Disclaimer: Trigun is sadly enough not mine, or there would have been way more episodes!
Chapter28: Knives' POV
He was surprised to hear Vash intentionally trying to connect with him telepathically, and had answered almost immediately as he made coffee. He did not drink it, however both of the females in the house did and he was not going to stir up problems by denying them their hot beverage first thing in the morning.
After his conversation with his brother he reflected on what he said, there was to be someone in the house who angered temper. That could get to be frustrating, particularly if the person stuck around too long. He was well aware of the fine line that was walked within the house. For while there was an easy acceptance between Vash, temper, and blue-eyes, that easy acceptance had not been extended to him. It is easily understandable even if a bit exasperating.
Not long after he tells Vash about the coffee temper comes out of the back bedroom to make breakfast.
"Thank you," she murmurs as she sips the coffee, "you make an excellent pot of coffee for someone who doesn't drink it."
For a moment he looks around, startled before replying, "Your welcome?"
Turning her head to glance at him, she smiles, and it causes an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why was she smiling at him? It's odd for temper to smile in his direction. "You know, this might just work out, we're the two biggest tempers in this town I am betting and we're getting along. I probably shouldn't have questioned you about your intentions towards Milly, however I do not want anything to harm her." she shrugs, pausing for a moment and looking out the back window. "Anyways, I will not apologize for asking, because it was needed, but I will apologize or the tone used, it was not."
With that little pronouncement done, she turns away gets started on breakfast. He is not sure what to do. He had never expected that sort of half apology, or any sort of apology for that matter. Was it because of the person who was coming today or was there some other reason? Maybe he should ask, but he really does not want to disturb the tentative truce he is pretty sure that she is going for.
A few minutes later, while he is still debating about what to do, there is a knock at the door. Before he has even had a chance to stand up she was out of the kitchen, he had just stepped into the other room in time to see her slam her fist into the dark haired spider jaw she had let into the house.
"Sit down and stay out the way, I figured you would be early. Where's the donuts?" she asks as she turn around ignoring the second spider with a gun drawn and pointed at her.
The first spider waves the second off, rubbing his jaw. "You must not have had your second cup of coffee yet. Damn, you still pack a punch. Donuts are on the way, Eda is bringing them."
Temper shoots a pissed off glance towards the dark haired one, "She's not coming in."
He nods, replying, "I know, but I was sending her for extras since I did show up early."
Shaking her head, she ignores him as he drops into one of the living room chairs. Just about growling she returns to cooking, having it done within the next few minutes. During this little exchange he had stood back against the wall between the kitchen and living room. When Vash and blue-eyes both leave their rooms, he shifts his positioning just a little watch the interactions with the strangers. He probably couldn't have been more surprised if he tried.
"Christopher!?" blue-eyes voice was rather shrill as she stared at the second spider that was standing near the first.
He turned to face her, a smile covering his face. "Milly! I thought that you were still with Miss Meryl but wasn't sure."
She runs over and hugs the stranger, causing something inside Knives to twist. Frowning, his attention turns in wards as he tries to understand why it would bother him if she showed affection to another spider. It's not like there was something going on between them. She was pregnant with his dead minions child and he was under orders to protect her, nothing else. So why did the idea of her with another spider bother him so much? He really did not want to try and figure out the answer to that question.
He was pulled from his thoughts by Meryl sticking her head out of the kitchen to announce that breakfast was done. Standing up, the dark haired spider made his way to the kitchen with blue-eyes and the second spider following. When the dark-haired spider went to get food the second intinally attempted to stop him but he was waved off again.
"Meryl's not going to kill me with food. If she was going to she'd do one of the other numerous ways she knows how to successfully do so." He mutters, making a plate and going to lean against the far wall despite there being enough chairs.
Temper glances at him, her eyes a darker color than normal in her anger. "You're damn right about that, no reason to waste good food." Shrugging, she turns her head towards the living room just as there is a knock at the door. Sighing, she goes to check it and comes back with a box in her hands that she tosses towards Vash.
Vash catches the box and grins upon seeing what it says but does not open it until he has eaten two plates of food.
I am surprised at your control today, Knives murmurs in his brother's head.
Vash mentally grins at him, replying, I ate a box of donuts before breakfast once and wasn't hungry afterwards, you should have seen the temper that Meryl was in that day. I didn't get any donuts for three weeks thereafter. Not making that mistake twice.
Unable to help himself he chuckles to his brother.
"Ethan, since you insisted on visiting, you'll make yourself useful and wash the dishes when this is all over with. Now Milly, who's the tall person that your sticking to like glue. I heard Christopher, your brother?" tempers voice is somewhat soft as she makes her direct order to the dark haired spider and her inquiry to her friend.
Blue-eyes smiles, nodding, "It is. I didn't know my brother Christopher had taken a job as a federal guard for a judge. He had mentioned applying three letters ago but never said he got it."
Temper glances at him, a hint at niceness in her eyes, "Nice to meet you, don't worry about Ethan, I've hit him harder in the past."
The dark haired spider nods at this as he washes the dishes as if it is the solemn truth. "So besides the fact I was early, is there a reason I'm going to have a black jaw tomorrow?"
Grabbing another cup of coffee, temper takes her seat and swirls it around for a minute before answering. "I saw Emma last year. She didn't know who I was, when I asked how you were doing she referred to you as her uncle. Let me say, I came pretty close to tracking you down then and beating the daily lights out of you for not doing your duty by Lila's child."
The dark haired spider stops what he is doing, looking down at the floor. "Ummmm."
"Careful what you say, I am in the mood to hit you again."
"Are you sure it was Emma?" he finally asks.
Both Vash and Knives are listening without interrupting the conversation, there is something more than either of them knows. Meanwhile, blue-eyes and the stranger who apparently is her brother, are chatting animatedly about something.
She just about snarls as she replies, "It's hard to mistake someone who looks just like I did when I was seven, you ass. Particularly since the only real difference is the eyes. She got Lila's silver tone eyes instead of your gray or my purple. Then there was the fact that she answered to Emma Ulem. Yeah, I am sure it was her. I am equally sure that that prig you call a brother has her totally convinced that she's not your daughter either. When was the last time you went home Ethan?"
He steps back as far as he can before answering, "Umm, four years, or was it five. Its been a while. I have a hard time being around…" he doesn't get a chance to finish as temper lunges across the room, and slam's him into the wall by the throat.
"Shut your mouth before I break it. I've been avoiding you for a reason Ethan. This is it. First you got my favorite cousin killed, then you didn't even do your duty as a parent to take care of the child that is both of yours." Her voice is low, and even with his superior plant hearing he has a hard time understanding her. The dark haired spider she has against the wall by the throat on the other hand understands her just fine.
Vash stands up and comes up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her towards him, "Meryl," he murmurs, pulling her close. Do something about Ethan, you're the better telepath, make him go home to his daughter.
Startled, he glances at his brother, surprised by the almost order, Are you sure? I know you hate me messing with their worthless hides.
A single nod is the only answer he gets as Vash takes temper into the other room.
The dark haired spider straightens up, rubbing his throat now. "Damn, she still packs a punch."
"Sir?" blue-eyes brother comments, blue-eyes had grabbed his arm when temper had flown across the room and kept him out of it.
The dark haired one waved him off again, "It's fine, I probably deserved that. Though anyone else does it, remember to do your job. She's about the only one who can get away with that." Shaking his head, he glances over to blue-eyes, raising an eyebrow in questioning.
"My youngest sister Milly. Meet Judge Ethan Ulem." The second spider replies to the unspoken question.
The dark haired one smiles, commenting, "I already met her, though it is nice to see you again. I hadn't realized you two were related. "
Blue-eyes smiles at him, and Knives realizes he really doesn't like the feeling that arouses in him. "I look like our mother, he takes after grandfather."
He nods, but before he can say anything temper and Vash come back into the kitchen where Vash goes back to devouring the box of donuts.
"Ethan, the one forgetting to breath as he inhales donuts is Vash, the one who's being quiet is Knives, you've already met Milly." Temper eventually introduces them. "Now that you have gotten on my nerves, care to correct the two things your assistant messed up on before leaving?"
He nods, motioning for her to lead the way and the two of them leave the room.
"Let's go relax in the living room," Vash suggests looking around at the group still in the kitchen.
"Is that going to be safe? Meryl really isn't happy with him," blue-eyes comments, glancing towards the bedrooms.
Shrugging Vash takes what's left of his donuts and heads out to the living room, Knives follows still mulling over his brothers request. It is unlike Vash to encourage him to use his powers on humans. Of course, what he is asking for isn't deadly like he normally would do to humans. Perhaps that's why. Smiling to himself, he decides to do it. After all, a happy temper, makes a happy Vash. It's that simple.
For a few minutes the four of them sit and mostly silence before blue-eyes goes back to chatting with her brother about some of the adventures they had been on. Eventually the two of them emerge from the side room that the girls had shared before temper had started sleeping with his brother. In his hands is a set of papers that he hands to blue-eyes brother before stopping in front of Vash.
"Well, I am going to say thank you for keeping her from throttling me. I am sure I wouldn't be dead but she can be really vindictive when pissed. Also, congratulations on being bounty free, try to avoid blowing anything up and making the other judges think I am insane for dropping it." he shrugs with an ease that's startling for someone with a handprint on their throat. "Good luck in the future." turning towards blue-eyes brother, he retrieves the papers and comments, "time to go, I have several other things to do before today's done."
The second one hugs blue-eyes before bidding everyone a farewell.
Just as they are about to step out the door Knives decides to implant the suggestion in the spiders mind. Focusing his attention on the spider he embeds the command that he wishes to return to his home as soon as this assignment is over so he can see his daughter. That if his daughter does not realize she is his that he will take her back and care for her himself. That he will become the proper kind of parent who is there for her. As soon as the command is implanted the dark haired spider stops to shake his head before continuing on his way.
Behind him he can feel a pair of eyes locked on to him but he says nothing, instead he smiles, turning to face temper and raising an eyebrow in silent query. She inclines her head, eyes narrow.