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CHAPTER 7

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It's still nighttime when I wake up in a vaguely familiar bedroom, covered by a grey comforter from the waist down and beside me, snoring peacefully, is the man I had kicked off the bed just hours before.

"Did you have a bad dream?" A small voice asks. I must've sensed her watching me sleep, which would explain why I'm suddenly awake.

"Fable! You scared me!" I gasp, placing my hand over my chest to steady my heart beat.

Fable, standing by my side of the bed, reaches her finger out to touch my cheek. She frowns." Your face is sticky."

"Yeah.I guess I was having a bad dream." I stretch and slide out of bed." Come on, I'll tuck you back in bed."

She clings to my hand as I lead her across the hall to her bedroom.

"You're not going to leave me forever, are you?" She asks after I pull the covers up to her chin.

I try to smile a reassuring smile as I lie to her face." No."

"Good. I never want you to leave." Fable yawns and snuggles into her pillow." Daddy would be very sad if you left forever. I would be sad too."

I lean forward, kiss her on the forehead, stand up, trip over a toy, and make it to the light switch when she says," I love you mommy."

Gulping, I reply. "I love you too, now go to sleep."

. + . + . + . + .

Steam rises from the shower and sticks to the mirror and windows in a heavy fog, leaving me behind to shiver as water droplets race down my body.

There's a small towel hanging from the hook nearby, and I take it, wrap it tightly around my body, and pad back to the bedroom where Trunks is sleeping peacefully on the bed. He yawns, smacks his jaw like he's chewing something in his dream, and rolls over on his stomach. It's impossible to stay mad at him for sneaking in bed with me while I was sleeping. He looks too innocent when he's asleep.

I don't dare take my eyes off him as I make my way to the closet, clumsily bumping my hips into the dresser in the process and knocking over a bottle of perfume. Turning on the lights or actually focusing on where I'm going instead of Trunks would help, but who knows what Trunks will do when he sees that the only thing keeping me from being naked is a short towel?

At least it covers the important stuff, barely. I have a feeling this is one of Fable's towels due to its short length.

Trunks rolls over onto his side.

My breath catches. Seconds pass. Trunks doesn't move, and his breathing continues steadily as before. I relax slightly, daring to look away so I can open the closet doors. My heart accelerates, and my body freezes under the large eyes of the woman staring back at me from within the doors. I blink, the woman blinks too. Who is she? I quickly realize the answer when I shift under the towel, to keep it from sliding off, and she does the same.

It's me! I forgot the closet has mirror doors. I stick out my tongue in disgust, clearly able to see Trunks sleeping behind me. Of course he'd want large mirrors in the bedroom. Pervert.

I study myself in the mirrors, lifting my hands to touch my cheek and pull up my eyebrows. I'm a lot older than the last time I saw my reflection. My cheeks have slimmed. Strands of grey hairs stick out to me, although they aren't terribly noticeable. My eyebrows are a different style, pointed down instead of arched. Of course, that could just be my gloomy expression. My bangs are longer, strings of them fall past my eyebrows less than a centimeter away from my eyes, while the rest flow with the rest of my hair a little past the shoulders. My skin is still pale, never could get a nice tan, but I don't remember ever being this pale.

This isn't me, but I know that it is. This is who I am now.

Trunks doesn't make a sound as he rises out of bed. Before I know it, his lips are pressing against my shoulder. I don't turn my attention away from my reflection, but all my senses are completely devoted to him now. He parts his lips, gently trapping my skin in his teeth, tasting me with his moist tongue. A popping noise echoes in the quiet room when he pulls away, his soft lips leaving behind a trail of kisses as he skims up my neck, stopping behind my ear to whisper," You weren't in bed."

In the mirror I look into his blue eyes. Everything in the room is a mixture of black, white and dark blue, even the landscape outside is a dark blue. That slow transition when night slowly becomes day.

"I had to take a shower. My sweat made me sticky," I murmur. Why would he care where I was? So what if I wasn't in bed? He shouldn't have snuck in the bed I had kicked him out of in the first place!

Trunks places his hand over the left side of my waist. Before I can react, he steps back, turns me around, tugs off the towel and falls on the bed with me on top of him. I blush, and quickly cover my breasts with my arms, diving into the pillow next to him. Is he insane? What is he thinking!

I yelp in surprise as Trunks grips my ankles and pulls me to him, guiding my legs securely around his hips.

Trunks smirks, rubbing his hands along my thighs. I purse my lips, refusing to make any sound that would embarrass me and delight him. This is a game, that's all. He's just teasing me, like always.

"Did you mean what you said to Fable?" He asks, lightly pinching my right thigh." You really won't leave us? You'll stay, forever?"

"You faker! You were awake and listening the whole time? Haven't you ever heard of a private conversation!"

Trunks grins.

My face hardens. "No. I did not mean it. Once I remember everything, I'm leaving the both of you."

"No, you're not."

"Excuse me?"

Trunks sighs." Face it, Pan. You love me, and you care about Fable. "

"That's not true!" I yell, wishing he'd let go of me, and hating myself for partially enjoying this. Trunks raises his eyebrows and glances down at the front of his sweatpants which is pressed tightly against me. I blush. My body has betrayed me again!" I just took a shower. . .I haven't completely dried off. . . It has nothing to do with you so stop smirking!"

Trunks shrugs." You've got to stop lying to yourself, Pan."

"Why did we get married? From what I can remember, we didn't exactly get along. "I ask, steering the conversation onto him while sitting up and wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my nails into his skin, determined to get some answers.

Trunks positions his hands over my lower back, and glances down at my exposed breasts. I don't blush. Not wearing any clothes. . . locked in each other's embrace. . . all of it feels right, almost natural, like I've been naked in front of him for years. I guess, technically, I have.

Trunks' hooded eyes stare into mine. "Because I love you."

"Because you love me," I repeat, not believing it for a second." Allowing me to think you hate me, and making my high school life miserable enough to make me want to transfer to a college on the other side of the world is your way of showing that you love me? If being mean is the new way of showing love, then I know at least a dozen people who love me."

Trunks has confirmed what I've suspected for years: he's an idiot.

His eyes dart across my face, as if he were trying to read a book. My cheeks redden, but I don't look away. It's awkward talking intimately like this with him. His honesty and ability to comfortably talk to me about his feelings - - about anything! - - isn't what I was expecting. Isn't there a joke or condescending response he'd like to throw into the conversation? When did he become the mature one?

" I was tired of being friends, that's why I relentlessly pulled pranks on you." He explains, stroking the back of his hand against my cheek.

"I liked being friends. . . " I whisper. It's hard to talk normally, hearing him say he didn't want to be my friend hurts more than I ever thought it could. Is this how Trunks felt when I told him I hated him? Did he feel like knives were being shoved in his chest and through his heart, too? I want to pull away, but Trunks' hand on my lower back keeps me from escaping. I don't have the energy to fight him.

"So did I, until you started to become a woman," Trunks smiles." Don't give me that clueless look, other boys started seeing you as a woman, too, not just me. I knew you'd never consider me as anything but a good friend, so, in my foolish mind I thought that if we weren't friends then maybe you'd see me the way I saw you." He chuckles, and leans his forehead against mine." I guess I took it too far. When I realized you were starting to hate me. . . I thought it was too late. . ."

He kisses me. I don't kiss back or push him away.

"I used to ask you the same question." He purrs into my ear.

"What question?" I ask, forcing my voice to stay steady.

" Why did you marry me? You know what your answer was?" He pauses." 'Because I love you'."

" I don't love you." I shake my head, trying to convince myself more than him. It's hard to see myself in love with him. It's hard to see myself ever agreeing to marry him! Did I really say that once? Can I really believe he's loved me all these years? " You don't love me, either."

Trunks exhales through his nose. He pushes me off him, and I fall back on the bed. My head tilts to the side, and I watch him stand up. He paces from the bed to the dresser over a dozen times, all while shaking his head and throwing his hands in the air, as if he were having an internal argument with himself. Finally, he stops and says," You've left me no choice." He removes his shirt, exposing his sun-tanned muscles." I'll show you how much I love you and how much you love me."

I smile as Trunks removes his sweat pants. I know I won't stop him from giving me his love, my body has been aching for it ever since the towel slipped.

Trunks smirks, then lifts the sheets over our naked forms.

. + . + . + .+ .

The afternoon sun pouring through the windows isn't what wakes me up, I realize. I tilt my head to the left, where Trunks is snoring beside me, and at the bedroom door. My ears strain, certain I heard something before.

Knock.

Knock.

"Mommy, Daddy. . . are you guys up yet? "The doorknob jiggles. I lift the sheets higher over my breasts and cover Trunks' shoulders. Fable peeks her head in, sees that I'm awake, and smiles, opening the door all the way. " Good morning!"

"Good morning," I smile, while casually punching Trunks in the shoulder. What does she want? Get up Trunks! I'm not used to being a mom yet!

"Hmm?" Trunks grunts, not opening his eyes.

Fable slowly walks to his side of the bed. Her large dark eyes looking suspiciously guilty. Trunks plays dead and pretends not to sense Fable staring at him. Sighing, I pat my side of the bed, and she hesitantly walks toward me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, reaching out to stroke some of her wavy, brown hair. She's still dressed in her pink pajamas and her hair looks like a lion's mane. Fable bites her lower lip and glances at Trunks' back.

"Do I have to go?"

I frown." What do you mean? Where are you going?"

"I don't want to go to her house," She continues." I want to stay here with you, Mommy."

Her? Who's Her? Is she a friend or something? I pat Fable's head as she starts to cry. I'm really no good with children, but it hurts me to see her upset. " Yeah, of course you can stay with me. Shh, don't cry Fable."

"Please. . .don't. . .be. . . mad with me!" She sobs.

"No. I'm not mad. If you don't want to go to her house, that's okay."

Fable wipes her nose with the sleeve of her pajamas, again she glances at Trunks." No, not that."

I bite my lower lip, confused again. Geez, this kid likes to switch topics quickly. At least give me a warning. Was I like this when I was a kid?

"I. . ." Fable looks away from me as she mumbles." I was so hungry and you guys were sleeping. . . I thought I'd make myself some breakfast, so I put my bowl of cereal in the oven. . . "

"In the oven?" I echo.

She nods." Yeah, isn't that how you're supposed to cook, by putting food in the oven?"

"Sometimes- - " My voice is cut off by the beeping of the smoke alarm.

Trunks curses, jumps from the bed and quickly puts on his sweat pants. "Dammit, not again!" He rushes out of the room. Fable and I say nothing while we listen to him use the fire extinguisher. Some of the smoke drifts into the bedroom. It stinks, but it's not deadly. Down the hall, Trunks shouts." Fable! Come help me open the windows! Now!"

"Okay!" Fable chirps, jumping off the bed and running down the hall.

"What did I tell you about using the oven?"

I discard the sheet on my way to the dresser, picking out a pair of panties, socks, a bra, and a pair of shorts and one of Trunks' grey shirts to wear. My taste in clothes has drastically changed since I was seventeen. Long black skirts, button up shirts, simple shoes, and cashmere sweaters. . . did I rob a school teacher's wardrobe or something? Plain T-shirts and jeans is all I need.

After brushing my teeth, I stop in front of a pair French white doors on my way to the kitchen. I try to open them, but they're locked. I press my forehead against the window, and cup my hands around the corners of my eyes as I try to peer through the white curtains covering the doors on the other side. I can't make out the silhouettes of the objects inside, which only makes me more curious.

Someone knocks on the front door. I look in the direction of the kitchen, where Trunks is lecturing Fable about house fires as he prepares her something to eat. I shrug. Might as well answer the door since Trunks is busy.

There's a second knock, and I open the door immediately after.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

The woman repositions the yellow purse draped over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the ground as she asks." Is Fable ready?"

Who is this woman? I bite my lower lip, remembering how Fable told me she didn't want to go with her. Is this her?

The woman peeks up at me, her dark eyes looking eerily familiar. I find myself drawn to her gold necklace, which stands out against the black turtle neck she's wearing. Grey jeans. Short black boots. Thick, wavy brown hair. . .My stomach tightens, my body coming to an understanding before me.

"Fable doesn't want to go with you today," I stutter, almost choking on my words.

The woman lifts her head and finally looks at me. Tears well in her eyes and her voice cracks." B-but that isn't what we agreed. Trunks said I could see her once a week. He promised!" She buries her face in her hands and begins to cry." I knew she'd never forgive me!"

I blink away the tears from my eyes and force myself to speak." Who are you?"

She pulls her hands away, unaware of the mascara trailing down from her face." Pan, you know me." She stares at me a long time, but I don't recognize her. " It's me. . .Valese."

" Valese? Goten's girlfriend? You're THAT Valese?"

Valese's lips pull back in a painful grimace after I mention Goten's name. More tears flow, and she stomps her right foot from the emotional pain she's feeling. "Why would you say that to me? Do you still hate me, too? I said I was sorry, Pan. If I could go back in time it never would've happened!"

Trunks pushes past me and places both of his hands on Valese's shoulders." This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault!"

I'm not aware that Fable is standing beside me until Valese stops crying and stretches her arms out for her. Fable wraps both of her arms around my leg and screams." No! I don't want to go with you. You're not my mommy!" She squeezes my leg tighter, and looks up at me." You're my mommy. Not her. I want to stay with you forever. Please don't make me go."

The words I whisper hurt me as much as it hurts her. " You're not my daughter."

Fable unleashes me and runs into the house, crying. Valese runs after her, but the sound of Fable slamming her bedroom door keeps Valese out.

Ignoring the drama inside the house, I glare at Trunks' guilty face.

"She isn't my daughter, is she?" I say again, hoping he'll prove me wrong or deny it.

"No." His jaw clenches, and his words are strained as he says, "I'm so sorry, Pan."

. + . + . +. + .