Chapter Ten: Anyone But You
Thank you once more to Anmylica for reviewing parts of this chapter and adding some of her own very amazing lines to the climactic scene! She makes me more and more excited about this story.
If you want to come chat with other readers, feel free to join our Facebook group: Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. In the event that I need to take this story off this website, all the chapters and reviews will be saved there. =)
~PanHopeNvs
Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Seventh Month
It was hard to stay angry at someone when you were all alone with them and there was no other biological being, human or otherwise in the realm. It was especially hard when that person was basically the only female friend you'd ever had since your birth. Yet it was much easier than you might expect when that person was keeping you from achieving and mastering the most powerful transformation you'd ever experienced.
There could be no greater rift between even the best of friends than for them to pull in such opposite directions. One desired to push past pain to strength, the other desired to feel secure and to avoid danger.
Bra had lounged on her bed with electronic literature for the stalemate weeks they hadn't been speaking to each other. Her mother had given her the data of all the findings of recent research at Capsule Corp. and some of the studies were quite interesting. When Bra could focus on them.
Pan had powered up to Super Saiyan 2, gone out into the white abyss and used the multi-form technique to beat herself silly. Her power was increasing massively with her newfound anger and determination, and as Bra tried to concentrate on the words on the screen she felt her attention drifting to the energy signals she felt coming from Pan. She felt jealous. Jealous of Pan fighting with Pan.
She wanted to feel the hormone rush of training. She even... wanted to feel the power of Super Saiyan 3 again. The hardest part was admitting that. Admitting that she'd been wrong, and afraid. Admitting that she'd clung to her human side desperately, not sure if she was ready to accept that primal, terrifying side of her she had fought so hard to repress since birth.
Most of all, she missed being Para. Not only was she going through training-withdrawal, but she also had to suffer through the fusion-withdrawal. It physically hurt! In addition to how much her pride stung after her breakdown and Pan's callous reaction. And there was Pan, widening the gap between their power levels which had finally begun to narrow. Using every second to attain more control and skill, and to leave Bra in the wake of her success again.
She almost hoped that Pan couldn't achieve the third level, because then she would no longer be needed. Every time she felt an unusual energy spike from Pan she freaked out and imagined Pan had gone Super Saiyan 3 without her.
Bra felt useless. She had tried to meditate or train on her own a few times, but she had been too embarrassed about performing techniques wrong. She needed Pan's guidance. She didn't want to need it, but she did.
She thought of Goten, and how he had said that the Time Chamber would be too much for her. She didn't want him to be right, but it felt like all she had done since she entered the room was prove him right. She knew that if she could push past her fears and let her body experience the power which was her birthright... well, she'd emerge from the room a completely different Bra than Goten had ever known. She'd show him... she just had to.
Even though she knew that he hadn't left her because she hadn't been good enough, or because she'd done something wrong... she still felt a need to achieve successes that he could never have imagined, and to rub it in his face. And maybe... maybe if he saw that she wasn't just a spoiled princess, and that she was a saiyan warrior too... maybe he'd realize that they were meant to be together. But she would have to actually train to prove to herself that she was anything of a warrior. She hadn't managed to knock Pan unconscious again since her birthday, and she knew it had been somewhat of a fluke.
Bra would have liked to reassure herself that at least she was reading, and furthering her knowledge for her career. She was honoring the maternal side of her heritage, if not the more endangered and majestic parental side. She was gaining knowledge that would last her until she died while Pan was only working on conditioning a body that would deteriorate in a few decades anyway. But she knew this wasn't completely true.
Early on in their training, Bra had programmed the regeneration tank so that it would play audio-books to the person using it. Bra knew that Pan had listened to at least a full book a day while she recovered from her self-inflicted injuries. She didn't sleep in bed anymore, she only trained until she needed the regeneration tank—and Bra wasn't sure if it was because their beds were so close and Pan felt uncomfortable being around her, or because Pan was pushing herself so hard to reach the next level.
Bra's thoughts were interrupted as Pan walked into the living area, covered in her own blood. Her saiyan armor was completely destroyed, and one of her arms were hanging limply, clutched by the other. She walked wordlessly to the shower, and stepped in clothes and all, and turned it on with her good arm. When the warm water came she shakily sat down in the tub, pulling her knees up against her chest and resting her chin on them.
It's just an arm. It'll be repaired shortly,Pan thought to herself. I deserve worse than this, I really do.
The sound of the water filling the tub echoed in the silence.
Pan wished for the fiftieth time that she had Bra's telepathy so that she could hear the sound of her friend's thinking if not her voice. They hadn't spoken in a week, and the silence was becoming maddening. It wouldn't have been so terrible if she had heard any other voices in that time, but there weren't many options.
She missed having someone to talk to. Even if the things they said to each other were often so stupid and silly... Pan even missed laughing over those dumb things. She hadn't laughed in a week. Pan suddenly wondered if Bra was listening to these thoughts. She frowned and tried to stop thinking them.
Damn this arm, AGH! I shouldn't have trained her to get so powerful, but I never imagined she could use techniques against me. Kami, my arm hurts. I don't think giving her the silent treatment is going to work and make her want to try the next level with me if she can hear everything I'm thinking anyway. It's not really the silent kind of silent treatment. Kami, please KILL MY ARM. This telepathy thing makes her harder to manipulate than when we were younger. Oh, shit, I bet she heard that too. Just stop thinking so loudly, Pan. MY ARM. MY ARM. AGH.
Bra cracked a small smile, for she had been listening. She suddenly felt like breaking the ice.
She got up from the bed and walked over to Pan, sitting on the edge of the tub and looking down at her friend.
"You know, I've been thinking," Bra began.
Pan looked up, surprised to hear her voice. The first words in a week.
"What you said before, about the orgasms... if it felt like THAT when you were only Super Saiyan, imagine what it would be like to have an orgasm as Para in Super Saiyan 3!"
Pan stared at her friend for a moment and her lips twitched, "Yes, it would be amazing, except for one problem. There are no guys who can get near to Para when she's in that state."
"Except for..."
"Yes, but even if Trunks or Goten tried to be with her at their maximum levels they'd probably be crushed."
"Crushed," repeated Bra with a thoughtful smile.
Pan couldn't help it. She cracked up and began to laugh, using her good arm to splash Bra with the bloody water which was filling up in the bathtub.
Bra laughed too, and splashed her back, and just like that the icy silence was broken.
"Panny, I'm sorry. I was just afraid. But I think I'm ready to work on the transformation again."
"No, Bra, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say such mean things to you. I just snapped, you know?"
"I know. I have telepathy, remember? I heard you think 'Shit, why did I say those things?' immediately after you said them, and also think a bunch of nice things about me, and then think that you'd pretend to be mad at me for a while so maybe I'd cave and try Super Saiyan 3 again with you."
Pan hit herself on the head with the hand on her good arm, "Damn. I hate your telepathy. Listen, if you don't want to try Super Saiyan 3, I have to be understanding and respect that."
"I do want to try it. I just needed a little time. I won't freak out again, Pan. I promise."
"Good, because I think I will become a quadriplegic if I keep trying to transform on my own."
Bra grinned, "Here, let's get you into a regeneration tank for that arm."
Earth, 8 PM
"Hello?"
"Hi, Goten. I was just wondering... if you wanted to meet up and maybe... talk."
"Can we do it another time? I just... want to be by myself tonight."
"You don't sound too chipper, Goten. What's wrong?"
"I'm just... thinking, Trunks. Just tonight, I promise. Any other day, I'm all yours."
"You're not with Medea, or planning to meet with her today, are you?" asked Trunks.
"No. I was thinking of calling her tomorrow. I just... had some conflicting thoughts I needed to sort out, you know? Why do you ask? I thought you were going to focus your efforts on getting back together with Pan."
"I am. I just really needed someone to talk to. I was fired today."
"Say that again? I could swear I just heard you say you were fired, but I must be losing it."
"You heard right: I was fired," Trunks repeated through gritted teeth.
"Whoa..." said Goten, "Seriously? Well, maybe we should meet up..."
He sounded so reluctant that Trunks shook his head, "No... don't worry about it, man. I'll see you another time."
"Trunks... maybe I'll quit too, then. We can find different employment together."
"I appreciate the gesture, Goten, but you shouldn't. Your mom would throw a fit. We never see each other at work anyway, working in different departments in different wings of the building. You won't be affected by my absence. Besides, my mom said it's only temporary."
"Trunks, it's the principle of the thing. You're my best friend, and if Bulma doesn't want you at C.C. then why should I be there? I wish that my quitting was a bigger statement in your defence, but I'm expendable. My job is just generic desk work anyway, anyone can do it."
"That's not true, Goten. Mom and Gohan trust you with a lot of the 'confidential' stuff."
"Well, screw them. If they're going to fire you, I will also find something else."
Trunks opened his mouth to protest, but then he realized that Goten's words had made him feel the first tiny speck of happiness he'd felt in a while. Even with the world crashing down around him, Goten was still his friend. The younger man's defensive anger reminded Trunks of when they were kids and Goten would have done anything to protect him.
"Thanks, Goten. See you tomorrow."
"For sure, man. Goodnight."
Trunks felt a lot better, but he was still yearning to get a few things off his chest. He stared at his phone for a few minutes before dialling Medea's number.
The phone rang a few times before a message came on:
"Hi, you've reached Medea. I'm not available now, but please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as possible!"
"Hi, Medea. This is Trunks. I just wanted to apologize for acting a bit strange during our date the other day. I was kind of hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you, but you're probably busy. Well, let me know if you have any spare time... oh, and that stupid thing I told you I was going to do? I did it. And I haven't been killed (yet) but I've been... fired. Which is basically the same thing. Call me back if you get a chance."
Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Eighth Month
Para gazed down at her hair with annoyance. She had finally mastered the transformation to Super Saiyan 3, but her hair was dragging on the floor and making training truly miserable.
"Maybe I can do something with that," Para murmured to herself, "Instead of letting it inhibit my fighting."
She held out her arm and smiled and flipped her head and the huge snakelike length of her hair, charged by her ki, wrapped perfectly around her wrist like a whip.
"Imagine that!" she laughed to herself as she channelled ki into her hair and used it to pelt the ground like a whip, "I've already found a unique benefit of being a female Super Saiyan 3."
She used her ki to control her hair and wrapped it around her arm tightly from shoulder to wrist. She then squeezed, and the spiralling length of the spiky rope of energy constricted around her arm tightly. The spikes penetrated her arm and she began to bleed as the viper-vice almost crushed her arm. She felt the strain on her bones, even with the strength obtained by her power level. She immediately stopped constricting.
"That sure could come in handy!" she exclaimed with a laugh, as she used her energy to move her hair as though it were a fifth limb. She flew along the ground, using her energy to make her hair strike the ground repeatedly, and she was sure that the power of such bashing would deliver extreme damage to any enemy.
"Enough games, though," said Para, grinning wildly, "There's something I've ALWAYS wanted to try. Gogeta's most powerful attack."
She got into a firm battle stance and pulled her hands to her side, she closed her eyes as she found the power, and she executed the perfect form necessary. A bluish-white ball of energy began to grow, and it was so massive and so concentrated that ripple-like shockwaves of energy radiated off it. She braced herself, her body shaking, as she let out an ear-splitting yell.
"BIG BANG KAMEHAMEHA!"
She fired the blast into the nothingness and smiled in satisfied delight at the gigantic explosion which followed. She raised her hands to her lips and blew on them as one would blow the nozzle of a smoking gun.
"Now we're getting somewhere, Para Brieson," she said to herself confidently.
"Brieson" was the result of Para saying both her last names at the same time. She had discovered that it was her last name through talking to herself like this, and much to her delight, it actually was a real last name! She had vaguely wondered to herself whether the other fusions (they had also been between "Briefs" and "Sons") shared her last name. Gotenks Brieson? Gogeta Brieson? No one had ever really mentioned it. (Vegeta didn't really recognize the Briefs name although he had taken it on in order to get his driver's license.)
Then again, the men had never really spent any time living and training in the long-term while fused. They probably should have. It was not wise to only pull out fusion in times of desperate need—it was something that Para felt should be embraced just as any other technique. Techniques to split apart the body, techniques to fuse the body... they should all be considered part of the normal training arsenal of the Earth's Special Forces. Maybe someday Para could see to it that it was included.
She suddenly frowned. If Gotenks has the same last name as I do... then in a way he's family. Does that mean that I'm more closely related to Gotenks genetically than I am to Trunks or Goten individually? How disappointing.
When Para fantasized about a man, which she sometimes did during the many half-hour sessions of gruelling training regimens, she usually fantasized about Gotenks. It was only natural, even though she had never actually laid eyes on Gotenks. He was the combination of her two lovers, just as she was the combination of his two lovers—could it be more perfect? She fantasized about him in every way—surpassing his power (which she liked to imagine she already had done since she'd trained extensively in Super Saiyan 3) and of course, being with him sexually.
Para knew that it would probably never happen. That was exactly why it was exciting to fantasize about. And even an immensely powerful Super Saiyan 3 woman has to have her unattainable fantasies. Being dominated by her immensely powerful Super Saiyan 3 lovers combined—well, that was simply her favourite. Just the thought of it made her ki spike up, sending a powerful surge of energy through her. She used her pent up sexual energy and channelled it into her strength as she trained.
When Para split apart, Pan often asked her friend, "Bra, maybe you could develop something to grow us tails so that we could reach the fourth level when fused?"
"HELL NO. I compromised on the Super-Saiyan-3-issue, but don't expect anything more!"
"Please, Bra. It would be so..."
"I am DEFINITELY not doing that, Pan! I CANNOT have a tail. Do you know how hard it would be for me to go shopping? Tails don't fit easily into today's fashions. I would need everything custom made!"
Earth, 4 AM
Goten glanced at the time on the clock radio with disappointment. He knew it was time to leave Bra's bed, for she would be returning at any time. He didn't want to be caught doing this very questionable activity.
He also knew that it would be the last time he ever slept in this bed. The last time he could feel the comfort of her scent. It would be the last time he ever set foot in this house he had come to love, which he thought of as his home.
The realization came to him that he had done a lot more than break a relationship. He had broken his life, and broken a home. Bra had been his family, and he had destroyed that.
In leaving her, he caused her the same pain that his mother had experienced when his father left. He had caused himself the same pain.
Goten knew he should get up, but he buried his face in the pillow one last time, thinking to himself:
Bra. I know that for you a whole year is passing in a single day... but I wish you knew that every day I spend without you feels like ten years to me.
He finally ripped himself away from the bed, and standing, he pulled his socks back on. He immediately straightened her bed out, fluffing the pillow perfectly and arranging the duvet so that it looked like he had never been there.
Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Twelfth Month
Para sat cross-legged on the ground in the third level of Super Saiyan, and opposite from her sat her multi-form twin. Both of her bodies were in deep meditation. Their watch beeped and snapped them out of the state.
"It's almost time for us to leave," said one Para to the other, "But there's a problem."
"I'm too strong," the second Para answered, "Now that the power levels of the Pan and Bra have raised so much, even with suppressed ki and even with the sedatives, any decent fighter could sense that I'm unusually powerful."
"It's over. We won't be able to continue with our plan, will we?"
"Maybe we can upgrade the sedatives. Nothing in the human hospitals will be sufficient, but maybe something in a veterinary hospital... tranquilizers used on elephants or dinosaurs should be enough!"
"That's... crazy. But it just might work. How would I legally obtain such things?"
"Can't. We'll have to steal them. Or make our own poisons. Ha! Isn't that funny? I won't just figuratively be poison, I will have actual poison in me at all times!"
"As long as it doesn't cause any long-term damage, I'm fine with it."
"You know what makes me—"
Para's two bodies split into four, into two Pans and two Bras.
"—sad?" finished the two Pans.
"What's that?" asked Bra as her multi-forms united into one. Pan's forms did the same.
"As Para, in Super Saiyan 3... with the amount of control we have over that transformation... I really think we could be a match against Vegeta in an all-out fight."
Bra nodded, "It's too bad we'll never get to try that, since we have to keep it a secret."
"Yes, let's definitely conceal it from the guys as much as possible. Let's conceal your telepathy, and most of our new skills."
"So after a whole year, Panny—do you still want to get revenge on Trunks and Goten?"
"Definitely. We have to finish what we started."
"Alright. Let's get the To-Do Lists for when we get out of this place."
As you can imagine, when you spend a year in another dimension, you begin to compile a giant to-do list of things you want to do upon returning. However, Bra had read a book about making specific and efficient goals, so the To-Do Lists were simplified and intended only for one day. There's only really so much a person can accomplish in one day.
Bra's To-Do List
-Go Shopping (IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG)
-Get Fake Identification For Para
-Get Furnished Home for Para
-Get Fake Childhood Photos of Girl That Resembles Para
Pan's To-Do List
-Get Dinosaur Tranquilizer
-Send Flowers To Family of Woman I Killed
-Put My Apartment Up For Sale
-Break Trunks' Heart
6 AM, Earth
Everyone was waiting on Dende's Lookout, excited to welcome the girls home. The only person who was strangely absent from the gathering was Trunks, and the only person who hadn't been there previously to see the girls off but requested to be there for their arrival was Chi-Chi.
Dende and Mr. Popo had retreated to the garden, not wishing to interfere with the drama that would most likely ensue. Vegeta leaned against a pillar looking bored. Gohan and Goten stood aside, conversing in low tones. The women chatted cheerfully as they sat on the steps, Chi-Chi talking about her favourite new recipes while Bulma bragged that her newest robots could cook all the same things for her.
"Chi-Chi's territory is definitely the kitchen while Bulma's is in the laboratory," said Videl with a laugh.
"And where's your territory, dear?"
Videl smirked, "The bedroom, of course."
"VIDEL!" complained Gohan in embarrassment, even though he had been engrossed in a conversation with his brother about 20 meters away.
Videl stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Because I take my laptop into the bedroom and work from there! What were you thinking I meant, Gohan?"
The women chuckled as Gohan turned very red and stuttered, "N... nothing, I just..."
"Were you thinking that I meant to say the meaning of my life is to satisfy you in bed?"
"NO! Videl! I... I would never think you meant that..."
"To bring you carnal pleasure?"
"No! Videl!" Gohan stood with his legs wide apart, and he waved both arms in the air wildly.
"Well. Maybe I did mean that! And so what if I did! Gohan, if you don't want to hear our private girl talk then you should stand further away. Capiche?"
"But you're girl-talking with my mother and Bulma!"
"And who else am I going to girl-talk with? We've been girl-talking about you since we died together... and there was that demon-guy... what was his name? Dabura? I girl talked about you with him too, but he was a bit of a creep."
Gohan sighed and rubbed his forehead before returning to the conversation with his brother. Vegeta snorted at the idea of Dabura, the King of Demons who had tried to kill Gohan for Babidi, girl-talking about him. But stranger things had happened.
Videl chuckled softly to herself, simply loving how easily she could embarrass her husband and make him blush, even after all these years.
After some time, the heads of Vegeta, Gohan, and Goten jerked to look towards the Time Chamber as the door cracked open. The women were not perceptive to sensing ki, but they were perceptive of the men, and they quieted down and stared at their faces for information.
Goten's jaw had dropped at what he sensed, and his eyes widened. Gohan had a large smile taking over his face. Vegeta pulled away from the pillar and uncrossed his arms as he stared at the door, his face extremely focused.
"I guess it's safe to say the girls have become significantly stronger," remarked Videl casually after studying the reactions of the men to the door cracking open. The door had paused before it opened completely as the girls picked up their duffle bags.
"Dear Dende," said Goten in awe, "That's not possible... that can't really be themwe're sensing. This is some sort of joke."
"That's my little girl!" said Gohan proudly as the door swung open to reveal the girls.
At the first glimpse of two golden heads of hair Vegeta's breath caught in his throat and he could only form a small grunt of pride, "And mine."
Smiles overtook the faces of Bra and Pan as they first beheld their families. They had changed out of their battered saiyan armors and wore casual clothing along with light makeup—they were being seen by other beings for the first time in a year. Bra was still in the Super Saiyan transformation she had grown so accustomed to, and Pan was still in her comfortable second level.
As soon as the doors were fully opened, Bra rushed into the arms of her father, eager to receive praise for achieving the "legendary transformation" and to obtain the parental validation she had longed for her whole life. Most of all she had just missed her parents dreadfully. Bulma crooned and stroked her daughter's golden locks while Vegeta smiled—actually smiled! It was a betraying indicator of just how much bliss he felt at seeing his princess transformed.
He looked over his daughter's head intending to nod at Pan to thank her for her patience and dedication in training Bra, but what he saw made him frown.
As Pan had stepped out of the Time Chamber, a strange expression had transformed her face. She had taken a step shakily and then glanced up at the sky in confusion. She seemed to be dizzy for when she took another step one of her legs gave way underneath her and she fell to one knee. One hand tightly gripped the knee which was bent, and another hand clenched into a ball at her stomach.
Her family quickly crowded around her, but she seemed not to notice any of them as she looked up at the sky with a worried expression on her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Chi Chi and Videl fawned over Pan worriedly as Goten and Gohan glanced at each other.
"Panny, maybe you should power down," suggested Goten, "I can see you really want to show off that you hit Super Saiyan 2, and we're all really proud of you, but I don't think you can handle the transformation yet."
"For your information," interrupted Bra coldly, "She hasn't left that state in about ten months. She's beensleeping in Super Saiyan 2. So shut your hole, Goten."
Everyone turned to stare at Bra in shock except for Gohan who wasn't surprised to learn of his daughter's power. He had felt it bottled up in her for a while, begging to be released. He remembered what it had been like for him, and he was relieved she had finally gained control of the energy that needed to be awakened. Something else was causing her pain right now.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" asked Gohan gently, placing an arm around Pan's back to help her to her feet. His voice brought Pan's attention back to Earth and she smiled and placed a hand on her father's arm.
"Papa. It's just... when I was in there I couldn't sense any energy signals at all other than Bra's. As soon as I stepped out I could sense everything all at once, every significant life force on the planet, and it just really confused and overwhelmed me for a moment."
Gohan nodded, "It will take some time to re-adjust to this plane."
Vegeta stared at her for a moment before sending a telepathic message, Girl. You weren't looking at a life force on the planet. What did you sense?
Pan turned to him, always surprised at how well he was able to read her, It's nothing, Vegeta. I just thought I sensed something very powerful in the distance in outer space. Something more powerful than any of us even when we're powered up, but that's not possible, is it?
Haven't I always told you that what you want to believe andwhat you knoware two different things?Vegeta walked away from the crowd, moving to the edge of the lookout. He tried to focus his ki-sensing ability, but he couldn't pick up anything unusual. He quickly powered up one level, then to the second level. He stared up at the sky, sensing for what Pan had felt. When he felt it he frowned.
Pan followed him. I just think we would have sensed something like that before. I must have been able to sense the life forces on distant planets for a moment, and they must have all blended together. I'm just a bit dizzy. Sorry for the false alarm.
Be quiet! I need to concentrate. It's far away, but I can sense someone and it's not a false alarm. He's powerful.Vegeta's fists were clenched, Why haven't I sensed this before?
Pan felt a shiver run through her at this confirmation. She tried to sense the energy again. It was indeed very far away, and she was positive none of the fighters could sense it unless extremely powered up. It was a massive power... far greater than the power signal she felt from Vegeta standing beside her, and that was a chilling concept. Yet it was too far away to really be of any threat, right? It was further than even Pan had travelled out into the Universe. Even if it was dangerous, it would take years to travel that distance without instantaneous movement. But it might not be dangerous after all...
Pan had no clue whether it was friend or foe, and she turned to Vegeta curiously, Do you know who it is?
Vegeta hadn't responded to her, and the muscles in his jaw slightly twitched as he stared up at the sky muttering, "Kakkarot?"
Pan shook her head and frowned. Now you're doing it. What you want to believe andwhat you knoware two different things. It's not him. Don't you think if it was him I would have teleported there the instant I felt it?
"Not without taking me along with you, you wouldn't," snapped Vegeta, sending her a glare, then he noticed they were attracting the attention of the others on the lookout. We'll discuss this later, Pan. Until then, let's try to monitor any fluctuations in that ki signal.
"What's going on, you two?" asked Goten.
"Nothing," said both Pan and Vegeta in unison, turning to glare at Goten. Bulma, Chi-Chi, Pan's parents and Bra walked forward to them as well with looks of concern on their faces.
Everyone knew that the two had been discussing something important. Bra's telepathy had intercepted some of their exchange, and she looked at the sky with worry although she could not sense anything.
Vegeta looked to his daughter, "Maybe you girls should both power down and get some rest."
Bra nodded, and her hair turned blue and caressed her shoulders as it tumbled down. She sighed gladly at the feeling, curling a strand around her finger, Oh, how I've missed you!
"Where's Trunks?" asked Pan as she also powered down, looking around, "I wanted to give the ring back to him."
Everyone exchanged looks. Videl smiled and winked at Vegeta mouthing "Told. You. So." Vegeta rolled his eyes in response.
"Oh... well... don't do that today, sweetie," advised Bulma, "He can only stand so much bad news before having a breakdown. I just fired him."
"WHAT?" came the response of all those who hadn't yet been informed.
"I fired him," Bulma repeated, "And I have some new positions which have opened up for you girls in the company, if you'd like to take them. A spot for Bra in research and design, and for Pan in bio-med."
"You fired him, mom?" asked Bra, still unable to get over the surprise.
"He really needed a break. He was drowning in his work and making poor decisions."
"Yeah, and while we're all on the subject," added Goten, "I'm quitting."
"WHAT? But Goten..." objected Gohan.
"Why, dear?" asked Bulma in confusion.
Chi-Chi marched up to her younger son and poked her finger into his face, "GOTEN SON. Just what on earth will you do for MONEY?"
"Don't worry, mom. I have something in mind," said Goten reassuringly, putting his hands on Chi-Chi's shoulders, "Trunks is my friend and I feel it would be disloyal to keep working in a company where he's not welcome. Besides. What Trunks did, all his 'poor decisions'—I know he meant the best. Capsule Corp. is his life, and he is going to be a mess now. I have to be there for him."
Bra and Pan looked at each other. After being cooped up together for a year, they didn't need words and could easily read each other's expressions to know the other was moved by Goten's show of allegiance to Trunks. But Bra sent her friend a thought anyway, Oh, Pan. He's so warm and loving. The way he's so devoted to my brother... it's inspiring. Friendship like that is so rare. He would go through hell for Trunks, wouldn't he? Why couldn't he feel that way toward me?
Pan glared at Bra, Because he's a dickhead. OK, I don't really mean that. I honestly believe he DOES feel that way toward you. He isn't here on this lookout just to welcome me back, you know. He's barely looked at me, but he keeps sneaking glances at you. Goten is just misguided. And you know: if you want a friend who would go through hell for you, she's standing right here!
Gohan and Goten were arguing while the girls were having their mental discussion.
"It's not like I'm really needed anyway, bro," remarked Goten, "Let's be honest."
Bulma and Gohan sighed, knowing they'd have to accept the loss.
"Well, then," Chi-Chi interrupted, "Will you girls at least think about accepting Bulma's offer and working for C.C.?"
"I do really dislike working at the hospital sometimes," admitted Pan, "But they offer me a lot of flexibility of schedule, which I need. Lately... well, a year ago, I wasn't 100% able to focus on work, and I wouldn't want to let Bulma down."
"That's alright, sweetie. Take all the time you need. I'll pay you girls handsomely, of course."
"I definitely would like to come work in the labs," said Bra, "But at the same time I invent best when I'm not under pressure. Besides mom, Pan and I made some plans when we were in the Time Chamber, we might be... otherwise occupied for a little while."
"And let me guess," said Videl, crossing her arms, "Whatever you two will be doing will result in both of you never coming home to visit your folks."
"Oh, I hope not!" said Chi-Chi sadly, "We hardly ever see you at home as it is. What are you girls up to?"
"It's just... a secret project that we'll be working on for a little while. We're thinking of traveling somewhere distant," Pan remarked, "Maybe a foreign country for a while or maybe even to outer space."
"You just got back from the Time Chamber," rebuked Gohan, "Why would you want to travel more? Don't you want to spend some time with your family?"
"Of course, Papa," said Pan, feeling guilty. She moved forward and hugged her mother and father, giving them both daughterly kisses, "I'm going to sell my apartment in the city. I promise that as soon as I take care of a few things, I'll come back to live at home and you'll see me so often you'll be sick of me."
"Oh, Panny, we could never be sick of you," said Videl, squeezing her daughter in an affectionate hug.
Pan smiled, turning to her grandmother, "And Grandma, you'll be complaining about having another mouth to feed soon enough!"
"I hope so, young lady!" admonished Chi-Chi, "You know I don't feel cheerful unless I'm cooking for a pack of hungry saiyans."
Pan smiled and waved at her family, "I'll see you all soon!"
With that she grabbed her duffle bag and blasted off into the air to complete her To-Do List.
Bra similarly quickly hugged and kissed her parents, "I'm probably going to disappear for a little while as well, mom and dad. Don't worry about me. I've gotten a lot stronger. Take care of yourselves... everyone."
With that Bra blasted off the lookout with a speed and confidence that no one had ever seen her possess before.
"Wow," mumbled Goten, "I can't believe she went Super Saiyan."
"Why not, dear?" asked Chi-Chi, wrapping her arms around her son as the signal for him to fly her home, "Bra is just as much a Saiyan as you are."
"She just never seemed interested in fighting," he tried to explain, as everyone turned to look at him curiously. He stuttered under their glares, especially Vegeta's condescending one, "I guess... I didn't know her as well as I thought."
"Maybe it's not too late for you to get to know her," said Bulma softly.
Goten felt a slight flush in his cheeks. Bulma would never stop these suggestions.
"You should never underestimate the strength of the women you spend every day with, Goten," remarked Chi-Chi, "It takes a very strong woman to be able to put up with impossible saiyan men."
"Amen to that!" said Bulma with a grin as she elbowed Vegeta. Videl tried to repress her chuckle.
"Can it be done, Mr. Alvarez?"
"Yes, but it will cost you. I usually don't work for people I don't know. How did you find out about my services?"
"Let's just say that I've hired you before and I was very pleased with your work. For this job, however, I require a bit more confidentiality and would prefer it if even you didn't know my identity."
Bra had her telephone re-routed so that the number was untraceable, and she was using a voice-changer. Mr. Alvarez was the agent that the Briefs had hired to create an earthling identification for Vegeta. Vegeta hadn't agreed to this until Bra had convinced him when she was ten years old and demanded that he have a license to drive her shopping because flying was "not cool."
"Well, miss. Just fax me a photo of the girl along with the exact spelling of her name, the date of birth, her address, and... which package did you want to buy?"
"The full package. I need a birth certificate, driver's license, passport, citizenship, everything."
"Everything? As though you were creating her out of thin air?"
"Yes, everything."
"Well... sure, but it's really going to cost you."
"I'm ready to transfer the money to you as we speak. I've sent you all the pertinent information, is that acceptable?"
"Ah, yes. I've received it. 'Para Medea Brieson' who was born in London, twenty-two years ago?"
"That's the one."
"Alright, I can have these printed up in about ten minutes if you can transfer that money to me. Two-hundred thousand is the price."
"Just a moment... aaand it's done."
"Oh... so I see. How will I deliver the package to you?"
"Just put it on your windowsill and let me know when it's ready. I'll stay on the line."
"Ah... alright."
Bra leaned back in her leather chair, fingering the new dress she'd purchased on her morning shopping trip. She'd picked out a small house in the city for Para, done all through a realtor on the phone, and once she could use the ID to set up a bank account for Para she could purchase the house in her name. She could have easily just purchased the house as Bra, but she didn't want to have any obvious links to Para. She planned to paint the basement of the house with ki suppressing paint, along with the garage. That way Pan and Bra could drive into the house, enter the basement, and fuse without being detected. They could also go into the basement to un-fuse and drive away undetected. It was perfect.
"Miss, are you still on the line?"
"Is the package ready?"
"Yes. I'm placing it on my windowsill now."
"Turn around," demanded Bra, not that it was necessary. She would move too fast for the human eye to see. She let go of the receiver, and quickly flew to Mr. Alvarez's place, picked up the package, and was back at her home to catch the receiver before it had dropped.
She quickly scanned through the package, finding the ID pieces to be sufficient, "It seems everything is here! Thank you, Mr. Alvarez, a pleasure doing business with you."
"With you as well, miss."
Pan had worn a disguise and flown to veterinary hospitals in Africa to procure what she needed. Etorphine, or "Immobilon" was a sedative with 3,000 times the power of morphine, and used as tranquilizer for large animals. It was fatal to humans, but perfect for saiyans wishing to conceal their kis beyond what could naturally be suppressed.
The only problem was that it had to be administered through injection.
This thought made Pan shiver, and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight. She had no problem with giving out injections, but she had never had a needle once in her entire life! She would cross that bridge when she came to it.
For now, however... there was something much more terrifying that needed to be done. It was time to tackle the most difficult task of her day.
She changed into a different set of clothing before seeking out his ki and flying towards it. When she was almost there she realized that he was at her apartment. Their apartment, really. She had originally bought a modest apartment near the hospital when she had begun working there, but Trunks had stayed with her so often that he demanded she upgrade to a more deluxe flat, and he had paid the difference.
It was fitting that they should meet there. She could tell him that she'd decided to sell the apartment while she was in the Time Chamber. She'd realized that she hadn't been back to the place since she and Trunks had broken up, not able to bear the memories it held for her. The mere thought of approaching the apartment had made her feel sick to her stomach, but now so much time had passed that she could put that behind her.
Bra is lucky that she bought her house all by herself,Pan thought to herself. Trunks being co-owner of my apartment made me feel practically homeless after we split, even if I owned the greater percentage of the property. Now we'll have to divide the value. Like a mini-divorce.
Pan landed on the roof and as she walked to the stairs, knowing that every step brought her closer to him, she began to feel the sick feeling in her stomach again. Putting a year between them hadn't given her as much strength as she'd hoped. Living a year without him hadn't changed her feelings as much as she'd hoped. She unconsciously ran her hands over her clothing to smooth out the wrinkles from flying.
She descended the flights of stairs and walked through the halls to her apartment door. She could feel his ki so strongly now. She sensed it for his emotions. He knew she was coming, and he was anxious.
Even though it was her apartment to which she had her own key, she still raised her hand to knock on the door. Before her knuckles had touched the door a second time, Trunks had already opened it, and their eyes met.
She knew that she had technically seen him just "yesterday"—but because it had been a year for her she found herself looking for changes in his face. He looked more haggard, more tired, and more beautiful.
Trunks was gazing at her too, taking in the changes that the year had caused to her hair and body.
"Pan," he said simply, holding out his arms to her. She couldn't resist going to him then, and burying her face in his chest. If the year had taught her anything, it had taught her that regardless of whether they were together he would always be a massive part of her life. He would always mean the world to her.
Trunks pulled her against him closely, and reached out with another hand to shut the door. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. He hoped that she had had enough time to forgive him, and that they could go back to their normal lives. He hadn't felt like himself in a long time... and holding her in his arms again made it all feel right.
Pan didn't mean to clutch him so tightly, but after a year of sweet memories, torturous dreams, and his face haunting her, she almost forgot the reason she had come. She had no idea how many minutes they had stood there, tightly wrapped in each other's arms.
"We should sit down," she finally said, as she tried to gather her wits about her. She tried to muster her resolve. In truth, however, being this close to him again had made her feel very lightheaded. Being able to go Super Saiyan 2 offered no real defences against the emotional impact he had on her. The world disappeared and she felt content in his embrace.
Trunks nodded against her hair and reluctantly pulled away, leading her to the couch. She followed. He moved to pull her down to sit on his lap and she nearly followed his direction until she caught herself. Kami, how is it so easy to fall back into the same old routine, even after all this time?Pan forced herself to sit down beside him on the couch, and she folded her hands in her lap awkwardly and stared down at them. It was hard to be formal, hard to be composed in their own living room, on the selfsame couch where he had done the most intimate things to her conceivable.
"Trunks, I've had time to think."
"You're not wearing the ring," he suddenly noted, a sharp tone in his voice.
She nodded, reaching into the pocket of her cream coloured pants to withdraw the jewel. She placed it back in his hands, "I can't accept it."
"Pan... this was a gift, and you know that I won't allow you to return a gift. I had it custom made for you, and it belongs to you... whether you choose to marry me or not. Whether you forgive me or not."
He placed the ring against her palm and folded her fingers over it, but he didn't let go of her fingers, "I thought you might not agree... but if you ever change your mind someday... just come to see me wearing it. You won't have to say a word or explain a thing. I'll understand, and we'll just go back to the way we were, alright? My heart will always be open to you. I just hope yours opens to me again someday."
Pan couldn't respond and kept her eyes cast downward, "I was also thinking of selling this apartment. I don't really need it anymore. If you need it, you can have it, but if not... I could sell it and we could split the profits?"
Trunks eyed her warily, "Why would you want to sell the apartment? Is something wrong?"
"No, I just..."
"If you need money, if you're in a tight spot, let me just write you a cheque," Trunks had already stood up and briskly walked over to his briefcase and opened the latches to pull out his chequebook.
"I don't need your money."
"Don't be prideful, Pan. I don't care to know what you need it for, but I won't have you wanting for anything, whether or not we're together. Now how much do you need?"
"I don't need anything," she said.
"Pan, please. Don't lie to me. Will $500,000 be enough?"
"Trunks, I really don't need..."
"How about a million? I won some money betting on a racehorse with a high ki so it's nothing..."
"Trunks!" said Pan, placing the ring back in her pocket before crossing the room and grabbing his hand to stop the pen in it from descending onto the chequebook. She held his hand firmly and looked into his eyes, "You know what my financials are like. I may prefer a tattered gi to a designer dress, but I'm still an heiress."
"Pan, I'm sorry," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair, "I just don't know why you would want to sell the apartment. I thought you loved it here?"
"I did," she said sadly, "But not since... well you know. There are just too many memories here for me. I can't stay here anymore."
"I see. You're trying to wipe out every connection you've ever had to me."
"Don't be so dramatic!" Pan said with a laugh, "That's not it at all. If I really wanted to do that, then..."
Pan gestured to the detailed full-color global map which covered her living room wall, and had hundreds of multi-colored thumbtacks stuck into it, "I would need to charge up a huge fancy ki attack and wipe out the whole planet. Maybe I would use your Buster Cannon. But then, of course, I would still know how to do that move, along with all the other hundreds of techniques you've taught me, and I'd still have countless memories of you so... in order to effectively wipe out every connection I've ever had with you I'd have to wipe myself out, but really even THAT wouldn't be enough—because face it! We'll probably meet up in the afterlife to train with the Kais."
Trunks smiled as she ranted, "I'm sorry that I made you so disappointed to be stuck with me forever. I remember you used to be very fond of the idea."
She nodded mechanically, glancing into his ocean-blue orbs.
"Pan..." he began again, taking her hands and pulling her forward so that their bodies and faces were very close, "Just tell me... is there a chance for us? A chance to set things right? I'm willing to do anything it takes."
She stared at him for several minutes silently before responding, "Let me be perfectly honest here. I have never been with anyone other than you. You've been with plenty of women. Plenty. I had a year to really think about it, and I'm not sure if I can spend the rest of my life with you. I just... I never believed you would cheat on me, and knowing that I was wrong... it makes me wonder if I was wrong about us to begin with. Wrong about everything."
"No, Pan..."
"And if I were to get back together with you, marry you, and if something like that were to happen again... I don't know what I'd do. It would destroy me. But I'm not concerned about being destroyed, I'm concerned about what else I would destroy."
"You know I would never do anything like that again."
"Really? Trunks, I KILLED SOMEONE. I killed an innocent woman! Not an evil monster in outer space, not someone trying to slaughter us and obliterate the planet, I killed an innocent defenceless human woman. And I was so angry that I didn't even notice. That's not right, and that's not normal. And if that's the person that being with you turns me into, then I don't want to be with you."
"Pan. What we have between us is too amazing to cast aside," his eyes flashed angrily, "I would have killed anyone who touched you too. It's just who we are, it's a saiyan thing."
"A saiyan thing!" she repeated, her voice rising, "That's always the excuse when one of us does something wrong. This is Earth, where you and I were both born, where we have lived our entire lives, and different rules apply here than on Planet Vegeta!"
"How can you say that after what we've both seen and lived through?" asked Trunks, marching to the window angrily. He threw open the curtains roughly and turned, pointing.
"Look. THERE IS PLANET VEGETA. The moon is Planet Vegeta, the "Tuffle Planet" and it has played a bigger role in our lives than you care to admit. It's not part of a distant folklore, it's right here. We've seen the Earth destroyed, and if it weren't for our families, if it weren't for US SAIYANS there wouldn't be any humans left alive today. You've never been one to deny your heritage, why should you start now?"
Pan cast her eyes downward and turned her back to him. She returned to the sofa and sat down calmly, stating, "None of that gives me an excuse to be a killer."
"No, but neither does it give you an excuse to wreck what we have!" Trunks crossed the room back towards her and knelt on the ground in front of where she sat on the sofa, resting his hands on her knees, "Just look me in the eyes and tell me that this is completely over for you. Tell me that you never want to be close to me again, tell me that you don't love me, and I'll let you be. Tell me you don't love me."
Pan stared at him for a moment, and she feared he could see to the depths of her soul even without telepathy. She feared that he could hear her thinking, Trunks, I love you with all that I am.
"Please," she answered, closing her eyes tightly, "I just think that we need time apart. I think that we should both see..."
"Kami, don't finish that sentence, Pan."
"...other people."
He had her by the shoulders in an instant and he shook her forcefully, "See other people? Humans, you want to see humans?"
Pan made a face at him, the skin around her nose becoming scrunched up, "I am human."
"You're a saiyan! It's natural to be with another saiyan."
"That doesn't give me a lot of options," she said, smiling even though it was a very tense moment.
"GOOD!" he shouted, "I don't want you to have options."
She reached out and brushed some of his hair away from his cheek, enjoying his little possessive display of anger, "Your mother is human, and so are my mother and grandmother. Human-saiyan relationships have been proven to work well. Maybe they would work better for us as well."
"I felt your energy when you left the Time Chamber," he said, rising to his feet to look down on her, "You've ascended to Super Saiyan 2, haven't you?"
She slowly nodded.
"Well, that's a very human thing to do, Panny," he said sarcastically.
"Trunks..." she looked up at him bitterly, "Maybe ultimately we're not meant to be. Are youeven absolutely sureyou want to spend the rest of your life with me? Lately it seems like you are interested in a lotof other women, and maybe you need to explore that some more before you commit yourself to one person. Was I even really the one you meant to give the ring to?"
"YES! Dende, Pan. That woman in the papers... she's someone Goten and I just met, and it was spending time with her that made me realize I couldn't let you go. I kissed her, but that was all. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I couldn't move on, even if your whole family was against me, even if you were against me. I couldn't let you go."
"I don't have the same conviction about myself anymore," said Pan softly, "I think I may be able to let you go. I think I need to find myself. I need to see if there's someone else out there for me. I have never had that chance."
"DAMN IT, PAN! You don't need that chance. I won't allow it. Who is it that you want to be with?" Trunks moved his face very close to hers, growling, "Tell me who he is. Is it someone from your work? Is it that lecher Dr. Winters?"
Pan watched in amazement as an aura of blue ki surrounded him as his voice raised even further in anger, "TELL ME! Who is it that you want, Pan? I'll kill him, I will."
She could feel his growing anger and furore—it was permeating his rising ki, and it was causing his voice to shake. This jealous rage... she took it as an assertion of his love for her, which was just as crazy as the love she felt for him. Crazy enough to induce them both to act nothing like themselves.
It wasn't healthy. But as Pan stared into his fiery eyes, she felt herself swept up in the whirlwind of his passion, and she found him more irresistible than ever before. She found her hands clenching themselves tightly in her lap, and she found the muscles in her stomach contracting. She wanted to reach out and pull him against her and show him exactly who she wanted.
"Pan?" he demanded in a low voice, leaning forward so that their faces were very close. Items in the apartment began to fall off of shelves all around them as Trunks lost the grip he had on his power.
She allowed herself to bask in the glorious feel of his vehement ki. His natural power was so great, it was so amazing. She hadn't felt his ki in an entire year, and she was beginning to realize how much she had missed it. She almost wanted to make him angrier so that she could feel his life force intensify even more; she almost wanted to try to make him so angry he physically fought with her, although that was probably impossible. She wanted to pull him down onto the couch with her and make use of that passion of his. She wanted to show him the new limits of her ki, and let their energies mingle as they made love obsessively, zealously.
"WHO IS HE?" he shouted again, as his eyes flickered jade, "Tell me, Panny! Who do you want?"
She couldn't sit still for a minute longer. She couldn't resist.
She flung her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his in a forceful kiss, knocking him off balance so that he fell backwards onto the coffee table, which broke in half. Trunks reached up to grasp her body in surprise, and felt her ki humming beneath his hands. He kissed her back with all the violence he felt, matching her own ferocity as he devoured her lips greedily. He grasped a handful of her hair at the nape of her neck to angle her head so that he could deepen the kiss, and he slipped another hand under her blouse, feeling the taut muscles on her back as he pulled her tightly against him.
He continued to kiss her until he felt wetness on his cheeks. He opened his eyes and realized she was crying. He hesitated for a second, and she suddenly pulled away with the same swift unexpected motion that she had used to attack him.
"Anyone but you," she said with determination as she stood up tearfully. She gazed down at him as he lay sprawled on the broken coffee table, "I want anyone but you."
The expression on his face slowly changed as he processed her words. As understanding seeped into him, his eyes averted, and a few droplets gathered on his lavender lashes before falling.
Her heart and mind ached at the sight of his turmoil, inwardly answering his question with the truth: Only you. Only you. I want only you.
"Please don't do this," Trunks whispered, the pain evident in his eyes and his voice. "Please don't leave me."
Pan stared at him for a moment, tears rolling down her cheeks, and replied, "I have to."
With that she walked away.
As she left the apartment without a glance back, she prayed that he would not follow her. She couldn't bear to see what she'd done to him.
When Pan exited the apartment complex and stepped into the dull rainy morning, she wondered if the year of training had done her any good whatsoever. Her anger had returned with full force.
Everything offended her. She wanted to lift her fingers and burn the skyscrapers. She wanted to incinerate the continents.
If being with Trunks had made her so angry that she killed a person, then being apart from him should have the opposite effect, right?
Apparently not. She still wanted to cause destruction. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, especially for someone who had spent so much of her life trying to prevent destruction.
She realized that she had been slowly walking in the middle of the sidewalk with crackling ki balls around each of her hands and her damp hair falling in front of her face limply, obscuring her eyes. Pedestrians were giving her odd stares and some were even running from her in fright. She suddenly smirked as she imagined that she must look like those dark-haired dead women from horror movies like The Ring and The Grudge... but she was certainly much more dangerous than those vengeful spirits. She was alive. She was powerful. This was herhorror movie.
The balls of ki on her hands disappeared. She controlled the emotion. Her first thought was to find a remote area to have a quick release and to set off a few explosions. (She was suddenly missing the Time Chamber wherein everywhere was remote.) But then she thought better of it.
She went to find Vegeta to show off a few of her new tricks, and to make him pay for fathering her undoing. She would temporarily ignore the fact that he had also fathered her reparation.
"Did you get the Dinosaur Tranquilizer?"
Pan narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Of course, it was on my To-Do List, wasn't it? But you were supposed to ask me about how things went with your brother first."
Bra waved her hand in casual dismissal, "Don't need to ask. I eavesdropped with my long-distance telepathy and I was basically right there in your head. It was steamy!"
"Bra!" shouted Pan, throwing a punch at her friend's face which Bra blocked easily with one finger before frowning.
"Watch the nails, Panny. I just had them done today. I can't spar with you every minute of every day anymore now that I have to look pretty for everyone else in the world."
"You can't eavesdrop on my private conversations either," scolded Pan.
"Conversations? So that's what you two were doing lip-locked on the broken coffee table, having a conversation."
Pan almost crouched down into a battle stance and declared war, but then she thought better of it and announced, "I'm going to bed."
"So early? But you haven't even seen Para's new house yet!" Bra watched Pan stomp up the stairs to her room and smiled. Telepathy sure was fun. Then she remembered the word that Pan had used: bed.
Bra quickly turned Super Saiyan, flew up the stairs, showered, used her ki to dry herself off, brushed her teeth, put on a nightgown, and dove into her bed all in under a minute. She had been looking forward to this moment for a year. She had dreamt of lying in her own massive ultra-comfortable bed again, with the lullaby of the ocean to soothe her.
She sighed a deeply exaggerated sigh as she powered down and fluffed up the pillow behind her head, pulling her duvet snugly right up under her chin. She breathed deeply and tried to relax and let slumber take her.
But then her eyes shot open. She sniffed the air suspiciously, then pushed her face into the duvet covers and inhaled. Her eyes widened and she turned over and sniffed the pillow. Bra crawled up on all fours and began sniffing the bed frantically.
"I thought I laundered these sheets a few days before I left," she murmured weakly, "So either my sense of smell has become much more acute than it was before or..."
Bra sprung out of bed and quickly transformed again and flew down to the basement. She punched in her secret code for entry to her lab and she flew directly to her computer. Her newly manicured fingers flew over the keyboard, bringing up the surveillance footage of the past 24 hours. What she saw made her recoil from the monitors in perplexed shock.
"I don't understand... what are you doing, Goten?" she asked the monitor blankly.
She watched Goten peacefully sleeping in her bed.
She felt the corners of her lips twitch manically, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak into your ex-girlfriend's house and sleep in her bed without permission? You naughty, naughty boy."
Bra reached out and touched the screen, tracing Goten's face with a perfect fingernail as her eyes shone with their evil intent.
"Para's going to punish you for being a naughty boy, Goten."
So what do you think? I hope you will have a chance to leave a review. If you have a story of your own that you'd like to share with me, or a recommendation please let me know as well!
Now for the thanks! This story is brought to you by the energy supplied by my awesome reviewers:
jazzyfizzler: Your wish is my command! Next chapter, Para will push Goten off a cliff and he will die a long and painful death, how does that sound? Hehehe, okie maybe not. Well, maybe she can push him off a cliff, but unfortunately I don't think that will kill him. Lol! I am really thankful that you compared Goten's treatment of Bra to Vegeta's of Bulma, because I think that will help me in sorting things out between them. Sorry that I had to interrupt the sexiness of Trunks by making him say goofy things. =( I intended for it to be a purely sexy part, but I couldn't help sneaking some of geeky GT Trunks into there because I was getting too hot while writing it. XD
Leecassi: Thank you so much for your thorough and kind review! It does my heart good to know that you can visualize the action so well and that you found the emotions to be realistic. Thanks for mentioning the particular scenes which you enjoyed, and I'm glad you see what I mean about Trunks vs. Real Men! =D
DaBigWilliG: Can it be? A GUY is reading my fanfiction? YES! My life is complete! Really though, I'm pleased to know that your gender can enjoy my work as well since I don't have a lot of male readers. I really like what you said about Pan turning Super Saiyan 4... I agree that it would be unrealistic, but I definitely think that Pan and Bra fused should be able to do it quite easily. Hint Hint. =) Thanks for your lovely review, and I am so cheered up to have received your feedback!
Anmylica: I know I already thanked you... but THANK YOU AGAIN! Do you like how I fit the lines into the chappy? I hope so!
famoso: Thank you for complimenting the battle scenes! I really try to make them DBZish as much as I can! Sorry that Goten's snooping irritated you. He just misses her! Hehe.
gina31486: I'm glad you thought that the Bra-breakdown was necessary! Actually, because of your review I went and read the whole "Goku's Humored" story and I really enjoyed it, so thank you for mentioning it to me! I realized that the story had some similarities to mine... like Trunks holding Pan while they slept on the GT spaceship. I LOVED reading the Piccolo-training-Pan scenes. I really liked the idea of Pan having the Mystic powers and possibly being the one to defeat Baby. I mean, come on... Goku defeats EVERY villain in GT, can't Pan have one conquest? Gohan gets Cell at least in DBZ. Man. Well, this is my story and Pan's our heroine here!
Hanako: Awww, really? I am so glad that the chapter touched you emotionally so much. You are so sweet to tell me that! Please let me know when you post a fanfic of your own and I will certainly read and review it! I hope you liked this chapter too!
Phantasom: Whew! Thanks for agreeing with my decision to make the Time Chamber scenes longer. With regards to your comment "Adventure is always more fun than safe"- Amen to that! I am there with you 100%! =)
Suzki: You're right, it's definitely time for Bra to stop crying over Goten! Thank you for putting that in your review. Sorry if it was too much of the Time Chamber, but it will be important a bit later in the story! It's over now and back to Para's naughtiness next chappy. =)
Talk smith Kid: Haha, Goten will get what's coming to him shortly. Thanks for your feedback!
Adwoax3: Thank you! I find it a big compliment to hear my work being called "realistic"! =)
Ken Trunks: Very glad you liked the DBGT memories! Thanks for reviewing!
Supersaiyan2479: Thank you so much for your feedback, dear! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Jaedeon Sierra: Thank you for your comments on the pacing of the chapter. =) Glad you like it and hope you will keep reading.
mali86: Thank you!
faggismcgorpis: Thank you, I hope you liked this one too!
Ann: Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks for stopping by to read my little project. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Again, if you like my writing, please check out the "Sacred Breath Series" written by Nadia Scrieva. That's me! =)