Hey and
what up? Glad you guys are liking this, as I can tell by my threatening
reviewers. *wink* Chill out, y'all. Fighting a cold, is all, hence why
I got started on this. Any anywa...I finally got things started with
the text and things so it doesn't look so funkadelic on ff.net. And
with that said, on to the fic....
Aftermath
A sigh escaped the lips of the young boy who sat at a desk in front of a window. He had been staring at the same math problem for nearly an hour, he guessed, and still the answer wasn't coming forth. This wasn't a hard problem, by his standards, it should've been relatively easy. But like previous days when he had sat in his room and just did homework, his mind and heart weren't in it. Every time he stared down at his work, he could still see a battlefield.
A battlefield in which his father had sacrificed his life.
A field where he failed.
Rubbing his eyes, Gohan once again sighed. He had been struggling with the whole ordeal after they had left Capsule Corp. that day. It wasn't sure what had triggered it: his father's death, his mother's pregnancy, the boy's own guilt...but more and more often it was culminating in to a very large distraction to every thing he did. And on top of that, he could still see the looks from his friends when he said he wouldn't be fighting anymore. Everyone had been shocked, but the majority understood. Piccolo had only nodded, keeping his true feelings to himself, but Gohan could see some slight disappointment on his green face.
Krillin was really the only person who truly understood, as he himself mentioned he was done with fighting as well. Gohan had even overheard him telling Yamcha he was thinking about going back to his temple. If he thought his mother was happy about the decision, he couldn't say. She didn't throw her arms around him, thankful he'd given up his life of martial arts, instead she had only nodded, saying "If that's what you want, sweetheart." It was like she was a mile away.
Vegeta, on the other hand, had plenty to say. He called Gohan a failure as a warrior, a "true testament of Kakkarot's genes" and figured it just ran in the family. That had caused Chi-Chi to break down and cry, causing Yamcha and Krillin to just at the Saiyan prince, only to be stopped by Bulma. It tension could be cut, it wouldn't have made a mark after that little incident. Vegeta huffed off to train, while Bulma tried to console Chi-Chi, then she left, seeming to be in tears herself. Yamcha and Krillin soon replaced her as Chi-Chi's support and the two had gone with the family back home, to make sure they were okay.
Though he was only eleven, Gohan knew trouble when he saw it and there was definite trouble brewing right in front of him. He was watching his friends ~ and they were his friends, despite the obvious age differences~ coming apart. The buried feelings of hurt and distrust that had been slowing coming to the surface ever since Future Trunks arrival was now bubbling to the core and at some point would just explode. Gohan was sure he idn't want to be around when it happened, but something told him he wouldn't be able to avoid it.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he once again looked down at the math book that stared at him, closing it with gusto, and leaned back in his chair.
He remembered when his mother had to nearly force him to study, not wanting her little boy to be exposed to the dangerous world her husband enjoyed going out into. A lot of good it did. Gohan had been fighting since he was five, thanks to his Saiyan uncle and he hadn't stopped. Six years. Six years of constant trouble from folks who wanted world domination. Six years fo seeing his father and then losing him to some evil. Six years of being an adult and for what? He was now eleven and he had no clue as to what normal eleven year olds did. Hell, he didn't even know any eleven year olds, much less normal ones. He had been friends with his father's friends for six years now and they were adults.
Oh sure, they wanted what was best for him, tried making things fun, so he'd enjoy himself, but other than Trunks, he was the only kid in the group and by the time Trunks got to his age, Gohan would be an adult. Thinking about Trunks always brought up another problem. His soon to be sibling. No denying, Gohan was extremely happy. He hated being an only child and he had a feeling as he got older, he would stay that way. But when his mother announced, through a mess of painful tears, she was pregnant, Gohan was overjoyed.
Until he realized his father wasn't there and worse, Goku probably didn't even know the child existed.
Just more reason for Gohan to stop fighting.
If only I had destroyed Cell when I could've. Piccolo told me to do it, Dad told me to do it, but I didin't. I just kept toying with him, just like Cell wanted.
Gohan shook his head. He couldn't let things like that put him down, at least not in the middle of the day. His mother needed him, as did his little brother or sister. To Chi-Chi, she couldn't ask for better help. Gohan had put his own saddness, wants, and needs to the wayside in order to make sure his mother was all right. On one hand, it was touching to see her little boy so grown up and responsible. On the other hand, it made her feel even more hurt. He was eleven and he had already lost his father twice, battled tons of monsters bent on destroying his father or the earth, and had to grow up before he needed to. Chi-Chi tried, oh how she tried, to figure out how Gohan was doing. He'd say he was fine, but she knew.
A mother knows.
Her little baby was beside himself with grief. She had heard his cries at night and tried to console him, when she wasn't in tears herself. Damn him, she'd curse. She had always worried that marrying Goku had not been in their best interests and times like these, when he'd chose fighting over family, she was convinced. But the thoughts never stayed long. No matter what, she loved him. Always had, always would. He had made it clear that night before the Cell Games that he loved her more than life itself and would do anything to ensure her and their son's safety. She had thought he was being melancholy, wanting to believe everything was a horrible nightmare.
She had come to realize, however, her Goku knew the outcome before it even happened. She hadn't given much thought to why he was being so attentive that night, why every caress, every kiss felt like it was their last. Because it was and Goku knew it. Chi-Chi had seen the look in his eyes as he was about to leave, heard his thoughts of her through the bond they had rekindled the night before. That damn Saiyan bond, the second thing that kept her in mourning. The first time he had died, it was like a pain in her heart, a deep tingling that wouldn't go away. Even though she knew they would wish him back within the year, it still hurt, not having that calm peace that came with knowing he was there, alive.
This time, this time though, it felt like nails going through her repeatedly. That mixed with morning sickness made her, Chi-Chi ~ daughter of the Ox King, a former martial artist~ quiver and shake and on the verge of insanity. Her mind just kept replaying moments with Goku again and again, with no sound like an eerie silent movie. It truly drove her to the brink. She didn't know what she would do without Gohan. And in the coming months, she would learn to rely on Goku's friends, two in particular, who felt they owed their friend to watch over his family.
***
A large ki blast rocked the Gravity Room for about a second before another blast caused a small indentation in the wall. The Prince of Saiyans was not happy and when he wasn't happy, normally people died. But as long as he was inside the GR, he would take his frustrations out on anything around him. He didn't care. Damn that Kakkarot! How dare he die...no, sacrifice himself in order to beat that slimy Cell? Worse, it took his weak offspring to destroy it!
Another blast obliterated a fight simulated robot.
He was the prince of all Saiyans and yet he had been constantly outshined but Kakkarot, a third class warrior who shouldn't have even lived if any of his people were still alive. It was ridiculous! Here he was, Vegeta, training his heart and soul out, to be better, to be stronger...and it would all amount to nothing as Kakkarot and his son would step out and ruin his reins. It was mind boggling. And then to find out that Kakkarot had reached the level of super saiyan while fighting Frieza...Frieza! His revenge! His target! Vegeta had vowed to destroy the beast who had wiped out his people and their home. Frieza was his right, his fight! And all of that taken away from him!
Vegeta landed hard on the floor, his breathing harsh and uneven. Stumbling over to the computer console, he switched the gravity to normal, the weight and pressure easing off his body. Leaning against the console, he wiped off the sweat from his forehead. His breathing returning to normal, Vegeta looked around at the damage he had caused. There was little this time, just some small holes and dents here and there, but over all it was fine. He'd have to get the woman to come check it out some time that week.
At the thought of the woman, a sneer formed on the Saiyan's face. That was another of his problems. Her. If it was bad enough to be living in her home, a few clandestine romps had lead to their son and to her feeling differently about their relationship. The sneer got larger. Now she was convinced she loved him. Of all the ridiculous, stupid emotions to have, it was love. And for some reason, she felt that he owed her. That he owed her! That because that brat shared some of his genes, he needed to be responsible for it. That was what a woman was for. He was a warrior and warriors did not watch over brats and that was that.
He had seen a lot of death, being a soldier in Freiza's army, but that moment was frozen in his mind. It moved in slow motion. The sudden blast. The way it sounded as it hit something solid. The look on his son's face as he fell to the ground.
Dead.
"Damn it."
He would never get that image out of his brain. That sound...that look on Trunks' face as the blast ripped through his mid-section. It reminded Vegeta of watching his home planet being destroyed. They could do nothing as Freiza came in and blasted it into bits. He shook his head, fighting against the painful memories. He was a warrior, with a warrior's heart. He wasn't about to let emotions run it, like it had with Kakkarot or his son. He was a Saiyan, he had pride. He would not...
"Vegeta, are you in there?"
"Damn."
The woman.
"Vegeta, I know you can hear me in there."
What did she want?
"Hello! Why don't you answer me?"
"Why don't you go to hell?" came his retort.
"Ugh! You're an ass! I could be working on something of actual importance, if your SON didn't want to see you so bad! Do you remember that, Vegeta!? You have a son!"
The door opened abruptly, startling Bulma and the infant she held in her arms. She had somewhat truthful. She could be doing important work, but she...dare she say it?...missed Vegeta. She was playing with Trunks, missing his older counterpart, when he did something so Vegeta-like. He was frustrated that his little toy wouldn't do what he wanted and the look was priceless...
And her undoing.
She had to go see Vegeta.
Which brings us to where she was now. She had seen that look before, the pure evil in Vegeta's eyes. The look told her she would get it and not in a good way. "I would like to try and forget it." he chuckled. "Unfortunately, no one around here will let me. Now before I tear your spine out through your stomach, I suggest you and your brat leave me be."
If that little speech was supposed to scare off Bulma Briefs...it didn't.
"Now, you listen me, Prince Pain in My Ass," she replied, her voice dangerously low. "I'm being extremely nice in letting you use my gravity room, all the while eating my food, and sleeping in my house. Now unless you want me to rip your royal jewels out through your big mouth, I suggest you take your son, while I get some work done." Handing the baby over to his father, Bulma gave a sneer of her own.
"If you need something, Prince Vegeta, please hesitate to ask."
With that, she walked away, leaving a stunned Vegeta and a squirming Trunks in her wake.
"That woman will be the death of me."
Aftermath
A sigh escaped the lips of the young boy who sat at a desk in front of a window. He had been staring at the same math problem for nearly an hour, he guessed, and still the answer wasn't coming forth. This wasn't a hard problem, by his standards, it should've been relatively easy. But like previous days when he had sat in his room and just did homework, his mind and heart weren't in it. Every time he stared down at his work, he could still see a battlefield.
A battlefield in which his father had sacrificed his life.
A field where he failed.
Rubbing his eyes, Gohan once again sighed. He had been struggling with the whole ordeal after they had left Capsule Corp. that day. It wasn't sure what had triggered it: his father's death, his mother's pregnancy, the boy's own guilt...but more and more often it was culminating in to a very large distraction to every thing he did. And on top of that, he could still see the looks from his friends when he said he wouldn't be fighting anymore. Everyone had been shocked, but the majority understood. Piccolo had only nodded, keeping his true feelings to himself, but Gohan could see some slight disappointment on his green face.
Krillin was really the only person who truly understood, as he himself mentioned he was done with fighting as well. Gohan had even overheard him telling Yamcha he was thinking about going back to his temple. If he thought his mother was happy about the decision, he couldn't say. She didn't throw her arms around him, thankful he'd given up his life of martial arts, instead she had only nodded, saying "If that's what you want, sweetheart." It was like she was a mile away.
Vegeta, on the other hand, had plenty to say. He called Gohan a failure as a warrior, a "true testament of Kakkarot's genes" and figured it just ran in the family. That had caused Chi-Chi to break down and cry, causing Yamcha and Krillin to just at the Saiyan prince, only to be stopped by Bulma. It tension could be cut, it wouldn't have made a mark after that little incident. Vegeta huffed off to train, while Bulma tried to console Chi-Chi, then she left, seeming to be in tears herself. Yamcha and Krillin soon replaced her as Chi-Chi's support and the two had gone with the family back home, to make sure they were okay.
Though he was only eleven, Gohan knew trouble when he saw it and there was definite trouble brewing right in front of him. He was watching his friends ~ and they were his friends, despite the obvious age differences~ coming apart. The buried feelings of hurt and distrust that had been slowing coming to the surface ever since Future Trunks arrival was now bubbling to the core and at some point would just explode. Gohan was sure he idn't want to be around when it happened, but something told him he wouldn't be able to avoid it.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he once again looked down at the math book that stared at him, closing it with gusto, and leaned back in his chair.
He remembered when his mother had to nearly force him to study, not wanting her little boy to be exposed to the dangerous world her husband enjoyed going out into. A lot of good it did. Gohan had been fighting since he was five, thanks to his Saiyan uncle and he hadn't stopped. Six years. Six years of constant trouble from folks who wanted world domination. Six years fo seeing his father and then losing him to some evil. Six years of being an adult and for what? He was now eleven and he had no clue as to what normal eleven year olds did. Hell, he didn't even know any eleven year olds, much less normal ones. He had been friends with his father's friends for six years now and they were adults.
Oh sure, they wanted what was best for him, tried making things fun, so he'd enjoy himself, but other than Trunks, he was the only kid in the group and by the time Trunks got to his age, Gohan would be an adult. Thinking about Trunks always brought up another problem. His soon to be sibling. No denying, Gohan was extremely happy. He hated being an only child and he had a feeling as he got older, he would stay that way. But when his mother announced, through a mess of painful tears, she was pregnant, Gohan was overjoyed.
Until he realized his father wasn't there and worse, Goku probably didn't even know the child existed.
Just more reason for Gohan to stop fighting.
If only I had destroyed Cell when I could've. Piccolo told me to do it, Dad told me to do it, but I didin't. I just kept toying with him, just like Cell wanted.
Gohan shook his head. He couldn't let things like that put him down, at least not in the middle of the day. His mother needed him, as did his little brother or sister. To Chi-Chi, she couldn't ask for better help. Gohan had put his own saddness, wants, and needs to the wayside in order to make sure his mother was all right. On one hand, it was touching to see her little boy so grown up and responsible. On the other hand, it made her feel even more hurt. He was eleven and he had already lost his father twice, battled tons of monsters bent on destroying his father or the earth, and had to grow up before he needed to. Chi-Chi tried, oh how she tried, to figure out how Gohan was doing. He'd say he was fine, but she knew.
A mother knows.
Her little baby was beside himself with grief. She had heard his cries at night and tried to console him, when she wasn't in tears herself. Damn him, she'd curse. She had always worried that marrying Goku had not been in their best interests and times like these, when he'd chose fighting over family, she was convinced. But the thoughts never stayed long. No matter what, she loved him. Always had, always would. He had made it clear that night before the Cell Games that he loved her more than life itself and would do anything to ensure her and their son's safety. She had thought he was being melancholy, wanting to believe everything was a horrible nightmare.
She had come to realize, however, her Goku knew the outcome before it even happened. She hadn't given much thought to why he was being so attentive that night, why every caress, every kiss felt like it was their last. Because it was and Goku knew it. Chi-Chi had seen the look in his eyes as he was about to leave, heard his thoughts of her through the bond they had rekindled the night before. That damn Saiyan bond, the second thing that kept her in mourning. The first time he had died, it was like a pain in her heart, a deep tingling that wouldn't go away. Even though she knew they would wish him back within the year, it still hurt, not having that calm peace that came with knowing he was there, alive.
This time, this time though, it felt like nails going through her repeatedly. That mixed with morning sickness made her, Chi-Chi ~ daughter of the Ox King, a former martial artist~ quiver and shake and on the verge of insanity. Her mind just kept replaying moments with Goku again and again, with no sound like an eerie silent movie. It truly drove her to the brink. She didn't know what she would do without Gohan. And in the coming months, she would learn to rely on Goku's friends, two in particular, who felt they owed their friend to watch over his family.
***
A large ki blast rocked the Gravity Room for about a second before another blast caused a small indentation in the wall. The Prince of Saiyans was not happy and when he wasn't happy, normally people died. But as long as he was inside the GR, he would take his frustrations out on anything around him. He didn't care. Damn that Kakkarot! How dare he die...no, sacrifice himself in order to beat that slimy Cell? Worse, it took his weak offspring to destroy it!
Another blast obliterated a fight simulated robot.
He was the prince of all Saiyans and yet he had been constantly outshined but Kakkarot, a third class warrior who shouldn't have even lived if any of his people were still alive. It was ridiculous! Here he was, Vegeta, training his heart and soul out, to be better, to be stronger...and it would all amount to nothing as Kakkarot and his son would step out and ruin his reins. It was mind boggling. And then to find out that Kakkarot had reached the level of super saiyan while fighting Frieza...Frieza! His revenge! His target! Vegeta had vowed to destroy the beast who had wiped out his people and their home. Frieza was his right, his fight! And all of that taken away from him!
Vegeta landed hard on the floor, his breathing harsh and uneven. Stumbling over to the computer console, he switched the gravity to normal, the weight and pressure easing off his body. Leaning against the console, he wiped off the sweat from his forehead. His breathing returning to normal, Vegeta looked around at the damage he had caused. There was little this time, just some small holes and dents here and there, but over all it was fine. He'd have to get the woman to come check it out some time that week.
At the thought of the woman, a sneer formed on the Saiyan's face. That was another of his problems. Her. If it was bad enough to be living in her home, a few clandestine romps had lead to their son and to her feeling differently about their relationship. The sneer got larger. Now she was convinced she loved him. Of all the ridiculous, stupid emotions to have, it was love. And for some reason, she felt that he owed her. That he owed her! That because that brat shared some of his genes, he needed to be responsible for it. That was what a woman was for. He was a warrior and warriors did not watch over brats and that was that.
He had seen a lot of death, being a soldier in Freiza's army, but that moment was frozen in his mind. It moved in slow motion. The sudden blast. The way it sounded as it hit something solid. The look on his son's face as he fell to the ground.
Dead.
"Damn it."
He would never get that image out of his brain. That sound...that look on Trunks' face as the blast ripped through his mid-section. It reminded Vegeta of watching his home planet being destroyed. They could do nothing as Freiza came in and blasted it into bits. He shook his head, fighting against the painful memories. He was a warrior, with a warrior's heart. He wasn't about to let emotions run it, like it had with Kakkarot or his son. He was a Saiyan, he had pride. He would not...
"Vegeta, are you in there?"
"Damn."
The woman.
"Vegeta, I know you can hear me in there."
What did she want?
"Hello! Why don't you answer me?"
"Why don't you go to hell?" came his retort.
"Ugh! You're an ass! I could be working on something of actual importance, if your SON didn't want to see you so bad! Do you remember that, Vegeta!? You have a son!"
The door opened abruptly, startling Bulma and the infant she held in her arms. She had somewhat truthful. She could be doing important work, but she...dare she say it?...missed Vegeta. She was playing with Trunks, missing his older counterpart, when he did something so Vegeta-like. He was frustrated that his little toy wouldn't do what he wanted and the look was priceless...
And her undoing.
She had to go see Vegeta.
Which brings us to where she was now. She had seen that look before, the pure evil in Vegeta's eyes. The look told her she would get it and not in a good way. "I would like to try and forget it." he chuckled. "Unfortunately, no one around here will let me. Now before I tear your spine out through your stomach, I suggest you and your brat leave me be."
If that little speech was supposed to scare off Bulma Briefs...it didn't.
"Now, you listen me, Prince Pain in My Ass," she replied, her voice dangerously low. "I'm being extremely nice in letting you use my gravity room, all the while eating my food, and sleeping in my house. Now unless you want me to rip your royal jewels out through your big mouth, I suggest you take your son, while I get some work done." Handing the baby over to his father, Bulma gave a sneer of her own.
"If you need something, Prince Vegeta, please hesitate to ask."
With that, she walked away, leaving a stunned Vegeta and a squirming Trunks in her wake.
"That woman will be the death of me."