A Doll House
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or its characters, with the exception of George Caesar.
Gunshots filled the air. Vash the Stampede and his friend Nicholas D. Wolfwood found themselves in the middle of a gunfight. The insurance girls, Meryl and Milly were locked in their room. Vash made sure they couldn't get out. He knew he would have to face Meryl's wrath later, but he did it to protect them.
"Hey, Tongari! I think this has gone on long enough, what do you think?" Wolfwood called over to Vash.
"I have to agree with you on this one!"
Wolfwood grinned and put away the pistol he was using. He snapped the cover off his Cross Punisher.
He looked over at Vash and said, "Don't say it. I know. Don't kill anyone."
Vash was about to protest, but stopped, "Heh, I repeat myself a lot, don't I?"
They raised their weapons and left their cover from a store and Vash was thankful that the rest of the townspeople were smart enough to take shelter. He and Wolfwood walked into the line of fire....
"Well," said Meryl as they were leaving the town, "At least there wasn't too much damage."
"And it seemed like a good town to stay for awhile," Vash moaned.
Wolfwood shrugged, "That's what you get for getting involved with other people's problems, Vash. You risk the chance that they may turn on you. Even though you did help them."
"I still can't believe they tried to turn you in, after you helped get rid of those thieves!" Meryl said angrily.
"Wow, Mr. Vash, you're not even angry that they did that to you." Milly said with her usual optimism.
Vash shrugged, "I have to believe that they would do it for a good reason. You know, like Inepril City."
"I don't mean to be changing the subject, but where are we going? We're walking on foot here and I don't know if there's another town near by," Wolfwood pointed out.
They stopped and looked at each other. Where were they going? Vash thought for a moment.
He said, "I believe there's a town not too far from here. How are we on water?"
Milly, Meryl and Wolfwood looked at their supplies.
"I'm good," Wolfwood said.
"So am I," Milly and Meryl said in unison.
"I have water, too. Thank goodness," Vash murmured, "Well, should we go?"
"Might as well," Meryl sighed, "What other alternative do we have? Go back there," she said, indicating to the town they were leaving behind.
They all sighed and went forth into the desert.
After travelling for some time, Vash and company were beginning to get cranky from walking.
"Are we there yet?" Wolfwood asked sardonically.
Meryl shaded her eyes with her hand when she said, "This must be a mirage. I see a house."
"No, Meryl, it's not a mirage," Milly said excitedly, "It's a house. A big one too!"
Wolfwood and Vash stared, too. They were approaching the house, but there was something unusual about it.
"Is that house made of wood?" asked Milly.
Vash squinted, "Yes, it is. How did they get all that wood? It must have been expensive!"
"Maybe they can help us get to the next town," Meryl said.
The house was huge, it seemed to be three stories high and on closer inspection, Meryl and Milly noticed that it reminded them of a dollhouse that was popular when they were growing up. They got to the door and knocked. A man answered the door. He was obviously a butler for he was wearing a black and white suit with a tie and he had a cloth napkin over his arm.
"Yes, may I help you?" he asked with a rich, cultured accent.
Vash piped up, "Oh, yes. Please sir, we're drifters weary with travel. May we perhaps stop here, and rest for a while?"
"Of course, you can. Please come in," a voice from within spoke.
They traipsed in side. They stopped and gaped at their surroundings. It looked like a dollhouse with the doilies and flowers and lacey curtains. They turned to the man who had invited them in. He was tall, had a shock of white hair and he was dressed in a tuxedo.
"Would you like something to drink? Perhaps tea?" He turned to the butler, "Howard, would you bring us some tea?"
Howard bowed, "Yes, sir," and he turned and left.
They stared at him, and the man smiled, "Oh, how could I forget my manners? My name is George Caesar."
Meryl was the first to find her voice, "How do you do, Mr. Caesar? My name is Meryl Stryfe and this is Milly Thompson, we both work for the Bernadelli Insurance Company and this is Mr. Nicholas D. Wolfwood and this is Mr. Vash the Stampede."
Caesar's eyes went to Vash when he heard his name.
"Ah, Vash the Stampede. Well, I can certainly tell you will be the most interesting guests I have ever entertained. You must be exhausted, come, sit down."
"Sir," Vash said, "We didn't mean to be rude and come here. We won't stay long, it's just that we have no other transportation..."
Caesar waved his hand, "Nonsense. I insist that you and your friends stay over night and I'll provide you with a car. Ah, thank you, Howard," he said to the butler and Howard set the tea down.
"That's very generous, Mr. Caesar! Thank you!" Milly said.
"Milly, is it? Both you young ladies are very lovely. In fact, both of you remind me of porcelain dolls."
Vash and Wolfwood almost snorted into their drinks. Meryl glared at them and Milly merely smiled.
"Come," Caesar beckoned them, "I'll show you around the house and take you to your rooms before supper is ready."
They followed him and they gasped at each room he showed them. Meryl couldn't stop thinking how the house reminded her of a dollhouse she had when growing up. When they entered the third floor, Caesar told them that's where their rooms will be. Vash noticed that Caesar did not show them the door that was at the end of the hall.
"Mr. Caesar," he asked, "What is that room down there?"
Caesar answered, "Oh, that's for my own personal use. My.... office. It remains locked. Dinner will be ready soon. You may freshen up and ladies, I have some nice dresses you may wear."
"Oh, we can't," Meryl protested.
"I insist," and with that, Caesar spun around and went downstairs.
They looked at each other.
"Well," Wolfwood said slowly, "You heard the man. Let's get cracken'."
Each one went to their rooms. Milly and Meryl both noticed several shelves of porcelain dolls as they entered their rooms. Milly stood at the closet, staring. She somehow doubted that any of these dresses would fit her. She fingered the one dress. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try on. Milly grinned and grabbed the dress and put it on. She was shocked. It fit!
Meanwhile, Meryl was also looking at her closet. There were so many dresses, which to choose? Meryl felt a little uncomfortable about wearing a dress, but she felt more uncomfortable about making Caesar unhappy. She tried on a dress. She stared at herself in a mirror; she did look like a porcelain doll. What would Vash think? Meryl chided herself. Who cares what Vash thought? Then there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Milly, may I come in?"
"Yes, come in," Meryl turned around and gasped, "Milly, you looked really pretty!"
Milly smiled, "So do you, Meryl. Are you ready?"
"Yes, where are the guys?"
"They already went down."
Meryl took a deep breath, "Okay, let's go."
Wolfwood and Vash were chatting gaily with Caesar when they heard Milly and Meryl coming down the steps.
Vash teased, "Well, it is about time! I was about to....." his voice trailed off when he saw them.
Wolfwood's jaw dropped open when he saw Milly, "Wow, you look really nice," he said lamely and wanted to kick himself. She looked nice? She looked absolutely beautiful!
Vash just stared at Meryl. He never saw her in a dress before. Meryl gave him a small smile when Howard announced dinner was ready.
After they were served their dinner, Meryl turned to Caesar and said, "Thank you, Mr. Caesar, for allowing Milly and myself wear these beautiful dresses."
"Yes," Milly piped in, "I was wondering, I can't believe this dress fits me so well. My big, big sister always had to make mine."
Caesar smiled, "First of all, your welcome. Secondly, I had two daughter who were of similar built like you two."
Meryl faltered, "Had two daughters, sir?"
Caesar's smile faded away, "Yes, I'm afraid they were both killed two years ago during a hold-up at a doll store. They both collected porcelain dolls."
Meryl thought back to the room she was staying in. All those porcelain dolls. Vash looked at the man sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to hear of your loss, sir."
"Thank you, young man," Caesar than laughed hollowly, "Want to hear something interesting? The bastard who shot my daughters claimed to be Vash the Stampede. But later, after he and the rest of his gang were arrested, did we find out that he was just some petty thief."
Vash sighed and leaned back. He hated it when other people used his name for their own cruel and merciless purposes. Suffering and death seems to be attached to his name, even though he was not the one behind it. Well, there was July, but he didn't mean for that to happen, Knives caused it to happen. But it's all the same, his name is used to scare people and thieves like to use it for that very reason.
For the rest of the dinner, they ate in silence. Afterwards, they were invited to the sitting room for a round of drinks. Wolfwood, Vash and Milly accepted it gratefully while Meryl settled for some herbal tea.
They spoke gaily of beautiful things. The porcelain dolls, flowers, and poems. Meryl began to feel a little funny. She looked down at her tea. She than looked at Mr. Caesar who gave her a comforting smile, however, she found it anything but comforting. She looked to Vash, Wolfwood and Milly. Wolfwood and Vash seemed to have passed out, but they didn't drink that much. Milly seemed to be in the same state as she was. Meryl stood up and felt a little dizzy and Caesar gently grabbed her shoulders.
"What did you do to us, you bastard?" Meryl slurred.
"Take it easy. You know, it's not proper for young ladies to be travelling in the company of men as causally as you do."
"What?" Milly whispered.
"You two...you remind me so much of my daughters. I have to protect you from the evils of the world. Especially him," Caesar indicated to Vash.
"You don't understand.....he's a good man.....he's not responsible for...." Meryl than passed out.
"Meryl!" Milly called and fell to her knees and tried to crawl over to Meryl, but she too passed out.
Vash slowly opened his eyes to a darkened room. He sat up and than groaned. His head hurt so much. He looked around.
"Where the hell am I?"
"I'm guessing we're in a closet somewhere in Caesar's house," Wolfwood replied.
"Wolfwood! What happened?"
"I'm guessing Caesar drugged us. By the way, my feet are chained, how about yours?"
Vash's hands went to his ankles. Damn, they were chained.
"Yeah, I am, too," Vash groaned again, "What about the girls? I hope they're alright."
Wolfwood was silent; he was looking in his pockets for something to pick the locks with.
"Hey, Tongari, do you have anything to pick a lock with?"
"Let me see," Vash was digging around; "I have my knife."
It took a few minutes for Vash to pry the shackles off, than he got Wolfwood's off as well. They used the same knife to check under the door to see if anyone was coming.
"Hey, Wolfwood, why do you think he didn't go all out in imprisoning us?"
"Maybe he was going to deal with us later, or he has a trap set up or, which I think is most plausible, he's totally lost it due to grief and didn't give it much thought."
"Hmmm," Vash said thoughtfully as they opened the door cautiously, "Still, we better be careful. Wait grief? Is that what he's doing with Meryl and Milly, using them to fill in the void left by his daughter?"
"Nothing gets by you, does it, Tongari?" Wolfwood carefully peered over a corner, "Hey, it looks like we're in the basement. This is a big house, I wonder where he'll put the girls."
Vash stopped, "Wait a second," he said slowly, "I think I know where he's got them. Remember that locked room he has on the third floor, he wouldn't show it to us."
"So the plot thickens," Wolfwood said, "Let's take a look, shall we?"
"Yes, let's."
Meryl opened her eyes to sunlight and saw a butterfly fluttering near her. She sat up and saw that Milly was already awake and she had a butterfly resting on her finger. She giggled when it fluttered away and she turned to Meryl.
"Good morning, Meryl!"
"Where are we?" Meryl asked, as she became aware that they were in the middle of a field.
"I don't know," Milly admitted, "I have never seen a place like this. It's so beautiful."
"Where did Caesar take us? What did he do to Vash and Wolfwood?"
"I'm not sure," Milly said, than she got up and began to twirl around, "Isn't this great!" Milly ran off.
"Milly! Come back! What's wrong with you!" Meryl yelled, she than stopped, Milly's still having the effects of the drugs. Why wasn't she? Maybe it was because she had tea and not alcohol, which would make the affects stronger. Meryl stood and went to look for her friend.
Wolfwood and Vash crept through the house. They heard Howard, the butler, coming down from the second floor and they hid in a closet.
"Ouch, Wolfwood, you're standing on my foot!" Vash hissed in Wolfwood's ear.
Wolfwood answered, "Shhhh! Quiet! Do you want to be found?"
Vash became quiet and they listened for the butler's steps. Howard's steps were heard echoing as he went to the kitchen.
"Come on," Vash whispered and they quickly exited the closet.
They leapt up the stairs to the second floor and approached the stairs leading to the third floor. Suddenly there was a loud crash. Vash knocked into a large vase.
"Oh crap!" Vash yelled.
Wolfwood glared at him; "I just can't take you anywhere, can I?"
They made a mad dash to the third floor, than they ran all the way down the door. Vash grabbed the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
"Damn! It's locked!" Vash kicked the door in aggravation. He than took out his trusty knife and began working on the lock.
"Wow, you're getting to be a pro at this sort of thing," Wolfwood said admiringly as the door popped open.
They stood in shock at the sight. It was like a whole other world. Fields of grass seemed to go on endlessly; there were flowers everywhere. There were butterflies fluttering about.
"What is this?" Wolfwood asked.
Vash did not answer. He knew this was lost technology. It was similar to the rec room where he, Knives and Rem spent a lot of time in. How did Caesar get his hands on this?
Vash said, "We should split up to find them. We'll meet back in an hour, by this tree, okay?"
"Alright," Wolfwood said and took off in one direction.
Vash stared after him. Vash felt anxious to find the girls. However, afterwards, he needs to have a discussion with Caesar about this.
Wolfwood ran through the field, he stopped when he heard a voice. Wolfwood approached cautiously, cursing under his breath that he did not have his cross punisher with him. The voice sounded familiar. Wolfwood hid behind a tree and peered over. There, still in her dress, was Milly, reciting a poem. Wolfwood sighed in relief. He stepped out.
"Milly! You're alright!"
Milly turned and smiled, "Mr. Priest!" she ran up to him and jumped on him.
Wolfwood fell with Milly. She gave a big smile as she was straddled on his chest. Milly leaned down and began to kiss him.
"That feels good. Wait! What am I saying? Milly, honey, this isn't the time or place." Wolfwood gently, but firmly pushed her away.
Milly looked angry for a moment, than her face softened. She giggled and got up and ran.
"Oh, damn," Wolfwood swore and tore after her, "Milly! Come back!"
Wolfwood managed to grab Milly around the waist and they fell down again. Milly giggled and tried to struggle.
"No, no," Wolfwood said, "I won, fair and square. Why don't we go for a walk?" He got up and offered her his hand.
"Alright, Mr. Priest!" Milly giggled and she took his hand.
Wolfwood thought, "I hope Vash finds Meryl alright." He held Milly's hand firmly as they walked back.
Vash walked along a field of flowers, he was worried about Meryl. But Meryl has always been able to take care of herself. He had hoped that thought would comfort him, but it didn't. Vash quickened his pace.
Vash's mind was whirling with thoughts of Meryl and of Caesar and the room, he almost didn't see a figure in the distance.
Vash squinted at the figure. It was sitting by a tree. Vash approached and as he got closer, he saw a familiar dress. It was Meryl, and she seemed to be in deep thought.
Vash shouted, "Meryl!"
Meryl looked up startled, "Oh, Vash! Thank goodness!" Meryl stood up as Vash reached her. "Vash, I don't know where Milly is!" Vash just grabbed Meryl into a hug and than he put her down.
"Wolfwood might have found her. Come on, we're supposed to meet him and we'll go from there."
Meryl was startled by Vash's sudden display of affection, but she shook herself out of it when he grabbed her hand and they ran off. To Meryl's relief, Milly was with Wolfwood and the affects of the drugs seemed to be wearing off. Meryl filled Vash and Wolfwood in what Caesar said after they passed out. They heard the door open and they turned around. There stood Caesar, with two pistols. He had each one pointing at Vash and Wolfwood.
"Step away from my daughters!"
Meryl and Milly stood in front of them. Meryl said, "Don't do this Mr. Caesar! Please, you're a decent man, we know that. But you're daughters died two years ago. Milly and I are not your daughters and you're pointing guns at our friends. Please, put the gun down!"
Caesar's hands shook a little, but he continued pointing the guns at Vash and Wolfwood.
Milly whispered, "Please, you need to let the pain go. Shooting them won't help you. Meryl and I appreciate that you want to protect us, but this isn't the way!"
"But he," he indicated to Vash with a wave of his gun, "He is a dangerous man. Vash the Stampede is a murderer!"
"No, he's not," Meryl said urgently, "He was not the one who killed your daughters, please, the killers are already in jail. Vash is nothing like them. Put the gun down, please."
Caesar's hands shook as he lowered the guns, "I'm so sorry. With you two, it felt like I had my daughters back."
"We know," Milly whispered and she hugged him.
They left the beautiful room. Vash wanted to ask about it, but right now is not appropriate. Maybe one day he'll come back and find out.
They decided it was best not to stay for another night and after the girls changed and Wolfwood and Vash picked up their weapons, they bid Caesar farewell. He gave them a car, even though they protested, he showed them his collection of cars. One less was not going to bother them.
Vash was brooding as they drove along. Meryl noticed and nudged him.
"Vash, what's wrong?"
Vash sighed, "It's just that it hurts so much knowing that my very name has caused so much pain and suffering."
"Tongari, that's why you make it even but doing good, to combat the bad things that go with your name. You know, get some good things attached to your name."
"Besides, Mr. Vash," Milly said as she turned to face him, "We already know that you're a good man!"
Vash grinned, "Thank you Milly, you know, that really helps!"
As they drove into the horizon, Vash thought that as long as his friends knew what kind of a person he is, that's what really counts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or its characters, with the exception of George Caesar.
Gunshots filled the air. Vash the Stampede and his friend Nicholas D. Wolfwood found themselves in the middle of a gunfight. The insurance girls, Meryl and Milly were locked in their room. Vash made sure they couldn't get out. He knew he would have to face Meryl's wrath later, but he did it to protect them.
"Hey, Tongari! I think this has gone on long enough, what do you think?" Wolfwood called over to Vash.
"I have to agree with you on this one!"
Wolfwood grinned and put away the pistol he was using. He snapped the cover off his Cross Punisher.
He looked over at Vash and said, "Don't say it. I know. Don't kill anyone."
Vash was about to protest, but stopped, "Heh, I repeat myself a lot, don't I?"
They raised their weapons and left their cover from a store and Vash was thankful that the rest of the townspeople were smart enough to take shelter. He and Wolfwood walked into the line of fire....
"Well," said Meryl as they were leaving the town, "At least there wasn't too much damage."
"And it seemed like a good town to stay for awhile," Vash moaned.
Wolfwood shrugged, "That's what you get for getting involved with other people's problems, Vash. You risk the chance that they may turn on you. Even though you did help them."
"I still can't believe they tried to turn you in, after you helped get rid of those thieves!" Meryl said angrily.
"Wow, Mr. Vash, you're not even angry that they did that to you." Milly said with her usual optimism.
Vash shrugged, "I have to believe that they would do it for a good reason. You know, like Inepril City."
"I don't mean to be changing the subject, but where are we going? We're walking on foot here and I don't know if there's another town near by," Wolfwood pointed out.
They stopped and looked at each other. Where were they going? Vash thought for a moment.
He said, "I believe there's a town not too far from here. How are we on water?"
Milly, Meryl and Wolfwood looked at their supplies.
"I'm good," Wolfwood said.
"So am I," Milly and Meryl said in unison.
"I have water, too. Thank goodness," Vash murmured, "Well, should we go?"
"Might as well," Meryl sighed, "What other alternative do we have? Go back there," she said, indicating to the town they were leaving behind.
They all sighed and went forth into the desert.
After travelling for some time, Vash and company were beginning to get cranky from walking.
"Are we there yet?" Wolfwood asked sardonically.
Meryl shaded her eyes with her hand when she said, "This must be a mirage. I see a house."
"No, Meryl, it's not a mirage," Milly said excitedly, "It's a house. A big one too!"
Wolfwood and Vash stared, too. They were approaching the house, but there was something unusual about it.
"Is that house made of wood?" asked Milly.
Vash squinted, "Yes, it is. How did they get all that wood? It must have been expensive!"
"Maybe they can help us get to the next town," Meryl said.
The house was huge, it seemed to be three stories high and on closer inspection, Meryl and Milly noticed that it reminded them of a dollhouse that was popular when they were growing up. They got to the door and knocked. A man answered the door. He was obviously a butler for he was wearing a black and white suit with a tie and he had a cloth napkin over his arm.
"Yes, may I help you?" he asked with a rich, cultured accent.
Vash piped up, "Oh, yes. Please sir, we're drifters weary with travel. May we perhaps stop here, and rest for a while?"
"Of course, you can. Please come in," a voice from within spoke.
They traipsed in side. They stopped and gaped at their surroundings. It looked like a dollhouse with the doilies and flowers and lacey curtains. They turned to the man who had invited them in. He was tall, had a shock of white hair and he was dressed in a tuxedo.
"Would you like something to drink? Perhaps tea?" He turned to the butler, "Howard, would you bring us some tea?"
Howard bowed, "Yes, sir," and he turned and left.
They stared at him, and the man smiled, "Oh, how could I forget my manners? My name is George Caesar."
Meryl was the first to find her voice, "How do you do, Mr. Caesar? My name is Meryl Stryfe and this is Milly Thompson, we both work for the Bernadelli Insurance Company and this is Mr. Nicholas D. Wolfwood and this is Mr. Vash the Stampede."
Caesar's eyes went to Vash when he heard his name.
"Ah, Vash the Stampede. Well, I can certainly tell you will be the most interesting guests I have ever entertained. You must be exhausted, come, sit down."
"Sir," Vash said, "We didn't mean to be rude and come here. We won't stay long, it's just that we have no other transportation..."
Caesar waved his hand, "Nonsense. I insist that you and your friends stay over night and I'll provide you with a car. Ah, thank you, Howard," he said to the butler and Howard set the tea down.
"That's very generous, Mr. Caesar! Thank you!" Milly said.
"Milly, is it? Both you young ladies are very lovely. In fact, both of you remind me of porcelain dolls."
Vash and Wolfwood almost snorted into their drinks. Meryl glared at them and Milly merely smiled.
"Come," Caesar beckoned them, "I'll show you around the house and take you to your rooms before supper is ready."
They followed him and they gasped at each room he showed them. Meryl couldn't stop thinking how the house reminded her of a dollhouse she had when growing up. When they entered the third floor, Caesar told them that's where their rooms will be. Vash noticed that Caesar did not show them the door that was at the end of the hall.
"Mr. Caesar," he asked, "What is that room down there?"
Caesar answered, "Oh, that's for my own personal use. My.... office. It remains locked. Dinner will be ready soon. You may freshen up and ladies, I have some nice dresses you may wear."
"Oh, we can't," Meryl protested.
"I insist," and with that, Caesar spun around and went downstairs.
They looked at each other.
"Well," Wolfwood said slowly, "You heard the man. Let's get cracken'."
Each one went to their rooms. Milly and Meryl both noticed several shelves of porcelain dolls as they entered their rooms. Milly stood at the closet, staring. She somehow doubted that any of these dresses would fit her. She fingered the one dress. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try on. Milly grinned and grabbed the dress and put it on. She was shocked. It fit!
Meanwhile, Meryl was also looking at her closet. There were so many dresses, which to choose? Meryl felt a little uncomfortable about wearing a dress, but she felt more uncomfortable about making Caesar unhappy. She tried on a dress. She stared at herself in a mirror; she did look like a porcelain doll. What would Vash think? Meryl chided herself. Who cares what Vash thought? Then there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Milly, may I come in?"
"Yes, come in," Meryl turned around and gasped, "Milly, you looked really pretty!"
Milly smiled, "So do you, Meryl. Are you ready?"
"Yes, where are the guys?"
"They already went down."
Meryl took a deep breath, "Okay, let's go."
Wolfwood and Vash were chatting gaily with Caesar when they heard Milly and Meryl coming down the steps.
Vash teased, "Well, it is about time! I was about to....." his voice trailed off when he saw them.
Wolfwood's jaw dropped open when he saw Milly, "Wow, you look really nice," he said lamely and wanted to kick himself. She looked nice? She looked absolutely beautiful!
Vash just stared at Meryl. He never saw her in a dress before. Meryl gave him a small smile when Howard announced dinner was ready.
After they were served their dinner, Meryl turned to Caesar and said, "Thank you, Mr. Caesar, for allowing Milly and myself wear these beautiful dresses."
"Yes," Milly piped in, "I was wondering, I can't believe this dress fits me so well. My big, big sister always had to make mine."
Caesar smiled, "First of all, your welcome. Secondly, I had two daughter who were of similar built like you two."
Meryl faltered, "Had two daughters, sir?"
Caesar's smile faded away, "Yes, I'm afraid they were both killed two years ago during a hold-up at a doll store. They both collected porcelain dolls."
Meryl thought back to the room she was staying in. All those porcelain dolls. Vash looked at the man sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to hear of your loss, sir."
"Thank you, young man," Caesar than laughed hollowly, "Want to hear something interesting? The bastard who shot my daughters claimed to be Vash the Stampede. But later, after he and the rest of his gang were arrested, did we find out that he was just some petty thief."
Vash sighed and leaned back. He hated it when other people used his name for their own cruel and merciless purposes. Suffering and death seems to be attached to his name, even though he was not the one behind it. Well, there was July, but he didn't mean for that to happen, Knives caused it to happen. But it's all the same, his name is used to scare people and thieves like to use it for that very reason.
For the rest of the dinner, they ate in silence. Afterwards, they were invited to the sitting room for a round of drinks. Wolfwood, Vash and Milly accepted it gratefully while Meryl settled for some herbal tea.
They spoke gaily of beautiful things. The porcelain dolls, flowers, and poems. Meryl began to feel a little funny. She looked down at her tea. She than looked at Mr. Caesar who gave her a comforting smile, however, she found it anything but comforting. She looked to Vash, Wolfwood and Milly. Wolfwood and Vash seemed to have passed out, but they didn't drink that much. Milly seemed to be in the same state as she was. Meryl stood up and felt a little dizzy and Caesar gently grabbed her shoulders.
"What did you do to us, you bastard?" Meryl slurred.
"Take it easy. You know, it's not proper for young ladies to be travelling in the company of men as causally as you do."
"What?" Milly whispered.
"You two...you remind me so much of my daughters. I have to protect you from the evils of the world. Especially him," Caesar indicated to Vash.
"You don't understand.....he's a good man.....he's not responsible for...." Meryl than passed out.
"Meryl!" Milly called and fell to her knees and tried to crawl over to Meryl, but she too passed out.
Vash slowly opened his eyes to a darkened room. He sat up and than groaned. His head hurt so much. He looked around.
"Where the hell am I?"
"I'm guessing we're in a closet somewhere in Caesar's house," Wolfwood replied.
"Wolfwood! What happened?"
"I'm guessing Caesar drugged us. By the way, my feet are chained, how about yours?"
Vash's hands went to his ankles. Damn, they were chained.
"Yeah, I am, too," Vash groaned again, "What about the girls? I hope they're alright."
Wolfwood was silent; he was looking in his pockets for something to pick the locks with.
"Hey, Tongari, do you have anything to pick a lock with?"
"Let me see," Vash was digging around; "I have my knife."
It took a few minutes for Vash to pry the shackles off, than he got Wolfwood's off as well. They used the same knife to check under the door to see if anyone was coming.
"Hey, Wolfwood, why do you think he didn't go all out in imprisoning us?"
"Maybe he was going to deal with us later, or he has a trap set up or, which I think is most plausible, he's totally lost it due to grief and didn't give it much thought."
"Hmmm," Vash said thoughtfully as they opened the door cautiously, "Still, we better be careful. Wait grief? Is that what he's doing with Meryl and Milly, using them to fill in the void left by his daughter?"
"Nothing gets by you, does it, Tongari?" Wolfwood carefully peered over a corner, "Hey, it looks like we're in the basement. This is a big house, I wonder where he'll put the girls."
Vash stopped, "Wait a second," he said slowly, "I think I know where he's got them. Remember that locked room he has on the third floor, he wouldn't show it to us."
"So the plot thickens," Wolfwood said, "Let's take a look, shall we?"
"Yes, let's."
Meryl opened her eyes to sunlight and saw a butterfly fluttering near her. She sat up and saw that Milly was already awake and she had a butterfly resting on her finger. She giggled when it fluttered away and she turned to Meryl.
"Good morning, Meryl!"
"Where are we?" Meryl asked, as she became aware that they were in the middle of a field.
"I don't know," Milly admitted, "I have never seen a place like this. It's so beautiful."
"Where did Caesar take us? What did he do to Vash and Wolfwood?"
"I'm not sure," Milly said, than she got up and began to twirl around, "Isn't this great!" Milly ran off.
"Milly! Come back! What's wrong with you!" Meryl yelled, she than stopped, Milly's still having the effects of the drugs. Why wasn't she? Maybe it was because she had tea and not alcohol, which would make the affects stronger. Meryl stood and went to look for her friend.
Wolfwood and Vash crept through the house. They heard Howard, the butler, coming down from the second floor and they hid in a closet.
"Ouch, Wolfwood, you're standing on my foot!" Vash hissed in Wolfwood's ear.
Wolfwood answered, "Shhhh! Quiet! Do you want to be found?"
Vash became quiet and they listened for the butler's steps. Howard's steps were heard echoing as he went to the kitchen.
"Come on," Vash whispered and they quickly exited the closet.
They leapt up the stairs to the second floor and approached the stairs leading to the third floor. Suddenly there was a loud crash. Vash knocked into a large vase.
"Oh crap!" Vash yelled.
Wolfwood glared at him; "I just can't take you anywhere, can I?"
They made a mad dash to the third floor, than they ran all the way down the door. Vash grabbed the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
"Damn! It's locked!" Vash kicked the door in aggravation. He than took out his trusty knife and began working on the lock.
"Wow, you're getting to be a pro at this sort of thing," Wolfwood said admiringly as the door popped open.
They stood in shock at the sight. It was like a whole other world. Fields of grass seemed to go on endlessly; there were flowers everywhere. There were butterflies fluttering about.
"What is this?" Wolfwood asked.
Vash did not answer. He knew this was lost technology. It was similar to the rec room where he, Knives and Rem spent a lot of time in. How did Caesar get his hands on this?
Vash said, "We should split up to find them. We'll meet back in an hour, by this tree, okay?"
"Alright," Wolfwood said and took off in one direction.
Vash stared after him. Vash felt anxious to find the girls. However, afterwards, he needs to have a discussion with Caesar about this.
Wolfwood ran through the field, he stopped when he heard a voice. Wolfwood approached cautiously, cursing under his breath that he did not have his cross punisher with him. The voice sounded familiar. Wolfwood hid behind a tree and peered over. There, still in her dress, was Milly, reciting a poem. Wolfwood sighed in relief. He stepped out.
"Milly! You're alright!"
Milly turned and smiled, "Mr. Priest!" she ran up to him and jumped on him.
Wolfwood fell with Milly. She gave a big smile as she was straddled on his chest. Milly leaned down and began to kiss him.
"That feels good. Wait! What am I saying? Milly, honey, this isn't the time or place." Wolfwood gently, but firmly pushed her away.
Milly looked angry for a moment, than her face softened. She giggled and got up and ran.
"Oh, damn," Wolfwood swore and tore after her, "Milly! Come back!"
Wolfwood managed to grab Milly around the waist and they fell down again. Milly giggled and tried to struggle.
"No, no," Wolfwood said, "I won, fair and square. Why don't we go for a walk?" He got up and offered her his hand.
"Alright, Mr. Priest!" Milly giggled and she took his hand.
Wolfwood thought, "I hope Vash finds Meryl alright." He held Milly's hand firmly as they walked back.
Vash walked along a field of flowers, he was worried about Meryl. But Meryl has always been able to take care of herself. He had hoped that thought would comfort him, but it didn't. Vash quickened his pace.
Vash's mind was whirling with thoughts of Meryl and of Caesar and the room, he almost didn't see a figure in the distance.
Vash squinted at the figure. It was sitting by a tree. Vash approached and as he got closer, he saw a familiar dress. It was Meryl, and she seemed to be in deep thought.
Vash shouted, "Meryl!"
Meryl looked up startled, "Oh, Vash! Thank goodness!" Meryl stood up as Vash reached her. "Vash, I don't know where Milly is!" Vash just grabbed Meryl into a hug and than he put her down.
"Wolfwood might have found her. Come on, we're supposed to meet him and we'll go from there."
Meryl was startled by Vash's sudden display of affection, but she shook herself out of it when he grabbed her hand and they ran off. To Meryl's relief, Milly was with Wolfwood and the affects of the drugs seemed to be wearing off. Meryl filled Vash and Wolfwood in what Caesar said after they passed out. They heard the door open and they turned around. There stood Caesar, with two pistols. He had each one pointing at Vash and Wolfwood.
"Step away from my daughters!"
Meryl and Milly stood in front of them. Meryl said, "Don't do this Mr. Caesar! Please, you're a decent man, we know that. But you're daughters died two years ago. Milly and I are not your daughters and you're pointing guns at our friends. Please, put the gun down!"
Caesar's hands shook a little, but he continued pointing the guns at Vash and Wolfwood.
Milly whispered, "Please, you need to let the pain go. Shooting them won't help you. Meryl and I appreciate that you want to protect us, but this isn't the way!"
"But he," he indicated to Vash with a wave of his gun, "He is a dangerous man. Vash the Stampede is a murderer!"
"No, he's not," Meryl said urgently, "He was not the one who killed your daughters, please, the killers are already in jail. Vash is nothing like them. Put the gun down, please."
Caesar's hands shook as he lowered the guns, "I'm so sorry. With you two, it felt like I had my daughters back."
"We know," Milly whispered and she hugged him.
They left the beautiful room. Vash wanted to ask about it, but right now is not appropriate. Maybe one day he'll come back and find out.
They decided it was best not to stay for another night and after the girls changed and Wolfwood and Vash picked up their weapons, they bid Caesar farewell. He gave them a car, even though they protested, he showed them his collection of cars. One less was not going to bother them.
Vash was brooding as they drove along. Meryl noticed and nudged him.
"Vash, what's wrong?"
Vash sighed, "It's just that it hurts so much knowing that my very name has caused so much pain and suffering."
"Tongari, that's why you make it even but doing good, to combat the bad things that go with your name. You know, get some good things attached to your name."
"Besides, Mr. Vash," Milly said as she turned to face him, "We already know that you're a good man!"
Vash grinned, "Thank you Milly, you know, that really helps!"
As they drove into the horizon, Vash thought that as long as his friends knew what kind of a person he is, that's what really counts.