Here goes the end of my first fic. Hope you enjoy it, but if you don't, oh well.
Special Thanks To Reviews From:
Furea / Toshi Ishimi- Very special thanks to you, you've been with me from the start.
darkgirl
DBZ Fanfiction Queen
vegeta's little princess
PwYnCeSs
Disclaimer: Even at the end of the fic, I still have no ownership of nothing. Not a damn thang!
The Lookout
"Hey, Dende. I got a huge favor to ask you."
Dende looked at his childhood friend as he attempted to decipher his problem before he allowed Gohan to ask it. He was usually good at that, but he hadn't been paying attention to Gohan lately enough to be able to deduce his predicament. He'd been keeping his eyes on something else that caught his attention more than that of Gohan's teenage situations. He might have been God, but he certainly couldn't watch everything at once.
"Go for it, Gohan," Dende told him as he rubbed his green chin. "Ask away."
Piccolo appeared out of nowhere, intrigued by his former student's arrival at the Lookout. He hadn't been there in months, and though Piccolo wouldn't admit it, he started to miss hearing his voice. "What's up, kid?"
Gohan let out a nervous breath. It was foolish to be nervous, he knew, for these people had been his friends for as long as he could remember. You could always count on a friend when you were in need right? The only problem with this was it was a long-shot and he knew Dende's chances of performing a "favor" of this magnitude were mighty slim. God or no god, some things were just out of his reach.
"Well," Gohan began. "It's sort of... complicated... but... It's about Videl."
Piccolo smirked. "I should've known... What exactly do we have to do with Videl?"
Gohan mentally-noted that he had actually asked Dende for the favor, not Piccolo, but left that thought in his head. "Well her birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to do something special for her, only I'm not so sure I can really do it..."
Dende raised an eyebrow, more confused than intrigued. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Gohan spilled the beans then, telling him all about the rendezvous he had planned and even how he hoped Videl would be his afterwards. Piccolo had dismissed himself after awhile, feeling that he had no place in teenage affairs, but Dende was more than willing to help out his buddy in any way that he could. He wanted to see Gohan happy and knew how well a match Gohan and Videl would make.
"I'd be glad to help," Dende smiled at the Saiyan. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
Gohan grinned triumphantly. "Well... seeing as how you're the Guardian of Earth..."
Capsule Corp.
Trunks looked up at the sky from his post in a tree, watching all the clouds zoom by. He'd been doing that a lot lately, sitting deep in thought without really knowing why or what he was thinking about, but somehow it all related back to the battle months before.
He dreamed of it too. He saw his father struggling with Kumberelle so clearly, and remembered each time the tables turned. He saw the sword she'd swiped him with, but in the end it didn't do her a bit of good. He saw the way her eyes would change to red and how her appearance would do a complete 180. The cage of fire and his desperate attempt to save his father. He even remembered all the emotions that tumbled inside of him, the panic he felt, the pride, his uncertainty, and the way he felt when the battle was finally won. He still couldn't believe she'd just exploded like that. Killing herself. And more importantly that he had caused it.
At first he felt no remorse. He was only 8 and faced with a terrible problem: how to stop his father's assailant. It was only natural for him to want to protect Vegeta at every cost. So Kumberelle died because of him. So what? Who was she to him?
But later he found that maybe he was a lot older in mind than in body. He felt guilty for the way he made her feel, how useless she must have felt to have taken her own life. He talked about it with his mom one day and she explained that she probably wasn't happy anyway. That might have been the case. What he worried about was the possibility that it might not have been.
He sighed again. If his father had known the way he was feeling he would've told him he was being foolish. Cowardly. That a true Saiyan feels no remorse after a battle. Only pride, victory, and power. The same things that drove Kumberelle insane when not achieved to perfection. When thought about in that way, Trunks assumed maybe not being a true Saiyan helped in more important ways.
Vegeta often thought about the battle too. He had dreams about it that were far more intense than Trunks'. Dreams that abruptly shifted from Kumberelle's exile of the Saiyan planet to her death. Visions of her parents' death and how she was affected by it. How her life must have been after she was left as an orphan floating through space. How her mind must have been controlled by the ancient Saiyan teachings and principles to the point where they destroyed her.
Looking at Kumberelle made him see how many faults there were in his original state of mind. When he first came to the planet Earth, hell-bent on destroying it, all he cared about was his pride and his power. Proving to be the best in the universe. But then Kakarrot showed up and it was all downhill from there. He had an adversary he was destined to beat, but never could. Though he hated to admit it, Kakarrot was a big contributor to his super-strength. He gave Vegeta the drive to get better. He was almost as important to beat in Vegeta's mind as was his princely pride.
But now he had changed. He cared about people. He had a family, just like the one he felt he would always hate. And though he often questioned if that was what he really wanted to be like, or if he wanted to go back to being heartless again, now he realized he wouldn't have traded it for the world. He had an example of both lives, from Kumberelle and Goku. Looking at how both ended, he had to side that the better of the two had to lie with Kakarott.
On his way to the Gravity Room, he spotted Trunks jumping down from a tree in the yard. Their eyes met and held, childlike blue ones to adult black ones. For some reason Vegeta could feel what his son was feeling and reached out to touch his shoulder. That one gesture, though it caught him by surprise, told Trunks everything he needed.
They parted ways, each going in opposite directions. Vegeta smiled to himself, feeling a new kind of victory he'd never felt before, and Trunks walked away with a lighter spirit and a lighter heart.
The Next Night...
The Son House was completely deserted, all except for the very nervous and very excited teenager, Gohan. His hand shook uncontrollably as he ran it through his hair and sat on the couch, rocking back and forth like a dope fiend that needed his fix. It was bad enough that he hadn't slept in months, but over the last 24 hours he had devised the perfect, yet most intricate plan he'd ever thought of for Videl's birthday. And then there was the part of getting it all organized and exactly the way he planned it. There was a lot of yelling, screaming, negotiating, promising, and downright pleading, but he got his plan all worked out and it was perfect. But that did nothing to calm his nerves. He was as jumpy as a first-time criminal in an overpopulated prison. (A/N: Now that's pretty jumpy!).
The last few details were simple. He'd already made plans with Videl. She was to arrive at 7. He got his mother to leave, and Goten was more than willing to spend a night with Trunks. So everything was perfect and right on schedule.
There was nothing special about his plans. Nothing special around the house. No decorations or anything. He knew Videl well enough to know that she didn't like big celebrations. She always said they made no sense to her, since she couldn't spend them with the person she wanted to the most, her mom. Gohan's present wasn't even in view, wrapped in pretty foil like gifts were traditionally. His present wasn't of the kind that needed wrapping.
He grinned to himself, allowing himself to feel that twinge of arrogance he hardly ever allowed himself to feel. Arrogance just wasn't a Gohan-like trait, but even he knew congratulations were in order for this one. And the look on Videl's face...
He jumped when he heard a knock on the door, immediately followed by the angry voice of Videl Satan. He smiled as he walked to the door, breathing in deeply and exhaling just before he opened it. But his breath caught when he saw her, like it usually did. She was actually wearing a shirt that fit, though the jeans were beyond baggy. But it didn't matter to Gohan. She could've walked in wearing an overcoat covered in shit and he'd still be mesmerized.
"Are you going to let me in?" Videl asked with an eyebrow arched. "Or are you just going to stand there staring at me?"
He grinned, and of course, rubbed the back of his head. "My fault. Come in, Videl."
She did just that and immediately found a seat on the couch. He sat down next to her and noticed a strange look on her face, like she was searching for something.
"Why the hell is it so quiet in here?" She asked.
Gohan smiled. "Goten went to Trunks' and my mom went to some.... place... with Bulma."
"Some place? You don't know where she went?"
"To tell you the truth, I could care less. I've got more important things on my mind."
Videl looked taken aback, but amused. "My, my... I don't think I've ever heard anything like that come out your mouth."
Gohan's eyebrows knit and left a crease on his forehead. "Really?"
"Yeah. I'm so used to careful, considerate, sweet Gohan..."
Videl expected him to blush, but he surprised her, as well as himself, when he simply smirked. "You think I'm sweet?"
Videl ignored him and cut to the chase. "So where's my birthday present at?"
Gohan grinned again, looking more like himself. "Well, first, let me give you my mom's present." He reached behind him and grabbed the first gift, handing it to Videl. The look on her face was priceless.
"What the hell?" She looked completely horrified. She held a book in her hands, and through gritted teeth she read the title, "All You'll Ever Need To Know On .... Teen Parenting." She looked over at Gohan, who was laughing next to her. "What the hell does this mean?"
"It means my mother is a crazy woman with an unhealthy obsession and some weird idea that we're going to be having her grandchildren in the near future."
"Well, I already knew that..."
Gohan continued to laugh and Videl threw the book at him, which hurt the book more than it did him.
"Where is my real present?" Videl asked with mock annoyance.
"I'll get to that," Gohan said. "Right now I have to give you Goten's present."
Gohan had to go to his room for this one, and came back seconds later with a piece of black construction paper. Videl's name was painted on it, obviously using fingers instead of a brush, and there was a picture of birthday cake, with the words "I love you, Videl" painted everywhere. On the bottom, "Happy Birthday" was painted, along with "From Goten", in the neatest way a 7 year old was capable of. Videl smiled as Gohan watched her, now growing impatient to reveal his gift.
"How sweet," Videl said. "I got to thank that kid next time I see him."
"He asked me how to spell your name a million times," Gohan told her. "And he was so excited about it, he spent all night doing this, making sure 'it was right.'"
"Well you can tell him I loved it."
Gohan smiled again, and she turned to him all of sudden, and their eyes met and held. The intense look in his eyes made Videl almost nervous, for she'd never seen a look like that before. It was his love for her shining through his dark eyes, and his hopes and dreams for a future built around her.
"So..." Gohan broke the eerie silence. "Do you want to see what I got you?"
She nodded her head violently, but as he got up, they were both startled by a sudden appearance at the front door.
"Hey, Gohan," A man in an orange and blue fighting gi said as he stood in the doorway. "Did your mom leave without me?"
"Goku?" Videl asked as she stood up, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I got wished back," He replied with a grin on his face, glancing at his son. There was no halo hovering above his head of black hair. He was alive alright. Alive and probably hungry.
He noticed the annoyed look on Gohan's face and asked, "Did I interrupt anything?" There was a slight insinuation in his voice and Gohan shook his head.
"Nope... and yeah, Mom did leave without you."
"Damn... Well, bye!"
Goku departed quickly and Videl turned to Gohan with a confused look. "I thought you couldn't wish him back?"
"So did I," Gohan replied. "But I was able to pull some strings and I talked him into to coming back." He grinned again. "Actually, he helped me with your present too."
She smiled widely and almost jumped up and down. "Where is it?"
Gohan walked over to the door and called out to someone to come inside. Videl was confused, but that didn't last very long. Coming through the doorway was a person who, like Goku, was recalled from the afterlife. Coming through the doorway behind Gohan was the person Videl thought she'd never see again. She couldn't believe it. Gohan had given her the best gift she'd ever received. Gohan had wished back her mother.
"Oh my Dende..." Videl muttered, still trying to digest it all. It wasn't at all what she expected. She expected the beautiful Angel Satan to be dressed in white, with a blinding white light glowing around her when she saw her again. But she wasn't. She was just as alive as she always was. No halo. No blinding light. Just a smiling face and eyes that twinkled like lavender-blue stars.
"Hi there, Videl," Angel said, her voice sounding almost exactly like Videl's. "Missed me?"
"You have no clue," Videl replied as she launched herself into her mother's arms. "I can't believe you're here."
"Neither can I," Angel replied. She glanced at Gohan with a warm smile. "You've got one devoted, caring, and persistent boy over here."
"I sure do," Videl said as she pulled out her mother's embrace and looked at Gohan. He was smiling too, and she walked over to him and hugged him as well. "Thank you, Gohan. You have no idea what this means to me." He was about to reply, but she surprised everyone in the room, including herself, when she stood on her toes and kissed him. Not a kiss on the cheek like she'd done before, but a kiss on the lips.
Gohan was so startled by the sudden action that he just stood there wide eyed while Angel Satan laughed at him and mouthed, "Kiss her back!". He did as he was told, while Angel grinned and left, deciding that they had a lot to talk about once they got over their lip-lock.
It seemed like hours had passed before they parted, though it was only a few more seconds. Gohan was still wide eyed and dazed, and Videl had this sort of confused look, like she was in dream.
"Um... uh... Your welcome?" Gohan asked. He hadn't expected to be kissed, though he hoped he would be.
"I uh... I didn't mean to...," Videl stuttered.
"You didn't mean to what?" Gohan asked, looking almost hurt. "Kiss me?"
"Yes," She replied, then thought better of it. "No... I'm lying... Gohan we need to talk."
He followed her as she seated herself on the couch with a serious, intense look on her face that made him slightly nervous. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she wanted to tell him, but considering she gave him that kiss, maybe he did want to hear it.
"Listen, Gohan," Videl began. "This isn't exactly easy for me to say, but you know me. I'm not one to beat around the bush. I like you Gohan. More than I've said I did."
"Well, I'm in love with you," Gohan blurted out. He almost slapped his hand over his mouth, for that was more of a thinking-out-loud sort of thing more than what he actually meant to say.
"Really?" Videl looked relieved.
"Is that ok?" It was a stupid question, he knew, but he was also very naive and confused in these kind of situations.
Videl smiled and kissed him again, a longer, more passionate kiss than before. "Does that answer your question?"
Gohan nodded, and it was he who kissed her that time. He felt so damn relieved, and stupid at the same time. Who would've thought that all that time, she felt the same way that he did? And all one of them had to do was stop being a chicken and simply fess up, and they would've saved themselves a lot of aggravation. - I guess life is just funny like that sometimes.-
He felt happy with himself again, confident and even a little arrogant, and he couldn't help but hum the familiar tune that was playing in his head.
Videl cut the kiss short and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "What the hell are you humming?"
The Son grin shined on his face as he replied, "Oh, nothing."
But that didn't stop the words from being recited in his head, as he kissed the woman he loved once more. - Ain't nobody dope as me, I'm just so fresh, so clean...-
Capsule Corp.
The prince of the fallen race known as the Saiyans found himself in an intractable predicament once again. Now the thoughts that were heavy on his mind were to beat the living snot out of the smiling fool in front of him, or to oblige his mate and simply leave him alone. Though pounding him into oblivion would prove to be entertaining, and pretty challenging, it would also cause him to hear the loud, obnoxious voices of the two women near him, and inevitably come across that devilish cooking utensil, otherwise known as a frying pan. If he chose to obey his wife and leave the fool alone, he'd lose out on the fun of a sparring match. When he put it that way, was there really a choice to be made?
He looked across the table in the kitchen at his rival and smirked. "Hey, Kakarott?"
The Saiyan in question stopped stuffing his face and looked up. "What's up, Vegeta?" Unfortunately when he spoke his mouth was still full of food, and the contents sprayed across the table to the person he was speaking to. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry..."
Vegeta just swiped the crumbs away, looking almost indifferent, though it was obvious he was probably seething. "Anyway.... how about a sparring match?"
Goku's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, but before he could speak, his wife interrupted him. "Goku is not sparring tonight, Vegeta. He just got wished back and I'd like him intact for a little while."
"And I'd like the Gravity Room intact for more than 3 days," Bulma added. "I fix that thing too much."
Vegeta pretended not to hear the women's objections and called persistently, "Well how about it, Kakarott?"
"Sure!" Goku exclaimed, and before the women could blink, the men were gone and out to the Gravity Room.
"What is it with Saiyans?" Chichi asked her blue-haired friend. "Why the hell do they always have to fight?"
"I don't know, Chichi," Bulma replied. "Some shit about their pride or something... I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention when Vegeta explained it to me."
Chichi laughed. "Why not?"
Bulma looked down at the table and smiled. "I had other things on my mind..."
Chichi threw her hands up. "Ok! Enough said! I get the picture."
Bulma laughed at her. "Why do you always assume it's something sexual?"
"Because I know you."
Bulma smiled again. "Yeah... enough said..."
The room was quiet for a few seconds, and then Chichi spoke, "You know, sometimes I wonder how you can stand Vegeta. He's just so.... so..."
"So Vegeta?"
"Well... yeah..." Chichi looked almost embarrassed for having brought it up. She almost regretted the words. "I'm sorry for how that sounded... it's just..."
"I know," Bulma patted her friend's hand. "I know exactly what you mean, and you don't have to be sorry for saying that. Sometimes I wonder myself."
"So what is it about him that keeps you guys together?"
Bulma smiled again and looked down at her cup of coffee. A million things were swarming through her mind just then. Images of their first encounters, how they bumped heads so frequently and how much she hated him. And then how he softened occasionally when in her presence and revealed things only she knew about him. And then all the battles, the Androids, Cell, and then this recent battle with Kumberelle. She felt the worry and the fright all over again just thinking about. Thinking of Vegeta just threw her into a whirlwind of emotions. Happiness, frustration, anger, sadness, love, and hate. And yet through all that, she knew she'd always be with him.
Coming out of her Vegeta-filled trance, she looked up at Chichi with sparkling blue eyes. "I guess it's just the fact that I know him so well. The fact that no matter what he does, I can usually detect what he really feels. He's a different person around me. It's... sort of hard to explain..."
"No, I think I know what you mean. It makes perfect sense."
The two women exchanged a smiled, but their good mood was soon diminished when they heard a huge explosion coming from outside. They raced out the door and around back to where they thought they heard the explosion, and sure enough, they were right. Surrounding the Gravity Room was a humongous cloud of black smoke. Or at least, it was surrounding what was left of the Gravity Room.
"Oh shit, Vegeta!" Bulma screamed as she hit her husband on the arm. She gave Goku the death glare, who was looking quite sheepish. "How'd you break it this time?"
"It was all Kakarott's fault!" Vegeta replied, pointing to the now very frightened Goku. "He didn't believe that I'd gotten stronger since the last time we fought."
"That's no excuse!" Bulma screamed back. She looked at the remains of the Gravity Room as the cloud of smoke cleared. "And now I suppose you want me to build you another one, as always?" Vegeta simply nodded in answer. "I don't understand you, Vegeta! You do some of the stupidest things sometimes and I'm always supposed to correct them. You make me sick!"
Vegeta looked calmly at her as she turned her blazing blue eyes to his black ones. "But you know you wouldn't have it any other way.... right?"
Slowly her face softened and her scowl changed into a small smile. "No... I guess I wouldn't."
*~*~*~*
Finally... the end of this thing. Sorry it took so damn long, but it's just so hard to work when I have nothing to work with. Sorry if this ending sucks, but better this than another month of nothing, right? Anyway, check out my bio to see potential new stories and perhaps start up a friendship with an existing one. If you really want a good read, the one with the most reviews should do it. I've put a lot into that story... probably more than this one, and for that, I apologize. The concept was just so one-sided and it was only so much I could do with it. I see that now. Anyway, review. Tell me what you like about this chapter, what you hated, and even the strong points of the whole story. I'd like to know. Maybe I'll rewrite this thing and get more reviews. And also, very special thanks to all who reviewed and liked this story. That really means something to me, considering I had the most trouble with this thing. It was my first fic, not my most successful, and the fact that you even liked it at all really means a lot to me. So thank you much, and have a nice life!
Special Thanks To Reviews From:
Furea / Toshi Ishimi- Very special thanks to you, you've been with me from the start.
darkgirl
DBZ Fanfiction Queen
vegeta's little princess
PwYnCeSs
Disclaimer: Even at the end of the fic, I still have no ownership of nothing. Not a damn thang!
The Lookout
"Hey, Dende. I got a huge favor to ask you."
Dende looked at his childhood friend as he attempted to decipher his problem before he allowed Gohan to ask it. He was usually good at that, but he hadn't been paying attention to Gohan lately enough to be able to deduce his predicament. He'd been keeping his eyes on something else that caught his attention more than that of Gohan's teenage situations. He might have been God, but he certainly couldn't watch everything at once.
"Go for it, Gohan," Dende told him as he rubbed his green chin. "Ask away."
Piccolo appeared out of nowhere, intrigued by his former student's arrival at the Lookout. He hadn't been there in months, and though Piccolo wouldn't admit it, he started to miss hearing his voice. "What's up, kid?"
Gohan let out a nervous breath. It was foolish to be nervous, he knew, for these people had been his friends for as long as he could remember. You could always count on a friend when you were in need right? The only problem with this was it was a long-shot and he knew Dende's chances of performing a "favor" of this magnitude were mighty slim. God or no god, some things were just out of his reach.
"Well," Gohan began. "It's sort of... complicated... but... It's about Videl."
Piccolo smirked. "I should've known... What exactly do we have to do with Videl?"
Gohan mentally-noted that he had actually asked Dende for the favor, not Piccolo, but left that thought in his head. "Well her birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to do something special for her, only I'm not so sure I can really do it..."
Dende raised an eyebrow, more confused than intrigued. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Gohan spilled the beans then, telling him all about the rendezvous he had planned and even how he hoped Videl would be his afterwards. Piccolo had dismissed himself after awhile, feeling that he had no place in teenage affairs, but Dende was more than willing to help out his buddy in any way that he could. He wanted to see Gohan happy and knew how well a match Gohan and Videl would make.
"I'd be glad to help," Dende smiled at the Saiyan. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
Gohan grinned triumphantly. "Well... seeing as how you're the Guardian of Earth..."
Capsule Corp.
Trunks looked up at the sky from his post in a tree, watching all the clouds zoom by. He'd been doing that a lot lately, sitting deep in thought without really knowing why or what he was thinking about, but somehow it all related back to the battle months before.
He dreamed of it too. He saw his father struggling with Kumberelle so clearly, and remembered each time the tables turned. He saw the sword she'd swiped him with, but in the end it didn't do her a bit of good. He saw the way her eyes would change to red and how her appearance would do a complete 180. The cage of fire and his desperate attempt to save his father. He even remembered all the emotions that tumbled inside of him, the panic he felt, the pride, his uncertainty, and the way he felt when the battle was finally won. He still couldn't believe she'd just exploded like that. Killing herself. And more importantly that he had caused it.
At first he felt no remorse. He was only 8 and faced with a terrible problem: how to stop his father's assailant. It was only natural for him to want to protect Vegeta at every cost. So Kumberelle died because of him. So what? Who was she to him?
But later he found that maybe he was a lot older in mind than in body. He felt guilty for the way he made her feel, how useless she must have felt to have taken her own life. He talked about it with his mom one day and she explained that she probably wasn't happy anyway. That might have been the case. What he worried about was the possibility that it might not have been.
He sighed again. If his father had known the way he was feeling he would've told him he was being foolish. Cowardly. That a true Saiyan feels no remorse after a battle. Only pride, victory, and power. The same things that drove Kumberelle insane when not achieved to perfection. When thought about in that way, Trunks assumed maybe not being a true Saiyan helped in more important ways.
Vegeta often thought about the battle too. He had dreams about it that were far more intense than Trunks'. Dreams that abruptly shifted from Kumberelle's exile of the Saiyan planet to her death. Visions of her parents' death and how she was affected by it. How her life must have been after she was left as an orphan floating through space. How her mind must have been controlled by the ancient Saiyan teachings and principles to the point where they destroyed her.
Looking at Kumberelle made him see how many faults there were in his original state of mind. When he first came to the planet Earth, hell-bent on destroying it, all he cared about was his pride and his power. Proving to be the best in the universe. But then Kakarrot showed up and it was all downhill from there. He had an adversary he was destined to beat, but never could. Though he hated to admit it, Kakarrot was a big contributor to his super-strength. He gave Vegeta the drive to get better. He was almost as important to beat in Vegeta's mind as was his princely pride.
But now he had changed. He cared about people. He had a family, just like the one he felt he would always hate. And though he often questioned if that was what he really wanted to be like, or if he wanted to go back to being heartless again, now he realized he wouldn't have traded it for the world. He had an example of both lives, from Kumberelle and Goku. Looking at how both ended, he had to side that the better of the two had to lie with Kakarott.
On his way to the Gravity Room, he spotted Trunks jumping down from a tree in the yard. Their eyes met and held, childlike blue ones to adult black ones. For some reason Vegeta could feel what his son was feeling and reached out to touch his shoulder. That one gesture, though it caught him by surprise, told Trunks everything he needed.
They parted ways, each going in opposite directions. Vegeta smiled to himself, feeling a new kind of victory he'd never felt before, and Trunks walked away with a lighter spirit and a lighter heart.
The Next Night...
The Son House was completely deserted, all except for the very nervous and very excited teenager, Gohan. His hand shook uncontrollably as he ran it through his hair and sat on the couch, rocking back and forth like a dope fiend that needed his fix. It was bad enough that he hadn't slept in months, but over the last 24 hours he had devised the perfect, yet most intricate plan he'd ever thought of for Videl's birthday. And then there was the part of getting it all organized and exactly the way he planned it. There was a lot of yelling, screaming, negotiating, promising, and downright pleading, but he got his plan all worked out and it was perfect. But that did nothing to calm his nerves. He was as jumpy as a first-time criminal in an overpopulated prison. (A/N: Now that's pretty jumpy!).
The last few details were simple. He'd already made plans with Videl. She was to arrive at 7. He got his mother to leave, and Goten was more than willing to spend a night with Trunks. So everything was perfect and right on schedule.
There was nothing special about his plans. Nothing special around the house. No decorations or anything. He knew Videl well enough to know that she didn't like big celebrations. She always said they made no sense to her, since she couldn't spend them with the person she wanted to the most, her mom. Gohan's present wasn't even in view, wrapped in pretty foil like gifts were traditionally. His present wasn't of the kind that needed wrapping.
He grinned to himself, allowing himself to feel that twinge of arrogance he hardly ever allowed himself to feel. Arrogance just wasn't a Gohan-like trait, but even he knew congratulations were in order for this one. And the look on Videl's face...
He jumped when he heard a knock on the door, immediately followed by the angry voice of Videl Satan. He smiled as he walked to the door, breathing in deeply and exhaling just before he opened it. But his breath caught when he saw her, like it usually did. She was actually wearing a shirt that fit, though the jeans were beyond baggy. But it didn't matter to Gohan. She could've walked in wearing an overcoat covered in shit and he'd still be mesmerized.
"Are you going to let me in?" Videl asked with an eyebrow arched. "Or are you just going to stand there staring at me?"
He grinned, and of course, rubbed the back of his head. "My fault. Come in, Videl."
She did just that and immediately found a seat on the couch. He sat down next to her and noticed a strange look on her face, like she was searching for something.
"Why the hell is it so quiet in here?" She asked.
Gohan smiled. "Goten went to Trunks' and my mom went to some.... place... with Bulma."
"Some place? You don't know where she went?"
"To tell you the truth, I could care less. I've got more important things on my mind."
Videl looked taken aback, but amused. "My, my... I don't think I've ever heard anything like that come out your mouth."
Gohan's eyebrows knit and left a crease on his forehead. "Really?"
"Yeah. I'm so used to careful, considerate, sweet Gohan..."
Videl expected him to blush, but he surprised her, as well as himself, when he simply smirked. "You think I'm sweet?"
Videl ignored him and cut to the chase. "So where's my birthday present at?"
Gohan grinned again, looking more like himself. "Well, first, let me give you my mom's present." He reached behind him and grabbed the first gift, handing it to Videl. The look on her face was priceless.
"What the hell?" She looked completely horrified. She held a book in her hands, and through gritted teeth she read the title, "All You'll Ever Need To Know On .... Teen Parenting." She looked over at Gohan, who was laughing next to her. "What the hell does this mean?"
"It means my mother is a crazy woman with an unhealthy obsession and some weird idea that we're going to be having her grandchildren in the near future."
"Well, I already knew that..."
Gohan continued to laugh and Videl threw the book at him, which hurt the book more than it did him.
"Where is my real present?" Videl asked with mock annoyance.
"I'll get to that," Gohan said. "Right now I have to give you Goten's present."
Gohan had to go to his room for this one, and came back seconds later with a piece of black construction paper. Videl's name was painted on it, obviously using fingers instead of a brush, and there was a picture of birthday cake, with the words "I love you, Videl" painted everywhere. On the bottom, "Happy Birthday" was painted, along with "From Goten", in the neatest way a 7 year old was capable of. Videl smiled as Gohan watched her, now growing impatient to reveal his gift.
"How sweet," Videl said. "I got to thank that kid next time I see him."
"He asked me how to spell your name a million times," Gohan told her. "And he was so excited about it, he spent all night doing this, making sure 'it was right.'"
"Well you can tell him I loved it."
Gohan smiled again, and she turned to him all of sudden, and their eyes met and held. The intense look in his eyes made Videl almost nervous, for she'd never seen a look like that before. It was his love for her shining through his dark eyes, and his hopes and dreams for a future built around her.
"So..." Gohan broke the eerie silence. "Do you want to see what I got you?"
She nodded her head violently, but as he got up, they were both startled by a sudden appearance at the front door.
"Hey, Gohan," A man in an orange and blue fighting gi said as he stood in the doorway. "Did your mom leave without me?"
"Goku?" Videl asked as she stood up, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I got wished back," He replied with a grin on his face, glancing at his son. There was no halo hovering above his head of black hair. He was alive alright. Alive and probably hungry.
He noticed the annoyed look on Gohan's face and asked, "Did I interrupt anything?" There was a slight insinuation in his voice and Gohan shook his head.
"Nope... and yeah, Mom did leave without you."
"Damn... Well, bye!"
Goku departed quickly and Videl turned to Gohan with a confused look. "I thought you couldn't wish him back?"
"So did I," Gohan replied. "But I was able to pull some strings and I talked him into to coming back." He grinned again. "Actually, he helped me with your present too."
She smiled widely and almost jumped up and down. "Where is it?"
Gohan walked over to the door and called out to someone to come inside. Videl was confused, but that didn't last very long. Coming through the doorway was a person who, like Goku, was recalled from the afterlife. Coming through the doorway behind Gohan was the person Videl thought she'd never see again. She couldn't believe it. Gohan had given her the best gift she'd ever received. Gohan had wished back her mother.
"Oh my Dende..." Videl muttered, still trying to digest it all. It wasn't at all what she expected. She expected the beautiful Angel Satan to be dressed in white, with a blinding white light glowing around her when she saw her again. But she wasn't. She was just as alive as she always was. No halo. No blinding light. Just a smiling face and eyes that twinkled like lavender-blue stars.
"Hi there, Videl," Angel said, her voice sounding almost exactly like Videl's. "Missed me?"
"You have no clue," Videl replied as she launched herself into her mother's arms. "I can't believe you're here."
"Neither can I," Angel replied. She glanced at Gohan with a warm smile. "You've got one devoted, caring, and persistent boy over here."
"I sure do," Videl said as she pulled out her mother's embrace and looked at Gohan. He was smiling too, and she walked over to him and hugged him as well. "Thank you, Gohan. You have no idea what this means to me." He was about to reply, but she surprised everyone in the room, including herself, when she stood on her toes and kissed him. Not a kiss on the cheek like she'd done before, but a kiss on the lips.
Gohan was so startled by the sudden action that he just stood there wide eyed while Angel Satan laughed at him and mouthed, "Kiss her back!". He did as he was told, while Angel grinned and left, deciding that they had a lot to talk about once they got over their lip-lock.
It seemed like hours had passed before they parted, though it was only a few more seconds. Gohan was still wide eyed and dazed, and Videl had this sort of confused look, like she was in dream.
"Um... uh... Your welcome?" Gohan asked. He hadn't expected to be kissed, though he hoped he would be.
"I uh... I didn't mean to...," Videl stuttered.
"You didn't mean to what?" Gohan asked, looking almost hurt. "Kiss me?"
"Yes," She replied, then thought better of it. "No... I'm lying... Gohan we need to talk."
He followed her as she seated herself on the couch with a serious, intense look on her face that made him slightly nervous. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she wanted to tell him, but considering she gave him that kiss, maybe he did want to hear it.
"Listen, Gohan," Videl began. "This isn't exactly easy for me to say, but you know me. I'm not one to beat around the bush. I like you Gohan. More than I've said I did."
"Well, I'm in love with you," Gohan blurted out. He almost slapped his hand over his mouth, for that was more of a thinking-out-loud sort of thing more than what he actually meant to say.
"Really?" Videl looked relieved.
"Is that ok?" It was a stupid question, he knew, but he was also very naive and confused in these kind of situations.
Videl smiled and kissed him again, a longer, more passionate kiss than before. "Does that answer your question?"
Gohan nodded, and it was he who kissed her that time. He felt so damn relieved, and stupid at the same time. Who would've thought that all that time, she felt the same way that he did? And all one of them had to do was stop being a chicken and simply fess up, and they would've saved themselves a lot of aggravation. - I guess life is just funny like that sometimes.-
He felt happy with himself again, confident and even a little arrogant, and he couldn't help but hum the familiar tune that was playing in his head.
Videl cut the kiss short and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "What the hell are you humming?"
The Son grin shined on his face as he replied, "Oh, nothing."
But that didn't stop the words from being recited in his head, as he kissed the woman he loved once more. - Ain't nobody dope as me, I'm just so fresh, so clean...-
Capsule Corp.
The prince of the fallen race known as the Saiyans found himself in an intractable predicament once again. Now the thoughts that were heavy on his mind were to beat the living snot out of the smiling fool in front of him, or to oblige his mate and simply leave him alone. Though pounding him into oblivion would prove to be entertaining, and pretty challenging, it would also cause him to hear the loud, obnoxious voices of the two women near him, and inevitably come across that devilish cooking utensil, otherwise known as a frying pan. If he chose to obey his wife and leave the fool alone, he'd lose out on the fun of a sparring match. When he put it that way, was there really a choice to be made?
He looked across the table in the kitchen at his rival and smirked. "Hey, Kakarott?"
The Saiyan in question stopped stuffing his face and looked up. "What's up, Vegeta?" Unfortunately when he spoke his mouth was still full of food, and the contents sprayed across the table to the person he was speaking to. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry..."
Vegeta just swiped the crumbs away, looking almost indifferent, though it was obvious he was probably seething. "Anyway.... how about a sparring match?"
Goku's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, but before he could speak, his wife interrupted him. "Goku is not sparring tonight, Vegeta. He just got wished back and I'd like him intact for a little while."
"And I'd like the Gravity Room intact for more than 3 days," Bulma added. "I fix that thing too much."
Vegeta pretended not to hear the women's objections and called persistently, "Well how about it, Kakarott?"
"Sure!" Goku exclaimed, and before the women could blink, the men were gone and out to the Gravity Room.
"What is it with Saiyans?" Chichi asked her blue-haired friend. "Why the hell do they always have to fight?"
"I don't know, Chichi," Bulma replied. "Some shit about their pride or something... I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention when Vegeta explained it to me."
Chichi laughed. "Why not?"
Bulma looked down at the table and smiled. "I had other things on my mind..."
Chichi threw her hands up. "Ok! Enough said! I get the picture."
Bulma laughed at her. "Why do you always assume it's something sexual?"
"Because I know you."
Bulma smiled again. "Yeah... enough said..."
The room was quiet for a few seconds, and then Chichi spoke, "You know, sometimes I wonder how you can stand Vegeta. He's just so.... so..."
"So Vegeta?"
"Well... yeah..." Chichi looked almost embarrassed for having brought it up. She almost regretted the words. "I'm sorry for how that sounded... it's just..."
"I know," Bulma patted her friend's hand. "I know exactly what you mean, and you don't have to be sorry for saying that. Sometimes I wonder myself."
"So what is it about him that keeps you guys together?"
Bulma smiled again and looked down at her cup of coffee. A million things were swarming through her mind just then. Images of their first encounters, how they bumped heads so frequently and how much she hated him. And then how he softened occasionally when in her presence and revealed things only she knew about him. And then all the battles, the Androids, Cell, and then this recent battle with Kumberelle. She felt the worry and the fright all over again just thinking about. Thinking of Vegeta just threw her into a whirlwind of emotions. Happiness, frustration, anger, sadness, love, and hate. And yet through all that, she knew she'd always be with him.
Coming out of her Vegeta-filled trance, she looked up at Chichi with sparkling blue eyes. "I guess it's just the fact that I know him so well. The fact that no matter what he does, I can usually detect what he really feels. He's a different person around me. It's... sort of hard to explain..."
"No, I think I know what you mean. It makes perfect sense."
The two women exchanged a smiled, but their good mood was soon diminished when they heard a huge explosion coming from outside. They raced out the door and around back to where they thought they heard the explosion, and sure enough, they were right. Surrounding the Gravity Room was a humongous cloud of black smoke. Or at least, it was surrounding what was left of the Gravity Room.
"Oh shit, Vegeta!" Bulma screamed as she hit her husband on the arm. She gave Goku the death glare, who was looking quite sheepish. "How'd you break it this time?"
"It was all Kakarott's fault!" Vegeta replied, pointing to the now very frightened Goku. "He didn't believe that I'd gotten stronger since the last time we fought."
"That's no excuse!" Bulma screamed back. She looked at the remains of the Gravity Room as the cloud of smoke cleared. "And now I suppose you want me to build you another one, as always?" Vegeta simply nodded in answer. "I don't understand you, Vegeta! You do some of the stupidest things sometimes and I'm always supposed to correct them. You make me sick!"
Vegeta looked calmly at her as she turned her blazing blue eyes to his black ones. "But you know you wouldn't have it any other way.... right?"
Slowly her face softened and her scowl changed into a small smile. "No... I guess I wouldn't."
*~*~*~*
Finally... the end of this thing. Sorry it took so damn long, but it's just so hard to work when I have nothing to work with. Sorry if this ending sucks, but better this than another month of nothing, right? Anyway, check out my bio to see potential new stories and perhaps start up a friendship with an existing one. If you really want a good read, the one with the most reviews should do it. I've put a lot into that story... probably more than this one, and for that, I apologize. The concept was just so one-sided and it was only so much I could do with it. I see that now. Anyway, review. Tell me what you like about this chapter, what you hated, and even the strong points of the whole story. I'd like to know. Maybe I'll rewrite this thing and get more reviews. And also, very special thanks to all who reviewed and liked this story. That really means something to me, considering I had the most trouble with this thing. It was my first fic, not my most successful, and the fact that you even liked it at all really means a lot to me. So thank you much, and have a nice life!
