Hey guys, I'm really, really sorry for the delay in chapter postings. School has been crazy these past few weeks and I've been completely consumed in school work. To emphasize this, I've had 7 midterms, 3 quizzes, 3 essay proposals, 5 essays, keeping up with my readings (12 separate books) and a book report; I also worked 25 hours each week and played hockey three times a week. Long story short I've been keeping very busy. I really truly do hope you understand my delay and that you'll forgive me for it. I hope I've still got a strong fan base and I hope that you'll enjoy my next chapter. I promise come December, I'll be able to write more as all I'll have is work.
But anyways, here is chapter 22, Again I'm sorry for the delay…I'll tell you what, if I get 10 reviews I'll make sure to get chapter 23 out within two weeks. Sound like a deal?
Enjoy!
~*~
Chapter 22: What Will They Think?
'Thinking'
"Talking"
Gohan gently closed Videl's door behind and leaned against it. He reached his hand up and rubbed his eyes as he heaved a heavy sigh. Gohan knew Videl didn't do anything wrong, but given Hercule's reputation, he was petrified for her safety and how the police as well as the public would react.
He knew no matter how he stalled he would eventually have to tell the police what happened; if he didn't then they'd just question Videl and there was no way he was willing to let her go through her emotional terror if he could help it.
He walked down the aisle towards the private waiting room. Once he reached the private waiting room he inhaled deeply as he grasped the cool door handle. 'It's now or never' he thought to himself as he then opened the door and took a step in.
He gave a small smile as he was greeted with the view of his family and friends sitting awkwardly with the police, each giving each other a suspicious look.
"How did the press conference go chief?" Gohan asked, trying to ease the tension and stall before having to relay everything he had just been told.
"The public is heartbroken at the death of their hero" Chief Connell said solemnly as he stared at the tile floor in front of him.
'It's about to get a whole lot worse' Gohan thought to himself as he watched the chief stand up and straighten the creases on his pants.
"Let's get to work Mr. Saiyaman. I trust that Videl told you about our attacker?" The chief asked as he put his police hat back on top of his balding head.
"She did" he replied quietly, casting his glance elsewhere, not looking forward to what was about to come.
"I spoke with Kayla, she's putting us into a secluded room where you and I will talk man to man" The chief said as he motioned with his head for Gohan to follow.
Gohan nodded in response and followed the chief out of the waiting room; the two other officers accompanied them.
As soon as the door closed to the waiting room everyone sat in silence. "I wonder what happened" Chi Chi pondered out loud as she slowly ran her fingers through Gotens hair as he curled up beside her.
"Gohan looked uneasy" Aaliyah mused as she closed her eyes and leaned against Yamcha's arm, he squeezed her hand in response to offer some comfort.
"Do you think we should ask Videl what happened ourselves?" Bulma asked as she absentmindedly rubbed her swollen belly.
Goku lightly shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea to ask Videl…I'm sure it'll be all out in the open soon enough" he stated quietly.
A moment of silence came over the group before a quiet knock came at the door. A few seconds later the door opened and Kayla quietly stepped in and greeted the group with a smile.
"Hey guys, I hope the chief didn't bother you guys too much" she said, still smiling at the friendly group. "I figured since the chief will be busy with Gohan for awhile…did you want to go back into Videl's room? She's asleep now but she's definitely doing better, we've lowered her morphine dosage a little so she's more coherent and can carry on a conversation…well she can when she's awake at least" she said as she sat down on a chair beside Vegeta.
"I would love to see my baby girl again" Aaliyah said quietly.
"After going through what you all have, I figured you'd want to be near her as much as you can…so long as the chief is busy, I have absolutely no problem with you guys visiting her. But if the chief comes back, please don't be upset if I kick you out abruptly" she laughed a little, "I could get fired" she said as she leaned back against the chair.
"Kayla?" a small voice questioned.
"What can I do for you buddy?" she replied with a smile as she looked down at Goten.
"When can Videl come home? Bulma has medical things that could take care of her really quickly. I don't like it here" Goten said with a small pout.
"Well, we should probably keep her here over night, but if I pulled some strings and Mrs. Briefs promised to take care of Videl, I could try and have her released tomorrow" she replied as she cast a glance up at Bulma.
"Actually, I think my medical equipment would double her recovery time" Bulma mused as she gave a smile to Kayla, "If you're good with it I'd be happy to fix her up. I'll have her check in with you in a week".
"Excellent, I'll start on the paper work tonight, you guys can check her out tomorrow" Kayla said as she stood up, "now, how about we go to her room so she's greeted with family faces" she said as she opened the door allowing the others to follow her.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
Gohan nervously walked behind the police chief towards a secluded room for their discussion. It's funny how someone could go against some of the toughest monsters in the universe, and a little conversation made him more nervous than previous events combined.
The chief stopped in front of a door then unlocked it with a key and motioned for Gohan to follow him. Gohan stepped into the room and moved towards the table in the centre of the room as the door clicked shut, the two other officers stood guard outside of the door to prevent disturbances.
"Mr. Saiyaman, please have a seat" the chief said as he sat down and motioned for Gohan to follow his lead.
Gohan sat down and held his breath, desperately trying to think of some way to stall, but at this point there was no way of avoiding getting the discussion under way.
"What happened?" the chief questioned as he turned on his tape recorder.
Gohan cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "I want you to promise no harm will come to Videl first" he stated firmly.
"Depending on what's happened. I can't make that promise" the chief stated.
"I want you to be open minded…she's not lying in her story and I don't want her to be promised her safety no matter what. You promise me that and I will sing like a canary" Gohan stated firmly again in his fake voice.
The chief gave him a glare, "fine, her safety is guaranteed" he stated gruffly.
"Thank you…now where do you want me to start? Do you want me to tell you Videl's account of the story, or skip right to the ending?" he questioned the older man.
"Start with the story, don't skip on the details" he stated as he reached over and grabbed a water bottle off the middle of the table.
"Alright, she told me it started when she was walking home from the library; there was construction on the road so she had to take the pathway through the park to get to Mrs. Briefs house. She said someone was chasing her and no matter how fast she ran she couldn't elude this person in the dark. She said next thing she knew she felt a wet cloth being pressed to her face, smelt chloroform, and then passed out" he stated, playing with his gloves, uncomfortably at relaying the tale.
"What park?" the chief questioned.
"Satan City Park, as I said there was construction near the school library. She said it was generally a populated area but it was strangely quiet for that time of day" he stated the chief nodding in response.
"Please, continue" the chief said, taking another swig of water.
"She said when she woke up she realized she was back in the Satan mansion. She said her arms and legs were bound together and she was gagged. Her attacker then came into her room and started to beat her up a bit and then slammed her head against the wall where she said that she then blacked out from a concussion" he stated uncomfortable. He had never been so thankful that he had sun glasses on then he was during this conversation.
"The assailant slammed her head into the wall?" the chief questioned.
"Yes, she said he grabbed her by the throat that was part of the reason she passed out" he stated again.
The chief gave a nod then motioned for Gohan to continue.
"She said she woke up and threw up, that's how she knew she had a concussion. She said her attacker came back and picked her up by her wrist binds and carried her into the bathroom where he threw her into the tub. She said he then told her he was going to kill her and ran the dull side of the knife against her throat. She said he pressed the jagged side of the knife to her throat, but the door rang and he went to go and answer it"
The chief gave a puzzled look, "the door bell rang? Do you know what time or who was at the door?" he questioned.
"She said she could smell Chinese food" he stated.
"That makes sense…we did find take out in the kitchen" the chief mused as he motioned for Gohan to again continue.
"She said when he left to go and get the door she broke a disposable razor and used it to cut her bindings on her wrists and ankles, but she cut herself in the process. She went to get out of the tub but slipped and her attacker came upstairs quickly after. She said she hid and when he had his back to her she slammed a hair dryer into his face and started to run down the hallway"
"That explains the blood all in the bathtub. That's good…we were worried she had been sexually assaulted" the chief once again mused as Gohan continued.
"She said he chased after her and kept trying to stab her but she managed to keep ahead of her. She said the knife flew past her head but it missed her and then she rounded a corner and tripped and twisted her ankle in the process." He cast a glance over at the chief, every now and then he noticed the heavy set man would scribble something down onto a piece of paper before motioning for Gohan to continue again.
"She ran down the stairs and said she remembered something and went and grabbed the gun. She said her attacker tried to choke her again, but she kicked him between the legs and grabbed the gun…she begged him to stop and leave her alone but he said he was going to kill her and came after her…where she then shot him in self defence" Gohans voice got quiet as he noticed the chiefs head shoot up and look straight into Gohans eyes.
"She shot her attacker…who…" The chief couldn't finish the words; the wheels in his head were turned as he waited for Gohan to finish his thought.
"Mr. Satan was her attacker" Gohan said quietly as he looked downwards, avoiding the shocked look on the chiefs head.
The chiefs face contorted to a look of anger as he stood up and slammed his fist onto the table, "you're lying" he screamed as he gripped his fists and glared at Gohan, "Hercule was a hero not a killer, how dare you accuse him of that. I demand you tell me the real story" he fumed
Gohan felt his anger rising, he just told him what his girlfriend had endured and he was accusing him of lying, "I'm telling you the truth, check the evidence, dust the knife for prints, they are all Hercule's. He has been abusing that poor woman for years and you're here defending that assholes honour? I will not tolerate it. That is what Videl endured and if his life had to be sacrificed to save the woman he tried to kill, then I have no issues with that" Gohan stood up and let his chair go crashing to the ground behind him.
"I'm going back to Videl, you will not be bothering her" Gohan snarled as he turned around and walked out of the room, slamming and breaking the door behind him.
The chief scrambled to the broken door, "if we find any flaw in your retelling of the story, you will be charged and Miss Satan will be thrown in jail before you can say jail bait" the chief yelled.
Gohan stopped in mid step and turned around and walked quickly back to the chief. "I know, you aren't stupid enough to refer to Videl as jail bait, and if you are, I promise you I will make sure you're never able to utter words again" he hissed as he held the chief above the ground by the collar of his shirt. "Do your damn job, and do it properly. Hercule is an abuser, and an attempted killer" Gohan seethed again as he stormed away again, making his way up to Videl's room.
The chief was left in a stunned stupor; his mind was reeling at the fact that their city's hero may have been the one who attempted to murder Videl. He quickly grabbed his cell phone and pressed the speed dial button, "Mick, compare all finger prints found in the house to both Satan's, I need to know who's prints are on what weapons and I want to know as soon as possible" he said as he quickly shut the phone.
"I have to be objective about this…Videl isn't a liar, be objective Don" he whispered to himself as he picked up his hat and put it back on and moved to get back to the station.
~*~ Elsewhere~*~
Gohan marched through the hallways, his disguise hiding his angered expression. He couldn't believe the nerve of the police chief; after all the times Videl had put her life on the line to save his and everyone else's around her, he had the nerve to refer to her as jail bait. He desperately tried to avoid the curious glances he was receiving as he passed people in the hallways and responded to their greetings with a quiet grunt.
He looked around until he could find a directory, realizing he had just gotten himself lost in the building. He stared blankly at the wall map and realized he must have taken a wrong turn because he was on the other side of the hospital. He heaved a sigh as he walked away from the map and took a look outside. The front of the hospital was littered with reporters, each waiting for the next bit of information related to the case.
'I hope those police are competent and don't try to do anything to Videl' he thought to himself as he sighed and continued on his way back to his girlfriends room, using the opportunity to walk off his anger.
~*~Meanwhile~*~
A groan escaped Videls lips as she attempted to fall asleep again; she attempted to move but winced lightly as pain shot up her side. She heaved a sigh and slowly opened her eyes allowing them to adjust to the stream of light that was coming through her windows. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and took a look around the room and couldn't help but smile.
"How are you feeling sweetie?" Aaliyah asked as she gently stroked Videls hair.
"I'm alright I guess…still sore" she said, smiling to the other occupants in the room who were now directing their attention to her. "I feel so lazy being in here" she muttered as she brought her hand up and ran it through her hair "and dirty, my hair feels gross" she said as her Aaliyah laughed lightly.
"Don't worry sweetie, we've got some good news" Aaliyah said as Goten not jumped up onto Videl's bed and gave her a big smile.
"You can come home tomorrow!" Goten exclaimed as he moved to gently give Videl a hug.
Videl smiled and returned Goten's hug in response, "I really can, they don't want to keep me anymore?"
"No they do want to keep you, but Kayla said she'd pull some strings and you'd be released under my care" Bulma said as she stretched and proper her feet up on Vegeta's lap.
"That's awesome, I'm so glad to be going home" she responded with a relieved smile.
"I figure we'll stick you in the regeneration chamber just to boost some of your fluids, then we'll grab a senzu bean and you'll be good as new and back to your ass kicking ways again" Bulma said with a smile, gently stroking her belly.
"Thank god! I miss my bed" Videl sighed as she leaned back against her bed, Goten still sitting beside her.
"You have no idea how much I enjoy hearing you call our place your home" Chi Chi said with a smile.
"More of a home then I've experience" Videl replied with a smile, "Hey have any of you seen Gohan?" She questioned as she looked around the room and noticed her favourite person was nowhere to be seen.
"He had gone to speak with the chief, but that was about an hour ago, I'd imagine he'd be coming back soon" Chi Chi mused as she glanced up at the clock.
"Well speak of the devil" Goku chuckled as a few people glanced over at him.
"What?" Chi Chi asked as she arched an eyebrow.
A moment later a gentle knock came from the window, "excuse me, but could someone let me in please?" Gohan asked as he floated outside of Videl's window.
Goku opened up the window for his son and closed it quickly before the reporters realized what window he had just gone through.
"That's one way to make an entrance" Videl said with a smile as she watched Gohan pull his bandana off and remove his sunglasses.
"You know me, I always make the best entrances" He said as he gave Videl a grin and quickly moved to kiss her forehead.
"At least you didn't dance this time" Trunks muttered as Goten snickered from his place beside Videl.
Gohan shot Trunks and Goten a glare as they continued to laugh at him. He felt his glare drop quickly as small hands grasped his.
"Your dancing is getting better, you've been doing really well lately" Videl said with a smile as Gohan leaned down again and gave her a quick kiss.
"I can't wait for you to come back home…this environment is annoying here" Gohan muttered as he proper himself against the bed so he was closer to Videl.
"Then I've got good news for you" She said with a smile as Gohan turned to give her his attention, "Goten told me a few minutes ago I can go home tomorrow" she said as her smile grew, watching his match it.
"You can? Really? This is great!" he exclaimed, a few seconds later his face took on a look of worry, "are you sure that you're healthy enough to be released from the hospital?" he questioned as he gently ran a finger over her still swollen and black eye.
"I told Kayla that I'd take care of her. I figure we can put her in the regeneration chamber for a short while then give her a senzu bean and she'll be good as new by tomorrow night" Bulma said as Gohan looked relieved.
"That's great news!" He exclaimed as he gently hugged his girlfriend.
"Yea, I'm looking forward to going home" she said with a smile, still holding his hand.
"I guess you all can come and stay at my place for the night, then we'll all head home and try and get past this whole ordeal. Sound good to everyone?" Bulma questioned.
"If you guys don't mind, I think we're actually going to go home tonight. We haven't seen Marron in a few days. We love you to bits Videl, but we'd love to see our daughter" Krillin said with a bashful smile.
"It's alright Krillin, I'm actually very grateful that you stayed this long, it really means a lot to me" Videl said as he smiled to the short man and his wife.
"Your part of the family," 18 stated quietly then returned to staring blankly out the window.
"Thanks 18….Well what have I missed lately?" Videl asked cheerfully, finally starting to return to a relative normal state and not continually drugged.
~*~ I'm going to skip to a little later on because I'm unsure of what to write~*~
Gohan walked through the empty hallways of the hospital; every now and then he would see a nurse occupying themselves with a random activity. He held an assortment of juice bottles and packaged foods to bring back to the room in his arms. He stopped as he caught a glance at a TV, no surprise a news reporter was on it, reporting on updates from the Satan case.
His mouth dropped slightly at what he heard next. "A source has given channel 36 a tip that Videl Satan was the one who killed her father, we however can neither confirm or deny this rumour." The bubbly reporter said as she turned to a few people on the streets and pointed her microphone at them.
"What's your interpretation on this rumour?" she questioned a young Asian man that had been walking down the street that night.
"I think that Videl has proved herself more than once and if it were true that she killed Hercule, I have no doubt in my mind it was under forced circumstances. I don't think we should rush to conclusions until we hear the whole story" he stated, earning a smile from Gohan.
A blond woman pushed the Asian man out of the way, "Hercule was a hero, there's no way he deserved to die. If that hussy killed him then she should be punished to the full extent of the law" she huffed as she gave the camera a glare.
"Well there you have it folks, we have two completely different views on this rumour. How about you the viewer tell us your opinion; log onto our website and vote on what you feel the circumstance would be if this rumour is true. And now with Vick with the weather" the reporter said as she flashed the camera s smile.
Gohan sighed, "great" he mumbled as he moved back towards the room. 'How did that get out? I only told the chief. There must be a leak in the police system…somehow in a society that depends on a teenager to save their lives, I'm not surprised that there's corruption.' He thought to himself as he continued to make his way to the room.
He pushed his way into the room and noticed that most people had fallen asleep for the night, the emotional burden had now been lifted know that Videl was well on her way to recovery and it was taking quite the toll on everyone's energy level. He quietly placed the products onto the counter and went to the window and stared out the window and at the night sky.
"Feel better now that you know she's coming home?" Goku questioned quietly.
"I'm definitely more relieved" he said with a quiet sigh.
"She killed him didn't she? In self defence" Goku responded, lowering his voice even more.
Gohan nodded in response, "I told the chief today the story…and now it's on the news. I'm a little worried about her safety but I guess knowing that she'll be around us provides some relief" Gohan said as he covered a yawn.
A moment of silence came over the two of them then a grin came to Goku's lips. "How's the planning for her surprise party going?" he asked quietly, making sure that no one else in the room heard him besides his son.
"Yea…she's going to be so mad at me, I think she may even think of killing me" He replied with a quiet chuckle.
"It'll all be worth it. The girls are looking forward to shopping with you after this whole ordeal is over with" Goku replied as he gave his son a pat on the back.
"It'll be interesting, that's for sure. I guess I've still got a month to plan, I've just got to figure out the final details and write out the invitations and send them out" Gohan said as he rubbed his eyes, sleep threatening to take over.
"Alright, well you look pretty tired, go and try and sleep, tomorrow you'll be in a comfy bed…then you'll be back in yours" Goku said cheerfully as Gohan nodded and took his place beside Videls bed.
"Night dad" Gohan whispered.
"Good night son" Goku said quietly. Before either of the two know if, sleep over came them and welcomed them into a blissful unconsciousness.
~*~ Next Morning~*~
Videl started to stir as someone nudged her gently. "What?" she mumbled as she rolled over, keeping her eyes closed.
"I'm really sorry to bother you…but I wanted to let you know that I've got everything set up and as soon as you're ready to check out just get Mrs. Briefs to sign you out, alright?" Kayla whispered as she watched Videl nod her head while trying to fall asleep once again.
"Alright, I'll come back in an hour and make sure all your medications are ready. I'd recommend you try and walk around a bit, you've been in bed for a few days so you're going to feel pretty weak" Kayla whispered, once again receiving a tired nod, she then finished writing own Videl's vitals and left the room.
An hour later Videl once again woke up, but this time on her own. She looked around the room and noticed the other occupants were all still asleep; she couldn't help but smile at how they had all been there for her while she was going through this rough time. She heard a soft snore and looked down to the side of her bed; there Gohans head lay as he continued to sleep peacefully.
She smiled to herself and reached a hand out and gently ran her fingers through his hair. She always loved playing with his hair, and could never get over just how soft his thick locks were, considering his hair always stood so riding, a Son trait she supposed.
As she continued to stroke his hair she noticed that he too was starting to stir and a few seconds later, his thick lashes slowly opened to reveal his dark, tired eyes.
"Morning sunshine" she said as she offered his a smile, watched as he lifted his head up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Morning sweetie" he said through a yawn.
Videl gave a little giggle, earning a strange look from Gohan. "Sorry, you slept on your hand…and you've got a giant hand print on your face; it just looks kinda funny" she said quietly as she tried to cover her giggle.
Gohan smiled, happy to see that she was starting to return to her old self again. He was about to ask her how she was feeling, but she beat him and started speaking herself.
"I've got some good news" she said as she reached out and gently grasped his hand.
"What's that?" he questioned, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Kayla came in a little while ago and said that I'm good to go whenever, Bulma just has to sign me out of the hospital" her grin grew as she watched Gohan's smile get broader.
"That's fantastic! I can't wait to go back home" he stated as he jumped up from his seat and gave Videl a hug.
"Gohan, we know you're happy…but could you shut up a little?" mumbled a tired Bulma as she too started to stir due to Gohans exuberant outburst.
"Sorry Bulma" he said sheepishly as he covered his mouth.
"Kayla also said I should try walks, she said I'd probably find it difficult because I've been lying down for a few days" she said quietly, directing the attention away from Gohan.
"Want to try and go for a walk then?" he questioned in a hushed tone.
Videl gave him a nod and he moved over to the other side of her bed and unplugged her IV so she could walk around with the IV bag pole and then lowered the rail on the side of her bed. "My lady" he said with a bow as he held his hand out to offer her support.
She slowly inched her way closer to the edge of the bed then grasped Gohans hand as she swung her feet over the edge. She inhaled deeply then started moving forwards, letting her bare feet touch the cold tile floor. As her feet hit the floor she felt her strength leave her and felt her knees buckle.
Before she could fall Gohan quickly grabbed her and held her up. She gave him a smile, "I guess this is going to be a little harder then I had expected eh?" she said, slightly embarrassed that she could no longer support her weight because of what had happened.
"It's to be expected, you took quite the beats, and you've been laying down for more than a couple of days, it'll take a little bit to get used to things" he said as he picked her up and moved to sit her on the counter.
Videl sat on her perch atop the counter and slowly started to move to try and stretch her incredibly sore and achy muscles. "I feel so still…but I think most of the swelling has gone done" she commented, wincing as she moved to stretch her back.
"Don't push yourself," Gohan said as he rummaged through a bag that had been brought the other day, "you are still pretty injured, let's get you doing a little walking, not over exerting yourself" he stated as he pulled a pair of socks out from the bag and moved and started to put them on her feet for her.
"Thanks" she said, offering him a smile as he put the last sock on her foot.
"The floor is cold and I'm sure it won't help your twisted ankle to be walking on the tile without any sort of padding" he commented as he picked her up again and walked out of the room. Once they were into the isle and the door had closed gently behind him he turned his attention back to his girlfriend.
"Ready to try this again?" he questioned, meeting her gaze.
She gave his a weak smile and a nod, and then he slowly moved and gently placed her feet on the group, still supporting almost all of her weight. "Don't worry, I've got you…let's try a few steps alright?" he offered as he held her up and watched her slowly move her feet, stumbling slightly.
"This is embarrassing" she muttered as she stumbled taking another step.
"There's no reason to be proud, it's happened to the best of us. I've been in this state before from training too hard with my dad" he replied as he watched her take another uneasy step.
"My legs feel like jello and my ankle is killing me" she muttered, biting her lip as she took another step.
"Want to stop then?" He questioned, watching her carefully, not wanting her to fall.
"No" she stated firmly as she took a deep inhale and took another shaky step, "let me try it by myself".
"I don't think that's such a good idea, you could hurt yourself" he replied nervously, watching her cling tightly onto the mobile pole with her IV.
"Please, let me try" she said, feeling Gohan slowly release her. Her knees buckled and she gripped tightly onto the pole. She felt herself starting to drop and was then quickly picked up.
"Sorry but no, we're going to go back to the room not" Gohan stated as he held Videl bridal style and pushed her pole back to the room.
"I was starting to get it" she said giving Gohan a glare.
"Oh don't even bother giving me that glare, you know I did what was best for you" he stated, rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open and brought her into the room where everyone was now awake.
"Awh, you look like a married couple!" Chi Chi chimed as she allowed a big grin to creep to her face.
"A married couple, with an abusive husband" Vegeta muttered as Bulma slapped him upside the head.
"Vegeta shut up, Gohan wouldn't have the never to do that to Videl" She said, glaring at her husband.
"Whatever" he muttered as he rolled his eyes.
"Videl we should get you out of here so we can get you better. There's no way I'm going to get grandchildren out of you if you're all beaten up" Chi Chi said with a smile, laughing as the two teens blushed.
"Videl waved her hands frantically in front of her face and let out a laugh, "I'm not ready to let my body go all fun house mirrors on me" she said. She then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized Bulma was glaring at her.
A snort could be heart from Vegeta then a laugh escaped his lips, "she does look like someone looking into one of those mirrors" he said, letting his laugh get louder.
Bulma quickly turned Vegeta a glare, "You did this to me" she snarled as she stepped in front of him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
"Nice move" Gohan whispered sarcastically to Videl.
"I didn't mean too, it just slipped out!" she quickly replied, keeping her voice just as low.
"Try and have sex with me again, see how well that goes" she snarled as she punched Vegeta in the chest and turned to storm out of the room.
"I…didn't need to hear that" trunks mumbled as he covered his ears.
"Ha ha you're going to need therapy when you're older!" Goten yelled as he laughed, enjoying his friends reaction to his parents talking about sex.
"Videl I'm signing you out. We're going home and going now" Bulma screamed in the hallway, "what are you staring at?" she screamed again, noticing the people in the hall way were staring at her as she stormed and mumbled as she walked further away from the room.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that, it just kinda slipped out" Videl said sheepishly, a blush creeping to her cheeks.
"She was bound to scream about something soon, it had been like twenty minutes" Vegeta said with a snort, then let a smirk creep to his face.
"For once I'm going to have to agree with Vegeta, pregnant women are bad enough but you throw sayian DNA in there and you better run for cover" Chi Chi said with a laugh, remember all the times she nearly killed Goku and Gohan.
"Guys I hate to interrupt this conversation, but we should probably meet her out there and head on over to Bulma's place before she rips someone's head off" Goku said, feeling uneasy as a random scream would fill the air once in awhile.
"He's right, Goten grab those Bags please" Chi Chi said as everyone got up from their seat and followed her out of the room.
Gohan placed Videl onto the bed for a moment and was in the middle of putting his disguise on again when a familiar voice spoke.
"I'm glad to see you're going home, and I'm even happier to know that you're in excellent hands" Kayla spoke from behind the two.
"Kayla, you've been so awesome, thank you for taking care of me" Videl said with a sincere smile as Kayla moved and gently picked up her hand gently and started pulling the tape off of it.
"It was my pleasure darling" she said with a grin, pushing a dark lock out of her face as she continued to pull the tape off Videl's hand. "I must say, I don't think I will ever encounter a group quite as interesting as what I've experience with you guys. I saw crazy hair, two heroes of the city and a crazy screaming pregnant genius. Life is good" she said with a chuckle as she gently pulled the IV needle out of Videl's hand.
"I want to thank you for being so accommodating to us, I know we're not the easiest bunch to deal with" Gohan said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't mind, it made my past few days interesting. And I can tell by your look that you're slightly concerned, but I promise you your secret will never escape these lips. I feel like you guys are friends now and I could never betray a friend" Kayla said as she bandaged Videls hand and gave the two a wink.
"Thank you Kayla" Gohan said with a big grin as Videl inched towards the young nurse.
"Thanks you" Videl said with a smile as she reached out and gave the nurse a hug which she happily returned.
"My pleasure guys, I'd do it again if need be…but let's not meet again under these circumstances, you scared me and your poor boyfriend half to death" she said with a laugh as Gohan blushed.
"Can we keep in touch; maybe hang out in a little while?" Videl questioned, rubbing her hand where the needle had once been.
"I think that's a great idea" Kayla said as she pulled a pen out of her breast pocket and ripped a piece of paper off her clip board and scribbled her number down. "That's my cell; if I don't recognize the number I don't always answer so either leave a message or text me…actually text me, I do better with those" Kayla said with a big grin. "You're good to go" she said as she handed Videl the paper.
"Thanks again Kayla" Videl said with a smile. She turned her attention to Gohan and noticed him smacking his head "what are you doing?" she questioned giving him a weird look.
"Uhh…haha so we didn't bring you an outfit to wear home from the hospital" Gohan said sheepishly as the two girls gave him a blank look. "Here, you can wrap yourself in my cape" he said as he unhooked and pulled it around Videl's small frame.
"My hero" Videl muttered as she rolled her eyes then gave her blushing boyfriend a laugh.
"You two are so cute together. You better take good care of her buddy" Kayla said in a mock serious tone as she poked Gohan in the chest. "Alright, you guys get out of here, you've got a group waiting in the lobby and I'm sure the pregnant one isn't in the mood to wait" she said with a laugh as the other two joined her.
"She's right" Gohan said as he tied his bandana and put his sunglasses on, "lets book it" he said as he wrapped the cape completely around Videl and then picked her up bridal style.
"Bye Kayla" the two said with a smile, giving her a wave which Kayla returned.
"Take care guys!" She said with a smile as she walked the two walk out of the room. Once they were out and the door closed she heaved a sigh. "Man, a girl can get tired with a group like that" she said with a laugh as she moved to start cleaning the room.
~*~Elsewhere~*~
"Took you long enough" an annoyed Bulma said, she stood in the front lobby with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.
"We were saying bye to Kayla" Gohan said, Videl still resting comfortably in his arms. Gohan took a quick glance outside and noticed a large crowd was outside of the hospital, most likely hoping to catch any update on the Videl and Hercule scandal.
"Hey guys, how about you leave through the side entrance and I'll take Videl through the front and meet you at Bulmas house…this way the reporters won't go to your house and it won't look weird if I fly away." Gohan stated, giving a hesitant look at the window.
"Good plan son, I guess if he's doing that then we can just do instant transmission there and save some time. See you guys soon" Goku said with a grin as he gave the two a wave and waited for everyone to link up then made a concentrated face and they were gone within seconds.
"Let's get this over with" Gohan said with a sigh as he moved and stepped out of the hospital.
Flashes were coming from every angle as cameras zoomed up on the couple and questioned came from everyone around them.
"Miss Videl, did you really shoot your father?"
"Saiyaman, were you involved in this in anyway?"
"How does it feel to be a murderer Videl?"
"What did Hercule ever do to you?"
"Videl if they show you shot Hercule for no reason I will hunt you down and I will slit your throat" a man from the crowd seethed.
Realizing Videl was in potential danger Gohan took matters into his own hands and quickly levitated into the air.
"You're not a murderer and don't let anyone tell you otherwise" he said quietly as they started flying towards Bulmas house.
Videl remained silent, the reality of everything that had occurred a few days ago was setting him; her father died at her hands. She knew she killed him in order to save her own life…but why did she feel so guilty about it.
"I can't get over the fact that I took someone's life…someone died at my hands" she replied after a few minutes.
"I know people hate hearing this, but I do know how you feel. I've killed many opponents, it doesn't get easier, but you've got to break it down really. It was either you die and the man who beat and abused you your whole life died, or he died and you continue to save the city and live happy and confidently. Karma has a way of coming back to people, and it came back to you and gave you the opportunity to live….as hard as it is now, you will realize you did the right thing and as hard as it may seem you will get past this once that realization dawns on you" Gohan stated, the large briefs mansion quickly coming into view.
Videl didn't respond to Gohans statement, she wasn't sure how to. He was right, he always was…but could she really get past the fact that she took the life of the man that helped give her life? He did however threaten to take that life away numerous times, and beat it to the point of death more than once. Gohan always knows the right thing to say, she reasoned with herself as she remained silent.
Gohan landed gently in front of the large doors and gave a quick knock, a moment later Trunks opened the door.
"Hey guys, mom is just getting the regeneration chamber ready for Videl, it should be ready when we get there" the young boy said with a grin as he moved to allow the two teens to walk into the house.
"Thanks buddy" Videl said with a smile, watching the young boy blush and quickly close the door behind them.
"Did you want something to eat before you go into the chamber?" Gohan questioned to Videl, his stomach letting out a low growl as he moved.
Videl let a laugh escape her lips, "are you asking for my benefit or yours?" She questioned watching a blush creep to Gohans cheeks.
"I might be a little hungry" Gohan said quietly as he walked into the kitchen, noticing a few other people were sitting in the kitchen.
"Gohan, Videl you're back!" Goten exclaimed as Gohan set Videl on to a chair gently. As soon as Gohan stepped away from Videl Goten floated up and gave Videl a hug.
Videl winced lightly at the force of the kids hug, but happily returned it, "hey squirt, it hasn't been that long" she said with a laugh.
"I know, but you worried me being gone…but you were with my big brother so I guess you were safe" he mused.
"You guess she was safe?" Gohan questioned as he took part of his costume off, revealing all his facial features.
"Well, I am stronger then you" Goten said with a grin as he puffed out his chest having his older brother roll his eyes in response.
"Ou want sumfng edel?" Goku questioned as he shovelled food into his mouth.
"Gou don't be a pig" Chi Chi yelled from behind the counter. She dried her hands off on a towel and gave Videl a smile, "what he means to say is would you like something to eat hun?" She questioned with a gentle smile.
Videl let a blush creep to her cheeks, "actually…do we have any chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream?" she asked.
"I believe we do" Chi Chi said as she moved about the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and a tub of ice cream then a minute later handing Videl a bowl and a spoon. "Eat up, you haven't eaten in a few days, and you can see that you've lost weight".
"Actually I thought I had lost a little weight too, I guess that's what happens when you don't eat for few days in the hospital" she mused as she quickly dug into her bowl of ice cream.
As she ate Chi Chi handed Gohan a large plate of food and he followed her lead, quickly devouring his large mountain of food.
"I didn't realize I was so hungry until now" Gohan said between mouthfuls, "this is delicious mom" he said once again, taking a big gulp of water then shoving more food into his mouth.
"Thank you sweetie, and don't talk with your mouthful, you're not a pig" Chi Chi scolded gently as she sat beside her husband and stirred her tea and took a bite into her sandwich.
Everyone ate in relative silence for the next few minutes. Videl put her bowl down and heaved a sigh "I love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream" she said with a smile as she put her now empty bowl down.
"Good, we need to get some food in you and if it has to be ice cream then so be it" Chi Chi said as she wiped the crumbs off of her and took another sip of her tea.
"Well on the bright side ice cream has dairy and sugars which will give you body carbohydrates…which is what you haven't been in taking the past few days. So this works" Gohan said as he finished up his last plate of food.
Videl opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by two voices. "Oh good sweetie you've eaten something" Aaliyah said with a smile as she came and gently gave her daughter a hug from behind.
"I ate a bowl of ice cream" Videl said with a sheepish smile as Aaliyah released her from the hug.
"Well, it's good that you guys are together, Gohan the regeneration tank is ready for her if you'd like to bring her to it with me" Bulma stated, grabbing a banana from the counter and then pulling mayonnaise out from the fridge.
Gohan paused for a moment then gave a disgusted look as he watched Bulma pull out a spoon and start piling mayo on her banana. "Yea, I'll bring her up" he said, looking away in disgust.
Videl gave Gohan a curious look for a moment and then looked towards Bulma and let a laugh escape her lips as she watches Bulma eat her mayo banana, "what's the matter Gohan, not hungry anymore?" Videl questioned with a laugh as Bulma smirked.
"No, my appetite seems to have gone away for the time being" he replied politely.
Bulma's smirk grew into one that was very similar to her husbands, "now you know how we feel when you guys pig out. It's disgusting, at least mine I can't help" Bulma stated, taking another bite of her mayo banana.
"But Bulma, we can't help how hungry we are…it's in our blood and you can't fight genetics" Goku stated Gohan gave him a grin at his defence.
"Whatever, Vide, are you ready sweetie?" Bulma questioned.
"I guess so…what do I have to do?" She questioned as she pulled her slightly dirty hair out of her pony tail and then retied it; it had been a few days since she'd been able to have a shower after all so it was only natural.
"Nothing really, you sit in the chamber, I'll give you something so you'll sleep, then we put an air mask on you and as you sleep the tank fills up with liquid which will be absorbed into your body to replenish your fluid loss and speed up healing of your cuts and bruises. Then we'll give you a senzu bean and you'll be good as new" Bulma said proudly as she threw her banana peel into the garbage.
"So I'm going to be asleep and in a tank of liquid? What fluids does it replenish out of curiosity?" Videl questioned, a strange sense of uncertainty coming over her.
"By fluids I mean mainly blood, any blood loss you occurred takes a few weeks for the body to naturally reproduce, however this liquid will replace it all everything within an hour or so. It will also flush any bacterial toxins out that may be lingering on in any cuts or whatever. You will be asleep in the tank, and when you wake up I promise you'll feel like you've just stepped out of a bath" Bulma said, smiling at the teenager to help ease her nervousness.
"Alright, let's get this over with them" Videl said with a sigh as she turned to face Gohan. She gave Gohan a big grin and held out her hands, "sweetie could you help me please?".
Gohan laughed lightly, "how could I say no to that?" he questioned as he moved gently and once again picked her up bridal style and followed Bulma once he was ready.
"Nom Videl, any time the boys go in there they wear a bathing suit, did you want to do the same or just wear the hospital gown" Bulma asked as she led the way through the hall ways, her lab coat flowing gently behind her.
"Actually, I think I'll wear a bathing suit, I want to get out of this hospital gown, I feel exposed" She replied.
Bulma nodded in response, "alright, Gohan will drop you off in the changing room nearby; I grabbed a suit earlier for you just in case. Do you think you can change by yourself?" she said, taking a quick glance back at the couple.
"Yea I should be fine so long as I'm seated, but I'll need help getting back up…my legs don't seem to want to work for me" she replied sheepishly.
"That's fine hun…Gohan put her in that room please" she commented, pointed to a small dressing room.
Gohan did as he was told and closed the door behind him to give Videl her privacy.
"It's quite amazing when you think about it…a year ago she wouldn't dare get into a bathing suit in front of anyone, and no she's willing to sit in a tank where people can clearly see her in it" Bulma mused as she pushed some of her hair out of her face.
"It is amazing…I'm very glad for her transformation though" Gohan stated quietly.
"You did good kid, you did good" Bulma said as she gently rubbed Gohans broad shoulder.
A moment later a soft knock came from behind the door, "you ready V?" Gohan called. He heard a muffled yes and opened the door and gently picked her up in his arms.
"Alright kiddo, place her on the seat in the tank. Don't worry Videl, the fluid that will be around you is nice and warm, very relaxing…it'll be like taking a bath really. But unlike a bath, when you wake up from being in this tank your bruises should be gone, meaning that lovely shiner of yours will be gone" she said with a smile as Videl returned it.
"Thank god, I'm so sore and my eye among other things is killing me" she said with a groan as Gohan bent down and gently placed her onto the chamber seat. "So how am I being put to sleep again?" She questioned as she examined the inside of the chamber.
"The oxygen mask, we'll put some gas in there to make you a little sleepy then provide you with oxygen while you sleep, no need to worry I promise hun, just relax" Bulma explained with a comforting smile.
Videl gave a nod and then cast a glance to Gohan. "Don't worry sweetie, I've been in here a hundred times, just relax, it'll all be over soon" Gohan said with a smile as he moved forward and gently kissed her lips.
Videl felt herself instantly relax when Gohans lips touched hers and her lips curled into a smile against his. "Alright hun, I'll see you in a little while" she replied with a smile.
"Don't worry hun, it'll only be an hour and a half or so" Bulma said as she hooked the face mask on to Videl and moved her hair out of the way. She then moved back and pulled the glass covering down and locked it in place. She turned to Videl and gave her a questioning look.
Videl gave a nod and thumbs up to both Gohan and Bulma and Bulma returned the nod in response. Bulma then pushed a few button on the machine and seconds later Videl felt a soothing liquid quickly filling up into the tank.
The liquid was really warm, not scolding hot, but the kind of temperature you'd make it for a relaxing shower. Videl looked out at the two standing outside of the chamber and noticed Gohan was staring at her and Bulma was motioning for her to inhale deeply.
Videl gave a nod in response and took a few deep inhales and felt her eyes getting heavy. She then let out a comfortable sigh and felt her eyes close and sleep over take her as the liquid now filled up the entire chamber.
Bulma waited until Videl was asleep and checked the vitals that were appearing on the screen in front of her, she then pressed another button to turn off the gas and replaced it with oxygen. She looked up and glanced at Videl and sighed, "I wish I could have my body like that back" she said as Gohan laughed in response, but still kept his eyes on Videl.
"She'll be in there for a little while kiddo…you look exhausted, maybe you should go and take a nap or something?" Bulma suggested as she moved to rub the tired looking Gohans back.
"Actually now that you mention it I am kind of tired. Maybe I'll just go up to my room and watch some TV which I wait for her to finish in the tank" he said as he kept staring blankly at his girlfriend.
"Good idea, now go and rest kiddo" Bulma said as she pushed Gohan towards his bedroom.
Gohan gave Bulma a wave and walked silently up to his bedroom. He moved and lay down on the crisp blankets and flopped down on them. He grabbed his remote control and turned on the TV. He stared at it blankly for a short while and quickly felt his body growing drowsy with each passing minute. Before he knew it he felt his eyes growing heavier and finally he just let them closed where he happily welcomed sleep.
~*~*~*~*~
Alright guys that's it! I know, nothing too exciting, it's more filler for the next few chapters. Anyways please read and review and lemme know what you think or any suggestions. Again I apologize for the wait, but again if I can get 10 reviews, then I'll post again within the next two weeks.
Thanks, read and review guys, thanks! Sorry again =( Good news though, Monday is my last class…AND I even avoided writing my essay so I could get this written, up and posted! Enjoy!