Meet Me in the Moonlight
By: Haruka-chan
Chapter 6: And the journey begins
Meryl pulled away slowly and looked down at the golden sand.
"What now?" asked Vash.
"No matter what you say I can't go back...I want Milly to be happy, and other then that I have things I must take care off," said Meryl.
"I can't let you take a life," he said.
Meryl looked up at his face then the strange hurt came back. 'Of course he came to get me for that reason' she thought. "I...I won't."
"Where do you want to go?" he asked.
"I don't know...wander till I find," she whispered.
Vash looked outward then back at Meryl. "I will come with you," he said.
Meryl looked up surprised and confused. "What! Why?"
"I told Wolfwood that I would take care of you, and you can't 'fight' by yourself," he said. Meryl growled as she stood and dusted herself and started on her way.
"Hey!" yelled Vash following after her.
"Go back! I don't need your help!" she said walking away.
"And I said you do" said Vash catching up to her. Meryl stopped and looked at him with a glare.
"Fine, come along if you want to, but if later you pull yourself in to trouble then I won't pull you out of it" she said.
"What makes you think that I will get in trouble?" he asked. Meryl just shook her head and walked on.
"Hey! Wait for me!" said Vash following after the short woman.
They walked most of the day; it was late afternoon that they arrived at a fairly large town. Meryl looked around and smiled. Vash was confused why she decided to come here in the first place.
"Excuse me Sir, can you point me to the bank?" asked Meryl.
"Sure Little Lady, it's straight down to your left, you can't miss it," he said with a smile.
AN: Hey I don't know if they had banks or not, but in this story they do
"Thank you" she said as she raced towards the direction given. Vash followed after her.
"I didn't want to pull him in to my life for it was a mess that I haven't gotten down to cleaning yet. But he followed me, probably to see for himself if I would kill anyone, but no matter just having someone by my side made me feel a little more brave"
Meryl stopped in front of the big sign that read 'BANK' and walked in to the building.
"Hello can I help you?" asked a man behind the counter.
"Yes, I would like a with draw and transfer from December City" said Meryl.
"All right what might the name be?" he asked.
"Stryfe, Meryl" she said. The man behind the counter looked up as if he'd seen a ghost.
"You wouldn't be the daughter of Richard Stryfe would you?" he asked.
Meryl nodded "Yes, he's my father" she said.
"Wow! Oh right your transfer" he said going back to work looking up once in a while looking towards Meryl.
"I didn't know your that known," said Vash.
"Funny, neither did I" she said. Meryl sat down in one of the chairs that were in the room, and Vash sat down next to her.
"You came to his town for the transfer?" He asked.
Meryl nodded "I can't travel if I have no money, and I sure as hell can't count on you for that" she said. Vash was about to come back with something but the man behind the counter called Meryl.
"Miss. Stryfe" he said.
"Yes," she said getting up and walking towards the counter.
"How much will you like to with draw?" he asked.
"A thousand double dollars" she said.
"All of it cash?" he asked.
"Half cash, half credit" she said. The man nodded and worked on some things before handing her a piece of paper.
"Please sign here," he said.
"Yes," she said as she took the pen and signed her name. He took the paper and handed her an envelope and a card.
"You really are beautiful as they say you are" said the man.
"Thank you" said Meryl with a blush. Vash was confused with the whole situation.
"I knew that in this town I could somehow get some money to start out with. The man at the bank asked if I was my father's daughter, funny how I said yes, but deep inside it felt as if I was a name and nothing more. He said that I was beautiful, but whose face was this? I didn't know..."
Meryl tucked the envelope under her coat, and walked out of the building.
"So would you like to explain to me where you got that much money?" asked Vash.
Meryl smirked "Did you think I didn't get paid while I did work at the insurance company?" asked Meryl.
"I thought they might have destroyed all your identity," said Vash.
"They couldn't do that, and plush as far as they are concerned I never had a bank account," said Meryl.
"Very smart" said Vash. Meryl nodded.
"Where are you going now?" asked Vash in a whine.
"To go shopping" she said.
"What do you need to shop for?" he asked.
"Because without this coat I look like I'm from one of those penthouse whore," she said.
"What's wrong with that?" asked Vash.
"Your broom headed brain wouldn't understand," she said as she entered a boutique.
Vash followed in to be greeted by an elderly woman who was already pulling out dresses and showing it to Meryl who looked as frightened as he was.
"Umm...I think I can manage" said Meryl.
"Oh all right darling, call me if you need anything" she said.
"Yeah" she said as she looked towards Vash who looked like he was going to yell 'mommy' any moment. Meryl smiled and picked out a few shirts, and some skirts, and other 'things' that she will need.
"Do you have small travel suite case?" asked Meryl.
"Yes, I only have one left this one," said the woman as she pulled out a white travel suite case.
"I'll take it," she said.
"So your total is 150$$ darling" said the woman.
"All right" said Meryl handing the woman the card. Vash stood plastered to the door with the frightened look on his face.
"Come on" said Meryl taking her bags of purchase and walking through the door.
"It's been so long since I went shopping for my clothing...and it felt finally like I was free, I picked decent clothing, and colors that I liked. To you it might sound strange that I was so excited about picking my clothing, but when your trapped inside with others picking things for you and using you as a doll, you sort of get like me..."
"Let's get a place to sleep," said Meryl.
"Ok...are all sales ladies scary like her?" asked Vash.
"No, but she was really scary" said Meryl.
Vash sighed, "I thought I was going to have a heart attack from the way she was staring at me," he said.
"She probably thought you were hands-" Meryl cut herself of.
Vash smiled and looked towards her. "I'm what?" he asked.
"Nothing" said Meryl.
"Come on what am I?" he asked.
"At the moment an idiot" said Meryl. Vash frowned and followed after Meryl. They walked in to a saloon/boarding house.
"Um yes we would like two rooms with single beds," said Meryl.
"Sorry but we only have one room" said the boy at the counter.
"What about a room with double bed?" asked Vash.
"Nope, just one room with a single bed" he said.
"What about-" Meryl was cut of the boy
"Nope, and this is the ONLY boarding house in this city" he said.
Meryl sighed, "Fine, well take it" she said.
The boy smiled and handed her the key. Vash followed after Meryl.
"Where are you going to sleep?" he asked.
Meryl stopped "What do you mean where 'am I' going to sleep?" she asked.
"Well, there is only one bed," said Vash.
"Shouldn't it be where are you going to sleep?" asked Meryl.
"Huh? Why me?" asked Vash.
"Because I'm paying for it" said Meryl.
"So I 'could' have paid for it," he said.
"What ever" she said as she opened the door.
The room was average it had a large bed thrown in the middle and then windows, a couch, a bathroom and that's it.
"Well, there is a couch so you can sleep on that" said Meryl.
"I won't even fit on that," he said.
"So what are you trying to say?" asked Meryl.
"That your short and you could fit on the couch, and I'm tall the bed is perfect for me" said Vash. Meryl sighed and mumbled something.
"I'm going downstairs for a drink," he said walking out.
"What ever" she said as she stepped in to the small bathroom. "I need a much needed shower," she said as she walked in to the shower. The cool water running down her back made her feel much better. After 10 minutes of cleaning herself, Meryl finally stepped out of the bathroom and looked through her new clothing. Deciding to wear something comfortable which happened to be a white blouse and a black shirt and heading downstairs for a drink herself.
Vash sat on the counter with mug of beer, the noise of the people laughing and joking and drinking somehow gave him comfort. He watched the waitresses with a dazed look over him. Meryl came and sat down next to him.
"Hi ya little lady" said the bartender. Meryl gave a small smile.
"What will it be?" he asked.
"I'll have a strawberry colada," said Meryl.
The bartender nodded and went to make his drink. Meryl turned towards Vash who was busy trying to woo a waitress.
"Hey come on," he said. The waitress giggled and walked away.
"Ya new here?" asked the bartender setting her drink down.
"Yes, I am" said Meryl as she took a small sip of her drink tasting small bit of alcohol that was in it.
"Ya planning on staying long?" asked the bartender.
"I'm not sure," said Meryl.
"If ya are, you'd be real handy, as a waitress I mean" he said. Meryl looked down at the pink liquid in front of her.
"I not sure yet, but thank you" said Meryl.
If ya change your mind, come by" he said and went to another costumer.
Meryl sat staring at the clash of pink and red, as a small painful smile crept up her lips. Unknown to her Vash had hard and seen everything.
"What the bartender said bought back painful memories, one that I want to and tried to erase from my mind, but the truth was I couldn't it was part of me, part of my heart. I knew I was have to live with them forever..."
"Hey what you got there?" asked Vash.
"Huh? What?" asked Meryl looking towards Vash with her clouded gray eyes.
"What are you drinking?" he asked.
"Oh a strawberry colada" said Meryl.
"Sounds good," said Vash.
"Huh?" asked Meryl.
"Can I have a sip?" asked Vash.
"Huh? No" said Meryl taking a sip.
"Come on one sip" said Vash. Meryl took another sip.
"You have your own drink," she said.
"Come on" said Vash. "No" she said.
"One tiny little sip?" he asked.
"Nope" she said as she took another sip.
"Come on meanie" he said.
Meryl stopped and looked at the glass before slowly handing to him. Vash noticed the small flicker of pain in her eyes but she smiled.
"Only one sip" she said. Vash took a sip, and then another.
"Hey this stuff is good," he said.
"Hey you said only one sip," said Meryl trying to take her drink back from him.
Vash started to laugh hysterically, with slight drunken blush upon his face.
"Fine just drink all of it," said Meryl as she got up and walked upstairs.
"Hey, come back you could have the last few sips" he said, but Meryl just kept going.
It was about few hours later that Vash walked in to 'their' room. He opened the door to find that Meryl was sitting on the small couch next to one of the windows, the moons light refracting of her. He just stood and stared, she looked like a fallen angel, and her white blouse made her glow, but he noticed the small sparkles of her tears. He noticed the sad expression that was on her beautiful face. He noticed the pain, for it was the same one that he felt.
Vash neared her and found that she was asleep, her breathing slow and steady. At that moment he really did see why she was so beautiful, her hair falling over her eyes in a manner that made her both child like and a woman. Vash smiled and slowly picked her up to put her down on the bed. He set her down gently, and was about to pull away only to be held in place by Meryl.
"Don't leave me," she whispered.
Vash knew that she was asleep, but with her death grip it was one: he stood and watched her, two: wake her up and get yelled at, or three: just lie down with her, and get yelled at later. Vash decided that he was tired as hell and the yelling would be better in the morning, so he went with choice three and lied down next to her. Strangely it felt good, to have her body next to his, and he found himself wrap an arm around her and pull her closer. He found sleep wasn't much of a problem as he listened to the steady breathing of her heart, which surprisingly met his. If just for one night he could forget everything...