Okies, first of all, I'd like to thank ALL of you who reviewed my last fic! I got SUCH sweet comments! Thank you all so much! I'd also like to give a special thanks to Christina, cause it was her fics that first got me hooked on Trunks/Pan stories to begin with. Go read her stories! Thank you everyone!





Chapter One: Of Coffee Shops and Late Night Romance



"Marron... we're going to get caught." He whispered quickly, while she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him over to her. She sat on the furniture ledge, her legs slightly apart, so that she could pull him closer to her, then wrap her legs around his waist to make it easier to kiss him. She gently fingered the cotton material of his shirt and made a small laugh behind her huge smile.

"Caught? By who? We're closed. Besides, you are the owner of this company, are you not?" Marron asked, biting the lip of her grin.

"Hmm, ya, that's me. Mr. Bigshot." He replied, softly kissing her neck. "I wouldn't really call it a company though." He pointed out with a small smile. Marron shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, okay. A business." She said with a smile, reaching to her left and picking up a half-filled wine bottle. She checked the label and showed it to him. "Don't want it to go to waste, do you?" She asked, taking her eyes off of him to look for some glasses in reach.

"No." He replied, taking the bottle from her and holding it behind her back. "I don't want it to go to waste, but you my dear, are not going to touch it." He said with an apologetic smile, and lightly gestured towards her swollen stomach. "Don't want the little tyke to become an alcoholic, now do you?"

"One glass of wine won't make it an alcoholic, but you're right. No wine until the baby's born." Marron nodded in agreement. He smiled back at her.

"You're the best Mare..." He whispered, before returning to kissing her.

"You too sweetie." Marron leaned forwards and rested on his chest, sighing in contentment. Her legs dangled down over the spot where she would be standing tomorrow and all the days to come as the cashier. Behind her lover was a wall with a window in it that opened to the kitchen where he would be cooking up the usual storm for their customers. Behind her were a dozen tables, nicely lit in cozy colours, brilliantly setting a mood of romance yet also one of order. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." He pointed out, resting his head on hers, and gently rubbing her back with one hand while the other held the wine bottle.

"Don't tease."

"Well, since I love you so much, I'll grace you with the honour of another question." He said with amusement to her.

"You're too kind dear." Marron said sarcastically, but with light humor. "I just... did you think you were going to end up like this? I mean with this life?" He tilted his head, as if in thought before he answered her.

"Well, if you're asking if I thought I'd marry you, become a cook for a restaurant I own personally and a soon-to-be father... no." He paused, before continuing. "I never knew I could cook... must have got it from mom... I guess I could see me as a father, but personally, I thought you were gonna hitch it up with Trunks."

"What? Me... and Trunks? Goten!" Marron lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "You're such a tease." She leaned back into his embrace. "Trunks isn't right for me. Never was." Goten smiled at his wife, and the two leaned in for a quiet kiss. However, before their two lips could meet, they were interrupted by the loud clang of the door chimes as someone stepped into their restaurant.

"Well... speak of the devil." Goten said under his breath. Marron turned to see the new comer and smiled brightly at their friend.

"Hey Trunks!" She called, with a wave. "Woa, what's with you?" She asked, after getting a good look at him. His hair was messily fallen over his eyes and looked pretty limp. His clothes were slightly wrinkled and he looked tired. Tired and old.

Trunks glanced up from his spot just in the doorway of his close friends' café. One hand still remained rested on the door knob, still debating whether to stay since they looked to be having some serious husband/wife time together or to just leave while his friends were ahead in the game. They looked to be in a good mood, each wrapped up in the other's embrace; Marron sitting cosily on the counter top, and Goten with a bottle of wine in his hand. Wine. Alcohol. Kami could he use some of that. Quickly making up his mind, he quickly walked the distance to where they sat and snatched the bottle from his hand, popped the top off, and downed half of what was left down his throat.

"Thanks." He said in a tired voice, and hopped up onto the counter, his legs dangling on the opposite side of Marron's. Goten and his wife looked at him in pity and sympathy.

"Uh, rough day?" Goten asked with a small grin.

"Rough life." Trunks muttered back. He looked down at his hands and squinted his eyes at the fingers laced around the wine. As quickly as he walked in, he looked up, his look of concentration gone, and turned to them with a grin. "So, how's life been treating you guys?"

"Good, thanks." Marron said, absently rubbing her stomach.

"Speaking of that, how long before it's due?" Trunks asked. Goten shrugged.

"Still a couple of weeks... I guess." Marron said quietly as if she were thinking about it. "It'll be born, late spring or early summer." Trunks nodded, and glanced outside at the rainy spring weather they were having lately. The rain was always depressing to him. And right now, he was depressed enough without the rain's extra boost. The three sat in an awkward silence for a bit, before Marron hopped off the counter. "You two will have to excuse me. This lil sucker is draining my energy... I think I'll hit the sack." Marron told referring to her unborn child. "Great to see you again, Trunks. Come back soon, kay?" Trunks nodded with a smile, and gave Marron a quick kiss on the cheek. Marron walked into the back, and then disappeared.

When Goten and Marron first thought of the idea for a café, they had both found in most logical to have their apartment near by, and the lot which they bought happened to have one upstairs. So they lived upstairs and worked down, which had its advantages for Marron since she couldn't work as long anymore with her baby almost due.

Goten turned to Trunks and waited for him to talk. He had a pretty good idea why he had showed up in the first place. Marron had heard it all from Pan, which she passed on to Goten, and if he knew Trunks, it was only a matter of time before he broke and needed to talk it out with someone. He would usually deck it out with Pan, but Trunks always went to Goten with his lady problems, and besides, this time Pan was the problem. Goten was sort of surprised that this was the first time seeing Trunks however. He had held out long. After all the incident happened over three weeks ago.

"Goten, have you ever been happy? I mean... really happy?" Trunks asked quietly once the silence got to awkward for him to bare.

"Yeah. Ever since I was with Marron." Goten replied, not really wanting to bring the female species into this conversation, but seeing no other alternative. Trunks had to get over his problem sometime.

"That's what I thought. And that was what it was like with Pan. You know... everything..." He paused, let his cerulean eyes scan the room, the met up with Goten's black ones. "... everything was better. I was happy."

"Trunks you always move on. Why can't you just let her go like you've done with the others?" Goten asked, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer. Everyone knew about Trunks and Pan. They knew how each of them were more cheerful and their lives seemed more fulfilled while they had been seeing each other. But no one knew what had gone on that had brought it all to a quick end. No one except Pan and Trunks.

"I can't move on. I won't." He whispered, raw determination within his voice. "Goten, I came here to ask for your help. Pan was always pretty close to you, and - "

"Hey," Goten cut his friend off. "Don't make me pick sides. I'm sorry, but if you have some revenge thing or something being concoct in that CEO brain of yours, you can just count me out."

" - I need your help to get her back." Trunks finished, seemingly unaffected by Goten's interruption.

"Get her back? Trunks, if you hadn't broken it off in the - "

"No, she broke it off." Trunks said in half despair, his confidence and shell of coolness slowly melting away.

"Well, you guys knew you were taking a gamble. You're best friends. Taking that friendship down the romantic path was a risk. If it didn't work out, you're friendship could be damaged, but you were both willing to take that risk. You guys are too close to let the fact that you can't work romantically ruin your friendship. Don't tell me Pan doesn't see that."

"No, you don't understand... Pan and I were... perfect. We were so close. We knew what the other wanted, when they wanted it... you know - everything. It was like, we were one person; split apart at birth, then when we found each other our souls become one again and we were complete. I was never more happy in my entire life. I was going to marry her, that I was. But out of nowhere it all ended. Everything. Just like that." He snapped his fingers to prove his point. "No explanation, no excuse. Just 'it's not working, I think we should stop seeing each other'. And that was the end of Pan and I."

"That doesn't sound like Pan..." Goten mused. Trunks turned violently towards him and glared.

"Well it was." He snarled, the frowned and the pained look returned to his eyes. He turned back and looked out the window at the darkening sky. "So happy. I need Pan. I can't do this anymore, dammit!" He cursed, throwing the bottle across the room where it smashed on the wall and shattered. He hung his head down, and stared at his feet. "Why did she go? She damn well owed me an explanation." Goten stood silently waiting to see if Trunks would continue, a little effected by his out burst, but he would rather him take his hurt and anger out on a wine bottle instead of the cause of his problem which would be his niece. "It's not her fault though..." Trunks whispered. "Something happened.... I don't care what, Goten, I just want to get her back. Will you help me?" He asked hopeful.

"I'll do anything I can." Goten answered truthfully. "If you don't mind I'll talk it over with Marron since she belongs to that crazy race known as females, and she may understand their weird rituals and such." Goten said with a small grin, attempting to make a joke

"Thanks." Trunks whispered with a small grin himself.

"Hey come on, Trunks!" Goten said, giving him a shove. "You know I hate to see you all wussy and vulnerable." Trunks made a small laugh that made his shoulders raise a bit.

"Do you have any idea why she broke it off?" Goten asked. He shrugged.

"Mom thinks it's because we were too close as friends."

"Oh. I'll talk it over with Mare, kay?" Trunks nodded, and thanked Goten, before turning to trek back home. The small chimes above the door chimed one last time for the day, and Goten slowly locked up once his friend had left. "So we all know that they were happy together. We just don't know how it ended... and I guess now, it's only Pan that really knows." Goten said to himself, before flicking the light off and trudging up the stairs into the apartment above.

The suite was decoyed in pastel colours that Marron had selected out and had beautifully changed the run down old rooms into ones that looked like they stepped out of pages of a magazine. Of coarse Bra had helped her with the designs, since she was the best of the five friends when it came to that department. The five of them had been friends for a long time. Trunks, Goten, Marron, Bra and Pan. Each contributing their own talents to the group of friends. When each had left the protective arms of their parents, or in Goten's case - the fleeing from his parents, they had to discover their own strengths and use them in the world. Trunks had his given to him by heritage. He was the CEO of Capsule Corporation - one of the most high tech and largest corp. in the world. His younger sister, Bra, had taken to the fashion and was a designer of wedding gowns. She was becoming more and more popular and woman from all over the country were ordering personalized dresses from her shop. Goten, of coarse, had discovered his talent in the food category, and Marron was right beside him every step of the way. And naturally, Pan had taken a more academic route, but still maintained a creative and artsy side to her, since she was an author. She had over five best sellers, and had written many novels so far, even though she had only been out of college for a year or so. They had all changed since their care-free teen years, but for better or worse wasn't quite determined yet.

Goten tiredly shrugged off his working attire, and slipped a t-shirt and kept his boxers on as he slipped into the warm covers beside his wife. He stretched an arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"Hey hun." She murmured sleepily, snuggling into his embrace as best she could with her stomach the size that it was.

"Mmm." Goten yawned, and snuggled into the pillows, feeling sleep nag at him.

"How'd it go with Trunks?"

"He wants me to help get him and Pan back together. I said I'd do all I could."

"Well, why did they end it in the first place?"

"Pan did it, and he doesn't know why." Goten said, his voice slowly becoming quieter as his mind drifted away.

"Well what did Pan say when they broke up?" Marron asked. She was met by silence... and then by a choked snore. Sighing and swallowing a small laugh, she turned her head, placed a butterfly kiss on the tip of his nose, before joining him in the land of dreams.

***

Pan lightly twirled the mug in her small hands, sitting comfortably at the kitchen table, lost in her own thoughts. Her painted nails grazed over the cream coloured cup with deep blue symbols and letterings printed all over it's surface. She had always liked the mug. When she was a child, her parents would drink out of replicas of hers, and they always poured her some milk, considering she wasn't old enough to be downing coffee. The apartment was quiet, and no sound could be heard through it except the persistent ticking of the clock which hung in the living room. The apartment was completely spotless and organized, except for the lone tv-dinner that she had taken out of the freezer but never made it out of the box, and the clothing she had worn that day which was strewn on the bathroom floor, her being to tired to pick it up right now.

The meeting she had attended took longer than she had anticipated. Her editor had called her that afternoon to say a new illustrator wanted to make a brand new design cover for her original novel. After what was hours, the entire team; Pan, the illustrator, her manager, and Zachary - her editor, came to a final design and picked out the design. From what had started as a mid after noon meeting turned into an all night affair, and by the time they retired, it was too late to do anything except go home. Pan hadn't eaten yet, but she rejected the idea of going to a restaurant alone, so she drove home remembering she had frozen dinners at her place. The spring weather had already started to kick in and a light dribble had fallen, causing it to be more difficult to drive, resulting in it taking even longer for her to make it back to her apartment. She had stripped herself of her work attire, and shrugged on some sleeping wear. She felt too lazy and tired to make dinner, so she settled for one cup of coffee.

And that's where she was. All in all it had been an irritating day. First off she had woken up with that discontent feeling, wishing she could just sleep forever. Second, her mother called. Now, not to make lies out of the truth, Pan loved her mother dearly, but found it unwanted and unnecessary to be called every other day to see 'how she is doing'. Third, she had writer's block. A major one. Not just a small brick that could be flicked away the next day, but like a mountain of stones, all piled up denying her entrance to her inspiration and writing. And finally there was the meeting. Everything considered, Pan just wanted to go to sleep.

Pushing herself away from the table, Pan took her cup in hand and walked over to her sink. Dumping the contents down the drain, she gave the cup a quick rinse before placing it in the sink. With a sigh of dismay towards her empty stomach, she grungily tossed the thawed out dinner back into the freezer for another day. She made a quick round check of her apartment, making sure that all the doors were locked, windows closed, and lights switched off. Satisfied with her inspection, she retired to her bedroom, and slunked under the sheets, happy for the warmth and comfort they offered her.

Turning to her side, and curling up slightly ready for sleep, a strand of Pan's smooth black hair fell over her half-closed eyes. Pan frowned. She brushed it away, but sat up in bed, already disturbed from her half-slumber. She turned her head and looked at her own reflection in the full length mirror that stood across her room.

Her hair was slightly curled so that it would wrap around her chin and shoulders, and it was cut short and uneven. Totally opposite from her long silky hair that had trailed halfway down her back only weeks ago. Pan had gotten rid of it. She couldn't stand looking at herself everyday. Cutting her hair, and slightly altering her wardrobe, she got rid of the Pan Son that had so easily ditched Trunks. Tossed away the Pan that had torn his heart as well as her own. Truth was - she was afraid of that Pan. Afraid of what she could become. Getting rid of her also got rid of the feelings she had felt. The feelings that caused her to shake, and want to never to be near Trunks again, yet never without him at the same time. The feelings that wretched her soul and made her want to crawl into a dark corner and just rot away when she couldn't find him. Feelings that she didn't understand. Feelings she didn't want to understand. Feelings that were tossed away with Trunks and the girl that was once Pan.

Pan sighed and curled under covers, disregarding any memory of what had happened while she was with Trunks. Something had happened - some sort of sensation or feeling. One that Pan was scared of and didn't follow. She didn't like what she couldn't comprehend. So, she fled from it - fled from the unknown. As sleep engulfed her, she had one last half-conscious thought...

*You're such a liar Pan... you know what that feeling is...* Drifting away before she could hear the rest of what her heart so yearned to tell her stubborn mind.

*It's love.*



To be continued...