Chapter 7: One Day More
Pan didn't wake up until the next morning when she felt the urge to go to the restroom. She lay still for several moments until the urge because a necessity and then she began to open her eyes. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was black. She blinked several times trying to figure out if she had gone blind or what exactly was hindering her view. It took her a few seconds more for her sleep clouded brain to register that it was actually Trunks's shirt. She tilted her head up to look at his face. His eyes were closed, but he had a smile on his lips and his arms tightened slightly suggesting that he was aware he had her in his grasp.
Pan tried to pull away from him in order to stand up, but was met with resistance. After several attempts to free herself she let out a small growl and yanked up trying to get out of his arms. A slight chuckle from her captor alerted her that he was awake which only infuriated her more. Reaching down she grabbed his tail which had once more wrapped itself around her middle. Trunks's chuckling immediately turned into growling as she began to pull on his sensitive tail. Pan suddenly let go of him when he flipped them to pin her on the cot underneath him.
Pan's breath became shallow as she felt the full weight of the Saiyan male settle over the top of her pinning her to the bed. His eyes showed that he was irritated, but also showed that he was feeling pleasure at having her pinned where he could keep an eye on her. Pan realized that this wasn't a good position for anyone to walk in on and began thrashing about underneath him, only to stop when she felt him push more against her and he growled deeply at her.
"Let me go Trunks," she whispered angrily.
"You were pulling my tail. Why would I do something nice for you when I have you right where I can keep an eye on you?" Trunks replied in a voice that suggested he was only half in control.
"Because if you don't you'll have to deal with a bigger problem," Pan whined unable to battle her urge to go to the restroom for much longer no matter how much the rest of her body was telling her to stay where she was.
"What bigger problem?" Trunks asked with a grin.
Pan blushed before muttering, "I have to go to the restroom," followed by kicking him in the knee. Trunks grunted and moved off of her standing beside the bed as she jumped up and rushed out of the room into the bathroom. When she was done she decided it was time to shower before breakfast. She went back to her bunk and noticed that Bra was still sprawled on her own bed making 'wheezing' sounds. Pan smiled at her friend's sleeping habits before gathering her stuff and heading back towards the restroom. She wasn't sure how Kami and Mr. Popo had running water this high up but she wasn't about to complain to them.
After her shower Pan felt much better and she headed out of the room to see what was for breakfast. She knew that in just a few hours her father and uncle would be going into the time chamber and then it would be just twenty-four hours more and then it would be her turn. When she made it to the table she happened upon a scene she did not expect this early in the morning. Her father stood in front of Trunks in a fighting pose while Trunks just stood opposite him arms crossed looking too much like his father.
"I don't care what the hell you think is acceptable. I refuse to allow you to make a move on my daughter while the rest of us sleep," Gohan exclaimed powering up to Super Saiyan 2.
"Chill out Gohan. Nothing happened; you wouldn't have been able to sleep through it if something had. We are two consenting adults so what business of yours is it anyways if something happens?" Trunks replied.
Gohan didn't reply, but instead charged at Trunks. Pan stopped in the doorway and had to adjust her eyes against the sun so she could watch what was happening at an accelerated speed. Trunks was acting more on defense than offense allowing Gohan to continuously rain blows on him, but never allowing one to connect any place that would cause real damage. Trunks had also powered up and the two were on even ground. Pan looked towards her mother who stood to the side arms on her hips glaring at her father.
"Mom, what is he doing?" Pan asked walking to her mother's side.
"Your idiot father thinks that you and Trunks were having sex last night and that he needs to have Trunks compensate for it by allowing him to beat the crap out of him," Videl replied rolling her eyes.
"Your father is not going to be satisfied until they settle this so let's go ahead and eat while we wait. No point in going hungry," Bulma responded and motioned to the table full of food in front of her.
"Aren't you worried that my dad is going to hurt Trunks?" Pan asked as a nasty sounding boom occurred somewhere behind her.
"If that boy gets injured it would probably serve him right," Bulma said with a sigh sitting down at the table.
Pan didn't say anything more, and sat down at her place at the table, but she didn't have the appetite to eat either. She felt her eyes constantly drawn back to Trunks who was finally starting to use some counter moves of his own. She watched Trunks as he did a roundhouse kick sending her father flying back into the ground. Gohan quickly recovered and flew back towards Trunks attacking once more. The fight continued and Pan lost track of how long the battle had been going on. She knew that the others had finished eating and left her sitting at the table, but she couldn't seem to break away from watching. Pan wanted to interfere, but knew if she did that it would only make her father angrier, but she wanted nothing more than to step out there and beat some sense into both of them.
"What the hell is going on here?" a voice called out from behind Pan and she turned just in time to see a beat up looking Vegeta who was sporting a pretty badass looking beard and her Grandfather who looked pretty much the same.
"Vegeta, Grandpa!" Pan called out jumping up and rushing towards them, but she suddenly stopped when she saw that both elder men were irritated.
"Nice beard," Bulma commented walking out from the kitchen and drying her hands on a dishtowel.
"What do you think you are doing woman? Why are you letting this foolishness continue? There are more important things going on than this!" Vegeta announced flying between the two fighters. Trunks pulled back before he touched his father, but Gohan continued forward smashing his leg into Vegeta who used a pulse of energy to send Gohan into the ground.
"Vegeta," Goku said softly showing his displeasure at the violence, but did not interfere.
"We come out of that room after a freaking year to find that instead of preparing like you should have been, you were instead fighting each other like women," Vegeta said angrily to Gohan, earning an irate 'hey' and 'what the hell' from the women present.
"It's none of your business, Vegeta," Gohan commented as he climbed back to his feet.
"Really? How is your attacking my offspring none of my business? While I know he is more than capable of taking care of you, I know it would upset your mate," Vegeta said shocking those present that he was complimenting Trunks's abilities.
"Now how about instead of beating each other up, we act like adults and have a discussion," Goku called out walking towards the group.
"You are upset because my brat is going to be mated to your brat," Vegeta commented leaving no question as to the event being uncertain. Pan felt the blush staining her cheeks. She looked down at her feet embarrassed that they were discussing her like she wasn't even present.
"They are not going to mate," Gohan replied with a glare.
"So you would rather watch my son die? I promise you boy if something happens to my child you will have me to deal with and not even Kakarot will stand in my way," Vegeta growled out.
"I don't care what happens to your child if he thinks he's going to be able to lay a hand on my daughter," Gohan replied and was shocked when Chi-Chi suddenly appeared in front of him and slapped her oldest son across the face.
"Calm down, Chi," Goku said soothingly stepping towards his wife.
"I can't believe that this matter is such a problem for you Gohan. If we had held up the same rules for you that you are trying to enforce on Pan then what would have happened to you and Videl? Would you have rather we had forbidden you from pursuing Videl? In fact maybe you should take a look at your wife who is fairly disgusted by your actions. Wake up Gohan. Go into the time chamber and spend the year in the room coming to grips with the fact that your daughter is an adult now and it's her choice," Chi-Chi demanded and Gohan looked dejectedly at the ground, but said no more.
Pan stood to the side with wide-eyes before walking away from the scene. She walked back towards the building and inside stopping beside the open door to the time chamber. She sat down and waited at the door wondering how long it would be before her father made his way towards this room. Pan had started to doze off sitting outside when she heard the approaching footsteps of her uncle and father.
"Dad," Pan called out standing up in front of him.
"Pan," Gohan replied tensely.
"I wanted to talk to you alone for a minute before you go in," Pan responded again unable to keep the slight quiver of nervousness out of her throat.
"Go ahead, I'll be right over here waiting," Goten said with a gesture towards the room.
Pan and Gohan stood silently for several moments. Pan looked down at her feet and then up into the eyes of the man she loved as only a daughter could. She sighed and then tried to figure out how to put into words what she wanted to say without upsetting him even more.
"You know I love you, but there are just some things in life that are going to happen to me that you can't prevent," she began, "I am growing to grow up, get married, have children, and eventually one day I am going to grow old and die. I am a fighter and that's something you can't control because I am too much like you and mom. I know that Trunks wasn't even on your radar as a potential boy problem because you thought the age difference would put an end to that. I don't expect you to be happy about it and if I'm honest I haven't completely accepted it either. I know I cared deeply for him as a young girl and now I'm coming to accept that it's changing into something more. Even if I marry him that doesn't mean I'm going to stop being your little girl, it just means that I'm growing up," Pan finished stopping only once for air.
Gohan remained quiet for several minutes and the only sound that could be heard was Goten tapping his foot against the wall. Pan was surprised when Gohan suddenly moved forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. Pan wrapped her arms around her father holding him tight against her.
"I know you are growing up and I think that's what is bothering me the most. It's good to hear that you haven't just accepted this relationship with Trunks and that you are trying to figure things on your own. It makes me glad to know that you don't just accept it when he says that he is your mate. I want you to be in love and I want you to make your choice on your own, not because that's what everyone is telling you is the right thing to do," Gohan replied pulling Pan against him even tighter.
"I know that dad, and you have to remember that you raised me. Any decision I make will be based on what you have taught me and I always try to think everything through," Pan replied.
The two hugged for a minute more and as they started to pull away they felt the sudden weight of Goten as he launched himself into them shouting, "Group hug!" Gohan threw his arm out throwing his little brother off of him who was grinning ear to ear. After saying goodbye to Pan Goten turned and headed back towards the door followed by Gohan who smiled at his only child. Pan felt that he was beginning to accept that there were certain things he couldn't change.
Pan returned outside and headed towards the main group feeling like hours had passed, but she knew only a few had actually passed since she woke up. When she made it outside she noticed that Bulma and Vegeta were missing and that her grandpa was sitting on the edge of Kami's Lookout staring at the sky. She saw that Bra was sitting at a table playing cards with several of the other Z-Fighters, and finally she noticed that Trunks was leaning against the building on the opposite side with his eyes closed.
Pan realized she had a choice to make and had to decide which direction she wanted to go. Her decision was made for her however when he grandpa turned towards her and motioned for her to come sit beside him. Pan looked back in Trunks's direction for a moment before moving towards her grandpa.
"Pan you know I'm not very good at giving advice right?" Goku asked looking up at his granddaughter as she slowly lowered herself into a sitting position.
"Well, Grandpa I don't know about that," Pan replied with a teasing smile.
"It's true, there's no need to deny it, but I do feel that I should tell you something that might make a difference to you," Goku said again leaning back a bit and placing both arms behind his head.
"Saiyan's don't just look for the person that best suits them like Vegeta explains it. Saiyan's look for the person they think of as their other half, their soul mate. To have an affection that strong for someone one word cannot sum it up. Saiyan's don't use the word love, but that doesn't mean that the emotion is not felt. When I met Chi-Chi I didn't know for a longtime that she was the one I wanted to be with, but when I realized it there was no force on Earth that could stop me from being with her. Your father was the same way actually. You may not know this but Trunks is fighting a daily battle within himself trying to keep himself away long enough for you to have a choice. Three years ago Vegeta told him to leave because he could see the bond forming between you two, and he knew that you were much too young to understand the ramifications of what was happening. If you keep him waiting much longer however Pan he's going to grow sick, and weak," Goku explained causing Pan to stare at her hands in surprise. She raised her eyes once more and looked towards Trunks noticing for the first time that he was paler now than he had been just a few weeks ago.
"I'm afraid," Pan whispered and her grandfather just smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder letting her know that he understood and that it would all be okay.
The rest of the day passed quietly and Pan kept herself busy, but when night came Pan found herself unable to sleep once more. She rose from her bed and walked outside standing on the edge of the Lookout gazing up at the stars. She felt this uncontrollable urge to find Trunks and stay wherever he was. She felt like she was constantly fighting herself on making decisions. It was almost thirty minutes later when she came to a decision. She wasn't sure if she was making this decision out of sleep deprivation or if it was truly her desire, but she walked back into the building and to Trunks's bed. She stopped at the edge and looked down at him for only a minute before climbing into the bed beside him aware that everyone else would be able to see in the morning and she didn't have an excuse, but not caring in the least. Almost automatically his arms and his tail wrapped around her cocooning her in warmth as Pan snuggled closer against him she felt a light kiss placed on her forehead before she drifted off to sleep.