"I've never seen Tousan this upset before," Goten whispered to his niichan.
Gohan nodded. "Can you blame him? He comes back to find Kaasan missing, scorch marks on the floor..."
Pan was sobbing. She was almost as bad a wreck as Goku. "This is all because of me!" she was crying. "If... I'd just... gone with that... baka vampire..." she choked.
Celira had been pacing, but spun around and had ahold of Pan's shoulders.
"Don't you ever, ever say anything like that again!" he hissed. "You know that if you'd gone with him, he'd have killed us right off so that we wouldn't get the chance to help you! At least this way, we can get ChiChi back alive!"
Gohan slapped Celira's hands off of Pan. "Keep your hands off my daughter!" he yelled.
Celira matched Gohan's glare. "Maybe you should watch your daughter a bit more carefuly. You don't feel when she's in trouble?"
Gohan leaned in until his faces was within an inch of Celira's. "You just stay away from my daughter, you hear?" he said quietly. "I don't need you screwing with her again."
Celira just stared back at Gohan for a moment, then turned back to Pan.
"Maybe you'll feel better if us teens did something together," he suggested.
Pan nodded. "Tell Trunks, Marron, Bra, and Goten to meet in Bra's room. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Celira nodded and made his way through the tunnels searching for the other adolecents.
"Pan... come see what I found." Celira sounded exited, and Pan couldn't help but be curious.
"Really? What is it?"
"A cave. An empty one."
Pan didn't understand why a cave was so special, but she followed him all the same. "Why is this cave so special?" she asked, following him.
Celira grinned at her over his shoulder. "It's not... but we can make it special." he said, picking up his pace.
Now she was confused. "Make it special? I don't understand."
He chuckled. "You will. Oh, look, there it is."
Pan noticed they were a good distance from any civilization. "Celira..." she began, turning to him. She gasped, then turned away immediatly. "Celira, what in the heck are you doing?!"
Celira came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She could feel his body pressed up behind hers. He whispered seductive comments in her ear...
"Pan."
She shrieked, startled out of her memory. She looked up to see Trunks.
"Oh... gomen."
He knelt by her. She was sitting on her bed in her little room... the furthest room from any other in the whole cave.
"Everyone was worried when you just got up and rushed out like that. Is something wrong?"
She looked into his crystal blue eyes, feeling an emotional and physical ache take over her body and filling her senses. Kami, he was beautiful. Right now his smooth, silky lavender hair was messed, strands falling in front of his eyes, not being bothered to brush aside like he usualy did. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and Pan sensed that he and Celira had fought.
"I... have you and Celira been fighting?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.
Trunks looked away, then back at her. "He had no right," he said quietly.
She heard his voice tremble in anger. "You... were innocent. He had no right to..."
Pan took in a shaky breath. "But... he's changed... he would never do anything like that again..."
"He still had no right to... do that to you!" Trunks voice was starting to rise.
"Listen, it happened, it was a long time ago!" Pan felt her voice shaking.
"Did you think I wanted it? Well, I didn't! I wish it had never happened! Now that it did, and everyone knows, it's ruining my chance of getting the guy I really like, and you're not making anything much easier on me at the moment!" she exploded.
Trunks tried to say something, but she cut him off, obviously not aware that what she was saying was right out loud in front of him.
"I mean, I'm trying to avoid Quinn, get rid of that night with Celira, because I love some other guy a whole lot more than I've loved anyone in my life, and he decides to go and say, 'He had no right!' and bring back memories! Oh, sure, I get it; he wants to make everything worse for me!"
Trunks was startled. Does she mean...? "Pan..." he started.
"Trunks, just shut up for a minute!" she yelled. "God damnit, I'm trying to say that I love you, okay?!" She blinked for a second, them covered her mouth with her hand, gasping, realizing what she just said.
Trunks just stared at her, to shocked to say anything. All he could do was watch her mutter curses under her breath, shake her head, and mumble excuses.
Suddenly she felt a warmth on her hand. She looked down and saw that he had placed his hand on hers. When she looked up, his face was solemn, worried, and... something flickered in his eyes repeatedly. He moved his hand up her arm slowly until it rested on her shoulder. He looked straight into her dark, fearful eyes... his expression was tender.
"Pan," he said softly. "Pan-chan..."
Tears filled her eyes. "Don't make this hard on me..." she whispered, voice trembling.
"I'm not trying to... Pan-chan..." he murmured, leaning close to her face.
She felt his warm breath in her face, sweet, warm... "Trunks-kun..." she whispered back.
Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Everything Pan had dreamed of... and more. Passion, overwhelming pure, devoted love... her repressed feelings all poured out in that single kiss they were sharing. Trunks had daydreamed about it... dreamt it... it was exhilerating. Sweet passion flowed from her into him... so much... it made him dizzy and electrified. When they finaly pulled apart, she leaned her head on his chest, trying to breathe. Her arms were wrapped around his midsection, her fingers lightly trailing the muscles on his back. His arms were secured around her waist, his chin resting on her head. Trunks looked at her with adoration, admiration, love, and what seemed like releif full in his eyes.
"How long..." he murmured. "How long have you been wanting this?" She pulled away slightly, just enough to look at him in the eyes. "I... don't know... a long time. A very long time."
Trunks tightened his grip on her slightly. "Was it everything you wanted?"
Pan searched his eyes for a moment, then quietly said, "I... it wasn't what I was expecting... Trunks... it's so much better..." "Then... it wouldn't matter if I did that again?"
A small grin spread across her face, answering his question. He was about to kiss her again...
She suddenly gasped and wrenched herself violently out of his arms. At first he panicked, thinking it was Gohan, but when he turned...
"Oh, Kami, no..." Pan whispered. Quinn.
"Well, well, well..." he said, a mock grin on his face. "Isn't this what every man dreams... coming for his chosen bride, giving her another chance, only to find his worst possible, yet weak, enemy kissing her." He laughed.
"Tell me, Trunks, did you do this with all your little girlfriends?"
Trunks bared his teeth. "Bastard," he hissed.
Pan was trembling. Why? Why did this vampire have to appear more beautiful every time she saw him? Why did he have to be harder to resist each time?
Quinn looked past the lavender haired boy to Pan. "Well, Pan-chan... I've come to ask you... to give you another chance to give in and be my chosen one." An evil grin spread across his face, and a figure appeared behind him.
Pan's eyes widened in shock. "Grandma!" she cried.
ChiChi looked at Pan with pleading eyes. She had a white cloth tied over her mouth, silver chains strapped to her ankles and wrists.
"If you say yes, hey, the old lady's free to go. If you say no..." Quinn smiled cruely. "I've already picked out my next victim."
Suddenly, without warning, Trunks ducked behind the vampire and was quickly, skillfully trying to release ChiChi.
Quinn's eyes flared, and suddenly Trunks was knocked back into the wall. There was a sickening crack and his limp body sprawled on the floor.
Pan cried out. "Trunks!" She turned to Quinn, hatred so strong, he was no longer handsome. He was twisted, ugly, bitter, and evil. "How could you!" she screamed, running over to Trunks' side. She shook him. "Trunks...
Trunks, please... talk to me! Come on!" she pleaded, sobbing. "You can't leave me now! I need you!"
Quinn watched in amazement as she cradled his limp, unconcious body, crying uncontrolably. Then his eyes darkened. It was because of that boy that she wasn't giving in to him... that boy had to die... But not yet. Like he'd said, he already had another victim picked out.
"I'll be back after I catch my next one," he said quietly. Pan stiffened at his voice, and looked up slowly. Quinn smirked. "First... I must pick up my next date." And he vanished. Her paralysis passed just as she heard a scream.
Juuhachigou frowned at Vejiita's training. How can someone, even a Saiya-jin, think of training after everything that's going on? She sighed, then turned to her husband.
Krillin looked up, a worried look on his face. "They got ChiChi... who could possibly be next? Who's the next victim?"
Juuhachigou shrugged.
Krillin straightened up suddenly. "I heard something," he said softly. He stood. "I'll be right back, Juu."
Juuhachigou shook her head. She hadn't heard a thing. A soft breath was taken behind her.
She whirled around. Her eyes widened. "It's you! You're Quinn!" she gasped.
She knew it was him... he fit Pan's description perfectly... if not better.
Quinn chuckled. "So... you've heard of me."
Juuhachigou stood, ready to fight to her death... Suddenly a dizzy feeling passed through her. She swayed a little dangerously on her feet. Then an arm grabbed her wrist, and the last thing she remembered thinking for awhile was, He heard it in his head with one of those mind tricks...
Juuhachigou screamed.
"How many more people are going to dissappear until I give in?! Pan's scream echoed through the room.
Celira grabbed her upper arm. "You aren't giving in... you won't. I won't let you!" he said through clenched teeth.
"God damn it, leave her alone," Bra said in disgust, shoving his arm off her friend. Then she turned to Pan with a sympathetic face. "I feel so bad for you... heck, I actualy feel sorry for my brother."
That comment caused Pan to burst into tears.
"Whoa... gomen nasai, Panny," Bra said, her eyes wide.
Goten walked back in Pan's room, supporting Trunks. "Bulma-san said he'd be fine. Just needs to relax for awhile."
The adults were in the "living room", discussing the latest attack and how to deal with it... and what to do about it. Or more, yelling at Vejiita not to do anything until they were certain how to deal with it.
"Oh, Kami, I thought you were dead!" Pan exclaimed.
Trunks grinned crookedly. "Nope. Guess that baka vampire can't even crack my skull... Goten, let go, I can walk by myself!" he added crossly.
Goten rolled his eyes. "Last time you said that, your head ended up smacking the corner of a table."
Pan looked at Trunks. "Lay him down on my bed," she suggested.
Bra gave her friend a wicked grin. "Oh, I see. First we lay him on the bed, then we get lost, then-"
"Bra, cut it out!" Pan snapped.
"Ow! Goten, you idiot! That was my injured foot!" Trunks snapped.
"Heh... oops..."
Pan sighed, then turned to Marron. "I'm really sorry about your kaasan. Honestly. This is... my fault."
Marron managed to smile at Pan. "Hey, in a way, it's my fault. I feel so guilty... I've been pretty mean to Kaasan for the past couple weeks..."
For about half an hour, everyone sitting on the floor talked about things they'd done to upset their parents.
"Thanks. I feel included," Trunks finally muttered from his place on the bed.
Bra looked at him, exasperated. "If you want to feel included, usualy you have to say something."
Pan rolled her eyes. "Bra, please. Give him a break."
"I just..." Bra started.
"I said lay off your brother, okay?!" Pan shouted, surprising everyone.
After a couple minutes, Bra just smirked, stretched, stood, and said, "I see. Well, I'll be leaving now. I think we should all leave." The others, except Trunks, stood to follow her. Goten was about to help Trunks up, but Bra tugged on his arm and insisted on talking to him. Trunks shrugged, motioned for Goten to go away, and shut his eyes momentarily. When he opened them, everyone was gone, and Pan was sitting by him on the bed.
"Feeling any better?"
He smirked. "I've been fine all along... just wanted special attention." To prove it, he sat up swiftly and with ease.
Pan shoved him playfully. "Real mature."
"Thank you."
Pan scowled. "Well, that's just great. You scared me, Trunks!"
Trunks winced. "Well... I really was injured for the first couple of hours..."
She tilted her head. "Is that your way of saying, 'I tricked everyone else so we could be alone without anyone getting suspicious'?"
"Eh... pretty much."
Pan shook her head. "You're a terrible actor."
He looked hurt. "Oh, thanks alot."
"You're probably an even worse kisser," she continued.
"Nani?! I just kissed you a few hours ago, and you said it was great!"
She shrugged, sounding bored. "Then I guess I changed my mind."
"Maybe I'll have to change your mind again," he smirked. Then, without warning, he leaned in and kissed her deeply.
Bra grinned, peeking in from behind the curtain.
"Hey, that's my neice he's kissing," Goten whispered angrily.
Marron sighed. "I guess they deserve each other," she said wistfully. Celira nodded in agreement.
Goten sighed. "Well... I've known for a while that Trunks liked Pan. That's a fact," he added when Bra, Marron, and Celira turned to look at him.
"Huh. Well, Pan has been kinda dropping a few hints - unintentionaly - that she liked Niichan," Bra murmured. "Guess Niichan was actualy smart enough to pick them up." When Goten turned back to peek at Trunks and Pan, she added under her breath, "Unlike some bakas I know..."
"Huh?" Goten heard her, and turned to look at her, but she ignored him. He shrugged and turned back.
Pan sighed. This had to be heaven... being held in Trunks' arms, kissing him... it was all so perfect... she wished nothing would go wrong...
But then Quinn attacked.