Hi,
Yes, you sure can fade. Each item will have a fade at either end if you hover the cursor at the 'line' of the item's end. You grab this (L click) and move it to adjust the fade. Sometimes you'll see the 'beginning' of the fade if the preferences are set to auto-insert a fade...other settings mean you have to go drag it out yourself. Plenty of tutorials on Youtube!! You can select several types of fades, too...linear, log, etc.
To change panning, you use the pan knob on the track controls..TCP or MCP (track view or mixer view..get used to those acronyms!). You can change the panning in real time (as the track plays back) using AUTOMATION ENVELOPES! Another topic to explore.
Great stuff, and as you're new, you'll want look up fades and automation envelopes on Youtube as well!
Find:
Reaper blog
Reaper mania
on Youtube.
Do some watching and experimenting, get back with questions once you've begun digging in!
It's far easier to get going than it seems, stick with it, in a couple of weeks you'll be doing much more than you thought you could.
Here, first one's on the house
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLFMV7ae3TE