Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Penitent ❯ Find out who you are ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Penitent

Find out who you are

I woke up this morning
and realized what I had done.
I stood alone in the cold grey dawn;
I knew I'd lost my morning sun.

I lost my head and I said some things;
now come the heart-aches that the morning brings.
I know I'm wrong and I couldn't see;
I let my world slip away from me.

(Charlie Rich)

Penitent

Find out who you are

The pain and torment kept him at nights most of the time. Occasionally he would fall asleep only to wake up feeling as if his guts were being torn from his body. Every morning he lived though the agony of not having her near him. He woke up to the guilt:

It was his fault she left; he made her run away he stopped her smile he crushed her spirit. Her departure tore at everyone. Goten, the one person who could never lose his smile was tormented. It was all Trunks fault.

For months, he debated how to end this pain. What made him even worse was he knew he would have to talk to Gohan and Videl and tell them why Pan left.

His parents only eyed him occasionally. They knew how much Pan had meant to him, and they worriedly only watched as he withered before them.

Mom thought I was heart broken. I was. Mom knew that I intended to mate with Pan and I had. She also knew that I wanted to marry the slip of a girl. I should have done that first.

Vegeta was too miffed. He knew I had lied to Gohan. I was too scared at the time and I really thought that I could find her and bring her home. I would have bet my life that I could convince her to stay and not run away from me. I was wrong. I was wrong in my actions and I was wrong to lie and I was wrong by not telling them sooner, and today I am still wrong.

It seemed too late to ask, no beg for forgiveness. I was so scared of what might happen but then again the only thing that would happen would be my death, didn't I deserve that?

However, what would it accomplish? The rift it would cause between our families would be too hard. How could I make this right without hurting more people, hurting them more then they already were?

I think my dad knows what happened…

“Bulma open up!” the banging on the door continued.

Bulma moved to the annoying thing and opened it wide, “what?” she yelled

Videl was on the doorstep, looking like she had been crying and smiling.

“What's wrong Videl?” Bulma asked

“Oh God, Bulma we found her!” came the reply

“Oh Kami!” Bulma grabbed her in an embrace

Vegeta come into view seeing the two women embracing. He shut the door behind them and tried slowly to bring them inside. Videl was totally shaken, and he went to the kitchen and brought her out some hot tea.

Gratitude shone in Bulma's eyes at Vegeta gesture. He sat on the arm of the couch next to Bulma. Videl sipped her tea and began to tell them …

“Gohan, well he's trying to get out of work, but we found her! “

The two only looked on with encouragement, not wanting to stop Videl

“Two days ago, was Pan's birthday. She turned 18. I was so lost and I cried. However, that is not so... Well anyway. It seems that the day after Pan turned 18 she finally did something that we could trace her.” She smiled a sad smile to Bulma, who had revealed that she had given Pan a Ki bracelet.

“Pan had an inheritance that daddy had set up for her. When she was 18 she could start pulling form her funds> Anyways, we thought Pan would try to pull form them before hand so I had set up an emergency call. If Panny ever tried to get her money, they would give it to her we could not stop that, but they would call us and tell us where she was at or anything that they could. I know it was a long shot, I mean they broker and lawyer legally shouldn't tell us that , Pan is an adult but I was desperate and they knew us so well and I had to do something then” she stopped talking to catch her breath and give them time to understand the implications of Videl's actions

“Videl, no one could blame you for that, everyone is concerned about Panny's safe return. Your dad would have never done what he did if he had known that Panny would go off and runaway like that.”

Videl was thankful. Bulma knew exactly what she felt like. Mothers stuck together.

“Today I got a call. It seemed that Panny went to see about her funds. She was at her brokers office and the funds are to start being diverted into her account a soon as possible”

Once again she stopped to sip the tea

Patiently the two waited for Videl to finish

“They are not going to hold up releasing the money to her, but they were able to tell us where she was accepting them, they know exactly where her bank is, and where she is. They told us what they could without divulging too much”

Bulma could not stand it, “Where is she Videl?”

“Miami”

“In the states?”

“yes”

“In Florida?” she asked

“Yeah, isn't that where Miami is?” Videl asked confused

“Well there is a Miami, Ohio; a Miami, Kansas; Miami, Arizona; and closer to home is Miami, Australia” Trunks replied coming in to the room from the kitchen

Videl gave him a smile. Something Trunks had not seen since before Pan had left.

“So what's up with Miami?” he asked

Videl got up and stood in front of the man, who she knew loved her daughter and missed her as well, “We found her”

A time bomb exploded in Trunks head. His heart beat rapidly as he stood numb in front of Pan's mom.

“Isn't it great?” asked of Bulma

“Where?” he asked quietly

“She is starting to receive her inheritance, and her banking information has her residing in Miami, Florida” came Videl's reply

“But she could just be using that as a mailing address, she could be anywhere, she could be in the Caribbean for all we know, on any of those islands”

Saddened, “I know that, but I don't, don't think so, she is in Miami, and her bank is in the United States. But wherever she is we have our first real break!” came out her desperate plea

“Maybe I should go check it out, I have contacts there, it would be no problem for me to go and see” Trunks begged that he could

“NO, Gohan is already taking off the time; I came here to tell you guys, he should be here anytime now.” Turning to Bulma

“I wanted to know if we could use a plane, a capsule one. Incase we have to jump flight and change our destination”

“Sure Videl you don't ever have to ask” Bulma rushed out to her labs to go and get the one she knew Gohan knew how to operate.

Trunks was nervous. He wanted to be the one that found her, he needed to be sure she was fine and then beg her to forgive him and give him another chance to do things right to make up for his mistake and.

He must have looked desperate, because Videl touched his cheek, “Don't worry sweetie, Gohan and I will bring her back”

A pure shot of poison shot through him. He should be killed where he stood.

Bulma came back and handed the cap to Videl.

They all continued talking and Trunks started mumble at the implications of what might happen if Pan was to tell her parents what had transpired. He did not want her to, but he could not stop her if she did, nor could he blame her.

Vegeta walked up to Trunks and looked at the boy. They eyed each other carefully. Then he told his son, “She wont betray you” it was a quiet confirmation that warmed him but also made him feel worse.

Vegeta did know, but he also knew, that Pan would never betray him no matter what he had done to her.

“Dad?” Trunks questioned him

“What?' annoyed

“How do you know?” he asked

How did I know? Vegeta thought, How do I know that you took advantage of your best friend, How do I know that you were unable to decide between right and wrong, how do I know that you made the hugest mistake of your life? How do I know? Vegeta screamed this all inside his head. He replied to Trunks, `She loves you”

Vegeta walked back to the kitchen and Trunks followed him

“Dad?” he asked again

Exasperated her turned back to Trunks and said, `And your mother loved me too” was his final word. He left Trunks in the kitchen.

“Lying in bed with the radio on. Moonlight falls like rain. Soft summer nights spent thinking of you. When will I see you again? Soft and low, the music moans. I can't stop thinking about you. Thinking about you...I didn't know it would be so strong
Waiting and wondering about you I didn't know it would last so long
Nights are forever without you” (ENGLAND DAN JOHN FORD COLEY)

Pan was signing as she cut her vegetables in her little kitchen.

Gohan watched on in agony. He thanked Kami that Bulma made sure that he had Ki bracelet on his wrist and he so wanted to tear it off so that Pan would know he was there watching her. He was shocked. He missed her. He ached for her to come home and now seeing her for the first time a half year, he slightly understood why she left without a trace.

He imagined that he had been a good father. He never yelled or struck Pan. She was his little girl and he loved her. Something had to make her fear him or she would not have runaway. She could never disappoint him. Oh, how did he fail her? HE rushed away, not wanting to see Pan, at least not without the strength of having Videl with him when he confronted her. By the looks of it, Pan needed her mother more then anyone else.

“Well, did you see her?” came the attack when he returned to the hotel

“Yes, Yes I did.”

“Oh Gohan did she see you?” concerned

“NO, I just watched her and, and”

“Well?”

“She needs us baby, she really needs us” he poured out

“Oh Gohan, what happened? Is she ok, where is she, we need to go”

“Hold on, wait a minute I have to tell something” He struggled with his speech

Videl held the door to the room, “well tell me!'

“Its Pan, she has a condition” came the dumb words

“A condition, is she sick?” Videl looked ghastly

Recognition of his mistaken was apparent, “NO nothing like that, She looks good, she is healthy I think, but ...”

“What is it?” she screamed

“Videl, she's pregnant.” There he said it

“She's what?” came the question

“She's pregnant”

“Oh Gohan!”

“I think that is why she ran away. She's probably scared of what I might do, I chased her away Videl I am a terrible father!”

“Stop it right Now Gohan!” Videl reprimanded him. It was unusual for Gohan to ever lose it like this, and it unnerved her greatly. Pan was only pregnant and that was not the end of the world. Surely, a 17, well now 18 year old would feel like that, but Videl could handle it. Pan had too many loved ones that would never let her be alone and to ever pass judgment. Pan just must be a real scared messed up little girl, well woman.

She patted her husband. A look of fire was present in her eyes. Gohan knew he would need Videl, and that she would know exactly what to do. That was why he loved her so much.

“Well, Gohan, lets go get our baby back”

Old musings from her former days were resurging inside. She likes the element of surprise, and with Saiyans that could read Ki, she needed all the surprise she could get. IT would never do to alert Pan of her whereabouts. That child had eluded her enough, and Videl was hopping mad. How dare Pan not trust them? It was so unlike Pan to feel like she had to hide form her parents. Videl knew how close they all were. It just made no sense. Hence, the element of surprise would keep Pan from running any more. The first and foremost thing Gohan was supposed to do is grab Pans wrist and destroy that Ki disrupter. That was the plan.

It worked.

Pan heard the knock and opened the door without much of a look. He fathers large form moved quickly around her and he gabbed her arm and tore the bracelet off.

“DO you always open the door when someone knocks?' came the question from behind her father.

Slowly her world turned upside down and Pan could no longer hold out the misery she felt. She began to cry.

Gohan and Videl just looked at each other and then back to their little girl on the floor. Videl was to pumped up to placate Pan, so she interrupted the crying with a motherly warning, “You can stop crying right now it will not do you or the baby any good”

Tears of sadness left Pan and she heard her mother's feral response. It was so good to hear that voice of reason. Videl only used it when it was necessary for Pan to listen. She smiled through her tears. She watched as her father paced the small haven that she had called home.

Pan had seen her mother like this before, what unnerved her was her father.

“Daddy?” she questioned.

Hurt was on his face and Pan was going to cry again. He father, her hero was hurt and she was the cause of it. Before tears left her watery eyes, he reached for her and embraced her tightly. He breath was caught up in her throat and she tried not to pry away

“Gohan, your choking her” came Videl's warning

Releasing a little he loosened his grip.

Then once more, the tour de force of her mother ended Pan's flight.

It only took them three hours to capsulate all o the belongings in the small home. Videl wanted t ate no more time here so she delegated the next move. She insisted they leave.

Pan had no argument for her. She silently helped them and knew that conversations would come later.

Gohan wasted no time in waiting any longer. The house was packed up and he imagined that everything else could be handled by correspondence. He quickly jumped in air and held tightly to his daughter. Videl could not even mouth her astonishment, as she knew he would fly home to Japan. Laughing was good for her. She had to check them out of the hotel and then she would fly home in the cap plane. She would not be able to make the fight on her own, knowing that her adrenaline would give out too soon. She could almost feel the exhaustion now.

True to his ways, Gohan flew Panny home. He carefully tucked her in his arms and he took off at an astounding speed. When they neared home, he noticed that she had fallen asleep. Like years before, he brought her up the stair and laid her on her bed. He never was so grateful that she was back. In addition, as far as he could tell, she would not run anymore. She was just a scared kid.

When Pan was safely tucked in her bed, he called his mother over. He was surprised with how fast she moved. He asked Chichi to stay while he went back to get Videl. Chichi only pushed him out of the door. She rushed upstairs and looked over her grandchild. Surprisingly she also noticed that Gohan forgot to tell her about Pan.

Chichi, was more then happy to spill the news to her longtime friend. Bulma sat in disbelief after hanging up the phone.

No one had said anything, but she knew. She knew what had happened. Though she was not sure as the details, it was clear to her more then anyone else.

Vegeta strolled in on her and he noticed the look on her face.

“Pans home” she told him

“Its about time” he said

“Yeah, chichi baby sitting her while Gohan goes back to get Videl”

“Good”

“Guess what Vegeta?” she quizzed him

“I have no clue” came his just

“Oh I think you might, Pan's pregnant”

He said nothing. What could he say now? Trunks was definitely a son of his. Except Trunks did not leave, Pan had. However, the girl could not have known she was with child. It just so happened to be that way. That was why she probably did not come back yet.

“Vegeta?”

“Hmm?” he grunted

“Do you think, do you think its Trunks?” she asked

“Of course it is” obviously

“Then why would Pan leave?”

“Maybe we shouldn't ask” came his knowing answer

“Ok, well wait, but if her Ki bracelet is off, Trunks will know it sooner or later”

“He will know, and then he will realize it?”

“HUH?

“He will know whether or not if Pan's child is his. He'll sense its Ki once she and babe are awake”

“How did you know they are sleeping/”

“Even in sleep you cant miss it” he reminded her

The phone rang and interrupted the staring contest. Bulma snatched it of its cradle and yelled, “What?”

“Mom, mom, Pan is home, I can sensed her, she's slapping I think but she home!”

“I know baby, its great news”

“I am so excited mom I have to see her”

“I think we should wait”

“Yeah you're right, Oh Kami!”

“What are wrong Trunks?”

“Oh Mom it's terrible I was horrible! “He cried over the line

She shot Vegeta a look of concern as she listened to her son nearly close o ears

Vegeta wasted no time and flew off to go get trunks and bring the boy home.

“Trunks, what is it?”

`mom, is she alright?” came his questioning trying to change the subject

“Well, your father suggested that her Ki was off” she hinted to him so that he would feel for the difference

“Mom, I have to go!” he slammed the phone down

He opened the window to his office and let his father in

“I think you need to come home and talk to your parents” he told his son

“Dad” he trued to argue

“No more hiding, she is home and she is expecting, and you have a lot to make up for, and your mother needs to know we all do.”

Agreeing he left with his dad.

Flying home was a short jaunt, but before he entered the home he asked, “What is Pan expecting?”

Vegeta turned on him and looked directly into his blue eyes, “Your son.”

Crawling now I'm

Beaten down I'm

Tortured now and I'm

Feeling nothing like

Hunting now I'm

Stalking now I'm

Reaching out and I'm

Killing nothing

(Disturbed: Numb)