needs to go back to his mother for a few days," Kami declares. Immediately Gohan's head picks up and he spins around to face me, longing on his face. "Would you like that, Gohan?"
He nods enthusiastically. "I miss her a lot," he says. "Can we go, Mr. Piccolo? Please?"
I grunt. I really don't like his mother, the devil-woman. And I know the feeling is mutual. "Fine," I grumble. "How long do I wait to pick him up?" I ask, turning to my other half.
"Pick me up? But Mr. Piccolo, won't you stay with me too? There's plenty of space in my room!" Gohan says, tone almost bordering begging.
"It's a good idea," Kami says. "Just in case."
"For how long?" I ask reluctantly.
"Until Gohan feels he's ready to leave again."
I sigh. Who knows how long that will be? I could be there for months.
"Don't worry Mr. Piccolo. It'll only be for a little while, I promise! I just want to be with mommy for a little bit. Please?"
"Fine."
"Really? Thank you, thank you, Mr. Piccolo! Can we go right now?" Gohan asks excitedly, bouncing up and down. I nod and he dives in for a hug around my waist before I can stop him. I see the old man smile cheekily and I raise my lip at him. He just smirks at me, satisfied with himself. Before I can say anything, Gohan is tugging at my hand, pulling me to the edge of the Lookout. We jump down and begin our decent, Gohan chattering away happily.
When we arrive at the Son house, Gohan hits the ground running, yelling happily for his mother. She immediately bursts through the door. When she sees him, she opens her arms wide just in time for Gohan to fling himself into them. Her eyes water slightly as she hugs him close.
And then she spots me.
I stiffen under her gaze, but there is nothing there reminiscent of hatred or dislike. Instead, it seems passive, possibly even a tiny bit grateful. When Gohan steps out of the embrace, her eyes dart back to him, taking in his appearance.
"You need a haircut," she says, running her hands through his long hair.
Tell me about it. When the kid went Super Saiyan, I thought I was going to lose him under that mess of hair. It seems he lost the Saiyan affinity for hair never growing.
"Okay Mom. Guess what? Mr. Piccolo said he'll stay with me until we have to leave again! So can he stay here? Please? There's enough space in my room! He doesn't lie down ever!" Gohan says pleadingly, looking up at his mother with the look.
Her eyes shoot over to me, and her face darkens for a moment. However, when she glances back at her son's face, her gaze softens and she nods.
"Alright. And uh, how long do you think you and Piccolo will be staying?" she asks.
"I promised Mr. Piccolo it would only be for a little while. Maybe a month?" he says, looking over at me. I nod my head once. I can live with that. As long as the kid is happy, then I can suffer for a little while. The kid has more than earned this.
Surprisingly, the woman doesn't fight the amount of time. She doesn't fight me staying. She doesn't…do anything. What the hell happened to this woman? Kami must've drugged her or something…
Chi-Chi takes her son's hand and leads him into the house. Gohan looks back at me expectantly, jerking his head in the direction of the door. I follow, slightly reluctantly. I have to slightly bend to get through the door, and turn to the side a little to get my shoulder weights in. Well the house looks bigger on the inside than the outside at least. Nothing like Capsule Corp, but roomy enough for the small family.
"Gohan, honey, why don't you run to the bathroom and wash up? You look like a wild child," Chi-Chi says, giving him a gentle shove. He grins and nods before dashing up some steps and through a door. The door closes and almost immediately after the sound of running water fills the room.
I stand uncomfortably by the door. The woman continues to look at the door a few more moments before turning to face me. Oh great, here it comes…
"Kami told me everything," she says softly. I grunt in reply. "My little boy, a Super Saiyan…" She sighs heavily. "Not in my wildest dreams did I ever even imagine this would happen. He's so…young. I didn't even want him to be a fighter. That was always Goku's thing. Always leaving us…me… and here's my little boy, following in his footsteps."
I shift my weight and stand taller when she moves to the table, pulls out a chair, and sits heavily in it. She gestures towards another chair, but I shake my head slightly. I don't like small spaces.
"I suppose I should be thanking you," she says softly. "You saved my son's life. I believe this is, oh, the fourth time now? I can't say I hold a grudge against you anymore. Not now. But why are you taking my son away again so soon?"
I don't know what to say for a moment. I don't want to upset her any more than she already is. "He's a danger to himself and you if left unchecked," I say cautiously.
For a moment she looks utterly miserable, her hands coming up to her temples. "Dangerous how?" she asks sadly. I know she doesn't really want to hear it, but she knows she must.
"He's… unstable. His anger goes out of control and he ascends too quickly for his body and mind to handle. He could kill you, himself, everything around, in an instant without even realizing it. He doesn't want to, but he can't help it. There's so much dormant power inside him that his body has a hard time keeping it in. If he gets the smallest bit upset… he could explode," I explain carefully.
"Oh my poor baby," she mutters softly, again looking at the closed washroom door. Gohan is humming a carefree, happy little tune that he's making up as he goes along. The water shuts off and I feel his ki raise just enough to dry himself quickly. After a few moments, he comes out, wrapped in a giant fluffy robe that I assume is his father's. He smiles at us before looking at me pointedly. I want to talk, he sends to me. I nod my head at him. He disappears into his room, leaving the door slightly cracked. I look to Chi-Chi and nod my head politely before beginning to walk to Gohan's room.
"You love my son, don't you?" she calls to me softly. I stop and stiffen, but do not turn towards her. I grunt, bowing my head ever so slightly in affirmation.
"It's okay to just say it, you know. I won't tell a soul," she says, and I can hear a laugh in her voice. I snort in response and enter Gohan's room, closing the door behind me.
Gohan sits on his bed, swamped in the robe. He doesn't look up when I enter, just stares at the wall in front of him, a sad look on his face. I follow his gaze and land on the frame. In the picture is Gohan as a small child being held by a goofily smiling Goku. His tail is latched firmly around his father's wrist and both look content.
"I miss him," Gohan says quietly. I turn to look at him, and see that he has wrapped the robe even tighter around him. His eyes are teary as he tries so hard to keep the sobs back. His voice is strained with the effort, choked even.
"I know, kid. I know," I reply softly. He looks up at me woefully and I come to stand by his bed. His little hand wraps around mine and tugs gently down, motioning for me to sit with him. Against my better judgment, I sit on his bed and draw my legs into my customary lotus position. Gohan crawls into my lap immediately. His arm comes out of the robe and he points at the picture on the wall among the many that hang there.
"I was four in that picture," he says. "We were just about to go to Kame House for the first time. You know, when Raditz came."
"Tell me about the other pictures," I say, trying to get his mind off it. Immediately he lightens up a little.
"That one was the day after Krillin came back," he says, pointing at the picture next to the one of him and Goku. In it they were both smiling happily, Krillin's arm around Gohan's shoulders. They were both in their Saiyan armor from Namek. Krillin's free hand pointed at the hole in his armor while Gohan laughed, holding up a peace sign.
"And this one, this is an old one of the gang Bulma gave me," he says, pointing to another. In the picture, everyone was much younger, in their teens, it appeared. Bulma and Yamcha had linked arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Master Roshi stood just in front of them, a peace sign made in his hand and a goofy grin on his face. Tien stood a little off to the side, a satisfied smile on his face, Chaoutzu on his shoulder, both hands in the air. Krillin stood towards the middle, a wide smile on his face. And there in the center stood Goku, his head thrown back in laughter, his hand resting on Krillin's shoulder.
There were many other pictures on his wall. One of his mother and father on their wedding day. His grandfather, father, mother and him in a family portrait. He and his father in the giant tub outside the house. Goku standing on the shore laughing as he pushed Krillin into the river playfully. And finally, one of Gohan and I standing in the corner of a crowded room, talking. It must have been taken at one of Bulma's many parties when I wasn't paying attention, for I would never have allowed it otherwise.
"Gohan, honey! Time for dinner!" Chi-Chi yells, startling us out of our reverie.
"Oh boy!" Gohan shouts, jumping from my lap in a hurry, the robe falling to the floor in a heap. He races out of the room, yelling, "C'mon Mr. Piccolo! We have plenty of water for you!"
I sigh and stand slowly. I walk out of the room and down the steps to the kitchen. Gohan and his mother sit at the table, their heads bowed.
"And please, Kami, bring Goku back to us tonight," Chi-Chi said, finishing what I assume had been a prayer. Gohan's head snaps up and he immediately dives into his food. His mother eats in a more dignified manner, taking small bites from her chopsticks. She spots me and gestures to a glass of water on the edge of the table. I take it and sip from it; it's not as good as the water from my waterfall, but it's not horrible either. It'll do.
Gohan looks up from his plate. He smiles at me, his mouth full of food and I grimace. Disgusting. I don't understand how the kid can eat so much food. He scarfs down two more plates before sitting back, his hand resting on his stomach.
"That was great, Mom!" he says. His mother chuckles, picking up the dishes and placing them in the sink, which is filled with soapy water.
"Well, I think I'll let those sit for a little while," she says. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go in the living room," she says, heading down a hallway. We follow her into a room, furnished with a few chairs, a small table with a lamp, and a couch. "Gohan, can you please light the fire?" she asks, gesturing at the fireplace with a few small logs in it.
"Sure!" he replies, aiming a tiny ki blast at it. The wood bursts into flames and a soft crackling fills the room. Chi-Chi sits on the couch and picks up a book, flipping open to the page she left off on. Gohan goes to the small table and opens its drawer, pulling out a few sheets of paper and a small box labeled 'crayons', whatever those are. He flops down on the floor on his stomach and begins to draw on the page with a green crayon. His legs kick up and down behind him as he hums odds and ends of little songs.
Chi-Chi sighs contently. She raises her eyes to me and gestures to a chair. I shake my head slightly and float up into a lotus position next to the fire and close my eyes.
We sit in the room for an hour; the only sounds the crackling of the fire and the occasional flipping of a page in Chi-Chi's book.
"Time for bed, Gohan," she says finally, standing from the couch. Gohan abandons his coloring and stands. He goes to his mother and she kisses his forehead and hugs him. "Goodnight sweetie. It's so good to have you home again," she says before sending him to his room. "Goodnight Piccolo," she says softly as I follow Gohan. I nod in reply before closing the door behind me.
Gohan has already changed into his sleep shirt and is under the covers of his bed. He looks up at me. "Mr. Piccolo, will you sleep with me? Please, just for tonight?"
"Why? I'll be sitting right here," I say, pointing to the corner of his room that faces his bed.
"I know; I just want some company. Please?" he begs, looking at the photo of him and his father again. While he had wanted to come home and seeing his mother lifted his spirits, it was painful for him to be here. His father's spirit lurked around the whole house, taunting them with his absence.
I grumble and approach his bed. I slide the weights over my head and take my headpiece off before sitting on the bed again. "Happy?" I mutter.
"You're supposed to lie under the covers," he says pointedly, throwing the blankets off him. I groan. This is just too much. "Daddy used to sleep with me when I was lonely or sad."
I grunt again and shove Gohan over before lying on my back. Gohan immediately cuddles up to my side, prying my arm away from my body and shoving himself between them. I throw the blankets up over us reluctantly.
"If you kick me, I swear I'll throw you out of this bed and through a wall," I warn. Gohan laughs sleepily. Soon, the room is silent, just the sound of his light snoring echoing in the air. I close my eyes and try to meditate, but in the end I drift into a light sleep; the first one since I've returned from Namek.
