Ch.1

I walked outside the front door into the cold night air. It felt refreshing as walked away from the house it wasn’t long till it was out of sight. I took flight to try and clear my head of the dreams that had been waking me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. And, the part I found to be the strangest was fact that I couldn’t even remember what exactly they were about but I would wake up with an image of Pan stuck in my head. This had been going on now for a week and it was starting to take its toll on me, like for example Goten just yesterday told me ‘I must be slipping’ after he hit me hard in the face while we were sparring. It seemed like I couldn’t focus on anything. And the weird thing is that I haven’t seen Pan in the last two weeks she’s been away with her mother on trip to her grandmothers, Goten had to work and Gohan didn’t want to go because he thought that being the only guy would be boring or at least that was his excuse. "I’ve got to be losing my mind," I muttered aloud as kept flying not really paying any attention to where I was going. The night air was chilly but I had on a denim jacket. I looked up at the clear night sky and wondered why I just make the dreams go away. The thing that absolutely was driving me nuts was that I couldn’t really talk to anybody about the dreams. My mom would think I’ve got a crush on her which is true but I don’t want Pan to find out from my mother that would be humiliating, Goten would probably think about the same thing but he’d make me go right up to her and say it with him probably holding me there so I wouldn’t try to run, and I couldn’t go to Gohan because well it’s his daughter and like my mom and Goten he’d think I’ve got a crush on Pan too then he’d probably try to kill me. I was all alone in trying to figure this one out.

"I wonder where Trunks ran off to in the middle of night?" Bulma said half to Vegeta, half to herself.

"How would I know? Anyways the brat can go out on his own without you holding his hand you know. And if it makes you feel any better I figure he’s probably just got something he needs to sort out in his weak little human mind," Vegeta said sounding as cold as he always did when he talked about or to Trunks.

"Yeah I guess so, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still worry."

"You worry too much. He full grown let him have some space or he’ll just remain the child he is," Vegeta said as he rolled over and went back to sleep.

"I guess your right. But I don’t think Trunks is a child, he can be very mature," Bulma said as she too lay back down to sleep.

"Whatever."

"Hey when Trunks was over yesterday for training did he seem different? You know distant," Goten said after dinner while he Gohan cleared the table.

"Yeah he seemed like he almost sleepwalking. You wouldn’t know why would you Goten?" Gohan asked with an almost concerned look on his face.

"No. He hasn’t said anything to me about anything being wrong. Well just yesterday we were sparring and I threw a punch at him, that he should’ve been able to block easily, and nailed him right in the face. He’s always been able to catch my punches before and yesterday it was like he off in space somewhere. Come to think about it he’s been like that for the past few days now."

"Well what ever it is I’m sure he’ll figure it out or he’ll come talk to one of us sooner or later."

When I got back home I noticed that everything was silent. "Good," I whispered to myself. I wasn’t in any mood to answer a million questions from my mother and or have to face my father. I went silently up to my room, changed my clothes, and got back into bed hoping that the dreams wouldn’t make a second visit tonight.

"Come on Trunks wake up. Your going to be late again if you don’t get up now," I heard my mother yell from down stairs.

"I’m up!" I yelled back as I climbed out of bed. I walked over to my closet to find something to wear then went over to my mirror to fixed my hair. When got over to the mirror I noticed my hair was going in all sorts of weird directions, probably from tossing and turning most the night. Then I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, which was something I had forgotten to do last night. Once I finished I went down stairs for breakfast and raced out the door to go to work.

On the way there I noticed Pan was outside with Videl, which meant I’d probably see her when I go over there for training later.

Work seemed to drag on forever, but now I was headed for Gohan’s house for my training session. I seemed to have an almost weak feeling in the pit of my stomach when I thought about were I was going. It made no sense. I wasn’t nervous about seeing Pan, she was my friend, and there is no reason why I should be nervous about seeing her. Then I realized I’m here and there’s no turning back. Gohan was waiting for me on the porch out front.

"Are you here today?"

I wondered what he meant, "Yeah I think so. Aren’t I standing here?"

"Yes. I ask because it was like you were off in space somewhere, but in any case you were anywhere but here."

"I’ll try to do better today. It’s just I haven’t been sleeping well this last week, but I got some sleep last night so I should be fine." It was all but an outright lie that I was fine, but Gohan accepted it and we went in and headed straight for the training room.

"Your still not focusing very well," Gohan said as I blocked his attack.

"Sorry but I am trying," I answer as I threw him an attack of my own. It had been easier to concentrate today, I guessed because I had gotten more than an hour of sleep last night. I had considered that it maybe because Pan was back but I quickly put that idea out of my mind.

"That’s enough for me," he said then stopped turned toward the door and shouted, "Pan."

Not the name I had wanted to hear. When he said ‘that’s enough for me’ I had hoped he call for Goten not Pan. I didn’t feel like I was ready to face her. Even though it was harder sparring with her then Goten but I did want the workout, but I didn’t want to face her. I know Goten’s every trick and move but he still was able to hit me pretty hard, I can’t face Pan.

"Yeah dad," she said as she came into the room looking like she’d been waiting for the chance to spar.

Ch.2

When Pan was done I was wearing a black eye. She’d already apologized at least a hundred times, it seemed that was all she could say after we were done sparring. I kept telling her that it was my fault I should’ve been paying more attention but she still kept on apologizing. The funny thing was that Pan never apologized for anything! I actually laughed about it, but as I neared home I noticed the lights were still on. My mother was waiting up for me.

"Trunks what happened!" she didn’t even let me come through the door before she grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the kitchen.

"Pan and I were sparring. I wasn’t paying any attention and she hit me," sounded so simple saying it just then

"She hit you, that little brute!"

"Mom she’s not a brute. I wasn’t paying any attention. She was sure I’d block it and when she noticed that I didn’t it was too late." She looked at me like she didn’t believe me. But to my relief she let it go.

"So you let a girl hit you. How pathetic," my father said as he looked at me from the doorway.

"Vegeta let him be. He doesn’t need you telling him stuff like that, because it’s not true."

"Yeah, right. You keep telling him that and he might start believing it," he said as he walked out of the room, probably headed for the gravity room.

"Now don’t you listen to Vegeta he doesn’t say much of anything worth hearing."

"Mom he does have a point. That was pathetic. I’ve blocked her punches a million times without missing a one."

"Now don’t you start thinking like that. Vegeta’s wrong and you should know that. Now hold this ice pack there, it will take the swelling down. And I’m going to call you off work tomorrow, I don’t think you need to go in there looking like your father been using you for target practice."

I let out a little laugh at my mom’s attempt at humor.

"Now you go get yourself some dinner, then you should go brush your teeth and go to bed."

I took my mom’s advice and ate some dinner, changed and brushed my teeth, then went to bed. But I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep long. It wasn’t long before I started to dream. It was set on a hilltop not far from my house. I had gone there many times before to sit and clear my head. And so I was sitting there starring off at the sunset, when I heard someone laughing behind me. I jumped up and got immediately into a defensive crouch when I saw who it was then immediately straightened up.

Pan walked right up to me and asked, "What are you starring at?"

Stuttering I answered, "N-N-Nothing,"

"What’s with the stuttering all the sudden? You’ve never stuttered before."

"Yeah I," I stopped mid-sentence. She looks beautiful standing there in reddish light of the setting sun.

"What? You’re starring at me like I just grew horns or something."

I let out a small laugh at her joke and moved my gaze anywhere but on her.

"So what, now your not even going to looked at me?" she said she tried to move into my line of vision.

"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?"

She looked at me like I had started speaking a foreign language. "No. Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah. I’m fine," I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach.

"So what brought about the sudden change in attitude because I need to thank them," she said as a smile spread across her fair face. I mean what girl doesn’t like getting complements?"

"Actually I’ve been meaning to say something for a long time. And you really are beautiful," I said looking into her dark eyes.

"Thanks," she said as her face began to blush.

And with that I woke up in cold sweat but this time I remembered what the dream. Went over to my to my closet and grabbed a clean tee shirt and the training pants I had on earlier then a grabbed my jacket because I knew I’d need it. Then I went down stairs and made a beeline for the front door when from behind me a voice spoke. It was Vegeta.

"So where are you going this late at night? You know your mother heard you leave last night but I convinced her that you need some space to grow up and figure things out on your own."

This was way out of character for him and I just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"She was going to ask you about it this morning but you were running late again."

I was finally able to speak, "I didn’t hear my alarm clock go off this morning."

"That’s because I turned it off last night. I didn’t think that you wanted to answer a million questions first thing in the morning. I know I wouldn’t."

He was actually being nice. He was never nice to me. "Thanks."

"So are you going to tell me what’s going on or do I need to let your mother pry it out of you?"

I was half afraid to answer. He was being so nice and I knew it would make him mad if said it was dreams keeping up at night. And I also knew that he would be furious if I said it had anything to do with Pan. "Dreams are keeping me up. Going out clears my head so that I can try to get some sleep," I said carefully leaving out the part about Pan.

He just huffed and said, "Well if that’s it, then I guess considering you’ve been slacking at training you can use the gravity room."

I just looked at him in shock. He never let me anywhere near his gravity room. "Are you sure?"

"Isn’t that what I said? Well I’m going back to bed." Then he walked away, back upstairs.

I just stood there a moment then decided to go out the back door. I started toward the gravity room then I decided to go take a quick look at the hilltop just in case being able to finally remember my dreams had some other meaning. So I decided when I came back I’d give myself a good workout in the gravity room.

When I got to the hilltop I was shocked to see Pan sitting there crying. I’d never seen Pan cry, ever. So I walked slowly and silently up behind her. As soon as I was standing right behind her she jumped up and spun around, then tried to hit me. I blocked it as easily as I always had before the dreams started.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing. Although I’ll just ask you why you were crying?" I said realizing I must have a definite look of concern on face.

"It’s nothing," she said making a little hand gesture that said the same.

"If it was nothing then why were you crying about it?"

"I-I-I don’t want to talk about it," said she stuttering. Then turned her face quickly away from me.

I reached around with one hand and turned her face back toward me; instantly I realized that was a big mistake. I could see the tears running down her face. It took everything I had in me to keep from pulling into my arms and holding her till she stopped crying. I used the bottom of my shirt to wipe her face dry. Then she just looked at me like I had magically turned into to someone else.

"It’s not like you to care." My face must have given my shock away, because she then turned away and said, "Thanks for helping dry my face. My father would have noticed I’d been crying if I’d come home with my face shining from the tears."

"You still haven’t told me why you were crying. I can’t help you if you tell me anything."

"You know I’ll admit you’re the last person I thought I could turn to but you can’t help me with this. But it’s nice to know you care."

"Friends don’t let each other cry alone."

A small smile crossed her face then it was gone again. "So why are you here?"

"Uh….I couldn’t sleep." That wasn’t a lie but also wasn’t the only reason.

"You’re hiding something me. And I’ll figure it out eventually or you can just spit it out now and save yourself the trouble." She just stood there looking at me like she actually expected me to just tell her everything. But, of course, she had no idea what I was hiding.

"You’re just going to have to figure it out because there’s no way I could," I stopped mid-sentence and looked down at the ground.

"I don’t know what you’re keeping from me Trunks. But, it sounds like it’s hurting you keeping a secret," she bent down into my line of vision, "And I’m not going to force you to say what ever it is tonight. But I really believe you need to talk to someone." She looked at me with concern in her face.

"Maybe I’ll try to talk to Goten. I’m sorry but what I need to say I can’t say to you even though I want to," I said with as much conviction and confidence as I could muster.

"Well it’s getting late and we both have long days ahead of us tomorrow. You are going to come to your training session with my dad aren’t you?"

"Yeah. I needed to try and make-up for slacking off all week."

"Well then I’ll probably see you tomorrow. Bye Trunks."

"Bye Pan," I said we both turn to fly off towards our own homes.

Ch.3

"Hey Trunks."

It was Goten. I was coming out of my last meeting for the day when he came up from behind me. "Hey Goten."

"You wouldn’t happen to know what’s up with Pan? She’s been acting strange ever since she got home."

"No," it wasn’t a lie. Even after last night’s talk I had no idea why she’d been crying. She had given me a reason.

"Well she took in the middle of the night last night."

"I know. I couldn’t sleep last and was out flying around. I saw her out sitting on a hilltop. I stop and talked to her a little but she wouldn’t say what was bothering her."

"So she won’t even talk you. She’s refused to talk to dad, mom, Bra, Marron, and even me. She’s got to talk to someone. Hey will you try to talk to her again after your trainings over this evening?"

"Yeah, if you think it will help?"

"Thanks. Well would you mind if I rode with you to Gohan’s?"

"No, not at all."

We were there in no time. Pan was sitting on the front steps as we pulled up the driveway. She didn’t say anything until Goten put his hand on the door handle and was ready to open the door.

"Videl and dad are fighting with each other. So I wouldn’t go in there if you value your life."

Goten just looked at her. Then he said, "Well I need to talk Trunks anyway. Come on follow me."

I followed him. We walked till we were long out of earshot of Pan.

"I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s with you? You’ve been acting like you’re not even here for days now. I’ll admit you seem to have been getting better the last couple of days but you still seem like your so distant."

"I haven’t been sleeping well."

"Why?"

"You know how sometimes I’d tell you I had a dream but could remember well until last night that had been the case. I’d just wake up the middle of night in a cold sweat and being able to remember anything about the dream. But I’d have this almost mental picture of Pan stuck in my head so I’d take off, fly around for a while to clear my head, then try to go back to sleep. Well last night I finally could remember what the dreams were about. And I all but admitted to liking Pan right to her face in the dream. And it was also on the same hilltop were I found Pan last night," I was glad Goten didn’t interrupt me because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish if he did. "And please what ever you don’t tell her. I know this is probably weird for you. But I’m asking you please don’t say anything. And something else you should know. When I found Pan last night she was crying. I’d never seen Pan cry till last night, as a matter of fact I wasn’t even sure she could."

"Pan was crying!?! Did she say why?" he looked shock and concerned.

"No. I tried to get her to talk to me about it but she wouldn’t."

"Did you say anything to her about the crush?"

"No. I couldn’t. She asked me why I was out, but I just said I couldn’t sleep. But, she does know I’m hiding something from her." It felt good to tell someone what was going on.

"How long are you going to hide this from her?" he said with a look of curiosity and shock on his face.

"I don’t know."

"Hey Trunks. It’s time for your training." Pan yelled from the front porch.

I was able to focus better after my talk with Goten. And it seemed that Gohan had noticed because he was training me extra hard. After training I headed for my car when Pan came up to me.

"Can I talk to you without you telling anyone what I say to you?"

"Well that depends on what you have say. I mean if someone hurt you or something like that I’d have to say something to Gohan."

"No it’s nothing like that."

"Then ok. So what it’s about?"

"It’s the reason I was crying last night."

"Oh. Go ahead."

"Um. Where do I begin?" she said as she started knitting her hands together.

"Well how about the beginning? That’s usually the best place to start."

She didn’t laugh but just gave a quick half smile. "Videl had been lecturing me on how I shouldn’t be training with the rest of you guys and I would never have a boyfriend let alone a husband if I kept on doing it," she looked away and the tears must’ve started coming back.

"Hey look at me. There are guys out there that like strong women. You’ll find someone. I know you will." It was that last phrase that hurt me inside, because I believed it.

"You really think so?" she looked up as she said it. Her eyes were watery and I could tell she was fighting back the tears.

"I know so. Now you keep that in mind if she ever says that again." It hurt me to see her hurting like this. But, it also hurt deep inside to even try to think of Pan dating someone other than me. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen, not with my past, Gohan would kill me.

"Thanks. I guess I really needed to hear that from someone and you being a guy just makes it sound better," she said as she threw her arms around me and hugged me. I stood there stunned as she quickly took off for the house.

I went home still stunned. I ate dinner without really saying much to my mom and completely avoid my father. After that I just went upstairs, brushed my teeth, and changed for bed. Once I was in my room I started cursing myself with phrases like "Why didn’t you say anything?" and "You gutless wonder". I then laid down to try and go to sleep, but I couldn’t. My mind was too full so, I decided to go to the gravity room. I figured if I worked out hard enough I would be so tried that I could just fall asleep and not dream. But on my way down the stairs I heard my father’s voice come from inside my parent’s room. I stop listen even though I knew it was rude to eavesdrop on people.

"You know he’s capable of dealing with his own problems."

"I know, but if dreams are keeping him up then maybe he needs to talk to someone about them. But, this running off in the middle of the night worries me. There’s got to something really wrong," said my mother.

"Bulma I told him he could tell me or I would let you pry it out him. And the boy told me it was dreams that were keeping him up. If he wants to talk he’ll talk, but if not then you should let the boy sort it out on his own. And if it makes you feel any better I told him he could use my gravity room to wear himself out if he wants to. I know if I work myself hard enough I can just fall asleep with absolutely no problems at all."

"Yeah and I bet you were your usually charming self."

"Now woman believe or not I was actually nice to the boy!" my father almost shouted.

"Wow. I mean you’re always so mean to him. I’m sorry."

"Apologies just waste time. You said what you said. And you’re right I am cold to him. Although I about laughed at the expression on his face, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, then after I told him he could use the gravity room he looked at me like I’d just turned green or something."

I could here my mom laugh. "I’m glad you were nice to him for a change."

"Well just don’t expect me to do it all the time."

"Alright."

I walked on down the hallway. It was nice to know that my mom and dad weren’t fighting with each other. I began to think how my father had said he had almost laughed at my expression that night; I certainly didn’t notice him holding back laughter. I opened the back door as quietly as I could and made my way to the gravity room. And just then I noticed Pan hovering right outside my window. I floated up behind her and asked, "What are you doing here?"

She whirled around, "Don’t do that," she nearly shouted.

"Well are you going to tell me what you’re doing hovering outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night?"

"It’s been bothering me."

"Huh? What’s been bothering you?"

"The fact you’re hiding something from me."

"Oh that," I said then let my gaze go away from her. "Look I heard my parents talking so lets get out of earshot of the house." I was lucky she didn’t say anything but just followed me.

"Ok we’re far enough away. There’s no way they can hear out here; we can’t even see the house. Now tell what it is that your hiding from or," she just stopped.

"What?"

"You and I both know I can’t make you tell me. Did you ever talk to anyone about your weird problem with sleeping at night?"

"Yeah. I talked to Goten today while I was over for my training."

"Um. Well that kinda brings me to the other reason I came over here."

"What?"

"I know you couldn’t have meant what you said today about me and I’m sorry about getting all giddy and hugging you. I mean I put you in a spot where I basically made you tell me a little white lie to make me feel better. I know it must have made you feel all weird. Well I don’t feel sorry for hugging you but I do feel sorry more or less for everything else."

"I meant what I said. And yeah I’ll admit you shocked me because I’ve never known you to get all giddy and start going around hugging people for practically nothing."

She just laughed. It was nice to hear her laughing again. "So you’re not mad?"

"Mad, why would I be? Shocked yeah. But, mad no."

"Good. Now all that’s left is for you to tell what you’re hiding."

"You’re not going to let that go are you?" I said. I so wished I could tell her.

"No. Whatever your hiding can’t be so bad that you feel you have to hide it."

"It’s not that it’s so bad it’s just I can’t bring myself say it, not to you. I can’t even bring myself to say it out loud," and at this point I couldn’t. Even when I told Goten I just said ‘I liked her’ and that wasn’t the same as saying I think I’m falling in love. Love was a lot stronger word than like.

"I don’t know what you could be talking about Trunks, but did you tell Goten?"

"Not in exact words but he does know. He kind of figured it out from the rest of what I said."

"Well then I’ll just ask him about it."

"He won’t tell you."

"And why not?"

"I asked him not to."

"You’re a hard man to figured out Trunks. But I will figure out what your hiding," she said as she turned and flew off toward her home.

"Well I’ve done it again. I bet if Vegeta knew about this he’d be calling me a coward or worse right now. Well for that matter I am a COWARD! I can’t believe I let another practically perfect opportunity to tell her just pass by!" I cursed myself. I took off toward the gravity room. I needed work off some of the aggression that I let build down inside.

After working myself as hard as I dared, I went inside. I shut the back door as quietly as I could and turned around to find myself face to face with my father.

"Well you seem to have worked up a sweat."

"Yeah. You did say I could use the gravity room when I couldn’t sleep," I said as stood there frozen in my place.

"Yes I did. I just came down to tell that I did tell your mother and she’s worried. And that I did try to save you from her infernal questions."

I could feel myself relax. "Thanks dad." When I heard myself say dad to him I tensed back up. I knew Vegeta didn’t like being called that.

"If you need to talk to someone I will listen, I may not like it but I’ll listen."

"Thanks, but I think I can work this out on my own."

"Alright. But your mother probably won’t be so easy on you."

"Yeah. I know she won’t be. But I think I can take her questions because I’m pretty sure I’m not going to have any problems sleeping after that workout."

My father smiled! I could feel myself tense up. "Well if your mother hears you go out there tomorrow I might end up joining you. Your mother is going to drive me crazy if doesn’t start letting me sleep."

I couldn’t hold back small bit of laughter. "I know. Sometimes she doesn’t think about how some of the things she does effects others."

"Yeah. Tell me about. Well you better get to bed before your mother hears us."

"Yeah. Goodnight dad."

As I walked upstairs I couldn’t help but wonder but brought this change in my father or maybe I should be asking what brought it out. Either way I was thankful for it.

Ch.4

It had now been three weeks of waking dreams and Pan constantly asking me tell her what I was hiding. And for the last week and a half my father had been joining me each night in the gravity room. For the first time in my life I felt like I was getting to know my father. I felt great and at the same time I felt like an absolute coward for not telling Pan what I should’ve told her weeks ago.

"Trunks are you even listening?" Goten sat there beside me as drove towards Gohan’s house.

"Huh? Sorry Goten I just let my mind go."

"Pan again?"

"No. It’s something else."

"Jees. If it’s not one thing it another. Sometimes I worry about your sanity."

"You and me both. And we’re here."

"Oh that was fast. Well at least you don’t have to face her on the way in."

"Yeah."

Training that day with Gohan seemed almost easy compared the training I’d been doing every night in the gravity room with my father. Gohan hadn’t noticed the fact I was distracted or that this was seemed easy to me or if he did he say or do anything about it. Pan caught me on the way out.

"Hey can we talk?"

"Well I was going to go get something to eat. My mom said she wasn’t going to be cooking tonight because my father made her mad by saying she should do only what a woman’s good for."

She let out a small giggle. "Are you asking me to go with you?"

"Well if I heard right you missed your dinner so I figure you’ve got to be hungry too. So, I guess I am asking you come with me."

She laughed then said, "Ok. Lets go."

As we tossed ideas back and forth about were to go for dinner I couldn’t keep my mind from wondering how easy it had been to ask her to come with me to go have dinner. We ended up going to a sushi place not far from my house.

"Wow. This sushi is good."

"Yeah. I know. I come here all time for lunch."

"Yum. I can taste why," she with a giggle.

Then waiter placed the bill on table after checking that everything was ok. I pick it up off the table.

"So how much?"

"It’s ok I’ve got it."

"Are you sure? You and I ate a lot of food."

I had to laugh. "Yeah I’m sure."

"Thanks. I owe ya one."

"Your welcome."

"Now I’ve been biting my tongue and now I’m just going to say it. You were right about Goten not telling me what you said. I put a whole bottle of pepper in his soup. He was practically spitting flames and he still wouldn’t tell me."

"So that’s why his voice sounded funny," I said as started to laugh at the picture forming in my head of Goten literally spitting flames.

"He was fuming mad. Which is why Videl was quite mad at me."

"Imagine that."

"Figures you’d take Goten’s side."

"Well you basically tried to torture him in saying something he said he wouldn’t. I’m actually surprised. You know better then anybody how stubborn Goten can be."

"Yeah, but I was hoping that maybe a little physical torture might get it out of him."

I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Come on lets go."

"Ok." I paid the bill on the way out. Once we were outside I felt like she had gone from friend mode to try and get Trunks to tell me mode.

"Please you’ve just got to tell me what you’ve been hiding!"

"I can’t."

"You’ve got a girlfriend and your engaged."

"No!"

"You’ve fallen madly in love with Marron."

"No."

"You’ve just fallen in love with someone you work with."

"No."

"You’ve fallen in love with a guy."

"No! And I can assure that will never happen!"

"You’ve decided to become a monk."

"No! Another that’s not going to be happening this century either."

"Well at least give me a clue!"

"I can’t."

"Fine. I’ll keep guessing till I get it right."

"I doubt your going to get it right anytime tonight."

"Come on just one clue," she said as she tried to put her best begging face on.

"That’s not going to work."

"Please just a hint."

"It has something to do the fact I think I’m falling in love with someone. There I finally said that out loud."

"Oh. So, Trunks is falling in love. Do I know her?"

"I can’t say."

"Why not?"

"Because I can’t."

"Fine. I’ll find out who one way or another."

"I actually hope you do."

"Huh. What’s that supposed to mean?"

"So do you want to go home or see if we can find something to do?"

"Lets see here. Go home and face Videl or find something to do with a friend. There’s no contest."

"Alright. So what do you want to do?"

"Well it’s to late for a movie. What about we go sit up on the hilltop? And I promise I will try not to mention the fact your hiding something from me."

"Fine. It shouldn’t take long to get there."

Once we got to the hilltop I dug an old blanket out the trunk of the car and spread it out on the cool, damp grass.

"Cool. Sitting on a blanket much more comfortable and drier then sitting on that bolder."

"Yeah," I said. I couldn’t stop myself from starring over at her.

"So can you at least tell me if she’s nice?"

"I thought you said you were going to try and not say anything about it?"

"Well I’m trying."

I smiled at her. "Yes. She’s nice. And, a lot of fun to be around. Now can we drop the subject?"

"Fine. So how’s work?"

"A nightmare as always. Now you’ve been asking me about a million questions so now you. What’s new in the life of Pan?"

"New? The only new is that I finally noticed one of my good friends is hiding something from me."

"Like you haven’t been hiding stuff from me?" I said half accusing her half challenging her.

"Like what?"

"I know you’ve got to have said something about a crush on somebody for Videl’s to make the comment that she did. Plus you’d have to like him a lot for it have hurt you so badly that it brought you to tears."

"Well I don’t want to say," she said as she started to blush.

"See your blushing. So who is he? Come on you can tell me. I won’t say anything not even to Goten."

"No I’m not blushing. And I can’t!"

"Yeah well till you can tell me who you like I’m not going to say who I’m falling for."

"That’s not fair!"

"Why isn’t? You want to know who I’m falling for and I want to know who you like. What’s not fair about that?"

"Maybe later. It’s getting cold out here."

"Hey Pan. I figured I’d let you know that Videl’s calmed down and she wants to talk to you."

"Ok," she said to Goten. Then turning to me, "Well see ya tomorrow."

"See ya."

Ch. 5

When I went over to Gohan’s house the next day Goten stood outside with a note in his hand. "Hey Goten. What’s with the note?"

"I don’t know, but Pan said if I even thought of reading it she’d put two bottles of pepper in my food this time."

"Who’s it for?"

I just stood there for a moment stunned by what had I just read. Then I went back to my car and got out pen and wrote my answer down under her writing. I handed the note back to Goten and said, "She’ll probably kill you with that pepper if you read it. Just please take it back to her. It now has my answer on it and I’m sure she’ll want to read it."

"What’s all this about? Can you tell me that?"

"It’s about something that’s been bugging her for a while."

"So she’s been talking to you. I was wondering because she’s been getting back to her old self."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Well I’d better go take this to her before my curiosity gets the better of me."

"Alright."

Goten then went inside and up to Pan’s room. He knocked on the closed door.

"Who is it?"

"Goten."

The door flung open almost before he could finish his name. "Well?"

"He wrote something on it and told to give it back to you," he said as he then handed her the note. "And I’ll have you know I’m not taking that note back. And I’ll have you know he said you’d probably kill me that pepper this time if I read it."

"I just might of," she said before Goten had the chance to get out of earshot. Her hands then quickly unfolded the note. And the reply read:

I reached the hilltop faster then I’d anticipated. And of course Trunks wasn’t there yet he was never early. I was worried about what he could possibly have to say. I also had no idea how in the world I was going to face him knowing that he knew I liked him. Then I looked down at hands; they were knitting themselves together. It was one of things I did when I got nervous about something.

"I’m glad you came."

I spun around to see him standing there with a piece of paper in his hand.

"I have a little note for you. I got to thinking and I knew I’d never be able to say it right so I wrote down. I didn’t right it down earlier because I knew I would’ve just felt like a coward for not being there in person."

"I’ve never known you to be coward ever. And I don’t think you will ever be a coward."

"Yeah well all the same I though I should be the one to hand you the answer," he said as he handed me the piece of paper. And he handed it to I noticed his hand shaking a little.

And it read:

I looked up to see him starring at me with anticipation practically written on his beautiful face. And it took me a minute to find my voice but then I said; "I think I’m falling in love with you, too." And then he picked me up into arms and I felt safe, warm, and the beginnings of love. I felt as though was could be walking on air, then I realized that he lifted us up and I was really floating. I had dreamed of this for a long time and had tried to put aside as a fantasy, something would never happen, but it did. As sure as I knew that I was here in Trunks’s arms, I realized my dreams had come true.

The End or is it just the beginning….

By:. Setyia Avalonn

6-14-01