A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait. As an apology the chapter is one of the longest.
Delivery Dilemmas
The occupants of the room watched with silent breath as the spoon was dipped into the ice-cream and rose with a small scoop in its bowl. With a nervous twitch of the hand holding the utensil, the cold treat was slowly brought to the petit mouth. After a second of hesitation, in which three inhalations of worry were heard, the spoon quickly slipped into the mouth.
"So?" Vash asked nervously from the end of the bed, his own bowl of ice-cream forgotten and melted in his lap. The spoon in his own hand was slightly shivering in anticipation, his eyes unmoving from his chewing mate. The gunman didn't even notice he was holding his breath, so fixed was his attention on the mother of his child.
"Well, Meryl?" Millie chimed in after her friend remained silent for a moment, the smaller woman's face set in contemplation as she finally swallowed the cold treat.
"I could live on this" Meryl finally admitted, causing three exhales of relief to fill the air. "Actually, I think I'm feeling better already" she added, digging her spoon once more into the ice-cream with more enthusiasm.
Vash grinned as he watched the mother of his child begin to devour the ice-cream in her bowl, stifling a chuckle when she eagerly asked for more from the large container that Wolfwood and Millie had fetched from the nearest store. One problem was solved with Meryl's willingness to consume ice-cream, the baby now having a reliable source of food.
"Well, that's one less worry for you, needle-noggin'" Wolfwood commented, slapping Vash on the back and nearly causing the blond to choke on his spoon. "Now just raising a kid and dealing with your insane, vampire brother and your life could be liveable."
"Thanks for reminding me" the gunman grumbled, taking his spoon and beginning to dig into his ice-cream. "You know" he spoke through a mouthful of cold dessert, "you haven't told us how you and Millie are going to handle when the next full moon comes around."
"Well" Wolfwood began, setting his bowl atop the dresser and leaning back against the wall. "We were just going to go to the outskirts of the city and see what happened."
"You're going to do what!" Meryl sputtered, nearly choking on what remained of her food. "What if she can't control herself like you were before? What if you can't control yourself and decide people are food again! You could hurt someone pulling a stunt like that!" she exclaimed, her hands balling into angry fists as she rang off every horrible possibility. "And if one of the townspeople sees you two, what then!" she now yelled, ripping the covers off herself and attempting to climb out of bed. The priest needed someone to knock some sense into his thick skull and the ice-cream had given her more than enough energy to do the job.
"Everything will be fine" Vash soothed, gently holding her shoulders as she half-heartedly thrashed in his grip. "Wolfwood knows what he's doing, right?" he spoke, the question aimed at the said priest. The half-hearted shrug did not help his opinion, nor Meryl's confidence, and his grip tightened slightly as the young woman tried with more enthusiasm to make her way toward the man in black.
"I'll be fine, Meryl" Millie spoke up, giving her partner a wide smile. "Nicholas will be there with me if anything goes wrong. Besides, I don't think I'd like to eat anyone, no matter what I am."
Millie spoke the last few words with such confidence the tension in the air seemed to depart like a breeze had blown through, easing two of the other occupants with a grateful sigh. Meryl, however, was still less than pleased but with a final "humph" she stopped her objections to the plan. Instead, the petit woman folded her arms across her swollen stomach, slowly rubbing the large bulge as a way to calm herself.
Vash carefully took Meryl's empty bowl from beside her while Wolfwood managed to grab Millie's, the two of them leaving the room to allow the women to talk together. The friends walked silently down the hall, making sure to leave earshot of the girls, before beginning a conversation.
"How's the short girl doing?" Wolfwood quietly asked, still being cautious with the improved hearing of the women. "She looks pretty good, considering everything that's happened to her."
"Well, the baby seems to have calmed down" Vash spoke, a subdued optimism in his voice. "And Meryl hasn't complained about any pain for a while, but I don't know if the process is done or not." His face turned grim as the two stepped down the stairs and rounded the corner into the kitchen. "I mean, I've never heard of this happening, have you?"
"Nope" Wolfwood answered casually, digging in his shirt pocket for his packet of cigarettes. After a few short moments of struggling he finally succeeded in grabbing a stick, tucking the cigarette into his mouth. "Though by the looks of her, I don't think the baby's gonna be long. Imagine, a broom-head like you being a dad" the priest teased, grinning widely as his friend's body seemed to straighten with pride.
"Yeah, and a boy, too. Can you believe it?" Vash asked, giving his goofy smile. "I may even have to find a decent job and settle down, especially if Meryl wants me to."
"Yeah, go against her and you're in for a quick losing battle. Of course, you haven't even proposed to the short girl yet" the priest added slyly, grinning as the blond gave him a pouting look. "You know, her family may not be happy about this arrangement."
"Who's side are you on?" Vash whined, placing Meryl's bowl in the sink while Wolfwood did the same with Millie's. "I was getting to that part...sometime. I was just, uh, waiting for the right moment."
"Are you thinking, Vash?" Wolfwood questioned disbelievingly, staring incredulously at the blond. "A girl like Meryl isn't going to wait forever, and she isn't the type to wait patiently for a needle noggin' like you."
"I'll get to it" Vash said, his tone becoming more sober. "But right now isn't a good time" he added, his eyes drifting toward the darkened window. One large obstacle still barred his way to a happy life, but how to deal with the problem without killing his own brother was still unsolved.
"Yeah" Wolfwood agreed, his head turning upward to where the girls were. "This isn't going to be good for the Insurance Girls. They don't really know what they've gotten themselves into."
Suddenly the two men heard the banging of a door flung open and hitting a wall, quickly followed by hurried footsteps pounding down the stairs. Millie appeared a few seconds later, her mouth set in a thin line and her eyes looking between the two men with underlying worry.
"It's Meryl!" she yelled, her hands gripping the entrance's border with white knuckles.
Immediately Wolfwood threw his cigarette aside as Vash sprinted past the Big Girl, his eyes wide in terror. Within seconds he was in the bedroom and at the Insurance Girl's side, gathering her quickly in his arms as a cry of pain broke from her lips.
"Meryl!" Vash yelled, clutching her against his chest as she jerked in his hold. Seeing liquid soak the covers beneath her his head shot up, the anxious gunman looking to the entering Millie and Wolfwood with worried eyes. "She's going into labor!"
Thankfully for the distraught males, Millie took charge, immediately ordering the priest to grab a basin of water and towels. She herself took Meryl from Vash's reluctant hold, settling her friend down upon the bed and resting her head against one of the many pillows. Meryl's breathing became labored as a loud gasp of pain broke from her lips, her hands clutching wildly at her stomach.
Vash watched anxiously as Millie applied a wet cloth brought by the priest to Meryl's head, one of his hands instinctually grabbing her own as he sat behind the ailing woman. Suddenly the gunman's head shot up from his laboring mate, his eyes shifting quickly to the window looking out to the street. One of Wolfwood's eyebrows raised and he also looked to the glass, his mouth set in a thin line with anxiety.
"Wolfwood" the gunman spoke quietly, his aqua orbs never leaving the sill and his tone drastically changed to one of deadly calm. The only sign of tension emanating from the blond was the tightening of his hand upon the cover, trying his best not to worsen the already dire situation. "Someone's out there."
The warning was well taken by the friend as the man in black exited the room, heading down the stairs using wide strides. Passing the front closet he made a quick detour and removed his hidden Cross Punisher from beneath the coats, slinging the carefully wrapped weapon over one shoulder as he headed to the front door. Soon Wolfwood stepped cautiously out into the silent street, his loose hand mere inches from the pistols hidden within his cross. The priest's eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, his gaze swiftly flying over the darkened street. His blue orbs immediately rested upon a single figure silhouetted against a tiny shop, the person unmoving and seemingly turned toward their home. Cautiously he moved toward the person, watching for any sign of shifting from them. His wait was short-lived.
"Greetings, Chapel" the dark figure spoke ominously, taking a few steps onto the dusty road. "The Master wishes to speak with you."
"I bet, Legato" Wolfwood replied, dropping his Cross Punisher beside him. Dust rose as the blanket covering the cross fell upon the ground, revealing the shining metal beneath. "Well, tell Knives I have other things to do than play his lapdog anymore" the priest informed, opening the pistol holds of the large weapon for added warning.
"The Master will not take no for an answer" Legato quietly replied, his tone eerily even as he stepped further into the street's light.
The vampire's fangs glinted in the glow of the lamp, causing Wolfwood to gulp quietly. The priest's fingers itched nervously as he looked between the insane monster and the glistening pistols, watching carefully for the first sign of movement. His wait was short as Legato suddenly disappeared, causing him to turn his head cooly from side to side with a grim face as he was unable to follow the movement. A noise behind him caused the man in black's breath to hitch as the slightest of breaths moved across his neck, his hands almost instinctually moving toward the many weapons lined in the Cross Punisher.
Unfortunately, as each of Wolfwood's grasped a pistol he was knocked forward, his body sliding painfully along the sand for several yarzs before coming to a halt. Quickly gathering his wits the priest swiftly rolled to the side, barely avoiding being grabbed as Legato's hand slammed into the ground where he had lain. Now lying upon his back he began shooting at the vampire, cursing within his mind as the monster easily dodged each bullet.
Wolfwood saw his chance, however, as he noticed the vampire slowly edging toward the streetlight he had stood under. The priest quickly stood to his feet as he managed to continue shooting his increasingly fewer bullets, sweat forming on his brow as he prayed to God for his plan to work. With a few more well placed shots he managed to intentionally, but unnoticeably, drive Legato almost directly beneath the light. With his prey in the trap he quickly turned both pistols upward toward the streetlight, shooting the electric bulb with precision aim and causing the glass to shatter upon vampire.
Surprised by the sudden explosion and shower of glass Wolfwood directed his one last bullet at the chest of the monster, firing even as the vampire attempted to recover from the unexpected trap. With a large smile the man in black watched as the bullet penetrated Legato's abdomen, sending blood out from the entrance point as the creature's body jerked in surprise. Silently the monster fell to one knee, his head bent down as if in pain.
The priest's grin, however, slowly fell from his face as Legato calmly held a single hand against the small hole, a small pool of blood slowly dripping from the quickly closing wound. A small chuckle escaped his pale lips as his gaze lifted to Wolfwood, a wicked half smirk revealing the ineffectiveness of the priest's bullet.
With blinding speed the vampire straightened and charged, a pale hand catching Wolfwood about the throat and lifting him several feet off the ground. Instinctively the priest dropped his guns and clutched at the appendage, struggling fruitlessly to gain air as the crushing grip began to cut off his breath.
"The Master wished for you to be brought without injury, but you have left me with little choice, Chapel" Legato spoke, the icy coolness in his voice chilling his words and the air around them.
A horrific scream ripped from the priest's throat as the monster reached up with his free hand and grabbed one of his struggling arms, snapping the arm backward in the direction of the elbow and effectively crushing the bone. As Wolfwood attempted to ease the incredible pain by relaxing his body Legato suddenly lowered his body and threw him forward, ejecting him toward the house. With a depth twist of his body Wolfwood managed to divert his direction toward the Cross Punisher, landing not more than a few yarzs from the weapon. Ignoring the pain from his broken arm he hurried to his feet and shot toward the cross, being able to grab another pistol before he sensed the vampire behind him.
Turning with supernatural speed Wolfwood shot the entire clip at the creature, a cry of anguish escaping his lips as all the projectiles missed the target. The priest crumpled to the ground as a fist connected with his stomach, feeling as several of his ribs broke upon contact. He covered his mouth as a wave of blood coughed out, spilling over his hand and dying the sand beneath him with a scarlet tinge. Beneath his breath he cursed his luck, watching carefully as Legato stood before him with his twisted smile upon his face. In his current form Wolfwood knew he couldn't win against the stronger, more agile vampire before him, not without some miracle. However, he knew the option of being defeated was not available, especially with whom lay behind him.
With a final spat of blood to the ground Wolfwood stood with his last strength and threw down the empty cartridge of his pistol. His blurring vision moved between the vampire and his Cross Punisher, the option of refilling a mere dream in his condition and situation. Fortunately for the priest, the sudden cry of a baby halted any further attacks from either side, causing both of the two combatants to turn their heads toward the top window of the house. The noise was repeated several times, telling the two in the street the child just born was indeed healthy.
Soon, however, Wolfwood quickly shifted his attention back to Legato, his eyes widening in slight fear as he noticed the vampire's gaze directed where his had been only moments before. Taking a step toward the distracted monster, the priest hesitated as the blue-haired demon's glowing eye returned to his person.
"The Master will be well pleased" the vampire spoke quietly, bowing before the stunned priest. "He wishes for Vash the Stampede to know his work is nearly done and soon the humans shall vanish."
With those final words the glow from the street lights were suddenly extinguished, relighting only seconds later with a violent flare. Now only an empty area remained where Legato had stood, leaving Wolfwood perplexed and with more questions to answer. Another cry awoke him from his stupor and the priest turned toward the house, sprinting across the short distance and pushing through the front door. With hurried steps he abandoned the Cross Punisher and quickly ran into the house, hurriedly climbing the stairs. Wolfwood's journey, however, came to a sudden halt as he arrived at the bedroom's open door, his blue orbs wandering over what he beheld.
Meryl lay atop the many pillows of the bed, her eyes closed and her breathing smooth. Sweat covered her sheeted body but she appeared to be sleeping peacefully, a slight smile upon her face. Beside her, his legs over the side and his eyes turned downward, sat Vash, his mouth slightly agape in awe. In his hands he held a small bundle, the object of his intent gaze.
"Vash" Wolfwood managed to cough out, trying his best to hide his condition. "How is he?" he asked, feeling his consciousness slipping as the blood loss and pain began to overtake him.
The gunman slowly turned toward the priest, the proud grin on his face slipping off as he saw his friend suddenly drop to the floor.