Disclaimer: Trigun is sadly enough not mine, or there would have been way more episodes!

This is a mirror version of chapter 59 from Knives' view, please enjoy, and thank you for the reviews!

Chapter 60: Knives' POV
He had been in his room reading when he had felt her leave her room, the trace amount of telepathy he used to track her alerting him that she had went outside. Curious, he had closed his book and placed it in his bag before going to check on her. She was close enough that he knew that he could get to her faster than most humans could think in case of an emergency. When he does get out there, he leans against the door frame and merely listens to her thoughts, intrigued to see what had sent her out into the night. Most of them are about him.

Shifting his weight a little, he is mildly uncomfortable with the turn her thoughts are taking. Not because they are about him, but because they are about his motives in regards to her. Before she can get much further into that train of thought, he comments, You need to rest. I can feel your tiredness even if you cannot.

She turns, glancing back at him, a small smile playing at the edge of her lips that he is certain she does not notice. Turning away her thoughts are those of curiosity.

I am a quiet mover and you seem to be distracted. He answers her thoughts, not bothering to hide the fact he listens to what she is thinking. Studying her for a minute, he decides to join her rather than continue to lean against the wall, it's not like she doesn't know he is there anyways. Straightening, he takes the few steps to where she is sitting, and sits down on the step below her, putting their heads about on level. Looking out over the desert he can see nothing of interesting so he inquires, What do you find so interesting about the desert? It is a barren wasteland?

Tilting her head a little to smile at him, she replies absentmindedly, "I like the colors, and the fact it is ever changing. I imagine that if there was an ocean it would be like the sand, ever changing and moving. I read in a book that oceans were blue, so I just picture the sand blue. I also like star gazing, though it is hard to see the stars when we are in a town." Her voice is soft, the answer almost routine as if she has been asked that very question on several different occasions.

He shakes his head, amused over her reply. Who would ever picture the vast desert as an ocean? He thought, oceans were teaming with life. This desert has next to no life unless one counts the insects and the sandworms. Gazing at the sand he tries to picture it in his head, but finds he cannot. With a mental shrug, he queries, Why are you out here instead of resting?

She doesn't answer him. Instead she stares at the ground, her cheeks turning an interesting shade of carmine instead. Curious about why she is blushing, he refocuses on her thoughts. It astonishes him that she has rarely ever been on her own at night. That would explain why unless she has had a really busy day she has had a hard time falling sleep since Vash and temper started sharing a room, and why when the four of them were around a fire she seemed to have no difficulties.

Ah. I had not considered the changes those two taking to sleeping together would cause you. He comments as he considers what to do, she has to get her sleep in order to stay healthy, unlike Vash or him there is no way for her to live purely off of the energy that their sisters can provide. The best option is to make sure she has what she needs then since it is in the best interest of both her and the children. Rising to his feet, he offers his hand to her, listening while her mind spins in a rapid circle. She accepts it, sighing, after one rather long breath. Come one, you can sleep in my room. I will not be sleeping while we are here anyways. He informs her.

Almost before she realizes that she is thinking he can hear the thought flowing through her mind. For some reason she is concern that he is not sleeping because he is supposed to be watching her. What a silly idea, he slept just fine in his room on his ship or in the bulb with Dai where he knew the chances of something happening where slim to none.

Smiling to himself he tells her, Reason one, I distrust these people. Reason two, I like to be aware. Reason three, I actually prefer to sleep in a bulb than I do on a bed, he pauses shrugging. While it is true he would rather be in a bulb, he has no problems within his own bed surrounded by steel walls, alarms, and the ever diligent memousi and lizaeri, not that he is going to say a thing about any of those. Within a bulb there are no dangers for me. Outside of the bulb is not as kind. It tends to make me a light sleeper.

"Oh," she eventually murmurs, her mind still confused, but not as badly. Again she smiles at him, just the hint of one but it is still a smile. As he opens the door as the manners Rem had attempted to teach both of her boys kick in, she murmurs her thanks before passing through. Shaking his head at his behavior, he leads her to the end of the building where her room is at.

When he opens the door to the small room they had given him, he is not surprised by the fact it is smaller than hers. While she does not seem vastly bother by it, it does make her wonder why. He has a pretty good reason why himself, particularly since there are no windows and only the one door. Grabbing his bag with his things in it he motions towards the door. She would be more comfortable in a room with a window, so they will use hers. Besides, as long as there is a chair for him, he will be fine. The two of them silently make their way back down the hall where he stops in front of her door.

That blush of hers seems to grow as she pushes it open and invites him in. He tries for a reassuring smile but is not sure it works since she seems to be a bit dazed as he double checks the windows and makes sure the door is shut. Once he is sure that they are not going to open with the wind, he places his bag next to the table and sits down lightly on the chair by it. She still hasn't moved from the spot by the door, her eyes wide as she looks at him.

Rest now blue-eyes, both you and your children require sleep. He tries to soften the order by making it more of a suggestion, but is pretty sure he fails. He is not good at the being polite, and excellent at giving commands.

Baffled, she stops in front of his seat biting her lip in a way that makes him wish to ease her worry but not sure how. Giving a mental shake of his head, he raises an eyebrow at her in question, wondering what she is doing since he has closed his telepathy down now that they are across the hall from his brother and temper. When she mutters her thanks again he is about to nod, but she startles him by leaning just a bit to kiss his cheek before bolting to the bed.

He is still a little astounded at her behavior when he hears her soft snores. Smiling to himself, he carefully extends his telepathy towards her, but focusing on the little ones. The girl-child is wide awake and curious about everything that she can hear but doesn't understand. Getting comfortable, he spends the next few hours showing her anything she wants as long as it is non-violent. If he has his way this girl will never know the kind of pain his sister had gone through. When she finally gets drowsy, he sings to her, soft lullabies from a time long gone until she finally drifts off to sleep.