Notes: Umm. Please accept this token of our apologies. *presents a cake to our readers with the words 'SORRY FOR BEING SLOW AT UPDATING' on it* Truly sorry D: NO IDEA HOW THIS EVEN HAPPENED. What is time, guys? No comprende. Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter of Lifelines and we promise we won't take so damn long with the next one! :)
.: Chapter 6 :.
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Meryl stretched her hands behind her head with a large yawn as she sat straight up in her borrowed bed at the hotel they'd been staying at. Amazing; an entire night without incident. Though, actually, the lack of Vash's presence made things entirely TOO peaceful. She almost missed the chaos that constantly followed in his wake. Well, she thought, soon enough they'd be correcting that!
She rubbed the back of her mussed head as she forced herself to get out of bed. It was already past 9:00 am, she guessed. She smiled as she saw Milly already awake and hunched over the desk that was in their shared room, writing her 'Monthly Milly' letters. The tip of her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth as she ended a page with a flourish.
Meryl yawned again. "Ahh, why didn't you wake me if you were already up! I need to get a cup of coffee before we start down to see Mr. Wolfwood today. I hope he's doing better."
"Heh, sorry Meryl," the brunette chirped back. "I guess I just lost track of time! I sure got a lot of writing done this morning!" The chair scraped across the wood floor as Milly stood up, reaching for an envelope to stick the last letter inside.
Meryl began drumming her fingers against the edge of the desk. She didn't want to rush the priest's recovery by any means but she was certainly getting antsy. She had to keep reminding herself to calm down. What could possibly change in just a few weeks? Vash was surely the same durable idiot he'd always been. There was probably a very good explanation for why he hadn't returned.
'He's just being troublesome as usual, that's all,' she told herself. And heaven knew this wasn't the first time she'd had to track him down, traipsing all over Gunsmoke looking for him.
Milly finished sealing the envelope and set it carefully on top of the stack of several others. She had obviously been awake for quite some time now.
"There!" She turned and flashed Meryl a grin, clearly in much better spirits since their priest friend had woken up. "I hope Mr. Wolfwood is awake and ready to go!" Her stomach let out a loud groan at that moment and she chuckled, placing a hand over her abdomen. "Ah...but we should make sure to get a good breakfast in before we head out. My little big brother always said you shouldn't ever go adventuring on an empty stomach!"
"Honestly Milly, you saw his wounds! I'd be surprised if he was ready to leave today, tomorrow, or hell even a week from now…" Meryl chewed idly on her thumbnail again. "I know I wouldn't be moving if I were in his condition, but…" She trailed off, a crazy look crossing her face as she shrugged her shoulders with a semi-hysterical laugh. "Men like that…they're just not human!"
"Oh yeah, you're right!" Milly laughed in response. "There I go, getting ahead of myself! I guess I'm just really looking forward to meeting up with Mr. Vash again and seeing the look on his face when Mr. Wolfwood shows up with us!" She began to hum cheerfully as she gathered up all her envelopes, going through them one more time to be sure she had remembered each relative.
"Alright, let me get dressed and we'll grab some breakfast. Then you can mail that monstrous stack. I'm sure the folks back home are looking forward to the latest installment. Lots to tell, eh?" The shorter insurance girl chuckled as she began pulling on her traveling clothes.
Milly gave her a smile. "You bet! I think they'll all be relieved to know that Mr. Wolfwood is doing well, too!"
She set the stack of letters down while she quickly dressed as well, changing out of the patterned pajamas and into her usual travel attire. When they were both dressed and ready to go, she piped up again.
"You know, we should go see if Mr. Wolfwood would like us to bring him some breakfast when we come back!"
"You're right, heaven knows whatever we can bring him will be better than hospital swill. I bet he's tired of getting his food out of a bag dripping into his arm." Meryl finished, securing the cape lined with derringers, and they both headed out the door.
Upon their arrival, the two girls were greeted warmly by the hospital staff (they'd become quite the regulars lately). They made their way down the corridors, waving and wishing a good morning to at least half the medical personnel.
Just as they were reaching Wolfwood's hospital room, though, one of the nurses ran up to them. He seemed a bit panicked and out of breath.
"You…you girls haven't seen Mr. Wolfwood, have you?"
Meryl tilted her head. "What? No, that's why we're here! Is he already up and about and got himself lost in this place?" She shook her head sadly; that man was all too much like another man she knew.
The nurse shook his head. "N-no… I'm afraid he's turned up missing. When we went into his room first thing in the morning for his scheduled exam, he was gone."
"WHAAAAT?!"
Milly's eyes went wide as saucers. "Missing? Oh, no! I wonder what could have happened to him!"
"Well, all his personal possessions are also gone, so we can only assume that he's left of his own accord," the nurse said, shrugging helplessly. "It's certainly troubling. He's really in no condition to be up and walking around, let alone wandering on his own out there."
Meryl clenched her fists at her sides, the veins in her forehead starting to throb. "THAT MAN! AND HERE I WAS JUST ALL WORRIED ABOUT HIM! I should've known it! They're just alike, those two!"
She thought for sure he wouldn't be able to even leave his bed for at least another week and upon further inspection as they returned to their hotel, sure enough, he'd taken his bike.
Meryl could only stare at the spot the Angelina II had once occupied, feeling her anger and anxiety rise by the minute. "Just who the hell does he think he is?! Milly…I'm telling you, if I had known he was just going to pull a stunt like this, I'd have left him and gone after Vash MUCH sooner!" She kicked at the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
Milly frowned, worry filling her pale blue eyes. "But why would he just leave without us? Oh, I hope nothing's happened to him! Meryl, what should we do now?" She shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure what the best plan of action would be. If Wolfwood really didn't want to be followed, surely they should respect that.
Meryl laughed haughtily, miserably failing at hiding her insecurity over the current situation. "Well I guess that really depends on where Mr. Wolfwood went…that pathetic weasel! Even after I totally shamed-I mean, talked him into seeing Vash again, he couldn't help but run off like a coward with his tail between his legs! Well forget him then, it's not our job to babysit that lunatic priest! We're going after Vash like we always planned to! Any problems with that, Milly?!"
Milly glanced down at her hands as she wrung them in front of her. "You...you don't really think that Mr. Wolfwood would do that, do you?" She bit down on her lip. She really wanted to believe that the priest would keep his word and meet up with Vash after all. She refused to believe that he could let a friend down in such a cold manner.
Meryl sighed at the dejected look on her partner's face. "Who really knows, Milly? I certainly can't pretend for a moment to know what goes on in the minds of men. They're such babies sometimes, but more often than not they're idiots! So, it's our job to look after one idiot, but not both. If we DO happen to run into the second idiot then we'll pick up where we left off and let him join our merry band. But I have NO TOLERANCE for cowards!"
"Yeah...I guess so…"
Meryl nodded, as she began swinging her arms and marching back to their hotel room to pack. "Come on, we've wasted enough time in this dead end town."
Milly sighed, but nodded and although she dragged her feet a bit, she had to agree that the Humanoid Typhoon was indeed their first priority. Wolfwood was fully capable of looking after himself, and with any luck, they would see him again sooner or later.
She had to believe that.
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oOo
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There it was.
The vast, never-ending blue.
Olivia hated it. She much preferred the sky at night, studded with stars and neighboring planets that floated millions of iles away from their own. Far away from all the dust and sand, she surmised.
Her father had spoken of it on occasion; the place where humanity had originated. The place that was so unlike this planet. The place called Earth. Green as far as the eye could see, and where the green ended began the water. Iles and iles of water, covering more of the planet than the land did. Olivia could barely imagine it. Those enormous bodies of water...they were called 'oceans', he'd said. A foreign word to be sure.
A stark contrast to Gunsmoke.
Here there was sun, and sand and dust, and more sun and more sand, and finally more dust. It was inescapable, seeping through even the tightest of construction. The rooms at the inn had to be swept bi-weekly and sometimes more often depending on whether or not there had been a wind storm.
Smoke curled up from the end of her cigarette as she took a long drag, blowing it out in a small, thin, stream and leaning her head back against the post on the porch of the Dwyer Inn.
She frowned then as she glanced over and caught sight yet again of the monstrosity that her mysterious guest had brought in along with his injured brother.
Just what the hell was that cross-shaped thing for, anyway? She hadn't really asked 'Mr. Smith' yet. It wasn't as though she'd had a good opportunity to chat about it, though whenever she had attempted to bring it up, he would just increase what he thought was his 'charm' and annoy her to the point where she wanted him gone.
It certainly looked harmless enough, but with these weirdos, one never could be sure.
Maybe he was just very religious?
Once upon a time, Olivia might have believed in a higher power, but not anymore. Not after everything she'd seen and been through. If there were such thing as a merciful God, he was surely watching over another planet. Probably Earth, or some other place worth protecting. This one was just a shithole, full of even shittier people all struggling to survive and more than willing to beat each other down to do so.
Olivia took another long drag, perhaps stalling just a bit as her thoughts settled on her plans for the day. It was no different than on any other Thursday, though she always half-dreaded the trip across town each week.
She put out her cigarette with a small hiss in the ashtray on the table of the porch, turning on her heel to get back inside. She figured she ought to count the register again before heading out. Perhaps she could even convince Sky to go along with her, for once.
Moments before she could reach the front door, it opened with a bang, interrupting Olivia's thoughts.
"Thought you might be out here," Sky commented as she dragged a large trash bag outside with her. "This is the last of it. I hate to say it, but I'm getting pretty efficient at this. Too bad you only get me for one more week!" She made a teasing face at her sister before she continued to drag the trash bag toward the dumpster off toward the back of the building.
Olivia's lips turned up slightly as she replied, "Yeah, about that...I was thinking of hiring you full time, since the position is still open and all."
"Ha! You're not serious. There's no way I'd want to pick up peoples' crap on a daily basis, and of my own free will at that."
"Oh I dunno, it's kinda nice having you around." Olivia averted her eyes from her sister's gaze. "And it's not like I wouldn't pay you. Just think of all the money we'd save if you had a real job and could pay for your own bail."
The mirth vanished from her younger sister's eyes. "Yeah, I get it. I'm working on a way to bring in some cash, okay? I'll be able to pay you back for everything, I promise."
It wasn't the first or even the ninth time Sky had made such a declaration. In some ways she was far too much like their father; making big promises that never really amounted to much. But, recalling her wonder from earlier, Olivia decided to bite her tongue and refrain from commenting on the empty promise.
Instead, she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked back down the steps, following her sister as she jogged toward the dumpster near the back of the building.
"Hey Sky, wait up a minute will you?"
Sky slowed her pace as requested, turning to give Olivia a look. "Yeah?"
"Today's Thursday…" Olivia looked up again, making eye contact, hoping her tone conveyed some of the underlying meaning in her words.
The look that crossed the younger Dwyer's face indicated that she had indeed understood the significance behind Olivia's words. But a moment later she looked away, shrugging indifferently as if trying to pretend otherwise. "Yeah, I know what day it is."
"I want you to come with me," Olivia gently pressed, not breaking her gaze. "It'd mean a lot…"
Sky's brow furrowed as those words sunk in, though shortly afterward she forced herself to keep moving. "I can't. I've actually got some stuff to do."
"You mean the maid stuff? Forget it, you can have the afternoon off. It's not THAT important that you finish everything today. Just come with me, Sky."
Olivia hated looking this weak in front of her sister, and really hoped that the pleading undertone of her words had been missed. She'd been making that trip by herself, week after week, for such a long time that it was beginning to take its toll on her. She could only recall a handful of times that she'd managed to convince Sky to accompany her, and those occasions had occurred so long ago that they were barely worth acknowledging.
"No, I don't mean the maid stuff," Sky barely held herself back from rolling her eyes. "I do have a life outside of this place." She was purposefully being short now, stopping just before the dumpster and pausing briefly while she tossed the bag inside, dusting off her hands afterward.
"Right." Olivia's eyes narrowed. "I know the kind of stuff you're talking about. The kind that continues to get you in trouble with the law. I think this is a little more important than getting yourself thrown in jail yet again." She pulled out another cigarette, angrily stuffing it into her mouth. "That's a bullshit excuse and you know it," she added, lighting the stick of nicotine and taking a few rapid puffs.
"Of course you would say that," Sky shot back, a frown tugging at her lips. "Everything I do is bullshit, isn't it?" She picked up her pace, heading back for the front door, clearly not wanting to have that conversation again.
The cigarette fell from Olivia's lips and she stomped it out on the ground with an angry huff, taking off after Sky. "I didn't say THAT, Sky! Do you think it's easy for me to see you get arrested time after time? Do you think I LIKE it? Every time you leave, I wonder if this is the time that you're not going to come home…!"
Sky slowed as she reached the porch, feeling her heart clench in her chest as her sister's words reached her ears. She sighed, one hand clutching the railing as her brow furrowed in conflict. "Livvy, don't you remember what Dad always said to us? 'You can't make changes in this world without taking risks.' He was right. I believe in what he was trying to do, and now I'm trying to do it in his place. And I'm sorry to make you worry, I'm sorry to be a pain in the ass, but I plan to do whatever it takes to continue his legacy."
With that, Sky disappeared into the inn, not sparing another look behind her.
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oOo
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Olivia shouldered her purse, leaving a sign at the front desk that she would be back later that afternoon and that sandwiches were available in the fridge. Her long-term guest did seem quite fond of her sandwiches, but more often than not she witnessed him returning to his room with a box or two filled with donuts. She couldn't begin to guess how he managed to stay so slim.
Her walk through town was fairly quiet and uneventful, as most of the inhabitants were still at work around that time of day. Olivia made no stops along the way, so it wasn't long before she reached her destination. She stopped for a moment, pausing to shield her eyes and look upon the structure looming before her.
The sun-bleached building had been built on the outskirts of February some years before she'd been born, purposely set apart from the rest of the town. It had a look that was rather devoid of personality, but there wasn't much need for flair in such a place anyway. On a clear day, it was visible from the town center if one knew just where to look, but most days the billowing sand acted as the building's own camouflage.
Olivia drew in a breath and stepped up to the front door. It groaned as she pulled it open, as if giving voice to her own anxieties.
The receptionist inside recognized her immediately and offered her a warm smile and a pleasant greeting. Olivia returned both gestures, though her own smile never reached her eyes.
Heading down the main corridor on the first floor, she nodded politely to a couple familiar orderlies who had come to know her well over the last several years. She'd never really been one for small-talk, though; particularly not in a place like this.
The hall remained mostly silent, although the occasional noise reached her ears as she'd pass each door. Muffled voices, mostly; one person seemed to be having an animated discussion, while another droned on in a boring tone, and from another room there came a grievous wailing. Olivia tried not to pay much attention to it as she went about her business.
Upon reaching a door marked '129' in large black numbers, she slowed to a stop. She paused briefly, offering herself a moment of preparation before she gripped the handle and carefully pushed the door open.
Room 129 had the benefit of receiving more sunlight during waking hours than the rooms on the opposite side of the building, and the moment Olivia stepped through the door she found herself bathed in sunlight.
As her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting, she noted the figure sitting upright in bed. Her lips turned upward, if only out of obligation, as she took in the sight of the woman staring absently out the window. Two frail hands currently clutched a mug, though the lack of steam indicated the drink had long since lost its heat.
Olivia slowly made her way toward the bed, finally grabbing the woman's attention as she said, "Hi, Mom."
A pair of tired blue eyes met her own, followed by a small smile of recognition as Charlotte Dwyer welcomed the sight of her eldest daughter. "Oh...Olivia, there you are."
Olivia leaned over slightly to kiss the brunette on the cheek. "How are you feeling today?"
Her mother shrugged. "I'm just fine, sweetheart. It's your father I'm worried about," she added, shaking her head with an air of sadness.
Olivia only nodded stiffly, trying not to allow the hurt to bleed through her voice as she replied, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm sure he's fine. He always comes back." She reached for her mother's pale hand and gave it a squeeze.
"And your sister?"
"Sky couldn't make it today, but she sends her love, too." Another lie.
Charlotte sighed, gently gripping her daughter's hand as she shook her head. "Of course...I knew it. He's gone and dragged Skylar into another one of his ridiculous schemes! I just don't know what I'm going to do with that man..." She glanced back up at Olivia, noticing the redhead's troubled expression. "Oh...no, I'm sorry Olivia, I shouldn't be bitching about your father in front of you like that. Tell me, how are your studies going?"
Olivia almost lost her composure right then, tightening her grasp on her mother's hand ever so slightly as she struggled to breathe quietly and evenly. If she'd ever thought that she would eventually get used to this, then she'd been wrong. No matter how many times she'd come to visit, it never got any easier or any less painful.
But her mother was staring at her with warm, expectant eyes, and so Olivia forced herself to grin and bear it and play along. "They're going great, Mom…top of the class again in mathematics. I've got a natural head for numbers, they say."
"That's wonderful!" Charlotte's smile widened, pride obvious behind her light eyes. "You've always been so smart, I just know you'll be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to. You certainly won't wind up like your mother, stuck running the inn for the rest of her life!" She chuckled and then patted Olivia's hand with her free one. "I'm only joking, sweetheart, you know I'd have given up anything for you girls. You're what matters most to me, above anything else in the world."
Olivia's own smile was empty as she replied, "I know Mom, thank you…but you know, the inn really isn't so bad. Maybe I will take it over one day. I could meet lots of interesting travelers…and some crazy ones, too. You never know who's going to show up in this town, eh?"
Charlotte chuckled again, a soft bubbling laughter that both her daughters used to take comfort in and was now just a hard reminder of who she once was. "That's my girl...always looking on the bright side..."
Olivia clenched her jaw, her mother's laughter taking her back to a better time; a time when their family had been whole and full of love and happiness. They'd never been perfect, but what family was?
The sad smile reappeared as Olivia leaned over to hug her mother. "Yeah of course, Mom. Love you…"
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oOo
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It had happened approximately ten years ago.
Olivia remembered it all too well. It was the day that everything had changed. The day their father was killed, and the day that their mother had begun her descent into madness. One little action had caused a domino effect, wreaking havoc on their little family and forever altering their lives.
She recalled their parents' marriage had already been strained for quite some time; Charlotte had threatened divorce if their father didn't stop his personal, often downright dangerous mission to decrease the usage of the plants on which humanity's survival depended. Their mother had known all along what sort of man she'd married, of course, but watching him risk his life time and again eventually took its toll on her, and most importantly they had two young daughters to consider. Charlotte refused to stand for any harm coming to either of them.
Once Sky began to join her father on his endeavors, it was as though Charlotte's worst nightmare had come to pass. In her eyes, he had converted her baby girl into his own ideologies and unnecessarily put her directly in harm's way during each mission they undertook for the sake of their shared goal.
One day, as predicted, things had ended in disaster and tragedy befell the Dwyer family. Connell was gone so suddenly, and Olivia could do nothing but watch as their mother fell apart. Wracked by depression, unable to accept reality, Charlotte's condition worsened and she withdrew from the rest of the world. It seemed as though she'd stopped the flow of time, in her mind, choosing to remain forever inside a moment of their lives long since passed; a time when her husband, Connell, was still alive and up to his usual shenanigans. Day by day, Charlotte had lost pieces of herself until even her own children could barely recognize her.
She'd taken to remaining in bed day and night, requiring constant care. Once the proud owner and manager of the Dwyer Inn, Charlotte was no longer willing or able to perform even the most menial of tasks.
Eventually Olivia felt she had no other choice; she'd had her mother committed to the psychiatric hospital. The facility was somewhat renowned in neighboring cities, and patients would arrive from all over Gunsmoke to receive round-the-clock care and treatment. Its staff was comprised of warm-hearted people who were willing and able to provide Charlotte with the support she needed while Olivia could put her focus on shouldering the burden of keeping the Inn up and running. The decision hadn't been an easy one, and Olivia recalled with vivid clarity how she had wrestled with herself before and even long after the choice had been made.
Perhaps the guilt was part of the reason Olivia had never missed a visit. She was very aware that their mother's mental capacity would not allow her to make new memories with her daughters, but at least Charlotte could tell when Olivia was there, and in those moments she would smile like she used to.
Olivia hadn't always forced herself to play along with her mother's delusions, though. There was once a time when she'd been unable to accept her mother's madness; she'd yelled at her mother to wake up and accept reality, screamed for her to open her eyes and see the truth of the tragedy that had shaken their family, begged for her to return to being the mother that she and Sky so badly needed her to be.
But it was no use.
Each and every time, Charlotte would simply shut down and refuse to respond to anything Olivia would say. When it was over, Olivia remembered only the feeling of numbness and exhaustion. No word or action could ever manage to bring Charlotte back to the present.
Even now it was almost too difficult for Olivia to accept, and still she was often tempted to grab her mother by the arm and shake her until she returned to the woman she once was. But stability was really the only thing she could reasonably hope for anymore. Stability was the one thing she had, period. Even Sky's predilection to trouble, though worrisome, was stable and constant.
So she pushed on. She had no one to talk to or confide in, but she pushed on. She wasn't going to let it get the best of her. She wasn't going to die or go mad. She was stronger than that.
Her sister, on the other hand, had always seemed a bit indifferent...almost concerningly so. Even on the day the hospital staff had arrived to escort Charlotte to the facility, Sky had seemed detached from the entire situation. Olivia remembered thinking it odd that her spirited, sometimes overly-emotional younger sister had taken their mother's commitment without so much as a word of protest.
She wished she could have convinced Sky to go with her. She didn't want her sister to regret ignoring their mother for all these years. Charlotte wasn't going to be around forever, after all. Olivia remembered a time when their family had been divided into two camps, always having been on her mother's side. They'd been far closer, just as Sky had been closer with their father. She imagined that his death weighed far heavier on Sky's heart, remembering the impassioned words her sister had spoken to her earlier.
It wasn't as though Olivia didn't love her father; quite the contrary, in fact. She just hadn't seen any logic in what her father had been doing with his life, particularly after the great lengths he had gone to in order to hide his past. So much of it was still a mystery to her, though she was certain Sky knew more than she let on. Poking for clues seemed to be a lost cause, however, as whenever Olivia would broach the subject, Sky saw fit to change it almost immediately in favor of something 'safe' or more mundane. Olivia suspected Sky was either attempting to avoid a lecture, or that whatever it was she knew of Connell's past was dangerous information to pass around.
Maybe it was even the reason he'd been killed.
That was why Olivia so disapproved of Sky's continued actions. She feared the day that something just as bad would happen to her little sister as had happened to their father. She didn't give many outward signs, but the woman was fiercely protective of her sister. Affection she gave grudgingly and in small amounts, but she had always, always loved her reckless sibling...even long after they had grown apart.
And so it went. Even separated through death and madness, the two camps remained divided.
.
oOo
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Vash was munching on a sandwich in the kitchen when he heard the bell ding from the front of the Inn. So far, Knives had refused to take anything but water and he had meant to ask Olivia if she had anything he could give to Knives in a liquid form. Like soup, or even some oatmeal maybe.
The outlaw was certainly grateful for her discretion. She never asked unnecessary questions and had let the matter of calling a doctor for his injured brother slide. Things had almost fallen apart when the well-meaning Sky had taken of Knives' shackles, though, and Vash didn't want a repeat of that. He knew good and well that even if she'd been understanding so far, Olivia probably would NOT keep quiet after near death experience, particularly one that had befallen her younger sister.
He stuffed the remainder of the sandwich in his mouth and jogged out to the front where, sure enough, Olivia was taking down the sign that explained her absence and estimated time of return.
Vash opened his mouth, ready to ask for additional provisions when he noticed her tense body language and down-trodden expression. He hadn't seen Olivia smile very often to begin with, but this look on her face was unmistakably one that spoke of emotional pain. Something that Vash was very well acquainted with.
He approached her with an air of caution. "Miss Olivia, good evening."
She mumbled a response, not even looking up at him as she began dialing the combination of the safe.
"Um…ah…" Vash held up a finger, trying to get her attention.
Olivia finally looked up. "Yes, Mr. Smith? Did you need anything? Sorry there were only sandwiches for dinner, I had an important appointment to keep."
Vash waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no, no, not at all! Your sandwiches are always delicious, Miss Olivia! It's just…I happened to notice you look upset... Are you alright?"
Olivia sucked in her breath and held it for three seconds before slowly letting it out and lifting her head further to make eye contact with the taller man. She debated whether or not to tell him the truth for about a split second before deciding it was better to lie.
"Everything's fine. Have you seen my sister, by the way? She left in a hurry earlier."
Vash was not convinced that everything was fine, but he decided to drop it. "Can't say that I have, I'm sorry."
Olivia nodded quickly resuming her task. "Well if there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."
He opened and closed his mouth a few more times, thinking of what he might say to encourage the innkeeper to tell him what was really bothering her, but he just couldn't think of anything that wouldn't earn him a slap. And so, with a soft sigh, he wished her a good night and returned to his room, racking his brain for something he could possibly say to or do to help her in the near future.
Mere monetary compensation just didn't feel like enough at this point. Whether she knew it or not, Olivia Dwyer was harboring a dangerous man...well, make that two dangerous men, being that he hadn't divulged to her the fact that he was the legendary outlaw, Vash the Stampede.
He couldn't help but feel that he owed her a great deal more than he'd already given her.