DISCLAIMER: Trigun and its characters belong to Yasuhiro Nightow.

Meryl looked behind the service desk. "Where the hell is everyone?" she muttered.

"Probably taking care of the dog, still," Vash said from his chair. "You know how this overnight stuff is, it's always a skeleton crew. Pacing won't make it happen any sooner. Come sit back down."

Meryl sighed with frustration, but sat back down next to him.

"So what are you going to name him?"

"I don't know," Meryl replied. "I thought we could name him together. He's your dog, too."

Vash shook his head. "Oh, no, you don't. First off, that thing is not a dog, he's the King of the Beasts. Secondly, he's all yours. I'm not going to be following him around using a bulldozer for a pooper-scooper!"

"What's a bulldozer?"

"It's a – never mind what a bulldozer is, the point is you brought him home, you're going to be taking care of him. I have a strict rule about not messing with things that are potentially more dangerous than my brother!"

"Fine! I'll name him myself, then. Come here, Double Indemnity." She whistled.

"What the hell is a double indemnity?" Vash demanded.

"If you must know," Meryl stated haughtily, "it's a life insurance clause."

"You don't name a living thing after a life insurance clause! Look at his paws, for crying out loud – this thing could swat down a thomas. His name is Rocky."

"I am not naming my dog after rocks!"

Vash tsk-tsked. "Not rocks. Rocky. Rocky Marciano, the greatest boxing champ of the old Earth days. Guy was so hard he'd take four shots to give one, and that one would put you on your butt. A total tank, just like this big fella." Chest puffed a bit with pride at his knowledge of esoteric trivia learned from growing up on a SEEDS ship.

"We'll let the dog decide," she declared.

He shrugged. "Fine by me."

"Here, Double Indemnity," she called sweetly. "Here, boy!" The huge dog's head lolled to the side.

Vash smirked. "Hey, Rocky!" The beast bounded over to him, the floor vibrating as its tail thumped.

Meryl humphed. "So it's settled. His name is Rocky. But you named him, so he's your dog, too."

"He chose his own name, and I still claim no part of him!"