Disclaimer – I don't own Trigun. I don't own Hotel Paper and Breathe by Michelle Branch.

Author's Note – It takes place after episode 21. This is a fluffy little songfic. Meryl follows Vash to her hometown. She has a reputation there, a very strange reputation.

"So where to now, Vash?" Meryl asked. She couldn't wait to get out of this bar.

"That's a surprise!" he replied.

"Ugh. You're hopeless. And it sucks because I have to follow you wherever you go!" said a very irritated Meryl. Then she hit him in the head.

"Wow! Bitchy this morning are we?" As usual, Vash was amused by Meryl's frustration. He was bent on annoying her even more, but he didn't have the heart. About three days ago, the Seeds ship finally crashed and he was the cause of it. He was the one who put all of those people in danger. It was his fault.

Meryl saw the guilty look on his face and knew he was thinking about the Seeds ship again. 'When will he ever get a break?' She knew he had to face Knives. Once he fought Knives, this would all be over. 'And then maybe I can stay with him just so he wont be alone. Millie and Wolfwood can stay, too,' she thought happily. Meryl saw tears forming in his eyes and was instantly sorry for hitting him even if that wasn't what was bothering him.

Millie and Wolfwood saw it, too. "How long is this rendezvous going to take, Mr. Vash?" asked Millie.

"We'll get there by the afternoon if we take a car. Hey, Small Girl?"

Meryl frowned. She hated it when he called her that. "Yeah, Vash?" she sighed.

"Could you, by any chance, lend me some money so we could rent a car?" he braced himself for a punch and a yell about not having any money to spare but it never came.

"Sure, Vash. No problem," she replied.

"Really? Thank you so much, M- Insurance Girl!"

She winced. "Don't mention it."

Millie and Wolfwood exchanged glances. "Come on, Millie. Let's go get that car." Meryl gave Wolfwood the money. Millie and Wolfwood walked off.

"Could you please tell me where we're headed?" Meryl asked.

"No. It's a surprise. I'll just tell you that they're very famous for their singing. Their songs are even on the satellite. Here. Listen to this." He turned on the satellite. A song came on. Meryl gasped. 'I know this song!'

'I've been driving for an hour

Just talking to the rain

You say I've been driving you crazy

And it's keeping you away So just give me one good reason

tell me why I should stay

'Cause I don't wanna waste another moment

in saying things we never meant to say'

She began to sing along. Her voice matched the one on the radio. Vash raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

'And I take it just a little bit

I hold my breath and count to ten

I've been waiting for a chance to let you in If I just breathe

Let it fill the space between

I'll know everything is alright

Breathe

Every little piece of me

You'll see

Everything is alright

If I just breathe Well it's all so overrated

I'm not saying how you feel

So you end up watching chances fade

And wondering what's real And I give you just a little time

I wonder if you realize

I've been wanting 'til I see it in your eyes If I just breathe

Let it fill the space between

I'll know everything is alright

Breathe

Every little piece of me

You'll see

Everything is alright

If I just breathe'

"How do know this song?" Vash asked suspiciously after he turned off the satellite.

"Um... I know the person who wrote it very well." Her eyes darted side to side.

"Oh really?" They just stared at each other.

"Are we interrupting something?" Wolfwood asked with laughter in his eyes. The couple just blushed. "We rented a car. It's great for driving in the desert. Come on! Let's get out here." They walked out of the bar and sat in the car. Wolfwood was in the driver's seat, Millie was in the passenger seat, and Vash and Meryl were stuck in the back. Vash gave Wolfwood directions.

Front seats were laughing and joking the whole way. Vash and Meryl were quiet and smiling at Wolfwood and Millie's antics. Meryl snuck a look at Vash. Vash snuck a look at Meryl. They caught each other and quickly looked away.

"You're awfully quiet back there, Meryl. Something bothering you?" Millie asked worriedly.

"Oh! It's nothing, Millie. I'm just thinking about some things..." she trailed off.

Millie frowned in concern. 'It must have something to do with Vash,' she thought then smiled. "All right, Meryl. Whatever you say!"

For once, Millie had been wrong about Meryl thinking about Vash. It was about the song she heard and where they were going. 'I guess Vash just wants to be entertained and happy but why my hometown? This will be very embarrassing.' The whole ride went like that. With Wolfwood and Millie chatting, Vash listening and smiling, and Meryl brooding.

"Let's listen to the radio!" Millie suggested.

"No!" Meryl exclaimed and then blushed at her outburst.

"Why not?" Millie asked innocently. 'Is this what was bothering Meryl? Her past?' "Don't worry, Meryl. No one will notice."

"Fine." Meryl caved in. Vash looked at her strangely. "What?!"

"Nothing!" Vash put on his innocent little face that made Meryl's heart melt.

The party of five arrived in good time. They rode into the city of Song. "Nice name for a city," said Wolfwood.

"It describes it in a nutshell," mumbled Meryl.

"What was that?" asked Vash.

"I said the name describes it well," she repeated.

Wolfwood drove into the city. "Vash? You know this place. Where can I park? Do you know any hotels?"

"Well, actually, I've never been here before," Vash said sheepishly.

"Meryl has!" Millie exclaimed.

"You have?" Vash asked happily.

She sighed. "Yes. I have."

"Great! Now. Tell us where to go," said Wolfwood.

"Well. Everyone knows that this is tourist season. The hotels will all be filled but I know someplace we can go," she gave Wolfwood directions. "This is my house, everybody. I used to live here. This is my hometown. I moved out of Song because I felt I could do more with my life and that's when I began to work at Bernardelli. That's where I met Millie. You know the story."

"Oh," they all nodded in understanding. They got out of the car and went to the door. Meryl knocked and a woman wearing a sequin neon green jumpsuit answered the door.

"Oh! Darlin? Is that really you? Oh hun! Come on in. Ya'll can come to!" she said indicating Wolfwood, Millie, and Vash. "Everybody, look! Meryl's home!" A big mob of people ran up to Meryl and started cheering. Vash and Wolfwood stood there wide-eyed. Millie knew all about Meryl's family so she didn't say anything.

"You knew about this?" Wolfwood asked Millie incredulously.

"Yup! I am her best friend after all!"

"So, hun, how have you been?" the woman asked. "Still workin' at that ole job I see," she said bitterly.

"I've been great, Mom," Meryl said ignoring the last comment.

"Well, then! I think we are in for some introductions!" said Meryl's mom. "My name is Kelly Jo. I'm Meryl's mother. This is my husband, Caleb. This is my younger daughter, Heather Jo," she said pointing to an old man in a cowboy outfit and a normal looking girl about the age of thirteen who was wearing a shirt that said, "Little Miss Attitude". While her mother, father, and sister had jet-black hair, her hair was brown with blond highlights. Her mother, father, and sister had purple-gray eyes. Her eyes were dark brown. She looked nothing like the rest of her family. She was just two inches shorter than Meryl and there was an age difference of thirteen years! This seemed to be a family of many secrets.

"Howdy!" said Caleb in a gruff voice.

"Hi," said Heather Jo in a bored. "Can I go now, Mom?"

"No. Don't you want to meet Meryl's friends?" Kelly Jo asked.

"Uh..." Heather pretended to think. "No."

"For that attitude, you can't go!" said Caleb.

"What attitude?" Heather had a disgusted look on her face. "Whatever, parental units. It's been great seeing you, sis. You can go now."

"I'm so sorry, Meryl. She's being a little brat," apologized Kelly.

"It's ok. I don't blame her. She hasn't seen me in years. I understand if you hate me, Heather. I acted the same way when I was your age. You sure have gotten taller!" said Meryl.

"Oh my God! Of course I've gotten taller! You haven't seen me in like, forever!"

"I guess her shirt describes her well," Vash whispered to Wolfwood.

"You shouldn't have said that, Tongari," Wolfwood whispered back.

Heather turned to glare at Vash. "Excuse me? And who might you be? Tongari? Describes you well."

"You must really be related to Meryl," said a very scared Vash.

"Excuse me?!" Heather and Meryl said at the same time.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean it!" Vash backed into a wall while Heather and Meryl slowly walked toward him glaring daggers at him. 'Wow! I knew one death glare was bad but two is really scary. I see the family resemblance.'

"Oh my God, Meryl. Your boyfriend is so dead!" Heather screamed.

"He is not my boyfriend!" Meryl argued.

"Uh... so... Meryl... Who is this guy?" asked Caleb in a challenging voice.

"Hi, I'm Vash," said Vash holding out his hand for Caleb to shake. Caleb accepted it.

"You seem like a mighty fine gentleman. Our little girl has chosen well," said Kelly.

Meryl blushed. "Mom? You can stop now. Heather? Please be nice to Vash."

"Fine! I'll be nice to your boyfriend, Meryl! I'll be nice to all of your little friends! You come back after a really long time and just expect me to be nice? Ooooh! You thought wrong! I wont be nice! I refuse! You know, Vash? First impressions are said to last a lifetime!" After she said this, she stormed up the stairs. Meryl looked down guiltily.

Vash put a hand on her shoulder and felt her tense up. "It's not your fault," he said softly.

"Yes, it is. I should have come back sooner. Heather and I never really had a good relationship but we never fought like that. I just ruined our bond! I destroyed whatever relationship we had! Heather hold grudges, Vash! Long grudges. She might never forgive me for this."

"I'll go talk to her, hun," Kelly said and walked upstairs. Soon, Heather was walking downstairs with a defeated look on her face.

Heather's POV

'Oh great! Now I have to act sorry! Joy! I hate this attention.' I walked up to Vash first and put a fake smile on my face. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Vash. I was just mad that Meryl came back so late. I have nothing against you." I bet Meryl knew I was faking everything. Then I turned to Meryl. "I'm really sorry, Meryl. I was just really upset. I thought you forgot about us." I plastered a sorry look on my face. "I apologize." Meryl smiled at me.

"It's ok, Heather," she said and then turned around to say something to Mom. I wiped the pleasant look off of my face and stuck my tongue out of my mouth and pointed it at Meryl. The guy in a black suit smoking a cigarette saw me. He grinned and chuckled. I turned to him and put a finger to my lips. "Shh." I tiptoed out of the house and ran. 'Score! I rule!' Then I ran to my best friend's house.

Meryl POV

I could tell Heather wasn't sorry. It was obvious but I didn't say anything. I saw her tiptoe out and leave out of the corner of my eye. 'Back to the matter at hand.' "Who are all these people, Mom?" I asked.

"Oh! It's my audience! I was singing before you showed up. Now you can entertain them. It'll be your welcome back concert!" she replied and the people cheered.

"Uh... I don't know..."

"Come on, Meryl! You deserve a little fun!" said Millie. Vash just stared at me.

I sighed. "Fine. But only one song!" The people cheered again. I took up the microphone. 'This is embarrassing,' I thought. I picked up the guitar. "This is dedicated to a really good friend of mine and how I feel about him." I stared at Vash for a couple seconds and then started singing.

'I write mostly on hotel paper

Knowing that my thoughts will never leave this room

I'd be out of line telling you, "leave her"

So I lie lonely surrounded by you

By you

Lately I can't be happy for no one

They think I need some time to myself

I try to smile but I can't remember

And I know tomorrow there'll be nothing else

And I wanted to be

Giving you everything that she's not giving

And I wanted to see

'Cause I didn't believe what I'd be hearing'

Vash just kept staring at me.

'You turned out to be more than I bargained for

And I can tell that you need to get away

Forgive me if I admit that I'd love to love you

We both realized it way too late

And I wanted to be

Giving you everything that she's not giving

And I wanted to see

'Cause I didn't believe what I'd be hearing

Maybe this wind blowing in just came from the ocean'

I took a deep breath.

'I write mostly on hotel paper'

Everyone cheered. I knew Vash recognized me from the song on the satellite. "Haha! Bye, people!" The mob ran up to me. I ran out of the house with the mob following me. "Oh, shit!!!!!!!"

So people! Should I continue this fic? At first, it was going to be a one- shot but then the story got really long and complex so. I'll add more chapters if you want me to. Should I just turn in my pen – er – I mean keyboard? Read and review, people!