Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters

Baby Steps

Two hours later, Gohan was walking through the familiar halls of Orange Star High School for the first time in days. Noisy adolescents surrounded him on all sides, barraging him with their often obnoxious voices, but Gohan barely noticed. All his concentration was focused on a single person—Videl.

He cast about for her ki, but despite his incredibly attuned senses, he could not sense her anywhere in or near the school. She was not there, a fact which upset Gohan. She was probably just late, or had gotten called in by the police, but none of those explanations curbed his disappointment and increasing longing to see her. With nothing else to do, he headed to homeroom and took his seat, anxiously waiting for the petite firecracker to show up.

His eyes scanned through the students filing into class, more to give him something proactive to do than to actually increase his chances of finding Videl. He examined every black-haired girl that came through the doors, but none of them were Videl. Pretty soon, the flow of students slowed, and there was still no sign of her. He was still trying to find her energy, but she seemed to be too far away for him to sense her tiny power.

"Gohan!" Erasa's cheery voice drew his attention away from searching for Videl.

"Hi, Erasa," he said, turning to face his friend, more out of politeness than a particular desire to speak with the excitable blonde at that moment.

"Where have you been, cutie?" She winked at him.

Sighing inwardly at her shameless flirtation, he replied, "I wasn't feeling well." It was true enough. He didn't want to dwell on that subject, though. Changing the subject, he asked casually, "Do you know where Videl is?"

That was clearly the wrong question to ask.

"What's your sudden interest in Videl?" she teased, a devilish smile peeking through her normally innocent features. "Is there something I should know about?"

"Yeah, nerd-boy," Sharpner butted in from behind them, "Why should you care about my girl?"

Normally, such insinuations wouldn't have bothered him. Now, though, what had before been a completely off-base suggestion held just enough truth to make his ears burn. He tried not to let his friends see his discomfort, but that was hard.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask her something," he told them, hoping they'd be oblivious enough not to notice anything.

Sharpner huffed and turned away, but Erasa continued to look at him for an uncomfortably long time. Just as Gohan was about ready to look away in discomfort, she finally spoke, "Alright, Gohan. I'll buy that … for now." She wagged her finger at him. "But don't think you're off the hook, mister. I still—"

The bell rung, and the various conversations around the room died down as the teacher stood up to teach. Gohan turned to listen to the lesson.

Erasa, though, didn't let up. "I know something's up," she whispered, "Whatever's going on, I'll figure it out eventually, you know."

"Miss Erasa!" the teacher suddenly shouted, "Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

"No, sir," she answered.

"Then please leave Mr. Son alone and pay attention," he scolded and resumed teaching in his normal, nearly monotone voice.

Gohan was thankful for the teacher's intervention, but at that point, it didn't really matter. Now he had two suspicious girls on his hands. The thought of their combined efforts to pry into his life made him cringe. Surprisingly, of the two, Erasa made him more nervous. At least with Videl, he didn't have to worry about everything he said or did somehow becoming the gossip of the town.

Of course, there was also the matter of his dream. No, Videl no longer seemed so bad at all.

That brought him back full circle. Where was Videl? He went back to searching the surrounding area for Videl, not bothering to pay attention to the lecture. He had probably already learned everything the teachers might say.

By the middle of third period calculus, Videl had still not shown up, and Gohan was beginning to worry. Had something happened while she was helping the police? He was confident she could handle most every criminal in the city if it came to a fight, but she was not bulletproof. What if she'd been caught on unawares, or was outnumbered, and … and … Gohan felt a gnawing sickness deep in his gut as his imagination provided him with gruesome images of the horrific possibilities. Panicking, he was just about to jump out of his seat and rush to save her from meeting any such end when the class door burst open and in walked none other than Videl Satan.

Gohan let out his pent up breath as relief swept over him. Her black pigtails were disheveled and her face slightly flushed, but Videl was most certainly alive. Looking back, he felt quite silly for getting so worked up over vain imaginings that had not basis in reality. Still, he was worried about what could happen in the future if Videl continued to risk her life on a daily basis.

There was little time to consider that, however. Videl took her seat with a deep scowl on her face. Erasa and Sharpner weren't in that class, so she sat right next to him. Gohan wanted to lean over and ask what was wrong, but didn't think during class was the best time to try to have a conversation. Lunch was right after class. He'd just have to wait until then.

He tried to meditate to pass the time, but his curiosity and anxiousness was just too much to tame. Instead, he resigned himself to watching the clock. He struggled not to fidget as the seconds ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace.

At last, the shrill ring of the bell dismissed class and everyone quickly put away their things so they could go eat. Videl, who had not bothered to unpack anything for the small portion of class she was present for, immediately zipped away, much to Gohan's exasperation.

He followed her out as fast as he could, soon losing sight of the short girl in the sea of students pouring into the hallways. Using her ki signature as a beacon, he slowly waded through the mass of bodies in pursuit of his elusive prey. But no matter how fast he fast he went or how many turns he took, he never seemed to get any closer.

Eventually, he followed her up the stairs and to the 4th floor of the school. As he reached the top of the stairs, he was immediately confronted with a pair of large doors. He had never been to this part of the school before, but he had been told it held an extensive gym with state of the art equipment, which he guessed lay behind these doors.

He started to push in the door and talk with Videl, but then he noticed her elevated ki. It was steadily rising with occasional sharp spikes in a sure sign of intense physical effort. As much as Gohan wanted to see Videl, he was reluctant to interrupt her workout. It reminded him of all the times he had taken out his frustration with his own training. Physical exertion might be the best thing for Videl at the moment. He could wait.

With that resolved for the moment, he left to eat lunch with his Erasa and Sharpner. As he sat down with them in their usual spot, the blonde duo asked him about Videl.

"She's here," he told them, "She's upstairs in the gym."

"That's weird," Erasa said, "She doesn't usually go there during school. Oh, Videl! Always so obsessed with training!"

"How do you even know Videl is in the gym, anyway?" Sharpner questioned, "I mean it's not like Mr. Brain would ever work out, right?" His insults, though, was mostly good-natured by now.

"I wanted to talk with her after class, but she ran off. I saw her go into the gym when I was looking for her. She seemed to be in a bad mood, though."

"Hmm. I wonder if …" Erasa looked down at her food and appeared to be thinking. When she looked back, she was frowning. "It doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while, she has these weird mood swings. She gets really angry and spends almost every second of the day in the gym."

"Why?" Gohan asked, curious as to what could upset Videl so much.

"I don't know." She sighed and looked away wistfully. "I've tried asking her, but talking to her when she's in that mood never ends well. Even when she's back to normal she refuses to talk about it."

"Yeah!" Sharpner added, "Last time, I suggested we go on a date, and she socked me so hard in the stomach it hurt to move for a week."

"Oh, you had that coming, Sharpie," Erasa scolded, "You know she hates it when you hit on her, but you insist on doing it anyway."

"Nobody can resist my dashing good looks and magnificent arms. She wants me. She just doesn't want to admit it."

As he said this, Sharpner smoothed back his long blonde hair in his best attempt to look irresistible. Erasa cracked up at the conceited boy's antics. The more stoic Gohan laughed quietly as well. Even Sharpner acknowledged that his chances were slim and chuckled a bit along with them.

When the three calmed down, Gohan said seriously, "I wonder what could cause it."

"I don't know, Gohan," Erasa told him, "But if she's in one of those moods, it's probably best for you to leave her alone to cool off."

"Maybe," Gohan said absentmindedly. He took a bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly as the new information sunk in. Erasa and Sharpner moved on to some other topic of conversation, but he continued to be preoccupied thinking of the raven-haired spitfire who was the only reason he had come to school that day.

Despite Erasa's warnings, he still wanted to talk with Videl. He didn't have anything in particular he wanted to say, but he hoped that somehow seeing Videl again would help him figure out his dream. More than that, he longed to experience again the warmth and comfort he had felt when he saw her smile the night before. Unfortunately, it now seemed he would not get to see that smile again anytime soon.

Whatever was bugging Videl, he was determined to find out. He did not fear Videl wrath like his two weak friends. What he did fear, though, was not being able to spend any more time with her. He didn't know how he had gotten so attached to a girl he had only met a few weeks ago, but that was irrelevant. He had to do something.

But by the end of the day, he still had not gotten his chance. Videl had not come to any classes, and whenever Gohan looked for her ki, she was in the gym, apparently still working out even though more than two hours had passed.

Finally, when the last period arrived and Videl did not show up to gym class, Gohan made up his mind. Getting the teacher's permission to leave—pretty easy when you've known him your entire life—he climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and went into the vast indoor gym to speak with its sole occupant.

The stench of sweat filled his nostrils as he stepped into the surprisingly cool confines of the air-conditioned room. Exercise equipment littered the expansive area—treadmills, exercise bikes, weight machines, rowing machines, punching bags, and more. It certainly was an impressive setup.

In the corner, Gohan spotted Videl ruthlessly pounding away on a heavy punching bag, filling the air with a cacophony of sharp smacks. He rarely saw anyone assault a practice target with such ferocity. To the untrained eye, her movements would appear as nothing but a blur as each punch and kick struck with lightning speed and deadly force.

Each blow sunk deeper and deeper into the bag, rattling the chain as it thrashed around violently. Finally, the poor bag couldn't take any more abuse and the seams burst, releasing the sand they had previously contained onto the smooth floor beneath. Gohan saw two more similarly destroyed bags hanging nearby to accompany it.

Videl walked away from her ruined target. Sweat was streaming down her face, plastering the strands of loose hair to her flushed skin. Her breath came in ragged pants as the exhausted girl struggled to regain her breath. Reaching for a towel, she dried her face and threw it across her shoulder before collapsing on the floor in exhaustion. Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she took.

"Impressive." Gohan said after some time just observing the girl, causing Videl to jolt up and search for the source of the unexpected voice. Seeing Gohan standing there, she sighed heavily and fell back to the ground. Her face contorted into a deep scowl directed toward the ceiling, but she did not say anything.

"Videl," he called quietly.

"What do you want, Gohan?" Videl snapped irritably, still facing the ceiling.

Gohan approached her and sat down on a nearby weight bench. Looking down at girl on the floor, the picture of her soft smile once again flashed in his mind, reminding of the joy it had incited in him. In contrast, the angry look her face now carried caused him an inexplicable feeling of emptiness. With her upset, something was not right with the world.

"What's wrong, Videl?"

"Nothing's wrong!" She insisted, never meeting his eyes, but her voice betrayed her distress.

"Then why have you spent the last two and a half hours destroying the gym equipment?"

"I'm training."

"Why?"

"To get stronger." It was a copout and they both knew it.

"Why?"

"Let it go, Gohan," Videl rebuffed his attempts to dig deeper, but Gohan continued to push.

"What happened this morning, Videl?"

"I said just let it go!" she exploded and finally sat up to face him. She glared at him for several seconds before lying back on the ground. "I'm fine. Now please just leave me alone."

Not knowing what to say, but unwilling to leave, Gohan just sat there staring at Videl, the girl from his dream. How different she looked in reality than she had in the dream. This girl was exhausted, sweaty, and angry, while the girl he had seen that night had been peaceful, radiant, and happy.

And yet, the two were somehow the same. No matter the changes in appearance, they were undoubtedly the same person who had drawn Gohan toward her despite all his attempts to distance himself. The person who seemed to understand him better than anyone else. The person whom found incredibly attractive, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

As the uncomfortable silence stretched on, Videl rose to her feet and started for the back of the gym, toward the locker rooms. Gohan watched her go, experiencing that familiar feeling of loneliness strike him as the distance between them grew. He wanted to tell her to wait, but he could think of no excuse why she should stay. So he said nothing as she disappeared behind the door to the locker room

Gohan left the gym and started back to class. As he meandered through the deserted hallways of the school, a shadow of depression cast by Videl's dark mood clung tighter and tighter to him. His guiding light had snubbed him, leaving him to once again flounder around in the darkness.

A part of him was mocking him. It told him to abandon his foolish quest and forget about that dream. It was nothing, it said, a figment of his imagination caused by his unstable emotional state and Videl's unwelcome intrusion. It was ridiculous to think that that dream had any meaning. He was a fool to get worked up over something so trivial.

At the same time, there was something else. Something deeper, more primal. It urged him to trust his instincts and keep going. It refused to give up without a fight and dared him to overcome the fear and the obstacles in front of him. It enticed him to pursue his elusive goal even if it meant going to the ends of the earth to claim the ultimate reward.

It did not take Gohan long to figure out what this other something was. It was the Saiyan side of him that he had so desperately tried to suppress. He had made his decision to follow Videl towards that elusive light of his dream, and he had come to school with the sole purpose of beginning that journey. His Saiyan pride bristled at being rejected so outright, and pushed him to keep trying.

A battle was raging within him. It consumed throughout what was left of school, and continued as he walked home and began his homework. By dinnertime, he had finished all his assigned work in addition to studying additional material not covered in his classes, but the conflict in his mind was still as strong as ever.

It was proud Saiyan versus weak human: Resolve waged war with indecision, hope with fear, and boldness with timidity. It felt like his head was filled with a furious tempest as the conflicting emotions crashed together into utter pandemonium that only grew more chaotic as time passed.

Finally, the answer came. Like a beam of sunlight penetrating the clouds, the memory of Videl's smile returned to him. He once again remembered the reason he had come back, the reason he had sought out Videl—that haunting smile that had brought him out of an abyss of despair. The picture burned itself in his mind's eye, bringing with it a sense of peace. All the confusion, doubt, and uncertainty still swirled around him, but as long as he focused on that one image, things felt right. It was the eye of the storm. The one place he could escape.

With this realization, what had before been a vague notion to seek after the girl in his dreams crystallized into firm resolve. Videl held the key to something he wanted—no, needed—and he would not give up so easily. He would do whatever it took to find it.

Or would he?

Would he really be willing to do anything? Would he even be willing to return to a life of martial arts, if that was what was required? Would he be willing to risk the return of his nightmares? These questions haunted him.

He had no answer, at least for the moment; he would just have to take everything in baby steps.

I have a question for all my loyal readers: Should I include Buu? This is a ways off in the future, but I've been wrestling with this for a while and wanted to hear what you think. Yes or no? Why or why not? Let me know in a review, or just pm me. Either way works.

Thanks in advance!