Chapter IV

"So how does this alter things?"

Everyone was silent and morbid. The room was still as death and the gathered Z Fighters could feel the gravity of the situation. Krillin stood silent, head down, always by Goku. Piccolo was leaning against the wall, face as still and emotionless as ever. Tien, Chaozu and Yamcha weren't panicking but their faces certainly displayed a great deal of distress. Vegeta kept his same cold look.

Gohan sat on the floor, his head pressed against his father' leg. Goku looked down at his son, smiled gently and stroked the boy's black hair. Gohan seemed content where he was and relaxed. He kept quiet. Bulma looked at him, half smiling. He never turned to look at her and Bulma pushed a stray hair behind the boy's ear before turning to the group of warriors eyeing her.

"To be honest, I don't know how this will alter things-"

"Then why did you bother me Woman?" Vegeta growled at her.

Krillin glared at the Saiyan Prince "will you let her finish?"

"Thank you Krillin." Bulma remarked. "Now, if you'll just chill for five minutes Vegeta, you can go back to that little den that's your gravity room, okay?"

Vegeta snorted.

"Now, as I was saying before I was so VERY rudely interrupted was that I honestly don't know. The good news is that I can at least attempt to make a vaccine for this thing…" she eyed Goku. "But it's not very likely. That sickness is tricky."

Gohan bit his lip "But…Bulma, you're the smartest person in the world! Can't you figure out this thing?"

Bulma smiled "I'm flattered you think that kiddo but this Gero was smart too. Maybe too smart."

"Bulma, you gotta do SOMETHING! Don't let my Daddy die!"

Goku put his hand on his son's head, gently ruffling his hair. Gohan looked up at him, his eyes widened. Goku smiled and stroked the boy's cheek a little. "Relax, little man. We have the medication, remember?"

"But what if it doesn't work! What if time shifted and the virus is worse? Besides, Trunks said the one in his time was natural! Already that's different!"

Goku picked his son up, lifting him off the ground. Setting the boy in his lap, he looked him in the eyes, "Hey, hey, calm down little man. Panicking isn't going to help anything either. Just calm down and let Bulma finish, okay?"

Vegeta snorted "You're half Saiyan brat. Act it. Don't disgrace my bloodline."

Goku gave Vegeta a dark glare. "Shut up, Vegeta."

"The brat is being a sniveling coward. Do you really expect him to make any difference?"

"He's frightened and I don't blame him."

"A true Saiyan warrior is never afraid."

"Then a true Saiyan warrior doesn't have much sense."

"WHAT! Are you disgracing your own bloodline Kakkarot?"

"Might be my blood but it's not my race."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. My blood may be Saiyan but I'm one hundred percent earthling. So is my son. And he's my son, not yours. When you have a son, you can raise him how you choose. But Gohan's my son and I say it's perfectly fine for him to be afraid." Goku looked his son right in the face. "I mean that, little man. You can be afraid. You can cry. Go ahead."

Gohan buried his face into his father's chest and tears slipped out of his eyes. "I don't want you to die, Daddy."

Goku stroked through his son's silky black hair. He couldn't very well say that he wasn't going to die because he didn't know that. He hoped he didn't. In fact, he couldn't think of anything more terrible at the present moment than never seeing his little boy grow up. Gohan hadn't lost his first baby tooth yet. He hadn't become a teenager, hadn't gotten his first kiss. Heck, the poor boy hadn't really lived yet. The boy lived for martial arts; Goku saw it in his eyes. But ChiChi was so against it. He kept trying to convince her otherwise. His son should be what he wanted to be, not what his mother wanted him to be. Looking down at the little boy curled on his lap, he set his mind to the idea of fixing the pressure she put on his only child. Gohan was his pride and joy.

Bulma waited for the moment to pass before saying "Now, I can try to make a vaccine Goku but I'll need some of your blood."

Goku looked up at her and realization flashed in his eyes. "NO NEEDLES!"

That said, he was gone in a flash of light, his son with him.

OOO

"Let's take a break, Gohan."

Gohan landed, having been training the last few hours with his father. He playfully poked the bandage on his father's arm, which was wrapped around the crook of his elbow. "Your arm still hurt where Bulma poked it?" How the scientist had managed to do it, Gohan had yet to figure out but she had managed to get a small vial of blood from his father to test and then to create a possible vaccine with.

Goku ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a playful swat to the backside. "Imp."

"Hey! Daddy, that's private property back there!"

"Not so private to me kiddo. First off, it wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for me. You didn't fall out of the sky you know." Goku gave him a teasing grin. "Besides, Little Man, who do you think wiped and powdered that thing?"

"Daddy!"

"What?" came the playful response.

Gohan, in retaliation, stuck his tongue out at his father and darted under his father's playful swat. Goku took off after his son, purposely letting him take the lead for a bit. He popped out and then reappeared right in his son's path, snagging him off the ground by his leg and mercilessly started tickling him. Gohan kicked and squirmed, calling "Cheater!"

Goku flipped the boy upside down, caught him around the waist and attacked his belly pitilessly, knowing it to be his big ticklish spot. Gohan got that from him; he was very ticklish on his belly and the bottoms of his feet as was his son. "Oh, I'm a cheater, am I, little man?" He increased the speed of his attacks on the boy's stomach and Gohan laughed, throwing his head back.

"Yes, you cheat! I can't pop out like that!"

"Not yet anyway, little man."

"Will you teach me, Daddy?"

"I don't know," Goku teased, gently. "Are you gonna be a good boy if I teach you? Not gonna pop out on me if I have to smack that backside, are you?"

"Daddy, you've only done that once."

"And I hated doing it."

"You hated it? You weren't the one getting the sting in your butt."

Goku laughed and gave the boy a playful whap "Like that?"

"Daddy, stop that!"

Goku flipped the boy right side up again. "I'm serious though, Gohan. If I teach you that Instant Transmission, you're not going to abuse it, are you? You abused the blasts."

"Only once." Gohan replied honestly. "You made sure of that."

Goku nodded. He remembered that clearly. While he wanted Gohan to enjoy the training and have fun, which he always did, he also wanted the child to understand that training was not a toy, nor something to be taken lightly. He had caught the boy just playing with the blasts as if they were harmless balls or Frisbees. He'd swatted the boy for the first time in his life for that, about six harsh smacks to his backside. Although he knew it had to be done for something so serious, he'd hated doing it. He'd despised the entire deal. It had become harder when Gohan had burst out in tears. Goku never wanted to have to do that again. Although ChiChi told him that it defeated the purpose when he cuddled the boy afterwards, Goku did that every time he had to punish his son, be it a spanking like that one time, a time out or simply a scolding. He wanted the boy to understand that although he had chosen the wrong actions, he was still loved.

And to be quite honest, after he had to punish his son, he always wanted to cuddle with him anyway.

"I won't abuse it, Daddy. I promise."

Goku smiled at his son and the little boy added "On my honor."

"All right. I believe you kiddo. I'll start teaching you that later today."

"Why not now?"

"Cause you need to go take a rest for a bit or you're gonna shred your muscles."

"Rest?" Gohan couldn't believe this! The Androids could be coming in only a few years and his father wanted him to go sleep when he could be training? When he could be getting stronger? No! He wasn't stronger enough to help much on Namek and he wasn't going to let that happen again! Never again! It hurt his heart just thinking of it. "No Daddy! I have to train more. I can go longer, I can!"

Goku picked the boy up, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "No, kiddo. I know you want to but you need to rest for an hour or so. Just to give your muscles a breather."

"Are you gonna tell the Androids that when the battle drags on?" The boy snapped. He didn't mean to be so rude and curt but he was afraid and when he got afraid, he wanted to do something about it. He could do something about this, he could train. "Daddy, let me down! Let me train! Let me down!" He kicked his legs and squirmed, trying to break out of his father's grip, the entire while demanding to be place down. In all senses of the word, the boy was throwing a tantrum. Not surprising…warrior or not, he was six years old.

However, Goku was not amused. He gave the boy a cold and disappointed look from the corner of his eye. It was enough to make Gohan at least stop his kicking. He knew that look. He didn't get it a lot but he did get it sometimes. That was Daddy's "I-don't-like-this-attitude" look. Gohan got it every so often and every single time he got a lecture of some sort.

Goku walked into the boy's bedroom, pulling the boy's desk chair out as he walked. He set it facing the corner and then set his son down in it. "You sit there for a few minutes and think, Son Gohan."

Oh no, here came the guilt trip. Goku didn't leave the room but he didn't say anything. He winced though as he felt the guilt start in his son's ki. He wanted to go over and pick the boy up and say that it was okay but he couldn't do that yet. In a moment, yes but not right now. Oy, he hated this part of being a father. He hated being the bad guy.

Now that he was forced to be still and think, realization sank into Gohan's mind. Some warrior he had just looked like. He'd pitched a fit like a little baby. He lowered his head, looking at his hands. Daddy must be so ashamed, he thought. I want to become the best fighter I can and I acted like that. I bet that looks real good.

Goku looked at the clock, saw six minutes had gone by and walked over, pulling the chair around.

"Are you ready to talk to me, Gohan?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy…"

Goku's slow smile spread over his face. 'I know, I know you are little man."

"I acted like…like…"

"Like a child, Gohan." Goku smiled. "You're still a child; you still have a lot to learn and that's why Daddy's here. To help you. Now tell me, what did I not like about how you just acted?"

"I was disrespectful. You and Mr. Piccolo are my trainers and the trainer knows when it's time to stop and rest."

"That's right. How are you supposed to treat your trainers?"

"With 'spect," he slurred one finger in his mouth. "I'm sorry."

"I know. Next time I say go rest, what are you going to do?"

"go rest."

"Good boy." Goku stroked the boy's tear stained cheeks. "I forgive you little man. C'mere."

Gohan jumped into his father's arms, burying his face. "I'm sorry Daddy. I want to do so much. I want to help…"

"And you will, little man. You're going to make a difference, I feel it."

Gohan laid still, tears in his eyes. How could he make a difference when all he felt was tired and scared?