A week later, Gohan hadn't learned anything new about Videl. Chichi
ordered Goku and Gohan to the yard. They had to pick weeds.
"But, Chichi what if I like the weeds?" Goku protested in an effort to get out of work. Chichi glared at him, and he bent to his knees and started picking plants from the ground.
"Now Gohan, since your father argued, he can do the yard by himself, I'll have you clean up the cot." Chichi re-ordered.
Gohan sighed; he'd rather have the weeds than cleaning the trash heap that was Goku's childhood house. But, he smiled and set off for work. Chichi went back inside where Videl was patiently waiting for her orders.
"Ok Videl, time for your first job. I'd like you to clean all the dishes, put them away, and then clean the bathroom." Chichi smiled and went to scrubbing the stove top.
~Gohan was busily working on clearing the cot out when Goku stumbled into the cot.
"Hey Gohan, what do you say we get Icarus, and go down to the creek?" Goku suggested.
"But, Mom will be furious." Gohan pointed out. He returned to prying a stick from under rocks and boxes.
"Awe..come on. We can clean when we get back." Goku stated.
Gohan felt the temptation of jumping into the cool river, nag at his mind. After contemplating the consequences and the trouble they were going to be in, he let up.
'Ok..I'm in." Gohan lifted off the dusty floor, and jumped over various junk to the outdoors.
"Great, I knew you'd go." Goku cheered.
They were on their way to sneaking off the property when an angered voice plummeted into their ears. They both knew what had just happened. With scared faces Goku and Gohan turned slowly to face a woman who was twitching with anger. The boys gulped.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOIN YOU TWO!!!!!?"
They flinched at the fierceness in her voice. They nudged each other to speak. "She's YOUR mom" Goku said.
"She's YOUR wife." Gohan remarked.
Goku sighed.
"Why Chichi, we weren't going anywhere." Goku lied.
Gohan fell to the ground in shock. Goku shut his eye's expecting to hear a deafening yell. Chichi started her screaming, but was interrupted by Gohan's protesting. The boy ran past Chichi to the small girl huddled up holding her ears. She was mumbling something to herself, but Gohan could hardly decipher her words. He touched her arm gently, and she pulled her arm back, as if it was a reflex. She lifted her head slowly, and Gohan saw a tear fall to the ground. Videl looked into his eyes.
"I don't like yelling." Videl gasped as her tears flowed faster.
She pushed herself into his arms, and he held her as if they had known each other for years. Gohan eventually calmed her, and she rose to her feet. Chichi felt so guilty for making Videl cry, she released the boy's from their punishment and their duty's. Goku had gone back inside with Chichi, but Gohan remained outside with Videl.
They sat down and she wiped the last few tears from her face.
"What happened to you?" Gohan asked rather bluntly.
She looked up at him in surprise. Why does he want to know? She thought. But he had shown her such kindness she felt obligated to reply.
"After my mother died, when I was 4, my father lost control. I was taken from him by child services. I went to a foster home.and.them." Videl broke into tears again, as Gohan thought over her words. Breathing heavily she continued.
"My foster family was great, but they had another child. A boy, THEIR own boy. He was 3 years older than me. He bossed me around, it wasn't overly bad at first, but then he started hitting me. Everything I did wrong, he would punch me to the ground. I stood for this for 6 years. Not too long ago, I had messed up a problem on his math homework. He threw me into the wall, but I rebounded. I was furious with rage. I attacked him, I got him on the ground when I slipped and was beaten to the floor. As I tried to get up..he..stabbed me.in the back with a dagger he had on display in his room.the weird thing about it though, I didn't feel any pain. I could feel the blood running down my back, but I couldn't feel the wound. When I next woke up I was in the hospital. I had slept for days, and was slightly happy to hear he had been arrested. But they said attempted murder, and that's what really caused me to break down.When I recovered, they sent me here." Videl reported, she was shaking and she couldn't hold back her tears. Gohan was astonished. Never had he thought THAT'S what happened to her. Videl forced herself to stop crying, and she looked into Gohan's eyes. Now that he knew her entire story, she felt closer to him, connected in some way. They stared at each other, deep in thought
"But, Chichi what if I like the weeds?" Goku protested in an effort to get out of work. Chichi glared at him, and he bent to his knees and started picking plants from the ground.
"Now Gohan, since your father argued, he can do the yard by himself, I'll have you clean up the cot." Chichi re-ordered.
Gohan sighed; he'd rather have the weeds than cleaning the trash heap that was Goku's childhood house. But, he smiled and set off for work. Chichi went back inside where Videl was patiently waiting for her orders.
"Ok Videl, time for your first job. I'd like you to clean all the dishes, put them away, and then clean the bathroom." Chichi smiled and went to scrubbing the stove top.
~Gohan was busily working on clearing the cot out when Goku stumbled into the cot.
"Hey Gohan, what do you say we get Icarus, and go down to the creek?" Goku suggested.
"But, Mom will be furious." Gohan pointed out. He returned to prying a stick from under rocks and boxes.
"Awe..come on. We can clean when we get back." Goku stated.
Gohan felt the temptation of jumping into the cool river, nag at his mind. After contemplating the consequences and the trouble they were going to be in, he let up.
'Ok..I'm in." Gohan lifted off the dusty floor, and jumped over various junk to the outdoors.
"Great, I knew you'd go." Goku cheered.
They were on their way to sneaking off the property when an angered voice plummeted into their ears. They both knew what had just happened. With scared faces Goku and Gohan turned slowly to face a woman who was twitching with anger. The boys gulped.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOIN YOU TWO!!!!!?"
They flinched at the fierceness in her voice. They nudged each other to speak. "She's YOUR mom" Goku said.
"She's YOUR wife." Gohan remarked.
Goku sighed.
"Why Chichi, we weren't going anywhere." Goku lied.
Gohan fell to the ground in shock. Goku shut his eye's expecting to hear a deafening yell. Chichi started her screaming, but was interrupted by Gohan's protesting. The boy ran past Chichi to the small girl huddled up holding her ears. She was mumbling something to herself, but Gohan could hardly decipher her words. He touched her arm gently, and she pulled her arm back, as if it was a reflex. She lifted her head slowly, and Gohan saw a tear fall to the ground. Videl looked into his eyes.
"I don't like yelling." Videl gasped as her tears flowed faster.
She pushed herself into his arms, and he held her as if they had known each other for years. Gohan eventually calmed her, and she rose to her feet. Chichi felt so guilty for making Videl cry, she released the boy's from their punishment and their duty's. Goku had gone back inside with Chichi, but Gohan remained outside with Videl.
They sat down and she wiped the last few tears from her face.
"What happened to you?" Gohan asked rather bluntly.
She looked up at him in surprise. Why does he want to know? She thought. But he had shown her such kindness she felt obligated to reply.
"After my mother died, when I was 4, my father lost control. I was taken from him by child services. I went to a foster home.and.them." Videl broke into tears again, as Gohan thought over her words. Breathing heavily she continued.
"My foster family was great, but they had another child. A boy, THEIR own boy. He was 3 years older than me. He bossed me around, it wasn't overly bad at first, but then he started hitting me. Everything I did wrong, he would punch me to the ground. I stood for this for 6 years. Not too long ago, I had messed up a problem on his math homework. He threw me into the wall, but I rebounded. I was furious with rage. I attacked him, I got him on the ground when I slipped and was beaten to the floor. As I tried to get up..he..stabbed me.in the back with a dagger he had on display in his room.the weird thing about it though, I didn't feel any pain. I could feel the blood running down my back, but I couldn't feel the wound. When I next woke up I was in the hospital. I had slept for days, and was slightly happy to hear he had been arrested. But they said attempted murder, and that's what really caused me to break down.When I recovered, they sent me here." Videl reported, she was shaking and she couldn't hold back her tears. Gohan was astonished. Never had he thought THAT'S what happened to her. Videl forced herself to stop crying, and she looked into Gohan's eyes. Now that he knew her entire story, she felt closer to him, connected in some way. They stared at each other, deep in thought