Gohan held the stained casual clothing at arm's length, his nose scrunching up at the awful smell that resonated from them. He watched as his father pulled off his orange gi, peeling his feather-weighing blue shirt from over his head with it. Goten, whose cheeks were tainted pink and head was bowed in shame, plucked the clothing from his father's large fingers, his bottom lip caught in between his teeth.
"It's alright, Goten," their father said as he pulled his orange top back on. "We know it was an accident; there's no need to be ashamed. If it makes you feel any better, how 'bout we take a swim?"
Immediately, the young hybrid perked up and nodded his head, his wild mane bobbing in unison. "Okay!" he chirped, tossing the over-sized blue shirt to the ground before racing towards the lake, clad in only a pair of lime-green boxers. Goku laughed, removing his clothing until he was only in his boxers as well. He tossed Gohan an apologetic smile.
"Hey Gohan, you mind taking those back to the house for some fresh clothes? Your mother would kill us if she saw Goten come back in that," he said, his nose twitching at the gut-wrenching odor that radiated from the bundle of clothing in Gohan's arms.
"Come on, Dad!" Goten yelled after popping up from underwater, beaconing his father over with a frantic wave of his arms. Goku turned his attention to his youngest and sent him a grin with an equally excited wave of his arms. Gohan's eyes softened and he smiled.
"Sure thing, Dad," he replied, catching his father's attention as he turned to face home. "Mom's probably done with lunch by now anyway."
Goku nodded his head, sending his son a cheeky grin and ran off to join Goten with a bout of rambunctious laughter. With one last look, Gohan watched as Goku grabbed a hold of Goten's torso and tossed him into the water and, immediately after, the two began to wrestle like a pair of wild animals.
The teenager gave a subdued smile before taking to the skies, the horrific odor filling his nostrils once again, instantly reminding him of his reason for heading home so early. What had originally been a peaceful fishing trip had turned into something more. Gohan had never pegged his little brother for the shy type (aside from his first meeting with their dad, in which the hyperactive half-Saiyan hid behind their mother's leg like an embarrassed preschooler), so it didn't surprise him when the little boy reverted his attention from fishing in the lake to hunting and, most likely, wrestling dinosaurs in the mud.
As it would seem, the latter had been true. Not a minute after they set up their fishing rods in the ground did Goten disappear off into the wilderness, causing Goku to become confused; however, Gohan had told his father that there was no need to worry. After all, the same thing had occurred when both brothers were training for the WMAT (World Martial Arts Tournament).
Gohan wasn't able to get five minutes into his training without Goten screaming his name about something pertaining to a dinosaur or a bug. So again, it didn't surprise the teenager when he found his brother going head-to-head in a mud pit against an onslaught of baby dinosaurs or at least in what he had thought was a mud pit. Gohan didn't know how Goten didn't notice it - probably because he was too distracted - because the smell was overwhelmingly powerful! What Goten had thought was 100% mud had been, in fact, a mixture of fresh dinosaur feces and the young boy hadn't noticed it until their father had pointed out the terrible odor. He had every right to be embarrassed as he was slathered in the brown goop from head to toe!
Gohan couldn't help the smile that pulled on his lips. The way his father and Goten were spending time together reminded him a lot of the time they had spent together during their week and a half break before the Cell Games seven years ago. It was a part of Goku's "Make-Up-For-Lost-Time Policy". The Saiyan had apologized to the family for being away (which resulted in one gigantic family hug full of loving tears of joy) and had made a promise that he'd spend as much time as he possibly could with everyone. So far, the warrior had been holding true to that promise and thus was the reasoning behind their father-son fishing trip.
Just a few weeks prior to the event, Gohan and his father had spent the day together near their special waterfall. At first things had been nothing short of awkward, what with Goku not knowing how to get a conversation flowing between them. His son was, after all, nothing like the 11-year-old boy that he had left behind. But then things had quickly became not-so-awkward when Goku had brought up Videl and the two fighters had spent hours upon hours clowning and joking about the many comparisons between wife and girlfriend. They had even spent some of their time creating poses and heroic phrases for Gohan's alter ego; Goku laughed for hours on end due to the many similarities between the Great Saiyaman and Ginyu Force.
Now this week would be both boys and father spending time together, next week would be Goku and Goten, then the entire family, and lastly, husband and wife, which, in Gohan's opinion, mattered the most to him.
Gohan saw the house come into view and what he saw made him raise his eyebrows. There was an unfamiliar red hover car parked in the driveway. They hadn't had a visitor in weeks now, Krillin being the last person to pay them a visit. Gohan didn't dwell on the topic for long as he entered his home; the smell of Goten's clothes was beginning to make him dizzy. The rich aroma of food wafted throughout the house and Gohan felt his mouth water, a rumble of his stomach following. The teenager made a beeline for the restroom, where he dumped Goten's clothes into the hamper and thoroughly washed his hands. No sooner had he finished did he change, the rotten smell clinging to his clothes.
Once he gathered a fresh pair of clothes for Goten, he made his way towards the kitchen, no longer able to control his raging appetite. Muffled talk soon became as clear as day upon his entrance and Gohan found himself quirking an eyebrow. His mother, whose eyes were puffy and were, bit-by-bit, narrowing into an all-too-familiar glare, was engaged in a conversation with a middle-aged man and to say that he looked completely nervous would've been the understatement of the year.
He looked like he wanted to wet himself!
"Hi, Mom," Gohan greeted nervously upon entering the kitchen, his eyes trailing to the ungodly stack of papers that littered the table.
Chi-Chi, who looked as if she were getting ready to pounce the poor man sitting across from her, who was shaking like a frightened Mr. Satan, turned her attention to her son. "Gohan, what are you doing home so early? And where's your father and Goten?"
Gohan gave her a nervous smile. "Goten ... uh, had a bit of an accident. He and Dad are still at the lake."
"Dinosaurs?" she asked him.
"And a mud pit, only not-so-much mud and a little more of ... something else," Gohan replied. "Dad's getting him cleaned off now so I came for some clothes. By the way, Dad wanted to know if lunch was ready."
Before Chi-Chi could respond, the stranger cleared his throat. "I apologize for interrupting, b-but-"
"Oh, where are my manners?" Chi-Chi said. "Mr. Visor, this is my son, Gohan."
"Nice to meet you," Gohan greeted. Visor gave Gohan a weak smile in return, straightening his long tie for the sixth time since entering the quaint home. "What's all this anyway?" the teenager asked, gesturing to the table.
"These are files from the archives in the Ox-Kingdom," Visor answered hastily. "Particularly a set of documents pertaining to the laws, codes, rules and regulations regarding marriage and divorce."
"You're getting a divorce!?" Gohan exclaimed as he turned to his mother. Chi-Chi fixed her son with a fierce stare.
"Of course not!" she retaliated. "And watch your tone!"
"Yes ma'am," he instantly replied. "... Then if you're not getting a divorce, why are all of these pape- Is that Dad's death certificate?" he asked incredulously, his eyes catching wind of a lone piece of paper amongst the stack of them.
"Certificates," Visor corrected, wiping a clammy hand across his forehead in an attempt to rid himself of sweat. "And yes, it is."
Previous hunger forgotten, Gohan asked, "May I see it?"
Chi-Chi visibly flinched before removing herself from the table. "I'll go prepare lunch," she said hastily. "Would you like anything?" she asked, turning to Visor, who watched Gohan like a frightened rabbit. Hopefully, his reaction to this bizarre case wouldn't surmount to the same as his bipolar mother.
"Thank you, but no thanks," the visitor answered. "I had a big breakfast." Or maybe I'm just frightened at the mere prospect of eating anything from you because you keep looking at me like you want to kill me!
"Suit yourself," she replied before scurrying to the sink.
"How did he die twice?" Gohan questioned, his eyes trailing to his mother, who was pretty much hacking those poor vegetables to pieces. Strange ... lunch was already prepared. Plus, she only did excess cooking when she was stressed.
"Excuse me?"
"My Dad," the teen said, turning his attention back to Visor. "I thought he only died once."
The adviser released a nervous chuckle, his forehead practically drenched in perspiration. "W-well, you see, at first I didn't believe it either," he said, licking his chapped lips. "Son Goku died a little over fifteen years ago during that bizarre alien invasion. And, uh, if I'm not mistaken, he died in those crazy Cell Games seven years ago too."
"Oh," came Gohan's one word reply. That was ... so long ago. That had been when Piccolo had kidnapped him and Vegeta was still evil. No one had ever truly considered that death much of a death simply because it was a known fact that the Saiyan was coming back within that following year. Gohan had honestly forgotten all about it, what with his "Big Green Uncle" being there to fill the void.
But that still didn't explain all of the papers, or his mother's weird behavior, or the trembling stranger sitting at the table and with those thoughts in mind, Gohan asked the million dollar question. "If you don't mind my asking, what does any of this have to do with marriage?"
No sooner had he asked that did Chi-Chi release a cry of anguish.
"Oh, Gohan! Sweetheart! Your father and I aren't married!" she bawled before crumbling to the kitchen floor in a heap. It briefly reminded him of the time she thought he dyed his hair gold.
"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, trying his best to remain as calm as possible. Maybe his mother was just overreacting.
Amidst Chi-Chi's sobs, Visor cringed. "Well, about that," he nervously started, a cross between a squeak and a chuckle bubbling from his throat. "This is a very, um ... bizarre case. When a married person dies they part from their partner, thus is the reason we say "Till death do we part". But this ... is strange; very strange indeed."
Gohan blinked at the man who ran a shaky hand through his thinning hair. "Son Goku died ... twice and it ... uh ... rendered the marriage contract ... void. Your parents aren't together by law."
Gohan's throat was suddenly dry and he found himself wanting to scarf down a pitcher of water.
"No one counted on people ... um ... rising from the dead ... twice, so-"
The poor man wasn't given a chance to finish before Chi-Chi rampaged towards the table. Gohan threw himself in the way before she could get to Visor, who had released a high-pitched squeal. Gohan had to do a double take before he wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders.
"You're supposed to be finding a loophole!" she yelled, trying her darnedest to get out of her son's iron grip. She was failing. Miserably. "You call yourself an "adviser!" Why I oughta-"
"Sir, I think you should come back tomorrow. I won't be held responsible for anything that happens if she breaks loose," Gohan warned, dodging a flurry of punches from his mother.
Visor didn't waste anytime gathering his belongings, not bothering himself with organizing anything as he all but slammed everything into his briefcase before bolting for the door. When Gohan was positive that their guest was away from the house, he released his hold on his mother. He watched with a keen eye as his mother's previous anger dwindled into nothingness.
"Mom ... Are you okay?"
Chi-Chi cast Gohan an emotionless stare and for a moment Gohan felt his heart lurch. He had never seen her look so ... dead. This oddly felt like the aftermath of the Cell Games all over again. Fortunately, it didn't last long and the tiny woman flashed her son a reassuring smile; Gohan wasn't sure if it were for him or herself.
"I think ... I think I need to lie down," she replied and not a second after did she pass out on the floor.
Gohan dived for his mother and placed her on the couch, his head spinning. He didn't know what to think! Things were quickly becoming dangerous. Whenever his mother had meltdowns and blackouts, things never looked good for the party involved when she came to. How was it possible that every time Son Goku came back from the dead, something bad always happened?
Oh no! I completely forgot about Dad and Goten!, Gohan thought.
At that moment, the front door burst open and in stormed a fuming Goten followed closely behind by their father. Gohan's eyes widened and his eyes skirted to his mother, who had just flinched upon hearing the loud crash from the door.
"Gohan, ya big meanie! You didn't come back like you said you would!" Goten pouted, Goku's blue t-shirt hanging off of his tiny frame like a night-gown as it pooled around his feet.
"Yeah, what happened Gohan?" Goku asked, his eyes trailing to his wife, who was sprawled out on the couch. His eyebrows rose briefly before the smell of food captured his senses. He immediately made a beeline for the kitchen, his black eyes skirting from the pot of steamy soup on the stove to the haphazardly hacked vegetables on the counter to the tray of mouth-watering sandwiches on the counter. He made a nose-dive for the sandwiches, his stomach rumbling in agreement.
This is not happening right now, Gohan thought, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Uuh." It was the only sound Gohan could form at that moment in response to his father's question.
"There was a red car speeding down the hill super fast!" Goten exclaimed, his previous anger forgotten. "Daddy stopped it though 'cuz the man in it almost hit a tree. He looked like a zombie."
Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but he was having a hard time finding his voice. Just then, Chi-Chi began to stir, a groan escaping her lips. She put a hand to her head and blinked back the fogginess that clouded her eyes.
"What happened?" she asked groggily.
"Hey Momma!" Goten greeted excitedly from the table. Gohan bit his lip, his eyes widening. Any minute now ... "We're home!"
Chi-Chi blinked and sent her youngest a smile. "Hey sweetie. Why are you wearing your father's shirt?"
"May smoney," Goku greeted, popping his head from around the opening of the kitchen, his mouth full of half-eaten sandwiches.
"Hey, Gohan?" Goten called from the table, his mind drifting from his mother's question. The teenager's eyes drifted to his younger brother and he tensed up. "What's a "mirage" license"?"
Goku blinked confusedly from the doorway, but he didn't move, too preoccupied with stuffing his face. Gohan's attention flickered to his mother, whose face was slowly filling with nothing short of realization. With quick thinking, Gohan snatched the paper from Goten, who cried out in protest. He had to do this fast if he wanted to get away in time; he did not want to be around for what was about to happen!
"Goten, let's go to the lake." Gohan didn't give his brother a chance to speak as he tucked the boy under his arm and all but barreled for the exit.
Goten squirmed in his brother's arm. "But we just got back! And I'm hungry!"
With lightning fast reflexes, Gohan doubled back and snatched a sandwich from his father's hand, mashed it into his brother's mouth and ran out of the door like a football player on drugs. Perplexed beyond all reason, Goku stared in the direction that his children ran off into before his eyes drifted to his wife. Goku knew the look on her face all-too-well to know that something was wrong.
He hadn't been given a chance to voice his concern as she curled her fists and screamed. Loud.
"Goku! We're not married!"
Gohan cringed.
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