Author's Note: Thanks to Ametenshi (#2), SailorPenquinz (#3), AnonymousTrigunOtaku, Toki (2!), RoseRed, and Nisshouken for the new reviews. I've never expected to receive this much. I thank you all, those who have and have not reviewed. Ok, instead of answering questions about Nick last time, I think I've only created more. Lol. Ok, I promise to answer them or at least some. But I won't promise not to confuse you anymore. ::evil grin::
P.S. Sorry it took so long for this update. I went on an unexpected trip to San Francisco, which was awesome by the way. I tried to make this only a little longer to make up for the delay. Now it's off to finish the next chapter for another story. Thank you all again!
'He's not getting away this time,' Andrew thought as he drove, his eyes shaded by his sunglasses. He had pushed some guy out of his car earlier to follow him. He'd give it back. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to go after Nick. He really didn't care what the guy did in during the time he'd be gone. Didn't he?
'No,' he thought as he pushed the petal to the metal. Nick could walk off the face of earth, and he wouldn't care. But there was some part of him that said otherwise. The tiny black dot he had been following seemed to get farther away. "C'mon," he urged the vehicle.
Finally he came to a rock formation. It was quite a ways from town. 'Maybe this is where he'd bee for the past eleven years?' When Andrew finally came to it he didn't find anyone. He looked around. The sun was setting. Had he been driving that long? When he left town it was only mid-day. Then he felt a pang of guilt. He really shouldn't have left Vash like that. It was rude. His mother would throttle him later.
He looked around again. Not a trace of Nick. He leaned back the driver's seat, his hanging back, face towards the sky. What was this guy? Homeless? Or some strange dude that gave him things? He was like that for a little while. For a short time when he was little he had thought nothing of Nick. Thought of him as some kind of idol he looked up to.
He had even invented an invisible friend he called Nick. This had up set the adults, especially his mother. He didn't know why. Vash and Meryl had gently discouraged this behavior. Vash would by him toys or candy if he went with out Nick for this or that. Meryl had made Andrew promise not to take him to school or talk to him there. His mother; she hadn't said a word. She would just be very quiet and she would get this look in her eyes. But she never said a word. Probably just wondered, like most parents, when her child imaginary friend would go away.
Eventually he did because of Vash and Meryl's efforts. Andrew would forget about him when he went to school. Forget him at home till just before bedtime. Nick was slowly replaced by Vash as his idol. That was when he learned he was the legendary gunman. Also by then Meryl and Vash had been married. Vash was still his idol. Though he wore Nick's sunglasses as a type of tribute to that childhood idol.
It was quiet. Then he heard something. Andrew sat back up and leaned towards the rock formation. He could hear two men talking. One he was pretty sure it was Nick. Slowly he got out of the car. He stopped as he reached a slab of rock that we upwards. Why was he doing this? 'I need to know,' he thought. Need to know what was the real question.
He gave himself a mental kick in the butt and walked up the slab. There, standing before him was his ex-idol. Nick had a mixed expression on his face of confusion and surprise.
"Andrew? How'd you find me?" Nick asked, regaining his composure.
"Jacked someone's car and followed you," he answered coolly and crossed his arms, leaning against the rock. "What are you doing out here? Is this you're home?"
Nick raised an eyebrow at him and then laughed. "No. My home is a little, uh, more north of here." He took a step towards Andrew. The young man flinched, as if to move, then thought better of it. Nick stopped and sighed. "Its that trust issue again isn't it?"
Andrew didn't answer, and his face didn't reveal anything. His pushed himself away from the wall and walked towards the ledge, his back towards Nick. "Why are you here. Something keeps nagging at me, telling me that I've seen you somewhere else. Besides the allies you've popped up in."
"Actually, it was the same one as last time. So it'd be ally."
Andrew turned around, pulled down his sunglasses and gave him a look. "Where do I know you from? I know I know you. My gut is telling me so."
Nick stood there for a moment, thinking. Andrew crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. "What's you're middle name?" He asked suddenly.
"Nicholas, why?"
"Hold on, I'm getting to that. What Nicholas from?"
"It was my father's first name. He died before I was born." He pulled up his sunglasses.
"Now, what's my name?" He couldn't see it but he was sure that Andrew was giving him another look.
"If you don't know your own name-"
"So we're safe to say its Nick, right?" Andrew nodded. "Now, what's Nick short for? Nicholas, right? There you have it."
Andrew slumped over. "Have what? You just proved to me that you're name is short for Nicholas, which happened to be my father's name and my middle name. What's the point?"
"Try think of the photo albums," Vash said. Nick and Andrew turned to look at him. He looked a little worn. "Think of the older ones, before you were born. Or a mirror might work also."
Andrew gave Vash a look. His mother had shown him the older photographs. They were from when the four of them; Vash, Meryl, his mother and father, traveled together. It was just connecting when the two men greeted each other.
"How you've been Vash?" Nick asked.
Vash nodded and smiled. "Not bad, Wolfwood. Not bad. Being a father. You?"
"Not bad either. Been up 'north'. Checking up on my son. Hey, what happened to that red coat of yours?"
Vash laughed, looking down at his white shirt, brown pants and boots. "Can't wear that when I'm home. Have to look normal. Still have it."
"WAIT!" Andrew shouted. He pulled his sunglasses on top of his head. "Are you telling me, that this guy…that this guy is my father?!" He was breathing hard, as if he just ran a marathon.
He nodded. "Nicholas D. Wolfwood, the one and only."
Andrew glared at him. "What's the D stand for then?"
Wolfwood rolled his eyes. "Do I have to say it?"
"YES!"
"Dokonokuminomonjawaresumakinishiteshizumetarokakora," Wolfwood said in one breath. "There, I'd like you to say it ten times fast."
"If you could say it at all," Vash replied.
Andrew began to pace. "Sweet mother, this isn't happening. This isn't happening." He stopped. "I'm dreaming. That's it. It's just a dream. Must have hit my head." He pinched his arm. "Ow, damnit! This isn't a dream."
"Could have told you that, son," Wolfwood said. He leaned against the wall and fumbled inside of his shirt for something. Then realized it wasn't there. "This would be perfect moment if I only had a cigarette."
"Quit?" Vash asked, looking surprised.
"Yeah. About eleven years ago."
"For my mom?" Andrew asked.
Wolfwood nodded. "Her and you. She didn't really care for it."
"You're dead, why does it matter?" Andrew asked harshly.
"Andrew, I think you're being a little hard on him," Vash said. "Give him a chance to explain himself."
"Yeah, give me a chance," Wolfwood said.
"Fine, explain yourself."
Wolfwood looked at Vash. "Is he always like this?"
Vash shook his head. "No, he's usually mild natured. I think he's been around Meryl to much."
He nodded. "Yeah, should have guess."
"Don't dis Meryl!" Andrew protested.
Wolfwood turned back to him. "Look, I'm dead. We've established that. One, I'm not here for any malicious purpose. I came to try and get to know my son. I didn't even know I could visit till Ashriel told me."
"Ashriel?" Vash asked, coming closer. "Who is that?" Wolfwood opened his mouth to answer, but didn't get a chance.
"He's a friend of Nicholas'," said a new voice from the opposite end the rock landing. He had short, curly, blonde hair, gray eyes, and wore a white suit with an opened black button shirt. "Oh, wait, that'd be me." He smiled and came towards them. He stuck out his hand to shake Vash's. "I'm also know but other names, but I prefer Ashriel."
"Where'd you come from?" Andrew asked, looking over the side of the rock to find no way up.
Ashriel smiled. "I should tell you, I am a man of mystery. Only a few here know who I really am. Like your father for starters. Figured me out like that." Ashriel snapped his fingers. "Has a gift for it, you know. Maybe it's the whole priest thing. I don't know."
Andrew walked over to Ashriel. "That's another thing I want to know. If my father is dead, why is he here? You seem like you'd give me some answers."
Ashriel laughed and looked at Wolfwood and Vash. "Yeah, he's been hanging around your wife to much Vash. He'd make a fair lawman, or a great outlaw."
"My son isn't going to become an outlaw. No way, no how," Wolfwood protested.
"How you'd stop me? Besides, I wouldn't. Vash isn't even really an outlaw, if you think about it. So why would I be? Oh, that's right." Andrew looked Wolfwood in the eye. It was almost as if each were looking in the mirror. "You were a spy for the Gung-Ho Guns on Vash."
Ashriel gave low whistle. "Ouch! Low blow. Way below the belt."
Vash gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, really. He's not like this at all." He looked at Andrew. "What's wrong? You've never acted like this before. You-"
Andrew rounded on Vash. "Don't you want to know where he's been all this time? He claims to be dead. Yet he appears as alive as ever. I just want to know if he's been here why the hell he's made my mom suffer!" Andrew was visibly shaking with frustration. Ashriel gave him a look and slowly backed away from the young man toward Vash's direction.
"I think we should leave them alone for a moment," Vash suggested.
"If the boy doesn't try to kill him first," Ashriel said under his breath. Then he looked at Vash. "Yeah, let's take a walk. I won't be seeing for a while." He looked down at his watch. "Yup. Not for a very, very long time." The two men walked down the stone ramp.
"I never meant to hurt you-" Wolfwood began but was interrupted.
"I don't care about me. All I care about is my mom." Andrew collapsed where he was sitting and looked at the ground. "Its not fair. You've could have seen her anytime you wanted. Do you know how many times I'd wake up when I was little, to here her crying? Calling out you're name in her dreams. Sometimes Meryl would be there to comfort her. Those were the early days though, and Meryl usually wasn't. She was off watch Vash from the distance. So it was usually my job to wake her up from the dream she was having and comfort her. I saw the pain in her eyes when she'd look at me. I knew I looked like my father – you. I was too young to understand. It wasn't later after I went through my stage where I had you as an invisible friend that I got it. She saw you in me every time she looked at me. Meryl and Vash think the bribed it out of me. It was really the sadness in Mom's eyes that made me stop. Up until then, Nick, the guy who gave the sunglasses." He took them off his head and looked at them. "The mysterious dude from the ally was my hero, my idol. But when I stopped my invisible friend stuff, Vash took that place."
Wolfwood sat next to him. He looked over his son. They were different in subtle ways. The most obvious was their noses though. He sighed. "Vash the Stampede is a great man. May not always seem like there is light on upstairs, but its just a trick he does so people won't get close to him. Only a few have ever penetrated that." He rubbed the back of his head. "It wasn't my choice to die, you know. I knew there was a chance of my getting killed, but I thought I'd come out of it. By then I was already falling for Milly. I was looking forward to setting to some kind of normality. I knew she was pregnant with a child when I died. Didn't know I'd have son. I was thinking, 'After all this is done, I can get ask Milly to marry me. We can settle down and be happy.' Obviously that didn't work out. Ashriel told me later that it was really Chapel that killed me, but Legato that used him. I'm not proud of my involvement with the Guns. I wish I could erase that part. But if I hadn't been I would never had met Milly. She and Vash were my saving grace. Both looked at life like a child." He leaned back on his hands. "Then Ashriel told me of you when you were born. It amazed me that you were alive. I knew by then Vash had disappeared with Knives, leaving Milly and Meryl by themselves. I wanted so much to come down here and protect you and your mother. I couldn't. Then Ashriel worked a deal with me. I could come down here if I helped others."
"Helped other?" Andrew asked. He turned his head slightly to look at his father out of the corner of his eye.
"Yeah. People like me, basically good, but in with the wrong crowed. That's what Ashriel told me anyway. He said if did that I'd be allowed back on Gunsmoke and he'd find opportunities for me to visit you."
This time Andrew looked at Wolfwood fully. "Where were you before you came back to Gunsmoke."
Wolfwood smiled and pointed up to the sky. "I said from the 'north' remember? There are two places one can go. Spirit prison or spirit paradise before being judged. I barely made it to spirit paradise. That's where I met Ashriel."
"Is Ashriel is dead too?"
"No. He's been alive much longer, longer even then Vash. He was actually visited Earth, the place of our origin, in its prime." His son didn't seem to comprehend it still. "He's an angel," Wolfwood said at last. "He's been called Azrael, Azrail, Azriel, Azaril, and even Gabriel. Though Gabriel is a totally different angel than Ashriel. A little stiff if you ask me."
"You've met angels?" Andrew asked in wonder.
"Yeah, but only Ashriel and Gabriel. Ashriel works under Gabe. Just don't call him Gabe to his face though." They laughed. "Yeah, you'd know of Gabriel. You go to church. Ashriel isn't as known. And not many people know of him before they die."
"Why is that?" Andrew asked.
"He's the angel of death."
Andrew's face was blank. "O-oh. That doesn't mean I'm going to die right?"
Wolfwood laughed. "You'll die, eventually, not today though. When you're old and gray, yes. So, yeah. Ashriel and I made the deal. I'd help way ward souls down here and visit when I could. Thought I'd be able to see you all the time. Didn't turn out that way obviously. Then I also I to spend time up there as well as down here, and it became very time consuming. It wasn't till you started school that I was actually able to see you up close for the first time. I was so scared but you just treated me kindness. Offered me a cookie. Then I had to go. I knew I only had so much time with you. Even those few minutes were worth my whole life. I couldn't believe I had help create you. Half of you is me. It kind of scary knowing that my blood runs through your veins. It just blows me away."
Andrew gave a short laugh. "I'm like you all right. Vash and Mom like to point that out all the time. Oh I'll do something that is 'totally Wolfwood' of me. Like I volunteered at an orphanage for two summers. No one suggested it I just did it. I feel that those kids and I have something in common. We didn't grow up with fathers. Of course I'm lucky and have Mom. Vash is like a father figure – sometimes. So I sort of know what they're going through. I also, like you said, go to church. I love it, don't ask why. I just do. It's hard to explain. Vash gave me your silver cross cuff links. I wear them when I go." He paused and looked out at the horizon. "I think I felt it'd help me be closer to you. Mom would tell me stories about you, how you saved this kid out in the desert, or ran that orphanage. The good parts of course. Didn't learn the bad stuff till I was older. Beat the kid up that told you were a criminal that killed people. Some of the things I think he exaggerated or made up, but I knew deep down inside that some were true. Never told Mom about it. Asked Meryl instead. She told me some."
Wolfwood couldn't see his whole face, but from the tone he knew Andrew was getting choked up. "I was so angry that you were my father. I wanted to change my whole name, only keep Andrew. Here I thought you were some kind of saint that died standing up for what you believe. Then I find out you were no better than the man that killed you." He turned and looked at his father. His eyes were moist. If he hand let any tears shed, the desert heat dried them up quickly. "But I knew you did those things before you changed at the end. You even did some good things. Like work for to help out that mother her daughter. I think some part of me was still mad though. I think it was because that though you had changed, you died, which cause Mom pain. I don't like to see her hurt. So I was mad at you for causing it. Then this. Knowing that you could have been here to ease it. It didn't help the anger."
"Its not like I didn't want to be there. I don't have the freedom. I'm an indentured servant, to put it plainly. The only free time is what I get when Ashriel tells me. And he's a busy guy. Death doesn't get that many days off."
They were quiet, just sitting there, as the suns slowly set, causing the sky to turn shades of red, orange, and pink. Wolfwood didn't realize Andrew was crying till he spoke.
"I'm-I'm sorry Dad," he said softly as he looked his father in the eyes. Tears slowly made their way down his face.
Wolfwood's heart skipped a beat. How long had he been waiting to hear that? Dad. The word was magic. It made him feel like he could make the planet turn green in a second. "Andrew, son." He said, letting his own tears fall. He embraced Andrew as if he'd never let go. If he had his way he wouldn't
