Hello! Son Akito here! I kind of wanted to write a different type of story. I always read stories about Gokuu being a bad dad, or Chi-chi being crazy, or Gohan being depressed or whatever… and I don't know, all the stories are kind of becoming the same, and I enjoy them… but I felt like writing something a little different.

I think because DBZ was an action pack manga, that a lot of the emotional stuff never got talked about, and that is why all the emotional fanfictions are out there. I know I like to write them!

So, I kind of was thinking that I don't see a lot of parenting fiction with Gokuu and Chi-chi, a lot of fics about Chi-chi being a single mom, or Gokuu not really being a parent, so I wanted to write a story about them working as a team to raise Gohan. And I'm sorry, but there had to be a time in Gohan's life where he went though some trouble and stress after all the things that he did.

So, here we are, I know fanfiction isn't as popular as it was like ten years ago, but, I hope you guys read the story, like and review. I'm done ranting!

I don't own DBZ. This story takes place about a week after Gokuu returns from space, during the three years before the androids.

We'll Get Though It

"Adjustments"

Chi-chi just didn't know what to do anymore.

She would sit and remember the times when her husband played with their small little boy and watching them was the best thing in the world. Gokuu adored Gohan, Gohan adored Gokuu; the two were inseparable.

Or at least, they use to be.

Gokuu had finally returned, after almost three years, Chi-chi had her husband back. From him death, trip to Namek, and the year and a half he spent training in outer space; it had been a long time without her Gokuu-sa. Now, he was finally back.

There was no question in her mind how much she missed her husband, but having him back home was an adjustment.

Just like it was an adjustment when Gohan came home after Namek. Piccolo and Krillin influenced Gohan in ways that Chi-chi did not approve of. In his eyes, since he knew how to take care of himself, Gohan thought he was grown enough to leave home without permission, or purposely disobeyed her when they had a disagreement.

Gohan had acted like a young adult coming back home after being away at college. He always left the house to go see Piccolo, or spend the day with Krillin. He would lie to her, lie to his friends, and had the mindset that he could do whatever he wanted after returning home to her. At first, it was quite a problem.

Chi-chi could not believe the behavior her son was displaying, and for the longest time Chi-chi hated Gokuu's friends for it, they had changed her sweet innocent boy to this delinquent child who went out of his way to make her angry. Over time, and after some stern conversations with Piccolo and Krillin, she realized that they were not the problem and had no idea about Gohan misbehaving and had not been the influence for his misbehaving.

It took a lot of work between the three of them, but eventually made Gohan realized that even though he lived in the forest with Piccolo, been though countless adult battles, he was still a little boy and would be treated as such.

It took a lot of work to get Gohan to behave, and now having Gokuu back it was causing all her hard work with the boy to go down the drain.

Gokuu had snuck Gohan out of the house. Gokuu had thought he had been sneaky as he quietly took Gohan out of the house, but she had seen the whole thing from the top of the stairs. Her and Gokuu had agreed that Gohan would train when his homework was done, and since Gokuu had been back he was three days behind.

She told Gokuu before going to bed the night before that Gohan was not allowed to train until he was caught up.

Marching down the stairs, Chi-chi was going to go outside to give her husband a piece of her mind.

Yet, before she was able too, she saw the two of them though the window, but something seemed off. They were talking to one another, the conversation looking serious. Chi-chi couldn't hear from the window, but saw Gokuu's confused expression as his son continued to talk to him.

Gohan's expression changed, as if he was angry with whatever they were talking about, as Gohan powered up and took off into the sky. Gokuu looked stunned, but only for a moment before disappearing from her site.

A second later, Gohan crashed down to the ground, his left cheek instantly starting to swell up.

Chi-chi's eyes widen as she ran outside.

"Gohan-chan!" Chi-chi yelled out, running towards her little boy.

Gohan didn't pay attention to his mother as she ran up to his side; he continued to look up at his father, who was floating above them.

Gohan's eyes changed, his normally sweet expression was now darkening as he looked up at his father. Chi-chi followed her son's gaze back to her husband, who stared back down at his son with a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

"What happened?" Chi-chi asked, looking at Gohan's now swollen cheek. She tried to touch it but Gohan moved his head away. Gokuu landed a few feet away from them. Gohan stood up, stepping away from his mother.

Father and son stared at a moment, before Gohan yelled out, "You can't tell me what to do!"

Before Gokuu was able to react, Chi-chi face became stern; she stood up, placing her hands on her hips, "Son Gohan! That is no way to talk to your father."

Gohan looked up at his mother, the first time acknowledging her, his expression instantly changed, his eyes blinking up at her as if he was trying to hold in his tears, "Mom, but—"

"No buts mister, I don't care what is going on. That is no way to talk to your father," she leaned closer to him, "Apologize."

When Gohan didn't move, his eyes lowering to the ground, his cheeks becoming a deeper shade of red due to embarrassment, Chi-chi stomped her foot, "Son Gohan, apologize, now."

Gohan looked down at his feet for a moment longer, before turning around and looking up at his father. He saw his father's expression, his large arms crossed, his wild hair moving in the wind, his knuckles still red from punching his cheek, but Gokuu's eyes were filled with confusion. Gohan had to look away, embarrassed with the situation.

Gohan softly spoke, "I'm sorry, sir."

Chi-chi crossed her arms, "Now, go inside and do your homework." When Gohan looked up to protest, Chi-chi shook her head, "Don't start with me today. Go inside, now."

Gohan nodded, looking over at his father one more time, before running back into the house, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Chi-chi watched her son until he was no longer in site, when she turned her head to look at her husband; his head was softly lowered, as if he was getting ready to be yelled at by Chi-chi.

Chi-chi walked up to her husband, her arms crossed as she bent down to look at his gaze, "Now, what were you thinking hitting our child?"

"Gosh, Chi, it just sorta happened, I didn't—" Gokuu began to say before Chi-chi put her hand up, cutting him off.

"I don't care that both of you have been in those horrible battles together, or do your training together, but under no circumstance do you hit our child when he misbehaves. I am not raising our son that way. Do I make myself clear?"

Gokuu looked up at his wife, nodding his head, "I'm sorry Chi."

Chi-chi saw the look in her husband's eyes, knowing that he regretted what he did, and sighed deeply, "Now, tell me what happened?"

Gokuu ran his fingers though his wild hair, his eyes glancing back at the house, "I was trying to tell him that we were going to be training without Piccolo, and he got really upset. Then, he started to yell at me, Chi. I didn't know what was happening, he has never done that to me before," Gokuu sighed, looking back at his wife, "I was trying to talk to him but he flew off, and I don't know I just snapped. I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was too late."

Chi-chi looked back over at the house, "He's been acting out lately, he's just trying to get use to all of us being back home together again, but," Chi-chi turned around, glaring at her husband, "I don't want you going behind my back sneaking Gohan out to train. What kind of message are you sending him if we are not on the same page?"

Gokuu looked back down at the ground, running his hand though his hair, it was a nervous habit of Gokuu's. Normally the man looked so confident and strong, but these little moments with Chi-chi when they were fighting, he always seemed to try to make himself smaller, "I know, I'm sorry. I just thought we could use a little father-son time."

Chi-chi couldn't stay mad at Gokuu; she closed the distance between them, placing both of her hands on Gokuu's arms, looking up at him. She gave him a small smile.

Gokuu looked down at his wife, before a small smile formed on his lips. They stared at each other for just a moment longer, before embracing each other in a hug.

"I've missed you," Gokuu breathed in her ear.

"I've missed you too," Chi-chi gently whispered, pulling back slightly to look up at her husband, before embracing each other in a kiss.

The kiss was short, but it was able to mend their argument. They separated, before looking back to the house.

"What are we going to do about Gohan?" Gokuu asked her softly.

Chi-chi shook her head, speaking more to herself then to Gokuu, "I don't know. But we'll get though it, I'm sure of it."

"It's just not fair!"

Within the little boy's room, Gohan pacing back and forth in front of his desk, talking to himself.

"This just isn't fair!"

He looked over at the books on his desk, getting angry all of a sudden, he pushed everything off his desk, all the books making a loud thump on the ground.

"I know how to take care of myself!"

Gohan continued to pace, looking down at the mess that he made on the ground. Realizing that if his mother heard him, came up here and saw the mess that he made, he would be in trouble. Gohan stopped pacing, and walked to the books, picking them up and setting them neatly back on the desk.

He glanced at the books, he knew he was behind on all his schoolwork, but for some reason school just didn't feel important anymore. The androids were coming in a few years, and from what the future guy told them, everyone he knew and loved would be dead.

Spending all that time doing homework seemed like such a waste of time.

But, at the same time, he really didn't want to spend the next three years training either.

Remembering all those battles he was in before, they were really scary.

He'd remember every bone is his body hurting, he remembered the way the blood tasted in his mouth; the moments in time when it seemed like there was no hope, that he was looking at the blink of death, hoping that it would come because the pain was too overwhelming...

Yet, the physical pain was nothing like the pain he felt inside when all his friends were dying around him.

One moment in time always seem to play over and over again. The time when Piccolo died saving him, Gohan could feel the emptiness in his heart, as if all the pain he ever felt hit in all at once. The anger, the disappointment, the fear… He couldn't stand it.

Just remembering this one part was too much for the little boy. He wanted to stop thinking about it.

He closed his eyes tight, tried to think of something else. Tried not thinking about Piccolo as he jumped in front of the blast, he tried not to remember the smell of burnt skin and blood. He tried not to remember. Tried not to remember...

Piccolo shouldn't have died for him. No one should have to die for him. No one should die.

Pulling his little knees to his chest, the six year old formed into a little ball in his chair, gazing out into nothingness. Memories of the past glazed his eyes.

It really wasn't fair.