A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks for the reviews.Keep them coming. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. I'm going on holiday for 3 weeks to Aussie so i won't be able to update then so don't get mad if i don't. I'll try and update again before i go on the 13th.(It's a Monday!)
I don't own anything. There is no profit being made by this story.
Kiaora.
Chapter Three"Oh, that."
With the young Saiyans blasé response everyone, minus Goku and Vegeta, gathered around her, staring with amazement at the fully-grown appendage. She swished it from side to side and was startled to hear Trunks growl low in his throat. She twisted to look at him but jumped when a small hand grabbed the tip of her tail. She snarled and was ready to attack when she heard giggling. It startled her so much she tripped back a step and then howled in pain as Gosan kept his hold on her tail.
Trunks grabbed Pan as she made a move to grab the boy and after Gohan had picked himself off the floor where he'd fallen laughing hysterically at her, he picked up his son and handed him to Videl. Seeing that Gosan was out of harms way, Trunks spun Pan in his arms so he could have a proper look at her new tail. It was long and slender. A darker colour than Gokus, it looked the colour of chocolate.
He looked up from his appraisal to find that Pan was watching him in confusion and everyone else's attention had turned to Goku, who had Gosan flying around the room. Smiling, he reached down and grabbed it at the base and squeezed gently. Nobody but him heard Pans sharp intake of breath. Pan shut her eyes as burning sensations travelled her body and tingles ran their sharp fingers down her spine. Trunks stroked his hand down the length of her tail and she gasped and then shuddered as he got to the end and tweaked the tip.
Pan let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes, directly looking at Vegeta, who had stiffened as soon as Trunks had touched her. He was glaring at Trunks. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. Why was he glaring at Trunks? She turned to look at Trunks, but he only gazed back innocently. What the hell was going on?
Trunks only smiled and leant forward. He cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her other softly. She stood still in shock. He pulled back from her and asked as if nothing had happened, "How did you get your tail back Pan?"
She stepped back from him, wrapping her still tingling tail around her waist. She shot a look at Vegeta and was startled to see him still glowering at Trunks, his dark eyes smouldering.
"It's all part of the story, Trunks. You have to wait for Goku to tell his before I tell mine." With her words she turned back to the table and sat. She didn't have to wait long before everyone else had joined her and were looking expectantly at Goku.
He sighed and looked pleadingly at Pan. She stared back, unsympathetic.
"Just get on with it Kakarot. You've already wasted enough of my training time." Vegeta was visibly angry and he spoke with enough venom in his voice to startle even Goku.
"Ok," Goku continued while hooting a worried look at the other Saiyan, "Like I said before, the Dragon Balls took me on a journey.."
Pan let Gokus voice wash over her as he repeated the story she knew by heart. She sat back in her seat and stared out the window lost in thought. She smiled her thanks as Bulma put a plate loaded with food in front of her. Bulma didn't see, she was riveted by Gokus tale.
Pan blew out a breath, fluttering the strands of hair hanging in her face. She picked up her fork and toyed with the prongs, preoccupied by her thoughts. Trunks had definitely surprised her with the touchy feely routine he had pulled. But she knew he was hiding something about it. Or perhaps not hiding, but he certainly knew something that she wasn't aware of. She took a bite of her meal and as she chewed she thought of Vegeta. He knew something as well. That's why he was glaring at them. But why? And what, by Dende, was it that they knew? Or was it what Trunks did? Pan frowned, thoroughly confused. She'd never felt the way she had when Trunks had stroked her tail.
She tensed, realisation dawning. It had to do with her tail. It had to be. But what? And what could get Vegeta so riled up? She sighed quietly knowing she wasn't going to get answers soon. Only Trunks and Vegeta had seen what had happened and obviously Trunks wasn't going to tell her about it. She'd have to wait.
Looking up suddenly she was startled to find the room in total silence. She looked around, worried she'd thought out loud. But no, all eyes were fastened on Goku. He was busy scoffing down his third plate of food and didn't notice everyone's incredulous stares. That was of course, until Chichi started shrieking at him.
"So that's it? The dragons just took you to a different dimension and you wandered around it for six and a half years?! How could you?! How could you leave like that and then just flitter away those years? You didn't even try to get back! You decided to stay and help OTHER people! Did you even think about your family? About the people that needed you the most? Dende Goku! What were you thinking?!" Chichis shrieking had gotten progressively louder but Goku just sat, his mouth hanging open, rice falling out.
"I was gone six and a half years?"
Chichi shrieked loud and angry, "Yes Goku! Six and a half years! How could you?" She collapsed into Gohans arms, who had gotten up to calm her, and started to weep loudly.
"But, but..it didn't seem that long!"
Chichi only wailed louder.
Goku looked helplessly at Pan who, shocked, could only return his stupefied stare. Tearing her gaze away she looked at Videl and asked, "Have I been gone for six years?"
Videl gave Pan a strange look. "Yes."
"We didn't know." Pans statement rang loud and clear throughout the room. Chichi stopped her wailing and hiccupping demanded, "How could you not know you were away for that long?"
"By my calculations grandpa was away for three and a half years and myself for three years." Everyone stared perplexed at Pan. "I think the time in the dimension that we were in was counted differently than here. That would explain the differences. But believe me, it was not six years that passed where we were."
Pan took her bandanna off and ran her fingers through her hair and then rubbed her eyes. "We're sorry, but we didn't know that much time had passed on Earth. If we had we wouldn't have stayed out there the extra time. We would have come home earlier. We only got an indication of the time lapse when we entered back into this dimension and grandpa talked to his friend that he was delivering the ship for. If I had known I wouldn't have stayed fighting after I'd found Goku." She trailed off a faraway look in her eye.
Gohan pushed Chichi into Gokus arms and walked around and stood behind Videl, gripping the back of her chair tightly.
"And why, Son Pan, did you decide at the age of 17 to go off by yourself, into space, to look for your grandfather?"
All eyed returned to her, burning with curiosity and a need to know why she'd left them all.
She blew out a breath, knowing there was no way she was going to get out of this now.
"I had to."