Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Dreaming of You ❯ First Meetings ( Chapter 1 )

Dreaming of You

Chapter one: First Meetings

 

A/N: Well, this is my first fanfic to ever appear on Mediaminer. Please review and tell me whatcha think. Y'know, what you liked, didn't like, those kinds of things. Enjoy

 

Dear Journal,

Here I am, in jail again. Of course it was my foster father who put me here, I think. He just likes to get rid of me whenever he can. He probably wouldn't care if I died. Well actually - yes he would. Then he'd have to hire someone to work in the bar.

 

Laughing lightly, Tessa pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes as she wrote in her diary. It wasn't a diary to her though, a journal. Diary was such a girly word - she was all but that. Most of the girls her age were wearing dresses, learning to cook and to sew. They were waiting for someone to ask them to marry. Not Tessa, she spent the majority of her time in the holding cell or working in her foster father's bar. Tessa was shunned by both genders: the girls because they didn't want a tomboy friend; the boys because they didn't want a girl who was more of a delinquent and a better shot then they were. Sighing, Tessa sucked on the end of her pen as she thought about her day.

 

Well, my day was more interesting than most, I suppose. I met the infamous Vash the Stampede. He came into Jeff's bar for a drink. Of course, then again, why else would he have come into the bar in the first place?

 

Tessa pondered for a moment before she continued writing.

 

I suppose I'll just write out everything as it happened. So here it is:

A blonde headed man in a bright red coat walked into Jeff's on the last few minutes of lunch. He was a new face so I thought I would try and be friendly. I walked over and started a conversation with him.

“Well hello there. You're new around here, aren't you?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“You want a drink?”

“Or twelve.”

“Rough day?”

“Rough life.” He winced.

“Can't be any worse then mine.”

“Oh, yes it can.”

“How so?” I got him a beer.

“Try having every bounty hunter on the planet after your head.” He took a drink.

“That's a new one to me. What's your name?” He looked up at me. He had the most gorgeous eyes - a beautiful blue-green.

“So you can point a gun at me and try to kill me too?”

“No, so I don't have to call you `guy' or `hey you'.”

“Oh, I'm Vash.”

“Well I'm Tessa. Vash? As in that outlaw with the really big bounty on his head. Vash the Stockade. Stamper. St- “

“Stampede.” He gave a small smile.

“That's it. So tell me about your `rough life'.” I made quote bunnies for the fun of it.

“You sure? It'll take a while.” I smiled and grabbed two more beers: One for me; one for him.

“Try me.”

So he told me. How he was created on a ship. Yes created - not born. How his twin brother made the ship and the rest in the fleet crash onto this planet. About everything. He even teared-up when he told me about a lady named Rem. She died during the crash while trying to stop it. I felt like I should have given him a great big hug. Of course, I'd have given him one but Vash was still a complete stranger. And yet, I was practically falling head over heels for him.

 

Tessa looked at what she had written and blushed before writing some more.

 

He said that he traveled a lot, so I had this question burning in the back of my mind. I decided to ask before he thought it was the alcohol talking.

“Hey Vash?”

“Hmm?” He polished off his sixth beer; I was only on my fifth.

“Can I ask you an important question?”

“Hit me.”

“C-can I - um - can I....” I couldn't finish.

“Can you what?”

“Can I - err - travel with - um - you?” There I got it out. He looked at me blankly, so I added quickly, “Only for a little while.” He grinned.

“For as long as you like.”

“Yes!” I jumped up, beaming.

“Gimmee a hug!” He jumped up and I practically tumbled into his arms. I didn't realize I'd gotten that drunk; didn't notice when I was sitting. But sure, after five beers, you'd be a little tipsy too. I was fine though until he started spinning me in circles.

“Vash? Vash?! Stop. Please stop. Oh, I'm going to be sick.” He set me down after that comment and I tottered to what I though was the bathroom. Turns out it was the sheriff. Who knew the toilet and the sheriff looked so much alike. Next thing I know, here I am. Waking up in my cell with a hang over from hell. They even took my gun.

 

Tessa frowned at the desk where the jail keeper kept all the things he'd confiscated. Then she added “With love, Tessa Mari Jonen” to the bottom of her writings. She looked at her signature and sighed. She'd always signed her full name, even when she was a little kid. It was mostly to convince herself that she was not a part of Jeff's family. Oh, how she hated that man, but only a year more until she could leave. One more year. Sighing again, Tessa closed the small book and pocketed it.

She sighed as she looked outside to see the second sun setting. Tessa kicked off her boots and curled up on the cot. Pulling her knees to her chest, she shivered. “You could've at least given me a blanket!” She screamed into the emptiness of the jail. The keeper usually came in at about midnight to act like he was doing something, so it was just Tessa and that bug on the wall for a good four hours. “Joyous joy, I'm freezin' here.” She grumbled as she rocked back and forth, trying to warm up.

Tessa ended up using her large, blue coat as a blanket. She tried for a good hour to get to sleep, but failed. It didn't help that there were a couple of drunks doing god knows what by her window. “God damn it all! Shut-up will you! Some people are trying to sleep!” Tessa yelled as she flung a handful of dirt out the window. There was some scuffling and a few murmurs, then all was quiet. Even the black cat that usually scavenged the trashcans at this time was silent. Soon enough she fell into a fitful sleep while her head pounded and she shivered.