Hi there!

I'm soooooo tired, working hours are brutal. But somewhere in the mids of the night I had some time during my breaks to write a little while 'sleeping' in my car. So here you are, the next chapter. It's - again - a chapter being cut in two, as its original chapter was already over 8k words... The 'next' chapter is almost finished as well, have to write two scenes still though. And if I'm being honest, that one turned out really nice. So I'm looking forward to let you read that.

Enjoy

Chapter 21: Take off

She didn't even notice the cup of tea fall from her hand. She could only stare at the boy across the table in shock. Or should she say: the man across the table? He had changed a lot since the last time she saw him. He was much more muscular, from his broad neck to his strong upper arms. She could tell he'd been training intensely since leaving school a month ago. And besides his features, his aura had changed too. He radiated confidence and tranquility, a stark contrast to the shy and insecure country boy she'd met months ago.

It wasn't the change in his features that shocked her the most, it was the condition he was in. What the hell happened to him? Or them - she should ask - because the other guy, Bulma's husband she assumed, wasn't much better off. Gohan was covered in blood, cuts and wounds, his orange Gi was torn and he was even missing two of his fingers, which he had thrown on the table as if it was a normal thing to do. What on earth did he have to fix? Seeing him in this condition, she suddenly understood why he said he wasn't so sure he would come back.

When his onyx eyes met hers, his body tensed in an instant. After taking a moment to comprehend the situation, he looked away in shame and regret. "Sorry you have to see me like this," Gohan said with a heavy heart. Then he frowned and squinted his eyes, irritated. That girl was unbelievable, "Why are you even here?" he asked a bit sour, "I thought I told you not to come here anymore."

"Don't be like that, Gohan," Bulma's voice interrupted, "She called me because she was concerned about you as she hadn't heard from you in a while, and I invited her to come over. I could use the company too, since you two bums could only think about yourself and your stupid quarrel." She walked over to Vegeta and handed him a Senzu bean, who took it eagerly, then walked over to the wounded half-Saiyan. "Here."

Gohan took the bean in his good hand and looked at the other. "Please tell me that it can restore my hand."

Bulma looked at the table and her face grimaced. "I don't even want to know how that happened," she said, rolling her eyes. She then took a deep breath, took both severed fingers and neatly positioned his little and ring fingers against his injured hand. Gohan's face twisted with pain. The adrenaline in his body had faded and he began to feel every wound and sore on his body.

"Alright, you can take the Senzu," Bulma said when she was done and when she saw Gohan take the step to take the bean, she added with a cheeky wink, "Fingers crossed it will work."

Gohan immediately froze and angrily glared at Bulma, "That is not funny!" he said, with Vegeta laughing heartily in the background.

"Come on, of course it will work, Mr. Worry Head," Bulma chuckled.

Reluctantly Gohan continued, doubting the whole situation, and swallowed the Senzu. In an instant, every wound to his body from the fight with Vegeta was gone. And to his relief, his hand had also healed as if nothing had ever happened. He tested it, bending his fingers one by one. He sighed in relief.

"What about the buffet?" Vegeta asked, looking at the empty table.

"You already got your buffet. It's called a Senzu," Bulma replied bitterly.

"What?! Despite being full for ten days, I can still eat!"

"Think of it as your punishment," Bulma gave him a mean but overpowering glare. " No food for you for the next ten days! I am still mad at you."

"Wha-," Vegeta stood perplexed, "I got him training! That's what you wanted right?!"

"We had this argument before. You know I disagree with your methods!" Bulma yelled at him. "Now get your ass inside and clean yourself, you're filthy as hell!" She then pointed to the entrance, to give her demand more power, still fierce.

Vegeta let out a 'Tsk' sound, but didn't dare to go against his wife's orders and went inside.

Gohan, who had been watching their interactions, stiffened when Bulma looked at him with the same attitude. "And you! What were you thinking? I thought you were the most mature of the bunch. How could you even think that after all these years he would pose a threat? I understand he scared you off, but you were always the one talking things out. So why shut down all of a sudden, disappear and come back all fighty mighty? You could've come to me or Piccolo or whoever you like to talk to, instead of this bullshit! And by the way, did Trunks or I ever cross your mind? Have you ever thought about the impact it would have on us if you'd snapped? You aren't the only one who has loved ones you know!"

Gohan rose from his chair, disoriented as all sorts of emotions swirled within him: feeling stupid about the whole situation; guilt towards Bulma and Trunks for not really taking their point of few in consideration; frustration; anger that she was now pointing the finger at him instead of Vegeta; and protective of his own actions. On the latter he felt he had to speak his mind: "Look, what would you have done in my shoes? Even though he has proven himself in recent years, he was very convincing that he could go back to his old ways and that there was no one to stop him if he did. So if that were the case, you guys weren't safe either… I chose to at least pose resistance if that scenario would happen. I better go against Vegeta and do the unthinkable, saving you guys in the process, even if it will hurt you in the heart, then do nothing and let this Earth be destroyed, whatever will destroy you too. I stood with my back against a wall! And he made it clear he wanted a fight out of me, and although I didn't know at the time what his real intentions were, he'd threatened Videl! And I would never let something happen to her!" His deep frown turned into a sad expression and sat back in his chair, "But you're right, I should've come to you or Piccolo to clear my mind. I got consumed with worry and that made me react in such a way. And even when Piccolo came to help me, I didn't listen. I feel so stupid."

"You are," Bulma replied, understanding his reasoning but still angry at his actions. "For the record, Vegeta said don't come back crying if something would happen to her. He meant that if a new enemy would show up, you should be ready to protect and not rely on him. He wasn't really talking about being that threat to her specifically, you know."

"Well that wasn't the case during the fight," Gohan replied irritably.

"Let me guess, it pushed your buttons, didn't it?" Bulma straightened and looked down at him, "You are predictable and he used that against you to get what he wanted. But like I said, he's in trouble too, because I don't agree with his methods." She placed her hands on either side of her thigh and towered over Gohan, the same way his mother would have done when he got into trouble. "Now, end of this discussion young man, you too are going to take a shower, clean yourself up and then take the girl home. Then you go straight to Mount Paozu, apologize to your mother for disappearing last month without telling her, and explain to her that I have nothing to do with this whole idiotic situation! She blames me, and you're going to fix that!" She gave him an angry look and added in a firm voice, "Am I clear?"

Gohan got up in a reflex, yelled "Yes Ma'am," bowed down and ran inside. He'd better meet her demands, she could be really scary when she was like this.

After a good shower, Gohan had put on his regular school clothes, although they didn't seem to fit so well anymore. He looked in the mirror and was surprised to see how he'd changed. His normally baggy shirt didn't conceal his muscles very well. He sighed, he should go shopping with his mother this week to buy better ones, something he hated to do. She probably would justify it as a suitable punishment for his absence.

He then made his way to the tiled garden, where the Ki signatures of both women were present. But halfway through, he passed Vegeta, who was walking toward the Gravity Chamber. "Wait what? Are you going to train even after our fight this morning?" Gohan was surprised to say at least.

"That's right, Risot, the woman is denying me my food, so I have to take it out on something else. And I have a month to train for our rematch, so I better use my time wisely."

"Risot?"

"I can't call you brat anymore, can I?"

Gohan blinked his eyes in confusion: Did Vegeta just give him a Saiyan name? After a moment he asked, "I thought Saiyan names were always derived from vegetables?"

"I thought I'd honor your human name and it still comes from a plant, but if you don't like it, I'll keep calling you brat."

"No, no," Gohan raised his hands in a defensive gesture, "Risot is fine!"

"Good, besides, it's actually a true Saiyan name, but one of those fancy modern ones nobody asked for.

Gohan's sense of honor about being given a Saiyan name disappeared almost immediately: why did he have to add that last comment? He sighed and let it go. It's better than brat anyway. "Please don't train too hard," he tried to change the subject.

"I will not make such promises, you are dangerously close and I'll do everything I can so that you do not pass me. See you at the tournament," Vegeta said with a mischievous smirk and continued his way to the Gravity Chamber. Thinking of their fight, Vegeta was relieved to learn that when needed, Gohan would be able to stop him if one day he posed a threat, thus knowing his family would be safe. That's all he wanted to know to calm his own inner struggles. Kakarot's son was a strong one, that was for sure.

Gohan swallowed as he watched Vegeta disappear around a corner. What had he got himself into? He scratched the base of his neck and reluctantly continued his route as well.

Once outside, he walked over to both women, who ended their conversation as soon as they saw him. He didn't question it, he figured it was normal behavior, women tend to do it all the time. "So, are you ready to go?" Gohan asked Videl.

Videl looked at Bulma for reassurance, who nodded. "Yeah, sure, I'll get my copter," she said and reached into her pocket.

"No need to decapsulate your copter, we'll use Flying Nimbus," Gohan said, as if it was clear what he meant. "He's faster than a jet.'

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bulma asked, remembering the first time she tried to ride it herself. The magical flying yellow cloud can only support the pure-hearted, something Bulma apparently didn't have. Even though Videl had only shown selfless acts in recent months by helping Gohan, she didn't know the girl that well, and being Mr. Satan's daughter, there was still a chance that she inherited her father's impurity. She tried to persuade him to go for the safer option, "Why don't you fly yourself?"

Gohan ran a hand through his hair, "I haven't had a moment to relax in ages and I don't feel like doing anything at the moment."

Videl looked up as a yellow cloud descended from the air. She recognized it as the cloud she had seen Gohan's mother ride the other day. It stopped right next to Gohan, and to her amazement it was really just a yellow cloud. She reached out to touch it, and the watery airy substance slipped through her fingers, but somehow they didn't get wet.

Gohan jumped on the cloud and sat down. He extended a hand to the raven-haired girl to assist her, which she took. When their hands touched, Gohan felt an electric warmth run through his body and a light blush appeared on his face. Hoping she wouldn't notice, he guided her onto the cloud and she sat down in front of him, his legs on either side of her. Normally he would sit cross-legged, but that would leave less room for Videl to sit.

Bulma had held her breath the whole time, but let out a sigh of relief as the cloud accepted Videl. She started to smile, she really was a perfect match for her godson, wasn't she? A girl who can handle him, fights crime like him, was stunning to look at, and has a pure heart as well, something that was hard to find these days. Then she giggled: that boy was too innocent, it probably didn't even cross his mind that she could have been rejected by Nimbus.

As Videl settled into a comfortable position, Gohan looked at Bulma, "Thank you for putting up with me the past few months. I know I haven't been the easiest one lately, and I'm sorry about the whole Vegeta thing."

"I guess that's what you get when you are entangled with Saiyans," Bulma said, crossing her arms, but smiling nonetheless. "Take care Kiddo, come visit us soon."

"I will!" Gohan said, as Nimbus was already taking off. Then he turned his attention to said cloud, "Nimbus, can you bring us to Satan City?" And without further adieu, Nimbus flew East.

For a while, both teens didn't know what to say to each other. Gohan casually leaned back on both hands to give the girl some personal space. She, on the other hand, felt that he was deliberately keeping his distance, which made her feel unwanted, or rather, a burden. Maybe she should have taken her copter instead.

But when that thought crossed her mind, he finally broke the silence: "I'm sorry," he said, guilt was noticeable in his voice. She chose to remain silent, to force him to continue. "I should never have left, especially the day I did," he said, recalling that particular day: her emotions over her mother's passing; the - romantic? - tension between them in the janitor's closet; his sudden farewell, leaving her for weeks with all these open ends, unanswered questions and emotions. And for what? His unfounded paranoia? He sighed, he really was an airheaded asshole.

"Bulma has already explained a few things, although I still don't understand everything," Videl decided to engage the subject. "She told me that her husband had made you some threats in an angry mood, and that you believed them to be true, causing you to leave and do what you had to do." She paused before continuing, "However, she wouldn't tell me what it was that scared you so much."

"He threatened to hurt you," Gohan explained, "Because he knows I attach great importance to friendship, and well, that's the one thing that really triggers me to…" he stopped.

"To what?"

"to fight," Gohan said hesitantly

"I see," Videl said and felt anger wash over her, "You know, I can defend myself. If you had just explained this to me, none of this would have happened!"

Gohan's eyes twitched, "Sorry to say, that wouldn't have made any difference, you don't know what Vegeta is capable of."

Videl couldn't believe her ears and jerked her head around, "I would have been fine, thank you very much. I don't need you to save me." And she pulled her head back and crossed her arms."

"I recall differently," Gohan's irritation grew. "Without me you would've been dead by now."

Her eyes widened: Oh yeah, she almost forgot that he was Saiyaman. Indeed, he saved her life more than once. If she never had to be rescued, he would never have been poisoned in the first place.

Gohan let out an audible sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "While I really admire your bravery, you can be reckless at times . Just let me be there when you get in trouble." He then looked to the side, stared blindly at the horizon and continued, "But you're right, you can take care of yourself more than I gave you credit for, and I'll give you back that space. It's just that…" he stopped.

"What were you afraid of if I may ask?" she asked, hoping the boy would finish his sentence. Her posture relaxed more and her face softened. Although it really bothered her he'd disappeared for such a dumb reason, he meant well. It was actually very sweet, she thought, and a blush appeared on her face.

After a pause, he cleared his throat, "I think the whole problem is that I'm afraid I'll lose you one day," his voice broke, almost as if his emotions got the better of him. "And when you fight, I get worried sick. I've lost too much already in that regard."

"Is that why you showed up on that rooftop more than a week ago?"

"Mm," Gohan just gave her a sound of agreement.

"You made me worry too," Videl said soberly, "You looked awful. You were covered in wounds, your clothes were torn, and you… you just didn't look like you anyone. If it weren't for your green friend I wouldn't even have recognized you." She took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to get that horrible image out of her mind. "But I was fine, more than you anyway, so again, I can take care of myself… something you should do too."

"I know," Gohan said, feeling guilty about what he'd just learned. He didn't want her to worry about him. And now he understood that the feeling was mutual. "I've done a lot of self-reflection lately and I came to the same conclusion. I think the biggest problem is that you aren't bulletproof, that such simple weapons can kill you instantly, regardless of your skills. It's such a cowardly way of fighting. So I wanted to propose that you start your Ki lessons as soon as possible. If you can use it, I don't have to worry anymore and I can give you back all the space you need."

Videl slid her eyes to the side, as if she wanted to look at Gohan, but didn't turn her head. "Ki can really make you bulletproof?" the raven-haired crime fighter could hardly believe her ears. Was that even possible? But again, she's seen Saiyaman catch bullets with his bare hands and stop and send back a missile without even a touch.

"Sort of," Gohan answered and shrugged, "You can use it as a shield to bounce off bullets." Then he cracked a smile - not that Videl would see because she was looking ahead - and continued, "What do you say? We have a deal?"

She blushed, not sure why. Perhaps it was the foresight of finally spending time with him, one on one, without it being clouded by drama. She still couldn't comprehend what Ki really was, but she decided to be open-minded about it. Or about Gohan as a whole, as he had shown time after time that he was no ordinary man. He really was an enigma. "Yeah, okay."

Relief fell over the half-Saiyan. This was one of the things he wanted to settle with her before going back to their old ways, to clear the air and open up the possibility of becoming good friends once more without unwanted tension.

"Gohan, what's a Saiyan?"

Her question took him by surprise, making him tense up once more. He wanted to tell her, but this wasn't the right time. "I, uh…," he began, not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Videl said reluctantly. The people she'd met who took a warm heart to Gohan, be it Bulma or Yamcha, all told her to be patient with her friend. That if she gave him the space, he would eventually tell her the things she wanted to know. But she wasn't a patient person, so this was very difficult for her. But if she really wanted him to open up to her, she figured this was the only way.

Gohan relaxed again, "I've decided to tell you everything you want to know about me." His answer made Videl's heart skip a beat and opened her eyes wide in surprise, waiting patiently for what he was going to say. "But I have to think about how I'm going to tell you, it's quite complicated and I don't want to scare you off." She wondered what could possibly scare her off, but she let it go, hoping that Gohan would tell her more. "And that includes explaining to you what a Saiyan is."

"I see," Videl replied. While she was a little disappointed, she was also stoked to hear he would finally let her into his life, whatever that may be.

"Give me a week, okay," he said, trying to reassure her that he wouldn't put off the conversation too long. "But I'll make it up to you. You can ask me another question that I'll answer truthfully, right here, right now."

Videl turned her head to the side so she could slightly see his face. He smiled, but there was also a hint of uncertainty. She had collected so many questions over the past few weeks: Was the guy human after all?; How did he befriend God?; What on earth was he thinking when he picked out his Saiyaman outfit?; Who were those people on that picture he deliberately hid?; Are those Dragon Balls real and has he ever used them?; Why could all his friends fly?; And remembering the conversation with Yamcha: Who were the Z-fighters and what did her father have to do with Gohan's secrets.

But she decided against it all. He had already promised to tell her everything so she could wait a bit longer. Finally she asked, "What is your favorite food?"

Gohan had prepared himself for every question she possibly could ask, except this one. "What?" he managed to get out.

"You said you'd answer the question truthfully, so I ask again, what's your favorite food?"

"I mean, sure, I'll answer your question, but of all you could ask, why… why ask such a simple one?"

"Because I felt like it," she started to get irritated again. It had already taken a lot of her self-discipline to tame her curiosity, and he wasn't making it easy for her. And she certainly didn't want to explain her reasoning.

"Basically everything my mom cooks," he decided to answer, beginning to realize that she wanted to respect his privacy until he was ready. "But if I had to choose one dish, it would be Ramen."

"Really?" She glanced briefly over her shoulder and cracked a smile, "You can wake me up for a good bowl of Hakodate Ramen with extra char siu pork."

He chuckled, "Lucky me, then Ramen it is. I still have to buy you dinner. But if you want, I can make it breakfast instead."

"Ha ha, no please, dinner is fine. So you didn't forget?"

"Hey! I'm a gentleman, how can I forget such promises to a lady?"

They both chuckled at the cheesy comment and were both relieved that the tension between them had finally broken. Videl felt her body relax again, and for the first time since they'd taken off, she looked around. The view was beautiful, and although she had flown trillions of times before, this experience was much more intense. The wind played softly with her hair and the sun shone warmth on her face. And while she expected it would be cold, somehow it wasn't.

Unknown to Videl, Gohan used his Ki to shield them from most of the scorching winds and the cold, increasing the surrounding temperature a bit to a more comfortable one. If he hadn't, the poor girl would have been frozen at this altitude, and talking wouldn't be as easy at this speed. Speaking of which, "So, have I missed anything since I left? How are Sharpener and Erasa doing?"

"Oh! Yeah, there's something big you missed! You'll never guess, but Sharpener and Erasa are a thing now."

Gohan let out a chuckle, "So they finally told you?"

She jerked her torso towards him to look straight at him, placing a hand on his inner thigh for support, her eyes wide. "You… you knew?"

"Erasa told me, but she asked me to keep it quiet."

"Wh-, When?"

Gohan thought about it for a moment, "The day after the Baseball game, during P.E. According to Erasa, they wanted to see if it worked out between them, and because they didn't want to ruin the group dynamics, they kept quiet."

"Well, then they kinda failed… they're really lovey-dovey now, it's sickening," even thinking about it turned her stomach, "I mean, I'm happy for them, but it's really in the face. I don't know how to describe it but I feel like the third wheel. I'm really glad you're coming back." Her big inquisitive eyes lingered on his, "I've missed you."

He swallowed, Nimbus suddenly felt very small, and her touch on his inner thigh didn't help either. His heart was suddenly beating very fast and somehow he couldn't look away, he was held captive by her beautiful light blue eyes. "I-I missed you too," he almost stuttered. Why did she make him feel so self-conscious?

At that moment, something caught her attention on her right. Maybe it was a bird or a shimmer, but it made her look away from their gaze and her attention was drawn to their surroundings. She suddenly got on her knees, but both hands on his right leg for support and leaned over the edge to get a better view, "Wow."

Gohan didn't realize he'd been holding his breath during their staring, and found himself out of air. He was relieved their closeness was interrupted, so she didn't notice his recovery. He then looked to see what had distracted her: they flew directly over the aftermath battlefield that Gohan and Vegeta had created

"Do you think this morning's earthquakes came all the way from here?" she asked, looking at the broken grounds below them. "I've flown over this area before, but this is new."

"This is what happens when you put me and Vegeta against one another." Gohan decided to tell the truth, she will eventually know anyway. "See the crater over there? That explosion cost me my fingers."

Surprised, she turned her head to Gohan, "Wait, what? You did this? But it looks like a war zone out there!"

"Me and Vegeta," Gohan corrected her. "Now do you understand why I got so worked up when I thought he wanted to harm you?"

Videl said nothing, she was just trying to process the information he had given her. She knew he could create explosions, the school hallway was proof of that, and she knew he was strong. He could also fly, making the spacious area a plausible battleground. But this, this was at on a whole new level, even for Saiyaman. What was he? As much as she wanted to know, she stuck to her decision to wait for the boy to open up on his own, which he said would be sometime next week. "I understand," she said, trying to sound convincing, even if she only understood that if someone could destroy the area in that regard, she probably wouldn't stand a chance.

As the battlefield disappeared from view, she sat down again, with her back to Gohan, but this time she was much closer to the boy. And to Gohan's utter surprise, she leaned into him. His face lit up at the sudden contact, but he welcomed it too. She didn't freak out over what he'd shared with her about his fight with Vegeta, which was a good sign, he thought. Maybe she'd take the rest of his life the same way. His body relaxed again and with Nimbus still flying East, the duo remained peacefully in their newfound position.

~ Psst: 3 chapters to go ~