02 – Who Are You
I jumped up out of the bed and stared around. What had awakened me? I looked at the clock, big luminescent numbers showed that it was 1:30 in the morning and I was awake! But something had to have awakened me because I'm a good sleeper. I lifted my control and let my ki take over, the door! Someone was at the door! That's it! The loud bang of someone running into the door was the reason I was awake. I got up out of bed and reached for my pants, but remembered that I had put them in the laundry to wash with the rest of my clothes. I only wash clothes when I run completely out. So I traversed the house in my boxers and went to the door. Hearing the rain and thunder I pulled the umbrella out from behind the entrance table and opened it. I'm not a superstitious person. I opened the door and enjoyed the mist of rain that came into the house with the wind. I looked down, because no doubt that would be where the unconscious person would be. Unconscious, because whoever it was that hit the door, hit it hard enough to dent it and this metal isn't suppose to dent.
Pan? What was Pan doing here? I didn't know but it looked like she had flown head first into the door, which wasn't good on her neck, Saiyan or not. I picked her up gently because I didn't want to cause any more damage then there was already. I let the umbrella drop on the floor still opened and I kicked the door closed. I carried her back to my room and laid her on the bed, assessing her wounds I found a nasty gash on her forehead and bruising around her neck. From the door impact no doubt. The gash would have to be bandaged and she needed new clothes. I felt a little embarrassed to be the one to undress her, but hey, I lived a bachelor life and so no ready female was to be found. I left her undergarments on like a gentleman, but when I went to search for some clothes I remembered that all of my laundry was washing. So I just covered her up in my blankets and set about dressing the wound.
Around the time I poured the alcohol on the open sore her eyes shot straight open and she winced with a cry of pain. She closed her eyes again and took the pain until I was finished with the bandage. She looked up at me confused and then I noticed the tears streaming down her face.
"What's wrong Pan? Why did I find you splayed on my doorstep?" I asked as gently as I could. She looked around and then under the blanket. I blushed because she knew that I had undressed her. "Sorry, but your clothes were soaked and I knew you'd catch a cold if I didn't dry you off and warm you."
"That's ok. Thank you. I actually don't know why I'm here. Something bad happened tonight and I was so upset that I just flew. Didn't know where I was going, but I ended up here?" She said it like a question. I was a little curious but I knew that in desperate situations one's ki would take over and do what came instinctively to a Saiyan.
"That's ok Pan, I know what happened. You were in a situation where mentally you were overwhelmed and your ki sensed this and took control leading you to a safe place. I'm happy for my home to be considered a safe haven for you. Now, what awful thing happened to you tonight that would make your ki take over?" I sat down on the bed beside her, painfully aware that all I had on were my boxers and all she had on was her undergarments. I tried to look her in the eyes and not where the blanket caressed her skin. She was looking into my eyes as well, which made me think that she was just as aware as I was. Then her eyes slid down to my chest and I felt myself blush so I stood up again. Her eyes shot up to mine and she was blushing as well.
"Um... I think I will go and see if my clothes are dry. Tha...That way we can be more decent." Pan just nodded and I left the room. I went through the kitchen to the pantry and turned the light on. The washing unit was still going but the drying unit was not; I checked and found some pants and a couple of tank tops. I gathered two of each and went back to the bedroom. Pan was up walking around the room with my blanket wrapped around her. She turned around and smiled, I smiled back and tossed her the outfit.
"Still warm from the drying unit." She grabbed the outfit out of the air and dropped the blanket at the same time; I opened my eyes really wide. I turned my back on her and climbed into my clothes as well.
"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you." Pan said wrapping her arms around my midsection, hugging me from behind. I smiled and turned in her arms. I gave her the biggest yet gentlest hug I could manage. I knew what she was doing though; she did it all the time. Ask her something she didn't want to disclose and she would hug you and cuddle you to death.
"Pan, you still haven't told me what happened to you. I want to know what had my niece so upset." I dislodged her from my side and I picked up the blanket, as I looked at her. She had a black bra on with my white tank top and a pair of my baggy blue jeans that fit her rather well. I also noticed that her hands were bruised and little half-moon cuts were on her palms. Whatever had happened she had been clenching her fists so hard that she'll have scars. I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and picked up her hands.
"What made you do this to yourself?" Then I noticed the pale ring around her left ring finger; the paleness from her skin not from a ring. "Where is your engagement ring, Pan?" She looked into my eyes and started crying again.
"I gave my ring to Marron..."
"What?! Why?" I interrupted her and she started crying harder. I hushed her and sat down on the bed beside her. Cradling her head against my shoulder I thought about all the scenarios that would cause Pan to give her engagement ring to the woman she hated. Then it hit me. "NO!"
"Yes, he betrayed me with her. Trunks was fucking Marron and I walked in on them. He didn't even try to explain. Oh, I loved him so much!" She paused for a moment then rushed on. "The wedding is off now." Pan said and cried some more. All I could do was stroke her raven hair as she cried into my shoulder. I scooted us back to rest against the headboard of the bed with the pillows behind us. Eventually she gained control of her tears and looked up into my eyes. "I couldn't do anything, I mean I wanted to knock their fucking skulls in, especially Marron's, but I could not lift a finger and so my hands are like this now. I know they'll leave scars, but it's a memory I'll have to live with. Finally I got so mad that I took my ring off and told Trunks and Marron to have a happy fucking life."
I was stunned, why would my best friend in the entire world, betray his beloved two days before the wedding? I mean it didn't make sense. Trunks was never about Marron, shit he hated her just as much as Pan and the rest of us did. Krillin and Eighteen tried to teach Marron the right things to do but the influence she got from her dear Uncle Seventeen was just too powerful. All I could think of was some trick Marron had played on Trunks or Pan. I would have to call on Trunks in the morning, but it seems, that Pan has finally made up her mind to be without him.
I cushioned Pan as best I could and she fell asleep in my arms, I tried to stay awake just in case Trunks figured out where Pan went and came to claim her, but my battle was short lived. I fell asleep remembering the day Marron ruined our lives, Pan and mine anyway...
***Flashback***
"Pan, Trunks, Goten, come on! Last one to the watering hole is a capsule full of shit!" Bra shouted for us to follow her. Trunks and I flew ahead of Bra and Pan to scout for any unfriendlys. Unfriendlys being the teenagers that we didn't like and the ONE we didn't want anything to do with was Marron. She was always trying to kiss Trunks and I would sling her across the field, gently because she couldn't fly, to get her away from him. Trunks was twenty-three and I was twenty-two, Bra was seventeen and Pan was fifteen. The girls hung out more than ever at this time, because guys were their agenda now. Trunks and I were just there to spar with. We landed on the banks of the watering hole and undressed to our boxers, the girls appeared behind us and stripped to their underclothes as well. Bra had to wear her tank top because she hated wearing a bra, go figure. As our custom for the first swim of the season we all four linked hands, Trunks, Pan, me, and Bra and jumped into the water together.
Everyone was having such a good time that no one noticed the pigtailed blonde appear behind a bush. She was watching the festivities with interest and wasn't budging from her hiding place yet. Pan and I separated ourselves from Bra and Trunks, because Trunks loves to just hold peoples heads under the water to see if you can hold your breathe as long as HE wants you too. His favorite subject to do this to was Bra. So Pan and I made a raft with each other; I had my head on her stomach and she had hers on mine; like a doughnut. It was peaceful just floating around when I noticed that my pillow had disappeared and Trunks was now holding the occupant of my stomach under the water. Trunks doesn't let you take a breath before he submits you to the "test" as he likes to call it, it's totally a surprise. I knew Pan couldn't hold her breath as long as Bra and I was mad because Trunks took my raft. I punched Trunks in the stomach, playfully, and took Pan away from him. Cradling her coughing form in my arms I rushed to the banks of the water and laid her down. I was perched on the bank beside her head when she looked at me, she had a star-crossed look in her eyes; and I noticed for the first time how very lovely her chocolate eyes were and her cute little button nose was.
"Thank you for saving my life." Pan said with a dreamy expression. I felt my insides twist with her tone.
"It's nothing really; you weren't going to die with me here." Pan looked at me funny and then leaned her head forward and captured my lips with hers, I was surprised and opened my mouth a smidgen and she took it for an invite. The wet, sloppy kiss was humorous to my twenty-two year old mind but I enjoyed it none-the-less. She broke the kiss and I smiled. Suddenly someone shrieked and we all four turned to see the pigtailed demon shrieking and raving from behind a bush not too far from Pan and me.
"Ew! What do you think you are doing! Pan is your niece!!! You are her uncle!! That is so disgusting!" Marron was screaming at the top of her lungs and I know everyone in the city could hear. I felt ashamed at learning that Pan and I were related. Why had no one told us? Then it hit me; Gohan was my brother, and Pan's father. I was the stupid one for not realizing this before. I had kissed my own niece. Disgusting! I must have made a face because when I looked back at Pan she looked embarrassed and was crying, I skirted away from her and went to stand by Trunks. Bra gathered Pan to her and the two girls flew off. Marron was over her fit of queasiness and was standing very close to Trunks.
"Hey, Trunks, guess you aren't interested in Pan either; now that she's an incestuous whore." Marron said staring straight at me, I could not help but slap the smirk off her ugly face. She flew clean across to the other side of the watering hole.
"Hey Goten, I guess Marron can fly; when she wants too." Trunks said laughing.
***End Flashback***
I jumped up out of the bed and stared around. What had awakened me? I looked at the clock, big luminescent numbers showed that it was 1:30 in the morning and I was awake! But something had to have awakened me because I'm a good sleeper. I lifted my control and let my ki take over, the door! Someone was at the door! That's it! The loud bang of someone running into the door was the reason I was awake. I got up out of bed and reached for my pants, but remembered that I had put them in the laundry to wash with the rest of my clothes. I only wash clothes when I run completely out. So I traversed the house in my boxers and went to the door. Hearing the rain and thunder I pulled the umbrella out from behind the entrance table and opened it. I'm not a superstitious person. I opened the door and enjoyed the mist of rain that came into the house with the wind. I looked down, because no doubt that would be where the unconscious person would be. Unconscious, because whoever it was that hit the door, hit it hard enough to dent it and this metal isn't suppose to dent.
Pan? What was Pan doing here? I didn't know but it looked like she had flown head first into the door, which wasn't good on her neck, Saiyan or not. I picked her up gently because I didn't want to cause any more damage then there was already. I let the umbrella drop on the floor still opened and I kicked the door closed. I carried her back to my room and laid her on the bed, assessing her wounds I found a nasty gash on her forehead and bruising around her neck. From the door impact no doubt. The gash would have to be bandaged and she needed new clothes. I felt a little embarrassed to be the one to undress her, but hey, I lived a bachelor life and so no ready female was to be found. I left her undergarments on like a gentleman, but when I went to search for some clothes I remembered that all of my laundry was washing. So I just covered her up in my blankets and set about dressing the wound.
Around the time I poured the alcohol on the open sore her eyes shot straight open and she winced with a cry of pain. She closed her eyes again and took the pain until I was finished with the bandage. She looked up at me confused and then I noticed the tears streaming down her face.
"What's wrong Pan? Why did I find you splayed on my doorstep?" I asked as gently as I could. She looked around and then under the blanket. I blushed because she knew that I had undressed her. "Sorry, but your clothes were soaked and I knew you'd catch a cold if I didn't dry you off and warm you."
"That's ok. Thank you. I actually don't know why I'm here. Something bad happened tonight and I was so upset that I just flew. Didn't know where I was going, but I ended up here?" She said it like a question. I was a little curious but I knew that in desperate situations one's ki would take over and do what came instinctively to a Saiyan.
"That's ok Pan, I know what happened. You were in a situation where mentally you were overwhelmed and your ki sensed this and took control leading you to a safe place. I'm happy for my home to be considered a safe haven for you. Now, what awful thing happened to you tonight that would make your ki take over?" I sat down on the bed beside her, painfully aware that all I had on were my boxers and all she had on was her undergarments. I tried to look her in the eyes and not where the blanket caressed her skin. She was looking into my eyes as well, which made me think that she was just as aware as I was. Then her eyes slid down to my chest and I felt myself blush so I stood up again. Her eyes shot up to mine and she was blushing as well.
"Um... I think I will go and see if my clothes are dry. Tha...That way we can be more decent." Pan just nodded and I left the room. I went through the kitchen to the pantry and turned the light on. The washing unit was still going but the drying unit was not; I checked and found some pants and a couple of tank tops. I gathered two of each and went back to the bedroom. Pan was up walking around the room with my blanket wrapped around her. She turned around and smiled, I smiled back and tossed her the outfit.
"Still warm from the drying unit." She grabbed the outfit out of the air and dropped the blanket at the same time; I opened my eyes really wide. I turned my back on her and climbed into my clothes as well.
"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you." Pan said wrapping her arms around my midsection, hugging me from behind. I smiled and turned in her arms. I gave her the biggest yet gentlest hug I could manage. I knew what she was doing though; she did it all the time. Ask her something she didn't want to disclose and she would hug you and cuddle you to death.
"Pan, you still haven't told me what happened to you. I want to know what had my niece so upset." I dislodged her from my side and I picked up the blanket, as I looked at her. She had a black bra on with my white tank top and a pair of my baggy blue jeans that fit her rather well. I also noticed that her hands were bruised and little half-moon cuts were on her palms. Whatever had happened she had been clenching her fists so hard that she'll have scars. I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and picked up her hands.
"What made you do this to yourself?" Then I noticed the pale ring around her left ring finger; the paleness from her skin not from a ring. "Where is your engagement ring, Pan?" She looked into my eyes and started crying again.
"I gave my ring to Marron..."
"What?! Why?" I interrupted her and she started crying harder. I hushed her and sat down on the bed beside her. Cradling her head against my shoulder I thought about all the scenarios that would cause Pan to give her engagement ring to the woman she hated. Then it hit me. "NO!"
"Yes, he betrayed me with her. Trunks was fucking Marron and I walked in on them. He didn't even try to explain. Oh, I loved him so much!" She paused for a moment then rushed on. "The wedding is off now." Pan said and cried some more. All I could do was stroke her raven hair as she cried into my shoulder. I scooted us back to rest against the headboard of the bed with the pillows behind us. Eventually she gained control of her tears and looked up into my eyes. "I couldn't do anything, I mean I wanted to knock their fucking skulls in, especially Marron's, but I could not lift a finger and so my hands are like this now. I know they'll leave scars, but it's a memory I'll have to live with. Finally I got so mad that I took my ring off and told Trunks and Marron to have a happy fucking life."
I was stunned, why would my best friend in the entire world, betray his beloved two days before the wedding? I mean it didn't make sense. Trunks was never about Marron, shit he hated her just as much as Pan and the rest of us did. Krillin and Eighteen tried to teach Marron the right things to do but the influence she got from her dear Uncle Seventeen was just too powerful. All I could think of was some trick Marron had played on Trunks or Pan. I would have to call on Trunks in the morning, but it seems, that Pan has finally made up her mind to be without him.
I cushioned Pan as best I could and she fell asleep in my arms, I tried to stay awake just in case Trunks figured out where Pan went and came to claim her, but my battle was short lived. I fell asleep remembering the day Marron ruined our lives, Pan and mine anyway...
***Flashback***
"Pan, Trunks, Goten, come on! Last one to the watering hole is a capsule full of shit!" Bra shouted for us to follow her. Trunks and I flew ahead of Bra and Pan to scout for any unfriendlys. Unfriendlys being the teenagers that we didn't like and the ONE we didn't want anything to do with was Marron. She was always trying to kiss Trunks and I would sling her across the field, gently because she couldn't fly, to get her away from him. Trunks was twenty-three and I was twenty-two, Bra was seventeen and Pan was fifteen. The girls hung out more than ever at this time, because guys were their agenda now. Trunks and I were just there to spar with. We landed on the banks of the watering hole and undressed to our boxers, the girls appeared behind us and stripped to their underclothes as well. Bra had to wear her tank top because she hated wearing a bra, go figure. As our custom for the first swim of the season we all four linked hands, Trunks, Pan, me, and Bra and jumped into the water together.
Everyone was having such a good time that no one noticed the pigtailed blonde appear behind a bush. She was watching the festivities with interest and wasn't budging from her hiding place yet. Pan and I separated ourselves from Bra and Trunks, because Trunks loves to just hold peoples heads under the water to see if you can hold your breathe as long as HE wants you too. His favorite subject to do this to was Bra. So Pan and I made a raft with each other; I had my head on her stomach and she had hers on mine; like a doughnut. It was peaceful just floating around when I noticed that my pillow had disappeared and Trunks was now holding the occupant of my stomach under the water. Trunks doesn't let you take a breath before he submits you to the "test" as he likes to call it, it's totally a surprise. I knew Pan couldn't hold her breath as long as Bra and I was mad because Trunks took my raft. I punched Trunks in the stomach, playfully, and took Pan away from him. Cradling her coughing form in my arms I rushed to the banks of the water and laid her down. I was perched on the bank beside her head when she looked at me, she had a star-crossed look in her eyes; and I noticed for the first time how very lovely her chocolate eyes were and her cute little button nose was.
"Thank you for saving my life." Pan said with a dreamy expression. I felt my insides twist with her tone.
"It's nothing really; you weren't going to die with me here." Pan looked at me funny and then leaned her head forward and captured my lips with hers, I was surprised and opened my mouth a smidgen and she took it for an invite. The wet, sloppy kiss was humorous to my twenty-two year old mind but I enjoyed it none-the-less. She broke the kiss and I smiled. Suddenly someone shrieked and we all four turned to see the pigtailed demon shrieking and raving from behind a bush not too far from Pan and me.
"Ew! What do you think you are doing! Pan is your niece!!! You are her uncle!! That is so disgusting!" Marron was screaming at the top of her lungs and I know everyone in the city could hear. I felt ashamed at learning that Pan and I were related. Why had no one told us? Then it hit me; Gohan was my brother, and Pan's father. I was the stupid one for not realizing this before. I had kissed my own niece. Disgusting! I must have made a face because when I looked back at Pan she looked embarrassed and was crying, I skirted away from her and went to stand by Trunks. Bra gathered Pan to her and the two girls flew off. Marron was over her fit of queasiness and was standing very close to Trunks.
"Hey, Trunks, guess you aren't interested in Pan either; now that she's an incestuous whore." Marron said staring straight at me, I could not help but slap the smirk off her ugly face. She flew clean across to the other side of the watering hole.
"Hey Goten, I guess Marron can fly; when she wants too." Trunks said laughing.
***End Flashback***