Yay! I'm almost done with this ^_^ And it's turned out really good so far!! I hope you all still like how it's coming. I'm sure you'd tell me if you didn't. Well, I don't own it, but maybe someday, after I win the lotto two or three times I can buy it all for myself. *sighs happily and begins to dream about Wolfwood* If only he belonged to me now . . .

I feel so rejected . . . only two reviews last chapter. Oh well, even that makes me happy – it's almost as much as one of my other stories has total. Anyway, Thanks to the Beauty, of course. *squeals in delight* I got a plushie!! And sorry 'bout the goof, Chelz. Glad you read anyway, and I did fix it if you haven't seen. Anyway, on with the fic!

**

~~Wolfwood~~

            I never liked Legato. I never agreed with what he was doing, never agreed with his entire theory about the human race. I hated everything about the man and his master. But still I did it for the children. I would do anything for them.

            I remember, once, watching as Legato killed an entire family including three small children. I had wanted nothing more at that moment than to unwrap the cross punisher and unleash my fury on him. He had known it too. He had turned to me, staring with those lifeless eyes, and smiled. 'Is there something you wanted?' If only I hadn't backed down then.

            But seeing him now, he was completely different. I shifted my weight, sitting up in my bed. Beside me, Millie made a soft groan of protest in her sleep and I bent to give her a gentle kiss. She settled down and I turn my attention once more to the man beside me. Legato, the man I hated with all of my being just days ago. Or, weeks ago I guess.

            He looked horrible. His distinctive white coat is nowhere to be seen, his tight turtleneck and jeans much less familiar to me. He is staring at the ground at his feet, his shoulders shaking. For a moment I think he's crying, but he's not. He must be close to it though. I push myself up more, fully sitting now, and put my hand on his shoulder once again.

            "I don't want or need your pity, Chapel."

            I'm almost taken aback at his biting remark. I've always hated him, there is absolutely no reason I should try to comfort him. No reason at all. Except that he needs it. "You're getting it anyway. I don't know what's got you so worked up, but you look awful." So it wasn't exactly comfort, it was better than nothing.

            "You're very bad at this, Chapel. Why don't you give up and go back to your little piece of tail there."

            I pull my hand off his shoulder and slam it into the side of his head. "I won't let you talk that way about Millie." I must have caught him off guard, because my punch sends Legato sprawling onto the ground. "You need to get over yourself, Legato. Like it or not, you're just as human as she is. Stop acting all high and mighty or you're always going to feel just like you do now."

            "Shut up, Chapel. I will not sit here and listen to you lecture me over something you don't understand."

            "But I understand better than you know. I was exactly like you, separate from society. And when I met Big Girl here, I knew I couldn't be with her. That's just how you feel; only it's with every person in the world. You don't fit in, and you refuse to change."

            "I said shut up. I don't want to hear it."

            "Because you know it's true!" He's quiet for a time, staring yet again at the floor of the room. Finally he pushes himself up – one handed, I guess he is hurt as bad as Vash told me – and leans against the wall beside the door. "Legato, this is about Knives, isn't it?"

            He avoids my gaze and nods. "And Vash."

            I sigh and stand on shaky legs. I can hardly support my weight as I walk to his side. "Vash told me something yesterday. He said it without thinking and he doesn't want you to hear it." The blue haired man looks at me, his eyes alight with interest. I smile slightly. "You have a chance for happiness here. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and take the chance. He's a thousand times better than Knives."

            My intuition was right, for once. Legato suddenly reminds me of a girl who just admitted her crush. My smile grows. Vash never said anything, of course, but it was obvious. I stumble back to the bed and lay down again. Legato stares at me for a while. "Thank you, Wolfwood. I needed to hear that lie." I jerk up my head and look at him. I thought Vash said Legato had lost his powers! He smiles slightly and I find myself smiling back as I watch him leave.

**

~~Legato~~

            I'm still smiling as I descend the stairs into the living room. I never really liked Wolfwood, never disliked him either, but right now I'm immensely glad that he survived his duel. Perhaps it was all fate, guiding me here to this point in time. I must be insane. I find Vash sitting in the kitchen, the folder of papers spread out in front of him. Surprisingly, he appears to be done reading them and is skipping from one paper to the next, circling paragraphs and underlining sentences.

            He looks up when I enter the room and smiles a real smile when he sees the slight grin on my face. "I have an idea, Legato."

            "All right, tell me what it is."

            Vash pulls out a seat for me and pulls a paper over for me to look at. "Well, because of how you were injured, things don't look good. But like the doc said, we should be able to fix you up pretty well."

            "My leg. You can't heal my arm like that." Slowly, my smile is fading.

            "Well, we don't know that. Plants have this nifty little ability you may be aware of. We can heal ourselves faster than humans. We can also heal wounds a human could not."

            Forget the smile, I'm beginning to frown now. "I'm human, not like you."

            "Not all of you." Vash points meaningfully at my useless arm. "We know now that you still have the powers that my arm granted you, they're just harder to access. So you should be able to heal yourself, same as me."

            "But if I can't access them effectively, it doesn't help us at all."

            He looks away and . . . blushes? Clearing his throat, he looks up at me again. "I would be able to help you with that. If you let me." I nod and Vash smiles hugely. He reaches out his right hand and takes my left. His other hand drifts up to my head, thumb brushing lightly over the scar there. I clench my teeth, less than comfortable in this position, and do everything I can not to blush.

            "Legato, if we do this . . . I'm going to touch your mind. You won't be able to hide anything from me."

            I pull back slightly, just away from his hand. "Nothing?"

            He smiles again, smaller this time, comforting. "Relax. I swear not to hold anything against you unless you're hiding my brother in there somewhere. I won't force this; I'll stop any time you want me to. And I'll know as soon as you want me to stop."

            Nervously, I nod and allow him to wrap his hand around my head again. Most likely he knows how I feel anyway. I close my eyes and brace for whatever is coming. Nothing happens for about a minute and I crack an eye to look questioningly at Vash. Another moment passes tensely before I can feel anything. It starts slow, I don't even notice it at first. It's like tiny tendrils, working their way into my head and around the crevices of my brain.

            "How you doing, Legato?" I'm fine, I guess. It isn't pleasant, but it doesn't hurt. I open my mouth to tell him so, but don't get the chance. I forgot, no hidden thoughts, he knows everything I think. "It's about to get a lot worse. Can you handle it? I'll stop if you need me to. I promise."

**

Heh heh. I'm leaving you all in suspense and stuff. I'm evil, aren't I? Oh well, I wanted most of the healing scene to be narrated by Vash and I didn't want to switch again and make this chapter longer. So you guys will just have to wait for a few days. No worries though, you are going to love how it plays out. *evil grin* I'll give you all a hint, there still hasn't been a big romance scene in this fic, just a few comfort scenes. Oooooo. Now you all really wish I hadn't stopped there. Well, review lots and I might post the next chapie uber fast. See ya for now!