-Note: Whew, I can finally take a breather now! I spent most of the month of January writing the first six chapters, and most of this month editing them. I wanted to write a big chunk of the story before posting to make sure I'd stick with it, and not get bored with it or disinterested and give up. If anything my interest has only grown, so I'm not worried about that happening anymore. Since I don't have anymore material on my hard drive waiting to be edited and posted, it will be a bit longer wait in between postings compared to what I've accomplished so far. I'm just reading and writing as I go now. Read and enjoy!

Chapter Seven

"Come on Videl, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Gohan had been pleading with her since they walked into school that morning. Videl merely stuck her nose up, and turned her head away. Gohan wasn't about to give up that easily however. "Are you even listening to me? I don't know what I did to make you so upset with me, but whatever it was I'm sorry!"

"You shouldn't have laughed at me!"

"I wasn't laughing at you Videl, I thought I was laughing with you! You're the one who bites the head off of anyone who even suggests we might be a couple, so how could I have thought you were doing anything but joking! I only said what I thought you wanted to hear! The last thing I wanted to do was say something to offend or upset you, hell I was doing everything I could not to! Please believe me Videl!"

Videl was like a slab of stone at the moment, cold, emotionless, and unwavering. Seemingly unbreakable and impenetrable, until finally Gohan managed to cause a slight crack in that stone. This crack came in the form of a small smile, that Videl struggled with and finally lost the battle to keep it off her face. He looked so cute when he was desperate like that Videl couldn't help but laugh.

"You look so pathetic right now, I really don't have a choice but to believe you. All right I forgive you... I can never seem to stay mad at you anyway."

Gohan smiled with relief. "Really, I'm flattered. Heaven knows being and staying mad is your specialty."

Videl frowned. "What do you mean by that?!"

"Nothing, nothing! I was just joking, relax." Gohan begged off, deciding he better quit it there. He'd gotten himself into enough trouble with his mouth already. "So, if you want to, why don't you try asking me your question again, and I'll give you a serious answer this time."

A faint blush attacked Videl's cheeks, causing her to lower her head just a bit. "No, there's no reason to really. I didn't mean anything by it anyway, it was just a spur of the moment type deal. Like you said, the idea's ridiculous anyway."

"Um I guess… Well, we better get going, or we'll be late for class."

"You go ahead, I have to get something from my locker," Videl lied. She went to locker, but she didn't remove anything from inside. The purpose it served was to stop her forehead, as she banged it into the locker several times trying to knock some sense back into that thick skull of hers.

Something hurt. Something just didn't feel right… Some fluttery feeling in her chest… What would people call that? Disappointment maybe? No, that was pointless. So what if Gohan never thought of them as more then just friends? What did she care? Like they both said, the idea was ridiculous. No chance of anything happening between them right? Still, something inside hurt, and it was because of him.

This is why Videl never wanted to get involved or even interested in a guy like this. She had always found it sickening watching these teenaged girls pinning for their lost loves after getting their hearts broken, or because some guy doesn't return their feelings. Disgusting. Weak. Pathetic. Videl wasn't about to fall in that kind of trap, nor was she any one of those things. She never needed anybody anyway, and she saw no reason to ever feel the need for somebody else ever again. She was too strong to worry about that kind of crap. So, who cares what some guy thought of her? She certainly didn't but… "Damn you Gohan! You've got me all confused…"

"That kind of thing happens when you're falling in love," somebody jeered from behind her.

Videl spun around with every intention to put the lights out of whoever said that until she saw Ryo's smirking face behind her. She sighed, and dropped her arms to her sides. "Oh, it's only you."

"Well, happy birthday to you too!"

"It's your birthday?"

"No, just making sure you were paying attention," Ryo giggled halfheartedly. Videl's eyebrows rose as if they were making a note of that. "So, is it really that much of a bummer to lay eyes on me?"

"Depends on my mood," Videl smirked, and poked him in the chest with her index finger. "I was only kidding you. You take things too seriously sometimes Ryo, lighten up."

"Maybe I do," Ryo sighed. "So… How did your date with Gohan go last night?"

"It wasn't a date!" Videl's head snapped forward, and if Ryo hadn't known her as well as he did he might have thought she was trying to bite his head off.

"I'm only kidding you Videl, you take things too seriously sometimes," Ryo countered.

Videl gave him a heated gaze only to grunt shortly after, and propped her shoulder up against her locker. "As far as last night goes, let's just say it didn't go all that well. I think Gohan's mother wanted to crucify me, and towards the end of the night Gohan and I… Well…"

"Had some kind of fight?" Ryo deduced, a serious look washing over his face.

"Not a fight really, I just got mad at him… I know you like to joke about the two of us having a thing for each other as much as anybody, but in all honesty I don't think Gohan cares for the idea much. I tried to ask him about it, and he pretty much laughed in my face and told me the idea was ridiculous."

So that's why she seems kind of down in the dumps this morning Ryo thought, relating that observation to his own feelings. "So what Videl? You say the exact same thing to just about every one else, so why do you sound so downhearted that he said the exact same thing to you?"

"I'm not upset if that's what you're getting at!" Videl flared growing agitated. "Just offended he didn't take the subject seriously. I totally agree with him, but um… He didn't have to laugh at me!"

"You know, I think you might be jumping to conclusions Videl. Knowing Gohan he probably heard you blowing the subject off to everyone who brought it up, so he probably figured that's what you wanted to hear. To tell you the truth I think he has a bit of a crush on you."

Videl blushed slightly. "You really think so? I mean, not that I care or anything! Just well…"

"I understand…" Ryo faked a smile, and placed a hand on Videl's shoulder. "You'll figure everything out soon enough. We better get to class or we'll be late."

"Right…" Just as Ryo turned to go off on his way, Videl grabbed him by the arm and turned him back around. "Hold on a second Ryo. Are you feeling okay? You don't look or sound yourself today."

"No, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind."

Videl frowned, not satisfied with his answer. Ryo wasn't one to hide his emotions very well in the first place, and in particular had trouble when he was sad or depressed. Videl called out to him, but Ryo ignored her and kept on moving. Videl wasn't happy about it, but she let the matter slide for the moment. She had all day to figure out what was up anyway.

----------

Ryo didn't say much throughout the rest of the school day. Videl was getting very worried about him, and after telling Gohan what she'd observed had gotten him concerned as well. Ryo usually isolated himself from the crowd, but he had never deliberately distanced himself from her and Gohan like he was that afternoon. He avoided them like the plague, and didn't even bother to sit with them at lunch or during study hall. Whatever was weighing on his mind, he obviously didn't want to talk about it. Gohan tried to convince Videl that Ryo clearly wanted to be left alone, but she was as stubborn as ever. The school day ended without Ryo muttering more then two words to them. The two teens watched their friend as he snuck out of the school.

"Well, he's gone, and we still don't know what's bothering him," Gohan announced. "What do we do now?"

"What do you think we do now?! We follow him!"

"Follow him?! You'd think you would've learned your lesson the last time!" Gohan joked, remembering the time Videl had ran into him in the alley one day when she was tailing him, ironically while he was tailing Ryo. "Are you sure that's a wise choice though? It's not polite to mess around with somebody else's business when they want to keep their privacy."

"I know but I'm worried about him," Videl argued. "Besides… Even though he was upset this morning he still took the time to try to give me advice on my problems… I want to return the favor, but it's kind of difficult when I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"You have a point, but then why do you need me?"

"I don't need you, you don't have to come if you don't want to!" Videl frowned. That look almost told him the exact opposite, you better come along with me or you're toast. Gohan picked up on this right away.

"No, I'll go. I'm worried about him too… I'm just not that comfortable with the thought of stalking a friend."

"Don't consider it stalking then… Let's just call it situational surveillance."

Gohan cocked an eyebrow. "Kay…"

Gohan and Videl followed Ryo who was on a path that seemed to go nowhere. Gohan felt extremely nervous the entire time. Ryo had to know they were following him, yet he hadn't looked back or made any erratic attempts to ditch them. He just kept on walking slowly. Maybe he was too zoned out to sense them behind him, or maybe he just didn't care. He did make one interesting pit stop along the way at a small novelty store, emerging after only five minutes with a small stuffed teddy bear. Now Videl in particular was more intrigued by what he was up to then ever. They continued to follow him to his final destination, and to say the least they were shocked when they arrived there. It was Satan City General Hospital. Videl knew the place quite well, it was where her mother gave birth to her after all. In fact, the blessed event was inscribed on a large plague in the square that Gohan giggled at slightly as he read the inscription allowed.

"Satan City General Hospital, birthplace of Videl Satan, our cities favorite daughter."

"Ignore that, and let's go inside!" Videl blushed, as she stormed towards the entrance.

The first thing Videl did upon entering the hospital was walk over to the reception desk. "Um… Excuse me, but did a boy in a brown overcoat just walk in here? He's about 5'10, brown hair, brown eyes, and wears a school uniform that's simply a white t-shirt, and blue khaki pants."

Gohan nearly sweat dropped. Her description sounded almost like a police profile, but that might have been from force of habit. Both friends were rather stunned when the receptionist smiled, and answered Videl almost immediately. "Oh, you must mean Ryo. Yes Miss Videl, he arrived just a few moments ago. He's just up the hall visiting room 16b. Go right ahead."

"Um… You mean that's it?" Videl stammered. "You tell us just like that, and you're going to let us through? Aren't you supposed to protect your patients privacy or something?!"

The receptionist seemed confused, until she apparently picked up on her concern. "Oh, don't worry about that. Ryo informed me that you two would be following him in shortly, and to tell you two to go right ahead."

Gohan did sweat drop this time. I knew it, he did sense us! Oh well, at least he's inviting us inside.

"How did he know we were following him?!" Videl wondered, as they followed the directions the receptionist had given them.

"I dunno… Maybe he sensed our energy?"

"Yeah sure, whatever… Whatever it was, it had to be your fault Gohan. You need to be more elusive next time!"

"If you say so Videl."

Ryo entered the hospital room quietly, not wanting to disturb the young lady he was visiting if she was asleep. Not that it would've been easy to wake her mind you. Ryo walked over to her bedside, and looked down sadly. She couldn't have been older then nine years old, not a strand of hair on her head, and a bony lifeless body who's only purpose now seemed to be to wait to die. Ryo sighed sadly, and placed the little teddy bear he'd bought her in her feeble little arm. If anything so she would know he'd been there once he had to leave. It was heartbreaking to think how different she looked as little as three months ago. So full of energy and hope, and now here she was a decaying shell waiting to let go of life…

Two months before

"Hey Gwen, I'm here," Ryo announced as he walked into her room. "You ready to go?"

"RYO!" the girl yelped excitedly, standing upright on her bed. She flung her arms around Ryo's waist, nearly knocking the ball cap off her head as she hugged him. "I'm so glad you came, I was afraid you might not show up for a minute there!"

"Hey, a promise is a promise," Ryo said, cradling Gwen in his arms like well… A small child. "Besides, I'm not about to let my little buddy down. So you really have never been to the zoo before?"

The little girl shook her head no. "Unt-uh. I can't remember the last time I was outside the hospital, and before that I spent most of the time inside the orphanage!"

"I'm glad to see you're so excited!" Ryo giggled. "Hey, you've been a good girl, you deserve this."

"Just make sure you have her back by six," the doctor chimed in, smiling warmly at the adorable scene. "She needs to be back in time for her therapy treatments."

"No problem, I'll take good care of her sir," Ryo assured him, before he headed through the door still holding on to Gwen. "So, what do you want to see first sweetheart?"

"I want to see the snakes!"

"The snakes?! Why in the world would you want to see snakes?!"

"I want to see what they look like! Mama always said daddy was a snake."

"Ha, ha! I don't think she meant that literally Gwen! It's not necessarily a good thing either."

Ryo sighed, and sunk into the chair next to Gwen's bed, much like he had everyday for the past four days. The doctor said it wouldn't be long now, probably by the end of the week. He certainly didn't wish to see it happen, but he wanted to be there regardless, just in case she awoke somewhere along the way. He didn't want her to think she'd been abandoned again much like she had been so many times before in her young life. That was the main trait that drew him to her after all. Their one and possibly only common bond. He knew he shouldn't have gotten close to her. All the warning signs were there, but he chose to ignore them. She didn't have anybody else, and he didn't have anybody else at the time. He told the consequences to fuck off, and let his heart overrule his head for once. He'd only known her for a little over four months, but that was more then enough time to grow attached to her. He shouldn't have allowed it, but he did and now held no regrets for it.

"Come in," Ryo said to apparently no one. At first no one replied, and all he heard from the outside was some frantic startled arguing. A few moments later the door finally opened, and a nervous Videl followed by Gohan entered the room.

"Hey Ryo… Sorry to bother you, but from the looks of things you were expecting us… How did you know we were behind the door anyway?"


"I have my ways," Ryo answered, but not to Videl's satisfaction. Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder, and answered for Ryo before Videl could grill him about it.

"I'm sure he probably heard our footsteps coming down the hall. The hallway was rather empty."

"Yeah, that's it Gohan," Ryo laughed weakly.

Videl appeared ready to make a comment of her own when her eyes fell upon the limp body spread out across the hospital bed for the first time. Both her and Gohan's face widened in shock. They walked slowly around Ryo, each manning one of Ryo's sides, both of them a bit too overwhelmed to say anything right away. After a moment or two of awkward silence, Gohan finally managed to chock out a few words.

"Did… Do you know this girl Ryo?"

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine…" Ryo sighed sadly.

"What's wrong with her?…" Videl winced at how stupid that question sounded to her.

"She's sick… Very sick, and she's not going to get any better."

"Oh really…" Videl gulped, blushing ever so slightly. She didn't have to deal with guilt very often, but she was feeling it now. That blush was mostly from realizing she had waked into something she shouldn't have, and on closer inspection, she wouldn't have wanted to if she had know. "I'm sorry… We're prying aren't we? We were wondering why you've been so depressed lately, and I guess this answers our question… Boy does it ever! I'm sorry again… Maybe we should go…"

"No, you guys are fine," Ryo replied quickly. "Actually, I appreciate it. I'm not all that wild about the thought of being followed around, but it's nice to know somebody actually cares."

"Of course we care Ryo," Gohan said, as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Your our friend…"

Ryo forced a small, but not illegitimate smirk. "Thanks Gohan… You too Videl."

"So…" Gohan stammered, completely dumbfounded as to what to say next. He juggled some words around the roof of his mouth, until they were finally ready to be released. "So… How do you know her exactly?"

"I met her right here. I've been a volunteer at this hospital for a little over a year now. I donate some of my excess free time to spend it with sick children who don't have anyone, and truthfully don't have much of a future. Most of the kids in the program are terminally ill, inflicted with diseases that have a history of very low survival rates. Normally, it's just a onetime thing, it almost has to be to keep the kids and the volunteers from getting to attached to each other."

"So, you're saying she's one of those children?" Gohan asked sadly.

"Yeah…" Ryo ran his hand through his thick brown hair before continuing. "I knew what I was getting into when I met her. Her doctor even told me back then that she'd be lucky to live through the year… That was about five moths ago, and it looks like he was right… She's not expected to live through the week…"

"Then why did you let yourself get close?…" Videl asked in close to a hushed whisper.

Ryo sighed again, and sunk back into his chair. "I'm not even sure. Something drew me to her. My best guess would be because she's a lot like me in a few ways. She doesn't have any parents, or any other family to speak of. She didn't have anybody else so… I knew she wasn't long for this world, but I ignored that fact. I knew it would hurt when the day came, but I couldn't let her spend the last few months of her life alone. Nobody deserves to die alone."

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked over at Videl, and if he didn't know the girl so well he would've swore she looked like she wanted to cry. After struggling to find the right words, Videl finally came straight out with a question she hoped wasn't too offensive or nosey. "But… How can you handle it Ryo? You can't possibly tell me your perfectly fine with sitting here and watching her die!"

Ryo frowned. He was expecting a question along those lines, but the way Videl spoke it got under his skin. She almost made it sound like she was accusing him of getting some type of demented enjoyment out of this. Then again, he knew how brash and straightforward Videl could be at times, so he tried his best to shake the issue off. He was used to her speaking before she thought anyway. "Of course not, the last thing I want to do is watch her die! But… I want to make sure I'm here for her in case she wakes up somewhere along the way. The next time she does may be the last, and I don't want her to feel alone when she does. I know it's going to hurt, but I got myself into this and I'm going to see it through to the end. I'm not going to duck out at the very end and leave her stranded because it might save myself a little pain. Either way it's going to hurt, so I might as well be here so I can say good-bye in a way…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Videl said as she placed her hand on the back of his neck, gently rubbing her fingers across it comfortingly. Ryo noticed, and was a bit shocked at the gentle gesture, but he didn't show it.

Feeling uneasy, Gohan was still having trouble getting his lips to spit out what he wanted to say. "Um… Maybe we should be going now Videl. I don't think we understood quite what we were walking into…"

"That's for sure," Videl said softly. "That's probably a good idea… Um Ryo?"

Ryo noted the look she gave him, asking him what he wanted them to do. "Yeah, you guys can go ahead and go if you want. This is my problem not yours. Thanks for worrying about me though. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Sure bye…" They both said, taking their time with walking towards the door. They took one last look back at Ryo who didn't bother to look back. Sensing it was time, they left the room leaving Ryo alone with his ailing friend.

********

He could feel it. The next level… His energy was surging through his body, closing in to that next level of power he was so desperate to achieve. The same level he watched a boy of eleven achieve almost seven years before. He worked tirelessly every day, and felt himself grow stronger with each that past, but he could never seem to break that plain. Just how much strength did it take to reach that level?! How much stronger must Gohan be now?… Vegeta growled every time he thought about it. No matter how hard he tried and worked there was always somebody stronger then him, someone he had to chase after. First the tyrant Frieza, then Kakarott, and now his eldest son. That was okay though. It gave him something to work at. Something to train for. He wouldn't rest until he was strong enough to defeat both of them. He'd be the strongest fighter in the universe even if it took his dying breath to accomplish it.

He felt his power surge higher. He was almost there, he could sense himself ready to break that plain at any moment. Just a few more seconds… But it wasn't to be. His head snapped up in attention, as he sensed another Ki enter the gravity room with him. Enraged, Vegeta powered down, and barked at the culprit he suspected had broken his concentration. "Trunks! Is that you in here?! Show yourself! I told you not to bother me! I was in the middle of a serious training session, and I just completely lost my focus because of you! Come out, and explain yourself!"

Trunks never appeared though, and that made Vegeta suspicious. On closer inspection, he realized the Ki he was sensing didn't belong to his son at all. It was roughly as high as his son's outside of Super Sayian form, and that's what threw him off at first. If it had been Trunks, the boy would've showed himself the moment his father called his name. Vegeta traced the Ki to a darkened section of the gravity room. He charged up a Ki blast, and sent it flying to the darkened corner. A sheet of smoke filled the room, and once it cleared Vegeta watched some fool dressed in a red Gi with matching mask stumble into view.

"Ugh… So you sensed me coming did you? This is truly embarrassing. I'll have to be more careful in the future."


"Who are you, and what the hell do you think your doing invading my home?!" Vegeta growled. "I'm not the patient type, and I'd like to know the answers so be quick about it before I break you in half!"

The ninja cackled, as he stood upright on his feet. "My name is Jerin of the Ray Lien. It's a pleasure to meet Vegeta, Prince of the Sayians. I've come to take your life."

Vegeta laughed at this. "You coming to take my life? I see, you're from that cowardly band of overrated assassins. You didn't really expect that to impress me did you? I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've wasted your time. There's no way you can defeat me, and there's no way your leaving here alive!"

"An arrogant one aren't you?" Jerin asked nonchalantly. "I was planning to make your death quick, but since you tried to make a fool out of me it's going to be much more painful." Jerin unsheathed his sword, and pointed it at Vegeta. "Of course you know a Ray Lien hasn't failed on a mission in over two hundred years, and I have no intentions to be the first."

Jerin didn't give Vegeta time for the witty comeback he had planned. Jerin lunged forward, swiping at Vegeta with his katana. Vegeta easily dodged it, but was taken by surprise by a swift kick Jerin landed right into his gut. Vegeta stumbled back a bit, but quickly rebounded to either dodge or block several more sword swings and kicks Jerin threw at him. Vegeta smiled. This guy was quick, very quick. Vegeta fought off several more blows, before launching an offensive of his own. As expected, Jerin easily avoided all of Vegeta's swipes, but little to his knowledge the Sayian was holding back more then the Ray Lien could ever imagine.

Vegeta underestimated his opponent just a bit. He let his guard down ever so slightly allowing Jerin to land a hard sidekick to his side. Jerin flipped himself over, his foot connecting with Vegeta's chin. The Sayian Prince went flying backwards, connecting with the ground hard. He opened his eyes and they quickly filled with the sight of his would-be assassin after he leapt high in the air, and coming down towards him with his katana aimed at his heart. Vegeta smirked, and like a flash he was gone, leaving Jerin's katana to connect with the ground. The tip of the blade broke off as a result of the friction.

"I'll have to admit I underestimated you," Vegeta grinned, as he wiped a small trickle of blood from his mouth. "So tell me. When your masters send you out on missions, they usually send someone with an equal or higher power level then the target they're after don't they?"

"Of course." Jerin prepared himself to continue the battle as he spoke. "It's the best way to achieve results."

"I see… So answer me one more question. Were you chosen as my assassin based off the power level I was at when I worked under Frieza?"

"Yes, it was all we had to go on. We assumed you'd get stronger over time, so we compensated for it. In other words, I'm more then a match for you."

"So I see," Vegeta continued. "That explains thing. I was wondering why the Ray Lien would send such a weakling to face me! I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or amused!"

Jerin growled. "You speak arrogantly for a man who just nearly lost his life."

"Oh please spare me! I was never in any danger of losing my life! The only reason your still breathing right now is because I haven't had a good fight in a while, and I was hoping you'd pose some sort of challenge to me! To tell you the truth your beginning to bore me, so I think I'll end this now so I can get back to some serious training!" Vegeta charged up his Ki, completely putting a halt to any retort Jerin had in line as he transformed to a Super Sayian. He grinned in satisfaction at the way Jerin's eyes bulged out at the sight of Vegeta's power surge.

Before Jerin knew what hit him it was already over. Faster then his eyes could see Vegeta charged forward, and drove his knee hard into the ninja's gut. Jerin's head came forward only to receive a hard punch underneath the chin, sending him flying a good forty feet across the gravity room. Jerin pushed himself up slowly, and checked his head to make sure it was still there. It was for the time being. Vegeta stalked over to him slowly, then grabbing him by the collar of his Gi, and hosting the ninja up in the air.

"You know what this means don't you?" Vegeta asked him manically, as he charged up a Ki attack.

"What?" Jerin coughed weakly, even though Vegeta was chocking most of the air out of his lungs.

"Your two hundred year streak is over."

Vegeta fired a Ki blast into Jerin's chest, literally imploding his body on contact, sending his remains splattering all over the gravity room. Vegeta moaned in frustration, regretting his decision instantly. "Damn! I knew I shouldn't have used such a strong attack... This mess is going to take hours to clean up!"

Vegeta prepared himself to get back to his training when he remembered something. A dark and vicious side to the Ray Lien, that would even make a Sayian of the planet trade days puke. Their reputation of going after a targets family aside from the actual target himself. Vegeta did something right then that he wasn't particularly use to. He panicked. He stormed out of the gravity room, triggering the automatic shut off system. Vegeta raced down the hallway, screeching to a halt at his son's room. He threw the door open, and looked inside. He found Trunks perfectly fine, sleeping soundly and snoring rather loudly.

Vegeta sighed with relief, and closed the door behind him. He headed towards his bedroom showing much more composure, but walked a little faster then normal regardless. He came through the door to find his wife sitting upright on the bed, looking up at him with concern riddled in her expression. "Vegeta? What's going on, I heard a lot of commotion coming from the…"

Bulma stopped as she watched Vegeta approach her, his usual serious expression on his face. Bulma was a bit frightened for a second, before Vegeta laid down next to her, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again woman!"

"Vegeta…" Bulma smiled, as Vegeta let go of her. "What's up anyway?"

"It's nothing to worry yourself about," Vegeta responded calmly. "I had a visitor, but he was nothing I couldn't handle."

"A visitor? What did he want?"

"My life."

"Your life! I guess the poor guy didn't know what he was getting into huh?" Bulma's eyes widened, as a terrifying thought occurred to her. "Oh no, Trunks! We need to…"

"He's fine I already checked," Vegeta interrupted. He suddenly stood up off the bed, and headed for the door. "Speaking of which, I have something I have to do… I'll be a while so don't wait up for me."

"You going to patrol his room for a while just in case?" Bulma smiled.

Vegeta didn't say anything. He just grunted, wearing his usual scowl, and left the room. Bulma giggled as her husband closed the door behind him. "Good-night Vegeta."

********

"I can't believe he'd do something like that!" Videl nearly laughed, a broad smile stretching across her face. "Guys aren't supposed to be sensitive like that… It's so sweet of him to do what he's been doing for that girl… I can only imagine the mess her life must be in. It seems so sad though to get close to somebody when you know they're not long for this world. I know I wouldn't be able to do it, he's made of much sterner stuff then I am in that department. Guys like him give me hope for your gender yet Gohan."

"I agree… Hey! We're not that bad! At least I'm not…" Gohan didn't have to think twice about it, he merely used it as dramatic effect for his joke. That scene they had witnessed in the hospital a little more then an hour before was depressing, so they were looking for any type of distraction that might perk up their mood. During their quest for this goal, they found themselves sitting on a bench in the park watching the sun begin to set in the sky. "Geez Videl, look at you! You're practically beaming! You don't have a crush on Ryo or something now do you?"

"Of course not!" Videl laughed, like that was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "He's cute, but I'm not interested in him in that way. Besides, he supposedly has that girlfriend hidden away somewhere that he wont ever talk about."

Gohan frowned and smiled at the same time, in a way that could rival even Videl. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused. "Hey, wait just one minute! I joke with you about liking Ryo, and you laugh it off like's it nothing! If someone teases you about liking me you threaten to beat them to a bloody pulp! Are you playing favorites or what?!"

"No, it's nothing like that!" For some reason Videl's face exploded red, causing her to turn her head in the other direction hoping Gohan wouldn't notice. Too late for that though, as she could tell when he started to laugh.

"You really hate the idea of that don't you? Oh well, I guess I can't blame you… So Videl, tell me something. You don't like Ryo, but would you tell me if there is anybody else out there you might have feelings for? You don't have to give me a name or anything, I'm just curious. Just a yes or no answer, and if you do tell me then I'll tell you a secret about myself. You know you can trust me not to tell anybody else."

It didn't take long for Videl to decide. The red had completely drained from her cheeks, showing nothing now but a confident smile as she turned back around to face him. She looked Gohan dead in the eyes as she answered him. "Yes. A little bit anyway… For some guy I met recently. It's kind of strange because I've never really been interested in a guy before. They were all the same to me. A typical guy was nothing more then a self-centered, egotistical, arrogant jerk, who was only interested in getting what they wanted out of girls. Then *he* had to come along and prove he was everything but those things, and now he's got me all confused. I really hate him for it too."

"Awe, poor Videl," Gohan pouted. "You hate the guy because you kind of like him in a way you want nothing to do with. I don't see why it bothers you anyway, did you plan on staying single your entire life?"

"Wouldn't bother me none," Videl replied right before a mischievous smile crossed her face. "Okay, now it's my turn! So Gohan… Just about every girl in school has been crawling all over you since the day you enrolled. There has to be at least one of them who's caught your attention hasn't there?"

"Hmm…" Gohan thought it over a moment. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure."

"How can you not be sure?! You either like someone or you don't!"

"Yeah, I know. What I mean is that I'm not sure what the feeling is or means, so I can't tell you if I feel it or not. There is somebody… All I know is that I feel good whenever I'm around her, and thinking about her makes me smile most of the time. Whether you want to call it a crush or whatever else you might want to call it, I feel something, I'm just not sure how to describe it. I've never felt that way before, so I don't know if that's what I'm feeling or not."

"That's exactly what it is Gohan," Videl said, as she frowned slightly. She wondered whom he could be talking about. She hadn't noticed him associating directly with any other girls, and she knew he couldn't have been talking about her. Whoever it was, she felt the sudden urge to beat the hell out of her. "If that's the case then why don't you tell her?"

"Why don't you tell him?" Gohan countered.

"Okay, I get your point!" Videl submitted after a brief stare down, leaving Gohan with his usual half grin. "It's not as easy as it sounds. Besides, there's no point in me saying anything anyway. I doubt he'd be interested in someone like me. I don't need anybody, and nobody would ever be interested in me like that anyway…"

Videl turned her head away again, and Gohan just glared at the back of it. Could she really be serious? Videl Satan, the very girl half the guys at Orange Star High School were lusting over? He frowned at first, but that eventually gave way to laugher. "You've got to be kidding me Videl! That's a lie and you know it! You're a very attractive young lady Videl. If you can look that good in a pair of shorts and a couple of pony tails, just think of how many heads you could turn if you ever decide to dress up a little or let your hair down. I guess that would take away from your charm a bit though… Still, I know most guys are afraid of you and all, but you're really sweet and fun to be around once they get to know you. Any guy would be lucky to have you Videl, I can't see why you don't see that."

Videl looked back at Gohan, blushing like the boiling mouth of a volcano. "Do you really mean that Gohan?…"

"Of course! I mean I wouldn't…" Gohan was about to continue, when he noticed Videl's eyes were locked into him. There was something shimmering inside of them, something, and she looked almost bashful as she peered back into his. Whatever that look meant, it was scaring Gohan to death. He suddenly realized the way he was talking sounded a lot like he was trying to hit on her, and Gohan feared she might lash out at him at any moment now if he didn't shut his trap right then. "Umm… Um, I mean that's the way most guy's look at you, I'm sure of it! I don't mean anything by it that is… I mean I meant what I said, but that's not necessarily the way I feel mind you. I mean, I'm not trying to make it sound like I'm flirting with you, I was only trying to make you feel better about yourself. I still meant it, but I know we're just friends and…"

Gohan had expected that speech to be his salvation, but when he looked down Videl's face was turning red again. This time she wasn't blushing, she was downright angry. "ALRIGHT! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Videl pie faced Gohan in the middle of his rant, shoving him off the bench onto his back. Videl stood up and arched her back over, so she was staring a terrified Gohan dead in the eyes. "You got your point across Gohan! You know it's not nice to lead a girl on like that, especially when it's me you jerk! Next time you open your mouth, make sure you know what your talking about, or just shut the hell up!"

"Videl wait!" Gohan called, as Videl stormed off mumbling something to herself. Gohan pulled himself back on the bench, and stared after Videl in utter confusion. "What did I say now?"

End.

-To tell the truth I almost skipped this chapter all together. It had little to do with the actual story line, so I almost skipped writing it to get to the bulk of the story quicker. I'm not very happy with the way it came out, but there are a few things that needed to be said. I could've done better, but oh well…

Next Chapter Ewe… I'm going to have fun with this one. Gohan's going on his first date… Well, sort of, but the catch is it's not with Videl. Let's just say she's not exactly giddy over the news, and overreacts like only she can. Ah, you'll just have to read and find out.