AN: Yes my bio does say this is a finished fic (and sorta it is) Take a look at a few chapters from To Fall and Rise Again, any chapter. My proof reading skill were sorely lacking, (more like non-existent) so even thought I'm not revising TST I am going to at least correct mistakes (and there are a bunch of them). Now sit back, relax listen to the 8-track and dig it like ya own soul train! (I've always wanted to say that! hee hee)

The Strangest Thing

Ch3- On Top of Spaghetti

Man, I'd hate to be on the wrong end of that look. Trunks glanced at Pan's scowling face, in fact he was positive whatever that guy had done he was probably regretting it at the moment.  For lunch they'd picked a close by buffet that dealt with saiya-jin appetites before and wouldn't think it too much out of the ordinary.

It was a nice day out a little on the nippy side, hinting winter just around the corner.

That DH we saw certainly ruined her mood for some reason.

 Trunks himself frown, he'd followed Pan to my office, maybe he was her...nah,' Not with the look Pan was giving her spaghetti. He watched her spear another meatball with her fork.

"So, are you gonna tell me about it, or you just gonna take it out on that poor meatball over there?"

"There is nothing to say. He's my ex." Stab

"Ex.... boyfriend?"

Stab another meatball bit the dust.

"Fiancé?"

Stab

"Husband?!"

"Not in this lifetime."

 Trunks let out a breath of relief. The thought of...that didn't sit well with him. From his impression Jay seem a jerk.

While still venting her wrath upon the dish in front of her, she semi explained her situation. Somewhat.

"At first I thought it was nice, how he was always so... But then Jay got so...He never let me...And then we...and then he said...I can believe he said that you'd think a guy would like that kind of challenge...arrggh! Now I just want to strangle- no kill -that no good, grumble, grumble."

That poor unfortunate meatball…

Pan's anger was gone now; she gave a tired, wearisome sigh. For a moment, she let the tough-girl, tomboy mask slip revealing a very different side of the Pan, Trunks had known--thought he knew.

She soft brown eyes were, tried and lacked the twinkle they'd been renowned for, her short dark hair framed her cute impish face, which had a speck of sauce dabbed on the corner of her lip. Pan's suit was a size or two too big covering her womanly figure. Not that it matters she's still beautiful anyways.

Trunks stopped eating when that thought buzzed unexpectedly through his mind.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking someone's good-looking even if-

"Trunks are you alright? You spaced out there for a moment."

Pan's brow creased slightly, he normally didn't go blank like that.

"I'm fine. So... do you want me to kill him for you, beat him to with in an inch of his life or just fire him?"

She giggled, a pleasing sound, her good spirits back again.

 "Aww, that nice of you, you're such a good friend. But no I can handle Jay; all he needs is for someone to get it through his thick head that I'm not his anymore. Enough about that idiot." 

She polished off the rest of her spaghetti and what was left of the poor unfortunate meatball turned mush by incessant stabbing.

"You've got three weeks of absolute freedom from the company, what have got planned. And don't you dare say-

"Nothing."

 She rolled her eyes, "Has living with you dear sister taught you nothing, don't mope around for three weeks, go out and do something.

"Like what?"

"Go to the beach."

"It's nearly winter."

"Hang out with your dad."

"If I have a death wish."

"Take a walk in the park, go to the movies, go dancing!"

"Those sound nice, but there isn't any point to it if one's there to enjoy it with you." the statement reminded him of his terribly single status. "Besides, I won't be mopping around as you put it."

"Oh? Then what will you be doing?"

"My mother-

"I knew it."

"-asked me to work on little side project," Pan raised an eyebrow inquiringly, "a prototype deep space vessel, she's been tinkering with, it's nearly finished she just wants me to work the kinks out while I'm off."

Upon mentioning a ship Pan lit up. "Can I come and see it? It's been so long since we had our space adventure. It certainly brings back memories." she winked, he groaned, most of which I' d happily forget. 

"Of course you can see. You never have to ask to come over, you never really did before-" he dodged a playful swing, "- and your always welcome. What time do you get off today?"

"Ah five thirty, but I usually stay till six."

"Okay why don't you just drop by afterward then we can both take a look at what mother's been cooking up in that lab of her, something a lot better than what she cooks in the kitchen."

"If she ever heard that, she force feed you the next time she decides to cook. Remember the time she decided to make Vegeta breakfast in bed for his birthday?"

"He never got out of bed that day either....

"Psst Sally! Sally get over here, you wont believe what I just heard."

"What?! I was kind of busy"

"Not as busy as our handsome employer seems to be."

gasp "Oohh, do tell."

"Well I heard from Yuuko who'd spoken with Jose and Stacey M. who heard from Amanda-"

"Get to the point."

"Okay, okay, Stacey B., you know Mr. Brief secretary, saw the new DH leave Mr. Briefs' office just a few minutes ago. And she said that they'd gone in over an hour ago, together, and that the Market DH followed them in but came out a moment later looking very angry I might add."

"Market DH? You mean Jay Ganch? I think he that new girl's guy."

"Well if he was he isn't now... To bad he was kind of cute, but he has nothing on Mr. Brief."

"Who does?"

"Well his father maybe."

"Good looks are definitely in that gene pool."

"Mysterious handsome face, that body... and that bad ass!"

"Well now our chance is gone, maybe it'll be a short term thing."

"He never was one for flings."

"Oh my god! I have to tell Migian! He be so disappointed that Mr. Brief has a girlfriend, he won't believe me. Oh I have to tell Ozark to she'll flip out! Catch ya later Mina, oh does Hanako know?"

"It'll be my pleasure to tell that back stabber who ruined my chance to get with our very quite boss, if I can't have him neither can she."

"That the spirit Mina, Bye now!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Jay closed the door to his office having overheard the daily gossip grapevine hard at work. The corner of his mouth turned into a disgusted sneer. What was it about Trunks Vegeta Briefs that had all tittering twits and their panties in a bunch? Sure Pan had said they were only friends but still...

The more he heard about HIS Pan and the CEO of CC the room reasons he found to dislike the man. He snorted to himself as he attended to the paper work on his desk,

'He's got purple hair for cryin' out loud, he's done nothing to work for his position.' 

Jay frowned at graph showing CC marketing was doing in 439-651 areas, just about as good as his current mood.  Everything, money, women, power, he gets it handed to him on a platter with silver lining, while everyone else has to work there butts off to get anything done these days. I'll bet my life he hasn't lift more than a finger his whole.'  

Some small voice in the back of his mind was telling him he was being irrational, and letting jealousy cloud his thinking, the small voice was ignored and brush a side in a wave of scheming ideas to get Pan back. 'If they won't stay away form each other I'll just have to keep her away from him as easy as pie.'

The sneer on his face turned into a grim smile, gray eyes gleamed, thinking of the thing he would do when Pan was in his arms again...

Pan stretched out, phone in hand, on the couch in her apartment, which was located in downtown West Capital City. The building was fairly close to CC HQ so the commute was short (not that there was a significant time difference between there and grandma Chichi's house.)

"Sure, Bra... uh-uh...groans that was in the third grade. How do you remember this stuff? Pause. Really? Sure, I'd love to. Bra! Anyways it'll be nice to see you again. Alright see you then."  Pan hung up and yawned loudly stretching her limbs.

It was tempting to stay right there on the couch. 'Come on Pan. Haul your lazy butt up, come on.' 

Still the couch tempted, fortunately her struggle over the siren like call of the warm comfy couch was interrupted by the telephone.

"Hello?"

"Pan darling," a deep voice purred, she sighed annoyed that voice was becoming more cacophonous with every syllable.

"Don't call me darling. What do you want? I have to go soon."

"Where?"

"A friend's house not that it's really your business."

"Darling, I'm sorry really I'm how can make you see that I really am sorry."

"Don't call me darling, Jay...We're over and done with, I don't have any intentions of continuing the relationship we had."

"I still think your making a mistake, I won't stop trying till you see that too. I- I still care for you Pan. I mean that."

A moment of awkward silence hung over the line.

"Jay, I have to go. Bye." click Now she felt bad, just a little.

'He's so damned manipulative when he wants to be, since his first method, smooth and/or suggestive talking hadn't worked, he'd probably try for the guilt routine. No, he's up to something; he knows he can't guilt me into any thing. I'd better keep an eye on him, just in case.'

Her brows furrowed in thought, for the millionth time she cursed herself for ever giving into those smoky gray eyes of his.