Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Princess of the Saiyans ❯ Revelations in Aisle 6 ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Nate Grey 
Vegeta forms an unusual bond with Pan.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.14.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 784 | Status: Completed
Vegeta forms an unusual bond with Pan.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.14.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 784 | Status: Completed
Princess of the Saiyans
Chapter 1: Revelations in Aisle 6
Note: I've only seen Pan once or twice, and I've never seen Dragonball GT at all. That's your only warning. I know I probably screwed up the kids' ages, but I did this at 1 AM. Pan is a few years younger than Trunks here.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Vegeta forms an unusual bond with Pan.
It was obvious now. Bulma was not as foolish as he'd once thought she was.
She'd asked him to watch Trunks and Kakarot's brat for an hour. Nothing unexpected there; he was actually getting used to it, unfortunately. As long as they kept each other busy and didn't touch, speak to, or bother him too much, he didn't really mind.
The hour had gone by slowly, and he'd gone into the kitchen to quench his thirst when he found it. The Note. It simply said, "We're out of food. Go to the store." And yet, the implications were enormous.
First, she actually expected him to go to the grocery store...and actually shop. Next, and far worse by comparison, she expected him to take Trunks and Kakarot's brat along. He couldn't leave them at home, of course. They'd blow up something and he would get blamed for it. Not that he feared some punishment, but Bulma's normal nagging was torture enough. He didn't need the angry kind to go with it.
Included on the back of The Note was the list of ridiculous items Bulma claimed were edible. A few of them he faintly recognized, and could recall glancing at just before they had vanished into his mouth. Most of them were things only Trunks and Kakarot's brat would eat. These, he knew, would most likely have to be asked for, and served as a method for thoroughly embarrassing him. Just the thought of saying a silly thing like "Sugar Shocks" made his blood boil.
And then he realized that she was challenging him. This was her way of stepping onto the battlefield and kicking dirt on his freshly cleaned boots. Well, he would show her. After all, he was Prince of the Saiyans (despite the current number of his "people," and the lack of quality in both their upbringing and power levels). No mere shopping trip could defeat him.
So Vegeta had mentally steeled himself, and walked back outside, to where Trunks and Goten were wrestling in the dirt. He simply stood there until the boys noticed the dark shadow looming over them and looked up. "We're going to store," he declared. "Now."
* * * * *
It wasn't that Gohan hated grocery shopping. It was just that he had better things to do. He had essays to evaluate, chemicals to test, and theories to make or break. And then there was whole crime-fighting thing.
But Videl had insisted, and so he'd become partially convinced that it wasn't a bad idea. And then she'd hooked him, as she always did, without fail.
"You need to spend more time with Pan, anyway."
No matter how much time he spent with his daughter, Gohan was sure of it now: he had become addicted to her. Her smile, her laugh, her frequent kisses for him, and the way she clamped onto his hand and wouldn't let go. And Videl used that fact. All she had to do was remind Pan that ice cream could be found at the store, and Gohan was automatically expected to accompany her there.
And that was how he'd ended up in Aisle 2, trying to figure out if Videl had meant for him to get the thicker paper towels that came in twos, or the thinner ones that came in fours. Pan, of course, was no real help.
"Get both, Daddy!" she said. "That way you'll have the right one for sure...plus extra!"
Gohan had been meaning to teach Pan that nobody had enough money to buy two of everything (with the exception of the Briefs family). He'd get around to it, someday soon. But for today, he decided on the thicker paper towels that came in twos. He dropped them in the shopping cart, glanced at Videl's list, and froze. The final item on the list was not a welcome one, and it was usually the reason why Videl made Gohan go to the store in the first place.
He thought it was strange, though. Traditionally, a place used for purchasing mainly food should have food only, and nothing else. And yet, this particular store always carried the single item on the list that Gohan dreaded buying. It wasn't food, and if it was, he would not want to meet the being that ate them.
Gohan sighed heavily and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Come on, honey. Let's go to Aisle 6."
Pan, who had wandered a few feet away to look at candy, instantly returned to his side and grabbed his hand. "What do we need from Aisle 6, Daddy?" she asked.
Gohan sighed again and muttered the dreaded word. "Tampons."
* * * * *
Vegeta had gotten the hang of shopping fairly quickly. All he had to do was stick to the list...and ignore everything Trunks and Kakarot's brat shoved in his face and begged for. It was easier than he thought.
"Look, Papa! Twinkies! Half-price!"
"They've got brownies, Mr. Vegeta!"
Vegeta closed his eyes and continued up the aisle, silently telling himself that it would all be over soon. Then he would make a short stop at Kakarot's house, dump the boys in Chi-chi's lap, and fly off to the nearest deserted island to let out some frustration.
Trunks frowned as his father walked right past them. "Hey! He just ignored us!"
"Guess we have to be louder next time," Goten said. "And nobody's louder than-"
"Gotenks," Trunks finished with a grin. "But let's wait until he gets near the ice cream."
* * * * *
Gohan blinked several times, then shook his head. He had to be imagining things now. He was starting to see Trunks & Goten everywhere these days. It had to be the long hours at work. He realized that he really missed the boys. A quick stop by the Capsule Corporation wouldn't hurt. Pan was always glad to see Trunks, and...well...she tolerated Goten. But then, just about everyone did. And then, of course, there was Vegeta...
Gohan shook his head and turned the corner into the next aisle. And then his jaw dropped. Standing near the other end of Aisle 6, holding a familiar blue box in his hand, was a familiar man. Gohan blinked to make sure it wasn't a dream. It was not. Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans...was shopping for tampons. The thought was incredibly funny and quite scary all at once. But the most frightening thing was that Vegeta was so absorbed (no pun intended) in his task, he hadn't noticed Gohan approaching, or even sensed the younger man's ki. It was still possible for Gohan to sneak away without being seen.
But Pan would have none of that.
"Daddy, look! It's Trunks' Daddy!"
It was only a matter of time now, Gohan knew, before Vegeta locked onto his ki. 5, 4, 3...ah, there it was.
Vegeta's head slowly raised, and his dark eyes shifted, locking Gohan in his gaze for only a nanosecond. He scowled (well, more than usual, anyway) and returned the box to shelf, folding his arms over his chest and waiting for the impending annoyance Gohan and his daughter were sure to bring.
Gohan had no intention of speaking to him at all. But Pan still hadn't realized that Vegeta didn't like people in general. She thought he was just shy and lonely, and made an effort to speak to him whenever she saw him. Today was no different.
"Come on, Daddy! Let's go say hi!" She grabbed Gohan's hand and dragged him up the aisle.
Gohan was half-hoping that some evil being would walk into the store, just so he'd have an excuse to escape. But evil was never around when you really needed it.
Pan stopped beside Vegeta's cart. "Hi, Trunks' Daddy!" she said, smiling up at him.
Vegeta's eyes slowly traveled to her face, and then, trying to focus on anything else, to the home pregnancy tests just behind her head. A chill went through his body, and he shuddered slightly.
Pan peered into his shopping cart. "What's tofu?" she asked.
"I've been asking myself that for years," Vegeta muttered. He sighed and glanced back at the tampon boxes. He shuddered again, then looked at Pan's father. "Gohan."
Gohan nodded. "Vegeta." He also looked at Vegeta's cart. "Sugar Shocks?"
"The boys snuck it in," Vegeta growled. "They're here...somewhere."
"Can't you just lock in on their ki?"
"I could." Vegeta smiled coldly. "But you're assuming that I want to find them."
Gohan stared blankly at him. "Uh...I think I forgot the potatoes." He quickly ran off, despite the large sack of potatoes in his cart.
"Where's Daddy going?" Pan wondered aloud.
"To find Trunks and the brat." It was sad, really. Gohan had grown out of being a wimp and into a true warrior...only to become a nerd and a pansy.
Suddenly feeling a slight pressure, Vegeta looked down. Pan had somehow managed to slip her hand into his. He sighed again and wished Gohan would hurry back.
"What's a birth control pill?" Pan asked, reading a box near the bottom shelf.
Vegeta grinned evilly. "It's a magic pill. It keeps the demons away."
Pan looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Really?"
Vegeta nodded seriously. "Would I lie to you?"
Still in her impressionable stage, Pan had yet to learn that all people weren't to be trusted. "No." She turned back to the shelves. "What's a condom?"
Vegeta quickly realized that Aisle 6 was actually the Embarrassing-Products-Small-Children-Must-Say-Loudly-To-Shame-Adults Aisle. "Another demon repellent." He began inching to the left, trying to pull Pan away from the shelf.
"What's a tampon?" Pan was asking just as Gohan returned with Trunks and Goten.
Vegeta glanced at Gohan, and then at the two boys. "I'll tell you when you're older."
Pan giggled. "You sound just like Daddy!"
Vegeta scowled again, and then grunted when he noticed Trunks and Kakarot's brat were laughing at him. He realized that Pan was still holding his hand and frowned. "I see you found them," he muttered, glaring at Gohan.
"Uh...yeah." Gohan reached for Pan's free hand. "Come on, honey."
Pan surprised him. "Can't I stay with Trunks' Daddy for a while? Pleeease?"
Gohan blinked and looked in shock at Vegeta, who was torn between smiling proudly and shuddering at the thought of doing the former. "Well...okay. I guess I can watch Trunks and Go-"
"ICE CREAM!" the boys shouted, grabbing Gohan by the wrists. All three were gone instantly.
Vegeta sighed, realizing he had yet to get a box of tampons. He scanned the shelf for a quick moment, then grabbed one of the light blue boxes, along with a few condoms. The idea was silly, yes, but he wouldn't risk Bulma having another baby at this stage. He no longer had the patience for such things.
"You don't need demon repellent," Pan observed. "You can just blast 'em!"
Vegeta looked down at her, suppressing the urge to smile and pat her head fondly. At least she'd turned out better than Gohan. Although she was just a girl, she was awfully cute, and... Vegeta shook his head and turned his thoughts back to demon repellent.
* * * * *
"I told you, ONE FLAVOR EACH!" Gohan repeated for the third time. He couldn't understand why Trunks and Goten seemed to need three flavors each...and then remembered that they were half-Saiyan.
"But you can't eat strawberry without vanilla and chocolate!" Trunks cried.
"Yeah!" Goten agreed. "And how could anyone eat just ONE box?!"
"Pan could," Gohan muttered, suddenly wishing his daughter was nearby. And then he realized that she wasn't. Though Pan's ki was naturally pretty low, it wasn't non-existent. Which meant that either she was no longer in the store, or...
"Hey, look!" Trunks said. "They've got rocky road!"
"Guys, we have to go. NOW." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Trunks and Goten and ran out of the store. Gohan was quite sure that Pan didn't know how to suppress her ki, and as low as it was, there was really no need to. On the other hand, she'd last been with Vegeta, and he was very sure that no one could just kidnap Pan while Vegeta was watching her. Of course, if he'd gotten bored and stopped watching her...then there might be a problem...
* * * * *
"WEEEEEEEE!" Pan screamed in delight as they passed through another cloud. "Faster, faster, faster!"
Fortunately for Vegeta, the roar of the wind offered his ears some protection. He still wasn't sure of why he'd taken her, and where they were going. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time. He figured they'd fly around until one of them got tired. At this rate, it looked like it might be him.
A few minutes later, he landed in a clearing.
Pan slipped from his back and ran around in circles. "That was fun! Daddy never takes me flying anymore!"
Vegeta scowled. Flight was one of the first things even the weakest Saiyans learned. By her age, he was already a skilled fighter. If Pan didn't even know how to fly yet, it might already be too late for her.
"Ooh! Flowers!"
Vegeta looked up to see a field of daisies not too far away. He sighed upon noticing the pleading look on Pan's face. "Go ahead."
She squealed and hugged his leg, then quickly ran off.
Vegeta shook his head. Playing with flowers? Gohan and Videl were already turning the girl into a weakling. Flowers were the last things she should show interest in. After all, there was a perfectly good tree nearby she could've blasted to bits...if she even HAD a power level to start with.
That was another problem. Pan was quite possibly the weakest female he'd encountered on the planet. She even made Bulma look strong, and that was really bad. It just wasn't right! Her father had defeated CELL, and when he was only eleven! How could Pan be so weak and still be half-Saiyan? The idea was almost insulting.
Right then and there, Vegeta made himself a promise. Before he breathed his last, he would at least see Pan match Trunks in power. It would be exceedingly difficult, considering her lack of training, but in the end, when she was defeating evil aliens left and right, he could say he had something-no, everything-to do with it. And besides, as much as he hated to admit it, it wasn't like he had anything better to do.
Just then, Pan came running over, flowers stuck in almost every part of her hair that the ever-present orange hairwrap didn't cover. She plucked one of them out and stuck it in his breast pocket. As it fate would have it, it was also his infamous pink shirt. Vegeta decided not to read too much into it.
"Pan, have you ever wondered why Trunks and Goten don't spend much time with you?" he asked.
Pan looked up at him, puzzled. "Yeah, but Daddy says it's cuz they got 'secret stuff' to do."
Vegeta stared at her for a long moment, and then realization came to him. Gohan hadn't even explained the concept of training to Pan. He just made it seem like something only boys could do. That was about to change, and very quickly.
"How would you like to do 'secret stuff,' too?"
Pan's eyes widened. "Could I really?!"
"That depends," Vegeta replied. "Do you want to get strong?"
Pan stuck a finger in her mouth. "Will I be really, really strong, like Grampa Goku was?"
Vegeta considered that for a second. Kakarott WAS strong...but he was also dead. Personally, Vegeta believed that each battle had taken some of Kakarot's life away, whether it was Frieza, Cell, or even Vegeta himself. Eventually, he'd just run out of life to give up, and he wasn't coming back this time.
"You'll be as strong as Trunks," he said at last. "Once you get there, then we'll see where you go."
"Okay!" she instantly agreed. And before Vegeta could stop her, she hopped into his lap and threw her arms around his neck, resting her little head against his chest.
Vegeta fought off a wave of nausea, and found it was gradually replaced by a strange, warm feeling. For some reason, Pan didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all. She didn't weigh much, and he could easily push her away...but something told him not to. In fact, he was almost tempted to pat her head again. Almost.
Continued in Part 2: The First Lessons
Chapter 1: Revelations in Aisle 6
Note: I've only seen Pan once or twice, and I've never seen Dragonball GT at all. That's your only warning. I know I probably screwed up the kids' ages, but I did this at 1 AM. Pan is a few years younger than Trunks here.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Vegeta forms an unusual bond with Pan.
It was obvious now. Bulma was not as foolish as he'd once thought she was.
She'd asked him to watch Trunks and Kakarot's brat for an hour. Nothing unexpected there; he was actually getting used to it, unfortunately. As long as they kept each other busy and didn't touch, speak to, or bother him too much, he didn't really mind.
The hour had gone by slowly, and he'd gone into the kitchen to quench his thirst when he found it. The Note. It simply said, "We're out of food. Go to the store." And yet, the implications were enormous.
First, she actually expected him to go to the grocery store...and actually shop. Next, and far worse by comparison, she expected him to take Trunks and Kakarot's brat along. He couldn't leave them at home, of course. They'd blow up something and he would get blamed for it. Not that he feared some punishment, but Bulma's normal nagging was torture enough. He didn't need the angry kind to go with it.
Included on the back of The Note was the list of ridiculous items Bulma claimed were edible. A few of them he faintly recognized, and could recall glancing at just before they had vanished into his mouth. Most of them were things only Trunks and Kakarot's brat would eat. These, he knew, would most likely have to be asked for, and served as a method for thoroughly embarrassing him. Just the thought of saying a silly thing like "Sugar Shocks" made his blood boil.
And then he realized that she was challenging him. This was her way of stepping onto the battlefield and kicking dirt on his freshly cleaned boots. Well, he would show her. After all, he was Prince of the Saiyans (despite the current number of his "people," and the lack of quality in both their upbringing and power levels). No mere shopping trip could defeat him.
So Vegeta had mentally steeled himself, and walked back outside, to where Trunks and Goten were wrestling in the dirt. He simply stood there until the boys noticed the dark shadow looming over them and looked up. "We're going to store," he declared. "Now."
* * * * *
It wasn't that Gohan hated grocery shopping. It was just that he had better things to do. He had essays to evaluate, chemicals to test, and theories to make or break. And then there was whole crime-fighting thing.
But Videl had insisted, and so he'd become partially convinced that it wasn't a bad idea. And then she'd hooked him, as she always did, without fail.
"You need to spend more time with Pan, anyway."
No matter how much time he spent with his daughter, Gohan was sure of it now: he had become addicted to her. Her smile, her laugh, her frequent kisses for him, and the way she clamped onto his hand and wouldn't let go. And Videl used that fact. All she had to do was remind Pan that ice cream could be found at the store, and Gohan was automatically expected to accompany her there.
And that was how he'd ended up in Aisle 2, trying to figure out if Videl had meant for him to get the thicker paper towels that came in twos, or the thinner ones that came in fours. Pan, of course, was no real help.
"Get both, Daddy!" she said. "That way you'll have the right one for sure...plus extra!"
Gohan had been meaning to teach Pan that nobody had enough money to buy two of everything (with the exception of the Briefs family). He'd get around to it, someday soon. But for today, he decided on the thicker paper towels that came in twos. He dropped them in the shopping cart, glanced at Videl's list, and froze. The final item on the list was not a welcome one, and it was usually the reason why Videl made Gohan go to the store in the first place.
He thought it was strange, though. Traditionally, a place used for purchasing mainly food should have food only, and nothing else. And yet, this particular store always carried the single item on the list that Gohan dreaded buying. It wasn't food, and if it was, he would not want to meet the being that ate them.
Gohan sighed heavily and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Come on, honey. Let's go to Aisle 6."
Pan, who had wandered a few feet away to look at candy, instantly returned to his side and grabbed his hand. "What do we need from Aisle 6, Daddy?" she asked.
Gohan sighed again and muttered the dreaded word. "Tampons."
* * * * *
Vegeta had gotten the hang of shopping fairly quickly. All he had to do was stick to the list...and ignore everything Trunks and Kakarot's brat shoved in his face and begged for. It was easier than he thought.
"Look, Papa! Twinkies! Half-price!"
"They've got brownies, Mr. Vegeta!"
Vegeta closed his eyes and continued up the aisle, silently telling himself that it would all be over soon. Then he would make a short stop at Kakarot's house, dump the boys in Chi-chi's lap, and fly off to the nearest deserted island to let out some frustration.
Trunks frowned as his father walked right past them. "Hey! He just ignored us!"
"Guess we have to be louder next time," Goten said. "And nobody's louder than-"
"Gotenks," Trunks finished with a grin. "But let's wait until he gets near the ice cream."
* * * * *
Gohan blinked several times, then shook his head. He had to be imagining things now. He was starting to see Trunks & Goten everywhere these days. It had to be the long hours at work. He realized that he really missed the boys. A quick stop by the Capsule Corporation wouldn't hurt. Pan was always glad to see Trunks, and...well...she tolerated Goten. But then, just about everyone did. And then, of course, there was Vegeta...
Gohan shook his head and turned the corner into the next aisle. And then his jaw dropped. Standing near the other end of Aisle 6, holding a familiar blue box in his hand, was a familiar man. Gohan blinked to make sure it wasn't a dream. It was not. Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans...was shopping for tampons. The thought was incredibly funny and quite scary all at once. But the most frightening thing was that Vegeta was so absorbed (no pun intended) in his task, he hadn't noticed Gohan approaching, or even sensed the younger man's ki. It was still possible for Gohan to sneak away without being seen.
But Pan would have none of that.
"Daddy, look! It's Trunks' Daddy!"
It was only a matter of time now, Gohan knew, before Vegeta locked onto his ki. 5, 4, 3...ah, there it was.
Vegeta's head slowly raised, and his dark eyes shifted, locking Gohan in his gaze for only a nanosecond. He scowled (well, more than usual, anyway) and returned the box to shelf, folding his arms over his chest and waiting for the impending annoyance Gohan and his daughter were sure to bring.
Gohan had no intention of speaking to him at all. But Pan still hadn't realized that Vegeta didn't like people in general. She thought he was just shy and lonely, and made an effort to speak to him whenever she saw him. Today was no different.
"Come on, Daddy! Let's go say hi!" She grabbed Gohan's hand and dragged him up the aisle.
Gohan was half-hoping that some evil being would walk into the store, just so he'd have an excuse to escape. But evil was never around when you really needed it.
Pan stopped beside Vegeta's cart. "Hi, Trunks' Daddy!" she said, smiling up at him.
Vegeta's eyes slowly traveled to her face, and then, trying to focus on anything else, to the home pregnancy tests just behind her head. A chill went through his body, and he shuddered slightly.
Pan peered into his shopping cart. "What's tofu?" she asked.
"I've been asking myself that for years," Vegeta muttered. He sighed and glanced back at the tampon boxes. He shuddered again, then looked at Pan's father. "Gohan."
Gohan nodded. "Vegeta." He also looked at Vegeta's cart. "Sugar Shocks?"
"The boys snuck it in," Vegeta growled. "They're here...somewhere."
"Can't you just lock in on their ki?"
"I could." Vegeta smiled coldly. "But you're assuming that I want to find them."
Gohan stared blankly at him. "Uh...I think I forgot the potatoes." He quickly ran off, despite the large sack of potatoes in his cart.
"Where's Daddy going?" Pan wondered aloud.
"To find Trunks and the brat." It was sad, really. Gohan had grown out of being a wimp and into a true warrior...only to become a nerd and a pansy.
Suddenly feeling a slight pressure, Vegeta looked down. Pan had somehow managed to slip her hand into his. He sighed again and wished Gohan would hurry back.
"What's a birth control pill?" Pan asked, reading a box near the bottom shelf.
Vegeta grinned evilly. "It's a magic pill. It keeps the demons away."
Pan looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Really?"
Vegeta nodded seriously. "Would I lie to you?"
Still in her impressionable stage, Pan had yet to learn that all people weren't to be trusted. "No." She turned back to the shelves. "What's a condom?"
Vegeta quickly realized that Aisle 6 was actually the Embarrassing-Products-Small-Children-Must-Say-Loudly-To-Shame-Adults Aisle. "Another demon repellent." He began inching to the left, trying to pull Pan away from the shelf.
"What's a tampon?" Pan was asking just as Gohan returned with Trunks and Goten.
Vegeta glanced at Gohan, and then at the two boys. "I'll tell you when you're older."
Pan giggled. "You sound just like Daddy!"
Vegeta scowled again, and then grunted when he noticed Trunks and Kakarot's brat were laughing at him. He realized that Pan was still holding his hand and frowned. "I see you found them," he muttered, glaring at Gohan.
"Uh...yeah." Gohan reached for Pan's free hand. "Come on, honey."
Pan surprised him. "Can't I stay with Trunks' Daddy for a while? Pleeease?"
Gohan blinked and looked in shock at Vegeta, who was torn between smiling proudly and shuddering at the thought of doing the former. "Well...okay. I guess I can watch Trunks and Go-"
"ICE CREAM!" the boys shouted, grabbing Gohan by the wrists. All three were gone instantly.
Vegeta sighed, realizing he had yet to get a box of tampons. He scanned the shelf for a quick moment, then grabbed one of the light blue boxes, along with a few condoms. The idea was silly, yes, but he wouldn't risk Bulma having another baby at this stage. He no longer had the patience for such things.
"You don't need demon repellent," Pan observed. "You can just blast 'em!"
Vegeta looked down at her, suppressing the urge to smile and pat her head fondly. At least she'd turned out better than Gohan. Although she was just a girl, she was awfully cute, and... Vegeta shook his head and turned his thoughts back to demon repellent.
* * * * *
"I told you, ONE FLAVOR EACH!" Gohan repeated for the third time. He couldn't understand why Trunks and Goten seemed to need three flavors each...and then remembered that they were half-Saiyan.
"But you can't eat strawberry without vanilla and chocolate!" Trunks cried.
"Yeah!" Goten agreed. "And how could anyone eat just ONE box?!"
"Pan could," Gohan muttered, suddenly wishing his daughter was nearby. And then he realized that she wasn't. Though Pan's ki was naturally pretty low, it wasn't non-existent. Which meant that either she was no longer in the store, or...
"Hey, look!" Trunks said. "They've got rocky road!"
"Guys, we have to go. NOW." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Trunks and Goten and ran out of the store. Gohan was quite sure that Pan didn't know how to suppress her ki, and as low as it was, there was really no need to. On the other hand, she'd last been with Vegeta, and he was very sure that no one could just kidnap Pan while Vegeta was watching her. Of course, if he'd gotten bored and stopped watching her...then there might be a problem...
* * * * *
"WEEEEEEEE!" Pan screamed in delight as they passed through another cloud. "Faster, faster, faster!"
Fortunately for Vegeta, the roar of the wind offered his ears some protection. He still wasn't sure of why he'd taken her, and where they were going. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time. He figured they'd fly around until one of them got tired. At this rate, it looked like it might be him.
A few minutes later, he landed in a clearing.
Pan slipped from his back and ran around in circles. "That was fun! Daddy never takes me flying anymore!"
Vegeta scowled. Flight was one of the first things even the weakest Saiyans learned. By her age, he was already a skilled fighter. If Pan didn't even know how to fly yet, it might already be too late for her.
"Ooh! Flowers!"
Vegeta looked up to see a field of daisies not too far away. He sighed upon noticing the pleading look on Pan's face. "Go ahead."
She squealed and hugged his leg, then quickly ran off.
Vegeta shook his head. Playing with flowers? Gohan and Videl were already turning the girl into a weakling. Flowers were the last things she should show interest in. After all, there was a perfectly good tree nearby she could've blasted to bits...if she even HAD a power level to start with.
That was another problem. Pan was quite possibly the weakest female he'd encountered on the planet. She even made Bulma look strong, and that was really bad. It just wasn't right! Her father had defeated CELL, and when he was only eleven! How could Pan be so weak and still be half-Saiyan? The idea was almost insulting.
Right then and there, Vegeta made himself a promise. Before he breathed his last, he would at least see Pan match Trunks in power. It would be exceedingly difficult, considering her lack of training, but in the end, when she was defeating evil aliens left and right, he could say he had something-no, everything-to do with it. And besides, as much as he hated to admit it, it wasn't like he had anything better to do.
Just then, Pan came running over, flowers stuck in almost every part of her hair that the ever-present orange hairwrap didn't cover. She plucked one of them out and stuck it in his breast pocket. As it fate would have it, it was also his infamous pink shirt. Vegeta decided not to read too much into it.
"Pan, have you ever wondered why Trunks and Goten don't spend much time with you?" he asked.
Pan looked up at him, puzzled. "Yeah, but Daddy says it's cuz they got 'secret stuff' to do."
Vegeta stared at her for a long moment, and then realization came to him. Gohan hadn't even explained the concept of training to Pan. He just made it seem like something only boys could do. That was about to change, and very quickly.
"How would you like to do 'secret stuff,' too?"
Pan's eyes widened. "Could I really?!"
"That depends," Vegeta replied. "Do you want to get strong?"
Pan stuck a finger in her mouth. "Will I be really, really strong, like Grampa Goku was?"
Vegeta considered that for a second. Kakarott WAS strong...but he was also dead. Personally, Vegeta believed that each battle had taken some of Kakarot's life away, whether it was Frieza, Cell, or even Vegeta himself. Eventually, he'd just run out of life to give up, and he wasn't coming back this time.
"You'll be as strong as Trunks," he said at last. "Once you get there, then we'll see where you go."
"Okay!" she instantly agreed. And before Vegeta could stop her, she hopped into his lap and threw her arms around his neck, resting her little head against his chest.
Vegeta fought off a wave of nausea, and found it was gradually replaced by a strange, warm feeling. For some reason, Pan didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all. She didn't weigh much, and he could easily push her away...but something told him not to. In fact, he was almost tempted to pat her head again. Almost.
Continued in Part 2: The First Lessons