Days passed. Then weeks, before two months went by like a breath of air. Trunks watched Pan walk out of the next house over and she picked up the basket and turned away. They had settled into a small life. Pan was harvesting edible flowers and foods he had never tried before. She set the basket aside and he saw her take up a wedged axe. She swung the axe down and it hit its mark easily. He walked over to her, cautious to not catch her off guard.

"You've been watching me," she murmured as she sunk the awe into a chunk of wood and looked back at him. "You're sweeter than sugar to look at," he teased. She rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt I'm sweeter." He smiled. "Where's Videl?"

"She's only human," she said gently. "Working under two suns takes a toll on her," she explained. She smiled and pulled a bucket towards her. She dunked her head into it and he jumped in surprise when water splashed everywhere. She pulled her head up and out and swung her face from side to side. She wiped her face and looked at him. "I don't mind working the land while she works inside," she reasoned.

"What does she do?" he asked. She shrugged. "Whatever she likes," she reasoned. She smiled at him. "She cleans, makes food, and sews. She's figuring out what she wants," she explained. "Having freedom isn't easy when you're used to doing what others want you to."

"What about you?" he asked. She shrugged. "I've grown plants and worked for years. Anytime we were given some form of freedom I did this." She waved a hand and he saw she had plowed a small acre of land. "I was given seeds and praised for growing almost any plant given to me," she said proudly. She looked over the land and said, "I don't have as many skills as my mother does. But, I do what I can."

"Pan?" Their heads rose and Videl was standing at the back door. "You'll invite them for dinner?" she called. Pan waved and smiled. "Of course!" Briefs looked at her and said, "For dinner?" Pan looked at him with an arched brow. "You guys don't sit down for dinner?" He shook his head. "We usually don't make time to sit down together." She smiled at him. "Well, tonight, we'll have dinner. Go tell Vegeta. I'm going to clean up."


Briefs sat at the table in Videl's home, watching as his father awkwardly took a seat next to him. They watched as Pan eased out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks before she took a seat and said, "Food's almost ready." Vegeta merely watched with a low brow before the smell of food hit his nose. His mouth watered, his hands flexed, and Briefs felt the same reaction as Videl revealed herself out of the kitchen. She had a smile and made her way over to them. She rest a plate of hot food in front of them. Briefs saw his father's eyes widen and almost, just barely, sparkle. "Pan found a neo-doe nearby and was able to dress and cure it before you both came home," she said proudly. "There may not be enough for both your appetites but, it's enough to share." Vegeta's eyes looked at the steaming plate of braised venison and watched as Pan rose to serve them. He looked at her, watching her hands move to ease food on to the plate provided to them before she said, "You can start eating whenever." Briefs' hand touched hers and he said, "You don't have to serve us." She blinked at him, while her mother took a seat across from Vegeta. "We aren't serving you," she said gently, "we're welcoming you to dinner with us." Pan pulled her hand away with a slight blush staining her cheeks before Videl said, "Well, dig in."

Who knew that a dinner with the women before them would open Vegeta and his son to Videl and Pan. Briefs made conversation while Vegeta listened to them. "Where did you learn to cook?" he asked between bites. Pan sat back, sipping her drink. "I lived on earth," she reasoned as she set her chin into her hands. "Chichi taught me many things before she passed. Then, when we lived on Namek, I was taught which plants are poisonous and how others can be eaten."

"You knew what to eat here?" Vegeta asked. Videl smiled for him. "It's rather easy to take the same knowledge and apply to other planets. Bright, colorful plants are likely to be poisonous. Succulents, though prickly, have fleshy and juicy meat on them. Water can be filtered and boiled and almost anything that can dry can be used to start a fire. It's basic survival skills." He stared at her. She winked at him. "You just thought I was a weak human hm?" He shook his head. "No, I thought you were a woman." Her eyes widened and Briefs knocked a hand to his father's head. "Idiot," he groused. Videl smiled and Pan's lips tightened into a fine line. "WHAT?!" Vegeta yelled.

"We're women," Pan explained, "but, not weak. We're stronger than you think." Her voice held firm and then she swallowed her pride and whispered, "We're thankful you brought us here." Briefs rolled his eyes. "Sorry about that," he grumbled. Vegeta's eyes narrowed at him before he went back to eating.

Videl chuckled. "It's good to see you two are well," she began. Vegeta asked, "Why wouldn't we be?" She said, "The others passed. It's good to see you both are here together. Safe. Happy." Vegeta merely smiled. "Happy?" Briefs merely said, "We live here. I don't know if we're happy." Videl's head tilted and Pan said, "Are you not happy now?" Briefs paused and looked at his father, who sat dumbfounded for a moment. Pan said, "The way to someone's heart is through their stomach. Feed someone well and their happiness is the best medicine given." Briefs eyed her and she said, "We were happy once. Eating, living, and loving people on Namek and throughout the galaxies. I don't think we've been this happy in a long time." Her smile was contagious and she laughed once more. "You both are rather funny," she said, "being able to forget your uneasiness to enjoy a dinner with us."

"We really appreciate it," Videl added. Pan chuckled. "You find me funny?" Briefs asked. She looked at him with a smile. "Of course, you are funny," she agreed.

"Wise beyond your years but, naïve in how you live. How old are you anyway?" Vegeta groused. "I'm not sure, twenty-two? Not twenty-five yet, maybe." His jaw fell open. "And, you, but then, you were just a kid! Not even!" She said, "I don't remember Earth. I was only two when we went to Namek."

"Hold old were you-"

"I was young when we were taken from Namek. I don't remember," she interrupted. He looked at Videl and she said, "I can't remember anymore. I don't even know how old I am. We've been all across the galaxies and time is different everywhere." Pan said, "Depending on the Sun and other planets, a planet could have two sunrises like this one or only rise for a day and be gone for two nights' time. On Namek, there was no nightfall, only day."

Videl changed the subject. "Well, what do you two do?" Vegeta remained quiet, still enjoying his food, trying to slow down and enjoy it. "We're bounty hunters," Briefs said. "We make money and live our lives," he reasoned. Pan nodded. "You kill for money," she said firmly. Briefs' eyes widened. She said, "You only ever come home with currency, so, you either kill your bounty or sell it. I'm assuming you kill them."

"We don't have much to trade for currency," Pan said. "We only knew how to sell ourselves rather than a trade we might have. People are more willing to own something like property rather than pay to have someone work for them." Videl rested her chin in her hand once more. "Yeah," she agreed. "I don't remember when we worked like this. Other than living on Namek. Being privately owned wasn't always a luxury we had."

"Privately owned?" Briefs asked. Videl looked over at him and nodded. "We were often in a harem, assigned, or taken in by a group. It wasn't until we were gifted to a monarch that we had any special treatment."

"What happened?" Briefs pondered. She shrugged, "A coup, and we were sold again. Simply put we were traded." She felt the odd tension between them and tried to slip away from the questions. "We've never lived alone like we are here." Videl rose to pick up the empty plates and her hand grazed Vegeta's as she took his plate. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "We're learning to live together without having to really answer to anyone," Pan explained. Vegeta groused at her. "We don't own you," he corrected firmly.

Pan fiddled with the ring on her thumb. "Your ring," Briefs said, nodding at her. "It's not metal," he noted Videl's actions to physically move away from the conversation. He pointed at the ring and Pan looked down at it. She smiled. "It's a horn," she said. "Before we were sold to Brolick I was a bodyguard and this was a trophy from the last person I killed." Briefs' eyes widened. "Y-You killed?" he asked. Vegeta's attention was finally pulled away from the food. She nodded. "Yes, I was a guard." Vegeta looked at Videl, seeing her blushing madly. Briefs asked, "And you?" Videl quietly whispered, "I, I, we were treated like property. Owners come and go and take as they please."

Vegeta shifted the conversation. "And you," Vegeta asked, "how old are you?" Videl looked at him and then at Pan. "If, if she is nearly twenty then I'm forty-two," she said. Briefs choked on his food and Vegeta's eyes widened. "You, you can't be!" Videl looked at them and shook her head. "I had her when Gohan and I were twenty-two," she said. "He passed when he was only twenty-three."

"Is my age so surprising?" she asked. "You're only four years older than me and you look so much younger," Briefs excused. Videl laughed, "That's because I've been spoiled." Vegeta ticked his head in agreement. She was a fine woman, it was no wonder that she looked so lovely. His thoughtful action caught Videl's attention and she smiled at him. "Well, how old are you?" she asked Vegeta. "Sixty-one," he said dryly. "WHAT?!" Pan and Videl yelled. Vegeta scratched his face and said, "Saiyans don't start aging until we're about eighty. We keep our younger faces because we traveled the galaxies to take over planets." Videl said, "Well, I guess you can keep up with us. Being youthful, you know." He stared at her. She was a shy one but, he knew now she was confident with her beauty and the gleam in her eyes didn't go unnoticed.

Briefs noticed the look between them and looked to Pan. "Could I invite you to sit outside with me?" he asked. She smiled and rose from her seat. "Of course." Videl took a seat across from Vegeta once more, knowing he wasn't too ready for her to sit side by side with him. She knew he wasn't going to let her sit at his side. He didn't trust her, but he would converse with her. She had just settled into the seat before she suddenly sat up straight. "I almost forgot! I've got something sweet," she said as she rose from her seat as well while Briefs and Pan slipped out the front door. "Do you want some?" Briefs asked and she shook her head. "I don't really like sweets," she said.

Briefs eased to sit on the porch front, letting his legs swing off of the front seat. "So," she asked, "your mom?" He nodded and said, "She's been gone for a long time." She took a seat next to him and said, "I heard she was wicked smart." He nodded. "And, your dad? Is he-" He eased back onto his hands and said, "When mom died it broke him. And then," he paused, "everyone else was gone. So, we left. He took me away from all of it. It wasn't a clean start, we moved around. Learning how to live and how to survive."

"You've settled here," she reasoned. "It's quiet, seems peaceful." Briefs shrugged. "Dad is a Saiyan and was a known prince," he teased. "It's now a title he runs from. He doesn't want to be a prince when he chose to be my father instead."

"You live in hiding?" she asked. He shook his head. "We live safely away from the world," he murmured. It wasn't in hiding, they just lived away from the heritage that his father was born into. She tucked her knees up and rested her head on her knees. "Good to know that it's safe here," she observed. He looked up at the setting suns and nodded, "Safe. Quiet. Home." She said, "You both work though? We won't get in the way of that?" He hopped off of the porch and held his hand to hers.

"With our work, you don't bother us," he winked at her, "much." She stumbled when she slipped down, standing beside him. "Walk me home?" He was so open with his flirting. She wasn't used to it. Instead, she was used to a man's want, not his patience to smile or wink at her. Men would stare at her in hunger, never in jest and honestly, it was a rare day that she ever had to lay down with one. She swallowed as she tucked herself away from him, refusing his outstretched hand. She stood at his side, still keeping a distance from him. He smiled at her and lowered his hand, unoffended. It wasn't a far walk to their home, one could see to the others' homes. Their home was in view of theirs, though, the home they were in was closest to the water. It was hidden just south of their home. Visitors from the neighboring town couldn't see the home unless they came over the far hill just east of them. Pan walked with him, enjoying the quietness between them. He paused at the walkway to his home and smiled at the worn grass walkway leading up to his door. "It won't be long before your home will have a trail like this to its door." He took a step into his and said, "You'll wear the ground through, knowing how to get home." He looked at her and emotion hit her hard. "Stable and stationary. It's not extravagant, but you'll have a place to call home." He smiled. "You can walk back, yes?" She nodded, keeping quiet as she turned away and headed back.

She stared down at the ground to watch her feet as they slipped through the grass. It was tall and came up to her shins. But, as she walked she understood what he meant. Her feet would leave footprints that separated the grass and she would leave her mark on the grounds below her. "Finally back I see." Her head rose and she looked upon Vegeta. He stood at her doorway, the door shut firmly behind him. His arms were crossed along his chest before he arched a brow and stepped down to the grass. She realized then that Trunks had let her walk back alone but Vegeta had waited until she had gotten back safely.

She felt some sort of power and control from them but also understood that he and Briefs cared a bit about her mother and her. She nodded and he took his leave. She walked up to the house and eased inside, ending the evening with her goodbye to Vegeta.

He could admit it wasn't a poor evening to have to leave from, after all, he was on duty this evening and would be leaving before the first dawn. He noted he would miss Videl's smile, enough to look forward to coming home.