(AN: Gomen! Gomen! I'm sorry for this taking so long, but dam..... er, darn SOLs and life have caused me
to have absolutely no time at all.... I noticed some of you were confused about Goten and Gohan not
meeting. What happened was that Goten disappeared into the shadows before Gohan caught sight of
Rayne and Spyri. He was watching Gohan the entire time, but Gohan hasn't seen him yet. *grins* And
now at last they finally meet. The reason that I named the chapter 'The Reunion- At Last' is because
everyone's been yelling at me to have the reunion since chapter one, page three of the story. As of this
author's note, I am at chapter twelve, page forty-eight of the story. *grins* Jevana, I taught Rayne nine
languages.... so far..... *evil smirk* Enjoy..... Wait! *looks around accusingly* Who threw that rotten
tomato at Jevana? *looks innocent, with chibi-eyes* It certainly wasn't me! *backs away* Well, ja ne!
Enjoy! ~AC)
Chapter Twelve: The Reunion- At Last
"Pan?" Goten watched, grinning as his older brother stared in shock at the black-haired girl who
was Gohan's daughter. Trunks and Bra stood behind Pan, while the younger son of Son Goku stood
hidden behind a rusted car, watching the scene about to unfold. This was going to be fun to watch.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Pan?" repeated Gohan, sounding dumbfounded. Pan didn't reply, only grinned like an idiot and
threw herself into his arms. Gohan stood rigid for a moment, Pan's arms tight around his neck, then
tenderly wrapped his arms around her. The general buried his face into his daughter's soft hair. The faint
smell of violets filled his senses, reminding him keenly of his wife.
"Oh, Pan," he whispered, hearing his voice crack. In return, Pan buried her face into his chest.
He closed his eyes, remembering the last time he had held his daughter in his arms like this. It had been
so long ago................
~*~
"More androids?" whispered Gohan, staring gravely at his father. Goku sadly nodded his head.
"They're attacking the capital even as we speak. Piccolo, Tien, Chaozu, Krillin and Yamucha are
already fighting, and I go to join them," Son Goku informed his son. He let his eyes rest on the four
frightened teenagers and young adults who stood together watching their exchange. "Do what you have to
do. And hurry."
"See you soon, Dad," Gohan managed. Goku nodded once, his eyes full of understanding,
hugged Videl, Goten, and Pan, and disappeared with two fingers pressed to his forehead. Only once the
other full Saiya-jinn had disappeared did Vegeta step forward from his position by the door.
"Come on, Kakarrot's brat," he sneered. "We don't have all day." The two exchanged secretive
looks while Goten, Bra, Pan, and Trunks exchanged bewildered ones. Out of the corner of Gohan's eyes,
he saw Videl's face light up with realization. She bit her lip, her hands rising to her mouth. Ignoring
Vegeta's impatient snort, Gohan went over to his wife and hugged her close.
"Be careful," she whispered, tears filling her dark, lovely eyes.
"I always am," he reminded her, drawing her in even closer, his eyes locked onto hers. She
managed a small smile.
"You never are," she corrected, lifting her chin to match his gaze squarely. Gohan managed a
laugh.
"I promise I won't do something stupid and get myself killed," he said, "but that's about all I can
promise." Videl nodded, her tears threatening to spill over. Unable to see those beautiful eyes so
grief-stricken, Gohan buried his face into his wife's locks of ebony, breathing in violets.
"They'll be all right. I swear," he murmured, so soft only she and himself could hear his words.
"Goten and Pan will be completely safe." Videl shuddered once, her hands digging desperately around
his neck.
"I love you," she whispered. "And I'll kill you if you die." Gohan struggled to laugh, still breathing
in the scent of his wonderful wife.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said gently, his words low and husky. Reluctantly, he pulled himself
away from her, planting a last, loving kiss on her lips before turning to where the other five waited.
"Come here, Pan," he said, opening his arms. His daughter, his only child, immediately attached
herself around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.
"Why can't I fight?" she mumbled into his skin. "I'm a part Saiya-jinn, same as Goten and
Trunks."
"You can't fight because you would distract me from the androids, honey," said Gohan softly,
cradling her as he had held his wife only a few seconds before. "I'd be so worried about you, I'd likely get
myself beaten up before I noticed a single bruise, too busy watching you." Pan stiffened slightly, and
Gohan knew his words, though loving, had hurt her pride. She pulled away from him, and walked back to
where her uncle and best friend stood. Leaving Videl alone in their home, Gohan and the others slowly
walked from the house.
~*~
Gohan sighed, brought back to the present as his daughter's ebony-colored eyes rose to meet his. They
shone with a dizzying tumble of emotions. Relief. Anguish. Love. Anger. Hope. Accusation. The half
Saiya-jinn flinched away from the last emotion.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, breaking their eye contact. "I thought it was the right thing to do." Pan
was silent for a long while, and Gohan feared she was preparing to curse him. Then she spoke.
"Maybe it was the right thing to do, or maybe it was the wrong thing to do. Right now I just want
to hug you and make sure you're real. I'll decide whether you ruined my life or not later. For now, let's just
be father and daughter, reunited after a long, long time." Gohan trembled, and felt his eyes moisten.
"A very long time," he agreed, his voice once again cracking.
****************************************************************************************************************
Goten smiled to himself as the two embraced. Pure mushiness, but not enough to make him want to gag.
He noticed Trunks and Bra looking slightly forgotten, and grinned evilly. Let's see what Gohan did when
he saw them too. And when his older brother saw him. That would be fun. Very fun.
****************************************************************************************************************
With everyone, including the hidden Goten, busy watching the reunited father and daughter, only one
person noticed Rayne silently follow the middle Willis boy into Capsule Corp. Unable to staunch his
curiosity, Lieutenant Spyri followed the girl into the rebel refuge. No one noticed him leave either. The
Swiss entered the building in time to hear Rayne's faint words.
"-and I'm so very, very sorry, Rebeus. Terry's death was all my fault." Spyri peered around the
corner to see the seventeen-year-old girl collapse into the thirteen-year-old's arms. Spyri quickly looked
away and leaned against the wall, whistling softly and nonchalantly. He'd wait until she was doing
blubbering. He wasn't one for crying. Then a thought occurred to him, and his whistle cut off abruptly.
How had she known of Terrence's death?
****************************************************************************************************************
Blinking hard, Gohan looked up beyond Pan's shoulder to grin boyishly at two familiar faces. Trunks
grinned back, and Bra smiled.
"Trunks! Bra!" he said, his smile making him seem years younger.
"Hi!" said Trunks softly, grinning. It was good to see another familiar face. "Looking good, San
Gohan."
"Gohan," the older half Saiya-jinn corrected automatically. "I need more than Bulma and Kare to
call me by my real name. You all will call me Gohan." His smile was bright. "Or else I'll kick your butts."
"Even me?" questioned Bra, raising an eyebrow. "You're much older than me.... no offense, sir."
But Trunks privately agreed with his sister. Gohan had aged in the time that had seemed like five minutes
but had actually been twenty years.
Gohan's face was lined with marks of age, exhaustion, and sorrow. Although the lines had lightened at
his happy smile, Trunks could see the faint hint that, when frowning, Gohan had a brow which was
definitely lined. The general's black hair hadn't lost its color, however, and Trunks could see no sign of
gray, silver, or white in his black mane. Must be a Saiya-jinn trait. Though Gohan's dark eyes were bright
and joyous at the reunion, the orbs were slightly shadowed by a dark memory. Trunks sighed. He was
half-glad his father was dead, or rather, missing. The Prince of the Saiya-jinn would have never wanted
his son and daughter to see his aged face.
"Even you, Bra-chan," Gohan replied, laughing lightly. "I'd have Pan call me by my first name,
but I need someone to call me Otou." Pan finally stepped away from her father, and turned to face Trunks
and Bra. The one-fourth Saiya-jinn leaned against her father's shoulder, and Gohan supported her, smiling
fondly down at his daughter. Suddenly Gohan frowned.
"Say," he said, looking around. "Where's Goten?" Trunks felt, rather than saw, Bra shift
uncomfortably beside him. Trunks averted his eyes as Pan shrugged helplessly.
"He got us lost in Capsule Corp., and Bra yelled at him, and then I yelled at him, and I guess he
stalked off. He's somewhere in Capsule Corporation," the daughter of Gohan said to him, looking
anxiously into his face. "He's fine, just lost. As usual." Gohan managed a small smile, though his eyes
looked worried.
"Yeah, as usual," Bra muttered beside Trunks. When Gohan raised an eyebrow, she blushed
scarlet. "Sorry, San- er, Gohan, sir, but your brother does get lost from time to time. Or rather, all the
time."
"That's true," admitted the older son of Gohan, making a face.
"Hey!" an extremely miffed voice exclaimed. "I do not always get lost! Only sometimes!" The
entire group turned to see Pan's uncle glaring at them from behind a rusted car.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Kuso, that just ruined my big surprise!" Goten complained, glaring at Trunks's little sister.
"Thanks a lot, Bra!" The accused sniffed, and ignored him. The younger son of Goku leapt over the car
and trotted over to his older brother. "How's it going, bro? Are you going to cry all over me like you did
Pan? 'Cause if you are, I get a head start in running."
Gohan stared at him blankly for a moment, then began to laugh, quietly at first, then louder until he was
roaring with laughter. His laughter was contagious, and the other Saiya-jinn joined in, their laughter
echoing through the street.
****************************************************************************************************************
Rayne wiped her eyes with her hands, and gratefully accepted the handkerchief that Rebeus offered her.
"Thanks," she said, drying her eyes. Rebeus nodded, but his eyes were faraway. Impulsively,
Rayne reached out and gave her adopted brother a firm hug. Of course, he wasn't actually her adopted
brother, but Rayne and Terry had assumed the role of parents in place of their deceased parents and
informed all five younger siblings that they were related, though not in name or blood, but in spirit. The
five had readily agreed. Rayne sighed. Had it really been five years since the Sirec Massacre? Storm had
been three, Cloud two, Aurora five, Tristan seven, and Rebeus eight. But now Rebeus was a teenager,
Tristan was on the border, and they had lost their oldest brother, their replacement father, their mentor.
Rayne sighed as she released the grieving boy from her grasp.
"I'm sorry," she repeated helplessly. "I'm so sorry." Rebeus managed a small smile.
"It's okay, Mum," he said, using the younger sibling's name for her. "It isn't your fault."
Oh, but it is, Rayne thought miserably, but forced a smile upon her face.
"Let's go tell the gang," she said, wrapping her good arm around her brother's shoulder. Rebeus
was so deep in his own pain that he didn't notice the flash of agony that crossed the girl's face as they
began to walk down the corridor.
****************************************************************************************************************
Spyri listened to their footsteps fade off, but didn't move, still rooted to the stop by the one sentence
repeated endlessly in his brain.
She had known.............
****************************************************************************************************************
Gohan hugged his brother, keeping himself in charge of his emotions.
"Well," he said briskly, "let's go see what Bulma and Puar are up to." Pan grinned.
"We've seen Puar. She hangs out with Rayne a lot, doesn't she?" At the mention of the oldest
Sirec girl's name Gohan stopped smiling. His eyes clouded over, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, his eyebrows down in an X that almost reminded Pan of
Vegeta. "Puar hangs around her a lot." Without another word, the general motioned his men forward.
"Get the injured to the infirmary. Liberace, Giraud, leave the KIAs here for me to handle," he
barked, his voice abruptly commanding. Kare's men nodded, saluting the small group and marching into
the building. Gohan smiled faintly at the four that remained.
"You four go ahead inside. Someone will direct you to wherever Bulma is," he directed kindly.
"There's something I have to do." Hesitating, Pan and Goten opened their mouths to protest, but Trunks
grabbed Pan while Bra grabbed Goten. The two children of Bulma dragged the two off, smiling worriedly
back at Gohan.
****************************************************************************************************************
O'Dell trotted after the group, keeping an eye on the four children. Well, sort of children. They were
younger than himself, at least. The spy grinned to himself. Things were looking very interesting. He also
made a mental note to ask Rayne how many curse words she had learned, to see if he could add on to
her vocabulary. He knew some Latin and Flemish she might not know.
****************************************************************************************************************
Gohan smiled until the four had vanished from sight, then let himself sink onto the ground. Despite his
adrenaline rush before, he was exhausted. He hadn't slept the entire night through since...... since Videl
had been murdered. Sighing, he rested his head in his hands for a long moment before turning towards
the body bags in which three of his comrades lay. Steeling himself, he walked over to the bags. He knelt
down beside the first one, and read the name aloud to himself, as he had done when he had landed by
their bodies such a long very hours before.
"V. T. Capra," he whispered solemnly, fingering the tag. Shaking himself, the general began to
talk about Capra's life.
"I remember when I first met you," he said, clearing his throat. "You were young, brash, and
stupid. But I suppose we all are at one point. After your first fight, you calmed down considerably. It was
then that you and Trotsky met. Yes, I knew about that little off-again-on-again relationship of yours. It was
very obvious when Trotsky named her newborn son Tommy Vince Trotsky. And I saw how you doted on
little Tommy. He has your eyes, Capra, and Trotsky's face and hair color." He chuckled, remembering.
"You and Trotsky were wonderful for each other. Although you had a sense of humor, you did have mood
swings, but Trotsky always lightened your bad moods. And although Trotsky's a wonderful girl, she did
have a temper, but you usually managed to calm her down. Yes, you were well-suited for Kare's squad,
and to be Trotsky's lover." He stood, smiling sadly. "I'll keep a close eye on Trotsky and Tommy for you."
Suddenly weary, he continued to the next bag.
"C. P. Indy," he read, and began once more.
"When I first met you, I thought you reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. After we
were both nearly killed by the androids, I realized who you reminded me of. Remember, the attack in
which Potter and Wilson were killed? Well, you reminded me of...... er, me as a little boy. You were only
ten when this entire war started, so you had memories of the time of peace. That, I think, is worse than
having never been alive during peace times, because at least never having peace was that you couldn't
miss it. We both desperately missed peace. I lost my sense of peace when I was four and kidnapped.
You lost it when you were ten and your parents were murdered in front of your eyes. Together we formed
an alliance. To kill the androids once and for all. Well, with your sacrifice, we shall. I'm only sorry, Indy,
that you never had a chance to love like Trotsky and Capra did. But I will remember you, and I'll make
sure that everyone else does too. When the peace comes once more, I will resurrect a monument for you
and all who died fighting the androids. I'll remember you forever, Indy." Taking a deep breath, Gohan
struggled on to the next and last body.
"T. A. Willis." Hanging his head, he closed his eyes for a long moment before finding the words
to speak.
"You were quiet. So quiet and shy that I never expected any fighting skill from you. But you
proved me wrong. You had one of the best shots in entire army. Did you know that the others called you
One-Shot Willis behind your back? They did, and with great envy. You were the best of the best at
shooting, and one of the best strategist. You weren't the worst singer, either. You and Rayne often sang
the nicest duets." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "And it all comes down to Rayne. That silly, irresponsible,
dithering twit who follows the prophecy letter by letter. I know you would never blame Rayne for your
death, but I certainly can. I still remember the day you met. It was such a horrible, horrible day. First the
Sirec Massacre, then my father......" He sighed, breaking off. "But then you, a twenty-year-old, tried to
comfort a girl you didn't even know, a girl who had lost her family just like you had lost your parents. I can
still remember a couple of the lines you sang. But that only reminded me of Pan and her mother. Her
mother." He laughed bitterly. "I can't even say her name anymore. Well, Willis, at least you died with a
smile on your face. I'll keep an eye on Rayne, Rebeus, Tristan, Aurora, Cloud, and Storm for you. Sleep
well, my quiet friend."
Without another word, Gohan turned and began carrying the body bags to be taken prepared for the
funerals.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bulma and Puar sighed, finally giving up.
"Well, no one can say we didn't try," the old doctor said, painfully bending down and rubbing her aching
feet.
"Right," squeaked the azure cat, floating in midair and watching her friend anxiously. Bulma had grown
old in the years without Vegeta.
"Hey Okaa-san!" Bulma looked up to see Bra grinning at her, the other three flanking the blue-haired
girl. Bra's silvering-haired mother smiled too, an eager, bright smile that transformed her face into a younger
one.
"Are the others home yet?" she questioned the four. They all nodded, and Bulma's eyes lit up. She
rubbed her hands together like an excited child.
"Well, go and gather them around Goku's bed," she ordered. "I've got a plan to wake Goku from his
coma.........."
****************************************************************************************************************
They were all gathered around Goku's bed, each with mixed emotions. Gohan, Bulma, Trunks, Bra,
Goten, Pan, and Puar were settled into their seats, all staring at the sleeping man.
"Is this really going to work?" Bra asked her mother skeptically. Her mother had concocted a
plan and had pounced on all of them the minute she had seen them. Bulma had a hypothesis that with
all the living Saiya-jinn gathered around him and in various stages of SSJ, that Goku would wake up. He
was, after all a Saiya-jinn, and would respond to the familiar ki.
Gohan began the test first, powering up to SSJ2. Then was Trunks, powering to SSJ. Then Goten to SSJ.
Bra and Pan, with low growls of annoyance, powered up to the best of their ability. For a second no one
spoke, all eyes focused on the motionless man in the bed. They waited.
Nothing happened.
"Well, kuso," said Goten, scowling as his shoulders slumped in rejection. "That sucked, Bulma."
Bulma didn't answer, and Goten looked up. What he saw made his jaw drop open in shock.
"Well, I'll be damned."
(AN: Well, that was lovely, wasn't it? Oh, does anyone want me to translate any curse words for them
that I use in this story? Or just any curse words? I've got a French translator, and an Italian translator,
and a Spanish translator. *grins* You'll see why Gohan stopped smiling at the mention of Rayne in the
next chapter. Sorry, only Goten was funny in this chapter. I'll make it up in the next chapter, and I'll work
on that soon. Ja ne! ~AC)
to have absolutely no time at all.... I noticed some of you were confused about Goten and Gohan not
meeting. What happened was that Goten disappeared into the shadows before Gohan caught sight of
Rayne and Spyri. He was watching Gohan the entire time, but Gohan hasn't seen him yet. *grins* And
now at last they finally meet. The reason that I named the chapter 'The Reunion- At Last' is because
everyone's been yelling at me to have the reunion since chapter one, page three of the story. As of this
author's note, I am at chapter twelve, page forty-eight of the story. *grins* Jevana, I taught Rayne nine
languages.... so far..... *evil smirk* Enjoy..... Wait! *looks around accusingly* Who threw that rotten
tomato at Jevana? *looks innocent, with chibi-eyes* It certainly wasn't me! *backs away* Well, ja ne!
Enjoy! ~AC)
Chapter Twelve: The Reunion- At Last
"Pan?" Goten watched, grinning as his older brother stared in shock at the black-haired girl who
was Gohan's daughter. Trunks and Bra stood behind Pan, while the younger son of Son Goku stood
hidden behind a rusted car, watching the scene about to unfold. This was going to be fun to watch.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Pan?" repeated Gohan, sounding dumbfounded. Pan didn't reply, only grinned like an idiot and
threw herself into his arms. Gohan stood rigid for a moment, Pan's arms tight around his neck, then
tenderly wrapped his arms around her. The general buried his face into his daughter's soft hair. The faint
smell of violets filled his senses, reminding him keenly of his wife.
"Oh, Pan," he whispered, hearing his voice crack. In return, Pan buried her face into his chest.
He closed his eyes, remembering the last time he had held his daughter in his arms like this. It had been
so long ago................
~*~
"More androids?" whispered Gohan, staring gravely at his father. Goku sadly nodded his head.
"They're attacking the capital even as we speak. Piccolo, Tien, Chaozu, Krillin and Yamucha are
already fighting, and I go to join them," Son Goku informed his son. He let his eyes rest on the four
frightened teenagers and young adults who stood together watching their exchange. "Do what you have to
do. And hurry."
"See you soon, Dad," Gohan managed. Goku nodded once, his eyes full of understanding,
hugged Videl, Goten, and Pan, and disappeared with two fingers pressed to his forehead. Only once the
other full Saiya-jinn had disappeared did Vegeta step forward from his position by the door.
"Come on, Kakarrot's brat," he sneered. "We don't have all day." The two exchanged secretive
looks while Goten, Bra, Pan, and Trunks exchanged bewildered ones. Out of the corner of Gohan's eyes,
he saw Videl's face light up with realization. She bit her lip, her hands rising to her mouth. Ignoring
Vegeta's impatient snort, Gohan went over to his wife and hugged her close.
"Be careful," she whispered, tears filling her dark, lovely eyes.
"I always am," he reminded her, drawing her in even closer, his eyes locked onto hers. She
managed a small smile.
"You never are," she corrected, lifting her chin to match his gaze squarely. Gohan managed a
laugh.
"I promise I won't do something stupid and get myself killed," he said, "but that's about all I can
promise." Videl nodded, her tears threatening to spill over. Unable to see those beautiful eyes so
grief-stricken, Gohan buried his face into his wife's locks of ebony, breathing in violets.
"They'll be all right. I swear," he murmured, so soft only she and himself could hear his words.
"Goten and Pan will be completely safe." Videl shuddered once, her hands digging desperately around
his neck.
"I love you," she whispered. "And I'll kill you if you die." Gohan struggled to laugh, still breathing
in the scent of his wonderful wife.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said gently, his words low and husky. Reluctantly, he pulled himself
away from her, planting a last, loving kiss on her lips before turning to where the other five waited.
"Come here, Pan," he said, opening his arms. His daughter, his only child, immediately attached
herself around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.
"Why can't I fight?" she mumbled into his skin. "I'm a part Saiya-jinn, same as Goten and
Trunks."
"You can't fight because you would distract me from the androids, honey," said Gohan softly,
cradling her as he had held his wife only a few seconds before. "I'd be so worried about you, I'd likely get
myself beaten up before I noticed a single bruise, too busy watching you." Pan stiffened slightly, and
Gohan knew his words, though loving, had hurt her pride. She pulled away from him, and walked back to
where her uncle and best friend stood. Leaving Videl alone in their home, Gohan and the others slowly
walked from the house.
~*~
Gohan sighed, brought back to the present as his daughter's ebony-colored eyes rose to meet his. They
shone with a dizzying tumble of emotions. Relief. Anguish. Love. Anger. Hope. Accusation. The half
Saiya-jinn flinched away from the last emotion.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, breaking their eye contact. "I thought it was the right thing to do." Pan
was silent for a long while, and Gohan feared she was preparing to curse him. Then she spoke.
"Maybe it was the right thing to do, or maybe it was the wrong thing to do. Right now I just want
to hug you and make sure you're real. I'll decide whether you ruined my life or not later. For now, let's just
be father and daughter, reunited after a long, long time." Gohan trembled, and felt his eyes moisten.
"A very long time," he agreed, his voice once again cracking.
****************************************************************************************************************
Goten smiled to himself as the two embraced. Pure mushiness, but not enough to make him want to gag.
He noticed Trunks and Bra looking slightly forgotten, and grinned evilly. Let's see what Gohan did when
he saw them too. And when his older brother saw him. That would be fun. Very fun.
****************************************************************************************************************
With everyone, including the hidden Goten, busy watching the reunited father and daughter, only one
person noticed Rayne silently follow the middle Willis boy into Capsule Corp. Unable to staunch his
curiosity, Lieutenant Spyri followed the girl into the rebel refuge. No one noticed him leave either. The
Swiss entered the building in time to hear Rayne's faint words.
"-and I'm so very, very sorry, Rebeus. Terry's death was all my fault." Spyri peered around the
corner to see the seventeen-year-old girl collapse into the thirteen-year-old's arms. Spyri quickly looked
away and leaned against the wall, whistling softly and nonchalantly. He'd wait until she was doing
blubbering. He wasn't one for crying. Then a thought occurred to him, and his whistle cut off abruptly.
How had she known of Terrence's death?
****************************************************************************************************************
Blinking hard, Gohan looked up beyond Pan's shoulder to grin boyishly at two familiar faces. Trunks
grinned back, and Bra smiled.
"Trunks! Bra!" he said, his smile making him seem years younger.
"Hi!" said Trunks softly, grinning. It was good to see another familiar face. "Looking good, San
Gohan."
"Gohan," the older half Saiya-jinn corrected automatically. "I need more than Bulma and Kare to
call me by my real name. You all will call me Gohan." His smile was bright. "Or else I'll kick your butts."
"Even me?" questioned Bra, raising an eyebrow. "You're much older than me.... no offense, sir."
But Trunks privately agreed with his sister. Gohan had aged in the time that had seemed like five minutes
but had actually been twenty years.
Gohan's face was lined with marks of age, exhaustion, and sorrow. Although the lines had lightened at
his happy smile, Trunks could see the faint hint that, when frowning, Gohan had a brow which was
definitely lined. The general's black hair hadn't lost its color, however, and Trunks could see no sign of
gray, silver, or white in his black mane. Must be a Saiya-jinn trait. Though Gohan's dark eyes were bright
and joyous at the reunion, the orbs were slightly shadowed by a dark memory. Trunks sighed. He was
half-glad his father was dead, or rather, missing. The Prince of the Saiya-jinn would have never wanted
his son and daughter to see his aged face.
"Even you, Bra-chan," Gohan replied, laughing lightly. "I'd have Pan call me by my first name,
but I need someone to call me Otou." Pan finally stepped away from her father, and turned to face Trunks
and Bra. The one-fourth Saiya-jinn leaned against her father's shoulder, and Gohan supported her, smiling
fondly down at his daughter. Suddenly Gohan frowned.
"Say," he said, looking around. "Where's Goten?" Trunks felt, rather than saw, Bra shift
uncomfortably beside him. Trunks averted his eyes as Pan shrugged helplessly.
"He got us lost in Capsule Corp., and Bra yelled at him, and then I yelled at him, and I guess he
stalked off. He's somewhere in Capsule Corporation," the daughter of Gohan said to him, looking
anxiously into his face. "He's fine, just lost. As usual." Gohan managed a small smile, though his eyes
looked worried.
"Yeah, as usual," Bra muttered beside Trunks. When Gohan raised an eyebrow, she blushed
scarlet. "Sorry, San- er, Gohan, sir, but your brother does get lost from time to time. Or rather, all the
time."
"That's true," admitted the older son of Gohan, making a face.
"Hey!" an extremely miffed voice exclaimed. "I do not always get lost! Only sometimes!" The
entire group turned to see Pan's uncle glaring at them from behind a rusted car.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Kuso, that just ruined my big surprise!" Goten complained, glaring at Trunks's little sister.
"Thanks a lot, Bra!" The accused sniffed, and ignored him. The younger son of Goku leapt over the car
and trotted over to his older brother. "How's it going, bro? Are you going to cry all over me like you did
Pan? 'Cause if you are, I get a head start in running."
Gohan stared at him blankly for a moment, then began to laugh, quietly at first, then louder until he was
roaring with laughter. His laughter was contagious, and the other Saiya-jinn joined in, their laughter
echoing through the street.
****************************************************************************************************************
Rayne wiped her eyes with her hands, and gratefully accepted the handkerchief that Rebeus offered her.
"Thanks," she said, drying her eyes. Rebeus nodded, but his eyes were faraway. Impulsively,
Rayne reached out and gave her adopted brother a firm hug. Of course, he wasn't actually her adopted
brother, but Rayne and Terry had assumed the role of parents in place of their deceased parents and
informed all five younger siblings that they were related, though not in name or blood, but in spirit. The
five had readily agreed. Rayne sighed. Had it really been five years since the Sirec Massacre? Storm had
been three, Cloud two, Aurora five, Tristan seven, and Rebeus eight. But now Rebeus was a teenager,
Tristan was on the border, and they had lost their oldest brother, their replacement father, their mentor.
Rayne sighed as she released the grieving boy from her grasp.
"I'm sorry," she repeated helplessly. "I'm so sorry." Rebeus managed a small smile.
"It's okay, Mum," he said, using the younger sibling's name for her. "It isn't your fault."
Oh, but it is, Rayne thought miserably, but forced a smile upon her face.
"Let's go tell the gang," she said, wrapping her good arm around her brother's shoulder. Rebeus
was so deep in his own pain that he didn't notice the flash of agony that crossed the girl's face as they
began to walk down the corridor.
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Spyri listened to their footsteps fade off, but didn't move, still rooted to the stop by the one sentence
repeated endlessly in his brain.
She had known.............
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Gohan hugged his brother, keeping himself in charge of his emotions.
"Well," he said briskly, "let's go see what Bulma and Puar are up to." Pan grinned.
"We've seen Puar. She hangs out with Rayne a lot, doesn't she?" At the mention of the oldest
Sirec girl's name Gohan stopped smiling. His eyes clouded over, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, his eyebrows down in an X that almost reminded Pan of
Vegeta. "Puar hangs around her a lot." Without another word, the general motioned his men forward.
"Get the injured to the infirmary. Liberace, Giraud, leave the KIAs here for me to handle," he
barked, his voice abruptly commanding. Kare's men nodded, saluting the small group and marching into
the building. Gohan smiled faintly at the four that remained.
"You four go ahead inside. Someone will direct you to wherever Bulma is," he directed kindly.
"There's something I have to do." Hesitating, Pan and Goten opened their mouths to protest, but Trunks
grabbed Pan while Bra grabbed Goten. The two children of Bulma dragged the two off, smiling worriedly
back at Gohan.
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O'Dell trotted after the group, keeping an eye on the four children. Well, sort of children. They were
younger than himself, at least. The spy grinned to himself. Things were looking very interesting. He also
made a mental note to ask Rayne how many curse words she had learned, to see if he could add on to
her vocabulary. He knew some Latin and Flemish she might not know.
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Gohan smiled until the four had vanished from sight, then let himself sink onto the ground. Despite his
adrenaline rush before, he was exhausted. He hadn't slept the entire night through since...... since Videl
had been murdered. Sighing, he rested his head in his hands for a long moment before turning towards
the body bags in which three of his comrades lay. Steeling himself, he walked over to the bags. He knelt
down beside the first one, and read the name aloud to himself, as he had done when he had landed by
their bodies such a long very hours before.
"V. T. Capra," he whispered solemnly, fingering the tag. Shaking himself, the general began to
talk about Capra's life.
"I remember when I first met you," he said, clearing his throat. "You were young, brash, and
stupid. But I suppose we all are at one point. After your first fight, you calmed down considerably. It was
then that you and Trotsky met. Yes, I knew about that little off-again-on-again relationship of yours. It was
very obvious when Trotsky named her newborn son Tommy Vince Trotsky. And I saw how you doted on
little Tommy. He has your eyes, Capra, and Trotsky's face and hair color." He chuckled, remembering.
"You and Trotsky were wonderful for each other. Although you had a sense of humor, you did have mood
swings, but Trotsky always lightened your bad moods. And although Trotsky's a wonderful girl, she did
have a temper, but you usually managed to calm her down. Yes, you were well-suited for Kare's squad,
and to be Trotsky's lover." He stood, smiling sadly. "I'll keep a close eye on Trotsky and Tommy for you."
Suddenly weary, he continued to the next bag.
"C. P. Indy," he read, and began once more.
"When I first met you, I thought you reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. After we
were both nearly killed by the androids, I realized who you reminded me of. Remember, the attack in
which Potter and Wilson were killed? Well, you reminded me of...... er, me as a little boy. You were only
ten when this entire war started, so you had memories of the time of peace. That, I think, is worse than
having never been alive during peace times, because at least never having peace was that you couldn't
miss it. We both desperately missed peace. I lost my sense of peace when I was four and kidnapped.
You lost it when you were ten and your parents were murdered in front of your eyes. Together we formed
an alliance. To kill the androids once and for all. Well, with your sacrifice, we shall. I'm only sorry, Indy,
that you never had a chance to love like Trotsky and Capra did. But I will remember you, and I'll make
sure that everyone else does too. When the peace comes once more, I will resurrect a monument for you
and all who died fighting the androids. I'll remember you forever, Indy." Taking a deep breath, Gohan
struggled on to the next and last body.
"T. A. Willis." Hanging his head, he closed his eyes for a long moment before finding the words
to speak.
"You were quiet. So quiet and shy that I never expected any fighting skill from you. But you
proved me wrong. You had one of the best shots in entire army. Did you know that the others called you
One-Shot Willis behind your back? They did, and with great envy. You were the best of the best at
shooting, and one of the best strategist. You weren't the worst singer, either. You and Rayne often sang
the nicest duets." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "And it all comes down to Rayne. That silly, irresponsible,
dithering twit who follows the prophecy letter by letter. I know you would never blame Rayne for your
death, but I certainly can. I still remember the day you met. It was such a horrible, horrible day. First the
Sirec Massacre, then my father......" He sighed, breaking off. "But then you, a twenty-year-old, tried to
comfort a girl you didn't even know, a girl who had lost her family just like you had lost your parents. I can
still remember a couple of the lines you sang. But that only reminded me of Pan and her mother. Her
mother." He laughed bitterly. "I can't even say her name anymore. Well, Willis, at least you died with a
smile on your face. I'll keep an eye on Rayne, Rebeus, Tristan, Aurora, Cloud, and Storm for you. Sleep
well, my quiet friend."
Without another word, Gohan turned and began carrying the body bags to be taken prepared for the
funerals.
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Bulma and Puar sighed, finally giving up.
"Well, no one can say we didn't try," the old doctor said, painfully bending down and rubbing her aching
feet.
"Right," squeaked the azure cat, floating in midair and watching her friend anxiously. Bulma had grown
old in the years without Vegeta.
"Hey Okaa-san!" Bulma looked up to see Bra grinning at her, the other three flanking the blue-haired
girl. Bra's silvering-haired mother smiled too, an eager, bright smile that transformed her face into a younger
one.
"Are the others home yet?" she questioned the four. They all nodded, and Bulma's eyes lit up. She
rubbed her hands together like an excited child.
"Well, go and gather them around Goku's bed," she ordered. "I've got a plan to wake Goku from his
coma.........."
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They were all gathered around Goku's bed, each with mixed emotions. Gohan, Bulma, Trunks, Bra,
Goten, Pan, and Puar were settled into their seats, all staring at the sleeping man.
"Is this really going to work?" Bra asked her mother skeptically. Her mother had concocted a
plan and had pounced on all of them the minute she had seen them. Bulma had a hypothesis that with
all the living Saiya-jinn gathered around him and in various stages of SSJ, that Goku would wake up. He
was, after all a Saiya-jinn, and would respond to the familiar ki.
Gohan began the test first, powering up to SSJ2. Then was Trunks, powering to SSJ. Then Goten to SSJ.
Bra and Pan, with low growls of annoyance, powered up to the best of their ability. For a second no one
spoke, all eyes focused on the motionless man in the bed. They waited.
Nothing happened.
"Well, kuso," said Goten, scowling as his shoulders slumped in rejection. "That sucked, Bulma."
Bulma didn't answer, and Goten looked up. What he saw made his jaw drop open in shock.
"Well, I'll be damned."
(AN: Well, that was lovely, wasn't it? Oh, does anyone want me to translate any curse words for them
that I use in this story? Or just any curse words? I've got a French translator, and an Italian translator,
and a Spanish translator. *grins* You'll see why Gohan stopped smiling at the mention of Rayne in the
next chapter. Sorry, only Goten was funny in this chapter. I'll make it up in the next chapter, and I'll work
on that soon. Ja ne! ~AC)