Hey everyone, back again. Thanks again to everyone who has been reviewing so far! You guys are all the absolute best people in the world!! Anyways, just a WARNING this fic is rated M for a reason so if you cannot handle that please hit the back button now, for everyone else, enjoy!!
By the time everyone else returned later that evening, Pan had showered and scrubbed Vegeta's scent from her body, her muscles slightly aching. She couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. Vegeta had told her he loved her, and that made the mark he left on her as his mate all the more precious.
"Hey, we're back!"
"You should have come with us Pan; you would have loved the movie!" Bra said ecstatically.
"I'll take your word for it."
"Well, "Trunks said, "Since you couldn't come with us, we all decided that we would bring the movies to you!"
Pan saw the large bag full of videos in Trunk's hand. She didn't even want to know what he and Goten had picked out. Knowing them it was probably nothing but action flicks and horror movies.
"Bra, please tell me there is something watchable in that bag."
"Don't worry. I convinced the guys to let me do all the picking this time."
"Good!"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Goten asked.
"Nothing. So what else did you guys bring back?" Pan asked, gesturing to the other sack Trunks carried.
"Just a few snacks and stuff. Popcorn, frozen pizza, the usual movie foods."
"Yeah, now all we gotta do is pick a movie and make the food."
Pan laughed at the look on Goten's face when he mentioned food. Her uncle was just like her grandpa. Always, always eating. She wondered how they managed to stay in shape eating like that when they weren't training. Must be a saiyin thing, she decided.
"Hey Panda, want to give me a hand with this stuff in the kitchen?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah, Panda, give the guy a hand!"
"Goten!" Bra scolded.
"Sure Trunks, I'll help out."
Trunks and Pan maneuvered around each other easily enough in the kitchen, joking lightly as they prepared the snacks, yet there was something thick that hung in the air between them. Every time Pan looked his way, she noticed Trunks was staring at her. Something in that look made her shiver from head to toe. Maybe it was the resemblance to his father that did, or the fact that was also a saiyin. Either way, there were things between them that had long gone unsaid.
"We really missed you at the movies tonight Panda," Trunks said hugging her from behind, "I missed you…."
"How was the show?" Pan asked, jumping down from the tree she'd been climbing.
"Okay, it would have been better with you there," Trunks said, wrapping his arms around her.
Despite the age difference, Trunks and Pan had been nearly inseparable. Everyone approved and watched with amusement as love began to blossom between them. Everyone thought it was so cute the way they looked together and there were never any objections to the match. After all, they were both saiyins, so who better for them to be with than each other.
"I wish I could have gone with you, but Dad…well, you know how he is lately."
"Yeah, I really missed you Panda."
Pan smiled up into the shining eyes of her beloved Trunks. For so long she had thought of him as her knight in shining armor. One day he was going to sweep her away and rescue her from the nightmare her life had become since her mother died. She had not a single hesitation when Trunks lowered his lips to hers in the gentlest of kisses. Suddenly the door of her home slammed open and an angry Gohan stood in the doorway.
"PAN! Get in here NOW!"
Pan looked hesitantly at Trunks. She was looking to him to save her, to give her any excuse not to go in that house.
"It's alright. I'll wait right here for you."
Trunks watched as Pan slunk over to the house, the door slamming shut behind her as she went inside. Gohan had had Bulma install special wiring throughout the house, so no one would know when someone had raised their ki. The whole thing made Trunks extremely nervous. Now he had no way of knowing what was happening to his precious Panda inside that house. For a moment he thought of rushing back to Capsule, to get his parents. They would know what to do, because at that time he was at a loss as to what to do. He couldn't just go busting into the house, could he?
Just as he was about to fly back home in search of help, the front door opened and Pan came running out.
"Pan!"
"Trunks!"
Tears were streaming down her face as she flung herself into his arms. Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs.
"Pan, what happened?" Trunks asked, lifting her chin towards him.
When Pan looked up both shock and anger swept through Trunks. Deep bruises decorated her cheeks where Gohan had so obviously hit her. He had always known Pan to be so strong, but her age, she was no match for her father and his explosive temper.
"He's mad again…you should go…"
A week later it was over for the love birds.
"Why Trunks? Why now?" Pan demanded, her heart breaking.
"I can't keep doing this Pan. I can't keep watching you hurt like this. How am I supposed to help you if you won't let me in?"
"Trunks, you don't understand! It isn't that simple!"
"No, but maybe it could have been, if you'd let me help you. Instead you go and pull this tough girl act and keep pushing me away. I can't be with someone who won't let me get close. I'm sorry…I'll miss you Panda."
It was the last time he called her by her nickname. The last time he had held her.
"Trunks! TRUNKS!"
Without so much as a look back, Trunks flew back home with Pan's cries chasing after him…
"Why, was Bra driving you guys completely crazy?" Pan asked, moving out of the circle of his arms.
"Hardly. She was too busy playing tonsil hockey with Goten to notice anything else."
"Awww. Don't tell me you're jealous because you were the only guy at the movies with no one to make out with."
"No. It's just…seeing them and the way they are together, and with everything that happened this morning, it made me realize just how important you are to me," Trunks said.
Pan leaned back against the kitchen counter where Trunks had effectively captured her with one arm on either side of her.
"I miss you…I miss us. I think about you all the time. Pan, I never should have let you go."
His voice was trembling now and he couldn't quite look her in the eye, but every word he said was true. Pan shook her head sadly. Damn him. Why now? Why wait all this time? Why couldn't he have realized this sooner? Before she had given herself to another, before she had fully given in to her love for Vegeta. She was his mate now. There was no way she could be with Trunks. Not now, not even if she wanted to. But Trunks had so badly broken her heart back then that even now it still hurt. Even she hadn't given herself to Vegeta, there was still no way she could be with him.
"But you did. You let me go Trunks. You didn't even try to hold on to me! You know, I used to think you were my knight in shining armor, my once upon a time…but you know what you taught me? You and my father? That real life once upon a time's, don't always end in happily ever after!"
"Panda…"
"Don't! Just don't," Pan said, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "You broke my heart, and never once did you say you were sorry! Either of you!"
"Well I'm saying it now! I'm sorry Pan. I'm sorry that I was so stupid! That I hurt you! I'm sorry that he hurt you! That I couldn't protect you!"
"It's too little too late Trunks…"
"Pan wait….please, please just think about it? I still love you…"
"I'm going to bed. I need time to think."
With those parting words, Pan left the others to their night of movies. Heavy hearted once more, Pan trudged up the stairs in search of much needed sleep. She had just reached the guest room at the end of the hall when a door behind her opened, a voice she had been longing to hear all night called out to her.
"Pan, come here…."
So what did you think? Please review!! But remember, please be kind with your reviews!! Thanks for reading and I will see you in the next chapter!