Author's Note: ::hears gasps of shock and awe:: YES! I did it! I wrote another chapter! ::ducks red fruit:: Hey! I told you I'd update! He, he! Ok, here we go . . . Oh, and thank you to all that reviewed. Way too many to name. BTW I'm not medical expert. Oh, and I never said I was perfect, so please do excuse spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm human (I think?) after all. ;D Eventually I will go through all that chapters and correct things. Eventually…

P.S.: Tell me if I should take out the "I'm-Sorry-Here's-Dialog" Chapter. If most of you want out, I'll take it out, but if you don't say anything then you're all going to be stuck looking at it. ;P

I sat on my bed, looking down at my hands. I wish I were older. Dad told me about how in a year he grew to that of twelve year old. Of course, that's because Dad's full plant. I'm only half. So I only look two years older, how that worked out I don't know. But I do have my dad's IQ. Ok, not the Broomstick Head IQ, the real IQ.

I was worried. Why did Andrew run off like that? What was Dad so upset about? And why did it make Mom upset?

I sighed and stashed my candy and went down stairs.

"Oh, I'm sorry Andrew isn't in right now," Mom said, talking to someone at the door. "He went somewhere. I'm sure he'll be back later, Brittany."

Brittany. Oh, her.

"Thank you, Mrs. S," the bubbly blonde girl said and left and Mom closed the door. She was a "friend" of Andrew's. She had a crush on him for a year.

Almost as long as me. A year and two months, thank you very much.

I know some people are like, "But you live with him. Isn't he like you're cousin or something?"

Not by blood or marriage.

Brittany though had a better chance. She was sixteen, blonde, never unhappy (which made me wonder) and usually got the guy she wanted. Her peppy personality annoyed me to no end.

I didn't say anything though. Besides, Andrew thought of me as a little sister and nothing more. I mean, what sixteen-year-old would give an eleven (thirteen looking)-year-old another glance? No, Andrew would go for someone like Brittany.

Mom saw me and smiled. "Hide your candy from Connor?"

I gave a fake, yet believable, smile back. "Yup! He won't be able to find it." And if he did, I crush him like a bug.

'You keep thinking that'.

"What?" I asked her.

"Huh? I didn't say anything." Mom gave me look, and then shook her head. "Demi go find your brother and tell him to wash his face," she said and went into the kitchen. I heard her go out the side door. She was probably going to check on that thingy Dad put there.

'That was strange,' I thought I as I yelled Connor's name. Now that I think of it. Mom couldn't have said that. It was a man's voice. In my head. Only my brother and my dad talked to me that way. Yet the voice wasn't either of theirs.

"Connor!" I called again.

"What Demi?" he said, appearing out of no wear.

"Mom wants you to wash off the chocolate."

He shrugged and left for the bathroom.

Such a good, obeying little brother.

*~*~*~*~*

I stared at it. I couldn't believe it. It was the real thing. I fingered a leather strap. Wolfwood's Cross Punisher, just the same as the last time I saw it. When Milly gave it to Vash when he went after Knives. That was over sixteen years ago.

"No, this is not real," I breathed and undid a buckle.

"Ah!" I cried as all the other buckles came undone and the cloth came off it.

Before me was a silver gleaming cross. Looking ready for action. I didn't dare try and pick it up. There was now way I could. Only Wolfwood, Milly, and Vash were able to. Apparently now Andrew, since he was carrying it before.

'Still making sure…' I thought as I slid a finger down the cold metal. I breathed in a gasp. 'Ok, no more fooling yourself Meryl.'

I didn't even know my knees had given out till I was kneeling before. Tears were ready to shed.

"Milly," I whispered. If this was happening to me, I could barely imagine was this would do to her. She had his child.

If it had been me, and some stranger claiming to Vash had given Demi or Connor his gun. I would breakdown. It would be like torture. Someone teasing me, taunting me about his death. I wouldn't be able to take it. I'd probably go insane.

Though it does take some amount of insanity to married to Vash the Stampede anyway.

This now only made me worry about Andrew and Vash even more. What if the person they were going after was some new minion of Knives? I know Vash says that Knives is in a safe place and can't hurt anyone no more. Still, there is that part of me that thinks he can.

That he might come after Vash again. Now he has more to damage him with; the kids, Milly, Andrew, and me. And all the people that we met along the way. Like Kaite, we still see him. And Vash still visits all those people who crashed in that SEEDS ship (at least that's what he calls it).

"I have to believe in Vash," I told myself. If he says Knives won't be hurting anyone anymore, then I have to believe him. One thing I have learned about Vash is that he may appear and act stupid, but he's not. It's all just a show.

I looked at the Cross Punisher harder. Looking to see if it might be a replica. No. It wasn't. Signs of wear were on it. A dent here from being slammed down. A scratch there from sliding across the ground.

I began to think of all the things Andrew had of Wolfwood's, besides looks. He had those cufflinks, his sunglasses, and now his gun; the Cross Punisher II. "The motorcycle and the outfit are next," I said to myself. It wasn't hard to see Andrew decked out as his father. Not hard at all.

After a few moments I regain composure and stood, wiping the dust from my butt.

I walked slowly to the house. I faintly notice the garden the kids had done for Vash.  Too much was swarming in my mind for me actually to notice anything.

Example: I came into the house and went straight for the table. Didn't notice anyone in the room, or anyone talking to me. I was still mulling things over.

"What do you think Meryl?"

That was the first thing I heard since I had come back in. I looked over at who spoke. "When did you get back in Milly?"

She smiled and laughed. "I've been back for a half an hour." Milly smiled. "Maybe it was good that you didn't hear what I had to say." She stood up and yawned. "Oh! I'm tired. Demi said that Andrew went off somewhere with Vash. If you're still up when they come home, tell them goodnight for me. Night Meryl!" I watched her go up stairs.

"Night Milly," I said just loud enough for her to hear.

When will Vash and Andrew get home?

*~*~*~*~*

I sighed as I closed my door. I though Meryl was zoning a little, but I didn't think she wasn't listening to me at all. That's ok. Like I said, its better that she doesn't know. She didn't know to begin with.

I couldn't stop smiling.

On my walk I had stopped by the doctors on a whim. Just to say hi. Surprisingly he told me that he could to the test right then and there. Like me, he wanted to get it over and done with. He told me that I could pay him back over in installments.

Did the test. There was a specialist in town. Probably why the doc wanted to do it then.

Well, I'm glad to say that they found nothing. Nothing at all! I'm so happy I could jump for joy.

I only wish I had gotten some pudding while I was out. That would just make things perfect!

I'm going to celebrate tomorrow though. The doc did say one thing; I was working to hard.

Then tomorrow would be a perfect day to celebrate. No. For a week it would be perfect to celebrate. I have vacation time saved up. I'm sure Meryl does to. We all can go somewhere. Maybe go to Little Arcadia, so the kids can see that green piece of land. Which is a lot larger than theirs. Then we can visit Big-Big Sister, Big-Big Brother, Little-Big Sister…

"A week is too short," I think out loud and I change into my pajamas. "We'd need a month." I pulled my hair back and tied it with a ribbon. "Oh!" I had just got the best idea. "Meryl and I can go traveling again! I'm sure they'd let us follow Vash around."

Yes. That's what I'd do. I'll go to work tomorrow, despite me not want to go, and tell Chief about it. He's going to have to let us do this.

I sat on my bed. 'Just like old times,' I thought. 'Meryl, Vash and I, except now will have our kids and…'

"And Wolfwood is gone," I finished out loud. I sighed.

"Snap out of it Milly. He wouldn't want you to be like this." I told myself and sat on the bed. It was only then I realized it was a tad bit earlier to go to bed.

"I read then," I decided finally and pulled a book out of my nightstand.