Disclaimer: Get this, yesterday I bought another Gohan action figure (yes, another one. I have six now) and not only is it the most life like one I've found, but it's of him as a teenage in mystic form AND he's wearing the orange gi with ::gasp:: a removable shirt. All for my sweet, hard chest crazing eyes. Life's good.

A/N~ Wow, it's been like a month since my last installment. Sorry to all my actual avid readers, I've been busy and… uninspired. Anyway, this isn't going to be the last chapter I put out, but the chapters will be coming in really long intervals for two reasons: 1. I'm busy and don't have much time on the computer anymore    2. I'm going to be starting another story that hopefully will appeal more to the G/V audience. Who knew people didn't like things to be drawn out? Now I know that people want immediate action and romance and that's…. not quite what I'll give them, but close enough. Enough of my blabbering though, READ AND REVIEW!!! The more reviews the more chapters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Deception of a Whisper

Chapter 9- What You Live For

            At the current moment he could almost laugh at his ironic predicament. He had been sent on a mission by the king to relay a message about the prince and ended up finding the prince himself who in turn created yet another obligation to do which could very easily be categorized as top secret, or so he guessed. Now he found himself walking down the chilled corridors he was presently becoming quite accustomed to with a woman wearing a black cloak very much like the one he had seen that other figure adorn so often in his haunted memories. He wanted to laugh so bad that he almost felt the slight sting of tears edge from the corners of his eyes but settled instead for a sigh.

            The woman to his side glanced at him for a moment before turning her attention back down the hall with a sigh of her own. No doubt she was just as uncomfortable with the situation as he was.

            "So," she began breaking the silence. "What's your name?"

            "Captain Son Gohan…" he faltered for a moment wondering what to address this strange woman by. "Ma'am."

            A soft giggle sounded from the covered woman and she tilted her head to look at him through the hood of her cloak only to see him staring straight back at her. She smiled warmly at his confused look and glanced ahead quickly before returning her gaze to his only to see that he too had looked ahead into the hall. Another short giggle escaped her as she saw the slightly red tint grace his fine features while he continued to stare forward.

            "What?" he asked earnestly feeling slightly uneased.

            "It's nothing," she said waving the issue away with her hand. "It's just that it feels weird to hear someone say that to me again."

            "Say what? Ma'am?"

            She nodded, the smile still in place as she looked back up to him, moving her hood back ever so slightly so that she could take a better look at him. "Yeah," she softly stated. "I haven't heard anyone refer to me as a ma'am in quite a while."

            He turned his eyes back to her only to be slightly shocked by what he saw. Her features were no longer shadowed by her hood allowing him to clearly see the aqua locks that graced her shoulders in subtle, short strands as well as her tired face. She was beautiful, there was no doubt in his mind to challenge that quandary, but she was also far older than himself, her age given away only by the fine lines that creased against the edges of her eyes, forehead, and mouth. Then he noticed her eyes, a glistening, pale blue that seemed to drink the light and reflect nothing but the sparse sparkles of water, yet they were bare of that glinting passion for life and full of a depressing monotony completely void of hope. Somehow in that instant he knew for sure; she wasn't a Saiyan.

            His new discovery must have been somewhat apparent as she seemed to smile just a bit more dearly, tucking her chin into her neck and facing the corridors ahead once again without a word.

            "I can tell you're overloading yourself with questions to ask me right now," she mused. "Unfortunately, I don't believe it's my place to answer any of them if truth be told. Besides," she continued risking a sideward glance at him; "You're too young to really worry about this kind of politics anyway."

            He huffed and gave an indignant snort crossing his arms securely over his chest. "I beg to differ."

            She glanced at him again with the same smile plastered on her face. "Maybe you're right, but I still don't think it's my place to tell you anything."

            Giving a shrug of his shoulders, he unfolded his arms allowing them to slightly swing at his sides as he walked. "Fine, I can understand that."

            "I'm Bulma, by the way," she said off-handedly still looking ahead. "I'll answer that question."

            Gohan nodded watching as she slightly took the lead and heightened their pace down the corridor. They walked silently for a minute before Gohan dubiously asked, "Why do you think I'm too young to worry about politics?"

            "Why do you concern yourself about what I think?" she quickly ricocheted.

            "It just seems I've been getting a lot of similar arguments lately, it's kinda disturbing."

            Bulma smiled amusedly. "Well you do look like you should be making mischief instead of preventing it from happening."

            He quietly reciprocated her grin glancing sidelong at her and shaking his head slightly from side to side. "I suppose you're right."

            She shrugged her shoulders. "Then again, I think the prince is kind of happy you got into the profession early."

            "What do you mean?" he asked quirking an eyebrow at her.

            Again her grin broadened and she crossed her arms rubbing her hands up and down upper limbs to warm them briefly. "I mean that there aren't exactly many people his majesty can really relate to in the castle and he's probably pretty happy to have a high ranking guard in the palace that's about his age. Before the youngest lieutenant in the palace had been at least thirty-five, and Colonel Kakarrott was probably thirty-seven himself." Her voice seemed to drift off at the mention of his father as she rubbed her hands over her arms a bit more roughly and shrank into her chest just a bit.

            "Do you know the Colonel?" she practically whispered watching him from the corner of her eye.

            "Yeah, I do," he responded off-handedly.

            She continued to watch him quietly asking him to elaborate on his answer.

            "He's my father."

            She stopped dead in the halls still holding herself and for a moment seemed to be in a mental trance unable to alleviate her stupor. "Oh," she said softly resuming her pace.

            "I get that a lot too," he jested with a small smirk. "Do you know him?"

            She thought a second before answering in a tone so soft he hardly heard it, "I did once."

            A few moments passed and Bulma suddenly changed the subject with a refreshed insightfulness that almost left Gohan reeling. "I think he really likes you."

            "Who, the prince?"

            "Yeah."

            "Hmm," he began scrunching his eyebrows together thoughtfully. "If he did, I'd be very flattered, but I've had to say he's not really my type. Then again he does have that whole money, power, and body going for him."

            She laughed at his joke and punched him jokingly on his arm. "You know what I mean."

            "I know," he stated loosening up just a bit. "I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit."

            "Well you succeeded."

            "I suppose I did," he smiled. "Honestly, I can't even begin to understand why the prince would want anything to do with me, age difference or not."

            "From what he's told me you're also very trust-worthy, keen, and clever. I can personally say that he seems to have not been wrong about your character."

            "Hn," Gohan thought.

            They neared the looming entrance of the captives' quarters with a steady stride listening for any passerbys that could potentially witness their descent into the area. None were present and Gohan slowly opened the gate and waited for his company to proceed into the murky light that misted the narrow passageway so he could follow behind her. She hesitated a moment before surely stepping in front of him and leading the way past the small, rancid cells plastered in disintegrating metals. He watched as she suddenly stopped at one and quickly looked inside the diminutive window before visibly stiffening and trudging ahead once again.

            Glancing inside the same space, Gohan found nothing of interest except a man sitting in the corner with his thick black hair shadowing his face and a deep scar tracing its way down the edge of his cheek. Big deal, he'd seen many of them in his time.

            She turned abruptly into a hallway even more dimly lighted than the main one and hunched herself over slightly as she walked as though she was evading a huntsman. He followed in turn keeping his body fully erect and crossing his arms over his chest in a bored manner, but when a voice caught his ear somehow he didn't find the hunched approach such a bad idea after all.

            They practically scurried now as Gohan realized they were passing the barracks of the watchmen and low-ranking palace officials that were stationed full service there. He looked around himself for a minute to get his bearings, but when he revolved once again, she was gone. There was no trace of the blue haired doctor anywhere and for a brief moment he wondered if she had somehow managed to magically vanish into thin air. The soft clapping of boots sounded just down the hall and Gohan felt that tight feeling of coursing adrenaline rear his body back on his heels as he looked for an escape route he might be able to take. No such luck.

            Panic set in almost immediately when he felt the cool touch of a hand grasp his ankle tightly and drag him back. Looking down, he saw Bulma urgently issuing him to follow her between a slight opening revealed by a door in the floor. Gladly, he ducked into the opening just as the guards walked over head and passed without another sound.

            "Gohan, dear," Bulma began in a slightly ragged tone. "I hate to sound like the defenseless, little woman, but could you be so kind as to make some kind of light. I really don't like walking down here without it."

            Obeying, he held his index finger out before them and drew his energy into the appendage creating a soft, luminescent glow that helped to illuminate the shrouded region with a slightly blue hue. Had he not been used to the scene, Gohan would have gasped in horror as the untimely sight of decayed carcasses littering mold eaten, stonewalls assaulted his vision. Instead he settled for a wary gaze and an alert persona. The air was rancid with the smell of decay, but somehow Bulma seemed unaffected by it as she calmly walked ahead motioning for him to follow. She chuckled softly to herself at the sound of Gohan giving an irritated snort and without turning to him said:

            "I've been told it smells fowl down here, but I guess I've never noticed."

            "How could you not?" Gohan asked fighting the urge to clasp a hand tightly over his nose to keep the scent from killing his nasal organs.    

            She shrugged her slim shoulders and took a diverted path down the cellar. "I've been studying the difference between Saiyan and human sensory devices and…"

            "Human?"

            "Yeah, I know that you don't believe I'm Saiyan so I won't even try to pretend," she stated simply risking a backwards glance to see him nod approvingly. "As I was saying, Saiyan senses seemed to be heightened almost tenfold compared to humans. I would attribute that to you all's greater energy levels."

            "I'm not sure I follow completely," he said involuntarily wriggling his nose.

            "You can cover your nose if want, I really don't care."

            "Thanks." He immediately did just that.

            She shook her head amusedly and continued, "I've compared Saiyan anatomy to human anatomy only to find that with the exception of Saiyan tails and a hard, metallic structure that seems to envelop all of your bones, human and Saiyan composition is almost exactly the same. Your nasal cavities and ear canals aren't any bigger or more complex than mine are, but you propel so much energy about your body so fast that your senses can pick up minute upsets in certain conditions almost immediately. It's your increase of energy circulation that is the key to your perceptive logic. The stronger you become, the more heightened your senses are. Understand?"

            "Yeah, but one thing still bothers me."

            "What's that?" she asked stopping in the middle of the room and looking thoughtfully back at him.

            "Why have you been comparing Saiyans with your kind?" he stated taking a skeptical stance with a hard glare placed upon her and his outstretched hand supplying a small ki ball to illuminate the area pointed menacingly at her.

            Much to his chagrin, she just smiled softly and turned to continue down the hall. "What else am I supposed to do down here? As one of the prince's biggest confidant's, he gives me access to what ever I want within reason. It just so happens to be that science is what I want, innovation to be exact."

            He thought about that for a second before agreeing with it watching the cobblestones beneath his feet pass as he walked.

            "By the way," she began with a flirty kink in her voice. "Next time you try to seem threatening to me, remember to take your hand off your nose. You're not very intimidating when you're holding it like that."

            Gohan felt his cheeks heat slightly as he followed behind her, his hand still on his nose but his proud stride slightly faltered.

            "You know, you're kind of cute when you blush," he heard Bulma say in front of him proceeded by a feminine giggle.

            His neck involuntarily seemed to shrink into his shoulders and his head seemed to suddenly weigh just a bit more as the blood rushed to his face and his figure slightly hunched in the dark. He watched her take another route to the left and stop abruptly in front of a withering metal door with a keypad just to it's right and quickly punch in a code. The door made a whirring sound before slowly sliding open on squeaky, rusting hinges to reveal a black room beyond shimmering faintly in the dim light Gohan was providing. Bulma took a step in and flipped a switch beside the door illuminating the vicinity almost immediately.

            A small gasp escaped Gohan's open mouth as he lowered both hands beside him and followed her slowly into the room. Masses of computers and other advanced technologies scattered dozens of tables littered fully with lab equipment and fluids, objects, and other accommodations he had never seen within the short, but integrated span of his life. Beakers fizzed and monitors clicked with growing data that the young Saiyan was completely unfamiliar with creating inquisitive questions that his pride would never let him ask. His only outlet was to ask, "What is this place?"

            To this, an almost predatory smirk filled his host's features as she gracefully moved beside a table and held up the contents of a small test tube for him to see. "This is my work, my baby if you will. I'm continuing to study the differences of Saiyan and human anatomical, chemical, and genetic compounds for further research."

            "But why?" he asked examining a dish closely before looking back at her.

            "To see how I compare of course," she said putting the test tube back in its respective place. "I just might be planning an escape, don't you think?" She gave him a joking wink and began examining another fluid.

            He gave a short laugh before slowly making his way over beside her. "If you were planning to make a break then why are you so close to the prince?"

            "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, ne?"

            "True," he softly complied smirking expectantly at the little doctor. "But then why would you study Saiyan genetics too if you're expecting to leave?"

            She visibly froze like a criminal caught in a blazing searchlight. "Well, I should probably know as much about them as I can to figure a way out of here, don't you think?"

            "Yes, but the reproductive system isn't too much of a concern when it comes to escaping that you would need to specialize in it." He came up behind her and stood just a foot away as he whispered inchea away from her ear, "Maybe you have a little crush on us that you can't quite get over, or should I say, a crush on the prince?"

            "You know you're being absurd don't you?" she asked turning to face him, a slight smirk tipping her lips.

            Gohan just shrugged and walked away to another station. "What's this?" he inquired pointing to a particular beaker sparsely filled with a thick, white substance.

            "I think you know fully well what that is," she answered putting her hands on her hips. She watched as he faced her and gave a satisfied smile before crossing his arms across his chest. "I didn't mean to slip about the genetic stuff before and I'm not in love with the prince, nor do I really plan on escaping. He asked me to do some research for him in return for safety and privacy, happy?"

            "Research for what?"

            "Hn, you know, you're definitely the most inquisitive Saiyan I've ever met, but that's classified and I can't tell what my research is for."

            "It seems that you want to tell me though," he stated matter of fact.

            "Why do you say that?"

            "Why else would you have brought me into your chamber at all when you could have dismissed me at the door, and furthermore why would you have even brought anything about your research up at all?" Her silence told him he'd won and he took his victory as an invitation to look around a little more.

            "Inquisitive and clever," she said almost in shock. "That's rare in you Saiyans."

            "I agree." He turned to smirk at her.

            She smiled warmly in return. "I still can't answer your question as right as you may be that I did want to tell you. I guess the prince isn't the only one who wishes they had a friend." Her smile turned despondent and she quickly looked away. "In times like these, that would seem to be what everyone really wants right now." She paused for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry to be taking up your time, you may go if you wish." With that she turned her back to him and slowly picked up one of her scientific utensils and grabbed a beaker from a shelf mixing its contents with the utensil.

            Normally, Gohan would have just left without another word, but something within him seemed to clench as he heard a soft sniffle come from the hunched woman as she worked. What brought him to act on that short thread of empathy, he'd never know, but in the next instant he felt himself shorten the distance between them and place a gentle hand warily on her shoulder and give a comforting squeeze. She turned to look at him, her blue eyes hazed in a reddish tint and smiled softly when she saw him point at the particular beaker she was holding.

            "What're you doing with this?"

            "You know I can't…"

            "Telling me what you're doing isn't the same as telling me what it's for," he stated with a grin.

            Bulma nodded slowly glancing at her work.

            "So are you going to tell me?" he asked.

            "Sure, why not? But don't you have somewhere you have to be?" she responded, a dejected note still stinging her voice.

            "It can wait," he returned observing as her face slid into a hopeful smile before returning it with his own comforting one. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N~ Next chapter Videl gets a much bigger role when something worse than pneumonia plagues her and only the prince and the dashing, young, strong, handsome, sultry, ceaselessly hot captain can rescue her. Also, Gohan actually comes face to face with her. Hmmmm, I wonder what will happen. I really already know, but I like to tease. Now if you would please click the little review button on the bottom of the screen, you'll give me another reason to smile. PLEASE REVIEW!!!