I wrote this chapter many months ago. The previous chapters went through much more refinement so as to address issues that pop up later, hence the slowed updates. I'm happy to finally post this one, because it's one of my favorites. Please note that this chapter may be triggering as it addresses a little girl's musings on the inevitable deaths of her parents.

I listened to the Pan's Labyrinth OST pretty much on loop while writing the Bra chapters, as well as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Thank you for reading.

AnonymousDBZFan! I didn't get notifications in my inbox about new reviews, so I unfortunately missed your comments before I posted the last chapter of Burning Bridge. I'm so happy you had a chance to read the last couple updates, and I'm very happy you checked out "Big Brother"! I have to thank Durian for that, lol; he was a random character I dreamt up while writing Burning Bridge, but I'd felt a strong need to expound upon the history between him and Vegeta. I'd been developing this short story concurrently with Burning Bridge, and I figured I should post the entire thing before moving onto the next chapter of this story. Your reviews for 'Big Brother' put me on cloud nine; I had a lot of fun further delving into the twisted dynamic between Vegeta and Frieza, and I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed reading about it! 3 The things you pick up on and appreciate in my writing, I don't even have words for. Your interest and enthusiasm gives me such a boost. Thank you so, so much for your readership, and more importantly for letting me know that you enjoy it all. 3

The Girl Child

Bra lay awake on her side, watching the closet. Her father explained the concept of sensing spirit energy and had been training her in the ability, but to her frustration she hadn't been able to grasp it. She was having trouble accessing her ki and using it any capacity, in fact. Her father was very good at sensing ki, though; if he said nothing was there, then nothing was there.

Her little face scrunched up thoughtfully as she pondered the strange, waking dream of the horned monster that looked like her father. Her eyes went to the book of her favorite Disney cartoon lying on the floor. Beast was a prince all along. He was scary and mean at first, but he was also very lonely. She whimpered at the notion of her father being turned into a monster and living alone, and her sad thoughts wandered back to the dream of her parents driving away and abandoning her.

Her lip trembled, and she sniffled as fresh tears came to her eyes. Ever since realizing that everything dies, even her parents, it was hard for her to think about anything else. All she could do was tell herself that her parents weren't leaving for a long time. She reached down for the book on the floor, intent on re-reading the happy ending in the dim incandescence of her nightlight. Her eyes alighted on something else entirely.

A doll…and it wasn't hers.

Her eyes widened in the soft pink glow of the room. "My monster was carrying that doll," she whispered. Had he been real after all? Giving the closet a cautious glance, Bra slipped out of bed and padded through the soft carpet to the object. She carefully picked it up and turned it over. It was a simple little thing of cloth, one side black and the other white. It was dirty and worn, a rust colored stain on it. It had no face. Bra looked up at the closet door. Was the monster in there? She swallowed down her trepidation; she'd be brave, like her daddy. She stealthily crept over to the door and gently opened it.

She stumbled back and bit back a scream, her blue eyes wide. Crouched futilely behind the pink Barbie Dream House that was being stored there, a hulking darkness stared back at her through glowing red eyes. Its tense brow was knit together in what could have been dread, discernible even in the dark of the closet. It remained motionless. Bra swallowed and extended the doll towards it with a trembling hand.

"You dropped your dolly," she squeaked.

Its eyes flashed like embers when they flicked to the doll before going back to her. Long moments passed. "So I did," it said softly.

Bra took in a breath at the unmistakable sound of her father's voice. "Is this a dream?"

Haltingly, it replied. "You know that place where you're half asleep and half awake?"

"Um…yes, I think so."

"That's where you are now."

"Oh."

It seemed to deliberate for a moment, then Bra heard it sigh and mutter something that sounded like "damn it." It rose and stepped around the dollhouse, the plated armor that hung from its belt clanking like chains. Bra betrayed a small whimper and backed up a little before forcing herself to hold her ground. Illuminated in the soft pink of the bedroom's nightlight, the pale, black-haired creature emerged from her closet and approached her. She craned her neck up at the towering beast, her jaw going slack.

Touketsu looked down at the little girl that looked so much like Bulma, and he frowned at the fear in her eyes. Bra stiffened when he knelt down so that he was eye-level with her. "You know dreams can't hurt you, right?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "You don't need to be afraid of me."

She nodded jerkily as she gripped the effigy with both hands in front of her. Seeing him up close, she relaxed a little. He really did look like her father, only…different. She noticed his fangs, but that didn't scare her too much. Mr. Piccolo had fangs, but he was really quite sweet. She stared at the weird looking cuts underneath his eyes, idly wondering if they hurt.

Touketsu felt his heart swell at the sight of her eyes. They were a little fearful, yes, but curious too. So unlike the dead eyes that were seared into his mind. "Hm. You look just like your mother. Bulma."

Bra blinked in surprise. "You know my mama?"

"I did, yes."

"Were…were you her monster?"

His red eyes dulled. "Yes, child."

The last of her fear ebbing away, Bra studied his face. Touketsu could see the intelligence that she inherited from Bulma as she scrutinized him. "Why are you here?"

"I'm not sure how I got here," he muttered. Perhaps the hotspots worked in a way similar to Kuromon? Leading him to where he subconsciously wanted to go? He ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe…" he sighed. "Maybe I just wanted to see your mother and brother one more time."

Bra felt irrationally jealous, and she stuck out her lower lip. "What about me?"

He snorted a little. "Well, I didn't know about you until now."

"Hmph," Bra pouted. She decided that was a reasonable answer, however. "You were Trunk's monster too?" His lips became a thin line, and he nodded. "Why did you want to see Mamma and Trunks?"

"I suppose I missed them."

"Oh. Are you not their monster anymore? Did they…stop believing in you or something?"

His lip quirked up in amusement before quickly fading. Believing that his family and Creation were nothing more than teasing illusions, he'd been ready to burn it all away in his madness before Goku stopped him. "Turns out it was me that stopped believing in them. That's why I'm not a part of their lives anymore." Bra shifted from one foot to the other shyly, not really understanding as they continued to study each other. "You weren't supposed to see me," Touketsu grumbled in concern. "No one was supposed to see me."

"It's ok. I won't tell anyone." She'd read enough stories and watched enough Disney cartoons to understand how the fairy tale world worked. A smile of wonder crept across her face as she studied him. "You look so much like my daddy. Do you know him too?"

His nose twitched. "Yes, I know Vegeta," he said, annoyance in his voice.

She hesitated a moment before offering a little bow. "I'm Bra."

Touketsu huffed through his nose in disapproval upon hearing the Earth name again. "Nice to meet you Bra," he replied, bowing his head in turn.

"What's your name?"

His eyes dropped. "Touketsu," he ground out. Bra giggled, and his eyes shot back up. "What, you think that's funny?" he frowned. Hands clasped over her mouth and eyes sparkling in amusement, she nodded enthusiastically. He raised an eyebrow. "Well at least I'm not named after a woman's undergarment."

Bra scowled, her hands balling up into fists to thrust down angrily at her sides. "I LIKE my name!" Bra yelled with a stamp of a dainty foot.

"Shh!" he said, throwing his hands out in supplication. "I'm sorry, kid. I was only joking."

She crossed her arms and raised her chin, eyes closed haughtily. "I am Princess Bra Eschalot Briefs, and I'm proud of my name."

Touketsu smiled to himself upon hearing her Saiyan middle name. Well, that's something I suppose. He gave a nod of deference to the little girl. "As you should be. It's a good strong name."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You really think so?"

"Of course, your highness."

Preening, Bra let go of her lingering anger and beamed over the compliment. "Thank you, Mr. Touketsu." Bra's face lit up as something occurred to her. "If you want to see Mommy and Trunks, I have pictures. Do you want to see?"

Touketsu raised an eyebrow. "A…alright."

Bra dropped the effigy and darted off to the bay window where a number of books were stored beneath the cream-colored reading sofa. She grabbed a birthday photo album and skipped back to him. "This one is all about me," she said proudly, "but Mommy and Trunks are in here too." She opened it up and leafed through before practically shoving the album in his face. "This is from my very first birthday party!"

Bra came around to stand next to him. "There's Mommy," she said pointing to one picture of Bulma. She was smiling radiantly and standing next to an enormous cake, a one-year-old Bra in her arms. "And there's Trunks!" Bra said as she pointed to a lavender haired boy that looked a bit older than he was since Touketsu had seen him last.

Touketsu's features softened at the sight of them. He scanned the pictures, flipping through the pages. There was a warmth blooming in his chest that quickly became pain. His eyes began to flood with heat, and he blinked. "Hm. They look well. Happy," he said, his voice strained. "Your father's not in any of these?"

Bra shrugged. "He doesn't like pictures and parties and stuff. He's in a few though." Bra reached over and flipped to the most recent photos. "These were from my last birthday. I'm 5 now! I got this whole room as a big present. It used to be Mama's and Daddy's, but they had it redesigned just for me," she said proudly before reaching a photo of Trunks and Vegeta.

By the gods; this was his old bedroom, the place where he'd walked out of his family's life. Hm. Perhaps they decided this room too haunted for their liking, Touketsu thought as his eyes alighted on the photo. Trunks appeared to be around 15. Vegeta was standing next to him, arms crossed with his back to the camera. Trunks was taller than him.

"Damn. Your brother's grown. What's his power level now?"

"Huh?"

"His ki reading."

"Oh, I don't know how to read ki."

Touketsu looked at her aghast before reigning it in. Ok, so he couldn't read ki until he was 30 years old himself. But still - what was he…Vegeta teaching his kids?! The training accident with Trunks was the catalyst behind Touketsu's unfortunate existence. He hoped to the gods that Vegeta wasn't still haunted by that. "Hasn't your father been training you? Ki manipulation, flight, any of that?"

"Yeah," she drawled with a roll of her eyes, "but it's so hard!"

Touketsu was relieved, but he quickly frowned. "That's no excuse, Bra," he said, holding up an index finger in reprimand. "You don't give up the moment something gets hard."

Bra pouted. "You sound just like Daddy."

"Yeah, well, he's right. It's important you build your strength and be able to defend yourself. There are many bad men out there. They think little girls like you are weak and easy prey." Bra dropped her head and crossed her arms, and Touketsu got the feeling she'd heard this before. "Look, training can be…fun too. He grabbed a nearby plushie pegasus off the floor and shook it at her. "So many of your goddamn toys have wings on them, that hasn't escaped my notice. You can't tell me you haven't fantasized about flying."

"Flying is fun," she conceded. "But I have Daddy for that."

Touketsu scowled. "You need to learn to do some things for yourself, kid. Your daddy won't always be around."

Bra looked up at him, clearly hurt. Touketsu didn't know what he said to elicit such a reaction, but he immediately regretted it. Her face crumpled and tears came to her eyes at alarming speed.

"Daddy's going to die someday!" she sobbed.

"Bra, what?-"

"And Mommy and Grandma and Grandpa!" she blubbered, hiding her face. "Then Trunks will die, and I'll die! Everyone's going to die and then the sun will burn out and explode…"

Where the HELL did all this come from!? Toukestu tried to calm her down as best he could lest she wake everyone up. "Well, yes everything dies eventually but-"

She only wailed louder, and he dropped the album as he whispered frantically at her to quiet down. Anxious, he stretched out his senses for any approaching ki signatures. He tried not to get too hung up by the calm, strumming ki of his sleeping wife and son, and he continued on to examine Vegeta's. He was sleeping deeply. He had either trained especially hard, or his children had worn him out. Touketsu was beginning to lean towards the latter explanation.

Gritting his teeth, he gently grasped her tiny wrist between his forefinger and thumb. Drawing her hand away from her face, he pulled her a little closer to him. "Shh, Bra, quiet now. Look at me." She stood making hiccupping sobs as she rubbed an eye, staring down and off to the side. "Yes, their bodies will die, but their spirits won't. They'll be in Heaven. They'll be fine - happy, even. And you won't be apart from them forever. Both you and Trunks will eventually see your mother and grandparents again."

She sniffled a little before looking back at him. "And Daddy?"

Touketsu faltered. "Yes, your daddy, too." Still sniffling but thankfully quieter, she continued to calm as he held her wrist. "You're tired, Bra." He stood and gave her a gentle tug towards her bed. "Come. It's time you go to bed. Your father's right. You're insane when you don't get enough sleep," he grumbled.

"Ok," she whispered as she dutifully followed.

"Go on, climb in." She climbed in and pulled her 'Frozen' comforter up as she lay down, looking up at him as he stood over her with his arms crossed. He huffed through his nose as he took in her glistening, innocent eyes, one last time to chase the ghosts away. "It's time I go, Bra. Thank you for sharing your pictures with me."

"You're welcome," she peeped over the comforter that she had pulled up practically over her mouth.

"Now after I leave, I want you to train with your father. He knows the power you're capable of, and you should too. Understand?"

Her eyes lowered and she nodded. "Ok," she said quietly.

"Alright. Bye, kid."

"Goodbye, Mr. Touketsu."

He made his way over to the window when he caught sight of the blinking red light above the handle. His eye twitched. "Bra, um. Did your mother…wire the window?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. It's our security system to keep out bad guys."

Or keep them in, he thought grimly. Just then he stiffened in alarm. "Your mother's coming!" he all but shouted under his breath to Bra.

Bra gasped. "Go hide in the closet!" He dashed back in, forcing down his personal embarrassment of having this little kid cover for him while he hid like a mouse.

Within seconds Bulma was there and carefully opening the door. The sound of Bra weeping had seeped through her sleep, and she'd awoken to what she thought was Bra talking. She'd glanced over to her softly snoring husband, the pain killers having put him out like a light. She'd lain in bed for several minutes straining her hearing before deciding to go investigate.

"Bra?" She asked as she pulled her robe tighter around her. "You're still awake. Are you ok, honey?"

Bra nodded, the blankets drawn up to her mouth. "Mmhm," she squeaked.

Inside the walk-in closet, Touketsu began to feel himself crumble. He never thought he'd hear Bulma's voice again. Since he'd awakened in Zhernobog's realm, all he'd wanted to do was see her again and apologize. She was so close, just on the other side. He had a chance…His eyes lowered as he reflected on the happy pictures Bra had shown him, and the words of someone most unexpected came to the fore of his mind:

"Step back like I did years ago, and let Bulma and Trunks get on with their lives. If you care about them at all, you'll do that."

Yamcha had told him that. I do care, Scarface, he thought. And I will step back. His apology wasn't needed. It was he that needed to atone, it was his hangup…not theirs. He'd gotten the closure he needed: His family was happy. They'd moved on. He'd do the same.

Bulma's eyebrow arched up and her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she regarded her daughter. "Bra," she drawled knowingly, biting back a smile. "This isn't about monsters and nightmares, is it? You're hiding an animal in here."

In the closet, Touketsu tensed and broke out into a sweat.

"Noooo," Bra drawled meekly.

"Are you hiding a baby bird in the closet again, Miss Briefs?" Bulma asked with a smile as she planted her hands on her hips.

Touketsu turned his back on the door and threw his arm out, the shadow overcoming him and the dark light strumming. He was staying out of their lives; he would risk being discovered by the gods. It had been so long since he'd used the tricky technique, and he didn't have a clear idea where he was going. All he knew was that he had to leave now.

Bra's eyes widened as she watched the strip of flickering indigo light emanate from beneath the closet door. Bulma could tell she was looking at the door behind her. "You are, aren't you?" Bra's wide eyes went to her mother's, and she shook her head adamantly.

"Kuromon," Touketsu whispered urgently. A portal opened to a dark world, stalactites and stalagmites meeting together like the teeth of a hungry beast's awaiting jaws.

"Oooookay. We'll see about that," Bulma said.

Inside the closet, Touketsu leapt through the portal, and it closed around him as the dark fires winked out. Bulma turned to the closet just as the light disappeared, and Bra held her breath. Bulma walked over and opened the door before flipping on the light.

"Really, Mama. I'm not hiding animals this time," Bra said in a shaky voice as she watched her mother pull aside clothes and check shelves before investigating the dollhouse.

Bulma looked at her appraisingly. She flipped the light off and walked back over to her. "Ok sweetie, I believe you." She knelt at her bedside and studied her daughter's eyes. "Honey, it's ok to be scared if you had a nightmare. Everyone is afraid of something." She smiled knowingly. "Even your daddy."

Bra blinked. "Daddy? What's he afraid of?" Bulma leaned in and whispered in her ear. Bra giggled. "Daddy's afraid of worms?!"

"Shh. Don't tell him you know," she winked. She kissed Bra on the cheek. It's ok, sweetie. They're just dreams. Go back to sleep, ok?"

Bra hugged her mother around the neck and kissed her back. "Ok, Mama." She settled back in. Bulma went back to the door, and with one more loving look her way, she left and closed the door behind her.

Bra rolled onto her side in bed, silently watching the closet door. Dawn was approaching, pink light filtering through the bay window. "Mr. Touketsu?" she whispered. Nothing. He really was gone. Her eyes lowered with some disappointment when they landed on the family album lying on the floor. She noticed something peeking out just beneath it. Bra gasped. "Oh no!"

Touketsu's brows drew together. He was back in Nav, in that subterranean cave nearest the beach. He huffed. He could have gone to any number of places, why right back here? He instantly knew the answer. Without a clear objective, Kuromon took him to where he subconsciously wanted to go. Because his conviction was split, it took him to a familiar but hidden place in Nav. The prideful Demon Sign still wanted vengeance against those two, didn't it? Son. Of a bitch. Every time he thought he'd attained self-mastery he was proven wrong.

He waited expectantly. Had those gods discovered his location? He waited for several minutes, his posture tense. Nothing at all. If they didn't come now, they could come later. For once however, he didn't care. He wasn't motivated by the thought of an upcoming battle, nor was he concerned that he could lose. He sat down cross legged on the cave floor, planting his hands on his knees. He dropped his head and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Queen Marenna. We detected a minute reading, simultaneously both on planet Earth and on Nav. We're not certain, but it could be that Zhernobog's servant has finally come out of hiding and is again on the move. Did you sense any anomalies on your planet?"

"I did not." Marenna was standing before one of the mirrored walls of her throne room, the Supreme Kai on the other side.

"To be safe, your planet should be searched and secured. Do you require assistance?"

"No. Thank you Supreme Kai, but my planet is my responsibility. My husband proved to be more formidable to contain than I'd known, but Zhernobog's servant is not Zhernobog."

"Do not underestimate him, Queen Marenna. He is dangerous."

"If the fugitive is here, rest assured that he will be subdued and you will be notified."

"Very well, Queen Marenna. I will contact Earth's guardian and ask if he knows anything."

Marenna nodded in acknowledgment, and the image on the throne room wall disappeared. She looked to an attendant. "Bring it. Quickly."

Bra threw the blankets off and rushed to the effigy on the floor, picking it up. Maybe it wasn't too late? "Mr. Touketsu?" she whispered. She stepped into her hot pink fuzzy slippers and approached the closet. "Mr. Touketsu? You forgot your dolly again." She turned the knob to the door and tentatively opened it, peeking her head in.

An intense chill hit her, and she shivered. There was always that one drafty spot in her room, but her closet had always been pretty warm. This was weird. She pulled her hooded, crimson fleece Wonder Woman robe off its hanger and put it on before looking around. There was no one there, only her stowed away toys and her collection of clothes and roleplay costumes. She looked down at the doll in her hands, its dark side turned up to her.

Touketsu took a breath. Ever since the trial, his resentment towards himself had been returning. He and Vegeta were one and the same, but one side was exalted by a family while the other played the scapegoat. This experience affirmed he'd made the right decision. Had he killed himself, Bra wouldn't have been born. Seeing Bulma in the eyes of that girl, seeing her smiling face full of life rather than bereft of it, it was a balm to his soul. This misstep could well have been a blessing in disguise.

Problem was, he was now miles away from the hotspot at the Luna Mountains. He couldn't fly, so he was looking at a long swim. His hand went to the effigy, checking that it was tucked securely under his belt. His head snapped up in alarm.

Bra turned the doll over in her hands. She knew if she'd lost her favorite doll she'd first be very upset, and next she would start retracing her steps in search of it. She smiled. Maybe he'd come back to get it. She would keep it safe for him. "While you wait for your daddy to come back, I can introduce you to my other toys. We can all have a tea party!" she said happily, holding the doll up in front of her by the arms, its white half facing her.

She gasped and dropped the doll. She'd seen something. She waved her hand around in front of her, but it came in contact with nothing but the strangely cold air. Bra looked down at the doll on the floor with renewed curiosity. She reached for it.

Marenna picked Touketsu's severed right hand up from the silver reliquary box, the appendage perfectly preserved by her freezing magic. Turning it palm up, she cradled it in her right hand as she interlaced the fingers of her left with it. She drew her right hand away, a ribbon of white energy spooling out to encircle the intertwined hands to bind them. She closed her eyes and spoke an incantation, the preserved hand steadily covering with sparkling white frost until it looked as though it had been sculpted with snow.

"I take thy hand in mine

And with my power bind

Bind your essence

Bind your will

And in my realm

You'll be still"

The hand disintegrated into glittering particles of ice.

Effigy in hand, Bra waved it around in front of her with no effect. She turned it this way and that when she briefly saw it again, like a tear in the atmosphere. More carefully now, she held the doll up and turned it slowly, its dark side facing out in front of her.

It was like turning a page. In a vaguely anthropomorphic shape, a window to a strange other world opened up. It was a dark cave, stalagmites growing up from the ground. And there, silhouetted against the thin, pink strip of sunrise beyond the cave mouth and sitting with his back to her, was her monster.

"Oh! Mr. Touketsu!" She said joyfully as she ran through. "Your dolly! Here!"

Touketsu's eyes popped wide in abject shock as he looked over his shoulder. He got to his feet, his hands going up into his hair. Shit. Shit!

Bra skid to a stop when his shocked expression darkened into one of fury, his lips curling over his long fangs. And she thought her daddy looked scary when angry. "I..I…" she trembled as she extended the doll to him. "I j-just wanted to-"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, GIRL?!" He roared in dismay.

She jumped in fear, tears immediately welling in her eyes. "I just wanted to give you back your doll," she whimpered in a voice so small it could barely be heard.

He stalked up to her and tore the effigy from her hands. "Fuck the doll, kid. Oh, fuck this…FUCKING DOLL!" He screamed, shaking it before throwing it against the cave wall. He dropped to one knee and grabbed her by the shoulders, his fangs flashing. "What the hell part of 'GO to BED' did you NOT UNDERSTAND?!"

Bra burst into tears.

Aw fuck! "Kid, I - I just -" He winced when she only wailed louder, the high-pitched sound an assault on his sensitive hearing. Sobbing, she covered her reddened, tear-streaked face in her hands. "Look, forget it, it doesn't matter. I'll just, I'll send you back the way you came," he said as he strode back over to the effigy. All this time there'd been a hotspot in this cave?!

He grabbed it and swept it back and forth in the direction Bra came from, light side out. There was a fleeting pulse of pale light, a blip in the dark of the cave. His brows drawing together, he tracked it back and forth slowly in front of him. He saw the flash again, but nothing else. It was as though the hotspot had sealed up.

Shelving his confusion, he stuffed the doll under his belt and strode ahead of the crying Bra. "Hang on." He held his hand out in front of him. He was risking Kuromon not once, but twice?! Goddamn kid was going to get him killed! Relying on the fervent conviction to correct this gaffe before things got worse, his body darkened as he focused on Bra's bedroom. The energy pulsed through his body, and with a flare of ki the dark energy and the shadow raced up his arm to encircle his open palm.

There was a flash of white as though he'd touched an electrified wall. He jerked his hand back with a yelp of surprise, the black energy collapsing onto the cave floor in a curling pool of heavy smoke. He blinked in shock, his mind beginning to race while Bra sobbed behind him. Why won't it work? What the hell's going on? Just then Bra took a breath and unleashed another high-pitched wail that bulldozed through his confused thoughts like the Kool-Aid Man through a brick wall.

"Girl, would you cut it out!?" he whirled on her in agitation. "You're breaking my concentration!"

Staring up at him with wide, reddened blue eyes and hiccupping little sobs, she got herself under control. Touketsu shook his head in exasperation as he turned and gamely tried again.

Bra sniffed. "What are you?-"

"Shh! I'm getting you home."

Bra hadn't been paying attention before, but she now looked on in trepidation and fascination as she watched Touketsu's body darken. The dripping flames of his aura burst forth, and he held out his hand. "Kuromon."

He snatched his hand back when it was again shocked with icy energy. His hand and wrist aching, he stared at nothing in consternation. This felt suspiciously like Marenna's doing. She was in league with the other Kais, and he'd used Kuromon. She must know he was here, and therefore the others did. But then why not just come for him?

"Mr. Touketsu?" He turned at the sound of her voice, conscious of keeping the growing panic off his own face. "Can you get me home?"

"I'll think of something." He had to. He could NOT be saddled with the responsibility of a child - much less a female one. He had to try another hotspot. The one in the Luna mountains was out. She couldn't fly, and neither could he. She'd never survive a thousand some odd mile swim through Nav's freezing ocean. He'd have to take her to the Torii at the Necropolis.

His shoulders sagged at the realization that he'd have to accompany her onto the Physical Plane. The hotspot would take her to Earth, but it could dump her onto a mountaintop for all he knew. What was he supposed to do if they ended up on a continent thousands of miles from her home? Steal an air-faring vehicle while somehow keeping a low profile? The bigger question, would any other hotspots in Nav even work? Raking an anxious hand through his hair, he glanced over at her. She looked back up at him with big, hopeful eyes.

"Shit! God damn it!" he shouted as he whirled away in frustration.

Bra cringed. He swore as much as her daddy, if not more. A swear jar helped curb her father's bad habit, but Bra concluded that such a thing wouldn't help Mr. Touketsu. He didn't appear to have any money.

Touketsu massaged around his horns, and with a huff of resignation he walked over to her. "Ok kid, I'm going to get you home, but we'll have to wait for nightfall first before we go anywhere." He couldn't risk being seen, not unless he was willing to go all out in battle while this kid got caught in the crossfire.

"But why? Why so long?"

"Because!" He snapped.

She sniffed, glancing around. "I don't want to stay here. It's creepy."

"Just close your eyes and go to sleep and it won't be creepy!"

"But it's smelly, too!" She complained, pinching her nose.

"Fuck! Do you ever sleep?!"

Her lower lip began to tremble. "Why are you being so mean now?" she sniffed.

His eye twitched. Because I didn't sign up for this shit! "Listen, girl. You need to rest up. It's not going to be easy getting you home."

She bit her lower lip, silent when her brows drew together. "I hear waves."

"Um, yes. We're near the ocean."

"Well, ocean sounds help me sleep. Like waves and whale calls and stuff. Mama sometimes plays them for me."

"Well great, go to sleep."

"But I wanna see it! Can we please go see the ocean? Please?"

He supposed it was safe enough. If it would help her konk out, then great. "Fine. I'll take you to see the ocean." He scooped her up and made his way to the mouth of the cave. Climbing up on an outcropping, he settled down cross legged with her on his lap. "There. We're at the ocean. Go to sleep." She snuggled against him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to go to sleep, and I'm cold."

His shoulders dropped. "Can't help you much with that kid." He watched her shivering against him, seeking out warmth he didn't have. With a sigh he wrapped his shaggy arms around her. He could at least trap her own body heat against her. He caught side of the effigy tucked under his belt, and he had the fleeting notion to get it off his person.

No. If the Obfuscation Charm wasn't working, Marenna would have known of his whereabouts and apprehend him the first time he'd returned to Nav. It was Kuromon that had blown his cover, and that witch had used her damned magic to cut off escape.

Bra's breathing evened out, and he glanced at her. She was asleep. He huffed. "How the hell did I end up here?" he muttered to himself. He now had to bring her home before he could do anything else. If the hotspot at the Necropolis was closed, they would be in deep trouble. He had no choice but to try.

"They can be found in remote places where the walls between planes are thinner," Kuma said. "Places like crossroads, mountains, burial grounds, that sort of thing."

"And little girls' bedrooms, apparently," he grumbled. He was glad the room was no longer Bulma's and Vegeta's, for walking in on them could well have been worse. He straightened. "Where the walls between planes are thinner," he murmured. Could it be? Years ago, he'd created a portal in that very spot in the bedroom and sent Vegeta back from Zhernobog's realm. In the last few minutes he'd created a portal from Bra's closet to Nav's caverns. This explained how Bra had been able to use the effigy. He'd created those hotspots. Perhaps because the last one was brand new, it had created a direct conduit between her world and Nav.

This was actually a good sign. It meant that Marenna had only been able to bind the energy associated with Kuromon, not all hotspots. He nodded to himself. The one in the Necropolis would work. He felt Bra shiver briefly against him, and he tightened his hold on her a little. "You're getting home, kid. I'm getting you home, and I'm moving on at last."

Child Surprise! You called it, AnonymousDBZFan, lol.

Bra's meeting of Touketsu was a little reference to the scene in Beauty and the Beast when Belle sees Beast for the first time.

Like the white stallion nightlight and the Little Golden Books mentioned in the previous chapter, the Barbie Dream House is a fond memory from my own childhood.

I based Marenna's binding spell off a handfasting ceremony, a wedding tradition observed by a number of different cultures since 7000 BC. Her incantation was something I dreamt up. Thank you for reading!