Setting the shovel outside, Vash walked through the doorway, looking down at his waiting lover who was sitting at the table. He tried to small, only for his lips to be caught by the many thoughts racing through his mind. Mostly about her.

He sat down next to her, his eyes already silently searching her for an answer. "Meryl," he said, taking her folded hands in his own. "I just want you to know…that you can tell me anything."

The last five words told her, "You know about…him, don't you?"

Vash only gazed back at her apologetically.

"Then I guess…" she started, tears building up in her smoky orbs, "I should tell you the whole story." The petite woman was slowly pulled from her chair, two muscular arms wrapping around her slim figure in order to comfort her as she spoke. Looking back at her blonde haired love, she was me with a reassuring yet troubled smile. "I guess I'll start with when my father passed away."

Milly held the twins hand in her own, sitting on a chair next to his bed. Her tears had finally stopped, leaving tear-stained cheeks and burning eyes. With her free hand, Milly ran her fingers through his dark hair, remembering how beautiful and pale it was before.

Knives' hair was as soft as it had always been, making Milly feel as if her fingers were sifting through feathers. Her hands left his dark locks, trailing down past his ears, tracing the line of his jaw. Her face had paled and thinned like the rest of his body. It was as if all of his energy was sucked right out of him.

The tall girl looked at his closed eyes, watching as his ice blue orbs moved beneath his lids. He's dreaming, she thought, pulling her hand back from his face. Leaning over towards him, she planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Sleep well." She whispered, her words brushing against his cheeks.

Knives was panting heavily, feeling as though someone was ripping his very being apart. Falling to his knees, he listened to the echo of his joints hitting the ground. His sweat dripped onto the floor as he held himself up by his arms. What is this pain? His thoughts rang through the dark abyss as if he'd said them aloud.

"Now you see, just what pain there is in living." A cool voice stated, being the only sound that didn't echo, yet the owner of the voice's footsteps did. "This is the price you pay for such a gift."

Knives looked up at the speaker in slight awe. "Legato."

"For any great power you must pay the price." Legato said, raising his hand lightly when he spoke. "And you are getting the power of life. So you suffer the same as I."

Knives grunted as another explosion of pain struck him, groaning out through his teeth, "What are you talking about?"

Legato ignored him, beginning to speak about something. "Like the rest of my family I had a wondrous power with a gruesome price in return. By day I could use my powers to no end, and allow my debts to be repaid as I slept. I wished death every night." He kneeled down toward the plant on the ground. "Death would be a worthy reward for being ripped apart. Don't you agree?"

"No." Knives retorted. "To see snow, and ice, and the other new beauties of Gunsmoke," he explained, a picture of a woman he knew oh-so well set in his mind. "is a worthy reward."

Legato smirked. "I felt the same way at one time. But when betrayed that changed."

"Betrayal. I have suffered that."

"Yes. But not in the same way. You don't know how I felt." He said turning back around. "Though your brother might." Legato turned back around. "And by the way. I'm not Legato." The man walked towards Knives again, until he was a mere foot away. Snapping his fingers he held a flame in his hand, using as a lantern to show his face.

The man's blue hair practically glided into soft spikes, fading into a bright red. His golden eyes quickly deepened into an emerald green. He shortened slightly and gained a more childlike complexion. "My name is Staccato."

Meryl was breathing deeply and speaking slowly in order to hold back her tears. Strong arms were wrapped around her waist, the owners head nuzzled into her neck, kissing her lightly. "When I woke up in the hospital…my…" Meryl attempted to clear her throat, only for the sobs she'd so desperately tried to restrain to force themselves out. "My…b-baby…w-wa…was."

Vash moved his hands up to her arms, turning her around to embrace her weeping form. Meryl's quivering arms clung to the back of his shirt, her fingers wrapping in the tan material. The blonde gunman placed the fingers of his left hand in her dark hair, his other hand resting between her shoulder blades.

Tears streamed down Vash's cheeks in both anger and empathy for the woman in his arms, landing on her shoulder and neck. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." He said, though he had no reason to.

Meryl attempted to ask why he was sorry but couldn't get her voice to work in any way but to sob. Her voice was becoming raspy and hoarse, her eyes burning and becoming weak from crying after about five minutes or so, but she didn't want to let go, as if he was the only thing keeping her from returning to her memories.

Vash clung to her just as tightly, only wanting to protect her from images of the past. Only knowing that memories are inevitable.

Milly held Knives' hand once again, whispering her emotions into the night air. "I thought I had lost you, Knives. I thought you had left me just like Nicholas…but you didn't. And I'm so happy about it." Her teary smile broke slightly as she began to explain. "I never thought that after he died… that I could feel the same way about someone…I thought my feelings were shut down for anything besides false joy…but when you cried on my shoulder that day…I knew that you wouldn't allow my feelings to stay gone."

She laughed lightly. "You are too much trouble Knives…I don't know how I put up with gunmen like you…but the world is filled with gunmen I guess. I don't think I could have lived alone all my life. I would have to lag behind Meryl and Mr. Vash until the day I die…because if I was all alone…I would be my own cause of death." Kissing his hand she cried harder. "You don't know how hard it was for me to move on after my heart shattering the first time…if you had left me…I would have lost my mind. I honestly don't think that I could keep my sanity if you left me too. So for you being alive, struggling, but alive…I just want to thank you."

Milly leaned down to his lips, whispering unto them, "And for that I love you." And she kissed them chastely.

Looking back at him, she noticed a small change. His hair was no longer a shining jet black, but more of a dull faded black. She didn't know what this meant, but another change along with this, was that his face was no longer a plaster white either, but more of a light ivory. He will live.

Note: Surprise surprise! And today's guest! My boyfriend, Staccato Bluesummers. Yes that is Legato's brother in case you didn't already know. I have a game tonight, and in case you didn't know that eiher, I am in the marching band, so I have to make this note short. I am thinking about doing kind of like spinoff to this story with the story about the Bluesummers. What do you think? Yes, no, maybe? I dunno, anywho, I would like to know what you think about this chapter as well. I think it could have been better because I had MAJOR writer's block. Oh well. Well until next time, in the words of my German tounge that I aquired a week ago. Ich leibe dich! Tchusse! (I love you...bye!)

DPA(Pyro)