| Disclaimer: Again with the disclaimers! I don�t own DBZ� if I did� well, let�s not get started on that, k? *** Homestretch! Last chapter to part one! Enjoy� whoo hooo! Warning: Um someone dies and ... yeah that's basically all that happens...which is a good thing because now I can write the T/P romance... though I don't like who I 'kill off' so to speak... ALL FOR NOTHING CHAPTER 6 Pan, now seventeen, sat back and stretched in her chair, repositioning a delicate pair of glasses on her nose. She took her focus off the computer screen and sighed. She had helped Bulma with the time machine, and now she was trying to help her reconstruct cities. Pan�s father was still alive, though looking less and less healthy each day, constantly clutching at his chest. Saiyans really didn�t get sick to her knowledge, but Goku had died from a heart virus, had he not? And her grandmother, Chi-Chi, had died three years ago, causing a decrease in Gohan�s health as well. Trunks, although nine years older than her, was one of her best friends. He had traveled to the past to deliver an antidote for the heart virus Goku would contract, that way, their timeline may be safe. Later he had gone back to find things were much different, and in training with his father, Vegeta, he had become a much stronger man. Now he, too, was using that strength to rebuild. The androids. They were still quite a mystery to Pan. She knew them as someone who took away her mother when she was little, and then were defeated by her father and Trunks (who defeated Cell). She began typing again. �Honey?� Pan jumped in her seat and turned around. �Oh, hi dad. You scared me.� She removed her glasses, tossing them aside. �Working hard?� he asked. Pan nodded. Gohan looked away and thumbed through a few blueprints. Blueprints of cities that were to be reconstructed and return the Earth to normalcy. How it had been before. Before the androids. Before his father had died. Gohan did the math. He had been only nineteen when Pan was born and seven years after that Chri- he stopped the thought as a rush of emotions came at the name. He grabbed the wall. He had been only nineteen and now it was seventeen years later. That made�thirty six years old. Pan noticed her dad grab the wall. �Dad? Are you okay? Why don�t you go lay down?� Gohan shook his head. �I don�t feel very good,� he said, clutching at his chest. Pan rose up and took his hand. �C�mon, I�ll make you some tea and then take you to Capsule Corp.� Gohan�s shoulders fell, defeated. �Sorry to bother you.� Pan shrugged. �You�re not bothering me, dad. Now sit down and relax and I�ll call Bulma and tell her we�re coming over.� �Okay, but if we�re going to be leaving I want to go take a walk outside before we go.� Pan sighed and nodded. She knew right where he would go� the large knotted tree by a river in their property, visible through the front window in the living room. Under it stood three headstones that read �Son Goku�, �Son Christine�, and �Son Chi-Chi�. She didn�t think it would be long until a gravestone with her father�s name would have to be placed under the tree. Nothing seemed wrong with him, but she felt that his time on Earth was drawing short. For ten years now he himself (with a little help from Chi-Chi) had raised her as a her father, mother, teacher and best friend, Pan accepted the fact that soon her father would have his peace. Pan put on the tea and called Bulma making sure that it would be okay for her and her father to come over. When Bulma said that it would be fine, Pan hung up and watched her father out the window. He was kneeling down besides her mother�s grave. Silently tears were dripping off of his face and onto the ground, but he still knelt there with a proud feel about him. He stood up, looked around to make sure that Pan hadn�t come outside (not knowing she was watching from the window), wiped his face and placed a white lily gently on the ground. Gohan bowed his head at his mother�s grave and stood tall at his father�s. He turned around, walking back towards the house. �Want any more Gohan?� Bulma asked, pointing to the mashed potatoes. �When did I ever refuse more food?� Gohan responded. If there was one thing that hadn�t changed it had to be Gohan�s love for food. Pan laughed into her cup. Trunks glanced at Pan over the table and smiled to himself. She had changed so much from when he had known her little. Her black hair was now long and her eyes a brighter blue than ever. Trunks watched her as she spoke with Bulma across the dinner table. Gohan swallowed down the last of the potatoes and patted his stomach, sitting back in his chair and relaxing. Bulma was animatedly talking to Pan about some science thingamajig and Trunks was intently watching Pan. Gohan grinned. It's been months since we last came here...either Trunks just hasn't seen Pan in a while or he has a thing for her, he thought. Trunks glanced over at Gohan, who smiled at him. Trunks blushed furiously and turned back to his food. I think he likes her. I guess if I were to die, Trunks would protect her, Gohan thought. Now I won�t feel so bad about leaving. Gohan shut his eyes in an attempt to block out the pain that constantly shot through his chest. He looked at the ceiling in the direction of Kami. Take me anytime you want now�I�ve seen my daughter grow up and I know she�ll be safe here with Bulma and Trunks. Pan stood up, interupting his thougts. �I�m going to go set up my bedroom�um�which one should I use?� �I�ll show you,� Trunks offered, grabbing one of her bags of clothes and toiletries. �Why thank you,� Pan told him, following him down the hall. Gohan watched them leave, smiling as they disappeared. Pain shot through his chest again but this time he didn�t react. You going to take me so soon Kami? He asked as his vision blacked out. He collapsed in the chair, his head hitting the table. Bulma heard this and stopped doing the dishes just in time to see Gohan fall to the ground. She screamed and dropped the plate she was drying. Trunks and Pan both stopped and ran back into the living room at the sound of the scream. By the time they got to the kitchen they saw Bulma trying to move a half-conscience Gohan to the couch. �Sensei!� Trunks yelled, running to help her. Pan ran over touching her father�s cheek. �Dad!� Gohan opened his eyes and suddenly looked terribly frail. �Hey, Panny. I can�t help it anymore. I�ve been thinking about your mother lately and I feel like I�m going to finally meet her soon. �You�ve grown up into a fine young woman like I knew you would and I want you to know that I�m forever proud of you.� Gohan chuckled and Pan smiled. �C�mon, dad, you�re going to be just fine,� she stood up but he feebly grabbed her wrist, shaking his head. �I�ve always been a damned optimist. I�ve always insisted that everything was alright�even when everything was going wrong. You know, it wasn�t easy for me to lose her� your mother� I thought things would last forever, when she died I � I don�t even remember if I said goodbye� I don�t think I did, but I�m glad I didn�t. Because I�m going to see her again. Now I think- never mind- �The thing is that I never stopped loving her�I just need her Panny. It�s been ten long years without her. Luckily,� he grabbed Pan�s hand. �Luckily, I�ve had you.� Pan smiled again and he continued. �Pan I still love life, but I�m dying inside. I held on for ten years, but I�m just not that strong anymore. I can�t help it, I�ve tried so hard� to forget�but I still cry sometimes, at night when I know you can�t hear me. I�m still so in love with her�� A tear rolled down his face and Pan looked away. �But like I said before, I still love life. It�s a ridiculous weakness, but I can�t help it. Why would I want to live a life where I carry a heavy heart everyday? It�s horrible� but I do it anyway. You know why I do? Because of you. You�re the reason I�ve continued on.� He smiled through his tears and kissed her on her forehead. �Now, though, you�re all grown up and don�t need me.� Pan shook her head at her father�s words. �Panny, I�ll remember to look in on you every now and then�it doesn�t matter because in the end we�ll all be together again� and in this life I have a beautiful daughter, who got to grow up� and will marry a handsome guy�� Gohan stopped and caught his breath, wincing. �That was always my dream: For you to grow up and live a good life and eventually find the love of your life as I found mine...oh, Panny, because of you it wasn�t all for nothing.� �Dad! Please, Dad�stop,� Pan said stroking his face, he felt a tear land on his neck. �I didn�t mean to upset you. Don�t worry� I�ll be happy.� Gohan smiled. �Your mother told me that� before� she� �I love you� Panny.� �I love you, too, dad. You�re the best father a girl could have.� Gohan laughed. �It�s always been fun.� Pan smiled bravely. Gohan whispered something. �What?� She asked. �I said: I give you and Trunks my blessing.� Pan froze for a moment in shock. Dad? she thought. What are you talking about????!!!!! We aren�t getting married or even dating! Trunks and Bulma watched on, confused, not hearing the words exchange between the two. Gohan touched Pan�s face. �Goodbye, Panny, my daughter. I love you and stay safe� and remember everything� please.� Pan nodded. �I will, how could I forget?� Gohan�s grip on her hand tightened and with his free hand he clutched his heart. His face softened and the strain that had been present a second before disappeared. Pan checked for a pulse and breathing. Nothing. �Oh, dad�� She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. When she opened them she smiled. Pan felt Trunks' presence behind her and found it almost a comfort, her friend snd the nearest thing she could turn to. She leaned up against him, crying but still smiling. Trunks was about to jump away but instead put his arms around her. Gohan, her father, had been the most important person in her life� and now he was gone. Yes, her father�and his friend and sensei. Pan looked up. �At least� he�s with mom.� Bulma walked over and hugged Pan. �Don�t worry, sweetie. Come to Capsule Corp. I can always use your help.� Pan shook her head. �Give me awhile, okay? I think I want to take some time off and just go somewhere�anywhere. I just want to be alone.� Trunks threw Bulma look that said �What if she does something drastic?� Bulma shook her head at Trunks. Pan was a level headed person. She wasn�t going to do anything�regretful. If not for herself then for everyone else in the world. In her own way Pan was the world�s defender. She had designed more than 750 city layouts and many new gadgets. Bulma sighed and loosened her hug. �Okay, but before you leave, we are going to-� Pan nodded, knowing what Bulma was going to say. Burial Service. And Pan wanted him buried right next to her mom. Under the large tree where her father had spent so much time in from of a stone that read simply �Son Christine� there would now be four markers. *** YEA! I can�t wait to write the Trunks/Pan thing now! I�m on my bed jumping for joy� I recreated this chapter as much as I could from memory but it came out about half a page short�Hmm� R&R everyone! |