A/N: Much thanks to gene-edge for the review and everyone for continuing to read! :D (I really should try and write a happy fic with the two of them to give them a break haha!)


While Meryl was busying herself with pouring coffee for everyone, Wolfwood and Livio were seated at the long table in the kitchen area across from Millie. Other than introducing the seemingly new stand-in for Vash, the preacher had remained relatively quiet in contrast to the insurance girls' chatty welcoming.

"These two are so damn cheery, especially the big one," Livio had muttered to his partner as they were taken aboard the aircraft. "How do you stand it?"

"You get used to it after awhile. Who knows? Their pleasantness might even rub off on you."

"Fat chance."

After passing out cups to everyone, setting milk and sugar in the middle of the table, Meryl took a seat next to Millie and regarded the two men with concern.

"We were very worried we wouldn't find you, Mr. Wolfwood," she said in complete seriousness.

The priest chuckled and dumped several spoonfuls worth of sugar in to his coffee. "I think we've known each other long enough for you to call me Nick or Nicholas, don't you?"

"I….well….alright then."

"So now that we're settled in, can you tell us what's going on?"

"We're still trying to grasp it all ourselves. After you left, we stuck around Johnson City for a couple of days just in case Vash returned. You spoke so ominously, we weren't quite sure what to make of it. We eventually began traveling back to our headquarters, but were stopped in between towns by this same ship. The people knew our names, where and who we worked for….They said they were members of Vash's family and that he had mentioned us to them the last time he visited."

Wolfwood's memory went to that time, remembering how he and the Humanoid Typhoon had been ambushed by two of the Gung-Ho Guns. After defeating the unwelcomed guests, they had stayed for a few days on the cratered ship, and though he hadn't overheard the conversation, he wasn't too surprised that Vash had talked a little about his travels to his "family," including blabbing about the two women tasked with the job of following him around for insurance purposes.

"Apparently, they were hoping he was still with us, but we said we hadn't seen him in days," Meryl continued. "That's when they asked about you. Millie here remembered you had said your orphanage was outside of December; they advised us to come with them, saying any friend of Vash's was a friend of theirs. They also warned that things were going to be getting dangerous and that we might be of some help to them."

"It's a good thing we came too," Millie added. "With everything that's been happening, no one knows what city is going to get attacked next. It's much safer here."

Wolfwood studied the contents of his cup for a moment before asking, "What all have they told you?"

"Not much," Meryl sighed. "They seem very secretive. The most important thing was for us to help them find you. Maybe now that we have, they'll explain some more."

"Indeed we shall," someone answered from the doorway, making everyone turn to see who it was.

Luida entered and started towards Wolfwood, prompting the preacher to stand. He shook her offered hand and greeted, "Never thought we'd come across each other again."

"If we had, I was hoping it'd be on more pleasant terms. I'd like to speak to you alone. Please follow me."

With one last quick glance at everyone at the table, Wolfwood trailed after the woman; once they were out of the room, Livio returned the stares of the curious, wary insurance girls.

A minute passed with none of them saying anything; finally, Livio inquired simply, "Yes?"

Millie blinked blankly a few times before asking her own question. "Did that hurt? The tattoo on your face?"

It wasn't quite the query he was expecting, and after a beat, he smiled and sighed.

These two are gonna be fun, he thought, amused.


Wolfwood removed a cigarette from his jacket and was about to light it when he noticed the disapproving expression Luida gave him; he rolled his eyes in annoyance and put it away.

"It's nice you picked up those two girls," he commented as he occupied himself with tossing and catching his lighter. "I would've hated to find out they were a part of Knives' body count."

"Vash spoke very fondly of them. He has few people he can consider friends or trustworthy, as you know; we wanted to protect them on his behalf – and frankly, we could use all the allies we can get. They also proved useful in tracking you down."

"So I heard. What do you want me for?"

"We were hoping you knew the possible whereabouts of Vash."

"He's dead." The stunned, disbelieving glint in the woman's eyes made the priest let out a deep breath and put his lighter away in order to provide her his full attention. "I took him to Knives. He didn't want my help, so I turned around and went home. I assumed he died during their reunion, but maybe I'm wrong. Knives may have just taken him hostage."

"You know where Knives is?" Luida asked quietly, sounding more like a statement instead of a question.

"Yes. The rally point is about six hours outside of Johnson City. It's where they're keeping the plants and where they go to drop them off. My friend and I were on our way to it when you all showed up."

"What were you planning on doing when you arrived?"

Wolfwood shrugged and said truthfully, "Break in, guns blazing. I'm determined to kill Knives, no matter what it takes."

There was a pause before Luida smiled and declared, "I think I have a better idea."


For wanting to know more about him, Meryl and Millie rarely let Livio say more than a handful of words at a time. The two of them were fiercely talkative, and Millie seemed to have the attention span of a child, for she'd stray from the current subject frequently. When Wolfwood suddenly called to him from the doorway, Livio was relieved to get a break from the women. He followed the priest down a corridor into a room filled with various technological equipment; there were several monitors, keyboards, buttons everywhere, and some levers. Standing at the center of the area was the woman Livio recognized to be the one who had escorted Wolfwood away previously.

"Livio, is it?" she questioned.

"Yes. And you?"

"My name is Luida. I understand you share the same type of training and abilities as Nicholas; is that correct?"

"It is."

"I also hear you were a former member of the Gung-Ho Guns; while I'm reluctant to give you my entire trust, Nicholas has assured me there will be no problems."

"What is it that you want from us, lady?"

"We need you both to infiltrate the Ark. It would've been near impossible for Nicholas to do it alone, but since Knives still believes you to be on his side, getting inside shouldn't be any trouble."

"For me. He's supposed to be dead, though," he said plainly, pointing to Wolfwood. "Knives wouldn't let either of us in if he spots him."

"I'll grow a beard," the clergyman offered. "Should be enough to disguise me."

"We can hope. Wouldn't hurt trying to talk in a slightly different voice either." Turning his attention to Luida once more, he inquired, "What exactly are we supposed to do when we get there?"

"Gather any information you can. Where he plans to go, how much longer he intends to keep this up, what he wishes to do with the gathered plants, how many men are with him – anything and everything. We'll be able to keep in contact with the two of you during this entire operation; that way, we can determine when and where the best time to strike will be. Learn the layout of the Ark, any weak spots it has that could make it easier to get inside."

"And what if Vash is alive?" Wolfwood asked softly. "What do we do about him?"

Livio met Luida's gaze and knew from her expression what her answer would be; it was the same as what he would've decided on himself. Though he could care less about the fate of the Humanoid Typhoon, his partner wouldn't be so willing to accept her reply.

"I'm afraid we have to leave him be," she stated solemnly. "There can be no suspicion of you working against Knives-"

"We can't just let that monster continue doing whatever he wants to him!" Wolfwood interrupted heatedly. "We have to do something to help him!"

"Nicholas, you mustn't treat or speak to Vash as a friend; it's too risky. It would be a red flag to Knives, and we simply cannot chance a rescue mission at this time. When Knives is defeated, then we can bring him home, but for now, you have to leave Vash as he is."

Wolfwood snickered and shook his head. "Some family. The one time he really needs your help, and you turn your back on him."

"That's not it at all-"

"Do you have any idea about the relationship those two have with each other?! And what a sick bastard Knives is to him in particular?! I will not just stand there and do nothing while he's tortured and raped by his sadistic brother."

Whether Luida responded or not to his outburst, Wolfwood didn't know, nor did he care; his frustration and fury consumed him as he stormed out of the room. He had no idea where he was going, though after passing through a number of corridors, he found a small, empty room that was as good a place as any to stay and gather his composure.

How can she stand there and say that?! She has no idea how much danger he's in!

He grew ill at the scenarios that raced through his mind, every one of them involving Knives putting his hands on Vash and forcing himself on his brother; what made it worse was that he knew Vash would continue to love his twin regardless of what the older plant subjected him to and most likely would not even retaliate. This was only half of Wolfwood's fears, however; he didn't like imagining the possible physical atrocities Knives could inflict upon the legendary gunman.

Inhaling deeply and releasing the breath slowly, he whispered, "I can't….I can't just do nothing. Someone has to protect him. Someone has to give a shit about helping him."


It was fifteen minutes before Livio was able to find Wolfwood. The priest was smoking and even though he outwardly looked calmer than he had been, Livio could sense his anger still simmering under the surface.

"She's right, you know."

Wolfwood breathed out a stream of smoke and said nothing.

"If Knives caught us trying to save him, we'd be dead in a heartbeat; then who would be left to do it?"

No response.

Livio folded his arms across his chest and considered what he should say next to try and get through to the other man. A lengthy moment of silence passed; when he spoke again, his tone was gentler and understanding. "You can't let yourself be blinded by your feelings for him and refuse to see reality, Nick. For the greater good, for his own good in the long run, we can't do anything for him."

The preacher extinguished his cigarette on the floor and put the butt in his pocket to throw away later. His rational side knew Luida was right; his emotional side was another story. He met the other man's gaze and smiled sadly.

"I hope he's dead," he voiced honestly with a fake laugh. "I really do. I can't bear to think about what Knives has done to him if he's alive. For his sake, I hope he's gone. Some things are worse than death."


An hour after the multiple assaults, Knives had returned to release his twin from the bondage pose, repositioned the man's arm to its correct placement, and dressed him. The blonde's whole hand still ached, and now, his arm felt just as bad.

Currently, Vash was lying on the bed in his small room. He rested on his stomach due to his backside being horribly sore and tender. Since the attacks, he had yet to say another word. When Knives came to sit beside him twenty minutes after he had originally left the other plant alone in the room, it was no surprise the outlaw remained unresponsive. His green eyes stared dully at the opposite wall, though didn't seem focused on it whatsoever; exhaustion clouded them, along with hints of an inner struggle to maintain any bit of pride he hadn't lost from the horrid event.

Petting his brother's tousled blonde hair, Knives stated gently, "You must be hungry. Would you like to come with me to eat?"

A number of seconds went by before Vash at last nodded his head slowly.

"It's been what? A couple days at least?"

A few blinks.

"Alright. Let's go. Come on."

Knives stood and watched as Vash strained to get to his feet. The younger plant was able to take one step before his knees buckled. His twin caught him and proceeded to carry him tucked under his arm like a puppy. Vash sleepily closed his eyes, only opening them once more when Knives eventually stopped. The new surroundings looked to be like a cafeteria, including four long tables near the middle and a shorter one isolated away from the others in front of what Vash considered a throne. His guess was it was for Knives only.

The aroma of the food that had been left on one of the lengthy tables made the gunman even more painfully aware of how famished he felt. He practically drooled as his eyes roamed over the various items; the sight almost brought on tears of happiness.

As Knives removed his arm from around Vash's waist and helped him stand, he said quietly, "You can have as much as you like."

Vash averted his gaze from the feast to look at his brother hopefully. "Re….really?" he inquired tentatively.

"Yes. But first, I want you to do something."

Rapidly, the blonde's expression unraveled in to one of trepidation and despair; he was absolutely crestfallen.

Knives whistled loudly, and four men entered the area in response to it. Upon seeing them, Vash immediately began quivering from immense dread. His heartbeat pounded in his ears; sweat started forming on his skin. He suddenly let out a loud gasp as if he had been drowning the instant he felt a hand on his shoulder. Anxiously, he turned to see who it was, feeling little relief when he found it to be his brother.

"There's no need to be afraid; I won't let them do anything to you," Knives whispered in his ear.

"Wh-who are they? Why are they here?" he questioned frantically.

"Vash, these are the men who raped you." The outlaw's eyes grew large, filled with panic and mortification. "If you had the opportunity to make them pay for what they did, wouldn't you take it?"

Vash glanced downward at the touch of Knives' hand cupping his, breath catching in his throat as the older plant placed the handle of a gun in his palm. It didn't take him long to realize it was his own silver revolver.

"Knives….I-"

"Obtain justice for yourself. Don't let them get away with what they did. Wouldn't the world be better without people like them? Let me help you." He stepped behind Vash, put his arms around the other man, and aided the Humanoid Typhoon in aiming at one of the offenders. "They degraded you, violated you. What's worse than being taken advantage of by a complete stranger? Kill them, Vash. Show them what they did was unacceptable."

Vash blinked numerous times to clear his vision from the water that had welled within his eyes. He eventually shut them and turned away, murmuring helplessly, "I can't. I can't do it. It's not right."

"What they did to you isn't right. Why are you showing them mercy after they fucked you against your will? Just bring the hammer back, finger on the trigger….that's it….there you go. Now just fire it."

Adamantly, Vash shook his head. "No one has the right to take the life of another."

Knives huffed disappointedly. It was time to give his twin the extra push. "It's either them or starve. Take your pick, Vash."

The thought of not eating any of the food laid before him, of continuing to wallow in the terrible throes of hunger, made the younger plant nearly snap. His finger stiffened, arm tensed as he fixed his aim; the reaction made Knives grin victoriously.

"That's it, Vash," he encouraged eagerly. "Once they're dead, you can have as much as you want. The sooner you shoot, the sooner you can enjoy the satisfaction of a full stomach. No more feeling starved. I can't imagine how hungry you must be."

Vash started shaking more noticeably as the tears rained incessantly from his eyes; in his mind, he stood at the precipice of morality and was close to falling.

Rem….Rem….What do I do? I'm so hungry. I just want something to eat. I don't know when I'll get another chance to….But it would be wrong to kill them, even after what they did to me, right?...Right?...What should I do?

Knives observed the ethical battle happening within his twin by the waves of emotion that washed over Vash's face. The excitement he had intensified when the blonde's arm wavered and his finger pressed ever so slightly against the trigger. He worked to steady the man's aim, making it so that the only thing Vash had to concern himself with was firing the weapon; Knives would be sure the gun was pointed at all the right places.

"Come on, Vash. Hold them accountable."

"I…."

The memory of the depraved incident overwhelmed the gunman, making him want nothing more than to curl up on the floor and be left alone. His fit of hysteria was draining virtually every last ounce of energy he had; as his whole body went limp on the verge of collapsing, Knives hugged him tightly against his own to support him.

"It's a win-win situation for you if you kill them," the older twin explained. "They pay for hurting you, and you get to eat. Simple as that. If you don't, well….you go hungry and who's to say they won't do it again?"

The threat of it happening a second time sent Vash in to a full-on panic attack. He trembled violently, almost losing his grip completely on the gun. His head spun and all at once, he felt tremendously hot as if he were standing near an open flame. Within his chest, his heart pounded so quickly he feared it would give out at any moment.

"Let me go," he sobbed pitifully. "I can't do this….I want to go home."

"Shhh…." Knives tried to soothe him. "You are home. You're here with me; it's where you were always supposed to be, alright? Just do this one thing and you and I can go eat and discuss what our plans are for our planet, our Eden."

"Don't make me do this."

"It's your decision. You have free-will, remember? It's what makes us the only two of our kind."

Less than a minute later, Vash dropped the revolver and exclaimed, "I can't do it! It's not right!"

The scowl on Knives' countenance was menacing as he caught the weapon before it hit the ground and gazed at his severely distraught brother.

"Rem said it's wrong-"

Knives struck the other plant's head with the barrel of the firearm, sending Vash sprawling to the floor. The blonde raised his hand to the throbbing wound, delicately dabbing at it a few times before holding the heel of his palm against it in an effort to stop the bleeding and crushing pain. He cowered and kept his face turned away as Knives approached, waiting apprehensively for another blow. It came soon enough from the butt of the gun, crashing in to the right side of his skull and knocking him to the side. Defenselessly, he laid where he was, his hair soaking up the blood that pooled beneath his head.

"You. Are. Worthless," Knives stated coldly. "Still clinging to her stupid principles. I don't know what to do with you anymore. You're pathetic, Vash." He suddenly turned his attention to his followers and announced to them, "Take what you want. It's yours now." Looking back to his whimpering, injured twin, he muttered, "He's proven he doesn't want any of it."

It wasn't until he heard the sound of silverware clinking against plates and bowls did Vash glance at the table and nearly regret his decision of not killing them as a result. From where he lay on the ground, he watched miserably while his four assaulters devoured the offered food. His stomach frequently voiced its distress, ceaselessly ached and longed for sustenance.

Finally, he couldn't resist anymore. Slowly, he sat up and hesitantly began crawling toward the men, paying no mind to what Knives might say or do to stop him. Once he reached the end of the table, he remained seated with his legs tucked under him and stared piteously at the servants. They each looked at him for a second before bursting into crude laughter.

"I think this mutt wants some scraps," one of them commented. "Is that what you want, boy?"

Vash nodded, his eyes silently pleading for them to have a shred of compassion for him.

"Sorry," was the insincere reply. "Not up to us."

"Don't give him even a crumb," Knives ordered. "Maybe if there's anything left, but don't count on it, brother."

Vash put his arm around himself, hung his head, and let out a depressing screech. The response was more heartless laughter at his expense.

I just want to eat! he thought dejectedly. Please….Something….anything….So hungry….

For fifteen minutes, the men ate whatever they could; occasionally, one would dangle a piece of food in front of Vash and then pull it away the moment the gunman reached for it. The taunting was pushing the outlaw closer and closer to the edge of losing control entirely; he was on the brink of lashing out and retrieving anything he'd be able to get his hand on, ready to viciously fight anyone who'd dare prevent him from doing so.

At last, they finished and were dismissed by Knives. The white-haired plant looked over the minute amount of leftovers, picked up a slice of bread, and threw it on the floor.

"There," he voiced offhandedly. "Come get it."

Vash scrambled to the piece of food and voraciously devoured it. Two chicken legs were also dropped for him, and he hurriedly bit off what tiny amount of meat was left on them that the person hadn't eaten.

"Done? Good. You need another shower. You stink of human filth."

Knives drug his twin out of the room by his arm and headed for his own private room. A handful of tears slid down Vash's face as he was taken farther and farther away from the food; even when the table was no longer in sight, he still pictured it vividly in his mind and wept as if he had lost something extraordinarily dear to him.


Wolfwood and Livio strolled alongside a young woman through a number of hallways after attending dinner. She had been charged with escorting them to their quarters, and in short time, they stopped in front of a door which she announced was to be Livio's room; three doors down on the same side of the corridor, she said, "Here's where you'll be staying, Mr. Wolfwood."

"Please, just call me Nick. And yours is Sienna, correct?"

"Yes, that's right. Luida has asked me to help you in any way I can, so if you need anything, don't hesitate to call for me. Or Miss Meryl, who is again right next door, Millie the next."

"Thanks."

"Well, good night!"

"Good night!"

Wolfwood stepped in to the petite room, content to discover his belongings had already been dropped off in it. There was a twin bed, nightstand, small dresser, and a chair. The first order of business was rummaging around in Vash's duffle bag for a couple of things. He set the picture frame on the dresser – along with the Humanoid Typhoon's sunglasses – and put one of the white button-down shirts on the bed next to the pillow; the man's scent had faded from the fabric, yet enough still lingered on it to bring the priest solace.

Sitting on the bed, he lit a cigarette just as someone knocked on the door.

"It's open," he called.

Meryl entered, giving a nervous wave before shutting the entrance behind her and asked, "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute to talk?"

"Sure thing. Have a seat." He patted next to him, and she took the invite.

"I overheard you talking to Luida earlier and….I'm so confused. You seem to know about what's been happening. Can you explain it to me?"

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, he confessed, "I could, but do you really want to know?"

"Yes. Please. I spent so much time following him and being around him, yet I really know nothing about who he is; I was too preoccupied with Vash the Stampede being an assignment that I didn't allow myself the chance to get to know him as anything else."

Noticing the regret in her demeanor, Wolfwood placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "Even if you tried prying any personal details out of him, he probably would've dodged it. He plays things close to the vest. Anything he would've told you could've put you and Millie in serious danger; he'd never want to see you two in harm's way, especially because of him."

"But….we were a nuisance to him, always trailing behind him and being quite a bother, I imagine. Why would it matter to him what happened to us?"

The preacher got up and fetched the photograph from the dresser. As he handed it to Meryl, he stated bluntly, "You were his friends. Why else would this be in his luggage? You, Millie, myself – we all lost a friend."

Meryl stared at the picture for a long while, tears springing to her eyes as she saw the proof of Wolfwood's statement written not only on Vash's happily smiling face, but also in the fact that the gunman had kept the print with him during his travels. She had had no clue the Humanoid Typhoon appreciated them that much to be considered friends. The sentiment touched her heart more profoundly than she ever thought it would, and she hugged the frame to her as if she were clinging to the goofy broom-head himself.

"I….I didn't want to let myself think of him as anything other than a job," she cried quietly. "We were just supposed to keep him from causing any damage, but….I really do miss him."

"Me too," the priest admitted, sitting next to her once again.

"You think he's alive?"

"I don't know. He might be."

"Why would his own brother take him prisoner? Do those awful things to him that you mentioned?"

"You heard that part, huh?" he questioned sadly. She nodded. "They're….He's…." He sighed and pondered a way to explain things quickly and simply – without all the sordid details. "His brother, Knives, wants to exterminate the human race, have a world of only plants."

"Plants? Why?"

"Because he and Vash themselves are plants." He went on, despite her tremendously confused expression. "Vash has spent years trying to track him down in order to stop him. When I spoke to you last, telling you he may no longer exist, it was because he finally found him. Since plants are being stolen and mass murders, I figured he died during their confrontation. But Knives….They don't share a typical brotherly relationship, if you know what I mean. It's a bit more intimate than what's normal."

Meryl appeared to be wholly flabbergasted. "You can't mean…."

"They were all they had, the two of them for years on end. And Knives hates humans, so, well….that left only Vash, unfortunately, to serve as the need fulfiller."

"He….No, that can't be."

"Took me by surprise too. I only know because I drug the confession out of him one night. Now that he's returned to Knives after so many years….he may have been spared so that he could serve as that fulfiller again – among other reasons, I bet. Knives is a heartless bastard; from what I gather, based on what little information Vash mentioned, he likes taking his anger out on his brother."

"Oh god….that's so awful."

Wolfwood tossed his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it. "We won't know anything for sure until we get there."

For a period, the two of them sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. It was a number of minutes later when Meryl at last spoke.

"I heard what you said earlier, about wanting to save him. And seeing you now when you talk about him….You say we all lost a friend, but….something tells me he was more than that to you."

The priest smirked. "What gave you that impression?"

"Call it a woman's intuition," she stated matter-of-factly with a smile. "You're passionate when you speak about him."

"I was only supposed to protect him, keep him from serious harm. Somehow, I let him be a friend. And then….he let me be a lover. We only did it three times, but….nothing ever felt so right in my life. Experiencing him in that way….being together like that….it was incredible." Wolfwood paused for a moment before chuckling and saying honestly, "You must think me and him are disgusting, terrible people. Being a man of the cloth myself, I should know better. Should've resisted. It's automatic damnation; one shouldn't lay with a man the way one would with a woman."

It was Meryl's turn to put a consoling hand on the priest's arm, and she smiled kindly, a sense of understanding conveyed in her eyes. "You love him. There's nothing disgusting or terrible about that."

"He always screws things up for everyone, that idiot."

All at once, Wolfwood was overcome by grief. He welcomed the caring embrace Meryl offered him, openly crying against her as he mourned the fate of his closest friend. From outside the door, Livio had listened to their conversation and felt an emotion he hadn't experienced since he was a child: empathy. He was finally able to comprehend just why Wolfwood was so resolute in his desire to rescue Vash and had even begun to feel concern for the Humanoid Typhoon's dire situation as well.

Shaking his head, he grumbled, "What do I care?" and proceeded to his own room. It was a great annoyance when he couldn't eliminate the sympathetic feelings from his mind until he fell asleep.