MONTHS LATER

He leaned in closer. "So how about it?"

She smiled nervously. "Um...that's really nice of you. But I don't really like that restaurant. Why don't you take Stacey?"

Mark just stared at her as his friends laughed in the background. His face turned red. "I really don't get you Thompson! You're just as weird as everyone says. I suppose you'd like me better if I was some gun toting maniac, right?"

She looked up at him surprise. The comment obviously hurt her feelings.

"Don't give me that look. That's what you like right? It's not a date unless someone gets shot!"

Milly stood up and walked off. People were so ignorant sometimes. She decided to take her lunch break early and left the building. Her foot caught on a crack in the sidewalk and she stumbled majorly before catching her balance. She glared at her shoes. The new manager forced all the women to wear high heels as part of the new dress code. It was a completely unnatural way to distribute your weight as far as she was concerned. She sighed as she walked on. Maybe there was some truth to what Mark had said. She was living a safe, average woman's life for once. So why wasn't she happy? She paused to notice her reflection in a shop window. Clean white untorn dress shirt, short girly skirt, cute suspenders, no dirt on her face, no sand in her hair, no bruises or cuts, and definitely no weapons, hat, or old trenchcoat. It almost seemed like the life she'd known before this city was just fading into some dream. But wouldn't a normal person want it to? It'd been nearly a year since they'd moved back to December. Was this how she was destined to spend the rest of her life?

"Milly!"

She turned. "Meryl?"

"Whew, I thought I'd never catch you. I heard about Mark."

"He was just embarrassed in front of his friends. I didn't take it to heart."

"Yeh, they say the same things about me sometimes. I don't worry about it either."

Milly smiled. "But I can't help thinking they're right. Don't you ever get the feeling that we fit in better with Mr.Vash and Mr.Wolfwood than we do here?"

"Sometimes." She looked down. "I use to love working here though. I guess it sounds pretty pathetic now, but this was home to me. Paperwork, reports, and deadlines. I lived for it. But ever since I met him...something's changed inside me." Meryl blushed when she realized that was a little more personal a statement than she had intended.

Milly grinned. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You got a taste of the nomad's life and you liked it. You liked him." She smiled looking skyward. "And I liked Mr.Wolfwood...I really liked him. I can admit that now. So why don't you? You can say so. I promise the world won't end."

Meryl stared at her. "Um, I liked...Vash."

She laughed. "You sound like I just coerced a confession! You have to say it like you mean it!" Milly stopped walking. "Observe." She cleared her throat and spoke from the heart. "I really liked Nicholas."

"This game is stupid."

"It isn't a game! Come on Meryl!"

She felt like Milly was a nagging little sister on some days. "I...liked Vash."

"One more time!"

Meryl sighed, losing all patience. "I REALLY LIKED VASH!"

Milly hugged her laughing. "AND I REALLY LIKED NICK! There, aren't you glad we cleared out our consciences?"

She escaped from the hug. "Whatever, let's just get some food."

Milly smiled. "Ok, Sempai!"

He sighed sitting down on the bench and hanging his head. It'd been months since Augusta and he was still no closer to finding him. The only thing he'd managed to do was get that Marlon guy to fix the Long Colt. But no one even knew where Spikey Head had disappeared to. It seemed the Stampede had just fallen right off the face of the planet and left that lovely crater to remember him by. Nick was absolutely miserable. He was hungry, it was blazing hot, he had no money, his motorcycle was being a bitch again, and he was currently smoking the last cigarette he owned. A couple walked by laughing and he looked up in annoyance. The girl was a decent looker, hanging all over the poor sap giggling and poking him. He flashed back to he and Milly's last conversation. He'd never gone to see her. He glared back at the dirt. Hell, she probably didn't even remember him saying he would. Big girl most likely had her own little boyfriend by now. She wasn't like him. She actually had a life.

"You miss her?"

Nick jerked his face up to stare into the eyes of a little girl.

She smiled offering him a flower. "I'm sorry if I scared you Mister. You just seemed sad. Like someone who's lost their sweetheart."

A flower girl. That's right, this town was having some kind of goofy Valentine's like holiday today. "I can't pay you for the flower."

She stuck the stem in his jacket. "Don't worry, I'm sure she misses you too."

He blinked as she casually walked away. "Hey, girl! What kind of flower is this anyway?"

She grinned. "A daffodil of course."

He looked down at it as his face went pale.

ONE WEEK LATER

Milly stepped out the office and began walking in search of lunch just like always. And just like the other insurance girl usually did, Meryl stayed behind to finish a report and snack on something pre-packaged. Since she wasn't allowed to wear her coat and had no pockets for a wallet, Milly had no choice but to begin carrying a purse. As he watched her, Nick couldn't help but wonder if she had one of her revolvers crammed in there. The heels were an interesting touch too. God, it'd been so long since he'd seen her. How to approach her? He knew he couldn't stay in town for more than a day or so. Ah, what the hell. He called out to her. "Hey, big girl!"

She froze, looking over her shoulder."Mr.Priest?"

He came jogging up behind her. "I thought I told you not to be surpri-"

She spun around and jumped into his arms before he could even finish. The punisher hit the pavement as he caught her. Milly buried her face against his chest. "I can't believe you came!"

He smiled. She hadn't changed a bit. "What do you think I am, some kind of liar?"

Milly stepped down. "Well, you didn't say you were coming! You just said you might."

Nick lifted his cross back up. "But that meant I was."

She stopped. "Hey, why don't you smell like cigarettes as much as usual?"

He sighed. "I ran out."

Milly went wide-eyed. If he didn't even have money for cigarettes...there's no way he was buying food. And he did look skinnier than she remembered. "Oh my God! I bet you haven't eaten in days!"

Wolfwood smiled. "A cracker here and there."

"I'm surprised you can even carry your cross! Come on, I was going to lunch anyway. I'll treat you!"

"I don't deserve it, keep your money big girl."

She locked arms with him. "Nope. I haven't seen you in forever and we're going eat together. So quit fussing."

"Yeh man, I saw the whole thing. She like spazzed and was all hugging on him and stuff. This really grungy looking guy. Kind of scrawny, unshaven, looked like he needed a haircut and a bath. He had this black suit but it was all coated with dirt and stuff. Seriously Mark, he had outlaw written all over him. You were so right about her."

Meryl could bear it no more. She got right in Tony's face. "First of all, you are a complete asshole for judging people that way! Secondly, this guy you said Milly ran off with...he didn't happen to be carrying a huge cross, did he?"

"Uh...yeh, now that I think of it. Wrapped in belts and stuff."

Why the hell was Wolfwood here? She grabbed Tony by the collar. "WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE WITH HIM? A MAN IN RED? A BLONDE MAN IN A RED COAT?"

These chicks were so freaking scary! He cringed. "Nuh uh, no way. I didn't see anyone else, Meryl! I swear! Please put me down!"

She dropped him with a sigh. Vash...where had you run off to? Why did Milly get to be the lucky one?

She smiled as he devoured one meal after the other. He was so cute. He reminded her of a stray dog though. He hadn't been taking care of himself very well. Milly had been wise in bringing them to a buffet. People stared as Nick reloaded his eighth plate to the gills.

He looked up at her. She was watching him while enjoying some vanilla pudding. He smiled. "So you still haven't gotten tired of that stuff?"

Milly twirled the spoon around the container getting the last bits off the edges. "Do you get tired of cigarettes?"

He downed his drink. "Good answer, but somehow I think your addiction is slightly more wholesome."

She cocked an eyebrow. "I bet your lungs look like raisins."

"Probably...or maybe I've just mutated into some freak with an immunity to it."

"Possibly."

He had to ask the obligatory question. "So, any contact with Needle Noggin lately?"

"Nope. Neither of us has even heard about him since Augusta. I hope he's okay."

"He's probably just keeping a low profile somewhere." Some agonizingly hard place to find, just to piss Wolfwood off.

She put the empty pudding container down. "So are you staying or just passing through?"

He stopped. That question had a lot of potential in a male's mind. He looked into her eyes. Did she want to sleep in his room? Did she want him to sleep in hers? Or did it mean nothing? He decided to find out. "I'm staying the night. Not that I've even gotten a room yet."

Milly took a sip of her water. "You won't find anything cheap in this town."

He smiled. "Well, then maybe I am just passing through." Wolfwood waited. The ball was in her court. Her choice. Yes or no?

Milly didn't want him to leave, she knew that much. But inviting him up yet again, might send stronger signals than she was ready for just now. It was tricky. But she had to choose. "I have a little apartment not far from here. You're welcome to come get some rest there."

Nick tried not to look overly pleased. "Sounds nice."