Not Alone
Disclaimer:
Um…ahh…*sigh* FINE! Not mine. I wish…if they were…well…*drifts to a place where
Trunks, Vegeta and Goten are real* Oh yeah, the song isn't mine either. (Yes
it's another songfic) It belongs to Savage Garden.
A/N:
What! Another one shot? What about Just One Wish?! *ducks angry comment and
thrown objects* Gome- *gets hit by a shoe* Hey! Who threw that?! I mean…*bows
deeply* Gomen nasai. Just One Wish is on a break. I realise that by the time I
get over this stupid writers block, no one will remember it, but it has to be
this way. Remember, on a break, not discontinued. About this fic…it's a
little different from what I've done before and it's kinda depressing. Well,
let me know what you think after you read it. I hope all of you like it.
~* F *~
No
one paid much attention to the man pacing up and down the hospital hallways. He
was just another feature, much like the constant stream of nurses, everyone had
other things on their minds.
He marched up and down like it was the most
important thing in the world. His hair was mussed from constantly running his
hands through it and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.
"Mr
Briefs?"
At
the sound of his name he turned. "Hai, hai. My wife?" His eyes pleaded for good
news.
The
young doctor smiled sadly. "She's out of danger for now-"
"That's
good." He interrupted with obvious relief. Then he noticed the doctor's face.
"Isn't it?"
"Of
course." The doctor said reassuringly. "But, I'm very sorry, Mr Briefs. She
lost the baby." He found himself being led over to one of the hard plastic
chairs and made to sit down.
'She
lost the baby…' He leaned forward, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes,
trying to make sense of his thoughts. 'Kami…' He looked up, the pain
evident in his eyes. "Can I – Can I see her now?"
~f When you feel all alone
And
the world has turned it's back on you.
Give
me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart. F~
She
lay on the hospital bed, eyes closed and breathing so shallowly. For a moment
he thought the doctors were mistaken and he had lost her too.
He
sat next to her just listening to her breath. In and out. In and out. He didn't
want to break down. Didn't want to cry. The proud, arrogant Saiya-jin half of
him wouldn't allow him that luxury. The human side of him told him he needed to
be strong for her. For his Pan-chan.
He
picked up her hand, cold, dry and held it to his flushed cheek. Kissed it
briefly. 'We wanted this baby so much…' No. He wouldn't allow himself to
think those things. He wouldn't acknowledge his loss. Not yet. Maybe he wasn't
brave enough. So many times he had helped to save the world and he couldn't
accept this. 'Coward.' His mind mocked him silently.
She
stirred slightly. "Trunks?" He voice was harsh, grating from lack of use, yet
slightly panicked.
"Shhh…it's
okay I'm right here." He said soothingly.
Her
dark eyes sought out his cerulean ones. She saw more than others like his
sister would see. She saw the pain and the fear. The fear was what scared her.
Trunks had never been afraid of anything his whole life. So why now? What was
so bad that he would be scared? "What-What happened?" He gave her no reply. He
couldn't think of one that would not betray his emotions. "Trunks? You're
scaring me…please, tell me." Her voice faded to a whisper.
'You're
scaring me…'
He couldn't scare her. He had to protect her. "Pan-chan, I-the baby…" He
couldn't, couldn't see her face when he told her, couldn't see the pain.
"What?"
She persisted, "What about my baby? Where's my baby? Trunks?!" She was
hysterical now, her voice rising and falling in distress.
"Trunks?!" A nurse ran in, a needle in hand.
"No! I want to hear what he's saying! Trunks? My baby, where-" She was cut off
as the tranquilliser was administrated.
~f I know you feel the walls
are closing in on you
It's
hard to find relief, and people can be so cold
When
darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore… F~
Her
voice as she called his name pierced his heart. 'Why can't I tell her…she
has every right to know.' How had the doctor done it? Was he a cold man? Or
had years of doing this work numbed him to the pain?
He
had seen Pan's eyes close on him as the drug took effect, slowly. And it had
seemed that he was losing everything. Like she too was gone. Apart from him.
Was that even possible? Was the bond that held them so close falling apart?
"How
can I protect you Panny? How can I keep my promise?" He whispered.
Flashback
"KA…ME…HA…ME…HA!!!"
The chi ball flew from her hands, only to be swallowed up by the larger attack
heading straight for her.
Pan
swore under her breath and prepared to block as best she could.
Then
she was flying. She opened her eyes to see a familiar face, lavender hair
ruffled by the breeze. 'Trunks…' Behind them the attack hit the ground,
causing an explosion. Pan winced at the thought of Bulma's reaction when she
saw her once perfectly manicured lawn. "You BAKA!" Pan attempted to hit Trunks
on the head and almost fell out of his arms.
In
response he gripped her tightly and continued flying. "What? What'd I do now?"
He whined, giving her a puppy dog look.
"Firstly,
you and my uncle-who I will get back at later!" Pan yelled, loud enough
for Goten, who was flying in the opposite direction to hear. "Tried to kill
me." She continued. "Secondly, where exactly are we going?"
"Well…"
Trunks began. "If I remember correctly, you were the one that said 'I
need to get stronger and should probably train more, don't go too easy on me.'"
"I
didn't mean, 'please remember to leave little specks of Pan dust behind!'" Pan
protested.
Trunks
gave her a weird look. "Pan dust?"
"Don't
argue." Pan said, hitting him again. "You knew I wouldn't be able to
block a combined attack."
"Quit
that!" Trunks yelped. "You didn't need to worry. You should have known that I
would have come to save you." He said triumphantly.
"Hmph.
I'm not so sure about that."
"C'mon
Panny, you know I'll save you from anything and everything right?" He pleaded,
trying out the puppy dog look again.
"Everything
except yourself." Pan muttered, still mad at him.
"I
resent that!" He grinned, knowing the way to get her to forgive him. "I love
you."
She
took one look at his face and gave up. "Cheater." She murmured as he sneaked a
kiss. "You know I can't defend against that and with your pathetic
look."
He
ignored her. "And you love me too right Panny?"
"I
guess." Pan sighed.
"Say
it." Trunks insisted.
"Fine…I
love you too." Pan finally forgave him and leaned against his chest, her head
resting in the crook of his neck. "Now, where are we going?"
End
Flashback
She
woke up with a throbbing head. Trunks was asleep
next to her, her hand was still held firmly in his. She studied his sleeping
face. 'Why couldn't you tell me what was wrong?' Even in sleep his face was tense, eyes shut
too tightly, his mouth set in a frown. What had happened to change the normally
carefree man into this? This person who seemed so plagued by worry, who was so
closed to her. He stirred and woke. "Panny?"
"I'm
fine now, just-please tell me what happened." She fought to keep the
desperation from her voice. 'Don't run from me Trunks, we've been through
too much for that.'
He
took a deep breath. "Panny, our baby…" 'Dende help me…' "She's gone…" He
waited, not wanting to see her reaction but forcing himself to, proving he
wasn't a coward.
Pan
was silent for a moment. Tears welled in her eyes. "How-"
"You-you
went into premature labour. It was all the doctors could do to save you." He
closed his eyes for a moment, not wanting to contemplate the thought of losing
her too. The tears fell from her eyes, making slivery trails down her cheeks. 'Where
were you when this was happening?' The voice in his head berated. 'Why
weren't you there for her?' Work. That was what had kept him from her side.
Such a stupid excuse. Things had been hectic in the office lately, new products
needed to be promoted, papers needed his signature. He had thought that she
would be okay. The baby hadn't been due for another couple of weeks. 'Stupid,
stupid!' Could-Would she forgive
him? He didn't know if he could forgive himself.
~f Let me be the one you call
If
you jump I'll break your fall
Lift
you up and fly away with you into the night
If
you need to fall apart
I
can mend a broken heart
If
you need to crash then crash and burn
You're
not alone F~
Her
world was spinning out of control. When she thought of how happy she had been a
few days ago, shopping with her mother for baby clothes, it caused the tears to
fall faster. Trunks was gripping her hand tighter, trying to offer what little
support he could. The grief overwhelmed her and her sobs gained in volume.
He
moved to sit next to her on the bed. Holding her. In all aspects he seemed the
perfect husband. Wasn't this what the perfect husband was supposed to do?
Comfort, hold, protect. In that he had failed. He couldn't protect her from
this. Why did this have to happen now? They had both been so happy at first. At
this point in time he felt like flying up to Kami's lookout and pounding Dende
to a pulp.
Flashback
"Paaaan…"
Pan
debated whether or not to pretend she didn't know the whiny purple haired man.
"I won't go awaaay…" He threatened, reading her mind.
She
sighed. "Trunks what is it now?"
"I'm
thirsty, my feet hurt and I wanna go home!" He complained, pulling at her
sleeve.
Pan
just rolled her eyes. "You're worse than a child." It was times like this that
she felt like she was babysitting her husband. "Besides, I'm looking at this
display."
Trunks
looked at the display, then back at his wife. "Baby cribs?" He asked
quizzically, his complaints forgotten. "We don't need those."
She
gave him a secretive smile. "Hmm…who says we don't?"
"I-
you…what?!"
"I
saw the doctor yesterday while you were at work…" She grinned, the expression
on his face was priceless. "And, she said that I was pregnant."
Trunks's
jaw dropped. "I- you- we…We're gonna have a baby?!" Pan nodded, enjoying the
fact that her husband was making a fool of himself in the middle of a busy
shopping mall. "We're gonna have a baby…We're gonna have a baby!" Trunks
shouted jubilantly. He picked his grinning wife up and began spinning her
around. "We're gonna have a baby!" He sang.
"Umm…Trunks
honey?" Pan asked a little dizzily. "Could you…uhh…put me down? I don't feel
too good."
"Oops."
He gently sent her down on the ground. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to-"
She
waved off his concern with a smile. "I'm not made of glass, Trunks."
End
Flashback
"Trunks?"
It was barely audible, even with his saiya-jin hearing. "Why? Why did this
happen Trunks?"
"I
– uh…I don't – I don't know Pan-chan." He couldn't even offer some sort of
small comfort. He felt so useless. What was the point of all his promises if he
couldn't follow through?
~f When you feel all alone
And
a loyal friend is hard to find
You're
caught in a one way street
With
the monsters in your head F~
"Panny?"
She looked up, her husband entered the room, a small bundle cradled in his
arms. 'The second day…' She hated this hospital room. It was full of
flowers, balloons and all manner of ridiculous things. What was meant to cheer
her up felt overwhelming, suffocating.
"This
– this is our baby…" Trunks tried to keep his voice from breaking but failed
miserably. What should have been a joyous occasion was full of despair. She
stared at him, eyes still swollen from crying all night. Then she opened her
arms and Trunks gently placed his precious bundle in them.
A
little girl, her eyes were shut, skin pale. The slightest lavender fuzz covered
her head. The baby's tiny hands were curled into loose fists. Just when Pan
thought that she couldn't cry anymore, more tears fell silently.
Trunks
didn't say anything, he couldn't. He had nothing to say. Pan felt him
withdrawing from her, but she could do nothing. Caught up in their individual
pain. "Leigh. I want to call her Leigh." Pan said, speaking clearly for the
first time in two days. Her voice seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet room.
Trunks just nodded, he had no objections. They had never discussed names
in-depth and he didn't really have any preferences. He didn't understand this
distance. How could they grow so far apart in two days? Two people who had been
so much in love, now they seemed miles apart.
Flashback
"It's
so big." Pan said reflectively, gazing up at the night sky. She picked at the
remnants of their picnic dinner. "Don't you think?"
"Hmm?"
Trunks wasn't paying attention, too wrapped up in his love's hair. He was
twining the silky strands around his fingers. "What was that Pan-chan?"
Pan
sighed half-irritably. "I was talking about the sky, you know, that great big
ceiling up there?"
Trunks
looked at her with amusement. "Cranky?" He asked giving her a quick kiss.
"Maybe…you're
not listening to me." She smiled showing she wasn't that annoyed. "It's
so beautiful out here."
He
was silent for a moment, listening to the sound of waves crashing against the
shore. "Mmm…I like it here. I used to come out here all the time, especially
when I needed to get away from work…or my dad."
Pan
leaned her head on his shoulder. "Poor baby…so stressed out."
She
didn't know half of it. He had papers waiting for his approval when he got
home, he had had to turn his cell phone off because of the constant ringing and
the messages were something he was not looking forward to. Basically he had
zero free time.
Yet
he was here, ditching work for her, because he loved her. His mother would have
his head when he got back. But she was worth it, every time he was with her,
all other distractions faded away. He
had wanted to show her this place. This was his place, but he didn't
mind if it became theirs. "I love you." He murmured into her hair.
"I
know. I love you too."
End
Flashback
~f When your hopes and dreams
are far away and
You
feel like you can't face the day F~
He
watched the people move forward to say last goodbyes. 'How? They never knew
her, so how can they say goodbye?' The tiny coffin lay on the ground, the resting place for a child who
never had a chance to live. He wanted to cry, like she was crying. Yet he
couldn't. The wall he had built was too high, his emotions locked away. Even
now it was only a semblance of caring, his arm around her shoulder. He should
be her support. But he could barely support himself. It pained him, the pain
was dull, deadened by the distance between them, the wall around his heart. He
didn't know what he was angry at, the loss of his child, the loss of his wife
or just the simple unfairness of life. When he had been happy, what had brought
him joy had been snatched away. Was nothing safe anymore? Was he not allowed
to be happy? All this raged through his head. 'Damn it Dende! Why this? How
could you allow this to happen?' It was safer to blame the namek, it
prevented him from blaming himself.
Pan
moved forward to place a single rose on the wooden coffin. It seemed alone in
the sea of flowers around it. The tears were flowing down her face. Videl
walked forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter, both of them crying
together. He saw this, processed this with no emotion. Feelings would be his
downfall.
Unbeknownst
to Trunks, Vegeta was keeping an eye on him. The prince would never say it, but
he was worried about "the brat". He was often more perceptive than Bulma,
especially now when she was preoccupied with other things. Though he dreaded
it, it would probably be best to talk to his son, warn him.
"Brat."
Trunks
jumped at the sound of Vegeta's voice so close to his ear. "What is it father?"
"You'll
kill yourself and her if you go on like this." Vegeta said shortly,
never one for much detail.
He
didn't really hear the words, it didn't click. All he knew was that his father
was interfering where he didn't belong. Trunks gave his father a cold glare.
"Stay out of it." With that he walked away, leaving a somewhat surprised Vegeta
behind.
Flashback
"I'm
not a little girl anymore!"
"Yeah?
Well that doesn't matter! You're still not going anywhere dressed like that!"
Pan
looked down at her clothes, a red halter-top and tight black pants. "Says who?"
"Says
me!"
She
glared at him. "Look, you're just taking this 'big brother' thing too far. I'm
seventeen years old Trunks!" She yelled in his face. She walked past him,
heading for the door. He grabbed her arm, in response she stomped on his foot.
He winced in pain but tightened his grip. "Save it for your real little
sister Trunks!" She spat angrily.
"You're
not leaving!" He yelled back. "Gohan will have my head!"
She
wrenched her arm out of his grip. "I also don't need a babysitter! Let
me go!"
Trunks
just caught hold of her other arm. Pan could have screamed in frustration. "Pan
be reasonable…"
"Reasonable?"
She cut him off. "You're the one forbidding me to go out and you're telling me
to be reasonable?"
He
placed his free hand over her mouth, shutting her up. "Pan, I just don't want
all those guys out there staring at you like you're on display. I know how guys
think, and I don't want anyone thinking of you like that."
'Maybe
I want you to think of me like that Trunks…' Pan gritted her teeth in
frustration. He refused to notice her and it seemed like he wasn't about to let
anyone else notice her either. "I can take care of myself." She replied as soon
as he removed his hand. "If you'll excuse me…" The slamming door emphasised her
departure.
"But
I want to be the one to take care of you…" He whispered to an empty room.
End
Flashback
Not
caring what others thought he left. He was unaware of the surprised stares, of
Gohan's angry glare, of Goten's confused look and most of all of the hurt in
Pan's eyes.
He
needed to get away, he felt claustrophobic with all these people around. His
own little world would not tolerate them, rejecting them.
The
wind ruffled his hair as he climbed higher. In the back of his mind he was
surprised that no one was following him. But he pushed that thought away, along
with all the others. Another one rose to take its place. 'What makes you
think you can run away?'
A
single tear fell.
~f Let me be the one you call
If
you jump I'll break your fall
Lift
you up and fly away with you into the night
If
you need to fall apart
I
can mend a broken heart
If
you need to crash then crash and burn
You're
not alone F~
"Panny."
She looked up at the sound of her name. Her mother wore the concerned
expression she used to hate so much. She hated it when people fussed over her,
now it wasn't important. "You need to eat."
Half-heartedly
she raised the spoon to her mouth, taking a small bite of the rice. Then she
pushed the bowl away. Videl raised an eyebrow worriedly. Pan hadn't eaten a
proper meal in two weeks, the entire time Trunks had been missing. She barely
spoke and her eyes were flat, empty of the life they used to hold. Pan began
clearing up the dishes and Videl was about to say something more when Gohan
walked in.
His
eyes followed his daughter's wasted form as it moved slowly towards the
kitchen. He turned to his wife. "She's dying." He said simply. Her eyes widened
in shock. "She can't live without him. The distance is…painful, especially with
the bond…" Wordlessly Videl wrapped her arms around her husband.
"And
there's nothing we can do?"
Gohan
shook his head, his face grim.
Flashback
"Trunks."
The
demi saiya-jin half jumped in surprise. He turned to face his friend. "Hey
Gohan."
The
older man watched his daughter chatting with Bra and Marron, the exact same
scene Trunks had been observing. Trunks turned pale, surely Gohan hadn't
guessed what was on his mind?
"You're
bonded with her aren't you?" Gohan asked, turning his gaze back to Trunks.
"Huh?"
Gohan
laughed, albeit bitterly. "Don't play the fool. You know what I'm
talking about. How your eyes instantly find her wherever she is, the smile you
get on your face when you watch her…you're bonded."
"I…geez…uh…"
Trunks stammered. 'He's gonna kill me…Kami please, I'll do anything to
live!' "It – It's not what you think Gohan."
"It
better be what I think." He narrowed his eyes menacingly. "Because she's bonded
too. Which means that she can't live without you. I don't like it, especially
when you're so much older than her, but there's nothing I can do."
Trunks
felt like jumping for joy. 'She feels the same way? I have Gohan's
approval?' Gohan glared at the younger man. "Just remember, she can't
live without you. If you hurt her in any way and I mean any way I
will hunt you down and kill you. Got it?" Trunks nodded quickly.
End
Flashback
How
long had he been out here? He had lost all sense of time, it seemed forever.
All the time the ache, the emptiness kept growing. It was almost unbearable. He
entered the clearing that was his 'home'. The remains of last night's fire were
the only indication that he had been here. He sat down. Hunting had been bad
today, but only because he was distracted. Thinking of her, again. The face
that lingered in his mind
He
started another fire, emitting the small chi blast from his hand. 'Who are
you?'
"I
found you." Startled he searched for the intruder. Who would dare trespass on
his private abode? The man in front of him was scowling. His face was familiar.
'Gohan…'
"W-What
do you want?" He asked, the statement was meant to be demanding, instead it
came out weak as he struggled to form the words. Had he forgotten to speak
already? Memories of living as a wild animal in the woods filtered back to him.
He had forgotten everyone. Except the face that came to haunt him, sometimes it
was happy, more often than not it was tear-streaked. Her face. 'How
long…'
The
chi blast exploded at his feet, throwing him back a few meters. He landed on
his back, defenceless. Slowly he struggled to his feet. His memory was slowly
returning. What he had fought so long to fight began to take shape in his mind.
"Why
did you run away?" The voice demanded, breaking into his thoughts. "Have you
turned into that much of a coward?"
"I-"
Gohan stood in front of him, chi charged in his hands. Trunks hung his head in
shame. "I don't deserve her." He didn't, Pan needed someone who could protect
her where he had failed. She needed to find someone else, someone who wasn't
him. He was just the fool who loved her.
"MASSENKO!!!"
He saw the blast coming, but made no effort to block. 'Perhaps I deserve
this…'
~f Cause there's always been
heartache and pain
And
when it's over you'll breathe again
You'll
breathe again F~
Flashback
"Nervous?"
Trunks
fiddled with his cufflinks for the hundredth time and Goten laughed. "Stupid
question huh?" He barely managed a nod. There was a huge knot in his stomach
and his throat felt dry. Vegeta leaned against the wall, a scowl on his face.
The woman had actually managed to get him into formal clothes, a suit and tie
no less.
"Goten?
You've got the ring right?"
Goten's
face paled. "I – uh…" He began patting his suit trying to determine where it
was. Instantly, Trunks switched into panic mode.
"You
lost the ring?!"
The
spiky haired saiya-jin shook his head. "No…I just – uh…misplaced it." He
said looking around the room.
"You
lost the ring?!!" Trunks's voice was getting noticeably louder. "How
could you lose the ring?!" Vegeta held back a smirk.
Goten
poked his head out from under the couch. "I told you, I didn't lose it.
It's-"
"Misplaced
I know." Trunks joined in the search. "Baka." He snorted.
"I
heard that!" Goten said, his voice muffled. He sneezed abruptly. "Geez, there's
a lot of dust under here."
Trunks
just ignored him. Gohan poked his head into the room. "Ten minutes guys…guys?"
Gohan took in the rather weird scene consisting of the groom and best man
crawling around on the ground, patting the carpet in case their eyes weren't
working. "What exactly are you doing?"
"Your
brother lost the ring." Trunks answered flatly.
"Not
lost!" Goten complained. "Misplaced."
Gohan
chuckled. "You mean the ring that you gave to me for safekeeping?"
Both
Trunks and Goten looked up identical expressions of relief adorned their faces.
"You baka!" Trunks yelled at his best friend. "You got me all stressed out for
nothing!"
"I
forgot! Sheesh…it's not like you've never forgotten something!"
"It
was never something this important!" Trunks retorted. The two of them were about
to fly at each other's throats when Gohan interrupted their argument.
"Do
the two of you really want to see Pan's face when she realises that the
two of you ruined her wedding by fighting?"
Both
Trunks and Goten paled at the thought.
End
Flashback
He
powered up at the last minute, but it wasn't enough to prevent him from
cracking a couple of ribs. Trunks tasted blood in his mouth. 'I probably
deserve this…I probably deserve to die. I just left her, my poor Pan-chan…'
Gohan
was now powered up to super saiya-jin, he flew at Trunks, determined to give
him the beating of his life.
Flashback
He
just stared at the white clad form making it's way slowly down the aisle. He
met her dark eyes through the veil and smiled. He couldn't believe this. He was
getting married. He who had sworn to be the eternal bachelor. His mother was so
happy; all she could talk about was grandchildren.
Goten
elbowed him in the ribs, annoyed, Trunks snapped out of his daydream. "What?"
He hissed.
"You
had this sappy look on your face." His best friend informed him in a whisper.
"And you're starting to drool."
Trunks
wiped the corners of his mouth in panic. Pan stood next to him and he
straightened and smiled. 'Do I have to make a fool of myself at my wedding?'
He thought sighing inwardly.
"Do
you Trunks Vegeta Briefs take Son Pan as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and
to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
Pan
nudged him. No response. The priest decided to try. "Mr Briefs? Uh…Mr Briefs?"
Still no response.
"OW!"
Trunks yelped, hopping up and down on one foot. "Pan why? Eep-" He caught sight
of the death glare his soon-to-be wife was giving him. "I uh…I do?" He said
sheepishly, embarrassed at having been caught out.
In
the audience Bulma, Videl and Chi Chi breathed sighs of relief.
End
Flashback
~f When you feel all alone
And
the world has turned it's back on you
Give
me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart F~
"I
should kill you." Gohan said coldly, standing over Trunks's battered body. The
younger saiya-jin had a blank look in his eyes and was bleeding from numerous
cuts. He coughed up more blood.
To
Gohan's surprise, Trunks was actually able to speak. "Go ahead."
"What?"
"You
heard me." Trunks croaked, he sat up and spat blood. "Kill me. I don't deserve
to live."
Gohan
glared at him. "No." He said at last. "How selfish can you be? She'll die
without you!" he yelled angrily.
"I
don't deserve her." He looked at the ground, allowing self-pity to overwhelm
him.
When
he looked up again, his friend's eyes had narrowed and he was doing a pretty
good impression of Vegeta. "Weak!" Gohan spat out. "You are supposed to be the
prince of the saiya-jins, yet you're a disgrace to the entire race! Pathetic.
Just willing to quit when it gets tough. You're not worthy to be prince!"
"I-"
"Vegeta should be disappointed to have you as a son! You're no great warrior, just a helpless fool."
Trunks
climbed to his feet. He had been wallowing in despair for the past few weeks,
but this was too much. Gohan had angered the saiya-jin side of him. No one
called him weak. He powered up to super saiya-jin and smirked. "I'll show you
who's weak." He replied coldly. "You'll pay for insulting the prince."
Gohan
moved into a fighting stance. "We'll see." He replied shortly.
Both
saiya-jins flew at each other, Trunks was blinded by anger and moved in for a
punch that was easily blocked by Gohan. Snarling, he tried again, only to have
Gohan catch his fist and twist his arm behind his back. "Hmph…like I said,
weak." The older man smirked.
Trunks
growled and pulled free. He began powering up for a chi attack. "FINAL FLASH!!"
Gohan batted the attack away with a sardonic smile.
Moving
quickly, Gohan took to the air and began his own attack. "MASSENKO…HA!!!"
Already weak from his prior beating, Trunks' efforts to block the attack
failed. Pretty soon there was a crater, and Trunks was the one lying in it.
Gohan
levitated a few feet above him. "So tell me, who's weak now?" He was taken by
surprise when the younger man climbed to his feet, flew up and punched him in
the gut. Trunks was bleeding but not down. Triumphantly he flung Gohan into a
tree, shattering the trunk into splinters.
Gohan
wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Pity you don't show this much
strength in real life." He stood and smirked. "Do you always pick the battles
you think you can win? Real life's not like that." Trunks watched open-mouthed
as his father-in-law flew away, leaving him with a lot to think about.
'A
trick…' But
a clever one nonetheless. Gohan had shown him that he was being a coward. That
he was the selfish one. 'How could I…How could I…' The thought vanished
and only one thing filled his mind. 'Pan-chan!'
He
could feel everything she felt, the hurt, the loss, the loneliness. 'Kami…what
have I done!' He flew home, panicked. 'She's dying…don't die Pan-chan.
You can't leave me too…'
Flashback
"To
have and to hold…till death do you part?"
"I
do."
"And
do you, Trunks Vegeta Briefs take Son Pan as you're lawfully wedded wife, to
have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
End
Flashback
"I
do…" He whispered softly. "Hang in there Pan-chan. For me."
He
landed outside the house. He could sense her presence and he knew she could
sense him. He hadn't realised what had been missing, that part of himself that
was, in all truthfulness, her. How he'd missed her.
She
lay on the bed. Their bed. Her breathing was erratic and shallow. She
had finally been able to send her parents home, but they were coming back
tomorrow morning. She couldn't stand people fussing over her. If she was going
to die, she would die alone. That was how she wanted it. She had gotten over
fighting. Now she embraced death, if Trunks wasn't with her, then life wasn't
worth living. She wished he was here, if only so she could scream at him. Show
him what he had forced her to become. Say she hated him, curse him. If she had
the energy. No. If she had the energy she would embrace him, cry tears of joy
because the emptiness had been filled. Slowly she shut her eyes, took a deep
breath…and let go.
~f Let me be the one you call
If
you jump I'll break your fall
Lift
you up and fly away with you into the night
If
you need to fall apart
I
can mend a broken heart
If
you need to crash then crash and burn
You're
not alone F~
The
bedroom door flew open. "Pan? Kami-sama…no please no…" He murmured softly,
moving towards the still form on the bed. "Pan? Panny…please wake up." He shook
her gently. No response. "C'mon Pan this isn't funny. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I
shouldn't have left. Forgive me? Pan?" Nothing.
The
tears fell from his eyes, landing on her pale face. "Damn it Pan! Wake up! Yell
at me! Do - do something!" He raged. Angry at her…at himself. Why, why
had he left it too late? "Kami I'm so sorry…" He whispered, holding her cold
hand. "I'm so sorry…please just give me one more chance…I'll do anything, anything
just give me my Pan-chan back." He buried his face in his hands and sobbed.
"Anything…"
A
soft glow surrounded them, his chi flew into her. What was destructive power
was now healing, reviving. He didn't notice, too caught up in his own misery.
She stirred slightly causing his head to shoot up. "Pan?"
Slowly
her dark eyes opened, meeting his tearstained azure ones. For a moment they
just stared at each other. "Trunks…I - you came back." She whispered.
Just
her voice, it was music to his ears. How could he have been so blind, not
seeing how much he had been hurting her, hurting himself? How could he have forgotten?
Flashback
Trunks
cleared his throat noisily, breaking the silence. "Pan?"
"Hmm?"
She asked lazily, lacing her fingers through his. "What is it Trunks?" He led
her to an empty park bench and they sat down. She leaned her head on his
shoulder, gazing at the stars.
"I
love you." He murmured softly, just loud enough for her to hear. She smiled at
that, moving to give him a tender kiss. "And – I can't imagine spending the
rest of my life without you…" Pan looked at him in shock.
"Trunks-"
"Shh…I
haven't finished yet." He reprimanded her with a nervous smile. "I – I need
to have you with me." He got to his feet and stood in front of her. "Do you
understand?" Dumbly, she nodded. "Good." He smiled, a small amount of his
self-confidence returning. Trunks took a deep breath and got down on one knee.
"I – what I'm asking is…Will you marry me Pan-chan?"
A
small gasp escaped her lips. "I – yes." Tears shone in her eyes even though she
was smiling. He grinned, relief washing over his features. Never had he felt so
strongly about anyone, never had he even imagined himself wanting to
settle down with someone. But Pan was different from all the other girls he had
dated. He leaned down and gave her a kiss, wanting to laugh and shout.
Pan
hugged him, deepening the kiss. Then she pulled away, the reality of the
question and the answer she had given sinking in. "I – We're getting married?!
Kami! We're getting married!"
Then
he laughed. "Yeah…we are, you don't know how happy you've just made me
Pan-chan." He said, the grin splitting his face. "You're stuck with me forever
now." He teased.
"Lucky
me." Pan commented dryly. "The guy I'm in love with asked me to marry him. What
was I thinking?"
"Hey!"
He protested, wrapping his arms around her. Both of them sat back down on the
park bench, the mood becoming more serious. "You're not sorry?" Trunks asked.
"I mean, you don't think it was a bad decision or anything right?"
"Trunks?
Shut up. I'm a big girl. I know what getting married is…and I know that I love you.
I'm quite confident in my decision." Pan said calmly.
"Just
checking, cause it you want to back out you can and-"
Pan
kissed him, effectively shutting him up. He loved it, the feel of her lips on
his, breathing her scent, her hair lightly brushing his cheek. Reluctantly he
broke the kiss. "You sure?"
"Shut
up already." She growled softly, kissing him again. When they stopped, there
was silence, allowing the both of them to gather their thoughts. "You think
we're gonna be forever?"
"I
don't think." He replied softly. "I know."
Pan
smiled at that. "I hope so."
End
Flashback
"Yeah.
I came back Pan-chan, and I'm never going to leave again." He murmured softly.
He held her close. "Gomen Pan, I didn't – I wasn't there when you needed me.
I've hurt you so much."
"It's
okay. I knew you'd come back. I just kept hoping. Even when I felt so alone, I
knew that you'd be there." Just being close to him, she felt whole. The empty,
aching hollow was finally filled.
"I
don't deserve you Panny." Fresh tears slipped unheeded down his cheeks. He
tightened his grip, never wanting to let go. "You are never going to feel like
you're alone again. I promise."
~f You're not alone.
You're
not alone. F~
~* Owarii *~
A/N:
It's finally finished! Would you believe I've been writing this since before
Christmas? It's true! The last parts were hard to write cause I had such bad
writer's block. @.@ Well? Did you like it? Review it please! *Begs* I'm working
on other fics…and Just One Wish which Smee-chan has finally consented to help
me with. ^.^ Yay! Anyway, please tell me what you think about it. It's the
first fic of this kind that I've done, should I write more like it? Tell me!
Well, should get back to those other ficcys. For those who have demanded a
sequel to 'Not Quite Love', which I admit actually needs a sequel…I'm
getting there, I started then scrapped it cause I didn't like it. I've started
it again and it shouldn't take as long as this one. As always, a major thank
you to Smeegee who beta reads EVERYTHING…moans and whinges about spelling,
punctuation and all that stuff. Ja nae!
2001-02-19
© Smabbi-chan
