A/N: Yay! Sagan Fox finally gets off her ass and updates! Now that I finally know where I want to go with this story (sort of), I actually CAN update! To be honest, I've had most of this chapter in my head for MONTHS. Honestly, MONTHS. I just didn't have a fanfic to put it in! So, now that it's out of my system, I can actually focus on the plot. Yes, my fanfic minions, this chapter is 100% FLUFF. It's probably out of character and it doesn't really have much to do with the plot after the first 1000 words or so, but damn it, it made me feel better and gave me something to do! So there! NYAH!
Many thanks and much love to my loyal lovely beta monkeys, Discordia the Goddess of Irony and EarFestishGirl. Couldn't live without ya, dolls. Go read the fanfic of Discordia, Goddess of Irony! It's good, and I beta-read it myself!
So, read, enjoy, and review! All flames will be met with a berserker author clad only in fire wielding a katana. And that isn't a pretty sight, folks. On with the show!
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The sun had yet to rise, and Vash was already walking. The eastern horizon glowed a bright red-orange with the coming light. In the distance he saw the cluster of buildings that was his destination. Adjusting Knives' weight on his shoulder, he trudged on toward the town he had left almost a month ago.
His tired nerves jangled in his mind as far too many thoughts and worries came upon him. Bringing Knives in close contact with people could have two results: either nothing would happen or complete and total disaster would reign. He doubted that his brother had spoken with anyone besides himself and the Gung-Ho Guns in the past years, and before that, only Vash himself. Vash did not completely understand what had gone so wrong in his brother to fill him with such hatred and violence. They were always together with Rem, heard the same stories, the same lessons, and received the same love from the only mother they had ever known. They had also suffered the same abuse from the same less-enlightened crewmembers. Yet Vash grew into a peaceful and relatively well-adjusted man, while Knives had only lost himself in his own hate and fear and delusion. It hurt Vash deep in his heart to know that his brother, his flesh and blood, had suffered so much. He would give anything to make Knives see that everyone could live in peace.
The twin suns broke the horizon as Vash came to the top of a sand dune. He looked down upon the town, and silently prayed that he was doing the right thing by bringing Knives here. There was so much that could potentially go wrong, and, now, so much he had to lose. His eyes searched the buildings, and pinpointed the small yet cozy house Milly and Meryl had rented during his recovery from the incident with Legato. The memory of his greatest indiscretion still haunted him, and he shivered despite the already rising heat. He pushed the thoughts from his mind, and began to descend the dune.
The streets of the small town were vacant, for now, another small blessing. It was best to get Knives out if sight before people living out their everyday lives saw him. Or, more importantly, before he saw them. After Knives' last outburst, Vash doubted his ability to keep Knives under control for much longer. He would have to find another solution, especially if he was to bring Knives to Meryl and Milly. Their house came into view, and he picked up his pace and made a bee-line for it.
This is it, he thought, there's no turning away now. If I take another step, I will have committed myself to going back to them. It's not like I have anywhere else to go now. Even if I did, I think the only place I would want to be is here. With Meryl.
Alright, it's time to stop running. The time has come for me to take a stand and fix what I've avoided for far too long. I promise, right here, right now, that I WILL help Knives out of that cold, dark place that fuels his hatred. And I promise that I won't let anyone else suffer because of him ever again.
He was now but a few steps from the porch of the house. Taking a deep breath, he made his way up the steps to stand in front of the door. Vash raised his hand to knock, and paused.
And, you Meryl. I promise you that I will never leave you in the dark again.
He lightly rapped on the dry wooden door. His heart raced in the few seconds before it slowly swung open. The groggy face of Milly Thompson peered out, still adjusting to the light. Her clear blue eyes met Vash's and her radiant smile lit up her face.
"Mr. Vash! You've come back! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" She moved to embrace him, but took note of the other large man slung over his shoulder, and led him inside.
"Have you been carrying that guy all this time? Put him here," she said, motioning to the couch in the living room, "you must be so tired!"
Vash set Knives down on the couch, and stretched his sore muscles. His arm and shoulder muscles were cramped from two weeks of carrying his brother. Milly looked the sleeping man over, and went still and silent when she saw how closely he resembled Vash. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Mr. Vash...This is Knives, isn't it?" She cast her gaze toward the ground as she covered him in a light blanket.
"Yes," he responded, "This is my brother."
"He looks so much like you. Can I ask..." she began, but stopped herself. She didn't want to pry, or to re-open wounds that had not had proper time to heal. Vash was not known for easily revealing details about himself.
He saw her discomfort, and took the liberty of answering her question as much as he could at the time. "We fought. I won. That's all I can say right now. I promise I'll tell you the whole story later."
Milly smiled cheerfully at him again, and then wrapped him in a crushing bear hug. "Oh, Mr. Vash, we missed you a whole lot! It's wonderful that you came back ok this time, we were so worried! You'll never guess what happened! We found a huge underground water vein in the middle of the town!"
He squirmed under the pressure of her strong arms. "Milly...can't...breathe..." He coughed several times before she released him, leaving him gasping for breath. "I missed...you too..." He sat down in a chair across from the couch, and Milly did the same next to him. Letting his gaze fall upon Knives, he wondered how Milly would react to him. She doesn't have a malicious bone in her body. She'd never mistreat him, or anyone, on purpose. But...Wolfwood is dead because of him. And because of me. I don't think I can ever completely forgive him for his death, for the thousands of other deaths...for Rem's death. I'm not sure that she can, either. He suddenly remembered how he'd heard Wolfwood's voice in the heat of battle, how that voice had saved him. Even in death, his friend always had his back. Vash turned to Milly and smiled a wise, sympathetic smile.
"Milly..."
She turned to him mid-yawn and said, "Yes, Mr. Vash?"
He took her hand in hers, and said solemnly, "He was with me the whole time. It was like he was right there with me. He saved me."
Milly understood completely. She smiled and wiped impending tears from her eyes. Her eyes sparkled in the half light of the early morning. "I know." She grinned with an honesty and absolute joy Vash had not seen in her in months, and lightly patted her stomach. "He's with me too."
Vash's jaw almost hit the floor. He had picked up on the fact that in Wolfwood's last days, they had become intimate, but he would never have expected this to come of it. Yet somehow, it was fitting. He could see that Milly was ecstatic. "Are you serious? Are you really...with Wolfwood...?"
She burst out with cheerful joyous laughter and stood up. "Yes, Mr. Vash! I'm...Nicolas and I, we're...I'm going to have a baby!"
"Milly, that's wonderful!" He stood up and embraced her. The solemnity that dominated his mood for the past weeks lifted a bit. It was the first piece of good news he'd heard in months. He sensed peace in Milly. She was finally ready to move on now that she was sure that Wolfwood hadn't left her completely.
It suddenly struck him that a certain petite insurance girl was nowhere to be found. Vash released Milly, and asked, "Where's Meryl? She's usually up by now." Despite the fact that she slept like the dead, Meryl had always been an early-riser.
"Oh, she's been sleeping later for the past few weeks. It's because she stays up so late now. Her part-time job at the tavern sometimes keeps her late, but at night she just writes and writes until she gets up and falls into bed."
"What does she write?"
"I don't know, she's never shown it to me. It looks like she's writing in a journal or something. Would you like me to go wake her up and tell her you're back?" She stepped away toward the short hall that led to the house's three bedrooms.
"No, let her sleep. I'll wait." He sat back down sighed. He wanted so much to see her again. The thought of being without her pained him more and more each day. It conflicted with his instinct to run, to get away from people so that he didn't bring them suffering. He had been running for more than a century. Despite being a terrible flirt, he had never been close enough to a woman to have an actual relationship. As soon as they found out who he was, either they ran away, or he had to. But Meryl was different. As annoying as it was in the beginning, Meryl just wouldn't leave him alone. She saw the havoc he brings, and still she didn't run. Even when her life was in danger, she stood by him. He tried to run away from her, but eventually she caught up. Meryl saw Vash, all of Vash—his scars, his pain, his aftermath—and she was always there waiting for him. Man, she is one stubborn woman, he thought, but his concentration was broken by Milly. She had a suspiciously sly smile on her face.
"Mr. Vash, I think she might wake up sooner if you go to her."
"But—"
She interrupted his protest by gently putting a hand on his shoulder. "Go to her, Mr. Vash. I'll watch Knives. If he wakes up I'll go get you right away."
Who was he to say no to Milly? He sighed and smiled, then got up and walked to the hallway. When he got to her door, he hesitated. If I don't go in, Milly will probably hit me. If I DO go in there, Meryl will probably hit me. Either way a very angry woman will assault me physically.
But he needed to see her. Even if he had wanted to, he couldn't have stopped himself from opening the door and gazing at her. She was beautiful. When they first met, he had been struck by how beautiful yet strong-willed and tenacious she was, but now he was struck by her absolute radiance, even while she was asleep. He closed the door behind him, but did not move from that spot. Her hair hung in her face as she rolled over in sleep and curled into a semi-fetal position. She unconsciously pulled the blankets tight around her shoulders and settled so that she was facing Vash. He noticed that she was shivering despite the blankets and the heat that always accompanied the rising suns.
I love her.
The thought struck him out of nowhere. In shock, he stepped back into the door with a light clatter. I do love her. I never realized it until now. She's just....everything. I can't describe it as anything other than that. I love her because she is everything.
He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his soul. He had been hiding this from even himself. A man like him cannot allow himself to love. The further he was away from people, the better things would be for everyone. He was so used to that credo, and at the same time, so tired of it. All he wanted now was to live peacefully.
What he did next was so out of character, he wasn't aware of it until he had done it. He honestly could not stop himself. He quietly tiptoed around to the other side of the bed, and, as softly as possible, lay down next to Meryl on his side and wrapped an arm around her waist. He silently prayed that she wouldn't wake up, at least not now. He pulled her close, and let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. All he wanted was to lay there with her for hours on end. At that moment, all that mattered was being with her and knowing that she was safe. Wow, she really does sleep deeply. I wonder if she's dreaming. I wonder what she dreams about. What's going on in that head of yours right now, Meryl? Hmm. I'm sure you've asked that of me dozens of times.
He froze when she shifted and started to murmur. "No, Vash...don't go away again, stay with me. Vash..." She was still deep in a dream. He bent his head down close to hers and whispered, "I'm here, Meryl."
She quieted, and unconsciously nestled closer to him. He tightened his hold on her, and buried his face in her hair. I could definitely get used to this, he thought.
Unbeknownst to Vash, Meryl's eyes fluttered open to the same wall she did every morning. Still quite sleepy, she moved closer to the large warm object next to her in the bed. This large warm object felt familiar and comforting, like something she had been without that was suddenly restored. Right before she was to drift back off to sleep, she thought of how unusual it was to have such a nice, soft warm object wrapped around her in bed. He eyes shot back open when she realized that someone was in bed with her who had not been there when she fell asleep. Despite this shock, she didn't want to move away.
"Vash?"
The man in her bed froze in fear, expecting a flying fist or kick aimed directly at his head. When none was forthcoming, he answered back, "I told you I was here, Meryl."
She rolled over in his arms to face him. A look of absolute joy came over her face, but she caught herself and blushed. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you, I'm back."
She blushed even more and looked away from his eyes. "No, Vash, I mean, what are you doing here..."
He as well blushed slightly before admitting, "I...wanted to see you."
She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. Under normal circumstances he'd have been kicked out of the bed long ago and left with a painful head wound. But now Meryl felt none of her usual inhibitions and fears. All that mattered at that moment was that he had come back to her and that he was safe. He as well gathered her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "So...anyone miss me?"
She chuckled to herself. "No, not in the least."
They were silent for a long time, each unsure of what to say but unwilling to move from that spot. Each had wanted this for so long, but now that it was here, neither had any idea what to do. Meryl was the first to speak. "Vash, what happened with—"
"I incapacitated him, for now at least. He's actually asleep in your living room right now. I'm sorry to have to bring him here, but—"
"There's nowhere I'd rather you take him. There's nowhere else I'd want you to be. So...what now?"
Vash sighed. In all honesty, he had no idea. "I don't know, exactly. I have to try to help him change his way of thinking. I think I can help him see that we all can live peacefully."
"I want to help in any way I can. I don't want you to keep me in the dark anymore. Let me help you." Her compassion even for someone who should be considered an enemy was also what attracted him to her. So few people had ever cared about his well-being before she started following him around.
"You've already helped more than you know. I couldn't have done this without you. You helped me see that even if someone does something terribly wrong, they can be forgiven, and they can change. You showed me that people can change for the better if they can see that everyone can live peacefully. You were right, none of us were born meant to hurt or kill others, and neither was Knives." Vash looked deep into her dark grey-violet eyes and caressed her cheek. "You gave me back my faith. You were my light."
At that moment both of their hearts were beating so fast, they threatened to burst from their chests. Meryl had dreamed of his return for months. Now that he was back, she felt overwhelmed with emotions that she had tried so hard to repress. The only emotion that rang clear and true was her love for him. She loved him so much, it hurt. Tears came to her eyes, and she averted her eyes from him in embarrassment, staring into his chest.
"I still want to help you. After all, it is my job to minimize the damages associated with Vash the Stampede. Knives is associated with you, so I have to do everything in my power to stop him from causing more damages. To society, and to you."
"I can't let you get involved in this. If you get involved, you could be hurt."
"I'm already involved, damn it!" She was beginning to tire of him always taking the role of a martyr. "I became involved the minute I began following you, and you can't get rid of me now! I would follow you to the ends of the earth no matter what you say, Vash, because despite all of my attempts to deny it I lo—" She caught herself and blushed a bright red.
Vash's heart skipped a beat. He needed to know what she was going to say. He needed to hear it. It had been so long since anyone had said those words to him, he'd almost forgotten what they sound like. He cupped her face in his hands and moved closer to gaze into her eyes, only inches away. "Finish it," he whispered, his voice raw from desire and emotion.
"I...love you." Meryl's voice trembled from an odd combination of fear and emotion. The gathering tears spilled over, running onto Vash's hands.
Vash breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Good. Because would kind of suck if I loved you and you didn't love me back."
Meryl laughed through her tears and playfully punched him in the arm. He feigned painful agony and clutched his arm, whimpering like a child with a paper cut. "You abuse me! I knew I'd get punched when I came back!"
"Then you shouldn't tease m—" She was silenced by Vash's mouth on hers. At first it surprised her, but she quickly softened, and deepened Vash's chaste, hesitant kiss. She ran her fingers through his silky hair as Vash wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his body. Her sudden passion surprised even her, and she broke the kiss, not wanting this to go any further for now. They were content just to lie in each other's arms for as long as they could.
Meryl was suddenly struck by the frightening prospect that he was only telling her this because he was going to leave again. It both angered and frightened her that he would toy were her usually reserved emotions like this only to leave her in the dust again. She took a deep breath and asked him, unsure of whether she wanted the answer or not.
"Vash, are you going to leave again?"
He paused a long time before he answered. He himself was unsure of the answer. He wanted nothing more than to stay here with her. But he had Knives with him now, and above anything else, Knives meant danger. And the last thing he wanted was for Meryl, or Milly, to be hurt. He looked down at her, and saw the love in her eyes. No one had ever looked at him like that, and suddenly knew what he would say to her.
"No."
She was about to respond, but a knock at the door stopped her. From the other side of the door came Milly's voice. "Mr. Vash...Knives is waking up."
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Fini! See, fluff. I told you. Didn't you believe me? Skeptical readers... ^_~
(Sagan Fox pounds fist on the wall)
Sagan Fox: Hey, keep it down in there you two! Geez, I give Vash and Meryl they're own room in my mind and what do they do all day? (Sighs) She had better not tire him out too much. I have him slated for 11:00. (Evil fantasizing grin)