Gohan thought he was too old now to be celebrating birthdays, but this was the first in seven years his Dad would be here for his birthday, and he couldn't help but feel excited. If nothing else, his little brother could have an excuse to eat some sweets and help him unwrap his presents.

Still, although his whole family was with him, he wished Videl had been able to join him. He wasn't sure how to tell her his birthday was coming up, and anyway this was supposed to be a family affair. Not even his Dad's closest friends had been invited. He wasn't a kid anymore; this wasn't supposed to be a big thing.

In the afternoon, while he, his brother, his Dad, and his Grandpa were playing with the trading card games that were gifted to him, the phone rang. Soon, his Mom called out from the kitchen.

"Videl's on the phone for you, Gohan."

Gohan had been thinking about Videl for most of the day, he felt light-headed at the mention of her name. It had been happening a lot lately. Talking to Videl used to be easy, but now his heart started to beat faster as he walked toward the kitchen.

"This is Gohan," he said as he picked up the receiver.

"Hey, it's me," she responded, as if her voice needed no introduction. "Your Mom told me today's your birthday? Why didn't you tell me? I would want to get you a birthday present."

"I-It's not necessary," he said. He really didn't like the attention that came with having a birthday.

"Of course it's necessary!" she replied. "No birthdays are complete without presents, and I can't wait another year before celebrating your birthday with you. Shoot, it'll take me at least three hours to get there. I probably can't make it there until nighttime. But I'll be there. Just wait for me!"

Before he could say anything else, she'd hung up on him.

"What happened?" his Mom asked when she saw him stare at the receiver.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I think she's coming over."

The sun was setting down when Videl finally arrived as she promised. Gohan had been waiting outside with a book and was surprised to see she was riding on Boo's back instead of in her usual jet-copter.

"I was short on time and figured he'd take me here so much faster," she said, as if reading his mind. "I was telling him you might have some leftover cake as a reward?"

"We do," Gohan replied. He turned to Boo. "Give me a few minutes, okay?"

He headed inside, and a few minutes later came out with a few containers filled with the remaining pieces of the cake, a couple plates, and some napkins. He put one slice on a plate for Videl and handed the rest to Boo, who didn't bother with a plate or a napkin.

"Where's your family?" Videl asked as she took a bite. "I wanted to say hi."

"They're asleep."

"But it's not even 7 o'clock yet." she said, confused.

"They like to sleep early," he explained.

"I see," she said, taking another bite and pointing at his chest. "Is that what you normally wear at home?"

He looked down to see what she was referring to. He was wearing his traditional clothing.

"I meant, it looks good on you," she went on. "You should wear that more often."

He shifted in his seat. "I normally only wear this at home. Mom said I should try to blend in when I'm in Satan City and wear what the other kids wear."

She couldn't help but smile at his honesty. She put down her plate, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and reached inside her pocket. "Well, guess what? I got your birthday present, and this would help you blend in even more."

She grabbed his hand and placed a capsule in it.

He stared at the capsule on the palm of his hand. "What's this?"

"That's for you to find out."

He threw the capsule into the air several feet away, and the capsule exploded. When the smoke cleared, a motorcycle was in its place.

"You got me a motorcycle?" he asked in disbelief. He ran towards the vehicle for a closer inspection. The presents he received from his family were nice and all, but this was definitely different.

"Yup. I don't know you well enough yet, but I figured any guy would love to own one of these babies. Come on, let's go for a joyride."

As she waited, he stood around awkwardly before admitting, cheeks reddening. "I don't really know how to ride one of these."

"Ah." She nodded. "I could teach you."

She turned to Boo, who was still enjoying the birthday cake. "I'll be back in a bit. Now, remember that we're guests here. Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay," Boo said, barely paying any attention to her. She was unconvinced but decided his promise was good enough.

Videl put on a helmet and hopped on the motorcycle, gesturing for Gohan to climb behind her. "Just watch what I'm doing, and you'll be fine. Ready?"

"S-Sure," he said.

She pressed on the start button. The engine began humming. "Hold on to me."

His cheeks turned red. He understood this to mean he needed to put his arms around her waist. "I-Is it okay if I do that?"

"Yeah . . . ?" she answered, not understanding what he was asking permission for. When she figured out what he was nervous about, she added, "Don't worry, it's standard procedure. Just don't try to cop a feel or anything."

He jumped at the idea. "I would . . . I would never do such a thing," he started to insist, before realizing she was just teasing him. Still unsure of himself, he only placed his hands lightly on either side of her waist.

"Let's go!" she said, pressing on a pedal and shifting the gear. From the mirror, he could see her grinning wildly. He suspected this was more or a birthday present for herself than for him.

The motorcycle moved slowly at first. Another button pressed, another gear shifted, and it began to pick up speed. The sky was turning dark and soon there wouldn't be much view to admire, but still there was plenty of time to enjoy the ride.