I'll Stand By You
Pan's Fury
So, if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well, I'm a lot like you
Pan watched as Marron left. She couldn't believe it. Marron kissed me! Why me? WHY ME!!! She stood up and started pacing.
"I HATE MY LIFE!!!" she suddenly screamed. Pan looked at her couch, then kicked it, causing it to fall on its side. There was a vase on the coffee table. She picked it up, and threw it against the wall. The coffee table was next.
Pan realised that destroying her furniture was giving her a strange sense of relief. She started blasting photos hanging on the wall. After an hour of this, Pan's apartment was mostly wrecked. She collapsed on the floor, and started crying.
* * * * * *
"Come on, Marron, sweetie. Calm down," Krillin said, patting his daughter on the back. He and Juuhachigou had come to visit her. She had answered her apartment door, a sobbing wreck.
"But…but…my life is over!" Marron sobbed.
"No, it isn't."
Marron had only told her parents that she had said something really stupid to the person she loved most in the world, and as a result, that person hated her.
"Now, I'm sure everything will be fine." Juuhachigou gave Marron's hand a squeeze.
"Yeah, if that guy's gonna act like that, he's not good enough for my daughter anyway." Marron almost laughed at her father's assumption.
"But I love P…this person so much. And now they hate me. I'll never ever have them!"
"Marron-chan, you don't know that. If…this person knows what's good for them, they'll realise that you're the most wonderful, caring girl in the world." Juuhachigou smiled. Marron didn't notice that while her father assumed "this person" was a male, Juuhachigou did not specify gender. She knew her daughter too well.
"Thank you, Otousan. Okaasan." Marron wiped her eyes and sniffled.
"That's fine, Marron-chan," said Krillin. "Anything for my baby girl. Well, we'd better go. Why don't you ring Trunks and Goten? Organise an outing or something. Maybe you could invite Pan too."
Marron controlled the urge to start crying again at the mentioning of Pan's name. "Okay, then. I'll talk to you later."
She lead her parents to their car, then went back inside, feeling only slightly better.
* * * * * *
Juunanagou was woken by the morning chorus of birds. He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake the blue-haired angel in the bed with him. He smiled as he looked at her. Poor thing must be exhausted. He wandered outside to collect some water from a nearby stream.
The walk to the stream gave Juunanagou some time to think. He often wondered about how his life had changed after meeting Bra. He had just finished rebuilding himself from his Super 17 fight. Most of his human parts had been replaced with robotic ones. And that's why he didn't understand his feelings for Bra.
Juunanagou had never felt anything like the emotions he had while in the presence of Bra. She made any negative emotion instantly change to a positive one. She gave him a reason to live. She was beautiful. Caring. And Juunanagou loved her…with all of his mechanical heart. Before Bra, Juunanagou had only really loved his sister. And it was different. More, a feeling that he needed to protect Juuhachigou. But with Bra…Juunanagou felt that if he lost her, the world would end. His life would cease.
He often thought about how – with so few human qualities remaining – he could feel such intense love for something. And he was always reminded of Juurokugou – Android #16. The huge brute was completely artificial. Made, from scratch, by Dr. Gero. Yet, Juuroku always had a closer connection to true living things, to nature, than his partially human companions. He had always loved the animals of earth. He thought the earth was a pretty place, worth saving. And he had sacrificed himself to save it. A planet to which he did not truly belong.
Juunanagou now felt that he understood Juuroku. The earth was a pretty place, full of beautiful things. Juunanagou loved the earth and everything in it (except for flowers. He still didn't understand the attraction to them).
As Juunanagou filled containers with water, he saw some birds playing at the stream's shore. He reached out his arm towards them, and they flew over, landing on his hand. Juunanagou smiled. Just like Juurokugou. It's so strange. It seems that the less human we jinzouningen are, the more human we become.
One thing that Juunanagou was disheartened by, was the fact that Bra did not love him back. Not the way that he loved her. She had allowed him to seduce her, and to be her first. But her heart still belonged to Goten. Because of this, Juunanagou almost understood how she felt – not being able to have the one you love, because they love another.
But Juunanagou knew that one day the Saiyan Princess would be his – body, mind, heart and soul. She would love him as much as he loved her. It would only be a matter of time. Juunanagou sighed, and headed back towards the cabin.
Son Goten, for all the trouble you've caused me, I really hope Trunks is worth it.
* * * * * *
Goten rolled over in Trunks' bed, and found that he was the only person in it. The other side of the bed was empty. His mate was gone.
"Dammit, Trunks," Goten mumbled. "It's Sunday! The office can do without you for just one day. Even just the morning!" He rummaged around until he found some clothes, then plodded downstairs to the kitchen.
"Morning, Goten," Bulma greeted, rushing past. She was headed in the direction of her lab.
"Oh, hey Bulma. You seen Trunks?"
"Nope."
Bulma continued on her way, and Goten let out a sad sigh. Poor Bulma. She's locked herself in that lab ever since Bra disappeared. Same way Vegeta's locked himself in the Gravity Room. Oh, well. Goten poured himself a glass of juice.
The phone rang, and seeing that no on else was around, Goten answered it (besides, he was practically part of the family anyway). "Hello? Capsule Corporation."
"Trunks? It's Marron," came the voice.
"Marron, hi! Actually it's Goten. Nice to hear from you. How've you been?"
"O-oh, fine, I guess. Ummm…Goten, have you seen Pan recently?"
"Not since that day you and her…interrupted Trunks and I in his office. She was going to some party that night. Is she okay? You sound worried."
"Yeah…uh…she's fine…I think. Oh…Goten…would you mind going over and talking to her. I thinks she's a little upset with me at the moment."
"Did you check out one of her boyfriends?" Goten joked.
Marron laughed, nervously. "Uh…haha…yeah. Something like that. Okay, I'll talk to you later."
"Alright, bye Marron." Goten heard the click of Marron's phone as she hung up. He walked out of Capsule Corp., wondering why on Earth Marron would be so worried about Pan.
* * * * * *
Goten could smell something strange the moment he was close to Pan's apartment. It smelt like…something burnt. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
"Pan!" he called. He knocked again, this time louder. Finally, after about five minutes of heavy knocking, and yelling, Pan opened the door.
And she looked awful.
Although all of her injuries were healed, the effects of several days without sleep and constant vomiting were beginning to show. Pan had dark circles under both her eyes, which looked worse than the bruise had. The actual eyes were bloodshot. Her lips were cracked and dried, and she looked like she hadn't washed in a couple of days.
"Pan-chan!" Goten grabbed his niece in a hug. Then he saw the apartment…and it was in worse condition than Pan. The walls and floor were badly scorched, and the furniture was mostly destroyed. "Kami-sama, what happened here?"
"Nothing," Pan mumbled. She motioned to the mess. "That…that was me."
"You? You did this? Pan, why!?! What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong."
"NOTHING'S WRONG!?!" Goten exclaimed. "So, have you made a habit of trashing your apartment?"
"Fuck off."
"Don't speak to me like that."
"Why not? You're not my father. You…you're nothing!" Pan suddenly started crying. "Get away! I don't want to see you. I don't want to see anybody!" She tried to run away, but tripped on part of the coffee table. She stayed where she landed, sprawled on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Goten sat on the floor next to her, and stroked her raven black hair. "Tell me what's wrong, Pan-chan. I know I'm not your father, but I am still family. And I care about you a lot."
"If you care about me so much, why weren't you there to stop him?" Pan whispered so quietly that Goten couldn't really hear anything. Pan knew she shouldn't blame Goten, but she needed to blame someone. And he would do. Besides, he had no idea about how she felt. He hadn't been drugged and raped. He wasn't pregnant. He hadn't had one of his best friends make a pass at him…Wait a minute. That did happen to Goten-ojisan. Trunks must have made a pass at him at some stage. He must understand.
Pan looked into her uncles charcoal eyes. "Oji-san? I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone."
Goten smiled slightly. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Even poke Mr. Piccolo in the eye?" Pan gave a half laugh at her joke. That had been their special promise line when she and Bra were kids.
"Of course."
"Igotrapedatthepartyimpregnantandmarronhasacrushonme."
"What!?!" Goten had only heard the words "raped", "party", "pregnant" and "Marron". "Marron's pregnant?"
"No…I am. Kaji raped me at Maki's house. And now I'm pregnant."
"Oh, Pan." Goten covered his mouth. "Hey, it…it's okay. It wasn't your fault. Don't feel bad."
"Oh, I'm not finished yet. It turns out Marron is a lesbian AND she has a crush on me."
Goten stared back at Pan, blank-faced. Then he blinked several times. Marron-chan. A lesbian? No way! Actually, it does make sense. I don't think she's ever had a boyfriend. But Pan? Oh, man.
"Goten. What do I do?" Pan looked at her uncle, who was also one of her best friends. He always had an answer for her. Everyone thought he was stupid, but for Pan, he always had a solution.
But this time, he let her down. "I don't know, Pan-chan. I just don't know."