Vulnerable

A/N: Hello! New chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ! However, I do own any new OC in this story.

Chapter 6: Discovering

Gohan felt very uncomfortable when he sat near the girls. He didn't know how to initiate the conversations and he felt like the girls where thinking about something. Maybe he was right, they found him weird and were bored.

He then saw Erasa looking at him and Videl, and she chuckled "You have the same look when you're thinking." They both blushed a little and she smiled "Say Gohan, do you read for fun? Videl read like all the books in the library."
Gohan chuckled when he saw Videl roll her eyes at her friend, looking at her saying 'leave me alone' and he smiled lightly "Yeah, a family friend always lend me books to read. I have a few favorites. I love mystery and cops books, they're intriguing."
Videl quickly nodded excitedly "I know, right! The plot is really cool. You get to see a lot of villains and you try to find him and understand how they found him."
Erasa chuckled when she saw them both discuss books topics and she mentally high fived herself thinking 'I'm a genius'.

A few minutes later, both mothers came with the food and the two families happily ate all together. Hoshiko and the girls excused themselves for a minute and they entered the house. They came back, each one holding a bag in her hands. Hoshiko gave Chi-Chi the bigger bag and the Son matron quickly told her she didn't have to. She then had a big smile on her face when she saw the vase, and quickly asked Gohan to cut a few flowers from the garden to furnish it. She thanked her guest for the gift and set it on the table in the living room, for everyone to see.

The girls then gave Gohan both bags, telling him they didn't know who got what. Gohan shyly thanked them as he opened the bags. He then had a big smile on his face when he saw two woodblocks with his and Goten's name. His had a deer painted on it, with his classic orange color and white spots, while his name was painted with a light red color. Goten had an orange fox on it, with his black-pointed tail wiggling playfully, and his name was colored in a slightly dark yellow. He thanked both girls and asked his mother for nails to place them. The girls happily helped him hang his name on his door, as he set another nail, telling them that he would put Goten's when he would move into his room.

They were then all surprised when they saw a car park in front of the house, and Goten started walking happily towards it. Then, the door opened and a giant man appeared from it. Chi-Chi got up, a big smile on her face as the giant gathered a big amount of gifts from the trunk. The girls were more than startled at the gigantic figure standing in from of them, but the instant he laughed, a big smile plastered on his face, they relaxed a little. But in the end, a gigantic unknown man was standing in front of them, they had every right to be startled.

The girls continued to look worriedly at the man until Chi-Chi chuckled "Hey dad. What brings you here?"
Everyone looked at the giant man who had a mountain of gifts higher than him before he put them on the table and chuckled at them "I missed you and I thought I'd stop by. Didn't know you had guests over, I would've called."
Gohan shook his head and mentioned at his friends "No grandpa. I want you to meet Mrs. Hoshiko, her daughter Videl and Erasa, her friend. I met them in the city. This is my grandfather, Gyumao."
The giant man waved happily at them as he held Goten, throwing him up in the air, making the young boy laugh heartily. The guests laughed at the sight, their hearts warming at the sight of the happy small family. The girls couldn't stop smiling at the very friendly man and they relaxed and happily made place for him to sit between them, eager to meet him.

Hoshiko smiled at the girls and invited the giant to sit next to them, joking a little "I guess we can see where Gohan takes his height."
The giant chuckled "Young folk here takes after his father. He's a copy of the late guy in appearances. He only takes after me in his strong ill, like his mother."
Erasa playfully looked at the giant man, asking innocently "So you're a giant?"
Gyumao chuckled at the girl, gently poking her nose "Yes and no. The people in my village are actually quite tall, but we aren't technically giants. Chi-Chi is actually one of the few exceptions, like her mother. But Gohan didn't inherent this gene from me. If it were the case, he'd be much taller by now."
Chi-Chi gently ruffled his hair "Taller than this? I'm gonna have neck pains if he grows taller. It looks like he takes from his father more than me, he was very tall as well. I guess only the way his heart beats is from me. And maybe a little his intelligence."
The table chuckled lightly at the comment.

Videl then looked at the giant man "You live in a near village?"
The giant shook his head "Not really. My village is a little bit far from here. But Chi-Chi wanted to live here, away from everything. She thought it was the best way to take care of her kids after she was married." Gyumao then pointed at the Grandpa Gohan's dome "This place is actually the reason why Chi-Chi got married in the first place. It was the start of many amazing adventures."
Hoshiko chuckled and looked at Chi-Chi "If you don't mind my question but how did you and your husband meet? Since we are teaching Videl and Erasa how people live in the mountains, it can be a good lesson."
Gyumao nodded at Chi-Chi "Do you want me to explain?" The mother nodded as she held Goten on her laps "In the mountains, people usually meet when they exchange things between villages. For example, when Gohan goes to buy vegetables, he can meet someone there and they might talk a bit and enjoy each other's company. It's almost the same concept as the city, except that we don't meet in cafés, it's by the garden." He chuckled and smiled at Gohan "For Chi-Chi it was different. And thanks to this meeting, our kingdom was actually saved."
Hoshiko rose her eyebrows at the man "Your kingdom? What do you mean by this?"
Chi-Chi smiled a little "My father is actually the Ox-King of the Fire Mountain. I don't know if you heard of it. We're the East Monarchy of the country. But the kingdom is losing more and more its money slowly, and I guess it won't be long before we change into a regular village. And I guess it's better this way."
Erasa then looked at Gohan "That means you're a prince? That's so cool." Gohan blushed a little at the comment and Erasa chuckled at him.
Chi-Chi smiled at her oldest "Even if, modesty is the best attribute to have. We don't need money to live happily."
Hoshiko nodded at the mother before she smiled at her daughter.

Hoshiko saw Gyumao nod his head in agreement at what Chi-Chi said. They were right in the end, and she really loved the way she decided to raise her kids. But just how much was the kingdom losing money if the King himself couldn't help his daughter's family live a better life? But she also noticed how much Gohan didn't care for his royalty title because when he mentioned his grandfather during their lunch, he said he had money laying around. It was really heartwarming to see him this modest and down to earth, if only there were more people like him.

A little while later, Gyumao eventually left, after gifting his grandkids a mountain of gifts, per his usual. And he even gave the girls smalls kids to remember him by. The Satan mother smiled at him, happy to have met the older man. The girls happily waved at him, very happy by his visit. He was a really friendly grandfather who played with his grandkids and them as if they were family. This family was really friendly, it was amazing to see people like this.

Eventually, they all started to shower one after the other, as the girls sat in their pajamas in the living room. Chi-Chi had turned on the TV to a kids' channel and they laughed as they watched the anime playing. Hoshiko then came and kissed them goodnight, telling them not to stay up late, as Gohan came from the bathroom, in a green Gi bottom and white shirt. He waved them goodnight and went to see his mother in her room.

The Son matron was checking on Goten who was fast asleep and she smiled at her oldest "Do you need something sweetie?"
The young boy shook his head, smiling at his brother "No, just wanted to say goodnight. I'm going to sleep outside."
Chi-Chi sighed at him "We have guests, don't you think it's better you sleep here?"
Gohan looked at her and scratched his neck "Videl and Erasa are watching TV, so I can't sleep on the couch. And I don't want to sleep with you, you won't be comfortable and I wake up before you. I'll be in the house before they wake up, don't worry."
Chi-Chi couldn't but nod at her son.

She didn't understand what was this new obsession with sleeping outside, but she didn't say a thing. They were a lot of things that she didn't want him to do but didn't object, as she noticed it helped him in his grieving process the year prior. And besides, it's not like he could be in danger, her son was literally the strongest being in the universe at this point.

The girls saw him exit his mother's room, and Erasa, being very curious, couldn't but ask him when she saw him reach the door "Where you going? Is there some new activity you do at night?"
Gohan scratched the back of his neck, blushing lightly "I'm actually going to sleep outside. And it's too dark to do anything, it could be dangerous."
Both girls looked at him surprised and Erasa tilted her head "Why? Is it because we're in your room? We can sleep here! It's dark and cold and…"
Gohan quickly waved his hand, stopping her "No, no, Kami, I didn't mean to. I, um, I like sleeping outside. The weather is nice. Don't worry, really. Good night."
He then bowed at them and left the room. Both girls looked at one another and rose their shoulders as they continued to watch TV.

Around an hour later, they turned it off and Erasa looked at her friend "Sleepy?" Videl shook her head and Erasa smirked playfully "Thinking what I'm thinking?"
Videl tilted her head, not understanding what her friend had in mind. Then, it hit her and she looked at her "No." Erasa quickly pleaded at her and Videl shook her head once again "We're not following him. Maybe he wants to be alone. And we don't know where he went."
Erasa quickly got up, jumping excitedly "It's an adventure. Come on. I'll leave you here."
She then quickly reached the door "So?"
Videl sighed as she got up and reached her friend "If we get grounded, it's your fault." Erasa quickly looked at her, saying "yeah, yeah." as she held her friend's hand and they went outside.

They walked for a while, both of them startled by their surroundings. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all. It was way too dark to see anything, as the moonlight barely came up. They had no idea where to go, nor where Gohan went. Erasa then squealed when she heard something move in the bushes and she quickly jumped on a rock. Videl rolled her eyes, trying to locate herself. Why did she follow her friend? What a bad idea this was. And she was supposed to be the sane one here.

They then heard the sound of a river and they decided to follow it. A clearing will always be better than the forest. They started to walk a little until they found a clearing full of cherry trees. They couldn't really discern the colors, but they knew the petals and from up close, they could see their pink color. They look in awe at the scenery next to them as they started to walk a little.

They then saw something move under a tree and they stood still, fearing it might be an animal. With the moonlight barely out, they couldn't really discern it. Then, Videl decided to approach it, and she saw a figure sitting under the tree, in meditation. After she got closer, she recognized the spiky hair and she called him "Gohan?"

Said boy was in meditation, but as Piccolo taught him, he was very aware of his surroundings. He felt their auras in the forest, but he didn't understand why they came. The forest was more than dangerous at night. He didn't respond at first, not knowing what to tell them. How could he explain to them why he slept in this specific location? But it would be impolite not to answer, so he opened his eyes and looked at the girls.

He quickly sat on the ground, thanking Dende that at night, they couldn't perceive him clearly, so they won't know he was actually floating. He saw them approach and he got up, cleaning the dust of his pants "Did something happen? You're not comfortable?"
Videl looked at him, very surprised by his location "Why do you sleep here? It's scary."
He chuckled lightly, looking around him "I have a lot of good memories in this place. I wanted to show it to you during the day, it's amazing. But why are you here?"
Erasa quickly jumped, stabilizing herself on Videl who rolled her eyes. She hated being used as a piggy ride. Erasa chuckled and looked at Gohan, a hint of malice in her eyes "You really believed you could come here and have fun, while we sleep in your room? We want to try the whole mountain experience. Do you have a problem if we sleep here with you?"
Gohan blushed a little, not knowing what to do in this situation, and Erasa continued "We don't have to sleep. We can play a little, and talk. We want to know everything about you. What do you say?"

Gohan couldn't but smile. They really wanted to know him, and try living like them. They weren't bored as he thought, and they wanted to try more things. And for the first time, he felt like he genuinely had friends, people that cared for him, and wanted to know him.

He smiled at them as he started to look around him. He thought about what he could day, to avoid raising suspicions on him and he smiled at them, albeit having a sad look on his face "My dad used to be out of the house a lot. He sometimes left for a year. Once, when he came back, it was around three years before Cell. He told me that he won't have to travel anymore and that we could spend time together. When I didn't have to study, or we didn't have to help my mother with the gardening, we would pass our days here. Sometimes, a family friend would come stay with us. Around March and April, we would pass our days here, watching the cherry trees blossom." He then felt a pang in his throat as he continued "Before Cell, we were sitting here and he looked at me and said 'You've grown up a lot. You're almost a man now. I know that if I have to travel again, your mother will be in good hands.' I smiled at him, happy to spend time with him. I didn't know that I won't see him again. It's like he knew." A tear rolled on his cheek as he continued "Ten days later, he, umm, he passed away. And I felt responsible for this."
Both girls tried to hold their tears as the boy held his. Erasa quickly hugged him, telling him it was okay to cry over it. Gohan quickly shook his head, sighing loudly "Sorry, I don't think you came here to see me cry."
Videl shook her head, smiling sadly at him "If we want to know you, we should know everything." She then looked around her "So, you decided to come here every year? To see the cherry trees blossom?"
Gohan nodded at her, wiping his tears with his hand "Yes, we both liked the petals. My mother doesn't know, and I can't tell her." He then smiled lightly at them "Sorry, I messed up your evening."
Erasa smiled at him "Nah, don't worry. Feeling better?" Gohan nodded at her and she jumped excitedly "Can we do a campfire? I want to stay here all night."
Gohan smiled lightly as he nodded and started to gather wood from the surroundings.

Videl stood near her friend, whispering to her "Do you think it's a good idea? Maybe he wants to stay alone."
Erasa whispered back "I think it's better we stay. We're his friends after all. We should stay together when someone is sad."
Videl nodded and they say Gohan coming at them, wood in hand. Little did they know that he had an enhanced earring and heard their conversation, and he felt his heart becoming lighter.

They were his friends, it was amazing.

He then put the wood on the ground, and gathered two small rocks. He tried to remember how to lit up a fire without Ki, as he taught the girls the camping tricks he knew. They were very happy learn all this, and they all sat around the heat of the fire, talking about this and that, each one getting to know the other better. Even Videl and Erasa got surprised at the other's answers, also getting to know the other better. They all felt happy; this just felt right.

The sun was about to rise as the sound of the three teenagers laughing was cutting through the silence of the region. Gohan and Erasa held their stomach as Videl was brighter than a tomato. Erasa couldn't but tell embarrassing stories about her friend, knowing very well how nervous she would get.

Gohan then noticed the time, as he wiped the tears of his face "The sun's about to rise. We should head back."
Both girls nodded as they watched the sunrise. As the sun got up, they could hear and see the different animals waking up, the flowers moving slowly as the first breeze emerged and the morning dew started to form on their petals. They smiled at the amazing scenery and Gohan couldn't but smile when he saw the look on their face.

They started walking towards the house and heard commotion inside. Gohan quickly did a Ki swipe inside, noticing there wasn't any intruder, but he entered carefully, just in case.

They then saw Hoshiko sighed heavily when she saw them enter, and she quickly glared at her daughter "Just where were you young ladies? Didn't it occur to you that I could wake up and not find you in your bed? Just what were you thinking?"
Both girls gulped as Erasa turned blank. They forgot that tiny little detail. Gohan saw the look his mother was giving him. Nonetheless, he talked to Videl's mother "It's my fault, I'm sorry. I asked them if they wanted to see a clearing at night and I didn't expect we'd stay up this late."
Both girls looked at him surprised as both mother sighed. Chi-Chi then quickly glared at him "You mister are gonna be in so much trouble, just you wait. Not everyone has the abilities you have to go and search the mountains at night. What if something happened to you? No more sleeping outside until I decide otherwise. You'll get your punishment later on."
Gohan felt a pang in his chest at his mother's words. He could have accepted anything, but that he didn't expect. But he couldn't disobey his mother and he nodded at her.

They then heard Goten cry as Chi-Chi excused herself to check up on him. Hoshiko glared at her daughter but her phone surprisingly rung and she went outside to take the call.

The girls looked at Gohan who was rubbing his forehead and Videl poked his shoulder. He turned around and saw them looking at him, both not understanding his reaction and he tilted his head "What?"
Videl rose her eyebrows at him "Why did you lie?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled lightly "It was my fault, I should've told you to come back or at least leave a note. It's not a big deal, trust me."
Erasa looked at him, cutting him quickly "It is. You love to sleep outside. It's our fault, we should get punished."
They saw a lump forming in his throat as he spoke "N-No, really. I didn't want your weekend to get cut short. There's a nice clearing you should see, so…"
Their conversation was cut by Hoshiko who entered back sighing. Videl quickly asked her about the call but she told her it wasn't a big deal, and she called the girls to Gohan's room, surely to get a scolding.

Gohan excused himself as he went outside, leaving them alone to speak. He stood near the river and washed his face. His Saiyan genes allowed him to spend days without sleeping, so it wasn't a big deal at all. He then decided to pass time a little, hoping to change his ideas and he climbed on a near tree. He then hung up upside down from his legs, and he started to do some sit ups, hoping to clear his head.

In Gohan's room, Hoshiko quickly glared at the girls, her hands crossed. She saw Erasa trying to say something, so she cut her short "No excuses, I don't care. I was scared to death when I didn't see you. What were you thinking? What if something happened to you? If an animal attacked you? Do you think Gohan has some sorts of superpowers?" Well, she thought about this, and was assured that he had, but she couldn't possibly tell them that.
Videl quickly lowered her eyes, looking at Erasa. The blonde girl then spoke up "Sorry auntie, it's my fault. And it's not Gohan's."
She then told her everything that happened, which made the Satan matron rise her eyebrows at them "So you let him lie to protect you? And he got punished because of this. And worse, his punishment is actually stopping him from doing the one last thing that linked him to his father. Are you happy with this?"
Both girls shook their head as Erasa asked "What if we tell Mrs. Chi-Chi? Maybe he won't be punished anymore?"
Hoshiko shook her head, rubbing her temples "Absolutely not. He will be punished either way because he lied. Let me talk to her." She looked at them, very deceived "I raised you better than this. Now, go say sorry, for both of them. We're leaving early."
Both girls jumped in their place, and Videl looked at her "Mummy, please. We're sorry, really. We will never do it again. Please, we want to stay. Gohan said there is an amazing clearing we have to see. Please mummy."
The Satan matron shook her head "No, it's out of question. You should be punished for what you did. Now, go outside so I can talk to Chi-Chi. I hope she will understand."
The girls lowered their heads and they all walked outside. They saw the front door open and they went out of the house.

They saw Gohan doing upside down sit ups from a tree, while Chi-Chi was glaring at him "How many are left in the set? I need to talk to you, now!"
They saw Gohan shake his head at her as he got up and held the branch with his hands. But of course, his luck couldn't be better, and the branch broke, sending him into the river. He got out of the water and removed his top before he caught a cold, trying to ignore the death glare his mother was sending him. He then saw Hoshiko standing in the back and he blushed.

Hoshiko called Chi-Chi, asking her if she could talk to her. The girls apologized for their behavior and the mothers retrieved inside the house. Erasa lost no time asking Gohan about his hair, specifically how it didn't get wet; while Videl asked him about his training, specially to have a body this toned at his age. Both questions making the boy very red.

Hoshiko sat on the table in the living room and sighed "I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't want my girls to cause any trouble." She then explained everything that happened to Chi-Chi "Please, I know he lied, but if you could change his punishment? It means a lot to him and I don't want my daughter to be the reason he can't go there."

Chi-Chi had tears in her eyes as Hoshiko explained the situation. She never thought Gohan would be this attached to the place. It made sense now why he liked to sleep there. Now that she thought of it, he and Goku would spend most of their time training there before the Cell Games.

Chi-Chi then quickly shook her head, remembering where she was, and she saw the other mother smiling sadly at her "I'm sorry, I didn't want to open up old wounds. I mustn't be easy for you."
Chi-Chi shook her head, smiling lightly "Goku was a good man. Always doing what was right. Gohan takes after him a lot, I tend to forget. Thank you for telling me this, I don't want my son to be sad. It's a precious memory. And please, don't punish the girls, Gohan should've known better."
Hoshiko nodded at her "They're all at fault here. I think the best punishment would be to cut the weekend short. I've very sorry for all the trouble, we didn't want to impose, but I think it's best we go back to the city."
Chi-Chi quickly shook her head "No, please. I know it's not my place, but they could really enjoy today. I know Gohan had some activities planned, and they seem to get along. I don't want to break your word, but if you could please keep them here for the weekend." She then looked outside by the window "I've never seen Gohan this happy. To tell you the truth, they're his first real friends. The loss of his father hit him harder than what we expected, and he held himself responsible for it." She then looked back at the mother "If you want to leave earlier, I understand. But there is at least one possibility for you to stay, you're more than welcome. As a thank you for making me realize that my son was still grieving, and that I needed to be more careful."
Hoshiko gulped lightly at the Son matron. Between handling a one year old baby, a grieving boy, and her own grief, her life wasn't easy at all. She felt like she could learn a lot of things from the woman herself. She saw from the windows the kids laughing together and she sighed "You're a very strong woman. It's not easy to balance everything like you do. I won't cut the weekend short. They'll get punished when we come back home."
Chi-Chi smiled at her as they went outside to tell the news to the girls who started to jump excitedly. Erasa quickly held Gohan's hand as she made him jump with them, and she asked them about today's activities.

Gohan chuckled lightly as he looked at them "I hope your mom won't mind. There is a beautiful lake. We could have a picnic there? Our moms can go from the regular road and we can go, umm." He looked at Hoshiko, sensing she won't like what he would say next, and he gulped "We can go rock climbing."
He winced in pain as Erasa's squeals pierced his ears, both girls jumping excitedly. They quickly asked for Hoshiko's permission and the latter rose an eyebrow at Gohan "Is it safe?"
The latter nodded "Yes, and I will be with them all the time. If you don't want, we can go hiking by the regular path."
Hoshiko saw the excitement on the girls' face and she sighed "Okay. But be very careful. We'll stay with you until you climb, then we'll find you by the path."
The girls nodded as they went inside to change.

You think that spending a whole night awake in the wild would cut some of their energy, you'd be very mistaken. Gohan told them to pack a bathing suit if they had any, as he gathered vegetables from their garden to prepare for the picnic. His mother packed what she found necessary, and Gohan told her he would go fishing and hunting once they arrived to the summit. They then all went inside to change.

The girls wore their sweatpants and a t-shirt over their bathing suits. They packed a hoodie in their bags with towels they gave to Hoshiko to put in the car. Both mothers were dressed in their regular clothes, Chi-Chi in her traditional kimonos and Hoshiko in pants and a blouse. They will be going by car after all. Gohan came back wearing a purpled color Gi with blue waist and wrist bands, and the outfit clearly showed his muscles and physique, which didn't go by unnoticed by both Satan girls and Erasa, but each for a different reason.

Hoshiko analyzed his physique and scars, getting the confirmation that he was indeed the boy from the Cell Games described by her husband. Videl analyzed the scar on his hand, and with his clothes, the déjà-vu feeling resurging, but she couldn't for the love of Kami remember where she saw them. Erasa on the other hand, payed attention to his muscles. You think that twelve years old girls won't care for these details?

Gohan then helped his mother pack the food in the specified containers, very oblivious to the looks his guests were giving him. They set everything in Chi-Chi's car, the matron telling them it was used to this, and that she knew the road like the back of her hand. She then held Goten as she closed the door, and they all started hiking towards the mountain.

Gohan assured them that the hiking won't take long and they all followed him. He started to describe the trees, plants and animals that lied around them, striking the curiosity of everyone. Even Erasa was amazed by the scenery. Chi-Chi smiled at him, happy to see him this comfortable, and they continued their small walk. Videl was very happy to see several of the plants she'd seen in different books, her curiosity taking the best of her. And Gohan was more than happy to answer all of her questions, feeling for once that he was useful in something that wasn't related in saving the Earth.

After around a one hour walk, they reached the bottom of the mountain. Gohan then threw a capsule on the ground, mentally thanking Bulma for the climbing equipment she gave him while he was preparing for the weekend, and he smiled at his guests, as he started to explain to them the procedure.

After promising both mothers that the girls will be safe, Gohan took the rope and looked at the girls "Who wants to go first?"
Erasa jumped excitedly "ME, me!" Everyone smiled at her as Gohan started to tie the rope around her waist.

He then told her to wait a moment as he took a steel pitons and started climbing the mountain by himself, making everyone look at him in awe. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at her eldest while he climbed the mountain without any safety equipment, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the Satan mother.

"Isn't it dangerous? I mean, what if he falls?" She then looked at her daughter with was looking at the teen, mesmerized by his audacity and she sighed "And I call my daughter monkey. Thank Kami I don't have a boy. Chi-Chi, I don't really envy you."
Chi-Chi sighed, as she looked at Gohan who was setting the pitons on several spots on the mountains "Monkey is almost literal, you have no clue." Of course it would, seeing that her sons were half-Saiyans, descendants of apes. She then screamed "GOHAN! Come back right now mister."
Gohan looked at her mother from up the mountain and nodded at her as he set the last piton. He then started to pass the rope around the eye of the piton as he started to get down.

Once he reached the ground, the dusted his hands and looked at Erasa "I'll put the carabiner on your waist and pass the rope. Then, I'll held you from down here as you'll climb." He then passed the equipment and tied the rope around his waist "When you climb, it's like walking normally, but vertically. I'll handle the rest, don't worry."

Gohan made sure that the rope tied around his waist was good enough, as Erasa started walking up the mountain. He didn't need to do this, but Bulma told him this is how professionals do it. And in the end, he needed to appear at normal as possible.

After around ten minutes, and several encouragements from Videl and the mothers, Erasa reached the top of the mountain, and she jumped excitedly "Yey. It's so cool. Come on Videl." She then turned around, only to see a clearing in front of her "Wow! It's beautiful. You have to see that."
Videl quickly rushed to Gohan who chuckled lightly "Okay Videl. Ready?" The latter nodded excitedly and Gohan turned towards Erasa as he screamed "Erasa, I need you to remove the carabiner and throw it up. I'll catch it. Be careful, don't fall."
Erasa nodded as she removed the climbing equipment and threw it to the half-Saiyan. He then set it on Videl's waist along a rope and he nodded at her "Okay. Same as Erasa. If you want, you can try to climb it in the old-fashioned way using your hands, but it will be tiring."
Videl nodded at him as she started to climb the mountain.

Hoshiko smiled when she heard her daughter and she turned to face Chi-Chi, who had the same smile on her face when she saw how happy Gohan was. They nodded lightly at each other as Videl reached the summit. She jumped happily as she tossed the rope to Gohan.

The half-Saiyan looked at his mother, as he started to put the equipment back in his backpack "I'll climb from here. You'll meet us by car?" Chi-Chi nodded at her son, knowing very well how he liked to climb on things, and Gohan smiled "I'll take Goten. I'm sure he'll have fun."
Hoshiko looked at the exchange between the mother and son, not understanding a thing. How could Chi-Chi give her one year old to his brother while he climbed a mountain? Without proper security that is. She decided to let it go, not wanting to interfere in the family's issues, as Gohan set Goten in a baby sling on his back, and the climbing equipment in his mother's car once she decapsulated it.

The mothers then set off on the road, while Gohan started to climb the mountain, removing the pins he set on the way. He could hear Goten cooing happily, making him smile, and he looked up, noticing the girls waiting for him, smiling happily.

It didn't take him long to reach the summit, as Gohan let Goten off the carrier, for him to walk cheerfully. The clearing had a small waterfall with crystal clear water. Several fruit trees were scattered around, with apples, mangos and peaches hanging, despite the early season. The ground was filled with flowers of several colors, giving it a painter's pallet effect. Needless to say, the sight was picturesque. Their mothers arrived a few minutes later, as Hoshiko looked at the place amazed by its serenity. Gohan was right, the clearing was remarkable.

The girls lost no time stripping out of their clothes and diving into the clear cold water. Gohan chuckled as his excused himself for a minute. Chi-Chi sat on the river, her legs in the water, as she held Goten who happily started playing. Hoshiko sat near her host, happily smiling at the girls who were splashing each other with the water.

Five minutes later, Gohan came back carrying two rather gigantic fish, striking the curiosity of their visitors. He chuckled lightly, telling them it was normal for fishes to be this gigantic around here, as he gave them to his mother. He then cut a tree as he lit a fire, setting the fishes on two sticks to let them cook naturally. Het then heard sound coming from the forest, as the young half-Saiyan rushed there, only to come back a few minutes later with boar and wolf meat. No one asked about the strange assortment of food, their hosts knew better. And after Chi-Chi cooked them and they tried them, they noticed how tender the meat was, almost forgetting what it actually was.

The kids spent the afternoon playing together, getting to know each other better. They held a speed contest, in which Gohan let Videl win, even though the latter felt he lost on purpose. They then decided to see which person could hold their breath the longest, only for Gohan to win very easily with his Saiyan genes. It was a good thing he remembered that he wasn't alone, so he wouldn't stay as much as usual. The girls asked him about his long stamina to which he replied "I'm used to this, I come here a lot." They didn't ask more about them, seeing it was logical. They asked him about his and Goten's hair, specially their ability to stand still even though it was wet, and Gohan said he had no clue, it was something he inherited from his father.

Around the end of the afternoon, both families happily packed. The girls and a sleepy Goten sat in the car with the mothers, after Gohan told them he wanted to hike a little more. The girls tried to persuade Hoshiko to let them go with Gohan, but seeing they were exhausted from their day, she decided against it.

They all reached the Son household as the girls showered and sat in their pajamas while the mothers prepared for diner. They then saw Gohan enter, a few vegetables in hand, and he sat near the girls, chitchatting lightly.

A few minutes later, a knock could be heard on the door, as Chi-Chi greeted a villager. She called Gohan to help her uproot the vegetables, as the Son family was used to. Videl and Erasa both saw the exchange, noticing from afar the little money the family made from the buy. Hoshiko smiled from the kitchen, noticing the look on the girls' faces; she could see them learning from this, and it was just what she wanted.

Eventually, the night came and the girls felt asleep on the couch in front of the TV. Hoshiko came out of her bath and chuckled at the sight. It was a good thing they were this exhausted, otherwise she felt there would be something wrong with them. Gohan then came out of his mother's room, and saw the Satan mother trying to carry a sleeping Videl.

He approached the mother and smiled lightly "Let me help you." Then, in one single swift, he easily carried the young brunette, a hand behind her back, and the other below her knees. Hoshiko rose her eyebrows at him and he chuckled "I can easily carry a tree. I don't think they're considered very heavy."
He then entered his room and set Videl on one of the mattresses. He then came back and held Erasa the same way before he closed his room's door.

Hoshiko thanked him for his help as he bowed goodnight and went outside. She saw him close the door and she thought for a minute. Then, she decided to follow him, hoping to talk to him for a minute, alone.

She saw him walking towards the forest and she called him. The boy turned around and saw the Satan matron coming to him, smiling lightly "Hey. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
He nodded at her and she invited him to sit "I wanted to excused the girls' behavior this morning. They shouldn't have let you lie. They got you in trouble, and you almost lost something dear to you. I'm sorry." She saw him shake his head and she continued "Also, thank you, for the amazing weekend. I've never seen them both this happy. I know it took time to prepare for everything, so thank you. I guess it will be an experience they won't forget."
Gohan smiled at her as he scratched the back of his neck "First, it's not a problem, you don't need to apologize. It was partly my fault too." She then looked towards the house and sighed lightly "I hope they had a good time. It's actually the first time I've had people coming over. I didn't know what to do or how to behave."
She held his hand, smiling lightly at him. He didn't know why, but he felt at ease in the presence of the mother, as he continued "I've never actually had friends before. Our circle of friends is mostly my parents', specially my dad's. I'm somehow introverted since I never really interacted with, um, normal people." He wasn't lying since his entourage mostly counted of aliens and overpowered humans. He then smiled dejectedly "After my dad's passing, I felt like I was responsible for what happened to him. He wanted t-to protect me from something, and didn't make it. I felt like I had to step in as a father figure for Goten. So being introverted wasn't a good thing, and my mother thought I could use more friends, aside village people." He saw the mother smile at him as he continued "Videl and Erasa taught me a lot of things. Thank you for letting them be my friends, most people would find me weird. I can climb mountains, carry tree and giant fishes, hunt wild animals." He then chuckled "I can carry people my age like they're pillows. I know I'm not normal, but I try to be a good person. I learned from Videl and Erasa how simple life can be and many other things. How trivial things can really matter. So thank you."

He didn't know how he got the courage to say all this, but something about Hoshiko made him feel at ease. And he didn't lie, he genuinely was grateful for his friends. She could've packed the moment she saw how different he was. When he broke the counter but barely scratched, that should've been the first alarm bell for her. But she didn't. She gave him a chance.

Hoshiko smiled lightly at him, as she toughened the grip on his hand "You taught the girls as much as they taught you, believe me. I will never forget this weekend." She then looked into his eyes "Being different doesn't make you weird. Never think this about yourself. You're special, and that's what matters. Your mother is proud of you, you should be happy. You're a smart, polite, educated, and helpful person. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a son. It doesn't matter if you're strong, and can carry heavy things. Or that you can break things without getting scratched easily. You adapted to your living environment, and at this young age, it's amazing. You're a good different, and trust me, I wish they would be more people like you in the city. Stay as you are, never change, it's my only request for you." She then smiled lightly at him, knowing that she will hit a sensitive subject "And if you ever need someone to talk to, about your father, I'll be more than happy to lend an ear. Sometimes, talking can be useful. But never blame yourself, okay? You can never know what tomorrow has in store for you. I'm sure he won't be happy if he knew you are blaming yourself, okay?"
She saw a tear roll down his cheek and she pulled him into a hug.

After a few seconds, they got up as Gohan bowed goodnight and made his way to the clearing to meditate and sleep.

Hoshiko came back to the house, but stood outside, ravishing into the peaceful environment. The weather was amazing at this time of the year, not too cold nor too hot. And she could hear the water passing in the nearby river. She kept thinking about her conversation with Gohan. He was a very good kid. Hurting, yet paying attention to the others, responsible, caring and gentle. Her suspicions were wrong, he didn't befriend Videl to get to her father or anything like that. He didn't even know who she was. He genuinely cared for her daughter, and she could feel how important the girls were for him.

She knew her daughter and Erasa found an amazing person to call friend, and she could feel that Gohan could teach them a lot of things, once they got to know him. She knew he lived in a fascinating world; and as dangerous as she felt it was, she knew that it was unique and amazing. It was a good decision to come here. They all learned a lot, and she was more than relieved to know that the boy was a real gentleman.

She then took a glimpse through the window, and saw Videl sleeping heavily, a smile plastered on her face. Her mind was at peace, her daughter met a fine young boy she had the chance to call her friend.