AUTHOR LEAPS INTO VIEW: This chapter isn't that long and practically all fluff except for the last passage. I usually try to balance it out. A little bloodshed...a little cuteness, and so on. I don't know why I'm all mushy today. I should have just given in and made the last part cute too. imagines OOC Legato/Wolfwood fluff Oh man. That's just creepy. Well, I guess this one's for the fangirls. Even though it ended up a little more W/M than V/M. Sorry V/M'ers!

Vash stared at the ceiling while birds chirped on the windowsill outside. He couldn't forget...he hadn't been able to save them. All those people, whose only fault was just being in the same town as he was. It sickened him. But he hadn't been able to pull the trigger. He'd spared Monev in Rem's name, but Vash knew that man's death would have haunted him just as much as the townspeople's. Had Monev been lying when he said he was bought and raised with only one purpose to his existence...to kill him? It scared Vash. There was someone out there so devoted to destroying him that they'd actually go to such an extreme. His brother just had to be involved. No one else could possibly be that angry with him...

Meryl moved, distracting Vash from his bleak thought process. He looked down at the shorthaired girl currently resting against his side. Why couldn't every day be so carefree? No screaming, no fighting, no life and death decisions...just sleeping in, next to a pretty girl.

Meanwhile in a room 4 doors down...

The sunrays filtered over the white bed. The priest was barefoot and jacketless, stretched on his back with an arm hanging off the edge. The girl was lying on her side with her back against him. Both were in a deep sleep.

The alarm screamed to life, shattering their serenity.

Milly pulled the pillow over her head. "Meryl...turn it off."

Nick grumbled something about shotguns, and knocked the clock off the nightstand. It fell silent as it broke into pieces on the floor.

She took the pillow off and looked over her shoulder. She'd completely forgotten. Meryl really was gonna kill her. He kicked the covers off and she cocked an eyebrow. Did he think he was sleeping alone? She carefully turned onto her other side so she could face him. She smirked. "Don't tell me you think it's hot in here."

His eyes flung open and his head instantly turned to the source of the voice. She had her hand a centimeter from his face in the shape of gun.

Milly smiled. "Bang..."

He stared. His heart was beating out of his chest. After a moment, he grinned weakly. "Ya got me, honey."

She laughed a little and rolled back over. "You scare too easily. Definitely a gunman."

He reached for something. "I am not."

"Sure." She paused at the sound of a match strike, then frowned a little into her pillow. "And an addict..."

He smiled, exhaling a little nicotine. "Now with that...you may have a case."

It was quiet for awhile, then Milly rolled onto her back and spoke again. "So is it okay if I ask where you're from?"

He leaned against the headboard while enjoying his cigarette. "A mudhole of a town out by December."

She watched the ceiling. "You didn't like it there?"

"Not really. My parents died when I was pretty young. I got sent to live with a horrible excuse of a man."

She sighed. "It's hard isn't it? Growing up without anyone to fall back on."

He looked down at her. "You were an orphan?"

"From the age of four."

"Small world."

"I think it's very common these days..." She looked at him. "I got another question."

"Go ahead."

"What's the D stand for?"

He laughed. "Whatever you want it to."

"Hmm, how about..." She smiled evilly. "Daffodil!"

He made a face and put his cigarette out. "NO WAY!"

"NICHOLAS DAFFODIL WOLFWOOD!"

He threw his pillow at her. "Go back to sleep! You're obviously suffering from sleep deprivation!"

"But they're so pretty!"

"Are you saying I'm pretty?"

She grabbed one of his bangs. "You know, I never realized it but your hair is kind of like Meryl's."

He growled standing up. "That's it. I'm outta here."

She caught the back of his shirt as he tried to walk off. "I'm just playing!"

"So am I." He smirked and fell back on her.

"Ah! You have a bony back, get off!"

"So tired...falling asleep." He closed his eyes and went limp, trapping her under him.

"Get off!"

Nick made fake snoring sounds.

Milly sighed. "You're really heavy for a skinny guy."

"I'm dense."

"Doesn't that mean you're stupid?"

He rolled off. "How many times are you gonna insult me today big girl?"

She yawned and stretched out on her part of the bed. "As many as you set yourself up for, Mr.Priest."

Wolfwood yawned too. It was just too damn early. He hadn't slept in a real bed in weeks. Nick laid his head down. Few more hours couldn't hurt. "Night big girl."

"Night, Daffodil."

He jerked away her covers and she laughed.

Meryl opened her eyes and glared at the snoring Vash. God...what time was it? She sat up and looked at her watch. She screamed. "1:00pm?"

Vash peaked over a fold in the covers. "Huh?"

She decked him. "HOW COULD YOU LET US SLEEP SO LONG!"

He fell halfway out the bed and cried. "OW! WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?"

Meryl got up and stormed out as Vash hung upside down in confusion.

Why hadn't Milly come and got her? Their bus had left over two hours ago! She'd set the alarm in her and Milly's room for 7:00am! What the hell was that girl's problem? Meryl flung open the door and stopped dead.

Vash heard Meryl scream from down the hall. He fought free of his cover entanglement, grabbed the Long Colt, and ran out the room.

When Vash got to her she was already sliding down the doorframe. He jerked her up searching for the wound. Why hadn't he heard a gunshot? "Meryl!"

She pointed weakly. "Milly...and the priest..."

Vash looked into the room and blinked. Sure enough, sprawled on the bed and sleeping soundly...Nick and Milly. It was kind of surprising, but nothing to scream over. Just looked like two friends, mostly clothed and sharing a bed. He sighed letting Meryl go. "You overreact way too often..." Besides, hadn't that been him and Meryl's situation less than five minutes ago? He walked up to the bed and flicked Nick's ear. "Yo Wolfwood, quit pretending to be asleep! I thought priests were celibate!"

Nick lifted his head out the pillow. "Agh...Needle Noggin, when are you gonna get it through your thick skull? I am not your average clergym-" He stopped.

Vash blinked at the look Wolfwood was giving him, but then realization hit. He'd forgotten he was only in his boxers. He fake smiled. "Yeh, I've got a couple scars here and there..."

Was this guy for real? How could anyone be that dedicated to some stupid idealism? He glared slightly. "You really don't kill anyone, do you?"

"HE JUST NEEDED A PLACE TO SLEEP!"

"YOU CAN'T JUST BRING STRANGERS TO OUR ROOM, MILLY!"

"HE ISN'T A STRANGER!"

Wolfwood calmly put on his socks and shoes while the two girls brought the hotel down.

Vash patted the raging Meryl on the shoulder. "Come on...Milly's a smart girl. She knew what she was doing."

Meryl just pushed him away and he sulked over to the only other person not screaming. "Look at the trouble you started, Mr.Priestman."

Nick grabbed his jacket off a chair and slipped it on. "She always like this?"

Vash nodded. "Uh huh...she's gonna have a stroke one day."

"I HEARD THAT!"

Vash cringed and began edging towards the door. "Well...um...I'm gonna go put some clothes on. See you guys!"

Meryl glared as the Typhoon fled the room.

Nick picked up his cross. "Well thanks for the bed, big girl."

Milly looked at him. "You're leaving already?"

"Gotta go find some parts for my bike."

Milly looked a bit sad. "Alright then."

He sighed. It really was a shame. She was such a good kid, and he did like her. But a life like his just didn't have room for such luxuries. Nick smiled as he walked out with a wave. "Bye girls!"

Milly waved. "Bye."

As soon as he was out of sight Meryl slammed the door. "You're really falling for that guy aren't you?"

"I'm going get dressed."

"Milly?...Don't you just walk away from me!" The bathroom door shut. "Milly?"

2 Days Later: Jeneora Rock

"You're late."

Wolfwood glared, placing the punisher in front of him. "Things happen."

"I've heard much about you." Legato smiled. "Chapel The Evergreen. The man that wanders this desolate world, preaching the virtues he himself breaks...slaying unmercifully with the very symbol of his holy institution."

"Something like that..."

His smile faded. "I see...you're impatient to know the reason of your summoning. You have been selected by my master as one of the chosen few to help eliminate a traitorous thorn in his side. You may not realize it, but your whole life was merely preparation for this moment."

Wolfwood didn't like where this was going. There was something completely wrong about this guy.

"This assignment will be different than what you are typically use to, but should suit you very nicely. You are only required to guard the target and lead him to my master alive. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Alive? When this guy said different, he wasn't kidding.

"At the completion of delivering the target to my master unharmed. You will be paid in full. The target is a man named Vash The Stampede. I believe you've already met on several occasions, am I correct?"

"Yes." Nick's poker face remained strong but he felt like the world had just been pulled out from under him. Business and personal affairs were never meant to mix.

"Good. From this day on, you are a member of the Gung-Ho Guns. Should you fail, you will be killed."

"Naturally."