Many, many thanks to those who reviewed!!! We were very sad to hear that
Wolfwood does die in the manga- no wonder we never read past nine.... sigh
That's just depressing!!! Well, that's why we write fanfics right?
Standard disclaimer: Trigun is not ours. If it was Wolfwood would LIVE damn
it!!!
Two days earlier....
Millie was out with her nephew. Well, one of them anyway. Her sister had asked Millie to pick Billy up at his friend's house and meet her in the middle of town. Millie had to smile. Their town was small and very safe. Millie's family alone counted for a whole fourth of the population. But her smile faded when she thought of some of the towns she had seen on her travels. Maybe her sister wasn't being overprotective, just cautious. She and Billy were greeted by everyone they passed with warm smiles and friendly words. She was truly lucky to live in such a wonderful town surrounded by people that cared about her. Why did she still feel so empty? Her sisters, all of them married and in their own houses, had been after her to pick a man and get married. But there was only one man she wanted, and he was dead. She didn't cry, or even lose her smile at the thought of him, she just felt empty. Would the emptiness ever go away?
"Auntie Millie! Auntie Millie! Look at that man!" Her nephew tugged on her hand. "Who is he? He's not one of us!"
"Billy!" Millie scolded. "That's not a nice thing to..." Her voice trailed off. The man, leaning back on the bench in the center of town eating a doughnut, was wearing dark brown pants with a matching vest over a white shirt. His blond hair was hanging down in his eyes and his sunglasses had a blue tint. The spiky hair, red coat and yellow sunglasses were missing, and a different gun was hanging off his belt. She would still know him anywhere. "Billy- go meet your mother. She's at the bookstore." She pushed her nephew towards the store gently. "Auntie will be right back."
Vash the Stampede took a bite of doughnut. What a nice little town. Peaceful, quiet- a lot like that town he had left the insurance girls in last year. He could see them standing there, Millie with her cheerful smile, Meryl with her heart in her eyes as he walked away from them. They hadn't been there 6 months later, but it had been a long time to wait. Maybe their company had called them back to duty. They probably still worked for that insurance company- whatever it was called. Maybe-
But then again, would they really want him back in their lives? His life was a lot less chaotic than it used to be, but it was still not exactly peaceful. Besides, he was different. What could he offer her? It wasn't right to wish to see her when he knew he could never... Still, he didn't have many friends left, and he'd give up the whole bag of doughnuts just to hear...
"Mr. Vash?" He looked up into a cheerful, smiling, familiar face. "I thought that was you! How are you?" She had shorter hair now, and had traded her big yellow trenchcoat for a dress. A silver cross dangled from a chain around her neck. But the big blue eyes and the cheerful smile were the same.
"Millie? What are you doing here?" He felt like someone had struck him with a lightening bolt. If Millie was here- maybe...
"I live here." Millie's eyes twinkled at him. "It's so good to see you!"
"It's good to see you too." He stood up and she hugged him tightly for a moment. His ribs creaked under the strain. "How have you been, Millie?"
"Just fine," Millie's eyes shadowed for a moment with pain and Vash felt a lump in his throat.
"It's kind of odd to see you by yourself, Millie. I've gotten used to the insurance girls arriving in my life as a pair," he said without thinking, trying to get her mind off the past. 'Oh great, Vash, like that won't remind her!' He scolded himself, but Millie smiled brightly.
"I know, but I quit the agency and moved back with my family. Meryl is still there though."
"Is she?" Vash was briefly tempted to ask exactly where the agency was, but squashed the thought. Meryl didn't need him around.
"Uh huh...Mr. Vash- are you staying here in town?"
"Just passing through." Vash shrugged.
"Why don't you stay with my family? We have lots of room and they'd all love to meet you!"
"I..."
"Oh, please, Mr. Vash? Just for a few days?" Millie's blue eyes opened wide. He couldn't resist that look. How did she do it?
"If you're sure they won't mind?"
Millie's family definitely didn't seem to mind. They welcomed Vash with open arms. He stayed with Millie and her parents at the family's farm. But the other brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and various other friends and relatives were always dropping in. It was like living in a large friendly madhouse. Vash was fed, fussed over, talked to, joked with, and made to feel like simply another member of the family. Mrs. Thompson apologized for it on the second morning.
"We've just kind of treated you like one of us, I hope you don't mind but after Millie's letters and all we feel like we really know you already."
"No. It's been great." Vash smiled at her. "You've all been terrific. I can see where Millie gets it now."
"Millie's so happy to have her friends with her." Mrs. Thompson poured him another glass of milk. "That co-worker of hers is coming to visit soon too."
"Co-worker?" Vash's hand tightened on the glass.
"Miss Stryfe. Millie's been trying to get her to come visit for ages. She'll be here in a day or two. I'm glad of it. Millie didn't seem much like herself when she moved home but between you being here and Miss Stryfe's visit it's like she's back to her old self."
"I'm so glad." Vash's heart was pounding in his chest. Meryl was coming here? Millie had known of course- that's why she asked him to stay for a few days!
"Mr. Vash?" Mrs. Thompson sat down across from him. "I have to be honest- I hoped- well, I want you to tell me what happened to Millie out there. I know she got her heart broken, but she won't say how. Her sisters have been trying to set her up, but she keeps refusing. I had thought that maybe she's in love with you, but ..." Vash found his voice.
"No. Millie isn't in love with me. She is- was in love with a preacher. He..." Vash paused and swallowed. It still hurt. "He was a good friend of mine."
"Was?" Mrs. Thompson asked.
"He died." Vash looked down at the table.
"Oh... my poor little girl. Did he love her?"
"Yes," Vash replied without hesitation, "I think he really did." He stopped, thinking of how Wolfwood had looked at Millie after he shot Zazie. "She was very important to him." Mrs. Thompson looked thoughtful.
"What- what was he like?" Vash smiled, his mind easily calling the priest's image up in front of him.
"His name was Nicholas D. Wolfwood. He was a preacher, like I said. He traveled around raising money for an orphanage that he founded near December City. He helped people, especially children, whenever he could. 'Lending a helping hand', he called it. He had a really beat up motorcycle that he loved- well, several really beat up motorcycles that kept breaking down. He smoked, occasionally drank, and was an expert shot. He carried around a huge cross and a portable confessional. He made us laugh a lot, but he could also say things that would show you that you weren't fooling anyone. He was a good man." Vash paused, feeling the sting of tears at the back of his eyes. "I think you would've liked him." Mrs. Thompson touched his hand gently.
"It sounds like Millie isn't the only one who misses him."
"No." Vash looked at the tablecloth. "I do too."
"Thank you for telling me about him." Mrs. Thompson rose to her feet and left Vash alone with his thoughts.
Later that night Vash escaped after being thoroughly beaten at chess by Millie's elder brother. He walked outside to get a breath of fresh air. Millie was outside looking up at the stars. She didn't look at him, her eyes still searching the heavens.
"Hello, Mr. Vash." She said quietly.
"Millie- I want to thank you for letting me stay with you again."
"Oh it's no problem. My family really likes you. I knew they would."
"So, what are you doing out here?"
"Looking at the stars." Millie's voice wavered a bit. "It's something that I do now. Mr. Wolfwood and I talked about the stars that... night..." Her hand touched the cross at her throat.
"Did you?"
"Uh huh." Millie took a deep breath. "So every night I come out here and say good night to him. Does that sound silly?"
"No, of course not." Vash replied gently.
"I guess it doesn't. I just wish I hadn't listened to him- I wish I had at least been there for him... gotten to say goodbye... He had to be alone..."
"I think about it too." Vash touched her shoulder comfortingly. "If only I had followed him right away! But he told me where Knives was and I realized that he had to have been working with Knives the whole time...."
"He wasn't a bad man!" Millie finally looked at him, eyes narrowing.
"No. He wasn't. I visited his orphanage. They told me that some men had come to see Wolfwood. Threatened to hurt the children if they didn't do this job for them. He had a reason for what he did. He was a good man, Millie. Never doubt it." Millie's expression cleared slightly.
"Is the orphanage okay? Did the children have to leave?"
"It's fine. Some nice people are taking care of it. That's one of the reasons I didn't go right back to that town to meet up with you girls."
"Did you ever?" Millie asked, her eyes focused intently on him.
"Yes. Six months later..."
"We waited for you, Mr. Vash, we really did. But, after awhile Meryl said that there was no point in waiting anymore. The agency was demanding our return and she knew I wanted my family. So we left. I am sorry."
"I'm the one that's sorry. I... delayed going back. Was Meryl very mad?"
"Oh no, Mr. Vash. She was sad, not mad. She said you would've come back if you could've, but something must've happened." Millie looked back at the stars.
"I..." Vash sighed and then smiled as a faint hum filled the air. "Hey, hear that, Millie? A motorcycle. Maybe it's a sign from God for us."
"That's what he'd say." Millie smiled.
"Does someone in town have one?"
"No, I don't think so." She peered through the darkness. "It's coming closer." She walked through the garden and looked over the gate. "It's kicking up a lot of dust." The motorcycle was slowing down and Millie could make out two figures on the back in the light from the street lamps. The bike stopped in front of the gate. The person on the back pulled off her helmet and smiled at Millie.
"Hey there!"
"Meryl!" Millie opened the gate and bounded through as Meryl dismounted. Millie hugged Meryl tightly. "I am so glad to see you! But you said you'd be coming on the bus and I didn't expect you until tomorrow!" Vash had pulled back into the shadows to study Meryl. Her hair was longer, her skin tanner, her cheekbones more prominent than before as if she hadn't been eating much. She was lovelier than he remembered. He wondered who the guy on the bike was.
"I was going to, but I ran into an old friend of ours this morning. I hope you don't mind that I brought him along." Meryl turned to the other person who was leaning on the bike. "That's your cue to take off your helmet, idiot."
The man slid off the helmet and both Vash and Millie gasped.
"Mr. Wolfwood?" Millie said, stunned.
"Wolfwood?" Vash echoed soundlessly. He leaned against the gate, heart pounding in his chest.
"Is it really you?" Millie took a step forward, hesitantly, swaying on her feet. Wolfwood's heart ached at the sight of her.
"It's really me, honey." The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. "I know you might be mad at me, but I came looking for you as soon as I could... really." Millie's eyes wavered with tears. "You can hit me if you want," he half-smiled, "Meryl did." Millie moved closer and he met her halfway. She was swaying badly and he worried that she might just faint. He put his arms around her and she gasped.
"You're alive..." She hugged him tightly as he bent his head next to hers. Tears were streaming down her face. "How?" He gave her a quick version of the story, all the time stroking the soft brown hair, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.
"So I came as fast as I could. Are you sorry to see me?"
"Sorry?" Millie looked up into his eyes. "Of course not! I missed you so much!" He kissed her softly, tasting the salt of her tears. She clung to him tightly, almost afraid to let go.
Two days earlier....
Millie was out with her nephew. Well, one of them anyway. Her sister had asked Millie to pick Billy up at his friend's house and meet her in the middle of town. Millie had to smile. Their town was small and very safe. Millie's family alone counted for a whole fourth of the population. But her smile faded when she thought of some of the towns she had seen on her travels. Maybe her sister wasn't being overprotective, just cautious. She and Billy were greeted by everyone they passed with warm smiles and friendly words. She was truly lucky to live in such a wonderful town surrounded by people that cared about her. Why did she still feel so empty? Her sisters, all of them married and in their own houses, had been after her to pick a man and get married. But there was only one man she wanted, and he was dead. She didn't cry, or even lose her smile at the thought of him, she just felt empty. Would the emptiness ever go away?
"Auntie Millie! Auntie Millie! Look at that man!" Her nephew tugged on her hand. "Who is he? He's not one of us!"
"Billy!" Millie scolded. "That's not a nice thing to..." Her voice trailed off. The man, leaning back on the bench in the center of town eating a doughnut, was wearing dark brown pants with a matching vest over a white shirt. His blond hair was hanging down in his eyes and his sunglasses had a blue tint. The spiky hair, red coat and yellow sunglasses were missing, and a different gun was hanging off his belt. She would still know him anywhere. "Billy- go meet your mother. She's at the bookstore." She pushed her nephew towards the store gently. "Auntie will be right back."
Vash the Stampede took a bite of doughnut. What a nice little town. Peaceful, quiet- a lot like that town he had left the insurance girls in last year. He could see them standing there, Millie with her cheerful smile, Meryl with her heart in her eyes as he walked away from them. They hadn't been there 6 months later, but it had been a long time to wait. Maybe their company had called them back to duty. They probably still worked for that insurance company- whatever it was called. Maybe-
But then again, would they really want him back in their lives? His life was a lot less chaotic than it used to be, but it was still not exactly peaceful. Besides, he was different. What could he offer her? It wasn't right to wish to see her when he knew he could never... Still, he didn't have many friends left, and he'd give up the whole bag of doughnuts just to hear...
"Mr. Vash?" He looked up into a cheerful, smiling, familiar face. "I thought that was you! How are you?" She had shorter hair now, and had traded her big yellow trenchcoat for a dress. A silver cross dangled from a chain around her neck. But the big blue eyes and the cheerful smile were the same.
"Millie? What are you doing here?" He felt like someone had struck him with a lightening bolt. If Millie was here- maybe...
"I live here." Millie's eyes twinkled at him. "It's so good to see you!"
"It's good to see you too." He stood up and she hugged him tightly for a moment. His ribs creaked under the strain. "How have you been, Millie?"
"Just fine," Millie's eyes shadowed for a moment with pain and Vash felt a lump in his throat.
"It's kind of odd to see you by yourself, Millie. I've gotten used to the insurance girls arriving in my life as a pair," he said without thinking, trying to get her mind off the past. 'Oh great, Vash, like that won't remind her!' He scolded himself, but Millie smiled brightly.
"I know, but I quit the agency and moved back with my family. Meryl is still there though."
"Is she?" Vash was briefly tempted to ask exactly where the agency was, but squashed the thought. Meryl didn't need him around.
"Uh huh...Mr. Vash- are you staying here in town?"
"Just passing through." Vash shrugged.
"Why don't you stay with my family? We have lots of room and they'd all love to meet you!"
"I..."
"Oh, please, Mr. Vash? Just for a few days?" Millie's blue eyes opened wide. He couldn't resist that look. How did she do it?
"If you're sure they won't mind?"
Millie's family definitely didn't seem to mind. They welcomed Vash with open arms. He stayed with Millie and her parents at the family's farm. But the other brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and various other friends and relatives were always dropping in. It was like living in a large friendly madhouse. Vash was fed, fussed over, talked to, joked with, and made to feel like simply another member of the family. Mrs. Thompson apologized for it on the second morning.
"We've just kind of treated you like one of us, I hope you don't mind but after Millie's letters and all we feel like we really know you already."
"No. It's been great." Vash smiled at her. "You've all been terrific. I can see where Millie gets it now."
"Millie's so happy to have her friends with her." Mrs. Thompson poured him another glass of milk. "That co-worker of hers is coming to visit soon too."
"Co-worker?" Vash's hand tightened on the glass.
"Miss Stryfe. Millie's been trying to get her to come visit for ages. She'll be here in a day or two. I'm glad of it. Millie didn't seem much like herself when she moved home but between you being here and Miss Stryfe's visit it's like she's back to her old self."
"I'm so glad." Vash's heart was pounding in his chest. Meryl was coming here? Millie had known of course- that's why she asked him to stay for a few days!
"Mr. Vash?" Mrs. Thompson sat down across from him. "I have to be honest- I hoped- well, I want you to tell me what happened to Millie out there. I know she got her heart broken, but she won't say how. Her sisters have been trying to set her up, but she keeps refusing. I had thought that maybe she's in love with you, but ..." Vash found his voice.
"No. Millie isn't in love with me. She is- was in love with a preacher. He..." Vash paused and swallowed. It still hurt. "He was a good friend of mine."
"Was?" Mrs. Thompson asked.
"He died." Vash looked down at the table.
"Oh... my poor little girl. Did he love her?"
"Yes," Vash replied without hesitation, "I think he really did." He stopped, thinking of how Wolfwood had looked at Millie after he shot Zazie. "She was very important to him." Mrs. Thompson looked thoughtful.
"What- what was he like?" Vash smiled, his mind easily calling the priest's image up in front of him.
"His name was Nicholas D. Wolfwood. He was a preacher, like I said. He traveled around raising money for an orphanage that he founded near December City. He helped people, especially children, whenever he could. 'Lending a helping hand', he called it. He had a really beat up motorcycle that he loved- well, several really beat up motorcycles that kept breaking down. He smoked, occasionally drank, and was an expert shot. He carried around a huge cross and a portable confessional. He made us laugh a lot, but he could also say things that would show you that you weren't fooling anyone. He was a good man." Vash paused, feeling the sting of tears at the back of his eyes. "I think you would've liked him." Mrs. Thompson touched his hand gently.
"It sounds like Millie isn't the only one who misses him."
"No." Vash looked at the tablecloth. "I do too."
"Thank you for telling me about him." Mrs. Thompson rose to her feet and left Vash alone with his thoughts.
Later that night Vash escaped after being thoroughly beaten at chess by Millie's elder brother. He walked outside to get a breath of fresh air. Millie was outside looking up at the stars. She didn't look at him, her eyes still searching the heavens.
"Hello, Mr. Vash." She said quietly.
"Millie- I want to thank you for letting me stay with you again."
"Oh it's no problem. My family really likes you. I knew they would."
"So, what are you doing out here?"
"Looking at the stars." Millie's voice wavered a bit. "It's something that I do now. Mr. Wolfwood and I talked about the stars that... night..." Her hand touched the cross at her throat.
"Did you?"
"Uh huh." Millie took a deep breath. "So every night I come out here and say good night to him. Does that sound silly?"
"No, of course not." Vash replied gently.
"I guess it doesn't. I just wish I hadn't listened to him- I wish I had at least been there for him... gotten to say goodbye... He had to be alone..."
"I think about it too." Vash touched her shoulder comfortingly. "If only I had followed him right away! But he told me where Knives was and I realized that he had to have been working with Knives the whole time...."
"He wasn't a bad man!" Millie finally looked at him, eyes narrowing.
"No. He wasn't. I visited his orphanage. They told me that some men had come to see Wolfwood. Threatened to hurt the children if they didn't do this job for them. He had a reason for what he did. He was a good man, Millie. Never doubt it." Millie's expression cleared slightly.
"Is the orphanage okay? Did the children have to leave?"
"It's fine. Some nice people are taking care of it. That's one of the reasons I didn't go right back to that town to meet up with you girls."
"Did you ever?" Millie asked, her eyes focused intently on him.
"Yes. Six months later..."
"We waited for you, Mr. Vash, we really did. But, after awhile Meryl said that there was no point in waiting anymore. The agency was demanding our return and she knew I wanted my family. So we left. I am sorry."
"I'm the one that's sorry. I... delayed going back. Was Meryl very mad?"
"Oh no, Mr. Vash. She was sad, not mad. She said you would've come back if you could've, but something must've happened." Millie looked back at the stars.
"I..." Vash sighed and then smiled as a faint hum filled the air. "Hey, hear that, Millie? A motorcycle. Maybe it's a sign from God for us."
"That's what he'd say." Millie smiled.
"Does someone in town have one?"
"No, I don't think so." She peered through the darkness. "It's coming closer." She walked through the garden and looked over the gate. "It's kicking up a lot of dust." The motorcycle was slowing down and Millie could make out two figures on the back in the light from the street lamps. The bike stopped in front of the gate. The person on the back pulled off her helmet and smiled at Millie.
"Hey there!"
"Meryl!" Millie opened the gate and bounded through as Meryl dismounted. Millie hugged Meryl tightly. "I am so glad to see you! But you said you'd be coming on the bus and I didn't expect you until tomorrow!" Vash had pulled back into the shadows to study Meryl. Her hair was longer, her skin tanner, her cheekbones more prominent than before as if she hadn't been eating much. She was lovelier than he remembered. He wondered who the guy on the bike was.
"I was going to, but I ran into an old friend of ours this morning. I hope you don't mind that I brought him along." Meryl turned to the other person who was leaning on the bike. "That's your cue to take off your helmet, idiot."
The man slid off the helmet and both Vash and Millie gasped.
"Mr. Wolfwood?" Millie said, stunned.
"Wolfwood?" Vash echoed soundlessly. He leaned against the gate, heart pounding in his chest.
"Is it really you?" Millie took a step forward, hesitantly, swaying on her feet. Wolfwood's heart ached at the sight of her.
"It's really me, honey." The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. "I know you might be mad at me, but I came looking for you as soon as I could... really." Millie's eyes wavered with tears. "You can hit me if you want," he half-smiled, "Meryl did." Millie moved closer and he met her halfway. She was swaying badly and he worried that she might just faint. He put his arms around her and she gasped.
"You're alive..." She hugged him tightly as he bent his head next to hers. Tears were streaming down her face. "How?" He gave her a quick version of the story, all the time stroking the soft brown hair, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.
"So I came as fast as I could. Are you sorry to see me?"
"Sorry?" Millie looked up into his eyes. "Of course not! I missed you so much!" He kissed her softly, tasting the salt of her tears. She clung to him tightly, almost afraid to let go.