Blu: ow, my contact hurts
TK: just do the author's note
Blu: oh fine…I have three announcements for you guys, so please read this!
1.) I have changed the Secondary Genre from Tragedy to General. Tho I hate to say it, the tragedy part wont be coming for a while XD
2.) This chapter is going to be uber mushie…you have been warned! Also on this note, I'm not the best when it comes to writing mush, so bare with, k?
3.) *this one doesn't matter much* because I was bored, I did a pic for Promise. If you would like to see it, please leave it in an review…the more reviews the better –hint hint-
Blu: yay, now that those dumb announcements are over, I can thank all of my cool reviewers!
KittyHakubi- A COOKIE?! Is it peanut-butter?! –eyes get all starry like-
Hustino- YAY! I ROCK! …any who, I am glad I have a guy friend that was also…umm…'touched' by the fact they offed Wolfy…yeah XD
Batbabe1- well babe, I updated! Thankies for reading still!
Wolf-Woman54- thankies for the review, as for the thingies at the end, I make them up…besides, we are ALL nuts here! –puts on her Mad Hatter's hat and bounces off-
Wolfwood&Millie_Fangirl- YAY! Another reader! I am so glad you are coming for the next chapter and the next chapter and the next chapter and the next chapter…
Chaotic Pink Chocobo- I am so glad you people like this! I am very excited! Here is da chapter, babe!
Blu: that's it for the reviewers! Here is the chapter!
Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.
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Chapter Four: Let Me Be With You
"Wha?"
That's all I have time for before Millie pens me to the railing and all but gropes me. Meryl, Vash, and all the kids burst out of their doors, egger to see what the racket is. "MILLIE!" Meryl screams, leaving her room. "Get OFF of him! That's not Wolf-" Before she can finish her sentence, Vash places a hand over her mouth, silencing her.
The blonde slowly shakes a finger at her. "Leave them be," he says, making it sound more like a plea then an order. Meryl struggles with herself on whether to listen or break us up. Looking back at Vash, who is now making the biggest puppy dog face in human history, she signs to herself and settles on watching.
"Why did you LEAVE me?!" Millie screams, turning my attention back to her. Seeing as she's buried in my shirt, the sound is muffled. She clutches to me like a child would her doll or mother. I guess this is why I love Millie so much…she reminds me of the orphanage…it's more then that though…I do love her.
"I didn't mean to," I reply sheepishly, letting my real tone out for the first time all day. "I was kinda delayed." Returning the embrace the best I can from this position, I hold Millie to me. "You know I would never wanna leave you."
"I was so worried when you didn't come back," she whimpers. "I heard all these gunshots and I thought-" She doesn't finish, but instead snuggles closer, a muffled 'Oh Nicholas' the only thing left hanging in the air. Big Girl continues to sob into me, but the sobs soon turn into helpless hiccups.
"Shh…it's alright, I'm right here." Stroking her hair, I whisper reassuringly into her ear.
A sharp gasp pops from right field. Meryl steps forward, ignoring Vash's warning, and points a finger right at me. "You're-"
"Nicholas D. Wolfwood," the Typhoon finishes, lowering her finger. From where I'm sitting, I can see Meryl's eyes widen.
"Yupp that's me alright," I answer, putting my free hand on the back of my neck. "Don't know how it happened, don't care, I'm just here." Shrugging my shoulders, I lean back on the banister behind me. "It's not like I thought you wouldn't find out, but in only a day?" Letting the question hang in the air, I look down at the now sleeping woman in my arms and smile my crooked smile. "But it is my job to keep my promises."
~*~
Slowly I open my eyes, the morning suns shining through and open bedroom door onto the wood in font of me. Feeling something move by my leg, I, after overriding my human urge to jump up and scream like a little girl, look down to see Millie still clinging to me. A smile cracks over my face as I wipe a hair out of her eyes. Suddenly, everything that happened last night hits me. Clinching my teeth, I let out a low groan. "Shit!" I hiss, "Meryl knows."
"I know what?"
Jumping slightly, I turn to the now opening bathroom door. Meryl, toothbrush sticking out of the side of her mouth, steps out and looks down at me. Out of pure reflex, I grin sheepishly, making her roll those grey eyes of her's. "You shouldn't cuss, Wolfwood," she mutters through her foamy tooth brush, "or have you forgotten about all the kids crammed in this house?" I flinch. She does know. Rolling her eyes again, Meryl trots back down the hallway. As she passes the Stampede's door, she throws open the door. "VASH!" she screams. "DONUTS!" Slamming the door shut again, the short insurance girl opens the door to her own room. Vash scrambles out of his own door two seconds later, fully dressed. Searching franticly for his breakfast/lunch/dinner, the Typhoon's eyes fall on Millie and I.
"Well hi, Nick," Vash chirps, raising his hand. "Sleep well?"
"The beds kinda hard, but the blanket sure is warm," I joke. A rare smile graces the lips of the blonde, causing my grin to return. A door slams, making us both jump (though I can't exactly get very high in the air with Millie on top of me). Meryl, who is standing in front of her now closed door, blinks before awkwardly heading for the stairs.
"Go wake the kids. Vash," she grunts. "I'll make breakfast in ten." Nodding sleeping and mumbling a 'yeah yeah', Vash turns around and heads for the kid's room. Meryl trots down the stairs, waving at me lazily. I blink, realizing my situation.
"Hey guys?" I groan. "Don't leave me here!" Shifting my weight to see where Vash vanished to, I can hear the Humanoid Typhoon waking up all the kids—at once. That's a bad move…and only means one thing.
Stampede.
The children bust through the door as I brace myself, ready to be trampled. The kids pass, jumping down the steps two at a time. Aah—nothing like a nice sonic boom to wake you up in the morning. Remerging from the room, Vash whistles innocently as he trudges down the stairs. "Later, Wolf," he says, jumping down to the landing.
"Wait!" I screech. "Hey, come on!" From what I can hear, Meryl just finished whatever breakfast is and is now serving it out. CRAP! "Millie? Millie honey…get up! MILLIE!"
"Thomas stole my money…" she mumbles sleepily. I roll my eyes. At this rate I wont move from this stop until noon.
"MILLIE!" Meryl calls from the kitchen. "I HAVE PUDDING!"
Big Girl shoots up and grabs my arm. "Come on, Mr. Priest!" she chirps. "PUDDING!" Pulling me down the stairs probably harder then needed, Millie flies down into the kitchen to get the two day supply of pudding she missed.
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Vash and Meryl exchange glances. The newly reunited couple, Millie and…mini Wolfwood, sit together on the other side of the table, stuffing their faces like nothing happened. The kids, some of which imitating Millie and her eating habits, also seem to have forgotten about the little episode last night. The two look back at each other and shrug. No use dwelling on the past. Opening his second box of donuts, Vash joins in the gorging. Meryl, rolling her eyes, sticks to her coffee and toast.
"Whatcha think about the toast, Millie?" Nick mumbles through his own breakfast, passing the butter to his now much larger girlfriend.
"I think Sempai burnt it," she giggles, passing the margarine to the boy next her. The child next to her snickers, taking the butter and using it on his own black toast.
"Millie!" Meryl growls. Vash and Nick glace at the other and begin to chuckle. "Shut it!" Shorty snaps, gabbing the Typhoon in the shoulder.
"You gonna take that, Vash?" the boy next to Millie asks. All the boys nod and ask him similar questions. Vash glances to Meryl, veins throbbing in ten different places, and shrugs.
Millie, back to her random happy self, looks out the window
and gasps. "It's such a nice day!" she screams, scaring everybody. "Let's all
get dressed!" With that, Millie jumps out of her chair and runs up the stairs,
kids in suit. Meryl, catching what Wolfwood was looking at, chucks her cup at
him.
"You are suck a perv," she huffs, picking up the empty plates. Vash snickers, but is also nailed with the mug, this time from Wolfwood's side of the table. Millie, seeming to have forgotten about her now shorter counter-part, rushes down the stairs and grabs the chibi preacher by the collar. Running back up to their room, Millie carries Wolfwood by the neck the whole way, much to the enjoyment of the outlaw sitting at the table.
"Oh no."
Vash, now bored of watching Wolfwood flail under the grasp of his woman, turns to Meryl to see what she is talking about. "Millie dropped her photograph," Meryl says, showing the picture to Vash.
"I remember that!" Vash squeals, pointing to the picture. "That's the first time the two met…" He decides to whisper the rest to himself. "…that fast moving pervert." In Meryl's hand is a crumpled old photograph of Wolfwood and Millie sleeping next to each other on the bus. The sides are torn but the main image is pretty much intact.
~Flashback~
Millie slowly begins to snore, the odd preacher propped onto her shoulder. Meryl scoffs again, only louder.
"The nerve," she whispers, shifting her weight.
"Here," Vash says, taking something out of his bag. Handing a small camera to the girl at his side, he gestures to the sleeping duo. "Souvenir," he mutters. Though not really seeing what taking a picture of a perverted priest hitting on her best friend has to do with remembering their 'wonderful' trip to May (or Mei) City, Meryl clicks the button, which triggers the flash…
Which scares the crap out of everyone on the bus.
~End Flashback~
"COME ON, NICK!"
Both at the table jump before turning to the staircase. Millie, a hoard of children, and Wolfwood, trying to run down the stairs and tie his boot at the same time, stumble down the steps and out into the morning light. Big Girl, who is waiting by the door for her little boyfriend, catches a glimpse of the photo discarded on the table. "Thanks, Sempai!" Millie giggles, running to the table and picking up the photo. "I was worried I'd lost it!" Slipping the precious piece of paper into her rolled up sleeve, the taller of the two women of the household rushes out the door, followed by her now two booted boyfriend.
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Blu: That chapter sucked.
TK: if you say it did
Blu: yessh, I do…I guess review
TK: …that rhymed.
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Wolfwood: There once was a man who never did anything. He sat around all day and did nothing what so ever. He had a friend who did all he could for others. That friend of his was loving and helpful, but had also experienced the pain one can only get from the world. Neither men liked pain, but one chose to endure it. One day the man who did nothing died. That same day the his friend also died. Which do you think was remembered?
Next Chapter: Boldly Going Nowhere