Whee!! More reviews! And I can tell you now that a nice big juicy chapter
is planned for chapter 4. Wheet!
Just a note. I honestly thought Knives was just shot in the arms and legs at the end of Trigun. I don't think he died. Though the whole being slung over Vash's shoulder like a sack of potatoes does suggest death.
But I say this: When a tree stands near a fence line two neighbours may share in its fruit equally as it falls on both sides, and a good neighbour will not prune fruit-bearing branches in order to have the fruit all for himself, at the expense of the tree. Nice and metaphorical ne? And goes both ways.
AN: In this chapter I'm trying to write Milly and Meryl's characters. I'm very bad at it. Please flame as much as possible so that my writing may be as the phoenix and rise from the ashes more magnificent than before.
----
Ch3: Planting seeds in unwilling ground.
Vash trudges up to one dusty little house in a dusty little town with his heart heavy and his entire body aching. The confrontation was torturous enough by itself, and it was followed by dragging a catatonic Knives far too many iles across the surface of this sun-scorched land. He barely even paused to catch his breath and rest.
He is tired, dirty and in sore need of a hug, and that body suit is starting to get itchy with sweat and dust. What he'd give for a long bath with no interruptions. Will Meryl and Milly even accept the two brothers back? Yes, they will. Vash knows exactly how far those two will go in the name of duty, or love. But it will not be easy for them to accept it.
He feels very alone.
"Mr Vash!! You're back!" Vash turns from the door to Milly hurrying up the street carrying a large bag full of groceries. She slows down as she gets closer, becoming hesitant. "Is that?."
"Yes, this is my brother. Knivesu."
She just stands there with her arms full, a peculiar expression on her face. This is obviously not the outcome Milly had prepared herself for. Vash shifts his weight and answers her unspoken question about what happened.
"I defeated him, he is no longer a threat to anyone. I'm taking care of him now."
"Right. Then let me help you with him Mr Vash."
"Milly."
"I'm sure you know what you're doing." Milly cuts him off. "We want to make him presentable before Meryl comes home, don't we? And I'm sure no hospital would treat him if they knew who he was." She says, with just a slight hardness in her voice. She puts her groceries on the porch and rolls up her sleeves. Vash is both relieved and in anguish. Milly accepts his decision, but she's obviously in pain because of this.
"Yes."
Without any further ado Milly takes Knives from Vash easily and carries him inside onto the kitchen bench to be cleaned up, just like any farm girl might do when someone's injured. She chatters the entire way there, asking Vash to fetch various things to help clean Knives' wounds.
"And don't forget my pudding out on the veranda!"
Vash feels a great burden lifted from him at that. He can count on Milly to do the right thing, no matter the situation. She will always be Milly. Dutifully he fetches towels, thread, needles, water. Still, there is an extra edge in Milly's voice, a quiver just on the edge of hearing tell Vash that were it not for him, Milly's reaction would be entirely different.
When everything is gathered Vash kicks the last cupboard door closed with his foot and totters into the kitchen balancing an armload of gear. There he sees Milly removing Vash's temporary bandaging to check Knives' wounds and opening his eyes to see the pupils, the usual things. But her hands are trembling.
Vash puts his burdens down on some spare bench space and very gently catches Milly's arm. She pauses for a moment, and Vash gently wraps his arms around her in a hug.
"Thankyou, Milly."
"How can you? How can you still love him after all he's done? Why did you bring him here? Why are you doing this Mr Vash?"
"I promised Rem I'd take care of him." At this, Milly's shoulders lose some of their tension. "Besides, he's my brother. Family is important, right?" Milly stiffens in his arms, then relaxes again as she begins to cry, great sobs pulling the tension from her body.
Knives does not stir the entire time.
.
By the time Meryl arrives home from her second job Knives is safely tucked into the spare bed in Vash's room, white linen covering his naked form, while his clothes await repairs and cleaning. Some of the wounds were untreatable, like the blood-vessel ruptures in his right arm. The angel arm. But he would heal up fine it seems, and his vital signs are strong. Meryl comes through the door, and Vash stands from the couch he's sharing with Milly, taking his glasses from his face.
"Vash." But just as she reaches out to touch him, Milly interrupts their reunion.
"Sempai! Sempai, there is dire news. Knives is alive and resting in bed upstairs."
"Knives? Here?" Meryl takes an involuntary step backwards, away from Vash.
"He's wounded and unconscious. You're not in any danger." Vash puts his sunnies back on his nose. It is as Vash feared. Meryl's sensibilities were making this situation difficult for her. There is a great sadness just beneath the surface of his expression, lurking behind his sunglasses.
"Vash. I'm so glad you're all right."
And finally she does hug him, first hesitantly and then tightly, fear and worry making her want his closeness, despite or even because of the dusty messed-up realness of his bran bodysuit. He sighs and rests his cheek on the top of her head, hugging her back. It seems that he has not lost his two final allies. There is support for him to lean on, despite everything.
"So am I. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting."
At this Meryl's tension breaks, and tears begin to fall down her face. Vash is back and that is what is most important to her.
Milly too feels a great relief seeing two of her greatest friends share support for each other in such a situation. Vashu will have a tough task ahead of him, and they will all face great hardship. Milly is more than sharp enough to realise that.
---- Well.. I kinda fixed the ending.
Just a note, my notes for this fic have just topped 10k words. Woot me! Told you it was an epic in the making.
Just a note. I honestly thought Knives was just shot in the arms and legs at the end of Trigun. I don't think he died. Though the whole being slung over Vash's shoulder like a sack of potatoes does suggest death.
But I say this: When a tree stands near a fence line two neighbours may share in its fruit equally as it falls on both sides, and a good neighbour will not prune fruit-bearing branches in order to have the fruit all for himself, at the expense of the tree. Nice and metaphorical ne? And goes both ways.
AN: In this chapter I'm trying to write Milly and Meryl's characters. I'm very bad at it. Please flame as much as possible so that my writing may be as the phoenix and rise from the ashes more magnificent than before.
----
Ch3: Planting seeds in unwilling ground.
Vash trudges up to one dusty little house in a dusty little town with his heart heavy and his entire body aching. The confrontation was torturous enough by itself, and it was followed by dragging a catatonic Knives far too many iles across the surface of this sun-scorched land. He barely even paused to catch his breath and rest.
He is tired, dirty and in sore need of a hug, and that body suit is starting to get itchy with sweat and dust. What he'd give for a long bath with no interruptions. Will Meryl and Milly even accept the two brothers back? Yes, they will. Vash knows exactly how far those two will go in the name of duty, or love. But it will not be easy for them to accept it.
He feels very alone.
"Mr Vash!! You're back!" Vash turns from the door to Milly hurrying up the street carrying a large bag full of groceries. She slows down as she gets closer, becoming hesitant. "Is that?."
"Yes, this is my brother. Knivesu."
She just stands there with her arms full, a peculiar expression on her face. This is obviously not the outcome Milly had prepared herself for. Vash shifts his weight and answers her unspoken question about what happened.
"I defeated him, he is no longer a threat to anyone. I'm taking care of him now."
"Right. Then let me help you with him Mr Vash."
"Milly."
"I'm sure you know what you're doing." Milly cuts him off. "We want to make him presentable before Meryl comes home, don't we? And I'm sure no hospital would treat him if they knew who he was." She says, with just a slight hardness in her voice. She puts her groceries on the porch and rolls up her sleeves. Vash is both relieved and in anguish. Milly accepts his decision, but she's obviously in pain because of this.
"Yes."
Without any further ado Milly takes Knives from Vash easily and carries him inside onto the kitchen bench to be cleaned up, just like any farm girl might do when someone's injured. She chatters the entire way there, asking Vash to fetch various things to help clean Knives' wounds.
"And don't forget my pudding out on the veranda!"
Vash feels a great burden lifted from him at that. He can count on Milly to do the right thing, no matter the situation. She will always be Milly. Dutifully he fetches towels, thread, needles, water. Still, there is an extra edge in Milly's voice, a quiver just on the edge of hearing tell Vash that were it not for him, Milly's reaction would be entirely different.
When everything is gathered Vash kicks the last cupboard door closed with his foot and totters into the kitchen balancing an armload of gear. There he sees Milly removing Vash's temporary bandaging to check Knives' wounds and opening his eyes to see the pupils, the usual things. But her hands are trembling.
Vash puts his burdens down on some spare bench space and very gently catches Milly's arm. She pauses for a moment, and Vash gently wraps his arms around her in a hug.
"Thankyou, Milly."
"How can you? How can you still love him after all he's done? Why did you bring him here? Why are you doing this Mr Vash?"
"I promised Rem I'd take care of him." At this, Milly's shoulders lose some of their tension. "Besides, he's my brother. Family is important, right?" Milly stiffens in his arms, then relaxes again as she begins to cry, great sobs pulling the tension from her body.
Knives does not stir the entire time.
.
By the time Meryl arrives home from her second job Knives is safely tucked into the spare bed in Vash's room, white linen covering his naked form, while his clothes await repairs and cleaning. Some of the wounds were untreatable, like the blood-vessel ruptures in his right arm. The angel arm. But he would heal up fine it seems, and his vital signs are strong. Meryl comes through the door, and Vash stands from the couch he's sharing with Milly, taking his glasses from his face.
"Vash." But just as she reaches out to touch him, Milly interrupts their reunion.
"Sempai! Sempai, there is dire news. Knives is alive and resting in bed upstairs."
"Knives? Here?" Meryl takes an involuntary step backwards, away from Vash.
"He's wounded and unconscious. You're not in any danger." Vash puts his sunnies back on his nose. It is as Vash feared. Meryl's sensibilities were making this situation difficult for her. There is a great sadness just beneath the surface of his expression, lurking behind his sunglasses.
"Vash. I'm so glad you're all right."
And finally she does hug him, first hesitantly and then tightly, fear and worry making her want his closeness, despite or even because of the dusty messed-up realness of his bran bodysuit. He sighs and rests his cheek on the top of her head, hugging her back. It seems that he has not lost his two final allies. There is support for him to lean on, despite everything.
"So am I. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting."
At this Meryl's tension breaks, and tears begin to fall down her face. Vash is back and that is what is most important to her.
Milly too feels a great relief seeing two of her greatest friends share support for each other in such a situation. Vashu will have a tough task ahead of him, and they will all face great hardship. Milly is more than sharp enough to realise that.
---- Well.. I kinda fixed the ending.
Just a note, my notes for this fic have just topped 10k words. Woot me! Told you it was an epic in the making.