Sorry I didn't put a disclaimer on the other chapters: I do not own Trigun or the characters, but I do own the characters I created.
"Hurry up slowpoke!" Called The small girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "You don't want to get lost again now do you?" She said with a smug smile.
"I'm comin'." The young boy with black hair and bright green eyes, replied. He ran and caught up with the girl.
It had been about two months after Nick's last incident of being lost. Ever since then he had been afraid to go on walks by himself, so he always invited Jade to come along with him. He never admitted it though. But there was another reason Nick always wanted her to come along, He wasn't sure what it was. Maybe he liked her? No that couldn't be it she's just a friend….Right?
"Your so slow, Wolfie almost fell asleep waiting for you." She giggled. Wolf, now looking more like a dog (well actually... a wolf) rather than a puppy, ran up to Nick and wagged his tail. Nick patted him on the head.
"If you two would stop running around town like a couple of maniacs I could keep up with you. You know it's called a 'walk' not a 'run'." He said bitingly
"What is this 'walk' you speak of?" She asked jokingly. She looked at Wolf "Do you know?" Wolf looked at her and cocked his head. Nick just smiled and rolled his eyes.
"Just slow down a little k?" He asked in a serious voice. "I don't want to get lost again." He said very quietly. Jade looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry for running away last time…I didn't know you would get lost." She said looking down at her feet. Nick looked at her and smiled a little.
"It's ok. I should learn to keep up with you." Nick smiled a little bigger "I'm practically an adult compared to you. I'm like your guardian when we're on walks like this." Nick grinned at Jade waiting for a response. Jade looked at him and put her hands on her hips.
"Your not that old. Your only like six months older than me." She smiled.
"Yeah well I've had six more months of experience than you have."
"Experience? Experience with what?" She asked with a questioning smile.
"Uhhhhh, well…..Lets just go." Nick put his hands in his pockets and began to walk with Wolf at his side.
"That's what I thought." Jade said with a triumphant smile. She ran up to Nick and walked at his side.
Nick always felt happy when Jade walked close to him like she did. And when she would accidentally bump into him he would always blush a little, but would turn his head so she wouldn't notice. He would try to deny the idea that he might like her. He always wondered if she might like him, but he tried to tell himself he didn't care who she liked. He would sometimes catch himself staring at her but when ever she looked at him he would turn his head. She noticed this and smiled. She put her arm into his.
"It's such a beautiful day today." She said with a happy sigh. Nick blushed and coughed.
"Yes, its quite lovely." he said nervously. She laid her head on his shoulder. Nick tensed up and became a little uncomfortable. But as he looked at her he began to relax a little. He smiled, and when everything seemed to be perfect a group of guys came out of a dark alley.
There was three of them. They were big and shady looking. Wolf arched his back and began to growl and snarl. Nick tried to ignore them and walk around, but they would step in front of him and not let him pass. Jade released Nicks arm. Nick stood in front of Jade trying to protect her. Wolf stood in front of Nick trying to protect him. The guys just smiled. Then before Nick could react the shady guys knocked him down and took Jade into the alley. Wolf jumped on one of them biting and tearing. He threw him against the wall knocking Wolf unconscious. Jade was screaming and kicking. Nick got up as fast as he could and ran to save Jade. The guys were trying to rape Jade. Nick yelled and punched a guy in the face.
"You little bastard!" The guy yelled as he punched Nick in the stomach. Nick fell to his knees holding his stomach. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he began to realize there was nothing he could do nothing but watch. No! He wouldn't just lay there and watch this horrible thing happen to his friend. He tried to get back up. But before he could, a foot came across his face. He laid on his back helplessly.
"God?" Nick asked quietly to himself. "P-please help." His vision began to blur as he was falling unconscious. But before he could black out he saw a tall man walk up from behind him. A very familiar looking man, a man wearing all black. Nick smiled, he knew who this man was. It was the same man who helped him when he was lost. But before he could see anything else he blacked out.
Nick awoke to a voice, a familiar voice. A calm, gentle voice telling him to wake up now. Nick looked up. He was still in the dark alley. Jade was lying unconscious next to Wolf who was also unconscious. Jade's close were all torn up and dirty. But next to them was the three shady guys beaten almost literally to death. Nick stood up slowly and looked for the man who had saved them, but no one was there. It was almost dark.
"Oh crap!" Nick thought to himself. "Mom's gonna freak." Nick then cringed in pain as he held his stomach. He walked slowly over to Jade and Wolf. He nudged her a little trying to get her to wake up.
"NO!" Jade yelled as she woke up quickly. She looked all around as if she had no idea where she was. Nick put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's ok it's all over." He said in a calm voice. She looked at him as tears began to brim in her eyes.
"Oh Nick." She put her face in her hands began to sob.
"It's ok. It's all over now." Nick said hugging her. She threw her arms around him and sobbed. She all of the sudden released him.
"A man saved me." She said excitedly. "He wore all black and he….He looked a little like you." She said quietly.
"We should be getting home now." Nick said standing up. He put out his hand to help her up. She put his hand into his and he pulled her up.
"Wolf!" she gasped. Nick walked over to were Wolf was laying. He was all right just unconscious. Nick picked him up. They both slowly began to walk home. It was almost completely dark now. They were almost home when they heard a voice calling there names.
"Nick! Jade!" came the voice from a very familiar figure. It was Milly.
"Mom!" Nick called. Milly looked towards them.
"There you are!" She said running towards them. "I was so worried!" She observed all three of them. "What happened to you two?" Jade began to cry. She ran over and hugged Milly.
"Oh Ms. Thomson! I'm sorry! It was horrible there was these three guys and they took me and Nick tried to save me but they were to big then a tall man wearing all black came and saved us and….." Jade cried all in one sentence. Milly looked down at her then looked towards Nick who was still carrying Wolf. Milly looked puzzled.
"What's all the commotion over there! Have you found Jade and Nick!" Came another familiar voice. Jade looked up and released Milly and ran over to the voice still crying.
"Mommy!" She ran over and hugged Meryl.
"Where have you two been! We've been worried sick about you guys!" Meryl said in a harsh yet relieved voice. Jade just cried and repeated the same sentence she said to Milly. Soon Vash heard all the commotion and ran over to see what was going on. Jade, hugging her mom and dad, was still crying.
"Are you ok Nick?" Milly asked running over to Nick.
"I'm ok, but I'm not so sure about Wolf." Nick said holding up the unconscious dog.
"Let's all go inside and you two can tell us what happened while we get you fixed up." Milly said putting her arm around Nick. Nick sighed and nodded. Vash ran over to Nick and Milly.
"Are you ok Nick?" He asked in a concerned voice. Nick just nodded. "here I'll take him for you." Vash said putting out his arms. Nick put Wolf into Vash's arms. They all walked inside.
They all sat on the couch and listen to Jade tell the story. Jade sat between Vash and Meryl, and Nick sat between Milly and Vash. Nick said nothing the whole time. He would just nod his head.
"Oh Jade, I'm so sorry this happened to you." Meryl said almost in tears. Jade had stopped crying now and had become a lot more quiet.
"Mommy I'm really tired. I'm gonna just go take a bath and go to bed now." Jade said quietly as she got up from the couch. Meryl got up with her and lead her to the bathroom.
Nick watched Jade walk up the stairs. She was looking down. Then she looked towards him and smiled a little. He quickly turned his head and looked towards Wolf, who was finally waking up.
"Are you ok honey?" Milly asked putting her hands on his shoulders. Nick just nodded. She sighed and got up from the couch. She kissed him on the head and walked to her room. "Good night." She said before shutting her door.
Vash looked at Nick who was still looking at Wolf. "You haven't said much tonight, are you sure you're ok?" Vash asked in a concerned voice.
"I want you to train me." Nick said looking slowly towards Vash.
"What?" Vash asked a little surprised.
"I want you to train me to be a skilled gunman like you. I-I want to be able to defend myself, my family….Jade." He said very quietly. He looked down at his feet. "After today…I want to be able to protect people… I don't want to be helpless anymore." Tears began to fall from his eyes. He looked up at Vash. "After seeing Jade in trouble like that and me not being able to do anything to help, I-I felt so useless." He grabbed Vash by his coat. "Please train me!" He put his face into Vash's chest and begged him. Vash looked at him and sighed.
"I will train you. But you have to promise me that you will never kill another human being as long as you live and you will only use those skills to protect those who can not protect themselves." Vash said in a very serious voice.
Nick looked up to him and in a very calm, serious voice said "I promise."
Eight years later
"Hey mom! I'm taking Wolf for a walk!" called Nick.
"Ok honey!" Milly replied.
Nick was now eighteen years old. He was very tall, had bright green eyes, slightly shaggy black hair, and wore long, black pants with a long sleeved white shirt that he never tucked in. He looked almost exactly like his father, only a younger version of him. Same hair color, same hair due, same height, and same facial expressions. The only thing different was his eye color. He had Milly's bright green eyes, but they didn't have that innocent, child like look to them like hers. He had Wolfwood's deep, serious looking eyes. He never realized how much he looked like his father because he had never seen his father or even knew what he looked like.
"Wolf! Come'er boy!" He called.
Wolf came running from the kitchen wagging his tail and panting happily. He was now ten years old but acted as though he was still a puppy. He was solid black with dark blue eyes. He had shaggy fur and both his ears stuck straight up. He looked more like a wolf rather than a dog. He came up to Nick's hip and was rather big. Once Wolf reached turned one he never seemed to age. He looked and acted the same as he did nine years ago. Wolf and Nick seem to have this strange connection, like Wolf seemed to understand what Nick would say to him, and Nick could understand what Wolf would be trying to tell him when he barked, whined, or just looked at him.
"Wait! Can I come with Nick?" Jade asked coming out of the kitchen following Wolf.
Jade was also eighteen, only six months younger than Nick. She was very pretty, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was slim and slender and fairly tall (not as tall as Nick though). She had always secretly liked Nick and he felt the same with her. They never told each other how they felt but some how they both knew that they liked each other.
"Uhhh I need a little time alone today. I'll let you come with me tomorrow, I promise." He said looking at her with apologetic eyes.
"Oh its ok, I don't mind." she said looking a little disappointed. "I'll just hang out with dad." she said looking over towards Vash who was laying on the couch asleep.
"I'll hang out with you when we get back." Nick said with a smile. "Let's go Wolf." He said walking out the door.
It was a bright and sunny day as always. As Nick walked down the dusty road Wolf would run around happily sniffing everything they walked by. They walked for a while when all of the sudden Wolf stopped. Nick looked at him.
"What's wrong boy?" He asked a little worried. Wolf didn't respond, he just stood there staring straight ahead. "Wolf?" Then without warning Wolf just ran ahead. "Wolf?" Nick ran after him. "Wolf! Come back!" He called running after him. Wolf finally stopped. Nick caught up and looked at Wolf. "What's wrong with you?" He asked catching his breath. Wolf just stared. Nick looked at what Wolf was staring at. It was a man. "Oh I didn't see you."
"This your dog?" The man asked in a calm voice.
"Yeah, his name's Wolf."
"You should get him a leash." The man said casually.
"He usually doesn't need one. I've never seen him act like this." Nick said looking down at Wolf.
The man was very tall, with short, slightly shaggy, black hair. He wore a black suit, with a white collar sticking out from under the suit, he had small cross shaped cuff lings on each sleeve, wore goldish/brown colored shoes, and wore dark sunglasses. Nick observed him. He was leaning against a building smoking a cigarette.
"I haven't seen you around here before. Do you live here?" Nick asked watching him smoke.
"No, I'm just a wander." He said taking a puff of smoke.
"You know smoking is bad for you? I've heard that for every cigarette you smoke you take away five days of your life." He said leaning up against the wall next to him.
The man looked at him and smiled. He began to chuckle then his chuckling turned into laughing.
"What you don't believe me?" Nick asked sounding a little offended.
The man stopped laughing and looked at him still smiling, then looked the other way. "You sound just like your mother." He said quietly.
"What?" Nick asked a little confused.
"I said you sound just like my mom." He said casually.
Nick observed him a little more. The man looked very familiar but he couldn't figure out why. Then it hit him. That was the man who helped him when he was lost and saved Jade. Nick's eyes widened.
"Y-your that guy." Nick said almost in a whisper. The man just smiled.
"Well, I'd better get goin'." the man said throwing his cigarette on the ground and stomping it out. "You better get goin' too." He put his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. "May you go with the love and protection of almighty God." He said pulling out one of his hands from his pocket waving. Nick just stood there. He looked down at Wolf who was now finally looking at him.
"Wait! Can you at least tell me your-" He said looking back up. "name?" The man was gone. Nick looked all around. The man was no where in sight. Wolf looked at Nick and cocked his head. "I don't know boy…I don't know." He said quietly.
Mean while
Milly was up in her room looking through her stuff. She came across an old picture of her, Vash, Meryl, and Wolfwood. Tears began to fall from her face. She then found a picture of her, Vash, Meryl, Jade, and Nick. She put the two pictures together. "Nick…..looks just like him." She said quietly to her self. She leaned against her bed and looked at the two pictures. She put them down and put her face in her hands and began to weep. While leaning she felt something in her coat pocket. She reached into it and pulled out an old cigarette. She looked at it and remembered where it was from.
Milly and Wolfwood where walking arm in arm. Wolfwood pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Milly Grabbed it from his mouth "Wha- Hey!" He whined.
"Smoking is bad for the baby darling." She said smiling innocently.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that honey!" He said in a little bit of an irritated voice.
She had put that cigarette into her coat pocket and had not noticed it in over twenty years. She was absolutely amazed that it had been in her pocket this whole time and she had never noticed. It was bent and torn, but still intact. She held it in the palm of her hand and looked at it for a while. She then crushed it. It was so brittle that when she had opened her hand it was just ash. She then threw herself onto the bed and began to cry. In the chair next to her bed sat Wolfwood. He had been watching her. She had not noticed him, probably of the fact that she couldn't see him. He had tears running down his face.
"I'm so sorry Milly." He said quietly. He got up slowly from the chair and walked out the door.
She then heard the door slam. Nick was home. Milly quickly got up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She came out of her room to greet him.
"Hey Nick." She said with a smile.
"Hey mom." Nick said smiling back. Milly just starred at him for awhile. Nick looked at her oddly. "Mom?"
"Oh I was just thinking of how much you look like your father." She smiled and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, but was a little concerned.
"Are you all right?" Nick asked in a concerned voice. Milly looked at him.
"There's something I need to show you." She said seriously. She grabbed him by the wrist and drug him to her room.
"What's wrong mom?" Nick asked now sounding worried. She walked over to her dresser and picked up the picture with Nick's father in it.
"That's your father." She said handing him the picture. Nick's eye's narrowed as he looked at the picture of his father.
"Th-that's my dad?" He asked not taking his eyes off the picture. Milly nodded.
Nick was in shock. The picture of his dad, it was the same person who helped him when he was lost, saved Jade, and he had just talked to. That couldn't be possible, his dad had been dead for twenty years now. How could he have helped him. Maybe that's why Wolf was acting so strange around him, maybe that's why he seemed to have just disappeared. Nick sat on the bed. He couldn't believe it.
"I have something for you now." Milly said walking towards her closet. Nick looked up. She opened her closet and pulled out a huge cross shaped object. It was wrapped in a white cloth with black straps all around it. "This was your father's." she said trying to pick it up. Nick walked over and helped her out.
"This thing is awfully heavy." Nick said picking it up.
Milly smiled "That's because it's so full of mercy." She said chuckling a little.
"What?" Nick asked
"It's something he would always say when someone commented on how heavy it was." She said looking down.
"What is it?" Nick asked trying to hold it up.
"You'll have to ask Vash that. He has been training you, he'll teach you how to use it." Milly said looking up at him. Nick leaned the punisher against the wall and hugged his mother. She put her arms around him and began to weep. "You look so much like him." She said quietly. "Don't ever leave me." She said burying her face into his chest.
"It's ok mom, I'm not going anywhere." He said trying to comfort her. She released him and began to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"I know." She said sniffing. She sighed.
"I'm going to go talk to Vash now……are you going to be ok?" He asked picking up the cross punisher. She nodded and smiled. He smiled and walked out the door.
"Hey Nick." Jade said "What's that?" She asked observing the cross.
"I'm not sure but I'm going to find out. Where's your dad?" He asked.
"He's in the kitchen." She said pointing towards the kitchen.
"Thanks." He said smiling. He walked into the kitchen where Vash was eating a doughnut. Vash looked up at him and dropped his doughnut.
"Where did you get that?" He asked pointing at the cross punisher.
"My mom gave it to me. She said to ask you what it was and how it worked." Nick said leaning against it. "So, do you know what it is?" He asked looking at Vash.
"That was your father's." Vash said not taking his eyes off the cross punisher.
"I know that, but what is it, what does it do?" Nick asked anxiously.
"It's a weapon, a gun. Actually guns." Vash said getting up from the table.
"What do you mean guns? Wasn't my dad a priest or something?" Nick asked picking up the punisher.
"He was no ordinary priest." Vash said with a smile. "I'll show you." Vash said leading him outside. "Let's go to our old training spot. I'll teach you how to use it there."
They walked out of the town and to a wide open space where there were no buildings or civilization within a couple of miles. Vash took the cross punisher from Nick. He planted the base of it on the ground and opened the sheet that was covering it. The sheet and all the black straps covering it flew off and fell to the ground. Nick's eyes widened as he saw what was under the sheets. It was a huge silver, cross shaped weapon with a handle right in the middle of it. He still wasn't sure how it worked, but that's why Vash was showing him. But before Nick could say anything the middle part of the cross opened revealing and lot of little hand guns. Nick watched Vash's every move very carefully.
Mean while
Jade sat on the couch with Wolf sitting next to her. She sighed and patted him on the head.
"I'm so bored!" She said leaning back against the couch. Wolf just stared at her. "Nick and dad have been gone for like an hour and mom and Mrs. Thomson are working….I need someone to talk to." She whined. She looked at Wolf who was looking at her as though he was listening. She sighed. "Sure, why not." she said shrugging her shoulders.
She began to talk to Wolf as though he was human and he listened. After about five minutes of talking to Wolf and telling him her problems she began to laugh. She felt stupid for the fact that she had been talking to a dog and not only that, but also that she enjoyed it. It was like talking to someone who actually listened. She sighed and looked down at her feet.
"You know I've always liked Nick…..but I've always been afraid to tell him….I'm afraid he won't like me back." She said softly. Wolf was looking at her intently. "Ya know what? I'm gonna tell him! I don't care if he doesn't like me back, I'm gonna tell him!" She said looking at Wolf. He began to wag his tail.
It was now late afternoon and Nick and Vash had just returned home. Jade jumped up from the couch to great them. Wolf jumped up too. Nick just walked up to his room carrying the huge cross punisher on his back, saying nothing. Wolf followed him. Jade watched him go up to his room with a sad look on her face. Vash put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. She just sighed and sat back down on the couch. Vash sat next to her and put his arm around her.
"What's wrong honey?" He asked with a cheerful smile.
"Oh nothing." She sighed.
"Hey Jade!" Nick said coming out of his room.
"Yes?" Jade said jumping up from the couch.
"I'm gonna take Wolf for another walk. Wanna come with?" He said smiling at her.
"Yes!" She said a little too inthustiasticaly. "Er-I mean, sure why not." She said with a nervous smile.
Nick smiled and walked to the door holding it open to let Jade go out first. As the three of them walked out Vash sat on the couch with a big grin on his face.
It was a beautiful evening as Nick, Jade, and Wolf walked down the dusty road. They walked for about twenty minutes not saying much to each other. When finally Jade stopped.
"Nick." She said softly.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I need to tell you something." She said looking at him.
"What is it Jade?" He asked in a concerned tone.
"Nick, I-I like you, a lot……And I mean more than just a friend. I have since we were little. I know you probably think I'm weird now but…..I wan't to know…..do you like me more than a friend too?" she asked very quietly.
Nick looked down "No" he said softly. "I have never liked you."
Jade's eyes began to swell up with tears. She turned away. "I-I understand." she said in a quivery voice about to walk away.
But before she could take a step away Nick grabbed her. He turned her around and held her close to his body. "I have never liked you, I have always loved you." He said looking into her eyes. She looked into his eyes and smiled and he smiled back.
Their bodies pressed against one another. Their lips pressed against each other as they began to kiss. Jade put her arms around Nick and he put his arms around her. They were embracing each other, lost in one another's kiss. Niether of them wanted the moment to ever end.
Suddenly Wolf began to bark, it was getting late and they needed to get home. They smiled at each other and walked home arm in arm. When they arrived Meryl was sitting on the couch next to Vash.
"Where have you two been!" Meryl asked in a irritated voice. Jade and Nick looked at each other.
"Uhhhh just taking Wolfie for a walk." Jade said with a nervous smile. Nick nodded his head in agreement. Vash just smiled.
"Hey where's my mom?" Nick asked.
"She's in the kitchen." Meryl said pointing towards the kitchen.
"Thanks." Nick said walking towards to the kitchen.
Nick walked into the kitchen to find his mother eating a cup of pudding. He smiled at her and gave her a hug.
"Hey mom what's up?" He said in a cheerful tone.
"Oh nothing. You?" she asked hugging him back.
He just smiled and sat across from her. "Nothing." he said casually.
She just looked at him. She didn't belive him. "Mhmm." she said smiling. "So did you and Jade have a nice walk?" She asked casually still smiling.
"Yeah." He said with a big grin.
"You little rat!" She said cutely. "You two are together now aren't you?" She asked happily.
"What gives you that idea mother?" He asked innocently.
"Don't play that game with me mister. Trust me a mother knows these things, and besides you've never called me mother in your entire life except when you had something to hide." She said with a triumphant smile.
Nick just looked at her and smirked. Before he could say anything Vash, Meryl, and Jade walked into the kitchen. Vash was smiling, Meryl looked like she was going to cry tears of joy, and Jade looked embarrassed. Nick got a nervous look on his face. Vash sat next to him and put his arm around him. Meryl sat on the other side of him. She looked at him for awhile then hugged. Nick looked at Jade with a puzzled look. Jade just shrugged her shoulders. Milly said nothing, she only smiled.
"Wow look at the time! I better get to bed." Nick said pulling up his sleeve and looking at his bare arm. He got up from his chair and said good night to every one.
He walked to his room, Jade followed him.
"Good night Nick." She said as she kissed him on the cheek.
"Good night." He replied with a smile.
Nick went into his room. He lied on his bed and smiled.
Jade walked to her room. She put on her P.J.s and got into her bed. She heard her parents go into their rooms. Finally every one was in their rooms asleep. She was sleeping very peacefully untill she heard a noise. She opened her eyes and relized her window was opened. She sat up.
"Huh? That's funny, I don't remember leaving that open." She thought to herself. She shrugged her shoulders.
She looked at the foot of her bed. Her eyes widened as she saw a man standing at the foot of her bed. But for some reason she couldn't scream. His eyes narrowed as he smiled an evil, empty smile.
"Hello, niece."
End chapter Three
Du du duuuuu! smiles Well that's chapter three, I hope you liked it! I know this one is a lot longer than the other ones but I put in in story form for ya guys. And just incase you were wondering Jade did NOT get rapped in that one scene, those guys were TRYING to rape her but they couldn't 'cause Wolfwood came and kicked their asses! smiles…. Reviews please!
