After the kiss they shared on Wednesday night, Videl couldn't seem to stop thinking. When Gohan had dropped her home on Nimbus, there had been no other emotion than elation. Her stomach swam with butterflies and her lips tingled with the memory of what had occurred. It should have been simple. She liked him and he evidently liked her. The next step was to start dating, right?

Not quite.

Every time Videl thought about Gohan, her mind wandered back to every conversation they had shared. And while they had been lovely, when it all came down to it, she still knew nothing about him. His childhood was a total mystery he refused to disclose, he skirted around the edges of his parents, and he continued to dodge every question she threw about his mysterious 'powers'. Not to mention, Videl didn't even know the basics. Who were his friends? What was his favourite colour? Favourite book?

Nothing.

She practically knew nothing about Gohan. And in return, he likely knew nothing about her. What sort of relationship was that? Certainly not one Videl was keen to commit to.

When the weekend rolled around, Videl didn't quite know how to behave. In spite of what had happened, the two of them had shared zero communication since. Gohan wasn't an avid texter, so it didn't necessarily feel personal. But it still left Videl in the unknown: a place she hated more than anything. So, when she arrived at the Son house on Saturday morning, it was with trepidation.

She didn't know what she was expecting. For Gohan to answer the door and welcome her with a passionate kiss? To walk inside and see him lying seductively on the couch? But, when Goten answered the door and invited her in to an empty living area, it was apparent that nothing had changed.

Videl smiled at her student awkwardly, unaware if he knew what had happened. "You keen to do some practice essays for literature?"

Goten cheered sarcastically. "Ready as I'll ever be, Miss. I'll just apologize in advance."

She tutted. "No good going in with that attitude. We've talked about a lot of this stuff. Make sure you read the prompt, formulate a plan, and then write coherently. You'll be fine."

"Right," Goten nodded.

They set up the table so that everything was in order before Videl slid over the exam prompt. "Your time starts…" She checked her watch. "Now."

Lunch was… interesting, to say the least.

Although some doubts had begun to appear in Videl's mind, it was evident that her interest in Gohan remained prominent. They conversed like normal adults for the sake of Goten (and their own humility), but the brief glances and the secret smiles were difficult to ignore.

Videl was facing a dilemma. There were so many mysteries in Gohan's life. There were things that he insisted on keeping private. He was always careful with his words, like walking on a tightrope. In the part of his life Videl wasn't involved in, Son Gohan was concealing something big. A whole world's worth of secrets.

And it shouldn't have mattered. The temptation of being with Gohan should have been enough.

But it wasn't.

Videl had always valued the truth over everything. And if she couldn't have Gohan's truth, then she couldn't have him at all.

When Goten had finished studying for the day, her visit came to an end as usual. She complimented Goten on a job well done, packed up her things, and waited for Gohan to appear in the doorway.

He did, just as expected, but there was an expression on his face Videl couldn't quite interpret. "How'd he go?"

She nodded and smiled in Goten's direction. "He did great. We got through a lot today. I'll mark his practice essay and have it back for tomorrow."

"Sounds perfect."

Videl tapped her bag and gestured towards the front door. "Alright, well… I best be off. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Videl, wait." Gohan interrupted. She swallowed thickly. "I'll, er, walk you out."

Dread rushed through her veins. A one-on-one conversation? She didn't know if she could handle it. Regardless, she nodded slowly. "Okay."

As they made their way outside, Gohan closed the door behind him and turned to her. His eyes were shining as usual, but there was reluctance in the way he held himself.

"So… I'll see you tomorrow?" he started awkwardly.

Videl couldn't help but laugh. "Of course you will."

"Right. Right. Well, um. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yep. I'll see you then."

Silence lingered. It was deafening. Yet despite the discomforting air between them, she couldn't bring herself to look away. His gaze fell to her lips – oh Kami – and then he was moving forward to tuck a hair behind her ear. Suddenly, jarringly, she whipped her head to the side to avoid his touch. Videl clenched her eyes shut, horrified. She couldn't bear to see the expression on Gohan's face.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to take a peek. It was just as she had anticipated. His eyes were doused with hurt and he had retreated a step or two. She bit her lip harshly. She couldn't remember feeling this awful in a long time. She had faced the cruel hand of rejection herself many times, and it was torturous.

"Gohan…" she started softly. "I'm sorry."

"I thought…" he murmured. "I thought… Wednesday… we…"

She sighed deeply. "I know, Gohan. I enjoyed it. I really did. But, the truth is, I know nothing about you. And I don't know how I can be with someone I barely know. If you could just open up…"

Gohan shook his head fervently. He looked to his feet in shame. "I can't, Videl. I just can't."

"But why?" she pressed.

He looked up, face torn with a plethora of different emotions.

"Because, Videl. If you knew who I really was, you'd never come back."

She didn't quite know what to make of that. Instead, she could only sigh deeply. She offered him one last smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry, Gohan."

And with that, Videl turned away, walking a few paces before releasing her jet onto the grass. She couldn't look back now. If she did, and saw that expression on Gohan's face, she wasn't sure she could ever leave.

She leapt into her jet quickly and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

Yes, she had been rejected many times.

But rejecting someone else?

That hurt worst of all.

With too much to think about on her own, Videl organised dinner with her father again for that night. He had matured a lot over the past year and it would be good to hear his perspective. Ten years ago, she would have wanted nothing less than to share her love life with her father. But they had both reached points in their lives where they valued each other's company more than anyone.

He welcomed her inside with an enthusiastic hug as usual, but almost immediately, he noticed there was something wrong. "What's the matter, pumpkin? You don't look so good."

She shrugged. "I don't know, dad… We can talk about it over dinner. For now, I wanna hear about your life."

"If you say so," he frowned. "Now come on in. I want to show you what I've done with the fifth bedroom."

Videl snorted, more than glad to be distracted by her father's sudden passion for interior design.

Once dinner had been prepared, it became evident that Hercule was still worried about her.
He fiddled with the peas on his plate, rolling them back and forth. "C'mon, sweetie. Can you tell me what's wrong now?"

She sighed, placing her fork down. Might as well spit it out. "Do you remember that guy I was telling you about? Son Goku's son?"

"What did he do, Videl? Did he hurt my little baby? I'm gonna teach that boy a lesson!"

Exasperated, she rolled her eyes. "Calm down, dad. He did nothing wrong. It's just…"

Hercule settled himself and regarded Videl with concerned eyes. He waited patiently as she gathered her thoughts together.

"I really like him. He's one of the kindest men I've ever met. And on Wednesday… we kissed."

Hercule's eyes widened. "Then what's the problem, pumpkin?"

"He wants something more, now. Which would be fine in any other circumstance. But he hasn't told me much about himself. Every time I ask certain things, he evades the question and moves on like everything's fine. But I hate secrets, dad. You know I can't stand them. So, what am I supposed to do?"

"Did you tell him this?"

Videl nodded solemnly.

"And?"

"It was strange. He said that if I knew who he really was, I'd never come back. Like, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Hercule stroked his greying moustache in deep thought. "Maybe he's a criminal of some sort, Videl. Doesn't sound good to me."

She shook her head vehemently. "No. He can't be a criminal. Honestly, dad, Gohan is the most caring person in the world."

"Well, that's what he wants you to think. But, er, what did you say his name was again?"

"Gohan."

Hercule furrowed his brows. "That name is strangely familiar."

Videl blinked. "Well, didn't I mention him last time?"

"But you never said his name, Videl. This is the first time I've heard it."

"Okay. And…" she prompted.

"I'm serious, Videl. I've heard that name before. In some distant memory. But I just can't put my finger on it."

"I mean… I think his dad was at the Cell Games, actually. Maybe you heard about him from Goku?"

"Sweetie, Son Goku wasn't at the Cell Games. Only those fraudster blonde folks and…"

Hercule's gaze jolted up, stricken and horrified. Videl worried her lip in concern. What on earth had he just remembered?

"Er, dad?"

He didn't reply.

"Dad!" she tried again.

Knocking himself out of it, Hercule's expression turned strict. He turned to her with all seriousness. "Videl. Listen to me and listen to me good. You stay away from that boy. Don't be going to his house anymore."

If there was anything Videl was expecting, it wasn't that. "I'm sorry?"

"You can't visit that man anymore, Videl. He's dangerous."

Videl stood up, angry. "What the hell are you talking about? You didn't know who he was three seconds ago!"

"Well, I have an idea now. And I don't want my baby girl near him."

She rolled her eyes. "It's Gohan. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Hercule scoffed.

"Tell that to Cel—" He stopped himself short, breathing heavily. His eyes were opened wide, pleading with Videl not to comment on his slipup.

She had noticed, alright. And she wasn't happy. "What?"

"It's nothing, Videl."

She slammed her fist onto the table. "No! What were you about to say? What does Gohan have to do with Cell?"

Hercule remained quiet, eyes locked on his now cold roast.

"Dad. Answer me."

"I don't know what I was talking about, Videl. I got this fella mixed up with someone else."

"Bullshit."

"I'm serious, Videl. Now eat your pork."

She fumed. How dare he brush her off like that? "No. I'm going home."

Hercule tutted. "But sweetpea…"

"No, dad. I'm going home. You know how I feel about secrets and lying."

"But I'm not lying to you, Videl."

She grabbed her bag off the kitchen stool and stormed her way towards the grand foyer. "Yeah, why don't you tell that to Gohan? You and he are just as bad as each other."

And with that, she opened the front door and made her way outside, slamming the door behind her.

Why was everyone treating her like a child? They were keeping secrets and withholding information as though she couldn't handle the truth. Videl had had enough. She couldn't bring herself to fly home right now. Instead, she made her way through the front garden of the estate and out onto the street. She needed to take a walk to clear her head. There was a bigger picture to all of this and she needed to figure out what it was.

Son Gohan and her father. Connected somehow?

Maybe, just maybe, that was the key to it all.

A/N: A much shorter chapter this time around but I thought this was an appropriate place to finish. I know the kiss in the last chapter might have seemed too soon, but it was necessary to prompt some more drama. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for all your reviews!