Okay, okay, I KNOW it's been three months since I last updated this story but I had the worst case of writer's block and tried to cure it with a quick Bebop fanfic, which now rots as well. Sigh. Darn my inability to take time to post! All righty, well, I've totally revamped my rough draft of this story by throwing it out and starting anew. Hopefully it'll seem less awkward now! Here we go, chapter 7!
Liquid Sunlight
Chapter 7 - Hourglass
It was the happiest moment of Milly's life; well, so far at least.
In mock chivalry, Wolfwood pulled the door to the restaurant open and gave her a grin. Milly suppressed a giggle and tried to enter in a stately manner, but ended up nearly tripping over her own feet. Meryl rolled her eyes, and behind her Vash practically drug Knives into the small-town eatery. It was no different from any other day, except that Milly was headed home for the first time in a long time, and her happiness was contagious.
After much discussion, Milly had convinced Wolfwood to have the marriage ceremony in her hometown of Sand, instead of the little town they had been living in. Naturally, Vash followed, taking Knives with him, and Meryl wasn't far behind.
"I can't believe I'm going home!" Milly exclaimed while slowly lowering herself into a chair. "I haven't seen mom and dad and my brothers and sisters in forever." She poked Meryl in the shoulder. "And they haven't seen you since we were teenagers, just starting at Bernardelli." Meryl gave her a weak grin and thought, 'I wonder what they'll think of me now…' She glanced out the window at the blood red sunset.
"So, nervous about meeting the parents?" Vash teased Wolfwood. Knives grimaced at him, but he still continued, ignoring his brother. "I mean you DID kinda knock her-"
"VASH!"
"Ow, Meryl, that hurt!"
"I'm glad!" Vash pouted at her while his brother sent him death glares.
"Oh, they already know." Milly dug into her pudding, unaware of the shocked stares she was getting.
"Um, Milly?" Meryl's voice quaked.
"Yeah?"
"Your dad's nicer than most, but don't you think that kind of news would make him kinda…"
"Infuriated?" Vash supplied. Wolfwood let out a noise between a gargle and a squeak.
"NOT what I was going to say!" Meryl shot back at him.
"Well, I just thought I'd help," Vash whined.
"Oh, everyone's fine with it!" Milly said. "Dad understands the… the circumstances, you know, with everything that happened."
Wolfwood sighed. "Well that's good." He returned to his dinner.
The waitress came over to their table to check on them. "Can I get you folks some drinks?" she asked sweetly.
"Not for me!" Milly gave her stomach a rub.
"Well then, I guess it makes me, Wolfwood, Knives, and the Small Girl then!" Vash cheered.
"What?! I don't think so!" Meryl shook her head vigorously.
"You don't wanna do that Mr. Vash," Milly said. "Meryl's worse than me when it comes to holding down the strong stuff."
"I am not!" Meryl cried, outraged.
"You are so," Milly contradicted. "Usually one drink makes you pretty tipsy!" At Meryl's angry gaze she added, "But it's only because you're so small, that's why!"
"So THAT'S why you never drank with us before!" Wolfwood said. "I was wondering why you would never-"
"Okay, so I'm short and I'm not able to drink that much! Get off my back you idiots!" Meryl screeched.
"Settle!" Wolfwood said. "Vash was just kidding! Geez…"
Meryl crossed her arms. Milly said cheerfully, "We'd better get back on the bus soon! They might leave without us!" She scraped the bottom of her pudding bowl and slowly stood up. Wolfwood gently took her arm and led her out, with the other three trailing behind.
"Look Meryl, I didn't mean to make you mad," Vash said, scratching the back of his head. She scowled up at him and he jumped back. "I really didn't, honest!"
Meryl sighed. "Fine, I forgive you. Okay?"
Vash pumped his fist into the air, making Meryl grin in spite of herself. "Idiot," Knives muttered to himself.
"You're just in time!" the bus driver shouted. "We were getting ready to take off!"
"Told ya so!" Milly exclaimed with a smile. They climbed on and took seats near the back. Milly settled herself against Wolfwood to sleep. Knives stretched his long legs across an entire seat, and Meryl sat stiffly next to Vash, who had taken the window seat. She squirmed around, trying to find a comfortable spot, until she heard Vash chuckle.
"What?" she snapped whirling on him.
He stared down at her with his gorgeous aquamarine eyes. "You just look so uncomfortable," he said simply. "If you wanna lean against me, all you gotta do is ask."
"Gah! Who said I wanted to do that?!" Meryl exclaimed, her cheeks very flushed. Wolfwood, in the seat in front of them, cracked a grin. Vash chuckled again as the moon rose, casting slanting beams onto Meryl's face.
"I didn't say you wanted to, I just thought it would be more comfortable," he explained with that stupid grin on his face. Now he was becoming embarrassed.
"Well, no thank you," Meryl said stiffly, shifting her tiny body again. Vash sighed and settled himself against the cool window. It would have been nice to feel Meryl's warmth against him… 'Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!'
'Is he… disappointed?' Meryl wondered. Vash's eyes were closed when she looked over on his angelic face. The moonlight made him look paler than he did in the sun, and he looked a little childish to her. 'The infamous outlaw,' she laughed to herself. She inhaled deeply; he smelled wonderful. The folds of his jacket looked inviting. She remembered the day she'd given him the jacket back, mended and cleaned.
~FLASHBACK~
"Vash? Can I talk to you for a second?" Meryl asked nervously.
"Sure!" Vash looked up from his card game and waited for her to speak.
"I mean in the other room." Now confused, Vash climbed to his feet and followed her into her room.
"I- I should have given this to you when you first got back, but I just didn't know…" She faltered and looked at the floor.
"Meryl, what's wrong?" Silence. "You can tell me, no matter what it is."
She looked up at him and felt a little braver when she saw the look of concern on his face. She crossed the room and threw the doors to her closet open and pulled out a wad of red fabric. Vash's eyes widened in recognition.
"Wolfwood found it in the desert," Meryl explained. "He gave it to me the day you came back, but never told me you were actually here." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "There were bullet holes in it and it was covered in blood; I was so scared. I thought you might've…" She cleared her throat and tried to wipe her eyes while Vash still stared in disbelief. "I mended it, but I didn't know if you wanted it back, if the memories were too painful…"
"Meryl," Vash managed to croak out, "did Wolfwood find my gun?"
She bit her lip. "Yes."
"And has Knives seen either the gun or the coat?"
"I don't know. He might have the day he was cleaning, but I couldn't say for sure." Vash sank down on the bed with his head in his hands.
"God," he whispered. "I hope he didn't remember anything." Meryl sat down beside him, now worried.
"I don't think he remembers anything… about what happened," she said soothingly. She was shocked when Vash looked up with tears in his eyes.
"Meryl, if he remembers and reassembles the Gung Ho Guns, I have to go after him again. And more innocent people will be killed. I just can't take anymore bloodshed!" The tears continued to run down his face and he shivered. "He needs another chance. He can be different; reform. I know it! But if his memories come back, I don't know what's going to happen."
"Oh Vash." Meryl opened her arms, and after a slight hesitation, Vash threw himself into them. She rocked him gently, his head in between her neck and shoulder. His tears trickled down onto her shirt, but she paid them no mind. This was right; it was what she should be doing. What she should have been doing after he saved her and Milly by killing Legato. That day, she'd felt helpless, like she couldn't do anything for him. As the sunlight sparkled in his golden hair, she realized that all he needed was her presence, her reassurance, and someone's shoulder to cry on.
"Meryl."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you." He felt her stiffen at his words, her arms tensing as though she were afraid of what he was going to say. He sat up and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her unfaltering gaze met his, and Vash gave a teary smile. "I'll take the jacket. But keep the gun. And keep it hidden, okay?" Meryl nodded, and Vash did something he only dreamed about: he gave her a small kiss on the top of the head. He picked up the red jacket and walked out, leaving a stunned Meryl behind him.
~END FLASHBACK~
Just the thought of that tender moment was enough to make Meryl blush. Vash had begun to wear the jacket every now and then, after making sure it didn't trigger anything in Knives' memory. He'd worn it on the trip because, as he'd joked, "it's good for traveling." She searched the peaceful face for any hint of the suffering he'd endured, or a trace of the worry that had to be on his mind.
"Would you mind not staring at me?" Meryl jumped like she'd been burned as Vash spoke and opened one beautiful eye.
"I wasn't staring at you!" Meryl protested. "I was- I was- trying to look out the window if you must know!" She scooted as far away from him as possible and turned away. Vash sighed again and tried to get back to sleep. He loved that look of surprise in Meryl's violet-gray eyes, and he loved to tease her until she got into a fury. He grinned to himself.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The next morning, the five travelers were awakened by the screech of the bus brakes and the shaking motion that accompanied it. Vash ran a hand through his hair before noticing the small bundle of warmth against him. Meryl. He'd had to practically drag her over to him so she could get some sleep. But once he got her to lean on him, she'd certainly made herself comfortable. Her eyes opened and she muttered a groggy "good morning."
"Good morning," Vash replied, grinning. "This is our stop!" Meryl pulled away from him, a little flustered, and grabbed her bag. Knives threw her a quick glance before gathering his things.
"Why do you keep looking at Meryl like that, Knives? You got the hots for the Small Girl?" Wolfwood teased as Meryl took off down the aisle.
"Actually, I don't, but it's none of your damn business anyways!" Knives growled.
"Touchy, touchy!" Wolfwood smirked at him as Milly punched him in the arm.
"He's just playing Mr. Knives," she said sweetly. Knives grunted and headed towards the exit.
"He's still not very sociable, huh?" Vash sighed. "And the only person he'll listen to is the Small Girl!"
"Ah well, I suppose somebody's gotta," Wolfwood said. Milly tried to stifle her giggles.
Vash was the last one off the bus. The sunlight blinded him as he ducked to go through the doorway, and he nearly tripped on his way down the steps. When his eyes cleared, he saw what looked like the Thompson family reunion going on in the bus station. Milly was in the arms of a woman who must have been her mother, with all sorts of children hovering around her. Wolfwood nervously shook hands with a bear-like man who was probably Milly's father. Several other family members had leapt upon Meryl and were taking turns squeezing the daylights out of her.
"Oh!" Milly cried out, disentangling herself from her mother's arms. "Hey everybody! Be quiet for a minute!" Twenty or so brown heads turned her way. "Thanks!" She pointed at Vash. "This is Mr. Vash, the man I told you we were following. And this is his brother, Mr. Knives!"
Before he knew it, Vash and his twin were swept into the crowd, Knives protesting the whole way and fighting the arms and hands. Vash shook so many hands he thought that his brain had somehow been jarred. Knives had managed to escape early in the game and he slunk away, into a saloon.
"C'mon everyone!" called Mrs. Thompson. "Let's take this to the house! I've got food ready, and I'm sure Uncle Ted can't wait to show us all how to dance!" There was a great cheer and Vash was dragged along in the crowd, eventually coming to rest beside Meryl.
"Are they always this cheerful?" he asked as he was shoved from behind.
"No," Meryl said. "They're always cheerful, but they're excited about Milly getting married. I guess you could say she's a family favorite." Vash grinned down at her.
After dinner, Milly's mother and aunts cleaned up the kitchen as her father and the other men took the kids into the living room to look at pictures.
"Look at this one!" crowed Milly's father. It featured a three year-old Milly, covered from head to foot in peanut butter. They went through a huge stack of pictures that chronicled the lives of all the Thompson children. Vash daydreamed a little and tried (unsuccessfully) to not look distant, but eventually the conversation caught his attention.
"Here's one of Meryl, when she and Milly first met!" Mr. Thompson sighed. "Fresh out of high school and headed off to work in the city." He passed the photo along.
Meryl laughed. "I remember you made me stay here for almost a week until you thought I'd be a good influence on Milly!" Laughter filled the room.
When the picture came to Vash, he did a double take. This was Meryl?! The girl in the picture had long, dark hair that flowed to her slim waist. Her big violet-gray eyes shone and she had a huge smile on her face. Beside her, Milly, looking mostly the same, grinned and slung her arm around Meryl's shoulders. What a difference a few years could make! Vash mused to himself.
Later, the dancing began and Uncle Ted certainly showed them all how to do it right. Milly was grabbed up by her father as Wolfwood watched from the table. Meryl sipped on a drink as she observed the dancers.
"Having a good time?"
She smiled up at Vash. "Actually, I really am. I haven't felt this great since the last time I was here, what with work and being so stressed out and everything…" she trailed off, realizing she'd just given a little bit more of herself away to Vash.
"Hmm." Vash looked thoughtful. "I guess the Thompsons have that kind of effect on people." Meryl shrugged as Vash looked skyward. "The stars look beautiful tonight," he ventured.
"Yeah," Meryl said breathlessly. "It makes the town look a lot less gloomy and dry when you look at it under the light of the stars and the moon."
Vash glanced down at her. "Very poetic."
"Shut the hell up Tongari."
"Is that the end of the poem?"
"No, but it might become a murder novel if you don't be quiet." Vash grinned and took a step closer to her, just to annoy her a little bit more.
Okay kiddies, thanks to my 44 reviewers (you guys rock!) and thanks to those who are enjoying this story and letting me know! I'm gonna try to finish this fic up in 3 to 4 chapters, possibly within the next 2 weeks. But unless I get up to 60 reviews, I'm gonna take this story off and possibly try a different concept. You the reader decide the fate! Review to keep the fluff alive! But I'm not paying any dentist bills! I love you guys!