Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Where Angels Fear to Tread ❯ Crash and Burn ( Chapter 3 )

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Part 3

Crash and Burn

Disclaimer: If you think I own this, I'm not even going to allow that thought the dignaty of an answer. The disclamer's in chapter one.

Thanks to my reviewers and most especially Ren-Chan and Kyllir who listened to my whining and gave me ideas to get this story started…Though at times I think it's mopre trouble than it's worth. ^_^ J/K. It's fun.

ENJOY!!!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Kurt was just sitting on the couch watching television when Gohan arrived at five o'clock to pick him up. "Hi tousan!" He chirruped as Trunks said, "Hi baka!"

Gohan rolled his eyes. "Hi Kurt. Hi Trunks Vegita Briefs."

"Gohan!" Trunks whined. "Don't call me that!"

"Trunks," Gohan whined back, "don't call me that."

"Shut up." Trunks pouted.

Gohan grinned at turned to Kurt. "Ready to go? Videl is probably waiting for us."

"Sure! Trunks and Goten told me a bunch of stuff that they told me to ask you about!" Kurt grinned and Gohan blanched.

"Really? Like what?" Gohan forced a smiled.

"Um…nothing much…" Kurt paled. Was Gohan going to hit him? Whenever the lady at the orphanage looked like that, she hit them.

"Oh, well, okay…you can ask me at supper, okay?" Gohan smiled and held out his hand. Kurt winced when he saw Gohan stretching out his hand, but smiled when it became obvious that it was there for Kurt to take.

"Okay! I'm hungry!" He giggled.

"Me too." Gohan agreed, pulling out his capsule car. "I just hope she doesn't have the frying pan…"

"What's a frying pan got to do with anything?" Kurt wondered aloud.

Gohan shuddered. "I don't even want to talk about it."

"Is it that bad?" His eyes grew wide.

"Only when I get hit with it." Gohan replied absently.

"She hits you with a frying pan?!" Kurt gulped. "Will she hit ME with a frying pan?"

"No. Only I have THAT honor." Gohan made a face and rubbed the back of his head where he'd been hit earlier that day and winced at the thought.

"Whew!" Kurt sighed in relief. "Thank kami!"

The rest of the ride was spent in silence.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Kurt watched in awe as Gohan packed away more food than Trunks and Goten had eaten combined at lunch that day. He wasn't messy, but he wasn't neat either, his chopsticks clacking together with startling speed. Videl ate less than Gohan, more human like and a more human amount. Kurt frowned. Where on earth did Gohan put it all? There was no way it was his stomach. No possible way.

Gohan smiled and put his chopsticks down, sighing. "That was GREAT, Videl!" He grinned and Videl laughed.

"Like you even tasted that." She teased. "You swallowed everything whole!"

"Not everything!" Gohan protested. "Only the stuff small enough to fit in my mouth!" Videl raised an eyebrow and made no comment. Chances were, Gohan had no idea what he was talking about.

The tall Demi Saiya-Jin stood and stretched. "I'm changing and going onto the roof to train for a bit. Are you coming?"

Videl nodded and Kurt grinned. "When are you going to start teaching me that stuff?" He asked eagerly. "I can't wait to learn!"

Videl gave Gohan a blank look. "Learn what?"

"He got beaten up at school today so I told him I'd teach him self-defense." Gohan explained while leaving. "And we'll start tomorrow. You just watch me tonight and see if you get anything from it, okay? Besides, tomorrow night we can go get you a gi or two to wear during training."

"That's great!" Kurt bounced happily. "I can't wait!"

"I know how you feel." Videl smiled. "We'll do it tomorrow, though. I think I'll head up to the roof now and cloud watch for awhile. Want to come? Dishes will wait."

"Sure!" Kurt bounded towards the stairs that lead to the roof. He was very agile especially for a child. And fast, for an untrained human, that is. Videl grinned. He might be the next Krillian. "Are you coming, Kassan?"

"I'm right behind you, Kurt." She smiled and hurried to the stairs. Gohan followed moments later. Kurt gasped. The demi Saiya-Jin was dressed in the typical son-style gi, only instead of orange with a blue sash, his was dark blue with a crimson sash. His tail was twisted loosely around his waist.

"Do I get to wear one of those?" The boy gasped in awe.

"Yes. It might be a little different, but you will get to wear one." Gohan grinned and began a warm-up kata. The kata was followed by an intricate and violent dance of rolls, punches, kicks, and blocks. Kurt's eyes grew wide at the sight. Someday, he promised himself, he would be that good. He would be able to do that.

Gohan did a quick back flip that brought him over to where Kurt and Videl were sitting. His wife smiled. "Show off." She told him fondly.

"So what if I am?" Gohan smirked in reply. "What are you going to do about it? Huh? What'cha going to do?"

"Oh! Son Gohan! I'm going to get you!" She giggled and began to chase him around the edge of the roof.

"Yeah, right." He laughed, running from her. She made a face and ran slap-bang into him when he stopped. She would have fallen but his arms twisted around her thin waist. He smirked and tweaked her nose.

"Whose catching who?" He smirked. She smirked in reply and grabbed his tail, lightly so she wouldn't hurt him, but hard enough that he didn't try to get away.

"I caught you." Videl shot him a self-satisfied look. Gohan mock pouted.

"No fair! You've got my tail!" He protested, still mock pouting.

"I know." Videl grinned.

Only one thing in that entire exchange grabbed Kurt's attention. The words, "You've got my tail." He had been trying to block out the sappy conversation, but now he looked up with interest.

"You've got a tail?" He looked at Gohan, yellow eyes wide.

"My whole family does. It's genetic." Gohan shrugged and flicked his tail out of Videl's grasp and wrapping it back around his waist.

"I don't understand." Kurt replied blankly.

"That's okay. You'll get it better on Saturday. Bulma's going to have a get together and EVERYONE is invited."

Videl blanched. "Even Roshi and Oolong?"

"Yeah. Even Roshi and Oolong." Gohan patted her head as she groaned.

"Can't we lock them away somewhere? Just so they'll stop looking at me?" She begged. "It doesn't have to be for long. Just somewhere far far away so they can't get here until they die or something. Please?"

"No. Sorry, we can't. Much as I want to…but Vegita'll be there, so I doubt they'll misbehave." Gohan said.

"You'd better be right." Videl shot him a look and Gohan turned a nice shade of white.

"Bulma said she'd make him go. That's all I'm saying." He backed away from her slowly.

"Good. If you're wrong…" She didn't have to finish the threat. He already knew the rest. And he didn't even want to think about it. Ever.

"Of course, dear. Of course." He backed slowly away. Videl smiled and fell into a fighting stance. Gohan met her challenging look and attacked. Kurt gasped as Videl dodged his first punch, then phased out of his sight. Gohan followed after her. The match was incredibly fast, Kurt couldn't see them but he knew where they were by the noise of flesh on flesh. The boy winced. It seemed to him that it would hurt to take a beating like that. Videl landed hard on the ground beside him, slightly bruised and with a split lip.

"That was fun!" She laughed as Gohan landed lightly next to her.

"It looked like it hurt." Kurt whispered softly.

"Not really. I've had worse. But it's never the same. Gohan went easy on me." Videl admitted.

"Easy?!" Kurt's eyes grew round. "That's what you call easy?!"

"Sure. But I'm ahead of you. He's not going to do that when he teaches you, unlike Piccolo did." She smiled.

"Piccolo did what worked best with me. Instruction and them he beat the crap out of me to prove that I still needed improvement. Not fun, let me tell you." Gohan smiled. "But we won't be doing that. We'll teach you to fight, and have mock spars to help you get better. You won't get beat up as much as Videl here. And she keeps begging me to stop pulling my punches."

Videl laughed. "I hate it when people do that. Not that he listens."

"I listen. Just not when you're goading me in the middle of a fight. Get real. You haven't got a frying pan." Gohan rolled his eyes and Kurt giggled. He like the two of them, so fun! He didn't ever want to go back to the orphanage. Not back to where he'd be hit, told he was stupid, and lazy, and not back to where people didn't want him.

"Bed time for you, musuko." Gohan shooed him towards the door leading into the house. "And Videl should fix her lip." Videl made a face, but the trio trooped inside.

Kurt walked slowly to his room, turned on the light, and blinked in awe. "When did this happen?" The boy gasped.

"Eh?" Gohan blinked. "Oh! Your room! Videl and I did it while you were in school. Do you like it?"

"It's perfect! It's even got a Saiyaman 1 and 2 poster! Where'd you get all this stuff?" He giggled.

"You'd be surprised what we find when we look for it. Into bed with you." Kurt grinned, pulled on his pajamas and hopped into bed.

"Night Tousan. Tell Kassan good night." He murmured sleepily.

"Night Kurt." Gohan smiled and flicked off the light.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

He was back in the orphanage, only a few months ago, running down the hall way to get out into the sunlight for recess after what the "home" called lunch. It was later spring, or early summer, and hot. Kurt was sweating through his fur. He hated it. "Hey, demon boy!" Nicholas, a nine year old, yelled. "I thought demons weren't supposed to be in the sun!"

"I'm not a demon!" Kurt yelled back, trying not to cry.

"Yes, you are. You look just like one!" Nicholas snapped.

"I'm not!" Kurt gave up and let the tears stream down his face. Nicholas leapt at him and began to beat him, one of many the older child had given him. Kurt gave a cry of pain and tried to back away.

"Leave me alone!" He begged. "I didn't do anything, so leave me alone!"

"I don't think so!" Nicholas snorted. One of the teachers hurried over.

"Nicholas! What are you doing?" She pulled the two apart. The nine year old sniffed.

"He used his powers on me! I didn't mean to do it! He wanted to make it look like it was my fault!" Nicholas cried, sniffing.

"I don't have any powers and I'm not a demon!" Kurt whimpered.

"Right. I bet. And I have a pig's tail." The teacher rolled her eyes. "Come with me, demon-child."

"I didn't do anything! I didn't do any-ahh!" The teacher had just slapped the boy hard across the face. Kurt held his jaw gently in his hand. It wasn't the first time he'd been beaten up on. The teacher hit him again.

"Please, stop." Kurt whimpered, trying to back away. "I'll be good, only stop, please." Another hard slap. "PLEASE!" The teacher began to shake him. "PLEASE! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!"

"Kurt!" A worried voice made him open his eyes, recoiling when he saw a figure bent over him.

"Don't hurt me! I'll be good! Please don't hurt me…" The boy trailed off. It was Gohan. "Tousan?"

"Is he okay?" Videl came into view. Kurt screamed.

"Stay away! Please! Just stay away!" He scooted backwards and huddled into a little ball.

"Kurt?" Gohan lifted him up like he didn't weigh any more than a feather and settled Kurt on his lap. The boy buried his face into Gohan's chest, whimpering in fright. "What's wrong?" Videl had backed away by this point and Gohan gave her a soft smile.

::Why don't you make us all some hot chocolate while I find out what's got him all frightened, huh?:: He said mentally. ::I'm sure it had nothing to do with you, but you may have reminded him of something.::

::Right. I'll do that.:: She nodded, than added aloud, "I'm going to go make some hot chocolate, okay? I'll tell you when it's ready."

"Thanks Videl." Gohan said. There was a double meaning to his words.

"You're welcome." She smiled in reply before leaving. Kurt had stopped whimpering by now, but had not paid any mind to the exchange.

His face was still buried in Gohan's chest, small arms wrapped around the demi Siaya-Jin's neck as though he would disappear at any moment. Gohan tightened his grip slightly, just enough to reassure the boy he was still there. Kurt relaxed a bit, feeling safe and wanted for the first time in his life.

"Are you okay, Kurt?" Gohan asked, stroking his hair to calm him down. Kurt was still crying even though he wasn't aware of it. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Hai, Tousan." He whispered.

"You want too tell me about it?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Kurt paused, then told Gohan what the dream had been. When he reached the part about the teacher hitting him, Gohan's eyes narrowed in anger. Kurt, thinking Gohan was mad at him stopped. "I-I'm sorry I woke you." He whispered. "Are you mad I woke you up?"

"No, I'm mad that woman hit you. She had no right to do such a dishonorable thing." He growled.

"Kassan's not mad I told her to get away, is she?" Kurt sniffed.

"Of course not. Just a little confused. But I think she'll understand." Gohan smiled at Kurt, trying to reassure him. "She went to make us some hot chocolate."

"I'm sorry I yelled at her. She just scared me. Will you tell her what happened? I don't want to talk about it anymore." Kurt begged.

"Of course. Let's go see about that hot chocolate, huh?" Gohan stood while still holding Kurt. The boy giggled and nodded.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The two didn't mention the dream the next morning, something Kurt was thankful for. The boy look from Gohan to Videl trying to read their expressions. They didn't appear angry, only a bit more tired than normal. Videl glanced at the clock and groaned. "Kurt! You're going to miss the bus! Gohan, you're first class is starting soon!"

"Shimatta!" Gohan yelped, running into the kitchen. He blew his wife a kiss, grabbed a bit of toast and ran out the door holding it in his teeth. Videl rolled her eyes, but made no comment. Kurt glanced at the door, somewhat confused before realizing he was going to miss the bus. He grabbed his backpack, shot Videl a smile and ran out the door after his Otousan.

Videl cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. That was a little to weird for her tastes. Gohan actually using a DOOR? That's got to be a first. Usually he used the window from the kitchen or their bedroom. Videl nearly laughed at the thought. Who'd have known she'd start thinking that using doors was unusual when you were running late? Not her a few years ago, that's for sure!

The black haired woman rolled her eyes at her foolish notions and went back to get ready for HER first class. She'd have to leave in about ten minutes. She wouldn't see Gohan until lunch, and then she'd miss him until their last class at two.
~~*~~ ~~*~~ ~~*~~ ~~*~~ ~~*~~ ~~*~~

"Kurt! Kurt! Over here! Kurt!" Someone was yelling his name. "Hey! Aren't you talking to me anymore?" Goten bounced into Kurt's range of vision, hyper and completely oblivious to Kurt's sigh. Goten was way to cheerful.

"Leave him alone you baka." That was Trunks. Kurt groaned. Was everyone here to torture him today? He didn't want to talk to anyone.

Goten, hearing Kurt's groan, sat down next to the demonic-looking boy. "What's wrong? You're upset."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Why?" Kurt lowered his eyes to the ground and attempted to plaster a big, fake smile on his face.

"It's not nothing. You look like something died. Please tell me it was Gohan." Trunks grinned at the last part, trying to get Kurt to smile.

"No. It's not that…I just had a nightmare last night and woke him and Videl up and I'm afraid they're mad at me now." Kurt admitted.

"No way, Kurt." Goten shook his head. "Niisan NEVER gets mad. And I've tried pretty hard to get him mad to. If Gohan actually lost his temper over that. The world would end and H.F.I.L. would freeze over."

"You think?" Kurt gave a weak smile.

"Duh…Oh, bell's ringing. See ya at lunch!" Trunks mad a mad dash for the building. Goten rolled his eyes, grabbed Kurt's wrist and followed his friend inside. Kurt, still not convinced, was drug silently behind.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Kurt rushed towards the lunchroom trying to find Goten and Trunks. The two older boys were already sitting and stuffing food in their mouths like they hadn't eaten in a year and there was no tomorrow. Kurt grinned, the nightmare forgotten, for the moment.

"Hi you guys!" He gave a happy smile and sat down.

"Hi Turth." Goten tried to greet him with a full mouth. Trunks, at least, had the decency to sallow first.

"Hi." The boy took only a moment to speak before going back to what he called eating, and what Kurt called inhaling, his lunch.

Kurt, not wanting to get stuck in the lunch room by himself again, eat his lunch quickly and neatly. He had less food than his friends, luckily, and the two waited for him to finish before they all trooped outside.

"What do you wanna do today, Trunks?" Goten looked at his friend.

"Um…we can't annoy the teachers, Kassan grounded me for that last one…and she told me if I threatened the principal again I'd be spending the rest of my short life training in the gravity room with Tousan…" The lilac haired boy trailed off.

"What about destroying the fence and playing hooky?" Goten smirked.

"No. Remember what Chichi-san told us? The frying pan?" Goten and Trunks both winced as Kurt watched confused.

"Kuso! Well, I guess we have to normal today, don't we?" Goten pouted.

"I think I missed something." Kurt blinked.

"No, not really." Trunks shook his head. "It's a long story. You'll find out Saturday anyway."

"Oh. All right, then." Kurt wasn't even going to ask. He didn't want to know. Before the duo could start chattering at him again, he wandered slowly away, exploring the playground. It was nicer than the one at the orphanage he'd lived at. Much nicer. The boy smiled. It was nice to not be there.

"Hey, you! Come here!" A group of older boys waved at him. Confused, Kurt did as requested, walking closer to them. When he got with in an arm's length, the closest of the six grabbed him, clamping a hand over his mouth.

"Not a word." The leader of the group ordered. "We don't want freaks like you in our school, got it? So, after this nice pounding, you're going to leave. Understand?"

Kurt gulped and nodded. There was not Goten or Trunks to help his out, and he didn't know what to do. He'd been in the situation many times and calling a teacher over was not the way to go. It only got him in trouble and usually beaten. The leader of the group, a greasy haired child standing a hand's width taller than Kurt, punched him hard in the stomach.

Kurt gave a small cry of pain as the other members of the group attacked, kicking, hitting, and punching. The boy winced and collapsed to the ground unable to move, breathe, or cry out. A hard kick in the ribs drove what air left in his body out of it and he vaguely wondered if he was going to suffocate. Curling up in a ball, tail wrapped tightly around him as he'd seen Gohan do the night before, he prayed for the beating to stop.

His wish was answered almost immediately, no one was kicking him any more, and there were several cries of pain behind him. Groaning he managed to turn around and see what was going on. A furious Goten and Trunks were beating the snot out of the six children that had been picking of him. Seeing Kurt move, Goten went over to help him shakily get to his feet.

"Arigato." Kurt managed to whisper, drawing air into his abused lungs. Goten smiled.

"I doubt they'll bother you for awhile. Did that happen very often?" Goten looked at the younger boy concerned. The split lip Kurt had gotten yesterday had reopened and he now had more scrapes, bruises, and cuts littering his arms, face, legs and tail.

"Yeah. I learned not to count on teachers because the students told them I used my demon powers to get them to beat up on me. Then they'd knock me around a bit, slap me, hit me, you know, and then they'd tell me not to do it again. It happened all the time, but I couldn't fight back because they were always bigger than me." Kurt explained.

"Well, That's not going to happen here." Trunks told him firmly. "Me and Goten will protect you until you can fight back, and then we'll help you kick their butts!"

"Yeah!" Goten agreed enthusiastically. "You'll see. No one'll mess with us! We're the Trio of Terror!"

"That's really cheesy, Goten." Trunks informed his best friend. "We'll have to come up with a better name latter."

"Okay, Trunks." Goten chirruped happily, leaving Kurt to wonder if he was ever upset over anything. Trunks shook his head and lead him back to the school where they had to go inside. Recess was now officially over.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

(A/N) All right! New chapter! Sorry it took so long, I've been really busy. ^_^ It's not the best, I think, but I'm in need of filler time cuz I've got to figure out what order I want everything to go in. Never fear though, I think I've almost got it all figured out. Review for me, Please? Flames will be used for S'mores.

Ja ne!
~*~ Lady Foeseeker ~*~