"I can't wait for you any longer!" Meryl stormed out of the house, her hair tied up into a messy bun, dark tendrils framing the back of her neck. She had been doing this every morning for the past two years, ever since Aki had started school. She hopped into her tiny vehicle and revved the engine, hoping the roar would bring her son away from the television into the car.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" A young boy, probably 5 or 6 years old, sped out through the doorway, slamming it behind him. His mess of shining ebony hair was in desperate need of a haircut, but he never trusted his mother to do it for him. She had done it once before, when he was three. It had made him ashamed to even see his own reflection in a spoon. It was just....awful. He began to save up his own money to go to the barber, if it meant he didn't have to look like he had been headbutting a lawnmower (his mother had a book on ancient devices of Earth). It was surprising how son took after mother so well: both extremely stubborn, quick tempers, didn't like to beat around the bush, but still caring and compassionate when needed.

"You're late as it is already..." Meryl harumphed, putting the vehicle into gear. One would have thought that being on the job with Millie would have made her more prepared for tardiness. "...which in turn is going to make me late for work." She sighed heavily. After 8 years of working with Bernadelli, she had (somewhat) moved up the rank ladder, but was now alone in the social sphere of the workplace. Millie had given up her job shortly after they were ordered to return from watching the Humanoid Typhoon; she had developed quite a liking for 'Mr. Vash', and probably still did. "We'll see him again when he wants us to" was all Millie could offer for a comfort. Despite Millie's naivete, she was always good with words.

".....I forgot my lunch..." Aki stared into his bag, as if expecting it to appear before his eyes in any second. Meryl could only roll her eyes in response. She fumbled around in her purse and removed a few double dollars.

"That should be enough, right?" She managed to squeeze them into his pocket. They finally arrived at the school, exchanged hugs and parted for the day.

July was now a bustling, new town, filled with the laughter of people. It seemed the incident that happened over 20 years ago had been erased from the people's minds. Or some of them, at least. It had taken quite a while to convince the people to actually rebuild again; some were still being superstitious, thinking the town would only be destroyed again. "This town will always be cursed", some people argued, refusing to aid in the rebuilding. Others refused simply because they wanted to keep the memory fresh in the mind of the town they once loved, feeling it would tarnish the cherished memories of their former peaceful lives. Repopulating the town became quite difficult, but after a few months of nothing but the rising and setting of the suns, people gave in to their common sense. Bernadelli had even made a new branch in the town, of which Meryl controlled (thanks to a little persuasion).

Work had been no different like any other day. Coffee with papers. Complaints. Papers. Lunch break of coffee. Coffee with more papers. Papers, papers, papers. Even Meryl's dreams at night were flooded with papers and oceans of coffee. A vacation was what she needed. 'If I ever get the time', she reminded herself guiltily. Things had become....monotonous for Meryl. After all, what could one expect after trailing behind the Humanoid Typhoon for a few months. Birthdays with her son were empty and lacking the oomph a usual party should have. And the only real quality time she spent with him anymore was looking over his homework. Albeit, it never took long, since Aki seemed to be among the brightest of his class. She needed somewhere to get away from all this work. To at least find out if she could actually still find some happiness and joy in her life. Don't get her wrong; she loved her son dearly. But she never felt she was a real mother to him. The question about his father had hung over her head for years. How could she tell him he was a bastard child? That his father was just some drunk she met when she was wallowing in self-pity? How could she tell him that she had never really wanted children of her own?

Or did she have to? If only he could be someone else...the one she had waited for for so long. The one who put the life and fun into her life, the one who never made a day boring. The one who hid...behind that visage of a smile...

'No,' she shook her head. 'He's not coming back ever, so stop thinking about him!' She hated her mind for clinging on to such a ridiculous ideal of Vash still being alive. Her heart, however, still needed convincing.

~*~Later that night~*~

"Do I have a daddy?" The question was innocent and simple, yet made Meryl stop in fear of folding her son's clothes.

"Yes you do, Aki. That's how you were born." She made a mental note to tell him where children came from at another time.

"Then where is he?"

'Where is he? Probably in another bar, drinking his guts out? Chasing some short-skirted floozy for a quick romp behind the alley?' That explanation could not suffice. All sons wanted a father to look up to, to admire and strive to be like. Meryl herself had looked up to her own father, fascinated by his work ethic and devotion to his family. A drunk, on the other hand, was not someone that could be easily admired (except for maybe his drinking ability). She could feel Aki's smoky green eyes penetrating through her skull; what could she tell him?

"Your father's...dead, Aki. But...he was a wonderful man. Nicest guy you could ever meet. He always had a smile on his face, and was eager to be the light in everyone's day. He fought for the little people. Whenever someone needed help, he was there." She couldn't believe the words that were coming from her mouth. She was lying...and so easily, too. But...if Vash was dead, and he was, then Meryl had little worries. The guilt of lying was soon swept away by the innocent smile that covered Aki's face.

"Can I see what he looks like? D'ya got any pictures?" Aki dashed across the room to his closet, rummaging through the stacks of boxes that sat on the shelves.

"No.....not right now. He died a few months before you were born. But I can find one tomorrow." Meryl mentally slapped herself. Thank goodness Bernadelli kept newspaper archives.

"......how'd he die?" Aki slumped to the floor, surrounded by cardboard and old papers.

"He was..." she swallowed and released a heavy sigh, "...shot. But no more questions for the night, ok? I got something special planned for us tomorrow, and you need to get up early, lazy-head." She forced a smile on her face, throwing a shirt at her son's head. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow that you want to know." Aki beamed, the shirt half-covering his face, knowing that 'something special' meant not going over homework or simply buying ice cream and donuts. He was definitely in for the time of his life.

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Ok ok ok ok ok ok. I know some of you are asking 'so who's the father?' Well, I just used the same moron as the one in Reunion. I was going to have Meryl married and make the husband die, or leave her tragically. But that would have placed too much burden in Meryl's heart to still have feelings for Vash. So unknown father he shall be. Never thought that Meryl would actually lie to Aki about it, but hey! *shrugs* Meryl's not thinking too straight right now. ^^; As for Aki, it means autumn, which is my favourite season of the year, as well as one of my favourite characters from Ayashi no Ceres (the other being Yuuhi). Aki character development hopefully in the next chapter.