Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Change Of Heart ❯ Disappointments and Devastations ( Chapter 21 )

The trunk of the car shut with a thud, stuffed to the hilt with Pan's belongings. Pan held her small suitcase-her carry-on-close to her and let out a breath, twirling around to look at her house one last time before she left.

She'd be back soon enough-for Christmas-and thankfully that was only two months off.

Climbing into the back seat, she felt as if she was leaving part of her behind. The feeling snowballed until with a deep breath, she blocked it out of her mind completely.

Her parent's talked to her non-stop on the way to the airport, but no matter how much she replied, she felt as if she was listening to a conversation that was far off.

Thoughts circulated endlessly through her head. Of her destination, of her future, her plans, and of all that she was leaving behind. Who she was leaving behind.

She hated herself for feeling this way. Feeling sad about leaving him. Why should she care? He didn't. Why was she beating herself up when he wasn't? She only wished that she could get him out of her mind, her thoughts, for those were the only places she felt safe.

Trunks looked down at the rainy day. It was dark enough to seem almost dusk, yet it was still early in the day. Too early in his day. Folding his arms in a pose reminiscent of Vegeta, he looked down at the cars and buildings below.

With a sigh he sat down in his chair and looked disapprovingly at his desk-or more likely, the things on it. Picking up a stack of papers at random, he pulled up his data pad and sat his fingers on the keys.

Just as he began typing his buzzer went off on his right, and he swung around to answer it.

"Yes?" He asked; relieved his work had been interrupted. His secretary's familiar voice sounded from the other end in a tone he couldn't decipher.

"There's someone here to see you, sir. A Goten Son?" She said the last words like a question, as if asking if he knew who this "Goten Son" was.

"Send him in." Trunks said, shutting his data pad with relief. The door opened with a hiss, and Trunks' best friend walked into the room. "Hey," Trunks said weakly, leaning back in his seat.

Goten said down on the couch in the lounge off the office and pushed a button on the table. A can of soda popped up and he opened it with a snap. He took a drink and turned to Trunks, a look of disapproval on his face.

"So, I had to come here and find out for myself." Trunks looked at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "What did you do to Pan?" Trunks leaned his head back, understanding, then stood up. Walking to the window, arms folded once again, he let out a breath.

Pan's trunk slapped on the wet pavement, and the sound of wheels rolling followed. People brushed past in the late morning, all eager to get wherever they were going.

The automatic doors made the familiar noise as they walked through, and they stepped into line. Digging into her coat for her ticket, Pan watched her dad struggling to get her luggage onto a trolley.

She smiled to herself-possibly for the first time that day-and retrieved her ticket just as it was her turn. Her mother and father stood beside her, acting as if she didn't have a clue what she was doing by suggesting this and that.

"It's a bit late, miss." The woman said, taking her ticket. "About half an hour late." She frowned. "I'm sorry. Just up there, turn to your right, fifth gate on your left." She handed her back her ticket. "He'll take your cart." She said, pointing to a man in a uniform. Gohan gladly passed up taking the trolley wherever it was going, and handed it over.

"Mom, you and dad have that thing to go to." Pan pointed out, stuffing her ticket into her carry-on for the moment. "Really, I can wait just fine-"

"I don't think so," Videl said quickly. "we aren't leaving you here to wait by yourself." Pan shook her head.

"Really, it's no different than you saying goodbye to me when I walk onto the plane. Actually, this would probably be easier." She was caving them in, she could tell it. "So, please let me just wait, and say goodbye to you now. Besides, you'd have to go through the scans and everything." Gohan gave her a reassuring smile and hug.

"If you want us to." He said, squeezing her close. "If anything happens-if you need anything, make sure you call Bulma or someone, ok? And call us the moment you get in, alright?" Gohan had made it easy, telling her all that Videl wanted, and saying it in half the time.

"Ok, daddy." She turned to her mother and gave her a hug. "I'll be back soon enough. Just a couple of weeks, in fact!" She smiled and pulled back. "I promise I'll call, and you have a good time today, ok?" They smiled, gave her one more hug, and left through the door.

With a sigh, and a held back tear, Pan trotted up the stairs to her gate.

"So, you do love her?" Goten exclaimed, standing up. Trunks nodded. "Then, so this all started as a bet…" He was looking like someone who was just trying to sort out how he'd won the lottery. "and you fell in love with her. Things were all good and then she found out about the bet." Trunks nodded. "She left, and you haven't seen her since?" Goten took several deep breaths.

"Not for a week." He sat down. "And I haven't been able to get her out of my head this whole time." Goten looked crazed and confused at the same time.

"So you haven't been able to tell her you didn't take the money?" he asked quietly, and Trunks shook his head.

"She's leaving soon," Trunks began. "and I don't know what to say to her. I still have on idea what to say to her."

"Leaving soon?" Goten stood up quickly. "Leaving soon? She's not leaving soon, she's leaving this morning." Trunks head jerked up. "She might even be gone." Trunks stood up and Goten looked at his watch. "She leaves any second. I can't remember…eleven or eleven-thirty. One or the other, I can't remember." Trunks pulled on his coat and ran through the door. "Hurry!" Goten called to his back just as the door hissed shut.

"Claire, get me flowers, bottom floor-now!" He called and she picked up the phone, dialing numbers rapidly. Trunks pushed the elevator button and shook his head.

Instead he ran to the stairs and swung the door open. Grabbing the railing he jumped over it and dropped straight down the center, all the way to the bottom floor.

Stopping himself a few inches from the ground he raced out of the stairway and into the first floor reception room. A woman with a bouquet or roses raced after him, and as soon as they were shoved into his hand he ran down the steps and hailed a taxi.

"Airport, fast as you can." He said, hopping into the front seat with the driver.

Pan closed her magazine and stood up, stretching her legs. Rubbing the back of her neck with one hand she rummaged through her bag with the other.

"Flight 214, Eagle Airlines, will be boarding in five minutes." The announcement sounded out of the speakers, and she gave a relieved sigh as she plopped into her seat again. Other people around her seemed relieved, and opened their magazines, this time with satisfaction.

"Pan!" She jerked her head up as someone called her name, and a smile spread across her lips. She bolted out of her seat and ran to him.

Trunks shoved a bill into the taxi driver's hand and leapt out of the taxi. Taking the airport steps two at a time he raced through the door and up the escalator stairs. He anxiously waited to go through the scanners, and it seemed the line wasn't moving at all.

The workers looked at his flowers curiously, seeing as he had them sticking out the neck of his coat. Remembering he had stuck them there to keep them from the rain he pulled them out quickly, and was glad that he had remembered them somehow.

"Is there a plane leaving for London soon?" He asked, and the lady checked a chart. He waited impatiently as she squinted at it.

"Leaving any moment, you'd better deliver those flowers, son." She grinned. "Gate 13, up there and to your left."

"Thanks!" He called as he bolted towards that direction and she laughed as she watched his retreating back. He looked left and right, searching for the gate, and slid to a stop. Stepping back a few feet, he felt very exposed, and fought the urge to stand defensively.

To his left, just up ahead, was Pan. In her arms were flowers, but not the ones in his hand. She was hugging someone, but it wasn't him. He watched as Larkin and she hugged, feeling stupid and embarrassed, although she hadn't even seen him. Stepping back some more, his eyes passed a little girl and her mom.

Approaching her he knelt down and gave her the flowers, and with a pat on her shoulder, he walked the opposite way towards the exit.

Shoulders sagging, head hanging, he walked out into the rain. He called a taxi, and sank into its back seat, feeling numb.