Chapter 9: Spring Break II

A/N: Hope everyone is still doing well and I hope this little diversion helps you forget the world for a bit.

She was waiting out there, her hands covering her shoulders, it was cool but not cold. Yet she felt a little jittery and strange considering everything and even more bizarre for her. Understanding the situation she was in one could almost question why they - of all people - would be doing this. She had the means to take care of herself and do whatever she wanted.

And yet here she was, Videl Satan asking Son Gohan to help her out. "The world must've turned upside down and inside out again." Videl remarked to herself. For almost two years she had loathed the name, yet now...

She found herself comfortable around him, talking with him, actually making him a factor in her life that was quite the turn around. Videl also wondered if Gohan would take her up on this offer, there hadn't been any clear time to meet because how could she balance what was going on.

Gohan had always been in his shadow by some measure, but as she had the moment to reflect on the person and relationship they shared now. There was actually a positive, up until that point when Gohan arrived there had been no one to challenge her. Upset her current attitude and mindset that she was the best because of who she came from.

But then Gohan never treated me any differently because of who I was. Gohan saw me for me from day one, never giving me anymore or any less. It's just taking to see that the world isn't as big as I had once imagined it being to realize that I really don't have much myself. My name isn't my own, most of my friends are my friends because of who I am. The wealth and privilege that comes from me. Aside from Erasa, Gohan is actually a genuine friend to me.

It was why she was out here waiting for him, and why she had written him that little note. Sure she could have sent a text, but that probably carried the same weight as a handwritten note.

Remaining as she was just sitting there had become her current goal.

Her patience was rewarded another seven minutes later. "Videl?" He'd arrived without even making a sound. There was hardly anyone out here with her and yet there wasn't any sound of him walking in the sand.

"Gohan?" She turned back towards him wearing her swimsuit from yesterday.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry if I had you waiting. I just didn't really expect this." He admitted to her, of all the people to call him out tonight. It was probably not going to be Videl. His mom had put a metaphorical leash on him to keep him away from Erasa in private, worrying that he might go out and do something after getting caught up in the heat of the moment. Which was a good and bad thing, Gohan had wanted to spend time with his family, but he also wanted to be himself. It was at least a healthy balance between the two.

But a part of him was curious that Videl would ask him out - hell even saying that was strange to him - yet Gohan was an honest person. He wasn't going to just kick Videl to the curb after she had kindly asked him for a favor.

He didn't hold grudges against her, she just needed time to open up and now that he was seeing the person that she was now helped him having a better understanding of what was beneath the exterior she portrayed. Perhaps there was a bit of a connection, she was the daughter of a super famous fighter and expected to be in the world's limelight for a while. She wasn't probably given that same choice. 'A lot like me.'

"So… You wanted to learn how to surf?" Gohan said, breaking the tension between the two of them.

'Half true.' "Yeah, I tried years ago but I never really got it down and well… you've been a good teacher to someone like Erasa I thought maybe you could help me? I know it might seem odd but when I was watching you out there, even before I realized it was you, I remembered how amazing it seemed. You were riding up and down those waves like no one I'd ever seen before. Then on top of that you were doing that with your little brother on the board? I mean that was incredible, how did you ever learn that?"

It made him blush slightly. "Honestly, I learned it when I was still really young. I was sailing across huge bodies of water when I was trying to get home to my family."

"Your family? What happened?" What did he mean, why would a young kid need to sail across the ocean.

Gohan mentally slapped himself, he'd opened up that part just a little too much. He switched gears. "Oh it was a long time ago, it wasn't that bad. Don't worry about it." Gohan tried to laugh it off, "Old story doesn't even matter."

Videl didn't press the subject, there was a wall going up and she couldn't force herself through it. "So, would mind teaching me?"

"I mean I can try, we only have a few days though. I'm no miracle worker you know."

Videl smiled at him, "Says the guy who turned Erasa around in school?" Laughing as Gohan picked up the board next to her. "Do you have any aspirations when you are finally done with high school, or even if you plan on staying in high school much longer?"

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, both of them stopping just where the tide stopped the edge of the beach.

"What do I mean?" Videl was a little confused to hear that from Gohan, "Gohan, you could graduate this year with honors. Don't tell me you actually plan on staying the four full years when you could really make a difference." She meant to be uplifting, but she saw Gohan's face drop. "Is something wrong?"

She may have said it meaning the best, Gohan just didn't want to be that person. If he had to he would, he had friends and family to protect, he'd already made enough of a difference in his own life. "I know it may sound crazy Videl, but all my life I've done some crazy things and right now I just want to take things slow and just sort of be like everyone else. It's been hard not trying to stand out-" Videl put a hand on his shoulder. "You haven't really been trying that hard Gohan." She smiled at him trying to cheer him up. "Gohan, everything about you stands out. You have hair that no other person can match, you have a physique practically second to none, a brain that, let's face it, there's no one that can come close to you. You ace everything, and everyone knows who you are because of your mom. Gohan, you're pretty much destined to be somebody just by you being you. I don't know how you would expect anything else."

There was a pause, 'Me just being me. Maybe she is right.' To Videl Gohan just appeared to have it all, the way he was, how he behaved and acted was all a result of circumstances. 'Is this who I really am though? Would I be someone different if I would've been raised differently and not had so much be forced upon me.' He did not regret the man he had become, he just hated the means in which it had happened.

"Well maybe you're right." Gohan accepted there was more truth to her words than he'd thought. "But let's move past that, you needed help right?"

Nodding, the subject had been dropped and she didn't pursue it any further.

The pair then paddled out into the water. Videl on the front end of the shared surfboard so that Gohan could give her the basic rundown.

"You said you did this before, right?" Gohan sat near the end with Videl just a foot away from him. They hadn't reached the break point yet where the waves started coming in. He wanted to stay further into the shore to avoid having the heavier waves that came in with the later tide. The stuff he and Goten had been riding earlier wasn't anything like the ones they could be riding, and considering Videl wanted to learn he'd have to let her do it on her own.

Provided they didn't go out too far Gohan didn't have any worries, 'but this is Videl, I'm certain starting nice and slow won't last long.' "Alright, I need you to get up on your feet, maintaining your balance won't be hard." Sliding off, Gohan just rested in the bobbing waves, keeping his own hands on the board he began some basic instruction.

She was quite well versed in balancing and keeping her composure. Gohan explained how to manage the proper form and technique, the shifting of her weight to keep the board balanced and to not throw her off. The size of the surfboard could imbalance and make it difficult to keep the rider upright.

So Gohan worked with her, their first lesson going through the fundamentals again, keeping Videl and her footing in the right spot. Like many things she could handle a challenge, overcoming was a different story as she wanted to work longer, Gohan giving her an hour or so to work in the evenings, but of course that wasn't good enough.

Limited time only meant spending more time working, Videl and Gohan would meet again at 0700 sharp and midnight to continue their lessons. Despite the lessons there was something that Videl wasn't telling him.

[***]

"You aren't two timing these girls, are you Gohan?" His mother said looking at him as he came in early again from 'surfboard lessons'. She was always up early, when a ravenous Goten was ready to start salivating in her bed she had to get working quite early. Her eldest had picked up a thing or two about feeding himself as she watched him slide back into the apartment. "I don't mind you having female friends but you had better not be playing with their hearts. That is not something anyone should be doing and I would be deeply ashamed to see you destroying a young woman's feelings for you."

"Mom, it's not like that I promise." Gohan said, trying to avoid the accusations. "Videl wants help with something and she's just a really good friend. Admittedly we weren't always but she's come around and I like her company now to what it once was."

She gave her son a smile, "Then I'm proud to hear that, but Gohan." She set aside a plate for him as she finished making breakfast. "Gohan, I have to ask why are you with… with…" Chi-Chi's mind drew a blank on her name. "The blonde?"

"Erasa?" He filled in for her.

"Yes, what is it about Erasa that makes you want to be with her?" Taking a seat she looked at her son, "Gohan I can understand your first crush or maybe your first real female friend you've had in a long time, but Gohan she just doesn't really seem your type."

"My type?" He was confused, "Mom, I barely know any girls, how would I have a type?"

"Gohan you're saiyan you aren't attracted to weakness, ineffectiveness, and since I know your father he never enjoyed people who were arrogant and full of themselves." She waited, licking her lips slightly before giving him another hard look. "Erasa doesn't really strike me as the kind of person who would be able to handle you. She seems like the type of girl who wants, but not necessarily needs your constant attention and affection, which I am not mad about.

Gohan, you are very noble and selfless, but she struggles to control herself, she acts out quickly and she also makes you feel uncomfortable at times. Believe it or not I see how I originally acted around your father and it's not something you will enjoy as you get older." She leaned forward on the table, resting her chin atop her interlocked fingers. "It might just be me, Gohan, but Videl would be the right personality for you. Maybe it's because I see a lot of myself in here. Fire, spirit, and her family reputation, not to mention her pocketbook would keep you secure and not have the problems that I had with your father. That girl didn't back down, even when you tried to act indifferent to her and try to placate her from all the times you told me you were having trouble with her, but you're still friends aren't you?"

Listening to his mother Gohan heard all of the things that he hadn't originally liked in Videl in some different shape or forms. 'I guess it is true… we are friends.' "But really, Videl? She hated me for years, I don't think that'll translate into a relationship. Erasa has always been nice to me and been my friend."

"I know Gohan, I'm just putting in my motherly dollar."

Gohan looked at her confused, "Don't you mean two cents." He didn't understand the comparison.

"As your mother I have more than two cents Gohan, when it comes to your future it'll be your decision but I will always think about what is best for you, even if you are a stubborn saiyan I hope that you'll think back about what I tell you as someone who sees a lot of similarities in your life and the ones I've seen…" She sighed looking down at the table. "Makes me wonder if I should ever get back to dating or remarried." Putting so much into her relationship with Goku had been an incredible experience but she was only thirty-three, surely there had to be more for her to experience? 'But not with the boys so young. Goten doesn't need that kind of change until he's a bit older to handle it.' "Just take your time with things Gohan, you're still young and don't go rushing into anything because if I know a girl they will do anything to keep the boy they want." Chi-Chi laughed as she went to get Goten up and ready for breakfast.

He didn't quite follow her, "What does that mean? What would a girl do?"

Chi-Chi turned back towards her son and smiled. "Gohan, imagine how hard it was to get your father's attention and everything I had to do afterwards to keep it. Some girls will go to great lengths to get something that they want, and a young man like you and all of your abilities and my status? What girl wouldn't do something crazy?"

It was quite the statement as Gohan was left wondering if that had already started with him?

It was the second to last day before the two would separate. Yet with their lessons bearing fruit Videl was now on her own - without Gohan's knowledge - beginning to paddle out into the waves of the early morning. The low tide was perfect so that no one would come out to bother her and she could continue her progress in peace.

Videl's gains had been quick but she had quickly stagnated but not due to a lack of trying. She could ride a base wave and if that were all she wanted to do and then just practice from that day forward on her own Videl more than likely would succeed in being an amatuer surfboarder. But Videl was never one to take it easy or be satisfied with decent or good enough.

Ever since Videl got the handle of the basics she was ready to do what she saw Gohan doing. Even if Gohan had told her that baby steps were required when mastering anything. But she was never one for baby steps or slow progress. She wanted to see improvement and she didn't need anyone holding her hand if she wanted to work on her own.

If she failed so what, it was just riding a wave in the ocean on a beachfront property what was the worst that could happen?

So for the last half an hour Videl had been getting herself tossed around. The smooth waves of the mid afternoon that rolled in with a breeze were not quite the same as the choppy waves with the strong gusts that she was trying to keep herself upright with now. 'If I can do it here then I won't have any problems.' Practice under pressure was her goal, keep pushing, and if she came back sore and sweaty with a greater level of mastery then it would be perfect.

She had learned how to throw a punch after hitting a punching bag and target dummy a thousand times, kicking the same way, jumping, balance, all of it came through trial and error. The more she tried the sooner she would succeed, it was only a matter of time.

So after being thrown from her board for the umteenth time that day. Viel was beginning to get a bit frustrated. "Damn why can't I keep my balance, it's not that hard!"

The second the wave would crest and begin over all of that practice and control that Gohan had shown her just went out the window. She tried adjusting her weight, going a bit forward or further back but each time she'd end up going forwards or backwards.

Her latest failure had sent her ungracefully tumbling end over end into the water.

There might be some uncomfortable looking rocks not too far from her but she had more than enough distance to keep herself safe. Videl was bold, not crazy.

Swimming back out to her board which was slowly being pushed back away from her Videl decided for one more go at it for the day. "Come on Videl, one more time." Psyching herself back up as she could feel her own frustrations bubbling up to the surface, using her own voice to remind herself about keeping up with a certain someone.

That certain someone however, was quite aware of what Videl was doing.

Floating in the skyline hidden mostly by the crescent moon and light cloud cover he made sure to keep an eye on her. Knowing full well that when he told her to start taking things easy that to Videl it meant do the exact opposite. "I swear that girl just can't take anything halfway. I should've known that she wouldn't take my advice, I told her it took me upwards of a month to get used to doing this and I was doing it for survival, not for some recreational habit."

Shaking his head, Gohan often wondered if the only sane woman in his life would be his mother, and she was the furthest thing from what would be considered a normal mom. He was excluding his early years, most normal parents didn't have half alien child warrior hybrids, with super powers that were strong enough to destroy planets and engage in near cataclysmic conflicts over the course of their lives. That trumped the usual mom experience by a fair degree.

The last couple days had been fun, a little taxing on his sleep schedule, but other than that he was all right. Spending his mornings with Videl, his afternoons with Goten and the evenings with Erasa, only to have his midnight hours taken up more by Videl, rinse and repeat.

The only fortunate thing for Gohan was that Erasa hadn't done anything crazy like that first night, granted it had been surprising and it felt well… good. He wasn't going to say that her giving him his first real sexual experience had been unpleasant and he didn't bring it up since Erasa seemed conflicted about wanting to talk with him about something, yet he saw her push it down and he wouldn't bring it up. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say to her either. 'Goku probably said, that handjob was great, mind doing it again?' But then a mental image of Goku and his mom and- "NO NO NO!" That was the last thing he needed running into his mind right now.

Smacking his face lightly in an effort to scold himself for getting sidetracked Gohan returned his focus to Videl who was righting herself back up on the board and getting back up onto another wave. 'Can't look up the definition of determined without a picture of Videl's face on it.'

His eyes watching as she rolled up the wave, her back tail catching the wave, but she didn't spill or bailout.

"I'll be…" Gohan said almost smiling as Videl dropped down, her body weight balanced as she cut down into the wave and surprisingly tucked herself down and rode wave down.

Whether it was luck or just the person riding Gohan had to give a nod of approval.

'I'm doing it!' Videl finally did it! A little wobble here and there but she was doing it. Cutting down the rolling wave, the newly born surfer was flowing down until the rough surf crashed faster behind her. Her balance wobbling lightly as the tail end of her board was being swallowed up. Before she could hope to fall, the board spiked upwards, she tried to overcorrect and threw her weight forwards, too lost to control, and too inexperienced to throw herself off.

She'd ventured further down riding the wave then she'd imagined as she was tossed into the air. The low tide pulled back exposing the rocks several feet into the ocean air as the waves rolled and tossed around them. Her eyes were wide as her face headed directly towards them, so lost she didn't even think to brace or panic.

The wet slop of the water appeared to be going in slow motion as she felt the world slow around her as her face would soon be impacting upon the thick rocks.

Yet she never hit it. "Videl?"

'I-I'm f-flying?!'

Her free hand had been grabbed and she was sailing above the water, suspended above the water's edge, Videl's panicked eyes flicked upwards as her hand followed her vision to the hand grasping her wrist. They both arrived at a section of coastline where there weren't any prying eyes.

Gohan slowed down just above a section obscured by palm trees before letting Videl's feet touch the sand. She remained upright for a moment before falling straight down onto her butt, looking up as Gohan slowly touched down onto the ground. He took a moment to take a breath before addressing her, "Are you okay Videl? You gave me a scare."

"I-You? We- We were flying?" Near death didn't quite have the impact as one would imagine, she'd been sailing towards the rocks for maybe four seconds until finding herself suspended in the air. The entire adrenaline spiked moment was hampering her brain for a moment. She finally started surfing only to then be carried off in the air by Gohan.

As much as it would pain him to admit, he had to. "Yeah… we were flying. But that's less important, are you alright?"

"You were flying?!" She repeated again rising up to her feet, although she was a bit wobbly in doing so Videl was able to keep herself from falling back over. "H-How? Where did you even come from?"

He released an exasperated sigh turning away and running hand through his long black locks. "Videl, it doesn't really matter. You nearly smashed your entire body on a pile of rocks because you wanted to learn how to surf and I came down to help you. Can we just leave it at that?"

"No. Gohan, you were FLYING." Taking time to enunciate every letter of the word 'flying' to him. "Gohan people can't fly, what are you some kind of an alien? How did you do that, is it some kind of trick like the fighters from the Cell Games or some super power you have?" She continued rattling on more and more questions to him.

'Doing the right thing, is always the hardest. Except when it comes to killing Cell… should've just done the smart thing instead of letting my power get to my head.' Yet one crisis created another, this was more on the less concerning scale but it was still not going to be overly pleasant considering who it was, but if anyone who'd be able to handle logically seeing me fly it would be Videl… I can't imagine Erasa or any of my other classmates being able to take this very well.'

So Gohan took another breath. "I'll explain, would you mind walking back with me to the hotel? I'll try and answer your questions, okay?" She agreed but she still had plenty more questions that needed answering.

Videl cast her gaze over Son Gohan. The two had started walking, despite him having saved her life or from serious injury she wanted to be angry, pissed off at him, but she couldn't. Gohan was still, at his core, her friend. Her BFF's boyfriend, and apparently he was something even more than she had ever imagined. So she broke the ice with an easy question. "So, you can fly."

He nodded in affirmation. "I can."

"Since when can people fly? That wasn't some illusion was it or a cheap trick like dad always says it is?" Her head turned to the side to look at him, "People just can't fly."

"You can, if you were trained how to, and I was when I was still young… see?" Gohan then lifted himself off the ground, floating just inches off of the ground, then he moved slowly in front of her. His body levitated without any assistance. The act was simple enough for him, he could do it without even thinking, but to Videl she had to move her foot down and in front of him to make sure that there was actually nothing there.

She checked around his arms, hell, she even studied his shoes to make sure he wasn't wearing some crazy Capsule Corp. levitating footwear or something. Yet despite her beliefs, she found nothing. No gimmicks, no tricks, nothing. Gohan was flying as he lowered himself back down towards the ground, she stared square into his eyes. "How?"

"Mastery of one's ki or life force. Any person with enough strength can fly." By the look Videl was giving him she obviously wasn't exactly following him. It would probably be easier to explain to someone who had the actual ability than saying. "Ki is in all of us, some people can use it naturally to let them fly or even this…" He held up his palm to her. "Look and you'll see." Videl leaned closer, her eyes somewhat transfixed as she watched the slow sparks of golden light form over his fingertips and roll downwards.

Then within the palm of his hand a single yellow orb of light formed, flickering to life. Videl was blown away, Gohan was using some type of energy, he called it ki. But that was insane, or was she insane? Had she perhaps actually hit her head on the rocks and this was some kind of dream? Maybe she hadn't woken up that early at all-

"Videl?" Gohan broke her mental block as he closed his fist letting the ki extinguish.

"I… I don't… " Her head was shaking lightly in disbelief, this was beyond words. She looked back up into his dark brown eyes. "Gohan, just what are you?" Everything made sense, but also didn't make sense at the same time. Always breaking expectations, he just seemed able to do the most unexpected things for as long as she had known him.

'I'm a half alien hybrid of a warrior race known as the saiyans, and I have more power than you can comprehend, Videl!' That thought rang once again back in his mind. Still probably wasn't the time to bring that subject up. "Videl, I'm the product of a world champion and one of the world's strongest women on the planet, I also have the blood of the Ox-King in my veins. I have a legacy of doing great things in my blood." That was probably the easiest way of putting it. "I can do a lot of things, I've learned from people like Master Roshi, Tien Shinhan, and many other world class fighters in my life. I have picked up a thing or two."

Those were names that were known, Goku's wouldn't be due to the fact the entire arena was destroyed during the match and there weren't that many people around to talk about it following the incident or about what happened. Someone like Master Roshi still had a great deal of recognition and respect in communities that Videl would know.

"Why did you never say any of this? Gohan you can fly!"

"And? What then, I don't want that kind of attention, Vide,l and I couldn't imagine the kind of chaos that would come about as a result of that."

She had to concede that point, so she tried asking something else. "Who else knows that you can fly? Did you tell Erasa or Sharpner?"

"What, no! Videl, I'm not trying to advertise that fact, I just wanna have a normal life without having everyone trying to get involved in my affairs." The two continued walking reaching the gates to the main area where they stayed. The two of them entered just as the sun started to break upon the horizon. "Look, Videl, can you please just keep this between us and promise you won't tell anyone, I don't want anymore stress for me or my family."

"Fine," She nodded, Gohan exhaled in relief. "But." She held up one finger giving him a smug little grin. "You have to teach me how to fly and then we'll call it even."

"Videl, I saved your life remember?" Gohan groaned, "Can't this be the owed favor for a favor."

"I'm aware that you did Gohan, but you also did that on your own, and besides if I had known you could've taught me how to fly I wouldn't have asked you to teach me how to surf… so I feel that you also take some of the blame for this. So just consider this agreement and we're even."

"What!?" Gohan said more than a little baffled. "Videl, seriously, you're going to blackmail so you can learn how to fly?" 'Sheesh, the nerve of this girl!'

"Look, you can't do something no one else can do and not have me want to learn how to do the same. Besides you'll need my help in the future." Videl said, keeping her grin.

Gohan looked a little stunned, his mouth hung slightly agape in disbelief. "What, what are you talking about?" Gohan said he flabbergasted his body making odd movements as he struggled to piece together what she was talking about.

"Well, Gohan, you see Erasa is currently awake and looking down at us." She pointed one finger up where Gohan's eyes could see the shape and hair color of a blonde looking down on them from the penthouse that Videl was sharing with Gohan's girlfriend. "So, considering she's already super concerned that I'm trying to steal you away from her, you do me this one little favor and I promise Erasa won't think anything is amiss between us. So… Deal?" She smiled and held out her hand towards Gohan. She hadn't planned on this kind of spring break… but this was probably going to turn out to be the best one yet.

R&R