Training

(Weighted Armor.)
(Super Saiyan Grade 2.)
(Based in future.)
Gohan awoke slowly that morning. It took him several minutes to realize that he had regained consciousness, and a few more after that to muster the will to move. The events of the previous few days had left him drained. The tournament, the fight against Babidi and Buu, and the return of his father…

It’s all just so much to take in, Gohan thought as he lay still, clinging on to the last few sweet moments of slumber. It’s crazy, even for my standards. It’s just unbelievable having dad back again!

He knew that the past few days had changed his life, but wrapping his mind around it was too difficult this early in the morning. Instead, he turned his thoughts to the previous evening, when his whole family had come home together for the first time. It had been surreal having his father home again. He was certain it had been even more so for Goten. It was the first time they had all eaten together, mother, father, sons, and grandfather, all at the same table. His mother’s meal had been sumptuous, no doubt one of the best she had made in years, and after dinner, all five of them went outside and played in the grass until the sun went down.

Gohan had given into fatigue not long after sunset. He gave all of his family members a fond goodnight, especially to his father, and went to bed early, feeling unable to stay awake any longer.

What a night… one to remember, no doubt, he thought.

Deciding it was probably time for him to arise, Gohan tentatively opened his eyes. The green digits of the alarm clock by his mattress were obscured by the bright morning sunshine beaming through his window. He squinted briefly, trying to enhance his vision, but to no avail. He jammed his eyelids shut again, temporarily blinded.

He lay silent for a few more minutes, taking in his surroundings. He heard deep breathing from someone behind him. Gohan turned his head in the opposite direction of the alarm clock and opened his eyes again. He saw his little brother curled up in a ball under the sheets, contently and soundly asleep. Gohan gazed upon Goten briefly, wondering what it must be like for him to have his father home for the first time in his life.

After mulling that thought over, Gohan realized his eyes must have properly adapted to the bright morning sunshine, for he could now read the clock. “8:44 A.M.”, it read. Oh, wow… Gohan thought, doing some addition and subtraction in his head. I’ve been in bed for over thirteen hours… I know I turned in pretty early last night, but I had no idea I was that tired!

Rubbing his eyes, he found himself able to stand up, and he rose from the mattress. He looked at Goten and wondered when he had come to bed. Gohan figured he must have been absolutely out cold when it happened, because he had no recollection of him coming in at all, not even a sound.

Gohan walked over to the window and took a look outside. He could feel that autumn was upon them. There was a nip of chill in the air. He realized his feet felt a bit cold, as did his legs, and then decided the first thing he would do when he was done looking outside would be to put on some socks and sweatpants. The trees were beginning to change colors. Although the immediate vicinity was still as green as midsummer, in the distance the trees in the deep parts of the woods and at the base of the mountains were beginning to yellow.

Wow time flies… he mused. It seems like hardly two weeks ago it was completely green when I was out there teaching Goten and Videl how to fly.

VIDEL.

It hit him like a punch to the chest, but he had no idea where the blow came from, if there had been one at all. Gohan wasn’t sure what he was feeling. It was a most curious sensation, one that he had never felt before. When Videl’s name had crossed his mind, he felt this bizarre seizing feeling in his chest, and then an ache, as if his heart had stopped beating for a split second. His reaction surprised him. He hadn’t been startled by anything, so what was going on? What was making him feel like this?

His rational mind lost control and departed to make way for his emotions. Gohan began feeling an inexplicable sensation of longing. He could feel the corners of his mouth move apart from each other and his bottom lip press against the upper in the slightest frown. He felt a palpable sensation of emptiness, and then within seconds, it was gone.

What in the world was that? he wondered. His thoughts then turned to Videl. The sum of all their time together paled in comparison to the greeting he had received yesterday afternoon when he phased in behind her on the Lookout, hand on her shoulder. She felt his touch and then turned around to see him, tears in her eyes before she could even visually confirm who it was. As soon as she saw enough to know it was him, she choked out “Go… han?” weakly and then began sobbing on him right there, pounding his chest with her fists. With a hand behind his head, scratching his neck in a confused way, Gohan remarked that he really wished that Videl wouldn’t cry. His wish had been met with her sobbing frantically, “I was worried sick about you!”

Before Gohan had had time to figure out what to make of this, his mother nearly trampled him in hysterics. Their brief, fleeting embrace would be the end of the time he and Videl had together that day. Only a few minutes later, Kibito-Kai teleported the victorious warriors there, and Gohan and his family busied themselves around Goku, whereas Videl ran to her father. They exchanged a few glances with each other, but hardly anything else. He didn’t get to speak to her again before everyone departed with their families to return to their lives.

Gohan wasn’t sure what to think. He spent a few blank moments with his thoughts at a standstill, gazing mindlessly into the distance. His meditation was broken by a familiar smell.

All right, mom’s made breakfast! He realized. Getting to action, he walked over to his dresser on the far side of the room and changed clothes, donning a comfortable t-shirt and sweatpants, accompanied by the warmest socks he could find. Then, so as not to wake Goten, he silently slid his socked feet across the smooth wooden floor, turned the doorknob as slowly as possible, and then gingerly exited the room, shutting the door carefully behind him.

Gohan entered the kitchen to a sight he hadn’t seen in nearly a decade. His father sat at the kitchen table, blithely sipping on a mug of coffee while his mother prepared the morning meal, telling him all the news over her shoulder. The scent of eggs and ham wafted dreamily from the stove through the air. The radio on the countertop was tuned into the morning news on the nearest station. Goku was having a laugh over Chi-Chi’s story about Goten and Trunks pretending to be Mighty Mask at the tournament.

The smells and sounds encircled Gohan’s head in a wreath of homely ecstasy. When he saw his parents’ heads turn to him and he saw his father’s smiling face, everything sank in. Gohan felt moved beyond words and his visage uncontrollably contorted into a wide smile as a tear formed in his eye.

“Hey Gohan! Good morning!” Goku beamed.

Gohan swallowed and shook his head a few times to clear himself up, and then looked back at his father. “It’s so great to see you here like this dad!”

As Gohan spoke he walked toward his father and opened his arms in an embracing gesture. Goku readily accepted it and stood up to meet him, and the two shared a long hug. Chi-Chi watched speechlessly for a few seconds and felt tears of joy coming for what seemed like the twentieth time in the past day, but she was jarred from her waking daydream when she smelled the eggs beginning to burn behind her. She let out a small yelp of surprise and turned around to stir the pan.

“I still can’t believe you’re bigger than me, Gohan!”

“Well, mom’s been doing a good job of keeping me well fed over the years,” Gohan replied jokingly. Goku chuckled.

“Of course I have!” Chi-Chi said in a mockingly hurt tone. “I wouldn’t let my poor little Gohan waste away, would I?”

“Mom!” Gohan said, feeling uncomfortable at the mushiness of the statement. Goku just laughed.

“You look great, son,” Goku said, smiling from ear to ear. He sat down again at the table. Gohan felt powerless to do anything but smile in return, and he sat down across from his father.

There was a brief silence, punctuated by Goku asking Gohan if he’d care for a cup of coffee. Gohan gladly obliged, feeling like he could use the jolt of energy. Goku poured him a steaming cupful and handed it to him, then Gohan applied his usual two packets of sugar and gave the mixture a stir. He eagerly raised the mug to his mouth and took a hot gulp.

“Ah!” he exclaimed in a raspy tone as he lowered the mug, hastily wiping his mouth. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. Goku looked at him with some concern. Gohan just laughed.

“It’s that first gulp that always catches you off guard. You never realize how hot it is until it’s already on its way down,” Gohan said. He wiped the involuntary tears out of his eyes and then cleared his throat.

“So dad,” Gohan began, “you were talking about the Other World tournament last night?”

“Oh, yeah!” Goku said, perking up in remembrance.

Gohan laughed. “You’ll have to tell Goten about that Arqua guy, dad. That’s nuts!”

“Yeah, I certainly wasn’t expecting it! It’s a shame he wasn’t more powerful. It would have been one of the most interesting matches I’ve ever had.”

“Speaking of Goten,” began Gohan, suddenly reminded, “when did he come to bed last night? I didn’t even hear him come in! I must have been out cold.”

Goku looked puzzled and thought for a moment. “He and I stopped playing around midnight, I guess.”

Gohan could sense a bit of tension coming from his mother over by the stove. He could feel it in the air that she wasn’t thrilled about Goku having Goten up so late. Goku could evidently sense this too.

“I felt a bit guilty about it, keeping him up so late like that,” he began explaining, trying to work his way out of getting berated. “Time works differently in Other World, so I’m not quite used to the time here yet! Night never comes there, so everyone just sleeps whenever they want to!”

Chi-Chi turned around from her work to face Goku and Gohan, but her expression was not at all what they expected. She was smiling at them.

“It’s okay, Goku. It was you first night back here, and Goten was really excited to have you around. It’s okay that you had him up late… but just this once!” She finished with a bit of a harsh tone, brandishing her wooden spoon.

“I understand, Chi-Chi,” Goku replied, nodding at her. “He sure does have a lot of energy… way more than I had at his age!” Goku finished shaking his head slightly in disbelief. He thought for a second and then laughed. “I don’t know how you guys put up with him and Trunks when they’re together. They must be quite the handful! And now they can fuse! We’re going to have trouble on our hands.”

Gohan laughed nervously, thinking back on all the times the two of them as two separate beings caused more trouble than he had collectively in his life, and imagined what they’d be able to do as a united, powerful super-being. Before he could let the thought spiral out of control, his mother spoke to him.

“Gohan, could you go get Goten up? Tell him that breakfast is ready.”

“Sure thing, mom.” Gohan stood and walked away towards the living room, rounding the corner by the door. He smiled as he thought about the events of the past few minutes.

Everything is great. Things really are back to normal, he thought. As he set his foot on the first step of the stairs, though, something surprised him.

The doorbell rang. He turned perplexedly to look at the door. He heard his mother in the kitchen put down the bowl she had in her arms. “That’s odd,” Gohan heard Chi-Chi say. “I wasn’t anticipating company. Maybe someone heard that you’re back and they’ve stopped by for a visit?”

Gohan took his foot off the first step and turned around toward the door. “I’ll get it, mom,” he said in the direction of the kitchen. I wonder who it could be, he thought. Maybe it’s Krillin? He would certainly have a lot to talk about with dad, considering that they’re best friends. But I thought I heard dad say something last night about going to see Krillin today… Maybe Trunks has snuck out of his house and flown over to play with Goten or something…

He turned the knob on the door and pulled it toward him. He saw the smiling, blue-eyed face of a raven-haired girl about his age staring back at him.

“Hi Gohan!” Videl said. Her hands were stuffed in the front pockets of her Orange Star High School hoodie, protecting her fingers against the cold bite of the mountain morning. Gohan’s heart jumped so sharply he thought it would burst. He felt his face begin to flush over in red. Startled, he stared back at her quizzically, curious as to why she was here. The two stood in the door frame silently for a couple of seconds. The expression on Gohan’s face shifted from one of surprise to a light smile.

“Hey Videl,” he cheerily replied, having regained his composure. “What are you doing here?” Gohan heard the sound of shifting chairs and shuffling feet from the kitchen behind him.

Videl’s face shifted from happy to frustrated. “The press is out of control back at home. Since the whole world thinks my father defeated Majin Buu, our complex is crawling with reporters… it’s insane!” Videl lamented. “I didn’t want to be part of it.”

“Oh, I see,” Gohan replied.

Videl seemed to get a bit nervous, and when she spoke again it was quiet and reserved. “I just wanted to be able to relax and talk to somebody about it all, but Erasa doesn’t know what really happened, so I decided I’d come here and see you.”

Gohan nodded in understanding. “Okay,” he replied. He wasn’t sure, but he thought that Videl looked a bit anxious.

“Plus I figured it would be a nice chance to get away from the city life and all…” she trailed off, looking down at the ground. Suddenly, she snapped her head back up, with a smile on it. “May I come in?” she inquired.

“Well, sure, I guess so. Why not?” Gohan replied, a bit confused. He looked behind him. His mother and father rounded the corner. He turned and looked at Videl again, and saw that her eyes had widened.

Chi-Chi’s face lit up. “Oh hi, Videl! What a surprise to see you! How are you? Come in, please!”

Goku seemed to have no objection to this, waving to Videl. “Hey Videl! How’s it going?”

“Oh- hi, Goku. Chi-Chi,” Videl stuttered. She looked at Gohan desperately, as if she was begging him for some idea of what to do. Gohan suspected that Videl had not taken his parents’ presence into account when she decided to pay him a visit.

“I guess you should come in, then,” Gohan said, laughing nervously and scratching his head. He ushered Videl into his home. Videl slowly crossed the threshold and walked past him into the foyer, rubbing her arms in the warmth of the house.

“Are you cold?” Gohan asked.

“Kinda,” she replied, turning to him and smiling. “I flew here by myself. The air is chilly this morning.”

“Yeah, it is,” said Gohan. “I guess you’re not really used to this mountain weather, are you?”

“No,” confessed Videl, shaking her head.

“I can get you a cup of coffee if you’d like one,” Goku suggested. Videl looked up at him momentarily surprised, but then smiled.

“Sure, thanks,” she responded happily. “I’d love one!”

“Oh don’t worry about that Goku, I’ll take care of that for her,” Chi-Chi said. “How are you Videl? Why don’t you come into the kitchen and sit down with us? We were just about to have breakfast.”

“Thank you, Chi-Chi! I’d love to,” Videl said, her countenance brightening at the prospect of having some of Chi-Chi’s cooking. She followed Chi-Chi and Goku into the kitchen. “And I’m doing fine,” she chuckled. “Things are just crazy at my house after what happened yesterday- oh wow it smells delicious!”

Gohan, still surprised by everything that had just happened, followed behind them toward the kitchen, but then stopped when he remembered he needed to get Goten up. He started around, and Videl turned to look at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get Goten up for breakfast. I’ll be right back down.”

“Alright,” Videl said, taking a seat at the table. Gohan trodded up the stairs, wondering if this day was going to be just as wild as the previous few.
Breakfast went well, much better than Gohan had anticipated. He was so nervous from Videl’s presence and the awkwardness of the situation that he had to put effort into stomaching his food. Chi-Chi’s cooking, however, was exceptional. Her spirit as a chef seemed suddenly renewed by Goku’s return. Goten was more sedate than usual, still exhausted from his late night and the events of the previous day.

Gohan, to his relief, found that he didn’t have to do much talking. Videl and Chi-Chi had evidently spent some time together with Bulma while they were in heaven after Majin Buu ate them, so they had come to know each other well enough to carry a decent conversation. Videl, as it turned out, proved to be quite charming around adults because of her serious nature, which Gohan supposed helped her in situations like this. Goku also seemed to like her, enjoying a few jokes with her when she talked about her father.

When breakfast was over, the group made some plans for the day. Goku figured it would probably be a good idea to spend some time catching up with Krillin, so he decided he would pay a visit to the Kame House. Presuming that Gohan and Videl were going to be preoccupied, Chi-Chi decided that it might be a good time to get Goten out of the house for the day so she could have a chance to clean in peace- the place was unbearably dusty after several days of neglect. Goku agreed to take Goten by Capsule Corporation so he could play with Trunks, and Gohan assured his mother that he and Videl would not be in her way.

While he was up in his room changing into more suitable clothes, Gohan began to feel a nervous knot tying itself in the pit of his stomach.

What are she and I going to do? he wondered. I’ve never been completely alone with Videl before… heck, make that ANY GIRL… Even when I was giving her one-on-one lessons during her flight training, Goten was always around.

Then, he recalled their morning at the tournament. They were in line for the punching machine together for a couple of hours, but there must have been a hundred other fighters there with them. They had spent some time together alone on the roof of the complex, but they were quickly interrupted by Sharpner. And when they were interrupted by Sharpner, Videl had clung onto his arm and led him away…

Gohan struggled to hold his composure but it began to slip. He felt his face turn a shade of red. His mind raced. Hundreds of possibilities of what might happen today spun through his head.

Girls are supposed to be crafty, right? What is she up to? Is she really here for the reason she said she was? She must be up to something… It seems obvious that she cares about me… or does she just need a shoulder to lean on? Does she like me? How much? Does she feel the same about me as I feel about her?

A familiar pang pulled at Gohan’s heartstrings. It was the same feeling he had had when Videl crossed his mind when he woke up. His heart ached.

Does her heart ache like mine?

When I was sitting still for that day, having my power woken up by Old Kai, I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. When I opened the door this morning and she was standing there smiling at me, I thought my heart was going to rupture. What’s going on?

Do I love her? Does she love me? How exactly does one know when they’re in love with someone? I’ve never read it anywhere… But then again, I’ve always heard that stuff about how you “just know it”.

I’m not sure what I know…

No, that’s not entirely true. I know that she’s my best friend, that I care about her, that I can’t stop thinking about her, and that I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.

I was furious when Goten told me that Buu had eaten her. I was devastated. After all that time I spent thinking that I’d be able to come back to Earth, save the world, and let her know I was alright… And I did tell dad that she was my girlfriend while he and I were on the Kai planet… He told me that she was certain that I was still alive, that she “could feel it in her heart”…

Gohan paused for a minute to reflect on his thoughts, and then they began to race again.

What are the two of us going to do today? There isn’t much to do around here other than to go run around in the woods. Are we just going to talk or something? Or will we do… more than that?

Gohan gulped. He felt his blush, which had been receding, flare up again. He pulled his jacket on and walked swiftly to the bathroom. His reflection in the mirror showed him that he was nearly purple. He turned the handle on the sink for cold water, cupped his hands beneath the flow, and then doused his face.

Once he felt collected enough to return to the outside world, Gohan walked downstairs. Videl was in the kitchen with his mother, assisting her with shelving the freshly cleaned dishes and wares from breakfast. Not wanting to intrude, he stepped outside, where his father and Goten were carrying wood from the large pile behind the house to the rack outside the kitchen.

Goten had enough wood in his arms that it covered up his face and he couldn’t see directly in front of him. He tilted his head to the side when he sensed his brother’s presence.

“Hi Gohan!” he said. “Wanna help?”

“Not really,” Gohan said earnestly.

“Aww, come on!” Goten replied. “Give us a ha- whoa!”

Goten, unable to see where he was going, tripped over a rock in the yard and tumbled over, his stack of fire logs scattering everywhere. He fell down flat on the ground, and looked disheveled when he got up. Goku, who had placed his stack on the rack, came over to him.

“Are you okay, son?”

Goten sniveled. “Yes.”

Gohan nervously scratched the back of his neck and smiled sympathetically at his brother.

“How about I give you a hand with those, bro?” he said.

“Thanks, Gohan,” Goten replied, nursing a scrape. Gohan and Goku picked up his logs strewn about the yard and placed them on the rack. Gohan and Goten went back to the pile behind the house to fetch more. When Gohan brought his second load back, he rounded the front of the house to find Videl standing by the rack waiting for him.

“Sorry that took so long, I just felt like I should help since your mom offered me breakfast like that,” she said apologetically.

“Oh, don’t worry about it; it was nothing,” Gohan replied. “So… now what?” he said, scratching his head and smiling nervously.

“Well, I’m free for the day,” Videl said. “I figured maybe we could go to one of the quiet spots out in the woods and spend some time there. You still have some things to teach me when it comes to flying, you know.” She ended her remark with an accusatory tone which Gohan had become used to hearing over the course of her flight training.

“Right,” Gohan said, a bit nervous. “Sounds okay to me.”

Chi-Chi came outside to inspect her firewood rack. She walked over to Gohan and Videl.

“Alright you two, go have fun, but don’t do anything foolish, okay?” she said in her best motherly tone.

Gohan blushed a bit at the awkwardness of what Chi-Chi had just said. “S-sure, mom, whatever you say,” he stammered.

“If you get hungry just come back and I’ll whip something up. I’m working on some beef stew for dinner. I’m certain that Videl wouldn’t want to miss that.”

“Sounds great, Chi-Chi!” Videl replied.

“Yeah, sounds great, mom,” Gohan nervously responded.

“Alright then,” Chi-Chi said. “Now go on, get out of here. I’ve got so much work to do… this place is in shambles after we’ve been gone for so long!”

“We were only gone three days, mom…” Gohan said.

“Three days without me tending to the house! We’re lucky it’s still standing!”

“Right…” Gohan said sheepishly. “Well, I guess we’re off,” Gohan said turning to Videl, who nodded.

Goku rounded the corner and deposited another load of wood on the rack. “Have fun Gohan! You too, Videl!”

“Bye, dad,” Gohan said. “We’ll catch you guys later. You ready?”

“Mhmm,” Videl replied.

“Alright.” The two took to the sky, heading in the direction of the clearing where Gohan had taught Goten and Videl how to fly.

When they reached the clearing, Videl stopped and hovered in the air. Gohan followed suit.

“Why’d you stop?” he asked her.

“Because you’ve still got some things to teach me about flying! I want to get better at it. When you and Kibito left me to go fight Babidi, I saw how fast you guys flew! I know that I can still improve!”

“Well, if you insist,” Gohan said. “But it’s only going to come with a lot of practice- or a power increase.”

“A power increase?”

“You’re going to need more energy than you currently have. You already know all the technique. If you want to fly faster, you need to exert more energy to do it.”

“So, how can I get more energy?”

“The only way you can do it is by doing a lot of very serious training.”

Videl looked frustrated at the statement, and Gohan scrambled to find some way to lighten her spirits.

“Hey, look, you’re already stronger than any normal person! There’s probably only a dozen or so people on this planet who would be any match for you at all!”

“Yes, but… all of you guys who are stronger than me are, well, WAY stronger than me!” Videl bit back.

“Well, if I teach you how to control your energy so you can use it as a weapon, the gap will probably close a bit.”

“Well, why don’t you do that, then?”

“I’d like to, but today probably isn’t a good day for it,” Gohan said. “Your mind will need to be completely clear when you begin training for that, and after everything that’s happened recently, your mind probably isn’t calm enough to start this yet.”

Videl growled at him in frustration and scowled. “Agh… Well, if we can’t get started on that, can we at least work on flying a little bit?”

“Well, I guess so… If you’re not tired out from your flight from the city this morning, that is.”

“No way, I’m fine!” Videl replied.

“Okay,” Gohan said, nodding, trying to calm her a bit. He put his hand under his chin and thought aloud. “Hmm… what should we do, then?”

“How am I supposed to know? You’re the teacher!” Videl replied.

“I think I’ve got an idea…” Gohan said. He straightened up to a battle-ready posture. “Alright. Catch me.”

“What?” Videl said, surprised. “But you’re way faster than I am! How am I supposed to do that?”

“I’m going to hold back a lot. I’m only going to move fast enough to give you a challenge, not evade you forever. Come on! It’ll be fun! You’ll get to prove to me how cunning you can be!”

Videl smirked, seemingly taking a liking to Gohan’s idea. “Well, if you put it that way, alright. What are the rules for this game?”

“Catch me. Do whatever it takes.” Gohan quoted his father, remembering when they had played the same game in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, many years ago. “Whenever you’re ready, go for it.”

Videl toughened up her expression and moved into an on guard stance. She analyzed the situation. They were only separated by about fifteen feet. This is going to be easy, if he says he’s holding back for me. He’s underestimating my speed.

“Alright, here goes!” Videl said, and she lunged toward Gohan.

The gap between the two of them closed, inch by inch. As she drew closer, Videl wasn’t sure if Gohan was in total control of the situation or if he never saw her come at him. Her hands were less than a foot from him; she would surely be able to grab onto him, seeing as he hadn’t even moved yet.

I was right- he was underestimating me!

“Got you!” she proclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. But then, her arms shut on nothing but air, and Gohan was nowhere to be seen. There was a blink, a whistle of air, and now, nothing at all.

“What? Gohan! Where did you go?”

“Down here!” Gohan called. Videl looked down. Standing on the grass, a hundred feet below her, was Gohan. He was laughing a bit, waving to her with a big sly grin on his face.

“Grr… I’m coming for you!” Videl yelled down to him. She turned her head to the ground and began a dive directly toward him. Gohan rose into the air at an equal speed, as if he intended to meet her halfway, but then he turned and took off in the direction behind Videl. She spun around in midair and saw him fifty feet in the distance, standing in the air, arms crossed.

Videl charged at him, and Gohan began to pull away to the right. He made a quarter turn and then headed toward the ground, with Videl in hot pursuit. About ten feet from the ground, he turned upward again, and then rocketed toward the sky. Gohan pulled a 180, and then dived toward the ground completing the loop-the-loop, ending up behind Videl. She swung around and charged at him again.

This time, Gohan pulled away just slightly to Videl’s left and flew rapidly behind her. Before she could register what he had done, he stopped, a hundred feet behind her. When Videl realized he was gone, she turned around, saw him, and gritted her teeth, growling. She rocketed toward him faster than she had ever flown, but before she could get there, he turned his back to her and began flying around the perimeter of the clearing in circles.

Videl turned around and attempted to intercept him halfway through one of his revolutions. Gohan saw what she was doing and suddenly halted in midair.

“What are you doing?” Videl yelled at him.

“Waiting,” he replied.

Videl lunged toward him with a yell, and just like the first time, he didn’t move. She came close enough to wrap her hands around him, and then he was gone.

“Behind you,” he said. Videl spun around and saw Gohan standing five feet behind her.

“Agh!” she yelled as she threw herself at him. Again, Gohan disappeared, this time to her left side. Videl turned, and once more, she grabbed for him. Yet again he disappeared, this time to her right. They repeated this little game, of Videl lunging and Gohan disappearing, a few dozen times. Videl grew visibly frustrated.

Finally, Gohan phased in only one foot behind her. Videl spun around and took a swing directly at his head. Gohan dodged it, simply moving down a few inches. Videl let out a battle shout, and began swinging at him like mad, with Gohan dodging every single blow, just barely moving out of the way.

Once Videl seemed to be able to predict how Gohan was dodging her attacks, she threw one punch that Gohan noticed was precariously close to being on target. Rather than dodge it, he caught it just an inch from his head.

“Huh?” Videl said.

“Technically, you’ve caught me,” Gohan said. “But you haven’t stopped me yet!”

Videl continued her relentless assault, and this time, instead of dodging, Gohan blocked everything she threw at him. They moved slowly through the air, with Videl constantly on the advance and Gohan constantly, but confidently, on his steady retreat. Videl continued this for a couple of minutes, until she finally ran out of stamina, and stopped for breath.

Gohan backed away a few feet. He saw how frustrated and exhausted she was, heaving for air.

“Videl?” he said.

Videl looked up at him. “Huh?” she said. Gohan was beaming at her.

“That was fantastic!” Gohan exclaimed. “I’ve seen Trunks and Goten give up on me much quicker than that! You really gave it your all! That was incredible!”

“Really?” she said, smiling back at him, still breathing heavily.

“Definitely! Trust me, I know what it’s like. Back before I was anywhere near this powerful, my dad and Piccolo used to train me like that. I know just how frustrating it is, not being able to catch your opponent. You really gave it a great effort!”

“Thanks,” she said, laughing lightly. “But I’m really tired after all that. I think we should land before I fall out of the air.”

“Oh! Right…” Gohan said, looking embarrassed that he had forgotten that he could stay afloat much longer than Videl could. “Will you be okay to make it down?” he said, concerned.

“I’ll be alright,” Videl replied, dropping slowly through the air. “Easy does it…”

When they landed, Videl sat down on the ground and leaned back a bit, supporting herself with her hands, trying to regain her strength. Gohan came over next to her.

“Thanks Gohan, I really needed to get some aggression out,” she said.

After Videl had gone all-out against him, Gohan decided it was for the best if they didn’t do any flying again for a while, so that she could have some time to regain her strength, so he returned his hair to the black color. He suggested that they walk up to the mountain lake, and Videl readily obliged.

Gohan had known about the lake for years, but when Goten discovered it, he was so elated that he insisted Gohan help him make a path through the woods to it. Goten couldn’t fly at the time, so Gohan figured he may as well give him a hand. He never thought the trail would be useful for anything, until today.

“You made this path?” Videl asked him.

“I helped. Goten did a lot of the work, because he was much more concerned about it than I was, but I gave him a hand with it. He couldn’t fly back then, so I decided I should help him out.”

“I’m glad you did. This place is incredible! I’ve never seen trees this tall!”

Gohan grinned and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, 300 foot-tall trees aren’t that common around Satan City, are they?”

“No. Jerk.” Videl feigned hurt, crossing her arms and turning her head away from him, sticking her nose up. Gohan wasn’t a social expert, but even he could see through that, and he laughed.

“But, you’re right,” she continued. “I guess this is what I’ve missed out on by living my whole life in the city.” There was a hint of wonder in her voice as she gazed up at the canopy of the forest. The trees here, at the base of the mountain, had already changed colors, and a pallet of yellows and reds painted the sky above them.

Gohan enjoyed their leisurely pace. They didn’t say much, but Gohan didn’t mind. Secretly, he was in just as much awe as she was. While Videl stared at the colorful patches of leaves in the sky, he hung back a few steps and watched her as she wandered along the trail. For the first time, Gohan appreciated just how beautiful Videl was.

The path hit a steep climb, and at the top, there was a plateau- their destination. In the basin between the mountains, the lake sat like a sheet of glass, reflecting the crystal clear sky.

“Oh my gosh!” Videl said when she first saw it. “It’s gorgeous!”

“Yeah,” Gohan said. “It’s full of really big fish, too. My dad used to fish here a lot, although his method of fishing is, well… unconventional.” Gohan laughed and scratched his neck.

“What does he do?” Videl asked.

“He jumps in and just grabs whichever fish he wants.”

“Seriously?” Videl said, eyes wide. Gohan nodded.

“Mhmm. When you’re as strong and fast as he is, it’s pretty easy, actually.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Videl.

The two walked down to the shore of the lake. Videl stood at the edge of the water for some time, gazing at her reflection at her feet. Gohan stayed behind, and leaned against a great oak tree about twenty feet back from the shore.

Videl, curious about the glassy sheet that lay before her, bent down and tapped the surface of the water with her finger, just strongly enough to make a few ripples. The reflection beneath her was chaotically torn apart as the circles around her fingertip dissipated out into the vastness of the body of water. She stood up straight again, and after only a few moments, the lake surface was completely calm again, as though she had never disturbed it at all.

Content to remain where he was, Gohan sat down at the base of the trunk of the old oak, and leaned his back against it. He watched Videl. She was absentmindedly walking along the edge of the water, enjoying the tranquility of nature that was undoubtedly absent at her home in the city. He couldn’t help but think how cute she looked, bundled up in her hoodie, although he got the feeling if he ever called her ‘cute’ she might kill him.

He had never really verbalized the thought before, not even in his own head, but Videl really was a beautiful girl. Her eyes were incredible, as Gohan recalled from opening the door to the sight of her earlier that morning. Her short hair suited her very well. The mountain breeze lightly tossed the loose outer strands about, and her bangs tickled her face. Her fair skin seemed smooth as silk, although he didn’t know for sure. Every time he had ever had contact with her, he hadn’t been thinking about it. Gohan felt a sudden urge to investigate this.

Before he could act on the thought, Videl turned around and saw him sitting under the tree. She walked back toward him, and they smiled at each other.

“Mind if I join you under there?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Gohan replied. Videl entered the shadow of the oak and came up alongside of Gohan, and then sat down about a foot to his right. She leaned back against the trunk of the tree like he was and put her hands behind her head in a relaxed way, sighing lightly.

It was quiet for a few minutes, until Gohan felt compelled to break the silence.

“So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something,” he said. “What’s up?”

Videl turned her head toward him. “I wanted to talk about what happened since the tournament,” she said. “I’m curious about what happened to you. I figured we could both share our sides of the story with each other.”

“Okay,” Gohan said. He pondered, placing his hand underneath his chin. “Now where should I begin?”

“How about when we parted ways and you left with Kibito?” Videl suggested.

“Alright… wow, this is going to take a long time to explain…” Gohan rubbed his neck in an exasperated way. “Well…”

***

“… I was certain that Buu had killed me. I don’t have any memories between then and when I woke up on the Kai Planet.”

Gohan paused, and saw that Videl was hanging her head, looking very solemn.

“What’s the matter, Videl?” he asked, concerned.

“Your father told us that you and Vegeta had both been killed by Majin Buu… that they couldn’t sense your life force anymore, and that you were… gone…” Her voice trailed off quietly.

“I was out cold. I wasn’t putting out any energy at all, so it would have been impossible for them to sense me, especially with Buu’s power overshadowing mine. But hey! Buu didn’t kill me- at least not then…”

“I was so upset, Gohan… I couldn’t believe that you were gone… it seemed like we’d hardly known each other and then… you were gone, lost forever…”

“Well, I’m here right now, am I not?” he suggested jokingly, trying to cheer her up.

“Hey, don’t make light of the situation! I grieved for you! And so did your mother, your brother, and your grandfather! We were all distraught over your death! How do you think we felt?”

“I’m sorry, Videl. I know what it’s like,” Gohan said, apologetically. He couldn’t blame her for being touchy about the subject. She hadn’t lived her life in a world where death was something that could be reversed.

“It’s okay. Please, continue,” Videl said, rubbing her face in exasperation, trying to calm down.

“Right. Anyway…”

***

“… when I arrived at the battlefield, they couldn’t believe it was me. Everyone was apparently convinced that I was dead, just like you said.”

Videl nodded her head gravely.

“The three of them told me what Buu had done to the people of Earth- that they were all gone, and that he had gobbled up everyone I cared about. Buu confirmed it. I challenged him, and this time, the result was the exact opposite of our previous encounter. He was no match for me at all. I didn’t even have to try to defeat him.”

“Seriously?” Videl asked.

“That’s right,” Gohan said. “Unfortunately, Buu understood that there was no way he could beat me, so he resorted to dirty tactics. He blew himself up to get us to leave the area so he could have some time to think while he regenerated himself.

While we waited on him to pull himself together, literally, we found Dende… and your father.”

“My dad?”

“Yes. He was wandering all alone in the middle of a desert with a dog, exhausted and hopelessly lost. We filled him in on what was happening as best as we could. He didn’t take the news of your passing well…”

“Daddy…” Videl sighed.

“There wasn’t much time to grieve. Buu resurfaced, and he tricked the boys into fusing into Gotenks. Then he absorbed them and Piccolo. I fought him again after that, but the result of our match was a lot like the first time we fought. I had no chance. He was too powerful for me.

Just when I was certain I was doomed, my father appeared, telling me to put on this bizarre earring. I accidentally dropped it when he threw it to me, though, and by the time I picked it up, it was too late. Buu absorbed me, just like he absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo. I was engulfed in this wave of… pink goo, and then I felt myself being pulled toward Buu. The next memory I have is of waking up on Snake Way with Goten, Trunks, and Piccolo.”

“So, you died?”

“I did, but not when Buu absorbed me. My dad and Vegeta apparently rescued the four of us who had been absorbed, but then Buu went nuts and blew up the Earth. I was on the planet when it exploded.”

“That’s… terrible… Were you… were you aware of what was going on, or anything?” Videl looked ghastly at the prospect that Gohan had been caught in such an explosion. Gohan put on a comforting expression and shook his head.

“I was unconscious. I have no memories between being absorbed and waking up in Other World, so I didn’t feel anything.”

“That’s… good…” Videl said, nodding.

“We were only in Other World for perhaps fifteen minutes before we were all suddenly back on Earth again.” Videl nodded and smiled slightly, knowing exactly what he meant. “Then, there was Vegeta’s voice, asking for our energy, then my dad, and then yours. And then, Buu’s energy vanished, and we knew he was gone, so we all flew to the Lookout.”

“…and you appeared behind me with your hand on my shoulder…” Videl added to his statement. The two were silent for a while, both of them with their minds wrapped in thought about that moment.

After a long, thoughtful silence, Videl took up her turn talking, telling her side of the story. Hers wasn’t nearly as long-winded as Gohan’s. She had not been teleported away to a magical world or been involved in any of the fighting. She did, however, pique Gohan’s interest when she talked about Goten and Trunks learning to fuse. They shared a good laugh over the boys’ failed fusions, resulting in the morbidly obese and the old, decrepit versions of Gotenks.

But not long afterward, as Videl recounted, they were all eaten by Majin Buu. She met up with Chi-Chi and Bulma in heaven, and they searched desperately for Gohan, aided by the reformed Dabura. Later, they miraculously appeared on Earth again, with Vegeta asking them for their energy, and soon after, they were all reunited.

Gohan remained silent and let Videl finish her tale before he spoke again. When he did, he was awestruck.

“You spent all your time in heaven looking for me?” he said, surprised. Videl’s face grew red, and Gohan noticed a frustrated twitch in her eyebrow.

“Yes, we were worried sick about you!” Videl assertively replied. “I thought your mother was going to die a second time from a panic attack if we didn’t find you soon.”

“I guess you didn’t have much luck since I was never there,” Gohan joked, putting on a goofy grin and scratching the back of his neck.

“Jerk,” Videl said, crossing her arms and looking away. Gohan wasn’t certain if Videl was joking this time, and his expression changed to one of concern. He looked at Videl with his head tilted, confused.

“Gee, I’m sorry Videl. I’m… flattered that you all would put that much effort into trying to find me. It’s an honor to be missed like that.”

“It didn’t feel very good for us,” replied Videl, sounding hurt. She wasn’t looking at him. “I’ve never been so upset about anything in my life!”

“Really?”

Videl turned her head to him and fired back.

“Yes!” She turned away from him again.

The implications of what Videl had just said began spinning through Gohan’s brain, and he tried to comprehend it. He felt his throat contract for a second and wasn’t sure he was able to speak. He gulped, and found that his throat didn’t feel so awkward afterward, although there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I didn’t realize I meant so much to you, Videl.”

“You do,” she said in a lonesome way. She stood up on the spot, and walked a few steps away from the tree. Her hands were in her hoodie pockets, and she was staring at the ground. Gohan couldn’t be sure, but he thought that she might be trying to hide her face from him.

I wonder if she’s… crying? he thought. No, there’s no way. I can’t imagine her getting emotional like that. But then again, I’ve never had a conversation like this with her before…

Gohan sat there silently, stupefied, completely devoid of any idea as to what he should do. He wanted to break the tense silence that had gone up between them, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.

Videl ended up breaking it for him.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, Gohan…”

Videl’s voice wavered as she spoke. Gohan could sense the tension building up in the air. It was waiting desperately to be released.

“You have no idea how much you mean to me…” Videl choked out, although this time, much less clearly. Her voice cracked and became shaky, and when she was done speaking, she withdrew a hand from her hoodie pocket and covered her mouth and nose with it. Although her back was turned to him, Gohan could tell, for certain now, that she was trying to hold back tears, fighting desperately to hold them in. The pained expression on her face was palpable. Even though he couldn’t see it, he knew it was there.

---

Behind her nearly trembling hand, Videl bit her lip. The thought that he was oblivious to her feelings was too much to bear. She had grieved for him. She had held onto hope beyond any sane person’s limits. She had died unknowing of his fate, and she had spent her death devoted to finding him. And now, here he was before her, and he had no idea.

How can he not know how I feel? she wondered in desperation. Is it not obvious? Maybe… Erasa was right saying he was just another cute face… Maybe that jerk Sharpner was right about him being a clueless dork…

NO! NO! This can’t be happening! It just can’t! This hurts even worse than when Goku told us he had died! I already knew then that I loved him, and now we miraculously have a chance to be together, and he doesn’t want it? I died loving him, and he has no idea what he means to me…

Videl felt the tears start to flow. She couldn’t hold it any longer. She had spent her entire life being tough. Her mother had passed away when she was so young that she couldn’t even remember her face without the aid of a picture, and she had lived her whole life alone with her vain, bumbling, but well-meaning father.

Her already disheveled family was thrown into the world’s biggest spotlight when her father falsely took the credit for defeating Cell. She was eleven years old at the time, and from then on her life was constantly in the eye of the public. Her hopes of a normal life were gone forever. Her father was whisked away by fame, fortune, lust, and desire. He was perpetually away, living in the spotlight. He was constantly in the lap of luxury, with a random woman constantly in his lap. He was living a lie, and Videl was along for the ride, whether she wanted it or not.

Videl spent most of her formative years essentially as an orphan. She had one true friend in the whole world, Erasa, until Gohan showed up in her life. And now, her second friend, and her first love, sat oblivious behind her as she silently shed tears she had needed to shed for many years.

---

What in the world do I do now? Gohan wondered. He wondered what would ever inspire Videl to lose control like this. He tried to figure out how this all seemed from her perspective. The moments were frozen, stretched and distorted by his fear. Suddenly, he understood everything.

Gohan rose to his feet. Feeling weak in the knees and short of breath, painfully certain he would soon regret what he was about to do, he walked slowly and cautiously toward Videl. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and spoke softly.

“Videl, I would never want to lose you, either. You mean more to me than I know how to describe.”

Videl turned around to face him and looked up at him, pulling the hand away from her face. Her cheeks were red and puffy and her eyes were damp. There was a trace of two wet streams, one from each eye, flowing down onto her cheeks. There were a few dark spots on her hoodie where the tears had clearly fallen. Gohan stood transfixed before her, his insides shaking and his mind torn in a thousand directions all at once. Videl looked him directly in the eye, and for a moment, he felt his heart stop as Videl spoke in a near whisper.

“I love you, Gohan.”

Gohan felt his heart explode and his mind overflowed with a type of joy he could not have ever imagined existing. He parted his lips to speak, and without conscious thought guiding him, acting on his emotions alone, he spoke.

“I love you too, Videl.”

In that moment, their souls were suspended together in time as both of them gazed into each other’s eyes and saw each other’s faces slowly shape from frowns into enormous smiles. Gohan laced his fingers with Videl’s, as if he had known it was what he should do his whole life. He stepped forward gently, gazing intently at her. Her lips parted as Gohan leaned in toward her. Gohan tilted his head partly to the side, and Videl subconsciously tilted hers in the other direction. Both of them felt their lips pucker slightly as they closed their eyes. Gohan brought his lips down on Videl’s, and she brought hers to his, and in unison their lips moved gently back and forth, intertwining and then separating.

Then, they both pulled away and slowly, dreamily, opened their eyes. Before he could even breathe, Gohan wrapped his arms around Videl and pulled her in close and tight. Videl returned the embrace, and the two of them stood beneath the shadow of the oak tree for some time, arm in arm, heart in heart, silent, still, and peaceful.

When she found herself able to think again, Videl placed her ear directly on Gohan’s chest, and listened for a few moments. Her expression changed to a playful smile and she looked up at Gohan.

“What are you doing?” asked Gohan, perplexed.

“I’m listening to your heart, silly,” she said. “I can’t believe how hard and fast it’s beating. I can’t believe that you’re that excited… to be here… with me.” By the end of the sentence, Videl’s already tremendous smile had expanded to span from ear to ear. Gohan returned the gesture with the warmest smile he ever remembered giving.

Gohan wished that there was something he could say, but he was beyond being able to speak for the moment. He was smiling so hard it hurt, and when he tried to relax his face, it only returned to the position at which it started. His legs felt as though they had taken root. It wasn’t that he wanted to move- he could just sense that he was not able to for the time being.

As he gradually became more aware of his situation, he could see why Videl had been so amused by his heart. It was pounding so rapidly and forcefully he feared that it might burst out of his chest, beating far harder than it had earlier in the day when he had wondered the same thing. His face was red and burning, and he could tell that a sweat was soon on its way. It had been chilly before, but now he was dreadfully uncomfortable in his heavy jacket and felt inclined to take it off. An eternity passed in his mind before he was finally able to do anything.

Videl had shut her eyes and she was comfortably resting with her arms around Gohan’s waist, her head up against his chest. She was smiling and breathing deeply and slowly, as if she was nearing sleep. Gohan moved his hands down from her back to her waist and bowed his head, and then gently kissed Videl’s forehead.

“Mmm…” Videl mumbled dreamily as she opened her eyes and loosened her grip around Gohan. The two pulled apart and looked each other in the eyes, both smiling from ear to ear.

“Wow…” Gohan airily said in a near-whisper, shaking his head slightly. “That was…”

“Incredible,” Videl finished for him.

“Yeah…” Gohan said softly, nodding a bit in agreement. Overwhelmed, and finally feeling compelled to break the serene moment, he said jokingly, “Let’s sit down before I collapse from the excitement, shall we?”

Videl chuckled and responded simply, “Okay.”

The two released each other from their embrace and Gohan let his arms go slack. His forearm brushed against hers as it fell, and when the base of his palm grazed her, Videl pulled her arm up to be level with his hand and weaved her fingers between his. Gohan turned toward the tree and slowly took a few steps, leading Videl by the hand.

When he reached the trunk, he released her hand and plopped down as gently as he could, taking care in doing so, in light of his motor skills being hindered by the rush of the moment. He leaned his back against the sturdy old tree and pulled his knees up halfway to his chest. Videl sat down on his right and turned her back toward him, and then leaned back on his shoulder. Feeling that it was the right thing to do, Gohan pulled his arm back and wrapped it around her, pulling her in close.

Videl sighed and closed her eyes for longer than a blink. She laid her head on Gohan’s shoulder, and her left hand found its way into Gohan’s right. After a short, peaceful silence, she opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at Gohan’s face. She smiled.

“You love me,” she said simply.

Gohan nodded earnestly, with a small, but warm smile in return. “Yes, I do,” he replied.

“Wow…” she trailed off in a whisper. Gohan looked out toward the opposite shore of the lake. The early autumn sunshine sparkled on the surface of the pristine mountain water. It was very quiet, but there were many sounds. The wind rustled softly through the falling leaves of the forest, critters rustled in the leaves on the ground, the birds sporadically chirped, and he and Videl breathed steadily and slowly. Gohan knew that regardless of whatever happened for the rest of the day it was already the happiest day of his life. He suspected the situation was very much the same for the girl he held by his shoulder.

“You had me worried there, for a second,” Videl said to him, snapping Gohan out of his trance.

“Worried? About what?” Gohan asked, puzzled.

“Worried that you didn’t feel the same way for me that I did for you. When you said that you didn’t realize how much you meant to me, I was afraid that you only saw me as a friend.”

“Well, I was nervous, too, you know,” Gohan admitted. “I didn’t want to lose you by telling you how I felt before the time was right. When I was on the Kai Planet having my powers ‘woken up’ by the Old Kai, I had plenty of time to think, and the entire time, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Really?” Videl asked, beaming.

“That’s right,” Gohan said, nodding slightly. “I guess it was during my day there when I realized how I felt about you. I was clinging onto a thread of hope that when my training was done I’d be able to go back to Earth and see you and let you know that I was okay. When I got back to Earth and Goten told me that you had been eaten, I walked right up to Buu and told him that I wanted to kill him.”

Videl felt her breath taken away by the statement and all she could do to respond was to squeeze Gohan’s hand and snuggle up a bit closer to him. Gohan could sense that she wouldn’t be talking for the meantime, so he continued on.

“When the fight was over and we all came back to the Lookout, you were the only thing on my mind. I was dying to see you, to know that you were safe. That’s why the first thing I did when I arrived was to put my hand on your shoulder. I wanted to let you know that I was there, and that everything was alright. I didn’t know if it meant a thing to you if I did that or not, but it just felt like the right thing to do. I knew that I loved you, and as badly I wished that I could convey that to you, I understood that then was not the right time. So, I settled for the next best thing I could do. I hope you didn’t mind the sudden intrusion, with me just appearing out of nowhere behind you and such.”

“No, not at all,” Videl said. “I get the feeling that it was the type of moment that I’m going to end up remembering forever.” Gohan grinned at her. She continued, “… I wish I could stay here, like this, forever. That would suit me just fine,” she finished, succinctly.

Gohan blushed, chuckled a bit, and smiled. “Me too,” he said. “Me too.”

All was right with the world. For a moment in time, nothing could knock them off of their cloud. Gohan gazed upon the landscape on which he grew up. It had never seemed so beautiful. And even as wonderful as it seemed right now, its beauty was nothing compared to the smiling face that looked up at him.

“Videl?” he said.

“Yes, Gohan?” she said, giving him her full attention.

“Are we dreaming?” he asked.

“I don’t think so, Gohan. Why would you ask that?” Videl looked at him, perplexed by the notion.

“Because if we’re dreaming, I don’t ever want to wake up.”

Videl sat up from her position and turned around to be facing Gohan on her knees. She placed her hands around the back of his neck and leaned in, gently moving her lips across his. He returned the kiss, and they shared several more before they separated.

Videl pulled her face only an inch or so away from Gohan’s when they finished, and then she touched her nose to his. Gohan reached his hands up to his neck and covered Videl’s hands with his, and then brought their hands to rest on his lap.

“I can’t remember ever being this happy,” Videl said, staring deep into his eyes.

“Likewise,” Gohan replied.

Gohan and Videl smiled at each other, enjoying the intimacy of the moment, but it was broken up when Gohan’s stomach growled loudly. Gohan laughed.

“Well, my mom said that if we got hungry, we could come back to the house,” Gohan said.

“Okay,” Videl replied quietly.

“We can walk back- take our time,” Gohan said. Videl smiled at him, and at that, they stood up and began their walk back down Goten’s trail, headed for the comfort of a warm home and good food, both accompanied by the one they loved.

Gains:

PL: 403800
Zenni: 202300


Wow...