Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ What You Wouldn't Expect ❯ Just Wait for Me ( Chapter 68 )

Chapter 68: Just Wait for Me

 

"Well...that was unexpected," Piccolo said mildly, looking down at his now-empty and blood-splattered arms.

Goku started chewing his lip, wondering what he was going to tell Gohan. He suddenly smiled, and he would have scratched the back of his head had his hand been free. "Well, at least we don't have to tell Gohan! He would have killed both of us!!"

Piccolo frowned, walking past Goku to go into his house. Goku stood there for a moment, wondering where Piccolo was going before he realized that he was the only one still standing outside. He laughed to himself, running back into the house with his unconscious wife.

Krillin seemed to have taken over Operation Save Gohan, and 18, who had come there to wait for her husband, was uncommonly proud of him. She watched as he directed Tien into Gohan's old room, where the boy was laid down carefully. After Gohan was taken care of and as comfortable as he could be in his condition, everyone sat in the living room, not knowing what to say. Vegeta, oddly, was the first one to speak up.

"I say we gather those Dragonballs now, before something happens and it prevents us from doing so. We have to keep an eye on Gohan, and we have to get his mate back before he withers away into nothing...literally. He's only locked himself in that coma for one reason and one reason only. To put himself out of his misery. I guess he was more attached to her than I thought. I was thinking that it was all for the sex. With the way he—"

"Vegeta, that was rather ignorant for you to say," Bulma interrupted, a mean look on her beautiful face. "You know just as well as everyone else in this room that Saiya-jins can only bond when they love each other, you moron. You're the Saiya-jin here, not me."

He frowned right back at her, but he saw that she didn't want to get into a fight, not after what had happened just about an hour ago. He grunted and resumed his position against the wall.

Goku had disappeared, and everyone guessed he was getting cleaned up and then he would stay with either his son or Chichi after he was done. Goten and Trunks had been sent out shortly after they all had come into the house, for no one wanted to see two brats whine about the loss of their precious Videl and Gohan. All hell would break loose.

They sat there for a long while, a depressed air about everyone. They didn't know what to do or say, and nothing happened until Goku's stomach announced his presence. He chuckled as he walked back into the house, his gravity-defying hair still wet. "Hey...I guess I'm kinda hungry. Is Chichi up yet?"

Everyone stared at him as if he was stupid. "Uh...alright then. So...who's up for helping me cook dinner?"

Everyone continued to stare at him as if he was stupid. "Uh...alright then. So...who's up for some takeout? We can go to...Sushi Hut!! That place has some of the best sushi in the planet, I swear!! Chichi doesn't really let me go there though...last time I went there I ordered too much and we couldn't pay for it all."

Bulma sighed. "Goku...are you really that hungry? You couldn't wait for an hour or something, when someone will actually be willing to get up? I don't think anyone wants to get up right now."

He started whining that he was going to die if he didn't get some food in him, so Bulma stood up, walking over to him and promptly stomping on his foot. "You jerk! You can't even try to be sad, can you?! For Dende's sakes, your son is dying, and Videl is dead!! Unless you want to be added onto the growing list, you better shut up now!!"

"Oh man, jeez, Bulma," Goku said, scratching that back of his head with a sheepish look on his face. "I know you guys are all sad and everything, but you know that we can always wish them back with the Dragonballs, right? I mean—"

"Shut up."

"But, I don't really see the need to be that sad, I mean—"

"Shut up."

"Come on, Bulma!! This isn't fair. I mean—"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!" everyone screamed, Goku almost being blown back. Bulma stepped on his chest to get over his fallen position on the floor, saying, "Well, since you've asked so nicely, I think I'll give you a cracker. Dende forbid you can't do it yourself without breaking something or blowing something up."

Goku jumped up, all excited. "Sweet! A cracker! Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

"I wonder how long that will hold him over," Vegeta muttered, earning a chuckle from Piccolo. He smirked, knowing at least someone found him amusing.

While all the commotion razed outside in the living room, Chichi stepped daintily into her son's old room. It was now Goten's room, but since Gohan was probably going to be here for a while, there wasn't anything she could do about it. Goten could always share with him like he used to.

She walked over to his old empty desk, which he had had since he was little. She picked up the worn chair so it wouldn't drag across the wooden floor, and then sat it down next to his large bed. She sat there for the longest time, just watching him take short, shallow breaths. He seemed to be struggling to breathe...and as each minute passed, Chichi wondered if he would make it to the next one. But she knew better...it would take a lot more than this to take him down. He was too much like his father....

His father. Oh Kami...what if I lose them both? I won't be able to live any longer. Videl's already gone...Gohan wants to die...and Goku is just waiting for the day that the Supreme Kai forces him to go back. How can this happen? Is it just me...or do things like this always happen to me? Everything I love is always taken away from me until there is nothing left....

"Chi-pet? What are you doing in here by yourself?"

She turned around in the chair she was sitting in, seeing Goku's form in the doorway. He walked in, standing behind her and placing his hand gently on her shoulder. She drew in a deep breath, trying to be strong and not cry. But it was just so hard....

"Chi, you know that you don't have to worry about anything. Everything will be alright."

She nodded, even though she was finding a hard time believing it. She watched as her husband bent down to her level, letting his knees take his weight. He brushed back the hair that had fallen in her face, and he gave her a small smile, not his normal, goofy one. She let the sob escape that she had been trying to hold back for the past half hour, throwing her arms around Goku. He held her close as she cried, rubbing her back lightly as she let it out. He wondered if people crying on him was going to become a regular occurrence, and he didn't have long to wait to find out.

Goten and Trunks came running into the room moments later, a look of fear plastered on both of their faces. Goku released his wife and stood as his son and his best friend stared at the bed, Goten's eyes watering and Trunks' lower lip quivering. They both wailed at the same time, "Where's Videl?!"

Goku sighed as Goten flung himself at him, crying his heart out into his poor gi. Trunks stood there nervously, seeing Chichi stand and tower over her kneeling husband and son.

"You two, don't worry. Videl might be gone, but she'll be back. And Gohan's still here, even though he's a little sick. He just needs time to rest. You two have to be quiet until then or he will never get better. Understood?"

Goten sniffed and nodded, letting go of his father and walking over to Trunks who was trying not to admit he had gotten as attached to Videl as he had. She loved to play with him, especially once she realized how strong she was. Him and Goten would purposefully beat up on her, and she never cared. That's what was so fun about her, because she never seemed to get mad at their antics like everyone else did. He hoped she would come back soon.

"So...who told you two about Videl?" Goku asked, seeing the two boys fidget as they tried to be quiet and find something to do at the same time. All of Goten's toys were in here, but they couldn't play with them without making noise.

"My dad did. He said that he didn't want to hear us complain about Videl being dead now because we wouldn't have anyone to play with. Gohan's always too busy for us now, and she's been over my house a lot since my mom has been training her for her job."

Goku sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. Leave it to Vegeta. "Alright you two, lets go and let Gohan get his rest."

They nodded, allowing Goku and Chichi push them out of the room. Chichi glanced back at the bed a moment before she closed the door, and she smiled faintly. It's alright, Gohan. Everything will be alright. If only I could believe that....





 

Uh...I feel like I just died.

Videl rubbed her head gingerly, sitting up with some difficulty. She opened her dry eyes, and blinked a few times before her vision cleared and she could see where she was. She blinked again, and then stared.

"Um, miss Videl?"

She jerked around, almost falling backwards onto some blue flame that had just flew past her. She squeaked, jerking away from it. "What the—?"

She then looked up, wondering where that voice had come from. She blinked a few more times, seeing a green creature that looked just like Piccolo, except younger and wearing robes. "Um...are you Piccolo's brother?"

Dende smiled, shaking his head. "No, but we are friends." He offered his hand, and Videl looked at it warily before she gave him her own and let him help her up. She was getting a weird feeling from the guy, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Um...so who are you then? Where am I? Where's Go—"

She suddenly felt like her legs weren't strong enough to hold her up. She stood only by sheer will when everything came crashing back to her, and she buried her face in her hands, trying not to cry. She felt her shoulders shaking from trying to hold it back, but thankfully the sadness was quickly replaced with anger. She let out a hoarse yell, lifting her face from her hands and fisting them at her sides as she stomped her foot. "What the hell?! I can't believe I was so stupid to take my eyes off that stupid bastard and now I'm dead!! Now I'm never going to see Gohan again and now he's never going to get to see my ba—"

She gasped, her hands going down to her stomach. She searched frantically for the small curve Gohan was so enamored with, and sighed with relief when she felt it. The green guy, whose name she still didn't know, was staring at her with something akin to fascination. She glared at him, taking her hands away from her stomach and crossing them over her chest. "What are you looking at? Not many people dare to stare at me like that unless they're asking for their de—"

The green man smiled again. "I'm Dende, the guardian of the Earth. I watch over it and make sure everything is alright. I'm also a close friend with Gohan and his family. I—"

"Huh? You mean you are...whoa. Ok, I guess I believe you. So, what are you doing here with me? Do you escort every dead person to hell when they die?"

Dende gave her an odd look as he shook his head, motioning with his hand for her to follow him down the gray walkway that seemed to be supported by orange clouds. She followed after him, watching the odd little blue flames dance past her. She was quite entranced with the environment around her, and she was soon staring again. She hardly even noticed Dende walking a little ahead of her and that they were fast approaching a building, which all the little blue flames were also going to.

She was so out of it that she didn't even see the biggest desk ever in the universe in front of her, and a big red guy sitting behind it. Dende seemed to be talking to him very politely and with a lot of respect, and she was finally snapped out of her reverie by the guardian, who cleared his throat a couple times. She smiled at him for some unknown reason, and he grinned, thinking that this girl wasn't as bad as he had thought she was.

"Videl, this is King Yemma," he said, pointing up. Videl followed his hand, and her eyes widened, seeing what the green man had pointed to. Dende chuckled silently to himself, watching Gohan's mate gaping at the ogre.

"King Yemma, I would like you to meet Videl. She's Goku's son's uh, I guess you could say mate. Videl...say hi."

She waved her fingers a couple times, giving the huge red thing behind the counter a nervous laugh. "Uh, hi...."

Dende wanted to laugh. "King Yemma admits people into the Upper and Lower Worlds. He's very important...so treat him with respect."

King Yemma laughed heartily. "Why, Dende, you are many times better than that rat Kami. He dared to say that King Kai was stronger than myself, but no worries...he will get what's coming to him."

Dende sweat dropped. "Uh...hehe...yeah. Anyhow, I was wondering if you could be so kind as to let Videl train with King Kai. You see, Earth has another threat right now, and she could use all the training she could get. She's—"

"What do you mean I could use all the training I can get?! Do you know who I am?! I could blow this whole place up if I wanted to!! I don't think that I want to train with this King Kai dude, I would rather—"

She was interrupted by King Yemma's shout of laughter. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly. Why was everyone laughing at her...?

"My dear, I haven't laughed this much for centuries! I think that I will amuse myself and let you see King Kai...that is if you can find him. Who knows where he is. But don't worry, if you're as half as strong as Goku is, then we won't have to worry about him taking you under his wing, especially if you have direct connections with his son. Maybe we could—"

They all went silent when someone suddenly fazed out beside Dende, and Videl immediately recognized the white Mohawk and purple skin. "Oh, hey, Shin! What are you doing here?" she asked, as if she was personally aquatinted with him.

Shin was wearing his usual smirk. "Well, looks like the guardian of the Earth has this pretty much taken care of. I must say, Videl...you underestimated Dabura by a long shot. If you thought that he wouldn't try something while your back was turned...well, you don't really have to worry about it. Goku and Bulma are currently getting ready to go searching for the Dragonballs, and as soon as you're done training some with King Kai, we will wish you back."

Videl just stood there listening to the small man talk. Meanwhile, Dende and King Yemma were looking a little pale around the gills, and not able to say or do anything but stare. Shin hardly noticed.

"Come, follow me. I will bring you to King Kai, and you will train under him. Goku trained under him for a while, and then stayed with him for those seven years that he was dead. I think that you will find that he is rather...."

Dende and King Yemma watched unblinking as the Supreme Kai himself and Videl walked away, talking as if they knew each other pretty well. Dende had known that the Z Fighters had been hanging around him, and Piccolo and himself had even discussed the matter thoroughly. Piccolo had admitted several times that he felt odd being around someone that should be offered so much respect, and yet everyone talked to him as if they were buddies with him. But the Supreme Kai never seemed to notice or care, so Dende guessed that was a good thing.

"Well," King Yemma said, clearing his throat. "I guess that matter is taken care of."

Dende nodded. "I'm sorry, sir, but thank you anyway. I'll be back as soon as Videl is wished back, so I'll see you then."

The fastest ogre in Other World nodded, watching Dende disappear into thin air. He sighed. Well, that had been entertaining while it had lasted.





 

Oh Dende...why does it hurt so bad? I can't move...I can't breathe. But do I even want to breathe? Do I even want to be alive? Do I want to lay here and wait for Videl to come back to me, or should I just give up and go to her?

How can I say these things...Earth needs me. Everyone needs me. But I need Videl. I can't live without her. I need her...I need to know that she's safe.

He suddenly heard something familiar. Mom? Mom...don't worry. I'm alright, I promise. Don't cry over me...please don't cry. He wished his silent heartfelt plea had worked, but it didn't, for in the next moment he felt his mother's small but strong hands gripping onto his gi, burying her face into it as she sobbed. He hated it when she cried. It made him feel so bad. I wish I could get out of this...thing I'm in, just long enough to tell her that I'm ok. But I can't...and I don't want to. I want to stay here...stay here and wait until I die...and then I'll be back with Videl.

I'm coming, Videl...just wait for me.