NEW CHAPTERUS: This rather long update paragraph shall be completely dedicated to the lovely reviewers! Kawaiibabe14, I would just like to say you made my e-mail very happy. Isn't review alert fun? To gun slinger...seriously? That's awesome. Unless you were being sarcastic...then I guess it's just funny. Themis56, I can't really say what's going to happen because honestly I don't know. I just make this up as I go along. No real game plan. Dang, but I probably should have one, shouldn't I? Nightrider, I think your question shall be answered in this installment. Yeh, Neptune Butterfly, I know it's pretty weird seeing Milly in any different light than the way she's portrayed in the anime, but I just have to put at least a little spin on anything I write. I'm glad you don't think it's too OOC though. And for the lime...I don't want it to take over either. But I just get in these weird little moods where I gotta throw some in. And it's only natural for relationships to gradually get more physical as they go along anyway. To AnonymousTrigunOtaku, the character comment means a lot. I try my best to keep them in line. And I've got this whole story saved on my computer if FFnet decides to get finicky, and if my PC decides to eat it, well then I've got it on FFnet. Maybe if my luck was truly horrible, my comp would get a virus and that same day the website would kick me off. But hopefully, that will never happen. To puffin, yeh I'm sure Nick was thinking the same thing. But even good girls act out occasionally. Vashluver1, I know, I know! The V/M has been lacking! Sigh. Poor Vash...has to watch Nick get all the play. More V/M. Must have more V/M! Last but not least in the chap 35 reviews, Neko-Yuff16...yes, so happy that he pitched his camper tent. :grins: Was that inappropriate?

FOUR NIGHTS LATER

He pushed open the heavy wooden doors and crossed the threshold, letting them slam behind him as he had countless times before. Never really was one for a quiet entrance...not even in a place like this. The minister leaned his burden upon the nearest dusty pew, reaching for a crumpled cigarette out of his dark jacket. The forms of saints lined the walls of the long dead sanctuary, casting silent judgement down upon their uninvited guest. Stained glass broke the moonlight into discolored glimmers across his body as a match spark briefly revealed his face. Sin barely concealed behind a handsome exterior and the guise of religion...truly a demon in the worst sense of the word.

"Hello Nicholas."

A sudden smirk broke forth, causing his teeth to glint in the darkness. "And you always bitched at me for being late..."

The voice was cold and emotionless. "I see you still have a lot of maturing to do."

Wolfwood's eyes narrowed as the silhouette emerged from behind the altar. "I find a sense of humor helps in our line of work. But let's cut to the chase. I know you didn't summon me here just to check in on your favorite pupil."

The man in the red goggles took a step into the moonlight. "Tell me Nicholas...have you been enjoying yourself?"

He blinked. No, that wasn't what Chapel was supposed to say. Wolfwood had had this dream a hundred times. It was just a recreation of the last fight between he and his mentor. The night he'd finally been forced to kill Chapel, right in the church the old man had raised him in. The night Wolfwood had first taken up the title himself.

"It's a shame when a devil forgets his place in the world. I always thought I taught you better than this. Imagine, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, the great killer...weakened so easily by something so foolish."

His eyes went cold at the insult. "I'm a lot of things old man, but weak has never been one of them..."

"Then how long do you plan on keeping up this little charade, Nicholas? You've lost touch with reality, boy. You've been hiding among the flock for too long. They've made you forget who you really are. What you really are." At that last word, bodies suddenly began materializing throughout the room until rotten corpses lined nearly the entire church floor.

Wolfwood staggered back in disgust. It was everyone he'd ever killed. All of them...green and decaying, swollen and maggot eaten. The smell was unbearable. He glared while fighting back the urge to vomit. "I'VE DONE ONLY WHAT WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE! I AM NOT A MURDERER!"

"Cries of the damned and nothing more. You do not belong with those strangers, Nicholas. Your soul is already resigned to hell. Do you intend to take that girl with you? To give her a fate such as this?"

His eyes widened in horror as the bodies began to pick themselves from the floor.

The bus hit another bump and she flinched as her leg reconnected with the seat. It was still pretty sore, but she just hoped it wouldn't get infected or anything. That cheesy little clinic had seemed less than sanitary. Meryl frowned remembering the way the doctor had hap-hazardly dug the bullet out, casually discussing the weather and relating his problems with his landlord, all the while she clenched her teeth in pain and tried to act like she even gave a damn. When it came Milly's turn, even the tall girl had yelped as he dug unmercifully into the wound on her side with that little scalpel of his. Honestly, the man's bedside manner left much to be desired...

"Rem."

Meryl looked questioningly up at the sleeping outlaw. "Wha-"

"AAH!" Nick flung forward gasping for breath.

The short girl jumped, quickly turning her gaze to the dark haired man in the seat across the aisle. "What is wrong with you people?" She froze when the priest looked up at her. He didn't look like himself at all, he looked absolutely terrified. Like a scared animal. "Mr.Wolfwood?"

It took a second for him to recognize her. For one brief moment he couldn't remember who he'd been for the last two years. But that's right...he was on a bus. He was with the Stampede and the insurance girls. He wasn't Chapel here, he was just Nicholas. None of the rest was real. It wasn't real. His hands were shaking as he tried to find a cigarette to calm himself. "Bad dream..."

She looked skeptical. Meryl had never seen him so jittery. "Well...um, you sure you're alright?"

He inhaled too much, too fast and actually began to cough some of the smoke back out before he could answer.

Meryl stared in amazement. Nicholas D. Wolfwood...choking on a cigarette? These things just did not happen.

Vash grumbled in his sleep. "finally gonna hack out a lung, someone get a jar..."

She turned back to the man beside her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"label it and put it in the closet..."

The vein in her forehead began to pulse. Surrounded! That's all there was to it. Idiots everywhere. The bus's brakes began to squeal and she released her grip on his coat before she could wake him up. There's no way they could be at their destination yet. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to scream. Why...WHY COULD THEY NEVER HAVE AN UNEVENTFUL ANYTHING?

She curled up tighter, burying her face against the musty old seat. "No..."

"No?" Nick sighed and tried again. "Come on, big girl you gotta wake up! You can't sleep out here." She gave a little growl of protest as he shook her shoulder, but still didn't open her eyes. He'd never seen her sleep this heavy. Like a stubborn kid. All the other passengers had already gotten off, and here he was still trying to get her up. Oh well, he was tired and she left him no choice.

The Typhoon yawned for about the tenth time. All he knew was that it was cold, it was the middle of the night, and he was standing outside the bus with his bag slung over his shoulder. How and why were a bit of a mystery. He looked down at the girl beside him. "So what's going on exactly?"

Meryl clenched her fist. "I've already explained it to you at least twice now!"

He fought off another yawn while scratching his head. "Yeh, but I think I was asleep or something..."

She grabbed hold of his cheek and pulled him down to her level. "Are you awake now Mr.Stampede? Because I am not going to repeat myself!"

Did she have any idea how much that hurt? "I'm awake!"

"Good. Now listen to me. Keeping with the pattern of the never-ending torrent of bad luck that seems to follow us everywhere, the bus has decided to have mechanical difficulties. The driver was able to make it to this small town before the vehicle completely broke down, but now we will be forced to stay here until the problem can be corrected." She let go of his cheek. "Was that clear enough for ya?"

He rubbed at his poor face while faking a sniffle. "Yes mam."

Cold. Why was it cold? Was she...moving? Milly opened her eyes then blushed. "What are you doing?"

Nick stepped effortlessly off the bus with her in his arms. "Carrying you over the threshold."

She was now thoroughly confused. "Thresh...what? What are you talking about? Why are we outside?"

"The bus broke."

Milly looked down. She was being carried like a bride. "So...um...what does that have to do with this?"

He smirked. "You know me, never miss a chance to cop a feel." He slid the arm supporting her back up a little so his hand could reach her chest.

She swatted it away as he went for a playful grab. "Stop it!"

Nick laughed, putting her down. "You're grumpy in the morning."

"It isn't morning!"

Meryl cut in before he could retort. "Are you two done? We've still got to find a place to sleep you know..." Her voice trailed off when she realized Vash had fallen asleep again...standing up.

Nick walked up to him with a curious look on his face. "Well that's interesting. I thought only Thomases could do that." He grinned and before Meryl could stop him, he pushed the snoozing Stampede completely over with one finger to the chest.

Vash was awake before he even hit the ground. Knowing a painful landing was already in his future, he decided it was only fair to take the evil preacher with him. The Typhoon kicked Wolfwood's legs out from under him in mid fall and both hit the dirt with a hard thud. Naturally, this was all that was needed to escalate Nick's little prank into full blown warfare. And Meryl could only cover her face as the fists began to fly.

The fight behind her was meaningless to her racing mind. Milly looked from one building to another in growing apprehension. She'd finally taken notice of her surroundings and didn't know what to make of it. It just couldn't be.

"Milly?" Meryl called out and the boys' match came to a standstill as the tall girl suddenly went tearing off at full speed.

She ignored her. All she could hear was her own heart racing. How many years had it been? Seven at the least. But she couldn't be sure until she saw them with her own eyes. That would be her proof. Her side began to burn. The wound was coming open. Still she kept running. Like something possessed, she slid around the corner and cut through the alley behind the Ventrelli's shop. The dirt she disturbed caught in the wind leaving wispy trails where her feet fell the hardest. The cold air made her throat raw as she breathed it in steadily. Almost there. The buildings fell away as she passed the edge of town. One last house before the cemetery. Her heart pained but she couldn't bear to acknowledge the run down two story. A ways more down the dirt road, Milly finally came upon her destination. She jumped the short fence and stumbled, entering the graveyard. By now she was exhausted and her shirt stained with blood, but the adrenaline just kept flowing. The tall girl moved in and out the crucifixes, trying to make out the names in the moonlight. She knew damn well where she was, but she still hoped she wouldn't find what she was looking for. But of course, there they were. Right where they'd always been and where they always would remain.

6 MINUTES LATER

Finally! Wolfwood jumped the fence without even placing a hand on it. Big girl was sitting alone in the middle of a graveyard at 3:00 in the freaking morning. God, what the hell was going on? He fell to his knees in the dirt beside her. "Milly?" She was crying. He looked up at the crosses, making out the names in the near darkness. His eyes widened the farther he read. Was this why? It would make sense. Everything that tainted her was here, right in this town. Nick pulled her to him as Vash and Meryl came over the fence.

Meryl called out first. "Is she okay?"

Nick moved some of the hair away from her face. "She'll be alright."

Vash followed reluctantly. He could feel the bad blood here. Something weighted his heart, making him feel uneasy. "What is this place?"

When she felt she finally had control again, Milly let go of Wolfwood, lifting her head off his chest. She thought all these feelings were behind her. It was stupid to cry this way, but she couldn't help it. Did the others still live here? Would they hate her for never coming back? It'd been so long. Never in her life did she plan on standing in front these graves again. But fate was cruel. "It's called Hawk Canyon...this is my hometown."