Chapter One: No cure, But There is a Way
A/N: Guess what! I do own DBZ! Actually no I don't or I would have Gohan dance for me, and he won't so no I don't own him or any DB at all. Waaah! But please read and review.I don't own any of these characters, but I do own Ciara, she's my bitch. So ask if you want to use her. Now time for the story!
Ciara held onto her mothers hand as she fought back tears. Pan had been in the hospital for a month now and the disease was still spreading through her body. She had nose plugs in her and the heart monitor was beeping showing her heart rate as the line pulsed up and down with each beep. Pan gazed up at her daughter, "Hey, don't cry honey. I'm going to be fine, stay strong"
Ciara brushed her long lavender hair from her face as she fought back the tears," I know mother, I know that you'll be okay." She had to bite her lip as her mother's hand fell limp in her hand. Her heart panicked as her mother laid motionless in the hospital bed. If it wasn't for the continued beeping of the heart monitor, Ciara would've thought her mother was dead. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she forced herself not to cry, crying showed weakness and her mother told her to be strong.
She got up from her chair that was next to the bed and walked out of the room and shut the door. Her grandparents were waiting for her, but her dad was at work. He had been through so much depression since Pan was first diagnosed with this disease that the only thing he could do was work harder. He once said that it was Ciara that would keep him alive if anything happened to Pan. Bulma and Vegeta turned to her. Vegeta was frowning sadly with his arms crossed and Bulma looked like she had been crying.
"How is she?" Bulma croaked. Ciara looked up at her with extremely sad eyes," You mean"
"No, she's still alive, but she's getting weaker." Ciara looked at Vegeta. He looked back at her and Ciara would not allow herself to break down in front of him. Bulma bit her lip and Vegeta put an arm on her shoulder.
"Come on, we need to get to the house," Vegeta said and Bulma nodded. They left the hospital and flew home.
Ciara was sparring with Vegeta who was also her trainer. It was the only thing that kept their minds off the disaster that was going on. Ciara threw a punch at him and he grabbed her wrists and slammed her down. She smirked and shot an energy beam at him, which he blocked like it was nothing.
"Come on, you can do better than that. I guess my half Saiyan granddaughter can't fight a full blood sayain, you must get that from Kakarott." Vegeta smirked. Ciara 'humph' at his remark. She never knew who this Kakarott guy was, but knew that her grandfather didn't show any sign of interest about him.
Ciara smiled at him as she got into stance, "I'm just getting started Gramps." She charged at him in the air and kneed him right in the middle. Then she elbowed him in the head and it was just flailing fists and kicks from that point on.
When they were done they walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. They chatted a little while and Vegeta made Ciara laugh a few times. Vegeta was always nice to Ciara since she was his only grandchild. Bra and Goten hadn't even married yet and just recently moved in together, even though they started dating right after Pan and Trunks.
Ciara spent most of her time at her grandparents house since no one else could look after her. Her Grandpa Gohan and Grandma Videl had died in a car wreck when she was only four. Goten and Bra lived in another city, but came by frequently to see Pan, and to cheer up Trunks and Ciara, but Trunks was a loss for hope unless Pan could get better. She had her on and off days.
Bulma walked in and noted that Vegeta and Ciara were laughing at something. "Hey, you guys hungry? I can put something on." Both of them nodded since they had large Saiyan appetites. Bulma smiled as she thought about Vegeta. He had changed so much since Ciara was born. She remembered when her son and his wife told them they were going to have a baby.
They were all called to the condo of Pan and Trunks for very important news and dinner. If a large meal wasn't involved Bulma was sure that Vegeta wouldn't have come. They talked about what it could be, the last big news was when Trunks proposed to Pan and told them all they were getting married.
Trunks took Pan's hand and they stood up from the table," May, I have your attention, please, everyone? The reason why I brought you all here is because Pan and I have some wonderful news." He looked at his wife and took a deep breath," Pan is with child"
Everyone cried out and hugged Pan. Videl was crying and so was Bulma. Gohan hugged Trunks saying," I'm a grandfather! I'm a grandfather!" Vegeta just shrugged his shoulders like no big deal.
So maybe Vegeta was the same when they first found out about Ciara, but he showed the first signs of his other side when she was born.
They were all in the waiting room in the hospital with Gohan pacing back and forth and all of them silent. Pan had just given birth to a baby girl, and soon they all would be allowed to see them. Vegeta was in the waiting room watching Gohan walk back and forth, it was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't know what the big deal was, she was just having a baby. Videl kept looking at her watch and Goten went to go to the snack machines with Bra.
Finally a nurse came out of the room and they all looked up at her. She smiled at them, "Congratulations, Pan gave birth to a healthy seven pound three ounce baby girl." Videl jumped for joy and hugged Gohan who had teary eyes. Goten and Bra gasped and had huge smiles as everyone rushed in to see them.
Trunks was sitting on the bed as Pan was holding a sleeping baby in her arms. They smiled up at them as they all made quiet 'awes' at the baby. Trunks leaned down and kissed Pan on the lips. Videl started crying and so did Bulma. Gohan was fighting back tears, what happened to his little girl? She was now a woman, a wife, and a mother.
"You guys want to hold her? I just got done with her feeding, "Pan smiled at them and Videl immediately swooped by and took the baby girl into her arms. She had tears streaming down her face.
"Her name is Ciara Videl Briefs, Pan came up with it," said Trunks as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders, "Love you honey." Vegeta wanted to vomit at what his son said.
"Love you too," she kissed him on the lips as the baby was passed around. Finally it was Vegeta's turn, and when Bulma offered him the baby he reluctantly took it. The baby had slept while the others were holding it, but when she reached Vegeta, she opened her eyes and stared at him. They just stared at each other and slowly the edges of Vegeta's lips curved into a smile, the very first and true smile they had ever seen before as he held his granddaughter.
Bulma was humming as she cooked dinner. Ever since then Vegeta had been real close to Ciara, especially after Videl and Gohan died. Her first words were 'Vey-Vey' which she called him until she knew more words. She placed the plates on the table and Ciara and Vegeta both chowed down the rice and meat.
I never thought I would ever see Vegeta like this. He use to be so cold, now he's so warm...like Goku...Bulma thought.
What! I'm nothing like that baka Kakarott! Vegeta yelled at her through telepathic bond talk.
I wasn't talking to you Vegeta! I was just thinking! Get out of my head! Ok, so he wasn't exactly like Goku.
Ciara slept in her room and she was haunted by memories of her mother. She was so use to these dreams that she no longer woke up in a cold sweat and breathing hard like she use to.
She was four years old and her mother was pushing her in a cart as they were shopping. Everyone stared since Bra also had one that was full of food. Ciara climbed out of her seat and flew to the top of the stand to get her favorite cereal. An old woman watched her and was so shocked that she couldn't say anything about the flying baby.
"Please, Momma? I'll be extra good! Please?"Ciara pouted her lip, but Pan shook her head.
"You said you were going to be good if I took you to the store with me, so put it up and get down," Pan had one hand on her hip and the other on the cart. Bra smiled at her.
"I'll pay for it, go ahead and put it in the cart,"Ciara smiled and dumped the cereal box in the cart and stood up in it.
Pan rolled her eyes and looked at Bra, "You know she's spoiled as it is, and you're making it worse by giving her what she wants"
Bra continued to smile,"Hey, that's my job as an aunt"
This time Ciara was older, about twelve or so. She was sparring with Pan and was no match for her mother. Ciara fell to the ground and wiped her mouth,"Alright Mom, that shot was pure luck." But she looked at her mother in the air. Pan was breathing extra hard and her face was pink. She landed and steadied herself against the house.
"Mother? Are you okay?" Ciara walked up to her and Pan smiled at her as she caught her breath.
"I'm fine honey, it's just been a while since I did this, that's all." She got back in stance, "Ready for another round?" Ciara nodded. Little did she know that her mother was not alright, the disease was starting to take effect.
It was Ciara's parents fifteenth anniversary and they were renewing their wedding vows. It was like their wedding all over again. Trunks stood as he waited for his wife to walked down the aisle. The music started and Bra walked out with her flowing dress and then Marron. Finally the wedding march came on and Pan stepped out looking stunning in her wedding dress that still fit her after all these years. But when she walked down the aisle she staggered a little. By the time she got to the third row of seats, she completely stopped and placed her hand over her chest. Trunks gasped and ran as she fell to the ground.
"Pan! Pan! Wake up! Someone, call 911!" Trunks was shaking her and she wasn't breathing, "Pan!"
Ciara woke up feeling slightly dizzy. After the wedding Pan was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with the heart disease. The doctor said it was only going to get worse.
Ciara took her slippers and walked down stairs where she was greeted with the smell of cooking bacon and sausage. Bulma was cooking, but the atmosphere was heavy. Something bad had happened. Goten and Bra were sitting down and both had extremely depressed faces. They looked up to see Ciara as she walked in and Ciara noticed that tears were glistening in Bra's eyes.
Ciara stopped in the door way, "What's going on?" She looked from Bra to Goten and so on.
Bra sniffed and looked at Goten for support,"Ciara...We searched all we could, but we couldn't find the cure. We even went to Namek, but the chemical is gone because it was so powerful and heavy doses could be poisonous." Silver tears streamed down and Ciara had to lean against the wall for support. Bra and Goten had traveled to find out what they could on the disease. "We're so sorry Ciara, we tried everything we could"
Ciara slowly nodded her head, "I know...I just...Why did it have to be her? What did she do? She's the strongest female and she's so caring and never thinks of herself and, and..."Ciara broke down. Goten and Bra moved over to comfort her as Ciara continued to cry. "Why don't they have the antidote?" She asked angrily.
Bra bit her lip not to speak, but Goten decided to answer for her, "It's been so long since that ever happened to anybody. I'm sorry, but they had to dispose of it, like what Bra said heavy doses could kill you and they were hurting more people than helping"
Ciara shook her head furiously, "I don't care! You said that it had been years since someone had that disease! How come they didn't keep the antidote if someone else could get it!" Ciara looked up at them with a tear stained face and swollen eyes.
Goten looked down at his feet, "Because it relates so much to heart failure. The antidote was used for other things, illegal things and they had to get rid of it. It hasn't been used in twenty years"
Bra shook her head and said in a hoarse whisper as more tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped on her shirt, "I'm sorry, but there is no cure"
Ciara looked up at her, "There is a way. I'm going to save my mother." She said firmly.
Goten blinked,"Ciara there's nothing we can do. If there was we all would be all over it"
"But there is a way, and I'm going to use it." She got up from her chair and they all stared at her like she was going crazy in denial, "I'm going to use the time machine and go back twenty years for the cure"
Bulma dropped her wooden spoon that she was using to stir the stew as she flung around to face them. Bra put her hands over her mouth with wide eyes. Goten had the same reaction as Bra but he was the only one who spoke, "What"
Ciara stood up, "I'm going back in time to get the cure and you guys aren't going to stop me"
Bra stood up and walked after her,"Ciara, you can't. Messing with the past is a dangerous business! You can altar the future to where you don't even exist!" She grabbed her arm, but Ciara pulled it away.
"You told me that you guys would do anything to keep my mother safe, and this is the only way! Do you want her to die!" Ciara was getting angry and she advanced on the crying Bra.
"Ciara, you don't know what you're dealing with. Going back before you were born or going through time at all can mess this future up-"Goten began.
"Is this future not already screwed up! I will do all I can to help my mother! She deserves to live!" Ciara took a step closer to Goten and Goten took one step back.
Bulma stepped between them, "She may be right." Bra and Goten both gaped at her. Even Ciara was taken aback that she was on her side, "It may be the only way. She'll have to do it"
"Mother," Bra muttered, but Bulma ignored her.
"You can't let them know who you are or you will not exist, got that? You-will-not-exist."Bulma was walking closer to her," It will be very dangerous and it could permanently altar the future"
"Bulma how can you allow her to do this? What about Trunks?" Goten asked walking up.
"I know that my son is devastated that his wife is knocking on death's door, and I also know that he doesn't want to do this, but we have no choice. This is the only way. Besides, if we make duplicates of the antidote then we'll have the cure ready if it should spread."Bulma turned to Ciara. Ciara nodded.
"I will do all I can,"Ciara looked determined, "But I think it's best if we don't tell Daddy"
Bulma nodded. Goten and Bra both looked like it was all a big mistake, but they looked at Ciara's determination and remembered Pan in the hospital. Finally they also nodded.