Fate of Awakening Love
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun. Life is that cruel.
A/N: Sigh. I'm so sorry everyone. I joked in the last chapter that I'd have this one up three months later, and it nearly has been. I've been really absorbed in my other Trigun story and had another bit of writers block for this one. With the ending fast approaching, I have some things to wrap up, but I don't want to do it in a rushed manner.
I might as well tell you all that I already plan to do a version of a sequel for this story. You'll find out later why I call it a "version". Well, thank you for all the reviews and a special thank you to those reviewers who have R & R'd 'Silent Pretense'. Please enjoy this chapter update!
-
"Are you both alright?" Meryl asked as she helped Millie and Vash up. Around her, others were righting themselves in bewilderment, rubbing necks, arms, and heads. Anything that hurt.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Vash responded shaking off an oncoming headache.
"Me too." Millie added. "Should we be going after Mr. Knives?" Both Millie and Vash turned to look at Meryl.
"Why are you looking at me?! How should I know?" She asked them. Millie and Vash exchanged looks but said nothing in response.
Separating to help others around them up, they took in the damage they hadn't noticed before. A few building were crumbling and some Thomas's were running around loose. It seemed some people were more hurt than others. A record number of broken bones was recorded from the people who had been thrown by Knives.
'Damn you Knives.' Vash thought to himself in silent fury.
Most of the townspeople were headed in one direction, towards Dr. Neil's office.
"Don't bother." Neil's voice rang over the confused mystified murmurs of the crowd. With the obvious exception of Vash, Millie and Meryl, no one knew what had happened or what had caused the unwelcome commotion.
"What do you mean Neil?" Asked the young mayor whom the Trigun crew hadn't seen since the day they first arrived in February.
Neil lit a cigarette as he walked down from the porch of the Fourth Moon saloon. "I mean don't bother. I can't do anything about your wounds and broken bones."
"Why not?!" Cried out one woman.
Everyone eyed her and the doctor answered calmly. "I haven't got any medical supplies. They're all missing."
Alarm went through the tiny town as Millie, Meryl and Vash looked at each other, knowing exactly what happened to them.
"Well what do we do?" The mayor asked.
Neil chewed on the butt of his cigarette. "Make do with what's around you. If you have broken limbs, tie a board to them to keep them straight. If you've got cuts and scraps, clean it off with ordinary water and lye soap. Bandage wounds, with pieces of cloth from your clothes. Understand?"
The people nodded obediently.
"I suppose if you feel you're really dying I could take a look at you. I probably couldn't do much, but I could give an evaluation." He continued, and everyone started walking towards him.
"I take it back. Unless you've got a gunshot wound in your head, you can deal with yourselves. Help each other out. If your hands not broken help someone whose hand is broken."
Everyone took off, following Neil's advice. Walking through the town nodding his approval at people he met up with Meryl, Vash and Millie who were already busy helping others since they were in perfect condition.
"You three." He looked pointedly at them. "Come with me." They followed without protest around a corner of one of the buildings that was crumbling because of Knives.
"Let me guess," he started. "Knives did all this?"
While Meryl and Millie nodded, Vash looked at him dumbfounded. Millie noticed right away and remembered that Vash didn't know Neil was Wolfwoods cousin or that Wolfwood had told him all about them, so she quickly explained.
"So now what are you going to do? Are you going to go after him?" Neil asked.
"We haven't decided." Vash answered.
"Well I have." Meryl stated firmly. "And we're leaving tomorrow morning! We'll stay the rest of the day here to help with clean up and first-aid."
Millie cheered. "Good plan Meryl!"
"Are you sure you want to give that nutcase such a head start?" Neil asked them.
Meryl sighed. "I especially want to give him a head start, to give him time alone." She said quietly.
"Dr. Neil!" Someone shouted out.
Neil groaned. "These people can't do a damn thing by themselves." Grumbling he walked off and the others got back to work.
-
While they were concerning themselves with the townspeople, Knives was just getting over his laughing fit and was reflecting on the mess he left behind.
'Nothing over the top, but it was a refreshing bit of fun.' He thought to himself half amused. But the smirk that was on his face faded when he thought of the look he had seen on Meryls. When he had been far way enough that she wouldn't see him, he had glanced back. She wasn't happy.
'Not that I care.' He scoffed to himself. Knives shifted his mind to the empty town that wasn't even a few days walk away now that he was better. He grinned to himself. Of course he had been the one to empty it, of its people. Who else could have done such a thing?
'They're far too gullible." He thought. 'They wouldn't have approved my reasoning behind it.'
The idea to empty the town had come natural to him. He'd already done it once before, why not again? Though this time it wasn't as a warning to his brother. This time he cleared it because he had been thinking ahead. When he realized that his wounds wouldn't be healing quickly he set is mind at work.
He imagined that when he had gotten better he'd want somewhere to think, somewhere to be alone and plan his next actions. Naturally he couldn't do that if humans were around, so he would get rid of them. He could have easily created a small geo plant, but he didn't know how fast his mind would recover, and it took every cell in his brain to create such a place.
As to where all the humans went once he got rid of them? Well, that would always be his little dark secret.
-
With night falling on February Vash, Meryl and Millie retreated to the room they rented and began packing for the next morning. When they had finished they gathered into the bay window area.
"And I was hoping we could all stay here for awhile longer." Millie said wistfully.
"In what? Quiet peacefulness?" Meryl scoffed. "I don't think I know how to do that anymore. Besides after all that running after Vash and risking our lives nearly everyday, and then looking after Knives, how could we go back to an ordinary existence?"
"That's true." Millie smiled thoughtfully.
"I didn't mean to burden your girls' lives." Vash said quietly.
"Oh Vash, quit moping. We said we don't mind." Meryl replied.
"It's so good to see you in cheerful spirits again Meryl!" Millie went. "You'd been so withdrawn; I didn't know what was bothering you."
"What has been bothering you Meryl?" Vash asked. "It's something to do with Knives isn't it? You weren't really the same after coming out of his room that day."
Meryl hesitated. She considered lying but didn't want to keep it to herself any longer. She explained the conversation she had, had with Knives. That he had asked her to go after him and how she responded and how it lead into a small argument.
Seeing their gaping faces she went on, determined now to tell them everything. She explained the first time it sort of sparked. All those times they had been alone together, and of course that fateful night they had slept under the stars and the moons in the desert heading towards February.
"...he said that he'd never kill me because he wanted me." She shook her head. "I was shocked beyond belief, I mean this is Knives."
"What did you say back to him?" Vash asked carefully.
"I didn't say anything. I was too stupefied."
Vash leaned back in his chair. "I can't believe my brother came right out and told you how he felt about you." 'How'd he get the courage to do it before I did?!' He thought to himself.
"Do... do you think he was being honest with me?" She asked.
Vash gave her a surprised look. "Of course. Knives still hate humans, you saw that display today, and yet he somehow fell in love with you despite his beliefs. He wouldn't lie about something like this." Vash shook his head. "Not anything like this."
"I always thought Mr. Knives had started to love you Meryl." Millie exclaimed.
"So did I." Vash said with the faintest drop if sadness in his voice.
Meryls eyes widened in surprise. "What are you two talking about?! He never said that! All he said was that he wanted me and that I should go after him..."
Meryl left out the part that Knives had also said to go after him versus Vash. That much, she felt, should stay between her and Knives.
"...it didn't sound like a declaration of love to me." She continued.
"I imagine that's the best Mr. Knives could do." Millie said gently.
"And I agree." Vash added.
Meryl stood. "You're both wrong. Let's just go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us." Meryl walked out of the room and into the bathroom, leaving Vash and Millie behind.
"You'd better tell her you love her soon Mr. Vash." Millie said softly, so Meryl couldn't hear in the bathroom.
Vash turned to her. "Maybe not..." He said equally softly.
"But you do love her don't you?"
"You know I do. More than anything and it only grows the longer I delay telling her. And I did try... once."
Millie gave him a sideways curious look.
He gave a half laugh. "That same night that Knives told her he wanted her."
"Why didn't you follow through with it?" Mille asked.
"We got interrupted when my brother stirred awake. Meryl rushed to his side, and by the time she was done looking after him, I'd lost my nerve."
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Vash, but that's no reason you shouldn't try again."
"Isn't it? Don't you think she loves him back Millie?"
Millie didn't say anything for a moment. "Meryl does care about his well being, and she's not very open with her emotions. She can be a hard book to read."
"I know, but we both know she loves Knives. Even if she doesn't, it's just not on her conscious level yet."
Millie gave Vash a sad smile. "Could you really live without telling her how you feel? Even if she doesn't give you the same feelings? After all you two did almost kiss in Dr. Neil's office the day we took Knives in."
Vash grinned at the thought, but it lessened. "Do you think if we had, it would have changed her feelings?"
Millie shook her head. "I think it only would have confirmed what she didn't even know. You should have taken her when you had the chance."
Vash laughed and Millie joined in. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"Are you going to be okay Mr. Vash?" Millie asked as Vash stood.
"Yeah, and who knows, if Meryl returns his feelings he could change for the better, for her sake."
Millie gave him a small smile and nodded, watching as Vash headed into his room for the night. She let a heavy sigh escape her lips. "Would you have seen this one coming Nick?" She asked out loud, gazing at her ceiling.
-
While Meryl showered and washed her hair she thought of what Vash and Millie had said. "No he couldn't possibly love me. The idea is simply ridiculous." Meryl repeated her mantra over and over again, so much that as Vash walked by the bathroom he heard her. He only smiled and walked into his room only to remember a while later that he had left something in Meryl and Millie's room from when they were packing earlier.
Walking into the room quietly, Millie was already asleep; he walked over to the desk, where he had last seen his cinnamon donut. He gave a slight sound of disappointment when he saw it was in the garbage. About ready to reach in and grab it anyway a letter from Bernadelli on Meryl's desk caught his eye. He picked it up curiously and read its contents.
-
When the entire group had finally settled in their beds and had fallen asleep Vash woke and gathered his worn brown bag. Tiptoeing to the front door, about ready to leave, the ceiling light flicked on and he turned guiltily to gaze at an annoyed Meryl.
"Where do you think you're going in the middle of the night?" She asked.
"Um, the bakers?" He tried to give a lie.
"With your bag? At 1:30 in the morning? Don't think its open yet Vash."
"Err, yeah..." he trailed off. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I never went to sleep." She held up a letter that Vash instantly recognized as the one he had wrote earlier to the Insurance Girls that very evening.
"So you think you can go after Knives alone do you?"
"Yes because you shouldn't. I found the note from Bernadelli."
Finally Meryl looked off guard. "We never got around to telling you." She said quietly.
"It's okay. A lot's happened today. But now you two have to stop following me, bosses orders right?"
"Millie and I already talked about it. We're not going back, even if it means losing our jobs."
Vash looked surprised. "Why? Worried about my brother I suppose?" He couldn't help adding.
Meryl's eyes cast downwards. "More than I thought I would." She looked back up. "But that's not the only reason. We've been with you through thick and thin, this isn't a job for us anymore Vash. You're our closest friend, we'd never let you down. We'd follow you to the ends of the world, if it meant keeping you."
Vash stared carefully at the women he loved. She was smiling the kindest one he had ever seen her give, and yet it was to a dear friend, and that's all he would be to her. With that now understood and fully confirmed in his mind, he figured this was a good a time as any to let her know how he really felt about her.
"Meryl, I..."
She cut him off. "I know Vash." She said quietly, her smile disappearing.
"Maybe so, but I have to say it anyway for my own peace of mind." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Meryl was still standing there, waiting patiently.
"Meryl, I'm so much in love with you."
"Vash..." She trailed off, unable to think of a suitable reply. She took a few steps toward him, thinking, then a few more before lifting herself on her toes to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
She suddenly felt his arms around her in a tight hug. She melted into his hug and embraced him back.
"I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner." She heard him mumble into her hair. They released each other and Vash took a step back. "Maybe if I had you'd be in love with me and not my brother?"
Meryl let out a short laugh. "Probably." Then she shook her head. "You don't seem too crushed though."
"I only want you to be happy, and of course I wish every night for Knives' happiness, as long as it doesn't include the mass murder of your race." Meryl laughed again and this time Vash joined in.
"Ah, Vash I don't know how it happened. How did I fall for your brother?" She shook her head again. "I realized it in the shower."
Vash shrugged. "We can't help who we fall for right? Isn't that the cliché?" She nodded in response. "I guess since you love him, we'll all have to go after him together wont we?"
"Guess so." She smiled at him again and he returned it.
-
They all got up early the next morning ready to go after Knives. Thanking the hotel for letting them stay there so long they headed into the still deserted streets of February. At the city limits stood Dr. Neil and for once he wasn't smoking.
"You came to see us off Dr. Neil?" Millie asked excitedly.
"Something like that." He said tiredly. 'Did they have to leave this ruddy early in the morning?' He thought to himself.
"Thanks for everything Neil." Vash said.
Meryl nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you."
"I really didn't do much." He responded.
"You did a lot." Vash continued. "Helped with my brother, gave me a bit of advice and now you're helping to restore order to this town. Sounds like a lot to me."
"I suppose, well I'm about ready to fall asleep here, I only came to say goodbye. Tell your psycho half I said hello." He said to Vash.
Vash grinned and nodded.
Neil yawned. "I'd better get going, and so should you three."
"Take care Neil." Meryl said shaking his hand. "Go easy on the cigarettes, they can kill you, you know."
"There are worse ways to die, but I will take care."
He shook Vash's hand and gave him a pat on the back, before leaning towards him. "You're letting your brother have her, are you? That's noble of you." He murmured to him, so the girls couldn't hear.
Vash looked at him in surprise. "Well, not really. It turns out she loves him."
Neil gave him a look of slight alarm, before catching himself and returning to his calm stature. "I guess she does."
Turning to Millie, Neil extended his hand. "Later big girl."
Millie ignored the hand and went for a hug, which clearly threw him and he didn't recover as fast as he normally would. Giving her a slight and awkward hug/pat back they separated.
"Come on Millie, we have to go." Meryl said. Her and Vash were already getting a hold of their Thomas's and were loading the bags on the giant birds.
Millie walked off towards Meryl and Vash and hopped on the Thomas behind Meryl. Digging her heels into the desert beast it started walking out of February, with Vash beside them on the other one. They waved and shouted their final goodbyes to the doctor of February and giving a slight wave back he looked on as they took off into the sea of sand.
"You were right about them again Nick." He said out loud. "They may have way too many problems but they're group I'll never forget."
-
While Millie, Vash and Meryl were just leaving, Knives had just entered the town that was supposed to be empty, but looking around now he saw a few people had gathered in it. They were not the same residents as before but it still irked him.
'Pesky humans. They're like weeds.' He thought. Deciding to leave them be for the moment, he started to walk into the town observing this new set of people, but before he could get too far a group of them surrounded him. 'What's this?' He wondered to himself.
"What?" He asked.
The group gave him a suspicious look. One of the men stepped forward, "What are you doing traveling alone in this day and age?"
Knives took a moment to think. He could easily do away with every single one of them with a blink, if he wished it. Instead he folded his arms and gave off a superior look.
"That really is none of your concern." He said calmly.
Knives watched with amusement as the man's anger rose. "I demand to know who you are! When we arrived here this entire town was completely empty! Do you know what happened to all the people?!"
Knives rolled his eyes. 'So like humans to point fingers at outsiders, granted,' He smirked to himself. 'I did do away with the last residents.' Knives pulled out his long black gun, the one he made himself, the one identical to Vash's.
The men stepped back.
"You don't need to know anything." Knives said quietly.
-
A/N: YAY! I'm done! I hope everyone liked this chapter. So now you know it's a K/M one, very sorry to you V/M fans, but please review and let me know what you think. Let me know how I handled the Vash and Meryl let down and ask questions! I like answering them! Only two more chapters to go and then the "version" of a sequel!
Knives: ::sits down beside Faery:: So, Meryl loves me huh?
Author: Seems that way Knives. What do you plan to do about it?
Knives: ::ponders:: I don't know.
Yours truly,
Faery G.