AN: Yes I liiiive!!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! My e-mail hasn't been working for quite a long time (several months -_-) so I got a new address; mizuko2cool@yahoo.com. Thanks, Aurelia Lothlorien for this chapter's quote! To Tigeress419 *sniff* that's one of the nicest things anybody's said about my story! *sniff* And for those of you wondering, not even Naav can escape cupid's arrow. *smirks evily* Heh. Heh. heh.
Cool Boogie!
-Mizuko
Chapter 10-Convevrsations With the Heart
*Tap tap tap*
*Tap tap tap*
*Tap tap tap*
"Marron..."
Marron glared and tapped the desk with pen again. He was the one who'd dragged her on this trip in the first place. She loved her father dearly, but this was just plain torture. Krillin was standing doing the same as she, nothing. In his haste to leave Krillin forgot that his cruiser had been due for a maintenance check.
The ship engineers had shut everything down except for life support and a few back systems. That meant absolute and complete boredom until the ship was up and running again however long that took.
So here we are. Stuck in the middle of space with a busted ship and nothing to do. Except, bug dad of course.
*Tap tap tap*
He stood facing the window peering out into space, in an T-shirt and slacks, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her father dressed so casually. Well it wasn't like they were going any where for a while.
*Tap tap tap*
She kept her amused grin to herself; the unfortunate president was about to pull his hair out. "Alright, I get the point! Next time I won't drag you on another one of these trips, ok?" She smiled innocently at her father, "What's the catch?"
"What do you think?" he wasn't president for nothing. It was sweet in a way; he was only looking out for her.
"I'm not asking that you quit you research or stop working in you lab altogether. But you really need to stop working yourself so hard. Most girls your age are starting to settle down or at least have a special someone. I don't want you to isolate your self. Or be like me." She looked at him uizzically;p Krillin and 18 loved each other dearly.
"You?"
"Yeah," he smiled turning around, "I never got to spend the best years of my life with your mother, I was so caught up in what I was doing..." He trailed of reminiscing. Then suddenly he got that gleam in his eyes, 'uh oh.'
"Well anyway since you don't seem to be interested in anybody at home, your mother suggested you try looking elsewhere."
Oh, great her mother was in on this too- 'Hey Wait!'
"You didn't set me up with some alien from who knows where did you?!?"
"No! We just thought you might prefer- he stopped mid sentence at the cold rage in her glare. Yeesh, his wife had that same look when she got really mad.
"I think my love life should stay that way; mine." She said calmly, rising from her seat and walking out of the room. He knew better than to be fooled by her outward appearance, she was hopping mad this time. Worse than when they'd tried to set her up with the vice president's son. The old man sighed and turned back to the window.
She was right, but he and 18 were worried. Marron was more like her mother sharp cunning and graceful, she would have made one heck of a fighter.
But she choose to become a scientist, she once tried to explain what she was working on, surprise to find out she had more than one project going on at the same time. She was work with regenativ-
A glimmer in the distance stopped his thought. He shrugged must have been his imagination, then the flash caught his eye again, it seemed to be moving...closer.
"That's not a star."
******************
Trunks glared fiercely down the hall where he could see Pan laughing with that mysterious Naav character. A red-hot anger suddenly swelled up in side him at the other man. His normally dominant cool logical (or at least rational) side knew this was merely a consequence of his decision to never pursue Pan. That should have helped, should have; it didn't. He should be the one to make her smile and laugh. Protect her Cherish her. Love her? Love? He snorted he cared about Pan and was attracted to her but he didn't love her. He couldn't. But try telling that to a certain rebellious organ, which at the moment was feeling rightly jealous and unjustly hurt.
~Pan has a nice smile....~ it thought randomly. His mind beg to differ saying, 'you're becoming a sentimental human.' ~But I am human.~ it replied.
"Whatever." he growled trying to push his feelings, he turned in the opposite direction and headed for the airlocks. The security clearance personnel should be there by now.
He stepped out of the airlocks, seeing as the personnel hadn't arrived yet his internal conflict resumed.
~Just say something,~ it urged.
'And then what? We'll only have to say farewell later'
~If your so saiya-jin you would have done so regardless, besides that would make the time you have left that much more special.~
'Our paths would never cross again, we have two different roads to travel, I will be the king of Beijita-sei...'
~So.~
Seeing no point on further arguing with his stubborn heart, he sighed exasperatedly. Pan was right; he was impossible, even to himself.
"Sir?" a sweet voiced uta-jin called his attention, dressed in Zion official uniform. "Sir? The Reliance is cleared, you may leave at your discretion." He nodded curtly, turning on heels heading back inside.
He immediately went to the kitchen area, ignoring the really scene of the famous ambassador stuffing his face along with the equally famous ex- general Son Goten. They ate at such a speed it even surprised him. Apparently Bra shared the thought as well as she ate at a much more refined pace then her mate and his father.
"The ship is cleared, if you don't mind I'd like to get started."
Goku nodded, "fur kou aha." The older saiya-jin spoke with a full mouth. 'Is this guy really who he says he is?' His table manners left much to be desired. Goku swallowed, "Sorry, Sure go ahead!" he patted his stomach "I think I'll go take a small nap." Trunks turned and left wondering if that strange man was capable of all the great things he supposedly had done. If he'd stayed a moment longer he might have noticed the conspiring glance traded by Bra and Goten.
Upon arriving in the bridge he found Pan, sitting in the pilots seat. She seemed to be deep in thought. She looked up at him as he came in. She actually smiled at him (for a brief nano second), in her impish way that made his heart skip a beat.
His raised a lavender eyebrow, "what are you so happy about?" he asked sitting at his station and powering up the ship. Without be told she began firing up the engines and turning on other systems. For a moment there was silence as they concentrated on maneuvering the ship out of Zion's docks.
"I was just thinking."
"About..."
She stuttered her reply, "Ahh.. about how when this is all over I would like to get a pet."
'Liar. And a bad one at that.' He thought but he let it slide.
"Utsukushii, I did know you were the type!" he teased, the pink tint to her cheeks made her look just lovely.
"Not that kind of pet! Since when has your mind taken a permanent residence in the gutter?"
"Since your little display at the river." Trunks blurted with out thinking. He laughed to cover his slip up, as her face went a shade of never seen before mauve. "Why you...arrgh I...you!!" she sputtered unable to think of anything to say. Though he seemed amused on the outside, inside he was thinking, 'stupid idiot why'd you have to go and say that!?'
"Speechless Panny?"
"Konoyaro..." she muttered glaring at him. He grinned back at her. Maybe not that speechless.
"What display?" asked someone behind him, he nearly jumped out of his seat 'When did he get here.' He mentally groaned turning beat red at Goten's question.
"Nothing!" they both replied at the same time.
"Nothing sounds like something to me," The grin on his friend's face was at the very least devious, "Did something happen on Earth that I wasn't told about?" he wiggled his eyebrows.
"No!"
"Have you no shame?! That's your own niece you're talking about!"
"Goten why would you even say that? That is...that's just..." Pan angrily set the ship on autopilot and stormed out of the room. Trunks sent Goten and icy glare as the young man sat in the now unoccupied seat. Angry for suggesting anything and for driving Pan off. "So what did happen?"
"Like I said. Nothing." Goten gave him an 'I don't buy it' look.
Trunks turned back to his consul in an effort to ignore Goten. What ever he was up to.
"You two are ridiculous." Getting no response Goten continued, "I've never seen you so crazy about a girl. Iceboy finally find a person who can get a rise out of him and what dose he do? Nothing. He just sits there and watches the girl of his dreams just pass him by. Both of you, when you're not fighting, you go of into your own little world daydreaming."
"I don-"
"I see the way you to watch each other when the others aren't looking. Why haven't you done something? And don't give me that lame excuse about your duty." Trunks opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find anything to say. He suspiciously wondered why all of a sudden Goten was badgering him about his love life, not that it never happened before but this time he seem really adamant about it. And with his niece no less. Trunks had a feeling Goten was up to something, one does not know someone for a couple decades and not know when they are planning something.
Goten continued, "You can't let one bad relationship ruin the rest of your life."
"This has nothing to do with Saika." Trunks growled looking away.
"Only if you let it follow you like you are doing now. Pan is not Saika." Goten stated, before getting up.
"Where are you going?"
"Bed."
"Already? It's only 1700hrs."
Goten grinned, "Weellll I'm going to have to start going to sleep early if I want to get any sleep at all." he chuckled.
Trunks was still no to happy, it wasn't Goten and Bra being a couple. He'd already known about them, just not knowing they were that serious. That wasn't exactly the best way to find out your best friend was now your brother-in-law.
"I don't want to hear anything about it. Go on get out of here you baka. But when we get to Beijita-sei you owe me a spar, I'll make sure there just enough left over for my father to pick apart too.
"Whatever you still owe me for crashing my ship!! Don't think I'm letting it slide this time!"
"Wouldn't want it any other way."
**********
Bra smirked hearing Goten talk some sense into her dense brother.
Goten's lack of tack was the best way to get to Trunks. For Trunks the best nudge was to slap it in his face. Trunks was the easy one he just needed someone to get him out of that cocoon of his. Pan would more than likely be the harder of the two, but Bra had the whole trip to work on her. She could take it one step at a time, starting with finding out exactly what Pan felt about her dear sweet brother.
Bra knocked on the door to the room Pan had taken.
"Come in."
Bra stepped in, with a friendly smile on her face. Pan blinked, obviously not expecting it to be her. The dark hair saiya-jin was floating cross-legged over the bed.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." Pan shook her head, landing gently on the floor.
"No, it's all right. Can I help you?"
"I just wanted to talk some. I never get to meet many girls my age around the palace, if fact this is the 6th time I've ever actually been outside the palace. I was wondering if you could tell me about how it is to live out in space and be able to go any where you want without guards or over protective relatives."
Pan laughed at her dramatic tone, "Well it's not as glamorous as you make it sound."
And that's how it started. Bra found she actually liked Pan she was a nice person minus the temper and was blunt and honest. Bra didn't have to pretend to like the court officials at home. And for the first time that she could remember Bra was actually grateful she had a planet to call home; She never realizes how lucky she was to be able to see the sun rise and set everyday or to be able see plants grow about freely and not in artificial gardens. Pan even told her about something that was completely new to her when she went to earth, something Bra took for granted all her life, a horizon.
At first she didn't understand the significance of it, even for Pan.
Pan pointed to the small circular window on the far side of the room.
"That is what I've seen most off my life, endlessness and if not that then the complete opposite when I look around I see walls. The walls of the ships, stations, Mobile Colonies, it's all the same. To protect us from space and at the same time caging us in."
Bra sighed from her new seat stretched out on the floor, remembering her purpose for coming here in the first place. "It must have been interesting going to old earth with my brother."
She expected Pan to frown but the other girl laughed instead.
"Interesting indeed. We didn't get off on the right foot."
Bra smirked at the wistful look in the girl's eyes.
"I noticed. What happened?"
Pan explained to her everything that had happened since that fateful day she'd crashed into Prince Trunks Briefs Vegeta on station N-821. Bra kept an eye on Pan's expression; the girl was obvious growing attached to him even if she didn't realize it. It was they way she talked about Trunks.
" And then he constantly teases me too, he just-"
"Trunks teases you?" Bra was fairly surprised to hear this. On Beijita-sei Trunks was little more than a hunk of ice. He was always so serious at least with most people, even their father. Especially their father.
He never joked around with anybody but Goten and her self on occasion.
"Constantly, I think it's his next favorite thing after driving me insane. Why do you ask?" Pan continued give the blue haired girl a weird look.
Bra laughed ignoring the question, "What does that baka brother of mine tease you about?"
To Bra's genuine surprise Pan blushed a little, "Why are you blushing Panny?" she giggled in a singsong voice.
"I wasn't blushing!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
"What does he tease you about, or maybe I should go ask him." Bra grinned mischievously.
"Whatever flaw he can find at the moment. He calls me names all the time, just to grate my nerves, I bet."
Bra nodded, "Names?" urging her to continue, "Yeah, like onna no ko, kirei na ko, he even had the gal to call me chisaii tora once, the jerk! But most of the time he calls me utsukushii, the nerve."
Bra resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. Leave it to her brother to pick a female who was just as dense in the love area as he was. Bra grinned to herself perhaps she would have to clobber them both over the head and tie them to the same bed.
'Hey it worked for Goten why not his niece?' she snicker to herself.
****************
Gohan sat in the commander's chair on the bridge of his personal cruiser. He could tell his crew was nervous and jumpy, none of them had been this close to the enemy home world and it was enough to make even him a little edgy. But he had a purpose.
"Sir there is an incoming call from the Royal communications officer."
Gohan nodded, "Patch it to the main screen."
A young thing appeared on the screen, he couldn't have been older than Pan. The boy's face went slack with shock. What was the enemy doing so close? Seeing the young saiya-jin was obviously speechless, "I'll be brief and skip the formalities. I want to speak with Vegeta." The young man regained his composure.
"I am not authorized to do so, and even if I were why would I let scum like you speak with the King?" he added snidely, placing emphasis on Vegeta's title.
"I don't have time for this." He stated calmly "I demand to speak with Vegeta now." The kid obvious did know whom he was speaking to. He noted the scouter on the communication officer's face. He wasn't he to make a ruckus but there were or means of getting someone's attention if need be.
"As I said before I am not authorized to do so-"
"Then get me someone who can." Gohan raised his ki as quickly as he could without causing the ship damage. Several crewmembers on the bridge looked at him sharply some with surprise. 'It has been a long time.' He thought to himself, he kind of felt bad secretly enjoying the fact that he could still scare a few people with just his ki. The young officer gasped in shock at the numbers, the scouter wouldn't break if Gohan raised his ki at this rate. "What's going on?!" came a voice from somewhere behind the kid.
"I am a patient person but this is a matter of the utmost importance."
"Y...ye...yes sir!!!" The young officer stumbled back and was replaced by a familiar face. Facial features that resembled his own but sharper, tougher along with a mass of black spiky hair.
"Well, well, well if it isn't Kakkarot's whelp. I guess I can assume this isn't a family visit, dear nephew."
"I don't have time to go in circles, I need to speak with your king immediately." Gohan pushed his ki higher faster Raditz ripped of his scouter before it exploded in his hand.
"Well you've got his attention now, little nephew. I don't think he'll be too happy that you've broken all the scouters that were being used at the moment. You have permission to land. I'm sending the coordinates now. Raditz out."
"Well that was easy." Several of his crew looked at him strangely, like they'd seen a ghost or something. 'What?'
He cleared his throat, "You have the coordinates. Get to it!"
*******************
Quotes of the day:
"I don't think of myself as single. I'm romantically challenged."
-Stephanie Piro
From the reviewers:
"Life was like that; everyone loved the wrong person, who loved someone else, or didn't love at all."
- K.M. Peyton
***************
Mizuko's answering machine
Weeell It seems Gohan has reach Beijita-sei, and the other aren't even there yet. Will a clash of the titans ensue? What plan has the devious daughter of Vegeta come up with for Pan?
What UFO is heading towards the New Earth's President's ship? What the heck does Marron have to do with any of this? *Grumbles* Mizuko better appreciate what I'm doing. Thank heaven she change the beep into a tone: tones are more bearable and less aggravating, so please leave a message after the tone.