Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ True Love Never Dies ❯ Next ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

One week later…

“Good morning, class!” a pale golden-brown bear wearing a pink polka dot dress and bow greeted her students.

“Good morning, Mrs. Honey,” the students answered in a monotonous unison.

“I hope you all slept well last night, because we have a lot of science to get through. Now, open your books to the experiment in chapter four. Today, we’re going to study the viscosity we learned about yesterday.” Mrs. Honey paused as a knock sounded at her classroom door. “Please, come in.” She beckoned the knocker to enter with a gesture.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal a girl in loose fitting white denim capris, a red tee shirt and sneakers. After glancing at the classroom full of students, the girl shuffled her way toward the teacher and handed the bear a slip of paper.

Mrs. Honey read over the paper then smiled at her class. “Class, please join me in welcoming our newest student. Her name is Pan Son.” She motioned to her subject. “She just moved here from East City! Isn’t that exciting? I’m sure you all will make her feel most welcome.” She turned slightly to address Pan. “There’s an empty seat next to Akuko. We’re just getting started, so here’s your book,” she handed Pan a copy of the science book. “Just join right in.”

After a quick nod, Pan made her way to the empty seat of the table in the back of the classroom. She sat her backpack on the floor beside the table, pulled out her chair and sat, only to find herself sitting on the floor, the chair just behind her.

“Pan! Are you okay?” Mrs. Honey quickly questioned, pausing in her lecture due to the interruption.

As she rose, Pan rubbed her rear and nodded an affirmative toward her teacher as her cheeks flamed crimson in embarrassment. “Yes, Mrs. Honey. I’m okay.”

“Very well. Now, take your seat, so we can continue class,” the bear instructed. “And in the future, please try to be more aware of your chair when sitting.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Pan meekly answered as she scooted her chair beneath the table.

“Wow. It looks like someone’s a klutz,” a voice beside Pan spoke derisively.

The brown-eyed demi-Saiyan frowned at her neighbor. “I’m not a klutz. The chair was under me when I sat.”

“Whatever, Klutz,” Akuko rolled her golden eyes then turned to face the board, her bright green curls bouncing with the motion.

Pan simply sighed and stared out the nearest classroom window.

“Okay, now carefully add the water to your green oil and seal your bottles,” Mrs. Honey directed her class as she slowly walked around her room observing each pair of students performing their experiment.

“Are you boing to add the water?” Pan asked Akuko since the beaker of water was on the greenette’s side of the table.

The only thing Pan received for her trouble was a loud popping of gum in her ear followed by a testy, “If you want it added so badly, you do it.” Akuko shoved the half full glassware toward Pan.

“Fine. Whatever,” the demi-Saiyan muttered petulantly as she followed the directions.

“Very good,” Mrs. Honey smiled as she passed their table. “Now, Akuko, you do the next part and shake the bottle to mix the oil into your water.”

Reaching for the bottle, Akuko smiled sweetly. “Of course, Mrs. Honey!”

Bored beyond measure, Pan’s attention drifted to her notebook with a cute Labrador puppy in a rusty bucket on its cover. This year was supposed to be the best year ever, complete with friends, sleepovers and all the adoration that came with being the most popular girl in school! Instead, she was trapped in this new city with no friends, a new man her mother had explained was her father, even though they had never met, and to make things even more stupendous, her mother was acting very strangely: fatigued, stressed and emotionally distant. To put it lightly, the entire situation stank, royally.

The reality of her immediate setting rushed back to Pan with intense clarity as something cold and we splashed over both herself and all her belongings. Pan looked down to discover she was covered in green. Before Mrs. Honey stepped into her line of sight, she caught a moment’s glance at Akuko, who was smirking broadly.

“What happened?!” Mrs. Honey cried as she grabbed a roll of paper towels and began sopping up the mess.

“Akuko spilled that stuff on me!” Pan replied with righteous indignation.

Mrs. Honey paused to glance at the accused. “Is that what happened, Akuko?”

“Oh! Mrs. Honey! I’m so sorry! If I’d known Pan hadn’t sealed the bottle, I’d have done it myself!” The young girl’s eyes were innocuously wide.

Pan felt her lower jaw drop. “I did screw the lid tight! You did that on purpose! Just like you pulled out my chair earlier!” As her anger overrode her sensibility, Pan rose to her feet to confront any assailant, expecting Akuko to take the confrontation from a verbal one to a physical one.

Pan’s preparations for a fight were interrupted by the gentle hand of Mrs. Honey on her shoulder. “I’m sure it was an accident, Pan,” she spoke soothingly. “Now, why don’t you go to the gym and get some clean gym clothes to borrow?”

Sighing in defeat, Pan deflated, remembering how unhappy her mother would be to receive a call from the school concerning her misbehavior. “Yes, Ma’am,” she spoke softly as she gathered her soggy belongings and with no small sense of trepidation began the trip to the school’s gym for a dry change of clothes.

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“Pan, hurry up, honey! You’ll be late for school!” Videl turned to face Gohan. “You’re sure you don’t mind taking her for me?”

No. Of course not. Gohan smiled encouragingly. I know where her school is. You go ahead. Ive got it all under control. Besides, how difficult could one nine-year-old really be?

“Oh, well...okay then.” Videl grabbed her purse. “You have my number if you need me.”

“Of course, but everything is going to be just fine. Trust me.” That famous Son grin illuminated Gohan’s face.

Somewhat winded, Pan hurried into the room. “Okay, Mom! I’m ready!”

The sight of Pan brought a broad smile to Videl’s pallid face. “Give me a hug!” She bent downward and opened her arms, offering a warm reception.

Though a mite puzzled, Pan took a few steps forward and accepted her mother’s warm embrace with one of her own.

After a moment, Videl pulled back to look into her daughter’s obsidian eyes. “Now, I want you to be good for Gohan today. He’s taking you to school and he’ll be picking you up. If you need anything, just call him. Okay?”

Pan was completely unable to keep a frown from contorting her features. “Why can’t you? I want you to take me to school.”

Videl nodded her understanding. “I know, sweetheart. But, I have doctors’ appointments all day today. I just can’t do it. Besides, you’ve been at your new school over a week now. You don’t really need me. Gohan is more than capable and happy to take care of things.

“Please, sweetheart, don’t give Gohan any problems.” Videl’s pale, blue eyes searched her daughter’s for an answer.

With a slight sigh, Pan nodded and answered reticently, “Okay.”

Glad to have everything controlled on the home front, Videl gave Pan another quick squeeze. “Thank you.”

After rising to her full height, Videl opened the door of the capsule home and ushered everyone outside and into their respective vehicles. “Have a good day!” she called and waved before getting into her flying capsule car and heading toward East City.

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&# 8220;Do you have a favorite subject?” Gohan made his fourth vain attempt at drawing more than a monosyllabic response from his passenger.

“No,” was all Pan gave in way of reply. Throughout the entire ride, she had simply stared out the vehicle’s window at the rapidly passing terrain.

Deciding he might have to give a little small talk to receive any form of true response, Gohan began a monologue. “You know, I’ve been teaching college for three years now. This year is my fourth. Of course, I did a lot of student teaching before I graduated.”

Gohan paused to glance in the rearview mirror. As he suspected, Pan’s gaze had not even shifted. If she had blinked, Gohan was hard pressed to see evidence of the movement.

With a suppressed sigh, he continued. “You know the hardest part for me about becoming a teacher or professor was choosing a subject to teach!” He inserted a self-conscious chuckle. “Now, I’m supposed to be a big-shot professor. What I do really miss is being on the receiving end of the lectures. Know what I mean?”

No response.

Perhaps another subject would be more appropriate. “Did your mom ever tell you about the World Martial Arts Championships?”

Gohan almost cheered aloud as Pan looked at him after that remark but settled for a simple smile instead.

“There’s the school,” Pan stated, pointing toward the brick building.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Gohan muttered, turning on the turn signal and entering the parking lot. When he stopped the car, he turned toward the rear seat. “Have a great-...day.” He frowned then sighed heavily after the sound of Pan closing her door cut him off mid-sentence.

“I’ll try again this afternoon,” Gohan reminded himself as the thought of another chance at a potential success lifted his spirits. “Yes, this afternoon.”

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Once more, Gohan looked at his watch. School let out at three. Yet, now the time was thirty after and he had seen no sign of Pan. “C’mon, kiddo,” he muttered to himself. “I feel your ki in the building. I don’t want your mom to beat us home and have another worry on top of her health.”

Almost as if she had heard Gohan’s plea, Pan stopped from the building and slowly made her way toward the car, a teacher watching from the doorway. As Pan’s door closed, Gohan cranked the engine. “Hey, Pan! So, how was your day?” Unfortunately, Pan’s countenance made it quite clear attempts at conversation this afternoon would prove just as fruitless and futile as they had that morning.

“I take it, things could have gone better,” Gohan surmised. “That’s okay. There’s always tomorrow!”

Pan’s frown only deepened.

“So, do you want to talk about what happened?”

Gohan let a few minutes pass. “You know, I really do want to hear about what’s going on at school. If you ever want to talk, I’m here. You don’t even have to stick with telling me only the good things, Pan. I’m here to listen if you want to talk about anything at all.”

This time, Pan’s eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze from her window to meet her father’s in the rearview mirror. “You want to know what I think is so bad? I hate this school! I hate this town! I hate our new house! I hate these talks! And I hate how Mom’s acting! I wish we had never come here, I had never met you and things could just be normal again!”

Knowing anything he could say would only make things worse, Gohan sighed in defeat and focused on driving.

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As she heard the front door open, Videl sat her cup of tea on the table and plastered the best smile she could muster on her tired face to greet Pan. Her smile was quickly replaced with a look of confusion as she heard the door to Pan’s room slam closed.

“Hey,” Gohan wearily greeted Videl as he entered the kitchen and took a seat. “How did everything go today?”

“It seems I should be asking you that.” Videl nodded toward the stove. “I made plenty of tea if you want some.”

With a glance toward the stove, Gohan nodded his head. “Thanks. That sounds really great right now.” He stepped across the room to fill a cup before taking a seat at the table beside Videl and sipping at his tea.

“Was that Pan slamming her door I heard?”

“Yeah, it was.” Gohan released an exhausted sigh. “I asked her about her day and she told how much she hates all these changes. She wishes everything was like it was before you moved here and she met me.”

“Oh, Gohan.” Videl placed her hand on his. “I’m sorry she acted like that toward you. I’ll talk to her later. I know this is rough on her. It’s just going to take her time to adjust to these changes.”

Gohan nodded in understanding. “I know. I just wish I could do something to help her along.”

“I know you do.” Videl squeezed Gohan’s hand then took a sip of her tea.

“So, how was your day? What did the doctors say?”

“My day?” Videl paused in though. “It was long, exhausting. As for the doctors, they have all decided to change my treatment plan entirely.”

“Oh? How so?”

Videl stared into her tea as she contemplated her next words, then raised her eyes to Gohan’s face. “They have ended all my treatments. The cancer it-...it stopped responding some time ago and it’s been spreading.”

“No!” Gohan shook his head. “This can’t be happening! Get stronger drugs! Let’s get another opinion! There’s got to be something they can do!”

Videl simply shook her head in resignation. “Gohan, do you remember when I first tracked you down?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I remember up until I blacked out and hit my head.”

Feeling the corners of her mouth tug upward, Videl nodded. “Then after Pan and I arrived, you and I talked that night. I told you I had about six months left. Well, today I found out it’s less, much less now.”

“How much less?” Gohan frowned deeply.

“I have about three month left, at most, Gohan.” Videl watched Gohan’s face for his response.

“Three-...there months?”

Videl nodded. “Yeah. It’s moved into pretty much everything now. They gave me some information and recommended I start looking into hospice care.”

“That can’t be right! I knew before things were bad, but three months?!” Gohan paused for a moment then looked directly into Videl’s dull, blue and dark-rimmed eyes. “Does Pan know?”

Videl shook her head. “No. She knows I’ve been sick, but I haven’t told her how sick yet. I decided tonight might be a good time to let her know everything.”

“She’s going to be super upset,” Gohan commented.

“I know. But, I’ve put this off long enough. It’s time she and I had a long talk.”

“Videl,” Gohan placed his arm around Videl. “I’m here anytime you need me. I’ll be here until the end.”

“I know,” Videl whispered as she rested her head on Gohan’s shoulder and allowed her silent tears to trickle down her cheeks.

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Later that evening, after supper was finished and the dishes cleaned, Videl and Pan retired to Pan’s room to work on her homework and talk. Gohan, retired to his bedroom to grade assignments there since he had given up his office when his family had moved into his home.

His family&. Those words still seemed alien to Gohan. Who would have thought how much his life could change in such a short time? And, now that they were together, today, Videl had brought home the news that they would not be a family for much longer. Sometimes, fate can certainly be cruel.

Unable to focus on the assignments completed by his freshman history class, who at this time were barely wrote literately, Gohan set his things aside and made his way into the attached bathroom to brush his teeth and shave. The thing about paperwork is it will always be there tomorrow.  

Once he had prepared for bed, Gohan climbed beneath the covers, set his glasses on the nightstand and turned off the light, only to stare into the blurred darkness now covering his ceiling. Somehow, he had to connect with Pan. Before tonight, he thought he would have a lifetime to build a connection with his recently discovered daughter. But, now he had been reminded before long, he would be the only family she had.

As Gohan contemplated his options, he was interrupted by the sound of his bedroom door opening and a soft light spilling across the room.

“Gohan?” Videl whispered. “Are you still awake?”

Surprised and alarmed, ready for an emergency, Gohan sat upright in the bed. “Yeah. I’m still up. Is everything okay?”

Videl let several seconds pass before answering. “May I come in?”

“Of course,” Gohan answered as he switched on his light and returned his glasses to his face while Videl softly closed the door and approached the empty side of the bed, taking a seat beside him.

“You talked to Pan?”

Videl nodded as Gohan took in her exhausted appearance. The only time he had ever seen her look so poorly had been the time she had fought Spopovich in the World Martial Arts Tournament before they had all died to Buu.

“We talked. She understands. Well, she understands as much as any nine-year-old girl who’s losing her mother can understand.” Videl took a deep breath and released it as a sigh. “I stayed with her until she cried herself to sleep.”

Completely touched by the depth of the relationship between Videl and their daughter and how incredibly difficult this situation was on them both, Gohan placed his hand on Videl’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. It’s better that she is able to at least prepare than to one day wake up, and you’re gone.”

Videl nodded again. “I know. I just-...I’m her mother. I’m supposed to always be there for her. I’m supposed to be there to help her though all of life’s major events, and here I am, telling her I won’t be there. I just feel like-...I lied to her every time I told her how much I was looking forward to seeing her on her wedding day or college graduation; Every time I told her that even when she’s thirty, she’ll still be my baby girl; every time I told her she could trust me. And, I know that makes no sense, but still, I feel like I’m a horrible mother.”

“Videl,” Gohan spoke softly as his hand rubbed her boney shoulder. “You didn’t lie to her. No one knew this would happen. It’s not normal. And, if there’s one thing to be said about you, it’s that you are an amazing mother. That will always be with her; I’ll make sure of that.”

“You really mean that,” Videl commented softly, lifting her eyes to Gohan’s. “I appreciate that a lot.”

Gohan nodded. “Any time. You know I’m here to help anyway I can.” Moving his hand from her shoulder to her face, he tenderly wiped the single tear that snaked down each of her cheeks.

Despite the circumstances, Videl found herself almost smiling at Gohan’s tenderness. He had always been so completely understanding of other people and willing to help them any way he could.

Noticing the look on Videl’s face and her hesitation to leave, Gohan met her worn eyes with his own. “Would you like to spend the night?” he softly asked, knowing he had little to offer Videl in way of comfort except his empathy and support.

After only a slight moment’s consideration, Videl acquiesced with a nod, not trusting her voice.

“Okay,” Gohan gave her a small, reassuring smile as he moved to ensure her plenty of space in the bed and laid down, again placing his glasses on the nightstand.

When he glanced over toward Videl, he noticed she was beneath the covers. “Ready for me to turn out the light?”

“Yes.”

Gohan turned over and pulled the chain on his lamp then turned on his side to face Videl, being careful to fight his natural tendency to exploit his queen bed’s size to stretch his body to its fullest. Nevertheless, after only a moment, he felt Videl scoot closer to him. Instinctively, he opened his arms, one going beneath Videl’s neck, the other resting protectively across her as she too shifted her position so that she was lying with her head on Gohan’s chest, one arm draped across his solid, reassuring body, against which her own, disease ravaged body conformed. Together, they passed the night.