Chapter 4

I woke up in the living room feeling unbelievable comfortable. I can't remember being this content. I didn't want to disturb my newfound peace so I closed my eyes again to try and hold on to the moment a little longer. But it was soon interrupted by a small cry for attention.

"I'm coming sweetie," I said feeling very reluctant to get up from where I rested, but my motherly duties called. When I attempted to get up something pulled me down in protest. I thought it was just my own body fighting against me, so I attempted again, but the resistance persisted. I turned to see what it was that was preventing me from moving and was greeted by the sleeping face of none other than Vash the Stampede.

A smile clad my features as I stared into his beautiful face, he looked peaceful, I have never seen him sleep so calmly before and I have stared into his sleeping face plenty of times. I blushed slightly as I remembered the countless times we were caught in the heat of passion, but little did we know that we would fall in love and produce a child. I sure wasn't expecting it.

When Vash and I entered our agreement of sex and nothing more, I was more than sure it would be just that, considering that I couldn't stand the ground he walked on. I was just physically attracted to him, I mean who wouldn't be he's gorgeous. I was sort of surprised when he brought it up.

"Hey Insurance Girl, can I talk to you a minute." He asked me a little unsure of himself. I agreed not reading into it too much, now I wish I had.

"Yea, what is it." He waved his hand at me to follow him into a small café. He motioned for me to sit in a chair across from him. The table he picked was hidden in the back of the small place. It had a dark homely feel it was very comfortable. The double suns shined through the satin curtains that hung high from the rods, it was quite beautiful and much unexpected for Vash's taste.

"So, what's up?" I said feeling a little too relaxed, I guess it was the café; it just made me feel so at ease.

"Well, what I wanted to talk about, or should I say ask you was, since you're going to be following me for a while, I was just thinking that maybe we could take advantage of each others company. I mean, what I'm trying to say is that maybe we could, you know, man this was so much easier when I was asking my mirror."

He slammed his head down on the table in frustration. I had no idea what he was trying to ask me, I tried to help him out a little, but I just couldn't put it together.

"Vash, why don't you just out and say it?" I said feeling a little annoyed.

"Fine," he said just as annoyed. "Do you want to have casual sex?" I was quite speechless, when he asked me that that was the last thing I expected from him.

"What?" I said in surprise and for a lack of words.

"I mean, it doesn't have to mean anything, just considering were going to be together for a while, why don't we take advantage of one another. I mean you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Oh, I see." I put my head down seriously thinking about it. I mean Vash was quite the looker, he was very attractive, and I have had a few naughty thoughts about him in the past, but nothing to this extent.

"Vash, this is not a yes, but it's not a no either, it's a maybe, I need time to think about it, ok?" He nodded his head understanding fully.

Later that night I was pacing my room trying to figure out what I was going to tell Vash, I knew he had expected me to answer him pretty soon. I wanted to jump over that table and have my way with him when he asked me, but I had to restrain myself, I had to approach this as cautious as possible.

What if he was playing with me, what if this was so sort of sick game he played on unsuspecting women. No, what am I thinking, this guy is an idiot, he's not that complex. I resolved that I would follow up on his offer, besides it had been ages since the last time I had been with someone else, and I hadn't realizes how much I need it till Vash brought it to my attention.

I walked slowly down the corridors of the small hotel till I reached his bedroom door. I stated to knock, but decided to try the door first, it was open. I slipped in as quietly as possible, I figured he would be sleeping, but I was soon proven wrong when he gasped when he realized

I was there. I continued to walk towards him despite the holes he was staring through me.

I reached his bed a little faster then I wanted to, I was so nervous, and I can't believe I'm being so childish. I was behaving like an inexperienced teenager. I could feel the tension bear down on us as I climbed in the bed next to him, he moved over a little allowing me room. I turned to him slightly. I wanted so badly for him to rip my clothes off and do his worse, but I resisted.

"Now Vash, I want no feeling or anything of that nature if I agree to this, this is just casual sex nothing more, ok." He nodded his head. I was relieved when he made the first move. He softly pushed me down onto his bed and claimed on top of me, he straddled me hips with his legs, I tensed a little when I felt him grab my breast thought my nightshirt.

The sensation the action sent through my body caused a small moan to escape my lips, I saw him smirk at my respond to his ministration. He then slowly ran his hands down my breast to my stomach and to the hem of my nightshirt. He lifted it quickly over my head; he then went to remove his own shirt.

Vash once again grabbed my breast, this time they were free of all barriers and he could give them the full attention they deserved. He began to flick his thumbs over my nipples causing the pink flesh to stand at attention. I moaned softly when he replaced his fingers with is tongue, his wet tongue against my hot flesh drove me wild, my moans became slightly louder.

He begins to suck on the erect flesh, while fondling the other with is hand. He continued to play with my breast till I was breathless and well aroused. He moved down my naked body living butterfly kisses down my stomach and around my belly button, I giggled a little when he stuck his tongue in to my navel.

His hand soon followed after his mouth in assisting in setting my body on fire, his hands moved faster down my body, they were soon resting on my thighs. He slowly ran them up till he reached my inner thighs, I moaned in anticipation of his next move. He slowly brushed his hand over my sex, he continued to tease me in this manner for a while, and I soon became annoyed.

"Come on Vash." I said breathlessly. He moved up my body till he reached my ears.

"Be patient, Insurance Girl." He whispered into my ear. I went to say something back, but was sidetracked with Vash's hands moving inside my panties.

He ran his fingers down the outer lips of my sex, invoking me to moan. He soon slipped his finger inside me and took it out again, he continued this pattern till I was panting loudly and my moaning filled the small room. Vash inserted another finger into me intensifying the feeling that was building in my stomach.

His movements became more swift and urgent, I soon felt myself fall over in ecstasy, my muscles contracted around Vash's fingers, my natural juices were coated all over his hand when removed his fingers from me. He began to lick the nectar from his hand, which I found very sexy.

Vash laid over me again positioning himself at me entrance. He slipped into me very quickly and in one smooth motion. Vash felt so good inside of me, it hurt a little, but nothing I couldn't handle. It almost felt like my first time again, but it soon passed as he began to move in and out of me.

I soon joined him in his efforts, matching him thrust for thrust. His breath soon became quicker and so did mine. It felt so good. Soon Vash's thrust began too fast for me to match so I just hung on to him and enjoyed him, not soon after I fell into a mind-blowing orgasm.

Vash continued to move inside of me as I released myself, he began to move more urgently inside of me, causing me to have another orgasm, soon after Vash froze on top of me as he came. Vash fell panting on top of me. We laid this way till we both caught out breath.

"Insurance Girl?" He said rolling off of me.

"Yea?" I answered back as I tried to catch my breath.

"How was it?" he blushed as the word left his lips. I giggled at his question.

"It was great, why do you ask, I'm not your first am I?"

"No, it's just been a while, I wasn't sure if I still had my touch." He said reaching for his pants.

"Well, I can tell you one thing, you defiantly haven't lost your touch, and in fact your touch is quite nice. You know I think this is going to be a most invigorating experience, don't you?" I said smiling back at my new found lover as I got out of his bed grabbed my clothes and left his room.

Vash and I continued to meet whenever we were in a town long enough to get a hotel, or we would go off far enough so Milly couldn't hear us, if we were stuck in the desert. It was the best sex I have ever had, and I was pretty sure Vash felt the same, but things started to get difficult around the time of the fifth moon incident, actually it was a few months before.

Vash and I had been going strong with our night life and had no intentions of stopping, but after we were finished we stayed in each others arms longer, or end up staying the entire night in the other's room.

One time we were nearly caught, when Milly noticed that I wasn't in bed that night and I wasn't there when she woke. Naturally she came to look for me and went to get Vash's assistance.

When she walked in I was standing in nothing but my underwear one the opposite side of his bed, I dropped to the floor and waited for her to leave. Vash told her that I had come by that morning to tell him I was going to do some early morning shopping, because I didn't sleep much the night before. When Milly was convinced that he was telling the truth she left and went to wait for me in our room.

After that I told Vash that we couldn't risk getting caught anymore so we had to stop for a while, or at lease till Milly's suspicion died down. Vash and I didn't see each other for nearly two weeks and I have never been so cranky in my entire life and Vash's mood wasn't any better. I remember we got into a heated argument about something I don't quite remember, but we didn't talk for nearly a week.

After too many mood swings and too many lonely nights I gave up and went to visit Vash late one night. We made up that night in the only way lovers can and all was good in the world again.

Soon after that Vash started to act strange around me, he was being way too nice to me and Vash wasn't the only one who was beginning to act strange. Whenever he came around me I got butterflies in my stomach and my heart began to race.

The day I knew our days of meaningless sex were over was when Wolfwood and Milly left Vash and me in the saloon. They had ran off to see a movie and wanted to be alone, anyway Vash and I didn't speak to one another, usually when we were left alone we would find the nearest room and go at it, but this time was different. I didn't want Vash to take me up stairs and I didn't want to have to hurry because Wolfwood and Milly would be back. I just wanted to sit here with Vash and enjoy his company in a non-sexual way.

Vash must have felt me staring at him because he turned and looked into my eyes, I hated when he did that, it was like he was staring into my soul. I was scared that if he kept looking he would find something I didn't want him to see, so I looked away.

"Don't do that." I said grabbing my drink.

"Do what?" He responded never taking his eyes off of me. "I never say anything to you when you're staring wakes me up from a very good dream. At least I have the decency to stare when you're not sleeping, now that is rude"

"What, I do not wake you when I stare, I mean I don't stare."

"Yes you do, I just don't say anything and besides I like it. I mean I don't like it, I mean, man I don't know what I mean." Vash grabbed his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts

"You like it?" I asked him curious as to what he would say.

"Yea, I mean it's nice to know that you don't just fall asleep afterwards." He began to play with his fingers as if embarrassed to be talking about it.

"Vash can I ask you something?"

"Yea,"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you ask me instead of Milly?"

"I don't know, it just felt right asking you, it would have been awkward asking her I see Milly as a sister, you know, it would have never worked."

"And what do you see me as?"

"I don't know, I guess I see you as an equal, a challenge, a companion, I just liked you more, in that way I mean, sexual."

"Oh, thanks, I guess." We set in silence for a while, but another question was burning inside of me.

"Vash."

"Hmm?"

"Do you still fell that way; I mean do you see me differently."

"Yea, I do, but I can't tell you, because you'll get mad."

"Why would I get mad?"

"Because on our first time, you said that you wanted no feeling or anything connected to this and if I tell you what I see when I look at you I will be breaking my promise." When Vash said that I knew that things were different no more indifference, but now he had feelings and I was afraid that I did too.

"Vash?"

"Yea,"

"Never mind." I couldn't find anything to say to him, I was speechless I didn't know what to do.

"Meryl?" He said as he turned to me. My ears were burning I couldn't believe what I just heard, Vash had said my name, never before had he spoke it, never. A single tear ran down my cheek I tried to turn away so he wouldn't see it, but it was too late. He grabbed my chin towards him he wiped away the tear with his thumb.

"Why are you crying?" He asked

"Because Vash, you have never said my name before, I wasn't even sure you knew it."

"Oh, is that all I always say it to you when your sleeping." I tried to hide the blush that was very apparent on my face. He lifted my face to him preventing me from hiding from him.

"Meryl, I want to know what it's like to make love to you, not have sex, but really make love to you. I want to kiss you for real not, just in the moment of sex, great sex I might add, but kiss you because I want to. I want to tell you that I love you after we make love, Meryl I don't want this anymore, I don't want to be a stress reliever and I don't want that for you either, Meryl can I please make love to you just one time?"

I couldn't believe my ears, Vash was confessing his love for me and I could feel my soul raising high and screaming at me to comply.

"Yes," Was all I said, Vash and I spent the entire night together; not caring if the others came to look for us, just being here with the other was all we needed.

A few days later Vash put the hole in the fifth moon and he disappeared, Milly and I searched endlessly for him, but to no avail.

I cried the entire night I hugged my pillow tight and released my sorrow into its cotton softness. Two months later Milly and I had returned to December and was working behind a desk again. I missed Vash terribly and I had fell into a deep depression, I wouldn't talk to anyone not even Milly.

As of late, I had been feeling sick and I was quite moody, Milly joked that I was pregnant, but I didn't find it funny at all. I went to the doctor just to end my unease, but when he told me I was two months along, I broke into tears. Later that night Milly came over unannounced and made me tell her everything.

"What do you mean you're pregnant?" Milly yelled at Meryl when she told her the news. "Whose is it, I mean you don't have a boyfriend, or do you? Have you been lying to me Meryl, or is he a secret, why didn't you tell me?"

"Milly calm down," Meryl said sitting down next to her up set friend. "I don't have a boyfriend, but I wasn't totally honest with you either."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, first of all the father of the baby isn't some big secret, well it's a secret to you, but not to me. Well what I'm trying to say is that through out our travels I have been quite 'active', if you get my drift." Meryl winked at Milly to emphasize her meaning.

"I know I also got a lot of exercise in our travels, running away from people is great exercise." Meryl slapped her forehead in frustration, 'I can't believe what a dunce she is!' Meryl thought.

"No Milly not active like that, active like sexually, you know like having sexual relations." She yelled heated at Milly.

"Oh, I get it," Milly said understanding what Meryl meant by active, then the thought hit her. "With who?"

"Well, Vash," she whispered.

"What I couldn't hear you?" Milly said raising her hand to her ear.

"Vash" Meryl said a little louder, but not loud enough for Milly to hear her.

"What, I still can't hear you; you're going to have to speak up Meryl."

"I said Vash!" Meryl yelled very annoyed.

"What, Mr. Vash, since when, I thought you two hated each other?"

"Well, it stared out that way, but after awhile I guess we started to fall in love, but we had to end our quote on quote relationship."

"Why"

"Because, it would have been too complicated, for me and him," Meryl's eyes began to burn from the tears that threaten to spill over. "It would have made it difficult to continue to follow him around. I just couldn't do it." Meryl now cried freely onto Milly's shoulder. Milly tried her best to console her best friend, but Meryl was beyond any consolation Milly could give.

For the next couple of weeks Milly tried nonstop to cheer up Meryl, but nothing she did made her feel better. Milly wanted to blame Meryl's depression on Vash, but knew that it was not entirely his fault, although most of it was. Meryl's depression did not improve, as she got closer to giving birth, in fact she got worse. Not only was she a depressed downer, she was a moody depressed downer. She was changing channels way too often, one minute she was happy the next she was chewing someone's head off.

The farther along she got the less people wanted to be around her, but Milly was the only on who could tolerate her. But when she gave birth to Alex her mood, instantly improved, it was like he was her own personal ray of happiness. Alex filled her days with new experiences and excitement, but these days were numbered.

A few months before Alex's first birthday, rumors stared to come up that Vash had reappeared, so it didn't take too long for their boss to reassign them to the job of tracking him down. Meryl was some what excited to be seeing Vash again, but terrified all the same.

If she did run into Vash again she would have to tell him about Alex, but she was horrified of what he would do. Milly told her not to worry, and that Vash would take it good when she told him.

When the girl finally caught up with Vash and Wolfwood, things between Vash and Meryl were awkward at first. Neither would talk to the other and they never look when the other was looking. Both Wolfwood and Milly grew tired of their childish behavior after about a week.

"Will you two knock it off already" Milly yelled

"What are you talking about?" Vash asked know full well what Milly was referring to.

"You know what I'm talking about, Mr. Vash, so don't play dumb." She said wagging her finger in his face.

"Milly please don-"

"Don't Milly me. I'm so sick of you too avoiding each other just stop it already." Milly said before storming off, Wolfwood jogged behind her to calm her down leaving Vash and Meryl alone.

"I guess she's right." She said leaning against a near by building.

"Yea, she is, but," Vash said joining her. "I never knew it was so obvious."

"Are you kidding," she said smirking at him. "I haven't whacked you one since I've got here, don't you find that strange?" Vash laughed at Meryl's comment, but didn't respond.

"Vash," Meryl asked after a moment of silence.

"Yea" he answered pushing his glasses further up her nose.

"You wouldn't freak out if I told you something dramatically life changing would you?" Vash turned to her slightly, but never changing his expression.

"Depends on what it is and how life altering it is, why do you ask?" He said now looking fully at her.

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering." She lied trying to get him to drop the subject.

"No way, you would ask something like that unless it had a part two, so what is it?" He took off his glasses

"It's nothing, I was just curious."

"What ever, you're never 'just curious', you have something to tell, don't you?"

"I said no" She raised her voice slightly in annoyance.

"I don't buy it, why don't you just tell me?"

"Why don't you just drop it, broom head." Her voice raising more.

"I would if you just tell me what this is about." He yelled back just as aggravated.

"What am I supposed to tell you if I don't have anything to tell you?" she said now yelling to the top of her lungs.

"The truth would be nice." The two were now drawing a crowd, but were too caught up with the other to notice.

"What truth, there's nothing to tell you."

"Why don't you stop being so stubborn and spill it woman!"

"No"

"No, what do you mean no, yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"You know what this is stupid."

"No, you're stupid."

"I know you are but what am I."

"Oh please, that is so childish."

"You just called me stupid, and you're calling me childish, your one to talk."

"I can't be childish I more than half your age."

"So what, you're twice as mature?"

"My point exactly." People soon started to leave the scene since it had lost its luster. The two continued to argue till Milly and Wolfwood returned and broke them up.

"What the hell was that about, Vash?" Wolfwood asked Vash when the two were finally alone.

"I don't know she's just acting so stupid lately." He said falling face first into his bed.

"What do you mean, stupid, I don't understand? How can a Needle Noggin such as you call another person stupid?" He said sitting on the opposite bed.

"I not kidding, I'm serious, she's really acting weird. I think she has something important on her mind."

"Well it is her mind she can have what she wants on it, or maybe it's a someone." Vash's head popped up when those words came out of Wolfwood's mouth.

"What do you mean a someone, it couldn't be, I mean could it?" He said now pacing the floor.

"Why, Mr. Stampede you look a little worried, anything you want to spill?" Wolfwood asked with an evil grin on his face

"I don't have anything to spill, Wolfwood." Vash stated very matter of factly.

"Yea, whatever, then why are you pacing the floor and going crazy over Meryl, why don't you sit down and tell me all about it?"

"Fine I'll tell you, it all started about the time me and the girls first started traveling together. When I first met Meryl I was instantly attracted to her, I mean who wouldn't right?"

"So, for a while I thought I could shake them, but they were persistent, after a while I accepted the fact that these women were going to follow me regardless of what I wanted. So when I finally came to this realization, I also realized that there could be some benefits to have women follow me around, one woman in particular. So one day around the first time I fought the Nebraska Family I asked her would she be interested in a certain proposal."

"What was the proposal?" Wolfwood asked anxious to hear the answer.

"I'm getting there; anyway the thing was that since we were going to be traveling buddies for quite sometime, why not be traveling buddies with benefits."

"You asked Meryl to have meaningless sex with you just because, I'm sure she knocked your lights out." Wolfwood grabbed a cigarette out of his left breast pocket as he laughed at the image of Meryl taking Vash's head off.

"No, actually, I was expecting that, but that's not what happened." Wolfwood stopped in mid puff not believing what he just heard.

"She told me she would seriously think about it, I assumed that she was nicely letting me down, but she came to my room later that night and the rest is history." Vash finished his story with a sigh of relief; it felt good to be telling this to another person. Ever since Meryl and his relationship started he's wanted to tell someone about it.

"Wow, so all this time you and Meryl have been getting it on behind my back and you didn't tell me, how dare you, you bastard." Wolfwood joked with Vash, but was secretly kind of upset that he didn't know till now. "But anyway, is that why you're upset about her being with someone else?"

"No and she's not with someone else, we don't know that for sure!" Vash yelled at Wolfwood.

"OK, ok calm down, I was just joking." He said as he but the butt of his cigarette out on the sole of his shoe.

"Ok, but no, that's not why." Vash said plopping down on his bed.

"Then, what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Don't know."

"Ok, well are you two still involved?"

"No."

"Why not, thinks got to complicated or something?"

"Exactly."

"How?"

"Well after a while I liked having her around for more that just sex, I mean after the deed we would just sit and talk, instead of leaving, like in the beginning. After a while I didn't just want to have sex with her I wanted to, I don't know what I wanted, but I didn't want things to be like that anymore."

"Oh I see, you start falling for her."

"Yea, but I wouldn't admit it at first, but one day I just saw something I wanted to touch, but I couldn't reach it the way that we were then. So some how we end up talking about it and come to find out she felt the same. So the night before I put the hole in the fifth moon we made love for the first time, although it was slower then all the many other times, it was so much better, it just felt so much more complete, you know?" Vash was now staring starry in to the night sky. Wolfwood stared at his friend in sympathy, he had officially fallen in love and he didn't even know it.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, after I told Wolfwood about it I couldn't stop thinking about Meryl. He would always give me a look or say something that only we understood to get me to tell her what he thought she should know, but know he would be proud of me because

not only was she lying in my arms, my sleeping son was curled up in the bend of my arm.

I felt her try and stand when the baby started to cry, but I held tight to her. I still held her firmly in my grips when she tried again, by then he had quieted down and Meryl just relaxed back into my arms. I slowly opened my eyes after I felt her take her eyes off of me.

"Good Morning." She greeted me with a warm smile.

"I'll say," She looked up at me not quite aware of the world around her, but as soon as she did all hell broke loose. She bolted up to her feet and looked at me terrified.

"What's the matter?" I asked totally confused.

"What do you mean what's wrong, aren't you mad?" She started to pace the floor.

"Mad, why would I be mad?"

"Because," She stopped pacing and looked me in the eye. "I had your child and I didn't tell you, and the circumstances of which you found out was no the best, because I was a coward and hid him from you for all this time."

"Meryl, slow down." I put down the baby and stood up to try and calm her, but when I reached for her she moved away from me. "Meryl why are you making this harder than what it is I'll admit that I wasn't expecting to have a child when I returned to you, but I'm not exactly mad."

"I'm not making this harder; I'm seeing this for what it is, Vash. I know that I messed up, but you're taking this too lightly, you should be yelling, upset, and angry, but your not, why Vash," Meryl started to cry and it was breaking my heart.

"It would have been easier if you were mad, why do you always do this, why do you always make things not look so bad, when they are? Why Vash, I want to understand." She was now whaling in sadness and I didn't understand why, I was happy that she was here and I was happy about the baby, I wasn't mad at her.

"Meryl I don't understand, why would it be easier if I was mad, don't you want me to be happy about this?" I said as I pulled her into my arms.

"Of course I do, but it's making me feel worse about not telling you, I'm sorry."

"That's ok Meryl, I love you, and that's all that matters, right?"

"Yea." Meryl finally stopped crying, but I could still feel her anxiety.