Every Heart For Years
Chapter Four – Dreams
Have you ever wondered where pain comes from? Sure, if you get down to it, all it really is are nerves. But how come when someone hurts you… you cry? It hurts in another way. Your chest feels like it caves in… your brain can't think straight. Your eyes get misty and watery. Your body freezes. Your heart turns to glass and shatters into thousands of tiny slivers that slide through your veins, cutting you from the inside. It's a different kind of hurt when someone betrays you. But does it still count as pain?
Love can do a lot to a person, but for a lot of us, we have to go through tremendous amounts of pain before that right person comes along. Most people can say it's worth it. That being completed by that one person is worth it, while a few others who never found that person say it was a waste of their life looking for it. It's a war really. A war that rages in your heart, the need to complete oneself… and like me, I don't find it to be worth it. But like I said you don't get to pick. Sometimes life just does things without your mind telling you.
The biggest problem with that, is trying to admit it to yourself… and then telling the person you care for most. It could quite possible be the worst kind of pain to go through, finding that person you love doesn't love you back. Laying your heart on the line, and praying it doesn't get run over. Only thing is, once you find that person that really truly completes you…
Can you live without them after they betray your heart?
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Meryl's mind was white. Nothing made sense as much as she tried to put it together. Vash… gun… pain… white… more pain. She tried to wake up, but find herself almost pushed back down. Further and further into the white gap in front of her. Inwardly sighing to herself, she finally released her hold and let herself be pushed into her memories… her dreams.
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" Hurry up sissy! We're going to be late for school." A little girl with black hair waved drastically at her sister not too far away who was pulling on her jacket. Reaching out quickly she grabbed her sister's hand and ran with her through the field of flowers that was on the edge of the ocean towards the road. Their mother and father stood watching the girls hurry towards the bus. " They're getting so big so fast."
The man nodded and leaned down kissing his wife's cheek, watching the look of worry as she watched the younger girl keep up with her sister. " She's fine sweetheart. She came back to us unhurt." His wife let out a small sob and looked up at him. " But why… why did they take her in the first place? No ransom note, no phone call… nothing for a month straight. Why return her? And what do the letters they burn onto her shoulder mean!?"
He sighed and shook his head gently. " I don't know. All I need to know is that she's healthy and safe at home." His wife stared up at him softly before kissing him lightly, tugging his hand back towards the house as the girls climbed onto the bus. " It's a shame Earth won't be like this for much longer…. I was praying they would get to see the world at it's best… nothing lasts forever." She smiled sadly before sighing herself. " Come dear, it's almost time for work."
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Meryl shot up from the bed, eyes wide open and for a moment, still saw nothing but white. Her vision suddenly crashed back to her as well as a searing pain through her left and right side. She fell back onto the bed, trying to raise her hands to her face, vaguely feeling sweat running down her face. The pain that raced through her body both inside and out told her that this wasn't a dream. But what a weird dream I was having...
At that moment, Milly threw the door open and stood there for a moment gapping at Meryl as though she had just risen back from the dead. She could tell she was resisting the urge to throw her arms around her and hug her to death as tears formed in the taller woman's eyes. " We thought we were going to lose you!" Yup, that's Milly for sure. Smiling the best she could towards the woman she waved off the effects of her dream mentally.
" It's nice to see you too Milly… how long have I been out?" Milly seemed to gather herself into order and pulled a chair up next to her bed. Letting Milly grab her hand, she gave a small squeeze to let her know she wasn't dreaming either. They were so close after everything they had been through. A sister in a way, and as dense as Milly could be, there was no one she really would have rather woken up to.
" Well about four months ago you disappeared from August when Vash kidnapped you. We hadn't heard anything in so long and Knives couldn't sense where his brother was… we were afraid he had killed you and just left you in the middle of the desert. However about a week ago we came into this small village called Amber and I insisted that we rest and get checked up by a doctor like always."
Meryl tilted her head a little, and Milly grinned down at her. " The doctor must have been taking awful good care of you. He said you had pretty much been in a coma for two weeks straight… said The Humanoid Typhoon shot you. You hadn't really improved either from when he found you… he said it was a possibility you may never wake up." A fearful look crossed over Milly's face before she smiled brightly. " Are you hungry?"
For a moment Meryl felt lost. He really… shot me. All because I look like her…? Instead of her sides shooting up with pain like they had been, it suddenly seemed dull. Her hands wanted to grasp at her chest and she shut her eyes tightly. Such pain ripped through her heart, something she had never quite felt so strongly before. Sure… it happened years ago, on more than one occasion but still, it was much worse than what she could ever remember.
Seeing Meryl closing her eyes, Milly stood and waved her arms above her head while she spoke at her, something she couldn't really focus on. The tall woman left the room shortly afterwards, which gave Meryl a little relief. Forcing her eyes open, she looked out the window before she tried to reach out for his mind. All she could pick up was that he was alive… and very far away from her. He tried to kill me…
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Milly returned a short time later, to find Meryl fast asleep again. Placing a tray of food on the stand next to her, she also left a little medication the doctor had given her for the pain incase she needed it when she woke up again. Making her way back down the stairs, she spotted her husband sitting at the kitchen table. Sitting down across from him, she tilted her head and stared at him until she had his attention.
" He kept her alive for so long… for no real reason at all. There are no signs that he tortured her, and I doubt he kept her around for the fact that she slightly resembles Rem. He's forced his memories of her down to the bottom of his empty soul… I don't get it." Milly sighed and leaned forward. " I don't know… maybe Meryl is special to him?" Knives glanced towards his wife, almost wanting to laugh at her for a moment.
" You know… I could almost laugh at that, he hates humans… like I did. I never thought I'd… fall in love, much less with a human. And yet I did, but I'm not so sure he's capable of that type of love anymore. He loved Rem and she died. I think he forgets though… she was as much human as everyone he intends to kill. Or maybe he just sees it that it'd be better to wipe the rest of them off if Rem of all people died so… painfully."
Milly flinched and sighed. " I don't care. He did try to kill her in the end… but he didn't. Meryl's strong she wouldn't give up… She's safe now and that's all that matters. We'll take good care of her." Knives gave her a distracted nod before glancing over at her. " I want you and her to stay here while I go back out looking for him. I don't want him getting a hold of you like he did her." The was a slight pain in his voice as he watched her stand and move into his lap.
" As much as I'd like to say no, I think it might be a good idea. Meryl won't be going anywhere for a few months at least with her injury and I don't want you to stop looking for him if that's what you really want." Smiling a little, she leaned down and kissed his cheek. " Just promise me you'll take care of yourself…" Knives gave a rare smile and nodded up at his wife. " Like always."
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It seemed like months that Meryl was required to just stay in bed, but in reality it was only days. She could barely stand at first, much less move at all, but it seemed that she was healing faster now that she was finally awake. The stitches had been removed and the doctor agreed to let both Meryl and Milly stay at his house until Meryl was well enough to work on her own. However that was still a good deal of time off, and while Milly was off working in the town, Meryl was finally allowed to move around the house a bit.
For the most part she did a little dusting and other cleaning jobs of sorts, taking long breaks in-between with either a nap or a snack. Even though she tried to stay awake, she'd often fall asleep on the couch or on the table for a few hours on end. Milly wasn't so worried about it at first, save for the fact that Meryl suddenly looked like she wasn't getting any sleep.
She seemed to be having strong dreams, often calling out for her mother or father, and a few times simply screamed herself awake for her sister. She'd wave it off, and Milly couldn't really press, never really knowing Meryl's true family. She remembered the day the Stryfe's chose to adopt the older girl. Along with the adoption came a new first name as well, and she had never bothered to ask her about her past, seeing how she'd often say she couldn't remember or just avoided the subject completely.
However what bothered Milly the most was the sudden healing that took place while Meryl slept. At first the wound looked like it was healing like it should, but the more tired Meryl got and the more she slept, the faster the wound healed. In total, the wound had completely healed itself within a month and half of the shooting and both Milly and the doctor weren't sure what to say about it, since both wounds had been so serious it really should have taken months.
" Oh come on Milly… I mean, I got this weird almost brain wave reading ability by spending four months with him, who's to say I didn't pick up some other kind of … ability?" Milly sighed and shook her head a little. " But Meryl… Knives is just like Vash and I've never gotten any abilities from being around him." Meryl hissed and threw her arms above her head. " Yes but they aren't the same person. Maybe Knives can control it since he's been around humans. I mean really… how many have lived around Vash to find out!?"
Milly seemed to take that into consideration before sighing and shrugging. " Well Knives is coming back in a few days, maybe we can figure all this out then." Meryl groaned and smacked her face before giving in. " I guess it couldn't hurt to ask." Milly nodded before watching Meryl yawn and stand up. " I'm going to go catch up on my sleep… as weird as that sounds."
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Meryl flopped down on her bed, closing her eyes tightly. The rapid regeneration of her body could have almost bothered her… almost. Sighing softly, she relaxed and let herself drift off. Whatever sleep she had been getting, the energy must've been going to her wound because she found herself dead tired, and that seemed to go hand in hand with her dreams. She groaned at the thought of them. So mixed up… so confusing.
Meryl shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Unlike most of her dreams which had a bases and actual people to watch or listen in on, she found herself in an odd kind of flower field, yet it was a small piece of land just floating in the sky. Around her at were other patches of land that floated as well, from a few of them rushed waterfalls more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. But she wasn't alone.
She turned to face the far edge next to her, only partly surprised to find Vash standing there, staring off into the distance of nothing but clouds, flowers, and waterfalls. " I shot you." Meryl had to suppress the urge to scream a DUH at him, but instead put her hands on her hips. He turned to face her, a serious and hurt look on his face as his gaze fell on her. " I'm so sorry. I don't know why I…" Meryl growled and that seemed to effectively shut him up.
" You did it all because I look like her… no other reason than that!" Even she was a little surprised at how sharp her voice had been. Letting her shoulders sag a little, as the hurt just seemed to grow more across his face she shook her head. " Vash… I, I understand I think." He looked up at her and she smiled a little, as he started to fade away. " Don't worry." He blinked and started to open his mouth before he completely faded away.
The large smile remained planted on her face as she just continued to stare off where he had been standing." I know you can't hear me… but I think I love you. Besides… I promised… don't worry. I'll help you get better. I told her I would... I told myself I would."
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This chapter is sort of a filler, however the dreams are important for later on. Thank you to those of you who review often! I appreciate it soooo much! But to deathangle, I know there is a lot of stuff missing from the story but that's partly because it's an alternate universe, however this story I have a feeling is going to be a long story so just hang tight because it's going to start weaving into each other and making sense soon enough! I may yet add in the Gung ho guns and July, but I guess you gotta keep reading to find out… hehe. Anyway please R&R!