Trunks walked down the street, quietly mumbling to himself. She'd done it again. He played idly with a short piece of paper in his jacket pocket. He'd tried last year, he really had. He pulled the list out of his pocket and stared at it. 'The Unexpected.' What was that supposed to mean? 'The Unexpected.' Every year for the past few years, he'd gotten this on his Christmas list. What was the unexpected exactly? Did that mean something totally unexpected, or was it something he was supposed to do that was totally unexpected of him?

Trunks knew that he could pace around his room all night, or he could try and get the answer out of her if he pleased. But no, something just wouldn't allow him to do that.

It could be his usual egotistical pride that kept him from just asking. His fear since his childhood of showing off weaknesses to others, for fear of what they thought of him. His internal need to be strong. To be the better one. To be needed, and not be mushy.

It could be almost twenty-six years of friendship. By the look he got last year, and the one he got when he asked for her list this year, something told him he'd be in deep trouble if he didn't get it right. He wanted this to be the year, the year to end it all. The year that would most likely end one string of confusion and start a new one.

Or it could be love. It could be the need he'd heard from Gohan, to live to please, and do things properly. Asking could ruin her reign of power over him, her uncontrolled need to control him. And he loved the look she got when his face twisted into confusion at the sight of her list.

Or maybe, it was because it was his Panny. And there was no need for an explanation there.

Trunks' Really Really Long List of Things He has To Buy People
Pan - The Unexpected.

"Okay," Trunks said, kicking a snowball far in front him. "She wants something unexpected for Christmas. It obviously is something specific she wants, and it can't be something unexpected for her to get. That leaves,... unexpected action of mine. Fine, that's easy..." there was a pause, as Trunks stopped to think, "Okay, not as easy as I thought."

The truth was, Trunks never spent very much time on Christmas. Give a list, he goes to Target, and that's the end of that. But the year Pan turned twenty, she started to write 'The unexpected,' on the list under her name, and it drove him mad.

"Do something Pan knows you'd never do - Mom says," Trunks muttered as he walked darkly down the street, "Use your power of authority... She must know what Pan's talking about because I haven't got a clue..."

Trunks continued to walk a few more blocks, trying his best to get his stubborn mind of unbelievable schemes working again. Nothing would come, he knew it wouldn't. He was too mad and confused. Two powerful ingredients that didn't fly well with the male brain. He took off into a refreshing flight, because normal that could clear the male brain.

***

"Bra?" Trunks muttered, walking slowly into his sister's room. This was dangerous territory. Everybody who had a sibling knows it's down out wrong to be in their sibling's private area of messiness. Consequences for this crime could be as bad as death. "Bra, are you alive in here? Come on Bra, I need your help! Show yourself... NOW!"

Bra walked slowly out of the bathroom, her hair in curlers and her body wrapped up in a towel. Bra stopped in front of her brother, her eyes narrowed slowly. She pulled her hand to her hip, and bent her knee slightly, "What do you want?"

"Bra," Trunks stuttered, and gulped as if this sentence were the hardest one he'd said his entire existence, "I..... I.... I...."

Bra rolled her eyes angrily, waving around the wireless hairdryer she head in her hand, "Trunks, I'm sorry if I look as though I have all day. Unfortunately for you, you've only got a few more minutes of my time before my daily contact with you limit is up."

"Bra..." Trunks began to mutter again, and Bra's eyes continued to roll with annoyance. "BraIneedyourhelptogetaChristmaspresentforPan!" His body fell to the floor and he groveled at her knees. Bra stared at him, figuring she may be able to understand why her brother was acting totally out of character.

"Okay Trunks," Bra said, taking a step away so he would stop touching her feet. "If you translate that to English I may be able to figure out what you're high on."

"Bra!" Trunks cried, once again burring his face in her slippers, "Bra! This isn't funny! I need your help! I can't figure out what to buy Pan! Every year she asks me for 'The Unexpected', but I have no idea what she means!" he turned his face to his sister, feeling that if he looked sad enough, she'd go a little easier on him, "Please Bra! Help me!"

Bra stared at him. Just stared. She needed to process this information. Then, it happened. To Trunks, out of nowhere. To Bra, after several moments of contemplation.

She laughed.

Now, this was no normal laugh. She burst out in a huge, bottom of her belly laugh. Trunks sat back on his heels to look at her once more. She began to bend over, holding her stomach, and shoulders shook wildly as her loud howl of a laugh to a silent, more insulting laugh. "M-my Dende Trunks!" she managed to choke out, "H-how l-long h-ha... has t-t-this been g-going on?! F-f-f-five years?!"

Trunks sat back and stared at her, raising a lavender eyebrow. "I didn't think it was that funny," he said, loud enough for her to hear. He crossed his arms angrily, he sat back to come up with a better idea. His sister wasn't going to be a good help. "Wait a minute," he finally said, "How did you know about this?"

"Oh, T-Trunks," she stuttered out between gasps for breath, "H-how many times," another pause for a fresh supply of air, "D-did you honestly think," more oxygen, "y-you could mess up before she'd come crying to someone about it?!"

"Cry?" Trunks asked, bewildered look spreading across his features, "Why would Pan cry about me messing up a present? Pan isn't that shallow, I mean, she hasn't been hanging around you too much has she?"

Bra stopped laughing suddenly, flipping her head up to look at her brother, the shock evident on her face, obviously letting Trunks' comment fly over her head, "Oh my Kami Trunks, you don't know what you mean to Pan, do you?"

Trunks stared at her. Bra couldn't believe this! Her brother had no idea did he?! "Trunks!" she practically screamed, shock coming over her features, followed quickly by irritation, "This is Pan! You've known her forever! And you couldn't... couldn't... couldn't tell?"

"No."

"You men," Bra barked, angrily pulling on the hair that had recently fallen out of her curlers, "Are so... so.. so dense! I mean, I girl could be in love with you for like, a million years! And you'd never see it would you! Good Dende! How can I be related you you people..."

"What are you talking about Bra?" Trunks asked, finally standing and looking slightly irritated. Who did his sister think she was?! "I know Pan loves me, I love her too. We've known each other for like, ever! How could she not? She's one of my best friends and every-"

"No Trunks," Bra said, totally calm, and holding a facial expression that was daring to say she felt sorry for him, "Pan doesn't love you like you love Goten. Silly. Pan loves you like..." she paused to think of a good comparison. "Gohan loves Videl."

"There you go Bra," Trunks muttered sarcastically, "tell me my best friend loves me using her parents as an example!"

"Well..." Bra whined, rolling her eyes at the ceiling, "It's not like I could use our parents, now could I?" She stared at him for a few more minutes, then turned at looked seriously at her brother, finally taking in that her message had flown over his head.... well, most of the way. "Now Trunks, you don't have to return Pan's feelings, but for the sake of her sanity, try and make the gift this year special."

***

'Okay, this isn't going to be that hard,' Trunks' mind told him as he sat once again at his lonely workspace, 'Pan loves you. Bra said there was no need for you to return these feelings. But, then why do you feel to should? Do you owe it to her? No, there is no reason why you would love her more than you ever have before. Now, I have to make it special, using my power of authority...'

Trunks limped forward in his desk, in no way noticing his office door opening, but only had his forehead hurt with it's sudden contact with the edge of the wooden object, "If only it were that easy!"

Marron stopped in a puzzled trance, "Problem as usual Trunks?"

Trunks lifted his heavy forehead off his desk, retrieving himself from a position he'd grown accustomed to after almost twenty-five years trapped in a job he hated. "No Marron, I've told you, I'm over the fact that I'll be stuck working here until I've produced and heir and raised it old enough to run this company..." he muttered, rubbing his temples with his index fingers, "Which in my opinion should be about ten years of age..."

"Tsk tsk," was the response he received as Marron waved her index finger in his flustered face, "How would you feel if your mother made you work for her at ten years old. And no, chores do not count in your pointless argument."

Trunks shot her an angry look, "I'm thinking Marron. You yourself know that this is a rare and unnatural occurrence, so if you don't mind, I want you to scram!"

"I never thought you didn't know how to think, Trunks," Marron said, seating herself comfortably on the top of his hard wooden desk, "It's the intelligence of what your thinking that I doubt. You and your friend Goten, all you two think about is girls, parties, girls, revenge, girls, TV, and girls."

"Trunks doesn't care what Marron thinks," Trunks said, leaning forward once more so he could rest his forehead on the edge of the desk, side opposite of Marron, "Trunks thinks Marron should mind her own business, and she should leave Trunks alone."

"Oh," Marron said, making a fist and hitting it on the top of Trunks' head as if she were knocking on a door, "But Marron wants to know what's going on inside Trunks' small, feeble mind. Could Trunks pwease tell Marron that? Trunks knows Marron won't leave him alone until he's told her everything, right?"

"Will Marron leave Trunks alone?" Trunks asked, sating up a little, to look at Marron hopefully, "And Trunks can wallow in peace? Will you? Huh huh huh?"

| | I get a feeling I can't explain | |

"Yes."

"Okay," Trunks said, taking a large breath, "Ever since Pan turned 20, she's been writing down on my Christmas list, the unexpected. I had no idea what she meant by this, so I gave her things. Lots of presents, and pretty ones. They were things that she'd never want in a million years, but I got them anyway, because she wanted unexpected things. I felt so bad," he began looking down again, "I'd never gotten her what she wanted. And I never knew what she really wanted. So, as a lost resort, I asked my sister. She told me... she told me... Marron, she told me... everything I had no idea about."

Marron leaned forward, and, placing her hand under his chin, pulled his face up to hers, "She told you that Pan has it in for you, didn't she?" Trunks nodded in a still gloomy way, "You don't have to love her back, Trunks. Don't get me wrong, you and Pan would make a beautiful couple. I know it. But if that's not the way you feel for her..."

Trunks' head shook again, as he rose his hands to his temples, "I don't know if I do or I don't!" He looked up at her, the worry ridden on his face, "I don't know. I care for Pan. I've known her forever. But now I hear that she feels strongly for me in a different way, and I can't tell if I'm feeling sorry for her, or if I'm discovering real feelings I kept in the back of my mind."

"Well Trunks," Marron said, slipping off her spot on the counter, "have you ever thought of Pan in such a way?"

Trunks stared at her, as if he thought that was too much of a personal question. But come on guys, this is Trunks, no question is too personal, "Well, maybe... but I don't know how that's going to help me! I mean, I think of a lot of women that way! It's sad, but I have to keep an open mind..."

Marron shook her head, she should have known. Trunks, the weirdo. "Then Trunks, I'm sorry but I can only help you in this way," She said, leaning forward to his face, "They say that a guy and a girl can just be friends, but at one point or another they will fall for each other... Maybe temporally, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or," she shrugged her shoulders, "maybe forever."

Trunks blinked a few times, trying to take in a lot of information at once, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you pulling more mind games on me?"

"I'm only saying," Marron replied, straightening her back and starting for the door, "Don't let it be too late."

***

| | Whenever your eyes meet mine | |

'Don't let it be too late...'

Trunks rolled over on his side. He was dreaming again. This nightmare kept running through his mind. What had Marron meant? Was there yet another thing he didn't know. How come they wouldn't tell him. It wasn't fair at all.

'Don't let it be too late...'

What if it was too late? Did he really feel that way for Pan? Was he going insane? Yes, that was it. He wasn't nuts, just disturbed. All these people telling him all these things at once, it was enough to make his brain explode! Too much thinking, he should dream about other things. This was silly, he was fearing losing someone that he wasn't sure he even loved. How odd.

'Don't let it be too late...'

But what if it was too late? What if Pan was going to give up? This could be his last chance. She'd given him five other tries. It was understandable! But,... even though the very thought of this stupid game drove him nuts, did he really want it to end?

'Don't let it be too late...'

"Fine!" he yelled at his own mind. It had been taunting him for hours. All it ever did was tell him, ask him, what would he do? He needed to keep Pan there, he needed to understand his feelings. But still, as he sat and thought about it, the thought of the look on Pan's face made him want to try. To take his ambitious and creative mind and turn it to this project. But he needed help. Perhaps lots of help.

'It's not going to be too late...'

***

| | My head spins in circles | |

"Trunks," Goten muttered, wrapping himself up in a big warm blanket, bouncing his knees in an attempt to keep himself warm, "It's one in the morning. Most of you have work in seven hours. It's cold. You known the longer I'm awake the quicker I'll get hungry. If there's a reason for your meeting, please tell us know, or we'll all kill you."

Trunks glanced at his best friend, staring as if he were running on fire. "Goten," he replied, "You need to learn to stop talking out of your ass every so often, you sound like an idiot."

"But why do you have us here bro?" Bra asked, pulling Goten's blanket away from him, and holding on tight, "The last time you met us all on the roof of our house I was ten years old, and you wanted us to play a prank on Dad. It didn't work of course, you and your hair brain scams never do." She stepped away from an advancing Goten, causing him to almost slip down the roof, "What's the plan this time?"

"Well," Trunks said, twiddling his thumbs, as if he was embarrassed to say, "I was thinking about what you said to me today Bra. About Pan. I think I'm going to take Mom's advice and use my power of authority. But I need your guy's help. So we need to put our heads together, and come up with something."

Bra jumped to her feet, "I got it!"

***

| | And I loose all space in time | |

Pan walked into the Briefs' household the next morning, due to a call she'd received very late last night from Bra, "Hello?" she asked, stopping to look around finding no one there, "is anybody home? Bra, is this another one of your-"

"Hey Pan!" Bra chirped as she ran down the stairs, "You wouldn't believe what's happened! It's nothing short of the best thing in the world! I'm so happy I could dance and sing in a musical! Don't be surprised if some people mope around for awhile... but- oh it's just too great!"

Pan was afraid. What did Bra do this time? Did she finally get that puppy she'd always wanted? Nah, Vegeta wouldn't have gone for that. Then what did they let her do? Pan shook her head to clear her thoughts, "What happened then, Bra?"

"Trunks is gone!" Bra smiled brighter at the sight of Pan's face dropping. This was going to be fun, really, really fun! And the best part was, Trunks really wasn't there! "He's gone on a trip, and it's going to take a really long time! He doesn't even know when he's coming home."

"Is...," Pan stuttered, "Is Trunks going to miss Christmas this year?"

"He probably will," Bra said, her smile dimming, "he said everyone would get thier gifts. No worries Pan, you'll get whatever it is you asked for. You know Trunks, he'd never let you down!" She patted her best friend helpfully on the back, showing her support in knowing that Pan was going to be upset about this. But she had no reasons to be worried. Trunks wasn't really leaving, it was all a part of their plan. Trunks had to pretend to leave, but only go to a neighboring town, and hide out.

"Yeah," Pan said, brushing herself off, "I won't worry about him. Is he still here? Do you think he'd mind if I said good-bye to him?"

Bra's cheery expression changed immediately. It changed to a look of sorrow and sympathy, "Pan," she said, as if she were approaching a child and tell it that it's pet had just died, "Pan, he left already. He said to wish you a Merry Christmas, and then walked out the door. I'm sorry."

***

| | And now that we're standing face to face | |

Trunks said at his small table, alone. He stared down at his calendar, he had five days. Five days to do this. Pan would want him there for Christmas, so if he showed up for Christmas Eve, she'd be very happy. He knew Bra'd told her that he wasn't going to be there. Goten had stopped by and told him so. He said Pan came home very upset, but didn't want to talk about it. And for the first time, he'd started to feel that strange way you do when the one you love was hurt. But it was his fault. And this was it.

This was his only chance, he had to make it count. But one thing panged at the back of his mind, what if Bra lied? He was her sister, and they were both related to Bulma and Vegeta. A little lie could make them go very, very far.

He shouldn't be thinking like that. It meant bad things could happen. He didn't want bad things to happen. Because, well, that would be bad.

His eyes wandered back to the paper in front of him. This was the next step. This paper, this was his gift to Pan. This was the unexpected.

Once again it's Christmas time
And what do I get from you?
The same old list as years before
It's really nothing new

He folded the paper in several pieces. A hand written poem, a stanza a day to Pan. Marron's idea. She said it would make Pan all weak in the knees, and she'd cry as soon as she saw it. Trunks himself wasn't so sure about this, but all the same, he wasn't sure about much of anything at the moment.

Uubu was going to drop it off. He was a quick fellow. He'd drop the letter off on her doorstep, and break for it. Pan would open the door, and find his letter there. She'd open it, read it, and tell Bra about it. Bra's job was to deny that she knew he was doing this, as was Goten's if the plan went the other way. None the less, it would be a moment he wished that he could be the one to be told about.

Uubu knocked on Trunks' door, causing Trunks to snap awake from his daydreaming. He welcomed his friend into his hotel room, more than happy to hand it off. "Don't get caught Uubu, no pressure... just don't. pull. a. Goku!"

Uubu laughed and nodded, "I won't, you can trust me there. But I wish you luck Trunks. I hope you can get her. Though I will tell you, you were the only one who didn't know. She'd even told me. And you know Pan, she still blames me a bit for Goku going away when she was younger. Even though she knows it wasn't my fault."

"Yeah, I know," Trunks said, pointing to the door, "Better get going now, the day is almost over!"

***

| | Something tells me it's gonna be okay | |

Pan opened the door, and, for the second day in a row, found a letter to her on the ground. The one the day before, had found it's way to the doorstep, to her father's hand, and to her nightstand. She'd read it repeatedly that day. To herself, and to Bra. Bra had seemed just as surprised as she was, especially after she'd heard it's contents.

But what didn't register in Pan's head was, if Trunks had been gone, how could he have given her this letter. And it had to be Trunks, because she hadn't given anyone a list with the same thing year after year. But had he finally understood? Had Trunks Vegeta Briefs finally realized that she was in love with him? It was a miracle if he did!

She walked past her parents, who stood dumbfounded in the dinning room, and down the hall. She didn't look up from the paper as her hand came to her bedroom door knob, turned it, and walked in. She walked absentmindedly to her bed, and sat down to read the letter.

But this year when I see it again
I had to look at it twice
I discovered you had to read between the lines
To understand what you were saying, and make it twice as nice

Was this supposed to tell her something? Did he know what the unexpected meant? Was this the year? The final year that she would have to give mixed messages to Trunks? Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself on her feet, on her bed, shouting, "FINALLY!"

All thoughts returned to her, however, when she heard her father clear his throat. She then realized (much to her embarrassment), that she had left her bedroom door hanging wide open. Her mother was the only one who spoke, tilting her head to the side, and blinking repeatedly at her daughter, "Pan, are you okay?"

***

| | And I'm ready to fall in love tonight | |

"I think your parents were ready to turn you in to the mental hospital Pan," Goten said, looking strangely at her as if forgetting it was a family trait of theirs to act like a weirdo every so often. Pan laughed at his look, she's sure she'd seen her father give her Grandpa Satan that look before, when he was talking about being the strongest man to ever lived, and she was also sure shed seen her mother elbow him in the ribs.

"So what if they were," she said, crossing her arms in front of her, "but I know other family members on my father's side of the family would should have gone there LONG before. And I'll give you the hint that one of them sang about how they were a 'birdie' in their first flight lesson."

Goten seemed astonished, not because of what she'd said of course, but no doubt wondering how she knew, "Where'd you hear that, Pan? Who told you? Who must die?"

"My father and mother were there Goten," she replied, lifting an eyebrow slightly, "you think they'd keep perfectly good blackmail from their only daughter Uncle, dear? Not in your life!"

"I knew brothers and sister-in-laws couldn't be trusted."

***

| | Ready to hold my heart open wide | |

Trunks was being visited by his sister. It was her turn with the letters. She was going to Pan's tonight, and could put it someplace in her room. Bra was annoying as usual, and she drove him up the wall, but when your parents don't even know where you are, you have to settle for your siblings.

"You wouldn't believe the look on Mom's face Trunks!" Bra said, hitting her fist on the table, "she's still crying because you're gone! This better be it Trunks, it's going to take Grandchildren for her to forgive you this time! I mean, she's threatening to never let you back in the house. You may have to start looking for a new home..." there was a pause, "I wonder if the pound has any vacancies!"

But Trunks had long since stopped paying attention. He was concentrating on his next letter to Pan. In his slight frustration, he stopped paying attention to what he was writing.

I gathered up my band of thieves
My group of friends in crime
They told me what was in your heart
And it stayed in my mind

He handed the letter to his sister, in his mind, as a defense mechanism. Bra took and left happily. Trunks grinned and watched her go.

***

| | I can't promise forever but, baby I'll try
Cuz I'm ready to fall in love tonight | |

By the time it was finally Christmas Eve, Pan had a beautiful collection of letters from the one she had no doubt was Trunks. They were all written in a strange poem, and there was no gift attached, but she loved them each, all the same. She read them each in order, every day, along with the newer one she'd received the day before.

I wrote a poem just for you
Sending it specially for this Christmas day
Hoping this is your idea
Of the unexpected way

Her parents had left to go to her grandparents' house. She'd stayed behind, because she hadn't received a letter today. She was sitting alone in her bedroom, waiting for the sign that there was a letter coming for her. One piece of her Christmas cheer. Her radio played behind her, and she read the letters again.

There was a sudden stop in the music, that caused her to stop reading, and a curiosity that made her listen. The radio man talked softly into his microphone, announcing some holiday request, "This next song," he said, "is for a very special young girl. We've received a request from Mr. Trunks Briefs, president of Capsule Corps, and international envy of men, for 'Ready To Fall,' and to ask, that this young lady, step outside her door."

Pan rose to her feet, running through the hall and straight to the door of her house. There was snow falling to the ground, and a cold breeze hitting her face. But nothing else. She looked from side to side. No one. She was about to turn around when a white bird landed in her hands.

The bird held a note in it's beak, which Pan removed immediately. She opened it as fast as she could, and read it out loud, for all the snow to hear:

This could've stayed a secret
This year could have just passed it's true
But in truth I think I've fallen
Under mistletoe for you

(P.S.- Look up!)

Pan head shot up as fast as it could, and, as she narrowed her eye's she could see someone coming close to her. She could see the lavender hair, and the bright blue of his eyes became more visible with each step he took. Pan placed her hands over her mouth, as he got close enough to hold a hand out to her, and finally, close enough to kiss her.

This couldn't last forever though, for air is a necessity to live. But as they did, Trunks smiled wider than he had been before. He pointed to the mistletoe over their heads, and laughed softly. "Was it the unexpected?" pan smiled broadly, and nodded, "Then Merry Christmas!"

| | I know you've been watching, choosin' your moment
And I've been dreaming of that day
No one before you has gotten to me this way
And now that we're standing face to face
There's something that I need to say | |

"Thank you Trunks," Pan said, resting her head on his shoulder, "this is the best Christmas present ever."

| | I'm ready to fall in love tonight
Ready to hold my heart open wide
I can't promise forever but, baby I'll try
Cuz I'm ready to fall in love night | |