Title: But She Doesn't Dance

Author: Pale Orchid

Rating: R-ish

Summary: Trunks catches Pan in the arms of another, but is the situation all that he thinks it is??

Category: Romance/Angst

Spoilers: None cause I ain't seen GT.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the DragonBall Z characters or anything even remotely DBZ related. I'm just a poor Aussie girl with too much time on her hands.

Archiving: Email me so I know where it's going. Address is below.

Feedback: Ya know, it's all good, all the time. PaleOrchids@hotmail.com or press the little review button at the end of the page. Yep, that's the one. Go on, it won't bite. At least, not the first time. J


Authors Note: I've wanted to do this fic for what seems like forever which it really isn't considering that I only became a fan last August.

But She Doesn't Dance

Chapter One: It Couldn't Be.

Trunks walked through the doors to his new favourite bar. He had only been here once or twice before and still wasn't well known enough. He liked the place. It had class, or something. Plus, not so many girls wanting his autograph or worse.

The only down point was that she wasn't here. Pan. She had said that she didn't want to come out. She hated dancing and even worse she hated these smokey bars that he found so enjoyable. While all she could see was the smoke and the drunks, he could see an entire world of working people just trying to wind down from their hectic lives. So if smoking and drinking did that, then well, let em have it.

As she slipped through the groups of people he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a couple on the dance floor. That was another thing that he liked about this place. A good old-fashioned dance floor. The couple on the floor was a tall dark man with his arms around a shorter dark haired woman. They were swaying to a song on the stereo system.

Reaching the bar, Trunks slipped himself into an empty seat and pulled out a twenty bill, waving it to get the bartender's attention.

"What would you like tonight?"

"Just a beer thanks."

"No, problem, Trunks wasn't it? Seen you in here before."

"Yeah, and you?"

"Mike." Mike poured the beer and placed it onto the bar top. He waved away the bill and nodded to the drink. "It's alright. Now that we've introduced ourselves, I'll start a tab for you."

Trunks raised his eyebrows in suspicion. "That's nice of you." He placed the bill back in his pocket.

Mike shrugged and picked up a small towel and a glass. "Hey, it makes it a lot easier on you to get the drinks and it makes it a lot easier on me to charge you. Got a mind like a steel trap for drinks and who got em, but my maths sucks."

Trunks laughed at this and raised his beer in salute of Mike.

"Well Mike, I gotta say, you know how to work things out, I'll give you that."

He turned his attention back to the dance floor. He wasn't much of a dancer himself, but he knew that if he and Pan could get out onto the floor they would dance beautifully.

Mike looked in the direction Trunks' attention was focused.

"You missing your girl by any chance?"

Trunks gaze shot back to Mike almost guiltily. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck the way the Son boys did. He removed his hand sighing.

Dad always said there would be consequences to spending so much time with Goten and Gohan.

"Yeah. She doesn't like places like this. No offence."

Mike merely shrugged again. "Eh, my girl don't like this place much either. Don't sweat it. So what's she up to tonight, if you're here moping?"

"She's probably visiting my sister."

Mike hissed. "Oh don't tell me your girl and your sister get along?"

"Like a house on fire. They're both the same age and we all grew up together. Sorta. Both of them are fourteen years younger than me."

"Damn man! That had to go down bad with her dad."

Trunks took a long swig of his drink. Mike just sucked in a breath, still cleaning his glass.

"That bad huh?"

"Yes. Not to mention, her uncle is my best friend and my father can't stand her grandfather. Ahh the things I did for that girl."

Mike put the glass and the towel down then leaned on the bar. He looked Trunks in the eye.

"And is she worth it all?"

"Of course." There was no hesitation before he answered.

"Then it's all good. You did the right thing, fighting for your girl."

Trunks smirked. Fight was right. Gohan, Goten and his father seemed to want to beat his feelings for Pan out of him. Or at least prove that he really didn't love her and she was just another floozy that he was just using. But that wasn't it at all. He truly loved her. And she loved him, she had proven it when she had broken into the Gravity Room, and sent all three of the other males flying. Literally.

Since then they had moved in together and their relationship was just barely above the tolerated stage. But life was good. Trunks returned to watching the dancers. There was something about that girl.

When the couple turned around so that he could see the girl's face. He couldn't believe it, no, it couldn't be

"Panny?" Trunks' voice was horse and choked.

Mike turned from the couple to look at Trunks. He noted the way his mouth was hanging open and his eyes had become wide. Then he turned back to the couple to Trunks and the back to the couple.

"You know her? Panny, was it?"

Trunks nodded his head, still not believing what he was seeing. This couldn't be happening to him.

"Yeah, but she doesn't dance."

Comprehension finally hit Mike's brain and he cursed himself for being so dense. Damn, maybe his girl was right, maybe the smoke was damaging his brain.

"Shit man, that's her ain't it. Your girl."

"Yeah. That's Pan."

"Damn, I am so sorry man. Really I am."

Trunks barely registered the words as he continued to watch Pan and the dark haired stranger sway in time to the music. It was then and only then that he took in her attire.

She was wearing an olive brown dress that barely covered her rear and high heel shoes of the same colour, which had straps that wrapped around her ankle. Her hair was loose and free, moving back and forth around the middle of her back. That couldn't be right. His Pan would never wear something like that. She didn't even own clothes like that outfit. Maybe it wasn't her?

His face fell again when he quickly searched for her ki. It was there. Damn it, why hadn't he realized it before? Why hadn't he known?

He watched dejectedly as she allowed herself to be led off the dance floor, and it was only then that Trunks even hear that the music had stoped. Only stoping for their coats, Pan and her dance partner left the bar. Trunks couldn't even raise himself off the barstool and go after them. He just sat there, staring into his beer, wishing that this were all just some nightmare.

End Chapter One.