CHAPTER 15

Knives left the room, closing the door, but leaving it slightly ajar. He headed downstairs and into the kitchen, pouring two glasses of water. Thankfully the water supply had not been cut off, that could be fatal. Although they had some stored up it taking both glasses with him he went outside and walked to the fence. He called out to Vash and passed the glass of water to him. The other gladly accepted it and gulped it down quickly.

"Did you talk to her?"

"She did most of the talking."

"How is she?"

"She despises the world, probably the two of us as well, and it turns out that she thinks her own mother detests her. Other than that though she's doing fine."

"Well that sounds promising."

"You need to talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because you have an annoying, and sometimes useful, way of making people see things from another perspective, usually your own," He explained leaning on the fence and drinking from his own glass. The coolness of it felt good and wet his parched throat.

"Okay, I'll go talk to her." Vash let the spade fall the ground and it hit the door to the generator, which was mostly exposed by now, with a 'clang'. He climbed the fence and walked back into the house. Knives finished his glass of water and took the glasses back inside.

Eliana heard the Vash open the door and hugged the pillow tighter, burying her face in it again as well.

"Hey Kiddo."

"I'm not a kid." Came the muffled reply.

"Yeah sorry." She felt the mattress sag as he sat down.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"I'm not upset."

"Knives said you two talked." She nodded into the pillow a little bit.

"What did he say?"

"Not much."

"Y'know if you ever need somebody to talk to we're hear for you." She turned her head and looked at the wall, not giving an answer and then tightened her grip on the pillow.

"Yeah, Thanks." Came the distant reply.

"Ellie, y'know how your birthdays coming up." She nodded, her face still buried in the pillow.

"I was thinking you might like it if we invited Millie and Sophie to stay for a few days, maybe have a little party. I know it's got to be hard for you being so far away from your friends?

"Yeah, like Knives would approve of that." He smiled at her, as she looked up, tears staining her cheeks.

"I'm sure Knives can take care of himself. If he doesn't want to be here he doesn't have to be. Besides, it's your day, not his."

She smiled a little bit. "I guess that might be kind of fun."

"I'm gonna go tell Knives the good news." He practically ran from the room and down the stairs. Eliana leaned over and shut the door, turning the small sliver key in the lock, then laid back and put the pillow behind her head.

Knives was still sitting outside, leaning against an apple tree, when Vash emerged from the house, still smiling.

"Whenever you start grinning like that, I know you're going to say something I don't like."

"Aw, but this is good news. We're gonna have a party for Ellie's birthday, With Millie and Sophie." Knives rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Three humans, you and probably a lot of alcohol in the same vicinity. I'd rather jab a fork into my hand than sit through that."

"Party pooper."

"Vash, Shut up." He closed his eyes and felt the warm rays of the sun cast down on him, He heard Vash take a seat beside him and the 'whump' sound as his back hit the bark of the tree.

"So...erm... what did you wanna talk about."

"I'm going to teach Eliana how to use telepathy properly."

"You're what?"

"I'm going to teach Eliana how to use telepathy properly, so she can communicate properly rather than just outbursts when she's angry or scared."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why? Would you rather have her broadcasting random thought to us?"

"No it's just... that I."

"It's not my fault that you never bothered to hone your abilities." Vash sighed.

"Your going to do this weather I approve or not aren't you?"

"Yup."

"Well at least let me know what your doing okay." Knives looked over at him and smirked.

"At least I told you this time." He pushed himself up and looked at the door to the generator.

"That thing won't fix itself, we better get started otherwise, it'll be dark before we finish." Vash nodded and reached into his pocket, he took out his sunglasses and placed them on the end of his nose, pushed them up to their usual position.

"Yeah." He nodded to Knives and followed him around to the fence too the trapdoor that led down to the generator room.

Knives picked out a white shirt from his wardrobe and slid it on, buttoned up the front, then pulled on yesterday's pants, tucking the shirt in to them. And fastening the belt buckle. He still missed the near automatic action of picking up the for his gun holster and putting that on too. He sat down on his bed and buckled the two straps on each boot. He picked the small knife up from his desk and tucked it into the sheath at the top of the right boot so only the very tip of the handle of the handle was showing and the legs of his pants covered that well enough. He stood up and left his room, making sure the shut the door behind him. He walked down the hall to Eliana's room. He got to the door and turned the knob, there was a click and a rattle and the door refused to move. He scowled and turned around heading back to his room. Opening his desk he opened a draw and took out a small leather pouch. Opening it to reveal a series of small metal tools. He selected two, one with and odd shaped almost curvy end, and the other with a small flat end which angled off a right angle.

He walked back too her door and bent down on one knee, inserted the curve ended lock pick end in first find the right point by turning it a little, he then inserted the flat edged lock pick into the lock. After making a few small movements the lock clicked, he then adjusted the position and repeated the motion several times till the lock gave off a loud click and the door swung open a bit. He slid the picks into his back pocket and pushed the door open. Striding through he looked at a rather shocked Eliana.

"How the heck did you get in?"

"Picked the lock."

"What! don't I deserve some privacy."

"We needed to talk, beside you do know Vash has a master key to all these doors." he paused for a moment then added as an afterthought." Expect mine, I changed the lock years ago and never bothered mentioning it too him."

"What does that have to do with anything? You're invading my privacy by picking that lock."

"Would you have opened the door if I'd asked?"

"No."

"Well then I didn't have much choice did I. Or would you rather I kicked the door down?"

"That's not the fucking point!"

"I am not going to discuss this through a door."

"God! You're worse than Vash!" He turned and shut the door. Sitting down on the chair next to her bed he crossed his arms a looked at her.

"I've decided to teach you how to use your abilities."

"I hate it when you do that."

She broke eye contact and rolled onto her good arm so that she couldn't see him. He looked at her back frayed and blood stained hair hanging down just behind her shoulders.

"You need to get over this, its apart of who you are, once you accept it, it can no longer bother you." She grunted in response. "You should really do something about your hair. Do you like walking around looking like you let Vash cut it?" She shook her head, then pushed herself upright. Still facing the wall. He picked up the chair and brought it closer to the bed.

"You're not leaving, are you?"

"Nope." He picked up a hair tie from her bedside table and pulled her hair into a ponytail, with his hand a few times, then slid the hair tie over it, making a short ponytail. It felt oddly nice, the feeling of cool air brushing the back of her neck, made her feel, somehow alive again.

"What are you doing?"

"Killing two birds with one stone. Now sit still, fidget too much and you'll end up missing an ear, I want you to concentrate" Despite the fact she couldn't see his face, she knew he was smirking.

"On what?" Aggravation seeped into her voice as she turned to look at him. He was pulling a skeleton handled boot knife from his left boot, the one he had placed there earlier, he took a told of her ponytail and pulled it out straight. "How much of that are you planning to cut off?"

"Ask me in here."

"I don't want to play your fucking game. Just get out."

"The sooner you do it the sooner I'll leave."

She huffed and slouched a little, relaxing her muscles as she tired on sending Knives a message." I'm not even sure what I'm doing."

"That's why we're practicing. Just focus on my voice, try and follow it." He reached up and tapped his temple a little, just below the hairline. "It happens around here."

"Okay." She tensed and the felt the knife dig in then sliced through her hair, the remaining part of the ponytail when limp while the rest Knives still held in his hand. "Ouch."

"You're not trying."

"...ucking bastard."

"Was that scum-sucking bastard, or fucking bastard I couldn't tell?"

"I said I am trying you fucking bastard."

"In here!"

"I said I am trying! You fucking bastard!"

"Good. More"

"More what?"

"Keep talking."

"huh?"

"You're doing it."

"I am?"

"You were. Concentrate."

"Alright fine." He took a few of the several knotted stands of hair together and cut through them. The pulled her back into a tight ponytail again. She was sounding a little faint in his head now, but she had relaxed a little again and it seemed her voice was stronger when she was riled up.

"How short are you gonna cut it?"

"Chin length."

"What!"

"A lot of swirling hair will get in your way if moving around and trying to aim."

"So?"

"So you'll need it cut short."

"Couldn't I have had it in a pony tail?"

"Nope."

"But Vash does." She protested.

"Yes and Vash has over one hundred years of experience, he can compensate for that kind of thing."

"I guess." She gave a little shrug. Knives cut another small section away from the ponytail and let the remaining hair fall lose. It hung roughly cut, but looking better than before at around chin height. It hung down to the sides at the front and she had a fringe hanging down over her eyes a little.

"Done."

"Good... wait you didn't talk in here

"I told you before, sooner we started the sooner I'd leave. you cooperated

"Oh yeah." she sounded a little disappointed.

"You did well. A little more practice and you'll be there."

"Thanks for the haircut too."

"Don't worry about it, besides I was bored." She turned and smiled, the first proper one in days. She reached up and brushed away the hair that had collected on the back of her nightshirt. Then shifted around on the bed, the covered twisting, stretching and contorting as she did so. To lean against the wall. She looked at Knives as he sat down and slid the knife back into his boot. He blinked twice then checked the knife was in place.

"You always carry one of those around?"

"Usually more than one."

"Oh"He smirked at little at her surprise.

"Believe me I used to carry a lot more than a few throwing knives."

"I do." She paused to think for a moment." So when do we start training again?"