I bet you counted all the tears I bet you've cried
I bet you swore you'd never let love back inside
Cause it hurt you way too bad to say goodbye
Now, there'll be times when I might put us to the test
And it's hard for broken hearts to just forget
But I'm driving blind, I'll lay it all on the line for you
--
[Author's Notes: That took me a little longer than I thought it would, considering I had everything planned out.. but I decided to change it around after all. I was also trying to make the chapter a bit longer, but length has never been a friend of mine. A huge thank you for everyone who commented, I appreciate it a lot! ^-^ Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! With that out of my system, here's part two!]
If That's What It Takes - The Right Thing
Leaning against an old maple tree, she gazed into the sky, watching as the stars slowly faded into the morning. A million thoughts rushed through her mind, a million questions, a million worries. As confusing as the stars, and as countless.. thoughts that stretched as far as her eye could see. Questions that held no answers.. as mysterious as the stars that dotted the universe. Saying nothing, doing nothing, hearing all.
The voices stuck in her head did little to ease her worries, her fears. Constantly bickering with herself, constantly doubting, constantly aching.. and there was no one who could make them go away. No one. That made it hurt even more. They were the voices that kept her from falling asleep at night, kept her from being who she was, kept her from living once more.
Pan let the tears trickle down her reddened cheeks, let the wind whisper her tale to the trees, let the sky sing it's song of hope.. she let life go on, no matter how badly she wanted to stop, to turn around, to revel in her memories of the past. She let it all go on without her. She'd sit this dance out.
~ if that's what it takes
"I'm worried," Videl murmured, sipping her coffee, "that can't be healthy." Her daughter had never been one to sulk. Pan went through enough boyfriends a year to rival even Videl herself when she was younger.
"She's strong.. she'll get over it." Gohan replied, casting a wistful gaze toward his daughter. "I'm sure she will. She just needs some time." No matter how confident he seemed, worries were starting to tug at his soul. He had never seen his daughter so hurt, so raw. He was starting to wonder if she really could get over it alone.
"I think we've given her enough time. I say you drag her in here, wipe that frown off her face and bring back the happy little girl I raised."
Rolling his eyes, Gohan muttered, "It's not that easy anymore."
~ if that's what it takes
Combing his hair back, he gazed into the mirror, hoping his nervousness didn't show. Trunks looked back at himself from the reflection, tall and mysterious, hidden behind a wall of secrets. Sighing, he pushed a few strands of hair from his gaze and pummeled out of the bathroom stealthily. Rapping his knuckles against Bra's door, he called, "I'm going to go hang out with Goten for a while. Don't wait up for me."
Slipping out the window, he felt the cool breeze rush against his face, and for a few brief moments, he felt free. Free from the storm cloud that constantly hung over him, free from the chains that held him down to reality. For only a moment. It didn't take long for the guilt and the fears to catch up to him, and they made up for lost time.
He didn't know when it started, all the worries.. they had just snuck up on him and before he knew it, his soul was pulled down in a mass of chains and shackles. He was scared that he'd never find the right girl, scared that she'd already disappeared, scared that the person he was looking for was right in front of his nose. But most of all, he was scared that he'd already found her.
~ if that's what it takes
Pan found herself in her room when the morning came, a room filled with memories that had left her behind. Lifting her pillow, she gathered all the pictures that lay underneath gingerly. Leafing through them, a wistful smile found its way to her lips, and she recited each boy's name, remembering. Somewhere in between Alan to Zeke, the smile had faded, and the tears just wouldn't stop. Mentally, she cursed herself.. for being weak, for letting them hurt her.. for letting her heart break every time.
"It doesn't have to be like that." A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts, and she whirled around. Seeing no one, she replaced her photos under the pillow and stood, silent. "You're a Son.. you can do whatever you want to do. Be whatever you want to be." Recognizing the voice, Pan's eyes widened, "Grandpa?" Goku chuckled lightly and popped into view behind his startled granddaughter. "Miss me? Everyone's worried about you, Panny." Sitting down on the bed, Goku continued, "I know you're hurting, but only you can make it stop.. and you've got to decide who you want to be. No matter how much you want to think you're normal.. you're not. But if that's what you want to be.. no one's stopping you."
She smiled, and happiness, a feeling that was almost foreign to her now, flooded into her veins, though she didn't know quite why. For a few moments, the burden that lingered upon her soul was forgotten, and the agony that she had encircled herself with was slowly floating away. Maybe he was right. Maybe she could make it all better again. Pan threw herself in Goku's arms, overcome with hope. Hope that she could get through this. Hope that life would go on once more.
Smiling, Goku slowly faded away. He, too, was filled with hope. Hope that she would do what was right. Hope that her smile would never fade. "I know you'll do the right thing," Goku whispered, "you deserve to be happy again."
~ if that's what it takes
Grabbing a few clean shirts and a toothbrush, Pan stuffed her bare necessities into a duffel bag and bolted down the stairs in record time. In the kitchen, she snatched a bagel and as she hurried out the door, possessions in hand, she yelled, "Mom, dad! I'm going to go find the dragonballs!"
---
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonight's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby, just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes..
I bet you swore you'd never let love back inside
Cause it hurt you way too bad to say goodbye
Now, there'll be times when I might put us to the test
And it's hard for broken hearts to just forget
But I'm driving blind, I'll lay it all on the line for you
--
[Author's Notes: That took me a little longer than I thought it would, considering I had everything planned out.. but I decided to change it around after all. I was also trying to make the chapter a bit longer, but length has never been a friend of mine. A huge thank you for everyone who commented, I appreciate it a lot! ^-^ Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! With that out of my system, here's part two!]
If That's What It Takes - The Right Thing
Leaning against an old maple tree, she gazed into the sky, watching as the stars slowly faded into the morning. A million thoughts rushed through her mind, a million questions, a million worries. As confusing as the stars, and as countless.. thoughts that stretched as far as her eye could see. Questions that held no answers.. as mysterious as the stars that dotted the universe. Saying nothing, doing nothing, hearing all.
The voices stuck in her head did little to ease her worries, her fears. Constantly bickering with herself, constantly doubting, constantly aching.. and there was no one who could make them go away. No one. That made it hurt even more. They were the voices that kept her from falling asleep at night, kept her from being who she was, kept her from living once more.
Pan let the tears trickle down her reddened cheeks, let the wind whisper her tale to the trees, let the sky sing it's song of hope.. she let life go on, no matter how badly she wanted to stop, to turn around, to revel in her memories of the past. She let it all go on without her. She'd sit this dance out.
~ if that's what it takes
"I'm worried," Videl murmured, sipping her coffee, "that can't be healthy." Her daughter had never been one to sulk. Pan went through enough boyfriends a year to rival even Videl herself when she was younger.
"She's strong.. she'll get over it." Gohan replied, casting a wistful gaze toward his daughter. "I'm sure she will. She just needs some time." No matter how confident he seemed, worries were starting to tug at his soul. He had never seen his daughter so hurt, so raw. He was starting to wonder if she really could get over it alone.
"I think we've given her enough time. I say you drag her in here, wipe that frown off her face and bring back the happy little girl I raised."
Rolling his eyes, Gohan muttered, "It's not that easy anymore."
~ if that's what it takes
Combing his hair back, he gazed into the mirror, hoping his nervousness didn't show. Trunks looked back at himself from the reflection, tall and mysterious, hidden behind a wall of secrets. Sighing, he pushed a few strands of hair from his gaze and pummeled out of the bathroom stealthily. Rapping his knuckles against Bra's door, he called, "I'm going to go hang out with Goten for a while. Don't wait up for me."
Slipping out the window, he felt the cool breeze rush against his face, and for a few brief moments, he felt free. Free from the storm cloud that constantly hung over him, free from the chains that held him down to reality. For only a moment. It didn't take long for the guilt and the fears to catch up to him, and they made up for lost time.
He didn't know when it started, all the worries.. they had just snuck up on him and before he knew it, his soul was pulled down in a mass of chains and shackles. He was scared that he'd never find the right girl, scared that she'd already disappeared, scared that the person he was looking for was right in front of his nose. But most of all, he was scared that he'd already found her.
~ if that's what it takes
Pan found herself in her room when the morning came, a room filled with memories that had left her behind. Lifting her pillow, she gathered all the pictures that lay underneath gingerly. Leafing through them, a wistful smile found its way to her lips, and she recited each boy's name, remembering. Somewhere in between Alan to Zeke, the smile had faded, and the tears just wouldn't stop. Mentally, she cursed herself.. for being weak, for letting them hurt her.. for letting her heart break every time.
"It doesn't have to be like that." A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts, and she whirled around. Seeing no one, she replaced her photos under the pillow and stood, silent. "You're a Son.. you can do whatever you want to do. Be whatever you want to be." Recognizing the voice, Pan's eyes widened, "Grandpa?" Goku chuckled lightly and popped into view behind his startled granddaughter. "Miss me? Everyone's worried about you, Panny." Sitting down on the bed, Goku continued, "I know you're hurting, but only you can make it stop.. and you've got to decide who you want to be. No matter how much you want to think you're normal.. you're not. But if that's what you want to be.. no one's stopping you."
She smiled, and happiness, a feeling that was almost foreign to her now, flooded into her veins, though she didn't know quite why. For a few moments, the burden that lingered upon her soul was forgotten, and the agony that she had encircled herself with was slowly floating away. Maybe he was right. Maybe she could make it all better again. Pan threw herself in Goku's arms, overcome with hope. Hope that she could get through this. Hope that life would go on once more.
Smiling, Goku slowly faded away. He, too, was filled with hope. Hope that she would do what was right. Hope that her smile would never fade. "I know you'll do the right thing," Goku whispered, "you deserve to be happy again."
~ if that's what it takes
Grabbing a few clean shirts and a toothbrush, Pan stuffed her bare necessities into a duffel bag and bolted down the stairs in record time. In the kitchen, she snatched a bagel and as she hurried out the door, possessions in hand, she yelled, "Mom, dad! I'm going to go find the dragonballs!"
---
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonight's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby, just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes..