Knives laid awake in his bed, fearing sleep, or at least his dreams. Even a week after he woke up, he would dream painfully, and wake up in a cold sweat. His eyes were heavy; he hadn't slept in going on three days. His face was pale and his mouth dry even during the day, and no one but Vash knew why he feared the normally pleasant time of slumber. Feeling as though he would fall asleep laying down, he rolled out of his bed, lazily walking into the kitchen.

Setting the percolator to fix his fancy coffee he hadlooted from the store Vash and Milly and uncovereddown the street, he sat down at the table. The kitchen light was week, causing him to strain in order to recognize the body coming into the kitchen

Milly yawned stretching her arms as she scuffled into her dreary kitchen.

"Why aren't you asleep, Woman?"

She turned, smiling lazily at Knives as she sat down. "Good morning, Mr. Sandman."

Knives sighed. "Go to bed."

"Why?"

"Because you require sleep. In order for your body to function-"

"So do you." Milly cut him off.

Knives was quiet. "I sleep fine."

"Then why are you awake now?"

So damn obvservent he thought. "It's none of your concern."

Milly was silent for but a moment, before asking in a whisper-soft voice. "What are you afraid of?"

Knives held a shocked expression on his face for a moment before shrugging and playing it off by laughing. "Why would I be afraid?"

Milly sat down across the table from him. "Dreaming. Not waking up. Not being there if something happens."

Knives laid his forehead against the table, looking down at the floor. "How do you know all the things I fear to even speak of?"

"It's what happens," she stated, laying a hand on his back. "when I care for someone."

"Why?" He said, still staring at the ground. "I wanted to kill you, as well as everyone else in this world."

Milly chuckled lightly. "To be honest, I don't know. But I care about you, and I refuse not to follow my heart."

"Hmph." Knives laughed, his eyes closed now. "You speak as if it is more than a pumping organ in your chest." He lied, even to himself.

"It is to me." She stated simply. "And you're part of it." She rubbed her hand along his back, causing goose bumps upon his bare flesh. "Whether you like it of not."

Knives smirked, sitting up. "You're just as stubborn as I am." Knives then finally admitted to both her and himself. "And it's a facto in why I feel this way about you."

Milly loved hearing that side of him. Pulling his shoulder towards her she asked. "Why else?"

"It's all the little things you say to me every day. The insignificant ones." Knives stood up and turned towards his room he muttered. "And your smile."

Milly smiled with watery eyes as his door closed and she whispered. "I love you."

Knives finally smiled, realizing that his slumber at last led him somewhere beyond the dark abyss he was used to. This place was white. Kneeling down, he sifted his fingers through the soft material on the ground. He was standing on such soft materal but it was steady enough to hold him up.

Know holding a handful of the white material, he through it above his head, watching as it flowed down to the ground as white flower petals. As a sudden wind blew the petals away they once again changed into a deep purple color.

Where am I? No answer came to him, but instead, a whisper.

"Thank you."

Knives looked around looking for the owner of the soft voice. "For what?"

"For releasing me."

That time Knives recognized the speaker. "You're welcome, Harmony."

At last the two were at peace in slumber.

Meryl finished cooking the salmon, putting it on bread for sandwiches. Laying some potato chips on the plates she called out the door for the others to eat.

Knives was the first to walk in, setting the rubber gloves he was wearing on the floor next to his cleaning supplies, then he washed his hands.

Vash and Milly walked in the house, Milly giggling, and set their shovels down. Stopping her chuckles, she was met with Meryl's questioning glare.

As Vash grabbed his plate from the counter, his brother asked. "What's going on?"

Vash sat down at the table. "I'll tell you later."

Knives looked at Meryl, who was still wondering about Vash and Milly, but calmed herself with a simple thought. Milly laughs at everything. Vash probably tripped and fell or something.

"So how's our path going?" Knives asked, picking up a chip and popping it into his mouth.

"We should be able to leave tomorrow. Did you make the jackets, Meryl?" Vash asked.

Meryl nodded. "With Knives' help. He's got quite a knack for sewing."

Vash almost choked on his sandwich as he laughed. "Knives!" he coughed out. "Knitting! That's gold."

Knives glared at his brother before kicking him from under the table.

The spiky haired gunman finished up his chuckling as he bit into his sandwich, smiling.

Milly giggled a bit herself as she imagined a scene of what he once was in her head.

Knives screamed, shooting his guns. "You will all die!" Jumping toward his bag, he grabbed a handful of cloth. "Sweaters of doom! ATTACK!"

Meryl, however, just finished eating, before taking her plate to the sink. "While you two are finishing up, I'll pack your bags. 'Kay?"

Vash swallowed quickly, standing up. "No!" Stopping he looked down. "I mean…you don't have to do that. I'll do it tonight."

"Oh…uh…okay…" Meryl turned back to the sink, washing her plate and the dishes she used when cooking.

Vash laughed nervously as he backed into the hall to his room. "Later!"

Knives soon followed.

"So you're"

"Yes."

"Tomorrow?"

"We'll be done."

"And where?"

"The outskirts of town." Vash reached into his pocket, handing an object to his brother. "Do you think she'll be happy?"

"If not I would worry for her mental health."

The four travelers carried their heavy bags along the path created by the two who led the way. "Once we get a little way out of town the now gets less deep." Vash stated, trudging through the snow in front of his friends.

Looking around closely, he whispered to Milly, who then nodded and walked ahead of Vash.

The blonde gunman walked back to stand next to his insurance girl. "So uh…whatever happened to your job?"

Meryl looked up at him and laughed. "Oddly enough…I was fired."

"What! Really? Why!" Vash was shocked. After all…she was Meryl.

Meryl laughed again, this time at his reaction. "Well after our boss found out about what happened in L.R. Town, he ordered us to come back immediately. And you weren't healed, so we couldn't leave you. So after we refused to come back, we were dismissed from both our assignments and our jobs."

Vash smiled. "I love you so much." His watery gaze locked into hers as he took her hand. "Come with me."

The shorter girl followed her lover past their other two other companions and to a large mass that soon became visible as they neared it.

A large white bird made of snow sat on the very outskirts of town, its neck long and graceful looking. A swan. Vash took Meryl closer to the icy figure and took her small hands.

"Meryl. I love you, so, so much. And I want to always be there for you. I want to be your umbrella on a rainy day, and shield you from what may fall. I want to be the shoulder you cry on when you're upset. And I don't want anything to keep me from being with you."

The dark haired girl gazed up at the gunman with teary eyes, unable to break away from looking at him. Vash knelt down in front of Meryl.

"I want you, Meryl Elizabeth Stryfe," he started, opening a blue velvet box to sho her a gold and diamond engagement ring, "to be my wife."

Meryl was speechless, her mouth hanging open. The swan behind her gave way from the continuous weight on the thin neck as she whispered softly, tears streaming down her cheek. "I can't…"

Note: HAH! I am evil! I wish I could update more often you's guy's….I hate not having a computer at home. I hope you enjoyed this update better than the last… I know you hate the cliffy…hehe…me so evil… Well homecoming is this week. So I gots to go…c-ya love ya bye!

DPA(Pyro)