Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of it's characters. Of course I own this story but I don't own the cover picture; that cuteness is a still from an anime which has touched me the most ever - 'Shigatsu wa kimi no Usa'/'Your lie In April'.

Previously on Chapter 3

Isn't the course of life funny, right G-kun? "said Videl, by adding a teasing tone to the last part of the speech.

Gohan couldn't stop but grin. Not entirely sure whether the grin was over the statement, or the highly shortened affectionate version of his name.

"So very right, V-Chan." And they both broke out into laughter, the kind of laughter which only comes out of the vocals of innocent-hearted kids. The laughter which can melt the hearts of even the darkest creatures in the universe. As time flew by, the laughter only grew harder. Their eyes shone in excitement from laughing out loud,

Deep down, both knew that things would definitely shape better for the two belligerent teenage pairs.

Words enclosed in double-quote i.e. " " implies conversation out-loud.

Ones in single inverted commas i.e. ' ' implies thoughts in mind.

Some sentences end with ~ it implies that the word being spoken is spoken in a sing-song manner. Example- "~ Gohan and Videl sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G ~"

Words that follow :: implies that is spoken telepathetically or over bond.

DBS

Survival Against All Odds

Chapter 4: Together

Brought to you by GoHaNViDeLSoN. Beta'ed by mineng101.

A special gratitude on my part to I87, tabriggs1975, Martian Tempest for the support to keep me motivated to update this work. It's been a while, since I last updated it.

"That's the hardest I have laughed in years." Exclaimed a giggling Videl, the cheerfulness present in her tone. Even her looks softened considerably than what it was initially when she arrived by her copter.

'She should laugh more often like that. She looks really beautiful while she is by…Herself. Yeah, that's the word 'Herself'. Despite her hard exterior, scowling countenance and a piercing stare; Gohan knows better than anyone about this side of Videl, an actually laughing and giggling Videl which brings out her beautiful features…her true inner self.

"Guess I could say the same, Vi." Chirped Gohan. Honestly, with the kind of childhood the said-teenager had, one could actually count the number of times Gohan had actually laughed his heart out in the span of his eighteen years. Hell, the last time he had enjoyed himself was seven years ago, during his 11th birthday, just nine days prior to the cell games.

"So…?" Spluttered Videl, out-of–the-blue catching the other teen off-guard.

"So, what?" Asked a puzzled Gohan. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"So what are we gonna do now, considering that we have no place to go. Obviously you aren't going to return to your home just like that, not after all that had happened. Not that I am encouraging your decision or such, 'coz it's entirely your decision in this regard, nor am I one to interfere." She bit down her lower lip and flushed as she went on to add. "But just for your information Gohan, I for one, am not returning to that hellhole called home." Stated Videl as if that was the most obvious fact in the whole world.

Gohan scrunched his brows as he contemplated over the possibilities. He pondered for some time deciding what to do, and then spoke up. "See, when you met me a while ago, I was uhh …sorta… on a runaway from my home; maybe with the thought that I might find some shelter in the forest in the foothill region. I guess I could have proceeded with that. But now that you are here…" He could not bring himself as to what to say next '…I can neither turn my back on you, nor rope you along with my adventures in wild.' He completed the sentence in his mind.

Gohan was in a dilemma. Sure it wasn't any problem for him to survive in the wilderness, he has proven himself by doing so at the tender age of four, and not just one or two weeks; but a total of six months. He survived six months with barely anything of necessity except for a sword given to him by Piccolo. So it would not be much of a trouble for him to repeat the same, the only thing that might pose as a trouble would be his 'over-inquisitive' friends, or rather his father's friends. They might make a concerted effort to search for him. Not to forget his Namekian friends would do their part as well from a particularly high-tower. Hiding from their eyes would be a challenge even for him. Nevertheless, he sure would plan something out. But now that Videl was added to the story things are going to get a hell of a lot more complicated.

Videl was slightly irked by Gohan's statement. "Now that I am here, SO WHAT? Surely I can manage on my own. You said it yourself that I am not a burden, didn't you? So it won't be a problem if I tag along with you. You could use a partner to keep you company. Whatever you say, staying solitary in the wilderness surrounded by only trees and animals and not a single human soul as a companion is no better than death."

Gohan shook his head furiously. "Uhh no, you are not getting it. I know what it is like surviving in the wild. Every second you are under the threat of being predated, the climatic conditions are harsh and they change rapidly making each second challenging. Tell you what, storms and rains are pretty deadly especially when you have no roof over your head.

"Your motives are noble and I truly appreciate your concerns for being a partner to me, but you must understand the seriousness of this situation. Real survival is no field trip. I know you are pretty tough and all, but no offence, city-dwellers, as you are, will always have a hard time coping up with the mood-swings of nature. Moreover, there is no guarantee of having food every day. You might just have to go days starving. Whatever happens to me, it's fine, but I don't want to put you in any kind of danger."

Videl was getting irritated by Gohan's speech. Sure he was genuinely concerned of her, but that did not mean that she shouldn't be given a chance of her own. She narrowed her eyes at him and spoke clearly. "Listen buddy, if you can do all of this, then why can't I?" Questioned Videl; a slight tinge of pain evident in her voice.

Gohan took a deep breath and looked at her. "Because I have gained the experience first hand. I had to undergo the same fate at the tender age of four, and still I barely survived those six months. But for you, it's a world completely ignorant."

"MY POINT EXACTLY! When you first survived all those years ago, did you have any previous exposure to the so-called 'world'? But you managed to blend in with it and moved on. Then, obviously, I wouldn't have any problem at all coping with it. Besides, I have a luxury which you didn't have."

Gohan shot her a confused look, wondering as to what 'luxury' she was talking about.

"Guess what, I have you." The teenage girl flushed, as she answered.

She went on to add. "With you being there, how can you expect that I would ever be in danger? When it comes to animal threats, I can very much hold my own. For your kind information, if you haven't noticed, the ki-training has made me considerably stronger, so I certainly would not have trouble at all. Even in the worst-case scenarios, I always have an option to fly my way out." A smirk made way onto her face as she prepared to drop her next bomb. "If you bring food in between, then that's solely your concern. Unlike a certain somebody, I am not a Saiyan with a large appetite, so I can manage my days with very little food or even none at all. Whatever you want say, I am not gonna listen to you." Replied Videl stubbornly, twitching her nose high up in the air.

Gohan sighed. He knew this was a lost battle that he was fighting. He hung his shoulders in defeat and spoke quietly. "Is there any way I can convince you to not to join me in this deadly venture?"

"No." was her immediate response.

"What about your father? What would he think? Won't he worry about you?" Blurted out Gohan, hoping this would change her mind. He looked up to see her expression. What he wasn't prepared was that, this plan of his was blatantly gonna backfire.

Her face red in anger; jaws and fists clenched. She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she spoke in a threateningly calm voice. "What are you talking about, Gohan!"

Gohan gulped. This wasn't going good. With that, she exploded:

"Even after all this, do you think he cares about me? Had it not been for him, I wouldn't even be here now. And as far as I am concerned, he is the last person that comes to mind before I take a decision of my own." She narrowed her eyes up at him; mock-laughed as she spoke, "And what about you? Just moments ago you were hell bent upon killing him. Now you are preaching on his behalf? What crawled up your ass? Geez."

"I care for you. I worry about you, is all." Uttered Gohan.

"If that's the case, then please give me a chance. See things from my perspective, and then judge. Another rejection from your end means I have nowhere to turn to. Please Gohan." Videl looked at him expectantly with tears welling up in her eyes.

Gohan ran his hand through his hair, letting out a defeated sigh. "Guess that does it, Videl. Can't say no to you now, now can I?"

A warm smile adorned Videl as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheeks. That took Gohan by a complete surprise. He rubbed the spot on his cheeks where she had pecked him. He was in daze, a goofy smile playing his lips. Videl giggled at his reaction. That cute sound brought him out of his reverie. He gave her the trademark son-grin while rubbing his head with his hands.

"Back to the question I asked long back. So what do we do now?" Asked Videl.

Gohan put his hand to his chin and thought for some time. He then started. "You know, there's some seriously good spots that I've found over the years around the foothill regions of Mt. Paozu where we can build a house and stay."

"Hmm…I see." Thought Videl; contemplating over Gohan's choice. But something struck her and she wanted to have it clarified. "Gohan, won't we be discovered with ease? I mean, your friends can sense Ki and all. What if they sense us?"

"Say Videl, do you take me for fool?"

Videl looked confused. "Huh?"

Gohan put his hands in his pocket and took out two circular gold bracelets and gave one to Videl. "Here, take this. Put it round your wrist. In case something like this would happen, I prepared myself for it. This is what is known as Ki bracelet. The purpose of this bracelet is to entirely block your ki. This was built and designed by Bulma and myself. I have made some adjustments to it so it can also release a fake ki-signature instead of a void, in case we ever need to implement that."

Videl twirled the bracelet a number of times before putting it round her wrists. "You have put some thought into it." She commented absent-mindedly while thinking about something else. And just like that, she suddenly screamed out. "DENDE!"

Gohan clamped his hands over his ear tightly. "Geez Videl, what was that for? And why did you swear by the name of Dende?"

"Huh?" Having realized what Gohan meant, she hit his head lightly. "Dummy, I didn't swear. All I meant to say was, it is highly probable for Dende to find us. Especially up from his look-out from where he can, literally, see every other place on this planet."

A smirk was what Videl earned in return of her question. "And what if I don't leave any grounds for Dende to lead on?" Countered Gohan back his own point of argument.

"What do you mean?"

"I know of a particular place that is extremely well hidden due to its terrain. Even if someone happens to fly over it, they cannot place the exact location. It is one of the few places on the surface of this planet which is not visible from the lookout."

Videl pondered over Gohan's proposition. "You sure are far-sighted aren't you? But tell me something, how did you know of this 'oh so well concealed' place?"

"Heh…after all I didn't spend the last seven years of my life simply glued to textbooks and playing the nerd."

"Uh huh! Did I hear a subtle tone of sarcasm in your voice, Mr. Saiyaman?" Snickered Videl in a fake-accusatory tone.

"Maybe you did, Miss Videl!" Replied Gohan, playing along the game.

Both laughed heartily at this. It was clear that the two had such a natural bond between them. It's like they were meant for each other. A bond that meant many promises in the future; and a strong base the likes of which rested upon their trust for one another. Together they are an entity unbreakable and a healthy relationship to cherish for times to come.

Gohan extended his hand towards Videl, which she graciously accepted. He pulled her towards him and both rose high up in the air, taunting the Earth's gravity. They both flew in unison towards a destination unknown to any but them. Neither of them knew What life held for them henceforth. After all, it is never an easy feat to live on your own. But even amidst all the clouds of uncertainty and skepticism, one thing was for sure:

No matter what hardships lay in their paths, how cruel can the world present itself to them… together they can survive against all odds.

TO BE CONTINUED…

I87 chapter 3 . Apr 21

1. I like how you placed Videl in the same predicament as Gohan
2. I'm guessing that you're gonna have Gohan & Videl living with each other?
3. Gohan & Videl should only be found by Piccolo if you want them to be found since being found by their parents wouldn't work with the whole 'starting over' idea
4. Gohan builds Ki blockers perhaps?
5. If you plan on bringing Villians/fights into the story, then have Gohan train
6. Really like the story so far
7. Keep up the good work

*** Wow you really nailed it man. Right on the spot. And very true predictions as well.

1)Yup. Absolutely having both of them in the predicament was what my intention…in that way, the bond between them can be even better cherished.

2)Right on that one.

3)Not given much of a thought on that one. Maybe I would keep them in complete seclusion from the DBZ world for quite some duration and afterwards present circumstances which might lead to revealing themshelves.

4)Again right you are.

5)Definitely…and this time, apparently, both Gohan/Videl train simultaneously to attain new heights of power. ;)

I'm really glad you like the story so far. Sincere apology on my part for taking this long to update. As of lately, I'm pretty pre-occupied with my forum 'GhVi Lovers', thereby organizing contest and stuffs. Morever, you might have noticed that I've started some other fics in-between as well. It is in a way not proper on my part, but I can't help everytime I'm hit with a major inspiration. But you can rest assured that I won't drop any of my fics. Hope you understand my predicament! And I am glad for your feedbacks. Keep dropping them :)

I.C.2014 chapter 3 . Apr 23

I can't wait to see what happened. I wonder how Gohan's relationship with Piccolo and Goten will be affected.

***Thanks for reading and dropping in a review. Really appreciate it. As for his relationship with Goten, that might suffer a setback due to the recent course of events. Hope you like the story further ahead.

Special thanks to everybody else who dropped in a review and have been following/favoriting this fic. Be tuned for more.