I don't own Trigun

So, now that the disclaimer is done, I can get on with the story

Good Bye Tonight

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Dreams and Flashbacks

Stressed Words

Meryl reached into the cupboard and pulled out the donuts that she hid from Vash. She smiled when she saw that her plain donut was still in the box. She pulled it out and went to take a bite of it only to stop. She could smell him and hear him walking behind her. His limp was gone and he was now fully healed. Meryl growled when the donut disappeared from her hand. She turned around to meet ice blue eyes. Her eyes narrowed when she watched him take a bite.

"You eat the plain donuts, straight to the point," Knives said as he placed the donut back in her hand.

"What do you want?" Meryl asked as she contained a growl.

"Tonight you are going to take me to December," Knives said.

"Why?" Meryl asked.

"That is for me to know," Knives said before he walked away.

'Stupid asshole,' Meryl thought as she threw the donut away.

She walked outside to see Rei sitting on the ground and looking at the town. She walked over to the boy and sat down next to him. She stared out into the sky and wondered what Knives would want in December. She let out a sigh and thought about what she would tell Vash and the others.

"Do you think we could go into town?" Rei asked as he looked up at Meryl. Meryl shrugged and nodded as she stared out into the distance.

"I'll take you into town," Meryl said after she let silence settle.

Meryl inhaled the crisp air and caught Vash's scent of gunpowder and a sweet sweat. She smiled and stood up. She walked behind the house and saw Vash sitting outside and shaving. She smiled knowing that Milly must have been in the bathroom. She silently stalked behind him as she listened to the razor cut each hair off his face. Her ears would of twitched, but she was in her human form and she heard the razor stop. She saw Vash's back tensed and wished she could have felt each muscle move. She then began to walk towards him normally.

"Hello Vash," Meryl greeted as she stood next to him. He looked over at her and she chuckled when she saw his face. Half of his chin was still covered in shaving cream.

"Hey Meryl," Vash said with a smile.

"I was wondering if you wanted me to come into town with Rei and I?" Meryl asked. Vash looked shocked before he quickly nodded.

"Sure, just let me finish," he said as he began to shave again.

She smiled and walked into the house and bumped into solid figure. Without looking up she could tell that it was Wolfwood by scent alone. She stepped back.

"What's the rush?" Wolfwood asked.

"Just going to grab my derringers," Meryl said.

"Where'd you get the necklace?" Wolfwood asked as he studied it suspiciously.

"I gave it to her," Knives stated as he emerged from the kitchen.

"Really?" Wolfwood asked.

"Yes," Meryl said as she stepped to the side and continued on her way.

Knives chose then to walk up the stairs and leave a confused Wolfwood.

'What the hell was that about?' Wolfwood wondered.

"Hey Wolfwood," Vash cheerfully greeted as he walked past him. Wolfwood grabbed Vash by the arm and stopped his path.

"Why would your brother give Meryl something?" Wolfwood asked.

"What?" Vash asked in a deadpan voice.

"He gave her a necklace," Wolfwood said.

"Why would he do that?" Vash asked as he thought.

"I don't know! He's your brother?" Wolfwood growled as he rubbed his temples.

"I'll ask Meryl about it," Vash said as he went into the kitchen.

Meryl stood outside with Rei and she was nervously fiddled with the necklace. Rei kept looking at her as she messed with the necklace. Meryl could hear Wolfwood talking to Vash and smelt confusion. She looked down at Rei and smiled when she saw him wrinkle his nose in distaste. She then watched Vash walk out of the house. He was in khaki pants with a white shirt. When he caught up to her he ruffled Rei's hair. Rei just smiled, his tail twitched in excitement.

"Where are we going?" Vash asked.

"Well, Rei needs clothes," Meryl said.

"Aw man ... so shopping?" Vash moaned.

"It won't be that bad," Rei said with a smile.

"Sure," Vash said with fake cheerfulness.

"Fine, I'll take you to the bar," Meryl said.

Vash grinned and grabbed Meryl and Rei's hand before he went running towards the town. Meryl started to growl and swung her punch, effectively nailing Vash in the jaw and slowing him down.

"OW!!!" Vash whined as he cradled his jaw.

Meryl grabbed Rei's wrist and stomped off towards the village. Vash finished crying and ran to catch up to her. Meryl ended up smacking him again, because he tried to run off into the bar. She and Vash first took Rei into the store. They talked to the owner and told him that Rei needed four pairs of pants and at least five shirts. Rei nodded that he would go home after shopping and help Milly cook. Vash still couldn't help staring at the boy's cattail as they left. Meryl smacked Vash on the arm when they reached the outdoors.

"Why'd you hit me?" Vash asked.

"Because you were staring at him," Meryl scowled.

They finally reached the bar and took a seat in the far corner. Meryl ordered a pop and Vash got his beer. Meryl couldn't help but feel that Vash looked at Rei as being different. When their drinks arrived, Meryl stared into her coke and sighed. Vash pushed his beer aside and gazed at Meryl. He smiled when she started to fidget. She looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but she then closed it. Vash frowned and decided to talk.

"You've never really told me why Rei has a tail," Vash calmly said. Meryl sighed as thought of a way to put phrase the answer.

"Do you believe in were-people?" Meryl asked.

Vash raised an eyebrow and his eyes twinkled in humor.

"Are saying Rei's a were-person?" Vash asked with slight doubt.

Meryl bristled at the fact that he mocking her. She took a deep breath to calm herself before she seriously stared him in the eyes.

"I'm very serious Vash-san," Meryl said.

Vash frowned at the formal note and decided to sit straight and stare back at her with a serious expression.

'That ass! So now he decides to go serious,' Meryl madly thought.

"Yes, it is a fact that he is a werecat. I have seen his form and I know that it's hard to believe," Meryl said.

"This is a bit much," Vash tried to reason.

'So he thinks I'm lying?' Meryl furiously thought.

"NO!" Meryl growled. "He is and soon you'll understand why."

Vash sighed and rubbed his eyes exhaustion. He tired to think of a way to convince her that it wasn't true.

"Meryl, stuff like this ... just doesn't ... it's not real," Vash simply said. Meryl quickly stood up and knocked her chair back. She dug her claws into the table and growled.

"You're fucking real!" She growled.

'She's pissed,' Vash panicked.

"That's different," Vash tried to argue.

"How so?" Meryl challenged.

"Things like that are just ... evil and monstrous," Vash growled back.

Meryl backed away from the table in shock as her eyes widened.

'But will you choose to be bullied by Vash?' Echoed Knives words as she glared at Vash.

"No," Meryl whispered to the echo.

"No what?" Vash asked in confusion.

Meryl snapped back to attention and glowered at Vash with all the anger she could.

"I will not sit here and listen to your shit!" Meryl stated as she quickly walked out of the bar. Vash quickly slammed some money on the table and walked after her.

"Meryl wait up and listen to me!" Vash yelled as he ran to catch up to her. She quickly whirled around and growled.

"No you listen! I'm going to go to December and if you follow ... I will personally castrate you!" Meryl threatened. Vash's face paled and he gulped.

Meryl slammed into the house and went upstairs. Vash followed her and watched as she slammed into his room.

"Damn it Knives! Pack now! We're going to December!" Meryl yelled at the resting brother. He smirked when he sensed his brother's anger form following Meryl.

"Why are you taking Knives?" Vash demanded to know.

"Because he wants to come!" Meryl growled as she packed an extra sports bra and under wear.

"But he's still dangerous," Vash argued.

"Listen here!" Meryl said as she glared at Vash. "Bite me."

"Wait up Meryl!" Vash Pleaded.

"No Vash, good bye, tonight," she said without looking at Vash.

She then closed her pack and threw it out the window. She then stomped downstairs and met Knives at the jeep. She smirked when she saw that her pack landed in the jeep. She jumped on the driver's side and made sure Knives was in the passenger's side before she went speeding towards December. Vash just irritably and powerlessly watched as she went speeding off with his brother.

"Man, you pissed her off," Wolfwood said as he stepped from the shadows of the house.

"You don't know the half of it," Vash whispered.

"Actually I do, and it's time for you to know also," Wolfwood said as he put his smoke out.

Vash just gave him a confused look before they walked back into the house to have a long discussion.

Meryl quickly drove down the dessert, not caring what she ran over. She couldn't help but growl on the whole drive. Knives had received a headache that turned into a migraine. There were times when Meryl continued to cuss for minutes at a time. Knives rubbed his temples.

'Damn female!' Knives thought.

"Will you shut up?" Knives growled.

"Fuck you!" Meryl answered as her growling turned into snarls.

'I bet if she talks about it she'll shut up then,' Knives thought as he rolled his eyes.

"What did you and my idiot brother argue about?" Knives stoically asked as he rolled his eyes.

"That idiot says that all werecats are monstrous and evil!" Meryl said as she resisted the urge to cry.

'So, the idiot unconsciously hurt her. What a fool,' Knives thought.

"Did you tell him?" Knives asked.

"No and that's the thing! He didn't even listen," Meryl growled out.

"He is a bit of a hypocrite," Knives said.

"Your no ray of sun either," Meryl dryly said.

"At least I stuck to my beliefs," Knives pointed out.

"True," Meryl sighed.

"Good thing you didn't tell him," Knives said.

"What do you mean?" Meryl asked, as her curiosity was peaked.

"Who knows what he might have done if you told him," Knives said in fake sorrow.

"He wouldn't have hurt me," Meryl plainly said.

"Can you believe that?" Knives challenged.

"I think so," Meryl whispered as she continued to drive.

Knives smirked when he realized he had just planted the best seed of all. The seed of doubt, and he could tell that it was already messing with her mind in the best possible ways.