"Is that all of them?!"

Videl, clothed in her Saiyawoman garb, called out to Gohan. She had two people, both boys around her age, swung over back as she ran. The smoke and flame stung her eyes and she was grateful for the ability to sense ki. She doubted she'd have found these two without it.

Gohan, glasses hiding his eyes, turned to her, five people on his own back. Not much of a strain but he didn't know if they'd gotten to them all in time.

The dorm rooms had caught fire not that long ago but it hadn't taken but a sampling of time for the flames to spread. New college students weren't exactly on top of cleanliness. Some of those rooms went up like a candle.

"I think so. Let's get these guys out then I'll do a sweep!"

With that, the two ran. Gohan led their path to where the wood had fallen away and with a simple kick to get rid of some steel and glass, they were back in the night air.

Descending, the two deposited their load on the grass where a rescue team set onto them immediately. Videl stepped back, wiped her forehead and turned to Gohan. "Well, Saiyaman? Is that all of them?"

She hoped so. This was their third pass through the building. Even as fast as they went and with firefighters helping on the first floor, the passes through had been exhausting. Heat sapped strength, even one like hers and Gohan. Her eyes would stinging for hours.

"Gotta go!"

Gohan suddenly plowed back into the building, leaving Videl standing alone. "Saiyaman!" She shouted after him, only to get nothing in response. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus but being a novice at sensing ki, she couldn't find anything except the people around her.

A moment later, Gohan reappeared, a terrified dog in his arms and a very angry cat all but attached to his head. He set the dog down, pried the cat off his head and then reached into his mouth, removed two mice and said "That's all of 'em!"

A few months ago, that would have horrified and disgusted her but now she could only smile and think she'd expect nothing else from Gohan. He'd gone back in after the illegal pets none of the students were supposed to have. Even the smallest thing like mice.

"Gohan," she said once they made their way away from the scene. "You could sense those little things?"

Grinning a bit sheepishly, he said, "Well, the dog and cat I did. I heard the mice scurrying in their cages."

Of course he did. She shook her head but gave him a light peck on the cheek. "They're gonna be calling you the animal hero on the news, just watch!"

"Did they get us on camera?" He asked, rubbing at his eyes. Saiyan or not, smoke stung.

"Pretty sure. The whole place is totaled." She heaved a sigh. "So much for the test tomorrow, eh?"

Gohan eyed the group of students, huddling into cars. "What's gonna happen to them?"

"Heading home to families or with friends, I guess. School isn't offering shelter right now. They should" she added "But they aren't."

"What about you?" Gohan asked. "Your dad's off traveling but isn't his house under renovation or something?"

She shrugged. "I figured I'd just get a hotel or something..."

"Aw, that's no good Videl!" He shook his head. "You're tired, you're worn, you're hungry. You needa be somewhere that you can do all that. Fire's no joke."

She eyed him, a light tease on her lips. "Son Gohan, are you...offering?"

He blushed, rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm gonna go home and...we have the room..."

Warmth colored her face. Of course Gohan would be going home. What a lovely feeling, knowing you have a bed, food, hugs...

It certainly sounded better than a lonely hotel room.

"If you don't think I'll be intruding..."

"Videl, you're family."

OOO

It didn't take long to fly to Mount Paouz. Gohan had traveled it so many times and the way was all but embedded in his mind. Mid way though, he pulled Videl on his back. Fast as she'd grown, Gohan was significantly faster.

And both of them were in agreement that after a night like tonight, the only thing they wanted was food and a bed.

As Gohan's feet brushed the grass and Videl slid off his back, the front door of the familiar house flung open and a pint sized boy was rushing them.

"Big Brother! Big Sister Videl! I saw you on the TV!"

Gohan let out a low oof as his brother careened into him. Laughing, he hugged him back even as two other figures came out of the house.

"Gohan? Videl? We saw the news! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" ChiChi ran over and immediately began to investigate for injuries, digging her hands into Gohan's clothes and pressing against his skin without so much as a request.

"Mom! I'm okay! I got Dad's thick skin—"

"Thick skin don't do nothing against fire!" She kept up searching and Videl almost started laughing when suddenly, the woman turned on her and started the same thing!

"Hey!" She shouted, more in surprise than anything but the older woman was hardly dissuaded, continuing to seek out any potential wounds. "I'm okay!"

Goku laughed a bit as he approached and wrapped his eldest in a hug followed by a ruffle to the hair. "Chi, looks like they're both fine, 'cept for the barbecue smell."

Finally satisfied, the woman withdrew. "What were you thinkin'?!" She demanded first from Gohan and then likewise from Videl, even giving the girl a light pull on the hair. "Just 'cause my boy has a rock hard head doesn't mean you do!"

Videl blinked, both irritated and yet equally touched by the concern. "We had a better chance than our dorm mates!"

Gohan, a bit empowered, said "Yeah, Mom, we couldn't just leave them there."

Crossing her arms, Videl remarked. "I refuse to."

Laughing, Goku said, "Chi, they're fine and 'cause of them, they said no one died I. That fire."

Goten jumped in. "Yeah! They're callin' them heroes!"

Sighing heavily, as she always did, the woman hugged her son and then Videl, saying, "Can you be heroes more carefully next time?"

Part of Videl wanted to argue that such a thing made no sense but the genuine love was all but tangible. She leaned into the hug a bit, savored it. She couldn't remember her own mother and she wondered several days out of the week, even if only briefly, what her mother's hugs would have felt like.

If they were anything like this, it must have been wonderful.

"So..." Gohan broke her thoughts as she pulled away, more reluctantly than she liked.

"Did the whole dorm burn up?" Goku asked.

Videl answered. "Every inch. Papa will help replace belongings and stuff when he gets back. I'll talk to him. But for now...well..."

"We could use a bed." Gohan clarified. A low rumble interrupted the air and Gohan turned redder than an apple even as he clutched his belly.

Laughing again, Goku hugged the boy "Bed AND a meal."

Shaking her head, ChiChi smiled finally. "You know you don't even have to ask." Sniffing once, she poked her son in the chest. "But first get that smoke smell off you! Videl, you can use the bath inside. Goku, get Gohan set up out here. Goten, go pull the leftover out."

Well, no arguing with the matriarch.

OOO

Much later, with clean bodies and full bellies (and a borrowed nightshirt from ChiChi) the group gathered in the living room. There was a special warmth about that woman's food that nothing could match.

Goten wanted to hear all about the 'heroic rescue' and was rather disappointed that there wasn't much to tell.

"Sorry, Squirt," Gohan offered. "We ran through, got people out, handed them over to medics. Not much else to it."

Videl leaned against Gohan's side and lightly poked his ribs. "Well, Mr. Animal Lover here went back and saved the pets no one knew about. All the way down to the mice." Suddenly seeing the humor in it, she laughed. "In his mouth,"

ChiChi gagged, though just slightly. "You best have brushed your teeth—"

"Did, Mom!"

The Son Patriarch just grabbed his sides and laughed. "See? Takes after his old man!"

Videl blinked. "What do you mean? I mean, aside from the obvious," she gently flicked Gohan's prominent spike.

Grinning, Goku stood, "I did the same thing to save a little critter, when gettin' outta a pirate cave."

Goten bounced on the couch. "Tell the story, Dad! That's one of my favorites!"

Well, that was all the encouragement Goku needed. With another log thrown on the fire to chase away the winter chill, he stood and paced the room as animated as if he were back in that cave.

Videl laid her head against the couch and at some point, ChiChi began threading her fingers through the girl's dark hair. The caress of long nails against her scalp was an alien feeling to her but it was not something she minded. If anything, it was intoxicating.

"Red Ribbon Army was a whole mess of mean ol' folk that didn't know well enough to leave people alone so I guess we were bound to meet sometime. All I was after was that Dragonball though..."

Videl wasn't sure when she began to drift. Maybe it was the warm fire. Maybe it was Gohan's hand in hers, maybe it was the enthusiasm of Goten, so full of spunk and joy. Maybe it was the adrenaline crash. Or the soothing baritone as Goku spoke about adventures that somehow always worked out. Maybe it was her full belly and the wonderful massage of nails through her hair.

Whatever the reason, the next thing Videl knew she was opening her eyes on warm sunlight peeking through a window. Sitting up, she found herself in a completely different room, covered in a warm blanket. Next to her was a skirt and blouse with a small note—

I know it's not really your style but feel free to them, dear.

-ChiChi

Tilting her head, Videl could hear the clattering of dishes, the smell of cooking food and the laughing of two brothers trying to race one another to the kitchen.

Pulling on the borrowed clothes, Videl marched out to join the rest of her family.