.

Chapter 21:

HOW TIME FLIES

Note: Thanks to X3runner and Cruzerblade for reviewing the previous chapter :).

Previously on Consumed by the past:

The grand finale was a draw between Goku and Gohan. Eastern Kaioshin punishes Goku for blowing up Kaio's planet, by not letting him communicate with the living world and prohibiting him from using his Shunkanidou. Gohan returns to Earth, heartbroken because he failed at getting the Dragon Balls back, defeating Endou and losing his dad, again. He explains everything to Chichi and later to Piccolo, too, who tries to comfort him, but the boy denies his feelings and tells him that he's fine. When he meets up with Vegeta, the Saiyan prince strikes a nerve and Gohan explodes with anger. The prince grabs his tail and all the power is cut from the young boy. Gohan wants to continue training with Vegeta, but the prince is a bit reluctant, because of the boy's failure in the Demon realm.

Days have passed since Gohan returned from the Other World. Vegeta accepted Gohan's offer and continued training with him. The calendar was now showing 1st of September - the first day of actual school for Gohan. The feeling was bitter sweet; excited to learn new things but at the same time, still feeling guilty about the recent events. Chichi wanted him to go to the best public school; home-studying would be a lot less efficient and beneficial; that's why Gohan had to do the entrance exams to get accepted into the Yellow Star Primary School (or YSPS). Bulma offered to pay for his education and wouldn't take "no" for answer.

His classes began on 7:00 (7 AM) in the morning and lasted to around 12:20 (12:20 AM); lunch break included; from Monday to Friday. Each "school" hour lasted for 45 minutes, then a 5 minute recess and after that again 45 minutes, and so on. Lunch break was at 9:30 and lasted for 20 minutes. The first day was a bit... stressful.

"Gohan, hurry, you're gonna be late on your FIRST day!" Chichi shouted across the house.

"Calm down, mum, I only need a few minutes to get there. It's 6:45 now."

"You can't arrive just on time, you have to be the first there to make an impression on your teachers."

"I'll just use full speed."

"Just be careful not to get your clothes all wrinkled. You need to look your best. I've prepared your lunch and put it in your school bag. Pay attention and write down everything your teachers will say."

"I got it, mum. Don't worry."

"And for Kami's sake, don't reveal your power, especially the Super Saiyan thing."

"I won't, I'm not THAT reckless. Ok, I'm leaving, bye mum. See ya."

"Bye honey, pay attention to your teachers!" she shouted behind him.

I can't believe I'm actually going to a real school. Home tutoring did get me far but I can't do it indefinitely. I'm still coping with the fact that Bulma insisted on paying for everything. When she makes up her mind, there's no arguing with her; not even a Super Saiyan 2 could change her mind. I hope everything will be okay; I'm a bit worried about my tail, but I've wrapped it around my waist and hid it under my shirt and pants. Even PE clothes will be able to easily hide it. I'm glad the school doesn't have a dress code (1); I hate formal school uniforms.

And just like that, the few-minute flight to the school was over. Luckily, the YSPS was near a small forest - a perfect place to make his landing unseen. His black sneakers/trainers touched the ground and he made his way towards the school. He was wearing blue jeans and a grey sweatshirt with a blue t-shirt underneath; very casual and informal, just the way he liked it. He reached the school and the clock on it displayed "6:53" - still plenty of time. There were already children of different ages there, making their way into the building. At that moment, he became nervous seeing so many different kids in one place. Some were teasing others, some were laughing, some were crying. Not paying attention to all that, Gohan made his way through the dense crowd and finally entered the school. After a short walk through the halls, he found his classroom and entered. About 20 classmates were already there and a few were on their way. He located an empty chair and sat down, waiting for class to start. Everyone was looking at him because he was a new student amongst them. Some were asking for his name, some were quietly talking to others about him - usual stuff kids do in these situations. At 7:00 their teacher entered the classroom, making all the students stand and greet her with a loud "Good morning, teacher."

"Good morning, class," she replied and put her learning material on her desk. "Before we start the new school year, I would like to extend my welcome to our new student - Son Gohan. Would you mind standing up and say a few words about yourself, Gohan?"

The demi-Saiyan stood up, "Hi, my name's Gohan. Nice to meet you. I live in the East District, I love spending my time outdoors, fishing, relaxing, but I also like studying."

He chose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal his martial arts skills or anything that would make him look too different from the other kids. It's the never-ending struggle for being half Saiyan and half Human, but hey, it's been working so far. The class commenced with the first subject: mathematics, being followed with English, science, geography, creative arts and lastly, PE (physical education). The PE always came last, so the students could go directly home all sweaty and stinky. The other subjects (+ history, personal, social and health education, design and technology) were predefined for each day, where more emphasis and hours were put into mathematics, English, geography, creative arts and history. PE was scheduled every day, but Tuesdays and Thursdays had two consecutive periods of PE instead of just one.

And speaking of PE, the final period had already arrived for Gohan and his classmates. This was usually the most popular subject among the students - no learning and all fun. The warm month of September allowed the PE to be carried out outside. Luckily, this school had it all; a running track, basketball and handball court and a baseball field. Since it was the first day of school, PE teachers let the students do whatever activity they wanted. Gohan didn't know exactly which sport to choose, but to his luck, a random group of boys from his class invited him to a 3 vs 3 basketball match.

"Hey, you're Gohan, aren't you? The new student." one of the boys greeted him.

"Yeah. Thanks for inviting me to the group."

"No problem, we were short on one team member anyway. You know how to play?"

"Ummm, kind of. Haven't really tried it, but I've read about it."

"Read about it? Don't you have TV where you live or basketball courts?" another one asked.

"We do have a TV, but I almost never watch it, and as for the courts, no, there aren't any."

"We'll just have to teach you then. Don't worry, these two," he pointed a finger at two boys on the opposite team, "also never played before. Let's just have fun and get to know each other."

It wasn't a pretty scene, but it wasn't terrible either. The ball was flying all over the place, out-of-bounds, under the basket, over the basket, to the left and to the right of it and occasionally scoring a point. To the boys' surprise, Gohan was fast and could really jump good, but he was really, really holding back, as much as he could. Once he got the hang of the basics, it was a bit easier to play and much more fun, too. All the boys were already sweaty whereas Gohan practically had none on him. The PE was over almost in a flash and the students started going home. The half-Saiyan had a very different day from what he would normally have. Luckily, his tail was tucked under his pants, out of sight from everyone and no one suspected anything. He waved goodbye to his classmates and made his way towards the forest, from where he flew home. Chichi almost interrogated her son when he arrived home, but in the end, everything went fine and Gohan had also made some new friends it seems.

After eating lunch at home, he changed into his fighting uniform (combination of Piccolo's and Goku's) and was meeting Vegeta for training at the usual location. When he arrived, the prince was already there, waiting impatiently.

"Finally you're here! How was the kindergarten?"

"Unlike you, Vegeta, I'm eager to learn and not just get stuck in fighting. I can have plenty of that if I wanted to."

"Let's cut the crap and start training that tail of yours again. You've made poor progress in these last few days." Vegeta ordered him.

The training started and it was far more painful and difficult than the basketball in school. Vegeta kept grabbing his tail, causing Gohan immense pain, paralyzing his entire body. Truthfully, he enjoyed every minute of it, seeing Kakarot's son on his knees, every time he squeezed his tail. The longer that went on, the less Gohan knew what he should be doing, making Vegeta scream even more at him.

"Enough, enough, stop it!" screamed the boy. "Enough tail training, let's spar."

"I don't think so. You need to eliminate this weak spot. Even if we spar, I can freely take advantage of it." he said but loosened his grip.

The boy smirked, "You have to catch me first," and threw a left punch at Vegeta.

The prince blocked it with ease but Gohan continued his assault with more punches; he has had enough of the painful tail training. A full blown spar emerged from the initial punch from Gohan. Vegeta constantly tried grabbing Gohan's tail, but the half-Saiyan managed to dodge his attempts every time. Their regular Saiyan form was soon replaced by its super version, making the spar more intense for both of them. Gohan's tail continued to evade Vegeta's arms, but he didn't want to wrap it around his waist - that would defeat the sole purpose of the whole training. Of course minutes extended in to two hours of non-stop sparring. Not a single energy blast was fired during the whole session, as both wanted to focus on their hand-to-hand combat; no projectiles of any kind were "allowed".

The sun started setting and it was time for Gohan to go home and prepare for his second day of school. Vegeta laughed and teased him, like always, but Gohan didn't mind; well he did a little, but not a lot. The training was a partial success - both were exhausted and a little bruised, and a partial failure - Gohan's tail was still his weak point. Both flew into the air and went their way; Vegeta to CC and Gohan to his house, where he helped Chichi with some house chores and had a lovely dinner together. After that, he went up to his room and prepared the necessary books for tomorrow. This was how his weekdays would mostly look like for the next couple of months.

About 2 months later

It's mid November and winter is slowly approaching. Gohan has been doing very well in school, Chichi's been so very proud and Vegeta's been so very... annoyed by the fact that a mere school boy aka Gohan, was still the only one able to go Super Saiyan 2. Not just that, but his tail training has also been paying off - he's become immune to gentle and medium squeezes, but the hard ones still take away a hefty amount of his strength. He's been sparring with Vegeta on almost a daily basis and occasionally doing some mental training with Piccolo, too. The feeling of guilt never left - it anchored itself deep in Gohan's psyche. Some nights were restless, some kept Gohan awake because of nightmares but he did get enough sleep during most of them. It was like a déjà-vu from the aftermath after the Cell games. His behavior also started getting different; smiles were rare, except during training with Vegeta which he really enjoyed. It was like another episode of post traumatic stress. Thankfully, school and training occupied a hefty amount of his time, so he couldn't think so much about all the recent events... and about his dad. But during the weekends, his severe anxiety would kick in during the evening and just before bed time. To counter that, he resorted back to the deep meditation technique that Piccolo had thought him to get his emotions and psyche in balance. It was helping to some extent, but some days he just couldn't concentrate enough to get the meditation process going. It was terrible, but it wasn't alight either. There was something he was really looking forward to - to having a baby brother. Whenever his severe anxiety would kick in, he'd think about that and feel better.

Chichi's stomach was slowly getting bigger, meaning that Goten was doing just nicely. His father, Goku, was still in the Other World doing Kami-knows-what - probably eating and training. His punishment was still valid: no teleporting and no contact with the living world. To be honest, it didn't bother him that much because of all the training he was doing and the fighters he was meeting or sparring with. He did miss his son and wife, but Goku was, well, Goku. The Eastern Kaioshin hasn't contacted anyone yet, not even Kaio. It seems that the hunt for Shingo was still under way. Either that or they just didn't have a clue where or how to find him - something that Vegeta kept thinking.

What about Gohan's scars you may ask? Well, so far, he managed to keep them hidden from Chichi and his fellow classmates. He also never wears a t-shirt during PE - he always wears a long sleeved tracksuit. He just doesn't want to make a scene with those scars and his muscular half-Saiyan body. His tail was also always tucked under his pants, hidden from the outside world. But he couldn't keep his scars a secret forever. One day, he was taking a shower at home, but Chichi took all of his clothes from the bathroom without him realizing it. When he got out of the shower, he couldn't wear anything so he made his way towards his room. His preoccupied mind prevented him from felling Chichi's energy in time, but before he realized his mistake, she had already stepped out of his room and saw him, wrapped in a towel.

"GOHAN! Is that... is that a scar on your chest?!" she screamed.

He sighed, like expressing disappointment, "Yes, mum... it is. I got them during the Other World Tournament," he was brutally honest.

"What do you mean "got THEM"?" she started panicking.

"I've got one here, too," he replied and turned his back towards her, revealing the second scar on his upper back.

"You can't have those! You look like a delinquent or a gang member!"

"Mum, calm down! Geez, I don't mind having them... in fact... I actually like having them. They remind me of the epic battle dad and I had. I'm a fighter now and it's something you'll, I hope, accept. I'm also a learner and I love going to school, learning new things and making friends my own age. I don't want a boring normal life... I was born with this power and I'm going to nurture it and use it to keep the Earth and YOU safe. Nobody in the school has seen the scars and I'll make sure they never will. Don't stress out... remember whom you're carrying in your belly. None of you understand the burden I'm carrying at such a young age, but it was my decision to take it upon me."

He took a fee steps towards her and looked her in the eyes, "I love you very much, mum, and I don't know what I'd do you if I had lost you, too... but don't treat me as your little helpless boy... treat me as an equal and a strong individual. I'm your and dad's son, after all."

Chichi didn't know what to say... it was just too much information at once. Deep inside her, she was very worried about her first son, but at the same time, she was also concerned how she'll be able to raise her second son without a father. It was bad enough with Gohan all these years when Goku wasn't around and even when he was, not much parenting was going on. She definitely didn't want Goten to go through the same experience, but truth be told, she and Gohan will just have to make the best of it, with or without Goku.

After Gohan finished his little monologue, Chichi's eyes started sparkling; she was on the verge of crying.

"I'm sorry, Gohan... it's just that... all these years, you and Goku have been through too much. I've tried keeping you away from all that fighting, not because I didn't want you to fight, but because I was worried I might lose you. On top of that, I never wanted for you to see or witness all those horrors in your life."

Gohan was surprised by her answer, but remained quiet and listened.

She kneeled and looked him directly in his black eyes, "I know you've changed, your father's death changed you. You think you're to blame for his sacrifice, for not retrieving the Dragon Balls and all that... I'm not going to try and convince you otherwise because I know this is something that only you can change. I've learned a great deal from Goku, and you for that matter, over the last years. Saiyans are stubborn and won't accept help from anyone; you crave for battle and to prove your strength. They deal with emotions in their own way... Goku didn't talk much about what was bothering him, because he didn't want to make me worry. You're a bit different since you also inherited half of my Human genes... you've always had a temper, your emotions were difficult to control and they still are, sometimes."

She started crying and grabbed her son's arms, "I miss Goku... I miss my loving husband. He might have been stubborn and a bit selfish, but he loved both of us from the bottom of his heart. He did what he thought was right - he was following his heart and not his mind. I know you'll deal with his loss in your own way and I won't interfere. But I miss him too, every single day I wish he were here. I'm scared, Gohan, scared because your younger brother will soon be born and I don't know how I'm going to handle you and him. I just don't..."

Gohan's eyes started accumulating tears; seeing his mother cry like this was shocking. He hugged her, "I... I didn't know, mum. I'm so sorry for everything. I respect that you'll let me deal with all this in my own way, but you must know that I'm also here for you. Don't worry about Goten, you won't be raising him by yourself... I'll help you in any way I can."

It was a real bonding moment for both of them - Chichi cried for a little longer while Gohan let a few tears get away from his eyes. It seems that Chichi's been holding a lot of emotions deep inside her, too, ever since Gohan was practically kidnapped by Raditz. They just seemed to have build up over the last years, but not even once she talked about it or has shown any signs that something is bothering her that much. She would always act tough and strict - probably to hide what she truly felt in her heart.

"Look at us," she smiled a bit after her tears stopped flowing down her cheeks, "I didn't even give you time to get dressed."

Gohan was still wrapped in a towel, which he had completely forgotten about, "Sometimes certain things just can't wait, mum, and I'm glad this one didn't." he replied.

His mother wiped hear tears and stood up, "I guess I was also anxious because of the fact that you've gotten so powerful - it's mind-blowing. Just one wrong move and the whole planet could explode."

"I know what you mean... sometimes I'm afraid of the same thing. I'd never hurt you or anyone else for that matter ; I know that for sure."

"I know you do," she smiled back and stroked his hair, "now get dressed and I'll prepare dinner. Unless you have some other plans with Piccolo or Vegeta?"

"I don't, and even if I did, I'd cancel everything just so we could spend this evening together," her son smiled back.

"Oh, Gohan... that's so sweet." was her reaction.

The evening turned out to be very pleasant with both of them talking and laughing while remembering some odd moments from their lives or just reliving the happy memories. It was nice seeing Gohan having a good time and not thinking about his "mistakes" in the Demon realm and later on Wanasa Prime. Because Chichi's belly was getting bigger, the demi-Saiyan offered to do the dishes and other heavier chores from now on, so she couldn't exert herself.

Another 2 months later

November was over and so was December. Snow has fallen just a few days before the end of the year. East District was covered in a thin white layer of fresh snow; it almost looked like a scene right out of a story. Chichi was now about 8 months pregnant and Goten gained a considerable amount of weight, hence her belly being even bigger and heavier. Most of the chores have fallen on Gohan, except for cooking, but he wasn't complaining one bit. It was for the first time in a while he was helpful without using his strength or power. Pregnancy was also proceeding without problems; Chichi has been having monthly checkups in the West City General Hospital to ensure Goten was doing nicely.

One Saturday, Gohan and Vegeta were training at their usual location; a rocky, barren patch of land, not that far from Gohan's house. Snow still covered the landscape, except for that patch of land where both of them trained, which was utterly ruined and destroyed by their constant trainings and energy blasts. Luckily, it was far enough from civilization, so any misfired Ki blasts couldn't harm or destroy anything; not even a Kamehameha or a Final Flash - Gohan and Vegeta could really spar without worrying of hurting someone. For the last two months, the demi-Saiyan had been using Super Saiyan 2 a lot more than usual. He wanted to master it no matter what, but it was proving more difficult than ever before. By not having a calm mind, it was difficult to focus on controlling it, mastering it's energy output and the enraged emotions that come as a side effect of being transformed for a prolonged period of time. This, however, was not the only reason for using Super Saiyan 2. With this, he was also able to push Vegeta past his limits - superior strength, stamina and speed allowed Gohan to bring out the absolute best in Vegeta, 110 or 115 % out of him. This was Vegeta's idea, even though Gohan was reluctant at first, but eventually accepted this harsh training for Vegeta, and in the end, for himself, too.

"Damn it, Vegeta... we've been training like this for the past 4 months and you're still so WEAK!" Gohan shouted.

"SHUT UP! Just by agreeing to train with you was the lowest point in my life... I don't need your mercy or your idiotic remarks."

The boy grabbed the prince by his armor and lifted him off the ground, "Tsch, the Prince of all Saiyans... why did I even bother of asking you to spar with me?"

Vegeta was struggling but couldn't break free from Gohan's grasp... his power was light years ahead of Vegeta's. The boy punched him in the stomach a few times and head-butted him. Seeing Vegeta so helpless was amusing to the boy, but that was only because Super Saiyan 2's side effects had already kicked in some time ago. Thanks to his quite extensive training in this form, he was able to control his emotions to a certain degree, but his personality always changed bit by bit, the longer he was transformed. It was like a slow, gradual substitution of Gohan's original personality and behavior with a more robust, savage, arrogant and bloodlust one. No matter how hard he tried keeping his own personality the dominant one, he always failed, gradually. One thing was for sure, he could transform almost in an instant, and if he wanted, he could also bypass the regular Super Saiyan and just go from base form to Super Saiyan 2, but that needed a lot more concentration and stamina; or in other words - practically useless since he mastered and perfected Super Saiyan to be the most optimal platform from which to ascend.

Once Vegeta regained some stamina, he insisted on more training. Gohan reverted back to Super Saiyan, and with this, his personality gradually returned, him being himself and rational again. The two sparred for another hour without taking a break. The sun had already set, turning the sky into a dark blue color with countless of bright spots on it - the stars were glowing brightly on a clear sky. It was their final beam struggle for the day, Kamehameha vs Galick Gun and Gohan was clearly winning. At one particular moment, Gohan's power dramatically dropped and Vegeta's beam steamrolled Gohan's, crashing into the boy and causing a huge explosion with an aftershock.

"What the hell was that?!" Vegeta's expression changed.

Gohan was still standing with his arms crossed in a typical defense position.

"Sorry, Vegeta... I need to go. Something's wrong with mum."

"Are you serious?!"

"Her Ki... something's wrong. It's very erratic." he said and rushed home as a Super Saiyan with Vegeta following him.

Both were at East District 439 in a matter of minutes. Gohan slammed open the door and barged into the house.

"Mum! Mum!" he shouted.

Then he heard very faint moaning sounds from the upper floor; from the master bedroom. He quickly ascended up the stairs, opening the doors and seeing Chichi lying on the bed in pain.

"Mum, what's wrong?!" the boy panicked.

"Something's wrong... with Goten. It hurts... something is wrong." Chichi had difficulties saying.

Vegeta entered the bedroom, "She needs to go to a hospital... fast!

"What's happening?" the boy was anxious.

"Bulma had something similar. Pick her up and go! I'll let Bulma know what's going on."

Without even losing a second, the half-Saiyan picked up Chichi along with the blanket and rushed at full speed to the West City General Hospital. Vegeta picked up the phone (yes, the phone) and called Bulma, because it was quicker. He actually knew Bulma's cell phone number because she "made" him memorize it.

"Hello?"

"Kakarot's wife is having similar problems, like the ones you had with Trunks. Gohan rushed her to the WCGH." he said with a calm voice.

"WHAT?! Oh no! I'll call them right away to give her the best staff and care as possible... what are you waiting for, get over there!"

She hung up, leaving Vegeta angry, "That woman... always so bossy."

With that thought, he followed Gohan to the hospital.

A few minutes later, Chichi was already rushed to intensive care for a complete check up of what's going on. Gohan was by her side all the time... he didn't want to leave.

One of the doctors used the ultrasound machine to see what's going on with Goten.

"The umbilical cord has been severed and the baby is entangled in it. I also see a lot of blood. We need to operate.. now!"

"W-what?! Is Goten going to be ok?!" Chichi was shocked.

"If we don't do a C-section, both of you could die. Nurse, prep the Operating Room 1, stat! This is an emergency!"

Before Gohan could react or even say anything, Chichi had already been rushed to the operating room. He was shocked and speechless; he wanted to follow her, but a nurse stopped him, making him angry.

"Gohan! You can't go there, it's off limits. We'll wait with you." Bulma shouted when entering the hospital with Vegeta.

Minutes seemed like hours and hours like weeks. A nurse stepped up to them and asked if they needed medical attention, since both had bruises, cuts and some minor wounds from the training, but Vegeta just put on his angry face, making the nurse go away.

"You know, you could have just said "no"." Bulma whispered to her husband, but then turned to little Gohan, who was just quietly sitting beside her.

"Don't worry, Gohan, the best team of doctors are helping Chichi, I've made sure."

"I should've been with her. Who knows how long she was lying in bed in pain, not being able to reach the phone. I should have sensed it earlier but was too busy training."

"Don't blame yourself, Gohan... you couldn't have known this would happen. All that matters it that she's here now. I need to use the bathroom, I won't be long." she said.

Vegeta looked at saddened Gohan and put a hand on his shoulder, "She's one of the strongest females I know; she and your brother will be fine."

The demi-Saiyan didn't expect something like that from the Saiyan prince but was glad how confident he was. Another hour or so passed, when the leading doctor finally arrived in the waiting area.

"Ms. Briefs," he began with an undetermined voice, "I'll be honest..."

Bulma started crying and Gohan wasn't far from it.

"... we did manage to do the C-section and rescue the baby. He's been born a whole month too soon, so we've put him into an incubator. He seems to be doing alright for now, but I never like to give predictions about these things. We'll do everything in our power to keep him as healthy as he is now."

"And my mum?" Gohan interrupted.

"... I'm afraid that's where things get a little complicated. She had some internal bleeding in her womb because of the severed umbilical cord. It also seemed that parts of her womb were somehow injured, causing even more bleeding which compressed a few of her organs, like the intestines, kidneys and urinal bladder. We've managed to stop the bleeding, but the organs have sustained mild damage. Now before you say anything... the damage can be reversed with intensive care, medications and lots of rest. We'll be keeping her in the hospital for a week to start the recovery process and after that, we can transfer her to your location, like you've requested."

"Can I see her?" the boy wanted to know.

"Not at the moment, I'm sorry. She's being transferred to her room in intensive care and all the preparations for her immediate recovery are underway. Probably best if you come tomorrow at around noon. She'll be in a deep sleep for a few days; it's the only way we can prevent any more damage to her organs. Just to let you know."

"What about the baby?" Bulma asked.

"He'll be in the same room as her. If you come to visit tomorrow, you can see both of them." explained the doctor.

"Thank you for everything, doctor," Bulma smiled, "we'll be in touch."

Once he left, Gohan collapsed on his knees, relieved like never before, but at the same time, angry, sad and with the feel of more guilt. Bulma kneeled and hugged him tightly.

"It's alright now. Both are alive and well, Gohan."

"... Thank you, Bulma... for everything... again." the boy quietly said.

"Anytime. When Chichi's feeling a bit better, there will be a special sterilized room waiting for her in the CC building with all the equipment and staff needed for her and Goten's complete recovery. I want all of you to live with us for the time being.. for as long as you'd like. I won't take no for an answer."

The boy got up and smiled back, "I can't thank you enough, Bulma." his eyes sparkled, "Let me just get my school stuff and other things and I'll meet you at CC in about an hour."

The flight to his house was dreadful and terrible. He couldn't stop thinking about Chichi and Goten and the fact that he had almost lost both of them, if it weren't for Vegeta's quick thinking. After he packed everything he needed, he turned off the lights and closed the door. East District 439 was now just an empty shell; a former home to the Son family. Everything was quiet and dark outside - it was the middle of the night. The half-Saiyan was feeling the same way on the inside - dark and cold. It's like bad luck isn't giving him a break; first Goku, then Endou and Wanasa, after that Eastern Kaioshin and now Chichi and Goten. At that moment, while standing in front of the house, he blamed himself even more; it wasn't bad luck, it was HIM. Ever since Goku died, he struggled to regain his composure - the state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself. Going to school and training with Vegeta seemed to have restored it to some degree, but everything came crashing down again, just a few hours ago. He had enough of this place and bad memories; he had to get away from it. His body started levitating and soon disappeared into the thick mist. When he arrived at the CC, Bulma invited him inside and into a guest room, close to the one where Chichi will be. He was welcome to freely roam the building and use all the facilities, but the boy locked himself into his room and fell asleep because of exhaustion. His mind needed to rest.

Notes: Woohoo, it's finished before the end of 2016 XD. I would have written it earlier if I hadn't been struck down with Tonsillitis and a fever. Tell me your thoughts people :).

(1) - Based on schools in my country. We don't have school uniforms in public schools, even in the most "elite" ones.

Gohan's and Chichi's moment: This is something I've been thinking about a lot. We've seen how Gohan is dealing with his father's loss and how the past changed his behavior and perception, but we've never actually seen how Chichi was doing all this time. It's something that I missed in DBZ; an honest conversation between her and Gohan when Goku sacrificed himself. It was just a 6 year jump to Buu saga and that's that. Chichi has also been through a lot in the series (Goku "dying" on Namek, then the heart disease, then dying for real at the Cell games and NEVER returning)... that's a pretty tough life and if you throw in Gohan and all the times he had faced death... I'm surprised Chichi didn't go insane or anything. But in my story, it's even harder for her because Gohan's psyche is far from being stable, and on top of that, Goten will soon be born, meaning that she'll have to raise two sons all by herself.