AN: I got the idea for this story after watching the Japanese version of the episode "Unwelcome Discovery". In the English version Trunks mentions that he came back in time a second time to find a weakness in the Androids, but in the Japanese version, Trunks mentions that his mother told him to go back in time to fight with Goku and learn a weakness in the Androids and if that didn't work, bring Goku to Trunks' time to defeat the Androids. So, it got me thinking. What if Goku was revived after dying from Cell and Trunks asked him to come to the future with him.

Healing Old Wounds

Part One

"Your wish has been granted. The man called Goku has returned to Earth," Porunga's voice boomed over the small group of humans and Namekians who gathered to see the dragon.

Hours ago, Gohan finished Cell off for good but the victory of Cell's demise came with a price for Gohan's father, Goku died fighting Cell by giving up his life. Now Gohan wanted to revive his father. Since the Earth dragon balls could only revive someone who died once and this was Goku's second death. Gohan quickly got Bulma's dragon radar and with Krillin used the second wish to transport to Namek and asked Moori if they could use their dragon balls. The elder Namek eagerly granted their request.

Gohan jumped in the air with an exuberant joy, hearing the news that his father was revived. "Yes! Dad's back!"

"We did it, Gohan!" Krillin cheered giving the young man a high five.

"What is your next wish?" Porunga asked.

"Could you teleport us back to Earth on the Lookout?" Krillin requested. He looked back at the villagers. "You can use the other wish. We don't have anymore."

Porunga's eyes turned red granting the second wish. Gohan and Krillin vanished from Namek and reappeared on the Lookout on Earth.

Gohan looked around for his father. "Daddy?" Gohan called looking around. "Where's my Dad?"

"Hey, Gohan! Over here!" Goku waved. The revived warrior in his torn battle clothes was on the other edge of the Lookout standing beside Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha and Trunks.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried, laughing happily as he ran to his father. He jumped into Goku's arms for a big hug. "I was scared that you wouldn't be able to come back. I'm sorry I didn't finish off Cell like I should've. I'm sorry you got killed."

Goku patted his son's head. "Hey, it's okay, Gohan. I'm here now. That's all that matters."

Trunks stepped to Goku with a serious expression on his face. "Goku, may I speak to you for a moment alone?"

"Sure, Trunks." Goku said. He broke his embrace from Gohan and walked with Trunks to the edge of the Lookout.

"I want to make a request if that's possible. You see when my mother first sent me here, she had wanted me to learn from you on how to defeat the Androids and if at all possible bring you back to my world to help me defeat them. Well, I want you to come with me. I'm sure I can defeat them and Cell but just in case…" he let the rest of his words hang.

"Sure, I'll come with you, Trunks," Goku agreed. "I always wondered what your world looked like anyway."

"Thanks. I'll be leaving tomorrow. I'll be sure to bring you back to your time, but the time machine will need to recharge and that will take about four months."

****

"No! Absolutely not! I forbid it!" Chi-Chi yelled at Goku once hearing his plans to leave to go to the future with Trunks.

Chi-Chi welcomed Goku and Gohan home with open arms, incessant crying and kisses after their battle with Cell. She cooked a big feast for the two and once the day had settled into night and with Chi-Chi very relaxed now that the battle was over and her husband and son were safe, Goku thought it was best to let Chi-Chi in on his decision. He knew she would be against it but thought he could talk her into accepting it.

"But, Chi-Chi," Goku said gently. "It's only to save the future in Trunks' time. I probably won't even have to fight. I'm sure Trunks can do it on his own, but if he can't, I'll help."

"You could die, Goku! I don't want you dying again!" She yelled and broke into tears. "You died today with Cell! If you die with the Androids or Cell in Trunks' time, you won't be able to come back! Can't you see that?!"

Goku smiled sympathetically at Chi-Chi. "That won't happen. I'm a lot stronger than the Androids and Cell in his first stage. I won't die against them."

"Dad's right, Mom," Gohan jumped in. "I believe he will come home safely."

Chi-Chi threw her arms up in frustration and turned her back on Goku and Gohan as she started crying again. "I can never win. All I want is for you to be safe and you want to do something dangerous that can get yourself killed."

Goku placed his hands on Chi-Chi's shoulders and eyed Gohan who looked worried about his mother. "Hey, Gohan. Why don't you go on ahead to bed while I finish talking to your mother?"

"Uh, okay, Dad. Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad," Gohan said before walking out.

"Goodnight, Gohan," Goku and Chi-Chi said to their son. Once Gohan left, Goku proceeded to rubbed Chi-Chi's shoulders gently until she stopped had crying. "Chi-Chi."

"Every time you go out to fight some dangerous monster, you just kill a part of me. Why can't you go out and get an ordinary job? You'll be safer that way. I'll feel better knowing you're not out risking your life."

"Chi-Chi, I'll be safe. I promise to come back alive."

"How can I be so sure of that? You don't know the future. You could die on this mission. I don't want that."

Goku turned Chi-Chi around to face him. She was still crying but softly. He brushed them away with the warm touch of his thumb. "You know I hate it when you cry like this, especially if I'm the cause of it." He cupped the side of her face gently. "Do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

Goku smiled and caressed Chi-Chi's face gently in small circles. "Then trust me on this. I will come back alive. I promise you I will come back. Just trust me."

Chi-Chi bit her lip and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. One managed to slide down her cheek and into her mouth. She ignored the salty taste in her mouth and answered her husband. "I do." A smile slowly crept upon her face. "Why can't I win against you?"

Goku grinned and his eyes lit up like an innocent child. "Because you love me."

Chi-Chi laughed and lightly jab Goku's left shoulder. "It's hard to stay mad at you, you know. You always want to do what's best for everyone else, you always want to help everyone and I love you for that, but a part of me hates it because you could get killed and I just want you safe."

Chi-Chi went into Goku's arms for a hug. His arms wrapped around hers making her feel safe and reassured that he would return. Chi-Chi realized that she had to let him go. There was just no other way about it and Chi-Chi had to accept that. "How long will you be gone?"

"Trunks told me that it will take four months before the Time Machine is reenergized," Goku answered as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Chi-Chi sighed. "Another four months without you. I don't like it. I hate it when you leave."

"You will have Gohan to take care of you," Goku told her.

"It won't be the same without you. Do you wonder what Trunks' future is like? Trunks called it a living Hell. When you go there, cities will be destroyed, all of the people you know here--Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu are gone."

Goku nodded solemnly. "I know."

"I wonder what my future self looks like. I wonder if my future self is even alive. Trunks never mentioned me, did he? When he was on the plane with us when we took you to Master Roshi's island, I wanted to ask him about my future self, but I was too afraid. I guess I didn't want to know or maybe I already do. To live in a world without you or Gohan… I don't know how I could do it. My life would be over." She moved her body closer to feel him against her once more. "Are you going to see my future self if she's alive?"

"Well, yeah. I was planning on staying there until Trunks' time machine was ready to take me back. Is that all right?"

Chi-Chi looked up at him. "Sure it is. I pity her. She doesn't have you or Gohan. It'll be nice for you to keep her company. I know she must be lonely in that home."

****

Everyone stood outside Capsule Corp the following day to say their goodbyes to Trunks and Goku. Trunks shook Bulma's hand who wished him a safe trip back. Vegeta acknowledged Trunks with the peace sign. Trunks returned the expression. He jumped in his ship and waved goodbye to everyone else.

"Chi-Chi, I have to go now," Goku told his wife.

Chi-Chi, who was holding on to Goku, pulled out of his embrace. "I know. Just come home safely."

"I will." Goku looked to Gohan. "Watch your mother for me while I'm gone, son."

"I will, Dad," Gohan promised.

Goku got in Trunks' time ship and waved goodbye to everyone who wished them both well. The clear dome on Trunks' time machine closed over them, the ship powered up and flew into the sky until it vanished before everyone's eyes.

"Wow, so this is what it's like to travel to the future," Goku said in awe as he looked out the clear dome. They were traveling so fast that everything outside the time machine looked like a blur. The sky was black but flashes of colors passed by them as they flew at several light speeds. With the two of them in the ship, it was cramp to Goku but he realized with the time Bulma had to make the ship and the world she was living in, luxury wasn't an option. "So, Trunks, how bad is the future?"

"It's a living Hell," Trunks said. "It's not how you see your world. As I told you before, everything you know is gone. Can you imagine that?" Mirai Trunks asked.

Goku thought back to his nightmares of the Saiyans attacking his family and his dream when Frieza came to Earth and killed and destroyed everyone and everything. "Yes…I can." Just thinking about those nightmares, reminded Goku of Chi-Chi. "Trunks, you never mentioned what happened to Chi-Chi in your future. Is she still alive?"

"Yes…as far as I know."

"What do you mean about that?" Goku asked.

"I've only seen her once and that was at the funeral for Gohan. She never left her home in the mountains which was a good thing because the Androids never attacked there. My mother told me that the Ox King died a year later of natural causes and Chi-Chi withdrawn from everyone completely after that. My mother and Chi-Chi rarely talked but she did try to keep in contact with Chi-Chi after the Ox King's death since she was truly alone now, but Chi-Chi rarely responded back. Phone lines were often down because of the Androids and mail service was shortened because no one wanted to go out with the Androids around." Mirai Trunks was quiet for a minute after his explanation and then asked Goku suddenly. "Are you planning to see her?"

"I was planning to stay at the house until your time machine was ready to take me back home," Goku answered.

"I'm not sure you should do that, Goku," Trunks advised Goku. "Who knows how Chi-Chi would react to see you. In my time, you're dead."

"I know, but I think Chi-Chi can handle it," Goku answered confidently.

"There's something else, Goku," Trunks said in a serious tone. "Chi-Chi of the future isn't like the Chi-Chi you know. Her appearance is the reason why I didn't recognize her at first when Krillin and I arrived at your house."

"What does Chi-Chi look like?" Goku asked casually although his facial expression had gone serious.

"She looks like a woman with a broken heart. She's very depressed and even though she's older than your wife, she looks older than she actually is." Trunks slowed the speed of his time machine as the sky lightened up. "We're coming into my time."

Goku's thoughts on Chi-Chi were diverted as he looked out the window. Patches of dark clouds filled the blue sky. Buildings were toppled on top of each other in ruins and on fire. Some cars were crushed on top of each other while other cars were burnt with dead bodies inside. Large craters filled the streets along with more dead bodies or torn limbs. Trunks flew over the gruesome area and landed behind his home. Trunks opened the top of the ship and Goku jumped out to look around. Capsule Corp didn't look the way Goku remembered in his time. This one was in ruins with a heavy chunk of the yellow dome gone. It looked as if a violent earthquake had rocked the place. The nice, neatly cut green grass that once surrounded the place was barren. The flowers that were once taken cared of by the robot servants in the famous dome were dead and didn't looked as if it had been taken cared of in years.

"Welcome to my home," Trunks said gravely pocketing the capsule time machine in his top jacket pocket.

Goku followed Trunks into Capsule Corp. Some rooms were destroyed, others weren't. Some walls had huge cracks in it, ready to collapsed, windows were broken and a ceiling had caved in one of the rooms. Trunks explained with the frequent attacks that there wasn't anytime to rebuild. Goku paused to see a picture of the whole gang together smiling hanging on a wall. It looked to have been taken place before the Goku of this time had gotten sick but after he returned from Yardrat.

Trunks opened the door to the kitchen and found his mother sitting at the table listening to the radio as she drunk her coffee. He stepped in first after telling Goku to wait.

"Mom."

Mirai Bulma put her cup down and turned around. "Trunks, you're back!" She got out of her seat and hugged her son. "Oh, I was so worried about you." She pulled back to get a look of him from head to toe. "What happened in the past? You look so much stronger. Did you defeat the Androids? Is everyone alive?"

"It's a long story and I'll tell you all later but first there's someone I think you'd like to see." Trunks pointed to the door.

Mirai Bulma looked at the doorway and gasped upon seeing Goku stepping in the room. "Oh, my…" she paused not knowing what else to say. "Goku?"

"Hi, Bulma!" Goku said cheerfully. "Wow, you look older."

Laughing and crying at the same time, Mirai Bulma hugged him. "Oh, Goku, you jerk, it's great to see you!" She looked at her son. "You decided to bring Goku back to fight the Androids after all."

"He did," Goku said. "But I'm sure Trunks can do it on his own. I'll supervise and if by some chance he's not able to beat them, I'll do it."

Just then the song on the radio was interrupted with breaking news of the Androids attacking another city nearby.

"It's time to go, Goku," Mirai Trunks said as he shed his jacket.

"Right. See ya," Goku waved goodbye to Mirai Bulma as he and Trunks left to face the Androids.

Mirai Trunks and Goku flew to the city where the Androids were last reported at. It was full of flames, toppled buildings and dead bodies. The two Saiyans saw a man trying to fight the Androids off by firing his gun on them. Android 17 smiled smugly at the man's feeble attempt to defeat him.

"Don't these weaklings realize that guns don't work against us," Android 17 wondered.

"They are nothing but a weak and stupid race, 17," Android 18 said and sat on the back of a ruined car. "I'll let you kill him."

Mirai Trunks and Goku looked down at the scene from the sky. "I'll stay here while you fight the Androids," Goku said. "I think you can do it on your own."

"Okay," Mirai Trunks said. He flew down just in time to save the man from being killed and fought the Androids off by himself. Mirai Trunks first destroyed Android 17 and then he finished off Android 18 quickly and at ease. He wasn't going to be like Vegeta and toy with them before finishing them off. When he destroyed the Androids, Mirai Trunks walked to the man who tried to fight off the Androids and told him that it was over and the Androids weren't coming back. As he was doing this, Goku landed beside Mirai Trunks.

"Good job, Trunks. I knew you could do it on your own," Goku said.

"Yeah, Goku. Thanks. Piccolo told me how Cell found me as I was about to get in the time capsule and return to the past. I think I'll handle him alone since he thinks you're dead."

Goku nodded agreeing with Trunks. "I have faith you can beat him, Trunks. I think I'll head home and see Chi-Chi. Let me know when the time ship is ready."

Before Mirai Trunks could say anything else, Goku was already gone in the sky. "I hope he's doing the right thing."

Goku flew to his home in the future with a thoughtful look on his face. 'I wonder how this world's Chi-Chi would react seeing me. I know she will be shock. It's best that I don't use Instant Transmission. She might have a heart attack that way.'

In his flight, Goku saw several cities destroyed. He couldn't believe how much damage the Androids caused. As he flew further and further out of the city and into the country, Goku noticed it wasn't as damage as the cities were. Some country homes were destroyed but as he got closer to his home, it looked peaceful and serene like his home in the past.

Goku smiled upon seeing the familiar dome shape house. He smiled even more feeling a familiar ki. "So, Chi-Chi is still alive. I wonder how she looks now. Trunks said she didn't look the same as my Chi-Chi."

Goku landed in the yard and looked around. The ground wasn't kept up the way the Chi-Chi in the past had it. The Chi-Chi he knew always pride herself in keeping her house clean and yard decorated with flowers and neat, green grass but since she was the only one living in the house now, this Chi-Chi in the future probably didn't feel the need or desire to keep things up. Goku started to open the door but realized once again he was in the future and this Chi-Chi's husband was dead. It would scare of her if he just walked in so he decided to knock on the door instead.

Mirai Chi-Chi was in her bedroom knitting herself a sweater when she heard a knock at her door. She looked up alarmed. No one had visited her home in years. The last time anyone visited her home were villagers expressing their condolences over Ox King's death.

It couldn't have been the Androids because they never would knock and she lived too far off from danger to be found. This was one of the few advantages of living in the mountains--it kept her safe from the Androids. The bad thing was that it held too many memories of her departed husband and son. The affects of their deaths greatly affected her. Goku's death greatly affected her. She was never the same after he died. Chi-Chi lost her spirit when Goku died and whatever of her old self remained after his death was gone when Gohan died. With Gohan's death, she became deeply depressed. The only thing she had going in life was her father but eventually death caught up to him leaving Chi-Chi alone and becoming a recluse inside her house.

Upon hearing the knock again, Mirai Chi-Chi got up from her rocking chair and left her room. She wondered who it could be. Her home was too far off from civilization for someone to accidentally stumble upon so it must've meant it was someone she knew. Bulma and Trunks were the only ones who would risk coming to see her even though she hadn't seen them since Gohan's funeral. She suspected Master Roshi to still be living, but the Old Turtle Hermit kept himself well hidden from the Androids and would never venture out to see her.

"There's only one way to find out," Mirai Chi-Chi said to herself. She turned the knob and opened the door. When she saw who it was, she gasped placing a hand over her mouth in shock.

Goku stared at Mirai Chi-Chi and noticed she was different from his Chi-Chi. Mirai Chi-Chi was older, but she looked much older than her age. Her face was drawn and tired, full of stress and worry that had built up over the years and taken its affect on her. Still, she was his wife in the future and she looked pretty to him.

"Hi, Chi-Chi!" Goku said cheerfully.

"Oh…my…goodness," Mirai Chi-Chi gasped in shock. At first, Mirai Chi-Chi thought he was an illusion like many times before but this Goku spoke to her. He was real and looked the same as she last saw him those many years ago. "Goku?"

Goku smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's me, but--"

Mirai Chi-Chi didn't let Goku finished as she screamed and threw her arms Goku in a hug. "Oh, Goku! I never thought I'd see you again! It's a miracle! You're alive!"

"Yeah, Chi-Chi, about that--" Goku once again tried to explain but Mirai Chi-Chi cut him off.

"You came back! I had hoped and prayed that I'd see you again and you came back! I've waited so long for this! I thought I would have to die before I saw you again," Mirai Chi-Chi cried in his arms.

"Chi-Chi, I need to tell you--" Goku said and was silence once more when Mirai Chi-Chi pressed her lips upon his.

To Be Continued