DISCLAIMER: I don't own Trigun

Author; R&R please!

3 months later

Knives looked around his room at all the pictures Renee had painted. She was really quite talented, in more ways than one. Two weeks ago she had convinced Vash to remove his restraints and the helmet permanently so long as he did not try to contact any of his thugs. He had no intention of keeping that promise, but he still had things he needed to know about his caretaker.

He had found out a lot of simple things about her. She liked to sing, and dance. She liked old poetry, and literature. She was incredibly well educated, and deeply religious. She was a master chess player, and an avid studier of philosophy. Yes, he had learned many things, but not one thing that he actually wanted to know.

Where had she gotten her powers? What were all of her powers? How had his sister's come across her? Why was she so important to them? In three months he hadn't even gleaned so much as a clue from her calm surface. It was like trying to catch water.

He liked it that way. He loved the challenge. He couldn't wait for her come into his room every day, and he had a feeling that she was starting to give. Any day now he might find the answers he so desired. Then he could call his henchmen and make them all pay with a brand new weapon at his side. He smiled softly.

She knocked on the door, again out of ceremony. She never waited for him to answer, but he just didn't care about that any more. She set his breakfast in his lap and opened up a book to the page they had stopped on yesterday. Shakespeare, "Twelfth Night", one of her very favorites.

He ate and listened to her. Before long he wasn't paying attention to her reading. He was just watching her. Watching the sun shine through her red hair like fire, watching her rosy lips move, and her silver eyes tracing the words. He had become more and more prone to doing that lately. He told himself he was merely appraising her as a weapon. A weapon that beautiful would not be seen as a weapon until it was too late.

Renee stopped reading. He was staring at her again. He was doing that a lot lately. He had at least finished half of his breakfast before he started today. It was time to bring him back to reality.

"I won't be reading to you at dinner tonight," She said.

"Are you going to make another painting?" He asked absently.

"No," She said, blushing softly. She wondered why he never asked her why all the paintings were of him. He was beautiful, intoxicating, and just plain gorgeous. Now that he was beginning to give a little and act more civil towards her he was becoming quite charming. The way he only half smiled, with that confident look in his deep blue eyes, was mesmerizing. Now she was staring.

"Are we playing chess then?" He said leaning closer, "We're tied you know. We need a tie breaker."

"No," She said even softer.

"Then it's something new," He said and flashed that smile, "Tell me. I can hardly wait."

"I'm dropping off your dinner and going to the dance in town," She said and braced herself for his protest.

She was doing what??? What dance? More importantly who was she going with? She hadn't so much as mentioned a dance in the last few days. Surely she had known about this in advance! Knives face flushed with anger.

"A dance?" He barked, "I thought you were too immersed in my reform to be so easily distracted."

"It wasn't my idea," She said gently, "Vash thinks I need a break. He and Meryl are going, and Millie is going with that boy she met a few days ago. It's no secret that I like to dance, so I was pretty much ordered to... How did they put it? 'Cut loose'."

"They expect you to go with no date?" Knives asked, "You'll just be a third wheel. It won't be any fun at all. Nope, you'd better just stay home with me."

What was with him? He was acting like an abandoned child all of a sudden. Maybe it was a good idea to take a night off. Maybe he needed to be reminded of his age, and besides, Vash was right in a way, she needed a breather.

"I... Just because I didn't think of it doesn't mean I don't want to go," She said firmly, "Not having a date doesn't concern me. There are always single men at these things to dance with."

Knives looked as though she had struck him. How could she want to go alone and dance with single men? Was she actually looking for a man in her life? What about him? What about her mission to save him? How typical, if something takes more than a day then a human's resolve weakens until there is no interest left. Projects lay on the shelf utterly forgotten. That's what he was, a project.

"Fine whatever," He said and pushed his breakfast away, "I'm not feeling well anyway. You don't have to bother with lunch. I need to sleep it off."

Why was he acting this way? Where was his cold calculation, or his smug charm? She was so off-balance she couldn't think of anything more to say. She picked up the tray with his half-eaten breakfast. Maybe he really was sick. He certainly was acting strange. She closed the door behind her and walked down to the kitchen. Vash, Millie, and Meryl were all standing around waiting for her.

"So what did he say?" Vash said looming over her with that goofy smirk on his face, "Did he take it well?"

"I don't know," Renee said softly, "He seemed fine when I came in, but when I told him he started acting really strange."

"Strange how?" Millie said, stepping closer.

"He tried to talk me into not going," Renee said feeling a bit like she was being interrogated all of a sudden.

"What did you say?" Meryl asked squeezing under Vash's arm. Vash smiled down at her and squeezed her waist lightly.

"I told him I was going," Renee answered, "Then he started acting like... Like some disgruntled five year old!"

Meryl, Millie, and Vash all smiled ad nodded at each other. Renee was completely lost. Was there something in the water making everyone act insane today?

"Well, that's that then!" Meryl chimed, she had been a lot more jovial since she and Vash became an item.

"Come on," Millie cheered, "Let's go get our dresses! YAY! Shopping!"

Before Renee could protest they shoved her out the door. Vash smiled after them. Like a disgruntled five year old, huh? It was exactly what he had expected to happen.