Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own any part of Dragonball Z/GT. The show respectfully belongs to its creators. Though, I wouldn't mind having a character all to myself. Can I have Mirai Trunks? Oh, wait maybe Gohan. Ack, but Goku is also cute. Oh, I just can't decide. Okay, someone pick a number between 1 and 10, and whichever character has that number that's who I'll get.
*Hands a reviewer a hat with little folded pieces of paper inside and watches intently as a number is drawn*
Alright, it's number . . . 7. That is *looks at list* Chibi Goten! *glomps* Oh! You're so kawii, and you are all mine! Yay! *grins* Okay, now that I have a muse it's time to get on with the fic.
To Snag a SaiyanChapter Three: Phase One Complete
Trunks resisted the urge to pace the confines of his family's living room as he patiently waited for his date to come downstairs. Now what could he have gotten himself into? He cringed as he looked over toward his sister, who was standing near the doorway with an all too familiar mischievous gleam in her eye.
Bra smirked as she glanced around the room. None of them looked as if they were paying much attention to anything else around them. Well, her and Pan would show them. 'Any second now, Pan will walk down the stairs and give each of them the biggest surprise of their lives.'
But, of course, her parents were arguing. Something about her father not wanting to attend this dinner meeting that her mother flung on him at the last minute. She sighed. What else was new? She turned away, wishing to find something more entertaining to watch.
She smiled as her eyes settled on the man sitting in the nearby recliner.
Goten had come home earlier with Trunks. Now, he was sleeping comfortably with his hands propped behind his head. She amusedly shook her head as she spotted the tiny speck of drool coming out the corner of his mouth. He looked so cute. She was sorely tempted to walk over there and pinch his cheeks. The thought made her smile even more as she watched him sleep peacefully through out her mom and dad's entire 'discuss.'
However, seeing Goten also made her wish she could have asked the rest of Pan's family over. Pan was about to make a grand entrance, and Bra knew both of her parents and grandmother would be devastated that they missed it. But, she couldn't risk Trunks figuring anything out beforehand, and the presence of Gohan, Videl, and Chichi in the room without Pan would be a dead giveaway. Sometimes her brother was too smart for his own good.
But, contrary to popular belief, her brother was not the only Vegeta-Briefs offspring to inherit Bulma's brilliance or Vegeta's cunning. She smirked as she glanced down at the camcorder in her hands. All would be forgiven once they saw the video.
She looked in Trunks' direction. Her mischievous smile gleamed when she noticed the hesitation in his stance. 'Just you wait big brother, you're going to remember this night for the rest of your life.'
Trunks blanched as he recognized the look on his sister's face. Once again an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He quickly turned away not wanting to think about the amount of trouble that look had gotten him into in the past.
He glanced over at his best friend for moral support, but of course Goten was passed out and just as content as a newborn kitten in his favorite chair. It was aggravating to say the least. So, he glared daggers at his oblivious best friend. How could Goten sleep at a time like this? Didn't he realize the inner turmoil he was going through at the moment?
His pulse suddenly skipped a beat when he heard the sound of a throat being cleared behind him. He visibly stiffened and dreaded turning around to see who awaited him at the top of the stairs.
With his back to the stairwell, Trunks took a moment to take in everyone else's reactions.
Of course, Bra was visibly amused and videotaping the entire charade.
Goten, who awoke to the sudden stillness in the room, was almost completely slack-jawed and bug-eyed.
And finally, both of his parents seemed unable to hide their shocked expressions. His mother's mouth looked about ready to hit the floor, and the fact that his father was having a hard time covering up his own surprise was especially alarming.
Trunks blanched. His sister's idea of a suitable date couldn't be that bad, could it?
Gradually, he stilled any unpleasant thoughts and steadied himself to face the woman that could invoke such reactions out of his family and best friend.
Even so, nothing could have prepared him for what he finally saw for himself.
There at the top of the stairs stood an absolute vision. She was an angel from his deepest fantasies, but she was not just any angel. She was his Pan-chan.
Bra smirked behind the camera at her brother's expression. His eyes were about to bulge out of his sockets and his mouth kept doing that silent open/shut maneuver. It was highly amusing to say the least because it was not very often that one could surprise the heck out of Trunks Vegeta Briefs.
Trunks almost couldn't believe his eyes. Sure, he knew Pan had grown into a lovely young woman, but how could he have missed this?
There she stood looking more beautiful than he'd ever seen any other woman, and all he could do was stand there and gape!
It wasn't enough that his nerves were already shot to hell and back, but now someone had the take a stab at his sensory organs as well.
The dress alone was enough to turn him into a totally witless moron. It was red, strapless, and quite frankly he couldn't see how she had gotten herself into it. It was an excellent fit to every sensuous curve on her body and didn't leave any room for the imagination.
All in all, it was enough to send every single one of his already frazzled senses into an uproar. He could almost feel his mouth watering and unconsciously tried to wipe away any evidence.
Pan nervously stood at the top of the stairs and tried not to fidget under everyone's obvious scrutiny and appraisal. She then tried her best smile and took a cautious step forward.
'Please don't let me fall in these shoes. Please don't let me fall on my face. Please don't let me make a fool of myself. Please don't let me . . .'
Trunks continued to gawk as she walked toward him. His eyes traveled further down wanting to take in everything. He nervously gulped. The slit on the side of her dress went all the way up to mid thigh, and it was giving him a very tantalizing view. His vision suddenly blurred and his palms began to sweat. His eyes traveled back up to her face, and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating when she smiled at him. This one girl in this one moment in time was about to be his undoing.
Pan plastered the most confident smile she could as she descended. The dazed look on Trunks' face was enough to send her running. Was she doing the right thing? Well, it was too late to back out now. She reached the bottom step and anxiously stood there, knowing she had reached the moment of reckoning.
"Well, don't just stand there, boy. We don't have all night." The strong reprimand came from across the room, but it was immediately followed by a resounding smack to the back of the head.
"Shut up, Vegeta!"
Of course, Trunks chose to ignore both remarks, but the volume itself was enough to jar him back to reality. Recalling the dignity he was supposed to possess as a Vegeta-Briefs, he stealthily walked over to meet Pan at the bottom step.
A faint blush graced her cheeks, and Pan slightly bowed her head in an attempt to hide any sign of nervousness. But, she was not fool enough to take her sights off the man striding toward her.
She unconsciously held her breath. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was a Greek god of myth walking toward her and not the man she had known all her life. She'd never seen him look so . . . virile . . . so . . . so enticing . . . so downright handsome.
Well, maybe she had, but he has never directed any of those charms at her. Now that he was, it was enough to leave her breathless and wondering what she'd done to deserve such an opulent twist of fate.
"You look absolutely breath-taking." Trunks sincerely said upon reaching her.
Her blush deepened, especially when he took a gloved hand in his and lightly kissed the top. The slight touch sent a jolt coursing throughout her body and her fingers tingled were he still held onto her hand.
"Thank you." She managed to speak.
He smirked at the desired reaction. Then offered his hand to help her down the last step and bowed. "Shall we?"
Pan smirked in turn as some of her usual confidence returned. If Trunks could confidently make it through this night, then, by Kami, so could she.
"Why, I'd be delighted." She teased and Trunks chuckled.
The two of them walked arm in arm toward everyone else.
"Well, we're ready when you are." Trunks said when they stopped in front of his parents.
Bulma smiled. "Let's go then." She then dragged a very reluctant Vegeta toward the waiting limo outside.
However, halfway to the door someone stood in his and Pan's path.
Pan looked up to see her very determined-looking uncle.
Goten stood silently with his arms crossed in front of him as he assessed the situation.
Pan nervously watched as a few confusing emotions flashed over his face, but then they all disappeared and his familiar goofy smile emerged.
She mentally sighed in relief.
Goten smiled and held out his arms. "Don't I get a hug from my most beautiful and favorite niece before she leaves?"
Pan smiled back at him. "I'm your only niece, silly." She replied and threw herself into his waiting arms, ever mindful of her hair and dress.
"Yeah, but that just makes me the luckiest uncle alive."
Pan smirked. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
"You look beautiful, Panny." He said as he let go and looked her tenderly in the eye.
"Thank you." She softly replied in gratitude.
Goten then turned to Trunks and offered his hand. "Take care," was all he said, but Trunks understood all the connotations those two little words meant as he shook Goten's hand.
"Always." Trunks replied in turn.
Goten smirked at his best friend and placed Pan's hand in Trunks'.
Pan smiled. She had her uncle's blessing, and she couldn't describe the feeling it brought to her heart.
"Will you two come on?" They heard the shout coming from outside.
Trunks smiled and looked back at Pan. "Ready?"
She smiled back. "Hai."
Bra watched as her brother and best friend walked out hand in hand. She sighed blissfully. "They look so cute together." She said once she shut the video camera off.
Goten snorted. "Yeah. I guess."
"Son Goten!" She reprimanded. "You just gave those two your consent and now you're reneging. You should be ashamed!"
He threw his hands up in defense. "I was only kidding. Geez."
"Uh-huh." She said not quite believing him. Then a smile lit up her face as an idea popped in her head. "Hey, I'm gonna head over to Panny's house in a little while to get the scoop on how tonight went once she gets home. Want to join me?"
Goten's face took on a mischievous gleam. "Well, now that you mention it. I do believe that I owe my big brother a visit."
"My sentiments exactly."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Pan held a nervous breath as the limo pulled up to their destination. 'Well, here goes nothing.'
Trunks looked over at the young woman sitting next to him and noticed the uneasy tension that seemed to radiate from her. "Breathe." He whispered as he took her hand in his. She smiled at him in thanks.
The limo stopped by the door and the valet immediately ran up to let them out. Bulma and Vegeta got out first, but then it was her turn. A hand reached in to help her out.
Once out, Pan could not help gawking at the expanse of the building before her, but she managed to restrain from whistling in awe.
Trunks smiled at her captivated expression. He then went up quietly behind her and gently took her arm.
She smiled up at him. "It's lovely."
He looked down at her. "I know." He replied, but he was not referring to the building since his eyes never left hers.
Pan blushed.
"Am I going to constantly have to keep the two of you moving all night?"
"Vegeta! Lay off!"
"Woman, if you insist on this persistent nagging there is going to be serious repercussions."
"Is that so?"
"Don't tempt me, Woman."
"Ahem." Trunks intervened wanting to stop what was about to turn into a typical argument. The only difference was that this time the paparazzi were about twenty yards away, and he was not in the mood to explain or defend any incidents that his parents could cause to the press. "Could we just get inside the restaurant without the two of you causing a scene." He growled.
"Mind your own business, boy." Vegeta scowled.
"Can it, Vegeta. He's right, and you know it. Let's go." Bulma scolded then practically dragged him inside the restaurant.
Trunks sighed. "Sorry about that."
"For what? That's nothing new to me."
Trunks smiled. "That's right. I don't have to explain my family to you." His smile broadened as he led her inside the restaurant. "You have no idea how reassuring that is."
Pan smiled back at him.
Upon entering the establishment, her eyes about popped out of her head. "Wow." She whispered and would have stopped in her tracks had Trunks not been leading her by the arm.
They were only passing through the lobby and had yet to reach the dining area, and already she was in awe at everything before her eyes. Sure, she had eaten at nice restaurants in the past. After all, her grandfather was the 'Savior of the World.' But, her family never really cared about dining in fancy establishments such as this one.
"This way, please." Their host spoke up interrupting her thoughts. She followed alongside her date.
They were led out onto a private patio located in the back of the restaurant. Outside a long white-clothed table was set up with red roses and lit candles for a little romantic touch. It was very pretty.
"Thank you, Jean." Bulma replied. He leaned over to gently kiss the top of her palm, and she discretely gave him a generous tip.
"My pleasure, Madame." He replied and helped her with her seat before he quietly left.
"Must you pay and flirt with each of these frilly morons."
She sighed. "You'll never learn the art of smoozing, will you?"
He raised his eyebrows at her. "Smoozing? Get serious, woman."
"Ah well, when that money gets us extra food later, I guess that means you won't be needing any."
"What! Woman, don't try me."
She smirked. "That's what I thought."
He just grumbled under his breath and turned his head away from her.
Pan was desperately trying not to laugh at Vegeta, but she couldn't help herself. She hid her mirth behind her hand. Leave it to Vegeta to cut the tension, and in his own way make her feel more at ease.
She picked up her menu, but then she had to blink a couple times to make sure she was reading it correctly. Either she was loosing it or the entire thing was in French.
She looked over at Trunks who didn't seem to be having a problem. Okay, so she hadn't taken a foreign language since high school. Like she was expected to remember this stuff. Oh, but how her grandmother would flip if she ever heard that said out loud.
"So, anything really good here? Anything that's your favorite, perhaps?" She casually inquired.
However, he saw right through her ploy. He didn't even bother looking up from his menu. "Can't read it, huh?"
"No. I can read it just fine thank you." She huffed.
He smirked. "Sure, you can, but can you decipher it?"
"Sure, I can. I know exactly what that is." She pointed to a random item on the menu.
He leaned in closer to see which dinner she was pointing out and burst out laughing. She of course huffed in indignation, crossed her arms firmly over her chest, and sharply turned her head in the other direction.
After a few moments, he regained some semblance of control. "I didn't know you liked snails. They're a real delicacy here, you know."
She blanched, and he laughed harder.
He eventually calmed down and smiled gently at her. "Don't worry. I'll order for you."
She blushed, but she didn't know if it was more over her own embarrassment or the sweetness of his offer. She preferred to think it was the latter.
"Thanks."
He smiled.
Suddenly, the sound of someone tapping a glass filled the room.
"I would like to thank you all for being her tonight on such short notice..."
Bulma stood at the head of the table ready to start their dinner meeting. Pan gazed around the table. Apparently, everyone else had arrived while she wasn't paying attention.
Well, now that the night had technically started, maybe she could make it the rest of the way through without any big calamities.
She could only hope.
~*~*~*~*~*~
To Be Continued
I'm so sorry that this is late. But, better late than never, right? It's just been really busy over here for me with graduate school and everything else. Then, I hit a little case of writer's block toward the end of this chapter. Argh! It was a mess. So, I had to put it down for a while until I could get my head back in order.
Well, I hope you liked it, and I hope it was worth the wait.
Well, that's all for now. Thank you all so much for your patience with me. I know it's more than I deserve, and I deeply appreciate it.
Hugs and Kisses,
Carebear