Enjoy

I do not own Trigun

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Morning dawned, sending a pink haze over everything. Or maybe that was just my eyes. Even after all this time, I still wasn't a morning person. With a slight groan, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, nearly kicking Vash in the head in the process. He had kept the pillow I had thrown at him and was curled up on the floor, snoring slightly.

I watched him sleep for a minute, thinking about our childhood, our fights, everything. Yet despite all the bad blood between us, Vash still came to find me and stayed when he heard I might be in trouble. I sighed and dropped my blanket over him. I never would understand my little brother.

I yawned widely and pulled on my boots. Time to start a new day…

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"BEEEEEEEEEEENNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

I poked my head over the edge of the loft where I had been shoveling down hay.

"Yes Miss Trisha?"

She glared up at me, hands on her hips.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Well," I said thoughtfully, leaning on the pitchfork. "Seeing as I'm in a loft, surrounded by hay and wielding a pitchfork, I'd have to say that I was up here getting fresh bedding for the thomases."

I flicked a piece of hay with my foot, sending it drifting down to land on Miss Trisha's head.

"But why are you working?" she demanded, shaking out her hair. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a hired hand, I'm supposed to work."

"Do you really want to spend your last day working?"

I sighed and flung another clump of hay at her.

"For the absolute last time, this is not my last day on this planet! Ask my brother, he's an excellent gunman and know how adept I am. Now if you'll pardon me, I have to finish my chores before I leave. Off you go."

Miss Trisha made a 'hmmf' noise and sulked off somewhere, most likely off to find Vash. I continued to work for about another ten minutes.

"Ben,"

With a deep sigh, I made my way back to the edge. Miss Jo's pale blue eyes stared up at me, glowing weirdly in the dim light.

"If you're hear to try to keep me from going too…" I said, slightly irritated.

Miss Jo shook her head.

"You didn't come in for breakfast, so…" she said softly, holding up a thermos. I felt my mouth twitch into a smile.

"Thank you," I said in a gentler tone.

-.-.-

I had just woken up and as Knives had predicted, I had a massive headache and my mouth felt mossy.

"I really shouldn't drink so much," I groaned, getting up and scratching my head. "What time is it…"

"About 11 in the morning. Ben's going to be leaving soon."

I yelped and shot backwards. Trisha peered interestedly at me, perched on top of Knives' bed.

"Oh, it's you. Hi."

"Hi! Sleep well?"

"Ahuh… Wait did you say Ben's going to be leaving soon?"

Trisha nodded.

"I saw him saddling up Happy a minute ago."

"Gah!"

I stood up quickly, ignoring my throbbing head, and shot across the room and out the door.

"BRO!"

Knives was about to mount a large thomas, but stopped and turned when he heard me.

"Morning Vash. Got a headache?"

I skid to a stop.

"I want to come too!"

Knives frowned.

"No."

"PLEAAAAAAAASE? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?"

"No!"

The girl with the black hair, Jo I think her name was, handed Knives a water bottle.

"It might be a good idea to bring him along," she said softly. "Traditionally, there are witnesses for these sorts of things. And you might need help."

Knives' glanced at her, his gaze softening slightly, then looked back at me. I gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Oh fine," he grumbled. "But only because I know you'd follow me, even if I told you not to come."

I whooped gleefully. Knives ignored me and mounted the thomas with enviable grace. Neither of us liked thomases much, but Knives seemed to have an innate ability to ride them, despite disliking them. I rode like the proverbial sack of potatoes. When I wasn't falling off that is. Maybe Knives' skill came from the fact that he didn't take defiance from anyone under any grounds. That and he had never been a klutz.

Jo came out of the stable, leading a thomas for me. Knives eyed it distastefully.

"Miss Jo, are you sure that's wise? Vash isn't much or a rider and Berta never cooperates for anyone but you…"

"I'm sure," said Jo calmly, handing me the reigns. "She'll behave."

"Well this should prove to be quite interesting," Knives sighed and shrugged.

With a quiet prayer, I pulled myself up onto the saddle with some difficulty. Knives waited until I had a good grip on the reigns before urging his thomas into a gallop. I waved good-bye to Jo and followed him as quickly as I could, clinging on for dear life.

-.-.-

Vash kept talking the entire ride to the cliff. It was as if he was jamming all the conversations we hadn't had into a forty-five minute ride. He fell off Berta twice and I had to wait while he got back on, but other than that, we made good time.

"Bro?"

"Hmm."

"Do you think you'll ever come home?"

"….."

"Okaaaay…. Change of subject! Girls! Do you like anyone?"

"Vash, how long have you known me?"

"Since we were born."

"Have I ever shown an interest in a girl?"

"Well, not that I know of. We have been separated a lot you know."

"And most of that separation, my motto was 'squash the human race.'"

"Aha! WAS! You doooo like someone!"

"…."

"Hahahaha! Knives has a cruuuuuush!"

"I do not."

"Then why didn't you say anything, hmmmmm?"

"I was busy attempting to comprehend how incredibly stupid you are."

"Nah, you like someone."

"You're an idiot."

"But I know I'm right!"

"I'm not even going to continue this conversation, because whatever I say you're going to insist that it means I do like someone."

"Is it Trisha?"

I nudged Happy to speed up, leaving Vash behind me. Sometimes Vash was so irritating it made me wonder why I had ever wanted to build an Eden for him.

Vash was still prattling when we reached the cliff. Milner was already there, surrounded by his posse as usual. He raised his hand in greeting. I rode within talking distance, not returning the greeting.

"You're late," he said, tapping his leg with the riding crop.

I nodded my head at Vash.

"I had an unexpected addition to my group."

Milner smirked and shugged.

"No matter. Are you ready?"

"Yeah well you see I was thinking…" I said, shifting in the saddle.

"Chickening out?" taunted Milner.

"Didn't you're mother ever tell you it's rude to interrupt people?" I asked, eyeing him coldly. "As I was saying, I'm a busy man even if you aren't. I have work I need to finish back at the ranch, so I'd appreciate it if we could cut through all the shooting at bottles and such that are generally the opening acts of these little contests and get to the point."

Milner stared at me for a moment and the guffawed.

"Fine with me Manx if you want to cut your life a little shorter."

He dismounted and handed his thomas's reigns to one of his posse members. I yawned and dismounted as well.

"Bro!" hissed Vash.

I glanced up at him and handed over Happy's reigns. "What."

"Come on! Don't do this! You can't kill him!"

"Yes I can," I said levely, and walked off.

"So," smirked Milner. "Do you know the rules?"

"Yes," I replied. "But why don't you say them out loud so that all the witnesses can hear them?"

"You're a strange one, Manx. But I'll honor it as your last wish."

He turned to the posse and Vash.

"Listen up! These are the rule and you all are witnesses to show that this is a fair fight that follows the letter of the law! One! None of you are to interfere! Two! Neither of us shoots until the signal is given! The last man standing wins, got it?"

There was a general murmur of agreement from the crowd.

"What's the signal?" I asked.

"Campo there," Milner replied, waving to a large red-headed man, "is going to count to three. Then we shoot."

"Always three…From our holsters I presume," I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You got it. Now count off Manx."

We went back to back and walked apart, taking a step each time Vash counted out.

"Ten!"

We turned and faced each other.

"One!"

Milner placed his hand on his revolver.

"Two!"

I glanced at Vash and then back at Milner."

"THREE!"

Two shots rang out, echoing in the desert air.

I gasped slightly as ball of fire grew in my shoulder. Milner had shot me in nearly the same place Vash had a year and a half before. He had been aiming for my heart. I clamped a hand to the hole, staunching the flow of blood.

Milner swayed and crumpled to the ground, still. I drew a few breaths to steady myself then walked over to him. The posse and Vash were silent from shock.

"I win. You're not standing, Milner."

Milner stared up at me. Two bullets had been shot through his thighs, forcing him to fall. His mouth worked furiously for a moment before he got his voice back.

"W-what are you playing at! You didn't kill me! I only heard one shot from you! Your brother shot too didn't he?"

"Yeah well it's a funny thing," I said, checking the chamber of my colt with one hand. "You never said 'last man alive.' You said 'the last man satnding.' I'm pretty sure everyone heard you."

I showed him the two empty chambers of my colt and waved Vash over. "Took a leaf from my brother's book. Vash show him your gun chambers."

Vash obliged, opening his gun. All six bullet chambers were full. Milner sputtered. I grinned and kneeled down next to him.

"I won under your rules Milner. Oh, and I suggest you wrap those legs up. You won't be able to walk for at least a month, but we don't want you to die from blood loss do we?"

I patted his shoulder cheerfully and stood up, clamping a hand back over my wound.

"Come on Vash, let's go."

I walked back to Happy and Berta, Vash following. He held Happy still as I mounted up.

"Bro?"

I looked down at him. He stared back, eyes shining happily.

"Thank you."

I shrugged, then winced.

"I said I could kill him. Didn't say I would. Let's go."