Disclaimer is still in affect.....
*******
A/N: I'm glad so many of you liked the last chapter. I wasn't too sure of it when I posted it, but I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Thanks to all my reviewers, you are greatly appreciated.
When I first sat down to write this chapter, I wasn't quite sure what direction I wanted to go in. I had two or three ideas, but wasn't sure which one was best. I think I know now, so hopefully that will work out from now on. We'll just have to wait and see.....
Now that I've rambled on for forever, on with the show!
******
Desert Sands
By: Batbabe
*******
Chapter 13
*******
The sand crunching under their feet was the only sound either had made in the past hour.
The two men had been walking for hours with no sign of the crazed plant or the girls. Vash had simply started walking one direction, certain that was were Knives had gone. Wolfwood, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as sure as his companion. But Vash was so sure, so the priest had followed without question.
This time, he remembered to bring his cross punisher. Though he was starting to regret it with the mix of hot sun and the cross's weight bearing down on him. He knew he wouldn't regret it in the end, though. They'd need that firepower when they found Knives.
Neither was sure how far they had walked, their surroundings looked the same. It was all sand with nothing on the horizon but the setting sun.
Wolfwood's mind had started to wonder during the trip. He found himself imagining how things might have been different if he had stayed dead. The man in black knew how futile that line of thinking was; what was done, was done. There was no going back now. He'd simply have to live with the choices he had made, both good and bad.
At the same time, Vash was facing his own inner demons.
He couldn't help but blame himself for the current situation. It was his friendship and love that had brought this pain on the girls, among other things. That was why he had never let anyone get close to him before, he knew that his affection could only bring them heartache and pain. And his brother had proven him right today.
The outlaw couldn't help but wonder how things would be different had he not saved his twin. Maybe if he had just left his brother out in the dessert after he had defeated him, this wouldn't be happening. But he couldn't do that anymore than he could stop caring for others, especially Meryl.
He just prayed to god that she was still alive, and that they might get another chance together.
Then there was the other woman. Milly was pregnant, and there was only so much stress that she could take now. Vash didn't want to think that the preacher had come back from the dead only to bury his child.
The man in the red coat tried to shake that thought off, deciding to focus instead on just finding them. He inherently knew which direction to go in order to find his brother, which was definitely no accident. Knives wanted him to follow, no doubt to torture him in some new and disgusting way. Vash just hoped that his brother wouldn't grow impatient waiting for him.
The outlaw also hoped that his brother had no knowledge of the priest's return. If he didn't, it would give Vash an element of surprise and an edge that his brother wouldn't have planned for. Though he didn't hold out much hope on that one.
"It feels like we've walked a thousand isles."
Vash jumped slightly at the comment which broke the silence. He'd been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't expected the priest to say anything. He berated himself silently, that lack of attention could get him, and everyone he cared for, killed.
The preacher looked over at Vash when he had remained silent. Apparently, Vash wasn't in a talking mood. But Wolfwood wasn't the type to take silence as an answer.
"So how much farther, noodle noggin?" He heard the irritation in his voice and instantly regretted it. The length of their walk was the least of his worries right now. Besides, he didn't want to take out his frustrations on his friend his first day back.
The only answer he received was a barely audible "I don't know."
Wolfwood stopped in his tracks at that. He knew one cause of Vash's quietness, and it had nothing to do with finding Knives. He figured now was just as good a time as any to have it out in the open and get past it.
"Look, Vash, you might as well go ahead and say it. You're pissed at me for 'coming back to life' without telling you, right?" He huffed as he finished his question, then continued. "If we have any chance of saving the girls, you better go ahead and get it out. Otherwise, we won't stand a chance of stopping that lunatic brother of yours."
The blonde stopped a few feet away from the preacher, then turned around slowly to look at him. With the sun glaring off his yellow sunglasses, it was impossible for Wolfwood to see his eyes. The rest of his face was impassive and the preacher wasn't sure whether the outlaw was angry or not. He just kept his gaze locked on where he knew Vash's eyes were, in an attempt to stare him in the eye.
It took Vash a few seconds to find a response to the other man's outburst. When he did, he decided to got about it in the most delicate way possible, given the circumstances.
"I'm not angry." He paused, sighing. "I'm hurt that you felt you couldn't come back to me and the girls. After everything we've been through, I would have thought that you would want to come back."
His quiet honest completely deflated the preacher. He had been ready to have a shouting match with his friend, only to find that it wasn't anger that engulfed him, but hurt. In that moment, he felt more ashamed of himself than he had in a long time. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he couldn't help but feel resentful towards the other man.
"That's ironic considering you were missing for two years and left the rest of us to worry about you. And we didn't even know if you were alive or dead. We didn't know anything and you didn't care to at least tell us that you were still alive. You went and hid in some village in the middle of nowhere." His voice raised with anger at the memories of that time. "And you probably never would have come out of hiding if I hadn't found you! At least with me, you and the girls had some closure because you _knew_ I was dead. We didn't get that when you disappeared! You're such a hypocrite, Vash!"
The man in red simply stood there as his friend yelled through his hurt. Vash was starting to think that Wolfwood had hated not telling them about his existence as much as Vash did. He realized that the preacher was actually angry with himself and not his friend.
He was about to respond when he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. Vash turned and walked towards it, leaving a puzzled Wolfwood behind.
The small glint of light was coming from the ground a few yards away. When he came to where it laid, Vash crouched down to uncover it from the sand.
Curiosity getting the best of him, Wolfwood came up beside his friend to see what was going on. When he looked at the outlaw, he found a face that looked both amazed and broken. The priest turned his attention to the object in Vash's hand, suddenly becoming filled with apprehension once again.
In Vash's hand was a small golden locket.
****
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please Review!
*******
A/N: I'm glad so many of you liked the last chapter. I wasn't too sure of it when I posted it, but I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Thanks to all my reviewers, you are greatly appreciated.
When I first sat down to write this chapter, I wasn't quite sure what direction I wanted to go in. I had two or three ideas, but wasn't sure which one was best. I think I know now, so hopefully that will work out from now on. We'll just have to wait and see.....
Now that I've rambled on for forever, on with the show!
******
Desert Sands
By: Batbabe
*******
Chapter 13
*******
The sand crunching under their feet was the only sound either had made in the past hour.
The two men had been walking for hours with no sign of the crazed plant or the girls. Vash had simply started walking one direction, certain that was were Knives had gone. Wolfwood, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as sure as his companion. But Vash was so sure, so the priest had followed without question.
This time, he remembered to bring his cross punisher. Though he was starting to regret it with the mix of hot sun and the cross's weight bearing down on him. He knew he wouldn't regret it in the end, though. They'd need that firepower when they found Knives.
Neither was sure how far they had walked, their surroundings looked the same. It was all sand with nothing on the horizon but the setting sun.
Wolfwood's mind had started to wonder during the trip. He found himself imagining how things might have been different if he had stayed dead. The man in black knew how futile that line of thinking was; what was done, was done. There was no going back now. He'd simply have to live with the choices he had made, both good and bad.
At the same time, Vash was facing his own inner demons.
He couldn't help but blame himself for the current situation. It was his friendship and love that had brought this pain on the girls, among other things. That was why he had never let anyone get close to him before, he knew that his affection could only bring them heartache and pain. And his brother had proven him right today.
The outlaw couldn't help but wonder how things would be different had he not saved his twin. Maybe if he had just left his brother out in the dessert after he had defeated him, this wouldn't be happening. But he couldn't do that anymore than he could stop caring for others, especially Meryl.
He just prayed to god that she was still alive, and that they might get another chance together.
Then there was the other woman. Milly was pregnant, and there was only so much stress that she could take now. Vash didn't want to think that the preacher had come back from the dead only to bury his child.
The man in the red coat tried to shake that thought off, deciding to focus instead on just finding them. He inherently knew which direction to go in order to find his brother, which was definitely no accident. Knives wanted him to follow, no doubt to torture him in some new and disgusting way. Vash just hoped that his brother wouldn't grow impatient waiting for him.
The outlaw also hoped that his brother had no knowledge of the priest's return. If he didn't, it would give Vash an element of surprise and an edge that his brother wouldn't have planned for. Though he didn't hold out much hope on that one.
"It feels like we've walked a thousand isles."
Vash jumped slightly at the comment which broke the silence. He'd been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't expected the priest to say anything. He berated himself silently, that lack of attention could get him, and everyone he cared for, killed.
The preacher looked over at Vash when he had remained silent. Apparently, Vash wasn't in a talking mood. But Wolfwood wasn't the type to take silence as an answer.
"So how much farther, noodle noggin?" He heard the irritation in his voice and instantly regretted it. The length of their walk was the least of his worries right now. Besides, he didn't want to take out his frustrations on his friend his first day back.
The only answer he received was a barely audible "I don't know."
Wolfwood stopped in his tracks at that. He knew one cause of Vash's quietness, and it had nothing to do with finding Knives. He figured now was just as good a time as any to have it out in the open and get past it.
"Look, Vash, you might as well go ahead and say it. You're pissed at me for 'coming back to life' without telling you, right?" He huffed as he finished his question, then continued. "If we have any chance of saving the girls, you better go ahead and get it out. Otherwise, we won't stand a chance of stopping that lunatic brother of yours."
The blonde stopped a few feet away from the preacher, then turned around slowly to look at him. With the sun glaring off his yellow sunglasses, it was impossible for Wolfwood to see his eyes. The rest of his face was impassive and the preacher wasn't sure whether the outlaw was angry or not. He just kept his gaze locked on where he knew Vash's eyes were, in an attempt to stare him in the eye.
It took Vash a few seconds to find a response to the other man's outburst. When he did, he decided to got about it in the most delicate way possible, given the circumstances.
"I'm not angry." He paused, sighing. "I'm hurt that you felt you couldn't come back to me and the girls. After everything we've been through, I would have thought that you would want to come back."
His quiet honest completely deflated the preacher. He had been ready to have a shouting match with his friend, only to find that it wasn't anger that engulfed him, but hurt. In that moment, he felt more ashamed of himself than he had in a long time. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he couldn't help but feel resentful towards the other man.
"That's ironic considering you were missing for two years and left the rest of us to worry about you. And we didn't even know if you were alive or dead. We didn't know anything and you didn't care to at least tell us that you were still alive. You went and hid in some village in the middle of nowhere." His voice raised with anger at the memories of that time. "And you probably never would have come out of hiding if I hadn't found you! At least with me, you and the girls had some closure because you _knew_ I was dead. We didn't get that when you disappeared! You're such a hypocrite, Vash!"
The man in red simply stood there as his friend yelled through his hurt. Vash was starting to think that Wolfwood had hated not telling them about his existence as much as Vash did. He realized that the preacher was actually angry with himself and not his friend.
He was about to respond when he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. Vash turned and walked towards it, leaving a puzzled Wolfwood behind.
The small glint of light was coming from the ground a few yards away. When he came to where it laid, Vash crouched down to uncover it from the sand.
Curiosity getting the best of him, Wolfwood came up beside his friend to see what was going on. When he looked at the outlaw, he found a face that looked both amazed and broken. The priest turned his attention to the object in Vash's hand, suddenly becoming filled with apprehension once again.
In Vash's hand was a small golden locket.
****
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please Review!
