Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z and I don't earn any money with it… But if… Well I'd rather not think about it… It's too depressing…
A/N: Again soooo many reviews! You can't believe how happy I am! But first of all I congratulate kawaya for being the 600th reviewer! I also wanted to congratulate all the 500th, 400th and so on, but I somehow had really problems to count the reviews… Please forgive me!
And I see you all love Takeo! I think I made a really good choice bringing him into this story! And he will get his own story as soon as this one is finished. And I'm sorry for making you so sad with the last chapter! But this chapter will be happier! I promise!
@ TrunksPan-Luver4evr: I know that it usually takes longer for a plane to leave, but it's my story and I wanted the plane to leave before Trunks got there, but he still had to see Pan, so…. Whatever, fact is that she's on the plane now and Trunks not. That's exactly how I wanted it to be. What was it Pink Ice said in her review? My story – my rules… *gg*
@ MASIHA: I've already read I never dreamed and as I already said in one of the other chapters: AMCM74 did inspire me to write this story!
@ manda: I know what you mean. I also feel connected to the characters when I'm reading a story… I really love getting lost in them and forgetting the real world… It's just easier to live this way….
Oh, and I want to warn you! I have no idea how long it takes for a plane to get from Japan to California and I think I just know that, when it's in Japan midnight, it's about seven o'clock in the morning, but I don't know if it's on the same day or the day before, so please, don't be too hard on me, okay?
Chapter 19: Going to LA!
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Trunks watched seemingly helplessly as the plane started to roll faster and faster on the runway and finally took off. Overwhelmed by the emotions of loosing Pan, he wasn't able to think. Her had forgotten that he could have easily broken the glass, forgotten that he could fly, forgotten that he could easily catch up with the plane. Just one word was on his mind:
Pan.
It was his fault that she was gone. His emotional outburst had caused the love of his life to leave him. Suddenly the realization finally sank in. Gone. Not as in dead-gone. But gone. He had lost her. He clenched his fists, almost hard enough to draw blood. His fault.
He leaned with his head against the window, slowly being able again to think. No, he really couldn't blame her. Now that he thought over it, he even could understand her motives. She was right. They would have treated like a small child. But now that he knew the woman Pan, he didn't think that he would ever again see her like little Panny. She had really grown in the last seven years. Not just physically, but also emotionally. She was maybe more mature than he would ever be.
Oh why? Why did he never give her the chance to explain herself? She had tried often enough in the last three weeks. And he? He had acted like a complete ass and treated her like a stranger. But would the result have been different? Would he have overreacted like he did or would he have reacted more understanding? Maybe it just wasn't meant to be…
Nonsense, he berated himself, of course was it meant to be! You two have bonded for Dende's sake!
Slowly gaining his courage back, he raised his head and looked at the sky, still being able to see the plane as a small white point in contrast to the blue sky. He smiled lightly. No, he hadn't lost her yet. There was still a chance to get her back.
Takeo watched in silence how his father stood there at the window. He could see several emotions passing on his face, but didn't quite know how to place them. He still didn't know his father well enough to be able to read him. Even as he had told him that he knew that Trunks still loved his mother it was just guessing. It was just a test to see his reaction and Takeo had been right. His father still loved her.
He sighed and closed his eyes, thinking hard about something – anything – his mother had told him about the break-up. Any places she went shortly after or friends she had there…
Suddenly he noticed the slight rise of his father's ki. He opened his eyes and saw him walking towards him, with a determined expression on his face. "What are you doing?" Takeo wanted to know.
"Going after the plane, forcing it to land and get Pan," he told him shortly.
"You can't do that!" the young man said exasperated and grabbed Trunks' arm.
The older Saiyajin whirled around and jabbed him in the face, causing him to crash into a glass wall, letting it shatter. Some passers-by stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the two young men. "Don't tell me, what I can and can't do," Trunks hissed.
Groaning, Takeo got up. It wasn't just because of the few small cuts he had received through the glass, but more because of his now broken sunglasses. He picked them up and got up, wiping the rest of the glass from his clothes. "Everything's okay…" he said, grinning lightly at the passers-by. Seeing that the show was over, they continued whatever they were doing and not paying any attention anymore at them. Takeo then walked up to his father, who just stared at him, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Listen… father," he told him calmly. "I can understand how you're feeling right now. But as hard as it is, you have to keep a cool head. You can't just go after the plane and force it to land. By the way, do you know how mom would react, if she suddenly felt your ki coming after her?"
Trunks' shoulders slumped down. "You're right. But we can't feel her ki and do you have any idea how big LA is?"
"Don't worry about that," Takeo told him. "I think I have an idea where she might go… I'll tell you all once we're back at Capsule Corporation, okay?"
His father nodded and for the first time since they had met, he took a better look at his son, especially now that the sunglasses are gone. "You got the looks from my part of the family," Trunks said, some pride evident in his voice. "Especially after my father, but your personality is definitely your mother's. She did a good job raising you."
Takeo smiled. "Tell her that and not me."
Trunks smiled back and then turned to some security guards, who had finally arrived. "Well, yeah, sorry about that. Just send the bill at Capsule Corporation." He looked at his son. "Ready to go? I don't want to let the others wait."
"Sure." With that, father and son left the airport, flying back to Capsule Corporation.
~*~
For the split of a second Pan thought to feel Trunks' ki rising at the airport, but quickly dismissed the thought. What should he have wanted there? He self told her that he never wanted to see her again. So, she concluded she must've imagined that. She looked out of the window, seeing a few mountains under her. Mountains she would most likely never see again.
Again doubts started to nag her. Would she really be able to raise a child on her own? Takeo's mother was able to do that, but Pan was sure that this woman had been much stronger than she was. Could she really live there all alone? No, but she wasn't alone. She still had friends there from college. She had even called one of them, Angela, with whom she had shared a room in the last seven years, to ask her if she knew a place for her to stay. And even though Angela had still one year of college ahead, since she couldn't graduate early like Pan did, she invited her to stay in her dorm room. She had said that she had been so lonely since Pan had left and had reassured her that it would be no problem for her to stay there.
Pan sighed. Thanks to Angela she wouldn't have to sleep in some cheap motel, or even worse, on the street.
~*~
When Trunks and Takeo arrived back at CC everyone was already gathered. Everyone, that meant Goten, Gohan, Videl, ChiChi, Bra, Bulma and Vegeta. Bulma, Goten and Bra looked expectantly as the two, who came into the living room, Takeo still standing in the shadows of his father, but Trunks just shook his head, causing their faces to fall.
"Can now someone please fill us in about what is going on?" ChiChi asked impatiently. Just at that moment Takeo stepped out of the shadows, causing the ones who didn't know him yet to stare at him. "Oh my…" she mumbled. "Uhm, Bulma, have you noticed that this young man looks exactly like Vegeta?"
Bulma smirked at her and then looked at Takeo. "Do you want to explain, or should I?"
Takeo raised his hands a bit. "I think I've told that story way too often today."
"Okay…" his grandmother said, still smirking. "This is Takeo and the reason why he looks like Vegeta is, because he's Vegeta's grandson, that means Trunks' son from the future." Bulma noticed the disbelieving looks on the other's faces and decided to continue. "But it gets even better. His mother is Pan."
Silence. Looks were exchanged between Gohan, Videl and Bulma. "But… but… that means…" Videl stuttered.
"Right, Takeo is also your grandson," Bulma said. "But there's still something else I have to tell you. Something you might not want to hear. Pan… is Pia…"
It took again a moment for them to digest those news, until ChiChi suddenly began to scream. "What? Our little Panny was that beautiful woman?"
"Bulma," Gohan said threateningly. "If this is some kind of sick joke, then…"
"It's no joke, brat," Vegeta told him, thinking that it was time for him to enter in this conversation. "Have you never wondered, how you couldn't take the eyes of her at the party? You've felt the Saiyajin in her. That's the reason, why."
Gohan sank back in the couch. Vegeta was right. This simple explanation held the key for the strange feelings he had towards her that evening. As hard as it was to admit - His baby-girl had grown up. He looked at Videl, now for the first time noticing how much she and Pia looked alike. But instead of finding a shocked expression on her face, he saw her smiling. "Aren't you surprised?" Gohan asked confused.
"Of course I am," Videl answered. "But think of it, Gohan. Pan is becoming a mother sometime and that means that we are becoming grandparents!"
"But she's still too young!" Gohan started to argue.
"Nonsense. We weren't that much older as we became parents, remember? And besides, the first time I saw Trunks and Pia together, I knew that they were in love…"
Gohan instinctively ducked. "Okay, you've won… But now I think that Takeo should explain, why he has come to the past."
A few hours had passed since this more than a bit surprising revelation. For the xth time that day Takeo told them his life story and the reason why exactly he came to the past. It was already dark outside, as they had told everything and every question was answered and Trunks had 'survived' Gohan's attempt to kill him, as he got to know that Trunks had already impregnated Pan. Right now, ChiChi, Bulma and Videl were all over Takeo, asking him everything that came into their mind, until Trunks finally released him. They needed to talk about what they should do now.
"Takeo," Trunks said. "You told me that you probably knew where Pan would go…"
Takeo nodded. "Yeah, mom told me once that after… you know… she left to LA and lived with a friend for a while. Her name's Angela and they're still friends in my time, and I think that at that time she was still living at the dorm of the College, a few miles away of LA."
"So, I guess that means that we're going to LA, right?" Goten wanted to know.
"As soon as possible," Trunks told them and got up. "I'll call immediately the airport. They have to get my private jet ready. Go and pack some clothes and then we'll leave."
"Why don't you just fly?" ChiChi asked confused. "Wouldn't that go much faster than taking the plane?"
"I don't think that this would be a good idea," Takeo told her. "As I already told father, we don't know how mom will react, if she felt our kis. She might run away and then it'll be almost impossible for us to find her, because of the ki-shield she's constantly wearing."
Another hour later everyone was gathered at the airport. But the only ones who were going to LA were Trunks, Bulma, Vegeta, Bra, Goten and Takeo. Gohan and Videl really wanted to go, but couldn't because of their work, and ChiChi was feeling too old to travel a distance like this.
They were almost all on board, as Gohan took Trunks aside. "Please Trunks, bring my daughter home."
"Don't worry, I won't come back without her," Trunks promised him and then followed the rest onto the plane.
As they watched the plane taking off, Gohan mumbled, "You better do, Trunks. Otherwise you better look for a good hiding place."
~*~
She was there.
LA.
City of Angels.
Her new home.
Hesitating Pan left the airport, the hot sun burning on her skin, as she looked at her surroundings. She just wanted to call a taxi that should bring her to the campus, when she heard someone calling out for her. She turned around and saw a young slim woman, with dark blond hair, that went just past her shoulders, wearing some beige Capri pants, a black T-shirt and glasses, running towards her. Angela.
"Hey Pan!" Angela greeted her with a hug, causing Pan to let her bag fall to the floor.
"Hey Angela!" Pan said smiling. No, she wasn't alone here.
"I'm sorry, I'm running a bit late. I wanted to welcome you as soon as you left the plane, but you know the traffic… And now tell me, why are you already back?" she asked excitedly.
Suddenly Pan's smile changed into a frown. "It's a long story. So much has happened. Can I tell you everything, when we're at the dorm?"
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So, finally this chapter is finished… I don't know why, but it has been kinda hard to write… I know there's much dialogue and not much description, but hey, sometimes they have to talk!
And please keep reviewing!!
Eternally yours
ChibiChibi
PS: You would never believe, what I did today! I bought a dress for my senior prom! It's really beautiful. It's lilac with some kind of corset and from the waist downwards it's getting wide! I can't wait the two months until I can finally wear it!