A/N: Hello! These are the last verses to my poem…well…it's a song now, cuz I made a tune to go with it! Yayzers! ^__^ Anywayz, I don't wanna spoil anything, but if you're a teary type of person (like me), then get a box of Kleenex – just in case. More wonderful reviewer praising!

To Lynda-chan: Wowee, thankies! ;o; I love your story too – it's so cute! ^__^ I'm afraid this ending isn't too happy…sorry, but with the stuff happening around me, I just have to write something sad…

To Millie Wolfwood: Here's another chappy…but it's the last one…^^; me b glad that you like this!

To Akima The Stampede Maxwell: Am I seriously doing that well…? …Wow…thanks! ^_^

Okay, I'm done with that. This will have a bit of Vashie angst in it as well…Kleenex –er, I mean, story time! (Pulls out a giant box of tissues and places it next to her keyboard)

Sammy: Meow myah! =T.T;=

So I get over-emotional when I write mushy angst stories! ^^;

-Ca and her kitty Sammy =^.^;=

~Dawn's passing now, and I follow… ~

Meryl clutched a pillow tightly and leaned against the headboard of her bed, staring intently at the woman that appeared in the mirror of her dresser.

She had raven-black hair and gray-ish colored eyes, but her eyes were dim and empty. The woman wore shimmering golden earrings that never left their spot on her earlobes, and they hid away behind those silky midnight locks. She was small and petite, her figure still clothed in a baggy button-up shirt. But…there was something different about the woman now… She only seemed to be a shell of beauty, disguising a fragile soul that had been repeatedly whipped by the demons of doubt, fear, loneliness…but the soul had also been torn to tatters by the angel they called love. The soul never wanted to come out anymore; it was too afraid to. Its strength had vanished with the elusive dawning. With the dawn, the soul had hoped for happiness…but it was left behind, and lost; it couldn't find the dawn anymore.

~I turn my back…but it hurts too badly… ~

Tears streamed down the face of the woman they called Meryl Stryfe. After finding the group picture she owned, and much rummaging through her drawers, Meryl had found another photo. Wolfwood had taken it: it was of her and Vash, who were arguing over something, but looked to him in surprise when he had called their names so suddenly.

Bittersweet and salty tears had smudged the photo, its frame thrown across the room in fitful misery. Meryl wanted so badly to hate Vash the Stampede – his clumsy and careless attitude, his stupid hairstyle, his ridiculous attachment to his 'love and peace' motto…but her wish to hate him only made her angry with herself. Angry, for falling for the oldest trick in the book: love. He probably abhorred her anyways – her constant nagging and yelling, and her short temper. But it couldn't be helped; Meryl was a worrisome person, and had never truly loved before.

~Wanted to share the dawn's beauty with you… ~

No matter how much she detested it, Meryl had wished with all of her soul that Vash would have returned through those gates… How she wished he had come to sit with her to admire the dawning in all of its greatness… Meryl's hopes and dreams echoed feebly in the depths of her soul, perhaps in the effort of rescuing her from this dark depression.

~…but you never came back to me… ~

But then that demon of doubt was always there, always lashing defiantly at the weakened hopes, the weakened dreams. It always repeated to her that he hadn't returned, and he wouldn't either. Meryl held the pillow closer to her, the top edges of its cloth sodden with tears. Why couldn't reality just spare her the pain? Just for now…? She couldn't tell reality from fantasy anymore; no matter which, it was always shattered, and for her to put it back together.

There, in the solitude of her cozy little room, the woman Meryl Stryfe wept for the Humanoid Typhoon.

~*~

(Meryl's POV)

Tiredly, I looked over the poem I had slaved over for the past eight hours – those same eight hours I was supposed to have been sleeping through. The thing is, I couldn't. I just needed to write something, even if I'm not really that great of an author. I read each verse while furrowing my eyebrows in deep concentration.

Silently I stood,

Waiting for the dawn.

Waiting for you once again,

But you never came back.

I waited for the dawn,

I broke down in tears.

You don't know how much I miss you,

Now you'll never know.

Dawn's passing now,

And I follow.

I turn my back,

But it hurts too badly.

…Wanted to share the dawn's beauty with you,

But you never came back…

To me.

To tell the truth, I honestly don't know why I wrote it. Me, workaholic Derringer Meryl, writing love poetry. Huh…go figure.

Tomorrow (or rather, today), Milly and I got orders from Bernadelli to come back to HQ. Milly and I begged to stay, in hopes that Vash would return, but Boss said no, and that he needed us back. I wanted to curse at him so badly, and to cut all links with Bernadelli, but I couldn't bear to just dump my life-long occupation. Milly is such a sweetheart, and followed through with me; sometimes I am struck with awe at how such a strong companion she truly is.

I look at my poem again, and to the window at my right. The first rays of dawn were pouring in through the curtains, eager to let the day into our home. As silently as I could, I got out of bed and tiptoed down the hall, down the hall to the room that used to be Vash's.

The door creaked, causing me to flinch; I didn't want Milly to wake up before I had managed to pull off my self-appointed task. The room was much larger than mine, but then, a man like him demands a big room to make a mess in. I gaze at the unmade bed before me, the sheets still coiled untidily upon the mattress, and the indent his body had made upon it was still there. Before I could think of any regrets, I placed the neatly written poem on his pillow – just in case he came back.

I left the room, but before closing the door, I peered back within, a small smile playing upon my lips.

~*~

(2 yrs. later, Vash's POV)

It's been so long…

I pondered deeply as I trekked forward, Knives strolling at my side. He had regained consciousness ages ago, but to my dismay, still held his extreme distaste for humans… I did, however, somehow manage to talk him into letting me go back to the village again…that village…the one that Meryl and Milly would be waiting for me at. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to talk my homicidal twin brother into coming to a 'spider' village with me. Huh…oh well. I felt my gun against my waist, and at the ready in its holster. I really hope I won't need to use it, but I'll have to if Knives decides to try something.

Thoughts of a certain insurance girl floated into the depths of my inquisitive mind. Ah…Meryl… The thought of being able to speak with her again was what kept me going, that, and the survival of all humanity. But she doesn't even like me; why am I even bothering to come back?

'Because you have a soft spot for the damn spider, that's why.'

I was startled at the voice that had suddenly interrupted my train of thought. I peered to my left at Knives, who only gave me one of his dastardly smirks.

'Don't do that!'

'You can't stop me.'

I sighed and let the matter drop. I looked up and saw some gates ahead; at long last, I have returned!

Knives heaved a sigh of annoyance, and followed me, as I blissfully tore for the gates, eager to see Milly and Meryl again. Meryl… In my dreams I had wished for you to stand waiting at those gates, and to embrace you when I got there. Arms opened wide, I ran for the gates…but no one was there to greet me, or to even acknowledge my existence there. No Meryl…

'Oh, quit with the drama! If you want to see those idiotic spiders so damn badly, go check to see if they're home. Be quick about it – I'm not going to stay here forever you know.'

I paused for a moment and turned to Knives, asking aloud, "Why are you coming with me at all?"

"You don't want me to?" Knives' face remained set and cold, "I'm coming with you because you're my brother, even if you are deluded by those stupid spiders."

I yelped with glee and gave Knives a quick glomp, which he instinctively recoiled from, and shot straight down the street that the insurance girls' house was on. Fascinating, after all this time, I still remember exactly where they lived. I stomped up the steps, flew the door open, and exclaimed, "I'm back!"

No one answered. A bit more sobered than moments before, I fervently took a step inside.

Everything was dank and dusty – like a haunted house right out of a horror movie. Right then and there, I knew something was wrong, for I knew that Milly and Meryl were very good housekeepers.

'Unlike you.'

I must have jumped a foot up in the air, "I told you not to do that!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

I explored the house extensively, Knives helping out of boredom and curiosity. After searching Meryl and Milly's empty rooms, I barged into my own.

It was exactly the way I had left it, except for the fact that it was much dustier. I looked to my nightstand and saw the same picture there: that group picture a bartender took of Wolfwood, Milly, Meryl, and me. I grinned widely at the memory of those good times. I glanced at my bed, when something caught my eye. I picked it up, a piece of paper with something written on it:

Silently I stood,

Waiting for the dawn.

Waiting for you once again,

But you never came back.

I waited for the dawn,

I broke down in tears.

You don't know how much I miss you,

But now you'll never know.

Dawn's passing now,

And I follow.

I turn my back,

But it hurts too badly.

Wanted to share the dawn's beauty with you,

But you never came back…

To me.

The poem struck me as intriguing…but what was it all about? There was just something about it that I found out of place. I turned the sheet over and saw more perfect and orderly writing:

Vash,

If you're reading this right now, you must have returned. I'm so sorry that Milly and I aren't here right now, but duty calls.

I wonder when it is right now…that you received this note I mean. I composed the poem on the other side, for you. Do you like it?

To spare your confusion…I love you. I always had. The problem was that I didn't know how to love, and to express it. I apologize if I've caused you a lot of pain and annoyance, but that's how I feel. If you chuck this in the trash…well, that isn't exactly what I had hoped for, but if you really need to…do so.

And if you don't love me back…that's okay too. I've learned that I can't just force someone to do anything, especially someone like you. I just can't.

Well…that's all I guess. This is so not like me, to be writing to a goof ball, peace loving, doughnut scarfing, compassionate, trench coat-wearing baka like a lovesick little girl; but I am. I hope to see you again.

Most sincerely,

Meryl

A/N: Ooooh! I don't think I want to end this anymore! ^__^ A new idea has formed and this shall not be the last chapter after all! (Looks over the chapter) Wowee, this is the longest chapter by far…well, please review! Thankies! ^o^