FIVE: far too long

It wasn't exactly predictable, but then again, Vash the Stampede was not the most predictable of men. His scream echoed far and wide as he plowed into town square, not fifty feet from where Meryl and Milly were sitting. Of course, he was behind them, so he wouldn't be spotted right away, but they would know that voice anywhere.

He was trailed by a hoard of feisty children and a pair of "vicious" puppies that nipped excitedly at his heels. The children laughed enthusiastically as he let them playfully pummel him into the dusty ground. For Vash, there was nothing like these moments, when he forged a relationship with the children of this world, the hope for the future.

Even in this awkward position, being a grown-up at the bottom of a mound of children, he knew precisely where the girls were. He had followed Milly from a distance, because he had known if she was around, her partner would be too.

Meryl…

The thought of seeing them again was intimidating, and at the same time, it filled him with bliss. He waited for them to look his way, prepared to shout out at them in greeting, though he was staring at them upside down through the mist rising from the fountain. At the same time, he was being tackled by a swarm of man-eating children.

From her seat at the fountain, Meryl lifted her eyes from her friend, her shoulders stiffening. She could have sworn…

Slowly, she looked from left to right. Nothing. "Milly, did you hear…" She stopped short, cut off by the sound of children's laughter. Slowly, she turned her gaze to the group behind her, blinking against the blinding light of the twin suns.

There, beneath the pile of children, was a blond man. Or at least she thought…

Soon, he vanished from view beneath the pile of twisting limbs. She wet her lips, gawking. At first, she thought she must be dreaming. Maybe she'd been out in the sun for too long. Nevertheless, she was almost sure it was him.

Next to her, Milly blinked. "Meryl?"

But she didn't hear the big girl next to her. She was intent on the playful children, or more so, the man she was certain was beneath them. She rose slowly to her feet, trying to get a better look. Vash?

He slid out from beneath the children and into the girls' view. One of the playful puppies began to smear his face with kisses.

"It's him," Meryl stammered. She stared at him in disbelief that somehow he had actually found himself in the same town where they had followed a false rumor. Vash, you're alive, thank goodness you're alive. She touched Milly's arm. "Milly, look."

When she saw him there, laying next to the swarm of children, Milly's heart exploded with joy. She was up in a shot, tears pouring down her face—soothing, blissful tears—as she waved at the Humanoid Typhoon with all her heart.

"Mr. Vash!" she squealed. "Over here, Mr. Vash! I can't believe it! You see him Meryl?! It's Mr. Vash!"

"Yeah," Meryl replied, but her voice was lost in the constant squeals of her friend.

Milly darted away from her, no doubt intending to hug the living snot out of the legendary gunman. "Mr. Vash!!!"

"Oh, hey girls!" Vash flashed his trademark grin and offered a meek little wave, clearly touched to have found them again after so long. He wondered how Meryl would react. She was the kind to go overboard after such a hapless stunt. Well, she'd probably consider it a hapless stunt, anyway, though he had known precisely what he was doing.

The moment he wiggled free from the children of doom, Vash found himself scooped up into the powerful embrace of Milly Thompson. She nearly squeezed the life from him. After all, she was a big girl and a heart that was even bigger, and she didn't seem to know the strength of either. Instantly, Vash felt himself being drained of his air supply. "Uh…hey Milly! Long time no squeeze!" His goofy grin spread across his face, despite the lack of oxygen. He returned her hug, rubbing her back gently.

"Hey, are you two in love?" one of the children asked suddenly.

Vash blushed brilliantly as Milly dropped him. "Oh, yes! Very much so. I love Mr. Vash with all my heart," she announced.

"Are you married?"

"Well, no," she replied.

"Why not? You two should really get a room, ya know?"

"Huh?" She frowned for a moment, and then realization washed over her and she giggled. "Oh, no. It's nothing like that. I mean, Mr. Vash isn't my type, really. We're just really good friends and I happen to care for him very much."

"Oh." The kid looked to his friends, grinning. "That means Vash isn't very good in the sack."

Vash stared down at him, incredulous. "What?! Aren't you a little young to be talking like that?"

"Uh…" The kid squirmed a little, trying to fight out of the sudden tight spot. "I don't know. It's something I heard my sister talking about, that's all."

Vash reached into his pocket and pulled free a handful of coins. He pressed them into the boy's hand. "Here, you take this and you kids go buy some ice-cream or something, okay?"

"Really? You sure this is okay, Mister?"

"Yeah, we're square," Vash said. "I mean, you guys already gave me some great exercise this morning, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks Mister!"

Meryl wasn't watching the children dart away. Instead, her eyes were locked on the one she hadn't seen in exactly one year. She let her eyes trail down the length of him. It seemed nearly everything had changed, from his hairstyle down to the blue jeans beneath the long, brown poncho.

Slowly, she made her way to her friends. When Milly finally let go of him and stepped aside, Meryl would be there, standing before him. She wanted to look into his eyes and see into his soul. She wanted to hold his gaze, fearful that if she closed her eyes he might simply fade away once more, as if he were somehow a sinister illusion meant to tear her heart into pieces the very moment after she had been lifted into the state of elation at their reunion.

She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say or do, or even what was appropriate for her to say or do in a moment like this. All that she knew was that he was here and she didn't want to look away. Thankfully, he didn't let his gaze falter, either.

"Hello Vash," she mumbled, and cleared her throat as she stared at him with soft, violet eyes. It was all she could think of to say, and that made her feel somehow foolish. Here was a man she had developed feelings for over a year ago, a man she had thought lost when he walked away a year ago to this very day, and then didn't return to her as she had thought he would. On top of that, all she could think of to say was a simple greeting. She would have kicked herself for that blunder had she not been frozen stiff before him.

Thankfully, Milly broke the moment by setting her hands on her hips, taking Vash's attention from Meryl and allowing the little woman a moment to catch her breath. "Just where have you been, Mr. Vash?" she demanded. "Meryl was worried sick!"

"She was?" he asked, hiding a grin.

"I was not, Milly!"

"We both were," Milly said, despite the reprimanding glare her former Bernardelli partner gave her. "Meryl was afraid we might never see you again."

"Really? I guess I can understand why you might think that."

"Yeah, but I knew you weren't dead. I don't know why you didn't come back for us, but I know you had a reason. That's just the kind of person you are, even if you try to hide it. Everything you do you do for a reason."

Vash smiled. Milly was just as outgoing and personal as ever, but he couldn't help but notice that some of it seemed forced. There seemed to be a lot of things weighing on her mind, and he suspected he understood the emotions flowing beneath the river of joy.

He looked back to Meryl. The little woman remained there, gazing up to him, but at least now she was breathing. His smile suddenly faded, and the serious side of Vash the Stampede took hold. He had promised himself if he ever saw her again, he would answer her questions straight up. Well, as many as he could, anyway. It was the least he could do after the hell he'd put the girls through.

Soon, his smile returned. "I saved you a couple of donuts," he started, and pulled out the bag from beneath his poncho. It was definitely a new look for the Humanoid Typhoon. He didn't even have his old, familiar hairdo, and he was unshaven. He held the bag out and Meryl put a hand to her face in an attempt to hide her grin. Vash looked down. His smile withered a little into a look of disappointment. "But it looks like I sat on 'em. Sorry 'bout that."

"That's okay," Meryl said through a giggle. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

Vash's smile quickly returned. Meryl watched him for a moment more, perusing more thoroughly with her eyes, letting her collected mind take hold of her thoughts. It was great to see him again, to know he was alive and well, but he seemed different somehow, and not just in the way he dressed. More reserved, maybe, she thought, though she couldn't be sure. He was less eccentric than the man from a year ago who had held so much pain within his heart. He seemed…at peace, almost. She simply couldn't explain it.

Meryl finally shook the thought away, and smiled. "Well, are you hungry? Milly just went shopping and I'm sure there's enough even for your appetite."

Vash grinned. "I don't know, I am pretty hungry."

He cupped a hand against his slender belly. He was thinner than he had been, mainly because of the life he had led for much of the past year. It was a life he wasn't quite ready to share yet. Part of him still grieved over how he had left his brother, but the other part soared with elation that his most difficult days seemed to be behind him.

"But you know, I think maybe I just want to go for a walk. I just got into town myself, and I don't know if I'm quite ready to settle down." He put his hands behind his head, stretching as he turned his gaze to the west. "So what brings you two way out here? It's a long way from the village where I left you."

"We stayed in that town a little while," Meryl replied after a moment's hesitation. She wasn't so sure how to answer his question, but she decided there was no reason to tell him the whole truth. She just hoped Milly wouldn't see to it the whole truth got out. We went looking for you… The thought made her tense a little, and she looked at the big girl, but Milly was just watching Vash, aglow as always. "I guess we were lucky to have ended up here the same time as you."

She watched the west, as he did, hoping that was enough to satisfy his curiosity.

What have you been doing since we last saw you, Vash?

Vash started to walk away. Meryl was holding back again, and he could tell. He knew by the sound of her voice when she wasn't being entirely truthful, but he wasn't one to force anyone to do anything against their will. Besides, he had his own secrets which he held from her, from everyone. Too many secrets, in fact. That was one of the reasons he considered his life a lie at times.

He paused, and glanced back to see his friends standing there, watching him from where he had left them. Awaiting an invitation. He smiled. "You now, you have legs," he teased. "You have to put one foot forward and follow with the other if you want to walk. Besides, I've been alone long enough."

Far too long.

Milly grinned at the invitation, almost jumping up in celebration. "Did you hear that, Meryl? He wants us to go with him!"

"Yeah," Meryl grinned, and followed after her friend. Milly was her shadow as they approached him, and together, the three of them set out to the west to see what they could see in this quaint, quiet town.

----------

"I really was worried about you, Vash," Meryl admitted after a short time of silence. "It's nice to see that you're all right."

"It's nice to know I really am still loved," he replied. "I thought that emotion died in me a long time ago."

He smiled at the two of them. He had realized upon their unexpected reunion that he had fallen in love with the both of them. He'd come to care for them so much more than he ad ever cared for any other individual. Well, save one. Rem.

He sighed at the thought and continued deeper into town. As he walked, bantering back and forth with the two women—the former insurance girls, he mused—occasionally laughing to his heart's content.

He was alive again, reenergized. He listened to Meryl's soft breathing as she walked next to him, and he knew that she felt at ease now, knowing where he was, and that he was here, right beside her. She barely spoke, but Milly gibbered away like an excited squirrel. She had enough energy for the three of them, Vash mused.

And then, suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

Her fingers trembling, she bit her lower lip and stared at a building off to the side of the street. Meryl glanced over to see the town jailhouse. "What's wrong, Milly?"

The big girl stood there, blubbering, frozen in her tracks. She gazed at the limestone building as tears started to spring up in her eyes. Her breath quickened. "I just remembered why we met Mr. Vash in the first place," she whispered.

At first, Meryl didn't understand what the big deal was. Vash had been an assignment. She and Milly had been searching for a man with a sixty billion double-dollar bounty on his head, a man so dangerous he could topple entire cities in a matter of a few seconds. But Vash hadn't been the man they had expected. He was gentler and more kind-hearted then most people she knew, almost more so than Milly.

But then she realized what Meryl was staring at. A penciled image of the man she knew, the spiked devil in red, hiding behind yellow sunglasses. She read it aloud: "Wanted, Dead or Alive. Vash the Stampede. $$60,000,000 Reward."

Meryl clutched a fist to her heart, fighting off the tears that wanted to come.

Her eyes turned to Vash. He had gone on several more paces, and was standing away from them now, staring off to the west. She knew he was struggling with his own personal demons. They were the demons she had seen only a few times in her life. She sighed. It seemed the past refused to be left behind.

Damn it all, she thought, and turned toward the jail. She walked right up to the poster and tore it down. With a look of determination, she ripped the paper into four equal pieces and shoved it into her pocket.

A huge smile broke on Milly's face as she watched Meryl do something that was very un-Meryl, and her heart glowed brilliantly at the action. Even Vash turned, eyes wide as he realized what his friend had done.

Meryl moved back over to Milly and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Milly. Vash is here and there's nothing that can change that now, not even that stupid bounty, okay?"

"Oh Meryl!" The big girl dove into her best friend's arm, giving her the same smothering hug that she'd forced on Vash earlier that day. Forgetting her strength, she lifted Meryl off her feet and spun her around. "Thank you, thank you!"

Meryl struggled, but she didn't have near the stamina as Vash, and it showed as she let Milly toss her about like a rag doll. Gasping for air, Meryl tried to push away. "Milly! Put…me…d…down!"

"Oh! Sorry, Meryl." She let her friend go, and Meryl struggled to keep her footing. Right away she started to help her friend brush the dirt from her white cape.

Vash smiled. "Hey, Milly. Didn't you have groceries earlier?"

Meryl tugged on her collar, loosening her necktie, trying to catch her breath.

"Groceries?" Milly asked. She shot Meryl a glance and started to whimper once more. She looked about, a little stunned, and realized that the fountain was nowhere to be seen. "My pudding!" She turned and darted away, disappearing down the street.

Vash had to chuckle as he joined Meryl's side, gazing down to her. "She really hasn't changed, has she?"

Meryl smiled. "No. She's still the same old Milly. She's my iron heart."

The Humanoid Typhoon nodded. "Yeah, I suppose she is."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Have you changed, Vash?"

He wet his lips, looking at her. He wondered how he supposed to answer that question. He had changed, and yet he was still the same guy, the same legendary freak that forced men to turn from him on a dime and run screaming for the hills. They thought him a killer, when the truth was so many more would have died without Vash the Stampede's presence in their lonely world.

"I guess that depends on how you want to remember me," he said after a moment's serious contemplation. "One thing I do know, I'm through with the past. The only one who can shape my destiny is me."

Meryl grinned, more than satisfied with the answer. She could see the debate raging within him, and something in his voice made her wonder what all had happened in the past year, wished she could have been there to help him. Though that would have been impossible. She didn't know what had happened between Vash and his brother, but she knew it must have seemed an impossible situation for the gunman. It must have been very hard on him.

Still, knowing that he had accepted that his life was his own to lead made her a happy woman. She took his hand, giving him her finest smile.

"We remember the person we want to remember when what we should remember is the person who is right before our eyes," Meryl said. "Just as long as you remember who your are, Vash, you'll be just fine."

He looked at her, a bit surprised by her response. There it was again, the resemblance to the woman he had known all those years ago. "Remind me to tell you of Rem someday. I think you deserve it."

She vaguely remembered the name, from that day he told her the truth, more than a year ago. That had been the time just before Legato had ensnared them to use against Vash, forcing him to squeeze the trigger and kill him, or relinquish her life, and Milly's. Vash had pulled the trigger, saved the girls, but it had torn him up inside.

Rem was a woman from his past, the woman who had made him the man he was.

The gunman turned from her, staring again to the west. Meryl watched his features as he breathed in the fresh air. Things really seemed to be different this time around. He seemed at ease with her. His heart was finally open to her, and that brought her resounding happiness. Have you been lonely all this time, Vash? she wondered.

"Remember that day I said you couldn't go with me anymore?" he asked.

"Of course," she murmured. "How could I forget?"

"I think I finally found what I was looking for, way back then," he whispered, "and I want you to forget every word I told you."

Her breath caught. Forget every word?

He looked to her, smiling his truest smile. Suddenly he reached down and took her hands in his. "I'm through with being alone. Alone is overrated. I don't want to be that man posted on every wall in every jailhouse and general store on the planet. I want to live, Meryl. And I want you and Milly to feel free to come with me."

He drew a deep breath, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. They didn't fall, but they were there. His smile was unwavering as he gauged her reaction.

She didn't say anything. She simply stared.

"Meryl?"

And then she nodded.

"Okay."

It was all she needed to say.