Disclaimer: Here's my periodic declaration that that I don't own any
characters, except perhaps Nicky, though I'm not sure, since he's a
reincarnation basically.
--- Ch5: Nurture and Awaken.
After Vash's first overwhelming paternal moment with his new son, the spell of peace is broken, he can't just live in the moment any more, not with an infant to care for. And once he does start thinking of the future, a great darkness looms in it once more.
Knivesu.
How will he be able to care for them both? His heart becomes heavy. The baby starts screaming in his arms and he is distracted away from his troubles. Nicky, like the angel he resembles, quiets quickly under his father's care.
Vash quickly returns to the little house on the edge of the town where Knives and the insurance girls are awaiting him. His journey slowed by the need to be gentle with his tiny child, yet hastened by the need to shelter and feed him properly.
He walks in the door, expecting some kind of reception. But the house is quiet, except for the sound of footsteps on the second floor. Oh well. Vash'll just have to make his triumphant return upstairs. He clatters up them, only to be greeted halfway by a distraught Meryl.
"Vash! Thanks goodness you're back. It's Knives. I think he's having nightmares. He's been calling your name." She doesn't seem to register what's in the bundle in Vash's arms.
"Show me." Vash says shortly, waiting for Meryl to open the door into Knives room.
On the bed inside Knives thrashes weakly, uncoordinated. His forehead is beaded with sweat, and Milly is trying valiantly to hold him down, stop him from hurting himself.
"Mr Vash, he's burning up. Please help him."
The child in Vash's arms awakens, confused. Nicky cries out suddenly, wanting what, Vash doesn't know. And at the sound all eyes in the room go to him, even Knives. Knives eyes have snapped open, unseeing slates of blank blue that swivel towards the source of the sound. He looks wild, inhuman. Vash folds the cloth back so that Nicky and Knives can see one another.
"Knives, this is your nephew Nicky. Nicky, meet Knives."
With that Knives' eyes roll back in his head and he once more slips into unconsciousness, and peace. Nicky cries out again, this time with his full lungs. Vash turns his back on the stunned Milly and Meryl and walks from the room cooing gently and rocking Nicky back and forth. The two girls look at the retreating red coat and the figure on the bed and then follow Vash from the room and close the door behind them.
Meryl is the first to pipe up once they reach the quiet of the hallway. "That child. Is your son?"
"His mother was a plant, she entrusted his life to me. She died during his birth." Vash smiles down at Nicky who is looking back at him in the solemn manner babies sometimes have. Big eyes blink at him, then close as Nicky once again begins to cry.
Meryl looks at Nicky face in awe. "And he's even named well. They look so alike"
"May I hold him?" Trust Milly to put everything aside in the face of cuteness.
"Sure." Vash smiles at Milly and hands Nicky over very gently.
The child instantly calms and smiles up at Milly with the darkest pair of big grey-green eyes. "Oh isn't that wonderful. I've always been popular with my nieces and nephews."
"I think he knows how lucky he is." Vash says quietly looking over Milly's shoulder, one hand brushing Nicky's cheek.
"Vash. I know this is a lot to ask so quickly, but can I be. Can I be his mother?"
"Yes. Of course"
"That's wonderful. Thankyou so much. You know he looks like you too with that little mole." Milly begins to chatter about mundane things like where to get milk and a crib at this time of day and whether she could get babies bottles from Mrs Whats-er-name down the road.
Meryl just stands silently with vague uneasiness over what this baby is, before following the new 'parents' down the stairs. She casts a backwards glance at Knives. He's sleeping peacefully, with almost a smile upon his lips. She stands there thoughtfully for a while before hurrying to catch up and become part of the new little family's conversation once more.
--- And once again I'm struggling with the female characters. *sigh* Ah well. At least I finally had some inspiration and continued.
Oh, and I slightly edited the previous chapters.
--- Ch5: Nurture and Awaken.
After Vash's first overwhelming paternal moment with his new son, the spell of peace is broken, he can't just live in the moment any more, not with an infant to care for. And once he does start thinking of the future, a great darkness looms in it once more.
Knivesu.
How will he be able to care for them both? His heart becomes heavy. The baby starts screaming in his arms and he is distracted away from his troubles. Nicky, like the angel he resembles, quiets quickly under his father's care.
Vash quickly returns to the little house on the edge of the town where Knives and the insurance girls are awaiting him. His journey slowed by the need to be gentle with his tiny child, yet hastened by the need to shelter and feed him properly.
He walks in the door, expecting some kind of reception. But the house is quiet, except for the sound of footsteps on the second floor. Oh well. Vash'll just have to make his triumphant return upstairs. He clatters up them, only to be greeted halfway by a distraught Meryl.
"Vash! Thanks goodness you're back. It's Knives. I think he's having nightmares. He's been calling your name." She doesn't seem to register what's in the bundle in Vash's arms.
"Show me." Vash says shortly, waiting for Meryl to open the door into Knives room.
On the bed inside Knives thrashes weakly, uncoordinated. His forehead is beaded with sweat, and Milly is trying valiantly to hold him down, stop him from hurting himself.
"Mr Vash, he's burning up. Please help him."
The child in Vash's arms awakens, confused. Nicky cries out suddenly, wanting what, Vash doesn't know. And at the sound all eyes in the room go to him, even Knives. Knives eyes have snapped open, unseeing slates of blank blue that swivel towards the source of the sound. He looks wild, inhuman. Vash folds the cloth back so that Nicky and Knives can see one another.
"Knives, this is your nephew Nicky. Nicky, meet Knives."
With that Knives' eyes roll back in his head and he once more slips into unconsciousness, and peace. Nicky cries out again, this time with his full lungs. Vash turns his back on the stunned Milly and Meryl and walks from the room cooing gently and rocking Nicky back and forth. The two girls look at the retreating red coat and the figure on the bed and then follow Vash from the room and close the door behind them.
Meryl is the first to pipe up once they reach the quiet of the hallway. "That child. Is your son?"
"His mother was a plant, she entrusted his life to me. She died during his birth." Vash smiles down at Nicky who is looking back at him in the solemn manner babies sometimes have. Big eyes blink at him, then close as Nicky once again begins to cry.
Meryl looks at Nicky face in awe. "And he's even named well. They look so alike"
"May I hold him?" Trust Milly to put everything aside in the face of cuteness.
"Sure." Vash smiles at Milly and hands Nicky over very gently.
The child instantly calms and smiles up at Milly with the darkest pair of big grey-green eyes. "Oh isn't that wonderful. I've always been popular with my nieces and nephews."
"I think he knows how lucky he is." Vash says quietly looking over Milly's shoulder, one hand brushing Nicky's cheek.
"Vash. I know this is a lot to ask so quickly, but can I be. Can I be his mother?"
"Yes. Of course"
"That's wonderful. Thankyou so much. You know he looks like you too with that little mole." Milly begins to chatter about mundane things like where to get milk and a crib at this time of day and whether she could get babies bottles from Mrs Whats-er-name down the road.
Meryl just stands silently with vague uneasiness over what this baby is, before following the new 'parents' down the stairs. She casts a backwards glance at Knives. He's sleeping peacefully, with almost a smile upon his lips. She stands there thoughtfully for a while before hurrying to catch up and become part of the new little family's conversation once more.
--- And once again I'm struggling with the female characters. *sigh* Ah well. At least I finally had some inspiration and continued.
Oh, and I slightly edited the previous chapters.