Six: Bad Dreams

Ever since you came back, I can't stop thinking about you. It's like a curse, you're always on my brain.
I'm so confused, I don't know what to do. Even when I'm with her, I can't help, but say your name.

Your face is always painted to my eyes.
And when I see you smile, it makes my heart stop.
I'm always daydreaming now, my head in the skies.
Every time I see you, I feel my stomach drop.

But I have my own ,who is sleeping beside me now.
But it feels you are mine and I can almost see it's true.
So, you're always on my mind. Can you tell me how?
Why can't I ever tell my brain to stop thinking of you?
-Trunks Briefs

Trunks flipped off the television and looked at his lover's sleeping form to make sure she was asleep. He knew she was, because her ki was sleeping also, and she doesn't know how to fix that. He smiled and took out a book from his night stand drawer.

It was Pan's published book called The Satin Bloody Gown. It was a rather good book about a detective named Kurt Travis Begefens and his female partner, Anny Nosp. They had strange names, but it definitely suited their character. Apparently, they were partner detectives in a murder mystery case, where they had barely found enough evidence on the victims. Pan told Trunks that it was also a love story, so he knew that the two main characters would get together sometime, even though Kurt had a wife; she was a total bitch.

Clarrissa stirred beside him and he hid the book by the side of the bed. She just rolled over so he could see her face now. He checked out that she was asleep and picked the book back up and propped it on his knees.

Pan's book hadn't hit the shelves yet, but she gave him this copy. It wouldn't sell until Thursday, so Pan wanted to know what others thought of it. Marron, Bra, and Uub got a copy too; Goten didn't, she knew he would use it as a table stand.

Trunks smiled. Even though he just read the first three chapters, the book sent chills up his spine with anticipation and suspense. His Pan really was a good writer, and he knew this book would be great for the rates. Her birthday was coming up next month and he had an idea to make a commercial about the book. That way more people would see it and want to buy it. Besides, he didn't know what else to get her; Pan would never tell him, but he knew nothing fancy and nothing that she would only wear once. And a commercial she can't wear at all, so it was perfect.

Trunks marked the page where he was and set the book back in his drawer. It was getting late and he had to hurry and pack for the trip the next morning. They were going to take the plane, but he still needed to get sleep.

The only problem was that the earlier events of that day still crept in his mind. He felt lower than dirt, because next to him was a beautiful woman who was his girlfriend and all he wanted was Pan. Maybe the beach trip wasn't such a good idea.

Finally, Trunks got himself to sleep.

Trunks found himself in a place he didn't know. It looked like a living room of some sort. How did he get here? He heard voices upstairs and then heard thundering footsteps. A bunch of girls raced down in their pajamas and underwear. What were they doing here? No one noticed him, and that's when he realized it was a dream.

"Shh! She's coming! We don't want to embarrass her!" Whispered one of the three girls. She had streaked blonde hair and glasses. They spoke English, but oddly he knew what they were saying; like his brain was a calculator of the language.

"She's so lucky to get him," said one with sort brown hair and in her underwear.

"Oh! I think they're going to kiss!" Said the curly brunette, who was peeping out the window. "It's confirmed! Pan has locked lips with the most hunkiest guy on campus!" They all giggled and jumped up and down.

"Here she comes! Everyone act normal!" They all raced into the living room and one went completely through Trunks. They jumped on the couch and pretended to watch television while the door opened. Pan walked in wearing a black skirt and a red sweater. She looked up at the other girls who blinked back at her.

"What are you guys doing up?" She asked as she set her purse on the night stand table.

"Waiting for you to give us the juicy details! So how did it go?" Asked the girl with glasses.

"C'mon, Rebecca, You know I don't tell things like that." Pan said. She took off her sweater and had a plain white tee under it.

"Aw, c'mon. You have to tell us. I mean you're dating Eric Stanson, the hottest guy on campus! We all envy you! So tell us how it was!" Shouted the brunette girl.

Pan smiled a little with a blush. "He took me out to dinner and a movie, that's all."

"What about the kiss?" asked Rebecca again.

Pan giggled and Trunks felt hot jealousy run through his veins. "Good enough that I just can't describe it in words." She winked at them and climbed up the steps. "Night guys." They all groaned and the picture faded.

Trunks found out that he was at another dorm and there was heavy drinking going on. Music was playing loudly with half naked dancers swaying their bodies to the music. Pan had to be here somewhere, so where was she?

The giant banner across the top read "End Of First Semester Party!" Trunks looked around, but couldn't see Pan anywhere. He tried to push himself through, but then remembered that it was only a dream, so he just stepped through people. He looked around until he saw her in the backyard with other girls. He slipped himself through the solid wall and got outside in the night air. Three different girls were crowding her and Pan seemed so young. She looked exactly the way she did when she left so she had to be only eighteen at the most. She was blushing furiously and her head was bent down. Trunks immediately knew something was wrong.

"-and he doesn't like you! You got little miss look-at-me-I'm-from-Japan!" said one of the girls. She seemed to be the leader of the group and older than Pan.

He saw Pan grit her teeth and try her best not to knock this girl right out; Trunks could even sense the rise in her ki, but the girls couldn't. They didn't know how angry she was.

"So why don't you go back to your little island and stay there, wang-chang-chung?" Her friends laughed and Pan gripped her fist. "Oh, you getting mad? Want me to stop?" The girls burst out laughing. "Word of advice, sushi-girl, stay away from my man!" She leaned her head in a threatening way, "Got that, pussy?"

Pan had enough. No one calls her that and gets away with it. Pan pulled her fist back and the girl screamed. Trunks tried to stop her, but he went right through. Then an arm came out and pulled her fist back. It belonged to a man with short dark black hair with his bangs white and icy blue eyes. He had on a university jersey and baggy jeans. He was medium build and seemed to have good muscles like a football player.

"Now what's this I hear about foreigners when I'm from Australia myself?" He said. Pan dropped her fist to look at him.

The girls stared at him mortified. The leader seemed to be the only one with vocal cords. "Er-Eric! I didn't see you there! We were just talking, you know, a little girl talk." She stuttered.

Was this guy so important? Was this the same Eric that Pan was dating in the last dream? Eric Stanson? Trunks went to see and sure enough, there was Stanson printed on the back of his jersey.

"Didn't sound like girl talk to me. It seemed like you three were picking on lovely Ms. Son here." He draped an arm over her shoulder that Trunks knew he did several times with Pan. Oddly though, he felt odd embarrassment and saw Pan's cheeks go bright red. This wasn't his feelings, they were Pan's. The three girls looked at him.

"Surely you don't think she's 'lovely'!" The only one who ever spoke said.

"I think she's very lovely. And pretty, smart, sexy, brilliant, and a more better person than what you seem to be." He said as he walked behind Pan with his arm still draped over her shoulder. Every compliment that he said made Pan's cheeks flare up.

The girls just stood and gaped like a fish. Finally one of them angrily hissed and stomped her feet. "Fine! We're seniors anyway! We don't need you or that freshman!" They stomped off and back to the party.

Eric smirked and Pan removed his arm from him and turned to face him. "Thanks, but you should've left them to me. I would've taught them a valuable lesson."

Eric laughed. "Yeah, but you would've also got arrested and serving five to ten years." He laughed some more. "Want me to walk you to your dorm?"

"Uh, sure whatever. It's freshman six." They began walking down the concrete path and Trunks was following. Pan had her hands in her pockets with her thumbs hanging out. "How did you know who I was?"

Eric smiled. "We have Social Affects and Status together. You sit in the second row."

"Oh, you a senior also?"

"No, I'm actually an assistant professor, not actually a student. I teach medical technology, so I don't have any classes with you."

"Oh, cool. So you might have to teach me sometime."

"You planning on being in the medical field?"

Pan shrugged. "I'm not sure right now. I think I'm leaning towards psychiatry."

"That's a good career, like helping people?"

"I like to hear what's wrong with them so I can feel better about myself." Eric looked at her funny. "I'm only joking. Yeah, I guess I like helping people."

Eric laughed. "Well, just hope you don't get my class."

"Why?" Pan asked, looking up at him.

Eric shrugged, "'Cause teaching such a beautiful lady would be distracting to me."

Trunks couldn't see, but he could feel Pan blushing. "Oh, um, thanks."

Eric smiled wider, "No problem. Say, would you like to go out sometime?" He asked as they stopped at her dorm door. "I can show you around the city."

Pan nervously brushed her hair out of her eyes, her cheeks were pink even though you could barely see it. "Oh, uh, sure. I guess so."

Eric smiled. "Great, I'll call your dorm tomorrow to give you a time." He walked off and Pan waved good bye.

Now he was inside a restaurant with busy waitresses and people eating. It had a Japanese theme to it so Trunks looked around to see if Eric had brought her here for a date. As he looked, he didn't see her until she came from the kitchen.

She was a waitress there and wore a simple black skirt with a long sleeve white shirt and red tie. She balanced plates on her arms as she served a table.

"Hey Son! That pretty boy is on his way over here!" Called the girl behind the counter.

Both Trunks and Pan turned around and sure enough Eric walked through the door smiling as he walked up to Pan.

"Hey beautiful," he kissed her cheek and she smiled, "Picked up your mail today. You got some letters and some bills."

He handed her the envelopes and Pan sorted through them. "You know it's not very nice to go through other people's mail. You could get in serious trouble." She lifted one of the letters and began to tear it open, "Yeah, he finally wrote back." Trunks leaned in and noticed his own handwriting.

"Who finally wrote back to you?" Eric asked as he sat down on the stool.

"My best friend. He's real busy with work so it takes him awhile to write back to me." She started to read Trunks' letter while she ate one of the cookies on the counter. "Trunks has been my best friend for years; ever since we were little he's always been there for me."

Eric eyed her a little. "Does he know about me? That we've been dating?" He didn't even bother to cover the hint of suspicious jealousy, or he wasn't very good at it.

Pan smiled and folded the letter and stuffed it in her apron, "Of course he does. I tell him everything. So? Why? Are you jealous?" She smirked at him wickedly, but cute also.

Eric 'hmph'ed and folded his arms. "He should be the one who's jealous. It's me who's dating his friend not him."

Pan laughed. "I don't think Trunks will be jealous. He's too busy for me with Capsule Corp."

"Why, does he work there?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"No, he just recently became President."

"What!" Eric shouted, "Y-You mean the multi-billionaire is your best friend?"

"The Trunks Briefs!" Asked her friend had her mouth open and her eyes wide. "The biggest, hunkiest, sexiest, and richest man in the world!"

Pan laughed. "Don't give him too much credit, and yes, that's the one."

Eric was speechless and Trunks could definitely see the jealousy and he laughed at it. He couldn't see anything and Trunks was enjoying every moment of it.

"No way you're friends with him," said the girl narrowing her eyes at Pan.

"I'll prove it. Get my purse for me." The girl grabbed a black purse from the top shelf and handed Pan the purse.

Pan dug through it and took out a picture. Trunks lifted his head up and saw one when Pan was fourteen and they were fishing. "See, that's when I was real young." The girl picked it up with her mouth still slack. "And this is one I took before I left." It was the one with Trunks still in his business suit and Pan was on his back, both giving victory signs to the camera.

"Wow…." That's all the girl said.

Trunks looked at Eric, who was frowning and glaring at the picture. Trunks smirked mischievously. That's right. That's your woman who's all over me and not you. Trunks looked at Pan. Unless she has…what do I care? I've got my own woman!

Then the scene changed again and Trunks growled in frustration. "Dammit Pan, stop dreaming!"

Then he saw the dorm again and they were hosting another party. It was the biggest one of all because everyone seemed to be there getting drunk and the sign said 'Graduation Congratulations!'

Trunks saw girls dancing with boys and people heavily drinking; they even had a keg. Of course loud music was playing and people were making out everywhere. He watched one couple walk upstairs hand in hand; he hoped Pan wouldn't be one of those people.

Luckily he saw her walking in from the back porch with a Smirnoff in her hand and half empty. Her cheeks were a little red that meant that she was a little tipsy. She grabbed a couple of drinks from the cooler and walked back outside. Trunks followed her. She tossed several guys their drinks and one of the guys wrapped an arm around her waist and Trunks saw it was Eric, he just now had shaggier hair.

"I can't believe St. Pan is drinking," said one of the guys. She playfully punched him in the arm.

"I ain't a saint. I just like to follow the rules sometimes. Sometimes." She smirked at them and they laughed.

"Yeah, well you must also be the only virgin in the entire campus," said another male.

Pan looked at him and then glared at Eric. "You told them! Eric, that was just between you and me!" She stared at him, angry and upset.

He smiled and Trunks wanted to punch him. "Hey, it's a very hot thing. Guys get turned on by that kind of stuff." He shrugged and took another sip of his beer; as if he wasn't drunk enough. He looked at Pan's scorn and wrapped his arms around her waist and began to cradle her. "Aw, are you mad at me?"

Pan moved his arms and stepped away from him. "Yes, I am. You don't say those things to your buddies so you can compare girlfriends." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

He 'aw'ed her and Trunks seriously wanted to choke this guy. "I'm sowwy Panny," he said to her in a baby voice, "Don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to do it." He stuck his lip out in a pouting fashion, but Pan wasn't the kind of girl to find that cute so she just ignored him. "Hey, I got an idea that would make you feel better." He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the grass. "See you later guys." He began leading Pan into the woods behind the dorm.

Pan pried her arm from his, but followed him; Trunks was also on their heels. "Eric, where are we going?"

"To the Professors' lounge house," he said to her.

Pan crossed her arms, "We're not allowed there." She looked at him wearily. "Eric, are you up to something?"

"No Panny. I just wanted to see you." He pulled her arm and led her deeper into the woods. Pan stared at him and pulled away.

"I'm not getting in trouble because of you. I don't know what I was thinking getting you drunk." She slapped her forehead.

"You didn't do anything. I just want to show you something. Come with me." He tugged on her arm again. This guy was really persistent.

"I'm not going to get caught." Pan pulled her arm away once more and crossed her arms.

Eric smiled at her. "Don't worry. Nobody will see us." Trunks glared at him. He really hoped that one of them would wake up soon.

"I said I'm not going!" Pan stamped her foot. "Now what is it you that you wanted to show me?"

Eric took a big step closer to her and Trunks felt his own heart constrict, so that must've been Pan's heart. Trunks gripped his fist as he saw Eric slide his hands through her hair and sniffed the strands. Pan didn't move. Trunks couldn't understand why. She seemed frozen.

"So beautiful. I've dreamt of this night for a long time." He said as he smirked deviously.

Pan swallowed hard. "What are you talking about Eric?" Her voice was sharp, but there definite fear in it. Trunks felt his heart race, but still Pan couldn't move; she was paralyzed.

Eric smirked more, shining his perfectly white teeth. "The day you finally became mine."

Trunks' own heart stopped and Pan looked like she was going to vomit on him. Trunks felt his own head go dizzy and painfully sore like he rode those giant spinning wheels at the amusement park too many times. Eric grabbed Pan's shoulders and furiously kissed her. She was shocked out of her mind at first, but then regained her composure and pushed him, or at least tried to push him. She moved her head back and forth to try to avoid him.

"Stop." But every time she tried to tell him, he covered her lips with his own. "No more. Mmph! I said stop!" This time she pushed him back, but he advanced more on her. Pan still couldn't move. She had tears in her eyes and Trunks felt red angry hate stream through him.

"Why? I know you want me. I've seen the way you look at me. Desire's in your eyes. I can fulfill that desire." Eric rubbed her stomach.

"Hey, she said stop!" Trunks shouted, and he went to grab his arm away, but went right through.

Eric slipped his hand into Pan's pants and she let out a gasp. Trunks angrily growled like a beast and tried to tackle him, but again went through.

He didn't want to watch this! He didn't want to see his Pan liked this!

"Pan, don't let him do that! Stop him!" Finally, as if she heard him, Pan finally gained control of her limbs.

"I said no!" She yelled. She grabbed his hand and pulled it out and twisted his arm. He let out a shriek of pain as it snapped and he fell to the floor. Pan had tears on her eyes as she stared at his feeble form nursing his arm.

Trunks felt his heart do something odd. It felt heart broken and confused. He looked at Pan. Pan was breathing hard and tears streamed freely. "I-I'm not going to Japan tomorrow. I'm going tonight. You're not yourself, Eric, and I'm sorry I had to do that." She wiped her eyes.

Trunks couldn't believe her. She was still standing up for this guy after what he tried to do to her. "I'll see you in a few days, if you wish to go by my rules." And then she ran off.

Trunks woke up with his heart broken and tears in his eyes. Clarrissa was still napping next to him, and it was still dark. Trunks sat up and wiped his eyes. His heart was beating strongly and he placed his hand over it to calm it.

"…Pan…"