Hey guys here is the next chapter, I do hope you enjoy it; I know you might be thinking that this is the end of my story, but you're wrong, I still have more ideas that I want to bring to life with my writings. So until then all I can say is that I hope you enjoy this chapter and please give me feedback.

Read and review please!!!!

Vickie: I apologize for the wait, I've been working every day the past few weeks and finding time to write has been difficult. I'm trying to work as many hours as I can, as any of you who are from Canada might know, LCBO might be going on strike so I've gotta get money when I can! But I thank you for your patience and loyalty and I do hope that you enjoy this chapter and I hope I get another review from you soon!

Jrik23: I know in the series Videl is stronger than her father, but she doesn't know that, so that's the fact I'm building off of that she doesn't know that she's stronger. I've explained reasons for her not fighting back per say, but speaking from personal experience, even if you are faster or stronger then the abuser you just…don't fight it after awhile. I will however develop on her reasons for not fighting back.

Chapter 14: The big encounter

"Talking"
'Thinking'

Videl visibly paled as she heard her father yell and before she or anyone else for that matter, could react she heard a noise erupt from the barrel of her father's gun, then a few seconds later heard another bulled being fired off.

'The dream…I'm going to die' she thought to herself as she quickly raised her arms in front of her head to pathetically attempt to protect herself from the two bullets.

Before she could think another thought she felt hot lead hitting the side of her forearm and then squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the next bullet to hit her.

Videl opened an eye as the other bullet never struck her, just the first one. She felt a warm wave of air blowing against her gently and then opened both eyes as she clutched her bleeding arm. She screamed and fell back as she saw Gohan's hand mere centimetres in front of her face.

She tried to formulate words but nothing came out, and she couldn't think straight with the pain from her arm. She focused her eyes and looked up and saw a super saiyan Gohan standing in front of her. She couldn't see his face, but she was pretty sure it had a pretty angry expression on it.

Everyone in the room gasped as they processed what had just happened. Up on the stage was Videl, holding her bleeding forearm, and very powered up Gohan standing in front of her with his hand up where her face had been.

Videl sat on the ground in complete shock as she realized that the bullet that Gohan had just caught would have gotten her right between the eyes, definitely a kill shot.

"I believe this belongs to you" an angry Gohan growled out as he threw the bullet back in Hercule's direction and watched it just miss his head by mere centimetres.

"You stupid kid, why are you protecting her?" Hercule yelled as he took a step forward towards Gohan. "That…that thing up there is nothing but a stupid, fat ass, piece of shit that is good for absolutely nothing and hasn't accomplished a damn thing in her life" he spat out angrily as he watched some blond hair kid appear out of nowhere and stop his kill shot.

"What did you call her?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and allowed his emotions to rule his power, quickly increasing with every word Hercule said.

"A stupid, fat ass piece of shit" Hercule said as he straightened himself up and crossed his arms. "Did I stutter?" he asked rudely.

Videl stood back up as she listened to the exchange between the two men. She listened to the words her dad had said and felt lower then a worm in the ground. She stepped forward, wincing as she moved her arm, she placed her hand on Gohans warm to the touch arm "Gohan….don't worry about it, there's no point in-" but before she could finished her sentence Gohan cut her off.

"How dare…you talk about Videl like that" he said as he started walking towards him and jumping off the stage.

"She's nothing but a whore who you've clearly got into the habit of paying" Hercule said in a smug tone of voice as he watched the pissed off Gohan slowly make his way towards him.

"She's not a whore" Gohan said as his green eyes narrowed more and he spoke in an incredibly angry tone of voice.

"Then what's she good for kid? What do you 'see' in her" Hercule retorted as he stepped back, realizing just how angry Gohan was.

"That…that woman up there is the sweetest person I've ever met. She's strong, she's beautiful, talented and could be confident if it weren't for you" Gohan said as he walked closer to Hercule. "Do you take pride in beating someone smaller then you? Does it make you feel like a big man, to tell someone so frail looking that she's a fat, ugly bitch? Do you feel good continuously injuring her, and punishing her to the point where she's running a high fever? Feel good, 'champ'" he asked as he stood a few feet in front of Hercule.

"She deserves everything she's gotten, you don't know her like I do, and she's clearly gotten you to believe that she's something better then she is. She's a fat ass whore" Hercule spat out, venom dripping off his voice as he glared at his daughter who was now walking off the stage.

"You stupid ass, how dare you do that to her" Chi Chi yelled as she stepped forward only to Have Goku's hand pull her back towards her.

"Shut up" Hercule said as he pointed the gun at Chi Chi and fired, only to have Goku standing in the way of the shot. This was not a good idea on Hercule's part, getting two, very strong saiyans angry; definitely not too smart.

"Hercule, my wife, as does everyone else in this room, cares about the safety of Videl. If you try and fire a gun at my wife I promise you, I'll shove that gun so far up your ass that you'll be sneezing gun powder" Goku said as he made sure that Chi Chi was completely safe behind him.

Trunks and Goten had been standing off by themselves as they watched the events unfold, "Goten, I've never heard your dad speak like that, he looks pretty mad" Trunks whispered as he looked over at his best friend who was glaring daggers at Hercule. "Your brother looks pretty angry too….Goten are you alright?" He asked as he realized just how angry Goten looked.

"I have to help her…I said I would help protect her" Goten said quietly as he looked around, trying to figure out something he could do to help.

"Dad…this is between me and you" Videl said as she stepped in front of Gohan and took in a deep breath as she tried to compose herself and not allow Hercule's remarks to get to her.

Hercule gave Videl a dirty look as she started to speak, "I can't even call you a father…you're a horrible man. All these years, I believe it was normal for a father to beat his daughter, to bruise her, hit her to the point where she's bloody and swollen and for years, I believed that I deserved it. But these wonderful people have shown me, that I'm so much better than that, that I do deserve happiness, and not to have some fake hero beat me to exert his own self confidence" she said as she stood in front of her.

Hercule let a growl erupt from his lips as he lifted his gun again and aimed it at Videl. Before he could shoot Gohan fazed in front of him. "No more shooting her" he spat out angrily as he bent the gun in the middle.

Videl gave a small smile to Gohan as she once again stepped in front of him and watched as he stepped back, keeping a watchful and angry eye on the whole situation.

Hercule growled again as he pulled his arm back and balled his hand into a fist, but before he could punch he felt something grab his hand and squeeze it to the point where a few loud cracks were heard. Hercule looked behind him and saw that Vegeta had grabbed his hand before he could punch Videl with it and had broken a few fingers he had squeezed it so hard.

"A true man does not need to beat some skinny little girl to prove his power" Vegeta said as he let go of Hercule hand and watched as he attempted to nurse it.

Hercule shot a dirty look to Videl, "You are nothing, you hear me? You don't deserve to be happy; you deserve to be six feet under with that piece of shit mother of yours. You hear me? Want to know what you are? You're a fat ass ugly bitch, this idiot here has clearly fallen for you because of the low rates you charge to whore yourself to him; you're better off dead you untalented worthless excuse of a human" he spat angrily as he held his damaged hand close to him.

Videl could feel her eyes watering, she was desperately trying to not listen to the comments he was saying, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was right. A father is someone who's supposed to love you and have your best interest in mind…so if he's saying it, maybe he has her best interest in mind, in some distorted way. She lowered her head as she felt tears slowly fall from her eyes.

"That's enough" Gohan yelled angrily as he gently moved Videl so he was standing in front of Hercule.

"That bitch has no respect for me, I'm a true hero to this world" Hercule said as he attempted to defend himself.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm the hero of this world, you are just some pig headed ass who claimed credit for my accomplishment" Gohan said angrily as Hercule paled a little as he realized just who this kid was.

"I don't care about your stories you scrawny ass, I'm taking that…that thing I call a daughter back home" Hercule said as he tried to move past Gohan only to have Gohan stand in his way.

"You are not taking her anywhere, and you're not touching her" Gohan said as he glared down at Hercule.

He glared at Videl, "Look at her, she's even dressed like a fat ass whore; she's coming home so I can help her become a better person" Hercule said as he once again tried to move past Gohan, but to no avail. He looked around at Videl and now saw a kid standing in front of her with his arms out and blond hair moving gently as his energy flowed freely.

"You have to go through me before you can get to her" Goten said as he stood in front of Videl.

"This is what you've been reduced too? Some puny moron protecting you, wow…you really are worthless" Hercule said with a laugh.

"Well, before you can even attempt to go through him, you have to go through me" Gohan said with venom in his voice, "And quite frankly I'd rather see you die then see the woman I love have to suffer another minute at your hands".

Videl was taken aback by Gohans words, 'did…he just say he loved me?' she thought to herself as she watched Gohan protect her from her father. She then looked down and saw Goten standing in front of her, also powered up in super saiyan mode.

Goten turned around and his face contorted to one of concern, "Videl, you're bleeding, are you alright?" Goten asked as he looked at her arm. Before Videl could answer him he started pulling wads of napkins out from his pockets and put them all together and put them on Videl's arm where she was bleeding. She winced in pain a little as Goten held the large mound of napkins tightly onto Videl's arm. All she could do was marvel at how this little boy had responded to her bleeding.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he heard the exchange going on behind him and turned his head slightly. "Goten, you're in charge of making sure she's alright until I can get rid of this moron" Gohan said as his brother saluted him and took on a concentrated look as he was determined to protect Videl while his big brother was busy.

"You don't love her you stupid kid, you lust her" Hercule said as he seemed slightly amused that this kid had convinced himself that he 'loved' his daughter. "She's never accomplished anything in her life. Everything she's attempted she's failed at; dancing, hockey, skating, even martial arts; as time went by she got lazier and lazier and turned into that fat thing standing behind you in the harlots costume" Hercule said as he again, belittled Videl in front of the whole Z-gang.

"She is not fat!" Gohan screamed as he let his power increase once again blowing a strong wind around him and knocked Hercule back.

"I have worked so hard, to stop her from going down this spiral that you've created. This woman here, this beautiful person, is in no way shape or form the large being you make her out to be. It's your fault she has such a distorted view of herself, it's your fault she's bee teetering on the edge of an eating disorder, and I won't allow for it anymore" He said as he took more steps towards Hercule.

"I love Videl more than anything this universe could offer. She's a beautiful person, both inside and out. I have seen her accomplish more things in the past month then some people have in their whole lives and I'm' sure she will only continue to impress me and everyone else around her" He said as he continued to defend her.

Hercule shot a glare towards Gohan as he listened to him attempt to defend his daughter's character. "You're a fool kid, a damn fool. She needs punishment and she needs exercise" he said attempting to defend himself.

"No one deserves physical punishment for something that wasn't even wrong…and now you're going to find out what it feels like to have physical punishment" Gohan said as he stepped forward and reached his arm out.

Chi Chi clung onto Goku tightly, the fact that she had been so close to death herself had petrified her and now she feared the safety of Videl.

Gohan reached his hand out and in one quick movement picked Hercule up from the ground by wrapping his fingers around his throat. Gohan glared deeply at him as he cut the man's air supply off and let him hang from his arm, completely defenceless.

"You hurt the woman I love, you die" Gohan said angrily as he lifted his other hand and started to form a ball of energy in it and aim it towards Hercule's face.

Videl watched the scene and was completely touched that Gohan was so willing and eager to protect her. Even though she hated her father more than anything…she didn't want him killed, that would make her as bad as him.

As Gohan was about to release the energy right into Hercule's face Videl spoke up.

"Gohan, don't do it" she said much to the surprise of everyone in the room. Gohan looked surprised for a moment but continued on as he was already.

"Gohan…please let him go" Videl said as she stepped forward, Goten still close by her side determined to protect her at all costs.

Gohan gritted his teeth; it took everything he had to not blast him into the afterlife right then and there, but complied with Videl and dropped him hard onto the floor.

"What the hell are you doing? Kill the ass" Vegeta yelled as he stood in front of Bulma, protecting her from possibility of harm.

Gohan turned and gave Videl a look that commanded an explanation. Videl stepped forward and stood in front of her father as he gasped for air on the ground in front of her. "I do not love you, nor do I like you" she said as she stared angrily at Hercule, "but killing him….or wanting him dead would make me just as bad as it makes him" she said as she looked at Gohan who was clearly trying to hold back his rage.

"You came here tonight with the intent of murdering me, but I'm not as horrible as a person as you are; I want you to suffer…but unlike you I could never take a life, no matter how horrible a life it may be" she said as she continued to glare at her 'father'.

Hercule stood up again and went to take another punch at Videl only to have his hand be stopped by Gohans, and then following what Vegeta had done, broke the remaining bones in his hands. He then gave a growl as he landed a right hook right into Hercule's stomach and sent him flying into the large French doors.

Hercule slowly sat up and coughed up a little blood and then slowly got up to his feet. "I will let you live, but only because it's the wishes of this incredible person here" Gohan said as he pointed at Videl. "But I swear to God if you ever and I mean ever try and harm her in any way shape or form, you will have to go through me, and I will kill you." Gohan said angrily as he glared at Hercule.

"You'll have to go through me too" Goten said as he stepped forward with Gohan. Before Gohan could respond Goku then stepped forward in front of Videl and vowed to protect her at all costs. Then afterward Vegeta stepped forward and soon afterwards everyone else stood in front of Videl and promised they'd be there to protect her.

Videl stood in shock as the crowd of people had vowed to protect her if her father ever came near her again. Never in her life had someone, or a number of people, vowed to protect her at all costs; she had always had to fend for herself and take her beatings in silence.

Hercule looked to where his daughter had been standing; now a large group of people stood in front of her and were claiming that they'd protect her. "Why would you want to protect such a worthle-" Hercule had started to speak but Gohan quickly came and delivered a hard kick to his side, most likely cracking more than a few ribs.

Gohan stepped forward, "You try anything again, and I will kill you. I want you to go and never come back" Gohan said as he stepped forward angrily.

"Don't ever call my house again" Vegeta said angrily as he stepped forward as well.

"Don't ever come to this property and try to shove your way in through the front door again either" Goku said as he stepped forward with the other two.

Both comments from the two older men had confused Gohan, but he put that though behind him for now and concentrated on the matter at hand, that being to force Hercule out of Videl's life.

"Dad, I want you to go on living your life, and I will continue to live mine. Only now, I won't be tormented by your comments and won't be beaten daily for not doing anything wrong. Please leave" Videl said quietly as she stepped forward, allowing the blood soaked napkins to fall carelessly onto the floor.

"You won't ge-" once again Hercule was cut off in mid sentence by Gohan grabbing Hercule's throat and squeezing it.

"If you want to live, don't finish that sentence" he said in a low and angry voice. Without warning Hercule was carried out the door quickly by Gohan, who still had him by the throat.

As Gohan walked out of the ball room everyone stood in silence, no one dared say a word or make a comment with regards to the events that had just taken place moments ago.

Gohan walked to the front door, still having Hercule by the throat. He opened the door and spoke before the man passed out. "If you ever attempt anything that could harm Videl physically, mentally or emotionally, I will guarantee you will regret it by means of a slow and very painful death" He said as he then put Hercule to his feet and once again delivered a punch to his stomach and watched as he fell onto the snow.

He shot Hercule one last glare as he then closed and locked all of the doors and walked back into the silent ballroom.

As he walked into the ballroom everyone stood in silence; the crowd stared at Gohan and Gohan stared right back. His eyes softened as his eyes landed on Videl and then was filled with worry as he saw Videl's bloody arm. He walked towards Videl until he was standing in front of her and he locked eyes with hers; his eyes were filled with worry and hers were filled with shock and surprise.

"Are you alright" He asked after a few moments of silence. He gently grabbed her bloody arm and examined where it was bleeding. "I don't think it went in you…I think it may have just badly grazed you" he said as he continued to examine her arm, trying to see if the bullet went into her arm.

"Did…did you kill him?" Videl asked quietly breaking the silence.

"No, I just knocked him into the snow and told him to never come near you" Gohan said as he powered down and returned to his normal form, with softened eyes and a sweet demeanour.

Gohan gave her a soft smile as he reached up and lightly wiped tears away from Videl's face, "I'm sorry all of that took place" Gohan said quietly as he cupped her cheeks and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Thank you…for defending me" She said quietly as she tried to compose herself and stop herself from crying.

"I meant everything that was said" Gohan said quietly.

"Everything?" she questioned, he had after all referred to her several times as the woman he loves, she was more than just a little curious to see if he meant that comment, or if he was just caught up in defending her.

"Everything" he said gently as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Even that…other stuff you said?" She asked meekly, trying to not be too obvious.

"Other stuff? Like about you not being fat, or you accomplishing lots, or being the beautiful person you are?" he asked, he was a little confused as to what she had actually meant by 'other stuff'.

"No, the other thing" she said quietly, feeling a blush slowly creep onto her cheeks.

"I'm not too sure what you mean…" Gohan said as he trailed off and watched his dad make a heart shape with his two hands and then it finally clicked in what she was asking.

"About you being the woman I love?" Gohan asked, mentally thanking his dad for the help as Videl averted her gaze and nodded her head slowly.

Gohan's gaze softened now as he stared at the increasingly shy Videl, "I did mean it; Videl I'm absolutely smitten by you. You are the woman I love, and you're the woman that brings light into my day no matter how I'm feeling. Videl, I love you" he said as he gently moved her face to meet his gaze.

"You do?" she whispered quietly, believing that it was almost too good to be true.

"I do" he whispered back as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto her soft ones and enjoyed their kiss.

Once they had pulled apart, Videl let her eyes meet Gohan's, "Gohan…I love you too" she said with a small smile as he once again leaned down and kissed her.

As they shared their kiss, they started to hear everyone clapping for them. Neither of them knew why their group was clapping for them, but neither cared.

Gohan and Videl pulled away from each other; Videl still had tears in her eyes, but had a small appreciative smile on her face. She pulled slightly away from Gohan and looked around to everyone in the ball room.

"I want to thank you all…never in my life have I had someone, let alone a large group of people who were willing to stand up for me. I really, truly appreciate it" she said as she moved to start to give each of them hugs.

She walked up to Goten and gave him a smile, "that was quick thinking with the napkins squirt, I'm impressed and I thank you for protecting me. You're my little hero" Videl said to Goten as she gave him a hug causing him to grin and blush at the same time.

She walked over to Chi Chi and embraced the older woman in a hug, "I'm sorry you got shot at Chi Chi, but I really appreciate you standing up for me" Videl said in a quiet voice as the older woman returned the hug.

"That's ok hun, with someone like Goku around, I know I'm safe" Chi Chi said in a half joking voice as Videl let go of Chi Chi and went and gave Goku a hug.

"Thank you Goku" she said quietly as she felt him return the embrace.

"Anyone that Gohan cares lots about, I care a lot about" he said jokingly as he embraced the teen who he had now come to think of as an unofficial daughter.

She gave a hug to Bulma and thanked her for standing up for her. Bulma pulled away slightly, "I'm so sorry all this happened sweetie, I really am" she said, she felt more than a little guilty knowing it was her fault that Hercule knew where she was staying.

Videl stood in front of Vegeta as he gave her a hard look and she in turn gave him a small smile. "Thank you for stopping him from hitting me" she said as she gave him a hug, surprised that he didn't push her off or complain.

Surprisingly he lifted one arm and put it on her back, "You make a formidable opponent and will be a fine saiyan wife. I don't want to endure any other women Kakarot's son would bring here if you were gone" Vegeta spoke gruffly. Videl smiled, she knew he had a soft spot for her, whether he was willing to admit it or not.

Videl finished giving everyone else in the room a hug and thanked them for standing up for her. She was about to say something quickly but Gohan interrupted her. "V, we better get your arm fixed, you appear to have lost a fair amount of blood" Gohan said in a concerned Voice as he gently lifted her arm earning a wince from Videl.

"That's right! Videl come with me, we'll get you fixed up" Chi Chi said as she pulled Bulma's arm towards Videl.

Before Videl could say anything Chi Chi and Bulma pulled her out of the room and she cast a glance back at Gohan who gave her a small smile and waved as she was pulled off to be fixed up.

As Videl left the room Gohan looked concentrated in thought for a moment.

"Hey…dad?" Gohan asked quietly, in a worrisome tone.

"Yea, what is it Gohan?" Goku replied, curious about the tone of his voice.

"If Videl wanted to, do you think…well do you think she could live with us? I mean, you're welcome to say no if you don't feel comfortable, it's just…she's kind of homeless now" Gohan said as he rubbed the back of his neck as he thought the whole situation through in his mind and realized what had just transpired.

"No" Goku said earning a surprised look from everyone who was in the room. "Just joking, of course she can live with us! I love that kid, she's like an unofficial daughter to me" Goku said as he slapped Gohan's back gently to try and get him to relax.

"Thanks dad" Gohan said with a smile, hoping that Videl would accept his offer of his house to now be hers. Gohan's thought back to what was previously said by his father and Vegeta and decided to ask about it now. "Hey dad, what did you mean by done come on the property or call the house again, when did he do that?" Gohan asked as he arched an eyebrow.

"Well… I was asked not to say anything, but you've got to promise not to get mad" Goku said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"So long as he's not going to come near her again, I promise I won't get upset" Gohan said as he gave his father an intrigued look.

"Well, a few days ago Hercule had called and Bulma was working in her lab and answered and accidently and admitted that Videl was staying here" Goku said earning a surprised look from Gohan. "But she immediately came to Vegeta and I and asked us to watch over her because she felt so guilty and was worried about her safety" Goku said frantically waving his hands to try and gear Gohan away from letting his temper flare up.

"Why wouldn't she have told me?" Gohan asked in a slightly angry tone of voice.

"She said she could see that you were clearly worried about her and she felt that you had made a lot of progress in helping her…she just didn't want you to worry and stress yourself out more when you two were finally starting to be happy" Goku explained as he watched the angry leave Gohan's face.

"So he called the house and tried to break in?" Gohan asked as he relaxed a little at the explanation.

"He called a few times, Kakarot had him trying to shove his way through the front door and I heard her scream yesterday and came to the conclusion that he had tried to take her yesterday while she was drugged up on medication" Vegeta said earning a surprised expression from Gohan.

"What made you come to that conclusion Vegeta?" Gohan asked as he raised an eyebrow in questioning again.

"When I heard her scream, her balcony doors were open and she had a hand print on her arm, not to mention that she was in the middle of her bedroom on the floor. I told her to go back to bed but she could barely lift herself off the floor" Vegeta explained in a nonchalant tone of voice.

"Why wouldn't she have told me about this?" Gohan questioned out loud in confusion.

"As I said, she was pretty doped up from the medication and I told her she was hallucinating. She believed it" he replied.

"Ha, she believed it because she felt she had to be hallucinating because Vegeta was being so nice to her" Goku said, earning a glare from Vegeta, causing Goku to grin wider.

"Well…thank you for looking over her, but next time if this happens could someone please keep me in the loop?" Gohan asked.

Before he could get a reply Aaliyah caught him off guard with a big hug, tears brimming in her blue eyes.

"Gohan, thank you so much, I knew you'd take care of her" she said as she hugged her daughter's boyfriend tightly. "I knew she'd be safe with you" she said as she pulled back and gave him a smile.

"I'm happy to protect her Aaliyah" Gohan said with a small smile as he finished returning the hug. "I will protect her for as long as I need to".

"I knew right from the moment I met you that you and her were destined to be together. Thank you so much for everything you've done for her; you're a real hero" She said as she straightened Gohan's tie after messing it up.

"It's my pleasure" Gohan said bashfully as he continued to receive praise for what had just transpired.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Videl winced as Bulma poured peroxide on her arm to clean out where the bullet had grazed her. "I can't believe that man shot at his own daughter" Chi Chi said as she paced the floor in her heels, her angry boiling as she did so.

"I think Gohan may have been right, it's more a flesh wound then anything. Don't get me wrong, he got you pretty good, but I think it might be alright without any stitches, we'll just bandage it and clean it out daily" Bulma said as she wiped away the bubbling peroxide, much to Videl's discomfort.

"I really appreciate you guys helping me" Videl said as she bit her lip and tried to ignore the pressure Bulma was applying to her wound.

"Sweetie, if you ever need anything, and I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask" Chi Chi said as she grasped Videl's shoulders firmly.

Videl gave a smile, "I promise Chi Chi, I won't hesitate" she said as Chi Chi wrapped her up in a hug as Bulma started to wrap gauze around her thin arm.

"Well kiddo, I think you're going to have one hell of a bruise on that arm of yours" Bulma said as she started to apply surgical tape to it to keep the gauze in place.

"Thanks again for the help you guys, I really do appreciate it" She said with a meek smile as she winced at her arm and rubbed it gently. "I can't believe my dad shot me…" she thought out loud as her voice took on a sad, but surprised tone.

"As morbid as this sounds sweetie, it could have been worse; much worse" Bulma said as she rubbed the thin teens' back in an effort to provide some form of comfort.

"He nearly killed me" Videl whispered as she thought back to the events that had taken place not too long ago and how she was mere centimetres away from death. "Gohan…he saved my life" she whispered as she was still lost in her own thoughts.

"Hun, I can promise you, he'd do anything to save your life, he's been like that since the day he brought you back from school. Anytime I've seen him, he's been so concerned and so worried about you and wants so badly to shield you from harm" Chi Chi said with a smile as she thought about how grown up her son was.

"It really is sweet I've gotta say, the way you two connect…he really has been worried about you; from you being sick, to being beaten, right down to your confidence issues and your weight issues" Bulma said in a gently tone, knowing that these were all pretty touchy subjects.

Before Videl could respond Chi Chi grabbed Videl's shoulders and shook them lightly, "I don't want you to ever go back there, please, promise me you won't unless escorted by Gohan or Goku, or even Vegeta" Chi Chi said as she gave the teenager a stern look.

"After that….I have no intention of even mentioning he's my biological father" Videl said with sadness clearly evident in her voice.

"I know what will cheer you up; let's get back to the ballroom. We'll try and have a little more fun before we all turn in; it is getting late but I'd rather end the night on a happy note then on what just happened" Bulma said as she looked at her watched and noticed that it was quarter to two in the morning; the whole ordeal with Hercule had taken nearly an hour.

"That's an excellent idea Bulma; come on sweetie" Bulma said as she gently helped the teen up, being mindful of her wounded arm.

As the three women walked into the ballroom they noticed the atmosphere had lightened a bit and everyone was making conversation amongst each other, even Vegeta was making small talk.

Videl smiled to herself as she watched Gohan's profile as he spoke with Krillin, she wasn't sure what Krillin had said to Gohan, but it was enough to make him blush a bright red.

She walked over to the table where Gohan, Krillin, Goku, Vegeta, Trunks and Goten were all sitting and greeted them all with a smile.

Gohan jumped up off of his seat and greeted her with the typical Son grin, "Hey, what did Bulma say about your arm, are you alright?" Gohan asked, concern showing through his smile.

"She said she thinks you were right and it's just a deep flesh wound. She didn't stitch it up and said we'll just clean and rebandage it daily…and thinks I'm going to have a hell of a bruise" she said with a bit of a laugh as Gohan stood beside her.

"Well that's good…here sit down, I'll go and get you some water of something" Gohan said as he pulled her chair out and motioned for her to sit down. He gave her a quick kiss and rushed off to go and get her a drink of water from the table beside her.

A few moments later Gohan came back and handed Videl the glass of water earning a quiet 'thank you' from her.

Gohan was about to question her on how she was feeling when Goku cut him off with a rather surprising question.

"Videl, if you don't mind my asking… how come you've never fought back against your father" Goku asked as he watched the surprised teen become a little uncomfortable.

"I don't know…" she asked as she had the internal battle as to how she should answer the question. Gohan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she felt like she could try and find an explanation as to the difficult question that had just been asked.

"I believed that if it was coming from my father, then I deserved it, as the saying goes 'father knows best'. I used to think it was how every family was then I eventually realized that this isn't how it was supposed to be at all" She said as she took a sip of water, trying to get the lump out of her throat.

"I would argue back with him, but the more I'd argue the more he'd try and intimidate me; push me into walls, stand over top of me and puff out his chest, or he'd just belittle me until I felt guilty. He's always been really good at that, he's in the wrong but guilt's you into feeling like you're the bad guy. It just…didn't seem worth it to fight anymore, I could never win. I guess I just figured that if I didn't fight it, the punishment wouldn't be as harsh as it would be if I had been fighting back" She said as she felt a single tear slowly trickle down her cheek.

"Videl…I'm really sorry" Goku said, unsure of what to say.

Gohan leaned down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her from behind. Everyone was silent, unsure of what to say. Everyone noticed Goten bright up quickly as he whispered something to Trunks. Trunks then made a face in protest and they proceeded to bicker back and forth with each other through whispers.

Goku raised an eyebrow in questioning, "Hey bud, what are you doing?" he asked as he looked at his youngest son and his best friend who had appeared to give up in defeat and agree to whatever place Goten had just suggested.

"You'll see in a minute dad; Videl Trunks and I are going to make you laugh" Goten said with a grin as he stood up and pulled his less than impressed friend along with him.

"How are you going to do that?" Videl questioned as she made sure none of the makeup that had been applied to her earlier in the evening was running down her face from crying.

"You'll see soon" Goten said as he ran off with Trunks in tow.

"Gohan…I've got to admit, you and your whole family is adorable" Videl said making Gohan and Goku blush.

"Thank you" Both men said as they attempted to hide a blush

"What do you think he's got planned?" Videl asked out loud.

"I'm not too sure, but I'm not going to lie…I get kind of nervous when those two come up with a plan" Krillin said as he rubbed his chin.

Before another word could be said, a loud up beat tune was played through the speakers.

Goten jumped on the stage with a wireless microphone in his hand and pointed to the crowd as he sang.

Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,

As Goten finished that line Trunks then jumped on stage and replied to the last line that Goten had sung.

So tell me what you want, what you really really want,

The two boys then continued on like that as they sang the lyrics.

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigazig ha

Everyone in the ballroom stopped whatever they were doing and stared as the two boys sang the famous song by the Spice Girls.

Videl looked dumbfounded as did everyone else in the ballroom. "I had no idea Goten and Trunks knew any songs by the spice girls" she said as she felt a smile tugging on the corner of her lips.

"I have no idea how he would have known the song" Gohan said as he started to laughed as he watched his little brother and his best friend dance along the stage to 'wannabe'.

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends,
Make it last forever friendship never ends,
If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give,
Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.

Vegeta blushed at the sight of his only son singing the song and dancing along the stage with his best friend, he gave himself a slap in the head, "what the hell does he think he's doing?" he asked out loud not expecting to receive an answer.

"He and Goten are doing a very entertaining impression of the Spice Girls" Goku said with a laugh as he watched the two boys try to imitate women and their actions for the song.

Goten jumped off the stage and ran towards Videl and put the mic in her face and indicated that he wanted her to sing the next verse. Videl gave a smile and played along and then sang the next verse of the song.

What do you think about that now you know how I feel,
Say you can handle my love are you for real,
I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try
If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye.

As she sang, she made the motions with her hands and even waved goodbye to Goten as he grinned and ran back with trunks so they could do a dance in the middle of the floor.

"I've gotta hand it to him…he did accomplish what he said he was going to do" Videl said with a large smile on her face as she watched the kids.

"This is a disgrace" Vegeta said as he watched his wife take lots of pictures of the two dancing boys in the middle of the room.

"Oh come on Vegeta, they're just having fun; trying to lighten the mood" Goku said as he slapped Vegeta's back. "And, it's clearly worked, look everyone's laughing their butts off" Goku said as he wiped a tear from his eye as he watch the boys finish up the song.

As soon as the two boys finished Goten had the typical Son grin on his face and was bowing and waving to everyone while Trunks bowed in an attempt to hide his growing blush. Everyone gave them a standing ovation as they clapped and cheered for the two boys who had just drastically altered the atmosphere in the ballroom.

Goten came back over to Videl who was now standing with a big smile on her face.

"Well, are you happier now Videl?" Goten asked as Videl squatted down to meet his gaze.

"Goten, you're the best" Videl said as she gave him a big hug, which he happily returned. "Thanks squirt, I owe you big time" she said as she pulled back and returned his grin.

"Awh, it was nothing, so long as you're happier then you were; I really hate to see you cry" Goten said, causing Videl's smile to soften.

Videl gave Goten's cheek a little pinch, "you know, you're lucky you've got your father and brother's genes in you, the ladies are going to absolutely love a sweetheart like you when you're older" she said earning a blush from Goten.

"I don't think I've ever seen my dad wear jeans" Goten said quietly as Gohan laughed at his little brother's confusion.

"Goten, how do you know of the Spice Girls?" Gohan asked as his brother gave a big grin.

"I came over here one day and I heard it blaring in the gravity room and it stuck in my head, so I went to go and play with Trunks but I guess it never left my head" Goten said as everyone turned to look at Vegeta.

"I do not listen to that garbage" he said angrily as he tried to defend himself.

"Wow Vegeta, what other songs do you know?" Goku asked as Vegeta shot him a glare.

"Kakarot, I swear to god I will kill you right here, right now" he said angrily as he continued to defend himself.

"Aww come on, lighten up Vegeta it's a party" Goku said as he waved his hands in front of him in an attempt to get the older saiyan to relax a little.

"Alright guys, we'll do a few more songs, and then a slow song then I say we pack it in for the night, it's already past 2 am!" Bulma exclaimed into the microphone.

"Gosh…everyone is definitely going to sleep in tomorrow. I'm looking forward o sleeping in past seven in the morning" Chi Chi thought out loud as she walked over to Goku and her sons.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he looked at his girlfriend who was lost in thought, "hey V, are you alright?" Gohan asked as he crouched down in front of her as she sat in the chair.

"Hmm? Yea I'm alright thanks" she replied in a not too convincing tone of voice.

"Are you actually alright?" he asked, disbelieving her response

"Yea I guess, I dunno I guess I'm still shocked by today's while events, that and I need to find an apartment" she said quietly as she averted her gaze from Gohan.

"Need to find an apartment?" Gohan asked, drawing the attention of the rest of his family.

"I'm kind of homeless…" she said as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

"You're homeless?" Gohan asked, growing more and more confused with each response Videl gave him.

"You want me to go back to my dad's house?" Videl asked as she raised an eyebrow in questioning, matching Gohan's expression.

"I don't even want you to go back there, I wouldn't even want to risk you being in the same city with him" Gohan said as he

"Well, if I'm not living there, then I need a find a place to live" she replied.

"Videl…you can live with us, I can promise you you'll be safe with us and cared for. I'm sure my mom won't mind…" Gohan trailed off as he looked at his smiling mother who was nodding lightly towards him.

"Videl, will you please live with us?" Goten asked as he gave her the puppy dog eyes, Gohan soon joining his baby brother in giving her the ever hard to resist puppy dog face.

"I don't want to burden you all…" she said as she stared into the impossibly cute faces.

"Burden us, are you serious?" Goku asked with a laugh as he looked at Videl who seemed unsure of what to do at the moment.

"Sweetie, we love you, Gohan loves you, and we want to take care of you. You're clearly going to be involved with our family and friends for a long time coming so may as well get comfortable in these living conditions while you can" Chi Chi said earning a blush from Gohan and Videl, knowing that she was implying that marriage was in their future

"But, you've all done so much for me, you even risked your lives for me not too long ago" Videl said standing up in protest. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay with them, she couldn't imagine anything she'd love more, and she just felt guilty for all of a sudden becoming more independent on them.

"And we'll do it again, and spoil you rotten either way" Goku said with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Do…do you not want to live with us?' Gohan asked in a hurt tone of voice.

"No no, that's not it at all. I love living with you guys, I feel like I'm part of an actual family…I just feel guilty for all you've done for me, and I've done nothing in return" Videl said as she grabbed Gohan's hands and held them to show the sincerity in her words.

"Tell you what Videl, you come and live with us, and you can help around the house, do a few chores or something" Chi Chi said, trying to bargain with the teenager.

"Can I cook dinner, or do the dishes?" Videl asked as she glanced over at the older woman.

"I'd love someone to take over the cooking and dishes every now and then" Chi Chi said with a laugh as she hugged Goku around his trim waist.

"You guys really wouldn't have a problem with me permanently living with you?" Videl asked, her voice was filled with hope as she looked to the loving family.

"I want you to come and live with us" Gohan said quietly as he squeezed his girlfriend's hands gently for reassurance.

"Videl, I promise you, it'd be our pleasures to have you live with us" Goku said with a grin as Videl allowed her smile to grow bigger.

"I'd love to live with you guys" she said with a big smile on her face as Gohan grabbed her and held her tightly against him in a hug.

"This is awesome, Videl is going to live with us; this is way too cool!" Goten exclaimed excitedly as he jumped up and down.

"I love you guys" Videl said with a smile as she pulled away slowly from Gohan and the other three family members of the Son family a big hug; giving Goku and Goten a kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation.

"I'm really glad you're going to be living with us…I've gotta say…I don't think I'd be too comfortable with you living on your own" Gohan said as he gave her a concerned look.

"Don't think I could take care of myself?" she questioned jokingly.

"I know you can, but you aren't invincible and can be hurt much more easily then you would be with us. And besides, this way I know you're safe and I know your father won't try anything dumb while you're with us" he said as his concerned expression never left his face.

"It's such an incredible feeling to feel wanted and protected" she said as she gave Gohan a hug.

"Hey guys, sorry to break this love fest, but Bulma had asked me to see if anyone wanted to do a last karaoke song before the party ends" Krillin said as he interrupted the touching moment.

"Videl and I will do a duet" Gohan said with a grin as Krillin motioned for him to follow him. Gohan grabbed Videl's hand gently and pulled it in the direction he was walking as Videl cast a confused glance back at the Son family.

"Gohan, what are we singing?" Videl asked as she allowed Gohan to pull her towards the stage, curiosity clearly evident in her voice.

"It's a surprise" Gohan said simply as they walked up the stage stairs. Gohan then went to Bulma and whispered something into her ear, earning a nod and a smile Bulma then started hitting keys on the karaoke computer.

"How am I supposed to sing if I don't know what we're singing" Videl asked in a light hearted tone of voice.

"Just follow my lead, you'll catch on soon enough" Gohan said as he handed Videl a microphone and gave the thumbs up to Bulma.

A few moments later a familiar motown beat started to play, with that Gohan took a deep breath in and sang along to the song.

Listen, baby
Ain't no mountain high
Ain't no valley low
Ain't no river wide enough, baby

Videl grinned as she heard Gohan sing; Gohan knew she loved this song and listened to it all the time. 'what a sweetheart' she thought to herself as she took a deep inhale in and started to sing her part of the duet.

If you need me, call me
No matter where you are
No matter how far
Just call my name
I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry

As soon as the chorus came along everyone in the ballroom sang along, clearly knowing the song from the radio, or even from the movie 'remember the titans' (**Author's note: I watched this in gym class and as soon as the chorus came on everyone in the class started singing it. Ha grade 12 and everyone's singing chorus. Anyways back to the story!**)

No wind, no rain
My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand
I'll be there on the double
As fast as I can
Don't you know that

The two sang the bridge together earning lost of cheers and clapping, and then once again everyone joined in for the chorus and finished up the famous Motown song together.

Gohan and Videl took a bow as everyone clapped, causing their grins to grow wider.

"Alright guys, we're going to play the last slow song of the night, and then I say we turn in, it's already almost a quarter to three now!" Bulma exclaimed as she grabbed the mic off the stand Gohan had just carefully placed it on.

Gohan gently grabbed Videl's hand and bent down and gave it a gentle kiss, "may I have this dance my lady?" Gohan asked as he bowed to her and gave her a smile.

Videl giggled a little at how cute Gohan was acting, "I'd be delighted my good sir" Videl said as she grabbed the bottom of her dress and did a little curtsy with her free hand.

Gohan then pulled Videl's body closer to him as he held her hand still, placing his hand on the small of her back and Videl wrapped her arm around his trim waist.

She rested her head against Gohan's chest and closed her eyes as she listened to the music play.

A special smile, a certain touch
I never had a love that I loved so much
When I look back, you're everywhere
Turn the page, you were there

Videl sighed in content as she let the events of that night wash over her and enjoy being held securely in Gohan's arms.

What would I do if some strange morning
I opened up my eyes to find you gone
I can't imagine how I would survive it
I finally got the reason to go on

As Videl leaned against Gohan's chest, slowly swaying to the music, she realized how mentally exhausted she was; everything that transpired that night, was so taxing on her emotional state of mind.

The more she thought about it the more she was nervous about sleeping by herself tonight. 'I can't believe I'm scared to be alone tonight…granted it is pretty justified, I mean, my dad did try to shoot me tonight. What if he comes back tonight and tries to finish the job? Everyone will be asleep, I can't be protected' she thought as her body tensed up at these thoughts.

"Hey, V are you alright?" Gohan whispered as he danced with Videl, feeling her body tense up as they shared the last dance of the night together.

"Yea, I'm fine" Videl said in a not so convincing tone of voice. 'Maybe I should see if I can sleep in Gohan's room on the floor, or in Goten's room. Then again…they are letting me live with them, maybe I should tough it out for the night, I've just got to be on my guard I guess' she thought to herself as her mind started to race with possibilities of what could happen.

"Alright guys, it's three in the morning now and I'm completely drained. The food has been put away and I say we clean this up tomorrow. I'd like to say a final happy new year and say thank you to everyone who helped in making this evening so, 'eventful'. But for now, let's get to bed!" Bulma exclaimed after the song ended and she walked back up on the stage.

Everyone clapped as they all realized just how tired they were. Everyone muttered their goodnight's to each other and followed each other up the stairs, then everyone moved into their respective rooms.

Goku and Chi Chi turned to Videl and Gohan then smiled to the two as Goku had a sleepy Goten in his arms.

"Good night you two, sleep well" Goku said as he gave a wave to them and Videl moved to give him a hug and say a quick hug and then repeated the same with Chi Chi.

The two adults once again said goodnight to the two teens and then went to go and put their youngest son into his room and turn into bed themselves.

Gohan walked with Videl's hand in his until he reached the wall the separated his room and Videls. He turned towards her and stared at her with a small smile on his face.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a joking tone of voice as she smiled up at him.

"You're so beautiful" he said quietly as they stood in the dimly lit hallway. He reached his hand forward and pushed stray curled piece of hair out her face as he looked over her for the hundredth time that night.

"You're pretty gorgeous yourself" she said as she twirled the lock of hair that hung in front of his face around her finger.

"I had a really good time tonight…and I'm sorry for your father bursting in" Gohan said as he pressed his forehead to hers and lightly stroked her cheek with her hand. He felt Videl tense up again and grew concerned.

"Are you alright Videl?" he asked in a gentle tone of voice.

"Yea…I had a great night with you too Gohan" she said, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Videl…if you don't feel comfortable being by yourself tonight, you're welcome to sleep in my room. I can completely understand you being on edge" Gohan said, assuming she was nervous to be alone and vulnerable after what took place a few hours ago.

"I…think I'll be ok" she said quietly as she averted her gaze, trying to put on a strong front in front of him.

"Well, if you don't feel comfortable, then just come in alright? I promise nothing will happen to you while you're here" Gohan said as he lightly kissed her nose, earning a smile from Videl.

"You are the best" She said as she wrapped her arms around Gohan's neck, enjoying the temporary lift her high heels gave her.

Gohan leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto hers, loving the way if felt to have her body pressed closely to his, and knowing she loved it just as much as he did.

"I love you" she whispered quietly, almost as if she were afraid that he wouldn't respond.

She got nervous as a few moments of silence went by. She looked up and saw a grin forming on his face. "What?" she asked curiously.

"You have no idea how good it feels to hear that" he said as he pressed his lips to hers and captured her in a tender kiss.

"I love you too" he whispered back as he pulled away from the kiss for a moment, then went right back to making out with her.

They made out in the dimly lit hallway for a few minutes then Gohan pulled away gently. "V, as much as I'd love to continue doing this, it's getting really late and we should both be turning in" he said as she nodded her head in agreement.

"You're right, as usual. Well, thank you for everything tonight, I can't describe how much it means to me" she said as she embraced him in a tight hug.

"It was my pleasure, and I'd do it again" he said as he returned the hug. He gave her a final squeeze then they both pulled apart.

"Night beautiful" he said as he gave her a smile and a small wave.

"Night gorgeous" she replied as she returned the smile and wave and then slowly stepped into her room.

Videl leaned against the closed door and held a hand to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling in thought. She slowly took off her shoes and then made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she brushed her teeth she stared at her reflection, amazed at the transformation that was done to her. She ran over the evening's events as she moved her one arm to turn the tap on and winced in pain as she felt her open wound being pulled at.

As she finished brushing her teeth she stopped to think as to whether or not she wanted to take her hair out now but decided against it for lack of energy. She reached behind and unzipped her dress then carefully hung it up in the closet that was provided for her and slipped on one of Gohan's old t-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts.

She could have easily worn actual pajamas, but she loved to wear Gohans old shirts, they just had a comforting effect. She took a deep inhale of his shirt and sighed as she crawled into the large bed and rested her head comfortable against the plush pillows.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of positive things to help calm her jumpy mind; she ran through pictures of her and Gohan that had appeared throughout the night and smiled at how good they looked together. Then with that, she drifted off into a welcome state of unconsciousness.

Alright guys that's chapter 14, I hope you enjoyed it! I've started working on chapter 15 and would love to have some reviews for motivation. I'm not going to lie, it's much more motivating to write a chapter when I know that people out there are actually reading it and do enjoy my story. So please read and review.

I would absolutely love to have more than a hundred reviews by the time I finish up this story. So please, let me know what you all think of my story and chapters!