Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ!
"Triple Threat"
Chapter 16: "New Developments"
"Videl! Videl?" Gohan asked her when he caught up with her by a nearby creek. "Why'd you fly out like that? Did I say something wrong?"
When Videl looked up at Gohan, her eyes were watery where she had been crying. "Gohan, we haven't had a real conversation since yesterday at school. That was before I was thrown into your life. Before I knew your secrets. Before I knew..." Before I knew that I loved you... She couldn't say it aloud. Not yet. She wasn't ready.
"I'm sorry." Gohan said.
"For what? For doing what you do on a daily basis?"
"No. If I had been training all these years, Radditz wouldn't have weakened me so badly."
"Don't blame yourself. It was my choice to go to your house. But there is an upside to all of this."
"What would that be?"
"You don't have to hide your powers around me anymore."
Gohan laughed nervously.
-at the house-
"Where'd Gohan go?" were the first words out of Chichi's mouth when she woke up. She had fainted earlier.
"Chichi!" Bulma yelled, surprised to see the woman up. "Gohan went flying after Videl when she left."
-with Gohan and Videl-
Videl sat near a rock beside her. "Gohan, I have a few questions that I've been wanting to ask you. First of all, if your father was Goku, how come I never see him around?"
"My father..." Gohan said quietly, sadly. "My father died 7 years ago during the Cell Games. I was too blind... too blind to see the chance to finish him off... so my father sacrificed himself to defeat Cell. Unfortunately, he came back and then was when I defeated him once and for all."
"Until today?"
"Until today."
"I'm sorry, Gohan. I shouldn't have asked you such a personal question."
"It's OK. That's just the tip of the iceburg. That was the second time he's died."
"When was the first?"
"When Radditz first came to Earth. I was only four years old."
"And I thought my life was bad..."
Gohan smiled. "You wouldn't believe the number of times my life's been on the line."
All Videl said was "Tell me about them."
-at the house-
"Do you think Gohan likes her?" Chichi asked.
Yamcha said. "I don't know about Gohan, but I know that Videl cares about him."
Bulma chuckled. "Yeah, you would know, Yamcha. You tried to take her for yourself."
"Bulma!" Yamcha yelled. He didn't want Chichi angry at him again.
"If he likes that girl enough to eventually marry her, then he should be ready to tell her all about us by now." It was Vegeta.
"I'm suprised, Vegeta." Bulma commented. "It's not like you to say things like that."
"Get away from me." Vegeta said, moving the woman's hand from his face. "I said that so you would shut your mouths."
"So, it's not true?" Chichi asked, worredly.
Vegeta didn't answer. He just flew away, leaving the group alone.
"Get away from the door!" Yamcha yelled and peeked out the door. Piccolo became alert as well. Trunks and Goten ran into the living room from the bedroom they were playing in and stopped beside Piccolo.
Trunks asked him. "Piccolo, whose energy is that?"
He didn't say anything, either. He flew in the direction of Gohan and Videl.
Yamcha said, "You guys stay here. There's a huge power level approaching. I'm going to check it out."
Chichi and Bulma held back their sons. "We might need protection." Chichi pointed out.
"All I know is, it's headed toward Gohan and Videl." Goten whispered.
-with Gohan and Videl-
Videl was sitting on the edge of the grass, her bare feet causing a rippling effect in the water. She got up and walked to Gohan. "I'm glad you told me, Gohan. It shows you trust me. But there is one thing I need to know. Do you care about me?"
"Huh? Of course I care about you, Videl. You're my friend."
"I can't lie to you, Gohan... I-I love you."
She waited for his reaction.
He didn't know what to say. He didn't get a chance to because she was snatched into the air.
A voice said. "You wantVidel back, Gohan? Then you need to find her."
The last he heard was Videl's cry. "Help, Gohan!"
Gohan couldn't believe it. Videl had been taken by Frieza.