And now, a couple more months have passed and still I ponder how I can offer assistance. And while I sat in my stupor, I received a knock at my door. Who the hell would be knocking at 2am!? I know, daddy told me never to answer a door so late at night, but something compelled me to. Sorry daddy.

I'm glad I did. It was Trunks. After the annulment that shaved the Briefs and Capsule Corporation fortune nearly in half, Trunks often could only wander in public at night or else reporters would continue to swarm like vultures waiting to pick at a dying animal. He was in bad shape. The usual gleam in his eyes was dim and his hair dishevelled. I've seen him come out of physical beatings in better shape than this! I offered him the warmth of my quaint little apartment. It wasn't much, but I don't really think he cared. He took a seat at my dining table and I offered him a cup of freshly brewed coffee. He was lucky I was working late on some client accounts that night. A slow and forced grin lit his face slightly as he thanked me. For some reason my eyes trained to his left hand. The golden ring I had watched placed on his finger that day three years ago was now gone.

Unsure what to say, I allowed him to speak first.

"How do I find my way to you everytime?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. It's just, whenever I'm in trouble, I find my way to you. Never my mother, or father, or anyone else...just you."

I wasn't sure if it was a compliment, a realization, or just a statement.

"I envy your parents dear Pan. They married out of love. I've always envied them for that."

"Trunks, you're not that old you know. Love can still happen for you, but only if you want it to."

It was then that he looked at me in that same expression he did that time before the wedding. His blues singed through my soul and dove into my heart. Damn you Trunks, the fire you light within me is unbearable and hard to suppress!

He must have liked what he found. His soft grin turned into that patented Vegeta bloodline smirk. I grinned back, not knowing how to take it.

"You want to hear something totally crazy and off the wall Pan?"

Now he peaked my curiousity. "Sure, shoot."

"I think I've known my true mate all the while. I doubted my heart all these years, but finally my brain agrees. She's been standing before me disguised as a friend all these years."

I gulped. Was he confessing his love to me? "Really? Wow Trunks."

He smiled again. The gleam in his eyes was returning. "Wow yourself. You knew."

I gasped. I what!? "What do you mean?"

"I sensed the crush you had for me when you were a little girl. Puppy love. But after that Dragonball hunt, it became something more didn't it? That year we spent together in space affected us both in a way neither of us would admit."

I couldn't believe how true his words possibly were. He was answering the questions my heart had sought all these years! We were like two pieces of a puzzle that were only meant to fit with each other.

He placed his coffee mug down as I did the same. He gently took my hand in his from across the table. "Love has a strange way of showing itself doesn't it?"

I still could not get any words to release from my mouth.

"And yes, I know what you're going to say. I just got over a nasty break up and trying to rebound. Hardly. It was never there to begin with. It could be tonight, tomorrow, next year, or the next decade for that matter. The thought pattern and my feelings would remain unchanged. What I feel now I'd feel then."

There was logic to what he was saying. I could tell mentally, he was speaking without the distraction of what had just happend to him recently. And this was coming straight from him. Not enough time had passed for him to be pressured or influenced by his mother, society, or anyone else.

I couldn't find the right words that my heart spoke to my soul. I needed him to hear them though! Perhaps he could read minds or he just needed the same thing I did because that night, something wonderful happened.

The next morning, actually it was morning already when he arrived at my place, but anyway, we had both severely overslept. But despite my phone ringing nonstop, both Trunks and I blocked it out and came to realization of what transpired before the sun rose. We were both naked in my bed. The lamps that were once on my nightstands were now on the floor, as was my alarm clock. One of my high heel pumps was stuck to the ceiling above us. My blankets and comforter were a tangled mess on the floor. We were only covered by a thin sheet. The pillows were acoss the room. I returned my look onto the corporate half-saiyan only to see Trunks' amused and playful expression.

"Oops." he said, his voice raising as a comedic, wry expression formed upon his face.

"Oops?!"

He raked a hand through his hair as if he was a little boy trying to find the right words to get out of trouble. The look was priceless! The old Trunks I had known before the marriage was back.

"Ooops what?" I asked again.

"We trashed your room." he tried to say seriously, but the urge to laugh was evident in his voice.

I couldn't help but laugh. But he turned serious again.

"We're both big time late for our jobs."

I laughed again and stole his initial phrase. "Ooops."

He then lifted the covers and looked at himself, then me. He had looked just moments earlier, but apparently his brain wasn't fully awake to register the observation. "We're naked."

"Wonderful observation Sherlock."

He then looked up at the ceiling, fascinated by my footwear that had stabbed the ceiling above us. "Wonder where the other one went?"

I scanned the room for the mate to my shoe that was impaled on the ceiling. He looked too and suddenly started to laugh.

"What!?"

He pointed to the wall near my dresser. Impaled in that wall was the other shoe. "Oooops." was his chuckling response.

"Oh man, was it THAT good last night?!" I asked though I knew damn well it was. Through the use of our bodies, we had touched our souls.

That Vegeta style smirk formed upon his lips once again. "Damn straight." Then he became very serious. "Uh, what part of the month are you in?"

"Huh?"

"We didn't exactly use protection last night y'know. It was a spontaneous type of thing."

Was he serious?! Of course he was. He was as virile as a stallion who hadn't had any action in weeks. What he was leading up to was a very real possiblity.

"Let's worry about that later. I think we both need to call our jobs or we'll both be in a heep of trouble."

Trunks got up and walked over to my alarm clock that was on my side of the room. Was he aware of how beautifully sculpted his body was? He needed to get covered or I was going to lose control and ravage him again.

"Trunks, get some clothes on."

"Why?"

"Cause."

"Hang on a sec."

I wish I could. C'mere boy and let me ride ya like a ---wait, I need to stop.

"It's eleven thirty in the morning Pan."

"And?"

"I've missed three, no, four important meetings. Ooops."

"And I was supposed to have those figures for my client by ten. Ooops." I countered.

"We need notes from our mommies now." he joked as he placed my alarm clock back upon my nightstand.

"Nah, I'll just call in sick."

"Saiyans don't get sick Pan."

"My boss doesn't know that."

"Mine does."

"So just tell your mom that you-- hey wait, idea."

"???"

"Propose to me Trunks."

You should've seen the expression on his face when I said that. Yet another priceless moment. Too bad I didn't have it on tape. Oh wait, my camcorder's on light is lit. That's right! I was working on my presentation skills with it earlier that day! I must've forgotten to turn it off! I bet we bumped the tripod, it tilted, hit the 'record' button by use of the wall, then teetered back to its normal position. Hmmm, I wonder what it recorded all these hours? I'm glad you can't see how red my face is right now. Anyway, I'll just not tell Trunks about that just yet.

He gently grabbed my face and placed back to facing in his direction.

"You need to pay attention if I'm going to do this."

Did he just say...what is he doing? He's down on one knee and taking my hands in his. Is he aware we are both naked? I guess not.

"Dearest Pan, my hidden love for all these years, will you marry me?"

Speechless, but fearful this may all be a dream, I nodded and whispered yes.

to be continued...