Wow, has it really been a month since I updated? I must apologize, but my excuse is a very good one. I simply fell off the face of the Earth. Not to worry I am fine now. I can hold my breath for a long time. However, now that gravity and I have reached an understanding, I give you a new, well-balanced and nutritious new chapter I like to call: ----- . . Chapter 10: -------------

.:: OK, now it is really getting late. ::. Said Gohan, annoyed at himself for having no self control.

.:: Yeah, are you sure that the whole, 'this will put off further urges' thing was true? ::. Asked Videl. She was equally engrossed in her fun, as well as annoyed at the absolute lack of control.

"I said: OH MY GOD. I know you two are busy but come on!!" Yelled an angry Erasa. The two looked up and turned the same shade of red as they flew apart faster than she could see. Apart being only a relative term, they were not as close as they had been, but Gohan did not seem to notice that his arm was still around Videl as he began to speak.

"Erasa I don't know what you saw, but there is no need to be agitated." He said weakly, praying that she did not get a clear view.

"I have been standing here for like two minutes. You two were totally making out, ignoring me and you have known each other for like 3 days? How? I mean did you even? I mean. Already?" Said the blonde, as her anger failed her and the realization bewildered her. As she settled down, waiting for a reply she noticed how Gohan had slightly shifted Videl in his arm. She was now slightly behind him, as if he was protecting her from Erasa's shouting. "OH, how cute!"

"What was cute? Oh that." Said Videl as if she had hardly noticed it, giving away just how comfortable she was in those arms, or in this case, arm. "Still I hardly see anything to be excited about sure we were a little caught up, but we are teenagers, we are entitled to our damn hormones are we not?" She continued. As she looked to Gohan for more rationalizing, she saw and felt confusion from him.

"D-D-D-Did you say, already? Already? Again? I mean sure before, that is understandable but I mean, are they always going to say already?" Said the boy turning to Videl as she rubbed his back for support still in his arm.

"Aww. Even cuter!" Erasa Interjected, with hearts in her eyes.

"Hey! He does have a point." Scolded Videl gently, before she realized her public actions and the two separated for the first time in a great while.

"Come on Videl you may be the expert fighter on this roof but this is my kinda thing. You know me, am I not always right about this stuff?"

"Yeah." Videl said aloud before muttering. "Except about yourself."

"So, what did you two do yesterday, as if I didn't know?" Erasa asked wryly.

"No, this did not start till last night." Said Videl quickly, as if a denial.

"Thank explains why you two did not notice me." She replied in a matter of fact manner. Though she outwardly treated it calmly the blonde was dancing on the inside. She had a long history of Videl refusing to admit doing things that were out of character. So her comment was practically a confession. 'There was that one epic romance movie we saw that time.' Erasa recalled in her celebration, before Videl realized what she had said.

"Oops" She said. Once again looking to Gohan for support, once again he disappointed.

"Although you could blame your day off on this." Started Gohan, before he realized. "I am not helping am I?"

"No!" Videl said forcefully while yelling it telepathically for effect.

"Blame my day off? WHAT??" Erasa said as she caught up with the latest slip up.

"Well not exactly what you are thinking." Videl said, looking to Gohan with desperation.

.:: Time for the truth, more or less. ::. He said silently reassuring her before continuing aloud. "More like we ran into each other before school and got to talking, and walking into town. When we looked up we were quite a ways from school. We would not have been able to make it back in time for class, unless she flew us, and even then just in time."

"So I called my dad and convinced him to give one of his trademark lectures. Since we were too far away, and were having so much fun we took the day off that way. I of course remembered my oldest and best friend for a day off. But we just kinda hung out all day and you know. Things did not get interesting till I took him home in my copter." Continued Videl.

"I think things got interesting on your first copter ride together right? I mean I had my suspicions when you both ignored me when you were leaving class on Monday." Came Erasa's remarkable relationship intellect.

"Yeah, maybe." Said Videl, as a plan came to her. "But I think you just realized it now."

"No I am completely serious. I absolutely got a feeling when I saw you two together. Like you balance each other out."

.:: Um, Videl. This is getting a little too truthful. ::.

.:: Trust me. Trust me?::.

.:: With my life. ::. 'With my secrets, with my burden, and with my pain.' He thought silently, unconsciously, but she heard and took note. Though she was not really surprised.

"I dunno." Said Videl aloud, adding to the argument as best she could, given the rest that was going through her head.

"Like, well I know it sounds kinda corny but like it was meant to be." Continued Erasa, almost without Videl, and certainly leaving poor lost Gohan in the dust at the beginning.

"Meant to be huh? We're too young to... I mean think so far ahead." Said Videl as she added: .:: I almost said get married there didn't I ? Ok. I admit this is getting a little close, but like she would suspect that of all things. Here comes the big finish. ::.

"Well, of course." Added the blonde.

"Even all you have said does not prove that it is true. Because it is just your word that you noticed, since you didn't say anything." Said Videl with a smirk. It wasn't just the smirk it was that look that had long indicated 'best friend conversations', the kind that weren't for others' ears. That look coupled with the allusion to "don't say anything" was all that was really necessary to essentially mark the whole issue as top secret.

'Crap, she got me again. But she does have a point.' Thought Erasa before surrendering. "Ok, I swear I will not tell anyone directly or indirectly that there is anything going on between you two. Under penalty of before school workouts." She said in a monotone voice, like a poorly memorized script, as she held up her hand.

Gohan stared at the blonde, confused. Then he whipped his head around to look at Videl, and followed the conversation in that manner, back and forth.

"For as long as deemed necessary." Added Videl resolutely.

"For as long as deemed necessary." Erasa complied, speaking in an even more defeated tone.

"And I swear that I will not hold you to your oath longer than necessary or try to coax you to break it just for spite. Under penalty of shopping." Replied Videl, though sounding solemn like she just read off a blood oath.

During the exchange Videl inadvertently treated Gohan to the memory of the very first such exchange. No particulars were given, but with a young Erasa, and Videl, by way of a reflection, looking serious beyond their years, none were needed.

"Now that is cute." Said Gohan sincerely. After Videl's slight glare and Erasa's surprise had melted into laughter, and they all had a good long chuckle, the warning bell rang. This meant that they had to be in class in their seats in 5 minutes, ending the revelry, closeness, accusations, bargains, solemn oaths, and make out sessions of a surprisingly busy morning on the school rooftop.

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The first half of school passed with very little of interest. Only a few times did Erasa steal a glance at her friend and her new boyfriend. The thought and the look of the pair made the glance a smile-filled one, every time. There was little actual conversation, even between classes, as all that the blonde wanted to talk about required privacy, and so did all that the young couple wanted as well, though for very different reasons. There was even little use for silent conversation, short of that one answer on the math pop quiz, but it was not really cheating, he just helped her get the answer, it wasn't was it?

"Ah lunch, Gohan's best subject." Joked Videl as the trio walked together to what had become their lunch spot.

Gohan laughed as the made a place for them to sit appear out of his capsule. There stood again, the large picnic table full of a wondrous feast in super concentrated form. "That is one school accolade I accept without apprehension." He added to the humorous mood.

Videl smiled as she sat at her seat, it was next to him, but was clearly marked by a note. It read: 'Videl, here is a meal I made for you special, since you cannot handle Gohan's lunch. Plus it is full of nutrients to get you ready for your training this afternoon. Love, Chi-Chi.'

"Wow you mom sure does think of everything." Said Videl, remembering Erasa before asking silently. .:: What is the deal with your lunch anyways? I take from the note that it is different, so what is it? ::.

.:: You can ask Bulma yourself when we stop by there on the way home. Who knows you may even have your lesson there today. ::.

.:: Wow, I get to go see Capsule Corp. ::. Thought Videl before Erasa interrupted.

"It sure is a good thing that Sharpie had that thing during lunch today, you two are so conspicuous." Said Erasa as she began to read the note. "Oh, even his mom thinks you are perfect together." Cried the blonde with hearts in her eyes. Then she went white. A ghastly look fell on her face as she carefully asked. "What about your dad, Videl?"

"It would kinda be another question wouldn't it? He would hardly act like your mom, huh?" Videl asked Gohan, as all of Erasa's thoughts, of conspicuousness, Sharpner and cute letters were replaced with fear for her friends.

.:: I don't know. I could think of a few things we could discuss that would change his opinion. ::. He said silently, shocking her, before he smiled and responded aloud. "Yeah, that is another reason we appreciate your silence, and maybe even support and complicity. But just for now."

"You've got it." Cried Erasa. With conviction that she would not have been thought of as capable of, she affirmed her cause. She was committed to protect this new couple more than ever, not just because they were her friends, not because it was the right thing to do, because true love had to be protected, always. 'It is like a less dramatic and more romantic Romeo and his Juliet. Of course I will help.' "Anything I can do." She concluded aloud.

Gohan was visibly taken back by her resoluteness. 'I just wanted a commitment to secrecy. She sounds like she just took a religious vow.'

.:: To her, this is greater than religion. Ten bucks says she now thinks of us as Romeo and Juliet. ::.

.:: I bet she does. Does this make her Friar Lawrence? ::. (A/N would tell you what this is, but really just read, or reread the play. Not even FF can replace the Bard)

.:: Let's hope not, he did not do such a good job. ::.

With that they finished their lunch without much incident, except maybe for the addition of Erasa's protective gaze. Though the look did soften, she was still careful to warn the pair about their new secret, and any time they almost spilled it. The couple did not notice but she did warn them when they left together in Videl's copter to take it easy, and that they were still being very conspicuous.

"I am worried about Erasa's concern. Her conviction should have cooled quite a bit by now, maybe we are not being careful enough?" Asked Videl as they sped toward CC. They remained quite and left to question rhetorical as they pondered throughout their flight. - ----- End notes: I actually wrote the next chapter before I even started this one. It was not until I saw a bit of a teen movie based on, A Midsummer Nights Dream I believe it was, did I get an idea that could be worked with. With the influx of Shakespeare and Austin based teen romance films on cable I saw a trend that could be fun. I figured that every now and again you could find a romance-obsessed teen that sought the origin of all of these stories and made Erasa that girl. I hope it came across well, I certainly would not think of it as a bad thing. There was something in that narrated speech of hers that made me think of an old SM dub I once saw a bit of, is that crazy? Erasa may run wild with this or just continue to be a look out. I don't know but I like my visualization of her somehow. Anyway I am sorry this took so long but filler is kinda hard to write you know? Enough, I will get back to writing stories faster now, More to come.