AN I do not own Dbz.

Please enjoy this chapter.

With Goten

Goten scowled at the half broken open door, he didn't want to go down stairs, not in the least. He again pondered at why they couldn't just leave him be. But he sadly already knew the answer to that. They're worried about him, and he knew that. So with what little strength he had, he untangled himself from the blankets and slowly slothed out from his room and down the stairs. If you took a good look at his appearance you'd know there was something wrong with him. He looked weak and tired and he sure felt that way. He felt too weak, whether it be the lack of sleep or proper diet for a demi-Saiyan, or the obvious stress he's been under. 'I don't feel good, all I want to do is go back to my room' He pouted to himself as another jolt of pain flashed through his head. Followed by a horrendous cough escaped his lips. Never being ill before, the cough caught him by surprise, but with his current mood he gave it little thought and continued down the stairs.

"Well what do we have here? For a second there I had thought I would have to go and get you boy. You know you're a minute late." Vegeta scoffed playfully earning a scowl and another deep sounding cough from Goten. Vegeta looked at Goten with a puzzled expression on his face. Usually a cough wasn't something to look into, especially for a Saiyan. But it was a deep sounding cough. He'll be keeping a close eye/ear on it. Wiping his mouth clean of saliva, Goten continued his trek into the kitchen, were the rest of the family was trying to enjoy there breakfast. The popular reaction from the adults and Trunks was a frown. Though happy to see him out of his room, they didn't like the image they were all seeing. Rough, dull, messy looking hair, wrinkled long sleeve shirt and wrinkled blue pyjama bottoms, coupled with his pale complexion and nasty dark bags under his eyes. His eyes themselves looked red and tired. All in all, he looked horrible.

"Oh honey, I'm so happy to see you, you've been cooped up in that room for too long." Chichi said before quickly kneeling down to his level and giving him a strong hug. But soon frowned when he didn't return it. She frowned even deeper when he shrugged her off and trekked over to a seat at the table to put his head down, simply ignoring those around him. Chichi pouted for a moment before returning to her seat and her coffee.

"Hey ch-Goten, what's up?" Trunks asked innocently across the table. But got a reply in the form of a grunt and weak cough.

"Goten honey, are you coming down with something?" she asked as she sneaked a hand onto his forehead in an attempt to check for a fever, but got her hand shoved away and a grumbled "I'm fine." from him. Chichi sighed and turned to Bulma who was finishing up some food for Goten. Sniffing the air, Goten looked up at the food that was sat in front of his food impassively with disinterest. But sighed and started picking at his plate of eggs and pancakes. This got a smile from Trunks and the women and a suspicions scowl from Gohan and Vegeta.

"So, how are you feeling sport?" Gohan asked while taking a sip from his own cup of coffee. Goten simple shrugged and continued picking at his food eating little of it.

"Well, is there anything you want to do today? Anything special?" Gohan asked but again got a shrug in response.

"Hey Goten, I got a new game yesterday, it's really cool. You should try it." Trunks tried but only got and impassive look from him. Trunks grunted mildly and dug into his food, mumbling incoherent things as he ate. The adults sighed simultaneously, he might be out of his room, but besides that things weren't much different. There was an awkward pause that lasted for a few minutes, that was broken by a sad sigh from Trunks. This whole situation was becoming too troublesome and tiring for the two families. Gohan was losing time with Videl. Even though she was aware of the situation, it was putting a strain on their relationship. Vegeta was losing his patience and training time. Bulma was losing concentration with the job with Capsule Corp. Chi-Chi was also losing her patience and was getting home sick. Trunks himself seemed to be fighting his way out of the depression Goten was dragging everyone into. The adults together didn't like this one bit. It was hard enough dealing with one depressed demi-Saiyan. They didn't need two of them.

"Listen, Goten honey, I know you don't want to but we need to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you so much. Either you're overreacting to Trunks' actions or there's something else bothering you. Goten whatever it is, it's not only hurting you but it's hurting everyone else." Chichi said rather sternly and lovingly as everyone else nodded in agreement. Goten sighed and shook his head.

"I'm fine okay; you don't have to keep worrying about me okay." He mumbled out, just loud enough for everyone to hear. The occupants of the room rolled their eyes not buying it for a moment.

"Goten, Trunks, why don't you two go into the other room. The grownups need to talk okay." Bulma said but got an impassive look from Goten and a insulted look from Trunks for the grownups comment. He despised that sentence 'leave the room so the grownups could talk'. He wrinkled his nose before he left the kitchen dragging a now annoyed Goten with him.

With the boys

After a few minutes of just lazing on the couch, Trunks got bored and started looking around the room for the remote for the TV. He groaned though and shook his head; he could hear the adults hushed arguing. Goten on the other hand either didn't hear them or simply didn't care, too busy trying to get comfortable on the couch opting to curl into a ball on the far side of it and watch Trunks scramble around the room for the remote. One of many that controlled the Briefs living room.(A.N its a wraparound couch). 'Damn rich people' Goten thought to himself.

"Finally!" Trunks shouted victoriously as he turned on the game system. He frowned wail glancing at Goten but quickly smiled again.

"I bet you'll like this game, it's the new Alley Fighters IV." Trunks chimed happily before again frowning at Goten's lack of enthusiasm, whom rubbed his eyes tiredly. Sighing, Trunks put down his controller and turned to Goten. "

Hey Goten, are you feeling okay?" Trunks frowned; Goten seemed to be getting paler. He looked worse than he did earlier. He was about ready to call for the others but was cut off by a deep sounding cough followed by another. Quickly sitting up, Goten continued coughing which started turning into a sick wheezing sound. Concerned, Trunks started rubbing his back but Goten shook him off, his cough abruptly stopped with a final intake of air. Goten tuned to Trunks and sighed. "I'm fine Trunks; you can go back to your game now." He grumbled out before plopping back down on the couch and rolling into a ball again with his back facing Trunks in favour of ignoring him. Trunks just sighed dejectedly, before leaving to find his mother. Sure that she'd want to know about the sickly sounding cough.

Living Room a few minutes later

Gohan groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose, Goten's self-loathing and stubbornness to talk or accept help was really starting to rub him the wrong way. "Goten, for the last time, you need to talk to us. You've never been sick before, so if you're having coughing spasms we need to look into it." Goten sighed heavily and hugged the couch pillow to his head and face in an attempt to muffle/ignore everyone, too tired and not in the mood to deal with anyone.

'Why couldn't they just let me stay upstairs, it's too troublesome down here.' Goten thought to himself. "I'm fine, okay? Just leave me alone." He whined through the pillow, much to everyone's dismay. Chi-Chi fiddled with her apron for a moment before speaking.

"Goten, come on sweetie. Everybody is worried about you. I know I'm pointing out the obvious, but you really haven't been acting like yourself these past few weeks." Goten growled from under his pillow before throwing it at an unsuspecting Gohan.

"I said I'm fine, just leave me alone already. I'm going to my room." Goten grumbled as he got off of the cough and attempted to go to his room.

"No you don't mister." Chi-Chi said before grabbing and putting him in a bear hug with his back to her chest. Chichi sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around him tighter forcing him onto her lap.

"Let me go!" Goten growled out as he struggled with her to get out of her embrace. Chi-Chi just sighed but kept a hold of the squirming/struggling child. This surprised the rest of the occupants of the room. Chi-Chi was actually overpowering Goten, whom seemed to be actually trying to free himself. This both amazed and worried Gohan and Vegeta.

"Mom let him go for a moment." Gohan said calmly while Chi-Chi and Goten looked at him confused. Complying with his request, Chi-Chi let him go but kept a hand on his shoulder. "Goten, prove it to me. Prove to me that you are alright, turn into a Super Saiyan. If you can do that, we won't bother you anymore." Goten scoffed and looked at the ground, letting his hair shadow his tired eyes.

"Well what's it going to be brat?" Vegeta calmly asked.

"I've got a name you know!" He snapped weakly trying to sound tough but failed as it came out sound like a whine.

"Come on Goten, just do it. Please?" Trunks pleaded. Goten growled before shaking Chi-Chi's hand off his shoulder, before he slowly gathered his energy to power up. As he powered up the air around him started to fluctuate but before his eyes even had the chance to turn green his energy abruptly stopped in a snap, and he collapsed to his knees panting heavily and going into another spasm. Acting quickly, Chi-Chi got on her knees beside him and started patting his back as he coughed up a mouthful of greenish phlegm looking stuff that had streaks and swirls of red in it.

"You see Goten? You are not okay. All this stress and depression you've built up is wrecking your body." Gohan said sternly while Goten ended his coughing whom growled in response. Bulma sighed

"He's right Goten, if you keep bottling up whatever it is that you're not telling us, it's going to continue to eat at your body. Your head-aches, tiredness, lack of appetite sleep and enthusiasm, they all account to it. Listen, we know you're depressed, and we know that it's linked to Trunks and the fact that he opened up and came out to you. What we don't know is the root to all this. It's so sad to think that something so simple and stupid could ruin a friendship like yours." Bulma said matching Gohan's stern voice. Goten grumbled before resting in a sitting position.

"If you want to know why I've been so quiet lately is because I don't have anything to say. Besides, it took Trunks years to build up my trust, and only a few seconds to throw it away." Trunks frowned while the adults shook their heads.

"We get that you're mad at Trunks, that's a given. What we don't understand is what's causing you to end up like this. Whatever it is, it's stressing your body to the breaking point." Vegeta chimed in as Goten hugged his legs burying his face in his knees.

"Just leave me alone" He shouted out. 'I just want to be left alone' he thought from his position on the floor. He looked pitiful and he knew it. Chichi sighed exasperated

"Goten honey, whatever it is it can't be as bad as you think. If you did something wrong, I promise we won't be mad at you. Trust me honey, lets just settle this. Talk to us please." She said while forcefully dragging him onto her lap and into a hug laying his head on to her shoulder.

"I'm not a baby, so let me go." He grumbled as he squirmed in her arms. After a firm nod from Vegeta she reluctantly let him go and watched as he wobbled his way over and plopped himself onto the cough crossing arms in a pouting fashion.

"Goten we understand that you have personal space. But if whatever it is that you're not telling us is hurting you like this, then you need to talk to us. Trust us Goten, please." Gohan said calmly only to get a grunt form him.

"I-I didn't ask for anyone help. All I want to do is go home and for people to stop asking me stupid questions." Goten tried making it sound threatening but only achieved a growled whine. Everybody sighed.

"Goten, what could have happened to you for you to act like this. Where did our smiley ball of energy go?" Bulma asked sadly.

Flashbacks

Son Home

Goten age 9

"It's been a while hasn't it Chibi?" Trunks asked as he dodged a sloppy punch from Goten, before following up with a roundhouse kick, which Goten managed to dodge. They had been training less and less over the time and peace, but Vegeta being whom he is had had enough of Trunks laziness sent him off to train by force if necessary. So we find our young demi-Saiyans training.

"Well it's not my fault Trunks." Goten said with a small pout which got a laugh out of Trunks. So they trained and, after a few hours of it, were feeling both bored and tired.

"Hey Chibi, let's go swimming." Trunks said as he pointed to the lake a few yards away from them. Goten frowned a little, on one side he'd love to go swimming. On another, he honestly didn't know if his Gramps was watching. He, for some reason as of lately (meaning the past few years), managed to be over the same time Trunks was, and he'd always take a fit when the littlest of things happened. Sure he wasn't around when he was over at Capsule Corp. But they couldn't always play over there and it wasn't fair to Trunks.

Goten sighed and focused on the energies around him, searching for the Ox's signature. Satisfied at not finding his signature, he quickly brightened up nodding his head vigorously. So with that, the boys undressed and jumped in the lake to finish off a bout of training and a long day to enjoy a swim. After an hour or so as the sun was setting the boys dried themselves off and quickly dressed.

"Hey Chibi, it's been a while since we had this much fun, right?" Trunks stated as he came from behind Goten hugging him around the waist. Goten was startled from the sudden embrace but quickly shook it off and smiled happily "Well Chibi I gotta fly, mom doesn't like me home when it's past sunset." Trunks grumbled as Goten nodded in agreement.

"Yeah me too." Goten laughed out as he two headed home. They couldn't lie, they had fun today, until Goten made the short distance home. He arrived to see Ox standing in front of the home with a noticeable scowl on his face, sending a chill down his spine. "Ah, G-Grampa Ox, what's going? Where'd everyone go?" He asked nervously. The Ox king frowned.

"Gohan is out with his girlfriend, and Chi-Chi is at Bulma's." He answered as he crouched down low so that he was at Goten's level. Goten was getting worried, he didn't like being alone with the Ox, things usually went bad. If he took off he'd show guilt and when the Ox thought something happened there wasn't anything to change his mind. Goten learned this over the years.

"So, he was over today..." Ox asked in a knowing voice. Ox hated Trunks, seeing him as a spoiled brat that was after his grandson. He didn't show it openly but Goten knew.

"Yes Sir." Goten answered before getting violently backhanded into a tree.

"And why were you two naked together?" Ox asked in a strained, calm voice. Goten cringed, he was sure he didn't sense him nearby.

"We were swimming, a-and I always swim without my clothes." Goten said before he dodged an Ox sized punch, which on a later note wasn't a good idea. Dodging the Ox's so called punishment always made things worse in this case. Ox grabbed his ankle and swung him before slamming into the hard ground.

"I watched you two, and I'm tired of explaining this to you." Ox said as he stomped on the child's back, making the boy wheeze.

"I'm sorry!" Goten cried out. He hated this. He couldn't fight back, and no one except Trunks would believe him.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, little boys shouldn't play like that. You should be more like Gohan and find a little girlfriend. If I had it my way, that boy wouldn't be allowed anywhere near you. Do you want to disgrace our family?" Ox asked before kicking the boy in the ribs. "Come inside and wash up for dinner, young man." Goten might be tough but Ox wasn't a push over, so the hits always hurt more so mentally then physically. So now sore, he got up and made his way inside the Son home to clean himself up. "Oh and we'll have the Talk again after dinner. Okay young man." Ox said sternly as he passed by.

Present

Vegeta growled out in annoyance as his patience finally wore thin, before stepping up to Goten. "I've had enough of this nonsense boy! I didn't want to do this for that sake of your privacy, but you've left me little choice." Vegeta said while placing his hand on Goten's forehead.

"Vegeta what exactly are you going to do?" Gohan asked suspiciously.

"I'm going to read the boys mind." He didn't give anyone else a chance to speak before he dived into the boys memories. There was an awkward pause in the room as the adults and Trunks saw the faraway look in Goten's eyes before they saw him hug his knees and break down and cried. Vegeta stepped back, a look of disgust on his face.

"What is it, Vegeta?" Bulma asked. Vegeta grunted sighed before turning toward Chi-Chi.

"Your father's a disgusting piece of trash." Once again silence took the room, everyone turning to look at Goten. Their imagination trying to process the thing the Ox-king could have done to cause all of this.

Goten slowly looked up, meeting eyes with Vegeta ready to speak one sentence. "You had no right. You had no fucking right." Before hugging his knees and crying.

AN. Well this is what I've got. Don't know what to do with it. If it gets the review I want, I'll continue it.

Please leave a review.