"Try again," Gohan gently ordered, and Videl obeyed. It was their first day of training, and Videl, although she was a quick learner, was having a hard time forming a ki blast. She was able to release her inner ki within about three hours after being instructed how to do so. It was almost too amazing to him that she was that quick of a learner and almost too nervous that maybe he had been lacking off way too much. He wished deep down that he was like Videl, not having to worry about any monsters trying to destroy the universe or that if he wasn't strong enough that it would mean the end of the world. Suddenly, he smiled as she continued to try to form the elusive ki blast.
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
And I got swept away~
Videl wiped away the crystal clear drops of sweat from concentration off her forehead with a quick flick of her wrist and stood up. "Huh? What's up?" Gohan asked, and Videl gestured behind him.
"Sunset. I've got to go. My father should be coming home soon, and I can't let him catch me away from the house," Videl answered dryly, with bitterness coming through her voice when she said "father." She let out a slight sigh and pulled out her capsule.
He couldn't believe that it was time for her go; she had so much to learn, and he was hoping... Well, it didn't matter now.
"Is it OK if I come tomorrow?" she asked before stepping inside her jet.
He wanted to tell her that it didn't matter if Cell had come back, he wanted to see her again. "Sure, as long as you're sure that I won't get you into trouble," he answered. Videl shrugged without emotion.
"It really doesn't matter. I don't care; my dad's gone all the time on 'business trips.' As if he would notice that I'm not there." Videl took a step in and looked back at him. Gosh, did she ever look beautiful with the sun hitting her shiny, raven black locks, almost giving them fire orange streaks. "Bye Gohan."
"Goodbye Videl," he replied and offered a small wave. She gave a small nod and smiled at him; it wasn't like all the smiles she'd given him earlier. This smile wasn't a evil smirk or one of triumph but one of happiness. He watched her fly off until he couldn't see her jet anymore and slowly walked back home.
Why was he so atractted to Videl? Sure, she was a good friend, but he felt more warm and human and whole (he guessed that's how he would phrase it) with her than with the rest of the Z Warriors. Maybe because it was that he had saved her life so many times; he supposed that was possible, but how come he cared for her more deeply than Krillin or Bulma, who he had also saved many times? A deep sigh left his lips as he continued pondering the matter over dinner.
****THE NEXT DAY****
Gohan kept waiting for Videl at his house and just took one step outside into his huge front lawn when Videl almost literally fell from the sky into his arms. Videl brushed herself off and stood up. Rather than the time when he was showing her his ki, they had never willingly been so close together. He had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around her and tell her how great she was. She mumbled something about never having Liu drop her off again, and she lifted up her head to look him straight in the eye and flashed him a tiny, sad grin. Tears were building up behind her eyes, and the sight of her in either sadness or pain stabbed his heart sharply. "Good afternoon Videl. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show," he finally replied. "Wh-?" he began, but Videl cut him off in mid-sentence.
"Let's get started, shall we?" she asked, and he could tell that she was trying to be tough, but it didn't work; he could hear the pain in her voice. However, he knew that Videl wouldn't tell him, and he nodded his head in agreement and smiled sweetly at her, hoping that it would cheer her up. It didn't.
She seemed to only grow sadder as the lesson went on, and he didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he looked closely at her and realized that she was crying. Videl, the strongest and one of the bravest women he knew, was crying bitter sobs. "Videl? Videl, what's wrong?" he asked softly and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She pulled her hands away from her face and jerked up her face to see him staring at her, his face full of concern. Her lips quivered as she first tried to speak. This was too much for Gohan, and he wanted to start crying with her.
"My father tried to beat me last night," she answered in a airy, mournful tone. "He was drunk and claimed that I was a whore!" More tears fell from her eyes, and Gohan knelt beside her on the grass, so desperately wanting to end her pain. "Back when I was a kid, he would yell those kind of things at me, but...I don't know!! I somehow didn't care, and he stopped for the longest time. But when the Cell Games started...the yelling began again," she sobbed. That was all she told him, for her tears forbade her from speaking anymore.
"I didn't know," he whispered. Videl shook her head once and continued weeping.
"Not many people do, nor do they care," she choked. Gohan pulled her into a tight, comforting embrace.
"I care," he whispered into her ear. He held her protectively and gently.
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you needed someone
to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out that
When the tide comes
I'd take you away~
"You stupid fool!" he thought. "Videl doesn't want anything more from you than a friend!! Now she's not even going to want to be that, and she'll leave you!" He began to believe that and was about to let go when Videl hugged him back. Although he was sorry to see her in so much pain, it felt good to hear her heart beating with his, to feel her head burying itself into his chest, to feel her arms squeeze him tightly around his back, and the just the pure pleasure of holding her in his arms. "It'll be OK Videl...just trust me on that," he thought outloud.
"I do," she said into his chest. They held each other, with Videl crying in his chest, for almost three hours, although it felt like three life times. Finally, she pulled back slowly, and Gohan reluctantly let her go. He wiped the remainder of her tears, and she grinned gratefully back at him.
"Thanks for letting me get that out of my system," she replied, and he couldn't help but smile back at her.
"Any time." He meant it too. No matter what was happening around the rest of the world, he would drop everything just to go and save her. Once again, he watched her fly back to her home with the promise to be back tomorrow.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
was somebody who cares~
Two weeks later, after Videl learned how to fly, Gohan called her up and asked her to visit him. "But not at my house," he replied.
"Why not?" she questioned.
"I have to...keep a promise to...a dear friend of mine, and I would like it if you were there," he answered with great effort. He paused for a moment, debating if he really wanted her there. "Meet me in the woods the back of my house, ok?"
"OK," she consented, her voice sounding uneasy and concerned.
Gohan awoke early and flew to a clearing in the woods behind his house. A deep, sharp pain swelled up inside his heart and made it harder to breathe. The pain was too hard; it felt like a stone the size of his Saiyaman helmet was stuck in his throat. It had been seven years, but the pain hadn't dull any. Tears behind his eyes were starting to come through and blur his vision when he heard her land.
"Gohan?" she almost gasped when she saw him crying quietly and crept over to him. He could see her every movement, even though he wasn't looking at her, and could feel her eyes staring at the marker he was leaning over. Her next couple of breaths were short and panicked. "Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I didn't know..." He wanted to talk, but he couldn't. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, and he held onto it tightly, still staring blankly at his dad's grave marker. "How long?"
He took a deep, shaky breath before answering her. "Seven years...the day of the Cell Games." Tears fell more freely, and the most mournful and agonizing sobs came from him. Videl held him in her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. She softly patted him on the back, and it felt good to him to be held by her and let her warmth come over him.
I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me
holding on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone~
He grabbed onto her tighter, wanting never to escape from her embrace. With her here, he was finally free to cry; he didn't have to be strong in front of anyone when she was with him. With her here, he was finally being held; he finally had a shoulder to cry on. And he didn't want to trade it for anything in the whole universe. He felt her tears fall onto his cheek and into his hair. "I want to end your pain Gohan," she whispered so softly that he wasn't sure he really heard it.
"And I want to end yours," he confessed to her ear.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
was somebody who cares~
She embraced him tighter, and he rubbed his hand through her short hair. He now realized that he loved her, because she gave him the thing he needed most: a soul to hold him and a shoulder to cry on. He cared about her almost more than he cared for his mom and Goten.
All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me you know I'll be there
Oh, yeah~
Soon, she let go, and he followed in her suit. She helped him up and looked at him with a mixture of emotions, fear, pity, love, longing, and curiosity. He didn't know which one she felt the strongest, and she gave a small frown. "I have to go...the tournament's within a week, and I've got training to do..." For awhile, they both stood there silent, unsure, and gazing into each other's eyes. God, he could stare in hers for eternity. A familiar smirk crossed her lips, and she looked up at him. "You do know that I'm going to beat you, right?" she cockily asked. He burst out into one of his old quick laughs at her attempt to cheer him up, which succeeded.
"We'll see," he answered, and she left. Once again, he watched her leave. "I can save you Videl from your pain," he thought. "If you'll just let me."
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
was somebody who cares
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone~
Well, that's all folks! How'd ya like it? I hoped you did like it, because it took me over two hours to write this (partly because I couldn't find the lyrics & I had to stop for about twenty minutes to celebrate my dad's B-Day). But I loved it, and that's what counts!! HAHAHAHA!!!! Sorry about that. Oh well...just review. No matter what people say, Videl and Gohan rule!! Until my next fic is posted up, may the Force be with you... ~ Videl: Warrior Princess
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Michelle Branch's songs belong to her. I don't own DBZ, but I do wish I was in it! Please Akira Toriyama, rewrite DBZ with little me in it!! Pretty please with sugar and Senzu beans on top!!! Would that even taste good? Probably to Goku. Also, I don't own any part of Star Wars (I'm only doing this because I wrote the whole "May the Force be with you" line), but I would LOVE to own Luke Skywalker!! Man, Mark Hamill was soooo sexy in that black tunic, fighting with his green lightsaber!! Although…he's not as cute as my boyfriend! ^.^