Roderich was looking out the window while he thought.
Vash was playing with some army men on the chair next to him.
"Now boarding," a woman called over the loudspeakers. "Now boarding all first class and business class passengers."
Roderich stood and reached for his bag.
"That's us," he said to Vash.
Vash waited to be picked up while Roderich adjusted his bag.
Roderich scooped him into his arms and walked towards the gate.
"Ticket?" the woman asked them when they reached the front of the line.
Roderich handed her two tickets.
"You have a seat for your son as well? Couldn't he just sit on your lap?"
"Vash is too old for zhat. He needs his own seat."
The woman nodded and let them onto the plane.
Roderich walked into the business class area and found his seat.
He set Vash in the seat by the window before putting his bag into the storage area.
Sighing deeply, he made himself comfortable in the other seat.
"Rody?"
"Hmm?"
He turned to look at Vash.
"How long are we gonna be on this?"
"Several hours. You might vant to get some sleep."
Vash nodded and yawned.
"Can you sit on zhe ground for a moment?"
Vash slipped off the chair and waited.
Roderich asked a flight attendant for a couple pillows and a blanket then used the two pillows to pad the chair.
He picked Vash up and laid him down on the pillows.
Vash rolled onto his side and Roderich covered him gently with the blanket and tucked the edges in.
He smiled at the sight and closed his eyes.
Vash looked at him before he crawled out from under his seat belt.
"Rody?"
Roderich continued to sleep.
Vash climbed onto his lap and closed his eyes as well.
When he woke up, Roderich was surprised to see Vash sleeping on his lap.
He shook his head in exasperation and moved him back to his seat.
'What time is it?'
He looked at his watch and realized that they would be landing soon.
'Did I really sleep through the whole flight?' he wondered.
While he waited, he put his hand on Vash's head and tussled his hair.
A flight attendant walked by a smiled at them.
"Your son is so cute," she said.
"Zhank you."
The woman left and soon they were landing.
Roderich opened the door to his room and set the still sleeping Vash on the bed.
He sighed deeply and pulled his luggage into the room.
"Rody?"
Roderich turned around in surprise to see Vash sitting up, rubbing his eyes with his small hand.
He crossed to him and sat next to him.
"Vhat is it?"
"Where are we?"
Roderich smiled at him.
"I forgot to tell you vhere ve vere going, didn't I?"
Vash nodded.
"Ve're in America. A city in Massachusetts called Boston. The vorld conference is being held here and I have to attend it."
This year's conference had been America's first in a few years and he had decided to change the usual location in New York City for a more private meeting.
"What about me?"
"Vell you vere going to come vith me, but I don't know vhat to do now. I can't miss the meeting, especially now that I'm actually here, but I can't leave you alone either. You can't come to the meeting vith me as a child so I'm going to have to find someone to vatch you."
Vash yawned.
"You should take a nap. Vhen you vake up, I'll try and find a place to take you to to get rid of the excess energy you vill have."
Vash laid back down and he pulled his laptop out.
"Time to do some research," he muttered to himself.
An hour later Roderich found himself pushing Vash towards a small park in a stroller.
"What are we doing here, Rody?"
"Ve're here to teach you to walk."
"Why?"
"Because you need to learn to walk; it's an important skill."
"Okay."
Roderich pushed the stroller over to a grassy area and put Vash on the ground.
"Vash? You remember how to stand, right?"
Vash nodded and stood up.
"Do you know vhat to do after zhat?"
He shook his head.
"You move your foot," he pulled Vash's left foot forward and little, "and zhen you move zhe other one." He nudged his right foot forward to meet his other foot. "And zhen you just do zhat over and over again." He looked into Vash's eyes. "Do you zhink you can do zhat?"
Vash nodded again so Roderich let go of his hands.
He walked about five feet away and crouched down again.
"Come here Vash," he called.
Vash took a shaky step forward and fell.
Roderich hurried to his side and picked him up.
"Are you okay Vash? Are you hurt?"
"No."
Roderich put him on his lap and hugged him tightly.
A group of mothers had been watching him since he arrived and they slowly approached him now.
"Do you need some help?" one asked.
Roderich looked up at them.
"Vhat?"
The mother looked nervous.
"Well," she said as she looked at the others. "All of us have raised children and taught them all to walk so we could help you."
"Zhat's alright. I'll figure it out myself."
"That's a curious accent, where are you from?"
"Austria."
The women stared at him.
"Seriously? What are you doing here then?"
Roderich shifted Vash on his lap.
"I'm here on business. I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, but I couldn't leave my…son alone, especially vhile I'm in another country."
The group stared at him.
"Does that mean that your son's mother isn't around?"
Roderich looked down at the boy.
"No. He's- I mean SHE'S- not. She died zhe day Vash vas born."
"Oh my gosh! That's awful!"
Roderich pulled Vash a little closer.
"Rody?"
"Ja?"
"Are you okay?"
Roderich smiled sadly at him.
"I'm fine Vash."
Vash stared at him for a minute before standing up on Roderich's lap and putting his arms around his neck.
The women all gasped and cooed.
"You don't seem like it. You seem very hurt somewhere."
Roderich put his arms around Vash.
"It's nozhing you need to vorry about Vash," he said quietly.
"I can't help but notice that you and your son have different accents," one of the women pointed out.
"Yeah. Vash's mother…my vife, was Sviss. For some reason Vash has her accent. I'm glad I didn't lose zhat beautiful Sviss accent."
The women all watched them with teary eyes.
"My Vash is very unusual. Even zhough he's nearly zhree, he can't walk yet. He can talk, zhough he doesn't much, and he can do so many zhings ozher children can't, but he still hasn't mastered the basics." He took a deep breath. "I guess zhat's my fault zhough. I have no idea how to raise a child and my vork keeps me busy so Vash probably doesn't get all the attention he needs. I zhought now would be a good time to teach him to valk. Soft grass is better zhan zhe hardwood floors at home."
The women all crooned over him.
"We'll help you!" they cried and swooped down to help teach Vash to walk.
AN: Yeah I'm not sure what to do with Vash during the meeting yet...any ideas?
And I got around to teaching Vash to walk...or started on walking anyway.
Umm so yeah. The meeting, and what happens to Vash during it, are next chapter.
See ya soon!