Disclaimer still applies. Please don't sue!

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A/N: I know I said that this might be up over the weekend, but it kinda didn't turn out that way. Funny thing is, I sat down to work on this chapter and ended up writing a Batman fic instead. Huh...life's funny like that. And thanks to all my great reviewers! You guys really keep me going. So, without further ado, here it is......

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Desert Sands:

By: Batbabe

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Chapter 5

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Knives still hadn't woken up.

That wasn't entirely a bad thing, though. The plant was certainly much safer to be around when he was unconscious, but the fact that he would eventually wake up hung over the house like an uneasy haze. No one, not even Vash, knew what was going to happen when the psychopath awakened and that left the entire household....unsettled.

Vash had been back for over a week, but things still hadn't gone back to normal. The insurance girls were still...uneasy....with the thought of his brother being in the same house, though Milly hid it much better than Meryl. The uneasiness crept into everything that they did, whether it be their meals or chores. It was reflected in everything they did. That just made Vash feel all the more guilty about bringing his brother back with him. Not that he would have left him there to die, he would never do that, but he would have gone some place else until Knives had recovered and then he would have came back to see the girls.

The gunman stood on the small porch of the house, looking up at the bright stars, thinking about how he was sometimes too dense for his own good. He had never wanted to hurt the girls, but he hadn't really thought about how they might feel if he brought home his brother. His desire to see them again had simply overridden every other thought he might have had.

For what seemed like the fiftieth time that evening, Vash looked towards the road. He kept telling himself that he wasn't waiting for Meryl, he was just spending a quiet evening out on the porch thinking. He told himself that, but he didn't really believe it. Every time Meryl had to work the late shift at the restaurant, he seemed to find himself out on this very porch waiting for a sign of the irritable woman.

/I'm not worried, not at all. And it's not like I miss her or anything..../ he thought to himself. He tapped his foot slightly on the floor below him as he pondered that last thought.

/Do I miss her?/ He frowned slightly. /I mean, her favorite past time is walloping me on the head and calling me an idiot. Why would I miss that?/ He chuckled slightly at his little joke.

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Meryl had never felt so tired in her entire life.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. In her many adventures chasing a walking disaster waiting to happen (who will not be named), she had certainly been in more exhausting situations. The dust crunched slightly under her feet as she made her way back to the house. Her shift had been incredibly busy, especially for closing, and she felt completely worn out. She couldn't wait to take a nice warm bath before hopping into bed.

She slowed somewhat as the house came into view, or rather, what was outside the house caught her attention. Vash was out on the porch waiting for her again. She smiled slightly at the thought of the outlaw standing outside just to make sure she was alright. He would never admit it, though. He'd just say sometime like he was just outside thinking or getting some fresh air. But that didn't explain why he would always come inside almost as soon as she got home. He could be as stubborn as she was when it came to admitting his true feelings.

As she approached the house, she noticed that Vash was making an effort not to look at her directly. Her footsteps on the porch steps were soft, and she made certain not to look at him, either. Stopping before she went through the door, she decided to be the bigger person and acknowledge his presence since he was apparently not going to acknowledge hers.

"Good evening Vash."

He made a show of spinning around quickly as if he'd been startled and looked at her. Then he tried to pretend to be slick as he said, "Evening, Short Girl. I didn't even see you coming!"

"Right." was all she said as she walked into the house and quietly shut the door behind her.

He stared at the door for a couple of seconds before muttering, "Busted."

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Milly couldn't sleep well that night.

Her dreams were filled with images of churches, guns, and graves. The man in the black suit seemed to haunt her. He was always there, but as a shadow. Close enough for her to see, but too far away to touch. She hadn't had dreams like this in a couple of weeks. That both relieved her and, at the same time, bothered her. The dreams reminded her of the effect that Nicholas had on her life, how much he had meant to her, and when they stopped, it made her feel almost guilty. She didn't want to think that she was forgetting him already.

She got up and padded downstairs to make herself a cup of milk. She soon decided that a cup of pudding would also make her feel better. The house was dark and quiet, everyone had gone to bed some hours earlier (excluding Knives, of course, who had never gotten out of bed in the first place). As she sat down at the table, a hand instinctively went to her belly. She rubbed it and smiled gently to herself. She realized how silly it was to think that she could forget him when a part of him was still alive. She would do everything in her power to make sure that it stayed that way. She wasn't going to let the last part of him that she had go without a fight.

Milly stood and went over to the sink, gently placing her glass and spoon inside. She'd sleep better now, she was sure. The doubt and guilt that she had been carrying with her through the night had evolved into a determination to carry on his legacy. Her child would know its father, she would make certain that he would not be forgotten.

She could almost hear his voice in her head as she turned and went towards the staircase and it made her grin.

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Upstairs, the plant's hand twitched.