Blu: gah, I am SO sorry it took so damn long. You all must hate me! XD
TK: no they don't
Blu: FINE! …it was all TK's fault anyway. A week ago he just got up and left, leaving me with a major writer's block AND no muse.
TK: …I am now open to all shoe chucking
Blu: you better step up to this offer folks, TK wanting to get hit with shoes comes only once in a life time…unless he ups and leaves again!
Hustino- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Anywho, thankies for the great reviews and enjoy.
BatBabe1- (chapter five) Tis nothing to worry about, I am confused quite easily. I know that one was too short, but I warned you! XD
KittyHakubi- first off, I read your stories, and I have to say THAT WAS GREAT! EVERYONE GO READ THEM NOW! Anywho, thankies for liking both chapters and we all know how annoying FF.NET is XD
Ali10- …that was a very interesting version of the genocide song…must be the Japanese version…ANYWHO! Thankies for the review and they better as hell tremble!! MWHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA –evil laughter has been cued XD-
Emily- YAY!!!! Thankies for finally reading my story, it means a lot
Kitara (formally known as Wolfwood&MillieFangirl)- I am so glad you have hopped back on the band wagon! For a while there I almost thought TK decided to be a dumb ass and push you off
TK: ok, for one, we don't HAVE a band wagon, and two, I don't kick ANYONE out of a band wagon, especially if we don't have one to start with!
Blu: touchy touchy
Black Betty- I'm sorry this is so confusing. Well, I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. As for Nick's body, it stopped breathing shortly after chibi Nick was found and they buried it. As for Nick being a kid, tis still a mystery!
Largosan- …-slowly backs away from the gun- g-glad you like it there…just what ever you do…DON'T slip…(-is happy someone remembered the song-)
Blu: ok, that's everyone! ...damn, a whole page just to thank you peeps...KEEP IT UP!
Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.
Chapter Seven: Bless the Beasts and the Children
"Nicholas? What word is this?"
Looking up from his lunch, Wolfwood skims the page infront of him. "That's 'Enmity'," he says, returning to his sandwich. Nodding, Big Girl settles back into her reading. After another page turn or so, she lightly taps Wolfwood in the arm again.
"And this one?" she asks, pointing as she lowers the book to her boyfriend's level.
Squinting at the page, little Nick raises an eyebrow. "That's 'the', Millie," he replies, worrying for his love's mental health.
"No," she says, unfazed. "THAT one." Thrusting her finger back into the book, she underlines the word with her fingernail.
"Oh, 'cherubim'."
Meryl and Vash exchange glances…again. For the second time today, everyone is side stepping what just happened two some minutes ago. The only difference, if you over look the meal, is that Millie is reading her new leather bound book. This alone is a call for alarm although, luckily, nothing has blown up. She sits there, a mound of pudding to her right, and her little 'bible buddy' to her left, and seems quite content. Opening up another package, the large insurance girl sets down her book, face up. Taking a quick peek down at the page number, the Humanoid Typhoon nearly has a heart attack.
"PAGE 362?!" he screams, making everyone jump. "When did you get this?!"
"Around thirty minutes ago," Meryl and little Wolf reply in unison, not even fazed enough to look up from their meal.
Millie giggles. "I'm a speed demon!" The larger female at the table beams before thrusting a spoon full of pudding into her mouth. Letting out a defeated sigh, the outlaw across from her raises his hands in defeat, causing the little kids around the table to snicker. Once again returning to her new book, Millie becomes engrossed into her reading. Before long the small table is incased in silence, side the occasional page turn and the munching of donuts and sandwiches. Soon everyone is finished and the position for dishes is up for grabs. Slowly a few hands arise for the offer, one being owned by Little Nick. Seeing he's off the hook for the job, Vash stands up and walks outside with the rest of the kids…but not before giving Nick a noogie. Millie giggles and does the same, only lighter, on her way out. Grumbling to himself, the mini preacher wiggles out of his chair and stomps over to his job.
"Here," a boy says, handing me soaked cup. "You're on dryer duty." I nod, taking the glass. I glance around the taller boy, seeing someone about my age handing the dishes to him.
"So," the other boy says as he turns to me. "Do you have anymore info to tell us about that preacher dude?"
"Who?" I ask stupidly.
"I thought you would know him," the older one counters. "You ARE named after him, aren't you?" I blink. He doesn't know I AM him…
"Oh…THAT preacher," I mumble stupidly, my eyes retreating to the wet cup in my hands.
"I guess you didn't get along with your dad much."
I nearly drop the glass. "What?!"
"Its not hard to see the resemblance," he replies matter-o-factly. "You look a lot like him AND Miss Millie. Besides, we all saw how happy she was to see you last night."
I grit my teeth. I better go with this or we could all be in deep shit. "Yeah, well, I never really met my dad…I just…umm…up and left before I got too…um…yeah."
"Yeah, I know the feeling," the boy hands me another dish to clean as I set down the cup I've been holding this whole time.
"Well, I always knew Miss Millie and Mr. Wolfwood had something going," the other boy says proudly.
"Not this again…" the other boy almost laughs before ruffling the hair of the shorter one. They must be brothers or something…
"But it's true!"
"HEY! INSURANCE GIRL! HEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!"
Millie turns around from her place on the steps to see her Typhoon friend being once again torn to bits by the very hyper, and now very full, kids. She smiles and waves to him like nothing is wrong at all. Hearing foot steps behind her, she turns around to see Meryl trotting from the doorway. "Isn't that nice, Sempai?" she asks, smiling sweetly. "Mr. Vash is being put in strangle holds but the children again."
"Yeah…nice," Meryl mummers as she sits down on the steps. Opening her typewriter, she begins to tare away at the keys. Leaning over her shoulder, the taller of the two reads the print slowly appearing over the pale page.
"Whatcha writin'?" Millie asks.
"Routine report, Millie," the short insurance woman says without even looking up. "We've been in need to send one for ages."
"Ah." With that, Big Girl reopens her book, and both go back to ignoring the shouts of pain and requests for help coming from the general direction of the dog pile.
"Miss Millie?"
The large insurance girl looks up startled, the book almost falling off her lap. She grabs at it franticly, but she misses and it falls to the dusty earth. A cloud of dust rises and covers most of the steps. Meryl coughs, trying to shield her paper work from the flying sand. "Millie!" she yells. "Watch it!"
"I'm sorry!" a little girl cries, first being noticed by the two. She sweeps up the bible and trusts it at Millie as if a peace offering. "Sorry I startled you, Miss Millie!"
"Oh, it's fine," Millie says sheepishly. "I've just been a little dense lately, that's all."
"That's 'tense', Millie," Meryl corrects. "Tense."
"Oh, right," Millie says before stomping her foot childishly. "Darn it, I hate being wrong." The little girl giggles, still holding the book in her hands. Millie picks it up gently and sets it back down next to her. Meryl sighs as if tired of correcting her friend, but still smiles as she returns to typing away on the keyboard.
"I really am sorry I scared you," the girl says awkwardly as she traces a circle in the sand with her shoe. "But I wanted to ask you about last night."
Meryl filches. It's finally coming out…
The little girl leans close to Millie, as if not wanting the other little boys and girls to hear what she's saying, even though they are still having too much fun ripping the poor 'Localized Disaster' to pieces to hear anything. "Is Nick your…"
Meryl held her breath.
"…Son?"
"GAH!"
"OH, SEMPAI!"
"Gah, now my hands are all wrinkly."
"Hi Nicky," Millie chirps happily, not looking up from her new book. I'm really glad she likes that. I was almost sure that would back fire in my face.
"Hey, Nick," Meryl says turns around from her spot next to Big Girl. I can make out her little portable type writer on her lap. Haven't seen that in a while. "I need to talk you." I blink as she pulls me away. I guess this is a good enough time as any to tell her about the conversation at the sink.
"They think you're/I'm her kid," we say at the same time. We blink. "They do?" we say in unison again. "Stop that!" Together again. "No you! KNOCK IT OFF!"
"You two are fun to watch," Millie says quietly behind us. We turn around sheepishly then sadly hang our heads. Big Girl giggles before dragging me back to the steps.
Blu: that was fun...tho i hate these stupid new divior thingies...
TK: I'm sorry I left, everyone
Blu: -looks at TK- …why are you wearing a giant bulls eye?
TK: …for the chucking of the shoes to come. I am still up for hitting. Go ahead, all, I will stand still for every shoe but cleats and high heels.
Blu: this will be good.
Wolfwood: A friend once asked me if my faith really worked. I smiled and told him that redeemers will be saved in the end, but I really didn't know what to think. He took it as an answer none the less. From then on I questioned myself if I was really what was right in the name of God. After awhile I forgot about it, but somehow it was always in the back of my head. Is this the amazing grace of God finally catching up with me? I hope so.
Next Chapter: Amazing Grace for Dummies