Disclaimer-I don't own DB/Z/GT.
A/N-Once again, posting the edited version without editing again, I'm so OCD I could never leave it be...
___________________
Goku was filled with conflicting emotions. Arriving back on earth--what Trunks had said--finding out who Trunks' parents were, Goku grinned momentarily--actually, that part had been kind of funny! But mostly, his thoughts were with Gohan, the son he had thought dead these past four years.
At first Goku had been overcome by joy knowing Gohan was alive-it was too much even to wish for. After that first year, and all the disappointment of finding out that it was impossible to wish Gohan back to life with the Dragonballs for some reason, he had totally given up hope. Now he knew why the wish had been impossible of course. If only they had asked-maybe they could have gotten him back a little sooner-before he'd had a chance to get even more hurt.
Goku glanced at the solemn boy flying beside him and Piccolo. That first moment of joy had worn off quickly enough at Gohan's reaction to him. And when he and Trunks had become Super Saiyan-Goku had found it impossible to ignore the anguished screams emitting from his son as Vegeta and the others had held him down.
Goku felt a chill run through his body. What had happened to his son? Gone was the bright, inquisitive boy he remembered, replaced by a solemn, brooding shell with empty eyes. What had done this to him?
____________________
Gohan repressed a shudder as he felt his father's gaze upon him. He had been happy, to an extent, to be back on earth. Happy to have a family again. It was something he'd only dreamed about on all of those long, dark nights. A shining light. Salvation in the darkness that was his world. That happy dream had been shattered when he saw his father and the other man turn Super Saiyan.
At first Gohan had panicked. He knew what it was like to feel that rage flowing through his veins. He'd waited for death to come, in the form of his father, when the power took him. But it never had. That's when he had started screaming. It could be controlled. His father and the boy were obviously in control of it. And if it could be controlled, then that meant, it was all his fault.
Everything he had done-he had convinced himself that he wasn't responsible- that it couldn't be controlled. But there, before him, as mute testimony to those comforting lies, had stood his father and the other man. They had just stood there. Not destroying, not murdering. They had control.
Gohan felt his body shaking uncontrollably as they approached a house. His house. What would his mother say if she knew her little boy was a murderer? Knew all of the terrible things he had done-things he had thought were out of his control, but now knew, obviously, were not.
_____________________
Touching down on the grass, Goku felt a wave of happiness sweep over him. "Chi-Chi, we're home!"
At the sound of Goku's yell, a pale face appeared in the doorway of the little cabin. She looked like a wraith, a shadow of the once proud daughter of the Ox-King. "Goku, is.is it really you?" Chi-Chi whispered, disbelieving.
Goku grinned goofily and nodded.
Fast enough to do a Saiyan proud, Chi-Chi was in his arms, hugging him and scolding him to never EVER do that to her again.
Gently removing her arms from around his neck, Goku turned her in the direction that Gohan was standing. A look of shock, immediately replaced by recognition flew across her face. "Gohan," Chi-Chi sobbed, running up and embracing the boy, "my little baby-he's back from the dead!"
Gohan's face grew slightly panicked as his mother embraced him. *What am I supposed to do now? Do I-hug her back? I don't know what to do.* Stiffening, Gohan resumed his impartial mask, unable to decide, and let Chi- Chi hug him.
Chi-Chi looked up to see her son staring emotionlessly over her head. Reaching up she gentyly touched his cheek, and he flinched. Chi-Chi was hurt. "Gohan, why.."
Chi-Chi was cut off when Goku touched her shoulder. "Chi," Goku said hesitantly, using her old nickname, "we need to talk, ok?"
Chi-Chi got the point when she saw her husband give their expressionless son a significant glance, and quietly followed him into the house without argument.
__________________
Gohan was nervous. He knew his parents were talking about him. What were they saying? Were they going to kick him out? Mulling over the possibilities, he saw the green man, his father's friend, staring at him.
Piccolo cleared his throat. "So, Gohan. Are you happy to be back home?"
Gohan nodded, even though he wasn't quite sure. It was better than being with Frieza. "Yes."
Piccolo continued to study the boy. Piccolo was no stranger to pain and suffering, but Vegeta's sticking up for the child had really gotten to him. What could be so damaging that Vegeta would come to someone's defense?
Seeing Piccolo's silent observation, Gohan decided that the man wanted to ask him something. "What?" He asked, tersely, nervous under the penetrating gaze.
Piccolo's eyes widened a bit at the rudeness, but he replied, "Was it really that bad? Your time with Frieza?"
Gohan was startled. His mind urged him to scream *YES* but caution took over. "I don't know," he replied, "I mean, I don't really remember too much from before. It's all I've ever known."
Gohan shivered as vivid memory leapt to his mind of an early 'training session' with Zarbon. He hadn't known how to fight at all-the older man had just pounded him until he was injured enough to put into the regeneration tank. He still remembered the man's smug smile as he told him that severe injury makes Saiyans stronger after they recover from it.
Gohan's eyes went black, and shivers ran violently up and down his body as he was caught up in the flashback. It was almost like it was happening again. His mind remembered each wound, each cry that had come from childish lips. It had taken hours. Zarbon liked his fun, and knew how to cause severe pain without inflicting serious injury. When he was finally dragged to the regeneration tank, he had been a broken, bloodied mess. He remembered the pain of that time-the first time his tail had been broken. It certainly hadn't been the last.
As Piccolo watched the boy overtaken by some strong memory, he felt something not unlike pity stir in his heart. He answered his own question, seeing the violent convulsions shaking the child's body. Yes. Apparently it WAS 'that bad.'
________________
Chi-Chi cried into her husband's arms as they witnessed Gohan's fit in the front yard. Gently cradling his wife, Goku whispered, "It'll be ok. We're here for him. We'll make him better, I promise."
Through her tears, Chi-Chi looked at her small son in the front yard, shuddering and haunted by unknown images. "I hope so, Goku. I hope so."
A/N-Once again, posting the edited version without editing again, I'm so OCD I could never leave it be...
___________________
Goku was filled with conflicting emotions. Arriving back on earth--what Trunks had said--finding out who Trunks' parents were, Goku grinned momentarily--actually, that part had been kind of funny! But mostly, his thoughts were with Gohan, the son he had thought dead these past four years.
At first Goku had been overcome by joy knowing Gohan was alive-it was too much even to wish for. After that first year, and all the disappointment of finding out that it was impossible to wish Gohan back to life with the Dragonballs for some reason, he had totally given up hope. Now he knew why the wish had been impossible of course. If only they had asked-maybe they could have gotten him back a little sooner-before he'd had a chance to get even more hurt.
Goku glanced at the solemn boy flying beside him and Piccolo. That first moment of joy had worn off quickly enough at Gohan's reaction to him. And when he and Trunks had become Super Saiyan-Goku had found it impossible to ignore the anguished screams emitting from his son as Vegeta and the others had held him down.
Goku felt a chill run through his body. What had happened to his son? Gone was the bright, inquisitive boy he remembered, replaced by a solemn, brooding shell with empty eyes. What had done this to him?
____________________
Gohan repressed a shudder as he felt his father's gaze upon him. He had been happy, to an extent, to be back on earth. Happy to have a family again. It was something he'd only dreamed about on all of those long, dark nights. A shining light. Salvation in the darkness that was his world. That happy dream had been shattered when he saw his father and the other man turn Super Saiyan.
At first Gohan had panicked. He knew what it was like to feel that rage flowing through his veins. He'd waited for death to come, in the form of his father, when the power took him. But it never had. That's when he had started screaming. It could be controlled. His father and the boy were obviously in control of it. And if it could be controlled, then that meant, it was all his fault.
Everything he had done-he had convinced himself that he wasn't responsible- that it couldn't be controlled. But there, before him, as mute testimony to those comforting lies, had stood his father and the other man. They had just stood there. Not destroying, not murdering. They had control.
Gohan felt his body shaking uncontrollably as they approached a house. His house. What would his mother say if she knew her little boy was a murderer? Knew all of the terrible things he had done-things he had thought were out of his control, but now knew, obviously, were not.
_____________________
Touching down on the grass, Goku felt a wave of happiness sweep over him. "Chi-Chi, we're home!"
At the sound of Goku's yell, a pale face appeared in the doorway of the little cabin. She looked like a wraith, a shadow of the once proud daughter of the Ox-King. "Goku, is.is it really you?" Chi-Chi whispered, disbelieving.
Goku grinned goofily and nodded.
Fast enough to do a Saiyan proud, Chi-Chi was in his arms, hugging him and scolding him to never EVER do that to her again.
Gently removing her arms from around his neck, Goku turned her in the direction that Gohan was standing. A look of shock, immediately replaced by recognition flew across her face. "Gohan," Chi-Chi sobbed, running up and embracing the boy, "my little baby-he's back from the dead!"
Gohan's face grew slightly panicked as his mother embraced him. *What am I supposed to do now? Do I-hug her back? I don't know what to do.* Stiffening, Gohan resumed his impartial mask, unable to decide, and let Chi- Chi hug him.
Chi-Chi looked up to see her son staring emotionlessly over her head. Reaching up she gentyly touched his cheek, and he flinched. Chi-Chi was hurt. "Gohan, why.."
Chi-Chi was cut off when Goku touched her shoulder. "Chi," Goku said hesitantly, using her old nickname, "we need to talk, ok?"
Chi-Chi got the point when she saw her husband give their expressionless son a significant glance, and quietly followed him into the house without argument.
__________________
Gohan was nervous. He knew his parents were talking about him. What were they saying? Were they going to kick him out? Mulling over the possibilities, he saw the green man, his father's friend, staring at him.
Piccolo cleared his throat. "So, Gohan. Are you happy to be back home?"
Gohan nodded, even though he wasn't quite sure. It was better than being with Frieza. "Yes."
Piccolo continued to study the boy. Piccolo was no stranger to pain and suffering, but Vegeta's sticking up for the child had really gotten to him. What could be so damaging that Vegeta would come to someone's defense?
Seeing Piccolo's silent observation, Gohan decided that the man wanted to ask him something. "What?" He asked, tersely, nervous under the penetrating gaze.
Piccolo's eyes widened a bit at the rudeness, but he replied, "Was it really that bad? Your time with Frieza?"
Gohan was startled. His mind urged him to scream *YES* but caution took over. "I don't know," he replied, "I mean, I don't really remember too much from before. It's all I've ever known."
Gohan shivered as vivid memory leapt to his mind of an early 'training session' with Zarbon. He hadn't known how to fight at all-the older man had just pounded him until he was injured enough to put into the regeneration tank. He still remembered the man's smug smile as he told him that severe injury makes Saiyans stronger after they recover from it.
Gohan's eyes went black, and shivers ran violently up and down his body as he was caught up in the flashback. It was almost like it was happening again. His mind remembered each wound, each cry that had come from childish lips. It had taken hours. Zarbon liked his fun, and knew how to cause severe pain without inflicting serious injury. When he was finally dragged to the regeneration tank, he had been a broken, bloodied mess. He remembered the pain of that time-the first time his tail had been broken. It certainly hadn't been the last.
As Piccolo watched the boy overtaken by some strong memory, he felt something not unlike pity stir in his heart. He answered his own question, seeing the violent convulsions shaking the child's body. Yes. Apparently it WAS 'that bad.'
________________
Chi-Chi cried into her husband's arms as they witnessed Gohan's fit in the front yard. Gently cradling his wife, Goku whispered, "It'll be ok. We're here for him. We'll make him better, I promise."
Through her tears, Chi-Chi looked at her small son in the front yard, shuddering and haunted by unknown images. "I hope so, Goku. I hope so."