Here's the 2nd chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I was so busy with my schoolwork and there were bouts of writer's block from time to time. But your patience with me is rewarded because I have written a very long chapter just for you! Chock full of flashbacks that are mini-stories within themselves (I may end up elaborating on them and posting them). Anyway, please R&R!
Gohan slowly thought about what she wanted. He wanted to tell her so much, but how to do it? Then he got an idea. "Pan, meet me on the couch in the living room in five minutes okay? If I'm to tell you about your mother, there's a few things that you should see."
"Uh… okay dad…" Pan was a bit weirded out by her dad, but didn't protest. She sat in her room, the minutes ticking by slowly as her dad got up and left.
Gohan walked quietly down the hallway, trying to decide the best way to tell Pan about her mother. Should he just tell her the whole story? Or should he ask her what she wanted to know? Kami, this is hard to do. Trying to tell my own daughter what her mother was like. At least I have the photo album. I'm not certain, but I think there might be some pictures in there that Pan would like to have.
He opened the chestnut colored door that led to the bedroom and walked over to the closet. Everything he held dear was stored in the very back. He fell to his knees and pushed aside some black dress shoes, as well as pulled the hanging shirts and pants away from his face. Now he could see the few cardboard boxes stored in the deepest and darkest corner. He tugged at the one on top, landing on his back from pulling too hard.
Sitting up, Gohan looked at the writing on the box, written with a black permanent marker. Photos and Special Keepsakes was scrawled in his handwriting. He reached into the closet for another box. He set the new box alongside the other. Special Clothing was scrawled on this one. He didn't grab the third box. Pan wasn't mean to see it yet. He knew what was written on it. For my little Panny when she's married was written in Videl's handwriting. She had been preparing that box for her daughter, hoping to pass it on to her when she married. The box was only half full, as Videl had planned to continue filling it each year. She had wanted her daughter to have something special from her mother, unlike her.
Gohan stacked the boxes atop each other and carried them out to the living room, setting them down on the crisp carpet next to the coffee table. He did not open them, as he knew their contents very well. He instead decided to let Pan decide which box to open first and he would explain from there. Settling on the couch, he waited for Pan to come downstairs.
Pan checked her clock on her radio. The red digits flashed and she saw that five minutes had passed. She was anxious to get downstairs, but she didn't want it to look like she was in a big rush. That would make her look like a kid at Christmastime, or pretty close to it. She walked as normally as she could down the hallway and descended the stairs. She glimpsed her dad sitting easily on the couch, two cardboard boxes at his feet.
A puzzled look settled on her face, and she glanced up at her dad. "Dad, what…."
"Come sit Pan and I'll explain. This is the only way to really show you what you want to know."
"Okay," responded Pan as she sat on the couch beside her dad.
"Now, where would you like for me to begin?"
"The beginning so I don't get confused or anything."
"Well, I met your mother in high school. You see, your grandmother had finally allowed me to go to public school for once. I was excited, but I never showed that. I thought I knew what to expect, but boy was I wrong. (A/N: Okay, I'm not going to follow the original storyline and go with my own) My first day didn't start out too well."
~Flashback~
Seventeen-year-old Gohan walked down the crowded halls of Orange Star High. Cliches were everywhere, as well as couples. Gohan's nose was facing down at the paper he was reading. It was supposed to tell him how to get to his locker, but only seemed to confuse him more. He wasn't paying much attention to where he was going so of course he didn't see the raven-haired girl right in front of him. His brisk pace didn't help matters either.
Crash! Papers flew (the girl's) and bodies fell to the ground (both). "Hey you jerk! Watch where the hell you're going dork!" shouted the girl as she tried to gather her papers from the hallway.
A blonde-haired girl rushed to her side to help her. "Videl, like what happened?"
"Just some nerd that doesn't know how to pay any attention to anything else but his precious books."
A boy with long blonde-haired appeared just then and walked over to Gohan, who was trying to gather Videl's scattered papers. The boy snatched them from Gohan's hands and smirked. "Hmph. You'd best stay away from Videl if you know what's good for you. She'll end up kicking your ass. Daughter of Hercule you know." The boy did a 180˚ turn and handed Videl's papers to her. "Here you go," he said.
The trio then turned and brushed past Gohan, each one bumping his or her shoulder into him. Gohan just turned and stared after them as he brushed dust from his outfit. He sighed deeply. Already starting off on the wrong foot…Whatever gave me the brilliant idea to convince mom to let me come to public school?
~End Flashback~
Pan giggled. "So that's how you met mom. I guess you didn't make a very good first impression then did you?"
"No… she really never liked me much for awhile after that. Especially when she found out that I fought crime and thought I was stealing the attention she was getting. You still have those toys I gave you don't you?"
"Yes I do. They're packed away nicely so that they don't get damaged or anything," answered Pan. What she didn't tell her dad was that she kept the one of her mother in the bottom side table drawer alongside his.
"Well, let me show you something. Videl and I stopped fighting crime in uniform after you were born." Gohan rummaged around in the box until he found a small watchcase. He pulled the watch inside out and snapped it on his wrist. Pushing a button, there was a slight flash and then Gohan disappeared inside his Saiyaman 1 costume.
"Wow dad.. I didn't know you still had that. But…"
"Yes?" asked Gohan.
"Well, I was wondering… whatever happened to mom's?"
"It's right here in the box. Let's see.. You're just a bit shorter than she was…" He mumbled his last sentences as he reached in the box for another watchcase in another slightly different color. He slipped the watch from the box and placed it around Pan's wrist. He pushed the button and stepped back. A slight flash was seen and Pan was suddenly dressed in the Saiyaman 2 costume.
Pan looked down at herself. Her mother, her own mother had worn this very costume for a good cause. She twirled around and looked at herself. Gohan smiled sadly as he took off his helmet. The last time he'd seen Videl in that…. Kami, it had been so long ago. "Pan, I'd like to give you that. I'm sure your mom would be happy to know that you appreciate it as much as she did."
Pan pushed the yellow button on the watch and the costume disappeared. "You mean I can really keep this?"
"Yes, you can keep it. I'm sure you'll take good care of it." He smiled down at his daughter.
Pan sat down, leaving the watch on her wrist. It fit snugly so her mother must have been about her size. She watched as her father sat down, wondering what he would tell her next. Gohan tilted his head slightly in thought. "Hmm.. Shall I tell you about when we first became a couple? That only seems logical."
Pan nodded. How in the world had her parents become a couple if her mom hated her dad his first day of high school? It didn't seem to fit. She knew from experience that once hatred had started, it usually stayed that way all through high school. She had noticed it with her older friends.
"Well… it all started about six months after I'd been in high school. By this time, it was early March (A/N: I'm going by the American school system and they started in September)….."
~Flashback~
Gohan whistled as he walked into Orange Star High. He had decided to come early that morning so he could study for his Calculus test in peace. He had planned on heading to the library after grabbing a juice from the juice machine to get the gears turning in his brain. He stuck the coins in the slot and pressed the orange juice button. The bottle clunked down to the pick up slot and Gohan grabbed it. He turned briskly toward the library and again began whistling.
Three doors down from the library, he heard voices. Being a curious person (just like Goten) he had to investigate. He flattened himself against the wall and stepped closer to the door very slowly. His Saiyan hearing instantly picked up on the conversation. Hmm… I can hear Videl's voice, but who else is that… let's see. It's definitely a male teacher… Sensei Hiroki?… Yeah.. Sounds like him…. Then his eyes widened. Is he.. He trying to force her to have sex with him?! He heard the male voice come closer to the door and push it closed. Gohan panicked and flattened himself tighter against the wall. He strained to hear what was going on inside. Videl's… she's trying to fight back… It doesn't seem to be working.. .It should though. She's strong…. Is Sensei Hiroki stronger than he seems?
Gohan decided to take a chance and turned to face the classroom. He peeked inside the classroom through the rectangular glass on the left of the door and thanked Kami that it wasn't the foggy glass other classrooms had. He finally had a glimpse of everything. Sensei Hiroki was a burly man, but Gohan could tell that it wasn't all fat on his body. He gave off the appearance of a slob in a suit and had greasy black hair atop his head that looked like it was never combed. The man had some how managed to handcuff Videl and ball gag her. She was struggling to escape and Hiroki stood in front of her grinning like a mad man.
Gohan could just barely hear what he said in a very low voice. "…. Waited so long for this. Ever since I saw you at your father's gym, I knew I'd make you mine. Your father is so dense, he never noticed my looks at you." Gohan watched as Hiroki reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. Videl closed her eyes and whimpered as she tried to turn away. Gohan's ki spiked at that remark. I may not like the girl much, but she doesn't deserve this. No one does.
Suddenly, the door burst open and broke into splinters of all sizes as it hit. Hiroki turned his head quickly, only to find a fist hit his jaw as he flew across the room into the opposite wall fifteen feet away. Gohan had not gone Super Saiyan, but his ki was so high that Videl felt a strange sensation in the air around her. "Leave….Satan… Alone…" he growled as he grabbed Videl in his arms. "You are a dead man… Hiroki."
Gohan strided quickly out of the room and ducked into another empty classroom with Videl. He glanced up at the clock and noted that it was only 7:15. He had 45 minutes until school started and from what he could hear, no one else was around. After gathering this knowledge, he untied the ball gag and then shot a tiny ki blast into the keyhole on each handcuff. He watched Videl's reaction as soon as she was freed.
He had thought she would slap him. Even though he had saved her life, he could never tell with Videl. Instead, he watched Videl break down into tears, her body trembling. "Gohan… thank you…" She then fully registered that this was Gohan the nerd talking to her and did the only thing she could without embarrassing herself- she ran out the door. Gohan was shocked, and took off after her. He was too late though. He didn't know where she'd run off to, but he could feel her ki. She'll be okay. No need for going after her. It'll only cause more trouble… However, Hiroki must be dealt with, the filthy bastard.
Gohan marched back into Hiroki's classroom and found the man to be laying exactly where he had landed minutes earlier. Grabbing him by the neck, Gohan dragged him down the hallway to the office where he promptly phoned the Satan City Police. It wasn't long before they arrived and Gohan told them the whole story.
"Where's Videl then?" asked one particularly chubby officer.
"She ran off. After I took away the gag and handcuffs, she ran away from me. I couldn't catch her."
"We're keeping this man in custody, but we can't set up a trial for him until Videl comes and confesses. We just can't take your word of course."
Gohan smacked a hand to his forehead and sighed. His day wasn't getting any better. First the thing with Videl and now this. "I'll.. I'll have her come down later."
"All right boy. You'd best have her come down. We can't have our best crime fighter's rep ruined all because of some stupid boy," scoffed the chief.
"Look, I gotta go find Videl. You just take care of Sensei Hiroki." Gohan turned and jogged off down the hall.
He figured that he had given Videl enough time to think that he was looking for him. He sensed her ki and found her to not be too far away from him. He sighed again and braced himself for what he'd find, as well as her wrath.
Gohan found Videl under a tree. He peeked around from behind the school storage building. He saw her head buried in her knees and he thought he could hear her crying. Well, here goes nothing he thought as he took a deep breath. He walked slowly over to the oak tree that Videl sat under. "Videl?" he questioned softly.
"Go away," came the tear-gargled reply.
"Videl, I don't think you can just ignore this. You have to report him. You can't let him get away scot-free. If you do…" He was interrupted.
"I said go away! Don't you see that if I say something, rumors will fly? My image will be ruined! Can't you see that?!"
"Why do you care what rumors are started? Why does that matter to you? Would you rather have Hiroki come after you again?"
"I.. I just can't Gohan!"
Gohan bent down to her level. He pulled her arm away so that she'd have to look at him. "Look, I don't know you well nor do I think you care to know me, but let me say this. You have your friends to back you up. If rumors fly, who's going to be the first by your side? Your friends are. They are going to back you up 100%. I know that if I were a friend of yours, I'd back you up. Now, if you wouldn't mind, the chief wants you down at the station to give your confession." Then he got up and left, not looking back.
~End Flashback~
Gohan saw the look of shock on Pan's face. "Yes, that may have been a bit too old for you, but I thought you could handle it. That's how everything began. It took her awhile to warm up to me, but she did. I ended up training her in the art of ki so that she could improve her fighting skills. That spring, I asked her to be my prom date."
"Your prom date? You went to the prom?!"
"Just because I still look like a nerd doesn't mean I didn't go to my prom."
"It just doesn't seem likely," muttered Pan.
"You sound like your grandmother when you say that. She just about went into shock when she found out."
"Really?"
Gohan nodded. "Would you like to hear the story behind it?"
"Of course I do. This ought to be interesting."
"Well… it all began that evening I was to meet Videl….."
~Flashback~
Gohan descended the stairs from his room. He was nervous, very nervous. He fiddled with his red tie to keep his hands occupied. Actually, he kept trying to tie the darned thing, but it didn't seem to want to tie for him. He looked up to see his mother waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, an over joyous look on her face, hands clasped. Here it comes.. again… the billionth time this evening.
"Oh Gohan! You look so handsome in your new suit. Won't Videl be surprised when she sees such a good-looking man waiting for her?
Goten bounced into the room. "Big bro! You look awesome! You gonna smooch her?"
Gohan blushed madly. "Goten! You know you…."
Ding-dong! "I'll get it!" screeched Goten as he made a mad dash to the door. He twisted the knob and pulled so hard that the door slammed against the opposite wall, almost splintering. "Hiya Videl! Gohan's been waiting for ya!" he stated happily.
Videl was dressed in a pearly white gown that touched her ankles. She wore a pair of high heels with a ½ heel. The outfit was completed by a golden dragon locket she wore around her neck. Gohan was in complete awe. "V-V-Videl, I-I-I…" he stuttered in amazement. Luckily he was saved further embarrassment by Chichi.
"Why Videl, you look very lovely tonight. Let me take a few pictures of you and Gohan together. Stand over by the stairs." Chichi barely let them get into position before she began snapping many pictures. Gohan put his hand around Videl's waist so his mother would have some decent pictures and smiled.
After about five minutes of picture snapping, Chichi decided that she was finally done. "All right you two. Have fun tonight. And Gohan, don't keep her out too late. I want her home at a decent time!"
Gohan blushed furiously. "Yes mother. Can we leave now?" He didn't wait for her response as he held out his arm for Videl. Videl accepted it, and they walked out to her helicopter. They had decided that the helicopter was better than them flying. "Sorry about that Videl. You know how my mom is."
Videl laughed. "Don't worry Gohan. It's fine. You know your family doesn't bother me…"
She was cut off by Chichi yelling out the window. "Grandbabies are always a good result Gohan!"
"Okay so maybe that does just a bit, but still…. Let's just have fun tonight, okay?"
Gohan helped Videl climb into the pilot's side of the helicopter (he would have flown it, but he had never learned himself). He climbed into the other side, and Videl started the chopper, lifting it into the night sky. She turned it toward the school and took off.
Within fifteen minutes, Videl had arrived and landed the chopper on the school's roof. As Gohan helped her step down, both could hear the loud music from inside. Laughter drifted up through the air as easily as the balloons that floated out of the open gym doors below. Gohan took a deep breath. He was very nervous. Videl turned to face him. "Hey Gohan, let's float down to the doors. Scare everyone so that we loosen up some."
Gohan smiled. "Are you sure you want to?"
Videl nodded. "I'm feeling mischievous tonight. I need some way to relax and this feels like a good way." She looked over the top of the roof. "Besides, Sharpner and Erasa are at the door. Let's scare the hell outta 'em."
Gohan was getting into the idea. "What about if we made our ki luminate our bodies? That'd really freak them out."
"Bet you Sharpner speaks in a high girly voice when he sees up."
"How much?"
"More like, dinner and a movie."
"Blackmailing me again?"
"You know it." Videl snickered.
The two stood on the edge of the building, and then stepped onto air. Soft yellow light from their ki surrounded their bodies. They didn't notice Sharpner looking up at them. "E-E-Erasa! Aliens!" He pointed up at the couple. "They've come to wreck the prom. Hide!" He whimpered and shrunk back into the shadows.
"Oh Sharpner lighten up!" huffed Erasa. "Can't you see that…"
Videl and Gohan landed right next to Sharpner. "Eeeeek!" he shrieked in a high voice and dashed behind Erasa. "It's only Gohan and Videl!" she yelled into his face.
Sharpner blushed madly and stood up quickly. "I… I knew that…"
Videl pulled Gohan down to her level by his tie and whispered into his ear. "You owe me Son Gohan."
"Ehehe… Right Videl." Gohan turned to Erasa and Sharpner. "So were you two waiting on our arrival?"
"As a matter of fact we were nerd-boy," sniveled Sharpner.
Erasa whacked Sharpner with her baby blue purse. "Just because they scared the heck outta you doesn't mean you can misbehave."
"Yes love," muttered Sharpner.
"Come on inside you two. I made sure to get us a good table. We can see everything from our spot," commented Erasa.
The two couples walked inside the transformed gym. An oriental theme had been chosen for this year's prom. The main entrance was a stunning Japanese garden. Couples crossed the bridge that stood over the reflecting pool. A rusty golden colored gong stood behind the bridge, and bamboo shoots surrounded the pool. The whole gym was bathed in a pale purplish blue light. As the couples crossed the bridge, the garden scene was extended. Lanterns hung on string from the ceiling gave off pale pools of light. At the other end of the gym was a small Buddhist shrine. The one set of bleachers had been pulled out for those unlucky to not get tables. The bleachers opposite were left pushed against the wall, as the DJ had set up there. An upbeat song was playing and a few couples were dancing, as well as the mixture of singles and other groups.
Erasa led them to the tables near the pulled-out bleachers. The table was in the middle, the spot where everything was seen easily. All four sat down. "Over there at the end of the bleachers is the refreshment table. Different assortment of things though I don't know what they have. It wasn't my job to do the food."
For Gohan, the night went by slowly. He was so nervous. He didn't want to ask Videl to dance because he feared being a klutz. He and she watched Sharpner and Erasa dance time and time again. Gohan wanted to treat her right like Sharpner did with Erasa. That boy could be a big pain, but he sure did know how to be a gentleman around his girlfriend. "Hey Videl… want to get some refreshments?"
"Sure Gohan." Videl wasn't looking too happy, at least from what Gohan saw. Did she want to dance despite saying she didn't mind?
Gohan walked over to her chair and held his arm out for her. I could tell her why. Tell her how I feel. She must be wondering why the heck I asked her in the first place. Instead of taking Videl to the refreshment table, he instead turned and took her over to the bridge where the light was darker and no one else seemed to be.
"I thought we were going to the refreshment table," commented Videl, confused.
"I changed my mind. I decided instead to talk." He crossed to the middle of the bridge with Videl and then turned to face her. "I know this probably hasn't been the night that you were expecting, but the truth is, I was really nervous about tonight. I've never been to any fancy dances. Heck, I've never dated before this either. So you'll have to pardon my acts for tonight."
"Well that does clear up the fact that I thought you were a complete moron…"
"Good or bad?" chuckled Gohan nervously.
"Both, but in this case, good." Videl giggled softly.
"Videl, over the past few months, I've gotten to know you pretty well. Truth be told, I never expected for anything to happen besides us being just friends. Now though, I've come to find that my heart feels differently. Videl…. I love you. I'd like for you to be my girlfriend… that is, if you want too…" He turned away, afraid of what he'd hear in response.
Videl smiled. She knew what she wanted and that was Son Gohan. She couldn't help but laugh inside at his awkwardness. "Yes." Was her terse answer.
"Yes?" asked Gohan, afraid to turn around.
"Yes, Gohan. I said yes."
Gohan turned around. His face was beet red and he thanked Kami that the dimmed lights hid most of it. He smiled down at Videl and pulled her into a hug. "I'll do my best to treat you the way you deserve Videl."
Videl giggled. It sounded so grown up for him to say it. "So do you still not want to dance?"
"H-h-how did you know?! I mean I didn't think… I mean…"
"Gohan I know what a klutz you can be. Don't make me have to bring up what happened last week in art class."
"Ehehe…. No you don't need to do that Videl." Gohan remembered quite well how he'd managed to knock over a dozen bottles of paint, including two open ones of orange and green all over Videl.
Videl grabbed his hand. "Come on Son Gohan. Let's see if you're as graceful a dancer as you are a fighter."
She led Gohan onto the dance floor just as a slow song began to play. Gohan put his arms around her waist loosely and hoped he wouldn't mess this one up.
If tomorrow never comes
I would want just one thing
I would tell it to the stars and the sun
I would write it for the world to see
And it's you
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh it's you
Oh it's you
They danced slowly and Gohan found that dancing wasn't so hard. He looked down at Videl, who smiled back up at him. She knew she'd made the right choice. She had loved him too. Almost since the day that he saved her from that sensei.
As he danced, Gohan reflected as well. Oh he knew what his mother would say. He'd have to keep it from her for a bit… but that could wait. Right then he wanted to focus on the beautiful girl he was dancing with.
If tomorrow never comes
I would want just one wish
To kiss your quiet mouth
Trace the steps of my fingertips
And it's you
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh it's you
Oh it's you
Oh it's you
"You know Videl, I think tonight turned out pretty well."
"I believe you're right Gohan. It did…"
And then Gohan leaned down and kissed her lips mid-sentence. Videl didn't protest and kissed him back. They kissed as they danced.
Oh it's you
Oh it's you
Oh it's you
Oh it's you...
~End Flashback~
Gohan looked over at Pan. Her eyes were beginning to droop and he then looked at the clock. "Oh goodness Pan. I've spent the whole evening talking your head off."
"It's okay dad. I really enjoyed it. I liked finding out more about mom. Can you tell me more later?"
"I will tell you more when you ask Panny." He smiled at her. "Now you'd best get off to bed. You have school tomorrow and me keeping you up late isn't helping that."
"All right dad. I'm off to bed then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Pan." Gohan watched as Pan turned and headed back upstairs to her room. He began packing the boxes back up. At least she knows so much more now. Just like you wanted, Videl.
So what'd you think? The song I used was Michelle Branch's "It's You". A little hint of the next chapter to come: Pan's got a lot of thinking to do. And she gets an idea…. Please review!