C-35

Do I know you?


Gohan sat blinking at his daughter. She looked so different and he couldn't place what it was.

She did look a little tired, but she has been so busy with finishing off her semester and taking care of Trunks that she hardly had any time to herself.

But there was still something that he couldn't place. Something different and it upset him. He wished he could place what it was that was so different. Her hair was the same if not a bit wilder.

Then he placed it.

She had been gaining weight! Her cheeks were a little puffier and her clothes did look a little tight around her waist. She has been eating a lot lately, but then he didn't think it was unusual for someone in his family to eat the way she was. He didn't think it was possible to gain weight for a Saiyian. A fat Saiyian? He didn't think it was possible.

And then she was female. Another problem.

He knew better than to say something stupid like that to any woman!

He watched her as she collapsed onto the couch with a sigh and then with a cheerful voice, "Hi daddy. How was your day today?"

"Fine. Are you sure that your okay?" he said. He did not know how to be tactful with this subject.

She let out a sigh again. "I feel like a whale!" she stretched out on the couch. He would hardly call her a whale. It was only a few pounds and once she started training again, he was sure that she would burn it off in no time. But then, he was not stupid enough to say it.

She must have read his look for one of confusion.

She sat up and patted the seat beside her. "Daddy. I got something to tell you."

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. What now? What could she possibly want to tell him?

............

"Do I know you?"

Goten couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could he not recognize him!

"Yes, you know me! I am you youngest son! Goten!" He said as he watched Goku stuffing the hotdogs down. "GOTEN!"

He turned his head to one side and scratched the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes, and looked at him.

"You do look a little familiar," he said and then turned his head to the other side. "But I think I would remember my own son!"

Goten just stared at his father. A man that he had searched the universe for was sitting right in front of him! He could feel that he was his father even though he did look a little bit different. He was bigger since he last saw him about another foot high. He wasn't wearing his usual colors of orange and blue that he wore for so long. The blue was still there but the orange was replaced by black. He could see that there was something green on his arms. Tattoo's. Markings. But they really weren't that. It looked like a dragon's tail on one arm and a claw on the other.

And his eyes. They seemed to shift from black to an emerald green but he thought that was his imagination.

Was this what happens when you fuse with the eternal dragon?

"Dad!" He snapped. "I am your son!"

"I thought my son was named Gohan?" he said in a whisper.

He remembered Gohan! How come he didn't remember him!

"Dad. Where have you been!" he said.

"Around. Don't really remember all that much. Do have any more of that money stuff. I am still hungry," he said and rubbing his flat stomach. "It feels as if I had not eaten in years!"

He sighed. "Why don't we go home and I am sure ChiChi will cook up some food for you."

Goku jumped up. "Right! ChiChi! I remember her! She's is a really good cook. Let's go."

Goten felt his arm being grabbed and suddenly they were in the woods. It was the house that they used to live in before they moved into the city.

"Hey! Is this home?" Goku said.

"No dad. We moved into the city. Don't you remember?" That was a silly question. Of course he didn't remember. His brain was more Swiss cheese than normal!

He just looked at the house with a confused look.

He sighed. He got his father back physically, but it sure looked like his brain was gone.

...............

Trunks looked down at his father and then over at his sleeping mother who was in a cot beside him.

He was dying. He felt it. He didn't need to be told. His father was dying. His chest was hardly even moving!

He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Dad wouldn't want him to cry. Of course, he also knew that his father wouldn't want to die this way either! He would have preferred to die in the heat of the battle itself. A death suitable for a Saiyain Prince.

He learned at a young age, you don't always get what you want.

He wasn't supposed to be out of bed yet. His knees were starting to get a little wobbly but he didn't want to stay in bed any longer.

He kept thinking about things and it was driving him nuts. He needed to move so that his mind would stop working for a little while. He didn't want to think about Soyna being gone. He didn't want to think about his father dying. He didn't even want to think about his relationship with Pan and their child. It all seemed such a high price to pay to live.

He sighed and walked to the kitchen, using the wall for support. He wasn't hungry, but it was a mindless function that would hopefully clear his head.

That is where he saw the boys at the kitchen table playing a game of cards.

Legen looked at him first, "What are you doing out of bed? Pan said that you were supposed to be sleeping!"

"You better sit down before you fall!" Fry said and pushed him to a chair.

Benot just laid down his cards and looked at him. Did he blame him too for the death of his mother? He didn't want to know.

"Pan made some sandwiches and left them in the fridge, just in case," Legen said. "Will that do?"

He nodded and looked at the cards on the table. "What are you playing?" he asked.

Benot answered, "A game that mom taught me." He didn't pry further as he began sweeping up the cards. "Crib. Mom said it was a good game to learn to do math with."

He smiled. That was one of his favorite games too. They weren't using a peg board, they were just doing the pegging on paper. The way he usually did it too.

He wanted to cry. His OTHER self must have taught her to do that. His OTHER self must have played the game with her all the time. He never saw her playing cards with the boys, but he did spend a lot of time at the office.

Legen placed a sandwich in front of him and he shook the "what ifs" out of his head.

"Can I play too?" he asked.

Benot shrugged. "We'll pair up then."

Fry and Legen smiled. When did Benot become the gloomy one? Legen seemed to be in a good mood today, or was he putting on a brave face?

They had played about 4 rounds and he was starting to actually feel normal again. Benot refused to be his partner after loosing the first two rounds and now Fry and him were kicking Benot and Legen's butt!

It felt good not to think about what had happened. Just worrying about the combination of the cards and numbers.

Then the phone rang.

............

Gohan was in shock.

"Are you sure?" he said. He just stared at her. He couldn't move.

Pan nodded. "Are you mad at me?"

No. He was mad at Trunks! But then, there was nothing he could really do about it now, was there? It was done. They had already announced their relationship and Trunks had been taking good care until he needed to be taken care of.

"I thought you would be more careful," he whispered.

"We were daddy. I was on the pill and we used condoms. It was just meant to be," she said.

Maybe it was. He sighed. He still didn't have to like it. The thought of a grandchild wasn't bad, but he still had to work out his anger towards Trunks.

"Daddy?"

He reached over and hugged his little girl.

"He better marry you," he said.

She laughed into his chest. "Of course he will if you don't threaten to kill him all the time."

He sighed heavily. He definitely would have to stop that wouldn't he? He was starting to enjoy the look of fear on his face every time he saw Trunks. He was actually starting to feel a calmness over take him. A feeling that he hadn't had in a very long time.

It didn't last long.

............

Videl was worried about ChiChi. She was busy cooking furiously away for the family as usual, but she was not looking well and she wouldn't admit it.

Videl tried to get ChiChi to sit down and relax. She could finish the rest of the meal but she was stubborn and just kept on moving.

She knew ChiChi was acting that way because of how her boys were constantly fighting.

Videl sighed at sat down on the table, busing herself with peeling carrots, as she watched ChiChi furiously scurry around the kitchen.

"I smell something good!" She heard a voice behind her. It sounded like Goten had a cold.

"It's not ready yet," ChiChi said from the stove.

Videl turned and gasped. She put a hand over her mouth and blinked at what surely had to be a vision.

Goten stood there by a man that looked remarkable like Goku. Goku face was set in a pout and his hands on his stomach. "Aw, but I'm really really hungry."

ChiChi turned around, waiving her wooden spoon as if she were ready to throw it. "It will be ready when it is ready," her stern voice trailed off quickly to the low tone. Her eyes grew wide.

Goku smiled. "Hi! I'm home."

Goten shook his head.

ChiChi screamed and fainted.

............

Gohan rushed into the room and involuntarily powered up as he rushed in. He first saw his mother passed out on the floor. Goten was fanning her with a near by magazine.

But it was the other man that stopped him cold.

"Dad?" He couldn't believe that it was his father!

Goku was looking down at the fainted ChiChi. "I didn't mean to scare her. Will she be okay?"

"Dad!"

Goku looked up and smiled. "Gohan! I remember you. You are my Gohan!" Goku rushed forward and hugged his son with a furious grip. Gohan heard Goten grumble something as he tried to wake up their mother.

"Dad?" he said. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

He just laughed. "You should know better. I don't die that easily."

ChiChi moaned and started to blink her eyes, "I had the most wonderful dream that my Goku has come back to me."

"It's not a dream mom," Goten said. "He came back. Late, but he came back."

She rushed to her feet and nearly tackled Goku who quickly embraced the weeping woman. "I missed you so much!" she cried, but that didn't last long. She pounded a fist into his hard chest. "If you leave me again, you better well stay dead or I'm going to kill you!"

Goku just smiled and gave her a kiss.

The whole room was silent in the touching moment.

Until Goku's stomach grumbled.

He gave a sly smirk. "I'm a little hungry."

ChiChi just smiled. "You are never just a little hungry, you big goof! Sit down. Lunch will be ready soon."

............

Trunks felt weak as he got out of the car and was ashamed that his mother had to help him into the house. She was impatient to get inside to see Goku.

He was too, but the poison was wearing him down again. He wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep but he knew that he couldn't.

Goku was back.

What did it mean? No. What could it mean, was the question.

The house was full of noises. The boys, who had come along for the ride, hid behind the legs of Bulma. They had only heard stories about him. Fry was even a bit scared at the sight of him.

Trunks could see why. Goku was different. He was bigger than he remembered. He looked a little rough in his darker clothes and... was that right, were those tattoo's on his arms?

It was Goku, but a different Goku.

He was sitting at the table stuffing his face with whatever food was at the table and within reach.

Pan rushed over to him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Grandpa's back!" was all that she said when she rushed in his arms. He clung to her to stay on his feet more that to comfort her.

"Where was he?" Trunks asked. "Why was he gone so long?"

Pan shrugged. "We haven't talked about that yet."

He noticed that Goku had stopped eating and was staring right at him. His eyes narrowed. He finished his mouthful. "Why are YOU holding my granddaughter?"

Goten mumbled something under his breath from his seat across from his father. He looked miserable.

Trunks was taken aback by the question. He looked down and Pan and held her tightly to himself. Oh great, he thought, now I am going to have Goku wanting to kill me.

"Grandpa!" Pan said. "He's my boyfriend!"

He seemed to think about it for a second. He took some chicken and ate while he was in thought, then said. "He looks like someone that I don't think you should be involved with." His face got stern and Trunks could feel his whole body shaking. Pan held him firmly on his feet.

"You know," Pan snapped. "It's my decision who I end up with, not yours!" then she obviously felt guilty for saying that. "I'm sorry Grandpa. Trunk's is good to me and that is all that there is to it. We are together."

"Trunks," Goku contemplated. "Vegeta's boy! I remember now. Gee, I never saw that one coming," he smiled and resumed eating.

"Grandpa sure is weird," Fry said from behind Bulma in a whisper.

"He looks a lot like the wimp." Benot said.

Legen just chewed his lip.

Then Goten spoke up. "Where were you dad? I went searching for you and we couldn't find you. Where were you? Why did you have to leave us? What happened to you?"

"Well," he said with a mouth full of noodles and then swallowed. "I don't remember much. It wasn't until a little while ago that I remember that I came from this planet. I really wasn't myself." He ate another mouthful. "Shelong and I joining was very confusing and we had to make sure that the dragonballs are safe and..."

"DRAGONBALLS!" Everyone said at once. Goku stopped and cringed, a humorous pose on such an imposing figure.

"I thought they were gone!" Gohan said. "They were to dangerous to have around... I thought they were destroyed when you... well, when you died!"

"Magic is hard to destroy," Goku said. "But, it can be protected better!" There was a large grin on his face. "No more evil wishes!"

"Dragonballs. Does that mean that we can wish mommy back?" Legen rushed forward. "You can bring my mommy back to me?" He grabbed Goku's large arm and looked up at him with tearful green eyes. "Can you?"

"Well..."

"Yes! You can bring Soyna back," Goten said. His eyes were blinking furiously. "Where are the dragonballs dad? We have to bring Soyna back."

He looked confused between Legen and Goten.

Benot rushed beside his brother. "Please sir! I miss my mom."

Trunks smiled. They could get Soyna back!

The room was a flurry of voices asking about the dragonballs. Goku sat in the middle trying to trace the voices around him.

They could get Soyna back! He couldn't wait to tell father. His heart sank. Maybe if they had more that one wish, they could wish for him to get better too.

............

Next Chapter...

How to make a wish.


I know you just can't wait for it!!