Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ I Never Dreamed ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

I Never Dreamed

By: AMCM74

Chapter 3

"But… but…" Pan's black eyes grew wider. "I didn't take that long to get ready, did I?" She was disappointed that she had been left behind so quickly. It must have shown because Trunks' eyes softened.

"Not at all, I just told Bra that she and Marron would miss all the good stuff if she waited around here, so I volunteered to drive you. She told me where they would be." His smile broadened a bit. "So now I know where not to take you, so we can have the day to ourselves."

Pan frowned, and fixed her gaze on him with exasperation. "Trunks! That was the most underhanded thing I have ever heard of! Did you even think of asking me if this was what I wanted?"

He was undaunted by her reaction. "Actually, I did think how you would react. I didn't think like this, but..." He trailed off, trying to look innocent.

Pan braced her self and growled in response. "But what?"

Trunks took her chin in his hand and pecked her on the cheek. Then he whispered in her ear. "This reaction tells me how much you really have grown up, Pan. You are actually afraid to be with alone with me."

"That is ridiculous!" She pulled back and turned from him to walk the rest of the way down the stairs. "Why would I possibly be afraid of you?"

"I didn't say you were afraid of me, did I?" He followed close behind. "I think you are more afraid of your reactions to me."

"Trunks Briefs!" She stared straight ahead, eyes wide. "I had no idea you were so stuck on yourself..."

Pan heard him laugh a warm happy sound that made her tremble inside. "I wasn't the one who said that women had to be blind not to want me." He bent over her shoulder and pulled her hair away from her ear. "After all, I am gorgeous," He taunted with her own words, and she felt a flush creeping up her neck

Before she could respond to his statement, Goten yelled after them. "Hey, you two!" He rushed down the stairs behind them. "What are you whispering about?"

Pan turned to look Trunks square in the face and smoothly replied, "Nothing important. Just taking pity on each other."

Goten and Trunks stood up straight and said in chorus, "Pity?"

Pan waved them off and remarked, "Trunks was feeling bad and offered me a ride since Bra and Marron had to leave in a hurry for the city. I was about to accept since no one else, aside from you, Goten, can stand to be around him." She felt a moment of triumph when Trunks' eyes pinned on her, promising retaliation. "Would you like to join us, Goten? I would just love it if you could come too."

Trunks glanced at Goten with an if-you-come-I-will-kill-you look and Goten hesitated. Pan was too quick for that and hit below the belt of every Saiyan warrior ever born. "I need the help carrying my bags. Besides, I'll buy you both lunches."

Threat forgotten. Goten eagerly headed off to get his coat. Trunks waited until he was far enough away to hiss, "That was cold, low, and calculating, Pan."

She smiled, trying to mimic the same smile he had used earlier. "As you said, I have grown up." She tried to walk to the door, but Trunks grabbed her arms and she felt her feet lifting off the floor. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Taking you some place we can be alone for a while so I can talk some reason into you." He twisted her around and plopped her over his shoulder and began to walk to the door.

Pan seriously considered a ki blast to his back, but thought better of it. The burn would have to be explained. She used another path of logic. "Trunks, let me remind you of what you said last night. My father, uncle, and Grandfather won't take kindly to my screams, and I doubt your father would like what is happening here, either." That stopped him. He lifted her off his shoulder and dropped her butt first on the hardwood floor. "Ouch!" she growled, glaring up at him.

"I am going to warm up the car. You can meet me outside in a few minutes." He couldn't help but to add, "Don't forget your keeper."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks watched as Bra and Marron selected a few more outfits to try on. He was sinking lower in the chair outside of the ladies' dressing room. Goten was on the floor next to him, almost lost in the nearly endless pile of presents and bags. Pan was in the dressing room trying on something. It seemed like the longest day of his life. Goten looked as if he agreed. Trunks held Pan's purse on his lap and stared in a daze at the ceiling.

"Trunks," Goten finally broke the silence. "We are going to die here, aren't we?"
Trunks just made a sound of irritation. Pan stepped out with her items and declared, "Well, I'm done. I've got everything I need." Looking over at the guys who glared at her, she smiled sheepishly. "And perhaps a little more."

Marron giggled, "I think we have done enough shopping today." As she said that, Bra who was holding a fleece pullover began to laugh. "On the other hand you never can never shop enough, Bra."

Bra dropped the pullover on the counter and let the cashier ring it up. "Well, you and I come by it honestly. Mom and 18 are world-class shoppers. Although you held your own today, Pan."

Pan looked at all the bags and packages. "I doubt we can carry all this alone. I am glad Goten and Trunks joined us. Looks like all that training you two did when you were young has paid off."

The girls started to laugh. Trunks just stood up and grabbed bags. Goten didn't move. "This isn't a joke is it? We actually get to leave for dinner now?" The girls just cut loose with another round of hysterical laughter.

"Ok you have enough enjoyment at our expense." Trunks made a point to lock eyes with Pan. "Let's get out of here."

The group gathered up all the bags and headed for the elevator. As they all began climb in, Pan gasped. "I forgot one of my bags!!"

"Run and get it. We'll wait at the car for you." Bra took some of Pan's other bags and pushed her out.

She walked back to the fitting room and grabbed the missing bag. This would be a good time to call about her job offer, and see how things were going. The others would wait for her. In fact, she doubted Trunks would even dare to leave her, even though he was still obviously very angry with her. She stopped by the elevator and grabbed the pay phone next to it. The store was near empty at this late hour, but a few last minute shoppers rushed past every now and then. Reaching into her purse she pulled out her calling card and dialed "Hi Mark! It's Pan."

Trunks stepped off the elevator to hear her say just that. Mark? He stopped behind her but she didn't seem to notice him. "Yes I am fine, I would have called sooner, but my family had a few surprises for me. The flight? Oh yeah, it went well enough. You know how it is. I wanted to know how things are going with the job offer. Really. So all I need to do is sign the contract after I get back? Ok... Well, I am on a mall phone. Don't tease! I am a woman, after all! Ok bye, yeah, ok. Bye… alright, bye. I mean it, Mark, I am going to hang this phone up! No, I really-" Trunks reached over and grabbed the phone, placing it on the hook. Pan turned around and paled. "Trunks!! How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you have some explaining to do." Trunks didn't like this at all. Mark? Who was he and what kind of job did he want to give Pan? "I sent the others home in their air car. I piled most of the bags in my car and only had enough room for two, so I said I would wait for you."

"Thanks a lot, Goten," she muttered as Trunks grabbed her arm "Hey, let me go!"

"I will as soon as we get to the car and I have you locked in, so you can't run away." Trunks was furious. He rushed Pan into the elevator and she twisted away from him. "I am not going to let this slide, Pan. I want to know what is going on."

"Nothing," she muttered, turning her back on him.

"LIAR!" Trunks shot back "You are going to tell me, because I am not taking you home until I find out. Everything."

Pan turned at his threat and spat. "Kidnapper!"

He smiled cruelly at her, and grabbed her again, pulling her toward the car as soon as the doors opened "As you are constantly pointing out, Pan, you are not a kid!"

As they reached the car, she dug her feet in and wretched away. "I am not getting into that car." Trunks stepped toward her and she backed away. "If you try to make me I'll scream."

He smirked at her and let her go. "Threaten me with screaming again? That's great. It wouldn't work, because as you see," he said and swept his arm out to show that that his car was the only one there. "There is no one here at the moment. Not your father, not your uncle, and not your grandfather. I doubt my dad is going to pop up either."

Pan grimaced the truthfulness of his words. "Fine, I'll tell you. Just get in the car. It's cold out here." Trunks seemed surprised by her sudden defeat.

Pan was quiet at first. Trunks sat there in the driver's seat. He turned on the car and then turned off the radio. Then he just sat there. She faced forward with her hands in her lap. This was not something she wanted to do. But Trunks was obviously not going to move the car until she had spilled her guts about Mark and the Global Inc. job.

"I meet Mark Devero on a wild life cruise in Seward. A group of my friends and I went there on a weekend break. We wanted to see the Orcas that had just come up the coast. Mark was there with a group of his employees on a special retreat. They were on the same cruise, and-"

Trunks interrupted. "You mean to tell me you were on the phone with Mark Devero of Global Inc. just a minute ago? Really Pan, I am not totally business illiterate here . I am president of a worldwide company like Global. You don't just pick up the phone and talk to the President about a job over the Christmas season."

Pan understood what he was saying. "Well, Mark is really attached to me. Let's just say I'm not the normal case." It seemed he was getting the picture. "He wanted me to date him and I refused. So he told me who he was and I still refused. After that, he made an effort to stay in Anchorage and get to know me and what I was up to. He found out I was highly educated and almost ready to get out onto the job market. So he has offered me a very handsome job contract and I am going to take it."

"If I had known you would sell yourself for a great job, I would have just offered you that and been done with it." Trunks was staring at her like he didn't know who she was. The next statement made her grow cold. "So how about becoming my mistress? The pay is great, and the work is hardly…" He didn't even get any further when she reached over and placed her hand in his stomach and let loose with a blast of her ki. "Shit," he choked and gasped. Any other man would have been dead. Thank god for his father's Saiyan blood.

He was still trying to recover when she climbed out of the car. She leaned in the door and screamed, "You dirty filthy pig! I have never ever been so insulted in all my life. And from you, Trunks? After all, we grew up together. You know my family and you offer to lower myself in front of them. The job offer is to be an inspector and make sure management is doing its job. I will train for about three months at headquarters and be at a new office every month after that. Mark really likes me, it's true, but he will never see me since he will be at headquarters or doing whatever he has to do. Not following me around for the next five years!"

Trunks was recovering and heard her walking away from the car with an angry stride. Five years! He knew the kind of job she was talking about and the lonely people who did it. Even he wouldn't be able to have any kind of relationship with her. No one would. What was she running from? He pulled himself out of the car and went after her. "Pan!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Geez, if she got any angrier she would go Super Saiyan on him. She was so angry now, she couldn't even walk. She was just standing there clinching her fists and looking at the ground.

Trunks was up next to her in a flash and she tried to hit him as he dodged the blow. "Pan, I am sorry." She struck out again and he blocked her. "What can I say? I leapt to the wrong conclusion about you and Devero."

Pan glared at him. She was still angry with him. Her whole outlook on him had changed in her anger. She looked at him. He was so upset… it was written all over his face and she couldn't stand it. "I forgive you. Let's just go back to the lodge and get this over with. Mark wants me in the States right after the New Year."

"You're not taking that job, Pan," Trunks muttered. This was not the time to argue with her about it. She was still angry from the first confrontation. This would not help her opinion of him. But it had to be said. He was not going to let her take that job. He ran an even greater risk of losing her if he kept his mouth shut.

"Oh yes, I am." Pan walked up to look him in the eye. Pan had to let him know how determined she was. "There isn't one good reason not to."

"There are thousands of reasons not to take a job like that, Pan." Trunks reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. "And my most selfish one is that I want you here with me."

"Like there is financial security in that. Right." Pan spat. "What if you wake up one day and decide you don't want me around? What then?"

"We could get married." Trunks pointed out.

"After I am back 24 hours, after being gone for seven years, I am supposed to marry you? Trunks, get real." She walked back to the car with Trunks behind her.

"Fine, I'll give you a job at Capsule Corp." Trunks countered

"Didn't we just talk bout some one giving me a job on those terms?" Pan sighed, "What makes it wrong for Mark and right for you, Mr. Briefs?"

Trunks got in the car and began to drive with a very determined look on his face "Because Mr. Devero hardly knows you and Trunks here has loved you since you were a baby."

"Like a sister, I might add."

"At one time…" Trunks couldn't argue that. "We'll work out all the details over the holidays. After the New Year you can call Devero and tell him you changed your mind about the job."

Pan gawked at him for a second. Then she looked out her window into the snow that was beginning to pile onto the streets. There was no way she was giving up her new job like this. She didn't want to be handed anything and especially not by Trunks. Heck, he hadn't seen her résumé like Devero had. No, she would be on a plane to the States on the first. There was nothing anyone could say or do to change her mind.