3- Trouble

Pan looked her reflection over carefully. Her hair was twisted up into two space buns. Her face was clear and shining. She wore a baby blue romper that fit her well. The shorts came down to the middle of her thighs, and the sheer sleeves flowed down to her wrists. There was a modest dip in it, and she admired herself, thinking she looked mature enough for her liking. She would have to thank Bulla for helping her with her outfits when she got home from school.

With a nod of approval, Pan left the bedroom and skipped down the stairs of Brief Manor. Bulla was at school, Bulma was at work, and Vegeta was off doing whatever it was Vegeta did. Most days, it was a mixture between training and watching dramas. Pan would never have guessed it if she didn't know Vegeta well, but the man could binge dramas like a maniac, and he got very into them.

"Hey," Trunks smiled at her as she came down the stairs. His eyes roamed over, and she could feel herself beaming in excitement. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Pan nodded with a smile.

Trunks was having to run into Capsule Corp to check up on things, and he had asked if Pan wanted to go in with him. She agreed, of course, since she wanted to spend any chance she got with him. It would be nice to see Capsule Corp as well; it had been a while since she had last visited. She wondered how much it changed.

The building was huge, with the lower levels being open to the public. There were a few stores on those levels, mainly food-related stores, but there were a few clothing stores as well, thanks to Bulla.

Trunks walked beside Pan as they entered the garage below Brief Manor. Pan was used to the many vehicles that lined up the large garage, but it still blew her mind that they owned so many.

"Any certain requests?" Trunks glanced over at Pan and raised an eyebrow.

"Which one do you like the most?" She asked curiously.

"That one-" he pointed to a sleek-looking white sports car. "It goes really fast," he smirked.

"Then let's go with that one," Pan told him with a grin.

Trunks chuckled and led her over to the car. He opened up the passenger door for her, and Pan could feel her cheeks heating as she got into the car and buckled up. She never had a guy open the door for her before. Trunks shut the door, and Pan watched as he walked around to the driver's side before he slid in.

Pan was thankful Trunks was wearing regular clothes. The dark jeans he wore showed off his muscles and cut off above his ankles. The dark grey shirt he wore fit him well. Pan was sure he was many girls' dreams.

She shook her head to stop herself from staring at him too much and looked around the car. The seats were leather and a deep ruby red. The interior was a sleek, shining black color. The center for the steering wheel had the CC logo on it.

Trunks drove the car smoothly out of the garage and onto the back road behind Brief Manor. It wasn't until he passed the security gate that he stepped on the gas suddenly, and Pan let out a breath as her seatbelt tightened around her and pushed her back onto the seat. The windows were rolling down, and the cool summer breeze was rolling in through the car.

Trunks smirked at her, and she found herself smiling breathlessly. She didn't want to be anywhere else. She was half tempted to reach out and touch him, to make sure that it was real and not a dream, but she stopped herself.

Trunks was still flying by the time they reached city limits. "I've missed driving in this city," he sighed as he zig-zagged through traffic like a pro.

"Aren't you scared of getting pulled over?" Pan asked, her eyes wide as she looked at the speed he was going.

"Nah. All of our vehicles have police scanners. Plus, we make the police cars. They usually don't bother me since I'm a good driver. I just speed a little," he grinned mischievously.

"Ha," Pan let out a breath and slowly stuck her hand out of the window. The wind hit it with full force, and it was almost like when she was flying. She smiled and let out a laugh. "You're lucky you can drive."

"You don't have your licenses yet?" Trunks asked in surprise.

"I'm a horrible driver," Pan admitted with a mumble. "Mama says I take after Papa."

Trunks laughed and reached over and patted her bare leg. Pan felt an electric shock go up her body. She thought of him leaving his hand on her leg and resting on her thigh as he drove. She about melted in her seat, even though Trunks' fingers just barely lingered on her skin.

"Nothing's wrong with not driving," his voice sounded tighter than usual, or maybe she just imagined it.

Pan looked over at him. He looked cool and focused as he drove. His seat leaned back slightly with one hand on the steering wheel. His other hand, she was still wishing was on her thigh.

"Yeah, but I can't fly where I need to go all the time," Pan said with a sigh. "Sometimes the weather is bad, or it's too cold. I hate bothering Mama and Gohan so much. Before Goten went on his trip, I used to bug him to take me places, and he'd always grumble."

"I'll take you," Trunks said suddenly. "Where ever you want to go, I'll gladly take you," he told her.

"Really?" Pan asked with a small smile. "You don't mind being my personal chauffeur?"

"Only for you, Panna," he told her with a smile as well.

Pan was beaming by the time he pulled the car into the back garage of Capsule Corp, where the employees parked. He parked the car, and before Pan could move, he was by her side and opening the door for her.

"Thank you," she smiled at him as she stepped out. "I don't think I've ever been inside CC this way," she said as they walked towards the elevator. "When I would visit Bulma with Bulla, we would just walk in through the front door."

"This is a quicker way to get to CC," Trunks told her gently. "You don't have to cut through the mall; I'm sure Bulla likes going that way so she can shop."

"Of course," Pan agreed with a nod. "So, what all are you having to check out today? Any top secret projects?" She teased.

Trunks grinned at her and poked her forehead. "Not today, Panna. I just need to check out my office and make sure it's getting set up correctly. I'm sorry, it might be boring for you."

Pan shook her head quickly, "no, I'll be okay! I'm glad you're letting me come with you. It's exciting to see what your office will look like. That way, when I imagine you working, I'll have a better picture of you behind some big desk."

He laughed, "I'm sorry to say that most of my offices for the last five years have been pretty boring, but to help your daydreams of me, I'll make sure to decorate it nicely. You'll have to help me, of course."

Pan's cheeks grew hot as she smiled. "Of course I will," she promised.

The elevator opened up, and Pan walked out with Trunks. She noticed how as soon as he walked in the office seemed to freeze, and every woman, and some men, turned to stare at him. Pan couldn't blame them. Trunks had a magnetic aura that radiated confidence. Still, she didn't like how some of the employees looked at him, with their eyes shining and mouths gaped open. She glanced up at Trunks to see if he was noticing any of them, but his eyes were focused up ahead, never lingering on any of the employees other than to give them a polite nod.

"Trunks!" Bulma appeared with a grin. "And Panny, too!" She beamed at her. "Come to help Trunks set up his office?" She raised an eyebrow.

"He actually gave me permission to decorate it," Pan grinned at Bulma.

Bulma laughed, "well, everything just arrived, so it should all be in there. Good luck," she winked at Pan before she walked away.

Trunks' office was huge, which wasn't a surprise to Pan since he would be the company's CEO within the next five-to-ten years. The double doors to his office were large and made out of dark wood. On the wall on either side of the door were tall bookshelves that took up the walls. The window across the way was nothing but a big window split into two by a wall piece. Between the walls was a wide-open space where his desk sat, and in front of was a dark coffee table surrounded by four black leather chairs, two on each side and a matching love seat at the end of it.

"Any ideas coming to you?" Trunks raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, you have plenty of space to show off your capsule collection," she teased.

He gave her a look, "you got jokes, huh?"

Pan giggled, "I think it's cute you collect capsules, Trunks," she said honestly.

He gave her a gentle smile, "I thought that maybe I could get a few plants."

Pan quirked up an eyebrow, "are you going to take care of them?"

He grinned at her, "I was hoping you would. It would give me an excuse to see you often."

Pan's breath left her as her cheeks burned. "You want me to visit you that often?" She asked.

"Yeah," he nodded slowly. "I do."

"Okay," she smiled. "I'm getting you lavender plants."

"I should have seen that one coming," he sighed, but his lips were twitched up in a grin.

Pan laughed, "it's to help you relax."

"Help me relax?" Trunks mused as he furrowed his brows. "Then you need to visit me several times a week. That would help me relax."

Pan was sure she was red head-to-toe. She could feel herself burning and the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

The office was already put together, so they didn't have to put anything up. After Trunks checked to make sure all the furniture had arrived, he started going through a stack of papers and organizing them for when he returned to the office. Pan sat across from him in one of the leather chairs as she watched him.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and Trunks' eyebrows furrowed. "Come in."

A young woman walked in, and Pan's eyes widened slightly. She was beautiful, her dark brown hair was pulled up neatly, and the clothes she wore were without any wrinkles. She was smiling at Trunks brightly, her dark eyes glowing.

"Mr. Brief, we're so happy you're back. Do you need me to get you anything?" The young woman asked, not even sparing Pan a glance.

Trunks turned towards Pan. "Would you like anything?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. Obviously, the woman didn't want to wait on her, and Pan wasn't going to make her. Plus, she could wait until she and Trunks finished up.

"We're fine, thank you," Trunks said without looking at the young woman.

The woman's shoulder's dropped slightly. "I see," she nodded. "I can come back in half an hour and-"

"We'll be gone by then," Trunks informed her, still not looking at her. "We have lunch plans," he looked at Pan and smirked.

Her lips twitched into a wide grin. "Yes, we do," she agreed. At least, they did now.

The employee didn't speak again as she frowned, bowed her head, and walked out.

Pan looked over at Trunks, who was busy organizing the papers again. "Trunks, have you ever dated one of your employees?" She asked before she lost her nerve.

Trunks looked up at her, his blue eyes wide with surprise. Pan wondered if she crossed the line asking him that, but he let out a small breath and laughed. "Heck no, those girls are crazy," he said. "Plus, I'm their boss, so that wouldn't be very professional, and also, none of them are really my type."

Pan felt herself buzzing. She knew he wasn't dating anyone because Bulla would have told her if he were. She wanted to ask what kind of women were his type and how close she was to his ideal woman.

"Since we're talking about dating," Trunks said, his voice gentle, "what about you? You're not dating anyone, are you?"

Pan's stomach fluttered. Was he interested? "No," she told him softly. "I have very high standards."

"Picky, huh?" Trunks smirked slowly.

"I know what I want," she told him. "Plus, guys my age only want one thing, and I don't think I'm attractive enough to hold most men's attention," she admitted.

Pan knew she was pretty. She had inherited her mother's face and her Papa's dark eyes. She had grown over the last several years and had curves of a woman, but she wore clothes that hid them most of the time. She didn't know how to be stylish or to fix her hair in elaborate designs. And makeup was nearly impossible for her to do.

"I wouldn't say that," Trunks' said. "When you walked in, the men in this office couldn't take their eyes off of you." There was something about the hardness and disapproval in his voice that made her shiver. Did he not like other men looking at her?

For some reason, a sense of boldness was rushing over Pan. "I wouldn't mind giving the right guy what they wanted, though," she told Trunks. She watched his eyes widen slightly.

"And who's the right guy for you?" His voice was nothing but a whisper, but it echoed across the room.

You! Her body was screaming. She wanted to crawl across the coffee table and straddle him. The thought almost made her choke in surprise. She needed to calm herself!

Pan forced herself to smile in what she hoped was a flirtatious grin. "I want a guy older than me who can unravel me completely until I'm begging him to touch me." She knew her voice was low and husky. She should feel some sort of embarrassment, but she didn't.

Trunks' gaze was locked in hers. His blue eyes darkened, and he sat the paper down he was holding. His hands were twitching like he was about to move, and Pan wished he would.

Before Trunks could move, the door busted open, and Pan jumped in surprise. Even Trunks was surprised by the sudden intrusion, and he tensed as he turned around to look at the intruder. It was just Bulma, who was coming to deliver some paperwork that had been mistakenly delivered to her.

As Trunks and Bulma talked, Pan excused herself from Trunks' office to use the bathroom. She needed to clear her head! What was she thinking flirting with Trunks like that? Still, she wondered what he would have done if Bulma hadn't entered.

Most of the employees didn't spare Pan a glance as she walked to the bathrooms. She let out a sigh and headed to the sink before turning on the cold water and splashing it on her pink cheeks. She grabbed a paper towel and wet it before soothing her warm cheeks. Once they were cooled off a bit, she headed to a stall.

Pan had just finished when she heard the door open and the sharp click of two pairs of high-heels. There were giggles as the women went to the sink; Pan assumed they were checking their makeup.

"I'm telling you, Tamae," the first woman spoke. "Mr. Brief walked in with a girl, and it wasn't his sister, Bulla. I didn't recognize her. Ruri saw her this morning and said she was really cute."

Tamae let out a laugh. "Oh, please," she snorted. "Come on, Tetzu, I heard she looked like a high schooler. I'm sure she's just his sister's friend. Mr. Brief is single, and once I catch his attention-" she let out a happy sigh. "I'll be living in the life of luxury."

Pan felt herself scowling. Trunks was an attractive man, and she would never deny that. She couldn't blame women for thinking he was handsome but what she couldn't stand was when people saw him only for his good looks and money! He was so much more than that!

With a huff, Pan unlocked her stall and stormed out of it. The two women gasped and looked at her in surprise. One of the women had waves of brown hair, her red lips shined with lipgloss, and the dress she had on was tight around her hips and breasts. It left little to the imagination. The other woman had short blonde hair, and her dress was a lot more modest. It didn't take Pan but a few seconds to figure out who was who.

"What are you doing in here?" Tamae narrowed her eyes at Pan with a glare.

"I'm doing what most people do when after they use the toilet. I'm washing my hands," Pan said as she walked up to the sink and began to do just that.

"I mean, what are- how did you get into this part of the building?" Tamae demanded. "It's restricted to employees and approved guests only."

"Tamae-" Tetzu's eyes were wide as she looked at Pan. "That's-"

"I came here with someone," Pan glared at her. She wiped her hands with a paper towel before she went to leave.

Tamae blocked the door and scowled. "We are not allowed to just bring in random guests, little girl. Who did you come with?" She snarled.

"Your vice-president," Pan hissed as she felt her temper rising. She needed to stay calm. She couldn't harm Tamae, even though she really wanted to. "Now, get out of my way!" She snapped at the woman blocking her way.

"It's her!" Tetzu gasped. "That's who Mr. Brief walked in with! Tamae, let her go!"

Tamae looked between Tetzu and Pan before she laughed harshly. "Don't tell me you believe her, Tetzu! No way would Mr. Brief waste his time with someone like her! If it were true, then Mr. Brief would have given her a visitor's pass! Let's take her to security and get her thrown out!"

Before Pan had time to blink, Tamae grabbed her wrist. Her nails dug into Pan's skin painfully, and she gasped in surprise before the woman yanked her out of the bathroom with such force that she almost tripped. Pan was too surprised to react initially as Tamae dragged her down the hallway she had walked in earlier with Trunks.

"Hey-" Pan was finally finding her voice. She dug her heels into the ground and caused Tamae to stop with such force that she almost fell.

"You brat!" Tamae snarled. Her nails dug deeper into Pan's wrist, making her clench her teeth to stop herself from raising her Ki. "You're getting out of here!"

"Listen, lady!" Pan snapped, her voice rising. "Let me go! I don't want to hurt you!" Even though she was being a major bitch.

Tamae was several inches taller than Pan, and she yanked her painfully towards her. "Is that a threat?" She asked with a snarl.

"You're hurting my arm," Pan hissed between her teeth. "It'll be self-defense."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Came a yell.

Pan's eyes widened, and she looked up. The whole floor seemed to be watching her and Tamae, and they parted as Trunks' appeared. His blue eyes were blazing as he glared at Tamae, who looked as if she were in awe.

Trunks let out a growl and grabbed Tamae's wrist. She gasped loudly and let go of Pan suddenly. "Get the fuck away from her!" Trunks said as he let go of Tamae's wrist. She stumbled back into a nearby desk.

Trunks picked up the arm Tamae had and rolled up Pan's loose sleeve. Her wrist was red, with indents where Tamae had dug her nails into her skin. Some of Pan's skin was peeled back, but it was only a thin layer; she wasn't bleeding or anything like that. Trunks was holding her arm carefully.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Trunks snapped at Tamae, who jumped. "Look at what you did to her!" He yelled.

"I- I-" Tamae stuttered. Her eyes were glassing over. "I caught her in the bathroom! I thought she was a stalker!" She was nearly sobbing.

Pan felt her blood boiling. "That not true!" She shouted. "I told you I came in with Trunks, and you refused to believe me! You were trying to turn me over to security to have me thrown out!"

Tamae let out a strangled gasp. "That's a lie!"

"Shut the hell up!" Trunks roared at Tamae. The woman, who had been red with anger, was now growing pale. Even Pan was a little shocked. She had never heard or seen Trunks so angry before. "I don't want to hear another pathetic word out of your damn mouth!" He snarled at Tamae with a glare.

"What's going on?!" Bulma demanded as she arrived. She gasped as her eyes looked between Pan, Pan's wrist, which Trunks was still holding, Trunks, and Tamae, who was sniffing pathetically. "What happened?" Bulma asked, her voice a scary calm.

"That bitch hurt Panna," Trunks was still shaking.

Bulma's gaze snapped to Tamae. "Leave," her voice was a low growl. "Empty your desk and leave. You will not be returning."

"I-" Tamae began. "You have no proof of what she said is true!" She screamed.

"I'll vouch for the girl," said a quiet voice. Pan turned to see Tetzu near the edge. She was frowning and let out a sigh. "I told Tamae that she came in with Mr. Brief, but she refused to believe it. I actually recorded what happened in the bathroom-" she held up her phone. "And the other cameras around here I'm sure caught the rest," she said as she glanced up."

"Tetzu!" Tamae gasped. "You-"

"Get out of here, you dumb bitch!" Trunks snapped at her.

Tamae wailed as she turned on her heels and disappeared. Pan stared after her in shock. Bulma was fusing over Pan, but she could barely make out anything she was saying. Before she knew it, Trunks had led Pan to his office, and Bulma had brought in a first-aid kit. Bulma had left them to handle things outside and to make sure Tamae had left.

Pan was sitting on one of the leather chairs again as Trunks sat on the coffee table. He was silent as he rubbed the cream on her wrist.

Her heart felt heavy. "Trunks-" her throat was tight, and her eyes burned.

"Panna?" He gasped as his eyes widened. "Are you hurt?"

"No-" she shook her head. "I'm just- I'm sorry," she felt her shoulders shake. "I caused you and Bulma trouble, and I didn't mean to, I promise. I'm sorry if I made you mad or upset, I-"

Trunks grabbed her suddenly, and Pan gasped as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Panna, I wasn't mad at you," he told her softly. "I was never mad at you or upset."

She sniffed as she felt a relief come off her chest. "Really? You're not?"

"No," he leaned her back. His fingers were gentle as he wiped her cheeks. "I was livid at that woman. I saw her holding you like that, and then I saw your wrist and something in me just snapped. I almost hit her."

Pan gasped. Did he care about her that much? "Trunks, it wasn't that bad. My wrist will be healed by tomorrow."

He let out a small sigh and glanced down. Her knuckles were resting against his knee. His fingers traced her palm and her wrist where he had rubbed the cream. Her whole body was fluttering.

"It was to me," he said quietly. "Someone very precious to me was being hurt. There was no way I could control my anger." He lifted her hand, and ever so gently, he kissed her wrist.

Pan could hear the blood rushing to her ears as her face grew blistering hot. She was in so much trouble.