Alright guys here is chapter 16; I apologize for the wait my life has been quite hectic and annoying lately and it's prevented me from writing.
I'd love to thank everyone for their reviews…101 baby, I'm so proud! As a thank you I'm going to offer a treat per say…haha but you have to read the chapter to find out what it is!!! Anyways, here is chapter 16, please do enjoy!
Chapter 16:
After Gohan had his shower he quickly dressed in loose, comfy track pants and put on a black t-shirt. He had a small smile on his face, feeling confident that this would be how he somehow managed to convince Videl she has every reason to be confident.
He made his way through the hallways until he located Bulma. He smiled as he knocked lightly on the door, drawing the attention of his mother, Videl's mom, as well as 18 and Bulma.
"Hello sweetie, how was your spar with your father?" Chi Chi asked as she smiled warmly at her eldest son.
"It was pretty good thanks, certainly was a great workout" he said as he stepped towards them.
"What brings you to us Gohan? Would you like some tea?" Bulma asked, offering him a seat on one of the plush couches.
"Actually, I'm on a bit of a mission" he said, earning the attention now of all of the women. "Bulma, do you have any pictures of Videl's body? Like more of her in her bathing suit or something?" he blushed instantly when he saw the smiles cross the women's faces.
"It's not what you think" he protected as his blush deepened and he frantically waved him hands in front of him.
"Why would you need pictures of Videl, barely wearing clothing" Bulma asked, grinning as she enjoyed watching the teen frantically try to defend himself.
"Gohan, don't be thinking dirty thoughts about her, she's a nice girl" Chi Chi said as she took a sip of her tea, amusement playing on her features.
"What do you need the pictures for?" Aaliyah asked, hoping she would give the teen a window of opportunity to explain his reasoning's.
Gohan took in a deep inhale, trying to calm his blush, "She's gone all self conscious again, and I think it's because of the whole ordeal with Hercule last night. I was talking with dad about ideas to trying and persuade her, and he suggested using visual aids, which is why I came here to see if you have any pictures of her, some she didn't know where being taken. I want to show her she's pushing herself to be too small" Gohan said, the smile dropping from each of the women's faces.
"How can you be sure she's having problems again?" Aaliyah questioned concern evident in her voice.
"I watched her at breakfast; she really didn't eat a thing. I got her to eat a muffin but she went to the gym afterwards and I'm sure she's been exercising for the whole time" he said as he looked at the clock on the wall, "three hours now" he said as his face looked defeated.
"I had thought she ate this morning" Chi Chi said as she thought back to earlier that day.
"I was watching her, she just cut her food up and pushed it around her plate" he said as he sat down on a chair beside Bulma.
"I think I can help you out" Bulma said as she stood up and left the room.
Gohan looked towards his mother and gave her a confused look. "Where's she going?" he asked in a confused tone.
"Beats me" his mother shrugged as she took another sip of her tea, "I think it's wonderful that you're doing this though, you're such a sweet boy" she said as she put her tea down and gave her son a smile.
Gohan blushed at her comment then smiled as he heard Bulma walked back into the room with a hand full of pictures.
"You're in luck, I've got five pictures of her from swimming the other day…and Aaliyah got two pictures of her when we were trying the dress on her" she said as she placed the pictures on the table.
"She does look thin…" Chi Chi mused quietly as she stared at the pictures of Videl, noticing how her collar bone and ribs were clearly evident.
"I don't get how she manages to still have ample breasts when she's whittling herself away" 18 said, causing Gohan to blush.
"Oh wow you're right…they are big for a girl her size" Bulma noted as she stared at the picture of the teen.
"It's not like she looks horrible" Gohan mumbled as he lifted pictures up and stared at his girlfriends features, "she just…she looks frail" he commented, his voice sounded almost sad.
"She really could be a model" Bulma said as she picked up the picture that they had show at the slide show the previous night, where she had her hands in her hair and was puckering her lips as she gave a seductive look with her eyes.
Gohan looked over as she handed him the picture, unconsciously smiling to himself as he stared at how beautiful his girlfriend was, "this is definitely a picture I want to keep" he said with a grin. He shook his head, remembering his original goal and stood up. "Thanks a million Bulma, I hope it works" he said as he collected the pictures into a neat pile.
"No problem Gohan, I hope it works!" she said as everyone waved to him as he walked out of the room.
Once Gohan had closed the door Chi Chi exhaled a sigh, "I sure hope he helps her…it'll be hard for her to have kids with him some day if she's too small" Chi Chi said as she stirred her tea a little.
~*~ Elsewhere~*~
Gohan made his way through the hallways until he reached the gym area. He exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding as he reached out and grasped the handle for the door.
He pushed the door open and heard loud music echoing through the room. He noticed that Videl was running on the treadmill, going a pretty fast pace.
He took a step forward as she continued to run to the fast paced song. He was just out of Videl view and could see she had been clearly running for a long time; her hair was up in a pony tail but the few strands that hung loosely were now matted to her skin as small beads of sweat slowly dripped down her face.
Gohan frowned as he noticed that she was still wearing the baggy clothing, he looked around and saw the stereo system was close to him so he stepped towards it and turn it off.
The sudden silence startled Videl, causing her to scream in surprise and loose her balance and fall off of the tread mill.
"What the…?" she asked out loud as she felt herself being caught before she hit the ground.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Gohan said sheepishly as he helped her stand on her feet.
She leaned down on her knees, panting as she tried to catch her breath, "what…brings…you…here?" she asked between pants while wiping the sweat from her face.
"Have you been working out the whole time?" Gohan asked as he went to the counter and filled a glass up with water and handed it to her.
"I haven't been…working out that long" she said as she took a long drink of her glass of water.
Gohan raised an eyebrow as he stepped towards the treadmill to turn it off. He pressed the button to turn it off and the screen flashed with the final statistics saying she had been running an average speed of 8 km per hour and had managed to burn off a thousand calories. Next it flashed that saying that she had been running at this speed for three hours and five minutes.
"You've been running for over three hours?" He asked surprised as he looked towards her and watched her try and come up with an excuse quickly.
"Boy time sure flies when you're having fun?" she offered, earning a frown from Gohan.
"You ate a muffin, at most it was three hundred calories, and you've clearly overdone it" he said, upset at the fact that she had burned off so many calories without putting any energy back into her small body.
"I ate more than that" she protested only to have Gohan's frown deepen.
"You didn't and you know you didn't; I watched you, all you did was push food around your plate until I got you to eat the muffin and even then you were reluctant to eat it" he stated as he folded his arms in front of his chest, showing that he was willing to argue with her if need be.
"So I'm watching what I eat and I'm exercising a bit, there's nothing wrong with staying in shape" she countered.
"There is if you're going too far with it, you're trying to lose weight" he stated flatly, his eyes meeting hers.
"There's nothing wrong with losing the last few pounds to maintain a healthy body" she once again protested.
Gohan heaved a heavy sigh, "go get changed into something that actually fits you. We need to talk" he said as he looked back at her and was met with her confused gaze.
"What do we need to talk about? And why do I have to change?" she asked curiously.
"I'll tell you shortly, but for now put something on you that fits" he stated once again receiving a strange look. "I swear I'll take those baggy clothes off you right now if you don't go and do it yourself" he said, earning a surprised look.
"You wouldn't" she challenged, narrowing her eyes and trying to call his bluff.
Within a second Gohan stepped towards her and grabbed the hem of the oversized sweatshirt. "Want to bet?" he asked, meeting her eyes.
She stayed quiet for a moment, and then gasped as she felt the bottom of her shirt slowly rising to reveal her flat stomach. The shirt reached the top of her abs went her hands quickly pushed it back down, revealing her face, a blush tinting it.
"You win" she muttered as he motioned for her to follow him back to their rooms.
They walked in silence up towards her bedroom and once they arrived at the door she quietly went in to change into something that fit a little better. A few minutes later she walked out in loose black track pants and a form fitting navy blue tank top. As she walked out of the room Gohan smiled a little, happy to see her not hiding herself and watched as she zipped up a black hoodie.
Gohan reached his hand out for her to grasp and then led her in a direction she had never been in before. Again, they walked in silence for a few minutes then Gohan opened the door and motioned for her to go in. She walked into the strange room, it was relatively plain looking; it had two plush couches sitting across from one another with a black marble table in between. Gohan had come there earlier, so there were all the necessary things needed to make tea if wanted.
She followed him silently and watched as he sat down on a couch and motioned for her to follow his lead and sit beside him.
Videl fidgeted nervously with the zipper of her hoodie, too nervous to say anything. She desperately tried to avoid eye contact with Gohan; she knew where he was going to go it was just a matter of how quickly he wanted to get there.
"Why are you doing this?" Gohan asked bluntly, surprising Videl.
"Doing what?" she questioned in a shaky voice; she tried to maintain eye contact, but found it very hard under his gaze.
"You know what I mean…you had made such progress, then one night that ass shows up and you've completely gone back to your old ways, your old unhealthy ways" he said, making sure he emphasized his point.
"I think I'm more trying to become healthy" she said quietly, avoiding her gaze from his.
"Videl, can I show you something?" he questioned as he pulled out an envelope from under the couch. He laid a picture out of a woman in a bathing suit; it was in fact a picture of Bulma, he just blocked her face out and any identifying features. "What do you think of this woman" he asked bluntly, placing the picture of the woman in front of Videl on the marble table.
"She looks like she's pretty in shape" she mumbled as she stared at the picture of the mystery woman.
"What about this one?" he said, pulling a picture of his mother out, again, any identifying features had been blocked out.
"She has a beautiful body" she once again muttered as she stared at the pictures. She felt that he was simply showing her pictures of herself, she felt all he was doing was proving her point of how she was becoming healthier.
"And this one?" he asked as he put a picture of Aaliyah up.
"Gohan all you're doing is proving how healthy I am" she said as she looked up and gave him a stern look.
"Just answer the question please" he said, matching her stern voice.
Videl heaved an exasperated sigh and replied, "She looks great" she muttered.
He then pulled out a picture of Videl that her mother had taken when they had her try on her dress; Aaliyah had been so worried at how thin her daughter looked, she took a picture as proof for Gohan while the girl was blindfolded.
"How about this woman?" he asked, he watched Videl's eyes open wider as she examined the thin frame of the picture of the woman in front of her. "Is she fat? Does she have a big bum? Is she in shape?" he questioned, watching her for a response.
"I don't look anything like that" she said as she stared at the picture of his mysterious girl with her arms in the air; her ribs and hip bones were all clearly visible as were the thin muscles of her stomach.
He then pulled out two more pictures of Videl from when they went swimming, but this time left her face uncovered.
"I'm bigger then that" she said quietly, shock evident in her voice.
"No, no you're not" he said firmly, showing her that he wasn't joking.
"But…dad always said…" she trailed off as she stared at the pictures of her from swimming the other day.
"Videl, your father has been lying to you; he's been telling you these things so he can bring you down and control you. You are an abuse victim in so many ways and this was one of them. Videl, I'm so worried about your health and I don't know what else I can say to convince you of that" Gohan said as he grasped her hands lightly and forced her to look into his eyes.
"You changed the picture" she said in an accusing voice as she narrowed his eyes at him and pulled her hands away.
"I did not" Gohan defended as he picked up a picture and stared at the frail frame. "I would never do something like that to convince you of something".
"If I look like that…why was I always called fat ass…why do I look so much bigger in the mirror" she said, her voice quivering with confusion.
"You are so unbelievably beautiful, you really are and I guess you father didn't want you feeling superior to him so he found ways that effected you most to bring your confidence level down. You look a different size in the mirror, because you've convinced yourself that you're that big…but you're not" he said softly as he saw she was on the verge of tears. This was good; this affirmed his thoughts of finally getting through to her.
"I don't look like that, that is so…gross" she said quietly as she felt a tear slowly make its way down her cheek.
"Videl…you're borderline of having a big problem…you can't not eat for a day, same with you can't eat something small like a muffin, then work off three times it's calories…that's how you get that skinny" he said, he was clearly worried about her, but wanted to get his point made firmly.
"How can you find something…like that" she said as she motioned to pictures of herself, "attractive" she said quietly, almost afraid of what he'd day.
"Videl looks aren't everything, not that I'm saying you don't have them because trust me you do. I'm attracted to your personality, your sense of humour, the way you make me feel, the way I feel like I'm in a better mood just by seeing your smile" he said as he cupped her cheek lightly and brushed a tear away with his thumb.
"The size of your body doesn't matter to me, but you feeling happy and confident in your own skin does" he said as she desperately tried not to meet his dark eyes. "In my dream, where we had a daughter together" he couldn't help but smile at that thought, "you were heavier than this, by like twenty pounds, and you still looked absolutely incredible. Want to know why you did? Because you were comfortable in your own skin and you felt great and it only made you look that much more attractive" he said, still smiling lightly.
"You think I should put on twenty pounds?" she asked quietly as she lifted her eyes to meet her gaze.
"I'm not saying that, but I am saying you certainly shouldn't try and loose more weight, or you'll be a stick with boobs" he joked lightly, hoping to get a smile out of her.
"I just don't get it…why would my dad say such things" she said quietly, another tear falling from her eyes.
Gohan heaved a deep sigh, "I don't know why he would, I really don't V. But I can promise you that no one in this house, let alone the world other than your jerk of a father would argue that you're overweight. If anything you're under" he replied, hoping to convince her that it was indeed the truth.
"I just…I don't get it. How can that be me, but I see something so completely different?" She questioned, not really expecting an answer.
"V, you dad has gotten into your head and convinced you that you're some overweight, homely person, but you aren't. That's why I'm hoping to get in your head and convince you otherwise" he said as he pulled out another picture and smiled to himself. "How did you feel about your appearance yesterday" he asked, as he continued to stare at the picture.
"I felt…good. At least until my dad came and told me I looked like a fat ass slut" she said, casting her glance away again.
"Bulma gave me this picture of you, see how confident you look? You look like you could go and take on the world" he said as he handed her the picture. The picture was of her last night when she was all dolled up for the ball; she had been joking around and struck a pose, but the picture conveyed such confidence and pride that it was almost intimidating.
"I looked like that yesterday?" she said, surprised at her own appearance.
"You did" he said with a smile as she turned to meet his gaze. "V, look, I'm sorry if this is annoying you, but I'm really worried about you. I'm not asking you to gain a whole bunch of weight, I'm just asking that you stop trying to lose it because to be honest with you, yes, a few pounds can hurt someone" he said, worry plastered all over his face.
"I don't know what to say" she whispered, as she continued to stare at the picture of her from last night.
"Alright, let's put it this way. How many times have you said you wanted to repay me for my kindness, or my family's kindness?" he questioned a small smirk on his face, hoping that his plan here would work.
"I've said it a few times" she said quietly, giving him a confused look.
"The only thing in the world I want is for you to become happy in your own skin, and confident in yourself. No more body bashing, no more listening to that idiot of a father you have, and no more thinking it'll be ok to skip meals and work off a ridiculous amount of calories" he said as he watched her stiffen in surprise.
"I had meant I could repay your family with money or something" she said, leaning back against the plush couch.
"Videl, it's the simple things in life we forget and there's no need to make something so easy so complicated. I simply want your happiness, and I can promise you, that is all my family wants as well" he said as she looked up, her face holding a slightly surprised expression. "To quote a song; you're chasing a dime losing a treasure, those dollars to make sense to us at all. Meaning, we'd rather you be happy, then us be rich"
"Out of everything you could have, you just want me to eat?" she asked, she was unsure of what to think of what he had just said.
"Well, yes that is part of it. But I want you to be that sexy, confident girl I fell in love with" he said, earning a smile from her.
"I don't know if I can do it on my own" she whispered, hoping he hadn't heard her.
"I would never expect you to go at it alone, I want to help you" he said as she gave him a small smile.
"What kind of things should I do?" she asked quietly.
"If someone compliments you, don't brush it off, accept it. Don't listen to a word your father says, don't tell yourself you need to lose weight; look in the mirror and tell yourself that you're gorgeous. Don't think about how eating is going to make you blimp out, think about how much energy it's going to give you to take on the busy day" he said, listing the things off his fingers, clearly having put some thought into it previously.
He stared as her as he went silence, curious to see what her reaction would be. All she did was stare at her hands while she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. He could tell by the slight quivers in her shoulders that she was crying quietly.
He reached out and took her small hands in his large ones. "Look, I know this isn't easy, and I know you're going to need help; I want to help you and so does my family…. So will you try to become happier with yourself and more confident?" He asked, he was almost pleading her to agree to make a change.
She inhaled deeply and released her breath, "I want to make you happy" she said, a small quiver was evident in her voice.
He moved to kneel in front of her and held her hands in his, "so…?" he questioned, giving her a pleading look.
"If you feel that me becoming more confident will make you happy, then I want to make it happen" she said as she slowly raise her eyes to meet his. She smiled lightly at the big grin he was giving her.
"It would make me the happiest man alive" he said excitedly as he pulled her forward and gave her a tight hug.
She raised her arms and returned the hug, he rocked her slowly back and forth while rubbing her back, and she could tell that he still had a huge grin plastered on his face.
"I love you so much" he whispered into her hair while he continued to hug her tightly.
"I love you too….I can't believe this is how you want me to repay your kindness. Gohan, you're too magnificent" she said as he pulled her away and captured her lips before she could say another word.
They made out quietly for a few minutes then Gohan pulled away, "let's go join everyone else and see what they're up to" he said as he pulled her to her feet.
"Sure" she said quietly as he returned her smile. Gohan gave her a weird look for a moment then got a mischievous grin. "What?" she questioned suspiciously as he continued to grin at her. Before she could say anything else he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, causing a surprised scream to leave her lips.
"Gohan, what are you doing?" she said with a laugh as Gohan walked out of the room and started walking down the hallways.
"Nothing, just wanted to try something different" he said with a laugh as he continued to carry her through the twists and turns of the hallways.
"Actually, if you wouldn't mind could you drop me off at my bedroom, I need a shower" she said as she poked his muscular shoulder to knock him out of his happy stupor.
"Hmm, good point" he said as he turned down different hallways, leading them down the familiar one where their bedrooms were. He gently placed her back onto her feet and grinned at her.
"I'll be like…half an hour, that alright?" she questioned only to receive his typical smile.
"I'll be here when you're done my lady" he said with a bow as she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.
"See you in a bit" she said with a wink as she closed the door to her bedroom and walked silently into the bathroom to go and shower.
Gohan grinned at the closed door; a feeling of self satisfaction overwhelmed him. "I sure hope she meant it" he whispered as he turned on his heels to head to where ever his family was.
He walked down to the large living room and saw his father on a couch with Goten sitting on his lap as well as Trunks sitting on the other side of the couch; all three of them were watching Family Guy and laughing.
"Ha, how could a horse be a murderer?" Goten said through his giggles at Goku and tried not to knock his son off his lap.
Gohan walked in and his father quickly took noticed and turned to greet his son. "Hey Gohan, I take it things went well" Goku commented as he noticed this grin his eldest son was still displaying.
"I didn't think it was going to work, but we talked for about an hour, and she agreed to make a change. Dad, thank you so much, you're a genius" Gohan said as he flopped on the couch beside his father and brother.
"What'd she say?" he asked curiously, happy to see that his idea worked well.
He watched Gohan reach into his pocket and pull out a rolled up envelope and opened it, "First I showed her these pictures and asked her what her opinion was on them" Gohan said as he pulled out the picture o Bulma, Chi Chi and Aaliyah.
"This one looks like your mother" Goku commented as he saw the pictures, correctly identifying his wife. "Wow, they look great for their age" Goku said as he looked at all three of the pictures.
"See, she thought I was showing her pictures of herself, she told me I was just proving how healthy she was. Then I showed her these pictures" he said as he handed Goku the pictures of Videl in her bikini and the two Aaliyah had taken.
"Wow, she really is scrawny" Goku said quietly as he looked through the pictures. "Holy! She really is thin" Goku commented as he looked at the one the Aaliyah had taken without Videl knowing.
"Gohan, is Videl sick? She looks…small" Goten commented, unsure of how to correctly word his comment.
"No, she's not anymore, but I'm going to need your help with getting her healthy again" Gohan said as Goku handed the pictures back to Gohan. "She was amazed that she looked like that and even accused me of changing the pictures. She had trouble understanding how she could see an image that was so different of herself in a mirror when the pictures of her that had been taken, in her words, made her look gross" he said as he stretched out against the couch.
"I explained to the best of my abilities that it's probably because her dad distorted her image of herself. Then she argued with me a bit and I told her if she wanted to repay me and my family for our kindness this would be the way to do it" he said as he turned to look at his father while he spoke.
"She then said she wanted to make me happy and if that would make me happy then she wanted to take part in it" he said with a smile on his face as he pulled out another picture of her, the one from last night where she looked confident. "I showed her that picture, and she couldn't believe how good she looked" he said as he handed Goku the picture.
"I've got to hand it to you Gohan, you definitely picked a pretty one, there's no doubt about it, she's a looker" he said as examined the picture of Videl. "You two make an awesome couple" he said earning a blush from Gohan.
"Thanks dad, but I've got to ask a favour of you guys if that's alright" Gohan said as he tried to control his blush.
"Can I help Gohan?" Goten asked as he put his hands together, begging.
"Yep, I need your help too squirt. I need you to compliment Videl every now and then, just to boost her confidence. Same with if it looks like she's not eating, try and encourage her to eat, and please don't say anything insulting about her appearance" He said as he watched his brother and father nod in agreement.
"Why would we insult Videl?" Goten asked confused, not understanding how anyone could insult one of the most awesome people he knows.
"I don't think we would squirt, but there are bad people out there that would…" he said, trailing off as he thought about Hercule.
"I promise Gohan, I'll make sure no one is mean to Videl" Goten said, a determined look plastered on his face.
"You were pretty brave standing up for her yesterday Goten. And that was pretty smart thinking with her arm" Goku said as he ruffled his youngest sons hair.
"You're a hero squirt" Gohan said, earning a blush and grin from his youngest brother.
"What kind of things should I say to Videl?" Goten asked as he put a hand to his chin and rubbed it in thought.
"Yea, what kind of things did you have in mind Gohan?" Goku asked relaxing on the couch, Goten still sitting on his lap.
"Hmm…Well, if you think she looks good one day, let her know. If she's skating or playing hockey or whatever, if you think she's doing well, make sure she knows it and doesn't brush it off. But the most important thing I want you guys to look out for, is whether or not she's eating" He said a worried expression flashed across his face.
"If it looks like she's just pushing her food around, tell her something tastes really good and put some on her plate and get her to eat it. That's my main concern, getting her to start eating again" he said, rubbing his eyes, this whole event was emotionally tiring.
"I think I can get her to eat" Goku said as Goten nodded in agreement.
"You guys are a really big help, thanks" Gohan said as he received a grin from both his brother and father.
"Where is Videl?" Goten asked, a mischievous grin on his face.
"She should be just getting out of the shower…why do you ask?" Gohan asked, he always got a little nervous when Goten got that smile on his face.
"No reason, Trunks and I wanted to talk to her" He said as he looked over at Trunks who nodded and stood up. "See you guys later" he said, smiling innocently as he and his best friend walked out of the room quietly.
"It scares me when they act like that" Goku said as he scratched the back of his head.
"No kidding, I'm afraid for Videl" Gohan said in a worried tone of voice.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
"Do you really think she'll have any good ideas Trunks?" Goten asked as they made their way to Videl's bedroom.
"Come on, Gohan wouldn't date an idiot. Do you not remember the time she filled my dad's gravity room up with bananas? Trust me Goten, she'll have a good idea of what we can do for a prank" trunks said confidently as they now stood in front of her bedroom door.
~*~Meanwhile~*~
Videl stood in front of her foggy mirror, a towel wrapped around her small frame. She rubbed her hands on the mirror to clear the fog so she could get a clear view of herself. She slowly let the towel drop onto the ground and stared at her naked form.
'Am I really that small?' she thought to herself as she turned to the side so she could see the profile view of her body. "Now that Gohan mentions it…I guess I am a little smaller then I thought" she said quietly as she rubbed her hand lightly along the side of her body, feeling her ribs peeking out against her skin.
'I can do this' she thought to herself as she pulled her towel back up from the ground and wrapped it back around her body.
She walked out to her temporary bedroom and made sure her door was locked. She went to her drawer and pulled out a bra and underwear and threw them on her bed. She then walked to the large stereo and turned it on. She smiled as she heard the song and turned it up; Beyonce's Single ladies was playing loudly.
She dropped the towel and moved her hips as she made her way to the bed to put her bra and underwear on. (**Author's note: Ok, I'm not going to lie, I can't even begin to guess how many times I've been changing and start dancing in the process. Haha back to the story**) Once she was partially dressed she continued to dance to the upbeat, empowering song as she made her way to the closet.
She smiled to herself; she was going to prove to Gohan that she could do this. With the she grabbed a pair of pants that she hadn't worn before, a pair of snug black jean pants. She continued dancing as she put the pants on. After seeing the music video so many times, she had managed to pick up most of the original dance so she started doing that as she thought about what shirt she wants to put on.
She grabbed a short sleeved turquoise turtle neck on and slipped it over her small frame. She stopped dancing and looked at herself in the mirror doors of her closest. She couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as she looked at her frame, but smiled despite her discomfort, noting how the clothes were definitely form fitting.
Before she could come across another thought, or bust a new move she heard a knock on the door. She smiled assuming that it was Gohan and walked to the bedroom door and unlocked it. She looked surprised for a moment when she didn't see her tall boyfriend standing in front of her, then she looked down and saw a smaller version of him and his best friend.
"Hey guys, what can I do for you?" she asked with a smile as the two boys looked surprised for her.
"Wow…you look really pretty Videl" Goten said, a blush on his cheeks as he fidgeted.
Videl could feel a blush coming on her cheeks, but decided to take Gohans advice. "Thanks Goten" she said, forcing a smile out.
"Videl, we want to play a prank on my dad. Do you think you can help us out?" Trunks asked as he leaned against the door frame.
Videl brought her hand to her chin for a moment, then as she heard the music blaring she grinned, "I think I may have a great idea Trunks. Come in you guys, the walls have ears" she whispered the last part earning a confused look from Goten.
"Where are their ears Videl?" Goten asked as he started to lightly feel the wall lightly.
"Trunks, do you have any footage of your dad on your video camera?" Videl asked as she sat down on the large bed.
"Ha yea, I've got lots, most of it is him getting angry and threatening me though" he said as he sat down on the couch, watching Goten feel for ears on the walls.
"Go get your camera, I'll dry my hair while you're getting it. We are going to make a video" she said with a grin as he nodded his head and ran out of the room.
~*~ A Few Hours Later~*~
Videl, Goten and Trunks all sat on Videl's bed, laughing at their creation.
"Videl, you're a genius! This is so amazing" Trunks said as he wiped the tears away from his eyes as he watched their video.
"What do you guys say, should we screen this puppy to everyone after dinner?" Videl said, as she took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself after watching their creation.
"That's a great idea Videl….what should we do to kill the time till then?" Goten asked, as he caught his breath after his laughing fit.
"Wait, Videl didn't you say you used to play hockey?" Trunks asked as he jumped up from the bed.
"Yep, I used to play rep. Why do you ask?" She questioned as she went and turned off the TV and put the newly created video into a case.
"Let's, go shoot a puck around!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly.
"Sure, why not, let's go" she said with a smile as Goten jumped up excitedly and grabbed her hand.
"Come on, this way" Goten exclaimed excitedly as he pulled Videl towards the outside arena.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
"Hey dad, you want to go for a skate or something?" Gohan asked as he yawned on the couch. He and his father had been playing video games together for the past few hours, and now he felt the need to go and get some form of exercise.
"I think that's where your mother and everyone is" Goku said as he took on a look of thought, as he put the controller down. "Let's go and see what they're up to" Goku said as he turned off the game consul.
The two men got up and grabbed their jackets and quickly made their way to their backyard. They had expected to see everyone going for a skate on the large arena Bulma had created but instead they noticed most of the people were standing on the sidelines watching what was going on.
"Hey guys, what's up" Gohan said as he walked to where everyone was standing.
"Gohan, she's absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever met such a multi-talented person before" Bulma said as she watched what was taking place on the ice.
"All you do is slide your hand down the shaft of the stick, and while you move the stick transfer your weight from each foot" he heard Videl say, then heard a loud slapping noise and cheering.
"Did you know she played rep hockey?" Chi Chi asked as she gaped at how well the young teen could shoot the puck.
"I knew she played but I didn't know what level" Gohan said with a smile as he watched his girlfriend fire pucks at Trunks, who was attempting to stop them, but was failing.
"Videl, can you something really cool?" Goten asked from his spot on the sidelines.
"You got it squirt….get ready for this Trunks" she said with a smirk as she kicked a puck with her skate and skated away from Trunks. Her smirk grew as she lined the puck up with her stick, standing a fair distance away from the net, "get ready for this!" She shouted as she started skating with the puck, quickly gaining speed. She flipped the puck up on her stick as she skated and hit it up a few times then flipped it back down. She stood just a few feet in front of Trunks, still skating, she quickly faked left and skated backwards and around the net then skated around back to the front and quickly backhanded the puck into the top corner.
"And that is how we do it" she said with a grin as trunks stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Everyone cheered and skated onto the ice and complimented Videl's hockey skills.
"Sweetie, you're awesome" Aaliyah said with a grin as she held onto Yamcha's hand as he nodded in agreement.
"You've got to be one of the most talented people I've met" Bulma said as she skated onto the ice, catching her balance before she fell.
"Ha, that's quite the compliment coming from a genius like yourself" Videl replied, a small blush tinting her cheeks. "I think I'm better with figure skating though" she said with a smile as she noticed Gohan skating up to her.
"V, that was so cool looking; you really rock the winter sports" Gohan said with a grin as he hugged his girlfriend.
"Thank you" she said with a slight blush.
"Come on, let's skate" Gohan said as he grabbed her hand and started skating on the ice.
A few hours past and after everyone had finished skating they all piled into the house where a large and delicious meal was being made. After about an hour everyone was seated and now enjoying a delicious meal that had been cooked.
That is where we are now, everyone sitting around a large dining room table, all enjoying their meal.
"Videl, you've got to try this, it's delicious" Goku said as he put a scoop of scalloped potatoes onto Videl's plate earning a smile from Gohan.
Gohan smiled to himself as he watched his girlfriend slowly eat her plate of food. She wasn't eating a lot, but the point was she was eating a plateful of food and wasn't just pushing it around her plate. He had definitely made some dramatic headway with her and he couldn't help but feel a sense of self satisfaction at that fact.
Trunks loudly cleared his throat, "After dinner, Videl, Goten and I would like to show you a video we made" he said, earning a grin from the other two.
"That's what you were doing?" Gohan asked, after swallowing his large mouthful of food.
"What's it about?" Yamcha asked from his spot beside Aaliyah.
"Oh a bit of this and that…the star of the show is in this very room though" Videl said with a grin as she quickly made eye contact with Vegeta.
"You're not going to tell us more about it?" Aaliyah asked as she cut her chicken.
"It's a secret, you'll have to wait and see just like the rest!" Goten said excitedly as his grin continued to grow.
"This should be good" Goku said with a laugh as he quickly returned to eating his food.
The rest of dinner was pretty uneventful, all were very curious to see what the three had created. After dinner, the remainder of Videl's baking from the night before were served.
"Videl, you can bake for me any day of the week" Goku said as he pushed himself a little from the table and inhaled deeply.
"Alright, we'll do the dishes later…come on everyone into the family room" Trunks said, standing on his chair, as Goten jumped up and down excitedly.
"Alright, I guess the dishes can wait" Chi Chi said as she stood up from the table and everyone followed the two young boys into the family room, everyone taking a seat on a couch or making themselves comfortable on the floor.
"Alright, today Trunks and I asked Videl for her help and we created this music video for you guys, and we hope you enjoy" Goten said with a grin as he put the DVD into the player and pressed play and cranked the volume.
For the second time in Videl's day, Beyonce's 'single ladies' was blaring in the room. The screen was black then as she started cheering for the single ladies in the first few lines of her song; Vegeta came on the screen and appeared to be mouthing the words perfectly to the song as he flailed his arms.
Everyone's jaw dropped as they watched the video. Numerous clips of Vegeta were then played, somehow managing to make the words he was mouthing in the video match the video.
Everyone wanted to speak, but no one could find the words to say anything, a smile quickly growing on their faces as they watched the clips making it look as though Vegeta was single the song that was advocating for single ladies and was dancing and flailing his arms along with it. Then as the chorus came up, a picture of Beyonce's body showed up with, but had Vegeta's face pasted on it. Somehow Trunks had managed to get a picture of Vegeta taunting Goku, so he had a grin and his tongue sticking out.
The two women dancing with Vegeta had the faces of Bulma and Goku pasted on them; Goku's character having a big grin on his face.
"Vegeta, I think I'm a better dancer then you" Goku said as he grinned, and started laughing at the video.
"Kakarot, that it NOT me dancing" Vegeta seethed as everyone started joining in with the laughing.
As the music video ended there was a moment of silence, then everyone fell over they were laughing so hard, well everyone except Vegeta.
"You two are dead" Vegeta growled as he stood up and pointed at the two boys.
"Hey, we only asked Videl what we should do, she created everything" Trunks said frantically as h and Goten started backing up as everyone was still trying to contain their laughter.
"Fine, then the three of you are dead" Vegeta said as he stood up, causing Videl to stand up as well.
Vegeta stood in front of Videl and puffed out his chest trying to intimidate her, but she simply smirked at him and looked up at him.
"Whatcha going to do Vegeta" she taunted, meeting his glare.
"You're dead" he growled as he moved to stand more over top of her.
"See, I don't think that's going to be the case" She said as she smirked once again, angering Vegeta more. "See, say you kill me, and then you've got to deal with a very angry Gohan. Then if for some reason Gohan doesn't managed to finish you off, I'm sure Goku would have something to say to the fact that you killed his sons girlfriend, and I'm sure Chi Chi would have something to say as well as she's already planning grandchildren for the two of us" she said, still smirking as Vegeta's face dropped as he realized she was standing up to him.
"She does have a point" Goku said with a laugh as he watched the stare-down.
"That's true, I have been planning for my grandchild" Chi Chi mused as she watched Videl continue to matched Vegeta's glare.
"I think it's great that the boys are expressing such creativity and I encourage it. Congrats on creating such a hilarious video boys" Bulma said as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder and pulled her way from the tiny girl.
"I've got to admit, that was really funny" Gohan said with a laugh as he stood beside Videl, to offer some form of protection to her.
"We were pretty proud of it" Videl said with a grin, pleased that she had stood up to Vegeta.
"I just thought I'd let you all know, tomorrow morning after breakfast we're all going home, so you boys and Videl, you may want to start packing" Chi Chi said sternly sending them a look telling them that's what they wanted them to do.
The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful; everyone was busy packing their clothes, ready to leave to their respective homes in the morning.
Videl was finished packing her clothes when she heard a soft knock on her door then a few seconds later she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.
"Almost done?" she heard Gohan ask as she put down her sweat shirt.
"Pretty much yea, I just left out some clothes for tomorrow, that's about it" she said as she turned around and returned the hug.
"I can't believe I'm going to be living with you" she said with a smile as he gave her a curious look.
"Is that a good can't believe it, or a bad one?" he asked.
"It's definitely a good one. It's been years since I've lived with a real family; one that doesn't abuse me, this whole past two weeks seems like a dream come true" she said as her smile grew. "Thanks you" she said as she gave him a tight hug.
"You're more than welcome" he said as he returned the hug. "And thank you for starting to keep up your end of the bargain" he said as she averted her gaze.
"It wasn't easy" she mumbled.
"I know that's why I'm so grateful that you're sticking to your end of the bargain" he said as his smile grew.
"This is so surreal…it so much has happened in such a short amount of time" she said as she leaned his head against his broad chest.
"It's only going to get better, I promise. Your life is going to continue to get better" Gohan said confidently as she nodded against his chest.
"I completely agree with you" she said as she looked up and gave him a grin then leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.
"Want to go and see what everyone else is doing before we turn in?" Gohan asked as Videl nodded and they walked downstairs hand in hand where they noticed most of the group was sitting. A few people had already left for their respective homes, but the bulk of them were still there.
"Gohan, we're watching Family Guy" Goten said with a grin as he noticed his older brother and Videl walking into the large living room.
"I can see that" Gohan said with a laugh as he and Videl took a seat on the couch, only to have Goten quickly jump and sit comfortably on Gohan's lap.
"This is my favourite part" Goku said with a grin, "the cow says shazoo" he said with a laugh.
"It most certainly does not" Goten said with a laugh.
"The rooster goes chicker-re-dee" Goku replied
"Where, where does the rooster say that" Goten said as they all started to laugh.
"Hey mom, I was thinking about it…and where are you going to live?" Videl asked curiously from her spot beside Gohan.
She watched as her mother looked over at her and blushed, "actually, Yamcha invited me to stay at his place. I don't have any more for a house, and didn't want to burden anyone, so he offered" she said with a smile, clearly displaying her feelings towards the former bandit.
"It's no problem, I've got a spare bedroom in the house, and it would be nice to have some human company; gets kind of lonely just hanging out with a flying cat…thing" he said with a nervous laugh.
"Wow, you guys really hit it off" Bulma mused as she watched the two cuddle on the couch together.
Aaliyah looked over at Videl and noticed she seemed almost disappointed. "Don't worry sweetie, I promise we'll talk on the phone and e-mail each other throughout the week. We can even set up a day for when we can all get together and have tea or something. Make it a girl's night and have Bulma, Chi Chi and 18 join us" she said with a smile, hoping her daughter would be alright with this.
"I'd like that" Videl said with a smile. She felt a little selfish for wanting her mother all to herself, but realized her mother went a very long time without the affection of a man, and was probably more than craving for a relationship. It was only fair that her mother begin to relive her new life how she wanted it.
"Excellent, we can switch house each week" Chi Chi said as she lifted her head up from her husband's shoulder as the others nodded in agreement.
The rest of the night was pretty uneventful; everyone talked and enjoyed the shows that were on TV until they felt it was time for them to seek rest in their comfortable beds. One by one each of their group members bid their goodnights and went to bed. Lastly, our two teens now ventured up to bed.
They stood outside in the hallway, each enjoying their comfortable embrace.
"I'm really glad you're going to be living with us" Gohan murmured into her hair, as he silently inhaled deeply.
"I'm glad you guys don't have a problem with it" she replied back, just as quietly.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun having you live with us" he whispered.
"Ha, I just realized…we've got sooo much explaining to do to Erasa and Sharpener. Granted I'm sure Erasa will be happy, I can't begin to tell you how many time she's told me that you and I should go out, she's going to be thrilled" Vide said with a laugh as she pulled out of the hug slightly so she could look into his ebony eyes.
"She used to tell me too, then said I was too shy because I blushed in a pathetic attempt to tell her that I wanted to just be friends. So much for that eh?" he commented with a laugh. Ever since he had taught her to fly, he had grown to have strong feeling for his small girlfriend, and had always secretly wanted to be more than just friends.
"I had such a crush on you" she said quietly as he grinned at her causing him to blush.
"Are you sure It wasn't Saiyman? I could tell you had the hots for him" he said with a laugh as she rolled her eyes.
"You're so cute as Saiyaman…I never did understand those poses though….they made you look like such a dork " she said as he pretended to pout. "No, I definitely had a big crush on the nerd in my classes" she said with a grin as he gave her a confused look.
"I'm hoping you mean me" he said with an arched eyebrow.
"Yes you dummy, you; you're the biggest nerd I know" she said jokingly as he grinned, he knew he had meant her but loved hearing her say it.
Their quietly laughs slowly died down and they were left staring into each other's eyes. Ebony met cerulean and they continued to hold their gaze, almost afraid to break it.
"I'll see you in the morning?" she said quietly.
"I'll be looking forward to it" he said, just as quietly.
"See you in the morning?" she whispered.
"Just try not too" he whispered back with a grin.
She stood up on her tip toes as he bent down to meet her half way. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "goodnight sweetie" she whispered, blushing at calling him 'sweetie'.
Gohan looked surprised for a moment then returned to smiling, "night sweetheart" he said as she looked up with a smile on her face.
"I think I could get used to these names" she said as her smile grew.
"Good, then you shall receive" he said with a grin as he leaned down and kissed her.
They enjoyed their kiss as they held on to each other tightly, as if they were afraid to let go.
They kissed for a few minutes, every so often Gohans hand would come down and caress her cheek, then slowly make it's wait up to her hair to play with it gently.
Both slowly pulled away simultaneously, "I love you" she said, "good night, I'll see you in the morning" Videl whispered as she received a small kiss from Gohan.
"I love you too" he said with a smile, "I'll see you in the morning….good night" he said as he kissed her one last time then they both parted much to their dismay.
They took a step away from each other and gave each other a smile as they entered their respective rooms.
Videl got changed and climbed into bed, 'things are going to get better, I can feel it' she said with a small smile as she now allowed sleep to overtake her.
In the other room Gohan had just crawled into his bed, 'she's going to get better, I just know it. I'm so proud of my girl' he thought as a state of unconsciousness slowly engulfed him.
~*~
Alright, there is chapter 16! I apologize for the wait, but I've been very busy with school issues and work and stuff. HOWEVER, because I'm so flattered at the fact that I've reached 101 reviews, I'm going to try and get another chapter posted by the end of the week. Originally I was going to skip the details of the next chapter and jump ahead in time, but I think with the next chapter I'll cover extra details before I do a time jump.
Oh if anyone is curious, I got the family guy animal thing from the clip "Stewie and European see and say" It's hilarious if you see it in the episode, or on youtube.
I'd love to thank all of my fans and I really truly hope that I hear more from you with the posting of this chapter. Please tell me what you think and let me know if you like it!!
As I said, I'll do my best to get another chapter out by week's end to express my gratitude.
Thank you all on 101 reviews!