Metaphysical Nightmares

Metaphysical Nightmares

The woman stood in the park quietly. The air was fresh in her lungs, and she breathed deeply. A slight breeze rustled through the leaves above her head. She gazed around, taking in her surroundings. Her eyes fell on a boy. He was dark-haired, and his eyes were deep and black. He ran about on the green lawn, fighting invisible enemies with a child-like passion. He bounded around with remarkable agility, seeming to almost float in the air mid jump. The boy looked up at her with enthusiasm. He ran towards her, arms outstretched. "Mummy! Did ya see?" he asked excitedly as she scooped him up. She nodded, smiling down at him. She frowned at a new bruise on his leg.

"You shouldn't play so rough." She said sternly. Like he would listen to her. Damn bloodline. She set him down with a sigh, and he ran off. She picked up the duffel bag again, and it’s weight caused the strap to dig into her shoulder. She gave the bag her attention, moving it higher up her shoulder, and wriggling until it felt comfortable. She didn't see the man in front of her. She walked into him, her bag fell off, and she tripped over. She retrieved her bag, and looked up at the man. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She explained. He looked own at her with a strange expression.

A flicker of recognition crossed his face. "Hey! You're that girl from Budoukai, aren't you?" he said. She stood up carefully, brushing her knees down.

"Sorry…You must have the wrong person…sorry for bumping into you." She said quickly, scanning the park quickly for her son. She began to walk off, but the man blocked her path.

"Hey lady, I don't forget a face. You killed Brad, you know that? He was a good guy, we were buddies, him and I." The man said. She tried to step around him, pretending she didn't know what he had said. He grabbed her by the shoulders, and she struggled.

"Daikon!" She called desperately to her son. He stopped, glancing over at her. Fear crossed his eyes. "Daikon! Run, Quickly!" She shouted to him. The man caught her off guard. He threw a punch that sent her flying to the ground. Pan lay on the gravel path in pain. She had no time to recover as the man sent one powerful attack after another at her.

The man snorted with laughter. "I don't know why Brad couldn't finish you, but I'm not that weak…" He boasted, aiming a final shot to her. Suddenly, he was knocked over by a tremendous force. He scrambled up to face his attacker. Daikon was stood before him in a fighting stance.

"You leave her alone!" He yelled angrily.

The man looked at him with surprise. "A boy did this?" he mused, examining his top that was still smoking from the energy attack. He looked down at the boy with a strange expression. "You'd better run away little boy, before you get hurt. This ain't no game." He warned. Daikon growled fiercely. The man suddenly whirled to face Pan again, and administered a final blow. Pan’s scream was choked, and she lost consciousness.

He turned back to Daikon. "To bad. I guess you're too late." He mocked.

"Mummy!!!!!!!" The young boy cried. He openly sobbed, clenching his little fists. A surge of energy flowed through him, and his hair exploded with golden light. His eyes shone aqua blue. He stood with his head down, trembling with power. He slowly lifted his head to face the enemy. "You'll pay…" he snarled, for a moment looking the image of Vegeta. The man looked confused.

"I don't know what little trick this is, but it isn't enough." He said confidently. Daikon screamed, and flew towards him, kicking out. The man dodged, and kneed Daikon in the stomach. Daikon reeled with pain, and fell to the ground. The man walked over to him with a smirk. "Little guy didn't last long." He murmured to himself. He moved his foot to check for signs of life, but suddenly Daikon’s hand came flying out, grabbing the man by the leg. "What the…" He said, as Daikon swung him around, sending him flying into the base of a tree.

Daikon leapt to his feet, and sent a blast towards the man. It hit directly, engulfing him in white-hot energy. From the other side of the park, Gohan and the others stopped. "Does anyone else feel that power level?" Trunks asked. Vegeta snarled.

"I do." He said. "And I'm finding out what it is!" He flew in the direction of it, leaving the others trailing behind him. As they hurried, they heard a scream. Vegeta landed with Trunks to see an extremely young super Saiyan stood there.

"A Saiyan…" Vegeta thought out loud.

Trunks nodded. "Looks that way. But who?" It was only then that he saw Pan on the ground. "Oh Dende…"

Vegeta spun around to look. His eyes widened at the sight. The others caught up behind Vegeta, and spotted what he was staring at.

Pan lay on the ground, unconscious. The young boy ran over to her, dropping from super Saiyan. He knelt beside her, and gently shook her shoulder. He sniffed when she didn't wake up. He looked up at the gang, fighting back the tears. "Help her please. My Mummy’s hurt." He pleaded. Gohan walked forward, and gave the little boy a reassuring pat, before kneeling beside his fallen daughter. He checked her pulse carefully. He turned back to the others.

"She’s alive, but only just." Gohan informed them.

"She'll need the regeneration tank." Said Vegeta. He looked at a hesitant Bulma. "Woman, now is not the time for such grudges."

"We can use the one at Capsule corps." She finally said. Gohan lifted Pan up in his arms slowly. He stood up carefully, and turned to the others. Pan’s head fell back limply, and her long dark hair hung down. Gohan nodded at everyone that he was ready. He felt a tug on his trouser leg. He looked down in surprise to see the young boy. The boy looked up at him with concerned eyes.

"Will my mummy be okay?" he asked simply. Gohan looked down at the boy for a moment before smiling.

"She'll be fine. We're taking her somewhere so she can get better. Can you fly?" he asked.

The boy smiled proudly. "Yep. Mummy taught me."

Everyone took off into the sky, and the boy followed. He managed to keep up at the pace they were going. As they flew, he kept a watchful eye on his mother in the arms of the stranger. They landed at Capsule corps, and went inside. Bulma led them down to the basement, where her lab was situated.

Gohan carried Pan to the tank while Bulma set the controls. Bulma glanced at Pan. "She can't go in like that." She commented. "She'll need to take off some of her clothes."

Gohan blushed. "I…um…" He began. Bulma walked over.

"Don't worry, I'll do it." She reassured him. Gohan gratefully handed Pan over. Bulma put Pan in the tank in her bra and hot pants, that she had been wearing underneath her clothes. She attached the breathing apparatus, and closed the door. As the tank filled with water, Pan gently lifted up, her long hair floating around her. Everyone watched Pan for a few moments, as the rejuvenating waters got to work. The young boy walked through the middle of them, and put his tiny hand on the glass window of the tank. Gohan stepped towards his grandson.

"Have you got a name?" he asked softly. The boy turned to look at all the tall Saiyans.

"My name is Daikon." He replied shyly. No one else spoke for a minute.

"So, did your Mom tell you about us?" he asked carefully. Daikon shook his head.

"Nope, she didn't. How come you're all acting like you know her?" he asked with confusion. Everyone looked at each other.

"Did you ever get to meet your family?" Gohan inquired. "Like your Dad?"

Vegeta glared at Gohan, but Gohan ignored him. "My mummy said that my daddy was a selfish, self-centered short man, with weird hair." Daikon said knowingly, like he had heard the phrase a million times before. Everyone tried to keep their laughter in check, while Vegeta fumed. "But she said she cared about him a lot, and he was a great fighter who saved many people’s lives." Daikon continued, proudly.

Vegeta almost smiled. "At least she told the brat something right." He said.

Daikon looked at him strangely. Gohan noticed the suspicious look in the boys’ eyes, and carried on talking."So, what about her family? Did she ever mention them?" Gohan prodded.

Daikon nodded. "Yep, but she said she did something wrong, and now her family doesn't love her anymore." He told them, as Videl went pale. "She said she did something that was her fault, and then she did something else that she shouldn't have done." Daikon sniffled. "But the man was bad! But Mummy still thinks it was her fault! She screams when she’s asleep…" he trailed off.

Videl looked really uncomfortable, and Bulma gave her a hug as she tried not to cry. Gohan looked around at the others solemnly. They all knew what Daikon was talking about. Daikon looked at them suspiciously again. "How do you know my mummy? You haven't told me yet!" he said.

Gohan looked around at the others. "I think we should respect Pan’s wishes here. It’s not our place to tell him."

"But he deserves to know who his family is!" Videl protested. Gohan looked at her.

"It’s up to her." He stated clearly. He walked over to a seat and settled himself down. "It’s a long time yet. You might as well get comfortable." He suggested.

The tank eventually bleeped softly. Bulma got up, stretching slightly as she did so, and wandered over to the control panel. She pushed a few buttons, and the tank started to drain. Daikon leapt up, and ran over. He looked up at Bulma with excited eyes. "Is my mummy okay now? Is she better?" he asked at once. Bulma smiled and nodded. She motioned for him to move back.

"It’s wiser to come out of the way when the door opens." She advised. When the water had drained fully, the door opened. Pan moved her hand to her face, and removed the breathing mask. She stepped out of the tank, and looked warily at everyone.

She looked down at her son, and smiled. She ruffled his hair reassuringly. Daikon grinned. She looked up at her family again, coldly. "I didn't ask for your help." She stated.

Gohan looked at her. "Pan, it’s been a few years now. We forgive you." he said.

Pan looked away from them. "I've been managing just fine on my own." She snapped.

Daikon patted her leg to get her attention. She knelt down to his height. "Mummy, how do you know all these people?" he asked. Pan smiled at him, and brushed some dust of his shoulder.

"Why don't you play outside for a while, and let Mummy talk to these people?" she said brightly. Daikon smiled and nodded.

"Okay." He agreed. Bulma stepped forward.

"I'll take him." She offered. Daikon looked at Bulma, then back at Pan.

"It’s okay." Pan reassured him. "You have fun." She watched as they left, before standing up. Her face turned grave again, and she reached for her top to put it on.

Gohan was the first to speak. "Daikon’s a nice boy." He commented. "You know you don't have to raise him on your own." He said.

Pan scowled. "We do just fine!" She snapped again. "I don't need your pity."

Gohan sighed. "Pan, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened." Gohan said. "You should have told us."

Pan looked down at the floor. "Have you been talking to Daikon?" she asked sullenly.

"He’s said you have nightmares." Gohan replied. "Pan, what happened that night?"

Pan turned to look out of the dusty window. "I was in a bar. On my own, I was meant to be meeting a friend, but she didn't turn up. So, I was sat there, and this man came up to me. He was really nice, we talked for ages. Then he offered to buy me a drink." Pan’s face changed slightly, and she blinked a few times. "He was so normal, everything was normal…but then I started feeling dizzy. It was like it wasn't even my body, I felt really out of it. Then we came out of the bar, and I wanted to go home, but he grabbed my arm, and he pulled me into an alleyway. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't! I couldn't fight!…" Pan sobbed lightly. Gohan stepped towards his daughter in concern and tried to hug her, but she edged away. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and at first she tried to shake him off, but then accepted the comfort. Trunks gazed at Pan. "He spiked the drink." He said. Gohan nodded solemnly. He knew she would have fought, she hated not being able to take care of herself. It was probably eating her up inside.

"It’s over, he’s dead." He told her reassuringly. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"I killed him." Pan said in a strange voice. She tried to smile. "I guess I should forget about it, move on… but it’s hard!"

"Ssssh, we're here for you now." Gohan said, smiling.

"Now you are!" Pan snapped angrily. "I don't need your help!"

"Pan, you don't mean that…"

"Don't try to change my mind!" She yelled. "I can take care of myself! I don't need anyone!…I don't…" Her face crumbled. She grabbed her bag that had been brought with her, and ran up the stairs. The others chased after her. She ran outside into the vast gardens of the Capsule Corp."Daikon?" She shouted impatiently. She could hear the others catching up to her.

"Are you going to run from your problems again?" Gohan asked her calmly. Pan snarled.

"That’s exactly what I'm doing!" She bit back.

Daikon appeared from around the corner. He looked at her in confusion. "Mummy?" he questioned. "Are we leaving again?"

Pan ran up to him, and held out her hand. "Come on, we've got to go." She said.

Daikon looked at her for moment, before standing with his arms folded. "No." he said defiantly.

Pan blinked in amazement at her son. "…What?"

"I don't wanna go!" He declared. "We always leave, just when I like a place."

"Daikon, honey, don't do this..." Pan tried to reason with him.

"I miss Dylan!" Daikon said. "He was nice! And he liked me! But you said we had to leave!"

The others looked at each other in confusion. Daikon continued his protest. "I want Dylan! He really liked you! He even said!"

"Daikon! We've been over this!" Pan said with frustration. "It wasn't right…It wasn't…It just wouldn't have worked…"

"He would have been a great Daddy! He would." Daikon said. "Why won't you trust anybody?" A tear began to roll down Pan’s cheek. Daikon looked at her, horrified. "Mummy! Don't cry! I'm sorry!" Daikon pleaded. Pan fell to her knees, and hugged her son.

"I'm sorry too." Pan said. She stood up, holding Daikon in her arms. She rested her face in his hair, gently rocking him. He played with a strand of her long hair.

"I like your hair." He said absently. "I'm glad you didn't cut it off. It’s damp though." Pan smiled slightly. Gohan approached her carefully. "Pan…please stay." He said. Pan didn't give him an answer, but slowly, she followed the others into the Capsule corps.

Pan settled Daikon into a bed in one of the many guest bedrooms. She carefully tucked the covers up to his chin. "You go straight to sleep now, okay?" she said. He nodded. She looked at him for a few seconds realizing how much he did look like Vegeta. Pan smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead, before rising to leave the room.

The others were stood down the hall.

"She's definitely changed." Bulma said.

"Is anyone else finding it weird hearing Daikon call her Mummy?" Goten asked. Everyone nodded.

"I know, she's a mother. Wow, it doesn't that long ago that she was up to here." Yamcha commented, indicating his waist. "I mean, it wasn't that long ago that she was still a kid!"

"It still feels like that everyday." Gohan commented. Vegeta gave a snort of laughter. Gohan glared at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"You baka! She's been far past her childhood phase for years now! She's an adult." He paused, smirking. "Too bad…" he taunted.

Gohan sparked with energy. He gritted his teeth together, hoping to compose himself. "Some people just can't seem to realize when people are too young for them!" he snapped.

They all waited for Vegeta's response, but it never came. Vegeta folded his arms, and closed his eyes. Gohan stared at him in confusion. They heard a door shut down the hall, and Pan walked towards them. Gohan backed off as his daughter approached. Pan looked at the crowd uneasily.

"I feel really tired actually, do you mind if I turn in as well?" Pan asked everyone. Bulma nodded.

"I'll show you where the guest rooms are." She said with a noticeable reluctance.

The two women walked off down the corridor. Vegeta pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on. He strode off in the other direction without a word.

Goten gestured to where the women had gone. "There's a bit of tension between them." He commented.

Krillin shrugged. "Pan did sleep with her husband." He said. Gohan glared at him.

"She didn't know what she was doing." Gohan protested angrily.

"From the look of Vegeta afterwards, I think she did." Yamcha said. "I saw him training, and he had these scratches all over his chest."

"Yeah, still, it leaves us to question Pan's motives." Krillin said.

"Well, I have to be going, so I'll see everyone later, okay?" Yamcha said. Krillin nodded.

"Yeah, me too." He said.

Trunks walked over to Gohan and Videl. "I'm guessing you'll be staying here too?" he suggested.

"Yeah, if it's okay with you and your Mom." Gohan said. Goten hovered around, obviously intending on staying too.

Pan began screaming in the night. Trunks was the first to rush in. "Pan! Pan! What's wrong?"

Pan fell from the bed to the cold floor. She was screaming hysterically. "NOOOO!!!! PLEASE DON'T!!!! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!!"

She was knelt on the floor, doubled over with her eyes shut, and her hands clamped over her ears. Everyone ran in the room, having woke at the commotion. Gohan took one look at his screaming daughter, before diving to her. He held her by the shoulders.

"Pan!!!! What's happening????? Pan??????" he asked desperately, shaking her slightly with concern. Pan didn't respond, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME…PLEASE…SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!" she yelled, her eyes still tightly shut. Gohan shook her again.

"Pan! Wake up!!! Pan!! You're dreaming!!!!" He yelled, trying to awaken her. Pan opened her eyes briefly to see her worried father, before collapsing on the floor in tears. Her small body shook violently with grief, as she lay in a fetal position. Gohan grabbed her, and pulled her into his arms. He rocked her gently to soothe her. It was then visible to everyone else that Gohan himself was crying. Gohan kissed her hair, and continued rocking her back and forth. Pan lay in his embrace, choking with the effort of each sob that racked through her body, as her trembling hands clung to his shirt.

Gohan stood in the doorway of Pan's bedroom as Videl watched at her bedside. His expression was ice cold. He watched his daughter shake in her sleep, her face pained and scared.

"Gohan, don't blame yourself. There's nothing you could have done." Goten said gently to his brother.

"I shouldn't have let her out that night." Gohan growled angrily.

"Gohan, she was 18! You couldn't have stopped her, you couldn't have known." Goten said, putting a reassuring hand on Gohan's shoulder.

Bulma approached the group. "I've just put Daikon back to bed." She told them. "He asked straight out if his mother was having another nightmare…He knows…it's happened before."

Vegeta glanced up at the conversation. He looked towards his son's room. "Is the brat okay?" he asked gruffly, in a way that could have been mistaken for concern. Bulma smiled at her husband.

"He's okay." She said softly.

They watched Pan for a few moments, before slowly dispersing. Gohan began to move away, but stopped, and stared in slight surprise. Vegeta was still stood there, his eyes fixed on the sleeping Saiyan. Gohan frowned. Vegeta sensed he was being watched, and slowly made his way past Gohan, giving him a deep scowl as he passed him.

Pan awoke groggily the next morning. Sunlight was streaming through a gap in the curtains. She turned her face over on the pillow, feeling something wet. She lifted her head to see a damp towel lying there. She vaguely remembered some sort of commotion last night. She pushed the memory to the back of her mind. She had been dreaming, she reminded herself as she slowly rose from the bed to her feet. She made her way to the en-suite bathroom adjoining to her room. She splashed her face with cold water many times.

She hands clung to the sink nervously. Her breath quickened as she tried to keep the memories repressed. She noticed her hands begin to shake. She clenched her eyes together.

"I'm still here…I'm still here…" she chanted, trying to ground herself. The memories came flooding back to her in a wave. "No…no…" she repeated as all the smells, sounds and feelings came back to her.

Suddenly, she heard a sharp knock on the door. She looked up, and the flashback came to a sharp stop.

"Pan? Are you awake? We're having breakfast now." Goten called from the other side of the door, before trudging downstairs. Pan noticed how heavy and raspy her breathing had become, and that she had started sweating. She shakily let go of the sink, her hands red. She walked back into the bedroom, and pulled on her clothes.

Pan hesitantly walked down the stairs. She was nervous at being around her family again to say the least. She calmed herself down, and put an indifferent expression on her face. She walked in, and they all looked up at her. She nearly paused, but caught herself in time. She pretended to smile, and sat down. As she ate, she caught them giving her concerned glances. She ignored them, but eventually she looked up challengingly.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" She asked sarcastically.

Gohan put down his fork. "You had a nightmare last night, do you remember?" He asked.

Pan looked down at the table. "No…I don't." She lied, she began to pick around her plate with her fork.

Gohan raised an eyebrow at her. "You were screaming. Are you sure you don't remember what it was about?"

"I already told you! I don't remember it!" She protested loudly. She pushed her chair out and rushed out of the room. Gohan got up and followed her out.

"Pan!" Gohan called. Pan stopped, keeping her back to him. "You're not okay, are you?" he accused her. Pan spun around, her eyes dark and angry.

"How many times do I have to say this? I'm okay!" She shouted. "I deal! I admit it's not the easiest thing ever, but I got through it!"

" 'Got' through it?" Gohan questioned. "It doesn't sound past tense to me."

"Leave me alone!" Pan shouted, running out of the front door.

Vegeta and Trunks stood at the door of the kitchen. "Is she coming back?" Trunks asked with concern. Gohan sighed.

"She'll be back, she wouldn't leave Daikon." Gohan reassured them.

They waited several hours for Pan to return. By then it was growing dark, and Daikon was worried about her.

"But when is she coming back?" he complained. "I miss her. She never usually goes out without taking me."

As it was growing darker, a storm began, and everyone grew more worried. Daikon refused to go to bed unless Pan was there.

Vegeta watched his younger son's display for a while. He growled irritably, and Daikon immediately stopped protesting. He looked up at the Saiyan a little fearfully.

"Fine! I'll go to find her." He growled. "Better than hearing the child's constant tantrums. He strode out of the front door, slamming it behind him.

He took off, and began to locate Pan's ki. It wasn't difficult, as it was remarkably high, but not from anger.

Pan walked slowly along the damp street. She walked straight through the puddles, soaking her trousers at the bottoms. Her hair became tangled in the heavy shower, and drops of water trickled down her face like tears. She shivered, having left the Corp in a hurry without a coat. She didn't really know exactly where she was heading, but she wandered nevertheless. She could smell fresh coffee through the chilled air, coming from a cozy little cafe. She stepped past it, avoiding a newspaper that clung to the pavement, heavily soaked with water. She crossed the street just before a car drove past, it's dim lights glaring through the dusk. She slowed a bit, before she heard footsteps behind her.

She walked on normally, but the footsteps somehow seemed to be coming closer. She glanced behind her to see a man in a suit, sheltering under his briefcase and walking briskly. But her heart was still pounding heavily. She then felt a substantial force heading in her direction. She froze to the spot momentarily until she heard a loud clap of thunder. She burst off into a panicked run. She didn't care anymore, all she could hear was her pounding heart, and her footsteps on the pavement. She picked up speed, and tore around a corner into a deserted alleyway. She stopped to catch her breath, before widening her eyes at her surroundings. She stared down the damp alley with fear. From the next building, she could hear glasses and she could smell alcohol. She began to step backwards, shaking her head. "No, no…no…" She repeated. She turned to escape, but she ran into a solid form. In a panic, she began pounding her fists on its chest as the tears fell. Two hands reached forward, catching her by the shoulders. Pan screamed and squirmed in fright.

"Pan." She heard a gruff voice. She stopped struggling, and looked up at the face through her dripping hair. She flung herself forward, and laid her face against the cold wet armor. She shivered, feeling a chill run through her. She could feel the heat run up into her cheeks, and her skin ached with cold. She started to sob, clutching the material of his training suit in her fist. He reached down, and picked her up, supporting her with his arm. She lay against him as he flew upwards into the darkened sky.

Vegeta landed at the Corp. Neither of them had spoken a word. He shifted her weight to both arms as he strode towards the main building. He looked down at her frightened form as the sky flashed angrily with lightning. His face softened, he felt protective over her, despite his effort not to. His expression hardened as he stepped inside.

The others heard him come in, and rushed out to meet him. Gohan immediately frowned at the sight, and Vegeta walked up to him, handing Pan over. Gohan shifted himself to carry her, and Videl worriedly felt her forehead. She was only half-conscious. Gohan looked up at Vegeta expectantly. "Where did you find her?" he asked.

"In the city." Vegeta snarled before he walked away without interest. Gohan looked suspiciously after him. Gohan helped carry Pan to her room where Videl cleaned her up. Daikon, who had been dozing on one of the sofas in the lounge, ran through.

"Is Mummy back?" he asked expectantly. Goten nodded.

"Yup, your Da…I mean, Vegeta, brought her back." Goten told him. Daikon looked unsure. Daikon gestured for Goten to come down to his height. Goten crouched down, and Daikon leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"I think Vegeta's scary." Daikon confided. "Doesn't he not know how to smile? Did no-one teach him?"

Goten laughed at his words. "Come on little buddy. Do you want Uncle Goten to put you to bed?" Daikon nodded eagerly, and Goten turned around, so Daikon could climb on his shoulders. Daikon held onto his hair in delight, and Goten carried him upstairs. Trunks growled at the display. Why did Goten want anything to do with him? Daikon was the reason that Trunks' parents nearly split up! Trunks stormed off down the hall.

Gohan sat on the edge of Pan's bed stroking her damp hair from her forehead until she awoke. She drowsily opened her eyes. For a moment they didn't say anything, both enjoying the bond they shared.

"I'm sorry Pan." Gohan whispered. "I didn't mean to make you so upset, it's just I was worried about the nightmare you had. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Pan smiled convincingly. "It doesn't matter. I'm okay, really." Gohan leant forward to kiss her forehead before rising to leave the room.

"Dad?" Pan said. Gohan turned back. "I love you, you know." She said weakly.

Gohan smiled back. "I love you too, honey." He turned off her light, and Pan snuggled into the warm folds of the thick duvet. Pushing everything from her mind, she settled into a dreamless sleep.

The next couple of days went more smoothly than the first. Pan acted cheerfully, and they all accepted her. The rest of the gang were invited around to dinner that evening. As they all sat down, Pan noticed that Bra looked quite different, but she couldn't really place how. During the meal, Pan nervously kept quiet as the others talked. She glanced over at Bra, who was also very quiet. It surprised her to see Bra picking around her plate absently. Pan watched as Vegeta noticed too.

"Bra." He said warningly. Bra looked down at her food with a strange sort of fear in her eyes. She lifted her fork slowly to her mouth, with everyone watching her. She closed her eyes as she ate it painstakingly slowly. It was then that Pan realized what was different about her. She was thinner. Much thinner. Her face, instead of looking healthy, looked tired and gaunt. Purple shadows cast under her once so pretty eyes. Pan looked away from her for the rest of the meal, she didn't need another pair of eyes watching over her.

After the meal, everyone left the room. Bra, on the other hand, hovered uncomfortably around her father. Pan took one last look at her, and followed everyone else. Gohan was waiting for her. Pan didn't have to ask.

"Bra has an eating disorder." Gohan told her. "She wouldn't eat. And when she was made to eat, she just threw it back up again out of everyone's way. That's the reason she has to stay in sight after meals. She also over trained. It was a while before anyone guessed what she had been doing." Pan listened to this, not really fully taking it in. She nodded in disbelief. Bra…

Pan wandered back through to the dining room, and Bra was stood there. She walked over to her nervously. Bra looked up at her, smiling weakly.

"Hi." She greeted her. Pan smiled back. "I missed you." Bra suddenly said.

Pan glanced up at her. "It's been lonely without you. I'm so sorry for how I treated you, you know I didn't k…"

Pan shushed her and gave her a hug. "It's okay. You couldn't have known. It doesn't matter anymore, really."

"Yes it does!" Bra protested. "I mean, that was really bad, no, it must have been devastating!"

Pan pulled away to look her in the face. "And what you're doing isn't?" She said softly. Bra held one of her thin arms self-consciously.

"It's nothing compared to what you've been through." Bra said.

Pan's heart leapt in her chest. "Don't say that!" she said sternly, but caringly. "You should never think you're problem isn't as bad as anyone else's! Because it is, to you. That's one of the reasons I kept it a secret. I thought I was lucky compared to what other people go through…" Pan looked sad, and Bra guessed she was thinking of the sacrifice Goku had made. "Never think like that…never. What matters is how important the problem is to you, not anyone else."

Bra tried to smile, but found herself sobbing lightly instead. Pan pulled her into another hug, rocking her reassuringly. "You'll get through it Bra, I know you will. You're strong…" Pan said softly.

Bra laid her head against Pan's shoulder. "So are you…Much stronger than me." Bra replied shakily.

"I'm not so sure." Pan confessed. "I never seem to be these days…" She gave Bra one last squeeze, before letting her go. Bra smiled shyly, and walked away. Pan watched her go, before turning around to face Vegeta. He had been stood there a while. He looked straight at her, before leaving too.

Pan shrugged. "No scowl today…strange." She muttered.

Pan quietly occupied herself as best she could around the grounds of the Corp. She had hardly seen Daikon recently. He was always off exploring somewhere, or playing with Goten. He had taken quite a liking to Goten, Pan mused. Sort of like the big brother he'd never had, or never knew… Pan hadn't seen Trunks take any interest in him at all. Not that he had any reason too. Pan wouldn't be surprised if Trunks resented him.

One morning, it was particularly hot, and the rest of the gang all piled over, for the pure fact that Bulma owned a pool. The gang piled in the gardens and settled down on various pieces of Garden furniture. Bulma laid a blanket on the lawn for Daikon to play on. Pan settled herself down next to him. She lay back on the blanket, enjoying the warm sun on her back. Daikon lay on his stomach beside her. He picked a blade of grass thoughtfully. He twirled it around in his fingers, examining it. "Mummy?"

Pan didn't open her eyes. "Yes honey?"

"Will I ever get to se Dylan again?" he asked. Pan opened her eyes. She turned her face towards his. "I miss him awfully."

Vegeta lifted his head, listening to the conversation. Gohan, Goten and Trunks also listened in.

"Daikon…" Pan started to say. Daikon shifted over so he was laid on his back. He started into the blue sky, following the wisps of cloud that were lazily drifting along.

"He said he would help me build a model boat, so we could sail it on the pond. The one with all the ducks in. Remember?" He said. Pan nodded. "He showed me a nice house once, it had lots of space, and a big garden, he always said he was gonna buy it someday. I would have liked to live there." He continued.

Pan began to get up, picking up her book, and started to head indoors. Daikon stretched his head to see. "Mummy? Where are you going?" he asked.

Pan carried on walking, and went into the kitchen, putting her book down on the table. She stood over the sink, her head down.

"Pan?" Asked a voice. Pan jumped. She looked up to see Goten and Trunks. She composed herself, and wandered over to sit down. The two men pulled out a couple of chairs and sat across from her. Pan put her head down on the table, and her hair fell around her.

"So, who's this Dylan we've heard so much about?" Goten teased. Trunks watched her for an answer, as though he had asked the question.

Pan ignored the question. "Aww, come on. We want to know." Goten whined playfully.

Pan still didn't answer. Trunks glanced away from her. "As long as he's not married…" he growled. "But, then again, you don't let little details like that stop you, do you?" he said viciously.

Pan got up, and headed for the garden again. She strode out purposefully. Gohan looked up at his seemingly annoyed daughter.

"Pan? Is anything wrong?" He asked. Trunks strode out after her, with Goten rushing after him. Trunks ran forward, catching her by the arm. Pan squirmed free.

"So, what made you do it?" he asked menacingly.

"Trunks, maybe you shouldn't…" Goten started to say. Trunks shoved him out of the way.

"Well?" Trunks demanded. "Why?"

Gohan leapt up. "What the hell are you talking about Trunks?"

Trunks glared at Gohan. "I'm trying to find out what made Pan sleep with my Dad!" He declared. "No one has made any effort to find out, so I'm asking here, here and now."

Pan turned away. "I don't have any reason to tell you." She snapped.

"I think we all deserve to know. I'm sure everyone's itching to find out." Trunks said.

"Pan, honey, you don't have to answer anything." Gohan reassured her. Trunks scoffed at him.

"You're telling me you not even curious?" Trunks asked. Gohan looked like he was going to speak, but he was cut off by Pan.

"To be honest, I didn't know how to cope." She said, breathing deeply. "I slept with so many men, it didn't matter who." She confessed shakily.

The others looked at her uncomfortably. Gohan looked away.

"But it did though, didn't it?" Bulma said suddenly in a strange voice. "It did matter. If only once." Pan glanced up at her. "I don't believe it didn't." Bulma accused her quietly.

Pan felt herself nod. "I don't understand why. I…we…" She found she couldn't complete her sentence.

"So you did have a reason?" Trunks taunted Pan accusingly.

Vegeta made his presence known for the first time during the discussion.

"I think this discussion is finished." He said calmly but sternly.

Trunks turned to him. "Actually, I'd like to hear your side of things. Did you have a reason? Or did you just fancy getting it on?" he scorned.

Vegeta snarled angrily. Trunks got more worked up. "So tell me, was she any good? Was she a good fuck?"

Vegeta punched his son across the face in a flying rage. Trunks quickly retaliated, trying to strike his father back, but Vegeta caught him in a swift uppercut to his stomach. Trunks fell to the ground, reeling in pain.