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This fic just popped into my head one night and I lost a lot of sleep trying to type it for you all! There is a small note at the end for those that make it that far…
It had only been two months since the battle with Buu. Goku was enjoying being back with his family more than anyone, especially Chi-Chi, would have thought possible. However, he had begun to notice something that was bothering him.
He had two sons now, but you'd never know it, because one was going to school, and cram school, and college prep courses, and was a costumed super-hero in his spare time besides; Gohan never had time for his parents, though Chi-Chi didn't seem to mind that too much, as long as he studied. Goku was a little sad, and wished Gohan had time to go fishing or to spar a little, test each other out, but his oldest son was just busy with his own life.
After he made this realization, Goku turned to making a relationship with his younger son, who was still pretty much a stranger to him. However, Goten usually woke up, ate a huge breakfast and flew across the small sea between the Mainland the Son's lived on and the Peninsula where East City was, and where Trunks and his family lived. Goku never saw Goten except for when he came home, hungry and dirty, needing a bath before bed.
Now, Goku never had had much to do with the raising of Gohan, and he'd been dead for all of Goten's life; but he felt kind of bad about not being there for Goten and Chi-Chi when the boy had been a baby. He wanted to make up for it, get to know him now. He didn't even know what Goten liked to eat or what his favorite color was, or anything!
So, one day, he waited until his little son had left for his daily trip to Capsule Corp., and then used the instantaneous movement technique to find and go to Vegeta.
He was now outside the Gravity Training Room, and could hear the hum of the gravity generators. He could see a small antenna on top of the dome, and remembered Bulma showing him the security cameras at CC, all those years ago. He snuck into the main building, and found the security room, right where he'd remembered it to be. He sat down and looked at all the screens, then found one that showed Trunks and Goten playing with a bag of army men.
They were taking turns using the green figures for target practice, and calling their various attacks all kinds of silly names. Goku smiled as Goten aimed at his latest target.
"Super-Goten-Wind-Up-Kill-Em-All-Spiral-Ray-Of-Death!" The boy yelled, and fired a slender Ki beam at the toy, barely having time to hit it after calling that long name. Trunks scowled and shook his fine lavender hair out of his eyes.
"I'm bored, lets see if Papa will let us go into the GR today!"
"Yeah! He might let us gang up on him too! Is he in a good mood?" Goten said as they stood and dusted themselves off. Vegeta might demolish the Gravity Room himself, but he hated it when they tracked in dirt on their clothes. They trotted towards the training area, and Goku was forced to find them on a new screen. He found them at the door of the dome.
"Yeah, he was happy this morning, said he had pushed SSJ2 up to the same power as Goku's SSJ3, without the hair thingy." Trunks said.
"Cool! I know how he wanted to do that for a while!" They stood staring at the door for a moment. They looked worried.
"Well, what about your Dad? How's his training going?" Trunks asked, scratching his elbow. Goten shrugged, making Goku frown a little.
"I dunno, I'm always here. He's doing pretty good I guess… "
"Goten, you act like you don't know what's going on with your dad. You always wanted a Dad, now you have one and you don't care?" Trunks said. Goten rubbed his nose and shrugged again.
"I don't know him, I mean, he's like a stranger! And, well… " He stopped and the door opened, revealing a scowling Vegeta.
"What's up with you two?" He grumped, but to Goku he didn't seem mad at all, he was just acting like he was.
"Hi Uncle Vegeta! Can we come in and fight?" Goten said, smiling broadly. Vegeta snorted and waved them in.
"Yeah sure, but we're out of Senzu beans. If one of you gets hurt, the other will have to go get some from that cat." The door closed, and Goku stared into space, eyes stricken.
Goten didn't know him… well why should he? But still, he didn't seem to want to know his father… Why? He looked for the inside of the dome, and realized he'd have to figure out how to turn on the camera. After a few moments and many pushed buttons, he got the cameras in the Gravity Room to come on. He saw the boys fighting, sparring in SSJ1 level. Vegeta stood to one side, watching them with a strange little smile on his face.
"Stop." He said suddenly. Both boys froze and looked at him from the corners of their eyes. He walked over and showed Goten how to improve his upper cut swing, and then repositioned Trunks arms so he'd block better. Both boys nodded and went back to it, then nearly knocked each other out. Vegeta chuckled and went to the controls, turning the machine up even higher. Both boys groaned and nearly fell over.
"Man, Uncle Vegeta, that's too high!" Goten gulped as he and Trunks struggled to stand. Trunks nodded.
"Yeah Papa, it's too high!" Vegeta strolled over to them, having no trouble at all in the high gravity.
"Nonsense! Just walk around the walls for a while; I have to train too. When you can stand up straight, I'll let you double team me." Both Trunks and Goten seemed pleased at this, and started walking painfully around the room.
While the kids got used to the gravity, Goku sat and pondered the look on Goten's face. He looked at Vegeta like Trunks did, which meant, as if the Prince was his father too. And he called him his "Uncle", even though the Briefs and the Son's weren't related. It was odd. When did Goten start acting like this? And what did Vegeta think of it?
Vegeta didn't seem to notice, actually. He watched them as them struggled around and around the room, making sure they didn't collapse under the strain. If the gravity was too much, they could suffocate. Vegeta seemed to not want them to be hurt too badly, which was strange to Goku. Vegeta never seemed to care if anyone got hurt around him before. Then again, that was seven years ago. Could having children around him have changed the Prince more than anyone realized?
Finally, sooner than he'd have thought they could, the boys were able to stand upright, even though their knees were wobbly. Vegeta smirked at them.
"Well, can't wait to get your hands on me, eh? Well, give it a try!" He said. Goten dropped to a crouch, and Trunks leapt onto his shoulders, and then launched himself onto his father. Goten waited and then came at Vegeta's back. They sparred like they meant it, no holding back. Vegeta pounded them without mercy, but like the Saiyans they were, the kids loved it. Finally, Trunks got up from where he was sprawled across the room and shook his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"I'm gonna hit the baths, you coming, Goten?"
"No, I wanna work in this gravity a little more, if that's ok, Vegeta-san?" Vegeta looked at him intently.
"Sure, but I'm going to be busy. So you're on your own, got it?" Goten smiled and dropped down to do push-ups. Trunks left, and when Goku looked, he ran to the nearest mud puddle, taking advantage of his dirty state to get even dirtier. Goku smiled at that, remembering how Gohan rarely got dirty, though when he did, Chi-Chi forced him and Goku to bathe immediately. He turned back to the dome and watched. Something told him that something was going to happen, something he needed to see.
He had fallen asleep, and was wakened by the voices of his son and Vegeta talking. He jerked up and rubbed his eyes, peering at the screens curiously…
"Vegeta-san, can I talk to you?" Vegeta stopped his katas and looked at the boy.
"What do you want, kid?" He said, continuing his motions. Goten stood and fidgeted, digging his toe into the floor. Vegeta waited and then looked at him again, exasperated. "Goten! What do you want?"
The boy squirmed and shrugged. "Forget it, I just… I just wanted to ask you something… you know, man to man… " He said softly. Vegeta turned and sighed.
"Ok, come here." He sat on the floor and pointed to the spot in front of him. Goten came over, looking like a kicked puppy. "Now, hurry, I gotta train, you know that. How'll I ever beat your idiot father if I don't train?" He grumped impatiently. Goten nodded and took a deep breath.
"Well, I was thinking, see… and I was wondering, well, you're the only man I've ever known, you know, like a dad…" Goku's eyes widened, as did Vegeta's. What was going on here? "And, well, I was always here, and Trunks is like my brother, more than my best friend. I was wondering, if I could be your son, you know, like in private? Cause I think of you as my Dad, you're the only dad I ever had." He said in a rush. Vegeta leaned back, stunned by this outburst.
Granted, he'd known Goten all his life, but this wasn't really anything he'd ever expected to happen; but now that it had, he shouldn't be surprised. He really was the only father the boy had even known. He frowned as he looked at Goten's expectant face. What should he say? Deep in his heart, he did care about his family, and this boy was almost part of the family.
"Come here." He said reluctantly. He pulled Goten onto his knee and sighed. He looked around, hoping no one saw this, especially Trunks. He patted Goten on the arm awkwardly.
"Look, I've known you since the moment you were born. I was there, since your Grandfather was too big to get into the delivery room, and my Woman forced me to go in there. Your mother had a hell of a time with you, and when you were finally out, they handed you to me, to get us both out of the way, so they could help her…. " Goku stared at the screen, able to see the scene in his mind. He wished he'd been there!
"So there I was, holding the newborn infant son of my greatest rival, and I just stared at you… you were born with that hair you know; there was never a doubt about who your father was. And you were already alert, like all Saiyan babies are, so you looked at me, and then BANG!" Goten jumped as Vegeta yelled. "You wrapped your tail around my arm, just like Trunks had the first time I held him. Now, even I get emotional sometimes, and that was one of those moments. I had to detach you from me so your mother could see you, and you began to cry when I handed you to the nurse." He smiled just a little at that, while Goten's eyes were huge in his face.
"Then, my Woman and your mother were always here or there together. So you and Trunks were always around. I got used to both of you, and I sort of trained you, though your mother did most of your training; I liked having you here more than I'll ever tell anyone, Goten. You could say you're like my second son. And I'm proud of how you and Trunks got so far in the Budokai, how you fought Buu and learned how to fuse… But, as much as you might want it, I'm not your father, Kakarrot is." He said. Goten looked down.
"But… He wasn't here. You were here for me, even more than Gohan was. You took me to amusement parks, and to see the wrestling matches, and did more stuff with me… "
"Now listen, kid, I didn't think of those things, or even want to do them! Those women forced me to go, so don't get sappy about it, got it?" Goten's eyes got even bigger, and tears began to shine in them. "Goten! Don't cry! Oh come on, little baka, don't cry, Bulma will kill me!" Vegeta begged. Goten whispered something, and clung to the uncomfortable Saiyan.
"What? I didn't get that; oh come on, calm down!" Vegeta said, trying to peel the child from his chest.
"I thought maybe, just maybe, you l-loved me, just a little?" Goten sobbed.
Goku was stunned. This was what he'd done, with his staying dead, even though he could have come back.
He'd left Chi-Chi to bear his son alone.
He'd left Gohan to bear the guilt of his death alone.
He'd left Goten fatherless, needing to turn to a cold-hearted man, a man who hated his natural father as a father figure.
How had this happened? He hadn't wanted to hurt anyone; he'd wanted to train, and to keep his bad luck from hurting anyone else. He seemed to bring trouble to his friends, and had hoped his being dead would save them from his influence. But all he'd done was hurt the ones he loved most.
His heart ached for his small son, the son who was a stranger to him. He liked Vegeta, but didn't think the Prince cared one bit for the son of his rival… he waited, ready to kill Vegeta if he hurt Goten's feelings…
"Goten… Goten, yes, I do… care about you." Vegeta looked at the boys bowed head as he slumped into his chest. He sighed and pet the boys hair, grimacing at the necessity of this. "I, hell, yeah, I love you, Goten." Vegeta said softly. He patted the boys back gently, and then stiffened once more. "But only just a little. After all I raised you, for Kami's sake! But, you can't go running around calling me "Papa" or anything like that, got it?!" Goten looked up at the Prince, and stared at him.
"You mean it? I'm like your secret son? We won't tell anyone but it's true?" He whispered. Vegeta frowned.
"Goten, I swear, you are such a pain in the ass. Yes, it's true." Goten smiled that goofy smile, so much like his father's and leapt up off of Vegeta's knee. He held out his hand.
"Then, let's shake on never letting anyone know. I don't want Trunks to know I'm his brother; he'll be jealous!" Vegeta smirked at this, and shook the tiny hand.
"I don't want your mother to know, she'll think I'm going soft." Goten nodded.
"It's our secret, man to man!" He ran to the sink and washed his face, then went back to exercising. Vegeta looked around and winced at the thought of anyone seeing that little display; however, no one was around. His reputation was safe…
Goku slipped out of the security room and sought his wife's Ki. He saw her, hanging laundry as he materialized behind her, then tuned and slowly walked away. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her. He shouldn't walk away, not this time. She needed him, and he needed her. He'd never needed her more.
"Chi-Chi? Can we talk?" She turned to look at him, startled. She smiled though, and he could sense her good mood. She came over to him.
"What's going on, Goku? You look so sad!" She said, alarmed. He nodded.
"Will you come with me? I don't want anyone to hear us… " She was surprised when he took her into his arms and flew with her to a high mountain spot they favored for alone time. He set them down and then pulled her into his lap, holding her close.
"It's about Goten… " He started. He explained about his feelings of guilt, and spying on him with Vegeta, but not what was said. That was between the two "men" alone. He did say that he thought Goten looked at Vegeta as father, rather than himself, and that he wanted to change that.
"Goku, I don't know what to tell you. Vegeta has rarely taken much interest in Trunks, much less Goten, but you are probably right about how Goten sees him. I think all you can do is wait and try to get close to him somehow. You are ten times the man Vegeta is, and I'm sure that will impress Goten in the long run." Chi-Chi said carefully.
"He and I got along so well during the fighting with Buu… but now he's like someone else's son. I should have been here… but I couldn't be… will you ever forgive me for not being here for you?" She looked angry for a moment, and then smiled and relaxed. She kissed his cheek.
"I think its Goten who needs to forgive you, not me, Goku. Do you understand what I'm saying?" She said. Goku looked puzzled and then nodded.
"Yeah, I think I do. Do you think he ever will?" She nodded and kissed him again.
"Let's go home and call Goten, tell him to come home, and we can eat dinner here, just the three of us. Then you can talk to him, and maybe get to know him again. Ok?" He stood and flew them home.
It might take a while, but he thought he could do it. And if Goten could forgive him for not being here, maybe he could one day forgive himself…
Well, what do you all think? Its' a beginning! No one ever goes into how dysfunctional Goku's family would be after his absence. It's just not real to think the Son's would just say "Welcome Back!" and everything is normal when Goku is restored to life after seven years! And, surely, Vegeta and the kids did have some kind of bond, however tiny, so… Comments please! I will work on this soon, it needs a good ending.