Disclaimer: see part 1
----------Love's Trials---------
-The next morning-
Videl woke up to the sunlight from the window next to her bed streaming onto her face. She squinted, trying to squeeze out the light, and brought up her hand to shield her eyes. Once the light was out of her face, Videl looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She shot up in bed, wondering where she was, her eyes darting around the room until they caught sight of her gym bag. She eyed it carefully before everything came back to her; she remembered where she was.
I'm at Gohan's house. I must have fallen asleep last night outside and he carried me back, Videl thought. She ran her hands over her face, trying to wake herself up, before throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. Noticing that she still wore the same clothes she wore the day before, Videl moved to change, taking out a pair of leggings and a tee-shirt. When she was dressed to her liking, Videl exited the room and was immediately bombarded with the mouthwatering smells of breakfast cooking. Letting her nose lead her to the kitchen, Videl spotted Chi-Chi standing over the stove, cooking something delicious that Videl couldn't identify.
"Good morning," Chi-Chi said, sensing Videl's presence behind her, "If you're looking for Gohan, he's right outside." Videl smiled.
"Thanks for telling me. Do you need any help with breakfast?" Videl asked. Chi-Chi shook her head.
"No, I don't need help, but thank you for offering. Just go on outside and I'll call you and Gohan when breakfast's ready."
"Ok, thanks, Chi-Chi," Videl said before leaving the kitchen and heading towards the front door. Videl got about 5 steps towards the front door when an object, or rather a person, entered her path. Videl looked down to see little Goten, who was looking at her back with an inquisitive, yet bashful gaze. Videl smiled and knelt down so she was eye-to-eye with Goten.
"Good morning, Goten. Did you want something?" she asked sweetly. Goten nodded.
"I have a question for you, Videl."
"What is it?" Videl said. Goten's face lit up with a smile.
"Are you going to marry my brother?" Videl paled briefly before turning a bright pink.
"Uh…I don't know, Goten. Why do you ask?" Videl stuttered.
"'Cause I think you should. Then, I could have you and Gohan as my parents. That would be cool!" Videl cleared her throat and tried to suppress her blush.
"Well, Goten, I guess we'll see. Hey, speaking of your brother, do you know where he is?" Goten nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, he's outside training." Goten leaned in closer and put his mouth next to her ear.
"But be very quiet," Goten whispered, "Gohan gets mad when I interrupt his training. I don't want Gohan to hurt you." Videl smiled and laughed slightly.
"Thanks for the warning, Goten," Videl said, believing that Gohan could never hurt her, "I'll make sure to be careful, alright little guy?" Goten nodded before rushing off.
"Bye, Videl!" he called out as he ran upstairs, to do God knew what.
Probably to play with his toys up in his room, Videl thought as she walked outside, being greeted with the beautiful morning light. Videl gasped at the beauty of the countryside. I wouldn't mind living out here forever. It's so beautiful out here, so peaceful. Videl's eyes took in the clear blue skies, the luscious trees, the dew that still lingered slightly on the grass. Out of the corner of her eye, Videl saw movement. She turned her head and saw Gohan, totally unaware of the world around him. He moved so slowly, Videl could swear that at times, he was frozen. Videl couldn't believe what she was seeing. His movements were so graceful and fluid, like they all melded together to make one motion, a never-ending motion. She faintly recognized martial arts forms, but she didn't know what type of martial arts those forms came from.
Videl could only stare in awe at Gohan, taking in his movements, his navy blue gi, and his look of utter concentration that came from years of discipline. Gohan was fully focused on his movements, practicing Tai Chi, a form of slow movements created out of martial arts forms that tested his concentration and skill.
Thank you Piccolo for teaching me this; this has helped me a lot in my training. You always know when it's time for me to learn something new, Gohan said to himself, thanking Piccolo. Piccolo had been his first and best master, with the exception of Goku. In some ways, Piccolo was like a second father to him, always looking out for him, making sure he stayed out of danger. Well, my friend, you can't protect me anymore. I've surpassed your own strength. Now, all I can do to pay you back is protect you the way you protected me, Gohan thought. Gohan's movements were stopped abruptly when he felt a fairly strong ki behind him. He relaxed his body, standing normally, and turned around to see Videl watching him.
"Oh, hey Videl. How are you this morning?" he asked. Videl shook off her stupor.
"I'm fine, Gohan. How are you?" Gohan thought about it for a moment before answering.
"I'm good…but I'm hungry. Is my mom finished making breakfast yet?" Videl shook her head.
"No, but I think she should be done in a few minutes." Gohan gave a sigh of relief.
"Oh, that's good," Gohan breathed. There was a bit of a silence where nothing was said and Videl was the first to break it.
"Hey, Gohan, what were you doing when I walked outside? That looked really cool," Videl said, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"You mean the slow stuff I was just doing?" Gohan said, trying to clarify. Videl nodded.
"That was something called Tai Chi. One of my masters just taught me that a few months ago. It helps build up my concentration and sharpens my skills to make me better. But, I'm not nearly as good as Piccolo is."
"Piccolo?" Videl questioned.
"That's the name of my master," Gohan said, not revealing Piccolo's background and origin.
"Oh, I see," Videl said as she deftly changed the topic, "So, how good are you?" Gohan looked confused at Videl.
"How good am I at what?" Gohan asked. Videl smiled mischievously.
"You know what I mean. At martial arts." Gohan smirked.
"Oh," he drawled out, "I see. Yeah, I guess I am pretty good. I mean, I've only been training since I was 5."
"Well, so have I," Videl chuckled, "And I bet I can beat you." Inwardly, Gohan was laughing. Videl? Beat me? Pigs might fly, first, Gohan thought before shrugging.
"You wanna give it a shot?" he asked. Videl moved to stand in a perfect fighting form.
"Bring it on," she whispered. Gohan stood about two yards in front of her and moved into fighting position.
"You're going to lose, Videl," Gohan said, making sure that his power level was way down. Don't want to hurt the poor girl, Gohan said to himself. The fight had unofficially begun. Both of them were looking at each other, trying to stare the other down but with no success. With a roar, Videl was the first one to strike, only hitting Gohan's forearm which had come up to block Videl's hit. The two fought for a few moments, Videl throwing punches and Gohan blocking them.
Suddenly, Gohan's stomach growled, which interrupted his concentration, causing him to drop his guard and allowing him to let Videl hit him in the face. Gohan was shocked with the impact, which violently jerked his head to one side. He brought up a hand to rub his slightly abused cheek before reaching out and grabbing Videl by the wrist. With one deft move, he flipped her over so her back hit the ground. Gohan smiled; the fight was over and he had won. He leaned over Videl, who was looking up at the sky with a dazed look.
One second, I'm holding my own and then he grabs my wrist and the next second, I hit the ground. What happened? Videl asked herself. She directed her gaze at Gohan, who was smiling down at her.
"I think our fight is over, Videl, and I won. I think it's time to go in and have breakfast, don't you think?" Gohan held out his hand to help Videl up. Videl, without warning, grabbed Gohan's hand, pulled him down, planted her feet into his stomach, and flipped him over her using her legs to boost him over so he landed behind her on his back. She stood up, dusted herself off, and walked towards the entrance to the house.
"Thanks Gohan, for trying to help me up. It was much appreciated," Videl purred. As Videl disappeared into the house, Gohan could only lie there in shock.
Wow. She is amazing. I think I'm in love, Gohan thought before pushing himself off the ground and walking into the house as well to fill his empty stomach.
***
Videl moved her chair back a couple of inches to get the late afternoon sun out of her eyes as she and Gohan researched for their project in his room, surrounded by piles and piles of books. Videl turned back to the large, thick book she was reading thorough and her eyes lit up when she found something.
"Ooh, ooh, Gohan. What about the war of 217?" Videl asked, her voice full of excitement.
"Nope," Gohan said while typing up stuff that he found, "That won't do. The war of 217 wasn't a civil war; it was a war against the
Deep Sea Islands over valuable resources after a year of one natural disaster after another."
"It is?" Videl asked, letting her eyes skim down the description. Her shoulders slumped with defeat when she realized that Gohan was right and she harrumphed.
How does he know all of this stuff? He's like a walking encyclopedia. Videl thought. She looked over at him to see him intently focused on the computer. But a gorgeous walking encyclopedia, Videl admitted to herself. Shaking herself out of her daze, Videl turned back to the book on the desk in front of her and flipped through a few pages before her eyes spotted another documented war. She took in a deep breath, ready to tell Gohan that she might have found something else, but closed her mouth before she said anything.
I want to see if I'm right about this one before I say something, Videl thought as she read the first few paragraphs on the page. Her face drew into a smile; she had found something useful.
"Hey Gohan," Videl said, "Come here. I found something and I want you to check it over." Gohan looked over at Videl, who was sitting up straight with pride at her accomplishments.
"Ok," he said, getting out of his chair and walking across the room to where Videl was working. Bracing one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the desktop, he leaned over her shoulder to read what she found.
"So," Videl asked, "What do you think? Did I find something?" Gohan's eyes quickly skimmed the page and after a few moments, he smiled.
"Yeah, you did find something, Videl."
"Are you proud of me, Gohan?" Videl asked.
"Yeah, actually, I am," Gohan said as they turned their heads to face each other. Gohan's smile died and Videl's eyes widened with surprise as the two teenagers found that their faces were mere centimeters apart from one another's. They both froze, their eyes locked on each other. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath on their faces. Videl stared deep into Gohan's coal black eyes, drowning in them as she found herself becoming short of breath.
This isn't happening. This has to be a dream, Videl told herself, beginning to feel light-headed. Gohan, too, was starting to feel light-headed. He didn't know what to do; he had never been faced with the situation before in his life and he was frozen. They stayed there, staring at each other for what seemed like forever, neither of them moving. Gohan's eyes flickered down to Videl's lips, slightly open and very tempting.
Damn, she's beautiful, Gohan thought as he removed his hand from the desktop and gently, yet shakily, cupped Videl's cheek. His eyes flickering down to her lips one last time, Gohan leaned in. Videl tilted her face upward, her lips moving to accept the impending kiss. The gap between them was closing, their lips brushed up against one another, and…
"GOHAN!! VIDEL!! IT'S DINNER TIME!!" Chi-Chi yelled from downstairs, shocking the two teens. They jumped apart, as if they had been scalded. Gohan stood up straight and looked down at Videl nervously.
"Well, I guess we better go down to dinner," he said. Videl nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just going to go to the bathroom first, ok?" she said, looking up at him. Gohan nodded and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Videl got up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. When she entered the bathroom, she hurriedly locked the door and slid down it, sitting with her back against the door and her hand on her chest, trying to slow down her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, hitting the door with a thunk.
I can't believe that almost happened. What's he going to do? What am I going to do? How are we going to treat each other? Are we going to act like nothing happened? Videl thought. Her thoughts swarmed around her like a whirlwind, making her more and more flustered and frustrated.
"Ooh, never mind. It was only an almost-kiss. That doesn't change anything," Videl whispered to herself before standing up and exiting the bathroom. She walked down the stairs and into the dining room determinedly, her head held high. Her eyes immediately locked on Gohan, who was already inhaling his food. How does he do that? Videl asked herself. Gohan looked up at her and for a moment, Videl was worried about what was going to happen next. Then Gohan spoke.
"Videl, you have to try this," Gohan said, indicating the food in front of him, "It's really good." Videl sighed, half in relief and half in disappointment. So, it looks like he's choosing to ignore the issue about the kiss, then, isn't he? Videl thought as she sat down across from him and served herself food. She took one last glance up at him as she was serving herself rice and felt even more relieved when he smiled genuinely at her. She smiled back. Good. At least he's not going to ignore me now, Videl said to herself as she started eating and thoughts of the almost-kiss began to fly out of her mind.
***
Gohan stifled a yawn as he and Videl continued to work until late in the evening. He was just finishing piecing together the last bits of their Power Point presentation that was going to go along with the paper they were writing together.
We'll write that tomorrow, Gohan thought as his fingers hit the keys on the keyboard. As he typed, his mind wandered back to the kiss he and Videl almost shared before dinner. I wish we hadn't been interrupted. But, I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time…hey! Stop thinking about that almost-kiss, Gohan. You'll never get any work done that way, Gohan told himself as he shook his head to clear the unbidden thought of Videl's lips brushing up against his.
Just as Gohan was trying to banish thoughts of that kiss out of his head, a loud noise disturbed him. He looked over at his bed to see Videl slamming the book shut and throwing it down on the mattress, the book bouncing back up slightly before landing firmly. Videl closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. Gohan smirked. Hmm, must be taking a break. I think I'll join her, Gohan thought as he rose from the computer chair and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Taking a break, huh?" Gohan asked as he settled in beside her on the bed. Videl nodded, opening her eyes to look over at Gohan.
"Yeah. I think we've had enough for the night. Don't you agree?" Gohan thought about that for the moment.
"Yeah, I think we are too. The only thing that I have to do tonight is to make the last slide of our Power Point presentation and then I'll go to bed. You?" Videl nodded.
"I'm going to go to bed in a little while. I've had a long day," Videl sighed looking over at Gohan's nightstand. She spotted something and, her interest piqued, she moved to pick it up. She settled back down next to Gohan and looked at the object in her hand: it was a framed picture.
"Who's that in the picture, Gohan?" Videl asked, touching her finger to the glass. Videl tilted the picture so Gohan could look at it.
"Oh," Gohan said, "That's my father. Doesn't Goten look like him?" Videl inspected the picture and nodded.
"Yeah, he does," she said as she set the picture back on the nightstand.
"Tell me about your dad, Gohan. What was he like?" Gohan was shocked by the question. He felt an unfamiliar lump in his throat as he seriously thought about Goku. Gohan swallowed the lump and began to speak.
"Well, you see, my dad wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he was great. He was strong, really strong. And he was good at Martial Arts. My dad didn't look like the cunning, crafty type, but if you ever saw him fight, you would think differently. Fighting was in his blood; it's what he was born to do. It was his passion and it brought out the best in him. But, my dad was also a great man. Dad was the most understanding and accepting person I knew. He never judged, unless someone had done something really bad, then that person was his enemy.
"My dad had this great sense of compassionate justice. He was fair, but not cold and merciless. He was always the one who stood up for me against my mother when I wanted to train and she wanted me to study. He knew that fighting was important to me, just as important as studying was. He only wanted me to be happy." Gohan swallowed another lump.
"I miss him so much," Gohan admitted quietly, his voice quivering with unshed tears. His memory took him back to the Cell Games, when Goku sacrificed his life to save the planet. Without him, the Earth would have been destroyed.
I know you did a great thing, dad, but why did you have to die? Gohan asked himself. He was brought out of his thoughts by an arm encircling his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Gohan said dejectedly.
"Hey, it's ok, Gohan," Videl said, "I know how you feel. I feel the same way about my mother." Gohan looked over at Videl.
"What happened to your mother?" Gohan asked slowly and quietly. Videl looked away from Gohan and down at her lap.
"She died when I was 10. Of brain cancer. The doctors weren't able to save her because they said that the tumor in her brain was in a place where they couldn't operate so there was nothing they could do but wait for her to die. I was in the hospital everyday for two weeks until she died." Videl thought back a little ways about her mother before speaking again.
"My mother was the greatest. Every morning before school, she would do my hair in pigtails, the same pigtails that I wear today. When I got home, she would make me a snack, even though we had butlers and cooks to stuff like that, and we would sit in the kitchen and talk about how my day at school went. And she and my father were so great together. She really balanced him, kept his ego down. My father was a much more humble man when my mother was alive.
"And she was great on the weekends. She would make breakfast for my dad and me, which we would all eat together as a family, and then we would all go out and do something fun together. And she had a beautiful voice. She used to sing me to sleep when I was really young, like 4 or 5 years old. And she would tell me a story, kiss me on the forehead, and say 'Good night, my little princess'. She would always listen to me when I had a problem and would let me do anything if it made me happy, within reason, of course. I miss her and I wish there was someway to bring her back." Videl paused in her speech before looking at Gohan again.
"So, you see, I do know how you feel." Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with a dead parent," Gohan said quietly. Videl sighed and pushed herself off of the bed.
"Well," she said, "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Gohan." Gohan smiled.
"Good night, Videl." Videl smiled at him and walked out of his room, closing his door behind her. Gohan sighed happily as he got off of his bed and went back to his computer to finish up what he was doing. Yup, I'm definitely in love, Gohan thought as he continued typing with a huge smile on his face.
***
"YES!" Videl and Gohan said, slapping each other's hand in a high five. They both stared proudly at the clear-cover folder and the computer disk sitting next to it. Their project was done and they were free.
"Well," Gohan said, "Now that we've finished, what do you want to do? It's only 1:00 in the afternoon and we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. So, is there anything in particular that you want do to?" Videl crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her fingers across her upper arms.
"Hmm," she said with a thoughtful look on her face as she contemplated what there was that she wanted to do. Moments later, her contemplative look turned into a grin. Gohan was almost afraid of the look in her eyes.
"I take it by that look you're giving me, you know what you want to do, right?" Gohan asked, a grin forming on his face as well. Videl nodded.
"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing bad," Videl reassured, "I just want to spend the day outside, roaming the area, checking out the wildlife. I'm sure that'll be no problem for you, right? I mean, you've lived out here for your entire life." Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I know the area around here like the back of my hand. If we could take your jet, I could show you some really great places, ok?" Gohan suggested.
"Yeah," Videl said with a nod of her head, "I would like that. Besides, you know best." Gohan blushed slightly.
"Well, we should probably get going then," Gohan said hurriedly, as if trying to get the emphasis off the fact that he blushed, even it if was slightly. Videl nodded.
"Yeah, I guess we should. I mean, we don't have all day and your mom is making us dinner. I can tell that she's the type of woman who would bite your head off if you were late to dinner." Gohan laughed nervously.
"If you only knew," Gohan sighed in whispering tones. A silence then fell over the two, lasting for a few moments before Videl moved to go over to her plane.
"Well, as you've said, "We better get going. We really don't have that much time to spend out in the wild today. I mean, it's 1:00 in the afternoon and dinner probably is around 7:00. We better get a move on," Videl said. Gohan shook his head.
"Always the practical one, Videl," said Gohan with a smile on his face.
"What?" Videl squawked, "Would you rather have me be some feather-brained, idiotic girl who's never practical and always mentions some ridiculous idea that could never conceivably work because they're so idiotic?" Gohan shook his head violently.
"No, I didn't mean it as an insult. I was just commenting. In fact, it was almost a compliment. I like people who are practical. Things get done much faster that way. Anyway, shouldn't we be going now?" Videl nodded.
"Well, climb into the jet. It's not locked, so all aboard!" The two teenagers climbed into the jet, it's engines starting up almost immediately. The jet lifted itself into the air in no time and soon, Videl and Gohan were flying off in the search of fun.
***
Gohan's eyes scanned the landscape as the sun set, creating a menagerie of reds, oranges, and yellows across the sky. A small smile crossed his face at the picture painted for him in the sky.
I never get tired of seeing this. And it's even more special now that Videl's with me, Gohan thought as he looked over at the girl sitting next to him on the ground, looking at the sunset with the soothing sounds of a river around them, lulling them into relaxation. The sunlight fell on her calm face, illuminating it in ways that he had never seen before. God, she looks so beautiful like that. I wish I could be with her forever, Gohan said to himself, quickly blushing and averting his eyes from Videl. He looked down at the water and became entranced with the way the sunlight sparkled off the flowing water. Videl looked over and saw Gohan's slightly dazed look.
"Hey Gohan," Videl said with a smile, "Are you ok over there?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Gohan asked, shaking the cobwebs from his mind. Videl shrugged.
"I don't know. You just looked a little out of it, that's all." Videl eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're ok?" she asked one last time. Gohan nodded.
"Yes, Videl, I'm fine."
"Ok. I'm just checking. I wouldn't want you to be absent from school or anything tomorrow. How would I go through my day without you there to keep me amused?" Videl smirked. Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Oh, great, so now I'm only here for your amusement." Videl laughed.
"That's right. You were destined for one thing: to amuse me." Gohan snapped his fingers in disappointment.
"Aw, shucks," Gohan joked, "And I thought I was put on this planet to do something useful. You know, like saving the world one day."
Wait a minute…I've already done that, Gohan thought, mentally shrugging. Videl gave a throaty giggle.
"You? Save the world, Gohan? I find that kind of hard to believe. I mean, don't get me wrong. You're a great guy who always looks out for the good things in life, but I don't feature you the type of person who would be able to save the world." Gohan was hurt…but only for a minute. Well, that's to be expected. I mean, how would she know about how strong Saiya-jins are, despite the fact that we look like normal human beings? Gohan told himself.
"Hmm," Gohan drawled speculatively, "Maybe I need to rethink my calling in life. Maybe I wasn't put here to save the planet after all." Videl shook her head in hopelessness.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. You're here to provide amusement. Didn't we go over that already?"
"I guess we did. Please forgive me for being so dense!" Gohan exclaimed, carrying out the charade to its fullest extent. Videl eyed Gohan warily, as if wondering if she should forgive him.
"Well," Videl said with feigned resignation, "I guess I can forgive you. But don't do it again, alright?" Gohan saluted her.
"Well, I can't make any promises, but I can try," Gohan said.
"Good boy," Videl said sweetly. Both Gohan and Videl smiled and a comfortable silence fell over the two as they watched the sunset.
"It's been a nice day, hasn't it?" Gohan asked several minutes later, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, it has. I've had a lot of fun today, Gohan. More fun that I've had in a long time. You're definitely bringing me back here later for another weekend break. It's just too relaxing. And your family's great." Gohan smirked.
"What about Bulma and her family?" he asked.
"Bulma is great; Trunks is cute; but Vegeta?" Videl looked skeptical. "I'm not sure about him. That comment he made a couple nights ago was not cool." Gohan nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I agree with you about the not cool part. But, I think that in some weird way, that Vegeta was trying to pay you a compliment. You see, Vegeta has had…well…a weird upbringing. He's a very proud man who doesn't know when he's gone too far because he hasn't had that many dealings with other people. He's just someone who you have to get used to." Gohan eyed Videl, giving her a reprimanding look.
"And you have got to learn, if you're going to spend any time with me outside of school, to let most of Vegeta's comments roll over you, not affect you. And I know you. You're quick to react. Well, Vegeta's the wrong person to be quick to react with. If I wasn't there on Friday to block his fist, he would have probably killed you in one blow. That man has got the shortest fuse I have ever seen and the best way to deal with him is just to let his comments roll over you…or else you'll end up dead." Videl nodded as she soaked all the info in.
"Thanks for telling me, but I highly doubt he can do anything to me," Videl said. She redirected her focus to the now night sky.
"Look," she said, "The sun has set. We should probably get back to your house so we have enough time to get ready for dinner." Both she and Gohan stood up.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. We're going to want a little extra time to kill before dinner to start getting your stuff ready to go back. Shall we?" Gohan said, motioning for Videl to go first.
"We shall," Videl said as she led the way back to her jet plane, Gohan following close behind.
***
"Oh, come back any time you want. It was so nice having you over this weekend. And I'm so glad you and Gohan got your project done. You two must have worked hard," Chi-Chi said the next morning as Videl and Gohan walked out the front door, ready to go to school.
"We did, Chi-Chi," Videl said, "Well, thanks for letting me stay the weekend. And I'll hold you to your promise about me coming back any time I want. Are you sure it's no problem?" Chi-Chi shook her head violently.
"No, it's no problem at all. I don't mind. And I'm sure Goten doesn't mind either. Right Goten?" Chi-Chi asked her youngest son, who was standing next to his mother.
"I don't mind. I like having you over, Videl," Goten exclaimed proudly, a huge beaming smile on his face. Gohan looked down at his watch as his crush and his mother spoke.
"Well," Gohan said, "We have to get going to school now or we'll be late. Are you ready, Videl?" Videl looked over at Gohan and nodded.
"Yeah, I am." Turning back to Chi-Chi, Videl continued to speak. "Well, once again, thank you for everything, Chi-Chi, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you later."
"You better," Chi-Chi commanded gently as Gohan and Videl made their way for the jet plane.
"Bye Gohan! Bye Videl! See you later!" Goten cried out, waving his arm. Gohan and Videl climbed inside the jet plane and closed the doors, waving back to Chi-Chi and Goten as Videl started up the vehicle. Within seconds, the two had lifted off the ground and were on their way back to school. Chi-Chi sighed as she watched the plane disappear into the horizon.
She's perfect for Gohan. Absolutely perfect, Chi-Chi thought happily, looking forward to the day when Videl would become her daughter-in-law. She'll be like the daughter I never had. With that last thought, Chi-Chi walked back inside the house, Goten following faithfully behind his mother.
----------Love's Trials---------
-The next morning-
Videl woke up to the sunlight from the window next to her bed streaming onto her face. She squinted, trying to squeeze out the light, and brought up her hand to shield her eyes. Once the light was out of her face, Videl looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She shot up in bed, wondering where she was, her eyes darting around the room until they caught sight of her gym bag. She eyed it carefully before everything came back to her; she remembered where she was.
I'm at Gohan's house. I must have fallen asleep last night outside and he carried me back, Videl thought. She ran her hands over her face, trying to wake herself up, before throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. Noticing that she still wore the same clothes she wore the day before, Videl moved to change, taking out a pair of leggings and a tee-shirt. When she was dressed to her liking, Videl exited the room and was immediately bombarded with the mouthwatering smells of breakfast cooking. Letting her nose lead her to the kitchen, Videl spotted Chi-Chi standing over the stove, cooking something delicious that Videl couldn't identify.
"Good morning," Chi-Chi said, sensing Videl's presence behind her, "If you're looking for Gohan, he's right outside." Videl smiled.
"Thanks for telling me. Do you need any help with breakfast?" Videl asked. Chi-Chi shook her head.
"No, I don't need help, but thank you for offering. Just go on outside and I'll call you and Gohan when breakfast's ready."
"Ok, thanks, Chi-Chi," Videl said before leaving the kitchen and heading towards the front door. Videl got about 5 steps towards the front door when an object, or rather a person, entered her path. Videl looked down to see little Goten, who was looking at her back with an inquisitive, yet bashful gaze. Videl smiled and knelt down so she was eye-to-eye with Goten.
"Good morning, Goten. Did you want something?" she asked sweetly. Goten nodded.
"I have a question for you, Videl."
"What is it?" Videl said. Goten's face lit up with a smile.
"Are you going to marry my brother?" Videl paled briefly before turning a bright pink.
"Uh…I don't know, Goten. Why do you ask?" Videl stuttered.
"'Cause I think you should. Then, I could have you and Gohan as my parents. That would be cool!" Videl cleared her throat and tried to suppress her blush.
"Well, Goten, I guess we'll see. Hey, speaking of your brother, do you know where he is?" Goten nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, he's outside training." Goten leaned in closer and put his mouth next to her ear.
"But be very quiet," Goten whispered, "Gohan gets mad when I interrupt his training. I don't want Gohan to hurt you." Videl smiled and laughed slightly.
"Thanks for the warning, Goten," Videl said, believing that Gohan could never hurt her, "I'll make sure to be careful, alright little guy?" Goten nodded before rushing off.
"Bye, Videl!" he called out as he ran upstairs, to do God knew what.
Probably to play with his toys up in his room, Videl thought as she walked outside, being greeted with the beautiful morning light. Videl gasped at the beauty of the countryside. I wouldn't mind living out here forever. It's so beautiful out here, so peaceful. Videl's eyes took in the clear blue skies, the luscious trees, the dew that still lingered slightly on the grass. Out of the corner of her eye, Videl saw movement. She turned her head and saw Gohan, totally unaware of the world around him. He moved so slowly, Videl could swear that at times, he was frozen. Videl couldn't believe what she was seeing. His movements were so graceful and fluid, like they all melded together to make one motion, a never-ending motion. She faintly recognized martial arts forms, but she didn't know what type of martial arts those forms came from.
Videl could only stare in awe at Gohan, taking in his movements, his navy blue gi, and his look of utter concentration that came from years of discipline. Gohan was fully focused on his movements, practicing Tai Chi, a form of slow movements created out of martial arts forms that tested his concentration and skill.
Thank you Piccolo for teaching me this; this has helped me a lot in my training. You always know when it's time for me to learn something new, Gohan said to himself, thanking Piccolo. Piccolo had been his first and best master, with the exception of Goku. In some ways, Piccolo was like a second father to him, always looking out for him, making sure he stayed out of danger. Well, my friend, you can't protect me anymore. I've surpassed your own strength. Now, all I can do to pay you back is protect you the way you protected me, Gohan thought. Gohan's movements were stopped abruptly when he felt a fairly strong ki behind him. He relaxed his body, standing normally, and turned around to see Videl watching him.
"Oh, hey Videl. How are you this morning?" he asked. Videl shook off her stupor.
"I'm fine, Gohan. How are you?" Gohan thought about it for a moment before answering.
"I'm good…but I'm hungry. Is my mom finished making breakfast yet?" Videl shook her head.
"No, but I think she should be done in a few minutes." Gohan gave a sigh of relief.
"Oh, that's good," Gohan breathed. There was a bit of a silence where nothing was said and Videl was the first to break it.
"Hey, Gohan, what were you doing when I walked outside? That looked really cool," Videl said, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"You mean the slow stuff I was just doing?" Gohan said, trying to clarify. Videl nodded.
"That was something called Tai Chi. One of my masters just taught me that a few months ago. It helps build up my concentration and sharpens my skills to make me better. But, I'm not nearly as good as Piccolo is."
"Piccolo?" Videl questioned.
"That's the name of my master," Gohan said, not revealing Piccolo's background and origin.
"Oh, I see," Videl said as she deftly changed the topic, "So, how good are you?" Gohan looked confused at Videl.
"How good am I at what?" Gohan asked. Videl smiled mischievously.
"You know what I mean. At martial arts." Gohan smirked.
"Oh," he drawled out, "I see. Yeah, I guess I am pretty good. I mean, I've only been training since I was 5."
"Well, so have I," Videl chuckled, "And I bet I can beat you." Inwardly, Gohan was laughing. Videl? Beat me? Pigs might fly, first, Gohan thought before shrugging.
"You wanna give it a shot?" he asked. Videl moved to stand in a perfect fighting form.
"Bring it on," she whispered. Gohan stood about two yards in front of her and moved into fighting position.
"You're going to lose, Videl," Gohan said, making sure that his power level was way down. Don't want to hurt the poor girl, Gohan said to himself. The fight had unofficially begun. Both of them were looking at each other, trying to stare the other down but with no success. With a roar, Videl was the first one to strike, only hitting Gohan's forearm which had come up to block Videl's hit. The two fought for a few moments, Videl throwing punches and Gohan blocking them.
Suddenly, Gohan's stomach growled, which interrupted his concentration, causing him to drop his guard and allowing him to let Videl hit him in the face. Gohan was shocked with the impact, which violently jerked his head to one side. He brought up a hand to rub his slightly abused cheek before reaching out and grabbing Videl by the wrist. With one deft move, he flipped her over so her back hit the ground. Gohan smiled; the fight was over and he had won. He leaned over Videl, who was looking up at the sky with a dazed look.
One second, I'm holding my own and then he grabs my wrist and the next second, I hit the ground. What happened? Videl asked herself. She directed her gaze at Gohan, who was smiling down at her.
"I think our fight is over, Videl, and I won. I think it's time to go in and have breakfast, don't you think?" Gohan held out his hand to help Videl up. Videl, without warning, grabbed Gohan's hand, pulled him down, planted her feet into his stomach, and flipped him over her using her legs to boost him over so he landed behind her on his back. She stood up, dusted herself off, and walked towards the entrance to the house.
"Thanks Gohan, for trying to help me up. It was much appreciated," Videl purred. As Videl disappeared into the house, Gohan could only lie there in shock.
Wow. She is amazing. I think I'm in love, Gohan thought before pushing himself off the ground and walking into the house as well to fill his empty stomach.
***
Videl moved her chair back a couple of inches to get the late afternoon sun out of her eyes as she and Gohan researched for their project in his room, surrounded by piles and piles of books. Videl turned back to the large, thick book she was reading thorough and her eyes lit up when she found something.
"Ooh, ooh, Gohan. What about the war of 217?" Videl asked, her voice full of excitement.
"Nope," Gohan said while typing up stuff that he found, "That won't do. The war of 217 wasn't a civil war; it was a war against the
Deep Sea Islands over valuable resources after a year of one natural disaster after another."
"It is?" Videl asked, letting her eyes skim down the description. Her shoulders slumped with defeat when she realized that Gohan was right and she harrumphed.
How does he know all of this stuff? He's like a walking encyclopedia. Videl thought. She looked over at him to see him intently focused on the computer. But a gorgeous walking encyclopedia, Videl admitted to herself. Shaking herself out of her daze, Videl turned back to the book on the desk in front of her and flipped through a few pages before her eyes spotted another documented war. She took in a deep breath, ready to tell Gohan that she might have found something else, but closed her mouth before she said anything.
I want to see if I'm right about this one before I say something, Videl thought as she read the first few paragraphs on the page. Her face drew into a smile; she had found something useful.
"Hey Gohan," Videl said, "Come here. I found something and I want you to check it over." Gohan looked over at Videl, who was sitting up straight with pride at her accomplishments.
"Ok," he said, getting out of his chair and walking across the room to where Videl was working. Bracing one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the desktop, he leaned over her shoulder to read what she found.
"So," Videl asked, "What do you think? Did I find something?" Gohan's eyes quickly skimmed the page and after a few moments, he smiled.
"Yeah, you did find something, Videl."
"Are you proud of me, Gohan?" Videl asked.
"Yeah, actually, I am," Gohan said as they turned their heads to face each other. Gohan's smile died and Videl's eyes widened with surprise as the two teenagers found that their faces were mere centimeters apart from one another's. They both froze, their eyes locked on each other. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath on their faces. Videl stared deep into Gohan's coal black eyes, drowning in them as she found herself becoming short of breath.
This isn't happening. This has to be a dream, Videl told herself, beginning to feel light-headed. Gohan, too, was starting to feel light-headed. He didn't know what to do; he had never been faced with the situation before in his life and he was frozen. They stayed there, staring at each other for what seemed like forever, neither of them moving. Gohan's eyes flickered down to Videl's lips, slightly open and very tempting.
Damn, she's beautiful, Gohan thought as he removed his hand from the desktop and gently, yet shakily, cupped Videl's cheek. His eyes flickering down to her lips one last time, Gohan leaned in. Videl tilted her face upward, her lips moving to accept the impending kiss. The gap between them was closing, their lips brushed up against one another, and…
"GOHAN!! VIDEL!! IT'S DINNER TIME!!" Chi-Chi yelled from downstairs, shocking the two teens. They jumped apart, as if they had been scalded. Gohan stood up straight and looked down at Videl nervously.
"Well, I guess we better go down to dinner," he said. Videl nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just going to go to the bathroom first, ok?" she said, looking up at him. Gohan nodded and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Videl got up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. When she entered the bathroom, she hurriedly locked the door and slid down it, sitting with her back against the door and her hand on her chest, trying to slow down her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, hitting the door with a thunk.
I can't believe that almost happened. What's he going to do? What am I going to do? How are we going to treat each other? Are we going to act like nothing happened? Videl thought. Her thoughts swarmed around her like a whirlwind, making her more and more flustered and frustrated.
"Ooh, never mind. It was only an almost-kiss. That doesn't change anything," Videl whispered to herself before standing up and exiting the bathroom. She walked down the stairs and into the dining room determinedly, her head held high. Her eyes immediately locked on Gohan, who was already inhaling his food. How does he do that? Videl asked herself. Gohan looked up at her and for a moment, Videl was worried about what was going to happen next. Then Gohan spoke.
"Videl, you have to try this," Gohan said, indicating the food in front of him, "It's really good." Videl sighed, half in relief and half in disappointment. So, it looks like he's choosing to ignore the issue about the kiss, then, isn't he? Videl thought as she sat down across from him and served herself food. She took one last glance up at him as she was serving herself rice and felt even more relieved when he smiled genuinely at her. She smiled back. Good. At least he's not going to ignore me now, Videl said to herself as she started eating and thoughts of the almost-kiss began to fly out of her mind.
***
Gohan stifled a yawn as he and Videl continued to work until late in the evening. He was just finishing piecing together the last bits of their Power Point presentation that was going to go along with the paper they were writing together.
We'll write that tomorrow, Gohan thought as his fingers hit the keys on the keyboard. As he typed, his mind wandered back to the kiss he and Videl almost shared before dinner. I wish we hadn't been interrupted. But, I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time…hey! Stop thinking about that almost-kiss, Gohan. You'll never get any work done that way, Gohan told himself as he shook his head to clear the unbidden thought of Videl's lips brushing up against his.
Just as Gohan was trying to banish thoughts of that kiss out of his head, a loud noise disturbed him. He looked over at his bed to see Videl slamming the book shut and throwing it down on the mattress, the book bouncing back up slightly before landing firmly. Videl closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. Gohan smirked. Hmm, must be taking a break. I think I'll join her, Gohan thought as he rose from the computer chair and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Taking a break, huh?" Gohan asked as he settled in beside her on the bed. Videl nodded, opening her eyes to look over at Gohan.
"Yeah. I think we've had enough for the night. Don't you agree?" Gohan thought about that for the moment.
"Yeah, I think we are too. The only thing that I have to do tonight is to make the last slide of our Power Point presentation and then I'll go to bed. You?" Videl nodded.
"I'm going to go to bed in a little while. I've had a long day," Videl sighed looking over at Gohan's nightstand. She spotted something and, her interest piqued, she moved to pick it up. She settled back down next to Gohan and looked at the object in her hand: it was a framed picture.
"Who's that in the picture, Gohan?" Videl asked, touching her finger to the glass. Videl tilted the picture so Gohan could look at it.
"Oh," Gohan said, "That's my father. Doesn't Goten look like him?" Videl inspected the picture and nodded.
"Yeah, he does," she said as she set the picture back on the nightstand.
"Tell me about your dad, Gohan. What was he like?" Gohan was shocked by the question. He felt an unfamiliar lump in his throat as he seriously thought about Goku. Gohan swallowed the lump and began to speak.
"Well, you see, my dad wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he was great. He was strong, really strong. And he was good at Martial Arts. My dad didn't look like the cunning, crafty type, but if you ever saw him fight, you would think differently. Fighting was in his blood; it's what he was born to do. It was his passion and it brought out the best in him. But, my dad was also a great man. Dad was the most understanding and accepting person I knew. He never judged, unless someone had done something really bad, then that person was his enemy.
"My dad had this great sense of compassionate justice. He was fair, but not cold and merciless. He was always the one who stood up for me against my mother when I wanted to train and she wanted me to study. He knew that fighting was important to me, just as important as studying was. He only wanted me to be happy." Gohan swallowed another lump.
"I miss him so much," Gohan admitted quietly, his voice quivering with unshed tears. His memory took him back to the Cell Games, when Goku sacrificed his life to save the planet. Without him, the Earth would have been destroyed.
I know you did a great thing, dad, but why did you have to die? Gohan asked himself. He was brought out of his thoughts by an arm encircling his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Gohan said dejectedly.
"Hey, it's ok, Gohan," Videl said, "I know how you feel. I feel the same way about my mother." Gohan looked over at Videl.
"What happened to your mother?" Gohan asked slowly and quietly. Videl looked away from Gohan and down at her lap.
"She died when I was 10. Of brain cancer. The doctors weren't able to save her because they said that the tumor in her brain was in a place where they couldn't operate so there was nothing they could do but wait for her to die. I was in the hospital everyday for two weeks until she died." Videl thought back a little ways about her mother before speaking again.
"My mother was the greatest. Every morning before school, she would do my hair in pigtails, the same pigtails that I wear today. When I got home, she would make me a snack, even though we had butlers and cooks to stuff like that, and we would sit in the kitchen and talk about how my day at school went. And she and my father were so great together. She really balanced him, kept his ego down. My father was a much more humble man when my mother was alive.
"And she was great on the weekends. She would make breakfast for my dad and me, which we would all eat together as a family, and then we would all go out and do something fun together. And she had a beautiful voice. She used to sing me to sleep when I was really young, like 4 or 5 years old. And she would tell me a story, kiss me on the forehead, and say 'Good night, my little princess'. She would always listen to me when I had a problem and would let me do anything if it made me happy, within reason, of course. I miss her and I wish there was someway to bring her back." Videl paused in her speech before looking at Gohan again.
"So, you see, I do know how you feel." Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with a dead parent," Gohan said quietly. Videl sighed and pushed herself off of the bed.
"Well," she said, "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Gohan." Gohan smiled.
"Good night, Videl." Videl smiled at him and walked out of his room, closing his door behind her. Gohan sighed happily as he got off of his bed and went back to his computer to finish up what he was doing. Yup, I'm definitely in love, Gohan thought as he continued typing with a huge smile on his face.
***
"YES!" Videl and Gohan said, slapping each other's hand in a high five. They both stared proudly at the clear-cover folder and the computer disk sitting next to it. Their project was done and they were free.
"Well," Gohan said, "Now that we've finished, what do you want to do? It's only 1:00 in the afternoon and we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. So, is there anything in particular that you want do to?" Videl crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her fingers across her upper arms.
"Hmm," she said with a thoughtful look on her face as she contemplated what there was that she wanted to do. Moments later, her contemplative look turned into a grin. Gohan was almost afraid of the look in her eyes.
"I take it by that look you're giving me, you know what you want to do, right?" Gohan asked, a grin forming on his face as well. Videl nodded.
"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing bad," Videl reassured, "I just want to spend the day outside, roaming the area, checking out the wildlife. I'm sure that'll be no problem for you, right? I mean, you've lived out here for your entire life." Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I know the area around here like the back of my hand. If we could take your jet, I could show you some really great places, ok?" Gohan suggested.
"Yeah," Videl said with a nod of her head, "I would like that. Besides, you know best." Gohan blushed slightly.
"Well, we should probably get going then," Gohan said hurriedly, as if trying to get the emphasis off the fact that he blushed, even it if was slightly. Videl nodded.
"Yeah, I guess we should. I mean, we don't have all day and your mom is making us dinner. I can tell that she's the type of woman who would bite your head off if you were late to dinner." Gohan laughed nervously.
"If you only knew," Gohan sighed in whispering tones. A silence then fell over the two, lasting for a few moments before Videl moved to go over to her plane.
"Well, as you've said, "We better get going. We really don't have that much time to spend out in the wild today. I mean, it's 1:00 in the afternoon and dinner probably is around 7:00. We better get a move on," Videl said. Gohan shook his head.
"Always the practical one, Videl," said Gohan with a smile on his face.
"What?" Videl squawked, "Would you rather have me be some feather-brained, idiotic girl who's never practical and always mentions some ridiculous idea that could never conceivably work because they're so idiotic?" Gohan shook his head violently.
"No, I didn't mean it as an insult. I was just commenting. In fact, it was almost a compliment. I like people who are practical. Things get done much faster that way. Anyway, shouldn't we be going now?" Videl nodded.
"Well, climb into the jet. It's not locked, so all aboard!" The two teenagers climbed into the jet, it's engines starting up almost immediately. The jet lifted itself into the air in no time and soon, Videl and Gohan were flying off in the search of fun.
***
Gohan's eyes scanned the landscape as the sun set, creating a menagerie of reds, oranges, and yellows across the sky. A small smile crossed his face at the picture painted for him in the sky.
I never get tired of seeing this. And it's even more special now that Videl's with me, Gohan thought as he looked over at the girl sitting next to him on the ground, looking at the sunset with the soothing sounds of a river around them, lulling them into relaxation. The sunlight fell on her calm face, illuminating it in ways that he had never seen before. God, she looks so beautiful like that. I wish I could be with her forever, Gohan said to himself, quickly blushing and averting his eyes from Videl. He looked down at the water and became entranced with the way the sunlight sparkled off the flowing water. Videl looked over and saw Gohan's slightly dazed look.
"Hey Gohan," Videl said with a smile, "Are you ok over there?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Gohan asked, shaking the cobwebs from his mind. Videl shrugged.
"I don't know. You just looked a little out of it, that's all." Videl eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're ok?" she asked one last time. Gohan nodded.
"Yes, Videl, I'm fine."
"Ok. I'm just checking. I wouldn't want you to be absent from school or anything tomorrow. How would I go through my day without you there to keep me amused?" Videl smirked. Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Oh, great, so now I'm only here for your amusement." Videl laughed.
"That's right. You were destined for one thing: to amuse me." Gohan snapped his fingers in disappointment.
"Aw, shucks," Gohan joked, "And I thought I was put on this planet to do something useful. You know, like saving the world one day."
Wait a minute…I've already done that, Gohan thought, mentally shrugging. Videl gave a throaty giggle.
"You? Save the world, Gohan? I find that kind of hard to believe. I mean, don't get me wrong. You're a great guy who always looks out for the good things in life, but I don't feature you the type of person who would be able to save the world." Gohan was hurt…but only for a minute. Well, that's to be expected. I mean, how would she know about how strong Saiya-jins are, despite the fact that we look like normal human beings? Gohan told himself.
"Hmm," Gohan drawled speculatively, "Maybe I need to rethink my calling in life. Maybe I wasn't put here to save the planet after all." Videl shook her head in hopelessness.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. You're here to provide amusement. Didn't we go over that already?"
"I guess we did. Please forgive me for being so dense!" Gohan exclaimed, carrying out the charade to its fullest extent. Videl eyed Gohan warily, as if wondering if she should forgive him.
"Well," Videl said with feigned resignation, "I guess I can forgive you. But don't do it again, alright?" Gohan saluted her.
"Well, I can't make any promises, but I can try," Gohan said.
"Good boy," Videl said sweetly. Both Gohan and Videl smiled and a comfortable silence fell over the two as they watched the sunset.
"It's been a nice day, hasn't it?" Gohan asked several minutes later, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, it has. I've had a lot of fun today, Gohan. More fun that I've had in a long time. You're definitely bringing me back here later for another weekend break. It's just too relaxing. And your family's great." Gohan smirked.
"What about Bulma and her family?" he asked.
"Bulma is great; Trunks is cute; but Vegeta?" Videl looked skeptical. "I'm not sure about him. That comment he made a couple nights ago was not cool." Gohan nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I agree with you about the not cool part. But, I think that in some weird way, that Vegeta was trying to pay you a compliment. You see, Vegeta has had…well…a weird upbringing. He's a very proud man who doesn't know when he's gone too far because he hasn't had that many dealings with other people. He's just someone who you have to get used to." Gohan eyed Videl, giving her a reprimanding look.
"And you have got to learn, if you're going to spend any time with me outside of school, to let most of Vegeta's comments roll over you, not affect you. And I know you. You're quick to react. Well, Vegeta's the wrong person to be quick to react with. If I wasn't there on Friday to block his fist, he would have probably killed you in one blow. That man has got the shortest fuse I have ever seen and the best way to deal with him is just to let his comments roll over you…or else you'll end up dead." Videl nodded as she soaked all the info in.
"Thanks for telling me, but I highly doubt he can do anything to me," Videl said. She redirected her focus to the now night sky.
"Look," she said, "The sun has set. We should probably get back to your house so we have enough time to get ready for dinner." Both she and Gohan stood up.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. We're going to want a little extra time to kill before dinner to start getting your stuff ready to go back. Shall we?" Gohan said, motioning for Videl to go first.
"We shall," Videl said as she led the way back to her jet plane, Gohan following close behind.
***
"Oh, come back any time you want. It was so nice having you over this weekend. And I'm so glad you and Gohan got your project done. You two must have worked hard," Chi-Chi said the next morning as Videl and Gohan walked out the front door, ready to go to school.
"We did, Chi-Chi," Videl said, "Well, thanks for letting me stay the weekend. And I'll hold you to your promise about me coming back any time I want. Are you sure it's no problem?" Chi-Chi shook her head violently.
"No, it's no problem at all. I don't mind. And I'm sure Goten doesn't mind either. Right Goten?" Chi-Chi asked her youngest son, who was standing next to his mother.
"I don't mind. I like having you over, Videl," Goten exclaimed proudly, a huge beaming smile on his face. Gohan looked down at his watch as his crush and his mother spoke.
"Well," Gohan said, "We have to get going to school now or we'll be late. Are you ready, Videl?" Videl looked over at Gohan and nodded.
"Yeah, I am." Turning back to Chi-Chi, Videl continued to speak. "Well, once again, thank you for everything, Chi-Chi, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you later."
"You better," Chi-Chi commanded gently as Gohan and Videl made their way for the jet plane.
"Bye Gohan! Bye Videl! See you later!" Goten cried out, waving his arm. Gohan and Videl climbed inside the jet plane and closed the doors, waving back to Chi-Chi and Goten as Videl started up the vehicle. Within seconds, the two had lifted off the ground and were on their way back to school. Chi-Chi sighed as she watched the plane disappear into the horizon.
She's perfect for Gohan. Absolutely perfect, Chi-Chi thought happily, looking forward to the day when Videl would become her daughter-in-law. She'll be like the daughter I never had. With that last thought, Chi-Chi walked back inside the house, Goten following faithfully behind his mother.