One moment, Bulma was enjoying a nice, peaceful Christmas with her family. The very next, she was shrieking and shielding herself as a man blasted in from practically out of nowhere, dragging another young man with him from behind. Fortunately, Trunks was right there to pull his mother out of the way before she could be rammed into by accident.

"Gohan! Goten!" he shouted, "What the hell is wrong with you guys?!"

"Don't blame me!" cried Goten, "I was just celebrating Christmas with Valese and her family when Gohan came out of nowhere and dragged me all the way here!"

"Gohan-!" Bulma started but was immediately cut off.

"Bulma, do you still have that spaceship from four years ago?" Gohan quickly asked.

Bulma blinked. "Well, yeah. But-"

"Then fire it up, because I need it NOW!"

"Whoa, hold on a minute!" Bulma shouted, holding a finger up to Gohan's face, "First of all, Merry Christmas to you. Second, who do you think you are bursting in here and nearly knocking me over without so much an 'Excuse me'?!"

"This is important!" Gohan replied, "Pan's missing AGAIN!"

This caught everyone's attention. "What, again?"

"You mean she was found to begin with?" cried Trunks.

"Gohan, why didn't you say something sooner?" said Goten, "I would've come straight home!"

"We just found her last night," Gohan answered, "I didn't have time to make an announcement. But she just left on Dondoro's ship with that Yamura woman, and now she's gone out in space with her!" He looked back at Bulma, "So I need that ship to go after her, and I want to take Goten and Trunks with me!"

"Wait, hold on now," said Bulma, "The ship's been through some minor maintenance, but it's going to take time before we know for sure that she's ready for space again. We can't just pack you up and shoot you off without a second thought."

"Then finish your maintenance work!" cried Gohan, "The more time we waste, the further away Pan gets!"

"Listen! Gohan!" Trunks interjected, "You know I want to get Pan back as much as you do, but you of all people know the proper precautions need to be taken before we launch a ship into space. And if you want me to join you, then I personally want to make sure nothing explodes while we're out there!"

Gohan glared harshly at the younger demi-Saiyan, who remained unbudged.

"You can give me the stink-eye all you want," said Trunks, "But in the end, you should really listen to the guy with the engineering degree here."

Gohan took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay, fine," he said, "But make it quick! Get your people to work now!"

"Easier said than done," said Bulma, "Most of my staff are on vacation, enjoying the holidays with their own families…"

"Then gather the ones who aren't celebrating!" said Gohan, "Make them work overtime! Hire new people if you have to! I'll reimburse you all the costs!"

"You'd be paying me back for half a lifetime," Bulma mumbled, but walked off out of the room, "Lucky for you, I'd do anything for Pan. Come on, Trunks. Let's get to work."

"WHAAAAAAT?!" Chichi screeched once she heard the news on the phone, "Pan's in space?! With a dreadful alien?!"

Mr. Satan began equally freaking out. Videl, who had initially answered Gohan's phone call and given them the news, quietly walked over to the sofa and calmly sat.

"How can you let this happen, Gohan?" Chichi cried into the phone, "This is all because you slapped her! Now she's too scared to come home! You better make this right, Gohan, or else!"

"Gohan!" Mr. Satan grabbed the phone and shouted, "You do whatever it takes to bring her home, y'hear?! Tie her up, drag her by the hair, lock her in the basement, ANYTHING!"

"Don't worry… I'm working on it. Can I talk to Videl again?"

Mr. Satan handed the phone over to his daughter, who still just sat there blankly. It took her a moment to realize the phone was being given to her, and she slowly put it to her ear. "Yes?"

"Videl, you don't need to worry, okay? I'll handle everything. I'm going into space and bringing our daughter home again. And this time, I'll make sure she STAYS home. That's a promise."

In response, Videl clicked the phone off, still in a state of silence.

"Ohhh, why is this happening again?" Chichi howled, falling to her knees in despair, "Everyone always said she was a lot like me, but truthfully, she's becoming more and more like Goku!"

"Why couldn't she just be a normal girl and like the normal girly stuff?" cried Mr. Satan, "Like dollies, and fashion, and cute stuff, and heck even boys!"

"Why couldn't she be obsessed with studying and increasing her BRAIN power instead of her fighting skills?!" Chichi whined, "Why does it always have to be FIGHTING?"

"Why couldn't she have been a boy?" said Mr. Satan, "Then at least I wouldn't be HALF as worried as I am now!"

Chichi glanced over at Videl, noticing finally just how quiet and still she was, while staring forward blankly. "Videl...?" she called, "Are you alright? You haven't said a word since Gohan called…

Videl didn't reply. She didn't even move.

Mr. Satan approached her and sat next to her on the couch. "Videl… Sweetie," he said, "Say something…"

Videl's response was only to suddenly bury her face into her hands and sob uncontrollably.

Gohan was still on the phone when Trunks peeked in on him. The other person on the line sounded like they were giving him grief (it must have been his mother, Chichi) so he decided to go check in on Goten.

He too was on his phone, speaking to his girlfriend. At least the conversation was going smoother than Gohan's… and it sounded interesting.

"Look, Valese, I'm really sorry!" said Goten, "I didn't want to bail on you, I'm serious! My brother just needs me! Pan ran away again… Yeah, he found her last night! But she ran off into space, so Gohan wants me to go with him to track her down… Yes, I'm serious. Space… Come on, you know me long enough to know that sort of thing is possible… Wait, what?! What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Ooof! Wonder what Valese said to actually make Goten upset?

"... Yeah, okay, you sort of have a point… Why else would she run away again? And in space of all places?"

Did she seriously suggest Pan didn't want to be home or something?

"But she's my niece, and he's my brother. I HAVE to help… You've got to understand. Please…"

This could make or break the relationship… Space trips have such unpredictable schedules.

"Thank you…"

Wait, she's actually okay with this? This girl really WAS a doofus!

"I don't know how long I'll be," Goten continued on the phone, "I wish I could say… I don't want to be away from you either… But you know I have to do this, right?"

"TRUNKS!" Bulma shouted from down the hall, causing the purple-haired demi-Saiyan to cringe, "What do you think you're doing?! I thought I taught you better than to eavesdrop on peoples' phone calls!"

Goten twisted around, finally noticing Trunks in the doorway. "Um, let me call you back, Valese," he said and hung up quickly after. He then frowned at his friend. "Don't you have anything better to do with yourself?"

"Just checking in on you guys!" Trunks said nervously.

"Yeah… a little TOO close," Bulma muttered.

Goten walked past, and Trunks took the opportunity to apologize. "Sorry Goten," Trunks sighed, "I'm just jealous you have a hot girlfriend who'll wait for you as you travel to space in an untold amount of time. You're a lucky guy."

Goten smirked. "I sure am." He then gave a heavy sigh. "I just hope I don't push my luck…"

There was no celebrating New Years or any other day. Every day was spent making sure the ship was in top shape and fully functional. It didn't take this long the first time, but then again, they weren't working through a busy holiday with half the staff gone. Even Bulma and Trunks sacrificed sleep as much as possible. And as long as they were paid time and a half, neither did some of the employees.

Gohan was on top of everything. Having helped with the ship once before, he made sure nobody was slacking off, and did odd end jobs making sure everything was up to par. He sacrificed the most sleep.

"Gohan," Bulma, going into full-on mother mode, approached the demi-Saiyan inside the hangar. He was leaning over the balcony and carefully watching everyone working below. "When was the last time you got a full night's sleep?"

"Not since the day Pan first disappeared," Gohan replied.

The older woman sighed heavily. "Get some rest," Bulma took a hold of his shoulder and attempted to lead him out, "You need to be in tip shape if you're going to lead a space expedition."

"How much longer until the ship is ready?" Gohan asked.

"At this rate, she should be set in another few days," Bulma replied.

Gohan groaned. "We don't have a few days! The sooner we get it ready the better!"

"Well, I've already got everyone working non-stop around the clock," said Bulma, "So a few days is all you get. Now stop stalling and get to sleep."

Gohan was rather stubborn. He only took a few steps before he turned to his old friend. "Bulma… Could I just ask you something?"

"No more questions about the ship's progress!"

"No, something else…" He stepped back towards her. "Bulma… What would you do if Bra decided she wanted to be a fighter?"

At that, Bulma burst into laughter. Gohan twitched his nose. "Hey, come, I'm being serious here!"

"I'm sorry," Bulma wiped away a tear, "It's just that would never happen. Bra is the most un-Saiyan-like Saiyan you could ever meet. She'd never be interested."

"Well, say something inspires her and she surprises you by saying she wants to start training. How would you handle it?"

Bulma took in a breath to fight off any more laughter, then looked upwards in thought. "Hm… I guess I would be worried for her," she replied, "After all, I've seen first hand what you guys go through. I still worry for Trunks whenever he's in battle."

"So, you understand how I'm feeling then, right?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose," said Bulma, "It's absolutely normal for a parent to worry about their child. But I have to keep a few things in mind… For one, Trunks knows what he's doing. Vegeta absolutely made sure of that. So I would trust that he would do the same for Bra…" She then gave a shrug. "Then again, this is assuming Vegeta himself would be on board with training her. He'd be against it from the start."

Gohan furrowed his eyebrows. "At least he gets it…"

Bulma frowned in response. "Does he?" she grumbled, "Why didn't he get it with Trunks as well?"

Gohan didn't have an answer for that one.

"I get you, Gohan, I really do," Bulma continued, "But above all else, I want my children to be safe AND happy. When you find Pan, I hope you're able to do good by her as well…"

Gohan lowered his head. "I thought that's what I was doing."

"Well, I think she's old enough to have a say in it now," said Bulma, "But then again I'm not her parent. Now get to bed, young man!"

Gohan still couldn't rest as well, but he was able to get just enough sleep to prepare himself for the following day… and woke up to the news that the ship was ready for take off.

He met everybody down in the hangar. Trunks and Goten were packed and prepared in their battle clothes; Goten wearing an orange gi similar to that of their father's, and Trunks in a black tank, gray pants, and a brown jacket. He was also equipped with a sword and Giru. It was easy to forget about Giru a lot, and Gohan didn't realize just how much the little robot had missed Pan during the past two years… So when word got out about the journey to go after her in space, Giru was quick to offer his services. Trunks even did some upgrades to him, using the plans his mother made of the original scouter after Goku's brother Radditz had left it behind. Power levels could be felt easily, but space was beyond vast… Giru's advanced and upgraded systems would be able to narrow down Pan's ki and help trace her. Gohan was more than welcoming to the help.

The launch preparation went underway, and Trunks had just finished saying his farewells to his family right as they prepared to enter the ship.

"Hey there! Y'ain't about to leave without sayin' goodbye first, are ya?"

The team turned to see in the entrance Mr. Satan, Chichi, Videl, and Valese. Chichi quickly ran over to her youngest son and hugged him tightly. "Oh Goten, be careful out there, son!" she cried, "It's so dangerous in space! I'll miss you so much!"

Goten returned the hug. "I'll miss you too, Mother," he responded.

Chichi then turned her attention to her oldest. "And you!" she shouted, "You better find Pan and apologize for hitting her! Bring her home safely and make sure she stays!"

"Remember what I said, Gohan!" Mr. Satan added, "Any means necessary!"

Gohan gave a slow nod in response.

"Here, Goten! I have something for you!"

Chichi glanced over and immediately grew annoyed at the sight of that harlot standing by Goten. She was handing him a cooler.

"I made you some sandwiches for the road!" said Valese cheerfully, "Hopefully they should last you for about a month or two…"

"A month or two?" Trunks laughed, "With Goten, they'll be gone within an hour!"

Goten gave a sheepish chuckle in response.

"Oh… Oops," said Valese, "Should I go make more?"

"Don't worry about it," Goten smiled, "It's the thought that counts."

The two then embraced each other tightly, which annoyed Chichi even more.

"Do you have to go...?" Valese said softly.

"You know I have to, Valese…" Goten replied somberly.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Valese cried, her eyes welling up.

"Me too," said Goten, gently cupping her chin, "I'll do my best to find Pan so I can return home to you as soon as possible." He then grew a somber look and glanced to the side. "But… if I'm not back within a year," he said, "Then… you should probably find someone else."

Valese blinked. "Someone else? But why?"

"It wouldn't be right of me to keep you waiting. I don't know how long I'll be… So just…" He squeezed his eyes shut tight, "Give me a year before you move on, okay?"

Valese bit her lip, growing somber herself. "But Goten! I don't WANT to move on!" she cried, "I love YOU! And I don't care how long it takes, I'll wait for you forever if I have to!"

"You will?"

Valese nodded.

Goten gave a sigh… then looked over to Gohan. "Do I HAVE to go?!"

"YES!" Gohan snapped.

Chichi groaned. "I'll give that twit a month before she finds herself a new guy…"

"Gohan…"

The half-Saiyan looked over at his wife, who looked like she finally broke out of a long daze. "Videl…" He then took a firm hold of her hands. "I promise. I'll find Pan and I'll bring her home. I won't let anything stop me. Whatever it takes, one way or another, I WILL bring her back…"

"NO."

Gohan blinked, taken back. "Wha...?"

"Don't just 'bring her back', Gohan!" Videl tightened her look, "Pan clearly has a goal in her life now, and she's already proven she'll do whatever it takes to achieve it, consequences be damned! This has gone beyond 'Do what I say because I say so!' And if you keep forcing that on her, she's just going to keep resisting until we never see her again! So, when you DO find her, work it out with her!" Her glare then became fierce. "Because so help me, Gohan… if she decides she'd rather be in space and here, then you may as well be gone with her!"

Gohan took a step back, taking in the seriousness of her threat… Videl didn't back down. She continued glaring threateningly.

The demi-Saiyan then tightened his look and gave a small nod. "You still have my word, Videl," he said, "Pan will be coming home… I promise."

Videl was quiet as she stepped back, and all had to leave the hangar. Chichi basically had to pry Valese off Goten, who watched sadly and even whimpered a bit as he watched his girlfriend being forced out of the room.

"Let's go, lover boy!" Trunks called, shoving Goten towards the spaceship, "Last time I went in first, you got to be left behind!"

The dome above opened, revealing a bright, blue sky. It was perfect weather for a space launch.

"Main power, on!" Bulma ordered her aide, sitting at a desk nearby. He quickly typed away the computer, sending the commands to power the ship. The troop made their way inside and to the cockpit as the ship powered on. As he entered the cockpit, Trunks recalled the first time he came in, seeing Pan pop around from his seat and waving hi. He was hoping he would see her do the same again… Sadly, no such luck.

As the ship gained full power, workers quickly scrambled to unplug hoses and wires before running out of the hanger, lest they be caught in the blast of take off. "Madam," called the aide, "The ship is at 100 percent."

Bulma held up a speaker attached to the computer. "You're at full power, Trunks," she spoke into it, "Be prepared to launch, in T-minus Five… Four…Three… Two… One! LAUNCH!"

Trunks hit the big red button on the main console. A loud roar erupted from the engines, and everything rattled among the ship, including the four travelers strapped in their seats. They were then pressed hard into those seats at the giant ship shot out from the hangar and blasted off far into the atmosphere.

Once again, the search for Pan had begun.