Disclaimer: Do I really need this?
Nova
Chapter 37: Goodbyes(Vash)
The hanger bay was a hive of activity. After Marian had been told of Kestrel's she had commissioned a team of specialists to help out on the ship.
In three teams of five they worked almost non-stop, each team taking turns and working in such a fevered pace that the ship was completed in three days.
Knives had neither slept, drank, nor ate anything the whole time, and by the completion of the ship he fell into a coma like sleep for twelve hours. I was in a near panic when he didn't wake up when shaken or spoken to.
But fortunately it was just sleep.
When he woke, Meryl and I were on either side of the cot he lay in, with food Meryl had made, of which he promptly relieved us.
"When do we leave?" Knives demanded when he was finished with the food.
"Our next launch window is in four hours." I said, helping him out of the cot.
"Four hours?" Knives got to his feet and worked the kinks out of his neck, "Lets get ready then."
Knives headed for the ship, but I stopped him, "Aren't you going to thank Meryl for the food?"
He paused for a second then turned to Meryl, "Thanks." And climbed the ladder up into the ship.
I gave Meryl a glance, and she just shrugged, "What'd you expect?"
……………….
(Three Hours Later)
"Hey, the guys and I are almost ready to go. I just wanted to come say… goodbye." I said to Meryl, as I entered out shared room.
Meryl looked up from folding a blanket the look one her face was that of surprise, "What? You say that as if you aren't coming back."
She let the blanket drop to the floor and stepped up right in front of me.
"Uh… well—" I stammered, unsure of how to answer that.
"Vash, I'm going with you." She suddenly stated.
"Huh?" I was caught of guard, "What did you say?"
"I want to go with you."
"No." I said flatly.
"Why not?"
"Because… Because you just can't."
"Well… I'm going with you." Meryl said firmly.
"No. You can't go."
"Why the hell not? Explain it to me Vash." She placed both of her fists on the sides of her waist and glared up at me stubbornly.
"Because Meryl. Seldokas is a nutcase; he's unpredictable and unstable. I have no idea what we're going to come across up there on the Fifth Moon. I can't guarantee my safety… much less yours."
"I can help--" she started.
I cupped her cheeks, not letting her finish, and lifted her face up so I could look her in the eye, "Meryl... I don't want you to get hurt. I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt, or worse... killed."
"I can take care of myself." She whispered.
"I know that. I know that."
"Then why can't I go?"
I sighed and pulled her to my chest, "Because I love you too much to put you in any kind of danger. And Milly... she need a friend here with her while Wolfwood is gone."
"What if... what if you don't come back--"
"Then you'll move on. You'll find a nice guy... and have lots of kids." I chuckled.
She buried her face in my chest, "I want you to be my nice guy... Please let me go with you, Vash. The risks I'm willing to take."
"Well, they're not risks I'm willing to take."
She was silent for a moment, then... "Promise me you'll come back."
I kissed the top of her head, "I promise."
…………….
(Wolfwood)
"I want so badly to stay here with you… but knowing Vash he's probably going to goof up the whole operation if I don't go to keep him in line." I chuckled.
I lay on our bed next to Milly as she fed Michaela and Nicholas Jr. I was saying my goodbyes to her. As much as it hurt to have to leave her and the babies so soon… I had to go. Something told me that if I didn't then Vash would lose his life in some idiotic attempt to save his brother.
Milly laughed, "I know! And you'll do great!" She was trying to smile, but I could see and hear the tinge of pain in her eyes and voice.
"I hate to leave you." I said, "I hate it so much."
"You'll come back." Milly said with a disarming smile, "I know it."
"I know it too."
"And when you get back we—we can raise our children together, and--" Milly sniffed.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and rested my head on hers. "Don't worry. We'll be together forever."
"Forever is a long time,"
"Good."
She laughed, "Yeah."
That sad look in her eye came back. Something more was on her mind.
"What?"
She shook her head, "It's… nothing."
"Milly."
She looked me in the eye, "I don't want to lose you a second time."
"You wont."
"How do you know?"
"I can feel it."
She blinked in surprise, "Really?"
"Yeah. I was brought back to life… for some greater purpose then I can think of right now… but I can feel it. Here…" I tapped my temple, "and here." I tapped my chest over my heart.
Milly stared down at the sleeping twins, "I believe you. And… I love you."
"I love you too, forever." I kissed her gently and then kissed both of my sleeping children.
I left then, giver her one last peck on the cheek…
…………..
(Vash)
"Are you sure you don't want help?" Marian asked, "Just the three of you going…"
Our extra help that Marian had commissioned to work on the ship was quickly filing out of the hanger bay, our launch window was up in fifteen minutes.
The three of us, Knives, Nick and myself were standing right next to the ship, speaking one last moment with Marian.
"We can't risk anyone else." Nicholas replied.
"Do you at least have a particular plan in mind?"
The three of us traded a look, "Not really." I said, "We have no idea what we are going to find up there… we're just going to be playing it by ear."
"That's a high risk tactic." She commented.
I nodded, "What's life without risks?"
She sighed, "Good luck. But…. If you don't succeed in stopping Seldokas, I have a back up plan."
"You do?" Nicholas asked, a little surprised.
"You saw what Vash's Angel Arm did to the Fifth Moon. Just imagine what three or four could do."
We were all silent, imaging just that.
"No go, your launch window is coming up soon." Marian kissed each of us on the forehead and left the hanger.
We climbed up into the ship, Knives closed the hatch behind us and slid into the right hand pilot seat, I took the left hand seat, and Nick took a seat in the back next to a holograph table.
Knives and Nicholas began going over the systems checklist while I, who had nothing much to do, stared blankly at my console.
I really had no idea, nor could I imagine, what would be up on the Moon. What we would face. If it would be easy, or it would be hard. If we would even come out of it alive, and with Kestrel and the rest of the world safe.
I was leaving Meryl, the only person I had ever let myself truly love after Rem had died.
And Nick… Nick was making a huge sacrifice. Leaving his wife and newborn children… he was making the biggest sacrifice any man could make.
Even though I wasn't as attuned to reading people like Nick was I could still tell he was apprehensive about it. He joked that he was only coming to make sure that I didn't screw anything up… but there was something else… like that annoying sixth sense of his could tell that he would be needed up there.
My thoughts suddenly returned to Meryl.
If I died… I hoped that she would move on. And not beat herself up for not having pressured me into letting her go. I knew that's what she would do…
I just shook my head batting away the dark thoughts; I will come back to you.
"Opening hanger bay doors." Knives said, breaking my train of thought.
I grabbed the steering yoke as the engine turbines roared to life and lifted the ship upward, within ten minutes we were passing through the atmosphere and heading for the Fifth Moon.
………….