I'll Always Love You, Mommy
It's been a while since I've wrote something, but I finally got the idea to do a sequel to Hush Little Panny. So if you've not read it, you should. It may help you to understand this a bit better. This is for everyone who reviewed Hush Little Panny. Without you, I never would have done this. Thank you all so much. I really appreciate it.
"Daddy! Daddy! Let's have our picnic over here!" shouted 5 yr. old Pan.
"Coming Pan!" yelled Gohan as he lugged along a humongous picnic basket.
"You're so slow daddy. Even I can carry that," boasted Pan.
"Okay then little strong one, let's see you carry the big picnic basket," answered Gohan as he put the basket into Pan's open arms.
"Oof, this is kinda heavy, Daddy," said Pan as she struggled under the weight.
"Would you like for me to take it back?"
"No, daddy. I will carry it," answered a determined Pan.
"Are you sure?" asked Gohan.
"Yep," answered Pan as she took off at a trotting pace.
Wow. She gets stronger and stronger every day. How I wish Videl could have been here to see this. She would have loved to train with her. I know she would have.
*Flashback*
Gohan and Videl were training in Bulma's Gravity Room. Gohan had set the gravity level on 3 for Videl's sake. "So Videl, do you think you can handle this?" he asked in a calm voice.
"I can handle it. It's no biggie," answered Videl, sweat dripping off her brow. The force of gravity was pulling her down, but she was trying her hardest to keep her power level up as high as she could.
"Are you sure?" asked Gohan.
"Yes. Now are you just going to stand there or fight me?"
"Fine. Come at me and throw a punch."
Videl was about to take off quickly, but then she remembered something Gohan had told her. Never charge at an enemy right off. Wait and watch for the right moment. Once you see that moment, then attack ran through her mind.
She took her defensive stance and watched. Gohan stared at her with unknowing eyes. She only ever saw that look when they were sparring. He was trying to teach her how to improve her skills. She listened intently, but always shuddered at that look.
Cold, heartless. Well that look won't scare me Son Gohan. I will find your weakness. Videl searched for any sign. She thought she saw it. She circled around Gohan and then… "Ahh!" she yelled and aimed a punch at the back of his neck.
Gohan suddenly disappeared. Videl's punch hit air. "Damn you Gohan!" she shouted in disappointment. She slammed her fist into the wall.
"Getting mad never helps at all. It only distracts you," came a small whisper on the back of Videl's neck as strong hands wrapped around her waist. She shuddered at the warm air landing on her neck.
"I know. I know. I just don't like to fail Gohan. You know that."
"But you aren't failing. You're training and practicing to do better. There's a difference there."
"Gohan?"
"Yes love?"
"Well, will I be able to help you train when we have a kid?"
"Of course. I wouldn't think of leaving you out. You know that as well as I do."
"I know. I was just wondering."
"You would never be left out. Never."
"Okay. I just know our kid will be very strong."
Gohan chuckled. "Of course, Videl. Of course."
*End Flashback*
Gohan sighed and jogged to catch up with Pan who had somehow gotten way ahead of him. "You're a slow poke daddy!" teased Pan.
"I'll show you slow poke Pan," replied Gohan as he took flight. He flew to catch up with Pan. He slowed down when he was flying right beside her. "Who's the slow poke now?"
"Aww… but you cheated daddy. I can't fly," pouted Pan.
"You can now," answered Gohan as he picked her and the picnic basket up and picked up his speed.
"Wheeee!" shouted Pan.
Gohan flew until he saw a familiar shady spot where they could have their picnic and a river where Pan could play. "Okay Pan. Do you see that river up ahead?"
"Yep."
"That's where our picnic will be."
"Oh neat."
Gohan didn't tell Pan one small detail about why he'd picked that spot. That spot was a favorite place of Videl and his. That's where they had most of their dates. It was also where Gohan proposed to Videl and they were married. The place had many memories for him.
*Flashback*
Gohan and Videl flew through the air, hands clasped. They had again come to their favorite 'dating' spot as ChiChi called it. "So Videl, you up for a little fun?" asked Gohan as he grinned mischievously.
"Um… I don't know…." Videl couldn't finish her sentence.
Gohan grabbed her by her waist and nose-dived toward the river. "Son Gohan!" yelled Videl.
Splash! Gohan dropped Videl into the river. He hovered over the spot where he'd dropped her. Sure enough, she came up coughing and sputtering. "Gohan… you… are… so… dead," called Videl through her coughing.
Gohan chuckled. "No I'm not. You'd never hurt poor pitiful Son Gohan now would ya?" he asked in a mocking voice.
"Poor, pitiful Son Gohan my ass," replied Videl. "You are soooo dead when I get a hold of you."
"Technically, you can't kill me for one."
"I can sure as hell try to now can't I?" she called back carelessly from the water.
Gohan ignored her. "And my other reason is….." he stated as he flew down and scooped the soaking wet Videl up in his arms. He bent down closer to her face. "This," he whispered as he began to kiss her.
Videl tried hard to resist him. After all, he'd practically drowned her. But somehow, she couldn't resist. There was something about him. The eyes. That had to be it. Whenever she looked into them, she could see an innocent and loving soul. She always felt calm and peaceful when she looked into them.
Finally, she gave in and kissed Gohan back. Gohan smiled at her and took her back to the tree and laid her down in a not-so-shady spot to dry off a bit. Then he laid down beside her.
Videl sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them to see Gohan bent over her grinning sheepishly. "What is it Gohan?" she asked.
Gohan pulled Videl into a sitting position. "Videl… I… uh … have something to say…" he muttered.
"Yes Gohan? What is it?" she asked carefully, wondering what Gohan was trying to say.
"Videl… will you… I mean… I…" stuttered Gohan. Come on Gohan. Get a hold of yourself. This isn't rocket science. "Videl, will you marry me?" he asked, pulling out a gold ring with blue topaz set in it.
Videl was shocked. She had expected him to ask sometime of course, but not now, not here. "Gohan… I…. Uh…. Yes."
"Yes?" asked Gohan, fearing that he'd misheard her.
"Yes Gohan. I will marry you."
"Whoo-hoo!" shouted Gohan in excitement.
"I'm going to have grandchildren after all!" shouted ChiChi out of no where.
"MOM!" yelled Gohan in disbelief. "Why were you spying on us AGAIN?"
"Well I figured that today would be the day you'd ask so I just had to come and see. And it was well worth it too. I finally get grandkids!"
*End Flashback*
Gohan set Pan down in front of the tree with the basket. Then he pulled out the red and white checked blanket and spread it out. Pan jumped onto it and sat down. "Let's eat now daddy!" she exclaimed.
"Okay Pan. Just let me get our stuff out of the basket and then we can eat, okay?"
"All right. After we eat, can I go swimming?"
"You have to wait 30 minutes after you eat. You don't want a tummy ache like last time."
"But that tummy ache wasn't my fault," muttered Pan.
"Whatever you say Panny. Now how about we eat some lunch?" asked Gohan after he'd pulled all of the food out of the picnic basket.
The spread was awesome. There were 10 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, 2 bags of potato chips, 2 big Tupperware containers of watermelon, a container of sour cream dip, 4 apples, a chocolate cake, and two gallon jugs of lemonade.
"Yummy daddy. Did you make the cake?" asked Pan.
"Yes. Why."
"I dun want cake then."
"Why not?"
"'Cause the last time you made cake, grandma and grandpa fainted."
"What? It wasn't that bad."
"It was salty and nasty."
"Oh fine. But you have to eat everything else."
"Okay okay."
Pan and Gohan dug into the food- literally. Pan ate everything she could. Even though she was only 1/4 Saiyan, she still had a big appetite meaning she ate 4 sandwiches, a bag of chips, and a container of watermelon. "All done, daddy!" she exclaimed happily. "Can I go play in the water now?"
"No. You have to wait 30 minutes before you can go play in the water."
"Awww. Why do we have to go by the rules?"
"Because they keep you safe."
"Daddy?"
"Can I go play in the water now?"
"No."
"Now?"
"No."
"Now?"
"No Pan. Not now. Why don't you go pick flowers?"
"Flowers are for sissies."
"Then how about you watch the birds?"
"Yucky. That's borrrrrrrring."
"Well you can always just sit here and wait for the 30 minutes to end."
"Fine I will then."
Gohan finished eating the rest of his food and also managed to eat the cake without making too many faces in front of Pan. She still noticed though. "See daddy? The cake is yucky. No wonder grandma sends over so much food."
"Now Pan, my cake isn't that bad."
"Then why are you making the 'yucky' face?"
"It's not the yucky face. It's the um…. yummy face," answered Gohan
"Surrrrrrre daddy. Sure."
"Why don't you put some of the trash and containers away?"
"Can I go play in the water if I do?"
"Only if you put all of the stuff away."
"Yay! I can play!"
"Only if you put all of the stuff back into the basket."
Pan rushed around, throwing the trash and containers back into the basket. She only left the cake out for Gohan. She noticed that the cake had grey spots mixed in the yellow. She was definitely glad that she had not eaten it.
"All done daddy. Me go play now?"
"Of course."
Pan ran off to the river's edge and took off her shoes and socks. She had some trouble, but not much. She threw them aside and splashed into the river.
"Not too far out Pan!" yelled Gohan from his spot.
"Okay daddy!"
As soon as Pan wasn't looking, Gohan put the cake back into the basket. He had no clue how he'd messed up the recipe this time. He'd followed the box instructions exactly. All he had to do was all eggs and water and mix it up. Maybe it was those extra spices I added in to make it taste better. Note to self: never add in butter, cinnamon, vanilla and extra salt.
Pan splashed around in the water. She sifted the sand through her fingers and tried to skip rocks across the water. She also went back up onto the small beach and molded the sand.
Gohan watched her as he cleaned up. Young and naïve. She hasn't a care in the world. I just know she'll pop the question. Most likely today. Will I be able to explain it to her? Will she understand? She has to know the whole story sometime.
Twenty minutes later, a soaked-to-the-skin Pan came running back up to the blanket. "Daddy? Do you want to come play in the water with me?"
"No Pan. I think I'll just stay up here and think. You can go play in the water some more if you like."
"No. I'll sit up here with you," answered Pan as she climbed into Gohan's lap.
"All right then Panny."
Pan laid her head against her father. "Daddy?"
"Yes Pan?"
"What was mommy like?"
Luckily, Gohan had already told her about her mother dying. He didn't want to have to explain that again. It was hard enough to try to form her name on his lips without having to explain. Even when he had did a toned down version for Pan, it still brought
back flashbacks from that day. Videl's been killed by a drunk driver…. I'm sorry….. Ma-ma!…. Good bye Videl…. All of those phrases from that day still ran through his head. He took a deep breath. "What do you want know about her Pan?"
"What was she like?"
Gohan moved so that he was leaning against the tree. He knew he'd need something to support his body. "Well Pan, she was the most wonderful person I'd ever met. You see, everyone thought of me as a dork in school. Your mother did at first too, but soon found out other wise."
"How?" asked Pan.
"Well, she found out my secrets by blackmailing me. She had me to train her to help her become stronger. During that time, we became closer. Soon she meant more to me than life itself. I would do anything to see her again. Anything Pan. She was always there to understand and comfort me," whispered Gohan as silent tears rolled down his face.
"I'm sorry daddy," answered Pan as she wrapped her arms around her father and gave him a bear hug. This only caused Gohan to cry harder. He went on. "And today Pan, today it's been 5 years since she died. She's been gone that long and it still seems like yesterday since she gave me a goodbye kiss that morning and left for work. She'd told me that when she came home that evening, we'd all go out for dinner. But she never did. She died. Her life stolen from her by some crazy fool."
Pan knew she could not stop her father from talking. She sat there and listened to him, tears beginning to fall from her face for the mother she never got to see, but loved deeply and dearly. "Daddy? How come you never used the dragonballs to wish her back?"
"I seriously thought of doing that Pan. But I thought that she should stay dead."
"Why?"
"Well, I could never figure out why I decided to do so. It's just that once a person has died, I think that they should rest in peace and not be disturbed and brought back over and over again. I know I'll see her again someday, but for now she will wait for me."
Pan looked up at Gohan with a tear stained face. She felt horrible. Not horrible as in she'd done something wrong, but horrible as in sad. Her father had pulled a feeling from deep inside and brought it to the surface. It was a feeling of burning desire and love for her mother. This person that she had only been with for 3 months of her life. Three months that she was not able to remember because she was so young. Three months that she wished she could remember. "Daddy?"
"Yes?" answered Gohan, wiping his eyes.
"Can we go visit mommy's grave?"
"Of course. Why don't you go pick some flowers for her while I put everything away?"
Pan didn't answer. She got up and wandered off into the field. Gohan picked up the rest of the picnic lunch and folded the blanket. By the time he was done, Pan had returned with a bouquet of wild flowers in her small hands. Gohan picked her up with the picnic basket and they flew off.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Satan City Cemetery. Gohan flew past row after row of graves until he found the one he was looking for. Videl's gravestone was a huge monument of a beautifully carved stone angel whose face resembled hers, her hands folded together gracefully. Both Gohan and Hercule had helped to pay for it.
Gohan put Pan down and let her be. Pan looked to her father and then at her mother's grave. Pan looked at the writing written on the headstone.
Dearest Angel,
Beloved wife
You brought joy and laughter into my life
You're always in my heart and soul
Of you, I'll never let go
I love you always and forever
Until we meet again, dearest angel
Videl Satan 2005-2026
Pan walked over to the side and place the flowers in front of the head stone. "I love you mommy, always," was all she could say before more tears began to lightly fall. Then she stepped back. Gohan came forward and knelt down on one knee. Pan could not hear what he said, but she knew that she should not ask.
Gohan patted the hard ground in front of him and then stood up. Without a word he picked up Pan and the picnic basket and flew home with them.
So what did you think? Sad I know. I didn't think this one should be happy since it had was the 5 year anniversary of her death. Review please and tell me what you thought.