Kurane: I'm ba-a-a-a-a-ck!
Ominous organ music starts playing in the background.
Kurane: Hey! That's not supposed to be ominous music you baka!
Vash (looking at the script): WHAT! Meryl's gonna...!
Kurane: Vash! Don't give it away! How the hell did you get your hands on my script anyways?
Wolfwood: It was lying on the coffee table.
Kurane: Oh, so that's where I left it...eheheh.
Epilogue
6 months later -
Meryl stood on the balcony, staring out at the beautiful morning with a smile. Vash was still sleeping and she had no intentions of waking him...yet. The two had much to discuss, but she wasn't sure where to begin. She sighed, 'I should tell him soon, but how?' She rested a hand on her stomach, 'I should go talk to Millie, she'll know what to do.'
After writing a note, and checking on Vash to make sure he was still asleep, Meryl left to visit Millie and Wolfwood. The couple had moved into town a few months ago because it 'seemed like a nice place to settle down' as Millie had put it. She frowned, 'I wish those two didn't feel the need to constantly watch over us.'
She knocked on the door a couple times before entering. Millie smiled at her when she walked into the kitchen, "Hey Meryl! How's it going? Mr. Vash isn't being a jerk is he?"
Meryl sighed; her friend's concern for her was appreciated, but wasn't needed. She sat down at the table and smiled at Millie, "Things are going just fine and no, he isn't being a jerk...just a little ignorant."
Millie blinked, "Ignorant? Ignorant of what?"
The sudden urge to throttle her friend nearly overwhelmed her, but she forced herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, she made herself look as relaxed as possible, "Do you remember what we were talking about a few days ago Millie?" Millie shook her head. Meryl felt the sudden need to shoot her, but stayed calm, "I'm expecting, remember?"
Millie's eyes widened, "That's right! Now I remember! You came here to ask me for help because you didn't know how to tell Mr. Vash!"
Meryl closed her eyes and counted slowly to ten in an effort to control her temper. Despite her efforts, there was still a vein throbbing in her temple when she spoke, "Exactly. I was hoping you might be able to help me." Meryl kicked herself mentally, 'I just had to ask her for help didn't I?'
Vash yawned and stretched before opening his eyes. He had expected to see Meryl sleeping beside him, but all he found was a note. With a sigh of disappointment, he crawled out of bed and walked towards the stairs. As he passed the bathroom, he caught a faint scent and paused, 'Meryl got sick again this morning...'
He frowned; Meryl was beginning to worry him with how she got sick every morning. She had called it 'morning sickness' between several curses, but she hadn't explained to him what it meant. Vash sat down at the kitchen table, a worried frown on his face, 'Why does Meryl have 'morning sickness'?'
There was a knock at the door before Wolfwood walked in and sat down at the table near Vash. Wolfwood watched his friend; something was obviously bothering him, "What's the matter Vash?"
Vash turned to him, "Wolfwood, you've got to help me. Something's wrong with Meryl, and I don't know what it is!"
"Ok, what's going on?"
"She gets sick every morning, and I heard her call it 'morning sickness' but I have no idea what's causing it."
Wolfwood's eyes widened and he almost burst out laughing. Vash had to be the most clueless person he had ever met. Wolfwood forced himself to look thoughtful, "Hmm. How long has this been happening?"
"About two months."
Wolfwood shrugged, "It might disappear in another month, or it could last as long as another seven months."
Vash's eyes widened, "She's going to be sick that long! Can't someone do something about it?"
He smirked at his friend, "Don't worry about it Vash, she's going to be fine. You'll have to help her around the house, make sure she gets a lot of rest, and don't let her strain herself."
He nodded, "Ok, but is that all I can do to help?"
"Yep. The morning sickness will pass, but she's gonna need your help." Vash nodded and thanked him as Wolfwood walked out the door. Once he was out of sight and earshot of Vash's house, Wolfwood burst out laughing. Vash was definitely in for a surprise.
Meryl sighed, "I just don't know what to tell him...he's really quite clueless."
Wolfwood smirked, "More so than you could imagine." Meryl jumped when he spoke up; she hadn't heard him come into the kitchen.
Millie glared at him, "Don't frighten Meryl like that!"
She raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean?"
"He knows about your morning sickness, but he has no idea what it means."
Meryl's eyes widened, "How did he find out about that?"
Millie looked her husband in the eyes, "You didn't tell him did you?"
A look of amusement crossed Wolfwood's face, "No, I didn't tell him. It's kind of hard not to notice when the person sleeping next to you jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom to puke every morning."
Meryl muttered a few curses under her breath, "He's probably all worked up about it too, isn't he?"
Millie nodded, "I'd imagine he is. Mr. Vash really cares about you."
He rolled his eyes, "Frantic. That might be a bit more accurate."
Vash sat at the kitchen table, switching between biting his lip and drumming his fingers nervously on the table. He was concerned about Meryl, and hoped that she would come home soon. He was so worried; he didn't hear the door open when she came in.
Meryl walked into the kitchen and immediately noticed Vash; he was drumming his fingers on the table and looked like he was going to have a breakdown. Shaking her head, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, "I'm home Koi, so stop worrying."
He spun out of the chair and wrapped her in his arms, "Meryl! I've been so worried about you!"
She wiggled free of his grasp and raised an eyebrow at him, "What's the matter?"
He pulled her into another hug, "Your morning sickness. I'm so worried about you!"
God she wanted to shoot him...or kiss him...or both; she really wasn't certain which at the moment. She pried his arms from around her and looked him in the eye, "Vash, I'm fine. I'll be alright in a month or so." The concerned frown on his face was adorable she decided, but she wanted him to stop worrying.
He held her close, "Are you certain?"
She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder, "I'm certain, but if you keep squeezing me so tight I'm going to shoot you."
Vash jumped away from her with a sweatdrop, "I'll have to keep that in mind."
Meryl nodded with a slight smirk, "Please do Koi. I would hate to shoot you." She bit her lip, she might as well get it over and done with, "Koi, I have something to tell you...something important."
He started rubbing her lower back, "What do you need to tell me?"
Damn him, if he would stop rubbing her back, she would be able to concentrate. She pushed his hands away from her back and turned to face him, "Well...you see...I'm..."
Vash watched as Meryl's cheeks turned red and a lost expression settled in her eyes, "What Meryl?"
Meryl bit her lip. Hard. She had to tell him, but damn it all if she knew how. She looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath, "...Pregnant."
His reaction to the news was immediate; he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. When the kiss ended, he placed a hand on her stomach, "I had no idea..." Meryl rolled her eyes; that had to be the biggest understatement she'd ever heard.
4 months later -
Meryl sighed, she was now six months pregnant and Vash was making certain that she got lots of rest. She understood why, but she hated not being able to move around as much. Vash walked into the bedroom and smiled at her, "Good morning!"
She smiled back at him, 'Good morning Koi." He sat down on the bed beside her and tentatively put a hand on her stomach. His eyes widened when he felt the baby kick and move under his hand. Meryl winced; the baby had a habit of kicking hard and it hurt. Vash looked up at her and she found herself looking into a moist pair of beautiful green eyes.
She laughed, "It's nothing to cry about Vash!"
He hugged her, "I love you."
She smiled as she hugged him back, "I love you too."
Flashback -
Four months into her pregnancy, Meryl was awoken by Vash's cry of amazement. She was tired, and so not in a very good mood. Meryl frowned at him, "What is it?"
Both of his hands rested on her stomach, and his eyes were wide, "The baby...I can feel the baby's hands pressed against mine." Meryl blinked; she hadn't felt the baby move at all yet.
End Flashback -
Meryl looked down at her stomach, where Vash's hands were resting, 'It must have been because he's a plant. I hadn't even felt the baby move.' She put her hands on top of his, "Let's get some breakfast and then go visit Wolfwood and Millie."
Vash nodded, "Sounds like a good plan." After breakfast, which Meryl had insisted on cooking despite her husband's protests, the couple made their way over to Wolfwood and Millie's.
They were sitting in the kitchen when Vash and Meryl walked in. Millie hugged Meryl, "How did the check up with the doctor go yesterday?"
She smiled, "The check up went fine. The baby is healthy and developing normally." Meryl decided to leave out the fact that the baby was growing a bit faster than normal, knowing that it would only worry them. She winced as the baby kicked and pounded inside her.
Vash, having noticed her wince, motioned for her to sit down and got her a glass of water. A look of concern crossed over Wolfwood's face, "Are you alright?"
Meryl nodded, 'I'm fine. The baby is a lot more active than before, that's all." She winced again, "I wish the baby wouldn't kick so hard." Vash set her drink down on the table and sat down beside her. He hugged her, his concern obvious. Wolfwood hugged Millie, and the two couples sat in silence for a while.
Meryl broke the silence first, "I was wondering...if you two would mind moving in with us during the last month of the pregnancy."
Wolfwood and Millie looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment before answering, "Of course we will." Vash held Meryl tighter and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
3 months later -
Vash was still nursing a wound from when Meryl has shot him a day ago for holding her too tightly, when she fell to her knees with a pained cry. He was beside her in an instant, "Meryl! What's wrong?"
She gasped in pain, "You'd better go get Millie...I think the contractions have started."
Vash helped her to the bed, and then went tearing out of the room and down the hall to get Millie. She smiled as she watched him run off, 'I really do love him.'
It wasn't long until Vash came running back into the room with Millie and Wolfwood behind him. He looked frantic, "Should I get the doctor?"
Millie quickly assessed the situation, "There's no time for that. Vash, take one of Meryl's hands. Koi, take the other hand." The two men nodded, and took Meryl's hands. She looked her friend in the eye, "Come on Meryl, you can do this."
As Meryl lay there, she mused, 'I've never realized how grateful I am to have Millie around until now...how sad.'
Half an hour later, Meryl lay sleeping with her baby girl held in her arms. Vash was sleeping in a chair beside the bed, still holding Meryl's hand. Wolfwood turned to Millie, "Maybe now would be a good time to leave the new parents alone."
She nodded, "Mr. Vash will make sure she gets lots of sleep or I'll have to hurt him."
He chuckled, "I don't think you need to worry about that. He'll take good care of her." The pair quietly packed up their stuff and headed back home after leaving a note on the night table.
Vash woke to hear a quiet whimper from beside him. His eyes opened and he saw that it was the baby crying. A warm smile curved his lips and he hesitantly reached a hand out to the child. She smiled when he tickled her stomach and cooed softly when he picked her up. Vash cradled her in one hand while gently trailing his fingers across her stomach, 'What are we going to call you?'
The first thing Meryl noticed was that the baby wasn't in her arms. Panic brought her fully awake, and she looked around for the missing infant. She didn't have to look far. Looking to the side, she saw Vash holding the baby with a loving smile. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and he looked up at her, "Did I wake you?"
She laid her head back down on the pillow, "Sort of. I woke up when I didn't feel the baby in my arms." Noticing his expression, she put a hand on his lips before he could speak, "It's alright. What are we going to name her?"
Vash thought for a minute and looked as though he was going to suggest a name, but seemed to decide against it. Meryl tilted her head to the side, "What is it? You looked like you had an idea."
A sheepish look crossed his face, "Well, I do have an idea...but I don't know if you'd like it."
Meryl smirked, "I'll be the judge of that. Let's hear it."
He hesitated for a minute, "Is it ok if we name her Rem?"
He had told her as much about his past as he felt was safe, so Meryl knew a lot about his childhood. She smiled, "Rem. I like it."
He relaxed, "I hoped you would."
(A/N: Before I get to the disclaimer, I need to give many thanks to my wonderful beta reader Kiki-chan! Now, before the lawyers get any lawsuits ready, I'd better get to the disclaimer. I don't own Trigun or the characters, only the plot. I was going to have last chapter as the end of the story, but I got ideas for an epilogue. Translation: I was thinking about fan fiction while I was trying to sleep (sigh). Anyways, I hope you liked it!)
Beta notes: Wah! T.T That's soooooo beautiful and sweet! And it's such a perfect ending! Awesome job Kurane-chan.
