Vigilante Angel: Chapter the Forty-eighth

Disclaimer: What? Akira Toriyama owns Dragonball Z? No way! Now all my dreams are squashed! Waaaaa! (Cries)

A/n: Sorries I've been so long with this. Exams are here… I've taken two out of six now. It's funny; in freshman year I was super nervous about having to take them, but now I'm only minimally nervous. For goodness sake, this year is when grades count the most! I should be so stressed! But I'm not. I'm glad. :)

It's weird, though. I can't seem to write. I had this written already at the beginning of this week, but I couldn't update because I had a review project to work on. (Grumbles about AP US History) And then I had a swim meet to go to, and reviewing for the exams, and well, this came out later than I expected. Apologies again.

So, enjoy! And, if you don't mind, I would really appreciate a review. I've been getting so few lately….

:-:-:-:

POVA

"Hey, Grandfather," Gohan called to the nearby Bardock. "Hold down the fort for me, why don't you? I'm going to find King Kaio and get this guy and Blasingar back to their world."

When Bardock nodded his head, Gohan took off.

:-:-:-:

Quite Some Time Later: Thirteen Years after the Cell Games

"Whoa! Ahhhhhhhh!" Goten sat up in his bed, screaming. It was the middle of the night, which is unusual in itself, because I never write a chapter when it's the middle of the night. It's about time, eh? (Sweatdrops)

"What is it, Goten?" Running footsteps could be heard, and before long, Chichi and Goku were diving into their son's room, ready for danger. Goku even had a slight aura flickering around him, though it faded when he realized there was no danger.

"Are you all right, dear?" Chichi had already hurried to Goten's side and was, even as she spoke, checking to see if he had a fever.

"I'm fine, Mom," Goten said, absently. He shook off his trance, though, when his mother refused to leave him alone, causing the demi-Saiyan to squirm away from her. As he was already near the edge of his bed—

Whump! There went the youngest Son again (Ouch. (Winces in sympathy)). "Ohhhh," he groaned, rubbing his head. The bump was nothing to him in comparison to the only slightly conspicuous dent on the floor; slightly enough to be unnoticed for weeks until Goten slipped on it again. (Sweatdrops)

"Goten!" Chichi then almost succeeded in vaulting over the high bed Goten occupied in the second rush to get to her son. Goku also attempted to reach him, but the arrival of our favorite dead demi-Saiyan forestalled them all.

"Hey, squirt," Gohan greeted his brother as he helped him up. "That was quite the nightmare you were having."

"You know what it's about?" Goten gaped, redness coloring his otherwise pale features. Gohan shook his head, adding, "Nah. I felt the tumult over our link. Since I know it's better to experience the nightmare completely, I didn't come until you woke up."

"It's better to experience the nightmare completely?" Goku asked, scratching his head. (He's not the only one, I bet.)

Gohan looked over at his father. "Yeah. I don't know why." (SP face-faults) "It's got something to do with letting the subconscious figure out a solution to the worries you have during the daytime or something like that. I can't exactly remember what it was exactly."

"Well, I don't want my subconscious to deal with this nightmare," Goten muttered under his breath. Both Goku and Gohan, being the Saiyans they were, heard it, but Chichi didn't. If she had, no doubt she would be demanding an explanation.

As it was—

"Mom! I'm all right! Leave me alone!" Goten tried again to convince his mother that he could do perfectly well without her maternal ministrations, but he was forced to subside when a familiar black Teton panhandle peeked out of her nightgown. (And how could it be there, you ask? Don't. I can't answer it. (Shrugs helplessly))

Finally, Goku and Gohan stepped in. "Mom," Gohan stated firmly, "if Goten doesn't want to talk about his nightmare, or be treated like a baby because he had a nightmare, then he shouldn't be. Why don't you and Dad go back to bed? I'll make sure Goten gets back to bed himself, and then I'll leave for Otherworld myself. Okay? Is everyone agreeable to that?"

It was plain that Chichi desired to stay longer, but with a few tugs of Goku's handy Saiyan strength, she left. As soon as the door closed, Gohan swung to Goten and muttered, "Well. That took long enough."

Goten grinned wearily from his spot next to the bed. Gohan watched as his brother slowly climbed back into his mattress and arranged himself properly, before he himself sat on it. "It's unusual for you to have nightmares, squirt," he told him, tilting his head. "You haven't had one in a long time. Are you worried about something?"

Goten's pause in answering the question was all he needed. "That's why you had it, then. Well, whatever it is that you're worried about, it's not going to turn out as you think it will. Trust me on this."

"You're not going to make me tell you what it was?" Goten blurted, his voice small. Gohan tilted his head to the side again, then straightened it and shook his head.

"No. You already told Mom you didn't want to talk about it. I respect that. I do want to know what it is, but you're old enough to deal with your own problems now. Some advice, though," he warned. "If you keep too many problems to yourself, no one's going to be able to help you."

Goten nodded, then smiled. "Was that thing you said true? About nightmares being the subconscious figuring out a way to deal with the worries we have?"

Gohan shrugged. "I don't know. If it is, then it's just a coincidence." The two brothers shared grins while the authoress smacks her forehead for the cheap trick Gohan pulled on their parents. Sure, it's brotherly and everything, but still…!

Ah well. (Shrugs) Nothing we can do about it. (Snickers)

"Thanks, big bro." Goten suddenly yawned, his weariness overcoming his rude awakening with a vengeance. Gohan smiled again and patted the pillow behind him; almost immediately Goten lay down and drifted off to sleep.

His smile gone, Gohan regarded his brother with a pensive expression. He shifted as Goten turned over and resettled, then flashed into disappearance as he made his way back into Otherworld.

:-:-:-:

Gohan? The flare of the mind link startled the recipient, whom was in the process of starting yet another research project King Yemma had assigned him. Nevertheless, his mental voice was steady as he replied, Yeah?

That nightmare I had? Can I talk to you about it? Gohan could just imagine how hesitant his brother was. Doubt was in every word of the question, crying full well how difficult it was for Goten to do this.

Sure. Do you want me to be down there with you? he asked. Even as he put forth the inquiry, he knew that the answer was going to be in the negative. Still, he awaited the reply, giving Goten the chance to prove him wrong. (SP: Isn't that nice?)

Uh, no, thanks.

Gohan sighed mentally, but sat back and laid down his paperwork. All right, I'm ready. Go ahead.

Promise you won't refuse to talk to me. I—I don't really like what I'm going to talk about.

Gohan shook his head. Absolutely nothingwas going to make him stop talking to Goten, and his brother knew it. Nonetheless, he promised, and Goten began to tell him, haltingly, what he had dreamed.

Wow, Gohan said, when Goten had been silent for longer than normal. I guess you're growing up.

Huh? Goten responded eloquently. Gohan tried, and mostly succeeded, to keep his smile out of his mental voice when he expounded.

You're going through what everyone else does, Goten, at your age. It's normal for you to have those dreams: it's part of the process of puberty. (SP: O.O Uh-oh. Here we go…) Trunks will probably have them, if he's not already. I know Vegeta definitely has (SP snickers)

Gohan somehow managed to convey the concept that he had rolled his eyes. Goten awarded him with a watery chuckle. I don't know about Dad, though. It's not exactly something you can imagine Dad doing, is it? Goten's rejoining chuckle strengthened, signifying the gradual restoration of the usual heart he possessed.

More seriously, Gohan admitted, Even I had those dreams, though I never, ever, told anyone about them. And for good reason. First, I was dead. Second, I had you to watch over. And third, I had no idea what the HFIL was going on.

Right then, Gohan could remember the internal struggle that had lasted, oh, about three months before his dad had finally reminded him of the "birds and the bees" story. A scarring experience, he told himself, though that was not true, in all actuality. (SP: O.O Are…are you okay, Gohan? Aline: No. He's a weirdo! (Flees))

Really? Goten's tone reminded Gohan of when he was younger and much more impressionable, though lately his younger brother was nothing of the sort. Sure, he was slightly gullible, still, but certainly not easily fooled. A perfect mix for the world, Gohan thought, though he did acknowledge he was slightly biased in regards of his brother.

Really, he assured him. I didn't have anyone to go to, either. Well, I had dad, but it's not that easy to tell your parents you're having weird dreams.

Totally, Goten wholeheartedly agreed. That's why I came to you. You wouldn't laugh at me, or think I was too young to understand.

Huh, Gohan snorted. That I have some experience in. The number of times I've been underestimated because of my size and/or age… He shook his head. Well, those people know better now, eh?

Laughter caused Gohan to grin himself, ruefully. When Goten had tapered off, Gohan continued. It wasn't until three months later that Dad reminded me of the birds and bees story he'd told me in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, only then it was conducted with the "hot dogs and buns." Just horrible.

The birds and bees story? Curiosity came alive in the voice invading his mind, with an undercurrent of apprehension.

Argh, Gohan sighed. He should have known Goku would have been too innocent to think about telling Goten about puberty. Casting about for a solution, he finally just threw caution into the wind and told his brother, Get Dad to tell you. It's his job anyway.

But—!

Don't worry, he hastened to say, Dad's not going to think you're too young. I was ten when he told it to me, after all.

If you want me to be there when you ask him, I will.

Thanks!

No problem, squirt. Feel better now?

A lot!

Good. Now, shoo. I have research to do.

What? But you're dead!

Tell me about it, Gohan huffed. King Yemma, the guy who's in charge of the check-in station for the dead, is so afraid of what Mom'll do to him when she finds how he's been letting me neglect my academics, he'll do anything. Including violating one of the fundamental rules of Upper Heaven and dumping on me a load of paperwork. It's not fair!

Oh, come on. I know you, big brother. You love it.

Gohan laughed. I suppose. Now, you, what are you doing right now?

Umm… I'm supposed to be doing homework. It's my study hall right now.

Ah… you're "daydreaming", right?

I guess. I don't even know why I do this anymore. I mean, come on! This is pathetic! If it weren't for Sun-Hi and Miwako, I'd be out of here.

Ah, but that's what Mom put you in there for.

I know, I know, but…

Yeah. This is one of the reasons why I'm thankful I'm dead.

Don't rub it in.

Haha! That was exquisite.

Yeah, yeah… Oops, gotta go. Study hall's over. Time for lunch, goody!

Do I detect sarcasm in that tone?

Duh. The school not only does not serve you enough lunch, but the food is not good at all. It's one of the reasons Mom packs a lunch for me.

Heheh. I'm not entirely surprised. Nothing quite like home cooking, for sure. In fact, Gohan was reminded so abruptly of his own hunger that he was surprised for all of a minute. Hm. Feels like I'm hungry too.

Talking about food always does that, doesn't it? It's like a single mention of the word food and my mouth starts watering….

With our metabolic rate, no wonder. Gohan grinned with Goten over their private (?) joke. (There appears a question mark after the word private because the authoress is not quite sure if the fact that more than two people know why it's because of the metabolic rate, makes it private.)

Well, then, I'll see you later, right?

Absopositively. Gohan mentally saluted his brother, then sealed off his side of the link, before their conversation became any more expansive than it already had.

Looking down at his barely started research, Gohan rolled his eyes and pushed it away. He bundled the different parts of his material together and placed ki magic over it so that it wouldn't be messed up, then turned and jogged off to his favorite eating-place. So much for that. (Wags eyebrows)

:-:-:-:

SP: No.

Aline: No?

SP: No.

Aline: No, what?

SP: I refuse to condone torturing our readers with the description of "The Talk".

Aline: Ah. Good.

SP: (Nods agreement)

:-:-:-:

When Goten had finally approached Goku about "The Talk", he came away wide-eyed and overwhelmed. Gohan had to coach his brother through the information (SP: More like scarring experience. (Snorts)), and even then Goten had difficulty in snapping back to reality, wandering around school in a daze for approximately two days.

Finally, however, he did come out of it, and while he didn't exactly say what was bothering him, Sun-Hi and Miwako managed to reason it out. The friendship was a bit awkward for close to two weeks, before Sun-Hi finally came up to Goten and demanded that in no uncertain terms was he to think about those sort of things with them.

Heartfelt agreement resolved the unforeseen conflict, and the trio glued itself back together again. Hadrian and Trunks weren't around to offer their sympathy, having entered into high school at the start of term. Yep, you guessed it. Goten, Sun-Hi, and Miwako, were the king and queens of middle school.

Big whoop. Enjoy it while you can, kiddies, because it's not going to last forever. Next year you're going to go down the ranks again….

And suffer. (SP cackles maniacally)

(Calms down suddenly) Right. Moving on.

…I was going to write something, but I forgot what it was. (Aline: (Face-faults)) :D Oh well! I'll just doodle with something else then. Now, what that other thing is…. (Aline: (Glares))

Heheh. Fine. I'll get serious here. (Sighs heavily)

Gohan continued to check up on Goten every Thursday, but he could tell that his brother seriously did not need him anymore that frequently. He made sure to tell Goten this before he disappeared, not quite forgetting the first incident.

The youngest demi-Saiyan protested again, but more feebly than last time. The psychic conversation they'd had about Goten's nightmares had reassured him beyond a doubt that even if niisan wasn't there physically, it was not cause to worry. As long as he didn't make Gohan mad enough to cut him off mentally, the adjusted arrangement would work out.

Goten did have a condition for him, though. Sun-Hi and Miwako wanted to meet the brother of their best friend that aforementioned friend always raved on and on about. Skepticism was the name of the game for them, for he was never at the Son House when they were, even at holidays, and Goten wanted to prove to them that his existence was real.

It didn't seem to cross the teenager's mind that Gohan's state of death did not technically count as existence, per say. Indeed, the eldest demi-Saiyan did have a state of being, but he wasn't alive, was he? As Gohan explained this to Goten with a sigh, his brother didn't appear to be worried.

"You've come down to Earth before in front of other people. You've managed to keep suspicion away," Goten shrugged. "I'm sure you can do it again."

Gohan shook his head. "That's because the people we faced were polite. From your description of your friends, they're hardly going to keep silent when they notice my halo."

"When? What makes you think Sun-chan and Mi-chan will notice that you do have a halo?" Goten countered, crossing his arms.

"What makes you think they won't? Humans are more observant than you realize. They may not always think about what they are seeing, or attribute it to the right things, but they do see," he cautioned. "I don't want to cause you any unnecessary trouble, and I want to keep Baba out of my hair. Okay?"

"Okay," Goten sulked. "But they're going to come over when you're here one time, and you'll have been warned."

"Thanks, bro," he said affectionately. He ruffled the disgruntled Saiyan's hair just as fondly, which only caused his brother's resentment to deepen. Gohan just laughed.

:-:-:-:

A/n: So, how was that? Goten's going through puberty, Goten's going through puberty, Goten's going through puberty! Haha! I wonder why they never mentioned that in the series…? (Being innocent)

Aline: (Rolls eyes)

SP: (Grins) Sigh….

So, Goten's been having weird dreams, huh? Poor guy! Luckily, he had Gohan to reassure and explain things to him. But what if he hadn't? Methinks that'd be a hassle! (Shakes head) To make things worse for our poor demi-Saiyan, he's been given THE TALK! Aahhhh! To spare my readers from the same fate, I refused to put in here, with the rare approval of my muse.

Aline: You bet it's rare. (Sniffs)

SP: Sometimes I wonder why you hang around me. No, don't answer that. I'm not sure I want to know. (Shakes head again) Sun-Hi and Miwako got a little weird around Goten for a while, but things are better! Or are they? Those two girls do want to meet Gohan…. How's that going to work out? Find out, next time on Vigilante Angel!

Thanks to DBZ Chick1 and for reviewing! I'm so glad…. (Bows)

Viscola!

TheShadowPanther and Aline, from AASN

AASN; Writing is what we do for you at AASN. Enjoy.

Updated 01.21.05