An Angel's Tale

Author’s Note: Chapter 6 is in the works, and it does get a little dark. It deals with why Videl died, and what Chi-Chi’s been up to (can’t leave our folks in piece). And on that note, enjoy chapter 5!
J.

Threats and Promises

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Dragonball Z, but my four-year-old claims she owns chibi Trunks.

Sera was helping the band set up their equipment for the rehearsal when her phone chimed, alerting her to the text message forwarded from her computer. Flipping it open, she swore under her breath. She turned to Pan, “What’s your dad’s cell phone number?”
“555-0810, why?”
Sera was walking away, dialing, as she called over her shoulder, “I forgot how fast his mind worked, and made it too obvious. He’s figured out that it’s me.”
Gohan was staring at the screen, waiting for a response, when his cell phone started ringing and vibrating towards the edge of the desk. Even with Saiyan reflexes, it was almost too late to catch it when he scooped it up and flipped it open to answer it. “Hello, Son Gohan speaking.
It was a voice he hadn’t heard outside of his dreams in almost twenty years. “Hey, it’s Sera. You said we needed to talk, and you are absolutely right.” He could almost hear the edge of tears trying to fall in her voice.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You didn’t have to leave. I…”
She cut him off. “This isn’t a conversation to be had over the phone, Gohan. Meet me at our spot at 9:30 tonight and we can talk about whatever you want,” her voice suddenly got distant, as if the phone was away from her face. “Fine, I’ll ask him! Now get to rehearsing before I come over there and jerk a knot in your amp cords!”
Gohan had a moment to chuckle before a much more collected, and closer to the phone, Sera came back on the line. “The boys would like to know if you and Pan would like to join us for lunch today. They want to meet you.”
Her voice sounded distant again, “I’ll ask, but let him answer one question before asking another, Gabriel!”
Close again, “They also want to know if you want to watch them run through the set beforehand.”
He felt a smile creeping over his face. His sons wanted him to come watch them practice. “I’ll be there in half an hour. I don’t know about lunch, but I will come watch them play.”
“Alright. We’ll see you then,” Sera said before flipping the phone closed. It was almost painful to hang up without saying ‘I love you,’ but she just wasn’t sure how he would take it. He had sounded angry, and hurt, and she didn’t blame him in the slightest.
When she got back over to the stage, the five young people were huddled together, which put her on alert. They broke apart and grinned at her, before Rafe looked at her and said, “Aunt Sera, the tribe has spoken. If he’s coming, you’re going to go change into something hot. We’ll keep practicing without you hovering like a hawk, but…”
Gabriel interrupted, “But we want another baby sister.” He put his arm around Pan’s shoulder. “No offence, Pan, but I want a sister that I can threaten boyfriends over. I think you’d kick my ass.”
That got a laugh from all of them, as Pan nodded. Michael picked it up there, throwing his arm around her shoulders as well, “And neither of us wants to have our little sister kick our collective asses. And for us to get that baby sister who theoretically can’t or won’t kick our asses, you and Dad need to get back together,” this was accompanied by a rather crude gesture, “and that’s not as likely to happen with you wearing a ratty old sweatshirt and your work jeans.”
The twins spoke in unison, “Go change!”
When Gohan arrived ten minutes later, practice was in full swing. The band was going through their classic metal set, and the sounds of KISS were blasting through the room. He saw Pan standing over by the stage. He stopped and stared, transfixed, at the band, and how well Pan seemed to be taking everything.
“They’re really looking forward to meeting you,” Sera said from behind him. She had changed into a fitted black tee-shirt and a nicer pair of jeans. Her garnet-red hair was pulled through the back of a black baseball cap, and the outfit was finished with a pair of black ankle boots.
As soon as they finished the song, all four members of the band jumped off the stage in a rush. Gabriel and Michael hollered in unison, “CHOW TIME!!” They swarmed over to where Sera and Gohan were standing and each threw an arm around their mother’s shoulders. “So, where we eating?” they both said, in the eerily identical way that twins can do.
Later, after Sera had left to pick up their orders at a local take-out place, the boys circled Gohan. ‘It’s almost like sharks scenting blood in the water,’ he thought.
“So,” one of the twins began, “what are your intentions towards our mother?”
The other picked up the thought, “Because if it’s ‘wham, bam, thank-you, ma’am’, Uncle Vegeta trained us, and you might want to arrange for someone to pick up the pieces…”
“…of you,” they finished simultaneously.
Gohan must’ve looked like he didn’t think that either of his sons could beat him in a fight, because Chris spoke up, “I’d believe it if I were you. The only things they don’t do together are their girlfriends and use the can. They don’t fight fair.” He tapped a few beats out on the table with his drumsticks, “Even if none of ya’ll are fully human, two-on-one still is rough odds.”
Gohan felt a sense of pride, despite being upset that his sons didn’t fight fairly, that they were defending their mother’s honor. “Don’t worry, Gabriel, Michael, I promise that I wouldn’t treat her like that.”
“Good.”