Secret Heart

Chapter 26

Why, oh why couldn't the Earth stay in peace more than a few years? First the Demon King Piccolo, then the Saiya-jins, Frieza, the androids, Cell… And now, an evil wizard was threatening the planet with his overpowered monster, Majin Buu.

Really, it was as if the Earth was cursed.

Gohan sighed. Today should have been a wonderful day; he should've spent it with his now complete family, now that his father came to visit after seven years of absence. Now they were going to have to fight and risk their lives in order to save the planet and its inhabitants.

Piccolo had joined them in their chase, having also sensed what had happened with Gohan. He had been more than surprised to learn who the two white-haired men were, especially the younger-looking one.

"The… The Supreme Kai?" he had exclaimed, not believing his ears. What was a being such as the Supreme Kai doing on Earth?

They had to explain everything again to Piccolo: Babidi, the son of Majin Buu's creator, intended to get the demon out of his cocoon with the energy than the two men with tattooed foreheads stole from Gohan. They absolutely had to stop Majin Buu's resurrection, otherwise the Earth and the rest of the universe would be in grave danger.

Piccolo nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. Then his eyes landed on the young girl who was flying with them as best she could, and he furrowed his nonexistent eyebrows.

"Gohan, why is your friend here?" He asked his former pupil. Gohan frowned in turn.

"I told her not to come, but she wouldn't listen to me." He replied.

"It's too dangerous for her. Plus, she's slowing us down." Piccolo said, clearly showing his disapproval.

Videl narrowed her eyes as she looked at Piccolo and Gohan who were talking about her as if she wasn't even here, feeling anger rising. How dared they?

"They are right, you know." Supreme Kai told her. She turned her head sharply towards him, her eyes still narrowed.

"I'm not a kid anymore! I can take care of myself!" She said, getting worked up.

"But against them, you won't stand a chance. Your attacks didn't even affect the two henchmen Babidi sent, and compared to Majin Buu, those two were nothing. I'm saying this for you; I don't want to risk innocent lives."

Videl clenched her fists. She knew that he was right, but she refused to admit it. It would be like admitting that she was too weak, that she was useless. And that would never happen.

"Could you guys go ahead?" Gohan then asked the group. "I'd like to speak with Videl."

The others nodded, speeding up in order to leave the two teenagers alone. Seeing their real speed, Videl realized that Piccolo had been right: she was really slowing them down.

"Look, Videl," Gohan began. "I understand that you don't want to be left aside – believe me, I'd been in your position countless times –, but it's really too dangerous, and I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you when I'll be fighting."

Silence followed. They had stopped advancing and were now floating above the ocean. Videl had her head lowered, her fists clenched. She didn't want him to go fighting. What if he didn't come back? No, she couldn't allow it to happen; she had to follow him, the danger she would experience didn't matter.

With a new determination, she looked up at him right in the eyes.

"You won't leave without me. I will hang on you if I have to." She said stubbornly.

"If you come, I won't be able to focus on fighting because I'll be too worried about you." Gohan retorted. "Please Videl, I need to have a mind at ease so I can fight with everything I have."

"What if you don't come back?" She said back, her eyes shining with tears she refused to let out. "You can't even promise me that you will be back; you don't know it yourself. Am I wrong?"

"No, it's true: I don't know if I will be back." He replied, his face serious.

"And you expect me to stay aside while knowing this? That's out of question! I'm coming and you can't stop me!"

Gohan scratched his hair, searching for a way to convince this stubborn girl not to come. Sure, he could always fly away at full speed so that she wouldn't be able to follow him, but he didn't want to go and leave her furious against him. After all, it may be the last time that they were seeing each other.

His heart clenched at that thought. If it really was the last time that he was seeing her then… then he couldn't leave without telling her how much he loved her. She had to know.

He embraced her, taking her by surprise. Although the girl did not really understand what had come over him suddenly, she hugged him back, feeling so safe in his arms…

"Please, Videl…" He whispered. "Go to Capsule Corp and tell Bulma what's going on."

She looked up at him, tears filling up her eyes at the idea of losing him.

"But Gohan… If you didn't come back I…"

"Don't worry." He said, stroking her cheek. "There's a way for me to come back, even if I don't get by."

"Gohan, that's impossible…"

He smiled. "Go to Capsule Corp and talk to Bulma; she'll explain everything."

"But…"

He kissed her, hushing her protestations. Videl wanted to resist, but she felt herself melt, and all of her questions vanished instantly as she kissed him back. It felt so good, and they'd missed it so much… They didn't want to stop. However, after some time, they started to lack air and had to break the kiss, though reluctantly. Keeping their eyes closed, still in each other's arms, they were catching their breath.

"I don't want you to risk your life, Videl. I… I love you too much to lose you."

She looked at him with widened eyes, feeling her heart race in her chest. "What… What did you say?"

He smiled at her, glad to finally be able to tell her. "I love you, Videl."

Her reaction to his declaration surprised him: she pulled apart from him.

"Why… are you telling me this now?" She asked, tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to answer but she beat him to it:

"It's because you know that you're not coming back, don't you? So it was a lie; there isn't a way for you to come back, and you are telling me this now because you know that you're going to die!"

"Videl…"

"No! I don't want to hear it! Not like this, not like a last goodbye! You can't die, Gohan!"

And she flew away, not wanting him to see her cry. Gohan wanted to go after her, but he wasn't sure it would sort things out. He sensed that she was going towards Capsule Corp, and it reassured him, knowing that she would be safe in there. He then decided to join the others who were still chasing Babidi's two henchmen.

oOoOoOo

No, it wasn't the last time that she was seeing him. She couldn't believe it. She refused to. Gohan was going to get by; there was no way around it. She couldn't even think about losing him.

"I love you, Videl."

No, no, NO! It wasn't a last goodbye! She would see him again, she just had to wait for him.

"I love you, Videl."

She sobbed. If he'd told her this, then it meant that he didn't believe himself that he would be back; what were the chances for him to survive then?

Videl shook her head sharply, speeding up as she kept flying towards Capsule Corp. Gohan was going to get by, there was no other way around it.

oOoOoOo

Bulma was fixing one of the many robots her husband had destroyed during his training sessions when Trunks turned up in her lab, looking panicked:

"Mom, it's bad!" He said agitated. "Dad's disappeared! He's nowhere in the house!"

The female scientist removed her protective glasses and raised her eyebrows. Vegeta never left his Gravity Room, except when he needed to eat or sleep, or the rare times he spends with his family.

"Can't you sense where he is?" She then asked her son.

"No, I can't sense him." He replied.

"He must be concealing his Ki." Bulma concluded. Then she frowned. "For all I know, he went to fight Goku on the quiet…"

Trunks blinked. "Who?"

The blue-haired scientist was going to answer but she was interrupted by a floating robot that entered the lab, informing her that someone called Satan Videl wished to get inside the propriety.

Bulma raised her eyebrows. Videl was here? That was unexpected.

"Let her in. I'll see her in the main living room." She then told the robot.

"Yes ma'am."

oOoOoOo

Videl was waiting for Bulma in the main living room of Capsule Corp. The young girl had been able to calm her crying on the way and she hoped that Bulma won't ask her about her probably red eyes.

She sighed. I'm tired of crying all the time, she thought. This is all Gohan's fault.

"I love you, Videl."

Her eyes stung as she replayed that scene in her head for the umpteenth time. Gohan had kissed her, and then he'd told her that he loved her. She would have been overjoyed if only he hadn't done this because he thought he wouldn't see her again.

You're wrong, Gohan, she thought with conviction. You will live, and then… Then, we can be together.

The girl was brought out of her thoughts when the Briefs heiress arrived. Bulma immediately noticed that something was wrong as she greeted Videl.

"Did something happen?" She asked worriedly.

Videl nodded. She then told her about everything that had happened and about the threat that hovered on the universe, like Gohan had asked her to.

"Gohan said… that there was a way to bring them back if they don't make it. Is it true?" She then asked, although she doubted she would get a positive answer. After all, how could such a thing be possible?

"He must've been talking about the Dragonballs." Bulma replied naturally. Before the surprised look Videl was giving her, she explained: "They are seven magic balls that, once reunited, allow to summon the Eternal Dragon who has the power to grant two wishes, no matter what they are. Even bring dead people back to life."

"And… those balls actually exist?" Videl asked, barely believing it.

Bulma smiled slightly. "How do you think the people Cell killed "miraculously" came back to life?"

Videl's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Yes. It was thanks to the Dragonballs." The female scientist confirmed. "So don't worry Videl, Gohan will be back no matter what."

It was as if a huge weight was just removed from her heart. It hadn't been the last time they saw each other. And, Videl decided, it won't be the last time that they would kiss.

And the next time they would see each other – because there will be a next time – she would finally tell him.

I love you.

oOoOoOo

Vegeta was getting impatient. Gohan was taking way too much time to get rid of Dabura; and for that matter, his rival's son didn't even seem to have the upper hand in his fight. At the rate things were going, he would never have the time to fight against Kakarotto!

When they had seen Babidi's henchmen land, they had landed in turn on a big boulder and stayed hidden. They had then watched, seeing a very ugly, brown being and a second one who was much taller and looked like a demon, the two of them getting out a spaceship that was apparently buried under the ground. From what the Supreme Kai told them, the short one was Babidi and the tall one Dabura, the Lord of the Demons. Shin and Kibito seemed to believe that they wouldn't be able to defeat Dabura; with the Prince of all Saiya-jins here, they should know better. Vegeta didn't doubt his abilities in the least; Gohan's, however, that was another story.

The Saiya-jin scowled as the brat received a blow that sent him crash on boulders.

"I saw enough of this." He said irritated. "I'll take care of that guy myself."

"Vegeta, no." Goku protested. "It's Gohan's fight, you can't interfere."

"I don't give a damn! Your brat is too rusty; he will never be able to beat him at this rate! And we don't have time to waste! You can only stay one day on Earth and if we don't sort this out until then, I would never have the opportunity to fight you again!"

Dabura watched the scene with a devious smirk. Obviously, this one was not fighting for justice; and besides, his heart was far from being pure. They will be able to use him.

The demon then interrupted his fight and asked his master by telepathy to bring them back to the spaceship so that he could tell him about his discovery.

The scenery changed and Dabura went towards the exit.

"Hey, where are you going? You're running away?" Gohan said.

The demon looked at him over his shoulder and smirked evil. "Run away? Of course not. I don't need to fight anymore; I found you a better enemy."

oOoOoOo

Trunks didn't understand what was going on. He could sense his father's Ki very clearly now. His power was incredible, but something was not right. The energy his father gave off was different, it was… evil. And it wasn't normal. Sure, his father wasn't the kindest man around, but Trunks had never sensed such evil and hatred in his father's Ki.

It was then that the program on the TV, which he'd been watching absentmindedly, changed for a special flash of news. A young woman was on the screen in a city that seemed to be bombarded from everywhere.

"Four men appeared out of nowhere in North City." The reporter said. "One of them then began to bombard the city with some kind of blasts that was coming from his hands!"

Trunks widened his eyes as the camera filmed the scene. He had no trouble recognizing who was bombarding the city.

"D… Dad?"

To Be Continued…