I do not own Dragonball Z.
Fear Inside – Chapter 3
Just like someone flicking a light switch, the world came into being. He let the time machine hang in the air for a moment so he could have a look at the city below. He sighed in relief when he saw things were just as he left them. There were no battle scars on the ground or demolished buildings waiting to be torn down. Slowly, he lowered the machine into the Capsule Corp. back yard. Remembering Trunks last words, he quickly set the autopilot and jumped out. He watched as it lifted back into the sky and vanished.
With a sigh, he turned to survey his surroundings. He looked over at the gravity machine and wondered if Vegeta was still mad at him. The prince had never stayed mad at him for long in the past; then again, he'd never been caught kissing his daughter either. Strangely enough, it looked as if the gravity room hadn't been used in a while. Goten shrugged it off, thinking maybe Bulma had disconnected a few wires as punishment for blasting him to another dimension.
He started a brisk walk toward the main building, just like he had the last time he was here. And just like before, his mind was on a certain Saiyan princess. He was just about to open the door and let himself in when the door opened for him. On the other side stood a very shocked looking Trunks.
"Hey, long time no see!" Goten said cheerfully, "you know who I am, don't you?" he added as a private joke to himself.
"Goten?" Trunks asked his voice filled with disbelief. "Is that really you?"
Goten stopped to search his friend's face for signs that he was kidding. "Of course it's me. Who else would I be?"
Trunks grinned, grabbing him into a bone-crushing hug. "I thought it was you. I felt your energy when you arrived, but I still don't believe it. I thought I'd never see you again."
Goten laughed and returned the embrace to his long time friend. There were only certain times that the two shared such an intimate moment like this and that was usually after a close battle when they thought they'd never see each other again. Breaking the embrace, Goten followed Trunks into the house.
"Where have you been all this time? We all thought you were dead." Trunks asked as he led Goten to his favorite room, the kitchen.
Goten laughed again, having not felt this good since before he left. "I've been in Mirai Trunks' time." He answered as he stuck his head in the refrigerator.
"Really? What was that like?" Trunks asked.
"Lonely." Goten replied. "He's a real reclusive kind of guy and didn't talk about much, but he liked to listen to me talk about home. Everything there was kind of depressing. I mean everywhere you looked there was a reminder of the android's destruction. And Bulma wasn't around anymore either. Hey," he said sticking his head out of the door, "where is she anyway?"
"She's doing some overtime at work tonight." Trunks answered, still staring at Goten as if he were a ghost.
"Hn," Goten mumbled around a mouthful of food. He picked his plate up and began walking toward the living room, Trunks trailing behind him. He stopped abruptly halfway there and turned to Trunks. "Vegeta isn't still mad at me, is he?"
Trunks frowned slightly at the question. "No," he said slowly and Goten nodded and continued on his way. "After the first year or so, we believed you were dead. It's hard to hold a grudge against a dead guy, ever for my father."
Goten stopped in the living room and turned to face his friend once again, a bewildered look on his face. "A year?" he said incredulously, "I've barely been gone a week. I didn't think you missed me that much, buddy." He gave a small laugh and shoved a chicken leg in his mouth, munching thoughtfully.
Trunks' frown turned to a complete look of confusion. "Goten, I haven't seen you in five years!"
Goten choked at the words, dropping his plateful of food on the carpet. He stood there for a moment, searching his friend's face for any signs that he was joking. His friend could be a good prankster when he so felt like it, but Goten knew him well enough to know when he was messing around. The frightening part was that Trunks wasn't joking. His face was completely serious.
"You're kidding right?" He asked.
"No," Trunks said with a shake of his head. "I wish I were. You've been gone exactly five years and three months, to the day. What happened that day, Goten? No one will talk about it. I don't understand what happened to you."
Goten shook his head. "This is impossible. I've only been in the other dimension for five days, not five years!" Turning, he marched to the small desk in the corner of the room, snatched up the calendar and checked the date. It proved Trunks correct. With a snarl, he threw it down and ran back into the kitchen. Trunks stayed where he was, waiting for his return. A few minutes later, Goten came back, the color drained from his face. "This is impossible." He repeated, sinking to the floor and burying his head in his hands.
"Goten what happened?" Trunks pressed again. His only response was a shake of Goten's head.
Suddenly, his head snapped up and he looked at Trunks with wide desperate eyes. "Bra. Where is Bra? I have to talk to her. Is she here?"
Trunks looked away and ran a hand through his lavender locks. "She doesn't live here anymore." He said so softly that Goten almost didn't catch it.
"What do you mean by that? Did she finally get her own place or something?" Goten asked hopefully although he knew by the look on his face and the way he was avoiding eye contact that it was something much more. He followed the line of Trunks vision to rest on a picture frame on the mantel. A small gasp escaped his lips as he took in the sight.
Trunks swore softly when he saw Goten walk past him, heading to the mantel. "Goten . . . " he called out, but the latter didn't seem to hear him.
He felt as if he was walking a daze, his feet moving on their own accord. All he could see was the smiling vision of beauty bathed in a beautiful white gown standing next to an equally happy, dark-skinned man. The two were dressed in a fashion that left no curiosity about the celebration going on around them. It was his Bra and Uubu, smiling at their own wedding.
"What is this?" he whispered, gently taking the photo from its place as if it would bite him should he touch it wrong.
Trunks didn't know what to say, so he simply walked up behind him and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. A minute or so of silence passed before Trunks took the picture from Goten's shaky hand. He knew how he felt about his sister. Everyone knew after the accident. All he could picture was his sister in tears for weeks when Goten didn't return. It broke his heart even then to think about it.
Gently, he led Goten to the couch and sat him down. He looked like a man in shock after some traumatic event and he hadn't muttered so much as a syllable since his last choked sentence. Trunks knew he had to explain it as best he could, but he also knew that no words would heal the break in his friend's heart.
"I don't understand." Goten said at last, "I just saw her a couple days ago. How could this have happened?"
"Goten," Trunks began, trying to figure out the best way to tell the story, "it's really been five years for us. We tried everything we could think of to find you. Bra . . . " he broke off at the look on Goten's face when he mentioned his sister. "Bra was devastated to say the least. Whatever it was my dad zapped you with was untested. She had no idea you'd disappear like that. You simply vanished; we thought the blast obliterated you. It took out half of the house. She was so mad at dad for it. It was then that she told us about your relationship. I really had no idea you were involved with her. Anyway, she threatened to never speak to dad again unless he found a way to wish you back. After a couple of months, they left for Namek, but the dragon said he couldn't reach you."
Goten gave Trunks a look that stopped him from going any further. "And Uubu? When does he come into the picture? Did they even wait for my 'body' to get cold?" He said sarcastically.
Trunks grimaced. "It wasn't like that. When word got out that you were gone, he came to help look for you. After Bra returned from Namek, he was there for her. He was the only person that could cheer her up. She was devastated, Goten. Uubu was a friend. After a while, when you didn't return and we were out of options, I guess they fell in love."
Goten scowled. "If this is suppose to make me feel better, you're doing a lousy job. Bra was my girl. I loved her. I was going to marry her and the second I leave he steals my territory. I thought he was my friend. How could they do this to me?" he cried.
"They didn't get married the day after you left. It took years for Bra to get over you . . . "
"And Uubu was right there to help her pick up the pieces. I haven't been gone for years. I've only been gone for a few days. This is insane!"
"I think you're blowing this whole thing out of proportion . . . " Trunks began.
"Blowing this whole thing out of proportion!" Goten exploded, rising to his feet. "Five days ago I was two seconds from proposing to her and then your father fucks that up for me. When I get back, I find out that my girl couldn't even wait for me to get back, but jumps into the arms of the first available guy. And my best friend is defending him! Tell me how I'm blowing this out of proportion!"
"No one even knew you two were together until after the accident. I was just so damn happy to see Bra smile again that I didn't want to make her wait around. We didn't know where you were or if you'd ever return. Uubu makes her happy, Goten. You weren't there for her. He was. I'm sorry that shit got all fucked up, but you can't take this out on me or anyone else. It's not anyone's fault. What else was she supposed to do? Pine and die waiting for you? I wouldn't have let her do that. It's not fair and if you really love her then you should be happy for her!"
"Happy for her? What about my happiness? What about all that I had planned? In less than a week, my world has been turned upside down. The only thing I could think about the entire time I was gone was getting back to her. I would've waited. I wouldn't have been able to look at another girl after her. All the trouble I went through just to get back to her and I find that it wasn't even worth it!" Goten shouted.
Fuming, he stormed away from Trunks, needing a few minutes to compose himself. Nothing made sense anymore. How could Bra possibly be with another man? It was unfathomable to his jumbled mind. He knew, somewhere in the recesses of rational thought that Trunks was right and he had no reason to be mad at him. Trunks had no reason to lie or be cruel. It was true that time had somehow flowed faster in this dimension. For every day he spent there, it was a year here and Bra couldn't wait forever. No, he amended. She didn't want to wait forever. This was all Vegeta's fault. If he hadn't shown up and ruined everything, things would still be all right. He'd still have Bra, hell, she'd be his wife by now and not Uubu's. If Vegeta hadn't wanted so bad get rid of him that he'd blast him to another dimension. And Mirai Trunks. He must've messed up the time machine somehow. It was the only explanation for this. If only he hadn't programmed the machine to go back, he could still use it and go back to the correct time. If only . . .
Goten fisted his hands in his hair in an attempt to ward off all the destructive thoughts. It was driving him mad, thinking of the 'what ifs'. He still needed to know one thing, though, something that might actually help him. If only he knew how long Bra had really waited for him, but he was afraid of the answer. With a sigh, he turned back to his friend.
"How long did she wait for me?" He asked softly.
Trunks sighed and ran a hand through his silky, lavender hair. "Two years before she started dating him seriously. Then another year or so before the wedding." He answered simply.
Goten sighed. "I guess she couldn't wait forever," a long pause, then. "So what else is new?" He didn't really care, but he couldn't talk about her anymore. It was driving him insane to think that just days ago he held her in his arms and now it would never happen again.
Just as Trunks opened his mouth to answer, the front door slammed open and then shut again with a thunderous bang that rattled the windows.
"Trunks!" a loud, angry female voice yelled. "You're lucky I found another one just like this one. I had to go to three different stores to find it and you don't even want to know how much I spent! If my grandmother notices any differences then you'll be the one to explain it to her."
The voice and its owner stormed into the living room, stopping in the doorway. Goten looked at the young woman standing there and smiled. "Pan!" he said happily.
Pan looked at him blankly for a few seconds before screaming and dropping her precious cargo. It hit the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. She didn't pay it any mind and just stared at the houseguest. "Goten, " she said slowly, unsure.
Goten walked over to her and bent down to retrieve the fallen glass frame. He recognized it immediately. "Hey, isn't this mom's antique wedding frame?" he asked as he turned it over to look at the picture. Inside was a wedding picture, but it wasn't the same one he remembered growing up. Instead of a smiling Chi-Chi and confused Goku, there was a picture of a smiling Pan and blushing Trunks. "What the hell!" he exclaimed looking over at Trunks. "You married my niece?"
Trunks blushed and shrugged his shoulders, looking away. Meanwhile, Pan had finally regained some composure and grabbed Goten by the shoulders. "It's really you! I can't believe it!" she said as she wrapped him in a tight hug. "I thought I'd never see you again! Where have you been? How long have you been back? Oh, I've missed you so much!" she said all at once.
Goten laughed and hugged her back. "Sorry, I only meant to take a short vacation, but I guess it lasted longer than I thought." He pulled away to get a better look at her. In five years, she'd grown so much. She wasn't so much the little tomboy he remembered. She looked more like a woman. "You've changed so much, Pan," he whispered.
Pan nodded her head while wiping away tears. "I thought you were gone for good, Uncle Goten. What happened?"
Goten sighed, he didn't really want to get into all that again. It was still all too new and painful for him. He decided to change the subject instead. "I see you finally got your dream guy," he said in a teasing manner. He remembered how much Pan had been in love with Trunks. At the time, it seemed impossible for the two to get together, but somehow, like so many others, things had changed.
Pan blushed and looked at her husband. "Yeah, he finally saw the light," she teased. "After you disappeared, we sorta found each other in our grief. He was the only person that made your absence bearable," she said as tears filled her eyes anew.
Not wanting her to see the pain and anger in his eyes, Goten turned away. He looked over at the beautiful wedding picture on the mantel, once again thinking that should be him beside her. "Seems like my 'death' brought many happy couples together," he said bitterly.
Pan bit her lip knowing she had struck a cord. She cursed her stupidity at the callous blunder. A long silence ensued before she finally broke it. "How about you stay for dinner!" she exclaimed. "I'll make your favorite and we can catch up." She said hopefully.
Trunks nodded his head. "Yeah man, Pan isn't as bad a cook as you remember. She actually took some lessons from your mom. Thank God."
Pan walked over and gave him a playful punch in the arm. "I was a good cook before. I just liked watching you choke it down. It was payback for all the mean things you always said to me."
"Whatever," Trunks said with a laugh.
Goten smiled lightly, but shook his head. "No. Not tonight. I think I should go home and see my mom. I'm sure she misses me, seeing how I've been gone for so long." He said with a tinge of sadness to his voice. "I'll stop by soon."
"Are you sure?" Pan asked.
He nodded silently and headed for the door. Not looking back, he took off into the sky and headed to Mount Poazu.
Pan made sure he was gone before turning to her husband. "I guess he knows, huh?" she said sadly.
Trunks nodded. "I told him. He didn't take it very well."
"I better call Bra." Pan said as she headed to the phone.
"No. Bra doesn't need to know right now. Give Goten a few days to get used to everything. Pan, he thinks he's only been gone for five days."
Pan gasped. "How is that possible?"
Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "He said he was in another dimension, Mirai Trunks' time line. He told me that only five days have passed since the accident. I don't know what happened while he was there. The other Trunks must've messed up the time when he sent him back. Pan, he was devastated. Bra was his life and I didn't even know it."
Pan shook her head slowly. "I remember how hard it was for Bra when he left, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have the right to know he is back!"
"What good will it do to tell her now?" Trunks asked. "Bra has enough to worry about. It doesn't change anything now that he is back. He'll just have to learn to deal with it and so will she."
"How can you be so callous?" Pan asked angrily. "Bra loved him, Trunks! You don't know what his being here will change!"
"Bra is a married woman now. Happily, I might add. She won't leave Uubu for Goten; so don't go putting ideas in her head. She'll find out soon enough. Just give him a few days. That's all I ask. He's going through so much right now, trying to deal with all of this. The last thing he needs is to see Bra."
"Fine." She said, relenting.
Trunks grinned and kissed her on the top of her head. "That's my girl. Are you still going to make dinner?"
Pan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, after I clean up this mess." She said pointing to the glass still on the floor.
"Great! I'm going to go get cleaned up." Trunks said as he walked out of the room.
Pan waited until he was up the stairs and out of earshot before she added: "and as soon as I get off the phone with Bra."
Hearing the water turn on up stairs, she picked up the phone and quickly called Bra's house. Someone picked up after three rings. "Hello?" a deep male voice inquired.
"Uubu," Pan said sweetly, "this is Pan. I need to talk to Bra, please."
"Okay." Uubu said.
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment then sounds of a muffled conversation could be heard. Finally, Bra picked up. "Pan? What is it?" she asked.
"Bra, are you alone?"
"Well, no. Uubu-kun is here . . . "
"Get rid of him." Pan said, cutting her off.
"What? Why?" Bra asked, confused.
"I'll tell you as soon as you're alone." Pan replied.
"Ok, fine. Uubu!" Bra yelled, not even bothering to set the phone down. Pan waited patiently as she listened to the conversation on the other end of the line.
"What?" She heard Uubu ask.
"Will you go and get me some watermelon?" Bra's sweet voice inquired.
"Watermelon isn't in season this time of the year." Uubu answered.
"It is in Mexico." Bra replied.
There was a slight choking sound then silence for a few moments before Uubu responded. "You can't be serious."
The other end went quiet again and although Pan couldn't see them, she could imagine the look Bra was giving her husband. She used the same look on everyone when she wanted something. It was most potent with men, but Pan had fallen for it a few times. She knew there was no way Uubu would refuse her. After a long intermission, Uubu groaned, giving in.
"All right. It's a good thing this planet isn't very big. I'll be back in a couple of hours." Pan heard him mutter.
There was the sound of a door slamming then Bra giggled. "He is such a sweetie," she said between her laughter. "Now what's so important that I had to send my Uubu-kun to Mexico?"
Pan laughed, "I never said you had to send him to Mexico, Bra." She glanced at the stairway knowing Trunks would be done with his shower soon. "This is important and I don't have much time. I hope you're sitting down."
"Okay." Bra said, sobering up. "Tell me."
"Bra, Goten is back." Pan replied in a serious tone.
There was silence and then Bra gave a short, clipped laugh. "That's not funny, Pan. What is it really?"
"I am being serious!" Pan cried. "He was just here. I saw him, hugged him, and talked to him. It was really him! He just left to go home."
"Goten is dead, Pan. He isn't coming back. I tried to wish him back myself. The dragon couldn't reach him. Therefore, he is dead." Bra said, getting angry.
"I know, but he is here. He was looking for you . . . "
"I don't have time for this." Bra cut her off. "Goten has been gone for five years. People don't just come back from the dead after all that time."
"My grandfather did once. Besides, he wasn't dead. He was somewhere else." Pan retorted.
"Well then, I'm glad he's back, but what do you want from me? He was the one who decided to take an extended vacation and not tell anybody. I don't care if he is looking for me. If he wants me, he should have shown up all those years ago when I was looking for him. What does he expect? For me to just drop everything now that he is back? I don't think so." She sniffed. "I wait for no one."
"Bra, you don't understand . . . "
"No, I understand just fine. Thank you, Pan, but I need to go now." With that, she hung up the phone.
Pan stared at the phone in disbelief. She hadn't meant to upset her, but she could have at least heard her out. She set the phone down, chewing on her lip in thought. Maybe Trunks was right when he said Bra didn't need to know right away. She certainly hadn't taken the news well. With a shake of her head, she got up and went into the kitchen to prepare the evening's meal.