~Tournament Saga~

Chapter 27 – Aren't Full Moons suppose to be Romantic?

Gohan stirred as the light from the sun started to pour into his room. A cool breeze slowly drifted in through his window, cooling the room to a comfortable temperature. His eyes fluttered open to the noise of birds outside along with the smell of his mother's cooking. For the first few moments after waking up, Gohan just starred at the ceiling. His blankets slowly rose up in rhythm with his breathing. After a few more moments of silence, he tried to pick himself up off his bead, but a sudden rush of pain coursed through every single muscle he owned. With a grunt from his discomfort, he fell back down to his waiting bed.

"So you're finally up?"

Turning his head, Gohan noticed that one black haired girl had entered the room. Videl was holding a tray of food that by the looks of it Chi-Chi had prepared. Wincing slightly from another spike of pain, Gohan forced himself to sit up.

"Ya... How long was I out?"

Videl placed the tray down onto Gohan's bed next to him. "Not that long. Its only about 10am now."

Rubbing the back of his head as he picked up the tray with his free hand and putting it on his lap, Gohan glanced down at his food instead of having to look at Videl's face. She had looked confused, almost upset even. He couldn't blame her. From what he could remember, she probably had seen quite a lot. "You stayed over night?"

"No...I went home but then came back here in the morning. Your mother was pretty worried about me." Videl awkwardly stood next to Gohan's bed, not wanting to sit on it. Butterflies were still floating around in her stomach from how the events last night had ended. She had yet to see a boy naked before, and Gohan...well, it was an interesting first experience. Not exactly how she had expected something like that to go down, not that she had been ever thinking about that kind of stuff before. Videl Satan didn't worry about that kind of stuff. Nope.

"I see..." The awkward silence grew as Gohan took a bite of a sandwich. Gohan wanted to say something. To ask what had happened after he had lost consciousness...but he couldn't help but feel afraid about what she would say. Would she be upset that he hadn't told her about his great ape transformation? Did he hurt her? It didn't look like it physically, but her face looked pretty damn upset. More than the young man liked to see.

Videl fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. She also wanted to ask Gohan about all the other secrets he might be hiding. But she could for the first time see why he had kept everything a secret. He had super powers, but that wasn't even the half of it. He could also transform into a ginormous monkey ape thing. She couldn't blame him for it either. He probably felt different from everyone else in school. She knew very well how that felt. Ever sense her father had become the world champ, people always seemed to treat her different. Even more so after the Cell games.

People seemed to give her a wide berth just because of her father. Gohan had the flip side of the same coin. He had abilities that people would never ever accept. If he had ever been found out by the public, he probably felt like he would be banished or something...Videl actually felt a little guilt well up within her.

"G-Gohan...listen, I'm...I'm sorry about trying to-"

"You're sorry? No no, it should be me who should be saying sorry! I almost killed you...I'm the one who's sorry." Gohan gripped his sheets in his fists, looking down at his food. That's why she's here. She just wanted to say sorry for bothering me to train her and then she'll go...

Videl started to fidget even more with the bottom of her shirt. Man this was a hard thing to do. It looked like he was a tiny puppy and she had just kicked him. "Listen to me Gohan. I'm sorry-" Videl's eyes narrowed when it looked as if Gohan was about to protest again, effectively silencing him. "I'm sorry for trying to push you to tell me everything about you...I shouldn't have done that. I can see why'd you want to keep that stuff privet."

"N-no problem..." Gohan was a bit taken back. Videl was apologizing to him for that?

Videl quickly turned around to try and hide a red hue that was covering her face. "But if you ever want to talk about anything..." Forcing herself to turn her head to look at Gohan, she smiled softly. "I'll listen..."

Now it was Gohan's turn to blush. She wasn't scared of him or thought he was some hybrid freak of nature? Could it be true? Looking back at all the food that had been piled on his tray, he gulped. Working up his courage, he called out. "Hey, Goten!"

A few moments later, one mini saiyan opened the door and popped his head in. "What is it Gohan? Mom said I couldn't go in your room."

"Could you go get the photo album from downstairs?" With a nod, the small boy, disappeared. Seconds later he reappeared and handed it to Gohan before scrambling out.

Videl turned to the side to look at Gohan questioningly. Gohan just smiled, rubbing the back of his head as he glanced up at Videl. "Might as well get it over with now...right?"

As Goten shut the door, he turned to his mom who was standing just outside the door with a clear glass. "Did I do good mom?"

"Shhh...yes you did. Now lets be quiet so we can hear." Both smiled, Goten nodding. Chi-Chi returned to pressed the class quietly against the door while Goten just used his saiyan hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Wincing, Gohan placed his tray of food off to the side as he threw his legs over the edge of his bed. Looking down for the first time at what he had on. He had his standard school clothes on somehow. A rush of red covered his face as he looked up to Videl. "Um...how did...never mind." He probably didn't want to know.

Patting the spot next to him on the bed, he motioned for Videl to sit next to him. Hesitantly, she took the spot. Opening the book, Gohan placed the photo album between them. "Well, might as well start at the beginning." Pointing to a mini Goku with a teenage Bulma standing next to him. "See here? This is when Goku first met Bulma."

"That's Bulma Briefs, right?"

Gohan nodded. "Yup. She was looking for the dragonballs when she first met dad."

Videl looked up from the picture. "Dragonballs, the things you used to bring me back...right? So what Konkichi was talking about in class that day was true?"

"Well, kinda. Now they grant 2 wishes, but back then they only granted one. We upgraded when we got a new guardian."

"Guardian?"

Smiling, Gohan rubbed the back of his head. "Just hold your horses. I'll explain everything, just wait. Anyway, dad had gotten his dragonball from his grandfather, Gohan."

"You're named after your great grandpa?"

"Yup. Well, adoptive grandpa. Ya see...dad was found out in the woods by Gohan...next to his...um...space ship..."

Videl blinked once...and then again. "Wait, next to his space ship?"

"Yup..."

"...So...Goku...your dad, was an alien?"

Gohan nodded. "Saiyans are a race of warriors from a planet called Vegeta. Though we didn't figure that out till I was born. Dad was actually sent here to clear earth of life so the saiyans could sell it to the highest bidder."

A silence filled the room, coaxing Gohan to continue. "Well, er. Thankfully dad hit his head when he was just a kid, so he forgot his orders to kill everyone."

Videl shook her head back to reality. "But wait, he was a baby. How'd he even know he was suppose to kill everyone in the first place?"

"It's a saiyan's nature to fight. He would have did it anyway. That and they have some strange technology in those space ships of theirs."

With a rather slow nod from Videl, Gohan continued. "Anyway, Bulma first met dad when she was looking for the dragonballs. She was impressed with how strong he was for his young age, so she convinced him to tag along till she had the rest."

Pointing to the next picture of the gang before their first tournament, Gohan couldn't help but smile at the sight of his father in a suit. "During their adventures, dad and Bulma met Yamcha, Krillin, Master Roshi, and Launch. They also met my mom, but she doesn't show up in any pictures till later. The turtle hermit trained dad and Krillin. Later he went on to train Yamcha too. Dad got second in his first tournament."

Videl's eyes widened at that fact. No one ever did that good on their first try, let alone even try at that age. Gohan chuckled. "Roshi told me once that Goku probably would have one if he had been a little taller."

"Whoa...that's impressive..." Videl was impressed to say the least. An eleven year old fighter could have one the World Martial Arts tournament if he had been just a few inches taller?

-DBZ-

"And this picture is everyone at a party Bulma threw about three years back." Gohan and worked his way through the entire story of what lead up to his birth and what had proceeded after that. He had explained everything about what a saiyan was, and what they could do. He had even explained to Videl about what had happened up north with the whole Babidi thing and about Gray still stuck in his head. The tray of food from Chi-Chi, who had been listening in on their conversation with Goten just outside the door and was still there, had been eaten and left empty on the floor during the explanation. All in all, Videl had a lot to take in.

Closing the book, he just looked at the cover. He couldn't help but feel unsure about how Videl would take it all in, and he didn't know if he could look at her. He had talked for a few good long hours with Videl rarely commenting. It wasn't that he didn't think she wouldn't believe his crazy story, Gohan was more worried about how she would look at him after hearing it.

Videl let herself run all Gohan had told her through her mind a few times. It truly was a lot to take in. While she had been playing in the back yard and going to preschool, Gohan had been fighting evil villains to protect the world from threats it didn't even know existed. But it hadn't made Gohan cold. He wasn't angry at the world for not thanking him or his father. He just carried himself like all that was normal, and it wasn't that big of a deal. He just acted normal...well...relatively normal.

"I know its a lot...but that's my story...I told you everything. No more secrets from me." Gohan nervously smiled, trying to fill the silent void that had consumed the room. Videl turned her head to face Gohan, continuing to be amazed by this person. Gohan had just told her everything, just like she had wanted from the start when she first saw him. It definitely wasn't what she had expected...and yet she couldn't help but feel even more butterflies join the ones all ready in her stomach from him being so honest with her.

Smiling a little softer than normal, she jumped to her feet. "Hey, we're suppose to be training today! You feel up to teaching me some new stuff?"

Gohan slowly stood up, testing out his muscles. The pain he had felt earlier had left him, leaving only soreness. "Ya, I think so. Well, lead the way."

Chi-Chi quickly scooped up a wide eyed Goten and sprinted downstairs. As Videl and Gohan walked downstairs, they found Goten working on some school work while Chi-Chi was preparing food. Thinking nothing of it, the two continued on their way to the training area outside. As the door closed behind him, both eavesdroppers let the breath they had been holding go.

Looking up to his mother, the youngest smiled. "So now that Videl knows, she's gonna be coming over to play a lot more. Right?"

Chi-Chi brushed the nervous sweat that had formed on her forehead. Turning to Goten, she smiled with a nod. "Yup. It'll be only a matter of time till I have grandchildren!"

Goten's smile somehow even got bigger. "Yay! I'm gonna be an uncle!"

-DBZ-

After a while of training, both Gohan and Videl noticed a car with two blonds touch down near by. Sharpner and Videl quickly made their way over to the two. Erasa looked especially upset about something as they neared each other.

"Videl! What happened to going shopping today?"

Gohan glanced at Videl, who glanced back with a shrug. "What are you talking about Erasa?"

"We agreed that everyone would go shopping today to find our costumes for the Halloween Party at school!"

"Ah, I completely forgot! Me and Gohan had talked about his...erm...training exercises and I completely let it slip my mind. I'm sorry."

The blond pouted, turning to the side to go. "Well, if your sorry then lets go all ready!"

-DBZ-

After a few hours of flying in Sharpner's car, both Gohan and Videl found themselves in a place they rarely if ever go to...the dreaded mall. The blonds of the group had convinced them some how that they needed to go window shopping to find costumes. Erasa had almost fell out her shoes when Gohan had told her he had never gone trick or treating before and that this would be his first time celebrating Halloween. With a determination no one in the group could even try to stop, Erasa had forced to come. Even Sharpner joined Erasa's side. Apparently he knew a small Halloween costume shop that always had costumes no one else did.

Orange Star High apparently always had a costume party that the parents put on. Much to Gohan and Videl's reluctance, it seemed as if they both would be going. When Gohan had informed his mother that he would be attending before heading off with everyone to the mall, it had only taken her 4.2 seconds to dash across the length of the house and dial the numbers into the phone. Even if he had gone super saiyan, Gohan was left only to wonder if he could have been fast enough to stop her before she had volunteered to be one of the parents to chaperone.

Now with no chance of backing out of this, Gohan found himself with Sharpner at his side as he walked into the tiny shop. Even as he reluctantly walked into the store, he could only feel worse for Videl. Erasa had gotten a hold of her and dragged her off to a different shop which looked like it had a lot more...er...frilly costumes.

"See Gohan, this place as some really cool costumes! Nothing generic here." Sharpner's eyes gleamed with excitement, causing Gohan to nervously chuckle. This would be an interesting experience to say the least.

"Ya...they look like their all hand made." Gohan started to wander while Sharpner began to make conversation with the young girl working the counter. As he made his way to the back, a blue costume caught his eye. The young saiyan had to double take just to make sure he wasn't just seeing stuff. Was that...saiyan armor?

Closing in on what his eyes had seen, and sure enough it was. It looked just like Vegeta's saiyan armor from when he first came to earth. Why the hell did this store have that? Looking closer, the package with the armor read 'Alien Costume'. Apparently someone thought that Vegeta's cloths had been costume worthy. Chuckling to himself, he actually considered buying that just for the humor of it.

Glancing around the general area, he caught sight of an orange blob up near the top. Going onto his tip toes, he pulled it down. This one read 'Mysterious Fighter Costume.' This was his father's uniform! Sure the color was off a bit, but it had been modeled after his fathers outfit at the cell games! This store had everything.

This costume he almost had to buy just because. Gohan silently started to wonder if Konkichi ran this store. Glancing around, finding that only Sharpner and the girl at the front desk were the ones in the store, he sighed in relieve. This was almost creepy.

Keeping his fathers costume in hand, he continued to look around the store for more costumes of his friends. He found a Hercule costume, a saiyaman costume, and even a Krillin costume that came with a bald wig to put over your hair. It was getting harder and harder for Gohan to contain his laughter. Ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the two at the front of the store, Gohan continued to look around at what seemed like was turning into the Z-fighter isle.

That was when he saw...it. The costume, that when he laid eyes on it, he knew that this one before him had been meant for him to see and to wear. Sure his father's costume was cool, but he couldn't pass this one up. He knew, that this was meant to be the one.

-DBZ-

Sharpner and Gohan were both gripping their sides as they walked out of the store. Whipping his eyes, the blond turned to Gohan. "Dude...that costume is perfect for you!"

"I know! I just saw it...and I knew that it was the one." Gohan smiled, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. The costume had been bought and payed for, and was now safely hidden in a bag. Now the two males were looking for where Videl and Erasa had ran off to.

Gohan had to shield his eyes from all the bright colors that tried to attack him as they entered. Seemingly unfazed, Sharpner lead the way as Gohan followed while trying to protect his poor eyes.

"You really think Gohan will like this?"

Turning to where the familiar voice came from, both Gohan and Sharpner's mouths dropped strait down. Gohan even dropped his bag. There was Erasa, in an interesting take on how a witch's cloths would look like with yellow trim. But that hadn't been what had taken Gohan back and knocked him senseless even as he was standing. Videl was in a matching outfit with blue trim. The skirt was pretty high even as she tried to push it down with her hands, which was even weirder for the two boys who had never seen Videl in anything close to a skirt. As they looked up, a matching dress up sleeveless shirt with blue fray at the bottom and a pointy black hat with blue trim near the base finishing off her outfit.

"Is that a skirt?" Sharpner couldn't believe his eyes. Was that the Videl that he knew?

Erasa turned around with a smile. "Oh good you're here. Well, what DO you guys think?"

Videl's head shot up when Sharpner spoke, a red rush covering her face. Freezing in place, she couldn't move. Erasa however struck a pose to see what exactly the boys would do.

Sharpner slowly but surely fell backwards, his mind not being able to fathom what was going on infront of him. With his mouth still gapingly open, Gohan was also at a lost for words. Gohan and Videl's faces slowly started to burn with a similar red coloration. Clenching her fist, Videl stomped her foot on the ground. "W-what do you think you're looking at!"

Gohan's mind, blinding by Videl's outfit answered back simply. "Uh...you...you're in a...dress..."

Seconds later a kick as strong as Videl could muster landed on Gohan's face. Spinning around, his body twisted once more before landing on the ground. In a fit of rage, Videl turned to the out cold Sharpner and started to kick and stomp him relentlessly. "Neither of you will ever say anything! Got it? Got it!"

Erasa just giggled to herself as she enjoyed the show. She knew full well that Videl would never agree to waring that as her costume, but one mention of Gohan and she had convinced the girl to at least try it. Silently she thanked Kami for being such a kind and understanding person, and having those two walk in at the perfect time.

-DBZ-

"Acho!" Rubbing his nose, Dende grumbled to himself. "Why do I keep sneezing?"

"You're not getting sick, are you sir? We can't have the guardian getting sick."

With a lightly pale face, Dende turned around to a wide eyed Mr Popo. Flailing his hands around, he quickly started to back away. "N-No Mr Popo! I'm fine, see? I don't need any of your medicine!"

"But Dende, if you just take it now it will make sure you stay healthy." The genie matched Dende's pace as he walked towards the terrified guardian.

"Last time I took some of that stuff I was out for 2 weeks! No, stay away from me! N-no!" Dende was caught by the collar, and there would be no escape for him now.