His Weakness

Chapter 5: Pan

I own nothing...

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Buttery, yellow light filtered through the forgotten windows Pan grumbled quietly as she opened her eyes slowly. Everything was drenched in gentle bright rays, hurting her tender eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the sudden change in lighting. Finally, her abused eyes adjusted to the level of Sun infiltrating her room. She stretched and let her head fall to the side, with her eyes droopy. Through her sleepy eyes, she saw Vegeta resting beside her bed in a chair… again. She smiled gently. He must think her a pansy. She smiled a little, pushing the thought away. Time to make breakfast, and after that, train! She looked at him with a more focused eye.

"My sweet, proud Vegeta…" she whispered, stroking his hair gently, as her eyes closed, still sleepy.

….

Her eyes flew open, panicked as the words registered in her befuddled brain. "My..." she choked in shock. She quickly sat up trying to be careful so as not to wake Vegeta and made her way down the stairs, her mind reeling.

It took her until she had just finished the eggs and was half way through with the bacon for her to decide to forget she ever called Vegeta hers. He hadn't heard her anyway….

Slowly, he came back to life, stiff, still half asleep and smelling food…bacon actually. His lips twitched upward as comprehension dawned. She was awake and, without needing to ask, knew he would want to eat first. She would. No one ever really found that out. As soon as he wakes up he's hungry, not that he'd tell anyone. She just knew him, knew him far better than anyone else had or probably would. She knew him even better than Bulma had and she had known him better than most as it was. Slowly, he untangled himself from the uncomfortable pretzel-like position and made his way downstairs.

She was just finishing the making the last pancake when she turned and noticed Vegeta leaning on the beautifully crafted wood door frame. The first thing Vegeta had remodeled once she started to cook for him was the kitchen because no one used to like to cook. Pan, however, did so he made it more suitable for her.

"I was just coming up to wake you. Breakfast is ready." She smiled at him. He gave her a small smirk, and pushed his body of the frame. Pan set down his plate first piled high with meat, eggs and pancakes, then sat with her own plate after getting the butter and berry syrup. They ate in silence until…

Ring...Ring!...RING!

Vegeta jerked in surprise at the shrill sound, eyes going wide as saucers. (Darn, he knew he had forgotten to do something…. Dismantle the stupid phone… he'd do that when Pan went home…. She wouldn't like him to get rid of her quickest way to get a hold of him…. But, the phone only brought bad news and this was no exception.) Pan got up to answer the offending telephone, chuckling a bit at his obvious surprise. When she answered still laughing, she put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, wordlessly telling him that everything was alright. It worked; his body lost all tension, and he was eating again. Pan was listening to the screeching person on the other end, she stopped laughing as soon as the woman on the other end of the phone started to talk and Vegeta could hear the yelling. He glanced up at her cautiously. Her eyes were shuttered; tight lines had formed around her mouth were amusement had danced only moments before. He tensed again, angry at whoever was upsetting Pan so much.

She rubbed his shoulder gently; her touch was comforting. She was upset and comforting him…. That just vexed him all the more.

"You don't need to remind me, Bulla." She said calmly though sickly sweet venom dripped from her quiet words. Then, she hung up.

"Pan…?" Vegeta asked, (not that he'd ever admit it) worried. The skin around his eyes were pinched and his eyebrows drew together ever so slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Geta." She replied sullenly, patting his shoulder affectionately. "I'm not really hungry any more…" She scraped her plate and went outside to the GR, hanging up that ringing contraption on her way out.

Vegeta finished hastily. In all the years he'd known Pan, not once had she not finished a meal. He rinsed his plate and put it in the dishwasher; he'd have gotten in trouble later if he hadn't. Hell hath no fire like Pan's scorn-forget all other women, this one was the chef. Without her, he'd starve.

He rushed to the GR to find Pan curled in a ball, sobbing her eyes out. She was in the darkest corner of the GR she could find. He was totally stupefied. He had no clue how to console her. Finally, he settled for resting his hand on her shoulder gently, so as not to startle her. Her head snapped up anyway; her eyes were red, bloodshot. She sniffled, looking up at him pitifully. The look in her eye was that of an insecure little girl.

"Pan?" He asked quietly. She sniffled. She didn't look at him. She stared at the tiled floor.

"What did Bulla say to you?" This was the most subtle he'd been his life…he really couldn't believe it. The only thing more unbelievable at this point to him was her answer.

At first she wouldn't look at him, and he watched her expectantly. Then at last she held up her right hand to her eye level. It just looked like a callused hand with a few scars. Warriors get those all the time; what's the big deal? He thought. His patience was wavering with Bulla. If she could hurt Pan this much because of some stupid scars...

"She reminded me of these." Her voice was pitifully weak. As if she really didn't want to mention them at all.

I repeat, what's the big deal about scars? He continued to look at her hand blankly. His frustration with his daughter was growing quickly. He'd never seem Pan like this.

Pan sighed heavily. Then she looked him in the eye as if to challenge him or maybe test him and told him confidently, "She reminded me of these scars. The ones that remind me that I used to cut myself."

So sorry I haven't updated resently! ^.^; I'm going crazy lately... I will try to be better in the future. (Don't hold your breath but I'll try...) Please review!

Arigatou! (Thank you!)

Saki