Author's Note: Special thanks go out to Godzilla2, animeroxz, InuSaiyan007, Tellemicus Sundance, sexy-jess, Thomas Drovin, TorankusuGohan, and Garowyn for reviewing! I see that there're some new reviewers, as well! I do hope you keep on reading, and I hope the story manages to sustain your interest!
This chapter is dedicated to the one and only Garowyn, since she was so interested in seeing how I'd fare in reintroducing Pan! (smirks) And also, I'd check out any of her stories, if I were you. She has fascinating YGO fics (I know Thomas Drovin is one of my fellow YGO fans grins), and really deep DBZ stories, as well! I'd suggest that you read her latest fic "Always and Forever," if you want to read a humorous (and slightly romantic) fic about my favorite YGO pairing, Mai/Joey!
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with anything associated with DBZ.
Chapter 14: Time to Go on the Spaceship
A few days later...
It was just like any other morning at the Son house, except today the weather seemed unusually perfect. The sun brightly washed over the green landscape that surrounded the house. Everything seemed to be both peaceful and refreshed from the strangely cold night before.
The rich scent of bacon, waffles, and eggs provided all the reason one Saiyan needed to get out of bed. Goku sat up energetically. "Today's the big day!" he exclaimed with might detected in his voice, and he rose up from underneath his thick covers.
After taking an extremely short shower, he pulled his training gi over his head and started downstairs towards his wife, who could be heard shuffling busily about the kitchen. "'Morning, Chi-Chi!" he chirped.
"Well, it's about time," she answered, taking a few seconds to set the hefty breakfast down on the table before shooting him a glance. "I was afraid that you'd forgotten what today was."
Goku grinned, interlacing his slightly callused fingers behind his head. "Nope. I'm ecstatic, as a matter of fact. I wonder what Trunks is doing to prepare."
"Never mind him; I'm sure Bulma's helping him out," Chi-Chi told him. She nodded her head toward a few trunks of luggage, grinning as Goku's eyes began to widen in shock. "All the clothes and provisions you could ever need are packed in those things... Now, sit down. Your breakfast is ready."
"Whoa, Chi-Chi... You really outdid yourself!" the little boy exclaimed, taking a seat and picking up his fork. Breakfast was even more important than packing for a big trip, to him. He began to consume the food at an incredible rate, but of course, it wasn't too much a surprise for anyone present at the kitchen.
Somewhere between his fourth helping of toast, Goku found a question. He looked up at Chi-Chi, who was presently in the middle of a cleaning craze. "Hey, where's Goten?"
Wrong thing to ask. In a second, his wife's pleasant countenance dissipated and was quickly replaced by a mean scowl. She tightly clutched her purple duster in one hand and blinked twice, attempting to calm herself.
Goku continued to stare up at her, too frightened to actually look away. "This has something to do with Valese, huh?"
"Of course," she snapped, walking towards the table again. Goku instinctively searched for any pot or pan that might be in her possession; finding none, he let out a relieved sigh as she leaned over to pour more tea into a cup for him. "He's out in the city with her."
"This early?"
"You're telling me," Chi-Chi responded, sniffing. She blinked back the rest of her tears and exchanged her quivering voice with a furious, insulted one. "He left without any breakfast!"
"Doesn't matter much to me. It only means more food," Goku told her, stuffing a mouthful of scrambled eggs in his mouth. Chewing both thoughtfully and gratefully, he added, "He's going to meet us at Bulma's, right?"
She smiled hesitantly. "Yeah. I actually can't wait to see how everyone's changed. Bulma still looks the same... but Bra! She's such a lovely young woman now. I can't wait to see how much Trunks' changed..."
At the other Son residence...
Gohan was biding his time within the living room patiently, waiting for his wife to finish with her daily preparations. Thank goodness it never took her too long; she seemed to be the exact opposite of the way Bulma would fuss over her appearance. He suddenly looked up from his newspaper and called, "You ready, Videl?"
"Yeah," she answered from their bedroom. Fastening a small, silver necklace around her neck, she began to descend the stairs, using her free hand to braid her dark hair. "So, are you excited?"
"For what?" he asked, as she finally revealed herself to him. He set down his paper on the coffee table and smiled at her casual appearance. "It's not like I'm going with them. I told Dad I just wasn't feeling adventurous these days."
Her big, blue eyes twinkled mischievously as she began to button her denim blue jacket up. "You big coward."
"Go ahead and call me that... By the way, where's Pan?"
"Still upstairs, I think. She's still upset that you wouldn't let her go."
"I just don't think it's appropriate for a young woman to be in the company of only men," he answered rather defensively, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Videl shrugged in resignation and went to look for her purse.
Little did the two know that the raven-haired girl was, in fact, still planning to join Trunks, Goten, and Goku. As she lay on her bed, muttering brusquely to herself, she went over her plan for the millionth time to ensure no mistakes on her part.
Dressed in a simple red shirt and blue capris, and still sporting a boyish haircut, Pan gave a somewhat tomboyish countenance. At present, she murmured to herself, "They think they're so smart... But I'm always one step ahead." She smiled cunningly and began to count down to herself, as if the rocket had already began to blast off already.
'Just a few more hours...'
Meanwhile...
The Briefs started their morning a little different than the Sons; for one thing, it happened to be a lot later than their friends', and it proved to be quite hectic for at least a couple of them...
Bulma had just finished her daily ritual of doing her hair and makeup, and was now at the kitchen stove, attempting to cook some breakfast for her unappreciative family. She was planning on having a joyful 'last' day for Trunks, as he would be accompanying Goten and Goku on the trip to space to search for the dragon balls.
Bra, still in her nightgown, joined her mother shortly after, and sat by the counter, staring absentmindedly into space. She stifled a small yawn as she directed a serene gaze towards Bulma, who was trying to divide her attention between preparing some coffee and cleaning the counter. It was simply no use to try, in the girl's opinion. Her mother could never be Chi-Chi.
It wasn't too long before Vegeta interrupted the peaceful scene. He stalked into the kitchen angrily, paying no attention to the sight of Bra trying to hold in her laughter. "Who the hell did this to my training clothes?" he demanded.
Bulma didn't even face him; but from what Bra could see, her father was holding a shrunken, tot-sized training gi within his hands.
"Language, dear..." Bulma started, absentmindedly stirring a slowly-burning pot of oatmeal. Today was the big day, she reminded herself again, and inwardly, she was very excited. She strode over to Bra and gave her a hefty bowlful of the nasty mush.
"Trunks did," Bra, however, piped up rather calmly, not missing a beat.
"Huh? What'd I do?" A famished Trunks slowly entered the kitchen, still rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepy feeling he still felt. He cradled his empty stomach weakly as he joined his father by the kitchen's doorway.
"So, boy, you think it's funny to play jokes?" Vegeta snarled, shoving the training outfit into his hands. He paid no mind as Trunks's eyes dilated noticeably before shrinking back to their normal size.
"Huh? I didn't do this..." Trunks's eyes narrowed suspiciously, now fully awake. They slowly traveled to his sister, who had her head conspicuously bent, practically inhaling their mother's disgusting breakfast. "If anyone, I'd bet it was her."
"Nonsense!" Vegeta snapped crossly, making the poor boy flinch. "Why would she have any reason to do anything like this?"
"But Dad, I really didn't do it!"
"I'm sure..." he uttered sarcastically. He wheeled away violently, muttering as he left the room, "What type of fool do you take me for?"
Bulma exited the kitchen as well, screaming after him, "Out of all the days you choose to be stupid, it has to be today?!"
"No one asked you, woman!"
Thus, the morning had fully started, judging by the usual Briefs' standards. Trunks went to the stove and shut it off, after slipping both Bra's oatmeal and the training gi into the garbage can. Glaring at his sister, he added sullenly, "You know, instead of blaming innocent people, you could try to learn how to wash clothes properly."
"But it's just so fun to get you in trouble." She stopped her intake of the soggy oatmeal, gazing up at her brother and offered the best Vegeta smirk she could so early in the morning. It shocked Trunks; it was just as sardonic and mocking as anything his father could have done.
"I hope you know you're going to pay for this."
"Simply paying you back for last time, big brother..."
Two hours later...
At present, Goten was in the city with Valese, enjoying a slow walk around the skyscrapers. This time, he had a lot to discuss with her. "I couldn't believe how rude she was! Vegeta sure spoiled that little-"
"Goten..." Valese whined softly, as they neared a familiar fast food restaurant. "You talk about this Bri all the time. She's not that interesting."
"Of course Bra isn't," he agreed, as he opened the door for her. They stepped inside the crowded room and took a seat at a nearby table. "Wait a minute... That was kind of hypocritical of you, Valese, when you talk about your ex-boyfriends twenty-four-seven-"
"Oh, my gosh!" Valese shrieked, clapping her hands together in joy. She stared past Goten excitedly, eyes dancing quite literally. "It's Dom! My ex!"
"Now, was that the extremely jealous one, or the one that cheated on you, or the one who was rude to your father?" Goten asked blandly, but she wasn't listening. Watching a bit angrily as she rose from her seat to meet him, he added, "If you're going to talk to him, please hurry it up. I have to be at Bulma's in less than an hour..."
He continued to watch enviously as she hugged the tall, blond football player tightly and began to engage in conversation with him.
Later...
The long-awaited hours were over at last. "Finally," Bulma murmured to herself, trying to keep herself from jumping around excitedly. It had been years since she had last attempted to build a spaceship, and had been enthusiastic and challenged by this new project.
It was at least a hundred feet tall in stature, and in it housed many things Bulma felt necessary to keep a group of Saiyans interested. Okay, maybe Goku wouldn't find any use for two entertainment centers, but she was positive Trunks would find good use in the small library she'd installed. And she was more than sure that they'd all find pleasure in the two big kitchens, loaded with a two years' supply of delectable vittles...
She led her still-growing group of visitors to the impressive ship, a sense of well-deserved pride accompanying her. "Well, Goku, here she is," she told him, as they all stood in the hallway of a large, blue door. She pressed a small button near the right of it, and Chi-Chi and Gohan watched in awe as the door magically opened to reveal the domed area in which the spaceship stood proudly.
"Wow, Bulma," Videl gasped, watching as said woman strode over to the spaceship's computer and began to type in figures furiously. "It's wonderful."
"I know," she agreed haughtily.
Chi-Chi agreed, and held onto the closest person's (Pan) shoulders tightly. "Let's just hope it's strong enough for three Saiyans."
"Of course it is."
Gohan said nothing; he was glancing inconspicuously at his daughter, who was examining the enormous spaceship a little too closely.
"Okay," Bulma abruptly pronounced, as the doorway to the ship began to slowly open. "In about ten minutes, the ship will auto-blast-off. I'd suggest that you get your belongings in as soon as possible."
"Already did," Trunks piped, and reached out a strong hand to the many bags little Goku held in his arms. "Need some help?"
Pan shifted her glance to view Trunks as he began to lug Goku's baggage up the ship. He seemed different; for one thing, he had become a lot more... handsome. It had been a long time; maybe while they were all in space, he could teach her a few pointers on training better. "Hey, where's Goten?"
Bulma stopped in her tracks, and even began to show a bit of apprehension. "He'd better get here as soon as possible... Where're you going, Vegeta?"
He didn't even look back at her as he casually ascended the steps of the ship. "I'm going with them, of course. Why would I miss out on an opportunity like this? Besides, it'll allow me to keep a better eye on Kakarot's training progress..." Before they knew it, he was in the ship, and there was no stopping him. Bulma knew he wasn't planning on coming back out, no matter how much coaxing or threats were given.
Bra stood at the end of the group, staring disinterestedly at each of the visitors. Her eyes rested on her only agemate, and a single thought sped through her mind. 'That indecisive one from years ago... What's she doing?'
Pan had her fingers precariously close to the smooth exterior of the ship, almost afraid to touch it. She murmured a few things to herself, wondering how space life was going to be like. Finally moving her dark eyes away from the spacecraft, she met Bra's narrowed, suspicious gaze. 'Oh, it's her. The snitch.'
"Two minutes remaining," Bulma's computer spoke. The clear glass dome above them began to open, exposing the clear, blue sky.
As Trunks and Goku went aboard the craft (after distributing a few hugs and farewells to the group), Videl stared worriedly behind her, hoping for a glimpse of her brother-in-law. "Doesn't look like Goten's going to make it."
Little did she know that Goten was already in the Capsule Corporation building, tugging sharply on Valese's sleeve as he ran toward the ship's room. "Valese, this isn't good! If I miss the spaceship, they're all going to kill me when they get back..."
Valese pouted, shooting him a backwards, childish glance. "How was I supposed to know that we were going to meet up with Pete, my other ex?"
"You didn't have to spend thirty-five minutes talking to the other one... Oh, no." Goten's heart thudded very heavily against his stomach, and a familiar sinking feeling hit him. "I missed it."
"How do you know that?" Valese demanded, as they finally reached the room. "I can't even hear any spaceship blasting off!"
Back at the domed room, everyone looked up delightfully and wistfully as the spaceship lifted up into the skies. Bulma and Videl waved eagerly, while Chi-Chi burst into tears. And at the very last moment, Gohan held onto the back of a very crafty Pan's shirt tightly as she attempted to carry out her plan at long last. "Not so fast, miss. I've been watching you for the longest. I knew what you were up to."
Bra watched in interest as the ship rose into the air with a deafening roar, and quickly vanished. She smirked triumphantly as Goten finally and abruptly caught up to the group, staring up at the sky in sorrow. "You just missed 'em. What a pity. I was actually anticipating the seven months you weren't going to be on this planet."
"I'm really sorry, Goten, I really am," Valese was heard apologizing to her boyfriend for the seventh time. "It's just that my ex-boyfriend was right there... I really wanted to talk to him-"
"Why would you need to talk to your ex?" Pan asked disgruntledly, still upset about her plan being hindered. Never mind; there was always Plan Two...
Valese let out an exasperated sigh, and directed a pouty gaze toward the younger girl. "To be honest, it's really none of your business, but if you really must pry into these things-"
"How about you just shut up?" Bra butted in rudely, quite beside herself. She ignored the warning glare she received from her mother - this girl seemed to be even more irksome than Pan! Wait a second... She squinted her blue eyes critically at the brown-haired beauty. "I think I remember you from somewhere... The car accident!"
"Car accident?" Gohan, Videl, and Bulma questioned, but Chi-Chi drowned them out with another pitiful chorus of sobs.
"That was you?" Valese and Goten asked, remembering what happened not so long ago.
A second later, they both burst into laughter.
"I'm surprised you're still alive," Valese admitted softly, in a slightly snide voice Bra was beginning to hate. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear that had strayed from its style from when she and Goten had been running. "Next time, don't drink and drive!"
"Yeah. It's really not appropriate for a little 'princess,'" Goten added mockingly.
Bra stood in her spot crossly as Pan, and even Gohan and Videl exchanged sly grins. It was taking her everything in her power not to hit Valese in her perfectly made-up face and not to slip some poison in Goten's next meal. And how dare they insult her, as soon as her father was out of hearing-range?
Bulma had other things on her mind. "Bra... You got drunk?"
It was then that Bra realized she was in trouble, one way or the other. "N-No! It wasn't my car," she quickly lied. "It was some girl that almost hit me. And I've never drank in my life!"
"That's believable," Pan uttered sardonically, apparently mad at the world.
Bra took one look at all of them, one dripping with all sorts of emotions, gave an exasperated sigh, and stalked out of the domed room. Just they wait. She'd make sure they stopped all of their petty stereotypes and assumptions.
Right after she went to the mall in a couple of days, of course.
Author's Note: Another long chapter, guys! Hope you enjoyed it! Uh-oh. What's this? Does Pan have a little crush on Trunks? Will there be a little more romance than I had previously let on? ...No, don't worry, there won't be any Trunks/Pan in this story. Or will there? Hee-hee. Let's just call that my little April Fools' Day joke, okay? But be warned - I am not an author to be trusted. I might pop in a couple more tricks later on this month - in honor of April, of course! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, by the way!
Special Note to Thomas Drovin: Just to let you know, I'm seriously thinking about that idea you gave me a few chapters back. Please either email me or include in your review any extra information that I might need; such as his name, appearance, Goten's view of him, etc. Thanks so much!
Ladii-Chocolate