Author's note: Hey, guys, thanks for the reads, & the reviews. I love getting those alerts. Please feel free to keep them coming, & let me know your thoughts as the story progresses.
Written by: SparkerLightning.
Edited by: StevenBodner
Content warning: Details at end of chapter
Additio
nally, this chapter will likely be somewhat contravercial. I'd love to hear your honest feedback on this one.
Chapter 53
Slowly lowering himself to the ground, Gohan took in the skies over King Kai's planet. He saw them when he came back, briefly, but before that, it had been years. The planet was so familiar, yet so different than he remembered it. There was only one home. The tree still stood. There was no Bulma, no Piccolo, only King Kai, Videl, himself, and Goku…
Hastily, he dusted himself off. It wouldn't do much to cover his activities. His clothes were torn and blood, both his own and Cooler's, was speckled over his body, but every little bit helped. He probed his teeth with his tongue, all accounted for, none loose.
The occupants on the planet gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. He touched down next to Videl, and she pulled back slightly, but didn't move away.
Gohan saw the retreat, and tilted his head.
"Are you okay?" He asked. He wanted to reach out, to feel someone's skin that wasn't trying to kill him, but he resisted.
"Yeah." She said, brushing a loose hair out of her face. "I just, we, we watched the fight on Namek. And, and..."
"And you were incredible!" Goku beamed, no longer able to restrain himself.
"Wait." King Kai grabbed Goku's gi as the Saiyan rushed forward. "I have a question for you."
King Kai released Goku as he gave in. He took the boy in. He shouldn't be alive, this shouldn't be happening.
"Okay?" Gohan turned to face King Kai, placing Videl slightly behind him, over his right shoulder. "What's up, King Kai?"
"Just a simple question." King Kai looked down at his feet, at his planet, at the prison.
"What..." He looked back up at Gohan, son of Goku. "What in the world was that?"
Gohan scratched the back of his neck, a learned, familiar, gesture.
"Oh, uh..." He thought quickly. Why didn't he bring a spare set of clothes? How would he explain that. "I, I had something I had to take care of. Sorry about that."
"Gohan?" Videl put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. He tensed slightly, before relaxing. "We watched the fight on Namek, as well as your fight with Cooler."
"Oh..." Gohan's smile fell slightly. "I, I guess I have some explaining to do?"
"Is it true?" Goku lunged forward, hands clasped. "Are, are you really Gohan? What happened? How'd you get so big? How'd you get so strong? I mean, on Namek you're strong, but here, there, Cooler… you were incredible!"
Gohan didn't answer. Instead he looked around the planet. Gregory and Bubbles were in the car, watching discretely. Videl ran her hand down his arm, and took his hand in hers. King Kai's eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, but he was clearly waiting for an answer, as was Goku. He turned his gaze upwards once again, towards the sky. Without Loa's cage, it was beautiful.
"Okay... Next question..." King Kai's voice carried on. He removed his sunglasses, tucking them into his robe. "Gohan, are you a time traveler?"
Gohan kept his eyes up, he really shouldn't be having this conversation. At least not with his father here. He couldn't risk changing the timeline too much… or he could… but his past self, his father, needed to get to Yardrat, they needed to fight that evil Namekian… or who knew what would happen… Slowly, he nodded.
King Kai cursed his luck under his breath. Of course the time traveler would appear on his planet. Of course he'd be from his quadrant of space. Of course he'd be the son of one of his students. Of course, that's just how things went. If the Galactic Patrol found out about this, if the other Kais, or Beerus, found out about this...
"Really?" Goku's eyes widened in surprise. "What's the future like? How far ahead are you from? What am I like?"
Gohan shook his head, finally meeting his dad's gaze.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I shouldn't answer that. I shouldn't answer any of those questions, or any questions. You, you shouldn't even know who I am..."
"Well..." Goku said, drawing out the syllable as he thought. "Can you teach me that teleportation technique of yours?"
All thoughts of Namek had left his mind, though they would weigh heavy on him soon.
Gohan shook his head again.
"Sorry." He said. "I, I don't think I should do that either. You'll, you'll learn it though. I should be able to tell you that much… Just, do what you would have done if you never met me, and, and you'll learn it."
"What I would have done if I didn't meet you?" He cupped his chin. "I, I have no idea what I would have done."
King Kai opened his mouth to speak, but if Gohan noticed him, he didn't act like it. He turned to Videl, his eyes asking for advice.
"He's probably not even going to have the idea, after watching you fight Cooler." She said. "Maybe, maybe you should tell him what he did?"
Goku shook his head aggressively. "Yeah! That. What she said."
Gohan slouched his shoulders.
"Things, things are already going to happen differently." He ignited his Super Saiyan power again, closing his eyes, focusing on himself, and the warmth of Videl's hand in his own.
Videl was also focusing on the warmth from Gohan. He felt like he was burning up, like he was on fire, but it was nice. She's touched him before, she'd felt him while his aura was present, but never while Super Saiyan… His power energized her. His might began to give her ideas. His gentle nature, his ability to bend the world to his will, it, it gave her new thoughts, new feelings, strange to the fourteen-year-old. She, she didn't know what to do with them, with herself, with him… She squeezed his hand, and, and it felt right.
"This, this is Super Saiyan." His voice was restrained yet confident. "I unlocked it… it's linked to anger. When I first transformed, my anger took over. I, I wasn't safe to be around. Not for you, not for anyone."
He dismissed the transformation.
"I'll tell you that you, and your Gohan, took one of the Ginyu Force's Attack Balls and went off by yourselves. The purpose was for your Gohan to learn to control his anger while transformed, so he wouldn't unintentionally hurt you or mom, or anyone." Crap, he should have said Chi-Chi.
His words hung in the air. They had years to plan this, why didn't they decide what to do back then? Thankfully for Gohan, Goku didn't press the subject. He knew who Gohan was, but if Gohan wouldn't say so, he wouldn't force him. He had another Gohan, his Gohan, to worry about…
"Your eyes." Goku said.
Gohan instinctively made eye contact with his father.
"Would it be alright for me to wish for Gohan's eyes to be restored?" Goku felt weird addressing his son, to his son. "When the Dragon Balls are available."
Gohan shut his eyes once more. He really didn't think this through.
"This is the last question I'll answer until we meet again, but yes." He opened them. "That would be nice."
Goku smiled and stood up straight. He's had the idea for ages, it was obvious… but they hadn't had the chance. Now that was as much of a blessing as he would receive. It was selfish, but, greedy wishes never hurt before, did they?
King Kai opened his mouth once again, actually speaking, but Videl started a moment sooner, and only her words were acknowledged.
"So, what do we do now?" She asked, tightening her grip.
"You two and I are going to go into my home. We have some things we need to discuss." King Kai answered for him. "Do you have any idea how illegal time travel is?"
Gohan used his free hand to scratch the back of his neck once again. "Uh, can you try a juvenile in court?"
A juvenile, yes, absolutely. A juvenile that just killed Frieza, and Cooler? That, that may be more difficult. King Kai looked between the teens. Their time machine was still there, still breaking the laws of the cosmos. He visibly deflated.
"Just, take your machine with you. I didn't see a thing, officer!" He threw his hands in the air. Turning his back, he went to his car, his bucket and towel.
Gohan's eyes bulged for a moment. They couldn't forget the time machine. Patting his pockets, releasing Videl's hand to do so, he searched for his capsule case. "Uh, uh-oh. I, I can't find my capsule case..."
Videl sighed. "Is it still in the machine?"
She turned and walked to it, pulling herself into the cabin. Immediately she found the case, which she threw over her back, trusting Gohan to catch it. While she was in there, she pressed the second set of buttons that were drilled into her and Gohan. In a puff, the time machine vanished from under her, a capsule appearing at face height. Grabbing it out of midair, she handed it to Gohan, who had approached while she was capsulizing it.
Thanking her, he put the capsule in its spot.
"So... I guess, the next thing to do, is to take you home?" He pocketed the case and held a hand out to Videl.
She took it. It still felt right. She squeezed it. His skin was soft, a leather glove over a steel skeleton.
"Home." She said, a twinge of emptiness quickly spreading through her. A tear threatened to spill over, but Goku cleared his throat.
"Hey... One last question, guys."
The young teens both blushed. They both let go of the other, throwing their hands up in protest.
"No." He beamed. If this was his Gohan, and he knew it was, he could do a lot worse. "I just want to know. Will I ever see you again?"
The question was for Gohan, but he pointedly looked at them both.
Gohan looked down. It should be about a year before they get back to Earth. He knew about Garlic Junior, but that shouldn't be an issue…
"Yes. I believe so." He picked up Videl's hand once more. "I haven't exactly done this before, but yeah, I don't see how we wouldn't meet again."
"Good." Goku straightened his back once more, and extended his hand to the boy.
"I'm glad we met here, and..." He looked over his son. "You didn't answer me when I asked you if you were Gohan, but if I was your father, I would be very, very, proud of you."
Now it was Gohan's turn to shed a tear. Taking his father's hand, he shook it firmly.
"We'll talk soon." He said, before touching two fingers to his forehead, and, in a blink, he and Videl were gone.
Goku turned to King Kai beaming. "That's my boy."
King Kai was gently swirling the soapy towel across his car. "He didn't confirm that, you know."
"King Kai..." Goku walked over, and picked a second towel out of the bucket. "Videl called him Gohan… he's got a tail… he's a Saiyan… he didn't confirm it, but he's Gohan."
On Earth:
Small waves lapped at the shore of Kame House. Palm Trees stood motionless in the still, salty air. Master Roshi sat in his lounge chair, pretending the rest of the world didn't exist. From inside the house, the clanking of pots and pans could be heard.
Several dozen feet over Roshi's head, on the far side of the island, the teens appeared. As Gohan breathed in the Earth, the blue water, the blue sky, the beauty of the planet, Videl tightened her grip on his hand. With great effort, she was able to stop herself from falling to the water below, and once the surprise wore off, she was able to calm herself, and levitate next to Gohan.
Gohan knew their next destination. Orange Star City, Videl's original home. But he wasn't quite ready yet. He turned, and Videl followed his lead, to face the sun, to feel its warmth. He saw stars on Namek, on Arcosia, but this was his star, this was his world.
"Welcome home." Videl said, starting to fly forward.
"Thanks." Gohan swallowed a lump in his throat. "Same to you."
He threw out his senses, immediately recognizing a variety of energies. "I, I think I know which of these is Orange Star City. Are you ready?"
Videl hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head. Slowly, she sank in the air, dragging Gohan with her, until their feet were inches over the lapping waves. "Can, can we take the long way home? I want to fly there."
A smile crossed Gohan's lips. "Of course."
He turned to face Videl, extending both arms. The offer to carry her went ignored, as Videl closed her eyes.
She recognized what Gohan did. Yamcha was here, a lot harder to detect than on King Kai's planet, but he was here. So was Master Roshi, but, but not her Master Roshi. Pushing her senses to the limits, she felt a familiar spark. It was one star among billions, completely normal in every way, but it was warmer to her, it was familiar to her. It was her father, and she knew where he was. Rotating further, Videl pointed herself in his direction.
"This way." She said, pushing herself forward.
Gohan shrugged and followed. Side by side, the duo crossed the ocean. It was slow going, compared to what Gohan was used to, but it was steady, and Videl wouldn't appreciate another offer to expedite their separation.
Videl kept her attention divided, half on her father, on her home, and the other half on herself, on staying in the air, staying in motion. Gohan on the other hand was completely relaxed, for the first time in, he couldn't remember the last time he was this content. He flew in front of Videl, not directing her, but more so observing. He flew with his back to the planet, and his eyes drifting between the girl he had grown close to, and the sky above. Occasionally a slightly larger wave would wet the tips of his hair, but it was nothing that bothered him.
Reaching the distant beach, they settled onto the sand. Gohan gently lowered himself to the sand, barely moving a muscle as he was already laying down. Videl's landing was a fair bit less graceful, concluding with her sprawled in a not nearly as comfortable position. She knew how to fly, she had done so many times on King Kai's planet… but never for nearly as long, and never while locked onto someone's energy. Reaching inside, she felt what little remained of her ki reserves.
"Are you okay?" Gohan asked, throwing a hand out towards the girl.
"Yeah." She said as she rolled onto her belly, and pushed herself into a seated position. "Just, I don't know if I can keep flying."
"Then, would you rather use Instant Transmission from here, or would you rather I carry you?" Gohan smiled warmly at Videl as she got to her feet.
"The second one." She admitted, and Gohan stood. "But can we walk? Or run from here?"
She began to stretch, intending to do so even if Gohan didn't recommend it.
Gohan closed his eyes, trying to remember his limited geography lessons… or one of the few trips he took to Orange Star City… and from what he remembered, it was still quite a ways off, several hundred miles, if he had to guess.
"In theory, yes..." He followed Videl's gaze inland. "But it'll take some time..."
"I'm in no hurry." She said. Evaluating the path ahead, she found no easy route. "Let's go."
She smiled back at Gohan as she began to walk.
At first the travel was slow and rough. The trail they blazed was full of downed trees, thick foliage, and more than one carnivorous animal that wanted a quick snack. They hopped over anything they could, and walked around any plants that blocked their path. They were in no rush, and figured they would like not to harm the environment where they were. The animals though, they were a little harder to deter, and more than one tiger, and more than a few dinosaurs, learned that chewing on a Saiyan was not a good choice.
Gohan was still wiping saliva off of his tattered clothes when they cleared the seaside jungle. A wide-open plain was ahead, and they slowly waded into the tall grass. Hours later, after stepping up to a jog, and eventually a run, they entered the foothills of a small mountain range as the sun was starting to set.
Videl gathered wood, using her ki to light the kindling. Gohan hunted, and prepared their dinner. After eating, they sat beside each other by the fire. The flames were small, but illuminated their surroundings well. The smoke was thin, gently wafting into the air.
Videl tucked her knees to her chest, resting her arms on them, and her chin on her arms.
"I'm nervous." She eventually said, not looking away from the flames.
Gohan glanced at her, before deciding she probably didn't want the attention. He held his hands to the fire, absorbing its warmth. "What about?"
Videl glanced at Gohan. He was open, not balled up like her. He was close, a shoulder to lean on. He was holding his hands to the flames, feeling their warmth, warming himself up. He was already warm enough. She tried to blink away a tear, but couldn't stop them all. Several ran down her cheeks, silently. "What if they don't accept me?"
Gohan shifted slightly. He moved his feet closer to hers. "Why would they do that?" He asked softly. "You're their daughter. You're Videl..."
"I'm a Videl." She corrected him, sniffling. "They've already got one. What if they don't want another?"
"If that happens." Gohan mimicked her posture. "Then you'll come and live with me and my family."
Videl fought back a hiccup. She'd cry, but she wouldn't sob. She'd let the emotions out, but she wouldn't let them control her.
"It's been so long." She said as she chuckled. "School. I'm going to go back to school. Years, the better part of a decade, spent on God's private planet… learning to fly, to shoot energy beams… and, and I'm going back to school."
Gohan began to chuckle as well. "Well, we need to learn long division, don't we?"
"HOW?" Videl snapped at him. "How are we supposed to go back to normality?"
Gohan was taken aback. He didn't expect that. He recoiled slightly, before shifting back to facing the fire.
She picked up a rock and threw it into the fire. "How are we supposed to pretend that we weren't trapped by a demon for the last five years? How are we supposed to pretend we didn't, you didn't defend the Earth against endless waves of aliens, while, while I was on the sideline … How are we supposed to ignore that we left everyone behind?"
She stood up and kicked the ground, dirt flew into the fire and over Gohan's already ruined clothes.
"Your parents, my dad, my, my mom." She sobbed. "I don't know what happened to her."
She fell back to her knees and punched the ground as she shouted. "Everyone on Earth died… she died… I wasn't there… Dad wasn't there… she died alone, confused… she didn't know what we knew, she didn't know about Frieza, Cooler, and Cold… this, this was her life!"
Gohan sat still. He didn't know what to say, and he didn't want to say the wrong thing.
She threw herself onto her back and let out another scream, more of a groan.
"She was killed when the condiment crew attacked, but she was brought back." She took a sharp breath. "But, but she remembered her death, she remembered dying, she remembered what came after. She didn't tell us what happened, but, but it broke her."
She pulled herself up, her chest to her knees. She tried to bite back another sob, but failed again. "Then, then aliens come out of nowhere, and kill her again..." It's not fair, Gohan, it's not fair."
Gohan moved to sit behind Videl. He put one leg on either side of hers, and wrapped his arms around her chest, over her own.
"No, it's not." He said, resting his chin on her shoulder. 'But we're going to stop that from happening again. I promise you. Your mom will be okay."
"BUT SHE'S DEAD!" Videl shouted, covering her eyes with her hands and leaning back into Gohan. "And, no matter what we do, nothing will change that. She's dead, and our parents, are families, are stuck in another timeline, and, and there's nothing we can do about it!"
She leaned forward and Gohan loosened his grip, letting her go, but she pulled him along
with her.
"Maybe." Gohan said. "Maybe we're stuck too."
Videl wiped her nose on her pant leg, before turning to look at him. With how close he was, how wrapped around her he was, she could only see his face from the corner of her eye, lit by the fire.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "We're, we're here. We're free."
"But..." Gohan took a deep breath. "This world isn't exactly ours. Your past self is still here. My past self is still here. Maybe, maybe what we need to do is make the best possible world for them, even if it doesn't impact us, or our original families."
He squeezed her. "Make it so we're the only ones that need to go through this. Make it so no one else will have to experience it."
Videl tried to speak, and was barely able to choke out the words.
"What about us?" She felt sickened by her perceived selfishness.
"If all goes well." Gohan said. "We'll both be accepted by our families, and be able to get back into life."
He bit his lip. "And, if things don't go so well... We'll just have to rely on each other, and take on challenges as they pop up..."
"I don't want to do it." Videl said, leaning back into Gohan.
"You don't want to do what?" He asked, leaning to the side so he could look into her face.
"I don't want to restart." She said as her body was wracked with sobs. "I don't feel like I can go to school, learn to drive, get a job, get married, have kids, and, and just be normal. I'm, I'm not strong enough to move on like that, Gohan. I can't, I can't forget what happened. I can't just go on..."
"We don't need to forget. We never need to forget… and, yeah, it'll be tough." Gohan moved one hand to sit atop her head, slowly stroking her hair. "But we need to try."
"I don't want to be alone." She pulled the arm still wrapped around her close. She wouldn't let it go. "They won't be my family. They wouldn't have lived through everything we did… you're, you're the only one that's been through it all, seen it all, been with me the entire time..."
"I'm still going to be here." Gohan said. "I'm not going anywhere… well, when I sense Cold I'm going to take care of him immediately… but, aside from that, I'm here, I'm on Earth, I'm on Mount Paozu..."
"You don't go to school though." Videl said. "You never have. You were home schooled. You, you never had to worry about appearing normal… because everyone you knew, everyone you loved, was part of your circle. They knew about energy, they knew about King Piccolo, the Saiyans, Frieza..."
"Videl..." Gohan whispered in her ear.
She leaned her cheek against his face. "Yes?"
"You don't want to face the normal world, do you?" He inhaled through his nose. She was sweaty, dirty, and frankly disgusting at the moment, but she smelled nice. She smelled like home.
"Not alone." She said, once more tightening her grip on his arm.
"Neither did I. I didn't want to go to school. I didn't want to make normal kid friends. I, I wasn't one of them… and..." He adjusted his arm to take her hand in his. "If I go, will you go with me?"
Videl spun on the grassy ground, turning to face Gohan. The fire was warm on her back, comforting. His presence was just as warm, just as pleasant. She picked up his other hand, and smiled, nodding.
"Yes. Yes, please, yes." She launched herself forward, hugging him. "I need that. I want it, but, but I need it."
He stood, letting her get her feet under her.
"Then, it's a plan." He smiled. Holding her by the fire, close, he looked into her eyes. Not wanting to release his hold on her, he used the tip of his nose to rid her cheeks of tears. Under the stars, under the moon, and surrounded by the trees, the birds, the crickets, he took her in. The ocean was blue, the sky was blue… her eyes were blue, and deeper and more endless than both. Her lips were pale, soft, and so close.
He leaned forward.
She leaned forward.
He closed his eyes.
She closed her eyes.
He tilted left.
She tilted right.
Their noses bumped, and their eyes shot open. They both smiled, and laughed. Fresh tears spilled from both of them as they held each other. They were home. They didn't need Orange Star City. They didn't need Mount Paozu. They needed each other, and, and they had each other.
"We should get some sleep." Gohan smiled.
"Yeah..." Videl looked around their clearing. Neither of them had prepared a shelter, but they wouldn't need it tonight. Together, they lowered to the ground.
Gohan removed his gi shirt, folding it up, and placing it on the ground. He patted it, and Videl sat her head on it. Laying on her left side, she faced the fire. Gohan laid on his right, using his arms as a pillow, and kept his belly to the flames as well. They were close, heads inches apart, and, and they were ready for the next day, the next week, month… they were ready for anything.
Orange Star City
Two days later, Gohan and Videl walked down the familiar streets of Orange Star City. Their travel started at a rapid pace, but as time passed, they slowed. Now, nearing the finish line, they walked at a snail's pace. Videl lead the way, and Gohan walked close behind her.
It had been so long since she had been here, so long since they lived in this apartment, she got lost more than once. But, after an hour of asking for directions, a quick dip into a needs-based charity shop for new clothes, and another two of stalling… they approached the imposing building.
While the structure was once painted white, it was now worn down to a faded dusty gray. The windows on the lower apartments had vertical bars embedded into them, all except one which had apparently been sawed away. Looking at the corner of the building, four levels up, a familiar purple curtain hung partly open. The window was ajar, and distantly Videl thought she smelled chili from inside…
"Is this it?" Gohan asked, walking up beside Videl.
"Uh-huh..." She nodded, not approaching further.
"Are you ready?" He asked, putting a supportive hand on her lower back.
"Uh-uh." She shook her head.
Slowly Gohan stroked up her back, to the nape of her neck, and back down again. "Do you think you ever will be?"
"No." She said. Her shoulders began to shake as her breath became short and shallow.
"Then, now is as good of time as any?" Gohan smiled. He knew this was tough, he knew he'd have to do it himself… but he didn't have bad memories to dwell on, he didn't have to forget one mother, to get another.
Videl clamped her eyes shut, balling her hands into fists. Slowly, she nodded. Opening her eyes, she set her jaw.
"Yeah." Taking several deep breaths, centering herself in the present, in the here, the now, she stomped her way up the short staircase leading to the front door.
Gohan followed, half a pace behind Videl, off to her side. Reaching the locked door, the cage door, she reached for the intercom.
"What do I say?" She asked. She turned to face Gohan. "And when we get there, what do we say? What if they don't believe us?"
"When they pickup… tell them you have something important to discuss … some news they need to hear..." Gohan frowned. "If they say no, you can tell them it involves Videl? It's, it's not a lie..."
"And, when we're inside?" Her finger hovered over the dial pad.
"I'm, I'm not a fan of letting the world know about ki, aliens, everything..." He shut his eyes for a moment before smiling. "But they're your family, and, and it's the truth."
"If they don't believe you ..." He summoned a ball of ki in his hand.
Videl's eyes shot open, veins on her forehead pulsing. "YOU ARE NOT THREATENING MY FAMILY!"
Gohan dismissed the energy, and couldn't hold back a chuckle. "I more so meant give them a demonstration..."
"Shatter their entire reality, so they'll be more open to the extraordinary?" Videl narrowed her eyes. She was not amused and pulled her hand back from the control. "That, that's probably what drove my mother away in the first place. "We are NOT going to do that."
"Then..." Gohan twitched his tail, glancing at it out of the corner of his eye.
"Our king is a dog..." She hung her head. "A monkey boy..."
Gohan shook his head.
"A boy with a tail." Videl corrected herself. "While unique, isn't really that out of the ordinary, is it?"
Gohan cupped his chin. "Could, could you tell them something only you would know? A family secret, or something like that?"
Videl chewed her lip as she thought. A moment later, she nodded. Slowly, she dialed the keyboard. Floor four, section two, apartment O. The box buzzed intermittently before a woman's voice called out.
"Hello?" She asked. In the background giggles and grunts could be heard.
"Mo... ma'am." Videl started. "Is, is this Miguel Hercule?"
"Yes?" She drew out the answer. "Who is this?"
"Ma'am." Videl kept her finger on the button. She didn't have to, but she was frozen. Her mouth could barely move, let alone the rest of her. "I, I have some news that you and, and Mark, need to be aware of …may we come up?"
The woman, her mother, spoke, but it was muffled. After a moment she removed her hand from the phone. "We're not interested."
The connection dropped.
Videl didn't move.
Gohan didn't move.
Videl's shoulders began to shake once more. She hung her head, and tears began to hit the concrete stoop. Slowly, she turned to Gohan, her bangs covering her eyes.
"She, she rejected me..." She barely managed to whisper.
Gohan wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close. The other hand went to the dial pad.
"No." Gohan said authoritatively. "She rejected some random girl, she doesn't know who you are."
He typed the same apartment number again.
The call connected almost immediately. "I told you, we, are not..."
"Stop." Gohan commanded. Taken aback, the woman did. "It's regarding your daughter, Videl, Videl Hercule, we need to talk to you, about her… about her safety."
He thought for a moment, technically the truth. "Now please invite us in."
The buzz of the phone filled the air for several seconds, until... click… the security door opened, and the woman hung up once again.
"My, my safety?" Videl asked, dabbing at her eyes with her shirt.
"Yeah." Gohan said, not elaborating.
Gohan held the door open, and Videl entered. The elevator was open, but it was too fast. Videl needed time to calm down, and the stairs were a fine option. They opened the heavy door to the stairwell, and slowly climbed each flight. At the fourth floor, they exited. The elevator landing was dreary at best. There was a couch, old and faded, and a barely standing table beside it, both items were covered in dust.
Videl lead Gohan to their left. At the end of a barely lit hallway, she turned right. At the end of the hall was a single door, "4-2O" was emblazoned on the door, burnt into the wood rather than placed on a sign.
Videl stood to the left, pulling Gohan to her right. The door swung inward, hinged his side. He'd be seen first. She'd have another moment. She raised her hand to knock, but froze. Looking at Gohan, he smiled, and she took what felt like her last breath. The door swung open, her knuckles never making contact.
Standing only a bit taller than Videl, Miguel evaluated the teenagers. A cigarette hung from one corner of her mouth, and her lowcut shirt was stained.
"Who is it, Angel?" Mark called from inside the old apartment.
Miguel's expression grew angry.
"Did Mr. Kreese send you to collect? Because, I already told him, we'll have his money by Friday." She evaluated Gohan. "And to be frank, the last guy he sent was a lot more intimidating than you, boy, and my husband sent him packing..."
Gohan threw his open palmed hands up. "No, ma'am, it's not like that. Can, can we come in?"
"Miguel?" Mark called from the other room "Everything okay?"
"Yeah!" Miguel called back. "Just, some kids…"
She thought for a moment before stepping aside. "Come in, I'll make some tea."
A few minutes later, the group was assembled in the under decorated living room. Mr. and Mrs. Hercule sat on opposite sides of a small couch, with a coffee table running in front of it. At the end of the table, Gohan and Videl sat, stuffed into a large chair.
Mark sipped from his tea. The boy was calm, too relaxed. He had a tail, which was unusual, but he knew someone with a tail, or he thought he did. The girl, the girl was familiar… maybe she was at a match? She was as white as their walls once were, and wound tighter than a watch. "So, kids, you have our attention?"
Gohan looked at Videl, but she didn't move. The cup of tea in her hands shook slightly, evidenced only by small ripples in the drink. He spread his legs slightly, touching his knee to hers, and slowly rubbed it up and down. "Before I get started. You two are fine, Videl is fine, and we are fine."
That wasn't good. Miguel swallowed. Nothing good ever started with saying everything was fine. Something happened. Mark and Miguel stayed quiet.
"My name is Son Gohan..."
"Son Goku is your father?" Mark interrupted.
Gohan's eyebrows jumped. He didn't expect that. "You, know my dad?"
Mark shook his head, relaxing back into the couch. The boy was a martial artist, or his dad was, a great one at that. And that's probably why the boy, Gohan, was so relaxed. He wasn't bringing bad news, and, and he was confident. He was probably here to invite him, the mighty Mark Hercule, to the first World Martial Arts Tournament in, well, since that King Piccolo fellow went on his rampage.
"Not personally, no." Mark said. "But I know of him. He's one heck of a fighter."
"Yeah, he sure is." Gohan smiled. He sipped his tea as he closed his eyes for a moment. He overpowered King Cold, likely the strongest mortal in the universe, not for long enough, but he still did it. "Are you a fighter too?"
Mark puffed out his chest, a comical sight with how slouched he was into the couch. And, upon realizing that meant Gohan wasn't there to invite him to the tournament, he deflated.
"Yeah..." He said. "I'm a fighter."
He looked into his tea. "Hey, those things your dad did in the ring, the flying, the lasers, that, that's all for show, right? He didn't really do all of that?"
Videl dropped her teacup, and Gohan caught it before it hit the ground. Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything about the liquid, and it covered his pant leg. It was hot, but nothing he couldn't handle.
"Uh..." He said, pouring a new cup for Videl.
"Of course it's not." Miguel chastised her husband. "Magic isn't real."
"It's not magic." Mark said. "It's, it's internal energy. It's your spirit. It's as real as our lives are."
"Nonsense." Miguel said. "Tell him, Gohan, or rather, if it is real, show us?"
Videl was slowly processing the conversation, still not having spoken a word. Her dad didn't deserve to be treated like this. Sure, he wasn't the best, not yet, but he was a good man. He would never treat her, or anyone, the way Miguel, her mother… Miguel, was treating him.
Gohan looked towards Videl, and Videl nodded.
Gohan stood and held his right hand out. With as little power as he could get away with, he formed a small ball of energy in his right hand. It was nothing, harmless, but it was glowing, and… he ran it up and down his leg, drying it… it was hot.
"Ma'am." He said. "I can assure you that ki, life energy, is absolutely real."
Miguel stared at the dry leg, at the boy, at the tail…
"Well, then it comes from your tail. No normal person could do that." She sipped her tea, certain of the accuracy of her statement.
"Well..." Gohan said, smiling at Videl, before remembering why he was there. "That's beside the point."
He sat back down, once again touching his knee to Videl's.
"I'm not the reason we're here." He grabbed Videl's free hand, and lifted it into the air.
"Oh." Miguel said. "Videl's calling for me."
She sat her cup on the table and stood.
"Excuse me." She walked past mark and to the short hallway leading to their bedrooms. "I'll be a while, don't wait for me."
Videl's eyes began to water, but her boiling blood refused to let her tears spill. Her own mother is blowing her off… but she doesn't know who she is… but she's treating her dad so poorly… but she treats her so well… but they've been apart so long… but those were the happiest years of her life, even if the circumstances were horrible…
"Wait." She said. She didn't know how she felt. She didn't know how she sounded. She didn't know what she wanted, what she expected, what she would do next.
Miguel stopped, staring at the girl who finally decided to talk.
Videl didn't continue, so Gohan did.
"We're from the future. About eight years, or so." He lowered his hand and Videl's, not releasing hers. "This, this is..."
"Videl?" Mark leaned forward, taking another, deeper, look at the teen. She had Miguel's nose, his eyes. She was beautiful, but strong, a marble statue carved in his own image.
"Videl?" He asked again.
She nodded.
Miguel scoffed. "Nonsense."
"There is a bottle of your special juice in a shoe box under your bed. Or there was, recently, I think..." Videl looked into her tea. "You said my turtle ran away, but you sold him."
A tear rippled the tea. "You make me pretend to be younger to get discounts when we do something fun."
Another tear. Why did she forget that? Why did she remember it, now?
"When I broke my..." Her dad was training, and, and she fell… he yelled at her… she cried…
She dropped the weight… he yelled…
He stepped on her… he yelled…
The weight landed on her foot… she rushed her to the doctor… he wasn't home… he yelled, yelled at her…
"You made me hide the pain pills from dad, in my underwear drawer, but wouldn't let me take them." She closed her eyes.
"GET OUT!" Miguel shouted as she grabbed a picture frame off the wall. "GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT, NOW!" She threw the picture, and Mark hit it out of the air as he jumped to his feet.
"Woah there, hold on! What is she talking about?" He demanded. "You took her pills?"
He balled his fists, but didn't move from beside the couch.
"ALL OF YOU!" She shouted at Mark. "OUT!"
Crying rang out from one of the closed doors.
"Videl!" Mark called, rushing down the hall. Miguel stepped in front of him, but he weaved around her.
"STOP!" She shouted, grabbing the back of his shirt.
He kept rushing. Flinging the door open, he rushed in. Miguel was pulled by his heft, right off her feet and landing on her face.
Gohan moved, appearing in the middle of the living room. He stood between Miguel and Videl.
"HELP!" Miguel shouted. "You, you pushed me! You're not going to get away with that!"
She moved to crawl into the room, but one glare from Gohan froze her to the spot.
Mark stomped out of the room. In one arm he carried Videl, the younger. She had her face berried in his shoulder, and he pressed his cheek into the back of her head. In his other he clutched a variety of fabrics, which he dropped onto Miguel's head. Among the panties and socks was a trio of orange pill bottles.
"GIVE HER BACK!" Miguel shouted, grabbing onto Mark's foot with both her hands. He didn't slow down. He stepped on her hand, he gave her a reason to take the pills, and he didn't slow down.
Reaching the front door, he swung it open.
"Let's go." He told the teens. Gohan was beside Videl, his other daughter, helping her to her feet. When she didn't move, he picked her up and carried her in both arms.
Hours later...
The group of four settled into a modest hotel room. Two twin beds were against one wall, and a sleeping bag was between them. A TV was hung across from them, with a light weight, scuffed and scratched, dresser under it. Opposite of the entrance a table was pushed against a window, with a chair on either side, and a foot stool pulled out as a third. Mark and his daughter sat on one bed. Gohan and the other Videl sat across from them.
Since they entered the room, gotten into the new home, Videl had opened up. She told her father everything, from Garlic Junior to the completion of the time machine, and everything in between. She told him about Master Roshi, and his eyes shined. She told him about her mother, and his heart broke for the girl. She told him about their conversations, late into the night, every night, memories that he had almost forgotten, but were crystal clear in the girl's mind.
When she finished sharing, her father stood, as did she. They hugged, and he kissed her forehead.
"I may not have experienced those things with you, Videl, but I am still your father, and I was right, I will always love you." He glanced at his younger daughter, he, he'd need to come up with some way to refer to them individually… and decided it was time for a bath.
"Excuse us for a few moments." He said with a smile, opening one of many grocery bags, looking for the girl's toiletries. "It's time to get ready for bed."
The younger Videl protested for a moment, but quickly gave in. When she was in the tub, happily splashing, Mark returned, and told his story. He did not hold back, and while Videl was too young to hear these adult tales, she was more than experienced enough with the world.
He shared how he knew Miguel in school, but drifted apart … she was a working girl… she was a working girl who was being mistreated by her, uh, boss.
He told of her struggles… alcohol… snow… ice…
He told of her victories… getting her GED… signing onto a label… having a child…
"And that brings us to today." He said. Dabbing his eyes dry he turned his attention to the wall behind him. She was still playing in the water, she should have brushed her teeth and gotten changed by now, but that didn't matter. She was safe, and, and they were both safe.
"I don't know what's next for us." He admitted. "But Videl, you are absolutely more than welcome to stay with us."
Videl's smile reached beyond her eyes.
"Yes." She said immediately. Looking around the motel room, she saw home. She tightened her grip on the bed sheets. "Yes, please. I, I would love that."
"Then." He said. "Welcome home."
"Mr. Mark." Gohan said. "I, I can't make any promises. I haven't reached out to any of my friends or family yet, but, but a friend of ours runs a successful business..."
"Thank you. And, please, call me Hercule." Mark said as he looked down. "I may take you up on that offer some day. But for now, I think we'll be fine."
"Da..." Videl cut herself off, and Hercule's smile vanished for a moment. "I know I'm not old enough to work yet, but if we can find a way, I'm more than willing."
"I won't hear of it. You are a young, growing girl." He puffed out his chest. "While you're living under my roof, uh, a roof I pay for. You'll go to school You'll worry about grades, about your activities. I've never had a teen before, and, and I don't know if I'll be any good at it."
Hercule took a deep breath as he reached over and put a hand on Videl's knee. "If, if I'm too strict, let me know, okay? And, and we can talk about it? I want to do anything I can to make this work, for both of us. And, if anything starts to come between us, please, please let me know, and we can work it out."
Videl gripped her dad's hand. He wasn't HER dad, but he used to be, and this was what she wanted, what she needed… this is what she deserved… "I promise, I'm not losing you again."
A giggling roar came from the bathroom, followed by a beautifully performed death rattle.
Videl sat her foot atop Gohan's. Hesitantly, she squeezed Hercule's hand tighter.
"Dad?" She asked meekly.
He stroked her hand and leg with his thumb. "Yes?"
"I don't feel right." She set her other hand on Gohan's lap and he picked it up. Thrusting her hip into his, he moved down the bed, and she followed. A moment later the three of them sat in a line.
"Are you okay?" Hercule asked. "Is it your head? Stomach? Uh, lady things?"
Both Videl's and Gohan's faces flushed red, and Hercule couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Oh, teens.
"No!" Videl protested. "It's, I..."
She slowly exhaled a deep breath.
"An alien killed mom." She pulled her hands in to her chest, bringing Gohan's and Hercule's with them. "And, and I was angry at the world. King Cold's men invaded the Earth, and I was, I was sad, but, more."
She swallowed a lump in her breath before continuing. "But, I think I'm feeling hate now, and, and I don't like it. I feel weak, powerless, and it's because of Mom, and, and, I think I hate her."
Hercule didn't know how to respond to that, and Gohan was immediately far out of his element. He hated, he hated a lot. Frieza, Ginyu, Cooler, Cold, Vegeta, and, at one point, Raditz.
"Well." Hercule began, not having any idea how to finish that sentence. "I, I don't."
Videl's grip loosened, and his tightened.
"Don't get me wrong." He said, turning to face her. "What she has done is absolutely horrible, but, but she's a different person when she's using."
"I wouldn't know." Videl said coldly.
"I do." Hercule assured her. "And I would never ask you, or anyone, to be around her right now." He looked towards the ceiling. "But I'm still going to wish her well."
Wrapping his other hand around Videl's, he tried to smile.
For the next half hour they pondered on the nature of addiction, the responsibilities of a parent, and on the shortcomings of Miguel. Gohan chimed in from time to time, when Videl would share a freshly rediscovered memory, but for the most part just watched and listened. It was odd, he wasn't an active part of the conversation, but it still felt natural. He didn't feel like a third wheel, but more like a kick stand, there to support Videl, and, and he enjoyed how that made him feel.
They would have continued later into the night, but the younger Videl burst from the bathroom.
"LOOK!" She enthused, throwing her hands into the air and stretching her legs out to make herself look as big as possible. Wiggling, she spun, showing off her new deep blue pajamas, covered in rubber ducks and steamboats.
"Do you like them, Sissy?" She beamed at her older self.
"Sissy?" Videl asked herself.
"Your Mom and Dad's daughter, right?" She smiled, running to stand at the older girl's feet. "So, you're my sister. My big sister, Sissy!"
"Yeah." She nodded. "I like it."
She paused for a moment.
"Them." She continued. "I like them, and the name."
Reaching down, she picked the girl up. It was a little awkward, as she really wasn't physically big enough to pick up a child of her age, but after years of training, it was completely effortless. Hercule scooted over, and she placed the young girl between them.
"So." She'd have to get used to sharing her name. "So, Videl, which of us get the bed, and which gets the sleeping bag?"
The young girl pouted. "I want to be Sissy."
She crossed her arms, not at all picking up on the seriousness of the conversation she interrupted.
"Okay...?" Videl raised an eyebrow. "You be Sissy, and I'll be Videl?"
The girl sharply nodded. "And I want the sleeping bag."
Videl cracked a smile.
"Okay, Sissy." She said. "You can have the sleeping bag… for the first night anyway."
Author's note: To keep things clean, when both Videls are in the same scene, the younger will be called Sissy, and the elder will be Videl.
Next chapter looks like it'll be Gohan and Chi-Chi's reunion, and likely a lot more as well...
Content warnings:
Parental drug use.
Child neglect.
Child endangerment.
Domestic violence.