*Chapter 26: Confessions of Love and Forgiveness*
It felt like she'd been gone for a year, but it had only been a little over two months. Sixty-three day, to be exact. She didn't think she was going to make it through that night in the blizzard, but she did. Jyden and Mai had found them the next morning and after they insisted that Pan and Goku Jr. get a checkup from the doctor, in case of frost bite. Pan decided it was time to go home. Now as Pan walked around the back of Bulma's house, she could hear a girl giggling and a guy chuckling. She recognized the giggling girl as Bra…but who was the guy? Adjusting Goku Jr. in her arms she quietly made her way to where the laugher was coming from to see Bra and Goten sitting on a bench by the bushes, making out.
Pan held a gasp. Her uncle and her best friend? She would never thought in a million years. Pan smirked, as an idea came to her. "Goten, look out! Vegeta's coming!" she screamed.
Goten got this wide eyed look on his face and jumped into the bushes as Bra tried to straighten out her outfit and started saying, "Daddy I can explain everything." She looked around but didn't see her father anywhere. In fact, her father wasn't even home, her mother was dragging him on one her shopping sprees. It was the only reason why she and Goten were even daring to make out in the opening of the backyard.
Bra turned toward the side of the house when she heard laughter, and saw Pan laughing her ass off while holding a giggling Goku Jr. "Oh man, that was classic. I couldn't have done it better if I tried. What you think, Goku? Is your mommy a good prankster or what?" Pan asked lightly pinching his nose and Goku just giggled and started talking in baby language. "I couldn't have said it better myself."
"Pan?" Bra said, half angrily and happily. Angry because Pan ruined a perfectly great make out session, happy because she was back.
"Hi Bra, it's nice to see you, the both of you," Pan said, smirking when Goten poked his head out of the bushes when he figured the coast was clear.
"Hey Panny, Goku, my favorite niece and nephew are back!" Goten said happily and jumped out of the bushes and ran at Pan and Goku Jr. and embraced them both in a hug.
"Goten, we're your only niece and nephew," Pan said, rolling her eyes but so happy to see him again.
Goten just shrugged. "You're still my favorites."
Pan smiled at Bra and they gave each other a hug. "So… tell me, how did this happen?" Pan asked, taking about Bra and Goten being together.
"It happened at the senior prom, and then well it became official during the summer." Bra was blushing the whole time she was explaining.
Pan was so happy for the both of them, and they did make a pretty cute couple. "Where's Trunks? I really need to talk to him."
"He's in the poolroom," Bra told her. "You want us to take junior, while you talk to, Trunks?" She asked taking Goku Jr. from Pan.
"Yeah, thanks you guys. We'll take some more later." Pan ran across the grass and made her way to the poolroom. She took a deep a breath as she came to the door; she could her splashing in the pool. She opened the door and walked in. As she stood at one end, waiting for Trunks to reach her, she thought about what she was going to say. Spending weeks wandering around Jade's diner, cooking, cleaning messes and washing dishes, had given her plenty of time to think, but now that the moment was at hand, her mind went blank. The love letter she'd put in her glove compartment to be deliver if she had froze to death in her car that night was now in her back pocket. She supposed she could use that as a crib sheet, but she didn't want her declaration of love to turn into the delivery telegram. After everything she'd put Trunks through, he deserved to hear her whole heart, without notes.
Grabbing the side of the pool, Trunks did a double take, rubbing the water out of his eyes. "Pan, you're back."
Although her note had promised she would come home, Trunks hadn't been sure. He'd been wrong about Pan before. Quickly climbing out of the pool, Trunks wrapped a towel around his waist, but not before Pan gave him a quick up-and-down. It had been a long sixty-three days, and she had forgotten how handsome he was.
"I'm going to Orange Star University," Pan blurted out. "And I should have told you before, but I didn't want you to choose, or not choose, a school because of me. And I know that's conceited to think that you would base the most important decision of your life on some stupid pregnant girl your mom took in like stray mutt, but I would have followed you to the top of Mt. Everest, and you seemed like you liked me a lot, at least for a little while, but I know I was wrong about that, and I'm sorry I acted like an idiot. I understand now that you were just being nice, trying to get me through a really rough patch, and it worked, and I'm grateful. I would have never made it to the end without you. But I behaved like a fool after Goku was born. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe I was just confused, but now I got it all straighten out, and I hope we can at least be friends."
If not for the fact that she had run out of air, Pan would probably have kept talking, trying to apologize and make Trunks understand that even if he didn't want her for anything more than a friend, that would be enough, because after more than two months without him, she realized that she couldn't imagine not having him in her life. All that stuff about loving him that had flowed so easily from her pen when she thought she was about to cash in her chips was too scary to say out loud when he was standing two inches away and her heart was in her throat. Maybe she would find her backbone when he put some clothes on.
"Are you done yet?" Trunks asked, placing his cool, wet hand on Pan's warm face, her pale cheeks flushed from not taking a breath. He wanted to save this moment like a snapshot in the photo album of his mind—the moment Pan came back to him.
Pan nodded.
"Okay, then. I'm going to Orange Star University, too." Torn between Princeton and Orange Star University. Bulma had tipped the scale. "I had a dream that you were still in Japan, and you were very happy. Take it for what it's worth," his mother had said, winking. He wondered if Pan had told her what she had decided, or if his mother had a source in the admissions office. But she swore she knew nothing it was just another one of her feelings.
"Really?" Maybe, just maybe….
"Really, and there's something else, something I should have said before you left, but you were acting weird, which you were totally entitled to do considering what you'd just been through, and I was being pigheaded and stupid. I wasn't just being nice to you all those months. I love you. I think I fell in love with you the day you moved into our house." Having sixty-three days to think about what he was going to say if and when Pan came back to him, Trunks decided that he loved Pan enough, loved Goku Jr. enough, to risk everything, including his self-respect.
Pan's face turned pink under Trunks' hand, but she said nothing. Trunks' words hovered in the air between them. For a long minute, they stood there, avoiding each other's eyes, Trunks' wet hair dripping on Pan's sneakers.
"Don't you have anything to say about that?" Trunks finally asked. It was so liberating to finally get the words out, even if Pan had fallen for some square-jawed guy while she was away and wasn't interested in the preppy rich boy. Whatever happened next, he needed to know how she really felt. "Did you ever feel that way about me, even for a little while?"
Pan nodded, her eyes glassy with tears.
"And now? How do you feel about me right now?" Trunks asked. Before she could answer, he cradled her face in his hands, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "Tell me," he whispered. His mouth was inches from hers, and before he could find her lips, Pan reached up and kissed him. Her tears were warm on his cheek, and he could feel her pulse quickening under his hands. Pulling away from her reluctantly, he said, "Does that mean you still…."
"I love you, too. I always have, but I didn't want to ruin your perfect life. I didn't want you to love me because you knew my parents didn't love me anymore and I was alone, or that I was some lost lamb who couldn't fend for herself." Pan sat down on the floor and Trunks knelt in front of her.
"That's not why I love you, Pan. I know you don't need me to take care of you, but I want to. There's a huge difference. I want to be the man you deserve, the father Goku deserves. I want to be a part of your lives because I need you."
"And I need you, too. You make me feel like me, like the person I want to be, and when I was away, it wasn't the same," Pan said. "I don't want to be away from you anymore."
"So don't leave again." Pushing her back onto the floor, Trunks stretched out next to Pan and kissed her forehead, her nose, both cheeks, her chin, and finally her lips. "It's so long," he said, running his fingers through her long locks of hair.
"I let it grow out, is it bad?"
"No, I like it," Trunks whispered into Pan's ear. "I didn't think you were coming back to me, but my mom said I just had to patient."
"Your mom's the smartest woman I've ever met." Pan suddenly sat up. "I should tell her I'm back. We have to tell her about Orange Star University. She'll be so excited."
"She dragged my Dad into going shopping with her and I having a feeling she already knows." Trunks laughed and kissed Pan again.
From the opening at the door, Goten and Bra had watched everything and were now sharing a smile as they left the couple to their moment together. "Well, Goku. It looks like you're getting a daddy after all." Goten smiled at his nephew who was sucking on his shirt.
"All I gotta say is, finally." Bra smirked and ruffled Goku Jr.'s hair. He was going to be her nephew after all.
A car pulled up the Briefs driveway, the person turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath He and his companion got out of the car and started walking towards the front door.
"I can't do this, Gohan," Videl said taking a step back, "What if she doesn't want to forgive us? What if she hates us?"
"The least we have to do is try Videl, if she doesn't want to forgive us; we can't really blame her, can we? Pan's already apologized to us a million times. Now it's our turn." Gohan took his wife's hand and lead her to the Briefs front door. Taking another deep breath, with his heart ponding in his chest, Gohan rang the doorbell.
They heard someone approaching the door and Bulma opened the door and almost stumbled backwards when she saw who it was. "Gohan, Videl, what a surprise." The day had certainly been full of surprises, first coming back home to find out Pan and Goku Jr. were back and now, Gohan and Videl were at her doorstep. Maybe her son's talk with Gohan had worked its magic after all? Bulma had thought.
"Hi, Bulma. Is Pan home? We need to talk to her." Gohan cleared his throat and waited for Bulma's answer.
Bulma couldn't stop blinking; hoping that this was really true and Pan and her parents were finally going reconcile their differences. "She in the back with, Trunks, Goten, and Bra. Would you like me to go get her?"
"No, I think it would be best if we went to her," Gohan said and Bulma invited them in leading them to the back.
"Good luck, you two." Bulma gave them a reassuring smile and left the couple at the back door and went back to planning Pan's and Goku Jr.'s homecoming party.
Gohan and Videl watch the four teenagers playing on the grass with a baby who looked just like Goku as a child. Videl bit on her bottom lip to keep from crying, that baby was really her grandson, her own flesh and blood that she was so selfishly going to snuff out more than nine months ago. Gohan was having the same similar feelings as Videl at seeing Goku Jr. All the guilt was overwhelming. It was clear as day to him that they had been in the wrong all along.
Pan lifted Goku Jr. in the air and catching him, making him laugh exactly. "Wii…Wii…Wii…" Pan giggled as her son enjoyed the rush of flying.
Trunks was the one to notice Gohan and Videl at the doorway and tapped on Pan's shoulder, getting her attention, "Somebody's here to see you, Pan," Trunks whisper and motioned for her to look over at the doorway.
When Pan saw her parents so many things flooded her mind at once. A small part of her was feeling resent towards them and thought maybe she should just give them the cold shoulder as they did to her for the past year. But a bigger part of her was glad to see them, and was ready to repair their broken relationship. She was ready to forgive them and fall into their embrace as father, mother and daughter. With tears welling up in her eyes, she handed Goku to Trunks and made her way over to her parents.
Gohan and Videl met her half way; they were holding back their own tears as well. "There isn't anything we can say, that can tell you how deeply sorry we are, Pan," Gohan said before taking a deep breath and continuing, "You were right, and we were being selfish and complete idiots and not thinking what you were going through. We are so sorry for the way we treated you and saying all those hurtful words. I know there's not really anyway to make up for it and we'll understand if you never want to speak to us again. But we just wanted you to know how sorry we are for everything." Gohan let his tears flow freely, he knew he had no right ask for his daughter's forgiveness but he truly hoped she would forgive them and bring their family back together.
"You said some very hurtful things, things a parent should never tell their child." Pan looked at the ground, knowing if she looked up at her father's face, she would choke on her tears. "It's going to take some time to fully get over everything, dad."
"I know, we can take it slow. One day at a time, whatever it take. I just want to have you back, Pan. I want my little girl back."
Pan looked up at her father and seeing the tears in his eyes and it broke her heart and she attacked him in a hug braking down into tears, "Daddy I missed you so much. I want you back too."
Trunks, Goten, and Bra watched the reconciliation taking place with smiles on their faces. It really was true, miracles did happen every day. And then seeing Videl and Pan burst into tears and embrace each other and Videl telling Pan how truly sorry she was the best thing to wittiness.
That was the beginning of Gohan, Videl, and Pan's start as a new family.
That was so beautiful; I just love moments like that. One more chapter and this story's done.