A/N: Another chapter added to the ranks. Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!

Disturbing Thoughts

Wolfwood walked down the stairs a week later, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. Everything had been relatively calm since the disastrous date and day of reckoning, no one mentioning Vash's...differences. Whether out of courtesy or fear, he had yet to discover from the insurance girls.

But since Vash had revealed his secret, the smaller insurance girl had been keeping a closer eye on the both of them, especially the gunman. The male companions had yet to figure out if the looks she had been giving him were one of suspicion or worry. Her moods were so intricately connected. Suddenly a loud yell erupted from the kitchen, followed closely by a red blur flying out of the said room, landing in a neat pile in front of the priest.

"Needle noggin, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Wolfwood asked, shaking his head. He knew the exact reason for his friend's sudden dramatic appearance, and could only wonder at his apparent stupidity. Possibly the color of his mind set now matched the color of his hair.

"No" Vash whined, rubbing the assortment of lumps and bruises on his head.

"Then why are you pissing her off so much?! That's the seventh time in three days you've clung onto her like a parasite. You've become her personal punching bag."

"Well, I've been feeling strange lately" Vash answered slowly. He rolled so he now sat at the priest's feet, rubbing his bruised back.

"How?" Wolfwood asked, now gazing through narrowed eyes. Surprises were definitely not welcome, and often meant trouble for them. And Vash's surprises usually dealt with either gun fights to save some poor soul or strange obsessions with women who found him annoying.

"Well" Vash started, scratching the back of his head. "I've kinda been feeling hungry." He cringed when he saw his friend stiffen.

"What kind of hunger, Vash?" he asked, a slight edge in his tone. Wolfwood was liking this conversation less than before.

"It's not what you're thinking" Vash said quickly, holding his hands up defensively. "You know I can control my thirst pretty well. Geez, no trust" he pouted, slouching his head.

"Then what type of hunger is it?" Wolfwood asked, getting impatient. Why didn't Vash just tell him what the hell the problem was?

"Um, a little more primitive" Vash said, rushing through his words. His face turned an interesting shade of red while he fidgeted with the hands in his lap. The blond couldn't stop thinking of the night he'd held her in his arms, and the fact that Meryl hadn't pulled away from his touch. Her body had been so soft and her curves had fit perfectly against his own....

Wolfwood stared at Vash for several seconds, mouth open as if to speak. He couldn't believe his best friend was even suggesting something so ridiculous with the short girl, especially with the possibility of getting a serious bruising for his efforts. But the disturbingly lecherous grin growing on his friend's face proved his worst fears, and the man in black began counting the days off when the blond would probably die for his actions. Images of him being beaten to death by a very violated Meryl flashed through his mind. Suddenly realizing he must look ridiculous, the priest closed his mouth and cleared his throat loudly. "Vash, I don't think that's a good idea."

"You think I don't know that?" Vash asked, rising to his feet and pacing the room. "I mean, she has those derringers, and then there's her attitude. Even my regenerative abilities are having a hard time recovering from her punches."

Wolfwood rubbed his temple, trying to fight off the headache coming swiftly. "Damn it needle noggin, how do you get me into these messes?"

"Hey, you came on your own. Besides, you're the one who suggested we follow them" Vash bit back. He caught himself, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead in perfect imitation of his friend. "Even her moods swings are starting to get to me" he muttered. "Why does she have to smell so enticing?"

"Vash, right now I really need you to keep a level head" Wolfwood whispered, his face becoming serious.

"I know" Vash answered, cupping his head in his hands. "Seems like we're both having troubles with our demons, huh?" He lifted his head, giving the priest a sad small. Then the blond jumped up, his usual grin back on his face. "But we must protect the women!" he cried, only to be smashed down to the floor.

Meryl's small figure walked out of the kitchen doorway, which the fallen gunman had been standing in when making his proclamation to the world. A whimpering came from the floor, as Wolfwood enjoyed the sight before him. The small insurance girl glared at the mess of limbs and red at her feet, rubbing her temple.

"Broom head" she mumbled, walking past Wolfwood and climbing the stairs.

"Well" Vash said, after Meryl was out of ear shot. "At least she didn't hear anything else."

Unfortunately, the temperamental woman had heard something else. The entire conversation, actually; from start to finish. She wasn't sure what to think of Vash's growing 'attention' toward her, but her actions toward him were confusing even her. She'd never attacked someone so violently as she did to the blond, even her old boyfriends never received such harsh treatment. Sometimes he just made her feel so...uncomfortable, as if she was letting out some sort of frustration.

But all things considered, Vash wasn't that bad of a person...vampire...or whatever he was. He played with the town's children constantly, when he wasn't sleeping in or working that is, and helped around with the house chores. His eating habits were still annoying, especially when he had shoved an entire box of donuts into his mouth, but he had never caused the girls too much grief. Except for the threat on their lives...

Meryl sighed. She tried to keep her thoughts from venturing to that portion of the discussion they'd had with Vash, and had done a suitable job of blocking the memories. After all, there wasn't much else they could do except wait for his brother or minions to attack them. The knowing danger lurking around every corner of the day was grating on her nerves, adding to the punishment she inflicted on the lecherous gunman.

But the implications of what Vash was silently asking were just a little too strong to leave her mind, and she idly wondered what a relationship with him would be like. Meryl shook her head rapidly from side to side, trying to clear her increasingly disturbing thoughts. Though the idea did appeal to her on a more base level....

"Meryl?" a voice suddenly called. Millie's head peeked into the room, a bright smile lighting her features when she saw the small woman sitting on the bed. "Mr. Vash and Mr. Priest are going to the bar, and they invited us to go along."

Meryl had to cover her face to hide a smile. Millie had yet to call Wolfwood by his real name, though he still hadn't given up on convincing her otherwise. But she had to focus on matters at hand, which now her friend's sudden question.

"Why not?" Meryl answered, smiling at her partner.

"Yay!!" Millie yelled, raising her hands above her head and clapping. "I'll go tell them" she said, rushing from the room.

"They probably already know" Meryl sighed, her ears ringing from the shout. She stood and grabbed her cloak from the closet, looking forward to the relaxing evening spent with her friends. Walking through the hallway and down the stairs, she heard the eager sounds of three voices preparing for the trip. She smiled and met the other house occupants in the living room, where they departed to the tavern the boys often patronized.

The four sat down at a window table, all enjoying the setting suns in the distance. When the bright orbs sank below the horizon, Vash removed his sunglasses and quickly hailed the first waitress he could find, ordering enough drinks to pay for a month's worth of rent. But no one minded the heavy bill racking up, even Meryl was feeling in too good a mood to shout at his apparent lack of economics. For the next few hours, the friends enjoyed the company of each other, the many bottles of boos on the table, and the occasional scene of Vash attempting to flirt with a waitress.

Nearing midnight, there came the sound of a scream from the building, followed by the ejection of a certain blond gunman from the local establishment. An intoxicated group staggered through the tavern doors after the red-clad figure, the two tallest leaning against each other while the smaller one shook her head in pitied amusement.

The three walked over to the fallen gunman, who was muttering something about "I didn't mean it that way" into the ground. Meryl sighed and helped him stand, nearly stumbling when he leaned most of his weight into her frame. She smiled at the remembrance of such a position, wondering if he was aware he was imitating the first time they had met.

Suddenly the wind began to emerge from the desert to their backs, racing across the ground with unnatural speed. They turned their heads around and watched with horror filled fascination as the gusts approached the small town, engulfing buildings in its wake. A dark cloud, the sign of a sandstorm, appeared over the dark horizon, following in the gusts' wakes. Then they were surrounded by the rolling earth, entrapping the shocked group in the eye of the small cyclone of dirt and dust. Vash quickly snapped out of the supposed stupor of alcohol, straightening his back and setting his lips in a thin line. He turned to Meryl and almost roughly wrapped an arm around her waist, seeing Wolfwood do the same to Millie.

Vash looked into the sea of swirling sand, trying to discern where the expected threat would come. Then he saw what he was looking for, the design of a face appearing against the wall of moving earth. Golden eyes peered at the faces of the four, all of whom stared back with equal fervor. The lids finally narrowed on the blond gunman and the woman he held.

"Vash the Stampede" a voice spoke, merging with the air around the group.

Meryl grasped Vash's arm with her hands, feeling a chill come over her with those few words. The voice permeated every part of her being, the emotionless tone sending shivers down her spine. The small insurance girl couldn't fight the feeling of despair from her mind, all other thoughts fleeing before the all consuming whispers of the demon before her. She would have collapsed with the sense of nothingness if the blond next to her hand not given her hands a brief squeeze with his own.

"What do you want?" Vash asked, soothingly rubbing the small girl's hands. He was glad to see Wolfwood doing the same to Millie, the kind soul of the big girl being bombarded with such blatant coldness.

Meryl's heart lifted at hearing his steady voice and strong tone, nearly managing a smile at the challenging words he'd spoken. Though the insane idea of never leaving the house to avoid such confrontations flashed through her mind, considering trouble always found them. But she was glad to know her sense of humor was still intact and willing to be her fail safe in the situation.

"My master has decided to grace you with his presence" the voice stated, neither increasing nor decreasing in pitch.

Vash tightened his grip on Meryl, his eyes narrowing at the messenger. "Not here" he said. "I won't meet with him anywhere near the girls." He mentally sighed when he felt Meryl return the gesture, her hands as steady as his own and her breathing stabilizing.

After a moment's hesitation, in which the eyes flickered for a moment, the orbs once more became focused.

"I will deliver your message to the Master, and he will see fit to decide the place of meeting" the stranger spoke.

With a final look to the group, the eyes slowly melted into the sand. The storm around them dissipated with the passing of the demon, returning to the scenic calm of a few minutes previous. The girls breathed a sigh of relief, while the two men looked at one another, their expressions filled with uncertainty....