Blue: Another case of writers' block, another chance to work on this story. I apologize for the wait, but like I've said before this isn't my main project. Don't worry though I have big plans for this story and I won't abandon it!

Ivey: I'm the one with the plans! I'm the muse!

Blue: Yes, yes… I know. Time for the review responses! Divinya9- Thank you for the compliment! I hope this story lives up to expectations. Gurlwithcat- No worries! I promise to finish it… eventually. Inkydoo- lol I hope you enjoy this update! AnimeFreaks13- Was this soon enough? Probably not… ::sigh:: My apologies. Aine of Knockaine- Of course Vash will go after her! After all, he is chasing the elusive mayfly of love! Jagaimo-Writer- Millie and Knives…? Hmmm… I'll take that into consideration. Thank you everyone for your reviews! They make me very happy!

Ivey: That's all it takes to make you happy? You need a life. Blue doesn't own Trigun. If she did I wouldn't let her make Vash such a crybaby.

Blue: He's not a crybaby! Well… maybe just a little…

Might As Well Be Strangers

By Blue

Chapter Four: The Chase Begins

"What brings you to December Mr. Gram?" Meryl asked while picking at her sandwich. They were seated at a small table in a noisy restaurant half an ile from the bus stop. Gram had insisted that she have an early lunch with him and she agreed without much hesitation. She did have to eat sometime and he was intriguing. There was something about the man across from her she couldn't quite figure out.

"Just passing through," he said vaguely after taking a sip from his glass. Meryl took another bite of her sandwich, wondering if this was a comfortable silent or not that they kept falling into. She didn't have any idea how to continue the conversation and chose silence over saying something ridiculous. Gram watched her with a small smile, tilting his head in contemplation. "So what will you do if you can't get your job back?" Meryl's mind drew a blank. She hadn't contemplated that possibility since she was so focused on persuading the chief to give her another chance.

"I don't know… I have family here. I suppose I could visit my brother for a few days, but then…" she trailed off.

"You'll go back to whatever you let your job for?" he offered casually.

"NO!" Gram blinked at her outrage and then asked teasingly.

"What are you running from Ms. Stryfe?" Meryl nearly choked on her tea and looked at him with a startled expression.

"What makes you think I'm running from anything?"

"Well…for someone who seems so organized and uptight you don't really have a plan, I'd beat everything you own is in that little pink bag of yours, and I remember you saying there's someone you 'can't escape.' What would you call it?" he asked.

"Starting over," she answered simply.

"Oh I see… my mistake," he said with a raise of his eyebrow and took another sip from his glass. The former insurance girl's mood shifted from stunned to annoyed in the blink on an eye. This guy didn't even know her! 'What does he know anyway?' she thought. 'I am not running from anything.' She chose to ignore the little voice inside her head that questioned this.

"I'm not running I just decided to stop waiting around for some stupid moron who's never coming back anyway. I'm moving on with my life!" she insisted banging her fist on the table. Gram looked at her over the rim of his glass a bit surprised.

"I wasn't trying to upset you," he said calmly. Meryl fished a $$10 bill out of her coat pocket and placed it on the table. Standing up quickly, she grabbed her bag and pushed her chair in.

"Thank you very much for lunch Mr. Morten, but I'm afraid I have to be going now." And with that she crossed the room, yanked the door open and let it slam shut behind her. Gram downed the last of his water and put a few crumpled bills next to the crisp ten. Slinging his jacket over his shoulder, he picked up his rucksack and followed suit.

"Mr. Knives what are you still doing here?" Millie asked in confusion. It had been two hours since Vash had left for December and naturally she'd assumed Knives had gone with him. Due to a massive hangover her eyesight was blurred, her head was throbbing and she felt sickeningly dizzy. When she first saw Knives she thought she might be hallucinating. She had been lying in her bed half awake and hadn't heard him make a sound so she couldn't be sure.

"My dear brother has requested that I remain here while he's in December," he stated coolly. 'Stuck me with babysitting duty is more like it. Damn you Vash!'

"Um…why?" she asked still confused.

"Isn't it obvious? To keep an eye on you, though I only agreed so Vash would stop his incessant whining. It's pathetic how much he cries," he answered, muttering the last part. Millie gave him one of her million double dollar smiles and started cleaning up the kitchen. "What are you grinning about?"

"Oh nothing really it's just you've changed so much Mr. Knives. It's nice to see you doing better." Knives didn't say anything to this. After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen she made a pot of coffee and they sat across from each other drinking in what was an oddly comfortable silence. Unlike most humans, Millie didn't completely disgust Knives. She had a kind innocence about her that wasn't put on and was always honest with him. For a while he thought she might be mentally handicapped, however some of the things she would say and her pure genius at chess made him dismiss that idea.

"I'm going to take a bath. Make yourself at home," she informed him with a smile and put her mug in the sink. Grabbing a fresh towel and washcloth from the linen closet, she made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Knives was surprised not to hear the click of the lock. 'She's too trusting…'

Vash sat anxiously in his seat fingering the leather journal in his lap. He was debating whether or not he should read it. Sure she'd thrown it out, but that didn't make it ok to read her private thoughts, did it? There was so much about Meryl he didn't know or understand. 'Well maybe just a peek wouldn't hurt…' he thought and released the clasp. It fell open to a page marked with a scrap of red cloth that looked suspiciously familiar. 'Hey this is part of my coat! When did she get this?' Shrugging he flipped to a page near the beginning of the book and read silently.

For the life of me I can't figure out how Mr. Wolfwood knew Millie and I were listening from the other side of the door! It was one of my more embarrassing moments, however neither he nor Vash seemed angry with us. In fact, he even invited us in for a drink. What kind of a priest is he anyway? I only had one shot, but Millie had at least six. Her impaired judgement was made clear when she concluded the best solution to the heat was to remove her shirt. In the future I will have to keep a closer eye on how much she has.

Vash flipped ahead a few pages.

How can people dare scar such a kind man? All Vash ever does is try to help people. That's why I didn't believe he was the Legendary Typhoon when we first met. The rumors say he's a heartless monster who destroys anyone or anything in his path, but I've seen him risk himself for others countless times. Not to mention he acts like a complete idiot most of the time.

The next page he read was barely legible. It had clearly been written with a shaky hand and had several tear stains.

It's been two weeks since we last saw Vash the Stampede. His tone was so harsh when he told me to stay back. It hurt me more than I care to admit, even to myself. I hate this ache in my chest when I think of him and I hate that I care what happens to him. Bernardelli has declared him the first official human disaster and we're to return to the main office. It's likely we won't ever see him again, which is all the more reason to forget these feelings. Besides we're not really even friends. All he sees me as is the short bitchy insurance girl and all he is really is a whiny, perverted, spiky-haired idiot.

Vash closed the journal with a sigh and slipped it into his bag. That was enough information for one afternoon.

Blue: Once again thank you for reading my story! Please review!

Ivey: I wanna quit!

Blue: You can't! Not if we still get good reviews.

Ivey: I hate you…