I dedicate this and every future story I do to Devon… the person who knew and understood my feelings better than anyone else. I'll never forget you Dev…

You look for love your entire life to find it right under your nose… but by then… it's already too late.

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Chapter 35

Two-faced or just whistling in the dark?

Kat sits at the bay window toying with the black parts of Vash's hair. He has his arms wrapped protectively around her as he stares out the window.

The creator he and Knives had made took up more than half of the yard. Brown spots of dried blood are scattered across the ground in large patches. The bamboo shuts that had held Inuyasha had been cut to release him and were still standing in one area of the yard. Blood coats parts of the houses outside walls.

A breeze drifts in from the broken window Inuyasha had smashed through. Kat itches at a bandage on her upper left arm. She had been shot sometime during the night although when she doesn't remember.

Vash, seeing Kat itch at her bandage, is tempted to do the same with the many ones coating his body. He had been shot more times than could be counted and it was taking almost all of his strength to just to stay conscious to sit with Kat.

Kurama had healed quickly and had spent most of the morning patching everyone up. He had used some ancient herbs on everyone's wounds and it had helped most of them heal faster. The wounds that were deep were mostly unaffected by Kurama's herbs but they still helped to ease the pain.

Inuyasha had been poisoned badly by Kurama's rose whip but Kurama had given the antidote to him just in time.

Tanya had suffered a small crack to her skull from being slammed against the house but Kurama had also healed her.

Vix was the lucky one; she came out with nothing but a few scratches and bruises.

Jasmine had lost a lot of blood from the cut to her neck and she hadn't woken yet.

Mayonaka had surprisingly slept through the whole thing along with Dev, who had passed out from too much alcohol.

Kenshin had been shot in the shoulder and was, like Jasmine, still unconscious.

Kat sighed as her thoughts turned to Knives. It was still a mystery how he had arrived. There was still one wish orb left so that hadn't been the answer. A meow sounded behind them and a black cat with green eyes landed itself in Kat's lap.

She absently scratches the cat's ears and wonders how the cat had showed up. The cat had been found curled up in a small ball against Mayonaka and hadn't left since. It was apparent to Vash and Kat that the cat was none other than Kuroneko.

Mayonaka had refused to believe that the cat had such a strange name and wanted to name the feline Titan but it just didn't stick. The nickname Kuro had been given to the cat as a compromise between everyone.

Kageunsei growled as he stood up, annoyed by Kat's thoughts and pained from the tree that had hit him. A large bandage covered his chest and tuffs of black fur stuck out of it in some areas. Saku arrived at the door somehow fully healed. Kageunsei leaned against his daughter for support and hobbled off down the hallway.

Kat snuggled deeper into the blanket she had wrapped around her and Vash. She looks out the window again and her eyes pick up the sight of a few shredded Halloween props. The pit that had been dug had been swallowed by the creator. Kat leaned back and rested her head on Vash's chest. He grunts involuntarily from the pain and shifts a bit to make it more comfortable.

"Sorry," Kat says as she sits up, "I didn't hurt you did I?"

Vash shakes his head and pulls her back down wanting nothing more than her to be in his arms even if it hurt him to do it. "I'm sorry," he murmurs.

"For what?" Kat asks.

"I didn't mean to hurt Kenshin or make a mess of Halloween."

Kat knocks him gently on the head, "It's not your fault. I guess I couldn't expect to have a regular Halloween with you around now could I?"

He smiles and laughs, "I guess not."

^_^

Kat heard foot steps coming her way. She turns to see Kenshin standing in the doorway, "You're awake! How do you feel?"

Kenshin smiles as he leans against the doorway for support, "Better but I have to give credit to Vash; he's really good at shooting."

"He's just as good at shooting as you are….were at swordsmanship," Kat stumbled a moment over her words.

Kenshin shifted his weight to his bad leg and hissed in pain as he lost his balance. Kat's image faded as she used her 'god speed' to catch him before he hit the floor. Kat set him against the doorframe, checking to see if he was ok.

"Did I used to be as fast as you?" he asked.

"As fast and three times faster," Kat replied after making sure he was ok.

Kenshin wheezed as he attempted to laugh, "You make it sound as if I was superman."

"…In my eyes…you were."

He locked gazes with Kat's and was surprised to see her crying silently.

"I'm sorry I'm not the man I used to be…but I'll try my hardest to be the man he was."

^_^

Saku and Jasmine had woken up as the day had gone on. They were still stiff and hobbled around most of the day though. Kageunsei was still having a hard time getting around and Kat had heard from Kurama that one of the branches from the tree he was hit by had impaled him.

She had gone around to check on everyone but when it came time for her to check on Knives, she grew hesitant. Her hand hovered above the door handle and she jumped when Vash put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her. Kat turned the knob and entered. She saw Knives sitting on the bed staring out his window, motionless. He had obviously sensed her but he made no move to acknowledge her presence. "How are you feeling?" she asked timidly. Knives just continued to stare out the window. "Um…I need to change your bandage," Kat said. When she neared she saw blood stains on the bandages. Kat frowned. She had heard from Kurama that his wounds had sealed partly, just enough to stop bleeding but it was obvious that they had reopened.

"You tried to walk didn't you?" Kat said more as a comment than a question. "That was pretty stupid of you. You could have gotten even more hurt than you are now." Kat sat down on the bed and Knives inched away from her. "I don't bite," Kat assured him. She reached for his bandage but he slapped her hand away. "I'm the only one who's going to do this. Kurama is way to busy and no one else knows how to change bandages except me." She reached for the wound again and attempted to remove the bandage.

He hissed at her through clenched teeth, "Watch it wench."

Kat snorted, "This is how you repay me for trying to help you after you tried to kill me?" He glared at her as she removed the bloodied bandages. Kat grimaced when she caught sight of the bullet wound. Dead flesh bordered the wound and blood trickled slowly from it. Kat scrunched up her nose and Knives caught her action.

"You're more disgusting then I'll ever be spider," he hissed.

"I'm not disgusting and neither are you. It's just that you're wound is a little…" she trailed off not wanting to bother fighting with him. She retied the new bandages and walked out of his room.

"How did it go?" Vash asked. "You know what?" Kat asked as Vash listened, "You're brother is a real asshole."

Jasmine came around the corner, "I brought him something to eat." She opened the door and waltzed in, "Hey Knives!" The plant grumbled in response. "Brought you some ramen. It's just about the only thing I can cook but it tastes good," she set the tray on the nightstand. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

He snorted, "Am I supposed to?"

Kat watched stunned. Knives had just said and done more to Jasmine in once sentence then he had to her through the whole time she was there. Jasmine chattered away as Knives sat there occasionally responding by snorting at her remarks. He covered it up well, but Kat could sense he really liked Jasmine being around even if she was a bit annoying at times.

Vash shut the door and Kat turned her attention to him.

Kuroneko streaked by as Saku chased after him HE BIT ME!

Kat stared after the wolf a moment before redirecting her attention to Vash, "What made you like that last night?"

He shrugged, "I couldn't tell you but what ever it was affected Kenshin the same way it affected me."

"You're ok now though right?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded, "I think so."

"Will Knives be able to walk soon?"

"You try standing after getting shot several times," he retorted.

Kat held up her hands in defense, "Well sorry!"

"Ever thought what would happen if Kat and Vash were drunk at the same time?" someone asked.

"No there's a scary thought," someone else laughed.

Vix and Dev rounded the corner laughing hard. "Hey Kat?" Vix asked.

Kat rolled her eyes knowing full well that they were both drunk. "How could you love someone as dorky and stupid as Vash?"

"I've learned to live with it and love him for it!" Kat snapped a bit annoyed.

"Would you die for him?" Dev asked.

Kat paused a moment not knowing if she wanted to answer, "Yes."

"What about Kenshin? What are you going to do about him?" Dev asked.

Kat was beginning to feel uncomfortable and chose not to answer the question. They began to walk away, "How could anyone value a cold-blooded manslayer's life more than their own?"

"If you got something to say…SAY IT TO MY FACE!" They ignored her, "DID YOU HEAR ME?!"

"We're smashed not deaf!" they yelled back.

Kat growled and handed Vash a heavy bag of medical supplies, "Hold this."

She stormed after the two drunken people with Vash right behind her. Kat lost sight of them as she rounded a corner. She muttered to her self before storming off in mock furry. Vash sighed and began to climb some stairs to deposit the medical bag. Inuyasha tore down the stairs after Tanya and accidentally knocking Vash. Vash lost his balance and fell backwards. He landed on the medical bag he was wearing like a backpack and heard something crunch, "Shit."

Pain coursed through him as he attempted to stand but the bag was too much weight for his injured limbs. He fell back and hoped someone would pass despite the fact that he looked like an overturned turtle.

"Shit happens," Kurama said while he came down the stairs and lifted Vash up.

The yoko took the bag from him and headed off in the opposite direction Vash had been going.

"Same shit different day," Vash repeated a line from a book Kat had been reading.

He passed Kat's room on his way to check on Jasmine and then changed his mind decided to see how Kat was doing instead. He didn't bother to knock and that was his first mistake. His second was gawking when he saw that Kat had been changing. She stood there a second before quickly pulling her shirt over her head and yelling,

"PERVERT!" She grabbed the closest thing she could reach and tossed it at Vash.

Kuroneko came flying at him and knocked him to the ground.

Her door slammed and Kat muttered, "Same shit different day."

A/N: SSDD