Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, nor do I own any characters from Dragon Ball Z. Wish I did, but I don't, so there's no point in suing me.

Hey folks, I've been playing around with this crossover idea for some time now, and I thought that it's due for release into the wide world of FanFiction.

It's a crossover between Gundam Wing and Dragon Ball Z, which I think is an interesting mix. There aren't many out there, so I thought I'd take a shot at doing something new, and voila! I'm really happy with this fic.

Though I'm fond of Shounen-ai and even yaoi, I decided to leave it out of this fic for the sake of pleasing all types of readers. But if you are a fan of boy / boy love then go ahead and read into any subtle hints you can find because if I get around to finishing this, there will be a sequel that involves get-togethers and lots of boy love. Goody!

Anyway, the fic starts out in the DBZ world, and eventually switches to the GW world, so don't go getting confused just yet. Everything will fall into place as you read along.

Hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it! - Phoenix-Flame-Fantasy (PFF)

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Death's Beginning

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Chapter 1

Gohan giggled with glee as he soared through the skies. The wind ruffled his unruly black hair and the setting summer sun illuminated his youthful face with a warm orange glow.

Icarus gave a cheerful gurgle as he flapped his wings up and down and sailed on the wind. Gohan was comfortably situated on the small purple dragon's back and enjoying yet another fun filled hours with his animal friend.

Gohan had known Icarus for many years now and together they had explored the world, having the occasional adventure every now and then along the way. Today though, they had nothing planned except to enjoy freedom and the beautiful sunset.

Icarus had appeared at Gohan's bedroom window an hour ago, whining pitifully and looking though the glass with pleading eyes. It had become routine over the past few months to meet up at least once a week. Gohan would always abandon his studying and jump out o the window onto Icarus' back, and together they would take off into the skies. Of course, he would always have to face the wrath of his mother when he eventually returned home, but it was worth it just to be able to act like any seven-year-old would during childhood.

Then again Gohan was not just any seven-year-old, and he certainly did not have what could be called a 'normal' childhood.

If 'normal' was to have an alien for a father, a mother who forces her son to study at least twelve hours a day, to have a tamed dragon and tall green alien as best friends, to have other close family friends that are the best fighters and geniuses in the universe; if normal was to own superpowers, to have defended Earth from the age of four, travelled into space to a far away planet, fought and survived the wrath of an evil tyrant of the universe, had family and friends die then wished back to life again…then yes, Gohan was 'normal'.

But for now he was free, flying without a care in the world.

Gohan whooped as Icarus completed a loop-the-loop, defying gravity at amazing speeds. He flung out his arms wide and his fingertips skimmed the whips of fluffy clouds on either side, causing refreshing water moisture to collect on his skin in a fine sheen.

He chose that moment to look down at the ground thousands of feet below him and saw the peaks of desert mountains reaching up towards him as if clawing at the skies.

"Hey Icarus! Let's go explore the desert mountains! Look, there's a rocky area down below us through the clouds where we can land!"

Icarus yipped I response and suddenly plunged down through the fluffy clouds, folding his wings back to streamline his body, almost unseating Gohan who drew his arms back in sharply and clutched his friend's horns.

Only meters from becoming a messy splat on the rocks, Icarus opened his wings and the descent jerked to a stop in mid air. Gohan leapt off the dragon's back before he had even landed, and his feet barely touched the ground as he skipped over the rocks on the mountain ledge.

"Come on Icarus, Keep up!" He shouted over his shoulder. The purple dragon flapped after him looking excited and curious at the prospect of new unexplored territory.

Gohan stopped short as he came across another rocky ledge just above him where a huge tree had grown against all odds in the barren landscape. The trees boughs spread wide and created a nice and cool shady spot.

The black-haired boy scrambled up the rocky ledge until he found himself level with the tree, but the tree became unimportant as he spotted a huge gaping hole in the side of the mountain that was half hidden in shade.

"Oooh…a cave!" Gohan said excitedly as he stood at the entrance of the dark cavern.

He held out his palm with a gin and watched as a small ball of bright white energy formed, only the size of a golf ball, but it was enough to act as a plentiful light source.

One of the perks of being half alien meant that he had a more natural control over his body's energy, better know as ki. It usually took years of training for a human to gain the control that he already had.

Holding his ball of light up high he entered the pitch-black cave. The white light shone on the walls and made eerie shadows jump out of corners and retreat into further darkness.

Gohan eagerly moved deeper inside and saw that it was far bigger than it appeared from the outside, and it travelled further back into the mountain in a series of tunnels. Unlike outside where it was sweltering hot and dry, the inside of the cave was damp, and a chill hung in the stale air causing Gohan to shiver as the cold penetrated his thin white t-shirt and blue shorts.

Something warm and moist touched his right ear.

He jumped a mile and whirled around holding up his light. He was relived to only find Icarus playfully licking him.

"You scared me boy! Don't do that!"

Icarus cocked his head to one side innocently. Gohan turned around again and thoughtfully inspected the route in front of him. The cave split into two separate tunnels, one left, one right, and he was stuck with the choice of which one to take.

"Hmmm…I'll take the right, Icarus, you take the left. If you find anything interesting then come and get me, OK?"

Icarus bobbed his head and flew to the left, while Gohan walked to the right.

Five minutes later after following the winding tunnel, Gohan came across a boring dead end and was forced to turn around and go back the way he came.

He was only half way back when the sound of flapping wings came closer at a fast rate and in a blur of purple, Icarus appeared in front of him.

The little dragon yipped frantically as if trying to tell him something important, then darted forwards and grabbed a mouthful of Gohan's t-shirt and started to pull him down the tunnel.

"What is it Icarus? Have you found something?"

Icarus just tugged harder.

"OK, OK! I'm coming!"

Icarus flew off hastily and Gohan ran after him. They turned down the left tunnel and carried on for a few minutes winding between damp rocky walls until the small tunnel stopped abruptly and opened up into a huge hollow cavern.

Gohan stopped still, staring in wonder at the roaring waterfall that fell from a natural chute in the impossibly high, smooth rock ceiling into a deep crystal clear rock pool in the cavern floor. Light reflected off the water surface sending silver ripples across the cavern walls that seemed to dance merrily.

Small holes in the rock ceiling sent shafts of filtered dim golden light down into the spacious room. Wherever the light touched, luscious green plants sprung up, with the occasional pastel coloured flower reaching up high towards the pale glow.

It was like a private haven.

Icarus nudged his arm and Gohan tore his eyes away from the beautiful sight to look down at him. "Wow Icarus, it's amazing," He breathed out quietly.

Icarus nudged him further into the open cavern.

"What?" He asked in a confused voice as he let his glowing ki ball extinguish and he dropped his hand to his side.

The dragon tugged at his t-shirt again and guided him over to the other side of the cavern towards a shadowed corner. As Gohan stepped closer his enhanced hearing picked up an unusual sound over the roar of the waterfall.

It sounded like someone crying.

Drawing forth his ki again he held a new glowing ki ball up high.

The shadows drew back to reveal a small child, estimated to be about his own age. From the angle that Gohan was standing at he couldn't tell if it was a she or a he because the person's face was buried in their arms and their knees were drawn up tightly to their chest.

The child was only dressed in a thin baggy grey t-shirt and grey shorts with white sneakers. Their small thin frame shook with sobs and cold shivers.

"Hello?" Gohan called out cautiously.

The child's body froze and the tears stopped instantly. Then ever so slowly the person's head rose and looked up at Gohan.

Gohan stared in amazement into the most beautiful expressive eyes he had ever seen. They were an unusual cobalt blue that was tinted a deep amethyst in the light, and shone with diamond tears.

Short chestnut hair fell loosely all over the place. There was no style to it and Gohan was strongly reminded of his own hair, only the child's locks were shorter.

It was easier to distinguish the child as a boy now, even though he did seem feminine from a distance because of the thin, frail body structure.

As Gohan took a step forwards the boy scuttled away backwards with fear etched on his face.

"It's OK, I'm not going to hurt you," Gohan said soothingly.

The boy peered up at him, wiping away his tears. He looked unhealthily ill with his thin face, pale skin, and red rimmed eyes with dark bags underneath.

"W- Who are you?" He sniffled.

Yep, definitely a boy.

"My name is Gohan."

For some bizarre reason the boy seemed to flinch at the name, but put on a brave face and seemed to dismiss his thoughts. "Y- You're not h- here to take me b- back are you?" His voice hitched occasionally making him stammer.

"Er, no since I don't know where you're from." Gohan replied honestly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "What's your name?"

"Um, Project22Shinigami…but Dr. Gero j- just calls me Shinigami or 22 for short."

Gohan frowned. "Huh? That's not a proper name…well what do you want me to call you?"

"I don't mind…just nothing bad."

"OK, how about…Shin? It's short for Shinigami, right?"

"Its fine," The boy gave a small wry smile. For some reason Gohan had the perception that Shin hadn't had much to smile about in the past because the guesture seemed oddly weak.

"That's good. Now what are you doing in this damp cold cave in the middle of the desert mountains?"

"I'm hiding," The newly named Shin whispered secretively.

Gohan sat down on the dusty stone floor next to Shin but kept his distance so the boy wasn't scared. "From who?"

"Dr. Gero. He's a bad man so I ran away and now he's going to be angry so I'm hiding here where he won't find me."

"Well its nice here and all, but it's not a very good place to live, so do you want to come and stay at my house? You're safe with me and my mother. We have food and you can share my bed."

The boy's face lit up. "Food? Do you have lots of it? I'm really hungry; I haven't eaten anything for days…"

Gohan felt even more pity towards the boy. "How long have you been here?"

"Um, I'm not sure, but I think that it's been about a day. I ran away at midday sometime yesterday."

The pity intensified and a strong rage was aimed at this Dr. Gero person. He was obviously not treating Shin very well by the sound of it. What kind of person wouldn't feed a child in their care for days?

"How old are you?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Dr. Gero says that I physically look seven, but I was only born seven days ago…so I'm not really sure."

What? That doesn't make any sense… "Let's just leave it at seven years old."

"OK," Shin said quietly, but then his eyes landed on Gohan's glowing white ki ball as if he had only just spotted it. "You're not gong to hurt me are you?" Shin asked fearfully as if he knew the potential damage a ki blast could do.

"I'm not going to harm you. This thing is just…um…it's…it's a new type of torch," Gohan lied quickly. "It's only just been invented."

Shin frowned but then relaxed slightly and nodded in acceptance. He reached out with his fingertips to touch the surface of the pulsing energy.

Gohan sharply drew his hand back to stop the boy from burning himself. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, it's hot. But anyway, do you want to get out of here and come home with me?"

"Yeah. I'm cold and lonely, and tired and starving and- AH!" Shin yelled in fright and pointed at something that was drinking out of the rock pool.

That 'something' happened to be purple with wings.

"Oh don't worry, that's only Icarus. He's my friend, he won't hurt you."

Still looking wary, Shin got to his feet and dusted himself down before looking at Gohan with a thoughtful frown. "Isn't it bad to be friends with someone?"

Gohan blinked in surprise. "Where did you get that crazy idea?"

"Dr. Gero always told me that I had to pretend to like someone to become their friend. He made friendship sound bad."

"Well he's wrong, it's a good thing. Do you know what friendship really means?"

Shin shook his head so Gohan tried explaining. "A friend is someone you can trust. A friend is always there for you to rely on."

Shin was silent for a moment.

"Can you be my friend?" He asked meekly.

Gohan gave no hesitation. "Of course Shin."

Gohan flashed a grin at his new friend, and to his surprise Shin flashed one back.

The scary thing was that it was an identical grin to his own. It was like looking in a mirror.

Shin switched his gaze to once again stare at Icarus warily so he missed the strange look that Gohan was giving him.

"What kind of animal is it?" Shin asked, bringing Gohan back to attention. The black-haired boy quickly figured out that he was asking about Icarus.

"He's a dragon."

"Wow! Can he fly? And breathe fire? What does he eat? Has he ever killed anyone?"

"Well he can fly, but he can only puff out smoke. He only eats vegetation and fish, and no, he's never killed anyone, he's a friendly and harmless dragon."

Any trace of remaining fear left Shin's face as he stumbled over to Icarus on weak wobbly legs, and held his hand out for the small dragon to sniff.

Icarus accepted the gesture and then playfully licked Shin's palm causing the boy to laugh. The messy brown-haired boy was then pounced on playfully and licked all over his face.

"Ewww!" Shin squealed. "Dragon breath! Ah ha ha! Stop it! That tickles!"

Gohan watched in amusement as they rolled around on the floor and Shin's laughter echoed around the cavern over the thundering sound of the waterfall.

He looked down at his watch which was strapped to his wrist and did a double take when he saw the time.

"Oh no! It's almost half eight! Mom is going to kill me! It's past my bedtime! We have to go now! Quick!"

Icarus understood immediately and jumped up flapping his wings urgently. He darted off out of the cavern back down the tunnel towards the exit.

"Shin, get on my back, I'm going to carry you!"

"Why? I can walk." He said as he got to his feet again.

"No time! This is faster! Come on!"

"OK…" Shin said unsurely as he climbed on board.

Gohan made sure he was on securely and shifted his ki ball slightly in his hand so he could use it to light the way ahead.

"Hold tight!"

Faster than humanly possible, Gohan ran out of the beautiful cavern without a backward glance and through the dark winding tunnel. Everything was just a blur.

Suddenly they emerged into the light as they left the mountain cave all together and fresh air and warmth washed over them. Gohan dissipated his ki ball because he didn't need it anymore.

Without a seconds thought, he jumped into the air and pushed his ki down at the floor, lifting him up in flight.

He flew up high into the sky just below the clouds and headed in the direction of home with Icarus flying at his side.

Gohan could feel Shin's rigid body on his back and the boy's grip was painfully tight on his arms, even though Gohan was super resilient to pain.

"Sorry, I should have given you a better warning about what I was going to do," Gohan called up to him apologetically.

"W -Wha?" Shin stammered back sounding stricken.

"Don't worry I'm not going to drop you so you're safe."

"I -I'm not scared…just surprised." Shin spoke over the whistle of wind as both of their messy bangs whipped around their faces. "I didn't expect that at all!"

"Well it's the quickest way to get home,"

"Can I just check that I'm not dreaming? We are flying, right?"

"Yep."

"Wow, are you using ki to do it?"

Gohan almost fell out of the sky in shock. "How do you know about ki?" He asked in disbelief.

"Dr. Gero taught me about it and I've seen it used. I know lots of things, like you can use it to fly, create energy blasts that act like bombs, it can be manipulated to make you faster and stronger than before, and you can track a person down by their individual ki signature using only your mind!"

"Can you do any of that?" Gohan asked faintly.

"I can only sense ki, but I'm not very good at it. I left before Dr. Gero could teach me more. He wanted me to do horrible things with it so I didn't want to learn."

Someone else knows how to use ki? I'd better learn more about this Dr. Gero. Is he a friend or foe?

"What sort of horrible things?"

"He wanted me to kill."

Sounds like a foe to me. Oh darn, I hope he's not strong. We only saved the world and defeated Garlic Jr. recently. Can't I have a break?

"Killing is wrong. Even if someone tells you to do it, you shouldn't."

"I know!" Shin wailed miserably, burying his face into Gohan's neck. "I don't want to kill! I don't want to be a freak, I want to be normal like everyone else!"

"It's good that you don't want to kill, but you're not a freak. Why do you think that?"

"Dr. Gero calls me that, he says I'm a failure, I'm weak and useless, and not worth his time."

"That's not true!" Gohan replied, putting force behind his words to make Shin see sense. "Don't believe him! You were right, he is a bad man."

Gohan felt hot tears splash onto the back of his neck.

"Hey, don't cry, everything is going to be OK,"

"I can't help it," Shin sobbed.

"OK then, how about I cheer you up!" Gohan said brightly and shot up higher into the sky. They broke through the clouds and skimmed above them.

The last of the dying sun's rays lit up the clouds and made them glow pink like candyfloss, creating a beautiful view. Shin gasped in awe of the scenic sight and his tears slowed to a stop. "Wow…"

"Do you want to experience what you can do when you fly?"

"Yeah!" Shin nodded favourably.

"Hold on and don't let go!" Gohan shouted and flared his ki in a blaze of white around him.

He then began a show of aerobatics, doing loop-the-loops, dives, flying upside down, spinning, cart wheeling in thin air, and all the while Shin was cheering and whooping in delight as he clung to Gohan's back. Icarus soon joined in, and the display became a spirited dance in the sky.

"I'm getting dizzy!" Shin laughed.

"Me too!" Gohan grinned dazedly.

They levelled out and sank back down below the clouds again with Icarus flapping leisurely at their side.

The ground below had transformed from barren desert mountains to lush green forest that covered the Earth like a thick green carpet and spread as far as the eye could see.

"Whoa!" Shin exclaimed as he peered down. "Is that a forest? I've never left the mountains before so this is the first time I've ever seen so many trees!"

"Never left the mountains? Where did you live?" Gohan questioned.

"I was staying with Dr. Gero in his underground laboratory."

Gohan felt Shin tremble at the mention of the laboratory so he decided to change topic.

"Well we're almost at my house. It's out in the middle of nowhere so there's hardly anyone to speak to apart from my Mother, Icarus, and the other animals, but that means that it's peaceful. My Father and I used to go fishing in a nearby lake or collect fruit from the forest. And when my Mother was angry at my Father, I helped him pick wild flowers from the meadows to give to her as an apology."

"That sounds great. Your Father sounds nice, will I meet him?"

Gohan felt as if his stomach had just dropped away to the Earth far below.

"He's not home at the moment, he's somewhere in space. Hopefully he'll come home soon,"

"Oh. Well at least you have a Mother and Father, you're lucky. I guess Dr. Gero could be called my Father, but I hate him." Shin said miserably, but then he brightened up in an instant as if someone had just flipped a switch. "Do you think that your Mother will like me? Is she nice?"

Gohan quickly adjusted to Shin's cheerful mood change. "I'm sure she'll like you, she's very nice. Just remember to be polite and you'll get along just fine."

"That's good," Shin sighed in relief.

Gohan spotted a coloured speck in a clearing in the distance that he recognised as his house.

"Hey Icarus!" He called out.

Icarus glided closer, flapping energetically to keep up. "You'd better go home before Mom sees you, unless you want to be screamed at and chased with a broom again. I'm going to be busy tomorrow so how about you come around the day after?"

Icarus bobbed his head and his eyes shone with eagerness. He did a few speedy loop-the-loops around them and then waved with a clawed hand before flying away over the trees in the other direction.

"Bye Icarus!" Both boys chorused, and Shin added, "It was great to meet you!"

In no time at all Gohan began descending towards the picturesque house. He touched down lightly on the grass and Shin jumped off his back, wobbling slightly before the feeling came back to his legs.

Gohan glanced at the darkening sky above where the stars were appearing, and then down at his watch. It was now 9.00pm. A whole hour past his bedtime.

Boy am I going to be in trouble. He thought unhappily. She'll make me study even more from now on and ban me from going outside as punishment.

He walked up to the front door and bravely knocked. Shin stood behind him looking nervous and clutching the back of Gohan's t-shirt tightly in his fists.

The pounding of hasty footfalls came from inside and the door was flung wide open, splashing yellow light onto the dark lawn.

Chi-Chi Son stood framed in the doorway with her hands clasped together as if she was silently praying, and her face held an expression of pure worry. Her usually neat black hair had a few strands out of place and her onyx eyes looked tearful.

But the moment that her gaze landed on Gohan her entire demeanour changed.

Her hands moved to her hips and her face reshaped into an angry frown with narrowed sharp eyes. She tapped her foot expectantly as a clear sign that she was annoyed and wanted answers. She had managed to go from 'helpless distraught housewife' to 'imposing ticked off warrior' in mere seconds.

Gohan gulped in fear.

"Where have you been for the past three hours young man?"

"Erm, I was at the Desert Mountains…" Gohan squeaked out.

"And what may I ask were you doing there?" Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"I was exploring and I found-"

She cut him off, her tone raising a pitch in anger. "Exploring? Do you think exploring is more important than education?"

"No, but-"

"Don't 'but' me! Get inside and go to bed, its way past your bedtime mister! You are now banned from going outside for a week because you left without permission and you worried me sick when you stayed out late! Perhaps this will teach you a lesson, and now you can also fit in a few more hours of studying."

Gohan mentally groaned in misery and then audibly growled in annoyance because his mother kept cutting off his sentences.

"Mom! Look!" Gohan shouted in exasperation and sidestepped to reveal a very scared looking Shin.

Chi-Chi froze in surprise and she blinked down at the chestnut-haired boy.

"Mom, this is Shin. He's my new friend. He was staying in a cave in the mountains by himself so I brought him home to stay here for a while. Is that OK with you?"

Chi-Chi stared for a few seconds but then the 'gentle mother' side of her personality clicked into place and she swooped down on Shin.

"Of course you can stay! Oh you poor boy… Come in, come in. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Anything you would like?"

"Hello Mrs…" Shin frowned as he realised that he didn't know the family's surname.

"Just call me Chi-Chi dear," she smiled as she bustled him inside, almost closing he door in Gohan's face.

"OK…Hello Chi-Chi, thank you for letting me stay." Shin sounded a lot more confident now that she was being kind and not shouting anymore. "Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but can I have something to eat please? I'm really hungry."

"Of course. Just take a seat at the kitchen table and I'll throw some stuff together over the stove for you."

Shin smiled thankfully and hopped onto a wooden chair in the centre of the kitchen.

Gohan jumped onto the chair next to him and from there random conversation started about (of all things) the weather.

Chi-Chi joined in as well as she stood at the stove with bubbling pots and pans. The delicious smell of food filled the cosy house.

Later as bowls of different foods were placed on the table, Shin's eyes enlarged at the sight of the portions and he stared in awe.

"Wow, I've never seen so much food!" He exclaimed.

"Well you can help yourself to as much as you like Shin, it's all yours. Gohan and I ate earlier." Chi-Chi chuckled as she took a seat at the table as well.

Shin looked as if he were in heaven. He eyed a bowl close by and then dived forwards eagerly.

Gohan's jaw unintentionally dropped as he watched the thin boy pile his plate high and then demolish it within record time and then go back for seconds, then thirds, fourths, and finally fifths.

Gohan had never seen a human eat that much food so fast before. Only Saiyans could proudly say that they had managed it.

Shin sat back in his seat with his plate now empty, as well as the rest of the table.

"Oh wow, thanks Chi-Chi that was the best food I've ever had!" He grinned contently.

"Thank you for the compliment," Chi-Chi replied as she stared at the boy in a stunned daze, obviously shocked by his appetite as well.

Shin gave a tired yawn which he tried to hide but Chi-Chi saw it.

"I think someone's tired," She hinted.

"M' not, I could stay up'll night," Shin said blearily as he rubbed at his eyes. Chi-Chi pulled a face that told Gohan that she was inwardly melting due to the boy's cute antics.

"Oh OK then, I'll clean up this mess and then I'll dig out one of my husbands old casual t-shirts for you to sleep in tonight since all of Gohan's spare pyjamas are hanging to dry on the line outside."

Chi-Chi gathered up piles of empty plates and Gohan automatically helped her carry them over to the sink.

"There's too much to wash this late at night," she said as she scrutinized the tower of plates in front of her. "I'll do it tomorrow morning."

They turned back to the table in time to see Shin's eyes close. At the same time he wavered in his seat and then slumped forwards with his head dropping. His forehead met the wooden table with a loud 'clunk' and he shot back upright wide awake, wincing as he rubbed at the bump now forming.

"Owww…" He whispered quietly to himself, not noticing that he had an audience.

Gohan held back a laugh to save his friend's dignity, and Chi-Chi coughed to cover her humour.

"Tired yet?" She asked airily to him.

"Nope, not at all," Shin replied. He tried to sound convincing but failed badly. There was something else concealed in his voice though. It sounded like he was nervous.

He sure is stubborn. Gohan thought. But he seems almost afraid to go to sleep.

"Gohan could you please come and help me search through your father's clothes draws for Shin's nightshirt?"

Gohan sent a questioning glance sideways at her. Why does she want my help for that? She knows exactly where Dad's shirts are… He followed her anyway and they left Shin dozing at the table.

As soon as they entered the bedroom Chi-Chi closed the door behind her and turned to her son.

"Gohan, you mentioned that you found Shin in cave in the desert mountains. What was he doing there all alone? I didn't want to ask him because I didn't know what his reaction would be. He seems nervous around people, so asking him personal questions would be the wrong thing to do. But I need to know about him."

Now I know that I got my common sense from my Mother.

Gohan then sprang into his tale and gave every scrap of information about Shin that he had picked up. Surprisingly the retelling of the story only took five minutes. By the end Chi-Chi looked distraught.

"Oh the poor boy…he can stay here as long as he wants. I'll look after him and make him feel like part of the family. First though, perhaps you can take Shin to meet Bulma so she can do a medical check on him and research if he has any other family."

"Thanks Mom. We'll go see Bulma tomorrow"

"Yes, that would be for the best. I'll telephone Bulma in a minute… Oh goodness, it's 10 o'clock!" She exclaimed in surprise as she glanced at a clock on the bedside cabinet. "Bulma will still be awake thankfully, but you two should be in bed." His mother quickly pulled out a large plain white t-shirt out of his father's draw and handed it to him.

"Shin can wear this tonight. Show him the bathroom so he can wash up and change out of his clothes privately if he wants to, then I want you two in bed pronto."

Chi-Chi nudged him in the direction of the door. "I've got to call Bulma now, so go."

"OK, thanks for doing this for Shin, Mom."

"It's not a problem dear,"

Gohan walked out of the bedroom with the t-shirt in hand and re-entered the kitchen to find Shin fast asleep with his head resting on his arms as he leaned on the table.

Gohan smiled and stepped closer. "Shin…" He called out softly. "Hey Shin, wake up."

Shin didn't stir so Gohan moved even closer and poked hm in the arm.

The chestnut-haired boy shot upright with large panicked eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep!" He cried out fearfully, still not awake enough to take in his surroundings. "Please don't punish me!"

Gohan quickly tried to calm him down. "Shin, its all right it's just me, Gohan, remember? I'm not going to hurt you."

Cobalt eyes focused on him. "Gohan?"

"Yeah, it's only me; I came to tell you its time to get into bed. I brought you something you can sleep in."

"Oh." Shin replied as he relaxed slightly, but still looked uncomfortable with Gohan's gaze on him.

"I'll show you to the bathroom," Gohan said and grabbed hold of one of Shin's hands, pulling him off his chair, out of the kitchen, and down the hall.

Gohan stopped just outside the bathroom. "Here we are. My room is the door across the hall." He handed Shin the oversized t-shirt.

"Thanks," Shin mumbled as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door gently.

Gohan gave a quiet sigh and turned towards his bedroom to prepare for bed with heavy thoughts weighing down his heart.

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Shin inwardly sighed in relief as Gohan directed him to the bathroom where he could change in privacy. He had dreaded changing in front of Gohan. He wasn't body shy- Dr. Gero had stripped him of that- but he did have a personal reason, and he wasn't about to flaunt his secret anytime soon. He liked Gohan and his Mother so he didn't want to be shunned by them if they found out what a freak he was.

Shin turned to lock the bathroom door behind him, just in case someone walked in on him as he was undressing. He sat on the toilet seat lid and unlaced his white sneakers before stepping out of them and putting them aside. Then he stripped off his t-shirt and shorts and folded them neatly. The clothes on his back were the only belongings that he had ever owned so he took care of them the best he could. He'd lost many outfits due to Dr. Gero's harsh training and experiments, and only when he was wearing what you could call shredded rags, did Gero give him new clothes.

And even though Shin hated the colour grey he still treasured them.

The chestnut-haired boy looked at the large white t-shirt he'd been given critically. It was so generous of Gohan's Mother to lend him something to sleep in. He had always just slept in his day clothes because Dr. Gero had never given him something different to wear at night.

With excited anticipation, Shin pulled the shirt over his head and fumbled to find the holes for the sleeves. He hugged the fabric close and breathed in the scent with a smile on his face. It smelt nice and made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

The shirt was far too big on him since it fell to his ankles but it was amazingly comfortable.

Moving over to the bathroom sink in a state of bliss he stepped up onto the handy footstool so he could see in the mirror.

He almost recoiled away in shock.

His cheeks were noticeably more hollow than the last time he seen himself in a reflective surface, which was only a few days ago, and his skin was unhealthily pale with dark smudges under his eyes caused by lack of sleep and exhaustion. He felt bone-tired, and he sure looked it too.

Shin frowned sadly at the image he made before twisting the taps on and watching the clear water gush out. It reminded him of the waterfall back at the desert cave. He would have died of dehydration caused by his travel across the scorching desert mountains if he hadn't found the plentiful water source hidden in the depths of that cave.

Not that he would have minded dying, because that would have been the release he was looking for when he ran away from Dr. Gero. If Gohan hadn't have found him then he would have just sat in that cave until he died of hunger, dehydration, or whatever else might befall him.

But now things were looking up and life didn't seem so hopeless anymore. He had his first ever friend, lots of delicious food, a bed, and most importantly, there was no more laboratory, no more training or experiments, and no Dr. Gero.

He rinsed his hands clean and was surprised to see the amount of dirt wash down the plug hole. Placing the plug in the sink, he let the water level rise before turning off the taps. Steam rose off the surface of the hot water and fogged up the mirror.

Shin took a breath before bending further over, scooping up the hot water with his cupped hands and splashing it on his face. He scrubbed at his skin and repeated the process a few times before he felt decently clean. The water in the sink had turned into a murky brown so he pulled the plug and watched it swirl down the drain in satisfaction.

He stepped down from the stool and went to press his face into a nearby fluffy soft towel to dry off. With a smile at how clean and happy he felt, he picked up his pile of clothes and sneakers.

Turning to leave the bathroom he was suddenly hit full force by the exhaustion he had been holding at bay for the past few days. He was worn to the bone and his body couldn't take much more neglect. He was on the brink of collapsing, yet he was still trying his hardest to fight against closing his weary eyes.

Bad memories were lurking in the darkness behind his lids, and he wasn't willing to face them anytime soon. There was also the possibility that all of this kindness that he was experiencing was just some kind of warped dream that would end the moment he next awoke, and he would find himself back in the laboratory with Dr. Gero. Fear had kept him awake this long, but he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

Gohan had helped him so far, so maybe he could also help banish the memories that haunted his dreams?

Perhaps that was too much to hope for.

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Gohan had changed into his pyjamas by the time Shin knocked on his bedroom door and then entered, dressed in the baggy white t-shirt that was so big on him it reached down to his ankles and it made him look like he was floundering.

His face had been washed, cleaning away any dirt and tear stains that were once there, and he looked a little fresher skinned, though he was practically moving like he was asleep with half closed eyelids.

Gohan smiled at him and then slipped into bed and under the covers. Shin carefully placed his folded clothes on Gohan's desk chair and his sneakers on the floor next to them, then crawled in after Gohan and yawned sleepily.

The bed was large enough to fit them both so they shared a pile of pillows.

As Gohan expected there was another knock on his door and his mother popped her head in to check on them.

"Ah, I see you boys are ready for sleep. I won't keep you awake any longer, goodnight Gohan, goodnight Shin, see you in the morning. I'll have breakfast ready for you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

Shin shivered.

She turned out the light as she left and closed the door, leaving them in the dark with only pale moonlight streaming through the window.

There was only silence for the next few minutes.

Shin kept tossing and turning as if trying to get comfortable but after a while Gohan could sense that he was fidgeting nervously in a restless state.

"What's wrong Shin?" Gohan asked quietly.

A tense pause.

"I don't want to fall asleep." He replied reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"Nightmares. I'm scared to go to sleep."

Gohan wasn't sure what to say. He had the choice of either saying something comforting or remaining awkwardly silent. Silence won out since he debated it too long.

"Gohan?" Shin asked tentatively after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Will you keep me hidden and safe? Will you protect me from Dr. Gero?"

"Of course Shin, I'd never let him take you back."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Since Gohan was on a roll he carried on. "And I'm here for you if you have a nightmare, as long as you're here for me if I have one," Gohan put a bit of humour in his voice, even though deep down he was serious.

He still had nightmares involving every evil creature he had ever come across. To name a few; the ruthless Saiyans, the savage Saibamen, heartless Freeza, and most recently Garlic Jr.

Shin giggled weakly in reply. "OK," The tired boy then rolled over and promptly fell into a deep sleep, admitting soft snores.

Gohan stayed awake for quite some time afterwards, listening to Shin's steady breathing and thinking about the boy next to him. The end result was a headache.

Resolving that everything would be sorted out tomorrow, Gohan let his heavy eyelids close and let himself start to drift off to sleep.

He was mildly surprised when Shin snuggled up to his side while still sleeping. The other boy threw his arm across Gohan's chest and wrapped their legs together.

Gohan didn't mind because he felt warm and safe. He hadn't been held in his sleep for a long time. He could remember that the last person to do it was his father but he couldn't remember exactly when because it had happened a long time ago.

He must have been about four at the time because he hadn't spent any quality time with his father since then.

Fighting evil beings came first and that was all he had been doing straight for the past few years.

Gohan felt something move under the sheets and then wrap around his waist, but his tired brain didn't register it as odd. The warm furry object was familiar to him so he accepted it without a second's thought. He was so used to having a monkey tail for most of his life and it had been a sort of security blanket at night when he was younger.

Yet something at the back of his mind managed to wriggle to the front.

…My tail was cut off years ago…

It took a moment to register that thought.

His eyes shot open in confusion and he was wide awake in a second. What? Has my tail grown back?

Very carefully so as not to wake Shin, he lifted up the blankets and tried to see in the dark what was wrapped around his waist.

Letting moonlight spill over him he saw to his amazement that it was indeed a furry brown monkey tail.

Wow, I didn't feel it grow back! He felt a surge of joy at having his adored tail appear once more in his life, but his happiness deflated as he looked out of his bedroom window at the waning moon. What am I going to do? I like having a tail but I can't keep it because of the moon. Luckily the full moon has only just passed so I have more time to decide what I want to do before the next full lunar cycle… Oh, I'm too tired to be thinking about this now. I'll do it tomorrow…

Gohan scooted closer to Shin's warmth and let himself sink into sleep.