[author's note]Hello everybody. After a year of hiatus, I'm back and ready to write. Unfortunately I've been suffering from extreme writer's block, and had to take a break. Hopefully my writing hasn't gone from decent to awful. I got this idea when I was rewatching the DBZ and GT series. Pan and Trunks happen to be one of my favorite pairings of all time, and when the idea hit me, I just had to write it. I know I have a story I should be continuing that desperately needs my attention, but I couldn't help myself. It's my first time writing a Dragon Ball fanfiction so it won't be up to par with all the great stories out there. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Read and review! :D

[disclaimer]I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. They are the soul property of Akira Toriyama.

Love is Sweet Collection: Part One

Prince Charming

Pan sighed as the clock tower chimed two, signaling that the wedding would begin in a matter of minutes. Her onyx eyes opened to the sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her once shoulder length hair had grown much longer, resting past her shoulder blades. The ends were curled slightly, not giving her hair the maximum amount of curl but enough to give it a lovely touch. She smiled slightly as she nodded in approval at the makeup job Bra managed to put on her in the last thirty minutes. She stood watching the white dress move with her actions, softly following the shape of her body.

This was it.

This was the day she had been waiting for since she was a small child. She was finally going to marry her prince charming.

-x-

Ever since she was a toddler still learning how to be like the rest of her family, Pan had always fantasized about living a fairytale lifestyle. The girl had been infatuated with the idea of finding her prince charming for as long as she could remember. No matter what she did, and no matter how hard Chi Chi tried to convince her to marry a scholar like her father, nothing seemed to divert her away from the fairytale inspired dream. It was almost hopeless to try and convince her that it would be far easier to marry a business man from the city instead of a prince. As the years passed, the toddler would begin to realize the difficulties of finding her prince when she was barely allowed outside of the house without supervision. The little quarter Saiyan almost gave up completely until the day her Uncle Goten appeared on her doorsteps with his best friend in tow.

It had been almost exactly twenty years ago that she first met him. Sure, there had been times in the past that she had laid eyes upon him, but it was the first thing she could even remember of him as she grew. Pan, at the time, had been only four, and obviously needed a babysitter. Gohan and Videl had requested the services of the two teens when a last minute business dinner arose. The boys had been somewhat reluctant to the idea of babysitting the little tot on one of their few times away from training and school, and would have preferred going out with their friends to meet girls, but their teenage minds were easily persuaded with an offer of payment and food.

Trunks and Goten arrived in a matter of minutes, allowing the two adults to drive off to take care of business without fretting over what their little girl could possibly do to wreak havoc on her unsuspecting babysitters. It would be an easy enough job for the two half-breed Saiyans boys … Well … At least that's what they believed. The moment the two boys entered, chattering amongst one another about various girls they had encountered and the numbers they had received in exchange for a few flirtatious gestures, Pan was at the scene, cheeks puffed and lips pouted. Her onyx eyes scanned their faces as her small hands found their place on her hips. When their eyes met hers, their conversation halted, and the two teens found themselves having a stare down with the four year old Pan.

The tension between the three increased, as the room resounded with the silence. The occasional chirping from the birds could be heard, followed by the rustle of the leaves. Eventually the silence was broken by Trunks clearing his throat. The silence was starting to become unbearable. Were they really just having a stare down with a toddler?

Goten blinked at his childhood friend before turning his attention back to his niece who had yet to move from the position they had found her in when they first entered. "So, um … Pan. Why don't you go and take a nap and wake up in about … let's see …" he paused and shot a glance towards the clock. It was two in the afternoon already. Gohan and Videl wouldn't be finished with their business dinner until after eight, so until then, he and Trunks would have to entertain the girl without causing a mess. "Why don't you take a nap and wake up in six hours? What the heck. Why don't you just sleep through the rest of the night? How 'bout it?" Goten shot his niece the signature Son grin.

The expression on Pan's face fell at her uncle's remark, and her arms instantly crossed themselves over her chest as she glared daggers up at him. "I don't want to take a nap, Uncle Goten." She whined, stomping her foot in annoyance. The remark from the toddler brought a sigh to the boys, as they rubbed their heads in confusion. What were they going to do with this girl? Trunks huffed and ran hand through his lavender hair before shooting Goten a glance.

"It looks like we're going to have to tire the kid out." He muttered and bent down so that he was closer to eye level with the kid. "Well then, what do you want to do, Pan?" He raised an eyebrow, pondering over the possible choices she could think of. Sparing perhaps? After all, she was a Son and everyone knew that the one thing they loved besides stuffing themselves was training. Even for Pan. She may have only been four but she was strong enough to take down fighters over twice her size all thanks to the training she received from Goku. There wasn't much he could think a tomboy like her would want to do. It wasn't as though she had a stash of princess dresses and dolls hidden away in her closet. At least … that's what he thought.

Pan's expression brightened when the Capsule Corporation's heir questioned her about what she wanted to do. It wasn't often she got the chance to play around with people. Her parents were always busy working, and her grandfather and uncle were either away when she went looking for them. "I have just the thing!" she laughed and scurried off up the stairs that led to the hallway, and sped down and into her room. Goten frowned shooting a look towards Trunks who looked as equally confused as the younger of the two. Neither knew whether they were to pursue her or wait patiently for her to come back with what she had in mind.

It was only a matter of minutes until they hear the pitter patter of small feet heading back down the hallway towards them. The sight before them had their eyes wide and jaws dropping to the ground. The little tomboy Pan was dressed from head to toe in a princess costume with matching tiara and jewelry. In hand, she carried what seemed to be a prince's outfit and a dinosaur costume. A wide grin appeared on her face as she jumped down the last remaining steps and held the costumes up to them. "Here." She smiled waiting for them to take the material from her outstretched hands. "Come on."

Goten cringed as he fingered the scratchy material of the brightly colored prince's costume. His eyes shot towards Trunks whose eyes met his with the same distress he displayed before gripping the green mesh suit in his hands. The clothing seemed way too small for teens like them.

"Where did you get these from?" Goten questioned. He clearly remembered that the family and none of the Z Fighters had ever given the girl such a present. The question elicited a playful laugh and grin from his niece who simply rolled her shoulders. "I don't remember."

He frowned and shook his head. "Pan, I refuse to play such a game. Why don't we go and spar outside or watch television?" he suggested, hoping that Pan would agree to the change and keep them from wearing the ridiculous costumes that would lead to their downfall. Trunks watched in anticipation as the girl's smile fell and her eyes shot open wide at the two. Moments passed as the girl didn't answer.

"Uh … Pan?" Trunks watched as her head tilted downwards. "Are you okay?" he bent down glancing up at her face only to be taken aback slightly. Pan's eyes were brimming with tears with the girl resisting the urge to cry and shout at the two to play with her. "But … But … I wanted to play …" she whimpered. They sighed pushing their hair from their face as they nodded. "Alright Panny … We'll play dress up with you, okay? So stop crying." Trunks smiled, picking the small girl up in his arms. The tears that fell were quickly dried, and her previous smile replaced the frown that had been plastered on her lips. "Okay!"

Once the problem was solved over the issue of wearing the ridiculous costumes, they were faced with another problem. Who would be wearing what costume?

"I get the prince costume." Goten gritted his teeth, having seen the looks of the dinosaur costume Trunks was trying to shove into his arms in exchange for the brightly colored fabric.

Trunks snickered, his persistence never fading to get his hands on the better of the two costumes. "Ha. You must crazy if you think I'm going to wear this green suit. It obviously clashes with my hair, and besides, Goten. I am a prince after all."

Prince ….

Pan gasped, tugging on the side of his pants quickly when she heard him say 'prince'. "Did you just say you were a prince, Trunks? Are you really a prince?" He responded with a simple nod at her question causing her to jump up and down in her spot, eyes wide with happiness. Her small hands quickly snatched the bright material from Goten's hands and quickly placed them in Trunks'. "Here. You're my prince from now on, 'kay?" she grinned, ignoring her uncle's outburst towards her actions. Trunks chuckled, shooting Goten a smirk before patting the top of his head. "Thanks, Panny. You're the best, you know that?" he smiled at the small girl who was grinning from ear to ear.

She had found her prince charming. Perhaps she would get that fairytale ending she dreamt of every night.

-x-

Years passed and Pan had grown into a young teenager, running wild with her urge to embark on any adventure that came along the way. Things had started to change as her silly infatuation with fairytales had started to fade, and reality became her obsession. As much as her personality and mindset had changed, Pan never let go of her idea of living life with Prince Charming. It was not as though there weren't boys who caught her attention occasionally. They just weren't her prince. She had found her prince almost ten years ago at the tender age of four. However, her prince had grown as well, leaving his teen years and entering adulthood. Trunks had taken over Capsule Corps after Bulma felt that her son had reached the appropriate age for her to step down.

Her childish crush from so long ago had started to change with her age. Pan herself knew very well that Trunks was oblivious to her emotions, passing them off as simple displays of their close friendship. Their relationship had shifted from babysitter and toddler, to best friends over the years. Her crush seemed to fade away at the thought of being romantically attached to the man that was over ten years her senior.

When her friends had found out earlier in her school years about her commitment to get him to fall for her, they had found it weird and inappropriate for such a relationship to even occur. Pan found herself agreeing that a romantic relationship with her best friend was nearing impossible. Throughout her childhood, she had seen him with girls that clung to him and his money. It was obvious to her that Trunks seemed to be only interested in girls near his age with the curves and assets she lacked. The crush disappeared and their friendship dwindled as well. Pan found herself drifting away from the Saiyan half-breed, and allowed herself to start herself on the path away from fairytales and princes.

With the passing of her grandfather, Pan kept to herself even more, locking herself in her room for days without interaction with the outside world. She felt even more alone than she had since her friendship with Trunks dissipated. It was as though she had no one else to talk to although she had friends like Marron and Bra to confide in. They just weren't the same as Goku and Trunks.

Eventually, Gohan and Videl had enough of their daughter's distance from them and everyone else in their lives, and reached out to Trunks to speak with her. He had left work immediately after receiving their message, and found himself flying straight to Mount Pao's. He had found her locked inside her room, curled into a ball on her bed. Trunks frowned, taking in how frail she looked since he had last seen her when everyone battled Omega Shenron. "Pan." He tapped on her window, gaining nothing from her. He frowned and tapped louder, hoping that he wouldn't have to break open the window to get inside. "Don't make me break in."

No response.

He growled slightly, giving a sharp tug on the window as it gave way to his strength. With ease, he found himself inside her room, looking down at her from beside her bed. "Pan, we need to talk." He urged and knelt down in front of her so he could see her face. Her eyes were puffy and red making it evident that she had been crying. "Oh, Pan …" he frowned pulling her against his chest, his hand rubbing her back in a soothing manner. "It's alright. Goku chose to go, and you know very well that nothing and no one could change his mind." Trunks tilted her face up to him, wiping the tears that were starting to fall again. "I looked up to him just as much as you did. It hurt everyone to have him go."

"It's not fair." Pan whimpered before burying her face into his shirt. "I need him, Trunks. How could he leave me again?"

Trunks' frown deepened as he held her closer. If only he could ease her pain and make it disappear. He hated seeing her cry. "Goku wouldn't want you to be sad like this, Panny. He'll always be with you, you know that." He paused as the sniffling and crying began to slow. "Pan, I'm here for you too. Let me replace him for the time being. I'll be the one you can rely on from now on, okay?" When Pan looked up at him and nodded, he smiled and rubbed her head. "That's my Panny." He grinned placing a friendly kiss on her forehead.

Pan found herself blushing at the brush of his lips on her skin. She was tingling all over at the small action. Her body was warm at his touch, and the sadness she had felt for the past few days seemed to fade away. Perhaps all she needed was her prince to make all the dark feelings go away.

-x-

More years passed and Pan found herself in her late teens. Her relationship with Trunks maintained its stability throughout the years. Whenever she was troubled, she would find herself outside his bedroom door seeking his company and comforts. The same went for him. There were times when the stress of being President of a prestigious corporation took its toll on Trunks, and there were times when he found himself in a difficult situation with girls. Pan was always there for her prince when he needed to vent out his anger, and confide in someone who was willing to listen no matter how irrational it sounded. The idea of her listening to his girl problems always seemed to tug at her heart. Pan was never exactly pleased with the idea of helping Trunks when he got into arguments with whichever girl he was seeing at the time. She would much rather prefer it if he didn't talk about such things, but he was her best friend after all, and it was her duty to return the help he gave her with her own advice.

Those years of counseling his unpredictable relationships and helping him release all of the stress that was pent up inside worked out in the end. Trunks in return, was the person that supported her decisions no matter how ridiculous they were. When she was hurting, he removed her pain, and made her smile. When she was sad, he would find a way to make her laugh. It was as though he was obligated to making her feel better.

The first time she went on a date with a boy, Trunks secretly tagged along to ensure that the date was on track, and that she didn't mess anything up. In truth, he wanted to make sure that the boy kept his hands to himself, and the date was appropriate. He was on his guard the whole night, ready to pounce on the kid if he tried to go anywhere beyond a hug and kiss. At one point along the date, he had made eye contact with the boy and glared at him with eyes so fierce that Vegeta himself would have been proud. Unfortunately for Pan, the boy seemed to rush through the end of it and hadn't even bothered to say goodbye. Trunks, having followed the whole way, was there to console her while nursing the large bump on his head from the punch she had swung at him after finding that he had been spying on her. By the end of the night, she had secretly thanked him for being so protective of her.

The first time her date stood her up, Trunks was the first on the scene to comfort the crying teen that could barely form words through the sobs that racked her body. He was the first to demand to know who the boy was, and immediately tracked the slime down, and made sure to beat him to a pulp so that even his own mother couldn't recognize him. He returned later that night to find her missing from her room. Trunks had found her hiding in the meadow hidden behind the forest nearby. She had been crying still, unable to even look at him. He spent hours holding her as she cried, letting her scream and shout about how hurt she was. He was with her through the end when she fell asleep curled against his chest. Pan awoke the next day to find herself in her own bed, tucked in beneath her sheets. She smiled, knowing that her prince had stayed with her all night and even took the time to take her home although he had been complaining earlier that day that he would be shrouded with paper work and meetings.

When prom came around the corner, she realized that with all the training she did with Vegeta, she had lost track of time and found herself dateless. With no time to find someone who didn't have plans, she went to Bra hoping for companionship at the dance. Despite her knowledge that Bra would have already had a date and wouldn't want to spend prom night hanging out with her, she barged into the room to find the blue haired girl already dressed up and almost finished with her preparations. Pan swore she had shouted and cursed up a storm that resounded through Capsule Corps within minutes. Her outbursts and exclamations of being dateless had brought Trunks into the room looking as though he had been awoken from his sleep. He joked about how her tomboyish attitude had kept her from finding a guy to take her, but his words caused her mood to foul even more than it already was, and he was faced with an angry girl ready to turn him into her next punching bag. Luckily Bra had stopped her in time to suggest that he should be the one to take her to prom despite Pan's stuttering protests. Pan remembered cringing as she waited for the rejection that would come from him, but it never came. Instead, he had smiled and stated that he wouldn't allow her to miss her prom, and quickly made his way off to change. That night, Pan was happier than any girl should be allowed to be as she danced and laughed with Trunks all night long. Hours passed and Trunks drove her home. When they arrived, he walked her to the door, stopping her before she could go inside. The only thing she could remember before her mind was blurred was his lips pressed softly against hers, and his soft goodnight before he left.

-x-

After that fateful night, the two were inseparable. They were always in each other's company, flirting and holding each other. Vegeta had made several complaints about their public displays of affection and how much it sickened him to see it, but they always noticed the small smirk tugging at his lips when he would leave the room. For a few years, they dated despite the difficulties they faced with his schedules at work, and her college years starting. It seemed as though the two would never break it off, and their parents were already planning their wedding before they even knew it themselves.

The day he proposed, she had been utterly shocked. Trunks had called her out to meet him a luxurious restaurant that he often took her to only to find that he had yet to arrive. For hours she had waited for him to arrive, but she didn't even catch sight of him. Pan had called him every five minutes hoping to hear his voice answer on the other side of the line when she couldn't track down his ki. It worried her that she couldn't find his location, and he wasn't picking up. She was set to run off and find him, when he stumbled into the restaurant soaking wet from the rain with his clothes dirtied with mud. Her worry shifted immediately to rage as he walked over to her rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He had begged for her forgiveness when he felt her ki spike. Pan merely ignored his words as she brushed past ready to leave. His hand shot out, grabbing onto her wrist before she could get any further, his eyes set with determination.

"Wait, Pan." His voice was firm as he pulled her back to him. "At least listen to my reason for being so late before you decide to leave."

"I don't think any reason is enough to make up for standing me up like this." She spat and pulled her hand away allowing him to speak.

Trunks smiled slightly as he dug through his pockets as he spoke. "The reason why I'm so late was because I had to make a stop at this store." He started, watching her expression carefully. "I had placed a unique order for them to fill a month ago and they were supposed to have it ready by tonight. But as you can see, they weren't exactly open." He chuckled, gripping something in his hands. "I had to call the owner up and threaten to put them out of business if I didn't get my order. Unfortunately it started to rain, and a car splash me when it driving by."

"Does this story have an end, Trunks Briefs?" Pan frowned, tapping her foot impatiently as her boyfriend continued to try to explain to her his circumstances.

Trunks chuckled and nodded as he knelt on one knee, looking up at her with his blue eyes. She gasped slightly as he opened his hand to reveal a black velvet box. "Pan Son … We've known each other for years now, and these past couple of years have been the best moments of my life. Even though we've been through so much together, I hope we can continue living our lives together. Will you marry me?" As he said the last few words, he popped open the box to reveal a ring with a bright blue sapphire surrounded by glittering diamonds in an intricate design.

"Oh, Trunks! Yes, yes, yes!" she exclaimed as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you, Trunks." She smiled throwing her arms around her fiancé's neck. He smirked and moved his face closer to hers. "I love you too, Pan …" He pressed his lips against hers, sealing their words with a deep and passionate kiss.

-x-

Pan sighed as she lifted her head, and stared into the mirror. Reminiscing on her past with Trunks brought tears to her eyes. It seemed almost yesterday she had found her prince charming. Now she was getting married to him. She laughed slightly as she thought about all she had gone through to get her fairytale ending. It was a dream that was impossible to so many, but not for her. Not for Pan. She had her prince for as long as she could remember. From the moment he had walked through her front door when she was only four to the day he proposed, she had always had her prince. It had been a tough journey for them both, but it was worth it all.

A knock resounded off the oak wood causing her to turn her head.

"Yes?"

Gohan poked his head inside and smiled at her. "You look beautiful, Pan." He walked inside and headed over to her. "Just like your mother." Pan smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood up. "Thank you, Daddy." Gohan wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in a tight hug as he held his little girl. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Pan grinned up at him as they left the room and towards the doors that led into the main part of the chapel. The doors were pushed open, and she smiled as she spotted Trunks standing at the opposite side, a wide smile on his face. As she walked down the aisle, her eyes brimmed with tears once more, her smile never leaving her lips. Perhaps fairytale endings did exist. After all, she found her prince charming.

[author's note]How was it? Good? Bad? Okay? I hope you all enjoyed it. I say this is pretty decent since I haven't written in a long time. Please look forwards to my future stories I plan on writing and publishing here.