Author's Note:

Sorry for the late update!

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

Gohan finally woke up after passing out from abusing his Parity transformation. He sat up groggily, putting a hand to his head. There were three weird new weights on him. Gohan gulped, looking down. Trunks, Goten, and Videl were using his stomach as a pillow. Videl was cuddling with his right arm while Goten was sucking on his left thumb. Gohan winced and pulled his thumb out of Goten's mouth, groaning at the amount of salvia he had now acquired.

Gohan looked up - the sky was pitch black. Huh. He must have been out for longer than he thought. A little ways away was Piccolo and... Goku. Gohan blinked, slowly putting his family down and walking over. Both adult males looked up as Gohan approached their campfire.

"Hello, Gohan." Piccolo said. Gohan groaned as he threw his butt down, landing squarely in Piccolo's lap. Piccolo's face went beet red, and he made a choking sound. Gohan ignored this and lounged on Piccolo's lap like he did when he was small.

"How long was I out?" Gohan asked, sitting cross-legged. He couldn't help the grin that took over his face when Piccolo sighed and placed a hand atop Gohan's head, ruffling his strong Saiyan mane.

"A couple hours." Goku answered, glancing at Piccolo. "Listen, Gohan... I really wanted to talk to you. I know I haven't been the best parent. I was never really there for you... on my list of priorities, your safety wasn't number one, where it should have been. Getting a good fight was number one. I'm sorry, okay?"

Gohan blinked and fidgeted. Piccolo sensed his unease and wrapped one of his arms around Gohan's abdomen, holding his precious... son. His son close. Gohan almost immediately relaxed. Piccolo smiled and ruffled Gohan's hair.

"I know." Gohan said, looking down at the ground. "But what Erai did to me can't be erased. No, it isn't even what she did. She didn't have to warp the memories. I knew that you did to me. I was unsure, and she abused that. But... just because you try to say sorry... it doesn't right the wrong." Gohan looked Goku straight in the eye. "I think I need to stay with Piccolo and Videl."

"Gohan, your mom wants you home."

"I used to have nightmares about her, too. Her hitting me for not studying hard enough, for not being intelligent enough for her."

"That's right!" Videl had joined the conversation. She had woken up a couple minutes after Gohan had left. She put her hands on her hips and got right up into Goku's face. "You hurt Gohan! You're a terrible father, and no apology is going to fix that. Gohan living with you wouldn't be good, so it isn't happening." she snapped.

"But... Videl..." Goku shrunk back. She was just like Chi-Chi! But unlike Chi-Chi, she didn't even seem to remotely like him!

"I'm doing what's best for my boyfriend right now, Goku." Videl raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her potential father-in-law. "You never gave Gohan a chance of what HE wanted to be. You and Chi-Chi pushed a lot of crap onto him. It wasn't fair. You need to let him live his own life now." Videl's tone softened. "Just leave him be, Goku."

Goku blinked, barely able to accept this. Gohan was his son. He wanted him home. But he could feel both Piccolo and Videl getting increasingly hostile as seconds ticked by. He needed a change of topic, and fast. "So, uh, Gohan, how does your transformation work?" Goku asked quickly.

"Which one?" Gohan's Ki had been rising slightly due to his anxiety, and it was calming down. Piccolo and Videl also stopped looking at Goku like they were going to murder him... well, Piccolo did.

"The blue hair, blue aura, golden eyes..." Goku explained, gesturing in Gohan's direction. "Able to take on two Super Saiyan Threes at the same time?"

"Oh, that's a transformation called 'Parity'." Gohan began to explain it. "See, I was born with two sides to my power and personality - the human and the Saiyan. The Saiyan was obviously aggressive. The Saiyan was the one that tortured Cell. I had a huge bloodlust, a huge power then, but I couldn't control it. I was powerful enough to fight, but unpredictable. The other side is the one you see most of the time - human. Human gives me control, but less power. Parity is a word that basically means harmony. During the time in my transformation, my human and Saiyan sides harmonize and flow together. I have the power of the Saiyan and the control of the human."

"Oh." Goku looked disappointed. "So you wouldn't be able to teach me how to use it?"

"No. It would only work on a select few individuals - half breeds. Where one cell of their blood is screaming to torment others and the other cell is screaming to save others. Even with Trunks and Goten - their human and Saiyan sides are pretty fused already. They wouldn't be able to force the sides together if they already are together. So no, no one else would be able to use it."

"Huh." Goku digested this information. He watched as Piccolo continued ruffling Gohan's hair, before his hand stayed still, simply resting on Gohan's head. Gohan seemed like the sun - but instead of light, there was just happiness. Gohan was happy here, with Piccol and Videl.

"I will respect your choice to not come home, Gohan." Goku sighed. He refused to look his son in the eye, scared of how Gohan actually thought of him. "But please come and visit. Or at least, let us visit you."

"You and Chi-Chi are not allowed anywhere near Gohan." Piccolo stated. "Goten and Trunks can come to visit, but not you two. If Gohan is to heal properly, you cannot be around. Simply being in your presence throws his anxiety levels up tenfold."

"I'm actually, physically here you know. I can always talk. Or make decisions." Gohan mumbled. He shrunk back, putting his hands up in defense as Videl glared daggers at him. "Or not. Just a thought."

"Gohan, don't you want to be a big brother to Goten?" Goku asked desperately.

Gohan blinked slightly. He could feel Piccolo tensing up. Just like when he was a child, Piccolo lifted him by the armpits and stood up. He out Gohan down on the floor, but now, Piccolo took off and gave him his weighted cape. Gohan gratefully accepted it and snuggled in close to the fire. Videl was cracking her knuckles, murder in her eyes.

"That was a low blow, even for you." Piccolo snarled.

"Chi-Chi told me to not give up without a fight." Goku stood, squaring off against Videl and Piccolo. "And I won't. I can beat you. I know I can! I'll beat you and I'll take my sons home." Gohan was inching his way towards Goten and Trunks, looking like a worm. His hands and feet were snuggled into Piccolo's cape and he had wrapped himself pretty tightly. Gohan reached the boys and looked mournfully at the campfire, but nonetheless, a dark blue energy shield surrounded Gohan, his brother, and Trunks. He grumbled a bit and turned his back on the fighters, not wanting them to see his tears.

Piccolo knew immediately when Gohan was in some sort of emotional pain. This only made him twice as angry at Goku. Piccolo took his favoured stance, shifting his weight and glaring at Goku. His stance had the purpose of defending, then throwing a counterattack. Videl's stance was aggressive, brutual, and filled with fury. She threw herself at Goku, screaming in rage. He blocked her attempted punch to the face and kicked her side, sending her flying and skidding across the land.

Piccolo fought next against the might of the Saiyan. He was much more calculating, and allowed Goku to fly to him. Piccolo kept him distracted by simply dodging or blocking Goku's punches and kicks. Videl slammed both of her fists into Goku's back, rejoining the fight. Goku flew forwards as Piccolo struck him hard on the chin and sent him flying up. Goku stabilized himself, as he was quite disoriented. By the time he blinked the black spots out of his vision, Piccolo had his fist buried in Goku's gut. Goku coughed out blood and stumbled away from the two. He stood up straight, summoning the power. Goku turned Super Saiyan, his aura and golden hair flying.

"We don't have to do this. Just let Gohan come home." Goku begged. "I don't want to have to fight you! If I come home and I've fought, Chi-Chi will still cook for me. But if I don't..." Goku grabbed his head and almost teared up at the implications.

"You started the fight. We won't give up Gohan." Videl snapped. "It's sure as hell not happening, Goku."

"Please stop." Gohan mumbled. To the ears of Videl and Goku, he was muted. To the ears of Piccolo, he was heard crystal clear. "You don't need to fight. I know you can hear me, Mister Piccolo." Gohan untangled himself from the cape and placed it over the still-sleeping Goten and Trunks. "I'm taking matters into my own hands now." Gohan kissed Goten's forehead before standing up and walking away.

"Gohan?" Piccolo muttered. He shook his head, wondering why the boy was walking toward the cliff. Both Goku and Videl stopped when they noticed him. He had his hands in his pockets, and seemed to be simply strolling. The sun had just started to rise, so the sky glowed a beautiful yellow colour.

Gohan reached the edge of the cliff, and spun on his heel. The back of his heel was going over the edge. He was smiling, and saluted them. His smile faded as he began to look lost, not knowing what to do about the fight before him. At least this would stop it. Hopefully. He leaned backwards, compromising his balance, and fell.

All three participants of the fight gasped or screamed, watching the boy lean back, and plummet. Gohan gohan was on his back, his hair whipping forwards. His hands were in his pockets and he was bended slightly at the waist.

Gohan looked up at Videl and Piccolo's panicked faces as tree branches swallowed his small body. He closed his eyes, preparing to hit the ground.

He hit a soft pair of arms first. Gohan coughed, the wind getting knocked out of him as he flailed, trying to hold on to whatever he landed on. He looked up at the furious green face of Piccolo, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He was definitely going to get an earful now.

"You're fast." Gohan commented. When Piccolo's face contorted and his eye started twitching, Gohan knew he was in for it.

"You idiot!" Piccolo thundered, his eye twitching violently. "You could have died! You lowered your power level to a normal human's, you would have died upon impact! What were you thinking?! I lost you once for three entire years, I am NOT losing you again! What sort of idiot throws himself off of a cliff, huh?! Was there even a reason?"

"I wanted to stop the fight." Gohan yawned and used Piccolo's gi as a pillow. "It worked, didn't it?"

Piccolo was speechless. His student had risked his life to stop a fight. He had almost died to help Piccolo. The Namekian's heart melted and he smiled down at Gohan.

"Just don't do it again." Piccolo murmured, watching Gohan drift off.

~Piccolo and Gohan have a separate adventure, next time, on DBZ: A Whole New Enemy!~

yuki kun: Thank you!