Chapter Five
Trunks was unable to concentrate on the action/comedy they decided to see. The others enjoyed themselves immensely. They were still talking about their favorite scenes during dinner. On the other hand, Trunks sat quietly, laughing when appropriate, but other than that he contributed nothing to the conversation.
Could Pan have feelings for me? he wondered silently.
He should have realized something was going on when they had nearly kissed in the park, but he'd just assumed that it was an isolated incident since she never gave him any reason to suspect she had feelings for him. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he wondered why he was having such a hard time with this. He was not inexperienced when women were concerned, but this was new territory for him. Not even his experience with Marron could help him out because the two situations were so different. He was much closer to the Sons than he was with Marron's family. Pan's uncle was his best friend after all. He wondered if he had it in him to start dating Pan.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was laughing and talking with the others, comfortable with the people she loved. He was always comfortable with her in a way that he was never comfortable with the other women he'd dated, even Marron. Pan could be so innocent, but at other times worldly. He appreciated those qualities, but something held him back. Something that he couldn't name. Trunks felt his head begin to throb. He needed to think long and hard about this one.
Pan peeked at Trunks from time to time, a little disturbed over his silence. She was sure her father must have said something. Trunks' spirits had dampened since they had left her house. No one else seemed to notice.
Finally, they stood to leave and piled into Trunks' car. He dropped Goten off first. Marron was next. When they got to their house, it was dark, so Trunks walked her to her door. Pan watched them as closely as she could without pressing her nose against the car window. Bura was blissfully unaware of her friend's emotional turmoil as she tapped idly against her leg to the beat of the song on the radio.
"Is something wrong?" Marron asked Trunks as they walked up to her door. "You were so quiet all night. I wanted to ask before, but it didn't look like you wanted to talk about it."
"I'm fine," Trunks reassured her as best as he could. "There's just a lot of things on my mind."
Marron smiled fondly at him. She patted his cheek. "Well, I hope you figure it all out."
To his surprise, she got up on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. Trunks felt blood rushing to his face.
"Good night," she whispered huskily.
She went inside and shut the door. Trunks was immobilized. That was the last thing he had expected to happen. It had been nearly ten years since he and Marron had been together and he thought they had put it all behind them. I guess she's changed her mind about us. He sighed as he walked back to the car.
Suddenly, he felt a very powerful ki flare up. He stopped and concentrated, trying to find it. Then, as quickly as it came, it disappeared. He hurried to the car to check on his sister and Pan. He was shocked to find only Bura there.
"Where's Pan?" he asked, panicked.
"She said she didn't want you to have to make any more trips so she flew herself home," Bura answered, studying Trunks' wide eyes with interest. "Calm down, big brother. Why so worried about Pan all of a sudden?"
"Because Gohan's going to have my head if anything happens to her," Trunks replied evenly.
Fortunately, Bura's favorite song came on and she began singing along, thereby making it impossible for her to ask him any more questions. He silently withstood his sister's screeching to save himself from a possible interrogation.
I wonder why she left so quickly? he thought with a frown.
Pan let the tears run unchecked down her cheeks. She sniffled loudly as she flew over the twinkling lights of the city and closed her eyes. Over and over, like a bad movie, she saw Marron and Trunks kissing. It was in that exact moment that she was sure her heart broke. But then again, it wasn't the first time she'd felt that kind of pain. And even thought she'd been through this before, it didn't make taking the pain any easier.
At least some things never change, she thought bitterly.
She turned on her back and opened her eyes so she could stare up at the stars. Her hair fluttered around her, tickling her neck and cheeks, but she ignored it. She took deep breaths, calming her pounding heart. Her head was beginning to spin and she needed to find some inner peace. It was all she could do to stop herself from throwing herself on the ground at high speeds. She smiled without humor.
Well, I always was prone to tantrums.
When her tears had dried and she could shed no more, she went home. She went in through her window instead of the front door. Her answering machine blinked, indicating that she had 3 messages. She had her own phone line, put in for her sixteenth birthday when her parents decided that they could no longer put up with her phone hours.
"Pan, where are you?" Trunks' recorded voice implored. "I nearly had a heart attack when I went back to the car and you weren't there. Call me when you get home."
Pan scowled. This time instead of tears, she felt rage.
"Stupid idiot! Why did it have to be him?" she railed at herself. "I should have fallen in love with a man closer to my age, and appreciates me as a woman. Trunks would probably never see me as a woman."
Her machine bleeped and went on to the next message.
"Okay, are you out partying without me? Pan, if you're there you better pick up the phone or I swear to God I'm going to wake your parents up next. You better call me when you get home. I'm worried sick. See? I'm starting to sound like your grandmother."
Pan chuckled softly. "Stupid idiot," she murmured with a little more affection.
Then, she remember him kissing Marron and she glared at the answering machine.
"Uncle Goten here. Trunks is driving me crazy. He thinks that just because we're related that I would know where you are! Seriously, though, Kid, by now, even I'm wondering where you are. It's getting late. Call me when you get home."
She was relieved that at least she wouldn't have to call Trunks. She dialed Goten's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Goten here."
"Hi."
Goten let out an irritated breath. "Where did you go, Pan?!? Trunks is worrying himself sick and he's got me going too. Why'd you fly off on him like that anyway? You know he'd drive you to Siberia if he had to."
"I thought I was doing him a favor," she said weakly.
Goten sighed. "Well, as long as you got home safe. So, where did you go?"
Pan floundered. "I, uh, just flew around. I needed to work off all that pizza we ate."
"I don't think you need to lose any weight," Goten said amusedly. "Well, you need to call Trunks before he busts a gut."
"Can you do it for me, Uncle Goten? I need to do some stuff before going to bed."
"Sure. I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks. Good night."
"Sweet dreams, Panny."
Pan laughed at the old nickname and replaced the phone in the cradle. She stretched. She felt some satisfaction at worrying Trunks.
Of course, we're far from even since he's broken my heart, she reflected. He deserves about a thousand more nights like this...
A bitter smile on her face, she went to take a shower.
"Okay, what did you do to my niece?" Goten asked when Trunks picked up the phone.
"Nothing? What makes you say that?" Trunks answered.
"Because I think she's avoiding you. She didn't want to call you and gave me some lame excuse about having something to do."
"Me? But I didn't do anything..."
Ohmigod, Trunks thought, his words forgotten and realization dawning on him. She saw Marron kissing me.
He thought back and realized that he had sensed the powerful ki when Marron had kissed him, but his shock had prevented him from tracing it accurately. He should have known.
I'm so sorry, Pan.
"What?" Goten questioned, knowing something was up.
"I don't know," Trunks lied. "Maybe she really does have something to do."
"Uh-huh," Goten grunted.
"I don't know," Trunks repeated. "I'm innocent. I didn't do anything."
"He did kiss Marron," Bura interrupted.
"Bura!!" Trunks roared. "Get off!"
Bura walked fearlessly to stand by her brother, the cordless phone in her hand. "He did," she said to Goten. "I saw him."
"I didn't kiss her," Trunks corrected irritably. "She kissed me."
"Right after that, Pan shot off, but not before giving a little blast of power. I felt it," Bura informed Goten.
"Well, the puzzle is complete then," Goten said cheerily.
"What are you talking about?" Trunks raged. "Can someone clue me in?"
"Bura," Goten said, "Explain to your brother what has taken us nearly two weeks to solve."
Bura turned to Trunks. She steered him towards the couch and sat him down. She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye.
"Pan is in love with you," she said carefully as if speaking to a child.
Trunks felt his mouth dry up and knew he was turning red. "Pan? In love with me?"
"So, what are you going to do about that?" Goten asked. "You know Gohan is going to come after you. He knows about it too because I told him."
"You did what?!?" Trunks yelled. "No wonder he looked like he wanted to blast me into the next millenium. You idiot!"
"Hey, I'm just watching out for my only niece. Well?"
"Well what?" Trunks said sulkily.
"What the hell is all this racket about?" Vegeta demanded irritably from the doorway. "I'm trying to get some sleep. I thought you two were old enough to stop from yelling in the middle of the night."
"Sorry, Daddy," Bura purred, hugging her ornery father. She was one of two people who could get that close to Vegeta without being thrown through a wall, Bulma being the other. Trunks had never bothered trying. "We'll keep it down."
"Who wanted to blast you?" Vegeta questioned, looking at Trunks.
"No one, Dad. Just go back to bed."
"Are you telling me what to do?" Vegeta said menacingly.
Trunks swallowed. Goten chuckled in his ear.
"No, of course not," he amended. "Sorry."
Vegeta glared at him and Bura one more time before going back to bed.
"Now, where were we?" Goten prompted.
"This is none of your business," Trunks said in a much quieter tone. "Let me handle it."
Bura rolled her green eyes. "Whatever."
"Watch your back," Goten said. "If you hurt Pan Gohan's not going to be the only one after you."
Trunks sighed. "I would never hurt her. Never," he said softly.
Bura stared at him. "Do you love her, Trunks?"
He looked at his sister and saw her completely serious for once. This was the sister he knew he could confide in.
"I don't know."
