CHAPTER TWO: PLANT CHILDREN

Ignoring his hangover, Vash opened the door to serve Knives breakfast the next morning. He saw the lamp smashed against the wall, a cold tray of food outside the door, and a moaning Knives lying on the floor. Vash picked him up and moved him back into bed. He fed Knives between groans.

Noticing small pieces of metal on the floor, Vash realized these were Vanessa's hairpins, all strangely bent. He picked them all up and put them in a shirt pocket.

"She came to me last night," Knives said with a forced grin.

Vash noticed a blood stain on the sheets, and lifted them to see that Knives' side was bleeding. "What did you do to her?" Vash asked solemnly, since he hadn't seen Vanessa yet that morning.

"Ah, Vanessa…" Knives said, smiling. "She's something, isn't she?"

Vash frowned. "Knives, what did you do to her?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing really," he answered. "But she hurt me pretty well, didn't she? And she's not what you think either! I can't believe I didn't notice it before…"

"Damn it, Knives!" Vash yelled.

"Have you seen," Knives sniggered, "Her ears?"

Vash rolled his eyes, "No, so what…"

Knives' face lit up. "I felt them, Vash. They're shaped like the plant angels'!"

Vash was horrified. "You need to leave her alone; you're thinking some really crazy things now…"

"And her book!" Knives continued. "She has a power of control when she looks at it! She tried it on me! She's not human after all!" He laughed happily. "I think she's one of us!"

Vash cleared his throat. "The shape of her ears doesn't prove anything," he reasoned.

"And," Knives continued, "I saw her teeth when she screamed – most of them seem filed down, but the rest are sharp! Like the plant angels! She's one of us!"

Vash hesitated. "She screamed…why won't you leave her alone?" he whined.

"The professor had a theory," Knives remembered, ignoring his brother. "That a plant child left in the plant bulb for a time after birth would become more like the plant angel…" he thought aloud. "And her hair color, and eye color…just so perfect, she's like us! And do you realize the implications, that we've found a female plant child? A new chance to perpetuate our race…"

Vash's face reddened. "I don't buy it Knives. This is all nonsense." He thought of her scars, and how old they had looked. He remembered wondering at the time if she, too, had scars over her body. Just like him.

"Think about it, Vash. Look at those ears," he insisted. "You'll see."

Vash left with a heavy heart, locking the door and checking the girls' room. Vanessa was asleep on her cot, a cloak about her head. He was tempted, but left to wash the dishes.

Vash sat in contemplation for hours, took a bath, and finally went back to check on her. He went to lift the cloth from her face, but stopped himself.

Vanessa began to stir. "What…Did I miss work?" she asked groggily.

Vash was sitting on the bed next to her, with pliers, working at something. "Yeah, but Meryl said she'd tell everyone you're sick today. Relax."

Vanessa sat up, holding her hood close to her head.

"I'm sorry about last night. It wasn't fair for you to have to look after Knives for me."

She looked at the floor, "It's okay."

Vash frowned. "No, it's not. And I know you went in there. I'm not going to get angry with you for breaking your promise. Just tell me if he hurt you at all, okay?"

Vanessa hesitated. "I'm fine."

Vash kept his concentration on the pliers. "Go take a bath, alright? At least to wash off his blood.

Startled, Vanessa looked down at her hands and saw dried blood even under the fingernails.

Vash stood, and held out his hand to her.

She took her hairpins from his palm without a word.

"I found them in his room, and I bent them back for you. But you don't have to use them anymore," he told her, walking to the doorway.

Vanessa covered her face in her hands. "Please just let me leave in peace," she asked softly, standing. "I never meant to hurt anyone, I swear!"

Vash smiled. "I know! But I wish you'd reconsider, I mean, we need you here!"

"It's not as simple as that, for me," she replied, disappearing into the bathroom before he could reply. She bathed quickly, and pinned her hair into spirals again.

Vash glanced at her as she came to the main room. He squinted at her, then his eyes widened in concern. "You said he didn't hurt you!"

Vanessa self-consciously held her hand over her face, to cover the large bruise and black eye she'd earned when Knives had slapped her.

"That's all he did, right?" Vash asked firmly with a frown.

Vanessa's voice grew desperate. "Oh, no, I can't sell my wares looking like this…" she whined, dropping into a chair.

"Sell what?" Vash asked, confused.

Vanessa held her hands to her face. "That's what I come to towns for…I mean, I have to sell drawings and antiques…" She didn't want to reveal that she had been scavenging, especially that she brought things from a deserted ship.

Vash's face lit into another cheerful grin. "No problem, I'll go sell them for you! I know this one merchant, he sells all kinds of weird old things, and I'm sure if I bargained some I could…"

"Okay," Vanessa accepted, hoping that Vash – as honest as he seemed – would not steal her goods. She fetched her backpack, and carefully began to unwrap and lay each item onto the tabletop. They were mainly machinery parts of various sizes and some ancient garments, but Vash grew still as he stared at the red bundle. "This," she said, gesturing at the bundle and beginning to unfold it, "Is something odd and rare I stumbled upon out there, in the middle of nowhere." She revealed the long-barreled Colt within the red coat. "Quite a find," she commented. "It's in working condition, I guess."

Vash reached for the gun, but was afraid to touch. His mouth grew dry.

"There was a red glint in the distance, and when I approached I found the gun. There was also a huge metal cross, but this thing was heavy enough to cart around that I…" she grew silent as she realized Vash's expression.

"These were mine," he choked out. "I left them there…after…when I carried Knives home…"

Vanessa could hardly imagine such a weak-willed man yielding this cumbersome weapon, but had to believe his words. "Um…you want them back? Go ahead…"

Vash thought, then smirked slightly, with a twinge of guilt and sorrow. "I don't know." He hesitated once more, then took up his Colt gently. As he held it in his palms, a single tear fell past his check. "I guess so…"

Vanessa forced a smile, not sure what to say next. 'I suppose this is the gun he used to shot Knives down,' she thought. 'Poor guy, he's got some history I'll bet.'

"Don't worry about this stuff," she said sweetly, referring to her merchandise. "I'll wait."

Vash was startled from his deep contemplation. "So you're not leaving?" he asked innocently.

She stared at his childlike expression, contrasted with the silver death machine he now held to his chest. "Er…no…not yet…"

"Oh, good," he replied, relieved. "I think I'll really need your help with Knives."

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