A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter, a lot sooner this time thankfully enough and an extra-long one I might add!

As our heroes prepare for the Cell games, a surprising young visitor makes their way to Capsule Corporation, someone you might not expect. Major plot twists take place in this chapter, ones that will have a significant impact on the story moving forward and ones you will definitely enjoy, I can assure you. And now without further ado, here it is! Have fun and be sure to leave some awesome feedback! :D

Chapter 68: Unexpected Visitor

The Cell Games had been announced across all of the major broadcasting networks in the world. Ensuring that they were up-to-pace with all the oncoming developments, the Z-Fighters paid close attention to every major news channel, save Goku and Gohan who were still training in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber.

Mankind collectively sunk into despair after learning that the uppermost echelon of Earth's military had singlehandedly been wiped out by Cell. Who could ever hope to face up against such a fearsome foe? When all hope was just about lost, none other than Mr. Satan emerged before the cameras, announcing that he and he alone would pound Cell into the dirt and deliver the world, from his hellish wrath.

"Mr. Satan, how can you hope to defeat someone like Cell, when he effortlessly destroyed all of Earth's special forces in a matter of minutes?" A skeptical reporter asked the former wrestling champion.

"Well you see, all that was nothing more than a bunch of cheap light shows, explosions and other fancy gimmicks!" The curly-haired fighter boldly proclaimed. "As far as actual martial-arts go, I can tell right away that Cell's nothing more than an amateur, just by looking at him!"

"What if you're wrong, Mr. Satan?" Another reporter curtly asked. "What if Cell's the real deal? What if these explosions aren't in fact tricks, like you'd have us believe?"

"Oh yeah?!" Hercule furiously glared at the impertinent questioner. "If they're not tricks, then what else do you call them? Magic? Sorcery? Witchcraft? Bottom line is it's all fake and it won't work on a bona fide champion like myself, I promise you that!"

"Suppose you're right and it's all fake, weren't you still on the losing end of these so-called tricks, in the previous World Martial-Arts Tournament?" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 53)

Mr. Satan was inwardly seething at the audacious fool, who had the nerve to question his caliber as a fighter. How dare he?! Did his decades of ceaseless victories, one after another, mean nothing?! The former champion took a moment to calm himself, before temperately answering.

"To my shame, yes, I too was a victim of one of these silly pseudo-Martial-Arts techniques, however, since that unfortunate accident, I've been training my heart and soul out the wazoo." Hercule assuredly replied, voice firm with conviction. "What you see before you is the new and reinvigorated Mr. Satan, ready to give the world a spectacle, unlike any it's ever seen! Cell's gonna be begging for mercy, before I'm through with him, but he'll be getting none from me!"

A mixed response graced the curly-haired warrior. While some were heartened by his brash confidence and steely resolve, others were more cautious, with regards to the insurmountable challenge that lay ahead.

"Mr. Satan, many believe that these so-called 'Ki manipulation' abilities are not in fact, tricks, but genuine fighting techniques that're possessed by only a handful of the most skilled martial-artists on the planet." An astute reporter emphatically argued. "If that is truly the case, then wouldn't we be better off placing our hopes in someone like the current world-champion Goku or perhaps Vegeta-"

"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION THE NAMES OF THOSE TWO PHONEYS IN MY PRESENCE EVER AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?!" Hercule angrily snarled, slamming his fist against the podium with a loud bang that reverberated across the hall. The former wrestling champion was no longer able to contain his mounting rage. Those in attendance were shocked and appalled by the unseemly and unwarranted reaction, from their supposed saviour. "You hack journalists can keep peddling childish fantasies all you like, but a true martial-artist knows better! The people know who their champion is and it's none other than Mr. Satan! This press-conference is over!"

"But, Mr. Satan what about-"

"Mr. Satan, can you at least comment on-"

"Mr. Satan, any closing remarks before-"

Dozens of questions remained hanging in the air as the incensed former champion stormed off the stage, in a fiery fit of rage.

Videl was accustomed to her father's blistering braggadocio, she always had been, but today was another story altogether. Never before had her father turned against the press, but then again he never had to. The ex-champion had frequently been lauded by nearly every major media conglomerate, before his fall from grace in the 24th World Martial-Arts Tournament. Virtually no official outlet had ever questioned his astounding capabilities as a fighter up until that particular point in time. Even though the man still had a gigantic fan-base worldwide who would jump to his defence at any given opportunity, it wasn't nearly as great as it once was. That's why he saw the Cell Games as the perfect opportunity to save the planet and at the same time, rekindle the fiery flames of his former glory.

"Hi Miss Videl, how're you doing today, young lady?" A gleeful reporter approached the dispirited little girl as she trailed after her furious father's entourage. "May I ask you a couple of questions?"

"No." Videl bluntly replied, not in the mood for any nonsense from this clown.

"Do you really believe your father's our best hope, given his loss to Vegeta, in the quarter-finals of the last tournament?" The reporter asked, walking neck and neck with the prodigious child and holding a microphone in front of her, as though she hadn't just rebuffed him.

"I think people like you need to do a better job!" She scowled viciously at the man. "The whole world's in danger and all you morons can think about is making some stupid headlines!" She stopped for a moment, glaring into the camera. "Let me just make it plain and simple for everyone to hear: Whether it's my father, Goku, Vegeta or heck, even that Gohan kid who ends up winning the Cell Games, it doesn't really matter to me, as long as it's not Cell! We need to put aside our petty differences and work together, to save our planet before it's too late! If a ten-year old can understand that, then it shouldn't be so hard for anyone else! That's all I have to say!" Without another word, Videl furiously took off, paying no heed as the reporter chased after her with a dozen more follow-up questions.

Who the hell did these jackasses think they were? Didn't they realize that Earth needed to band together in order to survive, instead of squabbling about who was better than who? Sure, her father had his head up his ass about Goku, Vegeta and the rest of their bizarre crew. It didn't take her long to realize that, upon carefully analyzing the tapes of the three previous World Martial-Arts Tournaments, following her old man's defeat in the 24th. Nonetheless, her father was still doing his utmost to defend the planet. His heart was clearly in the right place and surely that merited some respect, especially from cowards who would never dare to step foot inside the ring against Cell.

That said, however, her father could certainly use a major attitude-adjustment. She'd repeatedly urged him to stay far away from the press, knowing that they would grasp at any opportunity to embarrass him even further, but the old man foolishly dismissed her, saying that he needed to show the world he meant business.

She sat inside the limousine awaiting her, sighing as the door closed beside her and the driver took off, back to their esteemed mansion in Orange City. Videl cringed as her father went off on a loud, lengthy tirade against that "phoney excuse of a reporter", saying that he had half a mind to sue him for "journalistic malpractice".

"Dad, will you stop it already?!" The girl yelled at him, wanting some peace and quite for once in her life. "Calm down, for goodness sake!"

"Calm down?!" He spat vexedly. "How the hell am I supposed to calm down, Videl?! You heard them! Bunch of two-bit fraudsters! They'll say just about anything for a buck these days!"

"Yeah, well if you'd listened to me in the first place, you'd never have been there to begin with!" The preteen angrily rebuked. "Seriously, you should be spending these days training for the upcoming battle, instead of making a complete idiot of yourself in front of the whole world!"

Hercule gaped at her in shock, not having expected such ridicule from his daughter of all people. Now that truly hurt.

"Come on Videl, how could you say that to me?" His face fell in dejection.

"Sorry dad, I didn't mean it that way." Videl softly replied, her anger ebbing away at her father's pained expression. "I'm just sick and tired of all of this. Cell, the media, the public, I just want it all to stop." She placed her small hands on his forearm, gazing up at him intently with her bright blue eyes. "I just wanna have a normal life. Please dad, stay away from them. Stop falling into their traps. I can't stand it when they say all those awful things about you."

While she knew her father's ego, trash-talk and self-aggrandizement warranted much of the criticism he received from the press, there was so much more to the man than the egotistical jerk who foolishly presented himself as some angry circus spectacle, in front of the world. Only she knew the real side of him, i.e. the caring father who'd doted on her ever since her mother passed away, doing his utmost to make sure she was always wanting for nothing. If he were able to, he would give the entire world just to make her happy.

"Aw come on Videl, please don't be upset." The old man pulled his daughter against his chest, holding her close and stroking her raven locks of hair. "I'm sorry, I just lose myself in the moment that's all. I really should've held it together."

A few seconds of tranquil silence passed before Videl spoke.

"I miss the days when it was just us, dad." She softly murmured, a hint of longing in her voice. "Things were so much simpler before all the glamour and publicity came along." She sighed wistfully. "Sometimes, I wish you'd never won that wrestling title."

"Aw don't say that, baby girl." Hercule soothingly rubbed her back, up and down. "I know it's tough, but everything I do is for you, Videl. I want you to be proud of your old man."

"You don't need a trophy or a championship belt to make me proud of you, dad." The girl sullenly whispered. "I don't want any of those, I just want my father."

Mr. Satan was barely able to hold back his tears, heart clenching at his daughter's passionate plea. His incredibly vast mountain of pride and ego always crumbled into fine pieces of dust, before his little darling Videl. He would give anything for her sake. She was his whole world.

"You'll always have me, Videl." Hercule earnestly vowed. "I'll never leave you, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Hercule vowed, tightening his embrace around the girl, as if to further demonstrate his point.

XXXX

Nearly a full-day had passed since Vegeta and Trunks emerged from the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber, the two of them electing to constantly remain in their Super Saiyan forms as planned. After resting up well, the older Prince had spent much needed time, catching up on some long-overdue nocturnal activities, with a certain blue-haired woman. Unfortunately, their future son had mistakenly walked in on them in the midst of one such activity and immediately regretted it, fleeing to Kame House immediately thereafter, as fast as he could, resolved to use every last drop of water around the Island to wash his eyes clean and hope against hope that he could rid himself of the ensuing trauma.

A good while after that, Vegeta marched towards the fridge, hoping to chow down. That was when he heard a series of knocks close by. The Prince frowned as he sensed an unfamiliar Ki signal coming from that direction- only it wasn't entirely unfamiliar. In fact, now that he paid closer attention to it, that Ki reminded him a certain someone- a certain someone that he absolutely despised. Curling his lip in distaste, the golden-haired Saiyan made his way over to the front door and opened it. Before him stood a raven-haired little girl, donning a baggy, oversized off-white T-Shirt and tight, black, knee-length training shorts. She had two sizeable pigtails on either side of her face, fastened with cylindrical gold clasps, around ear-level.

"Oh- Uh- H-Hi, h-h-how are you, s-sir?" The mysterious girl stammered, heart-rate spiking at the unwelcoming sight of the fearsome Prince. Vegeta intensified his teal-eyed glare, whereby the child flinched, half-expecting the grim-looking man to obliterate her on the spot. She knew exactly who he was and what he could do to her. She'd come all this way in hopes of meeting the Bulma Brief, but was now afraid she might suffer a heart-attack before that could even happen. The little girl awkwardly tapped the ground with her toe, swirling a shaky finger around one of her thick, ample pigtails.

"What the hell do you want?!" The Prince brusquely growled after a moment of unrestful silence, causing her to jump in sudden fright.

"Oh- Well- y-y-you see, I'm the d-daughter of Hercule Satan a-and-"

"Tch, I figured as much!" The flame-haired warrior gruffly interjected before she could even finish, not wanting to hear another peep from her. "You go back to whatever shit-hole you came from and tell your worthless loser of a father to come face me himself if he has the balls, instead of sending a petrified little girl in his place!"

Just as he was shutting the door, he saw a pair of tiny hands holding it in place and a very angry-looking girl, glaring back at him.

"How dare you talk to me like that?!" Videl was frothing with indignation, her fear suddenly buried beneath a mountainous strata of tempestuous rage. "You don't even know anything about me or my reasons for coming here! Maybe you should listen to what others have to say, before insulting them and slamming the door in their faces, you rude jerk! Seriously, did you learn your manners from a chimpanzee or something?! Is that it?!"

The Prince was visibly taken aback, scarcely believing that a child terrified out of her wits mere seconds ago was now going bananas, all over him. It reminded him of a certain someone he knew and he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought; not the wisest move as he was about to find out.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" The frenzied little girl shrieked, now completely beside herself with blistering fury. "DO I LOOK LIKE A JOKE TO YOU?!"

Vegeta flinched, shutting his eyes and clasping his ears tight, absolutely flabbergasted by the blaring banshee disguised as a human child. If he thought Bulma was insane, this puny, pint-sized girl seemed to be a whole new level of crazy.

Bulma was dashing down the stairs as fast as she could, having heard the tail-end of the clamorous commotion that was taking place. Oh God, she should've known better than to leave a stray Vegeta, anywhere near the front door. 'Alright from now on, that area's completely off-limits to him, without supervision.' She mentally decided.

"Hey, what's the heck's going on down here?!" The heiress demanded, not appreciating the fact that she was interrupted in the middle of a work project. She came to a halt and cast a questioning glance towards the young stranger that stood by the entrance door.

"Oh- Uh- Hi, I'm really sorry for yelling like that, I didn't mean to." The girl said contritely, blushing a little at her embarrassing behaviour. She shot an accusatory glare at Vegeta. "I was trying to be polite, but someone here kept being rude and insensitive, for no reason whatsoever."

"Sorry about that sweetie, Vegeta's known to a bit of a hard-case, especially around strangers." Bulma offered the girl a warm smile. "So what can I do for you?"

"Um- Well, my name's Videl." The black-haired child smiled back, feeling better now that wasn't alone, in the presence of that insufferable jerk. "You probably remember my father from the World Martial-Arts Tournament."

"Oh, is that right?"

"She's the spawn of that pompous idiot, Hercule Satan or whatever the hell his name is." Vegeta scoffed dismissively, crossing his arms.

"Can it Vegeta!" Bulma glowered at the flame-haired Saiyan, before giving Videl a reassuring smile, not wanting the girl to blow another gasket. "Go on, sweetheart."

"Well first off all, I just wanted to apologize for all the terrible things my dad's been saying about you guys." Videl earnestly stated, deciding to ignore the ill-mannered Prince altogether, though it was somewhat difficult. "I don't know if you've been following the News, but he's been having quite a rough time with reporters, as of late."

"Yeah, it's been pretty messy to say the least." Bulma sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. "I honestly like to steer clear of the press, as much as possible."

"I told my dad to do the same thing, but he never listens." Videl groused, pouting and crossing her little arms.

"Right, right." Bulma giggled at her amusing antics. She really reminded her of herself at that age. Though a mere child, however, she definitely seemed wiser than her bumbling idiot of a father. "But surely you didn't come all the way out here just to apologize for that, did you hon?"

"No, no, I just wanted to clear the air, for starters." Videl replied, before continuing more sombrely. "I was actually hoping to get into contact with some of the fighters from the World Martial-Arts Tournament, to discuss this whole energy or Ki business or whatever. Capsule Corp seemed like a good place to start. My dad claims it's all fake, but as much as I hate to say it, I think he just has a fragile ego and can't handle the thought of losing to anyone."

"Hmph, you're not as dumb as you look." Vegeta grunted, complimenting the child in his own way. Perhaps he'd jumped the gun on her, earlier on. He immediately realized, however, that his choice of words couldn't possibly have been any worse, as the female duo shot him the most deathly, hellish glares imaginable. 'You do not insult a girl's appearance, ever!' Bulma had gravely warned him on more than one occasion - he really should've paid closer attention. "I'm going to train now." The subdued Saiyan decided to cut his losses and zoomed straight towards the Gravity Chamber as fast as he could, lest he suffer the infernal wrath of these two loudmouthed banshees.

"Sorry about that Videl, he didn't mean it." Bulma said embarrassedly, once the impertinent Saiyan had exited the scene. "Please don't hold it against him. He really just doesn't know any better."

"Well, he should!" The girl swivelled around indignantly, seething and shaking with barely repressed fury. 'That guy's a total jerk!' She resentfully thought to herself. 'I've never met a bigger jerk my entire life!'

"Hey come on sweetie, I'm sorry." The heiress said kindly, shifting forward and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know Vegeta can be a little difficult to say the least. Trust me, you're not the first person he's insulted."

With a sigh of surrender, Videl turned back around, deeming it best to not to let herself be overcome with anger. After all, she wanted to make this trip worth her while.

"It's okay, Miss Bulma-"

"Please, just call me Bulma." The heiress smiled encouragingly.

"Sure, Bulma." Videl offered her a strained smile, still feeling a little bitter.

"By the way, if you don't mind me asking Videl, where's your father right now?" Bulma asked, as the question suddenly crossed her mind. After all, it was highly improbable that Mr. Satan would allow his daughter anywhere near so-called enemy territory.

"Well, we rented a hotel not too far from here." The little girl replied, looking somewhat guilty. "I asked my dad if I could go sight-seeing around West City before the Cell Games began, so yeah."

"Oh, I see." The heiress beamed in amusement. "I guess he can never say no to daddy's little girl, am I right?"

"Well- kind of I guess." The preteen let out a few uneasy chuckles.

"Oh don't feel bad about it hon, I used to do that to my dad all the time, when I was your age haha." Bulma winked, a conspiratorial smirk embedded on her waggish features.

"I see." The girl grinned cheekily. Even though they'd just met, she found that she rather enjoyed Bulma's company, a lot more so than she would've expected. "Anyway, dad doesn't know I'm here. As far as he's aware, I'm still in Dream Land." (A/N: That's an amusement park in West City, just in case you didn't know)

"Oh, so how come he didn't go with you?"

"Well, dad's still training for the Cell Games." Videl answered, whereby the heiress raised an incredulous eyebrow at her. "I know what you're thinking Bulma. I know dad doesn't stand a chance against Cell, but he's doing what he thinks is best for the planet." She insisted. "And I know you might not like him and I can't really blame you for that, but deep down he's a good man, believe me."

Videl went on the explain how she was an only-child, how her mother had tragically passed away a few months after her birth and how her father had raised her and nurtured her with the utmost care and love. He taught her the ways of combat, instilling confidence, discipline and courage within her, at a time when older kids would bully her and taunt her for not having a mother. It was because of him that she was able to stand up for herself and show all the other children that she was not to be trifled with.

"I know it's tough, but please, try not to judge him for the stupid things he says in front of the camera." Videl fervently entreated. "He's still my father and I love him more than anything."

Feeling sympathetic towards the only-child, Bulma knelt down and wrapped her arms around her in an embrace.

"It's alright sweetie, I totally get that." The heiress said, before pulling back and smiling. "No one's perfect. Believe me, I know." She momentarily gandered in the general direction of the Gravity Chamber, where her hotheaded Saiyan had fled. Videl laughed at that, tacitly grasping her implication. "But that doesn't mean we can't love them regardless. We know a side to them that no one else does."

"Yeah." Videl perked up. "Thanks Bulma."

"Anytime, hon." The blue-haired scientist winked. She placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, giving her a grave look. "That being said, however, I seriously think you need to try and talk your father out of participating in the Cell Games."

"Believe me, I wish I could Bulma, but there's not a chance in hell he's gonna listen." The preteen released a sombre sigh of despair. "He's not just fighting for himself, but for the whole world, especially me. He wants to prove to everyone that he's not some overrated hype-job."

Bulma desperately tried not to laugh at that. Overrated hype-job sounded like the perfect description for that self-delusional jackass.

"I get that Videl, but it's much too dangerous." The heiress vehemently pointed out. "You said yourself that he doesn't stand a chance. Maybe you should tell him that."

"I can't do that Bulma, there's no way." The girl fervidly shook her head in objection. "If he finds out that I don't believe in him, it'll tear him apart and I could never do that to him."

"I understand what you're saying Videl, but at least he'll be safe."

"Sorry Bulma, I just can't." She adamantly replied. "Even if I do tell him the truth, he's gonna be even more deadset to try and prove me wrong. That's just the kind of person he is."

Bulma released a frustrated sigh as she stood up, arms akimbo. That sounded just a little like someone she knew, only that someone in question and some serious power to back up his bluster.

"This is a problem Videl, a real problem." The heiress worriedly remarked, voice laced with genuine concern. "This isn't gonna be like the World Martial-Arts Tournament. Cell's out for blood and there won't be any rules preventing one opponent from killing the other."

"I- I know." The girl dejectedly murmured, face downcast. An idea suddenly struck her and she looked up purposefully at Bulma. "Wait a second! If one of you guys are able to defeat Cell beforehand, maybe my father won't even get a chance to enter the ring! Perhaps that'll work!"

"It sounds like a good idea, but I really can't guarantee anything." The heiress sadly replied, trying to be as sincere as possible. "This is Cell's tournament after all and knowing your father, he might just end up provoking him into a fight." Bulma felt terrible for the child, she truly did, but she couldn't give her any false hope in a matter like this. Besides, they had the Dragon Balls now and could revive all of Cell's victims. She didn't want to tell Videl that, however, as it would raise far too many questions.

"Please Bulma, you can't let my dad die!" The girl frantically entreated, firmly grabbing the heiress around the waist, looking up at her with pleading, sapphire eyes. A deluge of tears streamed down her face at the unbearably dreadful the thought of her father's demise. "You have to keep him away from the fight, please! I can't lose him! He's all I have in the world! If anything happens to him, I don't know what I'd-"

Videl stopped short, as the heiress knelt down and pulled her into a tight, heartfelt embrace.

"Hey, it's alright sweetie, don't cry." Bulma lovingly cooed, her maternal instincts kicking in, as she was overwhelmed with a sweeping rush of sympathy, heart shattering for the motherless child. She soothingly rubbed her back up and down, unable to imagine her own life without her kooky mother in it. "I'll talk to Goku, Vegeta and the others and make sure they keep your father safe."

"B-But will they listen?" Videl asked frantically, tiny figure wracked with doubt, inside Bulma's warm embrace. "D-Dad's always saying h-horrible things about all of them. Wh-What if-"

"They'll listen to me honey, I promise." The heiress ardently vowed, her firm voice leaving little room for doubt. "Don't you worry about a thing." She drew back and gently took the girl's face between her soft palms, running her thumbs below her eyes and wiping away her tears, as she smiled reassuringly at her. "Cell's not gonna hurt anyone else, okay?"

Videl looked at her for a short moment, before hesitantly nodding her head.

"O-Okay."

"That's my girl." Bulma's smile widened, as she placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "You feeling better now?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks Bulma." Videl gushed and overcome with a huge wave of relief, she threw her arms around the heiress. "Thank you so much." She cried in gratitude.

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay." The blue-haired scientist held her tight, her maternal impulses growing ever-stronger, as she felt more and more protective towards the little girl, yearning to give her just some of the motherly affection she'd been denied her entire life. "Everything's gonna be fine, kid. Everything's gonna be just fine."

The longer she held on to Bulma, the more Videl didn't want to let go, tightening her grasp further and further by the second, as though she were an anchor to a past she would never revisit and a mother she would never see. It was a truly surreal experience, to say the least. She suddenly wished that she'd gotten the chance to hold her mother in the same way, before she was taken away from her. The thought made her want to cry all over again, but Videl held strong, instead finding comfort in Bulma's soothing embrace. How extraordinary that someone she'd only just met could stir such overwhelming emotions within her.

Minutes passed by in tranquil, heartfelt silence, before the two finally broke apart. Soon afterwards, Videl decided that it was time to leave, however Bulma invited her to sit at the dining table and have lunch with her.

"Please Bulma, I really can't." Videl vehemently objected. "You've done more than enough."

"It's no bother hon, come on, I insist." Bulma gently grabbed her by the hand and walked her towards the kitchen, leaving her young guest with no choice but to follow along - it was a tactic her mother always used, to great effect. "Besides, you're gonna love my mom's cooking, I guarantee it."

Minutes later, the girl's tastebuds were dancing about in fiery zest, stimulated like never before.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Videl marvelled dreamily, as she chewed through a juicy, succulent bite of her spicy beef skewer, seasoned with some of the finest herbs and spices that originated in the Southeast Mountain Ranges. "Your mom should have her own cooking show or something! I've never tasted anything so good, all my life!"

"If you really think it's that good now, you should try it when it's fresh." Bulma laughed at the predictably giddy reaction, from the effervescent child. It really warmed her heart, seeing the girl in such high-spirits. "That's actually one of Chi-Chi's recipes. She's a close family friend of ours and believe it or not, an even better cook than my mom."

"No kidding?" Videl grinned frenziedly. "Gosh Bulma, you're really well connected, that's for sure." She then paused a moment, as something clicked in her mind. "Wait a second, did you just say Chi-Chi?"

"That's right, why?"

"As in the same Chi-Chi who fought in the World Martial-Arts Tournament?" The pre-teen asked inquisitively, her curiosity piquing.

"Wow, aren't you the shrewd one?" The heiress beamed, quite impressed with the girl's sagacity.

"Oh I see, she's Goku's wife from what I remember." Videl recalled. "They got engaged in the 23rd tournament, is that right?"

"My goodness, is there anything you don't know?"

"Well I don't know how to use Ki, unfortunately." The girl sighed, shoulders sagging. "But I definitely wanna learn someday."

"Then you'd be wise to start early." Came a very, very unwelcoming voice. Videl whipped her face around, scowling viciously at the royal encroacher.

"What're you doing here Vegeta?" Bulma asked, looking none too pleased herself. Vegeta had been incredibly rude to her young guest, after all. "I thought you were off training."

"I was, but I couldn't concentrate anymore because I was hungry." The surly Prince explained, crossing his arms. "The Gravity Chamber ran out of food, so I came here."

"Gravity Chamber?" Videl asked, eyebrows raised in intrigue, her anger momentarily forgotten as curiosity got the better of her.

"It's complicated Videl, I'll explain it to you some other time." Bulma shook her head, before turning her attention back to the flame-haired Saiyan. "Well, if that's the case, then maybe you should join us." She narrowed her eyes fixedly at him. "But you better behave yourself this time."

The Prince looked hesitant for a moment, not entirely sure if he wanted to be trapped in between a demon-girl and a demon-woman. But then, perhaps if he remained quiet and focused solely on eating, he could avoid another torturous tongue-lashing. His decision made, Vegeta tentatively sat down and wolfishly began to devour everything in sight, much to Videl's absolute horror and disgust.

"Urgh God, I was right." The girl winced in repugnance. "You really did learn your manners from a chimpanzee, didn't you?"

The Prince swallowed the morsel of food still in his mouth, before shifting a hardened glare towards the child.

"Be careful what you say, brat." He warned, his tone deceptively low and reeking with pure death. "I've killed people for a lot less."

Videl's heartbeat rapidly accelerated so much so that she feared her chest might burst open, as a wave of raw terror engulfed her tiny frame. She tried her utmost to convince herself that he was only joking, but the rational part of her told her that it wasn't so.

"Vegeta, stop!" Bulma harshly admonished, wagging a reproachful finger at him. "No frightening our guest!"

"Whatever." The Prince shrugged, deciding not to argue with his shrewish woman. Besides, his point had been made and that was all that mattered and so he shifted his concentration back to his mouthwatering meal.

"Sorry about that sweetie." Bulma offered Videl a reassuring smile. "Vegeta can be a little scary at first, but trust me, you'll love him once you get to know him better."

The flame-haired Saiyan snarled vexedly at the insufferable female. She was always saying idiotic rubbish like this, just to get a rise out of him. He was half-tempted to hurl a dumpling at her face, but ultimately decided not to, knowing he probably wouldn't survive the ramifications from such a foolhardy stunt. Moreover, that divine, delectably, delicious chilli-prawn goodness was far too good to be wasted.

"U-U-Uh- R-Right." A quavering Videl nervously stammered in reply, not believing the heiress for even a second. Love was probably the last word that came to mind, when she thought about the terrifying Prince. What truly surprised her though, was how Bulma had the man wrapped around her finger. He was undoubtedly so much stronger than her, yet he seemed to fall to her command rather easily. Then again, she was Bulma Brief, a woman whose mind and wealth were without equal.

"Besides, compared to Goku, Vegeta's table manners are actually pretty decent." The heiress remarked, breaking her young guest from her trance. "When Goku eats, there's food flying off in every direction." Bulma noted rather disgustedly, whereby Videl grimaced, thinking she couldn't possibly be any more grossed-out. "Gohan definitely has better manners than his father though. I guess his mom did a good job raising him."

"Oh, I see." Without even realizing it, Videl instinctively found herself smiling at the mention of the prodigious young boy. She was admittedly jealous of him for getting a chance to fight in the previous World Martial-Arts Tournament, an opportunity that she was denied, but she admired him deeply nonetheless, for the bravery and valor he'd exhibited. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 53)

"What're you smiling about, Videl?" An astute Bulma grinned cheekily, as she took notice of her guest's unmistakable radiance, at the mention of Gohan.

"Wh-Wh-Who me?!" The girl stammered defensively, face flushing several shades of crimson as she realized she'd been caught daydreaming. "N-Nothing!"

"~Looks like someone has a crush on Gohan~!" The jovial heiress goaded in a sing-song voice, feeling rather sparky, as she prodded her abashed young guest.

"What! N-No, I don't have a crush on h-him!" The preteen vociferously denied, although the profuse blush on her face told a completely different story. "I- I just- I dunno, I s-saw him fight in the tournament a-and-"

"And you'd fallen for him, ever since?" The scientist teasingly chimed in, enlivened by the little girl's flustered reaction. She found it hilarious- and rather cute.

"Bulma!"

Vegeta wasn't into this sort of thing, he really wasn't, however this little exchange seemed to draw his interest. He felt he had a stake in Gohan's affairs given the history they shared, the battles they fought together and most of all the strong, fraternal relationship the young half-breed had with his son, in the future world. Furthermore, he was the Prince of all Saiyans and the boy was half-Saiyan. This noisy young girl might've been incredibly annoying, touchy and overbearing, but she was headstrong and had a respectable power-level for a human her age, not to mention the proper mindset when it came to Martial-Arts, unlike her dumbass of a father.

"She would make a decent partner for Gohan." The Prince grunted casually, as he continued to stuff himself, not even bothering to look up from his plate.

"You think so?" The heiress grinned ear-to-ear, hardly expecting Vegeta of all people to voice his support in such an intimate matter. That was a huge plus, in her eyes. "Well, I totally agree with you on that one. They would definitely make an adorable couple, in my eyes."

"I have no idea what you two are talking about!" The hysterical girl yelled aloud in protest, absolutely mortified at this wild swerve in the conversation.

"Looks like denial ain't just a river in Egypt." The blue-haired scientist giggled.

"Bulma seriously, can we please change the subject, for goodness' sake?!"

"Alright, alright!" Bulma grudgingly relented, deciding that she'd hassled the poor girl enough for one day. "Sorry, it's just fun to let loose, from time to time."

"Yeah?! Well it's not so fun for me!" The girl pouted, crossing her little arms in resentment. Frankly, she did not enjoy being subjected to such humiliation.

"Anyway, what were you saying about watching Gohan fight in the tournament?" The heiress asked, barely resisting the urge to chuckle at her petulant behaviour.

"Oh yeah- I saw Gohan fight against the former champion Tien-Shinhan." Videl answered, straightening her expression. "I- I thought it was really cool, the way he kept refusing to give up, no matter how much punishment he took." She smiled in reverence, but it quickly transformed into a resentful glare directed at her hostess. "But that doesn't mean I have a crush on him or anything, so don't even think that!"

"If you say so." Bulma laughed.

"Besides, I'm way too young to be thinking about boys."

"You know, Chi-Chi was around your age when she fell for Goku." The heiress noted. She raised her hands up in surrender, as Videl gave her a sullen scowl. "Alright, alright, no more on the subject."

"If Gohan knew how to control his power, he would've won that fight." Vegeta remarked, as his mind ventured back to the fiery battle that took place in the Quarter-Finals of the last tournament. Kakarot's boy had been on the cusp of achieving Super Saiyan there and then, but pushing himself too hard as opposed to riding the wave of his surging power, had ultimately resulted in his collapse. Even so, his valiant efforts were admirable, without a doubt. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 53)

"You think so?" Videl raised an incredulous brow at the golden-haired Saiyan. She respected Gohan a lot for his immense courage, however from her perspective, Tien was clearly the superior fighter by far and it made sense, given that he was a lot older and a former champion at that, one of only two people she knew that had actually defeated Goku.

"I know it, for a fact." The Prince fixed another hardened glare upon the child, making it clear that his judgment was not to be questioned.

"R-R-Right." The preteen timidly stammered. 'Gosh, I've never met anyone this scary, my whole life.' She disconcertedly thought to herself.

"Come on Vegeta, give Tien some credit." Bulma frowned, placing a hand beneath her chin. "That guy's hit some pretty major milestones, considering he's only human."

"Maybe so, but that's just it, he's only human." The flame-haired Saiyan emphatically replied. "He'll never be as powerful as a Super Saiyan."

"Never say never, Vegeta." The heiress confidently smirked. "We humans can be pretty darn amazing, when we put our minds to it."

"What do you mean we humans?" Asked a clueless Videl. "And what's a Super Saiyan?"

"I don't have time for twenty questions!" The Prince spat, curling his lip in annoyance. "As soon as I'm done eating, I'm out of here!" With that he turned his attention back to his meal.

"I'll explain the details some other time Videl, but to put it simply, Vegeta's from outer-space, that's one of the reasons why he's so powerful." The heiress elucidated. "And he's not the only one, Goku and Piccolo are aliens as well."

"Wh-What?!" The incredulous preteen gasped, completely beside herself with shocked disbelief. "A-Are- Are you serious?!"

"Of course, dead serious."

'Wait a minute, now that I think about it, that definitely explains Piccolo's green-skin and all.' Videl carefully thought to herself, as she mentally put two-and-two together. 'Still, that sure is a lot to take in.'

"But don't go telling anyone, they'll probably think you're crazy." Bulma warily cautioned.

"R-R-Right."

Once lunch was over, the young girl expressed her deepest gratitude once again and said her goodbyes, but not before Bulma extracted a promise out of her to revisit Capsule Corporation after the Cell Games. Videl was only to happy to oblige, determined to explore the wider aspects of Martial-Arts and hopefully one day, become strong enough to challenge Gohan. From what Vegeta had said, the boy was far beyond her reach, but she was determined to prove otherwise, no matter what it took.

A/N: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Now who saw that coming, be honest? What can we expect from here, now that Videl's entered the picture? What does the future hold for this promising young fighter? How will our heroes take care of Cell and can they truly keep the arrogant Mr. Satan safe from his hellish wrath? Stay tuned and find out!

Also, please let me know whether or not you want to see more of Videl after the Cell Games. Thanks again and be sure to leave your feedback and hit the review button! The more I get, the quicker I'll update! :D

p.s. I hope you enjoyed Bulma teasing the heck out of poor Videl, for her crush on Gohan, plus the hilarious interactions with Vegeta xD. And just in case you were wondering "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt" is a quote from Mark-Twain, that's been used in several fan-fics.