A bit of history on this chapter: Dwellin started the original version of this chapter back in 2005. Yes...it's been 5 years! (Actually the story is now over 6 years old.) Dwellin has had to wait patiently for all this time until I could get the story written up to this point – goodness we've been on a wild ride all this time! And...it's not over! But, we're finally going to see where the namesake of this story comes from – because, after all, this story was about Dark Vash. What's to come is anyone's guess!

Thanks to all of our readers who have stuck by us for...6 years! And also all of the new readers who have just joined us recently. We hope we don't disappoint! MillyT

"We are not responsible for any stock market fluctuations, acts of nature, or the common cold, only for the story we are submitting. If you have any thoughts we would like to hear them (kind ones are acknowledged, mean ones are fed to our pet dragon, Slumberbumpkin the Not So Fierce.). We don't own Trigun, (wish we did though!) and we certainly don't own Vash (I know, I already checked into it) , and we don't own Nightow (do I need to repeat myself?), all we own is not really worth mentioning here. Please enjoy your stay and keep all hands and arms inside the ride at all times, and your seats...well, you don't have to keep them in the upright positions! Enjoy your stay!"

Chapter 28 Waking Up

After the Battle

[Stardate: 11-10-0110-20:00]

"The sky is breaking apart!" Milly yelled and even though Meryl's head was close to her friends, the words could barely be heard above the uproar. She didn't bother to say anything for hell on earth was intensifying to a frightening degree.

Meryl only had a brief moment to wonder where Knives was, and if Vash was with him, and if either one had set off this catastrophe of nature.

For her part, Milly worried about Wolfwood. He and Livio left after dragging them to the bottom of the mountain with Dr. Conrad and turned to race back up the mountain.

Were they all right? Milly desperately wanted to know. With every fiber of her being she poured her fear into a silent prayer and hope that all those she cared about would walk out of this safe and whole so she could... what? Where was that specific thought going?

Wherever it was headed, the blond had to abandon it as a spherical-shaped inferno began to consume the sky from horizon to horizon. Having seen many disasters, manmade variety and mother nature, Milly knew it couldn't be covering the whole planet, but right now every cell of her being screamed that they were going to die. There was nothing left in the world except for one spot of bright sky above them, the grit of sand underneath, and the arm of her best friend around her. This was not how she had thought she would die. No, it should be as an old lady in a huge bed with her own tribe of grandchildren and children surrounding her. Certainly not like this!

Then, growing louder by the second, was the sound of roaring like a sandsteamer going full tilt, while some demonic giant hand was raking through buildings leaving rubble and ruin behind. When Milly was positive it couldn't get worse, if anything the sphere of light grew brighter, usurping the dominion of the suns. Nothing else could be heard over the raging wind and roaring in the sky.

An instinct greater than anything they could logically explain caused them to grab onto each other and dive for the ground behind the largest boulder they could find to hide behind.

Above them, a black whirlwind of such huge proportions filled the whole sky, rotating while emitting flashes of blue lightening. Electricity sliced through the darkening sky, spewing out death into the howling of the wind. Sand tore at their hair and clothing, scraping any exposed skin, hands clinging in desperation to one another.

Neither woman could explain how long the clash in the heavens continued. All they knew when the world returned back to normal was that, surprisingly, they still were alive.

Meryl and Milly sat up, stared at each other dazed and traumatized.

Slowly Meryl blinked her gray silvery orbs and then cleared her throat testing out her vocal cords before trying to speak. Her mouth opened before realizing she was bereft of any vocabulary to express what she was feeling because she didn't know.

Not so Milly. "Wow, that was really awesomely bad," Milly murmured as she slowly stood to her feet and began to brush the clinging sand from her coat. Meryl nodded and shakily got to her feet as well.

Both leaned against the rock and finally Meryl could put a coherent thought together. "I am quite surprised that we aren't dead."

Milly didn't hear her as she was whipping her head vigorously back and forth trying to shake the sand out of it. "Eh Meryl? What was that?"

Meryl could only shake her head as her rational brain began to work again and realized that this was what she had read about in the reports. Reading about such an event was totally different than living through it. This was the same power that had leveled cities? But which of the plants had caused it? Were they still alive after the damage was done? Where was Vash? And Knives? Where were Knives' bodyguards? Had they survived? What about Dr. Conrad? Too many questions were swirling in her brain.

"Who knows except those at the very center?" She didn't even want to tell Milly her theory, but she suspected that they would never see the men who caused it alive again.

"Let's see if we can find any survivors." Milly said with a determined and serious expression. Meryl nodded and then squared her shoulders.

The two friends stepped out from behind the rock and halted in their tracks as in the distance they beheld the devastation and destruction left behind the battling lights in the sky. Maybe they hadn't survived...they'd wound up in some kind of hell on earth.

As they stared, they could tell even from this distance, not a building was taller than the first story. Both woman goggled, eyes wide and disbelieving at the sight that met their eyes. Then tears began to fun down their faces.

Milly let out a keening moan, and Meryl could only makes small gasps of despair for once again words failed them both as they stared in horror at the sight.

In a hoarse, strangled voice Milly said, "Meryl, we have to go see if there is anyone left."

Meryl shook her head, "We can't help like this, we have no supplies on us. What good would it do to find anyone if we can't help them?" It was all she could do to keep from whimpering. Both girls were trained in First Aid, but this! A small moan worked its way up her throat. She finally choked out, "We need to find some supplies first, then look for survivors."

Milly hated to admit it, but Meryl was right. She hastily looked around them, they would be lucky if anything, or anyone, had survived the explosion.

An hour later they were both at the rock again with Milly leading a pair of tomas and managed a wan smile at Meryl's fierce expression.

Meryl snorted, placed her fists on her hips and frowned at the beasts as Milly led the beasts up to the meeting spot.

"Now Meryl, don't give them that look, they aren't purebreds like the ones Mr. Knives sold, but they'll do the job." One snorted and sneezed, covering Meryl in snot.

"Hey?!" The caped agent glared at the two tomas, and sands take her if they didn't have a sheepish expression on their faces! The raven-haired agent didn't have time for a tirade however, and turned back to the business at hand.

"Well," she ignored the tomas and turned back to Milly, once again squaring her shoulders. "Are you ready? This might be gruesome you know, we have never covered a major catastrophe quite like before, you know."

Milly nodded, blue eyes worried but resolute. "I'm ready Meryl. We need to see if anyone needs our help, that's our job after all." She turned to stare at the ruined city. "And what we should do even if it weren't our jobs. There may be people who need us."

Then with tears filling her eyes but blinking them away up so they couldn't fall, she continued, "And let's go find Mr. Priest and Mr. Livio..." She smiled, "And Mr. Knives too..."

Meryl took the reins of her toma and they began walking toward what was left of the city dreading what she would find and afraid of what she wouldn't.

Found

[Stardate: 11-11-0110-02:00]

"Look Meryl! I found someone! An old man!" Meryl turned to look. Milly was on a rise where a building used to be. All Meryl could see from her lower vantage point was the fluttering of some black tattered rags in the wind that was beginning to pick up. They wouldn't have much time to search; a huge sandstorm could be seen on the horizon.

Meryl hurriedly climbed the pile of debris to reach the top. Looking down she saw what Milly was standing over, or rather, whom. It was the ragged form of a tall man with a shock of white hair tangled around his head and face.

Meryl quickly but gently, checked for broken bones and bleeding wounds but couldn't find any evidence of either. It was a relief because that meant they could transport the old man from the scene and get him to the next town to a doctor. With the tomas they were riding especially bred for long-distance travel, they would make it there in no time, well before the worst of the sand winds hit anyway.

Meryl sighed sadly. This was the first person they had found. The worry lines on her forehead deepened. The eerie silence of the place was starting to get on her nerves. Only hours and it was beginning to feel like ghost town.

When they had first started searching, both women had spoken in normal tones but it was long before the creepy stillness worked on them and soon had them speaking to each other in hushed tones. Milly's cry after finding the old man was the first normal sound since they had first arrived.

When Meryl went to hook her arms under the man's armpits, Milly had stopped her with an amused look. She moved her smaller friend back, then stooped and lifted the injured man up in her arms as if lifting a small child. Walking back to the tomas she waited until Meryl was on hers and carefully situated the man in front of Meryl. She had to smile when Meryl grunted when the full weight of the man leaned back against her.

"Milly," Meryl complained with a grunt, "I can't see around him!"

"Don't worry, I'll take the reins of your toma and lead. That way all you need to do is make sure he doesn't fall off. How's that?" She put her foot in the stirrup of her toma but looked over at her friend who was barely visible behind the body of the old man. "I can take him on my toma if you want Meryl."

The man's back was flush up against her and Meryl was having a hard time turning her face under his weight so that it wasn't being smashed, but damnit, she wasn't some helpless hothouse flower! She could do this.

Milly thought she heard a muffled, 's'alright' but it could have easily have been, 'go right'. She shrugged. Meryl was tougher than she looked and twice as stubborn. The tall blond swung up into the saddle and gave her toma a cluck and a light tap with her heels and spared a quick glance up at the sky. They should just make Serenity when the storm hit.

"He's really heavy for an old guy." At least that's what Milly interpreted the muffled comment that came from the direction of Meryl's toma.

Waking Up

[Stardate: 11-15-0110-12:00]

Vash's head hurt, his arms, legs, torso, neck, hell even his hair hurt. He had been hammered in the past but this was excessive even for him. He was pretty sure the torment between his ears involved anvils, blacksmith hammers, sandsteamers at full tilt and guns going off, all of which resulted in this horrendous hangover possessing every inch of him. Even if he couldn't remember what happened the night before, he sure hoped it was fun and briefly wondered, while lifting a hand to hold his pounding head, if she had been worth it. He wouldn't be surprised to find out that he had been trampled by a whole herd of jealous boyfriends. Very heavy and angry boyfriends, with hobnail boots.

He would have groaned but his head wouldn't tolerate it. What he was aware of, besides every beat of his heart sending a nerve-wrenching pain stabbing through his temples, was how dry his mouth was. There wasn't anything he wanted more right now than to grab a bottle of anything alcoholic and get drunk all over again.

There was a stir in the air that registered against the skin of his face and the soft rustle of clothing along with a very soft sigh. Vash tensed. He wasn't alone.

He cursed the pain of 'paying the piper' after an all-night drinking binge which kept him from noticing immediately. Slowly he pried one eyelid open. Even that hurt.

He didn't see anything but now he could hear water running in what must be the bathroom somewhere behind his head. Once the water tap was turned off he could hear a very soft humming. If he weren't on edge and in such incredible pain then he would have taken the time to listen to the soothing sound.

Slowly, he inched his hand closer to his gun and felt a brief moment of panic when his fingers closed on empty air. Damnit, had he pawned his gun again? It was a rather frequent occurrence, but he always took care to remember where he hocked it so he could break in the next night to retrieve it. His brow furrowed as he tried to retrieve the elusive memory of the night before but came up blank.

Dropping the effort of trying to recall the previous night's events and disregarding as much as he could the pain lancing through his head and twisting his gut, the tall man's eyes snapped open even as his hand searched his side. That was when he noticed for the first time that his gun belt was gone from around his waist as well. Frantically he patted the bed around him and tried to lift his head to assist in the search. However, as soon as he lifted his head a fraction of an inch off of the pillow the pain in his head burst across his awareness in a new and heightened form of torture.

Collapsing back onto the pillow with a groan and a curse he contemplated swearing off drinking forever, well, at least for a day or two until he recovered.

He heard quick light steps coming toward him. Then it was quiet while a soft cool hand covered his brow.

"Hmmm, I think your fever is better today."

Better? This is better? I've had gunshot wounds that were less painful than this variety of better!

Vash tried and finally succeeded in prying open the same eye again. The vision that met him was that girl, the pretty insurance agent, his girl. Both eyes flew open in surprise as she came closer. He had been plotting for weeks how to get closer to her, if he had known it would take tying one on he would have tried that sooner. She was looking down at what she was holding in her hands so he quickly shut his eyes again pretending to be less conscious than he was.

He would have grinned, if his teeth and even his gums didn't hurt so badly.

Just then he felt a cool wet cloth being applied to his forehead, the sensation was so welcome and delicious that he sighed in utter disbelief. After that she gently patted his face. Stubbornly he fought the relief flooding through him. He didn't like being this vulnerable, especially when he didn't remember what had happened the night before, and where the hell was his gun?!

When she reached over him for the other side of his face, he grabbed her small wrist. He must have exerted more pressure than he intended as he heard a muffled gasp. He smirked, knowing she was surprised that he could grab her so expertly without even opening his eyes.

The diminutive agent tried to tug her wrist free but quickly found she was unable to break his hold. He held onto it firmly until she eventually stopped struggling and sat quietly waiting for him to make a move or say something. She was probably thinking that he was having a dream or was on the verge of waking up from a twilight dream.

The little female was quiet but he could feel the tension in her muscles and knew right away she was not one of those who would wait patiently forever. He was half tempted to see how long it would take before she exploded in anger.

He licked his dry lips and tried to ask a question but nothing came out but a parched rasp.

When she saw his need for a drink, she asked, "Please, if you let go of my arm I will get you a glass of water. I am not going to hurt you..."

As if you could. He thought wryly to himself. Curiously, it almost seemed as if she didn't know who he was. But hadn't they had multiple meetings? She couldn't have forgotten who he was already, could she?

"... I have a pitcher right here on the nightstand next to your bed..."

Bed? He wondered whose bed he was in, (maybe hers? One could only hope. He would ask later.) and what town they were in. Try as he might, Vash couldn't remember. It was a decidedly unsettling feeling and one he wasn't used to. He couldn't even begin to think when he had been in such a position before, but what was clearly known was to him was that he didn't like it, no, not one least little bit at all.

"...Now, please, if you would just let go, I will get you that glass," as she continued to talk soft and soothingly to him. She's hoping to put me at ease like I am a child or a mental patient.

He could hear the wince in her voice as she tried to tug once more against the tight hold he had around her ridiculously tiny wrist, and he wasn't being gentle either. There would be marks left from his rough grip, but he wanted her to know that however he might be affected by the hair of the dog, he wasn't so weak he couldn't take care of a little girl. A corner of his mouth tugged in an unconscious attempt to grin as she continued to talk as if nothing were amiss. Her voice was strained but still low and soft. Feisty little thing, he had to give her that.

"...I am sure you need it by now, you have been out for days. We were beginning to really get worried about you."

We? There were more people here? Oh yes, her partner. He wondered how many other people, if any, were in the residence, and really, just where the hell was here anyway?! He was about to stretch out with his mind to search the place for signatures of additional humans when another lightening bolt of thought-dispersing pain flashed through him. He couldn't hold back the groan that ripped out of his throat. He didn't realize he had let the girl's hand go until he heard water being poured into a glass and felt her return just as she promised. Fool.

He heard the sound of something scraping along the wood floor and guessed she was pulling up a stool next to the bed. Once she was seated, the girl slid a slender arm under the top of his shoulders. He wondered if this little slip of a thing actually believed she was going to be able to lift him?

He heard a huff of air being expelled as she labored with the effort of trying to hoist him up. Vash would have laughed at her exertion except for the fact that once again, another shot of pain speared between his temples. It took a moment before it faded but it wasn't soon enough for his tastes. The plant gasped and was reminded that his mouth and lips were as dry and parched as the desert. Cracking his eyelids open a mere crack, he was in time to see a frown of worry crossing her features. It would have been amusing at any other time.

Seeing and feeling her continued efforts to lift him upright, he decided she would need help if he wanted to get a drink of water from the glass she was holding. And right now he was desperate for that water. Without thinking, he opened his eyes to fix them on the glass in her hand.

For her part, Meryl watched as the white-haired man looked out at her through puffy slits before staring at the glass. She went stone still for a second before giving him a fake smile which she was sure he would be able to see it for what it was if he weren't so consumed with his own problems at the moment.

When he had opened his eyes it was all she could do to bite her tongue back on an exclamation of surprise. Eyes the color of red rubies, the kind that could chill the marrow of one's bones!

She nearly called for Milly in fright, but remembered her blond friend had gone out for groceries a little while ago and wouldn't be back right away. Milly time wasn't the same as normal time and the shopping trip never took the same amount of time twice.

The raven-haired woman tried to put a pleasant expression on her face but felt she was grinning like an idiot. This was the first time he had opened his eyes in the time since they had found him so she was startled beyond words.

When she and Milly had found him after the great light explosion, his eyes were shut and he was in a near coma-like state. He had stayed that way until right this moment.

But Milly, bless her Thompson genes, had carried him into the house as if he weighed no more than a toddler when they reached Serenity. Thankfully the town had a house provided for by the company.

Meryl was a bit reluctant to be in the range of Bernadelli influence but after Jeonora Rock was destroyed the agents here evacuated and they were easily able to move in, explaining to the town they were taking over. No one asked any questions from that point on. Except maybe to bring an insurance claim here and there.

Milly had helped her move all their belongings into what was once the master bedroom but now set up with the bunk beds, and they put the old man in the one guest bedroom. It was smaller, but did have a half-bath. Their bedroom also had a half-bath but they tended to use the larger bath in the hallway across from their room since it had the only shower in the house.

After moving him, as they were washing the soot, gritty sand, and smoke from his face, they recognized him.

After a few seconds of stunned shock and an exchange of panicked looks, they finished cleaning his face and hair. Then they stripped him, but not before removing his gun belt which Meryl took and hid. They removed the black rags, all that remained of the jacket his habitually wore. However, when it came time to bare skin, Meryl had to leave and let Milly strip the rest of his clothes and put him in some men's pajamas they found in the closet. Once she was finished with that, Meryl returned. She could have done it if she were the only one here to take care of him, but she was grateful that Milly was from a big, noisy, loud family with an abundance of brothers, uncles, nephews and cousins, and sometimes, some of them got sick.

After that though, Meryl took on the brunt of care. Milly couldn't stand to stay cooped up in a house for long although she was a tender nurse when giving Meryl a break.

Otherwise, Milly went back with the organized team made up of Serenity citizens to go and help their sister city. They stayed there several days searching for other survivors. It was a dejected and sad woman that came back each day to report that the teams couldn't find any other people, living or dead. At the end of the final day, both women had just stared at each other, trying to comprehend what the lack of bodies on the scene could possibly mean. By an unspoken, mutual agreement, the women decided not to bring up the subject until such a time as they could focus on the mystery, but now was not that time.

Mostly they debated on what to do about Vash. (As if they could do anything with him!) He was changed in appearance, but what, if anything else had changed? It was the subject of many of their conversations. According to Dr. Conrad the first change to Vash and Knives came at July. Had this explosion reverted them to their previous selves? If it did, did that mean Vash was his old self again and had Knives reverted to his former evil human-hating self? Since Vash was unresponsive and there was no news about any of the others, all their theories were merely speculation.

At first, Meryl rationalized that even if this was indeed the evil Vash that had pursued them for months, maybe he would know what happened up on that hill. Maybe he would even remember what happened to Knives. Then perhaps in his weakened state they could turn him in to the authorities. She was sure the bounty still rested on Vash's head, sure he looked a bit different, but this was still Vash, and now he had yet another mark on his record.

Meryl, for some reason slowly developed an irrational need to take care of him. Where this urge came from was beyond her, but Milly didn't argue, although she couldn't help but give her petite friend a knowing look which only made Meryl huff at her in irritation. The one thing the tall blond kept saying was that she was certain that when Mister Vash woke up, he would be a good man again, which just made Meryl roll her eyes at her friend's naive assumption. So here they were, clinging to the last survivor, even after all the things he had done to them and others since they had first bumped into him in front of the theatre all that time ago.

Vash watched her attention drift off and then snap back before looking at the glass in her hand. Even though he was thirsty beyond belief, he took note of the fact that the glass she held was an expensive, thick-bottomed tumbler. He knew they couldn't be in a hotel, not unless they were in December where the only classy joint on the planet existed had crystal such as this.

As she lifted the heavy glass to his lips, Vash watched. One of her arms supported his weight while the other reached to help him steady the glass. It was difficult since after that spurt of energy he displayed earlier, his arms were trembling and heavy. He was thankful for her support, not that he would tell her that of course.

Meryl watched as the plant closed his eyes and tried to gulp from the glass. It was an effort to keep him from guzzling it all down at once. As she kept the flow to greedy sips her eyes slowly lingered over his naked chest where he had a few deep scars crossing over it diagonally. There was a metal ring around one bicep where the entire left arm ended but she already knew it was the attachment to his fake arm which had been destroyed in the destruction of Serenity.

Otherwise he had a perfect physique, broad shoulders tapering down to a tight, flat abdomen, sleek thin hips and, thank God there was a sheet and pajamas covering the rest!

Meryl Stryfe, shame on you! You know better! The small, dark-haired woman rebuked herself and jerked her eyes back to his face. The glass tumbler was half empty and she decided that his stomach needed a chance to give the water time to absorb.

With just those few sips, Vash could feel life-sustaining strength returning to him. After all, like all of his kind, he was really was self-sustaining, not needing much in the way of nourishment for his survival, but he did need water. And this cool, refreshing liquid was a gift from heaven, if a place existed for such as himself. He could feel vigor rushing back into his limbs and his thoughts were already becoming clearer. Just as he reached up to upend the glass into his mouth, she pulled it away from his lips.

"Not so much at first or you will get sick."

He wanted to shoot her.

Meryl raised her eyebrows at his ill-tempered look as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. If truth be told, she was feeling a little stupid reminding him of something that every child knew from the time they learned to walk.

No one told him what do to... except... now that he thought about it, she was right, his stomach was acting a wee bit queasy. He watched as she pulled the glass away from him. His eyes narrowed, as he calculated the distance between his hand, the glass and how much speed and effort it would take to grab it back.

He gave a soft snort out of his nose, barely discernable but enough for her to hear. She frowned at him again and he matched her glare for glare. He could see that she was uncomfortable but determined to do her best by him while also trying not let him intimidate her.

Vash studied her face a moment, taking in the light of her gray eyes with hints of lilac shimmering in them. He couldn't help devouring the sight of her delicate features and observed soft cheeks glowing from the muted sunlight filtering through the small window, the little chin, the tiny button of a nose, and the slight arch in her eyebrow. She was as beautiful as he remembered, he decided, but not what he wanted at the moment as his gaze bounced back to the glass only a foot or so away in front of his face before returning to lock gazes with her again.

As if reading his mind about the glass she started to sit back up to move it out of his reach when she witnessed an impish gleam lighting his vermilion eyes.

Before she could pull her arm out from behind him, he relaxed back into the bed so that her arm was pinned.

Suddenly he was feeling much better. Vash felt her give a little experimental tug on her arm. With a sly grin twisting his lips, he pushed back into the mattress knowing she wasn't going anywhere. He could see the dawning comprehension on her face that she was aware of this fact also. There were just a few questions that needed answering and he just decided that she wasn't leaving until she answered them to his satisfaction besides settling this little tug-of-war concerning the water. He felt her tug again, with a little more force this time.

"Uhmmmm, Mr..." Meryl paused, until this point he hadn't acted like the Vash, or the pretend-Knives of the past that she and Milly were used to. So, rather than call him by his name, she decided to test him. "Mr....do you remember anything?" The query left hanging in the air between them he ignored. Vash rolled his head to eye the ceiling for a moment before letting his eyelids slide shut.

Meryl jerked harder as she watched the stranger's eyes drift shut. He couldn't fall asleep now! She would be stuck here for who knew how long! Feeling a little panicky about her situation, that is, until she saw the ghost of a smile play about the corners of his lips. That white-haired rat! He knew what he was doing and he had the audacity to enjoy it too! A frown began to form over her brow as she considered her predicament.

Vash's eyes flew open as something finally sunk in. Wait a minute.... days? Is that what she had just said? He had been out for... days? How was that possible? He could have sworn that he was waking up from a night out on the town. He frowned in up at the ceiling in deep thought as he tried to remember what was the last thing he had been doing. The most recent thing he remembered was tossing back a few at the... what was the name of that place again, oh yes, the Dancing Dust Devil. Nice place, for the disreputable sort for folk of his ilk.

He felt another tug under his shoulders and from the corner of his eye watched her vain attempt to jerk her arm free. He could have laughed at the cute, little frown on her brow and the concentration with which she was focusing on the problem at hand.

The arm was so crushed under him that she couldn't even slide it out. With teeth clenched Meryl tried pulling again. Sands take him! He had to be deliberately putting his weight on it and now her arm was starting to go numb from loss of circulation. At the moment she was regretting leaving her derringers in her cape hanging in the front room closet. Who knew there would be a need for them in tending this poor, weak, suffering stranger with the freaky red eyes! And darn it Milly wasn't even back yet, otherwise she could have lifted him off of her arm immediately!

Meryl stared down at her trapped arm in mounting frustration and then glanced over at the glass she still held in her other hand.

Vash wondered what....

Meryl poured the rest of the water over his face.

With an expletive strong enough to peel paint, Vash jerked himself upright.

"What the hell woman!" He roared; he was sure a vein was ready to pop from the pressure building up in his skull. He didn't need this aggravation or blatant disrespect!

In a movement so quick it was barely discernable he caught her wrist and gave a quick, hard yank that had her flying off of the stool and slamming into his chest. Another time this would have been fun, but not today.

He raised up the arm holding her wrist until she was practically dangling from his grasp so that they were nose to nose. Vash noticed that she was hauling back her fist, which incidentally, still held the glass. He wanted to grab that wrist also, but for the first time, realized that his left arm was missing. Damn it. How had that escaped his notice? He was definitely not at his best.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Questioned the fuming woman struggling in vain to free herself from his hold.

Vash blinked. Her eyes were no longer gray but were a soft heather with lilac highlights that glittered with her charged emotions.

"Just get me another glass of water woman and this time I will decide how much is too much." He growled at her.

"You are too much Mr... er... and I didn't catch your name." He sure was starting to act like the Vash she knew, but he wasn't trying to feel her up either, or yell about Knives...so what did he remember?

"You didn't catch it because I didn't throw it."

An elfin smile greeted his suspicious look. He had her dangling helplessly in the air and she had the damn gall to smile at him! What was wrong with her? The little snip needed enlightenment and he was the one to provide it.

Smiling with a hint of vindictiveness, he was about to issue a threat when Meryl spoke up.

"You've been out for quite a while now, but you really don't remember what happened, do you?" Meryl questioned, her brows furrowing.

Vash's smile faded as a snippet of memory came back to him... "Why else, I'm following you to find Vash the Stampede. Not that I couldn't find my brother on my own, he admitted to himself, but it's handy to have a pretty backside to follow in the meantime."

Her eyes searched his face as his eyes took on a faraway glaze. Then, without thinking about it, they slowly drank in the sight of him from the top of his tousled white hair falling down in spikes around his forehead to sink in a lingering caress of shadowed eyes down his naked, scarred chest, until they reached the gathered sheet hiding the rest of his self. Realizing where her gaze had landed, Meryl jerked her blushing face back up to meet his crimson-colored eyes.

He held her gaze in a narrow-eyed glare until her expression changed as she hung suspended from his grasp...

Unexpectedly air burst out of his lungs in a forceful explosion. Vash dropped her wrists and clutched at his side. He bent over in his attempt to suck in much-needed air. The little vixen and kneed him in the side! Who knew she possessed needle-sharp knees!

Once he was able to breathe without pain he was going to make this raven-haired witch regret her actions! With a snarl forming on his face he lifted his head just in time to see the glass tumbler slamming into the middle of his forehead. He was unconscious before his head hit the pillow.

Meryl let out a breath. "Dang you Vash! You are the most infuriating patient I have had the misfortune to deal with! I don't care if you are dead next time I see you, I am not nursing you back to health!"

With that, she stood up and absently smoothed her skirt while watching the dribbles of water sluggishly slide down his face. It was then it dawned on her what she had just done. Even though Meryl knew she was alone, she couldn't stop from glancing guiltily around the room. Knocking a patient unconscious was probably not the best way to deal with the problem of him having the people skills of a sand lizard.

"Oh crap!" Surprisingly the glass had only broken in several large slivers rather than a million pieces. The glass shards littered his face, chest, and on the covers around him. Seeing the sparkling sharpness of the pieces, Meryl snapped to and immediately felt even guiltier for her impulsive action. If he got cut it would be her fault. Conscience in full control she immediately dropped to the floor and reached for the nearest glass shard.

Feeling a sting on her hand, she looked down to see that she had received a small cut on the inner part of the flesh between her thumb and forefinger. What an inconvenient place to get cut. Pinching the area to keep it from bleeding she dashed for bathroom.

A moment later she returned, with a band aid over the cut and a small hand broom, dust pan, and some damp towels. First she stripped the sheet off, before hurriedly bending to the floor to sweep up the mess.

Meryl heard footsteps coming down the hall before the door opened and Milly stuck her head in to check up on nurse and patient her day out. Meryl looked up to see Milly's two light blue eyes peering in and then widen in shock.

"Are you all right Meryl? I thought I heard a noise as I came in the door."

"Oh I have a little cut but apparently our 'old geezer' here is a whole lot more feisty and healthy than we first believed." She shot the man an exasperated look. "He really doesn't remember what happened. In fact, I have a suspicion that he's lost a whole lot of his memories, if not most of them, since, well, maybe the sandsteamer."

She picked up the sheet from where she had dropped it on the floor and folded it carefully so that the slivers of glass didn't fall out.

Milly frowned as she advanced to the middle of the room. Meryl had to bash the patient over the head with a glass? What had Mr. Vash done now? She studied the unconscious plant with a grim look before turning to Meryl with hands on hips.

"Want me to shoot him Meryl?" She asked.

Meryl shook her head with a smile, "No, no heed to. I persuaded him that sleep was what he needed."

Milly beamed at her friend, "You always know what to do Meryl! I am sure he will come to realize just how lucky he is to have you around."

Meryl gave her friend a rueful smile, "Well, the jury's still out on that one and I am sure if he were in a condition to respond right now I doubt he would agree with you." She placed the sheet by the door and then turned to contemplate the sleeping man.

"Okay, now I need you to help me change the bottom sheets."

"Right Meryl!" The women advanced toward the bed.

Leaving

[Stardate: 11-16-0110-00:00]

Vash woke up gradually with a stuffy-headed feeling as if his noggin was filled with cotton and sand. Very slowly he reached up a hand and touched his forehead. It was tender but not throbbing. However, right in the middle was an extremely sore and tender spot. Rubbing his brow to the side of the bump in the middle of his forehead, he massaged that area in languid circles, letting memory take its own sweet time in coming back to him. Other than his fingertips, he tried not to move while groggily opening his eyes. He found himself staring at a white ceiling, which didn't tell him diddlysquat. White ceilings were a dime a dozen. He could be anywhere on the planet.

Memory reluctantly came back to him, like a great slow-moving beast. With a groan he recalled the pain of earlier. Gently, softly he stretched out with his mind, listening and taking in his surroundings, he heard the two females in the other room. They were talking about him...at least, he thought they were. He breathed out a small curse as he dropped his mental awareness. That was tender also.

Then it all came back to him in a blinding rush. His brow furrowed at the memory. A tiny spitfire of a nurse was nurturing him back to health. He could die from nursing such as that! Little twit! His lips tightened in a grimace of anger. Then, when they were having a difference of opinion, she slugged him with an anvil! It looked like she won that round, but, he promised himself, that was the last one she would ever win from here on out. His brow cleared as he realized that the pain in his head was fading and he sighed with relief, which disappeared when he saw that he was missing his left arm. Shit! What had happened to him? It took only a quick glance around the sparse room to see that his arm wasn't nearby.

Carefully he levered himself up before scrubbing his face. How long had he been out? Minutes? A swift look over to the window told him that no, it was longer than that for the moons were bright in the sky. When she had laid him out it was still daylight. He would find out but first things first, he needed to get to the bathroom directly, as in right this very minute.

Throwing off the light blanket covering him, he rolled off the bed that was little better than a cot, and pulled himself into a standing position. It was a surprise to find the treacherous floor under his feet lurching until he almost fell forward on his nose. Throwing out an arm he caught himself by slamming a flat palm against the wall to wait until the dizzy spell passed. After that though, things were much more urgent than they were before. He looked up and eyed the distance to the door of the bathroom. It was only several feet away, he should be able to make it; he wasn't one of these weak, ineffectual creatures with their fragile constitutions... He threw himself off from the wall and propelled himself in the direction of the room he was in great need of.

It was difficult but he made it before anything burst. Finally certain things were taken care of and he moved to stand in front of the sink. Placing a hand on the side of the sink, he leaned in closer to get a look at himself in the mirror. The sight that met his eyes was so unexpected that he just barely managed to choke back a shout.

Eyes widened in horror as he stared at the mirror, sagging on his arm for support. After a few ragged breaths, he stood up and lifted his hand with trembling fingers to the mirror as if by touching the reflecting surface in front of him he would know if the man staring back at him in the mirror was truly himself or not.

Eyes of a shocking red hue, the color of blood, gaped back at him in horror. For a few brief seconds, his stunned mind refused to believe that the man he was seeing at in the mirror was indeed himself. He could only stare blindly, unaware of the passage of time, almost forgetting the urgency of his bladder, whether it was seconds, minutes or hours as he studied the reflection there. It wasn't that the color of his eyes was just a solid red. That alone would have been a terrifying change but what made it an unholy fright were the small glowing highlights moving around underneath, like miniscule demonic fireflies skating back and forth just under the surface of his iris.

His trembling hand made contact with the mirror and the irrefutable truth of the situation sank in, it was without a doubt his face he was looking at. Before the touch he could still hold out hope that somehow he was seeing someone else there. After the touch, he let his fingertips slide down the mirror surface, making a squeaking sound as he did so. His head dropped as he stared unseeingly down at the sink.

Then a thought occurred to him. Had the little female done this to him? He gripped the sides of the ceramic sink so hard the knuckles on his hand turned white with the hot anger bubbling up from within. He happened to look up at his eyes in the mirror just then and saw that in his fury, the red was glowing more golden orange. His anger drained in the light of this startling development and as it did, Vash watched the fading of his eyes from red gold to a darker, cooler blood red. His mouth dropped. What the hell....

With a cooler head he realized that a mere human wouldn't have been able to cause this kind of a change in his appearance. It could only have come from the confrontation with his twin!

A hiss escaped through his teeth as he envisioned his brother's neck between his squeezing hands. Knives had done this and he would pay! With a snarl he stared back into his own stranger's face.

His brother! Knives! The enraged golden glow returned to his eyes again and this time stayed as he recalled that battle. The two of them standing opposite each other, both with angel arms pointing glowing ends at each other. He remembered the look in Knives' eyes just before they simultaneously fired upon each other. Superior, smug, arrogant sandflea!

Yet, undeniably something had happened between them, much like in July. An exchange, a mix, and merge and pulling away. It was totally confusing and he couldn't sort out the images left in his brain. What had been him and what had been Knives? And if he was this physically changed, then what did Knives look like? Was he changed too? Were his eyes red also? Vash had to know. He was going to have to track down his brother again. At least this time he had a vague idea of where to look.

Then he noticed something else that was new, and his eyes shot up to lock on the hair of his head. It wasn't the golden blond locks he was used to but every lock, every strand of hair was white! Not white like a human when they became aged, but white like the sparkling diamond sheen of newly fallen snow. White like the glitter and flicker of star shine against a black velvet night.

Tentatively, he reached up, curious. It seemed to glow with an ethereal light from within, just a delicate glow all of its own. His fingers found a strand and began kneading it between his fingers. It was soft, softer than before and that was saying something because his hair, and Knives' had always been silky to the touch to begin with.

Did Knives have white hair also?

He returned to wondering how long he had been out and ran a hand over his smooth face. No beard, no five o'clock shadow, so that wasn't going to be an indication of how long he had been out. Looking down he saw a man's shaving kit to the side of the sink. He reached out and felt the bristles of the brush noting that they were damp.

So, that wasn't going to be an indication since someone was shaving him on a regular basis, however long that was. He rubbed a hand over his cheeks and jaw. She had done a good job though, he couldn't fault her for that. Now, if he could just figure out how long he had been out, he would be less uneasy.

First thought, take care of the urgent problem. After relieving himself, Vash decided what he needed to do was to find his clothes. He walked out of the bathroom without looking at the mirror again. He just couldn't deal with the physical changes at the moment. After he was out of here and in a safe place he would bend his considerable intellect to the problem.

Again, first things first, clothes. Looking down he saw that all he was dressed in was a man's gray flannel pajama pants.

Returning to the bedroom he could tell by the shadows being cast in the room that the moons were at their fullest and brightest so he bent to take a look out the window to the surrounding landscape, but nothing looked familiar, or rather, it all looked familiar. That didn't say much for someone who had wandered all over the damn planet at least once, most places two or three times. Straightening, he stretched out his tight limbs, lifted his arm high until he heard the kinks pop. Releasing his stretch he came down off the balls of his feet and headed for the closet to see if he could find his clothes.

There he pulled on the light bulb chain and looked around the closet and was relieved to see that his sleeveless form-fitting shirt and a pair of jeans were folded neatly on a shelf against the back wall. Next to them were his leather chaps and the armor. His jacket wasn't anywhere in the closet but he noticed another black great coat hanging on a clothes hanger from the rod. He reached out and fingered it, it was good material and looked like it would fit him, and then pulled it off the hanger before tossing it on the cot. Turning back to the closet he noticed that his boots were on the floor and had been recently buffed and polished.

He lifted his clothes to his nose and sniffed, slightly surprised they were clean and smelled freshly laundered; he could also tell they had been patched as well. His eyebrows scaled up at the effort why she had bothered with them. He shrugged, not that it mattered. Snapping off the light, he backed out of the closet with his clothes and rapidly changed, tossing the PJ pants over his shoulder without a backward glance.

Now, he needed his gun and holster, neither of which were in the closet. He had a feeling it the house, somewhere. Undoubtedly the sneaky little dark haired one had taken and hidden it.

Even though he was now wearing his thick-soled boots, not a sound was made as he opened the door and crossed the threshold.

Taking a moment in the long hallway to adjust to the darker illumination there, he quickly took note of the arrangement of the rooms. There was a main bathroom and a couple of closet doors and then three other bedrooms. The doors were open and he could see a ways into each one. Turning his glinting red eyes over to the other closed door in the hallway near the top of the stairs, he silently made for it. There was one room with the door closed and he was guessing that was the room the girls were using as their bedroom.

Placing his hand on the doorknob, he closed his eyes and listened to them murmuring to each other on the other side. It sounded as if they were just getting to bed. He hesitated, waiting until the sounds of their breathing slowed and evened out before slowly turning the knob. Carefully, he pushed spread fingertips against the door so that it swung away from him. He hoped the hinges wouldn't squeak and could have sighed in relief when they didn't.

Letting the door swing wide enough so he could poke his head in Vash gave the room a quick glance but didn't spot the holster with his silver gun anywhere in plain sight. He wondered where Meryl (strange to use her name after all this time) could have hidden them and clenched his jaw muscles in frustration. Tiny women were sneaky.

He threw a narrow glare in her direction, knowing it was her who had taken and hid it. The tall one was much too good-natured and trusting to have thought of that.

Another quick peek told him there wasn't a closet in this room, just a bigger room meant to be the upstairs parlor at one point in time but converted into a bedroom.

Deciding to check the other rooms first he started to back out.

As he was about to draw his head out the little female groaned and rolled over facing him. About to shut the door, an evil grin crossed his lips as an idea came to him.

Making no more noise than a cloud crossing across the sky, he moved to stand beside Meryl's bed before lowering himself to one knee in order to get a better look at her face. Just then the breeze fluttered the curtains, moving them aside for one brief second. The light of the moons fell across her elfin-like, highlighting cheeks, the tip of her nose, and tiny chin causing them to shine with a silvery glow.

As if it had a mind of its own, a gloved finger came up to brush back a strand of hair falling across her eyes. Vash started to lift away the finger and then halted, overcome by some heretofore unknown thing stirring within him. Instead, gently, like a whisper, the fingertip trailed down the velvet of her cheek and froze when a tiny smile crossed her lips in response. His heart constricted at the sight of that soft contented smile. Then with a breathy chuckle she rolled over onto her back and lifted a hand to rub a finger under her nose before letting it drop down across her stomach. He was frozen motionless as a statue. Her lips were still slightly tilted up at the corners as if she were in the middle of a sweet dream.

Again, it was as if something else took control and he leaned forward. Placing a hand next to her pillow, he slid it under a little as he bent over her, until his fingers bumped into something solid and hard, startling him. Curious and wondering what it was, he moved his hand, again slowly and carefully, searching with his fingertips to see what was so important that she felt the need to hide it under her pillow. Questing fingers closed around a very familiar grip. His gun!

Whirling red irises stared down at the female, willing her to roll to the side so he could slide it out from underneath her head. Waiting a few more seconds his shoulders slumped in defeat when she showed no signs of acquiescing, staying right where she was. With patient precision Vash slowly pulled on his gun, taking great care not to disturb her. Smoothly the gun slide out from underneath her pillow.

Raising his weapon into the rays of silvery light and watched as they glinted off the metal causing it to glow silver against the dark of the room. He grinned and then turned his attention back to the woman. With catlike quiet, Vash placed the gun next to him. The holster wasn't under the pillow, he would bet his last donut coupon on it, but it had to be somewhere nearby. He leaned over and lifted the edge of the bed skirt up so he could peer under the bed. There was something there, a barely discernable dark lump. He stretched out his arm and as soon as his fingers grasped it, he knew it was the hostler and belt.

Feeling quite pleased he sat back up, and placed the belt down so he could slide the gun into place before tossing it across his shoulder.

In quite a different mood now, he studied Meryl's face. It was strange. He had been trying to figure out the effect she had on him since the very beginning and had always chalked it up to a case of lust. Not that he was picky about a bedmate but he did tend to gravitate more to the tall, statuesque long-haired types. Yet it was this one, tiny, petite but ever so feisty female he found himself drawn to. Damn, but she was a livewire. Not realizing it, a grin spread across his face. Without a second thought he lowered his head.

Ever so softly and with a gentleness that surprised him, he lowered his lips to hers with a feather light touch. It was a mere graze but it lit an unexpected fire to surge through him. Heat raced through his veins. Suddenly the room felt much too warm but it was a warmth he was familiar with. He pressed in closer and covered more of her mouth, taking his time to savor the flavor of her full and moist lips.

Just as he was ready to press in and deepen the kiss, a soft, warm hand cupped his cheek nearly making him jump back. Instead, controlling his reaction, and without breaking contact, he opened his eyes to see that she had lifted her hand to his face. He looked down and saw barely-opened eyes gazing up at him in sleepy mystification. Her mouth smiled into the kiss making his heart race double-time. He wanted nothing more than to slide his arm under her and scoop her up to crush her to him.

Instead, he slowly and with keenly felt reluctance, lifted his lips from hers and laid his cheek against hers to whisper into her ear, "It's late, go back to sleep, everything is all right." Then, because it was more in line with her personality but making him grin, he whispered softly, "And there are reports due in the morning, you need your sleep."

Almost grumbling, a small pert frown grew between her eyebrows until he reached up and gently with a light touch of his fingertip, soothed it away until she sank into the oblivion of deeper sleep. With a sigh, she finally did roll over onto her side. He continued to sit there until he heard Milly murmuring.

"Oh, no.... Never... satisfied... Need more... Need big one... Smooth... Oh, just like that..."

Vash's white eyebrow went shooting up as he wondered what kind of secrets the tall girl was about to spill in her sleep.

"More Pudding...."

In a move so uncharacteristic of him, the white-haired outlaw clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the chuckle that wanted to escape. His shoulders shook in silent laughter as he tried to control the mirth that wanted to erupt out of him. Milly rolled over in her sleep also, only making slurping noises.

He waited a moment in the dark, letting the silence deepen before standing.

Then, with the first authentic and genuine smile he had known in a very long while slowly fading from his face, Vash took a last look down at the sleeping woman on her bed, before striding in silent steps from the room. With lingering backwards glance at Meryl before he pulled the door shut behind him, the tall, lean gunman promised himself that she would be his one of these days.

Empty-Nest

[Stardate: 11-16-0110-6:00]

"Sands take that man!" A frustrated and angry Meryl stormed out of the stranger's room and down the stairs.

"What is it now Meryl?" Milly sang out as she leaned over the pot with the oatmeal in it. She gave it a final stir before taking it off the stove and placing it on a hot pad. Then she turned off the burner and wiped a hand over her brow. It was still early morning but it was going to be a scorcher of a day, she could tell that already.

Turning as she heard her partner stomp into the kitchen she asked again, puzzled, "What is it Meryl?"

"He's gone! That ungrateful lowlife! Just like a man, no note to say he was leaving, or even a simple thank you! He found his clothes and his gun..." She paused for a second as the dream from the night before came back to her.

It was vividly with her just before she had opened her eyes that morning, and Meryl could have sworn she could feel the imprint of lips pressed against hers.

Even when her eyes opened to the morning light the echoes of a sensual whisper still tingled where he had spoken into her ear. All through her quick shower and getting dressed for the day, the dream had seemed so real to the point that it made her blush. Of course it couldn't be real, it was just her imagination, yes, that was it, she had been working too hard of late. Maybe what Milly and she needed was to take a short break before they continued with their assignment. Whatever that may be.

Almost convincing herself that it was only a dream, she had gone in to check on the white-haired gunslinger. Expecting him to be unconscious like he had been for the past couple of days she was stunned to see his bed was empty, only the rumpled covers left to show he once occupied that spot. After checking the bathroom to make sure he wasn't in there, but it being so small and once the shower curtain was pulled back, there was no place to hide, then she knew for sure he was gone. However, she didn't let it sink in as a possibility until she checked the whole of the upstairs and in the search out found that his coat and clothes gone. With a foreboding feeling she raced back to her bed and checked under the pillow and the bed. Gone.

Then... she realized with shock, that hadn't been just a dream. He had been in their room to get his gear and...and... If she remembered right, she had cupped his cheek! She reached up a hand and touched her lips with her fingers, eyes going wide and a flush of embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. That pervert! It took a moment for the insight to sink in and then anger overtook her and she began calling him every name she could think of. That was the second kiss he had stolen! If she ever saw him again she would kick him so hard in that space between the kneecaps he would be crawling for a week of Sundays!

Coming back to herself she noticed Milly looking at her patiently.

"He, um... he found his clothes and gun."

"Oh, don't you keep them under your pillow and bed?"

"NOT IMPORTANT!" Insisted Meryl, "But he may be a menace to society. We don't know where he is planning on going but obviously, he is still dangerous. The least we need to do is report him to the company as a potential threat and also warn the sheriff."

Milly gave one of her secret smiles and Meryl knew she was in trouble.

"Gee Meryl, you mean you don't realize why he is so dangerous.... to you?" She turned and began ladling the oatmeal into two separate bowls.

"What are you talking about Milly?" Automatically she sat down when Milly placed their bowls on the table. Reaching for the milk first and poured it over her oatmeal before passing it back to Milly. Without thinking, she picked up the brown sugar. In her state of mind she hardly noticed as she sprinkled the sugar over the cereal, her eyes were riveted on her partner waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Boy Meryl, you sure can be slow sometimes."

"Thanks, I appreciate the feedback." She said, grinding her teeth. "Now spill it, what are you talking about?"

"Why do you think he has been following us around? Gee Meryl, didn't you notice he was following you around? And really, some of those times he used the sad excuse of trying to find Knives? Even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, it was because of you."

Meryl dropped her spoon, the room was spinning and she was going to pass out, she was pretty sure of that. Clutching the edge of the table to keep upright she managed to gasp out finally, "Wha.. wha... What?!"

Milly narrowed her eyes in suspicious thought, clasping her chin in one hand, elbow propped up on the table next to her bowl. She stirred a large clump of brown sugar into her bowl with amusement. "Didn't it ever occur to you? And you are supposed to be the smart one!"

Meryl's voice rose in incredulous accusation as she gasped out, "I am sure you are quite mistaken!"

Milly's wide sky blue eyes went wider than normal as she answered, "I thought you knew Meryl! Honest, I really didn't know you didn't until just now." Looking up at her partner with those huge eyes she went on, "You always have a plan Meryl, so I figured you were going to trap him in some clever scheme. Also, he hasn't been awake much for you to question him. I thought you were waiting and then turn the screws on him to make him talk." Milly nodded with a slight frown. "You have a way of handling people Meryl." She added, her voice filled with admiration.

Meryl groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

"We can go look for him Meryl." Milly merrily added, "I could shoot him for you."

Meryl could only shake her head and say wearily, "We have to go after him of course, but not," and here she looked up sternly, "so you can shoot him!"

"Well of course! And not to shoot him", she agreed cheerfully, "but to go after him." Then her face clouded over and she shot a doubtful look to her partner.

"But, uh Meryl, why are we going after him? Isn't he still dangerous? Shouldn't we be looking for Mr. Knives and..." Milly trailed off, thinking about the still lost men with longing.

Meryl gave in to her mood and planted her chin on the table in front of her, and in a near-groan said, "That's what we do, chase after Vash the Stampede. It's our job..." This time she did groan before adding, "And it's gotten to be a habit now."

Milly tilted her head and then, in her a sage-like attitude, informed the despondent agent, "Well, I don't think there are any Twelve-step programs for love Meryl."

"Oh God, come and take me now!" Meryl breathed as she squeezed her eyes shut.