I'm truly sorry guys… I know it's been over a year, but I've been so focused on school that I've barely had time to write lately and when I finally do….. I get writer's block :'( Agh…Hopefully next chapter will be up by new year's eve, it's halfway done anyway.

So, a couple of things:

I'm trying First person POV with flashbacks and dreams.

Also, I had to cut this chapter into two so I could update faster. Maybe with shorter chapter I'll update faster.

Again, I'm sorry for the long wait, guys. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 4

News

"It's about time you woke up, brat."

I opened my eyes, but my vision was so blurry I could only see spots of different colors. I turned my head slightly toward the sound. Every single part of my body ached, and my chest burned. I raised a trembling hand to graze at my burning chest, and when I looked at it the only color I saw was red.

Blood, no wonder it hurts so much.

"It's just a flesh wound, now get up." The older Saiyajin grunted. "The Namekian will heal you later, we need to get out of here." What had happened? The last thing I remembered was an explosion… and Vegeta screaming that this was our chance.

"Wh-what happened?" I managed to croak out, fearing his answer.

I saw Vegeta's (still blurry) face turn to me harshly. "You blacked out, that's what happened. Now Freeza is searching all over the place for us and You. Still. Won't. Move." his face got dangerously close to mine and I could see pure loathing in his eyes. He hated me.

My cheeks reddened in shame as I looked down, trying to hold back the tears. Once again I had been useless in a fight.

Vegeta gave me one last look before turning around toward the exit of what I now realized was a cave. "I won't say it twice kid, either you move or you get left behind."

I stood up shakily, for once glad I had cried, because my tears had clear my sight a little. "Yes, sir." I slowly limped into the blinding light, but I never got there.

Some time had passed, but I couldn't tell how much. I just knew I was not in a cave anymore. The sun was burning my skin and making me dizzy, I felt like I hadn't eaten in days and had been fighting for a lifetime.

"You're useless, brat!" I felt a sharp pain as I got punched in the chest. A loud "umph" escaped my mouth as I felt my body crash into the floor. I gasped for air, feeling a piercing pain in my thorax. The pain was unbearable. "Pathetic" I winced as he kicked me, "Pitiful" he kicked me again "Worthless scum" Vegeta spat near my head. "A disgrace to the Saiyajin race."

I grimaced, shutting my eyes tightly as I heard him circle around me slowly, his footsteps echoing loudly in my head, fueling my throbbing headache. I felt sick. "If I have to make you go through hell and back to make you stronger, then so be it!" I believed him… and he did, for years on end he did.

I whimpered pathetically as a boot landed haughtily on my cheek. "Stand up, you filthy excuse of a Saiyajin! It's just a few broken bones, stop whimpering like a kicked puppy."

"B-but…" I just couldn't keep up like this. I winced as I tried to move my right arm, but it only brought hot tears to my eyes. I had never been so beat up. I felt… completely powerless.

So dying felt like this… burning pain.

I felt him drag me upward by the cuff of my neck. "B-b-but nothing! You think Frieza will stop because you have a couple of broken bones? Postpone the battle until you feel better? No. You need to learn how to fight with broken limbs. Now stand up before I break more than just bones, brat." the words kept resonating in my head each time louder and louder. His foul breath made me sick.

I felt him get closer. "Listen, Frieza made me what I am and I won´t stop until I have his head. He will pay for what he did. Now stand up, kid, you ain't dead yet" I felt my conscience slipping away.

Everything around me went black. "Namekian!" he was calling for Dende… was I finally dying? I felt like I was floating, the pain slowly leaving my body "Hey! Open your eyes, you pathetic wimp!" There was a hint of panic in his voice as Vegeta started shaking me violently until I stopped feeling.

Gohan's eyes opened abruptly as his face contorted into a soundless scream, his chest heaving frantically. Another nightmare. His eyes had a wild and dark edge as he tried to come back to reality, his breathing slowed but his eyes remained lost in the haunting memories. Teal-colored, they gleamed in the darkness as he blinked listlessly, the sun would come up any minute now. With a heavy sigh, his eyes slowly returned to their natural obsidian.

That had been his first lesson. Saiyajin got stronger in every near-death experience. Despite all his traumas, Vegeta had been a great teacher.

It was times like this that he was glad he was completely alone. Whenever this happened, he always forgot himself, a little bit of his humanity was lost as his grasp on reality was even weaker after the nightmares. In broad daylight he seemed to control it. When he was surrounded by people he had an image to maintain, he didn't want to come across a paranoid lunatic, but the truth was, he WAS a paranoid lunatic who couldn't even trust his closest friends and comrades. He felt isolated, unable to relate to anyone else. Gohan closed his eyes, his head hanging in defeat or weariness, he couldn't tell anymore.

He could still hear Vegeta's voice resonating in his head. "B-b-but nothing! You think Frieza will stop because you have a couple of broken bones? No. You need to learn how to fight with broken limbs, now stand up before I break more than just bones."

Vegeta had been true to his word, he'd broken him beyond repair with his training methods. It had taken years for him to put himself back together, and even then he knew he was never going to be the same Gohan ever again. And for that he was glad.

He let a long, weary sigh escape his mouth.

Well, he was definitely feeling better now, he might as well get a cup of coffee before his daily morning meditation, seeing as he didn't feel like eating any time soon. He methodically went through his daily routine. Luckily he did have a spare uniform here, as Trunks insisted he had to stay at least once every few span. Once he was ready, he closed his door slowly and headed toward the kitchen to prepare himself a big cup of that wonderful substance. Thank the Gods that thing grew virtually anywhere in the galaxy.

As he walked into the enormous kitchen Gohan walked directly to the coffee machine and grabbed a cup to fill it. A tiny smile finally graced his face. The cup he'd gabbed was a birthday gift from Trunk, it said in sloppy handwriting "To the best big brother ever!" He could bet that kid adored him more than anyone in the whole multiverse.

"You're always up before dawn." Bulma grumbled over her cup of coffee. Gohan jumped and almost dropped the cup. What was wrong with him lately? Was he that distracted? "Just like Vegeta." Bulma continued, completely oblivious to Gohan's reaction as she sipped on her coffee.

"Oh, hey Bulma, why are you up so early?" he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

Bulma shook her head "I received a transmission from Vegeta's ship, he's arriving later today, probably after nightfall. Couldn't get back to sleep after that."

Gohan's eyebrows raised as he took a seat across from Bulma. "Really? He found the Saiyajin girl faster than we expected… I- I thought he was supposed to come back right after the welcome party… Now with Vegeta in the picture we might as well prepare for some sort of disaster" he half-joked.

Bulma slapped Gohan's shoulder in mock reproach. "Don't say that! He's capable of behaving himself."

Yeah right. Gohan snorted "Have you forgotten all the predicaments he's gotten us in over the years? There's a reason why he's not allowed to deal with these things. Remember that time when he insulted the daughter of that Tuffle diplomat?"

"Well, she got it coming, with the way she was throwing herself at him" Bulma huffed, remembering said incident. She took another sip of coffee as Gohan grabbed a cookie from the bowl in front of her.

He chuckled, swinging the cookie "There are ways of saying things, Bulma, and the way Vegeta said it was certainly very rude." He took a big bite and smiled. Quite entertaining, but rude none the less.

"He was just stating the obvious." She brought the cup of coffee to her lips again. "Anyway, what are you up to today? Are you going to join us on our little tour around town after our meeting?"

Oh lord, nooo… "Sure, I uh… just have to train and go to the headquarters to report myself but I´ll probably be free after midmorning, anyway, so yeah." Gohan laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. He was kinda hoping to spend his day resting and preparing his report for Vegeta. He had completely forgotten about the meeting. Yesterday, after everyone had settled in their rooms Bulma sent a Meeting request to Mr. Satan, her parents, Yamcha, Chichi and a couple of people. They were supposed to address near future issues such as permanent accommodations for the crew and the party amongst other thing Gohan couldn't quite remember right now.

"Great!" Bulma beamed. "Maybe you can even spend some alone time with your family" she punched him softly on his arm, giving him a radiant motherly smile.

Gohan sighed, rubbing his hands nervously. "I rather not…"

"What? Why?"

Gohan look at the table, his hands now clenching. "I uh… I don't feel quite ready yet… that's all." He sighed "It's hard to fill a 15 year gap in just a day, Bulma… I just don't feel comfortable enough yet…"

Bulma stood up, her coffee already gone and rubbed Gohan's shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "Well, don't wait too long, your mom might not understand it, Gohan." And with a final maternal kiss on his head she left.

Gohan's shoulders slumped, his tail twitched slightly in agitation. "Great…" Why can't things get back to the way they were before…?

Well… he might as well go out and start his daily meditation routine. That would clear his mind for a while.

- . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . -

Videl woke up early next day. Or at least she assumed it was early, sun rays were just starting to creep through the tall trees. It was absolutely mesmerizing. She turned her head slightly to the side and found her two friends still sound asleep. She smiled unconsciously as she stretched and quietly got out of bed.

She walked to her duffle bag and reached for two outfits. On her left hand she had her usual white shirt and on her right her official Earth Special Forces' uniform. She looked at them closely and finally chose the uniform, after all this was just their second day and this would cause a better impression on the meeting. Or so she thought.

She quietly made her way to the bathroom, mentally thanking the gods her room had one included, she silently closed the door and turned around. Videl look at herself in the mirror. Still human, she half-joked to herself. She shook her head, hoping their first encounter with extraterrestrial life wouldn't turn out catastrophic. She'd been tired yesterday and the topic had come and gone a couple of times in her head, but now, now she was fully awake. And it terrified her. The fact that she was now trapped in a planet full of alien life- ignoring the fact that she was now the alien, sort of invading their planet.

Videl sighed.

This planet would be her new home, those aliens would be her new neighbors, and this would be her new home. Well not this, this was Bulma Brief's home, she would need to move out eventually. She was definitely not going to be a freeloader.

I need to get used to this new life.

Videl frowned as she took off her pajama and turned on the shower. She wound have to get a job… and socialize with all these strange… people. She quickly got into the shower and started washing her hair. At least I'm not alone. I have dad, Erasa, Sharpener, Chichi, and hey, at least Gohan's not completely a stranger. That means I kinda know someone that lives here, that has to count as an advantage. Even if we don't really get along… and she had to admit it was mostly her fault.

Videl frowned. Maybe I should just be a little bit nicer….

Once she felt clean enough, she stepped out of the shower, dried herself and got dress. She grabbed her boots and opened the door, casting one last look at her sleeping friends, she opened the bedroom door and left.

After a couple of minutes of wandering around Videl found the kitchen. It was empty but it had a note on the table. Videl got closer. Hi, guests! She read in her head feel free to take a cup of coffee if you wake up before breakfast is served. –Bulma Brief.

Videl shrugged and filled a cup with said coffee as she sat on the chair closest to the window. She glance around listlessly, her eyes landing on someone outside the window. They immediately narrowed as she cocked her head.

"What…. The hell is he doing?"

Emptiness. Complete and utter emptiness surrounded him. He was completely aware of everything and nothing. He was one with the universe as his master had once said. Gohan inhaled deeply, feeling energy flowing through his body. He'd always found it amazingly relaxing to move in a certain rhythm that made chi flow through his veins, it was like a dance, like the old martial art of t'ai chi ch'uan mixed with ancient katas that he remembered from days past, back when he lived on Earth. The katas were the only memory he had of his mother.

It was his own meditation routine, Mr. Piccolo had taught him how to meditate and then he'd found out he felt more comfortable moving in a certain rhythm he'd created than being seated.

The leaves were dancing in the wind his movements were producing, almost as if following his unhurried tempo. The morning sun was warming his naked arms and creating a thin sheet of sweat on his brow. He was half-way raising his leg when he heard a tiny sound and opened his eyes, knowing it was Videl.

Yup, she was just standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. He didn't know her much but it seemed unlike her. Besides, her hair was wet and sticking to her face and neck and… man did those ponytails made her look years younger, Gohan noted.

"Sorry" she said meekly. "I just… I didn't-"

"It's alright" Gohan waved her off as he sat down, softly gracing the grass with his fingertips. "I was almost done anyway." His eyes were still lost, as if he'd just woken up. He blinked a couple of times as if to clear them.

Videl sat down on a nearby rock, and looked awkwardly around her. They were in some sort of garden, surrounded by high blue trees, in the center was a small pond. Her eyes returned to Gohan, as she tried to find some sort of conversation starter… in her own way. "Why are you up so early in the morning?"

Ah,let the questions begin... At least she doesn't scowl anymore.

Gohan looked back at her and shrugged. "I usually wake up at dawn, my body is used to it" And it was true. When he was training with Vegeta he would usually wake him before the sun had risen, so he got used to waking up early ever since he was a kid.

"So…. what were you doing?"

"Meditating" Gohan answer telegraphically.

Videl frowned… that didn't look like meditation "And why would you do that?"

Gohan glanced back at her. "I do it to clear my mind before training and before I go to sleep, if you must know."

"Really?"

"Yes. You sure ask lots of questions"

"I do not. And I meant, aren't you supposed to be seated and not moving a single hair in your body?" Videl insisted, though, not with the usual heat.

"There is a place on the other side of the planet where the whole village chant in unison while they meditate, their movements similar to my own, it's really fascinating because they set a tempo with their voices-"

"Like singing?"

"Yep, you should-."

"That doesn't sound like meditation to me." Videl said under her breath, and then she mentally smacked herself. She was supposed to be nice to him. Why was it so hard?

"It. Is." Gohan muttered through his teeth.

Videl raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, I'm just saying it's unlike anything I know… sheesh."

Videl kept staring at him blankly. Who would waste so much time doing… well, nothing but silly movements.

Gohan saw her expression and sighed. "You've never meditated." Videl shook her head. "It's not boring or stupid, as you perhaps are thinking, it's quite liberating actually, you can free your mind in a way no other exercise can. You want to give it a shot?"

Videl Shrugged "Sure" her face full of skepticism.

Gohan patted a spot to his right. "Ok, come sit here."

"Wait that's not how you were meditating!"

Gohan raised his eyebrows as he patted the spot again. "Well, you're supposed to be seated and not moving a single hair in your body, aren't you?"

Videl sat dejectedly "Damn it…."

Gohan just grinned back at her cheekily. "Ok, let's begin."

Videl felt a shoe lightly tapping her knee, she opened her eyes to find Gohan staring down at her impassively. "You fell asleep…" Videl felt her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked away.

Gohan snorted, trying to control his laughter.

She self-consciously scratched her cheek. "Uhh… how long was I out?" she said as she stood up nimbly, dusting herself in the process. She was trying to cling to all dignity she had left.

Gohan looked at the sky for a few seconds as he pursed his lips "A little over an hour."

"What!?" she was completely mortified by now and Gohan decided to push it even more.

"You even snored."

Videl's face reddened to the point Gohan thought it would explode. "Ok, now you're just lying!"

Gohan just looked at her through half-lidded until she looked away. He grinned inwardly, Gohan 1- Videl 0. "Anyway, breakfast's ready, you should go."

Videl blinked several times, as if trying to come up with a retort, but her embarrassment won. "Uhhh… ok" she said weakly as she slowly –and awkwardly- backed away. By now Gohan was openly laughing.

When Videl was completely out of sight Trunks jumped from his spot on the roof. They both stared at the general direction Videl had disappeared. "Oh for Dende's sake, you have the patience of a saint, Gohan-sensei."

Gohan put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I know."

You must hate me by now, because I kept you guys waiting for so long (and I'm pretty sure this chapter sucked….), but please don't give up on this story. :´(

(By the way… here's this fanart of Gohan as an apology, you can find it here (just remove the spaces before dots) : artfulquiescence .tumblr post/97024645070/gohan-in-skp-4-fanart-of-the-fanfic-encounters if you want you can follow me, I'll try to post more encounter's fanart in the future or keep you updated, not sure yet. PS: if you like it please let me know, if you hate it please let me know too, let me know what you think! )

Now… a tiny excerpt from next chapter:

"Bulma" Chichi said with a voice so calm it almost seemed like the calm before the storm. "Please don't tell me you had a child with the monster who nearly killed my baby boy and my husband." It wasn't a question. The room fell completely silent.

Trunks shifted uncomfortably, staring at his feet mutely. Gohan put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Bulma forced a weak laugh "Now, Chichi, please don't be so hasty…" Chichi's breathing quickened and Bulma paled "Uh… Chichi…?" Bulma signaled Gohan for help, but it was too late.

Remember to review if you have time, it's always nice to read what you think, it makes my day