Chapter 74: My Poor Little Guy

After a weird night, and apologizing to Goten, for stuff I don't remembered doing. We finally started making our way home. I felt soar, and very exhausted. We took our way slowly. I even let dad know we were on our way. The closer we got home, the more anxious I was becoming. I really hope my nose doesn't catch anything they did. And was even hoping they were fully clothed. The moment we got to our front yard, I told Goten to wait for my single. He asked why, and I told him how it'll give him a chance to surprise mom with the flowers we found. He like that idea, and waited patiently behind a tree.

The moment I stepped in the house a wave of relief washed over me. No weird smell, mom was cooking, and dad was just doing push up. I told Goten he can come in, and he ran, at a human pace, to mom and showed her the flowers. She looked so happy with them. That's when I finally come all the way into the house. As I walked to the kitchen, Goten is talking with dad, and dad suggest Goten got his back while he finally his set. Goten seemed very happy with that. I sat at the table and just watched everyone's interaction. That's when I notice that mom is pretty covered up, and dad has a close eye on mom. What happened between them? Then again, I don't want to know. "So how was your camping trip?" Mom just had to bring that up.

"It was fun. Well, until last night." Both mom and dad stopped moving for a moment. Then they asked him what he meant. "We were looking at the stars, then suddenly Gohan goes about wanting to spar for a bit. I thought it would be fun. Then the fun ended when Gohan became more aggressive, and it starting feeling like an actual fight. Like, it went from friendly spar to me trying to get away." Dad and mom looked over to me, and then told Goten to continued. "I tried talking to him, didn't work. So, I suggested if we could play hide and seek instead. Thank goodness he agreed. Even though I was losing, I had brief moments to rest. Then that game turned to me having to block Gohan's attacks. But then I remembered something me and Trunks found out about Gohan."

I grabbed him before he continued, and walked away from our parents. "Silly Goten, and his wild imagination. It was probably a dream." I tried to make a break for it, but dad was behind me.

"Let him finish. I'm curious." Dad, why? Just why? But I did let Goten go.

"If you tell him he won, that gives you about a good 5 minutes to get as far away as possible. Since Gohan said I couldn't come home, I tried flying all the way to uncle Vegeta."

"IS THAT WHY IT FEELS LIKE I GOT A BROKEN RIBS?" Both my parents looked at me, and mom looked ready to faint. Dad caught her in time, and dad looks pale. Oh great, what's going on? Once mom came back, we ended up having an awkward lunch. We have to talk. Oh great. Is it anything bad? He didn't reply. I started getting anxious. After lunch, Goten helped mom with dishes, while me and dad walked outside.

…

I can't believe this. Chichi probably didn't know. So, Gohan does get affected by the full moon. But then how come Goten wasn't affected? Chichi did say that Goten wasn't born with a tail, so could that be it? Once me and Gohan are outside, I suggested that we find a spot for a good spar. He looked anxious, but I try to tell him that's ok. He didn't look convinced. The moment we landed he spoke. "What's going on?"

"I don't know for sure the full details. It's something that took me a long time to figure out myself."

"What do you mean?"

"Till Raditz, I didn't know what I was. Till I was married to your mother, I didn't know the full moon affected me. Till Vegeta, I didn't know about the whole transformation." He just looked at me, before he hanged his head.

"Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? I'm glad I found out who I am. I'm glad I found out about the transformation from Vegeta, then…" I looked away from him. I didn't know what to say.

"Then having me transform?"

"What if my friends never told me about it, they knew I could do it. When I found out, I got angry. At myself, and at my so-called friends. What if you transformed and I didn't know it was you? I could have… could have… killed my own son because I thought he was the monster that killed my grandpa." I couldn't even look at him. I felt ashamed to admit that out loud. It was something I had reflected over and over, when I was dead. "Can you believe it. Everybody I called friends, knew what I could do, but nobody told me anything. They thought they were protecting me. But what if I unknowing harm Chichi? What if I unknowing killed you? I wouldn't be able to live with myself." During this whole time, I was smiling at him.

He was tearing. Then he hugged me, and I hugged him back. "It took living with your mother that I made peace with my grandpa's death. It took me being dead that I made peace with who, and what, I was. Heck, maybe if I knew all along, I could have protected you and your mom better. Maybe we would have been more careful. But nothing we can do about the past, just move forward. Now tell me everything that you been through since I was gone." From there I listened carefully to what been happening with Gohan, and tried to answer whatever questions he had, to the best of my ability.

…

I told dad about the changes I went through, and everything that happened since his death. I told him how it took me mouths to stop replaying his death in my head. How mom and Bulma took me to see a therapist. That Bulma paid good money to not leak that I was half alien. I told the therapist how I witness someone hurt my dad, how scared I was when I was taken away. Told how seeing my dad beaten up and hurt scared me. How a person, that have tried to kill my father and done so that day, took me away and left me alone for 6 months. Telling the therapist about everything I endure for that year. To the point, that when I saw my kidnapper I actually stop feeling alone and scared. Even though he beat me, as a form of training, I befriended him.

I told the therapist, how I felt I own this person, because they saved me from dying. They made me realize that I'm not as weak as I once thought. I laughed when I said that my parents were just overprotective of me. I talked about my experience on another planet, and the fear I might never see my parents again. Yet I felt I needed to go through with my mission to pay a debt. I also witness a lot of death. Some right in front of me, some were second hand. How I witness a monster tortured someone in front of me. I went on telling dad how I told the therapist about my childhood, but the moment I was close to talking about dad's second death, I started to breakdown and didn't want to talk. It took many sessions before I was ok to talk about. About how guilty I felt, because I felt it was all my fault.

I blamed myself over and over how it was I who caused my own father's death. How abounded I felt when he said he wasn't coming back. And when I found out I was going to be a big brother, all I wanted was anything but that. I didn't want to be a big brother. All I wanted was my dad back. I wanted to be a family again. I wanted our forever and ever back. But I had to accept that daddy wasn't coming home. That I was no longer my parent's little boy. I had to accepted that I needed to grow up. I felt angry at how unfair it was that I grew up with a dad, and my baby sibling wouldn't. I told dad how the therapy sessions ended when Goten was born.

I told dad how I tried helping mom around the house, but she wouldn't let me. I saw how much mommy cried when she was reminded of him. How mom didn't do anything without dad's jacket nearby. I tried helping mom with Goten, but mom didn't like it. She would say how I should behave like a kid. How I shouldn't try to grow up. I told dad how I got older, I tried to burry the pain and anger I felt. Because I knew there was no way to turn back time, and ask for things to change. Without warning, dad brought me into a hug, and I started crying. For so long I wanted to be hugged by him. For so long all I wish was to be with dad again. And having him now I couldn't stop crying. At this moment I felt like a little kid again, and I didn't want the feeling to end. Once I calm down, dad gave me a moment before asking me to continue talking.

I told him how I started to feel soar, and pain as I went through my growth spurt. I out grew my clothes every other month, to where mom asked grandpa help in supplying clothes for me. Mom didn't look happy with that. Bulma tried offering money to mom, so mom could take care of us. Mom also didn't seem to like that, but she was grateful. As I grew my control on my anger became less. I would sometimes snap out of nowhere. One day I snapped at mom, and she looked so shock and on the verge of tears. But instead she dragged me outside, and told me I couldn't come back inside till I calm down. I was so shock I yelled at her. Saying things that I wish I could take back. Thankfully Goten was taking a nap at the time. Dad didn't look happy that I yelled at mom, but I tried to continue.

When she, basically, kicked me out the house I had half a mind to go visit Mr. Piccolo or Mr. Vegeta. I was just so angry that I wanted to punch something, anything. I ended up some way from home, knocking down trees. I ended up selling them, since I didn't know what else to do. All that time away from home actually felt nice. It gave me a moment to myself. When I did go back to mom, I was calmer. So, from then on, every time I got angry, I told mom I was going to get some fresh air. I even trained for a bit, since I found it to relax me somewhat.

Mom didn't like it when I told her I sold stuff, like if I hunted something or knocked down trees. So, I kept it a secret, so I could surprise her with something. Like sometimes I would notice Goten needed things, and mom didn't know what to do. Dad looked proud at me. He was glad I found an outlet for my anger, but didn't like that it affected mom. Dad even tried helping me figure out a better to, hopeful, balance training and studying. But only if I wanted to acting do that. It was then coming to when I started high school, and met Videl.

I told him I met first met Videl, when on my way to school, I stopped a bank robbery. I told him how I couldn't seem to get over her eyes. And even told myself to not think about, since the likelihood of seeing her again was low. Then comes to find out, she not only goes to the same school but also was in my homeroom class. Her friend, Erasa, properly introduce me to her, when Erasa was introducing herself and Sharpner. I told dad that these were my friend high school friends. He was smiling at me.

I told dad all the weird stuff that happened between me and Videl. Like how, during in the classes we shared, I would search for her ki, feel what she was doing. And she would look at me, and so I stopped and she would stop looking me. I found that weird. Dad started laughing, but encouraged me to continue. I was starting to embarrassed talking about this. I told him that somehow, I started keeping track on where she sat, and what time she actually came to school. Sometime along the lines, I started matching me timing to enter school at the same time as her. Now dad was holding back a snicker.

I told him when I found out that cops call her for backup, I was really impressed. So, after school, I would follow her and see what she would do. I saved her from a rocket launcher that day. From then on, I tried to be a superhero. Well, only when she needed me, or I thought she was actually in danger. I helped her save a building that was on fire once, and she said how she was happy to see me. She even asked me to help her. It made me happy. I knew she wasn't talking about the real me, but it still made my day.

Since I wore my superhero outfit to get to school and stuff. Videl would chase me in her copter, and I found it fun. Especially in that outfit I could get away with doing stuff, so it was fun messing with her. Dad gave me a big smile. "One time I even got the courage to touch her cheek. It was just to take dirt off her face. But it made me happy. It also made me wonder what her cheek felt like without my glove." I told him how I felt when she met mom, and how I was doubting she liked me back. I even said how excited I was when she told me, that after everything was settle, that she would go on a date with me. At that point I felt my face was on fire.

"Well, we better get home. If I'm correct, that Videl of yours is heading to the house."

"What!" I trying sensing where she was, and dad was right. "Dad, you think you can do that thing, so we can get there before she does."

"Sure. And if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." I couldn't help smile at that.

…

I can't believe my little man gone through so much. I never wanted that for him. I tried comforting the best I could. And talking him through some of the changed he was experiencing, since I had a close experience. I was glad I was able to help him some way. And when he finally told me about Videl, I was just so proud. He found someone that made him happy. I do admit, some of the stuff he did to get her attention was funny. He really is my son.

As he was telling me all this, I faintly felt that Videl was heading to our home. When I told him that, he looked all nervous. And then he asked if I could instant transmission. To get home before her. We did, and ran to clean up. Chichi taught him well. Chichi answered the door, and those two started talking. When Gohan came back down, and spoke with Videl, they were on their way out. I told them to hold on for a second, that I wanted to tell Gohan something. And Videl could stay to listen. I hugged Chichi by her shoulders as I told them the news. "Boys, I asked your mother to renew our vows." The boys looked happy, and even Videl said congratulation to us.