Last Night:

Sabriena wasn't the only one who had trouble sleeping that night.

Gohan couldn't sleep at all. He'd been sick to his stomach ever since Sabriena had mentioned that she was worried Goten was being beaten by their mother. He got out of bed and walked down the hall to the nursery, carefully picking up his infant son who was sleeping soundly. He sat down in the rocking chair, cradling the baby to his chest. He'd prayed it wasn't true, that his mother hadn't hurt his little brother. But then there it was, the cold hard truth, revealed after Gramma Arthusia had performed her spell. Goten had been taken away earlier that afternoon; the caseworkers wouldn't let Gohan bring him home.

Gohan silently cursed his mother. She'd promised. She'd PROMISED to never hurt her child again. Piccolo had been so angry that day, all those years ago. Gohan could still see the look of fury in the Namek's eyes.

Gohan was nine at the time and they were preparing to face the Androids Trunks had warned them about. His father was unable to spar that day because he'd promised Yamcha and Krillin that he would take a day to train with them. So Gohan and Piccolo were going to train without him.

Gohan couldn't remember now what he'd done to make his mother so angry, but he could still feel the sharp bite of the leather belt she'd whipped him with. He'd flown out early that morning and landed at the lookout, saying hello to Mr. Popo and Kami before he went to Piccolo.

The tall Namek gave a small smile at his student. "You're early," Piccolo said. "That's good."

Gohan gave a nod, dreading the sparring match today. He'd have to be extra guarded and keep his back away from Piccolo. He could feel the welts stinging where his shirt rubbed against them.

Piccolo dropped into a defensive stance and Gohan mimicked him, facing his mentor. They launched into their sparring match, but Piccolo could tell something was different. Gohan was guarded, cautious. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was preventing him from going on the offensive. Piccolo didn't have long to figure out why. In a move too quick for Gohan to follow, he'd jumped and spun, landing a hard kick to Gohan's back, sending the boy sprawling across the white tile floor.

Gohan screamed in pain and didn't get back up.

Piccolo watched him for a moment, not understanding what had happened. It was a hard kick, sure, but nothing Gohan couldn't handle. He walked over and knelt beside him. Piccolo's gut twisted up when he saw blood staining the back of Gohan's shirt. "Gohan... what in the world?!" Piccolo growled, grabbing the boy's shirt and yanking it up. The angry welts on his back looked fresh and some of them were seeping blood. Piccolo grabbed Gohan by the arm and yanked him to a sitting position, his eyes blazing with anger. "Who did this to you?" he demanded.

Gohan wiped at his eyes and said nothing.

Piccolo gave him a hard shake. "Who did this to you?!" he asked again, his voice louder, more commanding.

"My mom," Gohan had answered, looking down at his lap. "I made her mad. She told me to lower my power level. She hit me with one of Dad's leather belts."

Piccolo let go of Gohan's shoulders, his hands shaking in anger. "This is unacceptable. Wait here." He disappeared for a few moments, then returned. "Come on. We're going to see your mother."

"Piccolo! No! Please!" Gohan begged, but shut his mouth at the look his teacher gave him. With a sigh, Gohan took to the sky after Piccolo, heading for his home, his stomach twisting violently at how his mother would react when they got there.

Gohan thought he might puke by the time they reached his house. He hung back as Piccolo marched up to the door. The flight from the Lookout to their home hadn't calmed his temper at all. He pounded his fist on the door so hard, Gohan could swear he heard the hinges rattle. "CHICHI! Get out here! We need to talk!" Piccolo roared.

Gohan wrapped his arms around his stomach. This was not going to end well.

Chichi was wiping her hands on a towel when she wrenched the door open, glaring at him, "Back off, you BRUTE! Goku isn't here. GOHAN. Are you finished training for the day? GOOD. You can march your butt up the stairs and start hitting the books again. Doctors don't spend their time fighting with big green aliens all day long!"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at Chichi as he towered over her. He crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his shoulders, taking a moment to calm his mind. "A doctor, huh?" he asked in a calm tone, sparing a glance over his shoulder at Gohan. Well, the kid was certainly smart enough for that he supposed, but he couldn't imagine Goku letting that happen. This kid was exceptional at fighting. He'd end up being a martial artist like his father for sure. Piccolo turned his attention back to Chichi. "Seems to me doctors don't get lashed half to death by their mothers, either."

Chichi's eyes widened a moment before they narrowed again, first at Gohan, then at Piccolo. "EXCUSE ME? I certainly didn't LASH him to death. He's standing right there. He's fine! How dare you tell me how I can and can't raise my child. He did something wrong, so I disciplined him for it! And telling LIES is only going to get him MORE discipline!" She shot Gohan a warning glare as if daring him to speak a word against her.

"C'mere!" Piccolo growled and snatched Gohan by his arm. He wheeled him around so that his back was facing his mother. He yanked up the back of Gohan's shirt, revealing the welts along his back. "You expect me to believe someone else did this to him? There's only one way this could have happened; if he lowered his power level intentionally. NONE OF OUR ATTACKS LEAVE THAT TYPE OF A MARK!"

Chichi crossed her arms, sneering, "How else am I supposed to discipline a child who can't feel pain normally?" She stopped, took a deep breath and composed herself. "I dont expect a green ALIEN like you to understand how its supposed to work! And Gohan! Where do you get off telling every Tom, Dick, and Harry about how I punish you!? Well?! ANSWER ME!"

Gohan turned to face his mother, but stared at the ground. "I... I didn't mean to..." He cringed, wanting to shrink away from his mother, but not wanting to look weak in front of Piccolo at the same time.

Piccolo growled low in his throat and dug in his pocket for something. "Eat that," he commanded Gohan, handing him the senzu bean.

Gohan hated the taste of those beans, but he eagerly crunched into it, swallowing it down, feeling his injuries heal almost immediately.

"Now go to your room," Piccolo commanded in a chillingly calm voice.

"What?" Gohan asked, looking up at the Namek. "But Piccolo..."

"I said go to your room," Piccolo repeated, a little more forcefully, his eyes still staring into Chichi's.

Chichi's eyes followed the little bean to Gohan's mouth as he chewed. She turned and watched him go up the stairs; he walked without pain, without wincing. As he tugged down his shirt, she could see whole, unblemished skin. "You better be arms deep in that homework, mister! You still haven't finished it for NEXT MONTH." She turned and faced Piccolo, "You can leave now. I have a family to take care of."

"Exactly," Piccolo said quietly. He made sure Gohan was up the stairs before he grabbed Chichi and pulled her outside, shutting the door. He slammed her back against the side of the house, holding onto the shoulder of her dress, pinning her there. He leaned down so he was on eye-level with her. "I'm going to consider this a lapse in your judgment. I may not understand the ways of you earthlings, but I do know that what you call punishment is unacceptable. There is NOTHING that boy could have done to warrant that." His voice was low and menacing as he spoke, "If I EVER catch wind of you raising a hand to him again, you will regret it."

Chichi smirked and narrowed her eyes at him, "I doubt it, you green skinned FREAK." She hit his wrist hard, knocking away his grip on her shoulder. "What are you going to do? Beat me up like its some school yard brawl? In case you have forgotten, I'm a fighter, too. How I punish my kid is my business and it is PERFECTLY acceptable. I'd like to see just how you would make me regret it."

Piccolo smirked right back at her. "I wonder how Goku would react to this. Knowing his wife was abusing his son, the one thing he values more than anything in this world. I wonder what he'd do..." Piccolo's smirk grew wider. "You think he might leave you? Take his son and go? Then you wouldn't have this family to worry about so much anymore, would you? Maybe we should go find Goku. See what his thoughts are on this."

Chichi opened her mouth to counter, but promptly shut it. What would Goku do if he ever found out? Her reputation would be ruined, she would forever be painted in the public eye as a woman who couldn't even keep a family together, she would be the laughing stock of the town! She settled for glaring at Piccolo, hating everything about him in that moment, that stupid green skin, those pointed ears, and she just wanted to smack that smirk off his face. "Fine. What do you want?"

"You are NEVER going to lay a hand on Gohan again. He gets to train with us whenever we see fit. He can study in his free time. And he gets to come with us when we face the Androids. Or I'll go straight to Goku and tell him exactly how I found your boy this morning. Play by my rules and I'll keep my mouth shut." He glared hard at her, knowing he had her cornered. "And you're going to apologize to your son."

Chichi's face turned red as she sputtered, listening to Piccolo's terms. She was shaking. "APOLOGIZE?! For Being a good parent?! Why don't I just encourage him to keep doing the wrong things and apologize! That's not mixed signals at all!" She shut her mouth again as Piccolo glared at her. "FINE," she ground out through gritted teeth, "I'll play by your rules. I'll never lay a hand on Gohan again."

"Good," Piccolo said quickly, standing up straight again. He threw open the front door and yelled for Gohan.

Gohan jumped and nearly fell out of the window he'd been sitting in directly above them. He cringed and crept away from it, scurrying across his room and down the stairs. The thought of his dad leaving his mom terrified him. Where would they go? This was the only home he'd ever known. He swallowed nervously and stepped outside, looking up at his mother. She looked furious.

"Your mother has something to say to you," Piccolo stated, staring hard at Chichi, crossing his arms once more.

Chichi huffed at Piccolo before she went to Gohan, dropping to her knees, sparing a thought at how humiliating this was. If her mother knew she was about to apologize for a punishment she had given out, she would surely be rolling over in her grave. "Gohan, sweetie, Mommy's sorry she hurt you. I didn't mean to do it so hard and I shouldn't have done it in the first place. Everyone makes mistakes. So please, I'm sorry baby." She had to stop herself from cringing, she didn't like this at all and she didn't mean a word of it, but she had a feeling Piccolo would hold good on his word and tell Goku if she didn't up her own game.

Gohan's heart swelled and he hugged his mother tightly. "It's okay, Mom. I forgive you," he said, a knot forming in his throat. Even though he knew Piccolo had told her to apologize, she'd still said it and maybe, just maybe, a part of her really meant it. He pulled back from his mom and smiled. "I'm gonna go study now." He smiled up at Piccolo and waved as he ran back up to his room.

Gohan shivered now in the darkness of his son's nursery and pulled the baby tighter against his chest. His mother had never again laid a hand on him. And no one had ever said a word to his father about it. Gohan felt incredibly guilty in that moment. If he'd said something to his dad all those years ago, maybe Goku would've kept a closer eye on Goten, might've noticed the signs earlier, might've saved his brother from all of the pain and the fear. Gohan had never told anyone about it, not even his wife. And Piccolo had never mentioned it again. Like a big secret, swept under the rug and forgotten.

A quiet sob escaped his lips and he bowed his head over his baby, tears slipping down his nose, silently vowing to never, EVER let his child come to harm. He didn't know what to do. What good would come from telling his father now? It would only put more guilt on his dad and he didn't want that. Goku was going through so much as it was already. The coming out about his relationship with his now wife and husband, Sabriena's kidnapping, the ordeal with Bulma, Mr. Schuler's death, and now this with Goten and all of it within just a few short months. Gohan just couldn't see the reasoning behind hurting his dad any more.

Perhaps... perhaps he should go see Piccolo in the morning. As far as he knew, no one had told him or Jenny or Dende about what was going on. It had been such a dramatic day, Gohan hadn't even thought to tell them and he doubted that anyone else had either. Jenny was always so understanding and Dende was more than willing to help set anyone's mind at ease. And he could trust them to not say a word to his dad.

Gohan smiled down at little Phoenix in his arms and pressed a firm kiss to the baby's forehead. He whispered "I love you's" and "sweet dreams" and "goodnights" to the baby as he laid him back in the crib, carefully letting the little tail unwrap from his wrist. He watched his son sleep for a few moments longer, then went to climb back into bed with his wife, anxious for morning to arrive so he could go to the Lookout.

Gohan could hardly wait to get to the Lookout the next morning, his mind on fire once again. He told Lindsey he was going to visit Piccolo after breakfast and headed out as soon as they'd cleaned up after their meal. There was something comforting to him as the Lookout came into view. He landed on the big white tiles, finding everyone exactly where he figured they'd be. Dende was walking the edge of the Lookout, looking down over the side at the world miles below. Jenny sat with Alice in her arms as Paige skipped across the tiles in her own little game of hopscotch. And while Gohan didn't see him, he could feel Piccolo's energy nearby. Gohan forced a smile at Jenny as he walked over to her. "Hey Jen. Is Piccolo around?"

Jenny smiled up at him, immediately sensing something was off. She'd been around enough people who could fake a smile with the best of them, and Gohan was lacking experience. "Yeah. He's meditating around back. Piccolo, Gohan's here to see you," she said simply, winking at Gohan, knowing full well her husband had sensed his energy. "What brings you all the way out here? Is Lindsey on her way?" She carefully shifted Alice in her lap, pausing a moment when she saw her youngest just looking after Dende, a serious look on her too young face.

"No, she's still at home with Phoenix," Gohan answered. He rubbed at the back of his neck nervously; this was going to be bad. He sighed and let his hand drop from his neck and muttered, "Dende, you might as well come over here, too."

Piccolo had heard his wife's voice and left his meditation to see what could have Gohan sounding so worried. His brows creased in concern as he saw the half-Saiyan. "What's going on, Gohan?" he asked.

"Uh, well, I didn't know if you guys had heard... about Goten," Gohan said. He looked down at the tile, chewing his lip nervously. "We... ah... well, Sabriena really... found out that... Mom's been beating him," he said quietly.

Dende came over, hearing the horrible words out of Gohan's mouth.

Jenny got up to her feet, cradling Alice in her arms, her face turning red with anger. "Chichi did WHAT?" She remembered when Goten Paige had the best play dates whenever she made it out to visit with Lindsey and Gohan when they were with Goku. That sweet little carefree kid that was a spitting image of Goku himself, "She's been BEATING HIM?!"

Dende carefully took Alice from Jenny when her voice turned shrill. He felt sick to his stomach and turned his inner focus outward, listening, checking in on the little one. He was safe in a foster home. He was scared, not sure what was going on, but there were other kids to play with. He wanted his father.

Piccolo could feel his anger rising to the surface, a tension building in his neck and shoulders as his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "She did what?" he asked in a dangerously calm voice.

Gohan swallowed. "Yeah. Sabriena figured it out when Goten spent the night out at the cabin. Something about she picked up the switch she uses to keep the rooster away and Goten freaked out. Then he dropped an egg or something and he begged her not to hit him," he took a shaking breath, and finally looked up at them. "We didn't see any marks on him; we couldn't figure it out until he said that Mom made him eat senzu beans. We took him to Gramma. She had some kind of spell to undo what the beans had done." His voice nearly broke as the image of his brother swam before his eyes. "You guys can't imagine..."

Jenny clenched her hands so hard, her knuckles cracked, "No! That poor little boy. How could she?! That's her SON. How could any mother dare harm their own child like that?!" She was furious; she never liked Chichi, especially after she heard what she had done to Lindsey's stuff when they had first come there all those years ago, but this? This was unforgivable, on top of everything else she had done. "Where is Goten now? Is he alright? What about Goku? He knows about this right?! Gods." She drug a hand through her hair, looking at her own children. She couldn't even imagine hitting them out of anger. "Oh my god, that would be the worst thing ever."

"Bulma called Child Services. They put Goten in a foster home. They... they wouldn't let me take him. They said I was too close to the situation or some bullshit like that," he muttered angrily.

Piccolo felt as though his blood had turned to ice. He remembered that day clearly when he's confronted Chichi about hitting Gohan with a belt. He'd blatantly handed him a senzu bean in front of his mother and hadn't thought twice about it. If he hadn't done that, that stupid woman probably would never have thought of it on her own. He had provided that horrible woman with the means to hurt her son and cover it up. "Does Goku know?" Piccolo asked.

"Yeah, he was there when the workers came to get Goten," Gohan answered.

"No, I mean, does Goku know?" he asked, fixing Gohan with an intense stare.

Gohan blinked at him, suddenly realizing what he meant. "Oh. No," Gohan answered.

Jenny and Dende exchanged a look, Dende looked away from her, having picked up on the loud thoughts and feelings coming from both of them. He was horrified.

Jenny narrowed her eyes, "Does Goku know what? Care to clue me in?" She had never seen her husband like this. The way he stared at Gohan. "Does Goku know… know what?!" She pressed her lips thin and crossed her arms, "I know I'm going to go and break it off in Chichi's ass, How DARE she."

Piccolo drew a long breath through his nose. Neither he nor Gohan had ever said a word about that day to anyone.

Gohan gave Piccolo a desperate, questioning look. He didn't know if he should tell Jenny about it. She was ready to kill his mother as it was.

"We should have said something a long time ago," Piccolo said solemnly. "What good is it going to do now?" Gohan asked. "It's only going to make Dad feel worse."

Piccolo pressed his lips together firmly and nodded. Gohan looked at Jenny and Dende. Jenny looked like she was ready to kill someone. He drew a long breath, gave Piccolo another questioning look, and began to tell the story after Piccolo gave one sharp nod.

"Please," Gohan begged when he'd finished, "Please, Jenny, don't tell anyone. You and Dende are the ONLY people we've told. It would kill Dad if he knew."

Jenny didnt know what to do. She felt sick to her stomach to imagine Chichi beating her innocent children, ordering them to lower their power levels so she could harm them. It made her blood boil, "What do we do? I imagine if I go beat that vile woman up, she will paint it as some kind of pity and only get Goten back," she growled.

"We can't do anything!" Gohan growled. "There's supposed to be a caseworker come out and evaluate Tien's cabin, see if it's a proper environment for Goten or some crap like that." He shook his head.

"It's my fault," Piccolo said. He found he was even more angry with himself than anyone else. "I gave you that senzu bean in front of her. I put the idea in her head. And I didn't go to Goku when I should have. I could have prevented this whole thing." He crossed his arms and frowned, looking murderous. All these years holding that secret, thinking he was protecting these boys by doing it, and all that had really happened was he'd provided her with a way to hide it from them all. And now Goten had been the one to suffer.

"It's not your fault, Piccolo. It's hers. And, I mean, there's not really any point in going to Dad about what happened to me now, is there? Unless it would somehow show that this is a pattern with Mom, information he could give to the caseworker." He looked from Jenny to Dende, not knowing what to do. He swallowed harshly. "I'm sorry guys. I just thought you all should know."

Dende nodded, "Perhaps, but you are right. If Goku knew, it would break his heart and he is hurting so much right now as it is." Dende could feel it too, his soul crying out, wishing he had known. Goku's mates were trying to console him, keep him busy, give him something to work towards, but there wasn't much to be done for a broken heart born of deceit and pain.

Jenny was not happy, not happy at all. On her lips were a thousand curses she could think of to cast, the only thing staying her was Gramma's warning and that was enough to keep her silent. Why anyone would stay quiet about something like this was beyond her.

Piccolo could see how angry his wife was and it made him sick to his stomach. He'd never felt so guilty. He reached for Jenny, taking her hand. "I thought I was protecting them," he said quietly. "I had her backed into a corner. She was too worried at the time about that silly perfect family image she thought she had. I suppose she got over that." He rubbed at his face with his free hand, the frustration building in him.

He suddenly turned to Gohan. "Why didn't Goku just take him?" he demanded. "Why bother with these... caseworkers... whatever they are? Don't tell me he's counting on earthling court systems again!"

Gohan sighed and shrugged.

"Oh for god's sake," Piccolo growled, releasing Jenny's hand and turning away from them. The longer he thought on it, the more he wanted to go and beat Chichi within an inch of her life.

Jenny sighed, trying to sooth her anger away. It wasn't helping anyone. "If Goku can convince the courts that he is a good parent and that Chichi has been the one beating him… and you," she paused and looked pointedly at Gohan, "then he can keep Goten away from Chichi forever. She will have no rights to him at all. He could take him away and there would be nothing that woman could do ever again to get him back. Its a smart move, really."

Piccolo cast a disbelieving look down at his wife. "Yeah, and if we just took Goten, there's not much she could do about it either," he answered.

Gohan couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "Tien thought the same thing," Gohan said. It was funny to him how much Piccolo and Tien could be alike, yet Sabriena couldn't stand Piccolo while she was head over heels for Tien. "But that wouldn't help Goten. He'd never be able to go to school or out in public. They'd view it as kidnapping," Gohan said.

"How can you kidnap your own child?!" Piccolo demanded.

Gohan shrugged. "Because Mom was given custody of him, just because she's his mother."

"Ridiculous," Piccolo muttered.

"Jenny, you said if Dad can convince them that Mom beat Goten and me, it might help. Are... are you thinking I should tell him?" Gohan asked in a nervous voice.

Jenny held a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment before she sighed and said, "Well, I don't know. If I were in Goku's shoes, I'd be hurt. Badly, that my friends didn't tell me about this sooner. That you kept it a secret from me, hurt that you didn't think I would be responsible enough with the information." She shook her head and looked at Piccolo sadly, "You should have told him. Both of you." She turned, taking Alice from Dende and walked off towards Paige.

Gohan's shoulders slumped. "She's right," he muttered. "If Dad had known, he wouldn't have left Goten alone with her as much as he did. And I never thought about it because she stopped hitting me. After that day that you spoke to her, she never put her hands on me again. I just, you know, assumed the same went for Goten."

"As did I," Piccolo said, watching his wife as she knelt next to Paige, pulling both of their daughters into a warm hug. He wanted nothing more than to do the same, to hold his children and know that they were safe, and to know that their mother would never raise a hand to them. "We should have gone to Goku a long time ago," Piccolo muttered. "We could have stopped this."

Gohan groaned, covering his face. He looked at Dende, "What do I do?"

Dende pressed his lips together as he thought, moving over the short distance to the edge of the Lookout and gazed down at the world below. What to do indeed. "Tell your father what happened." He looked over his shoulder at his brother and one of his best friends, "He will be hurt that you didn't tell him. Perhaps even angry to some extent, but if you explain yourselves, he should understand in time. It is time to look at the bigger picture. Anything we can do to save Goten from ever being hurt by that woman again is more important."

Gohan felt like he could just curl up and cry. That wasn't the answer he was wanting, even if he knew it was the right thing to do. Oh, he was heartsick about this whole thing already. But Dende was right. They were the adults who'd let this happen and now Goten was suffering for their mistake. "Okay," Gohan finally said. "I... I guess now is as good a time as any." He took a shaking breath and ran a trembling hand through his hair. "Man, I really don't want to do this."

Piccolo fixed Gohan with an intense gaze. "Tell Goku if he feels the need to talk to me, he knows where to find me."

Gohan gave a nod, steeling his nerve. "Thanks you guys. I hope Dad doesn't get too upset with me." He gave a wave as he took to the sky, heading towards Tien's cabin.

Even though it took a long time to reach the cabin, Gohan still hadn't quite figured out how to approach his dad about this. He landed outside the cabin, taking a deep, comforting breath. Ever since the girls had blessed the cabin, it always seemed so peaceful to him. "Dad?" he called out, feeling his father's energy nearby.

It took Goku a moment, he heard his son, felt his energy approaching. He stood up straight from the carpentry work he was doing with Tien, helping to build a bed for Goten. He brushed the sawdust from his hands; he had thrown himself into the work, trying to keep his mind off of his youngest son. His heart still broken from finding out only yesterday what a monster Chichi had been. The horrifying marks on Goten's face, back, arms, and legs. It made him shudder. He walked to the front of the cabin, seeing his son standing there. He tried to put on a smile for him, but he couldn't. Not that day, "Hey Gohan. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I guess... not really... I dunno..." Gohan stammered. He chewed on the inside corner of his mouth, trying to figure out how to say this to his dad. He took a deep breath and looked up at his father again. He looked so stressed out and tired as it was, Gohan didn't want to make this any worse for him. "You remember the other day when you asked me if Mom had ever hit me? I... I lied." Gohan swallowed harshly, his eyes pleading with his dad to listen, to hear him out. "I lied because I didn't want to see you any more upset than you already are."

The words took a moment to sink in, but when they did, it felt like a swift punch to the gut. The very air stolen from Goku's lungs. "Wh-what?" He felt like he was being crushed under some unforeseen weight. How long had Chichi been abusing their children? How stupid could he have been to not see it at all? Gods, how his children must hate him. He felt tears gathering in his eyes and his chest constricted as he looked Gohan in the eyes. He raised his hands and dragged them through his hair, tugging at the roots. "Gohan… why... how long..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. 'How long did she beat you? How long before she stopped?' "Gohan! Didn't you trust me to take care of things?! Couldn't you have told me!? AM I THAT INCOMPETENT?!"

Gohan had to scrub at his eye with the heel of his hand to stop the tears he felt. It was a rare thing for his dad to shout at him and it always shook him to the core; it took a lot to get Goku that worked up. "It only happened once!" Gohan cried. He stepped closer and grabbed his dad by the arms, "You're not incompetent! It only happened once and Piccolo put a stop to it. We never spoke about it again. Of course I trust you! But it was taken care of before I had a chance to come to you about it." Gohan's throat felt like it was closing up, his vision was becoming blurry from the unshed tears that stung his eyes.

Goku squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the tears slipping down his cheeks. "Once is more than enough reason to come to me. It should NEVER happen! Why didn't Piccolo tell me?! Did Chichi make you promise not to tell?! What was it!?" He shook his head, pushing away from Gohan, and stepped back. "I know you were trying to protect me, Gohan. But you were being hurt! You needed to say something to me!" He turned away, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Piccolo made her promise to never hit me again," Gohan answered, shrinking back, sliding his hands into his pockets. "He said that he wouldn't tell you about it as long as she kept her promise. He... he was trying to protect me." He drew a shaking breath, whispering, "Dad, I'm sorry. The only reason I'm telling you now is because Dende and Jenny thought it might help your case."

Goku was hurt. He knew Gohan wasn't trying to hurt him, but damn. "If you guys had told me..." He paused. What would he have done? He would have left Chichi right then and there? If he had, Goten wouldn't even exist right now. He sighed, pained, "I forgive you. I just… I wish I didn't feel so useless."

"Dammit, Dad, you're not useless," Gohan sighed. "This isn't your fault! Don't you understand that? THIS IS MOM'S FAULT! That's why I'm telling you this! I would NEVER have bought it up unless I thought it would help keep Goten away from Mom!"

Sabriena and Tien had crept around the corner of the cabin when they heard the raised voices. They hung back, Sabriena looking nervous and Tien looking ready to jump in the middle if need be.

"And you should know, Mom got the idea for the senzu beans from Piccolo. He gave one to me to heal me. I wasn't even going to tell Piccolo, but he figured it out when we were sparring that day, back when we were getting ready to face the Androids. We never told you because, well, I guess we thought Mom was still keeping her end of the deal. She never hit me again. I guess she figured I'd tell Piccolo or you. But Goten..." Gohan sighed and shook his head. "I should have told you. Hell, I should have kept a closer eye on her. If anyone's to blame, it's me."

Goku turned around, grasping Gohan's shoulders, "No. No, son. If I'm not to blame, then it isn't your fault either. That's what she would want you to think. It's always someone else's fault." His lip quivered as he thought again of Goten's injuries. "I just wish I had seen it sooner. Goten is the one who's hurting because of this." He swallowed hard; his legs felt like jelly and he let go of Gohan in favor of sitting on the ground. "Tell the caseworker. Maybe it will help." Stupid… He felt so stupid and blind...

Gohan sat down next to his dad and frowned sadly. "I know. And I understand how you feel when you say you feel useless. I just don't understand why Mom is the way she is." He shook his head. "I don't know if telling the caseworker will help or not. I don't know about you, but I didn't like them very much. They seemed so cold about everything, like it was just a job to them or something. I hate to think about them having to come out here and invade your privacy. That just doesn't seem right to me. You didn't do anything." Gohan couldn't stop the tears that leaked from his eyes and he bowed his head, trying to hide them from his dad. "Piccolo said if you wanted to talk to him, he's at the Lookout. I dunno if you want to go or not. He might be able to explain everything better. I was just a kid then. And, well, he's calmer than I am, too."

Goku shook his head, "No. I'm just so tired right now. I don't think I could listen to anything anyone else has to say. I'm barely holding it together as is. I mean, your brother… he's so little and he's out there alone with strange people in a strange home and I can't even touch him let alone see him." He hugged himself tightly, wanting nothing more than to hold his boy again, nuzzle into that soft hair and just go to sleep, safe and sound. "Its not fair," he whispered.

Gohan threw an arm around Goku's shoulders and pulled his father tight against his chest, trying not to cry any harder than he already was. "I know," he sniffled. "I was really hoping they'd let me take him. I just hope he's okay, ya know? He's a brave little guy." But even as he said it, Gohan couldn't help but imagine his brother in an unknown house, surrounded by strangers, wondering what he'd done to be taken away from the only family he'd ever known. A soft sob escaped Gohan's lips and he leaned his forehead into his dad's hair, trying to comfort his father while seeking the same comfort for himself. "We'll get him back. I promise, Dad. No matter what we have to do. Mom will never lay a hand on him again. I swear it."

Nancy103: Question though...I am a little confused at the ages of Catie, Trunks and Goten. Goten seems much younger than Trunks. Can you please clarify their ages? Thanks!

LadyRavenhawk: Sorry for the confusion! Trunks is about 22, Catie is about 20 at this point in the story. When I say "Trunks" I'm referring to FUTURE Trunks who chose to come back and live in this timeline after Future Bulma died in an accident. When I say "Little Trunks" I'm referring to his present-time self. Little Trunks is about 8 in this story and Goten is about 7. We made the age gap between Gohan and Goten slightly bigger than in the canon, as Gohan is about 21 in this story. I hope this helps. Clear as mud now, right? *grin* If it still doesn't make sense, let me know and I will try to explain better.

And as always, thanks to all our lovely reviewers! Amkula, dbzfangirl1, GreenSaiyan, Nancy103, ya'll are fantastic! Sorry we made you cry, but at the same time, I'm kinda not. It means a lot to me to know that my story actually evokes such an emotional response from you guys. (Sometimes we cry when we write it, too. Shhhhh!)