Disclaimer: DB/DBZ/DBGT belong to Toriyama and other rich Japanese guys, not me.

A Brief Moment in Time

Chapter 18:One Trunks too many

While Mirai no Bulma was removing the collar…

"Goten," smiled Bulma as she greeted the Duke de Sirrus at the door of Capsule Corporation. This time around she greeted him first before greeting the rest of the family. He still found it funny that she greeted them in the order of her evaluation of their importance. He was first now, Videl second, his mother, Gohan, and lastly his father. He chuckled to himself. At least Bulma realized his mother held enormous impact on the family. Trunks would have greeted her last and with disdain. "Come on in everyone. Krillan and the others are already here."

Bulma led the Sons through the compound and into her "back yard". It was far more than just a yard though; it was more like a small park. Many of the Son's old friends were there. Yamcha was, of course, there. Krillan, Eighteen and Marron were also there speaking to several people that Videl, but not Goku or Chichi knew. They were obviously some members of government. The Bulma of this dimension wasn't one to miss out on an opportunity to make connections.

It suddenly occurred to Goten that every major ki fighter except Piccolo, the android brothers—sixteen and seventeen, and Buu were there. His instincts cried foul play and, alarmed, Goten reached out his senses to sense if there were any strange, but powerful ki's in the area. He found none, though there was something he was sensing that was vaguely familiar. Shaking his head he pushed the suspicious nature of the party out of his mind. Bulma may be ruthless when it came to business and politics, but he was sure that she would not attempt anything with her friends. There was still a part of her that valued those friendships that she had forged so long ago. Goten was sure of it. No one who was as lonely as her completely discarded their friends; no matter how bitter they became.

"Where is Pan?" asked Bulma curiously. "I heard that she was back and I was hoping we could catch up."

"Oh, she's out with her new boyfriend. She said she was bringing him along later," answered Chichi. "I'm thinking great-grandchildren."

Bulma laughed with genuine fondness. "You are so lucky Chi-chi," she said with complete sincerity. "I'm still hoping for grandchildren. At least Trunks is getting married now… The two of them better get to work."

Laughter rang from the two mothers. Neither of them noticed the dark look that crept onto Goten's face, but another member of his family did.

Videl was shocked when she saw Goten's eyes flash in anger and then his face twist up in anger for a moment. Since he had melded his two personas into one, she had noticed that his face was always a perfect mask unless he was in an environment that he was completely comfortable in, like around his family. This was a public outing and it was not like him to lose control even in such an insignificant manner as he just did for even a second. Could Goten have feelings for Marron? She thought to herself.

"Goten!" greeted another voice that caused Videl to whirl around. It was Trunks Yamcha Briefs leading Marron by the hand towards them. She was obviously reluctant and looked extremely pissed off with Trunks' indifference to her feelings.

"Goten!" said Trunks happily as he reached the Duke de Sirrus. He wrapped his arm around Marron and pulled her to him. "Goten! I would just like to invite you to our wedding. I really hope that you will attend."

"Wedding? Ahh yes. The two of you are engaged. Congratulations," he said with a false smile on his face. Turning to Marron, "I think the two of you would make a most glamorous couple. I'm sure you'll both know your place in things"

Marron didn't even meet his eyes. Her body trembled in anger and embarrassment. Goten's remarks went over Trunks head, but she read the subtle innuendo in his words. She had always been adverse to fame. Even at the height of her power she had tried—as much as was possible to remain in the shadows. Goten knew which of her buttons to push. Marron looked straight down at the ground intent on ignoring Goten. Her silence stretched and Trunks elbowed her slightly to get her to say something. Her actions were embarrassing him and he did not want to get on the bad side of Goten. When another few seconds passed he finally answered for her.

"Ahh… Goten, ol'chap. I don't think my fiancé is feeling too well. Please excuse us." He none to gently grabbed Marron's arm and forcibly lead her away.

Goten stood there watching the couple. He could only shake his head at her behavior. If she married Trunks it would be something she would regret for the rest of her life. She took her oaths seriously so if she said them, he was sure she would stand by them. In the end, she would end up alone like Bulma, a hard bitter bitch. He did not want to see that happen to her. She was trying to escape her past, but the best way to do that was to create a new future with him and not Trunks.

"You love her… You're in love with Marron, Goten," he heard Videl whisper furiously. He met her eyes and saw that she knew the truth. Had he been that obvious? He had thought he had hid it better. Then again, Videl was a very shrewd judge of human character.

He threw a typical Son grin at her, "Haha Videl, what makes you think that?"

"Goten! She's about to get married to Trunks… does she know your in love with her?" asked Videl ignoring his little attempt to stall. She watched the grin fade off his face.

"She knows, Videl. She's always known… but she can't face me because if she does she'll have to face her past. She needs resolution to a lot of things, I think. Just like it was hard for me to face you, Gohan, mom and dad, she has to do that with me. Worse for her, she has to admit that she made a blunder and for Marron to admit that she's wrong is like pulling wisdom teeth. She'll come around and dump the loser soon enough," he said in a half serious, half jovial tone.

"That's a lot of faith, Goten."

"Not really, Trunks really has no idea what she is. He thinks she's like this little puppy he can kick around and show off, but eventually he'll realize that she's a pretty big bad wolf." He glanced around and spotted the table where lunch was set up. "Come on Videl, I want to get something to eat… the one thing I do love about Bulma's parties is the food. That woman knows some seriously great caterers."

As soon as they were away from Goten, Marron shed Trunks' grip and stalked off into the Compound. She ignored his glares and threw herself into one of the side rooms. Goten's comments had absolutely infuriated her. How dare the man refer to her as Trunks' servant? She was not some floozy that simply did his will. She was-. Marron didn't even finish the thought. With a heavy sigh she sat down on one of the couches in the sitting room. Had she changed so much? She thought to herself. In her attempts to drown away her sorrow, and rid herself of her memories had she compromised herself? Had she become the very thing that she despised? She thought back on her relationship with Trunks. She did whatever it took to make him happy. Worse, she did it not because she loved him, or even cared about him, but rather because she wanted him to like her just enough so as not to dump her. She had become one of the many floozies that constantly threw themselves at him. She was no different from the various syncopates that had once flattered her for her own attention. Her entire life at the moment was a lie. It was nothing more than a fabrication for her to protect herself from her past instead of facing it.

Her Past. Did she want to lose it? Marron wasn't sure. So many things had molded and shaped her since she had been the fourteen-year-old stowaway. She had seen and experienced things that no child should ever: Genocide, rape, murder, war. She had committed atrocities that put her on the same level as Freeza. Yet, she also had happy times. She could remember learning the calligraphy of Ancient Saiya-go under the tutelage of Vegeta who had become a second father to her. She had walked over a hundred worlds and had seen things of indescribable beauty. She had experienced love with a certain half Saiya-jin.

Her decision was simple if she married Trunks she would close the door to the past forever. She would live a life of simplicity on Chikyuu and the nightmares that plagued her would vanish. Yet if she chose this he would leave. He would still care for her, even make arrangements for her well-being. However, he would never speak to her again in person. Of this she was sure, and of all things in her life, she did not want to lose him. He was her best friend; the man that had shared most of her experiences with her; the man that she could confide in; a man that trusted her, and that she trusted implicitly. In the end the decision wasn't hard. She would not lose her past. There were too many precious things there and if she had to face her actions and nightmares then so be it. It was time to be who she truly was; it was time to stop hiding from herself.

As she was about to head back to the party when she heard voices. Curiously she walked over to one of the sitting rooms where she heard them come from. Right before she got there though she struck something that sent her sprawling to the ground.

T.Y. Briefs watched Marron stalk off with a frown on his face. The woman really wanted to be hurt. She continuously embarrassed him in front of his most important friend. He could feel anger rising in him and fought hard to keep it down. He couldn't lose it here at this party; his mother would kill him.

"Trunks!" he heard someone call. Looking around, he caught his breath as he saw Pan walk towards him. His anger drained away as he took in her fresh youthful beauty. He had seen her earlier this morning after his little run in with that purple haired asshole. It was amazing how a girl goes from being a young sixteen-year-old tomboy to a gorgeous young woman. Pan's hair was like strands of night that flowed down to her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Her eyes were eyes of dark mocha glittered happily at the sight of a man she had looked up to since she was a kid.

"Hey Pan," he said while looking her over. She had filled out nicely he decided.

"It's good to see you again Trunks," she said with a smile.

Trunks smiled back, and took her arm in his own. He gently led her away from the crowd towards the Capsule building. "I'm fine. Though Marron is embarrassing me again. I just can't understand women sometimes, Pan," he said in his most exasperated voice. "I do everything for her, but she won't even say hello to your uncle for me."

"Ahh… Yeah, there's some history between them, Trunks. I don't know the story but there definitely is something there. Don't worry about it," she said in an attempt to try to sooth him. She looked around for a moment then frowned. "Damn. I really wanted you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Trunks as well, but I think my uncle nabbed him to grill him about his past."

"Oh really? Another guy with the name of Trunks?" asked Trunks rhetorically. "That's quite weird. Are you seeing him?"

"Oh… well kind of. We're waiting on a few issues."

"Ahhh…" Trunks was disappointed for a moment. Pan looked so delicious there on his arm. He just wanted to ravish her. It only took him a moment to brighten up though. There was an old adage that came to his mind, 'Just because there's a goalie, doesn't mean you can't score.' He smiled at the truth of that. It cheered him up, especially since he was the greatest player of all time.

He slowly led her to one of the sitting rooms and sat next to her on a sofa. "So tell me what you have been up to Pan? You must have had quite a time in space with your uncle being the Duke de Sirrus and all."

She laughed. "You have no idea what a pain it is to be the niece of the Duke. It's impossible to tell who your real friends are Trunks. I just hate it sometimes, so most of the time I spend incognito." This was relatively the truth without any details. Pan was pretty proud of her little evasion. She did feel a little bit of guilt though. She liked Trunks despite her uncle's warnings to her about him. He had once told her that he was nothing more than a smooth user who wrapped a façade of kindness around him. She believed her uncle of course. However, Trunks Y. had never been anything but kind to her and she really had no reason to doubt his sincerity to her. When she was little he had always lavished attention on her and been someone she could confide in. She still considered him her friend and wouldn't change her mind unless he truly did something that proved her uncle right.

In light of this, Pan continued to chat with Trunks for a while. The two of them talked about past times and she told him about her various adventures. Trunks put on his most charming act and listened, or appeared to listen. He was, in reality, spending much more time ogling Pan.

Pan noticed that he was looking at her after a while. She stopped her story short. "Trunks? Are you listening to me?" He did not answer at first and just smiled at her. "What are you looking at Trunks?"

Again he just smiled at her. Slowly he seemed to shake himself out of a trance. "Has anyone told you Pan that you have really become a beautiful woman?"

Pan was shocked. She had never expected Trunks to think of her as anything else than a kid sister. She suddenly noticed his closeness. "Uhh… Trunks… Thanks."

He reached out and touched her hair. "You have such beautiful hair. It's so soft to the touch. Such beautiful soft skin and eyes that a man could just drown in."

Pan was getting a little nervous now, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand touch her face. Before she knew it he had brought his mouth to hers and kissed her on the lips.

A few minutes before…

"Hey Gohan. Do you know where Pan has disappeared off to?" asked Mirai no Trunks to his girlfriend's father. He hadn't seen Pan in almost twenty minutes and was just a bit curious where she had gone.

"I think she went inside with Trunks. They're old friends and I think they wanted to catch up," answered Gohan.

"Okay, thanks Gohan," said Trunks as he went off in search of her. He could sense her ki easily enough and walked into the Capsule Compound in search of her. He turned a few corners and suddenly ran smack into someone knocking her off her feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there," he apologized quickly as he helped her up. He froze as he took a in the site of her. Before him stood a stunning blonde woman who he was sure starred in quite a few men's fantasies. He could tell that she was several years older than he was, perhaps around the age of Pan's uncle.

"Oh… the fault is mine. I should have been watching where I was going," replied Marron. She looked up at him and realized that he was the boy-man that Goten wanted her to find out about. She looked him over and decided that the boy was definitely scrumptious. His medical photos didn't do him justice at all. A little too young for her, but for Pan he would be a perfect catch. "I'm Marron. You must be Trunks, Pan's friend. I've heard a bit about you."

"Pleased to meet you Marron," he said with a smile. "I hope nothing you've heard is bad."

"What I heard most definitely did not prepare me for such a fine male specimen," she said as she ogled him purposefully. His blush was adorable and she laughed heartily. "That is a cute blush my handsome young prince."

"How…" Trunks caught himself before he made a colossal blunder. She was teasing him and he almost asked her how he knew that he was a prince. "Uhh… thank you." He finished lamely.

Marron, of course, caught it and filed it away for later. The poor boy was so embarrassed; she decided to let him off the hook. She'd figure out everything later since she really wanted to talk with Goten at the moment. "Anyway, tell me what are you doing here?"

"Oh… I'm looking for Pan and I think she's somewhere nearby."

"Ahhh… Tracking by ki. I see you are a little bit of a fighter, my young prince."

Trunks was shocked that the woman could figure out that he was tracking by ki so quickly. "Yeah. I do train a little… anyway could you help me find Pan?"

Marron nodded. She stretched her own senses out and found Pan two rooms over. "She's this way. Follow me."

Pan was totally caught off guard by T.Y. Brief's kiss. She didn't accept the kiss, but she didn't outright throw him off her either. She had had a serious crush on this Trunks when she had been in her early teens. He had seemed so mature and handsome then; a catch that any young girl would be ecstatic to have. A part of her screamed in jubilation, after all, this was Trunks Briefs kissing her. He was the most eligible bachelor on the planet and he was kissing her! The more sensible and less primal part of her mind was telling her that she had already found the man of her dreams and though this would fulfill a fantasy of hers, she had no desire to give up what she had for what looked like greener grass on the other side. She tried in vain to find a way to get him off of herself without offending him. Unfortunately that opportunity only presented itself when she felt a massive ki skyrocket near her and a vase crash against the floor.

Trunks turned his head towards the entrance way and Pan immediately slipped off the couch and sprang to her feet. She, too, turned and looked at the doorway and then felt her heart stop. There stood Mirai no Trunks with rage burning in his eyes standing next to Marron in the doorway.

"Trunks…" began Pan as she tried to move towards Mirai no Trunks. However, she only took a few steps before Trunks intercepted her.

"Don't worry about it Pan," said T.Y. Briefs reassuringly as he rose from the couch and adjusting his shirt. "Marron, that was a very expensive vase you just broke. I am quite upset with you now."

His voice was condescending as usual and obviously expected Marron to ask for his forgiveness. Taking notice of Mirai no Trunks, Trunks frowned. "You! I know you… get the fuck off my property now before I have you thrown off."

Mirai no Trunks didn't say a word. He simply glared at Pan, and then blasted straight through the ceiling and out of Capsule Corporation.

"Oh heavens, how unfortunate," said Marron in dramatic understatement as she looked up at the sky through the hole in Capsule Corporations ceiling. "If I may be so bold as to advise you Pan, I think you should go after him. Calm him down and then try to explain it."

Pan didn't need to be told twice. She powered up and blasted up right after Trunks with all the speed she could muster.

After Pan left, Marron calmly pulled off her engagement ring and tossed it at Trunks' feet.

"You know you're nothing more than a spineless worm," she spat before she spun on her heels and started to leave.

"Don't you DARE turn your back on me bitch!" shouted Trunks Yamcha Briefs as Marron started to storm away from him. "You are mine and that is that."

In mid-stride she stopped and hung her head. Her shoulders quivered for a second. Trunks smirked as he thought that he had bent her to his will as he had done time and time before.

"Turn around," he commanded. Marron slowly turned around. Her eyes were closed and her head hung facing the floor. Her long golden tresses fell over her face obscuring her features.

Trunks straightened himself out and briefly looked around to find where the ring was. Seeing it, he went and picked it up. "Put this back on."

"Who do you think you are?" she asked in a very quiet voice. Yet, every word was clearly audible even across the room. The words seemed to hang in the air for the second.

"Who do I think I am? I am your better. You will do as I say," said Trunks, his voice rising. How dare this common woman question him? How dare she even hesitate in response to his command? She was nothing more than a pretty piece of ass before she met him. He had made her. It was he who introduced her, a complete loser, into high society. His temper flared but he put a cap on it. It seemed that she still needed a little straightening out before she would be fit to grace the circle that he did with proper etiquette. He tossed the ring to her casually. "Now put it back on and lets get back to the party."

The ring floated through the air and Marron caught it with her left hand without even looking. She didn't reply to Trunks. Rather she stood there examining the ring. How could I ever have been so idiotic to think that this worm could have made a decent husband? She cursed herself for wasting so much of her life.

"I think not," she said raising her head. She opened her eyes slowly. Cold fire burned within them. It was as if something that had long been dormant had ignited within her again. Her remaining doubts about the wisdom of returning to the Imperium vanished. She knew what she had to do. She dropped the ring and let it clatter on the floor. Turning, she began to walk out of the room without even acknowledging Trunks' presence.

"BITCH!" shouted Trunks. His temper burst and he flung himself after her intending to beat her into the ground. His fist connected to the back of her head causing her to spin around. He struck her in the face and then in the stomach. Again and again he punched her with all his might. She would remember this beating for the rest of her life; he would make sure of that.

Marron stood there as Trunks struck her again and again and again. She didn't even feel the blows as they landed. Without warning she threw her knee into Trunks' midsection causing him to double over in pain. The shock in his eyes was absolutely priceless, something not even MasterCard could buy. She really wished she had a camera. It was something to show the grandkids one day.

Slowly, she cupped her chin with her hand and leaned towards him. Her lips twisted up in a vicious but sensual smile. As she spoke, her voice was silky, soothing, and utterly erotic. It promised him something—it promised him death. "Understand this, my dear Trunks. If you ever speak to me again… I will kill you."

"Marrroo…"

Marron didn't let Trunks finished. She backhanded him into the nearest wall. He hit it with a loud thud and then crumpled to the ground, clutching his shoulder. "You always were slow to understand things," she said simply, her voice hard. She placed the tip of her heels under his chin and slowly, with her foot, lifted his head so that his eyes met hers. She could see that the fear in his eyes. She sniffed.

"Is that the smell of you defecating?" she asked with utter disdain in her voice. She laughed and then shook her head in disgust. "You truly are pathetic Trunks."

Dropping his head back to the floor, she walked out of the room as casually as if she were going on a Sunday morning stroll. She left Trunks groaning in pain and rolling in his own excrement. She didn't even bother to look back.

A/N: Not many changes in this one or the next. I re-chaptered them and reformatted them, but nothing new was really added until the parts after chapter 20. The way everything is looking, the space battle ends around chapter 22 and the current new material I have ends up around 25. I might string it out a little, a long time ago I asked for a survey if the story should just end at chikyuu or continue back to where the story began... Imperia-sei. Right now, I have the Chikyuu ending done since it was the fastest most expediant way to finish. Let me know... Basically chapter 20 is ABMT Part 1 Ending, and Chapter 25 is Part 2 Ending,... The question is if you want a part 3...perhaps if there is significant interestI'll go ahead and fill in the missing holes.. Either waywe should be finished up here by the end of marchearly april. See you ..tommorow!