A/N: I loved writing this chapter.
V-ChanLSSJ It's great to hear that you love the story, thanks!
Topazdragon98 Haha sorry no more saiyan action, maybe in a future story.
XxSassyGirlxx Thanks for the congrats, and yes I liked the reverse psych as well. :)
wiggles17 AU my rules. I'm not savvy with Japanese holidays so I Americanized them. Makes it less complicating and more fun.
Guest2 You better get to reading to find out :p
anyandrea hope you didn't have to wait too long for this!
Jasmine Thank you, I had an amazing week actually. Got a promotion and a ten dollar pay increase :D lol
Lovey thank you for your consistent reviews you're awesome.
TP4Life I hope your midterms went well! Thank you for squeezing in the time to read. For the next 'explicit' chapter I will definitely look into those sites and give you guys a heads-up, thanks. :)
:*: Silver Lining :*:
It seemed like just yesterday Pan, Marron, and I started our senior year at Orange Star High. Now here we are in our first semester of college, and my best friend Pan has a baby on the way. Every time I see her and her growing belly I get a warm rush throughout my body. We are growing up. We are adults now, and we are tangled in a sticky, but beautiful adult situation. Pan's not going through this alone, I won't allow it. If nobody else will be happy for her, then I will be the army of one to protect my nephew and my best friend.
Bra carried the large dish Pan had prepared at her grandmother's request for their Thanksgiving dinner. Opening the backseat of Goten's truck, she slid the glass dish across the seats and slipped herself in afterwards. She gripped the top of her white jacket and pulled it up to her mouth, breathing into it to warm her face nipped by the cold air that had followed her into the truck.
She watched Pan and her six month belly exit the house and follow the cement pathway to the driveway. Bra helped her pick out the dark green maternity top she was wearing. It was a v-neck with ripples on the belly part, room for more belly growth. She wore one of Trunks' white jackets for warmth, unable to zip it shut due to her size.
After Pan closed the truck door shut behind her, more silence ensued. Bra knew she had a lot on her mind. By her downright frightened facial expression she wore, the poor girl must be dwelling over the worst case scenario. Bra smoothed a comforting hand across her shoulder, gesturing that she was here for her.
After locking up behind him, Goten was the last to enter the vehicle in his dark dark blue shirt layered over a white long sleeve, covered by a black jacket. By his face that somewhat resembled Pan's, Bra could tell that he too wasn't looking forward to the day ahead of them.
With a rev of the truck engine, the three reversed from the driveway, and accelerated towards Satan City.
xXxXxXx
Trunks fidgeted with the cuff of his suit nervously as he awaited his guest. The restaurant was crowded with its typical crowd, the high end diners of Los Angeles; the women clad in their evening gowns and fur, the men in their fitted suits and italian footwear.
He could feel his nerves getting the best of him with each passing minute. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want his family business' future in his hands, but it was. Tonight would hopefully be the turning point to the misery shrouding his family and friends back home in Japan. Tonight he would make a sacrifice that he could only beg for forgiveness to redeem himself when the implications took their toll back home.
It was the night before Thanksgiving here in the states, and here he was, dining with the person that held the dice, the one that would save some and hurt others. Tonight, Trunks Briefs would change the future of Capsule Corporation.
As he spotted his approaching guest, Trunks rose to his feet out of proper business etiquette and extended his right hand.
"Trunks, my boy! It's good to see you." The hearty male exclaimed in his gruff voice, meeting Trunks' hand with his own in a firm shake.
"It's good to see you too, Mr. Tatum."
xXxXxXx
Gohan lowered the phone from his ear as he ended a call in his home office. It was almost too good to be true. All of his hard work, the years he poured into theory and production over his project was finally going to pay off. It hadn't been the route that he had originally planned, but after being in talks with Trunks the past few weeks, the original plan would have benefited him with nothing.
When Trunks first informed him about Bulma's poor deal she had made, he was in disbelief. He couldn't imagine what reasoning she had to treat his years of service to her business with such disdain. Then again, he too had even noticed a change in her since things began to look bleak for the company. He thought that his project would help the business and himself, but with her tactics she would gain all of the benefit.
Since she was planning on letting him go once his project was complete, there was no contract binding his work to the company, therefore it was his to sell.
And sell they did.
For the first time in months, Gohan leaned back into his leather chair with a smile upon his face. For now, everything was finally going well. Pan was averaging a 3.8 in college, he and Trunks had just sold his project for a handsome amount of money, and his wife's condition was improving as the treatments were in their final weeks. For once, he was able to take in a deep breath thinking that for the first time in months things would be okay. Videl would make it, and he'd be able to give her and his daughter the lives they deserved.
Was he angry with Bulma? No. He was too emotionally exhausted to hate her. He had even called Vegeta to invite them to their Thanksgiving dinner. Usually Bulma or ChiChi would host it at their houses, but Videl had asked to be the host this year, fearing that it might be her last.
After taking a moment for himself, enjoying the warm bliss surrounding him, he got to his feet and headed towards the foyer to answer the urgent knock on the main door.
"Help your father please, and don't let him carry the eggs, he's such a klutz sometimes." Chichi plowed passed her son, arms full of grocery bags.
"Hello to you too, mom." Gohan chuckled as he grabbed his coat and assisted his father as instructed.
The car was full of bags and pre-cooked dishes that she had prepared at her house prior to heading over. As they carried in the last of the luggage, he caught nurse Satou on her way out the door.
"Mister Son, Videl did great today. All I had to do was sit back and supervise. She's very excited for the holiday." The older nurse smiled, pleased with her patient.
"I can't thank you enough for your services. You are more than welcome to stay for dinner and celebrate with us."
"I appreciate the offer, but I've got my own tribe to feed. Thank you for your hospitality, have a great Thanksgiving."
Gohan drew in another euphoric breath. Things were definitely going great.
While Chichi and Videl cooked away in the kitchen, Gohan and his father did small chores like taking out the trash and picking up whatever looked cluttered. Goku could tell his son was mentally in a better place today. His face held a glow to it, and his smile finally met his tired eyes.
"Videl looks great." Goku began, trying to lead into his son's sudden happiness.
"She does and she's coping really well. Just a couple weeks left, then she'll be ready for the surgery in March." He finally spoke of her condition in a positive light rather than having that dark cloud of doubt shrouding his words. "I can't wait to see Pan. Haven't seen her in months."
"She hasn't been home?" Goku thought that was strange, especially since she was aware of her mother's condition.
"I've kinda been trying to keep her away. I didn't want her to see Videl looking as bad as she did. The kid's doing great though. She has a 3.8 in school, dad. She never did that good in high school."
More good news, Goku smiled. "Two for two. How about work? Any good news in that sector?"
His son's smile widened. Goku dropped the pillow he was fluffing and eyed his son suspiciously. "Spit it out, Gohan." The building suspense was killing him.
Chichi monitored Videl as she stood at the island counter chopping vegetables. She wanted to make sure she wasn't overworking herself, looking for any signs of fatigue from her daughter in law. The two women caught each other up on the current status of their lives, the most current topic being Pan. "Gohan's so proud of her. We can't wait to see her today." Videl grinned, missing her only child like crazy.
Chichi always wished her daughter in law and son had more children. It seems that her condition had started years back, giving her a hormone imbalance that prevented her from ovulating like a normal woman should. She soon grew infertile.
Videl wanted more children as well. It took her years to accept that she wouldn't carry a child ever again. Eventually, she had to suck it up and move on. She treasured Pan, as did Gohan. She was their one and only.
"I can't imagine when Goten settles down with a family." Chichi laughed. "He'd make a great father though. That kid has so much energy."
"I think he gets that from his dad." The two laughed.
They both eyed each other with raised brows as they heard a hollered cheer from the living area in the next room.
"Whoo! Gohan, that's great!" He threw his big arms around his son's body. "I can't believe Trunks found this guy! And he was willing to pay that much for your work, this is incredible! See, what has your old man been tellin you? You're a good man, Gohan. Bad things happen to good people, but good outcomes are always at the end. You kept going forward and working hard, now look at you."
"The silver lining." Gohan nodded in agreement. "Thanks, dad. It's been a rough year for all of us I think. I just hope Bulma gets her silver lining." There was no bitterness in his voice. He was sincere. Goku wasn't as forgiving as his son, but if he was able to grant her amnesty then so could he.
Goku held a great sense of pride in his family. They were all doing so well with themselves, and such strong character. Even when they messed up, Goku never loved them any less. Goten was always the one to push his father's buttons more then Gohan did, but it made Goku sharper and helped him to understand teenagers better. Thanks to Goten's rebellious times he was able to guide Gohan through Pan's.
As time passed the way it tends to do, the Chestnuts were the first to arrive. Krillin, Eighteen, and Marron arrived in their Thanksgiving best and assisted where needed to set the table and food plates. Yamcha was next, along with his wife and two teens, Mai and Tai.
While they awaited the last of the guests, the group broke off into their cliques of women, young adults, and men as they usually did. While Krillin and Yamcha broke into a lively debate over the current football turnout, Goku gestured to speak to his son away from the huddle.
"Do you plan on breaking the great news tonight?" He still couldn't get the proud smile off of his face.
"Yeah, probably during dinner. Just try not to burst in excitement first, dad." He chuckled.
"Hey, look who finally made it!" Krillin announced, causing the heads to turn their attention to the foyer.
Bra and Goten entered side by side, both of them wearing a not so cheerful expression. Bra tried to hide it, unlike Goten, but the majority of the crowd soon caught on to the tension the two held around them.
"Hi everyone, can I ask you all to have a seat, please?" Bra started.
The room grew to a silent, chill air as the anxious bodies did as told. Gohan, Videl, and Eighteen took a seat on the main sofa with Goku laying a concerned arm around his frightful wife's shoulders standing behind them. Yamcha and Krillin took a seat in the two living chairs, their kids standing at their sides.
Goten's grim expression deepened as the silence ensued.
"Where's Pan?" Videl spoke, her voice flooded with worry.
"She's coming in." Bra assured her. "But, she's not coming in alone."
Heads turned, eying each other with confusion.
"Alright! Trunks is back!" Krillin concluded with a bright tone.
Bra thought for a moment. "Nooot exactly..."
While Goten stepped outside the door to motion Pan inside, Bra could feel the room grow tense.
The black haired beauty, lead by her uncle, entered the room. There were gasps, breath being held, nobody was breathing.
Pan's eyes went straight to her expressionless parents, then focused solely on her mother. She looked so pale and so thin. Her hair was nonexistent, just a multicolored headwrap clothing her scalp. Pan's eyes began to release its tears, not from the stares, but from finally being able to see her mother.
"Mom..." She choked with a sniffle. "You look beautiful." She sobbed now, as did Videl and Chichi.
"My baby..." She rose from Gohan's frozen grip, jumping to her daughter for a long embrace.
Krillin glanced around the room frantically, hoping everyone else saw what he was seeing. Was Pan pregnant?
"And who... who is this?" Her hands cupped her stomach lovingly, her eyes taking in its size, then meeting her daughter's frightened orbs.
"This is your grandson." She sniffled, then laughed as the room erupted in cheerful, feminine gasps and words of congratulations.
Goten's eyes started on his father, who soon eased up when his mother threw his arms around him in happiness. They then flicked down to a stoic Gohan, completely emotionless. Shock. Disbelief. He just sat there, frozen while the females gathered around Pan to question her about how far along she was.
Minutes passed before he rose to his feet and walked around the mass of giddy females and up the stairway. Goku followed suit.
Bra's concern increased. Gohan didn't look happy, nor did he look furious. There was... nothing. He just disappeared.
She peered over at Goten who's eyes lowered from the stairway, looking as if he was involved in some internal debate.
"Maybe you should go too. I'm sure your father could use some help calming him down." She suggested.
Without saying anything, he agreed and headed up. Without knocking, he eased the door open to a silent Gohan leaning against his dresser, staring away from his father standing behind him.
"Gohan, at least tell me what you're thinking." Goku spoke softly, waiting for his son to say at least one word.
For a long time he didn't speak. He just stood there, thinking. Goku and Goten exchanged glances, both of them concerned.
"You knew about this." He uttered softly, turning around and leaning against his desk. His face wasn't angry, but remained stoic.
His eyes pierced through Goten's flesh. "It wasn't my secret to tell."
"Don't pin this on your brother." Goku interjected. "She's nineteen years old, Gohan. She's scared. The last thing she needs is to lose her father, and the last thing you need is to lose your only child."
Gohan removed his glasses and slapped his palm to his forehead, rolling it over his brow. "I'm... I'm not going to lose her. I'm just... Send her up."
Goten eyed his father as if asking if that was a good idea.
Goku spoke up. "Gohan, you're angry. You'll just say something you'll regret."
"Send her up, dad. If it makes you feel better, send Videl with her."
It was a better deal than her being alone. Goku knew his son wouldn't upset his ill wife, so he and Goten did as told.
Videl centered her daughter in the room they were called into, her hands bracing Pan's tremoring shoulders.
Gohan paced in front of them, arms crossed. "How far along are you?"
He avoided eye contact.
"Six months..." She said just above a whisper.
"Six months?" His pacing stopped, his arms dropping to his sides. "Pan, there's nothing that makes me feel less like a father than you hiding something like this from me. Did you really think that I would hate you, disown you, make you fend for yourself? What did I do to make you think I was such a bad person?"
Pan wiped her eyes, thrown off by her father's unexpected reaction. "Nothing." She sobbed. "You've been the best father a girl could ask for. I just feel like the worst daughter a father could ask for..."
"Why? Because you got pregnant? Pan, your mother was carrying you when she was twenty years old. I'm assuming Trunks is the father?"
Pan's sobbing eased as she nodded her head.
Gohan wasn't sure whether or not this made the situation better, but for some reason a part of him was pleased when she confirmed his assumption.
"But he doesn't know. So please don't tell him..." She muttered, glancing up to see his eyes widen.
"Six months and he doesn't know? Pan, if I was upset that you didn't tell me, can you imagine how he's going to feel?"
Videl felt the same he did, as did the other giddy females downstairs. They all thought that she should have told him, but this was her decision. "Now, now, Gohan. He comes home in one week, so I think we can keep our mouths shut until then."
Gohan drew in a deep breath, releasing it with a growl. "Fine. Well, should I prepare for a granddaughter or a grandson?" His arms crossed again, his eyes narrowed as he awaited her response.
A smile crept onto her lips. "Grandson."
The smile spread to him and Videl.
"Congratulations, Pan. I don't like how you went about it, but we'll be here to help you, and him." As much as he tried to hide it, his eyes glowed.
Another baby in the family. Videl was ecstatic, and that made Gohan happy. The two of them always wanted more children, and this was the closest they could get.
Thanksgiving turned out to be greater than any of them had imagined. Gohan announced his news over supper as planned, giving them all the more reason to celebrate.
Bra was so happy for them, but it was different not having her folks and her brother there. She missed her father's growling voice, her brother's toying with Goten, and her mother quizzing the younger ones at the table. As happy as everyone was and as wonderful as everyone had accepted the news, she hoped that she would not have to face another holiday like this. A holiday without her family.
Gohan would be coming into a great deal of money, the Son family was expanding, Trunks would come home to his own happy family, it seemed like everyone had spotted their silver lining. Surely, since Trunks had made this deal on behalf of Gohan, he had saved Capsule Corporation too, right? Surely, this happiness she felt in the Son home had included her parents as well. Everyone would be happy, right?
Her eyes drifted from face to face. The laughter, the conversation, the glow of the feasting people. Then back to her half-eaten plate. She could only wish and pray that Trunks had somehow managed to save their mother in this; that she, too, was reflecting the glow and the laughter wherever she was.
The absence of her parents told her otherwise.