Chapter 2
Sleep didn't come easy that night. Gohan was continuously tossing and turning and sitting up every so often to look out the window. The pale moon was exceptionally bright, there being no clouds in the sky. Its enticing glow was almost comforting and drew a blanket of warmth down his body. He relaxed and fell back down onto a soft cushion of dreams. His senses dulled almost to the point of sleep as his eyes disappeared beneath their lids. Just as his mind was about to bring him to sleep, he thought of her. He opened his eyes and sat up once more.
He couldn't help thinking about Videl and what had happened after school. That look she had given him. It wasn't her normal gaze of irritance or annoyance. She didn't even tell him to stay out of her business as usual. Maybe she was starting to give in a little. Maybe she was actually grateful that he had saved her life. Or maybe it was...
Gohan caught a glimpse of something outside through the corner of his eye. He got up and went to the window to have a look. He saw a figure standing in the middle of the yard under the light of the moon. He couldn't tell who or what it was, but he planned to find out. He threw on some pants and a shirt and jumped out into the open air. As he glided down, the figure did not move. It remained still even as Gohan approached it. As Gohan got closer he began to make out its features. Its back was turned, but Gohan could make out the long white T-shirt with dark skin-tight shorts. It had an obviously female figure and Gohan thought he almost smelled perfume. When he noticed the hair pulled into two separate pony tails thrown over her shoulders, he knew who it was.
"Videl?", Gohan whispered, not sure whether or not he actually wanted her to hear him. But nevertheless she turned around to face him. It was her. Her eyes twinkled in the light and her smile obviously meant she wasn't here for something about school. Her smooth white skin enhanced the moon's glow as it bounced off her face. It made him want to reach out and touch her, but he restrained himself. Before Gohan could even think of anything to say, she spoke.
"I know your secret, Gohan.", she said, her smile unbroken through her words like she knew she had complete control.
"You what?", Gohan blurted out, "How do you kn...I mean, what secret?"
"You can't fool me. I figured you out and there's no way to get out of it, Saiyaman.", she said almost like she was teasing him. But she had hit the bullseye and she was right, there was no way out of it. Gohan simply stood there, shocked, defeated.
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?", Gohan asked hoping for some sort of 'of course not' answer.
"That's not what's important right now.", Videl answered. Her tone had changed from a coy tease to something more intimate, almost sensual. "You know, I didn't get to say thank you for saving me earlier today."
"Ah, it was nothing really.", Gohan responded in that boyish way as he lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head. He didn't even notice that she had gotten closer to him, within an armlength.
"I've got to tell you something and I need to know if you feel the same way.", Videl said getting even closer to Gohan. He could see her face clear as day and the sincerity on it left him rather unsettled.
"Okay.", Gohan whispered as that was all his mouth could manage at this point. She leaned in so close that they were almost touching.
"Gohan, I...", before she could finish she was yanked back into the darkness. Something was pulling her deeper into the night. Gohan chased after her, he had to save her. Gohan stopped when he saw her under a beam of light with a pair of lanky arms wrapped around her, one of which was holding a detonator. Her attacker stepped into the light and Gohan reeled back in shock. It was the same guy from that afternoon and he seemed just as ready to press the button as before. Videl squirmed to break free, but had no luck. Gohan took a step forward and the man snapped. That same terrifying scream filled the air as he lifted the detonator, Videl's eyes wide with tears and terror, and pressed the red button. She was immediatly consumed by the explosion and Gohan could only stand and watch as his eyes blurred, filled with tears of rage. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth hard, but it was too much, and so he simply screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!", Gohan yelled as he burst from the covers and found himself sitting in his bed. He was breathing very heavily and the sweat dripped from his brow onto the soft sheets. As he caught his breath he glanced out the window just to make sure there was no one there. The moon was still bright as it sent its light through his bedroom window, but it was not as comforting as before. It didn't feel warm like before, but instead made the sweat on his face feel colder and it sent a chill down his spine.
"It was just a dream.", Gohan said to himself, hoping it would make himself feel better.
"Looked more like a nightmare to me.", came a young voice that startled Gohan, almost making him fall off the side of the bed. He regained his composure and saw Goten looking at him from the bed next to his. His innocent little face was staring right at him.
"Gee squirt, could ya try not to scare me like that?", Gohan said as he wiped the sweat off of his face. Goten lowered his head to the ground as if he had been scolded by his mother. "Ah I'm sorry Goten. It's just been a weird day for me and..."
"You talk in your sleep.", Goten interrupted.
It took Gohan a second to register, but he quickly snapped back into reality.
"What? What did you hear?", Gohan quickly asked.
"You said some girl's name and then you shouted something about a secret.", Goten confessed, "Then you mumbled something else before you woke up screaming."
"Do you remember that girl's name?", Gohan asked.
"Videl.", Goten replied. Gohan got worried for a second but then thought it was nothing. It was Goten, his little brother. He could trust him to keep a little secret.
"Hey squirt, I think it's best that we keep this a secret, especially from mom, okay?", Gohan pleaded.
"Okay.", Goten agreed.
"Now get some sleep and I'll come home early tomorrow to play with you.", Gohan said, hopefully sealing the deal.
"Alright! You got it!", Goten happily replied. As the little mirror image of Goku lay back down with a smile, he quickly fell into a deep slumber. Gohan watched as the kid slept ever so peacefully. It made Gohan think that Goten had probably never even had nightmare before. His life was so easy at his stage, so carefree. There was nothing for him to ever worry about. As Gohan put his head back on his pillow, he continued to watch the little tike. It brought a certain level of comfort to him and he quickly fell asleep as well.
* * *
The next morning was even more uneventful. When Gohan got out of bed he felt like he had gotten no more than two hours of sleep. His eyelids still felt heavy and his body ached. After his shower he put on his school clothes and grabbed his book sack on his way downstairs. Everyone was already at the table eating breakfast as he shuffled into the room and slumped down at his seat. He slowly began shoving food into his already half open mouth.
"You look like hell, Gohan. Are you alright?", Chi-Chi asked as she continued to cook for Goku's endless appetite.
"Yea, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much last night.", he responded wearily.
"Did those nightmares keep you up all night?", she asked. That jump-started Gohan's system and he immediatly turned his reaction to Goten.
"You told her?!", he yelled. Goten started to sink under the table in an attempt to escape the pressure. Only his spiky hair could be seen over the table.
"And who is this Videl girl of yours. I hope your not being distracted from your studies with a girlfriend.", Chi-Chi added.
"Ah geez Goten, you told her everything didn't you.", Gohan said slapping his hand to the front of his face. The rest of the spiky hair disappeared under the table and the sound of clothes shuffling across hardwood floors could be heard all the way out of the room.
"Don't get off the subject Gohan. I want to know who this Videl is.", Chi-Chi demanded.
"Ah lighten up on him Chi-Chi.", Goku broke in, trying to make it easier on his son. Not exactly a smart move when you're talking to Chi-Chi. "He's just..."
"I don't want to hear it Goku. You stick up for Gohan enough. I want to know the truth right now.", she said, even more demanding than before. Gohan released a conceding sigh.
"Videl is this girl at school. She's got some plan to find out Saiyaman's identity and I think she's starting to see me as a suspect.", Gohan said hoping to avoid putting her name and the word 'girlfriend' in the same sentence.
"Does she have a last name?", Chi-Chi asked. This was the question Gohan was worried about. He wasn't sure how his parents would react when they heard it, but he had no other choice.
"Satan. Videl Satan.", Gohan replied. His parents reactions were no less than he expected. They each fell over backwards, legs sticking straight up into the air. Gohan almost wanted to start laughing, but he knew that if he wanted to get to school on time he'd have to make a break for it, before the millions of questions started coming in. As his parents picked themselves up from their fit of shock, Gohan was making his way for the door.
"Oh no you don't. You're not done talking yet, bud.", Chi-Chi commanded.
"Sorry mom, gotta go. Can't be late for school.", Gohan said as he scurried out the door and took flight,the nimbus cloud following close behind.
Sleep didn't come easy that night. Gohan was continuously tossing and turning and sitting up every so often to look out the window. The pale moon was exceptionally bright, there being no clouds in the sky. Its enticing glow was almost comforting and drew a blanket of warmth down his body. He relaxed and fell back down onto a soft cushion of dreams. His senses dulled almost to the point of sleep as his eyes disappeared beneath their lids. Just as his mind was about to bring him to sleep, he thought of her. He opened his eyes and sat up once more.
He couldn't help thinking about Videl and what had happened after school. That look she had given him. It wasn't her normal gaze of irritance or annoyance. She didn't even tell him to stay out of her business as usual. Maybe she was starting to give in a little. Maybe she was actually grateful that he had saved her life. Or maybe it was...
Gohan caught a glimpse of something outside through the corner of his eye. He got up and went to the window to have a look. He saw a figure standing in the middle of the yard under the light of the moon. He couldn't tell who or what it was, but he planned to find out. He threw on some pants and a shirt and jumped out into the open air. As he glided down, the figure did not move. It remained still even as Gohan approached it. As Gohan got closer he began to make out its features. Its back was turned, but Gohan could make out the long white T-shirt with dark skin-tight shorts. It had an obviously female figure and Gohan thought he almost smelled perfume. When he noticed the hair pulled into two separate pony tails thrown over her shoulders, he knew who it was.
"Videl?", Gohan whispered, not sure whether or not he actually wanted her to hear him. But nevertheless she turned around to face him. It was her. Her eyes twinkled in the light and her smile obviously meant she wasn't here for something about school. Her smooth white skin enhanced the moon's glow as it bounced off her face. It made him want to reach out and touch her, but he restrained himself. Before Gohan could even think of anything to say, she spoke.
"I know your secret, Gohan.", she said, her smile unbroken through her words like she knew she had complete control.
"You what?", Gohan blurted out, "How do you kn...I mean, what secret?"
"You can't fool me. I figured you out and there's no way to get out of it, Saiyaman.", she said almost like she was teasing him. But she had hit the bullseye and she was right, there was no way out of it. Gohan simply stood there, shocked, defeated.
"You're not going to tell anyone are you?", Gohan asked hoping for some sort of 'of course not' answer.
"That's not what's important right now.", Videl answered. Her tone had changed from a coy tease to something more intimate, almost sensual. "You know, I didn't get to say thank you for saving me earlier today."
"Ah, it was nothing really.", Gohan responded in that boyish way as he lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head. He didn't even notice that she had gotten closer to him, within an armlength.
"I've got to tell you something and I need to know if you feel the same way.", Videl said getting even closer to Gohan. He could see her face clear as day and the sincerity on it left him rather unsettled.
"Okay.", Gohan whispered as that was all his mouth could manage at this point. She leaned in so close that they were almost touching.
"Gohan, I...", before she could finish she was yanked back into the darkness. Something was pulling her deeper into the night. Gohan chased after her, he had to save her. Gohan stopped when he saw her under a beam of light with a pair of lanky arms wrapped around her, one of which was holding a detonator. Her attacker stepped into the light and Gohan reeled back in shock. It was the same guy from that afternoon and he seemed just as ready to press the button as before. Videl squirmed to break free, but had no luck. Gohan took a step forward and the man snapped. That same terrifying scream filled the air as he lifted the detonator, Videl's eyes wide with tears and terror, and pressed the red button. She was immediatly consumed by the explosion and Gohan could only stand and watch as his eyes blurred, filled with tears of rage. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth hard, but it was too much, and so he simply screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!", Gohan yelled as he burst from the covers and found himself sitting in his bed. He was breathing very heavily and the sweat dripped from his brow onto the soft sheets. As he caught his breath he glanced out the window just to make sure there was no one there. The moon was still bright as it sent its light through his bedroom window, but it was not as comforting as before. It didn't feel warm like before, but instead made the sweat on his face feel colder and it sent a chill down his spine.
"It was just a dream.", Gohan said to himself, hoping it would make himself feel better.
"Looked more like a nightmare to me.", came a young voice that startled Gohan, almost making him fall off the side of the bed. He regained his composure and saw Goten looking at him from the bed next to his. His innocent little face was staring right at him.
"Gee squirt, could ya try not to scare me like that?", Gohan said as he wiped the sweat off of his face. Goten lowered his head to the ground as if he had been scolded by his mother. "Ah I'm sorry Goten. It's just been a weird day for me and..."
"You talk in your sleep.", Goten interrupted.
It took Gohan a second to register, but he quickly snapped back into reality.
"What? What did you hear?", Gohan quickly asked.
"You said some girl's name and then you shouted something about a secret.", Goten confessed, "Then you mumbled something else before you woke up screaming."
"Do you remember that girl's name?", Gohan asked.
"Videl.", Goten replied. Gohan got worried for a second but then thought it was nothing. It was Goten, his little brother. He could trust him to keep a little secret.
"Hey squirt, I think it's best that we keep this a secret, especially from mom, okay?", Gohan pleaded.
"Okay.", Goten agreed.
"Now get some sleep and I'll come home early tomorrow to play with you.", Gohan said, hopefully sealing the deal.
"Alright! You got it!", Goten happily replied. As the little mirror image of Goku lay back down with a smile, he quickly fell into a deep slumber. Gohan watched as the kid slept ever so peacefully. It made Gohan think that Goten had probably never even had nightmare before. His life was so easy at his stage, so carefree. There was nothing for him to ever worry about. As Gohan put his head back on his pillow, he continued to watch the little tike. It brought a certain level of comfort to him and he quickly fell asleep as well.
* * *
The next morning was even more uneventful. When Gohan got out of bed he felt like he had gotten no more than two hours of sleep. His eyelids still felt heavy and his body ached. After his shower he put on his school clothes and grabbed his book sack on his way downstairs. Everyone was already at the table eating breakfast as he shuffled into the room and slumped down at his seat. He slowly began shoving food into his already half open mouth.
"You look like hell, Gohan. Are you alright?", Chi-Chi asked as she continued to cook for Goku's endless appetite.
"Yea, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much last night.", he responded wearily.
"Did those nightmares keep you up all night?", she asked. That jump-started Gohan's system and he immediatly turned his reaction to Goten.
"You told her?!", he yelled. Goten started to sink under the table in an attempt to escape the pressure. Only his spiky hair could be seen over the table.
"And who is this Videl girl of yours. I hope your not being distracted from your studies with a girlfriend.", Chi-Chi added.
"Ah geez Goten, you told her everything didn't you.", Gohan said slapping his hand to the front of his face. The rest of the spiky hair disappeared under the table and the sound of clothes shuffling across hardwood floors could be heard all the way out of the room.
"Don't get off the subject Gohan. I want to know who this Videl is.", Chi-Chi demanded.
"Ah lighten up on him Chi-Chi.", Goku broke in, trying to make it easier on his son. Not exactly a smart move when you're talking to Chi-Chi. "He's just..."
"I don't want to hear it Goku. You stick up for Gohan enough. I want to know the truth right now.", she said, even more demanding than before. Gohan released a conceding sigh.
"Videl is this girl at school. She's got some plan to find out Saiyaman's identity and I think she's starting to see me as a suspect.", Gohan said hoping to avoid putting her name and the word 'girlfriend' in the same sentence.
"Does she have a last name?", Chi-Chi asked. This was the question Gohan was worried about. He wasn't sure how his parents would react when they heard it, but he had no other choice.
"Satan. Videl Satan.", Gohan replied. His parents reactions were no less than he expected. They each fell over backwards, legs sticking straight up into the air. Gohan almost wanted to start laughing, but he knew that if he wanted to get to school on time he'd have to make a break for it, before the millions of questions started coming in. As his parents picked themselves up from their fit of shock, Gohan was making his way for the door.
"Oh no you don't. You're not done talking yet, bud.", Chi-Chi commanded.
"Sorry mom, gotta go. Can't be late for school.", Gohan said as he scurried out the door and took flight,the nimbus cloud following close behind.