28- MT & LP

The shock throughout the group was abundant. Pan could feel it in the way that the trees bristled that what the other Pan was saying was true. Axel was coming to her timeline. The thought made her dizzy, and she stumbled back. Trunks caught her quickly and pressed her back against his chest.

"Axel is coming here?" Trunks asked, his voice strained.

Slowly, the other Pan nodded. "I've been having visions of him," she said. "At first, I thought he was just looking for me, but soon I realized that he was coming after you," she said, looking at Pan. "You sent me to the Mirai timeline, a place he couldn't touch because he didn't know of it. But your timeline is like the one I'm from. Fate has just twisted differently. He can and will reach this timeline."

Goku stepped forward, and Pan could feel his hand rest on her shoulder for a few seconds as he squeezed it. A reassurance that he was there. "So, what do we need to do? How can we defeat Axel?"

The other Pan stared at Goku, her dark eyes large and wide. "Papa," she whispered.

Goku walked forward and reached out to hold her hand. Pan could see that it was trembling. "Pan told us about what happened in the other timeline. I'm so sorry," his voice was soft and sincere. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, and you had to go through so much all on your own."

The other Pan swallowed hard. "I thought about you guys all of the time. It's what kept me going. And when I arrived in the Mirai timeline, things got so much better. I have Trunks now, and I have the Bulma and Chi-Chi of that timeline. They're my family," she squeezed Goku's hand and gave him a soft smile. "But you guys are too, and I'm not going to let Axel harm you again."

"What do we need to do?" Goku asked again.

"Hide the Dragon Balls," the other Pan said. "In my timeline, Axel used them to gain the power he has now. They should be hidden somewhere safe so he can't use them to become even more dangerous."

Goku nodded, "I'll go to The Lookout and talk with Dende and Piccolo. We'll get them somewhere safe," he promised.

"What about when Axel arrives?" Gohan said.

A terrible thought crossed Pan's mind. Suddenly, all the nightmares she used to have of her family and friends dying in front of her reeled in memory. She let out a gasp of horror.

"He's coming here to do the same thing he did to your timeline, isn't he?" Pan's voice shook.

"That's why I'm here," the other Pan nodded. "He'll use his magic, so we'll have to be careful with how we deal with him."

"Is there a plan?" Goten asked.

"At the moment, no," the other Pan shook her head. "Right now, the most important thing is hiding the Dragon Balls and keeping them safe."

Goku nodded and took a step back.

"I'll go with you, Dad," Gohan said as he walked up. He stopped at Mirai Trunks and grinned widely, "it's so good to see you again."

Mirai Trunks' lips twitched. "It's good to see you again as well, Gohan."

As Goku and Gohan shot into the sky, heading towards the lookout, Bulma ran over to the visitors. "Oh my, look at you!" She was gushing towards Mirai Trunks. "You look to be the same age as my Trunks, now."

"I'm probably close to it," he gave a small nod. "I'm not sure how many years have passed here since the last time I came, but for me, it's only been about five years."

"Panny," Chi-Chi called, and Pan turned her head the same time as the other Pan.

"This is going to get confusing," Goten commented.

"We'll make it easier," Bulma said. "Do you mind going by MT again?" She asked Mirai Trunks.

"No," he shook his head.

"And you," Bulma looked at the other Pan. "Do you mind going by LP?"

"I don't," she smiled.

"LP?" Goten raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened. "I get it! It's for Little Pan!"

"Your genius is outstanding," Trunks commented dryly.

"LP," Chi-Chi began again. "How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen," she said. "I was sixteen when Pan saved me from Axel, and I've been in my new timeline for three years now."

"How old were you when everything happened? How - how did you survive?" Chi-Chi asked with teary eyes.

LP sucked in a breath. "I was twelve when Axel arrived," she began. "He killed everyone," her eyes grew far away as she spoke. MT placed a hand on her back to encourage her, and Pan felt herself swallowing hard. She could only imagine what LP had witnessed. Pan had only seen glimpses of it in her nightmares.

"He killed everyone," LP repeated. "He used his magic to erase my memories. When I woke up, he told me that Saiyans had kidnapped me when I was younger, and he had saved me from them. I wasn't allowed to leave the mansion's property, and he said it was to protect me. The first year, went by as if I was in another person's body. I couldn't remember my past or who I really was. I trusted Axel completely.

"When I was thirteen, he had decided it was time for me to learn how to control my magic. The problem was, my magic never came to me. He tried many different things to try to call my magic to me. The last thing he tried was tying me to a chair and throwing me into a pool - "

Chi-Chi let out a horrified gasp, and Pan could feel Trunks tighten his grip around her.

"My magic didn't come to me," LP said. "But my Saiyan side did. I went Super and saved myself. The trauma knocked me unconscious, but when I woke up, I remembered my family and that I was a Saiyan," her voice was shaking, but Pan was impressed at how well she was speaking. "I couldn't remember what happened to everyone, and Axel refused to tell me.

"Axel had been horrified that my Saiyan side appeared dominant, so he stopped trying to call my magic out in fear that I would become Super Saiyan again. I was fifteen when I discovered a memory ball Axel had left around, and I saw everything -" her fist clenched, her knuckles growing white. "I saw him murder everyone, even those on The Lookout.

"It was a few weeks before my Seventeenth birthday that everything came crashing down. It's when Pan arrived," she let out a sigh. "I was playing nice with him that day because I was trying to find a way to escape. That was the day he -" she let out a shudder and forced herself to continue. "He told me he had an early birthday present for me and took me upstairs. It was a wedding dress, and that's where he told me his true plans for me."

"Procreation," Pan said softly. She could still remember Axel's hands on her shoulders to force her down. The memory sent her stomach lurching. The baby in her belly now was made from the love that she shared with Trunks—the thought of carrying that monster's child made her ill.

LP nodded slowly. "He told me he had to kill my family so that we could be together. I ran from him then and locked myself in my room. I almost ended it all, but then Pan arrived," she said. "I thought it was all over, but the other night I had a dream, and it was of this Pan, and I knew he was coming. I think somehow we are contacting each other subconsciously."

"It looks like we have a lot to talk about," Pan said.

"Yeah, you two do," MT nodded. "But first - can someone tell me why the hell Android Seventeen is here?" He glanced at the Android, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, this is going to be good," Trunks snickered.

"Hm," LP glanced over at Seventeen. "I told you Eighteen married Krillin in my old timeline. That's Marron, their daughter," she motioned towards the said woman.

MT made a face. "That's still weird to think about, but that doesn't explain Seventeen and why my little sister in this timeline has her arm wrapped around his," he said.

Pan looked over at Bulla, and they shared a wide-eyed look. MT hadn't been on the best terms with the Androids. In his world, they had been monsters who had never changed. Things could get bad.

Trunks, however, couldn't stop snickering, and he took it upon himself to explain.

"MT, I hate to the bearer of bad news," Trunks said, though it was apparent he was enjoying it. "But our darling little sister is dating that Android."

MT's eyes widened in shock.

Surprisingly, Seventeen stepped forward. "Hey, listen -" he held up his hands. "I know that you and I didn't get along in the past. I was told I was a real asshole back then, and I'm sure my counterpart made your life hell. I'm sorry about all that. A few years ago, I got into an accident and lost all my memories after turning into an Android. I'm more human than anything now. I hope there are no hard feelings between us."

MT was silent for several seconds. "Yeah, sure," he said slowly. "As long as there are no hard feelings between us over the fact that in my timeline, I obliterated you and your sister."

Seventeen's eyes were wide with shock as Vegeta's laughter filled the air.

LP glanced around the backyard of Brief Manor in awe. Goku and Gohan had arrived back from The Lookout just moments ago. They hadn't mentioned the Dragon Balls, and no one asked. The fewer people knew, the better. MT stood off to the side, speaking with Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta, most likely telling them how he won his timeline back. Goten and Trunks seemed to be bickering about something as Eijiro, who had been introduced as Goten's boyfriend, rolled his eyes. Marron, who was holding a sleeping toddler, was speaking with Bulla and Seventeen. Bulma and Chi-Chi were rushing around, gushing about this and that.

It felt normal - LP knew that this timeline is what hers could have been like.

"Here you go," Pan said as she walked up and handed LP a cup of tea.

"Thanks," she said as she watched Pan sit down. Looking at her counterpart was almost like looking into a mirror. Pan's hair was longer, though, and it fell to the middle of her back. Not to mention, Pan had a very noticeable baby bump.

"You know, when I had a dream about you the other day, everyone was making comments about your pregnancy," LP said. "It didn't click in my mind what they were talking about until I saw you. How far along are you?"

Pan smiled and placed her hand over her stomach. "Six months. I'm due in January, and it's a boy."

LP smiled. She hadn't thought much of being a mother herself, but seeing Pan about to be one made her wonder. "That's amazing," she said. "And you and the Trunks of this timeline are married, right?"

"Mhm," Pan's smile widened as she showed LP her ring. "You and MT, you're a thing too, right?"

LP could feel her cheeks growing warm. "We are," she nodded. It was nice knowing that even in different timelines, she and Trunks were together. "We've been dating for a while now."

Pan turned slightly. "Hey!" She yelled towards Trunks and Goten. "They're dating!"

"I TOLD YOU!" Trunks laughed at Goten.

LP's cheeks grew warmer, and she turned as she felt MT's eyes on her. He caught her gaze and winked before turning to talk to the other men.

"So that's what they were bickering about," LP said.

Pan laughed, "they bicker about anything and everything. They've been like that for as long as I can remember."

"Really?" LP raised an eyebrow. "So after Buu, our family remained close with the Briefs?"

Pan nodded, "Bulla and I were practically raised together. Did we not remain close in your timeline?"

"No," LP shook her head. "After Buu, our families went their own ways. The day Axel showed up, the Briefs were over for a visit for the first time since then."

Pan's eyes softened. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know saying that doesn't change anything, but still. I'm really sorry all of that happened to you."

LP let out a sigh and straightened her shoulders. "It made me who I am today," she said. "And it's because of everything that happened that I got to meet my Trunks."

Pan let out a sigh as well and rubbed her stomach slowly. "I always used to hope that Axel was suffering for what he had done to you. I never imagined that he would try to find me. If it weren't for the baby, I wouldn't mind it as bad," she confessed. "I would think there's something that we can do to stop him. Now I can't stop worrying at all." She looked at LP; their eyes were the same. "How are you going to stop him?"

"I don't know," she admitted. The truth unsettled LP's stomach. "I was with him for four years, though. If there's a way to defeat him, then I've got to know it somehow."

"I believe in you," Pan said, and she smiled as their eyes met. "I believe in us. I know I'm pregnant, so I'm not sure how much magic I'll be able to do, but I'll help in any way I can."

LP just smiled back. "I believe in us too."