Hi everyone! I'm rather sick at the mo, so feel like smashing out a few more chapters. Thank you for your amazing support as always! Xxx

Chapter Twenty

The Devil's Daughter

xxxx

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Gohan said sincerely as they landed upon Videl's balcony.

The sun was beginning to set beyond the backdrop of Satan City, the birds that hadn't already fled the destruction could be heard chirping away in the distance. There was a glowing red and amber hue left over from the fires that had raged within the city centre, though the clouds of smoke had started to dissipate into the dusky air.

Videl said nothing as she clambered down from his strong arms. She swayed slightly, leaning on the balcony for support.

"Here," the young saiyan said softly, pulling out a senzu bean from underneath his armour, "eat this, it'll make you feel better."

The girl eyed him sceptically, "What is it?"

"It's called a senzu bean, it has healing properties," he explained, offering it out to her, "Go on, eat it, it's my last one, I only really carry them for emergencies."

She gave him a dumfounded look, which caused the halfling to smirk a little.

"What, don't you trust me?"

To his relief surprise, she took the bean, though a little hesitantly, and popped it into her mouth. She winced at the bitter taste as she chewed, yet seconds after she swallowed her eyes widened, and Gohan immediately felt her Ki restore to full health.

"H-how is that even possible?" she gaped, clenching and relaxing her fists in front of her, "Do I even want to know where you got these from? Are they drugs?"

"No they aren't drugs," Gohan chuckled, "They're rare though so you probably haven't heard of them before. Don't worry about it, I'll explain another time, I think you've had enough shock for one day."

"You're telling me," she huffed, "I thought you were never going to show up."

"Hey, I got there eventually didn't I?" he jested.

"Took you long enough," she scoffed, rolling her eyes before she fell silent again.

Gohan blinked, something was off, and he couldn't help but press her.

"Videl, is something wrong?"

He was taken aback when she turned to look at him, tears shining in her eyes.

"This is all your fault!" she yelled suddenly.

"W-what?" he asked, astounded, "What's my fault?"

"Everything!" she cried, allowing her tears to fall, "Everything was going fine before you showed up! I thought I could handle the city all on my own and then you swoop in with your stupid flying and your light beams and Ki rubbish and-and…"

She stopped suddenly, turning away from him, "How can I compete?"

"Compete?" The young saiyan stared, "You don't have to compete with anyone!"

"You wouldn't understand!" she yelled abruptly, "How could you? You think that all of this is just some big joke! My entire life is about fighting and getting stronger. I thought there was no one out there as strong as my dad, he beat Cell for Kami's sake! And then you came, doing the things you do just like in the old tournaments, Dad said they were nothing but stupid tricks but I know they're not! Not when I see what you can do, I saw how much you hurt Borbonne - a little excessive yes, but I understand how he rips families apart, I've heard all that. But you, out there today, I've seen what you can really do and how you've done more than I could ever imagine!"

"Videl…"

"No!" she shouted, tears pouring down her face, "Don't pity me! Don't you dare!"

Gohan remained silent, staring at the girl who hurriedly wiped her tears away. There was so much he wanted to explain, why he had to do the things he did, but something was stopping him. He couldn't put his finger on it, though for some reason he didn't want her to run from him, he didn't want to stand alone on that balcony.

Taking a deep breath, she sighed, leaning over the balcony and looking towards the sunset, "And now there's villains that can do the same thing. How can I protect the city like my dad protected the world? I can't follow in his footsteps. I'm too weak."

"Videl, look at me," Gohan urged forcibly, grasping the girl by the shoulders and looking intently into her eyes, "You are the strongest girl I know, and trust me, that is saying a lot."

"Oh come off it, you're just saying that," she sniffed, attempting to pull away from him, but the young saiyan didn't let go.

"It's true!" He said honestly, "I've never met anyone as determined as you. The way you just kept going at that bloke even though you were hurt! You didn't care! You would have done anything to take him down, just like me, I had to stop them no matter what the cost, you understand that don't you?"

Slowly, she nodded, her eyes softening at his words.

"You protect people Videl, you don't care about the consequences to yourself, and that is the makings of a true hero," he continues, "You don't need light beams and fancy moves to prove that you have a good heart."

"R-really?" she asked, staring up at him.

"Really," he smiled, "Honestly, I was scared just watching you, I'm surprised the poor bloke didn't shit his pants when he saw you heading for him the way you did! I know I would have legged it!"

Videl laughed, tipping her head back and slapping him across the arm, "You're full of it."

"Maybe I am," he grinned.

It took him a moment to realise that the girl was giving him an odd look, before the wind was almost knocked out of him as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

Gohan blinked in surprise, awkwardly hugging her back, attempting not to take too much notice of the way she nestled perfectly in his arms so that he could rest his chin on her head.

"Thank you," she whispered, her cheeks tinged a brilliant shade of pink.

The first stars began to twinkle above them, casting shadows in her sapphire eyes as she looked up to him. A wistful summer breeze passed between them, lifting up Gohan's cloak so that it ruffled in the wind. The sound of the distance birds had long gone, replaced by the chirp of several crickets from the bushes in the grounds of Satan Manor.

The young saiyan wasn't entirely sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was something to do with the intensity of her gaze or the marvelling way she felt pressed against him, but the next thing he knew, he had swooped his head lower and brought his lips down to meet hers.

Videl all but let out a muffled gasp, and it took a few seconds for her to start kissing him back. Gohan's heart soared, his stomach performing summersaults as she pulled him closer to her, entangling her fingers in his long golden hair.

The Gold Fighter was kissing Videl Satan.

It was insane, Gohan thought, insane, wild, ridiculous and yet somehow… right?

After what seemed like an age, the two teenager's pulled apart, gasping for air as they stared, wide eyed at each other. Their cheeks where flushed, panting, as a stunned silence engulfed them.

"S-sorry, I-" Gohan started, but was shortly cut off by Videl's lips crashing into his once more.

The young saiyan groaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms so fiercely around her that he lifted her feet off of the ground. He couldn't think straight, his mind was beginning to cloud with uninvited lust.

All he could think about was the way she felt, how her soft hands roamed his muscled torso and the way her long raven pigtails tickled the bare skin on his neck.

Before Gohan knew it, they had pushed their way through to her bedroom, Videl straddling his waist as he walked them over to the bed, their lips still locked together furiously.

The young saiyan creaked open an eyelid, and couldn't help but think that Videl wasn't joking when she said her life was all about fighting, as martial arts posters and paraphernalia filled her pristine bedroom. White wooden furniture, including a wardrobe and vanity table lined the walls, the bedroom had wooden floorboards and silk sheets upon the ready made, four poster bed that the teenagers tumbled upon.

Panting heavily, the young saiyan silently thanked Kami that the skies were steadily growing darker outside so that Videl could barely see him in the dim light. Lifting up his head to take off the top half of his uniform, Gohan caught a glimpse of the bedside cabinet that displayed a picture of a much younger Videl being hoisted up onto the shoulders of a beaming Mister Satan.

With a quick Ki check, he found the Champ's energy pulsating from somewhere in Central City. But he didn't have time to thank his lucky stars again, as Videl suddenly flipped him over, kissing him all the more passionately than he had been kissed in his life.

The teenager's eyebrows shot to his hairline as she deepened the kiss. But there was no way he was going to be subjected to the Satan girl's onslaught.

Videl gasped, as he literally tore her shirt from her bosom before throwing it to the wayside. He smirked cheekily up at her, though, his heart was pounding at the sight of her incredible physique that was no doubt due to her years of training.

He leaned up and kissed her again, causing her to fall to his chest as he rolled her back onto the bed. He wasted no time in removing the rest of her clothes, scrambling up quickly to take off his bottoms and boots, though he wisely left the visor over his eyes and kept his tail well hidden behind his back.

She stared at him in the dim light of the starlight as he scooted next to her on the bed, her eyes were penetrating, dazzling as she continued to stare. He wondered if she was going to question the mask, though she did nothing but bite her lip nervously, looking down at her own, beautifully exposed body.

He blinked in the realisation that she had most likely never done this before, but before he could ask her if she wanted to continue, she held out her hand, gesturing him to come forwards.

Videl had a hard, blazing look in her eyes, causing his breath to catch in his throat like cotton.

Without any further hesitation, Gohan slipped his hand into hers and lost himself in those sapphire orbs.

xxxx

Gohan had always liked going to the park, although his visits as a child were very few and far between. It wasn't always a necessity for him growing up, as unlike city kids, he had full rein of the vast woodland and mountains near his home. Still, he had always enjoyed the slides and swings, the monkey bars being his particular favourite.

So when his mother had suggested he take Goten and Gokuto to a park, he had readily obliged, and was rather looking forward to it. Goten, as wild and destructive as he could be hadn't been in to one in ages, seen as only Gohan took him when he was a little younger.

Gokuto had only really ever been out in his pram on trips to Chazke Village and around West City, so the young saiyan was excited to introduce the boy to one now he was a little older.

Yet the teenager's excitement had steadily worn thin, when Bulma had learned of their little excursion.

The blue haired heiress had wanted Gokuto's first trip to the park to be a special one, and suggested they go to the large arboretum in the middle of West City. Bulma had insisted that Trunks and Bulla go along too, which Gohan didn't mind. Although when she had announced that she had a lot of work to catch up on, she had forced Vegeta to accompany them in her place.

Now, Trunks and Bulla he could handle. The dozens of screaming children in the play area; certainly, the long queues to the ice-cream stand and the toilets; just about. But all this and a moody Vegeta? The young saiyan wasn't so sure.

"Stop dawdling brat, I haven't got all day."

Gohan rolled his eyes from where he was squatting next to Gokuto's buggy, throwing another chunk of bread into the large pond.

"Oh come on V, Gokuto just wants to feed the ducks, he hasn't seen any before! Huh? Isn't that right 'Kuto?" he cooed, "Can you see the duck? Say quack!"

Vegeta scoffed at his display, as the baby boy in question squealed in delight, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

Gohan grinned, Gokuto was getting much bigger and becoming his own little person. His messy black hair now sat high atop his head, his freckles had darkened slightly around his cheeks and his long tail swished around happily behind him. He had grown out of many of his hand me downs from Goten, and was currently sporting a pair of banana yellow overalls which he was already beginning to bulge out of.

Gokuto's buggy had a small summer umbrella attached to the top of it, keeping the boy safely tucked away from the heat of the September sun. Autumn had not yet befallen the West just yet, at the neat trees lining the enormous park held onto their lush green leaves.

The teen saiyan had struggled not to make contact with Videl after the night they had spent together. He felt guilty, as he had waited until she had fallen to sleep before he had snuck out that very same night. She would have no doubt have been furious with him.

He was more than a little confused about his feelings towards the girl, as he hadn't felt anything like that in a long time.

But they were The Gold Fighter and Videl Satan for crying out loud, they just didn't feel about each other in that way! Even if the media seemed to think so.

The sight of The Gold Fighter carrying the young Satan girl off into the sunset that fateful night was enough for the press to make up even more elaborate stories about their 'romance' and subsequently causing Mister Satan to nearly have a stroke.

Of course the Z-gang teased the him relentlessly about it, but Gohan would never let onto what had really happened. His story went that he took her home like a gentlemen, gave her a senzu bean and went back home like the good boy he was.

It was odd, though didn't feel awkward at the time when they didn't speak a word to each other during the throws of passion, save for the girl crying out the name of his alter ego to the ceiling. Videl had simply sighed afterwards, a contented smile on her lips as she had dozed off, lying on his bare chest as he stroked her hair.

His mind kept replaying that moment, making it very difficult for him to stop thinking about her.

But what could he say? What could he say to the girl who he had loathed, then teased, then admired, then ignored, then slept with, only to ignore again? Not that she had tried to contact him either. She probably was, like him, too embarrassed to talk to him again.

Even still, The Gold Fighter had not been seen since the incident in Satan City, he couldn't just turn up at her balcony as himself, and it would be all the more complicated should he even attempt to start something with the girl as his alter ego.

How did he keep getting himself into such a mess?

"Quack, quack!" Gohan continued, tossing more bread to the greedy mallards, "Say quack Gokuto!"

"Tch, you look like an idiot," said Vegeta, hoisting his daughter further onto his hip as he stood at the edge of the bank.

Surprisingly, the older saiyan was sporting a cool cotton shirt and jeans instead of his training attire, and Gohan couldn't help but think that he looked a lot more 'dad-like', especially with the pair of aviators he wore upon his nose.

Bulla struggled slightly against him, her brow contorted into a deep frown as she waved her arms frantically around her.

"Daddyyyy!" she whined loudly, her curly blue locks flailing about her head.

"What are you-?" the prince scowled as she continued to whimper, "Ugh fine, go and feed the damn pigeons."

"Ducks Vegeta," corrected Gohan.

"Whatever."

The little girl clapped in delight as she was released, and toddled her way over to the halfling, who shot a triumphant smirk at Vegeta.

The older saiyan said nothing, instead folded his arms across his chest in a huff.

"Come here Bulla," said Gohan, adjusting his own sunglasses and hoisting the girl up onto his lap.

Gohan chuckled, as the girl flung the bread high into the air. Though she ended up getting more on him than in the water.

"Give Gokuto some now Bulla," he said fairly, watching as the little girl gave him a toothy grin, before offering a large piece to the boy.

Gokuto grasped it tightly, mushing most of the soft bread in his palm. His green eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared at it, unsure of what to do.

"That's it 'Kuto, now throw it! Throw it to the duck- oh," the teen groaned, as his son abruptly shoved the entire piece into his mouth.

Vegeta roared with laughter beside him, causing the halfling to scowl, "Shut up."

"All gone?" Bulla asked, staring blankly at the empty bag.

Gohan sighed, "Yes Bulla, all gone, but don't worry, what do you say we go find where Trunks and Goten have got to?"

"Yay!" she squealed as Vegeta picked her up and put her back in her own buggy.

"Come on kiddo," said Gohan, grasping the handles of the pushchair and steering them away from the pond, "Say bye bye to the ducks 'Kuto!"

"Bye bye duckies!" the little saiyan called, waving a hand frantically and causing Gohan snort with laughter.

Gokuto was growing quickly, a little too fast for his liking as he could now string together full sentences. He had also started to run around the garden with Trunks and Goten and could nearly keep up with the troublesome pair. The little boy was quick, and Gohan had even contemplated buying him some reins for the tournament, as he didn't want him running off on him.

He couldn't believe the tournament was but months away.

"Watch where your going brat!" Vegeta's voice broke him out of his thoughts, as he unconsciously pushed Gokuto's pushchair into Bulla's, knocking the wheels together.

"Whoops sorry," the teenager replied, shaking himself mentally.

Vegeta gave him an odd look, which the young saiyan quickly avoided.

"Where have those two got to?" Gohan wondered aloud, craning his neck over the crowds.

It was no use trying to spot the young hybrids, the entire park was completely packed. Families enjoying picnics were spread out on the grass next to the winding pathway that they strolled upon, dog walkers trudged between them, and several groups of teenagers laughed and chatted over crisp cold cider by the fountain.

The play park was a few yards ahead, and the young saiyan could hear sound of children playing as he pushed forwards through a large gathering of people queuing by an ice-cream stand.

Eventually, they managed to locate the destructive duo, standing in the middle of the play area, challenging a small group of children to a wrestling match.

A stern word and a carton of juice each later, and Gohan was sat on the grass in front of Gokuto's buggy, trying and failing to get him to eat his lunch.

"Come on kiddo, its good!" he pressed, balancing the sticky goop on a spoon in front of Gokuto's mouth. The little boy pouted, turning his head away in disgust.

"No!"

"Aw its not that bad 'Kuto, look see?" said Gohan, with all the enthusiasm he could muster.

Gokuto turned towards him, as the teen popped the spoonful in his mouth, but immediately spat it out.

"Blegh!" he choked, hearing Vegeta snort beside him.

The teenager frowned, wiping his mouth, as the prince watched his own daughter eat. She was gulping down her food obediently, a contented smile on her pretty, heart-shaped face.

The young saiyan sighed, as Gokuto's tail angrily hit him in the nose, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.

"You're only going to get hungry later," Gohan reasoned, but the boy simply blew a raspberry in response.

"I thought 'Kuto would behave more as he got older," he huffed aloud, "I don't remember Goten being this difficult."

Vegeta shrugged, "Of course not, that kid eats everything in sight, just like his idiot father."

The young saiyan sighed, his eyes averting to the play area, where Goten and Trunks were running around like maniacs, laughing and playing with the other children. His younger brother's smile was wide, lighting up the features that he shared with the deceased warrior. Trunks too, looked a lot like Vegeta; the same complexion and high cheek bones, as well as their attitude, linked them father to son.

Gohan looked at his own boy, who was currently gnawing on his own tail.

Just what did he share with Gokuto? Sure, his friends and family constantly said just how much they looked like each other. But as the boy got older he could see a lot of Lime's features coming through just as strong. Her unusual freckles dusted the young boy's cheeks, he had her nose and almond shaped eyes. The hair and tail, well they were all his.

Goten and Trunks shared many attributes relating to their fathers. Bulla, although she looked like her mother, was definitely her father's girl. And then Marron, she was the perfect mix of her mother and father, although he could see Krillin's kind hearted nature beginning to shine through.

People used to remark just how much he was his father's son, but now, he wasn't so sure. He had vowed to be a good father just like Son Goku had been to him, but when he looked at Vegeta, so full of wisdom and experience, the teenager still didn't know if he was just kidding himself.

It took him a moment to realise that Vegeta had been staring at him for well over a minute.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"What is it Trunks?" the prince asked, averting his scrutinising gaze as Trunks and Goten bounded over.

"Can we get ice-cream? Please!" the seven year old pleaded, as Goten put his puppy dog eyes to full use.

"Saiyan warrior's don't beg," Vegeta stated, yet sighed when the two young boy's did not falter, "How much is it?"

"Four Zeni!" Goten grinned happily.

"Altogether?"

"Each!" The boy's chorused.

"Each?!" Vegeta fumed, fishing through his wallet, "That had better be with sprinkles, or else I'll blast the ice-cream man into oblivion, cart and all!"

"Don't worry, I got Goten," Gohan said with a light chuckle, taking out his own wallet from the back of his jeans.

Opening it up, he swore under his breath, realising he had spent the last of his wages on more nappies and food for Gokuto. He felt bad asking his mother for any money, they were already bad off enough as it was, even without the youngest saiyan in the picture.

"I've er, only got my card," Gohan said quietly.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, before thrusting a handful of notes into his son's palm, "Here, there's enough for four there."

The teenager's eyes widened, "Vegeta, you don't have to-"

"Do you want ice-cream or not?" the man challenged.

"Er, yes," he muttered, "Thanks."

"Tch," Vegeta tutted, before pushing another Zeni at Trunks, "Here, get extra sprinkles, we'll be needing them."

As much as Gohan was surprised at Vegeta's sudden gesture, he couldn't help but indulge himself in the sugary treat. Trunks and Goten had inhaled their ice-cream before they had even brought his and Vegeta's over, and the teen was certain that there were a few extra licks taken out of his.

For now the dynamic duo were safely several feet away from Gohan's ice-cream, playing in a nearby sandpit where Vegeta had insisted they take the babies to.

The teenager smiled slightly as he saw the two boys attempt to teach the younglings how to build a sandcastle, which so far had only resulted in Trunks getting hit in the face with a spade, curtesy of his younger sister, whilst Gokuto had managed to dump a bucket of sand all over his head.

So, here Gohan was left with Vegeta, with nothing to distract them except their ice-creams. It was odd really, the only real time he had spent with the full bloodied saiyan was when they had been sparring, or arguing, or more recently said saiyan pulling his drunken carcass out of a gutter after parties with the other interns.

But as the teen looked over at the man, his obsidian orbs fixated on watching the children play, Gohan couldn't help but snort into his mouthful, he was officially on a man date with Vegeta.

Oh if only Dad could see him now.

His chest suddenly tightened considerably. His father would be seeing him, in the not too distant future.

"So, does the woman not pay you enough for fooling around in that lab or what?"

Gohan turned abruptly, Vegeta had been staring at him again.

"It's not Bulma who handles the money, not really," he stated indifferently, taking a lick out of his rapidly melting cone.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Surely she has authority over it, besides, I thought an internship at that blasted company paid well for a kid your age."

"I didn't know you knew so much about Capsule Corp's affairs," he stated with a hint of amusement.

"Theres a lot you don't know about me brat," Vegeta retorted, crunching the last bit of his cone into his mouth, "and don't avoid the question."

The teenager huffed slightly, leaning back on one hand as he finished his ice-cream, "It does pay well, that is… well…" he sighed, his eyes averting to the sandpit.

Vegeta snorted, "Makes you think twice about using protection doesn't it?"

"Piss off," Gohan scowled, causing the prince to smirk.

"Doesn't your harpy mother have enough funds to satisfy your needs?" he asked.

The teen saiyan sighed, ignoring his elder's choice of words, "Radish farming doesn't do so well, and the money that Da- what was won from the old tournaments is slowly but surely running out. Mum's completely locked away the money I've been given as The Gold Fighter for the future, and I can't exactly do any more hours at work with 'Kuto."

Vegeta stared at him for a moment, "What about the tournament?"

"What about it?" he replied childishly, causing the man to scoff.

"Don't tell me your not going to at least try to beat me brat, I'd say you'd have a pretty good chance of winning the title and the money if you trained seriously."

"Was that a compliment?" Gohan smirked.

"Don't push it," the prince glowered, turning to him, "and don't tell me that you think you can get by just by training with your little brother."

"I thought it was just a friendly tournament," the teenager shot back.

Vegeta snorted, "There's nothing friendly about it. Your clown of a father is coming back for it and if you haven't noticed we've all been training hard for the past year and a half. Even scar face has been doing more serious training than you."

"Yeah," said Gohan, ignoring his hurtful comments, "Piccolo has been shutting himself away a lot lately, I think he's determined to beat my dad. Would be pretty cool to have a rematch between them though."

"Tch," the prince spat, "The only person that will be having any worthwhile rematch with your father will be me."

"Seems like everyone wants to fight him," said Gohan with a roll of his eyes.

"And you don't?" asked Vegeta.

The young saiyan gave him an odd look, "Why would I?"

"It's the first thing I would do to my father had he had abandoned me."

"That's not nice Vegeta," the teen growled.

"You might want to give it a try sometime, it'll make you feel better," Vegeta scoffed, "Don't pretend as though it's alright brat, you're not fooling anyone."

Gohan remained silent, suddenly finding interest in the long blades of grass in between his legs.

Perhaps the saiyan prince was right, the tournament was only a few months away now, and Gohan was nowhere near being alright with his father coming back from the dead for the weekend, no matter how much he pretended to be.

"Think about it Gohan, it might do you some good to punch the idiot in the face," said Vegeta sincerely, "I'll certainly get a laugh out of it."

Later that night, the young saiyan had been tasked with putting both Goten and Gokuto to bed.

Gokuto would occasionally sleep in Goten's bed, as they enjoyed a little sleepover now and again. As the teenager tucked them both securely underneath the sheets, it seemed that he couldn't escape talk around his father that day.

"Gohan?" asked Goten through the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"I heard you and Uncle Vegeta talking about Daddy earlier, are you really going to punch him in the face?"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh, "No Goten, I'm not going to punch him."

"Oh, okay," said the little boy, "Gohan? What's Daddy like?"

The teenager sighed, perching himself on the edge of the bed as both boys looked towards him in wonder.

"Well," he started, not really sure how to explain, "He's incredibly brave, and an amazing fighter, the strongest I've ever known. Mum always said that he knew what was best for everyone."

"He sounds nice," said Goten, smiling sheepishly as he cuddled up to Gokuto.

"He is," Gohan said with a small smile, although it was a little forced.

"See Grandpa! See Grandpa!" Gokuto squealed.

"Oi, calm down you little monster," the young saiyan chuckled, tickling the littlest saiyan in between the ribs and causing him to let out small bursts of giggles, "You'll see him soon. We all will."

"Do you think he'll like me Gohan?" asked Goten.

The teenager smiled, "Of course he will Goten. What's up eh? You nervous about meeting him?"

"A little," he whispered into his blanket.

"Well, do you want to know a secret?"

"What is it big brother?" he blinked curiously.

"I'm nervous too," he whispered back, kissing the small boy on his messy spikes before ruffling them.

"Night night Daddy!" Gokuto chirped, pulling the teen's face towards him and giving him a big sloppy kiss.

"Night kiddo, get some rest you two, more training tomorrow right Goten?"

"Yay! Okay Gohan, goodnight!" His little brother said excitedly, tucking himself further underneath the covers.

"Goodnight," said Gohan, creeping out into the dimly lit hallway and closing the door behind him.

Breathing a heavy sigh, the teenager made his way down the stairs and through the kitchen where his mother was sat chatting away on the phone to Bulma, a cup of tea in hand.

Slipping outside quietly, he took out a cigarette that he had hidden behind his ear and lit it with a small zap of Ki.

The stars were shining brightly above him, the Northern star standing out above the rest. Gohan smiled to himself, he remembered being only a few years older than Gokuto and using that same star to find his way back to his home when he was training with Piccolo all those years ago.

His father had disappeared from his life back then too, though he was training high above those stars in order to come back and save them all.

Which he did.

So was it any different now? His father had told him he had grown up within that year he had been gone. But how would he react to seven whole years of change? Of Gohan changing?

He breathed out a large puff of smoke, watching it disappear into the darkness.

Was his father looking down on him now? If he was, what would he think of him?

Throwing the cigarette stub to the ground, the teenager sighed once more. Only time would tell.