Authors note: I know nobody believed it, but I do have every intent on finishing this story. I realize it's been a four year hiatus, and for that I really truly am sorry. I want to extend a HUGE thanks to those who have kept on reading my story through this time, those who have made me a favourite author, and those who have followed this story. I do hope that this is a pleasant surprise that you're receiving a notification that I actually updated my story!
I did go through a really, really rough patch in life. In these past four years I have endured a lot, came close to ending it a few times, but have pulled through. I'm in a happier place now and want to let my creativity flow again.
I recently reread my story and (despite some grammatical errors) I did enjoy the story line and I enjoy watching my writing grow from then I first started it, 11 years ago.
I hope people will still have an interest in reading this, and I hope you enjoy it!
Anyways, let's get on to the next long awaited chapter, shall we?
Chapter 25: It's finally here!
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Videls gaze was fixated on the window beside her; in the background she could hear Karie and Bulma talking and Gohan asking a question to the both of them every now and then. Videl was trying to pick the best word to describe how she felt. 'Shocked? In awe? Stunned? Amazed? Perhaps guilty…' she thought to herself as she stared blankly out the window. She couldn't find the words to describe what she witnessed in the judge's chambers between Drew and Karie.
She couldn't help but feeling bad for how much she under estimated the young lawyer. She felt she should have believed Bulma and trusted her more; she was upset that she allowed what was on the outside cloud her judgement. Before she could think another thought she was nudged.
"We're here kiddo" Karie said, flashing a big smile.
"Sorry I must have spaced out" Videl said sheepishly.
"Happens do the best of us darling, now come on let's get inside, I want to see how Trunks is after being caught by Vegeta in my high heels" Karie said, eagerly exiting the car and motioning for everyone to follow her.
Before Videl got out of the car she cast a glance at Bulma who wore a smug smirk. "I told you so" was all she said before she motioned for Videl to get out of the car. "Well come on, it takes me a heck of a lot longer to get out of the car then you" Bulma said as she motioned towards her growing belly.
Videl gave a nod and got out of the car and offered her hand to Bulma and shut the door behind her, letting her go ahead of her.
Videl followed the group silently towards the main door, before Karie could open the door Chi Chi burst through the door. "Gohan, can we go shopping, please? Your father is driving me crazy and I need someone to help me carry everything" She said as she stormed down to the group.
"Oh I'd love to go shopping, I saw this really cute pair of shoes" Bulma mused as Chi Chi gave her a grin, knowing she had Bulma hooked.
"Don't you already have like a hundred pairs?" Gohan asked helplessly.
"Probably, but I love shoe shopping." Bulma said with a grin.
"How can you even walk in high heels when you're pregnant? You know that is so unbelievably bad for you back" Gohan retorted.
"Come on Gohan… we'll buy you some lunch if you come with us" Bulma said, her grin growing.
Gohan gave a smile, "alright, I'll go with you guys" he said, earning a laugh from Videl.
"Geez Gohan they really had to twist your arm eh?" Vide said through her laughing.
Gohan gave a sheepish smile, "I don't mind the walking around, I like to window shop" he said in his defence.
"Right, have fun" She said with a small smile as Gohan came over and gave her a quick kiss.
"I'll see you in a bit hun" Gohan said as he gave her a smile and walked back towards the car he had just gotten out of.
"Hey Mrs. B, do you mind if I hang around and fax those files over?" Karie asked from her spot leaning against the door frame.
"Sure Karie, they're in my office in the top right hand drawer of the cherry wood desk. " She said giving a wave to the two girls as she moved towards the car door.
"Have fun, get me something nice!" Karie said with a wave as she watched the two older women and Gohan drive out of sight.
She cast a glance over on the front porch and noticed Videl was staring at the vacant driveway where the limo once was. She waited a moment but noticed Videls eyes were glued to the spot on the ground where the large car was. She gave a small smile as she watched the younger girl.
"Are you coming in or are you going to hang out on the door step and wait for them?" Karie questioned with the ever so familiar laugh she had.
"I'm coming in, thanks" Videl said with a small smile as she followed the petite lawyer into the house.
"I was going to get something to eat before I go and work on the case a bit, can I get you anything?" Karie asked with her familiar smile as she closed the door behind Videl.
"No I'm alright thanks, I think I'm just going to watch some TV" She said with a small smile. Karie in returned shrugged her shoulder and gave her a smile and a wave and walked out the door leaving Videl to herself.
Videl was still lost in her own thoughts, she couldn't figure out what to make of Karie. She seemed so…well…dumb at times. But she clearly proved that she is more than suitable for the challenge of defending her. She just couldn't make heads or tails of her.
"Well…I may as well go and watch some TV" Videl muttered to herself as she moved towards the spacious living room to see what was on to entertain her.
~*~Meanwhile~*~
"So Gohan, how did it go today at the court house?" Chi Chi asked as they walked into the large shopping plaza.
"Actually, I'm surprised with how well it went" Gohan replied as he looked around the busy mall, only to be dragged into the directions his mother and Bulma wanted to go.
"I told you to trust me!" Bulma boasted in a sing song voice as she started going through shirts that caught her interest and threw them into Gohans arms.
"Oh… how so?" Chi Chi asked as she pulled out a skirt and held it against her, deciding that she would try it on.
"Karie deserves a lot more credit then we gave her, she stood up for Videl very professionally. She had this side to her that completely caught me off guard…this sharp, smug tone of voice that just puts you right in your place. She's very quick on her feet" Gohan mused as clothes continued to be thrown at him.
"Karie is brilliant. Everyone thinks she's an air head but she's really, really smart. It's like I said before, she had an awful childhood and just likes to let her more childish side come out more often" Bulma said, beaming with pride for her handpicked lawyer.
"Aww well good honey, you had nothing to worry about after all. Do you feel more confident in her now?" Chi Chi asked, pulled out a skirt and giving it a disgusted look before putting it back on the hanger.
"I do, I don't know what it is, but I really have faith in her" Gohan said as his mother and Bulma led him towards the dressing rooms and where they started to try stuff on.
"Well I'm glad sweetie, how did Videl take the whole thing?" Chi Chi said from behind the doors of the change room.
"I'm not sure really, she's not dealing with any of this well" He mused in a sad tone of voice.
"Well she's obviously got post-traumatic stress disorder" Bulma yelled from her dressing room. "UGH! Nothing fits me!" She cried in anger as she threw the garment over the door.
"I think she's got faith in Karie… I just think she doesn't have faith that the court will stick to the facts and will allow Hercules fame cloud their judgement. She's been watching the news a lot lately, a lot are backing Hercule up" he stated.
"But they also don't know what he did to Videl, all they know is that he attacked her. I'm sure if they knew that he attempted to cut her throat or stab her or shoot her they'd see the position that Videl was in" Bulma said, loud enough for Gohan to hear, but not loud enough for potential snoops to hear. "Besides, judge Novak seems like a pretty level headed person, she was very quick to snap at the district attorney when he tried to play off of Hercules fame" she mused
"I'm worried about her" He said in a solemn tone.
"Sweetie, you just stick with her like you have. At some point she'll get past this and you too will be even closer than before" Bulma said as she opened the door with two handfuls of clothes. "Here hun, you can take these" she said, handed a bunch of clothes to Gohan.
A few seconds later Chi Chi came out and handed Gohan a bunch of clothes too. "Hey I know what will cheer you up" Chi Chi said with a smile as she looked at her watch. "We've been here for a little over an hour, how about we go look for Videls birthday gift and then grab a bite to eat, sound good?" Chi Chi as she watched her son give a small smile.
"Alright, sounds good mom" he said, smiling at the thought of getting Videls birthday gift.
"Let's check out and move out" Bulma said as she motioned for the two to get in line for the register.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
Videl sighed as she threw the remote against the plush couch cushion. She had been watching different news channels for over an hour and each one was discussing the same thing; the case between her and Hercule.
Every channel was wording it differently but all came to the same basic conclusion, that being that Videl was a murderer and it was unprovoked despite what the few details of the evidence was saying.
"Sunny skies ahead for us, there's a 10% chance of rain and thunderstorms but it's unlikely. Looks like Satan city is going to have another wonderfully warm day!" A man said as he stood in front of a screen that was projecting expected weather patterns. "Back to you Jill" he said with a smile.
A smiling blond came onto the screen, "Thanks Frank. Welcome back, our top story again is the Satan on Satan trial. We asked you the viewers to tell us who you thought was guilty and the votes have been tallied. Fifteen percent of you feel Videl is innocent and a staggering eighty-five percent feel Hercule is the victim in this. Was Videl really attacked and kidnapped by Hercule, no one knows for sure but Videl. We will continue to bring the most up to day details on this story as they are released. We'd like to remind you all that we have our news crew's parked outside of the police station waiting so we can be the first to bring you the newest details on our top stories."
Videl closed her eyes and put her head back on the cushion, tears slowly making their way down her face. She felt hopeless, everyone was branding her as a murderer and a villain, she knew deep down she was the victim, but at the same time she couldn't help but wonder with all these people pointing fingers at her if that was really true.
"You can't listen to that garbage hun" she heard a quiet voice say from beside her.
Videl sat up quickly and looked beside her and saw Karie offering a comforting smile.
"I'm sorry, I didn't even hear you come in" she said quietly as she tried to hide any evidence of her crying.
"It's alright, I'm quiet on my feet" She said with a small laugh as she turned off the TV and place her bag on the floor beside her. "I meant what I said, you can't listen to these people reporting, they're leeches, they're only looking for ratings" she said, watching Videls gaze cast downwards.
"They only predict a fifteen percent chance for me to win the case" She said quietly, tears slowly welling up again in her eyes.
"Well, technically only fifteen percent of the population have faith in me. I promise you hun, I'm going to do everything in my power to make the world know that you are innocent and that you are the biggest victim of all in this whole ordeal" she said, trying to instil confidence in the younger girl.
She watched Vide but could tell that she wasn't getting through to her. Karie thought for a moment then pulled something out of her bag. "Do you see this?" she said as she held an object in front of Videl.
"Is that… an umbrella" Videl asked, confused as to what the girl in front of her was doing.
"It is. The weather channel today said there was a ten percent chance of rain today. Look outside; the sky is bright, blue and sunny. I believe that a ten percent chance of rain is better than no chance so I still come prepared for a possibility of a storm. Ten percent may not seem like much, but it is still a possibility and I firmly believe that. Even if it's only a small chance for rain, I believe it will rain and that I should be prepared in case I get caught in it. I believe and you should too." She said as Videl gave a small smile. "Well, that even though they're only giving us a fifteen percent chance at winning that it's still a chance to prove ourselves against all odds" Karie said, nudging Videl gentle earning a small quiet laugh in response
"Thank you" she said quietly, watching the young lawyers smile grow slightly.
"My pleasure darling" she said as she put her umbrella back in her bag.
"Listen…Karie…I'm sorry for under estimating you" Videl said in an embarrassed tone.
Karie gave a small wave of her hand. "Don't be, if I didn't know what I was capable of I'd doubt myself too. I promise you hun, I will do everything in my being to help you out" she said as she gently grabbed Videls hands and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I promise" she said, earning a bigger smile from Videl.
"Thank you" she said, allowing a smile to form on her lips.
"Hey, I know what will cheer you up!" Karie said as she stood up quickly from the couch. "Let's do Pilates, I promise you will be in a better mood after it" she said with a grin. "Have you ever done Pilates before?"
"Nope…I can't say I have" a confused Videl replied.
"It's not as boring as yoga, please, honestly come with me. Bulma has a gym not far from here, I've been there before, and we can catch a Pilate's class there" Karie said as she pulled Videl to her feet.
"I don't know" Videl started but was being pulled towards the stairs by Karie.
"Trust me, you will feel in a much better mood after you've done a class with me. Go change, I'm going to go change too we'll meet back in ten minutes alright? Get movin' sister!" Karie said, pushing Videl up a few stairs.
Videl gave a small laugh, "alright I'll be back shortly" she said with a smile as she ran up towards her room to get changed to go to a fitness class with her lawyer.
A few minutes later the two women met up in the front hallway. "Ready to go sunshine?" Karie asked with a smile and a wink as she received a nod from Videl.
"Follow me, I'll drive" Karie said as she started walking towards her car, now in flat shoes. "So, you know Katy Perry music?" Karie asked, making small talk as continued talking down the long driveway towards her car.
"I do, I really enjoy her song, firework. You know it?" Videl asked.
"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?" Karie sang as she stopped and spun in a circle and stared at the sky and then pointed to Videl.
Videl gave her a funny look for a moment then laughed "Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin; like a house of cards one blow from caving in" Videl sang in return.
"Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under scream but no one seems to hear a thing" Karie responded, giving a sad look as she glanced down.
Videl spun in a circle as well and extended her hand to Karie, "do you know that there's still a chance in you, cuz there's a spark in you, you've just gotta ignite the light and let it shine! Just own the night like the fourth of July!" She sang as Karie grasped her hand, joining her in singing the chorus.
"Cuz baby you're a firework! Come on show em what you're worth! Make em go Oh, Oh, Oh! As you shoot across the sky, sky, sky!" they sang together, dancing their own dance in the process.
Little did the two girls know that they were attracting some attention from the oncoming car in the drive way.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
"Oh honey I'm so glad we found Videls birthday gift!" Chi Chi said excitedly.
"Me too, I hope she's feeling a little better now" Gohan said as he stared at his knees in his own world.
"I'd say she's feeling much better" Bulma said, the smile that was on her face was evident in her voice.
"What makes you think that Bulma?" Gohan asked lifting his head slowly.
"Well, her and Karie are singing in the driveway that could be her tip off" Chi Chi said as she rolled down the window.
Bulma stopped her car and rolled down her window as well so they could clearly hear the two girls better.
"You don't have to feel, like a waste of space. You're original cannot be replaced! If you only knew, what the future holds, after a hurricane comes a rainbow" Karie sang, using her hands to emphasize a rainbow.
"Maybe the reason why all your doors are close, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road' Videl sang, a big smile on her face as she sang with her lawyer.
"Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow and when it's time you'll know you've just gotta ignite the light" Karie sang.
"And let it shine, just own the night, just own the night like the fourth of July!" Videl sang at the top of her lungs as the two girls once again joined in the chorus.
"Yea…I'd say she's feeling better" Gohan said with a chuckle as he listened to the two girls sing and dance in the drive way. "They really are a lot alike" Gohan mused, a smile coming to his face as he watched his girlfriend.
"Boom, boom, boom, even brighter then the moon, moon, moon!"
"It's always been inside of you, you, you and now it's time to let it through!"
The two of them did their own version of the dance in Katy Perry's video as the finished off the song. Both girls erupted in laughter as they finished.
"You're not so bad" Karie said with a laugh, "love that song" she said with a grin.
"Why thank you!" Videl said between laughs, "you're pretty good yourself" she said.
Both girls stopped laughing and start to blush as they heard a car honking less than 20 feet away from them. Neither of them had noticed the car pulling up in front of them as they sang their version of the song.
"I'm glad you're in a better mood" Bulma said with a grin. "You two were wonderful!" Bulma said, clapping to further embarrass the girls.
Videl blushed and gave a small smile, although Karie was blushing she gave Bulma a big grin, "Thanks Mrs. B, we've been practicing in secret…first Capsule Corp.… then the world!" she said, letting out her attempt at an evil laugh.
Gohan gave a small laugh, "what are you guys up to? How come you're outside?" Gohan question as he received a large grin from Karie.
"I'm taking Videl to Pilates, not only to cheer her up but stretch her out and put her in a good mood again!" Karie said as she started reaching her arm over her head to stretch, simply to emphasize her point.
"I've never done it before, but Karie insists I go with her. Says it'll help relax me" She said with a smile as Karie nodded her head while Videl spoke.
"It's true. But, we can't stand around performing all day, we really should get to the class, don't want to be embarrassed by walking in late to the exercise class. Those people are losers" Karie said as she grabbed Videls wrist. "So long my furry little friends" Karie said with a wave as she started to pull Videl.
"Bye guys, I'll see you in a bit" She said with a smile as she gave them all a wave good bye and moved to keep up with Karies quick pace.
Videl cast a quick glance behind her as she waved goodbye to Bulma, Chi Chi and Gohan and returned their wave again as they walked into the mansion.
"Well come on Ms. Son!" Karie yelled with a grin as she opened the door to her car.
Videl stopped and gave her a funny look, "what did you call me?" She questioned.
"Ms. Satan makes me think of your father, Son makes me think of your happy side, deal with it sweetie!" she said with a laugh as she ushered.
"Well…I do much rather that name, the Sons are amazing" Videl said with a smile as she got into Karies car and buckled up.
"I've only met them recently as I get to know you better but from what I can tell they do seem pretty awesome. Bulma sings nothing but praise towards them. I've heard Gohan and his dad have saved the world a few times" Karie said as she drove out of the Capsule Corp. property.
"They have, they're the most selfless people you could meet. I love their family so much. They reunited me with my mother, they helped me overcome my father issues, and they've done nothing but protect me and stand by me. They've helped me conquer so many personal demons I can never imagine how I can make it up to them" she said with a small smile on her face as she stared blankly at the city as they drove past it.
"You're lucky" Karie said quietly, "I didn't have many people to help me with my personal demons" she said quietly, her attitude change catching Videls attention.
"I…I heard that you were abused as well" Videl said quietly as Karie nodded her head slowly.
"It was my father as well. I was never physically or sexually abused, but it was very much emotional, verbal and mental abuse. For the longest time I thought I was worthless, overweight, and just ugly both inside and out. My mom would leave him, then take him back…then finally she turned into someone almost as bad as him" Karie said quietly.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Videl said quietly, watching the young woman's face stare blankly at the road ahead of her.
"I don't talk with my parents much anymore. I had eating problems, and they didn't seem to notice, or didn't care, I suppose both are possible" She mumbled.
"I've had eating problems too, it's hard to overcome them" Videl said, trying to cheer the girl up who has cheered her up so much previously.
"I've worked hard most of my life to get over it…I have a big love hate relationship with food" Karie muttered as she turned on the signal to make her way down a new street. "Sometimes boyfriends helped the matter, other times they made it worse…you really have no idea how lucky you are" she said in a sad tone, completely taking Videl back on the attitude change.
"But never mind," Karie said shaking her head and forcing out a smile. "We're here, told you it wasn't too far. Now let's get physical" She said with a big grin as she pulled into the large parking lot of the fitness building.
Videl gave a small laugh, "lead the way captain!" she said as she opened the door and followed Karie into the large building.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
Bulma threw herself down on the plush couch and heaved a heavy sigh, "my god, I swear shopping get more tiring each time we go Chi" she said as she covered a yawn.
"Hmm I suppose, you're probably tired from it though because you're shopping for two now" Chi Chi replied as she flopped down on the couch beside her best friend. "So you know have any names in mind yet?" Chi Chi asked, breaking the silence.
"Not yet, I don't even know the gender yet" She replied earning a funny look from Chi Chi.
"Really? You don't?" She asked surprisingly, knowing Bulma was notorious for needing answers to everything.
"Nope…want to go check it out?" Bulma asked with a grin.
"I would love too! Oh let's get Aaliyah and 18, I'm sure they'd love to know as well!" Chi Chi exclaimed excitedly as she jumped off the couch.
"Alright Chi, you go get them and I'll meet you three in my lab alright?" Bulma said as she slowly pushed her way off the couch and gave her friend a nod then walked off to get everything ready in her lab.
Chi Chi took off out of the room quickly then stopped abruptly when she realized, she had no idea where everyone was. "Hmm…if I was Aaliyah or 18 where would I be…" she thought out loud. She figured she'd try the kitchen first so she moved quickly towards the kitchen. When she arrived, there wasn't a soul insight.
"Chances are they're with Goku… and he's not in the kitchen" She thought of a few places she thought she might find her husband with their friends; the pool, backyard, or the gravity chamber were the next three things that came to mind. She felt the pool might be a better choice so she hurried over to the large pool area.
She hurried off down the familiar hallways and ran towards the pool area. A few minutes later she arrived and smiled, pleased with herself as she heard the familiar screams of laughter coming from the pool. She walked in and saw almost everyone in the house laughing and hanging out in the pool.
"Hey Chi! You should come in, we're playing Marco polo and the water is great!" Goku yelled with a grin.
"Maybe later sweetie, I'm actually here for a reason. Aaliyah, 18, Bulma is going to see the gender of her baby! Want to come?" she asked excitedly earning a grin from the other two women.
"Of course!" Aaliyah yelled excitedly as she jumped out of the pool and started to dry off, 18 following soon after.
"Wait!" Goku yelled as he quickly jumped out of the pool.
The three women turned and stared "yes?" Chi Chi asked curiously.
"I want to see too" Goku said with a big grin.
"I thought pregnant women freaked you out?" 18 asked as she arched an eyebrow as she watching him continue to dry off.
"Only their bellies and attitudes do, I love kids!" he said excitedly as he powered up a little to speed up the drying process.
"Well then come on Goku, I want to see this baby" Chi Chi said as she turned to leave the pool room.
"Vegeta, you coming? It's your baby after all!" Goku asked as he stopped in front of the door.
"No, I'll know eventually" Vegeta said indifferently as he leaned back into the water and began to float on his back.
"Suit yourself!" He exclaimed as he walked up to the three women. "Let's go ladies!" Goku said excitedly as he quickened his pace to where his long time friend was.
"Goku, wait up!" Chi Chi said as she hurried up in an attempt to catch up with Goku. The three women quickly caught up with Goku and followed him through the maze of hallways. Although Chi Chi was very familiar with the mansion, it was always easier to just follow Goku as he could pinpoint her exact location in no time at all.
"Bulma we're here!" Chi Chi said excitedly in a sing song voice as the two other women and her husband entered the large room.
"Goku? What are you doing here?" Bulma asked as she fiddled with the machine in front of her and tested the temperature of the gel she'd put on her stomach.
"I love babies! I missed seeing Goten, so I want to at least see yours" He said as he pulled up a chair in front of the monitor.
"I thought babies freak you out?" She questioned again, motioning for the other women to take a sat near Goku.
"No just pregnant women" He replied earning a dirty look from Bulma. "I'm just always worried about hurting you guys or popping you" he stated earning a smile now.
"Oh Goku…I love you" Bulma said as she shook her head and lay down on the bed. "Alright, just gotta squeeze this stuff on here" she muttered as she squeezed the gel onto her stomach and then grabbed the device to send the ultrasound waves into her belly to produce a 3D picture of the baby. "There!" She exclaimed proudly as she found the face of the growing baby in side of her.
"Bulma, the baby is beautiful!" Chi Chi exclaimed as she came over and gave her friend a hug.
"Here, let me help you" Aaliyah said as she took the device and slowly moved it around her friends belly. She managed to get a full picture of the baby's body.
Bulmas eyes welled up, "It's a girl" she said quietly as tears slowly made their way down her cheeks. "I'm having a little girl!" She said as she continued to cry with joy.
"Bulma she looks just like you, I'll bet she'll be absolutely adorable" Goku said as he stared at the three dimensional picture on the computer monitor in front of him. "It absolutely amazed me that you guys have a life growing inside of you…I'll never know that joy" Goku said.
"Oh god…please you couldn't survive child birth" 18 said as she heard the man complain about how he'll never give birth.
"I'll have you know, if I can survive Chi giving birth I can survive anything" he said, quick to defend himself.
"You have to get a needle" 18 said nonchalantly as she watched the warrior now go into panic mode and grab hold of his wife for protection. "He can save the world from the most dangerous villains and you show him a needle and he's a baby" 18 said now laughing at the grown man hiding behind his petite wife.
"Oh yea, well, you're afraid of chickens!" Goku retorted pathetically.
18 gave a confused look "no I'm not" she replied wondering where Goku got such bizarre information.
"Are too, Krillin told me" he once again retorted.
"Guys stop stealing my moment!" Bulma said loudly.
"18 started it…I was just expressing my sadness at never being able to give birth" Goku replied meekly.
Chi Chi roller her eyes, "Goku, you'd be an excellent mother" she said, then moved and gave her husband a hug around his waist, "but I prefer you as a dad" she said as Goku gave her a light squeeze in return.
"So Bulma, any ideas on names?" Aaliyah asked, slowly taking her gaze away at the image of the growing baby's face.
"No I have no idea…I'll have to start writing stuff down. I'm sure Vegeta will be of no help" she said, rolled her eyes in annoyance.
~*~ Elsewhere~*~
"Great job ladies, time to take it down a notch, lie on your back, and now stretch your fingers and toes as far as they'll go…feel the stretch. Now deeply inhale…and exhale" a calming woman instructed as she walked around the studio where Karie and Videl were now laying on their mats.
"Now lift your right leg up and pull it into your chest" the instructor said again.
"How are you feeling kiddo?" Karie whispered from her spot on the floor.
"I actually am feeling pretty good thanks" Videl said with a smile as she stared up at the ceiling, switching legs.
"Good, told you so!" Karie replied, grinning with self satisfaction.
"Now reach out again…and release! Good job everyone!" The instructor said with a smile as she clapped, the rest of the class joining her. "I hope you all feel stretched and relaxed, hope to see you all soon!" She said as everyone now started to gather their things and make their way towards the exit.
"I always feel so great after going to these classes" Karie said as she stood up, picking up her mat and offering a hand to Videl.
"Yea, I'm definitely feeling in a better mood now…I just feel calm" she said taking Karies hand and pulling herself up.
"That's why I love doing Pilates. I sweat but feel like I'm in a great mood afterwards; a natural high" Karie said with a smile as she took a drink of water from the fountain.
The two women walked out of the gym and made their way towards the car. "So, when did you and Gohan realize you loved each other?" Karie asked, surprising Videl out of her quiet stupor.
Videl was startled by the randomness of the question, but welcomed the positive atmosphere; talking about Gohan always put her in a better mood. "It sounds silly, but we had only been dating for a few days, less than a week if I recall correctly. It was the New Year's party Bulma hosted last year. My father had attempted to shoot me, Gohan went crazy and even threatened to kill him if he made another attempt on my life" she remarked with a smile, quickly turning to a frown when she thought about Hercule.
"I'm so jealous of you, I hope you know that" Karie said as she pulled a pair of large sunglasses over her eyes. A moment of silence lingered in the air before Karie spoke up again. "I'm really sorry you've endured as much as you did" she said quietly as she turned the music down.
"How bad was it with you?" Videl questioned quietly.
"Suicide was tempting on more than one occasion" Karie mused, "I used to be really close with my mom, part of me wants to reconnect, the other part of me can't get over how betrayed I feel".
"What did your mom do?" Videl asked, turning the music off so she could better hear Karie speak.
"I was always there for my mom; at sixteen years of age she would ask me for marital advice, and borrowed money from me constantly. I never spent any on myself, I gave it to her to help support the family, either by paying rent or buying groceries" She said quietly.
"What did your dad do?" Videl asked.
"I didn't get the kind of abuse you got, I never had more than one attempt made on my life. My father was huge on spanking…unfortunately to an excessive amount. I'd get yelled at for the dumbest reasons; speaking too loudly, not filling his drink up enough, stupid stuff like that. I can't tell you the amount of remote controls I've had whipped at me, had a table flipped at me a few times and dishes tossed my way… Got to be pretty good at dodging" Karie remarked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I've been bordering an eating disorder for years. I've been diagnosed with an 'eating disorder not otherwise specified', means I fit in to a few categories. It's amazing how powerful words like fat can really be to a girls psyche". She said, very voice quivering a little as she spoke.
"I came close to having an eating disorder too, but I got lucky and had Gohan and his family to smarten me up" Videl responded quietly. "What happened with you and Drew? Bulma said you two used to date" she questioned, trying to change the topic from battling body image issues.
"We dated back in grad school. He is two years older than me, but we graduated at the same time; I was able to fast track." Karie responded, a little smirk of satisfaction on her face.
"I take it that it didn't end well?" Videl mused.
"Not entirely. We didn't date long, but I fell head over heels for him; he was fun and I felt like my life was going somewhere positive for a change. I remember one time we were at a party, he was wasted, to the point where he was spilling his drink on me; I grabbed it from him and cut him off, once he found out about that when we were sober it just wasn't the same" Karie said, checking both directions before rounding a corner.
"One day he came to pick me up for a date; I just had this awful feeling in my stomach, expect the worst and hope for the best was the way I looked at it. He told me he didn't think things were working out. His exact words were "I like to get high, you have asthma; I like to get drunk, you don't drink…it's just not working"". She said, letting a little laugh escape her lips.
"That was really his excuse?" Videl questioned in surprise.
Karie gave a snort, "Yep. I think he expected me to argue but I played it off like I didn't care, but deep down I was utterly heart broken. I guess part of me blame him for my life falling apart, it was shortly after that my life spiraled out of control and I was diagnosed with severe depression".
"I'm…so sorry to hear that. He sounds like a douche" Videl said with a slight shake of her head.
"It probably should have been a red flag when he told me his relationships usually start when he gets drunk and slept with girls" she said as she rolled her eyes.
As Karie pulled in to Bulmas drive way, she heard her phone start ringing. "Hello? Yes…. Seriously? Grow up Drew… Was that the only reason you called... Get to the point Drew! 12:30? At the Satan City medical Plaza… We'll be there. Goodbye" Karie said as she snapped her phone shut, "God he is annoyed" she said quietly as she rubbed her temple.
"Alright kiddo, you're having your psychiatric exam tomorrow at 12:30. It will just be you and the doctor; he'll question you for a little while then will inform the prosecution and myself about his findings. I'll go with you to make sure Drew won't harass you." Karie said as she grabbed her purse.
Videl cast her eyes downwards and nodded quietly.
"Let's go see your boyfriend and his gorgeous family. I've gotta to some faxing" Karie said as she opened the door and motioned for Videl to follow her.
The two women walked into the large mansion, Karie took off her sunglasses, "Oh honey, I'm home!" she yelled giving a smile to Videl in the process.
A few moments later Bulma walked into view and gave both a smile, "how was Pilates? Feeling any more relaxed Videl?' she questioned as she ate her brownie, a closer look revealed it was covered in pickles.
"Cravings hit you like a ton of bricks, eh Mrs. B?" Karie said with a wink as she pointed to the chocolate pickles.
"We have the psych exam tomorrow at 12:30. I'll take Videl, they won't allow anyone else in the room, but I want to make sure the DA won't harass her. Hey Mrs. B? Can I go use your fax? I want to send over the information on your regeneration chamber" Karie said as she slipped her shoes off earning a nod from Bulma. Karie gave a wave and a smile as she left the room.
"Feel any better?" Bulma asked once Karie was out of earshot.
"I did" Videl muttered, her eyes cast downwards as the reality of the trial was beginning to set in.
"Karie has your back, she'll make sure you get through this" Bulma said as she gave the teen a reassuring hug.
"I really like her, I feel like I can really connect with her" Videl said as she slipped her shoes off. "We talked about her relationship with Drew, and spoke a little bit about her family problems… I feel like such a jerk for doubting her" Videl said with a sigh, feeling her good mood slipping away quickly.
"I knew you would connect. Don't feel too bad, everyone doubts her, I did myself once upon a time" Bulma said as she motioned for the teen to follow her further into the house.
"I think I'm going to try and take a nap" Videl muttered as she pulled away from Bulma, she gave her a small wave as she moved up to her bedroom.
Videl had desperately wanted to go see Gohan, but she just felt so emotionally drained she felt the needed a nap after the whole ordeal that had occurred a few hours ago.
She trudged into the large room Bulma has supplied to her many times. She stood beside the bed briefly, casting a glance at the balcony doors. She noticed the lock had still been melted shut. She gave a small shutter, she turned and left her room, opting for the more comforting atmosphere Gohans room provided.
She walked into Gohans room and silently slipped in to his bed. She closed her eyes and allowed a few tears to trail down her cheeks before allowing unconsciousness to welcome her.
~*~*~Elsewhere~*~*~
Gohan held the bag that contained Videls birthday present tightly in his hands. She walked quietly and kept his head on a swivel to make sure Videl was nowhere in sight.
"Find one you liked?" Gohan heard behind him, causing Gohan to yelp in surprise.
"Dad… you scared me!" he breathed as Goku gave him a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, I saw you were trying to be quiet" He said earning a smile from Gohan.
"I did find a gift for her… could I keep it in your room? Videl sleeps in my room and I don't want to risk her seeing it" He said as Goku motioned for his son to follow him.
"Can I see it?" Goku asked quietly as he closed the door behind them.
"Sure" Gohan said with a grin. Before Gohan could pull the object out of the large paper bag, a loud female scream was heard, startling both men.
"What was that?" Goku questioned as he grabbed in chest in attempt to calm down.
"My bet, another bad dream" Gohan said sadly as he and his father quickly made their way down the hall way to locate the source of the scream as another was heard shortly after.
~*~*~Earlier~*~*~
Videl walked quietly down the street of downtown Satan City. The trial was almost over and things were looking good for Karie as she defended her.
"Hey look, it's Videl!" she heard a child exclaim in excitement, seeing the teen walk down the street.
Videl gave the child a smile and a wave, only to look puzzled as the child was quickly pulled towards her mother tightly.
"She's a murderer! Stay away from my baby" she seethed.
"You don't deserve to be alive" another angry bystander yelled
"Kill the murderer!"
"Justice for Hercule!"
Videl started to try and run, only to be cut off by more Hercule supporters. She was now surrounded and the group of angry people were quickly closing in on her.
"Cut her throat!"
"Shoot her like she did Hercule!"
"Torture her"
"Kill that scrawny boyfriend and is family, let her watch as they die in front of her"
"You leave Gohan and his family alone!" Videl yelled as she felt the space around her and the angry mob closing. Her arms were grabbed by a number of people and were pulled behind her back and tied up. People then took turns delivering punches and kicks, a few opted for cut her arms or her collar bone with a knife.
She let out a scream in agony as the angry mob proceeded to torture her. She watched as the group all gave smirks in satisfaction and parted a way and allowed a dark figure to walk into the circle and stand in front of me.
"It's not possible…you're dead" Videl said as her body shook with fear.
"You, can never escape me" Hercule said with a laugh. "I will always be in control of you" he seethed as he held a gun up between Videls eyes.
"No…" she pleaded, tears threatening to spill over.
"Too late…" he muttered as his eyes narrowed and the loud gunshot was heard.
Another loud scream erupted from Videls lips as she shot up in the bed. Her hands instinctively went up to her face, checked for any bullet marks on her face. She frantically checked herself over, checking for any other marks or bruises she thought she had received.
"Why does this keep happening…" she questioned as she felt hot tears begin to well up in her eyes and slowly trail down her cheeks. She had broken out into a cold sweat while experiencing her nightmare. She lifted her shaking hands to brush away the hair that was matted on her forehead.
Tears began to fall more heavily as she slammed her fists onto the bed and gave a loud frustrated yell. She hugged her knees tightly, placing her head down as she began to cry harder.
She screamed again as she felt an arm come around her back, panicking that an angry mob was after her. She shoved the body away from her and turned quickly and gave a terrified look to the two people who were behind her.
"It's just me" Gohan said quietly, he watched her face soften as another round of tears flowed from her eyes. She quickly lunged to Gohan and buried her face into his chest. Gohan gently rubbed her back and tried to whisper soothing words.
"They can get you….he can't hurt you" he whispered as he felt her small shoulders shudder as Videl sobbed.
Goku looked on with a saddened expression. This poor teenager had already endured so much and deserved to be happy. It broke his heart that she was even being tormented in her dreams. He smiled a little as he watched Gohan comfort her.
"He won't leave me alone" Videl whispered. "I can't get away from him…dead or alive he still tortures me" she whispered as she felt more tears slowly making their way down her cheeks.
Not knowing what to say, Gohan simply held her tighter and continued to rubber her back and softly kiss her head. He knew nothing he said would comfort her, he felt the best he could do was just let her get it out.
Goku walked over to Gohan and put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. Gohan looked up and gave him a slight nod, Goku gave a small nod and a weak smile back in response as he moved his hand away from his sons shoulder and quietly exited the room.
He closed the door behind the two teens and quietly made his way to the living room. He noticed Chi Chi, Bulma and Karie were all sitting around, discussing the possible issues that could arise in trial.
"Why the long face, sweetie?' Chi Chi questioned, noticing her generally happy husband had a defeated look on his face.
"Gohan wasn't kidding, she does get nightmares" He said quietly, opting to sit on a footstool beside the women.
"Oh no… that poor thing. She had another nightmare?" Bulma questioned, her expression turning to one of pity.
"Gohan and I were just talking… then we heard a scream, and another shortly after. She looked so terrified when Gohan put his arm around her" Goku responded in a saddened tone.
"I thought it was just like night terrors, I had no idea the nightmares were every time she slept" Bulma said quietly.
Goku shook his head, "I can't get over how terrified she looked" he muttered.
"Poor thing can't really catch a break can she?" Karie said quietly. "Has anyone suggested she seek psychiatric help? She sounds like she suffers from PTSD" Karie said quietly.
"She has the evaluation tomorrow… can they prescribe her anything?" Chi Chi asked, hoping to hear that this poor girl would finally be able to rest peacefully.
"He won't prescribe her anything, he just assess the situation. He'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not think she's been through a major trauma. As awful as it sounds, these nightmares will probably help us" she offered trying to lighten the mood.
"Gohan says she sleeps well when he's there, poor thing must just need the security of another person being there" Bulma mused quietly.
The four adults sat quietly in the room until Trunks and Goten came into the room.
"Who died?" Trunks asked, earning a laugh from Goten.
"No one sweetie, we were just having an adult talk" Bulma says, forcing a smile onto her saddened features.
"Can we play video games, mommy?" Goten questioned as he gave his best puppy look to his mother.
"That's fine sweetie, we should really be getting started on making dinner anyways" She said as she stood up and gave her youngest son a big squeeze.
"Karie, want to play with us?" He questioned as he flashed the lawyer a smile.
"You got it kiddo, name your game" she said with a wink and a smile.
~*~*~Meanwhile~*~*~
Videl felt as though she had cried all the tears she had in her. She pulled her face away Gohans chest and gave a quiet laugh, "Sorry I got your shirt wet" she said, attempting to lighten the mood.
"It's alright" he said quietly as he brushed her matted hair off her face.
"Do you think these nightmares will ever end" she whispered quietly, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Yes, I do. V, you've been through more in one week then most people experience in a life time. You will get better. He can't hurt you anymore" he said as he hugged her tightly.
"He keeps appearing in my dreams. He always comes back to finish it" she whispered, desperately attempting to fight back any tears that may be lingering within her.
"He can't finish it. You survived V, you hear me? You are a survivor" he replied, gently stroking her back in an attempt to calm her down.
"I survived" she repeated quietly.
"You did, and he can never take that away from you" he said again. Videl pulled away from Gohan gently and rubbed her swollen eyes.
She heaved a heavy sigh as she stared at the sheets in front of her. "Gohan, I'm scared" she whispered, never having her gaze leave the spot on the sheets.
"I know baby" he whispered back, "You've got the best possible person on the job, you will get through this" he said, desperately trying to comfort his girlfriend.
"Do you think I'd get a death penalty sentence" she whispered again.
"No, Karie will make sure that you get through this" he whispered, giving her a small smile as she slowly lifted her eyes and met his gaze.
"I hope you're right" she said quietly, attempting to offer a small smile back.
"Let's go for a walk, maybe it will help clear your mind" Gohan said, receiving a small nod from Videl. They slowly stood up and walked out of the room, Gohan gently held Videls hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
The two teens walked silently throughout the mansion. Neither of them said a word, enjoying the comforting silence, as they walked aimlessly down the random hallways.
They walked in silence for almost an hour, without even realizing it they found they had arrived in the living room.
Karie noticed the couple walk in and gave a weak smile, "How are you feeling?" she questioned, noticing that Videls eyes were still puffy.
"Okay I guess" Videl responded, offering a weak smile.
"Keep your chin up kiddo, and smile, you're beautiful" Karie said as she stood up and gave Videl a gently hug.
Videl smiled as she returned the hug she was receiving from the lawyer. "Thanks" she said quietly.
"Alright my darlings, I best be taking my leave and reviewing my notes" She said, offering a wave to all who were in the room.
"You're not staying for dinner?" Chi Chi questioned, popping her head into the living room.
"Sorry Mrs. S, but I should do a little reviewing and preparing for this trial. But thanks for the invite, I'll have to take a rain cheque" she said with a wink and a smile to the older woman. Karie gathered her bags that she had set down by the couch and slipped her jacket on.
"Is that all you have?" Chi Chi asked earning a funny look from the young lawyer.
"Far as I know…" Karie offered, giving Chi Chi a confused look.
Chi Chi gave a small shake of her head, "It's raining outside, did you want to borrow an umbrella?" she questioned.
Karie lightly shook her head and flashed Videl a smile, "I actually brought one with me," she said as she pulled her umbrella out of her bag. "Videl, I'll see you tomorrow around 11:30," she gave Videl a bigger smile as she held the umbrella in front of her.
"Bye Karie" Chi Chi said, offering Karie a smile and a wave.
"Behave guys!" Karie said with a smile as she walked out of the living room and went to show herself out.
Videl paused for a minute, she gently let go of Gohans hand and walked towards the closed window curtain. She gave a small smile as she opened the curtains to reveal that even though the sun was still shinning, it was indeed raining.
Ok guys! That's chapter 25! I hope you liked it. I figured I would use this chapter as character development as well as filler. I didn't want to just jump in to the trial, I wanted to build up to it a little.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, please review and tell me what you think! I'll try and start writing chapter 26 within the next few days.
Later Dayz~! =)