OH MY STARS… It's been a while. Hope you all are doing well! I am terribly sorry for the wait. I've been in and out of doctors, physio etc for various things- the main one being my left wrist. For those who don't know, I damaged the cartilage a few months back and have been in a cast ever since… It's not healing and I'm back to wearing a splint until I see the surgeon in Feb...

This chapter is a bit on the serious side, but I do hope you enjoy :) Thank you all for your patience.


Saiyans rule – I know right, just want to hug him lol. Thank you :) yes it was Gohan.

ArmyWife22079– I was thinking about making Gohan a hard ass, but I changed my mind because I love him lol… Hopefully, I did him justice *hides* Yep, I can so picture him doing that! She has met him, briefly lol.

RedSakura19 – Thank you :) Men like that are certainly hard to come by lol. He won't be. I hope you like it! Ah Goten ever the melodramatic one lmao

NiceNipps – Ah, I hope you like my little twist where Gohan's concerned. Yep, I'm sure Goku and Vegeta will meet along the way :D

A Beautiful KaitAstrophe – I love him too and my lips are sealed lol. I wouldn't mind either *wiggles eyebrows* I do hope you like where it's heading and the whole Gohan/Trunks bit lol

LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta – He won't as far as I'm aware lol… Sorry about the wait, here ya go!

Nechi Son – Lmao… It's only Gohan hehehe.

msanimegeek – So sorry! Yes he is and you'll see below lol. Lmao… Poor Chi-Chi ;p

Prisci99 – It won't be bad, I promise lol. Thank you so much :D

famoso – He does indeed. That's so true, I must've been in Saiyan mode when I thought about the frying pan lmao. He won't be… Thank you so much for being patient and I'm sorry about the wait.

Daughter Of Vegeta – lol… Thank you Ash :D

Awesomegirl789 – It's Gohan… Sorry no jealous Trunks lol Thank you :)

Vegetable lov3r – I hear you. I can just picture his expression when he says it lol. Every girls dream… at least it should be lmao.

seoulandheart– Thank you :) I love some fluffiness every now and the lol. Hope you like it!

Kasumi Michealis – Yes it is… lol He so does, we'll have to see where it goes hehehe

Star – Thank you :) Here ya go!

Guest – Thank you :) Here ya go!

Janie – Hiya Janie, it's been a while, eh? Sorry about the wait… Here ya go!

Violet Ace – Awe, sorry about the wait. Thank you so much. I do appreciate it and I hope you like this chappie :)

Guest – Sorry about the wait. Here ya go!

Uka – lol… Sorry about the wait. Here ya go! Thank you :)

jbkb – Thank you, I'm glad you like it so far and hope you will continue reading.


Chapter 13

Trunks sat behind his desk, staring at the contact details Pan's father had left close to a month ago. He had been sick a few days after they returned from Mount Paozu, and this was his first day back at work- His mother had left strict instructions that he not be disturbed with any work or messages. So, here he was contemplating whether he should call right away, or speak to Pan first…

Apparently, Gohan had called a few times and was not impressed that his messages were not being passed on- Well, that's what Mrs Ross had said. His mother had been a great help while he was away, but he still had heaps of backed up paperwork and people he had to call back, that only he could deal with. The last thing he wanted or needed was to deal with his girlfriend's father on his first day back.

Trunks blew out a frustrated breathe. "Now or never I guess… Should I speak to Pan first...?" He bit his lip, deciding not to involve Pan yet…

He picked up the receiver and dialled…

"Hello…" The person greeted after three rings.

Trunks was a bit startled to hear a man's voice straight away, did her father have a male receptionist? "Err… Hello, this is Trunks Briefs for Mr-"

"Well, I thought you would never return my calls."

So, it was her father. He must've left his private number. "Sorry, I was sick… Highly contagious…"

"So I heard." Gohan paused briefly. "Listen, I'll cut to the chase. I would like to speak with you about my daughter."

"I see… go ahead, I'm listening." Trunks responded nonchalantly.

"Not over the phone, can we arrange to meet soon?"

"Sure…"

"Is tomorrow a good time?"

"Sure…"

"You certainly don't have a large vocabulary for a lucrative businessman."

"I just don't have much to say to you."

Gohan scoffed. "I'll see you tomorrow around lunch time then."

"Sure…" Trunks hung up before Gohan could retort.

###

Trunks rubbed the back of his neck as he entered the bedroom… He smiled while gazing at her sleeping form, soft snores emitting from her mouth. It had been a long day and all he wanted was to lie down and close his eyes before the next one- one he was slightly dreading.

He removed his clothes, opting not to shower and climbed in beside her. He was contemplating earlier whether he should go home, but nothing could relieve his stress faster than seeing and holding her.

She stirred when he pulled her close. "Trunks… what time is it?" she croaked.

"Shh, sleep… It's just after 10."

"Did you have dinner?"

"I'm not hungry." He kissed her neck. "Go back to sleep."

She could hear the stress in his voice and turned in his arms- fully awake now. "What's wrong?"

He looked at her for a long while… "Nothing…"

She cocked her brows not believing him. "I've been with you long enough to know when you're lying…"

"Just work… come on, sleep."

"Trunks…" she said warningly.

He sighed. "I spoke to your father today; he's coming to see me tomorrow."

This time she sat up. "And, you weren't going to tell me! What does he want?"

"I didn't want you to worry; I know how you feel about your parents. I thought I would hear him out first."

"You thought! Why are you getting involved without informing me? Had I known I would've asked you not to do this?"

He closed his eyes… He wasn't in the mood to argue and he knew that's exactly where their conversation was heading.

"He called me up a long time ago, Pan. I thought of leaving it, but he's persistent."

"So, you knew a long time ago! How long…?"

"No, I only found out today. He's been leaving messages with Mrs Ross. The first time was when I came to Mount Paozu."

"This is not your problem, Trunks!" She spoke an octave louder than was necessary.

"Are you honestly going to argue with me about this when I myself had nothing to do with it?"

"You certainly have something to do with it now!"

He sat up on the side of the bed. "This was a bad idea, maybe I should leave."

"Maybe you should!"

He got dressed in silence. She was lying down with her back to him. Why was she so upset? He had no control over Gohan's actions. What was he supposed to do if the man insisted on speaking with him?

"You are being childish, you know!" He couldn't leave well enough alone.

"Piss off…"

"Fine… I thought we were in this together. I thought maybe I could make your father see how wonderful you turned out, and how happy we are."

She turned around to face him, eyes blazing. "You thought! You thought. You do not decide when I'm ready to have my father back in my life! You do not decide how we should smooth things over with him. This has nothing to do with you! Who are you to make decisions for me?"

"You know what. I don't know what your problem is, or why you're jumping down my throat. Last time I checked, I thought I was your boyfriend. The person who has been by your side for the last few months… Helping you-"

"And, there it is." She interjected, throwing her hands in the air. "I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass. This is why I refused when you insisted! I did not ask for your help, Trunks and I certainly don't need it when it comes to my father!"

"You're being irrational and cutting me off before I have a chance to finish!"

"I don't need to hear you finish to know what you were about to say."

"Stop acting as if you know me so well!" He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Well, I certainly don't, or you wouldn't be doing things behind my back!"

"I am not doing anything behind your back!" He held his hand up in resignation. "I'm going to leave before we both say things we'll regret…"

"Fine… I already regret all of it!"

He looked at her crossly and just shook his head before going home without uttering another word.

###

Both Trunks and Pan had a sleepless night. Both felt like they had huge hangovers the next morning. Trunks couldn't get over how unreasonable she had been, and she had hurt him with her words. He loved her so and he would do anything for her. He really didn't expect her to blow up like she did at the news of her father. He was yearning to see her, to fix things. Though he wouldn't, he could be just as stubborn, and she had upset him for no reason. All he wanted was to rest peacefully beside her, but now he was aggravated and feeling irritable.

Pan was worried and feeling remorseful. She was worried about more than just her father's visit. It actually started a few days prior. She told Trunks she was going out with her uncle- which she did, but before then she had a doctor's appointment. She never really felt herself after she was so sick in Mount Paozu… She had been okay for a few days, and her and Trunks even had great sex before he got sick, and now she was feeling under the weather again… That was until the doctor called her with her blood results just hours before her tiff with Trunks- which ultimately explained why.

She was hoping to sit down with him and find out how he felt about their future before making any decisions. Her father did not fit into the equation at the moment. He was by all means the last person she needed to see or hear about right now. She only hoped that Trunks would forgive her. She never meant to say all of those things to him… She felt like the biggest bitch on earth!

###

Trunks sat with his head in his hands listening as the seconds ticked by. He would be here at any moment and Trunks was in no mood to face him. Why was he doing this anyway? Pan certainly made it clear that she didn't want him involved. It made him question where their relationship was heading, and just how big of a role he would have in her future. Was there a future for them?

He was too old for all this crap. Women were complicated beings, he should've known better than to get too serious, but Pan's different. He knew that, and he loved her more than he ever loved anyone. The only explanation was that she was having a bad day, too. She may be stressed about something completely unrelated and this just tipped the barrel… Now he felt like a complete dick for the way he acted. He of all people should've noticed that she was acting out of character. Well, what's done is done. He would have to deal with her father first, before talking to her…

He looked up when he heard the door opening. Mrs Ross entered, followed by a man who was unmistakably Gohan Son.

"Thank you, Mrs Ross. Would you mind getting some coffee?" He looked at Gohan who nodded in agreement, "and maybe a few pastries?"

"Already on its way, Mr Briefs..."

He smiled knowingly. Now, there's the Pan I know and love.

"Please, sit." He gestured once they were alone.

"How is she?" Gohan asked.

"She's good, but you should really be speaking to her, Mr Son."

"Call me Gohan…"

"As you wish… I'm not really sure why you're approaching me first. This estrangement from your daughter started long before I came along." Trunks was trying his best to look confident about his and Pan's relationship when he himself was not sure at this point.

"I doubt she would want to see me."

"You're not wrong about that." He mumbled.

"Hence the reason I'm here."

It was then that Trunks noticed how nervous and stressed Gohan was.

"You know, I did a lot of things I regret. But, what I did to Pan was the worst and something not worth her forgiveness. I know you think I'm a bastard, after the way I treated her. I'm sure she's told you all about me and her mother."

"I do, though it's not my place to cast judgment. I can merely support the woman I love and stand by whatever decision she makes. Like I said, I was not involved with your family's affairs, and Pan confided in me when she told me about her upbringing. I must admit, I am angry for her part. I have seen her at her lowest and I have witnessed how much she's thrived since then. I don't know your reasons for being here, but if it is to come between us… There's the door." Trunks looked at him pointedly. "Pan is happy, we're happy and I will not let anyone or anything ruin that."

He wasn't sure whether he should mention her recent reconciliation with the rest of her family. He opted not to, it was none of Gohan's business and Pan should be the one to disclose that in any case. This talk he gathered was about his relationship with Pan- at least he hoped.

Gohan studied the man opposite him. Trunks' reputation definitely preceded him. "I've been an unworthy father. I expected a lot of things of my daughter and at the time I was only doing what I thought was best for her. I wanted her to have a good life and a stable relationship when she was old enough. I thought arranging her marriage would benefit her, save her the trouble of heartache and misery. I did, and said a lot of unforgivable things. I was bitter for a long time. It killed my marriage and I became estranged from my parents. My wife stood by me and my decisions for years, but in the end it was too much for her. To the world we are a loving couple with a rebellious daughter. But, behind closed doors we don't even look at each other." Gohan rubbed his hands together. "When I first called you up, I was so angry. Angry that my daughter proved me wrong, that she found someone respectable all on her own. I always thought she would come crawling back, begging for my forgiveness. I believed that she would make all the wrong choices in life. You see I was brought up in the woods; my mother raised me like a sheltered child. I only saw the world when I was a teenager and I married my first love. I was afraid for my daughter, afraid the world would corrupt her.

"Your brother seems different."

"My brother, you've met Goten?"

Shit… Way to go Trunks. "Yes, he came to see Pan a while back."

"I gather he saw the announcement."

"Yes…"

"My brother was raised differently. I was a teenager when he was born, by then my mother had changed dramatically. It's because of him that I've seen what the outside world can do. Not that I'm blaming Goten. But, Pan loved her uncle, she mimicked him… Listened to his stories with wide and curious eyes and I was afraid- afraid that I would lose control, so I stopped it and I became an overprotective, unbearable person. I made sure to watch what Goten said and did around her. I pulled her out of school and she was home schooled until she was a teenager. I threatened my parents financially. I pushed my brother away. I became this horrible person who couldn't be reasoned with."

Trunks could see the remorse in the man's eyes, but he was not the one he should be seeking forgiveness from. After their phone conversation, this was the last thing Trunks was expecting. "You should talk to her, Gohan. She's got a good heart and she will listen to what you have to say."

He scoffed. "There's no way she would want to see me."

They were interrupted by Mr's Ross. She placed the tray on Trunks' desk. "Please shout if you need anything else."

"Will do, thanks…"

Trunks offered Gohan coffee and a chocolate Danish.

"She cares enough to send up some treats…"