A/N Posting early due to pre-written chapter. U know how it go. For full author's note please see the original post on AO3. Happy reading!

The next morning, Dende rolled over, expecting Gohan but he wasn't there. Strange, he could feel him holding him the entire night, he didn't even feel him slip away. He sat up and called out his name, but got no answer. He stretched as he thought about last night. Despite having limited space, it was the best sleep he ever got. Gohan was so warm, and close. He held him the entire night while he slept to the sound of his heartbeat and inhaled his natural scent. It was intoxicating. He didn't think he could sleep the same anymore. Dende pulled the covers off of him to get ready for the day.

After his morning routine, Dende went to the Son's residence, pushing the front door open. The family greeted him politely and he returned the greeting. He seemed to have made it just in time for breakfast, where he found Gohan setting the table.

Chi-Chi began putting breakfast on the table. "Dende, I diced some cucumber and watermelon for you. Would you like it for breakfast?"

"Thank you very much, I'd love it for breakfast." He said sitting at the table.

Before she could grab the bowl, Gohan already had it in his hand, serving it to Dende.

With a nod of thanks, Dende waited patiently for the rest of the members to be seated for breakfast.

Once everyone was seated, the group prayed over breakfast, and began eating.

"So Dende, how was your first night?" Goku asked.

"It was fine. I slept well."

"That's good to hear," Chi-Chi started. "I wasn't sure if you did. I noticed the hut light was on for some time. I thought you were having trouble sleeping."

Dende forced himself not to look at Gohan. "I ah, had some trouble but eventually I was able to sleep. I apologize if the lights kept you up. It shouldn't happen tonight."

"Well yeah, that's 'cuz Gohan—"

"Oh, Goten! There was something I forgot to tell you." Gohan interrupted.

"What?"

"What was it?" He tapped his chin in thought before snapping his fingers. "That's right, it was 'shut up.'"

Goten pouted at his brother's words. "Mom! Gohan just told me to shut up!" He whined.

"Gohan, stop being rude to your brother. Now what were you saying Goten?"

"Uhh, I forgot." Goten said, scratching his head. "But I don't think it was important." He shrugged and continued eating.

Dende sighed quietly as Gohan cleared his throat slightly. From Gohan leaving in the morning, Dende figured he didn't want his parents to know about their sleeping situation. Perhaps it was just better that way. Dende didn't feel good about lying to Gohan's mother. However, keeping a secret like sleeping with Gohan was excitable, but he didn't know why. "Goten are you on break from school as well?"

Goten shook his head. "I don't go to school."

"Goten is homeschooled. I homeschooled both of my boys." Chi-Chi spoke proudly.

"I don't know about 'school,' but he's definitely 'home.'" Gohan mumbled.

Dende smiled. "That's interesting. I was homeschooled as well."

"What a small world. Where did you grow up Dende?" Chi-Chi asked.

"I grew up in Yunzabit Heights."

"Yunzabit Heights? That's like a different planet!" Goten interjected.

"And what planet are you from? Planet Lamebrain?" Gohan asked.

"At least I'm not from Planet Doofus!"

"I'm not actually, but when I visited they said they missed you."

Dende would have spat his food out if he didn't cover his mouth in time. Gohan snickered at his reaction.

"Gohan, I'm not going to tell you again, leave your brother alone. I'm sure you don't want to be embarrassed in front of your friend." Chi-Chi threatened.

Gohan didn't want to look at whatever face she was making that came with the threat. Instead he just looked down at his meal to continue eating. "Sorry mom."

Goten smirked. "Whomp whomp."

"Goten, I swear I'm gonna—"

Chi-Chi shifted from her seat.

"Take you out on a hike today." Gohan said quickly. "It'll be fun. Dende can come too. We can go on one of your baby hunts."

"It's a bug hunt!"

"Whatever."

Later in the afternoon Gohan kept his promise of taking his brother out on a hike. Goten led the pack with his Critterpedia in hand and a pencil in the other ready to check off whatever he saw for today. He chatted excitedly about the bugs he found while Gohan was gone. Gohan didn't seem to be listening but Dende was interested. It was much warmer here than back at school. The day was so nice, and Mount Paozu was even more beautiful up close. They passed by quiet streams, rushing waterfalls, and through dense forests.

In passing the dense forest, Goten stopped to look at trees and through logs for any kind of bugs he could find. He noticed a shiny bug on an old tree stump. He approached the stump slowly stopping when he got a good view of it. "Let's see what your name is." He muttered and flipped through his book trying to find the match to the bug's description.

Dende stood over him curiously, glancing at the bug and back to the book. "There it is Goten, it's a Jewel Beetle." He said pointing in the book.

Goten looked between the picture and the bug. Same body shape and color meant that Dende was right. "Yep. That's a jewel beetle alright, my first one." He said checking it off in his book. "Its scientific name is 'Buprestidae. Because of their brilliant colors and hard shaped bodies, some cultures may collect them for decoration.'" He read slowly to not trip over his words.

"That's interesting. What's your favorite bug Goten?"

"I'll show you." He said flipping back a few pages in his book. Goten pointed in his book as he spoke. "Here it is. A Golden Tortoise Beetle. Isn't it cool? I haven't found one yet. They're active at night, but mom doesn't let me go out when the moon is up, especially a full moon." He looked up at Dende with a smile. "Did you know that there are over 350,000 species of beetles? Those are just the ones scientists have found. There's a Critterpedia on just beetles. I really wanted that one, but I like the one I've got too."

"You really know your bug knowledge Goten. It's impressive."

Goten grinned. "Thanks! I love bugs. When mom is teaching me math and reading and stuff it's sometimes hard to get, but if you need to know something about a bug, I'm your guy." He spoke nodding confidently.

"You stumble over 'See Spot Run' but you can say 'Charidotella sexpunctata' flawlessly. Something's wrong with you."

Goten grimaced at his brother's comment. "You're just jealous 'cuz bugs like me and they hate you!"

"I've never wanted a bug to like me. I actually have friends instead of bugs."

"Nobody wants—" He stopped his insult to look above Gohan's head. "Gohan, don't move." He warned.

Instantly Gohan went swatting his hands around trying to find the nearby threat. He hated when Goten made him pause for a bug sighting. The last time he made him freeze it was a spider crawling up his leg. He wasn't going through that again.

"No!" Goten screamed running over to the swatted bug. He scooped up an injured purple butterfly. "What's wrong with you?! She didn't do anything to you, and you hurt her! You're a monster!" He screamed with tears falling out of his eyes.

"It was an accident! You told me not to move, I thought it was on me!" Gohan screamed back.

"Would you both stop screaming please?" Dende spoke. It was hurting his ears and he didn't want to become agitated from it. He kneeled down to the crying Goten. "What kind of butterfly is this Goten?" He asked.

Goten sniffled. "It's a Great Purple Emperor. I didn't have one yet, but I don't want to count it if it's dead."

Dende assessed the butterfly in the child's hands. It seemed to still be moving, but barely. "I don't think it's dead yet." He said and held Goten's hands in his. "Do you want to try a magic trick with me Goten?"

Goten nodded.

"Okay. I want you to close your eyes, and count to three. When you get to three, we're going to let the butterfly go, alright?"

"M'kay." He closed his eyes and began to count.

Dende held a hand over the butterfly to begin healing it.

"1, 2, 3." With that he opened his eyes and opened his hands at the same time as Dende. The butterfly shot from their hands and flew away deeper into the forest.

Goten watched the butterfly with astonishment. "No way! How'd you do that?" He asked.

Dense shrugged. "I told you it was magic. You should check it off in your book before you forget."

"Right!" He said before grabbing his book again to find the page. "Here she is: The Great Purple Emperor. Scientific name is 'Sasakia charonda. Contrary to belief, the insects that are purple in color are actually males.'" He read before looking up in the direction the butterfly flew off to. "Sorry I called you a lady sir!" He yelled down the forest path.

Dende chuckled at Goten's antics. "I think he'll forgive you since you helped him fly again."

"You think? I bet he gets that all the time. If I see him again I'll be sure to ask." He said before continuing his journey down the path.

Before Goten could continue down the path, Gohan reached out to grab his collar to pull him back.

"Leave me alone—!"

"I'm sorry I messed up your bug hunt. I won't do it again."

Goten crossed his arms. "I'm not forgiving you unless I get a hug."

Instantly Gohan swept his little brother up in his arms, hugging him close and showering him with kisses.

Goten giggled as he tried to push his brother away. "Stop kissing me! It's gross! I only wanted a hug!" He whined.

Gohan pulled him away. "You set yourself up. You know my hugs come with kisses too." He said and lifted him above his head to sit him on his shoulders. He tucked his arms around Goten's legs to secure him, but still offered enough arm space for Dende to loop arms with him.

Dende had been upset with Gohan for being so mean to Goten, but he couldn't stay mad after watching them make up so sweetly. Dende went to loop his arm in the open space Gohan saved for him, and together, they continued their hike.

During bedtime, Gohan waited for his parents to turn in before he made his way over to the hut. He could see the hut light was still on from his room, so he wanted to make sure it was off a little earlier tonight so his parents wouldn't be too suspicious. "Hey Squirt, are you up?" He called quietly from across the room.

Goten pulled the covers from over his head, and sat up. "What?"

"Come sleep over here, I'm going over to Grandpa's hut."

"I'm too tired, I wanna sleep in my bed." He spoke and laid back down.

With a sigh Gohan stood and went over to his younger brother's bed picking him up and taking him across the room. "I don't want you sleeping by the window if it's unlocked. I want you safe in my bed, away from the window." He said quietly as he laid him down.

Goten climbed under the covers. "Okay." He said and looked up at his brother when he was settled into bed. "Hey Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Dende your boyfriend?"

Gohan instantly startled and blushed at the question. "What? No, he's not my boyfriend. I have a girlfriend, Goten."

Goten gasped. "You have a girl—"

Gohan clasped his mouth closed to keep him from screaming. He sat on the bed to speak quietly with him. "Yes, I was on the phone with her last night." The reminder made him remember that he hadn't returned her call today. He'd have to call her tomorrow. "I just didn't tell anyone because mom gets all weird when I mention girls. So, keep it a secret?" He asked, holding his pinky out to his brother.

Goten wrapped his pinky around Gohan's. "Okay. What's her name?"

"Videl."

"Oh, that's a cool name."

"Yeah well, she's pretty cool herself. You'll like her when you meet her."

"I like Dende too though."

"Dende's just a friend Goten. He's my best friend."

"Well Trunks is my best friend, and I don't hold his hand or sleep with him. You do stuff with Dende like how mom does stuff with dad."

Gohan sighed. If Goten could pick up on their friendship he could only imagine what his mother must think. "I'm just…really close to Dende. We hang out on Sundays in school and we live in the same building, so I see him a lot. Plus, something happened at school that I saved him from, so he doesn't want to be away from me."

"But why are you sleeping with him?"

"He's afraid of the dark. That's why he had grandpa's hut lights on. He said it's easier to sleep in the dark when I'm with him."

"Oh," Goten said, nodding in understanding. "You want me to keep that a secret? I'm sure mom would be pretty weird about that too, right?"

"Yeah she would." Gohan agreed. "Keep that I'm sleeping in grandpa's hut with Dende a secret too, yeah?"

Goten offered him his pinky to him.

Gohan wrapped his pinky around his again. "Now I gotta go, I think Dende's waiting on me. Goodnight Squirt." He leaned down to kiss the top of his brother's head and went over to the window.

…

Gohan slid the hut door open and slid inside. "Dende? Are you awake?"

Dende rolled over. "I was starting to fall asleep waiting on you."

"Sorry, I was talking to Goten." Gohan went to turn off the hut lights.

Dende moved over in the bed to give Gohan space in the bed. "I enjoyed our hike today around Mount Paozu."

Gohan slid in the bed and pulled Dende close to him. "Me too, Goten said he likes you." He said putting an arm around him.

Dende rested his head on his chest, and draped his arm around his torso. "Goten's sweet, I like him too. You shouldn't be so mean to him, Gohan."

"I know, he just annoys me sometimes, but I love him like he's my own baby." Admittedly, his parents telling him that he'd be a big brother at 11 was unexpected, but he embraced the role as soon as he came into his life. He changed him, fed him, helped him take his first steps. Goten was everything to him, annoying or not.

"Would you try working on being a bit nicer to him for me please? I don't want you to get in trouble with your mother."

"I don't want to be in trouble with that woman either."

Dende chuckled. "Goodnight Gohan, sleep well."

"Good night Dende." He said and planted a small kiss on the top of his head.

The silence was deafening, and he could feel the stare Dende was giving him in the dark.

"Sorry it was a reflex. I just tucked Goten in and—"

"It's okay Gohan."

The next day started with Dende feeling rested and energized. The past two nights of peaceful sleep were enough to recover his harrowing state. He sat outside the Son household, writing in his journal. It was another nice day, it would be a shame to miss out on it. He heard the front door open, and he slid aside for the person coming out the door.

"You don't want to come inside to journal?"

Dende shook his head. "It's a nice day, I don't want to waste it."

"Fair enough." Gohan said, sitting beside him on the porch. "How did you sleep?"

"Good."

"Are you starting to feel better?"

"Yes, enough to continue our research on the Star Orbs."

"You mean Dragonballs."

"Right." He said and closed his journal. "I didn't want to ask, I've been a bit too prideful to do so."

"Ask me what?"

Dende sighed. "May I borrow your Book of Kami? I'm still having trouble remembering the verses I need to read."

Gohan laughed slightly. "I told you you could use it whenever you wanted. You gave it to me, you have a right to it, you know."

"I know, I'm just still coming to terms with losing my own book. It wouldn't feel the same to me."

"I understand. Let me grab it for you." Gohan stood to go back in the house. He went to his room, shuffling through his suitcase before pulling out his book. When he left his room, his father was standing before him. "Oh, hey Dad. What's up?"

Goku smiled. "Nothing important, I was getting ready to train in Dragon Rock, I thought you wanted to come."

Though it had been more than enough time since he's trained with his father, he didn't exactly miss it. He had gotten used to training with Videl and Sahir in Martial Arts Club. "Sorry Dad, I'm a little busy with Dende right now. Maybe another time?"

Goku nodded in understanding. "No problem kiddo. I'll see you this evening for dinner." With that he gave Gohan a pat on the back and dismissed himself to head out for training.

Gohan sighed. He didn't even seem upset that he denied his request. Gohan couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed himself. He shook off the thoughts and went back outside to meet Dende. "Here you go." He said, offering his book.

"Thank you." He said and began flipping through the book. "Is your father off to train?"

"Yes."

"You didn't want to train with him?"

"No. I'd rather train later by myself."

Dende stopped to look at his friend. "Why? Did something happen?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Can we focus on finding the verse you're looking for?"

Dende was still concerned but didn't press the issue further. From his observation Gohan didn't seem to have that much of a relationship with his father. They seemed to love each other but were also estranged. He couldn't begin to guess why, but it reminded him of his relationship with his Uncle. He continued his reading. "Okay, what I'm looking for is in the old stories. There's mention of an orb locator…Here it is." He pointed to the verse he couldn't recall. "'With the help of the orb locator, Zero and the lady scientist would be able to find all of the orbs needed to summon the eternal dragon. Zero had come to understand just how knowledgeable the lady scientist was. He knew she would be helpful in future endeavors.'"

"Lady scientist sounds like Bulma, but she's never mentioned anything about the Dragonballs before." Gohan commented.

"We should at least tell her and see what she knows, but I suppose we won't see her until she returns to Mount Paozu." Dende spoke next, closing the book.

Gohan shook his head. "My mom and Goten were going over to Capsule Corp for lunch and a playdate today."

Capsule Corporation was very familiar, but Dende couldn't understand why. He also couldn't explain the strange, yet comforting feeling it gave him. It made him feel nostalgic, and reminded him of his childhood. He was comfortable, especially in their extensive garden. It almost felt like a home away from home. They all stayed in the garden. Goten and Trunks were enjoying running around the grass. Dende and Gohan were sitting by the koi fish pond. Chi-Chi and Bulma sat nearby at a patio table chatting over tea.

"It's nice that you came to visit with Chi-Chi and Goten boys, how has your break been so far?" Bulma asked.

Dende turned his attention from the koi fish to Bulma. "Very relaxing. Thank you for having us, you have a lovely home."

"Of course! I've got plenty of room here, visits are always welcomed."

Dende nodded at her words. He wasn't sure how to ask what he was thinking about without being intrusive.

"Hey Bulma, have you heard of Dragonballs?" Gohan asked.

Bulma thought about the question. "It sounds familiar but I'm not sure…"

"My dad has one. You know the orange ball that he keeps in grandpa Gohan's hut?"

"Oh that's right! I remember what you're talking about now. Yeah I know what they are. We have one too."

"What?" They both asked in surprise.

Bulma nodded. "Mhmm. It's somewhere in the basement I'm sure."

"Can we see it?" Dende asked.

…

Bulma shuffled in box after box in the large storage area of the basement. "My dad found it a long time ago. Before meeting mom, before Capsule Corp, before the dawn of time."

She moved on to the next box. "I remember finding it down here when I was looking for old prototypes to upcycle and work on and I ran into it. Not long after, I met Goku, and he showed me his grandfathers. I just thought they were something old people collected back then, like China plates or casserole dishes. I always thought it was a set, but I never knew how many were in the set, or how to find them. I've never met any other person besides Goku with it either, so I knew it was rare, but it wasn't like I could do anything about it." She looked at the bottom of the box she was in, reaching all the way down and pulled out an orange orb. "Aha! Found you little guy." She said blowing off the dust. "This is what you're talking about right?" Bulma asked, handing it to Dende.

Dende took the ball, carefully observing it. Orange in color with two red stars. He nodded in confirmation. "Yes, this is a Dragonball."

At the mention of its name, the ball gave a warm glow, just as the four-star ball did.

"Woah, how cool. I've never seen something like that. It must be pretty special, huh?"

"You have no idea."

…

Bulma made her way to her lab with Dende and Gohan following behind her explaining more about the Dragonballs. She placed the orb on the counter. "Seven in total is more unique than I thought, and scattered across the world? Yeah, this is more than a China plate or casserole dish." She said with a laugh. "So what do you need from me?"

"We were hoping that you could create a locator to help us find the rest of them." Gohan said.

Bulma looked uneasy. "A locator? For this?" She asked and shook her head. "I don't know, sounds like some big league stuff." Honestly hearing that finding all of these balls would get you a wish from a dragon sounded more like magic than science. As similar as they seemed, science could be explained, magic could not.

"The book where I learned about these orbs, the Book of Kami, explained that a lady scientist with hair the same color of the sky created a locator at the age of 15-years-old. That's just one of the things created by you. You've upcycled a spaceship, created a Time Machine in an apocalyptic future, reconstructed an android, things beyond creating capsules. Your intelligence is unrivaled, and your resourcefulness is unlimited. The only person doubting you is yourself."

Hearing Dende's words was more moving than she thought. She couldn't have done all of those things, could she? She had been in such a creative slump the past few years, she couldn't remember the last new thing she worked on. Then all of a sudden Gohan's friend tells her about creations she didn't even know she was capable of? It was inspiring, and igniting. "You know, I've struggled the past couple of years with finding my purpose. I didn't think I was creative anymore. I thought I was just destined to inherit Capsule Corp one day and retire with generational wealth. But hearing you tell me what I can do, and what I'm capable of, was just the push I needed to realize that science doesn't stop. I can find science in everything. And one way or another, science will always find me." She put a hand on top of Dende's.

"Thank you."

"I believe in you too, Bulma. I know that whatever you create will be one step closer to finding the Dragonballs." Gohan said next.

Bulma grinned as she pulled out a metal paper clip from the drawer. "You were always super sweet since you were little Gohan, but Dende you're just as sweet as him. I'd like to think you two would have been good friends growing up." She said with a giggle.

Dende glanced over at Gohan with a small smile. "I like to think that too."

Bulma tested the paper clip against the ball, noticing its light magnetic attraction. "Okay, so energy isn't the only property the ball has, it's also magnetic."

"So it's electromagnetic?" Gohan asked.

"Yep, which means I can maybe create a compass for them?"

"But wouldn't that be too general? I mean, radio towers are electromagnetic too."

Bulma frowned. "You're right. I need to make something more specific to pick up the ball's frequency." She said tapping her nails against the counter.

"Hey Mom?" A small voice cut through the room.

Bulma looked up. "I'm busy, Trunks."

Trunks stepped into the room more. "Sorry, I just wanted some new batteries for my submarine toy. I wanted to show Goten the radar noise, but it's not working."

Bulma sighed, opening up the drawer on her work counter. "Come get your batteries." She said pulling out a pack.

Trunks went over to his mother to grab his batteries. "Can you put them in?" He asked, putting the toy on the counter.

Bulma grabbed the toy, observing it for a moment. Suddenly she gasped. "A radar! That's it!" And exclaimed and grabbed her son to hug him tightly. "Trunks you're a genius!" She complimented.

"I don't know what I did." He spoke in a startled tone. As soon as his mother released him from the hug, he snatched the batteries and his toy. "I'll just ask dad to put them in, thanks mom." He said quickly and ran out the room.

"I guess you found out how to create a locator?" Dende asked in confusion.

"You bet! With a few tests, I'll find out its frequency to create a radar specifically for it. I could bet this ball has some oddball frequency number different from anything on the planet. It'll be accurate right down to its coordinates, and a piece of cake to create. I'll have the first prototype made before you leave for Yunzabit on Monday."

"Bulma, that's amazing." Gohan complimented.

"Are you sure you'll be able to have it ready so soon? It's already Friday." Dende asked.

"Don't worry. Like I said, it shouldn't be hard to make. Plus, I'm kinda excited about the project. It's been so long since I've made something original, I wanna get started on it as soon as possible."

"Well thank you again Bulma, we really appreciate it."

"And thank you again for giving me just the boost I needed to make something again."

On the other side of West City, Erasa found herself walking up the pathway to the Satan household. She marveled at the size of her roommate's home. She thought Capsule Corp was big, but this place was huge. She finally made it to the door, and instead of a doorbell, it was a call box. Erasa pressed the button and the box rang for a moment before someone picked up.

"Hey Erasa, I'll be right down."

Erasa looked at the call box in confusion. "How'd you know it was me?"

"There's a camera in the call box, duh."

Erasa looked closer at the call box, noticing the small circular camera built in above it. "How cool." She said and waved into the camera, wondering if Videl saw her.

A few moments passed, and the large door opened, revealing her college roommate. "I saw you waving, if you wanted to know."

Erasa giggled. "I did. I'm glad you saw it. How are you?" She asked, greeting her with a hug.

Videl hugged her back warmly. She missed her roommate more than she thought. "Better now that you're here. It can get pretty lonely when my dad is working." She beckoned her inside.

Erasa looked around at the exquisitely decorated house. "Yeah I'm sure you would. This place is crazy big. Hello!" She yelled throughout the house, hearing her voice echo down the long hallways.

Videl shook her head. "You can be such a dork. Come on, let's go to my room." Videl walked off and Erasa followed.

"Is your dad here?" Erasa asked following her up the grand staircase.

After the staircase, Videl led her down a long hallway. "No he's out working, thankfully. Do you wanna spend the night and have a sleepover?"

"The night? I'm spending next week over here dude."

Videl giggled. "Good, I'm glad I didn't have to ask." She stopped in front of a door, pushing it open. "Welcome to my lair."

Erasa looked around Videl's room. Her walls were dark, and her curtains were red. Her bed was made beautifully with a luxurious comforter, an overhead bed frame, and sheer red covering draped around the frame. The floor was marbled, with a love seat that sat near a balcony door that opened up to a courtyard. Bookshelves, a television, and a full bathroom with a shower and marbled garden tub. "This is your room? I'd never leave this place." Erasa said in awe as she looked around.

"I'm glad you like it. It's the one thing I was able to decorate in this place." Videl said, muttering the last part. She grabbed a bottle of water sitting on her side table, and cracked it open. "Did you bring what I asked you to bring?"

Erasa nodded. "Yeah I brought three different ones just to be sure."

Videl nodded as she drank down the water quickly. "Well, let's go to the bathroom before my bladder explodes."

Erasa closed the door behind them when they were in her well lit bathroom. She pulled out a drugstore bag from her purse, handing it to Videl. "When was your last cycle?"

She shook her head. "I can't remember."

Erasa's eyes widened. "What?"

"I've been distracted the last few weeks, since meeting Gohan really. From cutting my hair to feeling guilty about treating Dende badly, to finding paparazzi moles. I had PMSing, but no bleeding. I've also been tired, sore, and bouts of morning sickness. Spicy foods and certain smells make me sick…When I finally had time to realize that I hadn't had a period, I got worried."

Erasa sat on the side of the tub while Videl sat on the toilet. "So this isn't morbid curiosity?"

Videl began opening the tests. "It's a deathly confirmation."

Erasa helped her in opening the tests. "Well no use in taking one at a time. I'm getting anxious at the thought of just waiting." She opened one of the tests that offered a specimen cup and she handed it to her friend.

Videl took the cup and tucked it between her legs, filling up the cup before she handed it back to Erasa.

Erasa carefully took the sample, and began distributing the sample among the three tests.

"Thanks for your help by the way. You're the only one I could trust getting my tests for me, and the only one I could trust handling my pee."

Erasa laughed at that. "Trust me Vi, you're the only one who's pee I'd want to handle." She began washing her hands, waiting for the tests to process. Erasa glanced at the clock on the wall. "It shouldn't take long to get results." She went back to sit on the edge of the tub while Videl flushed and went to wash her hands. "So I'm guessing Gohan is the culprit behind all of this."

Videl chuckled as she washed her hands. "Well it's sure as hell not Sharpner."

Erasa shook her head. "Doesn't he know to glaze and not cream?"

"Well Gohan's pretty good at pulling out, but the first night we were together...It felt a little bit too good, and I don't think he did."

"Geez, the first night? You must be fertile."

"I wouldn't see how, my cycles are pretty light as is." Videl went to sit on the edge of the tub with Erasa. "What about Sahir? He seems like the overly protective type. Like, two condoms."

Erasa laughed at that. "Funny you say that, he's all about protection, but not in the way you'd think."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Sahir is technically still saving himself for marriage, but he still satisfies me. As in, he only satisfies me."

Videl's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God. So like—"

"Whatever you're thinking, it's probably a 'yes.' He does all the work, and I get all the reward." Erasa said with a smirk.

Videl shook her head. "I can't believe you're living my dream E. I can't tell you how jealous I am."

Erasa sighed. "I mean sure it's nice and all, but you know I'm more of a lover girl than a pillow princess. I'd rather us both be satisfied, but knowing that I can't satisfy him makes me want him more."

"Well, I hope you're wife material."

Erasa rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Vi, I'm blonde for a reason. I could burn a house down by boiling a pot of water, and Sahir doesn't know that you clean my room for me."

"It's embarrassing saying it out loud honestly."

Erasa pressed her hands against her cheeks in distress. "I'm doomed. I'm gonna lose the best love of my life because I'm not wife material."

Videl smiled softly. To know that Erasa first avoided dating Sahir to not wanting to lose her 'best love' was sweet. It showed how much she actually liked him. Videl placed a hand on her leg. "Don't sweat it, Erasa. If you like Sahir enough, the wife part will come naturally. I promise."

Erasa looked at the clock. "Well while we wait to see if I'll be a wife later, let's see if you're going to be a mother now."

Videl sighed and stood up. She had been mentally preparing for the answer. The chance of a negative result was slim to a positive one, but she was ready to know. She had to know. Videl looked at the bathroom counter, looking at the three tests all with the same results. She thought she was prepared for the answer, but her legs felt weak and she fell to her knees. She held her chest, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating.

"Videl!" Erasa screamed and ran over to her roommate. "Calm down! Just breathe! You've got to relax so you can process!" She warned.

Videl's panicked breaths reduced to shallow slow breaths. She pressed her hands against her eyes as she curled up and leaned against her roommate to cry.

Erasa carefully stood, still allowing Videl to cry against her. She had to see the results herself. She looked over the three results.

One result showed two solid lines. The second result showed a prominent blue plus sign. The last result was was clear and written out:

Pregnant

Erasa sighed as she sank back down on the floor to wrap her arms around her roommate. "It's okay Videl, it's okay." She said, rocking her back and forth to comfort her. "I'm sure it's still really early. We can go to a clinic and have it fixed. It'll probably be just a pill, or like a really small procedure…There's also a lot of steps in your house, you could—"

"I don't want an abortion Erasa."

Erasa pulled away to look at her roommate. "You can't be serious Vi. You're 18 in college, you can't raise a baby. You've got the resources, sure, but time? Absolutely not. You have to focus on yourself right now, and a baby won't let you do that."

Videl rubbed at her eyes and sniffled. "I know it's a lot, but I know what I'm certain of…Back when I talked to Dende, he encouraged me to pray, so I did. I prayed for humbleness, for grace, and I prayed for Gohan. I prayed to grow whatever keeps us connected. I didn't think I was praying for…" She trailed off as she covered her mouth trembling as she continued crying.

"I get what you're saying, but your dad will kill you. And how are you going to tell Gohan? I couldn't imagine how he'd react. You said yourself that his family was conservative, I wouldn't think they'd be on board with him having a baby with a girl he's not married to."

"I don't care about any of that. I don't care if my father disowns me. I don't care if Gohan leaves me. The results were overwhelming, but I've never been happier. This is what I prayed for, and I'm not getting rid of a blessing. No one can convince me otherwise."

Videl thought she was mentally preparing for the test results, but maybe she was preparing herself for the rest of her life. She was filled with shock now, but afterwards she knew she'd be comforted by the warmth of life growing inside her. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror, turning to the side. She didn't even look pregnant. She just looked like herself. Videl touched her stomach gently.

"I'm going to have this baby, whether anyone likes it or not."

A/N So a lot of content this chapter. The most important parts is Bulma beginning her work on the dragon radar for main plot purposes, and Videl finding out she's pregnant for dramatic layering purposes. I think Pan should have been a big part in Gohan and Videl's character development, but she's so underrated in the anime. I'm hoping I can give her some justice by having Gohan and Videl have her early in order to help them develop more and grow up some. A baby is a big responsibility, and it will only cause trouble before it causes comfort. We will see how it plays out in later chapters. Reviews are always appreciated. Until next chapter everyone!