Disclaimer: once again I don't own Trigun or any of its characters
Note: Well here we are once again for the fourth instalment of my fan fic, Firstly I must apologise for taking so long to update but the computer went crazy and deleted everything so I had to write this chapter again. I have to admit it hasn't been that interesting yet but don't despair the action and suffering is about to begin *evil laugh* and hopefully this will be a lot more interesting.
Secondly I would like to thank all my reviewers for encouraging me to write this far they go as followed:
Vashies-girl
Chibi Atto-san
Samuraigirl
Darkraven
Silverdragon
Silverado6000
Animegurl777
Jaded Ayumi
Mel
Sets
Matriaya
Kitty-jinxx
Blood-lust6
TrigunKitty
Lu Angel
Coiledbeast
Tough Cookie
Dreamer-of-night
LOVE AND PEACE TO YOU ALL ^-^
* * * * * *
Chapter 4: Suffering
Meryl opened her violet eyes and sighed with contentment, she was strangely comfortable and warm this morning and she liked the feeling. Closing her eyes again to try and drag out the incredible comfort she realised that she wasn't alone; she could hear the breathing of someone else and feel an arm wrapped tightly around her. She shifted slightly so she could angle her head upwards and look into the face of her captor and was stunned.
Vash lay on her bed with his arms around her and she had allowed him to do so! With a nervous flutter in her stomach and the quickening pace of her heart she tried to wriggle out from his grasp but to her dismay his grip tightened and she was pressed hard against him again. She froze and tried to calm her mind so she could think.
Part of her wanted to stay there in the warm, safe circle of his arms but she knew if she allowed herself to stay he might figure out her feelings for him, or worse she might be tempted to tell him herself. So with that thought to drive her on she twisted in his arms so her back was against his chest and tried to tear his hands from their place. After a moment of hopeless struggling she gave an irritated sigh and decided the best course of action would have to be anger.
Turning to face him again she clamped her hands on his shoulders and shook him vigorously. He frowned slightly and then opened his eyes with a confused expression on his face until he remembered what had happened last night.
Looking over at the window he could see the steady stream of sunlight filtering into the room and creating lazy patterns on the ground. A slight breeze rustled the curtain and he looked nervously back to Meryl and glanced down into her clouded eyes that were steadily growing more and more angry. With a nervous grin he released her and backed away from her laughing slightly at the current situation.
"L-look its not w-what you think." He stammered and slid further across the bed only to run out of space and fall onto the floor with a loud ::thud:: onto his back.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Meryl yelled and threw herself angrily at him before he could escape.
"Hey" Vash squeaked as he tried to scramble out of the way but was only knocked back by the fuming insurance girl.
"What right do you think you have to come in to my room and...and..." She paused and looked into his fear-stricken face with amusement.
"I'm sorryyyy." He whined and backed up so he was pressed against the wall.
"Oh you will be...you pervert!" Then just as she was about to lunge at him again she noticed a faint trickle of blood seeping through his shirt.
She approached cautiously and knelt down beside him pressing her fingers against the wound on his shoulder.
"Ouch!" Vash exclaimed and then noticed the wound for himself and sighed miserably. The bullet wound he received from Knives had opened up again and as Meryl touched it again he flinched and moved away. (A/N: I am aware that both Vash's shoulders were injured in the fight with Knives but...well...lets just say one of them weren't as bad and has healed already ^-^)
"Hey you big baby! You wait right here while I go and get something to help heal that.' She ordered and left the room.
'The same ol' Meryl'
He walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge once more before flexing the shoulder and wincing as more blood coated his shirt. He heard the small footsteps coming back up the stairs and knew it was Meryl returning with a bandage or some thing else that would cause him pain.
She entered quietly and closed the door so that Millie wouldn't be disturbed by any immature squeaks from Vash and crossed the room. She lay the small bundle of bandages on the bed beside him and a small bowl of water steamed in her hand in which a small cloth had been soaked. Then raising her head to look into his eyes again she smiled shyly and made a step towards him.
"You'll have to take your shirt off for me to get to the wound.' She announced quietly and noticed the uneasiness in his face. She hid the smile that threatened and urged him to hurry with a stern glare. He nodded timidly and carefully undid the buttons, which seemed to take way too long. Meryl helped him out of it and was careful not to tear the wound open even more as the shirt came free from him.
Meryl had seen his scars plenty of times before and this time was no different to her, but she could tell that Vash was still uncomfortable. He sat with his back to her and she smiled secretively. She could never imagine Vash without his scars; they were symbols of his belief in never hurting anyone. They were who he was and even though his body was damaged she noticed that it was still well toned. 'Probably from all the walking and gun fighting' she decided and noted that she found the scars very admirable and for it she loved him more than ever before.
Vash too, was surprised by Meryl's reaction - or lack of it - to his scars and he felt himself become more comfortable in her presence. He held back a comforted sigh as she gently began to wipe away the freshly spilt blood and closed his eyes. Her hands were so small and warm, but what he loved most was how gentle they were. It surprised him that those same hands were the ones that dealt out punches and slaps and at that thought he grinned.
She worked as quickly as was possible without hurting him and finally she set the bowl and cloth away and took up the bandages. Shoulders were one of the most annoying parts to bandage properly but this was not the first time she had done so, and with quick precision she began to wrap the soft material around the wound. She took this time to note down the other scars that covered Vash's torso and wondered how he had gained them. Some of them she could probably guess but there were others so terrible that she winced to think of the pain they must have caused. Even if Vash was a fast healer he still felt the same amount of pain.
Meryl reached down and touched one of his older scars with her fingertips, it was smooth to the touch and she sighed quietly. Everything was too perfect, she was in the same room as the man she dearly loved but the same thing was missing - he didn't know how she felt.
Vash trembled under her touch and she paused in shock, realising what she had just been doing. Suddenly he turned his head round to look at her, his large aqua eyes meeting her clouded ones and she froze again. The kindness in his turquoise orbs was astonishing and she opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out.
In a swift motion he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her gently into his lap, a tender smile spreading across his face. He had never seen Meryl so speechless before and it was kind of strange to be so close to her that he could smell the sweet shampoo and soap she used. She looked away from him briefly in embarrassment and he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her in a loving hug. To know that she wasn't afraid of him made him happier than ever before.
Lowering his mouth so it came level with her ear he whispered: "Thank you Meryl." At the sound of him saying her voice she shivered slightly and pulled back a little to look into his face.
"You said my name."
"Err yeah." He said, their eyes locking again. Her heart pounded louder as she felt herself drawing nearer, his warmth and comforting scent intoxicated her and she blinked slowly. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his breath tickling her skin. "V-Vash..."
Suddenly a loud crash interrupted their moment and they tore apart from each other in sudden embarrassment. Letting their eyes dart around the room they noticed the bowl of water tipped upside down on the floor and beside it sat a small black cat with huge green eyes. It mewed timidly and watched them with a cat-like grin as if it had known that it had interrupted some important moment.
"Where did you come from?" Meryl snapped at the creature, which merely tilted its head and meowed loudly. Angrily she scooped up the cat and thrust it into Vash's arms before grabbing a towel from a cupboard and began to wipe up the spilled water. Her muttered complaints were slightly unnerving and the cat hissed manically and tore away from its captor and disappeared.
With a new grin plastered across his face Vash raised a hand and yelled "Later!" before retreating down the stairs. Meryl shook her head angrily and threw the soaked towel into the wash basket and paused at the door to think. 'If it wasn't for that cat who knows what would have happened' she shook her head and waited another long moment for her heart to slow to a normal pace then finally she continued downstairs.
Millie sat at the table eating pudding as usual but Vash was nowhere to be seen and with a relieved sigh Meryl collapsed in a chair next to Millie.
"Good morning Meryl" She chirped happily.
"Morning Millie."
"Vash went to buy donuts."
"Why would I want to know where Vash is?" Meryl snapped angrily feeling a slight blush creep into her face.
"I don't know." Came Millie's reply. "Do you want some?" She asked, holding out some pudding with a smile on her face.
"That's alright, I need some fresh air." Meryl stood up again, the chair legs scraping against the floor.
"Okay but this is great pudding!" Millie squealed and began to shovel it into her mouth. Meryl quickly disguised a smile at her friend's antics and glanced over at her cloak. It hung on a hook by the door but looking out at the twin suns she dismissed it and walked out of the door and into the morning sunshine.
The town was surprisingly quiet that morning even though the weather was good and the silence was unnerving. Meryl stretched and turned the corner that led into the familiar town square and closed her eyes as the delicate fingers of light caressed her face. Then she heard the familiar voice and knew it was Vash. With a quick dash she scampered over to an alley and watched him talking to the baker. She waited for him to purchase his usual box of donuts and walk past before letting out her long held breath. She did not feel like talking to Vash just yet and she continued to walk down the alley feeling somewhat miserable. She had let her perfect chance slip away from her grasp!
She soon discovered that the alley led around to where the poorer people lived; the small houses were all lined up together. The roofs were crumbling into the street, windows were broken and doors hung off their hinges. A few people were standing on their doorsteps gazing out into the morning with concern written on their faces.
Meryl felt instantly sorry for these people, she knew what it was like to be poor, and she still was in a way. She always spent her money on renting rooms or buying the boxes of donuts to keep Vash from moaning about hunger pains all the time. Her family had always been quite poor and that had been her motivation for doing well in her job so she wouldn't fall into poverty again.
She narrowed her eyes and noticed the focus of what everyone was looking at. A large van was parked out in the street and a small group of men were yelling angrily and were pushing and shoving people into the back the dirty old van. Something triggered in Meryl's mind and she knew something bad was happening.
Dashing over to the nearest person Meryl asked, "What is going on around here? Who are those people?" The old woman turned to her, tears trembling in her eyes.
"They are horrible men, they take us and use us for slaves." The woman shuddered and began to back away in fear. "Get out of here girl." She added before dashing over to one of the broken huts.
Meryl turned back to the men just in time to see one raise a club to a young girl and reaching into her pocket she grabbed a derringer that she always kept when she didn't have a cloak. Taking aim she fired and struck the club, knocking it from his hand and allowing the young girl to scamper free. All at once there was a great disruption and two of the men gave chase to catch the child.
The man who was obviously the leader, scowled and with a yell ordered three others after her. Meryl's feet froze; they felt as heavy as if they were cast in iron and she watched the approaching men in terror. Using all the strength she could muster she turned and ran but stumbled and fell to the dusty ground beneath her. She coughed violently as dust filled her mouth and lungs before she scrambled to her knees.
"Stay down!" A voice yelled at her and a sudden pain flared in the side of her head knocking her back to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream and swallowed more dust; a single tear escaped from her eye and trembled down her cheek until it mingled with the dust. Then another pain exploded in her skull and her eyes blurred violently and one word escaped her lips before she totally blacked out...
"Vash..."
* * * * * *
Well there it is the fourth part...I have to admit it I think it is the worst out of the lot. It's cos I rushed to get it out and wrote it all in just under an hour. I did want to make it a lot longer but I guess I'll try next time.
Anyway I would appreciate it if you would review and maybe give me pointers on how to make the next chapter better and also whether you would like the chapters to be slightly longer too.
Love and Peace.
Note: Well here we are once again for the fourth instalment of my fan fic, Firstly I must apologise for taking so long to update but the computer went crazy and deleted everything so I had to write this chapter again. I have to admit it hasn't been that interesting yet but don't despair the action and suffering is about to begin *evil laugh* and hopefully this will be a lot more interesting.
Secondly I would like to thank all my reviewers for encouraging me to write this far they go as followed:
Vashies-girl
Chibi Atto-san
Samuraigirl
Darkraven
Silverdragon
Silverado6000
Animegurl777
Jaded Ayumi
Mel
Sets
Matriaya
Kitty-jinxx
Blood-lust6
TrigunKitty
Lu Angel
Coiledbeast
Tough Cookie
Dreamer-of-night
LOVE AND PEACE TO YOU ALL ^-^
* * * * * *
Chapter 4: Suffering
Meryl opened her violet eyes and sighed with contentment, she was strangely comfortable and warm this morning and she liked the feeling. Closing her eyes again to try and drag out the incredible comfort she realised that she wasn't alone; she could hear the breathing of someone else and feel an arm wrapped tightly around her. She shifted slightly so she could angle her head upwards and look into the face of her captor and was stunned.
Vash lay on her bed with his arms around her and she had allowed him to do so! With a nervous flutter in her stomach and the quickening pace of her heart she tried to wriggle out from his grasp but to her dismay his grip tightened and she was pressed hard against him again. She froze and tried to calm her mind so she could think.
Part of her wanted to stay there in the warm, safe circle of his arms but she knew if she allowed herself to stay he might figure out her feelings for him, or worse she might be tempted to tell him herself. So with that thought to drive her on she twisted in his arms so her back was against his chest and tried to tear his hands from their place. After a moment of hopeless struggling she gave an irritated sigh and decided the best course of action would have to be anger.
Turning to face him again she clamped her hands on his shoulders and shook him vigorously. He frowned slightly and then opened his eyes with a confused expression on his face until he remembered what had happened last night.
Looking over at the window he could see the steady stream of sunlight filtering into the room and creating lazy patterns on the ground. A slight breeze rustled the curtain and he looked nervously back to Meryl and glanced down into her clouded eyes that were steadily growing more and more angry. With a nervous grin he released her and backed away from her laughing slightly at the current situation.
"L-look its not w-what you think." He stammered and slid further across the bed only to run out of space and fall onto the floor with a loud ::thud:: onto his back.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Meryl yelled and threw herself angrily at him before he could escape.
"Hey" Vash squeaked as he tried to scramble out of the way but was only knocked back by the fuming insurance girl.
"What right do you think you have to come in to my room and...and..." She paused and looked into his fear-stricken face with amusement.
"I'm sorryyyy." He whined and backed up so he was pressed against the wall.
"Oh you will be...you pervert!" Then just as she was about to lunge at him again she noticed a faint trickle of blood seeping through his shirt.
She approached cautiously and knelt down beside him pressing her fingers against the wound on his shoulder.
"Ouch!" Vash exclaimed and then noticed the wound for himself and sighed miserably. The bullet wound he received from Knives had opened up again and as Meryl touched it again he flinched and moved away. (A/N: I am aware that both Vash's shoulders were injured in the fight with Knives but...well...lets just say one of them weren't as bad and has healed already ^-^)
"Hey you big baby! You wait right here while I go and get something to help heal that.' She ordered and left the room.
'The same ol' Meryl'
He walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge once more before flexing the shoulder and wincing as more blood coated his shirt. He heard the small footsteps coming back up the stairs and knew it was Meryl returning with a bandage or some thing else that would cause him pain.
She entered quietly and closed the door so that Millie wouldn't be disturbed by any immature squeaks from Vash and crossed the room. She lay the small bundle of bandages on the bed beside him and a small bowl of water steamed in her hand in which a small cloth had been soaked. Then raising her head to look into his eyes again she smiled shyly and made a step towards him.
"You'll have to take your shirt off for me to get to the wound.' She announced quietly and noticed the uneasiness in his face. She hid the smile that threatened and urged him to hurry with a stern glare. He nodded timidly and carefully undid the buttons, which seemed to take way too long. Meryl helped him out of it and was careful not to tear the wound open even more as the shirt came free from him.
Meryl had seen his scars plenty of times before and this time was no different to her, but she could tell that Vash was still uncomfortable. He sat with his back to her and she smiled secretively. She could never imagine Vash without his scars; they were symbols of his belief in never hurting anyone. They were who he was and even though his body was damaged she noticed that it was still well toned. 'Probably from all the walking and gun fighting' she decided and noted that she found the scars very admirable and for it she loved him more than ever before.
Vash too, was surprised by Meryl's reaction - or lack of it - to his scars and he felt himself become more comfortable in her presence. He held back a comforted sigh as she gently began to wipe away the freshly spilt blood and closed his eyes. Her hands were so small and warm, but what he loved most was how gentle they were. It surprised him that those same hands were the ones that dealt out punches and slaps and at that thought he grinned.
She worked as quickly as was possible without hurting him and finally she set the bowl and cloth away and took up the bandages. Shoulders were one of the most annoying parts to bandage properly but this was not the first time she had done so, and with quick precision she began to wrap the soft material around the wound. She took this time to note down the other scars that covered Vash's torso and wondered how he had gained them. Some of them she could probably guess but there were others so terrible that she winced to think of the pain they must have caused. Even if Vash was a fast healer he still felt the same amount of pain.
Meryl reached down and touched one of his older scars with her fingertips, it was smooth to the touch and she sighed quietly. Everything was too perfect, she was in the same room as the man she dearly loved but the same thing was missing - he didn't know how she felt.
Vash trembled under her touch and she paused in shock, realising what she had just been doing. Suddenly he turned his head round to look at her, his large aqua eyes meeting her clouded ones and she froze again. The kindness in his turquoise orbs was astonishing and she opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out.
In a swift motion he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her gently into his lap, a tender smile spreading across his face. He had never seen Meryl so speechless before and it was kind of strange to be so close to her that he could smell the sweet shampoo and soap she used. She looked away from him briefly in embarrassment and he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her in a loving hug. To know that she wasn't afraid of him made him happier than ever before.
Lowering his mouth so it came level with her ear he whispered: "Thank you Meryl." At the sound of him saying her voice she shivered slightly and pulled back a little to look into his face.
"You said my name."
"Err yeah." He said, their eyes locking again. Her heart pounded louder as she felt herself drawing nearer, his warmth and comforting scent intoxicated her and she blinked slowly. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his breath tickling her skin. "V-Vash..."
Suddenly a loud crash interrupted their moment and they tore apart from each other in sudden embarrassment. Letting their eyes dart around the room they noticed the bowl of water tipped upside down on the floor and beside it sat a small black cat with huge green eyes. It mewed timidly and watched them with a cat-like grin as if it had known that it had interrupted some important moment.
"Where did you come from?" Meryl snapped at the creature, which merely tilted its head and meowed loudly. Angrily she scooped up the cat and thrust it into Vash's arms before grabbing a towel from a cupboard and began to wipe up the spilled water. Her muttered complaints were slightly unnerving and the cat hissed manically and tore away from its captor and disappeared.
With a new grin plastered across his face Vash raised a hand and yelled "Later!" before retreating down the stairs. Meryl shook her head angrily and threw the soaked towel into the wash basket and paused at the door to think. 'If it wasn't for that cat who knows what would have happened' she shook her head and waited another long moment for her heart to slow to a normal pace then finally she continued downstairs.
Millie sat at the table eating pudding as usual but Vash was nowhere to be seen and with a relieved sigh Meryl collapsed in a chair next to Millie.
"Good morning Meryl" She chirped happily.
"Morning Millie."
"Vash went to buy donuts."
"Why would I want to know where Vash is?" Meryl snapped angrily feeling a slight blush creep into her face.
"I don't know." Came Millie's reply. "Do you want some?" She asked, holding out some pudding with a smile on her face.
"That's alright, I need some fresh air." Meryl stood up again, the chair legs scraping against the floor.
"Okay but this is great pudding!" Millie squealed and began to shovel it into her mouth. Meryl quickly disguised a smile at her friend's antics and glanced over at her cloak. It hung on a hook by the door but looking out at the twin suns she dismissed it and walked out of the door and into the morning sunshine.
The town was surprisingly quiet that morning even though the weather was good and the silence was unnerving. Meryl stretched and turned the corner that led into the familiar town square and closed her eyes as the delicate fingers of light caressed her face. Then she heard the familiar voice and knew it was Vash. With a quick dash she scampered over to an alley and watched him talking to the baker. She waited for him to purchase his usual box of donuts and walk past before letting out her long held breath. She did not feel like talking to Vash just yet and she continued to walk down the alley feeling somewhat miserable. She had let her perfect chance slip away from her grasp!
She soon discovered that the alley led around to where the poorer people lived; the small houses were all lined up together. The roofs were crumbling into the street, windows were broken and doors hung off their hinges. A few people were standing on their doorsteps gazing out into the morning with concern written on their faces.
Meryl felt instantly sorry for these people, she knew what it was like to be poor, and she still was in a way. She always spent her money on renting rooms or buying the boxes of donuts to keep Vash from moaning about hunger pains all the time. Her family had always been quite poor and that had been her motivation for doing well in her job so she wouldn't fall into poverty again.
She narrowed her eyes and noticed the focus of what everyone was looking at. A large van was parked out in the street and a small group of men were yelling angrily and were pushing and shoving people into the back the dirty old van. Something triggered in Meryl's mind and she knew something bad was happening.
Dashing over to the nearest person Meryl asked, "What is going on around here? Who are those people?" The old woman turned to her, tears trembling in her eyes.
"They are horrible men, they take us and use us for slaves." The woman shuddered and began to back away in fear. "Get out of here girl." She added before dashing over to one of the broken huts.
Meryl turned back to the men just in time to see one raise a club to a young girl and reaching into her pocket she grabbed a derringer that she always kept when she didn't have a cloak. Taking aim she fired and struck the club, knocking it from his hand and allowing the young girl to scamper free. All at once there was a great disruption and two of the men gave chase to catch the child.
The man who was obviously the leader, scowled and with a yell ordered three others after her. Meryl's feet froze; they felt as heavy as if they were cast in iron and she watched the approaching men in terror. Using all the strength she could muster she turned and ran but stumbled and fell to the dusty ground beneath her. She coughed violently as dust filled her mouth and lungs before she scrambled to her knees.
"Stay down!" A voice yelled at her and a sudden pain flared in the side of her head knocking her back to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream and swallowed more dust; a single tear escaped from her eye and trembled down her cheek until it mingled with the dust. Then another pain exploded in her skull and her eyes blurred violently and one word escaped her lips before she totally blacked out...
"Vash..."
* * * * * *
Well there it is the fourth part...I have to admit it I think it is the worst out of the lot. It's cos I rushed to get it out and wrote it all in just under an hour. I did want to make it a lot longer but I guess I'll try next time.
Anyway I would appreciate it if you would review and maybe give me pointers on how to make the next chapter better and also whether you would like the chapters to be slightly longer too.
Love and Peace.