"You mean to tell me that they were both killed in something as simple as a fire?" Knives sat with his elbows resting on his knees. The tips of his fingers met in a sharp inverted V in front of his mouth, barely disguising his displeasure. The news that his little Beryl and her guardian Durin had been killed in an onboard fire on the Sandsteamer they were traveling with did not please him in the least bit. His messenger looked uneasy as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Sighing in resignation Knives sat back in his makeshift seat, rubbing his eye with the back of a large hand. "Go get Hewitt."

Nodding once, the tall messenger made a hasty retreat to find the Fabricator. "Just my luck. But, if they died in a fire they obviously weren't strong enough and thus aren't worth my time." Knives reasoned with himself. "Can't have frail little humans getting in my way." Satisfied with his reasoning the Plant looked up just in time to see his messenger duck out of view after leading Hewitt in. He knew his place, which was always a good thing, but he wouldn't be ready to go out and accomplish his goals for another few months. But, if Knives had learned anything from the past year or so, it was patience. In small doses.

Hewitt stood silently while Knives was lost in his thoughts. A squat man in his late fifties, Hewitt fit the category of dirty old man. He constantly reeked of oil, cigarette smoke, alcohol, and sweat. Not a pleasant combination. But, if anything, he was a handy little man. Quite possibly the most skilled machinist on Gunsmoke, he was more than capable of rebuilding Gray. In fact, he found the task quite boring, but he did it anyways. Besides machinery he was quite the handy scientist. He'd been the one to rebuild all the messenger's dysfunctional parts and at the moment he was busy tending Knives' new project.

"Hewitt. How are things coming along?" Knives finally questioned, quite through with his current thoughts. Digging a fat finger inside his ear, Hewitt picked at whatever was bothering him, inspected it, and wiped it on the front of his coveralls before speaking. "Well, Gray needs another month or so. Then I've gotta test 'im so that's another two months there. As for the other two. Hm. They'll need 'nother four months or so." He drawled out in an uninterested sort of way.

"I don't have that kind of time right now."

"Well, there's nothin' I can do 'bout it. You'll jus' have to wait."

"I don't think you quite understand who is in charge here." Knives snarled sharply, rising from his seat. Hewitt backed down. He might be right but he wasn't stupid enough to defy Knives when he was in that mood. Brushing past the Fabricator Knives headed for the doorway.

"Come. There's some people who need to wake up."

Hewitt followed Knives obediently.

"What are you going to name him?" Meryl asked quietly, watching Vash hold his newborn son. The labor had been long and painful but Meryl had gotten through it well enough. Too exhausted to hold her baby boy for more than a few minutes she'd passed him off to Vash.

He was a small child, hardly six pounds and barely sixteen inches but he had quite the set of lungs on him. Thankfully he'd quieted and fallen asleep. Sitting down next to his wife's bedside, Vash chewed his lower lip thoughtfully as he cradled his son in his good arm. "I don't know," he finally admitted with a sheepish smile. He thought his child was going to be a girl and he had plenty of names picked out but it was just his luck that he'd prepare for the wrong gender.

"How about Jason?" Meryl offered.

"How about Jason. What about a middle name?"

"I'll leave that up to you." Meryl spoke around a yawn. Vash smiled fondly at his wife and then turned his attention to finding a suitable middle name for his son while his wife rested. Time passed slowly and Meryl was sound asleep by the time Vash was struck with inspiration. He turned to let his wife know but thought better of it. She deserved her rest. Instead he spoke to his sleeping child.

"Jason Adam Strife. You got the best name if you ask me."

Jason answered with a yawn.

"I agree."