Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Change Of Heart ❯ A New Lease On His Day-to-Day Life ( Chapter 24 )

Still breathing hard, Trunks stood up from the desk, walking shakily to the window. Looking out into the surreal height, it made him worse, and he went into his lounge and fell into the couch.

What was that? He caught himself asking in his head. Shaking his head he pulled a pillow under his head. Too fearful of sleep-and the dreams that were included-and too tired and fatigued to fight it off. Moments later thought, he began a restless sleep.

"Trunks?" Someone whispered softly, brushing light fingers over his shoulder. "Trunks?" It breathed again, and Trunks forced himself from sleep. Brows furrowed, he opened his eyes and a hazy view of the room around him was present.

"Trunks, are you all right?" It asked, no longer a whisper, but still soft. He blinked a couple times, clearing his sight, and pulled himself to a sitting position. Turning his head he saw a sweetly smiling Marron look at him with concern.

"You forgot, didn't you?" She asked, and he rubbed his forehead with his palm, nodding. "Hey, it's ok, get some rest, we'll all go another time." Marron, the forgiving one. She started towards the door, resting a hand gracefully on the doorknob.

"Marron," He said, and she turned around. "thanks." She smiled and nodded knowingly. Turning the knob she stepped in the doorway, turning around once again to face him.

"We'll go see another movie, kay? So you can still see it with us-" Trunks shook his head and she titled her own to the side. "Oh, all right. I'll tell Goten and the others." She took another step back. "You get some rest, ok?" She said quickly, and he nodded.

The door shut, and Trunks was left alone again. Grabbing a blanket from a chest at one end of the couch, he pulled it over his shoulders and fell again into slumber.

Pan's eyes shot open, staring around wildly for the alarm clock. Reading it's time-10:45-she bolted upright and leapt out of the bed. Speaking to herself like she always did when in a hurry, she rushed to the bathroom and shoved her toothbrush in her mouth, washing her face at the same time.

Minutes later, she burst into her bedroom and dived into drawers for clothing. Throwing them on without she grabbed her bag, coat, and shoes, leaping down the stairs-literally.

She ran into the kitchen and started putting her shoes on without sitting down, using her finger as a shoehorn as she opened a cupboard and grabbed a granola bar. Opening it with her teeth she opened the fridge and snatched a bottled water.

"Pan?" She heard and she turned to her right, granola bar and wrapper in her mouth, one hand putting on a shoe, other hand clutching the water. She looked truly frazzled and scatterbrained, and Kaye stifled full out laughter.

"Did you know it's Saturday?" She questioned, and Pan dropped her granola bar. Kaye laughed some more and Pan sat on one of the island stools, looking as if she was expecting tears. "Hey, go get some extra sleep." Kaye suggested, and Pan shook her head disappointedly.

"Can't." She said, and Kaye raised a brow. "I never can fall asleep in the day…well, unless I'm really tired." She explained and Kaye raised a corner of her mouth. "Sad, isn't it?" Pan said, walking into the TV room, leaving Kaye without a goodbye.

Mary Kate was playing with one of Lynda's cats, giggling to herself. Even her giggle sounded Irish. Pan noted, plopping into the recliner.

"What's wrong?" Mary Kate asked, dropping the cat toy. "Ya' look awful." Pan nodded, sinking into the recliner's depths. "How are ya' feelin', I mean, with everythin', ya' know." Pan smiled. Mary Kate was such a sweetheart. Out of all the roommates Pan had, she felt the closest to Mary Kate. Even through a culture difference, they were the most compatible.

"I'm ok, I, everything yesterday annoyingly reminded me of him, that's all. Guess it put me in a bad mood." Mary Kate nodded understandingly, and all conversation on the topic was put on hold when Kaye walked in the room with some cereal in hand.

"So, what are you two individuals discussing?" She asked, playing like she was highly intellectual. Both the girls smiled and looked at each other.

"We, um, we were discussing eligible bachelors." Pan stuttered out, using the first topic that came to her mind. Soon after, she regretted it.

"Oooh, talking about eligible bachelors, you both were there when the news talked about Trunks Briefs last night, right?" Kaye asked, and Mary Kate looked at Pan and then back at her other roommate.

"Trunks Briefs?" She questioned quietly. Kaye nodded vigorously and took another large bit of cereal.

"Yes, so what do you think of this `mysterious blonde'?" She asked, finishing off her bowl of breakfast. Mary Kate looked to Pan, but before anyone could think at all, Pan spoke up with a laugh.

"Him like her? No way, they're just way good friends. Besides, she likes Goten." Mary Kate closed her jaw-dropped mouth and Kaye looked at Pan questioningly, a bit of shock at the sudden outburst present.

Pan looked around and realized her mistake too late. Groaning inwardly she vowed to nail her mouth shut at a later date. Unfortunately she hadn't done it earlier.

"What do you mean? It's not like you know him, Pan…?" Mary Kate cleared her throat suddenly-yet casually, she still was a lady.

"What she means is she recently-this morning even-heard tha' tha' same girl is going after another famous personality named Goten Son. Yes, and tha' tha' Marron girl grew up as'a family friend to, uh, Trunks Briefs." Nice recovery. Pan needed to pay her later. "Yes, ya' haven't heard of tha' yet?" Kaye looked embarrassed, obviously-to her-she was behind on the celebrity gossip.

"Oh, I didn't know-"

"Peace out!" Katie walked into the room wearing pink bunny slippers and PJ's with moons and stars on them like a traditional American. She had a bowl of Scooby-Doo cereal in her hands and was chomping merrily.

Pan raised a finger and saluted her, but the other girls-not used to American greetings-looked at her without a word. She sat down on the arm of the couch, chomping another bite.

"Dude, why did I wake up so early?" She asked to no one. Today's Saturday, I should've slept till one." She stretched for emphasis, then went back to her cereal. Pan yawned in agreement, leaving Mary Kate and Kaye out of the conversation.

"I so know how you feel." Pan said mid-stretch. "I forgot it was Saturday this morning, and got up in a panic." Katie smiled. "It was awful, did everything two-or three-at a time. Brushed my hair and changed my clothes, makeup and perfume at the same time." She grinned, and the other girls grinned back. "Ok, I admit it, I forgot my makeup and perfume this morning. Those aren't the highest points of my morning routine, that'd be the brushing of the teeth and the applying of the deodorant." She grinned even bigger, cheesily, and they laughed.

"I guess tha'd be me too!" Mary Kate cheered. The front door opened and in came Lynda, holding several paper bags full of flowers. "L'nda!" Mary Kate called, and the blonde looked this way. "Wha're those for?" She seemed excited, like a child who knew what his treat was, but asked anyway.

"They're for tonight's decoratoral party. I'm in charge of the flower centerpieces." She explained. "And, it's part of my grade. Everyone in the class has something to `decorate' and then that's part of the class. Sounds fun, doesn't it?" Kaye looked excited, but Katie's and Mary Kate's faces both fell. Katie's at the thought of that meticulous work, and Mary Kate's at the realization that those were not for her or the house. Lynda grinned and went into the dining room, setting the bags down and leaving, retrieving some tools for the job.

"Why would anyone want to do tha-" Katie started, but Mary Kate slugged her in the arm just before Lynda walked back in the adjoining dining room. She left again, and Mary Kate turned to Katie.

"Because, she loves this stuff. She's excited, so you should be too." Katie looked around with scrunched up brows, then back at Mary Kate.

"I saw you were disappointed." She pointed out, and Mary Kate shook her head.

"I was disappointed because I wanted them to decorate the house. That's all. And who knows, she might have leftovers. Pan's and my room could use something in the window." Pan and Mary Kate both nodded.

"And us?" Katie asked. Kaye seemed to agree. "We definitely need something in ours, it looks like a four-wall cell." She expounded, trying to top whatever Mary Kate had set. The other girls looked at Lynda who just walked in.

"I don't suppose anyone would like to help me?" All four jumped up, eager to show loyalty to the interior designer in training. "Thanks so much!" She said, giving the closest, Kaye, a hug.

Starting away through another door they heard her say to herself, "And the leftovers will look so good in my room!" Falling over Anime style, the girls collected themselves and started working on the flowers.

"Trunks!" That definitely wasn't the voice that had awoken him the night before. Oh, he didn't want to wake up. "Trunks!" It persistently called again, and he groggily opened his eyes, attempting to sit up.

Bulma was leaning over him, leaning on the back of the couch. With an annoyed-yet not irritated-expression on her face, she stood up straight and folded her arms, eyeing her son.

"Wha-" He started, but he never got to finish his sentence. Just about the same time it escaped from his mouth, there was a counter-attack.

"What are you doing?" She asked and he looked at her hazily, fighting the urge-the need-to lay back down again. "You didn't come home last night, no explanation, I come here this morning to look for you, and find you passed out on the couch. What happened?" The last question held concern, but once again he was too caught up in fighting the need to lay down, and she was zoned out completely.

"Trunks?" She asked, and he rolled his head to meet her gaze. "What's wrong?" She leant forward and brushed the hair out of his eyes, her concern evident.

"I-" He began, but his own voice shocked him, as if it wasn't meant to be heard. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I was just so tired last night, I came over here to rest, and I, I…I guess I fell asleep."

"Oh, Trunks." She said, sitting down next to him on the couch. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea. Maybe I was wrong to give you so much responsibility right now." Trunks looked at her and gave an expression that he disagreed. She looked at him and raised a brow.

"No, I can handle this, it's just that I'm not doing what I should-"

"Like what, Trunks? You're not doing anything you shouldn't. You're not doing anything that a twenty year-old shouldn't. You've got a big company solely on your hands. A huge company at your disposal. With no training, no school for it. No, I was stupid to think you could handle it." Ouch, that hurt. Stupid that you thought I couldn't handle it?

"I mean, I was much older than you when I took it over, and I had tons of experience. I had bent over my father for years, and that only started in my teens. And because I had nothing better to do. Ah, wait, I traveled around with Goku and Yamcha, looking for mysterious balls that work like a genie. I suppose I had something to do. But my world was small, all I saw were Dragonballs and Capsule Corps." Trunks smirked at her. "All right, I saw Yamcha. But I was young-and dumb." She smiled. "I didn't take over the company until I had two kids, a husband, and years of experience. And I still struggled till I got it down pat." She leaned in a bit closer.

"I know you can handle it, you've been doing great so far-whatever you want to believe. But I think it was unfair of me to send you into it just like you were, and expect you to run it without one bit of change. Send you into the flames without some water so to speak. Things change, and one person can't handle everything-at least not without experience. With time you'll run it like a pro, but you need to allow yourself some mistakes, some shortcomings."

He leaned forward, head on hands, elbows on knees.

"Now, look at Vixen Entertainment, that's a good venture. There's something I would never have the courage for. And you did, and I know it's going to make it. More than make it! See, you're instigating a big change there, and a good one. I foresee Vixen Entertainment as a huge company in the future. With our technology, and Degraid's advertising and marketing genius, this will be one company to definitely kick some stuff, if you know what I mean." Trunks smiled, and she did too.

"Now, you are going to take a break-"

"No, I'm fine, mom. Really, I feel much better about it now." She tilted her head to the side, inspecting his expression. "I promise." He smiled and she nodded.

"Just like me, eh?" He laughed and nodded. "Ok, but if you feel yourself falling into what you did last night, promise you'll tell me? Then you can take a vacation and I'll get to come back and visit for a bit." She grinned.

"I think the vacation is more for you than me." Trunks pointed out and she nodded vigorously.

"Of course, haven't you clued in yet?" She stood up and made her way to the door. "You sure you're going to be ok today?" She asked, and he nodded, standing up and brushing out his shirt. "Alrighty then, I'll be going. Want me to get Claire?" She questioned, one hand on the doorknob.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks though." She nodded and without another word left.

The combination of work stress and Pan stress had finally caught up with him, and he was glad for the pep talk his mother had given him. Taking a new lease on his day to day life, he sat at his desk and began work.