Several days of inactivity passed as Veleet laid low. Gohan was actually returning to his normal 'routine' of school, study, and superhero. But something sat simmering on the back of his mind, haunting his dreams and plaguing his thoughts. It distracted him enough to ponder the gnawing urge.

"Mom, I'm going out to the riverside to study in the fresh air. Call me when dinner's ready?"

ChiChi turned from the stove and regarded her oldest son. "What's wrong with your room?"

"Goten's on the phone."

"On the phone?"

"With Trunks."

"Oh. Well just don't go too far. I want you within earshot young man, understand?"

"Mom, my hearing is as sharp as a wolf's. I'll hear you even if I were on the other side of the mountain."

"Don't debate it."

"Sorry mom. Okay." Gohan quickly replied in effort to prevent an argument. He gathered his books and departed. Finding the usual spot he and his father often resided to fish, he plopped his books down and laid across the cool, lush grass. He closed his eyes and allowed his senses to only reel in what nature offered such as the soft caressing breeze and the sounds of the powerful rushing river. But that haunting subject kept invading his peaceful thoughts.

*She wants to mate. She chose me. Am I really the only one of different saiyan blood she could possibly mate with in the entire universe? Why couldn't I just be a kid again and not even be in this mess! Growing up is harder than it seems. Wait! I got it! I know how to make this a win-win situation!* Gohan thought as he suddenly sat up and prepared to seek out Veleet's ki.

*There she is. That's easy enough. I can track it!* Gohan thought as he launched into the air leaving his books laying beside the river. For many minutes he flew on as Veleet's ki grew stronger.

In the swamps still, Veleet suddenly snapped awake as her instincts warned her of an approaching presence. She sniffed the air but the invader was downwind of her sensitive nose. She opted to remain silent and in the shadows and allow the presence to approach.

Gohan knew he was very close. Her ki led him to the swamps. He landed on a dry marshbed and opted to vocalize his presence.

"Veleet! I know you're here. Show yourself please?"

*The young man!? He's here!? Is this a trick?* Veleet thought as she listened to Gohan's call.

"Veleet, I'm here on my own accord and alone. No tricks and no others with me. Please show yourself."

This time the saiyan princess opted to reveal herself, but she kept her guard up and remained poised for a potential attack. "Why are you here?"

"I've come to offer you a proposition."

"A proposition?"

"Yes. A win-win situation."

"I'm listening."

"I give you what you want and in return you give me what I want."

"What do you want?"

"For you to leave this planet and never return and to never speak of this to anyone, anywhere."

"You ask too much."

"Not the way I plan to give you your end."

"Elaborate. I don't follow."

"I can give you enough for several offspring. Namely by utilizing a freezing process. You simply need only thaw what you need when you need it. You will have what you want and I will have what I want."

"What you want?"

"I will retain my virginity to give as a gift to one I really love since there will be no physical contact between us."

Veleet spat. "You're a VIRGIN!?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being such. Only those who are jealous find it an amazement. I'll mate when I'm ready and not before. I'm merely altering my own belief slightly to accomodate you...a compromise of sorts. Take it or leave it."

"You're saving yourself for that human girl. It's truly unsaiyanlike but you're not pure saiyan. You're denying yourself great pleasure but your offer is tempting."

"Only if you remain quiet about this entire ordeal and never return. I'm taking great risk by even offering this. My family, Vegeta, and my friends would frown terribly on my decision. This isn't like me, but like Vegeta, I do have pride in my saiyan blood. I just choose not to flaunt it with a huge ego. I don't want to see the race go extinct. If I am a flicker of hope for it, than so be it. But truthfully, the saiyan genetic pool is too low. Even this attempt may just be in vain and only delaying the inevitable."

"Maybe so, but both of us can go to our deaths knowing we at least tried."

Meanwhile, back at the Son family residence at Mount Paozu...

"GOHAN! DINNER'S READY! WHERE ARE YOU THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE CALLED FOR YOU! GET YOUR BUTT IN HERE YOUNG MAN!"

There was no answer to ChiChi's demand aside from her youngest son quickly sitting himself at the table and awaited the food dishes to be served.

"Brother's out mom?"

"He was studying outside but he promised me he'd be a short distance away."

Goten concentrated. "Mom, he's not near here. His ki is farther away."

"That little deli---he ditched me! I bet he was planning that all along! Well, he'll get an earful when he returns."

"Can we eat now mom? I'm STARVED and it smells so good!"

ChiChi sighed and began serving dishes to her youngest son. It was better to satisfy one saiyan than have two causing trouble.

Elsewhere...

Piccolo silently landed by the riverside where his eye had caught view of objects in the grass. He picked them up and opened the notebook. They were definitely Gohan's.

*Gohan? It's not like you to take off and leave stuff laying around. What has gotten into you?* Piccolo thought as he scanned the area. Like Goten, he could faintly sense Gohan's ki, but it wasn't near where it should be.

Meanwhile back at the swamps...

"Look, I'd better return home now. My mother's going to kill me if she finds out that I'm not where I said I'd be. I'll return here in a couple of days to discuss details. Lay low until then and try not to let Vegeta hunt you down. If he or any of the others get wind of this, especially my mother, Vegeta, or that girl you saw me with, the deal's off and I will deny that it ever existed aside from perhaps in your intentions." Gohan sternly replied as he launched back into the air.

Veleet watched him depart without a word in return. Perhaps this was the only way she'd get what she wanted. The young man was actually willing to cooperate but only if his loved ones were kept unaware of his actions. He wasn't as innocent as he seemed. Perhaps there was hope in his saiyan blood afterall. With a smirk, Veleet slid back into the shadowy depths of the swamp.

Gohan was nearly back to the patch of grass where his books resided when he suddenly spied a familiar form meditating next to them. With a gulp of nervousness, Gohan approached his mentor.

"Uh, hi Piccolo, what brings you here?"

Piccolo slowly opened an eye. "Your intelligence is fading Gohan. The answer is obvious if you think about it."

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, heheh, of course...me. Well, then uh, is there something you wanted to speak to me about? It's not often you choose to visit me, especially with my mother in the area."

"I've known you long enough to know that you are up to something. Care to fill me in?"

Gohan chuckled nervously. "Uh, heheh, gee, am I that obvious. Well, heheh, not really. It's kind of personal."

"Gohan, you can't pull the wool over my eyes. I can read kis too. I know where you went. It is likely that the saiyan female was also in the vicinity."

Gohan grew serious. "Piccolo, I can't."

"You can't or you won't?"

"GOHAN! YOU'D BETTER BE IN HERE BY THE COUNT OF TEN AND I MEAN IT!"

The distraction was perfect. "Uh, well, gotta go Piccolo. Mom's calling and she sounds furious." Gohan spattered out as he grabbed his books and ran for the house leaving Piccolo slightly stunned at his student's behavior.

*Gohan, for your sake, I hope you know what you're doing. You're on your own on this one kid.* Piccolo thought as he flew off, with a sadness that his once student was getting into something deeper than he could ever get out of alone.

to be continued...