OK. I know the butterfly on the SEEDS ship was white, but work with me here.

Chapter 4: Dreams and Reality

He was dreaming again. He found himself floating in cool blue liquid, much like the plant machine. The only difference was that there were no glass walls surrounding this liquid. It just seemed to go on and on. He had tried to swim to the edge of the water many times, but it always seemed to be just out of reach. He knew there was something there, something he had to find. He would get right up to what looked like a surface or a barrier, and then wake up a second before touching the edge. This would frustrate him to no end making his lips curl into a sneer even as he slept.
One thing was odd though. Every time he got close to the edge of the water, the color would change. The shift was slight at first, but would deepen in intensity the further he swam. Instead of a light blue, the water would change to rich lavender, as if the sun was melting into the color, blending it to the warmer hue. The wings of the butterfly. Like the one on the ship so long ago. Was that what was on the other side? He didn't care. Whatever was past the edge of the water, Knives knew he had to have it.

Down the hall...
They had been through so much together. He was dangerous, but she managed to stay with him. Refusing to leave. Facing the danger with him. For him.
He reached out to embrace her and the world dissapeared. All he could see and hear and feel was her. She filled his brain and senses with her scent and he felt his body react with a rush of adreneline. Their arms wrapped tightly around each others bodies, and each touch and brush of skin sent thrills of electricity through their veins. His hands came up to cradle her face and his fingers buried themselves in her dark hair as he tilted her chin up to meet his open mouth. She parted her lips to deepen the kiss as her tounge slid lightly over his bottom lip. He groaned at the sensation and pressed her closer. His hands began a slow but heated search of her body. She twisted with pleasure as his hands carressed her shoulders, pulling the thin straps of her undershirt down. Pressing the warmth of his mouth along her bare neck and shoulders, he lowered his hands to grasp her hips. The erotic feel of his wet warm tounge against her skin made her press her hips into his groin and he nearly doubled over her as he moaned deeply from the back of his throat.
Their eyes locked, souls speaking through them as they easily read each others intentions. Her lips made their way along his sharp jawline to his ear, which she traced with her tounge, stopping to capture his earlobe. He gasped sharply and grabbed her around her bottom, grinding their hips together again. The hard length of him pressed and rubbed against her stomach, making her moan softly into his ear. He coudn't take it anymore. He snatched her up by her waist and swooped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She laughed brightly and giggled as she pretended to fight for her freedom, but ended up planted kisses on his exposed back as he carried her toward the room at the end of the hall. Once inside, they fell onto the bed, kissing and laughed as they rolled around, each reveling in the feel of the other. Her hands found their way into his pants.

Meryl's eyes shot open as she sat up in bed. She found she was sweating and breathing rather heavily for such a cool night.
That dream.
She had been having that dream ever since Vash returned with Knives, and she always woke feeling aroused and unsatisfied. Damn, was that frustrating!
"This is getting really annoying", she muttered to herself as she wiped her face with a damp cloth from the bathroom.
Meryl flopped down on the mattress, still pressing the cold cloth to her forehead. The dream really woudn't be so bad, she thought, if I got to finished it at least once. The breeze from the open window caressed her damp skin, causing ghost sensations of her dream man's hands as they brushed, feather light, over her bare arms and legs. She shivered from the stimulation and rolled over, sighing hoplessly.
"I'm just glad that no matter how amazing Vash is," she said tiredly, "at least he can't read my mind."

Across the hall in his seperate room, Vash was sitting straight up, taking large panting breaths of air, and trying to get his body to clam down from the errotic display of images he had just seen. He knew he shouldn't peak in on Meryl's mind in the middle of the night, but he just couldn't help himself. Usually he couldn'tsee anything anyway. Only when the image or thought was felt with very strong emotion could he pick up on it's signal, and even then it was shaky at best. But these new dreams....
He stood up and shook his head to try and clear it. These dreams were as clear and vivid as if they were completely real. Vash could still feel the soft tickle of Meryl's mouth against his ear. That rebelious body of his reacted immedeatly and he flopped into bed, pressing himself deeply into the hard mattress to releave some of the tension.
"Ugh. I can't take this much longer." he moaned sadly.
He cared about her so much. He wanted to protect her, to stay with her for as long as he could. She was the only girl he wasn't able to chase off. But something held him back. Everytime he tried to say something to her, his voice seemed to stop in his throat.
"I can't...I can't tell her...everyone I've ever cared for has always been hurt. I can't put her in that kind of danger...she's...she's too important. I...what am I feeling? It's like...Rem...but different somehow...I, aww shit..." he whinned, giving up and thowing his arms up. "I'll just have to get my mind on something else! Hmmm, dounuts...pretty girls...heroic resuces...the way Meryl's eyes light up...aww crap..." Vash cried tears of frustration and threw his pillow against the wall.

Down the hall, Knives face twitched and his mouth opened slightly, gasping for a moment before he relaxed back into complete silence and peace.

A soft wind blew through the open window into the upstairs bedroom, causing the curtains to flutter lazily. The room sat thick in silence and shadow, except for the steady breathing of its one occupant. Knives had not opened his eyes since the incident with Meryl two weeks ago.
Shortly after that day, Meryl was able to find them a house on the outskirts of town. The rent was very reasonable, and there was a much slimmer chance of anybody recognizing Vash as the Humanoid Typhoon. During that time, the rest of the household had lapsed into a steady routine.
Milly got herself a job on the construction crew in town to help cover their expenses. Wolfwood, ironically enough, took over as the town's local chaplain. Meryl was able to capitalize on her skills in free-lance writing, sending in articles for the big Seven-Cities Newspaper, which circulated to nearly every settlement on the planet. The only one unemployed was Vash, who spent all his time caring for Knives. He constantly kept a close eye on his brother for any change in his condition. Meals were always brought up to him, even though he didn't eat them, his sheets were changed, his room cleaned, and Vash always talked to him, even though he never responded.
Even though he tried to seem like his usual cheery self, Meryl could tell that Vash was becoming gradually more downhearted about his brother's condition. His smiles became more and more hollow, his usually peppy conversation began to lag, and he began spending more time down at the bar.

People only drink when they want to forget something. she remembered, as she watched him trudge his way down to the town one evening.

One night Meryl found she just couldn't get to sleep. After hours of tossing and turning she finally gave up and went downstairs to get a glass of water. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused. There was a small noise coming from the kitchen at the end of the hallway. As she got closer to the doorway she could make out soft sobbing sounds coming from the room.
Peering around the corner, she saw Vash sitting at the table with his head pillowed in his arms. His shoulders shook from the tears he was trying to hold back. He had obviously had a hard time sleeping as well; he was only dressed in his pajama bottoms, leaving his chest and feet bare. The moonlight cut across the definitions on his muscles and his many scars and patches. Meryl stood fascinated by his body. She remembered how he said he thought girls would run away at the sight of him. But all she felt was the strong desire to touch the exposed skin, and gently trace each of his many scars. She felt her cheeks go pink at the thought.
The image of herself kissing Knives flashed into her mind and she felt a lump of ice in her stomach. She groaned inwardly, remembering her blunder, and feeling extremely guilty for not telling Vash the whole truth. She had so wanted it to be him at the time that her mind must have let her believe it.
Peeking around the door frame, Meryl wondered if it would have felt different had it been Vash she'd kissed.
She could do it now. Just sneak up behind him and pounce.
She played the scene out in her head, watching as she crept up slowly and placed her hands over his eyes. He would exhale passionately as she whispered into his ear and slid her hands over the smooth skin of his exposed shoulders and chest. He would clasp her by the arms and pull her onto his lap. She envisioned him opening his beautiful tear-stained eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer. She watched in rapt anticipation as their faces inched closer. Their breath began to tease the sensitive skin of their faces and necks as their mouths came closer...closer...
Meryl snapped out of her daydream when she heard a harsh heaving sob come from the kitchen.
Vash sank down further onto the table, the sobs deepened until they wracked low in his throat. Meryl felt her heart ache and she shifted uncomfortably. She knew he was crying over Knives.
What should I do? she thought to herself. Should I talk to him, or just leave him alone for now? Would I just be making it worse...? I wish I were more like Milly. She would just go right over there and put her arms around him without a second thought. But...but, what if he tells me to leave him alone? I don't think I could take that...
Before she had a chance to decide, Vash raised his head and glanced over his shoulder at her.
"Oh..." he choked out, quickly wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "H-hey, Meryl. I uh, didn't hear you come in." he made a vain attempt at cheerfulness by grinning adorably up at her through his red puffy eyes. Meryl felt suddenly embarrassed for spying on him like she did.
"Uh, hey, Vash..." she managed.
"I see you couldn't sleep either, huh? Got a lot on your mind?" he patted the chair next to him, indicating that he was ready to listen to her troubles.
"Vash..."
Now Meryl felt really embarrassed. Not only was she spying on him and fantasizing when she should have been trying to comfort him, but he was now doing his best to comfort her despite his own pain.
How could I ever deserve someone like him? she thought, as she sat down in the chair.
"You want some coffee?" Vash asked briskly. "I made a fresh pot. I'm not that good at it yet, but hey, at least it's the right color! I think I got the right beans this time. You were right; the red beans don't work too good. You take sugar, right? Here you go. So, what's on you mind?" he plunked the steaming cup in front of her and sat back down, his face showed nothing of his earlier distress.
Meryl watched him bustle, half-naked, around the kitchen in disbelief. He was so upset a second ago. He's blocking me out, pretending like nothing's wrong. She thought. He did this once before, that time after he shot Legato. And I did nothing then. I could have talked to him, helped him. But I was afraid, I hid from him. I listened to him cry behind a closed door, and I did nothing.
Meryl looked into Vash's smiling face, his muscular frame which had been wracked with sobs only second before, and to the cup of cold coffee in front of him, obviously poured some time ago, but long forgotten in his tears.
Well, she resolved, this time I won't make the same mistake. I don't care if I get rejected. Someone has to be here for him.
"You ok there, Meryl?" Vash questioned with a concerned look on his face, "You're holding your cup so tight it's gonna crack in half."
"I'm just fine, Vash, in fact I've never been better." she said resolutely, looking right into his eyes and setting her cup back down. "I've actually been worried...about you. That's why I couldn't sleep, tonight."
Vash's face fell slightly. "Me", he laughed, "why would you be worried about me? I'm doing great! Nobody's chasing me for the bounty on my head, I'm finally living a peaceful life, a donut shop just opened next to the bar, it can't get much better than this!" he took a swig from his cold coffee cup and half chocked half laughed through his weak smile.
"Stop it, Vash!" Meryl said firmly, slamming her hand down on the table and standing up. Vash froze, cup in hand, and looked at her with wide eyes.
Meryl sat down and said in a gentle voice, "It's alright, you can tell me what's wrong. I'll listen to you. I'll try and help you if I can. Please, let me try and help."
The silence grew until the room seemed to hold its breath.
Oh well, I better just ask him.
"Is it Knives?" she asked tentatively.
Vash looked at her for a moment then frowned, staring down into his coffee.
"It's ok." Meryl said softly, "I want to help. Tell me. Please?"
A cover of clouds slide across the moon, blocking it's light. The kitchen dropped into a thick veil of darkness, throwing Vash's face into the deep shadows.
"He...he's not going to wake up." he said weakly, clenching his hands.
His pain was so audiable, Meryl had to hold back her own tears as he spoke.
"I don't think he'll ever wake up, and...it's all my fault. What...what've I done?" Tears began forming in the edges of his eyes again as he spoke.
Meryl placed her hand over one of his clenched firsts, indicating that it was all right for him to continue. Vash exhaled shakily and went on.
"I thought that when I got him back here, back to a town with lots of people in it, that he would see. Knives would realize the good in people. I told Wolfwood, I thought he, and you girls, would h-help him to see that g- good." he was having a hard time holding back the flow of tears now, and he put a hand over his face as he went on." But, it's been four weeks now, since we've c-come back...almost a month...and...he just won't wake up. I've tried everything. I've talked to him, shook him, t-tried to get him to eat, taken care of his wounds. He refuses to wake up! I don't know what else to do! Dammit! Damn him!" Vash slammed his other hand down on the table, causing the coffee to splatter all over the tabletop.
Meryl kept her hold on his first as he openly cried. "Oh, Vash...".
"If I ha-dn't shot him s-so many times...maybe if I...I...i-it's all my f-fault...I..." he faltered., and buried his head in his open arm.
"Stop that,Vash!" Meryl said firmly. "You did the right thing. You saved Knives. You saved him from himself, and you saved all of us. Stop beating yourself up over him. You couldn't have known this was going to happen. Besides, you could have killed him, but you didn't, even after all the horrible things he's done. That proves, at least to me, that you're a good person." she said, gently squeezing his hand and looking directly into his sad face.
"But", Vash managed a bit more calmly, "w-what if he never wakes up? Won't that be the same as killing him?"
"It will be alright, Vash." she said reassuringly, "Maybe you just need to give Knives some more time? Considering how long you two have been around, a month isn't all that long, is it?" Meryl smiled. She felt his clenched hand relax a bit.
The moon reappeared from behind the clouds and the kitchen was bathed in an iridescent glow. Vash's face cleared as well, and he seemed to make a mental decision. He turned to give her a genuine smile this time.
"Yeah. You know, you're right, Meryl." he said shakely. "I should give him some more time. After all, he might come out of it any day now, he has been sleeping a little easier. Besides," he laughed slightly, "he's probably just getting back at me for beating him up again."
Vash looked at her warmly. "Thank you." he said.
Meryl was about to tell him he was welcome, when she felt his free hand close over hers, trapping it warmly between his two large palms. She instantly lost the ability to speak, and her cheeks felt so hot, she was sure he would notice. His hands were warm and callused, and they moved over hers in a gentle motion. A tingling sensation began to come from her hand and traveled up her arm. She held her breath and tried to suppress the shivers it was giving her from this slight contact. Then she made the mistake of looking into his eyes.
Breathe, Meryl, her mind commanded her.
Vash was staring at her with an expression she had never seen before. His tourquise blue eyes shone out from under his messy blonde hair, and even in the dark she could see the pure happiness radiating from his smile. A smile from his heart, a true smile. ...beautiful... she thought. And I did that. I caused that smile. Nobody else. she looked back at his face and found that she could smile back with just as much joy as he did. I really do love him... she thought.
And without warning she leapt foreword and wrapped her arms around his neck, burring her face in his neck and hugging him as tightly as she could. Vash "umphed" a little, then laughed lightly as he returned her embrace, pulling her onto his lap so she wouldn't knock them both over.
"Gee, Meryl", he joked, "and here I thought you were the one trying to cheer me up."
"Oh," she pulled back a bit, red in the face at her boldness, "sorry, I guess I got a little carried away..." Meryl was just about to put her hands on the table to lift herself up and away from Vash, when she felt him grab both her hands and hold her in place.
"It's ok." he whispered. "I...sort of...like it..."
Meryl sat open-mouthed as Vash gently pulled her towards him and placed her arms around his shoulders. One arm wrapped one around her waist and the other up around her shoulder, pressing her close to his chest. His chin rested in the crook of her neck. Meryl was tense with shock.
Huh, she thought, he's not being a pervert, that's weird for him under the circumstances.
"Is this alright?" he asked tentatively.
"Y-yeah," she managed. Oh my God! Yes!!! her mind screamed.
Soon, she felt her muscles relax, and she melted into the curves of his body.
The areas of exposed skin on his back were smooth and cool against her fingertips. She could feel the metal contours from his many patches and scars press into her chest and side, and she shifted slightly.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" he questioned nervously.
"No." she breathed. If this hurting me, I have now officially become a masochist.
They remained that way, warm and comfortable, for quite some time, until Meryl noticed Vash's breathing had become slow and steady, as if he had fallen asleep. She didn't mind. It was wonderful to her to simply stay like this for as long as she could. Meryl had never felt so content and peaceful in her whole life. This was perfect. Vash shifted his arms slightly and sighed.
"This is....nice..." he breathed.

ILLUSTRATION: Holding You (Go to Ricki's Trigun Anime Page)

He slid his hand down her shoulder and gently brushed the bare skin on her upper arm. Meryl's heart jumped into her throat and her stomach did several flip-flops. Every tiny touch seemed to be electric, and every point of contact tingled through her like a current. The fingers of Vash's other hand made little lazy circles on her back, causing her heart to pound in her chest. Her neck tickled from his half-day beard and his soft breath against her skin. Meryl thought she might burst from all the sensations he was causing. It was just like the dream.
"V-Vash..." she squeaked.
Vash pulled away and looked at her with dreamy eyes. His face was inches away from hers. She could feel his steady deep breath on her face.
"Vash..." she began, holding his gaze the best she could "....I..."
All at once the outside door to the kitchen flew open and Wolfwood and Milly stumbled into the room, both of them more than a little drunk.
"Nichholus...I said wait until we get insiiide," Milly giggle trying to push his hands out from under her coat.
"Can I help it, honey?" he drawled, "I've always wanted sextuplets...oh, hey are we interrupting something?!" They both stopped short when they saw Vash sitting at the kitchen table with Meryl sitting on his lap in a very compromising position. Meryl "epped' and jumped up, her face burned bright red, although she actually felt the room was quite cold now.
Milly gazed at the couple through glazed eyes, "Oh, I'm so happy!" she grinned lopsidedly, "You finally told him Meryl, I'm so proud of you, what a peasant surprise!"
"Pleasant." Wolfwood corrected without missing a beat. His face lit up and he grinned wolfishly. "Hey, don't mind us you two. Vash, you dog, I leave you alone for a couple of hours and you're already at it! Ha ha ha! We'll just go upstairs so you two can be alone, or maybe you two would like to go upstairs?" he winked slyly at Meryl.
Meryl had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. Vash actually turned bright red himself and his hair seemed to stand straight up on end all by itself.
"Come on!" he bristled standing up, "Nothing happened, it's not like that Wolfwood, so just knock it off you perv!"
"Whoa! Look who's talking Mr. Womanizing Typhoon? Or maybe that wasn't you trying to look up girl's skirts in the bar the other night. All right, we're going. Come on, babe, I've got a bottle stashed upstairs with our names on it!" he leaned on Milly as she helped him stagger towards the hallway. Meryl and Vash stood in stunned silence.
"You twho be carefful nohw," Milly slurred, "rehmember to use yer protecthon, Meryl." she said as she and Wolfwood turned the corner and disappeared, although they could be heard tramping nosily up the stairs.
Meryl felt like sinking into the floor and disappearing forever. She couldn't even meet his eyes as she said, "Umm, I...think I'll go to bed now, Vash." she cursed herself mentally, Crap, bad thing to say, smooth one Meryl! Uhngh!
Vash was silent.
"Night." she said quickly and escaped out into the hall.
Vash watched her go, following the lines of her body as she turned the corner in a rush. Then he left out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. Whew, that had been close.
It was still warm where she had been sitting on his lap. Vash ran his hand over the material of his pants, trying to get his heart to slow it's hyper hammering. A couple more seconds and he might have...
He closed his eyes and saw an image of Rem pass through his memory, falling to the dry planet in her burning ship.
No...his mind was already made up. He never wanted anything like that to happen again to someone he lo...cared about.
He gazed fixedly at the door again, wondering back to something the big insurance girl had said. What did Milly think Meryl told me just now?
A passing cloud swept across the moon, covering Vash and the kitchen in darkness again. Outside in the cold, a lone figure knelt just out of sight, thoughally enjoying the scene being played out before him.

Louis squinted his dark narrow eyes as he peered out from behind a giant boulder at a small farmhouse on the outskirts of town. He grinned maliciously. This was the perfect lookout to take out Vash the Stampede. He won't know what hit him.
"Hey, boss?" Sean questioned, "How do you know he's in there?"
"Because," Louis growled, "I saw them all earlier around the kitchen, you numbskull."
Tony and Sean looked at each other nervously and clutched their guns tighter in their hands. "But", Tony squeaked, "whatta we do now that we've found 'em?"
Louis narrowed his eyes, grinning maliciously toward the quiet little house. "We take out his favorite one first, fer bait, just like we planned."
"And which one is that, boss?" Sean asked, scratching his head.
"Where have you been lookin' this whole time?" Louis shook his head, "I can tell which one is his favorite, no doubt."
The other two leaned in toward him, waiting for him to let them in on the secret.
"It's that short, skinny girl in the white coat, you stupid idiots! Geez! Any moron could figure that out! Now all we gotta do is wait until she's alone, then we ride in and snatch her! That's bastard! We're gonna get him where it hurts! And then, we'll take him down and collect all that reward money!" Louis laughed evilly at his own master plan.
Sean leaned across and whispered to Tony, "You think it's gonna work?"
Tony shrugged.

The dream was back again, only darker this time. The calm blue liquid became a raging whirlpool that threatened to suck him down into a black abyss. He struggled and flailed as hard as he could to make it back, up to the light, to the edge, to where something was waiting for him. What is it? What's on the other side, past the edge of the water? His hands pulled him slowly upwards. The color of the water changed to lavender, glowing with anticipation. Closer, upward, nearer, he had never been so far up before. His eyes filled with twinklings of light from beyond the surface, flashes of color and sound filled his head. Almost there, almost...
And then he was back. Back in the dark calm state of sleep, with no answers to his questions. If you want something bad enough, you find a way of obtaining it, no matter the consequences. Even if you simply fool yourself into believing you truly possess it.

The next day, Meryl managed to avoid Vash until almost suppertime. That morning she had flown downstairs, grabbed some dry toast, bolted out the door, and spent the day out doing errands in town, terrified that she might run into Vash at every turn she took. Even though Milly had thoroughly apologized for Wolfwood's behavior, Milly being too drunk to remember her own, Meryl still couldn't bring herself to face Vash.
He probably thinks I'm crazy. She thought as she walked back down the clay sidewalk, laden with shopping bags and groceries. Besides, all we did was exchange a simple hug! I was just comforting him. It's not like we groped or anything... Meryl stopped, lost in the memory of the previous night, remembering how it had felt to press into his bare chest, how his warm skin felt under her touch, and how the slightest brush of his fingers against her own skin had given her the shivers. She was so lost in thought that the bags she was carrying slipped out of her grasp and went sprawling all over the walkway.
"Oh, crap." Meryl growled, and bent over to pick them up again.
Suddenly, she stood straight. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled from a strange sensation. Someone's watching me... she thought.
Meryl glanced quickly in all directions, visually scanning the landscape. There was no one there. She sighed heavily and scooped the fallen bags up into her arms again.
"Honestly, Meryl," she said out loud, "no wonder you're a bundle of nerves. What did Milly tell you? Don't brood over stuff, it's a waste of time and energy. Geez, you're turning into a real paranoid nutcase!"
When Meryl walked through the back door into the kitchen, she saw Milly sitting down with a cup of coffee and the local paper. Well, that's an odd sight. But I'm glad she's here, she thought, I need a little girl talk right now.
When Milly saw her, she tossed her paper aside and sprang up from her seat, giving Meryl a crushing bear hug.
"Meryl!" She sparkled, "I'm so glad you're home. I was getting worried about you; you were gone for a long time. I was about to ask Mr. Vash to go and look for you!"
Meryl flushed slightly at the mention of Vash, but if Milly noticed she said nothing.
"Uh..oh, gee, sorry about that Milly. I guess I sort of lost track of the time." Meryl quickly changed the subject. "Hey, I picked up lots of your favorite foods at the General today! They even had a sale on chocolate pudding, so I got twice as many as usual."
"Really!!" Milly chirped.
"Yeah." Meryl laughed as Milly pounced on the bags.
Both girls set to work sorting out Meryl's purchases and storing everything away. Then they tidied up the kitchen, talking and laughing the entire time. Meryl felt her tension and nervousness melt away as she joked and giggled with Milly. Gradually, she felt she had the confidence to confide in her best friend.
"Milly," she began carefully, "can I...uh...talk to you about something?"
"Well, sure Meryl," Milly sang, "You can always talk to me about anything, I won't snitch on you!" She said giving her a wink.
Meryl sat down at the table, hands folded, wondering where to begin. But before she had a chance to say anything...
"It's about Mr. Vash, isn't it?" Milly asked seriously. Meryl's head shot up, her mouth hanging open.
"Ummm...uh...y-yeah..." she choked out. "Uh...geez, is it that obvious."
"Oh, Meryl, you don't have to tell me, I know how much you care about him." Milly smiled warmly at her friend. "Have you told him yet?" She asked.
Meryl looked down at her folded hands and chewed on her lower lip. "I think I almost told him last night..." she said quietly.
"That's great!" Milly cheered, "It's just like my big big sister always said; Never hold back in matters of the heart!"
"But, Milly..." Meryl said sadly, "I...I don't think I can tell him. I just don't think he..I mean...what I mean to say is...well, what if he doesn't feel the same way? It could ruin our friendship; everything we have here would be in jeopardy. I can't tell him until I know for sure. Until that time, I just want to show him I care about him, that I'm here for him, that's all. Oh, Milly, you should have seen him. He's been so sad lately, I can't stand seeing him so upset." Meryl trailed off, folding her arms on the table and resting her chin on them.
"Gee, Meryl, I still think you should just tell him, but I suppose that's up to you." Milly said carefully. "But, if you want to show Mr. Vash you care about him, I guess the best way would be to do something nice for him. Something special!"
"Like a favor?" Meryl questioned.
"Sure!" Milly sang, "Or you could fix him something special to eat, like pudding a la mode, or pudding cake, or maybe..."
"Wait a second, Milly," Meryl interrupted, quirking an eyebrow at her, "Those sound suspiciously like your favorite desserts."
"Nuts, I thought I had you for sure that time!" Milly grinned sheepishly.
Meryl threw her head back and laughed. What would I do without you, Milly? She thought.

Louis threw his black mask and pistols to the side and he slumped his fat frame next to the huge boulder, panting for air. "Found a way in." He choked out.
"Did you get a good look inside there, boss?" Tony piped up, standing on his toes to get a look at the small house in the distance. "Are they in there?"
"Yeah, they're in there alright." Louis muttered, "I got a look in through the upstairs window, it was dark, but it looked like they got some kind of invalid up there, didn't move or nothin'. He won't be a problem." He picked up his gun and stroked it manically.
"Uh, so when do we move in, boss?" Sean questioned, scratching his thick skull.
"Tonight. We snatch his bitch tonight. That'll trap him good." Louis grinned evilly, "All those jobs we've been pulling in town have paid off, and after tonight, everyone in these parts is gonna know the name of the invincible Locos Gang!"
Sean and Tony looked at each other again nervously. Both men shrugged.

Meryl knew she couldn't avoid him forever. It was inevitable; after all, they lived in the same house. So she took extra time carefully fixing her hair and dress before going downstairs for dinner that night.
Her heart was beating so loudly as she walked along the upstairs hallway, she almost didn't hear the noise. It was a soft shuffling sound, like someone was moving around. She stopped and glanced to the door on her right. It was coming from Knives' room.
Someone's in there... was her first thought. Oh, don't be silly, Meryl, it's just a noise. Open the door and see for yourself! Said her rational side.
Meryl held her breath as she slowly turned the handle and opened the door. It was completely dark and still, except for the gentle breeze that came in from the open window. Knives lay motionless on the bed, breathing slowly and deeply. Meryl looked around. The room was undisturbed. Why does this room have to be so spooky? She thought nervously as she walked quietly over the window to shut it.
Something brushed her leg, and she jumped back with a squeak, her hands instinctively reached for the derringers under her jacket only to grab air. Crap! I left my jacket in my room! She screamed in her head, and opened her eyes, terrified at what fresh terror had been set loose on her now.
Sitting on the bed, looking at her with amused green eyes was a small black cat, which meowed and jumped out the open window. Meryl gazed stupidly for a second, then banged her head against the window frame, Stupid, stupid, stupid... you got all worked up over a cat, way to go, Meryl! Ughhh! You paranoid freak. Today in town and now here! It's all because you're scared to go downstairs, just get your butt in gear and get it over with! Everyone's probably already down there.
She hurriedly close the window and shut the door without a second look behind her.
Sure enough, when she got close to the kitchen she could hear their voices from the hallway.
"...so this guy takes a swing at me, I don't know why he's so worked up, I only complemented his girlfriend..."
"That's because you catcalled her before you complemented her, you numbskull!"
"So? She was pretty! I can't help that."
"You stupid needle noggin..."
"Who are you calling stupid? Besides, you're supposed to be a man of the church, for real this time!"
"Don't blame me, donut boy, honesty is part of the job description."
"Yeah, well as long as we're being honest..."
"Watch it blondie!"
Meryl listened to Vash and Wolfwood argue from behind the doorway.
Geez, those two never give it a rest? She thought, smiling to herself. Well, I guess I have to go in sooner or later...
When she stepped into the kitchen she found the two gunfighters sprawled out on the floor. Wolfwood had Vash in a headlock and was trying to get him to give in. Vash's arms and legs stuck out at weird angles as they flailed around making him look like an octopus in a strangle hold. Milly was sitting cheerfully at the table, reading the local paper again, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She looked up when Meryl came in and smiled brightly.
"Oh, hi Meryl, you're just in time for supper!" She chirped.
"Supper!" Both men jumped up and instantly sprang back to their seats.
"Gee, thanks Milly," Meryl said, her heart fluttering already, and she hadn't even looked directly at him yet, "Do you..uh...need any help?"
"Oh no, I've got it covered. You just sit down and keep those boys from fighting again or they won't get any dessert!" Milly said, shaking a finger in the "boys" direction. Both of them grinned sheepishly up at her and gave a salute.
"We'll be good!" They said in unison.
Meryl was self conscious of her every step as she walked over to the table and sat down. She quickly grabbed Milly's paper and hid her face behind it, pretending to read.
Wolfwood glanced back and forth between Vash and Meryl, sizing up the situation. Vash looked slightly confused. Nicholas raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. Then he reached over and squished Meryl's paper down on the table, wrecking her little shield. Meryl scowled at Wolfwood and smacked his hand away.
"What's the big idea, Wolfwood? I was reading that!" She scolded.
Nicholas leaned back in his chair and grinned, "Hey, now you sound more like yourself! Good, I'm relieved, we were getting pretty worried. The big girl over there was ready to send out a search party for you."
"I just did a few measly errands!" Meryl said in a peeved voice, "From the way you all talk you'd think I had jumped ship for the second moon!"
"We were just worried about you, that's all." Vash interjected.
Without thinking, Meryl looked right at him when he spoke.
Bad move, Meryl, she thought when her heart dropped right into her stomach. Vash looked like he hadn't slept all night. There were dark circles under his eyes and the dark stubble on his face stood out against his pale skin. Still, his eyes sparkled with a warm glow and his smile was a genuine one.
Meryl found just enough voice in her to say, "S...sorry."
"Hey, don't sweat it small fry," Wolfwood leaned back in his chair and pulled out a wrinkled cigarette, striking a match on the sole of his shoe. "We wouldn't be worried about you going off on you're own if it weren't for the Locos Gang."
"The what?" Meryl tore her gaze away from Vash to cast Wolfwood a puzzled look.
Nicholas was just about to answer her when Milly came up behind him and gently snatched the cigarette out of his mouth, crushing it into the kitchen sink. "The Locos Gang is a local band of thugs that have been stirring up trouble in the town lately." She said simply as she set the food down on the table.
"Milly!" Wolfwood whined, "That was my last one! Man, this quitting thing is rougher than I thought it would be." He said, collapsing on the table.
Milly put her arms around him from behind as she said merrily, "I know it is dear, but aren't you glad the people who love you care enough about you to help so you won't have to do it on your own?" She placed a small kiss on his cheek.
Nicholas sighed, "What would I do without you, big girl?" And he kissed her hand tenderly. Meryl couldn't help smiling at the two of them in that sweet moment. They were perfect together, she thought.

When she happened to glance in Vash's direction, she saw he was looking at her with an expression somewhere between happiness and sadness. Her heart started zigg-zagging around in her chest and she had to bite her lower lip to calm herself down.
"So," she said, looking down and breaking the silence, "What's the deal with this Locos Gang, anyway?"
"Gosh, Meryl," Milly said, standing up, "Haven't you been reading the paper? It's been on the front page every day for a week now."
Meryl looked down at the crumpled paper in her hands. So, this was why Milly had been reading the paper so much. She remembered the feeling of being watched earlier that day and shivered. "I guess I really hadn't noticed." Meryl said stupidly.
"It's just a band of local idiots causing problems," Nicholas growled, "I've tried to get this spiky headed moron to help me take them down, but he's been too busy lately."
Meryl looked at Vash. He really did look worn out. She had to ask him.
"Is it Knives, Vash?" She ventured, "Did you stay up all night with him again?"
"Yeah," Vash said smiling wearily. "I thought if I stayed up with him it might help to get him to wake up sooner."
"Vash, you'll wear yourself out like that." Milly said with concern.
"But, if it helps, it'll be worth it in the end." Vash said, "Trust me on this."
Meryl suddenly remembered what Milly had said earlier. 'If you want to show Mr. Vash you care about him, I guess the best way would be to do something nice for him. Something special.'
Something special... she thought.
Wolfwood was arguing with Vash again, "At least come out to the bar with us tonight. You need some time off, you look like three day old shit."
"Sorry, I just can't." Vash replied sadly, "Besides, if I don't stay with him, who will?"
"I will." Meryl said simply.
Three pairs of eyes turned and stared at her.
"Meryl..." Vash began, but she cut him off.
"Sorry Vash, but you are going to the bar tonight. I will stay up with Knives. You are going to have a great time, and then you are going to come back and get a good night's rest, end of discussion." Meryl gave him a sly look, "And if you have a problem with that you'll just have to fight me for it."
Vash gave her an astonished look.
"Only one way to argue with a woman, Vash," Nicholas said, "Don't."

Next Time on Edge: Chapter 5 Having and Executing