Disclaimer: Once again, I'm sorry to say, no, I don't own Trigun. Pioneer does. Grrrrr... Now, do you ever see anybody say, "yes! I DO own this property!" I dunno... Anyways...

Love After Death

In the small kitchen of an empty hotel in the deserted Tonim Town, Milly Thompson clutched at the dead body of the man she loved. Nicholas D. Wolfwood had been slain that day. Shot in the middle of the road. Left to die in a church. It had been Vash the Stampede, the so-called outlaw, that had retrieved his lifeless body for them. He'd brought it into the kitchen of the vacant motel they'd chosen to occupy and laid it on the table.

Milly and her boss Merryl Stryfe watched as Vash, with great precision, wrapped his friend's body tightly in cloths and bandages.

Milly had spent all day in Nick's bedroom, packing his clothes, what little there was. She sighed as she held his clothing, bringing each piece up to her face and wetting them with her tears, and taking in their scent. His odor was deeply embedded in her mind, as was everything else about him.

After pausing for a moment, thinking about the previous night, she began to sob loudly. Merryl eventually came in to check on her. "What is it, Milly?" she said, then of course, realizing what a stupid question that was. "Anything I can do? Want me to finish up here?"

Sniffing back her tears, she replied quietly, "No... thank you, ma'am... I'll do it myself."

Feeling completely incapable of doing anything for her grieving friend, Merryl turned around and left the room. She walked outside and found Vash sitting at a bench just outside the door. He was just sitting there, staring out at nothing.

After this trauma of Milly losing her Nicholas, Merryl wasn't sure at all about how to approach Vash with her growing feelings. So, she simply sat next to him and gazed outwards with him. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, silently, he reached over and took her hand in his own and squeezed it tightly.

Surprised at this unusual behavior, she looked up at his face. Like always, he was wearing his yellow sunglasses, but this time, as he sat there silent, a tear trickled down his cheek, across his chin, and finally fell onto his bright red jacket. Her own tears then began to swell until they too fled from her eyes and dripped upon her white coat. She held them back as best she could, but couldn't help contemplating the awful anguish her best friend must be feeling to have lost the man she loved.

At this, Merryl broke down completely and flung herself into the arms of Vash, seeking his love and compassion. He gently held closely, her face buried in his chest, and stroked her soft dark hair as their tears began to mingle.

*****

Back inside the room, Milly finished putting Nick's few items and clothes into a bag, ready to be taken along on the remainder of their journey. She happened to find his rosery in the breast pocket of his usual dark jacket. Sighing at it longingly, she pressed it to her chest and said a prayer for his soul. After her prayer, she placed the chain around her neck and tucked the cross inside her shirt, the metal cold against her skin.

After a brief moment of reflection, Milly grabbed the bag and her own belongings, and exited the building, leaving behind the most important place in her life.

*****

"Where do you plan to go next, Vash?" Merryl asked him in a hush tone, still clutching at his jacket as they continued to sit on the bench.

Upon Milly's sudden exit from the house, Vash and Merryl got up, wiped their eyes, and prepared to leave, heading for the pair of Thomas they'd acquired on their way.

"I have to go after him, yet. I can't stop until then, " he said solemnly.

"The man responsible for Mr. Wolfwood's death?" Milly asked, with a tone of vengeance in her voice, placing their bags in the rear of the vehicle.

Astonished by her unusual tone, Vash stopped momentarily before continuing on. "Yes. The one behind ALL the deaths."

Merryl urged, "You know, it is still our job to follow you and prevent anymore towns from further damage. Just tell us where we're going and we-." Vash put up a hand to stop her in mid-sentence.

"You two are not going with me. I must face him alone" he said unmoving, standing before them.

"But you can't expect us to just let him go after he killed Nicholas!" Milly shouted at him, moving back towards him, away from their rides.

"Yes, I do realize that" he said gently. "Which is why I need you to take Wolfwood to the nearest plant."

"A plant? Why?" Merryl asked, completely perplexed..

"Just do as I ask, please" Vash asked patiently. "I may have thought of something, but I don't know for sure. Find the nearest town that has one and wait for me there."

"But..." was all either of the women could manage.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

"... Yes." they both conceded.

"Good. Now remember, find a plant and wait for me.."

All three stood there for a moment, taking in their exchange, and giving silent prayers for each other..

*****

"We need to leave this body here for awhile. It's an insurance liability. Alright?"

Merryl and Milly had made it to a nearby town which had a working plant, still unsure as to why Vash had them bring Nick's body there. They took the body to the local undertaker since having a dead person around wouldn't phase him at all. Of course, they didn't want anyone in the town to grow suspicious of them, as had happened in other places. So, they managed to be as discrete as possible, thanked the undertaker, and left the building.

Back outside, Milly asked, "But Ma'am, Mr. Vash told us to stay with Nicholas. Where are we going?"

Merryl got upon her Thomas, which she'd left just outside the undertaker's building. "We're going after Vash! I know he's gonna need our help! Besides, we still have a job to do, Milly! And... and... " She struggled to keep back the thought of Vash being killed the same way Wolfwood had been.

Sensing this, Milly finished the conversation. "You're right, Ma'am! We have to make sure Mr. Vash comes back to us!" She smiled brightly and was about to get up on her own ride, but, "Oh, I almost forgot!" and she ran back inside.

Stifling her fearful emotions and getting up her strength, Merryl wondered what she could be doing. They had to get going before anything else horrible might happen! After a minute, Milly came back out with the Nick's cross/weapon, the Punisher, in her hands.

*****

Several days later....

*****

The water spouted forth from the ground like a great geyser. The people shouted for joy and the children danced in the muddying streets.

Merryl and Milly rarely got to see people so happy these days. The only person they'd seen smile much lately was missing. He'd gone off on his own the previous day and they hadn't seen him yet. Merryl's thoughts turned to the man she loved. Vash the Stampede had gone off on one more fatal journey to duel with his brother, Knives. That madman had killed so many, so cruelly, she began to wonder if there was any hope for her outlaw.

"Hey, Ma'am! Don't you worry about Mr. Vash! He'll be coming back soon!" Milly chimed in, as always, able to sense her partner's uneasiness. Milly was still wearing the gear of the workers who had been digging for the spring. While they were waiting, she had decided to lend them a hand, rather than sitting around thinking...

"Yeah, you're right!" Merryl said with new resolve. "He'd better not keep a great woman like me waiting!"

Right on cue, in the horizon, the silhouette of her man appeared through the heat waves. He carried with him another body, presumably his brother.

Merryl couldn't believe her eyes. He'd done it. He'd won.

As Vash kept walking towards them, the Insurance Girls rushed out to meet their friend. Wasting no time, Merryl flung her arms around his muscular body. Vash wrapped his free hand across her back and held her close. Milly gave him one of her patented huge hugs from behind, nearly suffocating him. He was happier than he'd ever been before. The troubles were over.

"Not quite..." he thought to himself.

After separating from their embrace, he looked at them seriously and said, "We need to ride to the town you left Wolfwood in. Can you get us back there?"

"Of course!, " Milly chimed in happily, heading for their new ride. They had managed to procure another hummer for their travels, knowing a Thomas might be too rough for Vash if he'd come back bruised and injured.

"But what exactly do you have in mind, Vash? I still can't understand what a plant has to do with Wolfwood's body" Merryl asked as they too began to head for the vehicle. She slipped her arm around his as they walked. He couldn't help but smile at her affection.

Despite his happiness, Vash answered her cautiously, "I don't want to say yet, in case I'm wrong. But I pray to God that I'm not..."

The Insurance Girls got into the front seats while Vash took the back, loading his brother in with himself. Milly drove the hummer as fast as she could across the desert, kicking up sand in their wake. The drive was uneventful, although Merryl couldn't help but be tense with that psychotic brother of Vash's laying in the back seat. Milly wasn't really thinking anything... except... what Vash could have in mind by leaving Wolfwood's body in a town with a plant. What did that have to do with anything? She couldn't help but be a little irritated by the fact that he wouldn't tell them what he had in mind.

They finally arrived at their destination, not one word spoken on the entire journey. Milly stopped the hummer a few yards away from the plant on the far side of the street from it. She and Merryl got out first, followed by Vash carrying Knives, his body slumped over his shoulder. Not knowing what to do, the Insurance Girls stood there waiting on Vash. "Bring Nick's body to me," he said quickly.

Without missing a beat, Milly ran to the undertaker's and got Wolfwood's wrapped body, carried it gently and, as quickly as she could, brought him back to Vash. He then took his friend's body onto his other shoulder.

With the two bodies on each of his shoulders, he walked across the road, through the mass of townsfolk, who, curiously, turned to watch this strange man with his strange burden, and arrived at the plant, straining to not drop either of them as he opened the door and stepped inside the entranceway. Once inside, he made his way to the main reactor's small chamber.

"Good," he thought to himself. "There's nobody here."

"Are you planning what I think you are, Brother?"

Smiling, Vash laid Knives down on the floor. "Hmm. Awake finally?"

"Oh, I've been awake. I've simply been content to watch how you deal with those disgusting humans you adore so much," Knives thought to Vash, still not moving, content to use telepathy.

"They're really not so bad if you give them a chance, you know," Vash replied as he brought Wolfwood's body up to the dais of the main reactor, laid him down, and began to undo his wrappings.

Opening his eyes, Knives finally spoke. "He's one of the worst. That one you have there. I've watched him since Chapel found him as a little orphan brat."

"Kinda like us, huh?" he countered laughing.

"Hmph. All three of us are the same. Abandoned. Hated. Killers. Not one of us should be allowed to run around free. And you, always wanting to prevent death, are trying to bring a killer back to life, " Knives told him scornfully.

"Yeah, weird huh?" he said with a smile.

"Why? Why do you even bother? I don't understand at all!" his brother replied, totally oblivious.

"He's my friend. Simple as that. Plus, there's a woman who loves him more than anyone else in the world. I can't just let her go through life suffering over him" Vash answered matter-of-factly.

"Love. What a disgusting term" Knives sneered at him.

Vash walked down the staircase and stood over his brother, leaning down and smiling huge. Grabbing Knives by the cheeks, Vash said in a sappy voice, "Oh, you're just jealous because I have a cute girlfriend waiting outside and you don't!"

"WHAT?! Why you-" Knives began before Vash slapped him silly. "OOOOW!!!!! You psychopath! I'm still hurt!"

"Well, then it serves you right for calling my sweet Merryl disgusting!" he replied, folding his arms and turning away as he rose and went to the reactor again. He knelt down and looked at his dear friend, brushing some hair out of his face. Vash then raised his body towards the light of the core, beckoning his family, the beings outside of time, for help.

"Please..." he whispered. "Please help my friend. He's done so much for us. Please grant him more life. He is a good person. Please, my family...."

"They won't help you, Vash! They are abused by the humans! I am their only help in this world! If you actually think they'll bring him back, you're even more delusional than I thought!" he screamed at his brother as he struggled to get up, the pain more intense with each movement.

Kneeling before the light, Vash began to cry over Wolfwood's body. "Please... " he whimpered, "bring my friend back... don't let hatred win, my family..."

*****

Merryl and Milly couldn't do anything but stand there, outside the door, and wait. Nervously, Milly turned to her friend. "Ma'am? What do you think is happening? Do you think... he... that he might..." and she began to sob back tears of hope.

"We don't want to get our hopes up, Milly. Whatever he's doing, I'm sure it's for the best. If there's one thing I've learned lately, it's to trust that man, Vash the Stampede!" Merryl said with a healthy amount of love and pride in her voice.

After waiting what felt like an eternity, the girls, after bottles and bottles of water and waiting in the hummer, finally saw Vash emerge from the plant's doorway. Merryl sat up slowly, smiling brightly, and shielded her eyes from the harsh afternoon sun to better see the man she'd grown to love. Her large smile soon turned sour as she saw Knives behind him, clutching Vash's arm as he limped out behind his brother.

Milly also sat up, wondering what was going on. She looked at Mr. Vash with a look of expectation. He winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. She sprang from her seat and ran to the plant door just up to Vash and stopped. She looked to him not knowing what to do or say. Vash smiled at her and shouted, "Come out, 'Lazarus'!"

Milly's eyes grew side and she turned her gaze towards the open doorway. Her heart was racing as she squinted to see through the light of the sun and the darkness of the plant interior. She tried and tried and tried to see inside...

*****

He breathed in hard. Held his breath and let it out slowly.

He blinked in the darkness and put his hands to his face.

"Nngh... What the..."

He turned to his side and coughed hard and spat out onto the cold metal ground.

"Yuck... Hey... what's with..."

Then he remembered. He breathed in quickly and patted down his body and felt the sweat on his face. He looked up but in the darkness could only make out two figures leaving, and he could've sworn he saw one of them smiling. A very recognizable smile.

After they left, he tried to stand up. His legs were a little wobbly at first but he quickly regained his posture. He reached into his pockets and pulled out an empty pack of cigarettes. "Damn."

He smiled and started to try find his way out. He pushed and groped his way through the darkness until he saw a glimmer of bright light. Eagerly going towards it, he had to cover his face when he got close. Once again, patting his pockets, he looked for his sunglasses. "Grrr... Damnit, Needle-noggin. Why didn't you leave them with me?"

"Oh well," he thought to himself. "Better to be without sunglasses and cigarettes than dead. Hmph. I shoulda known. If anyone could pull it off, it'd be him. Hope he brought my Insurance Girl along." His smile grew larger at that last thought.

He covered his eyes and stepped outside, hearing his friend shout, "Come out, 'Lazarus'!".............