Her hands couldn't even hold on to the bag of chocolates Marron had bought. They fell to the floor, thankfully not spilling; the movement was enough to catch Pan's notice.
Toran felt Pan go stiff in his arms, pulling sharply away from him, her face a mask of guilt and surprise maybe a little sadness.
"Pan...?" he got no response as she walked past him going back inside. It was then he noticed, the blonde haired blue-eyed girl standing in Pan's living room. She happened to be staring at Pan with a stunned look of hurt and shock. Toran stood silent behind Pan watching the two girls carefully, he didn't know what was going on, but the woman kept giving him strange looks.
The woman still in a daze asked, "How long has he been here?"
"Marron.... Pan finally spoke, "I-
The blonde shook out of her trance, and she looked more than slightly peeved, "I'm not quite sure I even want to hear what you're going to say." she said angrily, but not raising her voice, yet.
"How could you?" she said looking at both of them, hurt showing on her face. To Pan, "How, could, you? Do you know what his family is going through right now? Do you? They are going through hell right now because they think their son is missing or dead! What gives you the right to keep him here, while Bulma cries at the mere mention of her son because she thinks he's dead? For five years Pan! Five years!" Pan took yelling quietly, uncharacteristically silent not uttering a word, not even in her defense, not like the Panny he knew who would never back down from a challenge. Pan looked about to cry, she wouldn't she never did in front of other; her pride wouldn't allow her to.
Toran looked scowled, 'This has gone far enough!'
"Pan is not to blame for anything-"
The blonde locked her furious gaze on him, "Like hell she isn't! Five years Trunks! How dare you even show your face around here?! Where were you Trunks? Huh? Why did you leave?"
Toran realized the girl's anger was quickly fading leaving only an emotionally scared, very hurt woman before them, "Why did you leave us, Trunks? Your family? Your friends? And me? I waited all night on our anniversary. And you never came. You never came."
She was crying now her anger completely gone, she slid to the floor sobbing. Pan rushed over to comfort her friend giving her a hug and a shoulder to cry on.
Toran felt considerably out of place watching his girlfriend comfort a stranger to him, who happened to be sobbing in the middle of the floor. The name Marron actually rang a bell, from the day he'd first arrived in Sataan city. He knew she use to be important to him somehow but wasn't sure how. Anniversary? I guess she must have been his fiancée.
The girl had stopped crying and was looking to him answers.
"Let's sit down," Pan suggested helping Marron to the couch.
He took a seat.
"There had better be a damn good explanation of this." she blonde groused. Toran had a feeling that that glare she was giving him would stay there a while if she didn't get an explanation. He frowned slightly, brows furrowing a bit.
"I don't know why I left, I can't remember. I woke up out in the middle of nowhere; and I couldn't remember a thing not even my own name."
Marron looked at him blankly. "Why aren't you home instead of here." more than a little barb in her voice as she glanced at Pan. Luckily Pan didn't see that she was looking at her hands, which were lying limp on her lap "My choice. Not Pan's fault in anyway." He took her silences as a sign to continue. "It was by chance I met Pan while here in the city, and it was by choice that I decided not to see my family."
"Do you think we'd have loved you any less because you can't remember anything? Your family would be so happy just to see you-
The blonde started, Marron might have continued on that subject but was interrupted Trunks.
"I don't remember you." he said cold and blunt. A look of hurt and pain settled onto Marron's face, tears beginning to well up.
"When I look at you, I might as well be looking at a stranger on the street." Pan looked at him warily, it wasn't like him to be cruel.
He ignored the look and the tears, eyes hard, his jaw set fiercely.
"It hurts to hear it but it's the truth. I don't remember my mother either. I can't imagine the kind of pain she been through, but I do know it would hurt even worse if I told her 'I don't know you.'
Couldn't do that to my family. I couldn't do that knowing it would hurt them more." he said quietly, what ever reserves Marron had been about to unleash were burnt out now, an apologetic gaze flickered to Pan.
Toran stood, he needed to do some serious thinking about everything, it was becoming so much more complicated. He needed to think things through first before deciding anything.
The girls watched in silence as he began to leave.
Neither tried to stop him.
"And what about Pan?" Marron asked as he turned the knob of the door.
Toran stopped.
"For the first few weeks, every time she looked at me I saw the sadness and pain she was covering up...
And every time I hated myself for it."
Pan sat silently with Marron, not knowing what to say.
"How much have you told him?" the blonde asked neither of them looking at each other.
Pan felt Marron was upset with her about Trunks. I would be to if I found my five years missing fiancé making out in my friend's apartment.
"Everything. You, his family, Capsule corp. Everything." she answered truthfully.
"And the funeral?"
"Yes."
"Its been moved, it'll be held in one month."
That doesn't leave much time.
"When did you tell him about it?"
"Last night."
"Oh...
Great she probably took that the wrong way. Pan mentally kicked herself.
"how long has he been here?"
"A month, almost." Pan looked down at her hands again.
"He asked me not to tell anybody he was here and I respect his decision." Or are you just scared he'll leave you?
"So you two are a couple now, and here I thought you'd grow up and become an old maid!" Marron said laughing lightly but still a little shakily.
"You aren't mad at me? Are you?" Pan asked.
They finally looked at each other, "Of course not Pan! I got over him a long time ago...I was upset and kind of overreacted." Marron smiled, getting a look on her face.
'Uh-oh '
"So Pan" she started slyly, "how long has been staying here." Marron said emphasizing the word 'here'. Pan turned beet red in five seconds flat, making Marron laugh out loud just at the site.
"It must have been some night if your that red!" she tease mercilessly.
"No! no! no! I- We didn't do anything! He slept out here in the living room."
"Well if that's the case then here's something you need to know.
He's insatiable." Pan went red all over again.
Marron continued, intending to tease Pan a little further; it was the least she could do for snapping at her earlier.
"I have a hunch you saiya-jin may share that appetite, what a deal you'll be getting....So when can I expect there to be a wedding"
"Marron! Honestly our getting a bad as my mom and Bra! Were planning to see them today. I think he may have been scared of hurting them deep down. He's really sweet."
"You love him don't you?"
"Yes I do. He's change in so many way but he's still the same too. I think he's the one. I haven't told him yet."
"Your father's going to pitch a fit. I'll see you later Pan, give Trunks my regards. I won't tell, and tell him I'm sorry for blowing up like that. Bye!"
Toran meandered around the city deep in thought.
'This will quickly become a huge mess- no scratch that- is a mess. It was obvious to him now the longer he stayed with Pan the longer he be dragging the situation out and making a bigger mess. The phone call last night and the unexpected visit this morning were proof of that.
Toran was also aware that the past few weekends Pan had been declining her parents weekly invitation to stay over with them.
Now she was being hounded by her parents (and he threaten by her father).
I was sent here by Seito to learn some teamwork but now... He'd seen less of Matsuri and Gabe then he did the busy Tosei.
And he was only suppose to stay for a half year or less... That meant having to choose between staying here with Pan or returning to the mountains.
No contest there. One major problem down, three more to go.
Toran paused looking at his surrounding, the park again.
He spotted the bench where Pan had first ran into him.
"Strange how I keep winding up right here..." he mumbled to no one.
Toran sat down. Maybe it was his subconscious trying to tell him something, or just coincidence.
Problem number two: the case.
Cold trail Dead-end no go nobody else had been reported missing since the last one.
No fingerprints or leads. Only the sword marks but those lead to a dead end also. Since Tosei had no knowledge of who stole the Battosai in the first place that was a dead end too. Maybe Seito knows something more than then his brother, unlikely but worth a shot.
Problem number three: family, Pan's and his own.
It was only a matter of time, or chance before someone else stopped by Pan's unexpectedly like Marron. It might have been even worse if someone did stop, say a certain protective father who had little or no qualms with blowing his butt sky high.
A nagging feeling told him to look up into the midday sky.
Nothing new just clouds, birds, treetops, skyscrapers.
Hey there's that building again.... CC Hmm sounds like a girl's name. But it looked so familiar.... It seemed important for so reason, like the play ground in the park, but in a different way.
Toran racked his brain trying to remember, only to be greeted by the haze that perpetually clouded his mind. He concentrated harder, a deep scowl on his face.
Nothing.
He kept trying till he was blue in the face; his results stayed the same as ever.
This is not working. How come his memories sometimes came to him and other times didn't? Was it Pan? Was she the only link to his forgotten past? He had regained a little bit of his past with her help much more then he had in the mountains. Little things, like outings with friends, and learning how to drive (or fly). Where he went to school, stuff like that. No thing big, no faces, not many. Pan had been there to explain them a bit, before his mind caught on and recalled the event. But she had done the same with the photo album, not one single flash.
'No, that doesn't make sense either because I had flash back when I was in the mountains too. What was the difference? What's the difference between Panny and me sitting here wringing my brains out?' Toran closed his eyes feeling resigned, "Maybe that's just it. Maybe I'm just trying too hard."
After Marron left Pan cleaned up around her place to keep herself busy. She swept the kitchen floor with much vigor at a rhythmic and steady pace. Mindless physical work kept her from wondering too many things. Well actually worrying too many things. Like where did Trunks go? Would they still go see his family today? God, how would her parent react- no scratch that- How would her father react? Where did Trunks go? Pan swept harder. Still that one question ran deep. She was scared, she'd wake up and he'd be gone again. A sudden cold pain stung her chest causing her to drop the broom. She would die if that ever happened. Pan heard the faint click of the balcony's sliding door.
Most likely Trunks. Though he was more prone to use normal entrances than windows and balconies.
"Tor..? What the-