Scars – Chapter 25
Goten watched his mom come down the stairs grumbling and stomping, and he gave his big brother a wary look, obediently continuing his breakfast. Gohan blinked in the direction of ChiChi, and before he had a chance to start any breakfast at all, the phone rang.
"Hello?" ChiChi answered irritably, glaring at the wall as she listened to the caller's voice.
"Yes, just a minute... I'll get him." Gohan! Phone!" ChiChi shouted, holding the phone out for her eldest son. He took it carefully from her hand and put the receiver to his ear.
"Uhm...hello? This is Gohan..." He tried. He rarely spoke on the phone, and he knew it wasn't Videl, because she had a martial arts class to teach at the moment. There was a moment of silence, in which Gohan directed his eyes to his little brother. Goten had twisted around in his chair and was looking at Gohan with great curiosity. Gohan frowned at him and wandered out of the kitchen, stretching the phone cord so he could go into the living room.
"Gohan?" Trunks' voice came from over the line, then some soft breathing.
"Oh, hi Trunks, I was wondering who'd be calling me, what's up?" He asked, a smile coming to his face.
"Uhm... well I was wondering if you were busy today. Mom gave me some money to go shopping for things... and uh... well I'd kinda like a second opinion. And we could go out for breakfast, too."
"Gee, really? That sounds like fun, hold on a sec, and I'll ask my mom, kay?"
On the other end of the line, Trunks wondered why a twenty year old man was asking his mother for permission to go anywhere at all. Meanwhile, Gohan had put the phone down and gone back into the kitchen.
"Hey, uh mom? Can I go have breakfast and do some shopping with Trunks today?"
ChiChi shook her head. "No, you most certainly can't! You have an appointment with an optometrist at ten am, and you aren't missing it!."
"I do? But there's nothing wrong with my eyes Mom! Besides, Trunks needs to buy some clothes and things, and he asked me to go with him..."
At the table, Goten stuffed his mouth full of food and jumped off the chair, glomping onto Gohan's leg. "Can I go too big brother... please?"
Gohan looked down at his little brother. "You wanna come shopping in the mall with us?"
"Yeah! Please?"
Gohan looked back up to ChiChi. "Mom, if I take Goten with me for the day, then can I go? You can give me the address of the optometrist and me and Goten and Trunks can go there while we're out. Please?"
ChiChi put both hands on her hips, scowling at her sons. "Oh fine...."
"Yay!" Goten exclaimed, hopping off of Gohan's leg and attaching himself to his mother's legs instead. ChiChi looked down at him with a faint smile.
Gohan dashed back to the phone and picked it up. "Hello, Trunks? My mom said I could go, as long as I take Goten with me, and as long as we go to my appointment at the optometrist."
Trunks smiled, feeling a little scared, but more pleased than anything else. Now he'd have a chance to spend the whole day with Gohan, and Trunks was sure Goten would be no trouble. "Great, uhm... I'm not even sure where the mall is, so maybe I'd better head over there and you can show me, sound good?"
"Sure Trunks, I'll see you soon."
Both half-saiyajins hung up their phones. Gohan picked up Goten and poked him lightly in the middle. "You gonna promise me you'll be good today, squirt?"
Goten giggled and nodded, hugging Goten. "Sure, will you buy me ice cream?" Goten could see the way his big brother's feelings were calmer whenever ChiChi let him do something. He'd also seen that she wasn't going to let Gohan go anywhere at all with Trunks today, because, for some reason, she didn't seem to like him much. Goten was glad he was able to help in some way.
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Vegeta and Goku ate their respective portions of breakfast, not really looking too friendly towards one another. Goku, ever the cheerful avatar of carefree pleasantries, could not help but frown today, and in response his darker, and decidedly less cheerful prince was offset from his routine, making him especially malignant.
Bulma nursed her coffee while she picked at a bowl of fresh cantaloupe slices. She was seated between Goku and Vegeta, caught in the middle between their respective glowering. She finished up her meal and looked from one of them to the other.
"Well you boys are certainly in a fine mood this morning, you both look like someone shot your dog. What's wrong with you two?"
As Vegeta was going to insert (rudely!) that there was exactly nothing wrong except that Bulma was sticking her big nose into his business, Goku smiled helplessly, scratching the back of his head in his classic and sheepish manner. "Sorry Bulma, didn't realize. Everything's alright, me and Vegeta are gonna go blow off some steam after we eat. Guess we're getting ready a little early."
Bulma and Vegeta both gave Goku a skeptical look, each of them feeling as though the smiling saiyajin countenance was lying straight to his or her face. Bulma's eyebrows shifted, and Vegeta shook his head ever so imperceptibly, turning back to his food.
"Alright Goku. So how is ChiChi? I haven't talked to her in a few days... more like a few weeks, come to think of it. She hasn't been calling me like she usually does."
"ChiChi? Oh she's great... she told me that Gohan's going to university next week, and that she wants him to move out."
"Did you know about that already, Goku? His school, I mean. Man... Never thought I'd see the day that ChiChi would be ready to part with her baby boy. What's Gohan taking in school?"
Goku shrugged. "I dunno... he didn't tell me."
"Didn't you ask him?"
"Uh... no.... was I supposed to? I didn't think it mattered much... Gohan's really smart, whatever it is, he'll do great." Goku smiled that awful half smile again, the one that just would not reach his eyes, no matter how he tried to make it. Bulma nodded slowly.
"I see... well I'd better hop in the shower and get to work, I have tons to do today. Don't kill each other, you guys." Bulma got up and left the room, presumably to shower and dress for the day.
This left Goku and Vegeta alone at the quiet breakfast table, trying to ignore one another, for the moment. Goku looked at his plate, not even sure he was hungry anymore. Everybody disapproved of his actions and choices when he wasn't actively saving the world. Why did they think he was so great, then? He couldn't help but feel discouraged, his thoughts were becoming unpleasant, and he shared them with nobody but himself, which made them circle through his mind almost constantly, without release.
"Kakarot." Vegeta derailed Goku's train and the younger saiyajin blinked up at his prince.
"Yeah?"
"What the hell is wrong with you? Is your insolence coming back to bite you in the ass, hmmm?"
"Insolence?"
"Yes. Your utter lack of regard for your mate and spawn."
"Oh... uhm... I don't know."
"Hn... why did you come here?"
"Uh... cause me and Gohan aren't getting along too good."
"Yes, and why do you think that is?"
"Cause he doesn't like me."
"Grrr... don't be a fool, use your mind Kakarot, surly you can see where your choices had effect on his life?"
"You mean cause I left, he didn't have me there when he was growing up."
"Precisely."
"So? Gohan's really smart and stuff... he did fine. Look, he's even going to university and he's really powerful... I'm so proud of him." Goku smiled, looking off and up as he pictured his son as a successful man.
"That is the part you are missing. I am not your therapist Kakarot, but I can clearly see that your eldest brat is hurt by your actions, and it is up to you to remedy this."
"Me? You mean he's not gonna like me till I apologize for going to Otherworld?"
"You have to mean that apology, and even then, he'll likely resent you anyway. I wouldn't forgive such actions, were I in his position."
Goku sighed, looking to Vegeta again for a long moment, and thinking about how it had been when he was just Goku, not Goku and family. He missed being alone. He wondered what it might be like to travel the world, the universe. Maybe even with Vegeta, though could... could... well, come to think of it, there wasn't much that he and Vegeta could really do together. Their families seemed to hold them close, not their bloodline. Goku had a feeling that had Vegeta come to live on earth and not stayed with Bulma, that he wouldn't see much of the short prince at all. As it was, Goku was ready for a good hard fight, and little else. He pushed out of his chair and gave Vegeta a challenging look, pushing their conversation out of his head and leaving the room.
Vegeta curled his fingers into a fist on the tabletop and got to his feet, following the young idiot out of his kitchen.
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Videl bowed to her class of ten promising fighting students, wishing them a good morning, while she led their stretching routine. She wondered how Gohan was feeling this morning. Actually, she wasn't sure she wanted to know at all. She was hard pressed to believe that everything was fine, considering the events of the previous evening.
Videl shivered when she recalled her sudden shock and even fear at Gohan, possessed by whatever had caused him to lose control of himself and rush to her side. Why did he come to her? Why didn't he got to... to someone else?
Well, she knew perfectly well that Gohan loved her as a friend, and she was beginning to suspect that there was more to it than that. However, Videl was shaken up by his demonstration of instability, and frankly, she wanted him to get a hold over himself. Honestly, running in on her in the shower just because of a fight with his dad? She'd fought with her dad plenty of times, and she'd never lost it and been unable to handle herself without clinging to a friend.
Videl had real difficulty appreciating some of Gohan's softer, weaker qualities and quirks. That wasn't about to stop her from standing behind her friend through anything he needed her for, though. Videl knew that Gohan relied on her, and she did the same with him. It was just hard to accept all of him, sometimes. But she was trying, as hard as she could, and she really believed that things were good between them.
Of course, now there was a strange boy from Dende knows where, and he was also a half-saiyajin. He'd whisked Gohan away form her room last night without barely saying anything. In fact, it was his quiet and collected demeanor that Gohan seemed to latch onto when he followed the boy...man... out of her room. Videl's fist curled, not in jealousy, or anger, rather. Hhe didn't know who this person was, and Gohan had never really mentioned him. Despite that, the lavender haired man easily calmed Gohan and got him to regain his control. But what made Gohan immediately trust this person? Their shared blood?
Videl turned her eyes to her class to begin the lesson, deciding to give the students a real workout in order to help her relieve some of her own frustrations.
Goten watched his mom come down the stairs grumbling and stomping, and he gave his big brother a wary look, obediently continuing his breakfast. Gohan blinked in the direction of ChiChi, and before he had a chance to start any breakfast at all, the phone rang.
"Hello?" ChiChi answered irritably, glaring at the wall as she listened to the caller's voice.
"Yes, just a minute... I'll get him." Gohan! Phone!" ChiChi shouted, holding the phone out for her eldest son. He took it carefully from her hand and put the receiver to his ear.
"Uhm...hello? This is Gohan..." He tried. He rarely spoke on the phone, and he knew it wasn't Videl, because she had a martial arts class to teach at the moment. There was a moment of silence, in which Gohan directed his eyes to his little brother. Goten had twisted around in his chair and was looking at Gohan with great curiosity. Gohan frowned at him and wandered out of the kitchen, stretching the phone cord so he could go into the living room.
"Gohan?" Trunks' voice came from over the line, then some soft breathing.
"Oh, hi Trunks, I was wondering who'd be calling me, what's up?" He asked, a smile coming to his face.
"Uhm... well I was wondering if you were busy today. Mom gave me some money to go shopping for things... and uh... well I'd kinda like a second opinion. And we could go out for breakfast, too."
"Gee, really? That sounds like fun, hold on a sec, and I'll ask my mom, kay?"
On the other end of the line, Trunks wondered why a twenty year old man was asking his mother for permission to go anywhere at all. Meanwhile, Gohan had put the phone down and gone back into the kitchen.
"Hey, uh mom? Can I go have breakfast and do some shopping with Trunks today?"
ChiChi shook her head. "No, you most certainly can't! You have an appointment with an optometrist at ten am, and you aren't missing it!."
"I do? But there's nothing wrong with my eyes Mom! Besides, Trunks needs to buy some clothes and things, and he asked me to go with him..."
At the table, Goten stuffed his mouth full of food and jumped off the chair, glomping onto Gohan's leg. "Can I go too big brother... please?"
Gohan looked down at his little brother. "You wanna come shopping in the mall with us?"
"Yeah! Please?"
Gohan looked back up to ChiChi. "Mom, if I take Goten with me for the day, then can I go? You can give me the address of the optometrist and me and Goten and Trunks can go there while we're out. Please?"
ChiChi put both hands on her hips, scowling at her sons. "Oh fine...."
"Yay!" Goten exclaimed, hopping off of Gohan's leg and attaching himself to his mother's legs instead. ChiChi looked down at him with a faint smile.
Gohan dashed back to the phone and picked it up. "Hello, Trunks? My mom said I could go, as long as I take Goten with me, and as long as we go to my appointment at the optometrist."
Trunks smiled, feeling a little scared, but more pleased than anything else. Now he'd have a chance to spend the whole day with Gohan, and Trunks was sure Goten would be no trouble. "Great, uhm... I'm not even sure where the mall is, so maybe I'd better head over there and you can show me, sound good?"
"Sure Trunks, I'll see you soon."
Both half-saiyajins hung up their phones. Gohan picked up Goten and poked him lightly in the middle. "You gonna promise me you'll be good today, squirt?"
Goten giggled and nodded, hugging Goten. "Sure, will you buy me ice cream?" Goten could see the way his big brother's feelings were calmer whenever ChiChi let him do something. He'd also seen that she wasn't going to let Gohan go anywhere at all with Trunks today, because, for some reason, she didn't seem to like him much. Goten was glad he was able to help in some way.
+++++++++++
Vegeta and Goku ate their respective portions of breakfast, not really looking too friendly towards one another. Goku, ever the cheerful avatar of carefree pleasantries, could not help but frown today, and in response his darker, and decidedly less cheerful prince was offset from his routine, making him especially malignant.
Bulma nursed her coffee while she picked at a bowl of fresh cantaloupe slices. She was seated between Goku and Vegeta, caught in the middle between their respective glowering. She finished up her meal and looked from one of them to the other.
"Well you boys are certainly in a fine mood this morning, you both look like someone shot your dog. What's wrong with you two?"
As Vegeta was going to insert (rudely!) that there was exactly nothing wrong except that Bulma was sticking her big nose into his business, Goku smiled helplessly, scratching the back of his head in his classic and sheepish manner. "Sorry Bulma, didn't realize. Everything's alright, me and Vegeta are gonna go blow off some steam after we eat. Guess we're getting ready a little early."
Bulma and Vegeta both gave Goku a skeptical look, each of them feeling as though the smiling saiyajin countenance was lying straight to his or her face. Bulma's eyebrows shifted, and Vegeta shook his head ever so imperceptibly, turning back to his food.
"Alright Goku. So how is ChiChi? I haven't talked to her in a few days... more like a few weeks, come to think of it. She hasn't been calling me like she usually does."
"ChiChi? Oh she's great... she told me that Gohan's going to university next week, and that she wants him to move out."
"Did you know about that already, Goku? His school, I mean. Man... Never thought I'd see the day that ChiChi would be ready to part with her baby boy. What's Gohan taking in school?"
Goku shrugged. "I dunno... he didn't tell me."
"Didn't you ask him?"
"Uh... no.... was I supposed to? I didn't think it mattered much... Gohan's really smart, whatever it is, he'll do great." Goku smiled that awful half smile again, the one that just would not reach his eyes, no matter how he tried to make it. Bulma nodded slowly.
"I see... well I'd better hop in the shower and get to work, I have tons to do today. Don't kill each other, you guys." Bulma got up and left the room, presumably to shower and dress for the day.
This left Goku and Vegeta alone at the quiet breakfast table, trying to ignore one another, for the moment. Goku looked at his plate, not even sure he was hungry anymore. Everybody disapproved of his actions and choices when he wasn't actively saving the world. Why did they think he was so great, then? He couldn't help but feel discouraged, his thoughts were becoming unpleasant, and he shared them with nobody but himself, which made them circle through his mind almost constantly, without release.
"Kakarot." Vegeta derailed Goku's train and the younger saiyajin blinked up at his prince.
"Yeah?"
"What the hell is wrong with you? Is your insolence coming back to bite you in the ass, hmmm?"
"Insolence?"
"Yes. Your utter lack of regard for your mate and spawn."
"Oh... uhm... I don't know."
"Hn... why did you come here?"
"Uh... cause me and Gohan aren't getting along too good."
"Yes, and why do you think that is?"
"Cause he doesn't like me."
"Grrr... don't be a fool, use your mind Kakarot, surly you can see where your choices had effect on his life?"
"You mean cause I left, he didn't have me there when he was growing up."
"Precisely."
"So? Gohan's really smart and stuff... he did fine. Look, he's even going to university and he's really powerful... I'm so proud of him." Goku smiled, looking off and up as he pictured his son as a successful man.
"That is the part you are missing. I am not your therapist Kakarot, but I can clearly see that your eldest brat is hurt by your actions, and it is up to you to remedy this."
"Me? You mean he's not gonna like me till I apologize for going to Otherworld?"
"You have to mean that apology, and even then, he'll likely resent you anyway. I wouldn't forgive such actions, were I in his position."
Goku sighed, looking to Vegeta again for a long moment, and thinking about how it had been when he was just Goku, not Goku and family. He missed being alone. He wondered what it might be like to travel the world, the universe. Maybe even with Vegeta, though could... could... well, come to think of it, there wasn't much that he and Vegeta could really do together. Their families seemed to hold them close, not their bloodline. Goku had a feeling that had Vegeta come to live on earth and not stayed with Bulma, that he wouldn't see much of the short prince at all. As it was, Goku was ready for a good hard fight, and little else. He pushed out of his chair and gave Vegeta a challenging look, pushing their conversation out of his head and leaving the room.
Vegeta curled his fingers into a fist on the tabletop and got to his feet, following the young idiot out of his kitchen.
+++++++++++
Videl bowed to her class of ten promising fighting students, wishing them a good morning, while she led their stretching routine. She wondered how Gohan was feeling this morning. Actually, she wasn't sure she wanted to know at all. She was hard pressed to believe that everything was fine, considering the events of the previous evening.
Videl shivered when she recalled her sudden shock and even fear at Gohan, possessed by whatever had caused him to lose control of himself and rush to her side. Why did he come to her? Why didn't he got to... to someone else?
Well, she knew perfectly well that Gohan loved her as a friend, and she was beginning to suspect that there was more to it than that. However, Videl was shaken up by his demonstration of instability, and frankly, she wanted him to get a hold over himself. Honestly, running in on her in the shower just because of a fight with his dad? She'd fought with her dad plenty of times, and she'd never lost it and been unable to handle herself without clinging to a friend.
Videl had real difficulty appreciating some of Gohan's softer, weaker qualities and quirks. That wasn't about to stop her from standing behind her friend through anything he needed her for, though. Videl knew that Gohan relied on her, and she did the same with him. It was just hard to accept all of him, sometimes. But she was trying, as hard as she could, and she really believed that things were good between them.
Of course, now there was a strange boy from Dende knows where, and he was also a half-saiyajin. He'd whisked Gohan away form her room last night without barely saying anything. In fact, it was his quiet and collected demeanor that Gohan seemed to latch onto when he followed the boy...man... out of her room. Videl's fist curled, not in jealousy, or anger, rather. Hhe didn't know who this person was, and Gohan had never really mentioned him. Despite that, the lavender haired man easily calmed Gohan and got him to regain his control. But what made Gohan immediately trust this person? Their shared blood?
Videl turned her eyes to her class to begin the lesson, deciding to give the students a real workout in order to help her relieve some of her own frustrations.