Check Please! part iii
Bura-sama

I feel so sad when you're gone
I feel so sad here, all alone
But when you're by my side
But when you're in my sight
My hopes are so high
My hopes and dreams can fly
I feel so sad when you're gone
I feel so sad here, all alone

Chapter Five

        Marron turned the page in her book, and stopped reading as her answering machine clicked on.  It was him again, it had to be.  "Marron, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, again.  Please call me, I just want to talk to you.  Please!"  Marron started reading again, but momentarily cast a glance to the wilting daisies in the trash can.  Her twisted ankle was resting on a pillow at the other side of the sofa, starting to finally feel better after three days since the assault.  She looked back up to the dead flowers, and finally just threw her novel down.  She wasn't in the mood to read one of those cheesy romance novels at that moment.  Sometimes they were good for a laugh, but she wasn't in a laughing mood.  She struggled to her feet, and leaned against the broom that was serving as her crutch as she limped toward the flowers.  She found an old newspaper, and dropped it on top of the bouquet, before using the broom to jab it out of sight.  She then limped back to the sofa, and started flipping through a bridal magazine.  Her old manager down at the restaurant was getting married, and she was to be a bridesmaid.   What joy.

***

        "Look at him,"  Pan pointed to the sharp-looking young businessman who was eating breakfast and doing work.  "Isn't he a doll?"

        Marron gave her friend an odd look, and then looked to the businessman, and then back to her friend.  "Since when did you start talking like that?  Like a prep?"  She looked at the guy again, "Besides, he looks like a wimp."

        "He does not,  just go over there and ask him his name."  Pan tied an apron behind her back and pinned her hair back.  "Please?"

        Marron shifted uncomfortably.  She knew what her friend was trying to do for her, and it wasn't working.  Reluctantly, she grabbed a pot of fresh coffee, and walked to the man.  He had black hair, but his face was shielded from her view as he was looking down at the briefcase on the table.  He was flipping through a file, scribbling down notes on a napkin and periodically glancing at his watch.  Marron stopped in front of his table,  "Do you want any more coffee now?"  He looked up at her and grinned.  She smiled back, "Hi, Goten."

        "How's the ankle?"  He motioned for her to sit with him.

        Marron looked around the restaurant, and found Mr. Smith burning holes at her with his eyes.  Even though there were only two other customers, she didn't risk it.  She softly shook her head 'no', and then poured more coffee into the still almost-full cup.  "It's better.  Where's your girlfriend?"

        His eyes lit up, "Bra's in school.  Speaking of which, we're getting married next week, and I would love for you to be there."

        Marron looked back to Pan, whom she could see filling orders in the kitchen.  She looked back to Goten.  Trunks was his best friend, of course he would be there.  "I don't think that's such a good idea."  The word "Trunks" remained unspoken in the air.  "I don't suppose you would buy an omelet or a bagel or something?  I think Pan wants to talk to you."

        He looked at her oddly for a moment, and then nodded.  "I've been trying to call her, to talk to her about something."

***

        Pan picked imaginary lint off of her sweater, and then nervously crossed her arms.  "Hello,"  she smiled, but resisted sitting at the booth even though she didn't see Mr. Smith glaring down at her like a vulture.  "Goten-san."

        He looked at her just as nervously, and cut a bite out of his English muffin.  "I've been trying to call you, but I can't find your number.  There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

        "Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about.  My family, right?"  She could already feel the tears forming in her eyes.  "I've been trying to call you, too.  My problem lies more with staying on the line, waiting for someone to answer."

        He nodded gravely, "Your mother was Miss Satan, wasn't she?"

        Pan nodded.  "She died years ago..."

        Goten looked up at her with sad eyes, "My brother, Gohan..."  He sighed and rested his head against his palm.  "He used to go out with Miss Videl.  I was just a little kid at the time, but I honestly believed he was going to marry her."  Pan was crying now.  Goten went on rather reluctantly, "Then a couple of years later when I was in high school,  they had that big breakup, and I heard that your grandfather pulled her out of the university, and sent her to a private college somewhere."

        Pan knew what he meant.  Her mother had been sent away because she was pregnant.  "I never knew my father.  My mom used to talk about him some when I was younger," she paused, "A lot younger.  And then there was the fire.  I ended up in an orphanage for five years, where I met Marron.  Her parents died in the fire, too.  I..."

        Goten didn't say anything, just put his hand on her shoulder, and waited until her choked sobs stopped.  "Gohan didn't know.  I'm sure he didn't.  He was torn up when Videl broke up with him, and he wasn't the kind of guy who would just have a kid and never care anything about it."

        "'He was'...?"  Pan repeated hollowly.  She had always known.  On some deep-down depressing level, she had always known that her father wasn't among the living anymore.

        Goten grew quiet, until something clattered in the kitchen.  Neither looked away from each other.  The noise, however, was enough to bring Goten back to the present, "After word got out that Miss Videl died, he fell into a depression.  He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, he blamed himself for her death.  He pretty much gave up his will to live.  It was about three months after your mother died..."  He took a deep breath.  "He was in an auto accident.  He fell into a coma and died.  Maybe if..."  He stopped himself from saying anything else.  A few tears fell from his eyes, and Pan leaned forward to hug him.  She was crying.

Chapter Six

Blades of grass
Shoot up into the sky
Drops of morning dew
Stick to the green, green, grass
The warm sunlight
Melts it away,
Leaving the green, green, grass
Dry like winter air...

        Marron didn't know what to say.  Her friend was lying on the couch, crying her eyes out.  She had tried to talk to her, but nothing seemed to be working.  After Pan had talked to Son Goten, she had pulled off her apron and ran crying through the door.  Marron had covered for her for the fifteen minute remainder of their shift, and then ran back to her apartment, where she knew that Pan would be.  Even Mr. Smith hadn't said anything about them not coming back to work after their lunch break.  Now, she sat in the rocking chair next to the door, periodically sipping on her cup of cold hot chocolate.  Pan was asleep on the couch, though fresh tears were still rolling down her face.  She was still wearing her uniform, and was covered up in a warm blanket.  Her right hand clutched her only necklace like it was a lifeline.

        Marron knew that necklace well enough.  Pan never took it off.  It was her mother's only remaining possession.  A loose gold chain with a small gold dove charm on the end.  Pan had told her once that her father -- Goten's older brother -- had given it to her mother when they had first started dating.  Pan had been wearing it to a school dance the day her mother died.  It was small comfort on a  night like this, when she had learned that she never had a chance to know her father.  Since Marron had first met her, all Pan would ever talk about was finding her father, to meet her family, to have that connection with somebody.  And now that dream was gone, and the possibility had never even existed.

        "Marron,"  Pan wiped away some of the tears, and sat up.  Her blanket fell to the floor, and she absently picked it up.  "I want to go to the wedding.  Goten's wedding.  His parents are going to be there, and I want to meet my grandparents." She paused and looked to Marron hesitantly, "I want you to go with me,"  Marron's face fell.  "I know that Trunks is going to be there, but I've been thinking about that.  Goten told me that he was sick, as in throwing up all day sick," she almost laughed to herself.  "As in sick from eating bad food sick."

        Marron took a deep breath, "We poisoned him, didn't we?"

        Pan nodded, "So I was thinking that maybe you should give him another chance.  You know, to see how things work out."

***

        Pan was wearing one of her few nice dresses.  The lilac one with the V cut, wide straps, and fell down close to her ankles and lilac high heels.  She had on amethyst earrings, and her usual gold necklace.  Marron was wearing her pink dress with the short slit up past the knee, pale pink gloves, and pale pink sandals.  She had on a silver necklace, and rose quartz earrings.  Compared to everyone else in attendance, they might as well have been wearing their waitress uniforms.

        It was an outside wedding, with lots of white everywhere.  Swans waddled past the caterer, and guests stood around talking as everything was being set up.  Marron spotted Goten in the corner, talking to Trunks and some guy with black hair spiking off in opposite directions, but she said nothing.  A short guy with his hair sticking straight up -- Marron recognized him as Trunks and Bra's father -- was watching them, but no one else seemed to notice.  A woman who looked like an older Bra with shorter hair -- Marron recognized her as Trunks and Bra's mother -- was directing everybody.  A woman that Marron had never seen before walked up to Goten and the older guy, and started straightening their tuxedos.  Two bridesmaids -- cheerleaders who Marron remembered were airheads in high school -- stood off to the side, talking.  Their dresses could have probably paid Marron's rent for three months.  "Very flashy,"  Pan commented dryly.

        "Could it be because the bride is filthy rich?"  Marron laughed slightly, then looked back over to Goten.  Trunks was staring at her.  Anxiety consumed her in an instant.  "Why are we here again?"  He started walking toward her, which prompted Goten to notice them.  He waved, and then said something to the man and woman still standing there.  Her head snapped up and stared at Pan with an intensity that Marron hadn't seen in years.  Momentarily forgetting about Trunks, she turned to Pan.  "There's your grandmother,"  Pan stepped forward slightly as her grandparents came closer.  Marron looked at them for a moment, they all had the same shaped eyes.  She smiled slightly.  At least Pan had her family now.  The grandmother was crying.

        Marron sighed, and found that Trunks was already standing next to her.  He looked great in that tuxedo.  His hair was neatly combed back, but some of it still found a way to hang in his face.  His eyes were mischievous, and sparkled as he looked at Marron.  Black was definitely great on him.  "You look great," he said as his eyes moved back to her face.

        Marron found herself blushing as she looked down at her dress.  She couldn't keep the thrill out of her voice as she said, "Don't patronize me."  She didn't look great.  She looked like some lower middle class kid going to a school event and being laughed off the dance floor.  "I didn't have enough time to make anything else.  I hadn't planned on being here, you know."

        "You made this dress?!"  He lightly touched the strap, and then looked her over again, but something was different in his eyes.  "Wow.  You made this in six days?"

        "Three and a half, actually,"  She was blushing.  She looked over at Pan to see  Goten's mother holding the dove charm up to the light.  "Umm,"  She looked back to Trunks and smiled nervously.  "I was thinking, if the offer still stands of course, maybe we could go out to dinner some time."

***

        "So, Goten tells me that you're waitresses,"  ChiChi smiled at her granddaughter.  She hadn't really believed it when Goten had told her that he had found Gohan's daughter.  Yet, there she was, there was no mistaking it.  She had the same Son eyes, Gohan's grin, and that necklace. She still remembered when she had helped Gohan pick it out for Videl.  It seemed like so long ago.

        "We were waitresses,"  the blonde girl corrected.  She reminded her of Kuririn in an odd way.  Some reason that she couldn't name.  Trunks had his hand on her arm, and stood beside her.  "Our old manager Miss Maryanne is getting married next month, and our new manager Mr. Smith told us we couldn't go to that wedding and this one."

        "You were fired?"  Goku looked at her incredulously.  "For wanting some time off?"

        Pan blushed slightly, "When he told us that we couldn't go, Marron kinda snapped and poured hot coffee down his pants."  The blonde, Marron, just shrugged innocently, "Then we quit.  But that's okay, I think Marron was getting tired of Mr. Smith looking up the waitresses skirts all the time anyway."

        Marron none-too-politely stepped on Pan's foot to get her to change the subject, "Pan has a new job though,"  ChiChi looked to her granddaughter.  She was blushing like mad.  Marron spoke up, "She's got a job at the cinema.  Pays a lot better than the restaurant, too.  Sadly enough, I don't have a new job yet, but I've never stayed unemployed for too long."  She smiled, "I've got to take care of something real quick,"  She  then patted Pan on the back and grinned.  ChiChi watched her walk off to the refreshment table where Bra's "friends" were snacking.  The girl had spunk.

***

        Pan scooped up another cup of popcorn and listened to her customers talk as they waited in line.  Her job at the cinema wasn't as tiresome as her job as a waitress, but she enjoyed it less.  One of the few good points about this job was that she got to see who was going out with who.  And although she wasn't big on gossip, little tidbits of information were always good to have.  Like on this particular day.

        "Could you believe what she was wearing?  Ugh, why didn't she just wear a sign that said 'Poor Girl, Pity Me.'"

        "That's the only reason he was going with her, 'cause he felt sorry for her."  Becky blew her bubble gum into the air and continued to talk about Marron.  "But it made me so mad!"

        "How could a guy like Trunks end up with a tramp like her?"

        "Don't worry about it, Becky,"  Sandi twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers.  "I'm sure it was just a one time deal."

        "Actually,"  Pan interrupted the girls that had been bridesmaids at Bra's wedding.  She smiled wickedly, "They were here last night."  The former cheerleaders looked at her in stunned silence.  "They've been going out all month.  He even bought her a diamond necklace."  She went back to work as the girls started having a fit of jealousy.  Pan laughed to herself, and chose not to mention the fact that Trunks had also bought Marron a diamond ring.  She was going to keep that one to herself until she saw them again.  It wasn't good to share all your surprises at one time.

...owari...