--Thinking--: Means peoples' thoughts. (Talking): Means the twins are talking in their minds. ---- ----- Disclaimer: Ssjj pats Kuroneko on the head. "Here, you do it."

Kuroneko: Nyao. (Ssjjvash does not now, nor will ever, own Trigun. Beware, Cotcher does belong to Ssjjvash!!)

Chapter 17!!!!!!

At the table, Milly was smiling at them, but Knives wouldn't even look up. "What's going on?" He snarled.

Between bites of food, Vash told him. "I got my memory back! Isn't that great?"

"You remember...everything?" Knives asked carefully.

Vash smiled widely. "Yep. Knives, this is perfect! I didn't know you were so worried that I was blind."

Knives downed a glass of orange juice and suddenly lost his appetite, so he picked up his plate and tossed the contents out the door.

"What'd you do that for? That was perfectly good food!" Cotcher gasped and dropped the toothpick from his mouth.

Knives didn't answer and sat back, crossing his arms. (You've humiliated me, Vash. Why didn't you just kill me? I don't want to live anymore.) His body shook with frustration.

Vash looked at the people around him. (Nobody wants you dead except for yourself. Except it and 'get on with your life.') He quoted his brother.

"Mr. Knives, are you okay? You're shaking like you're cold." Milly said.

"Why do you care?"

"If you get cold, you might get sick and that wouldn't be good. Nobody likes being sick."

Knives sunk low in his chair and put his head in his hands. He had given up on trying to understand them. "Why are you treating me like this? When I've been trying to kill you, so it doesn't make any sense!" He yelled. All noise stopped and it angered him. "Answer me, dang it!"

Vash said, "We're trying to show you love. Love never fails."

"LOVE!!" Knives screamed. He stood, knocking his chair over in the process. He flew out of the room and up to the attic.

He clenched his fist as angry tears came to his eyes, but he refused to cry. He believed the whole selfish human race deserved to die! Vash spoke that he might regret what he wanted to do. Vash was probably right to some degree.

Knives went over to the window and a small breeze came in. It got colder for a second and he froze in place. In the sky, dark clouds had gathered and water started coming down! "What...is...this??" His eyes grew wide. "It's raining?"

He stood watching it fall slowly, then faster. Many people started coming out of their houses and jumping up and down in the rain. Some stayed inside out of fear and uncertainty. Knives glanced over at Vash and Meryl. They held each other for a long moment before letting go. –Love, –

Knives shook his head and slid under the sheets. He wasn't really tired because he had just woken up. He started daydreaming and found himself humming that ridiculous tune.

Vash let go of a now soaked insurance girl. He looked up at Knives and his window and laughed. –It's raining, and he knows what that means! –

Everyone grabbed buckets and stuck them on the ground. They weren't sure if it would ever rain again so just in case, they wanted to be prepared with extra water. It marked a special day on Gunsmoke and some officials decided it should be a national holiday. The Burnardelli Insurance Company wouldn't make an exception for its workers, however.

Cotcher propped his feet on the dining room table. Everyone was lounging around not sure what to do after all the excitement. "You know what we need? Ten dozen donuts!" Vash exclaimed unexpectedly.

"Yes, and some pudding!" Milly joined in, rushing to get some.

"Why so many donuts, Vash? You usually only buy four at a time. I'm sure we don't need that many." Meryl reasoned, thinking of the expenses.

"If we're going to celebrate, I'll be eating more than usual. That means...seven boxes for me and three for the rest of you to share!" He thought he was being generous in letting them have that many.

Meryl crossed her arms. "You're a selfish pig, Vash! You can't eat all those plus pudding. Save some for the rest of Gunsmoke, would you?"

Vash stuck out his tongue. Meryl had enough and hopped over the table to tackle him.

"Meryl, stop! Running in the house is hazardous to your health, you know." Cotcher warned.

The two ran past Milly. "Hey, you guys, watch out for the—"

CRASH!! The warning was too late and Vash and Meryl crash-landed into a tray loaded with pudding. Milly's face turned red. "Do you know how hard I worked to make that!? Now it's no good. I hope you're satisfied!"

Vash stood and flicked some of the gooey substance from his face. Unfortunately, it landed on Knives who was standing in front of the whole mess. "Oops," Vash squeaked. He turned tail and ran with Knives after him, followed closely by Milly and Meryl.

Cotcher sat back and relaxed as he watched the whole scene play out before him. He chewed away at his new toothpick. "Now I know why my cousin hung out with them." He grinned and closed his eyes only to open them when pudding landed on his face. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

Vash stood still with a pudding-covered hand. "It wasn't me, honest! Knives made me do it. Cotcher didn't buy it and took off after Vash as well. "Aw, I get all the darn luck, don't I?"

Meryl glanced back at Cotcher. "If you run with that dumb toothpick in your mouth, you could really hurt yourself, you know!"

He lowered his eyebrows. "Don't dis the toothpick!" Then he grabbed a handful of pudding and smothered her in her face. And so began the biggest pudding fight Gunsmoke had ever seen. And Knives still could not beat his brother.

WOO HOO!!!!!! I did it! YEAH! --Sigh— Yes, this is the last chapter. It has been a pleasure writing it and reading alllll the wonderful reviews!

Thanks to all the reviewers once again and to all the writers on fan fiction who wrote all the Trigun stories and such because it helped a little.