Trigun is owned by Yasuhiro Nightow.

Unhappy Tidings

"WHAT?" screeched Vash, as he bolted from his chair much in the fashion that Meryl had only moments before. "What is Millie talking about Meryl? Who is this woman…is she…" Vash froze. Meryl had been trying to tell him something important about this visitor; she had some relation to her…and with her likeness to Meryl that only meant…

Millie looked from one to the other then back again. A smile once again planted firmly on her lips, "why sempai she looks just like you, almost like a twin!"

Meryl couldn't help the hand that flew to her forehead in dismay. For all of Millie's good graces, there were times that her ignorance was…devastating. Meryl lifted her dejected head and looked to Stella. "I thought I had more time. Why did you have to come so early?"

Stella blinked looking from grumpy Meryl, to the confused Vash, and finally to Millie who continued to smile. "I was close and since I couldn't wait to meet everyone I came early. Why Meryl…don't they know yet?"

"Know what?" cried Vash his eyes flashing. There was something that Meryl was hiding and it seemed that everyone knew but him, and since Meryl was 'his' insurance girl he needed to know.

Millie blinked and sat down waiting patiently for whatever her sempai had to tell them.

Meryl hung her head. That was as much of an answer that Stella was going to get, and it was all she needed.

"Oh god…you haven't told them?"

"I was planning on tonight when everyone arrived. But you just had to come early didn't you?" Meryl responded her voice laced with dejection. She righted her chair, the food that Vash had prepared for her forgotten. She sat her elbows on the table and held her head on her clenched fists.

Stella came into the house and took the seat to Meryl's left. Her violet eyes focused on Meryl. She could feel her despair and desired to take some of the hardship from her shoulders. "Meryl…I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin this for you." She reached out and took one of Meryl's fists and squeezed.

Vash looked on with sad eyes. There they were, this unknown woman was able to do what he could not, hold Meryl, and comfort her. A prickling of jealously began to bite at his insides. He wanted nothing more then to be Meryl's comfort but he was unable to, and it irked him to no end that he couldn't.

"Stella, send Jasper to him. I have no choice and this needs to be said. Better sooner then later." Spoke Meryl her voice low and laden with emotion.

Stella nodded and reached out to call for the wayward bird. While she did that Meryl rose and keeping her eyes from meeting anyone said, "Millie pack us some food, and…Mr Vash please look to your brother we might be gone for a quite a while." With that said she turned and headed out. Her footsteps ended at the porch but with each step her melancholy reverberated through the floorboards.

Millie went about her duty while Vash continued to look to Meryl's back. Stella came up behind him, her face too close to his ear. "Do not worry Mr Vash. Meryl's a little upset that's all. She'll be right as rain soon." She left and went to stand by Meryl, their identical silhouettes stretching across the floor.

Vash shivered. There was something about this woman 'Stella' that made him uncomfortable. She looked too much like Meryl yet she seemed the total opposite. Meryl always the hot headed one made his life all the more exciting. This Stella was cool and collected. She…reminded him too much of Knives. He shook off his chills and went to tend to said brother. He would do as his insurance girl wished, not because Stella said everything was going to be ok. It was his duty to make sure things went well, not hers.

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Meryl stood in the shade of the porch looking out on the sleepy town that they had invaded and wondering where she had gone wrong. Hadn't she been careful in covering all of her tracks? She felt Stella come up behind her, her calm presence diffusing Meryl's tension.

'He loves you, you know that?' Stella's voice whispered in Meryl's mind, much like that of a soft breeze.

'Oh? We'll see how he loves me after he finds out everything about me. Only then can you tell me that it's real.' Meryl retorted, her anger building once again.

'And what if he does? What will you do then?'

'Well I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.'

'Everything he does is for you. He came back for you. Why can't you see that even if the truth comes out he'll still love you?' protested Stella, her eyes shining.

'Because like everything else, everyone else. The truth shatters, it destroys, his "love" for me will do just the same.'

'Why do you have to be such a pessimist?' sighed Stella her shoulders drooping.

Meryl smiled softly, "because I have the right to be."