Chapter 6: Recovery

All around him was nothing but darkness. There were no landforms, people, or even animals. Not even stars to guide him. There was only the cold, inky darkness. However, Vash would not give into fear. He pressed on blindly, hoping to find some way out. Soon his perseverance was rewarded and he saw a spot of white in the distance. He began to run toward it so he wouldn't lose it. As he approached he could see that it wasn't an exit but rather a person. The person wasn't facing him but he could tell that it was a woman based on her clothing and long, blonde hair. Vash focused on the hair in particular and he saw lighter white streaks throughout. Only one other person he knew had hair like that.

"Anya?" he asked curiously. Sure enough, the person turned revealing the woman who had stolen Vash's heart. She smiled warmly at him, cradling his face in her hands. He smiled back at her, cherishing her touch. Then the image shifted and Anya was suddenly standing apart from him. She appeared sad and tears were streaming down her face.

"Anya, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer him and her eyes seemed to be full of regret. Vash tried to step forward to comfort her but he couldn't seem to move. He struggled even harder when he saw Anya fading into the darkness.

"Wait! Come back!" he called out but to no avail. She was gone and once again Vash was alone. Or so he thought.

"How many chances with her did you think you had?" a familiar male voice asked from behind him. Vash turned quickly, ending up facing his brother Knives. He was dressed in a red and white body suit and he still had the same close-cropped haircut. His blue eyes were fiery with anger and his face held a look of disgust. That look pierced Vash so deeply that he couldn't speak.

"You don't deserve her, Vash. You never did." his brother said coldly. Knives then drew out his gun, so similar to Vash's own, and aimed it at his twin.

"Good-bye, Vash." Then Knives pulled the trigger.

-)*(-

Vash woke with a start, immediately sitting up in his bed. The dream, or rather nightmare, had felt so real and had greatly troubled Vash. Why would Knives care about Anya? And what had he meant about too many chances? The thought of Anya anywhere near his brother gave Vash chills. But it had only been a dream. Vash shook those thoughts away and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He stopped abruptly and looked down at that hand, his right hand. He knew that it shouldn't have been so easy to move that hand, let alone his whole arm.

Vash remembered being shot and that Anya and Wolfwood had taken care of him. However, there should still have been pain and limited use of that arm. Vash sprang from the bed and ran to the mirror that was over his dresser. He leaned in close so he could inspect the wounds. What he saw though shocked him immensely. Where the wounds should have been, only had a clear, smooth patch of skin. Even sections of old scar in that area were gone as if they had never occurred. It was as if Vash had been given completely new skin. He continued to look and feel it in amazement when there was a loud knock on his door.

"Come in! It's open!" he shouted, not even looking away from the mirror.

"Well, look at you! Didn't think that you'd be up yet."

Vash looked from his shoulder to the reflection of Wolfwood standing in his doorway, grinning widely and a cigarette dangling from his lips. The priest shut the door then approached Vash, eyes set on his friend's shoulder.

"Pretty amazing, huh? That girl is something else." Wolfwood said, "I've never seen anything like it."

Vash looked back into the mirror and again touched the spot of his healed injuries.

"Yeah. Amazing." he whispered.

He thought back to when he had been shot. His memories were fragmented but he could clearly remember Anya talking to him and her clothing soaked in blood. Had she been injured as well? Vash looked to Wolfwood, eyes full of concern.

"Wolfwood, was Anya hurt as well? Where is she?" he asked.

Wolfwood blew out a cloud of smoke and gave his friend a knowing smirk.

"She's fine. She wasn't hurt but she was pretty worn out from healing you. Her boss put her up in a room down the hall. She's been asleep ever since."

Vash couldn't help but feel relieved. Anya was a kind person and even if she had been shot, she still would have insisted that Vash be helped first. He would have done the same had he been in her situation. Since she was safe though, Vash could begin to focus on all the questions that were running through his head.

"Wolfwood, can I go see her?"

"Wash up first. You've been down a couple days. You're kind of gross. Once you're done I'll take you to her." the priest answered and took a seat in a nearby chair.

Vash was so preoccupied in his own thoughts that he didn't even register Wolfwood's attempt at humor. The priest usually would have tried harder to lighten Vash's mood but this time he didn't make the attempt. His friend was focused on Anya and Wolfwood couldn't blame him. Those two had a lot to talk about. Wolfwood reclined in his chair, exhaling another small cloud of smoke. Yes, those two had a big conversation ahead of them. One that would most likely determine the course of their relationship. So the priest decided to behave and not give Vash a hard time. Things would be difficult soon enough.

Vash showered quickly and after drying off, barely paused long enough to spike his hair. He quickly threw on a pair of brown trousers and a collared shirt, not even buttoning all the buttons. Vash was so focused on seeing Anya, little else mattered. When Vash stepped out of the bathroom he was surprised by Wolfwood tossing his gun and holster at him. He caught it easily and looked inquiringly at his friend.

"I'm just going down the hall. I don't think I need this." he said dubiously. Wolfwood's face hardened and he took another drag from his cigarette.

"Don't be so naïve. We don't know who the shooter was or who he was really coming for. He may come back and if we're not careful it could be Anya who ends up with a bullet in the chest." he scolded, smoke drifting out of his mouth as he spoke.

Vash grimaced at the thought, seeing the truth in Wolfwood's words. He silently strapped on the holster and when Wolfwood was satisfied he led him out of the room.

As they neared Anya's room, Vash noticed that it was close to Meryl and Millie's room. That was good. If she needed anything at least someone would be nearby. Right now, Vash didn't want her to be alone.

Wolfwood turned to open the door to her room when the handle turned on its own. Both men braced for an attacker to emerge, hands hovering over their guns, Vash's in the holster and Wolfwood's in his jacket pocket. When the door opened though they relaxed because it was only Meryl. She came out with a smile on her face and an empty tray in her hands.

"Hi, guys! Going to see Anya?" she asked brightly, completely oblivious to their guarded stances. Both men moved their hands away from their weapons and smiled at Meryl.

"Yup. Vash wanted to say 'hello' and thank her for all she did for him." Wolfwood answered.

"Well you're in luck. She woke up a little while ago and I just got her to eat. She should be up for a short visit." Meryl answered, moving out of their way.

"Thanks, Meryl." Vash said sincerely, giving her a small grin.

The insurance agent nodded then left the two men alone in front of Anya's door. Vash sighed then turned to his friend.

"Wolfwood, if you don't mind I'd like to go see Anya alone." he said seriously. Once again Wolfwood bit back a joking remark and simply stepped back from the door.

"If you need me, I'll be with the insurance girls."

Vash nodded his thanks and the priest walked back up the hallway, leaving Vash alone. Despite his calm appearance, Vash's heart was racing in anticipation. Just the thought of being alone with Anya did this to him. He slowly took a deep breath in and slowly let it out, trying to calm himself. He had to try and keep a clear head if he wanted to be rid of the questions that were bothering him.

Slowly, Vash opened the door and entered Anya's room. The setup of the room was similar to Vash's, containing a bedroom and a small bathroom. Sunlight streamed into the room from the large window, giving the room a warm and cheery appearance. Anya was sitting at the window, looking out to the street below. Vash stopped to look at her. She was wearing only a white nightgown and her white shawl was draped over her slender shoulders. Her long hair hung loose down her back, shining in the sunlight and giving her an angelic appearance. It may have been another trick of the light but Vash thought that her hair was more golden now and had lost some of the lighter streaks. It didn't really matter though because Vash still felt the same as when he first saw her that first night in the tavern.

"I was wondering when you were going to come see me." Anya's gentle voice cut through the silence, surprising Vash. He grinned and took a few steps closer.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked light-heartedly. Anya turned to him, a sly smile on her face.

"Maybe I'm magic." she joked, giving him a wink.

Vash chuckled but he didn't move any closer to her. Anya noticed and her smile was replaced by a look of confusion. She slowly stood from her chair and approached him. As she came closer, Vash could see faint, dark circles around Anya's eyes and that she was still taking slow, careful steps. She still hadn't recovered completely and Vash felt responsible.

"Vash, what's wrong? Are you afraid of me?" she asked, once again catching Vash by surprise.

"No! I'm not afraid of you." Vash protested and quickly closed the distance between them, putting his hands gently on Anya's arms.

"Why would you think that?" he asked gently.

"You were keeping your distance and you had this terrible look on your face." she answered sadly.

Vash caressed her cheek, inwardly kicking himself for handling things so poorly.

"Anya, I felt bad because you're in this state. It's my fault because I didn't listen to you." he replied, "I thought you would be mad at me."

Anya smiled at him, slightly shaking her head at him.

"I'm not mad at you. I was more frustrated because I couldn't avoid your injury." she admitted, "And don't blame yourself for my present state. I made the choice to heal you. I can deal with the consequences."

"But you didn't need to do that. Not for me." he replied sadly. Those words made Anya's heart ache. She took Vash's face in her hands, gently making him look at her.

"Vash, you have such a low opinion of yourself. Is it so hard to see how wonderful you are?"

The outlaw's eyes welled with tears at her words. She spoke with such certainty as if she could see through all his defenses; see to the very heart of him. He quickly blinked the tears away and pasted a smile onto his face. He couldn't fall apart in front of her, not now when he had to protect her.

"Hey, how about you take a look at my shoulder? Make sure everything is doing alright." he replied in his loud, exaggerated manner, changing the subject.

Anya looked at him curiously but she didn't press him about it. Vash quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled the right side back to reveal his healed shoulder. Anya gave it a quick look-over, certain that it had healed properly.

"You did a brilliant job." Vash said as she worked.

Anya nodded but her expression fell as she looked at the rest of his scarred chest, seeing not only long, jagged scars but metal screws and metal mesh as well.

"It's just a shame that I couldn't fix more." she whispered regretfully.

She lightly ran her fingertips over Vash's old scars as if simply touching them would make them disappear. Vash watched her as her skin met his, not wanting her to stop. Each time her fingers trailed over a scar, Vash felt a pleasant tingling sensation that started along that line then spread throughout his body. He thought that she would be repulsed by his old wounds but once again, this incredible woman surprised him.

Then Anya reached the scars on his lower stomach and Vash felt a sudden intense surge of warmth that shot down to his groin. It made him jerk away from her and a gasp to escape his lips. Anya looked up at him and Vash could see that she wasn't embarrassed by what she had done. Instead she slipped Vash's shirt completely off, exposing the rest of his scarred torso. This time Anya looked into Vash's eyes as she traced her hands over his scars. She looked at him so tenderly; it made Vash want her all the more. He wanted her more than anything he had ever wanted before in his long life. At that moment, Anya's face changed to a curious expression of stunned joy and a single tear slid down her cheek. He didn't understand it but he didn't want to ruin the moment by speaking about it.

They continued like this for some time, staring into each other's eyes as Anya gently ran her hands over Vash. Her light caresses igniting pleasant shocks over Vash's body. Finally something inside Vash broke and he couldn't take the waiting any longer. He wrapped his arms around Anya in a crushing hug, locking her hands against his chest, and causing her to make her own surprised gasp. Vash kissed her fiercely, playfully catching her bottom lip with his teeth.

Anya moaned softly, kissing Vash back with equal intensity. As Vash's kisses moved from her mouth to her neck, his hands slid down Anya's body feeling every curve and muscle under the surprisingly thin nightgown. Vash could feel himself become hard at the thought of such a thin barrier between them. Suddenly he hoisted Anya up causing her to hold onto his shoulders and wrap her legs around his waist, pressing herself against him. Vash groaned longingly and moved to the dresser, sitting Anya on top of it. For a moment, they locked eyes, faces slack with desire, both breathing heavily. Anya smiled weakly and gently nuzzled his nose with hers.

"I honestly didn't think this was what we'd be doing today." she whispered. Vash chuckled then kissed Anya's neck.

"No, me either." he admitted between kisses.

"Vash, we should stop."

Those words hit Vash like a bag of bricks. He looked at Anya, surprise and confusion evident on his face.

"What? Why?"

"There's something I have to tell you and it's pretty important. It's something that you kind of need a clear head for." she answered seriously.

Vash frowned as he mulled over her words. Part of him understood what she was saying and agreed with her but another part of him wanted to continue what they had already started. The latter part was winning.

He slowly leaned back in, one hand braced against the dresser, the other wrapped around Anya's waist, and he slowly kissed down her neck. He could feel her heart race in her chest and he pressed harder against her, kissing back up to her jawline.

"Vash." she called out weakly, trying hard to maintain control. Deep down he knew he should stop, but it was so difficult. This felt so good.

"Vash!"

Vash!

The last call came loudly in his mind, so forceful that it caused him to stumble backwards. The world seemed to spin for a moment and Vash had to focus to clear his thoughts. When he regained his bearings he saw Anya standing against the dresser, a horrified expression on her face.

"Vash, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

"You…you did that?" he asked stunned.

Anya wrapped her arms tightly around herself, looking away from Vash. Inside she knew that things shouldn't have gone this far.

Vash watched her closely seeing that look of regret, so similar to the one from his nightmare. He couldn't understand how she could do the things she did. The only other people who could communicate telepathically with him were Legato Bluesummers and his brother Knives. A disturbing thought came to his mind and he gritted his teeth in frustration, hoping that he was wrong.

"You're not a Gung-ho Gun are you?" he asked carefully.

Anya's head snapped up and she looked at him incredulously.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Vash watched her closely but he couldn't see any hint that she could be lying. He held his hands up in apology, instead bending over to scoop up his shirt. The loose piece of clothing was put back on but Vash didn't bother with the buttons. There were more important things on his mind than modesty.

"Who are you? I want to understand." Vash asked helplessly.

Anya bit her lip, hesitating to speak. She still felt too drained from saving Vash that she didn't know if she would be able to properly show him the truth. Words alone wouldn't be enough. However, if she waited too long she could lose her chance with Vash. This was also unexpected but this random turn of events had made Anya the happiest she had been in years. She refused to lose it all now. Her eyes met Vash's, a serious and determined look on her face.

"Okay Vash. I'll tell you everything."