Chapter 5 - Home Sweet Home
Videl's residence was a small shack (a/n: think small house rather than four walls made of rotting wood-like material) not too far from city limits. It was a humble place with three rooms: a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said as they entered. Gohan stood near the front door. Videl bent over and retrieved a suitcase from under the bed. Gohan blushed and looked away. She proceeded to filling the bag with clothing and other necessities.
Gohan looked around and saw a picture frame sitting on a desk. He picked it up. It was a picture of a younger, smiling Videl with her eyes closed. In her hands she held up a black belt and plaque. A burly man stood next to her with his hand on her shoulder. He had black curly hair and a mustache. He was dressed in a brown gi, with white training pants. They stood in front of what looked like a training facility. "Who's this?" Gohan asked.
Videl looked up, "Oh, that's a picture of me and my papa. That was the day I won my black belt in martial arts."
"Wow. You were really young. Where is your father now?"
Her smile faded. "He died a few months after the androids appeared. He tried to defeat them and failed."
Gohan took on a look of sympathy and placed the picture back on the table. "I'm so sorry, Videl."
She tried to plaster a smile on her face. "Its okay. That was a long time ago and I've healed from old wounds." She went back to packing.
"If it will make you feel any better, I understand what you're going through. I lost my father at a young age also."
She pushed a button on the side of the suitcase and with a puff of smoke it disappeared inside a capsule. She took the Hoi Poi capsule and tucked it into her bra. "Thank you, Gohan. I'm ready now."
He nodded and held the door open for her. Outside, Videl held onto Gohan's neck and they blasted into the sky. They were flying for about twenty minutes when Gohan touched down in front of a large, yellow dome. She gave him a curious glance. "Pit stop," he said and released his hold on her.
A young teenage boy with short lavender hair rushed out to meet them moments later. "Gohan-san," the boy spoke, "Great to see you."
Gohan smiled pleasantly, "And you, Trunks."
Trunks noticed the girl that stood behind Gohan. "Who's this, your girlfriend?"
Gohan turned bright red. "Of course not! I mean, we're not like that, only friends! H-her name is Videl. Where is your mom?"
"Right here." A woman with long cerulean hair, which hung across her back in a ponytail, came out of the large, dome house. She wore a T-shirt with the words "Capsule Corp." written across the front. Her cap read the same. She lifted a blue eyebrow. "Who's this, your girlfriend?"
Gohan's whole face turned an even brighter shade of red and nearly fell over with humiliation. Trunks turned towards his mother. "She's his 'friend'. Her name is Videl."
The woman smiled sweetly, "Hello, Videl. My name is Bulma and this is my son, Trunks."
Videl's cheeks were colored with a slight shade of pink with embarrassment. She bowed her head slightly, "Nice to meet you both."
Color began to return to Gohan's face. "Uh, Bulma, we came by to ask if you have any senzu beans lying around. We ran out and mom wants to keep a few just in case of an emergency. You know how she can be." He forced a small laugh and scratched the back of his head.
She gave him a curious look then shook it off. "Alright, I'll be right back." She ran into the house.
Trunks turned towards Videl. "So, how long have you known Gohan?" Gohan glared at him.
"Not very long," was her reply.
Trunks smirked in a somewhat knowing way. "That's cool. Hey, Gohan, when are you gonna come back and train me to become a Super Saiya-jin?"
Videl lifted an eyebrow, "What's a Super Saiya-jin?"
Gohan waved his hands frantically. "Its nothing," he shouted. "Watch what you say around her," he whispered to Trunks. Trunks nodded understandingly.
Moments later, Bulma returned carrying a small sack. "Here is a few." She handed the sack to Gohan. "Don't waste them all in one place."
"Alright." Gohan turned to Videl. "You ready?"
She nodded and stepped closer to him. "Nice meeting you." She managed to say before Gohan took to the air with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
"Come back and visit anytime!" Bulma called to the retreating figures. She stopped her waving and turned towards her son. "How about lunch?"
He smiled, "Sounds good."
She returned his smile and they walked back into Capsule Corp.
When the two landed out front of Gohan's home, Chi-chi and a large older man came out of the house. "Who is this?" Videl asked, not recognizing the man.
"This is my grandfather, the Ox-king. You weren't able to meet him the last time you were here."
Just as Gohan finished speaking, the Ox-king wrapped Videl in a big bear hug. "Its very nice to meet you, Videl. I've heard so much about you."
"Nice to meet you too," she choked out.
Chi-chi dropped the broom she was carrying. "Is she going to stay for awhile?"
Gohan answered her, "Yes, it would be a lot safer for Videl to stay with us."
Chi-chi rested her hands on her hips. "Great, another mouth to feed. That is fine as long as she helps out around here to earn her keep."
Videl bowed. "That'll be no problem, Chi-chi. Thank you for your hospitality."
Chi-chi returned inside the small house, Ox-king in tow.
"He's a friendly man," commented Videl once Gohan was the only one in hearing range.
Gohan scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, that's my grandpa in a nutshell." They entered the small house, Videl just the slightest reluctant.
Videl's residence was a small shack (a/n: think small house rather than four walls made of rotting wood-like material) not too far from city limits. It was a humble place with three rooms: a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said as they entered. Gohan stood near the front door. Videl bent over and retrieved a suitcase from under the bed. Gohan blushed and looked away. She proceeded to filling the bag with clothing and other necessities.
Gohan looked around and saw a picture frame sitting on a desk. He picked it up. It was a picture of a younger, smiling Videl with her eyes closed. In her hands she held up a black belt and plaque. A burly man stood next to her with his hand on her shoulder. He had black curly hair and a mustache. He was dressed in a brown gi, with white training pants. They stood in front of what looked like a training facility. "Who's this?" Gohan asked.
Videl looked up, "Oh, that's a picture of me and my papa. That was the day I won my black belt in martial arts."
"Wow. You were really young. Where is your father now?"
Her smile faded. "He died a few months after the androids appeared. He tried to defeat them and failed."
Gohan took on a look of sympathy and placed the picture back on the table. "I'm so sorry, Videl."
She tried to plaster a smile on her face. "Its okay. That was a long time ago and I've healed from old wounds." She went back to packing.
"If it will make you feel any better, I understand what you're going through. I lost my father at a young age also."
She pushed a button on the side of the suitcase and with a puff of smoke it disappeared inside a capsule. She took the Hoi Poi capsule and tucked it into her bra. "Thank you, Gohan. I'm ready now."
He nodded and held the door open for her. Outside, Videl held onto Gohan's neck and they blasted into the sky. They were flying for about twenty minutes when Gohan touched down in front of a large, yellow dome. She gave him a curious glance. "Pit stop," he said and released his hold on her.
A young teenage boy with short lavender hair rushed out to meet them moments later. "Gohan-san," the boy spoke, "Great to see you."
Gohan smiled pleasantly, "And you, Trunks."
Trunks noticed the girl that stood behind Gohan. "Who's this, your girlfriend?"
Gohan turned bright red. "Of course not! I mean, we're not like that, only friends! H-her name is Videl. Where is your mom?"
"Right here." A woman with long cerulean hair, which hung across her back in a ponytail, came out of the large, dome house. She wore a T-shirt with the words "Capsule Corp." written across the front. Her cap read the same. She lifted a blue eyebrow. "Who's this, your girlfriend?"
Gohan's whole face turned an even brighter shade of red and nearly fell over with humiliation. Trunks turned towards his mother. "She's his 'friend'. Her name is Videl."
The woman smiled sweetly, "Hello, Videl. My name is Bulma and this is my son, Trunks."
Videl's cheeks were colored with a slight shade of pink with embarrassment. She bowed her head slightly, "Nice to meet you both."
Color began to return to Gohan's face. "Uh, Bulma, we came by to ask if you have any senzu beans lying around. We ran out and mom wants to keep a few just in case of an emergency. You know how she can be." He forced a small laugh and scratched the back of his head.
She gave him a curious look then shook it off. "Alright, I'll be right back." She ran into the house.
Trunks turned towards Videl. "So, how long have you known Gohan?" Gohan glared at him.
"Not very long," was her reply.
Trunks smirked in a somewhat knowing way. "That's cool. Hey, Gohan, when are you gonna come back and train me to become a Super Saiya-jin?"
Videl lifted an eyebrow, "What's a Super Saiya-jin?"
Gohan waved his hands frantically. "Its nothing," he shouted. "Watch what you say around her," he whispered to Trunks. Trunks nodded understandingly.
Moments later, Bulma returned carrying a small sack. "Here is a few." She handed the sack to Gohan. "Don't waste them all in one place."
"Alright." Gohan turned to Videl. "You ready?"
She nodded and stepped closer to him. "Nice meeting you." She managed to say before Gohan took to the air with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
"Come back and visit anytime!" Bulma called to the retreating figures. She stopped her waving and turned towards her son. "How about lunch?"
He smiled, "Sounds good."
She returned his smile and they walked back into Capsule Corp.
When the two landed out front of Gohan's home, Chi-chi and a large older man came out of the house. "Who is this?" Videl asked, not recognizing the man.
"This is my grandfather, the Ox-king. You weren't able to meet him the last time you were here."
Just as Gohan finished speaking, the Ox-king wrapped Videl in a big bear hug. "Its very nice to meet you, Videl. I've heard so much about you."
"Nice to meet you too," she choked out.
Chi-chi dropped the broom she was carrying. "Is she going to stay for awhile?"
Gohan answered her, "Yes, it would be a lot safer for Videl to stay with us."
Chi-chi rested her hands on her hips. "Great, another mouth to feed. That is fine as long as she helps out around here to earn her keep."
Videl bowed. "That'll be no problem, Chi-chi. Thank you for your hospitality."
Chi-chi returned inside the small house, Ox-king in tow.
"He's a friendly man," commented Videl once Gohan was the only one in hearing range.
Gohan scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, that's my grandpa in a nutshell." They entered the small house, Videl just the slightest reluctant.