Chapter V

Gohan stuck his head into his father's room, having just gotten out of his evening bath. Goku had gone to lie down, because apparently he'd overdone it during training. Gohan was beginning to see why his father had made him rest the other day. Goku hadn't moved for an hour and he still looked like he was in pain. Gohan took on a pitying look and padded into his parents' room.

Yep, Daddy was out cold, or trying to be anyway. He was lying still, trying to ignore his throbbing muscles no doubt. The pain radiated through his ki though. Gohan could feel it. It made Gohan wince. He hated to see his father in pain, no matter how minor. Mother didn't help any. She used this as even more of a reason he shouldn't train at all. Gohan sighed deeply. Why did Mother hate who he was at heart? Did she love him at all or just love who she wanted him to be? The boy didn't have an honest answer.

In any event, she could have at least helped Daddy but she told him it was his fault for being so obsessed with the martial arts. Goku could have taken a senzu but he had wisely decided that they should save as many as they could for the battle forthcoming. Mother wouldn't even give him a warm cloth or anything. She said he should stick it out.

Gohan pouted. ChiChi could be so cold at points. The boy hated it when she had to give him a bath, as she had to that night. Mother turned everything into a study session, even a bath. She would use the time to quiz him on aspects they were using like volume in the shampoo and soap and how much soap would be needed to make so many bubbles. It made his head hurt.

Daddy…he was fun! He would usually get in the bath with Gohan, or if he didn't then he would make it a big game. Several times, Goku had used sponges ChiChi thought were silly because they were shaped like animals, and pretend that Gohan was being attacked and would use the sponges to "eat" his son up; in the process he would be washing him down, saying the suds were their venom. Gohan usually did an elaborate death scene which resulted in him falling backwards into the water which washed the soap off. ChiChi always complained it took forever to give the boy a bath and Goku always remarked "Really? Takes me ten minutes."

Gohan looked at his father, lying on the bed. He looked miserable. Gohan thought back to his own pains and aches. Daddy had always been there. If he overstressed his body in training, Daddy always had the perfect cure for it. Gohan actually looked forward to getting stressed or strained during training because it always meant Daddy's "special treatment."

Flashback

"Ow, ow…"

Someone pulled the pencil from Gohan's hands and lifted him out of his seat by underneath his arms. He turned his head and immediately regretted it. His neck ached, his arms and legs ached, parts he wasn't even aware he had ached. It was from training before. He suspected he had pushed himself too far or else hadn't stretched out enough. It was probably both he concluded in retrospect.

"What is it Daddy?"

"Put that pencil down and go lie on your bed."

Gohan got up immediately. He headed that way when Goku remarked as he walked out of the room "Oh and strip yourself down first, Little Man. Daddy'll be right back."

Now that got Gohan's attention. He eyed his father's retreating back oddly but one thing he'd learned about his father was to never question him or try and understand him because it just made your head hurt. He'd heard Bulma and Krillin comment that he was just as bad as his father at times. Gohan took it as a compliment. He loved being compared to Daddy. It was the highest praise anyone could give him.

The boy winced and stripped his study clothes off, tossing the overalls and yellow and blue striped shirt into the dirty clothes hamper and sat on his bed, stripping his socks off. Tossing those in with the rest of clothing, he was left in only his underwear so he laid down on his bed as his father had asked him to do, waiting. He didn't hear the door open but he smelt a sweet aroma. It smelt like a combination of rain and leaves or something. He couldn't place it though.

Goku sat a small bowl on the boy's nightstand and gently grasped hold of the boy's underwear and stripped it off. He dipped his hands into the hot liquid and gently wiped it over his son's bare back, arms, legs, backside and even to the bottoms of his feet. The heated liquid was a mix of water and scented oils. Goku dug his large hands into his son's muscles and skin, gently urging the aches and pains out.

Gohan let out a light sigh of pure relief. Goku smiled and moved his hands up to the very back of his son's neck and gently dug in his large thumbs, forcing the knots from his son's muscles. Gohan laid his cheek into the pillow, just taking deep breath after deep breath, savoring the warm oils, the sweet smell, and the comforting motions of his father's large hands. Amazing…Goku's hands could deliver a fatal blast at any second to any enemy, they could crush rocks without a second thought, they had crushed Frieza, they had held Raditz tight, they had stopped Mirai Trunks' sword with a single finger yet now, they were gentle as silk. They would never hurt. Even when they had given him a smack a few days before, they hadn't really hurt. They had stung but despite that, Gohan had felt love in the touches. He had felt it, despite the sting. When he had turned around, he had found tears in his father's own eyes, tears of regret that he had had to do such a thing to his son. Daddy would never hurt him, there was always love in his hands, his actions, his words.

"That's it, little man. Just relax, let yourself enjoy this. Don't worry about your studies. Just let your mind drift."

Gohan let his mind wander. He thought back. His thoughts were forever on his father. He remembered many things. The love his father poured on him most of all. Sometimes after training, Gohan would lay down in the clovers and pretend to fall asleep just so his father would pick him up and carry him home. He loved it when his father did that. Even if he wasn't tired at all, he would fake sleep to get scooped up into his father's strong arms.

He remembered being scooped up and getting placed on his father's shoulders and galloped around the forest and front yard. He never worried about falling. He knew his father would never drop him. He knew his father would never let him get hurt. He feared nothing with his father. Even on Namek against Frieza, he had felt no doubt, no fear when his father had appeared. He had feared for his father not himself. He knew he was forever safe as long as Daddy was near.

Goku smiled down at his son as the boy's breathing turned heavy. He sat down on the boy's bed and for a good hour just stroked the boy's long black hair backwards, looking down with a loving smile and pride filled eyes. He gazed over his son, his little baby boy. As much as he had grown, he would forever be a baby to Goku. "Sleep, my little man. Daddy'll be here when you wake up."

Present

Gohan made his decision. He darted into his parents' bathroom and climbed up onto their counter. He turned the large sink on, filling the basin with warm water. He stuck his bare feet into it and then started to root through his parents' cabinets, seeking the same oils his father had used on him. His mother had a lot of oils so he had to sort through the girly flowery ones before he found the one he wanted.

Pulling his feet out of the water, he dumped the oil all over his feet, rubbing it in-between his toes even. He turned the water off and jumped down, walking back to his father. Pulling himself up onto his parents' large bed, he walked over, gathered his balance and gently stepped up onto his father's back. His little hands would do nothing for his father's aches. However, he reasoned perhaps his feet would have a type of impact. The little boy held his hands out to balance himself an padded back and forth over his father's bare back, digging his heels and soles into the skin, penetrating the knotted muscles.

Goku half stirred after an hour or so, feeling the cramps in his back start to loosen. Confused, the Saiyan opened one eye and found his son running up and down his back. "Gohan?"

"Daddy! You okay?"

"What are you doing?"

"Thought I'd try and help you…does it hurt?"

Goku smiled "no…no, little man. It feels great." Great? That was an understatement. Those tiny little feet felt wonderful over his aching muscles. The perfect massage. Leave it to his son to think of something so clever and sweet all in one. Gohan increased the speed and the little pitter patter of his feet worked their magic. Goku closed his eyes and called "Say, little man, think you could do my neck?"

"Your neck? 'Kay!" Gohan sat down, using his father's backside for a seat and put the heels of his feet to the back of his father's neck and rotated them. "Daddy! Your neck feels like rocks!" Goku chuckled a little and Gohan increased the speed of his movements which slowly but assuredly released the tension. Gohan moved from his neck to his shoulders and before long the gentleness and relaxation of the room passed to even Gohan.

When ChiChi walked in later to go to bed herself, she found her husband out cold, face down in the pillow. Gohan was passed out on top of him, his little thighs draped over his father's shoulders and his face pressed into his father's backside. The human woman covered his mouth to suppress her laugh. Walking over, she went to moved her son and took note of a bulge in the boy's pajama bottoms. She grabbed hold of the seam and ripped just slightly. Her suspicions were right: the boy's tail had regrown. The brown snake like appendage twisted out and wrapped around his father's forehead.

ChiChi opted to leave her husband and son as they were and took her own side of the bed.

OOO

Gohan sat up like lighting. He looked around, his arms up.

He was in his parents' room, in between the two. Both were still out cold. He trembled, shaking with relief. Just another dream. He was getting pretty sick of these stupid dreams. Every night they got worse. Daddy always died because he was defenseless to do anything. That couldn't happen! What if…what if Bulma couldn't find a vaccine? She hadn't sounded very confident.

And that aside, the history Trunks had predicted had already changed. Already, the virus was different…

WAIT! Didn't that mean the medicine would be ineffective! He had brought that up but the others had dismissed it but now that was a very real fear! If it didn't work, then…then, Daddy would die! No! He couldn't handle that. He couldn't! Gohan jumped down out of bed and pulled out some books Bulma had given Goku and ChiChi on Gero, all she knew. Gohan flipped through them.

Not much was known. Bulma had said no one even knew where his lab was although she did know it was supposed to be somewhere in the mountains. If only they knew where. Then, maybe just maybe, they would be able to do something. They couldn't use the Dragonballs. They might be needed for something more vital. Gohan squeezed his eyes shut. Tears in his eyes, he looked over at his father, sleeping.

Daddy was so sweet, so good to him. He had risked so much for him, so much to keep him safe.

Somewhere in the mountains…

Gohan's eyes narrowed in the same look his father had, the same loyalty burning in his eyes.

"Daddy it's time I returned the favor."

The boy crept over, looked back at his father once and took his power pole from its holder and took off out the door and into the sky, heading towards the mountains, his ki repressed.

OOO

What Gohan had originally planned on being a few hours long search had turned into a three day ordeal. He knew his father would be looking for him and was probably gathering the rest of the warriors to do so as well. It made him wince, knowing his father would be frantic and probably panicking but he had to do this. He had covered a lot of land already. He had to be closer.

Gohan had opened his ki slightly so he could sense any nearby kis. He didn't know what Gero's ki felt like but he knew that it was highly unlikely anyone else would be out in THESE mountains. They were way too rugged for anyone to come to willingly. He couldn't fly very much to keep his ki down so his clothing was ripped and torn. He hadn't thought to change into his gi because he had taken off so fast so all he had on was his pajamas. They were practically ripped to shreds.

His feet hurt, being ripped and torn by jagged rocks. But he pressed onward.

Wait!

Was it…yes! A ki!

He took off in that direction, running.

Peering around a tree, he spied an old man in a small clearing amongst the scarce trees out here. He was old, ancient and there was a twisted smile on his face. He looked a little like the picture in Bulma's book, just older. Gohan fell to his hands and knees and slipped over the rocks and sticks. His knee made one break as he got a closer look…yes, this was definitely Gero.

The scientist turned, seeking out the sound. Someone was near. He stood up, having emerged to test his latest weapon, a super virus. Spies were near however. Who could have found him out here? No one knew where his lab was! No one! He fingered a few of the gadgets he had invented that lay on his wrists and hands.

Knowing he could keep himself hidden no longer, Gohan charged out, his hand lit up,

"LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!" he hissed impulsively, anger and fear taking over reason.

Gero eyed the child with a stoic face. Looking over his features, his brilliant if evil mind made the simple connection…the wild black hair, the build, the tail…but the form was slightly different…no, no doubt about it, he was looking at the offspring of his rival enemy, Son Goku. His spy robots had followed the warrior and he knew he had a child. And a rather protective and passionate one at that.

"Oh, and what do you intend to do about it, child?"

Gohan growled through his teeth "if it keeps you away from Daddy, I'll kill you." He raised the ki in his blast.

"That would be pointless."

"What?" Gohan's shock made him lose the ball of power.

"Surprising. You obviously know of me yet doubt my achievements. Do you really think death would stop my revenge, child? Did you really think I don't have another way of carrying it out? Killing me would achieve nothing."

Gohan's muscles tensed and he knew by the villain's eyes he spoke the truth. He knew that and that infuriated him! How could he fight an enemy that killing wouldn't fix the problem? He fought down tears of fear and he hissed "Leave my father alone! What do I have to do to make you leave him alone!"

Gero eyed him, "You care for him greatly."

"Leave him alone!" he kept the choke from his voice. This was not going as he had planned.

"I heard your demands the first time, child. Yet you've not offered an incentive."

Say what? What was this guy talking about? Gohan blinked and replied "Huh?"

"Why should I? I've already said you bringing about my death would be pointless in protecting your father. What else have you to offer?"

"Keep your damn virus away from my father!"

What! The child knew of his virus!

Gero smirked, keeping his surprise carefully hidden. The boy was ill experienced and full of an overwhelming loyalty. The crutch of weak men. He could exploit this to his advantage. "What makes you think I haven't already implanted it? Or that I have not already sent it on its way?"

Tears filled Gohan's eyes and being so young, he couldn't hold them back any longer. They slid down his cheeks, one at a time. He gave up trying to be brave and resorted to anything, even begging and pleading. . "Keep it away from him! Please! Don't let it near Daddy! Don't kill my father! I'll…I'll do anything to make you stop! You want vengeance? Take it out on me! You want to cause pain? Take it out on me! Anything! I'll… I'll…I'll…"

"You'll what?"

Panic set in and then a selfless act pushed its way to Gohan's lips and filled his heart.

Gohan met Gero with passionate eyes "I'll take it for him."