"They're not sure. I told them that if there was no answer at home we'd be at the beach. They'll probably come down a little later." Bra told him. She sat up, and smirked at him. "You're not worried about what they'll think of you, are you?" she asked.
"Of course not!" Tiko protested. "It's er... just that... I gotta go to work at twelve. I just don't wanna miss 'em."
"Oh yeah, you have to go..." Bra mumbled. "Well, they're staying overnight, so if they come while you're at work, you can always see them later."
"Yeah, I guess so..." Tiko said. He looked at her. "Hey, where're they gonna sleep?"
"In the living room." Bra replied.
"Huh?"
"That sofa in there - it's a sofa bed." Bra told him.
"It is? I never knew that." Tiko said.
"Well, you never asked." Bra smirked.
"Hey, Bra."
"Hm?" Bra looked up at the person standing in front of them.
"Oh. Hi Cassadi." she said. Bra looked at the other two people that stood on either side of Cassadi.
"Oh, these are my friends." Cassadi told her. "Peter and Felicity."
"Heya." Peter waved.
"Hi." Felicity smiled at Bra.
"Um, hi." Bra replied. Cassadi looked at Tiko.
"And what's your name?" she asked.
"Tiko." he replied.
"Cute name." Felicity said.
"Uh... thanks." Tiko replied.
Cassadi, Felicity and Peter sat down. Cassadi looked at Tiko and Bra.
"Hey, Surferday is coming up next week, you know. Are you guys gonna enter?" she asked.
"That's where I know you from." Bra remembered. "You were last year's champion, right?"
"Yep." Cassadi nodded. "But it doesn't work like that. We three don't say who won - we're a team. We just say "we" won."
"Between us, we've been the champion ten times in a row." Peter told them.
"Mm hm. And we've won more than fifteen." Felicity said.
"Ever since we've become a group we've been practically undefeated." Cassadi stated.
"But... weren't there four of you last year?" Bra asked.
"Yeah... that fourth one was Dan..." Felicity mumbled. Her and Peter looked at Cassadi, who seemed a little annoyed.
"Yeah. He used to be my boyfriend. But he's gone now." Cassadi said.
"Um, excuse me, but does anyone mind telling my what Surferday is?" Tiko asked.
"Well basically every year on 9th June, all the surfers enter a big surfing contest. Each participant has to get to Shark Rock and back. Whoever does it first is the winner." Peter explained.
"What's Shark Rock?" Tiko looked at him.
"It's a big rock by the part of the cliff that goes into the sea. It's connected to the other rocks at the bottom, but it stands out because it looks like a shark fin." Felicity told him.
"That rock I surfed into looked like a shark fin... I guess that was Shark Rock." Tiko thought silently. "Damn... it's pretty rough around there, the water pushes you around a lot."
"But now that Dan's gone, we need someone new." Cassadi said. She looked at Tiko and Bra. "We're willing to make ourselves a five. So are you with us or against us?"
"What? You want US to join you?!" Bra gasped.
"You two are good surfers. With you guys on our side, we'll be the champions every year." Felicity smiled.
"Uh..." Tiko glanced at Bra uneasily. She did the same to him.
"No thanks." Bra told Cassadi.
"We'll be the champions on our own." Tiko added.
"What?!" Cassadi stared at them. "Hey, we don't ask many people to join us! You should be flattered!"
"Come on, we'll be great, you guys." Felicity urged.
"Sorry." Bra smirked.
"Fine then!" Cassadi growled. "But don't think you'll win! We're gonna drown you ingrates!" she looked at Felicity and Peter. "Come on, guys. Let's go." with that, the three got up and walked away.
"She's short - tempered ^_^" Tiko said.
"But we'll beat 'em, right?" Bra smiled.
"Do you really think we could?" Tiko asked.
"Of course! Why do you think they asked us to join them? They're afraid of losing!" Bra told him.
"Yeah... okay." Tiko agreed.
"Hey, you'd better get going to work. It's almost twelve." Bra said.
"Right!" Tiko leapt up. "I totally forgot about that ^_^ See ya later, okay?"
"See ya." Bra watched him run off. She lay back down. Surferday... she and Tiko would definitely win this year! She'd lost last year - it had been so close, too! She'd come second just after the winner. That had been so annoying!
"Bra?" a female voice called. Bra sat up, and turned her head. She smiled.
"Hey mom!" she waved at her parents, and stood up. Bulma and Vegeta made their way over to her.
"Hi, honey." Bulma greeted her. Vegeta looked at what his daughter was wearing. This time, it was a yellow bikini. And no skirt.
"Do you wear that all the time?" he asked.
"Huh?" Bra looked down at what she was wearing. Crap! Should've covered up more. Now he'd get into his overprotective mood and not let any young, single guy go within three feet of her.
"Um... no. I just felt like I'd wear a bikini for a change. It's a little too hot for a shirt or something ^_^" Bra said off the top of her head.
"Hmm..." Vegeta didn't believe her.
"Vegeta, she IS a grown woman. Quit telling her what to wear." Bulma mumbled to him. Vegeta ignored her. He looked at Bra.
"So where's this boyfriend of yours?" he asked.
"Yeah, I wanna meet him!" Bulma beamed.
"You guy just missed him, he went to work. He won't be back 'til two." Bra told them.
"Damn..." Bulma sighed.
"Hey, let's go back home anyway, you guys need to unpack, right?" Bra said. She lead them away.
~~~
"So tell me more about this Tiko." Bulma said. She and Vegeta were seated on the couch in the living room, and Bra sat in an armchair.
"Mom, I already told you everything over the phone." Bra protested.
"Does he still not remember how old he is?" Vegeta asked.
"Dad, I told you, he's not too old for me! He looks about my age." Bra replied.
"Is he too young for you?"
"NO!"
"He's a good surfer, right?" Bulma changed the subject.
"Yeah. He took to it straight away, really. It didn't take him that long to become really good." Bra told her. She smirked. "And he's got the body for it..."
"Wha?!" Vegeta gasped. Bra laughed.
"I knew you'd freak, dad!"
"I didn't freak." Vegeta growled.
"Tell me about his personality. Is he smart? Funny? Cheerful?" Bulma asked.
"All three." Bra replied. "He doesn't tell many jokes, but he's funny in a cute way. He's a fast learner, but a little clumsy," she said. "But he's not a quitter, he's really good at looking on the bright side. And he's always cheerful." she looked at them. "He's kinda like Goku in that way, I guess, but he's kinda his own person."
"He sounds nice." Bulma smiled. Bra looked at Vegeta.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"I'll decide when I meet him." Vegeta told her.
"I knew you'd say that."
Bulma looked at the clock. Five to two. Tiko'd be back soon. She could hardly wait to meet him! He sounded so different to some of the guys Bra had dated in the past. Maybe it'd work this time...
"Oh!" Bra suddenly remembered something. She looked at her father.
"Dad, Tiko was wearing some weird armor when I met him. He doesn't know where it's from or how he got it. I thought maybe you'd recognize it?"
"What does it look like?" Vegeta asked, interested.
"It's upstairs. You guys follow me." Bra said. She went out of the room, followed by her parents.
Vegeta looked around the house as he followed her up the stairs and into Tiko's bedroom. He watched Bra open the wardrobe. She pulled out some armor and put it on the bed. Yes. Vegeta did recognize it. But where from...? he knew he'd seen it before somewhere.
"Bra?" a voice called from downstairs.
"Tiko!" Bra exclaimed. She looked at Vegeta and Bulma. "Come on! Downstairs!" she ran out of the room, closely followed by Bulma. Vegeta stepped back, towards the door. He frowned at the armor. Dammit, where had he seen this before?!
He could hear them talking downstairs. It hadn't taken Bulma long to start a conversation with Tiko. She would've already judged his looks on a scale of one to ten. A couple of question and his personality'll be analysed, too.
"Vegeta! Come down!" Bulma ordered from downstairs.
"I'm coming!" Vegeta growled. He sighed. Sod it. He'd look at the armor later. Vegeta headed for the door, and stopped. That's it! The armor! But... oh please no... he spun around, and took one more look at it. Yep. It was his alright.
"Oh my God..." Vegeta ran downstairs.
"So, you two are taking part in Surferday?" Bulma asked.
"Yeah. Hey, are you guys coming down next week? You could come with us?" Tiko offered.
"Yeah! Can you make it?" Bra smiled.
"Sure. We'd love to." Bulma nodded.
"Tiko -" Vegeta rushed into the room. He stared at them. Bulma was sitting on the couch, staring at him as if he was mad. Obviously unimpressed by his entrance. Bra was sitting on the armchair, giving him a similar look. And the guy sitting on the armchair's arm, Tiko... it was him!!! Oh my God!!
"You!!" Vegeta gasped. "What - how?! You died years ago!!"
"Huh?" Tiko looked at him.
"Vegeta, what are you talking about?!" Bulma demanded.
"Wait - you know who I am?" Tiko asked. He stood up. "Tell me."
"Bra, do you know who this is?!?!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"Um, no. That's kinda where the whole amnesia thing kicks in." Bra replied sarcastically.
"Your boyfriend is FRIEZA!!" Vegeta shouted.
"What?!" Bra's jaw dropped.
"No way!" Bulma protested.
"Frieza?!" Tiko gasped. "No way! he's that evil guy, right?! I'm not him!"
"He's right, Tiko's nothing like Frieza!" Bra argued. "Dad, you're wrong."
"I am not wrong!!" Vegeta snapped. "That's Frieza! The armor upstairs, that was Frieza's armor! And this guy both looks and sound like him, too!!" although, his voice wasn't quite how Vegeta remembered it...
"But I can't be him! He got killed, right?" Tiko asked.
"Well, obviously not." Vegeta replied.
"No way!" Tiko shook his head.
"He is not Frieza!!" Bra protested.
"Bra, I'd know Frieza when I say him!" Vegeta argued.
"Well you're wrong this time!"
"Bra -"
"Wait." Bulma interrupted. "You don't know for sure -"
"Yes I do!!" Vegeta growled.
"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped. She looked at Tiko and Bra.
"Tiko seems like a really nice guy..." she frowned at Vegeta. "So I'm going to pretend like this conversation never happened until YOU can prove that he is Frieza."
"Bulma -"
"Vegeta!!"
".... Fine." Vegeta mumbled.
"Good." Bra said. "Why don't we start over? And pretend none of this ever happened. Can you do that, dad?"
"...." Vegeta looked at her.
"Please?"
".... Yeah, I guess."
~~~
Bra stared up at the night sky as she lay in the swimming pool. It was late. Her parents and Tiko had all gone to bed. She'd only come down here because she couldn't sleep. Dad had been so mad. Poor Tiko. That must've been really embarrassing for him - it must've hurt, too. Dad must be wrong. Tiko was nothing like Frieza. And how old would Frieza be now? Over seventy at least, right? Tiko clearly wasn't even a day other thirty.
Bra heard the glass door open. She turned her head, and saw Tiko.
"Hey." she greeted him.
"Hi..." he replied. Tiko had his way over to the pool, and got in. He looked at her.
"What're you doing out here?" he asked.
"Can't sleep. Same as you, right?" Bra guessed.
"Yeah... I guess that's one of the reasons." Tiko said.
"One?" Bra looked at him. "What are the other reasons?"
"I come here quite a lot at night - after you've gone to sleep." Tiko told her. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not." Bra replied. "Do you just sit?"
"No. I watch." Tiko said.
"Huh?"
"I don't come here if I can't see the stars, because I watch them." Tiko explained. "Sometimes..." he looked away, and shook his head. "Nah. It's stupid. Never mind."
"Tell me." Bra urged.
"It sounds dumb."
"So?" Bra stared into his eyes. "Tell me." she ordered.
Tiko looked at her.
"You really want me to tell you?" he asked.
"Mm - hm." Bra nodded.
"Promise you won't laugh." Tiko said.
"I promise." Bra agreed.
"... Okay..." Tiko began. "When I'm down here alone at night... and I look at the stars... I feel like they're watching me..."
"Watching you?" Bra repeated.
"Yeah. Well, not them, really. I feel like there's a place in the sky. A place that watches over Earth. You and me, and everyone else on it." Tiko said. "But... I feel like there's someone in that place who's just looking at me. Someone... who's kinda lonely. Someone who's waiting for me." He looked at her. "Dumb, right? I bet it sounds stupid."
"Actually, that place exists." Bra told him.
"Huh? How do you know?" Tiko asked.
"You know Goku? I told you about him, right?" Bra began. Tiko nodded.
"Well... he's been killed a few times. He told me that he went to this place... it wasn't on Earth."
"It was in the sky? Could he look down on you guys?"
"I think so. But I might be wrong. You'll have to ask him." Bra replied.
"How did he die and come back?" Tiko wondered aloud.
"Wished back. It doesn't really matter right now." Bra said.
Tiko looked at the sky.
"So... do you think someone I used to know is in that place?"
"Maybe." Bra nodded. "Maybe someone you cared about died and went there. And now they're watching you." she said.
"Do they have to die on Earth?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. Like I said, Goku know more than me." Bra replied. Tiko turned to her.
"Did your dad ever die, too?" he asked.
"Yeah, but..." Bra mumbled. "Rather than looking down... he kinda looked up."
"Oh, right..." Tiko said. He looked at her. "But your dad seems like a pretty good guy."
"See!" Bra pointed out. "Even after he said those things, you still moved on and tried to get to know him! You can't be Frieza! You're a good guy!"
"Yeah..." Tiko looked away.
"What's the matter?" Bra asked.
"I don't remember anything at all, so... what if I am Frieza? What if your dad's right?" Tiko said.
"Well, it wouldn't matter. Because you're different now, right?" Bra replied. "You're not Frieza anymore. You're Tiko. My boyfriend."
"So... supposing I got my memory back, or your dad proves that he's right, and I am Frieza... would you still wanna be my girlfriend?" Tiko looked at her.
"I didn't want to be your girlfriend because I thought you weren't Frieza. I wanted to be your girlfriend because I knew you were Tiko." Bra told him.
"... Thanks." Tiko smiled.
Bra climbed out of the pool and sat on the side.
"Hey, are you working tomorrow?" she asked.
"What day is it?"
"Thursday."
"Then, no. I'm off all day." Tiko told her.
"We need to practice for Surferday." Bra said.
"Yeah, I know. We'll go tomorrow, right?" Tiko replied.
"Yeah."
Tiko wondered what time it was. It must be pretty late. He looked at Bra.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what time it is, would you?" he asked.
"I don't know. Probably about eleven." Bra told him.
"Then I guess we'd better go to bed. I wanna get to the beach early." Tiko said, and climbed out of the pool. He stood up and looked at Bra. "Are you staying here?"
"No. I'm going, too." Bra replied. She got up. Tiko began to walk towards the glass door.
"Um.. Tiko?" Bra began. Tiko stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I've been wanting to ask you something..."
"Okay. What?"
"How about... we sleep together tonight...?" Bra said.
"Huh?!" Tiko stared at her. "Hey, do you mean...?"
"Don't you want to?" Bra asked. "You don't have to."
"No - I mean... uhh..." Tiko reddened.
"Tiko?" Bra looked at him.
"Um... okay." Tiko agreed. "I guess so."
"Are you sure? You seem kinda nervous."
"...... I... I'm sure..." Tiko told her.
Bra smiled.
"Okay then. Let's go up." she walked past him. Tiko gulped, and followed.
