Disclaimer: Nope, no DBZ for me~ -Cries- Oh, well.
A/N: Hope you liked that last chapter. Note that this story is a romantic tragedy. That's all I'm going to say! I hope you guys will continue reading though.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Two Welcome Back, Pan!
~*~*~*~
Bulma landed the air car and everyone got out. Pan grabbed her carryon bag and her purse. Trunks and Bra went around to get her suitcases. They were the kind with wheels so they wouldn't have to struggle with carrying the bags. They went up to the door and Bulma opened it. It was dark inside. Trunks took Pan's bag and purse and headed upstairs with Bra to put Pan's things in the room she was going to be staying in. They came back downstairs and stood with Pan.
"Now, where is that light switch," Bulma muttered. A click sounded and the lights turned on.
"Surprise!" The entire Z Gang shouted at Pan. She stared at everyone in shock. All but 18 and Vegeta where wearing party hats and she laughed.
"Oh my stars!" she cried. (A/N: Better than "Oh my cow!" or "Oh my waffles!" as my cuz and sister say. -Laughs- = D ) Marron ran up to her and hugged her tight.
"Pan!" she cried. Trunks and Bra laughed as Marron almost knocked her over.
"Hi to you too, Marron," Pan laughed. She went around the room and hugged everybody. To her surprise Vegeta even hugged her.
"Have you kept up with your training, brat?" he asked her.
"As often as I can between my studies," she answered. He nodded.
"Good," he replied. She looked around for Trunks and Bra. She found Bra by the snack table talking to Goten. Marron was nearby talking to Uub. Trunks was sitting in a chair at one side of the room. Pan walked over and pulled a chair up next to him.
"Hi, Trunks," she smiled at him. He smiled back at her.
"Hi," he said.
"How are you?" she asked.
"I've been better," he answered. She nodded.
"Bra told me you weren't feeling well," she replied. They didn't tell her. He thought. She'll find out soon, though I don't think I have the heart to tell her myself.
"Yeah," he said.
"I'm glad you were feeling well enough to come see me at the airport today," she smiled again. He grinned.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he replied.
"I missed everyone so much! I'm so glad I'm here!" she exclaimed. Trunks laughed.
"We all missed you too. Bra was going nuts all week before your flight. Mom was flitting around, getting things together for today. You know how she is. Throwing a party for anything," he said. It was Pan's turn to laugh.
"I'm surprised! Even your dad hugged me!" Pan laughed some more. Trunks grinned.
"Even Dad missed you. I guess he missed sparring with you," he replied.
"He did ask me if I kept my training up," Pan smiled.
"That's Vegeta for you," Goten had wandered over to them, Bra close behind.
"Hi, Uncle Goten," Pan said.
"Hey, Pan-Chan," Goten grinned. Pan stood up to give him another hug.
"It's good to be back. I probably forgot how to use chopsticks!" Pan said. Bra laughed as Goten looked horrified.
"Guess we'll have to teach you how again then, huh?" she asked.
"Yup!" Pan grinned.
"You guys want to go grab something to eat?" Goten asked. Everyone sweat dropped. Good ol' Uncle Goten. Always hungry! Pan thought.
"Well, I'm kind of hungry," Trunks announced. Goten nodded.
"Me too," Pan said. Trunks stood up from his chair and they headed towards the snack table. Pan noticed Trunks was breathing heavier than normal and sweat was trickling down his face. He stopped walking, swaying as he stood in place.
"Trunks?" Pan's voice was full of concern. He looked at her, but his eyes didn't seem to focus on her very well. They were full of pain and that frightened Pan.
"I don't feel so good...." Trunks said almost inaudibly. It seemed almost in slow motion to Pan as she watched, in horror, as Trunks' eyes rolled back into his head and his knees give out as he lost consciousness. Pan quickly moved forward and caught him in her arms, going down on her knees.
"Trunks!" she yelled as she held him against her chest.
"Mom!" Bra yelled as she knelt beside Pan and her fallen brother. Vegeta and Bulma ran towards them. Vegeta picked Trunks up in his arms and headed for the infirmary. Bulma was close behind him. Pan hugged herself, rocking back and forth, in place on the floor. She was in shock, her eyes wide as the scene that just happened replayed over and over in her head like a silent movie. Chi Chi pulled her up out of the floor and held her as Goten helped Bra up off the floor and wrapped his arms around her as she rested her face in his shoulder.
"Pan are you okay?" Chi Chi asked. Pan finally got over her shock and looked at her grandmother.
"What is wrong with, Trunks?" she asked, fear in her eyes. Chi Chi hugged her.
"Honey, go to the infirmary. Bulma will be able to tell you better than me. Do want me to go with you?" her grandmother asked. Pan nodded. They headed out of the room in the direction Vegeta and Bulma had just gone in.
They entered the infirmary to find Bulma was rushing around, looking for different things and bringing them over to Trunks who was laying on a bed. Chi Chi put a hand on Pan's shoulder. Vegeta was standing nearby, staying out of the way. Pan tore her eyes away from Trunks and looked at Vegeta.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked softly. Vegeta looked at her. What she saw in his eyes struck fear into her heart. She saw sadness and helplessness for a brief moment.
"Bra told you Trunks was ill, right?" he asked. When she nodded he continued.
"Trunks has a mutant cancerous tumor in his body. It's spreading too quickly for treatment and not even his Saiya-Jin blood can stop it. It has slowed the thing down, that's why he's lived this long. We wished on the Dragon Balls, but that didn't work. He just got worse. We can't help him. He's dying." Pan stared at him in horror.
"No," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked back at Trunks laying on the bed. Bulma had stopped running around finally and walked towards Pan.
"I'm sorry, honey. There is nothing we can do for him... Vegeta talked to Dende. Dende doesn't know how to cure it. The only thing we know is what started it is nothing like anything on Earth. He's been trying to find something, but so far he's come up with nothing. We were going to tell you, just not like this, Pan," Bulma said softly. Pan shook her head.
"No! There has to be something you can do! Trunks can't be dying!" Pan yelled, her ki raising rapidly.
"Pan, please. Calm down," Chi Chi said. Pan shook her head and ran out of the infirmary. She ran out of Capsule Corps and took off into the air. She flew until she couldn't fly anymore. Tears ran down her face as she landed in a forest clearing. She fell to her knees and sobbed. NO! He can't be dying! Not Trunks! Please, Dende, not Trunks! She cried out in her mind. She brought her hands to her face as she cried.
After a while Bra finally caught up with Pan and landed near her. She walked to her friend and hugged her tight. They sat for a while in silence until Pan's sobs died down.
"Pan, I know how you feel, but he needs you. Please stay with him? He really wanted to see you again. He doesn't think he'll live for much longer. I know you don't want to accept it and neither do I. Don't waste the precious time you have left with him. Please come back with me? Please go back to Trunks?" Bra asked her. Pan sat in a few more moments of silence before she answered.
"I'll go back. It just kills me to think..... Oh, Bra! I can't live knowing he's suffering. He's one of my closest friends and I care so much for him." Tears welled up in her eyes again.
"I know, Pan, I know," Bra whispered. Trunks is her brother for goodness sake! I shouldn't be acting like this. I need to be strong for them. Pan thought, wiping away her tears.
"Let's go back, Bra. I'm ready," Pan said. Bra nodded. They stood and headed back to Capsule in silence.
~*~*~*~
Back At Capsule
Pan sat at Trunks' bedside. She reached up to brush his lavender hair aside and kissed his forehead. Come back to me, Trunks. Don't leave me like this. Please just open your eyes and talk to me again. Pan thought. She held his hand as she watched over him. She squeezed his hand and was surprised when she felt him squeeze back. She looked at his hand and then back up to his face.
His beautiful blue eyes were open and looking back at her.
"Hi..." he said softly as he smiled weakly. Pan smiled as her eyes filled with tears again.
"Trunks, don't you ever scare me like that again," she whispered, joking.
"I'll try not to," he studied her face and noticed her tears. He reached up and brushed them away with his thumb. "Don't cry, Pan."
"I'm sorry, Trunks. They told me," she said softly.
"Everything?" he asked. She nodded slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking up at her again.
"I didn't have the heart to tell you. I didn't want you to cry for me, Pan-Chan," he said softly.
"I know, Trunks. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," she said back. She kissed his forehead once more.
~*~*~*~
A/N: I'm sorry this chappy is short! Please don't kill me! Please review on your way out. I know it's sad but what did you think about it?
~*~*~*~
