Disclaimer: I do not own dragonball z.

Note: Sorry for taking so long, its a long and bumpy road getting over my writer's block, but I'm trying, you know ideas wouldn't hurt lol. Thanks for waiting though.:)

How great it is to be loved by you!

by: Pic's Pixie

Chapter 24: I am

Vicki was completely perplexed, she just stood there her mouth opening and closing of its own accord not making a sound. Vegeta was still standing defensively in front of her growling under his breath.

Piccolo was on the other end of the party surrounded by everyone else who was being bombarded with questions of his whereabouts for the last long while. He snuck glances towards Vicki and Vegeta, smirking at seeing their worried and utterly confused expressions.

Suddenly Gohan comes bounding up to Vicki dragging Piccolo behind him.

"VICKI! Guess who's here?!" Gohan shouts. "This is Piccolo, my old mentor, the one I told you about!"

Gohan was smiling from ear to ear.

"Ummm....umm...um?" Vicki stuttered not knowing what to say, Vegeta continued to growl under his breath.

"Hello, nice to meet you,...Vicki." Piccolo spoke with his deep gravely voice, while extending a hand out to Vicki. He immediately pulled back when Vegeta made a sound as if he were getting ready to bite off his hand as it got closer to Vicki.

"Hello again, to you too Vegeta." Piccolo spat with a sadistic grin.

Finding a burst of courage Vicki jumped forward putting on a cheery front.

"Piccolo! Wow, so I finally get to meet you." She chirped, getting strange looks from Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks.

She winked at them and grabbed Piccolo by the arm and dragged him off farther away from the crowd, she told Gohan she just wanted to get to know him better.

When they were far enough away Piccolo leaned against a large tree trunk while Vicki looked at him, strutinizing every detail.

"Are you just going to continue on starring or are you going to actually say something?" Piccolo started opening his deep onyx eyes to fix them apon the girl.

"Well, obviously I'm alittle confused as to WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Vicki all but screamed.

Piccolo just chuckled. "I'm Piccolo." Is all he said.

"No you're not!" Vicki argued taking a step forward.

"Really? Green skin, almost 7ft. Tall, fangs. I think there's really nothing stopping me from being Piccolo."

"Well you're not." Vicki persisted.

"And why not?" Piccolo quaried.

"CAUSE I'M PICCOLO!" Vicki's hair almost standing on end.

Piccolo just chuckled and pushed off of the tree, making his way towards Vicki. As he got closer Vicki visably stiffened and took a step back. Piccolo quickened his pace and was now right in front of Vicki, before she could step farther back he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body.

Vicki's face became a bright shade of red and fear and confusion shown in her eyes. 'what is this guy doing?' she thought.

Vicki opened her mouth to retort but was immediately silenced by a pair of very familiar jade lips.

She squirmed and struggled but found his grip increasing in strength.

Piccolo chuckled deep in his throat as he pressed her small form closer to his.

Vicki was trying desperately to get him off her but the more energy she used to struggle the more he used to keep her still. She was actually quickly ascending towards her top power and was still outmatched by his. 'Who can this guy be to be able to match my power?' she thought.

Suddenly she heard a deep chuckle ring about in her mind. He was using telepathy. 'Who are you?' She persisted. His mocking laughter slowly subsided and he spoke to her 'Aww. Don't you recognize my voice? I'm hurt.' 'what? Voice?' Vicki thought.

'yes, that is what I said.' Piccolo retorted. 'Arg.' Vicki was confused enough but then she did realise that the voice he was using was not Piccolo's, it was someone else's. But that voice was familiar, it took her a little while to come up with it though. In the meantime Piccolo had taken her deep thought as a distraction and shoved his tongue into her mouth. Vicki almost jumped out of her skin, this was just too weird, being kissed by your own body, WEIRD! Suddenly it hit her. 'Garlic Jr.??' she asked. The deep laughter returned then he spoke again. 'you do remember me.'

Then out of nowhere Piccolo was slammed back against the tree and Vicki fell to the ground gasping for breath. She was immediately pulled to her feet and held steady by Gohan as he looked at the now fallen Piccolo with hardly contained anger and confusion. Vegeta had actually been the one to hit him, he was standing infront of the two facing the namek on the ground.

"What do you think you were doing?!" Goku shouts as he joined the feud.

The others had sensed Vicki's and Piccolo's energy signals rising shortly after Piccolo's 'attack' on Vicki, and they all had rushed to her assistance.

Everyone watched as Piccolo slowly made his way to his feet.

"Oh, that was rude." Piccolo grumbled as he dusted off his pants.

"Piccolo? Wh-why did you do that? To my wife?" Gohan was close to tears, he couldn't wrap his mind around it, this was Piccolo, Piccolo didn't kiss people, certainly not Vicki.

"Oh get over it kid, she was asking for it!" Piccolo retorted deciding to completely ditch trying to act like Piccolo, the kiss pretty much took care of that.

Everyone was speechless, this was just sooo unlike Piccolo. The only people who knew that this person wasn't who his appearance showed was the entire Brief's family.

"I was not!" Vicki squealed appauled by the thought cast forward.

"Piccolo, I don't really understand what just happened here, but I'm sure you have a good explanation, right?...right?" Goku continued.

"Man, you don't understand most things now do you." Piccolo snapped.

"Piccolo, I'm only going to ask you this one more time. WHY ARE YOU ACTING THIS WAY?!" Goku yelled, getting alot more angry than anyone had ever seen him outside of a major fight.

"Well, what can I say,....I'm Piccolo!" Piccolo laughed.

"No you're not."

Everyone turned to look at the one who said that short phrase.

Bulma blushed, Vegeta growled and Vicki's jaw dropped to the floor.

Trunks, realising what he had just revealed clamped both hands over his mouth and hide behind his mother's leg.

"WHAT?!" Everyone screamed in unison.

Piccolo just brought his head back and laughed whole heartedly.

"What do you mean Trunks? He has to be Piccolo, look at him." Goten asked sneaking closer to his best friend.

"Umm...umm....of course he is why would you think he wasn't?!" Trunks tried to cover his big mouth.

"No, you said he wasn't Piccolo, what was that all about?" Gohan added.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Vicki screamed charging after a terrified Trunks.

Meanwhile everyone else were scratching their heads. Bulma was rubbing her temples and Vegeta just sweat dropped at Vicki's unreserved anger.

"That's it! What is going on?! If he isn't Piccolo who is?" Gohan shouted, everyone halting their actions.

Vicki adopted an embarrassed innocent look pulling at her dress slightly. Trunks was almost acting the same.

"Trunks! What did you mean by that?! And tell me the truth this time!" Gohan shouted.

Trunks figited, he didn't have any idea what he should do. He just kept looking from Gohan to Vicki to Piccolo to Gohan.

"Yes, Trunks. The truth." Piccolo added.

Trunks hmpf-ed and looked at the ground with a light red glow to his cheeks.

In a quiet voice he muttered his answer.

"I said he isn't Piccolo, he's someone else."

"Who?" Gohan asked again.

"I don't know." Trunks answered.

"And how do you know that?" Piccolo asked giving everyone else quite a shock.

"Because.....because...." Trunks just couldn't bring himself to rat on Vicki.

"Because, I am!"

Everyone turned and starred at a now very teary-eyed Vicki. Even Vegeta didn't expect such a confession.