Incredibly short chapter, but I really feel bad for leaving all of my readers hanging...so here you are, a great big piece of fluff. :) Thanks go out to 'Luv4Uncas' for that encouraging PM. :) Hopefully someday I'll be able to put together an actual plot for this story...till then!

Blaidd.

-Enjoy!

****

The kitchen was large enough to hold several people, and not much else. It was Meryl-size, Vash reflected.

The little woman scurried through the contents of the cupboard, looking for anything edible. She soon came upon a problem. Even standing on a stool on her very tipi-toes, she couldn't reach the top shelf.

"Here, let me help. What do you need?"

"Oh! I didn't realized you were in here. Um...well, I could use that flour on the top shelf. If you don't mind getting it, that is."

"Not at all." He reached across her, picking it easily up from off the shelf. She blushed without thinking. He had obviously cleaned himself up. His hair was back into it's classic shape, and his face was glowing and clean. And...what was that smell...? She sniffed before cautiously asking,

"Vash... are you wearing my deodorant?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Uh...oh, never mind." She smiled a little, baffled at his ignorance of the way things worked.

"Why?" He asked again.

"No, no, it's fine...it's just, that's women's deodorant..."

"Oh. Is that bad?" He tilted his head slightly, looking genuinely puzzled.

"How old are you, again?" She laughed before he could give her an answer. "It's okay, Vash, that's a rhetorical question."

He set the bag of flour in her arms and smiled at her, obviously confused.

There was an awkward silence, before Meryl set the bag on the counter, opened it, and started measuring some of the flour into a large bowl. As she worked, she began to talk. "Um, I know it's none of my business, but what are you going to do now?" She swallowed, wondering if that it was the right thing to say.

"I haven't made my mind up." He smiled to make up for his vague words, innocently scratching the back of his head.

"I guess I didn't expect you to say anything different." She lowered her head a little, staring intently at the flour bowl, as it were the most important thing on the planet. She murmured a curse as a tear fell into the dry flour, making it sticky.

"Why is what I do so important to you?" He moved closer, lightly setting a hand on her shoulder.

It was met by a forceful slap across the mouth, and a suddenly angry Meryl.

"Why? WHY? You are our LIFE! We...we...you...we STAY with you! You're our...our...WARD! Why? Why? Why...."

She stood her ground the cramped kitchen, brandishing her mixing spoon, face streaked in flour, hands covered. Her defenses were crumbling, as the tears ran over her face, blurring her world. They finally left her altogether, and she stepped forward, welcoming comfort.

"You're...getting me...wet," He laughed softly as she bawled into his shirt. He was answered by a sharp punch to the gut.

***