Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun
Thanks to reviewers:
Blu & TK - I'm glad you liked it, I wasn't sure if anyone would thanks for your review^-^.
Knives: ...I don't like you.
Angel: Hey no abusing the reviewers *kicks him in the shin*
Jaina - Thank you so much for your review it meant a lot to me ^-^ I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
Neptune Butterfly - Yeah I was gonna go with the whole Meryl gets attacked on the way home thing but I thought it was too predictable and decided to let her get home safely. Thanks for your review and I'm glad you are enjoying it. Oh and I'm glad little kuroneko-sama is all calm again.
Valk - Thanks for your comment, it means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Snapdragon76 - Yup I know exactly what you mean and I'm glad you liked my first chapter I worked quite hard on it. Thanks for your review!!
Yma - Oh thanks for your comment, I do try my best with the characters and keeping them with their personalities so it meant a lot that someone noticed and pointed out that I WAS actually succeeding. I don't really know what direction this is heading in either, its kinda gonna be a spontaneous fic where I'm just gonna let my fingers type and see what happens ^-^'.
Silverado6000 - I'm glad you like my new fic, and don't worry I have no intention of giving up my other fic and it will be my main priority. Thanks for your review!!
Magnet-Rose - Wow thanks for your review it was really nice and made me laugh, I'm glad you liked
it.
Knives: I didn't find the review very good.
Angel: Oh shut up, you would say that.
Knives: ...
Saranomy - Eeek *hides from scary reviewer* I'm sorry here is your update.
Knives: Stop hiding behind me, pathetic human.
Angel: You're very repetitive aren't you Knives.
Knives: Well actually I liked this review; I liked the attitude of it.
Angel: You would. ¬.¬
Arteme - Thanks for your sweet review and here is your update.
Mabel4gs - Hee hee, don't worry bout it, I feel the same way bout cute little Vashie ...okay maybe he aint so little. But yeah you understand. Thanks for your review!!
Puchiko - I'm glad you liked the way I wrote my last chapter, I have tried to keep this chapter at the same quality. Thanks for your review.
Darkraven - eeee! I have a fan *blushes* don't worry I'll keep Knives under control *pats Knives on the head* Thanks for your review.
Dustdragon - Yeah I hope I can figure out the plot, ^-^' but I'm glad you liked it and here is your update, thanks for your review.
* * * * * *
*Somewhere in the middle of the desert...*
Angel: Wow Knives did you see how many people reviewed! O.O
Knives: I get the feeling some of them don't like me.
Angel: I wonder where you got that idea...¬.¬
Knives: ...
Angel: Anyway thank you all sooooo much!!
Knives: So am I going to wake up this chapter?
Angel: No
Knives: *growls and mutters words that cannot be repeated*
Angel: So are you going to help me find Vash now?
Knives: Will you leave me alone if I do?
Angel: Definitely!!
Knives: Argh, fine...
Angel: Yay *dances around*
Knives: *has to resist the urge to strangle her*
Angel: Enjoy my second chapter everyone ^-^
Part 2: she felt like a stranger to herself
Meryl flopped down on her bed, which was pressed up against the far wall away from the door; from here she could look out of the window and up into the starry sky. Tonight the usual diamonds of the heavens did not seem as bright as they normally did, maybe it was the haze of tears, which had distorted them, or perhaps it was her frame of mind. In any case she felt just as bad as she had before entering the saloon in the first place.
Rolling onto her stomach she leaned over and reached under the bed, groping blindly for what she knew lay hidden under there. For a moment she thought that perhaps someone had moved it but then her fingertips brushed against something cool and smooth. Letting out a sigh of relief she grasped the bottle and lifted it up into the moonlight. The liquid inside the bottle looked like captured moonbeams under the bask of the moons above and she sat up, letting her feet rest on the ground again.
She remembered the day she had taken this bottle of alcohol in the first place, it had happened when Vash was away fighting his brother. She had come home after a hard days work to see Millie completely drunk in the living room. The sight had worried her slightly, and even though Millie did drink a lot she obviously missed Wolfwood more than what she was letting on. She used the alcohol to escape the tormenting thoughts about the man she loved.
"Much like I'm doing now." She whispered and laughed quietly to the darkness. She had no idea why she was acting so strange; maybe it was because she had finally come to terms with the fact that she could never tell him. Millie had asked her why she couldn't and it was true she had many reasons.
Damaged pride was one thing she did not want to have, he might laugh at her or just blink and say nothing. He might even pity her and feel that he had to stay so he didn't hurt her and she didn't want to do that. There were also other reasons for not telling him, she didn't want to be another burden on him. Even if she told him and he felt the same way, he had his brother to tend to and it would be unfair of her to distract him from that. She also didn't want to make things awkward in the household if he turned her down. Everyone would be feeling awkward and Vash might feel the need to leave so as to ease tension in the house. That was the last thing Meryl wanted and so she decided that it would be best to have him as a friend and nothing more.
She opened the bottle and held it higher up so that she could see the drink better in the dim light. The faint smell of alcohol teased her and she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips and breathed in the tempting scent. A part of her mind was now telling her to stop it and throw the bottle away but the other part of her mind, which held the grief, simply wanted release. 'Maybe a little more would help it go away' she thought to herself and raised the bottle to take a long drink.
A few droplets of the drink escaped and trickled down her chin, mingling with newly shed tears that had sprung from her violet eyes. Her arms trembled and she released her grip on the bottle which was still half full, and reveled in the crash it made as it hit the ground. Then slowly she pulled her knees up against her and began to cry...she felt so confused and out of control...she felt like a stranger to herself.
* * * * * *
Vash sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, sure it wasn't an exceptionally comfortable one but it was enough, and it was definitely better than sleeping out in the desert. Giving all of that, he should have been asleep by now, but he couldn't rest knowing that something was wrong with the short girl in the next room.
He looked across at his brother who was still in his comatose state and sighed miserably, he had been a fool to think that everything could return to normal. He actually missed the days of wandering around from town to town getting into trouble and then getting beaten up by that fiery little woman. Anyone else would have called that the down point of their life but to Vash it had been the best. He had enjoyed winding Meryl up and watching them run after him when he tried to escape, they had also made difficult times easier to abide.
He wished more than anything that Meryl would return to her normal self. He hated seeing her in such a state and not being able to help. Would she even want him to help her? He doubted it.
A loud crash alerted him and jumping to his feet he dashed from the room as fast as he could. As he reached her door he leaned against it and listened for any other sound before lowering his hand to the door handle. It was only when the sound of sobbing echoed from within the room that he decided to enter.
Carefully he opened the door on silent hinges and peered into the dark room that lay behind it. At first he could see nothing except a cool, pastel light that filtered through the curtains and lay scattered across the ground in lazy patterns. Dark shadows lingered in the corners of the room and lay draped over the bed as if to keep him from seeing past the barriers but already his eyes were growing accustomed to the darkness.
Gingerly he stepped inside the room and let the door shut with a soft click behind him before continuing. The stench of alcohol greeted him instantaneously and his eyes traced over the shards of glass that shimmered under the dainty touch of moonlight.
Not far from the broken bottle sat Meryl, her dejected figure curled up against the bed, her face buried against her knees, which were pulled up against her chest. Vash could not believe that this was the same woman he had known for so long and he had to fight against the urge to back away and leave before she noticed him.
"Meryl..." His voice sounded harsh in the thick silence of the room and he knelt down beside her. Her sobs suddenly fell quiet as if she was ashamed of being caught in such a state and she tried to edge away from him. He managed to stop her by wrapping an arm firmly around her shoulders and holding her pinned against his side. She tensed and a sob choked in her throat.
"Get off!" She yelled from her drunken state and brought her fist round to crack him in the jaw.
"Ouch!" He let her go to touch his jaw tenderly and was rewarded with another jolt of pain from the pressure, he almost completely forgot about Meryl until she tried to swing at him again.
"Hey, don't hit me." He whined as he caught her small fist in his hand and held it firmly. "Are you okay?" he added gently and she shook her head violently and tried to free her hand.
"Just leave me alone already." Her order ended in a whimper and she collapsed against him, her eyes falling gently closed and the sound of his beating heart somewhat therapeutic. His hand absently rose to stroke through the soft black hair, which framed her face, and for the first time they seemed to be quite content being in each other's company.
After another quiet moment of listening to each other's breathing in the warm dark, which now seemed to bring comfort instead of fear, Vash broke the silence.
"Are you okay?" He asked again, his voice was barely a whisper. She nodded lightly and wiped furiously at her eyes to try and rid them of the tears that had invaded.
She was only faintly aware of being lifted up and by the time she was lying back on her bed she was fast asleep, the torment gone from her now beautiful features. Vash leaned over her as he pulled the covers up to pool around her shoulders and brushed his fingertips gently against her cheek. She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear and he took his hand away.
He wondered what could have happened to her to make her change so drastically; maybe it was from being around him so long. Had he actually driven her mad? He shook the thought from his mind and lingered beside her bed a moment longer. She seemed content now, a slight breeze had drifted into the room and was rustling her hair softly and the moonlight's delicate fingers caressed her cheek. He backed over to the door and glanced at her again before opening it and disappearing into the hall.
* * * * * *
When the twin suns finally decided to emerge they brought with them an intense heat, which blistered the desert and everything in it. The sky was an unusual shade of red as if it was on fire and the whirling of heat waves distorted vision for miles around. This huge change in temperature did not help anyone in the small town where Meryl, Vash and Millie were staying and neither did it help soothe the hangover, which Meryl was suffering from.
She leaned heavily against the sink and rested her forehead against the cool mirror opposite to try and stop the rhythmic pounding in her skull. She still could not believe how much she had drunk that night and had spent the early hours of the morning throwing up and clearing up smashed glass. The reek of alcohol did nothing to soothe her pain and so she had retreated to the bathroom, which was cool and hidden from the suns' angry clutches. From here she could sit and find comfort in the silence, which seemed to lull the pain in her head to a light throb.
She moved her head away from its position on the mirror and looked at her reflection in the smooth, polished glass. Her hair was still wet from her shower and clung to her face in some places, small water droplets had rested on her cheeks just beneath her eyes and reminded her of the tears she had shed last night. Her skin had lost its normal healthy glow and looked pale and her eyes were like dark hollows of what they used to be. She realized now what all the lack of sleep and proper food was doing to her, these feelings towards that annoying gunman were making her sick.
"I can't believe I would let myself fall so low." She murmured to her reflection and then scowled, she knew things had to change. She could not just sit around all day feeling sorry for herself, there was work to be done and she would not fall behind. Straightening her back she glared into the mirror a final time, checked to make sure her uniform was perfect and stepped out into the hall.
The house was still considerably quiet except for the light snoring from Millie's tiny room and so she decided to make a start on breakfast. Ignoring the pain in her head she padded down the short flight of steps and into the small but adequate kitchen. There were a few small cupboards, a stove and a sink but that was all she needed and looking through the cupboards she found the pancake mix and a frying pan.
Keeping a firm grasp on the handle she watched the pancakes carefully so as not to spoil them and smiled. Things already seemed to be going well and the day had hardly even started. She hummed very quietly over the sound of the cooking food and was therefore very surprised to turn round and find Vash standing on the other side of the room. He seemed extremely shocked at seeing her up so early and seemed even more surprised to see her looking so happy.
For a moment they stood staring at each other before continuing about their business, Meryl turned back to the stove and smiled slightly. 'Guess he thought I would be in bed all day after all that drinking.' She halted then and her eyes widened in fear, she only remembered snippets of what had happened last night but she did remember him being there. She groaned and rubbed her head as the headache returned and hoped desperately that she hadn't done anything embarrassing.
She scooped the pancakes onto a plate and went over to sit at the tiny table where Vash was sitting silently, he had his head lowered so she couldn't see his face and she had the feeling he was hiding something.
"Vash..." She put the pancakes down in front of him and sat down opposite him.
"For me?" He seemed genuinely surprised that she was offering them to him.
"No for that annoying black cat that is hanging around outside." She rolled her eyes and leaned on the table, cradling her cheek in her palm.
She watched him attack the food vigorously and couldn't contain a smile at how childish he looked; yet at the same time she found it very sweet. It was when she was looking at him that she spotted a bruise on his cheek, it had started to deepen in shade and her heart jolted in fear. She remembered getting angry with him, remembered hitting out, she hadn't realized that she had actually struck him and the poor guy had only come to check on her.
"I'm sorry." She whispered and Vash looked up from his food, his face held a deep look of confusion.
"For what?" He asked.
"For hitting you yesterday."
"Wow, you actually remember that?" His eyes widened in surprise and she nodded. "Well don't worry I'm used to it." He shrugged and finished the last pancake in one bite. "Any more?" He asked innocently and then gave her the puppy eyed look, which no girl on the planet could possibly resist. Meryl laughed and stood up.
"Sure, but I have to go to work soon." She reminded him as she went back into the small kitchen once again.
* * * * * *
Vash watched Meryl leave and frowned, he was sure he wouldn't be the only one confused by the way she had been reacting, one minute she was so upset she had turned to drink and the next she was acting like her normal in control self. 'Maybe it took her to reach rock bottom before she realized that she had to cheer up,' he thought helplessly.
He was deep in thought when Millie finally came down the stairs; she spotted him standing in the middle of the room looking completely lost. She wondered what he was looking at and tried to follow his line of vision, which ended at the door.
"Mr. Vash?" She questioned and walked up beside him.
"Oh, hello Millie." He smiled at her but she could see the worry that had built up in his aqua eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
"Have you noticed anything strange about Meryl lately?" He asked and Millie shook her head. She had noticed, and she had a sneaking suspicion Meryl's behavior was because of her feelings towards the gunman and Millie didn't believe it was her place to say.
"She is probably just working too hard." Millie offered and Vash nodded silently, his face still etched with worry.
Vash didn't even know why he was worrying so much about her, but whenever he thought about her being upset or hurt he would get a deep pain in his chest like an icy dagger. He sat back down and contemplated on what to do, if Millie was right and it was because of work then he couldn't really do much to help. Maybe if he just stayed out of her way so as not to annoy her, or make sure to keep the place tidy so she didn't have to clean up when she got home. But then there was his brother to consider, he wanted to be there when Knives woke up so that he could keep him calm but that wasn't going to happen if he was out of the room a lot. He sighed and leaned back in the chair, he had to figure out some way to help her.
He angled his head so he could watch Millie in the kitchen and smiled at seeing her with a huge pot of pudding in her hand. 'At least some things never change' he thought happily. Stretching lazily he stood up and walked over to the stairs.
"I'm going up to watch over Knives." He called over to Millie, who simply nodded, her mouth too full for her to speak.
Vash stood in the doorway to his room and peered in at his unconscious brother who was lying motionless on the bed. Sighing he let himself fall onto his own bed and looked up at the ceiling, and followed the cracks that ran along it. The heat from the suns reached inside the room and wrapped him in a suffocating embrace and he found his sunglasses and put them on.
"I'm waiting Knives." He spoke to his unconscious brother. "I'm waiting for you to wake up, I know you're just dragging this out, waiting until you think of a plan to escape me." His voice was emotionless and strangely calm.
He sat up and glared at his brother, wishing and hoping that when he finally did wake up that he would accept his new lifestyle. In his heart he knew it was wishful thinking, Knives would never accept humans just as humans would never accept plants.
He flopped down onto his back once more and let his eyes fall closed, the orange lenses of his glasses hiding the tears that beaded in the corners of them.
* * * * * *
Meryl wrote down the one hundredth order of the morning on her rapidly thinning notepad and headed back to the kitchen, they had been so busy she had not even had time to stop for a break. The good thing was that she was being paid over time and whilst she was working she wasn't thinking about Vash at all.
She called out the order and left the scrap of paper on the side. A girl who was sitting on a chair by the kitchen waved her over and Meryl smiled at seeing whom it was. 'She must have sneaked in when I wasn't looking.'
"Hello Miss Meryl." She waved and held up the menu.
"Hi Kirsty, what'll it be today?" Meryl asked lightly and held her pen ready so she could write down the order.
"I'll have ice-cream please." The young girl said with such enthusiasm Meryl couldn't help but be reminded of Millie and her pudding.
"Any particular flavor?" She added.
"Chocolate!" Meryl laughed and nodded before heading back over to hand in the order. Today had turned out exceptionally well considering how upset and down she had been yesterday. 'This must be how Millie gets through the pain' Meryl mused thoughtfully and was filled with a new admiration for her friend.
Working all the way through her lunch break Meryl was pleased when the morning's rush slowly trailed off and managed to sit down for the first time in hours. The heat had now reached its greatest intensity and the kitchen made the heat even worse so she sat by the door and enjoyed the slight cool breeze on her skin.
When it was time to get back to work she closed the door so as not to be tempted to go back outside and put her apron back on over her uniform. Yawning sleepily she picked up her note pad and prepared herself for the afternoon shift.
She called out to the kitchen staff to start with the cooking again and the sound of kitchen utensils rang out in the air. It was a comforting sound, which reminded Meryl of being back home with her mother and grandmother; she had always loved being in the kitchen. When she was surrounded by the sounds and smells of preparing food a great warmth enveloped her. She could not rid herself of the smile that had crept up onto her face.
The bell on the door jingled as someone entered and she whirled around to greet him or her. She opened her violet eyes to see whom she would be serving and the smile faltered for the first time. She found herself looking down the barrel of a gun. She opened her mouth to scream at seeing the three men with their guns trained on her, another stood behind them, his face concealed beneath a wide rimmed hat.
"Shut up and get over there!" One man yelled at her and indicated with his rifle, not wanting to risk getting hurt she dashed over to the corner and sat down on the floor. She had forgotten what had made her old uniform so handy; her cloak had had enough room to hide her derringers whilst this waitress uniform had only a single pouch in the apron.
Frowning and completely at a loss for what to do she sat silently and watched the three men stash money from the till into a sack. She wondered why on earth they would be here robbing this tiny restaurant when suddenly the person with the wide hat approached her.
"You know him don't you?" At first she didn't realize the question had been directed at her until she caught sight of the blazing eyes beneath the hat.
"Huh?" Meryl glanced at the person curiously.
"Vash the Stampede, I have accurate records of someone seeing you with him." Meryl's heart leapt into her throat at hearing Vash's name. They hadn't had any problems with bounty hunters for a long while now and having four people turn up with obvious intentions of getting the bounty made her realize that it was starting all over again.
'He never gets a break' she sighed helplessly, completely forgetting that she had been asked a question.
"Don't deny it because I already know that you are acquainted with our typhoon." The person who obviously led this little band of thieves grinned and tipped the hat away from his face.
"You're a woman!" Meryl blurted out in shock, she had been so sure it was a man hiding beneath that cloak and hat.
"Surprised? Well you should be, now just stay still." She stood up and gestured for her henchman to approach, Meryl noticed one of them held a rope in his thick hands and she realized that she was going to be used as bait.
She smiled as she realized it would never work, Vash wasn't going to leave the house and risk not being there when his brother woke up so they would be waiting a while. Another terrible thought hit her, if he didn't show up she would probably be blamed, she did not even want to guess what they might do to her if their plans failed.
* * * * * *
Angel: Okay so explain it to me again.
Knives: It's not that hard to understand!!
Angel: Inferior, remember? ¬_¬
Knives: Well everyone knows that Vash loves food.
Angel: Donuts.
Knives: Huh?
Angel: He loves donuts.
Knives: Stop interrupting me!
Angel: Sorry. *Rolls eyes*
Knives: Well all we have to do is get these donut things you were talking about and use them as bait to get him. Quite simple really.
Angel: But-
Knives: -Shut up and listen!!!!!
Angel: Wow...scaaaary.
Knives: *Sighs* we need to find a cage as well.
Angel: A cage? *Evil grin* finally you say something worth listening to.
Knives: Just shut up you annoying woman.
Angel: Well what are we standing around for? Let's go!! *Drags Knives away*
Thanks to reviewers:
Blu & TK - I'm glad you liked it, I wasn't sure if anyone would thanks for your review^-^.
Knives: ...I don't like you.
Angel: Hey no abusing the reviewers *kicks him in the shin*
Jaina - Thank you so much for your review it meant a lot to me ^-^ I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
Neptune Butterfly - Yeah I was gonna go with the whole Meryl gets attacked on the way home thing but I thought it was too predictable and decided to let her get home safely. Thanks for your review and I'm glad you are enjoying it. Oh and I'm glad little kuroneko-sama is all calm again.
Valk - Thanks for your comment, it means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Snapdragon76 - Yup I know exactly what you mean and I'm glad you liked my first chapter I worked quite hard on it. Thanks for your review!!
Yma - Oh thanks for your comment, I do try my best with the characters and keeping them with their personalities so it meant a lot that someone noticed and pointed out that I WAS actually succeeding. I don't really know what direction this is heading in either, its kinda gonna be a spontaneous fic where I'm just gonna let my fingers type and see what happens ^-^'.
Silverado6000 - I'm glad you like my new fic, and don't worry I have no intention of giving up my other fic and it will be my main priority. Thanks for your review!!
Magnet-Rose - Wow thanks for your review it was really nice and made me laugh, I'm glad you liked
it.
Knives: I didn't find the review very good.
Angel: Oh shut up, you would say that.
Knives: ...
Saranomy - Eeek *hides from scary reviewer* I'm sorry here is your update.
Knives: Stop hiding behind me, pathetic human.
Angel: You're very repetitive aren't you Knives.
Knives: Well actually I liked this review; I liked the attitude of it.
Angel: You would. ¬.¬
Arteme - Thanks for your sweet review and here is your update.
Mabel4gs - Hee hee, don't worry bout it, I feel the same way bout cute little Vashie ...okay maybe he aint so little. But yeah you understand. Thanks for your review!!
Puchiko - I'm glad you liked the way I wrote my last chapter, I have tried to keep this chapter at the same quality. Thanks for your review.
Darkraven - eeee! I have a fan *blushes* don't worry I'll keep Knives under control *pats Knives on the head* Thanks for your review.
Dustdragon - Yeah I hope I can figure out the plot, ^-^' but I'm glad you liked it and here is your update, thanks for your review.
* * * * * *
*Somewhere in the middle of the desert...*
Angel: Wow Knives did you see how many people reviewed! O.O
Knives: I get the feeling some of them don't like me.
Angel: I wonder where you got that idea...¬.¬
Knives: ...
Angel: Anyway thank you all sooooo much!!
Knives: So am I going to wake up this chapter?
Angel: No
Knives: *growls and mutters words that cannot be repeated*
Angel: So are you going to help me find Vash now?
Knives: Will you leave me alone if I do?
Angel: Definitely!!
Knives: Argh, fine...
Angel: Yay *dances around*
Knives: *has to resist the urge to strangle her*
Angel: Enjoy my second chapter everyone ^-^
Part 2: she felt like a stranger to herself
Meryl flopped down on her bed, which was pressed up against the far wall away from the door; from here she could look out of the window and up into the starry sky. Tonight the usual diamonds of the heavens did not seem as bright as they normally did, maybe it was the haze of tears, which had distorted them, or perhaps it was her frame of mind. In any case she felt just as bad as she had before entering the saloon in the first place.
Rolling onto her stomach she leaned over and reached under the bed, groping blindly for what she knew lay hidden under there. For a moment she thought that perhaps someone had moved it but then her fingertips brushed against something cool and smooth. Letting out a sigh of relief she grasped the bottle and lifted it up into the moonlight. The liquid inside the bottle looked like captured moonbeams under the bask of the moons above and she sat up, letting her feet rest on the ground again.
She remembered the day she had taken this bottle of alcohol in the first place, it had happened when Vash was away fighting his brother. She had come home after a hard days work to see Millie completely drunk in the living room. The sight had worried her slightly, and even though Millie did drink a lot she obviously missed Wolfwood more than what she was letting on. She used the alcohol to escape the tormenting thoughts about the man she loved.
"Much like I'm doing now." She whispered and laughed quietly to the darkness. She had no idea why she was acting so strange; maybe it was because she had finally come to terms with the fact that she could never tell him. Millie had asked her why she couldn't and it was true she had many reasons.
Damaged pride was one thing she did not want to have, he might laugh at her or just blink and say nothing. He might even pity her and feel that he had to stay so he didn't hurt her and she didn't want to do that. There were also other reasons for not telling him, she didn't want to be another burden on him. Even if she told him and he felt the same way, he had his brother to tend to and it would be unfair of her to distract him from that. She also didn't want to make things awkward in the household if he turned her down. Everyone would be feeling awkward and Vash might feel the need to leave so as to ease tension in the house. That was the last thing Meryl wanted and so she decided that it would be best to have him as a friend and nothing more.
She opened the bottle and held it higher up so that she could see the drink better in the dim light. The faint smell of alcohol teased her and she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips and breathed in the tempting scent. A part of her mind was now telling her to stop it and throw the bottle away but the other part of her mind, which held the grief, simply wanted release. 'Maybe a little more would help it go away' she thought to herself and raised the bottle to take a long drink.
A few droplets of the drink escaped and trickled down her chin, mingling with newly shed tears that had sprung from her violet eyes. Her arms trembled and she released her grip on the bottle which was still half full, and reveled in the crash it made as it hit the ground. Then slowly she pulled her knees up against her and began to cry...she felt so confused and out of control...she felt like a stranger to herself.
* * * * * *
Vash sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, sure it wasn't an exceptionally comfortable one but it was enough, and it was definitely better than sleeping out in the desert. Giving all of that, he should have been asleep by now, but he couldn't rest knowing that something was wrong with the short girl in the next room.
He looked across at his brother who was still in his comatose state and sighed miserably, he had been a fool to think that everything could return to normal. He actually missed the days of wandering around from town to town getting into trouble and then getting beaten up by that fiery little woman. Anyone else would have called that the down point of their life but to Vash it had been the best. He had enjoyed winding Meryl up and watching them run after him when he tried to escape, they had also made difficult times easier to abide.
He wished more than anything that Meryl would return to her normal self. He hated seeing her in such a state and not being able to help. Would she even want him to help her? He doubted it.
A loud crash alerted him and jumping to his feet he dashed from the room as fast as he could. As he reached her door he leaned against it and listened for any other sound before lowering his hand to the door handle. It was only when the sound of sobbing echoed from within the room that he decided to enter.
Carefully he opened the door on silent hinges and peered into the dark room that lay behind it. At first he could see nothing except a cool, pastel light that filtered through the curtains and lay scattered across the ground in lazy patterns. Dark shadows lingered in the corners of the room and lay draped over the bed as if to keep him from seeing past the barriers but already his eyes were growing accustomed to the darkness.
Gingerly he stepped inside the room and let the door shut with a soft click behind him before continuing. The stench of alcohol greeted him instantaneously and his eyes traced over the shards of glass that shimmered under the dainty touch of moonlight.
Not far from the broken bottle sat Meryl, her dejected figure curled up against the bed, her face buried against her knees, which were pulled up against her chest. Vash could not believe that this was the same woman he had known for so long and he had to fight against the urge to back away and leave before she noticed him.
"Meryl..." His voice sounded harsh in the thick silence of the room and he knelt down beside her. Her sobs suddenly fell quiet as if she was ashamed of being caught in such a state and she tried to edge away from him. He managed to stop her by wrapping an arm firmly around her shoulders and holding her pinned against his side. She tensed and a sob choked in her throat.
"Get off!" She yelled from her drunken state and brought her fist round to crack him in the jaw.
"Ouch!" He let her go to touch his jaw tenderly and was rewarded with another jolt of pain from the pressure, he almost completely forgot about Meryl until she tried to swing at him again.
"Hey, don't hit me." He whined as he caught her small fist in his hand and held it firmly. "Are you okay?" he added gently and she shook her head violently and tried to free her hand.
"Just leave me alone already." Her order ended in a whimper and she collapsed against him, her eyes falling gently closed and the sound of his beating heart somewhat therapeutic. His hand absently rose to stroke through the soft black hair, which framed her face, and for the first time they seemed to be quite content being in each other's company.
After another quiet moment of listening to each other's breathing in the warm dark, which now seemed to bring comfort instead of fear, Vash broke the silence.
"Are you okay?" He asked again, his voice was barely a whisper. She nodded lightly and wiped furiously at her eyes to try and rid them of the tears that had invaded.
She was only faintly aware of being lifted up and by the time she was lying back on her bed she was fast asleep, the torment gone from her now beautiful features. Vash leaned over her as he pulled the covers up to pool around her shoulders and brushed his fingertips gently against her cheek. She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear and he took his hand away.
He wondered what could have happened to her to make her change so drastically; maybe it was from being around him so long. Had he actually driven her mad? He shook the thought from his mind and lingered beside her bed a moment longer. She seemed content now, a slight breeze had drifted into the room and was rustling her hair softly and the moonlight's delicate fingers caressed her cheek. He backed over to the door and glanced at her again before opening it and disappearing into the hall.
* * * * * *
When the twin suns finally decided to emerge they brought with them an intense heat, which blistered the desert and everything in it. The sky was an unusual shade of red as if it was on fire and the whirling of heat waves distorted vision for miles around. This huge change in temperature did not help anyone in the small town where Meryl, Vash and Millie were staying and neither did it help soothe the hangover, which Meryl was suffering from.
She leaned heavily against the sink and rested her forehead against the cool mirror opposite to try and stop the rhythmic pounding in her skull. She still could not believe how much she had drunk that night and had spent the early hours of the morning throwing up and clearing up smashed glass. The reek of alcohol did nothing to soothe her pain and so she had retreated to the bathroom, which was cool and hidden from the suns' angry clutches. From here she could sit and find comfort in the silence, which seemed to lull the pain in her head to a light throb.
She moved her head away from its position on the mirror and looked at her reflection in the smooth, polished glass. Her hair was still wet from her shower and clung to her face in some places, small water droplets had rested on her cheeks just beneath her eyes and reminded her of the tears she had shed last night. Her skin had lost its normal healthy glow and looked pale and her eyes were like dark hollows of what they used to be. She realized now what all the lack of sleep and proper food was doing to her, these feelings towards that annoying gunman were making her sick.
"I can't believe I would let myself fall so low." She murmured to her reflection and then scowled, she knew things had to change. She could not just sit around all day feeling sorry for herself, there was work to be done and she would not fall behind. Straightening her back she glared into the mirror a final time, checked to make sure her uniform was perfect and stepped out into the hall.
The house was still considerably quiet except for the light snoring from Millie's tiny room and so she decided to make a start on breakfast. Ignoring the pain in her head she padded down the short flight of steps and into the small but adequate kitchen. There were a few small cupboards, a stove and a sink but that was all she needed and looking through the cupboards she found the pancake mix and a frying pan.
Keeping a firm grasp on the handle she watched the pancakes carefully so as not to spoil them and smiled. Things already seemed to be going well and the day had hardly even started. She hummed very quietly over the sound of the cooking food and was therefore very surprised to turn round and find Vash standing on the other side of the room. He seemed extremely shocked at seeing her up so early and seemed even more surprised to see her looking so happy.
For a moment they stood staring at each other before continuing about their business, Meryl turned back to the stove and smiled slightly. 'Guess he thought I would be in bed all day after all that drinking.' She halted then and her eyes widened in fear, she only remembered snippets of what had happened last night but she did remember him being there. She groaned and rubbed her head as the headache returned and hoped desperately that she hadn't done anything embarrassing.
She scooped the pancakes onto a plate and went over to sit at the tiny table where Vash was sitting silently, he had his head lowered so she couldn't see his face and she had the feeling he was hiding something.
"Vash..." She put the pancakes down in front of him and sat down opposite him.
"For me?" He seemed genuinely surprised that she was offering them to him.
"No for that annoying black cat that is hanging around outside." She rolled her eyes and leaned on the table, cradling her cheek in her palm.
She watched him attack the food vigorously and couldn't contain a smile at how childish he looked; yet at the same time she found it very sweet. It was when she was looking at him that she spotted a bruise on his cheek, it had started to deepen in shade and her heart jolted in fear. She remembered getting angry with him, remembered hitting out, she hadn't realized that she had actually struck him and the poor guy had only come to check on her.
"I'm sorry." She whispered and Vash looked up from his food, his face held a deep look of confusion.
"For what?" He asked.
"For hitting you yesterday."
"Wow, you actually remember that?" His eyes widened in surprise and she nodded. "Well don't worry I'm used to it." He shrugged and finished the last pancake in one bite. "Any more?" He asked innocently and then gave her the puppy eyed look, which no girl on the planet could possibly resist. Meryl laughed and stood up.
"Sure, but I have to go to work soon." She reminded him as she went back into the small kitchen once again.
* * * * * *
Vash watched Meryl leave and frowned, he was sure he wouldn't be the only one confused by the way she had been reacting, one minute she was so upset she had turned to drink and the next she was acting like her normal in control self. 'Maybe it took her to reach rock bottom before she realized that she had to cheer up,' he thought helplessly.
He was deep in thought when Millie finally came down the stairs; she spotted him standing in the middle of the room looking completely lost. She wondered what he was looking at and tried to follow his line of vision, which ended at the door.
"Mr. Vash?" She questioned and walked up beside him.
"Oh, hello Millie." He smiled at her but she could see the worry that had built up in his aqua eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
"Have you noticed anything strange about Meryl lately?" He asked and Millie shook her head. She had noticed, and she had a sneaking suspicion Meryl's behavior was because of her feelings towards the gunman and Millie didn't believe it was her place to say.
"She is probably just working too hard." Millie offered and Vash nodded silently, his face still etched with worry.
Vash didn't even know why he was worrying so much about her, but whenever he thought about her being upset or hurt he would get a deep pain in his chest like an icy dagger. He sat back down and contemplated on what to do, if Millie was right and it was because of work then he couldn't really do much to help. Maybe if he just stayed out of her way so as not to annoy her, or make sure to keep the place tidy so she didn't have to clean up when she got home. But then there was his brother to consider, he wanted to be there when Knives woke up so that he could keep him calm but that wasn't going to happen if he was out of the room a lot. He sighed and leaned back in the chair, he had to figure out some way to help her.
He angled his head so he could watch Millie in the kitchen and smiled at seeing her with a huge pot of pudding in her hand. 'At least some things never change' he thought happily. Stretching lazily he stood up and walked over to the stairs.
"I'm going up to watch over Knives." He called over to Millie, who simply nodded, her mouth too full for her to speak.
Vash stood in the doorway to his room and peered in at his unconscious brother who was lying motionless on the bed. Sighing he let himself fall onto his own bed and looked up at the ceiling, and followed the cracks that ran along it. The heat from the suns reached inside the room and wrapped him in a suffocating embrace and he found his sunglasses and put them on.
"I'm waiting Knives." He spoke to his unconscious brother. "I'm waiting for you to wake up, I know you're just dragging this out, waiting until you think of a plan to escape me." His voice was emotionless and strangely calm.
He sat up and glared at his brother, wishing and hoping that when he finally did wake up that he would accept his new lifestyle. In his heart he knew it was wishful thinking, Knives would never accept humans just as humans would never accept plants.
He flopped down onto his back once more and let his eyes fall closed, the orange lenses of his glasses hiding the tears that beaded in the corners of them.
* * * * * *
Meryl wrote down the one hundredth order of the morning on her rapidly thinning notepad and headed back to the kitchen, they had been so busy she had not even had time to stop for a break. The good thing was that she was being paid over time and whilst she was working she wasn't thinking about Vash at all.
She called out the order and left the scrap of paper on the side. A girl who was sitting on a chair by the kitchen waved her over and Meryl smiled at seeing whom it was. 'She must have sneaked in when I wasn't looking.'
"Hello Miss Meryl." She waved and held up the menu.
"Hi Kirsty, what'll it be today?" Meryl asked lightly and held her pen ready so she could write down the order.
"I'll have ice-cream please." The young girl said with such enthusiasm Meryl couldn't help but be reminded of Millie and her pudding.
"Any particular flavor?" She added.
"Chocolate!" Meryl laughed and nodded before heading back over to hand in the order. Today had turned out exceptionally well considering how upset and down she had been yesterday. 'This must be how Millie gets through the pain' Meryl mused thoughtfully and was filled with a new admiration for her friend.
Working all the way through her lunch break Meryl was pleased when the morning's rush slowly trailed off and managed to sit down for the first time in hours. The heat had now reached its greatest intensity and the kitchen made the heat even worse so she sat by the door and enjoyed the slight cool breeze on her skin.
When it was time to get back to work she closed the door so as not to be tempted to go back outside and put her apron back on over her uniform. Yawning sleepily she picked up her note pad and prepared herself for the afternoon shift.
She called out to the kitchen staff to start with the cooking again and the sound of kitchen utensils rang out in the air. It was a comforting sound, which reminded Meryl of being back home with her mother and grandmother; she had always loved being in the kitchen. When she was surrounded by the sounds and smells of preparing food a great warmth enveloped her. She could not rid herself of the smile that had crept up onto her face.
The bell on the door jingled as someone entered and she whirled around to greet him or her. She opened her violet eyes to see whom she would be serving and the smile faltered for the first time. She found herself looking down the barrel of a gun. She opened her mouth to scream at seeing the three men with their guns trained on her, another stood behind them, his face concealed beneath a wide rimmed hat.
"Shut up and get over there!" One man yelled at her and indicated with his rifle, not wanting to risk getting hurt she dashed over to the corner and sat down on the floor. She had forgotten what had made her old uniform so handy; her cloak had had enough room to hide her derringers whilst this waitress uniform had only a single pouch in the apron.
Frowning and completely at a loss for what to do she sat silently and watched the three men stash money from the till into a sack. She wondered why on earth they would be here robbing this tiny restaurant when suddenly the person with the wide hat approached her.
"You know him don't you?" At first she didn't realize the question had been directed at her until she caught sight of the blazing eyes beneath the hat.
"Huh?" Meryl glanced at the person curiously.
"Vash the Stampede, I have accurate records of someone seeing you with him." Meryl's heart leapt into her throat at hearing Vash's name. They hadn't had any problems with bounty hunters for a long while now and having four people turn up with obvious intentions of getting the bounty made her realize that it was starting all over again.
'He never gets a break' she sighed helplessly, completely forgetting that she had been asked a question.
"Don't deny it because I already know that you are acquainted with our typhoon." The person who obviously led this little band of thieves grinned and tipped the hat away from his face.
"You're a woman!" Meryl blurted out in shock, she had been so sure it was a man hiding beneath that cloak and hat.
"Surprised? Well you should be, now just stay still." She stood up and gestured for her henchman to approach, Meryl noticed one of them held a rope in his thick hands and she realized that she was going to be used as bait.
She smiled as she realized it would never work, Vash wasn't going to leave the house and risk not being there when his brother woke up so they would be waiting a while. Another terrible thought hit her, if he didn't show up she would probably be blamed, she did not even want to guess what they might do to her if their plans failed.
* * * * * *
Angel: Okay so explain it to me again.
Knives: It's not that hard to understand!!
Angel: Inferior, remember? ¬_¬
Knives: Well everyone knows that Vash loves food.
Angel: Donuts.
Knives: Huh?
Angel: He loves donuts.
Knives: Stop interrupting me!
Angel: Sorry. *Rolls eyes*
Knives: Well all we have to do is get these donut things you were talking about and use them as bait to get him. Quite simple really.
Angel: But-
Knives: -Shut up and listen!!!!!
Angel: Wow...scaaaary.
Knives: *Sighs* we need to find a cage as well.
Angel: A cage? *Evil grin* finally you say something worth listening to.
Knives: Just shut up you annoying woman.
Angel: Well what are we standing around for? Let's go!! *Drags Knives away*