Forever: Puzzle

AN: Sad and deep ficcy about Gohan and Videl. It goes over Gohan's and Videl's difficulties, and how they help each other out... It's a one chap fic. (Quite crappy, too. ^_~) It alternates through Gohan and Videl's points of view.

Chapter 1 (creative, no?)

Gohan sighed sadly as he plopped on his bed. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the Cell Games. He sighed again rather dejectedly as his obsidian (AN: ^_^) eyes traveled to a lone picture standing on his wooden desk. The picture was of the whole gang together, not long before the Cell Games. Everyone looked so happy, so unknowing of what pain would come in the future for them. Especially himself in the picture. Gohan stared at the smiling face of the young boy. The smile he wore in school was often a mask, often not genuine. He wished he could smile truly and happily like the boy in that picture, a moment frozen in time. As he looked at the picture one more time, the wall that had been around his heart since that fateful day crumbled at the corners and his puzzle broke apart, showing a lost soul.

~*~*~

Videl buried her face into her pillow. While tomorrow was a day of celebrating for most, she dreaded the anniversary of the Cell Games. There were so many reporters everywhere, so many women, so many people… It seemed to her that she fully disappeared from her father's sight during that day. She was so confused, and overwhelmed. Thought she appeared to be unmarred on the surface at school, she was torn and hurting below it. Her cerulean (AN: Hehe….^_^) eyes traveled to a picture standing on her desk, among many others. This was the one she looked at the most, carefully, taking in every detail and stamping it in her memory. It was a picture of her family long before the Cell Games, her father, herself, and her mother. Mother. What a strange word it was to her. But she knew it was holy in some way. That mother, that word, that person had kept the family together. Now that 'Mother' had left, the strings holding the family loosened and the puzzle fell apart, scattering along on the floor of endless black space along with the lost puzzle pieces of Son Gohan.

~*~*~(Next Day)

Gohan rolled over in his bed, trying to block out the light shining in his face from the open window. All he wanted was to stay in bed and think things over, no other worries being shoved in his brain alongside the pain. But fate left him no such luck. It wasn't with him on this day.

"GOOOOOHAN!"

Gohan got up and stared at the picture once more. He would find a way to be happy, he knew it. He just didn't know what it was yet. Chichi bustled in the room, absently rubbing her forehead and telling Gohan off at the same time. However, behind the mask, Gohan knew that she too was hurting. Chichi stopped speaking for a moment at the look on her first son's face, and her expression softened.

"Gohan…you know, if you don't feel well, you can always stay home.", she said knowingly. "Or…here. If you want to go, but feel bad during the day, give this note to your teacher." While she wanted him to go to school, she also understood the pain he was going through. Gohan smiled briefly, and hugged his mother. As he left the room, Chichi sighed and looked after him.

"Oh…", she took the picture off his drawer. She noticed all of the fingerprints on it, and sighed again. "Oh, Goku…." A few tears fell on the picture. Her puzzle had long since been broken.

~*~*~

Videl stared at the ceiling. This was the day of the year she hated most, yet also feared beyond belief. The mansion was a bustled hive of activity, and she could almost hear the click of cameras below. She slowly got up, but her mind was protesting. However, she had no other choice. She dressed in normal clothes, and padded down the staircase, obviously trying not to be seen by any reporters, or, at the least, her father. He would reprimand her on her clothes, how she should smile pretty for the reporters, and things like that that she would NEVER do on this day. This time he wasn't going to catch her.

She could live without breakfast; she had survived more painful things. Videl quietly slipped out the back door and did a little dance in victory. Now to get past the reporters….

~*~*~

Gohan walked into the classroom, looking quite…dull. He answered Erasa's and Sharpner's hellos without feeling, and laid his head on his hands. Maybe he shouldn't have come. 'Worse things have happened to me. I can do it. Don't think about Dad, Gohan, don't think about Dad…dammit, too late!' His eyes started stinging, but he rubbed his hand furiously against them. And the day hadn't even started yet! Videl walked in, with a look of fury on her face. Gohan briefly noticed how she looked pretty when she was mad, but that thought slipped his mind as she sat down.

"Hello, Gohan," she rolled her eyes, "Happy Satan Day!" Gohan felt his eyes stinging again, but he dismissed it.

"Yeah…'Happy' Satan Day." Videl didn't know how hard it was for him to say that phrase. One, it was named falsely. And two, it was anything but happy for Gohan. Videl looked at him suspiciously, but then waved it away.

"You know, there's going to be special assemblies and guest speakers here today."

Gohan choked in his mind. This was BUT anything that he needed.

"That's…awesome, Videl. Yeah, a-awesome…"

"Right…."

~*~*~

Videl thought the whole thing was smelly. Fish smelly. Rotten fish smelly. Molten rotten fish smelly. Bro- well, anyway. Usually, Gohan had this (stupid…and cute) smile on his face every day. However, this day for him was somehow different. He seemed weary…sad. But he shouldn't be. Today was a day of celebration, thought Videl with disdain. Of course, this day wasn't the greatest for Videl as well. She needed something to take her mind off it. Maybe she should watch Gohan to see what was wrong…

-End Chapter One.

AN: I liked this story the way it was, but after consideration decided to make it more than one chapters. But it isn't going to be long. ^_^' I'm sending this one to Beaner-Bop's archive (coming soon), where I'm going to be helping (or being a nuisance :-p).