Chapter Text
Gohan woke up suddenly. Where was he? He sat up in the strange bed he had been lying in and looked around. He was in an even stranger room. This wasn't his room at home! Instead of a desk and books, there were pictures and photos. Two beds took up the room space along with a computer and other technology.
He spotted his eleven-year-old brother Goten sleeping peacefully on the bed across from him. Gohan smiled affectionately. After a while, he got out of bed and tiptoed across the floor to the door. Opening it carefully, so as not to wake his little brother, the twelve-year-old demi-Saiyan went out the door into the hallway. Gohan leaned his head on the wall as he tried to remember how'd they'd ended up here in this weird place instead of being back at the Son home. Oh, yes, that.
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Goten had fallen on a knife. Normally, a knife wouldn't have pierced Goten's skin, but unfortunately, that knife had been a sawing knife and extra sharp. Gohan had helped Goten up, but he couldn't do anything for his little bro's poor leg. So they had turned to their parents for assistance.
But ever since the Cell Games a year ago, Chichi and Goku had been ignoring the brothers. Instead they turned their attentions onto each other for their own selfish need of self-enjoyment. As it was, Goten and Gohan were left to take care of each other. This case was no exception, especially with everyone over for the anniversary of the Cell Games.
'Mom, Goten fell on one of your knives. Can you take care of his knee?' Gohan had asked his mother. Chichi was at the sink cooking, as was normal in the Son household. She had turned on Gohan and Goten and said, 'Don't interrupt me while I'm working. Do you know how many dishes of food I have to make? And Vegeta's here too! Go away and leave me in peace.'
Gohan and Goten were literally kicked out of the kitchen. Gasping at the indignity dealt them, Gohan led Goten to the bathroom. He grabbed gauze and hydrogen peroxide and awkwardly fixed up Goten's knee. The finished result didn't exactly look professional, but it would have to do. The brothers hurriedly dressed for the impending party.
The Son boys tromped down the stairs. They scooted out of the way of their father and respectfully let him go by them. Into the living room walked zombie-like Gohan and Goten. They sat on the ground where they wouldn't be noticed and waited patiently for the party to begin.
Krillin and 18 and Marron came first. The Son boys' faces lit up, for Krillin and 18 were among the few including Piccolo and Vegeta who at least talked to them. Marron squirmed out of her mother's hand and happily went over to her friends.
Krillin and 18 smiled as they watched Marron play her newest game of Jack Tacks with the Son boys. Goku heard Krillin's voice in the other room and went to greet him. He noticed that his male children were playing with Marron, but he chose to leave it.
Vegeta and his family arrived next. Trunks and Bra went over to join the trio at the game while Goku greeted Vegeta and Bulma. Soon the living room racketed with the noise from the youngsters and the adults talking.
Yamcha, Puar, and Oolong, accompanied by Master Roshi and Turtle, also stepped into the Son household. The party was moved outside as the housegot morecrowded. Tien and Chiaotzu showed up for a brief time. But a certain green bean was conspicuously absent.
Gohan and Goten were having a great time. But when Chichi put out the food, they were abandoned in the rush for the vittles. Everyone got loaded plates. Not the Go-brothers.
They were given only the bare minimum that a Saiyan could eat, which was starvation level for them.
The Son brothers were done before anyone else. Gohan noticed that Goten was wincing every so often and asked what was the matter. Goten shook his head. Gohan asked again, this time in his head.
What's the matter 'Ten? Goten flashed his big brother a pained smile as he rubbed his knee.
It's my knee. It hurts. Gohan's eyebrow knit increased. He got up. Goten, catching on Gohan's intention, shook his head frantically no. Gohan stilled Goten's gesture with a firm nod. He straightened his shoulders and marched up to his parents.
'Mom, Dad, Goten's knee still hurts. He fell on a knife and it cut him. Won't you help him?'
The table instantly stopped. Goku and Chichi turned to their eldest son, who was standing there bravely withstanding their rage for his younger brother. The silence before Goku talked was horrible. Goten was shrinking beneath the table in fear, but Gohan was standing with his back straight and his chin up. His black flashing eyes met his parents' steadily and with no hesitation. This was the final test.
Goku broke the silence. 'Goten's knee hurts? He fell on a knife? Well, that was his fault. He has to take care of it himself.' That was the wrong answer for Gohan. Even Goten stood up, fueled by the same rage that provided Gohan with the audacity to defy his parents that fateful day. Horrified gasps echoed around the table as the Z-senshi stared at Goku, shocked by his callous statement.
'Goten has to take care of everything himself! I have to take care of everything myself! You don't even care about us anymore! I hate you, I hate you!' Gohan yelled. Goten nodded in fervent agreement.
Gohan spun around. He stormed up to his brother and turned back around. 'We're leaving! Don't try to follow us, we hate you all!' Goten followed his brother into the air and they rocketed off to Dende-knew-where.
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Gohan ended the flashback with, And that was how we ended up here for a month. Huh. I guess we'd better go in and eat with the Harrisons now. Gohan peeked back into the room he had just exited. Goten was up and rubbing his eyes sleepily. He spotted Gohan's face in the door and smiled hugely. Scrambling off the bed, Goten leaped up to his big brother and hugged him.
"Morning, Gohan!" Goten looked up at his smiling older brother.
"Morning, squirt. Ready for breakfast with the Harrisons?" Gohan asked.
Goten nodded, shadows passing behind his eyes at the unconscious reminder of their old family. The same shadows were in Gohan's eyes, too, but as far as the Son brothers were concerned, they were no longer Son Gohan and Son Goten. Those people were dead, had died a long time ago at the Cell Games.
Gohan and Goten made their way into the kitchen, where they found the three- member family of the Harrisons. Myna and Jack welcomed the brothers to their home.
"Hi you two. How are you feeling?" Myna asked them. Jack added, "How's that knee?" to Goten.
Goten looked down at his knee and looked back up at Jack. "It's all healed. Thank you for making it better," he said with a shy smile. Gohan nodded agreement.
Linda, the Harrison's only child, asked, "So why did you guys end on our doorstep a month ago?" This question had been asked of the Go-brothers before, but Gohan had pleaded for them not to ask it again until the Goten's knee had healed. It'd healed now, so Linda saw no need to hold back any longer, despite her parent's warning looks.
Gohan stiffened. Goten took a deep breath. They tried to calm down enough to answer Linda's question, even though they'd been expecting it far sooner than now, and only barely succeeded.
It was Gohan who said, "We ran away from our family."
Goten put in his two cents with, "We're better off without them."
The Harrisons exchanged glances at the hate-laden responses they had gotten.
Linda asked her parents, "Hey, Mom, Dad, why don't we adopt them? They would be safe with us, and I could have two brothers! I've always wanted a bro."
The Go-brothers listened with wide eyes. They were shocked that these three very nice people wanted to adopt them after only a month, but they instantly agreed with Linda. Myna and Jack glanced at the would-be-adopted children and noted the hope gleaming in their dark eyes. Well, they always did want a larger family, so why not?
Jack looked at his wife. Myna smiled and said to Linda, "Why don't we?" Linda whooped with as much joy as her thirteen-year-old body could generate while Gohan and Goten grabbed each other in a hug. After bowing to their new parents, of course.
The Thursday of next week the adoption of "Jeffrey Gohan Harrison" and "Marcus Goten Harrison" was finalized. For five years the five-member family was happy. But the peaceful atmosphere would be ruined on the first day of Jeff's senior and Marc's junior year at Orange Star High School.