Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun! If I did then Vash would be my secret love
slave......did I just say that outloud? *blush*
******************
A/N: I am a cruel, cruel person. I knew as soon as I posted the last chapter that I'm going to go to hell for my cruel ways. I apologize. But cliffys make a story great! Right?
I'll just pretend you all agree with me......
*********************
Desert Sands
By: Batbabe
********************
Chapter 11
*********************
Vash was amazed at the site that greeted him beyond the door.
There on the bed sat Wolfwood, scarfing down a bowl of noodles. Well, not exactly. Of course, when the door had been kicked in he had been startled and had apparently lost control of the bowl and was now wearing the noodles. His eyes were wide as he looked at the intruder.
The blonde gunman just stood in the doorway staring at the man he had thought long dead. Normally, he would have been thrilled to learn that his best friend was still alive, but he was in a state of disbelief. In his mind, he knew that it was possible that Wolfwood would be in the room, but there had still been doubt in his heart. It's one thing to be told of something, but quite another to witness it for yourself. After all, Vash was the one that found his friend dead and buried him. He couldn't imagine how it was possible for the preacher to be before him now.
Vash couldn't get his voice to work and his body felt wobbly the longer he looked at the man who was obviously alive and well. The preacher seemed unable to break the silence either. He simply sat on the bed and continued to stare wide-eyed at the man in red. It took several minutes for Vash to finally find his voice and when he did, it was rather shaky.
"How?"
He spoke in a barely a whisper, never breaking eye contact with the man who appeared to be his friend.
With the silence broken, Wolfwood seemed to relax. He closed his eyes and stood up to brush off the wet noodles that clung to him. The preacher chuckled slightly as he reached into his coat pocket to pull out a trademark crooked cigarette. Vash simply stood there, waiting for an answer as the other man lit a match then his cigarette. He inhaled slowly and exhaled the same way. It was only then that he turned back to Vash and spoke.
"I take it you've talked to the big girl. Should've known it wouldn't take you too long to find me."
Vash felt as if his jaw had literally dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"So you do remember! Why'd you lie to Milly like that??" His voice became somewhat high-pitched at the end of his question. "Why didn't you tell us you were still alive? Where have you been all these months?" The more he talked, the more questions he seemed to have.
Wolfwood looked surprised for a brief moment, then resumed his usual nonchalant and slightly cocky appearance. "Well hello to you too noodle- noggin." He chuckled briefly at his little joke.
Again, Vash was dumbfounded. All he could do was gape at the supposedly dead man and wonder what the hell was going on. Just this morning, Vash had felt like his life was finally settling down. It had seemed like he wouldn't have to deal with anything out of the ordinary except for an occasional bounty hunter. He had finally been ready to share his feelings with the woman he loved when fate decided to throw him another curve ball in the form of his supposedly dead best friend.
And now that he was standing across the room from him, the preacher was being evasive. /Just my luck..../ he thought to himself.
"Wolfwood," he began as patiently as he could, "what's going on? Why haven't you told us that you're alive?" His face was a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and hurt as he asked what he was dying to know.
The man in black sobered at the sight of his friend's distress and looked down at the floor as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He seemed to consider his answer deeply before he sighed and spoke again.
"It's a long story. One that I can't tell right now. All you need to know is that what I've done, I've done for you and the girls." He still didn't look at Vash.
The outlaw replied quietly, "Did you know that Milly's going to have your child?"
Vash thought that he saw regret flash across the other man's face for a moment before he looked back at him and nodded his head.
The man in the red coat felt himself go cold at his friend's admission. His face became hard again as he was once again filled with anger. Wolfwood noticed the change in his friend's demeanor and looked at the floor once again, saying nothing. A loud sigh escaped Vash as he tried to hold his anger back.
"Then I suppose you don't care. You don't care that she went through hell when you died and is going through it again because you're playing some sort of game." He turned to leave. "I guess I was wrong about you. You don't care about anyone. Not the girls, not me, no one but yourself. Did you even think about what you were putting us through when you came back from the dead or whatever? I just wish Milly didn't have to go through this kind of pain again."
His voice trailed off and he began to leave.
Wolfwood stood in the same spot, watching his friend leave. He only hoped that one day he would be able to understand. When he spoke, it was a quiet plea, "Vash..."
The blonde turned his head to take one last look at his friend when his head began to feel like it was being stabbed.
Vash clutched his head with both hands and dropped to his knees in pain. He barely registered that Wolfwood had ran to his side. His head felt like it was going to explode.
The pain seemed to go on forever until he heard a familiar laugh in his mind. It sickened him and shook him to his core with fear and dread. And in an instant, he knew.
The man beside him desperately wondered what was wrong. "Vash! Vash, can you hear me? What's wrong?"
The blonde outlaw looked up at him, tears in his eyes, and barely managed "The girls....."
**************
A/N: Wow, I'm shocked that I actually got a chapter up when I said I would. What a concept! Anyways, this chapter was amazingly easy to write, which surprised the heck out of me considering I find Wolfwood difficult to write in character. I hope he doesn't seem OOC, though it wouldn't surprise me if he was. If so, I apologize.
Gosh, I've done enough rambling for one night......R/R!!
******************
A/N: I am a cruel, cruel person. I knew as soon as I posted the last chapter that I'm going to go to hell for my cruel ways. I apologize. But cliffys make a story great! Right?
I'll just pretend you all agree with me......
*********************
Desert Sands
By: Batbabe
********************
Chapter 11
*********************
Vash was amazed at the site that greeted him beyond the door.
There on the bed sat Wolfwood, scarfing down a bowl of noodles. Well, not exactly. Of course, when the door had been kicked in he had been startled and had apparently lost control of the bowl and was now wearing the noodles. His eyes were wide as he looked at the intruder.
The blonde gunman just stood in the doorway staring at the man he had thought long dead. Normally, he would have been thrilled to learn that his best friend was still alive, but he was in a state of disbelief. In his mind, he knew that it was possible that Wolfwood would be in the room, but there had still been doubt in his heart. It's one thing to be told of something, but quite another to witness it for yourself. After all, Vash was the one that found his friend dead and buried him. He couldn't imagine how it was possible for the preacher to be before him now.
Vash couldn't get his voice to work and his body felt wobbly the longer he looked at the man who was obviously alive and well. The preacher seemed unable to break the silence either. He simply sat on the bed and continued to stare wide-eyed at the man in red. It took several minutes for Vash to finally find his voice and when he did, it was rather shaky.
"How?"
He spoke in a barely a whisper, never breaking eye contact with the man who appeared to be his friend.
With the silence broken, Wolfwood seemed to relax. He closed his eyes and stood up to brush off the wet noodles that clung to him. The preacher chuckled slightly as he reached into his coat pocket to pull out a trademark crooked cigarette. Vash simply stood there, waiting for an answer as the other man lit a match then his cigarette. He inhaled slowly and exhaled the same way. It was only then that he turned back to Vash and spoke.
"I take it you've talked to the big girl. Should've known it wouldn't take you too long to find me."
Vash felt as if his jaw had literally dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"So you do remember! Why'd you lie to Milly like that??" His voice became somewhat high-pitched at the end of his question. "Why didn't you tell us you were still alive? Where have you been all these months?" The more he talked, the more questions he seemed to have.
Wolfwood looked surprised for a brief moment, then resumed his usual nonchalant and slightly cocky appearance. "Well hello to you too noodle- noggin." He chuckled briefly at his little joke.
Again, Vash was dumbfounded. All he could do was gape at the supposedly dead man and wonder what the hell was going on. Just this morning, Vash had felt like his life was finally settling down. It had seemed like he wouldn't have to deal with anything out of the ordinary except for an occasional bounty hunter. He had finally been ready to share his feelings with the woman he loved when fate decided to throw him another curve ball in the form of his supposedly dead best friend.
And now that he was standing across the room from him, the preacher was being evasive. /Just my luck..../ he thought to himself.
"Wolfwood," he began as patiently as he could, "what's going on? Why haven't you told us that you're alive?" His face was a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and hurt as he asked what he was dying to know.
The man in black sobered at the sight of his friend's distress and looked down at the floor as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He seemed to consider his answer deeply before he sighed and spoke again.
"It's a long story. One that I can't tell right now. All you need to know is that what I've done, I've done for you and the girls." He still didn't look at Vash.
The outlaw replied quietly, "Did you know that Milly's going to have your child?"
Vash thought that he saw regret flash across the other man's face for a moment before he looked back at him and nodded his head.
The man in the red coat felt himself go cold at his friend's admission. His face became hard again as he was once again filled with anger. Wolfwood noticed the change in his friend's demeanor and looked at the floor once again, saying nothing. A loud sigh escaped Vash as he tried to hold his anger back.
"Then I suppose you don't care. You don't care that she went through hell when you died and is going through it again because you're playing some sort of game." He turned to leave. "I guess I was wrong about you. You don't care about anyone. Not the girls, not me, no one but yourself. Did you even think about what you were putting us through when you came back from the dead or whatever? I just wish Milly didn't have to go through this kind of pain again."
His voice trailed off and he began to leave.
Wolfwood stood in the same spot, watching his friend leave. He only hoped that one day he would be able to understand. When he spoke, it was a quiet plea, "Vash..."
The blonde turned his head to take one last look at his friend when his head began to feel like it was being stabbed.
Vash clutched his head with both hands and dropped to his knees in pain. He barely registered that Wolfwood had ran to his side. His head felt like it was going to explode.
The pain seemed to go on forever until he heard a familiar laugh in his mind. It sickened him and shook him to his core with fear and dread. And in an instant, he knew.
The man beside him desperately wondered what was wrong. "Vash! Vash, can you hear me? What's wrong?"
The blonde outlaw looked up at him, tears in his eyes, and barely managed "The girls....."
**************
A/N: Wow, I'm shocked that I actually got a chapter up when I said I would. What a concept! Anyways, this chapter was amazingly easy to write, which surprised the heck out of me considering I find Wolfwood difficult to write in character. I hope he doesn't seem OOC, though it wouldn't surprise me if he was. If so, I apologize.
Gosh, I've done enough rambling for one night......R/R!!
