Chapter Sixteen




Everyone had advice for Gohan.
Go out.
Train more for your test.
Go after her.
Find someone new.
Got to hell, was what Gohan would say. Let him live in his little house and be depressed. Some of the guys teased him, said they've never seen a love sick sayjin before. His mother even came by to deliver some blows.
"How could you let her leave?" she said. "Will I ever have grandchildren?"
Then came his brother. "Want to go spar? come on, I'll let you kick the crap out of me like old times!"
His father, of course, was already off on another mission with Raditz, but gave him one peice of advice before he left. "Be out of this sulk by time I get back or I'll break your jaw."
Gohan thought he could use a good beating. This wasn't like him at all. The old Gohan would be down at the bar arm wreasteling Mame and laughing it up with his friends. Not sitting around drinking sharp Dango juice.
The door slammed open and Toma bardged in. "Damn it, boy, what the hell is the matter with you?"
"Besides that you just shattered my eardrums, not a whole lot." Gohan said.
"You know what I mean." Toma said shoving his muscular frame into a chair. "You've been in here day and night just staying out of trouble. It's not like you. You're never yourself latly. You usually are off reading or training. The boys miss you at the gym. Heck, even old Remon misses you. Come by tonite okey?"
"I'm not in the mood." Gohan said. He wasn't in the mood for anything latly. Everything reminded him of 'her'. He couldn'ttrain without remembering her panting and sweating besides him. He couldn't sleep without imagining her in his arms like that amazing night they shared. How she felt next to him even when she was asleep.
"Snap out of it!" Toma shouted. "Listen, you've got to get a handel on your woman trouble. You are driving us crazy."
"The feelings mutual." Gohan muttered.
"If I didn't know better I'd call you lovesick."
"Good thing you know better then." Gohan said sending Toma a peircing stare.
A grin slowly spread across Tomas face. "That's it, isn't it? She flashed her little pretty slime and you fell flat on your backside in love."
Gohan cleared his throat. "If you're done- leave."
Go get her and put yourself out of your misery." Toma suggested.
"The door's behind you. Use it."
Toma sighed. "Man you've got it bad." He turned and walked out chuckeling softly.
Gohan gazed emptily at the closed door. As much as he hated to admit it, Toma was right. He stood up and grabed a monet poutch and a pack of cards. Tonight was card night at the local bar, maybe it'll be a good way to get his mind off of 'her'.

Videl sneeked in through the back window and inside. The room was dark but she knew her way around. She smoothly side stepped the chairs around the kitchen table and went in the main room. Videl was releived when she senced no one was at home, it would make this much easier.
She went directly to the bookcase and reached up to pull down the wooden box. She smiled and lifted the lid. Sitting on the red cushion was two three peice sets of gold braclets. Two were large cuffs that she knew went on each wrist and the other was a smaller tail ring. Videl could tell they were very old and irriplacable. She had read that shiki rings were mostly used among high levels and the top elite, but there were a few who passed them on from generation to generation in low level families.
A half hour later she had showered and dressed in one of her best dresses. She remembered the last time she had worn a dress of her own free will was at her mothers funeral. But this was no black conservitive dress. It was pure white that went all the way to the floor and no sleeves, but wide shoulder straps. Videl already clicked on the two wrist braclets but didn't know what to do with the tail ring. She put it on the dresser behind her.
Videl stood trembling in Gohans bedroom. Gohan wasn't back yet and she began to wonder if it was a mistake for her to be doing this. But before she could talk herself into retreat, she heard the front door slam. She was so busy worrying she didn't feel his power level!
Videl moved to the left of the door so when Gohan walked into the room he didn't see her. With his back to her, Gohan approched the bed and in one movement he pulled his armor over his head. It landed on the floor with a thud and she smiled. Time to make her move.
"Do you beleive in true love?" she whispered.
gohan stilled. He started to twist around but she hed moved quicker and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her cheek on his cool back.
"I do." Videl said in a hushed voice.
Gohan turned around and blinked. then blinked again. What was this angel doing in his bedroom? His eyes focused and Videl came into view. "V-videl?" He looked down to her white dress then up to her blue eyes. "What are you doing here? I thought that-"
She silenced him with a soft kiss. She kissed him again and again, moving from his lips to his cheeks, his forhead, jaw. She nibbled on his ear and he shivered. "I came back," she whispered. "to tell you how much I love you."
"Videl," Goahn moaned. "Are you real? Is this a dream?"
She grinned and didn't answer. Instead she lowered her hands to his arms and lifted his wrists up over his head.

*Click-clink!*

Gohan looked up to see the gold braclets on his wrist and now hers. "What are you doing?"
"Hey, it's your planets tradition." Videl said poking him in the cheast. She held up the two tail rings.
"Baby," he pulled her in his arms. "Are you sure about this?"
"Do you love me?" she asked tensing up.
Gohan thought his body would burst with the joy he felt. "Yes! I love you Videl!" His voice dropped seriously. "But using the Shiki Rings makes this one of those forever things."
Videls smiled widened. "You mean it? Will you really be all mine? Forever?"
He nodded. Videl reached around and clipped the tail ring at the base of his tail. He gasped at the fell of cold metal and smiled at her. She shyly held the other tail ring in her hand.
"I would wear it." Videl said. "But . . . you know."
Gohan calmly took the ring and lifted her left hand. "You Earthlings have some traditions too." He slid the tail ring on her ring finger. Videl stared at it. It came all the way up to her knuckle but was still so beautiful.
Gohan raised her chin with his fingers and kissed her deeply. Then he backed up, still holding her, and fell onto the bed with her on top of him. Videl laughed as they bounced on the matress. She ran both of her hands through his thick black hair. So this is what love was, she thought happily.

In the early hours of the morning Gohan listend as Videl told him of meeting Bulma on Norcom and Lou now living with the other Aquarians.
"I think she'll be very happy there." Gohan said kissing Videls neck.
She shoved at him. "Not again! I need a breather okey? I mean we have a lifetime together."
"All right." Gohan said sounding like an upset kid.
Videl hugged him tightly. This was where they belonged. Together.



THE END







What did you think? I would like a lot of freeback on this okey, to review please. Oh yeah, want to know how Gohan did on his test? Go on to the epilogue!