The fluttering of eyelids. The softest of moans escaping his lips as his head moves side to side across his pillow as though trying to find the comfiest position. A sight that she can't help but smile at from the edge of his bedroom bed. Can't help but chuckle at as his hands come up and fold his pillow in around his head as though he is trying to block out any sort of sound of making it through. If there was any sound to begin with. The hut was like a ghost town. No sounds anywhere to be heard. Well not entirely. Sometimes she really does hate having advanced hearing and this night has been one of many to curse such an ability. If the walking trash can's eating habits a few rooms weren't already bad enough but his snoring? It sounded like a chainsaw was going off in the hut! But no matter she could ignore the snores. Could ignore the walking trash can known as Goku for the moment of truth is happening right now as she sees Gohan's eyes slowly cracking open. As she sees to her relief his eye color back to normal once again. Such relief that can be seen across her face as she just stares into his eyes in silence. Eyes that come into focus slowly before to her shock and amusement inside she sees his lips twitching upward.

" Hey."

Seeing nothing but his faint smile widening unable to help herself from returning the smile reaching out gently Android 18 tucks a loose piece of Gohan's hair behind his ear. A motion that she watches the young saiyan follow closely before her heartbeat picks up when her hand comes down to lay on his cheek causing his eyes to close once again and for her to feel him leaning into her touch. This feeling that makes her cheeks burn up slightly before gently she rubs his cheek with her thumb.

" How are you feeling?"

The softest of whispers that he has ever heard before let alone the image that he is staring at right now. An image that he would never forget. Never forget this angel sitting right next to him just an arms reach away. Never forget the kind smile that she is looking down towards him with making his face heat up with a noticeable blush coming across his cheeks that just makes him want to bury his face into his pillow. Makes him want to dive underneath his blanket hoping she doesn't notice his blush but from the twinkle in her eye. From the way her lips twitch upward with nothing but silent amusement coming off her facial features he knew he was caught.

" Tired."

Smiling down towards him in understanding to her amusement as she watches his blush deepen the more she brushes his cheek with her thumb taking a moment to look around retracting her hand to reach over towards a nearby table gently Android 18 plucks a glass of water from off top before slowly returns her attention over towards Gohan. A young saiyan that just amuses her greatly when she sees that he has somehow in the short time she looked away has come to lift up his blanket to cover almost half of his face. This scene that makes her grin and shake her head before she scoots over across the bed to be closer to him while her back comes to rest against his headboard causing him to back up from her allowing her plenty of room on the mattress.

" Here you should drink something. You're gonna need to build up your energy again."

Looking down, seeing his eyes looking at her with confusion giving him a sad smile reaching out gently Android 18 lays her hand down on top of Gohan's blanket covered own causing his eyes to shift downward to stare at their jointed hands.

" You've been very sick. Far sicker than anyone thought. Even yourself."

Instantly as his eyes come up to meet her own without looking away scooting even closer gently Android 18 squeezes Gohan's hand.

" I know all about The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I know about how when you were inside with your father at some point during your training you got sick. Really sick."

Seeing his eyes dipping down towards the mattress with his blush returning in ten fold putting the glass of water back down on the table closing the rest of the distance between them until her hip is touching his own giving his hand another gently squeeze leaning off from the headboard until her head is resting against another pillow reaching around Android 18 wraps her free arm underneath Gohan's waist and with a gentle tug brings him closer to her side.

" You have nothing to be ashamed about. What you did was really brave and don't let anyone tell you any differently."

She was right. At least in her mind. He had nothing to be ashamed of. Everything that he did. Everything that he was preparing to sacrifice. It was just so heroic. To put the lives of others before your own. To hide your pain and keep on fighting knowing if you didn't then perhaps there wouldn't be a future for anyone. A mindset that not very few have come to ever have. At least not in their line of work. But for him to have such a mindset. A young man that has just turned ten years of age. That alone concerns her deeply. He shouldn't have that mindset. He should be out there enjoying himself doing what all kids his age do. Going out to play outside with her friends. Rotten his mind playing the latest video game while avoiding any school work assigned to him. Not this. Not be trained to be a soldier. An unwilling soldier. A warden of a mother that would take his free time away making him study the things she wanted him to study for while his father eats,sleeps,and drinks fighting. But that would change. She would make it change.

" I'm sorry."

That was certainly something she isn't suspecting. Noir is what she sees when she looks down. These silent tears trickling down his face. These tears that causes her to lean upright and pull him into her arms while his arms come to wrap around her tightly as he can right now. Tears that concern her deeply as her right hand comes up to stroke his hair softly.

" I'm sorry i couldn't save him."

And then that's when it hits her. She knew who he was referring to. Android 16. The abandoned android design by Dr Gero. The very android that she had saved from destruction. A truly bizarre android. One in which was very different from her brother and herself. A quiet android. An android that seemed to enjoy everything that was going on around him. Enjoy watching mother nature around him. An android that at first reading was nothing more than a weakling. A model that could be destroyed by herself or her twin brother so easily. Oh how wrong she would be. He was no weakling. No he was the strongest out of the three of them. She can still remember it clearly when he had faced off against Cell in his first form. Still remember how this android stood toe to toe on an equal playing field with the creature.

But her last memory of him? Her last memory of him through the creature's eyes? That is the very memory that she knows is triggering this reaction out of the young saiyan right now. A memory she can remember so perfectly. He was going to sacrifice himself to save everyone using a failsafe device in the form of a bomb located in his chest. The very same bomb every single android had been given in case their worst fears were met and they could in a last ditch effort take their enemy with them. A sacrifice that would not come when a secret was revealed. A secret spoken that his device had been removed when he was taken to Capsule Corp for repairs. This reveal that put many things in motion. Allowed the cocky and arrogant creature to reverse the tables and nearly destroy the android leaving nothing but his detached head intacted. A head that spoke the very words needed to unlock Gohan's hidden power. The very words that the young saiyan needed to hear in order to will himself up to face off against Cell. The very last words that android would speak before he met his demise with a boot crushing his metal skull into pieces.

" Shhh. It's okay…."

Shaking his head furiously unable to keep the tears that keep flooding down his cheeks with her grip around her tightening Gohan softly whispers out.

" If i hadn't gotten scared…."

" You did nothing wrong. Android 16 wanted you to live. He wanted you to continue living and enjoy life just like how he did for the brief amount of time he existed. If he was here. If we could ask him right now i'm sure he would say that he has no regrets. If you want to blame anyone then blame Cell. Do you understand?"

For a few moments hearing nothing but his silent sobs that are like someone is taking a knife to her heart feeling him nodding his head against her side stroking his hair in a comforting manner very slowly Android 18 leans back until her head once again hits the pillow in the back of her and pulls Gohan even closer to her until his head is resting against her chest.

" Shhh. Let it out. It's okay Gohan. Even heroes cry too."