Author's Notes: I feel so evil! I haven't updated in forever! Seriously, I hadn't forgotten about this fic, nor had I planned to put it on hold. It was just that 1, every single time I sat down to write more, something else demanded my attention (Raar!), 2, I actually wrote this chapter and most of the next, but then decided to split it in half, because it was so long, and 3, I'm not satisfied with how this chapter turned out! It just seems that this chapter doesn't want to be written. It frustrates me!

Oh yes, ahem, let me announce that the next chapter will be the last chapter in the story. If you think it's too short, I agree. But I really can't make it longer. All that I wanted to write in thiswill basically have been written at the end of the naxt chapter. Why write more to the story when it was already intended to end there?

Awww, so many reviews! I'm so happy! I thank every single one of you for your reviews. I'll talk more about them after this chapter.

(bawls like a baby) My Review History is un-disabled, and is back with a 200 review limit! Sure that's not as good as the unlimited review history, but I'm just glad it's back. (crying happily on a random reviewer's shoulder)

One last thing before I start the chapter. Has anyone noticed that the number of years passed that show up in the anime never make sense? For example, Knives crashed the SEEDS ships a little after the twins' first birthday (or is that only in the manga?), which meant they only spent a year on the SEEDS ship. Then the next time we see them, the anime says it's ten years later, which would make them eleven years old. Okay. But then Knives comes and says to Vash, "After fifteen years are you still… blah, blah, blah." Fifteen years? (sigh) No sense, no sense at all. So whatever. I'm going by whatever I think is the correct date.

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Chapter Five

Year 131, Part 1

The smell of sizzling eggs and bacon stirred Knives' senses. His eyes fluttering open, he gingerly sat up in bed. After a few moments of yawning and overall waking up, he grasped his tall walking stick and, leaning part of his weight on it, stood up. His gunshot wounds from his fight with Vash still hadn't fully healed, but they had recovered enough to enable him to walk around with the help of a staff. The injured plant limped the short distance to his closet and pulled out a dusty-blue, button-up shirt and a pair of slate grey pants. After getting dressed, he hobbled to the door and stepped out. He noticed that his brother had stepped out of his room at that same time.

"Morning, Knives," Vash smiled cheerily. He continued speaking without pausing for Knives to respond. "Breakfast smells great! I'm starving!" he exclaimed and raced to the table.

Meryl turned around from her cooking on the stove when she heard the twins walk into the kitchen. "Hey boys, you came in just in time. I made bacon and eggs," she explained and served them their breakfast.

Just as Meryl set down a third plate on the table, Milly burst in through the front door with an armful of small packages. "Hi, everybody! Look what I got from the post office! My family sent me some presents for Christmas. I can hardly wait to open them tomorrow!" she chirped excitedly.

Vash sweat-dropped at the tremendous amount of presents in the girl's arms. "Wow, that's a lot, Big Girl!" he smiled sheepishly. He supposed that was one of the benefits of having a big family.

Milly walked through the kitchen and lay her presents on a coffee table in the living room, then came to sit at the table.

Breakfast went by rather uneventfully. Vash struck up a conversation in which Meryl and Milly participated moderately. Knives stayed pretty much silent unless he was asked a question; nothing unusual. After everyone was finished eating, Vash and Milly left the house to finish their Christmas shopping. Meryl had already finished her Christmas shopping a while ago, and Knives stayed home to keep from overexerting himself.

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Vash walked down the streets in town steadily, having already determined his destination. He was going to buy Knives' gift first. Knives had been wearing Vash's clothes ever since Vash brought him home a few months ago. The two of them were the same size, after all. The spiky blonde figured that it was about time his brother have his own wardrobe, though. He didn't expect Knives to get him anything in return. Though his twin was recovering well, it would probably still be too taxing on him to walk around town and get him something. Vash was content that his brother was merely with him.

The streets were buzzing with activity. Some people were out with friends and family and having a good time; others were rushing to complete their Christmas shopping list, as Vash, himself, was. Vash arrived at the clothing store he decided on. It was pretty well kept up, and the clothes were well made, yet not too expensive. He took in the pleasant smell of clean fabric as he searched through the multitude of clothes. He found a good pair of black jeans that he expected would look exceptionally good on Knives; three shirts, one navy blue, one dark red, and one white; a pair of sturdy, black boots; and a few more pairs of pants. After trying everything on in the dressing room to make sure they would fit all right on his brother, he took the clothes to the front of the store and pulled out some money.

"Thank you, sir, and have a merry Christmas," the cashier woman said politely, after Vash paid for the clothes.

Vash acknowledged her with a smile and a "Thanks, you too," and stepped out the door.

He had already gotten Milly's present, so now it was Meryl's turn.

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That night, a few hours after a hardy Christmas Eve dinner, Knives, Milly, and Meryl sat in the living room, the latter two conversing between each other. Vash had gotten up to get something from the kitchen.

"-so then, little, little brother thought it was broken and tried to hide it in his closet!" Milly finished. Meryl chuckled lightly at Milly's humorous tale.

Knives inaudibly sighed, slightly bored. What was Vash doing, anyway…? Almost as if he had heard his name being thought, Vash strode out of the kitchen. He walked over to Knives and thrust a drink in front of him. Eyeing it curiously, Knives took it from him. The liquid was thick and off-white. Definitely not milk. He held it under his nose and sniffed it gingerly. It was not like anything he had smelled before, though he could not mistake the scent of alcohol.

"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's eggnog!" the grinning plant replied.

Knives frowned at the drink skeptically. Even the name sounded unappetizing.

"Come on, Knives. Stop deliberating and just drink it. It's good; I promise!" Vash urged.

Deciding to trust his twin, Knives took a careful sip of his drink. It was pretty good.

"Like it?" questioned Vash.

Knives nodded once, and Vash smiled, saying that he knew he would.

Turning around, Vash politely asked the girls if they wanted any.

"Does it have alcohol in it?" inquired Meryl.

At Vash's answer of, "Of course!" the petite woman good-naturedly declined. Milly, on the other hand, was more than happy to have some.

"Just make sure not to give her too much, Vash." Meryl warned him.

To Meryl's slight surprise, both Vash and Milly drank responsibly. Most likely because they didn't want a hangover on Christmas morning. After Knives finished his drink, he announced that he was going to bed early. To that, he received an, "Aw, you're no fun," from Vash. A few hours later, the rest of them decided to turn in as well.

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Author's Notes: That chapter seemed pretty boring, didn't it? That's okay. I think it's just because it was only the first half of a longer chapter until I split it in half. The other half is quite a bit better than this one, in my opinion. I'll post it as soon as I can figure out an ending for it. I'll try not to keep you waiting for so very long, but I've just gotten really busy lately. Oh, by the way, I would have poster this chapter more than a week earlier, but my internet died the day I was going to post it! And then I went on vacation for a while. But rejoice, for I am still alive. Now for the review replies.

Canyon A. Lynn: Thank you very much for the advice! It helped a lot. It may not have shown very much in this chapter, but from now on, I will think about what you said when I write.

tir-synni: Thankies! Don't you just love the twins when they're happy together?

hope-is-4ever: Yeah, I tend to annoy people, because I'm kind of hard on myself. I know that I'm not an expert fanfiction writer, but I'm glad I'm making some people happy. And at least FFN bumped the review history limit to 200.

Magnet-Rose: "How absolutly rotten of me. I read this first chapter when it came out." (sweat)That's okay. It took me forever to review yours, as well. Ooh, thanks for all the compliments! "I tend to be a little wacko in some and others a dead beaver." Lol! XD That was so funny. I like your reviews! Nothing wrong with them.

Ssjjvash: Hello, my CAA friend! I'm glad you read my story and even gladder you liked it! (hugs)

Faery Goddyss: Hehe, the idea of Knives giving Vash something familiar to the show just wouldn't leave me alone. Yes, I believe Vash and Knives care very much about much other. They just…show it a bit oddly at times. (remembers when Knives shoots Vash's arm off) o.O; Pretty funny that I'm writing a Christmas fanfiction at the end of march. dies