"If We Could Start Over Again"

Authoress: Ani

Disclaimer: Don’t own it, don’t sue, pocket lint is all you’ll get.

Note: This is my first yaoi fic. Please be gentle. Takes place in GT time, but I have messed with it. (It’s mine, I can do what I want :P)) Thoughts are in italics and telepathy is in italics surrounded by: ~~ ~~

PART 6 - Caught!

Goten walked slowly down the street, hands stuffed in his pockets, brooding. I don’t know why I’m so upset, it’s not like there’s anything between us anymore! He sighed, I just thought he was serious about wanting to be friends again. Guess not. Seeing a small park across the street, he quickly crossed the road, wanting some time alone to think.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Trunks hung around his boisterous co-workers for a little while longer before curiosity got the best of him. I’ve just got to find out what Goten meant by my working late. It’s gonna drive me crazy if I don’t. "Hey, guys, I’m gonna head on home." He forced a smile and a chuckle at the chorus of ‘no’s that came resounding from around the table. "Sorry, guys, I need some rest. I’ll see all of you on Monday!" He gave small wave before heading out onto the street. Had he left immediately, he would have seen a small, dark-haired quarter saiya-jin take to the air and head towards her home, broad smile of satisfaction on her face.

He walked down the street searching for any sign of his old friend, feeling for traces of Ki. Trunks picked up a slight flicker and headed across the nearly empty street. He quietly searched through the barely lit park, heading towards the faint feelings of Ki emanating from the younger man. Trunks caught sight of a dark clad figure sitting on the grassy shore of the pond in the center of the lush greenery. Stopping a few steps behind Goten, he stood quietly, wondering if he should break the silence.

"Can’t say hi anymore?"

"Hi." He said quietly, moving to stand beside the sitting figure, both staring out at the calm water, the near full moon shining brightly on the surface. "I thought you said you weren’t feeling well?"

"Ne?" Goten looked up at him, almost mesmerized by the pale purple strands glinting in the moonlight. He shook his head to clear it, "I never said I was sick. Who told you that?"

Trunks sat down on the soft grass beside Goten, looking over at him, "Pan did. She talked to you on the phone and you told her you weren’t feeling good so you wouldn’t be able to make it."

"I did not!" Goten blinked in confusion. "I never called to say I couldn’t come, you were the one that said you couldn’t come, so I decided to go anyway."

Trunks blinked, "And when did I say that?"

"Pan said you called from work and said for her to tell me you couldn’t make it ‘cause you had to work late."

They sat there staring at each other as realization dawned on them both. "Pan!" They spoke in unison, much like they used to when they were younger.

"Okay, something weird is going on. Why in the world would Pan try to keep us from seeing each other? She was the one who wanted us to meet!" Goten said completely confused.

Trunks looked thoughtful, "There’s only one thing I can think of." He looked over at Goten with a sigh. "She must’ve found out about…our past relationship." He said slowly.

"So she must be doing this to try and keep us apart. She’s afraid of losing you." Goten chuckled softly, almost sadly, "Well, she doesn’t have anything to worry about right?"

"Goten…" Trunks said quietly, still watching his ex-lover. "Well, I certainly don’t like the way she’s been acting lately." He said with a frown.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at him curiously.

"She’s been being too clingy for one. Also I’ve been getting in trouble with my Kaa-san for things I’ve done or haven't done at work, and the only person that knows about it is Pan. She's got to be the one doing it. I’ve even started thinking about breaking up with her if her attitude doesn’t change. But it’s my own fault really; she is too young for me to be dating her. She’s really too young to be dating period."

A small smile crossed Goten’s face, "I take it that’s why you’ve been so busy? But that doesn’t explain why you never returned my calls. I was only trying to be friends again, sorry if they bugged you."

"What calls? I never got any phone calls from you." Trunks asked confused.

"I left messages on your answering machine that first week after we talked… you never got them?"

"No, when I got home my answering machine was clear. The only things I had were written phone messages from…" His eyes widened, then narrowed, "from Pan. She was deleting them! She has to know! Okay, that’s it. I am getting out of this. I can stand some clingyness, but all of this lying and going behind my back to keep me from trying to get back an old friend is enough. What time is it?" He angrily pushed up his jacket sleeve, looking at the glowing face of his watch. "About 10:00. Think they’re still awake?"

Goten blinked at Trunks’ change in attitude. "Uh, yeah, probably."

"Well, we’re going over there." Trunks stood pulling Goten to his feet.

The young Son stood there blinking at his older friend, "Uh, why do we both have to go?"

"Because we need to talk to Gohan-san. I want to find out how Pan found out. Gohan was the only person that knew, wasn’t he?"

Goten nodded, "Hai, I guess that would be the most logical place for her to find out, ne?"

"Yes it would be. Besides, if Gohan tries to hurt me for breaking up with his daughter, I need you there as a shield." He grinned at him, floating in the air.

"Thanks a lot!" Goten laughed. The two flew quickly across the city, heading towards Son Gohan’s residence.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Pan sat on her bed, still unable to stop smiling. She was flipping through a magazine while her music practically blared through the stereo speakers. Flipping page after page, she stared blindly at it, her mind replaying the night's mishap between her boyfriend and uncle. So engrossed in her reverie, that she did not sense the two familiar powerlevels approaching her house at such a late hour.

*~*~*~*~*~

Gohan stood, disconnecting his book from his hand (which always seems to be glued to it ^_^), and moved to answer the door, leaving Videl still flipping channels on the TV. He blinking in surprise to see his little brother and his daughter's boyfriend standing on his doorstep together. A serious look was plastered on Trunks' handsome face, whereas Goten smiled at his older sibling brightly.

"Onii-chan! Uh, hi!" He said, grinning from ear to ear.

Gohan blinked, "Uh, konbanwa. What's up guys?" He asked confused.

"Gohan, I really need to talk with you. About Pan." Trunks said, a tight smile on his face, his tone serious.

Gohan nodded showing the two younger demi-saiya-jin in. Sensing that Trunks wanted to talk with just him, he steered them into the den, giving a dismissive wave to Videl's looks of curiousity, leaving the woman in the living room. Shutting the door behind them, Gohan took a seat across from his guests. "So what is this about Pan, Trunks?" He asked, not sounding too happy.

Trunks took a deep breath, gazing at the floor, "Gohan, I've been thinking about mine and Pan's relationship and I think it's time that it ended." He finally looked up at the older man, praying to Kami that he wouldn't get blasted right then and there.

"So you want to break up with my daughter, huh?" He spoke, a calm look on his face. "Shouldn't you be telling her this and not me?"

"Huh, hai..." Trunks said with a blush, "I was..uh.."

"He was afraid you were gonna be mad at him, niichan." Goten supplied with a grin, receiving a glare from his lighter haired friend.

Chuckling, Gohan looked them both over, "Really? Well, Goten, what part do you play in this?"

The two younger saiya-jins blushed, catching Gohan's not so subtle meaning, "I'm just here as a shield, niichan." He said with a nervous chuckle.

"Hai, Gohan-san, we're just friends. Or trying to be." He finished with a scowl. "But that's what I really wanted to talk to you about."

His smiled faded at the seriousness of Trunks' tone. "Alright."

"Recently Pan has started becoming..." he paused, searching for the right word, "possessive. She's been hanging around me more and trying to do everything with me. Normally that wouldn't bother me all that much, but it's beginning to become too much. I never have any time to myself anymore. She's there on my lunch breaks, she's there before work, at my office, at my home when I get off work. Sometimes I like to just relax by myself and have some time alone." The look on Gohan's face was not comforting to Trunks, who was afraid it was directed towards himself.

"Pan always told me that you kept asking her to, that's why I stopped questioning her about how much time she was spending with you." He frowned slightly to himself. I didn't know she was getting so obsessive over him.

Trunks nodded before continuing, "I was actually hoping to just talk to her about it. You know, ask her to lighten up a bit? But then she decided to go behind my back and start messing with my life away from her." He scowled again, as did the older demi-saiya-jin. "Recently my mother has been bogging me down with extra work as punishment for thinks I did or didn't do at the office. The only person that knew about those things was Pan. I also have reason to believe that she was deleting telephone messages from my home answering machine."

"What? Trunks, now I know that Pan might be getting a little obsessive, but deleting messages?" He frowned at the implications.

"Hai, Gohan." Goten spoke up. "I was leaving messages on Trunks' machine so we could try to get together to just hang out and try to catch up on missed times. But Trunks said he never got 'em. All he ever received were handwritten messages taken by Pan."

Trunks nodded in confirmation, "Also, Goten and I were planning on going to hang out at the new club in town when I supposedly got a call. Pan took it and said that it Goten saying he couldn't make it, and that I should go anyway with some friends some work, so I did."

Goten picked up immediately in Trunks' pause, "And then I got a call from Pan saying that Trunks told her to call to tell me that he wouldn't be able to make it 'cause he had to work late. But that I should still go and have a good time, so I did."

"I think that Pan was doing it so we would see each other there and get mad at one another. She's trying to keep us away from each other Gohan." Trunks finished with a frown.

Gohan sat there blinking, taking in the information that he had just received. "I..I can't believe Pan would do such a thing! Demo..why would she try to keep you two from seeing each other?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Actually, we were kinda hoping that you could help us out on that, nii-chan." Goten looked at him.

"Hai, the way Pan's been acting, it seems as if she knows about our..past relationship." Trunks said with a glance over at Goten. "But you were the only one that knew, Gohan-san."

He blinked, his mouth opening in an "o" of surprise, "You think I told her?" The other two nodded, "Well, I didn't. She, well, she eavesdropped on the two of you a while back when you first talked to one another again." He said quietly, but in a serious tone.

"She what?!" they cried in unison. Trunks continued with an annoyed sigh, "See, this is why I have to end this. I realize now that she is too young for me, I'm just sorry I didn't realize it when she asked me out on that little "date" for the first time."

"I understand Trunks, and I'm glad that you've come to that decision.You are too old for her, but you had to learn that for yourself. Now I think it's time that you told her." He said wisely.

Trunks nodded, "Hai, Gohan-san." The lavendar haired man stood and left the two brothers alone in the den. He walked briskly up the stairs, heading the familiar room at the end of the hall. Knocking on the door, he wondered quietly to himself if she would even be able to hear him over the loud music.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Pan started, blinking at her door, the loud knock bringing her back to reality. Her smiled widened as she realized who the person was standing on the other side. She lept off the bed, turning down her stereo. Rushing over to the door she flung it open and was about to do the same with herself into Trunks' arms, but stopped dead at the look of seriousness on his face. "Uh, hi, Trunks. What's wrong?" She asked worry crossing over her features, a mix between her mother's and her grandmother's. Stepping out of the way, she watched her fair-haired bishounen move over to stand next to her bed. Her door shut with a click before she walked over to sit back on her bed, motioning for Trunks to sit beside her. The air felt thick as her silent request was denied, as the young man took her desk chair and sat it next to her bed, choosing to sit there instead.

"Pan we have to talk." He said, voice almost a monotone.

The young girl blinked in surprise at his tone, watching his every movement. "O-okay.." she said slowly, a slight feeling of dread circling in the pit of her stomach.

"I know that we had a good relationship going on, but I realize now that I am too old for you." He watched as her eyes grew large, but continued on before she could speak, "I really care about you, but this just isn't going to work. Your actions recently have brought me to this decision you know."

"Actions?!" she cried, finding her voice again. "What actions?!"

"You know what actions, Pan." He started ticking them off on his fingers, "Your possessiveness, getting me in trouble with my mother, erasing my messages from my answering machine, trying to keep me from seeing a friend. Do you want me to go into detail, Pan?" He asked coldly.

Pan stared at him, eyes wide in horror. He knows! Somehow he found out! "I.."

"Are you going to deny you did those things?" He asked raising a eyebrow.

"I..no." she looked down, then back up, tears streaming down her face, "I did it for us! I didn't want you to go back to my uncle! I was afraid of losing you! I didn't want to lose you!"

"Maybe so, but you did. And it's because of your actions that you did. I'm sorry Pan, it's over." He stated flatly.

"No!!" She cried, jumping up to stand in front of him, "No it's not! You can't just leave me like this! I love you, you love me!"

Trunks sighed, afraid that something along these lines might occur, "No, Pan, I don't." he said looking up into her eyes calmly.

A stricken look passed over her features as he stood up in front of her to leave, her shock quickly subsided as her anger grew. "You jerk!!" She jumped at him, fist cocked back and ready.

He took the unexpected blow to the jaw, bruising it almost immediately. He easily caught the angered quarter-saiya-jin, trying to hold her away without hurting her, "Pan, stop this. You're acting like a child!" He continued to contain the struggling girl as her father ran into the room.

"Pan! What on earth do you think you're doing?!" he cried, looking at his little girl in shock.

She jerked away from Trunks and ran into her father's arms, "Daddy, Trunks is trying to break up with me! He kept saying lies about me!"

Gohan sighed, looking over at Trunks, "Pan, perhaps this is for the best."

Looking up at her father in shock, she cried, "Nani?! Daddy, how can you say that?!" She noticed a dark haired figure standing quietly behind her father, glaring death at him, she pulled away from her father angryily, "It's 'cause of you!" she yelled pointing a finger at a shocked Goten. "Trunks' breaking up with me because of you! I know it!"

"Pan, sweetie, now you know that's not true." Gohan said calmly, looking down at his angry daughter.

"You're on their side! You want them back together, don't you?" Tears flowed down her cheeks freely as she regarded her father through hurt eyes.

"Goten and I aren't together Pan. I broke up with you because of your actions, not because of Goten coming back into my life as a friend." Trunks put stress on the last word.

"Liar!!" The fourteen-year-old cried, moving to start hitting at Trunks' again, only to be stopped by her father's strong arms.

"I think you'd better go." He said, looking at Trunks and his younger brother. The two nodded silently, leaving the poor Son to deal with his enraged teenager.

Videl stood in shocked silence at the foot of the stairs, debating to see what the yelling was about, or just stay out of it. She cast a questioning look in the direction of her brother-in-law and his friend.

"Ano, Trunks just broke up with Pan." Goten said quietly, scratching the back of his neck.

"What? Oh my poor baby!" Videl said, rushing up the stairs to help her husband.

"Poor baby?" Muttered Trunks, "What about me? I'm the one that got a sucker punch from the deal.." he lightly traced his finger over the bruised skin of his jawbone, wincing slightly.

Goten chuckled, "Well, at least she didn't try to kick you." He said with a taunting grin.

Trunks groaned in pain at the thought of where she would have kicked him. "Good point."

"Ouch, she really did hit you hard, ne?" Goten said softly, looking at the dark mark on Trunks' tanned skin. "Well, my place isn't too far from here, why don't we go there and I'll get you some ice for it?"

Trunks was about to decline when his jaw decided to throb again, "Sure. Maybe we can get in some of the talking that we missed tonight."

"Sounds like a good idea." Goten grinned, leading his friend to his apartment.

*~*~*~* Authoress's Note *~*~*~*

Hi! Wow, you made it to part 6. Thanks for actually putting up with my fic for this long! Please excuse any typos and errors in this part and possibly the next few, the program I am being forced to use has no spell checker *sniff* But at least I'm still working on it! ^_^ I hope none of you out there like Pan ('cause I don't, can ya tell? *evil grin*) I am nowhere near through with this fic, I'm hoping to make it a long one, even though the parts keep ending up shorter than I'd hoped for... Oh well! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the next part!