" Once So Blue"

Disclaimer:

Rating: R

Warnings:

Summary: The night before Pan leaves for college in the states, she admits her feelings to Trunks, causing the two to spend a night of passion together. The next day, Pan leaves for college, leaving Trunks a note. Five years later she returns.

"Once So Blue"

Chapter 4

"We're here Pan," Bra said, gripping Pan's shoulder.

"I know," Pan breathed nervously, and knelt by her daughter, "Honey the people we meet today are people you've never seen before. They're my family and friends and I am nervous, so if I start crying, don't worry Mariko, I will be fine."

"That's okay Mommy, if they hurt you just run away and scream. I'll protect you," Mariko said innocently.

Marron smiled at Mariko's comment, "I'm pretty sure you won't have to protect your mom. She has plenty of friends that could do the job," Marron said, smiling at Pan, letting the dark haired girl know she would be there for her, come rain or shine.

Pan grabbed Derek's hand and he gave her a reassuring look.

"It'll be fine," he whispered.

"I hope so."

Goten stood beside the exit, waiting for his niece, wife, and close friend.

"Why does Bulma have to throw a party every time someone leaves and comes back?" Goten groaned to himself. He didn't want to pick up Pan, Marron, and Bra. It was not that he didn't like them. He loved them all to pieces, it was the fact all three of them in a small convertible together with him, and it was raining outside so he couldn't put the top down, they were going to talk his ears off.

But he did have his own questions for Pan. He had felt her ki jumping one night five years ago. It was going very high then low. She wasn't being intimate with anyone. Her ki jumps were too radical. Something big was happening.

And then there was the fact she didn't return when she was arranged too. Something was up. Goten wasn't stupid, he knew something big had happened to Pan.

"Hey Uncle Goten!"

Goten saw Pan running toward him. He smiled, she had grown up and matured into an even more beautiful woman than she was before. She had the elegant features of his mother and, from what he seen, the attitude and posture of Videl. A very lovely combination. Her looks could compete with that of the Briefs women, and Goten bet, she could win.

"Pan-chan!" Goten said, pulling the girl into a very hard embrace.

"I've missed you so much!" Pan breathed.

"The same for me."

Bra and Marron trailed behind Pan, and Goten saw a brunette haired man and a little lavender haired girl behind Bra.

Goten put Pan down and hugged his wife, but he never took his eyes off the little girl. Something was strangely familiar about her.

'She looks like Trunks and. . . . Pan?' he thought, his confusion setting in.

Pan caught her uncle's gaze at her child, "Goten this is Mariko."

Mariko stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"She's my daughter," Pan said, noting Goten's surprised face, "Mariko this is your Great Uncle Goten."

Mariko smiled and hugged the Goten, "Hiya Uncle Goten!"

Goten felt his heart melt. The little girl definitely had traits of Goku. Hugging complete strangers, acting like she had known them all her life. She definitely was of Son decent.

"And this," Pan said pulling her fiancé forward, "is Derek, my fiancé."

Goten took on a bewildered look. 'Is he Mariko's father? He looks nothing like her.'

Marron noticed her husband's look. 'If Goten can tell, Trunks will definitely know.'

"Is he the. . . . . father of Mariko?" Goten asked curiously.

The moment of truth.

"No, Goten, Derek is not," Pan answered keeping her gaze to the floor. Derek stayed silent. This was matters of Pan's. If she needed his help, she would ask.

"If he's not then who is?" Goten asked, "She does look an awful lot like you and Trunks, but there's no way Trunks is the father. That would never happen."

Goten looked at Pan's blushing face, searching for an answer. His eyes widened like saucers.

"No way Pan!"

Pan shook her head, "Yes Trunks is the father."

"I can't believe this. Trunks and you had SEX!"

Pan took on an angry look in her eyes, a look that reminded Goten of his mother when she was angered, "Do not say that word in front of my daughter!" Pan hissed viciously.

Goten winced, "Sorry, sorry."

Pan picked Mariko up, keeping a firm hold on her daughter's waist.

"So that's why your ki was jumping so radically five years ago. You were giving birth," Goten said, appearing to be in deep thought.

"You could feel my ki?"

"Yeah and I'm sure Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks did too."

"I didn't," Bra said.

"That's because you don't train, Bra," Goten snickered, "and maybe because you are weak."

"Why you pompous jackass you have a lot of nerve insulting a Saiya-jin princess."

Goten was about to respond with a nastier reply but Marron took his hand in hers, "We should all be going now."

"Yeah Bulma is throwing a party for Pan," Goten said, "and she expects the guest of honor to be there."

"I wonder how they're going to react to Mariko?" Derek asked.

"I only know one thing, it's going to be a big mess. One in which I don't want to experience." Pan said dreadfully.

The car ride for Pan seemed too short, although it was a forty-five minute drive. She didn't want to do this but she had to. It would be cowardice not to. She couldn't run from her past forever, besides Trunks deserved to know his daughter.

"Are you ready Pan?" Bra asked.

Pan took a determined look in her eyes, "Yes."

The five adults and child walked in the front door. Pan leading the way.

As soon as she was in the room, Pan felt herself being bombarded by hugs. A flash of teal hair and two flashes of black hair told her it was her mother, her grandmother, and Bulma who were the culprits behind the hugs.

The compliments and questions seemed to come all at once.

"Why didn't you come back?"

"You look so gorgeous!"

"I can't wait to see your Master's Degree!"

And other comments mixed in with the three excited voices.

Pan wiped a tear from her eye. She never realized she missed her family and friends this much. Everyone was here from what she could tell. Vegeta, Eighteen, Krillin, family. Everyone.

After they were finished with Pan, the three women went to Marron and Bra. Asking all types of questions.

Pan spotted her father approaching, "Dad!"

Gohan smiled and kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"Dad, I missed you!" Pan yelled, letting Gohan spin her around.

"I missed you too, Pan!" Gohan said smiling and missed her he had. Gohan had began missing Pan the minute her plane took off at the airport. Now she was back and Gohan had never been happier.

Pan and Gohan turned their attention to Videl and Chi-Chi and the little girl in front of them.

"Who's that?" Gohan asked.

Pan looked at her both her parents and saw the question on their faces as well as her friends and grandmother. Taking a look at Bra, Derek, Goten, and Marron, who were smiling, Pan faced her family and everyone else.

'Here we go,' she thought.

"Mom, Dad, everyone," Pan grasped Mariko's hand, "this is my daughter. . . . . Mariko."

A silence filled the once lively room.

The news hung in the air like a dead weight.

Pan studied the looks on everyone's face and found her grandma's and mother's face were mixed between happiness for Pan and surprise, but Pan couldn't read her father's expression. She hated when she couldn't read his expression, it meant something troubled him deeply.

Bulma, Krillin, and Eighteen looked surprised but happy. Vegeta looked as if he didn't care, but Pan knew he shared Gohan's reaction, Vegeta was her second father, and she knew to him she was like a second daughter. Somewhere in her heart Pan felt that every last one of them were disappointed in her. She looked at the ground.

But her iron will would not allow her to be ashamed of her daughter. It was not Mariko's fault, it was Pan's fault. Mariko was not going to suffer for Pan's mistake.

Pan had been looking for one person. . . . Trunks. . . .

She hadn't seen him, and she searched every face in the room.

"Who's the father?" Chi-Chi asked, cutting the silence and Pan's thoughts short.

"Grandma I'm not sure if I am comfortable discussing that question right now," Pan said, her gaze shifting to Mariko.

Chi-Chi understood, the question should be discussed between family, but then noticed the brunette man beside Pan, "Who is he?"

"This is my fiancé, Derek," Pan answered. Derek stepped forward and smiled. He shook Chi-Chi and Videl's hands politely.

All the while Bra stared at Gohan and the brewing look on his face.

Gohan was confused. 'Strange if he is the father of Mariko, he looks nothing like her. Mariko looks so much like. . . . Trunks. . . . no he wouldn't dare touch my daughter,' Gohan thought, but the more he studied Mariko, the more he saw his daughter and Trunks in that little girl's face, and the more he realized this, the angrier and more outraged he became.

His hands tightening into fists, Gohan stormed out of the room and turned Super Saiya-jin.

"TRUNKS!!!!!!!!"

"Oh no," Pan whispered and followed after her father.

Gohan knew and Trunks was going to pay if she didn't stop him.

Chapter 5
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