Chapter 4:Rebulding Dreams and the Return of Happiness
Vash ended up staying the night in Augusta, despite his wishes. After cutting his hair, Vince had insisted that he stay. "You know your hair isn't the only thing that's a wreck Vash, when's the last time you ate?" His friend has asked. Vash had considered lying, though he knew Vince would see right through it, and to make matters worse, Vash knew he was right.
Vash was a mess, the weeks of little, too no food or water, and constant travel had worn him thin, in more ways than just physically. So he had agreed to spend a few days with his friend, and recover. It wasn't until later that Vash realized just how badly he'd been pushing himself. He was pale, and his clothes hung on his noticeably thinner form. Vince was right, he was a wreck.
That night Vince fixed fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, and served it with fine whisky, and to Vash's absolute joy, fresh baked doughnuts. Vash tore into these first hardly noticing Vince retort, "Humph, I go to all this trouble of making a good dinner, and what does he do, he eats those idiotic doughnuts!" Vash of course was to busy eating to listen or even care.
Later that night the two men sat on the porch of Vince's shop and talked. Vash told him everything that had happened, about Brad and the ship, Wolfwood, Legato, and Knives. When he was done, Vince just leaned back in his chair, and said nothing for a long time. Finally he broke the silence, but what he said totally threw Vash off guard.
"You did the right thing Vash. About killing Knives I mean. Your brother, God rest his soul, couldn't help what he was. Something went wrong when those idiots were trying to play God. In a way, I'd say you gave him what he really needed." he replied taking a deep breath.
"What did I give him Vince?" Vash asked quietly on the verge of tears.
"Freedom." the other answered.
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That night Meryle got little rest, her thoughts were constantly straying to everything but sleep. Frustrated at herself, Meryle got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, only to find Milly already there.
"Milly? What are you doing up so late! You should be getting some sleep, you've been going non-stop for three days." Meryle chided.
"I can't sleep Meryle. There has to be something we can do, something we've missed, I just don't know what it is!" Milly sobbed as she broke down into tears.
For a moment Meryle was to shocked to do anything. The only other time she had ever seen Milly cry was when Mr. Wolfwood had died. Meryle realized that her friend was really at the breaking point, and she ran to Milly and wrapped her arms around her, letting her cry all her troubles into her shoulder.
"Oh Milly, It'll be okay, you have to stay positive! The moment you loss hope, is the moment that you'll really fail. You haven't failed yet, I know you'll figure something out. Vash will show up any day now, I can feel it, and he'll know what to do," Meryle offered comfortingly as Milly's racking cries turned into soft sobs.
"You're right Meryle I just have to stay positive, besides if I loss hope now, I don't think Mr. Wolfwood would be very happy with me," Milly answered with a small smile.
"That's the spirit Milly! Now lets go to bed and get some sleep okay! We have a lot of work to do, and a lot of shopping to do before Vash comes back," Meryle beamed cheerfully.
"Yes, Sampie!" Milly answered snapping into a clean salute.
Meryle laughed and was shortly joined by Milly as they returned to their rooms for a much deserved good night sleep.
*********************************************************************
Vash spent the rest of the week in Augusta. Sometimes he helped Vince in his shop, other times he trained, but he mostly played with the children. Vash loved kids, and he had no problem thinking of new and exciting games for them to play. The Parents of the children soon grew to love Vash as well, many of the mother's praising Vash on his skills with handling so many children at once.
Vash of course would always blush and just give some goofy answer, some earning him a well deserved slap across the face, but Vince knew why Vash got along well with kids. Mainly it was because he was still a true child at heart. Not even a 130 years of cruelty and pain had taken that from him. Vince's face spread into a huge grin as he watched Vash run in mock terror past his front window, fallowed closely by about fifteen children and several pets.
"Come on now, that's not fair!!! Hey that hurts!!! Owwww!!! 15 to 1 is hardly fair!!!" he heard Vash wail as the children pounced on him and he began disappearing beneath the mass of bodies.
"Sure it is!!! You're a grown-up and a taller than the rest of us! So we get strength in numbers! Besides nothing's fair in war!" A red headed boy announced as he tried pinning one of Vash's arms to the ground.
"Hey that's spot is very tender!!! How about a truce and some ice cream!?" Vash called somewhere beneath the multicolored mass that hid his tall form.
"Yeah!!! Ice Cream! I want Chocolate! No Vanilla! No Ripple!" All the children chimed at once jumping off their prisoner of war.
"Whoa one at a time!" Vash called as he stood dusting himself off.
The children instantly became quiet and waited for Vash to finish, once done, Vash turned sharply on his heel and began marching towards the Ice Cream Parlor singing a ridiculous marching song, the children where quick to follow, and to join in on the new game. By the time they got there though, all the children were in fits of giggles, while Vash held a very serious stone faced expression, while continuing with his silly straight legged gait. This of course only made the children laugh and giggle harder.
Vash cast a glance back at the very odd looking train that had collected behind him, and upon seeing them trying to imitate his march, which was very difficult for them sense he was so much taller, he began to laugh and smile as well. 'Children really are the light of the world aren't they Rem,' Vash thought silently as he gave a quick glance to the wonderfully pure blue sky.
Vash ended up staying the night in Augusta, despite his wishes. After cutting his hair, Vince had insisted that he stay. "You know your hair isn't the only thing that's a wreck Vash, when's the last time you ate?" His friend has asked. Vash had considered lying, though he knew Vince would see right through it, and to make matters worse, Vash knew he was right.
Vash was a mess, the weeks of little, too no food or water, and constant travel had worn him thin, in more ways than just physically. So he had agreed to spend a few days with his friend, and recover. It wasn't until later that Vash realized just how badly he'd been pushing himself. He was pale, and his clothes hung on his noticeably thinner form. Vince was right, he was a wreck.
That night Vince fixed fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, and served it with fine whisky, and to Vash's absolute joy, fresh baked doughnuts. Vash tore into these first hardly noticing Vince retort, "Humph, I go to all this trouble of making a good dinner, and what does he do, he eats those idiotic doughnuts!" Vash of course was to busy eating to listen or even care.
Later that night the two men sat on the porch of Vince's shop and talked. Vash told him everything that had happened, about Brad and the ship, Wolfwood, Legato, and Knives. When he was done, Vince just leaned back in his chair, and said nothing for a long time. Finally he broke the silence, but what he said totally threw Vash off guard.
"You did the right thing Vash. About killing Knives I mean. Your brother, God rest his soul, couldn't help what he was. Something went wrong when those idiots were trying to play God. In a way, I'd say you gave him what he really needed." he replied taking a deep breath.
"What did I give him Vince?" Vash asked quietly on the verge of tears.
"Freedom." the other answered.
*********************************************
That night Meryle got little rest, her thoughts were constantly straying to everything but sleep. Frustrated at herself, Meryle got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, only to find Milly already there.
"Milly? What are you doing up so late! You should be getting some sleep, you've been going non-stop for three days." Meryle chided.
"I can't sleep Meryle. There has to be something we can do, something we've missed, I just don't know what it is!" Milly sobbed as she broke down into tears.
For a moment Meryle was to shocked to do anything. The only other time she had ever seen Milly cry was when Mr. Wolfwood had died. Meryle realized that her friend was really at the breaking point, and she ran to Milly and wrapped her arms around her, letting her cry all her troubles into her shoulder.
"Oh Milly, It'll be okay, you have to stay positive! The moment you loss hope, is the moment that you'll really fail. You haven't failed yet, I know you'll figure something out. Vash will show up any day now, I can feel it, and he'll know what to do," Meryle offered comfortingly as Milly's racking cries turned into soft sobs.
"You're right Meryle I just have to stay positive, besides if I loss hope now, I don't think Mr. Wolfwood would be very happy with me," Milly answered with a small smile.
"That's the spirit Milly! Now lets go to bed and get some sleep okay! We have a lot of work to do, and a lot of shopping to do before Vash comes back," Meryle beamed cheerfully.
"Yes, Sampie!" Milly answered snapping into a clean salute.
Meryle laughed and was shortly joined by Milly as they returned to their rooms for a much deserved good night sleep.
*********************************************************************
Vash spent the rest of the week in Augusta. Sometimes he helped Vince in his shop, other times he trained, but he mostly played with the children. Vash loved kids, and he had no problem thinking of new and exciting games for them to play. The Parents of the children soon grew to love Vash as well, many of the mother's praising Vash on his skills with handling so many children at once.
Vash of course would always blush and just give some goofy answer, some earning him a well deserved slap across the face, but Vince knew why Vash got along well with kids. Mainly it was because he was still a true child at heart. Not even a 130 years of cruelty and pain had taken that from him. Vince's face spread into a huge grin as he watched Vash run in mock terror past his front window, fallowed closely by about fifteen children and several pets.
"Come on now, that's not fair!!! Hey that hurts!!! Owwww!!! 15 to 1 is hardly fair!!!" he heard Vash wail as the children pounced on him and he began disappearing beneath the mass of bodies.
"Sure it is!!! You're a grown-up and a taller than the rest of us! So we get strength in numbers! Besides nothing's fair in war!" A red headed boy announced as he tried pinning one of Vash's arms to the ground.
"Hey that's spot is very tender!!! How about a truce and some ice cream!?" Vash called somewhere beneath the multicolored mass that hid his tall form.
"Yeah!!! Ice Cream! I want Chocolate! No Vanilla! No Ripple!" All the children chimed at once jumping off their prisoner of war.
"Whoa one at a time!" Vash called as he stood dusting himself off.
The children instantly became quiet and waited for Vash to finish, once done, Vash turned sharply on his heel and began marching towards the Ice Cream Parlor singing a ridiculous marching song, the children where quick to follow, and to join in on the new game. By the time they got there though, all the children were in fits of giggles, while Vash held a very serious stone faced expression, while continuing with his silly straight legged gait. This of course only made the children laugh and giggle harder.
Vash cast a glance back at the very odd looking train that had collected behind him, and upon seeing them trying to imitate his march, which was very difficult for them sense he was so much taller, he began to laugh and smile as well. 'Children really are the light of the world aren't they Rem,' Vash thought silently as he gave a quick glance to the wonderfully pure blue sky.