CHAPTER 17

The door creaked as Knives pushed it open. He looked down at the sleeping girl lying on her bed. She would have looked innocent if not for the thick sling, the slightly drawn quality of her face, constant reminders of her ordeal. He rapped his knuckles lightly against the open door, and her eyes snap open as she woke with a start.

"Shit, Knives!"

He brought one finger to his lips. "Vash is still sleeping."

"Well what do you expect waking someone up at…" she looked over at the alarm clock on her beside table, "Fuckin' hell, six fucking a.m."

He grunted. "I'm leaving for the plant soon and I thought I'd give you something before I went."

He reached down into the bag at his feet and pulled out an odd shaped object wrapped in a white cloth, He passed it too her and she took hold of one end placing it on her lap as she gave the lose flap of cloth a tug. Inside was a gun, its metal polished so much she could she see her eyes reflected in its barrel. She blinked and her reflection blinked back. She slowly ran her fingers over the words carved into the side of the barrel ' .45 long colt agl arms factory.' The metal felt cold to the touch, like it had been placed in ice for several days.

"It's for you to use when you get trained how to shoot."

"It looks just like Vash's."

"Actually it looks closer to mine. Mine's black."

"So you have one too?" She smiled a little and looked at the gun again. "Figures. How come I've never seen it before?"

"How often do you see me in a situation where I'd need a gun? Besides, I'm not a walking trouble-magnet like Vash." She giggled.

"But wouldn't a gun be better than a boot knife?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"On whether or not you want to be heard."

"Oh"

"I'm going to be leaving in about an hour."

She nodded. "Do you really have to go now?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a people person." He picked up his bag and turned to walk out that door. "And for god's sake doesn't shoot that thing till your shoulder heals up. You'll just do more damage to it." He shut the door on his way out, leaving her staring at the weapon in her lap.

He looked up as he heard the tell squeak of brakes a car pull up outside. He looked out the window into the dim light. It had only been a couple of hours since first rise, and second was at least and hour away yet. There was a beaten up, old four wheel drive parked outside. The door opened and in the dim light he saw Millie climb out. He smirked and threw his rucksack up onto one shoulder and slid a pair of sunglasses up his nose. He walked out of the door , could see Millie's daughter still seated in the passenger seat. He smiled broadly and walked towards it.

"Looks like the ol' girl could do with some work huh?" Millie looked up at his voice and went back to unpacking their bags. While the daughter jumped out of the car and looked ready to hug him.

"Uncie Vash!" she called out, arms outstretched, but a quick look from Millie stopped her. She squinted a little and ran him over.

"You're his brother right?"

"Wow, Sophie, you sure have gotten big last time I saw you. Barely came up to my kneecap"." He leaned one hand on the porch supports as she came closer. He smiled as she saw Millie scowl at him from where she was unpacking the luggage. He was enjoying this.

"Its weird how you two look so much alike."

"It's a twin thing. Did you enjoy the trip?"

"Not really, seen one bit of desert, you seen it all."

"I wouldn't say so. The rock arch outside Brightridge is really something."

"Yeah I guess. It was still pretty dark when we went past there so we couldn't see much."

"True. Say if you want me to give this thing a look over while your here let me know, 'kay?"

"That'd be great thanks."

"No problem kiddo, Say your a real chip off the ole block, y'know?"

"Yeah people always say I'm like mom."

"No that's not what I mean. You look so much like your father." Millie whirled on him the second the words left his lips, fixed his gaze with one of her own.

"Stay the fuck away from my daughter." Her voice was firm and calm. Knives smiled. It'd been a long time since someone had talked to him like that.

"That was the plan." His smile turned into a self assured smirk as he walked past Sophie and out into towards the plant. Millie stood there for a few minutes watching him, till he was a fair distance away, almost to the point of becoming a speck on the horizon. Sophie walked over and picked up the two bags at Millie's feet.

"Come 'on Mom, lets go inside huh?" Millie nodded and smiled a little.

"Yeah lets."

"Uncie Vash!" Sophie cried out for the second time, jumping on the blonde as he walked groggily into the front hall, rubbing the sleep from one eye. She threw her arms around him in a great hug that almost sent him sprawling backwards. She inwardly winced as she felt the two bolts that were inserted into the upper part of his right arm.

"Hey Kiddo, long time no see." He smiled as he hugged her back, patting her on the back a little. Before another cry of 'Vash' echoed out and Millie threw her arms around them both. Vash groaned as he felt some of the air pushed out from him, despite being nearly fifty Millie it seemed as thought Millie could still hug like a bear. Sophie was the first to wriggle free as she shrugged off her mother.

"So where's the birthday girl?" She beamed a smile as she bent down to pull a rectangular parcel out of one of the bags she had brought in.

"She still in bed I think."

"Oh. Is it okay if I go see her?"

"Yeah sure, second door on the left," Vash told her as she turned to the stairs and bounded up them.

She found the door to Eliana's room and rapped her knuckles on the wood before pushing it open. Her eyes widened a little as she looked down at Eliana sitting in bed, trying to hide something under her sheet. When she saw it was Sophie she took the gun back out from under the covers and placed it on her lap.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be up yet." She put the parcel on the floor and sat down next to Eliana. She reached over and ran a hand through the roughly cut hair. "You look a lot better than I was expecting. Mom kept telling me you were fine, but the way Alice tells it...I'm just glad you're okay." She smiled a little. "Hey did Vash do this."

Eliana laughed and shook her head. "Nah, Knives cut it."

"Oh, hey is it okay to hug you?" She nodded and Sophie leaned forward and gently hugged her. Eliana pulled her closer for a second, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

"So she got too you okay then?"

"Yeah, she was really shaken, but Mom took care of her and Vash gave her far too much money so she's decided to give most of it too us, and stay on too help out with the kids."

"That's good."

"Yeah" Her eyes drifted to the deep black gun on Eliana's lap. "So is that a gun?" She nodded.

"Yeah, Knives made it."

"Can I see it?" Eliana nodded and passed the gun to Sophie. It felt cold as she gasped the handle of the gun, she traced the curled line running along the barrel with her finger, then flicked the safety off, she then flicked back the barrel and checked the chamber for bullets, snapped it closed, took aim at a spot on the wall and pulled the trigger six times in rapid succession. She smiled and passed the gun back to Eliana.

"He did a damn good job on this." Eliana nodded. Sophie clicked the safety on and passed the gun back to Eliana, as she did so there came the tell-tale sound of people walking up the stairs.

"Hide it." She tossed the gun back to Sophie who slid the top draw of the bedside cabinet open and threw the gun inside, she slammed it shut just as the door opened as Millie and Vash walked in. She smiled and looked down at two girls.

"Less than five minutes here and already you two are up to something." She nudged Vash in ribs the with her elbow. "You should have seen these two growing up, they were always into mischief." She walked over to Ellie and ruffled her hair. "This one has fallen off more drain pipes that I can count."

Vash smiled "I wouldn't doubt it, sounds like they took after their moms." Sophie smiled and Eliana looked mildly offended as Sophie stood up and vaccinated her seat on the bed so her mother could sit down.

"Oh Ellie, You look awful. What would your mother say if she saw you like this?"

"You know mom, she'd yell at me for not being more careful and tell me to fix my hair." Sophie stifled a chuckle and Millie smiled, she leaned forward and gave Eliana a hug, like Sophie had a few minutes ago. She winced a little as Millie squeezed too hard.

"I'm sorry honey, did I hurt you?" She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Nah, it doesn't hurt much." Millie smiled unconvincingly.

"You should get dressed and we can give you your presents over breakfast," Vash said from the doorway, pushing some of the hair that had flopped over his eyes out of the way.

"Okay, you guys go ahead, I'll be down in a few minutes." Vash nodded and led the others downstairs. Sophie left last shutting the door behind her. Eliana slowly got up and opened the drawer she had put her gun in earlier. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, taking a long look at it before putting it back in the drawer and placing a few shirts over it to hide it better, she then pulled on her dressing gown and headed downstairs to join the others.