AN: Hi, everybody!!!!!! *waves enthusiastically* *everyone backs away in apprehension* Anyway, we're here with Chapter 16!!!! Hooray!!!! And guess what else? I'm registered for college!!! Joy of joys, treat of treats, etc., etc. Not to mention my new laptop…*sigh* I'm in heaven. But enough about that, on with the new chapter! Here, we're going to see a little more of Hannah. I promise she's going to be in this story a few more times. Onwards we go! I do NOT own Dragonball Z.
Chapter Sixteen—The Big Day
"Videl, come on."
"No."
"We need to fix your hair."
"No."
"You're going."
"No."
"You're going."
"Make me."
Hannah bestowed a very severe frown on the curled up form lying on the bed. "All right, I will. I'll drag you out of that bed, tie you into that chair, and do your hair and makeup. Then I will force you into that expensive dress and tie you up again and drag you down the stairs and throw you into that limo with your two friends. Then I will get in with you and go to the restaurant with you. I will force feed your dinner to you. Then I'll follow you to the dance and chain you to the first guy I see walking around alone. You will go, and you will have fun." The housekeeper paused dramatically, and her eyes narrowed at the moping teenager (who had rolled over on the bed and was now staring at the older woman in open mouthed amazement). "Or else. Do you understand me?"
Even in her unhappy state, Videl couldn't help but laugh at the unsubtle threat. "Are you that determined to get rid of me for the evening?"
"Yes."
"Tough luck."
"Videl."
"No."
"He told you to go," Hannah pointed out, picking up a hairbrush from a dresser and turning it over in her hands. "I think you should go. You're going with those two blonde kids, Sharpner and Erasa, right?" Few people could get away with telling Satan Videl what to do, and Hannah was one of those few. Since Videl's mother had died so long ago, the housekeeper had become almost a mother to her young friend, and had seen her through everything, from scraped knees to the very rare tears over boys.
"Yeah."
"So you can hang out with them and still have a good time. He wants you to go."
"I know."
"So let's fix your hair."
"No."
Everyone has their limits, and Hannah's had just about been reached. She walked over and stood over the raven haired teen with a look on her face that would have made tougher people then Videl cringe in fear and hide under their beds. "You. Are. Going. So. Get. Moving. NOW!"
Videl knew that tone and she knew that look. She hadn't gotten it very often in her life, but the few times she had been on the receiving end of that glare had been a few too many. Trying not to start shaking, she slipped off the bed and walked quickly to the chair that Hannah had appointed as her 'beautify Videl for the prom' seat.
Hannah watched in satisfaction. Even though she was becoming more and more advanced in her age, she could still strike fear into the hearts of rebellious teenagers when necessary. It was a skill Hannah was inordinately proud of.
Humming to herself, the elderly housekeeper of the Satan household set about primping her victim…ah, friend for the big night. So let's see…curls in the hair, plus some natural colors in the makeup…and then the dress…the shoes…the purse…
Hannah grinned, in spite of her adopted daughter's misery. Oh, yes…
Videl was going to look good.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, while Hannah was cowing Videl into going to the prom, someone else was having a little talk in the Otherworld. Actually, a very heated little talk.
"So that's the situation down there. It's a real mess," Goku finished with an unhappy sigh. "Poor Gohan…and poor whatever her name is, too…"
"Oh dear…" Baba frowned.
King Yemma wore a similar expression to the witch's. He was obviously turning some sort of idea over in his mind. "Maybe…" he began, but trailed off and fell silent again.
After waiting patiently for all of five seconds (twice as long as his usual attention span), Goku finally gave in and yelled, "Maybe what?!?"
The giant tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Let me talk to a few people. It's a very long shot, but there might be something we can do."
A wide grin broke on the Saiyan's face. "All right!" he jumped up and down excitedly and thrust his fist into the air in a triumphant gesture.
"Don't get your hopes up!" Yemma interjected quickly and forcefully. "I'm not saying anything can actually be done! But there is a very small chance."
Goku's smile didn't falter in the least. "Thanks, Yemma!" he called over his shoulder as he ran out of the Otherworld Check-In Station, completely ignoring the caution that whatever Yemma had in mind might not work. It just wasn't important to him at the moment. By way of Instant Transmission, he zapped himself back to the Holy Training Grounds of the Afterlife. Humming cheerfully to himself, he skipped merrily over to the rainbow colored pool.
And froze.
His fellow Otherworld fighters were sitting around the viewing pond, eating popcorn, drinking beer, and watching a football game being broadcast in the pool.
"Uh, guys…what are you doing?" the Saiyan asked in confusion.
From somewhere near the front of the group, King Kai's nasal snort could be heard in reply calling, "Watching the big game, of course!"
Goku clapped a hand to his forehead and shook his head. "Oh, brother…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Somewhere in the depths of HFIL, a fierce looking man with long hair and a tail stood up.
Radditz blinked and looked around. "Yeah?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Krillen frowned. The poor kid was really upset!
Gohan was perched in a chair in Master Roshi's living room. The chibi's eyes were downcast, and his face was an interesting mask; it was the look of someone who is hopelessly dejected and sad, but who is trying very hard not to let it show too much.
He had actually come over to the Kame House to escape his mother's wailing and crying and ranting and breaking things and swinging frying pans around without discretion, all in her heartbreak over her son being unable to go to the prom with his future wife, if she had anything to say about it.
"Come on, Gohan," Yamcha said with a certain amount of forced happiness in his voice. "Cheer up. It'll be okay. There'll be other dances and other dates."
"But not another prom," Gohan sighed miserably. "And maybe not another date with Videl."
Well, there really wasn't anything Krillen could say in response to that. The poor kid was majorly bummed, and nothing was going to make him get un-bummed. Probably not for quite some time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You're sure you're okay with this?" Videl asked, peering at her reflection in the mirror with wide eyes. Was that her? If so, then Hannah was a Kami damn genius!
"Positive. Go and have a good time," Gohan replied firmly, balancing the phone between his shoulder and his cheek while he closed himself into the safety of his bedroom and throwing the lock to further protect himself from any intrusions into his haven.
"I can come over there and hang out with you instead, if you want," she offered perhaps a little too eagerly, but he absolutely wouldn't hear of it.
"Go. Have fun. That's an order," he said in a tone that brooked no arguments.
"…okay…" she acquiesced finally, albeit grudgingly.
They talked for a moment longer before saying their good-byes and hanging up. But as the phone beeped off in his hand, Gohan felt a sudden rush of mixed emotions come shooting across the mind to mind bond he and Videl shared. Quickly, he slammed the proverbial door shut.
Gohan dropped the phone on his desk and flopped onto his back on his bed. He stared at the ceiling. It was very boring. He closed his eyes. Yup, that was boring too. He opened his eyes. The ceiling was still there. Yup. It was still boring. No escape.
Goten had been ordered to leave his brother alone under penalty of severe torture, possible death, and—worst of all—no food for an undetermined length of time. His mother was also keeping her distance, oddly enough, in a rare display of good sense. Plus, he had made certain he locked his bedroom door. So Gohan figured he was safe.
And so he sat—or rather, laid—in the growing darkness of his room, staring off into space, not moving. His mind was completely void of thoughts, a rare occurrence for him.
Due to his mildly catatonic state, it wasn't until later that he noticed something—namely, a dull pain in his lower back. He didn't know how long the pain had been forming there, but he did know it was gradually getting worse. But it wasn't unbearable. At least, not yet, anyway.
It reminded him of times during his first childhood. There had always been a stab of pain in his lower back right before his tail decided to grow back.
Great, this is just what I need, he thought, feeling more bitter than angry. I'm missing my prom and my date, I'm an eighteen year old stuck in a seven year old body, I have a bedtime again, and to top it all off, my tail picks tonight to grow back. Great. Perfect. Just peachy…
He closed his eyes, plunging himself from partial darkness into total darkness, and sighed, waiting for the growing pain in his back to subside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Goten was sitting on the floor with his feet straight out in front of him. He was letting his feet swing back and forth, and regarded them with a certain degree of interest.
Nearby, his mother was busying herself by folding laundry. But it was obvious that her thoughts were far, far way, on vacation in Elsewhere.
"Mom?"
ChiChi turned to the doorway, and her eyes met Gohan's. She dropped the shirt she'd been folding, and clasped her now-empty hand over her eyes. "Good Kami…what next?"
AN: Next chapter will most likely be very, very loooooooong. Translation: it might take a little longer for me to get it out. So please be patient. I'm hurrying, I promise. Time is just something I don't have much of anymore, between classes, work, and everything else under the sun. But even if I don't update for a while, I'm still here, and I'm still going. Never fear, dear friends.
BTW, my dear readers, keep your eyes peeled for the introduction of a new character to this story. Someone I haven't used very often. Hehehe…this is what happens when I discuss my stories with Fred the Mutant Pickle, and ask for advice.