Learning to Live Again
By: Faye_Valentine00
Faye_Valentine00@hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer - I do not own these characters. :-P
Quick question - Is nobody reading this or is it so bad that no one is reviewing? Just curious. Please review and tell me what you think! I hope you like it! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** 30 mins later ***
I looked in the bathroom mirror and sighed. It was the first time that I'd worn makeup and a dress since the funeral. Since I came back to my parents home, I'd taken to wearing the same kind of baggy pants and orange bandanas that had been my staple as a child. Now I wore a short black dress that was form fitting with spagetti straps.
Although dressing up tonight was something that I really didn't want to do, I was afraid that even though I hadn't seen him in years, Trunks would drag me up here and dress me himself if he had to. Looking at the finished product in the mirror thought, made me smile because even though deep down I knew Robert wasn't coming back, it reminded me of the times that we had gone out with friends and collegues.
I made my way downstairs and back into the living room. Once Trunks saw me, he let out a low whistle and winked playfully.
"Wow Pan. You look like a million zennie."
I couldn't help but blush at his compliment. It'd been a long time since I had gotten one. "Thanks Trunks. I guess you, of all people, would know what one million zennie looks like."
He started to laugh and I couldn't help but break out into laughter with him. I hadn't laughed at all since Roberts death and only when I did, did I realize how lifeless I had been since he left. Although I'd never admit it outloud, I silently thanked Dende that Dad did call Trunks before I completely lost my mind. Maybe this night would do me good after all.
We went to dinner at the type of resturant that I had only ever dreamed of eating in. I knew it was terribly expensive because the prices were not even listed on the menu but Trunks told me to get whatever I want. Since we were both demi-saiyans, I knew the bill must have been a fortune after all of our entrees but Trunks just handed over his credit card and that was it.
We talked about our pasts over dinner and the fun that we'd had growing up. We laughed and joked about things that had happened to us in space and shortly there after.
"You know what, Trunks?"
"What?"
"I only ever regret one thing in my marriage."
He frowned and I assumed it was because he was afraid that I'd upset myself. When he didn't respond though, I continued.
"I wish I would have told Robert the truth about my heritage. It would have saved me from having to make up so may lame excuses." I couldn't stop my laughter when I thought of all the stupid things I had said.
Trunks looked honestly shocked. "You were together 10 years between marriage and dating and you NEVER told him?! Dende Pan, didn't he ever see you train or fly?"
I shifted uncomfortably and dropped my gaze from Trunks. "Ihaven'ttrainedinalongtime." I muttered quickly.
"Huh?! You've got to be joking. You are the most powerful woman in the world and you just stopped?" He looked completely flabourgasted. "Well, what about flying? Did he ever see you fly?"
"Once."
"What happened?" His eyes danced with amusement because he knew any answer I gave would be lame.
"I told him I got hit with a hard gust of wind, Duh!"
We both burst out laughing so hard that people in the resturant were starting to stare.
I turned to Trunks when I was able to stop giggling and gave him my best puppy-dog face. "Trunks-kun?"
Apprehension was obvious on his face when he saw my expression and used his childhoos nickname. "I don't trust that face Panny. What do you want?"
"Well 2 favors actually..."
"TWO!? Well that may be too much. Lets hear the favors." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Well..." I fidgited nervously with my hands. "I want you to help me train. Its been years so if I have to go to work at Capsule Corp, you have to help me train."
I looked up to see a wide smile spread across his face. "As long as it gets you out of that damn house for a while, request granted. Whats the other favor?"
"Well... Please do not tell Vegeta that I haven't been training or else he'll throw me in the gravity room and not let me out." A nervous shiver went through my body at the thought.
Trunks burst out laughing when I mentioned his dad. "The prince of the saiyans" was proud to a fault and if he heard that I'd slacked off, he'd say that I was an insult to he saiyan race. The sad thing is that I'd have to agree with him, but I did what I had to do because I truly loved my husband.
"Okay Panny. I can do that for you too." He winked over and reached over to squeeze my hand tightly. "When should we train?"
"Well, tomorrows Sunday and I don't start until Monday. How about tomorrow morning?..." Just as I asked the question, I realized that I hadn't asked Trunks anything about himself in recent years. I didn't know if he had a wife, girlfriend or anything else. I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. "B-but if you have plans or family stuff to do, I totally understand."
Trunks eyed me strangely for a moment before speaking and I could have sworn that he read my mind. "I don't have any other plans so tomorrow sounds great. And Pan... Just so you know, I'm still the same Trunks as before. I pretend to work but run off to play or train whenever I can. I'm eternally single but always being hit on by women who are after my money. Although I would have never dreamed that you'd be in this sitsuation, Pan, I'm greatful that we will at least be able to spend time together like when we were younger."
I knew we were both older now and years and life experiances had changed us both but as I looked at Trunks now at 40 years old and myself at 28, it felt like nothing had even changed.
"Yeah. I've really missed our talks and late night spars."
Later that night, we flew home instead of driving and talked more about old times. Both of us seemed to avoid the subject of Robert but that I guess that was for the best. Trunks had been right when he told me that I wasn't the one who died. Then I thought about Grandma Chi-chi and how everytime Grandpa Goku had died, she didn't lock herself away. She had lived on and I realized that although I never would forget him, Robert would not have wanted me to be sad. I was going to have to find a way to live on without him.
We said our goodbyes when I got home and he agreed to meet me the next morning in the mountains near Grandma Chi-chis house.
I was smiling when I walked into my parents house and I was surprised to see my mother and father waiting up for me at the kitchen table. When I walked in, I saw both of their eyes light up.
"Hi Mom. Hi Dad."
"Hi Pan. Did everyone go well with Trunks? You look really nice." My mothers eyes looked a little watery.
"Yes. I actually had a very nice night." I wasn't exactly thrilled that my parents were being so nosy but I knew that by the looks on their faces that they were just concerned about me.
"Did he offer you a job?" Dad looked concerned when he asked but I was not angry about it anymore.
I walked over and kissed his cheek and then hugged my mother. Then I pulled up a chair across the table from them and my smile got even better.
"Yes Daddy. Trunks offered me a job and I start on Monday."
My parents were thrilled that I was going to be out and working again. They also loved that fact that my spirits were visibly higher. We spoke for a while before I headed off to bed. As my made my way to my room, I could not help but be happy that I seemed to be making people smile again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter - 2 weeks later. How is Pans job going a Capsule Corp? Trunks has a question for Pan but how will she take it? Read and see
Please Read and review! :)
