Author's Notes: I'm glad you guys were cool with the last chapter. If you guys didn't mind that, then you shouldn't mind this.
WARNINGS: Slight violence (sorta), slight OOC from Videl.
Part I
*~* Chapter Thirteen *~*
Dangerous Ambitions
Early the next morning, Videl found herself standing in the kitchen, preparing some breakfast for herself and Gohan. She wasn't sure if his stomach would be able to handle food, but she would try. Videl made a bunch of tea, too, to help soothe Gohan's stomach.
She carefully placed the food and drinks on a tray and made her way up to Gohan's room. Videl slowly opened the door and stepped inside, immediately placing the tray on a table next to his bed. She reached down and shook him.
"Gohan. Gohan, time to get up," she said.
"Urmph . . ." he mumbled, shifting in the bed.
She took the blankets away from him and shook a little harder. "Come on, get up!"
Gohan finally sat up, placing his hand to his temple. "Gosh, I feel awful," he moaned. "I feel like I just got hit by one of Dad's strongest Kamehameha's."
A WHAT? He must still be out of it. "It's called a hangover. That happens when you drink too much alcohol."
Gohan looked shocked. "A h-hangover? Alcohol? What happened last night?"
"You mean . . . you don't remember ANYTHING?" asked Videl carefully. So there was a slight chance that he wouldn't remember that totally hot kiss they'd shared the night before?
Gohan shook his head. "I remember playing pool with some guys . . . and the rest is a big blank." He groaned. "Uh, I've got a killer headache."
Videl went into the bathroom and retrieved some Tylenol. She handed him two, and gave him a cup of warm tea to drink.
He swallowed the pills and sipped at the tea. "Alcohol . . . do you mind telling me how I got drunk?"
Videl sat on the edge of his bed. "It wasn't totally your fault. Somehow Angela sunk into my party and slipped some alcohol into your punch. My guess is that she wanted to trick you into going into a bedroom where she could take advantage of you."
Gohan flushed. GOSH, I'm stupid! How did I let this happen? "She . . . didn't, did she?" Gohan asked hesitantly.
Videl shook her head. "I made sure of that. Do you think you can eat?"
He furiously shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm going to take a nice, long hot shower . . ."
Videl watched as he slowly got out of bed, went over to his dresser where he removed some clothes, and trudged into the bathroom, shutting the door gently behind him. She began to nibble at the breakfast she'd made, then turned the tv on, switching it to a news station. Videl's mind was definitely not on whatever the reporter on tv was saying; she was more worried about the fact that Gohan didn't remember the kiss.
Did she want him to? That was a tough question. Videl was, she hated to admit, falling for Gohan's charm a bit. The boy was innocently sexy, WAY too kind for his own good, a true friend AND he was a damn good kisser. What more could a girl want?
Videl recalled the way she'd leaned into Gohan's kiss, accepting it. The way she ran her hands up his smooth, bare back and up into his soft hair . . . She shivered slightly at the memory.
Gohan and I are just friends . . . and besides, if I wanted to take our relationship any further, I don't think he'd feel the same. We're just so different . . . and he deserves someone better than me. Would I really be able to give him what he needs?
So now we've decided that we LIKE him, right?
It's just a 'what if' type of thing.
Right. If you say so. Now, since you think that Gohan needs someone BETTER than you, describe the perfect girl for him.
Pretty, smart, nice, kind . . . and not so rough and tough, like me.
So in other words you think he needs a spineless, hothouse pansy that needs constant attention and praise to satisfy her own shallow needs?
Well . . . when it's put THAT way . . .
That's what I though. Since when have you ever NOT gone after something you want?
That's the point! DO I want him, or am I just delusional?
Why are you asking me?
I thought you WERE me.
Make up your mind, Videl. Before someone else snatches him up!
At that moment, Gohan emerged from the shower, looking clean and refreshed. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. "Feeling any better?" she asked.
Gohan froze, surprised to see a smile on her face. "Uh, a little better. Maybe I could eat a little of that food . . . if there's any left."
"There's plenty left." She gestured towards the tray. Gohan sat on the bed, quite far away from her. He slowly at some of the food, sitting stiffly.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Videl asked.
Gohan shrugged his shoulders. "How about we go out and . . . I don't know, hang out?"
"Are you up to going out? You sure you feel-"
Gohan laughed a bit. "You're beginning to sound a lot like my Mom. I'll be fine. Don't worry about it!"
Videl sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll . . . change my clothes and be ready in ten minutes, okay? I'll meet you in the foyer." She quickly exited Gohan's room and went into her own.
Gohan grabbed a light jacket and his wallet, then went downstairs. He was feeling a little sluggish, but that was about it. Maybe my Saiyan blood helped my system get rid of the alcohol.
He waited in the foyer for about twenty minutes and was just about to go back upstairs to see what was keeping Videl when she appeared, looking a little flustered.
"Sorry I took so long," she said. "Ready?"
Gohan nodded. It was quite obvious that she'd given the outfit that she was wearing some consideration, and that was probably why she'd taken so long to get ready. She looked nice in her blue shorts and white tank top, though, in his opinion, the shorts were a little TOO short.
They stepped out into the warm summer sun, making Videl happy with her choice of clothing. "Shall we take the copter, or would you rather walk?" Videl asked.
"It's such a nice day," commented Gohan. "We can walk."
Videl's house wasn't too far from Main Street, where a lot of the best stores were located. She agreed and they began their walk in silence.
Videl stared up at Gohan, who looked pretty good for a person who was stinking drunk just last night. The bright sun or the loud cars didn't seem to bother him as they walked along the street. In fact, he looked quite content with his hands buried in his pockets and a tiny grin on his face.
Oh, Kami, he's handsome . . .
She flushed as Gohan caught her staring at him. "Something wrong Videl?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm just fine."
Soon they ended up on Main, which was already bustling with early morning shoppers. Gohan stuck close to Videl as they maneuvered through the crowd, not wanting to loose her.
Videl drifted into a bookstore, followed by Gohan. They went their separate ways in the store. Videl wandered up and down the isles, trying to find something that looked remotely interesting. She paused when her eyes caught sight of a book titled How to Find the Perfect Guy. Next to that one was another book titled How to Know He's the One.
She was a little disgusted by the fact that she wanted to pick them up and flip through the pages. After all, she'd never been interested in love before. Or, before she met Gohan, that was.
Get a hold of yourself, Videl! Every girl goes through some stupid phase like this. Now it's your turn and you're NOT going to let this get out of control. The key word is friends.
Videl forced herself to keep walking. Yes, she and Gohan were just friends, and that's all they would ever be.
*~*
Shopping always made her feel better. Last night had been total and utter hell, and now she needed to treat herself. Spending money had been the perfect solution.
Angela handed the cashier her credit card and sighed with pleasure as the woman swiped the plastic. She signed the receipt and watched as the woman folded and placed her new clothes into large bags.
Okay, so what if she'd gone over her limit? Her dear old papa would take care of it, like he did every other time she went over.
Angela was happy with herself as she exited the clothing store and stepped out onto Main Street with four bags in her hand. Now all she had to do was make it to her stretch limo parked a few stores down and . . .
Angela almost dropped her bags when she caught sight of Gohan and Videl standing across the street. Videl was dressed like some two-cent hooker in her skimpy shorts and she was practically draped over Gohan, pointing into some window. And, of course, Gohan had his usual grin on his face and was nodding as Videl spoke.
Angela was boiling with rage. How DARE she? She gives me that 'pathetic, desperate bitch' speech, then dresses like some street corner trash and hangs all over Gohan!
She was fed up with it. And she was fed up with petty little plans that amounted to nothing! Well, she was going to fix that, and fix it permanently.
Angela stomped down to her limo and tossed her bags into the back seat, the got in. "Church Street," was all she said to the driver.
The driver froze, the turned to look at Angela. "C-Church Street? Are you sure, Miss?"
She grinned evilly. "Oh, I'm sure. Now drive!"
He hesitantly did as he was told.
Angela could not balm the poor man for his hesitation. She knew that Church Street was a dangerous place where gang members hung out. But that was the type of man she needed for her job.
As they neared Church Street, the buildings began to look more broken down. There was trash all over the place and bums hanging out on the corners and in front of stores.
The driver stopped at Church Street. "Be careful, Miss," he said.
Angela stepped out of the limo, and the driver immediately locked the doors.
She held her head up high and began to walk down the street, aware that the people who were milling around were watching her. She ignored them and walked until she came across a dingy alley where several men were flexing and showing off their muscles. Angela took a deep breath and entered the alley, eyeing the men as she went. Her gaze fell upon a big man sitting on the ground, watching the others. She approached him.
"Why you just sitting here?" she asked confidently.
The man eyed her. "What's a rich lady like you doing out here?"
"I've got a job I need someone to do. You think you can handle it?"
He stood up. The man was a lot taller than Angela had expected. "Of course, lady. What you want done?"
"I need someone dead."
The man raised a dark eyebrow. "Dead? What's in it for me?"
Angela rolled her eyes. "Monetary compensation. Money, if you didn't get it."
"How much?"
"Depends on how good of a job you do."
He appeared to think it over. "I haven't killed in a while. Damn boss forbade it. Fine. Who's the target?"
"Satan Videl. I'm sure you've heard of her."
"I have. She's the daughter of that guy who beat some monster named . . . what was it? Bacteria?"
Angela wondered briefly why the man didn't know about Cell, but then quickly dissolved that thought. Who cared? "That's right. You take her down, I pay you."
"How'll I contact you once I'm done."
"I'LL find YOU. Remember, I'M pulling the shots, buddy. By the way, what's your name?"
The man smirked. "You can call me Vile."
*~*
Videl took the ice cream cone from the vendor and joined Gohan on a park bench. They'd finished up their shopping and were now just walking around, enjoying the weather.
"You know," Gohan said, licking his cone, "this isn't as bad as I thought it would be."
"What do you mean?" asked Videl around the cone.
He flushed a bit. "Er, living with you. I . . . like spending time with you."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Who would've guessed?" she murmured. "Say, how about we visit Chichi and Goten? I'm sure they'd like that."
"Good idea."
They finished their cones, then headed back to Hercule mansion, where they dropped of their purchases and took off in Videl's copter. Within fifteen minutes, they were at Gohan's house.
Goten came bouncing out of the dome-shaped house. "IT'S GOHAN!!!! GOHAN'S HOME!!!!" he shouted. Trunks came out of the house soon after, followed by Chichi, Bulma and, surprise, Vegeta.
Gohan tried to keep the boys from knocking him to the ground. "Hi guys. We decided to visit you guys."
Chichi and Bulma were grinning at Videl, who suddenly looked a little uncomfortable. "Why, Videl, don't you look nice?" cooed Chichi.
"She sure does!" Bulma agreed.
"Thanks," Videl murmured, her face pink.
Vegeta said nothing, just kept his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the women fawn over Videl and the two little brats throw themselves all over the older boy. "ALRIGHT!" he suddenly shouted. "Enough with the reunion! Can we please get back inside so that I can EAT?!"
Bulma frowned. "Touchy, touchy. Fine, we can go back inside."
The group went into the house and settled into the kitchen where Vegeta began to stuff his face with rice.
"So," said Chichi, "how did the party go last night?"
Gohan stiffened, shooting Videl a glance. There was NO way that his mother could find out that he'd gotten drunk, accidental or not. It felt a little weird, having a secret that he was keeping from his mother. He felt as if she knew EVERYTHING about him, and she probably did. Well, Gohan told himself, this is for the benefit of my health.
Videl smiled at Gohan's mother. "Just fine. Went off without a hitch."
Gohan let out a sigh, which caught the attention of Vegeta. He gave Gohan a look, then continued to eat. Gohan shifted nervously. Vegeta probably suspected something was up.
"You all had a party?" asked Bulma. "How'd your Dad take it."
"He was out of town. He doesn't know about it."
Bulma chuckled. "Oh. Okay."
"Now, I don't encourage that kind of thing, Videl, but I'll make an exception for you," Chichi said. "It must be hard for you to have Hercule as your father, with him being so famous and all."
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Don't be a stick in the mud, Chichi. They're teenagers. You gotta let them live and learn."
Chichi glared at her blue haired friend. "And let them make bad decisions? I don't think so."
"And let them grow up dependant on their mother all the time?" Bulma sent Gohan a significant glance.
Gohan's mouth fell open. "I resent that!"
"Well, Bulma, when Trunks grows up to be some drugged-up hooligan," Chichi spouted out as Bulma rolled her eyes and shook her head, "don't come crying to me. Now I agree that Mirai Trunks was a very nice young man, but he didn't have the influence of a certain somebody and-"
Vegeta slammed his chopsticks onto the table, surprising Bulma, Chichi and Videl, who'd been watching the two women argue in amusement. "You have gone too far, woman! I will not let you talk trash about either of my heirs, or me!"
Chichi was about to open her mouth when Gohan put his hand firmly over it, silencing her comment. Gohan laughed nervously. "Aw, Vegeta, Mom didn't mean it!"
Vegeta glared at Chichi. He'd never liked the loud mouth mate of Kakarott. The only reason he put up with her at all was because she was a friend of his mate's, although he couldn't see what they had in common, besides the fact that they were both female. If Chichi were anyone else, he would have blown her to tiny bits by now, forever silencing that big mouth of hers . . . He stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Bulma winced. "I'll go talk to him Chichi." She got up and went after him.
Chichi sighed and moved to the oven, taking out a batch of hot chocolate chip cookies. Goten and Trunks immediately began to swarm around her, begging for some. While Chichi dealt with the two children, Videl turned to Gohan.
"Who's Mirai Trunks? And why did Vegeta say he had two 'heirs'?" she asked.
Chichi, who was in the middle of handing Goten a cookie, froze. "Me and my big mouth . . ." she muttered.
"Uh . . . did Vegeta say that? I didn't hear him say that!" Gohan said quickly. He shot his mother a quick glance. "Did you hear that Mom?"
Chichi shook her head. "No, I didn't dear."
Goten was SURE he'd heard Vegeta say those things. Why were Gohan and his mother lying? He was just about to open his mouth and speak when Trunks, who'd obviously caught on, shoved several cookies into his mouth. "Shut UP, baka!" he hissed.
Videl eyed both Gohan and his mother. Strange . . . I don't think I'm going crazy. She dismissed it . . . for now, at least.
Bulma came back a little while later, without Vegeta. "He's going to stay outside for a while. Honestly, Chichi, you know about his temper. Do you WANT to die?"
Chichi shrugged her shoulders. "He wouldn't kill me. He'd have Gohan to deal with."
Gohan flushed a bit, and Videl stared at Gohan. She'd fought both Vegeta and Gohan, and was now just realizing that they had slightly similar fighting styles, but Videl didn't think Gohan trained under Vegeta at all. Judging from her observations of Vegeta's actions and attitude towards the members of the Son family, it seemed as if he despised them. She vaguely wondered why. What had created the hostility towards them?
"You know, Gohan," she said, "I just realized that I don't know much about your family. I get the impression that Vegeta doesn't like you or Chichi very much. Mind telling me why?"
"Uh . . . Vegeta was always competing against my Dad in martial arts. He's a little bitter that he never got the chance to defeat my Dad in a fight. I guess you could say that's his . . . sole purpose in life."
Trunks spoke up. "My Dad is WAY stronger than yours, Gohan!"
"No, he isn't!" Goten cried.
"YES, he is!"
"No, he ISN'T!"
"You can't prove that!"
"Well, I'm stronger than you, so that must mean that MY Dad is stronger than yours," said Trunks, making it all sound logical.
Goten frowned I confusion. "What? That doesn't make any sense! You can't say that!"
"I can. I just did!" Trunks stuck his tongue out at Goten, then ran out of the backdoor.
"THAT'S RIGHT, TRUNKS!!! YOU RUN!! WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'RE EATING DIRT!!" Goten took off after the older boy, shouting and waving his arms the whole way.
Videl laughed. "Adorable kids you've got there," she muttered.
*~*
Vegeta was leaning against the Son home with his eyes closed and his arms folded over his chest when Videl left the house, heading for her copter. He slowly opened one eye, keeping his gaze on her while she walked. Vegeta smirked as an idea popped into his head. Kakarott's big-mouthed mate had angered him, and now he was itching for a fight, and knew where he could get some action. [A/N: NOT like that! J ]
Videl paused, feeling Vegeta's gaze on her, then turned to look at him. "What?"
He looked her over, then closed his eyes again. "Interesting outfit you've got on."
She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Are you trying to look nice for your boyfriend?"
Videl sighed in annoyance. "Gohan IS NOT by boyfriend! And why don't you get a life."
Vegeta pushed himself away from the wall, opened his eyes and walked over to her. "Is that all you've got to say? I expected something better, all though I don't know why . . ."
"So you want to fight, huh?"
A sly grin slid onto Vegeta's face. He lowered himself into a fighting position. "Thought you'd never ask."
Meanwhile, Gohan was still sitting in the kitchen, listening to his mother and Bulma chat away. He stifled a yawn, then sank into his chair. What was taking Videl so long? She'd gone to get something from her copter, but hadn't said what.
"I could give you some cooking tips," his mother was saying to Bulma. "Then, if Vegeta's belly is filled with nice, warm food, maybe he won't be so irritable."
"Maybe the damn man should get off his damn ass and cook his own damn food," Bulma replied sweetly.
"You're his wife!" Chichi exclaimed. "While I agree that he IS lazy, you're supposed to do all of the cooking!"
"WHERE have you been living? Under a ROCK?" Bulma's hand flew to her chest. "Oh, my mistake, you've been living in the backwoods!"
"HEY!" shouted Chichi.
Bulma shook her head. "In these modern times, Chichi, most women are not housewives. They are business women and-"
"TAKE THAT!!!!!" came from outside, stopping their debate.
Gohan sat up in his chair. "That sounded like Videl . . ."
"Stay STILL, you big foreheaded jerk!!!!!"
Okay, THAT was definitely Videl. Then there was "ALRIGHT, KICK BUTT!!!" and "GO VIDEL!!!" from smaller voices. THAT had to be Trunks and Goten.
Gohan stood up and raced outside, followed by Chichi and Bulma. Chichi screamed when she caught sight of Vegeta aiming a punch right for Videl's stomach as Goten and Trunks jumped up and down, cheering them on.
Gohan caught his mother as she nearly fainted from shock. Videl neatly dodged the attack and dished out one of her own. "It's alright, Mom. Videl can handle it." I think . . .
Vegeta decided to end the fight and punched Videl hard, causing her to hit the ground. Chichi cried out and rushed over to the younger girl. "Oh, are you alright?!" she shrieked.
To her surprise, Videl smiled. "I'm just fine. Don't worry about me."
Chichi turned to Vegeta. "What were you thinking? A grown man fighting a GIRL, for goodness sakes! I-"
"Let's GO, woman!" growled Vegeta, glaring down at Chichi. "I can't take it anymore!"
Bulma sighed. "Fine. We'll be going now, Chichi. Nice seeing you guys." She collected Trunks and hopped in her capsule jet and took off.
Gohan helped Videl off of the ground. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.
Videl nodded. "I'm just fine. Man, he gets on my nerves!"
"What did he say?" Chichi wondered.
The younger girl flushed a tiny bit, remembering his words. "Nothing important. Don't worry about it."
Chichi rolled her eyes. "You're right. Nothing important comes out of that man's mouth. Now, what exactly did you need to get out of your copter."
"OH! Something for Goten I bought today at the toy store." Videl hopped into the copter, then emerged with a grey plastic bag.
Gohan remembered going in the store, but he hadn't seen what Videl bought. He vaguely wondered what she could've bought for Goten.
Goten rushed over to them and took the plastic bag from Videl. He took a box out of the bag, then gasped. "WOW!! A Videl action figure with a jet copter! MAN, this is COOL!!" He rushed back into the house to play with it.
Chichi smiled. "You didn't have to buy Goten anything."
"It was nothing."
They went back inside and Chichi asked a ton of questions about what had happened at the mansion so far. She was also curious about Videl's house, like just how big it was, how many maids and butlers she had and stuff like that.
About an hour later, Chichi frowned. "You know, Goten's been way too quiet in his room. Can you guys go check on him?"
"Sure thing." Gohan and Videl stood up and went into Goten's room.
Goten had set up a miniature city, build from blocks and wooden bricks. There were toy cars in the 'streets' and other action figures all over the place. Goten had one block building surrounded by cop cars, and there was a mean looking action figure on top of the building.
"I'm gonna blow you all up! Hahahahaha!" cried Goten, pretending to be the mean looking figure on the building.
In his right hand he held Videl's action figure. "I'm gonna stop you!" wailed Gohan in a high pitch voice.
Gohan almost laughed then, but hid it. He wanted to see what else his brother would cook up.
The Videl action figure began to beat up the bad man. But suddenly, the bad guy began to take the advantage. He knocked Videl to the ground.
Then, out of nowhere, a Saiyaman action figure flew into the scene. "STOP! I am . . . the GREAT SAIYAMAN and you, dude, are in a ton of trouble!!" Goten exclaimed in a deep voice. He proceeded to beat up the bad action figure with Saiyaman. When the bad guy was finally defeated, Goten tossed him in a square box labeled JAIL with slightly crooked letters.
"Oh, Saiyaman," the Videl action figure was cooing in a slightly breathless voice. "You saved me again!"
"All in a days work, Miss Videl."
Then, Goten brought the two figures together, and they began to kiss.
Gohan almost fell over from shock. Videl's face turned bright red and laughter sounded from behind them. Goten looked up. "Hi guys! Did you come to play?"
Chichi stepped into the room, forcing back her laughter. Both Gohan and Videl were looking embarrassed, staring at the floor.
"Uh . . . actually, Videl and I came to say bye. We . . . have a lot of homework to do and we should be getting back. Right, Videl?" he sent her a stressed look.
"Um, that's right! But we had a good time visiting, right?"
Goten frowned. "You'll . . . come again?"
Gohan gave his little brother a hug. "Of course. I'll call too."
Gohan and Videl then left the Son home and got into the copter. "That was interesting," Videl muttered as she took off.
"You got that right."
*~*
Hours later, Gohan and Videl were sitting in the pool house, finishing up their homework. The sun had set about an hour ago, and darkness was settling around them.
The two had decided to do their work in the pool house since the maids and butlers were cleaning the whole house up, making sure that there wasn't any evidence that Videl's party had existed the night before.
Videl closed her math book with a sigh. "Done! Finally!"
Gohan shut his too and grinned. "Me too. You know, all of this work has made me hungry. How about I cook something?"
Videl raised an eyebrow. "You cook?"
"I learned a little from my Mom. I make some mean spaghetti. You want some?"
"Sounds good."
As Gohan moved towards the kitchen, Videl stood up from the couch and stretched. "I think I'm going out for a swim, okay?"
"Sure. I'll call when the foods ready."
Videl went into the bathroom where she kept a spare bathing suit. She quickly changed, grabbed a towel to wrap around her waist, and went outside. Once Videl arrived at the poolside, she tossed the towel aside, then sat on the edge of the pool and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Videl slid into the cool water with a sigh and began to do some laps.
Inside, Gohan turned on the television, changing it to the news channel. He turned it up quiet loud so that he could hear from inside the kitchen.
Fifteen minutes later, Videl rested her arms on the edge of the pool. She closed her eyes. Videl stayed like that for a while, enjoying the cool night air and the feel of the water against her bare skin.
Suddenly Videl felt someone's hands in her hair. Her eyes flew open. She gasped. A big man with eyes and hair like midnight was kneeling in front of her with his hands roughly entwined in her hair. Before Videl could scream, he slapped a piece of tape across her mouth. The man grinned down at her and dunked her head under the water.
Don't panic! DON'T panic!
Videl couldn't breath. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire. She needed air. Videl clawed at the man's wrists with her fingernails. She was pulled back up to the surface. Videl took a deep breath.
"Fiery little thing aren't you? Too bad I have to kill you." He dunked her back under the water, holding her there.
She held her breath for as long as she could until the felt the burning sensation in her chest again. I'm going to die . . . Please, Kami, I don't want to die!
She felt herself slipping away. This was the end. Before she blanked out, she prayed one last time, prayed for someone to come and save her.
Gohan . . .
Inside the kitchen, Gohan was sipping some sauce from a wooden spoon when a wave of cold air washed over his body. The spoon slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. Something was wrong.
"Videl . . ." he muttered. Gohan quickly ran out of the pool house, his heart momentarily stopping when he caught sight of some man bent over the pool, holding Videl under the water. "LET HER GO, BASTARD!!!" he cried.
The man let go of Videl's hair and whirled around. Damn . . . this kid is strong! His ki level is skyrocketing! I guess this is where I make my exit! The man flew off into the air.
Gohan didn't go after him, but rushed up to the side of the pool and gently pulled Videl out. HE cradled her wet body to his chest and searched for any sign of breathing.
There was nothing. She wasn't breathing.
Gohan muttered a cures, then placed her on the ground. He began to perform mouth to mouth, silently thanking the fact that he'd paid attention in health class.
When he came back up to check for Videl's breathing, her chest was still. "Breath, damn it, breath!" Gohan resumed mouth to mouth.
Suddenly Videl gasped for breath, struggling to sit up. Gohan helped her up and patted her back as she coughed up water.
Gohan swept her into his arms and carried her back into the pool house, lying her on the couch. He moved to the phone and dialed for an ambulance. Once he got off the phone, he knelt down beside Videl. "Are you alright?"
Her eyes were tightly shut, and Gohan suspected that the wetness on her cheeks was not all from the pool. "I . . . I thought I was going to . . .d-die."
Gohan stroked her hair. "You're alright now. I've got you."
She sighed and opened her eyes. "Where . . . what happened to the guy?"
"He . . . flew off."
"Flew?"
Gohan nodded.
"But . . . I can't understand why someone would want to . . . never mind. All those crooks I put in jail . . . I'm sure one of them would've liked to do me in."
Gohan said nothing. He took her hand and squeezed it.
A few minutes later, paramedics arrived and took Videl away. They wouldn't let Gohan ride in the back of the ambulance, but a police officer offered to give him a ride over to Satan General Hospital for saving Videl's life.
The press had gotten word of the incident and, by the time Gohan arrived, the place was crawling with reporters and cameras. Gohan was taken up to ICU, where they were keeping Videl. When he asked Videl's doctor why she'd been placed in ICU, he said that reporters weren't allowed in ICU and it was the safest place to keep her.
Gohan was allowed to stay overnight in Videl's room, but only, as he had been reminded several times, because he'd rescued Videl.
When Gohan entered the room, Videl was already asleep. He sat in a huge armchair next to her bed and watched her as she took deep breaths in and out.
Gohan didn't think that it was some criminal out for revenge going after Videl's life. If this guy could fly, then chances were that he was strong enough to defeat Videl in a fight.
But what would a guy like that want with Videl? It wasn't as if she could pose a threat to him.
It just didn't add up.
Gohan sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair. He drifted off into a restless sleep, his dreams laced with worry for Videl.
*~*
Chichi was placing her last plate in the cabinet overhead when the phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"
"Chichi! Have you seen the news?!" Bulma exclaimed.
"What? What happened?" she asked.
"Hurry and change it to a news station!"
Chichi ordered Goten to change the station. When he reluctantly did so, she almost dropped the phone when she read the words at the bottom of the screen. " 'Murder attempt on Satan Videl' ?! What in the world is going on?!"
"Apparently, some guy tried to drown Videl in her pool a few hours ago."
"Is she okay?!"
"The police haven't released anything about her condition. They won't even tell the public if she's dead or alive!"
Chichi shook her head. "If she was dead . . . then we'd know. Gohan would've gone wild by now, I'm sure."
Bulma sighed. "I guess you're right. I just hope she's okay."
"Me too, Bulma. Me too." [1]
Author's Notes: Hmm . . . Videl's on an emotional roller coaster and there's some psycho nut after her. Haha!
[1] Okay, so this has nothing to do with the dialogue above, but I'm thinking about changing my title to 'Ai to Junsui no Chikara' with this part called Secrets. What do you think? By the way, that means love and pure power in Japanese. It would have been love and pure energy, but the Japanese word for energy wasn't very pretty.
ADVERTISING: This story is one from Harry Potter. It's called 'Civil War' by Sushi. Beware, this is SLASH (male/male relationship) with Harry/Snape and rated NC-17. There are two other parts that go with it and you can find them on Sushi's profile page. They're all really good.
NEXT CHAPTER: Hercule returns to Satan City once he hears about the attempt on Videl's life. When he gets back, he makes some hasty accusations that send Videl off the edge. AND, another attempt on Videl is made. Will this one succeed?
