Dragon Ball-GT - Pan's Innocence
Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one in this story.
Chapter Twelve – Why are parents?By now Pan wasn't even sure how the whole situation began. The conversation started out easy enough, but then for some reason, it took a slight detour when Pan mentioned something about taking a trip alone with Trunks into space.
That wasn't such a complicated subject, was it? Well for Gohan it was. The second he heard Pan utter her request only two words seemed to register in his mind. Alone and Trunks.
"Out of the question!" snarled Gohan, the coffee cup he was holding shattered in his grasp as he stared down his daughter making him appear as a deer gazing into headlights.
That was only the start of the argument. All Pan could recall after that, was a contest of comebacks and a great deal of shouting on both their parts.
Once things calmed down enough to actually pass as a normal discussion, Pan took her seat next to the kitchen table, where she had decided to catch her father and ask him about her little adventure to Namek. She also chose a time when she'd have him all alone, since Videl went out shopping some time after Pan got back around noon.
Gohan sighed and sat down as well. "Don't worry dad, nothing bad is going to happen," Pan assured him as her cheeks flushed slightly, knowing exactly what he was worried about.
With another sigh Gohan poured himself a new cup of coffee. "Pan, you know I would love to take your word for it, but I would feel much better if someone else went with you," he pleaded; now he looked at his daughter with eyes that wavered with worry.
"Dad! You left me in his lap!" Pan slammed her hands on the table and repeated for emphasis, "in his LAP!"
Gohan remained calm not wanting to relive their previous argument. "Yeah but Goten was there as a chaperone, that was different."
"I hate to break this to you dad but uncle Goten is NOT a chaperone! He doesn't even pass as three's company!" Pan growled.
With yet another sigh, Gohan massaged his eyelids. "We'll talk to your mother about this," Pan's face brightened as he pointed at her. "But I'm not making a decision yet."
The teen stood and hugged him excitedly. "Thank you Papa."
Gohan smiled and hugged her back, then pulled her away to look at her sternly. "That didn't mean I said yes Pan," he told her just as seriously.
Pan rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes Papa," she replied as her arms still hung over his shoulders. "Don't worry, Trunks is responsible, he'll take care of me up there. Heck he's almost as old as you dad."
"Pan," Gohan warned, his tone annoyed.
"Kidding!" Pan raised her hands in defense, clasped them behind her and stepped back.
Once Videl got back from shopping, Pan was going through her solo training exercises outside while Gohan remained in the house looking over some business documents along with the coffee stained newspaper which happened to be in the line of fire when his cup shattered.
Pan finished up her forward punches and went to help her mother unload the car. "Hey mom, took you long enough, oh and Papa wants to talk to you," she rattled off while Videl lowered the top on the convertible and Pan searched the many grocery bags for a certain item.
Videl just gave a classic, "Huh?" and took what she could as she made her way to the front door. "Talk about what?"
"Oh, you'll find out," Pan mumbled looking back and rummaged through more bags, finally she beamed. "Aha!" she unwrapped and thrust the random flavored lollipop into her mouth.
When she came to the kitchen entrance she stood there, blankly staring, as her parents already seemed to be in deep debate. "Pan, honey, come sit down," Videl told her. "I need to speak with your father, alone," she then led Gohan into the living room, which was strait across from the kitchen. Pan did as she was told and sat down at the kitchen table.
"I don't like it. It was fine when dad was with them, but this is just wrong." Gohan explained, as he stood strait and glanced from his wife to Pan. "I don't see why someone else can't go with them."
"Gohan, think about it, Trunks is 29, he knows the difference between right and wrong," Videl smiled at him and continued, "Pan needs to start making her own decisions – not that she hasn't been doing that all her life – but besides that, I think this will be good for her. Lately she's been too pressured with school, and I think she needs to get away from everything and just have fun for a change." she told him, then gave him a sly grin. "Surely Trunks wouldn't do anything you wouldn't do," she poked him in the shoulder forcefully and he had to flinch and chuckle in reply.
Gohan sighed and agreed with an unsure gleam in his eyes, he wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that or not. "Ok, ok, I'll let her go, but you have to talk to her."
"About what?" Videl asked, her arms folded as she raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know, I just want her to be prepared for anything," he looked to Pan, sitting at the table as she flexed her hand, an energy ball appearing and disappearing in her grasp. "You're her mother," Gohan muttered.
"Yes, and you're her overprotective father," Videl replied as she made eye contact with him before walking over and sitting in a chair at the side of her daughter. Gohan said nothing in reply and followed suit to sit on Pan's other side.
The energy ball she had been playing with dissipated and she glanced from her mother to her father with curiosity. "Am I being teamed up on?" she asked with a smirk.
"You can go," her mother announced and was nearly clocked by the table rearing as Pan jumped to give her a hug.
"Thanks Mom, I knew you'd talk him into it," said Pan as she heard a grunt and went to hug her father. "Sorry, forgot you were there," she drawled and grinned.
"Yeah, right. Well you ladies have some things to chat about, so I'm off, and don't you leave until tomorrow, got it?" Gohan ordered and held a finger, indicating his seriousness.
Pan saluted mockingly and winked curtly. "Yesir General, er sir."
Gohan nodded as if all of the madness made sense. "Very good then," he said, closing the front door behind him.
Pan retook her seat at the table and leaned her cheek on one hand, she knew a lecture when she seen one, and this was definitely going to be one. She yawned and after a fashion she just started tuning her mother out and nodded now and then.
The rest of the day was uneventful, Pan called Trunks and told him the trip was a go. He swore, although, he muffled it over the phone, Pan could still make out what he said. "Trunks? What's wrong?"
Trunks muttered something to someone on his end and then gave the phone his full attention. "Oh nothing Pan, I just lost a bet with my sister, that's all. I thought for sure Gohan would blow a gasket or something before he'd let you go," he explained and glared at his sister who was now counting the money she had just won.
"Oh that, yeah he got pretty mad, we're out one coffee cup but Mom talked him into it."
"Oh really?" Trunks' expression brightened as he smiled evilly at Bra and rubbed his thumb and index finger together.
Bra frowned and threw the money at her brother; she stormed off without a word as Trunks snickered. "Can always count on my buddy Gohan," said Trunks, now being his turn at counting the cash.
"You're mean," Pan chuckled.
"So are you," Trunks replied, holding the phone with his chin and shoulder. "So you'll be here tomorrow right? The ship should be ready before you get here."
"Got it, see you then, oh and can we bring Giru with us? I haven't seen him in forever," Pan whined and prepared to hang up.
"Yeah I'll get him, Bye Pan," Trunks hung up and left to work on the ship.
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-Day of the launch - Briefs house-
"Mom where is the Pan proof launch gear?" asked Trunks, while doing a routine maintenance check of the ship. "You know what happened last time."
Bulma looked up from the terminal where she did her share of the preparations. "Yes Trunks, I made sure this baby had Pan proof everything this time."
Trunks stepped out from under the spacecraft and glanced around the area, hands on hips. "Is that so? Well I don't see a Pan proof Giru, what did you do with him this time mom, don't tell me you're still giving him upgrades."
Bulma smiled and finished her checks. "Actually, I have, but I'm done... I think he's in my main lab, probably chowing down on some of my other projects, Kami knows he loves to eat the important stuff," she said as she made her way through the launch site and into the house with Trunks following.
"Yeah he's good at that," Trunks laughed. "In fact the very first thing he ate when we found him was the dragon radar, man it can't get much more important than that."
Bulma nodded and smirked when they walked through the doors to her lab as Giru rushed over to hug Trunks. "Trunks! Trunks here, giru giru."
"Hey Giru, my mom hasn't rearranged your wires too bad has she?" Trunks chuckled and examined the robot.
"Giru, giru," the tiny robot replied as if contemplating the question for an answer.
"Oh com'on, if anything I've made him more energy efficient." Bulma retorted and left the room. "Oh and you should probably go set him up in the ship, you don't want to forget him," she trailed off and the door closed automatically, drowning out anything else she might have said.
"Trunks seems happy, giru, giru." said Giru when they were alone.
Trunks smiled and crossed his arms as the robot began to hover. "Oh really? Well you will be too when you hear who's coming with us on a trip into space."
"Who Trunks? giru, giru."
"Hm, I think I'll make you suffer, you'll just have to wait and see," Trunks told him and led the way back to the ship. "Come on Giru, we leave in two hours."
Giru hovered there for a few seconds more, as Trunks stood just outside the door waiting, then the robot followed with a question, "please Trunks, tell Giru who it is."
Trunks grinned and looked at his metal companion. "Sorry Giru, you're just gonna have to wait."
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AN: I know I know, half of you are going to say, "Gaud I HATE Giru! He's so irritating!" Sorry, he may be little but he's a part of the crew now!
