A/N: Sorry everyone for the delay but I'm having trouble writing the chapters, since no inspiration has hit me in the last month or so. Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!!
A Showing Of Guns
Fortunately, the two had a truck, which they generously offered the use of to their kind hosts. Much to their relief, Vash and Wolfwood were able to convince the girls to ride with them quite easily. The decision was mostly on account of the bus, and the crowded state the passenger vehicle would have been for the insurance girls.
So the following afternoon, they began packing for their trip. Unfortunately, they soon ran into some difficulties, specifically the luggage problem. The four people would be forced to pack into the small truck compartment, the bed having been filled with luggage and necessary food items. Like donuts.
At first Meryl couldn't believe her eyes as she gazed at the back of the truck, which was nearly overflowing with dangerously stacked donut boxes. She stiffly raised her hand and pointed to the possible hallucination.
"What are those?"
Vash came up beside her at that moment, carrying with him some of the insurance girls' luggage. He looked to where she pointed, giving Meryl a goofy smile.
"Emergency rations" he said. "You know, just in case we get lost or the truck breaks down."
"You're expecting us to survive on donuts in the middle of a desert?" she asked, an edge in her voice.
"Um, yeah?" Vash answered, oblivious to the warning signs going off in his head.
Before Vash knew what had happened, his entire cargo had been dropped to the ground. Along with him. With blinding speed, Meryl had knocked the back of his head with more strength than he thought she possessed, leading to his current position of kissing the earth. After a few stunned moments, Vash cautiously turned his head away from the dirt, only to wish he hadn't. The small insurance girl's eyes burned into his, making him shake in fear of the anger within them.
"Vash, people need food to survive!!" she yelled at the fallen gunman. "And what are we supposed to do about water?!"
Vash lay stiffly on the ground, his eyes wide in shock at the sudden change in her attitude. His only thought at the moment? Survival. With an audible whimper, the gunman slowly started sliding away from the scolding woman. Thankfully, his savior came to his rescue.
"Meryl, you shouldn't treat Mr. Vash like that" Millie said, suddenly appearing from around the side of the truck. Wolfwood appeared behind her, carrying the last of the girls' luggage. "He was kind enough to offer us a ride."
At her partners words, Meryl stopped her verbal and physical abuse of the cowering man before her. With a sigh, she shook her head in resignation and offered a hand to Vash. The blonde hesitantly accepted the silent apology and rose to his feet. He reached down to collect one of the many suitcases before him, when a small hand brushed against his own. Meryl swiftly picked up the bag Vash had dropped in their one-sided scuffle.
"You better not get us killed, broom head" she said softly, before marching to the truck.
Unbeknownst to the retreating woman, the man behind her touched the arm she'd brushed, a small smile on his lips.
Later in the evening found the group reaching their destination, making quicker time than expected thanks in part to Wolfwood's habit of driving. They would have arrived sooner, but after the seventh time flying over a sand dune, Meryl forced him to slow down with a smack on the head. The priest had yet to figure out how the short girl had reached him, considering she'd been sitting at the passenger side window at the time of the abuse, with Vash and Millie between them
The large town was quaintly named New Georgia, with many tall buildings and winding streets stretching across several square iles. The two girls reported to the local Bernardelli bureau, leaving the boys to keep an eye on the vehicle and baggage. After leaving their reports and gathering their new orders, the two met up with their drivers at one of the local restaurants. They idly chatted while eating their late dinner, the conversation eventually finding its way to the girls' job.
"Actually, we were planning on staying awhile here" Vash said, scratching the back of his head nervously. He and Wolfwood had to keep as close to the girls as possible without attracting their attention, and surviving Meryl's brutal treatment. He didn't doubt the promised interest in them would be fulfilled, and harm would come to the insurance girls.
"I guess since you have no where else to go, and you did get us here" Meryl suddenly spoke, catching Vash's attention. "We'll take you in" she finished grudgingly, Millie nodding enthusiastically beside her.
"Really?" Vash exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. He couldn't believe what luck had dropped in his lap. "That would really help us out, since we don't have any money. How long will you girls be staying here?" he asked, giving them his most charming smile. The blond wasn't sure how long the generous offer would last, and had to keep their attention on the subject. Especially Meryl's.
"Bernardelli has an office here, and we have to file our paperwork with the company" Meryl said, listing the business duties on her fingers. "So we'll be here for about a month, maybe longer."
Wolfwood suddenly choked on his cigarette, leading into a coughing fit. Millie patted him on the back, smiling.
"You shouldn't smoke, Mr. Priest" the big girl commented, unfazed by his sudden choking fit. "Cigarettes are bad for you, you know."
"Then how about we rent a house?" Vash suggested, nervously looking toward his friend. "We could get jobs to help you with the money. Besides, hotel rooms aren't as comfy."
"Yeah!" Millie squealed, clapping her hands together. "Let's get a house Meryl" she said, turning toward her short companion.
Meryl sighed, feeling like a nurse maid surrounded by unruly children. "Fine" she agreed, finishing her meal. "We can see if any of the realtors are open in the evening and look what they have for rent." The idea was starting to appeal to her as she thought of not having to stay in any more hotel rooms. The traveling insurance girl couldn't remember the last time she'd slept in a bed she could call her own.
After they all finished with their meals, the group set out for a house. Finding an open realty company along the next block, they began looking through the selections. For half an hour their search turned up negative, each person finding some disagreement with each building. Finally Meryl came to their last choice, a two story, full basement home with two bedrooms and baths, along with a sizable kitchen, living room, and dining room.
As she looked at the pictures of the home, the realtor did point out one small problem with the house. Apparently the structure had been used for the jail until a few years ago, having the only basement in town which could safely and securely hold any offenders. The townspeople hadn't bothered to remove the cells in the basement, the task not being worth the effort.
"It's perfect" Vash suddenly chimed in, taking the picture from Meryl's hands. "We'll take it."
Meryl gave him a suspicious stare, but couldn't deny that the asking price was more than fair. She began making the arrangements with the manager, acquiring the house quickly and allowing them to move in that very evening. The boys took one bedroom while the girls took the other, and soon all were perfectly situated in their new home.
Several days later found Meryl plodding along the dusty street, the setting sun dipping below the horizon.
"I swear, all he eats is donuts" Meryl grumbled, walking home from her job. She was carrying a large two dozen box of donuts for the gluttonous gunman, having specially ordered them from the bakery. The sweets were another gift, for taking them to the town. The small insurance girl wasn't sure why she was doting on the idiot, only that he seemed to need some caring.
Millie had cheerfully gone ahead to the house to prepare dinner, while Meryl only hoped there was a house to return to. She still didn't entirely trust the two men staying with them, though her partner had taken an immediate liking to them, especially Wolfwood. Despite her insistence, Vash had gladly taken a job at the local supply store, stocking shelves and unpacking the weekly shipment. And here she now was, left alone to carry her cargo of sweets and mutter to herself about idiot blonds and smoking priests.
Suddenly a shadow blocked Meryl's path, looming over her and reeking of alcohol.
"Hey pretty lady. Wanna dance with me?" the man asked, slowly closing the distance between them.
Meryl reached under her cape, looking for her derringers. With a sudden sickening thought, she remembered having left them at the house. Her new boss was less than comfortable with her packing weapons to work, and she'd gotten the hint. Now she was defenseless, with the towering form of the drunk She began retreating before him, hoping to escape around him. But before she'd taken more than a few steps, the man grabbed her by the wrist, causing a small cry to escape her lips as the donut boxes fell to the ground.
"I don't think the lady wants you" a voice suddenly spoke from the darkness.
Both Meryl and her captor turned their heads toward the shadows to the left, searching for the owner of the words. The small insurance girl gasped when she saw two bright scarlet eyes peering at them, worry and even....anger, within their depths. Then the figure stepped into the light, and she immediately recognized the spiky hair and goofy grin of the blond.
"Vash!" she yelled, struggling to free herself from the stranger's grip.
"Oh yeah?" the man asked, his speech slurred. "What are you gonna do with a bullet in yer brain." He quickly pulled out a pistol from his belt and leveled the gun at Vash, firing off several shots as Meryl screamed his name.
With blinding speed Vash suddenly disappeared from where he had stood, reappearing next to Meryl. He easily snatched her from the shocked stranger's grasp, moving the small insurance girl away from the approaching confrontation.
"How'd you do that?!" the drunk yelled, once more leveling the gun at the blond.
Vash didn't say a word, the blond's now hardened eyes speaking for him. As Meryl watched the man's finger pressed against the trigger, she wondered if the goofy blond had gone insane. She shut her eyes, tears slipping down her face as the sound of a single gun shot echoed in the air. She didn't dare open them, knowing the sight that awaited her vision. Vash would be on the ground, lying dead in a pool of his own blood.
Suddenly a soft finger brushed against her cheek, and her startled eyes opened to an unexpected sight. Vash stood before her, a smile on his lips and a large silver gun in his hand, the barrel still smoking. Turning to look past him, her mouth dropped open in shock. The stranger sat on the ground in disbelief, his gun lying several yarz away.
"What...? How?" she asked, her gaze returning to Vash's face. This man she took as a complete waste of air had somehow managed to draw his gun and shoot the stranger's pistol out of his hand, all before the trigger was pulled.
"Just no skill" Vash answered, his goofy grin returning. Then he turned toward the man who still lay on the ground. "I don't think you should have this anymore, mister" he said, picking up the pistol. "Someone might get hurt."
Tucking the gun into one of his many pockets, he walked over the stranger and towered over him.
"I want you to repeat after me" Vash said, his face becoming stone. The drunk started shaking, wondering what this red clad gunman was going to do to him. "This world is made of....LOVE AND PEACE!" he exclaimed, stretching his arm and opening his fingers into a v-shape. He then set his hands on his hips and broke out into the most annoying, high-pitched laughter Meryl had ever heard.
Gritting her teeth together, she marched up to the laughing idiot and swung her arm across his head. The force of the blow sent him reeling, as he turned toward her rubbing his head like a child scolded.
"Why'd you do that" he whined, rubbing the bruised cranium.
"Because you're just so impossible" she answered. Turning her back on him, Meryl picked up the boxes of donuts and proceeded her way to the house.
"Hey, wait for me!" Vash said, noticing the delicious sweets and making a hasty sprint to catch up with the small insurance girl.