Mr. Vash said he would be very late coming home. He wrote a letter
explaining he had to stay behind at New Oregon for a couple of friends, and
would be back before the baby was born. He was right though, I'm week away
from my due date, and he showed up at the door. He said he had a big
surprise for me, but he wouldn't even give me the slightest hint as to what
it was! I'm very exited to find out what it is. It's supposed to arrive
today.
~¤~Return and Reunion~¤~
When Vash came home, he sat down and dropped his bags. Lily shyly crawled up into his lap and curled up. Millie and Meryl came home a few minutes later, and were eager to meet the newest addition to the family. Lily seemed to shy away from Millie, perhaps because of her abnormal size, but she took to Meryl very quickly. As soon as Meryl sat down next to her, Lily crawled into her lap, and felt of her bow. Meryl looked down at her and smiled, then said, "What's your name?"
"Lily."
"That's a very pretty name." Meryl smiled at her. Lily looked back up and asked, "Are you my mommy?"
Meryl blushed, and looked at Vash. Before either of them could get a word in, Lily said "Mommy." And clung to Meryl's shirt.
"Vash, tell her I'm not her mother." Meryl whispered to Vash.
"I.. I.. I can't. her mom is dead. she calls me dad."
So, Meryl was now mommy. She never had the heart to tell Lily otherwise.
Millie had been waiting anxiously for this surprise that was supposed to arrive soon. She tried to get some of the anxiety off of her by going shopping with Meryl for baby supplies. Millie looked around in the store, looking at the baby strollers, cribs, bottles, diapers, and mounds of dolls. Millie smiled as she thought of how life would be perfect with the new baby, and Wolfwood. Meryl tried to keep the conversation off of Wolfwood as much as she could.
Once home, Meryl started dinner while Millie unpacked all the new baby supplies. She began to fix her room up to fit everything the baby would need, as well as extras, such as a playpen. Once dinner was ready, and the table set, Vash came in and sat down as if on cue. Lily followed, wearing a brand new pair of kitty ears she got from the store.
Millie sat down at the table as well, and stared at Vash with an eerie smile on her face. Vash ignored her best he could, and once dinner was served, he began eating. Ever now and then, he would look over to Millie to see if she was still staring, and she was. Finally, he exploded, "I'm not telling you!!"
"Why not!? Please! Just a little hint!" Millie scooted up close and took one of his arms. Vash pulled away and continued eating.
"I promised I wouldn't tell. Besides, it should come today or tomorrow." Vash only paused long enough to talk before he dove back into his food.
"You said today. You said I'd get it today." Millie stood up again and frowned angrily. "I don't see it Vash!"
Vash swallowed hard and slowly sunk under the table. "Maybe it's late."
Millie sighed and waddled over to the couch. She sat down and rubbed her very large tummy. She looked agitated, but her anger turned to sorrow as she began to cry. Meryl got up from her place at the table and sat next to Millie on the couch.
"What's wrong, Millie?" Meryl handed her a handkerchief. Millie took it and wiped her eyes, then replied, "My socks don't match.."
The next day, Millie was uptight all day, and yelled at poor Vash for nothing. After dinner, as Vash sat in the corner sulking, a car pulled up near the house. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Vash stood up and rubbed his eyes. "Millie, It's for you."
Millie slowly stood and adjusted her dress. She waddled to the door, her hand underneath her large stomach as if it would fall off without her support. She unlocked the door and opened it. A smile made her face it's permanent home as she looked at Wolfwood, standing there in the doorway, a white suit on. He smiled back. Meryl looked at who she was staring at, and her jaw dropped to the floor.
"Can I come in?" His voice sounded exactly the same as it did that night before he left.
"Of course.." Millie said quietly, as she closed the door on Misty. "Oh, Nicolas! I've missed you so much!" Tears began to flow as she hugged him tightly. Her large stomach pushed up against Wolfwood, causing him to writhe in pain. The surgical stitches in his abdomen popped, and started bleeding. Millie gasped and sat him down, undoing his shirt. "Oh, Nicolas.. I'm so sorry! I didn't know you had stitches there."
"It's ok. The bandaged will absorb the blood, I only popped one." Wolfwood buttoned his shirt back up and got up, opening the door for Misty.
Misty walked in with luggage in her arms. "Vash! Vash, come help me with the luggage!" Vash stood and helped her with the luggage, then sat down and rubbed his face. Lily crawled up into his lap and looked at Wolfwood.
"Well, hello there." Wolfwood smiled at Lily and Dug around in his pocket. "What's your name?"
"Lily.." Lily switched laps from mommy to daddy, and Wolfwood got a coy grin on his face.
"No! It's not what it looks like. She. adopted us." Meryl interjected before Wolfwood could make any further statements.
"Sure." He laughed and pulled a sucker out of his pocket. Lily eyed it and licked her lips. "What? Do you want this? Well, here you go." Wolfwood handed it to her, and she took it quickly, peeling the wrapper off and shoving the whole thing in her mouth. "So, Wolfwood, where have you been this whole time?" Meryl sat back in her seat.
"Well, it's a long story. My doctor, Misty could explain it better." After formal greetings and introductions, Misty sat down and began her story.
"It all started when I was in town to pick up some medical supplies. My car was loaded down, and I was running short on time, but that all changed when I saw a trail of blood leading into the chapel. I went inside and saw Wolfwood here lying on the ground, bleeding, not breathing, you know, dead. But thankfully, he had only been dead for 30 seconds. So, I dragged him back to the car and used some of the new medical supplies to revive him. I rushed back to New Oregon, having to stop every so often to revive him again. When I got home, and got him into the medical ward, I realized where his wounds were. He had three holes in his heart, a bleeding spleen, and 16 holes in his left lung. I had to use life support while I broke out my most recent inventions. I won't say how, but I had created a bunch of artificial organic organs for transplant. So, as soon as I could, I opened him up and gave him a new lung, heart and spleen. I also had to put a pacemaker in for the first few months, but as you can sere now, my quick work and medical expertise paid off. The hardest part was getting him to sit still for the breathing and feeding tubes."
Both Millie and Meryl seemed dumbstruck by the amount of work Misty put on Wolfwood. Save for a new suit and stitches, Wolfwood looked just as healthy as ever. Millie thoroughly thanked Misty for all she had done, and got Wolfwood to bed. 16 straight hours of car time would tire anyone out.
Misty stayed and talked with Millie and Meryl until 11 at night. When she did leave, she was pretty hammered, so she didn't get far. Vash helped drag her back in, and volunteered to dress her in her pajamas. Meryl didn't let him.
It was midnight before Millie and Meryl got into their respective rooms and changed into their PJ's. Millie slowly got into bed, and pulled the covers up, watching Wolfwood sleep. Meryl had a harder time falling asleep with Lily clinging to her shirt. But once Lily let go and fell asleep, she was awfully cute.
Because Misty was put in Vash's bed, he was forced to sleep on the couch. After whining to himself for a while, he finally fell asleep, hugging one of the baby's teddy bears.
So, for a brief moment, life was perfect.
~¤~Return and Reunion~¤~
When Vash came home, he sat down and dropped his bags. Lily shyly crawled up into his lap and curled up. Millie and Meryl came home a few minutes later, and were eager to meet the newest addition to the family. Lily seemed to shy away from Millie, perhaps because of her abnormal size, but she took to Meryl very quickly. As soon as Meryl sat down next to her, Lily crawled into her lap, and felt of her bow. Meryl looked down at her and smiled, then said, "What's your name?"
"Lily."
"That's a very pretty name." Meryl smiled at her. Lily looked back up and asked, "Are you my mommy?"
Meryl blushed, and looked at Vash. Before either of them could get a word in, Lily said "Mommy." And clung to Meryl's shirt.
"Vash, tell her I'm not her mother." Meryl whispered to Vash.
"I.. I.. I can't. her mom is dead. she calls me dad."
So, Meryl was now mommy. She never had the heart to tell Lily otherwise.
Millie had been waiting anxiously for this surprise that was supposed to arrive soon. She tried to get some of the anxiety off of her by going shopping with Meryl for baby supplies. Millie looked around in the store, looking at the baby strollers, cribs, bottles, diapers, and mounds of dolls. Millie smiled as she thought of how life would be perfect with the new baby, and Wolfwood. Meryl tried to keep the conversation off of Wolfwood as much as she could.
Once home, Meryl started dinner while Millie unpacked all the new baby supplies. She began to fix her room up to fit everything the baby would need, as well as extras, such as a playpen. Once dinner was ready, and the table set, Vash came in and sat down as if on cue. Lily followed, wearing a brand new pair of kitty ears she got from the store.
Millie sat down at the table as well, and stared at Vash with an eerie smile on her face. Vash ignored her best he could, and once dinner was served, he began eating. Ever now and then, he would look over to Millie to see if she was still staring, and she was. Finally, he exploded, "I'm not telling you!!"
"Why not!? Please! Just a little hint!" Millie scooted up close and took one of his arms. Vash pulled away and continued eating.
"I promised I wouldn't tell. Besides, it should come today or tomorrow." Vash only paused long enough to talk before he dove back into his food.
"You said today. You said I'd get it today." Millie stood up again and frowned angrily. "I don't see it Vash!"
Vash swallowed hard and slowly sunk under the table. "Maybe it's late."
Millie sighed and waddled over to the couch. She sat down and rubbed her very large tummy. She looked agitated, but her anger turned to sorrow as she began to cry. Meryl got up from her place at the table and sat next to Millie on the couch.
"What's wrong, Millie?" Meryl handed her a handkerchief. Millie took it and wiped her eyes, then replied, "My socks don't match.."
The next day, Millie was uptight all day, and yelled at poor Vash for nothing. After dinner, as Vash sat in the corner sulking, a car pulled up near the house. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Vash stood up and rubbed his eyes. "Millie, It's for you."
Millie slowly stood and adjusted her dress. She waddled to the door, her hand underneath her large stomach as if it would fall off without her support. She unlocked the door and opened it. A smile made her face it's permanent home as she looked at Wolfwood, standing there in the doorway, a white suit on. He smiled back. Meryl looked at who she was staring at, and her jaw dropped to the floor.
"Can I come in?" His voice sounded exactly the same as it did that night before he left.
"Of course.." Millie said quietly, as she closed the door on Misty. "Oh, Nicolas! I've missed you so much!" Tears began to flow as she hugged him tightly. Her large stomach pushed up against Wolfwood, causing him to writhe in pain. The surgical stitches in his abdomen popped, and started bleeding. Millie gasped and sat him down, undoing his shirt. "Oh, Nicolas.. I'm so sorry! I didn't know you had stitches there."
"It's ok. The bandaged will absorb the blood, I only popped one." Wolfwood buttoned his shirt back up and got up, opening the door for Misty.
Misty walked in with luggage in her arms. "Vash! Vash, come help me with the luggage!" Vash stood and helped her with the luggage, then sat down and rubbed his face. Lily crawled up into his lap and looked at Wolfwood.
"Well, hello there." Wolfwood smiled at Lily and Dug around in his pocket. "What's your name?"
"Lily.." Lily switched laps from mommy to daddy, and Wolfwood got a coy grin on his face.
"No! It's not what it looks like. She. adopted us." Meryl interjected before Wolfwood could make any further statements.
"Sure." He laughed and pulled a sucker out of his pocket. Lily eyed it and licked her lips. "What? Do you want this? Well, here you go." Wolfwood handed it to her, and she took it quickly, peeling the wrapper off and shoving the whole thing in her mouth. "So, Wolfwood, where have you been this whole time?" Meryl sat back in her seat.
"Well, it's a long story. My doctor, Misty could explain it better." After formal greetings and introductions, Misty sat down and began her story.
"It all started when I was in town to pick up some medical supplies. My car was loaded down, and I was running short on time, but that all changed when I saw a trail of blood leading into the chapel. I went inside and saw Wolfwood here lying on the ground, bleeding, not breathing, you know, dead. But thankfully, he had only been dead for 30 seconds. So, I dragged him back to the car and used some of the new medical supplies to revive him. I rushed back to New Oregon, having to stop every so often to revive him again. When I got home, and got him into the medical ward, I realized where his wounds were. He had three holes in his heart, a bleeding spleen, and 16 holes in his left lung. I had to use life support while I broke out my most recent inventions. I won't say how, but I had created a bunch of artificial organic organs for transplant. So, as soon as I could, I opened him up and gave him a new lung, heart and spleen. I also had to put a pacemaker in for the first few months, but as you can sere now, my quick work and medical expertise paid off. The hardest part was getting him to sit still for the breathing and feeding tubes."
Both Millie and Meryl seemed dumbstruck by the amount of work Misty put on Wolfwood. Save for a new suit and stitches, Wolfwood looked just as healthy as ever. Millie thoroughly thanked Misty for all she had done, and got Wolfwood to bed. 16 straight hours of car time would tire anyone out.
Misty stayed and talked with Millie and Meryl until 11 at night. When she did leave, she was pretty hammered, so she didn't get far. Vash helped drag her back in, and volunteered to dress her in her pajamas. Meryl didn't let him.
It was midnight before Millie and Meryl got into their respective rooms and changed into their PJ's. Millie slowly got into bed, and pulled the covers up, watching Wolfwood sleep. Meryl had a harder time falling asleep with Lily clinging to her shirt. But once Lily let go and fell asleep, she was awfully cute.
Because Misty was put in Vash's bed, he was forced to sleep on the couch. After whining to himself for a while, he finally fell asleep, hugging one of the baby's teddy bears.
So, for a brief moment, life was perfect.
