Milly hung upside down off the side of the bed. "Well it's about time! But you have known forever right?"

It was really aggravating how everyone else thought it was so apparent. The short girl glared. "No, Milly! For the last time, I didn't know!"

"But Meryl! It was sooo obvious!" Milly smiled. "I can't believe he called it a crush though. That's so cute!"

Enough was enough. Meryl chunked a white boot at her. "SHUT UP THOMPSON!"

Milly quickly blocked the projectile with her forearm. "Aw come on...this is good right?"

Wolfwood pulled the whiskey from his bag and opened it. "So you finally decided to grow a backbone, aye Needle Noggin?"

Vash was shaving over the bathroom sink but he could see Nick's reflection from the other room. "Why's everyone making such a big deal? It's not like I asked her to marry me or anything. She said I was cute, I said she was cute." He grinned rinsing his face, then clutched a towel with sparkling eyes. "And the rest...was just magic!"

Nick took a swig and shook his head. There were so many kinds of pathetic with that last statement...no, it didn't even deserve the recognition of a put down.

2 DAYS LATER

The wind was screaming against the windows. Meryl pulled the blanket over her head to dampen the sound and Milly tugged it right back.

"Quit hogging the covers, Sempai..."

She glared. "How can you sleep through all this noise anyway?"

"I'm tired..."

"Well it's already ten in the morning. We should be up by now."

Milly opened her eyes slightly. "But the storm...there's nothing to do but stay in bed anyway."

The girls jerked up as someone ran by their room.

"TONGARI!"

Meryl hung her head at the sound of the priest's voice. Couldn't they behave for just one day? She sighed. "Well, looks like the boys are awake..." Meryl looked up. "Milly what are you doing?"

The tall girl was already out the bed and changing. "Don't you want to know where they're going?"

Meryl fell back onto the sheets. "Not particularly."

She gave her a sly glance while lacing up her boots. "And what if it's something serious? What if Vash gets hurt?"

The short girl groaned. Ever since that talk in the cafe nothing had really changed. She still felt more like a babysitter than a girlfriend. "Fine. But if it's anything less than a catastrophe...he's so gonna pay."

ABOUT A MINUTE LATER

"No hat?"

She finished buttoning her trenchcoat. "Are you crazy? We'll be lucky if our clothes don't rip off."

Meryl made a face while opening the door to the outside. "Come on, it can't be that stron-" She jumped back as it ripped away from her, slammed the wall outside, and went spinning off in the distance.

Milly blinked as her hair whipped around her face. "Woah, the weather man really wasn't kidding...this may be a bit dangerous." She stopped. She could just see Wolfwood's silhouette disappearing over the hill. "Come on Meryl!"

"This is suicide!"

"Exactly! So they've got to have a good reason to be out here! Now run will ya?"

They chased after him, stumbling and dodging debris when they could. At least the wind was to their backs. It would have been impossible to run against it.

Milly quickly turned her feet sideways and dug into the sand to keep from sliding off. "A CLIFF?"

Meryl slammed into her and they came even closer to the edge. "AAHHH! WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO?"

A board of rogue plywood splintered across them, becoming the final factor in their delicate situation. Both girls' screams proved useless as they fell into oblivion.

"Wolfwood?"

He pulled himself on top the platform. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU UP TO TONGARI?"

Vash placed his hand under his chin contemplatively. "Doesn't that mean porcupine or something?"

This jerk had had the nerve to run off while Nick was still sleeping. And he'd even left some goofy note saying not to follow him. How was he supposed to guard someone that enjoyed cliff diving at random hours of the morning? And all during a typhoon. "ANSWER ME NEEDLE NOGGIN!"

The Stampede blinked as the priest was suddenly taken out by a flying Milly. Vash was about to laugh when Meryl nearly knocked him unconscious.

When Nick's vision cleared, he was lying on his back with big girl sitting on his stomach.

Milly smiled innocently. "Um...thanks for the catch darling. I thought we were done for."

He coughed and spoke through the pain. "No problem...honey."

Beware short girls at high speeds. His whole body was aching. "Jeez Meryl, I've heard of falling angels...but never rocketing ones."

She was in a complete daze with her head on in his chest. "But I don't have any rockets..."

Vash cocked an eyebrow looking down at her.

Eventually she regained her senses and blushed sitting up. "Eh, Vash? What's going on here? Me and Milly followed you guys, then we fell of the cliff and..." She looked around. "What the hell is this thing?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Well...uh, I was just going to see an old friend. I didn't think it'd turn into some huge deal..."

All the rest went silent as the platform raised above the clouds and the SEEDS ship came into view.

Vash laughed nervously.

Meryl stared up at the ancient piece of technology they were currently standing on. Absolutely amazing...one of the ships from the great fall. Suspended, still orbiting the planet. Like some lost paradise or the remnants of Eden. She looked to Vash in confusion. But how...how would he know about this?

Milly pointed. "So that's why you're so different!"

Vash went pale backing away from her.

She got in his face. "You were raised on this thing weren't you? Away from killing and stealing and everything else! That's why you act the way you do!" Milly paused. "But then why did you leave? Why live on Gunsmoke?"

Okay so maybe she didn't get everything. But that was close enough. He wished he could tell them, tell them everything. But it'd just put be putting them in needless danger. Vash's face went solemn as he walked towards the entrance. "You can't come with me."

Wolfwood whacked him upside the head with one swing of the punisher. "Of course we can, idiot! We all almost died to catch up with you! You tell those people they've got company!"

He ignored the sudden beating. "I'm serious, they won't take kindly to any outsiders...they're very cautious people."

Nick grinned. "Well fine. I'll just shoot my way in. I'm sure they'd like that a lot better."

Vash glared back at him. "You wouldn't..."

The priest smiled in a way that sent shivers down the other three's spines. Of course he would. He was Nicholas D. Wolfwood.

5 MINUTES LATER

"VVVVAAAASSSSHHHH!"

Meryl cocked an eyebrow as her man was viciously taken down by a brunette named Jessica.

The tall girl leaned in. "Ooh...looks like you've got competition Sempai."

She glared. "Don't be stupid. She's much too young."

Milly grinned. "But some guys like it like that..."

They stopped whispering when they realized Brad was staring at them. Milly flashed a smile and he just walked past without a hint of emotion. Her smile faded as she straightened up.

The old man turned. "Well come on Vash. Let's fix that arm of yours."

Vash, Brad, and the man began walking away. Meryl stopped to look back at Nick and Milly.

Wolfwood had already taken a seat against the wall so the tall girl just ushered her on. "Don't worry...we'll wait here, you go with him."

"You sure?"

Milly nodded and Meryl jogged down the hall after the Typhoon.

HALF AN HOUR LATER

The man and woman sat side by side against the wall as the crew kept a distance.

She unbuttoned her coat and pulled her knees to her chest. "You think Vash really grew up here?"

Wolfwood leaned his head against the wall while trying to ignore the stares. "Who knows."

She felt like some thing on display...a novelty from the world below. But there was something else bothering her. Something didn't feel right. Milly put her head on Nick's shoulder. "They really are afraid of us..."

He glared as he lit a cigarette. "Only fools."

She looked up at him in surprise.

Meryl sighed while waiting outside the door. She was starting to get angry. He'd been in there forever. Why wouldn't he explain what was going on here? How'd he ever expect them to be more than friends if he kept hiding things? What could they be talking about anyway?