Chapter 2
"I've tried / like you
to do everything you wanted too.
This is / the last time
I'll take the blame for the sake of being with you.
"Everything falls apart. Even the people who never frown / eventually break down.
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie.
Everything has to end. You'll soon find / we're out of time left to watch it all unwind."
'Alright, here we go. you can do this.' Pan silently encouraged herself as she walked determinedly toward the door of the Brief's residence. She had not slept well seeing as she had been tossing and turning all night trying to decide what to say to Trunks. As she reached the door, she took a deep breath, turned to wave good bye to her father, and knocked.
The door opened a moment later to a scowling Vegeta. 'Dammit, I was hoping Bulma or Bra would answer. Vegeta is always so difficult.' Pan realized she still hadn't spoken when Vegeta cleared his throat.
"So, do you want something or not, girl?!" Vegeta's irritated look prompted Pan to answer quickly. "Ummm, yes, thank you, ummm sir. I'd like to see Trunks, please."
Vegeta snorted but led Pan into the house. "Go through the back. The boy is training out in the yard with that half-bred brat of Kakarrot's." With that Vegeta turned on heel, leaving her to go face Trunks.
Pan's hand trembled as she opened the door to go to the backyard. She stood for a moment in the shadowed doorway as she watched her uncle Goten and her beloved Trunks sparring about 15 feet in the air. Goten took a rather harsh blow as he noticed Pan in the doorway. "Ermphh. Hey Pan! Wassup?!" He and Trunks floated casually to the ground as Pan walked out into the light.
Goten flinched slightly when he saw Pan's face. It was obvious something was upsetting her. She looked pale and her eyes were slightly red from crying. She looked, oddly enough to Goten, like she was afraid. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be with Bra."
Pan gave him a weak smile as he hurried away. Once he was out of sight, she grimaced turning to Trunks. Trunks smiled at her. "Pan-chan, baby, what's really good?" Pan's grimace turned to a frown. "Absolutely nothing Trunks. Nothing is good at all, not between us anyway!"
Pan's lip started to quiver as she drew in a shaky breath. "I saw you at the mall last night. I couldn't believe it. I mean. I knew. but I guess I was in denial. all the signs pointed to the fact that you were cheating.
"Do you remember a few months ago when Bra asked you who the girls were who kept calling the house for you? Do you remember that Trunks?! All those times I called the house and your Kasan told me that you had gone out? Some of those times you were supposed to be with me!"
Trunks shifted nervously from foot to foot never quite looking Pan. He had never been confronted by Pan about this. Bra brought it up all the time, he could easily deny anything she said, but Pan. He couldn't.
"I called your cell phone one time and some girl answered saying that you had left the phone in her room. Why were you in her room? I didn't know. I convinced myself that you two were studying, but it is the summertime!" Pan was shaking with fury by this point. "What is it Trunks?! Why are you cheating on me?! Is something wrong? Don't pretend there isn't! I'm through with pretending that everything is peachy because it isn't, is it?!"
Pan stopped, her chest heaving, waiting for Trunks' response. He finally looked her in the eyes and spoke quietly, soothingly. "Pan-chan you know I care about you, and it pains me to hurt you, but sometimes you just seem to push me away. You seem needy. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to fill all your needs. It is too much for me."
"Bull shit!" Pan had had enough. "You're wrong Trunks. This is not my fault! In the past, whenever we had problems, I never spoke up. I figured that they sprung from some kind of fault of mine, but I am too through with taking the blame. It was your decision. You could have talked to me, but no, that's just not your way."
Pan turned on heel to walk back into the house. "Fuck you, Trunks! We're through!"
Trunks watched Pan storm through the kitchen toward the door. He was in utter shock. 'When did Pan grow a backbone?'
*~~~~*
Pan pulled out her cell phone to call Videl for a ride home. It was getting dark and she didn't want to walk home. She didn't want to fly home either, she didn't feel like she had the energy for that. Her talk with Trunks had drained her tremendously.
"Hello, this is the Son residence, nobody's home right now. But if you would leave your name, number, and a brief message, we will get back to you as soon as possible." Videl's cheerful voice sounding in Pan's ear frustrated her. "Why aren't they home?!" Pan sighed as she remembered that her parents were going to a benefit at the university where her father taught.
Thinking about it, Pan realized that Bulma and Vegeta were also going to the benefit. 'No wonder Vegeta was so irritable.' Bra and Goten were gone as well. They had escaped hearing the argument by going out to the movies. 'No telling when Uncle Goten and his precious B-chan will get back and I cannot bear to be in the house with this idiot one second longer. Walking it is then. I'm just so tired. Oh, it's gonna be a long walk.'
*~~~~~*
Trunks was still in shock after Pan left. 'I can't believe it. She broke up with me.' For the first time in a long time sat down and thought about his relationship with Pan.
Pan had always loved Trunks, he knew that. It was only when she turned 16, however, when Trunks really started to notice her. Before, she was always his other little sister. Cute, but annoying. Then one day, he was chaperoning one of Bra's Christmas parties that his parents couldn't organize because they were out of town. He was getting really tired of all the girls following at his heel when in walked an ebony-haired goddess. She was wearing a tight, green crushed velvet dress whose neckline Trunks' eyes followed down to behold the swell of her breasts. Trunks had rushed over to her to ask her to dance. It was only then that he realized that the beautiful enchantress was his goofy play sister, Pan. She had never worn dresses around him, neither had she let her hair out from under that scarf she always wore. It was then that he had fallen in love with her.
Two years later, this was happening. It was his fault and he knew it. Pan deserved so much more than he was giving her. She was his angel, but now she was gone. He deserved to lose her. He couldn't even come up with a good excuse for his behavior. He just liked sex. The girls never meant anything to him. They were just a release for his sexual frustration since Pan was decidedly going to abstain until marriage.
Trunks treasured the thought that he might someday marry Pan and have her precious gift of her virginity given to him. It didn't look like that was going to happen anymore. 'I'm such and idiot!' Trunks was mentally kicking himself for ever messing things up with Pan. He knew he could never do better than her. Besides, he loved her.
Just then, Trunks felt someone calling to him. The call seemed urgent, desperate. He searched him mind for who seemed so distressed. 'No, not Pan! It can't be! I have to find her!' With that thought, Trunks flew straight through his bedroom window, without a thought to the shattering glass. All he knew was that Pan was in trouble.
*~~~~*
Pan wished she hadn't walked. 'Why didn't I just wait for Goten and Bra?!' Pan was huddled in an alley sobbing. She was curled up with her chin on her knees looking on with horror and fear at what she had stumbled upon.
She had been walking through Satan City on her way home, when she came upon an alley that she normally took as a short cut. As she started down the alley, she heard a scream from up ahead. She was about to call for help when rough hands grabbed her from behind. "Eh, look what I found!" The man's gruff voice called.
The man dragged her farther into the alley where she was thrown against the wall. Falling to her knees, she looked up and saw 5 big men. The one who had grabbed her was apparently standing against the wall, looking down and laughing. Pan followed his gaze and screamed. There were actually six men, one of them was holding a struggling woman face down against the ground with her arms pinned behind her back.
Tears clouded Pan's eyes as she mentally called out for help. 'Kami, help me! Trunks! Trunks help! Somebody, anybody, help!' Pan's thoughts became more urgent as she saw the man push up the woman's skirt and enter her. Pan knew she couldn't run. She was too weak. 'Maybe I can get to my cell phone.'
Pan reached into her purse and started to search for her cell phone. One of the men saw her, however, and with a blow to her temple, knocked her against the wall. He then took her purse and pulled out the cell phone.
"Calling for help? There is no saving you. You might wanna watch this. It's the same thing that is gonna happen to you in a minute." Pan bit her lip, curled up near the wall and started to cry harder. "Shaddup bitch! We'll do you worse than this dirty bitch if you don't keep quiet."
Pan quieted herself to sobbing.'Please, Trunks, save me.'
"I've tried / like you
to do everything you wanted too.
This is / the last time
I'll take the blame for the sake of being with you.
"Everything falls apart. Even the people who never frown / eventually break down.
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie.
Everything has to end. You'll soon find / we're out of time left to watch it all unwind."
'Alright, here we go. you can do this.' Pan silently encouraged herself as she walked determinedly toward the door of the Brief's residence. She had not slept well seeing as she had been tossing and turning all night trying to decide what to say to Trunks. As she reached the door, she took a deep breath, turned to wave good bye to her father, and knocked.
The door opened a moment later to a scowling Vegeta. 'Dammit, I was hoping Bulma or Bra would answer. Vegeta is always so difficult.' Pan realized she still hadn't spoken when Vegeta cleared his throat.
"So, do you want something or not, girl?!" Vegeta's irritated look prompted Pan to answer quickly. "Ummm, yes, thank you, ummm sir. I'd like to see Trunks, please."
Vegeta snorted but led Pan into the house. "Go through the back. The boy is training out in the yard with that half-bred brat of Kakarrot's." With that Vegeta turned on heel, leaving her to go face Trunks.
Pan's hand trembled as she opened the door to go to the backyard. She stood for a moment in the shadowed doorway as she watched her uncle Goten and her beloved Trunks sparring about 15 feet in the air. Goten took a rather harsh blow as he noticed Pan in the doorway. "Ermphh. Hey Pan! Wassup?!" He and Trunks floated casually to the ground as Pan walked out into the light.
Goten flinched slightly when he saw Pan's face. It was obvious something was upsetting her. She looked pale and her eyes were slightly red from crying. She looked, oddly enough to Goten, like she was afraid. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be with Bra."
Pan gave him a weak smile as he hurried away. Once he was out of sight, she grimaced turning to Trunks. Trunks smiled at her. "Pan-chan, baby, what's really good?" Pan's grimace turned to a frown. "Absolutely nothing Trunks. Nothing is good at all, not between us anyway!"
Pan's lip started to quiver as she drew in a shaky breath. "I saw you at the mall last night. I couldn't believe it. I mean. I knew. but I guess I was in denial. all the signs pointed to the fact that you were cheating.
"Do you remember a few months ago when Bra asked you who the girls were who kept calling the house for you? Do you remember that Trunks?! All those times I called the house and your Kasan told me that you had gone out? Some of those times you were supposed to be with me!"
Trunks shifted nervously from foot to foot never quite looking Pan. He had never been confronted by Pan about this. Bra brought it up all the time, he could easily deny anything she said, but Pan. He couldn't.
"I called your cell phone one time and some girl answered saying that you had left the phone in her room. Why were you in her room? I didn't know. I convinced myself that you two were studying, but it is the summertime!" Pan was shaking with fury by this point. "What is it Trunks?! Why are you cheating on me?! Is something wrong? Don't pretend there isn't! I'm through with pretending that everything is peachy because it isn't, is it?!"
Pan stopped, her chest heaving, waiting for Trunks' response. He finally looked her in the eyes and spoke quietly, soothingly. "Pan-chan you know I care about you, and it pains me to hurt you, but sometimes you just seem to push me away. You seem needy. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to fill all your needs. It is too much for me."
"Bull shit!" Pan had had enough. "You're wrong Trunks. This is not my fault! In the past, whenever we had problems, I never spoke up. I figured that they sprung from some kind of fault of mine, but I am too through with taking the blame. It was your decision. You could have talked to me, but no, that's just not your way."
Pan turned on heel to walk back into the house. "Fuck you, Trunks! We're through!"
Trunks watched Pan storm through the kitchen toward the door. He was in utter shock. 'When did Pan grow a backbone?'
*~~~~*
Pan pulled out her cell phone to call Videl for a ride home. It was getting dark and she didn't want to walk home. She didn't want to fly home either, she didn't feel like she had the energy for that. Her talk with Trunks had drained her tremendously.
"Hello, this is the Son residence, nobody's home right now. But if you would leave your name, number, and a brief message, we will get back to you as soon as possible." Videl's cheerful voice sounding in Pan's ear frustrated her. "Why aren't they home?!" Pan sighed as she remembered that her parents were going to a benefit at the university where her father taught.
Thinking about it, Pan realized that Bulma and Vegeta were also going to the benefit. 'No wonder Vegeta was so irritable.' Bra and Goten were gone as well. They had escaped hearing the argument by going out to the movies. 'No telling when Uncle Goten and his precious B-chan will get back and I cannot bear to be in the house with this idiot one second longer. Walking it is then. I'm just so tired. Oh, it's gonna be a long walk.'
*~~~~~*
Trunks was still in shock after Pan left. 'I can't believe it. She broke up with me.' For the first time in a long time sat down and thought about his relationship with Pan.
Pan had always loved Trunks, he knew that. It was only when she turned 16, however, when Trunks really started to notice her. Before, she was always his other little sister. Cute, but annoying. Then one day, he was chaperoning one of Bra's Christmas parties that his parents couldn't organize because they were out of town. He was getting really tired of all the girls following at his heel when in walked an ebony-haired goddess. She was wearing a tight, green crushed velvet dress whose neckline Trunks' eyes followed down to behold the swell of her breasts. Trunks had rushed over to her to ask her to dance. It was only then that he realized that the beautiful enchantress was his goofy play sister, Pan. She had never worn dresses around him, neither had she let her hair out from under that scarf she always wore. It was then that he had fallen in love with her.
Two years later, this was happening. It was his fault and he knew it. Pan deserved so much more than he was giving her. She was his angel, but now she was gone. He deserved to lose her. He couldn't even come up with a good excuse for his behavior. He just liked sex. The girls never meant anything to him. They were just a release for his sexual frustration since Pan was decidedly going to abstain until marriage.
Trunks treasured the thought that he might someday marry Pan and have her precious gift of her virginity given to him. It didn't look like that was going to happen anymore. 'I'm such and idiot!' Trunks was mentally kicking himself for ever messing things up with Pan. He knew he could never do better than her. Besides, he loved her.
Just then, Trunks felt someone calling to him. The call seemed urgent, desperate. He searched him mind for who seemed so distressed. 'No, not Pan! It can't be! I have to find her!' With that thought, Trunks flew straight through his bedroom window, without a thought to the shattering glass. All he knew was that Pan was in trouble.
*~~~~*
Pan wished she hadn't walked. 'Why didn't I just wait for Goten and Bra?!' Pan was huddled in an alley sobbing. She was curled up with her chin on her knees looking on with horror and fear at what she had stumbled upon.
She had been walking through Satan City on her way home, when she came upon an alley that she normally took as a short cut. As she started down the alley, she heard a scream from up ahead. She was about to call for help when rough hands grabbed her from behind. "Eh, look what I found!" The man's gruff voice called.
The man dragged her farther into the alley where she was thrown against the wall. Falling to her knees, she looked up and saw 5 big men. The one who had grabbed her was apparently standing against the wall, looking down and laughing. Pan followed his gaze and screamed. There were actually six men, one of them was holding a struggling woman face down against the ground with her arms pinned behind her back.
Tears clouded Pan's eyes as she mentally called out for help. 'Kami, help me! Trunks! Trunks help! Somebody, anybody, help!' Pan's thoughts became more urgent as she saw the man push up the woman's skirt and enter her. Pan knew she couldn't run. She was too weak. 'Maybe I can get to my cell phone.'
Pan reached into her purse and started to search for her cell phone. One of the men saw her, however, and with a blow to her temple, knocked her against the wall. He then took her purse and pulled out the cell phone.
"Calling for help? There is no saving you. You might wanna watch this. It's the same thing that is gonna happen to you in a minute." Pan bit her lip, curled up near the wall and started to cry harder. "Shaddup bitch! We'll do you worse than this dirty bitch if you don't keep quiet."
Pan quieted herself to sobbing.'Please, Trunks, save me.'