Chapter Four

"So you and Zarah are actually getting along?" Goten glanced at his friend with disbelief as he walked Trunks back to work.

"Well mostly," Trunks grimaced, "If he would just drop the issue of Pan working in Capsule Corp. then everything would be cool."

Goten rolled his eyes and patted Trunks on the back.

"Well, things could always be worse. At least you have Maron as a buffer between you guys."

"That's if she can handle Zarah," Trunks scoffed.

They can to a stop in front of the building and sighed together.

"Thanks for the break Goten," Trunks grinned suddenly, "And don't let a girl keep you away next time."

Goten adverted his eyes, "I'll try."

"Goten! Trunks!"

Both males glanced up in surprise as they saw Maron's grinning face and then Bra's dismayed one.

"I got to go," Goten darted away surprising Trunks at his speed.

Bra, apparently had nothing to say as she ducked into the building.

Trunks frowned, "What the hell . . . Maron, did you see that?"

Maron smiled and shook her head, "Yes, I did."

"They almost literally ran away from each other," Trunks turned his attention to Maron, "This is the first time Goten visits me in a week and the first time I have seen Bra out of her lab. What's going on with those two?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Maron tried to brush past her employer.

Trunks stopped her with his hand on her arm.

"Does that mean you know?"

Maron became alarmed, she couldn't tell Bra's brother her most private secret! But then neither could she lie nor could she deny she was dying to tell someone.

"You promise not to tell or get angry?" Maron met his eyes to judge sincerity.

"I promise," honest eyes shone back at her.

"Alright," Maron discretely pulled away from his hand, "Where can we talk privately."

**

Bra slammed the door shut to her lab and leaned against it. She covered her face with her hands and willed her heart to stop pounding.

"Damn it," she cursed softly.

She had to have to worst luck in the world. The first time she ventured out of her sanctuary and she runs into him twice in one day!

"Um Bra?"

Bra stiffened and slowly lowered her hands to see her favorite cousin regarding her with a concerned expression.

"What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" Zarah's expression narrowed dangerously.

"No," Bra assured him quickly, "I was just . . . upset with how an invention was going."

Zarah let it pass for now but he would find out by the end of the day what was really wrong with her.

"Have you seen Maron?"

"Yes," Bra brightened instantly with the change of subject, "I had lunch with her."

"Oh, then she probably went back to her office," Zarah got off her desk and rolled his shoulders.

"Try Trunks' office if you don't find her," Bra slipped her lab coat on, "I left her with him."

Zarah nodded and left her lab quietly.

Bra released a sigh of relief, thank goodness he accepted her excuse! He could be as relentless as her Aunt Ava when he got his teeth into something and this was definitely something she didn't even want him to get a whiff of.

**

"Bra kissed Goten!"

Trunks sat down hard in his chair and tried to assimilate the information.

"But that's impossible, she hates him, has always hated him and he always avoided her because that was what he thought she wanted."

"I know, it's shocking but it happened and that is the reason you saw them flee in opposite directions," Maron sat calmly in a chair across from him with her legs daintily crossed.

"Then Bra is the reason he didn't . . . I'm going to kill him," Trunks was on his feet and marching to the window.

"No!" Maron zipped in front of him, "You promised you wouldn't get mad!"

Trunks eyes narrowed, "Get out of my way Maron."

Maron crossed her arms, "No. I thought I could trust you with this information but obviously I was mistaken."

Trunks slumped and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Maron . . . she's my sister-"

"Who is doing her best to avoid him and he is doing the same. Trunks, it's going to take a miracle to get them together because they both seem to be thinking about you."

Maron implored urgently, there was no way she could let him go off armed with this information. It would be her fault if anyone got hurt.

"Trunks . . . tell me about your problem with women."

"What?" Trunks hands dropped.

"Bra was telling me you had women chasing you everywhere."

Trunks averted his eyes, "They do more then chase."

"Like what?"

"Like grab, pinch, tackle . . . Why is this important? We were talking about Goten and Bra," Trunks sat on his desk, arms crossed.

"This is the reason why they would never become a couple," Maron sighed.

"Come again?"

"They are so worried about you that becoming a couple isn't even in their thoughts. The last thing they want to do is put more pressure or stress on you."

Maron watched him anxiously. She had said her pitch as truthful as she saw it but would he buy it . . . or would he head for Goten at first notice.

Trunks frowned as this new input whirled through his mind. His best friend and . . . he shuddered . . . his sister were attracted to each other enough to kiss even after a lifetime of hatred.

Bra had blocked herself off from feeling since their father had declared his wishes on her dating habits. Goten had taken the full brunt of her emotion since they were kids but he was the only one outside of their family who she showed any emotion toward whatsoever, even if it was dislike.

Goten, Trunks snarled to himself briefly, had never shown interest in her before . . . Ever since Paris, he had stopped his stream dating and seemed to give up on ever finding a girl like Gohan did.

In short, they were both miserable and alone, his shoulders slumped, and he was the reason. He pushed his must-kill-boyfriend instincts aside and reconsidered his role in this drama. What did he care about more, his relationship with them or their possible feelings for each other?

"Trunks?" Maron was nervous, he had been quiet for a long time.

"It would take a miracle," Trunks pondered out loud, "How about a couple of determined hybrids?"

"What do you mean?"

Trunks grinned suddenly, "We'll bring them together."

"Excuse me," Maron didn't know what to say, his mood swing had thrown her off balance.

Trunks slid off his desk and started to pace, excitement had filled his veins and needed to move.

"I'm the reason they won't think about being a couple, right?

"I believe so," Maron watched him go back and forth.

"Then they'll never expect it when we bring them together."

"We?"

Trunks spun around to face her.

"You have to help me Maron, this will never work if I do it by myself."

"I don't know," Maron fidgeted, "She's my friend."

"We will be doing this for her benefit," Trunks could see her teetering on the edge of joining with him, "I'll give you a raise."

"Ok, I'm in," Maron grinned, "It's for her own good."

"Yes it is."

**

Zarah peeked into his office and found no trace of his cousin.

"Hmm," Zarah turned on his heel, "Trunks office it is."

**

"Trunks," Maron giggled, "That's not going to work!"

Trunks glanced at his quickly constructed diagram.

"Why not?"

"You can't just shove two people into a room and lock the door! Especially your sister and Goten! She'll go through a wall before she will let herself get trapped like that."

Trunks tilted his head to the side, "Not if we reinforce the walls with steel."

Maron folded her hands neatly in her lap.

"And how are we to lead them into the room?"

"Well, the room will be accessible by two different doors. A trail of food will take Goten-"

"What?" Maron couldn't contain her laughter, "Trunks surely Goten . . ."

Trunks watched her laugh helplessly, he was pleased for some odd reason.

"You don't know him like I do," a small smile curled his lips.

"Ok, then what about Bra?"

"I think a trial of designer clothes will do it," Trunks used his pointy stick.

"Clothes," Maron repeated incredulously.

"So this is where you are."

Trunks and Maron froze as Zarah stepped into the room with all the confidence of a predator closing in on it's prey. He studied the clearly labeled chart and then allowed an evil smirk.

"What are you two up to?"

"Zarah, you are not-"

"Trunks," Maron cut him off.

She had already seen how well they got along . . . or didn't . . .

"Zarah," she turned a blinding smile on her cousin, "It has come to our attention that Bra has kissed Goten."

Zarah's brows lowered, "When did this happen?"

"The day Pan accepted your proposal," Maron felt a sweat forming in the small of her back.

"Hn," Zarah turned back to the diagram, "I would think, Trunks, that you would maim Goten for allowing such a thing to happen."

Trunks curled his lip at his actions being predicted so easily.

"It was a close call," Maron agreed brightly, "We are . . . um . . ."

"It looks like you're plotting against my dear cousin," Zarah picked up a list of ways to get a princess with a third class.

"Going to tattle," Trunks snatched the list away.

Zarah took on a mildly offended look before smirking.

"I should, I have no allegiance to you."

"But . . ." Maron supplied with the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"But I have a debt to Goten and Bra," Zarah's brow creased slightly, "has been lonely."

"So your in?" Trunks was amazed.

"I'm in."

End of Chapter Four