Chapter Four: Mother Daughter Talk
"Hey Pan! What are you doing here?" Trunks called to her as he came out the arcade. He still liked her and didn't want to sever their ties. Even after her she started ignoring him he still liked her.
"What else would I come to an arcade for?" Pan said warily and walked past him. But before she could move in he grabbed her arm and she glanced up sharply.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't come by to spar with you. I just wanted to tell you that I'm still your friend no matter what. Cecelia doesn't have to come between us." He tugged on her arm. "Come on, I'll buy you a soda."
Pan raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Okay."
They both walked over to the concession stand and Trunks stood in line to buy her a soda just like before.
"Pan, I want you to meet someone. He's new here and he doesn't have many friends." He nodded towards the guy in the corner and then bent down towards her ear. "But he's my friend so be nice."
Pan smiled. "Of course I will." Only Trunks knew how mad she could get. They had known each other forever. She had finally started to be nice and take up Bra's crazy suggestion. She just had to figure out how to do it.
"Come on." Trunks gave her the soda and guided her over to his friend.
Suddenly Pan stopped and a thought came to her.
"Are you trying to set me up?"
Trunks was taken aback. 'How could she tell?' "N-No." He turned away.
"What! What are you doing trying to set me up! You have no right!" Pan got her drink and threw it into his face and then spun around and marched out the door. 'Uh! The nerve!'
"Wait Pan!" Trunks ran after her but when he got outside she was already gone. "Oh, Pan."
"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" Pan flew into the mountains. "Why does he have to be so stupid?" she asked herself. "Can't he see that I like him and not someone else!" Pan looked down and saw a lake. "Why can't everything be calm and serene like this lake?" She landed beside it. "No worries except for getting dried up, polluted, and lots of other stuff. My life is totally unfair."
Pan lay back onto the ground and stared up at the sky. 'Why don't you like me Trunks?' She sighed and closed her eyes. 'I knew it wasn't meant to be.'
Pan lay there for a while thinking until she felt the familiar presence of her mother.
"Pan?" Vedel landed onto the ground next to her daughter. "What's wrong? I was looking for you."
"Mom, have you ever liked someone and knew that you would never be together?" Pan opened her eyes. "Knowing that, whatever you did, it would never work?"
Vedel sat there thinking for awhile. "Yes, I guess. I liked this boy in high school, before I even met your father. He was," she stopped, "I don't know, unattainable. I finally got up the nerve to tell him I liked him but when I did," She looked down at Pan. "He left and I eventually forgot about him."
"Stupid idiot," muttered Pan.
Vedel smiled. "He came back a year ago, when you were off at school. He said that he loved me and he was sorry he left." Her smile turned wistful. "I told him I was happily married and had a child and that I didn't want him."
Pan sat up. "So, what did he do?"
"He got mad and told me that I was supposed to wait for him. That I belonged to him and nobody was going to keep me." Vedel laughed. "Your father was so mad. It was hilarious. The guy didn't know what hit him."
"Really?" Pan smiled. "What did Papa do?"
"He beat him up! He had heard what he had said. I haven't seen Gohan so mad since," she shook her head. "I can't even remember when I had least seen your father so mad."
Pan smiled. Her mother truly loved her father. "What happened to the guy?"
"He left, after he got out of the hospital of course." Vedel glanced at her daughter. "So, what was with the question?"
Pan looked away. "Maybe I just wanted to know something about my mother for a change."
"Yeah right, I know you better than that Pan. What was the real reason?" Vedel smiled.
Pan sighed. "I wanted to know because I wanted to see if there was a chance at ever being with," she inhaled, "Trunks."
Vedel raised her eyebrows. "Trunks?" 'I should've known.'
"Only Grandpa and Bra knows Mother." Pan lay back onto the ground again. "Nobody else has guessed."
"Oh really?" Vedel lay back on the ground as well. "I don't know what to tell you except follow your heart. Everything will go well if you do. That's what led me to your father anyway."
Pan looked sideways at her mother. "You're not mad?"
Vedel looked back. "Should I be?"
"I don't know. He is nine years older than me."
"So? You're an adult now and you should make your own decisions. I think it'll be great if these two feuding families join. Maybe then Vegeta will forget about fighting Goku."
They looked at each other. "Not a chance," they said in unison. Then they both burst out laughing.
"Mom," Pan smiled, suddenly shy. "Thank you."
Vedel wrapped an arm around her. "No problem hon. I'm here for you always. And so is your father."
"I know." Pan glanced at the sky. "You think we should get back?"
"Yeah, I have to get dinner started." Vedel mused. "But I think Chi Chi already did."
'Unless she's still in a lip lock with Grandpa,' Pan shuddered.
Vedel stood up. "Come on, I'm sure we're being missed."
"Yes ma'am!" Pan ascended to the air. Then she saw him…and groaned. Trunks.
Vedel smiled as she saw Trunks land. "I'll just leave you two alone. I'll tell your father that I found you and that you were," she glanced at Trunks, "busy."
Pan smiled. "Thanks Mom." Then she turned to Trunks as she saw her mother leave. 'I know what I have to do.'