To See You Again
Chapter Ten: The Luckiest Man Alive
The dome-shaped house wasn't big, but Mark still managed to get lost looking for the bathroom somehow. He balanced himself between his foot and his crutch as he looked around the hallway and did his best holding it in, mentally cursing his aging bladder. Growing old was no fun. He barely had that much to drink tonight! And who could blame him for having a few drinks on this fine night? Gohan just turned twenty years old; if that wasn't a cause for celebration, then he didn't know what was.
He tried a random door, came upon a cupboard, didn't waste time to complain about it, and tried the next – a bedroom this time. Still no time to groan in aggravation; his bladder was ready to explode. Where was his legendary good luck when he needed it?
He opened another door – finally! Mark rushed into the newfound bathroom – even using his recently acquired control over his ki to move faster. The door slammed shut behind him.
He flushed the toilet and moved over to the sink to wash his hands. Man, that was close.
He hobbled out of the bathroom and along the hallway he had just rushed through. Now that he wasn't in any haste, Mark took the time to look around more carefully. Numerous pictures lined up the walls, and the man took the time to study them. He smiled fondly at the little family of three featured in the photos. Gohan looked a lot like his father. He recalled the way his young friend had described the world champion before him on their first meeting, and, watching the big smile he had on every picture, Mark couldn't help wishing he had met the man.
The year he'd won the world martial arts tournament, Mark was embarrassed to admit that, at the time, he'd been relieved that the running champion hadn't entered the competition. He would tell himself that all the amazing feats Son Goku was rumored to be capable of were all tricks so as to boost his own ego, but, deep down, Mark had known that he was merely the lesser fighter. And today, more than ever, he certainly knew that there were no tricks involved in anything the Twenty-third World Champion had been able to do.
It was just dumb luck, him winning the championship. Dumb luck and good timing.
Mark let out a small sigh and went along his way. What a terrible shame that the world had had to suffer the loss of such a grand man.
He passed the bedroom he had opened by mistake earlier while looking for the bathroom. Was that Gohan's childhood room? Mark flicked on the lights and hopped inside on his good leg.
The first thing that struck him was how different the bedroom was compared to his daughter's. Like many kids her age, Videl's room had always been a mess, with her clothes scattered everywhere, her desk full of junk she seemed to collect for no reason, her desk chair serving more as a hanger and whatnot… Mark had never been a strict enough parent figure to make her clean her room. He remembered fondly how she would just shrug and say it was a waste of time anyway because it would just get messy again after two minutes. She did make her bed every morning, at least, so Mark supposed he hadn't completely failed at instilling some values into her.
Gohan's childhood room, however, was spotless. Although he assumed that, in the present day, it had more to do with his mother keeping it clean, he also couldn't fathom Gohan living in a mess like his daughter had back in the day, not even as a kid. It just didn't fit his character.
The many shelves of books? Now that matched his personality perfectly.
The man grinned to himself as he hobbled through the room, passing not less than five shelves filled with books lining up against the wall. The last one was right next to the window, and Mark had a feeling more would have been added to the collection had Gohan still been living with his mother.
As he stood by the window, Mark caught sight of the birthday boy sitting outside by the river stream in the company of his blue-haired friend. He smiled to himself at the casual, pleasant atmosphere between the two. They seemed really close, these two, in a mother-son kind of way.
It had been quite a shock to learn that Trunks' mother was none other than the famous Capsule Corp heiress, Bulma Briefs. He didn't get the chance to talk to her tonight, as he was basically a stranger to her and felt outplaced enough as it was. He still wasn't quite sure why he'd been invited to Gohan's birthday party, as it was obviously a family thing, and while Mark was flattered by the invitation, he hadn't known Gohan and Trunks for very long.
Maybe his lucky star was trying to send him a message, he thought with an amused side-smile.
ooOoo
Trunks leaned his head over to look through the doorway, his fine lavender locks following his movement. What was Mark doing in Gohan's old room?
The sight he came upon made the boy tilt his head to the side and raise his eyebrows. Mark was sitting at the foot of Gohan's old bed, squinting at some tiny item he held between his forefinger and his thumb.
And then Trunks' eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Was that…? The boy couldn't believe it. They had run out of those for years… How did Mark…? Where did he…?
"Tha… That's…" he stammered, pointing his finger at what Mark was holding.
The man perked up when he saw him. "Oh, Trunks. Is it times for Gohan to open his presents yet?"
It baffled the young halfling how Mark would talk so casually, like nothing out of ordinary was going on, when he had a Senzu bean in his hold. Trunks had to take a second to remind himself that Mark had no idea how important his findings were.
"Where did you get this bean?"
Mark blinked. "Oh, this little thing? I was just looking around when I saw Gohan's room. And then I bumped into his desk, and pretty hard too. I think I'm gonna get a bruise on my good leg. I get so clumsy at times…" He laughed in self-derision.
"So where was it?"
Trunks realized that knowing where the bean had been hiding for all these years wasn't that relevant, but the boy needed to understand how they could've missed it for all this time when it took Mark and his lucky star merely one night to stumble onto it.
He truly was the luckiest person alive, that one. Perhaps even the luckiest person to have ever existed.
"So I bumped pretty hard on the desk, 'cuz I'm clumsy like that, and then I hear something drop to the floor. I don't know, it must've been stuck between the wall and the desk or something. So that little brown pouch drops," Mark showed the pouch in question that he was holding in his other hand, "and in there I find three of these little things. What's the deal with these beans anyway?"
Trunks felt a jolt in his chest. His lips started breaking into a grin. "W-Wait… You found three?"
Mark tilted his head in confusion. "Yeah. What about it? Why are you grinning all of a sudden? Did I do something right somehow?"
The boy rushed to his older friend and took him in his arms, lifting him off the floor as he laughed in glee.
"You have no idea!"
ooOoo
Sharp blue eyes scanned the line of challengers of the night. Videl threw her fist into her palm. She felt ready to bash some heads in. The excitement of the fight was rising, making her blood boil in anticipation.
She had been training like a mad woman for weeks to get ready for this. She needed to be good enough again. She had to be the best again. She couldn't afford to just barely win. She wanted to be the best.
The young woman heard some excited whisperings behind her, but she didn't pay any attention to them. She focused on getting warmed up. The fights were about to start, and while she didn't necessarily need to be the first runner-up, she didn't want to wait too long to get started either.
"You talk to her," insisted a male, uneven, adolescent voice.
"No way," a girl refused. "You're Mr. Cool Guy, you talk to her."
"Geez, you two," another girl cut in, and Videl could feel the roll of her eyes at her friends' antics. "Just man up and go already."
"Then you go," the boy suggested.
"Pfft, fine. You two are hopeless."
Videl couldn't help turning around, intrigued by the group of teens. They were talking about her, weren't they?
"Someone asked for me?" she smirked, enjoying the look on their faces as she addressed them, the kind that screamed, "deer caught in the headlight". "It's okay, I promise I don't bite. Much."
The taller kid, a boy with black gelled-up hair chuckled nervously. He was wearing a leather jacket and torn jeans; his sunglasses were a bit much, like he was trying way too hard to look cool. They were underground and it was night, he couldn't see that well with those on, could he?
They all looked around fourteen and fifteen, Videl surmised. There were five of them: for one, the tall kid, or the cool wanna-be, as Videl immediately nicknamed him. There was also a black-skinned girl with pink hair pulled into two low ponytails, and Videl raised an eyebrow as she noticed that the girl was also wearing a similar kind of attire to her own: a fitted tank top, cargo pants, and knee-high, platform-heeled boots; she even had on fingerless gloves. Was she that big of a fan?
The other girl had wild, frizzy blonde hair. She was pretty and feminine, wearing a pink fitted dress, black tights, laced-up boots, and a denim jacket. There were two other boys in the group, who were about the same height. One had curly, honey brown hair and bright green eyes. He observed the scene silently, and something about him just oozed of intelligence, somehow. He was wearing a simple tee-shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers. His friend had messy dark blue hair and a long nose. He was wearing a gray hoodie and, very much like the brown-haired kid, a pair of jeans along with sneakers.
"H-Hi!" squeaked the pink-haired girl. "I'm Shay. I'm a huuuuge fan of yours. I've been following you for over a year, too. It hasn't been easy, let me tell you, but so worth it!"
"We're all your fans," piped in the kid in the hoodie, looking at Videl with stars in his eyes. "You're so amazing. We love watching you fight."
"Yeah, you're the best," agreed the cool wanna-be, a big grin on his face. "It's always awesome watching you beat up some giant muscle-bound man."
Amusement danced in her eyes as she looked at the odd group of kids. Well, actually, they weren't that much younger than herself, if she thought about it. "Thanks, I appreciate that. I sure am glad you guys enjoy the show I put on," she added with a wink. The guys smiled dreamily at her, swooning a little as they stared at the young woman.
"Will you marry me?" the kid in the hoodie blurted out, before widening his eyes, a bright blush streaking across his cheeks. "Um, I mean…"
Videl laughed into her hand. Adorable, she couldn't help thinking. "I'm gonna have to decline, but how about you tell me your name?"
"I'm Meyers," he replied instantly, an awkward grin on his lips. "Sorry about that… I mean, you can't blame me for crushing on you, right? You've seen yourself in the mirror, haven't you?"
So cute.
"I'm Fye, by the way," the cool wanna-be threw a little too casually, running his hand through his hair. That one was trying way too hard. Videl couldn't wipe the grin off her face.
"I'm Delia," the pretty blonde said with a broad smile, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Videl. "And I don't blame Meyers for slipping up, either. You're not only absolutely gorgeous, you're also badass as fuck, and that's super hot. I mean, if I was swinging that way…"
"I'm Gordon," the curly, light brown-haired boy said in a quiet tone. "Big fan too. You're awesome," he said simply, a sheepish smile on his lips as a light blush tinted his cheeks.
Videl was grinning so much her cheeks hurt. She hadn't felt so high-spirited in ages. Those kids were just too cute. She wanted to adopt them.
ooOoo
"I can't believe we got to hang out with the Devil!" Shay shrieked. "She's even more awesome in person!"
Delia couldn't stop smiling. "I'm so glad we took the leap and talked to her. She really looked like she was having fun, too."
"Trunks said she's been down lately," Meyers said softly, his voice low. "I think we helped, right?"
Gordon nodded his head. "We did."
"I'm glad we listened to him," Delia said quietly. "I hope we can help cheer her up a little."
Fye lit himself a cigarette, took a long whiff, and then blew it out slowly. "He said she just broke up with his friend, right?"
"He's such a sweet kid," Delia said with a soft smile. "And really cute, too. I bet he's gonna be a lady killer when he grows up."
"I can totally see that, yeah," Shay laughed. "He's so sweet to worry for her like that."
"I hope we see him again soon," Gordon said. The others agreed.
"Oh!" Shay exclaimed. "Devil's fight is about to start! Let's find better spots to cheer for her!"
Her friends grinned in agreement, excited to see their idol fighting again.
ooOoo
Bulma let out a deep sigh, rubbing her thumbs distractedly on the ceramic of her cup of coffee.
"Trunks has been sneaking out at night? Seriously?" Gohan repeated as he sat down in front of her at the table, disbelief lacing his voice.
She'd come to see him at his place, knowing he was usually home and up at the early hours of the morning, and they were sitting at his tiny, round dinner table in the living area, which reunited both the sitting room and the kitchen.
This thing with Trunks had been going on for over two weeks, and Bulma did not know what to make of it. She'd tried confronting her son about it, but he would just shrug his shoulders in insolent nonchalance and say he just felt like training some more. And it drove her crazy because she knew he was lying but had no way whatsoever of proving it.
She was out of ideas at this point, and considering her genius, that was saying something.
So, naturally, she had decided to turn to the closest person Trunks had beside her. Surely, Gohan would be able to help her with her disrespectful son, right? Wasn't it too soon for Trunks to go on his rebel phase anyway? Chichi sure had been lucky with Gohan, who had always been kind and polite and considerate, and he would have never snuck out in the middle of the night to do God knows what God knows where and with God knows whom, without any consideration of how worried his mother would be.
"That doesn't sound like him," frowned Gohan, staring at his own ceramic cup in confusion. "Are you positive he's really not just out training?" he asked, looking up at her in all seriousness.
"Yes. He's been lying to me and it's infuriating me," she huffed indignantly.
"Okay." Gohan watched some random spot on his hand-made wooden table as his mind seemed to work intently. "Okay," he said again. "Then I'll just keep tabs on him at nights. I'll have no problem telling you whether he's actually been training at night."
Her eyes sparkled with relief, and Bulma held Gohan's rough hand with both of hers, looking at him with grateful eyes. "Oh, that'd be great, Gohan. I knew I could count on you."
"Sure thing," he said, cracking a smile. "You got me worried about him too. I really hope he's just been training."
Bulma huffed again and crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat. "Tch. Don't get your hopes up. I know my son – he takes way too much after me."
Gohan chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
"So, how is Mark adjusting to his new leg?"
He cracked a grin. "He's still getting used to it. I'm so glad. I can't believe he found some Senzu beans."
"And we still have two left. When I get the time, I want to try and grow them myself."
Gohan raised his eyebrows. "You think that'd be possible?"
Bulma smirked, puffing out her chest. "Did you forget who you're talking to? With my genius mind, nothing is impossible. You should know that by now."
He chuckled. "Very true. Would be great not to have to depend on hospitals anymore, if we can grow our own Senzu beans."
"When we grow them, you mean."
"Right." Gohan chuckled again. Bulma's overconfidence sure was amusing. She never ever doubted her abilities, she was well aware that she was the best and wasn't ashamed to state it loud and clear. She was pretty much shameless, come to think of it, and it was definitely one of her best flaws.
"But you're still working on the weapon, right? Will you be okay juggling it all?" he asked.
"Well, that's why I said when I get the time. It's going to be tricky to study the beans without damaging them. I don't want to lose them, just in case."
Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you could do no wrong?"
She rolled her eyes. "Well, as close to perfect as I am, even I am only human."
He chuckled. He loved bantering with Bulma. She was always a lot of fun.
His eyes glazed over as his thoughts irremediably turned back to Videl, and how much fun he had with her, before she went and broke his heart.
His memory traveled back to that one day they spent together. The most wonderful day of his life. Oh, how he wished he could go back to that day. If only he could go back in time and relive that day, before everything went to hell, before all the suffering and the hurt and all the tears and heartaches. He wanted to get lost into her eyes as she grinned at him, her whole being beaming with pure joy.
That was the day he had fallen in love with her. Inevitably. Unequivocally. Hopelessly. Passionately.
"Say, Bulma," he said softly, fidgeting with his cup. "What did you think of Videl? When you met her. I mean, what kind of impression did she leave on you?"
Thrown off balance, Bulma blinked a few times at him before refocusing her thought process; her eyes averted to the side as she reflected on his question, and Gohan looked up at her, waiting for her answer anxiously. He had been wondering about it ever since Bulma told him she had met Videl, and it had been nagging at the back of his mind since then. But that morning, when she told him, he'd been too confused and stunned and befuddled by everything that was happening to ask her, and on his birthday, Gohan didn't feel like it had been the right time to bring it up.
"She reminded me a bit of Vegeta," Bulma said honestly, looking back at him. "Rather, of when I started to develop feelings for him."
Gohan raised his eyebrows. Now that was not what he would've expected. But, now that he thought about it, Videl was indeed a bit similar to the proud Saiyan prince. She was stubborn and proud, too, for starter, and her fighting spirits certainly rivaled his own.
"You know…" Bulma continued with an embarrassed smile. "I… kinda… made her cry."
Gohan's eyes hardened, his lips drawing a thin line. "You… what?" he breathed through gritted teeth.
"Well I was mad at her!" she defended hastily. "She hurt you so much and you almost got yourself killed because of her!"
"So you made her cry?" he accused, crossing his arms, his shoulders tensed. "Do you have any idea how much she already cried when she broke it off with me? Do you have the slightest idea how much it hurt herto push me away when she obviously wanted the exact same thing I did and stay with me forever? Do you?"
His voice was rising, and Gohan sucked in a deep breath to try and calm himself down. Damn it. It was bad enough that he had made Videl cry, but even Bulma? What the hell.
"I know I shouldn't have and I'm sorry," Bulma said quietly, looking down at her cup of coffee. "And for the record, it was way before she got into a depression. I regretted it instantly, you know. But that's when she reminded me of Vegeta." Gohan's expression turned into one of curiosity at that, although he was still very much upset. "The way she was trying so hard to be strong." Bulma looked up at him and smiled kindly. "She really is beautiful, you know, and I don't just mean her looks. I get why you fell so hard for her."
That did the trick, and all resentment Gohan had been feeling vanished at these words. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yeah. I never stood a chance, did I?"
Bulma chuckled. "We never do."
They shared a smile, and Bulma reached over to touch his hand. "It won't be long now," she said softly. "I'm close to finishing the weapon, and then when we kill those bastards, you can finally be with her."
Gohan cracked a small, wistful smile. "Yeah…"
If only they could already be rid of these damn tin cans. If only he didn't have to depend on Bulma's new invention to kill them, if only he could just get strong enough to do the job himself.
Well, Gohan supposed that he only needed to be patient. Videl was worth the wait, and so was a peaceful world.
If only time could run faster so that he could already be living his happily ever after with the woman he loved…
But every good thing took time. Hopefully, some of Mark's good luck could rub off on him.
ooOoo
Trunks smirked. Damn, Videl sure was good. She had so much potential, and it made him wonder just how much stronger she could become with proper ki training.
It kinda made him want to train her. Too bad he couldn't.
He and his new friends had been meeting at the random clandestine fight club spots to follow Videl's fights – or should he say "the Devil"? Videl was an amazing fighter, and she was all the more impressive as she was still very young and, from what he understood, pretty much self-taught. The more he heard about her from her biggest fan, also known as Shay, the more Trunks found himself intrigued.
Though he made sure not to be seen by her, especially when his new friends were hanging out with her, Trunks was surprised by how much he enjoyed watching her fight.
Somehow, he had become one of her fans.
Gohan was right. Videl was just that awesome.
Another challenger was down, and Videl smirked down at the fallen fighter as she caught her breath. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her gloved hand, and then the guy in charge came up and said they were going to take a break while sorting out the next fights.
"Man, Devil's so awesome," the frizzy blonde, Delia, sighed dreamily, following Videl with her eyes as the female fighter found herself a bench and sat down.
They were in an underground parking lot this time. The locations of those clandestine meetings never seemed to be the same from one night to another. Trunks didn't really see the point of doing that but he didn't really care either. He and his new friends were hanging out on the staircase of the parking lot, where they had a good view of the fights but weren't getting shoved around in the middle of the wild crowd. It'd been Trunks idea to watch the fights there, and he was pretty proud of the impression he made on the guys despite being three to four years younger than them.
"And she's so hot," grinned the "cool wanna-be", as Trunks liked to call him in his head, who was shamelessly looking Videl up and down. Trunks smirked to himself, picturing Gohan's reaction if he knew Fye was devouring Videl with such lecherous eyes.
"Yeah," agreed the dark blue haired teen, Meyers, his gaze lingering on Videl's fitting tank top, and more precisely, on her generous breasts. "Too bad we're too young for her."
"Like she'd be interested even if you were her age," Trunks couldn't help jeering, rolling his eyes at the hormonal teenage boys. He wondered if he was going to be that hopeless when he got their age. He sure hoped not.
"True," chuckled Fye, lighting a cigarette. Trunks rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help grinning. Fye may be a cool wanna-be, but he was a pretty fun one.
Gordon, the brown haired guy, and the most silent of the group, simply shrugged his shoulders and continued watching Videl, obviously also very much interested in her assets.
Shay hadn't stopped jumping up and down ever since Videl had won again, leaning over the railing, her short pigtails swaying along with her excited skipping. "Ahhh, she's so perfect! I wish she could teach me!"
"Teach you what? How to fight, or how to be hot?" smirked Fye, and Trunks snorted in laughter along with the others.
Shay just shrugged. "I want to be like her, she's like, my hero. She's so strong and brave and talented, and you know, you can feel she's a good person too, even when she glares at her opponents. She's super nice too, and she's got such a great smile. It just warms your heart, you know?"
Trunks nodded his head. He was so glad Videl was doing better now. Getting his new friends to go talk to her from time to time had certainly worked out like he had hoped. He knew she had just needed some company, and who was better than this bunch of fun teenagers? He sure enjoyed hanging out with them too, and it was nice to have friends closer to his own age.
"I'm gonna bet on her this time," Meyers said decidedly.
"Sure you are," Gordon rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, they don't let underage kids gamble," continued Delia. "We're not even supposed to be allowed in here."
"And they'd stop us how?" Trunks smirked confidently. Fye suddenly ruffled his lilac hair, and Trunks let out a "Hey! Watch it!"
"You're way too tiny to be that smug, kid," he grinned.
"I'd have to agree."
Trunks' blood ran cold. The energy signature behind him, which had been carefully concealed until now, was now vibrant with anger. He swallowed thickly, sweat dripping down his forehead and temples.
"Oh shit."
"And you swear now, to top it off?"
Slowly, dreadfully, reluctantly, Trunks got up from the step he'd been sitting on and turned around, coming face to face with Gohan, who stood at the top of the stairs. A very, very mad Gohan. That was never a good sign. Shit, shit, shit, shit. He was in so deep. This was the worst. Shit.
"Oh, my God! I remember you!" Shay suddenly jumped in front of Gohan and held his hand with both of hers, her eyes sparkling with adoration. "You're the only one who ever beat the Devil! You were so cool! I couldn't believe she actually lost, but you were like, so fucking amazing, I'd never seen anything like that. Ma Junior, right?"
Gohan was caught completely off guard by the strange pink-haired girl with the scaringly perfect memory. "Wha…?"
"I saw you go after her after the fights, too!" she piped up happily. "I always wondered if anything happened! You two would make, like, such a fab power couple – like, literally!"
Fye snorted laughing into his hand at Gohan's completely lost expression. "Geez, who's that guy? One second he looked ready to commit murder and now he's like a little kid. Pffrrr…."
Gohan frowned at Fye, and Trunks mentally cursed the stupid cool wanna-be for reminding Gohan about him. Fye gaped at the orange and blue clad man, however, when he swiftly took away the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it in his fist. "You shouldn't smoke at your age. Or ever."
"What. The. Hell," Fye whispered hoarsely, in shock at the boldness of that guy.
Shay, Delia and Meyers burst out laughing, and even Gordon giggled into his hand. Gohan only frowned deeper, and Trunks just wanted to disappear, trying to sink the lowest possible and hopefully become invisible.
Gohan's glare was back on him in a blink, though, and the boy swallowed loudly. "Gohan, look…"
"The hell are you doing here, Trunks? Here? Seriously?" Gohan hissed in disbelief. Trunks gulped, growing more and more nervous as Gohan's ki kept rising in anger. "Here? Where she could recognize you at any moment? Not to mention Bulma's been worried sick about you – and for good reason, as I can see!"
"I've made sure to stay out of sight," countered Trunks feebly, ignoring the part about his mother. He was kinda glad Gohan hadn't said "your mom" in front of his friends – that would've been way too embarrassing.
"I can't believe you! How could you be so careless? I told you about her, I told you how hard it's been for her, and you being here, where she could see you and figure out who you are, when she's trying to get over me… You could ruin all her effort in just a second if she saw you. How could you be so insensitive?"
Trunks scowled, not liking all these accusations when his intervention had actually helped Videl get better. "You don't know anything. If it weren't for me, she would still be miserable."
A deep frown furrowed Gohan's brow. "What are you talking about?"
"Hey, when they say "she"… they have to mean Devil, right?" whispered Delia to Shay, who widened her eyes in realization.
"They have to be!" she suddenly squealed, and her voice was so high pitched both Trunks and Gohan winced. Shay took the opportunity to address them, and she was all over Gohan again, big gray eyes sparkling in excitation, "Are you talking about the Devil? Do you – wow I can't believe it – do you actually know her?"
"I…" Gohan started to sweat and swallowed nervously. The hell was up with that girl?
In the meantime, Fye was still in shock about his cigarette.
There was some commotion in the fighting area, and just like that Shay's attention did a complete one-eighty degree and she squealed yet again. "Another fight's starting! Kyaaaa~! DEVIL! YOU'RE THE BEST!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, failing around to try and get her hero's attention.
In fact, Shay had screamed so heartily and unrestrainedly that Videl had turned in her direction to offer her a smile and a wave – but then she froze.
And so did Gohan.
ooOoo
It was with no surprise that when she turned on the lights of her son's bedroom, Bulma found his bed untouched and vacant. She scowled. That ungrateful little shit. Where the hell could he be heading off to in the middle of the night for over two weeks?
Well, at least after tonight everything should go back to normal. Gohan promised he would keep track on Trunks' ki and bring him home if need be. Oh, how she couldn't wait to tug on that brat's ear. Her mind had been bustling with punishment ideas from day one, and now that Trunks would be caught red-handed she was all good and ready to scream at him to her heart's content.
Oh, she was going to make him pay, oh yes she was. How dared he make her worry so much? As if life wasn't crappy enough already!
Gohan had probably confronted Trunks by now for that matter, so they should be getting back any time now. Bulma smirked to herself, turning off the lights and walking back to her own bedroom. That kid had thought he could play her, but he had no idea what he got himself into. Oh, he was going to get it, and he was going to regret ever setting foot out of bed. He had no idea what was coming to him, and the mother was all ready to receive him with open arms.
Gohan could not bring Trunks back quick enough!
ooOoo
All air had left his lungs, and his heart had all but stopped. This wasn't supposed to happen. Videl wasn't supposed to see him, not yet. It was too soon, it wasn't the right time. What if her mental state worsened again? What if she got into a depression again…? Just when she was getting better.
She blinked, all across the parking lot. Even from the distance, Gohan could see how dumbfounded she was to see him here.
This couldn't be happening.
Without thinking, the half-Saiyan used his super speed and phased out of sight, hiding away like a child. The kids stared at the spot where he stood not a moment ago, unable to comprehend how the young man could just vanish out of thin air.
Trunks slumped his shoulders, heaving out a sigh. "Geez… Is that the best you could come up with?"
ooOoo
Her heart screamed. It was him. He was here. She didn't understand what he was doing here, why he had come, how he could be here – Gohan wouldn't have broken his promise, not this time. And the fact that he just phased out and ran away proved that. He hadn't meant for her to see him. He hadn't meant to come at all.
She frowned as she caught sight of the familiar lilac-haired boy. What was he doing with the teens? How did he even know them? He couldn't be part of her fanclub, that would just be ridiculous. But why was he hanging out with them?
She didn't understand anything anymore. She was too confused and emotional right now – but she still had to fight, so Videl shook her head sharply and tried to focus.
Her opponent was enormous, as they often were. He had grayish skin and blond, gelled back hair, and wore only a pair of torn jeans and combat boots, his overly muscular torso showing multiple scars from previous battles.
She felt herself grow nervous despite herself. Perhaps it would've been smarter to take a break and gather her bearings before getting into another fight. Maybe she should try to find Gohan and make sense of what was going on.
But it was too late to back down now. The guy in charge announced the beginning of the fight, and the fist rushed at her so fast she was unable to dodge. Videl fell hard onto the cold floor. Her face was searing, her ear was ringing, and she tasted blood in her mouth.
ooOoo
Hidden behind a wall, Gohan was watching the fight. He pursed his lips when Videl fell. She was obviously still confused about seeing him here and couldn't focus properly on her fight, which showed. If she didn't get her head back in the game right now, this was not going to end well.
He clenched his fists as her opponent struck her again, kicking her when she was down, hitting her stomach. The force of the blow was so strong Videl was thrown on her back. She curled herself up, holding her stomach as she moaned in pain.
But the other fighter was merciless. He kept striking her, not caring that she couldn't even fight back in her position. The crowd was going wild, half cheering him on while the other half berated Videl for making them lose their gambling money.
Gohan gritted his teeth. His nails were digging into his palms. Videl was trying to protect her head, wrapping her arms over it, but that didn't seem to help much. Her opponent just kept hitting, again and again, and the crowd kept asking for more.
A moment later, the young man found himself in the middle of the makeshift ring, stunned silence all around him. Videl's opponent was on the ground with a big bruise across his face, and Gohan had honestly no idea how he ended up here.
Videl's whimper of pain made him rush to her side. He turned her on her back carefully, his heart sinking at the sight of her. His eyes were stinging. That bastard. He should've broken his arms and legs, not just knocked him out.
"I'm taking you to the hospital."
But Videl shook her head, giving a small smile. "It's… okay, I don't need the hospital."
"Videl…" he protested, but the young woman slowly sat up, wincing slightly as she did so.
"I'm fine, don't worry. I'll just go home and treat my injuries myself."
She struggled to get up, and Gohan couldn't help lending her a hand, which, to his relief, she accepted. "Then let me take you home."
She leaned into him, and instinctively, Gohan's arms wrapped around her. "Okay. Thank you…"
For once, she was reasonable. Gohan felt a pang in his chest. How bad was she feeling that she allowed him to help her?
ooOoo
Trunks' throat tightened. If Gohan hadn't intervened when he did, he would've kicked that guy's ass himself. What a dreadful man. How could he kick someone when they were down like that? Why had the person in charge let this happen? Was it because the crowd enjoyed it? How could they be so cruel? How could they treat each other like that? Wasn't the world messed up enough as it was?
He was beginning to understand why his mom wanted to put a stop to these fights. Why hadn't she, for that matter? There was no reason for this to continue. The world didn't need more violence and cruelty.
"I hope she's gonna be okay…" Delia murmured, tears in her eyes.
"That dick," Gordon scowled, clenching his fists in anger.
"Good thing your friend stopped this…" Shay swallowed. "I can't believe she lost… That guy should've been a piece of cake for her, I don't get it. She should've destroyed him."
"She looked distracted," Delia noted, frowning deeply.
"Ever since she saw us," Meyers muttered in dejection, his back hunching.
"It's got to be that guy, right?" Fye said. "They obviously know each other."
"He mentioned them breaking up…" recalled Gordon in a quiet tone.
"Yeah, they broke up," Trunks confirmed, heaving a sigh. "That's how I knew about her."
Silence fell between the six of them, despite the ruckus around them as the fights kept going.
"I guess there's no reason for us to stay any longer, then," Meyers said, standing up from the step. The others followed suit.
"Yeah," Shay agreed. "If Devil's gone, we might as well go too."
Trunks nodded his head. They climbed up the stairs together without a word; Fye was thoughtfully smoking a cigarette, obviously not ready to listen to Gohan's advice on smoking. Then, once they got outside, they said goodbye to Trunks and parted ways with him, going back to the home they shared
Trunks soon took off to the sky and headed home as well, unaware of the volcano ready to erupt that awaited him there.
ooOoo
Gohan slowly sat Videl on her bed, careful not to touch any of her numerous bruises and cuts. He pursed his lips in worry, and she offered him a small smile.
"I'm okay, really. This isn't as bad as it looks."
His features relaxed slightly. The air about Videl, despite his presence, seemed a lot lighter and less tormented since the last time he saw her. Gohan remembered what Trunks had said earlier, how he was the reason she was doing better, and the young man wondered what his friend had meant, exactly.
"Where is your first-aid kit?"
"In the bathroom."
He was glad she wasn't opposing his help.
He shouldn't have let that asshole hurt her at all. Gohan berated himself for not stopping the fight sooner – if one could call that a fight at all. A beating sounded more accurate. A horrible, merciless beating.
He came back with the first-aid kit, and crouched down in front of her, putting his knee down. Opening the kit, Gohan proceeded to clean the injuries Videl had on her face. She had many bruises, but thankfully nothing seemed broken.
Without a word, she grabbed the hem of her tank top and lifted it over her head. Gohan watched wordlessly as she took off her boots and her pants, allowing him to see the full extent of the damages that bastard had done.
"I should've stopped him sooner," Gohan whispered in regret, his eyes burning with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry…"
"I'm the one who lost my focus," she said, shaking her head. Gohan frowned as he continued cleaning her injuries. Even so, he shouldn't have let it get that far. "I knew I wasn't in my right mind but I still kept going. It's my own fault for letting it happen. I could've just taken a break while I gathered my bearings."
"It's my fault you got so distracted."
"Can't argue with that…" Videl touched his cheek, making him look up at her. His heart ached at her gentle smile. God, he loved her so much. "What were you doing there anyway?"
"I was following my friend," he explained. "I didn't expect to find him at your fights… I was so mad at him. I was scolding him when you looked over." Gohan sighed. "I should've just dragged him out by the ear. Nothing would've happened."
"I don't hate tonight's development, if I'm honest," she whispered. He heard her swallow thickly. "I've missed you…"
He decided not to respond to that. It was too risky, and he didn't want to make things worse again like last time.
"You look a lot better," he said to change the subject. "I'm glad."
She cracked a small smile, and then winced when Gohan dabbed on a particularly large bruise on her pelvis.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"I kinda made some friends," she admitted. "Well, it'd be more accurate to say that I've acquired a fan club."
Did she mean those the kids who were with Trunks earlier?
"Your friend was with them, for that matter," Videl said, unknowingly answering his inner question. "Trunks, right?"
His eyebrows knitted together as he looked up at her. "How do you know him?"
She tilted her head. "You don't know? I've met him a couple times. The first time was a while back too, I think it was on the night of our second meeting."
Gohan stared at her. "Huh?"
"And then recently, he came to me again." She gave a fond smile. "He felt something was wrong and just wanted to help me. He's such a sweet kid. I feel bad… I told him off harshly. I do wonder what's his link with my fanclub though…"
"Knowing him, he probably got them to talk to you so that you wouldn't be alone anymore."
Videl paused. "Oh. That makes sense. I met them shortly after I told him off…"
Gohan cracked a smile as he looked at her. "I guess I should thank him, then, if that's what helped you get better."
"Thank him for me, too. And tell him I'm sorry…"
"Will do."
They smiled at each other, looking deep into each other's eyes. Without meaning to, Gohan's hand brushed away her bangs from her forehead, before stroking her cheek. Videl closed her eyes and leaned into his tender touch.
"You should go," she breathed out, yet she put her hand over his, not making any movement to push him away. "Before we do something we'll regret later."
A lump rose in his throat. I don't want to go. "Yeah…"
"I'll be okay. You helped me enough."
He swallowed. I want to stay with you. "I guess…"
He took his hand off her cheek and stood. They shared sad, wistful smiles, and Gohan couldn't help himself as he bent over and kissed her forehead. "Take care of yourself."
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I'm trying."
"I'm not helping, am I?"
"I'll be stronger this time, don't worry. I even have a fanclub now. They keep my spirits up."
She stood as well, and her near nakedness suddenly made him uncomfortable even though he didn't bat an eye at it a minute ago when he was tending to her wounds.
She was just too close.
"That's… good to hear." His face was heating up. "I'm glad, really. I've been really worried about you."
Videl bit her lip, as though she refrained herself from saying something. His heart screaming in protest, Gohan murmured, "Well, I guess this is it…"
He turned around and went to the door, his heart heavy and his eyes burning. How many times had they said their goodbyes already? Why did this keep happening? His heart wasn't going to make it at this rate.
"Thank you," she called softly. Gohan paused, his hand on the doorknob. "For your help tonight. For your kindness. Thank you for being there for me even after everything I've put you through…"
He swallowed. What was she doing to him…? How did she expect him to leave her when she was saying these things to him? Didn't she realize how hard this was for him already, how much it hurt to let go of her?
It took all of his self-control not to turn around and pull her to him and kiss her breath away.
"I'm not giving up on you, you know," he muttered. Then Gohan looked at her over his shoulder, his face serious. "I'm gonna kill those bastards soon enough, and then I'll come back to you. I swear to god Videl, I'm going to kill them."
Her breath hitched. And then she lowered her head, closing her eyes tightly. "I wish I could believe in you…"
"I'm still going to kill them. Just watch me. And then, mark my word, I'm going to marry you, Videl."
She chuckled in amusement, still looking at her feet. "Is that so?"
"And you better say yes when I propose to you."
Videl grinned, meeting his eyes with mirth in hers. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"
ooOoo
Gohan felt a little out of place sitting there having tea with Bulma while Trunks was mopping the tiled floor of the kitchen. Poor Trunks – Gohan felt bad for him. His young friend had an endless list of chores to do the for the coming weeks, and not only that, but his mother had been quite harsh with the way she'd woken him up this morning.
"Did you really have to throw ice cold water at him at five in the morning?" He winced at the thought.
Bulma huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, serves him right. Now he'll think twice before playing the delinquent again. Only good boys deserve a warm and dry bed."
Geez. And he thought his mother was strict. Although, he supposed Chichi was more overprotective than hard on him.
"And when you're done with the floor," Bulma said to her son, "you'll clean all the bathrooms we have. I want the toilets to be sparkling clean. Is that clear?"
"Yes Mom," Trunks sighed dejectedly.
"Aren't you a little too harsh on him?" Gohan tried meekly, shrinking into his chair at the murderous glare Bulma shot him. "I mean, Capsule Corp. is so huge. He'll never be done cleaning the place."
"When you have kids of your own, I'll gladly hear your opinion on the matter," she bit back coldly. "In the meantime – shut the fuck up."
Gohan gulped audibly. Man, Bulma was downright scary. He wondered if his dad had ever made her this pissed before, and if so, how he'd managed to calm her down. He could sure use some tips on how to handle the mad scientist right now.
She'd been especially cranky towards him, seeing as he hadn't brought Trunks back himself like he had promised. Though in the end Trunks did get home himself shortly after Gohan left with Videl, and boy did he get an earful from his mother that night. Gohan knew she was right to be angry, but geez, she was being way too harsh on poor Trunks, who hadn't done anything too terrible after all. It certainly wasn't bad enough to warrant this kind of treatment, that was for sure.
Okay, so maybe he was going easy on Trunks because, if it hadn't been for him, Gohan wouldn't have been able to see Videl last night. And although it broke his heart to have to leave her once more, he was still glad he got to see her one more time.
Still, Bulma was going overboard with Trunks' punishment. But maybe she was right in a way, and he couldn't really understand what she'd gone through because he didn't have children of his own. His mind then started picturing himself as a dad, and a small smile tugged at his lips as he visualized Videl holding a tiny baby in her arms, and him hugging her from behind.
"You know, thanks to him I got to see Videl last night," he said, hoping that changing the subject would help ease the resentful mother.
That certainly caught Bulma's interest, and her anger seemed to dim down as she looked at him expectantly, urging him to go on. Gohan looked down at his cup of tea, sadness dimming the light in his onyx eyes.
"I brought her home and tended to her bruises – she got pretty hurt in her fight – and then I left."
"That's it? You just left?"
Gohan smiled mildly. "It's not the time yet. But I told her I'll wait for her…" A blush formed on his face and he looked down, scratching at an invisible stain on the table. "And I told her I wanted to marry her after I kill the cyborgs."
Bulma smirked. "Oh, did you now?"
Trunks snorted laughing into his hand. "God, you're so hopeless, Gohan. I bet that what she likes about you."
Gosh, this was embarrassing. Gohan rubbed his nose and turned his face away, hoping to hide his deep blush. Bulma cracked a smile; it was hard not to feel endearment when Gohan looked so utterly adorably awkward.
"Anyway. I met the new friends Trunks made. They seemed like good kids," he muttered, trying to avert the subject from his love life. "At least you didn't make bad friends."
Trunks chuckled. "Yeah, they're fun to hang out with."
"Less chatting, more mopping, Trunks," Bulma ordered her son, who heaved a deep sigh and did as he was told.
"Can't you let him take a break?" Gohan asked meekly. Bulma scowled darkly at him, and he gulped, fearing she might jump across the table and strangle him.
"No kids, no opinion."
ooOoo
It felt weird. It had been so long since he lost his leg. Mark watched the reflection of his newly grown appendage in the mirror. He still couldn't believe it. He was standing on his own two feet. Two, not one. No more crutch, no more hopping around. He was going to need to get new pairs of shoes, too. He hadn't needed the left one until now.
Gohan and Trunks had insisted he eat one of the three Senzu beans left. Mark had tried to decline, saying that they would certainly need it more than him, that they should keep these magical healing beans for emergencies.
But they would have none of it. "You found them," Trunks had insisted. "You get to eat one of them."
"Do it as a birthday present to me," Gohan had added, a kind smile on his lips. "I want you to get your leg back."
And so he had been unable to say no. Mark took the bean, and the moment he swallowed the tasteless texture, he was suddenly standing on his own two feet.
"I guess it's gonna get some getting used to, huh?" Gohan chuckled, coming from behind the older man. He had come to pick him up for his daily ki practice. Mark lived in a capsule house.
"Yeah… It's been two weeks already and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that my leg actually grew back."
Gohan raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you really that surprised, Mr. Luckiest Man Alive?"
Mark laughed. "Ha! Fair enough."
"Ready for today's session?" Gohan smiled as they started toward the door to go outside. "You've been improving a lot faster since you got your leg back."
"I've started training on my own too. I'm thinking of getting back to wrestling," Mark said, grinning. "I've missed it. I was the wrestling champion before I won the World Martial Arts Tournament, after all."
As he held the door open for the older man, Gohan frowned slightly before following after him. Something stirred in the back of his head at these words. "So you were a wrestler? I didn't know that."
"Oh, yeah. And I was pretty amazing, too," Mark said proudly, puffing out his chest. He pointed his thumb at himself. "They were convinced I was the strongest man alive at the time."
"So a wrestling champion, huh." The expression sounded so familiar. When had he heard it before? "It'll do you good to get back into it, I'm sure. It'll be easier for you to use your ki too when you grow stronger."
"Yep." Mark let out a laugh. "Ah, if my daughter could see me now." Gohan's breath hitched slightly. "I used to claim that all that ki stuff were tricks, see, but she would always be doubtful and look at me with those suspicious eyes of hers. Like she didn't buy it." Mark let out a chuckle.
"You've never mentioned your daughter before," Gohan pointed out, his voice barely above a whisper. His heart was picking up for a reason he couldn't quite pinpoint.
The older man gave him a melancholic smile. "We lost each other nearly seven years ago. She was only thirteen…" He sighed deeply, running his hand over the back of his neck. "If I'm being honest, I'm always scared that if I ask about her, people might tell me she died… I want to believe that she's alive. I want to believe that my lucky star saved her too. I don't know what I would do if I heard that she hadn't made it…"
"Thirteen…" Gohan breathed, his eyes wide.
It couldn't be…. Could it? Something had clicked in his brain. It was finally making the connections.
Videl had told him that her father had been a wrestling champion, that it was because of him that she got into martial arts herself. He remembered how she said that she and her father got separated when she was thirteen.
And they had the exact same blue eyes. Gohan had been trying to ignore the similitude, telling himself it was just a coincidence, that two people could have the same eye color without having any relation.
There was one more detail he wanted to confirm before he said anything. "Where did you live? Before the cyborgs attacked your city."
Mark looked at the sky, a faraway look on his face. "Orange Star City."
Gohan stopped in his tracks. There was no mistaking it. It had to be her. Mark was Videl's father.
His heart jolted in excitement. Her father was alive! She hadn't lost everyone she loved – her dad was right there, alive and healthy. And with a brand new leg, too.
"What is it?" Mark asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Your daughter," Gohan started, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Videl, by any chance?"
ooOoo
"And… five… hundred…"
Videl gritted her teeth as she pulled herself up one last time, hanging upside down off a tree branch. Tightening her legs on the thick branch, she let herself hang there for a moment, catching her breath, looking at the forest from her upside down point of view.
Her lips broke into a grin. She was finally back in shape. While she had been doing okay at the fights lately, not counting the fiasco that time she got distracted, she had still struggled more than usual. But that was over. She was back. She got her level back. She could be the best again.
With a graceful loop, Videl landed onto the ground. She stood tall, humming to herself as she started towards her capsule house.
She had to admit, her recent acquaintances had been raising her spirits. The kids were always there to acclaim her at the street fights; her very own fanclub. They sure enjoyed her fights a lot, those kids, and their cheers always pumped her up, making her want to give her best, to surpass herself, to go beyond her limits. She'd been training harder than ever, determined to deserves their praises and unwavering admiration.
She smiled fondly as she thought of them. She then saw a flash of lavender and worried blue eyes. She saw that boy, Trunks, begging her not to be alone, to find at least one person to talk to. To think, if it weren't for him, she would still be alone and distraught… She felt a pang at the way she had told him off the night he offered his help. That kid had such a kind heart – it just reminded her too much of Gohan.
Oddly enough, she hadn't seen Trunks with them again since last time, though Videl supposed he might be making himself scarce since he got found out.
She missed Gohan like crazy, her heart aching for his presence, for his gentleness, for his kind, beautiful eyes, for his dazzling smile… But the man she loved was keeping his promise, and she hadn't seen him again since the other night. Deep down, Videl wished he didn't keep his word and came to see her again. She wished she had kissed him that time, or at least let him hold her for a while… But they had both shown great control for once and hadn't given in despite how much they craved for each other.
She sighed. It couldn't be healthy to love someone so much.
Videl slowed down her pace, her brow furrowing as she heard some shuffling behind her. The hair stood on her arms. Somebody was watching her. Her fists clenched, ready to strike. Well, if they tried anything on her expecting a helpless damsel, they were in for a big surprise.
She felt the presence behind her get closer. Videl stood still, waiting for them to make the first move.
A hand was reaching for her shoulder. This was it.
"HEEYYYAAA!"
Before the person could make contact with her, Videl had grabbed their arm and threw them over her shoulder. The man fell hard onto his back.
"Oof!"
Her heart stopped for a moment; her eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Pa… Papa?"
Her father sat up slowly, rubbing his back. "Geez, Videl, how the heck did you get so strong?"
She was welling up. Videl sniffed. "Papa… Papa, it's really you."
Still sitting on the ground, looking up at her, Mark gave her the biggest grin. He opened his arms. "Yes, Videl, it's me."
She readily jumped into his welcoming embrace, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. "Oh, my god, Papa, you're alive! You're alive!"
He held her close, tears forming in his eyes. "It takes more than a couple of tin cans to get rid of me."
She laughed through tears of joy. Videl pulled back slightly, sitting between her father's legs. She had to look at him. She had missed him so much.
It was really him. His afro had some gray strands here and there, but it was still the same. The same loving eyes, the same mustache and ill-shaved face, the same silly grin.
Her dad was alive. He had found her. They were together again. She rubbed her face. "I'm so happy. I can't believe it's really you. How did you find me?"
Rough but gentle fingers helped her wipe her cheeks. "I've got so much to tell you, Sweet Pea."
She cried harder, letting her head drop on his shoulders, her arms holding him tight. Oh, how she had missed that silly pet name.
She couldn't believe this was real. She wasn't dreaming right now, was she? Her dad was really here, right? He had found her, somehow, and he was back into her life.
"I missed you so much, Papa," she wept.
His arms tightened around her. "I've missed you too, my little angel. Like you couldn't even imagine…"
She hiccuped. This was real. Her papa was alive. She didn't lose him. He was here, with her, holding her. He was real. He was back. She was finally reunited with him.
She didn't have to be alone anymore.
Videl cracked a smile. She couldn't wait to bake her favorite chocolate chip cookies together with him.
ooOoo
Perched up on a high tree, hiding between thick leaves, Gohan watched the father-daughter reunion with a gentle smile on his face.
He felt so relieved. Videl got her father back. She hadn't lost everybody she ever cared about. She had a family again. She wasn't alone anymore.
The young man thought it would be best not to intrude in the family reunion, and he hadn't wanted to sour the mood by showing up. They had said their goodbyes already, and now wasn't the time to turn up in her life again. Not yet anyway. Like Bulma had said, Videl was worth the wait.
And he didn't want to get in their way. Gohan watched the scene below with a fond smile. He was so glad things worked out this way. He still couldn't believe how lucky Mark was. To think he had not only saved the life of Videl's father, but he also became his friend – all so he could reunite him with his daughter.
His mission was done. He had brought Mark and Videl back together. Videl had her dad back. She wouldn't be alone anymore.
And that was all that mattered.
ooOoo
"Wait, you mean to tell me the big love of your life… ?" Mark couldn't even finish that sentence. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Gohan cracked a small smile. "Yeah. I'm hopelessly in love with your daughter."
Mark frowned. "But she broke your heart."
"She's just not ready to be with me yet, but I know we'll end up together eventually, and I can wait. I'll wait forever if that means I get to be with her in the end."
"You're completely crazy about her, huh?" Mark said with a side-smile.
Gohan chuckled. "You don't even know the half of it. But anyway, we need to go right now and bring you to her." He grinned. "I bet you can't wait to see her again."
"You don't have to say that again! Let's go!" Mark was giddy with excitement. Videl was alive! Not only that, but Gohan knew where to find her. His lucky star never ceased to amaze him!
Gohan carried the older man on his back and took off to the sky, scanning the world for Videl's familiar ki signature. He didn't need to look for long – she was training, and her energy was strong and vibrant. His heart jolted in relief.
She was back in shape! She'd gotten even stronger than before her depression.
This was perfect. Gohan was glad that Mark wouldn't be seeing Videl in the weakened state he had found her when she was still trying to get out of her depression. Everything was set so they could have their perfect family reunion.
"I won't be showing myself, by the way," he told the man on his back. "I don't want to spoil your moment. Videl and I… it's over between us. And it's not about us anyway, it's about reuniting you with your long lost daughter," he added, looking at Mark over his shoulder.
"I get it. Break-ups are rough."
"That's the understatement of the century," Gohan chuckled awkwardly.
"I can still tell her about you, right?" Mark asked with a slight frown. "That you're the reason we get to be together again."
"I guess there's no helping it…" Gohan sighed softly. "I mean, I wouldn't want to ask you to lie to your daughter."
"Wouldn't it be a good thing for you, though? Telling her about you. She might change her mind about you two and give you another chance, who knows?"
Gohan smiled in resignation, not really convinced. "Maybe. I don't know." He sighed once more. "You know, not everybody has your luck, Mark."
"Ha! That's true. I mean, look at me now." Mark grinned wider than ever, his eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation. "I got away from the cyborgs no less than five times, I got my leg back, I got to learn how to use my ki, not to mention, I got to be your friend – and now I get my daughter back! I think I may run out of luck if this keeps up!"
"With you, I don't think that's possible," Gohan chuckled in amusement.
"Let's hope not!"
ooOoo
Her brain was running a mile a minute. Sleep wasn't in any hurry to come to her tonight either.
But the reason was different this time. Well, not that different, she supposed. Gohan was still all she could think about. But her train of thoughts wasn't quite the same tonight.
Videl turned her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as her father slept soundly next to her. At least his snoring wasn't too loud. He said he didn't mind sleeping on the couch for the time being, until they found themselves a bigger house, but Videl would have none of it. Her bed was more than big enough for two, and it was nice not to sleep alone for once.
Her papa was back. She still couldn't wrap her head around it. And they ended up spending the day baking chocolate chip cookies together. Her dad's cookies were the best, and she was thrilled that they had some leftovers for later. Well, they could always make more if they ran out.
Videl chuckled slightly. At this rate, she was gonna get fat. When she commented on that earlier, her father had waved her off, affirming that a few more pounds on her wouldn't hurt. She was still a little on the skinny side since her depression, even though she did get back most of her lost weight. Not that she mentioned any of this to her dad.
She closed her eyes. She wished she could thank Gohan face to face. Somehow, he had managed to bring her father back to her. She still couldn't understand how big of a coincidence this all was. That Gohan saved her father and then became his friend. That he decided to teach her dad about ki so he could manage better with only one leg. And then, somehow, her dad found some strange bean at Gohan's place, some magical item that was supposed to have disappeared and had the power to heal any injury. Even one that had long scarred over. And so he got his leg back.
And then, soon after, he and Gohan got to talk about his daughter, whom he had never mentioned before. And then Gohan figured out that he was talking about her, somehow remembering the little bits she had mentioned to him before they parted ways.
And now, thanks to Gohan, she had her dad back.
To think he had evaded the cyborgs no less than five times. She wasn't sure whether it was good luck, or bad luck that he would find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time so many times when they attacked a city. Perhaps his insane good luck saved him from the shitty things life tried to throw at him.
As far as she remembered, her dad had always had crazy good luck. Back when he was a struggling wrestler, not yet one of the best, he would often buy himself a lottery ticket. He didn't always win, but more often than not, her dad could provide for her and live off his lucky wins.
She closed her eyes. It felt odd not to be alone anymore, not to have to depend only on herself. Videl had been living on her own for so long, it was going to take some getting used to, now that her father was back.
But, that also meant… that she was wrong. That she wasn't fated to be alone and lose everybody she ever loved. Her father hadn't died. He wasn't one to go down without a fight, and all this time, that's what he had been doing – he had been fighting for his life, fighting so hard, holding on to the hope that one day he would find her, that one day, he would finally be reunited with his only family.
And so his lucky star had brought him to Gohan. And now here he was, sleeping like a baby beside his only daughter.
She wished Gohan had come himself to bring her father back to her. She wished she could have jumped in his arms and thanked him with all of her heart.
And then she would have kissed him. And she wouldn't have let him go – not this time.
Her heart ached with every beat. She wanted to be with him. If she wasn't meant to be alone, if she wasn't meant to lose him too – then she wanted to be with him. She wanted to tell him how she felt about him, how crazy in love she was with him. She wanted to tell him how deeply sorry she was, how she'd been wrong to push him away, and how terrible she felt for what she had put him through. She wanted to tell him that she didn't deserve him, that he was better off without her, but that she loved him with all of her heart. That if he would still have her, she was willing to do anything to make it up to him. That it might not be enough, but she was fine spending the rest of her life trying, if only it meant she got to spend her life by his side.
Tears formed beneath her eyelids. God, she had been so stupid. How much time had she wasted by rejecting him? She could've been with him all along. They would have been so happy, even in this fucked up world. They would have faced it together, hand in hand, and made the most of their time together.
How long had it been? They had met in late September, and they were already in early June now… It was going to be a year in about three months. She could have spent these past nine months with him. They could have been together.
She truly didn't deserve Gohan. Why couldn't he find himself someone who suited him better? Someone who didn't make him suffer so much, someone who was kind and patient and pure, like him. Not tainted and selfish like her. Honestly, Gohan had the worst tastes in women. He would've been so much better off with someone else.
Still, she wanted him. If he would still have her, Videl wanted to try having something with him. Something real. Something beautiful.
She was done pushing him away. She was done being miserable without him. She needed him in her life. The pain of giving up on him had never really lessened; it had all been for nothing.
But she was done wasting the time she could have been spending with him. It was time now. She was ready. She wanted him back.
She remembered his words to her on their last meeting and let them soothe her insecurities. Gohan wanted to marry her. Gohan still wanted to be with her, despite how awful she had been to him.
He loved her. She knew he did. So it wasn't too late, right? She hadn't ruined her chances by pushing him away so much, right?
"I'm still going to kill them. Just watch me. And then, mark my word, I'm going to marry you, Videl."
She chuckled in amusement, still looking at her feet. "Is that so?"
"And you better say yes when I propose to you."
She replayed that scene in her head over and over, letting it lull her to sleep.
I'm definitely saying yes, she thought as she drifted off. Yes, Gohan, a million times yes – I'll marry you. She let out a soft sigh, her head bobbing to the side as the weight of slumber finally took her.
Yes, I'll marry you…
January 30, 2021