Choice to be Different

Chapter Three: The Truth Comes Out

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z characters and situations belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just taking them out for a non-profit spin.

"Son-san? Son-san?" Videl called with increasing worry and guilt. The other end of the line had been ominously silent ever since the loud crash several minutes earlier.

"Oh why did I ever call?" Videl exclaimed then ran toward where she, Sharpener and Erasa normally ate lunch. She knew Erasa would have invited Gohan to join them.

Videl found Erasa and Sharpener staring at a sheepish-looking Gohan. He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I guess I was really hungry," he said.

Videl skidded to a stop in front of Gohan. "Gohan, I, well, there was a little boy at the bank robbery the other day. He said his name was Son Goku and he invited me to spar with him sometime, and well I was curious after I met you," Videl found she couldn't meet Gohan's eyes. She stared at the ground and her confession tumbled out in a rush of words. "I looked up your phone number in your records. I must have been talking to your mom. I think she fainted when I told her about meeting Goku. I'm sorry! I'll fly you home to check on her and make excuses with the teachers."

Videl squirmed nervously as she waited for Gohan's reaction. After a few seconds she gathered her courage and looked up to see that Gohan had disappeared.

"He took off running when you said 'fainted'," Erasa volunteered helpfully. She pointed n the direction where Gohan had vanished.

"Thanks," Videl called as she sprinted after him. Several blocks later Videl realized Gohan had truly disappeared. "There is no way he can get there as fast as I can in my jet copter. I'd better go too," Videl decided and tossed her copter capsule on the ground.

Over an hour later Videl finally spotted the isolated house that had to be the Son residence. "How can Gohan possibly make a commute like that every morning?" Videl wondered as she landed her jet-copter.

To her immense shock Gohan met her at the door. For a long moment the two teens just stared at one another in disbelief.

"How'd you get here before me?" Videl demanded as soon as she recovered her tongue.

"Um, Saiyaman flew me here. He saw me running and asked what was wrong. When I told him he volunteered to take me home," Gohan improvised. "We found the phone off the hook and the truck gone. I figured Mom must have taken of as soon as you told her about the robbery. My little brother's a really good fighter, but he's only seven. Mom wouldn't like him fighting criminals. Saiyaman went to check the roads. I was going to check around the house and make sure Mom wasn't here."

Videl wanted to interrogate Gohan about his connection to Saiyaman but with his mom missing due to her earlier snooping she just couldn't bring herself to do it. "What do you think happened."

"I think Mom heard about someone matching my little brother's description getting involved in something dangerous. Then she forgot everything else in her hurry to rush off to the rescue... and to lecture him about not worrying her." Gohan replied honestly. To himself he added that Goten and Goku were both with Trunks and if anyone could lie their way out of this mess it was Trunks.

"Your little brother was really unbelievable," Videl commented.

Gohan smiled a proud, wistful smile. "He really takes after my dad," he said.

"Your dad?" Videl asked.

Gohan walked inside and handed her a picture of Goku and Chichi at the twenty-third Tenka'ichi Budokai, right before Chichi had dragged Goku off to get married.

Videl's eyes popped open. "Your dad was the twenty-third World's Champion?"

Videl felt acutely uncomfortable. At the twenty-forth Tenka'ichi, the one her father had won, the announcer's disappointment at the lack of contestants from the previous tournaments' top contenders had been obvious. That had been what started Hercule's talk about how the previous champions had been frauds who used tricks to win; that they were afraid to face a real fighter like Hercule Satan. It was apparent from Gohan's manner that, in spite of the evidence of the Cell Games, he believed his father's tricks were real. Still Videl knew she would have had a hard time believing that her father would lie about something like that so it was likely Gohan felt the same about his father.

And yet... Videl wasn't sure exactly what had happened at the bank but Gohan's little brother certainly had speed and strength to spare, maybe there was something to the fighting styles used in the earlier tournaments after all. "So your little brother takes after your dad but you don't practice Martial Arts?" Videl questioned. She tried to keep her tone light. "Not at all? I mean you insisted that catch in PE was just a fluke."

"I've always wanted to be a scholar," Gohan said with a shrug.

"You must have some Martial Arts background," Videl argued. "I mean even if I'd been a totally girly-girl I still would have known the basics just from growing up around a fighter."

Gohan grimaced. "I did, when I was a kid, but it's been seven years since I practiced Martial Arts."

"My husband passed away seven years ago." Videl remembered Chichi's words and let the subject drop guiltily.

"Why don't you woods north of the house," Gohan suggested. "I'll start on the south side."

He gave Videl three minutes to get out of sight then touched the studs on the watch Bulma had given him and transformed into his Saiyaman costume. He spotted his mother's pick-up on the road to Capsule Corp so he turned around and flew home. Then he went to find Videl so that Saiyaman could tell her it was okay to call off the search.

As soon as Kinto'un was over the Turtle Hermit's island Goku leapt off the flying cloud. "Master Roshi! Kuririn!" He shouted and brought the two of them, plus 18 and Marron running.

Goku's eyes lit on Master Roshi and he broke into a radiant grin. "You're really okay! Trunks-kun explained about time travel and how it's been ages since you came back after Piccolo killed you but it was just a little bit ago for me and I haven't even gotten to see you guys yet because I was going to train with Kami, only Trunks-kun and Goten-kun wished me and 'Geta here and where's Kuririn? He's alive too right?"

"Goku?" Kuririn asked uncertainly. The boy turned to look at him curiously and Kuririn all but tackled him in his eagerness to hug his old friend. "Goku! You're back! You're a kid again, but you' back!" he exclaimed.

"Who are you?" Goku asked.

"I'm Kuririn you dummy!" the older man exclaimed affectionately.

Goku stared at him skeptically. "Kuririn's bald."

"I am not bald! I told you I just shaved my head, or I used to anyway. I let it grow after I settled down and got married," Kuririn explained.

Goku peered closely at his face then grinned and returned Kuririn's enthusiastic greeting.

Meanwhile Trunks and Goten had landed behind Goku. "You two were the ones who called on the Dragon," Roshi said while Kuririn introduced Goku to his wife and daughter. "How much trouble are you in anyway?"

Trunks shrugged. A disgruntled look crossed his face. " 'Geta was hurt when he got here, Mom's been really distracted ever since she patched him up. And Dad, well if you annoy him he'll make your life hell, but he doesn't always care about the stuff other parents get worked up over."

"I imagine," Roshi replied drily.

"Anyway, I don't know if he's mad or not. Mom blackmailed him into training 'Geta and Goku but he doesn't seem to mind it too much." Trunks frowned. "This whole wish sucks," he declared. "I wanted a dad who'd play with us but even though they're kids 'Geta and Goku just train all the time!"

"If I understood Goku correctly he's already fought in the Tenka'ichi Budokai twice, as well as having faced several quite serious enemies. It's only natural that he's dedicated to improving his skills." Roshi said

"We thought it would be better if they were a little older than us," Goten sighed.

"Like big brothers," Trunks supplied. "But ths is NO FUN AT ALL!" he exclaimed. "They don't want to play with Goten and me and Dad pays more attention to them than he does to me!"

Everyone went silent at Trunks' outburst. Goku looked guilty. "Sorry Trunks-kun. But Kami said Piccolo would be at the tournament and I barely beat him last time. He killed Kuririn and Master Roshi and Chaozu, I have to be better the next time we fight."

Goten patted his chibi father on the shoulder. "It's not your fault. We brought you here."

"It's odd how your human blood effects your power levels," Roshi said to change the subject. "The two of you and Gohan achieve new power levels much younger and with less effort than your fathers but despite that they are the born warriors. Gohan and Trunks' older counterpart fought because they had to, for you two it's little more than a game you play with each other but Goku was always drawn to situations where his powers would be tested and even during peace time Vegeta remains obsessed with improving his skills."

"Yeah, we care about things besides fighting," Trunks snapped. "Stupid Saiyans!"

For a moment everyone just stared as Trunks flew off.

"Kinto'un!" Goten shouted.

"I better come too. I think I made him mad," Goku said.

Goten shook his head. "Trunks-kun is my best friend," he said.

Goku sighed and stepped back. Goten leapt on the flying cloud and took off after Trunks. He caught up to the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan at one of their favorite hiding places. "Trunks-kun?" Goten asked quietly.

"Leave me alone," Trunks sulked.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked as he sat down beside his friend.

For several minutes Trunks ignored the younger boy. Then, suddenly, he said "You saw 'Geta today. Dad broke his shoulder like it was nothing, he didn't even care!"

Goten gave Trunks a confused look. Vegeta never seemed to care about anything except when he was mad about something in Goten's experience. Of course most of his interaction with Vegeta consisted of the man ignoring him or Goten and Trunks fleeing from him while he shouted threats after they did something to upset him. Still Vegeta had never actually hurt them. "I bet it wasn't on purpose," Goten said. "He's used to you and me, 'Geta and Goku are a lot more-" Goten hesitated as he searched for the right word, "breakable."

"If it was an accident he would have felt bad afterwards," Trunks argued. "He didn't even help 'Geta to the infirmary. You saw when we first brought them to CC; Dad acts like 'Geta's a bad person. But 'Geta's him! And Mom-Mom's still acting like 'Geta's sick or something and sometimes she looks at Dad the same way. I wish we'd never made that stupid wish!"

Goten sat beside Trunks being silently sympathetic while he mulled over everything Trunks had said. He still wasn't exactly sure what Trunks was upset about and he didn't know if there was something he could do to make it better.

Their wish hadn't turned out the way they wanted it to. Goten liked Goku well enough but he just couldn't think of the other boy as really being his dad. Goku was just another kid who tagged along with him and Trunks. Except Goku didn't really tag along. He tended to go off and do his own thing and they all tagged along with him.

Both Goku and 'Geta trained pretty much all the time. They weren't really strong enough to play sparring and they didn't 'get' the other games Goten and Trunks played. Honestly they weren't much fun but Goten didn't think Trunks would be this upset over something like that.

Vegeta was helping all of them train and was actually spending more time with them than ever before but it occurred to Goten that even though Vegeta was allowing them to interrupt his training more he was teaching all four of them where he'd only trained Trunks before. Goten could see how Trunks might be upset at having to share his father, after all 'Geta didn't seem any more parental than Goku. Playing with them, trying to anyway, just wasn't the same as being with a parent. "Maybe I could get Goku and 'Geta to skip training once and awhile so Trunks could have his dad to himself," Goten thought.

Then there was the other part. Trunks said Vegeta treated 'Geta like he was bad. Goten frowned in confusion. Vegeta didn't treat 'Geta like he treated them when they were in trouble, so how was he treating 'Geta like he was bad? Sure he acted like he didn't like 'Geta, which was weird since they were the same person, sort of. Of course Vegeta didn't act like he liked anyone and Goten had always assumed that he just didn't know how to act nice so it probably wasn't a big deal.

Goten frowned a little, Trunks said Bulma still acted like 'Geta was hurt. Goten had heard enough stories about before he'd been born to knew that Gohan had been hurt so badly that he almost died a couple of times and almost all the other grown-ups he knew had actually died at least once. But before 'Geta arrived the worst injuries Goten had ever seen had been when he and Trunks got carried away and Aunt Bulma or his mom fixed those boo-boos up with band-aids, kisses and scolding. ' 'Geta coughing up blood had been scary and what if he wasn't alright? But Uncle Vegeta wouldn't let him train if he weren't, would he?'

"Trunks-kun, we could ask your mom if 'Geta's okay," Goten suggested.

Trunks snorted at his friend's naivety. "She won't tell us anything. She'll just say we shouldn't worry. Adults never tell us the whole story."

"We could ask Gohan to ask your mom for us," Goten said.

"Yeah! We could eves drop on them. Gohan's practically a grown-up, Mom won't lie to him," Trunks exclaimed.

Goten blinked in confusion, he'd thought they would just ask Gohan to tell them what Bulma said. Then he shrugged, Trunks' plan sounded like more fun. They could pretend to be spies like on TV.

Goten's stomach growled and Trunks' echoed the complaint. "Geeze it's almost snack-time," Trunks commented. "Come on Chibi, we better get home. I'll fly you. Goku might need Kinto'un, we did leave him on an island."

Goten nodded enthusiastically. He held up his hands so that Trunks could grab them.

"You really ought to get Gohan to teach you to fly," Trunks commented. "This is getting old and you're way stronger than 'Geta and he can fly."

"Um-hmm!" Goten agreed cheerfully.

Goten was surprised to see his mom's pick-up parked at Capsule Corp, usually it was Bulma who came up to visit Chichi. "Hi Mommy!" he exclaimed as he ran inside.

"Goten? Where is my Goku!" Chichi demanded.

Goten's mouth dropped open. He thought they weren't supposed to tell his mom about Goku. Big Brother said it would make her sad.

"Trunks?" Bulma asked.

Trunks shrugged. "We left him at Roshi's."

Chichi started for the door.

"Wait a minute," Bulma called and picked up the phone.

"Moshi, moshi," Marron giggled happily as she answered the phone. Seconds later 18 retrieved the phone from her daughter. "Who is this? And what do you want?" she demanded coldly.

"Could you put Goku on?" Bulma asked.

"No. He left sixteen minutes ago," 18 replied.

"Did he say where he was going?" Bulma asked.

"No."

Chichi snatched the phone out of Bulma's hand. "Which way did he go! Go find him!" she shouted.

On the other end of the line 18 handed the phone over to Roshi. "You deal with her," she said then picked up Marron and walked off.

"Where is my husband!" Chichi demanded.

"You do know he's not the Goku from our time?" Roshi asked.

"I don't care! Where is he? How could all of you hide it from me when he came back! Why didn't he come see me!!"

"Chichi, he's three years younger than he was when you married him," Roshi reminded her. "He didn't remember you until you showed up at the twenty-third Tenka'ichi Budokai."

Chichi burst into tears.

"Now, now," Bulma said as she patted the other woman's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be back here by dinner, first thing in the morning at the latest. He and Vegeta-chan have been training with my Vegeta. You know Goku would never miss a chance to fight against someone stronger than he was."

"Vegeta is not stronger than my Goku!" Chichi snapped.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "He's not 'your' Goku anymore than Vegeta-chan is 'my' Vegeta."

Chichi brushed off Bulma off angrily. "I'm going to find Goku right now! I thought you were Goku's friend but you don't care at all!"

Vegeta walked in and glared at Chichi. "Would you quit your screeching Harpy? Kakarrot is a fifteen year old Saiyan. He is more than capable of taking care of himself. If it were anyone other than that brain-damaged clown I would suggest you worry about the planet but seeing as it is Kakarrot he probably wandered off in search of something to rescue."

Chichi sighed and admitted Vegeta was right.

Three days later when Goku still hadn't returned Gohan went looking for him. Gohan found Goku preparing for a fight.

"Hey Gohan. Did you know there were bandits in this area?" Goku asked when Gohan flew down to his camp sight. "They've been causing trouble for the local villagers."

"Do you need my help?" Gohan asked.

"Naw, they're just bullies," Goku said.

"So, will you be heading back to Capsule Corps after you take care of them?" Gohan asked.

"Probably not," Goku replied. "I was imposing."

"Bulma would never feel that way. You're one of her oldest friends," Gohan protested.

"Not Bulma, Trunks," Goku said. "I didn't think about it but I was taking away all his time with his father."

"Do you want to come home with me then?" Gohan asked.

"But I thought you said seeing me would make Chichi sad," Goku said.

Gohan scratched his head nervously. "Well, it turns out we were wrong about that. Mom found out about the wish and she's really mad that we hid you from her."

"Oh," Goku said. "I guess I better take care of these guys and go home."

Gohan smiled in relief. Then he decided to tag along while Goku dealt with his bandits. They probably weren't anything to worry about but over the years Goku had begun attracting a much more powerful class of adversaries and the youthful Saiyan still had a lot of catching up to do before he'd be ready to face any of them.