EVERY TIME

" Hey Trunks..."

Trunks bit his lower lip, pacing back and forth in his living room.

" Yeah..."

He could hear Pan's voice trembling, she was getting scared.

" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.."

Trunks started to pace faster, " Are you getting that creepy feeling too?"

she nodded into her cell phone, " Yeah, I am. I know what your thinking, follow it right?"

Trunks stopped, dead center in his living room. thinking, " Well maybe.. I don't know exactly.."

Pan looked to the other side of the street, watching, waiting.

" He said he was wearing a blue fleece right?"

Pan nodded into her phone once again, " Yeah, but.. Whats a Fleece?"

Trunks chuckled, " I think its a sweater.. I dunno maybe a zip up sweater... not sure.. You'll have to tell me when you see him."

Pan laughed, she figured he was trying to make the situation more comfortable, " Yeah, I will."

They both laughed to themselves then sat in silence for awhile..

" Trunks? Can you hold on a second? hes calling! " She rushed and before he could really answer she hung up.

He waited, he sat down on the couch, trying to watch TV but he found himself very distracted. Finally the phone rang.

He rushed to pick it up, " Pan???"

The voice on the other end huffed, disappointed, " No you dork its Bra! "

Trunks sighed, " What do you want? I'm waiting for a VERY important phone call! "

She carried on cheerfully clearly not getting the message, " So, hows Pan? did she meet up with that guy yet? Whats his face?"

Trunks rested his head on his hand, " You mean Steven?"

" Yeah! " She shouted, " Whats his face! Steven! "

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit, his sister was quite the character...but that didn't take his mind off of thinking whether Pan was alright or not...

"Relax!"

Trunks jumped up, " What do you mean relax??!" He shouted to the phone, " YOU haven't even met this guy!! and YOU set her up with him! "

" Trunks, " She soothed, " Just calm down, she'll be okay."

Trunks sighed, " Easier said that done.."

a couple seconds later he started receiving an incoming call, " Hey Bra! I'll call you back!! "

switching over, he prayed to god that it was Pan, he was about to answer..

" Trunks? He wants me to meet him at the Taco Time.. " It sounded as if she was almost asking.

" Yeah..." He sighed, " That sounds WAY safer..." Standing up he walked over to his entertainment center, picking up a picture frame, Pan still on the phone.

He sat and stared at the photo in his hand, when Pan started mumbling something, " Whats that? " He heard her mumble again, maybe she was cutting out? or was she in trouble?

" Pan! I cant hear you! "

Suddenly she came through clear, everything was coherent, " Hey Trunks, I see him..."

He flopped on the couch, picture in hand, sighing in a HUGE relief, " Jesus, Pan! you scared the shit out of me! "

" Haha, " He heard her laugh, " Sorry But I'll talk to you later Ok?"

Trunks jumped back up, " Should I call every once in awhile just to make sure he isn't a creep? "

" Yeah! Do that! and if I dont call BEFORE midnight, something happened."

He got nervous, not letting it show through his voice, he wanted to be there for her, " Alright, I'm holding you to that. Go In alive?"

Pan laughed, " Haha, Come out the same way, I'll talk to you later Trunks, Love you, Bye."

He hung up, finally sitting back down for the last time, he got a really good look at the picture in his hand. he couldn't help but chuckle a little. The picture was from when Pan was a little girl, he was a bit older but still crazy and willing to go out on a limb for her... speaking of...This picture was taken right after he had rescued her from atop a fairly large tree.

- Years ago -

Trunks walked out into the yard, looking behind him. Pan was no where to be found, turning he gestured to Gohan. " Uh oh, I think I lost her."

Gohan laughed, " Thats impossible.."

Trunks shrugged his shoulders, holding his hands in the air, " I have NO idea, she was RIGHT behind me! "

They both started looking for her and they looked for quite awhile, Trunks wandered into the backyard, while Gohan was still in front. Trunks called out for her and when he was ready to give up he heard a tiny voice come from above him.

" Ha! I got you!! and Papa too!" Pan yelled pointing at him, and giggling uncontrollably. She was in a tree.

Trunks sunk his shoulders going along with it, " Yep, you got us, Now come down here. Its not safe."

The small child nodded, ready to climb down, then the wind started to pick up, almost knocking her off of the branch she was perched on.

" AAHHHH!!! " She screeched, " Trunks!! I'm gonna fall!! " He ran to the base of the tree, " Its ok Pan, Your not gonna fall, just climb down to me you'll be alright."

Hanging onto the branch for dear life she started to climb down, looking to Trunks for comfort, thinking she had it under control she stepped down on a loose branch when it snapped and down she went, Trunks stepped a couple steps to the side and into his arms she fell with a sharp shriek. Clinging to him, she started to cry.

Trunks turned her to face him, patting her back, He brought her head to his chin, " Shhhh its alright. Your fine Pan I caught you." He gently pulled her back, She was still crying. she leaned back onto his shoulder, and began sucking her thumb cuddling him like she always did. " Aw." He lifted her higher in his arm, " Your tired."

He held her and headed back towards the front of the house, " Gohan! I found her! " But Gohan was no where to be found, Instead of looking for him Trunks decided just to head inside and let Pan have a nap, but as as soon as he went through that door, he was attacted. His Mother, her Mother, Chichi, Everyone immaginable, cooing, " Aww you two are so adorble! "

After it died down, Trunks decided to take Pan upstairs for her nap that she was practically having at that moment in his arms, as he walked down the hallway he ran into Gohan, " Hey I'm taking Pan into my room for a nap, is that Ok?" Gohan nodded, " Yeah Sure, I'll tell Videl for you." Trunks walked on into his bedroom and realized he didn't have a blanket on his bed, setting Pan down he headed into one of the spare bedrooms, he ran into the maid. apologizing he realized that the top button on her blouse was unbuttoned, not really thinking anything of it, he grabbed a blanket and went back into his room.

Trunks unfolded the blanket and laid it over Pan, tucking it in at her sides, he sat at the edge of the bed and began watching television, soon after watching For Rich or For Poor, he realized he had been yawning. Laying down he started to watch Georgia Rule, unknowingly his eyes had drifted shut.

-DOWNSTAIRS-

Bulma hadn't seen Trunks for awhile, she asked around and the maid had confirmed that she bumped into him (literally) earlier, So she made her way upstairs, stopping at his door she knocked, no answer. Opening the door a crack, she noticed Pan curled up into a ball at the head of the bed sleeping, and Trunks at the bottom, snoring lightly, chuckling Bulma went to retrieve her digital camera, upon coming back to the room, Pan moved down to where Trunks sleeping form was and she had cuddled up to him from behind, it was just too cute! She couldn't pass up this opportunity! She snapped a couple pictures at different angles, smiled and left the room.

- Several hours later - 3:AM -

Trunks began to stir from his sleep, stretching his arm out from underneath him he realized that he wasn't the only one in his bed, something was behind him, shivering. He turned over to find Pan with no blankets huddled up against him, seeing the blankets were nowhere to be found, Trunks wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to keep her warm, when he started to fall back asleep she started waking up, yawning she looked up at him. He sensed those pretty ebony eyes staring through him, " Hmm?" he muttered.

She just looked up at him, laying in his arms. Pan just looked at him, finally she broke the silence, " Trunks? "

" Mmmhhmm." His eyes still closed.

She kept looking at him, never away, " what would you do if I died?" His eyes flew open at that question, she must have been referring to the tree incident earlier, of course she wouldn't of died from falling out of a tree but that question just lingered in his mind, " Trunks?"