Alright guys here's chapter 18. I re ally do hope I get a few mre reviews with this chapter. I've been kinda down lately as my parents just split p, we just lost our house, my school is giving me lots of problems with registration, OSAP is telling me I owe them money but can't figure out how, my mom got into a caf accident with an 18 wheeler and the insurance won't pay to fix it (truck hit her) and I'm getting bullied at work. So I could really use a pick me up and would absolutely love some feedback on the story. Please!

Chapter 18: One Year Later

"Talking"

'Thinking'

~*~

It's been a little over a year since we last visited our two teenage lovebirds; a year and two months to be exact. It was now the middle of March and Gohan and Videl were reaching the finale of their high school years. A lot has changed in the past year and the two teens had managed to endure it all, they even survived their first fight; that had been a long and loud week in the Son household.

Videl leaned against Gohan's locker as she patiently waited for him as the last class of the day had just ended. She stared at her feet while clutching her history textbook to her chest, lost to the world around her. Suddenly she felt something press against her cheek, surprising her out of her stupor.

"Hey V" Gohan said with a grin as he pulled away from giving Videl a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, how was class?" She said as she moved aside so Gohan had better access to his locker as he rummaged around for his books for the weekend.

"Meh, same old same old nothing too exciting" He said as he continued to fiddle with his books and binders. Before Videl could respond a high pitched voice interrupted.

"Hi Gohan" Angela said in a sultry voice as Gohan turned to acknowledge her.

"Oh, hi Angela" Gohan said politely as he closed his locker.

"Videl" Angela said as she sent her a glare, she never could believe the fact that Videl had managed to get Gohan and since the day they became public about their relationship Angela had tried desperately to win Gohan over, but to no avail.

"Whore" Videl said, smiling sweetly at Angela, who had decided to ignore Videl.

"I wanted to show you something Gohan" Angela said with a seductive smile as she turned around and bent forward a little. She then pulled down the hem of her mini skirt, she would have pulled up the top of her shirt, but the shirt was much too small for her and exposed the bottom half of her torso.

"It's a Chinese symbol; it means spiritual woman. I got it so I could show you how independent and spiritual I am" She said as she turned around to see Gohans expression.

She gave a confused look at Gohan as he appeared to be stifling a laugh.

"Did the tattoo artist tell you what that means?" Gohan asked, still trying to keep a straight face for some unknown reason. Videl raised an eyebrow at Gohan and was about to question what he was doing but was once again interrupted by Angela's voice.

"Yes, he told me it meant spiritual woman. He said he thought it was a perfect tattoo for me" She said with a smile, believing that Gohan was smiling because he liked the tattoo.

"Do you know anything about Chinese symbols?" Gohan asked as his laughter began to get harder to control.

"No why?" Angela asked as she raised an eyebrow, matching Videl's confused expression.

Gohan now started to laugh loudly in the hall way. "I hate to break it to you Angela, but that symbol doesn't mean spiritual woman" He said between his laughter.

"What? What does it mean then?" Angela asked in a surprised voice.

Gohan once again gave into his laughter and leaned against his locker as he continued to laugh loudly drawing more and more confused looks.

"I demand you tell me what it means" Angela said as she stomped her foot on the ground and glared at Gohan for laughing at her meaningful tattoo.

"Do you really want to know?" Gohan asked with a very amused grin plastered on his face.

Angela nodded vigorously in response as Gohan tried to calm himself down enough to tell her what her now permanent symbol on her lower back meant.

"Alright…don't shoot the messenger" he said as he took in a deep breath, trying to hide his smile knowing she wasn't going to like what she heard.

"What does it mean already" Angela asked impatiently.

"It doesn't mean spiritual woman…it means sugar substitute" Gohan said as he started laughing again, a surprised look crossing both Videl and Angela's face. Within seconds Videl started joining Gohan in his laughter as they watched Angela's face go bright red.

"Tattoo removal businesses must be making a killing off of stupid people like you" Videl said through her laughs as Angela show Videl a glare.

"Who asked you bitch" Angela spat angrily as she stormed off down the hallway muttering about tattoo artists and how it was Videl's fault.

"That tattoo artist was right though, it does suit her" Videl said still laughing at Angela's priceless expression.

"She's the one who wanted to know" Gohan said as he tried to steady his breathing enough so he and Videl could head home.

"I don't get why she doesn't realize that we're not going to break up for her. I mean… we've been dating over a year now" Videl said as she grinned as all of Angela's fail attempts to separate them went through her mind. The girl was not very bright.

"Ah forget her V, let's go home I'm sure my dad and Goten have plans for us and for the weekend" Gohan said with a grin as he extended his hand to Videl as they started to walk up the stairs and towards the roof of the school.

As the two reached the top of the school they let go of their linked hands. Gohan stepped forward and failed to notice Videl's mischievous grin. Gohan took a deep inhale of the spring air and smiled, he turned around to make a comment to Videl but before he got the chance, he felt something pounce on his back, knocking him off the roof of the school with this person still gripping onto his back.

"You're a dirty fighter" Gohan said with a laugh as he quickly elevated the two of them before anyone noticed that two people just fell off the top of the school.

"You love it" Videl said with a grin as she held onto Gohan as he flew with her on his back, carrying her piggy back style.

"You know, we both could have gotten hurt" Gohan said in a fake serious tone. He held onto her hands what were wrapped around him as he flew. He couldn't help but smile at how playful she had become over the past year.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you'd let someone my size take you out?" she asked in an amused tone of voice.

"Hey you caught me off guard, I didn't expect to fall off a building; that could have ended badly" he said, turning his head to catch a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, still attempting to keep a serious tone of voice.

"I don't believe for a second that even if you were caught off guard that you'd let me fall off a building. Besides, you're Saiyaman, you can stand up to anything!" she exclaimed playfully as Gohan squeezed her hands a little.

"Sometimes, you're lucky you're cute" he said, earning a playful smack from Videl.

"Shut up" she said jokingly as both noticed the Son household quickly coming into view.

Gohan landed on the soft grass and knelt down a little so Videl could touch down onto the ground. Before either could say anything a blur came out through the door and knocked the two over.

"Gohan! Videl! I'm so glad you guys are home; you wouldn't believe everything dad and I did. We found this lizard, and dad said it would bite and I said no, then I picked it up and it bit me. I didn't like him very much. Then dad tried to catch a fish, but it ate him!" Goten exclaimed quickly as he sat on Videl's stomach as the two slowly recovered from the shock of being knocked over so quickly.

"Well, at least it was Goten and not Goku this time" Videl said with a laugh as Gohan helped her to her feet.

The three walked into the house and noticed Chi Chi and Goku in the kitchen.

"Hello" Videl said with a smile as she walked in and put her backpack at the side of the couch.

"Hey guys, how was school?" Goku asked as he sat himself on the counter top, earning a disapproving look from Chi Chi.

"Meh, school was school" Videl shrugged as Chi Chi gave her a smile.

"It's important you get a good education Videl, how else will you get a good job?" Chi Chi questioned as she leaned her back against Goku's knees where he proceeded to rub her shoulders.

"I know it just stays pretty stable in the excitement department" she said with a smile. Chi Chi had treated her like a daughter since the first day she moved in.

"She does have a point there mom" Gohan said as he leaned against the door frame, Goten propped up on his shoulder.

Chi Chi simply shook her head then spoke up as another thought popped into her head. "We're having company over for dinner tonight, so I'd appreciate some help in cleaning up the house if you all wouldn't mind" she said earning nod from everyone in the room.

'I'll take the family room" Videl said as she pick up her backpack once again, preparing to run up to her room quickly.

"I'll take the bathroom" Gohan offered.

"I'll take the kitchen!" Goku offered excitedly causing Chi Chi to turn around with an amused smile on her face.

"Goku I want the house cleaned, I don't want the fridge emptied" She said earning a pout from Goku.

"Why do you always assume I'm going to eat everything?" Goku asked, attempting to defend himself.

"I'm sorry sweetie, would you like something to eat?" She asked an amused smile still on her face.

"That's ok Chi, and actually now that you mention it, I could go for a snack" Goku said as he rubbed his stomach as the others laughed lightly.

"You just proved my point" Chi Chi said with a satisfied smirk on her face as everyone laughed as Goku stuck his tongue out at her. "You can clean the living room and Goten you can help Videl with the family room. I'll do the dining room and get started with dinner" she said in a tone that left no room for arguments.

"You got it mom" Gohan said as he gave his mom a salute then started walking up stairs with Videl in toe.

"I hate cleaning" Goten muttered from his spot on Gohan's shoulder.

"Aw come on, we'll make it fun Goten" Videl said as she saw the now eight year old turn around and give her a sceptical look.

"I promise, we'll stick on some music and we'll have fun" she said with a smile as he seemed to be curious at how they'd managed to have fun with such a boring task.

Both teens stuck their backpacks in their respective rooms and met back up in the hallway.

"You're stuck with me squirt" Videl said as Gohan gently lifted him off his shoulders and placed him on the ground in between them.

"I'll see you in a bit" Videl said with a wink as she stood on her tip-toes and gave Gohan a quick kiss.

"Hey come on, no kissy-kissy stuff" Goten complained, still unhappy with the idea of cleaning.

"I'll see you soon. I bet I get finished before you" he said, giving her a grin.

"Psh, you wish. With Goten and I…you're going down Son" she said, returning the grin.

"Bring it Satan, you're on" Gohan said in an amused tone as the there went their separate ways to clean.

Videl and Goten walked downstairs and Videl went to the closet to grab all the things they would need to clean.

"So explain to me again how this is going to be fun?" Goten asked, a small pout on his face.

"Be careful Goten, you might trip over your lip" Videl said with a laugh as Goten gave her a worried look.

"Do you really think so?" he asked as he quickly put his hands on his mouth, preventing himself from tripping over his lip.

Videl gave him a warm smile, "come on squirt I have an idea" she said earning Goten's interest.

~*~ 20 Minutes later~*~

Music was playing loudly as Goten and Videl continued to 'work'. Videl and Goten were each on one side of the somewhat large wooden coffee table and they were polishing it together in an unconventional way.

"Videl swerves' to the left, then takes a sharp right oh how is Goten going to catch up now, he's in Videl's dust!" Videl exclaimed as she moved the cloth along the table that they were polishing.

"But what's this, Goten appears to be trying some sort of trick, could it work? Oh my goodness Goten as pulled into the lead! Ladies and gentlemen this is quite the surprise, we could have ourselves a tie" Videl once again exclaimed as Goten quickly moved his hand along the table quickly, attempting to 'keep up' with Videl.

"I can't believe it, Goten wins!" Videl exclaimed as Goten jumped up and cheered.

"Ha, you thought I wouldn't win, but I did" Goten said, displaying a proud smile on his face.

"And we got the table dusted" Videl said, causing a look of surprise to cross Goten's face.

"You're right V, this is fun! What else is there to do?" he exclaimed excitedly as he looked over to Videl, eagerly awaiting their next task.

"All that's left is the vacuuming" Videl said as they each grabbed a vacuum and plugged it in.

The loud music played through the house but no one else minded as it provided them with entertainment while they worked as well. Videl let a big grin come on her face as the radio made sounds of a winning coin machine then let a loud, catchy beat follow afterwards.

"I love this song!" Videl exclaimed as she turned it up once again so she'd be able to hear it clearly over the sound of the vacuuming.

Videl held a duster up to her mouth and pretended it was a microphone as she moved her hips to the music while mouthing the words to the song and pushing one of the two vacuum cleaners. Goten quickly followed her lead, realizing it was more fun to move and groove while vacuuming then just to push it around. Goten had also learned very quickly that Videl had a wide variety of songs she 'loved' so it was best to just listen and learn then attempt to ignore them.

Videl pointed at Goten as she mouthed the words to the popular song.

You gotta help me out
It's all a blur last night
We need a taxi 'cause you're hung-over and I'm broke

Goten stuck his tongue out earning a grin from Videl as he started to mouth the words to the next verse and pointing at her to emphasize the point he was attempting to make.

I lost my fake I'd but you lost the motel key
Spare me your freakin' dirty looks
Now don't play me
You want to cash out and get the hell out of town

He sang as Videl gave him a pretend shocked look.

~*~

Gohan had just finished cleaning the bathroom and was walking down stairs to hear the blaring music of Katy Perry. He was about to announce his presence when he noticed that his girlfriend and little brother were pretending to be arguing while they sang 'waking up in Vegas'.

'This could be amusing' he thought to himself with a smile as he took a seat on the stairs and watched the two.

Why are these lights so bright
Oh, did we get hitched last night, dressed up like Elvis,

Videl sang as she made a surprised look to emphasize her point.

Why am I wearing your class ring?
Don't call your mother
'Cause now we're partners in crime

Gohan couldn't help but laugh as he watched his little brother stare at his bare ring finger and attempting to send her a threatening glare when he claimed they were partners in crime.

He then saw Goku walk into the room a minute later as the two were still vacuuming to the song. Videl noticed Goku and stepped towards him, still mouthing the words, all the while earning a very confused look from Goku.

Don't be a baby
Remember what you told me

Videl sang as she repeated the line again, Goku oblivious the song she was singing.

"What… did I tell you?" Goku asked confusion evident in his voice as he scratched the back of his head. Goten and Videl then started singing and pointing at the very confused Goku

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes, now
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas

"I don't have glitter on me" Goku muttered as he checked his clothes while Goten and Videl continued to push the vacuums on the floor, effectively cleaning the entire carpet space.

As the song finished up Goten and Videl began to laugh, "Videl, I love cleaning with you" Goten said as he gave Videl a big grin.

"You're a lot of fun cleaning with too squirt" she replied as she turned down the volume on the radio.

Gohan still sat at his place on the stairs; he couldn't help but smile as he had watched Videl interact with his family. He continued to smile as he stared at her. 'I can't believe how much she's changed for the better' Gohan thought as he remembered what it had been like a year ago.

Videl was standing in the family room joking with Goku and Goten, she was wearing a pair of capris that reached just above her knees, she also wore a dark blue, and short sleeved v–neck t-shirt that fit her form perfectly. Since Gohan had their talk over the year ago Videl had been committed to making Gohan happy as well as making herself happy. She had put on about ten pounds, she now looked healthier than ever, and in Gohan's mind she just looked better every day.

She had started wearing mascara simply to brighten her eyes and had cut her hair not long ago into a bob hairstyle. The front of her hair went down about two inches past her chin and the back revealed her bare neck. (**Authors note: that's my hair style and I like it. So that's why she's got it!**)

As each day passed Gohan was more and more surprised at how she had kept her promise. Videl had always been beautiful to him, and nothing would ever change that. But he had been so happy at the fact that she felt beautiful and she grew more and more confident in herself and her appearance. Now, Videl couldn't care less what someone had to say about her looks, all that mattered to her was that she was happy and that Gohan was there to back that thought up.

Gohan also smiled at how we she fit in with the family and how she'd come to welcome her talents and even showing them off. It wasn't very often that a day would go by without Videl singing or dancing at the house, be it as a joke or being serious. For that, he loved her even more and loved her new sense of confidence.

"That was quite the performance" Gohan said as he stood up and clapped for Videl and Goten. Goten gave him a big grin while Videl blushed.

"How much of that did you see?" Videl asked as she tried to suppress her blush.

"I took my seat on the stairs when you asked Goten if you got hitched last night, and Goten noticed he was wearing your class ring and glaring at you telling you that you were partners in crime" Gohan said with a big smile on his face. "You looked pretty into it Goten" he said with a laugh as Goten gave his family's famous grin.

"I've learned it's stupid to tune out the song Videl enjoys so it's better just to enjoy them with her. Besides, we were having a lot of fun…she was right, cleaning can be fun!" Goten said with a laugh.

"You were singing right? Because quite frankly I can't remember what I told you, and I can't find this glitter" Goku said as he arched an eyebrow and rubbed the back of his neck.

Videl let a laugh escape her lips as Gohan shook his head lightly. "Yea Goku, it was a song, I was just joking with you" she said earning a large grin from Goku.

"From what I've seen of the house, it looks like you all did a good job" Chi Chi said as she came in and looked around the room. "Well I guess you're free to do as you wish till everyone gets here, it shouldn't be too much longer" Chi Chi said as she received a nod from everyone and went back to the kitchen to start preparing the large dinner.

"I think I'm going to work on my home work k?" Videl said drawing Gohans attention to her.

"Alright, I'll let you know when everyone is here" Gohan said as he gave Videl a kiss on the cheek. Videl gave everyone a smile and a wave as she walked up the stairs to get a start on her homework.

"Hey Goten, why don't you go outside and stretch and I'll be out in a few minutes and we can spar, or play hide and seek" Goku suggested as his youngest son energetically nodded his head and ran out the door.

Gohan gave his dad a confused look, which only increased when Goku gave him a big grin.

"So are you?" Goku asked quietly, looking around the room to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

"I am. I'm going to go shopping next week" Gohan mumbled in response.

"Any ideas on how?" Goku asked, grinning widely.

"Yea, I'll tell you about it later though" Gohan said quietly again as he noticed his mother walking into the room.

"Gohan sweetie could go and grab some vegetables for me from the garden? The fresher the better" Chi Chi said as Gohan nodded his head and headed outside to get any kind of vegetables he could find.

About an hour later people were arriving at the cozy Son household. "Videl could you get the door" Chi Chi yelled from her spot in the kitchen.

Videl slid Goten off her lap as she went to answer the door. "Hi mom" Videl said to Aaliyah as she greeted her with a smile and a big hug. Ever true to her word over a year ago, the two saw each other weekly and spoke via telephone or e-mail daily. The mother daughter duo had completely rekindled their relationship and Videl had even built another mother daughter relationship with Chi Chi.

Ever since the day Videl had moved in the with Son household Chi Chi treated her as if she was one of her own; she would scold Videl if needed and could bring her up whenever she was down. Videl never once felt out of place at the household, and had she ever made herself seem like she was a guest, Chi Chi was quick to correct her.

"Where's Yamcha mom?" Videl asked as she hung her mom's coat up for her.

"Oh, the poor guy, he's got a bad case of the flu" Aaliyah said with a slight smile. She and Yamcha had been going strong since they went to the New Years ball over a year ago.

"How do you know he's not just faking it?" The two heard a voice behind them and turned around and saw Krillin, 18 and Marron.

Aaliyah gave the family a smile, "well if he's faking it, he faked it all over the kitchen floor, and then a few more times in the bathroom upstairs" Aaliyah replied earning a disgusted look from Krillin.

"Poor guy" he muttered, shaking his head as he walked into the cozy house and went to do his rounds greeting the members of the Son family.

Not long after the arrival of Aaliyah and Krillin's family did Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks show up.

Bulma had been keeping a secret lately from everyone except from Chi Chi, she had wanted it to be a surprise, which was part of the reason she had wanted to have a get together.

"Hey Bulma" Goku said with a smile as he gave her a puzzled look. "Have you put on some weight?" Goku asked earning a glare from Bulma.

"I thought the same thing too" Vegeta muttered earning another glare from his wife.

"They two of you can shut up" she snapped as she stormed out of the room to go and greet Chi Chi in the kitchen.

Once everyone had arrived and Chi Chi received help in the kitchen dinner was made quickly. Now everyone was sitting down at the table and getting ready to start eating.

Videl took her seat beside Gohan and poked his leg gently to get his attention. "Has Bulma put on a little weight?" Videl whispered to Gohan as she casually eyed the slightly fuller form Bulma now had.

"I think she might have. She has always been a fan of chocolate" Gohan whispered causing Videl's eyes to roll.

"I was wondering if she was pregnant" she whispered back causing Gohan to look back in shock. Before he could respond to Videl, both Chi Chi and Bulma stood at the head of the table.

"Ahem" Chi Chi said, while clearing her throat and drawing everyone's attention. "everyone Bulma has an announcement" Chi Chi said, sending a smile to Bulma as she let Bulma now start to speak.

"Well, as you know, we were going to meet up for this dinner so we could discuss the barbeque for next week that I'm hosting" Bulma said, her smile now grew. "But, I'd like you to know I'm throwing this barbeque as a celebration. Guys… I'm pregnant" She said with a smile as Vegeta's jaw dropped.

"Vegeta, you old dog" Goku said as he punched Vegeta in the arm causing him to blush.

"Aw congratulations Bulma" Aaliyah said as she stood up and gave Bulma a hug. "How long?" Aaliyah asked causing Bulma's smile to still hold strong.

"Almost two months" She said with a smile as Vegeta still looked stunned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Vegeta muttered out, a blush still lingering on his cheeks.

"You're a Saiyan, I though you would have sensed it by now" She said, sending a glare his way, "you've been so preoccupied with training, I figure I'd tell you when I told everyone else" she said as his gaze softened a little.

"Wow, V, you were right" Gohan said with a laugh.

"I thought she had just gained weight" Goku said earning a glare from his wife and Bulma. He then waved his hands frantically in front of him as he spoke again trying to calm the angered women, "you look great Bulma, you've got a glow about you. I'm very happy for you" he said, earning a smile from the two women and breathed a sigh of relief. A woman pregnant with Saiyan children have absolutely wicked mood swings, and they start at almost any time during the pregnancy.

"I loved being pregnant" 18 said as she gave Bulma a hug. "it's just…such an awesome feeling knowing something is growing inside of you" she said with a slight smile as Krillin put his arm around her waist.

Chi Chi heaved a blissful sigh, "I can't wait until Videl gets pregnant. Our grandkids are going to be so adorable" she said, causing Gohan and Videl to blush. She then started to laugh as she spoke to the blushing teens, "Videl is going to have awful mood swings. Poor you Gohan" she said, ignoring the two blushing teens.

"So Bulma, what would you like me to bring to the barbeque" Videl said loudly, quickly changing the subject in order to spare her and Gohan some more embarrassment. She loved Gohan but geez, they've been together a little over a year and their families were already planning for kids, they weren't even out of high school.

"Think you can make some of your delicious desserts again?" Bulma asked as she piled food on her plate, clearly her appetite had already increased.

"Only if Marron can help me again" she said, earning a smile from the excited child.

~*~ Later that night~*~

Everyone had now left about an hour ago and our two teenage lover birds were watching a movie on the couch, everyone else had gone to bed. Videl was curled up against Gohan, ignoring the movie while Gohan gently ran his finger tips along her back while he watched the movie.

"Thank god it's the weekend" Gohan muttered, earning a nod from Videl.

"Yea, that week was brutal, I swear I've done nothing but history" she said, removing her face slightly form Gohans chest.

"Well now we get to take it easy" he said "and now we can play with my brother and dad" he said, laughing at all the plans the two had already made for them.

"I can't wait to sleep in" she muttered, once again placing burying her face back into his chest, "I can't believe the mountain air still takes this much out of me" she said, rubbing her eyes, and she noticed it was nearing midnight.

"Well, go to bed, we can watch the rest of the movie tomorrow night" he said quietly as he held her closer to his body, his mind racing with thoughts and preparations.

"I think that may be a good idea" she mumbled as she suppressed a yawn.

"Come on" he said, sitting up gently bringing her with him.

She grunted in response and stood to her feet. The two then walked into the small bathroom upstairs and both started to brush their teeth. Once they were done with their bedtime preparations, they met in the hallway they always met in before they both retreated to their rooms.

Gohan embraced Videl, pulled her feet off the ground so he was at eyelevel with him. "Sweet dreams" he said quietly, as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to her.

"Night sweetheart" she mumbled, smiling against his lips. "I'll see you in the morning" she said as Gohan gently put her back on the ground and leaned down to meet her height to give her another hug and a kiss.

"See you in the morning" he said quietly as they pulled away from their hug and gave her a smile and a small wave.

The two then parted for their rooms and headed to bed.

~*~

Videl walked down the dark street, clutching the straps on her backpack. She didn't know why but she got a very uneasy feeling as she left the library.

'Why's it so empty? It's only 5:45" Videl thought to herself as she looked around the street and noticed it was completely deserted.

"I'm going to be late" she said quietly as she stopped and looked for a short cut to her destination. She had thought about flying but thought it was too risky; chances are someone would see her flying through town. She looked down a pathway through a wooded area. "That will probably be quicker" she said quietly as she turned towards the wooded park area. Still amazed at how empty the area was.

She moved and walked down the empty pathway, feeling a cool breeze hit her and send a chill through her body. Even though she was wearing a jacket she couldn't help but feel a strange cold sensation.

A few minutes into her walk she suddenly had a feeling of regret hit her deep in her stomach. She heard a stick snap and turned around quickly trying to find the source of the noise.

"Stupid squirrel" she muttered, trying to set her mind at ease. She started power walking, trying to arrive quicker at her destination before she was really late for the get together.

Once again, she heard a snapping noise followed by the rustling behind some trees. Before she could react she then heard the sound of running, simply acting on impulse she started running in response.

She turned around trying to find the source of the noise then was surprised when she felt herself running into something. She shook her head in surprised as she was knocked backwards but before she could question what was going on she felt something grab her from behind.

She opened her mouth the scream but felt something hit her head, stunning her momentarily. Then she felt a wet cloth was being pressed against her face as she inhaled a strange smell. 'Is that…chloroform?" she thought as sleep now started taking over her.

All she could hear was a deep laughter as she welcomed the world of unconsciousness.

Her eyes quickly snapped open as she sat up in her bed, her breathing was heavy and her face was damp from her cold sweat.

'What the hell was that?' Videl thought to herself as she inhaled deeply trying to calm her rapid heart rate.

"Damn dreams" she muttered as she wiped the back of her hand against her damp forehead. She turned and looked at the clock them flopped back on her bed and yawned loudly. "Four in the morning" she muttered as she closed her eyes. Every time she closed her eyes she could smell chloroform or felt like someone was stalking her.

She reached her arm out and touched her touch sensor lamp and turned it on to the lowest light. She opened the drawer to her night stand and pulled out a small photo album. Every since her mom came back to life she started to save family pictures with everyone; she even had a few of her and Vegeta together, granted he wore a scowl in everyone.

She slowly flipped through the many pages of pictures and reflected on the memories that each picture brought back to her. She smiled to herself, 'life really did get better when I left dad' she thought to herself as she looked at a picture of her from a year ago.

She felt herself frown when she noticed how small and bony she had been, she pulled a picture of her and Gohan together that was taken recently and held it against a picture from a year ago. She noticed she did indeed seem much happier then she had back then, and noticed that even though she had put ten pounds on in that year, she felt and looked happier and had never felt more comfortable in her skin.

"I love it here" she mumbled quietly as she felt her eyes growing heavy as she continued to flip through the photo pages. She put the book down on her bed and looked around at the many pictures that she had on her desk and dresser as well as the ones she had hanging on the wall. Each picture brought forth a new memory. A memory she was happy to think about, trying to push the dream she had not long ago out of her head.

She lay back down on her bed and continued to think of happy thoughts and quickly felt the memory of her dream being pushed away and felt her body grow tired. Slowly her eye lids began to drop and she felt herself drifting off to a peaceful sleep once again.

~*~

A flash appeared in front of Gohans eyes, it was as if someone was showing black and white pictures to him, but the flashes were so quick he couldn't figure out what the pictures were of.

"It's not over" a voice whispered as he turned around trying to find the source of the voice.

"What's not over?" he questioned out loud hoping to receive an answer.

"It's not over yet" the voice repeated once again.

"What's not over?" Gohan repeated again getting a little annoyed. Suddenly he felt a flash and was in the room with an older version of what he assumed was Videl.

She stared at him with blank eyes, dressed in a white gown giving her an almost angelic look.

"Are you alright?" Gohan questioned as she snapped out of her dazed stupor. The woman was definitely the older version of Videl, Gohan recognized her from his dream of them having a baby girl together.

"It's not over" she repeated quietly as she stared over at him, snapping out of her dazed stupor.

"What's not over?" he repeated again, more confused than ever, but felt a little apprehensive about what she was talking about.

"I can't tell you, but it's not over" she repeated as she lowered her head and slowly started drifting off into a dark background. The flashing had stopped and now he stood in a dark void.

He suddenly sat up in his bed and looked around, 'what the heck was that?' he thought to himself as he looked around at his surroundings to figure out where he was.

"I hate dreaming" he muttered as he flopped back down on the bed. He gave a loud yawn then closed his eyes again, leave it to a Saiyan to be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. With that he quickly fell back asleep, oblivious to the world around him.

~*~ A few days later~*~

Both Gohan and Videl didn't mention their strange dreams that they had had to each other, neither feeling a reason to. However, both were more than a little curious as to why it happened. Videl was trying to figure out if she was in danger and Gohan was trying to figure out what wasn't over yet.

Both acted normal, but often felt that their minds were preoccupied with other thoughts.

The two teens were flying home from their school. "Thank god it's Wednesday" Videl commented as they flew quickly through the air.

"What's so good about Wednesday?" Gohan asked as he turned to give Videl his attention.

"It's hump day" she stated as if it were the most common knowledge in the world. She turned to Gohan and started laughing as she noticed he was blushing and avoiding her gaze. "Not that kind of hump you goof" she said with a laugh as his blush grew.

"I mean it's the middle of the week, it's like we're on top of the hump and everything is just going to go quickly down for the weekend" she stated as a look of realization came across his face.

"I knew that" he muttered as a small pink tint lingered on his cheeks.

"Oh I was wondering if at some point tonight if you'd want to go grocery shopping so I can get the stuff to bake for the barbeque" she said, as Gohan listened intently to their conversation.

"Of course I'll go with you. Think you'll have time?" he stated turning so he was flying backwards in front of Videl.

"I figure I'll pick up Marron tomorrow after school, then she'll come over and bake with me, then everything is ready for Friday. Which also reminds me After school on Friday I'm going to go to the library to grab some history books for my project, then I'll just walk over to Bulma's" she said, then noticing the worried look on Gohans face.

"I can go with you" He said as he gazed at her, worry clearly evident on his face.

"They need you to help with setting up for the barbeque, especially since Bulma can't do any heavy lifting since she's pregnant" Videl rationalized as the house quickly was coming into view.

"I'm sure they could manage without me, I really don't have a problem going with you" he said as they were now floating in front of their house and slowly settled down onto the soft grass.

"Sweetie, I know you worry about me, but I promise I'll be fine. I've just got to do some research and take out a few books. I'll be forty five minutes at most. I promise" she said as she walked up to him and held his hands trying to reassure him.

"But last time you said that-"

"I was wrong last time, what could happen? My dad is afraid to do anything that would associate himself with me. He even avoids the press when they question me" she questioned, cutting him off in mid sentence.

"I don't know" he muttered, still having a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, he opened the door for the two of them then closed it gently behind him.

"Don't worry" she said as she gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm going to go call 18 and let her know I'll get Marron tomorrow after school" she said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran upstairs to her bedroom to place the call.

"Gohan heaved a deep sigh and dropped his bag by the couch and sat down at the dining room table.

"Hello sweetie, how was school" Chi Chi said as she came into the dining room, drying her hands on her apron.

"Was alright thanks" he mumbled as she took a seat across from him.

He saw her face light up and instantly knew what she was going to question him about. "So it's Videl's birthday next month" she said with a grin as Gohan looked up to show that he was paying attention. "Do you know what you're going to get her?" she asked.

"I do. I think you or another person should come with me though. I have absolutely no idea what size she would be" he said as he watched his mothers grin grow.

"She's going to flip when she wears it" she said as she got a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I'm going to throw her a surprise party too" he said with a smile, pleased at how he had already planned her birthday. Just one more month then he'll throw her the surprise party of her life.

"Hey Gohan, daddy and I are going for a swim, want to join us?" Goten asked as he bounded into the kitchen.

"Sure thing squirt, just let me go change" he said as he got up and ruffled Goten's hair and let to go get changed.

After swimming, and after a very large meal Gohan and Videl were now flying to pick up all the ingredients Videl would need for baking as well as a few things Chi Chi needs.

The landed a few minutes away from a grocery store and walked in a comfortable silence. They managed to fill three carts quickly with all the ingredients needed to make all of the delicious desserts and were now in the process of having everything rung through, creating a very large bill for them.

As the cashier was ringing through the many carts worth of food the two heard a voice that they instantly recognized.

"Hey Gohan" a sultry voice said as they now view Angela latch herself onto Gohans arm.

"Oh hi Angela" Gohan said as he rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing what to do with the annoying girl that was latched onto his arm.

"How's that tattoo doing?" Videl asked in an annoyed tone.

"Shut up" she said as she gave a glare to Videl. She then looked up at Gohan and bated her eyes, "you know Gohan, if I could rearrange the alphabet I'd but U and I together" she said with a smile, pleased with her pick up line.

"Well, then it's a good thing that the letters N and O are together" he said as she gave him a glare and he pulled his arm away from her. "See you tomorrow" he said as he turned around earning a bigger glare from Angela.

Angela then stomped her foot in frustration and stormed off into a random isle in the store.

Videl smiled as she hugged Gohan around his waist. "I have never been so turned on in my life" she said quietly earning a blush from Gohan.

"You're serious?" he whispered quietly as his blush deepened and Videl giggled slightly at his response.

"Excuse me sir? Your total is five hundred and seventy five dollars and eighty six cents" the young female cashier said.

"Here, I'll put it on my credit card" he said as he handed her his Visa.

"That job working with Bulma has really paid off eh?" Videl questioned as she started to capsule the groceries to make it easier to carry.

"You have no idea" he said with a smile, 'you really have no idea' he thought, smiling inwardly knowing what was to come.

"Alright, I'm ready when you are" Videl said with a smile as she stuck the capsules in her pocket.

"Lets boogie" Gohan said as they walked off and quickly took to the sky to fly back to their house.

~*~Thursday~*~

Gohan and Videl had just arrived back at their place with Marron with them. They didn't make mention of Videl going to the library by herself tomorrow, but both knew that there was tension between the two of them surround that topic.

Gohan sat in the living room, watching Videl and Marron make their cheesecakes, while the rest of his family along with Bulma's family were talking animatedly.

A loud crackle of thunder snapped Gohan out of his trance. "Man, it's a really beauty out there eh?" Goku said as he stared out the window, watching the heavy ran pound against their glass windows.

"I've always enjoyed watching the rain" Bulma said as she chewed on a sandwich that Chi Chi had made for her after getting a craving for meat. "Something about it…its so calming but it's frightening at the same time" she mused out loud as another loud crack of thunder went off.

As the next bright bolt of lightning went off, a small scream was heard from the kitchen. Chi Chi heaved a heavy sigh, "I think I enjoy it more when the power stays on" she said as they now sat in darkness.

"Is everything alright in there" Gohan called as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the kitchen. He collected a small amount of energy in his hand so he could light the way for him while his father did the same as he helped Chi Chi look for candles.

"Yea, we're alright thanks" Videl said with a small laugh. Once the lightening had gone off as well as the power, it had startled Marron and she ended up throwing cream cheese in Videl's face by accident.

"I'm so sorry Del" Marron said, once she saw that she had thrown the blend of cream cheese and sugar at Videl.

"That's alright Marron, no harm done. Besides, there's only a little on my face right?" She said earning an apologetic nod from her.

Gohan reached into a drawer and pulled out a cloth then ran it under the sink for a moment and handed it to Videl. "There's just some on your right cheek" he said with a smile as she thanked him and cleaned off her face.

Another loud boom of thunder went off causing both Videl and Marron to jump in surprise.

Gohan picked Marron up as her eyes started to well up with tears. "it's alright Marron, you're safe in here" Gohan said as he tried to sooth the young girl who now gripped Gohan tightly out of fear of the storm.

"I don't like storms" she said quietly as she sniffled into Gohans dark t-shirt.

Videl gave a small smile, "Don't worry Marron, loud storms scare me too" she said as stepped closer to the light Gohan was illuminating.

"They do?" the young girl questioned quietly.

"Yep, everyone is afraid of something. But do you want to know what helps me feel a little better when I'm scared during a storm like this?" she asked in a gentle tone as the girl lifted her face up from Gohans shirt and looked at her questioningly.

"My mom used to tell me that during storms like this, angels are bowling, and when you hear thunder, that's the banging of the ball. Then when there's lightning and thunder that means an angel got a strike" Videl said, earning a smile from Gohan in response.

A quieter boom of thunder came and Gohan smiled at the startled girl. "They must be having a really good game up there" he said with a laugh earning a smile from Marron.

"That doesn't make the storm sound so scary" Marron said as her tears slowly started to stop and a nervous smile came out on to her face.

"If it makes you feel any better at least you're scared of a scary storm" Videl said earning a confused look from Gohan. Videl then leaned in closer and whispered, "Gohan is afraid of mice" she said, earning a shocked look from her boyfriend and a giggle from Marron.

"I am not!" Gohan protested as they two girls laughed. "If I remember correctly it was you and my mom who were standing on a table when a mouse was spotted. Then I blinked and you ran up the stairs faster than I could see" he said as they two girls continued to laugh.

"Be that as it may, you were the one who locked yourself in the car when a mouse appeared in front of it" she said earning an unimpressed look from Gohan.

"That was you!" he protested once again only to be met by a big smile. (**Authors note: Ok, it was me. I pulled into my drive way and a mouse popped out of the ground in front of my car and I locked myself in the car. I'm not too sure why, I guess I was worried about the mouse trying to car jack me. lol Anyways back to the story**)

"Wow, big strong Gohan is afraid of a little mousey!" Marron giggled earning a sigh from Gohan.

"Lets go join the others" Gohan said in a defeated voice as Videl gave him a smile. Videl then quickly put the cheesecake mixture in the fridge then linked her arm with Gohans and went to join the others.

"I'm just saying, I hope it's a girl" the three heard Goku say with a laugh.

"Please do explain why you think that would be so amusing Kakarot" Vegeta said with a glare as Goku gave him his famous grin.

"I can see it now…" Goku said as his grin grew, he then lowered his voice in an attempt to mimic Vegeta and spoke, "I am Vegeta, prince of all Saiyans, bow down before me for I kill without regret and eat kittens for breakfast, without the milk…what's that sweetie? A tea party? Why I'd be happy to join you and Misses Hippo-bottom" he said as Vegeta glare only grew as Bulma and Chi Chi started laughing.

"I would pay to see that" Bulma said with a laugh as Vegeta shot her a dirty look. "Don't even try and intimidate me with that look" Bulma said as she now glared back at him. "Do you really want to mess with a hormonal, pregnant woman with a Saiyan child?" she said as Vegeta looked away as she smiled with satisfaction.

"Don't worry Vegeta, you'll know soon if you'll be having tea parties or if you'll be sparring and training another little boy" Chi Chi said as she gave the angry Saiyan a grin.

"Bulma, if you ever catch Vegeta having a tea party, I will give you anything in the world for a copy of that tape" Gohan said as he, Videl and Marron now took a seat on the empty couch, joining the group that was talking around the candles.

"Kakarot you're a dead man" Vegeta seethed as Goku grin only grew to a full blown classic smile.

"You'd look darling in a bonnet" He said as everyone burst out laughing and Vegeta stood up in anger.

"That's it, you and me Kakarot, outside. We'll fight to the death" he seethed as he pointed out the window to emphasize his point.

"You'll mess your hair up Vegeta" Videl said as she gave him a smile which was returned with a glare.

"You shut up" He said as he turned back to Goku and heard Bulma heave a heavy sigh. "Vegeta, this baby is getting bigger, and because it's a Saiyan it's getting bigger fast. I can't be traveling the world to find the dragon balls to wish you back to life when I'm in this condition" she said as she lightly grabbed Vegeta's hand gently. Much to everyone's surprise, Vegeta didn't pull his hand away from her, however he didn't sit down yet either, he simply smirked.

"I'm going to give you a needle in your sleep" he said, his smirk only grew as Goku visibly paled.

"You're afraid of needles Goku?" Marron innocently questioned from her perch on Gohans lap.

"Marron, don't ever trust someone with a needle, they're evil" Goku said, still shaken up at the threat of receiving a needle.

"Gohan is afraid of mice" she said with a smile as everyone turned and gave Gohan a blank look. Gohan slapped his forehead and blushed while Videl started to laugh.

"I…didn't know that about you" Chi Chi said as she gave Gohan a weird look.

"I'm not, Videl told Marron that" he said as Videl laughed louder.

"Nope, Marron knows, Gohan is afraid of mice" she said with a grin as Gohans blush remained on his cheeks.

"Oh yea, well you have Triskaidekaphobia" Gohan retorted earning a confused look from everyone.

"Videl, you're afraid of triskets?" Goku asked as he gave the teenage girl a funny look.

"Not that I remember. I think I ate some the other day" Videl said as Gohan laughed a little.

"It's a fear of the number thirteen, not triskets" Gohan said with a laugh as Goku and Videl blushed at their mistake.

Vegeta shook his head as he sat down and once again spoke up. "You'll get what's coming Kakarot just you wait, I'll get you back. See that storm outside, that means one thing and one thing only; trouble is coming".

~*~

Alright that's chapter 18, I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope I receive reviews for more motivation! I don't know if people dislike the use of music in my stories (if you do please tell me), however I'm basing this on personal experience. No I've never had a ball like I made in this story, but I have sung music with people while cleaning, and did a similar thing with my cousin while I was getting him to help me clean only a few weeks ago. I suggest you try it; it's more fun than you'd think!

Anyways, I've set up a few questions for what could possibly happen for the next few chapters…wonder if anyone can guess what will happen!! Hope you liked it and I'll get started on chapter 19.

Read and review please!!