Trigun is owned by Yasuhiro Nightow.

Their Past pt2

"I drove all night and all day. Though I never really noticed the changing of the days, all I knew was I needed to fill the empty void that had been made by the deaths of everyone dear to me. I made it to May and sought out the heads of the medical company. I finally found out the name and was rather disgusted with it; they had called it Seed Fabrication. They had named it after the fallen ships.

"I had planned to storm the head building and kill my way to the top but I found a much more appealing target, Alvin, our dear 'friend', the one who had given his word knowing that it meant nothing. So I dug around in the company database and found out that he had requested us to be tested as weapons. The bastard wanted to be given coupling rights with us, to create the army that they so desired."

Meryl gave a thoughtful smirk, her memories triggering something. "When I finally found him he was giving away free samples of the genetic code that he was so proud of to any thing that would take it. He had fallen so low on the totem pole after we ran that he barely had the money to afford a half decent hooker. I walked in and the moment he recognised me he ran, like I knew he would…and I took pleasure in running after him. I wanted him scared; I wanted him to feel pain, to feel the trepidation that we had felt. I chased him all over May, down dirty street corners and into the seediest areas, just so that I could prolong his death, so that I could take pleasure in his death. I backed him into a dead end and waited for the wail of fear, and I wasn't disappointed. He cried all right, he even pissed his pants in fear. He got down on his knees and begged me to spare him that he wasn't worth my time. I told him that he was more worth my time because he was the one that killed our parents. I could feel it radiating off of him, the guilt that he had gotten caught. The rat bastard was scared because he got caught. He didn't even have the decency to die like a man he begged me to the end." Meryl stopped as her eyes glazed over with the memory. "I shot him in a cold, dark, dirty alleyway, on his knees. And I left him there; I didn't even bother to drag the body out where people might find him. I wanted him to have a nameless grave…if he ever got one.

"I returned home and we ran, we ran for years. We have had many different last names and many different looks but one thing has stayed the same. Stella was always the kinder and gentler of us, and I stayed rough and domineering. It was the only way for us to survive. I did the hard work while Stella worked her charms and weaved her way into people's hearts. The only reason that I'm here looking the way I do now is because she had to return to an old friend who was ill. The woman you see before you is a farce. I'm not who I appeared to be."

"Meryl…"

Vash's voice stopped Meryl from continuing. Her head was down, her shame rolling off her like waves. Stella sat looking saddened, her hand reached out to Meryl again and again but it never made it. There was never a way to console Meryl when she thought on that day. Millie as well reached over but stopped. Nick held her hand and shook his head. No one could understand what she had gone through.

Stella licked her lips, and decided to finish where Meryl had left off. "Meryl and I ran but we also investigated our creation. We found out information about twin boys that had been born on one of the SEED ships. We found out that they were actually plants and that they had abilities that no human had. We thought that we had been born as an equaliser, a white to their black. They destroyed while we healed and were able to create. Meryl made it her mission to find them and see if our theory was true. From what she has told me it must be, but…" Meryl's hand covered Stella's mouth forbidding her from continuing.

Meryl raised her head, her eyes steel grey and looked at Vash. "Do you see me as your brother Mr Vash? Am I the same? I took intense enjoyment in killing Alvin; do you place us in the same boat? Stella is your match, she is everything that you are, kind, gentle, giving. I may care but I will kill. If it's a choice between someone I love and a gunman then I will choose the one I love." Meryl rose and looking down at Vash she allowed the second tear she had shed that day fall to his hands. "We will leave in the morning, you will never have to deal with us ever again. I am sorry for lying to you…goodbye Vash." she whispered his name and swiftly turned and walked briskly down the hill.

Everyone was too stunned to do anything. What were they to do? There was far too much for them to deal with especially in so short a time. Stella stayed in case they had any further questions. She would not leave them wanting, but Vash she could see was going through an inner conflict, the woman who he had associated with everything that he had been working for was suddenly not so innocent, not so little or frail.

Moments passed and it was the priest that broke Vash of his thoughts.

"So Stella…where are short girl's guns?"

"They are with me. I have kept them since that day, the empty magazines still in them. She's never cleaned them, never touched them since. She seemed ashamed to even look on them. I think father's last wish will forever eat at her. He never intended us to use them, and certainly not to avenge their deaths with them."

Vash was up on his feet instantly. "Stella…what did she mean by match?"

Stella looked to the basket and said sadly, "we figured that since there were two of you and two of us that one was meant for the other. And once we found out who belonged with whom…we would…mate."

All three looked up at Vash, whose heavy breathing could be heard, his eyes were wild with fright. "So you mean that…Meryl has gone to…to place her intentions with Knives?"

"Yes."

Vash was gone the instant the word escaped Stella's lips. He ran full speed to Meryl who was almost all the way home, the street and buildings nothing more then a blur. She had just stepped on to the porch when he grabbed her and twisted her around.

"HE CAN'T HAVE YOU!" he yelled. His eyes closed, though tears still escaped them. "He can't have you." He said once again, his voice softer. "You're mine. You're my insurance girl."

"Vash…" Meryl whispered she had expected a reaction, but not this one. She had hoped he would be happy with the choice, with Stella. She really was everything that he was, and nothing like Meryl the liar, really was.

"No Meryl you listen." Vash finally looked her in the eyes and she was stilled. His gaze held her motionless, nameless emotions swimming in the golden green depths. "You were right about the idea that you were created to counter our powers, but what you didn't realise was that to create harmony you need two different people. Not two of the same, you and I are different. We fit. Please Meryl…I know you killed, but I can see why you did it. You were angry, I told you that I tried to kill Knives in my anger. But you, my dear insurance girl succeeded, and it haunts you. Let me take some of that weight off of your shoulders…please."

Meryl was finding it harder and harder to keep her cool. Vash's eyes spoke of understanding and most importantly, love. But that was something that she didn't deserve. "No Mr Vash. There is no place in that pure wonderful heart for me. Please leave me to my choice."

"Your choice? What about my choice? I want to be able to choose my mate, and I have chosen you Meryl. I chose you long ago, everywhere I looked in my time away from you I saw you, I felt you. I needed you. But how could I go back when I had created so much devastation?" he shook her with every word, trying desperately to drill those words into her head.

"But Mr Vash…"

"STOP IT Meryl! Stop with the 'Mr', god how I love you…and yet you wont let me in. I came back from deaths door because I wanted to spend your years with you. Now I find out that you will live as long as I will and I…I can't wait... I can't wait to spend eternity in your arms. Please Meryl. I have chosen you, and I know that before all of this happened that you choose me as well. Lets just leave it. You are my match, no matter what you have done you have not killed since, but that's what makes you perfect for me, your ability to do what needs to be done. I may hate it that I couldn't do anything but I know you'll do what you have to. And that's why I love you."

Meryl chocked back a sob and collapsed in Vash's arms. "Oh god…why? Why me? Why Vash?" she cried into his shirt, her freed tears soaking it.

Vash smiled ruefully, "because Meryl, I love you. As you are, as you once were, and as you're going to be." Cupping her face he lifted her head to his. His eyes closing in anticipation, as did Meryl's when a large yawn broke the moment.

"God damn it. Can't you people keep it down? A guy can't get any sleep around here."

The two looked bewildered, to the door and found Knives looking at them, a bored and tired glare on his face.