Trigun is owned by Yasuhiro Nightow.

Walking, Waiting

Meryl and Stella were still outside looking as still as the buildings around them, their thoughts internalized and silent. Millie was the first to finish her appointed task and joined them on the porch, her bubbly personality trying to lighten even the darkest of situations.

"Well I packed us a good lunch. So you don't have to worry sempai! Oh I even found some donuts for Mr. Vash." She stood to the side looking down at Meryl, though Millie's cheerfulness didn't reach her.

Meryl herself couldn't face Millie. She was going over what she had to tell them and how to tell them. Until she could finally figure it out she would continue to avert her eyes from them, truth would not be forced, and Meryl's eyes betrayed everything.

Vash soon joined them; his first move was to stand at Meryl's back. Close enough that she could feel his body heat and take some sort of comfort from his presence. He wanted nothing more then to take hold of her and cradle her in his arms. He wanted to feel her heart beat next to his and make sure that it beat with hope and passion.

Stella stole glances at the two. Meryl her form ridge and unmoving, while Vash stood behind her, soft and placid. She could feel his adoration and love radiating from him but Meryl still refused to acknowledge it.

With grace that she didn't feel Meryl stepped off the porch and started to walk. She didn't bother to tell anyone where they were going. There was no point, they would get there when they got there and once they did, there would still be time for her to sign away her current life.

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Stella kept in time with Meryl's steps while Millie walked a few steps behind. Vash was left to take up the end of their sad little parade. He watched Meryl all the way. He noticed how her shoulders seemed to collapse into herself. How her head was ducked low to the late noonday suns. Her mind was somewhere else but yet she would look to Stella, anger or and unnameable emotion clouding her grey eyes, though her face was skilfully calm and untouched. But what really bothered Vash was the fact that Meryl had once again called him 'Mr'. They had shared something the night before, they had begun to connect, and now mere hours after their embrace she was once again putting distance between them. The 'Mr' that she attached to his name lent them a familiar yet professional acquaintance. He had wanted so much more as had she that night, or so he thought. Now it seemed as though whatever she had to tell them she fully expected them to leave…especially him.

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Millie walked to Meryl's side and though she would never have told her precious sempai, but she was scared for her. Never in all the time they had spent together had Millie seen Meryl so reserved and distant. She had spoken very little on her family; Millie hadn't even known that Meryl had a sister. But yet she was never told whom exactly Meryl wrote to, on the rare occasion that she did. But no matter what Millie would not upset Meryl. She was what kept their odd little family together. Vash returned to her, Nick had spoken of her quite strength and even Millie herself could not see a life without her dear sempai.

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'Meryl…talk to me please.' Begged Stella, she kept her eyes glued to the road in fear that she would take a wrong step and trip head over feet, therefore making a fool of herself and breaking the tension that was holding Meryl together.

'Not now Stella, leave me to my thoughts, that's the least you can let me do.'

'No I can't do that.' Stella pressed. She knew deep down in Meryl's torn and broken mind that she wanted only one person to give her comfort, but that man was hiding behind them, and since he was not able to partake in the conversation the only one left was Stella. 'How are you going to introduce him? Have you planed that far yet?'

Meryl sent Stella a glare that would have frozen one of the suns. But her anger quickly dissipated and she looked once again to the ground, her gaze glazed over.

Stella waited for Meryl to answer and wondered at her ability to not trip over things. Stella was always falling, but it was just her lot in life to be the clumsier of the two, while Meryl had grace even in the direst of circumstances.

'I never planned for anything. I had just hoped to finally disappear into the sands one day. Millie I know would have a hard time dealing with my leaving, but Vash…I had the odd feeling that he would come after me. I was trying to break it off. Pretend that nothing had happened, that nothing should or would ever happen.' Meryl looked to Stella, her eyes looking like a cloud filled sky. Meryl didn't know what to call the emotion that was coursing through her veins. 'I…I feel so lost. I know what needs to be said, what needs to be done, but I can't bring myself to face the idea that they will hate me for it all. Everything that I have done before contradicts everything that I have said in this life. I know that…that it will be the end.'

Meryl broke off her speech as they reached the hill that over looked the village. Meryl walked all the way to the edge and stood sombre and isolated. Even Stella who had stood close to her left her there. Millie went about setting out their lunch when Jasper returned bearing a red ribbon tied on his leg. After being freed from it he went off. His wings brushing by Meryl, the feathers brushed her shoulders softly, in greeting and passing. Meryl followed Jasper's path through the sky and lifted her head. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and turned to the people that she called family.

"It's time that I told you everything."