Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Pan's eyes opened the next day and she rose from her bed. Gone was the storm from last night, now, the sun's rays bore throughout her home as she rose for the day. She walked out of her home and as she got into her car she sat there for a moment, thinking about last night's events. She started up her car though and headed towards Capsule Corp. She parked in her reserved spot and lifted herself up and out of the low car. As she made her way inside, voices called out to her. "Good morning Ms. Son!" She made a smile curl her lips and waved to them while she made her way through the front lobby and then walked to the elevators. And as she made it into the laboratory that she worked in her eyes went wide seeing that she had guests.
Bulma stood in the center with Trunks standing just beside her. "I created this," she stated, "while Pan engineered the facility." Trunks peered over the inner workings of the system's configuration and craned his neck to look at its motherboard. "What does it do?" he asked and Bulma smiled, "It detects alien life forms located near Earth, she mentioned first spotting you yesterday morning, but you know how to conceal your energy. It's why she was so excited because she knew it was you." He looked at his mother and saw her eyes smiling and her face cracked with a broad smile. She looked at him and then her eyes slipped to look at Pan. "Pan!" she called. "So good to see you again." Pan gulped and set her bag to the table just to the right of her. She felt uncomfortable with Trunks being there. He seemed to focus only on her and of course she understood, she had left him last night. She looked away, pushing her glasses upon the top of her head. "Why don't you tell him how it works?" Bulma asked. Pan remained quiet as Trunks said, "I can understand how it works. It focuses on energy fields, it must be highly sensitive in order to track only one source."
Pan felt her chest tighten. She couldn't handle him here and she finally said, "I need you both to leave." Bulma's brow furrowed and Pan shook her head. "You know I don't mix my personal life with my work," she explained. Bulma noted that Pan was trying to keep herself distant and far. She walked to her, but Pan shook her head. "I can-can't have him here." Trunks hands tightened into fists and he calmly left. Bulma watched him go and then looked at Pan in astonishment. "Pan," she began and then she saw Pan shaking. Bulma shook her head. "I would have thought you would've been happy to see him!" she exclaimed. Pan gulped and said, "How could I possibly be happy to see him? Knowing I'm not the same?" Bulma shook her head. "This doesn't have anything to do with-"
"Of course it does!" Pan snapped. She shook her head. "I should be able to function without issues," she reasoned. "But, I can't remember-" Bulma sighed and stepped up to Pan and cupped her face. "Pan, you're a woman, not a robot. You can't just function." Pan merely sighed. "I'm not sure how to live with him." Bulma sadly smiled. "He will be home, with us, please Pan," she said. "Come with me."
ELSEWHERE
Trunks felt his heart stop as Pan flung herself at Merona as Merona threw an attack. An energy blast tore through Pan's body and she stiffened up and he watched as she fell…lifeless…and he felt fear rip out of him in a hoarse yell. "PAN~N~N!" He threw himself at her and suddenly Merona caught him around the back of the head, a hard handful of hair in her hand. "She is still breathing, but barely, I swear on her life I will kill her now if you don't walk onto my ship and turn away." Trunks froze and looked at her and slowly, sank with defeat. There was no way he could defeat Merona on his own and save Pan. He fell to his knees and heard Merona's laughter, "As stated before, be a good little monkey."
She snapped her fingers and suddenly he was choked back into a collar and his hands were bared into the metal cuffs and as the men led him away he heard Pan creak out a protest. "Tr-Trunks…no…" Merona threw her foot into Pan's face and turned away. His memory and nightmare faded away as he awoke. He then shot awake and his eyes were wide as he peered around the bedroom. No enemies, no nightmares, no monsters, no Merona. He knew then he needed to see Pan, now. He left his mother's home without another word. He had left her yesterday as she had requested, but his nightmare, made him feel as if he had lost her again. He needed to see her.
He looked around and shook his head once more. He'd come to Pan's home, expecting her to be there but, she hadn't come. He sighed and rose from the couch before he went on alert when the front door opened. After another long day of work and Pan fumbled into her apartment and hung up her work bag. She made it just down the short hallway and when she saw him, her heart jumped into her throat.
Trunks.
She froze and he slowly took a step towards her, she stiffly stepped back and gulped as his hand rose to touch her. "What happened here?" His gazed grazed her temple, looking over a scar along her hairline. She winced, she usually wore her hair down, but while driving had pulled it out of her face. She eased her face away from his touch, almost too quickly, almost as if his touch had burnt her. "A souvenir from Merona." He stepped fully into her home and shut the door behind him with a soft click, he knew the scar was from when Merona had kicked her. "What do you want?" she asked as she turned further away into her home. "You." She paused and looked at him over her shoulder, she slowly turned to face him and leaned against the wall beside her. "I can't," she replied. "You'll break me." His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "What do you mean?"
As if on cue her phone rang. She arched a brow and turned away to answer it. She picked up the phone, pulling it up to her ear. "Yes?"
"Pan," Bulma said. Her head tilted to one side and she looked away from Trunks. "Yes?"
"I need you to come back to work, Najin ran some numbers and one of the satellites is down." Pan's head bowed and she nodded, "Okay." She set the phone on the receiver and looked at Trunks. Her hands took up his and she held onto them, her own were shaking, but she pulled his hands to her lips and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. Her eyes looked up at him through long lashes, she didn't feel sorry for him, and she felt bad for not welcoming him with open arms. He watched her as she watched him and he knew when she was thinking, something she would not tell him. "Please be patient with me," she asked. She let him go and turned away, "I have to go back to work." He stood there as she left him and knew not to chase after her. He watched her take up her bag and the lab coat next to the front door and then she left him in her empty apartment.
He sighed and brought his hands up to brush them through his hair. He eased back onto his heels for a moment and turned away from the door, deciding to stay at her apartment. He stepped about her apartment and finally peered around. He had only been inside when it had been dark out, but he saw now that in the daytime she allowed as much natural light as she could into the apartment. She had drawn back the curtains at the balcony's door and the curtains at the windows were tied back as well. He noticed she had a beautiful scenic view of the city line. He sighed once more and thought about what he could do to get her to open up to him, and what she may be hiding. He had the day to himself and he ran his hands through his hair.
He left her apartment and took to the skies to go to see his father. And as he approached his former home his father greeted him outside. "I could sense you coming," Vegeta said. And Trunks's frowned at the sight of Goku standing behind his father. Vegeta looked at his son and said, "You need time to rest, and to know that you're home." Trunks nodded. "Yes, it will take time to become accustomed here again." Vegeta nodded and peered over his shoulder at Goku and then looked back at his son. "You want that tag covered don't you?" he asked and Trunks felt his chest tighten. The mark on his head. His hands tightened into fists and he rolled his shoulders. "I just need my hair to grow out," he reasoned and Vegeta shook his head. "You need more than that, and I am going to help you." Trunks shook his head. "I don't need help," he said firmly and then turned away.
"Do you think your nightmares are just going to end?" Vegeta called. Trunks paused and his father continued. "I know well enough what that bitch is capable of," he said, "and your fears will only haunt you if you do not train." Trunks rubbed his shaved head and Vegeta said, "You want that gone don't you?" Trunks remained quiet. "There's a fast way to have your hair grow out?" Vegeta added. And Goku chuckled, "It's really not fast, but it'll work." Trunks looked at his father. Goku added, "The Hyperbolic Chamber, you wouldn't know about it. Your future self-trained there during Cell's time here on Earth." Trunks shook his head and he faced them once more. Vegeta stepped to him and said, "A solid year passes in one day's time. We have already spoken with Dende, he is willing to allow us to use it."
"Us?" Vegeta nodded. "Yes."
