Gohan stood in the center of the lookout, with God, Mr. Popo, Piccolo, and the Earthling warriors behind him. He had a fresh outfit on, finally back in the outside world after he and Piccolo spent an additional month training nonstop. In his estimation, he was more than ready for Frieza, but that was no reason to slack. Physical training had not been his reason for stepping inside the Time Chamber – there were seven reasons, in fact, and they rested on the tiles beneath his feet, glowing bright yellow.

Determination hardened Gohan's face as he looked down at the seven Dragon Balls. This was it – what he had worked an entire year for, even if it didn't register to those in the regular world. It wasn't just light pulsing from the balls – it was the lives of all those lost at his hands.

God strolled next to Gohan. "I'll do the honors."

The man who created the Dragon Balls spread his arms above them.

"Come forth, Shenron, and grant me my wish!"

The sky became black, like Earth went a full orbit in a matter of seconds. The Dragon Balls sparked with electricity, until a power stream of light burst all the way into the clouds. Gohan had seen many a light display in his lifetime, but this ritual possessed a mysticism that captivated his young eyes. The light gradually took on the shape of a serpent that seemingly spanned the entire width of the sky itself. His heart raced with anticipation as the light faded into a solid shape. A booming growl reverberated through the atmosphere, its frequencies felt from Gohan's feet all the way to his eyes.

The light faded into an enormous, green dragon, with brown horns emanating from its scaly head and eyes as red as the nine years of blood on Gohan's hands. For most of his life, he thought an angry Frieza was the most fearsome sight he would ever lay eyes upon; looking at this Dragon that reduced him and the others to mere ants, he may have been wrong.

"I WILL GRANT YOU ANY WISH THAT IS WITHIN MY POWER."

That emphatic voice – it was the exact same one that had spoken into Gohan's mind all those years earlier to beckon him back to this very planet. He had rejected it for a life of murder – and now he was back to correct that mistake.

"I believe that's your cue, Gohan," God said, stepping away.

In the face of the massive apparition before him, Gohan almost had trouble even remembering how to speak. The wish was simple – bring back everyone that he had been killed recently. But in the moment, it felt…incomplete.

"Maybe next time we see each other, you won't be in that armor…"

Kobe…the last time Gohan saw him, he had tried to make him understand the folly of surrendering to Frieza's genocidal orders. The paradox that was Gohan's mind, his foolish determination to be both Frieza's murderer and his slave, had ultimately resulted in the death of Kobe, Planet Mamba, and trillions others before them. He couldn't just stop at Earth – he had to fix everything.

"I…I have one question," Gohan called through a dry throat. "If I asked you to bring back everyone who's been killed by somebody who's worked for the Frieza Force at some point in their lives, it would include the victims of people who aren't members now, right?"

"CORRECT. AS LONG AS THEY HAVE EITHER PAST OR CURRENT AFFILIATION WITH THAT ORGANIZATION , ALL OF THEIR VICTIMS' LIVES WOULD BE RESTORED."

With a small smile, Gohan nodded.

"HOWEVER…"

Gohan held his breath…

"IF THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS IS VAST, MY POWERS WILL ONLY EXTEND TO THOSE KILLED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR."

Though Gohan frowned, he released his breath in relief. It wasn't the worst catch, and Planet Mamba fell within that net anyway. It wasn't a total fix, but it would bring back an innumerable amount of stolen lives.

"Alright, well that's my wish, then! Bring back everyone who's been killed by a past or former member of the Frieza Force" Gohan yelled. A few seconds later, an extra provision alerted his mind, making him swing his arms up in a frenzy. "Unless they're evil or their planet was destroyed!"

"IT SHALL BE DONE."

Gohan firmly nodded, wiping off his damp forehead. He was almost worried all those provisions would end up tantamount to multiple wishes. Excluding the evil ones would keep all of the collateral Frieza Force members like Zarbon and Dodoria dead, too. Unfortunately, Raditz and Nappa wouldn't be spared, either – but Gohan got the feeling they were at peace with their honorable deaths.

Shenron's red eyes glowed, while his voice grumbled as if powering up. Gohan focused his Ki sense towards West City, too eager to simply wait for the dragon to do its job. His foot eagerly tapped the floor as he shut his eyes.

The equivalent of a lightning bolt struck Gohan's mind, nearly knocking him over. He felt it – thousands of Ki signatures popping up near Bulma and Vegeta.

Gohan couldn't resist the genuine smile that hit him.

"YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED. FAREWELL."

The divine dragon evaporated into light, while the Dragon Balls levitated into the sky and scattered in all directions like a series of shooting stars.

Gohan gazed upon the sky. The pitch-black had become blue once more, if not a little brighter than it had been before the summoning. He squinted like the extra focus would allow him to see Planet Mamba springing back to life.

A large hand pressed against Gohan's shoulder. He looked up as the more saintly, elderly version of Piccolo smiled down at him. "Excellent work, my boy. A most righteous idea to expand the scope of your wish."

Looking straight ahead, Gohan thought about not just Lapis, but Kobe. All he could feel was joy at their revival.

"I do wonder, though," God mused, tapping his wooden staff. "The implication of such a wish; surely the planets of many of those victims would now be under Frieza's subjugation, would they not?"

At that, Gohan frowned; the larger scale wish had been an impulse decision, after all. But he decided to look at the bright side for once.

"That's a good point, but I think it might give Frieza more trouble than anything," Gohan replied. "A lot of those guys were strong in their own right and if they're pissed enough, they can stage some uprisings. He's about to have galaxies' worth of planets after him, and he's pretty lazy. Besides…"

Gohan dug his pocket open and smirked at his blue scouter. "I know a couple of people who can figure out how to organize that."

The other human warriors joined Gohan and God, Krillin standing out in front with a proud smile on his face. Gohan looked back at him, thinking about the day they had first met.

"You did a good thing, Gohan," Krillin said. "I'm sure Lazuli will be grateful."

Lazuli had told Gohan to get everything sorted out, or else his past actions truly would define him. Piccolo had more or less forced that to happen. While Gohan still was unable to exonerate himself for everything he had done – and he doubted he ever would – he could at least go more than a minute without it weighing on him.

A tear came to Gohan's eye as he looked down at the Earth's vast skies below the lookout. For once, it wasn't a cry of sadness.

Piccolo marched towards him, rudely barreling through the others with a snort of disgust. "Personally, I wretch knowing that a bunch of vermin have been regurgitated onto this dump."

As he wiped away his tear, Gohan smiled disbelievingly. "Sure…"

The Saiyan in purple and the Namekian in purple walked to the edge of the lookout, the wind blowing a strong current into their faces. They stood there for a few moments, letting the gusts occupy their ears.

"Give Lapis my regards," Piccolo muttered.

Gohan looked up at him. His expression was as stoic as ever, but beneath it, Gohan could sense a calmness. Their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber hadn't just been helpful for the Saiyan.

"Right."

They both flew down, leaving the Lookout and the chamber behind. They flew in separate directions, neither a thank you nor a goodbye necessary.

Vegeta was at hour nine of his training session, floating in the middle of the ship while small, floating bots surrounded him on every side, bouncing a ball of his own Ki back and forth. Bruises littered his body, yet he showed no sign of pain. After eating the Senzu bean, he nearly felt like an entirely new person. If Captain Ginyu dared show his face on Earth, his head would have been crushed beneath Vegeta's boot without a doubt.

After hours of relentless motion, his body had adjusted to 70 G's and allowed him to expertly dodge the rapidly moving Ki. His unspoken reason for going so relentlessly was to get his mind off of his kiss with Bulma the night earlier. What was there to think about, anyway? It had been nothing more than a temporary moment of weakness that he would correct.

Sure, in that moment of reckoning with the emptiness of his life, he very well may have needed someone to pull him out of the void. And the feeling of her lips pressed against his may or may not have been intoxicating. But it meant nothing. It should have had no resting place in Vegeta's head.

Suddenly, the light that had been peeking into the ship through the windows evaporated all at once. Such a sudden shift disrupted Vegeta's focus, earning him a clipping onto his shoulder from the blast that knocked him down. He just barely rolled out of the way when it crashed into the floor. Once he got back up, he looked outside in search of what had caused the sudden nightfall. A strange feeling traveled through the atmosphere, like a mystical energy lurking in the clouds.

Was it a storm? A cataclysm? Or...an omen? Vegeta tensely stood up, his muscles tightened as his mind traced back to Frieza. The tyrant carried a strong presence just by existing – this could very well have been a sign that he was close.

Not now, Vegeta thought. He may have grown considerably stronger, but he wasn't anywhere near ready for Frieza. And as much as he felt Gohan had a good shot, his pride would not stand for a boy finishing his job.

A rush of Ki signatures hit Vegeta all at once. All his senses on alert, Vegeta burst through the ship's door, expecting a bunch of space pods to rip through the atmosphere at any second. His eyes were glued to the sky as nervous tremors crawled up and down his body. This was it. This was...

"What in the world?!" he heard somebody yell.

Vegeta looked to the side and gasped at the scene capturing the street – hundreds of bodies surrounded all parts of the streets. Given the commotion, with cars coming to skids and waves of confused faces, they hadn't been there even a minute ago. Confusion arched Vegeta's eyebrow.

The sky cleared back up, restoring the sun's rays and the bright blue to the Earth's atmosphere. Seeking answers – and a reprieve from all of the screaming and honking horns – Vegeta flew into his makeshift Capsule Corp entrance, Bulma's balcony. Since the door was still busted, he wouldn't have to deal with her screeching. He headed to the stairs, going where he sensed the heiress' presence.

During his trek down, another door swung in front of him and would have made him slip if not for his strong reflexes. The mercurial prince squeezed his fists and growled, ready to unleash hell on whoever had the audacity to nearly knock him over. When the door closed, however, and revealed the identity of the guest, Vegeta could only gasp in surprise.

"It's you...the other Saiyan," the man said. With his black, shoulder-length hair and unsettling blue eyes, along with a black shirt with a hole torn into the torso, he could have only been the cyborg that Gohan had killed in his manic form. Lapis.

Vegeta breathed easily. That was it. Gohan had completed his mission. Good for him.

Lapis held his palms out while staring up and down his body, just trying to verify his presence in the living world.

"I really am alive again, huh?" he said. "Where's Gohan?"

"Not here," Vegeta replied, his eyes narrowed slightly in warning just in case Lapis had hard feelings.

The newly revived man turned around, rushing downstairs while Vegeta followed. When they reached the lobby, Bulma's mother was folding a few clothes on a table.

"Hello, boys!" she said with a smile, though she quickly gasped once she realized the other man's identity. Not that he acknowledged her, as Lapis headed straight for the exit.

"Wasn't that one who died?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. "Ah, that's why the sky went dark, then! It's always either an eclipse or another crazy wish from Bluma!"

The blonde woman suddenly slapped her mouth, her eyes actually opening in dismay. Vegeta squinted in confusion, not just from the shock on her face, but the name she had just said.

"Pretend I didn't say that name!" she pleaded with a laugh.

"Wha...?" Vegeta asked, curious for God knew what reason.

After checking the hallway, she leaned towards Vegeta and grabbed his shoulder, one finger raised to advise silence.

"Bluma is my daughter's real name," she whispered. "She hacked the system and flipped the letters around after she got laughed at in pre-school and we just play along so she doesn't tear the whole building down."

Vegeta's eyes went wide with what he could only describe as mischievous glee. His joke had actually been correct, huh?

"Interesting..."

As Bluma…um, Bulma wrote down some notes in her lab and wiped off an oil stain on her pink tank-top, the TV she had on as background noise received an interruption.

"Breaking News! It's chaos in the streets, as both East and West City have seen droves of people appear seemingly out of thin air in the streets and all over the buildings still under reconstruction. These people are believed to be the ones killed in the attacks on both cities from last month."

Bulma stopped what she was doing to look at the screen. Cooped up in her lab, she hadn't even seen any changes in the sky. She smiled brightly - it looked like the worst of the madness had passed at last. Well, in the case of those revived and their families, the madness was about to begin.

"And it's not just the city, either. We've gotten a hold of Paul Bearer, owner of the West City funeral home, and there's some commotion over there, too. What's going on, Paul?"

"Yeah, so I'm out there mowin' the lawn and all of a sudden at the cemetery a whole buncha people just poofed up outta nowhere at their own graves!" Said an eccentric, high-pitched voice. "And while we're on the subject, I'd like to reiterate to all families that there are NO REFUNDS, NO EXCEPTIONS!"

Bulma looked away from the TV, rolling her eyes with a laugh. She never did think about the chaos that could ensue from bringing back a bunch of people unfamiliar with the Dragon Balls.

A knock came from the other side of the door. Absent-mindedly, Bulma grabbed a remote at the end of her desk and pushed a button to slide the door open.

"Bulma?"

Recognizing that voice, Bulma gasped and turned around. Upon seeing Lapis, she jumped up, sprinted towards him, and snagged him into a big hug.

"You're back!" Bulma yelled. "Yes, I know, I'm a hugger, just endure it until it's over."

"It's fine," Lapis said with a laugh as Bulma backed away. She grimaced at the hole in his shirt, even though there was no sign of any violence inflicted on him.

"Were you looking for Gohan, maybe?" Bulma asked, her concern growing. "I won't speak for him bu-"

"You don't have to," Lapis replied. "I'm assuming he wished me back, too?"

Bulma nodded. Lapis left without saying anything else, leaving Bulma to wonder what may have been going through his head. Even if Gohan had been out of control, it must have still been uncomfortable dealing with the guy who killed him. She would leave it for them to sort out.

After a few moments of continued notetaking, another guest entered the doorway. When she saw the shadow of the flame-like hair, she held her breath.

"Hey…Vegeta…" she mumbled. They hadn't spoken since the…incident. Hell, at breakfast they had actively avoided each other, Vegeta just filling a plate and rushing to the gravity room.

"You and your father call those tin-cans bots?" Vegeta asked. When Bulma looked up, she noticed he had been avoiding eye contact with her. "Shoddy work. I need more."

Funny – even though she was avoiding the subject herself, she still sizzled with resentment seeing Vegeta like this. "Really, Vegeta? A day after that and you come to me with this?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in irritation. "A day after what, exactly? Another one of your many crude sexual advances?"

Full of righteous indignation, Bulma hopped out of her seat with red in her cheeks. The nerve! "Excuse me? You think that was me just being little miss grab-ass?"

"Obviously," Vegeta snorted, driving Bulma further up the wall. The vulnerable, emotional man she had seen the night before had left the premises, the usual hostile Saiyan prince back in action. "But if you're going to be loud and hormonal, I'll seek out your father."

Vegeta turned around, but Bulma tailgated him, loathe to let him ignore whatever was going on between the two. "Don't just ignore me, jackass! You and I both know that was real. I actually felt something about you of all people."

"How is that my problem?"

His aloof disregard ignited all of the petty flames out of the aqua-haired heiress. "Don't act like that wasn't one of the best moments of your life."

Bulma took a moment to gather herself. Though she was still angry, she supposed she was being childishly aggressive, probably proving his assessment of her. She decided to take a step back and let him leave, folding her arms with a huff.

Not without getting in one last barb, of course. "Hmph. More like Vir-geta."

Vegeta froze, and Bulma anxiously pursed her lips. She wasn't sure if he was about to shout at her, or if that was just the tiny little tap that finally triggered his volcanic, murderous rage. Oh God, why had she decided to joke about his sexual prowess? A short guy like him, that was probably the perfect insecurity trigger.

To her shock, he turned around with a devious smirk that made her knees crumble…and not out of fear.

"Well, you would know a thing or two about nicknames, Bluma."

Bulma's entire nervous system shut down for one horrible, horrible second. Had he just said what she thought he said? Judging from his satisfied snicker before he walked off, he very much had.

With speed she shouldn't have been capable off, she ran around Vegeta and stood firmly in front of him, blocking his path to the door. The glare on her face had sent fear to many a Capsule Corp employee or pig-brained martial artist over the years. And yet, Vegeta was still smirking; hell, he hadn't even expressed annoyance over her impedance.

"Who the fuck told you that name?"

"It's not important," Vegeta replied, unfazed by her low, threatening voice. His eyebrow curled provocatively. "But it is your real name, right?"

"My mom, wasn't it?!" Bulma swung her fists down in adolescent rage. "I'm gonna fucking kill her!"

"Do that, would you? Would save me a few headaches."

Vegeta brushed past her, heading for the door as if she wasn't even there. Bulma decided to take her mind off of him and assess those stupid bots. She flipped her television screen to the gravity room camera. What she saw made her blow a gasket.

"Hey! Asshole!"

Surprisingly – or fittingly, really – Vegeta responded to that and turned right back around.

"What are you screeching about now, Bluma?"

Bulma dug her nails into her palms. Of course he would start saying her name outside of his most vulnerable moments when he just wanted to piss her off. Not that it was her name, of course. She hadn't just hacked West City's directory when she was four, flipped the letters around, and expected everyone to fall in line because she was rich. No, sir. But if he kept getting riling her up, he would win. She pulled away from the screen and shot her molten eyes at the prince.

"Those bots are perfectly fine. What hell are you even complaining about?"

Vegeta scoffed with a dull chagrin. "I never once said they were broken. I said they were shoddy. Substandard. Not a challenge. Though I guess I shouldn't have expected much from the house of underwear."

Bulma's teeth started bristling back and forth against her bottom of lip, trying to contain the nuclear flames blazing inside of her. Vegeta was frustrating enough when he was complaining. But when he was smug and in his element? She wished she had super powers of her own.

"Was all this just so you can fuck with me about my name?!" Vegeta's smile didn't exactly deny it. And that was just fine. "Well, I'll show you petty!"

Bulma opened up her laptop, clicked on a program, and typed in a code. "Good luck getting your stupid little gravity simulator to work, Prince Badman! It's all locked up!"

The humor left Vegeta's face as he glared in warning. "Don't interfere with my training, wench."

"I thought our agreement was you wouldn't keep disrespecting me," Bulma seethed, now growing genuinely annoyed.

Vegeta flippantly tilted his head. "I didn't agree to shit, woman. You just threw yourself on me."

"I can't believe I put my lips," Bulma curled them back in revulsion, "On such an insecure, malcontent, narcissistic little troll like you."

"Says a lot about you, don't you think?!" At her insults, Vegeta had become equally incensed. "Fitting, that your namesake is a pair of undergarments. Exactly what I would call a sweaty, used-up rag of filth."

That finally did it. Bulma, Bluma, whatever the hell she was called, forgot who she was and whom she was dealing with, and stormed after Vegeta like a raging bull as he walked away. She swung for the fences with all of her might, but it was all for naught, because Vegeta was back in peak condition and turned around before her hand even came down. Faster than her eyes could see, he caught her hand.

As they fumed with rage so fervently they were heaving with crimson faces, Bulma's red-hot blue eyes met Vegeta's white-hot black eyes. Their bodies were pressed up against each other, gyrating rhythmically as they tried and failed to catch their breath. Their gazes didn't wither, and neither did the Saiyan prince's grip on the heiress' wrist.

Bulma's eyes lingered to Vegeta's scarred, bare chest. Vegeta's eyes lingered to hers, held only by her tank top. When his eyes traveled back to her ravenous, animalistic snarl, his control broke. That bloodthirsty stare triggered a calling deep within his Saiyan blood. Before she could even grab his arm and do it herself, Vegeta pulled her lips into his in a sloppy, almost savage kiss. She stooped to his level, wrestling her tongue against his like she was fighting for real estate in his mouth while he hooked her leg and shoved her onto her desk.

Somehow, she had the presence of mind to grab her remote and shut the door.

Gohan flew not to Capsule Corp, but his father's Ki signature. He had an idea for Goku and Vegeta that was probably easier to sell the former on first and get the latter on board through his ego. His flight brought him to mountains way off in the sticks. The more he flew, the more vivid memories resurfaced from the sights. On his bottom right, a gorge that his father liked to recklessly swim through to show off. Right beside it, a tree that Gohan had once somehow crawled to the top of; his mother practically had a heart attack even though Goku just hopped up and set him down.

He wasn't heading to any old spot. Gohan was heading home.

The memories grew the strongest when he stopped over a small, peach-colored dome. It had been effectively ten years since he last saw that structure, and yet it felt like just yesterday. That house used to be his safe haven as a toddler afraid of the world, and the moment he stepped away from it, everything went to hell. Maybe it needed to happen like that.

As he floated down, the man he had been looking for came out of the small facility behind the house with a smile on his face.

"Ah, Gohan! I thought I sensed you!" Goku called. "Finally got all the Dragon Balls, huh?"

Gohan nodded and dropped down. When he landed, Goku blinked in surprise. "Whoa, a little taller there! So you did use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Piccolo, then."

"You knew about that?" Gohan asked.

"Yup."

"And you haven't thought to use it?"

"I mean, you were in there, so you know how bad it is," Goku said with a shrug. "I was your age when I first used it, but I wasn't anywhere close to as strong as you. Couldn't even last a couple weeks. And even now, I think I'd go crazy in that place if it was just me."

"What if it wasn't just you?"

"Huh? You wanna go another year in there but with me?"

"No, not me," Gohan replied, shaking his head. "You and Vegeta."

As Gohan expected, Goku's eyes widened, weary to such a proposal. He placed one fist on his hip as he tried thinking it over. "Man, I dunno. It makes sense, but there's a lotta hard feelings 'tween the both of us. I'd probably be up for it, but I doubt he'd be."

The fact that Goku was still even open to the idea of training with someone who he no doubt blamed for Gohan's troubles showed what kind of person he was. Even now, Gohan couldn't wrap his head around how easily he brushed off negative thoughts without seeming repressed and volatile like Vegeta.

"I think if he knew you had a shortcut to getting stronger, he'd make sure he could catch up by any means necessary. That's how he is."

Goku nodded in understanding. "Yeah, good point. Tell ya what, after dinner I'll hop over to the lookout and wait for him to show up, if you can convince him."

"Sounds good," Gohan said, turning around as he gathered his Ki to fly off.

"Hold on a sec," Goku said.

Gohan stopped, looking over his shoulder. "What?"

"You're not just gonna come all the way out here 'n leave, are ya? I was just about to catch a fish for your mom to cook."

Gohan turned all the around and stared hard at his father. Goku's face was as relaxed and accommodating as ever. There was no ulterior motive, simply an invite for family dinner. The house behind him flared Gohan's nerves as he thought about the other two in there.

After anxiously tightening his throat, Gohan shook his head. Yes, he was nervous, but he was no longer in the business of running from tension. And so, he nodded.

"Sure, I'll stay."

A bright smile spread across Goku's face. It was infectious, almost getting Gohan to break his stoic shell, too. "Awesome! I'll lead the way to the lake."

After cracking his neck and stretching his legs, Goku turned around, but looked over his shoulder with a smirk. Gohan's brows arched with curiosity.

"See if you can keep up."

Those same brows furrowed intensely. "I won't have to see."

They took off like a couple of jaguars, ripping through the leaves, hopping through branches, navigating all the hills, rocks, fallen branches, and whatever other obstacles of nature came their way. An entire decade away from the forest, and yet Gohan could traverse it like he had been there his whole life. He and his father were neck and neck while they sped through, competitive smiles on their faces.

Gohan relished it all. This was how it should have been.

As the sound of waves sloshing grew louder, Goku jumped up like a cannonball and descended to the lakeside. Gohan did the same. When they landed, Goku folded his arms in triumph.

"Beatcha by half-a second."

"Your legs are longer," Gohan said, more than a little salty.

Goku laughed him off. "Yeah, I had to deal with that once upon a time myself!"

He and Gohan walked to the edge of the grass, taking a seat right besides the lake. Gohan gazed at the water as it paced back and forth, stopping to breathe in the fresh air. After a year of meditating with hardly any air to breathe in wildly varying climates, basking in the real world felt like heaven.

And even discounting the year in that room, it had been a long time. When he could actually just sit back and appreciate nature, without the inevitable dread that he would either wipe it all out or leave it in the hands of Frieza and his men. He could let all the birds and wildlife be as they were.

Goku broke the silence by taking a quick, sudden dive into the lake, splashing water into Gohan's face. When he opened his eyes, he gasped at the sight of Goku's outfit lying in a pile in the grass. The hyperactive Saiyan waddled through the river in nothing but his boxers.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gohan called out.

Goku lifted his head out from the water. "What am I doin'? Fishin', of course! Ain'tcha gonna dive in, too?"

"That's what I have this for," Gohan said, whipping his tail out.

"Oh yeah, of course!" Goku marveled. "That's how I used to do it back in the day! Tell ya what, let's see what makes the biggest catch – your way, or my way!"

It seemed like everything was a competition with Goku. And Gohan would gladly oblige. "You're on."

Gohan turned around, nudging his back towards the lake and dipping his tail inside. It wasn't unusual during a purge for the Saiyans to find a tasty looking fish in the many rivers they encountered. Nappa preferred to chase after them like Goku was, while Vegeta and Raditz would just blow all the water away, leave the fish to asphyxiate, and take what they liked. But Gohan always preferred the more quiet, peaceful method of using his tail as bait. It was a little piece of home.

Using every sense but his eyes, Gohan stroked his tail towards what he felt was the biggest fish. The water vibrations, and the Ki he had been picking up let Gohan know precisely what to look for. Meanwhile, set his sights on a blue fish the size of a bear and frantically chased it down, laughing and screaming as he did. Hearing the sound of his father's voice with such joy took Gohan right back to the old days of fishing. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

The fish flopped out of the water, and that's when Goku leapt in the air and seized it in his grip. After slamming it down onto the grass besides Gohan, Goku bounced off and landed on his back, though he shook off the pain.

"Ah yeah, this is a helluva catch! Sorry to say, but you might wanna pack it in. Ain't gettin' much better than that!" There was just the slightest bit of smugness in his father's voice.

Not that Gohan was deterred, of course. He could feel his target drawing close. After one last waving of his tail, the vibrations of the water let Gohan know it was in pursuit, and so he pulled his tail out of the water and let his prey rush out. Its shadow cast over Goku and Gohan like a massive cloud. Goku's jaw dropped in awe…the golden fish was the size of an entire house.

Gohan leapt up and took it out with one kick. When it fell to the grass, he landed on its round belly and smirked at his father.

"You were saying?"

Goku stared at the fish his son stood atop with drool spilling from his mouth, but shook off his greed. "Man, you win! Sheesh, what a fish!"

After Goku put his clothes back on, the father and son scooped up their catches and slung them over their shoulders like mere duffle bags. As he carefully walked back to the house, butterflies fluttered through Gohan's stomach. That might have been the most enjoyable couple of minutes he had experienced in years. Even knowing the threat of Frieza hung over him, he was able to actually enjoy it.

He looked to the side. "Hey, father…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm…sorry. I've been giving everybody a hard time since I've come back, but especially you," Gohan said, gripping the fish tightly. "You've really tried. But it's like I have this fear that you guys are just pretending to be okay with me."

"It's no biggie," Goku whimsically brushed off. "I gave you plenty o' reason to think so, at least."

Gohan recalled Goku's reaction to his return. He deeply resented it at the time, but as he gave it more thought, it made sense. It was like Bulma had tried to say. And if Gohan felt that way about his own self, of course others would initially get the same impression.

"Vegeta said something a while back…that I'm scared of myself. And for once, it hadn't just been a lecture so I could kill people. I'd been ordered to attack him, and I had a whole nervous breakdown." Gohan looked down, fingers twitching at the memory, burning with anger towards Frieza. "He was worried about me."

"I've been meanin' to ask about that," Goku said. "Not with Vegeta exactly, but my brother, Raditz."

Gohan looked up in surprise.

"You brought it up a couple of times, but Vegeta didn't wanna clarify. Did he really sacrifice himself?"

"Yeah, it's true. It's the only reason Vegeta and I were able to escape. He and our other partner, Nappa – they stood up for us against guys who could rip them apart." Gohan balled up his unoccupied hand. "The guy even apologized to me for everything."

Goku dropped the massive fish, his mouth gaping open in a perfect circle. "No foolin'?"

"Yeah…"

Even saying it, Gohan could hardly believe it happened. He studied his father, who pensively stroked his chin, then planted his hands on hips with deep breaths and nervous fidgets. Gohan could practically see his brain working overtime trying to process it all.

"Man…wow…" Goku muttered. He looked over at Gohan and laughed awkwardly. "I guess shit ain't all black & white, huh?"

Now it was Gohan frozen in surprise. Such a simple phrasing of it all was really the crux of everything – it wasn't black and white. Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, Gohan…they had all been multiple things all at once. A lot of bad, but some good…and over the years, Gohan struggled at allowing the two shades to coexist. Everyone's outlook and actions were relative to their experience.

Goku lifted the fish back up. "I dunno if I can forgive him for what he did, but maybe it's not important after everything. If you're still alive 'n kickin' 'cause of him, then I can live with that."

Gohan gave his father a strong, clear-headed nod. So could he.

"I'm sorry for what I did, too," Goku said. "When I blasted you like that."

"You did what you had to do," Gohan replied. He bit his bottom lip as he recalled the aftermath. "And I know what I said, about how you should have killed me…"

Goku flinched. "Right, that…"

"That form isn't a problem anymore…but even if that wasn't the case, I wasn't in my right mind," Gohan admitted. "I have too much to live for."

"Ain't that the truth."

They resumed their travels in peaceful silence. Once they were back home, they dropped the fishes onto the lawn, making the nearby trees shake. Goku cupped his hands to his mouth. "CHI-CHI, I'M BACK!"

The door swung open and Chi-Chi came out. She shriveled in horror at the two fish piled up before her. "Now Goku, what am I gonna do with…"

She looked up and stopped herself, realizing everything in front of her.

"G-Gohan!" she said, her eyes almost instantly glistening. "You're…you're home."

Gohan stared at the grass awkwardly, like he was ten years younger. Chi-Chi walked around the fish and joined the two, a little bit of mystery on her face as she observed Gohan.

"Didja get taller in just a coupla days?" she asked with a studious gaze.

Gohan shrugged. "You could say that…"

"Ugh, teenagers. And this hair - oh goodness, I'm already buggin' again." She leapt away from Gohan with an apologetic smile. "I'll leave ya be!"

She turned around, heading back inside but with a parting message. "Those things bet' not get in my house unless they're in pieces!"

Goku impishly giggled and turned towards his son. "Guess we oughta get to slicin' 'n dicin' then!"

A few minutes later, Gohan and Goku had all the meat chopped and gathered in a couple of bags. Hauling a few in both hands, they headed for the door. Gohan took a deep breath as he followed his father inside, ready for any and all emotions to hit him.

When he stepped onto the wood floor and closed the door behind him, he froze. He looked at everything around him – the peach-colored walls, the ceiling fan, the decorations, the pictures. Rooms that he had only ever seen in his dreams for ten years. And from the kitchen, the strong smell of rice boiling, with a couple of seasonings spicing up the scent, traveled to his nostrils. He sighed with delight. Like Arepa once said – you had to put some sizzle on it.

He squeezed his facial muscles and his eyes, trying to stop himself. But his tears broke through the dam. This was truly home, like he had never left. The boy covered his eyes, weary of embarrassing himself as his feelings rolled down his cheeks.

Goku returned from the kitchen. "Just waitin' on you, Go-"

The proud father stopped to smile graciously at his son. As Gohan continued sobbing, Goku walked over and grabbed his shoulder with his firm hand. Gohan pulled his hands away from his face to look up at him, flashing back to one of the many days he spent in the living room as a child.

"Welcome home," Goku said.

About an hour later, for the first time ever, the entire family sat down at a table covered in plates of expertly prepared meat and vegetables. On one side sat the parents, Goku and Chi-Chi. And on the other, sat Gohan and his little brother, Goten. The pint-sized clone of Goku had been sitting in a high chair and talking Gohan's ear off.

"You were really in space?!"

"Were there stars?!"

"Were there aliens?!"

"Can you talk alien?"

"Do you have a UFO?!"

Things of that nature. Gohan had given up trying to answer, wondering if he had been as hyperactive and inquisitive at that age. The more his blathered, the stronger Gohan's motivation grew. He had to fight so this kid could stay exactly that – a kid. He wouldn't have to live in a universe overshadowed by Frieza, where his Saiyan blood would eventually force him to fight a generational war.

Laughing, Goku reached out grab a piece of fish, but Chi-Chi slapped his hand. "Hold it, Goku. We ain't said grace, yet!"

Goku whined, his face eager to dig into all of the food in front of him. "Aw, c'mon, we literally know God! He doesn't care if we thank him for the food!"

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Well, what about the other deities, then?"

"King Kai hates it when I eat everything up."

Utterly exasperated, Chi-Chi looked straight ahead at her eldest son. "Y'see this, Gohan? Day after day o' this. It's like I'm raisin' two kids."

Gohan laughed, though he knew it was a fool's battle to get between a Saiyan and their food. He was eager to eat, himself. Back on Planet Mamba, he had said he didn't deserve a home cooked meal. Even now, he still wasn't sure – but he wasn't going to worry about that. He was just going to enjoy it.

"Now, boys…" Chi-Chi directed with a stern command that stiffened even Goku's posture. He gave Goten a bargaining nod, and then clasped his hands together. Goten did the same.

"I humbly accept this meal," they both said.

And despite only knowing him as he was for a few days now, Chi-Chi looked at Gohan expectantly, and with warning. Relieved or not, she damn sure expected him to respect the household, and Gohan would oblige or else hell awaited him. He clasped his hands together, marveling at all of the food that had been delicately prepared for his liking, from the mother he had been separated from to fight a destined battle.

"I humbly accept this meal."

About thirty minutes later, Gohan and Goku were both limping out of the house, overstuffed with food. Never in his life had Gohan ever overindulged in such a way, but like most things with Goku, it became a competition. If his father could knock down a plate, then so could he. Though sure he was going to regret this in the bathroom later, he enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Nothin' like home cookin', huh?" Goku groggily asked.

"Yeah," Gohan replied, clutching his stomach.

"I'll be headin' to the lookout soon, so good luck talkin' Vegeta down. It was great to see you back here."

Gohan nodded, the feeling being more than mutual. After craning his neck, Gohan prepared to fly away, until he felt a presence approaching. The leaves shaking and footsteps rumbled in his ear, and the steps didn't belong to an animal. It sounds more like a pair of boots. After a glance to his left, his jaw dropped.

"Lapis!"

He was back, standing nearby amongst the trees and petting a deer's head. He turned away to look at Gohan, an unreadable expression in his blank eyes. Goku stepped back while Gohan swallowed heavily, unable to pry his vision away from the hole in the middle of Lapis' shirt. It was a reminder of why he had gone through all the trouble he had to get the Dragon Balls. A gust of wind set in, jostling their hair back and forth while Gohan wondered what was about to happen. His sister had explosively reacted to Gohan over the murder; he didn't expect any different from the actual victim, regardless of their understanding.

Whatever was in store, though, Gohan would face it head on.

Lapis took a few steps forward, closing the gap until only a few feet stood between the two. Every muscle in Gohan's body tightened with unyielding tension. Lapis' gaze wouldn't let up as Gohan searched for the right words to say. A cliché apology wouldn't cut it.

Lapis opened his mouth first, however.

"You ruined my favorite shirt."

Having been granted forgiveness he wasn't even sure he deserved, Gohan flew to West City with a weight lifted off his shoulders. He was sure Lazuli was elated to see Lapis turn back up at Roshi's island. Now, all he need worry about was whether or not Vegeta would be receptive to a year with Goku in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Like everyone usually did, Gohan entered the compound through Bulma's balcony, surprised that the door had been destroyed. He could sense Vegeta's Ki downstairs, surprised to feel it under duress like in the middle of a training session even though wasn't in the spaceship.

After the long walk downstairs, Gohan reached the door to Bulma's laboratory, where he sensed her in there, too. Now it made sense why Vegeta's Ki was strained – probably yelling at her about the gravity settings.

Gohan knocked on the door a couple of times, but got no response. So he walked to the keypad by the door, having figured out how to hack it after a few break-ins. As he input a few things, he overheard a rumbling from the other side of the door, and even voices.

"Call me a vulgar fucking succubus again!"

"Vulgar…succubus…demon wench!"

"Yeah, that's right, you fucking bad man!"

The half-Saiyan smirked. Of course those two were at each other's throats. He could have been away for a legitimate year, and that wouldn't have changed. Following a push of a button, the door slid open.

What Gohan saw in the lab made him wish he had just given up after knocking.

Bulma and Vegeta were on a desk. Bulma had one hand pressed against Vegeta's neck while the other had slapped him in the face just as the door slid open. Vegeta had been under her, lying with his back on the desk. Vegeta had one hand lightly grasped around her neck. Neither looked angry. In fact, they had both been staring at each other with unhinged, psychotic smiles.

From the waist up, it looked like they were fighting. From the waist down, it was disgustingly clear that they were not fighting, but rather…another verb that started with the letter f.

All of the pleasure drained from their faces when they realized Gohan was looking right at them. The teenager could not pry his eyes away from them even though he wanted to even more than killing Frieza. Every chunk of food he had engorged himself with minutes earlier rose back up to his throat. He could comment on the scene with only one expression.

"Ewww!"