Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Learning To Love Again ❯ Forgiven? ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I told you last time. I'm not doing this ever again. How many times do I have to say it? Sheesh! Some people! *walks off muttering about the stupidity of the human race*

A/N: Hmm...what to say.... Okay, thank you to all my reviewers, especially Android 71 for the Kisses. You made me a very happy hippie. ^_^ Thank you all for reading this far and a double thank you if you've been reviewing too. Reading your reviews really helps keep me going when I get discouraged with stories. You guys are the greatest! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others. Read it up!

Looking up from the stack of papers he was diligently grading, Gohan's eyes fell on the drying Canterbury Bells at the window. After his talk with Videl, more especially after her "talk" with him, Gohan knew what he should do and where he should go. All he had truly needed was a small nudge toward the correct path and a good, swift kick to get him moving. Videl never had been one for subtleties.

The sound of soft footsteps behind Gohan caught his attention, and he smiled, knowing it was Pan sneaking up on him to either startle him, or beg for something. If it was the first, he planned to give her the fright of her life.

"Daddy?" Pan asked in a voice so thick with sugar it made molasses look plain thin.

Gohan's grin widened for a moment at just how correct he had been, before he put on his game face to meet the pleading eyes of his baby girl. With a serious demeanor, Gohan made a show of taking off his glasses and turning to face the teenager.

"What is it, baby girl?" he asked.

"Well," Pan started. "I know you don't like it when I'm gone a lot, and even though I spent last weekend with Grandpa Hercule, I was hoping you'd let me stay with Bra this weekend."

"You seem awfully eager to go," Gohan commented with a raised brow. "If I remember right, the last time you spent the night with Bra, Trunks and Vegeta had to break-up a cat-fight you two had over some guy on the television."

"Aw, Daddy," Pan laughed. "That's ancient history. Nothing like that'll ever happen again."

As Gohan recalled, it had been a month since the incident. "Well, I don't see why not, if you two can get along. I don't want another midnight call from Bulma because you two just couldn't compromise."

"No problem," Pan beamed as she spun on her heel to leave.

"Wait a minute. Aren't you forgetting something?" Gohan asked, making the girl freeze in her tracks.

Pan turned back to face her father with a typical, confused Son expression all over her face. A second later, she smiled brightly, realizing what he meant. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Daddy,' she spoke in his ear before pecking his cheek, and with a final, grateful smile, she was gone.

Gohan chuckled softly, turning to retrieve his glasses. "Kids today.... What am I going to do with her?" he grumbled good-naturedly.

A few minutes later found Gohan on his way to the Brief's home. After dropping Pan off, saying his good-byes to Bulma, and declining an invitation to spar from Vegeta, Gohan stopped at the market to stock up on some food. With his and Pan's Saiyan appetites, food went quickly in their home even if his appetite never had fully recovered after his fasting from grief at Videl's death.

Once back home, Gohan put away everything and sat down to continue the work Pan had interrupted earlier. As had been happening a lot as of late, Gohan found himself unable to concentrate on anything.

Ever since his last encounter with Marron, Gohan had felt an emptiness inside that hadn't been there before accompanied by a gnawing sense of guilt he couldn't understand. The guilt... in consequence to his hurting Marron. All the years since Videl had left, Gohan had never felt as empty as he had at that moment, save the first month or so.

Though he didn't know exactly how he felt toward her, he did know he cared for her, loved her even. The problem was, he didn't know exactly what kind of love or what its implications might be. Honestly, that was the part that truly scared him.

Gohan, giving up on work, looked at the clock, and saw that it was almost two. He decided it was time to find something else to do. A shower sounded perfect. After standing and stretching his aching muscles, he slowly made his way to the bathroom and turning on the hot water, took a long, very hot shower.

Having thoroughly washed, Gohan stood in the shower, the warm droplets pelting his naked form, letting them wash it all away. Everything. His hopes, his fears, mistakes, all were far away as he stood in the pseudo rain. As the water turned decidedly cold, Gohan sighed heavily, having enjoyed the short reprise and not looking forward to emerging from his haven.

Shutting off the water, Gohan stepped from the shower, and after carefully drying himself, wrapped his towel securely around his waist. He raised his eyes to see steam covering the lone mirror above the sink and wiped it clean. Once again reflecting images clearly, the mirror showed something that caught Gohan's attention, his reflection.

As he stared at the stranger staring back at him, Gohan asked, "What is wrong with you? You're letting yourself fall apart...again.... Now, Gohan, what are you going to do?"

When no answer presented itself from whatever deities were above, Gohan sighed wearily and began running a comb through his unruly locks. Almost as if in a freeze frame, Gohan paused, seemingly dumbstruck as the comb slipped from his fingers, clattering to the tile floor below. Slowly a smile grew on Gohan's face as the burst of inspiration began to take a definite shape with all the details working themselves out.

Idea in place, Gohan, still smiling, turned to the door and walked determinedly to the phone, pushing a very familiar number in and waiting for an answer.

*******

Marron glanced at her watch as she got out of her vehicle and sighed. "How did I get myself talked into this?" she questioned. "Oh, yeah. Pan. I forgot," quickly followed as her answer.

Stopping on the front stoop, Marron faced a now foreboding door, thinking of all the terrors possibly waiting inside. Realizing the stupidity behind her ill-based fears, Marron lifted a shaky hand, and with a soft, "Here goes nothing," she pressed the button and waited for an answer.

Slowly the sound of soft footsteps neared the door before the doorknob began turning counter-clockwise and it opened to reveal a man behind it.

"Hey," he greeted softly. "I'm really glad you could make it on such short notice."

Marron smiled politely and stepped into the home when the man moved aside, holding the door open for her. "Oh, it's no problem really," Marron heard herself say, still in polite mode as her eyes probed the room for something to keep her interest, anything to keep her mind off him.

"So, Pan's in her room?" Marron asked, still trying desperately not to look at Gohan.

"Well," Gohan started. "She's at Bra's...."

Marron's head snapped around, eyes glaring. "You lied to me?!"

"Not really," Gohan said uncomfortably. "I asked if you'd come over and said we'd need you're help painting Pan's room. I never said we were painting it tonight...." He shuffled his feet, waiting for her certain outburst of wrath.

"That was low," Marron simply stated coolly after a few moments of silence had passed between the two. "You had best have one hell of a reason for making me come out here."

Gohan nodded his head, surprised at her calmness. Then again, it was when his mother, Videl, or Bulma were calm that you had best watch out, because they were planning something horrible for you. Then again, maybe she had more of Eighteen in her than peoples gave her credit. "I was hoping we could discuss it over dinner."

"Dinner?" Marron questioned suspiciously before lowering her eyes to her ratty, stained pink tee shirt and equally ruined carpenter jeans. "I'm not exactly dressed for a night on the town...."

Giving a tentative smile, Gohan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You look just fine for the dinner I have waiting."

Taking her wrist gently in his hand, Gohan led Marron to the dining room where a candle-lit table for two was waiting for them.

After her initial shock at the scene before her, Marron turned her questioning eyes on Gohan. "What's all this for?"

Gohan kindly smiled down at her kindly. "Well, it's for you. I wanted a chance to talk to you about the other day. I've...well, I've done a lot of thinking since then...."

At the mention of her last visit, Marron's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion. "So, you lied to me, after leading me on, and dinner is supposed to make it all right?"

Shaking his head, Gohan answered, "No, nothing could make up for how I've treated you lately, but it is a start. Isn't it?" He looked deep into her eyes for any sign, any hint at what was going through her mind. "I've told you before how much you mean to me, and how I don't know if I could stand losing you. You've been my friend, my strength, my rock, and not to mention all you've done for Pan. For all this, we are eternally grateful."

The suspicion in Marron's eyes remained as harsh as ever as she replied, "Then send a card, Gohan. Look, if there's a point to all this, get on with it. I have a life too you know."

Frowning slightly, yet seemingly undeterred, Gohan continued. "There is a point, and that point is," Gohan took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, and I...I love you, not just as a friend or daughter, or whatever it used to be, but love.

"I don't know why it took me so long to see it. I guess I felt my loving you would somehow diminish my love for Videl, and for some reason, I just couldn't do that.... I couldn't move on...."

Looking into Marron's eyes again, Gohan noticed, much to his relief, they had softened considerably. Her eyes held surprise and something else. Dare he say delectation?

Softly, Marron replied to Gohan's monologue, "You'll always love her, but she's gone now. She'd want you to be happy."

Gohan took both of Marron's hands in his own and nodded his head. "I understand that now, and Marron...you make me happy...."

Not making a sound, Marron simply watched Gohan's face carefully, hoping to glean from it anything she might have missed or even misunderstood from his words. Finally satisfied, she pulled her hands from his and wrapping her arms around Gohan's waist, she pressed her body to his, her lips to his.

When the tender kiss ended, Gohan's eyes were filled with tears as he held her close and softly whispered, "Thank you, my angel."

As Marron smiled up at Gohan, the soft candlelight caught her hair, once again creating her a beautiful golden aura around her, a crown, her halo. "You don't ever have to thank me. Somehow, somewhere, I've always known."

Smiling softly down at her, Gohan nodded before once again bringing their lips together, dinner completely forgotten.

A/N: So...what did you think? Tired of me asking that question? Then start reviewing every time you read and I won't have to! Oh, just so you know, you just read the last chapter of the story. No. Really, you did. All right, Jadedbest and Namek Kaia, before you start cussing me out over another chapter I told you about, there is one last thing to post. It's called the epilogue. So tune in next time for the exciting conclusion to tie up any loose ends. Laterz!!! Oh! And don't forget to review!!!! ^_^