Waking dreams 9, Resolution.

By Johnnyjosh aka Zoicyte Maxwell

This is a response to ran_chan's challenge.

Pairings; G/V, Gh/P.

Rating. R. Definitely an R.

Notes. Extreme OOC, sappy Vegeta, TWT, AU slightly.

Warnings; Yaoi. Lemon. Language. Angst.

The lovers are home, and everybody tries to adjust, and move on.

//indicates dreams//

"Speaking"

*thoughts*

This is just a short, sweet little epilogue, I just needed to give this fic some closure, as there was not much else that could be done with the story from this point on. Special thanks goes out to Mara Jade for beta'ing, and her help with some definitions of terms.

"So what happens now?" Goku asked, leaning forward and dragging his hands through his hair.

"Now, we wait. You and Vegeta can either live here, Gohan and Piccolo could have a house of their own on the compound, or go back to the Son house, whatever you guys want. But Goten stays here." Bulma said firmly.

"Yeah....that would be best I think.." Goku sighed. "I'm sorry I caused all these problems you guys...really I am.." He leaned his chin on the top of Vegeta's head as the Saiyan prince put on an uncharacteristic display of affection, climbing into Goku's lap and hugging him tightly.

"It will be...alright." Vegeta said quietly. Everyone else in the room nodded or grunted softly in response.

Two months later, Capsule Corp. ....

"So that's the long and short of it folks." The lawyer stated. "Mrs. Son has signed the papers giving the Briefs family guardianship of Goten, and as long as Chi-Chi and Goku both respect the court's order of supervised visitation, Goten can continue to live here, and see his parents on a regular basis."

"And my mom? Will she have to go to jail?" Gohan asked nervously.

"No. Given the ahm..." The man cleared his throat. "Extenuating circumstances, her time in the mental hospital, and the doctor's signed statements, as long as she keeps up with her therapy sessions, and anger management counseling, she'll have a suspended sentence."

"Well, bet you're relieved to hear to hear that!" Bulma hugged Gohan from behind. Gohan nodded and spun around, arms snapping around Bulma and hugging her tightly. "G...Gohan..." She squeaked, tapping his shoulder. "I need...to breath..." She gasped.

Everyone laughed as the demi-Saiyan let her go, blushing and grinning sheepishly.

Gingertown Mental hospital...

Goku sat with tears in his eyes at the table, waiting for the therapy session to begin with Dr. Thompkins, and Chi-Chi, who up until today, had alternated between shying away from him, and lashing out whenever he got near her. Chi-Chi didn't lash out at Goten anymore, but her guilt and shame over what she had done to him prevented her from getting close to him. At one point during a therapy session, she had actually run across the room to get away from him, just because Goten had tried to go over and give her a hug.

Goku sighed, remembering the boy's devastated reaction. Goten had gone back to Capsule Corp. thinking his mother still hated him, and it had taken Goku, Gohan, Bulma, Mr. and Mrs. Briefs, and even Piccolo and Vegeta, over two hours to calm the boy down, and reassure him that his mother didn't hate him, that in fact she hated herself and couldn't forgive herself for what she'd done to him.

He looked up as the therapist walked in.

"Hello Mr. Son. How are you today?" Dr. Thompkins asked quietly. "Chi-Chi will be joining us, momentarily."

"Fine, thanks..." Goku muttered, unsure he should be there. *It seems these sessions aren't doing anything at all. I can only apologize so many times. It's pointless to have me coming in here once a week, just to wait and see whether she's gonna throw stuff and curse at me, or run away from me.* He sighed. *Dammit, I feel so selfish for thinking like this, but I'm not trying to be! I just don't think this is doing her any good. It might be best if I just stay away.* Goku looked over at the doctor soberly. "But Dr. Thompkins, I do have some concerns... I'm not sure my being here is helping Chi-Chi get better. I think actually it's doing the opposite, for both of us. I think this is going to be my last session." He said quietly.

Dr. Thompkins sighed, looking at Goku sadly. "If you don't wish to come, that's your decision. I can't stop you. But, I do recommend that you allow Goten to keep coming, if not every week, then at least on a bi-weekly basis, for visits."

"Of course." Goku nodded. "I think they both need this. But... I don't. And I don't think Chi-Chi needs to be forced to see me like this anymore either." The Saiyan looked up as a blonde nurse slowly entered the room, softly coaxing Chi-Chi to follow her.

"Come on in, Chi-Chi, that's it." The woman spoke quietly, reaching out, taking Chi-Chi's arm and guiding her to a chair across the table from Goku.

"Well." Dr. Thompkins said. "Where shall we start today?"

Goku sighed softly as Chi-Chi avoided looking at him. "Um... I don't think we'll be starting anywhere, I think we'll be ending today instead." He said quietly, getting up and slowly walking toward the door. He paused and looked at his ex-wife sadly. "I am sorry for everything that's happened Chi-Chi." He said, voice barely above a whisper. "I know you don't believe me now, but I hope someday, we can get past all this." He turned and opened the door.

"Goku...?" The word was spoken softly, hesitantly, but it made Goku pause and spin, hope etched on his features. "How long...?"

The Saiyan shook his head. "How long? I don't...understand, how long what?"

Chi-Chi turned haunted eyes to him. "How long did you love Vegeta?" Her hands picked at her hospital issued light blue dress nervously. "How much of our marriage was real, and how much was a sham, because your heart belonged to someone else?" She whispered.

Goku walked over and sat across from her. "Chi-Chi, I always cared about you. I did... Well, I do love Vegeta. But if this hadn't have happened, the dreams, and... you know... I never would have left. I cared about you, I still do. You and our sons..." He trailed off with a sigh, then started slightly as he noticed his ex-wife leaning forward, staring at him intently.

Chi-Chi looked into his eyes, seemingly searching for something. Finally, she nodded slightly and leaned back. "You wouldn't have left, would you? Even though you loved someone else, you would have stayed with me, right until the bitter end." It was more of a statement than a question. "Why, Goku?"

The Saiyan answered without hesitation. "Well gosh, Chi-Chi, we were married, I made a promise." He stated simply. "Don't you remember our wedding vows?"

The dark haired woman snorted softly. "Yes, of course I do. Forsaking all others, till death do you part. Well, you've died what, twice on me? The second time for several years. I guess that takes care of that, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Goku asked softly, tilting his head to one side.

Chi-Chi sighed. "I mean Goku, that since you came back the second time, I don't know... Something is different. It's seems like we aren't truly husband and wife anymore." She paused, and shrugged. "It was as if we split up, and because at the time, I thought you were never coming back to us, a part of me moved on without you."

The Saiyan lowered his eyes, and sighed softly. "I know, I left you, Gohan and Goten alone, but you know why I had to..."

"Yes, I know Goku, I know." Chi-Chi waved a hand at him in a dismissive gesture. "You had to do it for the good of the planet. Everything you did was for the good of all of us. I knew that. It never made your absences any less painful, but I always knew it." She leaned forward and spoke softly. "That's not was really hurt me though. That's not why I lost it, when all this happened. You want to know what really hurt me, Goku?"

*Finally, it's about time we got somewhere with this...* Dr. Thompkins, who had long since been forgotten by the couple, discreetly set his tape recorder up and retreated to a corner of the room, scribbling furiously in his notebook.

Goku stared at his ex-wife, dark eyes wide. He swallowed and nodded mutely.

"What really hurt me, beyond the fact that I'd given you all those years, and our sons, given you all I had to give...only to have you disappear on me several times... was that after I had you back, and it looked like you were back for good this time, you go and fall in love, with someone else!" She snapped, pointing her finger in his face. Her lips twitched slightly as her sudden move made the Saiyan jerk back in his chair, tipping it over and sending him crashing to the floor. "But the real kicker was, you couldn't even be honest about it! Not to me, not to Vegeta, and more importantly, not to yourself." Chi-Chi sat back, folding her arms and scowling. "You would have just stayed there with me, in our house, sharing a bed with me, pretending everything was just fine, that your heart wasn't longing for another man."

"But Chi-Chi..." Goku began, slowly rising to his feet.

"No buts!" The woman said sharply, standing and stalking over to the window. "That wasn't fair to anyone Goku. You hurt your son, you hurt me, Goten got hurt, all of this happened because no one could be honest with anyone else." She sighed. "I admit I should have said something before, but...dammit! I wasn't obsessed with another person. All my problem was, was that I wasn't sure I saw you as my husband anymore, we were kind of... we were more just friends than husband and wife." Chi-Chi turned and smiled at him softly. "I know you wanted to stay with me, and you would have, if all this stuff hadn't forced your hand." She walked over, stood in front of him, and looked up at him, warmth in her dark eyes.

"Well, yeah, of course I would have Chi-Chi..." Goku said softly.

"But that's not what I want Goku." She sighed. "That's not what any of us would have wanted."

Goku scratched his head and looked at her with wide eyes. "Well, what do you want, Chi-Chi?"

"What I want is for us all to move past this, and be happy again." She whispered.

Goku smiled softly at Chi-Chi, his eyes stinging slightly as his vision blurred. He stepped forward and swept the woman into a hug, then grinned sheepishly and put his hand behind his head when she started to gasp for air.

*Looks like Mr. Son was right after all.* Dr. Thompkins thought. *This will be their last therapy session.* He chuckled as Chi-Chi swatted at Goku's chest, both of them smiling.

Vegeta and Goku's home, Capsule Corp. compound.....

Gohan knocked for a third time before sighing in impatience. "Darnit, I know you're home, what are you three doing?" He muttered, opening the door and walking in.

"I hope Vegeta didn't decide to push the boys into training again." Piccolo growled. "Goten and Trunks were out of school for two days last time."

"No, I don't think so." Gohan smirked. "Dad forbade Vegeta from training them without him there to supervise, and make sure Vegeta doesn't push them too far."

"You actually think Vegeta will listen to your dad?" Piccolo smirked back.

Gohan sweatdropped. "Oh boy..." He quickened his pace down the hall.

Both of the warriors halted in the doorway to the living room, a wide grin appearing on Gohan's lips, as Piccolo snorted softly.

Vegeta sat on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, legs crossed at the ankles. He had one arm wrapped around each of the boys cuddled up to him, Goten snuggled up tightly to his left side, while Trunks sprawled out to his right. Tsutanai was on Vegeta's lap, legs akimbo, with his head resting on top of Goten's.

"Where's a camera when you need one?" Piccolo whispered.

"Yeah, that's so kawaii, I'd love to have this on film." Gohan smiled softly.

"It'd make excellent blackmail material." Piccolo observed, eyes wide and innocent when Gohan turned and scowled at him. "What?" He shrugged.

Gohan's eyes widened as he remembered something. "I think I saw one on the bedroom dresser." He said, darting down the hall. He returned moments later, with a small disposable camera and took aim at the scene. "This is perfect, there's six pictures left. I should be able to get at least two before Vegeta wakes up." He quickly snapped off one shot.

Tsutanai yawned and bleated softly, raising his head and blinking wide eyes at the two warriors. He squeaked as the flash went off, blinding him, and leapt off Vegeta's lap, landing with a thud.

Gohan couldn't stifle a laugh as he imagined what that picture would look like. He snapped the third just as Goten and Trunks woke up, Goten blinking at him much like Tsutanai had moments ago, and Trunks just scowling.

"Gohan!" The boys cried in unison, sliding off the couch. "Cut it out!"

Onyx eyes snapped open, and Vegeta's head came up. Gohan stepped back out of habit as Vegeta pinned him with an intense glare. "What are you about brat?" He growled.

"Um... nothing..." Gohan stammered. "Just taking a picture, you all looked so peaceful like that, I just couldn't help it."

"I see." Vegeta rose gracefully and walked around the table. "Give me the camera." He said, holding out his hand. He snarled as instead Gohan snapped another picture.

"Oh dad will love that one, the way you were holding your hand out, and that 'come hither' look in your eyes, that was hot, Vegeta! Do it again!" Gohan cried, giggling at Piccolo's growl. "Aw don't be jealous Piccolo, wait'll you see that picture, you'll see what I mean." His lover just snorted.

"Gohan, I'm not going to tell you again. Give me that fucking camera. Now." Vegeta said, voice low and dangerous.

"Oh, I don't think so, Vegeta." Gohan grinned. I'm gonna take this into the house, and get Bulma to develop these right away!" He turned and darted to the front door.

"GOHAN!!" Vegeta shrieked, tearing after the giggling teen.

Piccolo sat down heavily on the couch, throwing his head back and laughing out loud. Goten, Trunks and Tsutanai all sweatdropped as they stared at him.

"Come on Goten, let's go play." Trunks said finally, picking up Tsutanai and running out the door. Goten took one last curious look at the snickering Namek, then ran down the hall after his friend.

The End.

Well, I hope you weren't disappointed, most of you that have read my other stories already know I'm a sucker for happy endings, so this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise *LOL* Lemme know how you liked.

Johnnyjosh.