Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters.
This story is for CoreyPeters on DeviantArt.
The defeat of Majin Buu came with many costs and trials. Once the terrible creature was freed, Babidi took it all over the Earth. The Earth's population was decimated as Buu turned people into treats. There were few that escaped Buu's wrath; even Babidi was slain by Buu. The Earth's savior, Hercule, was among them.
Unfortunately, even Earth's 'hero' couldn't keep Buu calm for long. Vicious humans caused a split between the newly good Buu and an evil incarnate. The evil Buu attacked the Lookout and began a chain reaction that led to its defeat.
Of course, before all that, preparations were made. After giving the children the terrible news of the demise of Vegeta and Gohan, the children were given little time to grieve. Immediately, Goku and Piccolo started to train Trunks and Goten to perform the fusion dance. Shortly after, Babidi sent a telepathic message to all the Earth. He wanted to track down Trunks, Goten, and Piccolo. Trunks's identity was given up by the scorned mother whose sons Trunks and Goten beat. Because of this, Goku believed they'd need the Dragon Balls again, so he planned to send Trunks back to his home to get the radar. Of course, Bulla cut in and demanded she go instead, afraid that Babidi might track Trunks down. She already lost her father that day; she wasn't going to lose her brother too.
Reluctantly, Goku agreed, and so he continued to train the boys in the art of fusion. To buy time until they mastered the dance, Goku went to fight Buu. Even he couldn't beat the monster, and he perished as well. However, once in Otherworld, Goku sensed the life force of his son and used instant transmission to reach him. When Gohan saw his father, he was so relieved until he noticed the halo over his head. Goku then told everyone what happened on Earth while Gohan was training. At least Gohan was alive and not dead like Goku thought.
Even so, Earth's last line of defense was a bunch of children who never had to fight a menace like Majin Buu before. Eventually, Buu did find Trunks and Goten, even fought and trapped them in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. When they did escape, the children fought their hardest, but Buu still managed to consume them and take on their abilities and characteristics. Gohan also returned to fight, but he let his guard down once he thought victory was assured. The Earth was truly doomed.
Until Old Kai gave up his life for Goku to return and Vegeta was given permission to return to Earth to fight alongside his rival against Buu. The evil Babidi awoke in Vegeta was gone, and the Saiyan's mind was calmer now that he'd been at rest with no nightmares. As reluctant as he was to fuse with Goku using the Potara earrings, assured that their fusion would be permanent, the fact that his wife and children were killed by this monster didn't sit well. Through a series of miracles, the two Saiyans separated again, and then had to take Buu out in a different way.
Kid Buu was evil, unrestrained, and strong. A quick wish of the Dragon Balls brought all the good people of Earth back from the dead, including Vegeta if he ever felt need to question himself. A spirit bomb defeated Buu, and the horrific events of the day were like nothing more than a bad dream. In fact, it was pretty much just that for the people of Earth, as another wish remained and Hercule requested that everyone be made to forget about Buu's involvement in the disaster, the good Buu who he befriended.
Everything was back to normal, and peace reigned once again.
Bulma heaved a sigh of relief as she thought over the events from weeks ago and how everything had worked out. It had been horrific, losing her husband, fearing the loss of her children, and then being eaten by that monster that now walked among them as a…friend? She shook her head. Sometimes Son could be too forgiving, but Buu seemed capable of change. As Vegeta explained it, there had been different version of Buu and the one that remained had taken a liking to Hercule. Everything seemed to be under control, for the moment.
The blue-haired woman leaned back in her patio chair and stretched out her arms in the sunlight. She looked to her husband who held a cup of coffee in his hand. A pensive expression darkened his features, and Bulma frowned. The night that everything occurred, the couple had had a long discussion about the role Vegeta played in the events, both the good and the bad. Bulma knew her husband had been struggling. She hadn't realized how much his stress and anxiety had taken over his life until what they were now dubbing 'his breakdown' since Bulma could not voice what happened without getting upset. He still wouldn't tell her what fully happened with that, only that it would never happen again and that his mind had been too weak to fight off the wizard. That was probably the only reason Bulma hadn't told him to leave that night, that and the fact that she loved him and wanted him close after losing him.
Still, since then, Vegeta seemed calmer, but he was so withdrawn. It almost reminded Bulma of the day she invited him to live at Capsule Corp. She wasn't used to these prolonged and deafening silences anymore, and it alarmed her. Before she could voice her concern, laughter caught both hers and her husband's attention.
Vegeta's gaze shifted from his coffee cup to the three children down below. Trunks, Bulla, and Goten chased each other around the yard. Bulma watched them fondly; their carefree nature and unbridled laughter eased her uncertainty. Her attention was back on her husband, the man still lost in thought with guilt shining in his eyes as he watched the kids. It didn't deter Bulma. She was a woman on a mission.
"So, are you ready to talk about it?" she pressed. Her voice left no room for argument, and the Saiyan didn't bother to protest.
"What is there to say?" Vegeta returned as coal-colored eyes met blue. "I made a mistake."
Bulma's eyes softened. "Hun," she softly called, "according to both you and Goku, it's not like you made the choice. You were exhausted."
Vegeta grunted sardonically, bitterly. "I was weak. I let the enemy get the best of me, and I gave into the power to prove a point."
Bulma's eyes lit up. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "Speaking of, what point was that?"
Vegeta winced. He was reluctant to explain himself, mainly because Bulma had dismissed his nightmares. Still, after what he put the woman and their family through, she deserved to know. He glanced off to the side of the table.
"I told Kakarot about my nightmares, and he said something that rubbed me the wrong way." His eyes shifted back to Bulma. His wife's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, but she didn't stop him, didn't yell. She was just listening. "I asked him if Frieza ever returned, would he let him go like the first time?"
A sigh escaped Bulma. "I take it he said 'yes'?"
"Worse," Vegeta scoffed a disparaging laugh. "He pointed out how he let me go, that I changed. After I lost control over myself, all I knew was that I was so infuriated with his answer, that in that moment in the stadium I wanted to prove that not everyone changes."
Bulma placed her hand on his and smiled sadly. "You did change," she told him. "That much is true. A lot of our friends have. Most of them started out as our enemies. Son always gives everyone a second chance." Vegeta's expression grew grim, his form rigid. "That doesn't mean we all agree with him all the time, and you better believe we'd all give him hell over Frieza. He was a monster, and I'd be damned if I let him anywhere near our family and our children."
A weak smile formed on Vegeta's face. Bulma reminded him so much of a Saiyan in that moment.
"But I also want you to remember," she cut into his musings. "Frieza's gone, dead. New Namek is somewhere he can never find it. And the only other Dragon Balls are here on Earth. Frieza isn't coming back."
"Mark my words, Bulma, but Frieza will return," Vegeta warned, "but now Kakarot knows what he must do. As for everything else that happened," both his and Bulma's eyes fell on Trunks and Bulla. Vegeta sneered and mentally berated himself. "I regret ever putting them in that situation."
Vegeta never wanted his children to experience pain as he had in his childhood, even slightly. In one day, the two had to grow up so quickly. The Saiyan prince could never forgive himself for that.
Bulma, though, she just flashed him another brilliant smile. "If there's anything I know about our children, it's that their incredibly strong and strong-willed. They'll bounce back with time. The fact that they can still run around out there with smiles on their faces is a testament to that strength."
Vegeta agreed, so he simply nodded, and then the couple went back to watching them in silence, hopeful that the children's innocence would erase all of the dark memories.
Laughter was all that could be heard from the kids. Trunks, Bulla, and Goten ran around the yard and every so often engaged in a light, playful spar. Their play fighting lasted for about another hour before the three found themselves on their backs in attempts to catch their breath. They were under a tree; the sun peeked through the leaves. The children stared up at the sky, each breathing heavily and lost in thought.
The events that transpired weeks ago still lingered in the children's minds. They each endured their own challenges that day, felt so much pain and reality that most children their age could never imagine. All of them had to experience grief for the first time. Where the Dragon Balls repaired all the damage done, the deaths, or supposed deaths, of Vegeta, Gohan, and Goku left their psychological marks on the young children.
Trunks never expected his father to lose. To him, Vegeta was the strongest man to ever exist. The man taught his son to fight and be strong, but Trunks was not prepared to lose his father or any battles. He learned pretty quickly that his Saiyan nature made him and Goten both cocky, especially when fused. Had Trunks fought more seriously, he probably could have stopped Buu. The same went for Gotenks. But the children were naïve, not battle-hardened. Trunks would have to convince his father to train him more harshly now. He was certain his mom wouldn't like that, but Trunks didn't care. He needed experience, and he would no longer allow Vegeta to go easy on him. The next time an enemy showed up, Trunks would fight alongside his father, and the two of them would take the creep out together.
Out of nowhere, Trunks abruptly announced, "I'll be back guys. I need to use the bathroom," before he left the two alone.
As the boy rushed away, Bulla closed her eyes and wore a look of irritation. "Too much information," she muttered, which in turn caused Goten to laugh. The sound made Bulla smirk.
Bulla was the first to sit up, and Goten followed suit. They simply smiled at each other and shared a quiet moment together.
And then the moment passed. "So, what have you been up to?"
Goten's question snapped Bulla out of her small trance; she wondered if Goten had caught her staring at him. She responded easily, despite the face that she had been lost in the peaceful moment. "I've been training a lot with Papa," she told the boy. "After everything that happened, I need to learn more."
What Bulla said was true; however, that was not the reason she trained with her father. Since the day Majin Buu showed up, the day the Earth was nearly destroyed, the day Bulla lost her father, the little girl did not want to be too far away from the man at any given time. Bulla was terrified, if he wasn't within her sight, he would go away again. Right now, if she looked up, she could see her parents together, so that was okay. Any other time during the day, though, was a challenge.
Vegeta had been very put off when Bulla ran to his training room and grabbed his arm before he could walk in. She jumped up and hugged him and refused to let go. After failed attempts to remove her without force, Vegeta allowed Bulla to come inside, but only if she trained with him. Bulla knew her father was frustrated he couldn't do more, but he took advantage of the moments Bulla went inside for a snack or to use the restroom. One of his escapes was a colorful cartoon Vegeta normally cursed the existence. Now, they were extremely helpful.
For many nights, Vegeta had to stay with Bulla. Sometimes, he had to stay with Trunks. Bulla pretended not to know about her brother's need for their father. She understood. Both were distraught when Goku told them their father was gone. For the sake of her brother's pride, Bulla didn't mention it.
Goten beamed. "Hey, that's cool!" he exclaimed. "I bet you'll catch up to us in no time!"
Bulla seemed surprised. "You…you think so?"
"I know so," Goten answered with a wide grin. "You're a Saiyan, after all."
At that, Bulla smiled and lied back down on the grass. "So, what about you?"
Goten was taken aback by Bulla's interest, and his expression fell. His shoulders grew rigid, and his brow furrowed. Honestly, he wasn't doing so well since the Majin Buu incident. Goten lost a lot that day, same as his friends, but it was harder for him to bounce back from it. Gohan was his best friend, and he almost lost him. Thankfully, it didn't happen, but for a time, that's what Goten believed. Then, his father was killed by Buu.
Since everyone was wished back, the Son household returned to business as usual. Chi-Chi worked to make the home a safe and healthy family space. She was even more against training now, but Goku and Gohan would still train with Goten in secret…when they were around. Lately, Gohan was so busy with balancing school and a new girlfriend, and his dad would go to who knows where to train. Goten felt a bit left behind, especially because he couldn't dismiss the events a few weeks ago so easily, so he started showing up at the Briefs's home more often hoping for a distraction. He was certain Bulma and Vegeta noticed, but so far no one had asked him. Until now…
"Honestly, everything is back to normal," he started, his voice full of disbelief. "Mom scolds us when we train or if I fall behind on my studies. Dad trains and shows up when he's hungry. Gohan studies, and now Videl comes around more. Everything is just…how it's supposed to be."
Bulla noticed that Goten didn't mention him. She was an empathic child, and she could read into more than most. "That's great for them, but I asked about how things are going for you? You said you're training and doing schoolwork. How's that going?"
There was a heavy silence between them before Goten sighed and let his shoulders slump. Bulla sat up again and faced the other half-Saiyan. "It's back to normal for them," he reiterated, "but I have no idea how to react to any of it."