Thanksgiving special. I'm feeling generous so I'm posting early! I plan to reach 100,000 words by 12-3-03 because on that day, I'll have been a writer here for one whole year! Look how far I've come in only one year!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

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One is the Loneliest Number

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Chapter 5

Paranoia

*Still sitting on the porch steps*

"What do you mean destroyed?! I live there! Wait… did you say 2021? But… But it's only the year 2003," the girl beside Vash freaked out.

Vash turned to look at the wide eyed girl, wondering if she could have amnesia, "Everyone knows its 2071…"

"Wait… how old are you? You look only 27 or so," Kat commented as she studied his face.

Vash just grinned stupidly at her. 'I slipped up again… What if she's after the bounty?! I can't let her know how old I am. She'd think I was crazy…and she'd be the only living person besides Knives to know how old I am…'

Kat stared at him strangely as if all his secrets were on the tip of her tongue and she just couldn't remember them.

Vash fidgeted and quickly changed the subject, "So how did you get here again?"

"Through my TV," she replied absently, too deep in thought to realize what she had said.

"A television? But those weren't meant for transportation. In fact, televisions became obsolete in the year 2009," he commented to himself.

They stared at each other in confusion before Kat broke the silence, "Why do you carry a gun with you every where you go?"

He grinned and his hand slid to his gun, "You never know when you might need one!"

She shivered a bit and pulled her freezing arms into her white duster coat, "It's very hot in the day so how come it's so cold at night? This is a desert isn't it?"

Vash stood up and said, "This planet is considered a 'cold desert' since it's so cold at night verses a 'hot desert' where it's humid all the time."

She watched him retreat into the hotel and come out a few seconds later with a large blanket. He draped it over her and sat back down.

"Thanks but aren't you cold?" Kat asked as she drew the blanket around her.

Vash noticed that she had a tear tattoo on her right cheek, "I think I'll be ok." He studied Kat's hair and wondered if the black and white locks that framed her face were natural.

She caught him staring and attempted to hide her colored locks, "You think it looks odd?"

Vash blushed from embracement, "No…"

Kat laughed and ruffled his hair, "Yours looks much better down then up."

Vash pouted as he attempted to straighten his now messy hair, "You don't like my hair?"

Kat laughed again, "I like it, but I still think you look better with it down."

A small frigid breeze blew across the porch and Kat saw Vash shiver. Her black cat meowed annoyed from being so cold. "You're such a sissy," Kat told her cat, "Suck it up." Kat scooted closer to Vash and draped her blanket around him.

"Who me?" he asked.

"Not you," Kat huffed and pointed to the black furry ball, "Mayonaka, my cat."

"He's yours?" Vash asked as he began to warm up.

Kat scooted closer so she could close the gap in the blanket, "Yep. Darn cat follows me everywhere. I swear he becomes more like a dog every day."

"How did you know I was Vash the Stampede?" he asked and startled Kat by the sudden change in subject.

"I guessed but you just proved to me that you were," Kat teased.

Vash grew uneasy, "You're not after my bounty are you?"

Kat laughed, "I could use the money…" Vash stiffened. "…But I doubt that you're very easy to catch."

"Would you take the money if given a chance?" Vash asked uneasily.

"If it meant turning you in? No," she replied.

'She's the first person I've met who isn't out to get me. She's odd…but in a good way. I wonder if she likes doughnuts. And I still wonder how she got here. Since when did people just crawl through TV's?' Vash paused as Kat's black cat came up to sit in his lap. 'Odd cat. Since when did cats like me? I know dogs hate me. It must be something they can smell. Or am I just too dashing for them to handle?' the outlaw joked. His thoughts drifted to Rem and he saddened a bit.

Kat felt his mood change and began to sadden too as she felt her mood drop with his. 'Geese, it's as if his mood affects everyone around him. I wonder what he could possibly be thinking about to make him this sad.' Kat yawned and laid her head on his shoulder still wondering what he could possibly be thinking about.

Vash was shaken out of his thoughts when he noticed Kat was resting her head on his shoulder. She looked as if she too was deep in thought. Vash smiled as his mood switched a bit.

Kat yawned again and closed her eyes.

Vash was surprised to see she had fallen asleep. Her breath came out in little white puffs and her breathing was deep. Vash yawned as he began to feely sleepy. 'Not the first place I would have chosen to sleep… But the stars sure are pretty.'

(A/N: Yes odd chappie ending but there'll be more to come! PLEASE REVIEW!!!)