Five Steps, part two
by: Ashley



A small smile touched Gohan's lips. The past few months had been more than what he expected. Bra was everything Videl was not. Both of the women were as different as night and day. He smiled again as he looked over the documents scattered across his desk. His hands sorted through them quickly. The faster he finished this, then the faster he could get to her. With a new strength he looked over the papers faster.

A small knock echoed through his door. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. Bra hated these things. His eyes brightened a bit as he went to answer the door. "Hello, and how may I... oh, it's just you." Gohan left the door open so she could come in. 'I haven't heard from her in months, what does she want now?' he thought.


Videl grimaced at the way his voice dropped from a cheerful to scornful in a matter of seconds. "Hi, Gohan." She let herself in his cramped office. She looked around the office like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Her eyes finally fell to his face. "We have to talk," she said slowly.

Gohan shrugged in indifference. "I don't have anything to say to you." He went around her to sit back at his desk. 'Now I'm going to be late seeing Bra,' he thought a bit irritated at his wife.

"Gohan," she said exasperated, "will you at least listen to me?"

"I'm listening."

She sighed and sat down. Her hands instinctively went to her swollen belly. When a snort of disgust came from him, she put her hands in her lap. "Gohan, I want to ask for your forgiveness. I didn't mean to hurt you, it just happened." She paused and looked at his face for some type of sign. She sighed when there was no emotion evident in his eyes or face. "I know what we did was wrong. I cannot tell you how sorry I am. Trunks would apologize too, if he wasn't afraid that you would hurt him again."

Gohan shrugged. He wasn't going to touch the boy anymore. Bra convinced him that he had already gotten what little revenge he could have from him. "I guess I forgive him."

She arched an eyebrow at his statement. "What about me?"

He smirked. The more time he spent with Bra the more of her characteristics he took up. "I've already hurt Trunks."

Videl began to look at him suspiciously. "Gohan?"

He picked up a pencil and tapped it lightly on the desk. "Videl, you're not the only one who has cheated here."

Videl felt a sharp pain cut her up. She held a hand to her belly. "Gohan..."

He shrugged. "I'm with someone else Videl. I've been with her since--"

She shook her head and waved her hand at him. "I don't want to know. I hope you two are happy together."

He nodded. "I was on my way to see her until you came." He stood up and walked to the door. "I don't want to seem cruel, but you'll get the papers from my lawyer in a few days. I want to move on with my life. Maybe she and I will become more than what we are. Plus it seems like you and Trunks have plans of your own." He looked at her with slight curiosity. "So, how did Marron take it?"

"I don't know. Trunks says he hasn't heard from her in weeks." She stood up and waddled towards him. "I guess we're over then, huh?" she asked softly.

He looked at her with a hazy glare. "We were over the second you cheated on me. I hope you and your baby's daddy have a good life."

Videl felt all of the guilt she felt fade away when he made that statement. "You didn't have to say that."

He looked confused. "But, isn't that what he is?"

She snarled at him and walked briskly to the door. "Good-bye, Gohan." She slammed the door behind her as she left.


Gohan knocked on her door. She should be back form work about now. 'I wonder what Bra's going to say about it,' he thought with a smile.


Bra ran to answer the door when she heard his knuckles knock lightly on the door. "Gohan!" She tiptoed up to kiss him. "You're late," she said while backing off.

He ran his fingers through his thick hair. "I know. She came by today." Gohan saw her face go blank. It was the same look she had when they were first together. "Bra, don't make that face. I hate it when you do that."

She smiled slightly and grabbed his glasses off of his face. "And I hate these." She twirled the frames around her fingers smirking up at him. She pulled him in and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry if I seemed a bit mad about it, but I don't want you to go back to her. After what she did to you, I would be surprised if you did take her back. I've just gotten over Juunana-gou, I don't want to get over you."

Gohan looked thoughtfully at her. "I told you I wouldn't leave."

She shrugged. "Yeah, but she wasn't around when you said that."

"I'm not leaving you, Bra. I told Videl she'll be expecting the divorce papers in a few days." He walked up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons. If it makes you feel any better, you're one of them."

She turned around to kiss his cheek. "I don't understand why she would cheat on you. You are about as close to perfect anyone could get."

He blushed and laughed nervously. He was about to speak when the phone interrupted him.

Bra went to answer the phone. The conversation was short but he got the feeling something bad had happened. "Gohan, that was Trunks."

He shrugged. "What about him?"

"Videl is having complications with the baby. They think it might be a miscarriage."

He paled a little and became serious. "She's too far along, she won't make it."

Bra nodded and walked to the door. "She's at the hospital. Everyone's heading there already."

Before Gohan could protest, Bra dragged him out.

* * * * * * * * *

Trunks left Videl's side for the first time when the nurse urged him out of the room. He agreed hesitantly after Videl said she would be fine. He sighed before kissing her forehead. "Everything will be fine. Our baby will be fine too." He squeezed her hand one last time before leaving.

His head hung low. 'I hate to see her with so many tubes and machines around her. Why do they wait so long before the cesarean section? Can't they see that this baby is killing her? She's going to die having a stillborn and there's nothing that they will do about it,' he thought sad and frustrated.

He looked around the waiting room at the confused faces. His mother was sitting by herself with a questioning look at her son. He turned his eyes away from her to his father who was unusually close to Juuhachi-gou. He glanced at Krillin who was rubbing Chi Chi's shoulders soothingly. Pan was in Juunana-gou's arms in another corner. Goten sat with Paris with a murderous look in his eyes directed at him. He looked away quickly, but wished he hadn't. Marron was lying against Yamucha's chest in a comfortable manner. He shook his head in shame. He was about to leave again when he saw his sister had finally came. Tears stung his eyes when he saw her and Gohan hand in hand. 'What happened to everyone?' He hung his head looking at them with sad eyes. He wasn't aware that all eyes were on him.


Gohan squeezed Bra's hand letting her know he was uncomfortable. He looked down at her and caught her gaze. She looked away from him to look at her brother.

"Trunks, what's her condition?"

Trunks looked at her without responding. Finally it came to him. "She's a strong woman. It's just she's been really worried and stressed out lately that it's hurting the baby." He glanced at Gohan before continuing. "The doctors say...they say she could die. It's not true though. Videl is too strong to die. She'll have the baby and we'll get married and live happily ever after. She's going to be okay." Trunks had tears coming down his cheeks as he trembled.

Bra let go of Gohan's hand to comfort her brother. 'She means a lot to him. He's never cared about anyone but himself before,' as she hugged her brother to her. Bra released her hold on him when a familiar voice rang through her ears.

"Trunks what the hell is going on between my mother and you? I thought you were with Marron." Pan was out of Juunana-gou's arms as she made her way towards them. "Dad, when did you get with Bra?"

Gohan answered his daughter before anyone else could. "Pan, what happened is that everyone here is nothing but a two-faced liar. Videl cheated on me with Trunks. Their little fling screwed us all up."

"We did not have a fling! I loved her!"

"Whatever Trunks! You don't love anyone besides yourself!" Marron said as she got out of Yamucha's hold. "You are a self centered jackass! If you cared about anyone, you wouldn't have gotten an old lady pregnant!"

Bulma watched her son quietly. When he began to break down and Marron and Gohan scold him she stood up and walked towards them. "Trunks, is Videl's baby, your child?"

Trunks was aware that all eyes were on him at the moment. He smiled kindly at her and nodded. "It's my baby." He looked at the faces that were glued on him. "I don't care what you think of me now. I love Videl and I know sure as hell I'm going to love that baby too."

Gohan and Marron were ready to kill him if Yamucha and Bra hadn't held them back. Marron twisted in Yamucha's arms fiercely. Gohan gave gentle but strong pushes to get out of Bra's hold. Before any of the two could hurt him, Pan tapped Trunks lightly on the shoulder. When he turned around, she pulled back and punched him dead in the face. "You broke up my parents! How can you be happy about helping someone commit adultery?!" Juunana came to retrieve the feisty woman.

The nurse came into the waiting room. "Is the father of the Son Videl baby present?"

Trunks stood up weakly off of the ground. He raised his hand to get the nurse's attention. "I'm the father." He ignored Gohan's, Pan's, and Marron's growls at him.

The nurse nodded very seriously. "I'm sorry to inform you but--"

"You were supposed to get me before she went into delivery! I was supposed to be there with her!"

"Sir, I'm sorry. She went into labor earlier than expected. They just finished the c-section a few minutes ago. I'm sorry but the baby isn't doing so well. The mother is holding on."

"But I've only been here for an hour and a half at the most! How could she have had a baby that fast!" he screamed at the nurse.

"Her c-section wasn't scheduled until later tomorrow. We preceeded to the operation today because her vitals were dropping fast."

Trunks calmed down enough to finally pay attention to the woman's words. "What about the baby?"

"The babies are in excellent condition to be three months early. They are in the IC units under heavy supervision."

Trunks's jaw dropped at her words. "There was more than one baby?!" He tried his best not to pay attention to Gohan, Marron, and Pan.

The nurse nodded. "Twins. A boy and girl. Follow me if you would like to see the mother."

Trunks followed the nurse to the IC units to see Videl. 'I hope she isn't too bad,' he thought as he walked in and out of different hallways.