Vulnerable

A/N: Hello! New chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ! However, I do own any new OC in this story.

Chapter 20: One uncovered secret after the other

Bulma was sitting in the nurses' room, analyzing Gohan's charts. Something was definitely off. She had asked the nurse to perform several tests and they all showed the same results. Human values. All the time Gohan was in the hospital, he showed human values for bones density, blood and skin thickness. And it didn't make sense.

Ever since the hybrids were born, Bulma had decided to perform a series of tests to understand their genetics. She knew they were a lot of similarities between Saiyans and Earthlings, especially since they were able to procreate. But, there were still differences in the anatomy of both species. And being a scientific person, she decided to study them.

And, it turned out to be fascinating.

First, she noticed that Saiyans' heart rates were slower than that of Earthlings. It made sense since they were warriors. But theirs was very low, so it was amazing how their hearts would sustain such high physical demands without getting tired. Second, their skin was thicker, surely to be able to withhold battles injury. Their bones were also denser, to stop them from breaking easily. And their blood was very thick to help stop the out flow in case of cut or injury. These were the most apparent differences she was able to find. And hybrids and full blooded, it was the same thing for both.

She also noticed that their cells had a longer life than that of an average Earthling. Vegeta had explain that Saiyans' bodies aged slower since they are warriors. She thought at first their cells regenerated faster so they won't get old fast. But she was wrong, it turned out their longevity was longer and they didn't tire out very fast. That was certainly interesting. Maybe she could use this discovery to create modern products for themselves and later on, the market.

Their organs were similarly almost identical in anatomical perspective. Same digestive, pulmonary and cardiac systems, amongst the others. But, their hormonal and neurologic systems weren't the same. And she was still studying them and she kept on discovering amazing features.

Their hormones were different, she saw that some of them were missing for the Saiyans, or were added. And it affected the way their bodies responded to natural stimuli. They didn't sweat easily, get hot or cold at the same temperature as them, and could adapt much faster to environmental changes. She noticed it whenever she would switch on the heater or the blower in the room. It was what made Saiyans these fierce warriors. The ability to adapt. But the hormonal path was the same as theirs; aside for some glands that would differ.

Their neurological system was different. Your brain is the chain of command of your whole body. She noticed the Saiyans' was very developed but, different. Human brain was divided into an artistic part and a scientific part, commonly called as right and left respectively, and that was what helped define each person's abilities. Saiyans' wasn't like that. They didn't have an artistic section. It was only intelligence. Surely developed after years of constant battling, strategizing and technological innovation. They didn't care if the new invention had a beautiful design or not, they only cared that it worked. And it was also more developed than human's, having faster connections. That was why they were able to make decisions faster than them, or move faster. It adapted so they could survive in battle. They thought faster than them and could analyze and perceive their surroundings faster. It was also separate. It was like they could command each bone in their body to react the way they wanted. Sure, you can control each hand and leg alone, but their faster cognitive response was amazing. They could command each finger or toe while moving the elbow or the knee, at the same time. It was like they had the perfect control over their body.

And in addition to the six parts that constitute the human brain, they had an additional part in theirs. The one that controlled their tail. This was the part that amazed her. Their tail had a designed section specifically for it. And they could control it as if it was a regular member. And in addition, it was also connected to their spinal cord so it could behave on instincts and reflexes during fights. It was like a member on its own but that they could control. Even their reflexes were more enhanced which made totally sense. But the speed at which the neuronal connections could form was astonishing.

Saiyan senses were also more developed. They had a very enhanced hearing that could help them notice even undetectable sounds. Their range was bigger than that of an average human. But it was also very sensitive, especially at high noises. They could withstand battles and explosions sounds, but everything that was considered 'noise pollution', such as crowds or high music, would irritate them. It was because it would be too many noises for them to distinguished so it would tire them for nothing. Also, high ringing and screams would pierce them since they aren't considered 'background noises'.

Their sense of smell was also overdeveloped. They could smell different odors positioned very far from them. Bulma sometimes thought they had a range that consisted of humans and combination of several animals such as dogs or horses and more. She was still studying this but it would take too much time.

Their sense of touch was different. Less sensitive. She once saw Vegeta put his hand in a fire for several minutes without caring. She thought at first it might be his insensitive side but, it turned out Saiyans' sensitive neurons had a very high threshold. And due to their thick skin, they didn't really feel objects easily. And it was also one of the main reasons why they break things easily. They don't feel them properly, so it's harder for them to estimate how much power they need to hold back.

Their sense of taste was still a mystery but she assumed wasn't very developed. They could eat anything without caring if it's good or not. Sure, they cared in the end, but it didn't stop them if it wasn't tasty. Surely because they sometimes had to eat weird food on other planets so they learned not to care anymore. Besides, their digestive system altogether was a mystery. It was the same as that of humans, yet could digest gigantic portions of food at phenomenal speed. The hormones count was higher and they worked faster but she didn't understand how their stomach could withstand a big amount without getting damaged. That was something she definitely needed to study in more depth later on.

Their sight, however, was amazing. So keen and precise. They could see things coming from miles in so much detail you think it's standing next to you. Their details perception was astonishing. Almost as if they could see the pores on your skin. But they sometimes saw colors differently. Bulma noticed that bright colors sometimes affected them. They didn't mind the sun, even though it was a flashy yellow, but fluorescent yellow could sometimes hurt their eyes if pointed directly. Same for bright orange or pink. It was mainly due to the fact that their iris doesn't let a lot of light penetrate, to help them accommodate easier in the dark or difficult situations such as desert. Fascinating. And dark colors such as black or blue would appease them, help them relax their overanalyzing eyes. That was the main reason why their armors were this dark or why Bulma stopped wearing bright colors after Vegeta moved in with them. And it turned out that color blindness was normal in their culture. What Bulma thought was color blindness turned out to be normal colors distinctions in their culture. She was still discovering the differences in their colors palette but it was already diverse. And she understood that yellow and bright color would sometimes affect them because they perceive them even brighter. But it wasn't the case for everyone, such as Goku for example. And Vegeta learned to adapt the flashy colors present on Earth so this study wasn't leading to much.

It was amazing how much their anatomy was different while being the same.

Saiyans were a very complex species, and the hybrids were no different. Bulma noticed that Saiyans genes were dominant compared to humans' and they always showed one way or another. All the hybrids proved to have the same complex anatomy. But there were always slight differences. For all of them, flashy colors didn't really hurt them but still, they didn't really enjoy them. But all the other senses were the same. They eat in the same way as Saiyans but slightly less quantities. Trunks was the only one with the different hair physiology; although all three hybrids could change their haircuts, even though Saiyans kept the same haircut all their lives. And Trunks and Goten were both born without their tail and all the neurologic connections that came with it. Goten's strategic thinking wasn't as developed as Trunks' which wasn't as developed as Gohan's.

She was still studying the differences and she was fascinated by this. And up until now, she understood everything. All the calculations and charts, graphs or analysis. Everything.

Until she saw Gohan's new charts.

They were always similar to the other hybrids, and very close to Vegeta's. At some points, they thought he was purely Saiyan expect for his caring side that was human. But he was also Goku's son, so caring and being helpful came in the family. But every other characteristic was the same as a full blooded Saiyan. She even knew from the start that his heart was the same as his father's but, she never had the heart to tell Chi-Chi. The mother always wished he was more human so she could relate to him more and she couldn't tell her he only took his intelligence from her. It would crush her.

But now, his charts were different. His results were in human ranges and standards. And she couldn't understand why. They redid the tests several times and they almost show the same results every time. Clearly, something weird was happening to the young boy. His body was reacting differently, and she had to understand why. Would it be at day or night, before or after taking a medication, it was the same thing.

She had to talk to Chi-Chi about this so they could take the appropriate decisions together.

She left the room, thanking the nurse for everything, and decided to go find her friend. They had a very important decision to take and fast since Gohan was still at the hospital. But while she was walking towards her godson's room, she heard someone screaming from the waiting room. And merely seconds later, Chi-Chi got out of Gohan's room and sent a questioning look to her friend before they decided to go and check what was going on.

They reached the waiting room and saw Midori screaming at Videl. The brunette didn't care about the older adults in the room as she continued her rant "Why the hell are you still here? I told you a thousand times to leave. Just how low are you? As if you didn't do enough. Seriously."
Bulma wanted to intervene but decided against it when she saw Videl eye the girl in front of her "I have every right to be here. I'm his best friend. There's nothing wrong with me being here."
The brunette started to crack her knuckles, her teeth grinding "I'm his best friend. You should thank Kami we are in a hospital otherwise I would've kicked your egotistical butt."
The raven girl glared back "I'd like to see you try."
Midori was fuming at the other girl, ready to punch her in the face, until Bulma stood between them to stop them "What the hell is going on here? This is how you show that you are respected and educated people? Didn't your parents teach you any manners? We are in a hospital for Kami's sake. So, enlighten me, what the hell happened?"
Videl then quickly answered "Sorry Bulma. I was waiting for Gohan to come back from the examination room but Midori came and started screaming at me for no reason."
Bulma turned her attention back to the other girl who was shooting daggers from her eyes "No reason? This bitch here is the whole reason why Gohan is in the hospital. It should've been you instead of him on the bed. And you're standing here, patiently waiting for him to come back, as if this wasn't your fault. So, what? Are you happy now? He was scared for you and defended the little princess. Satisfied? You felt important for a moment?"
Bulma and Chi-Chi eyed the girl as the Son matron responded "Look young girl, I don't care who you are, you should respect the others. Never call someone a name, especially in front of us, understood? I don't care if you're my son's girlfriend or wife or whatever. And stopping putting the blame on someone. They were both doing their jobs and they both made mistakes. And it's a good think Gohan was fast enough to react to the knife, otherwise Kami knows what could've happened. So stop pointing fingers at each other's and for Kami's sake let us have a little peace here."
Bulma nodded at her friend until Midori started talking, her voice raising "Are you serious? Do you think I care about her and the stupid knife? I care that she's the whole reason why Gohan is vulnerable. Either this or he's dumb enough to make himself vulnerable whenever she's around." Bulma blinked at Midori who eyed Videl and she decided to prove her point "For example, last week when we were studying at CC. We were eating and she left to answer the phone. He swung the knife wrong but it didn't even scratch him. But when she entered back, he cut himself and bled. She's the whole reason why he's becoming weak and instead of leaving him alone, she decided to tail him. As if she wants him to get hurt."
Both mothers blinked at the news and they started to look at both girls.

They saw Videl looking at them, not understanding a thing, while Bulma and Chi-Chi were thinking about what Midori said. They didn't understand how but, they knew the girl solved a very important riddle. Whenever Gohan would come home injured, Videl would somehow be involved. Why didn't they link it before? Midori didn't have this effect on him but Videl yes. But why? It didn't make sense.

Bulma wanted to ask Midori how she noticed this but Videl spoke first "I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I want to make him lose his powers? Do you think I enjoy watching him get hurt? Do you think I wasn't scared when I first saw him bleed, or when the bullet pierced his hand? Do you think I'm glad that he was deadly injured because he wanted to protect me? Or that he spent the night in the hospital in urgent care in Kami knows how much pain, all because of me? And yet, you accuse me of weakening him on purpose. Do you think I'm some kind of monster? That I'm this heartless? It's Gohan, for Kami's sake, he means more to me than anyone else."
Midori turned red and replicated before Bulma could stop her "Do you really think that playing the guilty card will get you out of troubles? What are you? It wasn't enough that your father stole his credit when he was younger, and he badmouthed him, his friends and deceased dad all the time, you also have to hurt him. And your mother playing the role of a fairy godmother, promising to always lend an ear if he needed to talk to anybody. Didn't your family do enough as it is? Aren't you all tired of acting in front of him? Just leave him alone. He doesn't need a disease in his life. Understand that you're wasting your time and hurting him in the process. Let it pass through that thick skull of yours that you two can't work together, in any possible way. Stay away from him and stop poisoning his life."
She saw Videl trying to swallow, tears forming in the eyes. But she said nothing, as if she was guilty and she knew it. Midori looked at her with a very indifferent look before she thought of something and blinked "Could it be that you're part of a secret organization that wants to take him down? And this whole being friends with him is just a façade? I mean, you came back two years ago, you could've seen Gohan if you really wanted to but didn't. Who said you didn't find him on purpose so you could gather intel on him and know how to approach him when the time was right? I mean, of all the places, you happened to be in the same university as him, in the same elective class? And later on, be in the cafeteria and the restaurant at the same time as him. What are the odds? Don't you think it's a little bit strange, all these timings? Maybe, you wanted him to be in the room he was in so he could get stabbed. You purposely come to all the crime scenes he's at so you can make him weak, waiting for the perfect opportunity to finally kill him…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Midori's monologue was cut with the sound of someone screaming and everyone turned around and saw a very angry Gohan sitting on a wheelchair, while the nurse responsible of him stood still with Hoshiko in the background. No one expected the shy boy to be this bold, that was for sure. And Hoshiko didn't know what to say. She came in to check on the boy, and was happily walking by his side while the nurse wheeled him back to his room. She was reassured that he was doing better and she wanted to talk to him when they would reach his room. That was until she heard his girlfriend scream at her daughter, accusing her of atrocious things.

Midori wanted to approach her boyfriend but he glared at her, paralyzing her in place "You know, on our way here I thought "who would scream like this in a hospital?" Then, the more we approached the room, the more I recognized your voice but I didn't want to believe it. And then, I saw you screaming at Videl, of all people." He saw Midori waiting for him and he repeated himself with more anger "Are you seriously screaming at her? Here? We're in a hospital for Kami's sake, they are people who wants to rest. And this whole conversation, are you serious? I mean, how? How did your brain fabricate this story? First of all, no one gets to decide who can be in my life and who can't. My mother can't so you certainly can't take these decisions either." He saw her wanting to replicate and he cut her before she had the chance to talk, talking very bluntly "I don't care what you have to say. This isn't acceptable. It's not like you to behave like this. Second, her part of a secret organization? Are we in a movie? Or did you hit your head? Seriously, where did you get this idea from?"
Midori hardly swallowed as she looked at her boyfriend "But Gohan, it's her fault you got injured. Yet, you don't seem to care. You could've gotten killed."
The boy shook his head "No it's not. How can you say something like this? Especially to her. She was also on the frontline. She was doing her job and I did mine. I made a mistake and gotten hurt. Did you forget that I vowed to protect the citizens of West City with my life? Whoever they are." He then looked at Videl "And her specially."

Everyone stood in silence before the nurse deblocked the breaks of his wheelchair "I'm sorry but Mr. Son has to come back to his room. Mrs. Son, the doctor will come and find you in a moment."
She wheeled him back in silence to his room before she closed the door behind her. She then helped him lay down on his bed as she chuckled at him "You seem to have a very complicated life."
He chuckled back, fatigue taking over "Yeah, you can say that." She smiled at him as she prepared his serum and he sighed, talking to himself "How do I always get myself in situations like this?"
She turned his attention back to him and smiled, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder "I don't really know you but, I can tell from experience that everything will be alright. Nobody said life was going to be easy. The several scars on your body prove that you know exactly what I mean. I don't know everything you've been through but I can help you with your current problem. You can't choose who you fall in love with. You think you choose the right person for you, but you're wrong. You meet the right person. And in your case, someone will eventually get hurt. And the more it takes time, the more people will get hurt. You have to make the right decision before all three of you are unhappy."
He understandingly nodded at her and she smiled "For what it's worth, they both care about you. You can see it in their eyes but in the end, you have to be with someone who you're not afraid to be vulnerable with. Because that's what love makes you." She then adjusted the serum dosage and nodded at him "I will come back with the doctor. Try to sleep, your body it still weak. If you need anything, medical advice or just a friend, I'm here. Okay?"
He smiled at her before she winked and left him alone. And shortly after, he drifted off to sleep.

The tension in the room could cut through paper. Ever since Gohan's outburst, no one said a word. Videl then left the room in a hurry, not even letting her mother follow her. She had just received the scolding of her life and right now, she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. In the room, Bulma looked at Midori and silently motioned at her to follow her with her finger. The brunette didn't dare to say a word and followed the CC heiress to the balcony, leaving Chi-Chi and Hoshiko alone.

The Son mother was very displeased by the behavior of her son's girlfriend and didn't dare look at the mother in the eye. Hoshiko, noticing the tension between them, decided to ignore the subject for now. Chi-Chi had nothing to do with Midori's outburst and she didn't want her to take blame for the younger girl's lack of respect towards her daughter.

Hoshiko then looked at Chi-Chi and smiled at her "How's Gohan? Is he feeling better?"
Chi-Chi, very surprised by the other mother's simplicity, sighed lightly "Yes, thank you. His cut is slowly closing so it's reducing the rates of infections. We are still waiting for results on his interior organs. Let's hope that everything will be alright."
Hoshiko understandably nodded "Yes, let's pray to that. He did seem a little pale before the nurse took him back."
Chi-Chi nodded at her. She had also noticed this detail but didn't have the time to ask about it. The nurse told them the doctor would find her, and she couldn't do anything but wait for him. Besides, as much as she wanted to see her baby boy, he needed to rest and she needed to fix the mess his girlfriend had caused.
She then sighed and sat on a chair "He's a tough boy. He got through worse. I believe in him."
The Satan mother nodded, understanding very well her words.

Hoshiko then sat next to Chi-Chi and started to think about everything. She couldn't possibly tell her friend what she discovered. Having a half-alien child was surely a lot to handle and she knew they would prefer their privacy. This was something to discuss later on. Right now, she had two things in mind. One, what was the deal with Videl and Gohan? What was this vulnerability Midori was talking about? And two, she noticed she never really apologized to Chi-Chi for everything her husband said about her family. She figured Gohan would've told her the truth about them but the Son matron didn't talk about it.

She had both subjects in mind but the second was more important. Midori had brought this up and it was better to talk about it since it was still fresh. And she should also apologize to Gohan properly. Besides, she could always ask about this vulnerability to her daughter or Bulma later on. She had a feeling that neither women understood what Midori said so asking about it at the moment wouldn't make sense.

Hoshiko then saw Chi-Chi stare at the wall, her mind obviously in overdrive, and Hoshiko started talking gently to avoid startling her "Listen, Chi-Chi. About what Midori just said…"
She saw the mother look at her and she cut her "I'm so sorry about this. She didn't have the right to talk like this about her. It wasn't her place and everything was so wrong. I apologize at her place and I'll make sure she apologizes to both of you."
Hoshiko started shaking her head and looked into the Son mother's eyes "Don't worry, you don't have to apologize at her place. We'll deal about this later. I wanted to talk about something she said in particular." She then carefully chose her choice of words since she couldn't anticipate the other woman's reaction "The thing about Mr. Satan and Cell."
She saw Chi-Chi trying to hide her disgust "Please, not this guy. I can't stand him." Hoshiko stayed silent, wanting to know Chi-Chi's opinion about her husband, and the Son mother continued "I get it that people enjoy being in the spotlight. And he is a decent fighter, I'm not saying the opposite. Even though back in my time, he wouldn't have passed the preliminaries with the way he fights. But he is so loud, so egocentric, and so low, I can't stand him."
Chi-Chi then saw Hoshiko patiently waiting for her to continue and she sighed "A lot of things are not what they seem to be. And I'm sure after everything, you and Videl have a lot of questions. But this is Gohan's story. What I can say is, I'm sorry if you worship Mr. Satan like everyone else but, being the world martial arts champion doesn't give him the right to talk ill about other fighters. If he doesn't understand something, it doesn't mean it's fake. And he surely doesn't have the right to call previous fighters tricksters. Not after they put their lives in danger to protect the Earth." Chi-Chi then looked at Hoshiko "I really don't want to talk about him. The thought of him makes me sick. Truth be told, I find him repulsing and I want him to stay as far away as possible from my family. We don't need any more problems to pile up."
Hoshiko nodded understandably.

She understood her and didn't blame her for her reaction. She was at a hundred percent right. But she felt like she owed Chi-Chi the truth. She couldn't lie anymore because she noticed that Gohan didn't tell his mother the truth and that she didn't directly made the link with what Midori said, surely due to everything that was happening. And she couldn't lie to her anymore, it might create greater problems on the longer run.

So, she decided to tell Chi-Chi who they were and she sat on the chair facing her "Chi-Chi, there's something I need to tell you. But, you have to let me finish. Please?"
The Son mother tilted her head "Yes, sure. What's the matter?"
Hoshiko then took a big inspiration and said "Mr. Satan is my husband. He's Videl's father." She saw Chi-Chi's jaw dropping to the floor and she continued "I know it's surprising, and I'm sorry we should've told you sooner. But to be honest, I was afraid of your reaction because I had the feeling you despised him."
Despite promising she would let her finish, Chi-Chi felt she needed to comment "Despise? This man talked ill about my deceased husband on live television and stole my son's accomplishment. Gohan was barely ten when he fought Cell to save us all and your husband selfishly stole his credit and lived in luxury for the past eight years without caring. And you think I'd only despise him? How could you lie to us? What, did you befriend us by pity? Or was it to mock us?"
Hoshiko started rubbing her hands together, picking this habit from her daughter, and she tried to calm the other mother "No, it's not like this. Let me tell you the story, please?"
Chi-Chi then cut her, her voice raising "No, no! I don't care. You have to get out of here. Now!"
The Satan mother sighed and got up, still looking at her "Please, just let me explain. I promise I will leave after. Let me tell you everything."

Despite the lies, Chi-Chi still cared for the Satan family and she stood still, thinking about this. Hoshiko then saw Chi-Chi almost rolling her eyes, surely hating her decision, and she took it as her cue to talk "I was one of Cell's victims that was miraculously brought back to life so I couldn't see the battle live. But Videl actually saw it. She followed her father to the battlefield and she saw everything. She knew her father lied and she told me after I came back to life; and she resented her father deeply. They are still fighting about this up until now. She then met Gohan without even knowing he was the Delivery Boy. She didn't recognize him because of his hair color. Hercule, I mean Mark, was the one to make the connection because of his name and he promised me that he if Gohan came forward, he would come clean. But your son never did, and he became friend with Videl. Then the lie got bigger and bigger and Mark couldn't say anything because it could destroy his carrier. And he was my husband, I couldn't do this to him so I let him take the decisions on his own without interfering. We lived our whole lives as if Cell never happened and we let him deal with the consequences of his actions." She could feel Chi-Chi's bad aura at her explanation but she continued anyway "To tell you the truth, at first, I was afraid Gohan had befriended Videl for revenge because of her dad. But I was wrong. The more I passed time with him, the more I fell in love with your son. He was amazing, caring, gentle, humble, polite. To put it simply, he was pure. And trust me, I didn't have a proper night of sleep ever since our first trip to the mountains. I felt so low, so bad, after seeing the way you lived that I wanted to tell the world the whole truth. But I couldn't do this to my husband and destroy my family. It wasn't my decision to take and Videl and I had already left the house because of Mark's lies. It would've killed him." She then sighed, not daring to look at the mother in the eye "I knew from the start who you were but I didn't say anything. And I know it was wrong. And I saw how much Gohan was affected by the death of his father and I had to do something, anything. It was kind of my way of repaying him. I decided to stay by his side and listen to anything he might want to say. Because I felt like he didn't have an easy life and he deserved so much better. I know it wasn't enough, but it was already something, how small it was." She then had a tear forming in her eye "And I also knew it was him who saved Videl. Even though Videl had told him about her father without noticing she was talking to the Delivery Boy, he saved her. Despite every disgusting thing my husband said about his father. And you have no clue how small I felt. I owe Gohan with my life and nothing I'll ever do we repay what he did. And now, even though I don't understand what's going on, I feel like we added more to your pile of stacking problems and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry and I don't know what to do. But I feel like you needed to know the truth. And I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore."

Chi-Chi looked at her friend, her mind trying to process everything. And it was a lot. In merely seconds, she learned that the woman in front of her was the wife of the man who talked ill about her family, stepped on her deceased husband's grave, and stole her son's accomplishment. And she knew at the moment and didn't say a thing. And she was at first afraid of her little boy, thinking that Gohan had befriended her daughter for revenge. And her son knew the truth but didn't tell her. Since when was Gohan lying to people? Her, especially. She will have a long talk with him once he'll get out of the hospital.

But right now, she couldn't look at Hoshiko in the eye. The woman lied to them all this time. She knew everything and kept it for herself. She had the right to know from the start who she and Videl were. Maybe she didn't want to befriend them and invite them to her home. And she had every right. Sure, they couldn't help it if their kids became friends, and she didn't do anything wrong but, she had the right to know the truth. And right now, she couldn't stand the woman. Because of her lies and her husband. And this betrayal feeling made her suddenly angry, reminding her that Gohan was in the hospital because he protected Videl. The daughter of the man who badmouth him. She knew why Gohan did it, and she loved Videl like a daughter but right now, no one could blame her for feeling angry. She had every right feel like this, even if she considered it an ugly emotion.

She couldn't stand the woman but at the same time, her manners stopped her from asking her to leave. And she was her friend for so long. She knew her well. She knew she wasn't a snob and egocentric woman; especially considering who her husband actually was. She was like an aunt to Gohan. And she didn't know what to do in this situation.

She tried to open her mouth, hoping that anything would come out of it. They say that what you truly want slips unconsciously. Maybe it could help her take the appropriate decision in this twisted situation.

But nothing came out. Even her subconscious didn't know that to say.

But then, they didn't continue their conversation as the sound of beepers resonating through the floor. Then Chi-Chi panicked when she saw the nurse responsible for Gohan rush in the direction of his room. The Son mother rushed to follow her but Hoshiko held her by the hands and stopped her, shaking her head "You'll only get in their way. Let them do their job. It might not even be his room." Chi-Chi gulped but nodded at her friend. She was right, she'll wait for the doctor to come and find her.

Videl, eyes a little red, entered the room seconds after the commotion. She found her mother and Chi-Chi talking and she approached them "Gohan's nurse was with me. She told me to tell you there's nothing urgent. They put a pain tracker so they could monitor him and it reached the threshold. The meds must have worn off."
The mother smiled at her before Hoshiko hugged and kissed the top of her head, whispering gently to her "You okay monkey? Don't let this girl get in your head, okay?"
She felt Videl nodded on her shoulders and she sighed a little.
She then looked at Chi-Chi "We're gonna leave. Sorry for the mess we've caused. I'll call you to make sure he's okay."
Chi-Chi saw Videl try to smile at her and the Son mother's heart sank. She then held her close to her heart and hugged her "Non-sense. You're staying here. The doctor should be here soon." She then saw Bulma and Midori enter the room and she smiled "Here's Bulma. What do you say you all go to the cafeteria to eat while I go and check on him?"
She saw Bulma nod at her from afar, making her understand they needed to talk as soon as possible.

Chi-Chi then let go of Videl and gently smiled at her. As much as she was angry at Hoshiko, she couldn't tell her to leave. Videl was like a daughter to her and she was a sister. They'd have to discuss this later on but, right now, it wasn't neither the time nor place. Right now, she had to focus on her son and she knew he would prefer if they were here.

Chi-Chi then chuckled to herself. She really had Dende to thank for this newly found calmness. She still didn't understand how she didn't push Hoshiko aside to find Gohan. Maybe Bulma was rubbing off on her.

They then saw the doctor enter the waiting room, followed by the young nurse, and he nodded at Chi-Chi who advanced to him, followed by Bulma. The doctor smiled at her and handed Bulma some charts "Everything looks good. He had a small edema but we treated it. Nothing serious. He's in excellent shape so his body is healing very fast. I gave you the latest results so you can show them to his personal physician. I personally never saw someone heal this fast but since you say it's normal, I don't have any reason to keep him in the urgent care unit. His scars are all just a bad souvenir and his shoulder is almost healed. His organs are closing in well and there is no infection anymore. We will transfer him to a regular room tomorrow morning and he will be able to leave in two days." Both mothers smiled at the physician before he nodded at the nurse and continued "But, there is something else. We noticed a slight disturbance that pained him in his lower back and around his nervous system. It was the reason why we put him on pain analysis. If it continues, we will need to examine him further. For now, we still think it was caused by the incident and there is no need to expose him to additional radiations. Besides, the MRI of his stomach region didn't show any abnormalities around his back for us to examine it further, so don't worry about this. But he will need to rest for a little while, so no more trying to play the superhero. I understand he wanted to help but it would've been better to let Saiyaman and the police handle the situation. Do you have any questions for me?"
Both Bulma and Chi-Chi shook their heads and the latter smiled, extending her hand to shake the doctor's "Thank you for your time. And we will make sure that Gohan stays out of trouble." She then shook the young nurse's hand before they bowed to them and left.

Bulma then turned to Chi-Chi who nodded at her before she turned to their guests "We're going to check up on Gohan. Do you mind waiting for us here for a moment?"
The three women shook their heads, albeit not wanting to stay together in the same room alone, before the older women left them.

Bulma and Chi-Chi then made their way to a balcony at the end of the corridor before Bulma nodded at her friend "I still don't understand what Midori told me. She noticed that Gohan is somehow affected by Videl's presence. I don't know why but whenever she's around, his genes are reacting in a weird way and that's almost erasing his Saiyan abilities. His charts become similar to that of normal humans when she's around. Midori noticed it and she explained the situation to me. I don't know how though."
Chi-Chi tilted her head at her friend "But why? It doesn't make sense. This never happened before and they know each other for a while now." The Son mother than stood still, a flood of memories resurfacing. She then blinked and started thinking out loud "The first time they came to the house, Gohan tripped and bled because he bumped into the counter. And once he was eating at their house, he cut his finger with a knife. And when he cut his hand at the party when he crashed the bottle. DENDE! I can't believe this. WHY?"
Bulma rose her shoulders at her, thinking for a while. She then chuckled, saying in a whisper "Who would've thought that Gohan's mate would be toxic for him?"
Chi-Chi heard her and blinked "What? She's officially his mate? Don't tell me he marked her already?"
Bulma blinked back "So you knew?"
The Son matron chuckled "What do you think I'm dumb or something? It was way too obvious. But I didn't think he'd act on it. I mean, he's still with Midori. Not that I appreciate that my son is dangling two women at the same time."
The CC heiress quickly shook her head "No, no. No! He didn't. Videl doesn't know a thing. And his situation is killing him. But now, I think we have to study the situation. We cannot let them get together if what Midori claims is true."
Chi-Chi sighed loudly, her face in her palm "He would never let us make the decisions. You know how he is. And he's too attached to Videl to even think of getting away from her. Can you imagine he knew all this time she was Hercule's daughter but didn't say a thing? He lied to me and stayed friends with her despite everything."
Bulma's eyes widened "She's Hercule's daughter? And her mother is his wife? What the actual hell. How? When? WHY? And he knew? Dende this kid is hopeless."
Chi-Chi chuckled "I know, right. Imagine my reaction." She then smiled and looked at the sky "He's like his father. Forgiving and carefree with the biggest heart you can ever see. I swear this son is gonna be the end of me."
Bulma smiled and patted her friend on the back, smiling at her. She knew how much she missed her husband but all she could do was stay by her side and offer an ear whenever she wanted to talk.

They then decided to go and check on Gohan. But they saw him asleep in his room and they decided to let him rest for a while. Knowing his body, they had to inject him a lot of meds to ease the pain. And even though Gohan surely didn't feel in pain as much as the doctors thought, his previous experiences in battles helping in this department, he couldn't say no to the doctors and explain why his threshold was this high.

Bulma starting thinking on their way back to the waiting room. Gohan received deadlier blow when he was a kid. She remembered him having his neck broken when they were on Namek. For him to pass out due to this injury must mean that his body was indeed as vulnerable than that of a human. It looked like Midori hit the jackpot, Videl was the reason this change was happening. But she remembered him getting injured from the beginning of the attack before Videl arrived to the scene. That means that something must have trigger this change in his body. So Videl wasn't the only reason and she couldn't solve the rest of this mystery. She needed to understand why Videl had this much effect on her godson and what was the other reasons his body was weakening.

They reached the waiting room and saw Midori sitting alone, still eying Videl and her mother. Bulma sighed loudly; they needed to find a solution to this mess. She called the young raven girl and Videl politely nodded at her before she followed her back to the balcony.

They reached their destination, checking on Gohan on their way, before Bulma closed the balcony door behind them for privacy and smiled at the girl "How you feeling?" Videl only nodded and Bulma chuckled "I don't bite you know. And I'm not gonna scream at you like Midori. I just wanna make sure you're okay."
Videl nodded "Yeah, don't worry. The doctors examined me and everything's fine."
The bluenette rose an eyebrow at her "You know I don't mean physically. I meant mentally. Are you okay? After everything that happened? You lived a traumatic event and I don't want you to bottle your feelings down."
The young student nodded again "Yeah, don't worry." She then chuckled "I lived worse." She then started to look at the ground, not daring to look at the older woman in the eyes "What did the doctor say? Is he gonna be alright?"
Bulma smiled at the girl, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder "I'm not gonna tell you if you don't look me in the eye. Come on." She saw Videl rose her head and the latter smiled a little at her at Bulma's comforting face "That's better. Gohan's perfectly fine. In fact, they're transferring him tomorrow to a room and he'll be out the day after. See, nothing to worry about."
Videl said "I'm glad" in a whisper before she smiled at the older woman "I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'll apologize to Gohan when he wakes up and I'll leave him alone."
Bulma smiled as she opened the door "You didn't do anything wrong. You jumped into action and thought about protecting innocent people. Things like this happen. And I don't think that leaving Gohan would be the best solution." She then winked at her "Or did you forget that you managed to make his heart skip a beat?"
Bulma chuckled when she saw Videl turn red of embarrassment and she invited her to follow her.

They passed by Gohan's room and saw him awake, Chi-Chi by his side. They smiled at them and left alone for a while and headed for the waiting room, praying that neither Hoshiko nor Midori killed the other during their absence.

In Gohan's room, his mother was smiling at him, caressing his hair "You're better sweetie?" The boy nodded, his voice still sore from the meds "Goten's at your grandpa. We told him you had to go on a trip for Bulma. Don't worry about this. And if someone asks, Bulma proposed we say you had your appendicitis removed. What do you think?" The boy nodded at her and she smiled "Want me to leave? Do you wanna sleep more?"
Gohan shook his head and smiled at Bulma and Videl who were passing in the corridor. His mother saw the interaction and looked at her son "Why didn't you tell me that Videl was Hercule's daughter? You don't think I deserved to know this?"
Gohan's face went blank and he looked at his mother "Sorry mother. I was afraid that if you know, you wouldn't let me see her again."
Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at him "You should've told me. I thought you knew better than to lie. To your mother that is. We would've discussed this situation all together at least. Now, what's done is done. We'll talk about this later." She saw the down look on Gohan's face and she smiled at him "You love her, do you?" She saw his cheeks turn red and she looked worriedly at him "What are you gonna do about Midori, sweetie? You can't go on like this. I don't want you to be the one to get hurt in this situation. And the more you solve the problem early on, the more we can control the damage."
The boy nodded "You're right. I'll solve it as soon as I leave the hospital."
Chi-Chi nodded at him and kissed his forehead.

Then, the young nurse entered, followed by Midori. She smiled at him and put on her gloves "This girl here insisted to come and see. You've got quite a fan club I see." She chuckled when she saw him blush and she winked at him "I think I'll run for president. It's only fair seeing I'm the one taking care of you." He chuckled at her and she smiled at his mother "If you can excuse me, I have to do a small checkup. I'll be quick. Then you can both come back."
Chi-Chi nodded "Don't worry, I'll let you work. I'll be with Bulma in the waiting room. I think Midori is dying to spend some time with you." And she then left the room, dragging Midori with her.
The nurse smiled at him as she started to examine him "You know every problem has a solution, right? Take an inspiration please. And expire. And I think you should also talk to the other girl, the one that spent the night here. Another inspiration please. Perfect." She then started to take his pulse "I saw her crying on the balcony a little while ago. I tried to comfort her but she always said it was her fault and that she shouldn't be here. I thought you should know." She then wrote everything on a chart and smiled "Everything is perfect. I'll come back tonight for a final checkup and you'll get transferred tomorrow morning to a new room. I won't be your nurse anymore, unless they decide to keep me on your case. I'll let you know. Do you have any questions?"
He smiled at her "Thank you. I hope you'll stay with me. Your presence is comforting." He saw her blush a little and he sighed "Can I ask a personal question?" She nodded at him, encouraging him to continue "What should I do? I mean, she's my best friend. I'd do anything to protect her. And it's my girlfriend on the other side and I don't know what to do. I'm afraid I'll hurt them both. And it's really annoying they can't get along."
She thought about her answer for a while before she smiled "I can't decide at your place what you should do. But one thing is for sure, you know the answer to this. A celebrity(*) once said that if you love two women at the same time, you should go with the second. Because if you truly loved the first, you wouldn't have fallen for the second."
He nodded understandably "It's actually pretty wise. But how can you be sure I'm in love with the second? Maybe I'm misunderstanding our friendship."
She gently smiled as she set her hand on the door handle "Your heart would never lie to you. It literally skipped a beat at her presence, I think that's enough proof. I'll see you tonight Gohan."
And she left the room, inviting Midori to enter.

The brunette thanked her for her time and sat near her boyfriend, holding his hand "Hey. You feeling better?"
He smiled at her and nodded "Yeah, all better. Sorry for making you worry."
She sighed in relief "It's okay. At least you're feeling better. I knew from the start what I got myself into."
He chuckled at her and they chitchatted for a while, avoiding any type of subject that would anger the both of them. They both knew it was best in this situation.

It wasn't the time and place and they already fought once because of this.

Eventually, Gohan left the hospital. Erasa and Benjiro had come to visit, both very worried when they heard the news, but they told them it he had to remove his appendicitis as Bulma suggested it. Erasa didn't believe it and asked Videl the truth and the latter explained everything to her.

During all the time in the hospital, Midori didn't let Videl stay alone with Gohan which really infuriated the raven girl. She wanted to properly apologize for what happened and she tried her best not to send the other girl through the wall.

Videl then decided she would go and visit Gohan in his home. It will give them more privacy. She then discovered the Son family had come back to their house in the mountains and Gohan went with them to rest for a while and try to catch up on his studies before their upcoming finals.

So, one day, she asked her mother for permission, and she hoped on a jetcopter and left towards the Son residence. Finally, some moments of peace with Gohan. Kami knew they needed it.

During the whole ride, she kept on thinking about what Bulma had told her. After they left the balcony, they went to the cafeteria and Bulma told her what Midori said. She explained that they didn't hold her responsible but they should both be more careful from now on until they understood the situation more. She asked her to always pay attention to their surroundings and to check if Gohan would injure himself only in her presence or not. Bulma also told her that Gohan would receive an earful of precautions for him to follow and she trusted her enough to make sure he'd follow them all.

Videl swallowed hard and sighed. This whole situation was a mess. Why did it have to happen to them? Why couldn't they have a normal life?

And after a never-ending ride, she saw fumes coming out of a chimney and she recognized the dome shaped house of the Son family. She capsulated her jet and gently knocked at the door, before she got tackled to the ground by an orange blur "YEY! Hey Videl. Wanna play? Do you wanna race? Or climb trees? Or see my cool lizard?"
Videl chuckled at she got up and ruffled Goten's hair "Hey buddy. How are you?"
Goten then hugged her by her legs "I missed you."
She smiled at the young boy and crouched to his level to hug him back. She then saw Chi-Chi smile at her from the inside as she invited her to enter.

She saw the sleeves of the Son mother up and water was dripping from her hands. She entered and saw a basket of water in the kitchen and she bowed apologetically to her "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy. I should've called."
Chi-Chi smiled at her "Don't worry dear. The house was already a mess because we left it for a while. Rain season can be tough here and we usually prefer to pass it at CC. Besides, it's not only our clothes." Videl then saw the mother sigh "We sometimes collect dirty clothes from neighboring villages and wash them for extra money. With the snow season coming, it's always better to have some extra cash laying around."
Videl's heart sank at the news and she couldn't look at the mother in the eyes. She already didn't understand how Chi-Chi wasn't treating them differently after she discovered the truth about her father. She stayed welcoming and friendly with them, as if the truth about her father didn't matter. But this, it was like a pile of rocks fell on her. They had to live this way while her father lived in luxury. She had to find a way to make this right.

Chi-Chi saw Videl think about what she said and she smiled gently at her. She knew Videl felt guilty about everything but she couldn't blame her for her father's choices. Even Hoshiko wasn't to blame for her dumb husband's ego. And she couldn't possibly tell her that Gohan's hospitalization was the reason why they were now short on money. The poor girl might kill herself at the news.

They slept on the subject for now since they were more important things happening. Between Gohan's injury, his vulnerability and the trio of men who attacked the company, the truth about Videl's father was the least of their worries.

Chi-Chi then smiled at the young girl and gave her a chair "I know you had to sit for a long ride but here's a chair in case you wanna sit."
Videl smiled back and nodded "Thanks. I'm actually here to see Gohan. I didn't have the chance to apologize to him yet."
Goten then answered without thinking "Big brother is at the lake with big sister."
Videl tilted her head at him and Chi-Chi sighed "Goten, how many times do I have to tell you to pay attention to what you say?" He said "Sorry mommy." and the Son mother looked at her guest "Gohan's at the clearing with Midori. You remember the one you used to dip in? Go and find them, I'm sure he'd be excited to see you."
She then shook her head "No, it's okay. I don't wanna disturb them. I'm sure they're busy."
Chi-Chi rose an eyebrow while drying her hands with a towel "No funny business on my watch." She then dragged a red Videl out of the house "Go. I'll wait for you to come back for dinner."
Videl sighed before she smiled at Chi-Chi, understanding very well her reasons, and she started walking towards the clearing.

After a ten minutes' walk, she saw the silhouette of her childhood friend and his girlfriend, standing near the river while Gohan was throwing ricochet in the river.

He then turned when he felt her presence, and he smiled at his childhood friend "Hey Videl. How are you?" He then proceeded to hug her "What are you doing all the way here? Everything all right?"
She smiled at him, shaking her head "Everything's good, don't worry. I actually wanted to talk to you. I hope it's okay, your mom told me you were here."
But before Gohan could answer, Midori cut in "We're good, thanks. Can't wait for Monday to talk to him? Or do you have to make a scene by coming all the way here?"
Videl glared at her "I was talking to Gohan, thanks." She then motioned at a nearby tree "Gohan, do you mind?"
But Midori cut in again "Yeah, he minds. Whatever you have to say, you can say it to the both of us. There's no secret between us."
The raven girl took a big inspiration, hoping to calm her nerves "Again, I was talking to Gohan. What are you, his secretary? Did you resign from the girlfriend position?"
The green-eyes girl glared at her "I wouldn't give you this satisfaction in the world. I'm not as low as you as to try and steal other people's boyfriends. Now, can you leave us? You kinda ruined the mood."
Videl cracked her knuckled "I'm not gonna lower myself to your level and answer back. I just wanna talk to Gohan and I'll let you both be."
Videl saw Gohan wanting to talk until Midori answered in his place "And I told you, you can either talk in front of us or leave. Gohan's going perfectly fine and is healing well. He doesn't need you checking up on him to ease your conscience. And he surely doesn't need someone like you in his life."

Videl wanted to replicated until Gohan's voice echoed "That's enough! Midori, I think I can answer for myself."
She glared at his hostility "What is your problem? Can't you see this girl was nothing but trouble to you? Her whole family is a problem. Her dad stole your credit and badmouthed you, her mother knew this and didn't say anything and made as if she were a second mother to you. And she knew and befriended you by pity and to mock you. Wake up Gohan!"
Videl hissed at her "Sorry? I swear I'm gonna rip your head off!"
Midori then glared at her, ready to punch her "I'd like to see you try. You can't do anything by yourself. Every time, you need Gohan to come and save you. That's why you befriended him, right? So, you can live off daddy's luxurious life, and if someone tries to kidnap you for money, Gohan would come and save you. A private, free bodyguard. He already did it once, I'm sure you won't mind him doing it again. And by the way, you should tell daddy there's still an article that leaked. He didn't do a good job at hiding it. Once I asked someone about your backstory, it didn't take them a minute to find the article."
Videl's breathing accelerated, as she tried her best to compose herself to avoid punching the girl. Because she knew that was exactly what she wanted. And she won't give her this satisfaction.

But then, Gohan's voice echoed again, speaking with a hostility they didn't know he had "You done?" They saw his eyes turn red as he eyed his girlfriend "You done talking like this to her?"
She tried to replicated with a "But Gohan…" but he cut her "No one, and I say no one, has the right to talk like this to her. Understood?" He then started walking, making Midori move backwards until she was pinned on a tree "First of all, don't ever disrespect her like this. Second, you have no right to investigate her private life the way you did. It's an invasion of privacy. Third, if you ever insult her again the way you did…"
He didn't continue his sentence, the look on her face showing very well that she understood what he meant.
But she glared at him and talked back "What the hell is your problem? Are you blind? This girl had caused nothing but troubles. She's the reason why you are vulnerable and she's the reason why you were in the hospital. Why can't you see you don't belong with her?"
He glared back at her "That's not your problem. I can take care of myself. No one has the right to dictate my life, take my decisions at my place, answer at my place or decide who can and can't be in my life. Not my mother, not Bulma, and not you or anyone else."
Midori stood in place, tears forming in her eyes "Gohan, I don't recognize you anymore. You've become distant and aggressive towards me. You're not the same person anymore. You're acting like Vegeta. You've changed, and it's all because of her. All I ever did was accept you and stay by your side, every time. And now she comes and you have eyes only for her? Do you think I'm blind? I was the one who passed her time praying every time you would go intervene as Saiyaman; praying to Kami that you would come back to me in one piece. I was the one who was patient when you didn't want to talk. Or would isolate yourself for days to think without even caring about me who would be worried sick at you. I always offered an ear when you wanted to talk, or tried to give an advice when you needed. I accepted all your secrets and stayed patient, knowing very well that I could trust you blindly. And that's how you repay me? I accepted your childhood friends without saying a word and that's how you thanked me? But starting to force your old friends into our lives, making me feel like the third wheel, and care about them more than me? That's what I deserve after two years of sacrifices?"

The trio of teenagers stood in silence, no one daring to say a word. Gohan tried to swallow but found it very hard. Midori was right on everything. She had sacrificed a lot, had to be patient more than once, and had to lie to her friends and family because of him. She didn't deserve this treatment but he couldn't do anything. He couldn't fight his heritage, his genes and desires. And most of all, he couldn't fight his heart. He tried to think about his situation rationally more than once but it was all useless. Some things were out of his hands. And he saw Videl also paralyzed in place, her mind surely thinking the same way as his.

Both of them knew what was going on and they both knew it was wrong. But he thought again and again of a way out of this mess but couldn't. And he dreaded this conversation for weeks now. And that was not the way he wanted things to go.

He knew the situation would lead up to this but he didn't want Midori to be this hurt. He wanted to find a way for no one to be hurt. A way so she could understand him, understand that some things are out of your hands. You don't choose who you want to have feelings for, your heart does. And he couldn't deny it anymore.

Midori saw him frozen in place and she fought the lump in her throat "Aren't you gonna say something? Anything?"
Gohan then cleared his throat and tried to look at her "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You're right, on everything. And there's nothing I can say. I don't expect you to understand me but this isn't my decision. I can't help it."
She then cut him "Then help me understand. Because right now, I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet. Why? Why do you care so much about her? Why did you do all these amazing things for her? The clover, your promise to her when you were kids. Why? You never did any of these things for me yet you explicitly did them for her. You don't act shy and restricted around her. Why are you this open, this relaxed in her presence? You almost died protecting her. But you cared that she wasn't hurt. I don't understand. Or rather, I don't want to accept this. Please Gohan, for Kami's sake. Why?"

Gohan looked at his girlfriend, noticing the tear hanging in her eye. She knew. And he knew she knew. And she knew this. She just wanted him to say it out loud. And she was afraid of the answer. But she needed it to be at peace.

And he saw Videl look at them, not knowing how to react in this situation, surely feeling guilty that she was the reason why they were fighting. But he also noticed she was dreading the answer. As if she wanted a specific one. Like she was hoping for something even though she knew it was wrong.

He looked at his childhood friend and smiled lightly, before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. Or rather soon to be ex-girlfriend.

He smiled apologetically at her, a tear forming in his eyes, caused by the pain he caused and will cause his girlfriend. The girl that stayed by his side for now two years and accepted him despite his differences no matter what.

He then hardly swallowed and looked at Videl then at Midori, before he simply answered "Because I love her."

A.N: (*) This quote was actually said by Johnny Depp and I love it. When I started writing this fiction I remembered it and thought to myself, I need to mention it somewhere because it's a perfect fit. Hope you liked it as much as I do.