Living in a Dream
"So what happened again?" Meryl asked shaking her head her voice was hoarse and soar. She sipped on the water Milly had retrieved from the kitchen.

"You were dreaming, then you started to scream. I was so scared Meryl, I have never heard anyone scream like that. It was as if you where facing terror itself." Milly said softly, her kind eyes filling with tears.

"You woke up for only a moment before you fainted." Vash said watching her uneasy movements with hawk eyes.

"I though Milly was at the next town." Meryl managed to say.

"Meryl I came back nearly three weeks ago from digging that well." Milly said taking the empty glass from Meryl's hands.

"What. No it isn't possible." Meryl said her grey eyes, wide and confused. She ran her hand through her short black hair. "You only just finished the over well last week, when Vash came home."

"Mr. Vash came home a month ago Meryl." Milly said hugging her friend. "Don't you remember?"

"No I don't." Meryl said letting the words sink into her mind. "I can't remember, I can't remember anything."

"It is ok short girl." Vash said softly rubbing her head with his real hand.

"No it isn't." Meryl cried her holding her head in her hands. "I can't remember three whole weeks. Maybe even more. What is wrong? What is wrong with me?" Tears run down her soft cheeks. "I can't remember."

"Meryl…" Milly stared to speak when Meryl interrupted.

"You don't understand, I am forgetting again." Meryl said as she moved away from them. "I have forgotten myself once, now it is happening all over again."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Vash asked gently.

"NO!" Meryl snapped as she run to her room like an angry teenager. Meryl buried herself under her pillows. Crying and screaming, scared of what she didn't know and couldn't remember.

"It doesn't matter what you tell your friends or yourself but don't lie to me, I am still your commander."

"SHUT UP!" Meryl screamed.

"A leopard can't rub out its spots."

"STOP IT NOW!" Meryl's voice strained.

"Do you think you can just walk away from everything that has happened?"

"Please, please just stop." Meryl cried. "I just can't take it any more, that isn't me any more, who ever it is you are looking for I am not her." She curled tighter into a ball hugging her knees tightly.


"Pathetic." Meryl spat. "I hate petty jobs like this."

"We are in a time of peace, There is no enemies to fight." A woman with dark brown shoulder length hair next to her said.

"Oh please." Meryl sighed as she entered the elevator. "We both know 'peace' just means covert operations and assassinations. There is no actual peace, only cover ups."

The woman laughed. "Despite all that the job pays well enough and you can always say no."

"You know they just want us out of the way." Meryl said angrily. Her hands clenched at her sides. "They are going to start the projects again. They want a better result this time Kali."

"Yes that may be the reason they want us out of the way but you are incorrect." Kali said softly, emotion not touching her voice unlike Meryl. "They do not want a better result, they want a more controllable result. They want something that does not think or question but simple does every little thing it is told, they want a new slave class."

"And you are just going to let them." Meryl turned on her friend her grey eyes full of poison.

"What am I to do?" Kali asked calmly her soft grey eyes locked dead on with Meryl's.

"Something, anything." Meryl said pacing. "It isn't right. I just don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Do what?" Kali asked hints of concern finding its way to her voice. They walked out of the elevator and down the crowded hallway. After a while Meryl just stopped, her gaze went to the window, her eyes held an old sorrow.

"Look out there, Kali." She whispered. "There is nothing but greed and hate, we make a living off of that. But look beyond that to the one without a voice or ability to change what is happening. We are killing her; we are killing the Earth."

"It is ok. Everything will be ok." Kali placed a hand on Meryl's shoulder.

"We both know that is a lie." Meryl said. "Just like this mission. We are just going to be suspended in animation for an indefinite amount of time and then told it was a government blunder. I haven't even heard of spy satellite called Arrow 413"

"I hate the cold." Kali responded turning to leave her friend with her thoughts.


"Meryl?" It was Milly's voice that woke her. "Oh good you're awake. I'm sorry for not understanding last night. It must be scary to wake up and to have lost the memories of the past few weeks for no reason at all."

"It is ok… It's ok Milly. I guess I over reacted as well." Meryl said pulling herself out of the bed covers. She felt cold, so very cold like she had been frozen alive.

"I don't think you did." Milly said carefully.

"Oh look at the time. I haven't even written the report yet. I bet the boss wants to know what Vash has been up too, not to mention I need to do into town to pick a few things. I'll pick up the mail while I'm, ok?" Meryl said as she buzzed around the room getting dressing and brushing her hair.

"Don't you think you should take it easy for at least today?" Milly asked as Meryl walked out the door.

"Not worry so much Milly." Meryl said just too casually. "Good morning Vash! I am just going into town for a bit, see you all later." Meryl pulled open the door and briskly walked out. Meryl moved away from the house, the further she got the faster she moved until she was running towards the cliffs that Vash had sat upon before he had faced his brother. "I don't understand, I don't know what is happening to me." Meryl burst into tears. "That isn't me that woman is dead, and if she comes back I am as good as dead."


"Ah, unit 367861 AKA Meryl." A nerdish man in a white coat said as he looked at his notes on a clipboard. "Welcome back."

Meryl stood unsure of where the rest of her team was. She felt cold, a reaction one normally gets once they have been reanimated. "I correct in assuming that this is not the Arrow 413 spy satellite." She stated without surprise.

"Well, that thing is…" The scientist said suddenly nervous he had heard what these units could do when angry and this was only the first one.

"Let me guess." Meryl said knowing that once again the government had screwed them over. "There was some sort of malfunction on the satellite and they thought it best that the spy satellite be destroyed rather than fixed. Oh and then there was a filling error or something and we were forgotten about until now."

"Umm, well…" The squirmed beneath her gaze, he was hoping to be able to maintain a level of professionalism whilst doing this but how do you tell someone that they have been frozen for next to 100 years. "Miss Meryl, I have to inform you that you and your team has been under for quite some time. By our calculation you have been under for around 100 years."

"I see…" Meryl said her brain slowly processing this new information. "Tell me something, is my team still hear?"

"Yes." The poor man said slowly shaking so much that his glasses nearly fell off. "I have yet to bring them out of the deep sleep."

"Let me do it." Meryl said, she saw that the scientist's breathing became slower and more even. "Then we will expect a full explanation from your commanding officers."

"You can't run away anymore Meryl, your mind just can't handle it." The soft voice of a woman known as Kali said carefully as an arm draped over her shoulders. "It'll be ok. You won't die, you will just grow into something new."

"But I am afraid." Meryl said as she sobbed quietly.

"Once you let go, you won't fear anymore Meryl." Kali spoke again kissing Meryl on the top of her head. "It'll be ok."


A/N: Oh such wonderful people you all are.

Saraki, Thank you so much for your review. You're just too nice. You're in California? Wow I don't think I have ever known/talked to randomly with anyone for there.

Tigerrelly, I hate how Vash will live so much longer than Meryl too. It isn't fair. You know I really want to read your fanfic but I have never seen the show. Do u think I will understand it anyway?

Aine of Knockaine, Mother of two! Cool! I'm reading everyone's bio page at the moment it is really interesting. And I agree that Anime is VERY addictive. And you like A Perfect Circle, you must be the coolest mother in the entirety of the world. Oh and u like Vampire Hunter D, tell me have u ever been able to see the first one? I would love to know if it worth buying.

Buddi-chan, You're the best. WOW u have alter egos too, and I though I was the only one, well not really that was a lie. I have to go and chase something now bye.

Hugs to all.