Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z.

AN: This story is set in the mirai timeline.

Prologue: To be young and in love.

It was around three and a half years after the first appearance of the androids, when a young woman of fourteen lay in her bed, slowly falling victim to sleep. She had been wondering when her secret boyfriend would next visit, as he liked to climb through her bedroom window after dark, and would often stay til dawn. Tonight, however, it was already past the time that he would usually show, so Videl had decided to hit the sack.

Videl loved her boyfriend. He was just a month older than her, and they had met at a party six months before. She had been automatically attracted to his bad boy persona, the way he seemed so confident, and so strong. But it was what was underneath that she really fell for, for under his hardened exterior was the warmest heart she had ever known. He was truly caring, sensitive, always happy to listen, and best of all, loving.

Despite all of this, there was still much that Videl didn't know about her boy. She knew his dad had died not long before the androids appeared, from the deadly heart virus, and that he lived with his mother, but other than that he didn't talk much about his past. Often, he would get a far away look on his face, and he would seem so sad, and so lonely. Videl hoped that she could make his life better, and she hoped that he knew he was not alone.

It was at this moment, when sleep had almost claimed her, that she heard the usual tapping at her window. Quickly, she stumbled out of bed and towards the sound, careful not to trip on the books and CDs that littered her floor. As soon as she opened the window he was in, grabbing her in a strong embrace, his arms around her and his head buried in her soft hair.

"Videl," he breathed softly, his lips brushing past her ear, "I've missed you."

"I thought you weren't coming tonight," she replied, "I almost fell asleep, but I'm so glad you're here now, Gohan."

Silently, he closed the window, careful not to make any loud noises that could wake his girlfriend's father. He picked Videl up effortlessly, and carried her over to her queen size bed, setting her down gently on top of the covers.

"I bought us some drinks," he offered, opening his backpack so that they could both look inside. "I managed to get a few beers, and a four pack of those vodka mixers, too. We've gotta drink them all tonight 'cos I can't take them back home."

Videl looked up into his face and smiled. Yes, she loved her bad boy. She never asked where he got the stuff that he brought to her house; she preferred not to know the details. But in this living hell, with the guillotine hanging over their heads constantly, it was nice to be able to escape into her own world once in a while, a world where only her and Gohan existed. She could never explain why, but when Gohan was around she didn't feel the need to be afraid of the androids, almost as if they could never touch her. He made her feel safe.

For Gohan too, seeing Videl was a way to escape the cruel reality of his world. She made him forget about he androids, if only for a moment. With her, he could pretend his dad was still alive, and that he hadn't seen his friends and allies massacred in front of him. He didn't have to think of the fact that he was the only one left, feel the guilt that it should have been him that died, rather than them. The moments with Videl were quite literally the only times that he did not have the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

This here, was the reason for Gohan Son's recent bout of bad behaviour. To his mother, he was still a good boy who studied in the morning, and trained in the afternoon. She had no idea of his nightlife, the parties he snuck out to, his girlfriend, the stealing. Yes, Gohan, the son of the greatest martial artist that had ever lived, had become a bit of a thief. He stuck only to taking alcohol and cigarettes, and sometimes a bit of food, but nothing more. He never got caught, because his Saiyan reflexes were so fast that the security cameras in stores could not pick up the movement, and the moments when he stole thing were the few times that he felt in control.

Deep down, of course, this was the same Gohan that he had always been, and after his thieving he was always struck by tremendous guilt. This was why he brought the things he stole to Videl, she never asked where they came from, and she never judged him. Instead, she greeted him with a smile, and made him feel like everything was all right.

The two teenagers began to consume the alcohol Gohan had brought along, and soon they were both more than a little tipsy. Feeling more adventurous than usual, Videl removed her top, and then her pants, so that she was sitting in only her underwear. As Gohan kissed her hungrily, she helped him to remove his clothes too, and eventually the two teens were both naked.

"Do you trust me?" Gohan asked, looking into her blue eyes.

"Of course," came the giggled reply, "I love you Gohan Son!"

With that, they continued into the night, finding freedom in each other's bodies. They drifted to sleep in each other's arms, and woke before sunrise to say goodbye.

"I love you, Videl," he whispered, wishing he never had to let her go.

"I love you too," she whispered back, wishing just as hard.

Gohan slipped silently out her window, and with one last look back, was gone.

Unfortunately for these two young lovers, fate had a different plan for each of them than what they wanted. They did not yet know it, but that day was to be the last time they ever saw each other again.

And this is where the real story begins...

AN: I know this might seem a bit OOC for both Videl and Gohan (okay a lot OOC), but when I watch the History of Trunks special, I get the feeling that the Future Gohan is a lot more serious than the normal one, and also stronger in terms of personality. He went through a lot, with all his dad and friends dying, and I think the death of Piccolo especially could have mucked him up enough for him to lose his sense of self for a few years. As I explained in the chapter, the sense of impending doom that everyone feels because of the Androids is enough to make Videl want to escape, by any means possible.