Epilogue

The forest was peaceful today. A light breeze ruffled the leaves, squirrels scurried around with occassional squaky noises, the waterfall a little ways away a gentle roar in the background. It was calming, soothing to his battered senses.

Piccolo stood nearby, carefully observing his training. Gohan could sense him easily, so close. Barely needed to focus to find his ki. But focus is why he was here. This was training after all. Piccolo suggested it after he nearly transformed from sensory overdrive. He still sparred with Piccolo now and again, but often they just mediated together or worked on telepathy, until they discovered this new "problem".

He sparred with his dad too, quite often in fact, now that they could actually be around each other again. It had been a tough few months since that fateful day when it all came to a head.

"You're thinking too loud, Gohan."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. This is why you train, to learn and improve. Getting distracted is a part of that training."

"Right, got it. I'll try again."

"Just shut everything else out. Let your mind come to rest. Let yourself get lost in your surroundings. Become your surroundings."

Gohan did just that. With his eyes still closed, he took a deep breath and as he released it, allowed his thoughts to fly away. It was a similar excercise to meditation and yet not quite the same. It had the same calming effect, but meditating was to center your thoughts and emotions, find peace within yourself.

What he was doing now was slightly different. Yes he needed to become calm, so perhaps the first part of this excercise was to mediate. But once he was calm, he needed to reach out and sense everything. He was sharpening his focus. As Piccolo mentioned, his strength was not lacking. He was the strongest of everyone on Earth. What he needed to train was his mind, his focus. Especially now that his power had increased so much.

Piccolo had observed how Gohan noticed things far sooner than others, but it was too much across too far an area. There was no control, no cohesion to his increased awareness of ki. Thus Piccolo suggested a special training to hone his sensitive ki-awareness, to make it more focussed and less trying to sense everything across the entire planet. The immediate forest around Gohan's home, was plenty of ki to start of with.

Gohan was just about to reach that same state of calm and peace, when a voice drifted across the wind, calling his name and effectively shattering his focus.

"Gohan! Lunch is ready!"

Gohan's focus zeroed in on his mother about a mile away while the sounds of life in the forest rose to a thundering presence, ki signals flaring alive around him as his mind and ki reached further and spread out from Chichi where his center focus had moved towards, rather than stay focused on himself.

Gohan vaguely heard Piccolo calling his name, he wasn't even sure if he was calling vocally or in his mind. There was too much in there already. He doubted he could pick his teacher out of the noise.

He tried to reign in his kid, tried to snap himself out of it when he sensed it. Beyond the roaring ki tunneling around him in a vortex, was a speck of ki that drew his focus. The noise, the pressure of sensing so much at once, suddenly disappeared. He knew it was still there, on the edge of his awareness, but it no longer reached him, no longer bombarded him.

Because he had sensed something...something astounding. A small ki signal buried beneath his mothers'. No one would notice it at this strength, especially with his mom's signal hiding it unintentionally. But he could feel it.

Piccolo literally shook him out of it and Gohan opened his eyes wide to meet Piccolo's own worried gaze. "Are you alright, Gohan!?"

Gohan blinked several times trying to adjust to the light around him. He'd spend hours with his eyes closed after all. Not to mention, the shock of what he'd just found out. Apparently his silence was not what Piccolo was after, for his shook him again, gently but urgent.

"Gohan!"

"I'm okay. Sorry...I'm here. I'm alright."

Piccolo seemed to deflate at his answer, relieved that his pupil hadn't hurt himself again. Piccolo was still cross with him for facing his troubles alone in that shin en meditation.

"What happened?"

Gohan ignored the question at first, chosing to stand up and stretch his stiff limbs while trying to comprehend what he'd sensed. He knew what it meant, obviously. He wondered mostly if his mom knew and if she did for how long she had known and if she had told anybody yet. Heck, had she told his dad yet?

He couldn't remember anyone acting any different, as if they carried a secret around.

"Gohan?"

Gohan was startled out of his thoughts by Piccolo still waiting for an answer. As much as he hated lying to friend, he wasn't sure he should mention anything yet. He wanted to wait until he knew whether his mom knew first.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. Honest," he added at Piccolo's grimace at the word fine. "Things got a bit much because I was trying to sense everything and mom distracted me. I've got it under control though. All calm in here." He pointed at his own head as he said that last part. "I should go. Mom's probably waiting for me. See ya!" With a smile and wave he quickly bounded away before Piccolo could give him the third degree.

As he hurried home, unbidden the thought came to him. Was everything going to change now? Was this a good thing?

Of course it was a good thing. His mom always wanted a big family. Everything would be fine.

Gohan tried to focus on these thoughts throughout the next few days. After observing his mom closely, he was positive she knew but she clearly hadn't told anyone else yet. For that reason Gohan kept it a secret, even though that went against his new pact with his dad.

After everything that had happened with them, they had decided to never keep secrets from each other again. Even the simplest of doubts or worries were brought to the surface, no matter how silly or small. But this was not one of Gohan's own secrets. It was his mom's. It wasn't his to tell.

He could only hope his dad wouldn't realise he was keeping a secret. He hated to ruin the trust they had build. Piccolo scrutinizing him whenever he was around didn't help. Gohan figured he wouldn't believe nothing had happened, but he hadn't counted on Piccolo showing his worry and doubt so obviously.

It had been three days since he found out and even though he was happy for his mom, there were some traitorous thoughts he couldn't quite keep down for very long.

Why now? Was he being replaced? Was he not good enough? Did his mom want a normal kid?

He knew it was ridiculous. His mom loved him and would never sent him away. And yet, whenever he let his guard down the thoughts rose to the surface unbidden. He hated it. Hated himself for allowing these thoughts to exist in the first place. What did he have to be worried about?! In the other future he sort of became Trunks' big brother and that was fine. Only difference he was about to be an actual big brother.

Gohan sighed, burrying his head in his hands. He really hated his own mind right now, hell his power too. If he hadn't sensed anything, he wouldn't be thinking all of this, he wouldn't be keeping a secret... why did everything always get so out of hand. Was it bad karma?

A weight on his shoulder took him by surprise. With a cry of surprise Gohan jumped up and brought his hands up in a defensive form. "Easy, kiddo. It's only me."

"Krillin." Relieve flooded his body now that it was clear there was no threat. As if there would be. gohan mentally scolded himself for overreacting, again.

"Are you okay, Gohan?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just startled, is all."

"What are you all doing back here? The party is out front."

Gohan felt his heart creep into his throat as his dad approached. He didn't have enough time to school his composure. He would know something was wrong!

"Krillin, would you mind helping Chichi out with the food. Gohan and I will join you in a minute."

Krillin grimaced at Gohan before leaving, knowing full well that something was up. Gohan looked down afraid to face his dad head on. Here it was, the moment it all would fall apart.

"Can you look at me, Gohan?"

Gohan just shook his head, refusing to look at his dad's disappointed face. A gentle hand on top of his head nearly undid his resolve.

"I know you're hiding something." Gohan's entire body tensed, preparing for the hurt and disappointment. "We promised we would not keep secrets between us. I was hoping you'd come to me, but here we are. I'm not the only who noticed you've been acting strange."

Hands grabbed onto his shoulders and his dad moved into his vision when he crouched before him. "Please talk to me, Gohan."

It took a few seconds to stiffle his emotions enough to speak clearly. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Why can't you tell me? Didn't we promise?"

"We did. But please understand. It's not my place to say anything."

His dad looked surprised at that, questioning eyes searching Gohan's. "I found out about something a few days ago and it's not... I can't tell you. I shouldn't."

"Alright, I can understand that. You're keeping someone else's secret. I wouldn't ask you to betray a friend, but something is clearly bothering you about it. And that is something I can not let slide."

"I can't tell you without giving up the secret."

"Gohan, I can feel your confusion, your fear through our bond. Please, let me help you."

The soft way he spoke, the gentle prod of his dad's worry through the bond made the words spill from his lips without warning.

"Mom is pregnant."

Silence followed his statement prompting Gohan to finally look up. His dad was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Dad?"

He didn't move, didn't respond. Gohan gently extracted himself from his dad's hands and placed his own on his dad's shoulders. He gently shook him, trying to snap him out of it.

"Dad?!"

It seemed to work. He blinked before sitting down on a nearby stone. "Chichi is...pregnant?"

"Dad? Are you... happy about that?"

The question seemed to snap him out of whatever daze this was. "Of course I am! Another child?! This is amazing!" Gohan couldn't help but crack a smile at his dad's enthousiastic response. But it quickly dropped when he turned a sudden concerned gaze his way.

"Are you happy with this, son?"

Gohan opened his mouth to quench his worried but he hesitated. He promised to be honest with his dad and his mom's secret was out in the open now, so he had to admit what he struggled with.

"I...I wasn't..sure, at first. I was shocked, amazed even."

"But?"

"But, I had some thoughts. I didn't mean to have them! I don't even know where they came from! I...I just..."

"You worried about what this would mean for you."

"I'm sorry."

His dad crouched before him in an instant again, looking with such honest eyes at him it nearly made Gohan cry.

"Don't be sorry. You've done nothing wrong. It's only natural to worry about change and what it will mean. Your mother and myself, we love you. We will always love you. Nothing will change that. Nothing!"

"I know, I really do know that."

Gohan was engulfed in a hug then that he eagerly answered. It felt so much better to get it off his chest. After what felt like minutes, Gohan gently pulled away. Smiling at his dad, he quickly pushed him back towards the party.

"Go on, you need to talk to mom."

After a quick hug and kiss to the head, he left to find Chichi. Gohan felt much better now and watched amused as his mom was twirled into the air by his dad. Everyone congratulated them on the now no longer secret pregnancy.

"Congratulations Gohan. You're going to be a big brother." Gohan smiled at Bulma, his honorary aunt.

A big brother. It was a strange thought but not unpleasant. Gohan watched happily as everyone mingled and laughed and ate and he vowed that nothing would happen to his little brother or sister. He would make sure of it.

He would be the best big brother there ever existed.

Apologies for the long, long wait for this epilogue. It was ridiculously hard to figure out what to actually do in this. As it turns out, it is completely different from my original design that I came up with before the main story was finished whihc is a good thing in the end, because the original idea would not fit with how much this story has changed over the years of writing it.

I hope it is enjoyable or at least feels like it properly finished the story. I'm just glad this story managed to find an end, eventually.

Comment if you like, I don't deserve to beg for it after taking so long. Sorry to everyone who has waited all this time and to those who are probably no longer here to read this apology.