Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ

Chapter 48

It had been a long and arduous battle, but at long last, Majin Buu had been defeated. The two heroes responsible for this feat now stood in one of the many wastelands that Buu had created while on his binge of destruction. Having dropped out of their transformed states, both Gohan and Zangya surveyed the landscape with somber expressions. Buu had caused so much death. The two fighters could feel the energy that had been lost from the planet due to the combination of the rampant destruction and the decimated population. Zangya especially could feel the pain the planet was in, and tears welled up as she thought of all the suffering her new home had endured. She felt responsible for it. Maybe if she hadn't been so stubborn about her plan, Buu could have been defeated much sooner. The tears stopped before they began by the feeling of a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Gohan with a reassuring smile on his face.

"It's ok. We can fix this." Gohan said to comfort the older girl.

Zangya's doubts faded. She wiped her eyes and returned the smile with a nod. "Yeah. We'll get the dragon balls and set everything right."

Gohan nodded his affirmation, then turned his gaze briefly to the four figures sprawled on the ground. His father was out cold and still had his halo, but he was there. That fact brought a strong sense of joy to the young demi Saiyan.

"You know," Gohan turned back to his friend. "If it hadn't been for you, I'd have lost something that even the dragon balls may not have restored. Thanks, Zangya. Thank you for saving my dad."

Zangya turned to hide her blush at the boy's heartfelt gratitude. "Hey, no big deal rice ball. All in a day's work for the Red Z…" Her sentence was cut short by the firm hands of Gohan turning her gently to face him. Her blush deepened as his eyes locked with hers.

"You have no idea how amazing you are." The onyx, red tinted eyes maintained their warm and affectionate gaze with the blue sapphires. Zangya was speechless, and all she could do was stare back into those dark eyes. Very slowly, the Hera felt herself being pulled closer to the taller teen. The look in his eyes now had shifted from gratitude to an altogether different emotion.

'Oh Hera, is this really happening!?' Zangya suddenly felt very hot and tingly all over. 'This is just like Lime's story. We defeated the bubblegum demon and now… Oh Hera! Right here? No… Yes! Wait, no. But yes though... Ok, just let him take the lead. Whatever happens, happens.'

The woman's thoughts ran a thousand miles a minute until she gently closed her eyes and let herself drift into Gohan's strong embrace. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his warmth on her lips.

"Ooohh…" A loud groaning sound snapped Zangya out of her trance and jumped away from a rather confused Gohan as if she had been shocked. The sound had reminded her that they were not alone, and she turned her attention, with more than a hint of annoyance, toward Broly. The Saiyan giant was starting to stir, and Zangya sighed with a mixture of resignation, disappointment, and relief.

"I suppose we'd better make sure they're all ok." She turned back to Gohan, who she was surprised to see glaring at the prone figures.

"Yeah. I'll make sure they're ok." A malicious grin appeared on the demon hybrid's features as he cracked his knuckles. The teen made his way to the legendary super Saiyan and Zangya was debating between stopping Gohan from doing something horrible to Broly, and maybe joining him herself. She figured that, despite her annoyance, Broly didn't deserve a beating. She was about to intervene but was spared the effort when Broly started to rise from the rocky ground.

"Ooh…" Broly let out another groan as he got to his feet. Looking himself over, the Saiyan wore a confused expression. "What happened? I… I remember Zangya was fighting Buu and then…" He looked around and his normally stoic expression lit up when his gaze landed on Zangya.

"Zangya, You're alive!" The giant embraced the Hera, but quickly released her as a second thought arose. "Or… are we both dead?"

"Oh, you're alive alright." came a voice with a tone that heavily implied that he would not be much longer. Broly turned to the voice.

"Gohan!" He shouted with almost the same level of enthusiasm as when he saw Zangya and pulled him into a bear hug alongside the Hera. "They brought you back! The dragon balls I mean. Dende said that it would work, but I wasn't sure. Did you win? Buu, I mean. Is he finally gone?"

Any ire that the younger Saiyan felt toward the elder quickly melted away upon witnessing the sincerity of Broly's joy at seeing both of them alive and well. Gohan wriggled out of the hug and patted the giant's upper arm.

"Yeah. We beat him. I wasn't brought back with the dragon balls though." Gohan answered.

"What? Then how?"

Gohan shrugged. "Kind of a long story. I'll tell you later. In the meantime," The teen walked over to the next of Buu's victims who had also started to stir.

"Dad? Hey, Dad. Wake up."

Goku's eyes remained closed, and it seemed that, while he was stirring, he wasn't quite ready to be up. Gohan took a deep breath before bellowing in his father's ear.

"HEY DAD! BREAKFAST IS READY! MOM MADE BACON!"

Goku was up on his feet in a flash, looking around wildly for the succulent meat. His search was interrupted when he was hit with a firm embrace. His surprise only lasted until he saw that it was Gohan, and then a smile broke out on his face as he returned the hug.

"You did it Gohan! I knew you could."

"Dad?" Gohan said without releasing his father.

"Yes son?"

"Stop trying to sacrifice yourself for me, ok?"

Goku let out a chuckle. And held his son out at arms-length. "Sorry son. I can't make that promise. It's just what dads do."

Despite his request being rejected, Gohan still let a small smile appear on his lips. "I figured you'd say something like that. Guess that means no bacon for you."

"WHAT!" Shouted Goku. "Oh, come on, that's no fair!"

Broly, Zangya and Gohan all burst out laughing. Even Goku started to join in. When the laughter had finally died down, Gohan walked over to the final two figures.

"So, dad, any idea who these guys are? Zangya pulled them out of Buu." Gohan asked his father.

"Huh. How wild. Well, they look a bit like Shin, don't they? Maybe their Kais."

"Oh, that would make sense." Zangya nodded. "I remember shorty saying something about his mentor being absorbed by Buu. That must be one of them."

As soon as Zangya explained this, a strange disturbance in the earth's energy interrupted her musings. It appeared as though Gohan felt the energy too, as they both looked up in the same direction at the new source of energy.

What's wrong?" Broly asked in alarm. "Is it another enemy?"

"That depends on how you look at it." Gohan replied with a thoughtful expression.

Broly followed their eyes to see for himself what had caught Gohan and Zangya's attention. Descending slowly out of the sky were more than a dozen colorful personages with pointy ears, all wearing similar black mantles with the symbol for Kai on them.

"Hey! It's the Grand Kais!" Goku shouted cheerfully. "Yoohoo! Hey guys we're over here!"

Break

Gohan didn't have any particular disdain for the Kais, but he knew how they felt about demons. He thought back to the comment that the supreme Kai had made about wanting to seal him away because he was 'a threat'. Maybe they felt differently now that he had defeated Buu. Then again, it was also possible that since he had taken care of one demon, they were hoping to lock up the other one.

'Let them try.' thought Gohan with an amused smile. 'They'll find out just how threatening I can be. Might even be fun.'

The group of deities touched down and as one body returned the stares that Gohan, Zangya, and even Broly were giving them. The only one not glaring was, of course, Goku.

"Hey all you Grand Kais!" He waved, causing some of the tension to decrease. "Guess what? Gohan beat Majin Buu for you. Looks like you owe someone an apology." He smiled at the group cheekily, though with no ill will. The threat was gone, and as far as Goku was concerned, Gohan had proved once again just how much safer the universe was with him around.

Gohan and Zangya smiled at the dead man's antics, though they were the only ones that did. The group of Grand Kais did not look like they were there to apologize, and they all maintained grim expressions as they advanced on the heroes of earth. The group walked to within speaking distance of earth's defenders, without even acknowledging Goku.

"Son Gohan." An ancient looking Kai at the front, who had the complexion of a walnut, offered what could be considered a greeting.

"What's up." The young warrior replied easily. There were some murmurs of disapproval at the boy's lack of respect for their station, and the old Kai at the front even growled.

"By the authority of the council of Grand Kais, you are ordered to surrender yourself for confinement."

Goku flushed with anger at the bold and callous order. As for the others reaction…

""BAHAHAHAHAHA!""

Both Gohan and Zangya had burst out laughing at the insane demand from the so-called council of Grand Kais. Even Broly was laughing slightly at the situation. He may not have known who the Grand Kais were, but they clearly did not know who they were talking to?

Now it was Grand Kai Oscar's turn to flush angrily.

"Cease your impudence this instant!" He ordered. At last, the laughter subsided long enough for Zangya to speak.

"Oh man, you guys gotta be kidding, right?" she asked through the occasional giggle. "Why would you want to seal him away? He's a good guy. What makes you think you even could? You do realize that Gohan just made Majin Buu look like a chump. The same Majin Buu that even your supreme Kai was petrified of." Suddenly her brow furrowed, and all trace of laughter was gone. "You should be on your knees thanking him. Instead, not only do you think you can imprison him, but you actually think he'd surrender to you? Seriously, why?"

"Don't you get it Zangya?" Gohan spoke up before the Kais could answer. "They're scared of me. If I'm allowed to roam free, what evil might a monster such as myself unleash?"

"Oh yeah, you might put a book back on your shelf in non-alphabetical order." Zangya quipped.

"Well, I don't go by alphabet, I use the Dewey decimal system. It's much more efficient and…" Gohan trailed off after a longsuffering look from the Hera. "Ahem. The point is, they don't like the idea of someone as strong as me being around. Unfortunately for them, they also know they don't stand a chance against me, so they're hoping I'll come quietly. Isn't that, right?"

"Don't test us boy!" Oscar the grouchy Kai growled, though the reaction of the other Kais told Gohan that he was correct. "We are offering you a chance to submit before you are fully corrupted by your power. If your heart is truly good, then you would put the good of the universe ahead of yourself and surrender to us. If you refuse, we will not hesitate to use force."

Gohan found the idea laughable, and even thought it might be a little fun to take on the Grand Kais just to teach them a lesson. Zangya on the other hand was getting tired of the joke.

"Not that he needs my help against the likes of you, but if you think I'll just stand by and watch as you try to take Gohan, you've got another thing coming." The Hera stated with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Young lady." A female Kai spoke this time. "The council has recognized your contributions to the demise of Buu. You have even freed two of our comrades whom we had thought lost eons ago. We are willing to forget your dubious past at your time of judgement. Do not endanger that by defying us."

Zangya raised her eyebrows at this revelation.

"Really? You… You can just wipe my slate clean?"

"That's right." The lady Kai nodded.

"Wow. I don't know what to say, except… Bleleleleh!" The teen alien stuck out her tongue and started waggling it around, causing outrage to ripple through their ranks. Gohan looked at the childish behavior with an affectionate chuckle. She really was one of a kind.

"You foolish girl!" Oscar spat. "Fight us and you will share the same fate as the demon spawn!"

"You foolish… Fool." Zangya countered after searching for a good comeback. "Look, I know more than anyone the weight of my crimes, and I'm fully prepared to answer for them when the time comes. But I refuse to add any more to my sins by abandoning my friend when he's being threatened."

The old man's face reddened, but Gohan cut in before he made his reply. "While an eternity sealed with Zangya is an enticing offer, I'm afraid I'm still gonna have to refuse your invitation. See, we both still have a lot of life left to live. Feel free to leave the way you came, but if it's a fight you want, I'm happy to oblige."

"So be it." Oscar dropped to a fighting stance and the other Kais were nervously readying themselves when something unexpected happened.

"Hold up!" A voice yelled, and to everyone's surprise another Kai appeared from the sky. Unlike the graceful entrance the others made, this one had descended to the earth like a comet, kicking up dust and debris as he landed. The dust cleared to reveal another elderly Grand Kai in sunglasses. He dusted himself off and made his way to the front of his peers.

"Yo." He waved.

"Dean." Oscar said with a hint of relief. "I thought you weren't coming. Not that we couldn't use your strength against this mongrel. Just like old times, eh?"

Dean's beard twitched and he nodded while giving a thumbs up. "I wouldn't miss this chance for the world, Oz."

Gohan looked at the newcomer and tried to feel his power. The man was definitely stronger than the others, so it was no wonder why they had all looked so relieved at his appearance. As he was analyzing the old man, the Kai speedily closed the distance between them until he was right in front of the teen.

"Hey kid." The Grand Kai looked up at Gohan, who did not seem too concerned by the close proximity. "Will you sign this?"

Gohan looked down at what the man was holding. Along with a black sharpie, the Kai had pulled out from under his tunic a skateboard with a design that honestly threw Gohan for a loop. It was him and Zangya, each having their superhero aliases written in jagged script and a green dragon spiraling around them.

"What the? How did you get this?" Gohan asked in utter confusion.

"K98Z was havin' a contest, ya dig? I'm a big fan of yours, and I just happened to be the seventh caller. I've been dyin' to meet you and Red Z girl. Heh, dig that? Normally it's the other way round, aint it."

Gohan scratched his head, not quite sure what to make of the newcomer. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the pen.

"Make it out to my biggest-no, my Grandest fan."

"WHAT TREACHERY IS THIS!?" Oscar yelled. "You're actually asking this monster to SIGN your little TOY! What about helping us subjugate him!?"

"I told you in otherworld you shouldn't come. Not for what you wanted to do anyway. But a fan never misses an opportunity to meet their heroes."

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME!?"

"DISGRACEFUL!?"

"Irresponsible!"

A dozen cries of indignation rent the air as the other Grand Kais voiced their disappointment in the older Kai. He didn't seem to pay them any mind though, for as soon as Gohan had finished signing the skateboard, he moved on to Zangya and held out the pen to her.

Her look mirrored the confusion that Gohan had, until recognition dawned on her. She narrowed her eyes at the Kai. "You're one of the ones that sealed me away."

The rand Kai was undeterred by the coming storm and simply shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, you were all crazy and blowin' up planets n whatnot. You know how many innocent lives yall took? Someone had to stop you. I even broke procedure to stop you. Not that I mind breakin rules, but that's just how bad it was."

The truth of the statement coupled with the bluntness with which it was delivered cut Zangya to the quick. The Grand Kai was right of course. She hung her head as she remembered all the lives she had destroyed. She wasn't lying when she said she knew her sins better than anyone and while she was happy to come to Gohan's aid, she found that she had no defense for herself. Was she really any better than Bojack, or Buu? Before she could descend too deep into her reverie of regret, she felt a gentle hand touch her chin and raise her gaze.

"Chin up kid. Everyone makes mistakes, but not a lot of dudes pull off a 180 like you're doin'." He beamed at his former foe with something akin to pride. "You can't change what you've done in the past, but you can change what you do in the future. I'd say that your future's lookin pretty bright too. Say, that's pretty deep yo." He finished while stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Zangya stared at the one who had helped imprison her. He was the foundation of her grudge against the Kais, yet she strangely felt no hatred for this one. He didn't seem pompous or self-righteous like the others. He didn't seem to harbor ill feelings toward her either, despite her past. He had chastised her, then in the same breath offered her hope and comfort. Odd as it was, she even found herself smiling at the elf-like elder. There were still a lot of things in her past that haunted her, but her grudge for the Kais, or at least this one, was starting to fade.

"So," She grabbed the pen and readied herself to sign the skateboard. "Who am I making this out to? To the old guy in shades, or something more superhero-y like 'the grey Grandpa?"

Dean let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! That's pretty good. Grey Grandpa for sure."

Zangya nodded with a smile and signed to board before she handed it back.

"All right! Can't wait to do some shreddin on this bad boy now."

"Are you quite through!?" the angry voice of the Oscar broke in. "If you aren't going to help us dispose of the threat, the least you could do is get out of our way, you useless traitor!"

Dean's response to this was to raise a bushy white eyebrow. The thought crossed his mind to remind the group just whose domain they were in. Instead, he shrugged. "Don't get all bent out a shape Oz. I'll be gone soon enough. Just got a few things left to deal with."

He walked over to the large muscular Kai that was still out cold.

"Heh. I suppose you're not completely a traitor. Yes, take the supreme Kais back to otherworld so they may recover."

Unfortunately, that was not what Dean had in mind. To the horror of the other Grand Kais, he reeled a foot back and delivered a shattering kick right to the man's gut.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!"

"PUHAAAAH!" The muscular man exhaled painfully, and his eyes bulged out in a comical fashion. The Grand Kai watched as his victim writhed in pain on the ground until he was able to get the air back into his lungs. When he finally recovered, his glaring eyes searched for his assailant.

"Who did that!? What coward dares to attack me while I'm down?"

"Sup muscle head? Have a nice nap?"

Upon hearing this voice, the features of the muscley Kai went from outrage to terror in the blink of an eye. He looked up and saw Dean grinning down at him.

"M-master?" He said feebly.

"Took ya a minute. Maybe becoming a supreme Kai really did go to your head. I think I'll have to run ya through basic training again."

Immediately the supreme Kai sent his forehead crashing into the earth as he kowtowed to his martial arts master.

"Oh, forgive me master! How could I ever forget your cruel- I mean your greatness. I-I didn't mean to call you a coward either! Please have mercy!"

"Alright, alright, I was just messin' around. On your feet muscle head and wake the boss man up." The Grand Kai jerked his thumb at the last of Buu's victims to wake up.

The supreme Kai sprang to his feet and bowed to his old master before following his orders. He knelt beside the pink Kai and began to shake him.

"My lord. My lord wake up. We are finally free."

Despite these promptings, the figure still appeared comatose.

"That aint gonna work." Dean rebuked his disciple. "Move aside, I'll get him up."

The large supreme Kai got out of the way just in time to avoid a foot that Dean was sending straight for the gut of the pink Kai. In a flash of movement, two hands caught the incoming kick, and the pink Kai was on one knee, frowning at the old Kai.

"Heh. knew you were fakin'. Been enjoyin the show?"

"As a matter of fact, I was." The fat man said petulantly. "Gohan was about to kiss Zangya, then all of a sudden, the mysterious group of Kais came looking for a fight. I really wanted to see what would happen next."

Dean withdrew his leg and helped the other man up. "Yeah well, as much as I hate bein a spoilsport, I know what's gonna happen next if they try to fight the kid. I thought you might wanna put a stop to this train wreck before they get hurt."

The pink Kai sighed. "I suppose you're right. Come on Southy." He beckoned for the muscled Kai to join him, and they made their way toward the other Grand Kais.

As one, the council of Grand Kais immediately dropped to a knee and shouted their greeting.

"Hail the great lord of lords!" They exclaimed with lowered heads.

"It has been far too long my friends." The Grand supreme Kai greeted. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again. But tell me, what brings you all to a remote planet like Earth?"

"My lord," Oscar spoke while keeping his head bowed. "You could not have awoken at a better time. The demon threat has emerged once more. We beg for your strength to defeat it."

Dai Kaioshin adopted a serious expression. "Oh, that sounds very serious indeed. How many systems has this threat destroyed then?"

The kneeling Kais became slightly uncomfortable. "Well… No systems my lord."

"I see. Then he must have ravaged quite a few planets at least. Right?"

No one made a reply. "So, no planet's either? Well, what has he done? Besides defeating Buu, I mean."

The Kais started to tremble under their lord's squinty gaze. No one dared to answer the question.

"Ooh, ooh! Pick me!" Delighted at the humiliation of these pompous jerks, Zangya decided it was time to speak up and waved her hand around. "Aside from Buu, he saved the earth from two other gigantic threats since I've known him."

"Not to mention defeating Cell, and all the other bad guys he's faced before that." Goku said with a smile.

"He always spends his time helping others." Broly put in.

"And I got straight A-s on my report card for the school year." Gohan added triumphantly, causing the others to give him weird looks. "What! I did."

"Is this a joke!?" The south supreme Kai asked the kneeling Kais with mounting fury. "This 'threat' sounds like a hero! He should be rewarded for such bravery!"

The Grand supreme Kai nodded. "Southy's right. I'm not sure what a report card is, but straight A-s sound impressive to me. Nothing I've heard so far sounds like it would merit punishment."

"My lord, it's not about what the boy has done, but about what he will do." A green Kai tried to explain. "Surely you remember the destruction that the demons caused before. How can we let such evil simply roam free?"

"If it helps, my mom doesn't let me do any roaming after dinner time." Gohan offered without a hint of irony.

Grand supreme Kai smiled. "Well, that is encouraging. It sounds like we don't have anything to worry about after all."

"But my lord-"

"My friends." Dai Kaio said with a tone that cut off any protest. "It has been made very clear that this boy has done nothing wrong, nor does he intend to. Unless the laws of the universe have changed in the last five million years, we cannot punish a being simply because of their heritage. Not only that, but anything you tried to do against this young man would be useless. Even your most powerful and intricate enchantment would do nothing against him. It sounds like his mother holds more power over him than all of you combined."

"To be fair, Chichi holds more power over most people." Zangya chimed in.

"I do not mean to belittle you, my friends." The Grand supreme Kai continued. "I know that each of you have great power in your own right, but I would not see you destroyed in such a pointless cause. Especially not so soon after I have been freed from my prison."

The Kais speech seemed to have properly chastised his subordinates. Some of them had looks of contrition on their faces after realizing how unjust sealing Gohan would have been. Others realized the folly in challenging the boy and looked relieved and touched at the caring words of their lord. Only Oscar seemed to be at odds with the Grand supreme Kai, but even he could not defy the great lord of lords.

"What would you have us do?" he asked at last.

"I would have us go home. Five million years is a long time to be away, and we have much to discuss."

Without further argument, the Kais rose and ascended into the air until they finally vanished. Dean, the two supreme Kais, and the warriors of earth followed them with their eyes until they had vanished from sight.

"That was a little anticlimactic." Gohan said with a hint of disappointment.

"I hope you are not too disappointed." Dai Kaio said in response. "As for myself, am glad that they left with only their pride wounded. Think what you will of them, but they do have good hearts. Even the grouchy one. But Kais can tend to be a bit narrow minded. They cherish creation, and anything that they think could pose a danger to it frightens them."

Gohan shrugged. "I understand. Up until a few hours ago, I was pretty wary of myself too. But they don't have to worry about me."

"I know." The chubby Kai smiled. "I have read your soul, Son Gohan, and I am happy to see that you also cherish life. It seems that the only thing that can match your enormous power, is your enormous heart."

Gohan couldn't help but blush at this compliment. "So, who are you anyway? They kept calling you the 'lord of lords'."

"Yes. After the first few millennia of trying to get them to stop with that name, I gave up. I am the Grand supreme Kai. You can call me Dai Kaio Shin. It means the same thing, but it's less of a mouthful."

"Oh, ok… Mind if I just call you D.K.?"

The Grand supreme Kai let out a pleasant laugh. "If you want to, I don't mind. I'm sure we will work together at some point in the future, so familiarity might be a good thing. For now, though, I believe it is time that we were on our way. I'm sure you'd like to attend to the business of restoring what Buu destroyed."

Gohan nodded. "Thanks. Let me know if there's any more ancient monsters you want me to deal with."

"You will be the first I call. Goodbye Son Gohan. Goodbye Zangya. Thank you both for what you have done. Both for me personally, and for the entire universe." After giving his thanks, the portly Kai turned and nodded at the south supreme Kai. The bulky man placed his hand on his superior's shoulder and D.K. placed a finger to his temple.

"Wait." Zangya called out, and the Grand supreme Kai removed his finger, giving her his undivided attention. "Um… Do you know Shin and Kibito? Shin said you were his mentor."

"You must be referring to the east supreme Kai and his attendant. Yes, I know them. In fact, they will be the first ones I see when I return to otherworld. Shall I deliver a message for you?"

"Yeah. Tell Kibito… Tell him he's a tool, but I'm grateful that he saved me. I'll make sure to repay him really soon."

"I have no doubt you will." D.K. nodded. "Consider your message delivered."

With a parting nod, the two supreme Kais were gone leaving Dean as the last remaining deity. "Well gang, it's been real fun. Let's do this again sometime. Maybe at dragon bakery Z?" the Grand Kai asked hopefully.

Zangya grinned in response. "Sure, just make sure you bring plenty of cash with you. Kais get charged double you know."

"Ouch, that's cold girl." The old man chuckled. "How bout a trade? I'll give you a martial arts lesson if you give me some of that blue velvet the radio host's always goin on about?"

"I'll think about it." Zangya shrugged, then winked at the old man.

"Right on." He turned to Goku. "Well, Goku, you ready to hit the road?"

"What? Already?" asked Goku with a sorrowful expression.

"Fraid so my man. I'd love to let you stay, but it's out of my hands. You know the dead don't belong in this realm. Supreme Kai said that you were allowed down here to help with Buu until the situation was resolved. Now that Buu's gone…" Dean let the sentence hang, and Goku nodded his understanding.

"Wait a minute!" Zangya shouted. "You can't take him away now; Gohan just got him back! What about Goten and Chichi? You're a Grand Kai, aren't you? Isn't there something you can do? Maybe extend his time for another week or something?"

The Grand Kai was about to reply, but Goku spoke first.

"I'm sorry Zangya, but he's right. I'm dead and I don't really belong here. It's time for me to go back."

"But what about the dragon balls?" She countered.

"That's right!" Broly said before pausing for a moment to concentrate. "I can feel Trunks' and Bulma's energy. They're alive, and I bet they've gotten them all by now."

"That's great!" Zangya said with excitement. "See, we can just wish you back, no problem! Chichi and Goten will be so happy."

Goku rubbed the back of his head in bewilderment. "Guys, I know you're both new to the whole dragon ball thing, but it's not that simple. I've already been wished back once. Shenron can't grant the same wish twice."

Broly and Zangya deflated at this news. Zangya looked especially depressed. She really wanted this for the Son family. She turned to Gohan. "This isn't fair. Isn't there anything we can do?"

Gohan had remained silent for the entire conversation. He had been deep in thought, contemplating his father's death against Cell and the reason he remained dead in the first place. He also thought of his mom crying. He thought of his little brother asking when he would be able to meet their dad. How he had felt at the possibility of losing his dad forever when Buu had absorbed him. All these thoughts swirled around Gohan's mind until finally he spoke.

"Dad… Dad The earth doesn't need you to protect it anymore. My friends and I are strong enough to take care of that. But Goten does need you. Mom needs you too. I'm not going to let them go without you."

"Gohan, You can't-"

"Didn't I already tell you dad? You don't call the shots anymore." Gohan cut his father off with a grin. "I'm not giving you a choice in the matter. We both know there's a dragon out there that can bring you back no problem. So go ahead. Go back to your little Valhalla, and say goodbye to your training buddies, because as soon as I can get to Namek, I'm bringing you back here. Kicking and screaming if I have to."

Goku looked like he might argue, but then a smile crossed his lips. Why should he fight against what he really wanted. He stared at his son with pride. "I guess I don't have a choice, do I. Just tell me one thing."

"What?"

"What's a Valhalla?"

"Don't worry about it." Gohan chuckled. He turned to the Grand Kai. "Hey, I know he's gotta leave soon, but is there any way he can see my mom and brother first? They should get the chance to see him off this time."

Grand Kai smiled. "I suppose I could extend it for just a bit more. After all, I'd say this counts as part of the resolution process."

"Great! To the look out!"

Break

Goten, Chichi, Trunks, Bulma, Mr. Popo, and Dende were gathered in the inner sanctum of the lookout. After Broly had rescued Goten, the little boy fed his mom and Dende a senzu bean and took them back to the lookout. Bulma and Trunks were waiting for them, having finished their mission of collecting the dragon balls. They were going to use them immediately, but Dende advised them to wait. He could sense the battle as it unfolded, and while they were winning, it seemed like the best thing to do would be to wait until Buu had been defeated so they could restore any collateral damage. The mothers and their sons hung onto every word as he narrated the fight between Buu and Broly. They were overjoyed when Zangya suddenly appeared, horrified when Broly had been absorbed, and when at last Gohan showed up, Chichi actually fainted from excitement.

At the moment, Goten was fanning his mom with a big grin on his face. Dende had announced that Gohan and Zangya had defeated the Buu guy. He didn't know how Gohan had come back, but he did know that the big pink bully didn't stand a chance against his big brother.

"Ah! They're here!" Dende announced as he sensed familiar energies suddenly appear on the lookout.

Goten looked at Dende for a split second, then without another thought, shot like a bullet out the door. The sight that greeted him when he reached the outside brought tears to the small boy's eyes.

"GOHAN!"

The teenage Saiyan was surprised upon his arrival to be greeted by a small orange blur slamming itself into his chest. Gohan caught the little cannonball and looked down to see Goten crying tears of joy into his shirt.

"Gohan! You did it! You beat the monster! I knew you could do it! I was so scared when they said you were dead, but you weren't, and you beat him! You're the greatest!"

The older brother smiled and returned the hug. The embrace lasted for a few moments, then Goten pulled his head out of his big brother's chest. "Zangy! You're ok too!" The little Saiyan jumped to the Hera who returned his affection with equal enthusiasm.

"Goten! I'm so glad you're alright!" She snuggled him tightly as she laughed with the youngest Son. But before she could say anything else, another figure zoomed toward them and grabbed both Gohan and Zangya in a death grip.

"Oh, my brave babies!" Chichi wailed as she hugged the trio and swung them violently back and forth. "How dare you make me worry like that! You two are grounded forever! You're never going to leave my sight!"

Chichi caught sight of the others. "You!" She relinquished her death hug and rushed over to Broly, picking him up and giving him the same treatment as Gohan, Goten, and Zangya. "You saved my little boy and me! You're welcome to dinner anytime you want!"

The giant Saiyan was too stunned for words. He couldn't break free of Chichi and was growing ever redder as she praised his bravery.

"And you, whoever you are, come here!" She released Broly and grabbed onto the Grand Kai, who though surprised, didn't seem too upset by the situation.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" Goku asked with good-humored laughter.

Chichi let go of the old man and turned on Goku with a fiery expression that made Goku regret asking.

"Of course not!" She grabbed her husband by the lapels and pulled him in for a kiss so passionate that Zangya felt the need to cover Goten's eyes to protect his psyche. At last, Chichi came up for air.

"Wow." Goku said breathlessly. "Gohan, how soon can you make it to Namek?"

"Namek?" Chichi looked up at her husband in confusion. Then realization dawned. "Wait, does that mean…"

"It's time for me to come home." Goku nodded. "I'm sorry Chichi. I was wrong not to let Gohan wish me back in the first place."

"Goku…" Chichi looked deeply into the eyes of the man she loved. Gohan looked away and Zangya preemptively covered Goten's eyes.

"It's about time!" Chichi's expression suddenly changed. "Honestly, it's ridiculous that you waited this long. Oh, and there's going to be some changes when you get back."

"Changes?" Goku asked nervously.

"You bet mister. You're going to get a job for one thing. A real job too. Not fighting for money like some karate bum."

"A job huh." The dead Saiyan thought about it. "That shouldn't be too bad. Maybe I could use it for training."

"Speaking of training, that's another thing. No more training all day every day! Especially no more year-long stints of abducting my little boys and training them as some hooligans with yellow hair."

"Oh, come on Chichi, be reasonable. Besides, I never took Gohan for a year of training, that was Piccolo. The time chamber doesn't count. That was technically only a day."

"I don't care. From now on, no more than three hours of training a day."

"WHAT!" Goku's eyes bulged out as he shouted. "Three hours! Chichi that's not fair! That's barely a warmup!"

"Deal with it, buster!"

"Come on dad, it's not that bad." Gohan said with a smile.

"Yeah Goku, that's about how much time me and Gohan spend on training. Between the bakery and his school, that's about all we have time for." Zangya added.

Goku looked unconvinced, then he felt a small tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see Goten staring up at him with eyes full of hope.

"You're gonna train with me too, right daddy?"

Goku knew when he was beaten. The terms were harsh, but there was no way he would miss this chance. He picked Goten up. "You bet, little guy."

"Well, Goku, I can see why you'd wanna hang back here. You got a real swell family." The Grand Kai put a hand on Goku's shoulder. "For now, though, I think it's time you said goodbye."

"Yeah." Goku nodded sadly. "Goodbye everyone. I promise I'll see you real soon."

"How soon Goku?" Chichi asked.

"Yeah, how soon?" Goten mimicked.

"Well, however long it takes to get to New Namek, I guess." Goku looked at Gohan to see if he had an exact timeframe in mind. Before his son could answer, Dean answered instead.

"Actually, I got somethin' cookin in otherworld that I'd like Goku to stick around for. It's nothin' dangerous." He reassured Chichi at receiving her worried look. "But it is important, and it'll take about six months. I know it's askin a lot, but could yall wait till then?"

The Son family's faces fell, but 6 months was better than not at all. They had waited this long, and they could wait a little longer. After one last kiss from Chichi, and a hug for each of his sons, Goku nodded at Grand Kai to signal that he was ready.

"By the way, Red Z," Grand Kai looked at Zangya. "I'm serious about that martial arts lesson. Stay in shape till then." With that parting remark, Goku and the Grand Kai vanished.

"What do you think that was about?" Zangya asked aloud.

"I don't know." Gohan replied, then he broke into a grin. "I guess we'll just have to wait six months to find out."

"Six more months till daddy comes home!" Goten shouted.

"It will be nice to have Goku around again." Bulma added. "Maybe Vegeta will stop sulking and-" Bulma stopped talking when she remembered her husband was no longer with them. "Why don't we use the dragon balls now?" she finished somberly.

The others nodded, and Mr. Popo brought the starred orbs before the group.

Break.

18 woke up with a start. She remembered dying, then she was standing in a line with Krillin and another little soul next to her. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she was in the city. It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened. Her friends must have used the dragon balls, as even the damage done to the city during her fight with Buu had been fixed. She got up and dusted herself off before looking for Krillin. Strangely, she couldn't see her boyfriend anywhere. She knew they had died pretty close together, so he had to be nearby. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on sensing his ki like he had taught her. Still, no matter how hard she focused, she couldn't feel his presence.

"Dammit Krillin. Where are you?" She started to panic, thinking maybe something had gone wrong. "Maybe I'm not doing it right. That's gotta be it." She closed her eyes again. If she couldn't find Krillin, maybe someone with more practice in the art could. She sped off toward the lookout where she was at least able to sense Gohan and Zangya.

When she finally got there, she saw everyone waving ecstatically at her before she was swiftly tackled in midair by the blue girl.

"18! You'll never believe what happened. Wait till I tell you-"

"Where's Krillin?" 18 cut her friend off mid-sentence.

Zangya was taken aback by the abrupt manner of her best friend. "It's good to see you too."

18's features softened slightly. "I'm glad you're alive Z. But I haven't been able to sense Krillin at all since I came back. He should have been right next to me, but he wasn't. I assumed I was wished back with the dragon balls, but I don't really know how they work, so I thought he might be up here."

Zangya had never seen 18 so upset and worried. "I… He should have been brought back with you. Let's ask Gohan. He probably knows what happened."

The two ladies landed and 18 rushed over to Gohan. "Gohan, what happened? Where's Krillin?"

Unlike Zangya, Gohan was unsurprised to hear that Krillin was not back.

"Shenron couldn't bring Krillin back 18." The teen replied solemnly.

"What? Why not? I'm back. Why isn't he?" Even with her monotone voice, Gohan could hear the panic in it.

"Krillin has already been wished back by earth's dragon balls." The teen explained gently. "The dragon can't grant the same wish twice, so he can't bring Krillin back."

This revelation caused 18 to reel back as if she had been slapped.

"But that's ok." Gohan continued quickly. "We're going to go to Namek and bring him back. Him, my dad, and…" He looked over at Bulma, who was trying to console a crying Trunks. "And Vegeta." He finished with a sigh.

The cyborg breathed a sigh of relief as she heard this news.

"When do we leave?" She asked.

"Six months." Zangya replied. "Goku's got some stuff going on in otherworld and we need to wait that long to bring him back. We'll be able to bring them all back at once then."

Instead of the calming effect Zangya thought this statement would have on her friend, it seemed to induce violent rage in the blonde. For the first time since she had known her, 18 actually looked angry.

"So, I'm just supposed to wait six months for Krillin to come back because your deadbeat dad doesn't want to see his family!?" she yelled, stunning everyone. "Well, you can follow your stupid plan if you want to, but I'm not making Krillin wait. Give me a ship and I'll go to Namek myself."

Everyone was still too stunned by her outburst to respond. She rolled her eyes as she spun around to leave. "You're all worthless."

"Woah, 18, calm down."

18 stopped dead in her tracks and looked around. "Krillin!?"

"That's my name, babe, don't wear it out."

Tears welled up in the cyborg's eyes. "You big dork." She choked out. "Where are you? How are you doing this?"

"I'm with King Kai." Krillin's disembodied voice replied. "I told you about him, remember? Blue, sunglasses, great techniques, bad jokes. Ow! Sorry King Kai. Anyway, he met up with me when I got through the check in station."

"Krillin, I promise I'll do everything I can to bring you back as soon as possible." 18 said to her deceased boyfriend.

"About that… I honestly don't mind waiting to be wished back with Goku. I mean, that's a long way to go just for me, and the Namekians might think we were rude for using their dragon balls so often."

"But Krillin…" The android said with an almost pleading tone.

"Hey, don't get me wrong. I'd rather be there with you instead of here with King Kai any day. But this way just seems simpler, ya know? Their even gonna let me visit Grand Kais planet to train while I wait. I'll get loads stronger!"

18 looked heartbroken and let her head hang. "If… If that's how you want it, Krillin."

"Hey, don't look so down. It's only six months. I bet you won't even notice I'm gone. Oh, gotta run babe. The higher plane's about to take off. I love you, bye!"

"I love you too." 18 said quietly, her head still hanging.

Everyone was silently watching the cyborg, unsure of what to do. They were all so used to her cold side and had no clue how to comfort the distraught woman. Zangya, though shocked by the uncharacteristic outburst, recovered and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Hey, who cares what your boyfriend thinks. Let's just go to Namek and wish him back now. We'll get Goku on the next trip."

18 didn't even spare a glance at the Hera, jerking away from her. "Just leave me alone." With that parting remark, 18 took to the skies.

Zangya stood still and followed her with a forlorn expression until she was no longer in view. "I didn't mean to upset her." She said sorrowfully.

"I don't think it was you." Gohan put an arm around her. The two stood like that for a long time until Gohan spoke again. "Come on, let's go home. I promised you cake, remember."

"I don't think I'm very hungry anymore." Was all he got in reply.

Break

Somewhere in the demon realm, Towa was trying to make her way back to her brother as quickly as possible. She was no slouch in terms of speed, but Gohan had managed to cover in an hour what would take her several days to do. She still had a long way to go.

"If only I still had my staff." She lamented.

"A paltry price to pay for the results you have achieved, my dear."

Towa stopped and immediately spun around while dropping to a bow.

"Master, what are you doing here?" She greeted the figure floating in front of her. He was an ancient man, who might have once been considered tall, but age had shrunk his stature. His skin was blue and wrinkled, and the sclera of his eyes were black. He had a cane with an orb at the top similar to the one that ornamented Towa's staff.

When he spoke, it was gravelly and coarse. "I simply came to congratulate you on playing your part successfully. While your brother failed in his mission, you have achieved something quite wonderful."

The demon girl looked confused. "Brother failed? But how, surely Gohan easily defeated Buu?"

"Of course, he did." The old man waved his hand airily. "But that blob was of no consequence. Not to my brethren and I at least."

Towa was now thoroughly confused. "But I thought-"

"I know what you thought. The truth is that while Buu may have been strong, it wasn't him we wanted dead, so much as what, or who, he contained."

"I don't understand." she admitted.

"You will in time, my dear. For now, just know that I am pleased with your performance in this matter. You have awakened a powerful weapon and ally in Son Gohan. He even broke a small hole through the lower circle." The old man smiled before looking at his pupil with an inquisitive stare. "Tell me, what did you think of him?"

The demon girl gulped as she remembered the teen's outrageous power. "His power is terrifying. I've never felt anything like it. As impossible as it seems, I think he may have the potential to become even more powerful."

"Let us hope so." Her master grinned, then nodded for her to continue.

"He… He doesn't seem like the type of man that would support our cause though."

"Ah, not yet. But perhaps with a little… Coaxing?"

"What sort of coaxing do you propose master?" Towa asked nervously.

The old man leered at his pupil and said with a smile. "Let's just say that your new mission might be rather entertaining."

End chapter

There was way too much that I wanted to put in this chapter, but I didn't want it to be overstuffed and what I left out will be in the next chapter.