Chapter 7

He awoke on the padded cot which served as his bed, the world spun around him, both literally and figuratively. He let out low groan.

Rem appeared above him, a concerned look on her pretty features.

'Vash?' she said, 'Vash… are you alright?'

Vash managed to let out a soft whimper in reply and with some effort forced himself up onto his elbows.

Rem was by his side in an instant, supporting him and handing him a cup of tepid water. He gulped it down eagerly; grateful for both the drink and the time it took to drink it. His thoughts were in chaos and he needed a moment to think before he answered any of the questions poor Rem was likely dying to ask.

'Well?' asked Rem, as predicted, 'what happened? Are you alright?'

'I think so,' he replied and paused, 'I… I dreamed… I remembered some thing else…'

'What?' she sounded… apprehensive which was not entirely what Vash had hoped, he'd hoped she would be enthusiastic, happy at the fact he'd remembered something.

'I remembered Knives,' he said, 'my brother, Knives… Rem, why didn't you tell me about him?'

Rem blinked, 'I honestly didn't know you had a family,' she said, sounding perfectly innocent and honest, 'you see you were always a bit of a drifter. You came into our home town six years ago to find work as a deputy. The sheriff took you in and after a couple of years we got together, as I said. Then-'

'After we got married we moved to July to start a new life,' finished Vash dully, 'yeah I know but… but why didn't you tell me about this?'

'You hardly ever mentioned any family,' explained Rem, 'and when you did you sounded so sad. I never really asked further, I thought there'd been some sort of family feud or something. I never knew you had a brother.'

'But why didn't you tell me about that! Why didn't you tell me you didn't know who my family were!' he was a little angry, he couldn't deny it, how could she have kept this from him?

'How was I supposed to tell you something I didn't know?' retorted Rem, sounding upset herself now, 'and besides, why should I remind you of something that was obviously so sad? I don't want you to remember the sad, pointless things in your life, Vash; I just want you to be happy!'

Her voice trembled with these last few words and the guilt hit Vash like a tonne of bricks. He moved forward and put his arms round her, instantly regretting his hash tone.

'I'm sorry Rem,' he murmured, 'please… just forget about it, ok? Don't be sad… it doesn't matter.'

Rem sniffed against his shoulder, 'alright,' she whispered, 'I'm sorry I kept it from you… I just want us to be happy. I want us to be together. Nothing else matters as long as we're together.'

'Yeah,' agreed Vash, though in his heart he doubted it. Something nagged at him and when he smiled at her, it was because of sheer muscle control, not with any sort of real happiness.

Rem didn't seem to notice though, she just gave a small smile of her own and kissed him fiercely, a kiss he returned as eagerly and honestly as he could.

They remained like that for quite a while, holding each other for comfort. Vash ran the fingers of his one hand through her hair, feeling the shiny, black ringlets straighten out briefly before bouncing back into position.

Odd, he didn't recall Rem having ringlets before… though she'd had them ever since he'd woken up for the first time, perhaps she'd changed it recently.

Rem moved out of his embrace then, her eyes still sparkling from unshed moisture.

'Vash,' she crooned, 'do you think you'll be alright here for a little while? I really need to go outside to do some scavenging whilst it's still dark. I won't go far.'

'Ok,' replied Vash hoarsely, watching as, grabbing a duffle bag to store any items in, she got up to leave.

She flashed him another soft smile before turning on her heel and moving up the rickety stairs of their small, subterranean abode. Soon she had the trap door open and had slipped out into the cold, barren night. Leaving Vash alone with his thoughts.

He put his head in his hand and shivered, trying to dispel the dreams, the flashes of image's he'd received in his sleep. But they flashed through his head anyway, broken, fragmented, teasing him with hints and clues…

They were in a bright, sunny place lying on grass. The sky was blue and yellow butterflies danced through the air. He watched the Other (Knives?) stretch his hand out as if trying to catch the sun, his hair was a long mass of white gold.

The butterfly is caught in the spider's web, it struggles desperately for survival as the arachnid comes closer…

­­­ He was flying, floating in a metal tube, he was crying. But he wasn't sad, not any more, because Knives was with him, holding him, 'you're crying again…'

… it's almost there now, so he brings his hands forward, ready to do… something…

A tree, full of red apples gleaming in the sunlight stretched above them, tall, proud, old. Fragments of a conversation lost to the wind except Knives' question, 'Do you think I'll be eaten too someday?'

… he's going to rescue them both, his hands are nearly there but, at the last moment, as if taking advantage of his hesitation, the spider increases it's pace, dancing across the web. It's almost reached the struggling butterfly when…

The room was dark, dark except for the gleaming white computer screens. And, painted pail silver in their light, sat Knives. His hair cut short around his head, the cast off locks were scattered about him like strands of moonlight. 'If we stay the same we'll have no individuality.'

…another set of pail hands surge forward, snatching the spider and squashing it between small fingers. The web breaks and the butterfly flutters free. He turns to see…

A small smile creeps across Knives' childish mouth, half hidden by the steam from a cup of coffee, 'he's afraid,' he mutters.

…There's screaming and yelling, broken up by flashes of white, a confusion and chaos of imagery but for the smiling, innocent face of Knives, clutching the dead, broken spider. Then, towards the end, his terrified, angry, betrayed expression as he lies on the grass below him, tears rimming his wide blue eyes. Nothing was ever the same after that

Vash flung his head back and screamed, it didn't make sense! Nothing made sense! Everything was wrong!

Rem had said what had happened had explained it all but… but…

He flung off the blankets that covered him and got to his feet, staggering a little. He tottered across the room, desperately trying to find something solid, something safe.

Inevitably his attention turned to a small, battered case in the corner. He lurched towards it and with a mighty heave yanked it open.

It's only contents were those items he'd been found with, a strange, silver Colt gun and his crimson coat, torn and dirty.

He grabbed onto them almost without thinking, holding them close to his body as if he could squeeze an explanation out of them, as if they were his only life line.

It didn't make any sense! He was here, with Rem, but he didn't feel like he was with her! It was like he was drowning on land, trying to desperately gulp the air he should have access to even as his lungs filled up with water.

Tears leaked from his eyes, he didn't even try to stop them. What was wrong! Why was Rem lying to him! She had to be… he could see it in her eyes but… but… Rem never lied, did she? Rem couldn't lie, not to him.

Yet she had lied, she must have or everything wouldn't feel so wrong, so confusing! How could he find out anything if she didn't tell him? How was he to know what was true and what wasn't? How?

He sniffed and wiped his eyes upon the tattered remains of his coat.

There was only one path available to him, one answer and he hated it, hated it like he'd hated nothing else before. The mere thought made him feel sick, ill… yet if he didn't…

He forced himself to his feet and slipped on the red coat. It fitted like a glove, despite its dishevelled appearance and to his surprise it felt… good.

For the first time in a long while he felt comfortable, more himself, it was as if he'd put his own skin back on again. The strange disquiet feeling in his soul hadn't abated, but it was somewhat less. He felt stronger… braver… more determined.

Yes… he would do this, he would take the road available to him because it was the only road to take, the best road to take. And he could do it too, he had to, for both their sakes.

He picked up the gun, its weight in his one hand was familiar and empowering. He slipped it into the scuffed and tarnished holster at his hip.

Then, grabbing a tattered brown blanket to cover himself with, he carefully made his way upstairs and out of the cellar.

She hadn't gone very far yet and using the tracking knowledge he didn't even know he possessed, he soon found her scrounging amongst the ruins of another house.

'Rem!' he called and she turned to face him, a look of pure horror on her face.

'Vash!' she screamed back, running towards him, 'what are you doing out! If someone sees you then-'

'That doesn't matter,' he interrupted, 'Rem… I needed to talk to you, I needed to talk to you now…'

'Why? I… I don't understand.'

'Because I couldn't go. I couldn't leave, not without saying goodbye.'

To Be Continued…

Review Replies:

Saraki: Yeah, it was kinda stupid of her to go saying that, wasn't it? But then, she was rather distressed. Don't worry though, reason enough will be given for her actions later.

LeDiz: I am, indeed, evil. But you should know this by now! Well, we all knew you'd start feeling sorry for 'Rem' one way or another. It's just gonna happen. Sorry! Yay! I got Wolfwood good! I is very happy now (: 'Cos, you know, though Vash is my fave character, I do love the priest too. Who wouldn't? Oh, and if you think this gets his bad/good side, there might be a little something later on which will make you grin.

ChibiSess: True, Vash is being a bit of an ass, but it's a major betrayal, you know. I mean, it's REM! The woman he loves more than anything else and… well… just keep on reading. I hope I manage to get his point across to.

MidgetMinion: Sorry I've not updated for a bit, I do try but I just get swamped with work occasionally. Glad I got the conversations right, Vash and Wolfwood are SO difficult to do. It's nice to know I've Officially Hooked someone. Does that mean I get a certificate in the post or something (:

Mangaqueen13: Thanks, and here's more!

Stonehart: It's so nice of you to review all my stories, I really appreciate it! I hope this one continues to live up to your expectations.

Zolac no Miko: Yay! So good to see you around mate! I take it you're enjoying this too? It really is good to see your little reviews again :hug: I'm actually rather glad that you, and most other's, don't like Rem. As an original, Female, OC, with a semi romantic background with Vash, it's SO easy to drop her in the Mary Sue status, so I'm glad I avoided that. Vash can be very childlike, he sees the world in black and white shades generally, and he is certainly childlike with it comes to Rem. She is his ultimate mother/lover figure, he trusts her absolutely and implicitly. Which is not necessarily a good thing. I hope you continue to enjoy this and I look forward to reading more of your reviews!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, please keep it up! I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up. My bad. I'll try to be faster in future. Next time it's back to the present once more and Vash makes an important decision.

See you there!