It was the night before Videl's twenty-first birthday, and Mr. Satan thought to surprise her. A little before midnight, when he was sure she'd been asleep, he gingerly sneaked into her bedroom with a wrapped gift in his hands.
He held his breath when the door creaked open, hoping that wouldn't wake her up. When he couldn't sense any movement, he proceeded as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He meant to place the gift on her bed so it would be the first thing she'd see in the morning.
As he walked towards the bed, though, he was beginning to wonder if his furtive moves were unnecessary. He couldn't hear any sound of breathing whatsoever. The bed was . . . unoccupied? He turned on the light. He was right. No Videl under the blanket.
The first thing Mr. Satan did was panic. Did someone kidnap his beloved daughter?
The second thing Mr. Satan did was head to the guestroom he'd assigned to Gohan. He had grown fond of the boy over the years and knew Gohan would worry about her just as much. Plus, he'd know what to do and actually be able to do it.
Outside of Gohan's room, Mr. Satan could see that the light was still on through the cracks of the door. Good, Mr. Satan thought. He's still awake. He felt free to push open the door to let himself in.
What he saw next was something he didn't expect. The sight of Gohan at his desk, purportedly studying, was normal, but that of Videl sleeping in his bed startled Mr. Satan. He had to stop himself from screaming and waking up his daughter.
"You," he hissed at Gohan, who had dropped his pen and was frozen in time. He hadn't anticipated Mr. Satan to visit this late, much less to find out that he and Videl had been sleeping in each other's bed. Suddenly he felt like he was in high school again, about to be flown back home and his parents about to be given a talking-to. "Follow me."
"Y-Yes, Sir," Gohan said, getting up from his desk. As the two stood in the hallway, he closed the door behind him. He gulped as Mr. Satan's nose flared, a sure sign that he was not to be trifled with.
"Explain yourself, boy. Why is my daughter in your bed?"
"I-It's not what you think. We were just talking, and she fell asleep." That much was true for tonight's case anyway.
"If I hadn't come in, would you have taken advantage of her while she was asleep?"
"O-Of course not!" he replied. If any adult activity was to happen, it would be with Videl's knowledge and consent; no one would be taking advantage of anybody here. "We were just trying to celebrate her birthday on the dot, but she couldn't stay awake. I meant to wake her up before 2:18 a.m. You know, the exact time she was born?"
"She's my daughter! Of course I know the exact time she was born!"
"R-Right."
Mr. Satan paced back and forth, still unsure of what to do. On the one hand, he really liked Gohan and didn't want to be too hard on him. On the other hand, he couldn't just leave those two as they were, could he? That would be irresponsible parenting, wouldn't it? What will people say?
Behind Gohan, the door cracked open. It was Videl in her nightgown, still half-asleep.
"What's going on here?" she mumbled. "Dad? What are you doing still up?"
In a matter of seconds, Mr. Satan's face changed from stern to cheerful. "I'm sorry, Cupcake, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just meant to wish you happy birthday!"
"Thanks Dad, but technically my birthday's not until 2:18 a.m." she said, yawning. She rested her head against Gohan's shoulder. Gohan, in return, put an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the head. His affection for her could not be helped.
It was then that Mr. Satan realized that his daughter, at twenty-one years old (almost), wasn't his to protect anymore, and that he was no longer the number-one man in her life. Instead, the boy in front of him was it. His replacement, the one she herself had chosen to take care of her. His future son-in-law, if he was lucky.
"You're right," Mr. Satan said finally. "Well, why don't you stay here and hang out with Gohan until then? I'll see you at the gathering tomorrow—or, later today, since it's already tomorrow now."
Mr. Satan walked away, and Gohan wasn't sure what to make of what appeared to be Mr. Satan's change of heart.
In the meantime, Mr. Satan went back to Videl's bedroom to pick up the gift he'd left on her bed earlier. It was still a gift from him to her, but it didn't need to be the first thing she'd see in the morning anymore.