Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun, I'm just borrowing it for awhile. Trigun is property of Yasuhiro Nightow, Mad House, Pioneer, and whoever else was smart enough to get a piece of the action. I just know I wasn't. T_T
"..." is talking
'...' is thinking
Okay, this takes place a couple months after the last chapter, so Locke's a little older now. He's seven months, so he looks about 6 1/2 years old now.
-----------------
A Glimpse of Eden
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Chapter - 6
~
"Locke, settle down. Don't move around so much," Meryl chided, but couldn't keep from smiling at the boy . He was so excited he could barely sit still. She bent back down and finished tying his shoe. Then, getting to her feet, she held out her hand. "Okay, Locke. Time to go."
The boy jumped out of his chair and griped her hand tightly, pulling her toward the door. "Hurry, Meryl! Before Knives changes his mind!"
She laughed and allowed him to lead her down the hall. Knives had promised the boy to take him to meet the ship's Plant today, and the boy was excited. Not just at meeting another one of his kind, but also at the idea of spending the rest of the day with Knives. The boy adored Knives. Whenever she took Locke to visit him in the computer room he would always try to climb on Knives' lap as he worked and generally get in the older Plant's way. And even though Knives frequently complained about not getting any work done, she knew he enjoyed the boy's visits and maybe even looked forward to them. There was a special bond between them. They looked, and acted, like brothers.
Upon entering the computer room Locke released her hand and launched himself at Knives. "I'm here, Knives! Let's go!"
Knives frowned slightly as he watched the small boy cling to his leg. "Well, I'm not ready yet. You'll have to wait awhile longer."
Meryl grinned as she watched Knives try to pry the boy's arms from around his leg. They were so cute together. She almost forgot that Knives was a maniacal killer bent on the destruction of mankind. Almost, but not quite.
"But Meryl said it was time." Locke released his grip on Knives to point a finger in Meryl's direction.
Knives turned to glare at her.
"Hey," she began, putting her hands up in defense, "you're the one that said to bring him after his afternoon nap."
He glanced at the clock. Was it already that late? "But I still have some work to finish before I can take him."
"What kind of work?" she asked, glancing around the cramped room.
"I have to monitor that computer's readouts. I'm running scans on some data." He ran his fingers through his hair, a habit Knives had when he was tired, irritated, or when he was deep in thought. He had been doing it alot lately.
"Is that all? No problem, Knives. You can take him now and I'll watch the computer for you," she generously offered, and walked over to the computer he had indicated.
He laughed. "You? Please... what do you know about operating computers?"
"I know some. My father taught me." She leaned over the computer and studied the screen. "All I have to do is run scans on all these files, right?"
He nodded. "You can do that?" he asked, sounding doubtful.
She crossed her arms, her right eyebrow twitching slighty. Did he think she was an idiot? "Of course!"
"Well..." He looked torn between his promise to Locke and his concern that she would mess something up. "Alright. But be careful. We won't be long."
She watched them leave the room together and then plunked down in the chair Knives had vacated. Turning to the computer she clicked the mouse and started the next scan. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
~
Knives smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been slightly worried that the Plant Angel's physical appearance would scare the boy, but he needn't have worried. Locke had shyly approached the bulb and smiled at the Plant Angel before turning to Knives and asking to teach him how to talk to her, relieving his fears immediately.
Instructing the boy to place his hands on the bulb, Knives knelt down behind Locke and placed his own hands over the boy's. He would need to guide the boy the first time, but after a little practice Locke would be able to talk to the Plant on his own.
"Relax, Locke. Don't try so hard. Just open your mind. It will come," he said gently, sensing the boy's tension.
The boy relaxed against Knives and closed his eyes, allowing Knives to lead him.
"I can hear her, Knives!" Locke yelled excitedly after a few minutes, opening his eyes and breaking the connection. "Oh... I lost her, Knives."
Knives had to laugh at Locke's dejected expresion. "It's alright, Locke. We have plenty of time. We'll try again."
Locke closed his eyes again and relaxed, determined to get it right and make Knives proud of him.
~
Meryl slumped in the seat, a leg carelessly thrown over the arm of the chair. The computer emited a low beep, letting her know another scan had just finished and, without looking, she stuck out a finger and hit the button to begin yet another scan. How did Knives do this all day? He was always digging through books, or studying maps, or typing on the computer... it was all so boring. The only time she ever saw him not working was when he was eating. In fact, she rarely saw him leave the computer room or the library lately except to come to the dining area to eat. He needed a vacation. Or a life.
'I wonder what the Plant room is like?' That was one of the rooms she wasn't allowed in. Knives had told her never to enter that room, that it was 'off limits' to her kind. 'I guess he's worried I'll taint the Plant with my presence or something.'
She was startled out of her thoughts when one of the computers located in the back of the room screeched an alarm and flashed a 'WARNING' on it's screen.
She raced over to the computer and stared at the screen in horror.
'Warning? Warning for what?' She hit a few buttons on the keyboard.
Something had gone wrong and one of the systems was crashing. It was for the life support.
'Crap!' She had better get Knives. She left the room and raced toward the room where the Plant was kept.
She stopped right outside the door, unsure of whether or not to go in. Knives had told her never to enter... but this was an emergency, surely he would understand. Taking a deep breath she punched the button on the panel to open the door and stepped inside...
~
Meryl glanced around the room. It was huge, with monitors and panels along both sides of the walls. At the other end of the room was Knives and Locke. They were both huddled together next to a huge glass bulb. 'I guess that's it... the Plant.'
She slowly walked toward Knives, hesitant to interupt him and Locke. 'Move it Meryl! This is an emergency!'
She moved closer. Knives looked so peaceful, so calm. She truly hated to interupt him.
"Knives..." she began.
He stiffened. Opening his eyes he narrowed his gaze at her. "Get out..." It was barely a whisper.
"But, Knives. The computer--"
"GET OUT!!"
Her eyes widened and she took a step back. Locke was startled and pulled away from Knives. He took his hands off the bulb and tried to go to Meryl, but Knives held him back.
"I told you NEVER to come in here!!"
She took another step back, frightened of the anger she saw in his eyes. Locke was crying for her and trying to pull free of Knives' tight grip, and she automatically reached out a hand toward him.
"GET OUT OF HERE!!!"
She turned and ran toward the door, her heart pounding in her chest. Once at the door she stopped and turned back. She was angry now, too.
"I just came to warn you," she shouted across the room, "that the computer is crashing and the ship's life support is failing!"
His eyes widened in shock, but she was already out the door and didn't notice.
~
"Is Knives still angry with you?"
Meryl pulled the blanket up and tucked it firmly around the boy. "I guess so."
"Why?" he asked.
She smoothed some hair back from his forehead and smiled. "Because I disobeyed him. He told me never to go in that room and I did."
"But you had to. You had to tell him about the computer," he insisted, sounding slightly aggitated about the whole thing.
She sighed. Knives had fixed the system error and stopped the crash, but he had still been angry with her. "Let's not talk about that right now." She wanted to change the subject. "Did you enjoy seeing the Plant?"
He brightened. "Yeah! It was great!" he frowned and released a small sigh, "Until Knives got mad."
She laughed and patted his head. "Don't worry about it. Knives will get over it." She bent and kissed him goodnight.
"Meryl?" he called.
"Yes, Locke?" She paused at the door, hand on the light button.
"Could you get Kiro for me?"
She smiled. 'Kiro' was the name he had given the black stuffed cat she had made for him when she had first arrived.
"Sure." She grabbed the stuffed animal off the desk and handed it to him.
"Thank you." He setted down among the covers and hugged the cat close.
She headed toward the door again.
"Meryl?"
She sighed. "Yes, Locke. What is it?"
"Do you... do you think he'll be over it by breakfast?"
She laughed. "Maybe. 'Night, Locke." She turned off the light and left the room.
~
Meryl had just settled into her own bed when she heard a light tapping on her door. She sat up and turned the light back on. Irritated, she called for the person to enter, thinking that it was Locke. It wasn't. It was Knives.
She gasped and pulled the blanket closer around her as he entered, his eyes glancing around the small room. He hadn't been in there since Meryl had moved in.
Entering further into the room he crossed to a chair near the bed and gracefully seated himself. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the girl. She was staring at him, surprise evident in her eyes at his unexpected visit.
"How is Locke? Is he still upset?" Knives knew he had scared the boy and it bothered him. He hadn't meant to, but sometimes he just couldn't control his emotions.
"He's fine." Her answer was short and curt. Was she mad at him? He leaned back in the chair, confused. What possible reason could she have to be angry at him?
He cleared his throught. "I... uh... I fixed the system." Why was he stuttering? He wished she would stop staring at him like that. He tried again. "I... shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You were right to have come to warn me about the crash."
Meryl stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Was he... trying to apologize?
He abrupty stood, looking irritated and uncertain. He ran his fingers through his short blonde hair and looked away from her.
"Can you be ready to go by tomorrow morning?" She blinked at his question. Was he kicking her out? At her silence he returned his gaze to her. "You had mentioned a couple of months ago that you wanted to go and buy clothes for yourself and Locke. I'm asking if you would be ready to leave in the morning. There's something I need to take care of in town anyway." Was this some kind of... peace offering?
"You'll take me back to Spring!?" Her eyes widened in hope.
"Do you take me for a fool?" he snapped, "I'll take you to Garrison. It's closer." She leaned back against her pillows in disappointment. "You no longer wish to go?"
"No, no!" she shouted, nearly falling off the bed. "I'll go! I'll go! I'll have Locke and myself ready to go after breakfast!"
"Good." He headed toward the door to leave.
"Knives!"
He paused at the open door and turned back to her. "Yes?"
"Thank you," she smiled, truly thankful.
His eyes widened slightly at her words, then he nodded and left the room.
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End chapter 6
~
Anonymous: Aw, thanks!
angelarms: To truly appreciate the glory that is Trigun, the episodes must be watched back-to-back. It's the only way! Plus, watching the Rem episode at one in the morning when you're dead tired is a head trip. All the philosophy and symbolism...wow.
WW: Yeah, I thought the hug would be a nice touch. Glad you liked it. ^_^
trapt-tears: Ah, thank you for the kind words! I'm glad that my spelling and grammer are holding up alright. I, too, find that mistakes in spelling and grammer can completely ruin a story, so I work hard at making sure everything I post is free of such errors.
EvilChibiRuler: I never could resist puppy-faces. Thanks for the review!
Arika*: Thanks for reviewing! And I hope you liked the other chapters, too.
Ana: Whew, for a second there I'd thought I'd lost you. It felt kinda weird updating without you having reviewed the previous chapter. lol
Yma: Thank you! Yeah, I kinda thought Locke would be a little whiny and, with Knives probably giving him whatever he wants whenever he wants it, just a bit spoiled. I didn't want to make the child too perfect and cute. The next three (four, including this one) chapters are all connected, and even though I wasn't too pleased with this chapter, I am pleased with how I handled the next three chapters. Like I had mentioned in the previous chapter, a marathon of Trigun can do wonders. ^_^
~
Next time: Knives takes Meryl and Locke into town. Nothing can possibly go wrong, can it? *evil laughter*
~
"..." is talking
'...' is thinking
Okay, this takes place a couple months after the last chapter, so Locke's a little older now. He's seven months, so he looks about 6 1/2 years old now.
-----------------
A Glimpse of Eden
-----------------
Chapter - 6
~
"Locke, settle down. Don't move around so much," Meryl chided, but couldn't keep from smiling at the boy . He was so excited he could barely sit still. She bent back down and finished tying his shoe. Then, getting to her feet, she held out her hand. "Okay, Locke. Time to go."
The boy jumped out of his chair and griped her hand tightly, pulling her toward the door. "Hurry, Meryl! Before Knives changes his mind!"
She laughed and allowed him to lead her down the hall. Knives had promised the boy to take him to meet the ship's Plant today, and the boy was excited. Not just at meeting another one of his kind, but also at the idea of spending the rest of the day with Knives. The boy adored Knives. Whenever she took Locke to visit him in the computer room he would always try to climb on Knives' lap as he worked and generally get in the older Plant's way. And even though Knives frequently complained about not getting any work done, she knew he enjoyed the boy's visits and maybe even looked forward to them. There was a special bond between them. They looked, and acted, like brothers.
Upon entering the computer room Locke released her hand and launched himself at Knives. "I'm here, Knives! Let's go!"
Knives frowned slightly as he watched the small boy cling to his leg. "Well, I'm not ready yet. You'll have to wait awhile longer."
Meryl grinned as she watched Knives try to pry the boy's arms from around his leg. They were so cute together. She almost forgot that Knives was a maniacal killer bent on the destruction of mankind. Almost, but not quite.
"But Meryl said it was time." Locke released his grip on Knives to point a finger in Meryl's direction.
Knives turned to glare at her.
"Hey," she began, putting her hands up in defense, "you're the one that said to bring him after his afternoon nap."
He glanced at the clock. Was it already that late? "But I still have some work to finish before I can take him."
"What kind of work?" she asked, glancing around the cramped room.
"I have to monitor that computer's readouts. I'm running scans on some data." He ran his fingers through his hair, a habit Knives had when he was tired, irritated, or when he was deep in thought. He had been doing it alot lately.
"Is that all? No problem, Knives. You can take him now and I'll watch the computer for you," she generously offered, and walked over to the computer he had indicated.
He laughed. "You? Please... what do you know about operating computers?"
"I know some. My father taught me." She leaned over the computer and studied the screen. "All I have to do is run scans on all these files, right?"
He nodded. "You can do that?" he asked, sounding doubtful.
She crossed her arms, her right eyebrow twitching slighty. Did he think she was an idiot? "Of course!"
"Well..." He looked torn between his promise to Locke and his concern that she would mess something up. "Alright. But be careful. We won't be long."
She watched them leave the room together and then plunked down in the chair Knives had vacated. Turning to the computer she clicked the mouse and started the next scan. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
~
Knives smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been slightly worried that the Plant Angel's physical appearance would scare the boy, but he needn't have worried. Locke had shyly approached the bulb and smiled at the Plant Angel before turning to Knives and asking to teach him how to talk to her, relieving his fears immediately.
Instructing the boy to place his hands on the bulb, Knives knelt down behind Locke and placed his own hands over the boy's. He would need to guide the boy the first time, but after a little practice Locke would be able to talk to the Plant on his own.
"Relax, Locke. Don't try so hard. Just open your mind. It will come," he said gently, sensing the boy's tension.
The boy relaxed against Knives and closed his eyes, allowing Knives to lead him.
"I can hear her, Knives!" Locke yelled excitedly after a few minutes, opening his eyes and breaking the connection. "Oh... I lost her, Knives."
Knives had to laugh at Locke's dejected expresion. "It's alright, Locke. We have plenty of time. We'll try again."
Locke closed his eyes again and relaxed, determined to get it right and make Knives proud of him.
~
Meryl slumped in the seat, a leg carelessly thrown over the arm of the chair. The computer emited a low beep, letting her know another scan had just finished and, without looking, she stuck out a finger and hit the button to begin yet another scan. How did Knives do this all day? He was always digging through books, or studying maps, or typing on the computer... it was all so boring. The only time she ever saw him not working was when he was eating. In fact, she rarely saw him leave the computer room or the library lately except to come to the dining area to eat. He needed a vacation. Or a life.
'I wonder what the Plant room is like?' That was one of the rooms she wasn't allowed in. Knives had told her never to enter that room, that it was 'off limits' to her kind. 'I guess he's worried I'll taint the Plant with my presence or something.'
She was startled out of her thoughts when one of the computers located in the back of the room screeched an alarm and flashed a 'WARNING' on it's screen.
She raced over to the computer and stared at the screen in horror.
'Warning? Warning for what?' She hit a few buttons on the keyboard.
Something had gone wrong and one of the systems was crashing. It was for the life support.
'Crap!' She had better get Knives. She left the room and raced toward the room where the Plant was kept.
She stopped right outside the door, unsure of whether or not to go in. Knives had told her never to enter... but this was an emergency, surely he would understand. Taking a deep breath she punched the button on the panel to open the door and stepped inside...
~
Meryl glanced around the room. It was huge, with monitors and panels along both sides of the walls. At the other end of the room was Knives and Locke. They were both huddled together next to a huge glass bulb. 'I guess that's it... the Plant.'
She slowly walked toward Knives, hesitant to interupt him and Locke. 'Move it Meryl! This is an emergency!'
She moved closer. Knives looked so peaceful, so calm. She truly hated to interupt him.
"Knives..." she began.
He stiffened. Opening his eyes he narrowed his gaze at her. "Get out..." It was barely a whisper.
"But, Knives. The computer--"
"GET OUT!!"
Her eyes widened and she took a step back. Locke was startled and pulled away from Knives. He took his hands off the bulb and tried to go to Meryl, but Knives held him back.
"I told you NEVER to come in here!!"
She took another step back, frightened of the anger she saw in his eyes. Locke was crying for her and trying to pull free of Knives' tight grip, and she automatically reached out a hand toward him.
"GET OUT OF HERE!!!"
She turned and ran toward the door, her heart pounding in her chest. Once at the door she stopped and turned back. She was angry now, too.
"I just came to warn you," she shouted across the room, "that the computer is crashing and the ship's life support is failing!"
His eyes widened in shock, but she was already out the door and didn't notice.
~
"Is Knives still angry with you?"
Meryl pulled the blanket up and tucked it firmly around the boy. "I guess so."
"Why?" he asked.
She smoothed some hair back from his forehead and smiled. "Because I disobeyed him. He told me never to go in that room and I did."
"But you had to. You had to tell him about the computer," he insisted, sounding slightly aggitated about the whole thing.
She sighed. Knives had fixed the system error and stopped the crash, but he had still been angry with her. "Let's not talk about that right now." She wanted to change the subject. "Did you enjoy seeing the Plant?"
He brightened. "Yeah! It was great!" he frowned and released a small sigh, "Until Knives got mad."
She laughed and patted his head. "Don't worry about it. Knives will get over it." She bent and kissed him goodnight.
"Meryl?" he called.
"Yes, Locke?" She paused at the door, hand on the light button.
"Could you get Kiro for me?"
She smiled. 'Kiro' was the name he had given the black stuffed cat she had made for him when she had first arrived.
"Sure." She grabbed the stuffed animal off the desk and handed it to him.
"Thank you." He setted down among the covers and hugged the cat close.
She headed toward the door again.
"Meryl?"
She sighed. "Yes, Locke. What is it?"
"Do you... do you think he'll be over it by breakfast?"
She laughed. "Maybe. 'Night, Locke." She turned off the light and left the room.
~
Meryl had just settled into her own bed when she heard a light tapping on her door. She sat up and turned the light back on. Irritated, she called for the person to enter, thinking that it was Locke. It wasn't. It was Knives.
She gasped and pulled the blanket closer around her as he entered, his eyes glancing around the small room. He hadn't been in there since Meryl had moved in.
Entering further into the room he crossed to a chair near the bed and gracefully seated himself. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the girl. She was staring at him, surprise evident in her eyes at his unexpected visit.
"How is Locke? Is he still upset?" Knives knew he had scared the boy and it bothered him. He hadn't meant to, but sometimes he just couldn't control his emotions.
"He's fine." Her answer was short and curt. Was she mad at him? He leaned back in the chair, confused. What possible reason could she have to be angry at him?
He cleared his throught. "I... uh... I fixed the system." Why was he stuttering? He wished she would stop staring at him like that. He tried again. "I... shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You were right to have come to warn me about the crash."
Meryl stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Was he... trying to apologize?
He abrupty stood, looking irritated and uncertain. He ran his fingers through his short blonde hair and looked away from her.
"Can you be ready to go by tomorrow morning?" She blinked at his question. Was he kicking her out? At her silence he returned his gaze to her. "You had mentioned a couple of months ago that you wanted to go and buy clothes for yourself and Locke. I'm asking if you would be ready to leave in the morning. There's something I need to take care of in town anyway." Was this some kind of... peace offering?
"You'll take me back to Spring!?" Her eyes widened in hope.
"Do you take me for a fool?" he snapped, "I'll take you to Garrison. It's closer." She leaned back against her pillows in disappointment. "You no longer wish to go?"
"No, no!" she shouted, nearly falling off the bed. "I'll go! I'll go! I'll have Locke and myself ready to go after breakfast!"
"Good." He headed toward the door to leave.
"Knives!"
He paused at the open door and turned back to her. "Yes?"
"Thank you," she smiled, truly thankful.
His eyes widened slightly at her words, then he nodded and left the room.
-----------------
End chapter 6
~
Anonymous: Aw, thanks!
angelarms: To truly appreciate the glory that is Trigun, the episodes must be watched back-to-back. It's the only way! Plus, watching the Rem episode at one in the morning when you're dead tired is a head trip. All the philosophy and symbolism...wow.
WW: Yeah, I thought the hug would be a nice touch. Glad you liked it. ^_^
trapt-tears: Ah, thank you for the kind words! I'm glad that my spelling and grammer are holding up alright. I, too, find that mistakes in spelling and grammer can completely ruin a story, so I work hard at making sure everything I post is free of such errors.
EvilChibiRuler: I never could resist puppy-faces. Thanks for the review!
Arika*: Thanks for reviewing! And I hope you liked the other chapters, too.
Ana: Whew, for a second there I'd thought I'd lost you. It felt kinda weird updating without you having reviewed the previous chapter. lol
Yma: Thank you! Yeah, I kinda thought Locke would be a little whiny and, with Knives probably giving him whatever he wants whenever he wants it, just a bit spoiled. I didn't want to make the child too perfect and cute. The next three (four, including this one) chapters are all connected, and even though I wasn't too pleased with this chapter, I am pleased with how I handled the next three chapters. Like I had mentioned in the previous chapter, a marathon of Trigun can do wonders. ^_^
~
Next time: Knives takes Meryl and Locke into town. Nothing can possibly go wrong, can it? *evil laughter*
~