Hi peeps, welcome to my first DBZ fanfic. After 11 years of writing occasional fics and 19 years of watching DBZ I thought it was about time I contributed something to this wonderful fandom.

I'll admit, for all that I love all of DBZ and every saga has its highlights, the tournament and Buu saga are my favourites. I was laughing, crying or gasping throughout as we went through the emotional rollercoaster that is the finale of DBZ. I loved the addition of Trunks and Goten and I really enjoyed having Videl added to the series - it was just great seeing that poor girl getting thrown into the world of the Z fighters and watching her grapple with the mind bending reality that is their life. As such, this fic was born. It's predominantly a retelling of the tournament and Buu arcs from Videl's point of view with a few scenes fleshed out to be a bit more realistic. It's all written as retrospection, so bear with me.

My intention is to follow the canon storyline so although this is technically Vihan, it's only as much as the anime. If I ever go overboard on my appreciation of Goku's physique, please forgive me - I just think that you'd have to be blind not to notice him! I also always felt that there should have been more interaction between him and Videl.

Disclaimer: DBZ is older than I am, if not by too much, ergo I don't own it or, sadly, Goku...

All in a Day

From her perch on the Lookout, Videl watched as the amber and pink of the sunset finally faded into purples, grays and blacks.

At long last the ordeal was over.

It had really been just two days ago that she'd boarded her father's private jet, irritated and embarrassed at the crowds of fans lined up to watch them go. They'd reached the island of the tournament and it had only gotten worse. There, the crowds had been enormous. Throngs of people waving placards, calling her father's name, cheering for their hero. Those were the moments she hated - where the father she loved became the public figure she both admired and resented. She'd been looking forward to her matches, but not the pomp and fanfare when her father inevitably won the championship, for all that she loved him.

She had known, of course, that Gohan and his family would be there but it had still been nice to see him. Being around Gohan was different to being around anyone else: he never treated her like all the other sycophants - even her closest friends were in awe of her and her father - but Gohan treated her like any other person. She didn't like how he seemed to think that she needed looking after or that he was stronger than her, and she'd had every intention of showing him how wrong he was on that count, but it was refreshing to be treated so normally.

Sitting here now, she knew it would be a day she remembered for the rest of her life. In just a few short hours her entire world had been turned upside down. Or maybe it was better to say that it had been utterly destroyed and now she was trying to make sense of it after it had somehow been pieced back together.

She'd arrived at the tournament with no clue as to the remarkable and unbelievable events that were about to unfold. She'd expected nothing more than a few good matches between the mediocre ones, culminating in another win for her father. None of that had happened and in hindsight she could see that, even before the tournament had fully started, things had been unusual.

The first strange occurrence of the day was when the blonde woman, 18, had gotten a score of 774 and 203 on the punch-machine in the preliminaries. Then her tiny companion, a man barely more than waist-high on Videl, had scored 192. Both should have been impossible and when the next two contestants, a strange, tall green man and an equally tall guy in a red and blue gi, scored equally unrealistic numbers, Videl had agreed with the monks that the machine must have been faulty. Then, before she could blink, the next contestant, a small if muscled man, had pulverised the machine altogether, sending it flying across the courtyard and into a wall. Videl could hardly believe her eyes but, until she challenged him about it, Gohan had seemed utterly unfazed.

As the crowds had parted to let the small group of fighters through, she had seen in them nothing more than yet more arrogant fighters, so much like the jocks she dealt with every day. The only difference had been the sheer level of arrogance in their movements. They moved as though everyone else was insignificant, as if there was no competition to be found here. There was none of the usual sneering or challenging looks between them and the other challengers and the reaction of the crowd was that of sheep with a wolf in their midst. Videl knew most of the world's accomplished martial artists but had never seen a single one of these people before today, so she knew this was nothing but bravado.

When the tallest man of the group had spoken to her, and then Gohan, she'd been surprised. She didn't know these people and Gohan was so unassuming, so shy. How did he know those jerks? How did they know about her but not know her name?

Despite having heard that little Goten was supposedly the mirror image of his absent father, a sentiment she now couldn't agree with more, Videl hadn't made the connection the first time she had seen the slightly older man. It had left her gaping when Gohan had explained that this man was his father. His dead father. She hadn't really understand what Gohan meant by that. They were clearly on good terms so her initial understanding of the situation, where she had interpreted it as 'dead to us' clearly wasn't the case. And then there had been that halo. Besides, that man couldn't possibly be old enough to be Gohan's father, he didn't look as if he'd even hit thirty yet, yet alone an age at which he could have a seventeen year-old son. But Gohan explained that he was dead so casually, as if it was both true and also completely normal. Maybe that explained why the age difference between them seemed so small, for all that she really hadn't been able to wrap her head around the reality of it at the time.

When they'd finally made it to the arena to see little Goten fight, Videl had received one shock after another. The level that those two little boys had been fighting at was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Their strength and skill was unbelievable. She would have never believed that a child could be such an impressive fighter and then, all of a sudden, she was faced with two of them. Though the entire crowd had been stunned into silence, Gohan's father and friends seemed to think nothing of it. They were impressed, that was clear, but there was no real hint of surprise on their faces.

Looking at the boys, Videl had finally seen the true similarity between the youngest and oldest Son men. They were practically identical in every way and Videl could well imagine that same look of intense, fierce focus on the taller man's face. She'd realised then that maybe that was something she never really wanted to see, if this was how strong tiny Goten was.

The fight was practically a blur to her now, only the accompanying emotions really standing out. The fight had been spectacular. One jaw dropping moment after another. And then… Then little Goten had changed. His lush black hair, the kind of black that wasn't made up of reds and browns even in the brightest sunlight but instead seemed to absorb light, it had turned a startling, rich gold. Not blonde, but air around him had filled with a bright golden aura, exactly like that of the mysterious Gold Fighter - the one Gohan had insisted he wasn't.

It seemed that the change had startled the oldest Son, but Gohan had only seemed dismayed that his brother had made the change in public. In fact, none of them had been shocked at all beyond expressing surprise that the little boy was so strong at his age - as if this kind of impossible physical transformation was not so unusual to them after all.

Videl had been too shocked to notice it at the time but that was the first time she'd heard that word: saiyan. Now, looking at the stars, she had a feeling that that word, whether she came to fully understand it or not, would play a significant part in her life from now on.

Just minutes later the fight had come to a spectacular but abrupt end when the other boy, Trunks, somehow made the same transformation, his short lilac hair changing to the same golden shade, and blasted little Goten out of the ring. Despite Videl's own shock - a feeling clearly mirrored by the crowd - this strange group, and Goten himself, again failed to show any real surprise at what they'd just witnessed.

After everything else she had seen, Videl had to admit that maybe she shouldn't have been so shocked at the casual dismissal with which they then went on to speak about Trunks' exhibition match with her father.

"Ha! This isn't going to be much of a fight, you know." Goku, Gohan's strange father, had said and his tiny friend had been equally quick to respond, "Right? You'd better not blink, or you'll miss it!"

Even Gohan's blatant attempt to cover up the strange conversation hadn't stopped her hearing the fierce looking man say, "Trunks is going to pulverize this noisy fool. World Champion - I've known stronger houseplants!" Nor had it convinced her that they were merely joking, as Gohan was trying to make out.

But how could that be? Her father was the man who had defeated Cell! The strongest man in the world! She knew full well that not everybody liked her father - she herself found his ego and attention seeking hard to swallow at times - but never had she heard anyone dismiss his strength in such a way.

Then, they'd simply left in search of lunch.

Never had Videl seen competitors so uninterested in studying her father's fighting technique but considering how dismissive they were of his strength, maybe that wasn't such a surprise. They didn't really think they were that much better than Mr Satan, did they? Chichi had said that her husband had won the tournament the last time he'd entered, at the young age of just eighteen, but that in itself was eighteen years ago. If he was strong enough to still be a challenger for the title now, why hadn't he or any of his friends taken part in all these years?

The match between Trunks and her father had been the final straw for Videl's over-stretched mind. The eight year old champion had knocked her father out of the ring with just one punch. Her poor father had almost gone through the wall and had been out cold for several seconds. The crowd seemed to believe her father's claims that he had let the youngster win out of courtesy, but Videl knew her father well enough to know that, despite his words, that just wasn't the case.

The next shock of the day, though a lesser one she had to admit, came when they reached the restaurant. Videl had never in her life seen anyone eat so much, let alone three people! She was used to bodybuilders on strict diets or fitness nuts on the latest fad. Even her normal friends from school, the ones who didn't attend gyms or workout, always seemed to be watching what they were eating. Yet here was a table stacked with plates as half of the group watched with varying degrees of laughter, boredom and disgust as the three taller men, Gohan included, ate enough to feed her whole school.

It was here, in short spats of conversation, that she had finally learned their names. The short man, Krillin, was the husband of 18, the only other woman in the competition. The other man, the one in the tight blue outfit, was Vegeta. She hadn't been able to fully work out the dynamic of the group, for all that she'd tried. It seemed that apart from Gohan and his father, nobody seemed very interested in interacting with the short, angry man. Gohan and Krillin seemed to be the peacekeepers of the group, trying their best to keep everybody happy, while 18 was a picture of bored resignation beside the strange, green Piccolo, the two of them a small bubble of silence at the other side of the table. Vegeta seemed to only be willing to acknowledge Goku and, occasionally, Gohan, while Goku seemed to be the one everyone looked to. Especially Krillin and Gohan who seemed to glance to the taller man throughout the conversation to see his responses, and whose faces lit up every time Goku responded to something they'd said.

Videl had rarely spent time with such a large group of clearly strong and contrasting characters without a fight breaking out and, having met Chichi and being told about Bulma, she had no doubt that when they were all together it made for a fiery mix. And yet here was this seemingly gentle and quiet man leading the group with barely a word, apparently oblivious to Vegeta's arrogance or the scowls from both 18 and Piccolo.

It was there, in the restaurant that she'd heard that strange word again. While watching the trio eat, Krillin had complained, "Good grief! You saiyans are like bottomless pits, I swear…" to which Gohan had freaked out. Krillin had seemed to realise his slip up and hadn't defended himself at all. Clearly something had been going on that she wasn't supposed to know about.

From there… Well, the day had really started to go downhill.

Upon leaving the restaurant their group had come across two strange competitors. One had bright pink skin and was so large that even Goku looked small in comparison. The other was maybe half as tall with purple skin. Both had white hair and wore the same clothing, though in different colours. To her surprise, Videl had noticed that the smaller of the two was hovering several inches above the ground.

It hadn't just been Videl who had been disconcerted by the strange pair, the others had seemed equally on edge, even though it seemed that the two were only interested in Goku, the smallest claiming to be one of his biggest fans. Piccolo was so shaken that he'd finally forfeited his match when the time came.

The draws went pretty normally. Gohan was fighting Kibito, the larger of the strange pair and she was paired up with Spopovitch, a large man but nothing she couldn't handle based on his performance at the previous tournament. She'd been surprised though, at the group's reaction when Vegeta had drawn. The spiky haired man hadn't even shown the number to the commentator, his focus solely on Goku as he held up the number 12 for the taller man to see. Despite everything they'd already seen that day, this elicited the strongest reactions from the group yet. Piccolo almost seemed scared while Krillin and Gohan appeared stunned. The smirk on Vegeta's face was the closest she'd seen to a smile from the man but it was a look she never wanted to see directed at her. It was the look of a predator eyeing up its prey when there was nowhere left for it to run. Goku, either through stupidity or downright arrogance as she'd thought at the time, just met the smaller man's look with a smirk of his own. She hadn't known either of them then - still didn't she supposed - but the tension between them spoke of a rivalry a long time in the making and one that she couldn't quite fit into her understanding of the group's dynamics.

Then the blonde woman, 18, had been matched up against her father and Videl was again surprised by the sheer dismissal that these strange people gave the Champion. Even when Videl had warned her of how powerful her father was, the other woman had merely looked at her, as if she, or at least her warning, wasn't worth answering. It was if the only fight any of them was interested in was the one between the two spiky haired men.

Videl had been genuinely excited about her matches. This had been her first time competing in the adult division and she'd been ready to show the world that she was more than just Mr Satan's daughter, that she was a fighter in her own right and not just a little girl.

None of that had happened. Her fight with Spopovitch had left her beaten and confused. No matter her attacks, the large man just hadn't gone down until eventually, in a fit of angry desperation, she had gone too far. The kick she had delivered to his head had spun his head a full one-eighty and she'd felt the crack of his neck as clearly as she had heard it. The horror of it had left her stunned and nauseous. As the large man had crashed to the ground Videl had stood shocked, scared. Never had she hurt anyone like that, never had she intended to. She had killed a man and now she was staring at his corpse, surrounded by an audience of thousands.

The relief as the giant of a man began to climb to his feet had almost bowled her over but within seconds that relief was gone. As the fight had continued, the mountain of a man man just hadn't gone down and she had begun to grow tired. Most of the rest of the fight was a blur of pain. She remembered falling out of the ring - a sense of relief as the grass had come closer and closer, then pain as the strange beast she was fighting had grabbed her leg and hauled her back into the ring. The next thing she remembered clearly after that was the lights of the medical centre, Gohan giving her the bean. She couldn't explain what happened next but within seconds of swallowing that bean, all of her injuries were gone. All of them. The energy and confusion running through her had been enough to send her hurtling out of the bed, chasing after Gohan and answers.

Videl had arrived at the ring to find Gohan and the tall, pink-skinned man talking.

The tension in the air was palpable, an almost physical sensation, sparks literally racing along the tiles of the arena as Gohan said, "Last chance for requests: do you just want to see a super saiyan, or should I take it up to the next level?"

"What's that?! There's a level beyond a super saiyan?"

Gohan had merely nodded.

What was a saiyan? What did it mean that they were talking about super saiyans?

Videl had watched in awe as the ground started to shake, the tiles of the arena rattling and beginning to lift from the ground, sparks flying through the air as Gohan started to yell. He had seemed to be in pain, shaking with effort as his eyes began to flicker to green and shining motes of ki drifted about him in a golden counterpoint to the lightning-like flashes emanating from his body. Just seconds later he was surrounded by the same golden aura she had seen from the two small boys earlier on. But that was where the comparison ended. Where they had been small auras, stunning in their suddenness, but barely bigger than the boys themselves, this aura was large enough to fill the arena and lift the heavy tiles into the air as Gohan changed into the Gold Fighter.

When the transformation was over and the tiles had fallen back into place - each one perfectly positioned - Videl could see that Gohan's face was slightly different. Aside from the obvious changes to his eyes and hair, his brows had a heavier set that highlighted the similarity between him and his father.

Then - a real bombshell.

"Hah! Gohan had a lot more power when he fought Cell. I think your son has gone soft in these peaceful times, Kakarot." Vegeta's scornful growl left her feeling numb, swamped by memories so very filled with fear.

Videl had been young, just 11 years old, when Cell had appeared to terrorize the world, but she would never forget the fear of watching her father on TV, so close to that terrible monster. She could remember others being there too and, though the memories had always being vague - after all she hadn't known those people - Vegeta's words had brought those memories into stark clarity. There had been a tall, green man whom she now recognised as Piccolo. Vegeta too, she realised had been there in almost the same clothes as today. A young man with long, purple hair whom she still didn't recognise had been there too, wearing a matching outfit. A slightly younger and bald Krillin wearing a red gi, exactly like Goku's but without the t-shirt underneath. And… And… Two blondes... One she had recognised then, as inexplicable as it was, as the handsome black-haired man standing beside her there at the tournament, a halo hanging over his head. The other - she almost couldn't believe it! - the other had been a boy of about her age, wearing the same clothes as Piccolo was right then.

Gohan had said that his father had died eight years ago, before his mother had even known she was pregnant. Eight years ago…

It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

She had remembered then, with almost crystal clarity, how that man had fought Cell, the 'tricks' he had used which Gohan had so recently taught her were nothing of the sort, the smile on his face as he stood face to face with that terrible monster, the unbelievable skill with which he had fought. The way he had forfeited... and volunteered his son to fight next.

As the truth had tumbled around her, incomprehensible and daunting, Shin's clear voice had cut through her thoughts.

"You may be right, but he is still the strongest fighter in this tournament." Shin. The strange man to whom Piccolo had forfeited. "The only question is: will it be enough?"

"For what?" Goku challenged. The smaller man didn't respond.

Then, faster than Videl could respond, Spopvitch and Yamu had leaped onto Gohan.

"What did you do?" Goku asked the diminutive man as Gohan appeared paralysed, frozen in place as the two enormous brutes grabbed him and stabbed him with some strange bottle-like object.

"They're killing him!" Goku had protested as Kibito stood idly by, his fists clenched at his sides but taking no action.

"Trust me: he'll be fine." Shin had grit out between clenched teeth. But the agony in Gohan's screams had been too much for Videl to listen to.

Before she had been able to react and fast as a flash, Krillin launched himself forwards, Gohan's name an anguished yell on his lips. Only to be stopped by Piccolo.

"I told you, you must stay back!" Shin yelled as Krillin continued to struggle. Who was this man to tell them what to do?

Videl had watched in horror as Gohan's golden hair faded back to black and his eyes turned dull. She hadn't been able to watch as her friend was treated so cruelly and with a yell she leaped over the barrier. She was fast, she knew she was, but with seemingly no effort at all Goku snatched her out of the air, his gaze never leaving his screaming son. For all her struggling, his hands had been like shackles where they held her wrists. He'd clearly been gentle with her, because for all her struggling he hadn't left a mark, and yet she hadn't been able to move even an inch.

She'd screamed at him to let her go, that Gohan needed help and finally, he'd looked at her. With a firm movement he'd pulled her closer to him and said, "Stay here. Gohan will be fine, Videl." She didn't know how he could have said it with such conviction but the man had been steadfast, his grip and gaze alike unwavering as they pinned her in place even as she begged.

She didn't understand. Why wouldn't he help his own son when he could hear him screaming like that?

"Gohan is in no danger." Shin's quiet voice again.

How? How could they be so calm, she'd wondered. What was it about these people that had made them so unflinching that they'd stand there as their son, their friend screamed as two strange men stabbed him? Why would they listen to a man they'd met just hours ago and to whom they'd barely spoken? Just what had they seen and done that they could watch this without horror in their eyes?

With an effort, Videl had managed to calm herself. There was something about the oldest Son that invited trust. It hadn't just been the way that Gohan had spoken about his father, the sheer, unwavering adoration and respect. Or even the way that this strange group interacted. Something about the steadfastness in Goku's eyes and the confidence with which Shin spoke had loosened the panic constricting her chest and, even though it was hard, she had forced herself to stay put. Instantly, as if he had read her mind, those impossibly strong hands had released her wrists and she had turned to watch the ring, Goku's hand coming to rest on her shoulder in quiet support.

Videl didn't think she'd ever forget the horror of those moments, even after everything else that had happened that day. Just the thought of them now made her anger boil up, her gut roil with shame. She had just watched...

She still didn't know where the light had come from but it had been blinding in its brightness and when it subsided Gohan had collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

Even then, Shin had ordered them, and it had been an order, to stay back and not to interfere, with the assurance that his friend, Kibito, would deal with the situation.

For the first time, Videl had felt tension from the man behind her. By then both of his hands had been on her shoulders, whether to restrain her or for his own sake, she didn't know, but she had been grateful for the physical anchor it had provided her, a reminder that this was real and she wasn't alone.

Still, the anger in the man's voice was clear as he demanded answers from the small, authoritative man.

Most of the following conversation had meant nothing to her, though the others clearly understood it.

"You're going, too?!" Krillin had exclaimed in shock. "Are you crazy?"

Releasing her from his gentle but unbreakable grip, Goku watched the white haired man fly out of the arena. "I don't think I have much choice. The Supreme Kai gave us his word that Gohan would be ok, and I believe him. So..." Videl had no idea what a Supreme Kai even was or why Goku and the others should trust him, even now. "Unless I go with him, I'm never going to know what's going on around here." She really hadn't been able to decide whether it was reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one who had no clue as to what was happening or if it terrified her even more to know that even these people, who seemed to know secrets she could only guess at, were as confused as she. She had decided it didn't matter as she'd raced into the ring to her fallen friend, calling for a stretcher as she went.

"Kibito, will you promise to take care of Gohan for me?" Goku asked, suddenly standing before the enormous warrior. He'd been utterly silent, just like Gohan always was when landing. It was a skill Videl hadn't yet learned.

"You have my word. And as soon as he is healed, I will follow after you. Gohan, I presume, will want to do the same." It had been surprising to see the smirk spread across the black-haired man's face, so much like his earlier response to Vegeta. This was a look of anticipation, of challenge, somehow more feral than any expression she'd ever seen on his son. It had reminded her of Vegeta and made her wonder just what ties were between them. Without another word, he was gone, Vegeta hot on his heels.

"I'm right behind you, Kakarot." Videl had wondered if the way Vegeta had said it made Goku feel as uneasy as it did her. She hadn't had the energy left to question why the older man had called Gohan's father Kakarot.

As the stretcher finally arrived, Gohan finally opened his eyes, his face pale and ashen. His voice was weak as he asked, "Where did everybody go?" Videl didn't know how he could possibly have known that the others were gone, he was facing away from the waiting area and his eyes were unfocused, nor did she know how to answer.

The strange, pink giant literally growled at the approaching monks, insisting that he would see to Gohan, before giving another, louder growl as a strange glow appeared around her injured friend. Whatever he had done, it had helped. Gradually, colour had returned to Gohan's face and his eyes slowly regained their usual sharp focus.

With a grunt the taller man had removed his hand from Gohan's back. "That should do it, Gohan."

Gohan had gotten to his feet with barely a tremble. "Gohan! Do you feel better now?" she'd asked, relieved to see him looking like his usual self.

"Whoa! I feel even stronger than I was before!" he turned to Kibito with shock. "What did you do?"

"If you come with me, I'll tell you everything," had been Kibito's only response before taking to the air and following the other fighters.

Even now, Videl had to admit that she was glad not to have seen that same look of anticipation on Gohan's face as she'd seen just minutes before on his father's. "Gohan, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure, Videl."

"Insane!" she'd said, taking a step towards him.

"I know."

"Is it ok if I come with you, Gohan?" She'd had no intention of taking no for an answer. Gohan had just blinked at her for a moment, searching for an answer, "Please let me come. I can help you guys out! Okay?" She was Videl Satan after all. She'd been helping the police department for months and months now, she could look after herself and, although she hadn't known what was ahead, it had sounded like they would need all the help they could get.

How naïve she'd been.

Gohan had tried to argue, "No, you'd better not. I have a feeling something bad's going to happen and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Please, Gohan! I'll be carefull… If you don't let me, I'll just follow you anyway." It hadn't been an idle threat and he knew it.

"If things get tough, you promise me you'll get out of there?" She'd nodded her agreement. She'd be the one to decide what 'tough' meant. Finally he had agreed and the two of them had taken flight.

Flying fast, they'd met Kibito at the edge of the island and followed him out across the ocean and the man had begun to recount the terrifying story of Bibidi and his monster.

At first, she'd been about to scoff at the ridiculous idea! A wizard from outer space? Just how gullible did this man think they were? But before she'd been able to voice her disbelief, Gohan had started asking questions, probing deeper into the story. He had genuinely believed it.

Seeing the focus on his face, Videl had flashed back to that moment in the arena when she'd been begging Goku to help his son, to the questions that had raced through her head and to the minutes before when she'd realized that Gohan's friends, Gohan himself, had fought Cell.

Just what had these people been through that they would accept this story without hesitation? That they could listen to this story, to the horrors that purportedly awaited them at this unknown destination, and keep flying towards it?

Videl had never considered herself a coward but between the strain of keeping up this punishing pace, the sting of the wind in her eyes and the fear growing inside her with every word of the stranger's story, she had felt sweat break out across her skin, chilling her and making her tremble. Slowly, she'd fallen behind, growing tired.

Noticing, Gohan had dropped back to match her speed. "Videl, what's wrong? You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm - I'm fine!" She'd answered, but spent the next minutes struggling more and more to keep up. Just how did they do it? The wind hadn't seemed to affect them at all.

Kibito's deep rumble of a voice finally broke through her concentration. "The Supreme Kai and the others are farther ahead of us than I thought. We'll have to move faster to catch them." Faster? Had he really said faster?

"No problem!" Gohan's gentler voice. "But hold on just a second." Again he'd dropped back beside her, concern on his face, his voice soft. "How are ya holdin' up back here, Videl?"

"I wish I were as good at this as you are…" Could he really go faster than that? She'd found it hard to believe. But she'd had to admit the truth, "I can't go on. Gohan, I can't keep my eyes open. I'm just holding you guys back."

"You're just not used to the wind yet, you'll get there." It had been such a typical Gohan answer that it had almost made her smile. With anyone else she would have never admitted a weakness: it would have been turned into a derogatory statement about how 'of course she wasn't as strong as the men' or 'I'm the world champ! You can't compare yourself to me!' but Gohan had never treated her with anything but respect. For him it was a simple matter of, of course she could do better, of course her goal was achievable, with just a little more time. There was never the implication that she wasn't good enough or that it'd take her years of practice, it was just the same gentle guidance with which he'd originally taught her to fly. "Don't worry about it… But you're probably right, it'd be better if you go back"

She wasn't sure how she felt about how he'd twisted her words. She hadn't said anything about going back but at the same time he'd avoided telling her what to do by implying it was her own suggestion. Very tactful.

"It's starting to look like one of those days that could get really dangerous." One of those days… Just how many of those days had Gohan had, she wondered.

"If it turns out like that… Then I want you to take care of yourself… For me, okay?"

"Yeah, you've got it!. Be careful flying back, and when you get there, could you be sure to tell my mom and my brother what's going on? They're probably worried." Another typically Gohan thing to say. He was always so thoughtful, so caring, never making a move without considering how it would affect those closest to him.

"No problem! But tell me something: The Gold Fighter - it was really you, right?" She'd had to know.

"Uh… Yes." He'd looked away in embarrassment. "I - I'm sorry I lied to you, I - I just didn't want everyone to know."

"So seven years ago, that strange group of people that showed up during the fight with Cell, that was you guys! And you were the little boy that was with them, weren't you?"

A look of sadness had crossed Gohan's face for a moment, followed by a rueful smile. He just gave a quiet hum of agreement.

"Then my father wasn't the one who beat Cell, was he?" That had been a dangerous question to ask, but everything made so much more sense in this new light. "No, it was you!"

"Yes, it was…"

"I knew it! I always had a feeling about that. It just seemed strange to me that my father was capable of that kind of strength. And now it all makes sense!

"I'm glad I know the truth... Thank you, Gohan.

"Now go. Go and be a hero again!"

Just for a moment a small smile had bloomed on his face. Then he and Kibito were gone as Videl stopped in mid-air to watch them go.

"Good luck Gohan!" She'd called after him. Then plucking up a bit of courage she'd added, "I'll be waiting for you when you get back!"

Gohan had called back to her with a smile, then he and Kibito had flared their auras and been gone faster than she had thought possible.

Hanging in the air with nobody but the wind for company, she'd added, "You'd better come back. 'Cause I'm not finished with you yet, Gohan."

Ok, so that was long! I'm sure the next part won't be long in the works, this has been bouncing around in my head for years! Also, please remember: Reviews are life!