Before starting, I must warn you all that there'll be a harsh moment in this chapter. And I'm telling you this because you all got this far in the story and I care about your thoughts. If you feel like it'll be too much to read, you may skip this chapter and wait for the next one.

Chapter 26

Mount Paozu was still as peaceful as ever. With it's tall and rocky mountains, the calm and flowing river, the steep hills, the lush greenery, it's beautiful fields along with the abundant wildlife still remaining intact, the region maintained it's natural beauty. But that peace and tranquility felt for some time now was soon broken when a pair of feet was heard approaching. It was revealed to be none other than Goku, and he looked like he'd seen better days. The Saiyan was still dressed in the same outfit from the reunion party except that the black tie he once wore was missing, his shirt was unbuttoned and all wrinkled up along with his pants. His once polished shoes were now tattered and covered in mud. To top it all off, his face was all puffed up and eyes were reddened, having been crying hysterically for quite some time.

Shortly after leaving behind his friends and family, he began wandering around different areas in complete hopelessness until he eventually found himself back at Mount Paozu, with only one destination in mind. He continued walking along the straight path like a lifeless man, not paying any attention to his current surroundings. Had it not been for the dismal mood he was in right now, he would have been overly excited at returning back here after all this time, and immediately engaged in some of his favorite activities here. But not this time. Not after he just lost the love of his life and screwed up his chances of winning custody of Goten.

His long journey came to an end when he stopped right in front of a small house. An old hut, to be exact. It was the home of his late grandpa Son Gohan. He would have never imagined that he would be back here after all these years. Following his grandpa's death, he used to live here on his own until he met Bulma for the first time and ventured through the outside world, only returning briefly to retrieve some provisions before heading to Kame House to train under Master Roshi. He hadn't been back here since then. Until now, of course. He continued to gaze at the abandoned hut in sadness, ignoring the looming eyes of the creatures and lifeforms all around him.

Grandpa Gohan's old hut still remained largely intact during the years it hadn't been occupied. But as a depressed Goku continued to stare down his childhood home, he could tell that the windows were overly dusty, and roots were growing on the outside walls.

He then began to feel an overwhelming amount of guilt as memories of his grandfather's death suddenly invaded his mind. As a child, his grandpa had always warned him to never look at the full moon and to always remain indoors during nights where one appeared. He never really understood the reason for this back then, but he always stuck to that promise until the day he passed onto the otherworld. His grandfather died... because of him. And he continued to live life never knowing his true cause of death. That was, until he fought Vegeta as a great ape and he came to the painful realization that he... was the one who killed his grandfather.

He tightly clenched his fists in regret. If only he had listened to his grandpa that day... if only he hadn't chosen to look at the full moon that night... Grandpa Gohan would still be alive here and now. It was all his fault, and he couldn't even do anything to save him. He was all alone with his problems, just like the day his wife and kids left him.

That struck him hard in the gut. A huge lump formed in his throat and his eyes began to water once more, but he tried hard to resist the urge to cry. It happened so long ago, but it still hurt just thinking about it. He considered leaving here right on the spot, but in the end he decided against it and with a bit of hesitation, he started to walk up to the front entrance of his childhood home.

With a shaky intake of fresh air, Goku slowly pushed open the two doors of the one-bedroom hut and took a moment to observe its interior for the first time in years. It had limited equipment and very few pieces of furniture. Looking to his right-hand side, Goku could see his grandfather's old bed with a single pillow and an old dusty blanket cover. And... he looked ahead to notice a shelf and on top of that shelf was once used as the resting spot for the four-star ball. Everything seemed to have remained the way he left it years ago.

It was then that he started to remember the fond memories he had of his grandpa as a young child. His grandpa was the very first person to train him in the field of martial arts, and his grandfather's teachings were very beneficial for him over the years as he moved forward. He would never forget the times his grandpa taught him how to survive in the wilderness on his own. How he learned to hunt and fish, even putting those acquired skills to good use after his Grandpa Gohan passed away.

He numbly stepped foot into the abandoned home and took another hard look around, figuring that this is where he would reside from now on. It's not like there was any chance for him to go back and fix the damage he just caused. It was irreparable at this point. Leaving the front door wide open, Goku sat down cross-legged on the dirty floor in front of the old shelf, with his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

Goku felt so desolate and alone in the empty home, but this was the only place he could come to for shelter, as he was quite sure that he wouldn't be welcomed back into Jingle Village after his reckless act. Not only did Suno think lowly of him, but he was sure that her parents did too. He had promised them both that he would do anything to keep her safe and happy, and he ended up hurting her instead. He endangers her life and everyone else's as a Super Saiyan. How could he do this? It didn't matter if he was the boy who saved their village from the RRA. These kind people placed their trust in him, and he betrayed that trust. He certainly didn't deserve to step foot in their home after this.

'It's my fault grandpa died, and it's also my fault that Suno hates me now. Everyone close to me ends up harmed or hating me...'

He could no longer hold back his emotions as hot, bitter tears spilled heavily down his cheeks. The droplets splattered onto his shirt sleeves and onto the wooden floor while his body shook with every painful sob that was released. No one was here to witness the world's strongest crumble even further and release his feelings of despair.

Following the important meeting at Capsule Corp, everyone else had no other choice but to move on with their daily activities. Krillin returned to work so he could continue to financially support his wife and daughter, while of course performing his other duties as a family man. Yamcha resumed his baseball practice with Puar by his side. Trunks borrowed more science-fiction books from his auntie and continued reading them while at the same time, he was making sure to keep up his intense training sessions with his father. And back at Mr. Satan's home, Goten continued to train with Buu and he also played with Bee during his free time. Gohan and Videl had contemplated returning to school before the meetup at CC, but in the end opted to remain at home and just be there for Goten. They of course, still kept up with their studies along with their missing homework assignments during this time and afterwards would also join Goten and Buu during their training sessions.

Bulma would also do daily tasks in her laboratory or helping her father, and during this time, she contacted those who were unable to make it to the meeting, updated them on what had occurred and they all agreed to be there at Kami's Lookout, much to her relief.

Back at Jingle Village, Suno and Eighter also tried their best to temporarily move on from this predicament. They informed Kaiyo and Hiroshi of what took place during their meeting with Goku's friends and two sons. As expected, both parents were supportive of their daughter and from there, both village residents continued on with their usual activities. They resumed providing basic provisions for the residents, traveling out of the village, across towns and cities in search of food, water and clothing. Or helping with chores at home.

Though it seemed as if everything was normal, that wasn't exactly the case as they were still very worried about Goku and how he was coping with this. They were all trying their best to move on, but it was proving to be rather difficult as they all knew that his depression was worse than before.

And then... three days finally flew by.

It was pretty much an agonizing wait for everyone, but it was finally time for them all to meet up at Capsule Corp and then continue on to Kami's Lookout. When the afternoon arrived, they all started to prepare for their travel and in no time at all, they were soon on their way to West City and straight to Capsule Corporation.

The z warriors were all gathered together at the main gate of Capsule Corporation, fully energized and ready to start their journey to Kami's Lookout. They were patiently waiting on two remaining guests who hadn't shown up yet. To pass the time, they were all discussing the security footage from three days earlier, and everyone expressed their hope that they could help get Goku back on the right path.

"I still can't believe that this was a part of Chichi's plan. And it was all caught on camera?" Tienshinhan said, expressing his amazement.

"Incredible how much evidence we have against her now... I wish I could have been here to see that security footage..." Chiaotzu chimed in, just as shocked as his partner at the news.

Master Roshi grinned. "She isn't going to see what hit her in court when everything is revealed."

"So now all that's left is to wait for Goku on Kami's Lookout!" Mr. Satan was left impressed by this and turned to his pink friend standing right next to him. "What do you think about this Buu?"

"Buu thinks this is incredible!"

"We're still waiting on–" Bulma started to speak before she glanced towards the main entrance and found the two guests they were waiting for. Her eyes lit up in excitement and relief, "There they are!"

Standing at the main entrance were Suno and Eighter, who were finally here after a long journey from Jingle Village. Both were quite relieved to see everyone still there.

"Hi guys! Sorry if we kept you waiting..." Suno apologized profusely as she looked them all in the eye, feeling terrible.

"It was certainly not our intention." Eighter said to them apologetically.

Before a word could be said among the group about their arrival–

"SUNO!"

Goten was seen running towards the redhead, with a happy cheerful smile on his face. She instantly prepared to receive the adorable little boy, opening her arms wide for him. It didn't take long for him to make a giant leap into her arms and she embraced him so tightly like she didn't want to let go. She gave him one big kiss on the forehead and smiled at him brightly, delighted at just the sight of him.

"How are you today?" Suno asked while holding him securely with both arms.

"I'm okay! We were just waiting for you!" He chirped with his small hands around her neck.

"Well, I'm here now."

"Suno!"

"Gohan! Come over!"

She was just as delighted to find Goku's older son approaching her with a smile and when he was finally near, she brought him closer for a warm, tender hug. As he held the redheaded woman, Gohan expressed his relief at seeing that both her and Eighter had arrived here safely. Everyone including Eighter watched with smiles as Suno embraced both of the Saiyan boys. They could feel the motherly love and affection she had for them both and how happy, comfortable the boys felt just being around her.

The sweet embrace ended with Suno gently placing Goten down on the floor and fixing her attention on the others, who hadn't wasted any time in sending their greetings.

"Suno, Eighter! It's great to see you both!" Videl waved at the guests.

"Yeah, you're right. Feels like it's been a while." Eighteen managed a smile as her small daughter clapped her hands at the sight of Eighter.

"Looks like the two of you did pretty well during these three days, am I right?" Bulma asked, pleased to see the duo.

"We've been doing very well. Suno and I just stuck to our normal routine in the village during this time." Eighter explained with a small smile.

"Great to hear!" Krillin exclaimed.

From there, Suno and Eighter extended greetings to the other z warriors, who were also happy at seeing them here safe and sound. They all inquired about Suno's family and the rest of the villagers, to which both were glad to express that everyone was fine and no one had been harmed. Eighter bent down a little and gently greeted Marron, who was just so excited to see him again. After exchanging a few words together, it was time for them all to leave Capsule Corporation.

Bulma reaches into her pocket and pulls out a tiny capsule, tossing it out onto the street. With a loud poof, the capsule dematerializes, revealing a CC invented jetcopter big enough to fit in everyone at the scene. She gestures to the aircraft with a proud smile, "Ta daaaaaa!"

"Woah..." Suno and Eighter couldn't hide their amazement at seeing amazing technology like this before their very eyes.

"Okayyyyy, so now that we're all set, why don't we all get inside?" Bulma announced, pointing to her jetcopter.

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the sight, seemingly unimpressed. "Tch! I prefer flying than to sit in that!"

"Thanks a lot, Bulma. But me, Videl and Goten we prefer flying by ourselves." Gohan spoke, looking at his girlfriend and little brother who both silently nodded their heads.

"I think I'll fly alongside them!" Trunks chirped, waltzing over to his best friend.

"YAY!" Goten cheered.

"I'm flying as well." Piccolo stated.

"Great Piccolo!"

"And so will we, right Chiaotzu?" Tien looked towards his partner, who agreed right on the spot.

"Yeah! We'll fly together Tien!"

Krillin at first, was on the fence about whether to ride in Bulma's aircraft or fly with the others. He turned to his android wife indecisively, "We could fly with them too, right Eighteen?"

"Certainly. And maybe we can leave Marron with the Briefs while we're gone, and come back for her when we're done."

"Great idea!"

Just as her parents had come to that agreement, Marron had another idea in mind, having had her sights on Eighter the whole time. "Mommy, I wanna fly with Mr. Eighter!"

"What? You want to go along with him?" Eighteen asked in complete surprise.

"Yeah! Can I go with him, mommy? Pretty please?" Marron begged, looking at her mother with a pleading expression that was just irresistible.

Seeing how desperately the little girl wanted to travel with him, Eighter decided to step in and quell the mother's concerns. "I promise to look after her on the way." He offered gently.

"So do I, Eighteen." Suno chimed in to reassure her. "I can't fly, so I'll go with Eighter and Marron all the way!" She bent down to the little girl's height and offered her a small smile, which in turn resulted in her releasing excited giggles.

Eighteen turned to her husband, still unsure. "What do you think of this, honey?"

"Well, Marron already met Eighter at the party and she likes him a lot, as you can see already. So I think that's a good idea." Krillin reasoned with his wife.

"You're right about that. And besides, we're only going to wait for Goku at Kami's Lookout, and I think she'll be happy to see him again too." Eighteen then smiled down at her daughter, setting her down on the floor. "Okay sweetie, you can go along with them."

"Yay! Thanks mommy! Thanks daddy!" Marron then ran over to Eighter, who bent down and scooped her up, setting her on his shoulder. Suno then reached over to pat the little girl on her head.

"Well, I think I'll sit inside the jetcopter. What about you Puar?" Yamcha asked his companion.

"I'll go with you, Yamcha!"

Master Roshi shrugged. "I can't fly either so I'm coming along."

"Same with me." declared Oolong.

"Buu, will you fly or sit in the jetcopter?" Mr Satan questioned his pink friend.

"Buu prefers flying!"

"Well, I think I'll sit in the jetcopter so we'll meet up when we get to Kami's Lookout."

After everyone had decided amongst themselves their options for transportation, Bulma started to walk over to her aircraft situated in the middle of the street. Those who decided to ride in the jetcopter followed behind the scientist, who just opened the door to allow them entry inside the vehicle. She stood to the side as they all entered one by one. Yamcha and Puar sat together along with Master Roshi and Oolong. Suno and Eighter sat together with Marron right in the middle seat. Hercule sat right behind them. After making sure that they were all settled inside comfortably, Bulma shut the passenger door and slid behind the wheel, turning on the engine.

Bulma started to operate the aircraft, and it slowly began to lift off from the ground. She looked back at her Capsule Corp home one last time and waved at the rest of her family who were watching them through a window. The CC aircraft then burst into the skies at full speed. At the same exact time Piccolo, Trunks, Buu, Vegeta, Tien, Chiaotzu, Krillin, Eighteen, Gohan, Videl and Goten all fired off after them.

As she and Eighter were playing with Marron, Suno gazed out the window and saw how everything down below was just a blur. Nothing but thick clouds in her line of sight. Her smile faded a little bit as she felt a tiny ounce of guilt. She didn't want to bring herself down again after receiving an incredible amount of support from her parents, Eighter along with Goku's friends and sons, but she couldn't help herself. What if things didn't go as expected? What if Goku–

Suno focused her attention back to a happy Marron who tapped her on the shoulder, and tried her best not to let on to the others that she was still doubtful. To distract herself from these unwanted thoughts, she tried coming up with fun games to play with the little girl and start up conversations with everyone on board. She refused to think about that right now. Not until they reached Kami's Lookout, at least.

"Looks like we made it in good time! I'm about to make a landing!"

After hearing Bulma's announcement loud and clear, Suno looked back at the window, pressing her face against the glass in order to get a good look at their destination. Her mouth opened wide, as she couldn't believe that she was actually seeing Kami's Lookout for the very first time. With it situated high up in the clouds, it made the place more heavenly. The sight of a strange building didn't go unnoticed, which she quickly identified as the hyperbolic time chamber. The others landed gracefully on the platform while Bulma prepared to land the jetcopter. The CC aircraft descended lower and lower on the ground.

"Eighter, take a look!" Suno turned to her android friend who was holding Marron in his arms, pointing a finger at the lookout. "It's so beautiful..."

He peered over his best friend's shoulder and viewed the majestic appearance of Kami's Lookout, a small semblance of a smile appearing on his face. "It truly is..."

"And–" She then noticed the presence of two figures standing on the lookout also, and came to a sudden realization. "That has to be Dende and Mr. Popo!"

Eighter stared on, surprised. "I can't believe that's them..."

The namekian and assistant deity were seen greeting those who had just landed, before turning their attention back to the CC jetcopter. They all moved out of the way so the aircraft could make a safe landing. After it was parked onto the lookout, the door opened automatically and everyone started climbing out. Bulma turned off the engine and stepped out herself. Once they were all out, she shut the door. Eighter handed Marron back to her parents who both expressed how grateful they were that he and Suno looked after her on their flight here.

From there, Suno and Eighter moved around a little as if they were tourists, trying to familiarize themselves with their new environment. They were both so amazed at the sight. Suno found herself standing at the very edge of the lookout, staring down below in awe and wonder. She received warnings from her android friend and the others to be careful so she didn't accidentally fall. After finishing their brief tour, they rejoined the others.

After exchanging pleasantries, it was time to get down to business. "You're all here to wait for Goku, right?" Dende questioned, having seen everything from above.

"Yeah, we are. There's no telling exactly how much time we have left before Chichi strikes again and we've given Goku more than enough space. Now we've got to steer him back on the right path, and I hope we can do that in time." Bulma said with sincere hope in her voice.

"If he doesn't show up, can you tell us where he is so we can go to him?" Piccolo questioned with folded arms.

"Of course!"

Suno chose this time to intervene, as she was quite eager to meet these deities. She passed through everyone until she was face-to-face with them both. "You two must be Mr. Popo and Dende, right?" She offered a hand to both of them.

"That's correct." Dende replied with a friendly smile, returning the handshake.

Then Suno went on to shake hands with Mr. Popo. It was then that Eighter and Suno had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the two deities. Both were very welcoming of their presence here on Kami's Lookout. During their short introduction, Dende revealed to the two new visitors that he already knew who they both were long before they showed up here due to his ability to see everything from above, and both still couldn't believe it though they had been told about this before. They explained more about their duties here on the lookout. Then Dende had the embarrassment of a lifetime when Suno declared that she found him 'cute' and referred to him this one time as a 'cutie', much to the amusement of the others and some even shared a good laugh over this. Nevertheless, both village residents got along really well with the two deities and appreciated their kindness.

It took a short while before everyone on the lookout began to figure out ways to keep themselves occupied while waiting on Goku. Krillin, Marron and Trunks were playing together, while Gohan was having a pleasant talk with Piccolo, Dende and Mr. Popo. Vegeta was standing alone by himself at the very edge of the lookout, deep in his own thoughts. Buu, Mr. Satan and Eighter stood by themselves just waiting. Yamcha, Tien and Roshi were also talking together with Puar, Chiaotzu and Oolong. Bulma, Videl and Eighteen were having a girl-only talk amongst themselves with the three of them later inviting Suno to join in.

But no matter how hard Suno tried, she couldn't have a conversation with the ladies. Once again she was reminded of the reason why they were all here, and re-thinking the possibilities of what could happen if she didn't achieve her goal was overwhelming. She just couldn't return to Jingle Village without reconciling with Goku. Every second–

"Suno... hey, are you alright?"

A calm hand was placed on her shoulder, and she saw that it was Bulma who called out to her. From the looks of it, she appeared to be concerned about her. Videl and Eighteen were as well, once they saw that she wasn't immersed in the conversation anymore. Everyone else stopped what they were doing as they all had their attention on Suno. With all eyes on her, she almost couldn't find her voice.

"Yeah, I'm okay... just... a little nervous, I guess..." She responded with a low voice, avoiding their worried gazes. Looking back at the three ladies she continued with a pained face, "I'm just not in the talking mood right now, I'm sorry..."

Suno started to walk away from them and as she did, she came across Mr. Popo who stood in front of her. "Do you need some time alone? I can show you to a guest room if you wish to gather your thoughts." He offered kindly.

"Y-Yes, that would be great... thank you..."

This had come as a surprise to each and every person on the lookout. But then, they began to understand why she needed her privacy. Mr. Popo led her away from the others and into a guest room. Upon entering, she sits down on the bed without saying a single word.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll be nearby." Mr. Popo spoke, ready to lend a helping hand if necessary.

Suno silently nods her head at him and Mr. Popo walks away, leaving her alone. As soon as she was alone, all her thoughts came rushing back. She needed to think about what exactly she would say to Goku. In her mind, she felt like an apology wouldn't be enough for him.

Even if they never get back together, she hoped that he would at least give her the chance to explain herself. She wanted him to know how sorry she was for what happened between them.

If he really didn't want her back... she had to accept that, as painful as it may be.

Things seemed to be getting worse for Goku as time passed on. He was currently sitting on the old bed in his grandfather's old hut, still dressed in his outfit from the party and also barefooted, having tossed aside his ruined shoes somewhere in a corner with no care for them. His head was lowered and spikes of his hair covered his entire face, but a single tear droplet could be seen trickling down his cheek. He raised an arm and used his sleeve to wipe it dry. As he released sniffles, the Saiyan then lifted his head back up, revealing his swollen and reddened eyes, along with a moist trail left on his skin. Feelings of self-doubt and hopelessness coursed through his whole being as he just sat there not knowing what to do with himself.

For three days straight, he had isolated himself in his childhood home. He had refused to go outside to enjoy his old hobbies, train or to even enjoy the nice weather, he didn't have the pleasure for either. He'd only ever leave the hut and head to a nearby lake in search of fish and even then, he would catch only a small amount of fish as his appetite was close to nonexistent. He was barely able to consume even one small fish. Whenever Goku was fishing, he could never do it with the joy or enthusiasm he once had before. The pain of losing his girlfriend made it difficult to focus on this one simple task. He had also not even thought of showering during the three days he remained cooped up in here, though his outfit was dirty and a horrible odor was emitting from him, which he couldn't care less about.

He had been crying his heart out nonstop the whole time he was here. All he could think about was how much of a screw-up he truly was. It was of no use to even fight back the urge to cry, so he just let out the waterfall of tears. His sobbing would last for so many hours, to the point where he'd lay on his grandpa's old bed and cry himself to sleep. But he could never get a good night's rest even if he wanted to. Nightmares would constantly plague his mind and he'd wake up in the middle of the night, saddened and terrified. Nightmares of his and Suno's breakup playing out much worse than it actually had with his friends and sons turning against him. He could still hear his ex-girlfriend's words ringing in his ears, and it pierced through his heart.

'Things seemed to be looking up for me. I find a woman I love dearly, I see Goten again, I have a fun time with everyone at the party only for everything to come crumbling down... I'm such an idiot... I screwed up really badly...'

Goku just couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted this pain to stop. The pain of losing his love, and the pain of knowing that he would never be able to be with his sons again.

He just wanted it all to come to a stop. He didn't want to keep living in this misery.

'I just find this hard to believe. How could I have been so stupid? Chichi's right. I'm a shitty person and now Suno hates me. I lost Gohan, Goten and Suno. And now that I'm here... I realize that... I even lost my grandpa because of me. I just can't go on. Everyone will be better off without me...'

As that thought crossed his mind, Goku slid off the bed and got down on his knees in defeat. He slowly puts a hand over his heart, ready to prepare a ki ball to end everything at once. Was he really going to do this after living on this earth since his childhood days? He had some good times here with his friends and family and he'll always cherish those times, but he couldn't be a burden to them anymore. His life no longer had any purpose, so this was for the best.

'Goodbye... everyone...' Goku thought with unshed tears pooling in his eyes and staring straight up at the ceiling.

But in that same instant, a white light appears in front of Goku, showing the shape of someone. Someone weirdly familiar...

His eyes blinked repeatedly at the unexpected sight. "What?! What's that light?"

"It's been a while, Goku."

"W-What? How do you know me? Who are you?!" He demanded while cautiously taking a step back from the figure.

When the bright light faded away, the mysterious person finally showed up. It was Son Gohan, Goku's deceased grandpa. The Saiyan was beyond shocked when he saw his beloved grandfather again. So shocked that he rose up from the floor with his eyes wide open.

"G-Grandpa?! Is... is that really you?!" He stammered, his mouth gaping wide.

"Well, it's not actually me. Remember that I'm already dead." Son Gohan pointed to the halo above his head.

Goku looked away from his adoptive grandpa for a moment, guilt filling his being once more as he was reminded of his cause of death. "Yeah. And it was my fault too. But... but what are you doing here?" He looked back at the old man, who couldn't bear to see him in this state.

"Listen, what happened to me wasn't your fault. And I'm here because I saw everything you've done from the otherworld. You became a martial arts fighter and the most powerful warrior in the whole universe. I've never felt so much prouder of you. You have your friends, sons and that nice lady you love. You can't do this. They need you now, more than ever."

He didn't believe his grandpa's words of encouragement for even a second, feeling tears prickling at his eyes. "B-But grandpa... I screwed everything up, and... and the woman I love now hates me! She doesn't want to see me again... s-she's right. I'll never be able to win Goten's custody!" He collapsed on the floor, a river of tears now flowing down his face once more as he cried loudly.

A moment of silence passed, then Son Gohan kneels down and places a calm hand on his adoptive grandson's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. What's really important is that we learn from those mistakes. I'm sure she didn't mean those awful things she said and still loves you deep down. You're the strongest person on planet earth. You have the strength and power to get through this. You should keep on fighting. For your friends, sons and that nice lady you love. They all love you. I trust you and I know that you'll make the right choices from here on out."

"B-But how can I do that?" He questioned with a grief-stricken face, looking down at his hands in self-doubt.

"You can't do this alone. You need to come back to your friends and find a way. You won't win this battle alone."

He took a moment to reflect on his grandfather's words. Then he thought back to all the life-and-death battles he had been in throughout the years. From Raditz, Frieza and eventually facing off against Majin Buu. All those battles had been tough, but each time he emerged victorious with help from his friends. And if he could emerge as the victor in every one of them, then he would definitely win this case against his soon-to-be ex, even if this upcoming battle wasn't like anything he had experienced before.

With his decision made, the Saiyan finally wipes his tears and rises up from the dirty floor. "You're right, grandpa. I can't push my friends away again. They care for me and I need them now. Thanks."

"That's better. Now go and find your way again. Never give up... because even if I'm dead, I'll never give up on you, son." Grandpa Gohan said with a big smile, proud to see that his beloved grandson was back to his old self.

With his job complete, Son Gohan started to vanish right in front of him, the smile on his face never faltering.

"Grandpa! W-Wait!" Goku attempted to reach his hand out towards him but instead, he was met with nothing but thin air as his deceased grandfather finally disappeared from sight.

Goku stares hard at his right hand... and then clenches his fist, showing that he had recovered his determination. Not only was he going to win custody of Goten, but he was also going to work towards winning Suno back. He didn't come this far just to lose the woman of his dreams and everything else he struggled so hard to achieve.

'Thanks, grandpa. I couldn't save you... but now you saved me. I have to return back to the guys, especially with Suno, Gohan and Goten.' He thought to himself, before retrieving his dirty shoes from the corner where he tossed them. Deciding to replace them at a later date, he put them back on, as he would rather not be moving around barefooted.

The Saiyan walks out of his grandfather's old house with a determined smile now shown on his face. He then closes his eyes, and starts to search for the ki of all his friends until he finally detected them.

'They're on Kami's Lookout! That's great!'

Goku moves further away from his grandfather's old house and flies off into the skies to recover everything once more, having been cured of his heartbreak and depression.

Quite some time had passed since Suno retreated into a guest room for much-needed privacy. The mood on Kami's Lookout had been more somber since then, as everyone knew she was hurting in some way. No one really wanted to disturb her peace and quiet, though some were tempted to go check up on her, notably Eighter, Bulma and Videl. They all knew she needed to be emotionally and mentally stable in order to meet Goku again. Not only was that the case, but some of the z warriors were starting to believe that it was taking far too long for Goku to show up, and that he should have been here a long time ago if he really managed to get himself together.

"Hey guys... don't you all think it's taking too long for Goku to show up?" Krillin said aloud, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah..." Yamcha commented. "How long have we been waiting now?"

"Two whole hours, if I'm not mistaken." Tien replied with a slight frown. "There doesn't seem to be any sign that he's coming."

The other warriors expressed the same sentiment. Nothing would be accomplished if they just stood here and did nothing. If they had been waiting for two hours, it was time to take matters into their own hands.

"Okay, since it doesn't seem like Goku is coming, maybe we should just find out where he is and meet up with him." Bulma announced, taking a glimpse at her wristwatch.

Gohan turned to the earth's guardian, now a little bit concerned about the delay. "Dende, can you tell us where dad is immediately?" He requested, noting how his little brother was now standing by his side, also eagerly awaiting Dende's response.

But when Dende was about to reply, a familiar ki could be felt approaching the place at full speed.