Chapter Seven: Moving Forward

The news had been playing on the TV for hours, everyone glued to it waiting for news of Gohan and their other friends and family. They hadn't got that news yet but what they had seen so far had been depressing. The monster that had been responsible for the destruction called Majin Buu had been turning people into sweets and eating them one after another. None of them, not even those used to extreme danger had ever seen anything like the childlike monster who had been annihilating the world.

Chi Chi had been making regular phone calls trying to find anyone at all who could possibly know the whereabouts of her son, even going as far as calling all the students from his school despite knowing they would know nothing. When she finally got any news, it would be from their friend group.

"Can you guys hear me?" A voice said out of the air startling the three teenagers and Graphite.

Chi Chi and the Ox King were both on their feet within moments a look of excitement crossing their face. "Goku!" Chi Chi and the Ox King shouted at the same time. There was no sign of worry on concern from Chi Chi about what her current fiance would think about her husband.

"Is that Gohan's dad?" Sharpener whispered.

"I believe so son," Graphite replied. Sharpener gulped nervously. What had started as him and Gohan trying to break their parents up had ended up as a good thing. An expanded family he never imagined he would get. Here was the one person that could end the relationship. Gohan's dad, the man he knew Chi Chi still loved. The man who died years ago. The man that Gohan looked up to and wanted back in his life.

Erasa held his hand giving an encouraging squeeze and smile. Sharpener knew he would give anything to have his mum back, to hear from his mum after all these years. He wished Gohan was here to hear from his dad.

"Don't worry Sharie, Gohan's going to be fine," and in a quieter whisper, Erasa added. "And your dad and Gohan's mum have a strong relationship, this is only going to make it stronger. It's going to give Mrs Chi Chi some closure. Just watch I am sure he's going to tell us that he knows where Gohan is."

Sharpener squeezed Erasa's hand back. She always knew what he needed to hear and when he needed to hear it.

"Great, you guys can hear me," Goku said from all around them, clearly as if he was in the room with them. "Chi, Bulma's going to call you. I can hear all of you but you cannot hear each other, and that might make the conversation confusing if you can't hear it all."

The Ox King was already accepting the phone call before Goku had finished talking.

"Do you know what happened to Gohan?" Chi Chi sobbed, Graphite placed a hand on Chi Chi's shoulder feeling helpless.

"I've found Gohan, he's alive and well," Goku confirmed. "He took a while to find. He's with the Supreme Kai, training on the Kai's planet. The Kai's are keeping an eye on Buu and luck going our way Gohan will be ready before Buu can do too much more destruction. Vegeta and I can only interfere if he goes after Dende or looks like he's going to destroy the planet. I wish we could help, but we're all tied up by rules and stuff. We're hoping it doesn't come to jumping in to save Dende or the planet. I can't talk long, I'm going to see if I can be any help. Stay safe guys, I miss you all."

"Miss you too, Goku and keep our baby safe," Chi Chi requested of her deceased husband.

"Gohan's a great kid, he doesn't need me to keep him safe anymore. You've done a great job raising him Chi, I'm proud of him," Goku said.

"Mum, does that mean Gohan's still alive? He's really alive," Goten asked his mother while pulling on her skirt his eyes sparkling with hope.

"Yes, he's still alive." Chi Chi replied tears of relief flowing.

"Where is he? How come I can't sense him." Goten asked not fully understanding the conversation his parents just had.

"He's really far away. He's somewhere he cannot be sensed so Buu cannot find him before he's ready," Chi Chi knelt down and hugged her youngest son.

"Uh Chi, who's that?" Goku asked, who hadn't left like had been assumed.

"Your son! If you ever thought to check in on us since you obviously can, you'd know that!" Chi Chi yelled at her dead husband.

"Oh wow. I never knew. I'm sorry Chi. Gohan didn't mention having a little brother. He mentioned you're engaged. Congratulations."

"Con..grat...ulations! Is that all you have to say. Shouldn't you be angry I moved on?" Chi Chi yelled.

"Why should I be angry? I'm the one who choose to stay dead, it was to protect you all from the likes of who came after me. Marriage vows do have that line about death. I can't be angry that you decided to move on when I decided I wanted to move on to the other world. All I've ever wanted for both you and Gohan is to be safe and happy. If your fiancé can give you what I couldn't, if he can make you happy then I am happy. Graphite, you're a lucky man. Look after Chi and my boys for me."

"That is something I can gladly promise, I cannot protect them physically. Chi Chi and the boys are both stronger than me but I can financially and emotionally I will look after them. Like I am already doing for my son," Graphite said, a hand on Goten's head and an arm around Chi Chi's waist and a smile for his son.

"Goku, do you know how much longer we have till Gohan's back?" Krillen asked.

"No. Vegeta and, Piccolo will be joining him shortly also to help with the training, once we're all together we'll have a better idea of how long it will take."

"How's 18?" Krillen asked of his wife.

"She's doing well. Did you know that 16 is here? I had no idea, I thought he was a robot. They are spending time together. I offered to let 18 train with us, but she's using the chance to catch up with her brother. I really do have to go, it was great talking to you all again."

Chi Chi turned to the monitor to talk with those at Capsule Corps about what they would do next.

DBZ

"You didn't tell me about Goten, wow I have another son," Goku sat down next to Gohan who was getting his hidden talent unlocked by the Elder Kai.

"I was hoping to introduce you in person," Gohan replied. "He's a great kid, looks just like you. Mum's been training him in martial arts."

"Stay still, no moving your head," The elder Kai scolded while turning the page of his magazine.

"If you knew about Goten would you have stayed?" Gohan asked.

"No, I would have still left. It would have made it harder, but I still would have done what I did. It would have been to try and give Goten a normal childhood. Because of me, you didn't have a normal childhood. You were kidnapped by my brother. You were hurt and hunted by my enemies in order to try and get to me. You were forced to grow up before any child should of and that hurt that I could not protect you. That you didn't get to be a child. I don't want that kind of life for Goten. I didn't want that life for you. I wanted to train you in martial arts for fun. To join in martial arts tournaments. To protect yourself and your mum if something minor happened. I didn't want to train you to be the Earths defender."

"This is Goten's first real experience with danger, both him and Trunks, they're really good friends and already Super Saiyan."

Goku smiled, "wow so young. Without the emotional trauma that Vegeta, you and I needed?"

"Yes, I have no idea how they did it. They make it look like the most simple thing in the world. If I'm not careful, they're going to surpass me."

"You surpassed me when you were still a child, I was so proud of you. If your brother does surpass you I know that you'll be proud," Goku want to place a hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Don't touch him," The elder Kai scolded.

"Dad, did you love mum?" Gohan asked his father, worried about the response he would get. The question that had been causing him so much anxiety recently because he didn't know the answer.

"I've always loved your mum. I still love your mum. Chi Chi is the love of my life," Goku reminisced with his son about meeting Chi Chi and when he married her. "We met when we were kids, and she always intrigued me. When we met at the martial arts tournament when we were both adults, when your mum asked me to marry her when it was explained what marriage was, I agreed, not because I promised her when we were kids. I agreed because she was someone I felt very strongly about and in a different way than Bulma, Launch and the other woman in my life. Bulma and Launch were like sisters to me. The other woman were all friends. Chi Chi was different. All I want is to see her happy and healthy. Those first years of marriage were the best years of my life. Your birth was the best moment of my life. I don't regret anything about my life with you and Chi Chi. I would regret never getting that chance."

"And then I was kidnapped, and nothing was perfect anymore," Gohan said.

"No, it wasn't perfect, but it made us all stronger people. Life does not go the way we plan, even death doesn't. I never imagined I would be here talking to you like this. I am proud of what you have done without me around. I do wish things turned out differently, that we didn't meet the Saiyans, that Doctor Gero didn't create the Androids to kill me. But if those things never happened Bulma never would have met Vegeta and wouldn't have Trunks and Krillin wouldn't have his little girl. Trunks, the one from the future would be stunned to see Krillen ended up with Android 18. So how did your mum and Graphite meet?"

"School parent day, Sharpener, Graphite's son is one of my friends, we wanted to break them up but just couldn't do it. We didn't want to hurt them," Gohan explained to his father his mother's relationship from his perspective.

"You and Sharpener seem to get along really well, you have a great brother and friend. Chi always worried that your friends were not your age. It's something she doesn't need to worry about anymore."

Gohan continued talking about his life without his father, and the worries he had. He didn't even notice Piccolo and Vegeta arrive.

DBZ

Gohan enjoyed spending time with his dad, talking and then training. Time went at a slower pace than it did on Earth. Due to all his anger and frustration with his mother moving on and letting his frustration out on Vegeta and Piccolo, he was in better shape then he thought, but was still a long way behind the potential he could've had if he didn't stop his training after Cell.

Buu had killed the person who'd summoned him and had stopped his food rampage and was sleeping, but they couldn't wait any longer for Buu to make a move, it was now time to act.

"Look after your mum, brother and new extended family," Goku hugged his son. "I know you can beat him.

"Dad, can you please come back?" Gohan requested. "I want you in our lives in some form, forever."

Goku just grinned, not giving a response to returning to Earth "Good luck son." Goku hugged Gohan before he left.

"It's been, fun dad. I'm going to miss you. Love you," Gohan said.

"You better win and wish me back brat," Vegeta told.

"I'll do my best to make that happen. I doubt that Bulma will leave you dead for long even if I do lose."

"Your power level far exceeds Majin Buu," Vegeta said. "You will win."

Gohan nodded. He turned on his watch transforming back to Saiyan man. The younger of the Kai's sending him to Earth.

DBZ

Krillen had picked Marron up several days ago. The three teenagers who thought they were free from school since it was blown up were in for a shock. Chi Chi had set up a class for them. Those classes were harder than anything they'd ever done in school. They practised writing which they had not done since they were really young. She was not happy with their handwriting. Learnt history did maths and science. Every afternoon when it cooled down they did an hour of martial arts training. Including Erasa. They also learnt how to cook meals and bake.

"No wonder Gohan is so smart," Videl stated. His mum is a genius. She's a lot better than any of my tutor's dad's hired."

"I think I may pass history now. My parents will be impressed." Erasa said showing her marks off. "I got most of it correct."

Graphite had been put in charge of the jobs Gohan did on a daily basis. "Chopping firewood and carting water is more difficult than I thought. Whoever thought I would cut the grass instead of using a mower."

DBZ

"It's Saiyaman. He's come to save us all." Someone from the crowd below cheered.

"SayaMan ... SayaMan." The crowd bellowed. News cameras focusing on him as soon as he was sighted. It was something Gohan had never grown used to. He never liked the attention which was why he'd allowed Hercule to take the credit for Cell.

"Buu know you. You hurt Buu. Buu angry. Buu turn you to chocolate and eat you up!" Buu shouted.

"Not today Buu. You will never turn another living being to sweets," Gohan answered, not bothering with his superhero voice. It, however, was more serious then he was normally. "You have hurt a lot of people and animals Buu, I cannot allow you to hurt anyone else.

"Welcome to the land of the living," Bulma said into his helmet.

"Thanks Bulma," He replied. "Tell mum I love her. Stay safe if this doesn't work out."

"I'll tell Videl that as well," Bulma teased. Gohan didn't respond, his focus needed to be on Buu not his feelings for Videl. Something he had talked about with his dad while his talent had been unlocked. It has been a little embarrassing talking with his dad about girls.

He was already powered beyond the power level he needed to be to beat Buu, so he didn't need to waste time.

"Buu no like you," Buu made the first move.

Despite being more powerful then Buu, it was still a hard fight. Buu kept reforming in a similar fashion to Cell. He kept trying to turn the crowd into sweets and eat them during the battle. Gohan had been unable to get him out of the city. It felt surreal when he finally disintegrated the childlike monster, and he didn't reform.

"He's gone son, you did it. Buu is in the Other World," His father confirmed. It was only then that Gohan relaxed.

"Buu will never hurt any of you again," Gohan announced, this time in his superhero voice.

The crowd cheered, and the media was in his face in a moment.

"SaiyaMan, where have you been? We have not seen you since Buu." The closest reported asked, a microphone right in his face.

"I faced Majin Buu when he first arrived. I didn't have the power to beat him and have been training ever since. I am sorry that I wasn't strong enough to defeat him on the first attempt and that people got hurt because I wasn't strong enough." That was something that Gohan did feel guilty about, that he had slacked off in his training and allowed Buu to hurt others because of him slacking off.

"If you're this strong, why didn't you fight at the Cell game?" The reporter asked.

"I did fight in the Cell Games against Cell. I was still young at the time. I am the little boy that fought Cell." Gohan replied. He never thought he would admit to being the child from the Cell Games.

"What happened after the camera's cut out?" A question that many wanted to know. A question that he didn't want to answer even now.

"Does it really matter how Cell died and who killed him? That was a long time ago. He's dead and won't hurt anyone else. The same goes for Majin Buu. Now if you excuse me." Gohan flew off losing the media. He headed for Capsule Corp since their work wasn't yet done. The damage from Buu still needed to be reversed, and for that they needed the Dragon Balls.

DBZ

The TV had been on in the background. Videl had been the first to see Saiyan Man on the television.

"I'd like to know where that arrogant, interfering so-called hero has been hiding!" Videl shout.

"Who do you mean?" Goten asked looking away from the TV now that his brother wasn't on the screen. "He's not arrogant?"

"SaiyaMan. He's always interfering. And when he's actually needed he disappears off the face of the Earth." Videl ranted.

"Videl, Saiyan Man is Gohan." Chi Chi told her.

"Dad, did you know?" Sharpener asked his father.

"Sure did." Graphite confirmed.

"You are marrying into the strangest, coolest family ever. Do you think Gohan can teach me those tricks?" Sharpener asked knowing Videl would want to join him in learning to do tricks and fly.

"No, Gohan needs to teach me first," Goten complained. "I want to fly. Trunks can fly, and he cheats when we play tag. But if I can fly then flying won't be cheating."

"No flying till you're older." Chi Chi told her youngest while glued to the tv watching her oldest.

"But Gohan could already fly at my age."

"Gohan was a lot more responsible then you are Goten and had better control. I didn't have to worry about him accidentally blowing anything up with his powers. Though he did blow up the bathhouse when he was your age, that was with a scientific experiment, not with his powers."

"Gohan's been SaiyaMan the whole time?" Videl spluttered. "Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't anyone else say anything?"

"Gohan's always been shy and modest when it comes to his abilities and getting recognition from them." Chi Chi told them. "He wanted to help people but didn't want to get recognition for it. He wanted to be as normal as possible while he was at school. That's why he let your father take the credit for beating Cell."