Chapter 25: Happenings and News
I do not own Dragonball Z.
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"Kaa-san! Goten needs changing again!" Yelled Gohan as he and Videl watched him in the living room, their noses wrinkling at the odor rising from the little guy.
"Can't you do it? I'm fixing dinner!" Chi-Chi yelled in reply. Gohan and Videl looked at each other.
"Do you know how to change a diaper?"
"No, why would I?" Replied Videl with a raised eyebrow.
"Because wellyou're a girl" Gohan gulped when he saw Videl's left eye twitch, a second later he was nursing a lump on the side of his head.
"Don't look at me like that. You should know better then to say things like that." Said Videl when Gohan gave her a look of betrayal. When this didn't seem to work he switched to his sad puppy dog eyes look. "No! Don't look at me like that!" Videl turned away from him, but she couldn't help glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. After several seconds she couldn't take it any longer and her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. I'm sorry I hit you." Gohan smirked at her.
"You're forgiven." He replied. Videl smacked him on the arm.
"Chi-Chi!" Gohan's eyes opened wide in a panic, thinking that Videl is going to tell his mother that he's being mean. "We don't know how to change a diaper!" Videl called while snickering at the look of terror on Gohan's face.
The Son matriarch, while drying her hands on a dishtowel, entered the living room. "Well then watch and learn since one day you two will have to change my grandchildren's diapers." Gohan and Videl blushed and looked disgusted with the idea but said nothing while watching Chi-Chi change Goten's diaper. "There, all done." She said while tossing the dirty diaper over her shoulder. "Goku, be a dear and throw that away for me." The man in question barely had time to catch the diaper before it would have landed on his head.
"Umok." In an instant the smelly diaper was gone, disintegrated by Goku's ki.
"I really need to learn how to do that." Muttered Chi-Chi as she went back to the kitchen. Goku smiled, it was one of the few times he could use his ki indoors and not worry about being hit with his mate's frying pan.
"Hey Gohan! Videl! Come here!" Yelled Chi-Chi from the living of the Son home. The two demi-Saiya-jins ran down the stairs a few seconds later.
"You won't believe what Goten just did!" Said Goku as he smiled at his now eleven-month-old son. Gohan and Videl cocked their heads to the side. "Come on Goten. Do it again."
"Come on, talk for Momma." Said Chi-Chi. Goten stared at his parents.
Goten looked around and opened his mouth. "Ood." Chi-Chi laughed happily with tears in her eyes as she swept her youngest son up in a hug. "You are so smart! Yes you are!" Exclaimed the woman before her eyes narrowed. "I can tell you're going to be like your father. Always wanting food." She sighed, "Come on. Let's go get mommy's big boy something special to eat." Goten smiled as his mother carried him off to the kitchen, Goku following closely in hopes of getting a snack of his own.
"Gohan, where's your brother?" Asked Chi-Chi as she walked into the room. Gohan took a moment out of his studying to look around.
"I don't know. I thought you were watching him." He replied after not seeing him anywhere. Gohan wasn't too worried though. Ever since Goten learned to walk three months ago he has been running off. Luckily he's not able to cause any real damage to himself or the house thanks to Bulma's specially designed baby demi-Saiya-jin proof modifications.
"No. I asked you toOh dear Kami! Goten! Get down from there! You'll get hurt!" Screamed Chi-Chi upon seeing her sixteen month old son balancing on the railing that runs around the open side of the second floor hallway. Someone forgot to close the gate that blocks off the stairs to prevent Goten from getting up there.
Goku, drawn by his mate's screaming, entered the room, a few crumbs from the cookies he had snatched from the cookie jar a few seconds ago on his lips. The chibi smiled at his family and waved his arms. But this caused him to lose his balance. Chi-Chi screamed as she watched her child fall.
Gohan and Goku ran for the falling chibi to attempt to catch him. But they wasn't fast enough and Goten slammed into the floor. He bounced slightly and rolled to the side just as his brother and father collided in the air. When they landed they rubbed at their aching heads. But if that wasn't enough, Chi-Chi walked on their heads, pressing them into the carpet, to get to her son.
"Goten! Are you ok?" Asked Chi-Chi as she scooped her son up into her arms. Goten nodded his head.
"Food!" Exclaimed the chibi. Chi-Chi looked at her son in bewilderment while Gohan and Goku chuckled. Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow at her eldest son and husband before purposely stomping their faces into the carpet again. "You can help mommy make lunch." Said Chi-Chi as she took Goten into the kitchen with her.
Videl could hear her parents talking in hushed voices as she approached the living room. She had just gotten off the phone with Gohan and wanted to tell her parents about her surrogate little brother's latest stunt that Chi-Chi was needlessly scared half to death over. But there was something about her parent's hushed conversation that is unsettling. After all, when is your parents talking quietly a good thing? But when she entered the living room she saw something she didn't expect. Her mother was draped across her father's lap and they were smiling at each other. Hercule and Selene smiled at their daughter upon seeing her enter the room.
"Videl, sit down please. There's something we need to tell you." Said her mother as she moved so she's sitting next to her husband. Videl sat in a chair across from them.
Videl thought her parent's faces would crack if their smiles got any bigger. "What is it you need to tell me?" Her trepidation at what the news is eased by their smiles.
"Well, your mother and I thought that wellwe didn't know for sure and we uh didn't want to tell you until we knew for sure. So how would you feelno, that's not how I want to say itwhat would you think aboutthat's not it either" Videl raised an eyebrow at her father.
"What your father is trying to say is that you're going to have a little brother or sister." Selene could help but laugh at the look on her daughter's face.
"You mean you're pregnant?"
"Yep."
"So I'm no longer gonna be an only child?"
"Uh huh."
"I'm gonna have a little brother or sister?"
'She's been spending way too much time around Gohan.' Thought Selene and Hercule as they stared at their daughter.
"Erryea." Replied Hercule.
"That means you're pregnant!" Exclaimed Videl.
"Y-yea." Stammered Selene.
"Cool! I gotta call Gohan and tell him!" Exclaimed Videl as she ran for the phone in the corner of the room only to stop with her hand poised to lift it up. "On second thought I'll go tell him in person." Said the raven-haired girl before running from the room and out of the house.
"Well she could have at least asked if she could go." Grumbled Hercule.
"Why? She knows we would have said it's ok."
"Errthat's not the point. She should have asked. It's the principal of the thing." Selene giggled at her husband before kissing him.
Goku and Chi-Chi looked at their son in puzzlement when he suddenly got up from the table and ran to the door.
"What's up with him?"
"I don't know Chi." Replied Goku when Gohan came back into the kitchen with a beaming Videl.
"Hello dear, what brings you here, and in such a good mood?" Asked Chi-Chi.
"Right after Gohan called my parents told me something and I just had to come here and tell you guys in person."
Goku eyed the rice balls sitting on the counter, "Well what is it?"
"I'm gonna have a little brother or sister!" Replied Videl. Gohan and Chi-Chi grinned along with her.
"That's great V-chan!"
"What's the big deal?" Asked Goku. Chi-Chi bashed him on the head with her frying pan, both for his stupid question and for his hand reaching for the rice balls.
"This is great!" Exclaimed Chi-Chi. "Hey, maybe if your parents have a girl then her and Goten will get married some day and give me some grandkids. No wait, that wouldn't work. You two will already be married by then so they'd be related. Hmm" Chi-Chi left the kitchen while muttering to herself. "And you better not touch that food!" The woman yelled from the other room.
I swear your mom only had you and Goten so she would get grandchildren one day." Said Videl.
"Well we planned on Gohan." Replied Goku. "Goten was a pleasant surprise." Gohan and Videl blinked at the man in shock. "What?"
Gohan shook his head to clear it. "It's nothing Tou-san."
"No seriously, why were you two staring at me like that?" Gohan and Videl looked at each other.
"It's just that ummwe don't usually hear you say something is pleasant unless it involves food or fighting."
"Oh is that all? Well I can think of another f word that I find pleasant." Replied the Saiya-jin with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Fu-" A frying pan suddenly sailed into the room and struck him in the head.
"DON'T USE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN OR ELSE YOU'LL GET NONE OF THAT FOR A LONG TIME!" Chi-Chi yelled from the other room.
"Since when does she threaten me with that? Maybe she's been spending too much time with Bulma." Said Goku as he rubbed at his head. Gohan and Videl chuckled at him until they realized what exactly it was that Chi-Chi's frying pan had stopped him from saying. The thought turned them slightly green.
After several weeks passed in peace, or at least what passed for peace when it came to a group of friends and family that could single handedly destroy the entire solar system several times over, a knock rang forth from the front door of the Son home. If it weren't for the fact that it's about ten o'clock at night it wouldn't be too unusual. Goku, who had been about to fall asleep on the couch next to Chi-Chi, quietly got up and answered it. He was surprised to see Videl standing there.
"I can't take it anymore!" Exclaimed Videl as she charged passed Goku and into the house. "She's-she'sarg! I don't know how Poppa can stand her!" Goku blinked at the girl as she paced back and forth. Chi-Chi stirred from her slumber on the couch and looked at the girl in confusion. Videl looked at the two adults before blinking several times. "Oh ummcan I please stay here till my little sister is born? My mom's driving me nuts."
"Ummwhat's she doing that's so bad?" Asked Goku.
"I can't do anything the way she wants it done. Nothing's ever good enough! Almost since she became pregnant she's been a real bitc-," Videl blushed lightly, "bitter person." She cringed at her choice of words, it didn't sound right at all. Chi-Chi smiled at her while yawning.
"Is that all dear? Well you better get used to it." Replied the woman before thinking something over. "And since you're part Saiya-jin you'll act that way when you're pregnant with my grandchildren." Chi-Chi added with a big smile before collapsing back to the couch to dream of children that will one-day call her grandma. Videl couldn't help but wonder if Chi-Chi had even been awake.
"Well I guess it's ok for you to stay the night. You did at least tell your dad where you were going didn't you?"
"Ummyea, I think I did. But I can't remember since my mom was yelling at me to vacuum the house or, as she put it, get the hell out." Videl smiled slightly. "I chose the latter."
"Ok. Well I'll see you in the morning then." Replied Goku before scooping Chi-Chi up into his arms and going to their bedroom. After Videl heard Goku close his bedroom door she smirked.
'Snack time!' Thought the girl as she headed for the kitchen.
Videl drooled at the sight before her when she opened the fridge. For once there's actually leftovers. Which means that she's going to get some of Chi-Chi's cooking. With a huge smile on her face she began to take the food out of the fridge and set it on the counter. But just as Videl was about to take a bite from the sandwich she had fixed she was stopped.
"Aren't you going to make me one?" Asked Gohan from the doorway. Videl smiled at him before taking a bite.
"This is your house, make your own."
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Replied Gohan as he appeared beside her and fixed a sandwich of his own. "So why are you here? Not that I mind."
"My mom."
"Oh." Replied Gohan before silently eating his sandwich. He had experienced Selene's personality change first hand while over there a few days back.
"So I take it that I woke you." Said Videl between mouth fools of food.
"Yea, you shouldn't have thought about food. I probably would have stayed asleep if it wasn't for that."
"Awwso you mean that you wouldn't have woken up when I laid down next to you in your bed?" Neither blushed at this since sleeping in the same bed has become normal too them over the past year.
"Well then I would have since I couldn't beat you in a pillow fight while sleeping."
"Win? You? I think I must have hit your head a little too hard last time." Gohan raised an eyebrow at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh nothingjust that you've seemed to forget that I win the pillow fights."
"Nuh uh. I do."
"No."
"Yes!" Gohan scowled at her.
"Fine! We'll settle this after we eat." Replied the demi-Saiya-jin before shoving the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.
"Ok. But we better be more careful this time. Your mother wasn't too happy about the feathers covering everything in your room last time." Gohan paused in his chewing to shudder at the memory of multiple frying pan hits before nodding and swallowing his mouth full of food.
Videl smiled while yawning slightly. The only thing that caused her to sleep better then when Gohan is near is when she's in his arms.
She knew that her relationship with Gohan is different for people their age. At school all the other girls talk about how cute some boy is or how they want to date so and so once their parents allow them date. While all the boys act like dorks. Or at least that's how she sees them since they are all rather immature compared to Gohan.
Videl found out shortly after the new school year began that it's best to stay out of the other girls' discussions over boys since her views on the male population of the school usually earned her strange looks and, in some cases, rude comments. She found the feelings of the other girls to be fickle and as changing as the surface of the ocean. It amazed her whenever she thought about how they all seemed to like a different boy with each ticking of the clock. To her the thought of liking anyone other then the boy whose arm is around her was impossible.
But then there was one important difference between her and those other girls. She's part Saiya-jin. And this one little fact has secured for her a love that will last for a lifetime and beyond.
Rolling over, Videl looked at Gohan and couldn't help the small laugh that filled the room for a moment. Stuck in Gohan's hair are several feathers. They had tried not to make a mess and had succeeded for the most part. But then Gohan had nose-dived into a pillow, causing a plume of feathers to fly up from the wounded object. They had quickly cleaned up the mess but judging from the feathers in Gohan's hair they had missed some that had landed on the bed.
Gohan awoke at the sound of Videl's laughter. A second after seeing her he too laughed. "Feeling a little bird brained this morning?" Asked Gohan while snickering. Videl looked at him in confusion before running a hand through her hair. She felt something stuck in her raven locks and she pulled it out and looked at it she found it to be a feather.
"You don't have any room to talk." Replied Videl while smirking. "You've got feathers in your hair too." Gohan stopped laughing just as the door to his room flew opened and a little bundle of energy jumped onto the bed, landing right between Gohan and Videl.
"Good morning Goten." Said Videl.
"Hey squirt. Sleep well?"
Goten smiled at them before opening his mouth and yelling, "Food!" Gohan and Videl cringed at the volume of the chibi's voice.
"I guess breakfast is ready." Said Gohan.
"Either that or he wants something to eat." Replied Videl.
The second Gohan and Videl stepped out of Gohan's room their mouths began to fill with drool at the smells coming from the kitchen. If Goten hadn't barged into the room then they most definitely would have left it the moment they smelled breakfast cooking.
"Good morning." Said a smiling Chi-Chi, giggling as she batted Goku's hand away from the mountain of bacon on the counter. "Sleep well?" Gohan and Videl stared at the woman. Something has to be wrong. She's way too cheerful and she didn't yell at Goku for trying to snitch a piece of bacon.
"Ummgood morning." Replied Gohan and Videl.
"What?" Asked Chi-Chi at hearing the nervousness in their voices.
"Huh? Oh nothing." Said Gohan as he put Goten in his high chair.
"Breakfast smells wonderful Chi-Chi! When can we eat?"
"Soon. And why don't you call me mom? I will be your mother-in-law some day."
"Err" Videl looked at Gohan, the look on his face mirrored her own confusion. "That's ok Chi-Chi."
"Ok then." Replied Chi-Chi before taking the last of the food off the stove and setting it on the table and taking several steps back. Goku, Gohan, and Videl looked at her with pleading eyes. With a nod of her head all hell broke loose as. With a smile on her lips she set about the task of feeding Goten so that the kitchen is left in at least some semblance of clean.
Gohan and Videl ate in silence while keeping a wary eye on Chi-Chi as she fed Goten. Something just wasn't right. Normally the woman would show some sort of negative emotion when her youngest would nock food onto the floor or smear it on his clothes. But for some reason she seemed to be oblivious to the chibi's messy eating.
Goku was the first to finish his meal. "Want me to finish feeding him?"
"Thanks." Replied Chi-Chi. "I need to pack." Gohan and Videl froze. Pack?
"What do you need to pack for Kaa-san?" Asked Gohan.
"For our trip toI guess we forgot to tell you." Replied the woman. "Bulma, Vegeta, your father and I are going on a trip to this resort for a couple of days. You and Goten will be staying with Krillin and Master Roshi. I don't really approve of it. But Bulma's parents have their hands full just watching Trunks."
"W-what?!" Exclaimed Gohan as he practically jumped out of his chair. Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow at her son. "But who's going to feed us? We'll starve!" The demi-Saiya-jin's mother laughed at him. She should have known.
"Don't be silly. They know how to cook." Replied Chi-Chi before turning and leaving the room. Gohan was slightly pale, Master Roshi's cooking could best be described as toxic waste with an attitude and the only difference Krillin's cooking had over Roshi's is that you're less likely to die from eating it.
Videl laid a sympathetic hand on Gohan's shoulder. I'm sure you can stay at my house until your parents get back." Gohan looked at her as if she's crazy.
"I think you've forgotten why you're here right now."
"Umm" Videl paled. "You're right, we're gonna starve at Roshi's." Replied Videl just as Goten giggled. Looking towards the chibi Gohan and Videl couldn't help but laugh at the sight of a Goku covered in food.
"You know Tou-san. Those strained peas go well with your gi."
"Yea!" Agreed Videl. "And that apple sauce does a nice job of highlighting your hair!"
Goku sat there with his arms crossed over his chest while pouting at them. 'This is such a waste of food.' Thought the Saiya-jin before smiling and using a spoon to scoop up the food and eat it. The sight caused Gohan, Videl, and Goten to laugh even harder.
I hope you enjoyed it and please review.