CHAPTER TWO: PLANT CHILDREN (continued3)

"People have said some pretty repulsive things to me before," Vanessa commented, "It's strange, but never have I heard something that insulted me as much as that!" She continued to snip off Vash's bandages, and pulled them away. "I think I liked it better when I repulsed him."

Vash shivered as she applied the cold cream onto his wounds, consisting near entirely of scar tissue now. "He hasn't spent time with humans…but he thinks their emotions are disgusting. Everything about them is like a disease to him," he said, shaking his head. "He's gone so long, not letting himself accept humans."

He paused, then sniggered slightly. "He couldn't take interest in human girls, and now when he finally does meet a girl he's 'allowed' to like…" he stopped, uncomfortably.

"…He acts like some immature little boy," Vanessa finished. "What a sensitive guy…"

"Yeah, Knives isn't so good at emotions other than anger." He grinned at Vanessa. "You and I've got emotions, and we're not human, but he says that's because we've spent 'too long amongst the humans.'"

Vanessa thought. "As a matter of fact, I'm quite sure I learned my emotions without human assistance. I mean, the scientists were cold to me, and still I felt happiness and sadness." She reached for fresh bandages.

Vash lifted his arms as she wound it about his chest. "But that's why you need to talk to him; I think you could really talk some sense into him! When I try, he just runs me in circles." Vash looked up to her to judge her expression. "But if he scares you too much, I understand. He's a lot to handle."

Vanessa hesitated, and smiled slightly. "A challenge like you two will make my life more…exciting," she offered. "I just need to keep my distance," she added, hinting at her bruised face, hand, and arm.

Vash gritted his teeth in discomfort. "Okay, but keep in mind that he won't hurt you now that you're important to him. No matter how pissed off he gets at me, he won't kill me. And he won't hurt you either."

"But he hired those people just to chase you down and torment you!" she countered.

He dropped his arms as Vanessa taped off the bandages, and helped her to clear off the table. "Yeah, but that's because he knew I'd survive it. Anyhow, he wouldn't cause you too much trauma, considering…" Turning his head away to hide a blush, he remarked, "Especially if he thinks your…purpose…is to…have kids…then your health will be his main concern."

Vanessa stopped. They stood in an awkward pause.

Vash looked to her. "Oh, you don't have to do…anything…like that…It's just…So long as he's concerned about that, he won't hurt you. That's all…no pressure...."

Vanessa felt her face redden as well. "Right," she muttered.

"I'm sorry!" Vash began.

But Vanessa interrupted him before he could launch into another round of apologies. "I know; it's okay. I understand."

Just then, the front door swung open.

Vanessa instinctively cupped her ears in her hands, as casually as possible.

Vash leaned down to whisper to her. "You should go ahead and tell them. They've heard a lot of strange stuff; they won't freak out."

"Vash?"

Vash stood to see Meryl and Millie giving him curious glances.

"How are you, Mr. Vash? Miss Vanessa?" Millie asked with a grin.

Vash smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, I'm fine," he replied casually.

Meryl crossed her arms. "Where's your shirt…?"

"Oops." Vash grabbed his shirt from the table and hastened to button it up. He glanced behind him to see that Vanessa's face was pale with worry.

"Miss Vanessa?" Millie asked, "What's the matter?"

Vanessa sat stiff, awkwardly holding her fingers tight over her ears as she forced a smile.

Meryl cast an icy glare at Vash, and he recoiled in defense as he fastened the final button.

"Um, I'll go start dinner," Vanessa mumbled, turning quickly to the kitchen with her hands still to her head.

"Wait!" Vash interrupted. "Isn't there something you wanted to tell Millie and Meryl?"

Vanessa bit her lip. She looked plaintively to Vash, wanting to trust his instincts.

"Go ahead," he persuaded her. "They'll hear it from Knives eventually."

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Meryl demanded, on the peak of frustration.

"We'd better sit down," Vash commented. Slowly, all obeyed. "Well, it turns out that Vanessa's got a past that's not unlike…mine…" he began.

Meryl and Millie looked horrified.

Vanessa bit her lip and added, embarrassed, "He means that I'm not human." She slowly dropped her hands to her lap.

"Oh, God," Meryl sighed, her face sunken with despair.

Vanessa continued, looking to the floorboards. "Um…I was born in a plant. And I was in there for too long, so I…um…my body deformed, kind of."

"Yeah, so we should try to get used to the way Vanessa looks," Vash continued.

Millie studied Vanessa carefully. "I don't get it."

Vash looked to Vanessa, and she her hair behind her long ears, pronounced against her hair's light color.

Millie smiled. "Is that all?"

Vanessa looked up in surprise. "Well, no, some of my teeth aren't filed down yet…"

"And she had a huge thing on her back, and she's got scars all over like mine," Vash interrupted.

Meryl's face turned red with anger, and Vanessa's blushed in embarrassment.

"Vash…" Vanessa mumbled.

"Vash!" Meryl cried, horrified.

"No! No!" Vash attempted, catching his mistake. "I saw her arm, that's all! That's all! Oh, man…" he whined, wishing he'd kept quiet.

Vanessa pulled up her sleeves, offering her arms to the girls. Meryl wasn't interested, but Millie looked.

"You're lucky – Yours healed a lot nicer than Mr. Vash's did," Millie noted.

Vanessa smiled, and tugged her sleeves back down.

"Wait, how'd you get all these bruises?" Meryl asked, just noticing them in the dim light.

Vash grew squeamish again. "Knives…" he muttered. "But," he added in a clearer, louder voice, "Now that he knows she's not human, he won't hurt her anymore. Really…"

Meryl couldn't reply, flustered as she was.

Millie just smiled.

Vash twiddled his thumbs in discomfort, and Vanessa hid her face in her hands. Finally, she stood and went to make dinner.

"You guys," Vash commented, "Please don't tell anyone about her, okay?"

The following days were difficult.

Knives' reopened wound had to be treated and re-bandaged daily, and when Vanessa came to assist Vash, she rarely stayed long enough to chat. Between treating Knives and performing medical procedures for the villagers, Vanessa was kept far too busy to entertain Knives or help with housework. So Millie and Meryl, every day when they returned from their day jobs, had to wash, cook, and clean into the night. Vash tried to supply his brother with enough reading material to occupy his mind, and spent a lot of free time playing with children and teaching them to garden, watering the tiny plants carefully and working the soil obsessively.

Vanessa's bruised face drew concern from those she nursed. They urged from her the cause, and she claimed she'd tripped on the stairs at home. But the gossips whispered that she was lying, and spread the word that there was something fishy about the people Vanessa lived with…

Vanessa went to the villagers as usual once day, inquiring upon who may need her medical services. But besides a few check-ups and minor cuts and bruises, no one was in great need. So Vanessa took the rest of the day off, returning to the house.

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