Start Date: March 12th, 2015
Let me make one thing clear about this… um, thing. I have no clue where it's going or where it came from. It literally popped in my head about an hour before I finally got around to writing it out. I've seen plenty of stories where Trunks is the one portrayed in this light, with Pan as the victim, but what if the tables were turned and the roles were reversed?
Ladies and gents, I present to you my version of the aftermath of Pan hypothetically cheating on Trunks. Keep in mind that it's my first time doing something quite like this and it's not in my nature to separate my precious TxP, so I give you free reign to rip into me if I'm too soft. This is me trying to get away from happy-happy-joy-joy couples land and venture into something a little edgy and out of my element. Be brutally honest about the writing; that is all I ask.
Also, Marron will be her actual age because I'm begrudgingly allowing myself to write TxM. Nothing against the ship, TxP is just my preferred coupling out of the two… that and, aside from one story, I've yet to see a single TxM that satisfies my abysmally high standards, whereas there are two TxP's that I absolutely love, both by the same author.
Loud Silence and Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak by PanHopeNvs are the TxP's. Though, in the case of TMtH, I'm not sure it even counts as a TxP.
Conspiracies by Michelle18 is the TxM
Question for any TxM readers that might read this vignette, if Trunks and Marron were to have a child with her blonde hair, what do you think would happen to their appearance if they achieved super saiyan one day? I'm curious because this is something that has actually bothered me from time to time lol.
Pan: 24
Trunks: 38
Bra: 25
Marron: 33
Uub: 30
Goten: 37
Pan hugged herself tightly, unable to look up from the ground between her toes as her former lover stood across the room from her, scrutinizing her. Tears of shame bit at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She didn't deserve to cry, not after what she'd done to him in a fit of childish pettiness.
"Pan, I…" Trunks trailed off, barely able to look at the young quarter saiyan, "I feel like I should've seen this coming, what with you being so much younger than me, but I honestly thought that you were more mature than this."
"You don't want to hear me apologize again, do you?" the Son whispered, moving her gaze to the tips of his shoes, "I know you don't but I don't know what else to say, other than the fact that you're far too good for me and I'll never be able to make this better—"
"Dammit, Pan!" the saiyan Prince seethed, "why the fuck is it so hard for me to be angry with you? I should be pissed to high hell that my girlfriend cheated on me with a good friend but… I feel guilty because I didn't pay any attention to you; I pushed you away and into his arms—"
"No," Pan shook her head vehemently, "I was selfish and childish and expected you to drop everything for me and, when you didn't, I ran to the first person I knew would do just that. It's my fault, Trunks, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just not mature enough for you."
"I just…" Trunks stared at the petite brunette, "I can't believe that you would do something like this, Pan… You're too good to do something so underhanded and cruel."
"No, I'm not." The daughter of Gohan finally looked up into his glossy blue eyes, "If I was, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. I'm not as perfect and faultless as you thought I was, I never was, and I never will be."
"Pan, I'd appreciate it if you… you kept your distance from now on," the saiyan royal said at last, "I just… if I keep seeing you, I'll never allow myself to believe that you actually… actually cheated on me."
"T-that's understandable," Pan murmured, "I'm going back to Uni in a few days… you won't have to look at me anymore, and you can feel the anger that you should feel towards me, but please," she pleaded, "I don't want you to take it out on Uub. I was the one who went to him and took advantage of his feelings for me, not the other way around."
"He's in love with—never mind," Trunks turned away, "I… um—"
"I'll leave," Pan turned to the secret window that she used to sneak in and out of her former boyfriend's office, "I'm… I hope… I just… I wish you the best, Trunks."
"I—"
"Is she still here?" Bra barged into the room, blue eyes burning with hatred, "you've worn out your welcome, slut, now it's time for you to leave."
"Bra, you've known—"
"I've known you for your whole life, yes, and that's what makes this even worse," the bluenette seethed, "my best friend, my closest, lifelong friend who I thought I knew has cuckolded my older brother because she's a spoiled brat who can't stand to be ignored. Blood is thicker than water, and I refuse to continue to be friends with someone who betrayed my brother—"
"Bra…"
"No," Pan shook her head, "she's right," she eyed the silently seething bluenette and murmured, "I don't care how much you hate me; I'll always love you and consider you my best friend."
"You can take that love and shove it up your ass," Bra responded coldly, "I don't need it, not anymore."
"I know that," the Son's eyes glimmered with unshed tears that refused to fall, "but you still have it, all the same."
"Get out." The saiyan Princess pointed a shaking hand at the window, "get the fuck out and don't ever come back here. You're not welcome here anymore."
Pan looked to Trunks and smiled sadly, "You know I still love you, even though I've hurt you so much. I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am, but if staying away from you is what you need me to do, then I'll do it. Goodbye, Trunks."
"Bye, Pan."
The daughter of Gohan pushed the window open and let herself fall, catching herself with her own ki and departing for Mount Paozu. Then and only then did she allow the tears she was forcing back to fall down her cheeks…
Pan sat up with a gasp as the nightmare dissipated from her mind, groaning and rubbing at her eyes groggily. She looked down at her hands, examining the deep purple and pale blue polish on her nails, the tips of which came to a rounded point. She raked a hand through her wavy black locks, streaked with a subtle midnight purple and cut to just below her shoulders, and sighed, reaching out to grab her phone from her night table.
10:07, March 7th, Age 804
That fucking dream again, the daughter of Gohan seethed to herself, entering her passcode to get into her phone, I don't think Kendrick's doing anything this morning… Wonder if he's up for a quickie… She went to her contacts and scrolled down to Kendrick's name and called him. On the second ring, Kendrick answered cordially.
"Hey, hot stuff," Kendrick greeted, "wanna come over?"
"Well a 'good morning' would've been nice," Pan shot back sarcastically, "and yeah, I'm heading back to my hell hole of a hometown and I could use a bit of pleasure to get me through Spring break. My plane leaves in two hours and I'm feeling a little heated."
"Come over to my place, baby, I've got some morning wood that you could help me with."
"We fuck, I leave for the airport, and then I'll be back next Sunday, alright? Nothing extra, maybe I'll give you a little something more when I come back from break."
"Fine, fine," Kendrick digressed, "damn, bae, you're a killjoy this morning. What's eating you?"
"Not you, that's for certain," Pan teased in response, "and I'm just really worked up. I'm gonna get dressed and cleaned up, and then I'll be right over. Don't start without me."
"I'll try…"
Pan hung up the phone and cast the nightmare from her mind and got out of bed, stumbling over to her drawers. She fished out a loose, long sleeved top that hung off of one shoulder, a bra, and some jeggings to wear over to Kendrick's before heading into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.
*At Kendrick's place*
The moment the door swung open, Pan threw herself at Kendrick and wrapped her body around him, casually tossing the duffle bag and purse she carried to the side as she did so. The shocked young man barely managed to catch the quarter saiyan and pressed his lips to hers hungrily, smiling into the kiss. Barely managing to pull back, Kendrick gazed into the brown eyes of his lover curiously.
"I knew you wanted a quickie, but damn, bae," he chuckled, "you're really worked up."
"Just shut up and let's fuck already."
Kendrick shrugged and lifted Pan up against the wall, wrapping her legs forcefully around his waist. The Son wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips back to hers as he carried her back into his bedroom. Kendrick dropped her on the bed and fell on top of her, already rutting his arousal against her lower extremities as they removed each other's clothing…
Pan gave a soft cry of completion and let her head fall back, grinding her hips down onto the rigid length buried within her folds. Slick, silky locks tumbled down her back and stuck on the sweat beading up on her shoulder blades. The daughter of Gohan's cry rose in volume as the pleasure she was feeling reached something of a plateau and remained there for several moments before slowly spiraling down. Kendrick gave a grunt and fired his release into her fluttering folds.
When, at last, the pleasure had faded to a dull hum, Pan lifted herself up off of the dirty-blonde haired boy and got off of the bed, searching for her clothing. The boy watched with vivid blue eyes as the quarter saiyan searched for her things.
"What?" He chuckled softly, "no round two?"
"Not this time, Kendrick," Pan smiled a plastic smile at the boy, "my flight leaves in," she grabbed her phone to check the time, "less than an hour. I need to shower and get cleaned up. Can't catch the plane looking like I just got laid."
"Ah," Kendrick laid back on the bed, eyeing her round, muscled buttocks as she bent at the waist to grab her pants, "that's too damn bad. I was enjoying the view."
"Mmm," the Son rolled her eyes in exasperation, "it is too bad." She always felt weirded out after sleeping with Kendrick because, in the presence of their mutual friends, they behaved like siblings. It also didn't help matters that, nearly two months prior, he'd been dating her good friend Mihayo. The casual sex was kept a secret between them two as Mihayo, though sweet, was a bit weird about her friends dating or fooling around with her exes.
"Alright," Pan grabbed a small duffle with a change of clothes in it, "I'm going to use your shower, and then I'm headed back to my place." As she retreated into Kendrick's bathroom with her previously discarded clothing, the Son was bombarded by the poignancy of the situation she was in, or going to be in.
It had been awhile since Pan had come home to visit while she was away at school, as a matter of fact, she hadn't been back since the Winter break of her freshman year at Silver Star University. Now, on her final semester in law school, she'd been convinced by Mihayo, Izumi, and Alán to go back… but they didn't know anything about the mess she'd left behind.
"What the actual fuck, Pan?" Bra screeched, turning to glare coldly at the frantic brunette girl who was scrambling to untangle herself from the sheets and tug a stray shirt over her head, "you fucking whore, I can't believe you'd do something like this! You, Pan Son, granddaughter of the most pure-hearted man in the known universe!"
"Bra, I- I'm so sorry, please," Pan reached out to grasp her former best friend's hand, but the bluenette pulled away, "I just… we were hanging out and fooling around like we usually do, and then… we kissed and we started taking each other's clothes off and… Kami, if I could take it back I would in a heartbeat, Bra, you have to believe that—"
"Why should I believe anything you say, you filthy slut?" Bra demanded, "You cheated on my brother!"
"Grampa, if you could see me now," Pan looked into the mirror, taking in her reflection, "you'd be so ashamed to call me your granddaughter."
The daughter of Gohan raked a hand through her mussed, tangled dark purple-streaked ebony locks and eyed the silver, midnight blue, and black phoenix tattooed just behind her left ear, the tail feathers of which were splayed over the side of her throat. Pan wet a small towel and began to wipe at her face as the steam of the shower filled the room. The black towel came away stained with concealer and revealed a trio of pale red, jagged scars running along her right jawline.
"You're a fucking slut!" Pan gasped in pain as Bra's sharp nails raked through the skin of her cheek, leaving a burning sensation in their wake.
"Hey, Pancake," Kendrick's voice called through the door, "need some help showering?"
"No, you fucking perv," Pan shot back, "I'm a big girl; I can wash my own body just fine."
"Just offering, sexy."
"Mmm, thanks but no thanks."
*after the shower*
Pan sat on the counter, dressed in a pair of daisy duke shorts and a grey three-quarter sleeved tee with black sleeves and the word 'radical' in emblazoned black print across the front. She completed the look with a pair of bright orange footed tights underneath her shorts and a pair of glossy black Doc Marten boots. Her old raggedy bandanna served as a hair-tie for her loose, messy, damp ponytail.
The young Son carefully applied a layer of concealer to her face to hide the scars from Bra's slap, humming a song she couldn't remember the name of under her breath.
"I hope you don't think that I actually believe that this," Videl carefully pressed a warm, damp towel against her daughter's bleeding cheek, "is from 'nothing'. Something happened, something big, and if you don't want to tell me, then I won't push you to talk. I'm here, whenever you're ready, and I'll always be here."
"I know, mom," Pan responded dimly, "but I can't tell you. I'm not ready."
"I told you that I'll wait until you're ready," the wife of Gohan murmured, "I'm not going anywhere."
"If you knew what I did… you'd be so disappointed in me, Mama," tears dribbled down the younger woman's cheeks, "Mama, I messed up, I messed up so bad… I can't fix this, I can't ever fix this. I've ruined everything."
"I don't care about what you did, or how badly you messed up, love, you're still my daughter and I'll always love you and support you, even if you're in the wrong," Videl soothed, wiping the tears away with her thumbs, "I can be disappointed in you, sure, but that'll never stop me from loving you. You know that."
"Alright," Pan finished her makeup, a face full of concealer, some liquid liner and some mascara, and opened the door to the bathroom, "I'm headed out, Ricky, don't whack off too much while I'm gone."
"See you next week, sunshine." Kendrick laid out on the bed, dressed only in a pair of boxers, "I'll keep the monkey spanking to a minimum."
"Mmhm," the daughter of Gohan winked coyly and stuffed the clothing she'd been wearing earlier into her duffle and left the room, "bye." She didn't know why she liked sleeping with Kendrick, but it was nice because it helped clear her mind of anything but her own pleasure for a while. What was better was that, like her, he wasn't looking for a serious relationship and just wanted to screw around for the sake of screwing around.
Pan walked out to the parking lot and pressed the button to unlock her car, humming quietly to herself as she put her bags and things in the back seat. Unlike Kendrick, her apartment wasn't quite as close to the university, so she had a handful of blocks to drive to her own place, a four bedroom condo that she shared with Mihayo, Izumi, and Alán, to pick up her capsulated luggage.
"Well, then," the daughter of Gohan settled in the driver's seat and artfully draped her streaked hair over her neck, "you made this mess and let it fester for the past five years. It's only fair that you go back and see what damage it's caused."
*Orange City International Airport*
Videl paced in front of the window overlooking the tarmac, nibbling on her bottom lip as she waited for Pan's plane to arrive. It'd been so long since her only daughter had graced her home soil and, somehow, she knew that her arrival wouldn't be an entirely joyous event. Not too long after she left for her second semester of her first year, relationships with the Briefs, Trunks and Bra, had become strained, and Uub stopped coming to visit.
"Hey," Gohan's soft tenor met her ears, and Videl relaxed into his hold as his arms came around her, "what's eating you, love? You're so anxious."
"I'm just worried about how Pan coming home is going to go over with… certain people," she responded, pinpointing Pan's ki on a commercial jet taxiing down the runway, "Gohan, you're not stupid, I know you noticed how different Trunks and Bra acted after Pan went back to school after her first Christmas break. Something happened between them. She wouldn't tell me what it was, but I know it wasn't anything nice."
"I know, but she isn't any of their concern, Vi," the eldest Son brother responded coolly, "she can come and go as she wishes and if they have a problem with it, then tough. Come on," he gently tugged her along, "let's get down to her terminal."
*a little later*
Pan cleared the metal detectors and shouldered her carryon bag, within which were the capsules with her luggage. She looked around hesitantly, searching for her parents. Her gaze fell on a duo standing off to the side from the other people awaiting passengers, and a smile began to form on her face.
Gohan and Videl smiled as their eccentrically dressed daughter made her approach, the latter stepping forward with her arms outstretched, "Pan-chan…"
"Mama," Pan eagerly entered her mother's arms and wrapped her own around her, "I missed you mom."
"I missed you too, love," Videl nuzzled the top of her head, "don't be such a stranger anymore, I don't think your grandmother can take much more of not seeing you. Welcome back."
"It's good to be back," the daughter of Gohan kissed her mother's cheek and turned to face her father, "Papa, it's good to see you."
"It's good to see you, too, Pan-chan," Gohan scooped his daughter up into a hug, "nice tattoo, by the way." Pan flushed pink, but snuggled deeper into his hug and inhaled his warm, comforting scent.
"Come on, baby," Videl touched her daughter's back, "let's head on home."
*at Mount Paozu*
The moment Gohan pulled into the driveway and Pan saw Bra come out of the front door, hand-in-hand with her Uncle, she felt her stomach give a nervous flop before falling to her feet. She gulped audibly and noticed her mother watching her out of the corner of her eye. Carefully composing her features, the quarter saiyan smiled softly at her father as he opened the car door for her to get out.
A year ago, Goten and Bra had tied the knot and, of course, Pan hadn't bothered to attend, knowing that the bride probably wouldn't appreciate seeing her face in the audience on her big day. She caught quite a bit of heat for it from her parents, but she covered her ass by telling them that her work load was pretty heavy and she'd promised to tutor and few of her classmates. In reality, she'd spent that weekend with Mihayo and Alán down on the coast at Mihayo's beach house, getting it on with Rico, one of her old fuck buddies. A part of her missed him after he moved back overseas to his home after finishing school; he'd been pretty good in bed, nearly as good as—
Pan shook herself to knock that traitorous thought out of her head and into the outer recesses of her memory, where it was promptly buried with the rest of her fond memories of Trunks. Someone was talking to her, but she was still lost in thought and didn't know who it was. She blinked and looked up into the dark eyes of her uncle and then, beyond his shoulder, the guarded blue irises of one Bra Vegeta Briefs-Son.
"Hey, Pan," Goten's greeting was wooden and hesitant, "great to see you home after such a long time."
"I guess," the Son shrugged noncommittally, "I'll be done with law school soon, and then I'll be here at home until I find a law firm to work with." She ran a hand through her hair anxious, biting down on the inside of her lip as she searched for a way out. Feigning a yawn and avoiding Bra's gaze, for she'd probably know with a single look that she was lying, she murmured, "the plane ride was pretty short, but I'm pooped. I'm going to go get settled in my room and take a nap."
"Go ahead, Pan-chan," Videl spoke up from behind her, "I'll come wake you when it's dinner time if you're not awake by then."
"Thanks Mama." Pan shot a quick smile over her shoulder before hesitantly edging around her aunt in-law and all but sprinting into her childhood home. A part of her wondered, loudly, if going home for this spring break had been a bright idea.
*meanwhile*
What the hell is she doing here? Bra pondered, watching the front door to Gohan and Videl's door shut quietly behind the woman she hadn't seen or spoken to in a little over half a decade. She'd be lying if she said she was pleased that Pan hadn't kept her promise and stayed away from her brother, but she'd honestly never considered how it would affect her now-in laws, the Sons. Videl somehow had an inkling that she was the one responsible for Pan's refusal to come home and things between them were, and still are, very frigid.
"Isn't it wonderful, Bra?" Videl spoke in a steely yet enthusiastic voice, "Pan's finally come back home to visit." Her periwinkle eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits, as if she were daring her sister in-law to say a single thing in the negative about Pan's return. Bra felt the burning urge to tell the older woman exactly why her daughter hadn't been home in so long, but she knew her brother wouldn't be pleased. He'd made her promise that she wouldn't tell Pan's parents about what she'd done and to allow her to tell them herself on her own time.
"It is, Videl," Bra forced the lie through her teeth, "it really is." The timing truly couldn't be any worse. Trunks was in the midst of planning an elaborate scheme to propose to Marron, his girlfriend of three years and the last thing he needed was the slut who cheated on him popping up out of the blue to visit. One thing was for certain, she was going to have to have a little chat with her former friend and tell her what the rules were… and then she'd have to tell her brother that Pan was home.
"Are you staying for dinner, Goten?" Gohan inquired, "I'd figured we'd make it a family get-together since Pan's finally come home from school."
"I don't—"
"We'd love to, Gohan," Bra jumped in, "we don't have any previous engagements, so we can make it to dinner tonight." Better to talk to her now and get it over with instead of risking her running into Trunks and ruining his and Marron's relationship.
"That's fine but don't harass Pan too much," Videl spoke with a thinly veiled threat in her voice, "she's had a long day and needs to relax."
"Oh, I won't." Not too much, anyway.
"Bra, could I talk to you for a second?" Goten asked, voice slightly cool, "just for a second." Before she could respond, the younger Son brother had looped a forceful arm around her waist and all but dragged her along the side of the house to the backyard. Once they were out of earshot of Gohan and Videl, the Son released his spouse and eyed her fiercely.
"I know what you're trying to do and you need to stop it, Bra," Goten said in a low whisper, "what happened between Trunks and Pan five years ago is between them and them alone. Stop butting your head in where it doesn't belong. Yes, I know she hurt your brother and my best friend, but she's my niece and I refuse to let you harass her like this. Leave her alone, don't go anywhere near her, don't talk to her, don't call her, just leave her be. I know you saw how desperate she was to get away from you when she got here, and yet somehow you think that she's going to ruin Trunks and Marron's relationship, don't you? Why the hell can't you leave well enough alone?"
"Why now?" Bra spit back, "why did she come back now, when Trunks is getting ready to propose to Marron? I don't like this at all and I don't want her getting any ideas and messing up what they have together."
"How do you know that she's going to mess up what they have, Bra?" her husband replied, "we haven't spoken to her in five years, we don't know what's happened to her recently. For all we know, Pan could be in a relationship of her own."
"Oh, please, like that mediocre slut could snag another man—"
"Do you hear yourself when you speak, Bra? You sound like you're still in high school right now and it's sickening. Grow up."
"I don't want her here, that's all it is," Bra sighed, "I just don't trust her. She was my best friend, and she loved Trunks so much… but despite that she cheated on him. I know she's still in love with him because the kind of love they have isn't easily forgotten and doesn't fade with time. Trunks still loves her, but he's grown to love Marron and she's done so much for him, she put him back together when Pan broke him into pieces and brought him back to life. I know you remember how he was during the first two years…"
"I remember," Goten nodded once and sighed, pulling his wife close to him, "I still don't want you bothering her. She's keeping her distance, how about you do the same?"
"Alright…" the twenty-five year old woman laid her head on her husband's chest and sighed. Something inside of her was screaming at her that this development was not a good thing.
*inside*
Pan sat on the floor of her bedroom with two open suitcases on either side of her, humming softly to herself as she pawed through them for something more comfortable and modest. She knew that, while her parents were open and accepting of her new wardrobe, her grandmother most likely would not be. The daughter of Gohan ended up deciding on a loose pair of dark blue sweat pants with a white decal of waves going down one leg and a bright fuchsia shirt that hung off of one shoulder, patterned all over by black, white, and silver triangles in various sizes. She quickly changed her clothing and tied up her hair before deciding that it was time for a change of nail color and dug out her things for nail care.
It was in the midst of removing her nail polish that her mother decided to stop in for a visit. Videl raised a brow at the sight of the young woman perched in the egg-shaped desk chair, using a cotton ball soaked in acetone to remove the polish from her toes. Pan looked up at the sound of the door opening and smiled at her mother as she entered the room.
"It's so weird to see you doing something so… girlish." Videl remarked with a laugh, "How's school been going?"
"If all goes according to plan, I could be graduating this spring. If they don't, I'll be graduating next spring." Pan rolled her eyes, "law school's so… ugh." She returned her gaze to the task she was at, trying to ignore the niggling sense of foreboding in her gut.
Videl took a seat on the edge of Pan's bed and twiddled her thumbs absently before speaking, "you practically ran away from Bra when we got here—"
"That's a can of worms I'm not planning on opening any time soon," Pan responded blithely, "and I know better than to say anything to her. Trying to talk to her will only stir up trouble."
"Panny, I know what you did." The older woman spoke up, and Pan felt an icy ball of fear form in her gut, "w-what?"
"I know what you did," Videl reiterated softly, "I've had more than enough time to think about what happened after you left for your second semester at Uni after that Christmas break and it's so obvious. You were a mess, you and Trunks weren't dating anymore, Bra was extremely hostile whenever anyone talked about you around her, and Trunks… Trunks wasn't Trunks. You told me that you did something bad, that you'd messed up and couldn't fix it. You cheated on him, didn't you?"
"Mom…"
"You were right," she murmured, "I was disappointed when the pieces finally fell into place, but you're my child and I love you, flaws and all. I know you knew what you did was wrong, and that's all that really matters to me. Who was he?"
"I really can't tell you who he was," Pan shook her head to clear it, "a part of me is really relieved that I didn't have to tell you, but it's also ashamed because I couldn't find the courage to tell you myself."
"Can you at least tell me why you did it?"
"Because I was young, stupid, childish and selfish," Pan admitted, "I was upset because Trunks couldn't spend much time with me over Christmas break and, after being rejected several times, I went straight to… to someone who wouldn't reject me and I manipulated him into sleeping with me like the cold-hearted bitch I was. I just wanted to feel needed and wanted and I went about it in the wrong way." She sighed bitterly, "Trunks may have had a thousand and one girlfriends, but at least he can say that he never cheated on a single one, whereas I cheated on my very first boyfriend. He was too good for me and I was too young and immature for him, I realize that now."
"It would be easy to blame it all on my being so much younger than him, but it's so much more than that," the Son admitted, "I was angry and needy, and this really dark part of me wanted to hurt him for ignoring me, and I listened to it without thinking about the consequences. When Bra walked in on us, I came back to myself and I was completely devastated by how weak-willed, conniving, and bratty I'd been. Of course, that's nothing compared to how Trunks felt when Bra went straight to him and told him everything."
"Bra was the one who—"
"Yes," Pan sighed, "she caught me in the act and that's why she and I are the way we are. She hates me, and I really can't blame her. I promised Trunks that I would give him space and time without me near him so he could feel the way he should towards me for what I did to him. Mom, he couldn't even get angry with me because he loved me too much. That's why I stopped coming home and started staying at school and with my friends."
"Well, that explains everything," Videl managed to say at last, "I didn't tell your father about this. It'd be better if he heard it from you."
"But Mama—"
"It's been five years Pan, five years," the older woman spoke firmly, "how much longer do you need before you can actually tell someone what you've done?" Before the younger woman could respond, the wife of Gohan got up from the bed and left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
*dinner*
By way of sick Karma, or perhaps Dende being in an ironically joking mood, Pan found herself sitting across from Bra at the dinner table that night. The Son girl kept her eyes down on her plate, feeling the sear of Bra's gaze against her face as she munched half-heartedly on her teriyaki chicken, vegetables, and rice. Her legs, folded up on the chair beneath her, jiggled slightly from anxiety. I knew I should've gone home with Mihayo or Izumi this break…
"So," at the sound of Bra's voice Pan's head involuntarily snapped up, but she instantly dropped her gaze back to her food. Bra sniffed at the action and spoke again, "how's law school going, Pan?" Forks stopped clinking against plates, glasses stopped just inches from pursed lips, and napkins dropped onto the tabletop as silence swept through the room.
"Uh…" Pan bit down on the inside of her cheek, "um, it's fine. I'll be finished soon." She picked up her fork again and resumed eating, noting that the burn on her cheeks had, if possible, gotten even more intense, and sweat began to bead on the nape of her neck.
"That's… that's nice," the bluenette murmured around the lip of her glass, "what law firms have you been looking into for work?"
"It's more like what law firms haven't been gunning to hire me to work under them, actually," the daughter of Gohan uttered, "apparently I'm something of a hot commodity."
"You should look into the ones overseas, Pan," a slight mocking tone bled into Bra's voice, "I hear they pay a little more for your… brand of service."
"No thanks, I don't know anyone overseas and I'm not looking to be separated from my family," Pan retorted calmly, knowing all too well that Bra was working to get a rise out of her, "I've actually been focused on a handful of lesser known firms in Satan and East City. I haven't made up my mind just yet, but I know I want to stick close to home. I really don't need the extra money as it is, so overseas is out."
"That's too bad…"
"Mmm, not really," the Son girl responded, "leaves the better paying jobs open for the people who really need them, so it's actually quite good." She returned to her eating noting, out of her peripheral vision, that the fork in her Uncle's hand was bent slightly and that her mother looked slightly displeased.
Bra took a gulp of water, knowing all too well that her husband wasn't at all pleased with her vague attempt to get Pan to go work as a lawyer overseas, as well as the very subtle allusion to her being a whore. She'd tried to keep her mouth shut, honestly she did, but she simply couldn't resist the opportunity. Videl cast her a cold sideways glance and Gohan looked at his brother for answers, confused by Bra's odd prodding. Pan was completely unphased, continuing to eat her dinner as if Bra hadn't even spoken to her.
Wonder what happened to that crazy temper of hers. Five years ago, she would've verbally bit my head off and shoved it up my ass.
"Well, I'm full," Pan remarked, dropping her fork on her empty plate, "I'm gonna wash my dishes, go shower, and get in the bed. Good night everyone." Everyone responded with good nights of their own and watched the quarter saiyan retreat into the kitchen. Bra took another sip of her water, "she's changed a lot."
"I think the words you're looking for are 'grown up', Bra," Videl snapped back, "she's only here for a week and, honestly, I'd like her time here to be enjoyable and you're making that very hard. I'm going to wash my dishes." The wife of Gohan dropped a kiss on her husband's cheek and left for the kitchen.
Goten raked a hand through his hair and grumbled under his breath before smiling weakly at his older brother, "I'm sorry about that." Gohan shrugged, not sure of what to make of what had just happened, "uh, it's okay, I guess…"
*in the kitchen*
She's got it out for me, Pan thought to herself as she vigorously scrubbed her plate, with good reason, but is she really still that angry over something that happened five years ago? I guess I can't really understand that, it's not like I know what it's like for a close friend to cheat on one of my family members.
"Mom," Pan looked over her shoulder at her mother, "I'm going next door to see Grandma since she couldn't make it to dinner." Videl waved a hand, "that's fine, I know she's dying to get a look at her precious Pan-chan." The younger woman laughed and placed her plate on the drying rack before moving to the backdoor, "I'll be back in a bit."
*the Son home*
Pan opened the back door of her grandmother's home with the spare key kept at her own home and edged into the cozy, warm abode. Childhood memories washed over her in rapid succession, and she couldn't help but smile and sigh happily as she moved through the kitchen and into the living room, "Grandma Chichi?"
"That voice," Chichi sat up on the couch and looked over at the doorway to the kitchen, taking in the young woman standing in it, "is that my Pan-chan?" Pan smiled wider and nodded happily, rounding the couch to hug her grandmother. The older woman laughed as the quarter saiyan snuggled into her arms, holding her tightly and dropping kisses all over her face.
"I missed you, Granny Chichi." The daughter of Gohan said truthfully. It was a bit hard to notice but, from the moment she'd entered the home of her grandparents, she'd instantly felt as if she were coming home after being away for a long time. It was true, of course, but a hole she'd never realized she had was suddenly filled and she felt right at home here, in her grandmother's arms.
"I missed you, too, my dear," Chichi pulled the younger woman away from her so she could see her better, "oh, let me look at you," she cupped Pan's face tenderly, "you're starting to look more like your mother than you do me now, little one. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to dinner tonight. I've been a little under the weather lately." Pan eyed the box of tissue, bowl of soup, and mug of herbal tea of the coffee table and looked back at her grandmother, worried.
"Are you alright?" she murmured, "Are you starting to feel a little better?"
"Not just yet, dear," the older woman responded, "my old body can't fight off sicknesses as well as it used to. Well then," she smiled, "met any handsome boys while you were away at school? I hope you put your studies before them, though. Knowledge—"
"Always comes first, I know," Pan laughed, "and no, I haven't met any handsome boys. If I keep up the hard work, I'll be ready to graduate this May, so there's really no point in looking now, Grandma." Chichi waved a hand dismissively, "I fell in love with your grandfather on first sight; it can't be that hard to look. You're almost 25, it's about time you started looking for someone to settle down with."
"Grandma…"
"What?" Chichi laughed, "I want my granddaughter to be happy and taken care of for the rest of her life. I'd like to see you walk down the aisle before it's time for me to go to Otherworld…" she smiled wistfully and ran a hand through Pan's soft waves, "I'm not getting any younger and my body is growing tired…"
"Grandma," Pan grasped her grandmother's hands, "don't talk like that. You're okay… right?" the wife of Goku responded with a morose smile and brushed her lips over Pan's forehead, "could you help your old grandma get to her bedroom, Pan-chan?"
"O-of course," the younger woman stood up, gently pulling her grandmother to her feet as she did so, "I can do that." Something wasn't right. Pan could feel it in her bones, but she just didn't know what it was exactly. Putting the errant thought away for later, the young woman gingerly assisted her grandmother, who seemed frailer than she remembered, up the stairs to her bedroom.
*back home*
Pan entered her childhood home through the back door just as Bra and Goten left for their own home. She entered the kitchen, smiling warmly at the sight of her parents standing at the sink together, washing and drying the dishes. Videl glanced over her shoulder and smiled, "you want to put the dishes away, love?"
"Sure." The young woman walked over to her parents and kissed both of them on the cheek before grabbing a stack of plates and carrying them over to their proper cupboard.
*the next day*
Pan woke up early the next morning, just before the sun had begun to peek over the mountains in the distance. She'd grown used to being up before the sun, what with an exceeding amount of seven-thirty and eight o'clock classes in her days as an undergrad student. The young woman set into her morning routine of showering, brushing her teeth, and washing her face, and then dressed herself in a pair of bright green cotton sweats that came down to just below her knees, a white t-shirt with sleeves that cut off just under her elbows, and a pair of black running shoes with white ankle socks. She tied her shoulder-length hair up in a ponytail and pocketed her iPod, ear buds, and her phone before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
To her surprise, the young woman found her father in the kitchen, dressed for a lecture, preparing a canteen of coffee and cooking breakfast for himself. Pan smiled in greeting as Gohan looked up and saw her, holding up a canteen of her own.
"I'm going on a run, and then I'm going to train for a bit," she said quietly, "my friends up in Silver City love to run, so I guess they sort of rubbed off on me."
"Alright then, have fun," the eldest Son brother turned back to the stove, his expression curious, "um, Pan?" Pan, who was filling her canteen with ice water, looked up, "yes, Papa?"
"Bra was acting really weird last night, and I know the two of you aren't close like you used to be," Gohan bit down on his bottom, "did something happen between you two?"
"Yeah, something did happen and I'm not in the mood to talk about it, Papa," Pan said in a low voice, leaving no room for discussion, "I'm sorry, but I really want to go run. Maybe later." Papa's going to be so disappointed… how can I possibly tell him about that?
"Oh, right, of course," Gohan smiled awkwardly, "see you when I get home from work, Pan-chan."
"Alright," Pan stuffed the canteen into a cross-body bag, "I'll see you then. I love you." She brushed her lips over her father's cheek and headed out of the backdoor, locking it behind her. The Son woman stepped down from the deck and walked slowly across the green grass, pushing her ear buds into her ears as she did so. Settling on a fast-paced playlist, Pan stuffed her iPod back into her pocket, made sure her bag was secure, and burst into a sprint, losing herself in her music.
Let's make this fleeting moment last forever... so, tell me what you're waiting for?
I'm gonna keep it frozen here forever, there's no regretting anymore
It's worth the wait even so far away; I'm making the night mine until the day I die
No lights to break when you're hanging by fate; you know what it feels like when you're dancing blind
Pan began to mouth the words to Krewella's Alive as she darted through the underbrush and the trees, moving alongside the river that wound through the forest. Her mind was emptied of all thoughts, hopes, dreams, and worries, filled only with the pulsing beat of the music in her ears. For the moment, she was simply being.
All alone, just the beat inside my soul
Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold
In the zone where the beat is uncontrolled
I know what it feels like, so come and make me feel alive…
The song broke off into a dance break, and Pan broke away from the river and headed deeper into the forests she used to explore as a child. Her nostrils were filled with the cool, crisp scent of dew-covered grass and leaves, and that sharp, fresh tang that only came from being in the fresh outdoor mountain air. Her heart was pounding in her chest, not from exertion, but from the pure excitement of returning to her old childhood stomping grounds. She wanted to throw her hands up to the skies and shout her joy to the heavens.
Meet me under shining lights, I've been waiting right here all my life
Feelings you can't deny that you're living, open up your eyes
And I just wanna sink into your crazy laughter
Come on, make me feel until the pain don't matter
Every second here makes my heart beat faster, finally think I found what I'm chasing after
The sun broke over the peaks of the mountain, soaking the valley within which Pan was running through in rich, vibrant red-gold light. The Son closed her eyes as she sprinted through a field of tall grass, letting the sunlight warm her face. She felt like she was nothing and everything, all at once.
All alone, just the beat inside my soul
Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold
In the zone where the beat is uncontrolled
I know what it feels like, so come and make me feel alive…
Soon, a slight bit too soon for Pan's liking, she reached the small, grassy clearing where she did her solo training when she was growing up. The Son placed her bag on the ground, under the shroud of a Sakura tree, and dropped to the ground herself to start stretching. It'd been a long time since she'd had a chance to train at a normal, for a saiyan, level. When she was at school, there was never really an opportunity for her to let loose the way she liked.
If Vegeta could see me now, he'd be so pissed that I let myself get soft while I was in school…
Pan notched in at the first level of super saiyan, having reached it at long last the summer before she left for her first semester of college. After that, she didn't have the time to try for anything more, let alone keep her training up, but she'd at least managed to keep her strength level from decreasing too much. Once her limbs were nice and loosened up, Pan crossed her legs and placed her hands, palm up, on top of her knees. She drew in a deep breath and let her eyes flutter closed as she focused her mind on the training ahead.
*meanwhile*
The former Majin had to rub his eyes and taken a double take before he was convinced of the sight before him. Sure enough, Pan Son was in their old clearing, meditating under the shade of a sakura tree. Uub admired the changes in her visage, the increase of definition in her face, the lack of childish fat in her cheeks, the stark lack of the iconic orange bandanna and fingerless gloves. It was obvious what had happened.
Pan Son was a woman now, no longer the young, hot headed, overzealous young girl she'd been when Uub had seen her last… when he'd ruined hers and Trunks's relationship with his feelings for her. He considered landing in the meadow and saying hello, but decided against it. He didn't know how she felt about him now and he didn't want to interrupt her meditation so, with one last fond glance, the former Majin departed swiftly and anonymously, leaving no trace he'd ever been there.
Unbeknowst to him, he hadn't been the only one watching the young woman meditate.
*meanwhile*
Why was she here? Why now? Why did she come back now, when everything was finally going right for him?
Trunks raked an anxious hand through his lavender locks, watching the young woman who'd single-handedly destroyed him five short years ago. He'd be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't pleased with how good time had been to her… and he'd most certainly be lying through his teeth if he claimed he hadn't felt a lick of jealousy when he saw Uub spying on Pan as well. The saiyan Prince watched as the light of the rising sun played in the locks of her hair, revealing deep violet highlights that he knew hadn't been there before.
Kami, he couldn't stay here and watch her any longer. It wouldn't do anything good for him. The weight of the diamond ring in his pocket reminded him that he'd moved on to another woman, and it wouldn't be right to watch the woman who cuckolded him like this when he intended to propose to another.
"Welcome home, Pan," Trunks uttered quietly, "welcome home." He spared one last glance and departed quietly.
*in the meadow*
Pan opened her eyes and looked curiously up into the pale orange morning sky, wondering why she felt as though she were being watched. After a few moments of scanning the horizon and finding nothing, the young woman gave a shrug and smiled enthusiastically before jumping to her feet and beginning to work through a kata. Before she could really get into it, a familiar presence popped into her mind, and she bit back a frustrated growl as Bra alighted on the grass, eyeing her coolly.
"Hello, Bra." The Son woman greeted, smiling weakly at the blue haired woman as she walked towards her, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I just want to know why you've decided to come home all of a sudden when you promised that you'd stay away."
"It's been five years," Pan spoke quietly, refusing to let her temper get out of control, "I stayed away for five years, despite my mother and father repeatedly begging for me to come visit, and now you want to come here and tell me what? To leave? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but five years is long enough. After I graduate in May, I'll be back for good, so you'd better get used to having me around."
"You know, Trunks is actually planning on proposing to Marron this coming week," Bra spoke slowly, watching Pan's face for any sign of jealousy, "so, I guess it's just desserts that you'll be here when it happens. He's happy and in love and he's moved on from you. I bet that must sting."
"I'm not falling for your childish act, Bra," Pan's voice was perfectly level, "you're right, I do deserve to have my face rubbed in Trunks's good fortune after what I did to him, but you know what? I'm going to smile and be happy for him instead of wallowing in my own self-pity and wondering what might've been if I hadn't been so selfish. This isn't some stupid movie where I come crawling back to him because I miss him and wind up ruining his happiness again. I'm not going to be that woman. I refuse."
"Yeah, it sucks and it hurts to know that he's going to be with someone else, but it would hurt even more for him to lose that someone else because of me. That's what you wanted, right? For me to suffer? Well, you got your wish," Pan turned away, "I'm going back home now." As she stooped to pick up her bag, Pan heard a small sniffle. Surprised, she watched as a few tears slipped down Bra's cheeks.
"Bra, wha—"
"You were supposed to be my sister," the bluenette said tearfully, "you and Trunks were supposed to be happy and in love and get married so our kids could grow up together. You ruined that, Pan."
"Marron's going to be a great sister in-law, Bra," Pan spoke carefully, unsure of what to say, "Definitely much better than I would've been—"
"No, she's not," Bra shook her head, "Marron's too perfect. She's so perfect that I can't stand her. We have the same hobbies, like the same clothing brands, use the same hair stuff…. She's too much like me and I hate it. At least with you, we're polar opposites and I actually know you. I don't know Marron all that well."
"I'm sorry for coming out here and trying to hurt you and make you angry," the bluenette admitted sadly, "I haven't really allowed myself to let go of what you did because of how much you hurt me. I never thought that my best friend would do something like that to my brother…"
"I never thought I would do something like that to Trunks either, and for such a petty and stupid reason too." Pan shook her head, "wait a minute, are we really having a civil conversation right now?"
"I think so," Bra laughed softly, "I'm sorry for last night at dinner. Pan, look," she bit her lip nervously, "I'm glad we're actually talking to each other again but… I really don't think we're ready to… to go back to way we were. Not yet."
"Yeah, I… I didn't think so either. Um, Bra?" the Son girl scratched at the back of her neck anxiously, "why didn't you tell my parents what I did? I know you wanted to, and I was just wondering why you never did…"
"Trunks made me promise to keep it to myself," she admitted, "he said that you should be able to tell them yourself when you're ready."
"Well, my mother figured it out on her own," Pan admitted, "my dad's still in the dark and I just don't know what to say to him. I like to think that I've grown up and I'm not that insecure eighteen year-old girl, but every time I think about telling him, it feels like I've gone back in time."
"Well I can't help you with that, Pan," Bra responded blandly, "it's your problem, not mine."
"I was just… never mind," Pan shook her head, "are you leaving? Because I really wanted to get some training in." she was pleased that she and Bra had reached some form of a truce and didn't want to try and push it any further… though now she wasn't too certain that she even wanted to train anymore.
"Uh, yeah," the bluenette nodded quickly, "um… bye, Pan."
"Bye… Bra." Pan watched her former friend, now tentative acquaintance, take to the air and closed her eyes. With a slow, deep breath, she re-centered herself and returned to her kata. Somehow, it was even harder to push her issues out of the forefront of her mind than it was before Bra visited her.
This is going to be the toughest Spring Break ever…
I should be doing homework right now instead of working on this monster… like seriously, it's Sunday and I've got an online quiz to do, some math homework, some reading for an online class, a test to study for on Tuesday, as well as various other tasks and I couldn't concentrate on any of it. For some odd reason, this old thing kept popping up in my head. Maybe I'll write about the whole week later, when I've tackled my homework pile, but I don't see a comeback to writing fanfiction in the near future. Sorry guys, if I got your hopes up. This is a good omen though, since I haven't felt like posting a damn thing I've written in over six months.
One other thing, I'm not overly fond of the beginning, so, if I were to make this a full-on fic, I'd probably have to do a complete overhaul. Damn me and my high standards, lol.
CloudSpires1295*~*