The bus creaked to a stop in June. The city seemed to have grown since
Meryl had been there last. She got out first, then Vash, and finally
Millie. After sorting through luggage, Vash and Millie followed Meryl to
her house. Vash seemed a little hesitant though. He didn't know weather or
not to just rough it on his own and leave, or stay with them.
~¤~Who loves ya, baby? ~¤~
Meryl unloaded her bags in the main room, and sat down, rubbing her face. As she inhaled, the smell of the room triggered a lot of nostalgia. Her home always seemed empty and lonely, but now, maybe she could get Millie to stay through the remainder of her pregnancy, instead of going home like she planned before. Vash just stood there with his bag over his shoulder. Meryl looked over while she turned the lights on. "Aren't you going to put your things down? Or did you plan on just leaving and going off somewhere to cause more trouble?" She grinned a little, and helped Millie set The Punisher in the corner.
"Ah. Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't want to mooch off you guys for too long." He laughed nervously, then swallowed the lump in his throat when Millie shot a mad look at him.
"First of all, Mr. Vash, You aren't mooching. Second of all, I thought you said you'd stay here and help out with the baby! Mr. Wolfwood won't be back for another few months. I'll need someone to stay with me and help out while Meryl is at work." Millie ambled over to the couch and slowly sat down. "Well, I don't remember ever saying that, but I guess I should stay." Vash looked uneasy at Millie's comment about Wolfwood coming back.
He could just see her now, the baby born already, and Wolfwood wasn't there because he was dead. Such disappointment! So, Vash stayed; maybe out of pity, maybe out of friendship, we'll never know. It was a three-bedroom house, so Vash got the one in the back. It was a very nicely sized house with two bathrooms and a large main room and kitchen. It seemed to have a homey feel to it for Vash; he wouldn't mind staying for a long time.
Millie got the room with the double bed, as she insisted her and Wolfwood share a room. Meryl left after a few hours to check in with the boss and inform him of Millie's current condition. Millie stayed home with Vash and started dinner. Vash just sat there in anticipation. He could smell the food cooking, and his mouth began to water.
"You're a really good cook, where did you learn?" Vash made his way into the kitchen, but he got shooed away.
"No food until Meryl gets back. And I picked up things here and there." She smiled cheerfully. "I've got 5 brothers and 5 sisters, and I can't be a good mommy if I don't know how to cook good food." She walked over to the couch and sat down.
Vash smiled and looked at her stomach. Maybe it was because he had been around Millie for so long, but he never really noticed the fact she was getting pretty big. Millie jumped, and put a hand on her stomach. Before Vash could ask what was wrong she put his hand on her stomach as well. He felt little thumps inside. Millie smiled and calmed down again. "I've never felt that before. Is it just me, or can you feel it too?"
"I can feel it just fine." Vash laughed. "It's a strong little thing isn't it? Doesn't it bother you?"
"Oh, no! Not at all. As a matter of fact, I like it. It kind of tickles." Millie giggled and let Vash's hand go. Just then, It hit him.
"OH SHIT! I completely forgot!" Vash hopped up and grabbed his things. "Oh man, she's going to kill me!"
"Mr. Vash, what's wrong?" Millie stood and gave him his things.
"I forgot something back at Knives' place! I've got to go! I'll be back in a week, maybe! Oh, man.." Vash ran out without even waiting for dinner to get cooked, and without even waiting for a bus. He just ran. But for his species, it was slow. He picked up speed, and ran faster than a bus at top speed.
It took an hour to get to Knives' place. He ran non-stop, crashed through the doors, then yelled as he realized he hurt himself pretty bad. He didn't stop to assess the damage though. He headed straight for the basement. After breaking through 6 doors, 3 windows and one spider web, and going down 12 flights of stairs, he reached it; the plant of Knives' compound. Now, it was generating energy for nothing, and the strange creature inside was getting sick from all the energy buildup. Vash walked to the bulb, and put his hands on it. "Come on out.. You're free now. free to come and go as you please, little one. Come on." He cheered the creature on as it began to burn through the glass.
Once out, he realized the little thing was so young, it was only a few months old (which for his species, was about 4 years). He climbed into the now dead bulb, and found the mother. The creature had gotten too sick from being in Knives' neglectful care, and had died of abuse and neglect. Now her daughter was the only one left.
The little girl stood. She had blue skin, huge blue eyes, and what seemed to resemble three pairs of fleshy wings flowing off of her back and sides. "I'm sorry about your mother. We'll give her a proper burial."
Vash took the creature's mother and got to the surface. He buried her carefully in the sand, and sighed. The little girl stared at him. "What? Oh, I guess I'm taking care of you now. Lets call you.." Vash looked at the mark on her chest. It was the same as her mother, like a serial number. It looked like a flower. "..Lily. You look like a Lily. Now, as for your appearance.. You have to use your energy output differently now. Instead of suing it to keep yourself alive and power electric things, You need to use it to.. well, look like me. Like humans, you have to use energy to clean and maintain the inside and outside of your body, and move around, and play. You'll get more energy when you eat and drink things."
The little girl smiled and listened intently. Vash pulled some clothes out for her, and began teaching her how to use her energy like a human does. The little girl learned fast, and soon, she had dressed, and began walking on her own, as a human (or, a human in appearance). As Vash made his way across the desert to find a bus, She toddled along beside him, and took his hand in hers. Her little fingers where so tiny, and she felt small compared to him, but she also felt like she was tied to him in species and in friendship.
As they slowly made their way towards a bus, she looked up at him, and he looked down. She uttered her first human word. "Daddy." Vash swallowed the lump in his throat as it resurfaced. "Oh, man.."
~¤~Who loves ya, baby? ~¤~
Meryl unloaded her bags in the main room, and sat down, rubbing her face. As she inhaled, the smell of the room triggered a lot of nostalgia. Her home always seemed empty and lonely, but now, maybe she could get Millie to stay through the remainder of her pregnancy, instead of going home like she planned before. Vash just stood there with his bag over his shoulder. Meryl looked over while she turned the lights on. "Aren't you going to put your things down? Or did you plan on just leaving and going off somewhere to cause more trouble?" She grinned a little, and helped Millie set The Punisher in the corner.
"Ah. Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't want to mooch off you guys for too long." He laughed nervously, then swallowed the lump in his throat when Millie shot a mad look at him.
"First of all, Mr. Vash, You aren't mooching. Second of all, I thought you said you'd stay here and help out with the baby! Mr. Wolfwood won't be back for another few months. I'll need someone to stay with me and help out while Meryl is at work." Millie ambled over to the couch and slowly sat down. "Well, I don't remember ever saying that, but I guess I should stay." Vash looked uneasy at Millie's comment about Wolfwood coming back.
He could just see her now, the baby born already, and Wolfwood wasn't there because he was dead. Such disappointment! So, Vash stayed; maybe out of pity, maybe out of friendship, we'll never know. It was a three-bedroom house, so Vash got the one in the back. It was a very nicely sized house with two bathrooms and a large main room and kitchen. It seemed to have a homey feel to it for Vash; he wouldn't mind staying for a long time.
Millie got the room with the double bed, as she insisted her and Wolfwood share a room. Meryl left after a few hours to check in with the boss and inform him of Millie's current condition. Millie stayed home with Vash and started dinner. Vash just sat there in anticipation. He could smell the food cooking, and his mouth began to water.
"You're a really good cook, where did you learn?" Vash made his way into the kitchen, but he got shooed away.
"No food until Meryl gets back. And I picked up things here and there." She smiled cheerfully. "I've got 5 brothers and 5 sisters, and I can't be a good mommy if I don't know how to cook good food." She walked over to the couch and sat down.
Vash smiled and looked at her stomach. Maybe it was because he had been around Millie for so long, but he never really noticed the fact she was getting pretty big. Millie jumped, and put a hand on her stomach. Before Vash could ask what was wrong she put his hand on her stomach as well. He felt little thumps inside. Millie smiled and calmed down again. "I've never felt that before. Is it just me, or can you feel it too?"
"I can feel it just fine." Vash laughed. "It's a strong little thing isn't it? Doesn't it bother you?"
"Oh, no! Not at all. As a matter of fact, I like it. It kind of tickles." Millie giggled and let Vash's hand go. Just then, It hit him.
"OH SHIT! I completely forgot!" Vash hopped up and grabbed his things. "Oh man, she's going to kill me!"
"Mr. Vash, what's wrong?" Millie stood and gave him his things.
"I forgot something back at Knives' place! I've got to go! I'll be back in a week, maybe! Oh, man.." Vash ran out without even waiting for dinner to get cooked, and without even waiting for a bus. He just ran. But for his species, it was slow. He picked up speed, and ran faster than a bus at top speed.
It took an hour to get to Knives' place. He ran non-stop, crashed through the doors, then yelled as he realized he hurt himself pretty bad. He didn't stop to assess the damage though. He headed straight for the basement. After breaking through 6 doors, 3 windows and one spider web, and going down 12 flights of stairs, he reached it; the plant of Knives' compound. Now, it was generating energy for nothing, and the strange creature inside was getting sick from all the energy buildup. Vash walked to the bulb, and put his hands on it. "Come on out.. You're free now. free to come and go as you please, little one. Come on." He cheered the creature on as it began to burn through the glass.
Once out, he realized the little thing was so young, it was only a few months old (which for his species, was about 4 years). He climbed into the now dead bulb, and found the mother. The creature had gotten too sick from being in Knives' neglectful care, and had died of abuse and neglect. Now her daughter was the only one left.
The little girl stood. She had blue skin, huge blue eyes, and what seemed to resemble three pairs of fleshy wings flowing off of her back and sides. "I'm sorry about your mother. We'll give her a proper burial."
Vash took the creature's mother and got to the surface. He buried her carefully in the sand, and sighed. The little girl stared at him. "What? Oh, I guess I'm taking care of you now. Lets call you.." Vash looked at the mark on her chest. It was the same as her mother, like a serial number. It looked like a flower. "..Lily. You look like a Lily. Now, as for your appearance.. You have to use your energy output differently now. Instead of suing it to keep yourself alive and power electric things, You need to use it to.. well, look like me. Like humans, you have to use energy to clean and maintain the inside and outside of your body, and move around, and play. You'll get more energy when you eat and drink things."
The little girl smiled and listened intently. Vash pulled some clothes out for her, and began teaching her how to use her energy like a human does. The little girl learned fast, and soon, she had dressed, and began walking on her own, as a human (or, a human in appearance). As Vash made his way across the desert to find a bus, She toddled along beside him, and took his hand in hers. Her little fingers where so tiny, and she felt small compared to him, but she also felt like she was tied to him in species and in friendship.
As they slowly made their way towards a bus, she looked up at him, and he looked down. She uttered her first human word. "Daddy." Vash swallowed the lump in his throat as it resurfaced. "Oh, man.."
