AN: It's been so long since I updated. Humblest apologies. You have all been very patient (as usual) and I thank you all. Never did finish Cloud Kisses. Sigh. Oh, and don't worry, I do know where this story is going and I have lots of plot twists planned out, so it should get a little more active from now on (as long as I stick to my plan!).

Disclaimer: I hear you ought to be congratulated, so I guess that's what I'll do. That song belongs to 'Saving Jane' and Dragonball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama. Story's mine though.

Last Time:

Turning back to the familiar sliding doors, Gohan frowned. Whatever happened to Videl, this place has to have at least something to do with it. I just wish I had some idea of what I'm looking for. He took in a breath and walked forwards, letting the doors slide apart.

Chapter 10

Gohan looked around the room. Men swathed in white scuttled about, forming in clumps around the room and taking notes on silver clipboards. There was little difference between one man and another; each wore the same white suit over their clothes, the same mask over their mouths, the same gloves on their hands.

"Hey, you!" One of the white men frog-marched over to Gohan, a frown barely visible beneath the cap over his head. "You can't come in here!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but Chief-"

"I don't care what your sob story is, you ain't coming in! This is a secure area and highly important evidence is being held here. You can't just waltz in here, contaminating the place with-"

"Ah, give him a break, Tim." Another man strolled over to them, clip board clutched under one arm. "I'm betting you owe more than your share to this guy, right Great Saiyaman?" His eyes creased with a concealed smile.

"Ahh, yeah." Gohan nodded, still thrown by "Tim's" outburst. "Erm, Chief Longhouse said it'd be OK for me to come in…"

"Well, there you go then! If Longhouse said it's ok, then who are we to argue?"

Tim bristled. "Longhouse or no Longhouse, he can't just come in here and-"

"Now, now, Timothy dearest. Don't get so testy. If you've got a problem, you can take it up with the chief." Gohan watched Tim glare at the smiling man in white. "Now, Saiyaman, follow me and I'll give you the old grand tour." He winked giddily at Gohan and grabbed his arm, tugging him along after him.

"Oh, yes, erm, thank you…" Gohan mumbled as he was wrenched away from the door and into the room. He cast one last look at Tim, then quickly turned back after the scathing look he received. "Erm, are you sure it's alright for me to be here? I mean, that guy seemed pretty-"

"Ahh, don't worry about him." The white man smiled back at him, letting go of his hand. "He's just moody because… well, he's just moody. The freshmen are always like that: think they know best 'cause they're the new blood…" His eyes glazed over.

Gohan glanced around, wondering why no one else seemed to think it strange that this odd man was just standing in the middle of the room staring into space.

"E-excuse me?" Gohan tapped the man's shoulder. He jumped at the contact and whirled round, eyes wide and blinking.

"Huh?" He stared at Gohan. And stared. Stare. Blink. Stare. The hair on the back of Gohan's neck stood on end.

"Erm… you were going-"

"Oh yes! Yes!" The man snapped back with a grin. "Well, have a good look round. Maybe you'll be a little more successful than the rest of us. Good luck, Great Saiyaman!" He waved and scurried away, head buried in the chart from beneath his arm.

Gohan blinked behind his visor, his mind giving a confused splutter-chug. His head looked to and fro to see, once again, if he was the only person who was seeing this man.

Glass shattered against her skin as she flew across the counter top, breaking beakers and test tubes as her body went careening over the cold metal surface.

His eyes fixed on the counter that shone back at him in mock innocence. It's still so clear. And it… it still makes me so… mad.

He looked at the surface he was now standing over. Someone had cleaned it, leaving behind the stench of disinfectant and the cold gleam of metal where once there was blood and glass and strange fluids.

Could it really have been something in here that made Videl disappear? But… I don't understand. How could she… how could her ki just disappear like that? And from something in here?

Gohan bent down on his hunches and rested his head on the corner of the table, listening to the harsh click of his helmet hitting the edge. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

I can't even smell her here anymore. Perhaps this isn't where I can find her after all.

"Saiyaman?" Gohan looked up. A new man stood over him now, without a white suit and wearing a lab coat instead. Gohan stood up.

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure how much this might help, but I can tell you what things we were working on here, before the attack. You know, just in case."

"That would be a great help." Gohan smiled. "Thank you."

"Oh it's no problem. Well, if you'll come over here you can see…"

Videl felt her eyelids droop again. She blinked heavily and tried to focus on the photograph opposite her. In it stood a man and a woman with a baby in her arms. The couple were young and smiling and the infant wore a bright green hat with an orange ball resting on top. I wonder if that's Gohan? I guess the woman does look a lot like Gohan's mother.

Videl's eyelids drooped again and her left ear flicked. Where was Gohan anyway? She had been lying on the back of the sofa for what felt like hours, the board hidden under the soft material digging into her side in a way that was supposed to be keeping her awake but was, rather, making her sleepier.

When her eyelids drooped again, she let them. The photograph grew into a blur and she was plunged into the sweet relief of darkness…

Only to be tugged back out of it by the sharp closing of the front door. Finally!

Videl persuaded her body into a standing position on the back of the sofa and looked expectantly to the door frame, smile at the ready.

Muffled voices. Gohan talking to his mom in the kitchen. A higher voice. His mom's mad. A nervous laugh. Gohan's rubbing the back of his head and trying to get out of the mess he's got himself into. A sequence of thuds. Gohan's going upstairs.

Her smile dropped. Upstairs? Oh hell no! I did not sit on my butt for kami knows how long for that idiot to ditch me now!

Bouncing down onto the carpet, Videl headed out the door and pounced up the staircase, tail shadowing after her.

"Hey! Son boy!" She mewed out from the open doorway. Gohan turned his head.

"Hey, Neko." He smiled, taking a bundle of papers from his bag. "Good day?"

Curious, Videl stalked across the room and bounded up onto the bed, sitting down beside the faded yellow satchel. She tilted her head to Gohan in question.

"Ah, yeah. The labs gave me a goody bag." He set another paper bundle down in front of Videl. "And I… borrowed some things." Videl's blue eyes shone back at her from the liquid silver in the test tube in Gohan's hand. "Three some-things actually, but I'll return them as soon as Bulma's done with them."

Gohan nodded to himself, then placed the test tube and the papers back in his bag, taking them over to his desk.

"But I still don't have a clue if any of this stuff has anything to do with Videl." He sighed and flopped down onto the bed, making the mattress bounce and making Videl almost tumble backwards. She glared at Gohan. Then stopped.

Gohan was staring up at the ceiling, dark eyes unreadable. His legs fell off the bed and one arm rested on his forehead at the wrist.

He looks so troubled. I don't understand. Why is he so worried about me?

She stood up and drifted over to stand next to him. Something prickled behind her eyes.

Please. Please stop.

Videl's vision began to blur.

Don't worry about me anymore.

She blinked back tears.

I don't deserve it.

Gohan opened his eyes at the rough sensation that swept his cheek.

"Neko?"

The cat pulled back, eyes glimmering sadly back at him. And, just for a moment, he could almost see someone else behind those eyes. A girl with darkest hair and lightest skin and eyes of brightest blue.

Then the cat jumped over him and disappeared through the door.

Gohan sat up, staring after the feline. His hand brushed against the spot where her lick remained frozen.

"W-what?"

Videl swept a paw over the damp fur on her face. What was that? She looked back up the stairs. Her heart was thundering again and waves of heat flushed her skin. What was that?

"Mom? Is Gohan in love?"

Videl's head spun back around. Goten? She crept forward and peered through the kitchen door. Inside, Chi-chi stood over the sink, washing the dishes from the dinner Gohan had missed. By her side, Goten was running a towel over a damp plate.

Chi-chi paused to look at her youngest son.

"Why do you say that, dear?"

"Well, Trunks said that Gohan's looking for Videl because he's in love with her." He looked up at his mother. "So, is he?"

Chi-chi set down the bowl she was cleaning and stared out the window. Videl felt the pounding in her chest quicken. In love? With me?

"I'm not sure. I suppose he could be." The woman's voice was distant. "But… if he is… I'm not sure even he knows it yet."

"Oh, I see. But, if he is… does that mean Videl will get to be my big sister?"

There was silent for a moment and Videl held her breath. Love… Gohan in love… with me?

Chi-chi whirled around, cheeks flushed, hands over her heart. "Oh, that would be nice wouldn't it?" She giggled girlishly.

Videl backed away from the kitchen, leaving Chi-chi with her fantasies, Goten with his confusion and herself with a stomach that wouldn't sit still.

Videl nudged the door open tentatively. She had hidden out on the sofa for almost an hour after the incident with Gohan before forcing herself to realise that, as far as Gohan was concerned, she was nothing more than a stray cat. So really, what was she hiding from?

She gave a sigh of relief at finding the room empty. She looked back down the corridor, but couldn't see any sign. The outside bath maybe?

Shaking her unease, Videl slipped into the bedroom and stood in the centre. Now what? She turned her head and was met with her reflection in the mirror across the room. Black fur, blue eyes, white wrap. Her tail flicked. Am I really getting used to this now? It doesn't feel quite as strange as it used to. It's only been a few days but…

From the corner of her eye Videl could just make out Gohan's desk, the flap of his bag falling over the edge. She padded towards it, looking up at the fabric that taunted her.

She glanced at the silent door, then pounced up onto the wood surface of the desk. Now, the school bag lay open before her, it's contents spilling out towards her.

Walking towards it, Videl pawed at the bag, bringing three glass test tubes rolling towards her. She quickly placed her paw on the first to stop it from rolling off the desk. Leaning towards them she stared at their insides: one silver, one blue and one clear like water. The fluids crashed about in their confines, lashing out at the glass and the plastic bung that held them captive.

Videl leaned nearer, then cringed back. Ugh. What's that smell? The scent that came from the test tubes itched at the back of her nose, making her want to sneeze. I don't remember anything in the labs smelling like that. Not that strong anyway. Mind you, I guess my sense of smell probably improved since then.

Taking her paw off the test tube, she back away down the table, until her paw hit something hard. Videl froze and looked backwards. Under her paw lay Gohan's watch. That's what makes Gohan change into The Great Saiyaman, right? Videl tried to pick her hind leg up off the watch, but lost her balance. Her leg fell back heavily and she felt something retract under the pad on her foot.

"W-what the-?!" A 'Pom!' sound filled her ears and suddenly Videl couldn't see, surrounded by the fog of a capsule explosion. Then something heavy hit her head, plunging her into darkness and something was wrapping itself round her legs in a tangle of material and she was stumbling. Then, the table wasn't there anymore and Videl crashed to the floor.

"Ow! Hey, what the hell! Let me out! Help!" Videl yowled, her limbs scrabbling about in a flurry of claws and fur and material. "Heeelp!"

Suddenly, the cloth around her legs was lifted, and light hit Videl's eyes. She blinked back spots and looked up. Above her, Gohan was holding the green and black of his Saiyaman costume in his arms and choking back laughter behind a wide smile.

"You like?" He laughed and Videl blinked. "How did you manage to get yourself into there?" Videl huffed in embarrassment and tried to wiggle out of her upside down position inside the orange helmet.

"Oh, shut up." She mewed. Gohan just laughed.

"Come on." He bent down and pulled Videl to his chest. Her eyes fluttered at the warmth he gave off and the sweet smell of soap and grass. "Let's go to bed."

AN: I owe much of the plot for the next few chapters to the purchase of 'Varjak Paw' and 'The Outlaw Varjak Paw' by SF Said. I saw the first book in the bookstore in my local mall (I like to be American-ised) and just couldn't leave without it. It's a kid's book but it's written from a cat's point of view. So I thought to myself "Wow! That'll be useful for Videl Neko!" and you know what? It really was! The books are written so brilliantly and the illustrations are beautiful (in the scratchy way that they are). So, if you're enjoying V.N beyond the whole DBZ Videl/Gohan thing, I highly recommend it. (It's also the perfect gift for that kid brother of yours!)