Auden waited for Pan to come out of her apartment. He yawned despite having set this day aside for Pan's father's birthday. There was never a day he could recall when he hadn't been somewhat tired as his medication generally sapped what energy he did have. He wondered why he'd agreed to accompany her so readily knowing that the entire thing would be an ordeal. She'd been upset and he'd wanted to ingratiate himself with her again. For all intents and purposes, he was ready. His therapist had given him ways to cope with such situations, but he'd never actually put them to use preferring always to avoid the problem.

It took her another ten minutes to join him in the car. She wore a floral blouse and skintight jeans. Rarely did Auden ever see her wear something other than some variation of a red cotton T-shirt on her off-work day. Today must have indeed been special for her even with her unusual lateness.

"You look nice today," Pan noted with a smile, "And you're wearing my favorite cologne."

"Thank you, but I only have one cologne. You look nice as well."

Auden had already begun driving off through the parking lot.

Pan turned her gaze to the window. "This is going to be a long trip…I wonder if we should have flown."

"You could have. You still can actually."

"And leave you all alone? I'd rather keep you company. Besides, I don't want to go there on my own."

"They're your family, right? I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad."

He couldn't figure out why Pan was so anxious about this. Though there were some disagreements she had with her mom, he still didn't think that that was enough to explain it.

Pan left his last statement hanging in the air for almost a minute before responding. "I'm probably just blowing this all out of proportion. I just haven't really spent time with them like a family in years now. It almost feels a bit random that I'm deciding to do something about that now."

"Better late than never. They've extended an invitation to you. I bet they can't wait to see you again."

"You'd think."

She seemed distressed as she gazed through the passenger's side window. It felt odd that he was trying to calm her and not the other way around. For the moment, he felt at ease. He hoped it remained that way. He was ready for the worst. He was ready for intrusive questions. He was ready to meet new people. Excluding Pan, there would be five people there and hopefully not too many more.

"How is your father like?" he asked knowing that if there was going to be an issue, it would be with him.

"He's a good guy," Pan said, "He's harmless, if you're worried about him. My mom though…"

She didn't expound on that point and Auden didn't push her on it. Despite her warning, he didn't think he'd have much issue with her mother. It was easier for him to deal with other women than other men and he suspected that her father might be a bit more protective of her than Pan realized, but only time would tell if his predictions were correct. He didn't exactly have much experience with a family such as hers. He'd seen things on TV, read in books, or heard in conversations how that might be like in reality—hopefully he'd derived some truths from those sources.

Her grandmother and great grandfather would be there, and he hadn't the slightest clue how that would be like. It made him a bit nervous, but they would be older and likely wiser. With such people, he got along well. In fact, he preferred older people despite never managing to associate himself with them. It was likely because he was so entrenched in the ever-changing technology world which generally attracted the much younger crowd. Being without at least his cellphone was a bit like being without a part of himself. Of course, he had it with him today, fully charged. The battery could last for days and it could also charge fairly quickly on solar energy alone.

Auden was content driving in complete silence, but he knew that this likely wasn't the norm for other people. Since they'd be driving for hours and he didn't foresee that they'd be able to keep up a conversation the entire time, he wondered if she was fine with extended silence. She seemed a mixture of bored and anxious as the minutes wore on. If she was irritated, she definitely would have said so. Eventually, she closed her eyes as if to fall asleep and mostly remained that way for the rest of the long drive. She must have truly been determined to arrive at the same time as him. If he could easily travel to places in record time, he'd be hard-pressed to find a reason to not use that method every time.

It was early afternoon by the time they arrived. Once they'd made it to Satan City, Pan had already been sitting up a bit straighter in her seat. She seemed no less weary, but her mood didn't rub off on him. The GPS built-in to the car led them directly to the house. Somehow, he'd expected something more modest, but the residence was practically a mansion. For two people, it seemed a bit excessive. Either they had a maid, or they would have to spend hours trying to keep a place like that relatively clean. There were three cars in the driveway as he pulled up.

"Looks like everyone's already here," Pan said drearily. "I'm sure grandma's been here since the crack of dawn."

"Early birds, I see."

"Something like that."

Auden climbed out of the car along with Pan and he waited for her to lead the way. Her dreary expression softened by the time they made it to the front door likely because she remembered that they were supposed to be celebrating rather than stewing in apprehension. They stood before the door and Pan was hesitating.

"Do you think it was a good idea of me to bring you along?" she asked finally.

He looked at her surprised. "I have no idea, but it's too late for second guessing. We can only make the best of the situation. These are people you know," he reminded her. "They invited you. They want you to be here."

"Yeah, sure," she said looking straight ahead.

She knocked lightly on the door. Auden wondered if anyone had heard, but the door opened a few moments later. A dark-haired woman greeted them happily.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you made it, honey," the woman said with a smile.

"Hey, Mom," Pan said sheepishly.

It was an endearing scene to behold. This was apparently the woman he was supposed to be weary of, but he couldn't help but feel at ease seeing the obvious affection she had for her daughter.

"Mom, this is Auden. Auden, this is Mom," Pan said pulling away from the embrace after a few moments.

The woman appeared to not have even noticed him until that moment. All her attention must have been on Pan which was a telling observation. Just how much had Pan neglected visiting her?

"Oh," the woman said as if caught by surprised. She smiled at him warmly. "Wow—" She looked over at Pan as if confused which drew an irritated huff from her. Auden didn't know what to make of the exchange, but he was sure some unspoken message had passed between the two. "I mean, how rude—I meant to say: nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Auden said with a brief nod. He probably should have smiled as well but he at least managed a friendly tone and that was difficult enough.

"And, please, call me Videl," she said with a laugh.

Pan laughed as well. "Uh, sorry, Mom, I didn't know how to introduce you."

"Oh, it's fine, honey."

"Videl, then," Auden said trying out the name. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, come on in, everyone. We were all waiting for you! The food's almost ready." she said cheerfully as she led them into the house.

Pan made sure to close and lock the door before coming along. It was a well-kept place purposefully furnished in a modern style. The living room they passed through seemed far more like a lived-in area with framed pictures of people likely in their family. They eventually arrived in what Auden assumed was the family room. It had much more space and he could see three other people already there. One man seemed to fill up one-fourth of the room and towered over him, but he seemed congenial. Then there was a comparably smaller man who matched his own height and wore eyeglasses as well who seemed equally as affable as the other. Finally, there was Hercule who used to be far more famous back in the day. He was still a household name and it was interesting to meet his family under such circumstances. Pan didn't think he was a big deal and only mentioned that Hercule was her grandfather when he'd asked about her family not too long ago.

Auden met and shook hands with everyone, and they all seemed surprised upon meeting him. It became clear to him that something about him was unexpected. "So you're Auden?", they all essentially said to him. He was missing something, but he couldn't really put his finger on it. There was one person missing. Counting in his head, he determined that it was the grandmother who wasn't around. He could smell the food by now and it was already making his mouth water. He hadn't even eaten breakfast and now he was skipping lunch as well as time wore on. It wasn't something he did often, and he remembered why as he felt his stomach twisting around on itself. Luckily, he wasn't the only one who was hungry. It came as no surprise to him that Pan's great grandfather known as the Ox King seemed just as ready for the food to be done. With how much was being made, Auden imagined that they must have hired cooks for the special occasion.

He made his way lastly to Pan's father who'd introduced himself as Gohan. He was the one that this gathering was about after all—he didn't want to bogart his attention. He'd been speaking with Videl, but she'd just left him to take care of some business in some other part of the house. Gohan was for a moment, by himself. He seemed cheerful enough and he'd been quite welcoming thus far.

"Auden," Gohan said when he approached. "It's nice to finally meet the guy Pan's been talking about for so long. I have to say though, you weren't what we were expecting."

"I've gotten that impression from everyone now. What exactly were you expecting?"

Gohan laughed sheepishly at this. "Nevermind that. Seeing you in person just puts things in perspective. So, I heard you work for CC as well?"

"Yes, as a glorified technician. I manage one of their internal departments."

"Maybe that's why I haven't heard of you there. CC is a pretty huge corporation with a lot of moving parts."

"And what do you do?" Auden asked curious.

"Officially, I'm one of their researchers. It's more of a work-from-home position—way more challenging than it sounds."

"I can only imagine. CC would probably have great need for that kind of work though they usually outsource that sort of thing to other companies."

"Well, I came highly recommended."

"Apparently."

Pan had ties to the Briefs family. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that Gohan did as well. This was likely another instance of favoritism on CC's part, but he couldn't complain too much. Bulma had given him a job no questions asked in the company. Of course, he certainly wasn't offered a position which allowed him to stay at home and he had to work years to reach the level he was now.

"I see you're wearing one of those black rings."

"Ah, yes," Auden said, holding his hand up for a moment showing the ring a little better. He never imagined that people would ever notice it, but twice now in his lifetime it was pointed out.

"Maybe that's why Pan is so taken with you."

"I assure you, we're simply friends."

"Of course, of course," he said chuckling.

Auden felt relieved for a moment, but then he noticed the other become quiet as he seemed to pay closer attention to him. He felt like a fly in a petri dish as his eyes narrowed somewhat.

"Let's talk somewhere more private," Gohan suggested.

"Alright," Auden replied completely at a loss as to what he was getting himself into.

Gohan led him a little further into the house near what Auden supposed were steps that went down into the den or something like that. He stood in front of him now, his expression a great deal more guarded.

"What, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter."

The air had suddenly become cold between them. Pan hadn't warned him about this, but he wasn't completely caught off guard. "We're friends," Auden repeated. "I reached out to her some time after the funeral and it seemed like she really needed someone to talk to and I could say the same about myself. Regrettably, I don't really get out much, so it was a departure from the norm for me."

"One thing just led to another?" he asked pleasantly though his arms were crossed.

"Well, yes, as far as friendships go."

"Have you ever been married before?"

Auden was puzzled at the question, but he answered sincerely. "No."

"And how is it after all of this time, you're still a bachelor?"

"Frankly, I'm more amazed that people are able to find someone so early on in their lives." Gohan seemed pensive at this answer, but Auden continued. "For a good portion of my life, I wasn't thinking along those lines. I had more pressing matters to concern myself with. Recently, however, I suppose I've given it some thought."

"Those pressing matters," Gohan said slowly, "What is an example of that?"

"Perhaps a major part was figuring out how to even live in the first place. I know that sounds strange, I apologize—

"No, I understand," Gohan interrupted. It wasn't likely that he did, but he probably realized that it was personal since Auden was being so vague. "I was just curious. I don't sense any ill-will from you."

"I'm not interested in your daughter," Auden said straight-forwardly. "I accompanied her here at her behest."

"You sound very certain of that," he noted aloud. He watched Auden for a moment longer. "And I believe you."

"I apologize for any misunderstanding."

"No," he said dismissively. "You haven't done anything wrong. Videl has just been overly worried as of late. I tend to just stay out of things like this. I think those two just have some things to work out with each other. Pan showing up today definitely helps."

"Hey, you two, food's ready," Pan's voice interrupted them from the hallway nearby. "And I swear I'll eat everything if you keep us waiting too long," she finished with a wink.

"Be right there," Gohan said suddenly a great deal more animated.

Auden could scarcely keep up as they made a beeline for the dining room. Pan pulled him to the side right before they entered. She wore a concerned mask.

"Are you alright? Was Dad giving you a hard time?"

"I'm fine," Auden said as reassuringly as he could muster. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

Pan was somewhat relieved, but Auden had already proceeded forward as he didn't have much else to add to the conversation and he didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. As he looked around, he saw a large dining room table stretching over half the room with a comically extensive amount of food set all along it. He hadn't realized that this was Thanksgiving. Auden was glad that he was so starving then. He knew he couldn't possibly partake in every variety of food on display, but he'd at least have more than usual in one sitting. The Son family didn't seem to have much in the way of formalities when it came to this occasion which was just as well. They dug in as soon as everyone was seated and soon everyone was passing this and that food item to each other. Still, Auden did not spy the last person who was supposed to be there. Maybe Pan's grandmother had decided to come later.

The mood lightened considerably as they were enjoying themselves and at some points the room became filled with just the noises of eating and utensils hitting glass plates and bowls. Though Auden made his way through a lot of food, the Son family easily outpaced him. While he was done, most of them were still eating. He stayed and chatted with them for what felt like hours as they continued to empty the table of food. It was fascinating to witness, but also a little nauseating. He excused himself eventually to find the bathroom as it was just then becoming unbearable spending such a long time socializing with so many people at once.

He was relieved to return to some peace and quiet. In fact, he did have to use the bathroom, but after he was done with his business, he wasn't too keen on returning. He'd asked about the grandmother or Chi-Chi as the Ox King had referred to her and they seemed sure she would be joining them soon. They weren't very concerned about it. She must have been somewhere in the house. He was hoping he didn't run into her as he found a comfortable looking couch to sit down in and recollect himself. The tiring affair was just then taking its toll on him. He looked up the time realizing that he probably should take his medication right about now. He wouldn't hear the end of it from Aster otherwise. With a sigh, he returned to the bathroom and took up one of the disposable small plastic cups he'd seen on the shelf near the sink. He had no issue using faucet water to take his pills which he did in that moment. Judging from the high-income area they were in, the water quality was likely top-notch. He'd had worse. Auden lingered a bit in the bathroom before returning to the couch. He couldn't quite determine what room of the house it was, but it certainly didn't seem like a personal one and he could see the kitchen in the distance. Maybe they had two family rooms. It was a thought that drew a small chuckle from him. This was far too much for such a small family. He wondered what it must have been like growing up in such a place. He imagined Pan must have fond childhood memories with attentive parents who seemed to care deeply for her. It was a pleasant thought.

Though he hadn't meant to, he found himself dozing off. The walls were just thin enough for him to hear the low hum of conversation coming from the other room even some raucous laughter. He much rather listened to indistinguishable voices from afar than being included in it. It felt comforting to be near that kind of activity and life. It was both foreign and soothing. He'd taken off his glasses as it was irritating to rest while they were on and held them in his hand.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he felt the subtle movement of someone joining him on the couch. Opening his eyes in response became a task much harder than he thought; he'd been on the cusp of falling asleep completely and it was jarring to say the least. He thought he heard something small and wiry hitting the carpeted floor. When he squinted towards the new person, his view was blurry at best. His nearsightedness didn't make the situation any better.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. You seemed so peaceful." Her voice was completely unfamiliar.

"Maybe I should be the one apologizing. I'm just a guest and…" He lost his train of thought when he realized he didn't have his glasses in hand and had no clue as to where they were. If they were on the ground, he could hardly make them out. He started panicking a little.

"Here," the woman said as she climbed to her feet. Somewhere nearby she lifted his glasses from the ground and handed it to him.

"Th-Thank you," he said relieved as he quickly unfolded them to place on his face.

The woman giggled as she returned to her seat.

He paused for a moment with closed eyes to calm his racing heart.

"Are you alright?" she asked concerned. "I didn't mean to poke fun."

"No, it's fine. I was just a little startled."

"Beautiful eyes, by the way."

Auden was finally able to make out the woman and he was taken aback by what he saw. Was this Chi-Chi? There was something about her that had caught him off-guard, but he couldn't figure out just what that was.

"You sure you're in the right place?" she said with a grin, "You missed the modeling agency a few blocks away—Oh, that was so bad, I don't know why I bother."

He found himself speechless and staring dumbfoundedly.

"Am I being too forward?" she said after a few moments.

"N-No, I was just trying to find something clever to say back. I guess I'm not so good at that either."

He felt his cheeks burning and hoped desperately that she wouldn't draw attention to this.

"You must be—" they both began at the same time.

Chi-Chi laughed offhandedly at this. "It's fine—you go first."

"Well, ah, it's not pressing—

"You must be Auden," she blurted out.

He nodded to confirm her statement. "And you're Chi-Chi?" he asked cautiously.

"That would be me. I must be some sort of celebrity around here."

"I didn't see you out there with everyone else."

"I just came back from the dining room—after all that cooking, I need a break."

"Wait, you made all that food?"

Chi-Chi smiled widely at him. "Yep, that was me." She looked away as she thought further. "I might have gone a bit overboard though. No one's complaining though."

"That's incredible. I can't imagine having the energy to do all that."

"I couldn't either until I had the right motivation one day. Now I'm just used to it."

"And no one helps you with that?" Auden asked perplexed.

"Videl always asks, but I just like to get into my own rhythm."

"Hm, I see."

"Do you?" she asked looking at him again, "Or is that a catchphrase of yours?"

"No, I understand what you mean. When you have some project that you want to get done and you have it all planned out, even if it's a monumental task, it feels better just to do it all yourself without having to explain things to other people."

"Yeah, exactly. I had the whole thing planned out for Gohan—bought and prepped all the food days beforehand just so everything could go smoothly."

"It's a beautiful thing when it all comes together so well."

"Please, I could do it in my sleep," she said dismissively. "Well, if you excuse me, I'll let you get back to your nap—I have to get those dishes started."

"Let me help you."

Chi-Chi paused as she was climbing to her feet. "Really?"

"I'm not doing anything, clearly. Put me to work."

"You're on, but it's gonna' be a lot of dishes."

"Of course."

"I mean, a lot of dishes," she warned again.

"I'm sure I can handle it," he replied nonchalantly.

"Okay, suit yourself. I could really use the help anyway. People might ask to help cooking, but everyone disappears when it comes to cleaning."

"I don't mind," he insisted.

The kitchen was only a few paces away. Near the sink, he could see piles of dirty plates, silverware, pots and pans. The sheer magnitude did surprise him a bit, but he was ready to wash some dishes. The challenge alone was motivating. He couldn't wait to wipe clean every single dish

"I'll wash. You dry," he said simply.

Chi-Chi seemed impressed by this. "Alright," she said with a shrug.

Already, he was filling the sink with hot water and dishwashing detergent. He found the sponge nearby and began in earnest. It was a relaxing pastime—something he hadn't done in a while. By the time they got to the third dish, they'd gotten into a rhythm.

"You've done this before," Chi-Chi accused the other humorously. "Like a lot."

"I haven't washed dishes in a very long time. You know they have these things called dishwashers," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but handwashing is so much more thorough. At least I know my dishes are clean."

"Dishwashers have improved a lot over the years—they can clean dishes far better than human hands with a fraction of the time."

"Ugh, you sound like my kids."

"Well, anything that makes life a little easier seems like it'd be worth trying out."

"And miss out on the smell of dishwashing detergent?"

"I must admit, this lemon scent brings back memories."

"Hopefully fond ones." She was rapidly drying off the next dripping clean plate he'd handed off to her.

"I had to do a fair amount of chores back then. This was definitely one of them. But I also worked as a dishwasher for some time—anything to make a little bit of money."

"Definitely a city boy then," she said cheekily.

"Through and through. I take it that's not the case for you."

"I used to only go to the city to go shopping every once in a while. Now I've been dragged out here with my family."

"And how do you like it?"

"It's…well, it's convenient to say the least."

"But you like using your hands. I'm sure it's been quite the readjustment for you."

"It has, but I guess it's for the best. Living out there in the forest—seems like a distant memory really."

"It sounds peaceful."

"It was. Only the sounds of nature came through whenever I opened the windows. We always had fresh fish from the lake nearby."

Auden glanced over at her and noticed that her eyes had closed at what was apparently cherished memories. His eyes softened at the pleasant glow exuding from her countenance. By the time she looked up again, he'd already returned his attention to the particularly messy dish he had in hand. His hands worked quickly scrubbing at the dried and drying morsels.

"The fish today tasted excellent," he commented.

"Don't even get me started on seafood. Everyone says it's my specialty."

"Perhaps you could give me some pointers on that."

"Maybe, if you're really that interested."

They worked in silence for a little while until Chi-Chi spoke again.

"Wow, we're really getting this done in record time. It usually takes me hours."

"Not while I'm here," he said confidently.

"I feel like I should be paying you or something. You don't understand—this is an all day affair. I won't know what to do with myself if we get done too early."

Auden wasn't sure how serious she was about that point. She wasn't exactly smiling after her last statement. "So, what do you do in your free time?" he asked genuinely curious.

"All my time is free time. I'm just some naggy, old lady spending the rest of her days pining over days long past and wishing things would all end just a little quicker."

He nearly dropped the pan he was holding and had quite the time grabbing it before it made a big splash into the water.

"Oh, sorry, that was a bit dark, wasn't it?" she said watching his antics.

With a sigh he handed her the small saucepan. "I'll drain the water again—it's getting a bit too dirty." After he did this, he looked again at her. "I suppose I don't know you all that well, but that does seem out of character for you. Is it really so bad in the city?"

"It's not that," she said shaking her head. "The city's fine. With all the bustle, it kind of keeps me going. If I were still back at my old place, things would be a lot worse. But I don't want to beat around the bush about it—I do have a lot of free time and I spend it taking care of the family. I really enjoy doing that. Actually, I wish I had a few more grandbabies to take care of, but they're really serious about only having one. And Pan? Well, she's a free-spirit, a bit like her grandfather."

"These days, it's expensive taking care of a child."

"Yeah, I know. It's not like how it used to be."

"I think the lives of people have greatly improved over the years. Things are simply different."

"Improved?" she asked dubiously. "Technology is encroaching on every aspect of life. People have become so attached to their phones…"

"I suppose there is an emphasis on technology but think of how much easier it is to attain vital information or the advancements made in medicine."

"I suppose," she said doubtfully. "It's just so much to take in. I guess that doesn't bother you, huh?"

"The idea that there is always something new being invented right around the corner, does excite me, but I understand how change can be stressful when it's happening so fast and continuously."

"So what about you? What do you do?"

The water was still filling up the sink and almost ready to be used once again. "I work for CC as tech support."

"Now I get it. All this technology stuff is right down your alley—just like Bulma."

"I would rather not be compared to her, but I see your point," he ended drily. He hadn't meant to be so obvious about his discontentment. It was more of a snap reaction.

"Oh, you must know her then," she said knowingly with a smile.

"Somewhat. Through her I was given a job at CC when no one else would give me the time of day. I'm grateful for her."

"Is that right? And yet you don't sound too fond of her."

"It's a long story."

"Isn't it always?"

They were interrupted when Pan stuck her head into the kitchen. She seemed a bit flustered.

"There you are," Pan said looking at Auden. "You just left the table so abruptly, I got a little worried." Her eyes glanced over at Chi-Chi. "Sorry, but we gotta' go. We both have work tomorrow and it's going to be a long drive."

"I hadn't realized it was getting so late. How about we leave as soon as we're finished with these dishes."

Pan glanced at what was left to do and noticed a few more stacks of pans that almost touched the ceiling. "You can't be serious," she said with disbelief. "That'll take ages to do. C'mon let's go already, grandma loves doing this stuff. Right?"

"Well, if you gotta' go," Chi-Chi began.

"No," Auden said cutting her off. "I promised I'd help you. Let's finish this. Just give us another half an hour, alright?"

Pan looked at him wearily. "Okay, fine, suit yourself. You're supposed to be a guest, not hired help though," she said with a huff.

Auden had already returned to the task at hand. He waited for Pan to leave to look over at Chi-Chi. "So, how about it? You feel like picking up the speed?"

"Is that a challenge?" Chi-Chi said with a menacing grin.

"Don't slow me down. We have thirty minutes."

"You're on."

The carefree atmosphere suddenly became nothing but when Auden began again on the dishes with lightening speed. Water started to splash a bit more frequently and the poor sponge was smashed into oblivion as it ran over pan after pan. Chi-Chi had to switch out drying towels a few times as they quickly became soaking with use. She easily kept in pace with him and was always ready for the next dish, pan, or silverware that came her way. Their minds had become tunnel vision and minutes began to fly by.

In a little over twenty minutes, they had it all done and soon Chi-Chi was putting the dishes away as Auden cleaned up the mess they'd made—draining and cleaning the sink, wiping down the counters and stove, sweeping the floor and lastly mopping the floor in the last minute. The kitchen shined like new when all was said and done.

"Wow, we really make a good team, don't we?" Chi-Chi said with a cheerful laugh. "Now, I seriously don't know what to do with myself for the rest of the night."

"Hm, I appreciate the challenge."

"Yeah, you were actually enjoying yourself. You know, Auden—you're a rare breed. I can't remember a time anyone ever helped me out like that before. It's actually kind of refreshing."

"Glad I could be of help."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks."

"Now that our hands are all dry and wrinkly—maybe you can show me to the nearest bottle of lotion."

"Oh my gosh, you are such a city boy. C'mon, follow me."

Auden was led to the room with the comfortable couch. She went to a desk and pulled out a large tube of a rather luxurious lotion—Midnight Rose.

"It's a little girly, but Pan swears by this brand." She handed it to him.

"I'm not very picky." He squeezed a little out of the tube for himself. He noticed that Chi-Chi had no intention of partaking in this as she had her hands to her side. "Hold out your hand," he implored.

Chi-Chi tsked at him. "It's not that serious."

"Your poor hands will thank you later and not start peeling."

"Fine," she said with a huff, finally holding her hands out. Much to her chagrin, he squeezed quite a bit on her hand. "Alright, I get it—I'm super dry."

"I meant no harm—that's as much as I give myself."

"Oh," she said likely feeling a bit silly. "You seem to take really good care of yourself—just like Bulma."

He frowned at this.

"I mean, well, I don't know—fill in the blank with somebody else who does the same," she said quickly.

"I do as much as necessary," he replied.

"I can tell you're around the same age as me though. The eyes always give it away. You've seen a lot over the years."

Auden looked at her thoughtfully. "I think that applies to both of us. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Oh please, says the guy who probably has the ladies swooning at one glance."

"I don't know about that. People generally keep their distance and I often prefer it that way."

"I find that hard to believe," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"See? Look at your hands now." He said changing the subject. "Lotion makes all the difference."

She touched her hands at this and then looked at him surprised. "Now, I've tried my fair share of lotions, but this is really something. It's really smooth!"

He'd picked up the bottle again looking at the ingredients and moved a little closer to her when he found what he was looking for. "The first two minerals have de-aging properties—something that's been on the market for years now. It used to be that only the expensive products had these kinds of ingredients, but now it's become much easier to synthesize and mass-produce. It's quite popular these days."

"Giving me a crash course in cosmetics, city boy?"

"Like I said, information is so easy to come by. A quick web search would have gotten you to the same answers as I did long ago."

"I just never paid it much mind," Chi-Chi said relenting. "I guess I didn't think it mattered much. I'm not the kind of person who does deep-dives into mundane things like lotion."

"I suppose ladies from the forest have better things to tend to," he said with a grin.

She seemed amused by his statement. "I think I like that nickname."

"Perhaps we should exchange numbers," he said after a moment. He took out his cellphone. "If you don't mind."

"Oh, like cellphone numbers?" she said caught off guard. "I don't really…own a cellphone. But you can call the house phone."

"I have no idea how one survives without a cellphone. Landlines are practically on its deathbed as far as technology goes."

"Geez, rub it in, will ya? I don't get out much."

"I don't either. That's no excuse."

"Whatever. Just call me on the home phone."

He sighed at this. "Well, I suppose I'll have to."

She quickly recited the number and he recorded it in his device.

"Ugh, now are you ready?" Pan's voice rang out cutting into their conversation. Chi-Chi had just opened her mouth to say something else, but she quickly abandoned whatever it was. "Thirty minutes? More like forty minutes. Let's go already!"

Pan seemed unaware of how perturbed he was as she entered the room.

"Alright, I guess it's time for the kids to leave," Chi-Chi said dismissively.

Auden looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she smiled briefly at him. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Yes, better to leave the rest of the chores to the grown-ups," Auden said smoothly as he made his way towards Pan.

Pan looked at them with an odd expression, but then moved on quickly, glad that she could finally drag Auden out of there. They made their rounds saying goodbye to everyone still there and made a beeline for the car. Auden was a bit more alert than usual at this time of day. They had hours of driving ahead of them and he was surprised Pan was still insisting to sit in the vehicle with him.

"They dragged that out. I swear Mom didn't want me to leave until next week," Pan complained.

"I had a nice time there."

"Yeah, after ducking out midway through."

"Sorry about that—I had to take a break from everyone for a while."

She looked at him with understanding. "I had a feeling. You did really well considering."

"I suppose with practice, I could become a little better. I think it's nice how much your family wants you around."

"Yeah, I guess. I know I must sound so selfish right now, right? It's just you and your daughter and I'm complaining about having parents and all that. We just don't see eye to eye on certain things and it's annoying."

"I know it might sound difficult to do now, but perhaps it would be better if you focused on the things you do agree with. I'm sure they just want what's best for you."

Pan didn't say anything back for a few minutes just as the car merged out onto the highway. "I'll try next time…for my dad's sake."

"You won't regret it."

Auden felt her eyes on him for a moment before returning to the window. "I guess you're speaking from experience, huh. Like with your own mom."

He nodded at this. "But it's just my opinion, in the end. Do what you think is best."

"I know."

As the drive wore on, Pan fell asleep along the way. He had to nudge her back to wakefulness when they were back at her place in the apartment complex.

"Thanks again for coming with me, Auden. Have a good night," she said as she opened the door.

"It was an honor joining you today and meeting new people as well. Good night."

Auden watched her safely climb the stairs before pulling off again. After another half an hour, he made it back to his place in record time in the dead of night. He stumbled back into his place as exhaustion finally came crashing down on him. Now that it was all over, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He'd made it without any mishap. It was definitely a milestone for him. He checked first for Aster, but she wasn't there as was now becoming the norm. Without bothering to change into his nightclothes, he crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep leaving his thoughts about Chi-Chi to be more thoroughly examined at a later time.

AN: Curve balls is my middle name.