So, yeah. This is the last chapter I had pre-made. All the rest are going to be as fresh as morning mountain air.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. (Nope, no stupid banter, sorry.)

CHAPTER FIVE

Hours passed as Skye learned about all the things that had led up to this point in the game. She heard about insurance risks, pretty women, guns, wounds, Milly, Wolfwood's death, Vash's journey, and some new information that she had just acquired.

"I didn't want you to think Vash was really a bad guy if you are going to be here for a while."

Now that Skye understood why Vash the Stampede was so important, she started her own story, but at a very different point. She started by telling Meryl about the time she entered town. She told the complete truth up to this point, leaving out major details. Including things like: "Oh yeah, I'm an alien to your planet." She filled in voids with things like "Born that way." When she took down her hood so Meryl could see her ears. Surprisingly, Meryl would believe anything. She was a very good listener, though she loved to interrupt.

"And there was free beer." Was how Skye ended her tale.

"I know it seems like I'm prodding," Meryl apologized, "but you did bring back our friend from the dead. I can't help it if I'm curious."

"It's no problem. I'll share my story with anyone willing to listen. I only asked for yours because I think I'm going to leech off of you guys for a while. I have nowhere else to go. And I'm nosey, that to."

Meryl giggled a bit before the door to the bedroom flung open. A very large female was in the doorway, and her dirty blonde hair came down to about the middle of her back. Skye's boyishly short brown hair was by no way a comparison to the large amount this woman had.

"Thank you!" the large woman shouted, pouncing on Skye like a cat on a scratching post.

She damn near squeezed the life out of her before taking a breath to express her gratitude.

"ThankyousomuchIthoughthewasdeadandhe'snotandit'sallbecauseofyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

She went back in for another hug before Skye jumped up onto the bed to keep her away.

"Eep! I'm sorry!" the very tall woman apologized.

"Sokay." Skye said, taking a breath.

"You saved him, it was you! He promised he would come back, and he did! And it was all because of you that he could!"

"It really is no problem." Skye said, hand behind her head.

"No, I HAVE to do something for you! It's my duty as a member of the Thompson family and a friend of the person who's life you saved!"

She looked very determined, as she had that look on her face, so Skye decided to accept.

"Uh, okay. Let me stay with you guys for a while? I really have no place to go."

"No place to go? Like no family? Of course you can stay with us! I'm Milly Thompson by the way. Pleased to meet you." She stuck out her hand.

Skye saw no harm in it, so she took it and shook.

"Skye Naria Benderick."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Almost two weeks and Milly still hasn't declined her offer to take me in.

Skye smiled and leaned back in her chair. Milly and Meryl were out shopping, and Vash and Nicholas were out drinking. This was what it was usually like. It was this, or Vash and Nicholas were playing with children while Milly and Meryl were here with her. Skye wasn't really comfortable going out. She had only gone out drinking with the boys once, to find her skills couldn't compare with either of them. She now stayed in the hotel with an unconscious man. She said she would watch him. He was actually pretty easy to watch. She feared him only for a little bit after Meryl had told her story, but she decided that if he woke up and tried to hurt her, she would not hesitate to shoot and kill him.

"Will you wake up already, Knives? I'm bored and I haven't shot a gun in almost ten years."

She was cleaning her gun now. It was a beautiful silver, and Vash had taken it from her almost immediately after she had met him for the second time. He gave his seal of approval and asked where she had gotten it. She lied, of course, and said it was given to her when she was very young. The bullet coat was a recent gift from her father. The entire group had cornered her into explaining her background, so she made up yet another story. She laughed now, remembering it to be utter bullshit.

"Umm… I was raised on a thomas ranch (she knew what that was now, overhearing it at a bar) and lived there until I was about eighteen. I tried to make it on my own, but was almost killed my first week off the ranch. My dad took it upon himself to teach me how to fire a gun. I'm actually pretty handy with this one now."

She motioned to the gun lying on the table.

"I had had the gun as a birthday gift when I was twelve from my uncle, but I hadn't even looked at it since it was given to me. Anyway, right before he died, my dad gave me the coat, and told me that he hoped the bullets would last me the rest of my life. He didn't know he was going to die. He wasn't sick or old; a team of bandits completely destroyed our ranch when I was in the town for rations. They shot him full of bullets and cut him to pieces. I think they knew who I was, because I could have brought him back if he was all in one piece. So, I put on my coat, grabbed the only surviving thomas, and rode of to find a church."

"That is so saaaad!" Vash was once again in tears.

"Your mother?" Milly asked, also on the verge of crying.

"Died giving birth to me."

The other two weren't crying, but they looked sad enough.

Skye frowned to herself. She might have been good at lying, but she didn't like to. She turned, a bit startled, when Knives shifted in his position on the bed.

"You humans are pathetic."

Skye's ears quirked. Did the vegetable man just say something? She looked at him to see his eyes half open, and his mouth slightly open as well.

"You're one to talk, vege-man."

He frowned, and tried to say something back.

"Don't strain yourself. You shouldn't be able to talk."

" Fine, I'll speak telepathically to conserve my energy, but it's not because you told me to. "

" Ahhh, vege-man has tricks. I can do this trick to, see? "

" I know. I know more about you then you think, dog-girl "

" Ohh, do I get a nick name to? "

" I've been reading your thoughts. Some are blocked, but I know you are not from this world. "

" Than why the human remark? I'm insulted. "

Before Knives had a chance to answer her, the door to the room swung open. In the doorframe were a very drunk Vash and an even drunker Wolfwood. Skye turned to look back at Knives, but he went back to his old "I'm unconscious" pose.

"Damn." Skye muttered.

"What's wrong, Skye?" Vash slurred.

"Nothing, go to bed."

She led the men to the two chairs situated at the end of Knives's bed, where they both fell asleep instantly, and heads together.

Cute.

" We'll finish this talk later " Knives said in her head.

" Yes, later. " She replied.

Skye gave one more look at Knives who showed no sign of movement.

"Damn." She repeated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Skye stared at the ceiling. She was on the floor, and her ears flopped about the side of her head.

If she told Vash that Knives was awake, Knives would know, due to his stupid mind reading bit. If she didn't, she really didn't know what Knives had planned. From what she heard from Meryl, it wasn't expected to be a surprise party.

"Damn."

That must have been her favorite word today. She seemed to be saying it a lot. She couldn't read minds like Knives, so she didn't know what he was thinking.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn."

This was the record for damns. She sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't help but fall asleep. She hadn't been sleeping much lately.

In her dream, she found herself in a rather large room. It was only her, or so she thought. There was a rather large glass tube in front of her, and she advanced on it, not knowing it's contents. She saw a floating man. His blue hair covered his left eye, and his white coat had some sort of weird spikes coming out of it. She saw Knives out of the corner of her eye, but there was something different about him. Oh yeah, he was walking. He walked right up to her like nothing was wrong, and stared into the tube she was entranced by. He didn't speak, or even look at her. He studied the man inside with great concentration, like his very being contained the secret to life. Knives looked at her, but she refused to look back. She would have returned his gaze if his eyes held any emotion at all, but they didn't he showed indifference, and Skye got a chill up her spine just knowing he was there.

"You're a liar." He said finally

Skye let out a breath. At least he was speaking now.

"How so?"

"In dreams, you can search back into someone's mind, as it is busy creating the place you're soul occupies. We can do whatever we want in out dreams. Like me, I'm walking when only a few moments ago I was as stationary as he is."

Knives motioned to the blue-haired man floating in front of them.

"That doesn't answer my question." Skye said, as if she wasn't paying attention.

"I explored your memories." He said, not looking at her.

She returned his non-gaze when she answered.

"And…"

"And I found out you're a liar. Absolutely full of bullshit. I listen to all the things everyone says in my room, and you spew the most gruesome sap out of all of them."

"So ready to admit you were wrong then?"

His face turned into a scowl. Clearly he had no idea what she was babbling about.

"You said I was a human. I obviously am not."

"You are a breed. Like a dog. If we were animals, I would be a cat. Maybe a Siamese,"

Skye took this short pause to think how this breed fit him.

"All of the humans on this planet are dogs. They are all one kind of dog, though. We'll call them terriers. The terriers are different from the shepherds," he said, eying Skye's ears, "But they are both dogs. Even if there is only one shepherd in the whole lot. I will always be a cat, and you will always be a dog. You might be different, but you will never be a cat. We are all animals, but I am the cat, therefore, I am better. You see?"

"But who says the cats are better?"

Once again, what Knives was about to say was cut off by Skye waking up. This was the longest exchange of mental words they had had, but Skye had a feeling it would not be the last.

Cats are better my ass.

"Stupid mental-probing asshole." Skye said aloud, rubbing her head in pain.

Yes! Hey, look out for the next installment when I have time to write again! Remember my fragile ego!