A/N: I'm soooo sorry for not updating in well…nearly a whole pregnancy period…but um, hey at least it hasn't been a year right? I'm really sorry for the long delay, I know it wasn't fair to all you readers out there who have been into this fic. That was rude on my part and I'm sorry, I really am sorry. I know that I'd be pissed off waiting seven months for a fic to update and it still hasn't been updated so, no hard feelings if you're pissed. I'm really sorry.

Disclaimer: Same as every other chapter…god I hate disclaimers!

Credits: Same ol' shit!

Chapter 16

That night at dinner, Pan sat in her usual lighted up portion of the room and the Beast sat in his dark portion. Pan thought this to be a bit unnecessary, "Beast, why do you still sit in the dark?"

Trunks gazed up at her with a curious look, "I thought it would be easier for you to eat without having to see me."

Pan shook her head, "I don't mind. Please…you're my friend…which means you shouldn't be sitting in the dark."

Trunks could not believe his ears, friend? Did she really say that? He felt hundreds of butterflies in his stomach, and his heart felt like bursting, "You think me as a friend Pan?" he asked with his natural growl.

Pan smiled, "Yes, I do, very much so. Please…get rid of the darkness."

Trunks felt like shouting for joy, she finally asked him to sit in the light. He never thought he'd see the day, "Very well, if it is what you wish."

Pan nodded, "It is."

Trunks that clapped his paw-like hands together twice and the candles on his side of the room lit up, and Pan saw the beast sitting there looking a bit uneasy as she glanced at him for the first time at dinner. She merely grinned, "Thank you."

Goku felt like jumping for joy, but he knew he couldn't for what would Pan think of a jumping candleholder. He could not believe how this dinner was going, he felt almost certain that Pan would agree to marry him this time around…he had very little doubt.

"What book shall we read together tomorrow Pan?" Trunks asked, anxiously awaiting Pan's response. He couldn't wait to spend more time with her reading under the cherry blossom tree with her again, to have her so close to him and be so unafraid…he didn't think it would get any better.

"I think the book, 'The Hidden Prince' would be nice to read." She replied taking a bite of her meal. Trunks' eyes widened at the title of the book.

"The Hidden Prince?" He repeated, curiously.

"Yes. It's a book about a girl about my age who comes across this castle and in the castle is this creature that walks like a man and talks like a man and even dresses somewhat like a man…" Pan began, Trunks looked at her intrigued.

"Please…continue." He asked eagerly.

Pan smiled, "Well…the two become friends, at first she didn't know what to think of him…but once she got to know him she began to fall in love with him…and he began to fall in love with her."

Trunks was fixated on her as she told the tale, "And then what happens?" He asked.

Pan laughed lightly, "Well if I tell you what happens next, then what's the point of reading the story?"

Trunks paused a moment realizing the truth in what she said.

He then gazed at her with his crystal blue eyes and Pan gazed back at him with a smile that made Trunks feel like his bones were jello, "The creature the girl meets…is he the Prince in disguise?"

Pan was silent a moment. Why did something become all to familiar to her suddenly, as if a sudden wave of déjà vu had just hit her in the face? Was it the story that was familiar? But why was it familiar? She glanced at the beast who was still waiting for her response, she shifted in her chair uneasily. What on earth was this feeling inside of her, this familiarity…what could it be? She looked back up into Trunks' eyes and tried searching for answers there, but alas nothing came to mind, she then sighed.

"When we read the story tomorrow you'll find out." She said, still trying to shake that bizarre déjà vu.

The day was going so well Trunks almost felt like not asking Pan to marry him, he didn't want to ruin the day by making her have to answer. But perhaps, maybe she'd say 'yes' this time. But was it still too soon? When Trunks saw that Pan finished her meal he rose and walked towards her. He looked down at her refusing to get his hopes up, she glanced up at him with smiling eyes, "Pan…do you love me? Will you marry me?"

Pan's smiling eyes grew dim and distant, she looked down at her empty plate as she fidgeted with her napkin, with much difficulty she shook her head and replied, "No, beast."

Trunks growled, with a sigh, "Good night, Pan."

Pan sank into her chair as Trunks began walking away, "Good night Beast…see you tomorrow."

Trunks left the dinning hall and headed towards his room, when he got there he saw the moon shining brightly above casting its silver shadow upon the garden making as beautiful as ever. As he scanned the garden taking in its magnificence his eyes suddenly fell upon Pan, who was walking through the garden with a black cloak for warmth from the chilly night time air. Her face looked like an angels, soft and white like that of a dove, her onyx orbs reflected the stars of the sky as they glittered and gleamed like large diamonds, her raven black hair spilling out behind her in a black wave. Breathtaking. Trunks slipped back into the shadows of his balcony and went towards a rail, he leapt off it and landed in the shadows, without Pan realizing a thing. He just stood their lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.

Pan sat by the fountain and slipped her fingertips into the silver water, moving it this way and that humming to herself in a beautiful melody that blended in with the nature around her.

An angel. He thought, suddenly he heard her speak.

"Why does this all seem so familiar? Sometimes I get so confused, between these stranger dreams, that prince, the beast…the talking cat…everything, its all so strange, almost unreal."

Trunks growled, he could tell her everything. He could take away her confusion and sorrow and give her eternal love and happiness, he didn't know how but he was feeling a strange feeling for Pan, one he couldn't explain. But he knew that he wanted her, he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything or anyone before in his life. But still being a beast and her not loving him made what he wanted seem impossible to ever get and that made his body burn inside.

Trunks growled in frustration and Pan heard him, "Hello? Beast is that you?"

Trunks' eyes widened as he slowly walked out of the shadows, still fighting his dark desires, "Yes." he replied his voice sounding dark and heated.

Pan smiled, "You weren't lying when you said that the garden was beautiful at night."

He glanced at her with burning eyes, "Yes," was all he could manage to say, as he fought an inner battle.

She walked over towards, but he leaped back, "NO! Don't-come-closer," he warned, afraid he might loose control.

Pan frowned, "Beast what's wrong?"

He growled, "N-nothing, I have to-go." He strained as he leapt into the darkness ahead, leaving Pan confused and alone.

That night Pan went to bed wondering what on earth was wrong with Beast. She quickly fell asleep after that.

Pan found herself in the garden, it was night time. She was by the fountain and out from the very same shadows that the beast had come out of, came the handsome lavender haired prince, dressed once again in black and scarlet robes with his shoulder length hair bound back in a loose ponytail.

"Pan," He began, Pan glanced at him, "I'm sorry about earlier."

Pan shook her head, "I don't…I don't understand."

He stepped closer to her, with the same intensity and fire the beast had earlier, "I can't make you understand Pan."

Pan stared at him confused, "Why not?"

He went to walk closer to her but he stopped himself, almost as if he was afraid to come closer to her, "Cause, I just can't." he replied darkly.

Pan swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat, "What's wrong. Your acting like the beast did earlier today. It was as if the very sight of me was hurting him or something…it's the same with you. Why?"

He looked at her with much difficulty, even in a dream world Trunks felt the same for Pan, yet even though he was human here…he could still not have her which everything all the more difficult.

"You don't realize what kind of affect you have on a man Pan." He said as he crystal blue eyes grew dark.

She flushed slightly, she didn't know what to say as the prince's eyes looked over her entire body like some sort of hungry animal.

"You're a beautiful young woman, that's all there is too it. But not only that…your inner beauty is something even more overwhelming. You show more of it everyday." He replied, seeming to act more in control.

"Thank you." That's all she could say.

He gave her a wicked grin, that made him even more handsome if possible, "Don't stop."

Pan smiled, "I won't, the Beast is very nice."

Trunks raised a brow of interest at her, "Indeed."

"Sometimes I even think that maybe…" she then trailed off.

He glanced at her wondering why she had stopped, "Sometimes you think what?"

Pan didn't know anymore, she had forgotten what she was even going to say. What was she going to say?

"Life is full of surprises I guess." She said, not even accepting her own answer for valid.

He smirked, "You have no idea Pan, trust me. From what I gather…don't lose faith and let everything into your heart and trust it. Who knows…maybe then we won't only meet in dreams."

Pan looked at him curiously, "What do you mean."

He looked at her blankly, "Wake up." He said as he snapped his fingers.

Pan awoke with a jolt, it was now daylight.

What had the prince meant? God, nothing is told straight forward to me anymore.

Just then Pan saw the black cat approach her, "Hello my dear, sleep well?"

Pan shrugged, "Same as always."

Pan then got dressed into another elegant gown and ate a quick breakfast before heading out with her book, ready to read with the Beast.

An hour went by before she heard him come through the secret vine wall.

"Hello Pan." He said, looking a lot better then last night.

"Hello Beast."

He sat down silently next to her, "Sorry about last night."

She glanced at him, "I won't ask why you acted the way you did. Its alright though."

Trunks glanced down at her curiously not sure why she said what she did, "Ready to read?"

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Four hours had past by, Goten watched Trunks and Pan reading together as he lay perched on a nearby tree branch. He saw them laughing and talking together as they got into every chapter of the book. Bra watched from a nearby bush, she was thrilled to see how well the two of them were getting along. Finally they finished the book after five hours.

"So, the creature was really the prince…and her love for him changed him back to the way he was." Trunks said, understanding all too well.

"Yes. Basically this story shows how love comes from what's reflected on the inside, not the outside." Pan said with a smile, she then looked away almost as if she was taking note of what she had just said. Trunks glanced at her hoping she would take her own words into strong consideration for her own life and the his as well.

"'What are you thinking?" He asked, already knowing the answer or hoping he did, but wanting to know what she would say.

She shrugged, "Nothing, not a thing." She said, lying in a very obvious way.

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Back in Pan's village another knock on Mr. Satan's door, made the old man rise tiredly, he opened the door and glanced at Kamon, who was equipped with arrows and a crossbow.

Mr. Satan glanced at him, "Yea, Kamon what do you want?" he asked trying to get rid of the young visitor.

"Where is Pan, really?" He asked, Mr. Satan then noticed a few men behind Kamon all equally equipped with bows and arrows, swords, knives and axes.

"She's gone away. Visiting, relatives." He said, with a tint of despair in his voice.

"You have no relatives old man." He replied.

"They're very distant relatives. Now buzz off." He said attempting to close the door, but Kamon put his hand through stopping the door from closing.

"Where is she? I know you miss her…don't you want her back! Don't your nieces want her back!" He asked.

Suddenly Catherine, Cristina and Lora appeared behind Mr. Satan, "Ah, ladies…can any of you tell me where Pan is?"

They were all silent.

"Leave us Kamon." Mr. Satan said, beginning to get angry.

"I'm not leaving till you tell me where Pan is, if you really love her then you'll tell me so I can find her and bring her back home, to you." Kamon said trying to convince Mr. Satan to reveal Pan's location. Mr. Satan saw the determination in Kamon's eyes and suddenly felt that perhaps…just perhaps…Kamon could fight off the beast and bring Pan back home.

"Do you promise to bring her back?" he asked, looking up at Kamon with hope in his eyes.

Kamon grinned evilly and nodded, "I promise."

Mr. Satan nodded tiredly, "Then I'll show you where she is being held…though I must warn you of a few things first." He said allowing Kamon and his men inside, he then began telling them about his trip to the castle, the beast, the bargain that was made, and how he had to give Pan away to the beast.

Kamon was furious, "We leave tonight! It will take two weeks to get there, but when we do…Pan will be back with me and that beast will regret the day he took her away."

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A/N: Ok that's the end of chapter 16. As you can see the story is coming to an end…again sorry for the delay…I'm going to try and wrap this fic up as soon as possible! As always all questions and comments are welcome! Please R&R!

Next Chapter: Pan begins to see with her heart? Kamon approaches.