Chapter Four: Contact

Gohan had gone to pay a visit to Bulma to fix his watch that held his Saiyaman outfit, the costume and watch had both been damaged in a fire that he'd recently helped with. He'd been able to get the watch working long enough to change himself back to his school uniform. He could've fixed the watch himself, he enjoyed tinkering with technology especially when he was with Bulma and Doctor Briefs. He didn't have the parts required for the repair and Bulma always insisted fixing the watch herself. That she couldn't help him with much and it was the least she could do. This wasn't the first time he'd damaged the watch and he doubted it would be the last time.

Gohan watched as Bulma fiddled with her watch. She always looked the most focused and relaxed when she was working with technology that wasn't broken frequently like the gravity chamber.

"I met your mother's fiancé," Bulma said, interrupting the silence of the tools. "He's a nice guy. I want to like him, when I see him it makes me angry at your father. I try not to be angry with Goku. This would not be happening if your father let us bring him back from the dead seven years I ago. And for staying away as long as he did. You can't do that when you have a family. Your family is meant to come first. If Vegeta ever did to Trunks what your father did to you. I would never let him see Trunks again."

Gohan knew how Bulma felt, it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one that was angry at his father. "Bulma, what's going to happen when dad comes back?" Because they both knew that Goku would turn up eventually. He always came back.

"I don't know Gohan," Bulma let out a heavy sigh putting the tools down. "I've known Goku my whole life, he always turns up again when you least expect it. Knowing your father, he'll accept that your mothers moved on, and will be happy as long as she is happy."

It was true that his father would probably just accept that his mother had moved on. He just seemed to be that type of person.

"That's what I thought, and it makes me angry. Do my parents love each other? Did they ever love each other in the first place?"

Bulma abandoned the watch altogether, standing up from her bench and moving next to Gohan, placing a comforting hand on Gohan's shoulder. "This probably isn't what you want to hear, I don't think your father ever truly loved your mother as in romantic partner forever love. Don't get me wrong, he does love your mother."

"As he loves the rest of your friends."

"Yes as he loves the rest of his friends."

"I'm not sure of how much you know about how your parents met and married. When your parents were both children your father made a promise to your mother to marry her when they grew up. Goku didn't understand what marriage was then and he didn't know what marriage was when he got married. He always kept his promises and Chi Chi is a friend so he didn't mind. You mother very much loved your father. I'm not sure if your father ever did grasp the concept of marriage. The one thing I do know is that he cares for your mother and he cares for you."

"Does he love me like family or a friend?"

"You are the most important thing to him Gohan, your father would do anything for you."

"Except come back."

Bulma let out a sigh, she felt that she made Gohan feel worse. "Let's not worry about this now, how about we worry about it when your father does come back."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Bulma pat Gohan one last time on the shoulder, going back to her seat to fix the watch.

"Bulma, Gohan; can you hear me?" a voice asked from around them.

Bulma dropped her tools and Gohan stood up knocking her chair back, both in utter surprised. Did he hear what they were talking about him?

"Dad?" Gohan asked is disbelief.

"I was told that I'm allowed to come back to Earth for twenty-four hours." The cheerful voice of Goku announced. "I thought I'd come back the day of the martial arts tournament and then spend the rest of the time with you, your mum and all our friends."

Bulma looked over to Gohan who had a look of horror on his face. It was bad timing. Chi Chi was happy and that would end up with her being forced to make a choice if Goku came back now, a decision that Bulma didn't want to push on Chi Chi. "Goku, I don't think that's a good idea" Bulma was regretful as she replied. She wanted to see him so much. There wasn't a day that she didn't think about him.

"Why not?" Goku asked with confusion. "Don't you want to see me again?"

"Don't we want to see you again!" Bulma raised her voice standing to her feet looking up to the ceiling wishing that she could see Goku's face. "We never wanted you to leave in the first place, you had no reason to leave. You should've stayed on Earth with your family and friends instead of staying dead."

"So you do want me to come back?" Goku asked cheerfully and confused.

"Now's not a good time. I want to say yes, I wish so much I could tell you to come back when you planned," Gohan replied amazed that he was able to keep his voice steady when all he wanted to do was cry for his father, for his father to return and comfort him. He had to be strong and do what was best for his mother instead of what was best for himself. "You stayed away too long this time dad, mums moved on. She's getting married soon and she's happier than I've ever seen her. We don't need you coming back into our life again and breaking up mums new relationship."

"Oh," Goku replied sadly. "I guess I always assumed that Chi Chi would always wait for me. I understand I won't come back at all."

"Dad, can you still come on a different day for your twenty-four hours? One that's not interrupted by the world tournament, after mums married. When Bulma and I both think it is a good time?"

"Sure thing son," Goku replied happier.

Bulma and Gohan spent the next few minutes catching up with Goku, telling him what had been going on for them. Goku telling them what it was like on the other side. Neither alive member of the conversation mentioning Goten. That felt like something they needed to tell Goku in person.

"I'm proud of you kid," Bulma smiled to Gohan and gave the boy that was like a nephew or even a son a hug before she finished with his watch. They both sat in silence as she finished the repairs.


Authors note: Sorry for the long wait between updates. None of my writing has been abandoned. My time was taken up with my mother being ill the end of last year and passing away last month and sorting out everything now that she is gone. I should be back to weekly updates for the remainder of this story.