History of Takeo

A/N:                I know it took me long to write the first real chapter of this story, but as I already explained in my author's note of The Treasure of Power I first needed a (well-earned, I think) break to study for my test (which I didn't pass by the way, but I got still enough points to graduate with an average that is okay for me. Those stupid teachers thought that I had been too superficial. *snort* Is it my fault that my teacher just gave me the stuff to study one week before the test? I've even said anything that had been written on that papers… Well, whatever… Fact is that school is finally over and I'll see them never again!), a major writers block, the worst in my 'career' as author and that I first needed to write a new chapter of TtoP, so that my fans wouldn't kill me… hehe… I hope you understand it, but now it finally goes on with this story…

                        Okay, I just want to warn you… Those of you who've already read "Until we meet again" and I think all of you did it, will notice that in this chapter and maybe even in the next one will be many happenings you already know about. But since the happenings in both timelines had been almost the same (except of the appearance of Takeo and the get together of course), it's just necessary that I repeat some things and sometimes will copy whole passages of older chapters… I just want to make it like it really had been the same and until Takeo appeared, the timeline had been still the same.

Chapter 1: How it began

************************************************************************************

"Pregnant," stated Pan dumbfounded, when the doctor had told her, what had been 'wrong' with her in the last weeks. "As in I'm-carrying-a-baby-in-my-belly-and-going-to-be-a-mother-pregnant."

"Exactly," confirmed Dr. Isaacs her statement, but Pan didn't directly listen to everything he said next. She was too confused at that moment. "You're still pretty young, I guess just out of college and in case that the child is unwanted there are still abortion or adoption. I could give you some information about both possibilities, but you should decide soon." He put some papers on the desk, but then he noticed that Pan was somewhere else with her thoughts. "Miss Son?"

"What?" She jerked her head up and looked at the papers on the desk in front of her. They all said something about abortion or adoption at the top, sending her shivers down her spine. "No, thank you, Dr. Isaacs… I don't need it."

"Are you sure?" he asked, as he put them back. Pan nodded firmly and got up. "Okay then, you should make a new appointment with my secretary."

"Goodbye Dr. Isaacs." She shook his hand and left the praxis, without making a new appointment.

Pan wandered through the streets of Satan City without knowing where she was going. Soon, she spotted a bench and sat down on it. Unfortunately the bench was at a playground, so Pan could see many happy kids playing and mothers with baby carriages talking to each other.

She absently stroke over her belly.

Pregnant. A small child was growing in her. She was going to be a mother. And Trunks a father.

Suddenly she started crying again. She should be happy, but she couldn't. She still hadn't told him who she was and now she also had to tell him that she was carrying his baby. How could she do that? He would even hate her more now!

She wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. What should she say? Hey Trunks, do you remember this thing I wanted to tell you this morning? Yes? Good. Okay, Trunks, I'm the girl you used to baby-sit. Yes, you've heard right. I'm Pan. And on top of this, I've just been to a doctor who told me that I'm pregnant. Cool, huh? That means you're going to be a daddy.

The ideal reaction of him would be: First having this sweet, clueless look on his face. Then this look would change into a huge smile and he would swoop her up in his arms and they would live happily ever after.

Pan buried her face in the palms of her hands and inhaled deeply, trying to suppress that small, almost insane laugh that wanted to erupt from her throat. Yeah, right… As if that would happen. Happily ever after… This ending belonged to a fairy tell, but her life was anything but not that! Right now her life was hell on earth.

But even though Trunks may be the biggest problem in this whole situation, there were still other, not really small, but smaller problems. For example her friends, her family and not to forget: Her parents. What would they say? Would they be disappointed in her? Most likely. Especially her father. He had always been so proud of her, so how would he react, when she finally told him about her mistake?

She wasn't sure, if she were able to live with everyone looking at her with disappointment, hurt, anger and maybe even pity in their eyes. Pan could very well imagine the accusing look in her father face and her mother crying next to him. He would say: How could you bring this shame over you and our family? Look at your mother! Look what you've done to her! I've thought I had raised you better!

But she had to tell them!

~*~

It was already late in the afternoon, when Pan finally decided to leave the playground. She had no idea why she hadn't done this sooner, because in her current condition, it had just been depressing to sit there and watch the other happy parents with their children play. Maybe it had been some kind of self-punishment, but maybe it had already been, despite her situation, some kind of anticipation that she, too, would soon go to a playground with a small child.

She was right now standing in the elevator of the building, where her apartment was, waiting for it to reach the twentieth floor. She wanted to take a quick shower and then change into something more comfortable to wear, something that was more like Pan, before she would confront Trunks and the rest of her family.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she took out the keys and just wanted to unlock the door, when she noticed that something wasn't right with it. The lock was obviously broken. She carefully opened the door and slowly went inside, ready to take a burglar or something like that down.

But what she saw was something that she hadn't expected at all. On her couch was sitting Trunks, now looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face, clutching an orange piece of cloth in his hands. Her bandana. "Trunks…"

The former couple just stared at each other, both not moving a bit. "Trunks…" said Pan again, completely shocked and confused. Her bandana in his hand… Did that mean…? "What… what are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting for you…" told Trunks her in a toneless voice. "I wanted to talk to you… But then I've found this," He showed her the bandana, "and other things in your closet."

"You've been going through my stuff?" she asked him exasperated, completely forgetting that there was something she had to tell him. "What gave you the right to break into my apartment and look through my private things?"

"Hey!" yelled Trunks now. "I wasn't the one who's been keeping things from others! I just wanted to protect you! The others were suspicious of you, because of the lack of your ki and I wanted to prove them that you're not a threat for us." He took a deep breath and then added in a softer tone, "Pan… why?"

Pan bit down on her lower lip. So he knew. The secret wasn't a secret anymore. Her cover had been blown before she got the chance to tell him. But what could she say now? She had hurt him. She could see it. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled. "I just wanted to be treated like a grown-up. That was one of the reasons why I left seven years ago and I knew that they wouldn't stop treating me like a child until I've proved them that I'm a grown-up and capable of taking care of myself. And I was right. At the party they treated 'Pia' like a grown-up, while they were talking about 'Pan' as if she was still six years old."

Again tears found their way into Pan's eyes, letting her wonder, how much of them were still left after the last weeks. She looked at Trunks, who was still listening to her, but she couldn't see any reaction to what she was telling him on his face. It remained impassive and was as hard as stone. "Go on," he said in the same cold voice, he had already used the last few weeks in the office.

Biting the tears back, she took a deep breath and continued. "But I've never expected things to turn out like this. I've never planned to fall in love with you, Trunks. I've never wanted to hurt you… I'm sorry…"

"You're right, Pan," Trunks said firmly and walked up to her. She looked at him and saw the anger and the pain, she had caused, in his eyes. "You've hurt me. I've loved you more than anything else and as I came here this morning I wanted to get back together with you. I was ready to forgive you for hurting me as you ended our relationship. But now, I can't do that anymore. With your lie you've screwed up everything that could've happened between us. You've not just broken my heart, but also the trust I had in you, Pan."

"But I love you and I'm…" said Pan, but Trunks interrupted her.

"No, you're wrong. The way how you've played with love shows me that you're still too young to know what love means. You've not grown up in the last seven years. This lie is the proof for it. You're still a child, Pan, accept it," he told her and was about to leave the apartment, but stopped shortly behind her. "I want you to know that I don't want to see you ever again. Do me the favor and leave this city, or even better the country and I won't tell anyone that you were Pia. Go and spare everyone the disappointment of what you've done, especially Gohan, Videl, ChiChi and Bra. I'll make sure that no one finds out why you've quit work and I'll even write a reference for you, so that you'll easily get another job somewhere else. If they ask, I'll tell the others that 'Pia' was already gone, as I arrived in her apartment." Without saying another word, Trunks left the apartment, not even noticing that he put the bandana in his pocket, leaving Pan all alone there.

She just stood there, as the door was closed, not moving a bit. She was trying to comprehend the exact meaning of the words Trunks had just said. She started to cry, as the realization slowly sank in. I don't want to see you ever again. Go and spare everyone the disappointment. Blinded by her tears, she stumbled over to her bedroom, pulled a duffel bag out under her bed and began throwing clothes into it.

Trunks wanted her to leave? Okay! He would never see her again!

~*~

After leaving Pan's apartment, Trunks didn't go directly home. He didn't want to face anyone directly after, so he decided to take a small walk. He was slowly starting to doubt, if what he had said was right. No matter what he had said, he still loved her and he didn't know if he could bear losing her. But it's too late now. He can't take back what he had told her. He shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. Of course did he say the right things. She had lied, not just to him, but also to everyone else. She had broken his heart and his trust.

He had been walking for about two hours, before he finally stood in front of his home.

~*~

Vegeta suddenly stopped his sparring match with Bra, as he felt Trunks' ki outside. He seemed to be quite upset, for it was unsteady and wavering. "Daddy? What's wrong?" demanded Bra to know.

"Your brother is back and something is bothering him. Something big," said Vegeta.

"Something concerning Pan?" she wanted to know.

Her father shrugged. "Maybe. Let's go and find out." He walked over to the control panel, shut the gravity off and then left the room, followed by his daughter.

~*~

Bulma was standing in the kitchen, preparing the dinner for her family, or better, trying to prepare dinner, since their hired chef was on vacation. Yes, after her mother had passed away and hundreds of failed cooking lessons with ChiChi, Bulma Briefs had given up on learning how to cook and hired a chef to satisfy the stomachs of one full- and two demi-Saiyajins. But unfortunately even this talented man had to take a break sometimes, especially with having to cook for four people, of which alone three could eat as much as a whole army, and that mostly left Bulma to provide for her family.

And this time would be again one of those times, Bulma failed to prepare dinner, because while she was standing at the oven, she heard someone walking by the kitchen. Curious as she was, she went to the door to look, who had been passing by, and saw her son just taking the first step of the stairs. "Hey Trunks! So, tell me, how did it go with Pia?" she wanted to know.

Trunks turned around to answer his mother and saw that now also his father and sister were joining them. "Pia wasn't there," he said, slightly struggling with his words. "Her whole apartment was empty. She must've moved out, because all of her stuff was gone."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his son. Something didn't quite fit. He didn't think that Kakarotto's grandbrat would just run away like that, not without telling at least his brat the truth. "What are you implying, boy?"

"That she's gone. She had left and most likely won't return to me." Trunks unconsciously tightened his grip around Pan's bandana in his pocket, trying to keep a strong voice. "It's over."

"Oh Trunks," said Bulma softly, not exactly knowing how to react. "I'm sorry."

Trunks shook his head, having a slight, but fake smile on his face. "Don't be, mom. Don't be. This whole thing between Pia and me had just been too good to be true. We didn't have a future together. We just weren't meant to be."

"Can we do anything for you?" asked Bra now.

"Just leave me alone, okay? I need some time to think." Without saying more, he turned around and was on his way to his room, where he, after closing his door, sat down on his bed, burying his head in his hands. On the outside he may appear reasonable, understanding, but in the inside it was tearing him apart. I don't want to see you ever again. Do me the favor and leave this city, or even better the country and I won't tell anyone that you were Pia. If Pan had really done what he had told her, she was gone by now and there would be no way for him to find her. And even if she was still there, he was too thickheaded and too proud to give in to this feeling called remorse, which was slowly building up inside of his body. He wondered how long he could maintain this calm appearance, before he actually admitted to himself, how much he had lost with saying those words to the person he loved more than anything else on this planet.

The three other occupants of the Briefs family were still standing in the hallway, staring at the place where Trunks had been, trying to understand what just had happened. Vegeta was the first one to recover, as he started to sniff in the air. "Woman, I think the food is burning up."

"What?" Bulma was pulled out of her dazed-like state and immediately registered the words of her mate. "Oh shit!" Those and other curses were heard in this household, before Bulma emerged again from the kitchen. "Bra, call the pizza service. We're ordering in," she said defeated.

"Okay mom," said Bra and hurried to the next telephone, while Bulma went back into the kitchen to dispose the remnants of what should have been their dinner.

Vegeta just ascended the stairs, deciding that he could take a shower, since it now wouldn't be too long until the pizzas arrived and he finally got something to eat. But still one thought was bothering his mind: The boy was keeping something from them. He wasn't telling the whole truth. For once Vegeta couldn't tell what was going on in his son's head. He didn't know if he already knew about Pia being Pan, or not. And to make it even worse, the Prince was sure that beating this information out of his son wouldn't work this time. This time they all had to wait until Trunks wanted to tell them about what has happened. He just hoped that he would do that.

~*~

About at the same moment Pan was sitting at the airport, holding a ticket to LA in her hands. She had already checked in and was now waiting for her flight to be announced. She stroke over her still flat belly. "I'm sorry little one," she whispered, "but you're daddy doesn't want to see me ever again. I hope you'll forgive me for letting you grow up without him." She looked up and stared out to the runway. The tears on her face had long dried. Just a few more minutes and she would sit in one of those planes.

One of the things she had never thought would happen had happened. She was running away. She, Pan Son, who had most likely seen more destruction, faced worst enemies than most of earth's population, was running away from one man. To be blunt, she was scared like shit. But she knew no other way out. Once she was in LA she would start new, together with her yet unborn child and with the help of her best friend in the states. It would be hard at the beginning, but she knew that, even though she was leaving her family and friends in Japan behind, she wasn't alone in LA.

As her flight was announced, Pan grabbed her small backpack and went to the line that was now at the gate of her plane. "Goodbye everyone, I'll miss you…"

************************************************************************************

Wow, that was somehow hard to write, even though I had copied many passages (for which I've told you the reasons at the beginning), but I'm slowly again getting the hang for it. One advice for all of you: Don't take a longer break of writing! It's not like riding a bike! When you start again, your brains (at least mine) take a bit longer before they work again at full author potential!!!

But I really hope that you like this first chapter! I've tried to make some things a bit more detailed, especially feelings/thoughts and as you see: No Takeo interfering with the timeline! Even though this story is named after him, I don't know when I'll bring him in… Oh god, I think this story is really going to be a long one…

Okay, I know those two words annoy the hell out of the reader, but PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Eternally yours

ChibiChibi

PS: I know that I've made Gohan seem heartless at the beginning of this chapter, but remember, those were Pan's fears and not how Gohan would really react (we all know that)! I just wanted to tell you that, so that you don't sue me for Gohan-bashing or something like that.