Author's Gibberish: Bah. Forgive the lame-er-ness of this chapter. .-. Thank you to reviewers, however. :D You make it possible for me to write. You are all very inspirational and you have my infinite gratitude. It's nice to know that some people don't think my work is absolute crap. Mind you, I am one of those people who have said sentiment. But, as they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Anyway, Enjoy. :3
Oh yes, and an apology must be made for the mass of errors that have been made so far! x.x Gomen na.
;Standard disclaimer applies as usual.
Chapter four: 'Congratulations!'
"That was yummy!" Vash declared cordially after finishing his third helping of fettuccini.
"Admirable fare, indeed," Knives added, patting his lips with a napkin.
"Is it very nice," Meryl agreed quietly, still padding along on her first and only serving, her head beginning to ache. Milly flushed bright red.
"Aw, you guys," she tittered. Meryl stared down at the cheesy dish in front of her. She had never known Milly to be such a great cook. Meryl smiled.
"It seems you've outdone yourself, Milly," she said.
"Oh no. Not really. My big brother used to make me help him cook meals all the time when I was little," Milly replied modestly. "Fettuccini was little sister's favourite."
"I see."
"Well, I'll go wash up then." Milly began clearing away the dishes and cutlery.
"Milly, you've been working all day!" Meryl exclaimed. Vash and Knives nodded in agreement.
"You have, indeed," said Knives.
"Oh, I don't mind." Milly smiled cheerily.
"Well I do," said Meryl decisively, standing up gingerly with a hand on her middle. "I'll do them, Milly. I need to do my share. I can't just sleep a whole day and then do nothing to help out."
"Oh, Meryl, are you sure?" Milly asked, concern written on her face. "I mean—"
"I'll help," Vash said, standing and clearing away the lingering cutlery. Meryl nodded and followed him into the kitchen.
"I'll wash," she said as he began running the water. Vash shrugged and picked up a nearby tea towel. Meryl sighed deeply, stewing to herself as she rinsed plate after plate. The day had been odd, frightening even. Knives was most certainly beginning to get to her. Could Vash be cheating on her? Would he? No, her mind firmly told her. But then again, the notion kept coming hauntingly back to her as a possibility. And the way Knives had looked at her... It was penetrating. His eyes had been so slaying. For a fleeting moment she knew she had seen hatred in them. The deepest loathing she had ever seen a person's eyes carry. She shivered in her boots, a cavernous feeling of insecurity coming over her. In the months since Knives wad woken, Meryl had become more and more fearful for her safety with Knives around. She was frightened more so, however, that Knives could turn on them and do something awful to Milly when neither Vash nor Meryl were around. No, she wouldn't let that happen. Milly would not get hurt. Meryl would make sure to protect her friend. She quickly put Knives out of her mind. It was only then that she realized how much hers and Vash's lives had intertwined. How much Meryl had changed since she met Vash…
-
"Goodnight, Milly," he said softly."Goodnight. Sleep well," she replied, getting up and plodding back into her own room, teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms.
He took one last heavy-eyed look at the photo album, engrossed in the photo of his love, a single tear beginning a trail down his cheek. The last of his grief spent, he flipped over the page and looked at a photo of a small girl instead.
"Lavender…" he whispered inaudibly to himself. "What would I do without you?"
-
"Meryl?" Vash's voice said distantly. "Meryl!" Meryl zoned in.
"Ur, yes? What is it, Vash?" she muttered.
"You're frowning," he said. "And you don't look so good, either," he added.
"Oh, sorry," she replied vaguely. Vash gave her an odd look and piteous chuckle.
"Umm…listen," he began. Meryl stared at her water-immersed hands.
"Oh, miss Meryl," Knives interrupted. Meryl flinched into complete alertness.
"Yes?" she replied solemnly.
"You got a letter today."
"Oh, I see. Did it say whom from?" she enquired.
"That insurance company you work for," Knives said, bored. "It's on the table."
"Thank you."
'It's about a problem with my routine reports and paperwork, I just know it!' Meryl groused mentally as she dried her hands. She grabbed the letter and flopped onto a sofa in the lounge, incising the envelope open with her fingernail.
"Miss Stryfe," the letter began formally.
'It should be Ms now, I suppose,' Meryl considered.
"Miss Stryfe,
We have received your request for maternity leave. In order to validate your leave, we require you to return to the main office in Bernardelli by the end of next month and present your doctor's certificate and—"
The letter fell from Meryl's hand. She was stunned. How did the insurance society know she was pregnant? She hadn't sent away for maternity leave. Then it dawned on her.
"Milly!" she shouted irately.
"Yes Meryl? What is it?" Milly appeared at the top of the cellar stairs, smiling amiably.
"Milly, what is this?" Meryl pouted, snatching the letter off her lap and jerking her finger into it.
"That's a letter, Meryl," Milly said gently with the air of explaining something to a horridly senile person.
"I know what it is!" Meryl retorted. "I want to know what it's doing here!"
"Being read?" Milly offered thoughtfully.
"MILLY!" Meryl stormed. "It was you! Why'd you send away for maternity leave for me!"
Milly frowned.
"Come on, Meryl. We both know that you wouldn't have done it yourself," she said hopelessly. "You're pregnant, Meryl. It's only natural that you need time off work."
"I do not need time off work! I'm behind in my paperwork and if I don't—"
"Meryl, you need to take it easy," Milly pleaded. Vash suddenly appeared beside her, a grim look on his face.
"Milly's right. If you continue to put this kind of strain on yourself, you'll end up hurting yourself," he said.
"But—!" Meryl griped. Vash and Milly both grimaced at her and shook their heads. Meryl sighed deeply.
"Alright," she conceded, sighing acutely. "I'll go back to Bernardelli tomorrow, then," she said, putting a hand over her abdomen and letting the letter hover down to the floor.
"Good," Milly said, taking a seat next her friend and flinging an arm around her. "Would you like me to come with you?"
Meryl thought for a moment.
"No," she said. "No. It'll be fine. I'll go alone."
The following morning, Meryl traipsed slowly through her breakfast as usual, not paying attention to the bickering either side of her.
"I want the last one!" she barely heard Vash groan.
After breakfast, Milly helped Meryl load her bags into the jeep they had borrowed from the kindly neighbor. Meryl filed woefully into the driver's seat.
"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself, Meryl?" Milly fretted. "It is a three day drive, after all…"
"I'll be fine, Milly," Meryl assured. "I…" Meryl hesitated, making a gesture with her hand. Milly leaned closer.
"I need a little time to myself, anyway," she whispered.
"Oh…" Milly nodded. "I understand," she said.
"Well, I'll see you all when I get back," Meryl said, forcing a smile.
"Bye! –Oh wait!" Vash called as Meryl put her hand on the ignition. Vash rooted around in his pocket and pulled out a small box.
"Here." He handed it to Meryl. Meryl glanced at the label and smiled. A pain reliever. Just what she needed.
"Thanks," she said. Vash gave her a light kiss.
"Take care of yourself," he warned.
"I will," Meryl assured, starting the car. "Bye now!" She waved goodbye and purred off into the distance.
For the first half hour or so, Meryl was content simply driving and letting the wind whip her hair about, but as she drew further and further into constant sand, she grew steadily bored. She flicked the radio on and began adjusting the frequency, attempting to find the least fuzzy signal, settling on a nice station that played contemporary and chill out music. Around lunch time the atmosphere grew hot and the sand glared at her. Meryl slipped her sunglasses on. Her mind slowly drifted away from the music and she began to brood over night before…
"Vash? What are doing up at this time of night?" she had gasped, peering through the darkness at his moonlit shoulders hunched over something at the kitchen table. Vash flinched at her voice and Meryl heard the small 'clink' of metal falling on metal.
"Er… Nothing… Not feeling well…Can't sleep…" Vash stammered nervously, keeping his back to her. "What are you doing up this time of night?" he said defensively, fiddling with something in front of him. Again, Meryl registered a tiny 'clink', as if something fastened into place.
"I slept all day, so I can't really sleep now," Meryl stated quietly. "What's that you've got?"
"What's what, what I've got? I haven't got anything," Vash added, leaning forward and hugging the mystery item beneath his chest.
"Yes, you do!" Meryl said hotly, but trying not to raise her voice. She strode over to him. "Why are you hunching like that?" she enquired. "Show me what you're hiding."
"Honestly Meryl I don't know what you're talking about—oh this!" Vash laughed nervously as Meryl ripped a small, ebony, metal box out from under him. There was a padlock on it.
"What's in it?" Meryl asked.
"Stuff."
"Obviously," she said tersely. "What kind of stuff?"
"Stuff kinda stuff. Can I have it back, please?" Vash whined.
"What kind of stuff is in there?" Meryl growled.
"Private stuff!" Vash snapped, taking Meryl slightly aback.
"Okay," she surrendered, handing the box back to Vash. "You could have just said that."
"Sorry."
Meryl sighed and went into the kitchen, and Vash into the sitting room. She got herself a small cup of water, deeply immersed in her own thoughts. Sipping down the last few drops, she trudged into the lounge room and slumped down into a couch, whimpering, not noticing she had just sat on the couch's new occupant.
"You alright?" Vash asked softly as Meryl snuggled inadvertently into his cushiony chest. Meryl paused.
"Ah! I sat on you! Sorry," she mumbled. Vash smiled and took her in his arms, Meryl willingly curling up in his lap.
"Are you okay, Meryl?" Vash whispered. "You haven't exactly been yourself for a day or two."
"Oh, I'm completely fine," Meryl said, less than reassuringly, as Vash gave her a pleading look. Meryl sighed. "No… No, I'm not fine."
"What's up?"
"I just…ahhh" she groaned. "You're up. You and your brother and this whole…" she trailed off, her eyes stinging. "I'm stressed, Vash. Really stressed," she sniffed.
Vash gave a sympathetic look and hugged her.
"Vash?" Meryl whimpered.
"Mm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
Vash nodded. "Of course you can."
"Vash, are you…" she started, quivering slightly. "Are you…Vash, are you cheating on me?"
Vash stared, totally dumbstruck.
"Meryl, where'd you get that idea?" he asked finally.
"Your brother."
Vash growled derisively.
"I'm sorry," Meryl said, tensing up fearfully.
"No, it's not your fault," Vash replied, tightening his hold on her. "Meryl, of course I'm not cheating on you. You shouldn't listen to my brother."
Meryl nodded in agreement.
"Besides, he's just jealous."
"Heh."
Vash hugged her again.
"No way am I cheating on you, Meryl."
Meryl snivelled and clung tightly to him, burying her face in his torso.
"What else is bothering you?" Vash asked, petting her hair soothingly.
"Nothing," Meryl lied, and for the longest time she just sat in her lover's lap, relishing in the warmth that radiated from his body. "Vash?" she murmured.
"Yes?" he replied, now combing her hair with his fingers.
"Do you love me?"
Vash slipped his hand beneath Meryl's chin and planted a deep kiss on her lips.
"I do."
Meryl jerked out of her thoughts at the sound of a DJ's loud burbles. She huffed irritably, though thankful she had not just simply fallen asleep at the wheel during her daydream. She spent that night, and the next, in rather unkempt, dismal-looking hotels in small towns, hardly receiving much sleep at all. She ate little in between trips, albeit her stomach was screaming at her to do otherwise. And all too soon for her own liking, she was standing at the foot of the steps in face of the tall block of offices that was the main office of the Bernardelli insurance society. It was less welcoming than usual, Meryl noticed as she hesitated to enter. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. By now all her fellows would know that she was pregnant and due in only a couple of months. What would they think? Meryl wasn't even married! And even more disconcerting, what would they think if they knew the child's father was Vash the Stampede? Meryl cast miserably around, consciously trying to distract herself from the task at hand. It was nearly midday and all the typical people were out and about at their daily business and daily affairs, with not an inkling to what was going on inside Meryl's head. Some of them she knew and remembered by face and costume, some she had never seen before. Meryl rummaged around in her petite handbag, retrieved her purse and checked to see whether, if by any slight chance, she could simply say: "Oops, silly me. I forgot my doctor's certificate!"
Meryl sighed resignedly. The dreadful little piece of paper was there, standing proudly out like a shag on a peak. She suddenly noticed something behind it. She removed the folded certificate from the little slot and registered a cute photo of a very sleepy looking Vash in navy jeans, a sleek black turtleneck and curled up like a cat on a beanbag, his hair a complete mess. 'Funny…Milly must have slipped that in.' She gave a little smile, but closed up her wallet and shoved it back in her handbag.
"No helping it," she moaned to herself and proceeded slowly up the steps, head held low as if she were walking to her death. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath. She put a hand into her bag again and got out the minute packet Vash had given her. 'Good thinking, Vash,' she thought as she popped one of the white capsules into her mouth and swallowed. She steeled and braced herself then gently grasped the handle and creaked the door open. 'What the…?' Where the hell was everybody? The place was completely empty.
"Uh…" she posed, coaxing for some sign of life to make itself known. "Is any—"
"MERYL'S PREGGERS!" a woman screamed. Meryl yelped as every second employee of the office jumped out at her, greeting her with tumultuous applause and a multitude of streamers and confetti. Meryl shielded herself with her arms, cowering back against the door as they all yelled at her in unison: "CONGRATULATIONS!"
No, no, no, no, Vashie, don't lie. :0
Go on. Review. You know it makes sense.