"Do you think they really knew him?" Nick asked. He and Rem were inside a
bar in the next town. The had just come from the insurance company's main
office. All the information they recieved about Vash the Stampede was a
description: a red coat, blond hair, and a silver gun.
"My mom and Milly you mean? They aren't known for lying, you know," Rem said. She looked at the bartender. "Do you have anything on Vash the Stampede?"
The bartender looked at her and Nick. "You two bounty hunters? You look a little young," he said.
Rem laughed. "It's actually business we have to take care of and the Humanoid Typhoon will be our business associate," she said.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. "That's new... Well, Vash is supposed to carry a huge weapon and he's got a reputation as a womanizer too," He looked at Rem. "You may want to be careful, little lady."
"Like I'll let any wanted man get close to my friend," Nick said.
Rem looked up at him. "You're cute sometimes," she said. She sighed. "Let's go see if we can't get more information on Vash. Thank you," she said to the bartneder. As soon as they got out of the bar, Rem put her hands in her hair. "We'll be walking in circles if we keep getting the same information!"
Nick nodded. "Maybe he's just someone or something that isn't meant to be messed with," he said.
"Whether he is or not, I'm going to find out anything I can about my father!" Rem said.
"Nicholas D. Wolfwood? Is that really you?" a voice asked. Vash was standing behind the two near the door of the bar.
Nick put his cross down. "I'm Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Jr. You must be referring to my father," he said.
Vash looked at Nick closely. "You must have been born right after he died. You look about eighteen. Who's your mother?" Vash asked.
"Milly Thompson. She works for the Bernardelly Insurance Company with her partner, Meryl Stryfe," Nick said.
Rem thought for a monent. "Hey, if you know Nick's dad, I bet you know Vash the Stampede," Rem said.
"Vash the Stampede? Uh... yeah, sure I know him. Why are you looking for him?" Vash asked. He was preparing to run if they mentioned the bounty.
Rem took a deep breath. "We're trying to find out anything we can about our fathers. Especially me. My mother won't even say a thing about my father at all. Vash can help us with everything we need to find out," she said.
Nick put his arm around her. "It's okay," he said. "We'll find Vash and we'll find out who your father is, Rem."
"Rem? Your name is Rem?" Vash asked.
Rem nodded. "That's the only thing I know about my father. My name came from him," she said.
Vash looked at the ground and thought. Meryl named her daughter Rem? Why? Why am I supposed to know so much about this girl's father? He looked up at Rem and saw her eyes. They were just like Vash's with that same sort of sparkle. My daughter? Vash thought.
"So, can you lead up to Vash the Stampede?" Nick asked.
"I am... Vash." He put his arms around Rem. "I'm Vash the Stampede, and you're my daughter, Rem," he said.
Rem shook her head. "My father can't be Vash the Stampede," she said.
"Why not?" a voice asked. Meryl and Milly came out of the bar.
"Mom, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Rem asked, her eyes full of tears.
Meryl looked down. "I didn't know how. The truth is, I didn't want you to go looking for Vash until you were old enough to take care of yourself," she said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Vash asked.
"I didn't want you to get caught by a bounty hunter. I still don't. It's not safe for you to stay in one place too long," Meryl said.
Vash shook his head. "That's no excuse to keep my own daughter away from me," he said.
"I hate both of you! I don't ever want to see you again!" Rem said. She ran off with Nick following her.
Milly looked at Meryl and Vash. "Stop this now. You two need to do this somewhere else. You two have just set one of the worst examples for your daughter," Milly said.
"I'm the one that just found out I even had a daughter. I'm also mad you didn't tell me you were pregnant when Wolfwood died," Vash said.
"I didn't tell anyone until after Nicholas was born," Milly said. "I've had enough of fighting. It was nice seeing you again." She walked back into the bar.
Meryl looked at Vash. "I'm sorry," she said.
Vash looked down at the ground. "I have a daughter," he said.
"She's a very nice girl, Vash. You should go talk to her," Meryl said.
Vash looked up. "Why did you name her Rem?"
"I remember the time you told me about Rem. I thought it would be nice to name your daughter after the first woman in your life, the first woman who taught you everything you knew," Meryl said. She smiled. "She's just like you in everyway."
"I bet she is. I think I will go talk to her. I'll bring her back, Meryl. I promise."
"My mom and Milly you mean? They aren't known for lying, you know," Rem said. She looked at the bartender. "Do you have anything on Vash the Stampede?"
The bartender looked at her and Nick. "You two bounty hunters? You look a little young," he said.
Rem laughed. "It's actually business we have to take care of and the Humanoid Typhoon will be our business associate," she said.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. "That's new... Well, Vash is supposed to carry a huge weapon and he's got a reputation as a womanizer too," He looked at Rem. "You may want to be careful, little lady."
"Like I'll let any wanted man get close to my friend," Nick said.
Rem looked up at him. "You're cute sometimes," she said. She sighed. "Let's go see if we can't get more information on Vash. Thank you," she said to the bartneder. As soon as they got out of the bar, Rem put her hands in her hair. "We'll be walking in circles if we keep getting the same information!"
Nick nodded. "Maybe he's just someone or something that isn't meant to be messed with," he said.
"Whether he is or not, I'm going to find out anything I can about my father!" Rem said.
"Nicholas D. Wolfwood? Is that really you?" a voice asked. Vash was standing behind the two near the door of the bar.
Nick put his cross down. "I'm Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Jr. You must be referring to my father," he said.
Vash looked at Nick closely. "You must have been born right after he died. You look about eighteen. Who's your mother?" Vash asked.
"Milly Thompson. She works for the Bernardelly Insurance Company with her partner, Meryl Stryfe," Nick said.
Rem thought for a monent. "Hey, if you know Nick's dad, I bet you know Vash the Stampede," Rem said.
"Vash the Stampede? Uh... yeah, sure I know him. Why are you looking for him?" Vash asked. He was preparing to run if they mentioned the bounty.
Rem took a deep breath. "We're trying to find out anything we can about our fathers. Especially me. My mother won't even say a thing about my father at all. Vash can help us with everything we need to find out," she said.
Nick put his arm around her. "It's okay," he said. "We'll find Vash and we'll find out who your father is, Rem."
"Rem? Your name is Rem?" Vash asked.
Rem nodded. "That's the only thing I know about my father. My name came from him," she said.
Vash looked at the ground and thought. Meryl named her daughter Rem? Why? Why am I supposed to know so much about this girl's father? He looked up at Rem and saw her eyes. They were just like Vash's with that same sort of sparkle. My daughter? Vash thought.
"So, can you lead up to Vash the Stampede?" Nick asked.
"I am... Vash." He put his arms around Rem. "I'm Vash the Stampede, and you're my daughter, Rem," he said.
Rem shook her head. "My father can't be Vash the Stampede," she said.
"Why not?" a voice asked. Meryl and Milly came out of the bar.
"Mom, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Rem asked, her eyes full of tears.
Meryl looked down. "I didn't know how. The truth is, I didn't want you to go looking for Vash until you were old enough to take care of yourself," she said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Vash asked.
"I didn't want you to get caught by a bounty hunter. I still don't. It's not safe for you to stay in one place too long," Meryl said.
Vash shook his head. "That's no excuse to keep my own daughter away from me," he said.
"I hate both of you! I don't ever want to see you again!" Rem said. She ran off with Nick following her.
Milly looked at Meryl and Vash. "Stop this now. You two need to do this somewhere else. You two have just set one of the worst examples for your daughter," Milly said.
"I'm the one that just found out I even had a daughter. I'm also mad you didn't tell me you were pregnant when Wolfwood died," Vash said.
"I didn't tell anyone until after Nicholas was born," Milly said. "I've had enough of fighting. It was nice seeing you again." She walked back into the bar.
Meryl looked at Vash. "I'm sorry," she said.
Vash looked down at the ground. "I have a daughter," he said.
"She's a very nice girl, Vash. You should go talk to her," Meryl said.
Vash looked up. "Why did you name her Rem?"
"I remember the time you told me about Rem. I thought it would be nice to name your daughter after the first woman in your life, the first woman who taught you everything you knew," Meryl said. She smiled. "She's just like you in everyway."
"I bet she is. I think I will go talk to her. I'll bring her back, Meryl. I promise."