Here's chapter one for all you wonderful people!

FrozenFlower, thank you very much for the new summary…I suck at writing them quite frankly. And for helping me get this chapter rolling.

I don't own DBZ.

Two Halves of a Soul

Chapter 1: Returning Home

Silence settles between the two after the brief introductions. The only sounds that can be heard are those of insects and various forest creatures in the trees and underbrush around them. Neither, however, feels compelled to infringe on the stillness that has beset them as they think about the day's events, tears slowly falling from their eyes as images and feelings of the past few hours flow through their minds.

The memories of the Cell games unfold in Gohan's mind. He sees his father's fight against Cell. He sees his father withdrawal from the match. And he sees his father sacrifice himself to save the world. He watches Cell return from the Other World, and realizes that his father's sacrifice was meaningless. He watches as, during his final showdown with Cell, his father tells him to let go, to not hold back any of his power. And he watches as more power explodes from his hands intensifying his attack so much that it overwhelms Cells attack, sending him back to the land of the dead. Everything after that is blurred by his tears as he flies away, not caring where he ends up. The first clear image he sees is of a girl his own age with raven hair and blue eyes, whom he now knows as Videl.

Videl sees herself watching the Cell Games. She remembers her shock at seeing her father so easily cast aside. She remembers her confusion upon seeing that a boy her own age, Gohan she knows now, is going to fight Cell. And she remembers, all too clearly, hearing the news of her mother's death and the tear blurred images of her mindless run through the city and into the park. Nothing after the heart wrenching news stands out except for one thing. It is the memory of seeing Gohan for the first time and of how his hair flashed gold for a few seconds.

"Um…Gohan, can I ask you something?" She asks tentatively as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.

He sits there for several seconds, not responding. "Yea…go ahead." He answers back, pushing his thoughts aside for the time being.

"You're the boy that was at the Cell Games aren't you? What happened there? Is my father ok?" Videl asks, the questions suddenly pouring out of her.

"Yes I was there…but who's your father?"

"He's the man that arrived in that big plane."

"Oh…" 'She definitely doesn't look like her father that's for sure.' "He's fine. But as to what happened…how much of it did you see?"

"I know what happened up until shortly after you stepped into the ring. That was when the guy came on talking about technical difficulties or something."

Gohan nods as he gathers his thoughts before telling her. "When I entered the ring I told Cell that I didn't want to fight him. When he made fun of me for that I told him about my hidden powers and how they are brought out, hoping to scare him off. But this knowledge intrigued him so much that he wanted to see them for himself. Ultimately he succeeded in releasing them, making me a lot stronger then him. As we were fighting he saw that he couldn't win, so he started to self-destruct. When my father realized what Cell was doing he transported Cell and himself away from the Earth. My father then died when Cell exploded, while Cell regenerated himself and came back. We fought again and I eventually killed Cell." Gohan says, leaning his head against the tree, while a few tears roll down his cheeks as the memory of his father's final moments play repeatedly in his mind's eye.

"I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked" Videl says, seeing that the memories are painful for him.

"No…it's ok…it kind of helps to talk about it. So…why are you here? What's upsetting you?" Gohan asks quietly.

"I was watching the Cell Games when something happened and the signal was lost. Right after that the phone rang…I don't know who if was, but I think it was probably the police. Whoever was on the other end told Olivia, our housekeeper, that my mom died in a car accident. When she told me…I didn't want to believe her and I ran from the house…I didn't stop running 'till I got to this park. But now…now it's almost as though I feel that she really is dead…it's strange, but it's almost as though I feel something missing…because of that I know now that what she said was true…my mother really is de…dead." She says, her eyes filling with tears before they spill over and down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry…" Is all he can say.

"It's ok…like you said, it does feel better to talk about it some." She says as she wipes away a tear with the back of her hand.

Gohan and Videl sit in silence once again, but after several minutes they begin to talk about the loved one that they lost. Several hours pass as they talk about the good times and the bad ones. They both feel better after talking and sharing their feelings and memories with someone else, as though they are no longer the sole supporter of an immense weight. By the time they say good-bye the sun is low on the horizon and the sky is starting to turn into a rainbow of colors. Before they part to return to their homes they get each other's phone number so that they can get in touch later. As they leave the park both think about how, on a black day with so much heartache and despair, they found a spot of light and hope in the form of a new friend.

~*~

On the solitary flight to his home in the mountains Gohan realizes that his mother does not yet know of her husbands death. He fears having to tell her because of how she might, no, will react to the news. Just as the final rays of the sun play over the land the small house comes into view, he can see an air-car parked out front as he gets a little closer.

'Bulma must be here. But why?' He thinks when he gets close enough to see that it is one of Bulma's private cars.

He lands and enters his home expecting to see his mother and Bulma talking, but instead he only sees Bulma siting on the couch. She is staring off into space, lost deep in her thoughts. He can see the sadness in her expression. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying; the trails of dried tears can be seen on her cheeks.

"Hey Bulma-san." He says softly as he practically collapses onto the couch beside her.

"Huh? Oh…hi Gohan…how are you holding up kiddo?" She says, Gohan's sudden appearance dragging from her thoughts.

"As good as to be expected…I was in pretty bad shape earlier…but I met someone…she just found out that her mother died this morning…and as we talked…this may sound weird…I began to feel better…I think she felt better too…"

"No, it's not strange or weird…you got your feelings off your chest instead of keeping them bottled up inside, that's why you feel better. And I'm sure she feels better too, just like you do." Bulma says in a hushed tone.

"Oh… So why are you here?"

"Chi-Chi called me, she was in hysterics over Goku's death. I came over as soon as I could to comfort her." She says as she remembers the seeing the normally strong woman curled up on the floor, crying and calling out for her husband. The memory causes a few tears to fall, but she wipes them away before Gohan notices.

"Kaa-san?! Where is she? Is she ok?" Gohan asks, almost panicking over the welfare of his mother, as a few tears fall from his eyes.

"She's ok. She's resting in…her bed. I had to give her a mild sedative to help her sleep."

He visibly calms upon hearing that she is fine but the thought that she was in bad enough shape to need a sedative disturbs him. "But how did she know…" Gohan says softly, not really meaning for Bulma to hear him.

"Because of the bond which she shares with Goku." Bulma says softly as she tries to imagine what it would be like if Vegeta were to die, to feel as though a part of her were missing.

"Bond?" Gohan asks, not understanding what she is talking about.

"You don't know about…I guess I can understand that." Vegeta says as he comes out of the kitchen, little trunks in his arms. "You are…only half Saiya-jin." He says, deciding that insulting the kid's father would not be the smartest move. "When a Saiya-jin finds a potential mate they start to bond with them. At first mild telepathic and empathic links form on their own, these only work over short distances. But when the bond is completed the telepathic and empathic links grow stronger and distance has little effect on them. That's how your mother new. When your father died those links were severed, it was as though a part of her died." He shudders slightly as he thinks about the stories he has heard about even the strongest Saiya-jin warriors falling to pieces and, in some cases, even killing themselves over the death of their bond-mate.

"Oh…" Gohan says as he yawns. He is surprised, not so much at seeing Vegeta in his house, but at his show affection towards his son in the way he is holding him. And, although he is not sure about it, Gohan could have sworn he saw the stoic man shudder.

"Why don't you go to bed. You look beat." Bulma says, glancing at Vegeta because of the troubled emotions she feels from him.

"I think I will… Goodnight Bulma-san, Vegeta, I'll see you all later." He says as he gets up.

"Good-night Gohan, we're going to go. Call us if you need anything." Bulma says as she too gets up.

With that Gohan goes to his room while Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks leave and return to their home.

As Gohan nears his parent's bedroom he sees that the door is not quite closed all the way. When he reaches it he can make out the sounds of his mother crying and calling out for her husband in her sleep. He closes the door as a few tears escape from his eyes to roll down his cheeks.

When he gets to his room he realizes that he has yet to bath since his fight with Cell. With a slight moan he gets a change of clothes then goes outside and sets up the wash tub. He ignites the fire below the tub with a ki blast he waits for the water to heat up. After it has warmed up he jumps into the tub, letting the hot water sooth his body. His sigh joins the steam from soothing liquid as it floats up into the cool night air. As he is relaxing in the tub he almost falls asleep, realizing this he quickly washes then gets out of the tub. The chill night air causes him to shiver slightly before he warms and dries himself with his ki. After putting his clean clothes on he goes back to his room.

Once there he lies down on his bed, not even bothering to crawl under the covers. And almost as soon as his head hits the pillow he falls into a fitful sleep. His dreams are filled with his father and Cell. He sees them fighting each other, he sees himself fighting Cell, he even sees himself fighting his own mirror image as though he were using Piccolo's split for training technique. In the end his father always sacrifices himself.

~*~

Videl slowly walks home. On the way she sees many people partying and celebrating something but she does not stop to see what. She reaches her home just as the sun disappears below the horizon. Upon entering she sees dozens of people, some she knows and some are complete strangers. Everyone is partying and having a good time as they drink, dance, and eat.

'What are all these people doing here? Is Poppa throwing a party? Doesn't he know Momma's dead? Or does he just not care?' Videl thinks, confused as to why her home is filled not just with people but people having a good time as tears begin to fall from her eyes again. She weaves her way through the crowd that is in the living room.

She looks around, trying to find her father, but she is unable to find him. Just as she is about to give up her search and go to her room, where she it should be a little quieter, she notices that there is light coming from the shed behind their house. She goes out to it to see why there is light coming from it. When she looks into the shed she sees her father sitting in the corner crying. "Poppa?" She says softly as she enters the small building.

"Vi…Videl honey. There you are." Hercule says as he wipes his eyes. "Come here." He says as he holds out his arms.

Videl walks over to him and sits in his lap, her tears begin to flow more heavily as she is encircled by her father's arms. "Wh…why are all those people in are our house Poppa? Don't they care about Momma?"

"Shh…it's ok. They're just here because they're celebrating my defeat of Cell. They don't yet…"

"I know you didn't defeat Cell Poppa." Videl says as she wipes her eyes. Her tears, however, continue to slowly fall.

"What are you talking about sweetie? Of…of course I beat him." Hercule says, his voice lacking confidence.

"No you didn't. When Olivia told me Momma had died I ran. I kept running until I got to Memorial Park. While I was there I met Gohan; he is a boy about my age. He's the boy that was at the Cell Games. He's the one who really beat Cell."

Hercule pales upon hearing whom his daughter met. "No, that boy's lying…I…I beat Cell."

"Don't lie to me Poppa!" Videl yells as her tears stop for the moment. "Gohan was to upset by what had happened to be lying. And he lost his father when he sacrificed himself to save everyone from Cell. How can you lie and take the credit for something that cost someone else so much? Why did you take credit for what Gohan and his friends did? How…how could you do that?" She says, looking away from her father as her tears begin to fall again. But this time they are not for her own loss, but for the loss of her new friend and for how her father's actions.

"I'm sorry… You're right… I didn't beat Cell it was that boy. But he and his friends just left after Cell was killed so I said that I was the one that defeated him. And that boy's dangerous honey, I don't think you should see him again, he could…he…I already feel as though part of me has died…I don't think I could go on if I lost you too."

"Poppa…Gohan's not dangerous. He only fought Cell because he was forced to. He doesn't like to fight unless he has to."

"Ok…if you really think it's safe. Just be careful, I don't want to lose you." Hercule says as he hears the sincerity in his daughter's voice.

Hours pass as father and daughter comfort each other as they mourn the loss of the most important woman in either of their lives. As it grows late Videl begins to fall asleep in her fathers arms. Hercule notices his daughter's weariness so they return to their house. When they get inside Hercule puts an end to the party so Videl can go to bed.

After everyone has left Videl goes to bed, and quickly falls into a restless sleep. In her dreams she tries to stop her mother from leaving. Sometimes she tries to stop her before she even leaves the house. Sometimes she is standing in the road yelling and waving her arms. And sometimes she is in the car with her mother, pleading for her to pull over but no matter the excuse she keeps driving. Every time Videl knows that her mother is going to die, and every time she is powerless to stop it. In the end, no matter what happened in the dream, her mother dies.

Hercule watches as his daughter leaves the room. When he hears her bedroom door close he gets a bottle of wine and a glass. He goes into the living room and turns the TV on. As he flips through the channels until he comes to the news.

"…Today, for the first time since his stunning victory at the Twenty Fourth Tenkaichi Budokai two weeks ago, Hercule Satan stepped into the ring. But today's fight was not some ordinary tournament; it was the Cell Games. At stake were not a championship belt and a large sum of cash, but the fate of the world. Even under the immense pressure that resulted in the World Champ did not crack. After a minor mishap early Hercule recovered while he watched a few amateur martial artists try to fight Cell. None of them were that good at fighting however, and were soon defeated by Cell. Hercule then stepped once more into the ring and this time he defeated Cell. Thank you Mr. Satan for saving us all."

'What was I think when I claimed to have defeated Cell. Videl was right…how could I take credit for this when it cost those others so much.' Hercule thinks as he sips his drink, the man on the news now reporting on something that Hercule will never be able to forget.

"…On a much sadder note, Mrs. Selene Satan died earlier today in an accident on the interstate just outside of Orange Star City. Police have yet to release any more information on the accident. We will be keeping you updated on this tragic story as more information becomes available. And I would like to send my most sincere condolences to Mr. Satan and his daughter Videl for their loss."

He gulps down the remainder of the wine in his glass then refills it.

"In other news, those who were killed by Cell mysteriously came back to life not long after the monster itself was defeated. Scientists are puzzled as to how this happened, we tried to get an interview with Mrs. Bulma Briefs regarding this event but she was unavailable for comment…"

He tunes out the rest of the report as he gazes at a picture of himself with his wife and daughter that was taken just after he won the tournament. He stares at the smiling faces in the photo as sips his wine, remembering all the good times he enjoyed with his wife and how her presence always seemed to make things brighter. Now, with her dead, he felt as though part of himself was gone as well. Hours pass as he loses himself in his memories. He remembers how he first met her at large carnival years ago. He sees their first date, and the feeling of their first kiss. He watches as the memories of their wedding surface before his mind's eye. He feels the joy as he looks down at his wife while she is holding their newborn daughter in her arms. He sees a memory of his wife and daughter playing in the sand and laughing on a trip to the beach. He sees the pride in his wife's face, matching his own feelings exactly, as they watch Videl compete in, and win, the Junior Division at the Tenkaichi Budokai. He sees the delight in his wife's eyes when she sees the house Hercule just bought with some of his prize money. He remembers the cold chill and foreboding feeling that filled him when he was at the Cell Games, along with the call he never thought would come while he was flying home. After that call all his memories are a jumbled mess as all he can think of is his deceased wife.

Hercule eventually falls sleep in the chair, an empty wine bottle on the table beside him. But it is an uneasy sleep filled with nightmares of his wife's death.

There is chapter one. I think this fic is going to be pretty good. I would like to tell you that there will be a few unexpected (I hope they're unexpected anyway.) twists, and that this will not simply be a get together fic. There is a larger story behind this.

And I know that right now this is a rather sad and depressing story, but that will change later on.

Please Review.

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"Getting Together at Last" By: DemonDancing

Gohan and Videl have known each other since their Freshman Year.

With the help of a friend they finally admit their feelings.

"A Changed World" By: Bulmas Goku

An A/U with some major changes to the tournament and more.

And what's this? Videl is part Saiya-jin?