Secret Heart

Chapter 19

Whatever she did, Videl couldn't manage to remember why some of Gohan's friends seemed more than familiar to her. She was certain she had seen them somewhere, but she was unable to remember where. And while she was concentrating to try to remember, she didn't notice Gohan's sudden panicked look. Because the young man had indeed just sensed his former mentor approach Capsule Corporation – his very green and very alien mentor. How was he going to explain that to Videl? He didn't want to lie to her, but he wasn't ready to tell her the truth yet.

"Oh, Piccolo's coming." Krillin said, having just sensed the Namek as well.

"Yeah, I'm sensing him too." Yamcha confirmed. "I didn't think that he would come."

Gohan didn't know what he should do. And Piccolo's Ki was getting closer and closer. What should he do? Tell Videl the truth? No, no, he wasn't ready yet, and he wanted to be closer to the girl first before telling her everything. Making something up seemed to be his only alternative. But he really didn't want to lie to her… Unless he could manage to convince Videl to wait for the answers, like he did last time, when she had asked him how he could change his hair color. It was better than lying. Yes, that was what he would do.

"Gohan, who are they talking about?" Videl precisely asked, bringing him out of his reflection. "And how can they know that someone is coming?"

"Well, it's thanks to a technique that we master which allow us to sense and identify a person's Ki." He replied. "It's a very useful technique during a fight; I could teach it to you if you want." He then proposed.

"I would like that, yes." She said. "But who are your friends talking about? You didn't answer that question."

"It's Piccolo." Gohan replied simply.

Videl frowned slightly. "And who is this… Piccolo?"

"You'll know soon enough; he's coming." The young man said, pointing to the sky. Videl's eyes followed the direction he was pointing at and saw a spot in the sky that was getting bigger and bigger. She guessed that it was this Piccolo guy. The girl then noticed something strange while Piccolo approached the giant dome: he was green.

She blinked. Then rubbed her eyes and turned them back to the sky. No, there was no possible mistake, this man was indeed green.

"Um… Gohan?" She called, not removing her eyes from the sky. "Is it normal that he is green?"

She heard her friend sigh. "Yes Videl, it's normal. Piccolo was born that way."

"Oh. Okay."

Actually, this explanation was more than enough. Videl didn't seem to need more. He had been worried for nothing, Gohan thought smiling.

"How come?"

Videl's question made his smile fall. Damn, he thought, I was sure it would be enough.

"Well, uhh… I'll tell you later."

Before Videl could protest, Piccolo landed in the garden of Capsule Corp. The crime fighter's eyes opened widely when she saw him close by. He was so tall! He was easily seven feet tall! And it wasn't all; he had pointy ears, and when he briefly greeted Bulma and the other guests, Videl could see his fangs. Not forgetting his green skin and strange outfit, it all made him a quite intimidating being. Not that she was intimidated! Well, maybe just a tiny bit…

Piccolo then went towards Gohan, who he hadn't seen in quite a while, and since Videl was standing near the latter, she could see the green man very, very close by.

It was ridiculous, she barely reached his waist! Why was she so short anyway? Even with Gohan, she barely reached his shoulder.

"So, that's who's taking all your time that you don't even come see me?" Piccolo said to his former student. The latter blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm really sorry Piccolo, but I've been rather busy with school and the rest these last few months."

Piccolo glanced to Videl, who told herself that it wouldn't be bad to be invisible at a time like this.

"So I see." He said, still keeping his gaze on the young girl.

"What? Ah, but that's not it at all! Videl has nothing to do with that! Really!" The young Saiya-jin said hurriedly, blushing even more.

"You know, I sometimes watch what you are doing from up there, so you're don't have to sweat on it."

Gohan lowered his head, his blush still as deep. "I'm sorry, Piccolo."

"It's okay," he said, then he placed his hand on his former student's head in an affectionate gesture. "But come see me, from time to time. And it wouldn't hurt you to train a little while you're at it. Same for me, for that matter."

The teenage boy lifted his head and smiled to his former mentor. It's true that there was only him who could pit his strength against Piccolo. There was Vegeta, of course, but the Namek didn't really like the Prince and his arrogance.

"By the way, this is Videl. She's a friend from school." Gohan said, remembering that he hadn't introduced Videl to Piccolo yet. "Videl, this is Piccolo." He continued. "He was my mentor and he's a really good friend."

The young girl raised her eyebrows at this information. This man had been Gohan's mentor? He must be very strong then, seeing Gohan's strength. He had beaten Cell at only ten, after all!

The Namek looked at the Earthling girl, raising one of his inexistent eyebrows. He had already seen her from up there, on Dende's Lookout, and so he knew who she was as well as her relationship with his former student, although he didn't understand everything about it. Gohan seemed to be very attached to her, but in a different way that himself was attached to Gohan. Piccolo decided not to think about it more, not wanting to have another headache like every time he tried to understand this human feeling called love.

Little by little, Videl relaxed under Piccolo's gaze. He was Gohan's friend, after all; she had nothing to fear of him. She mentally reprimanded herself for being intimidated by this man. And also for her incomprehensible shyness in the Jet. She was Satan Videl! These kinds of things should not happen! She really didn't understand what was going on with her lately.

"You're teaching her how to fly, right?" Piccolo said, turning his gaze back to the demi Saiya-jin.

"Yes, since the beginning of the week." He replied. "At the rate she's learning, it won't be very long before she masters it."

"Really?" Videl asked, surprised. She didn't really have the feeling she was making progress quickly; she just knew how to float rather high from the ground.

"Of course. You're very talented, Videl." Gohan said, smiling at her. The girl blushed slightly, both for his compliment and for his smile.

"Is that true, Gohan?" Krillin asked while approaching the trio. "You're teaching Videl how to fly?"

"Um, yeah." The young man replied. He had a bad feeling about it for some reason. And his bad feeling turned out to be justified:

"Are you sure that's what you're doing? Don't you guys take advantage of it to make out?" The former monk asked, a mischievous smirk glued on his face.

The two teens blushed deeply. The worst in this all, it was that they really did kiss, the first day of the flying lessons. And twice, on top of that.

Gohan sighed. He had a feeling that the allusions and teasing about him and Videl wouldn't cease during this party. He'd never hear the end of it.

Videl was blushing so much that she wondered if her face was ever going to get back to its natural color.

Throughout the party, Gohan's friends didn't give them a moment of peace, throwing teasing after teasing to the two teens. Now matter how much they protested or denied, the other guests didn't care; for them, Gohan and Videl were a couple.

"So you two, when's the wedding? You'll have to think about using protection during the honeymoon by the way, you guys are a little young to have kids."

"If you guys want to go and make out in a corner, don't mind us, go ahead. It's hard to control your hormones when you're a teen."

"Really Gohan, I don't know how you did to find such a pretty girl, but I'm happy for you. You two make a cute couple."

"Just between the two of us, Gohan, did you guys already do it? Come on, you can tell me! I'm your buddy after all!"

And there was no end to it. Be it Krillin, Yamcha, Oolong or anyone else, they weren't stopping. It was becoming unbearable; Gohan was very tempted to leave the party and go take it out on Vegeta, but he couldn't leave Videl alone with the other guests. They would eat her alive.

"How do you plan to get married? I would advise you an outdoor wedding; it's nicer that way, don't you think?"

"What about children? Did you think of names?"

"SHUT UP!!!"

The silence was complete in the garden at this sudden exclamation, and everybody turned towards the source. Gohan's face was so red that it could compete with a tomato and win hands down. As to know if it was from embarrassment or anger, only God knew – although it wasn't for sure.

What was sure however, it was that Gohan was fed up with all the teasing.

"How many times will we have to repeat that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING between Videl and I! We're just FRIENDS, and there will never be anything more!!"

"Oh, stop talking nonsense, Gohan." Krillin said rolling his eyes. "We just have to see how you look at her to understand that you're head over heels for this girl."

Gohan's eyes widened while the blush on his face deepened. He couldn't believe that Krillin actually said that. The young man glanced to Videl; strangely, she didn't seem surprised by what the noseless man had said – maybe she didn't believe him. But then, why did she look so sad?

"Stop with that, Krillin." The young Saiya-jin resumed. "I already told you that there was nothing between Videl and I."

"But you would like it if there was more, wouldn't you? Come on, admit that it's true!" Yamcha added with a mischievous look.

"I won't admit anything!" Gohan retorted. All this was seriously beginning to get on his nerves. Was it so hard to believe that he and Videl were just friends?

"Now everybody calm down." Bulma intervened, placing herself between the adults and teens. "Krillin, Yamcha, and the others, stop teasing Gohan and Videl. If they're saying that there's nothing between them, then there's nothing between them. Is that clear?"

"But…" Krillin tried. One look from Bulma quieted him, and he sighed, resigning himself. "Fine…"

"Really Bulma, you're no fun…" Yamcha complained, nearly whining.

Gohan sighed in relief. He had thought his face was going to explode from so much blood in it. He was very grateful to Bulma for saving him from this more than embarrassing situation – although she could still have intervened sooner; it had been hours that he and Videl were putting up with everyone's teasing. Well, at least it was over now.

He would finally be able to breathe.

The party resumed in a good atmosphere, despite the disappointment of some of the guests who could no longer tease Gohan and Videl without having Bulma on their back. Their attention was however diverted towards the delicious skewers of Mrs. Briefs and they forgot the two teens rather quickly.

"So, Videl," the President of Capsule Corp began while holding out a plate of skewers to the young high school student. "Do you have activities outside school? Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." Videl said taking the plate. She had ended up relaxing before the Briefs heiress' sympathy and natural. "Yes, I train a lot in my father's dojo. I also help the police fight crime in the city sometimes, and Gohan helps me in his disguise."

Bulma raised her eyebrows. "You know that Gohan is Saiyaman?"

"I discovered it not too long ago." The young crime fighter replied.

"It must be dangerous to fight armed criminals, isn't it? You're not bulletproof after all." Yamcha said, inviting himself in the conversation.

"That's not going to stop me." She said.

"And I'm here to protect you." Gohan added, taking an umpteenth plate of skewers.

"Hmph. Like I need your help." Videl said.

"Oh come on Videl, you have to admit that I'm useful to you."

"Except for distracting the criminals with your ridiculous poses, I don't really see what you're useful for."

"My poses are NOT ridiculous!" The demi Saiya-jin protested, flushing deeply.

"Yeah, my big brother's poses are really cool!" Little Goten agreed, coming to fill up his plate of skewers. "Right Trunks?"

The little Prince sweatdropped. He had seen Gohan's poses on TV, and they were everything but cool.

"Um… Yeah?" He said, his reply sounding more like a question. Goten didn't notice however and he grinned widely while turning towards Videl.

"See?" He said.

Videl chuckled at the innocence of the Son youngest. The way Goten admired his big brother was so cute.

"Tell me, Videl," Krillin started, having followed the conversation since the beginning. "If your father own a dojo, it means that he is also a martial artist, right?"

"Um, yes, he is." Videl replied, not knowing where the noseless man was going with this line of questioning.

"Has he entered tournaments before? I'm asking because I entered a few world tournaments myself when I was younger."

"Oh, that's right!" Videl exclaimed, finally remembering where she had seen Krillin before. "You were in the semifinals of the Tenkaichi Budokai three years in a row! I knew your face was familiar!"

Krillin grinned proudly. "Yeah, that's me. But I never managed to get to the finals."

"You still had impressive results." Videl insisted.

"It's nice to see that there are people who remember. But let's get back to you."

"Oh right! Well, to answer your question, my father is the current world champion."

"But the current world champion is…" Krillin abruptly interrupted himself. Then he widened his eyes, realizing who the girl's father was.

"Your father is Mister Satan?!!"

To Be Continued…