The two men exited the transport. Doc led the way through the bright corridor. They stopped at a door with a guard posted outside. The man nodded at Doc and let the two of them in. Vash followed Doc into an observation room of sorts. He was looking through a piece of glass at a huddled mass in a corner. Vash recognized the nearly-white hair instantly. For some reason, in his huddled position, lodged between a bed frame and the wall, Knives looked smaller than he should have. He seemed to be sleeping.

For a split second, Vash let the vision of his brother's mangled body float through his mind. Vash had nearly destroyed him at July. He'd expected Knives to be stitched together and reassembled in a grotesque fashion, but for all the horrible scenarios he'd been entertaining on the way down, Knives looked pretty good.

Doc stood behind Vash as they both watched. The guard closed the door behind them and a moment later, Knives stirred.

He looked drained, hopeless. He looked scared.

Then he looked straight at Vash through the one-way mirror, and his eyes changed. He looked enraged. He tried to stand, but he seemed horribly off balance. Finally he made it to his feet and Vash gasped. His mind couldn't interpret what his eyes were seeing. Eventually he made the only deduction he could from the information he could gather: Knives had no arms. They were cleanly sheered at the shoulders and fitted with metal sockets for artificial arms. Two bars of metal extended from each socket to Knives' shoulder blades and down his collarbone, apparently in an attempt to provide some kind of leverage and reinforcement for the unattached prosthetic arms due to the loss of most of the deltoid and trapezius muscles.

So this was how they were able to contain him.

Doc watched Vash shake his head in disbelief and work his mouth wordlessly as Knives walked towards the glass. "I…I…" He walked backwards to sit in one of the many chairs in the room and collapsed. "I don't remember…I didn't mean to…" He sounded like he was hyperventilating. He dropped his head into his hands and tried to remember exactly what happened, but his mind was completely blank. He couldn't help but think about what Rem would say if she saw this… They were supposed to be brothers. He was supposed to take care of Knives, not blow his arms off! And the most dangerous part of Knives was still his mind. Even if he could be contained, how would Vash ever convince him the humans were worthy of life now?

Doc placed a comforting hand on his back and Vash turned to look at the short man. Vash's eyes were beginning to water. He gave Doc a searching look, pleading for absolution. "I didn't…I didn't…"

"No Vash. You didn't," Doc said calmly, resolutely.

Vash looked at him with a confused expression, then his face screwed into an expression of anger. "How can you say that?" he demanded quietly. "Who else could have done this?"

Doc sat down and looked at Knives. "When the field team got to the…site, they found Knives with his arms nearly severed from his torso. The instrument used to remove his arms is thought to have been a small axe found a few feet away. You were clearly unconscious when this took place."

Vash looked at Knives, trying to figure out what happened, wondering if he lost time after he'd fired his arm again and actually chopped his brother's arms off with an axe. "How can you possibly know that?"

Doc took a deep breath. "It wasn't obvious at first. Honestly, it still doesn't entirely make sense. Miss Stryfe…" Vash's head snapped up and he looked gravely at Doc. "…Miss Stryfe was found lying on top of you in a puddle of her own blood. That blood was on you as well. Because of the sheer volume of lost blood, it would have been very hard not to get any of it underneath you if you had been mobile. There was a trail of blood leading from her to Knives… We had it analyzed. It's the same type as hers."

Vash's intense gaze settled back on Knives. "She was injured?" He thought back, almost in a daze. Hadn't she…broken her leg in the fall?

"Yes," Doc replied. "It seems she lost a massive amount of blood. It's a wonder that she's even alive, let alone completely healed." Vash didn't look at him, but he could see Vash's eyes grow a little bit wider. "Upon the initial examination, hundreds of scars from tiny lacerations were visible on her legs. While she convalesced in the sick bay, these scars further faded. Now they're nearly invisible." Doc was silent a moment. "It is thought that she received these injuries while attacking Knives, but no weapons were found in the sinkhole that could have caused injuries like that. It's a very strange scenario, don't you think?"

Vash thought for a moment. "Did…she confirm any of this?"

"She was neither able to confirm nor deny. She claims to have absolutely no memory of the event. The psychologist assigned to her finds no reason to doubt her testimony." Vash exhaled loudly and slowly. He leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling. "It should be noted, however," Doc started again, "that even though she did cause major trauma to your brother's body which directly led to the amputation of his arms, it is believed that if she had wanted to at the time, she was fully capable of killing him." Doc looked back at Knives, whose eyes seemed to stare blindly, yet directly at his brother's face. Doc reiterated: "It takes a lot of determination from a sweet girl like her to hack through another person's body. She was probably scared and desperate. You were unconscious and she did what she thought she had to do." Doc paused a moment. "She could have killed him."

She could have killed him, but she didn't. He hadn't been able to take care of Knives or Meryl. He really had been worthless for the last 4 weeks…at least. He rubbed his eyes wearily, not entirely certain what to make of the situation. "Have you…ah….created prosthetics for him?"

"Why yes," Doc's demeanor changed significantly, as it always did when he talked about his handiwork. He beamed with pride. "I've crafted the finest prosthetics for your brother…ah…granted, they're unarmed."

Vash nodded. That only made sense.

"We haven't attached them yet, obviously, because you were unconscious. We did not know what kind of risk he posed and thought it would be best to wait until you were involved."

Vash sighed, overwhelmed. How could things have gotten so out of hand? Things weren't supposed to happen this way. "Can I talk to him?"

Doc nodded. "Yes. Of course. We're also arranging a room especially for the two of you. There is an automatic kill switch installed on the arms. Knives will only be able to use them while he is in the room. Otherwise, they will go slack and will not receive any neurotransmissions from his brain. Any tampering will automatically engage the switch and the limbs will be rendered immobile as well." He looked at Vash who was still deep in thought. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of installing that…I feel in this case it's better to be safe than sorry. This will also afford you some freedom. The girls told me you've spent the vast majority of your time in the recent weeks watching over Knives personally."

Vash stood up slowly. He didn't want to talk anymore. "How do I get in there?"

Doc led Vash to a hidden door in the wall. This led to an antechamber. Vash was locked in and then a door to the observation room opened. Doc watched silently as Vash entered the room.

Knives was livid. Vash didn't know what to say. This was the first time he had been around his brother in years where he did not fear the complete loss of control over his own body. Honestly, though, he'd always imagined this meeting quite differently. He didn't want to destroy what Knives was. He wanted Knives to see why humans deserved a chance.

He had a hard time meeting his brother's gaze. He could barely look at his body without sobbing. Fury and impotence fought for a place on Knives face as he imagined killing his brother for what had been done to him. And Vash had left him here for almost two weeks…at the mercy of those disgusting vermin… At the first chance he got, he was going to make Vash sorry…

Vash opened his mouth to speak, not even sure if the words that would come out of his mouth would make sense when Knives cut him off. "You left me here."

Vash looked confused. "Knives, I didn't --"

"SHUT UP! DON'T LIE TO ME!" Knives sneered as he bent over with a strange and unnatural posture. "I felt you in there. You were watching and you left me here. YOU LEFT ME HERE! Did you think I would capitulate? Did you think that confinement would break my spirit and you'd be able to change me?"

Vash shook his head. "…I've been unconscious until just about an hour ago…"

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, out of control. "Look what they did to me. LOOK AT ME!"

Vash winced at Knives' accusations. "Knives, please…just…"

"Just what, Vash? Wait patiently while they dissect my arms and get a taste for experimentation? Wait for them to kill me? To kill you? You stupid fool! You'll never change!" He turned away and sank back into a corner. "And with you eating out of their hands like the FUCKING IDIOT YOU ARE, we're both going to get killed. I tried to keep it from happening, but you just wouldn't listen!" He looked up at the ceiling, paranoia in his eyes. "You let them lock the both of us in here…do you really think they're going to let us out again alive? You're such a fool." Knives looked back at his lost brother. "We were born in one of these ships, now we're going to die in one."

"Please!" Vash begged. "Please, just stop. Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you. No one is going to hurt you, or me! We're going to be fine, I promise."

Knives scoffed, hopelessness finally taking the place of the anger that so recently inhabited his body. "Take care of me? Just look at you. You can't even take care of yourself."

And with that, Vash leaned into a corner, slid down against the wall, and wept.

Meryl picked at her food. She'd lost her appetite days ago. Still, Milly would badger her if she didn't at least go to through the motions of getting a bite to eat. Doc had been keeping her busy with damage reports from the time the ship fell out of the sky. Most of the damage had been caused by Gung ho Guns, so that meant it was covered under Bernardelli's plan, but she had to wonder just how a secret floating ship managed to purchase an insurance policy... probably through that Max fellow. It didn't really matter, though. It made her feel useful, and right now, that's what she needed most.

She continued to pick at the cafeteria tray as thoughts of a certain gunman drifted into her mind. She hadn't seen him since he initially woke up. That was something like three days ago. It seemed like every unoccupied space in her brain had been newly inhabited with thoughts of him. Did he hate her? Would he never talk to her again? Should she apologize for what she'd done? Had she gotten too close? He'd most likely seen what she had done to Knives and she had no doubt it had changed everything for him. She wondered what he'd say to her if he were there…

"You should eat, or you're going to disappear." She sat up straight and looked towards the voice. There he was…right in front of her, with sad eyes that made his goofy smile seem completely joyless. "And you're already skinny enough as it is…" And he was making fun of her.

She clearly didn't know what to think.

"Vash! Sit down. Where have you been?" She sounded like her mother.

He sat down and looked at her. It felt like an eternity since he'd last seen her and so much had changed. "I've been on the same ship…you could have come --" What was he saying? He certainly hadn't searched her out to tell her that…

Meryl looked down, feeling guilt upon guilt. "I didn't know if…"

His mouth opened again by itself. "I half expected you to --"

"Doc's been keeping me too busy to think."

"Sounds nice…"

Meryl bit her lip. There was an almost tangible barrier between them. She looked at him. He seemed tired. It was so strange how black hair changed his whole appearance. He looked so much more somber and his blue eyes only got bluer.

"Where have you been?" It was out of her mouth before she could decide not to say it. "I mean…"

After a moment, he leaned in and spoke. "I got a living quarters assignment," he hesitated as she looked down at the table. So…he'd been close the whole time. "But I don't think it's a good idea if you go there. I mean…"

He thought he saw her chin tremble for a split second before she started talking. "Oh please, Vash! You don't need to explain it to me!" she laughed nonchalantly as she waved her hand up and down dismissively. She began to stand up. "I mean, who wants a pesky insurance girl always hovering around them?" She laughed ridiculously loudly. "And you don't have to tell me twice that I'm not wanted!" She tried to cover her bitterness with another nervous laugh.

"No, that's not what I…" His voice made her want to cry. To her sad ears, he almost sounded like he was telling the truth.

She pushed the tray towards him. She was not going to break down in front of everyone here. "Really, Vash. There's no need to explain. It all makes perfect sense." She pushed the chair in. "You need some privacy! I mean, if I were you, I'd want me out of my hair, too!" She tried to ignore the sad look he was giving her. She pushed the tray of uneaten food towards him. He reached out for her hand, but she dodged. The last thing she needed was his pity. "Wow! Look at the time… I've got to get going anyway. Please eat this. I've barely touched it, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste."

With that, she turned around and walked out of the cafeteria without looking back.

Vash sat still for a moment, looking at the seat she had occupied only seconds before. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, but it never ceased to amaze him. No matter what he did, it seemed like he hurt the people closest to him. He'd tried to plan out everything he was going to say before hand, but seeing her sitting sad and alone in such a populated area had caused a major derailment in his train of thought. She looked so small and lonely, and even though he had totally failed to protect her from his brother, he felt the urge to wrap his arms around her and forget about everyone else in the world.

But now she was gone, and all he had left was a tray of cooling food. He started to eat it, not because he was hungry, but because sometimes eating for no reason helped make him feel a little less empty. Plus, he imagined she would be mad at him for disregarding a direct order like that. He blinked back tears as he finished the meal alone. He cleared the table and returned the tray to the bin and left the cafeteria.

He made his way outside to one of the external decks. He found an out-of-the-way spot where the wind didn't blow too hard and hunkered down against the wall. He pulled his flask out of his back pocket and took a swig. He exhaled loudly as he screwed the cap back on. He thought again and uncapped the flask to take another swig before capping it again and stowing it away. He fished a small package out of his hoodie pocket and tapped out one cigarette and a lighter. He lit the cigarette like a candle and watched it burn for a few moments. The flame died down, but the tobacco continued to smolder. He closed his eyes. If he didn't think, he could almost believe that Wolfwood was sitting there with him. He would be making fun of Vash for looking a gift horse in the mouth. "The short one did you a favor you idiot! She took care of what you couldn't. Why don't you just tell her how you feel and knock off all this martyr bullshit. What…are you afraid of being happy? Don't be a jerk, Spikey."

His eyes snapped open. "But it's my responsibility to take care of Knives!" he shouted out loud at the voice in his head. At this realization, he slapped his hand over his mouth, embarrassed for the outburst even if no one was around to hear it. It was times like these that he really felt like he was losing it. He was pretty sure most people didn't talk to dead ones, but he'd never asked anybody, too afraid of having his insanity confirmed. He gently stubbed out the half cigarette, careful not to bend it, and tucked the tobacco incense and the lighter back in its pack.

He felt totally alone. Wolfwood was dead. His brother hated him. Meryl probably hated him. Milly didn't hate him yet, but she would if she found Meryl crying. He sadly realized, though, that it would be worth it for even Milly to hate him if it meant the two of them would remain safe. In a way, he was almost relieved. After today, Meryl would probably never speak to him again, let alone try to find his room. He retrieved the flask and drank until it was completely empty. He tried not to think about how useless he'd become as he covered his face with his hands and began to cry.

Meryl had been wandering for what seemed like hours. She'd covered the entire ship, she was sure. She was on her way back to her room for a good soak in her tub and a long, unadulterated crying binge when she stopped in front of a room. She turned to look at it. She got the strangest feeling. Could this be…Vash's room? Part of her was completely weirded out by the vibes she was picking up (and the fact that she was picking up any "vibes" at all had her a bit worried as well), but another part of her told her to press the intercom button.

"Excuse me…I'm…" What was she doing? "I'm sorry to bother you…I just…" She took a deep breath. "…Vash?"

She waited for a response, but none came. It had been really stupid to assume she would just be able to tell which room was his. What did she think she had? Super pow--

The door slid open silently.

She looked down the hall in both directions before hesitantly walking into to the room.

Vash had devolved into a sobbing wreck. His was crying so hard he was on the verge of puking.

"Excuse me…I'm…"

At the sound of the voice, he stopped crying immediately and tried to wipe his eyes as he stood up, but even he knew he wouldn't be able to convince anyone. The fast change in altitude combined with the whiskey to produce a slightly dizzying affect. He looked around. He didn't see anyone, and he hadn't felt anyone around him either.

"I'm sorry to bother you…I just…"

He looked around again. He didn't see anyone. Was he finally going crazy this time?

"Vash?"

That...couldn't...be…"Meryl?"

Like a blast of lightning, he realized the voice was coming from his ear ring, which meant she had found his room…

…which meant…she was alone. With Knives.

A/N: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK WHAT HORRIBLE POSITION I'VE PUT MERYL AND VASH IN:rubs hands together and looks shiftily from side to side:

Thanks everybody for the awesome reviews! I'm taking Jaya Mitai's advice and I'm trying to slow down and pet the plotbunnies. This chapter is the longest I've written in ages... And look! I updated! Like…in less than a week this time! I feel so productive. :) Review por favor :)