Disclaimer: I don't own neither the universe nor the characters of BTVS or Trigun and claim no rights. This story thought is nothing more but a fiction of mine imagination.

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Previously:

"Vash, um, is that, what I think it is?" Buffy asked pointing at the grenade that was about to blow up.

"Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!"

When it blew up, it brought down a part of the cliff that fell straight down towards the town. Vash was nearly tearing out his hair.

Buffy simply stared. "Oops!"

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"I think we should go."

"Yes, yes, we should."

"Lets go, Vash. I'm sure (or at least I hope) nobody got hurt. After all we warned them."

"I hope so." He answered very quietly.

"Come on, you are bleeding. We need to take care of your shoulder." She gently took his hand and led him to the town…or its remains.

"Bye girls! I think we worked off the doughnuts and the $$20." Vash laughed at that slightly. Two insurance girls seemed to be in a trance still staring it the place where piece of cliff was.

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Buffy supported Vash weight, leading them through the ruins towards the part of the town that was still intact. (Well, at least we chose a good hotel location.)

They entered the building. Buffy asked the housekeeper for a first-aid kit. After that they went to Vash's room.

"Well that was… a one hell of a way to search for a pumpkin." Buffy let out a sight.

The gunman chuckled. "I take it you didn't find anything?"

"Nope, they just looked at me as if I was a loony." She put the kit on the bedside-table and went into the bathroom, while Vash sat on the bed. She emerged with a bowl full of water and a towel.

"Get off your coat and shirt."

"W-what?" He blushed.

"Get. Off. Your. Coat. And. Shirt. I need to take a look at your wound. You lost enough of blood; we don't want it to get infected."

"Buffy, I don't want to offend you but I tend to my wounds myself."

"Vash, save your false bravado, you are hurt and need help."

He stood up and walked to her. "I'll be fine Buffy. Trust me. It's okay."

Buffy felt hurt a little but agreed. (I trust you, but YOU don't seem to return the favor.)

"Okay, if you are sure. But if it gets infected, you will have your ass kicked."

He chuckled. "Deal!"

"I'm going down to grab something to eat. You want anything?"

"No, thank you." He smiled.

She headed to the door.

"Buffy? Good night."

"Night, Vash." She closed the door behind herself.

(Phew! That was close.)

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Buffy went out on the street and to the shop that was only one building away. She got herself a sandwich and a mineral water. She talked for a minute with a girl at the cash register, and found out that miraculously none was killed in a landslide accident. She returned to the hotel and was staying in front of her room searching for the keys.

"What the hell! Where are they?" Then she remembered, leaving them next to the first-aid kit. She headed to Vash's room and entered it without knocking.

"Hey, Vash I forgot … my keys."

He was standing before the mirror, trying to reach the wound, wearing only his pants, his hair was down and it was obvious he had a shower. But at her voice he quickly turned to her.

"B-Buffy…"

"Wow…you have… many scars." She said softly.

His whole body was adorned with lots of scars, some were fresh, some looked old. There were also a few metal clips that hold his flesh together over more serious wounds. And now it was obvious that his left arm was artificial. But despite all that he was still very handsome. His body was toned, hard and well build. The body of a warrior. ( Yummy! No, no, bad thoughts, Buffy! He is not human. Did it ever stop me? Wrong thoughts! It's a wrong dimension!)

"Is that why you wanted to take care of the injury by yourself?" She approached him.

"It's not something I really want girls to see. They would run away." He said softly and embarrassed. Giving her one of those smiles that never reached his eyes.

"That's bullshit! Every girl knows that scars only make man more alluring." She scolded him.

"But not when there are that many." Buffy took an antiseptic and was gently working on his wound. Vash was mesmerized by her.

"How did you get them?"

He remained silent.

"You want me to guess? Okay I have an idea. Being a $$ 60 billion man, there is always someone to get you. And you being a pacifist your are, would rather be hurt, than hurt your opponent?"

He was silently looking at her.

"Am I right, Vash?" She looked into his eyes. Of course she had been right, she could so easily see it in his eyes.

She looked down and moved to get some bandages from the kit and create some distance between them. Then she started bandaging him up. She felt his intensive gaze on herself. "Please don' look at me like that." She said softly but firmly.

"Why?"

"You make me uncomfortable."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" He said embarrassed and blushing turned his gaze to the window, so he could still see her in a reflection. She finished dressing his wound and smiled at the work. "All done!"

"Thanks." He moved to the mirror to see for himself. "Wow, you are good at it. Have you ever been a nurse?" (Bad thoughts, Vash! She will never agree to a naughty nurse outfit!)

"Not a nurse, I hate anything remotely related to hospitals. But I had seen my share of wounds. Now I know you said you didn't want anything but I got you a sandwich. I'll leave it on a table."

She took her keys and moved to the door.

"If I were you, Vash, I would have been proud of those scars. Good night."

"Buffy!" He whirled around but she was already gone.

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An hour has passed but Vas still couldn't sleep. All he could think about was another destroyed town and what Buffy had said. He was lying in his bed, his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling.

"Can she really think so? It's so hard to believe, but than again, we are talking about Buffy." He smiled. "She is so different from everybody else. She is a mystery. She was the first person to believe me. She new me for not more than two days and she passed the opportunity to earn $$60 billions. That's so unbelievable!" He sprang up from the bed and moved to the window. "She is so strong-minded, beautiful and dangerous, but at the same time she is so fragile. There is so much sadness in her eyes. She told me once my smile rarely reached my eyes, how about hers? Who could have possible hurt you so much…I want to make you happy..." He pressed his fingers to the window and sighted. "If only you will let me…"

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Next morning Buffy woke up feeling refreshed and full of beans.

"A little violence now and then, that what makes a slayer's day!"

She stretched and went to the shower. Then put on her white tank top with jeans and heard her stomach grumble.

"Hello to you too…Lets go find something to eat! I'm surprised Vash hasn't already got me doughnuts…" She took her knife, pistol and stake and headed out. She passed the blond man's room and knocked. There was no answer. She headed then outside to the café to get something to eat. While buying herself a breakfast, Buffy noticed, that she was running low on money. (Ok, who do I need to put in jail now?). After finishing her meal she went to check the damage that yesterday's fight caused.

"Miss Buffy! Buffy! Are you going to join us today?" On her way there she met the children she played with and waved them.

"Um, not now, sometime later maybe?"

Many citizens were working on the destroyed part of the town, clearing up the ruins.

"So the sleeping beauty is awake!" She turned around and saw Vash working with those people trying to get away the debris, that fell upon the well.

"And one of the dwarfs is working outside the mines?" She smirked.

"Hey! Whom are you calling a dwarf?!" Vash was once again dressed in his undercover way, with his hair down. Buffy moved to help him and other people.

"Hey, missy, we appreciate the help, but you will only stand in the way. Leave the hard work to men."

(Oh,oh. This guy doesn't now what he is getting himself into.)

Buffy was used to this by now, she imitated her best stupid blond look and voice. "Oh really? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." She then picked up a big boulder without any trouble, walked up to the man. "Maybe you will hold this one for me?" She asked sweetly and threw he boulder at him as if it was a simple ball. Man fell under the weight of the stone and moaned. "Oh, oopsie!" She then proceeded with the work.

"You know, that wasn't very nice. Funny- yes, nice-no."

"You know, perhaps you shouldn't be putting more strain on your shoulder?"

"I want to help them, after all you know whose fault it is…" He whispered to her, passing one of the boulders.

"Yes, it was this bounty hunter's fault, not Vash the Stamping's."

"Um, Buffy? It's the Stampede."

"I said so!"

"No, actually you..." seeing the look on her face. "…oh, never mind…"

Sometime later that day, they were sitting on a bench drinking cooled water.

"Oh! That's heaven!" Vash exclaimed stretching out his legs in front of him.

"Not really.." Buff whispered to herself nearly inaudible. Vash noticed the sudden change of the mood so he changed the subject.

"Where next?"

"What?"

"Where are we going next? We need to find you a pumpkin, no?"

Buffy smiled. (That's one way to put it.)

"I don't know. What will you, oh, buddy of mine suggest?"

"Well…there are plenty of…urgh! What the hell?!" A piece of paper landed on his face, the slayer snatched it from him.

"It's an advertisement for…work?"

"Let me see…." Wanted Bodyguard. Great shooter like Vash the Stampede." Hey! That's just the right job for me! I protect somebody, I shoot, I earn money!! Why don't we go there? It's in Djibouti, a town not far from here."

"Sure, why not. Lets go, collect our stuff and hit the road."

He jumped up and held his hand to help her up. "For love & peace!"

"You are weird…"

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