A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Skeletons from the Family Closet

"GOHAN!" The three members of the Son family said in unison as they saw him standing in the doorway.

Goku immediately sat up from his chair. "Gohan liste-" He tried to start but was cut off his son.

"Please… don't." Gohan returned harshly. His fists were clenched and he had an angry look on his face. "We don't hear a word from you for an entire year. Not one word! And then today you come back into our lives and expect everything to be OK; like our lives were just a movie you put on pause. I guess the worst part of it wasn't that you forgot it was my birthday, but it was that you came into a party prepared by our family and friends for me, and made it about you, because it's always been about you, hasn't it?! You do whatever you like without thinking about the consequences. It's always been this way! Well tonight I'm saying enough is enough with your self-centered attitude." Gohan was hurt and angered by the things his father had done and now he was finally getting a chance to express his true feelings. However not everyone approved of his tone.

"Son Gohan!" Chi-Chi tried to scold him. She wasn't going to defend her husband's actions, but she also wasn't going to let Gohan talk to his father that way in their own home. This was not the conversation she was expecting them to have.

But Gohan was just getting started. He looked at his mother apologetically. "I'm sorry mom, but it's true." He then pointed to Goku. "He has never taken on any responsibility, especially as a parent."

At this point Videl had reached the doorway and was next to her husband. Piccolo was close behind her but maintained his distance from what was occurring in the house. He wasn't there to get involved, rather his objective was just to keep an eye on Gohan.

Goku took the defensive, trying to remain calm under the accusations his son had just hurled at him. "Gohan, I don't know where all of this coming from. I have always tried to do what was best to protect this family and this planet. My first thought has been the safety of everyone in this room and our friends. I've done, and continue to do, whatever I can to ensure this protection."

Before Gohan could continue, he felt Videl's hand grab his arm. He wasn't sure she should be here for all of this. "I don't want Pan to be alone in the house after everything that's happened. Can you be with her while I talk with him."

"My dad stayed behind with your grandfather. They are taking care of her." Videl replied. She could tell that he was apprehensive about her being there but she wasn't budging.

He looked at her intensely and flat out asked what he had been thinking. "Are you sure you want to be here for this?"

She gave him an equally intense stare and nodded. She could tell all he wanted to do was to protect her but she refused to leave. No matter what, she was staying by his side.

He turned back to his father. The expression of anger and pain returned to his face. "You say you have done your best to protect Earth and this family but all you've done is abandon us time and time again. So much of my childhood was spent wondering where you were and when you were coming back. I even started to blame myself for your absence, thinking it was something I did to make you not want to come back."

Goku was taken aback. He had never expected his son to say any of the things that he had just said. It's like he had come back to a different world than the one he left last year. As Krillin told him, a lot had certainly changed. His expression became more serious as he realized this back and forth between them was just beginning. "I never meant for you to blame yourself for my absence. I'm sorry for when I wasn't here, but at the time I didn't have a choice."

"Yes, you did." Gohan responded promptly as he gritted his teeth. "You chose not to come back after the battle with Frieza even after the Yardrats' healed you, you chose not to come back after the battle with Cell, and you chose to leave last year with Uub and not come back until today, a full year later."

"I did those things one way or another because I wanted to protect this family and this planet." Goku shot back.

"You still don't get it… abandonment is not protection!" Gohan had shut his eyes in a moment of frustration but was quick to open them back up to look at his father again. "You chose what you thought would be the easiest for YOU and you did it without thinking about any alternatives. Your actions left mom to raise two children by herself. How is having a complete disregard for any parental responsibilities, protection?" His emotions were running high but this time he remained in control.

Goku became silent. He had never seen his son like this - this angry and this upset. Sure, on the battlefield his son had expressed these emotions, it was what drove his power, but this was something entirely different. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Gohan took his father's silence as an opportunity to continue. "You cannot even begin to imagine the pain you have caused over the years." His voice began to crack as tears started to make their way down his face. "I trusted you, I put my faith in you, all I wanted was for us to be a family but you… you only wanted to continue fighting. That's why you have consistently made decisions that have put us more in danger, not less."

This was something he had not expressed before to anyone else in the room and it caught everyone by surprise.

"Gohan, what are you talking about?" Goku questioned. He was utterly confused as to what his son was referring to.

The demi-saiyan scowled. "When Trunks came from the future to warn us about the androids it was suggested to try to stop Dr. Gero before he even created them, but you said 'No'. You had the chance to stop them before they could hurt anyone but you didn't. You didn't care about our safety, you just wanted to fight them. That's why we trained for three years, when instead we should have been searching for Dr. Gero, or better yet, just have used the dragon to find him. Because of your decision Cell, was able to complete his transformation and wreaked havoc on this entire world. Because of your decision the earth was almost destroyed!"

Goku got silent again as he was met with stares from Videl and Goten who had never heard this information before. They were both wondering why he would make such a dangerous choice that obviously had severe consequences.

"Dad?" Goten muttered. He was asking for verification and, if so, an explanation. But Goku did not know what to say. He had originally stated that it wasn't right to go after Dr. Gero because he had not technically done anything wrong yet… but looking back, he began to realize that decision was also based on his desire to fight… Gohan was right, he had put his desires before the safety of his friends, his family, and even the Earth.

Gohan wasn't even going to bother going into other examples. The expression his father had on his face showed that he understood. He wiped a few lingering tears from his cheeks as he took a deep breath to address his father once more. "My entire life you have cause me pain. You've never truly been there for me, and I now realize that you never will. If you had been around, you would know that tomorrow morning we are moving up to North City because of my job."

While this news was surprising to hear, nothing could have prepared Goku for what he was about to hear next.

Gohan continued. "Once we move you are to never contact us again!"

"G-Gohan!" Chi-Chi and Videl gasped.

Gohan remained unresponsive to them as he glared intensely at his father. It was the same look he gave his enemies in battle while he was trying to protect Earth… except now he was trying to protect his daughter and unborn child from someone who had been the cause of so much pain in his life. "After seeing Pan cry when you left the tournament last year I made myself a promise; that you would never be allowed to hurt her again. I will not have her suffer the way I suffered." With that Gohan started to make his way to the door. He was sorry the other members of his family had been dragged into this confrontation but he was more sorry he had let his father cause so much hurt. At least now he was putting an end to it.

"Wait!" Goku shouted as he took a few steps towards his son. Everything seemed so surreal. Less than a few hours ago he had been free from any worries, and now his son was telling him that he never wanted to see him again. What was happening? As he struggled to come to terms with the reality of the situation he was beginning to question all the choices he had made in his life and how they have had an effect on his family and friends. Had he really been as selfish as Gohan made him out to be? The more he questioned himself, the more he was filled with guilt over what his son has said. He couldn't let him leave like this, he just couldn't.

"Gohan… I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Please… don't leave like this."

Gohan turned back towards his father. The image before him brought him back once again to when he had teleported with Cell to King Kai's planet.

"Come back"

"Come back"

"Come back"

His own voiced echoed in his mind, just as it had last year after the tournament. He had waited so long to hear his father apologize for his behavior. If it was just him alone, perhaps he would have given him another chance. However, that wasn't the case. He had his children to think about. Their safety and happiness came before all else. He took a deep breath… "It's too late." He said fighting back more tears. This caused those around him to let out a small gasp as they realized what was happening. After all this time, it was coming down to this. Gohan continued. "Everyone else may forgive you for what you have done but I can't. And I won't let you hurt my son or daughter the way you've hurt me."

While Goku was trying to digest the information he just received, something stood out to him. "Son?" He asked.

Gohan bit his lip and shut his eyes. He hadn't meant to share that information, not this way at least.

"What do you mean 'son'?" Goku asked again.

Gohan turned to Videl who had shut her eyes and was taking a deep breath. They had only just found out yesterday the sex of the baby and she had been planning on making the announcement after Gohan blew out the candles on the cake. Of course, that didn't go as expected. Now everyone in the room was hearing it for the first time.

Sighing, Gohan turned back to his family where they all had eyes on him. He addressed his father directly. "Videl's pregnant. We found out yesterday that it's going to be a boy."

"V-Videl?" Goku asked for confirmation. The woman still had her eyes closed, trying to relax, and simply nodded in affirmation.

"I-it's going to be a boy!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. A quick smile crossed her face but then dissipated when she remembered what her son had just said. Goku was never going to see the child.

"I'm sorry that the two of you had to find out this way." Gohan said, referring to his brother and mother.

What Chi-Chi had realized was starting to dawn on Goku. "Gohan, we can fix this."

Gohan took another deep breath. "You said that you've do whatever you can in order to protect your family. Now I'm doing whatever I can in order to protect mine."

"But if w-" Goku started to respond but was cut off when Gohan held his hand up.

"I've already said it… it's too late. I can't trust you around them. You've made your decisions and now I'm making mine. Tomorrow we are leaving and that is the last you will see of us." He then turned back towards Goku. "You've abandoned me for the last time." Ending with that, he left.

Quietness descended upon the Son household as the door shut behind Gohan. Goku felt the urge to go after him but at this point he knew it would be fruitless. Instead, he just stood there, trying to come to terms with what just occurred. By the looks of it, Chi-Chi and Goten were grappling with the same thing. Right before their eyes their family was splitting apart.

Gohan walked past Piccolo with Videl at his side.

"Are you sure this is the route you want to take?" Piccolo asked.

"No." Gohan stopped to face him. "It's not the route I want to take. But it's the route I have to take. As I said, he's made his choices… now I'm making mine."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Piccolo nodded to him. He couldn't pass judgement on his pupil for this decision. He had experienced firsthand the pain that lay within Gohan - the emotional strife the demi-saiyan had been through. Tonight, everything had come to a head, and he had served his purpose in making sure Gohan was safe. "I guess this is good night then. I'll be back in the morning to see you off."

"Good night Piccolo." Gohan replied before the Namekian took off into the air. He and Videl then walked to their home.

As Videl watched her husband shut the door behind them, she realized that any hope she had of him salvaging his relationship with his father had just been destroyed. However, she was starting to understand where he was coming from. As he turned towards her she saw the years of hurt in his eyes. While so many things still rushed through her head she found one thing to be clear; she did not blame him for anything he had said tonight.

The two looked at each other in silence, both wondering what the other was thinking. Eventually Videl spoke up. "Gohan… how come you never told me some of the thing you mentioned in there?"

In response, Gohan looked towards the ground. "I guess I never wanted you to know who my father really was." He paused for a moment. "Maybe I never wanted to admit to myself either."

Before they could continue their discussion, Mr. Satan walked through the kitchen door. "Ugh… Is everything OK?" He asked. He had heard them come in and was wondering what the situation was.

Gohan looked up at his father-in-law and put on his best smile. "It will be Mr. Satan, it will be. I'm deeply apologetic for about what happened earlier. Words alone cannot express how sorry I am for my actions. Is everyone OK?"

Mr. Satan nodded his head and tried to make light of the situation. "They're fine. Heck I've managed to cause more ruckus at parties when I was younger BWHAHAHA."

Gohan giggled slightly. After everything that had happened he appreciated his father-in-law's ability joke around (even if his humor was a bit off-beat).

"Where's Pan?" He asked next.

"Huh? Oh, she went up upstairs to her room. Ox-King was helping her get ready for bed." Mr. Satan replied.

"Ah, I better go see her." Gohan said as he excused himself. As he made his way upstairs he became increasingly nervous about how his daughter was going to react to him after everything that had happened. All he wanted to do was protect her but tonight he had let her down. He didn't know what he would do if she hated, or even feared him, after what happened. Being a father meant everything to him and he hoped his actions that night had not jeopardized his relationship with her.

While Gohan made his way upstairs, Mr. Satan moved closer to his daughter. "What happened?" He asked, his voice showing obvious concern.

"Apparently more than I ever knew." Videl replied.

As Gohan ventured along the upstairs hallway he noticed a dim light coming from one of the guest rooms. Since he did not hear any voices, he approached silently. When he reached the door, he saw his grandfather on the big recliner with his daughter curled up next to him. The storybook that lay across Ox-King's chest suggested that the two had fallen asleep while reading a story together. It was not the first time Gohan had encountered the two like this and he hoped it wouldn't be the last.

A soft smile covered his face as he entered the room and gently placed the book on the nightstand. He then proceeded to dim the light some more and, ever so carefully, picked up Pan and carried her to her room. As he unfolded the sheets and placed his daughter in her bed he noticed how peaceful she looked. Her demeanor now was in stark contrast to the events that had taken place earlier that day. He hoped that she would never have to go through something like that again. He brushed back a few stands of hair from her face as he finished tucking her into bed. "I hope you aren't angry with me Pan-chan." He whispered. "I love you and would never do anything to hurt you. I'm so sorry for what happened today." A single tear made its way down his cheek as he further beat himself up on the inside for what he had done. He sighed and gently kissed his daughter on the forehead before turning towards the door.

"Daddy?" Pan said half-asleep.

"Eh?" Gohan turned around to see his daughter staring up at him.

"Daddy." She repeated this time holding out her arms in search for a hug.

"Pan." He returned as he knelt down and embraced his daughter. "Pan, I'm so sorry for what happened. I'm so sorry for scaring you."

"It's OK Daddy… I'm not mad at you." They pulled away from their hug and Gohan looked at his daughter. He realized she had heard him whispering.

"But-But why did you hit grandpa?" She asked as a sad look came across her face.

Gohan looked at his daughter sympathetically. How was he supposed to explain the situation to her? He sighed deeply as he searched for the words. "Grandpa really hurt me today… actually grandpa has hurt me a lot… and when I saw him I got angry and did something really stupid."

Pan looked at her father quizzically. "How did grandpa hurt you?"

"Well… do you remember last year when he left during the tournament?"

Pan nodded.

"And do you remember how sad it was to see him leave?"

Again, Pan nodded.

"Well when I was a little older than you are now, grandpa left for seven years leaving grandma to raise me and Goten by herself. This wasn't the only time he was gone but during these seven years he chose to stay away from us. He said he was doing it for our protection but it still made me sad, like when he left the tournament." Gohan had to take a deep breath to focus on his words. He could tell his daughter was a little bothered by this news. She had not been told yet about Cell and the occurrences during those times. "When he left during the tournament last year it reminded me of all the times he was absent during my childhood and how sad that made me. So, when I saw him today I became very upset with him because he had been gone so long and didn't seem to care. I lost control and did something I shouldn't have. I'm very sorry Pan."

Pan thought deeply for a moment and then spoke up. "It's OK." She said patting his shoulder. "I understand. I'm sorry grandpa made you so upset."

"It's not your fault Pan. Grandpa…" He had to pause. How exactly was he going to say this? "Grandpa has done some things that have really hurt me and I-I just don't want to see him hurt you the same way. That is why after tomorrow we aren't going to see grandpa for a long time."

"What!?" Pan exclaimed as she started to well up. Even though he had tried to sugar-coat the news, she was still troubled by this revelation. As Gohan expected, she still did not fully understand the situation, but then again how could she. She had only been told a snippet of information.

"Listen Pan," Gohan said sympathetically. "I know it may seem bad right now but I'm doing this because I want to protect you. Grandpa is not someone who I can trust and I don't want to see you get hurt by him."

Before Pan could continue to protest, Videl came into the room.

"Pan what's the matter?" She asked soothingly.

"Daddy said we can't see grandpa after we move." Pan cried.

Videl made her way over to the bed. She looked at her husband as if she was thinking hard on the subject and then turned to her daughter. "Well Pan, daddy has been hurt a lot by grandpa and he doesn't want you to be hurt like he was."

"But… but…" Pan started to plead again.

Videl glanced at her husband. This is what she had warned him about when he had opened up to her a week after the tournament. Of course, now she had more information, but it didn't make this any easier. "Listen, Pan. There are things that even I didn't know until recently. Your dad is just trying to protect you. Our family is experiencing a lot of changes and we are just asking that you trust us as we get settled in to everything."

Pan looked down without knowing what else to say. She didn't exactly understand what was going on but she trusted her parents. "…OK." She muttered.

Videl let out a weak smile. She had just managed to convince her daughter that not seeing Goku was for the best, but she still felt conflicted on the issue. While she couldn't blame her husband for how he felt, she wasn't sure she was 100% in agreement about this being a permanent thing. But now was not the time to bring that discussion up. So much had already happened and tomorrow they had a long day ahead of them. Further rest and contemplation would be required before she broached this topic. As she walked out of Pan's room with Gohan, Videl was struck with another conflicting feeling. She felt that she was missing something in regard to this whole situation. She obviously knew Gohan was hurt, and that he was dedicated to his decision, but she felt as if there was more to the story. She didn't know if it was because he was trying to protect his family or if he was so hurt that he didn't want to talk about it more, but there was no doubt in her mind, he had held back during his confrontation with his father.

There were still things he wasn't telling her.