Title: Carbon Original
Summary: In this 'what if' scenario, one of the Cell Jrs manages to survive Gohan's wrath and ultimately becomes the Saiyan's charge, which could potentially be the best thing for him in the wake of his father's death.
Rating: T (for some violence and brief language)
Disclaimer: The anime "Dragon Ball Z" and its characters belong to FUNimation and Akira Toriyama. I make no profit from these writings.

Author's Note: I actually started this story about a year ago. I worked on it almost every day for weeks, and then my interest fizzled out, and I stopped working on it for months. At the time, I had looked all over this site for stories that explored the possibility of one of the Cell Jrs surviving, as such an idea seemed so obvious. So obvious, in fact, that I was surprised Akira Toriyama himself didn't do it. But my search turned up absolutely no results, and I decided to tackle the idea myself.

Looking at this story now, I'm not as pleased with it as I had been in the beginning, but that's typical of me. I tend to not like the stuff I write after a while. It always seems great at the time. But since this story came so far, I thought it'd be a shame to just let it sit in my files and continue to collect dust, so…I'm posting the first chapter to see what kind of reception it gets.

"Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it." - Henry David Thoreau

Chapter I:
Mercy

Gohan stared at the ground through grief-stricken eyes. So his father wouldn't be returning? Did he truly believe that by staying dead it would make the world safer? How could he possibly be so sure of that? Didn't he know that Gohan needed him? It wasn't fair! Ever since Raditz had first come to Earth, their time together had more or less been spent fighting a foe. It was one obstacle right after another. They had never really had the opportunity to truly be a father and son, and now it seemed as though it would never happen. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Eighteen had left from the Lookout just moments ago, and Krillin had faced his fair share of teasing for his crush on the android. Gohan did well to put on a happy face and join in with the jokes, as everyone else seemed pretty at ease about Goku's absence. Sure, everyone was saddened, but the grief just didn't seem that heavy. Of course it was possible that it just hadn't sunk in yet.

Everyone seemed ready to head off now. Things were at peace, and it was time for everyone to go their separate ways. Gohan tried his best to force a smile for his friends, though deep down, he wanted nothing more than to scream his grief into a pillow, something he was certain he would be doing before the night was over. He was about ready to depart from the Lookout with his friends when he felt it.

The boy turned sharply, eyes wide.

"You're feeling it too, Gohan?" Piccolo asked calmly, looking off in the same direction with a hard gaze.

"Y-Yeah. It's…It's faint, but it's there," the adolescent replied, eyes narrowing.

Krillin narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to feel out the energy. His eyes widened slightly within seconds. "Wait…that's not…" The bald fighter became borderline hysterical. "No! N-No, it can't be!" he shouted, gaining the attention of the other fighters.

"What? What is it?" asked Trunks as he became alert of everyone's distress, following the gaze of his friends.

"I don't think it's Cell," Gohan clarified quickly.

"No, it's one of the little ones," Piccolo added, clenching his teeth. "Somehow, one of those little runts survived, though it seems to be barely clinging to life."

Gohan growled, clenching his fists. "I'll take care of it."

"Wait, Gohan, I think maybe we should come with you," Krillin suggested, stepping towards the preteen.

"No," Gohan snapped angrily, his onyx hair suddenly flashing gold. "He won't be an issue. Everyone just go home. This isn't going to take long," he said darkly as he rocketed off the Lookout, speeding off into the distance and leaving the rest of the fighters staring after him in wonder.

Piccolo relaxed slightly. "He'll be fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Tien piped up. "I'm not so comfortable with letting the kid run off to fight that monster."

"Trust me, Gohan's power far exceeds our own, and the Cell Jr. may be alive, but he's weak. Gohan managed to take on all seven without issue. Now that Gohan's fully healed and even stronger, he should be able to take him out fairly easily," the Namekian responded with confidence.

"I guess," Krillin said, relaxing. "I know he went far beyond my expectations," he added with a smile.

0ooooooo0

Gohan ceased his flying, slowly looking down towards the ground. It didn't take him long to spot the creature. Even from his height, he could still make out the little blue speck crawling across the ground, clearly weakened. It was a fair distance from where the battle had taken place, and it was clear the creature had been trying to flee the scene since its near annihilation. It would be no surprise that the Cell Jrs could regenerate just like their father, which meant that a small part of one of the creatures had managed to survive, giving it the opportunity to sprout a new body. Sneering, the half-Saiyan crossed his arms and slowly descended. He felt his anger gradually rise as the view of the Cell Jr. became clearer and clearer. He touched down with ease, mere feet behind the struggling creature.

Sensing Gohan's presence, it turned sharply, eyes widening in fear. "So you're still here," Gohan growled, taking a step forward as electricity surged all around his glowing form. Panicked, the Cell Jr. began scrambling across the ground, desperate to get away. He didn't even have the strength to get to his feet anymore, let alone fly away. His energy had pretty much all been depleted. He remembered the pain of being severed in half brutally, a small portion of his lower half managing to stay intact. While he was able to regenerate his upper half, it left him practically defenseless. His reserves of power did not last as long as his father's, and while he could pack a powerful punch, his strength fizzled out fairly quickly if his opponent outmatched him, and regenerating more than half of his body pretty much did him in. Now that Gohan had discovered him, he knew he was a goner.

Gohan lifted off the ground again and touched down directly in front of the Cell Jr.'s path. The android ceased his crawling and stared up at the Super Saiyan in horror, trembling in uncontrollable fright. "This is the end of the line for you," Gohan said coldly as he lifted his hand, an orb of energy taking shape in his palm. The smaller being looked down in defeat, squeezing his eyes shut as tears threatened to fall. He could only hope that the Saiyan would make it quick.

"Gohan, stop!" the boy heard a voice shout in his mind. The young Saiyan looked up in alarm, momentarily forgetting the small android trembling at his feet.

"D-Dad?"

"Don't do it, son. Just let him go."

"But…But Dad, I can't let him live! He's dangerous!"

"Gohan, he can't even fight. It would be incredibly cold-hearted to kill him like this. I raised you better than that."

"But Dad, I…he…"

"I always taught you to be merciful, Gohan, to be better than your enemies."

"I'm not like him!" Gohan shouted to the sky, regaining the attention of the blue creature. He curiously looked up at the boy, tears residing at the corners of his eyes.

"You will be and worse if you kill him," Goku argued firmly.

"He's a monster! He deserves to die!" Gohan suddenly glanced back down at the Cell Jr., readying his attack once again.

"Gohan, I don't know that it's fair to call him a monster. Cell was a monster, but this little creature really didn't do much to justify killing him. He may look like Cell, he may be a product of Cell, but he's not Cell. He never killed any innocent people or blew up entire cities. He just beat the stuffing out of us a bit," Goku said with a chuckle. "I don't think that's a crime worthy of death. Please, Gohan, don't punish him for Cell's crimes. Remember everything Sixteen told you."

Gohan began trembling slightly, his conscience slowly but surely reemerging, telling him that his father's words rang true and that he should spare the creature.

"I can't just let him go," he argued, a small part of him still wanting to blow this creature away, though it was getting harder and harder to stare into those tearful eyes and still wish death on the android.

"I'm not saying to let him out of your sight. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. Only attack if provoked."

The boy suddenly looked more annoyed than anything. "Great, so now you want me to be a babysitter?" He could hear Goku's laughter echoing in his mind.

"Well, he is kind of kid, isn't he? With Cell gone, he sort of needs someone to look after him. I'm not so sure he can take care of himself."

Gohan closed his eyes and sighed, the orb of energy fading from his hand. He let his hand drop to his side, opening his eyes to stare down at the creature again. Was it true what his father said? Was this creature a mere child, albeit a violent one? If so, Gohan couldn't help but feel sick at his stomach at the thought that he had been about to kill him, and almost gleefully at that.

"All right, Dad," the boy sighed. He could almost see Goku's smile in his mind.

"I'm proud of you, son. Really, I am. I'm…sorry if I never said it enough while I was still alive."

The half-Saiyan blinked repeatedly as tears threatened to fall. "I know, Dad," he squeaked.

0ooooooo0

Goku smiled contently as he withdrew his hand from King Kai's back.

"Are you so sure that was a wise decision to make, Goku?" the Kai asked with disdain. "That creature could still wreak havoc, you know. Letting it live is risky."

"Gohan's a very capable fighter, King Kai," the Saiyan replied with a smile. "He'd be able to handle the situation easily if it got out of hand. And you know how I feel about unnecessary violence, especially when a person can't defend themselves."

"Yes, but…" the Kai sighed as his voice trailed off. "I swear, there's just no arguing with you, Goku," he mumbled irritably. "You're as thick-headed as they come."

Goku chuckled as he patted the Kai on the back. "Trust me, I think this might be good for Gohan. I know him adjusting to me not being there will be difficult for him, and he needs a distraction right now."

0ooooooo0

After no longer hearing his father's voice, Gohan returned his gaze to the Cell Jr., who still looked understandably terrified. "Well…what are we going to do now?" he asked, more of himself than of the android. As he took a step towards the smaller creature, it instantly became panicked and scrambled to its hands and knees, crawling away from the Saiyan as fast as he could. Gohan simply stood and watched as the android managed to get to his feet and run a short distance before collapsing with a panicked yelp. Gohan's face softened slightly with pity. "You're too weak," he stated as he started making his way towards the Cell Jr. The blue android shrieked and forced himself to his feet again, using every ounce of strength he had to run, though Gohan could easily catch up to him if he wanted to.

The boy growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a nightmare." Gohan ascended into the air and began floating after the Cell Jr., not sure what he'd do once he caught up with him. What was he supposed to do with him? Put him in a box and then take him home and say, "Look, Mom! Can I keep it?" like it was some lost puppy? He was certain his mother would throw a fit, and Gohan wasn't even comfortable with bringing it home with him anyway, or anywhere else his friends resided. He didn't want to put anyone at risk. So what were his options?

Gohan suddenly felt the familiar presence of another, and he looked up, noticing a large sphere of energy hurtling towards the struggling creature. The boy rocketed himself off the ground and flew to scoop the android up before the attack managed to hit its target. Gohan looked back, noticing a crater roughly the size of a car where the Cell Jr. had just been seconds ago. Narrowing his eyes, Gohan looked in the direction from where the attack had originated.

"I thought I sensed that little runt's energy," Vegeta snarled as he descended towards them. Gohan touched down to the ground, placing the Cell Jr. down on the ground, who was now paralyzed with fear at this point. "Although I'm more surprised that you haven't finished him off by now. Just what are you doing, Gohan?" Vegeta gave a cold chuckle. "Playing with your prey before killing it?"

"We don't need to kill him," Gohan replied.

Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms. "Did your father tell you that?" he spat. Gohan averted his gaze. "He did, didn't he? Yes, you were perfectly willing to blow that little bastard into oblivion, and Kakarot, ever the meddling one, told you not to."

"I know he's right, though. I'm just sorry he had to remind me."

Vegeta grit his teeth. "Fool. Don't be soft like your father! Don't let that little freak escape! You saw what he was capable of! It's best to end him now while he's weak!"

"If we all had the same mentality you do, then you wouldn't be here right now. My dad showed you mercy, remember?"

"Did I ever say it was a smart move?"

"Well, you came here years ago, and we let you live, and yet the Earth is still in one piece, so apparently my father knew what he was doing."

The prince clenched his fists tightly. He pointed an accusing finger at the trembling android on the ground. "That little demon is a mindless killing machine! You are playing with fire here, boy! Just end it now, or I will!" With that said, Vegeta formed another sphere of energy in his palm. Gohan quickly stepped in front of the Cell Jr., lifting his hands in preparation for the attack. A golden aura suddenly surrounded him as he powered up.

"No, you won't."

Vegeta stared the preteen down, his teeth clenching nearly to the point of cracking. The energy faded and he turned to spit on the ground. "Fine," he snarled. "Let the little freak live. Just don't expect a helping hand from me when he goes on a killing spree. It'll be your mess to clean up."

The prince turned and took off into the sky, his figure slowly fading from view. Glancing over his shoulder, Gohan noticed the Cell Jr. had started scurrying away again, still terrified of the boy. He once again took off after him, simply curious to know where it could possibly hope to go. After following it a short distance, he noticed the Cell Jr. find its way into a cave, which extended about thirty feet or so into a large rock formation. He touched down at the mouth of the cave, staring into the large opening as the Cell Jr. disappeared into the pitch blackness, seeking refuge behind a large rock. Gohan stood for the longest time, staring into the darkness as he listened to the Cell Jr.'s heavy breathing echoing off the walls of the cave.

"Man," the boy sighed, taking a seat on the ground. "How am I going to handle this?" He saw the reason behind his father's words, but there was still a dislike for the android that he probably wouldn't be able to shake any time soon. He wanted to be fair and merciful, but it was real hard to look at that thing without a flicker of anger. It just looked too much like Cell. Cell was all he saw when he looked at it. He knew it wasn't fair, but he couldn't help it.

Gohan looked up when he picked up on a different sound coming from within the cave. It sounded oddly like…crying? Yes, he was certain of it. It was crying softly, its sniffles and hiccups sounding much louder against the surrounding walls. Blinking, Gohan stood up and took a step into the cave, but he stopped suddenly when he heard loud rustling and a slight shriek, followed by absolute silence. Apparently the android was watching him intently, though Gohan really couldn't make him out. He took a step back and sat back down on the ground, crossing his legs and letting his hands rest on his knees. After several moments of silence, the crying resumed.

The Saiyan sighed and allowed himself to power down, his hair returning to its natural ebony color. For the moment, he didn't see any need to retain his Super Saiyan form. Right now the Cell Jr. wasn't posing a serious threat. But what if that changed? What would happen once he had time to rest and recuperate? Well, Gohan was sure he could handle him easily if need be. But how long was he supposed to look after him? Until he was certain he wouldn't cause any problems? How long would that take? Years? He sometimes still had his doubts about Vegeta.

The minutes gradually turned into hours. Gohan never left the mouth of the cave, except during the few instances when nature called, and even then, he only stepped a few feet away and never took very long. The crying had ceased at least an hour ago, and the cave had become quiet. He didn't even hear the slightest rustling, which led him to believe that maybe Cell Jr. had fallen asleep. If it weren't for the fact that Gohan had been paying close attention, he would have thought the android had snuck out. He thought about getting up and going into the cave again to try and coax him to come out, but Gohan decided to just approach this situation as though he were dealing with a frightened animal. Trying to get near it would only frighten it more. He just had to stay his distance and try to draw him out, letting it come to him on his own accord. He couldn't force his trust. But how long did he have to wait? And how could he draw him out? Maybe he should talk to him, but then what in the world would he say?

Gohan felt two familiar power levels approaching him, and he sighed, wondering how he was going to answer the questions he knew he would receive. He turned when he heard the two fighters touch down.

"Hey, guys."

"What's going on, Gohan?" Krillin asked. "You left more than three hours ago and yet I'm still picking up Cell Jr.'s energy. What happened?"

"He's in there," Gohan replied, turning to point a finger into the cave. "I was going to kill him…but my dad stopped me at the last second."

"Figures," Piccolo sighed.

"So…you're just going to let him run free?" Krillin asked, scratching the side of his head.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Krillin! I obviously can't let him out of my sight. I have to make sure he doesn't hurt anybody, but I don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't want to bring him home with me, at least not right now, and I don't want to take him to Bulma's place or the Lookout. I can't risk putting other people in danger."

Piccolo shook his head. "Goku…" he growled. "Your recklessness knows no bounds."

"I don't know," Krillin began, looking up at the Namekian, "I mean…I'm not surprised he'd tell Gohan not to do it. That's Goku for you, and besides, were the Cell Jrs. really that bad? I mean, they might have roughed us up a little bit, but otherwise, they didn't do much harm."

"That's what my dad said."

Piccolo grunted. "Because they weren't given the chance. It's still a risk. He could easily do a lot more harm than he has if given the chance."

"Yeah, but…is it really fair to kill him based on the possibility that he might do something bad, especially considering his actions weren't that bad to begin with?" Krillin countered. He glanced back at Gohan, chuckling. "I know I used to think that way myself," he admitted, his thoughts drifting to Vegeta. "I'm not saying I'm thrilled that little thing is running around, but…in respect to Goku, I'm willing to give it a chance. I gave Eighteen a chance, so why not Cell Jr.?"

Neither Gohan nor Krillin thought it possible for Piccolo to look less pleased.

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to do this. I can't bring him home, and yet I can't leave him alone," Gohan complained.

"Why is he in the cave, anyway?"

"Well, he's scared. He's still pretty weak, and he's still afraid I'm going to hurt him. Can't blame him, I guess. So…I'm kind of stuck here."

"Hmm…well, why don't I pick you up some things, huh?" Krillin suggested, smiling. "I know you've got to be starving. Just give me a few hours and I'll be back with some supplies."

"Thanks, Krillin," Gohan replied before the bald fighter blasted off, heading in the direction Gohan presumed to be Capsule Corp. Piccolo remained where he stood, arms crossed over his chest. "It's okay, Piccolo," the boy assured. "I'll be fine."

"Be careful, Gohan," the Namekian said sternly before taking off as well, heading back to the Lookout. The roar of his friend's flight gradually faded, and the half-Saiyan suddenly felt completely alone, despite the android cowering in the cave. Moments later, his stomach gave a growl so loud it probably could have frightened animals. Gohan sighed, clutching his stomach. He glanced into the cave, suddenly curious.

"Hey…do you eat food?" he called to the creature. "You know…food food?" Gohan had to wonder how the creature would sustain himself. He didn't ever recall seeing any of the Cell Jrs. with a tail, to which he was grateful for, as it meant no absorbing people, but did he still need to eat? Was he more like a Namekian and just needed water?

Gohan waited patiently, but he received no answer.

"Yep…this is going to take a while."