Chapter 1: The Night Before

Had it really been more than ten years? It felt a lot less longer than that. Gohan sealed his books and papers in the suitcase, ready for their grand adventure tomorrow. When he found Videl's belongings still unpacked, Gohan checked the living room and found his wife sitting with a distant look over the couch. The sight immediately pulled down his spirits. He had tried his best to convince Videl, but it looks like she was still having second thoughts.

Videl hadn't noticed Gohan until he was seated beside her with the most conflicted expression. Reflexively, she smiled, and it was her who asked what was wrong.

"Are you still worried?" asked Gohan.

"A bit," she admitted, squeezing her hands together. "I can't help but think something will go wrong while we're away. Pan will wonder where we were. She'll be lost and confused, helpless."

"Videl, your dad and my parents will take care of her. Piccolo, too." It was probably the tenth time that Gohan had reasoned with this line, but he knew they were not powerful enough to assuage her fears. He didn't know what else to say. What better way he could do to help his wife.

"I know." That was Videl's same response too. Gohan could not put an end to it.

Videl's constant worrying every time Gohan brought it up was chipping away at Gohan's confidence. Maybe he was wrong. He trusted Pan would be fine in the six months that they would be gone, but that it didn't matter if it hurt Videl's feelings. He had been more forceful on this issue because he thought it would get better when they get there. Tomorrow, by dawn, they'd be gone with no way coming back until the end of their trip. Was he being too selfish? If Videl were staying, it wasn't right for Gohan to still go. But if Gohan stayed, he'd be leaving Goten and Trunks to Bulma and Eighteen. It wasn't fair. And the kids have been excited for this. How could he fix this?

"Sorry," she said with a quiet laugh. "I'll be fine. I've been thinking how I would when Pan gets older. I think it's time I start practicing. She won't be two years old forever. And with the Saiyan gene in her, I need to start getting used to it."

Something about that didn't quite sound right, but Gohan was going to try starting from this. "Yeah!" He tried to push as much optimism as he could. "Nothing in the planet can really hurt Pan. She won't remember anything at this age yet."

Videl frowned and raised a berating finger. "Gohan, don't treat our little girl like a boy. You can leave a boy to grow up on his own, but a girl needs to be properly raised and taken care of."

Gohan blinked, not expecting the news. "Really? I never heard of that." How different would things be if Goten were a girl? He tried imagining his little brother as a little sister... A female Goku... It was impossible. "Hmm. I can't really see why... Isn't it up to Pan to decide though?"

It was Videl's turn to be taken back. "Decide? But she's not even forming sentences yet. How can she decide?"

"Not literally, of course. I mean, it's Pan's life, so she should decide on what kind of adult she becomes. As her parents, it's our job to guide her and support her when she needs us. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense, but I'm sure Pan will grow up fine! She doesn't need us all the time."

Videl placed a finger on her lips. "Hmm. No, I think you're making sense. I guess being raised in a weird family gave you a different perspective of looking things."

Gohan laughed weakly. "Thanks...I think."

"Now that I think about it, Papa never spent that much time with me until Mama died. He got really overprotective after that, but I've always been fine alone."

Gohan's smile widened. Videl being independent as a kid, that's certainly just like her.

"See? And Pan takes after you. I was the opposite when I was a kid. I cried a lot and couldn't stand being separated from my mother and father. Mom shepherded me in every waking moment of my life until my uncle kidnapped me."

Videl's eyes widened. "What?"

"Huh, I haven't told you about that?" Gohan laughed lightly. "Remind me to tell you some time then. It's no big deal, though."

"No one's going to kidnap Pan, right?" asked Videl slowly.

"No, no. My uncle's dead. There aren't anymore Saiyans besides me, Dad, Vegeta, Goten, Trunks, and Pan." Gohan looked at Videl seriously. In the end, it was her choice. Gohan needed to respect that. "Listen, Videl. If you really want to stay with Pan, I will respect that. I shouldn't have been forcing you to leave her. It was very selfish of me."

"Oh, Gohan, don't worry! I know that already. Besides," she smiled, "It surprised me to hear you be so assertive."

"I'm sorry. I - "

"Gohan, no!" Videl held his hands and tried to catch his gaze. "It's not like that. I liked it. You're always so thoughtful you rarely tell me what you want. And, even then..." She looked down shyly, a smile still gracing her lips. "What you wanted was for me. To spend time with me and make me happy."

Gohan couldn't find any words for Videl's kindness. He wasn't the most eloquent person to express it. A goofy smile and red cheeks were all that he could give her in return. The silence made Videl's words ring louder, embarrassing her. She had no intention of taking them back. She meant every word of it.

"Big brother! Videl!" It was Goten's voice. His small head was right outside the window, peering. Husband and wife jolted from their seats.

"Goten!" gasped Gohan, clutching his racing heart. "Ring the doorbell!"

His brother cocked his head. "Doorbell? What's that?"

"Ahh, sorry about that, Gohan, Videl!"

Mr. Satan pulled Goten down from flight and occupied the round window with his bearded face and curly hair. "I told him to wait a little longer and he got curious."

Realization dawned in Videl. "You...you were eavesdropping?"

"No, no!" said Mr. Satan, nervously dabbing a handkerchief on his temple. "Listen, can you let us in first? I really want to see my cute Pan."

"Big brother!" cried Goten, running to Gohan who readily met his embrace. Mr. Satan would have given Gohan a hug after Videl, but Goten wouldn't disentangle from his brother jut yet. He disappeared to the rooms with Videl and their luggage.

"Hey, Goten! You've gotten bigger again." The familiar weight of Goten on his arm was getting heavier and heavier by he day. With his strength, his weight wouldn't be a problem even if Goten had become a full-fledged adult. But when Goten was born, Gohan had been old enough to remember him as a small baby barely occupying his crib. He held him often, carried him often. He had seen Goten grow and become stronger.

Pan will be just like him, he thought.

Goten nuzzled him cheek-to-cheek, wrapping his arms around his neck fondly. "I miss you."

"You're not feeling lonely, are you?" asked Gohan, lifting him by the armpits. "How's school? Isn't Dad home all the time?"

Goten pursed his lips to think. "Hmm. School is okay. Dad is home all the time when it's time to eat. I bring him his lunch every Sunday. He takes me out for fishing and training when Mom says it's okay!"

"Sounds like you've had lots of fun." Gohan put his brother down, who continued to beam up to him.

Goten nodded. "Mm! But I think it would be more fun if you, Videl, Mr. Satan, and Pan were around."

"One big family? That does sound like fun. But I don't think we can all fit in one place."

Gohan and Goten moved along to Pan's bedroom.

"That's a lie," said Goten. "Trunks said their house is so big that five hundred people can live in it. Why don't we stay at Trunks house? That will be even more fun!"

Gohan laughed weakly. "That would mean Dad and Vegeta would be constantly together. The house might not stay in one piece for too long..."

"Look at my cute, precious granddaughter. Don't you think she's breathing more heavily, Videl?" murmured Mr. Satan, his nose over the crib. Goten joined Mr. Satan, airborne above Pan.

"You've had your leave, Papa? I don't want you splitting your time between work and Pan. I don't want you bringing her over to your place either. Goku and Chi-Chi are closer here."

"Videl, I would do anything for Pan," said Mr. Satan, scratching her chubby chin with his grizzly finger. "Don't worry. I've been reading motherhood magazines while she was in your belly. I ended up following the diet prescribed in the magazine and carried a pillow on my stomach. Pan is practically my baby."

Videl's smile twitched. "Is...that so?"

"Mr. Satan, Mom's and Bulma's numbers are right by the phone. If someone goes wrong, you can contact them. The doctor – "

Mr. Satan stood up and raised a hand to Gohan. "Come now, I've taken care of Pan many times. I know the drill." He cast his eyes on the sides much to Gohan's confusion. "More importantly...that alien friend of yours... He's not going to kidnap Pan, right? I left Buu at your parents' house. As strong as I am, I don't think I can fend off your weird friends."

"Piccolo?" asked Videl,. "Piccolo's practically part of the family. Why would he kidnap her?"

"Of course not!" said Gohan. His expression changed all of a sudden. "...I hope. I'll talk to him before we go!" he said hastily to their bulging eyeballs.

If he were to be honest, he was sure Piccolo would do nothing to Pan. Piccolo had asked what Gohan would do with Pan's training once she was older, and that's about it. But what if a huge threat came to Earth while they were away, and the power of another Saiyan was needed? He was starting to understand Videl's worries. A lot of strange things had happened to Earth in the last...many years throughout Gohan's life.

Goten dropped beside Gohan and tugged his sleeve. "Big brother, I'm hungry."

"Is that so? Let's get you some light snacks then. After that, you're sleeping, okay?"

Gohan fetched Goten grapes and a bag of chips. Goten was flipping through the chips from the dinner table like he'd never seen junk food before.

"Cup noodles, Goten?"

"Sure."

"Ramen or curry?"

Goten briefly looked up at Gohan. "Both."

Gohan grinned. "All right." He took two more instant noodles, feeling a bit famished himself.

"Eating so late at night?" said Videl, passing over while the Son brothers ate.

"Goten was hungry and I got hungry too," said Gohan with a grin over his cup noodle. "Oh yeah, Goten, Mom did call earlier, but she didn't tell me why she wanted you over. I would have thought she'd keep you while you were here. Did something come up?"

"I wanted to stay too," he replied after slurps of noodles and soup. "Dad was over the house and Majin Buu wasn't coming until tomorrow. But Dad told me to go here so I wouldn't be late."

Late? Really? That wasn't like Dad at all.

"I guess they were really sleepy," continued Goten, tossing eight pieces of grapes in his mouth at a time. "I forgot the books Mom wanted me to bring and got really scared at how angry she would be, so I told Mr. Satan I was going to fly back really quickly to get them. All the lights were turned off and when I was picking my bag, I heard Mom and Dad in their room."

Gohan began to choke. Goten absently patted the back of his brother's back as he always had to whenever his dad ate too fast.

"I didn't hear Dad's usually snoring though. It was really weird." Goten lowered his chopsticks, pouting. "I'm kind of worried. Maybe we should check on them, big brother."

Oh boy. "I-It's okay, Goten! You worry too much. Relax, relax."

Goten frowned. Between him and Trunks, Goten was the other half being bossed around, but that didn't mean he was gullible. Goten had grown up with Gohan. He knew when Gohan was lying or hiding something.

"How can you say that?" challenged Goten.

"I know...because...they..."

"They called us earlier, remember?" Videl was still in the room, collecting something under the living room table. "Your Mom sounded pretty tired since two of his sons are going to be gone for a while. Maybe your Dad is helping her sleep better."

"Yeah." Nice one, Videl. Gohan rolled with it. "You know how much Mom worry about us. I'm sure she's fine with Dad."

Goten chomped on his chips, nodding. "I see."