One for Luck
To understand exactly what's happening, one must first understand completely what the Lenten Ball is. It isn't just any old social event and refuses to be treated as such. The Lenten Ball is a highly prestigious gathering for highly prestigious people and only those with platinum invitations are allowed past the gates of the estate. In other words, it's for people who are filthy rich and so conceited that they bask in the company of only those who are as rich as, or richer than, themselves. It happens once a year and only the most successful and most famous people are invited. This usually includes movie stars and rock stars, but occasionally someone different is thrown into the mix and always Trunks is invited.
It is more of a popularity contest than anything else. You go there to dance, to eat, to smile in the faces of people richer than you and then to glare behind their backs. There is a ballot handed out in the middle of the party in which a variety of things are voted upon. One of them is most definitely a 'best looking' category though it is more tastefully named than that. The nicest looking man and the nicest looking woman are voted upon as 'cutest couple' and they share a dance with one another as well as a pretty smile for the paparazzi. Then gossip surfaces about the relationship between those two people and how it's blossoming into something more than what it started out as. Like a Cinderella story.
Only every year 'Prince Charming' stays the same and a different woman is picked to adorn his arm to see if she has any luck catching his attention - depending on how pretty she is, of course. Naturally, this 'prince' is always Trunks and last year's lucky lady was, indeed, Katherine Pickett. Pan frowned at the thought of all the attention they had attracted last year. But, on the bright side, Marron had been more than a little embarrassed when she wasn't picked and Trunks had obviously come there with her. That thought, at least, made Pan smile - if only for a fleeting second because now she was in the girl's shoes.
Pan sipped her glass of champagne sourly as she looked at the empty seat next to her. She knew Trunks couldn't spend the entire night by her side, but she didn't expect him to go carousing the crowd for someone prettier than her simply because she wanted to sit at the round table, the one they had escorted her to when she first walked in, and pout. He had asked her to dance a couple of times, both of which she refused, before he caved to the offers the other women were throwing at him to go and mingle. She didn't know exactly what possessed him to walk away from her, even if she didn't want to have a good time with him being there, but she certainly didn't like it.
He could have at least sat and pretended to be miserable with her. It wasn't fair that she was moping and he was smiling in the arms of some blonde who had his full attention. How dare he not be unhappy when she was unhappy? She huffed and took another sip from her glass before setting it on the table and turning around. Someone was standing behind her, she had felt it for a while, now she took notice of the person and smiled.
"Hello." She spoke pleasantly, tilting her head to the side in a flirtatious manner.
"Hi." Was his equally pleasant response as he gave her his award winning smile. "I believe the rest of these snobs have set a target on my date and yours and are trying to pin them together."
"So you exclude yourself from the category you put the rest of them in, then?" She ignored his comment, only smiling slightly wider to show she thought it was amusing.
"Of course, I'm much richer than half of them, therefore I deserve something much meaner than 'snob' to be insulted with." His lip twitched up into a smirk and instantly she thought of Trunks. Her eyes did the laughing for her.
"Oh, like self-centered, egotistical, ostentatious, pretentious, pompous,"
"I get the idea." He laughed, shoving his hands up in defeat. "I was merely going to suggest that we align together if they're going to gang up on us. You know, us against the world?"
"Who's your date?" Pan challenged, though she already knew, had known the second she saw him behind her.
"Katie, of course. We've been serious for a while now." He spoke as if she should know every aspect of his life. And, just for the hell of it, Pan placed a confused expression on her face and lifted her eyebrows.
"Okay…And who are you?" He coughed, clearly not expecting the question, and laughed nervously.
"You don't know who I am?" His lip twitched as if she had just insulted his entire bloodline.
"No, I'm afraid I don't." She responded innocently, trying not to laugh. He frowned deeper, shifting the weight on his feet and clearly deciding that she must live in a cave.
"Daniel Browsing; Grammy award winning singer, songwriter, producer, Danny Browsing." He informed her importantly, this time she did laugh.
"I only asked who you were," She started, once she regained herself. "Not what defined you. Does your work make up your personality? Does it describe something about your name that I wouldn't have understood otherwise? Or are you just that conceded?"
"I wanted you to know who I was," He didn't skip a beat at her teasing, smiling that bright smile again. "And my music does define me. I'm irresistible."
"Then why is my date on the verge of stealing yours?" She continued to banter.
"I think you should be asking yourself that question as well." He countered. Her smile faltered.
"He doesn't want her."
"I never said she wanted him. Why would she when I'm in the room?"
"He's much cuter than you are." Their eyes hadn't left each other yet, he snorted and smirked again.
"Not likely. I'm pretty cute."
"I'm telling you, he is." She nodded her head. He was quick with his objection,
"You're blind."
"You're lacking."
"You're crazy."
"Someone needs a lesson in modesty." She spoke with a dry tone, trying to keep the amusement out of her face.
"If he's so gorgeous why are you talking to me instead of him?" He continued, his ego clearly hurt.
"For the same reason you're with me right now and your date finds you so appealing she needs to be dancing with mine instead of her own." She rebutted, annoyed again.
"Oh, so you're thinking of all the different things you'd be doing to me if we were alone right now, too, huh?" His eyes glinted dangerously as he pulled up a chair beside her, their gray color never lifting from her brown. The blush happened almost immediately after, starting in her cheeks and spreading her entire face to the top of her ears as she looked down into her lap.
"Modest enough for both of us, I see." He noted, still staring deeply at her. "I haven't seen a woman blush in years. You don't get those kinds in my line of work." He winked at her when her eyes finally came back up to meet his. There was danger in hers now and she could tell he was more interested in her annoyance than her modesty by the way he licked his lips.
"Listen, Danny, wasn't it? You've gotten the wrong impression-"
"Please don't give me the 'I'm taken' speech. I know you came here with Trunks, but he's not over here now so I see no harm in talking to you. Is there anything wrong with talking, Pan? It was Pan, wasn't it?"
"I never told you my name."
"You didn't have to. I was behind you when you and Trunks signed in. Anyway, your face has been all over the magazines lately, everyone in Japan knows you."
"I thought you said you and Katie were serious." She changed the subject, still sore about what Illumina had printed about her.
"They were wrong, you know. Illumina magazine. You're much prettier than all those girls they listed."
"Katie was number one, if you haven't forgotten."
"I haven't." The unspoken implication was left hanging in the air. For a moment neither of them said anything, and then,
"I'm taken, Danny." She finally spoke, ready for him to stop his playful flirting now. Trunks would be more than furious if he knew. Some how that thought lit a dangerous fire in her and curved her lips in an evil way. But she shoved the idea aside before it had the chance to fester in her brain. That would be so incredibly wrong she couldn't even begin to explain it. Using this guy to make Trunks jealous.
He was about to open his mouth and tell her that he'd asked not to hear that speech when he noticed Katie walking over to the table. Pan saw it at the same time he did and they both straightened, moving father away from each other. Trunks was not far behind her, the smile still coating his face that Pan wanted to smack off. How the hell could he be so oblivious? Did it ever cross his mind that this guy, whom she had been engaged in conversation with for a while, could be hitting or her? Or did he just not care?
"Well, Daniel, I see you wasted no time." Katie spoke bitterly, eyeing Pan uneasily. "You could have at least danced with me once before you decided to come over here and try to get this girl into your-"
"Katherine Pickett, I presume? Daniel's done nothing but talk about you since he sat down." Pan smiled, falsely warming up to the girl with an insincere smile and a simple-minded tilt of the head. "It's nice to meet you in person, you're every bit as pretty as he said you were." Katie's entire face lit up, her eyes shinning with pure delight.
"He…He was talking about me?" She questioned, smiling brightly. "How romantic."
"Pan, there's no need to l-" Daniel frowned, quickly objecting but Pan coughed before he could get the rest of his sentence out. She wasn't doing this for Daniel and Katherine's benefit, she was doing it for hers. Trunks was standing there and his entire face looked like it was ready to explode. He hadn't missed anything Katie was about to say suggesting why Daniel was over here talking to Pan. And Pan honestly didn't want the trouble.
"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you both, but I think we've shared our dates long enough, don't you?" She was still looking pleasantly at Katie, nodding her head so that the girl would automatically say yes without thinking. And she did just that. Pan smiled curtly, sat her napkin on the table, and stood up quickly, walking over to Trunks before he could even up his mouth to say anything.
"I'd like to dance now." Pan told Trunks, still testing her charm on him by keeping the smile on her face. Her eyes lit into his with the unspoken command for him not to start a scene; he merely nodded his head and lead her away, taking her hands gently, as if they were as fragile as butterfly wings.
When they were a safe distance away from the other couple, Trunks set his jaw and leant his head down so that his eyes bore into Pan's.
"Did he try anything with you?" His brow wrinkled, but other than the creases and the way his eyes shown with danger, there was no sign that he was upset. His voice was light, a simple question; he could have been asking what the weather was like.
"Nothing I indulged in, if that's what you're worried about." She was still smiling, knowing eyes were on her, as she gave her reply. Trunks moved his feet around the floor skillfully, Pan following his lead. For a few moments neither of them said anything to the other. Trunks twirled her in his arms, bringing her back to his body, closer this time than before, and dropped his hands lower on her back.
"Pan, are you having a horrible time?"
"Not so horrible. No."
She was lying. Everything had been wrong, from the very beginning to this moment before her. But it wasn't the wrong she had anticipated it to be. Trunks had done nothing that would strike against him, and yet he had done nothing right. She wasn't sure if she could explain it, or if maybe, just maybe, she was picking things to complain about because she wanted to prove that them getting married wasn't a good idea.
So far, it proved to be the best offer she had ever come across. For nearly two months she had been happy, afraid to admit it, but really happy. It was like things had gone back to normal with her and Trunks. There was no strained air between them, there were no difficult words that either of them couldn't seem to express, there was nothing negative in their relationship. Her family hadn't opposed her actions and his family had barely mentioned it. Up until the Illumina article, Pan had felt like Cinderella.
But that was the problem. She was walking on eggshells and everything was too good to be true. Everything breaks at some point. Everything comes toppling down. And what if she got too happy; what if she got too comfortable, and then it all went wrong? The question that kept pounding in the back of her head was, where would she be when Trunks decided this wasn't what he wanted anymore? Too far in his arms to ever turn back? Dear Dende, she hoped not.
"What can I do to make it better, then?" He saw the tremble in her lip when she answered. He saw the slight crease in her brow and the barely visible upturn of her nose. He knew she was lying. And he was all out of ideas.
He had done everything. He'd tried complimenting her, he'd tried giving her space, he'd trying asking her about her mood, and now he was asking what he could do to help. But nothing seemed to be working and, to put it simply, he was scared.
There was an ache that grew in the pits of his stomach when he considered what he would do if she chose this night to say things wouldn't work. There was a tremble in his hands whenever her thought about her lately, and whether or not this plan of his would go through. When it started, it was just an idea. A suggestion, if you will. Had she refused, that would have been okay - it wouldn't have been preferred, but it would have been okay. But now, if she left him…
The thought couldn't even be completed, it was so horrible. And what did that mean? What was the balance between like and love and where did you draw the line? Was there a line? Could he tell her, now, that he loved her and mean it? Would she believe it? Would he believe it? He wasn't even sure what he was doing anymore. And, at that moment, he felt as if he were stepping on his own toes - figuratively, not literally, of course.
She didn't answer, simply shook her head and looked away from him. He sighed, lifting one of his hands from her back, stopping the motion in his feet so that they were the only stationary couple on the dance floor, and drawing that hand to her cheek.
"Pan," Her name was spoken softly, as if not uttered at all. Floating out of his mouth like whispers of the wind on a cloudless night. He applied the slightest pressure to her chin, lifting her face up so that her eyes slammed into his, and then gave the sweetest smile she had ever seen adorn his lips.
It was in that moment that she knew. She had lost the game. Her knees literally gave way and she had to clutch his shoulders for support. His eyes made her heart pummel into her toes and cause jitters to spread through the whole of her body. A wave of every emotion imaginable rushed through her and she wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream, and run from fear at the same time. This was it.
Even if she wanted to live the rest of her life without him, she couldn't. She couldn't walk away from this man knowing that he had offered himself to her, wholly and completely. There was no way to make her legs move in the other direction. Whether it was a lie or not, she knew, that in a matter of months they'd be facing each other, saying sacred vows, and pledging their lives to one another forever. She had never really, truly, had a fighting chance against it. Caught, trapped, from the start.
"What?" She matched his tone, her own voice breathless and airy from her revelation.
He didn't respond audibly, instead he lowered his head to hers, placing a time stopping kiss on her lips. Successfully capturing the attention of everyone in the room, and gaining secret tallies for 'cutest couple' while at it.
*
The sun rose up lazily in the sky; taking its sweet time pouring rows of roses and splattering streaks of peaches onto the already set sapphire, in a indolent pattern of morning blaze. Trees moved leisurely in the breeze, waiting for the next strong wind to come up and smack them for merriment; while the birds that nestled inside them rose to gather this morning's treat of nourishment.
Past those trees and past the sparkling green-blue of the water accompanying those trees, deep inside the woods, was the Son's residence. Where only one person still lay in her bed, fast asleep, not daring to move until the sun had sufficiently surfaced and stuck it's tongue out at a lethargic world. The other three inhabitants bustled about, rubbing their groggy eyes and trying hard to maintain a modicum of sanity as the doorbell sounded - again.
"Another one?!" Gohan sighed, throwing his arms out into the air, frustration the peak emotion in his tone.
"Seems that way." Videl shrugged, yawning and rolling her neck as her mother-in-law rose to answer the door.
"How many is that?" Gohan questioned again, sounding like a four year old that had been sitting in the car too long.
"Uh…twenty…one? Yeah, twenty-one." The doorbell sounded again and Videl rolled her eyes, quickly changing her answer while rising up to get the door. "I mean, twenty-two."
"That should be all of them, then." Gohan sounded, more of a statement then a question.
"Should be." Chi-Chi answered, coming back into the living room, after having done whatever it was that needed doing after she answered the door. Yet the doorbell sounded once more, and this time all three adults let out a hampered moan of annoyance.
"What's wrong with him!" Gohan yelled, rising himself to answer the door this time.
"He's in love." Videl said as they crossed each other, her on her way back to the living room, him on his way to the door.
"That's no excuse." Gohan argued, still walking. "He should be shot."
"I think it's romantic." Videl reasoned, trying to clear her face so that, if her husband looked back on her (which he did), her frustration with answering the door didn't show.
"Well, did he forget how to count while on this romantic spur-of-the-moment mission? She's only twenty-two. Or was he just adding years because he didn't want to feel as if he were capable of being her grandfather?" His voice rose the longer he walked, to accommodate for the distance.
"Gohan, don't be ridiculous," She commented on his over-exaggeration. "If you look at things your way, he only added one year, not years. And I doubt that one year would make him feel any better. Besides, they're both Saiyan; Pan, a quarter, and Trunks a half. So, technically, they're about the same age."
"Don't get technical with me this early in the morning." Gohan mumbled, coming back in the living room. "Explain why he couldn't just bring her present to the party like the rest of us are going to."
"He's crazy in love, you remember those days, don't you? Where's your sense of adventure, Gohan?" Her voice was flat, not truly defending Trunks, but taking pleasure in teasing her husband.
"He's foolish, that's what he is. And she's just a foolish for wasting her time with him." This was Chi-Chi, who had sat uncommonly quiet, for being who she was, throughout the whole conversation. She rose out of her seat, without looking at Gohan or Videl, and walked frigidly to her room, shutting the door tightly when she got there.
A silence loomed over the room for a few moments, one filled with shock and question that neither Gohan or Videl wanted to challenge. Finally, Gohan cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head, tilting it in silent question to his wife.
"I don't know." She responded, trying not to laugh at how strange the situation had just been. They both broke at the same time, falling into a fit of undignified giggles the echoed through the, now silent, house.
Nearly an hour and a half later, Sleeping Beauty rose from her coma to join the adults, all of which were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. Videl casually sipped her coffee as her daughter bounded down the stairs, black hair in disarray all over her face, sleep still in her eyes.
"Morning Pan." The woman spoke pleasantly, a slight grin on her face.
"Morning mom." Pan yawned, looking around her with a confused face. She glanced at the clock on the wall to the right of her mother, wrinkling her brow. "Why's everyone up so early?"
"It wasn't by choice, believe me." Gohan answered bitterly. Videl kicked him under the table and Pan watched in amusement as he jumped in shock.
"What your father means is, the doorbell kept ringing. Trunks had lilies delivered here this morning."
Pan's face paled nearly two shades, she gripped her sides, looking for some sort of support before her knees gave way. "He…he did what?" She asked, regaining herself. She'd forgotten. But how could she forget! She mentally berated her own self. It was her birthday for crying out loud. And today was that day. Today was the beginning of the biggest lie of her life.
"What's wrong, honey? Come and sit down, won't you?" Pan took a few more seconds of disconcerted staring before she calmed herself down enough to hear her mother's words. Slowly nodding, she obeyed, finally letting the rest of the conversation register in her head.
"Why didn't you guys just go back to sleep after you brought the flowers in?" She questioned curiously.
"We would have, believe me, but-"
"Gohan, I'll handle this one, thank-you." Videl sensed her husband's sarcastic comments before they came out of his mouth and quickly countered to stop whatever he was about to say. She turned to see her daughter's face, a pleasant smile resting on her own. "There were twenty-three. Too many to be delivered at one time, apparently, by one person so there was a scattered delivery. The doorbell just kept ringing."
"Why would twenty-three be too many?"
"Not twenty-three lilies, dear, twenty-three dozen lilies."
"What?" Pan's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she quickly did the math in her head. "That's two hundred and seventy six flowers, mom."
"We know." Her mother, grandmother, and father answered in unison.
"Where'd you put them?"
"In the den, though they couldn't all fit, some of them are in the dinning room." Videl supplied as her daughter started to wander in the other direction, heading for the den to see said flowers. "Oh, Pan, don't bother with that. Come eat your breakfast and get changed. We're meeting at Capsule for your party, remember?"
"Why do we need to leave now for the party?" She questioned, face wrinkled as she continued to stray away from her mother.
"We don't, but you have to give out thank-you gifts for everyone that gives you something, don't you?"
"Mom," Pan started in protest, nearly yelling because she was father away now, but the words caught in her throat. She'd just entered the den and was immediately surrounded by dozens of long-stemmed, white lilies.
Her mouth hung open, suspended in mid air. She was breathless at the sight of it, had never seen anything so spectacular in her life. A smile slowly took form across her lips, gathering in the corners and stretching her face until she was sure it would hurt. Immediately, she couldn't resist this notion if she had wanted to, she threw her hands out and spun around, silently laughing with joy. Seconds later Pan regained her control, glad no one had been in the room to witness her momentary lapse in sanity. She had gone from tomboy to girly in zero to four seconds, flat.
*
The party progressed at a leisure speed. Nothing was different with the way this party was handled, compared to any others that Bulma throws. Pan, as expected, only knew a handful of the guests and the others were people whom she'd never met before. But Trunks was doing all introductions with a wide grin that made her more nervous than before she had been when she remembered that today was the day.
The day she'd have to make a decision, one way or the other. Well the decision had already been made, but she had to tell it to Trunks. And then be prepared to announce it to her entire family. This wasn't a good thing.
After Pan had mingled with the business associates of Capsule and Bulma had fully entertained her 'worldly' friends, the other guests dispersed and nothing but family was left. Well, not true blood family, but close enough that Pan didn't even consider there to be a difference. With the possible exception of Marron, who technically was her family. And soon, the Briefs would be her family too. So she would be linked to them all by blood, one way or another. The thought made her shutter with both tingles of joy and fear.
The tingles intensified when she felt a hand rest lightly on her back, knowing, without turning around, whose body that hand belonged to. The person moved closer to her, pulling her backwards into their hold, resting their chin on her shoulder.
"Happy birthday." She heard Trunks whisper, letting his breath breeze across her cheek and neck. She shivered in his arms and knew he felt it too. Though, she wasn't sure if the shiver was more from fear or attraction - she knew what was coming next, he was going to ask her if she'd made a decision. If she'd changed her mind.
"Thank you." She decided not to assist him in the quest. If he was going to ask, he would have to bring it up himself. She wasn't going to just give him an answer to ease his mind.
"Did you enjoy the lilies?" There was a teasing tone to his voice as he pressed his cheek to hers; she could feel his smile.
"Yes, they're my favorite. Thank-you." Her voice had lowered because, suddenly, she became aware that everyone in the room was watching them. Marron, Bra, and Bulma with wide grins; her mother with an uneasy smile; her father and grandmother with an annoyed creases to their brows. Everyone else seemed to be mildly curious as to how things would play out.
"Doing it for you was payment in itself." Her stomach knotted. Why did he always do this to her? How could he always do this to her?
"Why were there twenty-three?" He edged his face lower, closer to her neck.
"One was for good luck."
"Oh." Then, "Everyone's staring at us." She whispered it because she was feeling slightly self-conscious with the calculating stare her grandmother was throwing in their direction.
"We could always give them something to stare at." Mischief filled his tone as he spun her around, burying her in his arms.
"Trunks," She protested, half-heartedly, as she let her body meld against his. He tilted her face upward, towards his, and leaned in. Gohan interrupted with a loud voice before the action could be completed.
"Pan, maybe you should open your gifts now." It wasn't a suggestion, or even a request, but a command. "As in, now, would be a really good time to open your gifts. Now."
She pulled her body away from Trunks, her cheeks slightly pink as she nodded her head. "Good idea daddy." She started to walk away when Trunks grabbed her hand.
"Wait, Pan," He watched her inhale deeply, not knowing exactly what was on her mind.
"Not now, Trunks." She shook her head.
"But I wanted-"
"I know what you wanted. I'll tell you later."
"But, sweetheart, you don't understand-"
"Later, Trunks." Her voice was firm as she pulled her hand away from him, not wanting to have this discussion in front of her family and friends. She wasn't about to ease his curiosity so that he could enjoy the rest of her party without wondering. She enjoyed his anticipation, to be truthful. She liked the fact that she held something of this 'deal' in her hands, and he was waiting for her say so.
She would have liked better to be proposed to like normal girls. With a guy on bended knee and a ring. She would have liked, too, to hear the person proposing profess their undying love for her and announce that not only would they not spend the rest of their lives without her, but they couldn't. However, she wouldn't dwell on what she couldn't have. She'd rather be satisfied with what was in front of her.
"Well, Trunks, since you seem to be so verbal, why don't you start. What did you give Pan this year?" Gohan arched his eyebrow, a challenge clear in his voice. Trunks coughed, cleared his throat, and then looked around the room, settling his stare first on his mother and then Pan.
"Well…That's what I was trying to say…I think it'd be best if I…Pan…I mean. We should talk first, Pan." He finally settled on that, not able to find the right words.
"Trunks, for Dende's sake, later. Can't you wait a couple of hours?" She tried to keep her voice level and light as she delivered that question, while, at the same time, relaying her annoyance only to Trunks. It didn't work. Everyone picked up on it.
Something in Trunks' resolve changed, he straightened his shoulders and shrugged. "If that's the way you want it. Fine." He shook his head, picking up on what it was that she was trying to do. She wanted to make him suffer before she answered the question they both knew was hanging in the air. But, by making him present his gift first, she was solving his problem unawares. And he took secret pleasure out of knowing that.
"That's the way I want it."
"Remember you said that." He warned as he headed over to the big table, the rest of the family following, where all of her presents rested. His wasn't among them. Instead of shifting through the gifts on the table, he took a seat and reached his hand out for Pan to take the seat next to him. Confused, she followed his lead.
"Pan, twenty-two years ago, you entered this world; the lives of your family, your parents, and mine. Then, you were nothing more than a child and your biggest problem was getting your next meal on time. Over the years I've watched as you grew, matured, and became the person that sits before me. You've handled adversities on your own, survived missions, and grown like no one I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. You're beautiful, self-sufficient, strong, and the most loving, caring, trusting person I know. Your ability to forgive astounds me." He took a pause here, where it became clear that everyone was holding their breaths. They all knew what was happening and Gohan opened his mouth to object. Pan felt her heart rate kick up ten times, her hands tingle and her knees shake as she sat; but Trunks continued before anyone could say anything to stop him,
"And throughout all the years of my stupidity you've always been by my side, helping me to bounce back when I couldn't find the strength. I couldn't imagine a life without you, but, more than that, I would never want to. What I'm saying is," Here he got out of his chair and onto his knees. She shook her head, knowing it was coming but not believing that it was the final moment. That he was doing this. That now was the moment, and, above all else, she had asked for it.
"If you'd marry me, you'd give meaning to a life that, without you, would be nothing but void and trivial." There was a moment where no one said anything, all waiting for something more. Something that never came. Finally, Pan recovered from her shock and registered that Trunks was holding a ring in front of her face, waiting for her response.
"I'd be honored." Came her soft response, filled with so many different emotions he couldn't decipher them all. The ring slid on her finger and she closed her eyes to shelter her mind from the deceit she'd had just dedicated her life to.
Disclaimer: I don't own it, in case you were confused.
A/N: I didn't put it at the top because you had waited so long I figured I'd spare you. First I'd like to apologize for the wait, but I literally have no free time. My days look like this: School, homework, sleep. If I have any down time I'm writing this. And it's not much. I'm sorry, you guys. Second, I'd like to apologize for the errors in last chapter, again, and the ones that I know are in this. I couldn't edit, but it was that or do Author Response, and I'd rather respond. So…-shrug- Third, I want to thank you guys for the positive and plenty feedback I get from this fic. I really love your reviews, they keep me writing when I really want to stop.
Thanks and appreciation go to: Pia Bartolini, Eneri, Camille, bella, chibbi usago, The Girl Who Cried Oro, Emma the Mistress of Thunder, Bunny / Sailor Moon, v-chan, DBprincess116, Mistress Son Pan, Cha Seew Bow, Yokiko Pan, DLL, Kawaii Luna, MorgauseNokami, Trapped in Icy Flame, Rei Sakura Li, Trunks+Pan fan, caramel, jussafan, TeNshI nO Hi, Princess of Light, Newbie GK, amy94, BulmasPoisonousFood, DBZChicky501, Dark Anjel, Young Ji, chibbi usago, BuGGzErS, The Angry Black Woman, reviewer, Dbzfan550, shruti, angkat14, spawn32818, vintage skater, S Q , Serendy4evr, Gecko , flirting with incoherence, Rei Sakura Li, wawashkeshi, Dani, dbz obsessed, Nebbie, Angelbabe14, VejitaGurl, Hiei Lover, chibi dani, someone very secretive, Butterfly Monkey Babe of Doom, pluto briefs, depth (angst? I wasn't aiming for angst), ssj_kitty, maz, Hanamaru285, Rika, baby girl, FyBanditGrl, xXiaohuAx, Bra Briefs-Vegeta, and P*A*N28 (you can stop crying now ^_^)
Noseless Wonder- You have no idea what it means to me that you read my fic. Makes me nervous, because you're so talented. I mean, the greatest I have read in the T-P world. Thank you so much. I can't believe you said I make this seem easy. Maybe if I wrote all my stories and then posted them they would make more sense and stick to my original plans. But, who's complaining? ^_^
amy94- If you love slow fics then you must be eating this up. It's taking so long I'm getting restless. But I'm almost done. (by almost I mean at least half way…) Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed!
Girl Pan- There's always something evil planned for Trunks and Pan. Always! -evil laughter- bwahaha! … I…didn't mean that…
Wolven M. Darkness- I love that you started reading this and just couldn't stop. Makes me smile. ^_^ I know the story kind of lost it's humor the deeper I got into the chapters, I try and keep it but I can't seem to. x.x
T+P fan- I know what you meant. But it was a while ago so…I'm guessing that I meant for Trunks to say he didn't love Marron. :-/ I think…
Fadeaway Windwaker- I love your reviews. Every single one of them, no matter how long it takes. Thank you so much for taking the time out to give your criticism.
Loaf of Pan- If you're already crying the last two chapters might kill you. :-/ Don't cry anymore, things are lighter now. ^_^
DBZChicky501- But I live to torture Trunks. It's the basis of my story. It makes me smile! See---- ^_^