Once More with Feeling

By elektra12

Disclaimer: I write for fun, not profit. Dragonball/Z/Gt is owned by Funimation and others, but not by me.

Rating: T

Genre: Drama/General

Summary: A series of short stories centered on Chichi's life nearly three years after Goku leaves with the dragon. Features Gohan and Pan as well.

Warning: Character deaths. It plays fast and loose with the GT timeline so consider it AU.

If Wishes Were Fishes...

Some times it feels like I have a radio station permanently lodged in my brain. For every action that happens in my life a song turns on in the back of my head. I can hear it playing underneath the jumble of thoughts I'm trying to sort through. Other times it takes me a while to realize that there is one playing at all. It scares me, sometimes what the songs are telling me.

The song that's playing right now is "Que Sera, Sera." What will be, will be.

There are a half dozen people waiting for me to make a wish and blow out the candles on my birthday cake, and this is the song my brain choses to accompany it?

Grandma Chichi is here. So is Goten, Trunks, Marron and Bra. Mom's at the hospital but my dad is here, standing off to the side. They make a somber bunch, not very festive at all. I'm not feeling festive anyway. All I want to do is finish this quickly so that I can get back to my grandpa. He could be dead for all I know and I'm going to eat cake. It's so surreal my head's about to explode.

I'm losing another grandpa.

Grandpa Goku left, I dunno, three years ago. Even though he didn't actually die he's never coming back so it's really the same thing. I understand why he did it though. Why he left us I mean. That's what heroes do. They give up everything for the ones they love.

But grandpa Hercule was a hero too. At least to me he was. I don't mean because he's the World Champion and all. We all know it's not really true. But that doesn't matter to me. He's just always there for me. Before he got sick, he called me everyday.

I mean every day.

And he wasn't too busy saving the planet to be with me either. Grandpa was just an ordinary guy. Or an ordinary champion maybe. So he shouldn't be dying right now, right? Because he's not saving the world or anything, right? For Kami's sake what kind of Champion gets cancer anyway?

I better make a wish now before the candles burn out on their own. I don't know why, wishes don't come true anymore. There aren't any more dragon balls.

I just wish...

I wish...

"If wishes were fishes, we'd all do the dishes..."

Didn't my grandpa used to say that? No? Then who? And what the hell does it mean?

"If wishes were fishes..."

"What did you say Pan?"

All of a sudden my father is there, right next to me. He's wiping my tears away with a brightly colored birthday napkin.

Was I crying? Did I say those words out loud? Kami, am I losing it?

"Daddy? I wish I could go see Grandpa..."

"Oh Panny," he says.

"Please," I beg. "I want to go now!"

A murmur can be heard beneath the sigh he lets out. I her my grandmother nagging someone, probably Goten.

"I told you this was a bad idea. That selfish old fool..."

"SHUT UP!" I scream, startling everyone.

"Shut up! Don't you dare! He's not a fool!"

I turn to face my grandmother. "You're just mad because I didn't like your stupid present!" I accuse.

I feel brief satisfaction at the mortified look on her face. It was a short-lived feeling however when my father grabs me by the arms and turns me around to face him.

"That's enough Pan," he warns. "We'll leave for the hospital in a minute, but not until you calm down. Am I making myself clear?"

The tone in his voice says that he will brook no arguments from me.

I nod my head and wait quietly for him to make arrangements. I look to the rest of my friends who have been silent so far.

Bra glances at me before hesitantly reaching out. I pointedly side step her awkward attempt at comfort. This causes Trunks to shoot me a look of annoyance. What ever. I don't need his approval or censure. Marron seems to be doing her best to hide behind Trunks. She always tries to avoid confrontation.

Fortunately for them my father is ready to go. He takes my elbow and leads me out the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my grandmother picking up my birthday cake. The candles have burned out by themselves after all.

"Well that's okay," I think to myself as my dad closes the door.

I got my wish after all.

TBC