DISCLAIMER: I do not own Trigun. None of it. Nope. This be my first Trigun
fic. Just a one shot. Flame me all you like. It probably aint my best work.
Merle and Millie stood outside the door. Both of them too afraid to step inside for what they knew to be on the other side. To find out what they both feared in their hearts. Forcing her feelings down, Merle too a deep breath and took the door handle, opening it and walking inside.
Vash lay in the bed. His chest was covered in bandages. They had seen the network of scars across his body before. But they never though they would have to see more. Or that they would be involved in its coming.
Or where the bullet would lodge itself. At the point where Merle cared about the most. His heart. Vash the Stampede had taken a bullet for a great many people. Always trying to save people. Always sacrificing his life for the lives of others.
"Mr. Vash. Please tell me it isn't true. Its isn't true. Is it Mr. Vash?" Millie jumped on his when she came into the room. Followed more slowly by Merle.
He looked up at them with a small smile on his face. A real one. "Yes." He nodded his head that them and let out a breath of a chuckle.
"Your dieing." Merle whispered. But Vash had heard her. As did Millie. He nodded his head again. Millie dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.
"Don't. . .be sad." He spoke slightly out of breath. He closed his eyes and leaned back further into his pillow. "I've waited. . .my entire. . .life for this." He smiled to himself.
"You selfless jerk." Merle felt tears roll down her face as she walked up to him in the bed. "Your just going to lay there and die?"
"I've lived a life. . .of anguish. . .and death. All. . .I've ever wanted. . .was to live. . .a quiet life. Now. . .I have my chance."
She walked up to the bed with her arm raised. Looking to slap him again for good measure. But only ended up collapsing in the chair next to the bed. Tears continued to roll down her face and she fisted her hands in her lap. Refusing to look at him.
"What about me? What am I supposed to do now? Without you to boss around?" In the midst of the crying, she almost wanted to laugh. Even now she couldn't admit her feelings to him. Towards him.
Vash pulled an arm out from under the covers of the bed and put his hand over hers. Squeezing gently. "I'm sorry. . .Merle. I should. . .have told. . .you. . .from the start. My feelings. But. . .deep down. . .I could. . .never. . .put you. . .in that. . .kind of danger."
"Jerk." She mumbled amidst her sobs. Forcing herself to look at him. She could help but smile back at him. They always knew. Yet it took death for either of them to say anything.
"I'll miss you. . .Merle. And your donuts. You. . .made the best. . .donuts. . .ever." His voice became softer. She couldn't take it anymore and threw herself over him. Crying all over him. But that really didn't matter to either of them.
"Merle. . .I want. . .you to live. . .a long. . .and happy life. Promise me. . .Merle." He hugged her with his one free arm. She pulled his as close to her as she could.
"How can I live without you?" She mumbled into his chest. She felt him release her from the hug and move his hand to her face. Where he forced her to look at him.
"Please? Merle? For me?" She nodded her head as best she could. Throwing herself again over his chest where he hugged her. She listened to the soft beating of his heart as it became lower and lower.
"Goodbye. . .for now." His breath gave away as she felt the grip of his hug release. She continued to hug him and cry. Despite the fact that she knew he was gone for good this time. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, Merle. He's gone." Milled spoke softly behind her. But Merle refused to move just yet.
"Let me hold him. Just a bit longer." She knew she had to let go. But her muscles refused to listen to her. She didn't want to listen. Mille slowly pulled her off from him and drew the cover up over him.
"Goodbye Mr. Vash." Millie hugged Merle as she looked at the still figure on the bed. "We shall keep your word. And bury you in a simple grave out in the desert. And rest quietly as you asked."
She turned around to look at the figure leaning against the back wall. "What will you do now Mr. Knives?"
Knives grunted and walked toward the door. But he stooped before exiting. "There are too many bad things still in this world. Many that I helped create. I will pick up where he left off. It was the only thing he had ever asked of me. As a brother." He walked out the door. His first step of effort to do good in this world.
"Enjoy your rest Mr. Vash. You deserve it."
Merle and Millie stood outside the door. Both of them too afraid to step inside for what they knew to be on the other side. To find out what they both feared in their hearts. Forcing her feelings down, Merle too a deep breath and took the door handle, opening it and walking inside.
Vash lay in the bed. His chest was covered in bandages. They had seen the network of scars across his body before. But they never though they would have to see more. Or that they would be involved in its coming.
Or where the bullet would lodge itself. At the point where Merle cared about the most. His heart. Vash the Stampede had taken a bullet for a great many people. Always trying to save people. Always sacrificing his life for the lives of others.
"Mr. Vash. Please tell me it isn't true. Its isn't true. Is it Mr. Vash?" Millie jumped on his when she came into the room. Followed more slowly by Merle.
He looked up at them with a small smile on his face. A real one. "Yes." He nodded his head that them and let out a breath of a chuckle.
"Your dieing." Merle whispered. But Vash had heard her. As did Millie. He nodded his head again. Millie dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.
"Don't. . .be sad." He spoke slightly out of breath. He closed his eyes and leaned back further into his pillow. "I've waited. . .my entire. . .life for this." He smiled to himself.
"You selfless jerk." Merle felt tears roll down her face as she walked up to him in the bed. "Your just going to lay there and die?"
"I've lived a life. . .of anguish. . .and death. All. . .I've ever wanted. . .was to live. . .a quiet life. Now. . .I have my chance."
She walked up to the bed with her arm raised. Looking to slap him again for good measure. But only ended up collapsing in the chair next to the bed. Tears continued to roll down her face and she fisted her hands in her lap. Refusing to look at him.
"What about me? What am I supposed to do now? Without you to boss around?" In the midst of the crying, she almost wanted to laugh. Even now she couldn't admit her feelings to him. Towards him.
Vash pulled an arm out from under the covers of the bed and put his hand over hers. Squeezing gently. "I'm sorry. . .Merle. I should. . .have told. . .you. . .from the start. My feelings. But. . .deep down. . .I could. . .never. . .put you. . .in that. . .kind of danger."
"Jerk." She mumbled amidst her sobs. Forcing herself to look at him. She could help but smile back at him. They always knew. Yet it took death for either of them to say anything.
"I'll miss you. . .Merle. And your donuts. You. . .made the best. . .donuts. . .ever." His voice became softer. She couldn't take it anymore and threw herself over him. Crying all over him. But that really didn't matter to either of them.
"Merle. . .I want. . .you to live. . .a long. . .and happy life. Promise me. . .Merle." He hugged her with his one free arm. She pulled his as close to her as she could.
"How can I live without you?" She mumbled into his chest. She felt him release her from the hug and move his hand to her face. Where he forced her to look at him.
"Please? Merle? For me?" She nodded her head as best she could. Throwing herself again over his chest where he hugged her. She listened to the soft beating of his heart as it became lower and lower.
"Goodbye. . .for now." His breath gave away as she felt the grip of his hug release. She continued to hug him and cry. Despite the fact that she knew he was gone for good this time. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, Merle. He's gone." Milled spoke softly behind her. But Merle refused to move just yet.
"Let me hold him. Just a bit longer." She knew she had to let go. But her muscles refused to listen to her. She didn't want to listen. Mille slowly pulled her off from him and drew the cover up over him.
"Goodbye Mr. Vash." Millie hugged Merle as she looked at the still figure on the bed. "We shall keep your word. And bury you in a simple grave out in the desert. And rest quietly as you asked."
She turned around to look at the figure leaning against the back wall. "What will you do now Mr. Knives?"
Knives grunted and walked toward the door. But he stooped before exiting. "There are too many bad things still in this world. Many that I helped create. I will pick up where he left off. It was the only thing he had ever asked of me. As a brother." He walked out the door. His first step of effort to do good in this world.
"Enjoy your rest Mr. Vash. You deserve it."