*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.
Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*
"Goku," Piccolo called, closing his eyes once his friend looked over at him. Goku stood, walking to Piccolo, noticing the serious tone in his voice.
"Yeah?" Goku asked curiously.
"Goku, back there, Gohan was-" Piccolo was cut off.
"I know," Goku said, bowing his head as sadness took over his voice.
"Goku, I was going to ask you, would you stay? For Gohan?" Piccolo asked, expression worried as he looked at the man. Goku raised his head in surprise, before smiling widely.
"I'll be right back, okay?" Goku said, barely giving Piccolo a moment to reply before he disappeared. Gohan clenched his eyes shut when Goku disappeared, feeling his already shattered heart being broken into more pieces. So they were right, his dad really was leaving? And without so much as a goodbye? Goku appeared in front of Kibito who fell from the rock he was sitting on, yelling in surprise.
"Goku?" The Supreme Kai asked.
"Hey, Supreme Kai, how are you!?" Goku asked as he ran up to the purple man.
"Fine, I just-why?" He trailed off, not wanting to sound rude.
"Oh, I'm here to ask a favour," Goku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It has something to do with Gohan, doesn't it?" The Kai asked.
"Yeah, long story short, Gohan never got better, actually, he got worse and I'm afraid that if I leave again, he'll lose it, so I was wondering, can you help me?" Goku asked, a pleading look on his face.
"Absolutely not!" A voice called Goku turned, seeing the older Kai walking towards them.
"But, sir! The entire universe is at stake! I'll sacrifice my life for this!" Shin yelled.
"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" The old Kai said, sighing in defeat.
"But-" Shin was cut off.
"No buts, your still young, let me do this," the old Kai brushed him off.
"Thank you!" Goku thanked, smiling happily.
Goten ran up to his brother, falling to his knees next to the teen. Goten started talking a mile a minute, not noticing that Gohan wasn't even listening, he was to busy staring at the scars on his arms. He could suddenly sense Goku again, but decided to ignore it.
"Goku, where did your halo go?" Bulma asked, this gained Gohan's attention.
"I decided to stay, an old friend helped me out and long story short, I'm alive again!" Goku said cheerfully as he walked to Gohan. Everyone tensed, anxiously awaiting the boy's reaction.
"R-really?" Gohan asked, a tiny bit of hope burning inside him.
"Yes, Gohan. I'm here to stay, with you, son," Goku answered, sitting down on his legs next to his son. A small flicker of life returned to Gohan's eyes as the tears gathered. Throwing himself at his father, Gohan started crying, clutching onto the man's shirt, as of afraid he'd leave once he let go.
"That's all I ever wanted! That's all!" Gohan cried, his pain and grief finally being released. Goku hugged his son tightly to his chest, his heart aching. He could have spared Gohan so much pain if he'd just came back in the first place. He couldn't turn back time, no, but he could make up for the time he'd lost with his sons and hopefully, his eldest would finally heal. Everyone watched in silence as Gohan cried, gently being shushed and reassured by his father. Exhaustion finally became to much for the teen as he finally succumbed to the darkness, slowly falling limp in Goku's arms. It was clear that the teen had fallen asleep, he no longer breathed irregularly and had stopped crying, but was now breathing deeply. Relief washed over everyone, Gohan was finally going to be okay now. Bulma collapsed to her knees and cried herself, everything finally catching up to the woman.
Bardock smiled, he could sense a shift in Gohan, a good one. The boy was finally back to his old self.
"What a relief!" Yamcha cried, getting emotional himself. Everyone cheered at the new accomplishment.
"Not yet," Piccolo spoke. Everyone tensed again.
"What do you mean?! Goku's back, he's going to help Gohan!" Krillin yelled.
"How do you think Gohan's going to react when his grandparents have to go back to Otherworld? He already loves Bardock as much as he loves Goku, he's only just starting to heal, to lose someone important to him now, it might leave permanent wounds," Piccolo said, noticing that everyone's moods seemed to dampen. It was silent as everyone thought this over, staring at the peaceful teen. An idea struck.
"We can just wish them back with the dragon balls!" Bulma yelled suddenly.
"Yeah! I mean, if you want to stay here?" Goku asked, hope shining in his eyes.
"Of course, that'd be great," Bardock smiled, laughing as everyone cheered once again.
Chi-Chi felt relieved, Goku was staying, not to mention her father and mother in law. Gohan was going to be so happy when he learns of this. But first, they need to talk to the boy, figure out what started this, and apologize for everything that has gone wrong.
"What about our house?" Goten asked from where he was sitting near Goku, staring at his brother.
"Oh, no! Our house! It was blown up! What now!?" Chi-Chi asked frantically.
"It's alright, Chi-Chi, I'll give you one. Actually, you need one big enough for all of you. I think I know just the right one," Bulma said, a finger on her chin as she thought before moving it away, smiling.
"Oh, but Bulma, we can't possibly-" Chi-Chi started protesting, but was cut off.
"Nonsense, it's the least I can do," Bulma said, smiling reassuringly.
"Thank you, Bulma," Chi-Chi said, smiling as tears gathered in her eyes.
Goku moved slightly, freezing when Gohan shifted, his eyes fluttering before he settled down again. Goku gathered the teen in his arms carefully as he stood, moving under a tree, where he sat down again. Gohan was laying on his his side between his father's legs, his upper body and head resting against Goku's stomach and chest. Goten stood beside his father, gently rubbing Gohan's back. Bulma had dragged Vegeta away, forcing him to fly her to Capsule Corporation so that she could find them a new home. They weren't gone for long before they landed again, Vegeta looking annoyed as he let go of the blue haired woman. She laughed, showing the small capsule to Chi-Chi.
"We should probably search through the wreckage, maybe we can find something sentimental that didn't blow up?" Bulma suggested. Together, everyone, except Goku and Gohan, searched through the remains of the house. Chi-Chi moved broken and burnt pieces of wood aside, it was once their bookcase.
There, she noticed a book. Their photo album, to be exact. The cover was slightly singed, but the pictures were still intact. Chi-Chi hugged the book to her chest, sighing in relief. Goten cheered as he found his precious teddy bear, the one that used to belong to Gohan. Once finished, Vegeta took it upon himself to blow up the remains of the old house to create space for the new one. The explosion caused Gohan to jump, rushing to sit up, he was slightly panicked that they were being attacked.
"It's alright son, it's just Vegeta," Goku reassured as he sat up, placing a reassuring hand on Gohan's shoulder. The teen flinched, not used to being touched. Goku was slightly hurt, but brushed it off as he stood with his son, walking to where the others stood, not having noticed the two. Bulma pressed the top of the capsule before throwing it onto the space where the old one stood. Smoke covered the area, before it settled down, revealing a large, two story house.
Gohan was confused, why was it so big? He stood at the back of the group, absentmindedly staring at their new home.
"Goku? Where's Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked when Goku came and stood next to her.
"He's over there," Goku pointed. Chi-Chi turned, seeing her baby standing there, lost in thought. Chi-Chi rushed to him, crying out when she reached him and forced the teen into a crushing hug. Gohan was completely caught off guard, not having expected his mother to react this way.
"Oh, my poor baby, are you feeling okay?" She asked as she pulled back placing her hands on his cheeks and forcing him to look at her. Gohan blushed.
"I'm fine, mom," Gohan mumbled, struggling to speak with his cheeks being squashed.
"Are you sure?" Chi-Chi asked as she started to look him over.
Gohan stared blankly as his mother fussed over him, slightly annoyed when his friends and family laughed at him. His brow twitching.
"Alright, now, let's go inside so that we can talk," Chi-Chi said sternly, expecting Gohan to protest. Gohan sighed, but walked to the new house none the less, knowing that arguing with his mother would be pointless. Gohan looked around once he entered. The kitchen was large as well as the living room. Gohan could just barely see a staircase around the corner. Confused, Gohan decided to sit down on one of the chairs in the living room, his back to the door. Chi-Chi and Goku sat across from him, the rest of them behind Gohan, though the teen didn't notice. He felt awkward. It was silent for a while, no one knowing how to begin.
"Gohan, I just want to ask you, why did you take your own life? Was it because of me? Please be honest with us, sweetie," Chi-Chi asked, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart as the air tensed. Gohan thought of how to answer that question.
"You want me to be honest?" He asked, unsure.
"Yes, we do," Chi-Chi answered as she and Goku both nodded.
They waited in anticipation, curious to know the boy's reasons. Gohan sighed, well, here goes.
"I guess, in a way, it was partially your fault, mom, but mostly my own. I was angry and upset. The truth is, I was blaming myself for everything that happened. I didn't defeat Cell, so dad had to sacrifice his own life to save everyone. Then, Future Trunks got killed and it was my fault again. I wasn't fast enough, I should have been able to deflect that blast and save him. Not only that, but what happened long before the Cell games. Dad died against uncle Raditz and I couldn't do anything to help. Then, Vegeta and Nappa came, and I was still to weak! Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu and Piccolo died because I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't even able to help against the Ginyu force or Freeza," Gohan said, his fists clenched in his lap as tears slowly started to build up in his eyes.
"Then, after the Cell games, mom found out about Goten and I couldn't handle the thought of my sibling having to live with the monster who killed their father. But then, I was slowly being pushed away. At first, I didn't notice, but then it became obvious. I didn't blame mom, I though I deserved it. I still do. It was just so lonely and painful. Then I started noticing all the hateful glares everyone gave me. I didn't mind, I deserved it, but I was slowly starting to feel out of place, like I didn't belong. And then, I almost hurt mom, Bulma and Trunks. It was when Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien and Krillin followed me that I decided I didn't want to be here anymore. So, a month later, I did it. I was hoping to get away from all this pain, but that didn't work as I was stuck here, only being seen by Trunks at first," Gohan continued, briefly pausing. Chi-Chi took in a shuddering breath. This was a lot harder to hear than she originally thought. Goku felt his heart clench, this was the first time he heard the full story.
"I was only seen by Trunks at first and decided to stick by his side. The anger I felt only grew worse as I watched everyone move on, as though I hadn't existed in the first place. It hurt to watch, but then I slowly started to forget. Eventually, the only thing I could remember was that I absolutely hated my dad. Though, I didn't remember who he was at first, I soon figured it out. Every time someone said his name, I would feel anger, even hatred, but I couldn't remember why I was feeling this way. I gained my memories back the morning before the tournament, when mom gave Goten my old teddy bear and told him about the special boy, his big brother, me. It was then that I realized that I was so angry at dad for leaving us. It felt as though everything was more important than his family and that every time he left, I had to pick up the pieces. I had to fix our broken family. It was worse because this time, he decided to stay away and not come back. He chose not to come back to mom and Goten. To me. So, that anger took hold and didn't let go, causing me to almost do something I'll regret. I blamed everything on him," Gohan briefly glanced up at his father, his heart clenching at the pained look on his face. He wanted to stop, but knew, he had to do this.
"Everything just got worse when Goten decided to defend dad. I felt so betrayed. I knew, dad would leave and then I would have to pick up after him again. It made me so angry that I nearly killed mom and Goten. Then Krillin nearly killed me and it got even worse. I regret it, I regret it so much, it will always haunt me. Then, Buu killed mom and I actually wanted to laugh. I didn't know what was wrong with me, I just wasn't in my right mind, but then I heard Bulma beg me to save them and I couldn't stay away. I did what I had to do and fought Buu eventually, though my plan was to get myself killed again. I thought that if I died saving the world, then maybe I won't get stuck here again and I could go to Otherworld, but it didn't happen. Dad left and I had to pick up again, though this time, everyone was scared. I didn't blame you guys, though. I knew I deserved it, but it still hurt. It was even worse now, because I didn't have anyone. It really hurt Especially when Goten said he hated me," Gohan's tears fell onto his legs, his head bowed as he clenched his eyes shut.
"That hurt more than anything. I could take everything else, but not that. Then dad came back and things didn't really change. I felt so drained and tired, it was the reason I was so distracted when I fought against Pikkon. Everything just looked so comfortable to sleep on. I felt safe and warm when we were sleeping in bed as a family. I regret what I did to you dad. I almost killed you, again. I can never forgive myself for everything that I've done," Gohan cried, his body shaking. Chi-Chi finally understood as she fell to her knees in front of Gohan, forcing him to look at her as she whiped his tears away.
"I don't blame you Gohan, I forgive you. You were just a scared, lonely little boy, who didn't know how to deal with his pain. I'm sorry I neglected you, all those years ago. I'm sorry for what I have done this past year despite promising myself I would treat you better, I didn't. I hope you can forgive me, sweetie," Chi-Chi said softly, tears falling down her pale cheeks as Gohan stared at her with wide, confused eyes.
"I'm sorry, too, Gohan. I shouldn't have tried to kill you on the lookout," Krillin said, a guilty look on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I said I hated you, brother, I love you," Goten said as he tugged on Gohan's pant leg.
"We're all sorry we didn't treat you right, Gohan. We were just so caught up in moving on after Goku's decision, we forgot that it must have hurt you most of all," Bulma spoke softly, her own tears falling. Gohan could only stare on in shock, not knowing what to do or say.
"I'm sorry I left, son. I should have taken you and your mother into consideration when I made my choice. I forced you to grow up far to quickly than you should have. I hope you can forgive me, I promise I will make it all up to you, son," Goku spoke as he, too, sat down next to Chi-Chi on the floor.
"I forgive you," Gohan spoke after a moments hesitation, not really saying it to anyone in particular.
They felt relief wash over them at the boy's words. Bulma cried as she walked to Gohan and forced him to his feet and into a hug as she cried. Gohan awkwardly hugged her back, not really knowing how to react now. Everyone took their turn to hug him, with the exception of Piccolo and Vegeta. The Namekian had placed his hand on Gohan's head and smiled at him. Vegeta even graced him with a small smile of his own, the prince was relieved to know that the boy was better now.
"I just have one question," Gohan said once his mother let go of him.
"What is it?" Bulma asked.
"Why is our new house so big?" Gohan asked, a confused look on his face. It was silent as everyone started smiling at him. Gohan stared at them sceptically, slightly worried.
"Well, son. Your grandparents decided to stay. We're going to wish them back with the dragon balls," Goku said, a bright smile on his face. A look of disbelief crossed Gohan's features.
"Really!?" He yelled, excitement clearly heard in his voice as the life returned to his eyes.
"We sure are," Bardock laughed. Chi-Chi watched, nearly in tears as Gohan laughed, a sound none of them had heard in years. It was beautiful. Gohan was back to his old, cheerful, innocent and sweet self. His eyes shined with life, his Ki flickering as he was starting to heal. Everything would be alright now. And this time, it could be said with confidence.