Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.
Author's Notes: Big Goten chapter. Enjoy, and as always, review.
Chapter 19: Boiling Point
"When are you going to tell them, Goten?" Trunks scowled at his friend. Chichi and Bulma were excitedly assembling the 'going-to-college' party on the lawn behind Capsule Corp. The guests would be arriving in half an hour and the women were in a flurry of happy activity. Their boys were going to college.
At least, they thought they were.
Goten felt terrible. He hadn't had the heart to tell his mother, but he just didn't want to go to college. It just wasn't for him. He wanted to devote his life to training, and he didn't see how college could help him. But Chichi had her heart set on him becoming as successful as Gohan was and Trunks would become. So, he'd lied to her.
Before Goten could answer Trunks question, he heard Bra shriek and call out to her best friend, Pan. So that meant . . .
"Hi, Dad! Hi, Goten!" Gohan ran up to them, barely avoiding Videl's fate of being snatched up by his mother. "Hi, Trunks. How are the college men?"
Trunks smiled in greeting, and Goten attempted a smile. "Great! Couldn't be better!" came Goten's falsely cheerful reply. It was, however, convincing.
Soon Krillen, Eighteen, and Marron arrived. Krillen and Goku, having not seen each other since Master Roshi's funeral, started catching up. Marron was a few years older than Pan and Bra, but she could get along with both well enough. Eighteen and Videl started talking, having formed a friendship after a fashion. Tien hadn't been able to make it, and Yamcha tended to avoid get-togethers at Capsule Corp. As for Piccolo, he tended to avoid all get-togethers.
However, one unsociable person hadn't been able to avoid coming. Vegeta realized he had mellowed since even ten years before, much as the though made bile rise in his throat, but he still couldn't seem to participate in these inane human rituals. He contented himself with thoughts of challenging someone to a spar later on, just to preserve what was left of his sanity.
'Bulma told Jita to come,' Vegeta thought, realizing she was probably still in the gravity room. This party was slightly for her, too. Which was probably why she was avoiding it. Though maybe she was better off staying clear. The others had gotten used to Vegeta's silent presence, but with Jita it could be too awkward.
But Jita seemed to be adjusting almost too well to life on earth. She had gotten into a university and even landed a part-time job. 'Just for the experience,' she had said. It had still unnerved him to see the princess of all Saiyans, one of the strongest individuals in the universe, waiting tables.
Another strange thing was the way Jita had gotten Gohan to accept her. That summer Bra and Pan had spent most of their time together. More often than not, Jita watched them when they were at Capsule Corp. Gohan had been uneasy about this unusual, and half-way unwilling, babysitter, but Pan had come home with so many exciting stories she heard from Jita. Gohan had rather gotten used to the princess, and even sparred with her once. Not that he could beat her. He was really out of practice.
"Hey! Is that Jita?" Krillen said, breaking Vegeta's reverie.
Goku laughed. "Yeah. I heard those girls never leave her alone." And sure enough, Pan and Bra, now accompanied by Marron, had once again captured the princess by their pleas for a story. Jita was now sitting on the grass with the three chibis following her every word.
"Ya know," Krillen continued, "I still don't understand why I didn't sense that fight. No one did."
Trunks brought over a cooler of Cokes. "I've been thinking about that. I think the energy barrier she put up disrupted the ki signatures."
Goten ignored the others. There she was, big as life, telling a story to children, just as if nothing had ever happened. She hadn't even acknowledged him. Had she just forgotten him? Or was he just a means to her goal, now to be disposed of.
The party went on for some time. The food was eaten and the sun was setting. Trunks had pulled out his new laptop to show off. Goku and Vegeta were making plans to spar in a little while. Bulma started up a game of cards with Chichi, Videl, and Eighteen. Jita had not escaped the chibis and was still telling Saiyan stories, ranging from the ancient to her own recollections. Gohan and Krillen were halfway listening to the stories, intrigued by the depth of the Saiyan culture.
And Goten was still lost in his dark thoughts.
"Goten?" Goku broke into his thoughts.
'Oh, crap. Here we go again.' Goten really wasn't in the mood.
"What's wrong, son? Tired of the party?"
Goku fully expected Goten to put up at least a front of happiness. Or say something noncommittal. Or talk to someone else. Or make a joke at his expense. Or ignore him.
Not an explosion.
"Just stop it!"
A shocked silence fell over the party. That couldn't be right. Goten was a good-natured boy, so like his carefree father. The father he had definitely yelled at.
"Goten, I . . ." Goku began.
"Just stop it!" Goten repeated. "Stop trying to be my pal! Stop trying to help me out! Stop trying to relate to me! I'm sick of it!"
Chichi was rather sick of it too. "Now listen here, young man. You will NOT speak to your father that way. I spent a lot of time getting together this 'going-to-college' party . . ."
"I'm not going to college!" Goten interrupted, this time, for once, leaving Chichi speechless. "I'm not going to college. I'm sorry, Mom, but I never applied. I just couldn't tell you."
Goku approached his son, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Goten, why didn't . . ."
"NO!" Goten jerked away. "Don't talk to me like that! Don't talk to me like you care, because I know you don't!"
There are limits to everyone, including Goku. He was now resolved not to be interrupted. He faced his son, his face hardening into a steely raptor gaze, as if he were facing an opponent in a life-or-death match. Only more was at stake now. "Goten, I've tried to reach out to you in every way I know how. You block me every time. You can't blame me there. The problem isn't college, or me. What is it?"
Goten found it hard to retain his indignance under his father glare. Everyone thought his father was so perfect. Well, he wasn't. "You know, every time you've reached out to me, or talked to me, I can only think of all those years that I couldn't imagine why you would choose the afterlife over being with your family. Did you even know I was born? No, you were happily skipping along Snake Way. I can only think about the pain Mom and Gohan went through, especially when I looked exactly like you, and how they tried to hide it from me." Goten fought back the tears burning in his eyes as he poured out the years of resentment from his soul. "I can only think of when I was told that my brother was dead, and my best friend was told that his father was dead, and when we had the audacity to feel a little grief, all you could do was yell at us to shut up, and then ask what was wrong when we were angry. And then leave. All I can think about is all those years you were alive, but spent your time away from home, training, months - YEARS - on end. The whole father-son bonding thing, it was too little too late. Well, you won't have to make up for lost time, or inconvenience yourself in any way on my account. I may not bee off to college, but I'm leaving anyway. Just don't follow me, and we'll get along fine."
And, true to his word, he left. All that was heard from him after that was a packed room and a note Chichi found on his bed:
Dear Mom,
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any pain. I feel terrible because I know I have. I know you always wanted me and Dad to get along, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry I can't go to college. I know you always wanted me to become a scholar like Gohan, but I can't. I can't be like Gohan. I can't be like anyone. I guess I've lived too long around all these legends, people not only powerful in strength, but in deed. Even Trunks, because of Mirai. I guess I just feel like I'm living in everyone's shadows. I have to find out who I am by myself, and then I'll be able to respect myself.
Send my love to Gohan and Pan. Love you, Mom.
Your son, Goten
Author's Notes: Big Goten chapter. Enjoy, and as always, review.
Chapter 19: Boiling Point
"When are you going to tell them, Goten?" Trunks scowled at his friend. Chichi and Bulma were excitedly assembling the 'going-to-college' party on the lawn behind Capsule Corp. The guests would be arriving in half an hour and the women were in a flurry of happy activity. Their boys were going to college.
At least, they thought they were.
Goten felt terrible. He hadn't had the heart to tell his mother, but he just didn't want to go to college. It just wasn't for him. He wanted to devote his life to training, and he didn't see how college could help him. But Chichi had her heart set on him becoming as successful as Gohan was and Trunks would become. So, he'd lied to her.
Before Goten could answer Trunks question, he heard Bra shriek and call out to her best friend, Pan. So that meant . . .
"Hi, Dad! Hi, Goten!" Gohan ran up to them, barely avoiding Videl's fate of being snatched up by his mother. "Hi, Trunks. How are the college men?"
Trunks smiled in greeting, and Goten attempted a smile. "Great! Couldn't be better!" came Goten's falsely cheerful reply. It was, however, convincing.
Soon Krillen, Eighteen, and Marron arrived. Krillen and Goku, having not seen each other since Master Roshi's funeral, started catching up. Marron was a few years older than Pan and Bra, but she could get along with both well enough. Eighteen and Videl started talking, having formed a friendship after a fashion. Tien hadn't been able to make it, and Yamcha tended to avoid get-togethers at Capsule Corp. As for Piccolo, he tended to avoid all get-togethers.
However, one unsociable person hadn't been able to avoid coming. Vegeta realized he had mellowed since even ten years before, much as the though made bile rise in his throat, but he still couldn't seem to participate in these inane human rituals. He contented himself with thoughts of challenging someone to a spar later on, just to preserve what was left of his sanity.
'Bulma told Jita to come,' Vegeta thought, realizing she was probably still in the gravity room. This party was slightly for her, too. Which was probably why she was avoiding it. Though maybe she was better off staying clear. The others had gotten used to Vegeta's silent presence, but with Jita it could be too awkward.
But Jita seemed to be adjusting almost too well to life on earth. She had gotten into a university and even landed a part-time job. 'Just for the experience,' she had said. It had still unnerved him to see the princess of all Saiyans, one of the strongest individuals in the universe, waiting tables.
Another strange thing was the way Jita had gotten Gohan to accept her. That summer Bra and Pan had spent most of their time together. More often than not, Jita watched them when they were at Capsule Corp. Gohan had been uneasy about this unusual, and half-way unwilling, babysitter, but Pan had come home with so many exciting stories she heard from Jita. Gohan had rather gotten used to the princess, and even sparred with her once. Not that he could beat her. He was really out of practice.
"Hey! Is that Jita?" Krillen said, breaking Vegeta's reverie.
Goku laughed. "Yeah. I heard those girls never leave her alone." And sure enough, Pan and Bra, now accompanied by Marron, had once again captured the princess by their pleas for a story. Jita was now sitting on the grass with the three chibis following her every word.
"Ya know," Krillen continued, "I still don't understand why I didn't sense that fight. No one did."
Trunks brought over a cooler of Cokes. "I've been thinking about that. I think the energy barrier she put up disrupted the ki signatures."
Goten ignored the others. There she was, big as life, telling a story to children, just as if nothing had ever happened. She hadn't even acknowledged him. Had she just forgotten him? Or was he just a means to her goal, now to be disposed of.
The party went on for some time. The food was eaten and the sun was setting. Trunks had pulled out his new laptop to show off. Goku and Vegeta were making plans to spar in a little while. Bulma started up a game of cards with Chichi, Videl, and Eighteen. Jita had not escaped the chibis and was still telling Saiyan stories, ranging from the ancient to her own recollections. Gohan and Krillen were halfway listening to the stories, intrigued by the depth of the Saiyan culture.
And Goten was still lost in his dark thoughts.
"Goten?" Goku broke into his thoughts.
'Oh, crap. Here we go again.' Goten really wasn't in the mood.
"What's wrong, son? Tired of the party?"
Goku fully expected Goten to put up at least a front of happiness. Or say something noncommittal. Or talk to someone else. Or make a joke at his expense. Or ignore him.
Not an explosion.
"Just stop it!"
A shocked silence fell over the party. That couldn't be right. Goten was a good-natured boy, so like his carefree father. The father he had definitely yelled at.
"Goten, I . . ." Goku began.
"Just stop it!" Goten repeated. "Stop trying to be my pal! Stop trying to help me out! Stop trying to relate to me! I'm sick of it!"
Chichi was rather sick of it too. "Now listen here, young man. You will NOT speak to your father that way. I spent a lot of time getting together this 'going-to-college' party . . ."
"I'm not going to college!" Goten interrupted, this time, for once, leaving Chichi speechless. "I'm not going to college. I'm sorry, Mom, but I never applied. I just couldn't tell you."
Goku approached his son, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Goten, why didn't . . ."
"NO!" Goten jerked away. "Don't talk to me like that! Don't talk to me like you care, because I know you don't!"
There are limits to everyone, including Goku. He was now resolved not to be interrupted. He faced his son, his face hardening into a steely raptor gaze, as if he were facing an opponent in a life-or-death match. Only more was at stake now. "Goten, I've tried to reach out to you in every way I know how. You block me every time. You can't blame me there. The problem isn't college, or me. What is it?"
Goten found it hard to retain his indignance under his father glare. Everyone thought his father was so perfect. Well, he wasn't. "You know, every time you've reached out to me, or talked to me, I can only think of all those years that I couldn't imagine why you would choose the afterlife over being with your family. Did you even know I was born? No, you were happily skipping along Snake Way. I can only think about the pain Mom and Gohan went through, especially when I looked exactly like you, and how they tried to hide it from me." Goten fought back the tears burning in his eyes as he poured out the years of resentment from his soul. "I can only think of when I was told that my brother was dead, and my best friend was told that his father was dead, and when we had the audacity to feel a little grief, all you could do was yell at us to shut up, and then ask what was wrong when we were angry. And then leave. All I can think about is all those years you were alive, but spent your time away from home, training, months - YEARS - on end. The whole father-son bonding thing, it was too little too late. Well, you won't have to make up for lost time, or inconvenience yourself in any way on my account. I may not bee off to college, but I'm leaving anyway. Just don't follow me, and we'll get along fine."
And, true to his word, he left. All that was heard from him after that was a packed room and a note Chichi found on his bed:
Dear Mom,
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any pain. I feel terrible because I know I have. I know you always wanted me and Dad to get along, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry I can't go to college. I know you always wanted me to become a scholar like Gohan, but I can't. I can't be like Gohan. I can't be like anyone. I guess I've lived too long around all these legends, people not only powerful in strength, but in deed. Even Trunks, because of Mirai. I guess I just feel like I'm living in everyone's shadows. I have to find out who I am by myself, and then I'll be able to respect myself.
Send my love to Gohan and Pan. Love you, Mom.
Your son, Goten
