Hi, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out.

Standard Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ. Never have and *sigh* never will.

Author’s notes:

Words in [] mean telepathic communication. You will see this from Vegeta and Bulma a lot.

Words in italics are thoughts (private thoughts).

Turn The Page

Serenestorm

Chapter 2: Dreams Of Yesterday

And again we digress. Gohan knew he needed a job. The problem was finding one. Bulma suggested he go down to the unemployment office, secretly the blue haired woman knew that the boy would not be able to get a job especially through an employment agency, but she knew he needed to find out for himself. Gohan happily took her advice and headed to the city with hopes of coming back with a new job, a way to support himself and his brother. He did not, however, count on waiting in the impossibly long line that he now stood in. But he waited along with the dozens of others in front of him, all seeking what he was seeking, a way to earn money.

“Hi”. A feminine voice said in greeting. Gohan turned to find a beautiful red head standing behind him. The woman looked up with him with emerald green eyes.

“Hi.” Gohan replied giving her that award winning Son smile.

“So, what kind of job are you looking for?” The woman asked Gohan. “By the way, my name’s Meian”.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Gohan. And whatever is available I guess”. Gohan said smiling sheepishly.

“Don’t tell me this is your first time, here I mean. You look like a newbie”. Meian said her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yeah, this will be my first job.”

“Oh really. Well I thought so. This is probably my umpteenth time here. Good place to find employees. How old are you, Gohan”?

“Why do you ask?” Gohan answered for some reason not wanting to give the woman his age, even though he knew he should. The woman did say that she was looking for employees.

“Well, you look pretty young by the face but body wise, you look to be seventeen.” Meian said giving Gohan a once over, looking with longing at the boy’s muscular body.

“Yeah, I guess I’m kind of tall for my age”. Gohan said. He was about 5’9 and his training gave him an adult looking body.

“Which you have yet to tell me.” Meian said looking up into the boy’s eyes.

“Let me be honest with you, Gohan. These people aren’t going to hire you. They’re going to ask you for ID the moment you walk through that door and something tells me you don’t have one. Something also tells me that you are not legally old enough to get a job, am I right?” She said smiling mysteriously.

Gohan bent his head finding his shoes very interesting at the moment. He really didn’t know what to think now. He knew that he needed a job. But what if Meian was right? What if Bulma was right?

“I’m 13.” Gohan said deciding to tell the truth. What else did he have to lose?

Meian looked somewhat shocked to hear that. She had suspected that Gohan was young but not that young. It almost made her change her mind, to leave the boy alone, but another look at him told her that this was one prospect she couldn’t pass up. The boy was fine and more importantly naïve.

“Wow, I suspected you were young, but I wasn’t expecting that. Gohan, you have to be at least 16 to get a job, and that’s a minimum wage one. No one will hire you, kid”.

She said looking at him with what she hoped he thought was genuine concern.

“I really need a job though. I have to take care of my little brother. Both of my parents are dead”. Gohan said looking horrified, pleading his case to the woman hoping to convince her.

“Look, kid, I’m just giving you the facts. You are wasting your time here”.

Gohan’s face fell. This woman had to know what she’s talking about. She’s an employer, or at least she holds a pretty high position if she’s in charge of finding employees, so she had to know what she was talking about.

“I want to at least try”. He said giving her that determined look, the same one his dad had whenever faced with a difficult task.

“Look, kid, I like you. You have character, something I’m looking for in an employee. I tell you what, if it don’t work out for you in there, which I know it won’t, why don’t you come work for me? Here’s my card.” Meian handed him a small white business card.

Gohan looked at the line ahead of him, still pitifully long, then to the woman offering him what he was seeking. Why should I go in there where I will more than likely end up not getting a job, when I can take the job she’s offering, a sure thing.

“I won’t be needing your card, Meian”. Gohan said handing her the card back. “I’ll take the job, whatever it is.”

Meian smiled slowly.

“Good. You won’t regret your decision. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll tell you all about your new job.” She said holding out her hand for Gohan.

Gohan smiled shyly and took her offered hand not knowing that the so-called job that he agreed to take would change the course of his life forever.

Gohan woke up disoriented from his dream, his thoughts of the past. He frantically looked around the room almost thinking he was still in the dreamscape and that the hauntingly beautiful, Aizou Meian, would some how appear before him. He shook his head at how naïve he was then; how he had fallen in love with his ‘boss’ thinking she loved him too. He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind, and got up smelling the scent of food down stairs.

“Niichan!” Goten called out happily when Gohan came into the kitchen.

Goten was sitting at the table alone with Trunks and Vegeta waiting on Bulma to sat out the food.

The little boy quickly got up and jumped into his brother’s arms.

“Hey oto”. Gohan said smiling at the little boy that looked so much like his father, especially with that carefree smile plastered to his sweet face.

“Hi kenkei-chan”. Trunks said softly from the table, smiling to show his happiness at Gohan’s arrival.

“Hey Otoutobun”. Gohan said nodding toward the boy. “Hi Vegeta-sama, Bulma-sama”. He said taking a sit at the table after placing his brother back into his.

Vegeta grunted his reply.

“Hey, Gohan. When did you get here”? Bulma asked laying out the meal. She always liked cooking her ‘men’ breakfast in the morning even though she could have the cook do it for her.

She took her place at the table beside her husband.

“Um, about 6:30”. Gohan said making a grab for the food before the other Saiyajins ate it all. Food did not last long at that table, especially when almost everyone at the table ate enough to feed a small army.

“Gohan, you really need to stop working so late. Is there an earlier shift you can take at the restaurant?" Bulma asked concerned. She hated the fact that Gohan insisted on working and supporting himself and Goten. Gohan deserved to be a child especially after all he had been through in life. It made her sad that the boy had to grow up so quickly.

“No, I was lucky to get the shift I got”. Gohan said. It surprised him how quickly and easily he could lie now. Lies poured effortlessly from his mouth sometimes that even he would think that they bore some semblance of the truth.

“A boy your age should be in school, having fun with your friends, not working a full time job trying to make ends meet”. Bulma began. Gohan prepared himself for the tirade that was sure to come. Once Bulma got started on this subject it was hard to get her off it.

[Leave the boy along, Onna. I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear your bitching this early in the morning. I know I don’t.]

[I’m just worried about him, Gita. What’s wrong with that? Anyway when have I ever cared about what you wanted to hear?] Bulma thought back to her husband glaring at him.

“When we finish eating, we will spar”. Vegeta said nodding toward Gohan.

“Ok. I haven’t sparred with you in a while now.” Gohan said grateful for the change in conversation.

“Goten, we’ll spar too”. Trunks said imitating his father’s demanding voice.

“Ok”.

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence.

“Gohan, why don’t you help me clear the table?” Bulma said as everyone got up.

“Ok”. Gohan said reluctantly. The only time Bulma asked him to help clear the table is if she wanted to talk to him about something. He knew that she wanted to finish the conversation that Vegeta interrupted.

“Meet me out at the GR when you’re finished, boy”. Vegeta said exiting the kitchen, Goten and Trunks following him.

“Gohan, I’m not going to fuss at you so don’t look at me like that”.

“Gomen”. Gohan said sheepishly. He took some dishes over to the sink.

“Look, I just wanted to tell you that before your mother passed, she told me that she planned to enroll you in school. You see, Gohan, she wanted you to be around people your own age, make friends.” Bulma said trying to keep from crying. It still hurt her that two of her closest friends were gone.

“Why are you telling me this now, Bulma?” Gohan said feeling the ache in his heart at the mention of his mother, thinking again how she wouldn’t approve of what he was doing.

“Because, I think it would be good for you to attend school, now more than ever. Just think about it, Gohan. You could still keep your job, you’ll just have to cut your hours and if you had a high school diploma you could get a better paying job.”

Gohan smirked from her mention of a better job. He doubted a high school diploma could get him a job pulling in what he was a night.

“Bulma, you know for yourself, that there isn’t to much that a high school could teach me. I may be 15 years old but I have a college level education. I was doing high school work at the age of 9.” Gohan said. He didn’t want to go to school. He barely had the time to spend with his little brother already. Between being a father to Goten, working at night, and training Goten and himself, he didn’t have time for anything else.

“I know how smart you are, Gohan, but you need a high school diploma and a college degree. You could get a good paying job a Capsule Corp on your own, with a diploma. Just think about it, Gohan, if not for yourself, for Goten”. Bulma said knowing she had scored her mark cause Gohan would do anything for Goten.

Gohan did as told and thought about what Bulma said. Maybe if he had a diploma then he could get a respectable job, something he wouldn’t have to hide and lie about. He knew now he could afford to cut his hours, especially with Desha Satan under his belt, if she became a regular, he could drop just about all of his ‘clients’.

“Let me think about it some more, Bulma.” Gohan said.

Bulma smiled. That was the best she hoped for.

Gohan headed out the door knowing he had left the Saiyajin prince waiting long enough.

Gohan powered up to Super Saiyajin and glared at the Saiyan prince. Vegeta just smirked and he too became a super saiyan.

“So, you want to play like that, Vegeta”. Gohan said. Pissed at the ki blast the he had narrowly avoided.

“Be careful with your blast”. Gohan said nodding toward the house.

“The Onna put some kind of shield around the house that protects against mild ki blast.” Vegeta shot back enjoying himself immensely.

“Well dodge this”. Gohan shouted and shot a ki blast at the Ouji. Vegeta quickly dodged it, but Gohan was expecting as much. He sped toward Vegeta attacking him head on. Vegeta barely blocked his attacks being caught off guard. Instead he took flight with Gohan hot on his heels. He shot a ki blast at the demi-saiyan to slow Gohan down, which the boy dodged.

A scream was heard from below.

Both warriors stopped in mid flight, turning to where the scream came from.

A dark haired girl watched in horror as the ki blast sped toward her.

I know evil cliffy, huh. Sorry guys had to end it there. I know I said that Desha would make an appearance in this chapter but I decided to move it to the next chapter.

FYI: Here’s a list of all the Japanese terms used in this chapter.

Niichan- Older brother (informal)

Kenkei- Older brother (used to refer to someone else’s older brother)

Oto- Little brother

Otoutobun- friend treated as a younger brother.

Sama- respectful. Used in reference to royalty or someone you truly respect.

Gomen- I’m sorry

Ouji- Prince

Onna- Woman

Aizou Meian- Light/Dark Hope

In the next chapter Desha makes an entrance. Who is the dark haired girl? And what happened to Gohan after he left with Meian?