Chapter 4
Vash awakens to a bright light in his face. He squints and groans and rubs his eyes, trying to remember where he is. Finally, his eyes adjust and he sees that the source of light is the newly-risen sun streaming in through the window and his location is next to Knives, on the pull-out couch in the Dogwood's family room. His memory comes rushing back.
*Wow, morning already! We should get going soon. Wonder if the girls are up yet. Wonder if Emerald has any donuts for breakfast...*
Vash sits up and hears music from the kitchen. He climbs out of bed and walks toward the room, yawning widely.
As he approaches the doorway, he finds Emerald in the kitchen, humming to herself as she cooks breakfast. She sees her guest and beckons for him to come in.
"Good morning Vash! Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Emerald. Yes, I slept like a baby! What time is it?"
"Almost six-thirty. Are you sure you have to leave so soon? You're welcome here as long as you want-or as long as your manners permit." She smiles at him.
"That's very nice of you, but my manners are already getting the better of me. Coming to someone's house, telling them their brother is dead, and leeching off them for a while doesn't feel right to me. I'm afraid, we really do need to go." Vash sits down at the table.
"Aw, that's such a shame! Where are you going?"
"Actually, I have no idea. I just know that I have to keep moving. After all, I am Vash the Stampede. I have so many towns to destroy and so little time to do it in!" They both laugh, Vash thinking about how much time he actually has-unlimited.
"Well, I made you a big breakfast for your big day! Why don't you go wake the others and by that time I'll be done with the food," Emerald suggests.
Vash goes off to get Knives, who is still fast asleep and snoring loudly, and the insurance girls, who are already awake, dressed, packed, and ready to go.
Emerald is piling plates of waffles, pancakes, toast, and-to Vash's delight-homemade doughnuts on the table. She's also set out a variety of fruits and juices.
Everyone's eyes bug out when they see the feast.
"Wow, Miss Emerald, you went all-out!" Milly exclaims.
"Yeah, you really didn't have to do all this for us," Meryl says, eyeing the pancakes.
"Can you pass the maple syrup?" Knives asks. He's already sat down, piled a plate high with some of everything, and crammed most of it into his mouth.
Emerald giggles, and says, "Oh, that's okay. I really don't mind. I just hope you enjoy it! Dig in! I've got to get the kids." She smiles and heads down the hall to the children's rooms.
Vash, Meryl, and Milly sit down and start eating.
Between exclamations on Emerald's culinary prowess, mouthfuls of food, and burps, Meryl asks, "Where's Nate?"
Vash puts down his glass of orange juice and replies, "Dunno. Still sleeping? He had a rough day yesterday."
"Yes, he's probably still worn out. We should let him get his beauty sleep," Milly proclaims.
"Oh well, more of this scrumptious toast for me!" Knives laughs evilly.
Everyone else pauses to stare at him.
"Did you just say 'scrumptious' then laugh like a maniac?" Meryl questions.
Knives looks blank for a second. "Yeah...So?"
Meryl sweatdrops and says, "I swear, you get more and more like your brother every day!"
Emerald returns to the kitchen with two very sleepy kids. She places the little boy in a high chair and the little girl sits down between Meryl and Milly, her two new best friends.
"So how's the grub?" Emerald asks.
They all talk at once and no one can be understood. Emerald laughs and says, "I guess you like it!"
She pulls up a chair and starts eating, too, and feeding the infant.
After a few minutes of silence, Nate appears in the doorway, fully dressed and holding a packed travel bag. Five questioning faces look up at him.
He starts speaking nervously, suddenly aware of the fact that he has no idea how to say this. "Uh, good morning, everyone. You're probably wondering why I'm all packed up...Well I've decided to go with you..." Nate proceeds to explain his reasoning (his theory from the previous night and the hope that traveling with them might lead him to his brother) to five now shocked faces.
When he finishes, Emerald looks at him pleadingly and says, "But Nate-kun! You can't leave us! Nicholas is dead. You've got to deal with it. Stay here with us and we can help you."
"No, I can't. My conscience won't be clear until I find him." He gets quieter. "My conscience nags me because the last time we were together, we got in a fight. Sparks flew, fists flew, and we parted on really bad terms. So I've got to find him and make things right."
Meryl sighs and tries to make her voice gentle. "Nate, you've got family here to take care of. And Wolfwood...Well, he's dead. You won't find him."
"I don't believe you!"
"I saw him with my own eyes. We found him in a church, dead as a doornail. We even buried him and witnessed the dirt being replaced ourselves," she argues.
"I still don't believe you!"
Meryl grunts. "Argh! Why are you being so stubborn! How many times do I have to tell you-"
Knives interrupts her with his typical inconsiderate blurting. "Look, the dude is dead. He's gone and you'll never see him again. Get it through your head! D-E-A-D DEAD!"
There is silence for a moment. Nate's face twists in thought, and he finally says, "I don't believe you." He folds his arms across his chest and tries to look formidable.
"Grrr! You're hopeless!" Knives growls.
Vash sighs now and tells Nate, "Fine. Come with us. You'll see he's really gone. Then will you be satisfied and come back to stay with your family?"
"If, in fact, you can prove to me that he is actually dead, I will return to February City."
"OK then, let's get packed!" Meryl cries, jumping up.
Milly also stands up and says to Nate, "Oh we're going to have such a good time traveling together, Mr. Nate! We're really a fun bunch! Maybe you can beat Mr. Vash at Go Fish. He's undefeated!" She smiles and follows Meryl to their room to retrieve her luggage as Nate sweatdrops.
Vash awakens to a bright light in his face. He squints and groans and rubs his eyes, trying to remember where he is. Finally, his eyes adjust and he sees that the source of light is the newly-risen sun streaming in through the window and his location is next to Knives, on the pull-out couch in the Dogwood's family room. His memory comes rushing back.
*Wow, morning already! We should get going soon. Wonder if the girls are up yet. Wonder if Emerald has any donuts for breakfast...*
Vash sits up and hears music from the kitchen. He climbs out of bed and walks toward the room, yawning widely.
As he approaches the doorway, he finds Emerald in the kitchen, humming to herself as she cooks breakfast. She sees her guest and beckons for him to come in.
"Good morning Vash! Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Emerald. Yes, I slept like a baby! What time is it?"
"Almost six-thirty. Are you sure you have to leave so soon? You're welcome here as long as you want-or as long as your manners permit." She smiles at him.
"That's very nice of you, but my manners are already getting the better of me. Coming to someone's house, telling them their brother is dead, and leeching off them for a while doesn't feel right to me. I'm afraid, we really do need to go." Vash sits down at the table.
"Aw, that's such a shame! Where are you going?"
"Actually, I have no idea. I just know that I have to keep moving. After all, I am Vash the Stampede. I have so many towns to destroy and so little time to do it in!" They both laugh, Vash thinking about how much time he actually has-unlimited.
"Well, I made you a big breakfast for your big day! Why don't you go wake the others and by that time I'll be done with the food," Emerald suggests.
Vash goes off to get Knives, who is still fast asleep and snoring loudly, and the insurance girls, who are already awake, dressed, packed, and ready to go.
Emerald is piling plates of waffles, pancakes, toast, and-to Vash's delight-homemade doughnuts on the table. She's also set out a variety of fruits and juices.
Everyone's eyes bug out when they see the feast.
"Wow, Miss Emerald, you went all-out!" Milly exclaims.
"Yeah, you really didn't have to do all this for us," Meryl says, eyeing the pancakes.
"Can you pass the maple syrup?" Knives asks. He's already sat down, piled a plate high with some of everything, and crammed most of it into his mouth.
Emerald giggles, and says, "Oh, that's okay. I really don't mind. I just hope you enjoy it! Dig in! I've got to get the kids." She smiles and heads down the hall to the children's rooms.
Vash, Meryl, and Milly sit down and start eating.
Between exclamations on Emerald's culinary prowess, mouthfuls of food, and burps, Meryl asks, "Where's Nate?"
Vash puts down his glass of orange juice and replies, "Dunno. Still sleeping? He had a rough day yesterday."
"Yes, he's probably still worn out. We should let him get his beauty sleep," Milly proclaims.
"Oh well, more of this scrumptious toast for me!" Knives laughs evilly.
Everyone else pauses to stare at him.
"Did you just say 'scrumptious' then laugh like a maniac?" Meryl questions.
Knives looks blank for a second. "Yeah...So?"
Meryl sweatdrops and says, "I swear, you get more and more like your brother every day!"
Emerald returns to the kitchen with two very sleepy kids. She places the little boy in a high chair and the little girl sits down between Meryl and Milly, her two new best friends.
"So how's the grub?" Emerald asks.
They all talk at once and no one can be understood. Emerald laughs and says, "I guess you like it!"
She pulls up a chair and starts eating, too, and feeding the infant.
After a few minutes of silence, Nate appears in the doorway, fully dressed and holding a packed travel bag. Five questioning faces look up at him.
He starts speaking nervously, suddenly aware of the fact that he has no idea how to say this. "Uh, good morning, everyone. You're probably wondering why I'm all packed up...Well I've decided to go with you..." Nate proceeds to explain his reasoning (his theory from the previous night and the hope that traveling with them might lead him to his brother) to five now shocked faces.
When he finishes, Emerald looks at him pleadingly and says, "But Nate-kun! You can't leave us! Nicholas is dead. You've got to deal with it. Stay here with us and we can help you."
"No, I can't. My conscience won't be clear until I find him." He gets quieter. "My conscience nags me because the last time we were together, we got in a fight. Sparks flew, fists flew, and we parted on really bad terms. So I've got to find him and make things right."
Meryl sighs and tries to make her voice gentle. "Nate, you've got family here to take care of. And Wolfwood...Well, he's dead. You won't find him."
"I don't believe you!"
"I saw him with my own eyes. We found him in a church, dead as a doornail. We even buried him and witnessed the dirt being replaced ourselves," she argues.
"I still don't believe you!"
Meryl grunts. "Argh! Why are you being so stubborn! How many times do I have to tell you-"
Knives interrupts her with his typical inconsiderate blurting. "Look, the dude is dead. He's gone and you'll never see him again. Get it through your head! D-E-A-D DEAD!"
There is silence for a moment. Nate's face twists in thought, and he finally says, "I don't believe you." He folds his arms across his chest and tries to look formidable.
"Grrr! You're hopeless!" Knives growls.
Vash sighs now and tells Nate, "Fine. Come with us. You'll see he's really gone. Then will you be satisfied and come back to stay with your family?"
"If, in fact, you can prove to me that he is actually dead, I will return to February City."
"OK then, let's get packed!" Meryl cries, jumping up.
Milly also stands up and says to Nate, "Oh we're going to have such a good time traveling together, Mr. Nate! We're really a fun bunch! Maybe you can beat Mr. Vash at Go Fish. He's undefeated!" She smiles and follows Meryl to their room to retrieve her luggage as Nate sweatdrops.