Kat: Well, since I don't want to break up the mood at the end of this chapter, the author notes are going on top today.

Lexi:  Congratulations to the ONE person who got the right answer for the contest last chapter – Leareth comes from Mercedes Lackey's Last Herald-Mage trilogy, and it means Darkness.

Kat:  We apologize for the lateness of this chapter – We were debating putting it here or waiting, but we decided that here was as good as anywhere else.  We'll try to be faster next time…

Lexi: *snickers evilly* And damn are we cruel in this chapter!  Angst, here we come…

Kat:  Oh!  And if you're interested in belonging to a mailing list for this story, just email me at zsillysis@hotmail.com.  Emailing Lexi won't get you on the list – only emailing me!  Put "DatS Mailing List" as your subject line, or something similar, so I know to add you. ^____^ Thanks guys!

~Interlude: Always Laughing~

Some people say there is nothing more rewarding than motherhood.  To hold a child's hand in your own, knowing that he belongs to no one else…  The very first time your child smiles you beam right back at him.  That smile is just for you.  You're his lady, his only - the bright star in his universe.  Someday, someday that precious smile will be for another lady, but for now…  For this moment, that smile is yours alone.

You cry when he takes his first shaky step, because you know that one day his steps will be firm, and they will take him away from you.  You can't help but smile when he falls down and cries for you, because you're there to pick him back up again.  You tell him that you'll always be there to pick him up when he falls, because you love him.  He is your world, your child.

When he has a nightmare and asks to crawl up into your bed, you always make room.  You smile and hug him, feeling him tremble despite his best efforts to appear brave.  You pretend not to notice, and tell him he's very brave when he tells you that he was only worried that the monsters would attack you.  He falls asleep cradled to your bossom, just as he did when he was an infant.  You would give anything for your child's protection.  You would die for him, if that was what it took.  He is your world, your child.  He is yours alone.

Yes, motherhood is a wondrous thing.  It has it's ups and downs, but ask any good mother and she'll tell you that she wouldn't give it up for anything.  Not anything.  This child will be hers until the day she dies, and she will keep him close to her until he is ready to fly away, fledged at last. 

Yes, motherhood is really something, and any child can tell you that his mother is a wondrous creature.  She knows when he's happy, sad, or afraid.  She knows when he needs love and hugs, when he needs stern talks, and when he needs nothing more than a warm glass of hot chocolate.  She is his lady, his bright star.  His smiles are all for her.

But one day, one day, the child must leave the nest.  You always knew you wouldn't be his only lady forever.  Someday your child will be a man, will spread his wings and soar higher than he ever believed possible.  But you knew.  You knew he could fly that high.

So you'll enjoy the years you have with him.  You'll enjoy those eighteen glorious years before he cuts loose.

But some children cut loose earlier than others.

***

"Moshi, moshi."

"Hi Bulma, do you know where Gohan is?  I've been looking all over and I can't find him."

"No, sorry Chi. He isn't in his room?"

"No.  I looked there first – he was supposed to be working on his Science homework.  I thought that maybe he'd gone over to work in one of your labs or something."

"I'm afraid he isn't here.  I'll definetly keep my eye out for him though."

"Thanks Bulma, that's all I ask.  Call me if you find anything, alright?"

"Sure thing Chichi."

"Bye."

"Bye.  Oh!  Wait, Chichi!"

"Yes?"

"My assistant just brought me something, hold on a sec."

"…"

"…no…I…what do you mean…gone…I don't think…did you…security tapes…yes…are you sure?…no, I…uh huh…"

"…"

"Sorry 'bout that Chi."

"What was that all about?"

"Well… They might be wrong… I need to check it out myself…"

"Damnit Bulma!  You're hiding something from me!  Stop beating around the bush and tell me already."

"You're not going to like it, and I'm not even sure this is correct information, Chi."

"Tell me, Bulma.  I don't care if it's 'correct information'!  I know it has something to do with my baby!"

"Chi, calm down!"

"No!  Tell me what you know about my Gohan!  He's been gone for hours!  Bulma, please…"

"…Alright.  One of the space ships from Hanger2 is gone.  According to my assistant, witnesses say they saw a small boy in an orange gi run in there.  The security tapes are being checked as we speak."

"…you're…"

"Don't worry!  It might not be him."

"…you…"

"Please, Chichi, it might not have been him!  Why don't you come on over, ok?"

"…"

"Chichi?  Chichi!"

Her only answer was a tiny click.

***

~Six Months Later~

Bulma sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead.  This stupid project was driving her nuts!  If only Gohan was here…  He seemed to have that rare gift of being able to come at old problems with entirely new angles.

Oh Gohan…  Why'd you have to go, kid?  You've always been so conscious of how your actions affect others, where was that concern there? I know, I know – you couldn't even dream of hurting your mother.  But, kid, she misses you.  I think her heart is breaking with both you and Son-kun gone… There's only so much the rest of us can do, you know.  We can only help her so much.  I'm not her husband or her son – I'm not even her sister!  And, Gohan, I miss you too.  We miss you.  We all do.  Even Piccolo.  Especially Piccolo.  I don't think even he realized how much you meant to him – he's withdrawn himself since you left.  Won't talk to anyone but Chichi, actually.  It's amazing, actually.  I never thought I'd see the day that those two got along, but they do.  Since you left they seem the best of friends.  The rest of us, well, we can't compete. 

Ah, what am I doing?  Bulma chuckled to herself without humor.  She was loosing it.  Cracking like a nut under the combined pressures of work, depressed best friends, and the loss of someone who was as close to her heart as if he was her own child.

Suddenly the old computer consol in the back of the room beeped.  She yelped loudly and whirled around, breathing heavily.  Her heart was pounding as she stared wide-eyed at the blinking beeping screen.  "Incoming Message!" The screen proclaimed proudly in large red letters.  "Incoming Message!"

"Incoming… message?  But who?"  as if her earlier thoughts had summoned him, the message lit up with Son Gohan's beaming face.  Bulma could only watch in gape-mouthed astonishment as the message began to play.

"Hi mom!  How are you?  I'm doing pretty well.  It's pretty lonely up here, to tell the truth…  I miss you, and daddy, and everyone else.  Has daddy gotten back yet?  I hope so… It was really stupid of me to leave like that, and I want to tell you I'm really, really sorry.  I love you very much, and I want you to know that you're a great mommy: I can't wait until I get back home!  I don't know how long I've been out here since there really isn't any way to keep track of days or months or anything, but I think I'm 9 now.  I really missed getting a birthday hug from you, and I definitely miss your cooking."  The recorded Gohan grinned and rubbed the back of his head as he said this, chuckling slightly.  

"Tell Miss Bulma that I'm sorry I took her ship without asking, and tell her that it's doing its job well."  Another grin. 

"I've almost reached the coordinates I set in, so I'll stop and restock the larder, then turn back for home.  I should be back in the same amount of time it took me to get this far, but I don't know how long that was, so I can't give you a good estimate…"  He trailed off, biting his lip.  Suddenly his eyes lit up again, and he continued.

" Oh yeah!  I also wanted to tell you that I'm still studying, though I'll have some questions for you when I get back - somehow quantum physics doesn't make quite as much sense as normal physics.  I love you soooo much, mommy!  Bye!"

The message clicked off, and the computer beeped again, informing the world that the message had been recorded.  A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek as Bulma closed her eyes.  He was ok.  He was ok!  Without a backward glance, Bulma bolted out of the lab, disregarding the mess she made of her unfinished project. 

I have to tell Chichi!

***

A month later both Chichi and Bulma sat in the lab, talking easily.  After that message from Gohan, Chichi seemed to be doing a lot better.  She insisted on viewing the message at least once a week, sometimes as often as several times a day, but Bulma didn't blame her.  If anything ever happened to her child…  Well, she probably wouldn't be doing nearly as well as her friend was.

To tell the truth, she really felt awfully sorry for Chichi sometimes.  It really wasn't fair – most mothers could look forward to having a child for eighteen years.  Chichi was supposed to be happy she managed to get four. 

Other people might find Chichi obsessive when it came to her son, but she didn't.  She thought Chichi was being perfectly natural.  Well…  Maybe not the making the poor kid study so much, but every mother has her quirks.  But really – by the time Gohan was eight, Chichi could really only claim 5 of those years to have been truly hers – and even that was pushing it.  No, Chichi was being perfectly normal in regards to her behavior towards her son.

"…and Goku let go!  Just let the baby carriage go!  To this day I still don't know what that man was thinking." 

"I don't know, sounds like Son-kun to me." 

"Yes, I suppose.  Knowing him, he didn't realize that gravity was bound to pull the carriage down the hill!"

Lately Chichi had taken to re-telling stories about when Gohan was a baby.  Some of them, like this one, were one's Bulma had never heard before – after all, she hadn't met the kid until he was four.  She laughed with her friend, and prompted her, interested in how the story would end.

"So it did roll down the hill?  Oh dear!"

"I know!  Anyway, -"

The computer consol chose that moment to beep, and it began to flash "Incoming Message!" just as it had when that first message had come in.  Chichi broke off in confusion, but Bulma knew what was happening this time.

"Another message!" She scrambled closer to the screen, pulling a slightly confused Chichi along with her.  "It's Gohan again!"
That got Chichi going again.  She thrust herself up next to Bulma, and drank in the sight off her son as he came up onto the screen.  Gohan smiled at them from across space, and stepped away from the screen, preparing to start his message.  Something interrupted him though, and he turned away.  It seemed as though he had forgotten that the message was running…

The two women watched in fascinated horror as the scene unfolded.

Gohan yelped slightly and scrambled for one of the seats in front.  The ship pitched around him, and the screen went fuzzy for a moment before it refocused.  It was all over in less than a minute, and Gohan climbed out of the crater the ship had caused, looking around.  The sky was an odd shade of purple, the sun white, the ground was crusty black sand, and there were bits of blue moss-like plants. 

The people approaching looked as inhospitable as the landscape.  For the most part they were tall beings, broad shouldered and reminiscent of Namek-jins.  However, if they were Namek-jins, they were ones that had gone horribly, horribly wrong.   Their skin was a very dark purple, bordering on black, while their eyes were bright blue.  Their clothing consisted of ragged tunics made from the blue moss, and they were unshod.  The screen followed their progress towards Gohan, zooming out as they came closer so that it captured both the aliens and the child.

"Um… Hello?"  Gohan said in a very hesitant voice, speaking in Universal Standard.  "Uh… My name is Gohan, I was wondering if you could perhaps tell me where I am?"

The creatures frowned down at him and jabbered to each other in an unintelligible language.  Suddenly one of the larger ones near the front began to smirk, and said something that caused the others to look him over speculatively.  Gohan gulped slightly and began backing toward the ship. 

"Uh, on second thought...  I'll go somewhere else.  I believe I saw a friendlier planet back thataway…"  Spinning on his heel, Gohan sprinted back toward the ship, but it was too late. 

The last any Chikuu-jin heard of the child Son Gohan was an earth-shattering scream, than complete and utter silence.  He was gone.

Neither woman made a sound as the computer finished its process.  The entire world held its breath and the moment of silence stretched on for eternity.  Bulma wasn't sure what to say or do or think.  Gohan…  He couldn't be…

"And, and Goku just let go… let the carriage go… it rolled on and on, and down the hill… and it hit a tree." Chichi's voice was shaking, heavy with unshed tears.  Bulma stared at her friend, startled, as the woman continued.  What on…

"Goh…my ba…he flew out, crashed into the tree." Her shoulders were shaking now, and the tears were beginning to leak down her cheeks.

"Fleeew out, and hit the…the tree.  He…went right through it.   Right through!  Right through…the tree.  And he was allright.  He…he was always alright."

Bulma's tears spilled out too, as Chichi's voice wavered – gaining strength, then loosing it.  Bulma felt her heart breaking right along with Chichi.  Chi was such a strong woman, and to see her like this… And to see Gohan like that… 

"He came up laughing," she whispered brokenly.  "My baby always came out laughing."