Note for the Buffy ignorant: According to the Buffiverse, you have to be bitten by vampire and then suck a vampire's blood in order to be turned. Just getting bitten won't turn you but it'll probably leave you with a severe case of deadness.

Part twelve

Meryl slept fitfully and she was fairly certain Vash hadn't slept at all, if the dark circles under his eyes were any indication. At least the bruising he'd gotten the evening before looked better.

She'd been surprised when Liam had suggested they go back to Salem, but he was politely firm on the matter, even when Vash insisted he help.

"Then keep an eye on the situation in town. But, frankly, you just aren't equipped to handle this."

That had earned him a dark look though the gunman said nothing more on the matter.

And so it was an exhausted trio that made their way back to the boarding house that morning. Meryl didn't even notice the door to her room was unlocked until she looked up to see Sheriff Buck sitting at her breakfast table.

"Sheriff? What-?"

She heard Millie yelp and turned in time to see two deputies swoop in behind Vash and restrain him. The sheriff rose and crossed to her, shoving a piece of paper in her face.

"This arrived on my doorstep this morning," he said coldly.

Meryl looked down at the parchment and paled.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

VASH THE STAMPEDE

$$60,000,000,000 REWARD

And right under that an artist's rendition of the infamous outlaw. It wasn't an exact likeness, but it was close enough.

"Deputies, read that man his rights and then arrest these two women, too."

"Wh-why us?" Millie stammered.

Buck's eyes were ice as stared her down. "Harboring and abetting a criminal for a start. We'll see from there."

Meryl started to protest, but Vash unexpectedly cut her off. "Don't bother, Sheriff. They were only following my instructions under duress. Helpless dupes, that's all."

Meryl's eyes narrowed. "Dupes?"

"Please, Meryl, it's over. Feel free to weep and fall into the arms of the Sheriff like you've been begging to do since we got here," Vash remarked snidely. "Not like I can threaten you from a jail cell."

He was giving them a way out, free of charges and all ties to him severed. Meryl froze, torn between her hard-earned loyalty to the gunman and the humiliation of being arrested.

Buck frowned at her. "This true? You here because he forced you to?"

"Oh, it's true, Sheriff," Vash scoffed, playing the bad boy attitude to the hilt. "Stubborn bitch, but even she's got a breaking point. It was fun finding it."

He met Meryl's gaze directly, face twisted in a sneer but eyes pleading, telling her to take this chance now, while she still could.

Clever Vash, so noble she wanted to scream. She wasn't sure who she hated more in that moment, him for giving her an out or herself for taking it.

"It's true," she whispered. "Every word of it."

Millie gasped. "But, Meryl-"

"No, Millie, it's over." Meryl placed her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, grip tighter than necessary, and summoned tears that were already lying close to the surface. "We're free."

Vash's shoulders relaxed at her admission and he calmly allowed the deputies to lead him away. Buck still looked unhappy as he turned back to the girls. "You'll need to come down to the station to give your statements."

"Could it wait at all?" Meryl asked, over-emphasizing her very real fatigue. "This has been such a trying ordeal for the two of us. We just need some time to rest."

His eyes narrowed and for a moment, Meryl was worried he would force the issue. He finally sighed and waved them off. "Fine, I'll get you later. But," he warned, "I'm posting a deputy here to keep an eye on you. I want to find my witnesses where I left 'em."

Meryl released her hold on Millie slightly. "Thank you, Sheriff. I knew you'd understand."

She dragged Millie into their room and slammed the door on the disapproving glare of the lawman. She made it to her bed before trembling legs gave out on her and she collapsed into a nervous wreck on the comforter. "God."

"Meryl, how could you let them just take Mister Vash? He didn't do anything."

"I know, I know," Meryl muttered, swiping at the moisture in her eyes. "But I doubt the sheriff would've believed me after lying to him the first time."

"But you just lied again-"

"I know!" Meryl regretted her outburst as soon as she saw the hurt look in the other woman's face. She took a deep, steadying breath and tried to focus. Sitting in here and crying wasn't going to help them or Vash, no matter how much she may have wanted to. What they needed now was a plan.

And reinforcements.

"We need Alexis."

Millie blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Those vampires are still out there and Vash may have been able to handle them, but I can't," she admitted. "We need to go back and get Alexis. Before nightfall."

"What about Mister Vash?"

Meryl tried to ignore the ache in heart as she spoke the truth. "We'll have to worry about him later. This town's got much bigger problems than Vash the Stampede."

End part twelve