Chapter 14

"Take it easy baby." Videl sat on the side of the bed, and held a bowl of water on her lap, and a cloth in her hand. She dabbed her daughter's forehead gently, as she was still sweating. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better. Awake." Pan tried to smile. But it came out more fatigued that anything. But it was a smile, and that was a start. "If I was to ask if I got my ass kicked by Vegeta, would I be right?"

"Well…technically." Her mother put the bowl of water on the side, and held her hands in hers. "But something happened. This thing attacked and-"

"Videl." Vegeta walked in and cut in curtly. "I think she can wait for any more information. We wouldn't want to give her a headache, now would we woman?"

"Oh no…but."

"Please attend to my mate. She needs you."

"…mate…" Vegeta snapped his eyes to Pan.

"What was that Pan?" he used a nod to dismiss Videl, and took her place on the bed. He folded his arms, and waited with his eyebrow raised.

"Oh…I don't know." She smiled up at him tiredly. "I guess it was something you said…I thought…"

"You thought what?" he hung on her next words, needing to hear them to help piece this puzzle together faster.

"Oh, nothing." She chuckled weakly. "Now, my mother said you were the one to put me here. Last time I was told that, I feel I over reacted. So this time…I am going to ask you." She sat herself up, and looked down at herself. She was now wearing a white hospital gown, and her hair was a mess. She looked up to see Vegeta holding a hand out to her. In his gloved palm, was a small brown bean.

"Here, eat this." She took a bite of it, and started to feel much better. Her hair shone, clean and full of life, as her eyes had their familiar healthy glow to them. Her skin became peachy once more, not pale, and she felt a strong as an ox again.

"Thanks." She sat up, and ran a hand through her hair. It was really short…odd… "What happened to my hair?"

"Your mother gave you a hair cut. It just stuck to your head otherwise, it was quite a mess." He smirked at her, and she chuckled.

"Ever the flatterer, ah PV?"

"Why of course." He closed his eyes and was just glad she was alright. But he had to remember he was here for a reason. "Pan, do you remember what happened yesterday?"

"Erm…either you kicked my ass before I saw you coming, I fainted, or someone spiked my drink." She chuckled.

"Pan, seriously, what do you remember?" Pan closed her eyes, and thought hard.

"…I got changed into a special outfit…a Saiyan one…to fight you…"

"Yes, and?" he pressed.

"…then…I was screaming. And…I couldn't see anything. I couldn't even hear anyone. Nothing, just darkness."

"At least you couldn't feel anything I suppose. No pain."

"No…no I could feel something." Pan pulled her knees up, and closed her eyes, her head to one side.

"What could you feel?"

"I felt strange. But a good strange. Warm, happy…yeah I was happy. I don't know what happened, but I think I liked it."

"You were attacked. That feeling of happiness was a trick. Don't fall for it."

"Why? Who attacked me Vegeta?" she opened her eyes. Pan wasn't stupid. "And will it happen again?"

"Not if I can help it." Vegeta stood up and started to leave.

"Wait! What happened to me?" he walked out the door. "Damn you Vegeta! What happened to me!" she jumped out of bed, and saw him stood just outside the door. "This is just like what he did!" then she gasped, closing her mouth and covering her lips with her hands. But it was too late. Vegeta turned, and looked sternly at her.

"…like what who did? Who are you talking about Pan? And what did they do to you?"

"Nothing." She turned but felt him put his hands on her shoulders.

"Pan, it is time for you to tell me."

"No." she tried to pull away from him, getting upset.

"Pan, my daughter is lying, anaemic from blood loss, unconscious and suffering in pain. What ever happened to you, is directly connected to the creature that attacked Bulla."

"Creature?"

"Yes, and it seems to have a bone to pick with you. And I think it knows you, from when you went away." Pan grabbed over to the edge of the bed, and tried to pull herself out of his grip. But he wrapped his arms around her front, and held her there, throughout her struggles. "I am telling you this now Pan. You must tell me what happened. Where did you go?"

"No."

"Who did what to you Pan? What did you do? Why happened? Why couldn't you tell me what you did there? What did you do Pan?" he asked her with a demanding undertone, and Pan cried out.

"Leave me alone!"

"No Pan, you are not alone in this. I will not let you be alone in this. The creature, the one that I think took control of you or, and, your powers, seems to know you. It certainly knew your name."

"I don't know what you are talking about!" she pleaded. "I never did anything to anyone! I only stayed for a while, I never heard about a creature or met one I swear!"

"Then what did you do Pan? I have to know!" he raised his voice, his famous temper coming through.

"WHY!"

"Because I need to trust you!" she sobbed and tried to fall to the floor. "Tell me Pan…please tell me…"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because…I can't…you would never forgive me…" she whimpered. He finally let her fall to the floor, and onto her knees.

"If you can't trust my friendship enough to confide in me, I will just have to ask the creature what happened. I am sure he will be more forthcoming with that information. His kind are always willing to rant and boast like that."

"You should know." She said coldly, and then whimpered. "Oh Vegeta, I didn't mean that."

"Just like you didn't mean to accuse me of wanting to kill my own son, to him?" she gasped softly, and held herself.

"…he told you?"

"Yes. He told me everything. How you accused me of trying to kill you. Of someone else telling you it was me. But you wouldn't tell him who."

"He acted just like you did…walked away a lot…didn't explain things…kept things from me…so I assumed. But I was wrong."

"You were." He turned and began to leave. "I want to tell you everything, but I can't until you tell me everything first. I don't know enough to know if what I know, is safe to tell you. So I won't, until I know you can trust me, and share the same courtesy with me." He closed the door "I thought you trusted me Pan."

"I…" but she sobbed into her hands. She had never felt so down, so torn to pieces or so guilty. She could do with a hug right about now…just someone to hold her and tell her it is alright. She continued to cry as Vegeta closed the door, and left. He walked down the halls of his home, and into the downstairs basement labs. He came to the Saiyan reinforced steal holding cell, and opened the door.

In chains, to the back wall, was the imperfect creature that had clawed his daughter to pieces, sucked a lot of life force from her body through his tail, and almost killed her.

And all for Pan.

He did it all to get Pan.

Vegeta leaned against the wall, and looked upon it. It had its whole body hung forward from its chains, hanging almost off the wall. It was chained with shackles to the wall, and couldn't move more than a few inches forward, or at all.

"I suppose you think you are clever, looking like that, not moving. I hope you don't think I am just going to ignore you, until you are ready."

"…bastard…" Vegeta pulled away from the wall, and lowered down slightly. The creature had started shaking, and…whimpering? "You bastard…"

"What?" Vegeta cautiously walked forward, powering up just encase. Then, the creature snapped its head up, and Vegeta was shocked. Coming from its large yellow animal eyes, and down its merciless face…were tears.

"You bastard…how could you…how could you…"

"How could I do what?"

"How could you hurt her…how could you. HOW COULD YOU!" he snarled and yanked forward on his chains. This made Vegeta step back, but grin. He had him.

"Easily. I am very much like yourself you see. I am a murderer, past, but still. I have what it takes to get the job done."

"By going through her!"

"If you would tell me what I need to know, I would let Pan go."

"I will kill you before you harm her again. I swear it." He hissed and had a murderous look in his eyes.

"How did you know I had upset her?"

"9 levels of concrete and steal, isn't enough to separate me from her. I can still see her." He chuckled, and then scowled. "I will bleed you and your family slowly, drop by drop, until I am given my freedom, and my mate."

"Not going to happen. Why do you think Pan is your mate?" Vegeta tried not to sound as disgusted as he truly was, and aloof. Like he had been taught years before in Frieza's army.

"I don't think anything, mortal." An insane laughter left his lips. "I know all."

"Do you know that your supposed mate, doesn't know who you are?" Vegeta smirked. "She doesn't even remember you were here, demanding for her. She thinks I knocked her out in our little sparing match." Major trashed against the chains again, and smirked when Vegeta flinched.

"Scare you do I, Vegeta?"

"How could a pathetic creature like you scare me?" he stalked from one side of the room to the other, watching his captive all the time. "You have no motive, no direction, no plan, no ambition, and so." He smirked. "You are no threat."

"I am a threat to all mortal life, Ve-ge-ta." He cackled. "I was designed for a purpose, I digress."

"Then you are no different than Cell, or any of the other androids. Where you created by Gero too?"

"No." he chuckled. "And I am not like them."

"Oh? And what makes you so different? You were created yes?"

"Yes."

"From cells of stronger soldiers, yes?"

"Yes."

"To achieve perfection?"

"Yes." He looked dreamily to the ceiling, and Vegeta became frustrated. He wasn't making any sense.

"Then why are you different android? Tell me that!"

"Because unlike the others…I rebelled." He closed his eyes, and chuckled to himself. "They all bent over and kissed their creator's feet, did as they were told in the beginning at least, and never questioned anything. They were machines…even my father, Cell."

"So he is your father. Did he create you?"

"No." he chuckled. "He is dead, idiot." Vegeta snarled and took a probe from the wall. "What? You are going to harm me Vegeta? Don't make me laugh."

"I swear, I won't." Vegeta stabbed the cattle probe into his gut, and shot electricity through his body. Major arched his spine, and let out a shriek. But he just cackled in a high pitch hiss of laughter. Vegeta looked confused and horrified at this reaction, and pulled the probe back. "What are you?"

"…more than you could ever dream of. And…more than you could ever prepare for…or handle." He turned his deathly piercing eyes to Vegeta, and smirked evilly. "I am the stuff of nightmares. Incapable of feeling pain, and yet I can feel the slightest breeze like it was the caress of a lover. I can numb myself without consent to fire, ice, blades, Ki, fists…but the slightest feather can tickle me." He chuckled. "Can you 'figure out that', Vegeta? I dare you to try." Vegeta leaned back against the wall. "I wonder how far you would get, before I kill you." He chuckled coldly, and stood upright, like he had never been restrained in his life. "I am going to get out of here, when the time is right. You know it, I know it…and so does your family apparently." He looked up to the ceiling. "Are they fleeing? From me? Oh I am so touched." He looked like a madman, getting off scaring the living daylights out of people, and seeing the beauty in a death. So insane, really…

"Under my orders, I assure you."

"And yet, you keep my mate near me. That warms my heart Vegeta."

"I have come to think, you don't have a heart. Or a name for that matter."

"Oh, I have a name." he looked to Vegeta, and he wanted to run. "I am Major. But I have already told you that before, have I not?"

"…that is why you knew what Pan said to me…it wasn't Pan." He clenched his fists. "I was you!" Major threw his head back and laughed loudly, as Vegeta scowled at him.

"At last, you see the truth. We are connected, my mate and I."

"She is not your mate. And she never will be!"

"She is already my mate." He chuckled. "She always has been."

"No." Vegeta threw the probe down, and stormed to the door. "I will never let that happen."
"You are too late Vegeta." He chuckled. "Far…far too late." He closed his eyes, folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. His chains clinked as he moved, and he looked at peace. "And nothing you can do will ever change that. Time, that is all you have Vegeta. Time. But…" he flashed his beastly eyes at Vegeta, freezing him there. "How long will you have before someone dies? I will spare you all if I am allowed to take my mate away with me. But if you continue to keep us apart, then…" he smirked. "I can not guarantee your safety. I mean…just look what happened to your daughter." He cackled mercilessly as Vegeta slammed the door shut, and ran up the stairs. He found Trunks, Goten, and Gohan helping with the bags and preparing to leave.

"Boy, where are the women?"

"With their daughters, Vegeta." Gohan interrupted. "Bulla is being moved out the back way, but Pan won't leave her room."

"Good, she has to stay."

"What!" Gohan threw the bag down he was holding, and stalked towards Vegeta. "No, no I will not let you keep her here as a 'bargaining chip'. She is my daughter damn it!"

"And so we must keep her safe. She would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you all. And to let you take her, would sign seal and deliver your death tickets. No, she has to stay." Vegeta nodded to Trunks, who took Goten and the baggage outside. "She is safe with me Gohan. I will not let that thing harm her."

"Vegeta. I don't want her staying here." He said, defiantly. "I want her with us, her mother and I."

"What you want and what is best are two different things this time Gohan. You know your father would say the same." It was a few moments, before Gohan sighed with defeat.

"Vegeta…if anything happens to her…I will kill you." That was a promise that Gohan had never wanted to give, but gave it so gladly. "Keep her safe…please…" Gohan left, heavy hearted and left Vegeta to deal with Videl and Bulma. If only Pan's mother was as easy to convince as her father.

"NO! no I will not let my baby stay here!" she shouted. Bulma had left Bulla with Trunks and Goten, and held onto Videl to support her, and keep her from jumping on her husband. "Pan has been through enough without having to stay here. Look what happened to Bulla when she was alone in the same house as that thing! We can stop that from happening to Pan too if you let us take her with us!"

"If you do, you will take Major with you too. He will follow her. I don't know why yet, but he needs her for something." He closed his eyes and held the arch of his nose. "Perhaps it is Pan he needs to absorb this time…"

"All the more reason to keep them apart!"

"No, that isn't it." He opened his eyes, and folded his arms with a grunt. "He said he would never harm her. So there must be another reason." He nodded to Bulma, and she dragged her friend away thrashing and weeping for her daughter. "I am sorry…but she cannot leave…" he closed his eyes, and walked deeper into the house. He pressed an inner button in the house door consol, and set it to red. "I just can't let that thing kill the ones both Pan, and I hold dear to us. But I will not let him take her." He walked further, and stopped when he faced the hospital door that looked in on a trembling, still crying Pan. As he watched her cry, he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. "I will die before I let him take you Pan…I swear it."

AN: sorry I haven't updated this in a while, and I know this isn't as long as it should be, but I needed to end it here before I start the next chapter.

Review, and I will put up the next one quicker!

From

Draguna