A/N: This came out a little later than I hoped. I spent hours looking for the right songs, Coming up with new characters, completing the descriptions of older characters, and when it came time to write this chapter, everybody kept distracting me! Some things I have planned for later chapters are still iffy, but at least I have a general direction. I almost gave up on making this into a chapter story, but with no school to distract me...well, here it is! The second chapter! I upped the rating a bit for occasional swearing and later events. I hope you enjoy it!!! -NB-
Disclaimer: Own Trigun, I do not. The song 'Layla' by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon do not belong to me. Added characters are of my own doing, and therefore, belong to me.
=Stray Cat Strut=
By: Neptune Butterfly
Ch 2: Layla
After about ten minutes Vash came out of the bathroom wobbling towards the table. The music coming from the stage was pounding on his brain, and he held one hand up to his head as if he were trying to keep it from detaching from his neck. His other hand reached out to grab his chair as he eased himself into his seat. Finally in a stable position with both elbows now propped up on the table and hands to his face Vash let out a groan.
"All right Vash?" It was Wolfwood.
"Please keep your voice down."
Meryl, ignoring his request, spoke, "Well, that's what you get for drinking too much." Her arms were crossed to go with the 'I told you so' look on her face.
One eye peeked out at her. "No one said you had to dance with me."
Meryl glared at the eye poking through his fingers. "No one said you had to have another drink either."
Wolfwood and Milly glanced at each other. Obviously the dance didn't improve Meryl's mood, and all poor Vash got was a dizzying headache from all the twirling. 'And I ended up with a bunch of bruises from Miss Two Left Feet,' the priest thought puffing on his cigarette. She was a nice enough girl, but by the end of the dance Milly had to help him walk back to his seat. 'No more dancing with her.'
"There he is!" Everyone jumped.
Kuroneko looked up from his resting-place on the table beside Little Charlotte. His enormous green eyes turned in the direction of a skinny young blue-eyed girl about nine in glasses, a purple pleated skirt and a tie of the same color with a white short-sleeved button shirt under a sleeveless cream sweater. Knee-high white socks and brown dress shoes completed the outfit. Her curly blond hair was in two braids and stuck out in odd places, and she had a slightly round chin. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere along with a slightly shorter hazel-eyed girl a year younger than her who had thick shoulder-length hair parted to the left opposite of her yellow flower beret matching the T-shirt underneath her blue overalls.
"We want to show you something Mr. Kuroneko!" the brown haired girl said as she plopped a crudely made stuffed cat that was suppose to resemble him. "This is for you!"
"Nyaoo." Kuroneko and Little Charlotte got up to inspect the toy.
"Hello Alicia! Amy! My, what a cute kitty you have there!" Milly exclaimed with her usual smile clapping her hands together.
The girl called Alicia pushed her glasses up on her upturned nose spotted with freckles with a bandaged finger. "Yup! Amy and I just got finished with it!" Both of her hands went to her hips in super-hero pose showing pride in her work.
Amy shuffled her dirty white slip-ons around the table to Milly and pulled something out of the back pocket of her overalls. "I think this is yours. I found just outside Alicia's house earlier today."
Milly looked at her hand, her fingers covered in band-aids as well. It was the piece that fell off of her stun gun earlier. "Wow! I can't believe it! You actually found it! I was afraid I'd have to buy another one! This part is very hard to find!"
"You're welcome!" Amy smiled.
"Well, that's a relief. Those things are very expensive," Meryl said.
"By the way Alicia, have you seen your sister anywhere?" Vash asked, headache fading to a manageable level. He leaned on one hand instead of two looking in the girl's direction. "I thought this was her first day to work here."
"Vash! You're not asking her out again are you? She's not even eighteen!"
Vash winced. Meryl wasn't yelling, but her voice was raised enough that Vash's headache began to flare up again. He gritted his teeth as he gave her a reply. "No, I'm not. I'm just worried. Angela mentioned that Sharon didn't show up earlier, and I was just asking Alicia if she knew where she was."
"Well, actually I don't know where she is. Sharon said she'd be here by the time Sean was set up on the stage, but no one has seen her. Miss Laura's gettin' upset 'cause she's short on help as it is tonight with mama being sick, and it's also Angela's first day."
"I know where she is." Everybody at the table turned to Amy, who was back beside Alicia scratching Kuroneko's back. Little Charlotte was still inspecting the stuffed animal. "She's with her boyfriend." There was a disapproving tone in her voice.
"Aw, man! She has a boyfriend?" Vash half-whined.
He received a heavy sigh from his right and a small chuckle from his left. "Give it up Vash." Wolfwood could stop himself from smiling even with the shorthaired girl now focusing on him with a death-glare from across the table. He'll never forget the little incident that happened over at Alicia's. It was around the same time Milly lost the piece from her stun gun.
"No, she's not! Mama told her to stay away from Ryan!" The nine-year-old retorted in a know-it-all voice.
Her friend turned and looked up at her raising her voice. "She didn't listen when your mom said she couldn't take the bus to Mei City all by herself!!!"
"Wait a minute. Are you talking about that kid who was helping out the Ruckus Boys at the plant today?" the priest asked. He had just put out his cigarette and had another ready to be lit in mouth when heard the boy's name. The others stared at the girls waiting for an answer.
Amy turned back around. "Yea, but he's not a kid. He's almost twenty-one."
Wolfwood humphed, "He's still a kid."
"Anyway, he was the one who gave Sharon the idea to go to Mei."
Suddenly curious, Meryl asked, "Alicia, when did Sharon go to Mei?"
The little blond put her right elbow in her left hand and raised her right up in a thought pose with the bandaged pointer-finger poking the side of her down-turned head. "Ummm...over two weeks ago," she lifted her head to Meryl, "and she came back a week later. Why?"
Now it was the insurance girl's turn to do a thought pose, only she had her hand rest across her forehead. 'That had to be more than just a coincidence. How else would we have known to come here.'
"What is it Meryl?" Her partner's voice filtered through.
"Vash, where did you hear about the gang's plans to shut down the plant?"
Startled by the fact that she was no longer upset at him, he answered her with a surprised look. "At that restaurant where Neal and his mother worked."
"Sharon said she went there to watch the quick-draw tournament." Alicia said, now holding Little Charlotte up on her shoulder. The brown kitten was purring and rubbing against the girl's ear.
"You know she doesn't like guns," Amy replied in suspicious tone while giving her a look.
"But why else would she go to Mei?!" The nine-year-old now had her arms crossed against her sweater and returned her friends look with one of her own.
Frustrated, Amy let her already high voice grow higher in pitch as well as volume. "Because she was doing SOMETHING FOR RYAN, THAT'S WHY!!!"
They were now gaining the attention of the surrounding tables. The girls were locked in a glare match, and the shorter of the two had her hands balled up in fists ignoring the pain from the multiple pricks on her bandaged fingers. Sean was finishing up a song as he noticed the two through the haze of the saloon. Those two call themselves friends, but they can't seem to last five minutes without having a fight.
"Now, now, you two..." The bigger insurance girl was attempting to calm the little girls down, when the sound of the bar doors opening filled the large room. Those close by looked to see who it was, and slowly the whole bar quieted down as more people took notice and told others near them.
Normally the sound would not be noticeable with the band playing, but since they had just finished there was nothing to mask it. The figure standing at the entrance was that of a dark-haired woman in a brown trench coat dusting herself off. Opening her coat she began dusting her slightly baggy black pants rolled up at the bottom showing her heavy black travel boots. Small silver clips on each side of her head glinted in light holding back her black layered hair from her face as she moved upward to check any dust on her un-tucked dark purple button shirt. A white shirt was showing just below her neck where the left the purple one undone. Something that resembled a silver hoop was around her neck with an oval bluish purple pendant hanging from it.
She looked up as she finished up and took a deep breath. Her eyes, the same color as her pendent, scanned the room. The eyes of the ENTIRE town were watching her every move.
The whole scene was creeping her out. It was obvious that no one was expecting a stranger to waltz in on their party. "Uuuh-uh... Be careful when you go out!" The woman pointed a gloved hand over her shoulder towards the way she came in. "There's a sandstorm coming! Heh." With a strained smile, her voice rang clear in the filthy bar room air in a slightly higher pitch than it normally would be if she hadn't been put on the spot.
Slowly the eyes turned away and went back to what they were doing before. The low rumbling of voices returned and steadily grew louder. Still pointing at the door the dark-haired woman sighed in relief.
"Well, hello there. May I get you something?"
She looked to find an older brown-eyed woman with long wavy brown hair wearing a pale orange dress and a frilly waitress apron standing behind the bar counter.
"Uh, why yes. A whiskey please, but can you tell me where the bathroom is?" she asked relieved.
"Sure. It's just on the other side of the stage there." The waitress pointed.
"Thanks."
Some people were still giving her curious glances as she passed by. Sean was still staring seemingly unable to look away. When the woman walked past the stage he received a small smile before she disappeared into the ladies room.
"Hey Sean. You okay buddy?" His fellow guitarist Lee was shaking his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sean answered.
Eddie the pianist came over beside him and whistled as he adjusted his thick square framed glasses. "Man, she's pretty!"
Lee's blue eyes lit up as he was stuck by an idea. "Hey Brian!"
The big guy at the drums lifted his brown eyes and bearded face towards Lee.
"Remember that song we played in Augusta that was a big hit with the ladies?" He made a gesture with his head toward Sean, his light blond hair swinging slightly as he did so.
Brian immediately knew what he had in mind and it grew a smile under his beard. "Yeah, I remember."
"How about playing it for that lovely stranger who breezed in a minute ago?" Lee said as tried to keep the smirk on his face in check.
Brain was laughing to himself while shaking his head. "Okay."
Sean looked from one to the other. "Guys what are you doing? You know we can't get involved with anyone in the middle of a gig."
Eddie put a hand on Sean's vacant shoulder. "What are you gonna do? Wait until tomorrow? She might be gone by then!"
"Eddie's right Sean." Lee gave him a pat on the back. "We're not letting you pass up this opportunity!"
The lead guitarist was left standing in the middle of the stage as the others got in place for the next song. He looked over to the insurance girls' table. All four of them were staring back all smiles. The priest gave a wink, and even Vash gave him a thumbs up. The two younger girls who were fighting earlier fought hard to control their giggles. Only a couple tables away was Donovan raising his glass along with Andy as they made eye contact, and Angela also all smiles giving him a small wave with free hand.
Damn, they saw the whole thing.
"Nyaooo." Sean looked down. There was Kuroneko sitting beside the mic stand staring at him.
"You thinkin' maybe I should try an' impress the lady?" He picked up the black cat and brought those green saucer eyes level to his face.
Just then, the door to the ladies room opened, and the young woman stepped out making her way back to the counter to pick up her drink from Miss Laura. He just couldn't keep his eyes off her. There was chuckling coming from both sides of him.
Sean sighed and shook his head. "Okay, you guys win." He set Kuroneko on his shoulder, situated his guitar, and stepped up to the mic.
"Alright, time to slow things down a bit. You ladies out there find yourself a gentleman and bring him out onto the dance floor. Gentleman, if your feelin' left out ask the cute little gal sittin' beside ya."
Meryl stiffened in her seat? 'What the hell is he tying to do?!'
She looked to her left where Vash was sitting with one of his goofy grins. "How 'bout it insurance girl?"
The shorthaired woman felt a rush of blood to her face. "Umm...Vash...I don't...think that we should-"
"Don't worry about me. I feel much better now. I won't throw up again, I promise."
'There he goes again acting sober and serious.' "Vash, it's not that. It's just-"
The gunman jumped from his chair, the seriousness gone. "Well, okay then! Let's go!!!"
"But Va-aaAAASH!!!" She was a blur of white as Vash dashed off to the floor with her hand in his.
'Good. Now I won't feel so nervous,' Sean thought. With the feline still on his shoulder blending in with his black T-shirt he began plucking away at his guitar. Some people whooped and cheered when they recognized the slow opening melody. The rest of the band joined in after the first few measures.
By now, Alicia and Amy were having a giggle-fit. Little Charlotte tried desperately to hang on the older girl's shoulder.
"Alright you two. Sit down before you hurt yourselves." Wolfwood was hardly able to contain himself, and they were just making it worse.
They each took one of the recently vacated seats but couldn't get themselves to calm down. Milly couldn't do anything but smile at her partner. 'A slow dance will definitely do her some good.'
Sean came closer to the microphone getting ready to sing. With hands ready for a dance, Vash looked down at Meryl. "Ready?"
"Uh, yea." How on earth was she suppose to survive another four minutes being this close to this man? Less than two months ago she would have thought the same thing with a feeling of revulsion, but now...
Looking at the young woman now seated at counter, coat off, talking to Miss Laura, Sean managed to keep calm as he started on the lyrics. She was looking at him. She was actually looking at him...
"Who's that singing?"
Miss Laura glanced over in the direction of the stage. "That young man in black? Well that's Sean. The one on the piano is Eddie, Brian's the one playing the drums, and the odd one on the other guitar is Lee."
What'll you do when you get lonely
She could see why the waitress called him 'odd.' His loose white-blond hair, which was parted in the middle, swayed with every movement sometimes covering his face. He wore a loose green shirt buttoned but un-tucked with sleeves rolled up and a loose orange tie. A pair of black dress pants and shoes finished his ensemble. 'Must be a big city boy.'
And nobody's waiting by your side?
Her eyes moved to the other side of the stage to the pianist. 'Not as strange looking but probably a city boy too.' Eddie's hair was short and gelled into a slight mess. It was also black; the same color as his square framed glasses, the over-sized vest he wore over a large white T-shirt, and the baggy black jeans with a chain.
You've been running and hiding much too long.
Next, she observed the drummer called Brian. He was the only one wearing blue jeans with a big buckle, and his boots were brown, not black. Slightly curly brown hair covered his head while his face was bearded with the same color. A red shirt with torn off sleeves made showed off his large build, and even from a distance she could tell that he too wore a white shirt underneath.
You know it's just your foolish pride.
Her attention turned back to the lead guitarist Sean. All in black. Very nice. Cute kitty too. She took a sip of her drink. The next word, a name, made her almost choke. After every time he said that name the rest of the band back him up singing the next line...
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
'How could he have known?'
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
'Great. She's choking on her drink. Keep cool...'
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
'Who the hell told him?'
Feeling a little discouraged, Sean continued in solo. He looked around for Vash on the dance floor so he wouldn't have to look at the woman gaping at him as if she were offended by his singing.
I tried to give you consolation
The guitarist found the humanoid typhoon dancing with the short insurance girl who seemed to be having a hard time focusing.
When you old man had let you down.
That didn't help, so he looked over where the priest was sitting. Wolfwood was talking to Milly, both watching the couple.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
The little girls were doing the same in whispers still giggling occasionally. At least they weren't fighting.
Turned my whole world upside down.
He dared another glance at the beautiful woman at the bar. She was now facing away from him, looking down at her drink.
'I can't believe I gaped at him like a sandworm about to swallow a few tomases,' the young woman thought, feeling a little sunk. The chorus started up again...
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
'It's just a song. He probably didn't know.'
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
'I wish she'd turn around.'
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
'How 'bout I ask him when he's done. Yeah, that's what I'll do.' She nodded to herself.
Turning back towards the stage to watch Lee begin his guitar solo during the break in the lyrics. He earned a few whoops from the crowded room, but her attention was taken away by Miss Laura and the arrival of a teenage girl. 'She must have came through the back way.'
"Sharon! Where have you been?!" Miss Laura did her best to keep her voice down despite being extremely upset. She was already forming an audience of her own with everyone at the bar counter.
The girl in a blue skirt held by a buckle and a light yellow shirt was frantically trying to find a place for her pink coat apologizing over and over. After she did, the teenager began to put on an apron while the older woman walked off in a huff apparently finding that a lecture would be useless.
"Yo Sharon! Wher've ya been!" A young man at the counter asked.
Sharon wheeled around as she was finishing up tying her apron and answered in a definite not so apologetic tone, "None of your damn business Robert."
"Sorry I asked." Sharon didn't hear. She was focused on the woman with black hair.
Sean stepped back up to the mic still watching the bar with great interest. He too noticed the teenager's late arrival. What really interested him was how she was staring at the woman he seemingly failed to impress.
Let's make the best of the situation
'Let's see: brown hair just past shoulders, hazel eyes, round chin, gold locket...' She lifted herself off her stool a bit, '...and the same white travel boots. Yep, THAT Sharon.'
Before I finally go insane.
'What's she looking at?' Sean asked himself, completely at a loss.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
Both of them nodded, and Sharon hurried off to find Angela while the woman's gaze followed across the saloon.
And tell me all my love's in vain.
Another chorus began. The lead guitarist continued to watch her.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Wolfwood noticed the expression on Sean's face. "What's up with him?"
"Who?" asked Milly. He nodded toward the stage.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
"Who was that?" Angela asked Sharon as she came up to her. Donovan and Andy listened in.
"Oh," she gave a quick look back, "I don't know," and went off to take orders from another table.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
The deputy and his friend stared at her. "What was that all about?"
"I don't know." Angela was staring at her too.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
The female stranger turned on her stool to watch the band again. 'I hope this song ends soon.'
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
The drummer's red shirt really stood out. Speaking of red...
The music slowed down along with the last line of the song after Sean said the name one last time...
Layla, darling won't you ease my worries...now.
Whistles and cheers rose as they ended with a flourish.
"Excuse me, Miss Laura was it? Do you know who the guy in the red coat is?"
The older woman spun around twirling her orange skirt to face her question. She leaned over the counter to get a better look. "Oh yes. He's Vash the Stampede."
"WHAT!!!" the woman screeched. Her stool flew out from under as she jumped up and pound her hands flat on the counter spilling drinks, eyes wide in shock. For the second time that night she unintentionally grabbed the whole bar's attention.
She pointed behind her in the general direction of the dance floor continuing to yell at a high pitch.
"YOU MEAN HE'S VASH THE STAMPEDE?!! THE HUMANOID TYPHOON?!! THE MAN WITH $$ 60,000,000,000 ON HIS HEAD?!!"
"Huh, that's what I keep telling everyone," said Meryl. She and Vash had reached their table as they heard the woman scream. She looked up at the gunman in mock annoyance and got a toothy lopsided grin in return.
"Wow, she knows who you are Mr. Vash!" That earned Milly an odd look from everyone around the table.
Little Charlotte grabbed the forgotten stuffed cat on the table with a 'Nyao' and vaulted off Alicia's shoulder. "Hey! Come back!" Both girls took off after her.
"Alright guys. Take ten." Kuroneko jumped off of his shoulder with a 'Nyao' to follow the stuffed kitty darting around the tables. Sean never took his eyes off her.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE!!!"
Lee lit up a cigarette and puffed. "Damn, she's noisy."
"It's okay miss. He's the one who saved the town." Miss Laura said quickly after recovering from the shockwave of the woman's outburst.
"He did?"
"Yes. He saved the town."
"He went up against the Ruckus Boys at the plant all by himself?" She finally calmed down, but her finger was left hanging in the air. Everyone slowly went back minding their own business like before.
"Yea-well, not actually. He did have some help, but...hey, how did you know about the plant?" Miss Laura asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I uh overheard someone talk about it. He, he." She put her pointing hand behind her head and smiled at the waitress nervously. "Excuse me."
"Uh oh. Sean, you better think of something to say quick," Eddie whispered into his ear and quickly walked off the stage before he could say anything.
'Great.' She was coming over.
"Hi." Her voice was lovely at normal decibel level.
"U-uh...H-hi." 'Real smooth.'
"You guys are pretty good." 'Ask him.'
'Man, she's got pretty eyes.' "Thanks." 'C'mon, is that the best you can do?'
"You're name's Sean right?" 'Why does he keep staring at me? Gosh, his brown eyes are beautiful.'
"Yeah." 'I need some water.'
Right on cue, Meryl ran up to the stage with a glass in her hand. "Here you go. I thought you might need this."
Sean gratefully accepted, and gulped it down.
"Hello. I'm Meryl." She gave the woman her hand.
She took it. "Layla."
The guitarist choked on his water and coughed, "Y-ou're...n-ame's...Layla?"
"Uh, yes, it is. Are you okay?" Both women stared at him in concern.
SMASH!!! "ALICIA AND ANNE MARIE INGALLS!!!"
A/N: Guess what I saw today? A Buddist meditation center. It looked like something out of the Himalayas! Oo It was a real temple! Imagine that! Right here in Texas! Anyways, please review. I promise to have the next chapter up in two or three days. -NB-
P.S. My little sis Warrior of Destiny a.k.a. WoD will be posting her first fic in a day or so! If you're a Tamora Pierce fan or just curious, please check it out! We're each other's beta readers now.
Next time: Goody Two Shoes