Son Gohan The Destroyer

by EmeraldSaiyan

Death greets Gohan at the end of the Cell Games, yet instead of passing on to the Otherworld, Whis takes an interest in the young half-saiyan's incredible power and decides to train him as Lord Beerus' successor. With the balance of the universe at stake, Gohan accepts the deity's offer. (AU)

15. The Empty Bedroom

A/N: Good evening and a very Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you so much for all your reviews of my story so far, it really does help with my direction and the positive comments (thank you!) really urge me to keep writing more and more. I am forever humbles dear readers. I think this is the longest chapter I've written thus far, taking me pretty much 2 whole days to write. I don't know how I managed to do it, but I pretty much just listened to My Hero Academia soundtrack constantly haha. There are a couple of scene changes, but I wanted to showcase a few things and get some things cleared up nicely here because the next chapter REALLY gets into the meat of the story. I think it's safe to say that you have all been enjoying the starter thus far, now prepare for your main course (why am I speaking TFS Goku language...it's past my bedtime probably...) Oh I am so excited it is unreal!

I literally sit here editing this and starting writing up the next chapter as we speak - the next few are mapped out. So I really hope I can get them out more swiftly to you without loosing the quality. I cannot get over how much following this story has (feeling pressured to get it right!) so honestly thank you so much.

Now to end this authors note, I will finish with a summary that I had in a review for the last chapter which made me giggle. So thanks to RedDragonforce1! And as always, enjoy! ES x

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Narrator's voice: LAST TIME, our Junior Destroyer managed to get the festivities to wind down thanks to the Hot-Headed Prince, allowing him to search for the Dragon Radar. During his search, he gets lost in memories of the past and fails to notice the time when suddenly... Videl enters that same lab. Upon being cornered, Gohan tries to make his escape, only for the security system to ring out at that moment: "Goodbye Son Gohan, thanks for visiting." How will Gohan deal with a now hysteric Satan? Find out now on "Son Gohan The Destroyer"!

---

Chapter Fifteen

The Empty Bedroom

xxxx

It took Videl a little while to realise that she was encased in a soundproof forcefield, and when she did finally manage to stop screaming, her eyes blinked up at him through the golden shell in shock. He grinned back at her sheepishly, giving her a small wave, which only preceded to enrage her. Her teeth gritted in an angered snarl, her fierce eyes glinting with malice as she began shouting a string of silent obscenities at him, banging her fists relentlessly upon the shield which only caused him to burst out laughing.

Videl was seething at the sight of his mirth, stomping her foot on the ground like a toddler having a tantrum.

It was actually kind of cute.

"Stop laughing at me!" she mouthed angrily through the shield, folding her arms across her chest in a huff.

"Only if you promise you won't scream," he told her, grinning in triumph when she reluctantly nodded her head.

At once, the golden ball disappeared around her, though the Satan girl was still gaping at him in shock.

A pregnant pause drifted in between the two teenagers, until Videl was finally able to speak.

"You're Gohan." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

He nodded, "I am."

"You saved the world," she choked out, barely breathing as she continued to stare.

"I suppose."

"You killed Cell."

"Oh brutally so."

"And you're here."

"Against my will and better judgement."

"But you're dead."

"As a dodo!"

"And you're not a kid."

"I grew up, dead kids are allowed to do that."

"Why are you here?"

"It's a long story."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Maybe."

Videl frowned at his answer, though her eyes were positively drinking him in, as if seeing him for the very first time since he had saved her on that fateful day.

"I need to sit down," she said finally, her knees buckling slightly before Gohan grabbed Bulma's desk chair and guided her to it.

She seemed rather breathless as she sat, gripping onto the edge of her seat with her nails as the young saiyan knelt before her.

"Are you alright?" he asked tentatively, watching her carefully as she looked towards him once more.

"I just can't believe that it's actually you," Videl gasped weakly, heaving in a deep breath before putting her head in her heads, "Great Kami I feel like I'm talking to a ghost."

"Well I mean, technically speaking you are," the teenager chuckled, prompting her to give him a playful glare through her fingertips.

"But I don't understand," said Videl, lifting her head and leaning towards him, "Why are you here? Now? After all this time?"

"It's complicated Videl," he sighed, "I don't even know where to begin."

"Try me," she stated, folding her arms across her chest in defiance.

"Alright," said Gohan, eyeing her, "But you have to promise not to tell any one."

She blinked in surprise, "Not even your parents?"

"Especially not my parents."

"B-but how can you hide yourself from them?!" Videl started disbelievingly, "Gohan you have to tell them! They'll be thrilled, more than that, they'll-!"

"I can't stay," he interrupted, silencing her, "I'm here for one purpose and one purpose only. They can't know Videl. Please."

She swallowed hard, struggling to accept his answer, "You said something about a prophecy…"

"Yeah," he nodded, "A prophecy about a Super Saiyan God. Long story short, after I died I was chosen for a higher purpose. It's why the Eternal Dragon wasn't able to reach me in the dimension I was taken to. I was chosen to train amongst the Gods in order to maintain the balance in the universe. And now there's an evil nutcase trapped in a dark dimension threatening that balance, and I need to find out how to become this Super Saiyan God incase I need to use that power to win against him should he escape, hence breaking into Bulma's lab and stealing - borrowing - the dragon radar so that I can ask Shenron."

"A God, you're going to become a God? That's crazy," she muttered, attempting to process the information, she was stunned, "So you've only returned to summon the dragon?"

"I have to lay low for a month before I can do so," Gohan replied, "I know I lied, and I'm sorry, but it's only to keep those I love out of this mess, Piccolo and Vegeta are the only ones that know about me, and I don't want anyone getting hurt when I have to leave again."

"But your family," she argued, her eyes fierce, "How can you lie to them like that? How can you just up and leave without saying goodbye? Don't you realise how much they've missed you?"

He gulped, before being able to find his words again, "It's hard for me too Videl, I was never supposed to come back here, ever. I've made peace with my decision, but seeing them all together like this, it's really making it really difficult not to tell them who I really am. I miss them all so much, but just look around you, I'm not apart of this world anymore."

"Do you really believe that?" she asked, her gaze searching him knowingly.

Gohan gave her a sad smile, shaking his head, "It doesn't matter what I believe. All that matters is that my family and friends are safe and happy."

Videl was silent for a few moments, taking in all that he had said.

"But what about you?"

"My power was meant to do far greater things than just protect the Earth," he said, avoiding her question somewhat, "If I don't fulfil my destiny then it could mean the end of the universe. And I won't let anything like that happen when I have the power to prevent it."

A smile quirked at her lips, "You really are a hero, Gohan."

"Well, I don't know about that," he chuckled darkly, averting his gaze for all but a moment.

He didn't know why, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell her of his true role in the universe. He had already said too much after all. He met her gaze, only to see her sad but humbled smile and searching awe filled eyes looking back at him.

Would she still look at him like that if he told her that his sole purpose was for destruction? He doubted it.

The teenagers realised that they had been staring at each other for a while, though it was Videl who cleared her throat and turned away.

"S-so, how did you even get in here anyway?" she asked him curiously, a light blush upon her cheeks.

The young saiyan smiled rather smugly, "I used to have an access code before the new security system was built. Bulma must have rigged in my details after I died, probably to test it out, the system recognised me straight away and -."

He stopped short suddenly, his eyes widening in horror.

"You just realised that your entry to Bulma's lab will flag up on her system didn't you?" Videl said with mild amusement, eyeing the teen who was now on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"I-I -," he started, how could he have been so stupid?! He had been so eager to get into the lab to find the dragon radar, so in awe that the system still recognised him that he didn't even think that Bulma might be a little curious as to why the name 'Son Gohan' had suddenly appeared on her lab records after eight years of being dead! Idiot!

"You're not very good at being stealthy are you?" she chuckled, causing the young Destroyer to shoot her a most hateful glare.

"Evidently not," he spat, before heaving a begrudging sigh, a ball of Ki growing at the tip of his finger, "Well, there's only one thing for it."

Videl frowned, "Wait, what are you - ?"

BOOM.

Sorry Bulma, Gohan cringed, watching as the bloke smoke filtered from the control panel that manned the main security system, that was now sparking and jerking before crumbling into a heap by the door. That might take you a while to fix.

Even if it only took her a couple of months to re-wire a new one and find out that he had been here, the teenager would be long gone by then. And there would be no other logical reasoning than a system malfunction… or a ghost…

Ha, he just got visions of him haunting Vegeta.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

Gohan whirled around, as Videl's angered scowl greeted him, "You can't just fix your problems by blowing them up you know!"

"Why not?" he shrugged, giving her a wicked grin, "It worked on Cell."

The Satan girl rolled her eyes, "Were you always this insufferable as a kid?"

"Piccolo or Vegeta might be able to give you a straight answer on that one," Gohan chuckled, before directing his gaze around the rest of the lab and in the blink of an eye, frazzled the security cameras with another shock of Ki.

"I thought you were supposed to be a boy genius the way your mum carries on," Videl observed haughtily when he had finished, "Couldn't you have rewired the system or something so that it erased any log of you being here?"

He scoffed, "I may be good Videl but I'm not that good. What on earth did you expect? I was eleven when I died and I've been fighting alien monsters and protecting the universe from imbalance for the last eight years, not studying for a PhD in mechanics and engineering."

At his words, heat rose to her cheeks, "Well, I just thought -"

"And besides," he smirked, "Blowing things up is much faster."

Videl face-palmed, before looking at the desolation around her, "Come on, we'd better clean up this mess before anyone sees. And no destroying it! Honestly it's as if you've got a habit for that or something."

You have no idea, Gohan thought in amusement, as he bent down to pick up a load of files and diagrams that he had flung to the floor on the search for the dragon radar.

"So how come you have access to Bulma's lab?" he asked after they had worked for a couple of minutes in silence - with both of them cleaning up the junior Destroyer's mess it was proving to be quite efficient. "Are you into science or something?"

Was it insanely geeky of him to drool at the thought?

"Not exactly," she told him, and the nerd inside of him couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, "I like to pop in from time to time and keep Bulma company. You know how she likes to gossip. That, and she was pretty helpful when it came to my bomb disposal training with the police. She gave me an all access pass after that."

"Oh right, that's… great," said Gohan finally, it was kind of strange just how close Videl was to his friends and family.

"Here, give me those," Videl instructed, taking a large stack of files off his hands with ease before placing them in the cabinet. She stepped back, closing the door with a snap before turning towards him with a triumphant smile, "There, all done."

"Thanks," he smiled back, "Thanks for helping. And also for not screaming."

"I suppose I've seen enough in the past twelve months what with hanging around with your friends and family to become somewhat desensitised," she shrugged with an exasperated sigh, "Though you certainly take the biscuit. And the prize for being the most weirdest thing that has happened to me so far. Congratulations."

The teenager grinned cheekily, "So what did I win?"

"My silence," the girl stated, "For now. Until I decide what to do with you for the next month that is."

He stared at her wearily, "You're not going to tell anybody I was here are you?"

She smirked, "That depends…"

His eyes widened, was she blackmailing him? He only knew of two people in the universe who would even dare to blackmail him. But yet it was still happening, and worst of all, he was letting it.

"On what?"

"… on if you'll spend the next couple of days with me…"

Gohan blinked, was that all? He'd be more than happy to if that was the case. "Alright, deal."

"… where I'll be staying in Mount Paozu with your family," she added swiftly, causing his eyes to bug out of his sockets.

Wait, WHAT?!

"Videl! That's mental!" he protested, "You know I can't!"

"It'll be fine," she waved off, "I'll cover for you."

"It's not about that Videl, I just can't - "

"It's just a couple of days," said Videl, frowning at him disapprovingly, "You should spend some time with your parents before you leave, and spend time with the little brother that you never got to meet. He's a great kid you know."

He paused, allowing the girl to continue with knowing eyes, "I know it might sound crazy Gohan, but I would give anything to see my mum again, to spend time with her, even without her knowing me being there."

"You're mum?" he asked quietly, though he was sure he already knew the answer to his question.

"She died a long time ago," she told him with a sad yet accepting sigh, "But there's a difference, I had a chance to say goodbye. You still might not get that seen as your family don't know who you really are, but making a few more happy memories with them before you have to leave might just soften the blow."

Gohan stared at the girl for a while, "Why are you doing this? It seems like a lot of trouble to go through just for me."

"Just for you?" Videl guffawed, "If you haven't already clocked on to the present wonder boy then you need to realise that you didn't just save this entire planet from that big bastard cockroach, you saved me too - directly might I add. If you didn't stop that blast when you did I would have been nothing but a scorch mark on the ground. And if you leave Earth again feeling that little more complete, well, it's the least I could do."

The young saiyan couldn't help but smile at that, his chest feeling a little lighter. Especially with the nickname she had so readily bestowed upon him. It sounded much better than 'Golden Boy Wonder' in his opinion.

"Besides, it's no big deal," she shrugged, "I've already booked a couple of days off work to stay over at Goku and Chi-Chi's and get some training in. And I'm certain that Chi-Chi won't mind someone else to cook for."

"Oh yeah, she's a feeder," he chuckled, Videl grinning widely back at him.

He really couldn't resist those twinkling eyes of hers.

Finally, he sighed, "Fine, I'll go if it will stop you from pestering the HFIL out of me."

"And don't be so worried," the raven-haired beauty stated, "I can always help you search for the dragonballs later. We have to take these opportunities whilst there are, else our lives will be full of regrets - well, afterlife in your case."

The teenager couldn't help but roll his eyes at her words, "Ugh, you sound just like Piccolo."

Videl smirked triumphantly, "I'll take that as a compliment."

---

Gohan had never seen so much energy contained in one person before, especially one that was so small. His estranged little brother was like an inflated party balloon that someone had left untied and then immediately released. He virtually bounced off the walls - sometimes literally - his lips moving a mile a minute as he talked, forever tumbling over his words as he struggled to get them out all in one breath.

Oh yes, Son Goten was every inch the opposite of what Gohan was as a child.

And as soon as Videl's jetcopter touched down at their destination the next morning was the young boy in question already racing across the grass towards them. The two teenagers had successfully managed to avoid a sleepover at Capsule Corp., much to his relief. Instead they had left shortly after their rendezvous in Bulma's lab, retiring back to Videl's apartment with Bee barking loudly from the jetcopter as a vast array of fireworks swept over Orange Star City, completing the celebrations for the day until next year. Gohan had barely slept a wink all night on the less than comfortable sofa, dreading how he would keep himself hidden right under his mother and father's nose for the next three days and subsequently meeting his little brother properly for the first time.

Though at first the halfling's focus was not on his father's mini copy who tackled a laughing Videl to the ground in a fierce hug - Bee licking at his face and barking playfully. No, at first his eyes were glued to the small bricked cottage at the edge of the forest, the chimney trickling out smoke in a thin unfurling column just like he had always remembered, even in the summer months.

He took it all in, the domed structure, the little thatched roofed buildings behind the main complex - one of which housed his old bedroom, which he was certain belonged to Goten now. The glorious smell of pine trees that he had grown all to accustomed to as boy, the clear unpolluted air, the trickling stream not to far away, and the beautiful silhouette of the Eastern mountain range upon the horizon. He remembered all the adventures he'd had in the forest surrounding his home, the family picnics that he, his mother, father and grandfather would go on in the lush green meadows that he knew lay beyond the thick trees. He could just picture the sparkling lake with the best fish for miles that resided just over the mountain, and the small village that nestled just beyond that in the valley.

Cotton sheets, freshly washed along with a few fluffy white towels flapped in the slight summer breeze on the washing line near the house. And judging by the heat of the day, with the sun beating down upon them, they would be dry in no time, allowing his mother to hang out another load. The old steel tub that he and his father used to bathe in some nights when the skies were clear and the stars were high still stood in place by the garage, where his grandfather's tools lay. His father was never that good at handiwork after all, though he tried his best. Still, he was more than adept at chopping down trees for firewood with his barehands.

Several bluebirds flew overhead, singing an afternoon song that carried over the humble home. And Gohan breathed deeply, relishing in the home comforts that wrapped around him like an old familiar blanket. Maybe Videl was right after all, he was starting to feel a little better already.

Indeed, it was as though nothing about his former home had changed at all, except -

"Hi Mister! Are you Videl's friend? What's your name?! How old are you? My name's Goten and I'm eight! You're hair is sooooooo long and spikey! My Mum says that kids with long hair look like punks and don't have any job prospects! Do you have a job? Oh oh! You we're at the party yesterday, did you see that weird frog that Trunks threw at me? Trunks is my bestest best friend in the whole wide world but he can be a bit mean sometimes. Dad says that it's because Uncle Vegeta teaches him to swear. Do you know any good swear words? Can you teach me?!"

Gohan was utterly perplexed, staring blankly at the child who all but bounced around him in a circle, his wild hair whipping about his face, his cheery grin never wavering.

This was certainly going to take some getting used to.

"Goten," Videl warned, though she failed to hide her laughter, "Stop harassing him will you? You little imp. This is my friend Beerus, you remember him from the party last night don't you? I'm going to ask your mum if he can stay with us whilst we train."

"Wow that's so cool Videl!" Goten beamed, his obsidian eyes widening in wonder, "Is he fun to play with?"

Gohan coughed awkwardly, trying not to think of the racy implications that just jumped into his mind. Damn it, he was starting to think like Z! What a shuddering thought that was.

"Very fun," Videl laughed him off, "But not the sparring kind, so you'll have to find something else fun to do."

"Aw okay," the boy pouted disappointedly, eyeing the teen up and down. Though the young Destroyer in training was rather glad of the whole 'weakling' picture Videl was painting for him, for if he was put into a situation around his family where he would have to show off his power, he was certain to be discovered.

"Videl, is that you?" a feminine voice called from inside the house, his mother's frowning face suddenly peering out of the open door before she broke out into a sweet smile and hurried across the grass to greet her. Bee's tail wagging furiously at the sight.

"It's so lovely to have you as always, oh and hello Bee," the ox-princess spoke with affection, pulling the girl into a motherly embrace before her eyes settled on the young man next to her, her features suddenly becoming stern. "I see you've brought your… friend."

Before Gohan had a chance to open in mouth, his little brother cut across him.

"Yeah Mum, this is Beerus!" Goten chimed happily, "He was just about to teach me loads of cool swear words!"

"No I wasn't!" The teenager gaped angrily at him, that little shit!

"What?!" Chi-Chi growled as she rounded on the half-saiyan.

"Goten's just teasing Chi-Chi," Videl said smoothly, stepping in between them before his mother attempted to deck him to the ground, "Beerus said nothing of the sort. Do you need help with making lunch? I can't sense Goku around."

Calming down considerably, his mother smiled at the girl's generosity, "That would be lovely, thank you Videl. You're such a nice girl. You know, if my Gohan were still alive…"

"I know Chi-Chi," Videl said pointedly, as the boy in question rolled his eyes behind them, "Now, where did you say Goku was?"

"Oh he's just finishing off planting the last of the seeds for harvest," she informed her, "He'll be back soon. Why don't we get lunch started? There's a lot to do and I wouldn't want to delay your training."

As his mother led the way back inside the cosy cottage, did Gohan take the opportunity to whisper into Videl's ear, Chi-Chi and Goten too busy trying to stop Bee from running rampant in the house to notice.

"What is it with her obsession of marrying you off to her long dead son?!" he hissed in annoyance, stepping over the threshold and taking the girl's denim jacket, hanging it up for her on the peg almost automatically.

"Oh hush," she whispered, an amused smile playing on her lips as she kicked off her shoes, "Let a woman dream, would you?"

The halfling scoffed, kicking off his own sneakers and placing them neatly next to hers.

"Besides," Videl smirked playfully, "I'll have you know that I am quite the catch Wonder Boy."

And with that she tossed her long raven hair over her shoulder, leaving him gawping after her in the middle of the hall. Shaking his head with a satisfied smile, he stalked up behind her, making to whisper a flirtatious retort into her ear when he was interrupted by Goten screeching in his eardrums.

"Mum! Mum! Can I show Beerus my room?!" he asked with undeniable glee as he and Videl entered the brightly light kitchen.

From what Gohan could see, not much had changed about the room apart from a fresh lick of paint. The wooden table still stood proudly in the centre of the room, with four chairs surrounding it and a vase of flowers atop the table. White painted cupboards lined the walls, along with several large pots and pans hanging above the ancient stove, giving the whole place a rather homely feel. His mother looked over at them from where she was already busy taking meats and salad out of the fridge, and shoving Bee's nose away with her foot.

"Oh it's fine, really," the teen tried to protest before his mother could answer, but Videl wasn't having any of it.

"That's a great idea Goten, and very nice of you to show Beerus around like that," she smiled almost wickedly at the halfling before turning to the matriarch of the household, "Isn't that nice of him Chi-Chi?"

"Well, I suppose," the woman blinked, before turning to her youngest, "If it will keep you from sneaking any food before it's ready then it's good enough for me. Just try not to make a mess now young man, do you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am!" Goten saluted, grinning madly before grabbing Gohan's hand and yanking him towards the stairs.

It was with a great amount of will power did the teenager allow himself to be pulled along by the spritely child. His younger brother's face was emanating nothing but pure euphoria, he looked as though he was about to spontaneously combust from excitement.

He sighed, as Goten decided to take him on a tour of the house before showing off his room as the main event. He had very nearly done a runner altogether when the boy showed him the bathroom and his friend 'Mr. Toilet' whose favourite food was bums - as an eight year old boy Goten thought that his joke was hilarious, Gohan however did not.

Rounding the corner and away from Mr. Toilet, the teenager was on autopilot, moving back towards the stairs where his old bedroom was. That was, until Goten stopped him.

"Oi where are you going Beerus? My room's this way!" He called, cocking his head to one side, "Don't you want to see my toys?"

Gohan frowned, eyeing the boy as he began to open the door adjacent to his, a spare bedroom that was only really used when his grandfather or Krillin came to stay over. They had offered it to Piccolo as a room for the three years they trained for the android's attack, though the Namekian had gruffly declined, much preferring the outdoors. That and he had told the young boy that he didn't want to put up with his father's snoring - truth be told, Gohan couldn't really blame him.

"What's in that room then?" the halfling blurted suddenly, unable to stop himself from wondering about his old bedroom.

He was surprised to see that the cheery grin almost slipped off his little brother's face as he looked towards the door. His eyes darted around him cautiously, as though the walls had ears, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"That's my big brother's room," said Goten carefully, it was almost strange to see him acting a little serious for once, "His name was Gohan and he died ages ago, like before I was born. He saved the world and stuff, you know, from that Cell monster?"

Gohan nodded quietly, so many questions springing to mind.

"Me and Trunks aren't allowed to play in there," the boy continued, "I've only been in there a couple of times when I was really little. But I wouldn't want to now anyway, it creeps me out. Trunks says that it's probably haunted."

The young Destroyer couldn't help but snort at that, causing his brother to frown.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, sorry Goten," he replied in amusement, "But there's nothing to be scared of. I don't think there'd be any ghosts in there, it's only a room."

Goten's eyes widened slightly at the point he had made, "Well, I suppose my mum and dad go in there sometimes and they're fine. Mum to clean and stuff and Dad… well, I don't really know what he does in there. I don't think he's seen a ghost though."

Gohan swallowed, he was afraid of the answer, but he was more than curious, "Do your parents ever tell you anything about Gohan?"

"Sometimes they tell me stories," he shrugged, somewhat indifferently, "They tell me things like how strong and smart he was. He sounded pretty cool, from what people say about him. But that's it really, if I ask them anything more than what they wanna tell me, they get all sad. I think it's because the Dragonballs couldn't bring him back to life and nobody knows the reason why."

"I'm sorry Goten," he said suddenly, the words leaving his mouth before he had any real time to process them.

"It's alright, don't be sorry," said Goten, the infectious grin coming back full force, "How can I be sad about loosing something that was never there in the first place?"

As annoying as the kid was, his words certainly stung a bit. Gohan was rather unprepared for that, but he supposed that what Goten had spoken was truth after all. He wondered what it must have been like for him growing up? What with his parents grieving for this supposedly 'amazing' kid that he had never met. It must have been hard. He didn't blame Goten for acting so indifferent towards his death.

"So, wanna play superheroes?" the boy asked, smiling brightly up at him.

"Yeah Goten," Gohan smiled back, albeit sadly, "I'd like that."

It wasn't until later, after they had exhausted almost every toy Goten owned - and great galaxies were there a lot of them, was the teen saiyan finally able to make his escape from the depths of hell that was his brother's bedroom. He had only managed to break free of the mountain of toys, crayons and sticky residue of chocolate and sweets the boy had no doubt stolen months ago when their mother called Goten downstairs to help her set the table.

Shaking his hair free of a piece of Lego that had somehow worked it's way into to the long mass of spikes, the teenager stepped out onto the landing, his feet padding softly on the carpeted floor as he made his way sneakily towards his old bedroom. He stretched out his senses momentarily so as to not get caught breaking into his own room - the thought was quite honestly ridiculous - but found that his mother's, Goten's and Videl's Ki were all safely in the kitchen.

Grasping hold of the handle, which he was mildly surprised to find no longer squeaked, he pushed open the door only to feel like he had stepped into a time capsule.

It was the same.

The same wooden bed and neatly folded blue sheets, the same desk, outdated curtains, wardrobe and bookshelf laden with history books - chemistry, physics and mathematics and more. All of them with faded covers, dating from Age 767 right the way back to 760 when his mother had given him his first exercise books to try out. Though he was unsurprised to find that they didn't have a speck of dust on them, no doubt thanks to his house proud mother.

Stepping into the old bedroom he would bet money on - creak - yep, the squeaky floorboard next the the chest of draws that he used to avoid for want of not getting caught sneaking out to see Icarus or Mister Piccolo. Tiptoeing swiftly across the room, and opening the wardrobe door as quietly as he could he nearly gasped aloud. This was too much. All of his clothes were still here, albeit far too small for him now. Some were even a bit moth eaten and smelled a bit musty, but he spotted a couple of familiar outfits - namely the purple gi's and white scarfs he used to train in.

Closing the door with a snap, his onyx eyes scanned the room with a kind of strange bewilderment. Old faded drawings were pinned above his desk, along with the odd family photo and a rather shaky one of Piccolo that he must have taken in secret. It was surreal, nothing had changed apart from the fact that the bedroom hadn't been inhabited in eight years. Even the telescope, a present he had received from his grandfather on his last birthday on Earth was set up at the window, pointed up towards the sky. It has been the last birthday he had ever celebrated, seen as he hadn't been keeping count in his afterlife. Gohan even remembered setting it up himself after the small party his parents had held for him, along withthe scolding he had received from his parents for staying up way past his bedtime to scan the stars with it.

Grandpa Ox was always one for buying such elaborate gifts, and this telescope in particular was very fancy, it must have cost him a lot of Zeni. It was such a shame, the young saiyan thought, running his fingers along the shiny white-painted instrument, he had only used it once before he had died. He had thought it to be so cool back then too. Only now he had seen millions of stars and countless planets up close, he doubted it would be the same anymore.

He sighed, deciding that enough was enough and that he should head to the kitchen, when the sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Shit, he groaned inwardly, feeling his mother's Ki already at the top of the stairs. She was bound to notice that the door to her dead son's room was ajar, and would no doubt accuse Goten of sneaking in there if he just teleported away. An odd sense of brotherhood suddenly come over him, and as much as the child was irritating and a bit of a brat, he didn't really want him to get into trouble. That, and he had just been through five rounds of beating up Mister Wiggles the evil teddy bear with him in a desperate struggle to save the Lego castle. He couldn't just throw him under the bus after all that.

So, like any good older brother would, he turned to face the music when his mother pushed open the door, a wooden spoon in her hand and an apron tied around her waist. Her lips were pursed in annoyance and she had a deep frown upon her face.

"What the-?" Chi-Chi stopped short, her eyes widening as she caught the teenager standing sheepishly by the telescope.

"Oh sorry," Gohan started before she could yell at him, "I was looking for the bathroom and I got lost…and distracted."

His mother eyed him sceptically for all but a moment, before surprisingly breaking out into a smile, "You like astronomy?"

He blinked, looking from his old birthday present to her again, "Oh yeah, I'm really into it actually. Pretty clued up on what's out there."

"Really now?" she quipped, her interest suddenly perked, "Videl didn't tell me that she was seeing someone with a scientific inclination."

"Well, we're just friends," the halfling pressed, "though it's true that I do have a firm interest in science. I suppose you could say mainly in the celestial field, space travel, things like that."

"Hm," the ox-princess observed, eyeing him, "So you're interested in building spaceships? Engineering?"

He couldn't help but grin, she was testing him, "Oh I'm more of a discoverer myself."

"Not many job opportunities in that field I'd wager," said Chi-Chi, her lips pursing into a thin line.

"That depends on how good you are at discovering," he replied smoothly, "And for someone that's come across a fair few uncharted galaxies and stars, I'd say that's pretty good."

He watched as her eyes widened, "Well I've never heard of any nineteen year old discovering new astronomical territory. And I should know, I do teach astronomy to my son so I make sure that I'm up to date with that sort of thing."

"Ah it wasn't recent," he shrugged, "It's been er... spread out over the years. Also, parts of space are being discovered all of the time, a lot of it hasn't um… let's say gotten to the end of the row just yet."

To his triumph, his mother looked impressed, "Well, isn't that something. And you know, for somebody with amnesia it seems as though your memory is improving rather well if you can remember that you did all that."

"Dende is a good healer," said Gohan simply, "And Videl is helping me work through some stuff, so a lot of things are coming back to me." Whether I like it or not, he added in his head.

"Well that's good to hear," she replied with a small smile, "I'm glad Videl has been able to help, and it's nice to know that my Gohan had a friend with a smart head on his shoulders for a while…"

She tailed off suddenly, causing his breath to hitch in his throat.

"He loved looking out at the stars too," his mother told him, her gaze drifting to the window, "Oh yes, the planets, the constellations. He knew every one of them off by heart. It's why I had my father get him that telescope for his eleventh birthday - oh his face when he opened it. He was so pleased. I even told him off for staying up so late that night, up until nearly four am he was, it was a wonder that he didn't get a red ring around his eye for how long he was staring up at Andromeda. His father had to literally drag him away from the damned thing, still babbling away about how he could have sworn that he had caught sight of Pluto."

"Yeah, I remember," Gohan laughed without thinking, quickly covering his tracks when Chi-Chi gave him an odd look, "I mean I can remember Gohan telling me about it! He was really excited to show me… heh…"

"Well, usually we keep this room off limits," she explained, though didn't elaborate further as to why, "But if you wanted to come in here and stargaze then you're very welcome to."

"Oh, thank you," he replied awkwardly, as the woman continued.

"It's what I tend to do in here when I need to, and I suppose you'll need something to keep you occupied whilst Goku and Videl are training."

In all honesty, he was rather looking forward to seeing just how his father trained the Satan girl, and find out just how strong they both were. Though he supposed that he could always sneak away and watch a spar between them should one occur - which he had no doubt of. His father's way of training was pretty much learning on the spot. It was the 'show me what you've got' method, that more often that not had him with his face planted in the dirt. Followed by learning how not to get his face planted in the dirt. That was until he became a Super Saiyan and quickly, and unknowingly at the time, surpassed him.

"I do hope the sofa's alright for you," said Chi-Chi, breaking him out of his thoughts, "I was just coming up to get some extra blankets and pillows."

"The sofa's great," he lied, dreading yet another uncomfortable night, he really missed his bed on Lord Beerus' planet, "Thank you."

"It's no bother," she replied curtly, "Though I must stress that we are a strict household, and as such Videl will be sleeping in Goten's room whilst he bunks with my husband and I. Do I need to explain myself further young man?"

"Oh please no!" Gohan blurted, mortified at what his mother of all people was inferring, "I mean er, that's really not necessary. Like I said, we're just friends."

She seemed rather perplexed at his outburst but nodded all the same, "Good. Now Goku should be here any minute, I want you washed up like everyone else and ready to sit down for lunch."

"Yes ma'am," he forced a grin back. Great Zalama he forgot just how pushy his mother could be, though at least she was warming up to him.

As they exited the bedroom, he couldn't help but notice that the woman looked back, her eyes lingering on the old telescope before she led the way back down the stairs.

It's what I tend to do in here when I need to.

As his mother's words echoed in his mind he wondered, was she still searching for him amongst the stars?

---

How did he keep getting himself into these situations?

Gohan had found himself asking that same question too many times to count since he had arrived back on Earth three days ago. Three days. Three days ago several intergalactic royal warlords were trembling under the Junior Destroyer's feet as he managed to reconcile the most chaotic political war in the history of the South Galaxy. Now however, he was sitting on a picnic blanket with a daft dog and his estranged little brother watching his father and the most beautiful girl he had ever - ahem - Videl, beat the living snot out of each other whilst his mother served them iced lemonade complete with swirly straws.

In all honesty, he wasn't certain which one was more difficult to endure.

It had been an odd day by all accounts, what with spending time with the family he had abandoned for duty without them knowing who he truly was. Fortunately for him, lunch was a quick affair, with his father popping in quite literally with a cheery 'hello' before changing out of his farming attire - which was a whole other oddity in itself - chowing down his food like a starved beast, and then whisking off to some desert with Videl.

Gohan wasn't all too bothered by his father's gluttony, as he was desperately trying to curb his own. His mother's cooking tasted even better than he remembered, and he had to mentally instruct himself to remember to chew before he inhaled every single thing in front of him. He still ate a lot by human standards, though luckily nobody caught on to his half-saiyan eating habits, his mother even remarking that it was 'good to see a young man with a healthy appetite'.

Still, he was disappointed that his father had teleported Videl away before he could so much as ask if he could tag along. Goten wasn't invited either, so Gohan reasoned that it must just be a one on one session that involved teaching rather than sparring, most likely involving Ki control or something that needed a state of calmness and concentration and honestly, who was supposed to concentrate around that kid?

Deciding instead to help his mother with the dishes, and Goten with his homework - something that the headstrong female was practically cooing over ("Oh aren't you just so helpful!"), he was subjected to no less than four hours of solid superhero play. By the end of it, he was pondering actually destroying himself, and made a mental note to find out if such a thing was even possible. He was certain that Lord Beerus would tell him in a heartbeat if he asked, and would most likely give him a few tips too.

After slaying the basilisk and saving Narnia, it was dinnertime. Something that the young saiyan was both physically and emotionally ready for. His father and Videl had returned dirt laden and bloody from their training session, the girl in particular looking exhausted but with a beaming smile upon her face. It was certainly strange to see her wearing an orange gi similar to his father, she even sported blue weighted wristbands and a weighted undershirt. He wanted to get every inch of detail out of her, though Chi-Chi had ordered the pair to wash up before he had chance to ask.

He didn't speak much over the glorious roast dinner his mother had prepared, and neither did his father or brother for that matter, something that had amused the teenager greatly as he noticed that the three Son boys certainly shared a similar infatuation with food. All that could be heard was the sound of scraping cutlery, swallowing and scarfing, accompanied by Videl and his mother's light hearted conversation. Though Gohan had sunk in his seat as his mother recounted the phone conversation she'd had with Bulma earlier that afternoon, who had informed her that the security system for her lab had somehow short circuited and how thoroughly peeved she was about it and the weeks of work it would take her to fix it.

"Can we spar after dinner Dad?" Goten had asked over homemade apple pie and ice-cream, "Please!"

"That's up to your mother Goten," his father had smiled, "And whether or not you've finished your homework."

Gohan quirked an eyebrow, since when did his father worry about homework of all things?

"But I did finish my homework!" the boy grinned proudly, "Beerus helped me! I know all about triangles now!"

The teen saiyan blushed a little under there stare, as Chi-Chi chortled.

"Oh yes Goten knows all there is to know about pythagorus' theorem now thanks to Beerus," she smiled.

"A python's what?" Goku frowned, causing Gohan and Videl to snort into their pudding and his mother to roll her eyes.

"It doesn't matter Goku," said Chi-Chi, "But seen as you've finished all of your homework Goten, I don't see why we can't have a little spar in the garden. The sun won't be setting for another hour or so."

"Yay!" Goten squealed, looking over at Videl, "I can't wait to see some of your new moves Videl!"

His father grinned, ruffling the boy's hair before scarfing down the rest of his pie and bolting for the back door, "Last one out the door has to wash the dishes!"

"No fair dad!" Goten gasped, swallowing his large mouthful before racing after him, "You got a head start!"

Videl laughed, grabbing an unsuspecting Gohan by the hand and pulling him out of his chair, "Come on!"

"Oh no you don't mister!" Chi-Chi growled, an amused smile playing on her lips before chasing after her husband, leaving the empty bowls behind her much to the young saiyan's shock.

In the end, he and Videl were joint losers, as Gohan was too stunned by his parent's actions - namely his mother's disregard for the washing up and his father's newfound attitude towards homework - to make his feet move.

So that brought him up to the present, after his little brother had berated him and Videl for being 'slow-pokes' and teased them about having to do the dishes together. His father and Videl had taken to their fighting stance, the fresh gi's they had changed into before dinner quickly becoming tattered. Goten was cheering the pair on loudly as they sparred, switching from one to the other as he couldn't quite decided on just who he was rooting for. His mother stood next to him, waving her arms in the air and shouting at them both to be careful, though she seemed throughly entertained. Bee was lying next to him on the blanket, his tail wagging happily as he basked in the outdoors.

Though the teenager's focus was solely on Videl, whose stance he recognised straight away resembled The Turtle School's style. Her movements were fluid, her attacks precise as she whipped through the air - a lot faster than he originally expected. He was even able to get a better read on her Ki, which was significantly higher than usual as she fought his father.

Her sapphire eyes bore a fierce determination as her fists carried through the air, snarling as her attacks were easily parried by his father. Goku was in his base form, and although Gohan could feel him holding back his power considerably, it seemed as though he was enjoying himself, swinging his leg underneath Videl's ankles in an attempt to knock her down. Though to the teen's surprise and elation, she managed to jump into the air at the last second, blocking the man's oncoming elbow before following up with her own spinning kick.

Goku caught her foot before it made impact, grinning widely at the girl as she struggled to free her foot from his iron grasp.

"I'd say that's enough for a warm up," he said, still smiling, "What do you say we step it up a notch?"

With a glint in her eye Videl suddenly powered up, a white aura erupting around her frame in response, allowing her to prise free of the saiyan's grip. Gohan's eyes widened, as her Ki increased even higher, before she shot into the air, her long ponytail whipping about her in the breeze she created with her power. In a flash, Goku was upon her, their movements faster, more fierce than before. The Satan girl gave a shout, shooting towards her opponent and delivering a powerful uppercut straight to his chin. His father smirked, hit but unharmed as he suddenly phased behind her, punching her straight in the ribs before kicking her away from him.

"That's it!" Videl growled, using her Ki control to stop herself mid-flight, and positively glared at the man across from her, who all but gave her a cheery wink in the air, "You're going to get it Goku."

Gohan frowned, as something in the girl's Ki changed significantly. A flicker of red intertwined with her aura, it confused him at first, until something sparked within his memories just before it happened. Surely she wasn't going to -

"Kiao-ken!" she bellowed, a crimson blaze of energy bursting around her, pulsating with intense concentrated energy.

The light from the Kiao-ken intermingled with the backdrop of the sky, as the sun was slowly beginning to set. He could see her muscles bulging with power underneath her skin, her hair and eyes appearing darker as the red aura cast shadows over her skin.

In a burst of crimson light, Videl propelled herself towards his awaiting father. Though the girl moved quickly, Goku was one step ahead, her outstretched fist connecting with the man's arms as he blocked the attack. A sonic boom echoed over the forest, blowing back the trees momentarily from the impact. Gohan gulped loudly, as his mother and brother's cheers rang in his ears, unable to stop himself from admiring the girl, and not just her fighting technique.

"Wowee!" Z wolf-whistled from where he was concealed, causing the teen to break out of his trance, "That was super hot! What a woman! Now, if only she could bring that blonde friend of hers whose name is a number, find a mud pit, buy some itty bitty bikinis' and -"

"Do you have to be such a perve?!" The young Destroyer hissed, "It's disgusting!"

"Tch, says the one ogling the girl like a kid in a sweet shop."

"I am not!"

"You're drooling!" the relic cackled, as Gohan hurriedly wiped said drool from his mouth in embarrassment.

"That's it, I'm banishing you for a while until you've learned how to behave!" he snarled, willing the sword away to his safe place.

"Well you'll be waiting a long time. Hey, wait -!" Z cried, but the following silence told the teen that he was already gone.

"Nice control," Goku observed, a hint of pride evident in his eyes, though he was smirking all the same.

"So you keep saying," Videl replied, still gritting her teeth as the power of the Kiao-ken coursed through her, "But I have yet to push you into going super saiyan."

"One day Videl, you've got a lot of potential," the man retorted with a smile, and Gohan couldn't help but silently agree, "Like I said earlier out in the desert, you've come a long way in just short of a year."

"And I aim to go even further!" she bellowed, pulling her first away and smashing through Goku's guard, surprisingly pushing the man back on his heels as she aimed a ferocious series of kicks and punches to his upper body.

His father blocked each attack, crouching to his knees in order to aim a jab at the girl's stomach. Videl parried the punch, and with her crimson aura blazing she spun fluidly in the air to create a distance between them. Goku caught on quickly, flipping backwards before the pair of them used their Ki to propel themselves back towards the other with all the speed and agility of a sparrow.

They met in midair, trading blows immediately. Their speed increased, knuckles brushing together, and Gohan could see Videl bit her lip in concentration as she fought. His father span, a sharp kick awaiting the girl's head which she managed to quickly dodge, the bangs of her hair flying upwards as she swopped underneath his leg. Though Goku didn't let her get away that easily, dropping in the air before continuing with a barrage of punches, pushing her back.

"Come on Videl!" his mother called frantically, "Find an opening!"

At her words, Videl's eyes hardened, grasping her mentor by the elbow and pulling him closer, bringing up her knee and embedding it into his gut.

"Yeah!" Goten and Chi-Chi cheered, and Gohan too found himself cheering along with them, not quite believing that this girl had managed to land a good hit on his father.

Though Goku recovered instantly, using Videl's knee for momentum as he spun to the side, a well aimed kick suddenly catching her off guard as it came crashing into her ribs. Videl coughed, spitting out a was of saliva as the Kiao-ken was forcibly knocked out of her, the red aura snuffed out in an instant. The teenager's heart sank for a split second, until he saw the headstrong girl growl, her eyes focused as she flung herself towards her opponent once more.

Though her following punch hit nothing but air, as Goku swiftly phased out, appearing above the girl before his boot connected with her jaw. Videl's head jolted from the force, though she soon regained her composure, and the saiyan's cheekbone suddenly met her outstretched fist. She phased out, as Goku laughed heartily, his elbow missing her nose by a millisecond.

Videl suddenly reappeared, aiming to knock his father out of the sky with a hammer fist to the skull, though unfortunately for her, her hands were caught by her mentor, who gave her a wry smile.

"I think that's enough for today, don't you?" he grinned, "Don't overwork yourself!"

The girl panted, her cheeks flustered and her forehead laden with sweat, whereas her mentor looked completely at ease, "But I - "

"Videl, what kind of mentor would I be if I let you continue to the point of breaking your body?" Goku quirked wisely, as she tried to protest, "You're so close to mastering the Kaio-ken, but you can't push yourself too far or else you'll injure your body beyond repair. The Kiao-ken takes a huge toll on anyone, even me. You know, in order to get stronger rest is - ."

"Just as important as training," she finished for him, a satisfied yet tired smile gracing her features, "Thanks Goku."

"Anytime!" the man chuckled, "now go and get some lemonade, I think you've deserved it."

Videl scoffed playfully, "I think I deserve more than that after landing a hit on you!"

He winked, ruffling her hair in a playful manner before calling out to the ground, "Alright Goten, you're up!"

"Yes!" The boy grinned madly, jumping from his place as Videl landed before them, "That was amazing Videl! I wish Dad would show me the Kiao-ken! But he says I'm too young!"

"Oi I've got to have something that you don't have in my arsenal," she grinned back, "or else our fights wouldn't be interesting now would they?"

"I suppose," Goten sighed, as the girl held out a fist towards him.

"Good luck out there."

"Thanks!" He grinned, fist-bumping her before they moved their hands in a series of quick, complex movements, snapping their fingers before turning and bumping the side of their hip against each other. Though Goten had to jump to meet Videl for the last move of the secret handshake.

A strange feeling swirled within Gohan as he watched them perform the move, though he didn't have chance to ponder it any further as Videl plonked herself next to him, her own cold glass of lemonade in hand as she wiped her sweaty face with a towel.

"So, what did you think?" she asked, flashing him a dazzling smile.

He liked seeing her like this, with her tired eyes full of excitement and her chest heaving from the thrill of the fight. Watching her carefully as a bead of sweat dripped down her collarbone, the realisation that he was most certainly attracted to her hit him like a tone of bricks. She was practically beaming, buzzing with satisfaction as she looked towards him, unknowing of the battalion of butterflies that were currently attacking his stomach.

"It was great," he managed to reply when he was able to kick his brain into gear, "You were great even, it's clear that you're a competent fighter."

He couldn't tell if she was blushing or that her face was still flushed from fighting, "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you, wonder boy."

Gohan scowled, "Stop teasing, would you?"

"Never," she winked, taking a sip of her lemonade and scratching Bee behind the ear, "It's way too fun."

The young saiyan opened his mouth to retort, when a blinding golden glow caught him off guard. His eyes widened, as the familiar hot waves of his father's super saiyan transformation assaulted his senses. Unsurprisingly, his father's ascended state was way stronger than he had remembered, though he knew that he wouldn't dream of using the other levels on Goten just yet, especially if his first level was so powerful. Though for some reason, his father's energy felt different, a little dare he say darker than before, he had never felt such a presence emanating from the man before apart from maybe when he first transformed into a super saiyan against Frieza. It was only a flicker, a hint of something that ran deeper than before, but it was there all the same.

"Never gets old," Videl laughed, her sapphire orbs lighting up at the sight of his father shining like a new sun in the middle of the air.

"Ready Goten?" Goku shouted from above.

His youngest son nodded, his jaw tightening as Gohan could have sworn that his obsidian orbs just flashed emerald.

What the hell?

Though the teenager's question was soon answered, in the form of Goten's golden aura springing to life. His black hair spiked upwards, much resembling their father's before it flashed gold, and his now green eyes sparked with determination. The ground shook momentarily from the force of the young boy's transformation, an abrupt shout escaping his chest as his Ki stabilised and he kicked off the ground to meet his father in a fierce onslaught.

Gohan's mouth fell open. His little brother was a super saiyan.

"What the - ?!" he cried, in awe as he watched the two super saiyan's clash across the sky, "G-Goten, he's a -!"

"He turned super saiyan in the battle with Majin Buu," Videl informed him, she seemed rather proud, "Him and Trunks both. They may be a couple of daft kids but they certainly have a lot of power."

He could hardly believe his ears. He had thought that he had been the youngest super saiyan ever at ten years old, which was an amazing feat in itself. Practically impossible to achieve according to Vegeta at the time. Yet Goten and Trunks had achieved the legendary form when they were seven and eight years old?! The thought was crazy, yet he supposed that the battle with Majin Buu must have been an epic one, terrible at that, to push two little boys over the edge. The rage and pain of loss had to be great in order to achieve it, though they must have had a significant amount of power behind them anyway to even be able to entertain transforming so young.

"How did - ?" he started, though he was slightly afraid of the answer, the sound of Goku and Goten's clashing fists masking their conversation.

"I'll explain later," she told him, a murmur of trepidation in her tone.

He was confused, and opened his mouth to press her further when two cries echoed from above. The teenager looked up towards the steadily darkening sky, streaked with amber and violet as his father and brother danced about each other, their golden energies clashing every so often when suddenly -

"KAMEHAMEHAAAA!"

A brilliant blue hue ignited above them, casting shadows over the clean cut grass. He could just make out his father and brother floating across from each other, locked in a beam struggle. Though judging by the amount of power they were emitting, it wasn't enough to do any significant damage as long as they kept themselves high above the trees. Goten was sweating, his spikey blonde hair wavering in the powerful gust of wind the two saiyans were creating. His teeth gritted as he struggled against his father, his emerald eyes hardened like steal. Goku on the other hand, was breathless yet calm, his own Kamehameha Wave slowly overpowering his son's.

"No! No fair!" Goten cried, as in a flash it was over.

Goku's beam stretched towards him in one final burst, causing the air around them to explode. The youngster's hair turned back to black as he reverted back to his base form, exhausted and coughing as the smoke from the aftermath filtered around him.

"Not bad son! But you've got to concentrate more!" Goku called cheerfully, letting go of his own transformation and floating towards the young boy.

"One of these days the shoe's going to be on the other foot Dad!" he scowled playfully as the man pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, and I'll be waiting," he smiled, the smouldering pair touching down on the grass.

"Oh dear it looks as though I'm going to have to get the sewing kit out again," Chi-Chi sighed with a roll of her eyes, as she caught sight of the boy's tattered blue and orange gi, "Goku, why do you have to be so rough?"

"Aw he's fine Chi," Goku grinned, "You worry too much."

"Yeah Mum, I'm fine see!" the child smiled toothily, before squawking in protest as the woman grabbed his face and began to rub the dirt off his cheek with a handkerchief from her pocket.

"You're filthy is what you are young man!" she griped, licking the fabric and rubbing the dirt more vigorously, "You're going to have to have a bath before bed!"

"Ew Mum! Cooties!" Goten yelped, the rest of occupants of the garden snorting with laughter. Even Gohan found himself laughing along at his brother's predicament.

"You can't get cooties from your own mother Goten," chuckled Goku, as the boy had no choice but to stand there helplessly in despair.

"Well, I still don't want Mummy spit on my face," he huffed, only causing the teenager's to laugh harder.

"Oh hush," Chi-Chi scolded, though she was smiling all the same.

"So Beerus, fancy a quick spar?" asked Goku suddenly, jolting the young saiyan out of his amusement.

"Oh er, no sorry I think I'm good here," he mustered weakly, tapping the blanket beside him, "Like I said before, I don't really think I'm in your league."

His father looked disappointed, as Videl turned to look at him with a curious expression, as if to say Just how strong have you become? He quickly put a finger to his lips in a secretive gesture that said Keep it a secret and I'll tell you later.

"Aw but - " Goku began to protest, when his mother cut across him.

"Oh leave him be Goku," frowned Chi-Chi, "Not everybody wants to spend their summer evenings beating the living daylights out of each other. Besides, Beerus seems like an intelligent young man, he probably isn't even interested in sparring."

His father paused, before a smirk spread across his lips, "Well, what about you?"

"Goku," she warned, "I don't think -."

"Yeah Mum! Why don't you and Dad spar?" Goten piped up in excitement, though Gohan couldn't help but think that it was more due to the fact of trying to get his mother's spit hanky away from him.

"Come on Chi-Chi!" Videl called next to him, much to his surprise, "It's been a while since I saw you fight! Win one for the girls!"

Astonishingly, his mother looked a little torn, "Well, I don't know…there's still the dishes to do…"

"Videl and Beerus are on dish duty!" Goku pointed out, presenting a hand for her to take, "Just relax and think of it as exercise. Unless you're too scared that is and worried that you can't beat your own husband."

Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. Challenge accepted.

The saiyan's smirk widened even further, as the headstrong woman knocked his hand out of the way and slipped into her own signature fighting stance. It was only now did Gohan realise that his brother's fighting style was a mixture of both of his parents, which was a very strange notion to think of, and accept. His mother had never trained him, and similarly he hadn't seen her spar with his father since before Raditz came to Earth. She had become eons stricter with him and apparently herself since then.

"I'll have you know Son Goku," his mother growled, a fire ignited in her onyx eyes, "That as the former princess of the Ox-Kingdom, I'm not afraid of anything."

BAM!

Gohan's eyes widened to the size of saucers, as his mother's leg flew through the air a lot faster than he was expecting and almost made contact. His father managing to block her foot at just the last second before it collided with his head.

"Oh, so your serious eh?" Goku grinned, dodging out of the way as the woman unleashed a flurry of vicious punches and knife hands, each one aiming for a very precise and painful hit.

The young saiyan watched as his parents continued to spar, and the mini crowd that was Goten, Videl and Bee went wild - especially when Goku tried to swipe Chi-Chi's legs from underneath her and she all but backflipped out of the way. The way they were acting, so happy and carefree - a family, it was filling his chest with an influx of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Mainly because he was no longer apart of it.

It didn't take much longer for the teen to slip away from the group, and back into the house away from it all. He found himself in the kitchen, running the tap and splashing his face with cold water in an attempt to stop his eyes from burning with emotion. Gohan sighed, his fingers clutching the side of the sink. Feeling so conflicted about what to do. What the hell was he even doing here? He should be out searching for the dragonballs, training or doing something useful at least, not sitting playing happy families and sipping lemonade as if he was on some sort of holiday from his Destroyer training! Perses could be just around the corner for all he knew!

The laughter from outside carried through the kitchen window, his mother and father's silhouette's dancing around the garden as twilight was now upon them. The kitchen was dark and cool, and Gohan was hoping that he could relish in the solitude for a moment, when he felt a presence behind him. Though in all honesty, he would rather it be her than anyone else right now.

"Gohan?" Videl whispered, turning on the light and engulfing them both in a soft yellow glow, "Are you alright?"

He sighed, turning to face her concerned sapphire eyes, "I don't really know. This is…it's just too much."

She paused, silent as he cast his gaze out of the kitchen window once more, catching the longing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I was putting too much pressure on you," she said sincerely, "But I just wanted you see for yourself that they're okay instead of hearing it from Piccolo. I can tell you're worried about them."

He turned towards her suddenly, "You can?"

"I want to be a detective when I'm a big girl, so I have to be good at this sort of thing," Videl smiled, a small chuckle escaping her lips, "And besides, you're not too good at hiding your emotions."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what my friends say about me," he said glumly, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the counter.

"The ones you fight with?" she asked with interest.

"Yeah, them," Gohan replied with a smile. He had told her a little about his adventures over the past eight years last night, namely because Ms. Detective Satan wouldn't stop pestering him until he did, though he had still refrained from telling her that he was a Destroyer. The way he looked at it, it would complicate things too much. And at this point it wasn't really worth it.

"They all look so happy," he sighed again, as his father's yelp came from the window and his mother's silhouette tackled his to the ground. Goten's and Bee's soon joined them. The laughter reaching his ears was infectious, but each chortle that escaped them felt like a knife to his heart.

"They are," Videl stated, still eyeing him.

"It's all I wanted Videl," he breathed, running a hand through his hair, "It's what I died for. But why does it - why does it hurt so much?"

She looked at him sadly, "Gohan, I -."

"Trust me, I don't want to feel this way," he continued to ramble, hardly taking notice of the fact that she had moved closer towards him, "and I know it's selfish of me to think of - I mean, they didn't even recognise me Videl, do you have any idea how that feels?! Their own son! I know I've changed a lot but I thought… I don't know what I thought. They've kept my bedroom yes, kept it the same and I know they're sad that I died and think of me but they've changed so much. Great Zalama, they even had another kid so soon after I -!"

"Gohan," Videl interrupted quite forcibly, placing a hand over his where it was clutching desperately onto the counter, as if he was afraid if he were to let go he would fall into the abyss. At her touch, he immediately became quiet, "Do you want to know how Goten become a super saiyan?"

"W-what?" He spluttered, "What does that have anything to do with -?"

"It might open your eyes a little," she said pointedly, driving him to silence once again, "Now, I won't lie to you Gohan, facing Majin Buu was the most terrifying experience I have ever gone through. Almost everyone died, including me and your mum."

His eyes widened in horror, "W-what?"

"The dragonballs brought us back pretty swiftly, don't worry," said Videl, though he couldn't help but notice the dark look in her eyes as she moved the subject along, "There was a glory hogging wizard named Babidi who unleashed that monster upon the Earth, but he had to gather a large amount of life energy in order to do so. Naturally, the quickest was to send some of his minions to The World Martial Arts Tournament to pick off the world's strongest fighters. Obviously, the strongest energy there was your dad's, so they attacked him and drained pretty much all of his energy to take it back to Babidi."

"They managed to beat my dad?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Not entirely," she replied with a shake of her head, "Little did we know that The Supreme Kai had a hand to play. Training with the Gods, I presume you know him and Kibito right?"

He nodded, prompting the girl to continue, "Well, The Supreme Kai paralysed Goku in the middle of the ring and let Babidi's minions drain his energy so that he could follow them back to Babidi's ship. Risky, I know, but it worked."

Gohan winced, it was a rash decision on the Kai's part. It wasn't exactly prohibited to involve mortals in the Gods' affairs when the universe was at stake, though it wasn't necessarily common. In any case, he supposed that the God of Creation had a good reason for doing so. As a Junior Destroyer, the teen wasn't within his rights to question those above him, even if said God was a little afraid of him.

"Anyway, Majin Buu was so powerful that even your dad's energy wasn't enough to awaken him," Videl continued, "Goku and the rest of the fighters went with The Supreme Kai to face Babidi and his minions after he had recovered, but that conniving little bastard used this to his advantage and cast some kind of weird spell on your dad, making him turn against the others. He would have killed them it if weren't for Piccolo and Vegeta managing to finally take him out."

The young saiyan couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Are you serious?! How did he even manage to make my dad of all people attack everyone else?"

"Babidi's power draws on a persons inner most feelings, he latched onto all the sadness and regret that Goku had in his heart, warped it and turned him evil," she said carefully, studying his reaction, "It was Goten who managed to knock him off guard, as Goku knocked Vegeta away and turned on Trunks. Goten turned super saiyan, though it wasn't enough - obviously, and Goten's beat down ended up with Trunks making the transformation too. It was a big fight, and it took everyone's efforts to defeat this Majin version of Goku. But Babidi's plan had still worked, Goku had become a catalyst for extracting life energy and all the hits he had gotten in on the others had already fuelled Majin Buu's release."

"That's mental," he mustered, reeling from shock at the revelation. He couldn't even imagine what that battle must have been like, and Goten… having to fight his own father and stop him from murdering his best friend? He wished he had been there, all of it could have been avoided if he had known about Majin Buu sooner. Still, his brother didn't seem that affected by it, quite obviously happy from what he had seen so far. Yet his father… there was definitely something off about his Ki when he used the super saiyan form.

"Your dad was devastated when he learned what he had done," said Videl, breaking him out of his thoughts, "but he was pissed off beyond belief that Babidi had gotten into his mind like that and bloody hell did he make him pay."

"I don't get it," said Gohan, frowning deeply, "Surely Vegeta would have been an easier choice for Babidi to manipulate? He's not evil any more but he's got a pretty big temper on him, not to mention his ego of pride. I don't think my dad would have any re-."

He stopped short. Oh dear. Did he really…? Did his father really blame himself for his death?! If anything, it should have been the other way around in his opinion. Gohan was the one who had failed to kill Cell when he should have, his father had to sacrifice himself for his mistake after all. Then Gohan had died giving everything he had against Cell, and it was his choice, because he refused to let any one else die in his place!

So that explained the dark presence then, though it was unclear whether Babidi had made it worse at this point. It wasn't necessarily evil, but it was as though something extremely negative was eating away at him, affecting his very soul.

"Poor Dad," he sighed, as Videl was watching him, giving him a sad but knowing smile.

"Yeah," she replied glumly, "I'm sorry to have to tell you that, but I think it's only fair that you know what he went through. Your mum too. It certainly hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. It's been hard for them too, some days more than others. Even after eight years."

"No, thanks Videl," the halfling replied, his mind still whirring with thoughts of his parents, "Thanks for telling me. I-I needed to hear it. I just wish I had been there to help."

"Don't mention it," the girl smiled back, leaning into him in a comforting manner, "We all managed to pull together and defeat Majin Buu in the end. And everyone is stronger for it."

He couldn't help but wonder if that really was true for his father. He didn't want the man to have any regrets, and as such he felt increasingly guilty because of it. Gohan felt as though he needed to make it up to him, to explain to him that he was fine and that his death against Cell wasn't his fault. But he wasn't sure how to do it without the man finding out who he was. Was it worse to allow his father to believe that his eldest son was lost forever, or let him live with the knowledge that said son was a Destroyer?

A sudden cough came from the doorway, and heat flew to his cheeks as he realised that Videl's hand was not only still holding his, but he had unconsciously entwined their fingers together. He jolted away from her as though he had been burned, his eyes settling on his parents who were giving them both wolfish grins from the hall.

"Everything okay in here?" Goku asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Videl cleared her throat awkwardly, "Just fine, we were going to get a head start on the dishes."

"Well alright, we're just going to pop the telly on," Chi-Chi practically sang, looking a little flustered and windswept from sparring her saiyan husband, "Give us a shout if you need anything."

"Will do," Gohan smiled innocently back, "Thanks."

The couple gave them one last look before walking down the hallway towards the living room, where they could hear Bee playfully barking at them. Averting their eyes from one another, the two teenagers swiftly moved to separate sides of the kitchen to begin cleaning up the mountain of dishes that lay in the aftermath of a meal between two humans and three saiyans. Though their avoidance of their obvious embarrassment was futile, as they heard Goten's voice carry from the hallway.

"Mum, Dad, we're they going to do kissy kissy stuff?"

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3rd January, 2019

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A/N: Not going to lie, some parts of this chapter BROKE MY FREAKIN HEART to write. Goten not really bothered about the brother he never met? sob sob. I'm curious as to what you all think of a Majin Goku?

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Reviews:

animeflunky: thank you so much for your review, glad you enjoyed the feels in the last chapter!

Aaron Leach: thank you!

ashlovesdbz: thank you! I wasnt sure how I was going to reveal him to Videl at first, and was originally going to have him blurt out everything to Videl because lets face it Gohan is a bit of a sap when it comes to Videl. However, I thought that this was much funnier and different! So glad you liked it! Teen Gohan is my fave Gohan too. Really enjoyed writing him at the start of this fic!

Guest : glad you enjoyed the reveal to Videl! Though I can't seem to find where the paragraphs are repeated like you said?

hiareportsyou : sorry but this is a Gohan and Videl fic, as stated in the description! Not really sure what you mean about the slave thing... 0.0

romanovascap : Gohan may be a quick thinker but sometimes he is rubbish at it! Especially around Videl. Those eyes... aww.

MadmanJrs : really glad you enjoyed it! I really loved the end of that chapter. Hope you have enjoyed this one too!

DaDragon562 : Gohan has indeed lowered his Ki for the party so he did take some precautions there. Youre right in the fact that he is a bit careless, but he is a little overwhelmed right now seeing his family and friends etc which has made him scatterbrained which I thought would attribute to the comedy of the story. e.g hes meant to be this tough destroyer but he is a bit of an awkward teen like we see in dragonball. im still trying to keep elements of the original gohan whilst changing parts that would make him grow in the plot. Also I had thought about him getting caught out by Bulma, hence the blowing things up and joke about Cell in this chapter. I did it for the lolz.

RayQ Cina: wow that really mean so SO much to hear someone say that! Thank you friend! To be honest, I had no idea why no one had thought of it either! make gohan great again!

TheRangerBoy : I can't wait either!

Chrisfragger : thank you!

Knightwing20042 : glad I've got you hooked! Actually, the namekian dragonballs were mentioned by Gohan as an option instead of going to earth to Beerus. but Beerus determined that the balls were far too sacred for that purpose (mainly cuz he's an ass lol)

joepaul6: he still freaked out, and the opportunity is still there for bulma to find out ;)

thepurplebear: thank you so much for your review! really glad you enjoyed the chapter so much! haha of course I just HAD to get yamcha getting a dig in at Vegeta for once. poor bloke gets too much shit! It has certainly been a busy year, but hopefully itll start to wind down!

TheHiddenLettuce: haha it could have been 18!

Kirbylover99: haha! thank you so much! I LOVE how emotive everyone is getting over this story. And I really cannot wait when it all goes to shit either, that is the best bit of any story!

x2leoj : thanks!

FireEmblemMaster101: haha love it! I miss Guru.

dspendragon125 : thank you! your love is appreciated!

Dan2018: thank you! I hope I didnt dissappoint!

Lightningblade49 : thank you!

eliteshadow: thanks so much!

Super Triborg: there will certainly be more Gohan and Goten moments!

HKGlenstid : thank you, thats the first time someones mentioned about my writing improving! wow! it means a lot. I do feel as though my writing still is getting better! cheers!

zerosama.754083: aw thanks! hope you liked this one!

I'mAAnimeMaster : glad you liked the element of surprise!

X3runner: thanks for your review. yes I think vegeta and piccolo would cover for him. but if it goes to shit vegeta wouldn't care as much as piccolo and would therefore find it hilarious!

Guest: never thought of a beerus taking Gohan's body theory! interesting!

WiffleDick678: more is here!

Iwik: glad I got you laughing. Gohan and Videl will certainly progress further. I cannot wait for it! aaaand the lab thing is pretty much solved and Gohan spends time with his dad! yay!

Shobu556 : I missed a trick there!

LilRocboogie: so glad you like Gohan's persona nowadays, its good to know that people understand why there is a difference in this Gohan to the original. thanks for reviewing!

Star1X: mayyyyyybe

EvsVsz : british vibes all around, its what i do! and glad you like the OCs!

N.O : thank you!

RedDragonforce 1 : loved it so much I had to put it in the opening!

darkprincess: cant reveal too much, sorry! but expect more gohan and goten bonding, but maybe not in the way you expect xD

ImmortalGodd: glad you are enjoying the story. but I have tried to remain the characters as they are but there will be some differences due to the circumstances they have been taken through. I will continue to write the characters using british terms because i find that it helps my writing to if its off putting for some but it is my writing style.

ebradl2 : haha eventually all will be revealed

Exiled Soul Nomad : aw you knew!

FeathersofMemory: am super glad you enjoyed that chapter so much, found it funny and emotional, it was exactly what i wanted to get across! good to know im doing a good job somewhere!

Xxxsal: thank you!

LEO LOVER 2016 : xD

johndoe86 : she totally is used to it, just not long lost world saviours popping up out of no where, thats a new one for her ;)

Erin : thank you! happy new year to you too, glad you enjoyed it!

Thomas-The-TMC: thanks! so happy so many of you liked the reveal!

RMFhJhbsjsk: thank you so much! :)