AN I do not own Dbz.
Please enjoy this chapter.
Goten sighed to himself as he stared up at the ceiling, blank white staring back at him as he thought of his current predicament. He'd been at Cc for a week now and had spent most of his time in his room, isolating himself from his 'friends' and family, not really waiting anything to do with them at the moment. Goten sighed patting out an depressing groan "Why'd he have to tell me that?" Goten asked himself as he averted his eyes for the ceiling to look at a bag comfortably sitting on the floor. "Stupid toy." Goten mumbled out. It was a simple remote control helicopter, the toy he'd been idolizing ever since he's seen the commercial over a year ago. Goten sighed again averting his eyes back to the ceiling. "He shouldn't have told me that, everything was perfect and he had to open his big mouth!" Goten growled out balling his hand into a fist.
Goten sighed heavily while unclenching his fist. Looking at the sun blazing through the window, caused him to groan again not wanting the morning to come. But just like every day the sun rose and the morning had come with the addition of someone tapping at his door. Goten groaned as he climbed out of bed, dragging his feet as he made his way to the door. Goten opened the door enough for his face to be seen and scowled at his visitor "What?" Goten asked flatly.
"Morning kiddo, breakfast is ready. Come join us okay?" Goten growled and shut the door in his brothers face before walking back to his bed.
Gohan sighed on the other side of the door before letting himself in. "Get out Gohan, I didn't say you could come in." Goten mumbled somewhat pitifully as if he was tired. Gohan sighed again looking at his brothers' condition. His hair was twice as wild and matted to the side, dark circles around his eyes, and a stale sweaty smell came from him.
"Goten you look horrible." Gohan said bluntly to which Goten shrugged as he sat back on his bed. Gohan sighed. "Goten you need to come out of this room and get something to eat, take a shower and get some fresh air." Goten just scowled as he and grossed his arms.
"Leave me alone." Goten said softly not wanting to raise his voice.
"You've been in here for a week, you have mom and Bulma worried sick. You're upsetting Trunks and frankly, you're pissing Vegeta off." Gohan said sternly glaring at the tired looking Goten. Goten looked away dropping his scowl and replacing it with an depressing lax expression.
"Please, go away." Goten sighed as Gohan came closer and sat on his bed.
"Goten what's wrong with you? Trust me when I say that whatever we talk about will stay between us. I know that something's bothering you and I'm under the suspicion that you're depressed." Gohan said calmly as he scotched himself next to him.
"I'm not depressed." Goten whined.
"I'm serious Goten; you need to stop this now before it becomes a problem." Gohan said sternly causing Goten to flinch.
"I'm fine, now go away." Goten said in a raised, gravelly voice.
"Talk to me for a little bit and I'll think about it." Goten groaned, he hated talking and wanted left alone.
"I don't want to talk, it's stupid." Goten growled not appreciating the company.
"You know, I miss the talks we used to have when you we were younger, we'd lay in the woods for hours talking about the weirdest things. It was fun." Gohan laughed quietly while Goten just sighed. Gohan huffed to himself as he watched Goten stare into space. "Have you slept lately?" Gohan asked, causing Goten to look up at him and shrug.
"No, not really." Goten answered simply.
"Any reason why?" Gohan asked curiously, hoping for any info he can get out of him.
"No." Goten answered quickly.
"Okay Goten, here's how it's going to go. You're going to bathe, get dressed in clean clothes, and then you're going to get something to eat okay." Gohan said sternly before climbing out of the bed. Goten fell back on the bed and sighed deeply. Turning his head to the side, he watched as Gohan grabbed an outfit from the dresser and laying them on the bed. Gohan stopped and looked at him sadly before walking into the personal bathroom and staring a bath. "Alright Goten, go take a bath." Gohan orders calmly while Goten continued his staring contest with ceiling.
"Gohan?" Goten said quietly getting his attention. "Have you ever stopped and noticed how much power you had? Knowing that at any time you could destroy everything around you?" Goten asked softly still staring at the ceiling. Gohan paused not knowing how to answer; he was at a loss for words.
"Yeah. Once I think, why are you asking?" Goten grumbled and dragged himself to his feet.
"Forget about it." Goten mumbled as he stripped on his way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Gohan sighed, but satisfied that Goten was at least listening to him.
15 minutes later
Gohan sighed as his stomach grumbled. He'd skipped breakfast hoping to lure Goten out of his room. Hearing the bathroom door open, Gohan turned his head to see Goten walking out fully dressed and looking a lot better dressed in plain shoes, light brown pants, and a long sleeved red and grey shirt.
"Happy now?" Goten asked with a scowl on his face. Gohan smirked and shook his head.
"Not until you come down stairs, eat and socialize with the rest of us." Gohan said, which earned a groan from Goten. "Oh I almost forgot, how is your head feeling?" Gohan asked.
"It's fine, only hurts when I'm aggravated I guess." Goten said as Gohan rose an eyebrow. "What? I'm not as inept as everybody think. I told you, I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm stupid." Goten scowled at Gohan.
"Nobody thought you were stupid." Gohan claimed causing Goten to growl. "Come on." Goten mumbled as he exited the room. Gohan smiled softly before following.
Cc kitchen
Vegeta growled loudly "If that brat is not down here in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to go up and drag him down here by the hair on his head." Vegeta said, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"Cool it Vegeta, it's not going to hurt you to wait for Gohan and Goten." Bulma said, giving a warning glare to Vegeta. Chi-Chi sighed as she took a sip of her coffee.
"That's if he ever comes down, I've barely seen him all week, and when I did he avoided and ignored me." ChiChi whined.
"Sorry.." Trunks apologized much to Bulma's annoyance.
"Trunks honey we've been through this, none of this is your fault." Bulma said calmly stamping out her cigarette.
"Got him." Gohan said happily as he nearly dragged an apathetic looking Goten into the kitchen.
"It's about damn time, now can we eat Woman? I'd like to start my training sometime this year." Vegeta growled.
"You could have eaten without me." Goten said apathetically as he sat down.
"Whatever!" Vegeta grumbled as he dug into his food.
"Long time no see kiddo." Bulma chimed.
"You saw me yesterday." Goten said flatly as he poked at his food. ChiChi sighed.
"Goten honey I'm glad you're out, we've been a little worried about you." Goten grumbled.
"I'm fine, no need to worry." Goten said as he continued to pick at his food.
After a few quiet minutes everyone had finished eating, Vegeta promptly left complaining about time wasted and training. Everyone else moved to the family room, Goten having needed to be dragged there after trying to sneak to his room. Goten sighed, everyone was sneaking peeks at him and it was driving him crazy. He didn't even want to be here, he just wanted to be left alone.
"I'm going back to my room." Goten said calmly as he walked toward the door.
"Goten wait, I wanted to ask you something." Trunks said hurriedly. Goten groaned but turned to see what he wanted.
"Goten I know I sound like a broken record but I want to apologize." Trunks smiled sheepishly under Goten's scowl before hearing him sigh.
"Trunks, I'm mad and beyond disappointed in you. You lied to my face and betrayed me." Trunks shrunk and stared at the floor ashamed.
"Goten, don't you think you're being a bit harsh?" Bulma asked concern lacing her voice.
"No I'm not." Goten said apathetically. "Trunks, what you did hurt, but to be honest it scared me. Which isn't any of your business, but because you didn't know I can't hate you entirely."
Trunks slowly looked up meeting Goten's eyes and frowned.
"Goten what are you getting at?" Gohan asked for everyone. Goten sighed and shrunk his shoulder.
"I'm sorry; I've been a...brat. I can't explain it but I'm going through stuff. I want everything to go back to normal but they can't. So I want to try a truce on a couple conditions." Goten said looking around the room. Bulma, Chi-Chi and Trunks paused for a moment before nodding their heads.
"I just want everyone to drop it okay. Leave me alone and pretend that the last week didn't happen. No asking me about it and let it go." Goten sighed as he watched the adults frown at that. "Trunks, I know you like me but I want you to stop talking about it okay. I just want us to go back to as normal as possible." Goten said with a not so convincing smile.
"Goten, we understand where you're going with this but I think I can speak for everyone when I say we're still worried about you." Bulma said sternly getting slow nods from Gohan and Chi-Chi.
"Don't be, okay? I'm fine." Goten said now with a forced smile.
"So does that mean you accept my apology?" Trunks asked grinning ear to ear.
"No, at least not completely. It'll take a while before I can." Goten dropped the smile.
"Goten I have an idea. I still have some zeni to spend and I wanted to know if you wanted to go out and get lunch and hangout." Goten paused and thought about it. He was only doing all of this so that everyone would leave him alone.
"It's just lunch with a friend okay. I still have plenty of zeni for us to spend, and we can find a place to hang out." Trunks said happily. Goten grumbled 'Damn rich People'
"Fine I'll go." Goten said before walking out of the room.
After everyone watched Goten leave the room they all let out a deep sigh. "He's lying, and I'm worried." Gohan said face palming.
"I noticed, he looking like he was trying too hard. Poor kid, I wish I knew what was eating him." Bulma sighed as she fumbled with her lighter.
"I think he's just trying to get you off his back." Vegeta butted in as he walked into the family room.
"Did you see Goten on your way in?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Yes, the brat is sitting with his head down in the kitchen." Vegeta said calmly.
"We should still keep an eye on him. Nothing has really changed." Bulma said calmly.
"So what are you going to do on your date?" Chi-Chi asked sternly. "It's not a date. I'm just taking him out to lunch." Trunks said in a smart ass way crossing his arms to imitate Vegeta.
"Trunks, I swear, if you try anything and make this worse, I'll never let you see him again. Got it?!" Chi-Chi said causing him to flinch.
"Y-yes ma'am." Trunks said quickly before Goten walked back into the room.
"What's everyone talking about?" Goten asked with a slight scowl on his face.
"Oh nothing, just reminding Trunks to stay in his limits." Chi-Chi said as she sat back down on the couch.
"Ah Goten, your mom scares me sometimes." Trunks said but gulped when Goten scowled at him.
"I'll meet you outside." Goten said flatly before walking away.
"I miss the old Goten." Trunks said softly before heading outside, but stopped by Bulma.
"Okay Trunks, I've said this before but this time it's very important." Trunks nodded "I want you to keep your hands, mouth, eyes, and absolutely anything else possible to yourself and don't do anything stupid. Chi-Chi, Gohan and I are convinced that Goten's hiding something important and he could be struggling with it. He doesn't need anything else to make things worse. Understand?" Bulma asked quickly. Trunks looked down for a few moments in thought before nodding.
"I understand mom, I'll do my best." Trunks turned around and left.
AN Please leave a review.