Chapter 17: Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

A/N: Another update, hopefully a few more questions answered as we Gohan stares down a train ready to come off the rails.

"I see…" A female voice said, a hint of concern showing as she listened to the report she was given by the school. "Just have him be excused then." The voice on the other end replied muffled to anyone else. "Yes, thank you." Tapping her phone off Chi-Chi brought a hand to her head. "I wish sometimes I was just a mom again." Followed by a heavy sigh.

As she loitered around in the back area, not ready to go back out and do her shots and filming, someone else joined her from the side. It was her 'partner' Hercule. The champ was not wearing any of his fighting attire, instead sporting a large white colored suit and black pants. "Everything alright, I heard you had a family emergency." There was genuine concern in his voice, as a father of one himself he often worried about his daughter and dreaded getting a phone call from school about her, considering she was his golden child he never expected anything but praise or something bad happening.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "Nothing serious, my older boy Gohan is just suffering from heavy exhaustion. I can only guess he got into a real fight with Vegeta of all people." Noting that Bulma had given her a message asking if she had sent Gohan over to spar with her man.

"Who is Vegeta?" Hercule not in on everything though he was sure he'd heard that name before.

Chi-Chi tucked her phone away. "The alien warrior prince, the one from the Cell Games, shorter and with the black upswept hair." The description was a little on the vague side, but Hercule did remember that particular dude.

"Bad temper and seemed really angry wearing that armor from Capsule Corp?" He was sure he had the right guy and saw Chi-Chi nod.

"Yeah that's him. My son and Vegeta got into a fight and I guess that it took a bit more out of my son. He was almost out for a week after the Cell Games… I wonder what is getting into him." She couldn't picture the sudden upswing in wanting to fight with her son. He hadn't shown any interest in combat since then.

"He's a young man, probably wanting to prove himself or just get the testosterone out of his system. Young men always have this need to show they are worthy, like in sports, schools, and girls."

Chi-Chi didn't discount that. "It's just not like him."

"People change, I've certainly learned not to be as cocky-" Chi-Chi gave him a look making him hold up his hands a little terrified of the woman. "-I mean cocky as in my actual abilities. I have to still sell the whole act since it gives people hope. Can't just have everyone not think there's no chance for them to reach greatness. I know your son and those other Z guys are really strong."

"I guess I can agree to that much." The mother accepted, "Though you do really over embellish everything. I mean how many times do you have to break something to prove how strong you are? The busses and cars? Is that all really necessary?"

Hercule laughed, "It's all a part of the show. Entertainment, it's not like they were being used."

Chi-Chi had a different thought. "Well how many kids and others have you probably 'inspired'-" using air quotes with her fingers "-to copy you."

That was a bit of a burner for him. "Well I do put disclaimers since I know a couple kids tried to punch a hole in their bus while dressed up like me." Those hadn't been the best of moments. "But I can't stop everyone from copying me, if not they'll end up on that one show jackholes."

"Ugh," Chi-Chi groaned in disgust. "Don't remind me of that." The comedy sensation of doing stupid acts, public humilation, and possible mutilation all for laughs. It was low brow comedy to her, but others found it hilarious. She brought up one of her fingernails to her mouth and bit on the end of it. "Maybe I'm expecting too much from Gohan. My dreams tell me he can handle it but there's just something inside of me quietly saying to have a talk with my little boy."

"I think that would be good for a lot of people. Videl has been sending me messages, but I feel it be better to talk about it face to face." Some of them were more about Gohan having trouble sleeping but to him that was probably normal.

Chi-Chi considered that removing her fingernail. "I would love to have some kind of face to face, but I've only been getting busier."

Hercule chuckled, "Eh it won't last much longer. Considering this is a way of me paying you and your family back for everything I'm sure this is just a minor bump in the road."

She agreed, "I know, wanting to get back to my old home and old way of life it's a nice feeling… but I wonder if I'm pushing more of my own wants on my kids than I think."

When he didn't respond, Chi-Chi did confess something she had been holding back. "I also don't know how to handle my son's current love affairs. He reminds me of his father in how he tries to be there for everyone but doesn't know how to take care of himself. I tried so hard as he grew up to make him out to be the perfect young scholar only to see him become an excellent fighter, I always kept him on a leash when it comes to girls. Wanting to meet them, know who they are and I'm worried if Gohan might start rushing into his relationships and do something that he'll regret."

"Well I know you had high praises for my little girl, so who does your son have an interest in?" Hercule couldn't figure the boy to be that bad if his mother saw his daughter as the prize that he- and the world- knew that she was.

"Well currently he's dating this blonde girl Erasa, her mother… is well Del. The..." She coughed respectfully, "Adult film star."

Hercule kept his composure, he was familiar with Del. That had been one of his few promiscuous nights after winning the Cell Games where he'd not knowingly slept with his daughter's friend's mother. It was something his little girl was furious with him and hadn't exactly let go.

Of course the situation with Chi-Chi was entirely different. Chi-Chi was a widow and their agreement was more about business and settling debts than some kind of sexual conquest.

It's not like the world champ had any trouble when it came to women and trying to notch a peg with a stern and strong woman like Chi-Chi would probably end up costing him more than what it would ever be worth and his daughter's own personal hatred would never be worth it. She had told him explicitly on the night she and Chi-Chi arrived at their little get together that if he did anything with Gohan's mom that they would be done the moment she turned eighteen.

And though the thought hadn't exactly crossed his mind, his daughter could hold a grudge and being that she was his daughter from his one true wife he couldn't bear the heartache of a father having his daughter loathing him for a very long time. His little girl was the number one thing in his life.

"Well I can't say much about her mother, Erasa has been a long friend of Videl. The two have helped each other through a lot and she's been there when most times I couldn't be. I don't think that it will be a bad thing although she might be a little quick to jump the gun on things when it comes to her friends and family."

She raised an eyebrow as Hercule recalled a particular incident between the two. "And why is that?"

'Well let's just say…"

Elsewhere that same girl was having a bit of a breakdown. "I can't believe it, the whole school is talking about how Gohan is fucking both me and Videl!" Erasa shouted into the confines of her own room. She'd gone straight home following the day. She'd tried calling Gohan but apparently he'd gone home sick or something.

Other kids were talking about a large green man taking Gohan home while he was totally incapacitated but that sounded ridiculous. Although apparently not as ridiculous as her best friend swooping in and trying to take her boyfriend from her.

Erasa had struggled to control herself when she finally got to see Gohan again. She had been having some weird dreams where other girls including VIdel were getting very close and flirty with Gohan. That they were all pining for his attention and she couldn't seem to get a word or even a moment with him edgewise during these strange dreams.

Trying not to be so affected by her mind, she reassured herself that it was nothing and then when she finally got the chance to be with Gohan after not being able to really talk to him the entire weekend she was pushed off by her best friend.

It wasn't because she felt she needed and deserved Gohan. To Erasa she and Gohan got along great, in more than one way. She enjoyed Gohan's innocent personality, his calm and mentoring demeanour, how he always seemed to be in control while not seeming like it. While she wanted to be angry with him, Gohan had done so much for her that she could never be truly mad at him. He put hours into helping her get through school, taking her on dates, spending time with him and his little brother. He made her feel so… satisfied? No that wasn't the right word. Content? No, she couldn't say that either.

Fulfilled? Yes that would be better. Gohan gave her a sense of fulfillment and in more than just an emotional way.

Her own girlish fears of losing Gohan to some girl who knew how to sleep around had been there; it was why she'd started pushing things forward with a physical relationship. Taking Gohan's firsts in so many ways.

It wasn't hard, considering the mother that she had. There wouldn't be much to it, she could master techniques and words to really rile up a guy. But she wasn't doing it because she was a slut, no she had to do it to keep the sluts away from Gohan. If she gave Gohan pleasure and satisfaction then he'd never look elsewhere. A sated man was a content man. It was one of her mom's sayings, though she never wanted to be the woman her mother was, she wanted to use her advice when it came to keeping something she wanted.

It was why she treated Gohan to sex, giving him handjobs, blowjobs, a bit of a titfuck here and there. Sure other girls could take his attention but never could they take his eyes, she needed Gohan. That feeling had been building inside of her. She might consider it an obsession but she justified it as love.

Because she did love Gohan. More than anyone else and then she was struck by a foul ball from left field. Videl was now sharing a home, sneaking off to spend time with him, and telling her, HIS GIRLFRIEND, to leave him be and give him space.

That wasn't Videl's right. It wasn't! Stepping in to push her moral authority over her like it was some kind of privilege that only she could wield. Always telling her not to do things, not to step too far over the line, or do certain things that were mostly harmless.

The arbiter of justice.

Gohan and she were meant to be together and she refused to let Videl take her guy. Videl had everything, the looks, the grades, the raw talent, and the superstar father whom everyone wished to have as their own. The luxuries, the attention, and the whole world handed to her. It might come off as jealousy but she hadn't really ever thought that much of it before.

And yet, Erasa had to deal with all of her own personal inadequacies, the joys of growing up with a mom who working as well… a pornstar and having that tossed upon her back with all of the personal benefits that every boy in her school had probably seen her own mother naked more times than she ever had. Compound that with her own classmates thinking of her as much the slut as her mother it had been difficult to maintain a high self esteem.

Add on Sharpner's pestering, it felt like genuine attraction when they were a few years younger but it became more of a desire for him to have her. The class hot girl on his arm because he was one of the top jocks and it fit into his little world.

'I am not just some damn arm candy! I can do well in school. I'm not an average student and Gohan showed me that. He didn't even ask for anything, no cheesy juvenile deals nothing. He's a great guy and I want to be with him.' Erasa told herself, someone who didn't have it all who could relate to her.

Having a mom who did her own thing, a father who didn't come back. Being seen as an outcast because of what everyone assumed about you. 'Me and Gohan are made for one another.'

She was certain that Gohan felt the same way. 'One hundred percent'

So she had devised her own plan. Erasa was going to have Gohan no matter the cost. She'd do anything for him all he had to do was ask and do it before Videl took him from her permanently. 'Videl can't keep him away. I will have Gohan.'

With dedication Erasa had been 'studying' her mother's own movies. Learning tricks of the trade one would call it, because like it or not she was going to give herself wholly to the guy she loved and she wanted to blow his freaking mind.

Her mom could enrapture men around the world so why couldn't she? Her measurements were killer, her frame, hair, and skin all were top of the line. Taking a page from what Gohan had taught her in regards to studying and learning she looked through what her mother had done. Noting the small details that would help bloom the bigger picture.

Once she was confident and did a little practice she would set up a little rendezvous with Gohan. It was only a few weeks from prom and his birthday was coming. "I mean what boy wouldn't want a little happy sexy seventeen birthday crotch mashing?" Erasa was building herself up as she noted what would be good moves she could do and how she could make Gohan feel even better.

With 'naughty nurses, the girl next door, and the slutty step sister' as just a few of her lessons Erasa straddled a section of her bed as she watched - the audio muted - as to keep no one the wiser of her activities at home. Using a pillow as a mock for Gohan's chest she began to mimic her mother's art. Keeping her legs wide, her arms as brace she followed along with her movements.

Sure was it perverted what she was doing, watching her mom's old porns to get better at sex, a little or tad bit over the line. But what else was she going to do? Go ask her? Gods no or go to some sleazy website and look for dating advice or some random fetish videos… 'wait? Does Gohan have a fetish? Crap!' Realizing that Gohan might be into kinky shit. Perhaps she could subtly text him before his seventeenth birthday.

"Because one way or another Gohan is my guy and no matter what anyone says I will do anything to make sure he stays that way." So she would put her best… something forward and give the guy she cared about the single greatest night of his entire life.

[***]

Gohan awoke again with a heavy start, his hands grabbing at his face as he felt the sting of tears burning at the edges of his tired eyes. "Can this just stop? Please Kami, I hate this." Gohan spoke into his hands. The stress and pressure was becoming too much. He found no real rest as he failed to get any real sleep. Stuck between nightmares and night terrors were draining him more of his energy than that titanic Kamehameha had.

Stuck in this new bed Gohan just tossed off the covers as sleep was the furthest thing from him despite the heavy pull he was feeling he got up. Wearing only boxers he moved around the room. It was too large for him… It wasn't right. All of this wasn't right.

He looked at his cell phone but just discarded the thought immediately, his mother wouldn't bother answering anyway. No time for me. Gohan told himself, he tried to reach out and see if there was anyone else nearby, Videl or Goten. But unfortunately that wasn't the case. His eyes looked towards the single clock seeing the time as 1:00 pm in the afternoon.

Neither would be home anytime soon.

"I need to get out of here. I just need to escape for awhile." To be free from all of this for just a few hours would do him some good.

Putting on a purple training gi and white sash, Gohan opened up the window and leapt into the air. The fresh air whipping across his face helped revitalize him. 'Let's go somewhere peaceful… a place where there were happier times.'

And that could only be one place. It was where good and bad were synonyms.

He was going home.

It took him about twenty minutes flying. The path and landscape was just like well the human analogy would be riding a bike which he never did. But flying would be a better comparison. The hills, forests, rivers, and lakes all of them were just as if he had never even left.

Breaking through the low hanging cloud cover Gohan dropped down, descending slowly as his eyes scanned through the location. The old dirt path that lead to his home having been overrun due to the lack of travel. But the grooves from the truck and car that his parents used still left its marks years later.

Winding up and around Gohan passed over the farm his parents had started, back when he used to be a child and try and help his parents when he was still little. Working as a little kid was fun when there weren't any expectations…

Looking at it now he could see pieces of the tilled soil. Now overrun with weeds, rocks, branches, and other things that made the place an eyesore to how he remembered it.

'See Gohan, this is where we start making yummy food for mommy to cook for us.' A young fatherly Goku voice spoke, 'This is going to be delicious cabbage, over here we have eggplant when mom gets to make lasagna. Ooh and this is going to be ripe juicy tomatoes. Then we have carrots and…' He could talk forever about food.

Gohan couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face. Even if he didn't exactly want for that to happen. "See Gohan, when you make food you have to be delicate in how you handle it.'

The image of a toddler Gohan with his father kneeling beside him pointing at the fresh vegetables ready to be harvested. "You have to be firm but soft." Reaching up Goku's fingers plucked a plump red tomato from the vine. "It's like a person. You have to be careful, it's like how I handle you and your mother. How about you try?"

Directing his son's hands to reach up and grasp the fruit or was it a vegetable? "Alright nice and eas-" Gohan yanked tearing the skin and dug his fingers inside. The juices dribbled out as Gohan looked at the ruined tomato. His face looked up to his father with tears having just destroyed the tomato but his dad just smiled. "It's okay Gohan we can work on it. Don't cry, it's just a mistake we all make them. Even if we do wrong there's always a chance to make it right. Let's try again."

Reminded of the good times, even if they weren't anything special they were still good memories. He hadn't been able to recall them very well until coming back here. The hours he'd spend doing something so simple as picking and cleaning the farm and he had nothing but smiles and the praises from his parents when he helped out.

But then the farm began to fade as the world kept spinning so many different directions. Fate not allowing him a chance to be nothing more than a simple farm boy from his youth.

Walking around, Gohan could point to every single plot of land and knew what was grown where and since he'd gotten smarter he knew the best temperatures and the seasons to begin planting and growing food. Walking towards the old barn that his dad- Gohan stopped as he looked at the building. "He's not anything anymore. He's just a memory." Telling himself that as he referred to Goku as anything more.

The tractor inside had been sold to cover their bills because all of them had to train for the tournament. None of it ever seemed to be enough though, Grandpa usually ended up helping out with everything and he didn't want to see his daughter and grandkids put through any financial burden when he could easily help.

The loose chain door was rusted along the bolts. Barely held together by old wood that had lost its red vibrant hue and was a dirty brown color. He could see the tracks of small animals and numerous other scratch marks as the doors rattled, not able to be closed anymore. Just empty inside.

Gohan kept walking around and came up to the front of the house. The old realtor sign that his mother had put up never had been picked up. The name and phone number far too faded to ever be used. The front door was locked with a combination lock and several boards covering the windows. Leaning down he grabbed the lock box and put in the combination. It was his and Goten's age at the time of selling, making it easy to remember.

Popping out the key Gohan unlocked the door and stepped inside. All of it was mostly how he remembered it. A few thin layers of dust covering sections of wood and furniture that was draped in plastic. The old dining room table. A lot of laughs were had there, more when Piccolo joined them during the three years.

Still he moved inside, stopping at what was his old room. The door was slightly ajar as Gohan pushed it open to look at the barren location through the minor warping in the floor still remained to his greater eyesight. He could still paint a picture of this place as he recalled it from the last day he was in here.

Looking down at the floor, Gohan moved the lines of dust away with a flick of his hand before taking a seat on the floor, his back against the wall.

The trees still moved from his window though there were some weeds peeking just over the banister. Just staring out into the wilds Gohan just let himself go still. Forgetting about his mom, his family, school, everything became secondary to the blank stare looking beyond himself.

But a voice came from nowhere, one he knew but hadn't heard in almost six years. "Guess I'd find you here. Hard to let go of the old house, isn't it Gohan?" A shadow blocked the side of his body. The solid black mass had no real substance until Gohan blinked and then gasped.

Black became bright orange in blue, forming into arms, hands, and crazy black spiked hair with a face that had a final smile on it before bidding him farewell. "What's the matter Gohan, surprised to see me?" The voice laughed, "Yeah I'd guess so all that time being dead it might take awhile to recognize me."

Gohan shook his head, then smacked it once. 'No way.' He shot up to his feet. "What? When? How? Why?" He fumbled through the first before his surprise turned to anger. "EXPLAIN?!"

Goku just laughed. "Come on Gohan, there's only so many things that bring me back from the dead you know. How do you think it happened, son?" He reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, Gohan could feel the grip. "Man you've gotten bigger, though I think there's more of my brother showing than I like, but that's okay you look good with long hair."

The teen's eyes looked to the hand on his arm, then to the face of the man staring at him. "This isn't real. You're still dead, no way you just popped back into existence. I have to be dreaming."

But his dream just chuckled, "Come on Gohan, give me some credit. I haven't let death stop me before." He came closer putting an arm around his shoulders missing the way Gohan's entire body tensed. "Now how about you take me to my new son, I probably have a lot of catching up to do."

Gohan closed his eyes trying to wake up, this wasn't happening, but as his father's fingers touched him again he snapped. Snapping his arm upwards he knocked the arm on his shoulder off of him. Pulling back and away from Goku. The action making his father's eyes widen.

"Gohan? What's-"

"SHUT UP!" He snarled, "You!" His finger snapped up pointing directly at his father's face. "You have some fucking nerve showing up like this. To act as if everything is just fine and that you can come back into my life as if you just went to the store for an afternoon." Gohan felt tears welling up in his eyes as he lost all manner of composure. "I can't believe you'd do this to me, mom, and Goten?! If staying fucking dead was such a big deal why the hell are you back right now?!"

"Gohan, it was a mistake." Goku pleaded holding up both of his hands.

"A m-mis-mistake?" He stammered his words shifting from disbelief to anger. "You think that leaving us alone for six years, caring on in the otherworld and then just popping back up because you made a kami damn MISTAKE is just okay?!" Gohan's fists were balled, rivers were flowing from his eyes as he screamed at his father. His naive disregard for everything he had done, acting as if this was just no big deal to him.

Did he not understand that there were consequences for his actions. That his entire world had changed, that the house was barren, the farm was gone, that everything that used to make their house a home, that the family he had left behind had changed.

'But this is him, this is who he is, never there for you or anyone. The seflish fucking bastard!'

"Gohan, what's the problem, I thought you'd be happy that i came back?" His father's confusion only made red lines begin to crack within Gohan's eyes. Black fairing to a burning teal. "It's okay, you don't have to be angry. Look, how about we-"

A fist made contact with his cheek sending him crashing through the window and digging up a trench in the ground as Gohan jumped out of the window his body aflame with golden ki. "Angry? You think I'm angry you son of a bitch?!" Gohan screamed, his tears beginning to fade as nothing but hatred poured into his veins.

Forget about his problems, the sleeplessness, the distance his mother was putting between them. His school life and friends, fuck all of that! Right now the only thing that mattered was beating this no good piece of shit man who pretended to be a father straight into the fucking ground!

"Gohan? What-" He didn't get to finish Gohan jumped on him hitting him once, twice, three- four- ten- twenty- fifty- he didn't bother counting he just swung with reckless abandon as blue lines rippled around him.

"I don't want you here-" A punch to the head. "Mom moved on," A blow to the neck. "Goten doesn't ever need to know you. I'll be the father that you never were!" Gohan's wrist was caught just before it made contact flush with his dad's nose. Gohan's teeth grit as his lips pulled into a snarl.

He threw the other one but Goku caught it as well. "Well then." Goku said slowly pushing his son back up, his body ascending to the level of super saiyan. "Maybe I should start by putting some discipline back in you, my son." With a toss he sent Gohan skidding away from him. The two then quickly rebounded into each other. Gohan blocked his dad's upper combo followed up by a knee with ease.

He never changed! Gohan knew his father's style of fighting like it was basic algebra. Something he learned when he was six. Sweeping his father's leg out Gohan drove home one devastating blow into his stomach.

Goku clutched his stomach as Gohan grabbed his father's bent down face and crashed his knee up into his face. He buckled and fell backwards staggering only to feel Gohan's hands touch his stomach.

"MASENKO-!" Gohan called out as a yellow beam charged between his fingers. Waiting just long enough to see his father's shocked expression and then exploded it straight into his gut.

His father went airborne a thin trail of black smoke following behind before he landed on the far edge of the farm. Marching forward, Gohan's hands cracking and shaking as a wicked grin spread over his face. 'This is what I need! This is what I want!' Moving forwards he watched Goku push himself up.

"Seems like you've changed a lot since the last time I saw you, Gohan." The father cracked his neck as he gave his son a long hard stare as Gohan kept his slow pace towards him.

"It happens when you don't have a father." Gohan spat back at him, "But then again you would know a little something about that." The jab made the teen smirk as he kept moving forwards.

"Gohan…" HIs father's voice warned. "You need to think about what you're doing right now. You're using your powers for yourself, just like you did with Cell."

His foot stopped about ten meters from his father. One of his eyes twitched upwards. "And whose fault is that?"

The other saiyan just lowered himself into a fighting stance. "You told me you didn't have a father or are you blaming your mother for your actions?"

The demi saiyan let out a furious roar. Charging straight at him, swinging only to have his hand blocked, the other caught by his father's other hand. Pulling his hands down slowly until the two of them were looking eye to eye. Super-saiyan to Super-saiyan.

"You can't ever take the blame for anything can you?" Gohan spat, a whine of light splashed against his father's cheek. "You, the model of goodness, never doing anything wrong or ever taking responsibility for everything you've done!" Gohan took a step forward, shoving his nose into Goku's. Growling angrily as their two arms shook. Goku restraining Gohan's wrists as he struggled to break free.

'Everything you tried to stand for, you weren't anything special. Nothing-! Nothing but naive!'

"Gohan. You have to stop." Goku's voice told him, but Gohan shook his head. Still Gohan couldn't budge his father's grip. The pressure was growing more and more.

"Not until you've admitted to what you've done to your family!"

Goku's mouth moved to speak but out came a black mass, it filled all of Gohan's vision as the demi saiyan felt a wet pressure sliding against his face-! His eyes popped open as a long pink tongue rolled over his cheek again and again. Large paws held down his hands as Gohan looked up and heard a familiar squawk of a large purple friend.

"Icarus?" Gohan said confused, but as his old childhood friend called out again Gohan felt his head thud against the ground. He'd fallen asleep and had another dream or nightmare as was evident by his old friendly dinosaur had come to pay him a visit. The creature a fair bit larger but nothing that he couldn't have handled back when he was still a child.

Exhalling in relief, Gohan slipped one hand friend to reach up and pat his old friend's head. "I missed you too." As he got several more wet sloppy licks to the face. But as he did he wondered if that had really been a dream.

It felt real as anything. His voice, the pain, the use of ki. All of it… 'am I losing my mind?'

'No, but soon you'll be all mine.'

R&R