Chapter Thirteen: The Woman He Knew
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters and properties. I also do not own anything/anyone that I make a cultural reference to in this story. I do however own the characters that I created, even though their templates are people I know
A/N: Ara…thirteen chapters, and I'm not even at the halfway point of this story! Yeah, I actually mapped out what was going to happen before I did it. Y'all thought I was making this up as I went along huh? :P
Marie Marko, your story in your review made me reminiscent. I've been writing about these characters for four years!! Ah, feeling old! I was 15 then! I don't know if I'll ever be able to part with these characters but sadly, the day will come eventually. This is meant to be the last story…but then again, I've been known to change my mind. We shall see!
"I knew it!!" Natalie exclaimed. She was currently in a psychic form, inside Son Gohan's mind. She looked around and saw a vast library. "I knew if I ever entered Gohan's mind, it'd be a library. The boy knows waaaaay too much. Although, this isn't a very good confidence boost for my intelligence. I have, like, one filing cabinet in my brain." She started to walk around trying to find Gohan. "Hmm…no one at the service desk…in fact, this place is pretty much person-less."
"Hi!" A little voice said.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!!" Natalie screamed. "Kid, please don't sneak up on me like that."
"I apologise. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Son Gohan!" A 5-year old Gohan said. Natalie started giggling. This must be Gohan's inner child…Freud, I bet you wish you could be seeing this.
"Of course you are!" Natalie said. "I'm Natalie."
"Pleased to meet you!"
"So, he was like this since childhood. I always thought he'd grown into it."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, just musing out loud." Natalie said. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"What are all these books for?"
"Some store information, some store instructions on how to function and most of them are memories."
"Really?" She said, with a wolfish grin. She turned to look at little Gohan but saw that he had vanished. "Hmm…methinks he's on to me. Ah well! Better get on with it before Gohan's brain police come and get me!" She looked through the books and found one with the title 'When I first met Videl'. Natalie opened the book and a holographic image appeared. "Bloody hell, even his memories are advanced technology."
"Hey." Videl said, walking up to Gohan. "Who did that? Don't tell me it was the police." She was asking about a robbery that Gohan had just stopped.
"Uh…I didn't see." Gohan said nervously.
"And I came all this way!! I wonder who it was." Videl pondered to herself while Gohan snuck away.
"That's it?!" Natalie exclaimed as the hologram turned off. "That's their big first meeting?! Come on, I was expecting fuzzy vision, cherry blossom petals flying around, corny girl-anime music and a narrative that were Gohan's inner thoughts!! I, like after seeing Minority Report, am sorely disappointed."
In reality…"Okay, Gohan seems to look…I wanna say embarrassed." Nicholas said.
"That's not different from how he normally looks." Goku stated.
"True." Nicholas nodded in agreement.
Back in the brain…"Okay, let's see here." Natalie said, looking through the books. "Hmm, 'Our proper first date'. I really hope this is better than the first one."
"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Gohan said. Videl opened them and saw that Gohan had taken them to a remote place in the woods next to a lake.
"Gohan, this is beautiful!" Videl exclaimed.
"I thought since the press are always hounding you down, you would prefer somewhere out of the spotlight." Gohan said, smiling bashfully.
"Why do I get the feeling it's because you didn't want the guys to see us?" Videl asked. Gohan blushed.
"It's just that…I think they enjoy embarrassing me!" Gohan exclaimed. Videl giggled.
"Uh! We do not!! In case you're forgetting, I'm the one who helped you two get together! No matter how messy it was, it still worked!" Natalie huffed. She felt a tap on her shoulder and dropped the book. She turned around and saw Gohan. "Um, hi?"
"What are you doing looking through my private memories?" Gohan asked, looking rather angry.
"Believe me, that's not why I came into your brain!! I was looking around for you, or whatever represented you, and then I found chibi-you and he told me all about these books…I was curious." Natalie said, embarrassed.
"You shouldn't be in here!" Gohan practically screamed.
"Gohan, I had to come! You're giving up on your life."
"Who are you to tell me that I have a life?" Gohan said, walking away from her. She started to follow. "My wife is evil, my daughter is dead! What do I have to live for?!"
"Woah, Gohan!" Natalie said. "A lot of things have been going on! Pan's not dead, she's fine." Gohan looked at her for what seemed like quite a while, then the look of anger in his eyes grew as he turned his face away from her view.
"You lie." He barely uttered. She was still able to tell from those two words how much pain he was feeling.
"Nuh uh!" Natalie said, and then proceeded to mentally chide herself for such a childish comeback. She sighed sadly. "She is! She's asleep right now though, but with some rest…"
"Videl's still evil?" Gohan asked, cutting her off. She fell silent. "I thought so."
"She's not evil, she's just confused."
"She's the one that Zophen was warning about. That you were warning us about when you had that vision." Gohan said, acting like he wasn't listening to a word she was saying.
"I don't…"
"The enemy has planted a seed that has outgrown its boundaries…that's what you said when you had that vision."
"I don't remember that."
"Zophen said that he couldn't warn us because someone couldn't be trusted."
"Gohan…" She sighed.
"So that means they've been doing this to Videl for sometime now." Gohan said. "She's been slowly turning evil…and I didn't even notice. Every time we would talk about anything Tocopherat related, she would distance herself from me but I just thought it was because she didn't think I'd understand. This never even entered my darkest thoughts."
"Gohan, I know I can't possibly understand what you're going through right now but you can't just throw your life away like this! Your kids need you! Your family needs you! Videl needs you!"
"Videl doesn't need me!!" Gohan yelled. "She has that skinny telepathic bastard!"
"Who is using her as a puppet." Natalie said. "Gohan, you know Videl better than anyone. She is much too stubborn to just go along with what he wants her to do. She needs you to go and save her." There was a brief silence.
"I can't." Gohan said.
"Since when have you ever given up so easily?" Natalie asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Ever since I saw that look in Videl's eyes. When she, without hesitation, tried to kill my daughter." Gohan said. "I'm much too late to go and save Videl, because she's already gone. The woman I knew would never do anything like that. The woman I knew loved her family more than life itself and would never, ever do anything like that. She despised people like that! So did I." Natalie walked up to Gohan and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Then you go and fight for the woman you knew. She is being held captive, that much I know. But if you truly believe that she is gone Son Gohan then you go and fight for the women you knew. Go and fight for her honour." Natalie said. Gohan was caught a little off guard by the seriousness in his friend's voice.
"Her honour?"
"They took her and made her into something she despised, just like you said. Do not let them get away with that! You can't. Even if you don't get her back, at least you'll let them get what they deserve."
"I don't know." Gohan's eyebrows creased together in deep thought.
"She would do the same if you were in her place." That hit Gohan hard. He knew she was right. Videl would. She would never just lie down and give up because things were hard. He loved that determination about her. It was one of the things he admired most about her. He also remembered his father, who even when things look their darkest, still tried to find a way for everything to be all right. He knew that determination also existed in him too. He just had to find it.
"Oh man…you're right!" Gohan said, as he started laughing. Not because he was happy but because he had finally realised that there was still hope left.
"Don't sound so surprised, it happens on occasion." Natalie said. Gohan looked at her and smiled.
"Arigatou."
"Come on, forget about it!" Natalie smiled back.
Back in reality…
"I wonder why they're both smiling…" Nicholas pondered.
"Maybe she got through to him!" Chi-Chi said.
"Or maybe they're talking about you Nick." David teased.
"Shut up before I make you buttmunch." Nicholas said, his face red with anger.
"Oooooooooh!"
Back in the brain…
"So…how bad is it out there?" Gohan asked.
"Not too bad, the enemy think we're dead so we have a bit of an advantage. The kids are okay, your parents are freaking out a bit, and Vegeta-san is a bit angry." Natalie said.
"Well at least Vegeta is acting normal." Gohan sighed. "I haven't been a good leader, have I?"
"If you would quit doubting yourself all the time then maybe that wouldn't happen." Natalie said. "Besides, in this team there is no specific leader. We all work together, triumph together and fail together."
"You've been watching Angel recently, haven't you?"
"He was so much better at the motivational speeches than Buffy was."
"So, if I'm not the leader guy, who am I?"
"That is for you to decide. But in my view, you're the sane one. I mean, imagine if Nick was the leader! Everyone would have to have witty one liners and he'd put me in spandex."
"It's scary."
"What?"
"He said exactly the same thing."
"If I know anyone, it's my baby. You ready to wake up now?"
"Just about." Gohan said, smiling.
"Everything will be fine."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because we're the good guys, and the good guys always win eventually." Natalie said. Gohan raised an eyebrow. "It sounded good in my head."
"Well we're in my head now, and I say that's corny."
"…Gohan made a joke!" Natalie chuckled. "You feeling a little better then?"
"Yeah."
"You ready to kick mucho alien butt?!"
"HAI!" Gohan saluted.
Back in reality…
"Should we be worried that it's taking this long?" Andrea asked.
"Not at all." Natalie said, snapping out of the trance. "What?"
"How is Gohan?! Is he going to be okay?!" Chi-Chi yelled. Natalie sweat-dropped.
"Well…physically yes. Emotionally I think so." Natalie said. "His confidence is not doing well though."
"Daddy's gonna wake up then?" Cory asked.
"Yes, he just needs a rest."
On Medilan's ship…
"Finally. I have been waiting all day to have a word with you." Medilan said, walking towards Mara.
"As have I-oof!" Medilan slapped Mara across the room. "What the hell was that for?!"
"For destroying the Earth." Medilan said. Even though he was talking in a very calm manner, he was still getting across that he was very angry.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Mara asked. "I was under the impression that…"
"Exactly. You acted foolishly and could have cost our own officers their lives." Medilan said. "I never wanted the Earth destroyed…only those Decolains."
"For killing your father."
"More or less." Medilan said. Mara raised an eyebrow. "Now leave, while I think up a suitable punishment for you."
"Whatever." Mara rolled her eyes and left Medilan. "He's hiding something…"
Back to the CC…
"What are we gonna do now? We can't just sit here…waiting…" David said.
"Thanks for the dramatic pauses Dave." Nicholas commented. David stuck his tongue out.
"We're gonna get ready…and I've got a plan." Gohan said. Everyone turned around and gasped.
"Gohan, you really should NOT be out of bed!" Natalie said, rushing over and making him sit down. Chi-Chi rushed over to her son and hugged him hard. Everyone else also went over to Gohan expressing their relief and happiness that he was alright.
Five minutes later…
"So, Kakarrot's son. You have a plan?" Vegeta asked.
"Yep. We're going to war. As soon as we're ready. Zophen, you said it yourself that these guys would probably be stronger on your planet." Gohan said. Zophen nodded. "Then that's where you're going. We've got the advantage of time, they think we're dead. First things first, everyone with a power deficit is gonna go under training in all things Tocopheran."
"New techniques? Yay!" Goku cheered.
"Um, sorry Tousan. Only hybrids can learn these powers." Gohan said. Goku looked sad. "Also-…" But before Gohan could finish off what he was saying, the door was blown down. Everyone got in defensive stances, only to see that Launch (in blonde mode) was at the door.
"Look who I found!" Launch yelled, holding the arm of a very nervous looking Uubu.
"Uubu!" Goku exclaimed. Uubu bowed humbly.
"It's good to see you again Sensei." Uubu said.
"Okay, my doctor says I still need a great deal of healing." Gohan said, looking nervously at a very cross-looking Natalie. "So, dividing up into teams. Andie, I want you to take Trunks and train him…and my brother whenever he decides to show up. Nick; Drake, Claudia and the Twins are going with you. Tousan and Vegeta, I know you think it's redundant but you're going to have to have some form of self defence so Krillin will show you the basics."
"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THE BASICS!" Vegeta roared.
"Come at me, with everything you've got." Gohan said. Vegeta charged at him and Gohan stopped him with one finger. "I think I've proved my point." Vegeta growled. "I'm not talking about basic skills, I'm talking about self defence. As in using your brain instead of relying on your brains. Krillin's an expert at that."
"Thanks much Gohan." Krillin smirked triumphantly. Vegeta stormed off into the garden. "Although, you've probably sentenced me to death."
"Everyone else, I'd appreciate it if you'd just train or do whatever you think is necessary. From what I've seen, the Tocopherans are far too power reliant so they should be a piece of cake for the rest of you. When training is complete, everyone will be split into two teams. One team will go to Tocopherat and the other will stay here and guard the Earth. No doubt they'll attack when they realise we're alive."
"I'm giving you two weeks people. Make it count." Gohan said. Ch-Chi proceeded to wheel him away in a wheelchair.
"It's time for the Commish to take a rest people." Chi-Chi said.
"Chi-Chi just made a joke?" Goku asked. Vegeta nodded. "Scary…"
When they were a significant distance away from the others, Chi-Chi turned the wheelchair around to face her son.
"Don't start."
"I've got to. You're gonna drive yourself insane. No one should go through what you've just been through…and no one would blame you if you sat this one out."
"Would you sit out if it was Tousan out there?"
"…I guess not. But being a good leader means knowing your limitations Gohan." Chi-Chi said. "Remember, you are not in this alone. You're friends are here too."
"I want to see my daughter."
"Fine. Ignore what I'm saying. Just like usual."
"I'm not ignoring you. I just…I don't want to hear all that now."
"I love you, you know. I'm just looking out for you."
"I know…I love you too Mama."
In the Garden…
"Woooo! So where have you two been?" Trunks asked, as Goten and CJ walked into the room.
"Shut up Mop Top!" CJ said angrily.
"We've been out…making up." Goten smirked. Everyone raised their eyebrows.
"Get your minds out of the gutter, Goten's the one who said it." CJ said.
"True." Trunks replied. Goten blinked.
"Don't worry, I will explain it to you later." CJ sighed.
"Hey." Nicholas walked into the garden. "Can we talk?"
"Sure." Natalie said. Nicholas led Natalie outside. There was a brief silence. "Honey, what's…"
"Nat, could you 'port us to Seki's Hill?"
"Um, sure." Natalie said, teleporting them to a hill in the park near Orange Star High. "Wow, it's been a long time since we've been here."
"Yeah, those were good times."
"Is everything okay?" Natalie asked. Nicholas looked at her surprised. "Sorry, but you would've at least tried to have copped a feel by now."
"I'm worried about you…about us." Nicholas said. "This thing with Videl is really getting to you."
"Of course it is Nick. I'm worried about her."
"That's not what I meant." Nicholas said sternly. Natalie leaned against a tree.
"It's just…I feel so bad for Gohan. I feel like a total heel because…because I'm scared. I'm scared because that was nearly me."
"I don't understand."
"When you fought before…you could've died."
"But I didn't."
"But you could've! And so would my friends. I would have no one to help me get through that because I wouldn't have known what happened…so many scenarios ran through my mind…what could've happened to you…if it was my fault…"
"Never. This was never your fault." Nicholas said sternly.
"I can't help feeling that way Nick." Natalie said, tears starting to stream down her face. "In the end, it would've been just me and Drake left. I wouldn't be able to take care of him…he'd have such a bad childhood…I'd end up being a terrible mother."
"What are you talking about?" Nicholas said, putting his hands on her shoulders. He looked deeply into her eyes. "You are one of the strongest women I know, you don't need me." Natalie laughed a bit. "What's so funny?"
"You still don't get it. We've known each other for so long and been married for almost half of that." Natalie said. "I cannot function without you because you are a big, permanent part of me. It's got nothing to with reliance or capability. Emotionally, I am connected to you. I always have been."
"Nat…" Nicholas was speechless.
"I've never loved anyone else Nicholas. I've only ever loved you. Superficial crushes can't compare with what I feel for you. You always go on about how lucky you are to have me because of your quirkiness. But I love your quirkiness, it's not a burden. I love everything about you, and I can honestly say there is nothing about you that I don't love. I am lucky to have you. Not the other way round, and there's nothing you can say that can change that."
"Nat, I had no idea you felt this way about me." Nicholas smiled.
"Are you kidding me?!" Natalie cried, smacking him in the ribs. "I'm totally and utterly besotted with you! Even more as time goes on, if that's possible. Just the sound or sight of you makes me weak in the knees, never mind both! And when you smile…anyway, I'm going off on a tangent. The thought of losing you kills me inside…so we make a deal."
"Um, okay?"
"I go first."
"What?!"
"Well I obviously can't cope with you dying…"
"And I can?!"
"I'm guessing so!"
"Come here you." Nicholas said, pulling his wife into an embrace. He then looked at her and wiped away her tears. "I love you, as much as you love me. So I guess we have to go at the same time." Natalie laughed. "Soooooo…I make you weak in the knees huh?"
"Shut up! You can't hold me accountable for that! I was vulnerable and junk!" Natalie said pulling away from him.
"Oh yes I can." Nicholas said, holding her hips and pulling her in closer than close. "So, when I hold you like this and whisper in your ear…just about nothing, but low enough to strike a nerve… that make you weak in the knees?"
"Uh huh…" Natalie barely whispered. He held her face and kissed her softly and slowly. "Mmm…" He quickened the pace and she couldn't help but go along with it. She ran her hands down his chest and abdomen. As the kiss became a lot more passionate than it started out, Nicholas broke the kiss.
"Good to know that I got the power in that department baby." Nicholas said, sporting a wicked smirk.
"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily." Natalie said, pushing them to the ground so she landed on top of him.
"Nat!"
"Hey, you started it!"
"No, wait…not there! You know that's my weakness…"
"Of course I do."
Brrrrrrrrrrring!!
"Honey, I think your pants are ringing."
"You bet your sweet…"
"As in your cell phone baka!"
"I knew that!" Nicholas said, answering the phone. "Yes Fuhrer, we're on our way. Dave wants to know why we're not at the house."
"You know what I just realised?"
"What?"
"Our house is gone, and you don't seem too broken up about losing your David Beckham signed football." (1)
"That's okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah, because you lost all of you Orlando Bloom stuff." (2) Nicholas grinned. Natalie fell back laughing. "So, you do think I'm funny."
"Of course I do." Natalie replied. "I don't tell you that you are because your ego would grow…even more so."
"Nani?!" Nicholas explained, as they checked themselves over (heh) and teleported back.
In the CC garden…
"They are really beginning to annoy me." Goten stated.
"Just ignore them long enough, they'll stop soon." CJ said.
"No they won't. You know they won't."
"There's nothing wrong with a little hope Son."
"I can't take it."
"You burst out, you're letting them win."
"WHY IN THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU STARING AT US LIKE THAT?!?!" Goten yelled.
"And I'm promptly ignored. How lovely." CJ sighed. Goten's anger was directed at Trunks, Marron and Remy who were all staring at the newly formed couple with wide grins.
"You know why!" Remy replied in a sing-song voice. "Which reminds me, Juliana owes me money man…and with interest!"
"You bet money on whether or not we'd get together?" CJ asked, giving her a deathly look.
"Um, no?" Remy said sheepishly, before hiding behind Marron. "Make her stop, it's creepy!"
"NOW YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL!" Goten yelled.
"Can you please put the volume down?" Trunks asked, still grinning. Goten's eyebrow twitched. "Ooh, I've never seen you do that before. My Dad's gonna be mad you stole his trademark." Goten tackled Trunks to the ground and they began to fight.
"I'm beginning to feel a little worried." Zophen said to Andrea.
"Why Zophen?"
"They're supposed to be helping us save the Earth? And possibly my planet also?" Zophen said. Andrea looked over to the younger group and saw that while the two demi-Saiyans were wrestling, Marron and Remy were urging them on yelling 'FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
"Don't worry Zophen." Andrea said, smiling. "If anything, that's what will help us get to victory." Zophen gave her a confused look.
In the infirmary…
"Papa, I'm so glad you're okay." Pan said weakly. Gohan smiled, tears forming in his eyes.
"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Gohan asked. "Pan, do your best to get better."
"Mommy's gonna be okay right?" Pan asked.
"We're gonna go and fight for her Pan." Gohan replied. "It's what she would want us to do."
"Good." Pan smiled. "Because she didn't do this on purpose. It wasn't her fault."
"I know that now honey." Gohan said. I just hope Videl believes it…when she comes out of all this.
To Be Continued…
A new chapter. Yay!! I will try my best to get the next one out relatively quickly. In the next chapter, a twist in the plot will see two old characters returning! Stay tuned!
(1) David Beckham is the England Football Captain and no.23 on the Real Madrid football squad. He's also Posh Spice's husband. Hence the term, Posh and Becks
(2) C'mon people! Legolas! And don't give me no "I dunno who this Legolas person is" … cos I will just start to cry!
