Disclaimer: *borrows Jack's torch; flames Crime and Punishment page by page*

A/N: Ok, ok. Another chapter. (Another two, actually.) Oh well. I'm spoiling you guys. Don't harass me for a while, alright?

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Petrified Tears
chapter 82



Gohan stood silently next to his wife, oblivious of the fact that every window was now resting comfortable in millions of pieces on the front lawn.

His heart was shattered into more pieces than that.

He closed his eyes, wincing as the image of Trunks and his daughter replayed in his mind, his daughter hardly modest, Trunks trying to ignore the fact that she was.

Videl laced her arm through his; he blinked and forced his eyes open, trying his damnedest to focus, but completely unable to. The room around him was painted blurry and in shades of grey; nothing made any sound at all; it was all silent.

"It's hard to see them grow up, isn't it."

The voice, so laced with empathy, with…with not only understanding, but having been there…it cracked through the silence in his mind, allowing the gentle rustle of the curtains in the breeze, his wife's breathing, the quiet hum of his mother as she placed photos in the family album, his brother meditating in the corner, allowing life to reach him.

He looked at the old man, his red face and slightly balding head, the pudginess that was simply a part of growing old. There was something in the man's eyes, an innocence that Gohan had seen before. The old man smiled.

"It's hard to watch them grow up, isn't it?" he repeated. Gohan sighed, nodding sadly.

"Terribly." He hesitated, but then found himself continuing. "You'd almost think that it'd be easier as they get older. But it's not."

The old man set a hand on his shoulder. "The only time it gets any easier is when you can smile and watch them go through everything you did for them, only with their own children. And even then, the memories are haunting."

Gohan smiled weakly at the man, understanding about haunting memories. He could see his little girl hugging Trunks's leg when he was a senior in high school as he dragged himself by the walls down the hallway to put her to bed. And at the same time, he could see her clutching her towel and held tightly in his arms, her face nestled in his neck, the smile Trunks placed in her hair as his fingers pressed lovingly into the bare of her back.

He closed his eyes, wishing the image away. Opening them, he looked up the stairs almost wistfully, only to be assaulted with the image of his Panny, his beautiful little girl, perfectly in focus and absolutely gorgeous.

The dress came to her knees, a deep navy blue that accented her hair and eyes perfectly, setting off a china doll effect with her skin that he had only ever known his mother to possess. The bodice fit her snuggly, the skirt flaring a little, stylishly. There were no sleeves, just simple straps, and he knew without looking that the dress had a mock-corset back that laced from the end of her spine to her shoulder blades-Videl had once worn that very dress to their engagement dinner. Her hair was done simply, the hair by her temples braided back to meet in a bun with the upper layers of her hair, the rest spilling gracefully over her shoulders, her bangs splayed perfectly over her forehead. A blue ribbon was tied around her neck, a simple bow tied in the back, the ends left to trail downwards with her hair. She was actually wearing heels, strappy blue shoes with a thin heel that seemed an extension of her legs. She was smiling; there was this radiant glow about her, but it seemed forced.

His gaze turned to Trunks, the boy's completely black tux absolutely perfect, like always, but his hair was disheveled in a way that would drive girls crazy, his face seemed pale and flushed at the same time.

He felt his eyes darken.

"The hardest part," the old man continued, drawing his attention before his temper grew out of hand, "is knowing that you have to give them up for someone else to take care of. But there's something about little girls…they always need their fathers."

Gohan blinked black eyes that seemed to suddenly come to life. He looked back up at his little girl as she came within view of the foyer, her eyes laughing though exhausted. He turned once again to the old man.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I missed your name Mr…"

"Summers," the old man told him with a smile. "Richard Summers." He took a step back to indicate the young man standing behind him. "And this is my grandson-"

"Jack?!" Pan suddenly cried, her voice cracking and her eyes wide. Gohan didn't know if she was excited, or mortified.

"Pan?" the boy whispered, his face just as unreadable as hers. But then his steel blue eyes grew hard and dark, his cheek twitched. He grabbed his glasses from his face and walked closer to the couple, his face wounded and raged. His entire form was tight with anger.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" she whispered, forcing herself to let go of Trunks' arm and stand on her own at the foot of the stairs. "I thought you had dinner with your grand…father…" she trailed off, wincing at her own words. "Oh no, Jack…let-"

The boy trembled and clenched first his jaw, then his fist. "Yeah. You were going to stay home and sleep tonight. I see how it is." The boy's eyes flared, seemingly unaware that he had just destroyed his glasses. "Oh, and congratulations for you and Mr. Wonderful-thanks a lot for letting me know," he spat before turning on his heel and storming out the door.

Gohan, Videl and the boy's grandfather stood stiffly, each trading wary glances. Pan stood frozen, her hand half raised to the empty air where Jack had stood moments before. Her eyes were dead and wounded, her face a portrait of shock. Trunks fidgeted nervously behind her, hesitating before setting his hand on her shoulder.

The touch brought her to life.

"Jack!" she cried, tearing away from him and sprinting past her parents and Mr. Summers, breaking through them and towards the front door and the dark night. "Jack! Wait!"

But Trunks beat her to the door, blocking her waist with his arm, letting her run into him. She strained against his arms as the other came around to hold her side tightly to his chest. She could see Jack as he leaned against the limo, his back to the house and his shoulders slumped.

"Pan, leave him be," Trunks whispered, ducking his head and pressing his nose into her ear. "Please Pan, leave it be. We'll explain this whole situation to them both at dinner, just please let it be for now."

Tears shimmered in her eyes, tears that gripped Gohan and that visibly wounded Trunks. Trunks held her tighter, lifting a hand and tucking hair behind her ear. Gohan heard the pain, the love, the sacrifice, in the boy's voice as he soothed her.

"But Trunks, I can't-"

"He wouldn't believe you right now, Panny," Trunks whispered, gently running his hand across her hair, stroking it, soothing her. "He wouldn't believe a word you'd tell him, especially with how I'm holding you right now."

"You shouldn't have-"

"It wouldn't have mattered." He forced himself to straighten, curling his fingers and lifting Pan's chin with the side of his knuckle, forcing her to look up at him. He dropped his forehead onto hers, immediately sensing the words raging inside her. He lifted his hand, tenderly wiping away her tears with his thumb, his face sallow and his expression strained. "I know I don't know him, but I know you, Panny, and that's enough."

She breathed erratically, her chest rising and falling rapidly with her half-sobbed gasps; all Gohan wanted to do was step forward and draw his little girl into his arms, but Trunks was doing a better job than he ever could.

Her gaze traveled to the boy outside, who was now looking back at her.

"I just…"

Trunks wiped away another tear and held her close once more, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I know."

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A/N: Kudos to DR. SQUEE on figuring out why Jack was in Japan. Heh heh heh...some of you are learning. ;P But at the same time, you weren't a'pposed to figure that out! Oh well, at least I know that some of you are paying attention so I know I'm not just kicking this stuff out of the blue at you all. Now remember, Jack is mine. You can't have him. Just like the Sock Puppet of Smelly Death, he's not allowed to make guest appearances, AT ALL. Anyhoo, on with the other chapter I have for tonight.

-Panabelle ;P
www.angelfire.com/dbz/storytellers