Past Perfect - Chapter 1: The Arrival
By: Moonraven
Disclaimer…I don’t own DBZ characters….
"Bulma! This contraption will never work!" Pan’s voice can be heard as she yelled from inside the contraption.
Bulma sigh with resignation as she instruct the girl to punch in a few more codes on the panel via radio. Bulma was in her lab in the main Capsule Corp. building and Pan was working inside Bulma’s latest invention, a two seater Time Machine, in the back of the compound. "How is it now, Pan?" She called into the radio. Bulma was quite proud of her little protégé. Unlike her own children, Pan actually loved to help her and she was quite adept at it. Pan spent more time at Bulma’s place than at her own home. She would rush there right after school and would only return home to sleep and change. The fact that Bra, her best friend, lived there was one reason. The other was all the cool stuff she got to help Bulma with. She had no other friends except Marron, though she didn’t seem to care. Other kids at school just found her strange. She had no any interest in boys, which was a surprise for the hormonal age of 17. She was always more interested in hanging out with older people like Trunks, Goten and the other Z warriors. She reveled in the stories they told and forever bugged them into sparring with her. Bulma didn’t know how such a small girl could pack so much power.
"Well, power’s on and the date is displayed on the screen . . . . . but I keep hearing this hissing sound." Pan mumbled as she crawled under the control panel so she could pin point where the sound was coming from. With a small flash light clamped securely in the mouth, she lay facing up, searching the network of wires and proceeded to check them one by one.
"This better work" Pan grumbled to herself as she wiggled her petite form deeper under panel to get a better look. She and Bulma had been working on this for months.
"I FOUND IT!" Pan screamed with glee, as she spied yellow and blue wires hanging loose.
"Don’t touch it yet, Pan. Let me shut the system down first." Bulma warned as she reach for the power switch. She paused when she didn’t hear any response from the girl. "Pan?" Bulma called into the radio. "Pan!" Ugh! The radio is now dead too? Bulma decided to go out to the back to look for herself, carrying the portable radio with her. When she got to the back of the compound, it was empty. EMPTY! Where the heck was the time machine? Where’s Pan? "PAN!" Bulma was screaming now.
"What the hell are you so upset about?" Vegeta sensing her distress came out of his gravity chamber. He was shirtless and wearing his tight black shorts. His muscular torso gleamed with sweat. If Bulma hadn’t been terrified about Pan, other interesting thoughts would have surfaced.
"Vegeta, can you sense Pan’s ki anywhere?" Bulma asked urgently, yanking at her mate’s arm.
Vegeta frowned at her but search around anyway, concentrating hard. "No" he said with some hesitation. He looked concerned. "I should be able to sense her anywhere on this earth and further….but I can’t"
"Oh Kami! She’s GONE!" Bulma gasped. "GOHAN’S GONNA KILL MEEEEEE…." Bulma wailed.
Pan felt dizzy. After she reattached the loose wires everything seemed to shimmer. She had to reach up and grasp the control panel to steady herself. After a few second everything went back to normal. What the heck was that? She wondered. "Bulma!" She called from under the panel. No response. That’s funny, the radio was on speaker so Bulma should have been able to hear Pan no matter what part of the ship she was in.
"BULMA!" She yelled again, this time very loudly. Vegeta could probably hear her from inside his training chamber and boy, would he be pissed. "Bulma, c’mon, answer me already. What do you want me to check now? Why is it getting drafty all of a sudden?." She grumbled as she started to wiggle out from under the panel. "Damn!" She cursed as she felt her small skirt hiked up her buttocks with her movements.
"Well if you were dressed more appropriately, you won’t have that problem." Came an amused drawl.
"Trunks! You hentai! Stop looking at me then!" She can feel heat rising in her cheeks. "Where’s your mom?" She grated, a little embarrassed for she knew how she must have looked like from the other’s point of view. He could probably only see from her waist down and her legs were bent at the knees for support. She was also wearing a very short skirt and no leggings. Hey, but this was Trunks, he was like a brother to her.
"Er…I’m here dear. How can I help you?" Bulma voice replied. But somehow it was different. Sadder, more … old? What’s going on?
Pan tried to sit up and only succeeded in tangling herself in the wire. "Damn it!" She cursed again and lie back down. She had to scoot back out but that made her skirt hike up even more.
"Trunks, if you’re even remotely a gentleman, you’ll turn around!" She said icily.
Trunks mumbled something unintelligible and turned around. Pan can hear his feet shuffling so she took that as a yes. "Hey, your ki feels….different. What have you been doing?" she asked as she cautiously maneuvered herself out from under the panel.
"Phew!" She let out a loud sigh as she sat up, her legs stretched out in front of her. What she saw caused her jaw to drop. If it could hit the floor, it would have. The woman she took to be Bulma seemed very mature. Her gray speckled hair was tied back in a tight bun, almost like Pan’s grandma Chi-Chi. She wore unattractive looking overalls. Not the same Bulma she saw a few minutes ago. The back of the young man next to her was familiar, except for the hair…it was the same lavender hair but it’s longer than it should be, down past his shoulders. He was wearing a loose pair of black pants and black muscle t-shirt which showed off a great deal of his muscular arms and shoulders.
"B..B…Bulma? Trunks?" She voiced tentatively. "What’s going on? It IS you guys, right?" She was almost afraid to ask.
Trunks finally turned around, curious, and Pan saw a younger version of Trunks. He was the same as the Mirai Trunks she grew up hearing about! He looked just like those pictures Bulma had shown her. Her jaw dropped some more. He was frowning at her but out of confusion more than annoyance. Oh Kami, he is gorgeous!
"Well, I can see you’re from some alternate timeline. What is your name, dear?" The Bulma look-alike said kindly. Trunks was still silent. He watched her intently trying very hard to keep his eyes from straying to her exposed legs and dishevel tank top. Why did he have this feeling that he knows her? She clearly knew a Bulma and a Trunks, but which ones?
"Pan." Replied Pan. They did it! They did it! A huge smile broke on her bewildered face! She jumped up with joy and embraced Bulma. "We did it! Well, the other you and I did. We finally did it!" Then a thought hit her. What if this was a different world where Trunks did not go back in time? Worriedly she looked at Trunks. "Are you the Trunks that went back in time to warn my Grandpa? I mean Goku?"
"Yes." Trunks’ frown deepened. "You’re Goku’s grand daughter?" He breathed, incredulous. But he just got back a not and hour ago.
"Yep" Pan beamed. She’s so happy! She should be scared half out of her wits but she wasn’t. Finally, hers and Bulma’s hard work paid off and she gets to meet the man of her dreams. Her hero from childhood!
Trunks blushed furiously and Pan realized she must have voiced her thoughts out loud! Idiot idiot idiot idiot! She scolded herself.
"We grew up around the stories of you and the others saving the earth." She said lamely. Idiot idiot idiot…..Pan mentally kicked herself.
"Gohan’s daughter?" Bulma asked. She really is different from the other Bulma. Her hard life here must have affected her more then anyone realizes. She looks sad and even if she’s younger than the other Bulma, she seems older somehow.
"Yes." Pan beamed some more. She felt that if she’s extra happy, it’ll rub off on these two. From the way they looked, they really need it. Trunks, aside from a faint blush, was silent and expressionless. Then realization hit her, and Pan gasped. "Dad! He’ll kill Bulma! Then he’ll kill me!" She groaned and rushed to the control panel. Good, the power is still working. She clicked on a few switches and spoke into the microphone, "Bulma, can you hear me?" Nothing but static. "Oh, come on you! You have to work." She adjusted the frequency knob and tried again. "Bulma? Come in Bulma." Pan furiously work the buttons on the panel. Then after what seems like an eternity, she can hear a faint voice over the static, "Pan? Is that you?" Pan can feel the other two now standing on either side of her. Relief flooded her senses and she felt faint.
"You made radio contact, but that’s amazing." The somber Bulma mused. Her voice actually sounded excited.
Pan tried to ignore the two people next to her but Trunks’ presence was hard to overlook. Her senses wanted to shut down at the nearness of him. Why? She’s been around him all her life? What was different now? She cleared her throat and replied to her Bulma.
"Yes, it’s Pan. Bulma, WE DID IT!. It’s, like, totally incredible. I’m hear with Mirai Trunks and his mother. Well, actually he’s our past now because he’s about half of Trunks age." She turned to the semi-shock figure next to her, "How old are you?" She asked.
"Um…" Trunks thought quickly…with the hyperbolic time chamber… "about 20?" he stammered.
"Okay, he’s 20, he thinks. Bulma, this is, like, SO, exciting. I had no idea how I got here but don’t let my dad hurt you, okay? Oh Kami, what am I going to do? How do I get back? Don’t let dad kill me when I get back, please and Bulma, please let them know I’m okay…" Pan was babbling now, hysterically so. She couldn’t stop talking if her life depended on it. She felt strong hands prying her away from the radio and the sad Bulma took her place, not so sad now. She felt really light headed and giggly, yet she wanted to cry. The excitement was just too much for her and she felt so drained. Pan vaguely recalled being pulled from her seat into strong arms and pressed gently to hard muscular chest. Those arms continued to hold her as she cries. She can hear Bulma talking to the other Bulma over the radio. She remembered the crisp, clean scent of the man holding her. It was indescribable, and reminded her of trees deep in the forest. She felt so safe. And then blackness took her…..
Trunks felt strange. The sobbing girl in his arm unnerved him. He had been with women before, but he’d never felt anything like this. He remembered the aching need he felt the second he saw her under the panel. Holding her now was a real strain on his self control. She smells nice, he thought absently. She feels good, too. Damn, it’s been too long since he last…abruptly he stopped his train of thought. This was NOT helping. Suddenly the girl in his arms went limp. He looked down and found she was unconscious. Gently he scooped her up and held her protectively. Why does this feel so right? Why does it feel so familiar? All he can do now was hold her while his mother talk to his other mother. Man, this is weird.
Gohan cannot locate his daughter. He did sense a distressing vibration from Bulma’s place. That’s where Pan usually hanged out! Panic rose in Gohan’s chest as he raced to Capsule Corp. He landed in the back yard by the Gravity Chamber where Bulma and Vegeta were now yelling at each other. Bulma screamed when she saw Gohan and grabbed Vegeta’s arm.
"Where’s Pan?" Gohan asked looking around frantically. "Where is that time machine you’re working ….?" Gohan gasped as he spun around to face the couple. "DON’T TELL ME!" he yelled. "No, Bulma, don’t tell me . . . . . . . Where the hell is my daughter?" He bellowed.
Vegeta stepped in front of Bulma and blocked her from the raging father. "She’s fine. We just talked to her. Calm down and Bulma will explain."
"Then why can’t I feel her?" Gohan continued to panic.
All three turns as Goten and Trunks landed next to them?
"What’s going on guys?" Goten asked. "Hey, what happened to your time machine? Finally get it to work?" he teased Bulma then stop short as he caught on to the stress around him. "What?" he asked innocently.
"Bulma, are you still there?" came the faint and static voice over the radio Bulma was carrying.
They all looked shocked at the voice. "That sounds like YOU, mom." Trunks gaped.
"I’m here, (mirai)Bulma. We got cut off for a second when an irate father landed and won’t stop shouting." She stared pointedly at Gohan who looked indignant!
"Irate! Huh! She would be too if her daughter is missing!" Gohan yelled into the radio.
Bulma pushed him off , "Where is Pan?" he continued to shout. Bulma pushed him towards her mate as she talked to Mirai Bulma. Vegeta in the meantime attempted to explain the situation to the three younger saiyans.
"She’s here. She is resting just now. A little overwhelmed, I think. We’ll take good care of her, Gohan. Don’t worry. Trunks is with her now." Mirai Bulma tried her best to reassure everyone that everything was okay. "I think Trunks is a bit shocked himself. He just got back from your time where you were only 11 years old, Gohan, and now he’s holding YOUR daughter." they could hear the smile in her voice.
"Why is he holding my daughter?" Gohan wanted to know. "What wrong with her?" Worry crept into his voice.
Mirai Bulma kicked herself mentally, "Just resting Gohan. We can put her on the floor until we get into the house but that’s hardly comfortable. She’s tired. Time travelling is not easy." She assured him again. Then turning to Trunks, "Why don’t you put her in your room for now and we’ll make up a bed for her later."
"HIS room? Why not YOUR room?" Gohan’s panic is clear now.
Bulma shoved him away again. "Gohan! What’s wrong with you?"
Mirai Trunks felt he needed to clear the air, "Gohan, on my honor and my family’s, Pan is safe with me. Please don’t worry." With that he left the time machine with Pan in his arms.
"Man, that was you." Goten nudged Trunks who was speechless. "But he sounded WAY serious."
Gohan frowned but remain silent as Bulma continued to talk to the other Bulma about preparations for Pan’s return trip. He glanced worriedly at Trunks and Goten. Vegeta walked up to Gohan, he knew what’s on the other saiyan’s mind. If his daughter was with someone like his son, he’ll be worried too. But Mirai Trunks was nothing like this Trunks. "Gohan, do you remember Trunks?" Vegeta asked the younger man.
Gohan frowned slightly, recalling, "He was a great fighter. Kind of reserved and very cautious. I’ve always liked him. He seemed like a very nice guy." Still, he darted another look at present Trunks. Gohan sighed, and smiled at Vegeta. "The thing that stood out the most was his obsession about protecting you. I guess I don’t have much to worry about. He was one of my all time favorite heroes besides dad and Piccolo."
"Well then, give it a rest." Snorted Vegeta as he stalked back to his mate. Gohan’s words brought back memories of Mirai Trunks. The two boys were so different. They were both good fighters but their personalities were far apart. Present Trunks was more playful, mischievous and somewhat arrogant. He smirked at the last description. He guessed that’s his influence over the boy. Mirai Trunks was serious, kept to himself, humble and forever trying to proof himself to Vegeta. Vegeta knew that it was because he had never known a father and felt the need to be accepted. He felt bad now for giving the boy such a hard time. His son was constantly trying to prevent his death. He put his life on the line many times just because he thought it would protect his father. Vegeta wished he had thought and done the same for his son. The horror he felt when Cell killed Trunks was overwhelming but it changed him for good. Now this Trunks had a father to grow up with. He learned to appreciate his son even if he never told him. His pride for both his sons weld up inside him. No saiyan could have better offspring.
The two Bulmas continue to discuss extended power source, radio capabilities and other technical stuff only they seem to know about. They also made arrangements for Pan to call home daily. This should alleviate Gohan’s apprehension. But still, they were not sure when the time machine would be ready for the return trip. Both Bulmas do not seem worried. To them, it’s just a matter of time. Gohan wondered how he will break the news to his wife.
To be continued….very soon!