Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! You guys are the best! Hope you all enjoy the next chapter! Again this fic is rated M for a reason so if that's not your cup of tea please hit the back button now, for everyone else, enjoy!

The sun was already setting by the time Pan woke up. She blinked past the blinding pain that filled her body as she lifted her cheek from the river bank and looked around. She was still waist deep in the river, but at least she was alive. Slowly she pulled herself from the cold water and crawled onto the soft grass. Somehow the river had carried her to her destination as she looked at the large, two story cabin in front of her. Her parents used to come here when they were younger and a few times as a child they had brought her here. It was their secret get away. No one would find her here, which was good since she didn't want to be found. She was just glad that she remembered where it was. She slowly pushed herself to her feet in a movement that was both painful and took her breath for a moment. Her legs were weak and shaky beneath her but she managed to make it to the door.

"Now where was that key…?"

Pan bent down and fumbled in the rocks behind the bushes by the front door until she found the one she was looking for. It was hollowed out and the bottom slid open revealing the front door key.

"Jackpot!"

With shaking hands, she opened the door and for just a moment felt like she was stepping back in time. Everything was just the way she remembered it, though just a little dusty from lack of use. She flicked the light switch on the wall and was relieved when the lights came on. The cabin had its own generator and water and gas supply. There was a lot of cleaning up to do, but that could wait until she was dry, warm and bandaged. She was pretty sure she had a couple broken ribs, and a concussion, so she would have to be sure to keep herself awake. She made her way up the stairs, clinging to the banister for support. She shuffled down the hallway until she reached the room that once belonged to her parents. She thought that being here, in this room might bring her heartache, but instead it brought her peace. She could almost still feel them here, watching over her.

Pan shuffled over to the dresser, pulling out some of her mothers' old clothes. She found a long t-shirt and shorts that would fit and headed for the shower. She didn't bother to look at herself in the mirror as she passed it. She didn't want to see the damage until she'd had a chance to clean up. Like it would make seem less bad if she could get the blood off. Standing beneath the hot spray of the shower Pan let herself pretend that it was just water droplets slipping down her cheeks and not tears. When she was thoroughly warmed by the shower she finally dried off and went to stand in front of the mirror.

She let herself take in the nightmare that her body was. Her lower lip was split and bleeding again. Her right eye was partially swollen shut. A large bruise decorated her left cheek. There were smaller bruises on her neck and arms. But her middle had gotten the worst of it. Her ribs and stomach were a mass of dark bruises and cuts. There were smaller bruises on her legs but those seemed more like they had come from her ride down river. She tried not to cry as she stared at all the damage Trunks had inflicted. Reaching for the first aid kit she carefully dressed her wounds. There was even a gash in her right palm that she didn't remember getting. There was still so much for her to do. So much for her to clean up in order to make this place livable again, but she was so tired. She wanted nothing more than to curl up under the covers of the queen size bed and sleep.

She was just about to fall asleep when she was she was woken by a sound from downstairs. The sound of footsteps. Someone was coming up the stairs. Panic flared through her. She quickly slipped out of the bed, readjusting the blankets to look like no one had been in it and went for the closet. She curled herself up behind a large box and quietly shut the door. Light shone in threw the small slats in the door. Pan waited, holding her breath, trying to hear past her pulse thundering in her ears as the steps grew closer, louder. She heard someone stop outside the bedroom and the doorknob slowly began to turn. She covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound as someone entered the room. She watched as whoever it was drew closer and tried not to gasp when she found herself gazing at Vegeta.

How had he found this place? Why was he here? Had he followed her? Was he looking for her? None of that mattered. She couldn't go back. Not now. Their secret was out. Everyone would know by now and she couldn't stand to face her grandparents. The shame and disappointment in their eyes would be more than she could take. And she could never face Trunks or Bulma ever again. Did Vegeta know that it was Bulma who had seen them and spilled their secret? Did it matter? She stayed there, huddled in the cool dark of that closet as silent tears slipped down her cheeks. She wanted to run to Vegeta, to feel the warmth of his arms around her. But she just couldn't do. Stubborn Saiyan pride and her own shame refused to let her do what she wanted most. It was several hours later when she finally dragged herself from the closet, sure that Vegeta had finally left. He had gone through every room in the house looking for her and thanks to Pan lowering her ki, and blocking their connection, he gave up and left.

"I'm sorry Vegeta….forgive me." she thought.

Vegeta flew further north, searching almost frantically as he went. He'd followed the trail of Pan's blood, the scent of it so strong it was hard to miss. But somewhere along the line, the trail went fold. He'd followed the line of the river, praying that he wouldn't find her broken body among the rocks. But there had been no sign of her. The moment he'd spotted that cabin, he'd felt hope spring to life within him. The door had been open, he'd taken it as a good sign. But as he searched each room and found them all empty, the hope he'd once felt began to sink. And by the time he left, for the first time in his long life, he felt utterly defeated. Somewhere out there was the woman he loved, and he hoped, she still carried their child. He couldn't seem to get the image of her beaten and bloody out of his mind. And when Trunks had kicked her that last time he'd gone into pure rage. He'd given Trunks the beating of a life time. The brat would live, but he had several broken bones and it would take several months before he fully recovered.

And Bulma, she'd been almost gleeful about Pan's fleeing. The bitch. He knew she was behind this. Trunks hadn't needed to tell him. He knew the moment he saw the self-satisfied smile on her face that this mess had been her doing. He remembered the panic in her eyes as he'd grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall. He'd made it very clear to her, that if Pan died, she was next. It was true he felt some guilt over his part in all of this, in his hurting his wife and children. But it was also true that he had never in all these years felt for Bulma, what he felt with Pan. And it had nothing to do with age or physical appearance. Pan called out to him, made his blood sing. It was as if she had been born to be his. It was something he could never quite put into words. They were a mated pair. They were always meant to be together. Now if only he could find her and bring her home. The sun was getting lower on the horizon. He was losing daylight. Soon he would have to go home and start fresh in the morning. But he couldn't imaging going home without her and knowing that she was out there somewhere, pregnant and alone. And that more than anything terrified the prince of Saiyans.

Goku was waiting for him when he returned and for a moment, he truly felt as though he couldn't look him in the eye. No matter how they had started out, deep down he counted Goku as his friend, and he knew that he had broken something between them. Something he might not be able to repair.

"Kakkorot."

"You didn't find her?"

"No."

The two Saiyan warriors stared at each other for what seemed like a life time but was only a span of a few heartbeats.

"I wish I could say I hate you for this Vegeta, but the truth is we're friends, and I know you love Pan. I saw what you did to Trunks just to protect her. That kind of rage doesn't come from anything but love. I actually wanted to do the same thing to you when I found out. "

"But?"

"But I can't. You love Pan, I've accepted that. And she loves you. And no matter what's happened, the only thing I care about right now is bringing her home."

"But you still want to fight about it?"

"It won't be much of a fight since I'll win. But yeah. When she comes home, we'll fight."

"Deal."

That was the last the two men spoke of it. Tomorrow Vegeta would start fresh and begin his search again. And if he was lucky, he would find her. But as it was, Pan didn't want to be found. Days to turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and Vegeta's hope began to waver. He'd searched for her every day since she'd gone missing and there had still been no sign of her. The baby was due soon, it made him more frantic than ever to find her.

Pan had spent those quiet weeks and months turning the cabin into a real home for herself and for her child that was on the way. As it turned out, she had a neighbor not too far away. An older woman named Kae, who as luck would have it was a doctor. She was kind and enjoyed Pan's company came often to check up on her and bring her groceries. And now that Pan was so close to the arrival of her child, she stopped by every couple days to see how she was doing.

Pan had done her best to get the house ready. After that beating she'd taken from Trunks she hadn't even been sure the baby had survived. She'd been more than lucky that Kae was a doctor. She'd figured from the start that Pan was on the run, hiding out from someone, and had assured her that her pregnancy had not ended. Pan had cried tears of joy. The doctor never asked about her past or where she was from and Pan never offered. It was nice being around someone who wouldn't pry or push or tell her to go home. It was also nice to have some company. The cabin was great but it could be lonely living here on her own. It was the only place she really felt safe. She could have gone to Master Roshi's house, but that old man was such a pervert she didn't really want to live with him and his constant peeping. Not when she had so much going on. Besides, Roshi would have ratted her out to her grandfather and the others, and they would have tried to drag her back. And that was something she didn't want. The cabin was truly perfect for anyone who didn't want to be found.

Pan had spent the early part of her day outside in the back yard, enjoying the garden she'd planted and the warm breeze. The scent of fresh herbs filtered through the air. She'd begun growing a lot of her own food. She wanted to limit the amount of groceries Kae would have to bring her and she also shared the fresh fruits and vegetables with the older woman. It was an exchange that worked for them.

Pain winced as a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She'd never felt anything like it. Carefully she got up and went inside. She'd just gotten in the door when that pain came again, sharper this time. She knew without a doubt that the baby was coming. Pan cried out as she leaned against the door for support, tears stinging at her eyes. The pain came again, stealing the air from her lungs as she slid to the floor. She'd left her phone that the doctor had given her in the other room. She had to get to it. But the sharp pains kept going. She had to half crawl, half slide her way across the cool kitchen floor. She grabbed hold of the kitchen counter and pulled herself to her feet. She needed to reach the phone. She couldn't do this alone. She needed help.

Pan stumbled forward as another pain shook her body, causing her to knock a glass off the counter. She slid to the floor, cutting her arm and hands on the glass as she crawled through the kitchen door and into the living. She wasn't sure how she managed to get to the phone. Her hands trembled as she dialed the number for Kae's cell.

"Kae?"

"Pan what's the matter?"

"It's the baby. The baby's coming now."

"Just try to keep calm Pan. I'm on my way."

Pan tried to keep breathing, tried to relax but couldn't. Everything seemed to be happening so fast and the pain was only getting worse. She lay on the couch crossing her fingers that the doctor would arrive in time. Panic and fear was slowly beginning to set in. She was terrified and didn't know what to do. If Kae didn't arrive soon she would have to deliver the baby herself. And that scared her more than anything in the world. Another sharp pain, this one so strong it bowed her back, and she couldn't stop the tears that accompanied her cry of pain. And at that one terror filled moment, for the first time in nine very long months, she lost her concentration on the walls in her mind that kept their connection blocked and called out before slamming them shut once more.

"VEGETA!"

Alone in the gravitation room, Vegeta hit the punching bag again. He'd gone on his search for her as usual, but there had been nothing, and he was starting to believe that Pan was well and truly gone when he heard voice like the ringing of bells in his mind.

"PAN!"

So what did you guys think? I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please review and remember to be kind. See everyone soon in the next chapter!