Hey there everyone, thanks bunches for the reviews. I really appreciate it. Well here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think.
To Rose Vaughn: Thanks for pointing out my misspellings, it is really helpful:)
To Megume: 'Life After' doesn't mean they are in the after life, although I can see where your confusion would come from. It just means their lives after Goku left, or after GT. It was the only title I could think of...but if you, or anyone else, have a suggestion for another title I would love to hear. I got stuck and couldn't think of anything else.
To Boredofthis: Just want to say thanks for always leaving encouraging words.
Now that I am done boring you all...on with the story.
Disclaimer: Don't own Dragonball/Z/GT...tear, tear.
Chapter 2: The Lunch and the Invite
After Pan gave Trunks a hug, which he returned, she sat back down. Trunks, however, remained standing trying to figure out if it was really Pan or not.
She gave him her grin, "Trunks, are you going to stand the whole time, or would you like to sit down?" They laughed as Trunks blushed slightly and took his seat across from her.
As the waiter talked to Pan about something Trunks got the minute he had needed to close his mouth. The young woman in front of him could not possibly be his close friend Pan. Her hair went to her mid back, but she had nothing holding it back like she had always had when she was younger. Her hair fell into her face slightly, radiating off her creamy white skin and making her dark eyes stand out. Trunks could tell she had done quite a bit of growing when he looked over her curvy figure.
He shook his head and hit himself mentally, 'Trunks what is your problem? It is just Pan, little Pan. The girl you used to pick on about being a tomboy, this is no different.'
His thoughts were interrupted by Pan's voice, which appeared to be the only thing about her that had not changed, "So, Trunks, how has it been going? I mean I hear things about you from Dad and on TV, but how are you?" she asked propping her elbow up on the table on support her chin.
"Well, I can't say that much has been happing. Just work, work, and then some more work. That is unless mom gets some kind of crazy idea she wants me to participate in, then I do that." He answered smiling.
Pan grinned back at him, then a few moments of silence passed as they observed each other. Pan smiled to herself inside, she could see Trunks hadn't really changed at all. His lavender hair was still in the same cut and length she had always known it to be. His eyes the same striking blue, and his skin still the same tan. The only she could see that was different was his build had increased a bit, but he didn't look a day over 25.
"What have you been up to Pan? I know you graduated High School with top honors, but other than that I haven't heard a thing. Bulla failed to inform me that you two still talked." He said as the appetizer arrived.
Both filled their small plates and ate as they talked.
"Well, I went to the local university of course. I am almost done with school, but I had to go a bit longer cause I wanted dual majors, one in genetic engineering and one in history. I couldn't make up my mind so I just did both, but your mom actually offered me a job in your genetics department." Pan explained to him as she ate.
Trunks looked almost scared, "Wow Pan, two majors. I think I would go crazy."
Pan raised an eyebrow, "Your are one to talk Trunks, you have business, mechanics, computers, and chemistry majors. Those make my two look like a breeze."
He laughed and nodded at her comment, "You win."
"Always do." She winked as the main course arrived.
Through most of the meal they made small talk, and talked about the past, or what had been going on in each other's lives for the past six years.
Trunks couldn't believe that this was the Pan he had known, she was now a woman. He had already started to look at her in a different light, and listening to her talk he could feel his grip on reality slipping.
They were drinking coffee when Trunks thought to ask her what it was she had wanted to tell him.
When he asked Pan got a distant look on her face for a few moments before turning to him and smiling. "Well I wanted to talk to you for more reasons than the one I am about to say. You know I have missed you Trunks, but the main reason was to tell you I am getting married."
Trunks felt his stomach cease to exist, and his knees disappeared with it. He was trying to process this piece of information. How was it that Pan, Pan of all people, was getting married! This was not happening, not now, when he had just started talking to her again. He had actually planned to ask her out again after they were done.
Then the other side of reasoning took over him, 'Okay, so why do I care, I am happy for her. Right? I mean I have to be, after all it is Pan for crying out loud, your sister's best friend. You look at her like a sister, right? Or you used to..." he was called out of his thoughts by Pan looking at him with concern on her face as she said his name.
He gave the best smile he could, "That is great news Pan, I am really happy for you. So who is he, and when is the wedding?" He wasn't sure how convincing he sounded, but he had to try.
"His name is Kalvin, and the wedding is on September 5th. He is great, we met at this convention I went to with daddy and we just clicked. He owns this car company that is really successful and..."
Trunks interrupted Pan; "Do you mean Kalvin Tracer?"
She nodded with a confused look on her face, "You know him?"
"Oh yeah I know him, Capsule Corp provides the majority of his parts for his cars. I have had to do most of the deals with him, he has never been very friendly." Trunks told her simplifying it for her. Trunks loathed the man, and always had.
When he had first started to conduct the business transactions with the Tracer Car Company Kalvin had tried to threaten him into something. Trunks was never scared, but he really hated the guy because he always ogled over Bulla. Trunks had heard the rumors about him, that he was quite the ladies man.
Although Trunks didn't have much room to talk, he never cheated on anyone. He had heard rumors about Tracer and his dating habits, but didn't have any proof on it.
"Well I am sure he was, I have told him that being cranky is no way to make good business partners. He gets like that at meetings sometimes; you will have to forgive him. I am sure if he knew you were one of my closet friends he would not be like that." Pan said reassuringly as she grabbed Trunks' hand.
Trunks looked at her small hand holding his larger one. "Well if you are in love, I am happy for you Pan Son." He met her eyes with a smile.
"Ah, you said my last name. Should I be worried?" They laughed. Then the silence returned and Pan pulled back across the table. "Trunks I had something else to tell you. It was really silly but I thought I should tell you since I have gotten over it."
Trunks looked interested and leaned in closer to listen. She blushed slightly as she talked, "Well when I was younger, you know in space and everything, I had the biggest crush on you. I mean it was horrible. When ever you would give me a comment or smile at me I would freak out. I was such a schoolgirl about it, and it lasted for along time after grandpa left too. I got over it though, and I just thought I would tell you just to clear up any remains of it I might have had."
She might as well beat him to death like his father usually did. 'She waits until now to tell me this? What is she trying to do, kill me? I can barely handle the marriage thing, then she springs this on me.' He thought.
"It is okay Pan, but you know you could have told me earlier. I am just glad you are happy."
Pan's eyes shot up at his words 'you could have told me earlier', 'Was he just saying it to be thoughtful, or did he mean before she met Kalvin. No he was just being thoughtful.' She decided to herself.
They now stood outside on the side of the street, both preparing to go their separate ways. Trunks hugged her again, until she started gasping for air.
"Pan we should do this more often, don't be a stranger. We should all get together again, you know, like we used to." Trunks said as they stood in shadow of the buildings.
She nodded, "Well just remember that the door swings both ways, and the phone isn't a one way line. But about getting together again, Grams was ranting on about having a cookout by the lake the other day. Dad agreed, so I expect Bulma will get a call pretty soon. Everyone else is coming, so you will be in big trouble if you don't. Tell Vegeta he better come too, or I will sic daddy on him." Pan said as she ran and got on the bus with a wave to Trunks.
He returned the wave, 'Wouldn't miss it for the world Pan.' He thought to himself as he headed back to the office.
Vegeta sat on the balcony looking out at the busy city as the disturbing smells from the kitchen reached his sensitive nose. 'Blasted woman and her stupid hobbies. I do not see why her cooking has anything to do with turning off the power to the gravity room.' He huffed slightly as he got up and went to the kitchen to complain.
He walked in to find Bulma half-covered in flour and some sort of sauce. She was sitting in the middle of the floor and looked as if she were about to cry. Vegeta heard some disturbing noises coming from the pot on the stove, so he went and turned the burner off.
The counter was covered in every kind of cooking ingredient imaginable, but most were spilt or in messy looking bowls. Let's just say it was not something you or I would want to clean up.
Vegeta stood against the wall beside the entrance, "Are you quite finished with this blasted hobby of yours yet. Or do I have to wait another day for you to turn the power back on to the gravity room?"
Tears were now flowing from her eyes as she flung a stainless steel bowl at his head. He merely tilted his head while the bowl hit the wall, then he returned his head to its former position. 'Humans and their stupid emotions.' He thought as she got up out of the floor and prepared to yell.
Before she could get one word out the phone rang. She put her hand down and stomped over to the other side of the counter where the phone was. She took a deep breath before picking it up and saying, "Briefs' residents, this is Bulma speaking."in the sweetest of tones.
It confused Vegeta to no end on how someone could go from about to kill someone, straight to polite and pleasant. Maybe it was just the fact that he had never tried, either way it was disturbing.
A few moments later Bulma put the phone back on the hook and let out a sound of happiness as she removed her apron. Then she walked over to Vegeta with a big smile on her face, now he was confused. He didn't know weather to be annoyed or scared, his wife did this to him sometimes before inflicting some sort of punishment. Although the punishments were usually only shopping or going out to dinner, he didn't recognize this smile.
"Guess what?" She said as she started to clean up the kitchen.
"I couldn't possibly imagine." He replied in his normal tone.
"We are going to a cookout at the lake behind Gohan's house next weekend. Can you believe we will get to see everyone for the first time in six years, ohh I can't wait. I think I am going to have the cooks make some special deserts." Bulma sounded elated with the news of getting to see all her old friends again.
"I am simply over joyed." Vegeta said, his voice very thick with sarcasm. He really didn't mind Kakorott's family and friends, after all they were the only other strong beings on the boring planet. He just hated their little get togethers; he remembered very clearly how Goten would stare at his little girl. Sometimes he would actually be forced to talk to people, and he really didn't like that little factor.
His son walking into the kitchen interrupted his thoughts. Trunks looked at him after accessing the mess; Vegeta just shook his head. Bulma gave Trunks a hug, making him rather dirty.
"Oh Trunks guess what. We are going to a cookout at Gohan's next weekend, isn't that great news honey. Maybe you and Goten can catch up and go back to being best friends again." Bulma said to her son who had gotten a distant look on her face.
"So she did call today?" he said, mostly to himself. Although his parents heard.
"What?" Bulma said.
"Oh, Chichi, Pan said she might call sometime soon to invite us to the thing." Trunks replied, as if it were nothing that he had talked to Pan recently.
"You seen Pan? When?" Bulma asked, the slightest bit of jealousy could be heard.
"Relax mom, we just had lunch today. She wanted to tell me something. It was the first time I had seen her so don't go mental on me. Bulla is the one that has been keeping in touch and not telling anyone anything. Especially important information, like Pan is getting married, to Kalvin Tracer of all people. You would think someone would tell you such important information." Trunks said as he opened the fridge, got a bottle of water, and slammed it shut.
His father caught this action, and the annoyance in his voice. "Why would you care so deeply if she was getting married, or if she had become an old maid? Let alone who she is getting married to?"
Trunks looked at his father while he searched for a reasonable answer to give him. "Well we were really close friends at one time, and friends like to know these things about each other."
"They like to know about each other's love life? I considered Kakorott my 'friend' as you so call it, and I could care less about his love life. However, I am sure Pan would love to know of the many women you sneak in here at night." Vegeta said to his son. Vegeta smirked when he saw the red flood his son's face.
Bulma rolled her eyes, "Well you are not going to inform Pan of those things Vegeta. Now what about this Kalvin Tracer, I always thought he was a real pig. The way he tried to mess with your sister all the time when I was training her on VP duty. Disgusting. I wonder if Pan knows these things?"
Vegeta interrupted their conversation, "This 'Kalvin' is it, tried to touch my daughter? Well I already hate him, and I might have to have a talk with him at this outing." Vegeta made a mental note to scare the guy when he met him. No one messed with his daughter, well not if Vegeta had anything to say about it.
Trunks ignored his father's claims and answered his mother, "I have no idea. She looked so happy that I didn't say anything about the rumors. He must have changed if he has Pan's attention; well maybe it was fear of Gohan. I don't know." Trunks said to his mother as he started out the kitchen door.
Before he exited he turned to his father, "I almost forgot. Pan gave me a message for you. I think it went something like, 'Tell Vegeta if he does not come I will sic daddy on him' yep that what she said." Trunks gave big smile and left the kitchen. Leaving an annoyed looking Vegeta and Bulma laughing hysterically.
"I bet you want me to turn on the gravity room now. Gohan might kick your butt if you don't go." Bulma said through giggles.
"Oh shutup woman, as if that half breed son of Kakorott scares me." He said as he walked away from her. 'I owe you one now Pan.' he thought, making another mental note.