Disclaimer: I do not own any DBZ characters.

Chapter Eight:

Almost There

Pan rushed through the capsule corporations building. She had a lot of difficulty maneuvering while she walked even though she had always worn high heels for years. Her feet had always been Bra's little experiment. Bra loved to put her in high heels. She thanked the lord that she was only wearing three inch heels this time. She was a little late for her meeting with Bulma.

When she arrived at the hundredth floor she walked straight to the back like she remembered.

"Can I help you?" The secretary asked without looking up.

"Yes I have an appointment with Mrs. Ouji," Pan answered quickly with her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"Name?"

"Pan Son."

The secretary looked up at her and lazily raised her eyebrow, "You're late."

Pan sighed and responded, "Well I'm here now."

The secretary rolled her eyes and put her index finger on the intercom speaker button.

"Pan Son here to see you, m'am." The secretary sniffled at the last part and gave a strict look at Pan.

"Send her in," she heard Bulma respond immediately. Pan didn't waste a second. She rushed through the office door and saw Bulma sitting at her desk.

"Hey Pan. Come in and sit down." Bulma smiled at her and pointed to the leather chair across from her desk. Pan sat down and crossed her legs.

"Thanks Bulma."

"One second Pan I have to call Vegeta." Bulma said pressing her finger to the instant dial button. She organized her papers with her hands while she had the phone in-between her shoulder and head.

"Vegeta, I can't pick up your cookie dough ice cream tonight. I have an interview with Pan." Pan could hear growling and grumbling on the other side of the phone and rolled her eyes.

"Look Mister I world ten hours a day while you sit your little ass on a small throne all day. So excuse me if I can't be your personal slave."

Pan giggled when she heard the familiar sound of "woman!" on the other end of the line.

"Goodbye Vegeta," Bulma said cheerfully before putting the phone down on the hook. Bulma put her papers down and looked at Pan.

"I swear, I've been married for over twenty-five years to the man and he never has changed the tiniest bit."

"But wouldn't you rather have it that way Bulma?" Pan smiled at her.

"Bulma sighed and smiled back, "I guess you're right. I wouldn't change my Veggie for the world." Bulma stared out into space for a second reminiscing the past before looking at Pan again.

"Let's get this interview started."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Well maybe we can't get it started."

Pan looked up at Bulma confused and asked, "Why?"

"I have something to talk to you about…" Bulma wondered off at the last part and raised her eye brow at Pan looking her over. It was almost like a signal. Pan knew what Bulma wanted to talk about and she wasn't interested.

"Bulma…" Pan started but she cut her off.

"Do you like this picture Pan?"

Pan felt her brain scramble as she tried to comprehend the meaning of Bulma's action. But she complied with what Bulma said and took a look at the picture. It had Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks, and Bra in it. Bra was being held in her mother's arms while a six year old Trunks was trying to get out of the picture but a scowling Vegeta held on to his shoulder. The picture was actually quite humorous.

"Yes I like it." Pan smiled at Bulma.

"What about this one," Bulma pointed to another one beside it.

This time the picture was without Bra and just with Trunks, Vegeta, and Bulma. But it was not recent. The picture was taken about the time Bra and she had left planet Vegeta. She noticed that Trunks was smiling weakly and his eyes were baggy.

"No not really." Pan answered.

"Yeah I don't like it either."

"What about this one?" Bulma moved on quickly to the other one.

Pan sighed. She didn't know where Bulma was going with it and she looked at the picture. This time the picture had Bulma and Vegeta in it. That was it. There was no Trunks or Bra. Vegeta had his usual scowl on and Bulma gave a huge fake smile. She looked like a woman pretending she was happy.

"No I don't like that one either."

"Why didn't you like the last two Pan?" Bulma looked at her expecting answer quickly. Pan wasn't going to lie to Bulma.

"You don't have Bra in two of them and when Trunks was in the second picture he didn't look happy. In fact, none of you did. In the third one Vegeta looked darker than usual and you had a fake smile." Pan answered as quickly and truthfully as she could.

"In short Pan I think we both know what's going on." Bulma said holding Pan's hand. She looked as if what she had to say next had been eating at her insides for a while. Something was about to be revealed that hurt her very soul and she couldn't take it anymore.

"My family is falling apart."

Pan looked at her and put her other on hand top of hers. Pan felt horrible for Bulma. The pictures were a perfect timeline.

"I'm sorry Bra went with me to Earth. At the time it seemed like a good idea. If I had known this would have happened I wouldn't have let her…" Bulma cut her off on the last part.

"Missy it was never about that," Bulma said pointedly to her, "Kids grow up and move away and that's life. Why they are falling apart is not because of Bra moving away. It's because of a broken heart the constantly drags on through my family. It can't leave or disappear. It is a permanent guest in my home and I want to get rid of it but I can't."

"Bulma…" Pan started.

"Pan I don't know what's going on with you. But you have always been a second daughter to me. I was there the day you were born and I even held you before your own father did. I've watched you grow up with my daughter and play together. I've seen every fight you've been through and I even was given an extra copy of your grades every quarter of the school year. I know you pretty well.

Sweetie, it breaks my heart to see my son this way. It breaks my heart to see you this way as well. I have no idea what this abstinence club thing was. But you could go to college anywhere. You're so smart baby and you're a great artist. I know there's another reason. Why can't you tell me?"

Pan hesitated. She was terrified and took her hands away from Bulma she looked down at her palms and stroked her pinkie finger. Tears welded up in the corners of her eyes and her breathe caught in her throat. Bulma got out of her chair and went to Pan's side. She knelt down by Pan and put a comforting hand firmly on Pan's shoulder.

"My son loves you baby. More than anyone else in the world, he loves you. He would die for you a million times over. I think something devastating happened in order for you to be chased away from him. I know you love him as well. But what is it that scares you so much?"

Tears fell down Pan's cheeks slowly and she sniffled, "Bulma," She started, "what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell my mother or father."

"My lips are sealed," she said in a soothing voice.

Trunks had not gone to work that day. He didn't have the stomach for it or even the heart. He had lay in bed all day flowing in and out of a depressing sleep. He didn't like sleep that much anyways. Too often sleep had haunted him rather than gracing him. He had an occasional long drink of his whiskey through out the day. The burning sensation had left him numb but it swayed in and out just like his sleep.

At the moment Trunks was about to take another sip with his father kicked the door open. Trunks sighed. After his morning with Pan he didn't want a lot of social contact at that moment.

"Father please go away." Trunks groaned while pulling the covers of his bed over him.

"Are you a man or boy? I thought I raised you better than this. You can't sit in your fucking room alone all day with whiskey. You'll end up like that stupid whiskey lullaby song. No son of mine is going to fall victim to that." Vegeta said harshly.

"If I was a boy I wouldn't be so love sick father." Trunk's answer had been muffled slightly by the covers.

"If you're a man then you'll listen to me son."

Trunks got out from under the covers and looked at his father. He had never heard his father so determined before. There was a change in his face and voice.

"Father?"

"Look brat I'm going to cut to the chase. You love Pan. You want her as your woman…"

Vegeta looked over at his son and sighed.

"BRAT STAY WITH ME HERE!"

"Sorry father. Yes to both of them."

"You're going to have to fight for her."

"I already figured that." Trunks acted as he was stating the obvious.

"She has a date tonight with that pathetic weakling Aaron. What the hell are you still doing here?"

"I…"

"What are you scared now? You fight for a week or two and you're giving up. You have the woman of a life time right there and you're not fighting. You're going to lose her to him. You can't even match up to a guy with a power level of five."

Trunks jumped out of bed and rushed to his closet grabbing a tux.

"What happened to stop fighting?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his son and smirked at the same time.

"A power level of fucken five. Dad come on! I'm obviously the only one who deserves her." Trunks said arrogantly.

After Trunks pulled on his pants he grabbed the keys to his Porsche and said, "See you later dad. Don't wait up."

Vegeta smirked when his son left the room. There was nothing like fixing someone up and manipulating them. It was Vegeta's favorite thing to do. If only he could to it to his own woman. But she was always smarter than that for him to get away with it. Now his son was going to go back out fighting for her and he knew that if it wasn't for him his son would still be here moping over her. Vegeta shook his head and said to himself proudly, "That's my brat."

Pan looked at Aaron and smiled in a friendly way. They were at a French Restaurant called La Province. Pan didn't want to be rude but she hated French food or any fancy food of the sort. She would try to enjoy more of conversation rather than the food.

"Miss Son something seems to be troubling you tonight. Is it the lighting?" Prince Aaron asked her.

Before Pan could even answer Aaron rudely yelled across the restaurant, "Oh servant boy! Dim the lighting right now!"

The boy protested to himself but he dared not to disobey him. When prince Aaron had looked away Pan tapped the boy as he passed bye and mouthed I'm sorry while putting a five dollar bill in his pocket. The boy smiled at her and silently thanked her before moving away.

"So Pan are you enjoying yourself? I know I am. Let's do this again tomorrow night."

Pan thought of the conversation with Bulma. She was right about Aaron. He was a pig of a prince and she silently thanked Bulma for never spoiling Trunks or Bra. But she would be kind to him none the less. She didn't want him right now.

"Aaron I have to be honest with you. I don't think it would be good to do that. I don't want to date anyone at the moment. In fact I'm not feeling well at all I'm afraid I'm allergic to cow brains so I think I should be going…"

"None sense! Stay here Pan I insist. Uuuuggghhh! The service here is horrible. I'll go get you a drink I'll be right back dearest Pan don't worry." The bratty Prince got up and left the table leaving towards the bar.

He doesn't take no for an answer, Pan thought.

"He's quite a pig isn't he?"

Pan looked up startled. She found Trunks across the table. She hated him. NOT because he was there but because he looked incredibly sexy in his tux. His button up shirt had three button unbuttoned and it revealed a perfectly tanned chest.

"Is that smile for me? Well I'll take it as an invitation to sit down." Trunks said grinning as he sat down in the seat across from her.

He looked at her in the eyes and cracked a genuine smile just for her, "What in the seven hells are you doing in a restaurant like this? You hate French food."

"Aaron insisted that we come here."

"Let's get out of here then." Trunks said holding on to her hand. "This defiantly isn't your scene or mine as a matter a fact. Let's go get Chinese."

Pan looked at Trunks as if he said something wrong.

"What? What did I do now?" Trunks said defensively.

"I can't leave with you when I came with someone else Trunks. That's rude and personally I would be hurt if that happened to me." Pan said stating the obvious to Trunks.

He fake pouted to her and then smirked, "Well you know I would never leave you for someone else. Besides if you came dressed like that to our date I think I would skip dinner and go straight to dessert baby." The twinkle in his eyes gave Pan the idea that it was a sexual reference.

Pan was wearing a gold dress that was spaghetti strap at the top and went about two to three inches below her bottom. Pan's hair was up in a loose bun and gold dangled down her cheek. She had a bracelet that made wind chime noises when she moved. Trunks thought it was quite funny since he gave her that bracelet for her seventeenth birthday along with the outfit her gave her as well.

"Excuse me! Trunks dear boy I think you forget that this is my date!" Aaron exclaimed holding a drink in his hand.

"I think you seem to forget dear boy that you knew how I felt about Pan at the ball," Trunks glared at him and mocked him at the same time.

"I believe you only said she was just a past you desperately wanted back." Aaron mocked back. That wasn't helping him though.

I have to stop this before the restaurant kicks us out, Pan thought.

"Trunks desperately needs a lot of thinks," Pan said shooting a look at a very confused Trunks, "and you Aaron need to hear this. You've obviously never heard this so for your information it goes a little something like this I don't like you. I don't want you. I'm rejecting you!" Aaron gasped as Trunks chuckled from behind him.

"That's right prince. I'm rejecting you. If I had a red stamp I would put it on your forehead just for you." Pan stormed out of the restaurant while Aaron angrily paid the bill and Trunks followed her.

"Pan!"

Pan stormed out on to the street. She had changed out of her three inch heels and into her six inch which made her trip and catch her self confidently. When she was about to take a major trip Trunks had by then caught up to her and held her up.

"Hey let's just get some Chinese food ok?" Trunks coaxed.

"It's interesting how we're on a different planet and all the interesting food is from earth," Pan said.

"Yeah I know. But it's because all earth food is so good!" Trunks exclaimed while he led her to his car.

"Except for cow brains," Pan said as her face almost went green.

Trunks laughed a little and said, "You know me I would never take you to a fancy restaurant unless its food was good for the price."

"Yeah I know."

Trunks was shocked. Pan was being nice and was cooperating with him. She didn't fight with him to get into the Porsche. She didn't even scowl at him when he getting help but groan as he saw her body slid slowly into his car.

"Pan you've barely touched your orange chicken," Trunks said pointing at her food. Pan had been just playing with her food with her chopsticks. They were sitting in Trunk's car just eating the take out.

"I know," Pan said with a sullen tone. She continued to look down at her food. Trunks frowned and reached over to touch her cheek.

Pan looked at his hand cupping her cheek and then up at him. Her eyes were sad and grey. She looked like someone who was just crying for along time but stopped a few hours ago.

"Baby what's wrong?" He asked trying to pacify her.

Pan looked back down at her plate and thought of her conversation with Bulma earlier and how that went. Bulma told Pan you may think your lies are helping everyone but it's not. No more lying Pan Son. Bulma had been right. What else did Pan have to lose? She didn't have college on her hands she had a job. She wouldn't lose her job or dignity over this.

"Trunks what would you do if you had everything riding on you and in one instant you make a mistake that you were happy about first but then you realize it was bad and consequences came out of it?"

Trunks looked over to her confused and he turned his body to her and said, "Pan what are you talking about?"

"Trunks I was really smart remember. I was graduating early, I was valedictorian, I was going to Bloomerton University which is the best university on Planet Vegeta, and to top it all I was going to be a great artist that painted and sculpted."

"You still are smart," He said, "you did graduate early. You were valedictorian and you were going to go to Bloomerton University. You still can be an artist."

"But then I slept with you." Pan said suddenly looking up at him.

"Yeah. Did you think I had forgotten already?" Trunks smiled over at her. She cracked one for just a moment.

"I lied to you though Trunks," Pan looked over at him again and when he didn't say anything she continued, "There's no such thing as an abstinence scholarship I made it up. But you have to admit you haven't been honest with me either. I know something that you thought I shouldn't know."

"What…?" Trunks said looking at her utterly more confused more than he had ever been.

"Let's start outside your room the next morning…."

+
YOU GET TO FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER! I ALSO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! I GOT THE HIGHEST GRADE IN MY CLASS ON THE MIDTERM! IT WAS A 118/120! AND MY EX BOYFRIEND TOLD THE TEACHER I CHEATED AND HE SAID THERE'S NO WAY I COULD HAVE DONE THAT WELL! I THINK WE SHOULD KILL HIM! EERRR! WELL IT'S OK BECAUSE THE TEACHER KNOWS HE'S LYING ANYWAYS! HAHAHA! HE'S ONLY SAYING THAT BECAUSE HE'S JEALOUS THAT HE ONLY GOT A B-!

Sorry I was kind of excited there….stupid ex boyfriends need to die!

Reviewers:

QueenPan1295- Where do you live? I live in Truckee, CA by Tahoe…we get a lot of snow too and it's a pain in the ass. Everyone here is kind of short and pale and so we all look the same. In the bay area I was always tan until I moved up here…eeerrr…it sucks. Soy bean trail mix…I'm so sorry I totally sympathize with you! I hope you like this chapter….thanks for reviewing!

Megan Consoer- Well here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reviewing!

lady-kagome84- blushes thank you that means a lot to me to hear that from a reviewer! One more chapter and you can find out what's wrong with Pan! Thanks for reviewing!

BeautifulOblivion- Well I do hope the drama is good and I'm really glad you love it! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

CowgirlUSA- thanks for the good luck! I caught it…hehe I'm still happy but I still hate my ex-boyfriend. You'll see it will be a good reason! I know I feel bad for boxer boy too! Don't we all love Trunks! But of course I love Panny too so it's all good! I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Pammy- I know everyone's mad at Pan! Poor Pan! It's okay though because she has a good reason! I promise! I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

bebex2xsweet- I continued! I'm sorry it took so long! I hope you liked this new chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

Angel03- I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope you like this one and thanks for the good luck! I think it helped! Thanks for reviewing!

R3MZ!MLU- I know rejection totally sucks! It doesn't matter if you sign in or not I do it all the time! I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

English Dreamer- blushes fantastic…that's a new word out of one of my reviewers! Thank you! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this new chapter! I'm glad you really like this story!

dannibabe05- Thanks I'm glad that you like the story! Well It will probably be over in the next three chapters or so…maybe two. But I'm going to have a tricky but good ending. I promise it will be worth the while. I'm glad I have a reviewer to stay! I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

dbzchic62789- I'm glad you love this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reviewing!

kagome1500- Okay I hope I updated soon enough! I know I wish I could update everyday! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!

myluckyangel- whoa you're the author of I'll be there…cool! Yes you do toture me! You should know you do! Lol! I'm glad I can return the favor…lol! I hope I updated soon enough for you! Thanks a lot for reviewing! You've got a great story there! I hope you liked this chapter!

Trouble Angel- I know everyone hates Panny! But it's ok because I still love her! But I love Trunks too! Well next chapter you get to find out why she's so mad! Well I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reviewing!

Review please!