Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z/GT -whimper- stop reminding me!
A/N: This one took a while. Sorry. Okay, I have a few things to say, starting with: I'm a liar. According to me, this is supposed to be the second to last chapter. Haha. Yeah, right. See, originally I intended for all this info to happen in 5 pages but I got carried away with myself. -blush- So, it's going to be about 15 chapters when I'm done…I'm sure you guys don't mind that though. Also, Lavender Princess asked if I was going to write another story after this. And I most certainly am. =) I'm in the works of a couple, but I won't get into that right now. She also asked if this would have lime. -another blush- haha, no. If you knew me, you'd know why that was funny. I could never write that…So, sorry. Okay, so here we go (I'm a little weary about this chapter, don't know if it's very good…-sigh- bear with me):
Cold showers and Short leashes
"Hold still, Bra. I'm going to poke your skin if you move again." Pan commanded, putting the finishing touches on her wedding dress. Placing holding pins in the places where the dress was too loose. Then she blew a piece of hair out of her face and stepped back, taking in the full effect of the dress.
Pan gasped, looking up at Bra, who was standing on a chair, waiting for Pan to make the final adjustments, and covered her mouth with her hands. "You're beautiful." She told Bra after regaining herself. Bra blushed and smiled warmly at Pan.
"You think?" She asked, seemingly shy. Pan laughed softly to herself, Bra had never been modest before. She must really be nervous about the wedding.
"Of course, when Goten sees you in that tomorrow he's going to be speechless." Pan grinned up at her friend and lifted her hand to help the girl off the chair. "Now, just let me make these few adjustments and everything will be ready." Bra's hands were shaking as she stepped off the chair, and she had to sit down immediately after hearing Pan's words. She cupped her face with her hands and shivered, shaking her head.
"Everything?" She asked, her voice cracking as she looked up at Pan. Pan giggled and smiled softly down at her, nodding in confirmation. "Pan," Bra started, the fear in her voice obvious. "I'm getting married tomorrow. Where did this last month go? How did it fly by so fast? It seems like just yesterday I was barging into this place and snapping pictures of my brother wearing pink. How did I transition from annoying little sister to blushing bride that fast?" Pan laughed more and sat down on the couch next to where the chair was positioned.
"It's going to be okay, Bra. I know April flew by but you knew it would happen fast. Just remember that you love my uncle and you're ready for this." Pan tried to soothe her, thinking back on the last month. It had flown by incredibly fast. She'd spent most of the month measuring, designing, and sowing outfits for the wedding party. She was so busy she never had time for herself, and now that this was the last outfit that she had to make adjustments on, she was more than happy they were getting married tomorrow. It was going to be over soon, and her life could take back it's normal pace. Well, not really she was starting school next week. That meant life was taking off in a completely different way. She was more than excited about it, too. She was really going to be living her dream and being this happy about something was like walking on eggshells. She kept waiting for something bad to happen, it always did.
Thinking of this lead her thoughts to Trunks. Something had been going on with him and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was. Before she started to burry herself in her work, she'd spent some time with him, during the budget cuts. And while she was with him she couldn't help but get the feeling that he was trying to tell her something that was more than a little important. But he never got a chance to. That was frustrating, especially since she couldn't determine if it were good or bad. And though her mind told her what it was, she wasn't willing to accept that. It just wasn't logical to think he cared for her. That wasn't possible. And yet, everything that had happened pointed to that.
How many times had they come close to kissing? Or had she suspected they had come close to kissing? It was annoying to not know. She just wanted to know what was on his mind; maybe she was loosing hers. For so many years she had told herself that he saw her as nothing more than a child. A good friend. And now the more she told herself that, the more a nagging voice in the back of her head gave her hope. Maybe he'd changed his mind, maybe it was something more. But it couldn't be. She'd been thinking those same thoughts for years. When she was younger and he was so nice to her, she didn't know then that was just the way he was. But she knew now. So why was she letting herself get all worked up again? He couldn't love her. She reminded herself, nodding her head to confirm. It was then that she noticed Bra's bright blue eyes baring into her.
"You look more nervous than I do." Bra joked, punching her friend lightly on the shoulder. "What's up?" She pried. Pan only shook her head and sighed.
"Nothing. I was just thinking." Pan shrugged. "Now go in there and take off that dress so I can make the final adjustments." She ushered Bra towards the bathroom just as she heard the door swing open and the sound of crinkling bags.
"Mom? Is that you?" Pan called out, peeping her head across the room, past the wall blocking her view from the entryway.
"Yes, dear. We have the rest of the groceries for tomorrow nights' dinner." Videl walked into the kitchen followed by Chi-Chi and 18 (A/N: I'd put her name in there but I don't know how to spell it…). All of them were carrying groceries as well as Krillin and Pan's father. She giggled at the sight, knowing they still had a lot of food to prepare, even though they began the cooking two days ago.
"I don't know why you're laughing, Miss Son, you're going to help us with the rest of this meal." Videl warned her as she quickly wiped the smile off her face. She tried to inch her way from the kitchen but her mother caught her arm.
"Mo-om, I have to fix the rest of Bra's dress. She's taking it off right now so I can adjust it. I just don't think I'll have time." Pan tried to convince her mother to let her go.
"I know it's not going to take that long. The second you're done, I want you right back in here missy." Her mother told her with a knowing look taking over her face as she let Pan's arm slide free.
She could never lie that well, especially to her own parents and Videl didn't believe that it would take Pan all day to fix a few things on Bra's dress. Pan sighed in defeat as Bra walked out of the bathroom with the dress draped across her arm, careful that none of it dragged the floor. She handed it to Pan and then looked around the kitchen at the busy women who were unpacking groceries and beginning to chop up meat. The two men had already eased their way into the living room and were sitting on the couch watching television. Bra smiled happily, and made her way into the kitchen.
"Do you guys need any help?" She asked, hope very present in her voice. All three of the women chuckled and Videl shook her head.
"No, Pan's going to help us later." Videl informed her.
"Oh, I could help while she's busy. I know I can chop something or season something." She nearly pleaded.
"No dear. That's quite all right." Her future mother-in-law chimed in. "We've got a handle on things."
"But once I marry your son, he's going to be eating my cooking. Don't you want to at least show me a few things so that I don't poison him?" She put a sweet tone to her voice, persuading the women to let her cook. Videl laughed a little harder and motioned for Bra to come and watch what she was doing. They weren't going to let her actually cook, but watching couldn't hurt anything. Everyone knew that Bra's cooking was like her mother's, terrible.
The groom and his best man walked into the house an hour after the cooking began. And soon after them Pan came begrudgingly down the stairs, mumbling about not wanting to cook. Trunks looked over at her with an eyebrow raised, wondering what it was that had her all upset. But she only walked past him and angrily into the kitchen.
"What do you want me to do, mother?" She questioned coldly, it being no secret that she hated doing 'women's work' in the kitchen. Her father, who was still sitting on the living room couch, laughed at her lack of enthusiasm.
"Pan, one day you're going to settle down and cook and clean for some man. Then we'll see how angrily you come into this kitchen." Trunks, who had followed Pan into the kitchen after being ignored, chuckled at the comment. She elbowed him in the gut.
"I'm not getting married if I have to 'cook and clean'." She wrinkled her face in disgust, but Trunks and Videl responded in unison,
"Yes you will." As if they both knew the future. Now it is normal for a mother to contradict her child on certain matters, but for someone else that wasn't a full grown woman to do it…that was just not right. Videl raised an eyebrow and gave Trunks an evil glare, as if she were, for the first time, seeing what was really going on. But Pan took no notice to Trunks' reply as being anything more than him being a smart allelic and she punched his shoulder. That was count one of the three punches she'd made a promise to give him one day. She smiled at him in satisfaction.
"I want you to peel those potatoes. Then you're going to let them boil and once they've done that, smash them up and-"
"Mother, I know how to make mashed potatoes. I'm not four years old." She interrupted Videl who was giving her step by step instructions that weren't needed. She'd cooked mashed potatoes a hundred times and her mother knew it, she was only trying to wear Pan's patience.
"Well, you were acting like a baby. I thought I'd treat you like one." Her mother stated, rolling her eyes at Pan and continuing to chop the chicken into tiny pieces.
Bra eyed her brother with suspicion as Pan began to peel the potatoes. Trunks shrugged his shoulders and adjusted the collar to his shirt, nervous as to why Bra was giving him such a stare. She'd stopped watching the events in the kitchen, just to glare at him.
"Is there something I can help you with, Bra?" Trunks asked, as nicely as possible. He knew his sister might be moody right now, Goten sure was. It was the day before the wedding after all. Trunks, on the other hand, was only upset that they'd be staying with them the whole night and he'd have to put up with her attitude. The wedding chapel was closer to his apartment than where Bra and Goten stayed and they needed to be the first one's there. Pan and Bra thought them staying here would relieve some of the stress.
"You most certainly can." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest with anger.
"And what would that be?" He asked, almost hesitantly, while searching his memory for anything he could have possibly done wrong.
"You can tell me where you and Goten snuck off to, hours ago. That would be, the place you're just getting back from."
"No, I can't." He shook his head, everything becoming clear. They had left Pan and Bra earlier this morning and both of them had refused to say where they were going. It was supposed to be a surprise for Bra, her wedding present from Goten, so he couldn't share about their whereabouts. But Bra was more than furious when they said they weren't going to tell her where they were going.
"You'd better." She warned, her voice low and threatening. He shivered and took a step away from the kitchen.
"It's a little hot in here…" He stated, stepping back some more. "I think I'm going to watch some T.V. with the others." Pan giggled as he stepped back again, and he gave her a questioning glance. "What?" He asked defensively. "There oven's on and all…"
"You're going in there? To watch T.V.?" She questioned, pointing her finger to the living room. Trunks' eyes followed her finger, his gaze falling to where it was pointing. He nodded, missing her point and looked back at her curiously.
"Yeah. So…" He shook his head, not able to comprehend the problem. Was she mocking him because he was 'afraid' of his sister?
"You're going in there? To watch T.V. on that couch? With the others?" She questioned, nearly repeating the same thing again. Trunks nodded, confused at what she was getting at and wrinkling his brow. She sighed and tried again. "You're going to join the others in watching T.V. in there?" She asked and Chi-Chi must have picked up on her hidden meaning for he could hear her muffled laughter.
"Yes, Pan." Trunks told her, almost annoyed with her questions, but more confused. Why was it so hard for her to understand what he was going to do?
"Let me get this straight. You're going to go into our living room, sit down on that couch, and watch television with my father?" She giggled a little and raised her eyebrow. Trunks frowned and looked around the room, everyone else seemed to have picked up on the hidden meaning behind it. But he, he was still confused.
"So?" He questioned, wishing she'd just get to the point all ready, and smiling because she'd said, 'our' living room.
"My father hates you." She smirked, trying not to laugh. Trunks quickly replaced his smile with a frown, shaking his and considering this.
"He does not. I've known him all my life and he's never been mean to me before." Trunks objected, feeling slightly hurt that someone might 'hate' him. He'd never done anything wrong to Gohan. Pan nodded, as if she were considering this, and then spoke.
"That was before the Tokyo Journal came out. Now he hates you." She smirked again, and Trunks finally understood why everyone hated that look on him so much. He thought on this for a second. Gohan could very well hate him for loving his daughter. But that would be if he believed the article. Then again, why wouldn't he? Just because Pan wasn't objective enough to see the love in his eyes when he looked at her, didn't mean everyone else was blind. Gohan, and everyone else in this room as a matter of fact, could know how much he cared for her. And therefore, he could hate Trunks.
Now Trunks had to decide which was the lesser of the two evils; an angry father who thought his little girl was being stolen away, who could (and would) break multiple bones in his body. Or a weaker, yet very angry little sister who was about to pry into information that he absolutely could not spill without his best friend breaking bones in his body. This was a tough one. He quickly decided against the latter, Bra was definitely going to pry until she squeezed the information out of him, but Gohan might be civil if he kept his distance and tried not to show his fear. Fathers can smell fear. And besides, Videl was here to stop him should he make any sudden attacks.
Trunks sighed, concluding that his decision was the right one, and made another step into the living room. He then turned around and headed towards a chair, not to close to Gohan and yet not too far away. Pan giggled again, peeling another potato and placing it in the pot of water she had sitting on the table.
"Off he goes, into the lion's din." Bra whispered, though she knew everyone heard her, and all the women began to crack up in the kitchen.
Trunks moved uncomfortably about the chair as Gohan gave him side glances. He'd look from the movie that was playing, to Trunks. From Trunks to the movie. It was driving Trunks insane. He sighed and wondered if he'd have a better chance of surviving in the kitchen, at least Gohan wouldn't be able to see him as well there. Then he wouldn't be able to glare at Trunks during the commercials. He got up and made his way back into the kitchen, deciding that he'd just get a snack and then come back. Goten followed him and he was thankful, then Bra couldn't pry into what they had been doing earlier.
"If you're getting something to eat, I want some." Goten informed him, but the second they walked into the kitchen they were accosted.
"Goten!" His mother yelled at him. He winced and responded.
"Yes, mom?"
"You'd better not be in this kitchen begging for food. I'm not giving you anything." She informed him, lifting a frying pan over her head for effect. Both Trunks and Goten took a step back, each of them giving a wounded look.
"But…mom, this is Trunks' house." He complained meekly, not wanting to upset the woman. She growled low in her throat and they backed up a little more. Pan laughed, smashing the already boiled potatoes in the pot. Trunks shot her an evil look but she only smirked.
"You can't do anything to me. My father's in the other room." She teased him.
"My mother is on her way." Trunks countered. "I'm would hate for her to mention why I'm always so late for work." He threatened. Pan's face paled and reddened at the same time, Trunks never would have thought something like that were possible had he not just seen it. He chuckled.
"He'd really kill you then." She whispered, catching the attention of her mother and grandmother.
"What are you kids talking about?" Chi-Chi asked but Pan knew only Bra had heard the entire conversation, Bra and Goten. They were the only other saiyans in the room and the cooking noises were too loud for her father to have picked up on it.
"Nothing, grand mom." Pan told her, her voice slightly shaky from anger. "You wouldn't." She whispered to Trunks with vengeance in her voice. He only nodded his head and smirked.
"Give me some food, Pan." He spoke in a warning tone.
"You can't blackmail me with a lie." She countered. "I'll only tell your mother it's not true." She stuck her head into the air. "Then my father really would break your body in half, telling such a lie."
"But are you willing to risk them not believing you?" He teased. "All I'm asking for is a little piece of cake or something." He whimpered. "Just smuggle it out."
"I'll give you some food." Bra interjected, hearing the whole conversation from her spot on the stool next to Videl, even though they had been whispering so low that if Videl were standing next to them she couldn't have heard it all.
"Thanks sweetheart." Goten chimed in with a wide Son smile.
"Only if you tell me where you were earlier today." She spoke sweetly to her soon to be husband.
"But I can't." He whimpered. "And I'm starving."
"You're always starving." She dismissed that. "I guess it depends on how hungry you are. That's the price you've got to pay."
"Well he's not going to tell you. But Pan is going to give me some food." Trunks shot a look at Pan but she only shook her head.
"I wish you would repeat that lie so that my father could hear it. He'd give you what you deserved." She narrowed her eyes at him and Trunks sighed.
"When my mother gets here, she'll feed me." He told Pan with certainty. Pan laughed and shook her head.
"She'll be the one cooking it too." She giggled at the thought of Bulma's meals.
"And I'm going to tell the future grand mother of your children, how exactly you treated her son when he was hungry." Pan snorted and looked away from him, the anger clearly written on her face, as Goten and Bra shot both Trunks and Pan confused glances. There weren't in on the joke and were wondering what the hell was going on.
"Children?!" Bra said aloud, before she caught herself. Videl gave each of the kids confused looks but settled her eyes on Pan, burning a hole into the side of her face.
"I don't know what you four are talking about, and I see you're using your saiyan hearing to your advantage." She spoke, anger ever present in her tone. "But, if you don't fill me in, and soon, I'm going to call Gohan in here to deal with each of you." She shot a dirty look at Trunks who gulped.
"It was just a debate about food." Bra told Videl, placing an innocent look on her face and blinking her eyelids rapidly. She was quite convincing, having had lots of practice on Vegita, but Videl could still see through her.
"Then why are you practically yelling, 'children'? Pan, you'd better not be pregnant. Especially since you didn't even tell me you and Trunks were dating." Videl narrowed her eyes as she looked at Pan, glaring very hard. Pan gulped, her nostrils flaring, and tried to get a hold of her temper.
"I am not sleeping with Trunks." She spoke roughly, remembering to keep her voice low so as not to attract the attention of her father. "And I will not be having any of his children." She shot him a dirty look as well, trying to control her ki. He laughed, amusement written clearly on his face, and tried not to look so pleased. He didn't want Videl to think he'd propositioned her only daughter.
"And I am not dating Pan. So there is nothing to tell." He tried to match the indignant tone of her voice but she knew he was mocking her, though everyone else might have thought they missed some part of the conversation and both of them were equally offended. He had been using every chance he got to bring up the excuse he told his mother when he was late because he knew how upset it made her. She was more than just embarrassed that his mother thought they were doing that every time he was late, which was quite often, simply because that was the easiest way of getting out of trouble. She walked over and angrily punched his shoulder again. That was count two for the punches she'd promised to give him.
"What was that for?" He mused, seemingly confused.
"You're infuriating Trunks." She spoke, highly upset.
"Listen, Pan, just because you adore me like every other woman, doesn't give you the right to resort to violence when the feelings are equal." He chastised her actions. She scowled at him, more hurt than he could see, and punched him again. That one didn't count though. She resolved in her head.
"I wouldn't sleep with you if my life depended on it. No, I wouldn't sleep with you if the human population depended on it." She whispered angrily at him. He laughed as Bulma came through the door, bags in her hand and a smile on her face. The first people she saw were Pan and Trunks, looking intently at each other and standing rather close, for they were the ones that were in between the kitchen and living room, right in the vision of the entranceway. She smiled warmly at them, as if she knew something they didn't, and walked into the living room sitting down her bags.
"Hello everyone." Bulma smiled, moving her blue hair out of her face and smiling, once again, at Pan.
"Hi Bulma." Pan said, stepping away from Trunks and punching him once again.
"That's it." Trunks outburst. "I've had enough of your violence." He declared, picking Pan up and swinging her body upside down, curving her knees until they folded at his shoulders. She yelped and Gohan hopped out of his chair.
"What's wrong Panny?" He yelled, looking angrily around. Then his eyes landed on Trunks who was holding his daughter upside down in his arms. He growled and gave Trunks a warning glare.
"Sorry, Gohan, but this is payback." Trunks shrugged his shoulders as Pan's body moved up and down from the action. She wiggled in his arms but couldn't get free and her shirt was inching up her stomach.
"Trunks, put me down!" She commanded.
"Stop abusing me." He challenged her. She attempted to hit him but couldn't reach and finally stop struggling, realizing her shirt was going to go farther than she wanted it to if she didn't stop.
"There you go. Now, if you can be civil, I'll put you down."
"The second you put me down, I'm going to kick your a-" Trunks cut her off, making a 'tsk'ing noise with his teeth.
"That's not being civil. At this rate, I'll never let you go."
"Daddy!" Pan whined and Gohan stepped closer to them, ready to go help his daughter. But Videl stuck her head around the boxed out area of the wall that Trunks called a 'breakfast window' (it was right next to the sink and allowed her to see into the living room) and gave him a warning glance.
"This is between the children. Pan got herself into this mess, I think it's fair to let her get herself out. I taught her better than to fight around the house, anyway." She spoke the last part disapprovingly, wiping her hands on a towel. Gohan gave Trunks another upset look, but sat down obediently.
"Now you don't even have your father's help." He teased her, shaking her body in his arms. She flailed her legs, trying to get him to loose his balance so that they would both fall. At least then she'd be free. "I told you to be civil." He reminded her, walking past the kitchen and laundry room.
"Trunks, where are you taking me?" She asked, curiously scared. He only laughed. She could tell, by the way his footsteps were progressing, that they were heading towards his room. Bulma had already looked on curiously; surely her son wasn't this bold. He wasn't going to take Pan into his room while Gohan was right there. She smiled mischievously as he went exactly there.
"Trunks," Pan asked, more afraid now for she didn't know what he was going to do. "What are you doing?" She tried once again to hit him, and struggled to get free, not wanting whatever punishment he had in store. He went past his bed, sitting area, fireplace, right into the bathroom, right to the shower. Before she could break free of his hold, he quickly turned the shower on and pushed her inside, shutting the door so that cold water dripped all over her body. Her mouth dropped in astonishment, he didn't really have the gall to do something like that! She wouldn't have ever believed it.
"I thought you needed to cool down a little." He spoke, the smirk ever present on his face. She yelled and flared her ki, pushing her way out of the shower and immediately drying herself off with the power surge.
"I don't believe you just did that!" She yelled, slamming her fists into his chest. He laughed and lifted his hand in warning.
"You wouldn't want me to do it again, would you?" He teased as she continued to beat into his chest. By this time Bra and Goten had walked in, too curious not to see what was happening. They were followed by Bulma and Gohan.
"What's going on?" Gohan asked furiously.
"He shoved me into the shower!" Pan shrieked, running to her father, afraid that Trunks might do it again if she continued to abuse him. Goten was cracking up as Pan shot him a death glare.
"Yeah, she was a little overheated." Goten commented to Trunks' lame joke. Pan placed her hands on her hips, frowning. She didn't think either of them were very funny.
"I'm going to pay you back for that, Trunks." She promised but he had the feeling it was empty. She was too afraid that he might retaliate again, and she was still shaking from the cold water.
"Wow, I think you might have actually found something to soothe her temper." Goten chuckled as everyone filed out of Trunks' room.
Trunks came out of his room very hesitantly, for he knew Gohan was going to be clenching his fists the second he saw Trunks' face. But the smell of food was so alluring, and now his mother was here, he was sure he could get something to eat. However, he couldn't help but think that since he'd pushed Pan into that cold shower Gohan had been silently threatening him for abusing his little girl. He didn't want to face that wrath again. If all else failed, he'd run behind Videl, saiyan pride or not.
He gently edged out of his room and poked his head around the corner of the kitchen. Unfortunately, Pan was the first person he saw and she gave him the meanest stare he'd ever received. She was pouring some kind of orange solid into a pie crust. It must have been sweet potatoes. He winced, afraid she might attract the attention of her father, and attempted to head back into his room.
"Where are you going, Trunks? Have you finished the work your mother asked of you already?" She asked, more than loudly. He frowned, nodded, and inched his way out of the room.
"Yes, I finished." He responded to the lie, which he was sure she knew was a lie, that he'd told everyone as his excuse of staying in his room. He never brought work home to finish. Come Hell or high water, he never would. He glanced at the kitchen table and saw Bra filling Goten's glass with some liquid. The boy looked pleased and Trunks knew someone had fed him. He wondered if Goten had caved under the pressure and told Bra where they were earlier.
"He didn't, she just gave it to him." Pan said, as if reading his mind. For all Trunks knew, she had read his mind. He nodded and gave her a pleading look, touching his stomach ever so slightly. She laughed.
"Apologize for throwing me in the shower." She commanded him, while pouring more sweet potato in another pie crust. He sighed heavily and folded his head in defeat.
"I'm sorry, Pan, for throwing you in the shower." Someone snorted behind him and he turned quickly around, it was his father. When he Vegita come?
"I thought I raised you better than that. You're weaker than I gave you credit." He snorted again and turned his head up in contempt. Trunks sighed again and turned to Pan, mentally killing her. She knew Vegita was behind him, that was why she'd done it. She smirked in satisfaction and walked over to the stove, placing both the pies in it.
"Oh, shut up Vegita. After all, everyone knows you're only here because I made you come." Bulma came to her son's rescue. Bra snickered as Trunks silently praised his mother and looked to Pan expectantly.
"If you were as hungry as I, you'd have done the same thing." Trunks told his father very quietly, it being more of an afterthought than an argument.
"Hold your horses, I'll make you a sandwich in a few minutes."
"With rice and juice." He commanded in what was supposed to be a firm voice. Pan simply rolled her eyes and ignored his show of macho-ness. The damage was already done. Vegita had seen his son fall at the hands of a woman, she smiled with even more satisfaction than before. Vegita grunted and went to sit at the kitchen table as well, giving Goten the meanest face he could make in the process. Bra was sitting on his lap. Goten moved about uncomfortably, trying to get Bra to move without it being obvious that that was what he was doing; she'd bite his head off in a minute. But she ignored him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oh well, at least while she was sitting there Vegita couldn't hurt him…
"I, too, want a sandwich." Pan heard Vegita command as she pulled out the turkey and ham. Did he expect her to make it? She gave him a look that suggested he was crazy, but he ignored her and she began to make both the 'Prince' and his son food. She was mumbling to herself all the while.
"I thought you hated to be in the kitchen, doing women's work." Her mother mused, walking over to the stove to check on the pies. All the other women were sitting in the living room now (except Bra), the food having been all cooked or in the oven, and they had taken over the T.V. Pan rolled her eyes but didn't comment.
"I told you a man would settle you down." Videl continued to tease after Pan didn't respond. Pan sighed and placed her hands on her hips.
"And exactly who was this unlucky man that 'settled' me?" Pan asked, already knowing what her mother was suggesting. She just wanted to hear her say her suspicions instead of beating around the bush. That way Pan could set everyone straight about her and Trunks. She wasn't sure why they were all reacting as if they were a couple, Trunks clearly wasn't interested in her.
"The son of the most arrogant man in the room." Her mother gave Vegita a teasing look, knowing this would set him off. They never did get along well…
"I think you got that backwards. The son is the most arrogant man in this room." Pan rolled her eyes and walked over to the two men, placing their plates down hard in their faces. Neither of them so much as flinched, only grabbed at the food hungrily.
"Where's my juice?" Trunks asked in between bites. Pan let out a frustrated groan and walked over the cabinet, grabbing two glasses.
"I suppose you want juice too?" She asked Vegita without waiting for a response. Which was good considering he wasn't going to give her one. She slammed the glasses on the counter as Videl laughed at her, walking back into the living room. Pan wasn't finished speaking to her yet, she hadn't told her that Trunks was nothing more to her than an annoying roommate. A very annoying roommate. She poured juice into the glasses and gave them to the two saiyans, upset that they actually had her do all that work. She was starting to walk into the living room and begin conversation with her mother when Trunks called for her again.
"Don't you want to eat with me?" He teased, patting his leg as a motion for her to come and sit there, while chewing on some of the rice slowly.
"If my parents weren't in the other room, I'd tell you exactly what I wanted to do to you." She huffed, angry that he was trying to make it seem as if they were more than friends.
"Pan, I told you to hold off on that kind of talk while we had company." He chastised her, making it seem as if they'd had the conversation millions of times before. He was a good actor too, his eyes were wide as if he were astonished she'd have the gall to say something like that to him in front of people.
"You know what I meant, Trunks." She tried to ignore the fact that her fathers' ki had shot up ever so slightly. "Keep this up and he's going to be displaying your head on the fireplace mantle." Trunks laughed but she didn't think it was funny. She knew why he was doing it, this was her payback. He must have known what she was about to tell her mother about her and Trunks being only roommates, and this was his way of stopping her. Simply because she'd embarrassed him in front of his father. And in Vegita's mind, if the boy had complied to some woman, he'd better be getting some. She rolled her eyes.
How was she ever going to tell Videl that nothing was going on with her and Trunks now? With him acting this way? And her guess was he was going to be doing it for a while. Just so everyone would think she was lying and embarrassed when she said nothing was going on. Especially with that damn newspaper article stacked against her, and Bulma grinning at her like a maniac every time she walked by. All of them knew Bulma wanted grandchildren, and soon her father would equate this look she was getting from Bulma to Trunks and her and really think something was going on. Thanks to that lie he'd been telling his mother. She found herself getting in deeper and deeper. Things weren't looking well.
"I don't know what you mean." Trunks tried to play innocent. "I told you, Pan, while the parents were over, we-"
"Trunks!" She cut him off, afraid of what he was going to say. He gave her a very devilish smirk and took another spoonful of food in his mouth, letting her know that this was the beginning of a war. Well, if he wanted to play, she could play. So, he was going to treat her as if they were more than friends, fine by her. Vegita would leave this house so ashamed of his son Trunks would never live it down. She matched her smirk with his and headed for the living room.
"What was that about?" Bra whispered to Goten and followed Pan.
(A/N: Let the games begin! ^_~ hehe) Pan sat down next to her mother, all of the adults giving her weird faces, as well as Bra, and pretended nothing had happened. She wasn't going to give Trunks the satisfaction of seeing her embarrassed. But everyone was looking at her as if they were expecting her to announce something, probably that they were a couple. She crossed her arms and looked at the television like it was the most interesting thing ever invented. Everyone diverted their glares.
Soon after Trunks walked in, taking a seat on the floor in front of her, moving her legs so that his shoulder were in between, resting his head on her knee. Her eyes widened, but only slightly and only for a second. Okay, that was score one for him…she didn't know how to fix that one…She coughed nervously and scratched her head, looking around the room quickly but not enough to catch anyone's eye. She knew they were all staring.
-Son of a bitch.- She thought bitterly. He chuckled.
-Thanks.- And Pan found herself looking around the room for real that time. They weren't really having this conversation out loud. Couldn't have been, for her mother would have absolutely killed her once those words came out of her mouth. So what the hell…She scratched her head again, looking down at him as he looked up at her. He looked just as bewildered as she did…no, he didn't really. He looked like he'd made a mistake. But he knew what was going on with that…that 'voice hearing' problem and she was going to get to the bottom of it. But that couldn't distract her right now, she had to get back at him, and quick. Then she remembered something Bra had given her earlier this week and jumped up, Trunks' head hit the floor with a bang and she giggled. She ran up the stairs and into her room, trying not to attract too much attention.
"Pan!" She heard Trunks called after her. "What are you doing?" She could hear the suspicion in his voice. "You could have given me some warning before you upped and left." -Left me here with your angry father…-
-Serves you right.- She thought as she pulled something out of her dresser drawer. She smiled down at the pictures with satisfaction, flipping through them with a mischievous eye. She laughed softly, knowing Vegita was going to go crazy when she saw these. Then she ran right back down the stairs.
"Sorry." She told everyone who was staring at her. "But Vegita isn't here that often. He hasn't seen these." She smiled widely at Trunks, running past him before he could grab the pictures.
"Pan," He spoke cautiously. "I'm warning you. You'll regret that." She snickered and walked right up to Vegita.
"This is your son's idea of a work outfit." She giggled, showing him the pictures of Trunks in the pink shirt. Vegita stared down in disgust, his face contorted into a frown she didn't know was possible. She fought back the urge to laugh as he shoved the pictures from his view.
"Your mother did this." He stated disapprovingly to Trunks. "She ruined you."
"I resent that." Bulma spoke, though she didn't know what all the fuss was about, she'd only seen Vegita's reaction to whatever he was looking at. She walked over and leaned down, looking at the pictures Pan was holding up. She giggled and nodded her head.
"Yes, I remember that day. Apparently, he was late for work," She paused, winking at Pan whose whole face flushed. "And grabbed the first thing Pan handed him. See, it wasn't my fault, it was hers."
"Wait, why did Pan have to hand him anything if he were late for work?" Goten chimed in, for once realizing something didn't make sense. The one time he had to pick up on something. "Why couldn't he pick out his own outfit."
"Well, see…they were engaged in other-"
"Bulma, I don't know what you're talking about." Pan interjected looking quite embarrassed, knowing where that conversation was leading. She shot Trunks a dirty glare before she continued. Score two for him and it was indirectly, caused from what he led his mother to believe. Damn. "But anyway, that's not how it happened. He just doesn't know how to wash his own clothes."
"Oh, Pan. There's no need to modest." Bulma dismissed her excuse. She sighed heavily and silently asked Trunks to help her out by sending him a pleading expression.
"Yes, sweetheart, modesty isn't your color." Trunks mused. Oh, she could only hope he wasn't going to start playing the 'pet name game'. That would annoy her to no end and just kill her father who was already near a heart attack.
"Pan," Gohan began roughly, glaring hard. "You're coming home tonight."
"Daddy," Pan dismissed him. "I have to be at the chapel just as early as Bra. Even she's staying here tonight."
"Yes…she is staying here tonight." He sent his eyes over to Bra, giving her a mischievous look. "You keep your eye on my daughter and your soon-to-be dead, brother." He informed her, raising his ki once again. Trunks gulped. Pan smiled, score two for her, there were even. She loved her daddy.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll get to the bottom of this." Bra looked at Pan as if there had been so much she was missing out on. Pan sighed. How was she ever going to explain that this was war? But she had no time to think now, Trunks knew that they were even in score, he was going to attack.
"Well, honey, your father is getting all worked up. I think it's time we called it a day." Videl informed Pan as she stood up, grabbing a couple of bags. "Most of the food is put up and in the refrigerator, if you could pack the rest of it so we can get it after the wedding tomorrow, that would be lovely." Her mother smiled at her, undisturbed by the 'game' Pan and Trunks were playing. She was a woman, and all the women knew what was going on (save Bra). It was written on both Trunks' and Pan's faces. So long as Pan wasn't pregnant before she announced they were together, she didn't care.
"Yes, mom." Pan nodded obediently. "Trunks, could you be a dear and pack the rest of the food?" This would get him. It was shameful for a saiyan man to go within centimeters of a woman's work with the intent of doing it. He snorted but the look she gave him was saying, 'I'm not asking'. He gulped and shook his head, eyeing his father's reaction should he comply. Vegita was already disgusted.
"Yeah, right Pan. You want it done, you do it." He tried his authority on her. It didn't work.
"If you think," She started, taking the tone of an angry wife. She'd heard this so many times from her mother and grandmother that she was already a pro though she'd never used it. "That you're going to eat this food. Food that we slaved over and put our sweat and blood into making, without so much as lifting a finger, you are sadly mistaken!" She stomped her foot, trying to keep the laughter from her face and eyes. He truly thought she was mad, and moved farther into the kitchen.
"Well, if you put all that in it, I don't want any." He smirked, but she raised her ki for effect and he backed up some more. Videl had her coat on and was ready to push Gohan out of the door when the show started. Even Eighteen and Krillin paused in leaving to see what he would do. He looked around the room, curiously, wondering if he should comply. He wanted to say, 'calm down Pan, we're not really dating'. But that would destroy all the work he'd put into embarrassing her. So he grumbled, and moved closer to the stove, slowly putting away some of the left over food.
His father shook his head with detest and walked over to the couch for his coat. Pan smiled inwardly, but didn't let it show. She had won. On the exterior, her face was contorted and she was breathing hard, but her brown eyes were dancing. She really won!
"I think I need to get one of those." Bra laughed and Pan wondered what she was talking about.
"One of what?" Pan asked, Vegita chuckled and turned to her.
"One of those short leashes that you have the boy on." He smirked at his son and shook his head. "I've never seen any woman command him to do something, other than that blue haired harpy, and then have him comply." That was Vegita's way of saying he approved. Pan could hardly believe it. She had his father's go ahead to date…even marry his son and they weren't even together. It was only for show. She shook her head as all the parents left, hearing bits of her father's anger before he filed out.
"I'm not leaving her with that man." He was objecting as Videl shoved him out the door.
"Honey, they're in love. What can you do?" Pan rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch as the door shut and everyone but Bra, Goten, and Trunks were gone.
"Yeah, we're in lo-ove." She spoke sarcastically as Bra, finally catching on, cracked up.
"How come you didn't tell me you two were dating?" Goten whined. Pan beat her forehead with her hand and sighed. He was just so dumb…
A/N: So…what'd you think? I'm scared you won't think it's as good as the others. Ugh, if ff.net would work I'd be okay, but since it's not I'll have to come back later… All right, I'm back and hopefully ff.net will work. So, here goes my thank-yous: alex (first one this time ^-^), kitty, Kutie-Pan, Fire Dragon, Juunanagou4ever (the puppy is still there), DBZChicky501, wildchild, Hanamaru825, sayianprincess, dreamer, t/ptears, MarsMoonStar, Bunny, Panchan, Princess of Light (seems you got your wish, it's longer now), Raili, Andrea Meiouh, Animechick, pRiNcEsSa C, pochahontas82, Lavender Princess, sweet marron, lovelylady, qui, Baby, goldcherry, DBprincess116 (Knuckles doesn't run away, I just have trouble adding the dog in. -sigh-), videlchan, Supaa Saiyajin Trinity, GokuVegeta447, dbz obsessed (I always find myself caught up in someone's fic, so I know what you mean. ^-^ thanks), Miko-chan, Pia Bartolini (my entire life is writing, but I do it cause I love it), dragon agility, Carrie, MiraiGurl (she's going to collage soon, and the only job she had was at the chicken place, she got fired though), Christina, Netty and Troy (thank you guys), ills, LoNeLy*PaN, Windblader, anonymous (I can't thank you if you don't leave a name -sigh-), SilverWater102 (thanks, that means a lot), Trunksielover, Cherry Son, and Azn-Dreamer (Vegeta, Vegita, Vejita, Bejita…some other ways…it doesn't matter how, because of the Japanese to English and other language translations it all gets screwed)
Whew, that was a lot. Thank you guys for all those reviews! Anywho, My birthday is tomorrow. I'll be SWEET SIXTEEN! Yay. Can't wait. I still have to write the chapter that comes after this, haven't even started yet. Yikes! And I'll be busy tomorrow. -sigh- Expect that one to come out around Sunday then. Hope I'm not killing you. And you guys need to update more. I've been running out of stories to read. -chastises- all right, I think that's all I had to say (seeing as how my A/N's are as long as the chapter…)