The Things that are Between Fathers and Sons
…Peeping around the corner…
'I've been here before. It looks familiar but I don't know from where… Oh!! This is the fanfic world!! Wow, it's been a good while since I've been here. Well since I am in the neighborhood I guess I'll leave something.' (Looking around) The neighborhood looks a little different…
Disclaimer: You know I don't own it so don't ask me…
Trunks walked slowly into his home as he replayed the morning events in his head. He was happy that he no longer had to hide his love for Pan but was also saddened at the fact that he would never have the same type of relationship with Gohan. Trunks has always revered the oldest son of Goku, not only because he was his best friend's brother but also because Gohan was his real model of what a man was to become. Yes, he loved and idolized his father but he learned at a very early age that living life like Vegeta would lead you with few options; dead, Vegeta's been there, highly angry at the world, Vegeta's is that, and highly ascetic, Vegeta again… In essence, if it had not been for Gohan's influence in his life, Trunks would've grown up to be a hooligan with extreme strength much like his father or an overly eccentric genius like his grandfather.
I hope Gohan will be able to accept me and Panny's bond and realize that it is not something developed out of lust but of love. I loved her for so long and pretty much waited until she was old enough to know what she was getting into…
The love-struck man climbed the stairs to go to his wing of the massive house that he shares with his parents and sister. Out of habit he looked down the hall to the area where his sister's room is and saw his father lying on the floor with his head pressed against her door.
What in the world is he doing? He is so weird sometimes.
He initially decided against going to find out what oddity his father was indulging in but his curiosity got the best of him and he turn opposite of his original destination and went towards his father.
Vegeta saw his eldest child slowly waking towards him and signaled for the younger man to be quiet as he continued eavesdropping on this youngest child's conversation. He noticed that his son was still wearing his tuxedo from the night before but now it was ripped and stained with blood and dirt. He looked over at the man and simpered, giving recognition to the fact that he knew what had occurred. In return, Trunks smiled, folded his hand behind his head, and leaned against the wall. Had he not been in his own little world, he would've recognized his best friend was in his little sister's room.
Vegeta then stood up and faced his son and said,
"So… you're still alive." The younger man closed his eyes and stretched as he said,
"Yep, still alive." He lifted himself off the wall and asked his father the question that caused him to deter him from his original destination,
"Dad, why were you on the floor eavesdropping on Bra?" It was his father's turn to lean on the wall as he replied in his emblematic imperial fashion,
"Didn't you sense someone else in the room with your sister?" Trunks raised his eyebrow and said sheepishly,
"No, I didn't think to check." Vegeta shook his head as he thought,
I'm surrounded by horny idiots… Then started walking down the hall to his own room.
"Dad, who was with Bra? I want to know." Vegeta turn to his son and said,
"Fine, go shower and be ready in ten minutes. You smell like your mate and sex." Trunks laughed loudly and started towards his room as he replied to his father,
"I know, and it great?" The Saiyajin prince said as he entered his room,
"No, it's sickening," then slammed his bedroom door as he began conversing with his wife.
Gohan watched Goku squeeze his hand through the tiny opening at the tip of the icy mount, being mindful of the vast amount of snow that threatened to cause an avalanche at the slightest disturbance. They had been searching all over the world for about twenty minutes and already gathered four dragonballs; thanks to Bulma thinking Gohan should have his own radar in case something should happen. It also helped that Goku and the balls' share the same energy pattern since his last return. Gohan floated above his father cradling the four acquired dragonballs and idly watched his father as he replayed in his mind the events that ultimately brought on this impromptu dragonball hunt.
My baby girl is bonded... She bonded to 'him' despite all my efforts to dissuade the love she had for 'him'. Despite me trying to be involved in her life and provide other options outside of 'him'. I even acted as though I didn't notice she was dating four different men at the same time in hopes that she would forget about 'him'. I prayed that their individual lives would cause their friendship to diminish to a passing acquaintanceship, or at least just old family friends. I guess me trying so hard to keep them away only drove them closer together.
"Gohan catch!" The man drifted out of his deliberation and easily caught the fifth dragonball in his arms. He looked at his father who had his archetypal smile plastered on his face but with sympathetic eyes. He knew his oldest son would eagerly use the magical orbs to dissolve his daughter's union with Trunks if given the chance. His also knew his son was most likely berating himself for somehow being the cause of the two growing to love each other intimately.
"Come on, we still have to find the other two balls. Gohan and Bra are probably already waiting on us."
Gohan looked at his father with a mixture of wonderment and anger as he thought about how wise his father really was. He knew Goku was right about Pan and Trunks but his heart could not, or would not, accept the fact that his only child was bonded to someone twice her age; someone who was practically a part of his family and just as much a brother as his own brother. He also knew that his father knew about the connection that Pan and Trunks held and didn't lift a finger to help stop it but at the same time, here they are gathering the now 'dreaded' dragonballs to help Goten and Bra release their bond.
Goku acted as though he wasn't watching his son's animated face and didn't hear the sporadic thoughts Gohan was throwing at him. That is until he had hear the man's thought on whom Goku really loved. The older Saiyajin turned to face his son and said in an eerily calm voice,
"Gohan, this is not a matter of who I love more; because I love both you and Goten the same. This is a matter of learning a lesson. Goten loves Bra openly and despite her own will, Bra loves Goten more than she can express. Gathering the dragonballs will force them to make a decision on what they really want to do. I don't totally agree with the fact that neither Goten and Bra nor Pan and Trunks have bonded because they have always been like family to one another but it's something that was out of our hands from the start. If you step out of the standpoint that you are Pan's father you can actually see that the bond form long before the GT trip." Gohan looked at his father with an expression that only emitted a state of confused anger as he replied,
"I can't step out of the father standpoint dad!! I am her father, I helped create her, I watched her come into this world, I experienced her first smile, first step, first word, first day of school and watched her grow before my eyes. She is my baby, my world, and I can only see pain coming from this union. I can't just brush this under the rug and hope for the best like you, dad. She hasn't lived her life yet and she's already in over her head," Gohan sucked in a deep breathe to muster up some sort of control and continued,
"She's only 18… and you won't help her dad. So yeah, I have doubts that your love is equal right about now and I feel it's very justified. Goten is 30 years old!! He knew what he was getting himself into but we are gathering the dragonballs to 'teach him a lesson'. You haven't been around to realize that the only lesson he's going to get is 'I don't have to think about my actions because dad will show up at the right time to bail me out'. That's not fair!!"
Goku looked at his son and noticed for the first time he was angry with him. He also realized that this wasn't about Pan and Trunks; it was about Gohan and Goten. The older Saiyajin's face contorted into a scowl as his said almost Vegeta-like,
"Why don't you say what's really on your mind." At that moment, Gohan's face mirrored his father's as his ki spiked as he growled,
"You allowed me to feel like a failure, left me with a mother that cried constantly and a little brother that looked just like you, a reminder of my failures. You then decide to show up out of the blue and become a superhero to him only to leave again. I had to clean up your mess and I had to play dad to him, I had to hold my mother as she cried to sleep night after night. Then of course here you come again and played superhero to not only him but my own child, but you left yet again, and I had to clean up the shit you left!! Not only do I have to hear my mother cry again, I had to deal with Goten shutting down again and my daughter looking for another avenue of love." Goku looked at his son and said very uncharacteristically,
"Gohan, get over yourself!! I didn't leave you to feel like a failure, I was with you the entire time; you know this! Nobody told you to make me into an idol to Goten or Pan. I did what I had to do to save you, your mother, Goten, Pan and the rest of the world from destruction. Do you think I wanted to make those sacrifices? Do you think that I wanted to be away from your mother? I was given this responsibility from the start. It's not something I choose. People come to this planet in search on our powers and for some weird reason I was chosen to be it's champion. If I didn't protect it, who knows what would have happened". Goku's face softened ever so slightly as he moved closer to his son and continued in a compassionate tone.
"Gohan, you are my first born and you have to know I love you. If for some reason I believed that Pan and Trunks wanted to dissolve the bond they had I would easy give the dragonballs to them as well. But the fact of the matter is that they both wanted this for a long time and would never deny this fact. Goten still battles with the fact that I wasn't there for him the way I was for you and I will probably deal with that for the rest of my life, but he does know I don't love him any less than I love you. This is probably me trying to make up for those lost times." Gohan glared at his father and attempted to retort but his voice and spirit faltered. He sighed and felt the burning sensation of tears threatening to fall for the second time today. Goku smiled at the man as he patted him on the back and said,
"I know son. It will get easier over time, trust me." The Saiyajin hybrid nodded his head and inhaled unequivocally to force the tears from falling and said to his father,
"Let's get the other two Dragonballs."
As Vegeta walked into his bedroom, his wife was fastidiously placing the last hairpin in her now curly hair. The man watched her take her time, making sure she gathered the few stubborn strands into the pin to create her look of the day.
"You know, it's pretty late to be doing your hair. You should've just left it down." Bulma turned and smiled at her husband as she said,
"Just decided to play around with my hair. I saw so many nice hairstyles last night that I wanted to see if I could create some toned down, everyday versions of them. How does it look?" he looked intently at her hair and nodded.
"It'll do, it's too many curls but it'll do." Turned around to the vanity mirror and inspected the look and said,
"I agree, next time I won't put so many in."
As she finished her statement she saw her husband walk over to the balcony and look up at the sky. His facial expression and body language was normal but she could feel a sense of concern radiate from him. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him as she nuzzled her nose into the nape of his hair and asked,
"What's bothering you?" The man grumbled slightly before he replied,
"Our children have bonded and I'm concerned." Bulma lifted her head as Vegeta continued his vent to his companion,
"I know Trunks can take care of himself and Gohan's whelp but is he ready for all that comes with this. Feeling her even when she's not there, needing to comfort her when she can't be; it's only a matter of time before Kakkorrot does something stupid to get himself killed again." By this time Bulma was in front of the man listening intently. She saw he has began withdrawing into himself and said,
"Vegeta, I think you don't give Trunks enough credit. I think he has been preparing for the day when he and Pan would be together for at least six or seven years. Even though she didn't realize it, Pan was doing the same. They recognized the attraction between themselves early on. After all he is your son; you said you knew you wanted me on Namek so he probably recognized that she was the only one for him early on." The alien man looked at his woman as if he was burning the way she looked into his mind. She smiled and said,
"As for Bra, we know she's playing the field, well at least I knew. If she having sex she's not considering that bonding." Vegeta released himself from his lover and rejoindered in his typical intonation,
"Woman, I know the difference in our daughter simply fucking around and being bonded. I'm telling you she's bonded." Bulma placed her hand on her hip and countered,
"How is that possible Vegeta? I thought this bonding thing was a Saiyajin thing and the only other Saiyajin…oh my…" As the words her spilled from her mouth a vision of Goten and Bra's peculiar behavior at the party last night flashed in her mind. She paled as she leaned on to the railing and looked out toward the direction of Mt. Paozu.
"…Goten." The Saiyajin prince moved closer to Bulma and said,
"Yes Goten, how's he going to take care of her and keep her safe? He's exactly like his insufferable father." If Bulma heard the man she didn't give any indication to the fact, instead she shot up and said,
"I've got to call ChiChi!"
Okay… this is what you call a filler. I haven't really written in a log while and it's taking me a minute to get back in the groove of things. Hope you enjoy!
PEACE