Chapter 3:
Warm Welcomes
The rented convertible carefully made its way through the streets of Septembre City. Wolfwood was behind the wheel, looking calm and unruffled as he navigated his way around pedestrians, other cars and thomases alike. Beside him, Milly was munching contentedly on one of several puddings that Wolfwood had bought for her while they waited for Vash and Meryl to return from the doctor's office.
After everyone had disembarked from the sand steamer, Meryl had begun asking for directions to the nearest doctor's office. However, getting the lanky gunman to go to the office had quickly been turned into an event as Vash had protested loudly the fact that he healed fast and didn't need to go to the doctor, and Meryl had informed him, in a voice loud enough to match his, that he at least needed to go and have his wound looked at. By the time the argument had reached the stage where the two combatants were standing toe-to-toe and glaring at each other, half of the city had turned out to watch and be entertained. Milly had finally stepped between the two spazzes and had settled the dispute in her own unique way.
"Vash-san," she had said, giving him a straightforward look with her wide blue eyes, "go to the doctor. Senpai has enough to worry about without having to worry about you, as well."
Meryl had flushed hotly at Milly's words, muttered something about bringing the mountain to Mohamed, and began to stalk down the street. Vash had given Milly and Wolfwood a blank look before he turned and followed her, missing Milly's satisfied smile as he did so.
"Think we should go with them?" Wolfwood had asked.
"You can if you want," Milly replied sweetly, and turned to go in the other direction. "I'm going to have a pudding a la mode and some Ceylon tea."
Wolfwood gazed after Milly's retreating figure until he remembered that Meryl had taken the insurance girl's money with her to the doctor's office. His decision having been made for him, he took off after the taller girl, figuring that he could also secure a rented car for the last leg of their journey.
Several medical-related arguments and a pudding-and-tea later, the group made their way to the outskirts of the city, Vash sulking behind Wolfwood with his right arm in a sling, and Meryl gazing off at the buildings, lost in thought.
That idiot…she thought to herself.
Vash had continued to protest that he didn't need to go to the doctor with practically every step until Meryl, exasperation written in every line of her body, turned to glare at him.
"See? I'm perfectly fine!" Vash exclaimed now that he had gotten her to look at him, and proceeded to move his arm around a little to demonstrate his claim.
"Oh, really?" Meryl asked sweetly, before swiftly touching Vash's injured arm with her index finger. She had barely touched it, but his reaction was instantaneous.
"ITAI!" he yelled as he grabbed his arm and doubled over a bit.
"Point proven, ne? Now stop whining and come on," Meryl growled as she began stalking down the street once again, Vash's now silent but sulking form a little behind her.
The doctor had been gracious and very polite considering Vash's scowling countenance and sulky replies to his questions. He had inspected the wound, complimented Meryl on her use of the whiskey, and applied some antiseptic and rewrapped the wound with a clean bandage. He then placed Vash's arm in a sling, instructing the gunman to not move his arm too much, else run the risk of reopening the wound. Vash had instantly started complaining, not liking the thought of keeping his gun arm in a sling for even a single day, but Meryl had said in a steely voice that brooked no arguments that Vash would follow the doctor's instructions to the letter.
As they were leaving, the doctor assured them that Vash would only have to keep the sling on for a week, but that didn't help cheer the lanky gunman up as he imagined all sorts of bounty hunters, gung-ho guns, and law men coming after him.
Meryl heaved a small sigh. She knew how Vash felt, and to be honest, she was a little leery as well of him having to keep his gun arm in a sling, but there wasn't much she could do other than keep her fingers crossed that the crew of the sand steamer would keep the fact that Vash the Stampede had been a passenger a secret.
She glanced at Vash again, heaved yet another sigh, and said, "Will you stop sulking? You're acting like a child."
Vash turned his eyes to her, their blue-green depths sparkling in amusement
as he grinned and stuck his tongue out at her. Meryl offered him
an incredulous stare, then rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Case in point," she muttered under her breath.
"Hey, small girl!" Wolfwood called from up front, and Meryl leaned forward so that she could hear him better.
"What is it, Wolfwood-san?" she asked.
"We're coming to the end of the city limits. Where do I go now?"
"Once you're outside the city walls, head north. You'll come to a small town, and by that time you'll be able to see our destination," Meryl answered.
"So your home is near a town?" Vash asked, curious.
"It wasn't always like that. We used to have to go into Septembre for supplies and the like, but gradually small, family owned businesses began to move out and set up shop near us. More businesses followed, and eventually Key Town grew up around them. My family lives five iles outside of Key Town, but trust me when I say you'll be able to see it," Meryl said.
"Does your entire family live in one house?" Vash asked, curious.
"No, not unless there were some major changes that I'm not aware of. As far as I know, it's just my father and my younger sister Lucy and her husband that's living in the main house. I have two younger brothers that moved out just before I left," Meryl said, then smiled. "I should warn you though, our family seems to be larger than it is because of my father's brothers and sisters living close by. We'll be over run by my younger cousins before the day is out."
"Oh good! It'll be good to see how much the kids have grown!" Milly said happily.
"You've met her family before?" Wolfwood asked.
"Yes, a few years ago after our first assignment. They were a lot of fun!" Milly replied.
"They really enjoyed trying to lift your Stun Gun," Meryl said smiling.
"Did anyone succeed?" Wolfwood asked.
"One of the older kids nearly did," Milly giggled.
While Milly and Meryl went into details about some of the kids they would be meeting, Vash allowed himself to retreat into a comfortable silence. He had been feeling the familiar presence of a Plant Angel, but this particular Angel had a slightly different feel to her compared to the other Angels he'd encountered. The difference was vague and would have been unnoticeable if Vash hadn't been listening to the Plant Angels his entire life. It wasn't a threatening difference, rather it was the opposite, a comforting presence that seemed to promise peace to those that came within touching distance if they could.
Wolfwood's sudden, shocked cry of "THAT'S WHERE YOU LIVE?!" followed by a sudden stomp on the brakes broke Vash from his thoughts as his body pitched forward, only to be stopped from hitting the seat in front of him by his seat belt, jarring his injured arm in the interim.
"DAMNIT WOLFWOOD!!!" Vash yelled, reaching over Meryl to bash Wolfwood on the head. "WARN ME NEXT TIME YOU . . . do . . . that .. . " Vash's eyes widened as they took in the scene before them. On the horizon shimmered a large green shape that could only be… "A Geo Plant..." Vash breathed, stunned.
"Yeah. From what my father has told me, our family has taken care of that particular Geo Plant ever since we first landed on this planet. Dad's the head engineer, with the rest of the family acting as the rest of the staff. When I was younger, and I'm sure they still do it this way, we would rotate shifts every week so that everyone would get a chance to rest," Meryl replied.
"Did you ever have any trouble?" Wolfwood asked as the car resumed its path towards the house.
"Yeah, we had our share of bandits and millionaires coming around trying to steal the Plant out from under us, but so far we've been successful in keeping them from taking even a single tree," Meryl said, pride evident in her voice. "To help support the cost of maintaining the Plant, we raise prize thomases that can carry loads much heavier than your average thomas as well as a few racing thomases as well. Wolfwood-san, if you'll head towards the first ranch compound we'll be able to get out and unload the car. We don't live directly on the Geo Plant, we prefer to leave the land well enough alone. You should see the main house soon."
Following Meryl's directions, it wasn't long before Wolfwood was pulling up in front of a large ranch house with wide front windows thrown open to let in any small breeze that might drift in off the surrounding desert area.
Out of the corner of his eye, Vash caught Meryl leaning forward and peering anxiously around her, gripping her hands together tightly in her lap. He suddenly found himself wanting to reach out and lightly take one of her small hands into one of his own and to offer what form of comfort that he could. Instead, Vash concerned himself with climbing out of the car, trying hard not to move his injured arm to much. Meryl followed suit once Wolfwood released the catch on his seat, and the gang gathered around the trunk of the car to start hauling out bags.
Meryl had just pulled out her little suitcase when the double doors of the house were flung open and a young woman with long black hair rushed out onto the front yard. Meryl barely had time to straighten before the young woman was upon them, flinging herself into Meryl's arms, nearly knocking her over.
"MERYL-ONEEEEEEECHAAAAAAAAAAAN!" the woman yelled, squeezing Meryl so tightly Vash swore that he heard a few of her ribs creak.
"L-Lucy . . . can't breathe . . . ," Meryl managed to gasp out.
Lucy released Meryl quickly and stepped back, tears gathering in her slate-gray
eyes as she gazed at the elder sister she hadn't seen in so long.
Vash and Wolfwood gazed curiously at the woman that was Meryl's younger
sister while Milly hugged and greeted the misty eyed woman. They
didn't have a hard time imagining the woman Meryl's sister despite the
obvious difference in height and eye color. Lucy O'Conner stood a
good half-foot taller than Meryl, and instead of eyes the color of a crushed
violet, her eyes were a slate gray-blue that looked like they could change
color with her mood. Her face was a bit more angular than Meryl's,
and she wore her long, black hair back in a casual ponytail off the nape
of her neck. In some aspects she might have been considered somewhat
plain, but her intensity and natural exuberance more than made for a striking
impression.
"I'm so happy that you're home! You've been missed!" Lucy cried, grabbing Meryl up in another bear hug, albeit one that didn't cause her ribs to groan from the strain.
"I'm glad to see you too, Lucy," Meryl said fondly, then pulled away and asked seriously, "How's Dad? Can you tell me what's happened?"
Lucy opened her mouth as if to reply, only to shut it again, shaking her head. "Now isn't the time to go over it all. Let's get you in and settled and then we'll meet in the living room to discuss what's been going on."
"Lucy, have you met Vash and Boukushi-san yet?" Milly asked as she and Wolfwood finished unloading the car.
"No, I haven't. Pleasure to meet you," Lucy said, and shook each man's hand in turn. She began to say something else, but was interrupted by a small roar that began to grow louder and louder until suddenly the group was standing knee-deep in kids ranging in ages from nine to early teens. From the way the dust was settling, Meryl deduced that the group had been with the thomas herd and had come running as fast as they could once they realized she and the others were there. The small group was bombarded on all sides by questions and comments, while Meryl was kept busy hugging all the cousins, nieces and nephews that she hadn't seen in several years.
One small voice caught everyone's attention as it asked, "Is that really Vash the Stampede?"
All eyes turned in the direction of the voice's owner, a small angelic looking girl-child with curly blond hair and big blue eyes that were solemnly gazing up at Vash. Vash knelt down until he was eye level with the child and replied, "Yes, I am."
"But-but you're so . . . so . . . so . . . ," the child paused, searching for the correct words while everyone else watched with wide eyes.
"Handsome?" Vash supplied helpfully, striking a small pose.
"Wimpy-looking," the girl corrected, causing Vash to hit the ground in surprise while Wolfwood threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Out of the mouths of babes, eh Tongari?" Wolfwood asked, while Meryl snorted softly and proceeded to go through introductions again.
Once all the general pleasantries were out of the way, and the kids were all assured that yes, the legendary gunman was staying at their house and no he wasn't going to let any of them shoot his gun, the group picked up their luggage and followed Lucy into the house.
"We have a few of our older cousins staying here, so I'm afraid that we're a little limited for space. I know you won't mind having your old room, Meryl, but I'm not sure where to put Milly. Wolfwood-san and Vash-san can have the room directly across from yours," Lucy said, turning to the four road-weary travelers.
"Do we still have that spare cot that Dad always put up when Uncle Tony came to visit?" Meryl asked.
"Sure do. It's in the storage building," Lucy replied.
"You can wheel that into my room. Is that all right with you, Milly?"
"That's fine with me, Sempai!"
"Ok. Lucy, while you get the cot I'll show everyone to their rooms. I'll see you in a bit."
With that, Meryl turned and led the way down one hallway and up a small flight of stairs. She stopped at a pair of doors directly across from one another, and opened up one. The room she entered was tastefully done in several different shades of blue. A large queen sized bed dominated the main floor space, while a roll top desk took up the far wall. Bookshelves lined the remaining wall space, and Vash could see a door that most likely lead into a closet off to the side. These were the only impressions he was allowed, though, as Meryl informed him that his and Wolfwood's room was right across the hall and that she and Milly would like to take time to settle in and maybe wash some of the travel dust off.
Wolfwood clapped a hand on Vash's shoulder, then turned and opened to the door leading to their room. It was a little larger than Meryl's had been, containing two twin beds and two dressers, as well as two desks and a pair of closets. The color scheme was similar to the one in Meryl's room, only instead of differing shades of blue this room was done in differing shades of green.
"I wonder if she has any twin siblings," Wolfwood mused as he pulled out several more black suits from his bag and hung them up in the closet.
"Because of how everything is doubled in this room?" Vash asked as he put some worn jeans and cotton shirts into one of the dressers.
"Yeah. So what do you think, Tongari? Seems like we're going to be staying a while. I never thought I'd ever get to stay at a Geo Plant, though. Do you think the small girl will let us wander around freely?"
"How should I know?" Vash grumped, and would have grumped some more if a soft knock hadn't interrupted him.
"Come in," he called, and the door opened to reveal a slightly refreshed looking Meryl.
"Lucy just brought up Milly's cot and asked that we meet her in the living room as soon as we're settled," Meryl said in response to Vash's questioning look.
"Meaning we should go down now," Vash supplied, and was rewarded with a small smile from Meryl.
"Right, so if you guys are at a stopping point . . ."
"Sure, we can go down now, right Tongari?" Wolfwood said, grabbing Vash by the arm and dragging him out into the hallway. Milly was already there and smiled happily at the two. Wolfwood released Vash's arm and went to her side, asking if she thought she would be comfortable and wondering if they had brought enough pudding.
Vash rolled his eyes as they began to make their way back to the area where they had come in. He found himself wondering just why Meryl hadn't gone down to question her sister alone. Surely something as personal as a family matter would have been better off discussed in private. He glanced at the profile of the petite woman that walked at his side, and blinked at what he saw.
Meryl's eyes were bleak with worry and he could literally see the tension mounting in her face muscles by the way the skin was being drawn taught over her features. He could feel it…the emotions she fought to restrain as she undoubtedly thought about the events to come.
It was then that Vash realized something startling. For all her independent nature, Meryl desperately needed someone to lean on but was refusing to acknowledge that fact consciously to herself. So instead she was chalking up waiting for everyone before descending as good manners, not as a need to have her friends around her as she received the news regarding her father. What the gunman found even more startling was the fact that he found himself wanting to be the person that Meryl leaned on during this time of change and stress.
Vash knew better than anyone just what a comfort a steady presence could be when things seemed overwhelming to him. And, given his…unusual…reputation, that had the potential to happen pretty often and it surprised him, realizing that over the past several months (or was it years?) Meryl had become that steadying presence in his life. She had been there for him countless times when the going had gotten rough, occasionally griping about how trouble always seemed to follow him like a shadow, but never really complaining. Hell, she had even shot a couple of the bounty hunters in order to save his sorry hide when something had thrown him off guard.
Vash had never really thought about how steadying just knowing that she was there for him had become, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about this new revelation.
But being Vash, he filed it off under the heading of "Things To Think About Another Day" as they reached the doors to the living room and Meryl preceded them into the room and took up one side of a comfortably overstuffed wing-backed chair. Milly took up residence on a tan-colored love seat, and Wolfwood being the opportunistic person that he was, quickly took up the other side of the love seat. Vash glanced around quickly, getting an impression of family photos lining every available surface in the large room, before taking the companion to Meryl's chair.
Lucy then entered the living room with a tray of drinks that she sat down on the coffee table before she took an ottoman that sat slightly facing the other chairs. Vash and Wolfwood reached out and each snagged a glass of water while everyone waited for Lucy to speak.
To be continued . . .
***
Glossary of terms:
Tongari - Needle Noggin'
Boukushi-san - Mr. Priest (I hate the way it sounds in English, so
I'm leaving it as this)
Oneechan - Older Sister
Note about the terms, I do plan to continue to use the generally known terms such as Itai (ouch), the -san endings for names (I can't stand calling someone Mr this and that when I'm writing, it looks weird), as well as continue to have Lucy refer to Meryl as Oneechan. Just seems to fit the characters better. But I will not, however, ever use an entire sentance of Japanese words when my characters talk. To be honest, it drives me nuts. Sorry about the mini-rant. ^^;;