Gohan wasn't real sure what to make of it but the party was pretty welcoming thus far. He'd expected it to be decked out in blue or pink, depending and he was a bit ashamed that his heart felt as if a weight were lifted off it when he saw neither. He instead found the room covered in greens and yellows, no huge signs declaring the baby or anything like that.

A portion of him felt relieved. The little inner voice had not shut up once, not since his father had brought it up. His logical side knew that the chances of a brother was nearly equal to a sister but as much as he tried to come to terms with it, he could not. He knew, from the research he'd done (though he knew it was perhaps skewed as all research was) that a brother would perhaps be nearly the same experience as a sister...

But he could not believe it.

So, as they began to gather and Bulma's workers brought out enough food to make Gohan's mouth water, he found himself searching, even subconsciously for a sign that it was a girl. He shouldn't have; Bulma was an expert.

"Hey, there he is!"

Turning around once then twice, Gohan blinked "Huh?"

Bulma smiled and rushed him, giving him a large hug with a ruffle to his hair. "You silly! You ARE the soon-to-be-big brother, right?"

Cocking a brow, he replied cautiously "Well, yeah. But we're celebrating the baby, right?" It still made his mouth feel like sand but he swallowed it away. This was for his mother and father. He could endure it.

"Sure," Bulma said with a shrug "But it's for you too. Becoming an older brother is something worth celebrating too!"

Was it? He couldn't really feel it but he smiled, nonetheless. "Is it, Bulma?

"Of course!" ChiChi made her way over and hugged him. "Where do you think your sibling is going to see how to be strong, smart and caring?"

Gohan eyed her. "You and Dad."

She smiled, gently stroked his hair back. "Partially yes but through you too! They'll have it right in front of them! They'll get to see how wonderful it looks! You're going to play a big part in this Gohan, one that your father and I can't do!"

At that, the other guests began to gather and Gohan was glad for the distraction because his mother's words fell like stone on his stomach. He knew her purpose just like he knew the purpose of the congratulations that began to rain on his ears. He was meant to feel happy, proud. Perhaps not excited but intrigued by the prospect of being a learning curve to a new member.

If it was a sister, he could perhaps get behind that. He wouldn't lie that he had begun to imagine seeing a sister grow up under his mother's gaze, as he did and leaning on him and his father. He imagined her watching him walk his path with awe and admiration but choosing a different angle to lead her own life. Perhaps that was unfair because he knew all too well—his own mother was proof of it—that her being a girl did not mean that she would not be drawn to the martial arts but he clung tight to that denial. That possibility of her path being different from his. That...he could not break from that. They had to have different paths.

And if it was a boy?

He couldn't...would not...consider it.

"Have you talked with your folks about names, Gohan?"

Shifting his attention to the voice, he shook his head at Yamcha. "Uh Uh. They haven't mentioned names to me."

The older man smiled. "Well, that was tough for them with you. I bet they'd welcome the help."

The prospect was intriguing but he was no good at girl names. Maybe after his mom? She'd like that. He voiced such. "A girl should have a name like Mom or maybe after Grandma?"

ChiChi gave Yamcha a grateful look. She'd been trying to get Bulma's attention but wasn't having a lot of luck but this break let her wander off. "Maybe. Why don't you ask Grandpa what he thinks?"

Her father, always fairly clued in, made his way over "A girl named after my wife? Oh, that would be a lovely idea! Did I ever tell you about her, Gohan?"

ChiChi gratefully left the group with her father and rushed to Bulma's side, catching her arm. The blue haired scientist smiled. "Hey ChiChi, where's Goku?"

She frowned, folded her arms tight over her chest. "That's the problem. He didn't make back home before Dad came to pick us up. He wanted to treat us a little. Did you see Gohan's new drawing pad and pens?" She had bitten down the impulse to ask why not a journal or writing book—she was not going to fixate on that anymore but old habits were hard to bury sometimes. Seeing Gohan smile at the prospect of just drawing helped.

Bulma blinked and asked "So, he didn't talk to Gohan?"

ChiChi shook her head. "No, not yet. That's what I wanted to ask you..."

The blue haired scientist beamed, "No worries, ChiChi. I moved the gender reveal stuff so we can do it later, once Goku gets here and talks to him. You'll still get your surprise but we'll work with Gohan on it."

ChiChi nodded, glanced about the room. She saw Yamcha, Puar, Oolong, Master Roshi (wisely keeping his distance) Piccolo, Yajirobe (stuffing his face) her father, Bulma's father, Tights but no Vegeta or Trunks. She set her friend with a slightly baffled look, "Where's Vegeta and Trunks?"

A coy smile. "Mom wanted to help with the desserts and details. I didn't want anything happening like when you told us you were expecting so I handed Trunks to Vegeta and told him that he was at a prime age to learn the Saiyan tongue. He might not learn it properly if he never hears it. Imagine that, a prince of the Saiyan race not knowing its language? Rather scandalous and pitiful, I'd say."

Despite herself, ChiChi smiled. "And he took the bait?"

"Oh, full force."

"Won't Trunks get bored?" She had to admit, the idea of leaving a baby alone with Vegeta did not sit well with her. Though, she supposed Bulma knew him better than most.

"Not for a while," Bulma took a sip of the water and soda on the table while ChiChi piled some hors d'oeuvres on her plate. "He's at the age where anything that sounds different or odd is hilarious to him. Ever heard the Saiyan tongue?" When ChiChi shook her head, Bulma went on "It's a very gravelly sounding language. Trunks and Vegeta will occupy themselves for a while."

Nodding, ChiChi took a bite of cracker, still watching Gohan with the others. He was laughing, smiling, something she missed seeing so much. But, should they be so accomading? She'd be thinking on it the last few days even though she knew the mother in her couldn't bear to see him hurt when she could help it. All the same, it was nice to have a moment to ponder it.

"Am I right, you think, to be so gentle with him?" ChiChi's words were gentle. "You know, I can't stand to see him hurt but I wonder sometimes if being forward with him about how things will be would be better?" But then, she wondered, there was that panic attack Goku told her about...

Bulma was quiet a moment. "If you'd asked me that yesterday, I would have agreed with you."

"You don't now?"

She shook her head. "I don't. Not after what Goku told me. If I thought it was just a kid being jealous and unsure or something like that, then yeah, I'd say after some time, just thrusting the truth on him might be the wake up call. But I don't think that's what going on."

ChiChi eyed her, tracing the punch glass with her finger. "No?"

"No. This is irrational, beyond what even extreme jealousy does. I think there's something deeper. Something here." She tapped the side of her head. "Let's face it, Gohan's been through a lot. That can sometimes...knock some things around." Bulma set her eyes on the boy she considered to be her nephew. "I mean, this is the kid that didn't falter against Freeza, who stood and faced Androids down and who evaporated Cell down to the last molecule." She took a breath "And he has a panic attack when he talks about possibly getting a brother? He refuses to delve into why. He bottles up most of his feelings—but he's getting better on that, Goku said, right?" ChiChi nodded but gave a so-so gesture with her hand. Bulma shook her head again. "Something is amiss HERE." She pointed to her temple again. "And just throwing the news on him and saying "deal with it!" Uh Uh. If he was capable of dealing with it, he would be."

ChiChi bit her lip and Bulma gently took her hand. "I wouldn't take someone that had been attacked by dogs and throw them in a room full of them and expect them to be fine. Not without months and months of preparation, therapy and gradual exposure. I wouldn't take someone with anorexia, throw them in a room full of mirrors and tell them to just believe they weren't fat. Wish it worked that way but it doesn't. Brain doesn't work that way. If Gohan's got some kind of cognitive...misinformation or something, just telling him to accept something won't do anything."

ChiChi eyed her. "So...what do we do?"

Bulma sighed. "What we have been doing. I know it's frustrating and irritating but there is no shortcut. Doesn't mean we stop life or that we can't let you and Goku celebrate this kiddo," she grinned at ChiChi's belly. "But it just means we have to be careful and mindful."

The human woman nodded. "Do you think it's this training? These battles?"

"Can't say for sure." She meant that. While most people would say that it definitely had to be the violence, Bulma wasn't so sure. Gohan had shown remarkable resilience to it and she suspected his Saiyan blood had something to do with that. Vegeta has even told her that the Saiyan mind was not easily disturbed by trauma and war which she supposed made sense from a biological viewpoint. Granted, Gohan was half Saiyan but...The baby coming had definitely triggered it but that had so many possibilities. "It could have been building for a while. We won't know until Gohan starts telling us." She hugged her friend. "Don't worry. It might take us some time but we'll figure it out."

Her embrace was appreciated. "You know a lot more 'bout the mind than I do, Bulma." ChiChi confessed.

The scientist took on a proud face. "Soon as I started working on inventions that messed with the body, I figured I better take some biology. No expert though!"

"No," ChiChi set her plate down, cleaned her fingers and her hands. "But you know more than me or Goku. Could this...misinformation really make him this scared?"

"Sure." Bulma thought a moment. "Think of it like your mind interprets the world through a lens. If your lens becomes cracked or miscolored, it doesn't matter how many times I tell you the rock over there is a rock. If the crack in your lens makes it look like a monster, you'll see a monster. So you have to fix the lens."

That made sense. Much as it did not help ChiChi, it did make sense. It seemed her maternal instinct was proved right yet again. That was slightly empowering.

Hearing Gohan give a sudden giggle helped too.

Wrapping her arm around ChiChi, Bulma advised. "C'mon, lets go enjoy this!"

OOO

The displacement of air in the midst of the chattering group only served to temporarily throw people for a loop. Gohan was all smiles when his father faded into view. "Daddy, what took you so long?!"

Goku recovered fairly quickly and scooped his son up, tossing him skyward, though being mindful—he didn't want to break Bulma's ceiling. When the boy fell back down, he laughed as he caught an armful of boy "Well, you all took off without me! And I hadda chase off this dinosaur from the garden!"

Bulma smiled "I can give you a fence or something for it."

Gohan shook his head "Naw, Bulma. Daddy and I can make a stone barrier or something. Think that would work?"

Goku laughed "Well, it's a pretty big dinosaur but you're pretty smart. I'm sure we'll figure it out." He spied his wife and greeted her a moment "Sorry, I'm late."

Despite herself, ChiChi smiled. "Goku, you'll be late for your own funeral."

The Saiyan laughed, rubbed the back of his head. "Did I miss anything?"

Krillin snorted. "Just your kiddo raiding the food."

Gohan grinned sheepishly. "Bulma said I could!" He felt fully entitled with that knowledge and when his father gave him a pout, he countered "There's still plenty, Daddy unless Yajirobe ate it all!"

The ronin looked up at the sound of his name "Eh?"

Goku groaned "Oh, c'mon! Didn't you leave me any?"

"Everyone for themselves, Goku."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Give me some credit, Goku. I planned for that. We've got plenty."

Light took Goku's face again. "Oh, good!"

Thus the tension broke. Goku led the way to the table though, it was notable he waited until his son came with him. Bulma could see deliberate attempt when it was in her face and quickly drew the others away. After all, there were plenty of things to discuss.

"So, ChiChi how did the nursery room turn out?"

OOO

"What did you wanna talk about, Daddy?"

Goku smiled, trying to keep the warmth in his eyes even though nerves must have been radiating through his ki. "What makes you think I want to talk to you about—" Goku stopped, amended his statement. "Nope, not gonna lie to you. You're right. I do wanna talk to you. Figured gettin' some good food first would help."

Gohan didn't argue that. Food was always a comfort and while Bulma's cooks were certainly not as good as his mother's cooking, they definitely tasted good. Especially the sweets! Bulma always used more chocolate and cream than his parents usually thought was good for him.

"Is it about the baby, Daddy?"

Goku gave his son a gentle squeeze. "You're still my smart kiddo. It is. I know you're not real thrilled talking about it but it's important."

Nerves stirred in Gohan's gut. He'd never really lost them though the food and laughing and teasing certainly provided good distraction. The inner voice that had been silent or at least minimal for the duration of the time here was suddenly shouting. Shouting, screaming and howling about how this was what he had been dreading.

The baby has finally won them out! It's going to all be about the baby now. All about the baby!

"What about the baby?" He managed.

Goku gently laid a hand on his son's head, rubbing his head like he'd always done. Gohan allowed himself to savor it for a moment.

"I know that preparing for the baby has given you a lot to try and process and figure out, son. It's a big change."

A change he never wanted. A change he did not want. A change he would have been fine without except he was no longer enough for his parents. He was no longer enough.

"But I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Bulma! You forgot the lovely surprise!"

The sound of Mrs. Briefs and the rustling of her movement, plus the clatter as she pushed by some chairs nearly drowned out Bulma's cries.

"Mom! No! I said we weren't doing that anymore!"

"Oh? But you worked so hard on it!" As she spoke, she stumbled forward and the large box she carried slipped and its top opened. "C'mon just let's see it go!"

Before Bulma could even reach her mother, the activated invention within sprung to life. It was a slender looking thing—a dragon, obviously modeled after Shenlong. Same colors and everything. Bulma had intended to play tribute to the journey that had eventually led Goku and ChiChi together.

But—no, no, no!

The dragon flew as fluidly as something made of nuts and bolts could. Hover technology had all but been invented by Capsule Corp after all.

Bulma looked to Goku with something akin to panic while Gohan followed the invention with his eyes, utterly distracted from whatever his father had been about to say.

The small dragon flew up and around, darting down and up and around. It seemed to be scanning the room before finally settling on ChiChi and it spun in a neat circle over her head.

"Your wish has been granted."

Then, in a flurry of sparks, it ignited into blue fire.

"Congratulations on your baby boy!"