CHAPTER FIVE: COUNTERFIET SMILES (continued1)

Upon hearing footsteps at the cave entrance, Vash lay limp against his mat, pretending to be asleep.

Vanessa stepped silently into the cave, leading Knives along behind her. Knives's face was in his hand, clearly weeping.

She led him to the platform, and leaned down to see Vash. "He's asleep," she whispered.

Knives blinked the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat. "Let him, then. I don't think I really…"

"But you've got to tell him, Knives," she insisted softly, in the meantime shaking Vash gently. When he didn't stir, she shook roughly, stopping to notice the lack of effect.

"I don't want to anymore," Knives stated more clearly. "This is preposterous.

Apologize to him? You must be joking."

Vanessa stood and grasped his hands. Looking deep into his eyes, she spoke as kindly as she could. "Knives, darling, his years of suffering were caused by your recklessness. Can you look at your poor brother now and not feel the sorrow he remembers?" She squeezed his hands gently, pressing them to her neck.

Knives' expression softened as he thought. "Vanessa, I can't." He turned and walked out of the cave soberly, the effect of his tears completely defunct.

Dropping to sit at the edge of the platform, Vanessa sighed. She took out her thick volume and flipped to a specific page. 'The condition is so brief. But I can't extend it any further, or he'll notice what I'm doing,' she thought sternly. 'I need to be better prepared; faster next time.'

A few feet from her, Vash opened his eyes. He sat up and cracked his knuckles casually.

Vanessa didn't have to turn to him to know he was awake. "You weren't really asleep, were you," she asked solemnly.

"I just wanted to prove a point," he replied.

She didn't turn or speak.

"Doesn't it seem ridiculous?" Vash asked sadly, "Parading him to me, a blubbering fool only half-aware of what he's saying?"

"How can you mock his emotions like that?" Vanessa retorted, obviously flustered.

"His emotions? Are those really HIS emotions?" Vash snapped. Catching himself, he lowered his head and took a calmer tone. "It's YOU mocking MY emotions, I think."

Vanessa bit her lip and paused. She turned to face him and spoke in a rushed whisper. "How can you say that? I'm trying to…It's for the best if…" She narrowed her eyes more in concentration than anger. "You're going to ruin everything…"

"Why, all the sudden, are you taking the whole responsibility yourself? We're in this together, aren't we? Between the two of us, we can figure out how to show him the light, right? You don't have to…"

"So then, what?" Vanessa interrupted. "For months we've been rotting in this cave, arguing to a rock of determined hate. We've gotten nowhere on the truth. A little misleading has gotten him further in these past few days than all those weeks before! Besides, this way, in the long run he'll be happy, and you'll be happy, and all the humans will be spared. What does it matter HOW we save everyone, so long as everyone ends up saved?"

"But…but…" Vash stammered, "This method is so…creepy…And…Wait, what did you say? Him happy in the long run – what do you mean…"

Vanessa frowned. "You know what I mean. I'll hold that off as long as I can, but eventually he'll want proof of my 'feelings' for him…"

Vash's face softened and faded. "I can't let you do that."

"Oh, spare me," she replied softly. "When you come up with something better, tell me. Otherwise, don't interfere. It's for everyone's future that you don't ruin this, okay?" Dropping the conversation, she stood and walked calmly out of the cave, leaving Vash to stew in the perfect futility of his position.

Over the following weeks, Knives made no more apologies to his brother. Vash gathered from Vanessa's hints that if she were to cause the sadness in Knives' mind by artificial means too often, he may suspect something. However, even without the coerced tears, Knives managed to soften his personality.

He and Vanessa began a sort of courtship, mimicking a Victorian coyness. Knives held back his feelings for her as much as possible, and she blushed and smiled around him just enough to fool him into thinking that she, too, was in reserve. Although Vanessa's acting skills were sorely lacking, Knives was none the wiser. His passion caused his judgment regarding Vanessa to blur.

The charade continued, whilst Vash's mind raced for a solution. 'Vanessa doesn't deserve to live a lie,' he reasoned bluntly.

Most days, after the housework was completed, Vanessa and Knives would walk to the cave top with snacks and books to talk philosophy and chat, leaving Vash to mope about.

Vash usually ended up in the shade of the outer cave, staring at books without reading them. He was bothered that Vanessa didn't pay him much attention anymore. Either she was glad that he had chosen not to interfere with her plan, or she was encouraging him to think of a better plan.

So he sat, plotting and planning; working through a million possible futures that all seemed to end horribly. Occasionally, in moments of pause, he would remember random details of his past travels. One day, a truly important memory burst forth, altering the course of his dilemma significantly.

"The rescue ships are coming," Vash whispered to himself. He remembered that day on the flying ship; the celebration upon learning that people were alive back on Earth and would rescue the residents of Gunsmoke. And that night, Vash had sensed his brother's angry response. Knives' angel arm sliced the communications satellite in a most horrific manner.

But still, the ships were expected. Since that day was now well over a year ago, the impending dilemma was obvious. Knives still intended to 'cut the sinners right out of the sky' and Vash hadn't yet discovered the proper persuasion not to.

Vanessa had just begun the wash outside, Vash noticed, as he rushed into the cave, where his brother sat reading. Knives looked up calmly.

"We need to let the humans depart peacefully," Vash stated nervously, "Then we'll have our Eden."

Knives frowned. "Letting the parasites spread? Tsk, tsk, Vash…"

"If you obstruct their emigration," Vash continued, "I will not live happy ever after with you! Even if you destroy them and their ships, I'll find a way to leave you alone forever. Or I'll be destroyed defending them. Either way, you lose! You want us to live in an Eden, right?"

Knives nodded. "Ideally, yes. But you're too stubborn…"

"Not if you let them go!" Vash interrupted. He knelt before his brother seriously. "We'll watch the rescue ships leave this planet, full of the humans you hate. Once they're gone, you and me and Vanessa and the plants…That's what you want, isn't it? Because that's the only way you'll get it! If you let them go peacefully!"

Knives opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by his increasingly excited brother.

"Who cares about the humans, right? They'll leave us alone, and in our Eden, we'll…Everything will be perfect, just like you want it!" Vash stopped, breathing heavily. "Deal?"

After a pause, Knives smiled. "Convincing, for once. You've nearly convinced me. I'll think about it," he responded, turning again to his reading.

As much as Vash hated letting his brother be so in control, he knew that the majority would benefit from this personal sacrifice.

And Vash hated the idea of living alone with his brother and Vanessa, for although he cared immensely for them, he also cherished time with humans. Seeing them all leave would break his heart, but perhaps it was the only way to save them all.

'Vanessa will have to keep up the act until they leave,' he thought, 'but at least I'll be around to protect her from Knives.'

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