Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dude Looks Like A Lady ❯ Eighty Two ( Chapter 82 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Innocence is Futile

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Dude Looks Like A Lady
By Alison Sky and Raven Pan (cause Ali wrote most of this chappeh)

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Chapter Eighty-Two
April 25, 800 - Friday

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Gohan walked out of his parent's home, having come over to help his mother and father take care of their three grandchildren. He sighed, looking over at the patch of grass that his brother had yet to vacate today.

It had been three days now since they had learned of Trunks' death. Two since Vegeta had come forth with his confirmation. One since Bulma had given her press conference and set a date for the memorial service.

And in all that time, Goten hadn't done anything but sleep and stare at the sky, as if he was waiting for something to appear... or someone, someone that Gohan knew wasn't.

"Goten," Gohan called, walking over. "Dinnertime."

"I'm not hungry," Goten answered in a mono-toned voice.

"You haven't eaten in three days, Goten. You HAVE to be hungry."

"Well, I'm not." Goten's eyes never left the clouds above them.

Gohan growled. "You're going to eat dinner tonight, Goten, if I have to force-feed you," the older brother threatened.

Goten's eyes narrowed and he sat up a bit, turning to face his brother. "I'm not hungry. Can't you understand freaking Japanese? Now leave me alone."

"I understand it fine, and leaving you alone is all we HAVE been doing these past few days, and it's not doing you any better now than it did three days ago," Gohan pointed out. "Get up now."

"What are you, my mother?" He asked.

"No, she's inside worried to death about you, cooking every single food you love in hopes that you might actually eat something." Gohan pointed back at the house. "Now get the hell up."

Goten looked at his brother coldly. "No."

Faster than the younger brother was able to follow, Gohan grabbed Goten by the back of his shirt and pulled him to his feet, half dragging him along. "I said now," Gohan stated angrily.

"Let go!" Goten shouted, pushing himself free, facing off with his older brother. "Why can't you leave me alone, Gohan? I just want to be by myself!"

"Because I care about you," Gohan stated. "You and those three angels inside who have already lost one parent and want to know why their father won't be with them! You haven't even told them about Trunks yet, have you?"

"How can I tell them that their Uncle is dead!" Goten asked. "That the one person they love more than life itself is gone and won't be returning ever again to hold them, play with them...."

"That's something you're going to have to figure out, Goten," Gohan stated. "You're their father. It's your duty."

"It shouldn't have to be anyone's duty," Goten commented.

"No, it shouldn't. But it has to be done." Gohan sighed. "Will you come inside now?"

"Why do you care so much, huh?" Goten asked. "For the past three years anything concerning this relationship, you've always chided me on. Why are you suddenly all caring about what I feel? Huh?"

"Because as stupid as you can be sometimes, you're still my brother," Gohan stated, crossing his arms.

"And just how am I STUPID?!"

"You want the long list or the short list?" Gohan asked seriously, to which Goten narrowed his eyes. "How about the fact that here you are, 30 some-odd years old, and you're still acting like a whining chibi?"

"I AM NOT ACTING LIKE A CHILD!" Goten screamed. "I just lost the person that I loved most, and you expect me not to be upset?!"

"Well, you sure have a strange way of showing love, Goten," Gohan pointed out. "After all that you did to Trunks, I'm surprised he even was able to put up with you as long as he did."

"What do you mean by that?" Goten growled.

"Think back the last few months, Goten. You were nothing short of cruel to Trunks."

"That's a lie," Goten stated. "He wouldn't let himself love me because he couldn't see past us both being guys, so I did what he wanted me to do and tried to move on."

"Yeah... and made him into a bad guy."

"Bad guy? BAD GUY?!" Goten scoffed. "He turned ME into the bad guy! Spoiling the kids so I had to yell at them to get them to behave, drinking in the house even after I told him repeatedly not too, and I'm the fucken bad guy! Thanks a lot, Gohan. I figured you would stick up for your own brother for once, and not someone you slept with in a moment of sluttish passion."

Goten took a step back as he felt the palm of Gohan's hand slap across his face. He looked up at his brother who's eyes were blazing with anger.

"Don't you EVER judge me, Goten," Gohan warned in a low growl. "Especially on something you know nothing about."

"So it's ok for you to judge me, but I can't judge you?" Goten countered.

"I never stated judgments, Goten... only facts that everyone else could see," Gohan replied. "But if you want a judgment, I'll give you a damn judgment."

"Go ahead." Goten crossed his arms, mocking Gohan's stance.

"All of this started from your stupidity."

"WHAT?!" Goten shouted.

"That night, years ago, when you broke up from Paris. It was the end of the world to you, and you let yourself fall into an emotional hole, like you are in now. Trunks, being a friend, like he has always been, tried to comfort you. And you took advantage of him. You could have stopped, should have stopped, but no, you kept going. You got Trunks pregnant."

"We've been through this already," Goten growled.

"But that wasn't enough for you, was it?" Gohan continued. "Instead of just fessing up to the mistakes, helping Trunks along, you made Trunks fall in love with you, making what was already a screwed up scenario worse. You brought him along for the ride, and to the point of marrying his female form... and I know you, Goten... it wasn't about keeping Truten from being illegitimate, as it was for him... you had your dream woman, and you wanted to keep her where you could have her."

"That's a lie..." Goten growled softly.

"And then when Vegeta tried to fix things, and you got wished into a girl instead... you went and got yourself pregnant just because you KNEW if you didn't do something drastic, Trunks would stray away and look for a real woman."

"Stop it..." Goten said softly, his eyes turning hazel.

"And then when you turned back, you drove yourself crazy trying to convince your best friend that if he loved you, he should break everything he believed in just to please you. To make YOU feel loved. And then when he denied you the final time, you couldn't take it anymore and took everything that was worth something away from him, like a spoiled child not getting his way."

"SHUT UP!" Goten shouted, transforming as he tackled his brother to the ground, raining punch upon punch on Gohan's face. Gohan reached down and pushed forth his mystic powers, so that after the first three hits, none of the blows affected him, bouncing harmlessly off his crossed arms. However, a tiny trickle of blood escaped from the side of his mouth.

"Admit it, Goten. You used your best friend, and when he wasn't able to give you what you wanted, you threw him away like a dirty rag," Gohan stated. "You didn't even think about those three children and their feelings, you just packed them up and took them away."

"I love my children!" Goten defended, realizing that he wasn't going to get anywhere beating on Gohan's face and worked to aim lower, which made Gohan move quickly and flip his little brother off him, facing off against him. "I would never do anything to hurt them!"

"You took their mother away from them!" Gohan shouted.

"VEGETA TOOK THEIR MOTHER AWAY!" Goten screamed back.

"Vegeta took away the face of their mother. You, Goten... you're the one who took them away from Trunks," Gohan stated simply. "And no matter how much I love those three, and I love them with all my heart Goten, if this is what happened because of their births, maybe their lives would have been better if they had never been born."

"Take that back," Goten growled, his hands clasping into very tight fists.

"You were right back then, Goten. You aren't ready to have kids. You're still a child yourself. It's time you grow up, Goten. Face the consequences of your own stupidity, and work to make at least an attempt to give those kids some kind of life that isn't confusing or painful."

"BOYS!" Chi Chi yelled from the kitchen door. Goku stood in the doorway as well, keeping three tiny head from trying to poke out the door. "Stop it right now!" she ordered, tears in her eyes. She hated to see her children fighting.

"No Mom," Gohan stated, standing up tall. "He needed to hear this."
"You can't be so mean to him though, Gohan... he's-"

"He's what, Mom? My Little Brother? Look at him, Mom. Goten is thirty years old now. He isn't a kid anymore!" Gohan stated. "It's time he acts like his age, and we're not helping him by treating him like we do."

"And how's that?" Goku asked from the doorway, his eye narrowed.

"Coddling him, letting him get his way, even when we all know it's wrong," Gohan stated. "Trying to make up for not being there when he was a baby..." he looked pointedly at Goku, "or thinking that he's the baby in the family and always caring for him like that." Chichi stepped back. "He has to grow up sometime, and since I helped raise him, it's my right to make sure he sees it just as it is yours and Mom's."

"Watch your mouth, Gohan," Goku warned.

"No Dad I won't." Gohan stated. "Because I'm not afraid to say what everyone else can see. Tell me I'm wrong, Dad. That we don't treat Goten like a kid.... Tell me I'm wrong." Gohan's eyes challenged his father.

Goku just looked at the ground, unable to tell Gohan that he was wrong. He couldn't... because he wasn't.

Chi Chi just took a deep breath, then looked up at her eldest. "Dinner's getting cold," she said softly, then turned and walked back to where Goku was. Goku put an arm around her shoulder and led her inside, shutting the door behind them.

Gohan turned to look back at his brother. "So what are you going to do now, Goten?"

Goten just glared back at his brother. "Well, it's obvious that you don't want me around anymore."

"I NEVER said that, Goten," Gohan stated. "I said for you to grow up, act your age and take responsibility for your stupidity. I never said I didn't want you around."

Goten blinked.

Gohan sighed. "You drive me insane sometimes, Goten. You really do. And you need to work on your communication skills, because I think that's your biggest problem these days. You're my brother, Goten. And I love you whether I'm happy with you or boiling angry. That doesn't change no matter what. We just express love different ways, that's all."

"By yelling and screaming and degrading me?" Goten raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you've done it to the people you love before," Gohan countered. "Maybe thrown a few fists into the mix."

Goten's mind went back to the last night in the apartment, where he and Trunks had fought probably the worst they ever had - emotionally if not physically. He closed his eyes and lowered his head a bit. "Yeah..." he said softly. Trunks had just wanted to be left alone... and he'd picked a fight with him because of his own need to lash out at someone... anyone.

"Why don't you think about that for a bit, ok? And when you finally figure out what I've been trying to tell you, come in for something to eat. I'll make sure there's a plate put aside for you." Gohan walked over to Goten and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "OK?"

Goten nodded, then turned to walk away, his hands shoved deep down into his pockets as he walked into the forest, deep in thought.

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Goten wasn't far from the house, leaning against a tree staring at the stars that were starting to come out.

"Papa?" Truten found him, having snuck out for her search, and stepped carefully closer.

Goten looked down, the thoughtful look replaced with a soft smile. "Hey cutie... does Grandma know you're out here?"

She shook her head, then held her hands out to be picked up. "You still mad?"

Goten chuckled and reached down, picking her up and tossing her a bit into the air. "No... I'm not mad anymore... except at myself..."

She giggled, "Why?"

"Cause your Uncle Gohan pointed out a bunch of things I've done lately that I shouldn't have...."

"Oh... does that mean we can go home now?" Truten asked, tilting her head and looking at hiim with innocent blue eyes.

Goten took a deep breath. He knew that Truten was really asking if they could move back in with Trunks... and that was impossible. "Not just yet, kiddo," he chickened out.

"Is it cause it's smaller than here? Can Uncle move in here?"

Goten just sighed and held his daughter, looking at the stars. How am I supposed to tell her, Trunks?
Truten looked up, and saw a falling star, "Oooh! Make a wish!" she said, closing her eyes tightly.

"You saw it, you get to wish on this one," Goten said, kissing her cheek. "But you have to keep it a secret or it won't come true."

"Okay!" she said, then opened her eyes and grinned. "Can I tell you AFTER though?"

"Nope... you have to keep it a secret forever..." Goten nodded seriously.

"Or it'll get taked away?" she asked curiously.

"Well, the wish won't come true, so yeah, I guess so..." he stated, curious now as to what his eldest wished for.

"So if I make a wish, an I get it, I can't say that what I got was my wish cause then I won't got it anymore?"

"Not too sure... I've never had that come up before..." Goten smiled.

Truten screwed up her mouth a little and thought hard, curling up next to Goten. "You gonna eat?" she asked quietly.

"Did Uncle Gohan save me a plate?"

"Uh huh, lots of em," She nodded.

Goten chuckled. "Was it yummy?"

"Very, we had EVERYTHING, and it's all really yummy and it's all the stuff you like too! So... gonna come eat?" she asked again.

"Sure." Goten kissed her forehead.

Truten grinned wide, kissing his cheek back and hugging him. "Let's go then!" she pointed in the direction of the house from where she was in his arms.

Goten nodded, taking one look at the sky, then followed her finger.

Truten giggled as they got in, "PAPA'S GONNA EAT!" she shouted into the house.

"Well it's about time," Chichi bustled about piling a few plates for her youngest.

Goten sighed and rubbed the back of his head after he put his daughter down. "Sorry mom... about before..."

"It's okay sweetie, please, just eat something," she said with concern, while Truten went to scramble into a chair, patting the one next to her.

"Sit Papa. Eat."

Goku chuckled.

"I will... I don't know how much my stomach will take, but I'll try," Goten stated, sitting where he was told by his daughter.

Chichi set down the plates before her son, even going so far as to hand him a fork, "There." She stood back and folded her arms waiting for him to eat.

Goten nodded and started to eat slowly, then his stomach was amazed at the taste of food and he started to eat in famished hunger.

Truten watched for several minutes, then squealed, clapping her hands. Chichi amusedly shook her head, keeping the table filled of food while Goku went to bed so he could be up before dawn the day following.

Goten soon finished everything that was offered to him, then sat back in his seat, rubbing his stomach.

"It worked it worked it worked!" Truten squealed, crawling over to sit in Goten's lap.

"What worked?" Goten asked, looking down at his daughter, his eyebrow raised.

"My wish!" She slapped her hands over her mouth and watched her father carefully, glancing at the table, then she grinned. "And it didn't un-work!"

Goten smirked, then gave a cry as his stomach 'magically' got really thin as he sucked it in.

Truten's eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," she shook her head vehemently.

Goten laughed, releasing his breath and hugged her. "It's ok, Truten! I was just kidding!"

She sniffled and hugged him, then hit his chest. "That was mean, Papa."

Goten laughed and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "But I fooled you..." he teased.

She giggled, "Yeah."

"Ok, I think it's a certain chibi's bedtime..." Goten stated, capturing her in his arms.

"Not tired," She yawned.

"I think you are..."

"Read Pinnochio?" she asked.

"Of course!" Goten smiled.

"Okay," She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder as she yawned again.

Goten smiled at her, then wrapped his arms around her and stood up. "I'll help with the dishes after I read my story," Goten told his mother.

"Don't worry about it sweetheart, you just spend time with your little girl. The twins are already asleep."

Goten nodded and leaned over to kiss his mother's cheek. "Thanks Mom." he started into the livingroom to head upstairs, then stopped, seeing his brother.

Gohan looked up from the book he was reading, seeing Goten, and nodded with a smile. Goten gave a hesitent smile back, then walked up the stairs to where Truten was sleeping lately.

Truten yawned again, snuggling in her father's arms. "Thanks Papa."

Walking into the room, Goten was very careful not to make loud noises as the twins slept. He went to the bookcase and picked up the tattered copy of Pinocchio and laid Truten down, sitting on the floor beside her bed.

Truten snuggled under the covers, hugging onto the little dragon toy she had since she'd given her bear to her uncle. She yawned "G'nite Papa..."

"Goodnight cutie," he said softly, tucking her in and kissing her forehead, then started to read very softly.

Truten fell asleep before he was through with the first page, the light snore she inherited from Trunks wafting into the room.

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