Snow turned Mount Paozu into a different place.

While they certainly got their share of cooler weather, snow wasn't something that came every year. Grey clouds certainly but that wasn't always a guarantee of the flaky white coating.

This year, snow fell steadily, much heavier than Gohan remembered from years before. Granted, he was only eleven but he thought that plenty old enough to count. Three Christmases he remembered snow but never to this extent.

Nursing a mug of hot chocolate, he sat amid his window seat, transfixed on the sky. Clouds of his breath caught on the windowpane, leaving a misty gleam to the frost already layered on the glass. The frozen trees swayed amid the light flakes spiraling to the ground. There was an almost fantasy feeling to the scene and for a moment, he smiled.

"Now there's a great gift for me."

Turning, Gohan gave a sheepish grin. "What Mom? The snow?"

Walking in, the Son Family matriarch took a seat by her son and squeezed him tight. "Your smile. Haven't seen it much lately."

Hard to smile, especially around the holiday. This was their first Christmas without Dad. Now, sure, they'd had their share of holidays without him before but those had been a temporary state and one that Dad had fixed as soon as he came home. The year he came home from Yardrat, Gohan remembered getting three birthday parties—one for when he was away, one for the time on Namek and after and one for when he was training with Piccolo.

This felt more permanent.

It was more permanent.

"Why are you awake, Mom? Don't you know Grandpa Claus won't come if you're awake?" Gohan's voice quivered a bit. He may have been a little old for that tradition but it gave such a sense of nostalgia that he couldn't give it up. He wondered how long he'd be allowed to cling to it.

"Your brother was hungry again. And I could ask you the same. Pretty sure those presents won't appear under that tree if you're awake all night."

Gohan winced. "I want to help with Goten, Mom. But he never wants me."

Eyes softening, she kissed his head. "He will. He's only three weeks old, Gohan. His entire life is pretty much eat and sleep."

"Still wish I could help you." His entire form sagged. ChiChi gently pried the nearly empty mug from his hands.

"If you want to help me, get some sleep. We'll still have a Christmas tomorrow. Your Daddy would want us too and we need to show Goten what it's all about, right?"

"…right."

"Good." She kissed his head again as she stood, chancing a glance outside. "Looks like you might have some snow to create havoc in tomorrow. It's comin' down hard."

"With who?" Biting his lip, Gohan countered, "Sorry."

ChiChi couldn't argue. While she'd normally have no issue with it, she still had a pretty fresh newborn. And Goku wasn't here anymore. "Well, Grandpa'll be here tomorrow. He can watch Goten for a bit and you and I can frolic. Krillin will drop by too, he said."

The monk had been a saving grace for both of them, along with Piccolo. Sharing dinner and lunch with them tomorrow would help ease the pain of not having Goku.

Not eliminate it but ease it.

Gohan would take any relief from the burning grief. It felt like a burn. The intense pain of the beginning had eased but every motion brought the pain anew, as if it was angry he forgot even for a moment it was there.

As if he could forget who wasn't here.

"Okay." Gohan pulled himself away from the window and padded to his room. After he climbed into bed though, he asked his mother to leave the curtains open. She relented; falling snow carried a soft and pleasant feel to it. "I'll sleep. But if you need help—"

"I know where to find you." She closed the door softly and after checking on Goten, she sank into her own bed, heart heavy, and grasped at the empty patch of sheet beside her.

A Christmas without Goku. And one that wouldn't end. It was a deep aching pain. Every moment of tomorrow was going to be a reminder. Not just for this year but as a warning for all years to come.

How could she go every Christmas onward without Goku by her side? How could she smile and pretend to be joyous for the sake of her sons, without Goku's familiar laugh. How could she get used to that one chair forever being empty?

How could she do this?

Tears blurred her vision until sleep took her.

OOO

"Again!"

Krillin took a heavy breath and wiped his forehead. "You're fast, Gohan. Cut me a break!"

Flakes of snow decorated his eyelashes as Gohan emerged from the large pile of snow. "I am! I'm going slow!" But he gave a cheeky snort. "But I'll slow down some more. You're gettin' old, Krillin!"

"Hey! I am not! You're just way too fast!"

From the doorway, ChiChi's voice rang through the air. "No slowing down! We have a big meal to eat!"

Gohan let a grin take his face. "You heard her, Krillin!" Taking to the air, he left a flurry of snow in his wake and darted behind the house. "The best snow piles already form here!"

"Give me a handicap!"

Gohan sank to the ground, letting his feet barely dance on the frozen over river. It cracked lightly so he took to the air again, finding a large pile of densely packed snow just under a tree. Dunking himself behind it, he covered his head from the light sprinkle of white from above.

Christmas felt odd. Not unpleasant but certainly not what he looked forward to all year. The appearance of Grandpa and Krillin were welcomed breaths of fresh air. While it wasn't the same as playing chase with his father, it gave a semblance of it.

Plus, seeing Krillin fall in the snow made Mom laugh. She needed to laugh more.

Gohan slipped down close to the ground, waiting for Krillin to make his way around the bend. It was an almost perfect ambush situation.

The loud thud as the tree's heavy cargo of snow came tumbling down on him was unexpected and he gave an oof! as his breath was knocked out of him.

Clawing his way loose, Gohan looked up just in time to see Mr. Piccolo disappear.

A snowball from Krillin collided with his shoulder not long after.

"No fair teaming up on me!"

"Who said anything about fair?" Krillin gave a smirk and tossed two snowballs in his hands. "You'll just have to defend yourself, buddy!"

OOO

With the last of the cold chased from his body, Gohan sat down on the couch next to his mother. She was finishing feeding Goten and her warm meal definitely left him ready for bed.

"Did you have a good Christmas, Gohan?"

The boy smiled, patted his new stack of books, some games courtesy of Krillin and some new clothes. "It was great, Mom."

"I know it was different." She adjusted Goten a bit. "But I hope you were still happy."

"I'm happy, Mom." He assured her. "I'm sad too but you can be both, I think."

She shook her head. "Somehow, you got way too wise, way too quickly." She wrapped an arm about his shoulder. "But I'm glad."

The family of three sat there in silence a good while longer when Gohan suddenly leapt to his feet. Goten cooed, seemingly on alert himself.

"Gohan?" ChiChi stood, cradling Goten to her chest. "What is it?" Both of her sons had the Saiyan hearing; she couldn't hear a thing.

"It sounds…" Gohan ruffled his brow in concentration. "It's…singing."

"Singing?" Tilting her head, she listened and now she heard it too. Hard to tell the song but that wasn't important. It was the voice. "That sounds like—"

Rushing the door, Gohan flung it open amid the chilly night air as the source of the singing made its way across the yard. A familiar figure, with spiked hair, singing horribly off key.

"Daddy!"

Those bright eyes lit up. "Hey, Gohan!"

"Daddy!" Plowing across the yard with a speed that would have left even the most practiced fighter to shame, Gohan collided with the man, sending them both to the ground. His voice collapsed into a pile of tears. "Daddy! Is it you? Really? It's you?!"

"Gohan, it's okay." Goku's hand on the boy's head. "It's okay!"

Tears choked away any hope of understanding the boy's response.

"Goku?"

ChiChi's voice trembled, crackled as she made her way out to the pile of tangled limbs. If she'd had any less constitution, she'd have dropped Goten.

Goku ruffled Gohan's hair as he sat up. "Sorry I'm late. Time passes differently in Other World and it was hard to get in touch with the Nameks." He pointed to his head and ChiChi's breath stalled.

"No halo?"

"Nope!" He grinned and nuzzled his oldest son. "Decided Gohan was right. Spent the last few months thinkin' 'bout it. I was wrong." He looked her in the eyes amid Gohan's sobbing. "I was wrong.

"Daddy!" Gohan looked up, "Are you—"

"Yep. Tried to make it earlier but no luck. Nope you don't mind. I'll give you all presents tomorrow—"

ChiChi joined Gohan in all but strangling the man with a hug, balancing Goten to her other arm. "Forget the presents! You're the present! You're home! You came home!"

"Never shoulda left but…" Goku looked down. "Is that…" he brushed Goten's nose with his finger. "I got another kid?" He beamed like the sun.

Wiping his eyes, Gohan said. "He's fresh. Mom just had him a few weeks ago!"

"Thought he looked new!" Goku's face tumbled. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. Wasn't fair to make you two do it alone." He pressed his lips to first ChiChi, then Gohan and lastly, the tiny baby currently babbling in fascination.

ChiChi shook her head, flakes of snow scattering into the wind. "Doesn't matter. You're here. You're here now!"

Goten gave a low gurgle and waved his chubby hands, catching hold of his father's finger. He tugged, a sharp grip around the man's thumb.

"He's a pretty strong little guy."

"Just like his father," mused Gohan.

"Just like his brother ." Corrected Goku.

It took a sneeze from Gohan when a falling snowflake tickled his nose to draw the attention away from the flesh and blood miracle before them. ChiChi gave a firm shake of the head, as if clearing her mind.

"Won't do us any good to have you back if we all die of hypothermia!" She brushed the snow that had caked her clothes off and tucked Goten tighter into her chest. "Let's get inside!"

Standing, the reunited family of four made their way for the door.

"Gohan, pull the leftovers out."

Gohan darted ahead to the kitchen, immediately setting to work pulling out plates and bowls. He ignited his ki to warm them as he did so, the scent of ChiChi's cooking beginning to waft through the house.

Goku's mouth watered. Tossing a log from their woodpile into the fireplace, he set it ablaze with a spark of ki himself as ChiChi darted for the kitchen counter, setting up mugs for hot chocolate and spiced ale.

"Can I help? I mean, it's late and I kinda dropped in on you—"

With a light shove, ChiChi pushed her husband into a nearby chair and set Goten in his arms. The baby protested a bit but quickly settled.

Gohan leaned over his father's shoulder. "See? He already knows it's Daddy!"

"Of course he does." ChiChi planted a kiss to Goku's cheek. "You're here, Goku. You're home. That's more than we ever thought we'd get."

Gohan tightened his grip and hugged his father from behind, relishing in the solid form. "We've got a Christmas miracle to celebrate."