He felt an enormous amount of pain radiate from one of his legs as he tried to shift it, quickly remembering why his leg hurt he silently cursed the animal under his breath for its lack of cooperation. Remembering the dream he felt a sense of foreboding, he, in his dreams had kissed Rem, instead of Meryl, so what does that mean?

"Meryl! He's awake!"

A heavy sigh was heard from behind Milly as she bent down towards Vash, he opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurred slightly and came back into focus, Vash looked up at Milly,

"Gee Mr. Vash that sure was a heavy fall,"

He gave a heavy sigh, grinning awkwardly he laughed,

"Yea, me and pain are old friends,"

"Milly, can you please leave so I can talk to Vash in privacy?"

His grin vanished as he watched Meryl from the bed he was laying in, why was she looking at him like that?

Milly felt the tension build in the room, but being able to do nothing only nodded lightly as she walked towards the door,

"Okay Meryl, see you later Mr. Vash,"

When they heard the door click shut Meryl turned her head away from Vash, her voice came out softly,

"What are you doing here?"

"Why else, to bring you home,"

Meryl slumped into a wooden chair and cupped her head into her hand, after a moment of silence, Vash spoke up,

"I know… I know what you wanted… and I'm sorry, I never knew what I jerk I was, I should of never left you alone, especially in the condition Knives was in, I should have been there and told you were I was going,"

He expected a response, but when he got none he hesitated a little, before continuing,

"If you want to know were I disappeared to, I got a job down at the bar, I really did, the reason why I never had money was because I wanted to buy you something."

He looked away in shame,

"Every time I left to work though, I had a need to drink, and at times I had more than I should of, I'm sorry,"

He breathe in and sharply exhaled, taking out a little box he opened it slowly to show her,

"This is what I was going to get you, a ring, Meryl, I lov-"

"Vash the Stamped don't you dare say that!"

She hissed out trough her teeth,

"Meryl…"

She laughed bitterly,

"At first, all I wanted was for you to understand that no matter what I loved you, and it broke my heart when you would keep secrets from me, I've always wanted to be with you, and have you love me for who I am and not be a replacement for some woman who died more than a century ago!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Rem!"

She screamed, her voice fell down to a mere whisper,

"She wasn't just a mentor to you was she? You loved her, and you're trying to replace me with her, now I understand why you cry out to her at night…"

"That's not true,"

"Isn't it?"

She replied coldly, as she stood up from her chair, he watched in horror as everything he wanted to say fell apart when he met her eyes, he could tell she had no sleep for the past few days and it worried him to see her so drained,

"Vash, I went to talk to Knives, and had a blood test sample, Vash, I'm related to Rem,"

He paused momentarily as his eyes grew wide,

"You….are…"

"Yes Vash! I'm related to her! After the results came in I pleaded with Knives to tell me everything he knew about you and Rem, and that's when I had no doubt that you really were using me for her, and I can't forgive you for that!"

Slowly getting up from the bed he mentally cursed himself for spraining his knee as he limply tried to walk over to her,

"Stay away for me Vash the Stamped!"

"Meryl, stop this I love you,"

"No Vash, you love Rem…"

"Meryl! Will you just listen to me!"

He clenched his fist into a tight grasp, trying his best to keep from yelling, that would only make things worse,

"I have Vash, and you've given me one too many excuses,"

She walked over to the door and opened it,

"Wait! Meryl!"

"We'll talk later Vash"

She looked up at him with a sad smile,

"You need rest,"

She slammed the door quickly as he heard her running towards the distance, he sat back onto the bed, he didn't feel like crying, but he felt like hitting something out of pure frustration. He wanted it to go away as he carefully fell back onto his bed, cautious of his sprained knee, it would regenerate in less than a week, then after it heals he would force her to listen to him. He knew she loved him, and maybe it was time for him to show her how much she meant to him. He didn't care what some stupid dream said, he loved her for many reasons, the way her cheeks flushed when she got angry, the way she smiles, the way she moves, the way her beautiful violet eyes shimmer in the moonlight, the way she snuggles against him, the way she lectured him about being an idiot but secretly enjoying it, she drove him crazy and he loved every minute of it.

He yawned loudly as he felt his eyelids grow heavy, it was getting dark outside as he was getting drowsy, tomorrow they would talk, today she was restless and it may have been because she lacked sleep, tomorrow would be better, he would talk sense into her, no more running away, he'd finally decided that tomorrow,

He would propose,

And she would accept…

Even if he had to tie her up and hog tie her to a chair and have Milly help him drag her to the church, he smiled at the thought of marriage, everything would work out in the end, he was sure of it...

Vash looked around, white feathers carelessly dropped onto the floor beneath him, vanishing into this air, he gave a sigh, all these dreams he was getting were irritating him, couldn't they just leave him alone? Couldn't they ever be pleasant dreams, like maybe have a dream were he has a supply of never ending donuts, beer would be good too…or maybe just food, some salmon sandwiched here and there… He felt himself shrink, Vash blinked a couple of seconds before he realized were he was, the ship, were all of the people were sleeping… He turned around and saw the reflection of a young boy, touching his face with curiosity Vash heard footsteps from behind him,

"Vash! You good for nothin' little piece of scum were are you?"

Turning his head quickly his eyes widened in horror, he recognized that voice… he felt his whole body become numb, he trembled slightly as he looked around,

No one was there to help him,

"Vash,"

The voice slurred as it came closer, he frantically looked around for a hiding place, no such luck, he was drunk, and the more drunk he was, the worse he became. Vash ran towards the exit, remembering perfectly were it was located, after running for a period of time he had realized that the exit was no longer were it was supposed to be, he turned around and saw him coming.

"Vash… c-ome here you worthlesh little brat, how many thimes, have I told you not to come in'ere, now I have to teach you a lesson,"

He could see the drunken smile form on the mans lips, trembling heavily he managed to get out of the mans grasps, tears flowing down his cheeks as he tried to remember this wasn't real, it was just a dream, he couldn't hurt him, it was just a dream…

He tripped, getting up he tried to run, but was held down fast as an arm dragged him back and to a corner, he whimpered,

"Steve, I didn't mean it, I don't know how I got here…"

He shut his eye,

it's only a dream, it's only a dream….

"You worthlesh scum, don'th know why we even keep something like you on board,"

Steve dropped him harshly onto the floor,

"Look at ya, you're not even human, you're a freak,"

Vashes eyes gazed up towards Steves, unfocused, and yet so cold…

"But things like you need to learn there place,"

He closed his eyes momentarily and opened them, the wicket grin only grew as his drunken form slowly hunched down. Vash saw him back up a little and knew what was coming, Steve lifted his foot slowly, still smiling as it came towards Vash, as he watched it come he did the only thing he could do,

He screamed

"Vash! Please! Vash! Wake up!"

He jumped off the bed, sweat trickled down his face as he tried to remember were he was, the orphanage,

"Mr. Vash, you scared me, are you alright?"

He looked up at Milly, he shook heavily and leaned on a wall for support, falling back onto his bed as pain shot from his injured leg, he extended a hand onto his face, trying to control his breathing, he laughed

"It really was just a dream… just a horrible dream…"

A worried look crossed over Milly's features,

"Mr. Vash?"

He smiled as he looked up at Milly, sighing as he fell back to his bed, his heart still pounding maniacally in his chest as he tried to relax.

"No Milly, I'm okay,"

"Are you sure?"

He nodded as he looked around frowning slightly he looked back up to Milly,

"Where's Meryl?"

"Well-"

She stopped as they heard whispers from the door, Milly frowned, walking towards the door he saw her open it, half of the kids scrambled out of sight, the others stood frozen to their spots,

"Alright, nothing to hear, all of you go outside to play and I don't want to see you in here again,"

She waged a finger at the remaining children,

"And if I catch you in here again I'll make sure to take away dessert, now tell all the others kids too, and don't let me catch you all again,"

They ran out of sight as her threat remained clear in their minds, she shut the door and looked at Vash,

"She's supposed to be outside taking care of the children…what were they doing in here… I need to check on them Mr. Vash, I'll be right back…"

She walked over to the door and left, leaving Vash alone, looking up at the ceiling he stared at it for a while as he waited for Milly to return, he wanted to tell her about his plan of action with Meryl and get an ok form her, he'd been contemplating with the issue when the door slammed open and closed sharply, he jumped up from his bed, twitching his eye a little as he felt the pain from his leg,

"Mr. Vash Meryl's gone!"

"What!"

"She's gone! I checked outside and they told me she was still in her room, so I went to her room, half of her stuff is still there but she wasn't, so I checked all over and found out that shed left earlier this morning in her car, "

"WHAT!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Vash…"

"No, no, no, no…."

"Mr. Vash... this isn't like her… I've known her long enough to know that this isn't like her... to run away from her problems…"

Vash slumped towards the floor,

"I just don't get it... what is she afraid of, is it… is it because I'm a plant…because I'm different…"

"No Vash, she loves you,"

"It must be because she's related to Rem…"

"Vash…"

She walked over to him and embraced him, trying to comfort him,

"Why does she keep running away…"

He chocked out as he started crying, Milly hushed him as she rocked back in forth, trying her best to comfort the blond gunman, wondering silently what her partner would accomplish by leaving. Stroking his hair in a smooth manner he stopped crying and looked up at Milly, as if something struck him hard in the face,

"What is it Vash?"

"It doesn't make sense…."

"What doesn't make sense Vash?"

"Meryl! How can she be related to Rem…"

"Wha.. what are you talking about…"

"Rem has no descendants! Her last descendant was wiped out completely about twenty-three years ago, if this is true… then…"

"Then what…."

"Ho no… no, no, no, I cant believe I fell for it…"

"Vash?"

She asked worriedly, his hysteria was scaring her,

"Milly, lend me your car!"

"but-"

"Milly please lend me you car,"

"Were are you going?"

"To find Meryl,"

She took her keys out of a pocket and handed them over to him, he bolted out of the room, not taking a second glance he got into the car and drove out to the dessert.

He watched the day go by, he kept his eyes peeled for a big structure, if his thoughts were right, then he had really screwed up… he saw a structure appear slowly in the distance, as he got nearer, he grimaced,

"A seeds plant,"

He parked the car and wobbled over to the door, stopping in front he was getting ready to break it open if possible, even blow it up, when it opened on its own , walking in he stayed alert for any sign of trouble, the lights turned on and he was greeted with his brothers presence,

"Vash, so good to see you, what do I owe this visitation too?"

"Cut the crap Knives were is she!"

Knives waved into the air,

"Were's who?"

"Meryl, were is she I know she's here!"

Knives friendly smile turned into laughter of delight as he placed a hand onto his face with a grin spreading over his features,

"Don't worry Vash, she'll never hurt you again…"

Knives pushed the button as a big screen behind him flickered on with information,

Welcome Vash…"

He lightly bent down, one hand extended backwards while the other tucked neatly under his chest,

"Welcome to the beginning of Eden."

Okay, confusing yes? no? Donuts?

Humm, okay, don't worry, next chapter will explain everything, were almost at the end, there are about one or two more chapters, thanks to those that reviewed,

later,