A Night's Consequences
Part Three
Two weeks had passed since Erasa's 'little' anger, and things had returned to normal. And like any normal afternoon for the two best friends, they were having lunch in their favorite restaurant, talking about this and that. But there was one thing Videl wanted to discuss with Erasa, and she really didn't know how to bring it up. Lost in her thoughts, she wasn't listening to Erasa anymore, who, ever true to herself, was talking non-stop.
Finally noticing that her friend wasn't listening to her anymore, Erasa frowned. "Something's wrong, Videl?"
She sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore, Erasa."
"About what?"
"About Heiji." She replied. "It's been two weeks that I'm avoiding him, and he's starting to question himself."
"Why are you avoiding him?"
"Because… As soon as we're alone, he always wants us to…" Videl let her friend guess the rest.
"Ah. Okay."
An uncomfortable silence settled between the two friends, but it didn't last long.
"And why you don't want to?" Erasa asked. "It's normal, in a couple, to have these kinds of relations."
A sigh escaped the lips of the raven haired woman. "I… I don't know… When I'm with him, I freeze." She paused. "And on top of that, I can't stop thinking about him."
"About Gohan?"
She nodded. "I can't get him out of my head. I constantly think about him, even when Heiji is kissing or touching me – the rare times that happens, anyway. Imagine if I say his name accidentally, while we're…?"
"Mmhm." The blonde agreed. "That would be a problem."
"And I'm getting married in two weeks… Oh my God, what am I going to do during the honeymoon? It will be unavoidable, there!"
"You could…" She stopped, a bit hesitant. "You could leave Heiji."
"Leave Heiji? Two weeks before the wedding? Erasa, I can't do this to him!"
"Then you're going to marry a man you don't love?"
"Of course I lo… lo…"
"See? You can't even say it anymore."
Videl buried her face in her hands. "My God… And I'm marrying him in only two weeks…"
"What are you going to do?" Erasa asked. "Break off the engagement?"
Her friend shook her head. "I can't do that to Heiji… And besides, I loved him, when he proposed to me, my feelings for him will probably return; they are just slightly clouded by the ones I have for Gohan."
"Completely masked, you mean."
"Maybe, but I'm sure they will return. They have to return."
"You're probably right." The young blonde said. "But what are you going to do, concerning Gohan?"
Videl raised an eyebrow. "Concerning Gohan? What do you mean?"
"You'll have to apologize to him, you own him that."
The young policewoman furrowed her brows, staying silent for a few moments. "I'll write him a letter."
"Videl!"
"Okay, okay…" She paused for a short while. "I'll give him a call."
"Videl…"
"What? I don't know where he lives, and if I go see him at the hospital, he will never accept to see me."
"You have his phone number, don't you? It shouldn't be too hard to find his address with that. And plus, you're in the police; it will be a child play to find where he lives!"
Videl sighed. "Fine, I'll go see him at his place…"
"Finally!"
"…If I have time."
"Videl!"
--
"Aah… There's nothing like a good bath after a long day…" Gohan said to himself.
And that day had really been long and tiring: he had paid Vegeta a visit, this morning, like almost every morning for two weeks – which, of course, delighted the Prince greatly, who didn't have a sparing partner since his great rival had gone God knew where to train the reincarnation of Buu – and this time, thoughtful, he had brought Senzu Beans with him, not wanting to relive the experience from two weeks ago. Afterwards, obviously, he went to work at the hospital, which had been restless that day. In short, he was more than glad that his day was over. He was finally able to relax, in his bath.
He had spoken too fast.
The doorbell rang, and he cursed, calling the one who had disturbed him from his heaven all sort of names. He got out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around his waist, not bothering to dry himself. The doorbell made itself heard once again, more insistent.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He shouted.
Apparently, the person who was behind the door didn't hear him – or simply ignored him – and kept on pushing the doorbell button repeatedly. He opened the door abruptly, and froze at the same time as the young woman in front of him – who still had her finger on the button – although for different reasons.
Her cheeks were on fire, and, whatever she did, she couldn't help but run her eyes on his muscular body, streaming of water. He really had a heavenly body, and out of the shower, he was terribly sexy. She blushed even more.
Gohan couldn't believe his eyes. She had gone as far as finding his address and come to where he lived! What the hell was her problem? She still didn't get that he didn't want to hear about her anymore?! How dared she show herself before him after what she did to him? And precisely when he was relaxing in his bath, on top of that! His… bath…
He then realized that he was just wearing a towel, and blushed red crimson. He rushed to his room, leaving the door open. Videl was brought out of her stupor, and, seeing the door open, entered the apartment.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Gohan shouted, angered, coming out of his room and quickly slipping a shirt on, not losing time in buttoning it up.
"I… Um… The door was open and…"
"I'm not talking about that! Why did you come? Don't you think you've done enough as it is!?"
She glared at him, starting to get pissed. "I came to apologize, but now I really regret to have listened to my conscience."
"Oh? Because you have a conscience?"
"I won't stand any more of this."
She walked toward the door, put her hand on the handle and turned it, starting to open the door, when a hand came to close it back. She turned around, glaring draggers at Gohan, who was glaring back at her.
"Take your hand off." She hissed.
He didn't move his hand from the door, maintaining it closed. "I don't take orders from you."
"I want to get out of here, so take your hand off."
"You shouldn't have come in, then."
Her eyes narrowed even more, intensifying the glare. "Let me out."
He still didn't move, maintaining his own glare. "I want to know."
"Know what?"
"Why?" She stayed silent. "Why you didn't tell me you were engaged? Why you weren't wearing your engagement ring during the dinner? Why did you let me believe that I had a chance with you? Why you didn't push me away when I kissed you? You did nothing to stop me, when I went further, and you even encouraged me to continue! Why, Videl? I want to know why!!"
She lowered her head, not knowing what to say. She was so ashamed of everything she had done… She really was an awful person, and she felt so guilty to have hurt the person who meant the most for her.
"I… I'm sorry…" She said, finally.
"Sorry? You're sorry?" He repeated. "For what, exactly, for using me, or for not succeeding your plan to the end, with the unexpected arrival of your dear fiancé?"
Tears began to fill her eyes, and she let them flow on her cheeks, her head still lowered, her hair hiding her face. She didn't say anything, didn't deny anything, she let him shout at her without budging; she deserved it, after all, and she deserved even worst.
"Answer me!!"
He took hold of her shoulders, and she lifted her head, looking at him with eyes full of tears and remorse. At seeing her like this, his anger vanished instantly, replaced by shock. Videl, crying? These words matched just as well as him drunk. But he had been drunk, because of her, and now she was crying, because of him.
"Videl I…"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence, because she had thrown herself on him, crying her eyes out on him. He didn't move, didn't push her away, and let her cry on him.
"I'm… so sorry, Gohan…" He heard her say between her sobs. "I… I didn't want to hurt you, I… I didn't think it would end like this… I should never have… I've been horrible… so horrible to you…"
Hesitant, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him while she kept on crying, constantly saying that she was sorry. Eventually, she let go of him and pulled away from him, wiping her tears which didn't want to stop flowing.
"Do you want a glass of water, or anything else?" He asked kindly.
She laughed between her tears, keeping on trying to stop them from flowing. "And you're so kind, after all what I did to you…"
"Videl…"
"I'd like some water, please." She said.
He nodded, and went to fetch it for her in the kitchen, leaving her alone in the living room. She spotted a couch, and went to sit on it, finally managing to calm her tears. She wiped them completely, and breathed in deeply, feeling a huge weight being removed from her shoulders. She would never have thought that she would feel so relieved after having cried.
"Here."
She turned to him, and took the glass he was holding out for her with a grateful smile. She gulped down big gulps of water, realizing that she was really thirsty. She heard a pschitt on her left, where Gohan was seated, and turned toward him, seeing that he had taken a beer for himself.
"You drink, now?"
He shrugged. "Two or three beers, it doesn't affect me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And yet Erasa told me that you were completely drunk, when you two went to have a drink together, the other day."
"I had drunk dozen, or even twenty drinks; even a bear would have been drunk with everything I took. And I don't even talk about the hangover."
She laughed softly, feeling the tension between them fade completely. He smiled slightly, glad that she was laughing, and not crying anymore. Seeing her crying like this, because of him, had shredded his heart.
"I think we started off on the wrong foot, you and me." She said.
He agreed. "Indeed."
"Then, what do you say we forget everything that had happened, and start over?"
He shook his head. "It's not possible."
Her face fell. "Why?"
"After what had happened, after what we did, nothing could ever become the way it was again."
"But…"
"And I will never be able to forgive you, Videl. I will never be able to forgive you what you did to me."
She placed her glass on the small table in front of the couch, and turned completely toward him, facing him.
"You can't blame everything on me, I'm not the only one at fault here."
He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"You heard very well. You, too, have your share of responsibility in what happened."
"I don't see what you're talking about."
"Well I'm going to jog your memory then: first, it's YOU who kissed me, in front of the door of my apartment."
"And you, you invited me to come in." He reminded.
"Yes, but it's you again who kissed me on the couch, and I tried to stop you, remember?"
"You tried to stop me? You downright invited me to your room!"
"It wasn't my intention, at first, but when I saw how embarrassed you were…"
"You told yourself that kissing me would be a better idea." He finished for her.
"No, well, not exactly…"
"So, because I kissed you, I'm also at fault, that's what you mean?"
"Not only!"
"Then what, now?"
"You…!" She stopped, her cheeks on fire.
"I, what?"
She lowered her head, her cheeks burning by what she was about to say. "You… You made love to me, like no one ever did to me before. I had never felt anything like this, in all my life."
He raised his eyebrows, then blushed as well, looking away. "I'm sorry I gave you so much pleasure." He mumbled sarcastically.
She blushed even more, staring intensely at her fists clenched on her laps. A very uncomfortable silence settled between the two ex-lovers, both having a face as red as a tomato.
"But," Gohan started, breaking the silence. "If you had told me, from the beginning, that you were already engaged, I'd never have tried anything with you, and nothing would have happened."
She stayed silent for a long while before speaking, in a whisper barely audible. "Exactly…"
He turned to her, eyes narrowed, his anger back. "Exactly? Exactly you say? So you had really planned everything, huh?"
"N-No!" She cried, looking into his eyes. "I didn't plan anything! I would never…"
"But you were hoping, weren't you?" He cut her. "You were hoping that something would happen, right? And that's why you didn't say anything, and that you didn't put your engagement ring. That's why you let me do, making me believe that it was possible, you and me. Deep down, you wanted this to happen, so you did nothing… You did nothing to contradict me, when I thought you were single, you did nothing to stop me, when I kissed you, you did nothing, either, when it became more serious, because that was what you wanted, from the start." He clenched his fists. "So, you must be happy, now, aren't you? You did it; you had me in your bed. Oh, but you hadn't planned for your oh so dear fiancé to turn up unexpectedly, you may have liked to use me for a bit longer, huh?"
"Gohan… Stop it…" She begged, her tears starting to flow again.
He ignored her. "How long would you have used me, if he hadn't come? Till the wedding, perhaps, or even after that? As long as your dear fiancé didn't know anything, you could continue your little double life quietly, coming to see me when he didn't satisfy you. What kind of person are you?"
"I'm a monster!" She cried, burying her face in her hands.
"Yeah, that's it: a monster."
She kept on crying in her hands, sobbing, leaving him unmoved.
"Get out."
She lifted her head from her hands, looking at him through her tears. "What?"
"Get out, I don't want to have anything to do with a monster like you. I want you to get out of here and never come back, neither in my workplace, nor anywhere I am. I don't want to see you ever again, or even hear about you. I want you to get out of my life once and for all!"
"Go-Gohan…"
"GET OUT!!" He roared.
She suppressed a sob, slapping her hand over her mouth, and got out of the apartment running.
He leaned back on the couch, heaving a sigh, feeling his anger fading. Maybe he had been a bit harsh with her… But, no, she deserved it, she deserved every word he had said to her, and many more.
But that look she had sent him, before leaving…
He shook his head sharply, dispelling that image from his mind. But like a boomerang, it came back, and with other images, on top of that. Images of their dinner at the restaurant, of her laugh, of their night together…
He hit his head, wanting to get rid of them all, but there was nothing to do. They always came back, bringing others with them. He buried his head in his hands, begging them to leave him alone.
"Why…?" He whispered. "Why do I still love her?"
He stayed like this for a good while, miserable, his head in his hands. Then, a noise that was now familiar to him made him jump, and he stood up, searching for the origin in the room. He found it in his coat pocket, and got his beeper out of it. He frowned. An emergency at the hospital? At this hour of the night? He sighed, and went to dress up. He then got out of his apartment, of his building, outside, and in the rain that was falling on the city.
Cursing himself for not having brought an umbrella, he ran toward the hospital, being faster than any means of transport, and got there in a few minutes. Drying himself with his Ki, he entered the establishment, immediately called out by a nurse.
"Road accident." She informed him, as they were running in the corridors. "She had been hit by a car near the fifth avenue."
His heart missed a beat. She? The fifth avenue? It was really near to where he lived, could it be…?
He swallowed. "Are there informations about her identity?"
The nurse nodded. "She had her police badge with her." He felt a big lump in his throat. "Her name is Satan Videl."
He had a hard time breathing. Videl… She… She had been hit by a car, after getting out of his place… After getting out of his place crying. And she was crying because of him.
It's all my fault…
--
He was pacing up and down, rushing to a doctor as soon as he saw one, asking how she was. He was always answered by silence, and if it went on like this, if no one told him how his fiancée was, he was going to go crazy!
He heaved a deep sigh, and collapsed on a chair, next to the best friend of the woman he loved. His soon-to-be father-in-law was there, too, as well as several policemen, colleagues.
"Don't worry." Erasa said, trying to reassure him. "I'm sure everything will be alright."
He looked at her. "You think so?"
"Of course." She assured. "Videl is a fighter, she'll pull through."
He sighed again. "I hope you're right."
--
He sighed in relief. She was out of danger… No, they were out of danger, and it was a real miracle. He had been surprised to learn the existence of this little being that was growing inside her, and more so when this very same being had survived after the accident. There was no doubt that it was his; its Ki was way too high for it to be a normal human.
He stroked the cheek of the sleeping woman tenderly, a soft smile tugging his lips. They were going to have a child… He was going to become a parent, with the woman he loved.
"Dr. Son, her family is waiting to hear from her, and her fiancé is restless…"
Reality hit him harder than Vegeta's the strongest blow. Her fiancé… It would be him who will raise his child, who will see him or her grow up, do his/her first steps, say his/her first words… He, he wouldn't be there, he would not see his own child grow up. He will have to live knowing that he was the father of a child who will never know of him. It was so unfair.
Why hadn't he met up with Videl sooner?
"Erm… Dr. Son…?"
He sighed. "I'm coming."
He got out of the hospital room, and to the corridor. Videl's relatives rushed to him when they saw him, him first. The famous fiancé; his rival, in some ways. It was a man who must have the same age as him, perhaps a few years older. He was chestnut-haired and hazel-eyed, he seemed rather beefy – though he was nothing compared to him – and was rather tall.
So it's him… He thought.
"Gohan?" Erasa said, surprised to see him. "You're Videl's doctor?"
"You know him?" Heiji asked.
"Videl and I went to high school with him." The blonde explained.
A cough made itself heard, and everybody turned toward Mr. Satan, who was starting to lose patience.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I would like to know how my daughter is!"
Gohan smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Satan, Videl is fine. Only…"
"Only what?" Heiji asked, urging him to continue.
He hesitated, but he was a doctor before everything, and he had no right to not tell them everything there was to know. "Videl is expecting a child, who had miraculously survived during the accident."
"A-A child?" The fiancé said, shocked. "Videl is pregnant?"
Obviously, this man thought – wrongly of course – that he was the father of Videl's child, and it was completely natural, considering that he was her fiancé, and that he didn't doubt the fidelity of his soon-to-be wife.
"Can… Can I see her?" Heiji asked.
"Videl needs rest." Gohan replied, holding himself from telling him to get lost.
"Please, I have to see her…" The man begged. "She's my fiancée…"
I had guessed, the demi Saiya-jin thought bitterly, no need to remind me. He sighed, then nodded, telling him to follow him. Seeing that everybody had started to follow him, he told them that one person at a time could see Videl. Disappointed, they went back to their places, waiting for their turn.
Gohan kept the door open to let Heiji enter, then, after having glared at the back of the man's head, he closed the door, not wanting to stay. He let out a deep sigh, then walked toward the hospital exit, when he heard Erasa's voice call him. He turned around, seeing her run toward him, and waited for her to catch up with him, wondering what she wanted.
"I wanted to thank you for taking care of Videl." She said.
He looked away, clenching his fists. "Don't thank me. It… It's my fault if she's here."
She raised her brows. "What do you mean?"
"She… She came to my place, and I… I was so mad at her… I told her all those horrible things, and… she left crying… Do you realize, Erasa? I made Videl cry, Videl! And she got hit by that car right near to where I live!"
"Gohan…" The young woman said, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "You couldn't know what was going to happen, and it's normal that you were mad at her, after what she did to you…"
He stayed silent, not really convinced by his friend's words. He sighed, deciding to change the subject. "You wanted to tell me something else?"
She nodded, but didn't say anything for a while, not knowing how to formulate what she wanted to say.
"Well?" He urged her, keen to go home.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't think that it's Heiji, the father of Videl's child…"
He raised his brows, having not expected this. "What makes you say that?"
"First, Videl and Heiji never do anything without protection."
"Contraceptives aren't always reliable, you know." He retorted.
"Yes, but… Tell me, of how long is Videl pregnant?"
"About two weeks, so what? It doesn't mean anything."
"It does, because… They didn't do anything for almost three weeks, while you two…"
He stayed silent for a while, then finally spoke, turning around, preparing to leave. "You're not telling me anything new. I already knew that I was the father."
"Y-You knew?"
He started to walk away, then stopped, still turning his back to her. "If the child will be born with a monkey tail, tell Videl to not worry; it's completely normal."
And he left, leaving Erasa to slowly register what she had just heard. A tail? Normal? What did he mean?
And why on Earth would this baby be born with a monkey tail?
End Of Part Three
