I know it's been a while, sorry about that. Things have been pretty crazy. My sister got engaged, again, to another guy (her other Fiancé and she broke it off in june), and I started a TON of back-to-school stuff including Japanese lessons, piano lessons, dance started up again, I'm trying to catch up with my math, taking guitar lessons, planning how I'm going to re-design my room, working on a website and an e-zine, and also the biggy—I'm working on a novel. A real one. Yup, I'm hoping to have the first book done by december, or at least a 1st or 2nd draft. (it's a trilogy) So when I publish it you can buy it! Or not. Whatever you want. Anywayz, yeah, my writing time's been taken up by that a lot. I apologize, and I will be working on my fics extra hard so I won't be leaving people hanging. (I hate when people do that to me, so I know how you feel!) Plus I'm working on 3 new fics, and I'm getting into two other Anime's as well. Won't bother telling you cause you probably don't care. Ok, fine, they're Angel Sanctuary and Weiss Kruez. You can bash 'em, love 'em, or just not know what they are. (there are so many lovers and bashers of those two! It's amazing the bi-polar aspect of it all!) This thing is getting too long, sorry about that—can you not tell I am overly frazzled? lol. Catch you later, hope you like the chappy—oh, and I've got a quick shoutout as well.
Shoutout:
I just want to thank all the readers of this 'fic who read A Change of Heart. I'm so glad you're interested enough to come back and read the continuation of their story. You have NO IDEA how touched I am that you're also enjoying this one—that was truly my goal, so make something fans of A Change of Heart could enjoy. It IS getting more lighthearted in future chappys, I promise. But thanks for reading, ya'll are what keep me going!
~*Acky
The day started uneventfully, and it dragged on uneventfully as well. That is, until the current point it had. Trunks, on an oversight (he had noticed it was an oversight the moment he had said it), had agreed to accompany the ladies to the caterer's today.
However, "testing the food" had turned into an afternoon filled with errands, from bakery (for some cake decisions), to dress shop (for a bridesmaid dresses price check), to florist ("did we order baby pink or champagne roses?" naturally they had to check), to tux shop ("Goten's neck is 16½, not 16").
Not to mention the countless cell phone calls to the band, Capsule Corps., the wedding planner (they had decided they did need one after all), the Son home, the other Son home, and some other calls he didn't even know who or where they were calling.
Finally they had arrived at the caterer's, where the wedding planner met up with them. She was an attractive woman about thirty, with a pink silk shantung suit on. The skirt, while standing, came to about mid thigh, and she had a lavender strapless top under her fitted and cropped suit coat. She had matching pink shoes on that came to such a point it was apparent they were from the runways of the fashion district, and she had a pink leather clutch-size purse over her shoulder with a silver buckle in an S shape.
Naturally Bulma would only hire the best. (When Pan and Videl insisted they didn't need a wedding planner Bulma agreed, though reluctantly. But when things became apparent that one would help their cause considerably, Bulma insisted she hire—and pay—for the best one in town herself.) However Trunks believed that the best would come in the form of a stuffy old woman who insisted everything be strict to Emily Post's book of Etiquette.
How could this attractive young lady be the priciest in town? And how could she have acquired the best contacts in the city? She very much reminded him of a wedding planner he saw in a movie once…but do those kind really exist? Apparently they did.
"Miss Son." She greeted Pan cheerfully. Her eyes darted to each person present in turn, Videl, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Eighteen. And when her eyes came to Trunks she had a broad smile for him. "And finally the groom is present!" She presented her hand. "Trunks Brief's, I'm sure?" He liked her a lot. Not to be stuck on himself, but she was the first woman who was genuinely nice without checking him out or hitting on him.
He gave a pleasant smile with a silent laugh, extending his own hand to take hers. Just to make sure, he felt to see how long she held his hand. She released it just as slow and just as quickly as when men shook his hand. Yes, she was a keeper.
Little did he know Pan had noticed the same thing with a happy smile.
Twenty minutes later the wedding planner, Crystal, was leading them through a massive roomed lined to the hilt in buffet tables, all laden with different wedding-day dishes. She held a clipboard against one arm, with a pen in her other hand as she spouted off things about the different dishes while they tasted them.
"This is the crab, scallop, and cheese stuffed herring." She said as they each took a little bit to taste. "It's a common favorite for bay and seaside weddings." She continued. "Do you like?" She questioned, watching them chew with contemplation. Each looked up and seemed to get a final taste of their mouthful before each commenting at once.
"It's really good." Pan said positively. Then, with a quiet, airy voice she said, almost to herself, "A seaside wedding would be gorgeous." Crystal perked a brow up and seemed to scribble a note.
"Are you perhaps now considering a seaside wedding, Miss Son?" She asked, tuning out everyone else's looks and comments. "It would be lovely—"
"Oh, I don't think so." Videl said, and the other ladies seemed to agree, except for Eighteen, the only one to catch Pan's somewhat disappointed look, small as it was.
"You don't think it would be pleasant?" Eighteen suggested on Pan's behalf. "I definitely think it'd be something to remember." She had a cheery expression on, as if a slight brainstorm had hit.
"I—" Pan began, but was cut off.
"Of course not!" Bulma announced, bellowing over Pan's attempted comment. "Besides, she wouldn't want that." She said dismissively, and they moved on to the next platter of food.
~*
Pan and Trunks plopped into two olive green leather chairs with a small, round table interrupting the distance between them. Both looked completely pooped, however Pan had an eyebrow arched in an expression that suggested she had been through this before…many a time.
Trunks eyed the fake plant set on the table, particularly some green, leafy thing that resembled nothing he had ever seen before. It was like a stick with round-like leaves on each side, and he poked it before batting at it curiously.
"I want to go home." She moaned, and Trunks snorted.
"You want to go home?" He asked sarcastically, which caused her to return a glare his way.
"Do you think I actually like doing this?" She snapped. "I'm only doing this because it has to be done and I don't trust all the moms to be put in charge of making every decision; they're already making most of them." She continued in a snappy tone.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He soothed. "This long day has just left us edgy." She nodded with a sigh.
"What time is it?" She quizzed, and he pulled up the same old, scratched up watch he'd had forever, as if he didn't want to part with it.
"5:50." He answered, and he moved to snuggle more comfortably in the upholstery, making the leather crackle just a bit and make a rubbing sound like an inner tube.
"Five fifty?" She gasped, and he nodded. They'd left Capsule Corps. at 8:30am. "Geeze," She made that same move to get more comfortable, but just as she did the mothers rounded the corner—apparently done tasting desserts—and approached her with tons of questions.
Crystal quieted them all down and presented her with the options.
"Crab, scallop and cheese stuffed herring, with the—"
Everything else was lost in a sea as Pan sat, mute, listening to her go on and on and on, all of the options swimming together so much she couldn't even remember what cheese was.
When it was finished Pan knew what she would say.
"Can I think on it," The mother's gasped, apparently thinking of how little time they had. "for just a bit?" The last past seemed to appease them though, and Crystal smiled knowingly.
"I'll type them up and send them in an email to you by tonight…is the morning after next too early?" She asked gingerly.
"Not at all. I can get you the answer tomorrow night, actually." Pan smiled and Crystal returned an appreciative one.
"Well, what's next?" Eighteen asked, looking as if she only could imagine one option…that she'd agree on that is.
"Home." Gasped Videl. "Sweet, merciful home." She said with a great sigh. "Pan, do you need to—"
"I was wondering if I could run her home, Videl…if that's ok?" Videl nodded, though with curiosity. "I was hoping to take her out to dinner. That is," He looked at Pan. "if she's up to it." Pan nodded silently, and Videl agreed that was perfectly fine with her.
"We'll have to catch the bus," He explained with a questioning tone, asking if that was all right. "and then we'll pick up my car at CC." She nodded, too tired to even speak, and they parted company with everyone as the ladies hopped into a mini-van and drove off and Crystal did the same.
Trunks and Pan walked down the sidewalk to the nearest bus stop, and he casually slid his hand around hers. Her fingers felt limp and lifeless intertwined with his, and he furrowed his brows. Ever since the second half of the tasting festival something had been wrong, and he wouldn't take her home before finding out exactly what it was.
They didn't have to wait long for the bus, and they hopped in and took a seat near the front. Immediately Pan leaned her cheek on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his one arm that was closest to her, snuggling up like she was going to take a nap.
"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning his head onto hers and adjusting to make them both more comfortable. She sighed without a word, and offered no reply or answer, so he decided to go for a yes or no question.
"Same as what's been bothering you lately? At least, what's been bothering you most." She offered no reply or answer still, but she nodded her head just barely. It was his turn to sigh, and he leaned to the left, away from her, and chose to wrap his arm around her instead. She slid to lie against his chest, her fingers curled adorably into a delicate fist, her dark hair falling before her face as if to shield her away.
It was like this they rode until they reach Capsule Corporations to pick up his car, and as they came to the stop, he had a hard time getting up from his comfortable position. He hadn't chose to ask her any more questions, and so they had rode there in complete silence. She arose in a sleepy stupor, telling him she had fallen asleep on the way, and she leaned on him heavily as they walked to his car, nearly plopping into the drivers seat when he helped her in.
"Why don't," He began, turning the wheel sharply to get the car onto the road. "we grab some drive-thru and then go park somewhere and eat it?"
"Sounds great." She agreed, lying the seat all the way back and snuggling on her side, facing him. She wouldn't fall asleep again, but she was still trying to shake off that sleepy haze.
"Where do you want to pick up the eats, then?"
~*
Two hours later Trunks and Pan walked along the bay, their feet tapping the pavement of the bay-side park's sidewalk. The sun dipped halfway into the watery horizon, sending a luminous orange glow about everything.
They had snagged Chinese at Hot Wok, a fast-food place, and, in a random and spontaneous moment, decided to drive to the south bay, a good hour or so south. They had found a parking spot with a glorious view, and eaten leisurely in the car where their chopsticks clacked to break the silence as they dived into the Chinese take-out boxes. The silence hadn't been awkward though, and when they finished their Saiyan-sized helpings, Trunks suggested a walk along the bay.
And it was where they were now, walking in comfortable silence, holding hands, their arms swinging here and there with their steps. She sighed, quiet as a whisper, and he squeezed her hand, pulling her over to a bench and sitting down, tugging her onto his lap.
"What'd I do?" He asked in a sincere tone, wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning his chin on her shoulder.
"Nothing," She smiled, tilting her cheek on his head. "Why do you think you did something?" She prodded, and she could feel him let out a smiling sigh.
"Cause you're upset." He said matter-of-factly. It was her turn to let out a 'smiling sigh'. She began to deny it but was cut off. "Don't you tell me you're not upset." He told her. Her open mouth froze before her brows furrowed poutingly. He started to chuckle. "You were about to tell me that, weren't you?"
"Oh, shut up." She batted at his cheek.
"Tell me what's wrong." He prodded, tightening his arms around her and gaining the sincere tone again. He felt her sigh, and he picked up his head, leaning his lips on her shoulder now as he waited for her to answer.
"Oh, nothing." She sighed.
"Tell me." He prodded further.
"It's just…it's just the same old thing." She said pathetically. He rolled his eyes and forced out a sigh. "But—" He picked her up, cutting her off, and sat her down next to him, turning to face.
"Tell them." He declared, stretching his arm out in a frustrated pointing motion. "Tell them!" He jerked his hand in a point again. "Stop sniffling and whining about it, and go tell them!" She turned away from him, facing front, and leaned on her knees. She leant her head on the palm of her hand, and her right hand grasped her left elbow.
She looked out into the bay where the sunset shone purple and electric pink, contrasting with the blue of the ocean.
A tear slid down her right cheek, and he lost it. Lost all his argument, lost all his boldness, lost all his gall. Instead he turned to a puddle of mush and stumbled over himself to try and comfort her. He hated it when she cried! He felt so useless, so helpless, such a…nothing. He felt like nothing, nobody—and he had to comfort her ASAP!
"Panny," He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry." He apologized, brushing his fingers through her hair. Usually a floodgate opened then, but he was surprised when only single tears fell here and there. At least when she cried she was doing something! But this silent, barely crying upsetness made him feel so weak!
"Why are you being so patient?" He questioned, smoothing her hair. "This is beyond just being nice, Panny—you've got to let them know you're not happy, that you want things different…I honestly don't think they'll care; they know it's your wedding." He smoothed her hair still as he waited for her to form her words.
"It's…" She said after a while. "It's…don't you understand?" No, he didn't understand. He bit his lip and waited for her to explain; he knew she would. "They never had weddings." She said simply, and a tiny, minuscule light clicked. He had gotten it…somewhat.
"They never had weddings?" He questioned, trying to get her to continue some more.
"Your mom did, yes…and Eighteen kind of, but…" She wiped away a tear. "My mom and my grandma didn't really get the weddings they REALLY wanted…and I think that they're…well, they're kind of living through me."
"And that's why you feel bad?" She nodded. "You think you're denying them their own weddings, kind of?" She nodded again. "I still don't think they'll care, Pan. Of all things, they want you to have the wedding they didn't have, and that means that you're completely happy with everything." He squeezed her hand in emphasis for the word completely.
"Panny," He soothed, turning her to face him, grasping her shoulders tenderly. "Give it just a bit—three days. Give it three days and I swear, I swear everything will be better." He looked at her hopefully.
"Ok," She agreed, maybe only just to shut him up and feel he had done something productive with the situation. "Can we go home now?"
The ride home had been fine. In fact, things were great. Pan had turned more normal by then, and they talked about the things they usually did, sometimes they didn't talk at all, or maybe sometimes they just listened or sung along with music. The drive went by pretty fast, and soon they were at Capsule Corps. where everyone had agreed that night to games or a movie.
Pan dashed up the stairs to use the bathroom, and it was then that he took his chance. Ducking into the kitchen where all the mothers were, they were somewhat confused when he said, very seriously, "I've got to talk to all of you. Now."