Disclaimers: Trigun belongs to Yasuhiro Nightow. I don't own anything related to Trigun except this fic.

Early Days

A Trigun Fanfiction by ntc

Part 3: Farewells and a New Beginning

It was the same dream that had plagued him many nights, especially years ago when he had yet to complete his revenge. Always, in his dream, he came back home to find his family gruesomely murdered. His son was just three years old. His wife… it was pure agony to think about what she had gone through before her life was snuffed out. Initially, he screamed when he got those dreams. Eventually, he learnt to stop screaming.

He had then dedicated the next few years of his life to avenging their deaths. No training had been too hard; no sacrifice too great. The murderers had been blatant about their crimes, leaving behind their 'signature' on the walls. They did not fear the law, and the law even protected them instead of bringing them closer to justice. That was when he lost faith and became an outlaw himself. It was a small price to pay for the peace it would grant the spirits of his dead wife and son. Or so he thought. That was how he had justified his actions, after all. But the whole experience had changed him, and he could no longer return to the life he once knew. He thought he could start anew; and for the past two years, he was almost convinced.

The illusion was shattered with the coming of a spiky-haired manchild with aquamarine eyes.

xXxXxXx

A voice called in the darkness. "He's waking up, Mrs. Thompson!"

Alex slowly opened his eyes and the first sight that greeted him was that of the matron's worried face. Seeing that he would be alright, she smiled. It was the same smile that had made him decide to take up baking two years ago. "Hi, ma'am," he croaked, not knowing what else to say.

She tenderly brushed the locks from his brow with one hand. "Get up, lazy bones. You've been asleep for two days. Those doughnuts aren't going to materialize out of thin air, you know."

"But wasn't the bakery razed to the ground?" he asked. He could still clearly remember the events of that day. It might have been better if he had forgotten it all, but his memory had the tendency to not let him down.

"Yes." Her voice turned soft. "Yes, it was."

They stayed in that comfortable silence for a while, neither wanting to be the one to break it. Alex didn't even know that the boy Vash had been inside the room until he heard the door close. The boy must have left to grant them their moment of privacy.

Best to stick to safe topics. "So what happened to the bandits? Those who are still alive?" he asked.

"Nelly and a group of able-bodied young men in the town had volunteered to escort them to the sheriff and get that bounty. They should be back here this evening."

The next question was more difficult to ask. "And was… the man… the one I was trying to… in the end…. was he…?"

The matron shook her head. "He's alive. He might have nightmares for a while, but he'll live."

Alex closed his eyes. He didn't even know that this incident was weighing on his soul until he felt the heaviness on his chest being lifted by the news. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I never wanted you to witness something like that."

"I know."

"And I've been deceiving you all these years, when you've been nothing but honest and frank with me."

"I know."

"And I'm one of those gunmen whom you hate so much. Ever since your son died in the hands of..."

"I know."

"Damn it, woman!" Alex was feeling irrational anger over the matron's calm acceptance of every transgression he had committed. "Why aren't you mad at me? How can you sit there and take all this without even batting an eyelid?"

A hand strayed to Alex's cheek and he yelped when he felt the pinch and tug. It was very much in the manner of a mother punishing a wayward child. "Cuss one more time and I'll wash your mouth out with soap," she threatened.

"Yes, ma'am." She released his cheek and he rubbed it vigorously in his comical exaggerated way.

The matron watched his antics and chortled. "I miss this side of you, Alex." She sighed, looking thoughtful. "I miss the baker's apprentice- the one who often forgets to buy the necessary ingredients; the one who burns his bread sometimes; the one who has way too high an opinion of the doughnuts he makes."

"Hey! My doughnuts are world-famous and don't you deny it," declared Alex huffily.

"Well, and it's all thanks to me, isn't it?" she retorted. "When you first started, you couldn't even turn the stove on without burning your fingers."

"You got me there, ma'am," said Alex. "And I do miss those days too." A moment of silence passed. "But now we both know that the baker's apprentice was a lie."

The matron stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll go fetch some broth and bread for you. I bet you're hungry."

Alex could tell that she was trying to avoid the issue. "Ma'am?"

She stopped with her hand on the door handle and reluctantly turned to look back at him.

"Thank you. The past two years had been nice."

The matron wordlessly nodded and walked out.

xXxXxXx

It took him another two days to recuperate sufficiently to walk out to the porch. He had found out that the house he had been staying in for the past few days belonged to Old Man Nelly.

He was sitting on the front steps when the owner of the house approached him. Alex knew that important matters were to be discussed from the old man's expression.

"Did you successfully get the bounty?" asked Alex, making an attempt at small talk.

"Yes," replied the old man. "A hundred thousand double dollars would go a long way to restore the damages that had been done to the town by those bandits. We've already hired workers to rebuild Mrs. Thompson's bakery."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Alex sincerely.

Old Man Nelly cleared his throat. "In the city… I saw posters of other wanted outlaws with even larger bounties on their heads. A million double dollars were offered for the capture of a man known as 'The Avenger'."

Alex studied the old man's face carefully and decided that there was no use pretending any longer. "Has it gone up so high already? It used to be only five hundred thousand."

"Alex," said Old Man Nelly, sounding sad, even pained. "It's not that we aren't grateful to you for saving the town from the Dalton Gang. We would let you stay here if we could. Lord knows we badly need a sheriff around these parts, but…"

"Ah, there's no need to fret. I fully intend to leave here as soon as these wounds stop bugging me. Just… just give me a few more days, alright?"

Old Man Nelly grunted. "If you don't mind me asking- what did you do to get such a huge bounty on your head, boy?"

"Some people I had to kill happen to come from very rich families."

Old Man Nelly started to look uncomfortable. "Have you ever regretted what you did?"

He could lie of course, but he was sick of lying already. "Never."

The old man turned his face away, as if he couldn't bear the sight of him, and got up to leave. "Make sure you're out of this town by next week."

Alex heard footfalls heading back to the house, the door opening and closing. Another set of footfalls approached him from the right. He looked up and saw Vash standing a couple of feet away from him. The boy shuffled his feet nervously. "Hi."

"Hi, kiddo," Alex greeted, forcing his lips to form a smile. Some part of him was still blaming the kid for the loss of his peaceful life in Carcasses, but the more rational part of his mind reminded him that he was the one who made the decision to help the kid out. If anyone was to be blamed, it was himself.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't help overhearing the conversation just now. I really didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Alex shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

The boy twiddled his thumbs. "What do you plan to do when you leave? Where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular." Outlaws were more often wanderers than not. You could only stay at one place so long before the bounty hunters catch a whiff of your whereabouts and come after you.

"Can you…?" The boy apparently lost his courage to complete his question.

Alex tried not to let it show how it hurt to have people- people whom he thought he was close to- fear him the moment they found out about his past. "Just ask what you've come here to ask, kiddo."

"Can you teach me how to shoot like you?"

It was certainly the last thing he thought Vash would say. Recovering from his surprise, he asked, "Why do you want to learn to shoot?"

"Um… When I saw you fight off those bandits alone a few days ago…"

"If you're learning to shoot just so you can kill more effectively, find another teacher," said Alex. 'You are such a hypocrite', chided a tiny voice in his mind but he ignored it.

"No!" shouted the boy. "I'm against killing! I absolutely abhor it! No one has the right to take the life of another!"

Alex was taken aback by the impassioned outburst. "Then what can possibly be your reason for learning to shoot? A gun is a killing weapon for goodness' sake!"

"That incident a few days ago made me realize one thing. If I want to be good at taking lives, I have to be a good marksman. If I want to be good at saving lives, I have to be better than merely 'good'. I would have to be the best there is." Vash looked determinedly into his eyes. "And I want you to teach me because the shots you fired weren't aimed to kill; only to incapacitate or disarm. Except… except what nearly happened at the end."

"He wouldn't be the first." Alex saw how his reply caused Vash to flinch. Such an innocent. "I've killed before without any regrets. I don't want you to harbour the impression that I'm some kind of saint. Far from it, my young friend."

"The past doesn't matter, does it?" The boy said it as if he was trying to convince himself. "I still wish to learn from you."

Alex scratched the back of his head. As tempting as it was to leave behind a legacy… Alex recalled how steady the boy's arms were. Vash certainly had the makings of a good marksman. Given the proper training, Alex had no doubts that the boy would surpass him one day. "No," he finally said.

Crestfallen, the boy asked, "But why?"

"Because it would be merely a waste of my time and yours."

"What do you mean?"

Alex stood up and dusted off the back of his jeans. "I don't think you have the guts to pull the trigger, kiddo." He secretly wished that Vash would remain this way and avoid getting his hands stained by blood and death. He was beyond redemption, but it was not too late for Vash.

"I do! And I… I had!" said Vash, grimacing as he made that last admission.

"Well, I'm not convinced," said Alex, deciding not to ask the boy about the circumstances that had driven him to shoot for the first time. "When you wanted to prevent me from killing that bandit, why didn't you fire your gun? Instead of shooting, you lobbed your entire gun at me like a projectile."

"I didn't want to risk injuring you by shooting. My aim isn't that good. That's why I want you to teach me!"

It sounded like a plausible reason, but… "Prove it to me then."

"Prove?" asked Vash apprehensively.

"Fire your gun at me and I'll consider training you."

"But that's… that's dangerous!" cried Vash, appalled by the idea.

"Look, kiddo," said Alex. "A gunman has to be prepared to receive what he dishes out to others. I've been shot at more times than I could count, so I'm used to it. What I want to find out is whether you'll get used to the idea of shooting at another person, knowing that you could kill that person if your aim is just slightly off."

"I…" The boy's internal struggle was almost painful to watch. "I can't do it, Alex. Don't make me do it. Just give me another test."

Alex turned his back on the boy and walked back to the entrance of the house. "Then this discussion is over."

xXxXxXx

The children in the town were sorry to see him go. He had grown close to the children after spending most of his evenings wrestling with them and losing to them all the time (They always fought unfairly, relying on overwhelming numbers to twist him into a pretzel). They also loved him for the sweet cakes and pastries he would sneak from the bakery and distribute around. The matron had been fully aware of it, though it took him some time to find out that she knew.

With a heavy heart, he bade farewell to the children, calling each child by name and eliciting promises from them that they would look after themselves and their families. As parting gifts, he gave each of them a bag of doughnuts he had personally made. They admitted that they had never liked his doughnuts, but they would eat every single one of his doughnuts this time because they liked him. 'Little brats', thought Alex affectionately whilst mussing their hair as payback for their unkind remark about his cooking skills. They squealed and scampered away, into the arms of their anxious parents who were standing nearby.

Sensing the less warm and friendly vibes from the adults, Alex knew that it was time to leave. He waved a final goodbye to the children and walked down the road that would lead him away from the town. He carried a backpack that contained a few pieces of clothing, some provisions, his gun and two boxes of bullets. Aside from the gun and bullets, all his other belongings had been destroyed in the fire together with the bakery. The matron had been the one who paid for most of the things he now carried with him. She had also forced two thousand double dollars on him to cover his traveling expenses, claiming that they were leftovers from the bounty that was rightfully his. Alex owed the woman more than he could ever repay in his lifetime.

Speaking of the devil (or, in this case, the angel), the matron was waiting for him near the arch that marked the main entrance of the town. She greeted him with a sad smile. Alex had been avoiding her as much as he could for the past few days, as he knew that not doing so would only make it more difficult for him to leave. He stopped a few feet away from her.

"Farewell, ma'am," said Alex, his voice thick. "I would miss you."

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to," she insisted. "I've already upbraided Nelly for his rude behaviour, so he shouldn't be troubling you anymore. I can make him apologize to you if you want."

Alex found himself feeling pity for Old Man Nelly. No one in the town would want to get on the wrong side of the matron if they could help it. "That won't be necessary, ma'am. It is high time that I leave anyway. The town will be more… peaceful… without me around."

The matron sighed. "They're only scared, Alex; and scared people can do such stupid and cruel things sometimes."

Alex studied the sand between his feet, avoiding the matron's eyes. "Can I ask you for a favour, ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like you to take that Saverem kid under your wing when I'm gone. You could use a new apprentice after they've rebuilt the bakery."

"If I could, I would," she said.

Alex looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"That young man left early this morning. He said goodbye to me this time. At least his manners have improved."

"Did he say where he's going?" Alex felt a pang of regret for having driven the boy away from him. It was also quite upsetting that the boy had left without even saying goodbye to him.

"No. But he assured me that he could take care of himself."

Alex was surprised that she had let Vash leave so easily. He half-expected her to sit on the boy to stop him from leaving. While he was thinking about this, the matron closed the distance between them and crushed him in a bear hug. "I'm not so sure about you though. Do I have your promise that you'll look after yourself out there? Remember to eat your three meals every day. Keep away from the booze and refrain yourself from shameless skirt-chasing."

"Ma'am!" he cried, flushing in embarrassment.

She patted his back and released him. Her face was crinkled up in laughter. "I guess I'll just have to trust you. Don't disappoint me."

Alex pouted. "You sound… just like the mother I never had."

A tear rolled down the matron's cheek, but she was still smiling. "Stay safe, Alex, and godspeed. You're welcome at my home any time."

xXxXxXx

Alex was aware that someone was following him for the past two hours. Every time he turned around, a humanoid figure would scuttle behind a sand dune and remain quiet. Whoever was following him maintained enough distance between them such that he couldn't clearly see his stalker's face. But Alex didn't need to see the face in order to identify his stalker.

"You can come out now, Vash. I know it's you."

There was a surprised gasp. Did the boy really think that his presence had gone unnoticed? Though to be fair, it was quite impossible to follow someone in the middle of a desert without being detected.

Alex watched Vash creep out of hiding and come to stand facing him about fifteen feet away. Much as he hated to admit it, he was feeling a bit lonely and was grateful for the boy's company. He missed the companionship he had enjoyed while living in Carcasses. Alex raised an eyebrow when he caught a glimpse of the metallic glint of the Colt held in the boy's right hand. "What are you planning, kiddo?"

"I've had days to think about it and I'm sorry to say that I still wish to be your pupil," said Vash in an apologetic tone. "Even if it means passing your test." Without hesitation, the boy raised his silver gun with two hands and fired, jerking backwards from the recoil.

The gunshot sounded extremely loud to Alex's ears. It took him a while to register what had just happened. The pain receptors from his left shoulder were clamoring for his attention and he saw blood trickling from his grazed shoulder. He calmly walked towards the panting, high-strung boy, took the Colt from those nerveless fingers and brought the butt of the gun down on top of Vash's cranium in one fluid movement.

"You little idiot! Are you trying to kill me!" roared Alex, more than a little pissed off. He had only just recovered from the numerous wounds he had received from the bandits and already this kid was trying to add more holes to his body.

Vash cowered and held his hands over his head, as if anticipating a second blow. "But… but you said you'd teach me if I shoot you!"

"I said 'fire your gun at me'! Did it ever occur to you that I wouldn't be able to teach you anything if you killed me? You could've shot to miss, you know!"

Vash shrank from his glowering face. "But I did shoot to miss! Honest!"

Alex digested this information and shuddered. "You were trying to miss me and you nearly blew my arm off? I don't want to think about what would have happened if you had aimed your gun at me instead."

"If I had done that, I'd probably miss you," said Vash miserably.

Alex burst out laughing, causing Vash to look at him as if he had just grown a second head. "Kiddo, you seriously need to improve that aim of yours."

"That's what I've been trying to do!" Vash complained, sounding slightly annoyed.

Ah well, I guess I deserved that. He sat down on the sand and opened his backpack, fishing around for something to bandage his wound. He settled for using one of his shirts. It would make a crude bandage at best but it was better than nothing.

Vash watched him tend his wound guiltily. "I'm sorry I shot you. I really didn't mean to."

"And I'm sorry I clubbed you on the head." Alex handed the Colt back to the boy. "Keep this safe now, you hear? No more shooting until I say so."

Vash's face lit up. "Does this mean…?"

"Yes, but I'm warning you, kiddo- my training regimen isn't conventional by any means. You'd feel as if you've been dragged through hell and back by the time I'm through with you."

"I don't mind," said Vash, still beaming. "I won't let you down."

Alex grinned at that. "I'm a man with a million double dollars on my head, kiddo. Make me proud and become an outlaw with an even greater bounty than mine one day."

"But if getting a large bounty on my head means I have to kill people…" said Vash. "Then I don't think I'd get any sort of bounty. At least, I hope not."

Alex thought about it for a while. "Yeah, you're right. I don't think you'll ever amount to much, bounty-wise."

(End of fic)

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A/N: Somehow, Alex turned out to be a more central character in this story than Vash. Yikes. I think I might have broken the unwritten rule that no OC should steal the limelight from the original anime/manga characters.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this story. Share with me your thoughts and opinions about the fic and I shall be most grateful. I might consider writing a sequel if my muse decides to bother me again, but am making no promises yet. A big thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read and review this story.

Responses to Reviewers of previous chapter:

Babblefest: Glad you liked the story. I wasn't expecting to fool too many people with the whole Alex/Vash twist at the beginning because I thought I've given away too many hints in the summary. But apparently, it still worked :) Hope you liked the ending.

ReadingWhiz89: I don't think that Vash's 'second nature' could be learnt from anyone; most likely he was born with a darker side that would only be triggered by extreme provocation. But, you're right- I couldn't stop thinking about the Diablo episode when I wrote Alex's violent side, although it wasn't my intention to have him simulate Vash in that aspect. I hope the final chapter had answered your questions with regards to Alex's background. If you have any suggestions for a less cheesy name than 'The Avenger', I'm all ears. As for why Vash was targeted by the bandits, it was pure bad luck. It all started when four of the gang members decided to chase him in a jeep and rob him for amusement. When they attempted to take away his guns, he retaliated and seriously injured them. Then the whole gang ended up hunting Vash down in order to inflict their brand of retribution. I doubt that anyone on Gunsmoke would have recognized Vash for what he was (i.e. a freeborn Plant); so, no, it wasn't because Vash was a Plant that the bandits were after him.

Lady Shadowcat: Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I take it that you enjoyed watching Western movies? The Trigun anime initially does have that Western/Cowboy feel, so I try to keep true to it. Yes, the area where Alex and Vash differed greatly was their stances regarding killing (Oh dear, don't tell me I've unknowingly added a shadow of Wolfwood into Alex's character as well). It would have been OOC for Vash to watch people die without making any attempts to save them, even when those were the same people who were trying to kill him.