A/N: A little bit delayed by unfortunate circumstances, but I've finally planned everything out and posted the sequel to my first Trigun fic, 'Let Me Buy You A Drink'! Sorry about that wait. I hope that this will be a good enough sequel, because I had way too many ideas about how exactly to establish it from how the other ended. Oh, and you'll probably have to read that one, to fully understand this story's plot and all. And how this all has come to be.

In case you haven't figured this out, it's a VashxMeryl fic of course. Hmm...there might be other mild hints and mentions of other pairings, maybe. IDK. Anyway, the plot of this sequel is all about Vash and Meryl trying to find out what their true feelings for the other person are, and the craziness that follows afterward. There will be a lot of other stuff on the side as well. Milly and the green-haired guy (who's story will be revealed, including his name. I'm also hoping he won't be as exaggeratedly depressed/emo like the original story) get themselves involved, in an attempt to move things along and provide much-needed "friendly love-advice". ^^

I really don't know what timeline this takes place in per se. Uh, it's definitely still within the canon universe and all, as well as slight remarks to canon events at times. Don't ask questions about this, just sit back and enjoy the story.

"Ember Walls", the name of the town that's a majorly-involved town for a while, is completely made up. I didn't feel like putting everyone in one of the existing towns on the planet, I wanted to be a little bit more imaginative/creative. Did I fail or win? Anyway, this "town" will have a backstory behind it as well. So don't panic.

I don't know how many chapters this story will have in the end. The length of them will vary, as will the updating SCHEDULE. I can't promise how long the length of either will be. Oh, and please excuse the OOC moments, plot/character information that could be mixed up, and the rushed feel.

Sorry for the OVERLY-LONE note. *Nods* Enjoy the story, my readers.

Disclaimer: If I owned Trigun, it would be a much longer series than what it was. Obviously, I don't own it of course. :(

[.]

A Different Kind Of Love Story

Chapter 1: The Arrival

[.]

Dear Meryl,

Sorry 'bout the sudden message. I'm currently writing this while walking along the town and admiring the scenery, so excuse the crinkled edges and all.

I want to tell you that I...well, I feel kind of bad guilty about the whole date-thing last night. I know you needed to unwind a little, that's basically the whole reason why I decided to buy you some drinks. The embarrassing thing is...I had no money to begin with. Anyway! Things just got way too out of hand. But I'm like living trouble, aren't I?

Even though things were tense, awkward, and generally out of hand, I have to admit that I had a good time. I wish...ah...I kind of wish that we could have spent some more time together. Uh...this isn't sounding too forward is it? I mean, being around you without all the usual arguments and peril, it felt nice. :')

I should have probably told you this earlier, but I'm the one that brought you back to the inn. I then had to leave because the bartender, he was very determined to turn me in and collect the bounty. So I had to leave town fast in the night. By the time you read this...I'm very faraway.

But since I'm a good sport, I'll tell you where I'm heading. I'm going to that distant town; Ember Walls. The one that's kind of small like this, but not too rustic? It's not as well known anymore because a big war had taken place about ten years ago, it's just now being recovered and back up and running.

I have a good feeling that I'll be meeting you and Milly there. When I do see you...there's something I need to try and resolve with you. Something...er...important that I won't be able to on my own.

Catch me if you can! Love and peace! ;P

-Vash The Stampede

Meryl Stryfe couldn't hide her small smile as she read over that crumbled message a third time since receiving it. The passage of time had gone by fast, and it's already been two weeks since the incident, but Meryl easily could remember what all had happened that night. Vash barging into her and Milly's shared inn room, him and her friend claiming that she had indirectly asked the infamous outlaw out on a date, enduring the embarrassment of having multiple people assume they were lovers, and pretending to be unconscious when she was brought back to the inn room; only to be stunned when Vash took Milly's advice and gave her a goodnight kiss.

But especially the kiss. And when her thoughts wandered over to that one, simple kiss, her face would heat up quite suddenly and she could faintly feel a tingling sensation in her lips. Of course, Meryl did not tell Milly about this. She barely even believed that she was still swooning over a very impulsive kiss that...that probably wouldn't have ever happened and shouldn't. She was still trying to convince herself that she was only still affected by it because it had been a little while since she had been kissed so meaningfully. It caught her off guard, that's it.

...Yeah...there's nodeeper meaning, right?

Meryl knew, at the moment, that her and Milly would be arriving at Ember Walls not too long from now. Once settled in and unpacked, they would either take a stroll to learn about it's layout, or go ahead and scout the area for Vash the Stampede, whom Meryl had a lot to discuss with. The thought of encountering that man again, it was exciting her. Why? She had no clue. She hadn't ever been so excited to see him again before...not in the slightest.

Come to think of it, there had to a deep reason behind this. When you consider the fact that the feisty woman couldn't seem to let go of this meaningless message that Vash had written to her in a fairly obvious hurry while on the run.

'Try not to get yourself into TOO MUCH trouble before we arrive, Vash. There's no way that we will be able to settle things between us for good if you start up trouble once again and get me and Milly mixed up in it.' Meryl shifted her eyes back and forth, seemingly just staring at the desert scenery surrounding her, before she hastily folded this note back and slipped it in her bag. 'And...maybe I can properly thank you for that date. Wait...what am I thinking? He'll get the wrong idea if I say that, knowing him...'

Meryl's coworker and close friend, Milly Thompson, was walking right alongside her and completely being oblivious to the fact that she was in deep thought at the moment. She was enjoying the walk, she actually really enjoyed all the traveling because visiting other places was fascinating. Even during the usual, typical chaos they got into with Vash, finding out a lot about various cities and towns and their history was very cool.

She even put up with the burning suns overhead in the sky. They were forced to have to walk through the desert terrain and rough roads on foot because their previous jeep had gotten stolen by bandits previously.

The hot air and bright sun caused Milly to have to squint and wipe perspiration from her brow. How long had they been wandering through here again? Hours? God knows... "Meryl, do you think we're close to the city yet?" She got no response. "...Meryl...? Are you listening?"

'Why am I in such a rush to see Vash again? It CAN'T possibly be because I want to see him, right? Well, sigh, I don't know. But I will not allow Milly to continue to hint that it's because I love him or anything. No way.' Meryl's cheeks reddened and she glanced at the sandy ground under her feet. 'It isn't because of any deeper feelings...'

"MERYL!"

Meryl gasped from the sudden yell and was abruptly pulled from her thoughts. She was kind of glad though, they were wandering way too much with a flood of various emotions. She gave Milly a surprised look, and the other girl laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry about that. You just seem a little...unfocused on traveling." Milly noted, walking a little closer and peering at Meryl's distant look in her eyes. "And your cheeks are very flushed! It's not a good idea to stay out in intense heat too long, maybe we should stop at a traveler's inn and rest?"

Meryl shook her head and continued walking on, Milly quickly caught up with her though and they went on at a remarkably faster face than before. "I'm fine, really. I just have a lot of stuff on my mind at the moment, but I can still travel a little bit longer."

"But-"

"Thanks for being concerned though."

Her lips turning from a simple line to an instant concerned frown, Milly shifted the weight of the suitcase, she continued walking a little faster to match Meryl's pace.

"...Well let me try to come up with some idea about what you might be thinking about." Milly suggested, now smiling. "If I have thought about this enough, I'd have to say that you're thinking about Vash once again. Right?"

"N-no, it isn't about Vash at all..." Meryl quickly replied, her tone was noticeably raised a pitch as she said that. Which only amused Milly, who wasn't oblivious when it came to certain feelings that Meryl obviously must have for their infamous outlaw. The shorter woman gave her an annoyed look when she heard some chuckling. "Milly, it's true! Do we have to go through this again? I do not have any feelings whatsoever for him. And the only reason why I'm still here is strictly because of our duty to make sure he doesn't do anything drastic and destructive to any other cities or towns. Case closed."

"But you're even more determined to catch up him than ever, Meryl."

"It might be due to the fact that I just love my job. Have you considered that?"

Milly rolled her eyes in an annoyed fashion. Every time she was getting close to proving a true point, Meryl would still use a comeback to try and get out of the conversation. Eventually both insurance girls realized that they had completely stopped walking and were standing in the middle of the sandy streets talking. Common sense returned to them both and they quickly stepped to the sides to make sure no kind machinery was riding by.

And so, they continued their journey to the set destination, Ember Walls. Much to her discomfort and slight embarrassment, Vash the Stampede was invading Meryl's mind every other minute. And not to mention that Milly was still repeatedly dropping some hints about this whole situation. Urgh, it was frustrating for her to say the least.

But what neither of the two girls knew was this; they were very close to entering the city. And during this stay, many things would occur. Things that would not only be perilous, insane, and kind of random, but also filled with a good amount of romantic tension and a chance to meet up with some familiar faces. This is where our tale of this crazy and different love story between infamous outlaw and insurance worker begins officially.

A good distance away from Meryl and Milly, sitting on the worn streets from where they previously were, was a small cat. It had complete black fur and big green eyes. It sat there and licked it's paw calmly before gazing at the horizon and rolling it's eyes.

[.]

Gunsmoke is a complete desert planet. Kinda empty and barren with simple ways of living. It's known that there's a whole lot of empty, sandy terrain, but there are bigger cities and towns located within them. People go through their lives rather simply, and of course they don't even seem to notice that they have no true water supply and how they'll survive much longer. It also orbits two suns, and having at least five moons as well. Beings known only as Plants, provide everyone with the needed necessities of life. But the it is not as peaceful as you might assume. Because a lot of rough gangs of outlaws, thugs, and flat-out-born-to-cause-trouble bad guys roam the landscapes, constantly being sought after by the temporarily un-named bounty hunters and sheriffs. Yes, yes, this planet has quite the amount of excitement and chaos, doesn't it?

After that rather detailed description, it's time we all move forward in time to the place in which our crazy and different love story between Humanoid Typhoon and ordinary girl take place. The city of: Ember Walls. A barely-known city that is big in layout and structure, but has fallen upon tough times due to a very terrible battle that had taken place at least ten years ago. It's reputation isn't good because of the poor economy, thugs beginning to overrun it, lack of people living there, and how a lot of outlaws stroll through for shelter from the bounty hunters and sheriffs hot on their trail.

Ember Walls, named for it's giant ember-colored gates and large, crafted stone walls that conceal it nicely. It is a primary place of this story, a setting if you will, surrounding our soon-to-be main couple. Of course, things seem lonely and calm within the town, it never stays that way too long. Let's go to the time when things all went down, 1:18 PM...

"Wow! What impressive walls!" Milly commented in awe whilst soaking in the gorgeous site of the magnificent walls that concealed the city. It was no wonder why it was named 'Ember Walls'.

This city got it's name rather easily alright. These crafted walls made from a certain stone that was a firey orange color. When the sunlight beamed down over it, it gave it a nice glow as well almost as if reflecting glass.

"It sure is! I didn't think it would like this nice in person..." Meryl remarked. She then suddenly snapped a finger. "But wait, I thought I read somewhere that the walls concealing the city were destroyed in the battle?"

Milly shook her head in a disagreeing manner. "No, that didn't happen. Must've just been a tabloid or something like that. You know how they are."

Meryl went along with that implication. Because it must have been a false tabloid, seeing that the walls were still up and protecting the town from many dangers outside. Yet, she could only imagine what the inside of the place looked like. It could be very isolated or ruined for all she knew. And how would she be able to keep Vash out of trouble if he were to do something crazy? It would be hard to without being distracted by the lack of scenery. But Meryl shook her head and cleared these thoughts.

It wouldn't be bad. And maybe things wouldn't be too crazy this time around. If this town was already in bad shape, that meant that Vash couldn't really cause too much destruction. And that meant less work her her. Yay! No overly-huge reports to be written!

Milly slipped a piece of paper from out of her suitcase and started reading over it. It told of the city's history and backstory, and it was fresh from the typewriter as well. "Ember Walls," The taller girl began knowingly whilst reading. "Has been rebuilt and populated somewhat in the past few years, Meryl. It doesn't have good security because one of the sheriff's had passed away because of a deadly illness. That's why various outlaws with bounty on their heads flock here to hide out. And...ooh! There's also a sandsteamer service that runs through here and to other cities and towns; and this about the time of year that they come to drop off travelers, supplies, and everything. There might be, you know, a lot of excitement and crowds over that."

Meryl sighed and ran her fingers through her dark, thin, raven bangs that were falling to her forehead. This was the time of year that travelers would be coming and so would the supplies and stuff. Her and Milly would be lucky to get themselves a good room at a good hotel. If only Vash had sooner decided his next destination on the map, they could have set out much quicker.

And why the hell was she letting her thoughts drift over to Vash again? Ugh. It was awful because she couldn't stay focused on anything too long. She just needed to calm herself and realize that nothing has happened between them, and nothing will happen ever. They only went on just one date. And really, that was only because she had indirectly invited him. And after realizing how Vash was truly hoping for a 'yes', and that he seemingly was thrilled about this, she couldn't back out.

"Come on, let's enter and find a hotel to put our stuff away at. Then, we'll scout for Vash."

Milly stuffed away the paper and then smirked. "I'm right behind you. ...Hey, can we see if they have any pudding shops before we look for a hotel?"

"Oh Milly..."

[.]

For about twenty minutes, Meryl and Milly wandered through the city. It wasn't that finding a hotel was hard or anything, it was mainly because they were being slow to admire the new scenery and try to mentally remember where every building and shop was located exactly. And maybe also because Milly really had this obsession with pudding and wanted to stop and get herself a cup (or two) while walking. And this characteristic was very obsessive. To the point of not being afraid to shoot someone with her gun if they took it from her, ate it themselves, or just destroyed it.

While Milly happily took big spoonfuls of the delicious, chocolate dessert like she didn't have a care in the world, Meryl was closely checking out the appearance of the city and it's limited population.

Ember Walls was a big place, but there weren't as many buildings and shops as there could be. Homes were small and kind of shabby on the outside, while others had at least two floors and were kept up nicely, big rooftops of taller buildings stretched a good distance, shabbily and not-too-shabbily-dressed townspeople were walking around or doing whatever they needed to be doing at the moment. And when Meryl looked at the South side of the city, she noticed the large sandsteamers making their way through the opening gates, along with several others crowding around to be the first ones their for their ride or to meet the people coming back. It depended.

Arguably, this wasn't the best-looking of the planet's cities. But it had this charm to it. And not only would Meryl be once again chasing after Vash, but she would also get to check out the city and get a good idea of what everyone's lifestyle was like there. Killing two birds with one stone.

"Mmm, are we at the hotel yet?" Milly inquired through a mouthful of the chocolate dessert.

"We should be soon. I remember the map stating that the best hotel is just a few blocks ahead. What was it's name...? Uh...hmm...I can't remember." Meryl laughed nervously, her cheeks reddened a little afterward.

Milly made a reply that was very hard to understand, because she was stuffing another bite in her mouth. But Meryl didn't acknowledge this, and she slipped her hands into her purple pant's pockets and continued walking.

About ten minutes later, the duo found themselves in front of a large building. Which resembled the outside appearance of the hotel Meryl had researched on. At long last, they could put down their luggage and rest for a few minutes!

The outside of the hotel wasn't too nicely-decorated of course. But it looked like the walls had just previously been painted another brown coating, and there was a welcoming feel in the atmosphere around it. And there must have been at least four floors of rooms.

"Well, here we are. Let's go inside and get a room before heading back out." Meryl proceeded to walk up to the door and grab it's worn handle. But something told her to turn around, she did just that to see she was alone; Milly wasn't behind her anymore. "...Milly? What...she was just here a moment ago."

Meryl blinked and looked around the area closely, confused about where her friend could have went off to.

With a sigh, Meryl turned on her heels and walked across the other side of the dirt path. Where a tall woman with long brunette hair, wearing a yellow dress could be seen. That was were Milly wandered off to; she was standing in front of bulletin board, intently reading something.

It didn't take long for Meryl to catch up to Milly and reach up to tap her shoulder and clear her throat. This caught the latter's attention, she just chuckled a little and turned around.

"Milly, what are you looking at?" Yeah, it was a stupid question. But Meryl was curious. And it didn't help that the other insurance girl was just grinning and gesturing to the lined paper on the bulletin board. Her only reply was a knowing; "Hey, read this!"

'Do I have a choice, Milly?' Meryl rolled her eyes and then turned to look at the message tacked to the wooden board. The paper was kind of faded and had what appeared to be ink blotches in places, but there was an understandable message that was apparently to inform everyone in the city of some event.

In large print from a typewriter, was this message:

ATTENTION EVERYONE.

IN THREE WEEKS, WILL BE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY'S FOUNDATION. I'VE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR FOR CELEBRATION; WE'RE GOING TO PLAN OUT A LARGE BASH. THERE WILL BE DECORATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND A LOT OF INTERESTING SURPRISES. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HELP PLAN THINGS OUT, JUST DROP BY MY HOME AND WE'LL GET STARTED. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EVENTS, PERSONALLY.

...OH, AND THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL DANCE HELD FOR ALL YOU LOVERS OUT THERE. HEH, JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING TO PROVIDE SOME FUN AROUND THIS DULL CITY.

DROP IN AND HAVE A GOOD TIME, ESPECIALLY ALL YOU TRAVELERS AND VISITORS.

-EMBER WALLS' FOUNDER (SORRY, I DON'T LIKE EXCHANGING NAMES)

"I don't understand...wait a minute..." Meryl reread over the message and her eyes widened in surprise, realizing what Milly was implying. With the last part about the 'special dance for the lovers'. She scowled and looked up at her coworker. "Now I see WHERE you're going with this. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm definitely not going to attend that event arms linked with Vash."

Meryl shook her head and started walking away, tossing her head in an offended manner. But Milly's eyes showed a mischievous glint as she tagged behind, skipping somewhat after each step.

"He wouldn't want to do something so...personal like that with me. Plus, he doesn't really have a romantic bone in his body." There was a brief pause as Meryl placed her hand on the hotel door's worn handle. "You know that."

"Don't be like that. You KNOW that you wouldn't mind going on a more romantic date with him." Milly pointed out with a giggle at the end. "And...maybe...Mr. Vash wouldn't mind it either. He probably has already seen that announcement the city's name-less founder made. And just maybe, he's contemplating how to ask you since it's not something he is used to doing. Just a thought."

"Okay, that is a good thought. But let's forget this and just get our room."

The two girls entered the nice hotel wordlessly, both believing each of their points about the situation to be true. They were close though, and they didn't want to start an argument. Keeping quiet would help calm them down.

And meanwhile, atop the same bulletin board, a small black cat leaped atop it and rolled it's eyes at overhearing their entire conversation. It meowed in annoyance with them and then licked it's paw, preparing to clean it's face.

[.]

Upon entering the hotel, that was when everything turned really started getting strange and kind of unexpected for the two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees. And things begun to pick up. Meryl still is at war with herself over what her true feelings for the Humanoid Typhoon are. And she still hasn't found him yet. To top things off, there seems to be some shady faces behind the scenes.

This is...the beginning of a very strange chain of events for our iffy-couple. Boy, if only Vash and Meryl had known, they could have saved all of this from happening by just settling what needed to be settled that night at the bar...

Well, love always works out. Or does it...?

Continued

[.]

*Headdesk* That wasn't much of a good beginning, right? -.-

Well, this is the first chapter after all. I have many ideas for this story, and it will definitely be continued once I can get to my computer. Things are...busy, for lack of a better word, in my life right now. I can't wait for the weekend, when I can finally sit down for just one day and finish writing some things in peace. But I'm rambling once again...

I know that this first chapter...probably sucked. Like I said, or maybe haven't exactly stated yet, it will hopefully get better. And to be honest, I'm still not sure what genre to put this under. *Embarrassed* Heheh...um...do you think you could help me determine what to put it under? It-it would really help. God, I feel so stupid for not being able to decide what type of genre it is! *Headdesk again*

More characters will appear in the next chapter. The best news is that Vash will make his appearance, and then this crazy love story will be good to go. Sorry for him not appearing suddenly, but I wanted to try and start the story off...showing Meryl's thoughts about all of this first. Seeing that in 'Let Me Buy You A Drink', I think her conflict over how she really felt about Vash was more mentioned and detailed. But, Vash's conflicted feelings for HER will be brought up in the next chapter of course. Be patient.

About the next update...hmm...ah...not really sure when that will BE exactly...*nervously taps fingers together* but I'll work it out somehow. I won't leave you hanging for too long, promise. ^^;

Read and review, you know the drill!