Author's Note: I like to thank Aine of Knockaine (School dance idea/race (that I so forgot about) idea) and vashluver1 (House Party Idea) for the help. THANKS A BUNCHIES! You guys rock!

Note to Readers: cheesy background music I like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, and supported my story. It means a whole lot to me. Here's a special update. What is so special about it? Nothing, because it's just here! XP

Also, Merry Christmas to everyone, if I don't get the next chapter out before than, and, so you'd know, the next chapter, will be a special Christmas one. So, it'll be here either before or after Christmas, it all depends on WHEN I get it done…now, without further ado, please enjoy chapter nueve!

SAP ALERT! EMOTIONAL OUTBREAK!

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Chapter IX: Only Time

Meryl fell back in exasperation, placing a slender hand over her forehead. "It's official. I've lost it."

"Meryl, I was sent here to tell you something," the basketball continued, taking no notice of the status of Meryl's sanity.

Meryl placed her elbows on her knees and stared at the ball in annoyance. "What?"

The ball cleared his throat. "My name is Bob. Bob the Ball. I am…"

She sighed. "You are?"

"I am…" The ball continued, pausing for a dramatic effect. "…your father! Your fairy godfather!"

If Meryl wasn't already sitting down, she would've fallen. "My what?!"

The basketball laughed. "I always wanted to say that!" Bob coughed. "What I meant to say is, I am your guardian angel."

"My guardian…angel?" The girl stared at the ball in disbelief.

"Hey, Meryl!" a voice shouted from across the gym room.

Meryl looked up to see her cousin making his way over to her. He was running with some sort of envelope in his right hand. Meryl stood up to greet him.

Nicholas ran up to her, not seeing the basketball that was by her feet. As he came towards her, he accidentally jammed his foot into it, sending the basketball soaring out the opened door.

"AAHHHHHH!!" Bob yelled in horror, disappearing from sight.

Nicholas sweat-dropped. "Uh, you weren't playing with that, were you?"

Meryl shook her head. "No, I was just about to get rid of it." She then gestured to the envelope in his hand. "What's that?"

Nicholas held up the envelope so she could see it a little more clearly. "This? This here is some invitations I want you to hand out."

"Invitations? To what?" Meryl grabbed the envelope and opened it to reveal more, smaller ones. She grabbed one of those and opened it to find a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, she read out loud. "'To friends: You are hereby invited to the party of the century. It will be held at my house, you know where that is. Bring booze. Sincerely, Nicholas, the coolest cat in town'?" Meryl looked up and raised an eyebrow at her cousin. "What is this?"

Nicholas grinned. "Exactly what it says. Now, hand these out to every person you see!"

Meryl handed Nicholas back the envelope. "We can't have a party. What about your parents?"

Nicholas shrugged. "What about 'em? They're going out for the weekend, David's going to be over at Vash's house hanging out with Vash's little sister, and that leaves just you and me with the house, favorite cuz!" Nicholas placed his arm around Meryl's shoulder.

Meryl narrowed her eyes, removing the arm. "Nick, I'm your only cousin."

"Which makes you my fav!" He handed her back the envelope. "Now, please hand these out! I can't give them out all by myself. Please, Mer'?" Cue the puppy-dog eyes.

Meryl turned away from the dreaded puppy-dog eyes. They were her only weakness… mustn't give in…she must not give in…"Okay, fine!" She took the envelope from him.

Nicholas eyes instantly lit up. "Thanks Mer'! You're the best!" He gave his cousin a quick peck on the cheek before running out of the room.

Meryl sighed. What had she gotten herself into now?

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Later that day
After school

Meryl was exhausted. Oh, the classes were just fine. After all, Meryl was just about the smartest kid in her class and the only one who didn't mind learning something new.

What made her exhausted was giving every single bloody kid in the school a bloody invitation for Nick's stupid "House Party of the Century".

Meryl was so lost in thought, or exhaustion, that she didn't notice the small shadow that was approaching her, fast.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she silently walked through the park. She didn't really feel like waiting for Nick, Vash, or Millie right now. All she wanted to do was go home and rest.

With her eyes closed, she didn't see the small object just a few inches in front of her as she walked through the park…

CRASH!

And Meryl found herself flat on her butt in the soft grass. She flinched as the pain shot up through her spine. She glanced over to see the object she had tripped on, and frowned in disbelief as she saw what it was.

"Hello, Meryl!" It was that basketball again.

And Meryl fell flat on the ground. She was too tired to say or do anything. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes once more, allowing the soft feeling of the wind to blow across her face.

But, to go on with the story without interference, the wind blew the basketball down the street.

Time began to pass, and she started to drift off. But all that was ruined as a dark shadow hovered over her. She opened her eyes to see the grinning face of…

Vash the Stampede.

She quickly sat up, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Hey, sleepy-head!" Vash plopped himself down on the ground next to her. "What'cha doing out here?"

Meryl sighed. "Trying to enjoy the peaceful scenery," she said, with sarcasm evident in her voice.

Vash nodded, not catching the sarcasm. "Yeah, it is pretty peaceful out here."

And then came the thick fog known as silence. For some odd reason, Meryl was having these strange feelings that bubbled up inside her stomach whenever Vash was around. She wondered if he felt those same strange feelings…

And, unbeknownst to her, he felt exactly the same every time he was around her. He was confused. In all his seventeen years of life, he had never felt this way about a girl before. Sure, he'd had his fair share of crushes, but this was different. He didn't exactly know how different, but he knew it was different nonetheless.

Neither of them knew what to say to the other. To get rid of the uncomfortable silence that had settled in, Meryl decided to break it for once.

"So, are you coming to the party this weekend?" Meryl asked. It was so unlike her, she wanted to kick herself.

Vash glanced up from the interesting butterfly that he was staring at. "Huh? Oh, yeah, of course! It's gonna be the party of the century. And I have to come. After all, Nicholas is my best friend."

Meryl nodded. "Oh, right."

More silence. Then, Meryl stood up and dusted herself off. "Well, I should probably be going now." She readjusted her backpack.

Vash nodded as he stood up as well. "Well, I'll walk you."

Meryl shook her head. "No, it's okay."

Vash frowned in disappointment. "Why not?"

"Because I live right there, remember?" She pointed to the house that was only a few inches from the park.

Vash sweat-dropped. "Uh, yeah, I knew that." He laughed sheepishly as he placed a hand behind his head.

Shaking her head, Meryl started to head for her new home. Well, technically speaking, it isn't her new home anymore, since she had been living there for a few months now.

The weather was getting colder, the trees were losing most of their leaves, and winter was just around the corner. From what her cousin told her, winter in Gunsmoke, Alabama, wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Anyways, back to the story (I just wanted to clear up a few things as to the season and the weather). Vash silently walked Meryl to her front door. Before she could open it, Vash cleared his throat to get her attention. It worked.

Meryl glanced up at the tall blond, waiting for him to say whatever it was that he had to say.

Vash grinned nervously. "Uh, say…Nick and I have this huge tournament next week…and I was wondering…if you would like to go? You know, for support or something…" He trailed off.

Meryl raised an eyebrow. "Okay, sure."

The boy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? You'll go?"

Meryl nodded to confirm what she had just said, causing Vash to jumped up in excitement, grab her in a tight hug, and kiss her on the cheek.

Meryl was shocked as she watched Vash run off to his house. Who would've known that he would get so excited?

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Saturday,
The night of Nick's party
9:00 PM (speeding through time here)

"Okay, the number is by the 'fridge, call it if you have any trouble, okay, Nicholas?" Nick's mother, Janet, said to her son. She and Demetrius were about to leave for the weekend.

Demetrius gave his older son a strained look. "I'm trusting you Nicholas D. Wolfwood. I don't want a repeat of last time. You're lucky we're giving you this second chance."

Nick sighed as he waited 'patiently' for his parents to leave. "Look, Dad, it won't happen again, okay? Trust me. I'm your favorite son." He gave his parents a cocky grin, then continued. "Seriously, you can trust me. I will not let David play football in the house again."

David glared at his brother. "That wasn't my fault!"

The older Wolfwood son ignored his brother. "Anyway, just go, before you miss your flight!"

Janet laughed. "Trying to get rid of us, huh?" She gave Nicholas a kiss on the cheek. "You boys behave."

Nicholas gRemaced as he wiped 'mother germs' off his beautiful face. "Mom, just go already!"

She then kissed her youngest son. "Alright, but remember, no parties."

"Yeah, sure, mom." Nick grinned mischievously as he crossed his fingers behind his back.

Demetrius looked around as if realizing something. "Where's Meryl?"

Nick shrugged. "Probably still in bed. You know how women can be." His mother glared at him and he sheepishly backed away. "Uh, kiddin' mom…"

"Well, tell her that the extra money is in the envelope in the kitchen on the counter." And with that finally said, Mister and Missus Wolfwood left the house, bidding their sons a final farewell as they went for their weekend long vacation in the Bahamas.

As soon as he was sure that their car had left the driveway, Nicholas did a Fred Flintstone, jumping and clicking his heels together. "YES! They're finally gone! I got the house to myself, again, for the weekend!!"

David rolled his eyes as he walked from the room. "Sheesh, grow up."

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Two Hours Later
Saverem Residence
Vash's Room

Vash was frantically searching his closet for something, all the while murmuring. "Oh man…where is it? Where is it? Come on! Come on! It has to be here somewhere!" He threw article of clothing after article of clothing out of his closet, only pausing for a second. "Hey, I was looking for this shirt." He then shrugged and threw that out, too.

"Looking for something, brother?" Knives asked, entering the room, not really caring about what it was that Vash was looking for.

Vash quickly spun around, startled by his brother's sudden appearance. "Kn-Knives!? What are you doing here?"

Knives shrugged as he leaned up against the doorframe. "Oh, I just thought I'd have a little…'chitchat'…with my brother, is all."

Vash gave his twin brother a suspicious look. "Chitchat? What about?" He cautiously sat on his bed, waiting for his brother to continue, an uneasy feeling arising in the pit of his stomach.

Knives crossed his arms. "Oh, nothing special, really. I've been doing a bit of…research, if you would. I found out a few interesting things, facts about us. You and me, brother."

Vash raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Knives?"

Knives laughed. And somehow, this laughter scared Vash to the core. A cold, freezing, shiver ran up his spine as the laugh of his twin echoed throughout his head.

Abruptly, Knives laughter ceased, his eyes a chillingly icy color as he looked upon the other boy. Vash was becoming afraid of his own twin brother. "Knives…?"

Knives didn't budge, didn't even appear to be breathing. When he finally spoke, it shook Vash to the very core of his soul. "We're different, Vash. This world we're living in, it isn't real. None of it is. We are the only real beings here. We are the true gods that these mortals seek."

Vash shook his head. "Knives, what's gotten into you? This doesn't sound like you at all! What do you mean, 'gods'? We're not gods! And everything is real!"

"Is that what you believe, brother?" Knives huffed, narrowing his eyes. "Believe me, brother, there is much more to this that meets the eye. So much more. Think it over," he said, and turned to leave. Suddenly he glanced back. "I'll be waiting for you." And then he was gone.

Vash released the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding, and fell back against his bed. He was sweating, but his body was as cold as ice. What had just happened here? What was wrong with his brother? And what was he talking about? 'None of this is real?' So many questions…and so little answers…

The object he was looking for was long forgotten.

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Later that Night

Knock, Knock!
Knock! KNOCK!

Meryl groaned as someone banged on her bedroom door. She angrily stood up from the desk she'd been sitting at, deeply engrossed in her book, "A Midsummer's Night," by Shakespeare (that was the first story to come to mind!).

She tore open the door, ready to curse out whoever was on the other side, only to have that someone shove their way into her room. Meryl raised an eyebrow, her intended insult gone from her thoughts as she stared at the distracted person now standing in her room. "Vash?" she asked, unsure of herself as she gently shut the door. Vash looked a mess. "Vash? Are you okay?"

Vash restlessly shook his head. "No, I-I'm sorry if I'm bothering you…I'm not, am I? I just…needed someone to talk to…I'd leave if you asked me to."

Meryl glanced longingly at her fallen book before turning back to the distressed young man. She sighed. "No, it's okay. Vash, what's wrong? You look worried."

"It's Knives," was the only thing he said.

"Knives…?" Meryl raised an eyebrow. Why would Vash come to her about his brother?

Vash sat on the bed, placing his head in the palms of his hands. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "He's…something's different about him…I know he was crazy before…but now, now he's just…I don't know how to explain it," Vash said.

Meryl sat down next to him, allowing him to take his time. "It's okay, take your time. I'm here to listen…"

Vash looked up at her, a slight smile curving his lips. "Thanks…" He took another deep breath before turning his head away and staring at the carpeted floor. "Well…Knives, he was saying these weird things. Things like "we're different" and "everything isn't real" and "we're gods". It was really freaking me out…but, that's not the worst of it…his eyes, they were…dark…cold…emotionless. They had no feeling in them whatsoever. It was like…looking into a hollow shell of someone who used to be. It scared me Meryl. That my brother, my own twin, could be something so…cold….so…" He trailed off. He wanted to burst into tears, he was afraid that he had lost his only brother, his best friend (besides Nick, of course), the closest thing he has, the one person he knew even before he was even born.

Meryl stayed silent as music from downstairs sounded through the walls and floor. Nick had started his party, but they paid it no mind.

She wasn't sure of what to do. Here was a troubled young man in her room…sitting on her bed…She was knocked out of her thoughts as Vash spoke once more.

"You know, we're adopted."

Meryl cleared her head and turned to face Vash. "Huh?"

"Knives and I, we're adopted. Rem isn't our real mother. Kit-Kat isn't our real sister, either. We never knew our real parents… I'm not even sure if we had any real parents."

Meryl felt real sympathy for him, but he didn't need her pity; what he needed was a shoulder to lean on, and she could provide that shoulder. For his sake, she could be his support.

"Knives and I were alone most of our lives, up until we were six, when Rem took us in as her own. That was when Alex, Rem's husband, was alive. They couldn't have children, so they adopted. But, then a few months later, a miracle happened, and Rem was pregnant with Kit-Kat. Before Rem could tell Alex the news, though, he had gotten into a horrible accident. He died instantly. We were all devastated, Rem most of all. Well, of course she would be. After all, she lost the only man she ever truly loved. And he never knew that he was going to be a real father…Knives and I vowed to protect Rem and baby Katherine from any harm. For a while, we did good…but then Knives…he started to act weird…not as weird as now…but weird nonetheless…" Vash stopped, taking a deep breath.

Meryl's heart ached for the young man sitting beside her. She wanted to help him, she wanted to take all his fear and pain away. She wanted Vash to be happy, because he didn't deserve to be sad. No, not Vash.

Vash let out a bitter laugh, once more breaking Meryl out of her reveries. "You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all of this, huh?" He shrugged. "I don't know, really. I feel like I've known you my whole life. I feel closer to you than I've ever felt towards anyone, even Nicholas. I don't know why I feel this way, but I think…I think you coming here is the best thing ever happened to me." He turned to her, bright tears shining in the corners of his eyes. "Promise me…promise me you won't. Please?"

Meryl was speechless. She wasn't sure of what to say, but she knew what he needed her to say, what she had to say. Slowly, she nodded her head. "O-okay…I…I promise…"

Then Vash grabbed her into a tight hug, not wanting to let go. "Thanks, Meryl." The loud music from the party was the only sound as the two shared that promise.

They slowly pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes. Meryl noticed, for the first time, how beautiful Vash's eyes actually were. They were the most beautiful she'd ever seen in her life. Moving her hand as if it had a mind of its own, she reached to touch the tall blonde's face.

Vash quickly grabbed ahold of her hand and held on, the feel of her smaller hands in his sending a pleasant chill down his spine. "Meryl…" His voice was barely above a whisper as he said the girl's name.

Meryl smiled softly, not saying a word as their faces drew nearer. Meryl closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss to come. She was nervous, extremely nervous, since this was the first time in her life that she'd been so close to a guy. A very handsome guy.

Vash was a bit nervous, too, as he closed the few inches between them. Was this really happening? He couldn't believe it…he was actually here…in Meryl's bedroom…about to kiss her!

And then…it was like magic. Their lips touched. All the nervousness, doubts, and everything else was gone from their minds. This wasn't like some stupid sappy romance novel. No, this was the real thing. Meryl could see the fireworks going off in her head. She was actually kissing Vash the Stampede! Her first, real kiss.

Vash was ecstatic. Finally, something hit him like a ton of breaks (not literally), a realization dawning on him…those feelings he had been having lately. Those feelings that only came when he was around Meryl....was it…could he possibly be in…love?

"Love?"

Vash's eyes snapped wide open as he pulled back, startling Meryl. Vash stared at her with pain in his eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry…I…I shouldn't have…" He shook his head to clear out all thoughts. That wasn't his voice…it was...Knives?

A chilling laugh echoed in his head.

Meryl smiled, albeit regretfully. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't," Vash sighed. "I should…be going." He stood to leave.

Meryl shook her head. "No, please, stay a while longer" Vash raised an eyebrow, and she blushed. "To keep me company…since Nicholas is having that party downstairs…"

Vash grinned. "Sure…" But inside, he was feeling something entirely different. Something was going to happen…and soon…but when? And what?

Only time would tell…

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Lurking in the shadows, a sinister figure grinned. "Soon, my brother, soon it will all change, for the better of our race…for the better of humanity!" Evil laughter sounded throughout the dark night as the figure disappeared, seemingly like magic.

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This came out later than I would like, but it's here now!

I redid this chapter three times…well, you know what they say, "Third time's a charm!" or something or other. XD

But wow, this chapter was…awesome. I'm impressed. And you know what? It's all because of you. Thanks a lot! You guys are the greatest! group hug

And also, it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Kitsune, the greatest beta-reader in the world! Give it up for her!

Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be heading your way sooooon!

Happy New Years!!