Disclaimer: I don't own anything Trigun, so don't sue me please, thank you!

Myshkin: *Reads the reviews.* Jeez, what's so awful about Edy? Does she have cooties or something? *Goes and sulks.*

Tying Up Loose Ends

Chapter Seventeen

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Pasta Dish

The afternoon waned into the evening and although it had been very pleasant, Vash was surprised that Edy hadn't poked her head in even once. Dinner time was fast approaching and the woman was no where to be seen. Getting up from the kitchen table and leaving the others to their chatting, Vash began to meander around the house, looking in all the rooms for Edy. When he couldn't find her on the first floor, he ascended to the second.

There was a moment of panic that squeezed his heart when he thought she hadn't come down yet. Maybe she had felt poorer than she let on and had stayed in her room. Maybe she went into Knives' room…. That would be the worst. He couldn't know what his brother had planned for the two new plants, but he knew it would never leave Edy unscarred or particularly happy.

Dammit, I told her not to go in there alone, he thought, frustrated.

Unlocking the door with his copy of the key, he walked in on the two laughing about something. Knives looked relaxed and in quite a good mood. There was no trace of fear or anger to be seen on Edy's person. They were even sitting on the bed together, Knives resting against the headboard and Edy cross-legged at the foot.

"Oh, hello Vash," Edy said with a small wave and a smile. She caught sight of her watch as she did so and groaned. "I completely forgot about dinner! It's a quarter to seven, you all must be starving. And on the day I have a new guest, too."

"Guests, actually," Vash replied, not exactly sure what else to say. "Since you never came down you didn't get to meet our other friend Milly Thompson who arrived with Meryl."

"I can't believe I'm being such a terrible host," she exclaimed with a smack to her head. Unfolding herself from her seated position, Edy stretched her arms together high to the ceiling. "I'd better get down there right away. Man, what am I going to do for dinner…"

Edy left but Vash remained behind. Knives' pleasant expression had dissipated and he glared at his brother.

"Bringing more humans into the house, are we" came the calloused question. "Just like you own the place."

"Well, you don't either; Edy doesn't mind at all, or she would have turned the Insurance Girls away."

"Insurance Girls… they traveled with you and the priest, did they not?"

"Um-hm," Vash grunted his reply. He was in no mood for Knives this evening, ruining his good mood. What he really wanted to know was what he had been talking to Edy about all afternoon.

"I didn't say a single nasty thing to her," Knives remarked snidely; it was almost as if he read his brother's mind. A malicious smirk crossed his face as he met his brother's furious eyes. "I didn't even ask about her hair cut, although I wanted to so badly. Tell me, Vash; did she have a break down? Did all those terrible things you said to her last night make her lose control, make her need to change something so dramatically, make her cut away a part of herself? You were quite blunt with her, saying all those terrible, frightening things; you all but said she was as good as dead. You…"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Vash shouted, wheeling around to run to the door. "I only told her the truth! You did too! I wasn't the only one who told her about us, about what we are!"

With that, Vash slammed the door and clomped downstairs, trying to regain his composure. Whatever shred of a good mood he had hoped to leave that room with, it was gone now.

Knives sat in the near-darkness; Edy had lit the two lamps flanking the door around sunset, when she was in there, but the force with which Vash shut the door had blown one out. Knives smiled to himself at first, but then he frowned. Was this really how he wanted things to go? Was this really how he wanted it to be?

* * * * *

"But you must have had to eat out every day on the road! You must really want a good, home cooked meal by now," Vash heard Edy say as he walked into the kitchen. Apparently Edy had made acquaintances with Milly because she stood before the tall girl, the two of them discussing dinner. Wolfwood and Meryl had remained sitting, both sipping their tea and watching how dinner plans would unfold. Isaiah had even popped his head in from the living room, having retreated to there to read after the sun had set.

"Oh no, Miss Edy, it's fine," Milly consoled the distraught-looking young woman in her usual sweet manner. "Well, we did eat out a lot, but really, we don't mind. You've got your hands full with Mr. Knives and everyone else. It's no problem!"

"At least let me pay," Edy gave in at last, but using yet again her "don't defy me" look, Vash noted. "I know this great place not to far from here; it's a family-owned restaurant, real quaint, but it has the most incredible pasta you could imagine."

"Sounds delicious!" Vash said, summoning all of his strength to be cheerful for the others. He didn't like the idea of leaving Knives here alone, but maybe if they drugged him up enough…. Edy's sleeping draught seemed potent enough. "I'll go run some leftovers up to Knives for dinner, and then we'll be on our way."

The others stayed in the kitchen as Vash threw together a tray of food from the pantry and fridge, topping it off with a glass of water and a glass of the draught. Edy noticed but only nodded slightly and frowned as Vash passed, agreeing that it was probably for the best, even if she didn't particularly like the idea.

When Vash returned he found everyone in the foyer, ready to go. Isaiah had become engrossed in a conversation with Milly who stood at Wolfwood's side; the priest chatted idly with Edy but Meryl stood off from the group, silent with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Vash gently wound his arm around hers, causing her to let go of her death grip on herself. The group headed out into the night, their happy voices floating skyward to greet the moons above.

* * * * *

The place actually was quaint, a small, softly lit place with candles dripping down over brilliantly colored bottles and wine older than Isaiah, Milly, and Wolfwood combined. A string quartet played music much livelier than normally heard from such an ensemble, but not enough to over-power any chance of a conversation. A beautiful mural covered the walls, encircling the room; everyone was taken aback except for Edy when they first laid eyes on it.

It was a seascape, as Edy told them later while they ate, a thing that one could see on Earth; she'd read about such things and had seen pictures of them in books before. Still, it was breathtaking to see such an incredibly rendered scene of more water in one place than any of them would ever catch a glimpse of in a lifetime on the desert planet. It was quite a find, tucked away in the Hollow, where so few upper class citizens dared to tread. If they had, this restaurant would be raised to an almost god-like status among culinary wonders; between the wine, the atmosphere, and especially the food, it was just that good.

The owner/head chef strode out onto the floor when the group entered, Edy at the helm. He was a short, broad man with dark hair that covered his head in a wild rug, straggling down his round cheeks; after wiping his hands on his big white apron he drew Edy up into a hug, virtually nullifying the preceding action, and chastised her for not coming around more often.

"You haven't been around in a year, not since your papa passed away, God rest his soul," he told her, waggling his finger at her like she was an erring child. "You know Maria and I enjoyed your pretty face and handsome wit the most of all in your wonderful family; although your mama was a stunning and perfect saint, God rest her soul as well. We've missed you so terribly!"

"I know Luc, I know, I'm sorry. Of course," she grinned, turning the teasing tables on him, "you two could have come and visited me any time you wanted. By keeping away, you haven't had a chance to meet the newest addition to the Gardener clan. Isaiah, honey, this is Lucas Herring, the proud proprietor and head chef of The Prancing Thomas, as well as a close friend of the family."

Edy reached back and drew her brother forward to greet the man. The two shook hands, Isaiah's shyness keeping him from muttering much more than "Pleased to meetcha." He still was unused to meeting new people and it didn't help that he had Edy to hide behind like a toddler behind his mother's knees. Although he was on better terms with the new men (minus Knives, naturally) in their lives, Isaiah still had yet to warm up to the diminutive Meryl who, to her credit, had only arrived that morning. Of course, Milly was far too, well, Milly-ish, not to like and he had liked her on sight, but that was a whole other kettle of strangers.

"My, my, what a handsome young lad. Where'd you find this one roaming about?"

"Father actually brought him home not long before he died. Isaiah's a special one, that's the truth," Edy said, giving him a big hug from behind and a small peck on the top of his head. Isaiah blushed and tried to pull away but Edy only held on tighter, knowing the boy was just mortified. What good was a big sister if she couldn't embarrass her little brother terribly from time to time?

"It seems you've gathered up a few more wandering souls than just this fine gentleman. I don't recognize a one of you, so Edy, if you'd kindly introduce us," Luc insisted.

Edy went around the circle telling Luc the names of every individual in the entourage, each taking the man's enthusiastic hand in turn. He gave the ladies a kiss on the hand and then swept off to have a table set for them immediately.

"Why'd you have to do that, Edy," Isaiah whined when the man was out of hearing range.

"Because you're just too precious to not hug and kiss," she said in a ridiculously sappy tone of voice usually reserved for puppies and babies, throwing her arms around him again and covering his cheeks with little kisses. As he struggled the group laughed at the siblings, all except Meryl who barely let any mirth escape from between her lips.

"What's wrong, Insurance Girl," Vash leaned over and whispered to her, his arm still around hers in a gentlemanly fashion. "Are you still mad at me about this afternoon? I already explained to you how it is. And why were you so worked up about it in the first place?"

She glanced over at Milly and Wolfwood, who had followed their lead, falling into adorable step behind Vash and Meryl on the walk over. They stood closer together than she to the blonde gunman and their smiles toward each other were more genuine, more meaningful, yet still so light and playful like old times. Meryl turned her eyes then to her toes. She knew those two were as close to real as possible in this world and in their situations. She also knew that Vash's arm around hers was just a kind act to make her feel better. Everything that man did was kind; he was the fucking kindest man she knew. It burned her so badly and Meryl couldn't even tell herself why. She most certainly couldn't tell Vash why. At last she whispered a reply.

"I'm just exhausted from all the traveling and catching up, that's all. And I'm dirty still. One can only take so many basin baths in two-bit hotels for so long before going a little crazy."

She tried to smile her best "I'm okay, really" smile and it obviously worked. Vash just smiled back.

"Don't worry, Edy has a huge bath tub that stays warm for as long as you like. She'd be happy to draw you a bath as soon as we get back from dinner."

Meryl nodded but said nothing, her lips pursed a little tighter. Luc had returned in full force to usher them to their seats. When everyone was settled in he produced the finest vintage in the house, on the house of course, and insisted that he would pay for their meal this evening too. Edy launched into a half-hearted argument, insisting that she would pay, but she gave in rather quickly; it was evident that Luc like things his way as much if not more so than Edy like things her way. With a fatherly kiss on Edy's cheek, Luc disappeared off to the kitchens in a flurry of apron and excitement.

The dinner out had begun.