A/N: Special thanks to Afiong Bassey, mizqt, wolfie wolfman, pen name is, frikinchikin18, Tsukasa Miyamoto, and Midnight for your reviews.
Merry Christmas: Part 1
:*: Pan :*:
It's the most wonderful time of the year, right? After a roller coaster of events this past year, I think wonderful was a pretty good description. I woke up to the smell of gingerbread cookies, and, knowing my mother, there'd also be three large glasses of hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table in the living room. I slowly sat up and stretched my arms, waiting until my back popped to relax. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I headed downstairs in my blue plaid pajama pants and black t-shirt. tossing my hair back lazily. As I guessed, there were the three large glasses of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating around. I skipped happily into the kitchen and threw my arms around my mother as she scraped the last batch of cookies onto her holiday platter.
"Merry Christmas, mom!"
"My my my, somebody's been possessed by the holiday spirit."
I pecked her on the cheek and went to steal a cookie, smiling innocently at her narrowed eyes.
Soon after, my father joined us from his morning shower and we congregated into the living room for my personal favorite: gifts. My dad made good money, enough to buy a more expensive home than the one we had now, but he didn't want to raise a spoiled daughter, so my birthday and Christmas were pretty much the only times I got new stuff. They sat on the sofa like behaved adults, but me, well I wasn't eighteen yet, so I took full advantage of the moment and slid to the tree like some five year old orphan who was celebrating her first holiday. I threw my parents the gifts Grandma Chichi and I had bought for them, some claiming they were from Santa. I then ransacked through mine. My mom was always right on with my clothes sizes, bless her heart. They bought me numerous tops, cute jeans, accessories, shoes, and trinkets for my bedroom.
"Thank you!" I walked on my knees to my mother's side and gave her a hug, being nearly blinded at the flash of a camera. "Dad, is that really necessary?"
"Hey, this is your last Christmas at home. You won't be living here after graduation."
"What're you gonna do, rent out my room? I'm a half hour away. Trunks still has his room at his parents' house."
"What your father means, Pan, is that we don't want you to come back." My mother stuck her tongue out at me and socked my shoulder. "Oh, can you check the door, hun, I think someone knocked."
I stood up and clicked my tongue. "You really know how to make someone feel wanted you jerks." I threw a pillow at my dad and ran to the door before he could retaliate. Sometimes I think my mother hears much too well for a normal human. Even I didn't hear anything.
I opened the door, crossing my arms over each other as the icy winter air bit my skin. No one was there. I began to close the door, but stopped as my eyes settled on a beautifully wrapped box with a large red bow on the top. I picked up the box and almost dropped it once it began to move. I closed the door behind me and began stripping the box of its wrapping. There was a cardboard box with holes in the top. I anxiously pulled off the lid and staring up at me was the cutest puppy I'd ever seen. I gently scooped his cold shaking body into my hands and examined him in disbelief. He was gray with faint black smudges, probably soon to be spots. Just like the puppy in Jianu Bay. My eyes widened. Trunks wouldn't have...
That day I went Christmas shopping with Goten and Trunks, he and I walked by a pet store and I pointed him out. "Awww." My eyebrows curved and my bottom lip pouted. I carried him into the living room cautiously. My parent's had disapproved of me owning a pet in the past, claiming I was much too busy with school and sports and wouldn't be able to take care of an animal. My dad had his arm around my mother's shoulders, and they both looked up at me as if they had known about this all along. "Can I?" I murmured in a high pitched tone.
My father sighed. "As long as you take care of it. You've got your entire winter break to house-break him."
"Ewww." I said louder than expected. My mother giggled.
"It's just like a baby, Pan. Congratulations, you're a mommy!" My father clearly was not ready for those words quite yet. "And if things don't work out we'll just give you back to daddy." She stood up now, talking in a goo-goo fashion to my puppy.
"Daddy?" My father and I nearly choked.
"Well, yeah. Trunks bought it for you, so that makes him the daddy, right?"
I immediately looked down and fumbled with the puppy to hide my warmed cheeks from their eyes. Daddy, huh?
We proceeded to the kitchen for my mom's annual Christmas breakfast, with our family's newest member in the seat next to me eating scraps I'd throw him here and there.
"So what're you going to name him?" My mother asked, still lovestruck by the little animal.
I warped my lips together in thought. "Hmmm I don't know. I'll think of something."
After breakfast I carefully knelt down to collect my gifts in one hand and the puppy in the other hand and headed up to dispose of them in my room. While arranging my clothes on hangers and putting them in my closet, I couldn't stop laughing at the goofy little dog running around my feet, picking up any socks or other small articles of clothing he could find. Socks I didn't mind, but the other items were just gross to have in your mouth... After hanging up my last shirt, I bounced back onto my bed and turned my phone on. Shocker, no text messages or missed calls.
"Puppy?" I scanned the ground around my bed, searching for the grey beast. Ugh, my door's open. Duh, Pan. I quietly tiptoed down the hallway, and peered into the bathroom. No sign of him there. Oh great, he's probably in my parents' room. I went in as quiet as I could, whispering 'puppy', hoping that he'd respond to that for the time being. I heard a low growling noise from the other side of the bed and, sure enough, there he was, digging through a pile of envelopes and papers he had probably knocked over. I gently flicked his nose in disapproval and scolded him under my breath. I gathered the papers in my hands and looked for a clear space on the end table where they might have been, but that was covered in even more papers. "What the hell?" I whispered to myself. Usually my parents' were more organized than this. My eyes caught the heading of one paper in my hand, and that was all the probable cause I needed to investigate.
December 3, 2008
Rankouu Medical Hospital
Rankouu? That's way up north, a hospital for terminal or rare diseases, also the finest hospital in all of Japan. "Why would my dad need information from there? Probably building some new machine for them. Way to go dad." I cheered him on to myself. I tossed the paper back onto the nightstand, until something else caught my eye.
...Videl Son...
My mother was a landscape designer. What would Rankouu want with her? Landscape their hospital? I chuckled lightly to myself, suddenly feeling my lungs tighten as I subconsciously reached for the paper. "Okay, Pan, you're going to feel really stupid when you read how much they love your mother's designs and would like her to scope them out a garden. That's probably why she's been going out of town so much these past few months." They usually left while I was at school or on the weekends when my dad couldn't miss work. I didn't mind though, I got to stay with Bra.
My fingers clamped shut tightly over the folds of the paper. I was hesitating. My mom... she's just got some stress headaches from work. Right, dad? That's what you've been telling me. Then why Rankouu? I stared at the paper for what seemed like an eternity. The puppy pawed my arm and whimpered, as if to ask what's wrong? It was too late to go back now, I had to know. I blinked my eyes hard as my fingers flicked the paper open. Dear Mrs. Son,...
:*: Trunks :*:
This wasn't exactly how I planned on spending my Christmas morning. Sure I could have told one of the help to do it, but why make them do all the dirty work? That puppy sure pisses and shits a lot, I couldn't help but laugh at the image of Pan doing the same thing I was.
On Monday I talked to Gohan while he was at work to ask for his permission to get Pan a dog. He looked at me as if I was insane.
"You want to put the life of a beautiful animal in the hands of Pan?"
I explained to him how she fell in love with him in Jianu Bay and if things didn't work out I'd gladly take him back. He reluctantly approved after a while.
I told Videl I would drop the dog off at nine thirty sharp Christmas morning, and she took it from there.
"Oh, Trunks that is so cute! Why can't Pan find a good man like you?"
I couldn't help but grin back at her. "Hey, guys like me are tough to spot. What can I say, I'm pre-tty amazing." She gave me a motherly hug farewell and advised me to lay off the baggy jackets. "But I look so damn good in them Mrs. Son!" She rolled her eyes and shooed me off with a smile she shares with her daughter.
I washed my hands for what seemed like five minutes once my floor was spotless. There was a light knock on my door, followed by a series of footsteps.
"Mom wants us downstairs." Day 7 of Bra's gloomy mood. She didn't even take the time to make herself look decent. She had on baggy sweats, an oversized t-shirt, and her hair would be a salonist's nightmare. I nodded towards her in confirmation and she trudged away. Pathetic, I chuckled to myself.
I hadn't seen Goten since a week ago at the Ball, I wonder what he's been up to. I'd for sure see him today once we go to his parents' house for Christmas dinner. Why at Chichi's small house? Well after my mother had it at her house two years in a row, Chichi threw a huge fit, and that's enough to persuade anybody. She loves hosting parties as well, so every year they switch off. It doesn't get as crammed and bothersome as one may think. Her house actually fits everyone quite well. Most of us sit bunched up in the living room and tell stories and converse, it's actually pretty nice. I prefer having it over there rather than here where everyone's spread out and it's difficult to locate people.
Our Christmas consisted of gifts my mother picked up from clients and partners from other countries. They kiss up to her by giving gifts to her family, which she saves for this time of the year. She also does shopping of her own, of course.
After the gifts, we had breakfast. Mom told us stories from work while everyone else listened, or pretended they were doing so. I actually participated in the conversation since I was getting involved in the business now.
"Okay everyone," My mom began as she helped the maid clear the dishes. She picked up a box from the corner of the room and opened it on the table, revealing cards and several colorful pieces.
"What's this?" Bra asked uninterested.
"This, my dear daughter, is a board game. I think it's been a while since this family has done something like this together."
My father snorted and was about to stand from the table until my mom did something to him from underneath. His reaction made me not want to know.
"A board game? I havn't played one in years." I for one was kind of excited. Must be the Christmas boy in me.
After a few hours, we ended up catching on.
"Hot." Bra's first clue, we all stared, putting the words together in our heads. "Steamy... sweat..."
"Sex!" My dad shouted. I practically choked on the soda I was drinking then joined in on the laughter with my mother.
Bra rubbed her forehead in embarrassment. "No dad!" She threw the card at him. "Sauna!"
:*: Bra :*:
When the time neared four o'clock, Trunks and I helped our mother load gifts into the navigator and departed to Chichi and Goku's home in the hills. He drove his truck, I rode the parental express. Under normal circumstances I probably would have rode with him, but ever since the Ball a week ago I've been catching him staring at me like he's trying to figure something out. Yeah I know everyone's caught on to my unsociable mood, but I really don't care. This situation definitely was not helping. I was going into the belly of the beast, into Goten's territory (actually his parents' but it's all the same), and I know it'll be nothing but awkward glances and me sitting in a room trying to get away from everyone.
We slowly drove up the long, winding dirt road with sounds of bare branches scraping the top of the car. I just noticed how bare winter was without snow. We finally parked among the other cars scattered about the side of the house. Stepping out into the freezing air caused me to gasp. I crossed my arms tight over my chest, trying to catch my body heat from escaping. I wore a white collared button up with a white long sleeve underneath as my only means of warmth, along with a pair of jeans. Semi-formal, just like Chichi wanted. I wore my hair down, hoping to keep my ears from freezing off, also to hide my face from everyone if that was possible. My mother helped my father unload gifts, dressed in a white blazer and matching slacks. The three of us carried in four large bags filled with presents and waited at the door for somebody to answer. Why we didn't just walk in like everyone else? It's impolite, my mother says.
I took a moment to take in the Son home. It was a cozy cottage, not miserably small, but an adequate size for a family of four. In the blossoming seasons, Chichi did a great job on her garden. Bare bushes surrounded the house now, but in a few months they'd bloom into various colors, making the pale yellow house even brighter. I snapped back at the sound of Goku's loud welcoming voice.
"Vegeta! Nice to see you!" My father growled as he insisted on embracing him. He pushed his way by him, purposely hitting his head with the bag of presents. "Bulma!"
"Merry Christmas, Goku." She embraced him willingly, unlike my father.
"And Bra, growing fast, kiddo." He patted my head.
We tossed the bags into the living room around the Christmas tree that already had many gifts around it. I kept my head low as I weaved in between the familiar bodies. Everyone seemed to already be showing up and gathering around the room, telling their stories. They got up to greet us or waved from where they were. Goten wasn't in here. Phew. Neither was Trunks, Pan, or Marron. I was about to set out to look for the latter three, until I assumed Goten would be with them. So I sat on the floor with Yamcha's kids and pretended to listen to everything the adults were talking about. They spent I don't know how long telling the same stories I swear they tell every year. I was about to get up and go to the kitchen to help out the women until he entered.
:*: Goten :*:
"Goku and Goten! Our guests are going to be showing up any minute now and you two are just lounging around like it's another Saturday?"
I winced at the sound of my mother's voice. I thought we had escaped from her sight by sitting in the woods behind the house, but hell knows the woman knows us way too well. Maybe it was time to come up with a new hiding spot. She's been slave-driving us for three days straight now, whether it's grocery shopping, cleaning, or uprooting trees for firewood, we were on it. It was way too cold to yell back, so we sulked our frostbitten bodies back to the house to await our next orders.
I took a quick glance at the clock while she scolded us for being lazy, again. It was 3:30, the party started in a half hour.
"...and Goten I know you just dusted this morning but I think I saw a few new specks on the mantle so that may need to be redone and Goku-"
Ding Dong
"Oh no... Oh no someone's already here and the house is dusty and the food's still in the kitchen and-"
"Chichi, calm down." My dad placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "The house looks the best it ever has, and nobody's going to eat for another hour or so." He spoke in a smooth tone to relax her, it seemed to work.
"Yeah, it does look pretty great. Goten, can you get the door?"
That was one thing I was willing to do. Hopefully it was one of my musketeers, that way I'd have an excuse for avoiding my mom. "Hey, Krillon, Nice to see you." The short man grinned back and shook my hand.
"You too, Goten."
18 smiled and nodded at me as she followed her husband in with a bag of presents.
"Hi Goten. Merry Christmas." Marron hugged me and stepped in.
It was one of the musketeers as I had hoped. I gave her a brief tour of the house, showing her the Christmas tree and the kitchen where the food and my parents were so she could greet them, then dragged her away to my room for the peace I had been wanting for three days now. I fell back onto my nicely made bed, courtesy of my mother, and exhaled a sigh of exhaustion.
"Long day?" She chuckled.
"You could say that again"
"Long day?" She stuck her tongue between her teeth and smiled. She gently perched herself on the end of my bed, as if not to wrinkle the bedding, and unzipped her jacket slightly.
I smiled back, noticing something sparked in me, something I havn't felt in a while, not towards Marron anyway. Did she just turn me on? I was a sucker for smiles.
Something was definitely different about her today. "Did you cut your hair?"
She widened her eyes as her fingertips caressed the ends of her blonde hair which was now a few inches below her shoulders rather than her lower back. "...Yeah..."
I eyed her carefully, surveying her expression. "You look... shocked."
"I'm just surprised you noticed." She spoke quietly, looking down as she returned her hands to her lap.
I immediately felt a ping of guilt. Girls had a way of making me feel that way. "What do you mean?" I sat up, leaning against my headboard now. She shifted uncomfortably at the foot of my bed.
"Well it's obvious I'm not exactly favored between the five of us." She brushed her hair over her shoulder and hid her face from my gaze.
I leaned up from the headboard and scooted closer towards her. What is she talking about? She's everywhere with us when we all get together. "But we all hang out together at the same times and-"
"Every year after the Christmas ball thing we're all supposed to go out together afterwards. I thought we were supposed to meet at the usual spot, like we've done for the past three years, and decide what to do from there. I waited, and no one came." She spoke the last part almost inaudibly.
Oh shit, I totally forgot... "Marron, so much happened that night I-"
"So much happened? Of course I wouldn't know about this since I'm out of the loop." She put a hand up when I tried to interrupt. "Forget it Goten, I've come to terms with it, it's fine." She stood up and adjusted her black and white patterned jacket over her white blouse and looked down at me with her watered eyes. She spoke in such a quiet voice this entire time, that was so... not Marron. What happened?
"I'm going to the kitchen to help out your-" I grabbed the sleeve of her jacket, stopping her in her tracks.
"I know you're mad at me," I started, standing up and pulling her into me. I've got a boyish charm, or so many of my exes have told me, and I was going to use it. "I didn't realize you were feeling left out." I heard her sniffle against my jacket, which made me hold her even tighter. To be honest, Marron hasn't really been a big part of our group, now that I think about it. I've been too busy with Valese or keeping an eye on Bra. And Trunks is either buddying up with me or Pan. So she was like a fifth wheel.
Plus she's always had this attention-whore air about her, I was never attracted to that. But now, she seemed so down. Her face looked as if a barrier broke and the vulnerability was flooding out. Could a haircut really change a person this much? I chuckled to myself.
"Merry Christmas, Goten!" We both jumped at the booming voice and gaped at the intruder at the door.
"Hi, Trunks. Damn, scared the hell out of me." I crossed my hand over my heart to make sure it was still beating. Trunks stepped into the room and clicked the door shut behind him, eying us both suspiciously.
"What's going on here?"
I rolled my eyes and settled with a glare. "Oh shut up Trunks, it was a hug. You and Pan hug all the time." I listed as an example. I felt Marron clear her throat uneasily next to me. Trunks seemed to be fighting back a laugh. It was my turn to eye them both suspiciously. "What? What do you know that I don't?" I nudged Marron. Her weary frown curled up into a smile that she too failed to fight back.
She caught Trunks' stare, a stare that seemed to say 'keep your mouth shut'.
She smirked back at him and looked up to me. "Trunks has the hots for Pan."
My jaw dropped. Trunks? likes Pan? "Ha! Hahahaha" Now I got to laugh, and I was not going to fight it back.
"What's so funny?" He asked defensively.
I sat at the foot of my bed, recovering from a laugh attack. "It's Pan. She's a total airhead. The only balls on her mind are water polo, basketball, and softball buddy. Have you seen her relationships? All jocks. All short term. I don't think she's exactly girlfriend material. Unless..." They seemed to step back as I stood up with my sudden angered expression. "You're not trying to go for an easy hook-up with my niece are you?"
Trunks threw his hands up in peace. "Whoa whoa whoa, hell no Goten. Damn you're the one insulting your niece here, not me." I watched him, waiting for an explanation. He looked out the window for a moment, looking lost with his head in the clouds. "She's different from other girls. She's got an edge to her." Marron seemed to notice this would take a while too so we both sat at the foot of the bed. "She's amazing at sports, saiyan, duh, she's got this teasing smile," I cringed in disgust as he subconsciously licked his lips. "and she has a dark humored but spirited personality. Damn Goten I feel sorry that you're her uncle."
"Ew, please stop Trunks, I'd rather not have my appetite spoiled before dinner." I actually pitied this love sick puppy in front of me. Pan would never fall for him. He's... well he... he's an athlete himself. He's wealthy, has a nice career lined up after college... and they've been friends their whole lives. He's practically perfect for her. Why did I have an uneasy feeling about this?
Maybe because I knew what Pan was about to go through. Gohan told me everything that night we left to Jianu Bay. Would she be able to handle a boyfriend and her mother's fate?