A/N: Sorry again for the lateness of the chapters, but I have a special surprise for you in the author's note at the end! I want to say thank you for the reviews you gave me for the last chapter. I'm happy that still some people read this story… Special thanks to Pia Bartolini for the reviews. I'm always open for criticism! I really try to get forward with this story and when the next chapter and the one following that is finished, I hope that it'll finally become more interesting! There'll probably some larger jumps in time, if you know what I mean…
Chapter 11: One last time
************************************************************************************
Shaking hands picked up the cable-less receiver from its station, turned it around and started to slowly dial a number, which she still remembered as well as she always had. But before she could enter the last number and push the button to connect, her previously gathered courage left her again and she put the receiver back – again – hugging her knees tightly to her body. But her eyes never left the telephone in front of her.
Coward! she scolded herself. What's wrong with you? Just dial that damn number and get over with it!
If it were just that easy. She sighed. She still didn't even know what she would say, once she finally found the guts to call them. Too much time had passed. Too much. And too many things had happened. What if they knew? Do me the favor and leave this city, or even better the country and I won't tell anyone that you were Pia. She winced involuntarily, when she heard again those harsh words in her head. No, they couldn't know. Not if the two only persons, who knew about this lie kept quiet. She knew that she could trust Vegeta, and Trunks, well, he told her that.
But still this small nagging in the back of her mind wouldn't stop. What if, after the whole ordeal with the press conference, Trunks told them? Well, there was just one way to find out…
Just as she picked up the phone again, a knock at the door to her room let her almost jump. Her heart was pounding heavily against her chest and it took her a few seconds to calm her breathing again. "Yes?"
The door was opened and Mrs. Crawford came inside. "Pan, dear… Arthur and I wanted to go for a walk and we wanted to ask if you'd like to come with us." Upon seeing that Pan was holding the phone in her hands, she just shook her head softly. "Dear, you're already sitting here like this for two hours. Don't tell me that you still haven't made that phone call…"
"I know, Beth… But it's really hard and every time I'm almost done dialing that number, I freak out and put it back."
"Well, if you'd rather be completely alone, we could take Takeo with us, so that he won't bother you," Elisabeth suggested.
"Thanks," Pan said smiling. "But I just checked on him a few minutes ago. He's fast asleep and I don't think that he'll wake up anytime soon."
"Fine… We'll be gone then." Before she left the room, she turned around one last time. "And good luck."
Pan was just able to nod, before she turned her gaze back to the phone, around which her hands were clasped so tightly. After she heard the front door close, she took a deep breath and started once again to slowly push several buttons on the phone, a row of number slowly appearing. "Okay, Pan… You can do this. Just this one time. Just to hear their voices one last time…" Without hesitating another second, she pushed the button to connect and raised the receiver to her ear. Her hands were damp from the cold sweat and her heart was pounding even harder than before, so that it almost burst through her chest.
"Hello? This is the Son residence. Goten is speaking." Her heart almost stood still, when she heard this voice. She almost hadn't expected anyone to answer at all, after she had already waited for about a minute for someone to pick up the phone. "Hello? Is someone there?" she heard her uncle asking, since she hadn't said anything.
"Sorry…" Pan said out of reflex. "Hey Goten… This is Pan…" Okay, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. In a few seconds you will know if they know.
"Pan? Whoaw! That's a surprise," Goten exclaimed excitedly. "How long has it been? A year? You know, you should really call more often. Your parents slowly start to get worried. But now tell me! How's life in LA? Has something exciting happened?"
The young quarter-Saiyajin involuntarily had to grin. That was so her uncle. He really hadn't changed at all. And the way it sounded both Trunks and Vegeta hadn't spilled a word about her. Yeah, much has happened, she thought as in answer to Goten's question. But she couldn't tell him that. "No, not much has happened," she told him instead. "Just hard studying, so that I really had no time to call or write… Sorry. So, any news at home?" Home. A home she would never again set a foot in, she mused bitterly.
"Well, I think you've somehow heard about the whole ordeal with Trunks?"
"Yeah," Pan answered quietly.
"He needed a friend in that time."
Pan frowned, not missing the hint of disappointment in her uncle's voice. "He had you."
"But he needed you," he insisted. "Trunks always talked with you about things he never even thought about telling me."
"Goten, please, can we not do this now?" she asked, trying hard to keep the desperation and the tears, which were slowly forming behind her yes, out of her voice. "I've really been under a lot of pressure in the last year and I just…" At that moment Pan heard a loud wail coming from the room next to hers. Damn it, she cursed under her breath. Either she or something else had woken Takeo up. "Sorry Goten, but can you please excuse me for a minute?"
"Sure… But what is that? Is that a baby?" he asked confused.
"Yes it is. I'm babysitting…" Pan quickly said. "I'll be back in a minute…" She put the receiver on the bed and left the room, just to come back about half a minute later, holding Takeo in her arms, who was wrapped into a small dark blue blanket. Strangely enough, immediately after she had come into his room he had stopped crying. Seemed like he just needed some attention. Pan sat down back on her bed and picked the phone up again. "So, I'm back…"
"Wow, that was fast…" Goten remarked. "But why are you babysitting, Pan? If you need money, you should tell your parents."
"No! I mean, no, I don't need money. I'm just babysitting the son of a friend of mine. She had an important appointment and didn't find someone else…" she lied.
"How old is he?"
"A month… He's a month old."
"Hey Pan! That reminds me… I'll most likely also start a family soon!" he suddenly told her excitedly, having seemingly completely forgotten about their small argument a few minutes ago.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Bra and I… We're getting married next month…"
"You what?" Pan asked more than a bit surprised. One year ago, when she had talked to him on the phone he had told her that he and Bra were dating and now this! "Wow, congratulations, I think. When is the wedding?"
"On the first of June. Will you be there? I really hope so, because…"
"I'm really sorry, Goten… Oh god, I really say that a lot today… But I won't be able to be there. I'd really want to, but there are so many exams… I'm so sorry…" Oh Dende, why do you make it so hard on me? I want to go! I want to see how my best friend and my uncle are getting married… But it is impossible… And I can't even tell him why – the truth.
"Not?" Pan could clearly hear the sadness and disappointment in his voice. But she didn't blame him. It was understandable. Who wouldn't be disappointment, when he heard that one of his closest friends couldn't be present at what most people call the happiest day in their lives. She just wanted to say again, how sorry she was, when Goten's voice was heard again, again in its usual cheerful way. "Hey, I'm sure you called to talk to your parents, right? Wait a minute, I'll get them for you. Oh, and Pan? I can't wait for you to come home again."
Before Pan could say anything, she heard the retreating steps through the phone. A huge lump was forming in her throat, but not just because she would hear the voices of her parents again in a few minutes, but also because of what her uncle had said. He couldn't wait for her to come home again. Home again. She looked down at the now wide awake, but quiet Takeo in her arms. Was everyone thinking like this? If they did, they would be highly disappointed. Her gaze fell on a small pile of envelopes lying on her desk. Because today would be the last time they ever heard her voice, and tomorrow the last day they'd ever hear anything from her.
~*~
"Hey, Goten! Who's that on the phone?" Bra asked curiously, as he came out of the kitchen and after hearing him talking to someone.
"That's Pan… She wants to talk to Gohan and Videl. But I'm sure she won't mind if you keep her company until I've gotten them," Goten told his fiancée, giving the stunned girl a small peck on the cheek.
Bra stared after her fiancé, just now fully comprehending the words he had just said to her. Pan! Phone! Pan was on the phone! Her face set in a determined scowl, she walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Pan, where the heck are you?" she hissed into the receiver.
"Bra?" she heard Pan's voice asking, immediately noticing the surprise in her friend's voice. "I fully expected my parents…"
"Goten is on his way to get them and told me to keep you company. But you still didn't answer my question! Where. Are. You?" Bra turned away from the door, carefully shielding the receiver with her hands.
"In LA? Where else should I be?" the quarter-Saiyajin answered nonchalantly. It wasn't even a lie. But why was Bra so …cold…? Could it be that?
"Don't lie to me, Pan! Now tell me, where are you?"
"Bra, I don't know what you're talking about…" she tried to say, but her friend interrupted her.
"Damn it, Pan! Or should I better say Pia? I know what has happened between you and Trunks! If I had known that everything would work out like this, I would've never given you that advice!" she whispered firmly. "I don't know what exactly had happened between you that one day, but it can't be that bad!"
"Hey Bra," Gohan's voice suddenly startled her. "I know there's probably much you girls have to talk about, but let us take over now…"
Bra turned around and saw him and Videl standing just a few feet behind her. "Okay, just let me say goodbye first," she said to them, before she turned her voice again into a whisper – a more desperate than angry one this time. "Pan, please… Come back. He needs you. Your parents need you. You don't know what you're doing…" She waited for a few seconds for Pan to say something, but when nothing happened, she handed the phone to Gohan, faking a smile. "Here you go…"
~*~
Tears trickled down her eyes, when Pan finally heard her father's voice at the other end of the line, knowing that this time would be the last time she'd ever hear it. "Hi daddy…"
************************************************************************************
Okay, I can't say I'm too proud of this chapter… This and, well, not directly the one before this, but the few ones before that were really hard to write. It's also rather short, but I didn't want to let you guys wait any longer. But I'll make the badness of this chapter up to you with a special treat. I'm tired right now and I don't think I'll still be that productive tonight, but before I start with a new chapter of another story, I write another one for HoT. Deal?
Eternally yours
ChibiChibi
