They were leaving tomorrow. And Meryl would be back in her home town by nightfall. On her way back to the hotel room with Millie, she declared that the day didn't have enough hours. She and Millie had been out all morning, and Meryl still needed to pack.
With white paper bags in hands, the two insurance girls traveled up the creaking stairs. Finally they reached their floor, out of breath.
Meryl's mind began charting out her day's schedule until her thoughts were intercepted by two familiar voices. One belonged to an outlaw, and the other to a priest.
"I'm telling you, Spiky, make- your- move-! You have all the cards, just play them. You're the one who agreed to the bet."
"I agreed to the bet? You made me bet before I even knew what was going on!" Vash's voice argued.
Meryl glanced at Vash's hotel door as her and Millie continued toward their room. She wasn't one who tried to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to in this hotel. Nothing was private, which was an idea she had somewhat grown accustomed to since her job as a disaster prevention insurance girl
"You wouldn't have ever done anything if I hadn't provoked you," the Priest explained.
"Oh, cute! Mr. Vash and Mr. Priest sound like their playing a game," Millie pointed out happily.
Meryl rolled her eyes. "Sounds more like they're gambling to me."
She reached their door and was about to push against it when Vash spoke again.
"I went grocery shopping with her all by myself. Isn't that good enough?"
Meryl froze.
"Once! Listen Spiky, I'm just trying to push you along. You've been in the same position for too long. I know you're rusty, but you need to step in up a notch."
When Millie came behind Meryl, Meryl lost her balance, and teetered against the door. Her weight caused the handle to give a profound scratching click in return.
"Sh!" Meryl heard from the room next to hers. She listened intently, caught in the moment. Once Meryl was finally sure the conversation had come to a stop, she proceeded to enter the room. Before one foot and even made it in, Vash's door was thrust open, and the outlaw forced out.
The insurance girls stared at him as the bottom of his redcoat swayed from the sudden push. Slowly the fabric came to a stop. He seemed to be at a loss of words with his big eyes.
"Hello Mr. Vash!" Millie chirped. "Did you have a fun game with Mr. Wolfwood?"
"Er- yeah, it was great…" He answered, feeling uncomfortable. "What are you two up to?"
"We just purchased some items for the trip tomorrow!" Millie shared.
When Vash's eyes darted to Meryl's, the insurance girl quickly pushed the door all the way open and went inside. Millie and Vash followed behind her.
Inside the impoverished room, Meryl put her paper bags down on the tiny table. Her yearbook was squeezed under the shortest leg to keep it from wobbling. She was fed up with all the tables' needs. When she put too much weight on it, it creaked, which was a terrible sign for any table to do. And once she had sat cross-legged at it and found various recycled gum blobs stuck on her when her leg emerged. It wasted a large amount of time trying to get them off. She would be glad to leave this corrupted table behind.
Meryl's hands curled the top of the white paper bags down and rolled them to a closure, wondering when the best time to tell Vash would be. First off she would have a decent conversation with him, while trying to ignore his overheard conversation he had had with the Priest. But on the contrary, the returning thought of his last conversation brought a serious stab of curiosity, like an itch that can't be reached. What exactly were they talking about? It took some strong self coping skills to force the question out of her mind. When it was no longer itching her, she turned to Vash and received a heart attack; her mind was wiped blank, and she was at a loss of any thinking skills.
The stupid blond was kneeling. One shin rested on the ground, and the other was perpendicular to it. His aqua eyes looked up at Meryl's horrific expression, and his arm reached out to her. In his hand was a small black fuzzy box, flipped open, and bearing a dazzling ring.
"Meryl…" He said it clear and slow.
She stared at him, dumbfounded and confused.
"I bought this for you, I think it will help." His tone returned to normal and he straightened his arm so that the ring was closer to her. When Meryl continued to stare, he added, "Gabby noticed we didn't have wedding rings, and so will everyone else."
Vash stood up, and Meryl's heart stopped its rapid beating. He held the box out to her, staring at her lavender grey eyes.
Meryl swiped it off his palm, not hiding the glare on her face.
"Vash, you idiot! You gave me a heart attack!" She growled. This information seemed to please him, because a small triumphant smile swept over his lips.
Meryl's glare deepened and her heart finally calmed.
"Well, aren't you going to look at it?" Vash asked.
With distaste, Meryl turned to the ring. She tugged it free from the little black box and felt its texture with her fingers. Her eyes looked down at its shinning surface. A large clear stone propped up by gold was the main attraction, but smaller clear stones were also present. They were embedded in the gold and ran down the sides of the ring.
"Well?" Vash pressed.
"It is really nice, and looks so real. Vash, what's it made out of?" She asked, still staring at the ring.
"I have a ring too," Vash announced, changing the subject.
Meryl glanced at it. It was flat all around, and much more masculine.
Millie now peered over Meryl's shoulder at her ring. She blinked.
"Ms. Meryl, doesn't that look kind of like the ring in the window of Carter Jeweler's?" Once this revelation was made, Meryl realized it looked exactly like the ring from the window. "Mr. Vash, where did you get it?"
The gunman rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "Well, it's funny that you say that, because, well, since I'm supposed to be some kind of doctor, I would have a lot of money, right? It wouldn't be a ring from a twenty-five cent machine."
Meryl turned the ring in her fingers and scanned the inside until she found a brand name marking. The name matched the jeweler's: Carter.
"You bought a real ring, Vash!" Meryl said. "What is this?" She asked and proceeded to hold up the ring, pointing at it with her index finger.
"Er- 24 karat…But don't worry," he added after seeing the expression on the small insurance girl's face. "I can sell both of them after the reunion."
"How much was it?" Meryl asked.
"I'm not telling. Just don't lose it or anything, okay?"
She slipped the ring on her finger and was surprised how it fit snug against her flesh. She hadn't ever worn a diamond on her ring finger, and she was unable to decipher her thoughts. On one side it felt awkward, but in its own way, it made her feel important. Although she found it ridiculous Vash had bought her a ring, she steadily grew fonder of it every time the light rushed over its surface. And on top of that, she could possibly avoid serious cat calls.
Vash was watching Meryl readjust the ring, but was distracted when Millie dunked her hand into the paper bag she was holding. She pulled out an affluent picture frame. Each side was embellished with loops of gold and dots of jewels. Behind the loops and dots was a rich cherry wood red. He wonder why the two insurance girls had spent money for this picture frame, he couldn't see how it would be much use when they were always on the go. The frame would probably be broken in a matter of hours.
"What should I do with these?" Millie asked, holding the frame up.
Meryl jumped and retrieved it from her partner. She turned it over, exposing its backside, and began unhooking the back latches.
"Why did you buy a picture frame?" Vash asked.
Meryl slid the back off and pulled out the false thin picture. This one had a baby snuggled up in a blanket and staring at the cameraman. It was in black and white as the majority of pictures were on Gunsmoke (unless for a special occasion). After placing the frame on the distraught table, she examined the picture.
"It's not the picture frame I'm after," she finally answered. With ring glistening, she handed the picture to Vash. "Say hello to your daughter."
Vash stared at the babe for a few seconds. "You bought picture frames for the pictures?" Vash asked.
"Everyone brings pictures of their kids."
"Why don't we just use pictures of Millie's family?" Vash asked. He glanced at Millie who was now dumping the other three picture frames on the table as well. They all ranged in sizes, color, and texture. One was lime green with splashes of beige, and another had tiny stones pressed into it.
"Millie's family is huge, someone probably knows them. They would recognize the kids." Meryl explained, and then grabbed the ugly green frame to rid the picture of its presence.
"But aren't these pictures used in countless frames in countless places that countless people go to?" Vash asked. He set the baby picture on the table.
Meryl struggled to move the latches that kept the back of the lime green one shut. In the processes, she chipped her nail, but ignored the factor- it happened a lot when her job was preventing damage.
Vash held out his hand, and Meryl handed him the ugly frame.
"But whoever remembers these pictures?" Meryl asked. "Everyone just chucks them. And if someone does notice, we can just say our children are photogenic."
Okay. Maybe it would work, Vash thought. He forced the latches over and slid the back off. The picture inside looked much nicer without the lime green border. This picture contained a toddler smothered in dark birthday cake. With a large blob of frosting in her hair, the toddler had stuck both hands right in the middle of the dessert. She looked down at the disaster with a big toothy grin. Vash hunted for a resemblance of Meryl, but found none other than the fact she was female.
"There!" Meryl exclaimed. All the pictures had been freed and displayed on the table.
"They don't really look like photos." Vash pointed out after several seconds of silence.
"We're taking them somewhere to copy them onto real photo paper," Meryl answered, agitated. "If we left them like this," she swooped her hand over them, "they would be torn to shreds by the time we got to the reunion.
Before Vash could give his opinion on the matter, the door swung open. The force caused the door to bang against the wall before coming to a prolonged stop.
"Mr. Priest!" Millie called out.
Vash and Meryl's whole well-bring appeared to droop, as if they had suddenly had a bucket of water poured on them.
The Priest was upright in the doorway, one hand still on the door, and hoisted a rather serious expression in Vash's direction. Meryl sensed an iciness between the two as Vash quickly turned back to the pictures.
"Hey Hun!" Woflwood bellowed with a suddenly chipper tone. "I brought you somethin'!" He strolled over the Millie and held up a large brown paper bag.
Vash was pretending to be interested in the pictures, but his mind was thinking nothing of the sort. He picked up the baby one three different times on accident, while listening to Millie respond joyfully.
"Pudding! Wow! I'm going to eat some right now!"
"How about we share one?" Vash heard the Priest suggest.
"Sit at the table Mr. Wolfwood, and I'll get the spoons."
"No, how about you sit at the table, and I'll get the spoons."
Millie sat herself in the wobbly chair across from Meryl, who was also trying to show some interest in the pictures. Meryl heard Wolfwood struggle to force open a broken drawer, which had also caused Meryl some grief, but would never be as terrible as this table. Finally she heard the drawer slide open and then a rumbling sound of plastic utensils. Wolfwood came to the table humming a delightful song and seated himself across from Vash, but one feature about his return was very evident: he only brought one spoon.
"You forgot a spoon," Millie acknowledged, and pointed to the utensil in his hand.
"It was the last one."
A sweat drop clung to Meryl. She had just bought more spoons the other day. Was this Priest really going to demonstrate such behavior just inches away from her? Meryl very much wished to open the drawer and prove him a liar, but the effort it would take to unjam the compartment was hardly worth it.
Millie pulled out some chocolate pudding from the brown paper bag and proceeded to open it. The smell radiated around the table and made their mouths water. When the spoon was dunked into it, the pudding proved itself with its thick gooey texture. Wolfwood proceeded to swirl the spoon around the dessert, aware of Vash's and Meryl's sneaking eyes. Finally, he scooped a large amount and lifted the spoon. The pudding clung onto the bottom of the utensil until it could stretch no further, then it plopped back down forming a volcano like shape.
Vash found the whole event uncalled for, especially when Wolfwood took the initiative of spoon feeding Millie. Millie on the other hand seemed oblivious to the idea, and began to praise the creators of pudding.
Wolfwood shot Vash another look, and Vash quickly turned his eyes back to the baby picture, trying to come up with a topic to occupy his mind. Fortunately, Meryl came to his rescue. She reached for the white paper bag she had curled closed earlier, and opened it. Vash immediately became interested.
"Vash, I also got these business cards made…"
Vash put his elbow on the table and rested the side of his head on his fist to block out the view of a shared spoon. His eyes were glued to Meryl, who had just put some small rectangles of cardstock on the table. They bore his false name and occupation, along with contact information. Meryl was finding a way to really drag out the conversation on them until the pudding dish was finally empty. When finished, Wolfwood stood up stretched a little and asked Millie if she would help him with something in his hotel room.
"But I think Meryl needed me to help her with packing," Millie answered.
Wolfwood put on a charming smile. "The truth is," he said, "I need some help packing too!"
Vash could no longer pretend he wasn't listening. "Where are you going?"
"To Meryl's home town," he answered happily.
"You're coming!" Vash asked.
"Of course I'm coming, Spiky."
"Well we're not paying for you." Vash lowered his eyebrows and folded his arms stubbornly. Wolfwood tended to be a few dollars short whenever he traveled with Vash, and sometimes at the end of the trip, Vash would be too. Vash knew from the moment he met the Priest and he had drank all of the Vash's water that he would be a rough one to have around. And lately it would seem that Wolfwood was doing a pretty good job of proving this assumption true.
"You don't need to because I'm riding my motorcycle." Wolfwood announced calmly. "Come on Millie, let's leave these two" -he glanced at Vash- "alone." Wolfwood stood up and walked to the door.
"I'll see you later Ms. Meryl." Millie waved a farewell and exited, the Priest followed behind her.
Both Vash and Meryl sighed when the door had closed. After a few moments, Meryl stood up and cleared the empty pudding cup and plastic spoon, glad to see them in the trash.
"You better go pack," Meryl suggested.
Vash stared at the pile of business cards, remembering an earlier conversation with Wolfwood. "I already have," he answered.
This information surprised Meryl. She hadn't even started.
"Does it seem like Wolfwood has been acting odd lately?" Vash asked.
Odd? Odd? "Vash, odd doesn't even begin to cover it!" Meryl answered.
"Did you know he was coming with us?" Vash asked.
Meryl came back to the table side, but the question had provided her with too much energy to sit down. "No. Millie didn't say anything either. A part of me wondered about it, I mean, he does follow us around."
"Yeah, but not all the time…"
"And with Millie…we might be stuck with him for a while."
That Priest was up to something, Vash was sure of it.
Author's note: I adore reviews.