Excuse my late updates, but I've been busy with school and family matters.
~--~--~--~
Pain, it was everywhere, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head, he ached so bad his teeth hurt, and he didn't think that was possible, he allowed his fingers to twitch and pain shot up his arm.
Trunks had been in the hospital unconscious for the past week, of course this matter was unbeknownst to him, he was not allowed to have a senzu bean, so he had to recover the old fashioned way.
Finally gaining up the courage, Trunks cracked open his eyelids, a blinding light seared through his vision, and he grunted slightly, it took a minute for his vision to actually come back.
He craned his neck ever so gently to the left and saw a person laying their head on a desk, he couldn't make out if the person was a man or woman, considering every centimeter he moved his neck, the pain become worse, determination and curiosity as to who the person was took over his mind and Trunks took a glance at the person.
Ebony hair washed over a tanned arm in waterfall of tresses, an orange bandana was beside the sea of black locks, without a second glance, Trunks knew it was Pan, and slowly his allowed his neck to settle back into a comfortable position.
'How long have I been in here? Why is Pan here?' Questions raced through his mind a mile a minute.
'Gohan must have beat me up pretty bad, but why would Pan be here? She must feel guilty for what her father did,' Trunks tried to shudder at the memory of an enraged Gohan, 'I'll try to never be on the receiving end of one of Gohan's beatings again,' Realization fell over Trunks' face, 'I have a child,' his eyes turned to Pan, 'I wonder what she looks like.' He heard a soft sigh and Trunks closed his eyes on instinct.
Pan stood up and stretched, she saw Trunks still appeared to be unconscious. She grabbed his hand soothingly in hers and exhaled sadly, "I am sorry for what my father did to you over me, Trunks. I hope you wake up soon," she kissed his hand and laid her head beside it.
Trunks felt a tingle run up his arm when her lips touched his flesh, hearing her voice seemed to make him feel better.
"Pan?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice was very low.
The ebony-haired girl looked up at him, joy flowing over her face, "Trunks you're awake!"
He opened his blue eyes, taking in her face, "Beautiful," he whispered before he caught himself.
"What was that?" Pan asked.
"How long have I been in here?" Trunks inquired.
"A week," Pan answered.
"How long have you been here?"
Pan flushed slightly, "Doesn't matter. You're awake!"
Trunks ignored her dismissal of the question and asked: "What about Gohan?"
Pan's face darkened a bit, "He is still very angry with you, but him and mom are really warming up to Mariko."
'That's her name, I like that, better than some name having to do with underwear,' Trunks thought.
"What does she look like?" Trunks asked, closing his eyes, "Is she beautiful?"
Pan grabbed his hand and caressed his fingers with her own, "She's gorgeous, her face is round and clear and just so innocent, her eyes remind me of my mother's so much, and she has the softest lavender hair like yours. She has an air about her that makes anyone feel better no matter what type of mood they're in. She's very loving and loves talking to everybody, but she has the iron-will of Bulma and my Grandmother, and Vegeta's stubbornness," Pan smiled at the thought of her child.
"She sounds absolutely stunning," Trunks whispered.
"She is and so much more," Pan replied.
"Will I be able to see her?"
A silence followed the Trunks' question, "If you wish, I will not force you to spend time with her, Derek and I can raise her just fine if you choose not to."
"I would like to be a part of her life," Trunks said, "Who's Derek?"
Pan stared down, "My fiancé."
A thick stillness settled over the hospital room, Pan had let go of Trunks' hand, she seemed sad.
The door to the room swung open and two people walked in.
"Hey Panny! How's Trunks?" a male voice asked.
"He's awake, Uncle Goten!" Pan said happily.
Trunks suddenly felt the presence of two more people beside him, they were Goten and Marron.
"Hey guys," Trunks said pathetically.
"Gees Trunks you sound sadder than some starving third world child," Goten joked.
Trunks attempted to smile but he couldn't, he didn't know if it was his hurt from Pan's revelation or the pain that shot through him when he moved.
"I want out of here," Trunks said, "When can I leave?"
"Depends," Marron said.
"On what?" Trunks asked.
"If you're able to walk on your own, you old dirt bag," Goten cracked.
The four friends talked with Trunks for hours until a knock came at the door, Bulma entered the room and put flowers beside Trunks' bed.
"Glad to see you're awake Trunks," she said lovingly and kissed him on the forehead.
"We thought we had lost you," Marron laughed.
Bulma petted Trunks' hair, "I have something for you," she pulled a small capsule out of her purse, "I've been working on them, since I found out Korin will not allow us some senzu beans, I came upon a new method of healing, granted it is not instant like a senzu, but it will speed up the healing process."
The blue haired scientist slipped the pill into Trunks mouth, "Chew that up sweetie, you should be healed in two days."
"The sooner the better," he said.
--
The doctors were completely astounded at the process of Trunks' healing, one day they didn't think he would ever be able to walk again, much less think significantly on his own, but the next day he was up pacing around the room in deep thought, and today he had not one scratch, bruise, or cut that marred his face.
Trunks sat up from his bed, and a cross look came over his face.
"I would like to leave now!" he said.
Trunks would have left, but the only thing he had on was a hospital grown, he couldn't fly away in the middle of a busy city.
"That's it, I'm calling mother and getting her to bring me some clothes," Trunks said irritably. He picked up the phone and called Bulma.
"Hello, mother is that you?" not waiting for a response, he yelled, "Bring me my clothes and get me away from this hospital!" and he slammed the phone down on the receiver.
--
"Wow brother has some anger problems," Bra said bewilderedly, after she gently placed the phone down.
"What did he complain about this time?" Pan asked, letting her hair fall from a strange-looking ponytail, it seemed, Bra had concocted.
"He said," Bra imitated, "Hello, mother is that you? Bring me some clothes and get me away from this hospital!" Bra said doing her best impression of Trunks.
Pan laughed, "That invention of Bulma's worked I take."
"Mom isn't here though, and Papa definitely isn't going to take Trunks some clothes."
Pan shook her head, "Aw man, you don't mean."
"Yeah we have to do it," Bra said, "Come on let's get going."
--
"I'm glad you guys came and got me," Trunks said from the front seat.
"We had too, it's bad enough when you're not angry with us," Bra said, causing Pan to chuckle from the back.
"You speak of me as if I am mother," Trunks said, pretending to be offended.
"Trunks you couldn't be that scary even if your life depended on it," Pan laughed from the back. It was true, Bulma's mood swings were very frightening and when she was mad, she got even.
The inhabitants of the car became silent afterwards, each keeping to their own thoughts.
It began to rain as Bra drove up to a red light; she turned on the wipers and the headlights.
"I wonder how long it will rain?" Pan asked, although it was not a question that needed answering.
"What do we look like, weather forecasters," Trunks said rudely.
"I was just saying that! Mariko loves the rain!" Pan retorted.
"No need to be so testy you two, we're almost home," Bra said, trying to be the peacekeeper.
Pan's words hit close to home on Trunks, 'I don't know my own daughter. I've had one. Should I be a father to her? From Pan I can tell Mariko already has a father figure.'
Trunks looked at Pan through the rearview mirror, she was staring intently out of the window at the falling rain.
His azure eyes scanned her features, and he began to get a picture of what his daughter looked like.
--
"Derek, where is my Mommy?"
"Don't worry she went to pick up a friend from the hospital," Marron explained simply to the little girl.
"Okay," Mariko chirped, giggling as she stared out the window at the falling raindrops.
"I can't wait to have one of our own," Marron whispered to her husband, grabbing his rougher hand in her soft one, the happy couple stared at the sweet innocence of Mariko and her imagination.
"I know what you mean," Goten said, "It's far time we have a son or daughter don't you think," a grin played on his lips and his eyes lit up wickedly, "Maybe we should start now."
"Goten," Marron said playfully and hit him on the shoulder, "Not in Trunks and Bra's house. We have all night tonight to do that type of . . . thing," Marron trailed off when she saw Derek was staring at them with a smile.
A car pulled up outside and Mariko jumped up and down, "Mommy and Bra are home!"
The small lilac haired child yanked the door open and ran to the car.
"Mariko!" Marron yelled.
"Too late," Derek laughed.
--
Trunks stepped out of the car and saw a lilac haired little girl running out of his home, her face was all smiles and she practically danced in the rain, she jumped from puddle to puddle, laughing like there was nothing better in the world.
"Mariko?"
Hearing her name, the child stopped and stared at Trunks inquisitively, "Yes?" Ever so slowly she made her way to the tall man, as if sizing him up.
'It's like I've known her all my life,' Trunks thought, 'she looks too familiar.'
He kneeled down to Mariko's height level and held out his hand.
Questioning blue eyes mirrored azure ones, "Are . . . you who I think you are?"
"Depends," Trunks answered deeply, "who do you think I am?"
Silver tears welled up in her eyes, "Daddy?" she whispered.
Trunks smiled giving Mariko the only answer she needed. The youngster threw her arms around his neck, and out of instinct Trunks hugged her back.
Pan, who had been watching the whole scene, let a tear slip down her cheek.
"She always asked about her father," she spoke softly to Bra, "she always wanted to know who he was. What he looked like, what his name was. I didn't have the heart to tell her about him, because even in America Trunks was well known, I couldn't have her going to school saying Trunks was her father."
"What did you tell her about him?" Bra asked.
"That he was a good man. Honest and very handsome, I told her she inherited his eyes and hair. She seemed satisfied with my small description, I guess she always had a good picture of him in her mind and she had Derek to be her father figure."
"I see," Bra replied.
"She has her real Daddy now, I . . . hope he is what she hopes for and more."
"Don't worry Pan, he will be. He will be."
~--~--~--~
Sorry for the short chapter. Ignore any grammar mistakes please, TxP moments are on their ways.
