Fated

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Dragon Ball Z

A/N: Well hello all! Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far!! It truly makes my day. Sappy people will appreciate this chapter :D those who want action too!!

WARNING: Gohan is "trigger happy" in this chapter! Expect violence lol oh and a bit of language, it's nothing too bad though.

linbug: Haha liked those little twists didn't ya? Who knows what's up with him... I have a few possiblities in mind, you'll just have to wait and see ;)

Aaron Leach: I'll try, ty :P

ShadowMajin: Well I had to come up with a valid reason why Gohan's arm would suddenly come back, this one seemed too good to leave alone without messing with! I didn't want to concentrate too much on the pain part because I felt it'd be a bit over the top... such pain and drama in so many fics out there, I decided to lighten it up a little but don't worry, it won't all be that lacking in descriptions.

Mirai Gensao: Yup this story is just full of twists isn't it? :D

G. Login: I dunno, maybe, maybe not, who knows maybe it'll mutate him? You're just gunna have to stay tuned to find out :P

DarkPower1: Don't worry, I'll explain everything that's happening as I go along, you'll just have to wait and see :P

--

"Since when am I a mechanic?" Gohan grumbled to himself as he tweaked a broken power-generator in the underground refugee camp he came to know as home. It had almost been a week since Gohan's arm had regenerated and he had been anxious to put both his hands to good use… besides using them on Videl the night before. When the leader of that refuge, Harold, came to him and asked if he could help them Gohan agreed ecstatically.

Even though what Gohan really wanted to do was go out and fight the androids and perhaps even see his friends and family again he knew that he was still too weak to do either. Fighting the androids would be suicide and he could not bear the thought of never seeing Videl again, and his friends and family thought he was dead… perhaps it was best to postpone the reunion until later.

In the meantime Gohan assisted those he could, even though some of the jobs required skills he didn't really have. Gohan idly scratched his back when it tingled suddenly and flipped through a technician's manual. "Ooh I see…" Gohan muttered, adjusting wires and knobs in the machine. Before he knew it Gohan had the generator up and running. Gohan smirked and dusted his hands, feeling accomplished and helpful for the first time in weeks.

"Good job Mr. Fixit." Videl teased as she walked into the room.

"Videl! What are you doing down here?" Gohan asked, scratching his head in the patent Son way. Videl smiled and crossed her arms, appreciating how Gohan's exquisitely toned physique showed clearly through his damp undershirt.

"Checking on you. Making sure you haven't run off on us…" 'On me…' Videl added mentally and smirked when Gohan looked affronted.

"I would never leave without letting you know!" Gohan protested and then realized she was joking. What he didn't know was that she was only half joking. "Ha. Ha. Very funny." Gohan sighed and accepted a kiss from her, feeling better and playful Gohan snagged his arms around her, grinning when she squealed and tried to escape his hold.

"Ahh! Leggo! You're greasy and sweaty!!" Videl complain, unable to stop herself from laughing. Gohan chuckled and let her go, scratching his back again.

"Sorry 'bout that, I couldn't help it! And your expression was priceless!" Gohan laughed, receiving a scowl and a smack on the shoulder from Videl. "Man I've been getting itchy lately… stupid skin on my back twitches a lot, maybe I'm itching for training or something." Gohan muttered to himself, smiling at his little pun. Videl opened her mouth to put in a wry comment but a blast shook the room and dust crumbled down from the ceiling. "What was that?? The androids?!" Gohan asked worriedly. Videl frowned and looked up at the speaker at one corner of the room.

"No… it can't be… there's only one entrance to the base and we trained dogs to bark at anything coming that doesn't smell like a human… when they sense something the guards make sure its not them, if it is they'll alert security who then sounds an alarm. There's no alarm so it can't be the androids… unless they killed the guards already…" Videl said, her voice shaking slightly with fear as she finished. Gohan frowned and began heading out. "Where are you going?" Videl asked.

"To see what's going on…" Gohan assured her, putting emphasis on "see" so she would know he wouldn't try to commit suicide if it was the androids. Gohan stepped out into the hall, looking around for signs of activity. He felt the Ki of several people, staying still in their respected room, obviously shaken up by the explosion. As he climbed the stairs a man heading down addressed him, it was the leader, Harold.

"Gohan! I'm glad I found you… look, I could ask others to do this but I've come to rely on you… we have a terrorist situation." The tall, skinny man said, giving Gohan a hopeful look.

"I'd be glad to!" Gohan replied. "Point me in their direction and I'll take care of it." Gohan said, feeling a flush of relief when it wasn't the androids causing mayhem but ordinary humans.

"Please be careful! There are at least ten armed men stealing supplies and threatening to hurt people… we know you're unusual but even you aren't bullet proof! They are two flights of stairs above us in the west section of the base… please be careful…" Harold advised and stepped aside for Gohan to run up the stairs with a nod and a wave.

As Gohan crept down the halls he heard a group of men speaking in hushed and threatening voices, he also heard whimpering from families who were trapped with them. Gohan stepped into view and saw two men guarding the entrance of the large storage room. One of them saw him and alerted the other.

"Hey you! Stop right there! Come and closer and we'll fire!" A big, burly man said, aiming his Uzi at Gohan's unfazed face. Gohan sighed and made his way calmly toward the men.

"Hey! He told you to stop! Fine! Eat lead!" The other man said and they both opened fire. When the dust cleared Gohan stood with his fist in front of his face. Gohan smirked and opened his hand, letting the bullets drop and continuing his advance. "W-What the hell?"

"Don't just stand there! Get hi-" but the big man's words were cut off when Gohan suddenly appeared in front of them, grabbed their heads and smashed them against the other, knocking them out instantly.

'That's two down… eight more to go." Gohan thought as he entered the room. Four of the men were guarding two families while the others were looting goods.

"Hey you!" One man said but even before he had a chance to fire Gohan had kicked his weapon from the man's hand and rammed his foot in his face, watching the man hit the wall and drop, out cold. The three other men charged Gohan with stolen swords and tried ripping ribbons in him; Gohan easily dodged their attacks and broke each sword with his finger.

"What are you?" One man asked as he stood there shaking in fear, holding up his broken sword. Gohan smirked before answering.

"Your worst nightmare." He replied before dodging the attacks of the other two men and knocking them out. Gohan caught the man who had asked him the question from running off and punching him, knocking him out as well.

"You asshole!" One of the men looting supplies began firing his shotgun at him. Gohan dodged the shots and snapped the weapon in half, then used it to knock the man out. The three remaining men began to run off but stopped in the hall and turned toward Gohan with new weapons. A man with a thick, Rambo looking knife, ran at Gohan with a snarl.

"I'm gunna cut your face up!!" The man said. Gohan grabbed the man with the knife by the back of the head and smashed his knee into his face. He turned wildly when he felt a man kick his knee, intending on knocking him down… unfortunately for the attacker, Gohan hardly felt a thing as he shot his hand across the man's jaw, sending him flying into another with a pole, both crashing brutally against the far wall down the hall. Gohan smirked wickedly at the frightened look on the remaining man; he stood to his full height and walked toward him slowly, intending to look menacing… apparently it worked. The man dropped his weapon and screamed in fear and then went running down the hall.

Gohan lifted into the air, unaware that Videl had just arrived at the scene, and took off flying after the fast little man. Gohan caught the man by the underarms and threw him against the wall, knocking him out. "Y-You can fly?" Gohan jerked around and saw Videl staring at him with wide eyes. Gohan scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"Uh… yeah…" He said uneasily before grabbing the unconscious men in the hall and carrying them to the supply room. Videl followed him as Gohan gathered the ten men piled in his arms and again walked down the hall.

'My god… I knew he was strong but this is ridiculous…' Videl thought as he watched Gohan with aw – who didn't even look like he was using any effort in carrying the men. When Gohan deposited the men in a holding cell, locked them in, and headed back down the hall with the intention of letting Harold know that the situation was taken care of, Videl spoke again. "Gohan… is it… possible for me to fly too? I mean, I know you told me once that you weren't exactly human, whatever that meant, but…"

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes I can teach you to fly… my "not being exactly human" has nothing to do with the ability to fly… it does though with a person's inner Ki." Gohan explained.

"How wild!" Videl commented as they walked down the stairs were Harold was waiting. Once Gohan informed the leader of the refuge, who was shocked beyond belief for the speed and ease in which he did it, that the terrorists were locked up he headed back up to the training area in the base with Videl hot on his heals.

Gohan and Videl sat cross-legged in front of each other as Gohan explained that every person had Ki within them that could enable them to do incredible things with enough training. Two hours had passed and Videl listened carefully to every word Gohan said and did as he instructed. Before she knew it Videl had commanded enough of her energy into a ball in her hand, just as Gohan had shown her moments before.

"Good, now that you've learned to control it I'll teach you how to fly."

"Finally!" Videl sighed and hopped to her feat excitedly.

"Alright now, direct the energy in you to your feet. Remember that you are not the one that's going to be flying but the energy; imagine yourself lifted into the air by it." Gohan instructed, watching intently as Videl struggled to control her Ki. When Videl's shoulders began to shake with the effort Gohan smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Relax your body; it won't work if you're all tense…"

"I'll… try…" Videl said in a strained voice and Gohan stepped back. A few moments later he whooped in joy when Videl lifted a foot off the ground.

"You did it!!" Gohan cried happily.

"Gohan! I can't concentrate if you're making all that noise!" Videl protested and Gohan immediately sobered.

"Sorry… Look Videl, you have to learn to feel the Ki in you like something natural… you have to feel that flying was something you could always do or it will always be hard for you." Gohan advised, watching Videl drop to her feet slowly and relax.

"It's hard work…" Videl said, sighing and rubbing her shoulders. Gohan smiled and walked behind her and then began massaging her.

"It is but you'll get used to it… just don't resist it." Gohan said and felt Videl relax completely in his hands.

"Mmm… you know - you're still greasy and sweaty…" Videl muttered half–intelligently. Gohan chuckled and turned her, leaning down to kiss her. Videl accepted his kiss without complain, leaning into his hold on her despite him being dirty. Before the kiss could become anymore intense than it was leading to Videl pulled away and smiled at his frustrated look. "Gohan… Do you have any family left?" Videl asked slowly, unsure if the question would hurt him or not.

"Yeah! My mom and grandpa… I've been meaning to visit them but…" Gohan trailed off.

"What's holding you back? Let's go visit them! I'm sure they'd be thrilled to see that you're alive and well!" Videl suggested, wanting to see Gohan as happy as he could be.

Gohan smiled and scratched his head in thought. "I guess it wouldn't hurt…"

"But first, you need a shower." Videl said, wrinkling her nose and earning a laugh from her boyfriend.

Chichi sat there by the window in her son's old room, watching the rain fall but not really seeing it. Her mind was not with her, her spirit had left her. Her father sat nearby, watching over his daughter worriedly. It had almost been two months since Chichi had lost her only son, two months of endless agony for the tear-dried mother.

Neither had taken notice of the shadowy figure out of the window that made its way through the darkness to the small home. They did not notice the slight creek of the door being open and they did not notice the dripping wet figure of a man long since believed dead.

Gohan smiled as he watched them sitting there. It was sad of course, seeing that they were sitting their solemnly because of his "death". He felt a tug on his shirt and he looked back to see Videl watching them worriedly, she then looked at him and nodded. Her eyes told him to go ahead and make himself known already. He smiled softly and nodded back.

Chichi did not register that strangled gasp of her father sitting behind her. She did however feel an achingly familiar touch on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, this had to be a dream; he was dead.

"Mom?" Gohan asked softly. Words in the wind; nothing more; he was not there. It was just wishful thinking.

"Why… why do you have to torment me so…" She muttered to herself. Gohan was confused; was she talking to him?

"Mom… it's me. Gohan. I'm alive!" He said, crouching down beside her. Still she did not respond. He was beginning to get worried.

Gohan knelt by her side and brushed hair from her face. "Mom, please …open your eyes, look at me." Gohan said gently, cupping her cheek tenderly. For whatever reason, Chichi opened her eyes. Those eyes began to weld with tears as they turned to gaze at him.

"G-Gohan?? B-But… it can't be…" She said shakily, a hiccup rising in her throat and she fell into his arms, sobbing openly. Gohan held his mother tight, comforting her as best he could.

"Shhh. Mom… its okay… I'm alive. Your son is alive." He said, trying to reassure her. Ox King smiled at the scene happily, not seeing Videl who stood at the door way with an equally pleased look.

"Gohan! Oh Gohan! My baby! My baby boy is alive!!" She said, her voice muffled by his shirt and she clutched onto him desperately, afraid that she might loose him again. Once his mother had calmed down and stopped crying Gohan pulled her away slightly, kissed her forehead and smiled softly.

"Mom… I have a surprise for you…" Chichi looked up at her son through tears of joy and smiled.

"More surprising than seeing you?" She asked. Gohan chuckled and turned toward the door. Chichi and her father did as well, blinking in surprise at the beautiful young woman blushing at the entrance. Videl smiled and waved her hand at them. Gohan stepped back and offered Videl his hand, who took it without a second thought.

"I'd like you to meet my girlfriend – Videl."

--

End A/N: Wow this chapter had it all! Humor, Fluff, Action, and a Sappy Reunion!!