Disclaimer—I don't own DB/Z/GT
A/N—Instead of several short chapters, I wrote one long one to make up for the fact that I haven't updated this in awhile. I hope you like this chapter =)
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It was an odd group that stood awaiting a miracle on Kami's lookout.
Bulma had tried to keep them away, but ultimately, she was unsuccessful. In addition to Bulma, Chi-Chi, Dende, Popo, and the two young boys, Trunks and Goten, Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo, 18, Tien, Chiaotzu, and last, but certainly not least, the Ox King stood in a loose circle around the seven Dragonballs that had been gathered to wish Gohan back to life.
Krillin and Yamcha had insisted, despite the arguments presented by Bulma that too many people might frighten the boy. 18 had come with Krillin, and the Ox King had come with Chi-Chi, while Tien, Chiaotzu and Piccolo had just shown up at the appropriate time, without invitation. Bulma sighed, and put a hand to her forehead; at least Vegeta wasn't here.
Bulma groaned as Vegeta levitated lazily over the edge of the lookout and smirked knowingly at Piccolo. Piccolo smirked back.
Bulma sighed. "Ok, since all of you decided to show up, despite the fact that I asked you not to," Bulma shot a significant glance at Vegeta, who ignored it, "I guess we might as well get things started."
Bulma walked confidently up to the pulsating Dragonballs, relieved that none of her hesitation showed. She was nervous. What would they say to him when he arrived? He was Goku's son, and for that she loved him almost as much as if he was her own, but there was no denying that the boy was troubled. Who wouldn't be after the life he had lead? Was he ready? Could he really handle living again? Bulma straightened her shoulders and lifted her hands. It was time to find out. "Come forth, Shenlong, and grant me my wishes!"
Trunks and Goten gasped in amazement at seeing the Eternal Dragon for the first time. A raging tempest of barely controlled power shot from the glowing balls and engulfed the tower. With a little squeak, Goten sought shelter behind his mother. Chibi Trunks was terrified himself, but one glance at his stern, unmoving father made the child stiffen his knees and raise his chin defiantly. Vegeta, seeing Trunks' reaction, suppressed a smile. The boy was a true Saiyan.
As the shimmering light faded from Shenlong's coils, his voice rumbled across the lookout. "You who have summoned me. I will grant you two wishes, but choose wisely, for they will come true."
Bulma gulped, and nodded in agreement. "I wish for you to bring the boy, Son Gohan, back to this dimension."
The dragon paused for a moment, then nodded, "Your wish has been granted."
Bulma and the others looked around eagerly, when a faint golden glow suffused the space directly in front of the dragon. When the haze cleared, they saw a boy, perhaps fifteen, with unruly spikes of black hair. He wore an orange and blue gi, and smiled hesitantly when he saw the group of people before him.
*Oh, Kami, this is so embarrassing. Why are they all here?* Through his embarrassment, Gohan felt a flush of happiness as he saw his mother. She looked well, though there were a few more worry-lines around the black eyes that were now filling with tears. Gohan stepped towards her and offered a small smile, "Hello, Mother."
With a muffled sob, Chi-Chi threw herself at her eldest son. "Gohan, oh, Gohan, you're back! And you're…you're….you're so tall!" She finished, laughing a bit as she dabbed at her tears with the back of her hand.
Gohan smiled slightly, and explained in a soft voice, "King Kai said that when a child…..dies…..they are allowed to continue growing until they reach their majority."
Chi-Chi sniffed a bit, and ran her hand through his hair, trying futilely to arrange it into some semblance of order. "Yes, well, you won't have to worry about that next time, will you Gohan. Next time, you'll be long past your majority, and I'll be long dead, with a horde of grandchildren, isn't that right?"
Gohan blushed a bit, but nodded submissively, knowing she needed the reassurance. "I won't do it again, Mother." He said in almost a whisper.
Chi-Chi nodded and rested a hand on his cheek. "Good."
Across the lookout, Vegeta snorted and levitated a few feet into the air. "Remember that promise, brat," he said, glaring at Gohan, "I don't want to have to put up with the screeching and wailing again." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Welcome back," before blasting off in the direction of Capsule Corporation.
Piccolo looked after Vegeta for a moment, then nodded his head and looked at Gohan, "What Vegeta said goes double for me, kid. Come and see me when you get settled in," he said, rising into the air. With a small smile, Piccolo shot off in the direction opposite to the one Vegeta had gone in.
Gohan looked at his toes in embarrassment. It was rather obvious that they had come to prevent him from killing himself again if he'd had any second thoughts about his return. A red flush of emotion, he wasn't sure if it was anger or shame, found its way to Gohan's cheeks. He was in the midst of trying to figure out how to break the awkward silence, when a small voice did it for him.
"Are you my brother?"
Gohan blinked in shock at the small head that was sticking out from behind his mother. For one wild, crazed moment, he was sure that it was his father—they looked that much alike.
Crouching, Gohan looked up at his mother, who nodded proudly. Gohan studied the tiny child before him. He had not been much older than this small boy when Frieza had taken him. Gohan felt a sudden surge of protectiveness overtake him. In this child, this boy who looked so much like his father, THEIR father, he saw salvation. "Hai," Gohan said with a small smile, "I'm your big brother. My name's Gohan—what's your name?"
The black eyes blinked widely and a slow grin crept over the little boy's face. Rushing out from behind his mother, the boy leapt on Gohan, bearing him to the ground and sitting on his chest, "My name's Goten," he crowed, "And I've always wanted a big brother! Mommy's told me all about you, and how you'd come back someday, and you did!" he exclaimed, obviously happy that his mother's words had proven true, "And guess what, brother?" Goten continued, "I caught this BIG LIZARD! He's soooooo huge, and I named him Gohan 'cause he's so cool, just like I knew you'd be….." Goten rambled on obliviously, and Gohan looked up somewhat helplessly at his mother.
Chi-Chi stifled a giggle at the expression on her elder son's face. "It's true, Gohan. He did name him after you. He even sleeps with the damned thing…"
Krillin and Yamcha chuckled as Trunks ran over and jumped on Gohan beside Goten.
"OOF!"
"Hi, my name's Trunks! You're Gohan, huh? My dad talks about you sometimes." Across the concourse next to 18 and the others, Bulma blinked in surprise: she'd never heard Vegeta mention anything about Gohan. Trunks continued, blind to Gohan's overwhelmed expression as he tried frantically to listen to both chibi's at once, "And Goten's my best friend in the whooooole world, and I've always wanted a big brother—will you be my big brother too, Gohan?" Trunks pleaded.
Goten stuck out his lip, "Hey, find your own brother, Trunks!"
"I don't think there's enough of him to go around," an amused 18 commented to Bulma.
At the sound of 18's voice, Gohan leapt to his feet and roughly shoved the two children behind him, falling into sparring stance as easily as breathing. Ignoring the awe filled 'wow's' of the children, Gohan shot 18 a glare, "What are you doing here?!"
Krillin leapt to his wife's defense, "Hey, calm down Gohan, 18's on our side."
18 stepped in front of her husband. Gohan was surprised to see that she was quite obviously pregnant. "Let me handle this Krillin." 18 looked at Gohan expressionlessly, "I've changed. I don't know what I can do to prove it to you, but can you, of all people, deny me the right to do so?"
Gohan stared at her as if stricken. Slowly standing from his crouch, he bowed his head. "No. I can't. I have no right." With a smile that looked forced, Gohan ruffled the hair of Trunks and Goten who stood beside him and turned to Krillin. "Congratulations."
Gohan ignored the angry look that Krillin shot his wife, and turned questioningly to his mother, "Can we go home now?"
Chi-Chi nodded, and they took a step towards the edge of the platform. Gohan was surprised to see his little brother stick out an arm and call Flying Nimbus to him. Gohan looked fondly at the golden cloud—it had been central in happy memories of his youth before Frieza, and had helped to heal him after.
Chi-Chi settled herself on the cloud behind Goten. As Gohan floated into the air, a deep rumbling clearing of the throat was heard behind the little trio.
Gohan spun quickly around. It was Shenlong! Gohan was a bit embarrassed to admit, even to himself, that he'd forgotten the eternal dragon was there—after all, he was kind of hard to miss. Gohan blushed up at the Dragon, "Umm, yes?"
Shenlong, if it was possible, actually sweatdropped, "Your second wish?"
"Oh." Gohan thought for a moment, then glanced hesitantly at 18, "Umm, can you…can you bring back the people that I killed?"
The dragon's eyes glowed thoughtfully for a moment, "This wish cannot be granted."
Gohan bit his lip, afraid of the answer he might receive, "Why not?"
"The number of people is too great, and, were a portion wished back, they would have nowhere to go. Their planets no longer exist. They would appear in space, and die again."
Gohan bowed his head, not daring to look at the faces of the people around him. Now they knew—knew he was a murderer so many times over that even the Eternal Dragon, who had revived all of Cell's victims, could not save him from his sins.
Gohan nodded, and cleared his throat as a thought struck him, "Can you remove my tail?"
Shenlong's eyes glowed red, "This is within my power. Is this your wish?"
Gohan nodded, and the pressure around his waist faded painlessly.
"What'd you do that for, Gohan?" Asked Yamcha, confused, "Goku loved his tail—I thought all Saiyans were like that!"
Gohan glanced at the older man and shrugged. "Not me. The only thing I've ever gotten out of my tail is pain, and I'm glad to be rid…"
Gohan was cut off as the voice of the eternal dragon boomed out, "Your wish has been granted, farewell…"
The two chibi's watched in astonished delight as the Dragonballs took to the sky and sped in different directions. Even Gohan was entranced. He'd never seen this before, after all.
As the Dragonballs faded in the distance, Gohan turned to his mother, "Ok. We can go now."
"Gohan!" 18 called out from across the concourse.
Slowly, Gohan turned, and looked over his shoulder.
18's face was unreadable, but her hand, which rested lightly on her abdomen, clenched and unclenched spasmodically, "I shouldn't have said that. I apologize."
Gohan smiled a little and ruffled Goten's hair as Trunks headed back to Bulma, "No. It's ok—you were right. I'm in no position to judge you, or anyone else. Congratulations on the baby, 18." With a small wave, Gohan leapt into the air, carrying his newly discovered brother who squealed with delight.
Looking at the Goten's cheerful face, and thinking of Trunks' equally happy grin, Gohan was suddenly glad he'd come back. Even the confrontation with 18, and Shenlong's inability to wish back his victims couldn't stifle his mood.
In Otherworld, he hadn't been able to think of a single good reason to live again. Now he had two—their names were Goten and Trunks.
***A long chapter, hope it makes up for the wait, R&R please!***
*Advertizing*-Silver Terror by Lanfir Leah storyid= 637802 This is a story about Trunks. There is a disaster in his time, and he returns hopeless and broken to the past to bring them news. I really don't do this story justice, it's an incredibly angsty fic, and very good—definitely worth a read!