GetBackers Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Drawn to Danger ❯ Homecomings ( Chapter 8 )

Title: Drawn to Danger [8/8]

Author: Rubious

Series: Trigun & Get Backers

Rating: R

Warnings: angst, violence, humor, gunplay, AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: Trigun © Nightow. Get Backers © Aoki and Ayamine. All original characters including but not limited to Blaine, Lamassi, etc, are © Rubious and are not to be used without permission. This story is a work of fanfiction and is for entertainment purposes only.

Spoilers: Contains minor spoilers for both series.

Archive: fanfiction.net under "Rubious", mediaminer.org under "Rubious2", and my home page, Odango and Donuts, URL in bio info.

Notes: While on assignment with Ban and Ginji of the Get Backers, Meryl and Milly are drawn into danger as they meet old friends as well as foes in May City.

//thoughts//

* * * * *

The rain had dwindled to an intermittent drizzle when the authorities reached the scene. Still shaken by the events, Meryl shivered in her wet clothes despite the blanket a police officer had given her as she gave a statement to a detective. Wolfwood whispered to Milly, "We have to take Meryl somewhere quiet, away from all this madness."

Milly agreed, "We'll have to stop at the hotel first and change out of these wet clothes. I don't want any of us to come down with a cold."

"We could all use a good stiff drink to warm these cold bones, but Meryl needs it most of all after today," Wolfwood remarked.

A detective named O'Malley gestured for them to come over. "That wraps it up here. I've taken all of your statements, but don't be leaving town for a few days in case we have any more questions for you regarding our investigation." He ducked under the yellow crime-scene tape that had been strung around the area. Glancing back, he told Milly and Wolfwood, "The little lass isn't looking too good." He departed and chased after the coroner's vehicle where the corpse had been loaded into a body bag and would be taken to the mortuary.

After returning to the hotel, the insurance investigators showered and changed into fresh clothes. Looking at her reflection in a mirror, Meryl saw that her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from her weeping. She tried smiling, but it was only a façade to hide the traumatic vortex she felt herself being pulled down into.

"Let's go, Meryl," Milly suggested gently, appearing behind her partner. "Mr. Priest is meeting us downstairs.

"Okay," the tired woman sighed. "I guess I should eat something." The pair exited their suite and met Wolfwood in the hotel lobby.

They walked a short distance down the street to a small saloon. The late afternoon storms had cooled the temperatures from the searing heat of the day; there was a definite nip in the night air. Seeing Meryl shiver, Wolfwood instinctively removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

Pulling the coat tightly around her, she said softly, "Thank you."

Knowing she had undergone a stressful day, Wolfwood replied, "No problem. You don't need to add getting sick to everything that's happened today."

Milly smiled maternally, grateful for the compassion the preacher had shown their friend. Looking at the sign in the window, she asked, "Is this the place, Mr. Priest?"

"Yeah, it is," he answered. As they entered the saloon, Wolfwood observed the dimly lit room was quiet. Ceiling fans spun slowly while the bartender played solitaire and a bored waitress buffed her nails listening to the radio play in the background. //This is perfect. Not too loud on the ears and not too bright on the eyes.//

He strode over to the bar and placed an order for some food for the three of them. Joining the two women at a table near the rear of the room, Wolfwood stated, "I ordered some hot tomato soup and ham sandwiches for us."

Ten minutes later, the waitress brought over their order. "There's nothing like comfort food to warm the tummy," Milly said in a satisfied voice after finishing her meal.

After having a bite of the sandwich and some spoonfuls of soup, Meryl pushed her plate away and said, "I can't eat any more."

Wolfwood motioned to the brunette and remarked, "Pardon us, Meryl, but I have to discuss something with Milly privately."

"Don't mind me," the dark-haired woman said dazedly. Though the hearty meal sated her appetite, it didn't combat the emptiness she felt inside.

By the bar, Wolfwood glanced back at Meryl and then spoke to her partner in a hushed voice, "She's hiding the pain, but she must be going through an emotional hell. It's time for this." He pointed to a tray with a fifth of whiskey and three shot glasses on it.

"How is alcohol going to help?" Milly asked.

"It'll dull the pain. The dam's about to burst and she's gotta let it out. We'll keep her glass filled, but barely touch ours. Somebody's gotta stay sober." The pair returned to the table with the drinks; their chairs scraped on the wooden floor as they were pulled out, the noise startled Meryl.

"It's time for a toast," the preacher said, pouring the amber liquid into the shot glasses. "To Ban and Ginji," he saluted as the three clinked their glasses together in a toast to their absent colleagues.

"I don't usually drink, but I'll make an exception this time," Meryl said before gulping the alcohol down, feeling it sear her throat on its way down. The others barely sipped their drinks.

"To Meryl, for cracking the case," Milly offered, watching Wolfwood refill Meryl's glass.

The subject of the toast drained her glass and slammed it down on the table. "What did I do that's so special?" Her voice quivered as she spoke. "A man is dead because of me." Tears welled up in bluish-gray eyes and her cheeks became flushed.

"You stopped a heartless villain from hurting more people," Milly said, consolingly.

"You were doing your job, Meryl. It was either kill or be killed. That guy was going for your gun. You had no idea if he was going to use it on you," Wolfwood said, trying to reason with the distraught woman.

Dabbing at her eyes with a tissue that Milly offered her, Meryl paused and then blubbered, "I killed Deke Blaine this afternoon. I'm a murderer plain and simple. I belong in jail with the other criminals." Lost in her heartache, she wasn't aware of her true surroundings and the fact that her companions weren't drinking.

"Bullshit, Meryl. You're not a murderer. Even if it went to trial, any jury in their right mind would acquit you because it was a case of justifiable self-defense," Wolfwood replied reassuringly as he refilled her glass with whiskey. "Have another drink."

While Meryl slowly sipped her third shot of whiskey, her partner suggested, "I think I know why she's hurting so much," which elicited an arched eyebrow from the preacher. Milly continued, "Blaine was a family friend. I doubt she's ever killed anyone before, even if it was an accident. Isn't that right, Meryl?"

The inebriated woman paused and answered meekly, her words slightly slurred, "Yes. I've seen a lot of people get hurt and even die on this job, especially since we were assigned to follow Vash. But this is the first time anyone close to me died as a result of something I did. It's my fault Blaine's dead."

Wolfwood said, "No, it's not." He refilled her glass covertly and made sure it stayed full as they listened to Meryl ramble on. Soon the exhaustion from the hectic day and the alcohol she had imbibed had taken its toll on her and she fell asleep on the table. Her hand knocked over a shot glass, spilling the whiskey. Milly mopped it up with a napkin.

"When we had Blaine cornered, that was the first time I ever heard you use such strong language," he said.

Milly touched the preacher's hand and smiled. "It's so unlike me, but Blaine was such a horrible person who made me furious. I couldn't contain my anger."

The waitress brought over their bill, which Milly paid for with the Bernardelli credit card. As the preacher and the brunette helped the inebriated investigator out of the saloon and back to the hotel, Wolfwood declared, "Mission accomplished."

"Mr. Priest?" Milly glanced at him quizzically.

"As concerned friends, we did our duty to help her out in her time of need. When Meryl wakes up in the morning, she's gonna have a helluva hangover. The main thing is the booze helped ease the pain. Keep a close eye on her, okay?"

"Don't worry. I will," the tall woman replied.

The walk back to the hotel was cumbersome as they escorted the groggy Meryl, who had been awakened by the jostling movements and the nippy outside air. After entering the hotel, they took the elevator to the fourth floor and went to the women's suite. Milly unlocked the door and helped her partner inside, where Meryl promptly collapsed onto a bed.

"I'll stop by tomorrow and see how she's doing after I visit Ban in the hospital. Have a good night." Wolfwood said from the hallway before he left.

"Good night, Mr. Priest," Milly called out as she closed the door.

* * *

The next day, Wolfwood stopped by the shooting range where Frank Marlon returned the newly repaired revolver to the preacher. "Thanks again for fixing Vash's gun."

As Wolfwood turned to leave for the hospital to visit Ban, the gunsmith called out, "It's a relief to read in the newspaper that the person responsible for all of the was caught. The world is a little bit safer now."

"It certainly is," the preacher agreed, knowing that the darker side of the story would remain untold. He bade the man farewell and departed.

A short time later, the visitor reached the nurse's station in the hospital and was directed to the room where Ban Mido was recuperating from the gunshot wound inflicted by one of the Bad Lads the day before. The Get Backer had undergone surgery and was resting comfortably. Sitting by his bedside was Ginji Amano, who was peeling an orange from a fruit basket; the card that came with the basket was inscribed, "Get well soon, Ban-kun. -Akabane."

As the visitor entered, Ginji glanced up and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Wolfwood? Have you heard from Milly and Meryl?"

Moving to the foot of the bed, Wolfwood replied, "Hi, Ginji. Yes, they caught up with me after the showdown with Neon." Looking at Ban reminded him how worried he was about the Get Backers. //They're just kids. I could've done more to protect them.// He asked Ban, "How are you feeling?"

"Weak and tired. The docs say I should be on my feet in under a week. They're going to rehab my leg before we go back to Shinjuku." Ban had a pained expression on his face as he waited for the painkillers to take effect.

"It could've been worse. You might've gone home in a pine box," Wolfwood answered before recounting the events of the afternoon before; "I stopped by to update you on what went down yesterday. Milly and Meryl figured out who had planned all of the robberies and went out looking for you guys. They arrived after Ginji went wild with his electricity and zapped Neon. The dude the girls were after tried to sneak away, but Milly spotted him. We chased him down and during the scuffle Meryl's gun fired, killing him."

Ban forced his eyes to stay open as he listened. "Back up a second. You said Ginji fried some guys?" Wolfwood nodded. Ban turned his gaze to his partner and scowled disapprovingly. "So Raitei showed up? What did I tell you about going Raitei on people/"

His brown eyes downcast at hearing the reprimand, Ginji apologized, "I'm sorry, Ban-chan. I had to do something. Those guys had hurt you, so I had to do something to stop them."

The Jagan-user nodded and smiled. "Try not to let it happen again," he said. Whatever anger he had felt towards the blond quickly faded away because he knew Ginji cared so much about him.

Wolfwood observed the exchange with a keen eye, noting the devotion and dedicated friendship the two teens shared reminded him how intuitive his relationship with Vash the Stampede had been before the outlaw had disappeared. Seeing the two young men speaking softly, the preacher felt his presence was no longer needed and exited the room.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the sharpshooting minister stopped by the City Hotel to check on Meryl and Milly. They were in their temporary office in the conference room, working on the report they'd submit to the company on the Blaine incident. After greeting Wolfwood, Milly poured him a cup of fresh coffee.

He informed them, "I just came back from visiting Ban and Ginji at the hospital. Ban should be out and about in two weeks."

"That's good to hear," Meryl said, rubbing her temple.

Wolfwood inquired, "How are you doing?"

"Right now, my head is pounding as if somebody's been using it for an anvil."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Wolfwood replied before lighting a cigarette. He drew in the smoke and then slowly exhaled, watching the tendrils waft upwards. "Last night you told us about your father's heart condition. Isn't it ironic that the man who indirectly caused all of his problems dies from a gunshot to the heart?"

Milly pondered for a moment. "Yeah, you're right, Mr. Priest."

"I really don't want to talk about this now," the hung-over investigator stated. Opening a bottle of aspirin, she swallowed two tablets with a glass of water and hoped for some relief from the headache. Meryl tried to concentrate on the report. Work was the best remedy to keep herself occupied and not dwell on Deke Blaine, even though the report chronicling his downfall served as a constant reminder of painful emotions. "We have to get back to compiling this report for the home office."

The trio chatted for several more minutes before Wolfwood rose up from his chair. "Ladies, I won't be keeping you from your work any longer. Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

Her face brightening, Milly replied gratefully, "Definitely."

Meryl added painfully, "Sure. But no booze."

The preacher grinned. "No problem. I'll stop by around seven o'clock then." That evening the three friends enjoyed a delicious meal, which was a welcome diversion from the stress and pain of the day before.

* * *

Three weeks after the Quick Draw Tournament ended, Meryl and Milly sat in the Bernardelli employee lounge enjoying some coffee on their mid-morning break when a message came over the intercom. "Milly Thompson and Meryl Stryfe, please report to Mr. Lamassi's office."

Looking puzzled, Meryl wondered why they were being summoned for a meeting with the boss. Her heart sank as she pondered if it possibly had to do with ramifications from the events in May City. The authorities had cleared her of any wrongdoing in regards to Deke Blaine's death, ruling it a case of self-defense. The insurance investigators has then parted ways with Wolfwood and returned to December. After submitting a full report to Mr. Lamassi, they were given a short sabbatical and had returned to their duties a few days earlier.

Milly spoke hopefully, "Maybe he's giving us a new assignment?"

The petite woman shrugged. `Let's go. It's the only way we're going to find out." The pair left the lounge and walked through the claims department, passing coworkers who whispered amongst themselves as the two women went by. Milly knocked on the manager's door.

"Come in, " he called out. The two women entered the office and shut the door.

"Meryl, Milly, it's good to see you again. I'm sorry that this is the first time we've had a meeting since you returned from your sabbatical. Please have a seat," Lamassi said cordially. "How have you been?"

The two women sat down across from his paper-strewn desk. He noted that Meryl looked tentative while the brunette remained her usual cheerful self.

Milly answered, "I'm fine" Casting a glance towards her partner, she continued, "Meryl's doing a lot better. The first couple of weeks back were really rough on her. But we're both glad to be back at work." Her partner smiled politely.

Lamassi nodded in sympathy and said, "We're glad to have you back." After shuffling g some papers on his messy desk, he said, "Ah, here it is," finding a manila folder. "I asked you both here to go over the results of the May City case. The two of you have been awarded certificates of merit for your efforts in solving the fraudulent scheme perpetrated by Deke Blaine."

"Thank you, sir," the women replied in unison, each smiling graciously.

Lamassi went on to explain that the Bernardelli legal department had filed lawsuits against Blaine's estate in an attempt to recover the defrauded funds from his assets. He also informed them that Ban Mido had been discharged from the May City hospital and had returned to Shinjuku with Ginji Amano.

"That's good to hear," Meryl said.

Opening the top drawer in his desk, he reached in and took out two envelopes and laid them on his desk. "There is another aspect of the Blaine case we have to discuss, the company credit card that was issued to you. After receiving the monthly statement, the accounting department compiled a report, indicating that you exceeded the card's credit limit."

Milly whispered to her colleague, "Oh, no." The two women glanced apprehensively at each other.

Scanning the expense listing, Lamassi raised an eyebrow and mentioned an item that caught his attention, "A hotel suite? Isn't that a tad extravagant, Ms. Stryfe? I advised you to use the card wisely." He spoke firmly, but in a threatening manner.

"Sir, our options were limited. Everything in town was booked," Meryl said defensively.

"Do you remember what the repercussions were for exceeding the credit limit?"

"Yes," she said meekly, her eyes downcast. Her mind raced back to the earlier meeting where infractions would lead to marks on their permanent record or possible termination.

Standing up, Lamassi, a twinkle in his eye and a surreptitious smile that only of the women noticed, picked up the envelopes on his desk and handed them to the two employees. "The company has made a decision on the penalties regarding the improper use of the company's credit card and weighed them against your performances during the May City assignment. Please open the envelopes."

Meryl glanced worriedly at her partner and then opened the envelope with trepidation, expecting a pink slip or notice of dismissal. Her eyes grew wide with surprise to find a ticket and reservations at a spa in Inepril. She turned to Milly, who squealed with delight upon finding the same contents in her envelope.

"Why?" a baffled Meryl asked Lamassi.

"Because you did a real bang-up job and saved the company thousands of double-dollars. You've both earned a vacation," he said proudly.

"Thank you, boss," the girls chorused. Milly stood up, walked over and hugged Lamassi, who gasped for breath from the tight embrace.

The brunette apologized, "I'm sorry," and returned to her seat.

"Ladies, you might want to hurry. If you look closely at the tickets, you leave tomorrow," Lamassi said benevolently.

Meryl smiled and got up from her seat. "Come on, Milly. We have to pack." The two women scurried excitedly from the manager's office. The office workers were startled to see them so happy because they expected the hammer to fall and the two investigators would be fired, not rewarded with a vacation.

As the insurance investigators hustled out of the building towards their apartment, Milly said excitedly, "I can't wait to try one of those pudding baths at the spa."

* * *

On a quiet afternoon in Shinjuku, Paul Wan, the proprietor of the Honky Tonk, was engrossed in the newspaper he was reading. Natsumi stood beside him, arranging glasses on the counter when the bell above the front door jangled and two familiar figures entered the café. Ban hobbled inside, using a cane as a support, followed by Ginji holding several packages.

The sixteen-year-old waitress greeted the long absent pair enthusiastically, "It's so good to see you two again."

Setting down his newspaper, Paul acknowledged their presence. "I'm glad you're back It's been too quiet around here without you guys around. By the way, Hevn wanted to know when you returned. I'll give her a call later."

As Ginji assisted the Jagan-user over to a booth, he declared, "It feels good to be home again."

Ban agreed. ""I'm sick of seeing sand. The place we went to was a damned desert." He paused to light a cigarette and took a drag from it. "By the way, we brought you guys back souvenirs from our trip."

Lowering his glasses to glance over at the two youths, Paul remarked, "Really?"

"Yes, we did," replied Ginji proudly, bringing the packages over to the counter. Paul unwrapped a medium-sized box that contained two ceramic beer steins, which he then placed on a shelf behind the bar to display.

"Thank you very much," the proprietor commented, touched by their gesture of kindness.

"Ban and Ginji, thank you for the silver barrette," Natsumi squealed delightedly. She replaced the old hairpin she wore with the new one given to her by the Get Backers.

Paul noticed that Ban was using a cane when he entered the café. On previous occasions, the Get Backer had returned from assignments with his arm in a sling. Walking over to the booth, the businessman remarked, "I see that it wasn't your arm that got that hurt this time. What happened?"

Stubbing out his cigarette into an ashtray, Ban exhaled the last tendrils of smoke and answered, "Got hit by a punk's lucky shot, but he got his in the end."

"I hope it won't keep you from getting any assignments."

"There won't be any problem. We're ready to roll at any time," Ginji said.

Natsumi brought over two steaming mugs of coffee for them. Ban sipped from his mug, inhaling the aroma of the piping hot liquid. "There's nothing like fresh brewed java, especially when you're back home." He then dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a wad of currency. Frustration filled his voice when he spoke, "After all of the stuff we went through, this is all we ended up with."

In a concerned voice, Ginji queried, "What's wrong, Ban-chan?"

His blue eyes narrowed, Ban stated, "Our payoff was a lot less than I expected. After Hevn took her cut and the lousy exchange rate, we've got next to nothing. Even Hevn had a difficult time finding somewhere to convert the double-dollars into yen"

Ginji got up from his side of the booth, sat down next to Ban and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Ban-chan. At least, we got back home safely. The most important thing is we have our friends and each other to count on," he said consolingly.

Hearing the exchange, Paul mused that the Get Backers seemed to be snake bit when it came to financial matters. Their big payoff was ever elusive, one circumstance or another preventing them from their grabbing their windfall. .

Ginji's asking, "Master, could you make a pizza for us?" interrupted his thoughts.

"Make it pepperoni," Ban added, grinning.

Rolling his eyes, Paul replied, "You know this is going on your tab, right?"

Life at the Honky Tonk had returned to its daily routine with the Get Backers waiting for their next client to walk in while their tab accumulated.

Like sailors chasing a siren's song, Ban Mido and Ginji Amano would not shy away from any assignment, regardless of the risks involved, whether it was as mundane as recovering a lost cat to deciphering the hidden secrets of Mugenjo

Danger was also an integral element in the lives of Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson. Was it destiny or just random chance that the two women found themselves in perilous situations in their duty of monitoring the Humanoid Typhoon? Many challenges would lie ahead for the duo and all of them pointed to Vash the Stampede.

* * *

THE END

Author's Notes

[1] This fic is dedicated to the Angstmaster, Enigma, whose works have inspired me many times.

[2] In the past, I had written mostly one-shots and humor-oriented stories. I wanted to expand my horizons and write a multi-chaptered angsty tale. The result is Drawn to Danger, which is my longest work to date in terms of time spent, effort, and word count.

[3] TokyoPop released the first volume of the Get Backers manga in February 2004. Dark Horse has released two volumes of the Trigun manga.

[4] For updates on upcoming fanfics, please check out my Live Journal at www.livejournal.com/~weisshund.

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