A/N This is the last chapter updated. After this chapter, it will be slower uploads. If you are reading and following, please look for FF/net uploads on Monday, AO3 updates will be a day before on Sunday. This chapter does contain some Erasa/Sahir but it is skippable if you don't want to read it (but it is mild sexual content reading if you've been looking for some) it is just transition writing. Happy Reading :)

For the rest of the week, Gohan split his time between Videl and Dende. He would help Videl with finding her paparazzi plant, and later he would help Dende piece together their life similarities with the Book of Kami. As much as he didn't mind helping either one of them, it was getting harder to find time to study. Gohan would find time before bed or in the early morning to study for midterms. It was productive, but sacrificial to his sleeping schedule. The lack of sleep affected him in class, and he would catch himself dozing off during lectures or in between classes. When Friday came for the Martial Arts Club, he thought that sparring would help. He could regain focus and build his energy back up through adrenaline. However, he wasn't counting on Videl lacking focus today during their sparring session.

In the Student Center, Dende waited patiently in line at one of the various fast food options they had available. It wouldn't be long before Chiaotzu was out of class, and he'd be expecting his lunch when he got out. He was oddly polite about asking Dende to pick it up, though Dende only suspected the politeness due to him doing a task for him. While manipulative, it at least worked. As he waited in line, he tried his best to tune out the overlapping chatter and overstimulating crowds in the Student Center, but then he heard a pair of familiar voices.

"So you're not going to forgive me?"

"I said I'll think about forgiving you once you buy me lunch. It's the least you can do for sucker punching me."

"It was an accident. You told me not to pull my punches."

"Well you could have pulled that one."

"And you could have been paying better attention."

Before Videl could retort Dende got his friends' attention, pulling them away from their argument. He noticed Gohan's annoyed face and the smirk on Videl's, despite wearing sunglasses. "Um, I just wanted to speak, but I'm guessing I interrupted something."

"It's nothing, we were just stopping for lunch before studying." Gohan said first.

"Of course he'd be the first to speak. Happy Friday Dende. Picking up something for lunch too?" Videl asked sweetly.

"Happy Friday Videl. I'm actually picking up Chiaotzu's lunch when he gets out of class." He said. As much as he didn't want to ask, curiosity was killing him inside. Only the satisfaction of knowing would solve the craving of curiosity. "The sunglasses are very stylish, but is there any reason why you're wearing them inside as well?"

"I'm glad you asked." She said and slid up the sunglasses, revealing her bruised and swollen right eye. "I got in an argument with Gohan and he punched me." She spoke smugly.

As soon as Dende gasped at her reply Gohan pulled her aside. "Please do not entertain her Dende. We were sparring in Martial Arts Club, she wasn't focused, and she didn't dodge."

"You see how he makes it sound like it's my fault?"

"It is your fault."

Videl rolled her eyes as she slid her sunglasses back down. "So I was a little off focus, sue me. Either way, I'm not beating the battered girlfriend allegations walking around like this."

"I can help." Dende said, reaching for her cheek.

Gohan swiftly but gently grabbed Dende's hand before he could touch Videl. "Dende, that's not a good idea." He warned.

Dende frowned, pulling away from his friend. "Gohan, you can't expect her to wear sunglasses until it heals. Besides, the sun isn't even out. She looks silly."

Videl pouted. "I thought you said I looked stylish."

"I said the sunglasses were stylish. May I?" Dende asked before gently laying a hand on her right cheek. Before his hand could settle on her cheek he pulled it away as if it burned him. His eyes widened as he looked between Videl and Gohan.

Gohan's concern grew quickly as he noticed Dende's frightened face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry, but I have to go." He said quickly before stepping out of line. Dende looked back at Videl and cautiously spoke to her. "You shouldn't fight for a while." With that, he quickly took his leave back to his dorm.

…

Dende pushed the door open to his dorm room, closing it quickly to slide down the door. His hand gripped at his robe as he attempted to catch his breath, but he was panicking too much to do so.

Chiaotzu hopped off his bed as soon as he saw his roommate in distress. As irritated as he was about not having his lunch, Dende's reaction was too extreme to not be worried. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Dende shook his head, still unable to find the words, or catch his breath.

Chiaotzu massaged his temples in annoyance. "You need to start talking or else I'm going to ask about my lunch."

"I-I can't tell you. I don't know if I'm supposed to know. I don't know if anyone knows." Dende spoke in panicked breaths before pressing his hands against his face. "I'd feel awful if I told you, but I can't bear the burden alone! You have to at least guess. For the love of Kami, Chiaotzu please guess!" He screamed.

"Videl's pregnant!" Chiaotzu blurted.

Dende looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He grabbed his roommate by the shoulders. "How did you know?!"

"You wouldn't stop screaming it!"

"Chiaotzu I didn't say anything!"

"You kept screaming it in your head!"

Instantly, Dende's anxiety dissipated and was replaced with confusion. "What?"

Chiaotzu pulled away from him, still massaging his temples. "I kept hearing you say it in my head. It was so loud, and you wouldn't shut up, and I was getting a headache, so I just…said what you were thinking."

Dende pulled himself from the ground and went to sit at his desk. "I don't..How can you hear my thoughts? I can't hear your thoughts."

Chiaotzu sat at his desk as well. "I started hearing them when you healed me. It's not all the time. Sometimes I hear random thoughts, or really loud thoughts, but I always hear the thoughts you have about me." Chiaotzu shook his head. He's never told anyone this. It was strange sharing it with someone, even Dende. "The only person's thoughts I've ever heard were Tien's, so it freaked me out when I started hearing yours. I didn't know how to tell you. I'm sorry."

Dende shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry for giving you a headache with my thoughts."

"How did you find out about Videl?"

"Videl showed me that her eye was bruised during her sparring session with Gohan, and when I touched her…I felt more than her. Like, I felt another life, growing inside her." He shook his head. "I didn't even know I could do that. A-And when I figured it out, I panicked. I just left without another notice. I didn't mean to, I was just shocked. It made me feel like…"

"Feel like you lost Gohan?"

Dende looked over at his roommate, eyes brimming with tears. He didn't have to think that for Chiaotzu to guess. "It feels wrong just to think it. I feel heartbroken over someone I knew I never had a chance with. I feel like a fool being so upset over a mere fantasy."

The Emperor hopped out of his chair and crossed the room to put a hand on his roommate's lap. "You know, I think that's why it's called a 'crush.' They make your heart melt, but by the end of it, the only person who ends up crushed is you." He reached for Dende's pockets, and pulled out his handkerchief, handing it to him. "That's why I never remarried after RanRan."

Dende couldn't help but giggle at his words. As silly as it was; Chiaotzu talking about his doll wife always put a smile on his face. The effort to make him feel better was noted. "Bad divorce?"

"The worst. It was all over the news in Mifan. I'm surprised it didn't make the tabloids." An embarrassing childhood secret was worth seeing Dende giggle and smile again. "So you may never get married again, you may never find the love of your life again, but hey, that's life. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You'll eventually get over Gohan, even if it takes a while. In the meantime I don't mind being a shoulder to cry on, but you know how I feel about getting my clothes dirty."

Dende wiped his eyes. "I'll try not to ruin your tunics with my tears." He sniffled before tucking away his handkerchief. "Thank you Chiaotzu, you're a good friend."

Chiaotzu shrugged as he made his way over to the door. "It's all in a day's work for an Emperor. Run a government, help my roommate get over his crush, try not to wage war. Easy stuff. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up the lunch that you didn't get."

"That'll be 10 zeni. Will that be cash, or campus card?" The coffee shop barista asked.

"Campus card." Sharpner spoke before patting his pockets and frowning. "Crap, I think I left my card in my room. Hey Mai, you mind paying? I'll pay you back, promise."

Mai looked over at him. "I don't have a campus card."

Sharpner waved her off as he pulled out his wallet. "It's fine, I'll just use cash." He said and pulled out 10 zeni to give to the barista. He didn't prefer using his zeni on campus. It was only used for paying his dealer when he was off campus, so his campus card was his usual form of payment. After receiving his receipt, Sharpner grabbed the cups, handing one to Mai. Once they found a seat in the shop, Mai thanked him, and took a sip of her chai.

Sharpner took a sip of his tea as well. "Sorry about putting you on the spot like that. I didn't know you didn't have a campus card. I thought everyone had one."

Mai inwardly winced. "Um, yeah, I just lost mine."

"Oh really? Well c'mon, I'll walk you to the University Office. They replace them for free. If we hurry, we can still catch them before they close. " He said as he started to stand up.

"No!" She suddenly yelled, grabbing his hand. "It's fine. I'm not in a rush to replace it. Besides I live off campus, it's not like I need it for anything here."

Sharpner's eyes narrowed in suspicion before sitting back down. "Right, I forgot you lived off campus. I guess you don't need it." He said and took another sip of his tea. "So how were your classes?"

Mai ignored his question as she looked out the window, watching a pair of students passing in the breezeway.

"Mai? Hello?" He said waving his hand to get her attention.

Mai looked back at him. "What? Oh sorry, I thought I saw your friend." She spoke quietly.

Sharpner looked out the window, catching Videl and Gohan passing by. "Oh yeah, that's Vi. Wonder what she's doing with those glasses on. She looks kinda dorky with them inside." He said with a small laugh.

"Should we go ask to see?"

"Nah it's okay. I'm sure I'll find out later. She's with Gohan."

"Will you tell me when you find out?"

Another suspicious look. "Um sure, I doubt it's a thrilling reason though."

"Just concerned is all." She took another sip of her chai. "What about her friend? Gohan? Is that her boyfriend?"

"Oh yeah, they're dating but they're pretty low key about it. I think Gohan's just modest though. Like he grew up going to temples and stuff so PDA isn't really his thing."

Mai nodded. "I see. It's hard to tell if they're even dating, but thanks for confirming."

"Yeah…" He trailed off, still getting the weirdest vibe from Mai. He took a sip of his tea before asking, "Any reason why you're so interested in Videl?"

Mai paused at the sudden question. Was he getting suspicious? She had to find a way to get him off of her trail. It was time to use her fallback plan. "Ah, no reason in particular." She said before slowly reaching to put a hand on top of his. "I just wanted to get to know the friends of the boy I liked a little better. That's all." She said, looking away to hide her blush. This was so embarrassing. She couldn't believe she was flirting with this kid.

Sharpner grinned eagerly, and pulled her hand to his lips for a kiss. "I was hoping you liked me. I've liked you since the night I walked you home. Sorry I was acting weird. Videl was going through this tabloid thing and she wanted me to make sure I was being 'safe' when talking to anyone." He spoke. "She can be a little paranoid though, it kinda rubs off on you."

"I'm nothing to worry about. Your friends are really pretty, it's a little intimidating to be around them. I thought getting to know them through you first would be a little better."

"I get it, but you're stunning Mai. You have nothing to worry about with them. You've got a great smile, and your eyes are so captivating one look could make a man drop to his knees." Sharpner assured with a laugh.

Mai smiled. He was laying it on thick but maybe he actually meant it. "You're very sweet. I'm glad I met someone like you, Sharpner."

Sharpner nodded. "I'm glad I met you too Mai. Why don't we meet up at the campus convenience store later on? If you want you can meet my friends then. We can get some snacks and all hang out at my dorm tonight."

"Sounds great."

Later on that evening, Erasa sat at her desk and continued working on her midterm paper. Working on it day by day made great progress. She was only a couple of pages away from completion. She could finish it tonight if Sahir could stop distracting her.

It hadn't been totally his fault. At first he was just sitting in her bed, reading quietly. She kept stealing glances from him, that was her fault. After he got bored of reading, he started playing with her Magic 8-Ball. The questions were innocent enough, but after a while they became silly and he was making up the answers. It kept making her laugh, definitely his fault.

"Magic 8-Ball, should I order a pizza for dinner tonight?" Sahir asked before shaking the ball. "Nice try, you only have 10 zeni to your name. How rude."

Erasa smiled, shaking her head as she continued to type. "Ask the 8-Ball why you're choosing to distract me."

Sahir shook the ball again. "It says, 'your boyfriend craves your attention.' Sounds reasonable."

"I'm almost done. I only have a couple of pages left. I just wanna finish it so I can stop looking at it."

Sahir fell back on her pillows with a sigh. "If you have a couple of pages left, you can take a small break. Have a snack, get some kisses, and after that finish your paper before the night ends."

A snack and kisses did sound nice. Pretzels and a milkshake sounded great, and she loved night walks on campus. Then she could come back and play in Sahir's hair while he… She shook her head. "No way, I'm not falling for it. I'm finishing this paper now, you can have me later."

Sahir pouted. "Darn it, so close. At least I still have you Magic 8-Ball to keep me company." He said, still shaking it around.

Erasa went back to typing on her laptop. "You still haven't figured out what you want for dinner. It said no to pizza, but it'll probably say yes to something."

"Fine. Magic 8-Ball, what do you think I should eat for dinner?" He asked before shaking the ball. Sahir smirked looking over at Erasa. "Well isn't that strange? Your name came up."

With a sigh, Erasa saved her paper and closed her laptop. She couldn't fight it anymore, the stupid line worked. Erasa hopped in the bed, climbing on top of him. "Alright, you win. But only a quick break."

Sahir grabbed her waist and turned them both over so he was on top of her. He leaned down to press his face against her neck. "I'll be quick, I promise." He muttered against her skin.

Erasa whimpered at the butterfly kisses he planted on her neck. Her hands made her way up to his hair, tangling her fingers in his soft curls. Her body shivered as his hands stroked her sides, and crawled under her shirt to feel the dimples in her back and her smooth skin. The whimpers turned into moans when she felt him nip and suck at her throat.

Sahir was so teasing, and so lustful. Their times of intimacy were insatiable, and left her begging to be satisfied again and again. Tonight would be no different. She'd finish her paper tomorrow, she needed him now. Erasa grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him closer to press their bodies together. She pulled him away from her neck and to her lips for a heated kiss.

Sahir craved her body. He loved the way her hips felt in his hands. He loved the taste of her skin on his lips. He loved the smell of her natural scent, and the sounds of her moans were addicting. He couldn't be more lucky to worship a body like hers. The more she begged, the more he could satisfy her. Sahir's hands found their way up under her shirt again, starting at her stomach and working their way up to her chest.

Then, a loud knock was heard in the distance.

Sahir could feel her shift under his body, and he pressed her against the bed. "Videl can answer it, you're taking a break." He said cupping her breasts under her shirt.

Another knock at the door.

Erasa's back arched into the touch. "Videl's asleep. She had a headache and wanted to sleep it off." She answered breathlessly.

The knock came again.

Erasa turned them over and she pulled away from him. "It's probably Sharpner. I'm just going to tell him to come back later." She said and climbed out of bed, pulling her shirt back down. She slipped out of her room and into the vanity area. After another knock at the door, Erasa unlocked it and pulled it open. "This better be good, I was busy."

"I can tell, you've got a hickey."

Erasa covered her neck in embarrassment. "If you're just here grill me about hooking up with my boyfriend, then come back in 10 minutes." She said before closing the door.

Sharpner pressed his hand against the door to keep her from closing it. "Actually, I'm here to see Videl, there's something I have to tell her."

"She's asleep."

"Not anymore. Sharpner's stupid knocking woke me up."

The two looked back, finding Videl shuffling out of her room tiredly. "What do you want Sharpner?"

Sharpner walked into the room, noticing the bruised eye she was sporting. "I'm guessing that's why you had those sunglasses on earlier."

"Yeah, Gohan got me in our sparring session today. Is that why you're here?"

He shook his head. "Not exactly. I think I know who your paparazzi plant is."

"Who?" The girls asked simultaneously.

"I think it's Mai."

Erasa's mouth fell open in surprise. "Your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, but she did say she liked me, and wanted to get closer to you two through me."

"What else makes you think she's a paparazzi?"

"Well, we were getting drinks at the coffee shop, and I forgot my campus card in my dorm. I asked her to pay for it with hers, but she said she didn't have one. So I ended up paying with some money. She told me she lost it, and I told her I'd walk her over to the University Office so she could get a new one, but she freaked out about going and said it was no rush to get another one. She lives off campus so she doesn't need it for anything."

"But you need it for the dining hall and library." Erasa said.

"Exactly. We've been to the library together but I always use my card to let us both in, and we never get food from the dining hall, it's always food in the Student Center."

"Okay, what else?"

"We saw you and Gohan passing the coffee shop at the Student Center. She was pretty distracted watching you two, then started asking questions about your sunglasses, and asked if I could tell her later when I found out."

"Dude, that's such a red flag!" Videl yelled.

"Oh all the flags were red Vi, trust me. Get this, she started asking about Gohan and if you were dating. I told her you guys were low key and she seemed surprised by it, even thanked me for confirmation. How weird is that?"

Videl gasped and grabbed him by his shirt. "You told her I was dating Gohan?! Sharpner I ought to beat the THC out of you!"

Sharpner struggled to breathe when he felt his collar press against his throat. "Calm down Vi, she couldn't have pictures of you. She never has a camera when she's with me, and you said the photo quality was too good to come from a phone. I told her to meet me at the convenience store, you can corner her there, just please don't beat me up."

Videl released his shirt. "You better hope she's there; or else I'm coming back to kill you, and I mean it."

Sharpner sighed in relief and began fixing his ruffled shirt. "She's gonna want either pictures of you with Gohan, or of your eye. It's too dark for her to get a good picture without the flash, so she has to risk it in a lighter area. You go without your sunglasses she won't be able to resist sneaking a photo. I know the plan isn't foolproof, but it's the only plan you have."

"Well let's make it foolproof. She's expecting all of us, if she sees just me and Erasa she may get spooked. I need you both with me. We can't raise suspicion, but we have to find a way for her to sneak a photo."

With a nod, Erasa opened the door to her room. "Hey Sahir? We're gonna have to rain check on dinner, and our break. I'm sorry."

Sahir hopped out of her bed and slid on his shoes. "It's alright. We'll pick up where we left off later."

"Come over tomorrow?"

"Of course." He responded before giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodnight." He spoke to everyone in the room before taking his leave.

Erasa closed the door behind him. "Let's put the plan in motion."

"She has a boyfriend?"

Mai nodded. "Her friend just told me today, but it's hard getting pictures of them. They never hold hands, and they never kiss. It'll be easier getting a picture of her out of her sunglasses before getting a PDA picture with him."

Shu shrugged. "That's better than nothing."

"You know The Sire won't accept one photo. I've got to get her boyfriend too." She said before leaning against the counter with a sigh. "Being a paparazzi is hard work. Why couldn't Sire just work as a professor on campus instead? We wouldn't be struggling as much."

"Hey I don't work my butt off in this store for nothing." Shu spoke defensively.

"And it's still not enough. How does he expect us to collect enough money for an airship when we can't even make ends meet in a one bedroom in West City?" Mai shook her head. "I miss robbing banks."

"Sire said it made us too noticeable…and we were bad at it. Besides, I like having a legal job. I'm making friends, and everyone is so nice to me. I feel like I'm finally fitting in somewhere." Shu spoke as eyes started to fill with tears.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to sneak around for pictures and pretend to like a college burnout." Admittedly, Sharpner was sweet but he was too young for her. At least it was easy to befriend him to get better access around campus, and keep tabs on Videl. Mai put her digital camera on the counter. "Here. You can sneak a photo if I can't distance myself from her. If she takes off the sunglasses or comes without them you have to get a picture. We can work on getting a picture with her boyfriend later. They should be here soon, and I have to meet them outside." With that she slipped outside to wait on her guests.

"Right, you can count on me." Shu said taking the digital camera, despite not knowing how it actually worked. He was sure it wouldn't be too hard, just point and shoot and he'd have a photo, right?

Mai sat on a bench outside the convenience store for a few minutes before she saw a group of familiar chatting friends approach her. She stood to greet them. "Good evening, it's good to see you."

Sharpner smiled at her, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. "It's good to see you too. Mai, these are my friends Erasa and Videl. Guys this is Mai." He introduced. The three girls politely waved and greeted each other.

"I'm surprised I haven't noticed you on campus, you're gorgeous Mai." Erasa commented.

Videl observed Mai under the streetlamp lights, her gaze was deadly, sexy even. There were girls on campus with an alluring gaze, but none of them looked as intense and sultry as Mai's. She had to be Bedroom Eyes. "Yeah, you're super pretty. What do you study?"

Mai thanked them for the compliments before speaking, "I keep to myself, so I don't have many friends on campus. I'm a fine arts major, I mostly draw, or paint." From her knowledge all of them had science based studies, so choosing an art based study as a cover would be best.

"Well now that introductions are out of the way, can we get some snacks? I've got the munchies and it's going to take me a while to pick out what snack I want." Sharpner said, walking ahead to go inside.

The girls followed behind him into the convenience store. Mai noticed Videl's bruised and swollen eye, deducing that it was the reason for the sunglasses. It was hard to steal glances at her when she was already looking. She hoped Shu could get a picture of her.

Sharpner held the door open for the three girls before going in himself. They were all greeted warmly by Shu. "Welcome friends. It's good to see you back. Let me know if you need help with anything."

Videl and Erasa smiled at the clerk. "Hi Mr. Shu." They greeted together. Shu was nice and polite like every staff member on campus. He always had time to chat since his patrons came in a few at a time and at a leisure pace. He was also easy to talk to, seeing that he talked funny. Videl held on to the passing thought. Shu did have a funny voice, a dopey voice even. This setup could very well involve both the suspects she had been tracking down. She had to move carefully and with purpose.

"Hey Vi, you need some tamps while we're here?" Erasa asked.

Videl allowed the distraction and shook her head. "No, I have some already." More than she even needed, actually. "Don't buy any, I have an extra box you can have back at the dorm."

"Oh, thanks." Her roommate said with a nod before continuing her shopping.

Videl casually walked down the isles, noting everyone's position. Sharpner and Mai were on a back aisle chatting quietly, and Erasa was on the opposite end of the same aisle as her.

"I just got some snack cakes in, and the milkshake machine is fixed." Shu commented.

"Were you ever able to see about the magazines Mr. Shu?" Videl asked.

"Oh yeah, I asked a couple of weeks ago but they weren't approved. Sorry about that." He said before adding, "You know, I've got some ice packs behind the counter if you need one. You know to help with your…eye situation."

"Thanks, I'll consider it." Videl said not looking away from the snacks she was choosing. She usually liked hot and spicy chips as a snack but lately they had been making her stomach upset. She settled for a cheesy flavored chip. A ginger ale would help too with settling her stomach.

Before she could turn off the aisle, she noticed a flash of light and heard the soft click of a digital camera.

Videl looked over at the clerk counter. "Did you just take a picture of me?" She asked, approaching the counter.

Shu winced nervously. He didn't know the flash was on, let alone knowing how to turn it off. "No, I was just testing out my new camera. It must have went off by accident."

Her eyes narrowed at the terrible lie he came up with. "So you wouldn't mind me looking at the pictures you already have, right?" She held out her hand. "Give me the camera."

"W-Well it's pretty expensive, I don't wanna hand it off to just anyone—"

"I said, give it to me. Now."

Shu gulped at the girl's threatening demeanor. He really screwed this one up. Sire was surely going to kill him this time. He held the camera out to her, and before she could take it; Mai snatched the camera and ran out the door.

"Get back here!" Videl screamed running after her.

"Don't let her catch you Mai!" Shu yelled as he pushed the swing door open to leave the counter.

"Oh, no you don't." Sharpner warned as Erasa pushed the door back closed so he couldn't leave the counter. "You're not going anywhere."

Shu frowned as he looked between the two. "You can't hold me hostage in my own store! I'll call the campus police!"

"Do it, we'll tell them you're here under false employment." Erasa threatened.

"How dare you! I am a diligent worker here at this University!" He spoke flashing his work badge.

Erasa snatched the badge from him. "You didn't even spell 'University' right!" She yelled, throwing the badge at his head.

Sharpner shook his head. "Man, you are cooked."

…

Mai ran down the alley behind the store, Videl on her heels. Shu was such an idiot. She couldn't believe she trusted him for such a risky task. She wasn't getting in trouble with the Sire for him again. Her hand dove in her pocket, and she pulled out a capsule. She clicked the release cap and threw it ahead of her. If she could just get on her hoverbike, she could escape.

The capsule POOFED in a large cloud of smoke, and after it cleared, it revealed a purple Capsule Corp. hoverbike. Before she could get close to get on and escape, Videl was on top of her tackling her to the ground. The camera fell from her hands and tumbled away from her.

Videl pinned Mai to the ground, with a knee in her back and her arm twisted behind her.

Mai grunted in pain from her arm and squirmed to free herself. "Get off of me!" She screamed.

"Not until you tell me who The Sire is!"

"I'm not giving up my Emperor!"

"What Emperor do you serve?"

"Go to hell!"

"Tell me, or I'll break your arm!"

"You're bluffing!"

Videl extended her arm back further.

Mai gasped at the pain. "Okay! His name is Pilaf! Emperor Pilaf!"

The same sounded familiar. She remembered seeing his name in research when she wrote a paper on petty criminals. He wasn't an actual Emperor, it was just a criminal name. "Why are you selling my pictures to tabloids? Pilaf couldn't pull off a successful heist?"

"It's less prep work and the money's fast. Shu's paycheck and the couple thousand zeni we get for your pictures helps us get by."

Videl grimaced. "I'm not some cash cow you can make money off of! I'm a person too! Extorting a teenage girl for money?! Violating my privacy?! Do you have any idea of the damage you've caused? The danger you've put innocent students in? You people are sick! The only place you should be getting by is in ajail cell!"

"Oh boohoo! Daddy's little princess got her pictures in a tabloid! You're pathetic! Can't stand someone else making money off your name you greedy, spoiled bitch!"

Videl overextended her arm, and a muffled crack came from the limb. Mai howled in pain as Videl threw the limp arm to the side and removed her knee from her back. As she held her broken arm; Videl walked over to the camera on the ground, and slammed her boot into it, smashing it into pieces. She then left out of the alley, leaving Mai writhing in pain and screaming obscenities.

…

"So after my mother disowned me, I left home. I lived on the streets for a while before I met Mai and The Sire. From then on we've been together."

"That's horrible Mr. Shu, I didn't know you had such a bad childhood." Erasa spoke sympathetically.

"Yeah," Sharpner said, snacking on chips, "at least you learned how to use a sword though. That's pretty cool."

Shu nodded. "And I have a place to stay too. Even though I have to share a bed with Mai and The Sire in our apartment, I'm still grateful."

Just then Videl made her way back into the store.

Shu noticed Mai hadn't returned with her, maybe she got away on the hoverbike. He quickly realized he was wrong when the female fighter grabbed him by his ninja uniform and lifted him off the ground. He squirmed in her hold, but he couldn't break free.

"I couldn't seem to get through to Mai, so maybe you will listen: I don't ever want to see your faces again. Not on campus, and not around West City. Tell Emperor Pilaf that if he causes this much trouble for me again, I will notify West City PD that you three are violating parole." With that, she lifted him over the counter and threw him towards the door. "Mai is in the back alley. Go get her, and get the hell out of my sight."

Shu wordlessly scrambled to his feet, and went out the door, never to be seen again.

Sharpner and Erasa looked at each other and back at Videl. "Damn Vi, I hope Mr. Shu got it easy. I can't imagine what you did to Mai." Sharpner spoke.

Videl grabbed the chips she wanted to purchase earlier, rubbing her aching stomach. "Just left her in a position to make her think about her life choices." All that work made her tired, and her stomach cramp. Erasa mentioning tampons earlier reminded her of her upcoming cycle. PMSing may have caused the extreme reaction with Mai. She didn't mean to break her arm, but she didn't regret it. As she grabbed her ginger ale from the drink fridge, she spoke again, "Did you guys get your snacks? They're on me."

"We already paid, but thanks." Erasa said, grabbing her snacks so they could leave.

Videl nodded and pulled out a few zeni from her pocket, laying it on the counter. "I need to go lay down. I'm exhausted."

"Well let's get out of here before we run into UPD." Sharpner said, grabbing his snacks as well.

They all made their way out of the empty, unattended store. Videl hit the light switch on her way out, turning off the store lights, and flipped the 'Open' sign to 'Closed.'

A/N *Chapter fades to black*

Executive Producer Dick Wolf

I enjoyed writing Detective! Videl, she's courageous and gritty just like her two favorite tv show detectives, Benson and Stabler :)

Since the subplot is wrapped, we can refocus on the main plot. I am still writing ahead so I don't want to give away too much, but I would assume the next chapter will be long with A LOT of very obvious Gohan/Dende, rather the subtle moments they've been having. The plot will continue to unfold into chaos. Until next chapter!