Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Mine ❯ Warnings Never Heeded ( Chapter 13 )

 

Disclaimer: Hmmm... I own my kids (Because I made them) I own my husband, (Because the Marriage License says so) and I own a REALLY big mortgage. (Because I'm stupid and signed on the dotted line.) However I don't own Trigun. (Because if I did, I wouldn't have said mortgage.)

“blah blah” : talking

`blah blah' : thinking

“blah blah” : telepathic talking

blah blah : other misc. stuff.

 

*~*~*

 

Forever Mine

 

Chapter 13: Warnings Never Heeded

 

 

 

“Vash, what do you mean you want us to wait for you?” the annoyed insurance girl bit out as she crossed her arms over her chest, while clutching her travel bag in her right hand.

 

“I mean that I don't want you two going in there without me!” Vash shortly commanded as he started to recharge the truck's energy cells.

 

“Well… why not?”

 

“Because there could be some dangerous and lonely men in there and I don't want something to happen to you and Milly while I'm not with you, damn it!” he growled as he brought his face within an inch of hers, trying to intimidate.

 

Of course, that just made Meryl even more peeved. She immediately brought her arms to her sides and clenched her fists as she matched his glare. “I… can… not… believe… you …just… said… that!” she seethed before adding, “I am a big girl and I can most certainly take care of myself! All I want to do is go and use a real bathroom, brush my teeth and get a cup of coffee, Mr. Stampede. I am not going into the saloon just so I can attract the attention of dangerous and lonely men!”

 

“Gee… Mr. Vash it really wasn't a big deal,” Milly interjected as she walked up to the arguing couple, after coming from the direction of the little bar. Both the outlaw and the petite woman immediately turned their attention to the big-girl. “I just came from there and only the bartender was inside and he's really nice. They even had Ceylon tea, see,” she added with a huge grin as she raised her hand showing them the cup in it.

 

“Well, there you go then, I'll be back in a few,” Meryl triumphantly said as she turned and walked toward the saloon.

 

“That woman is insufferable!” Vash grumbled as he ran his hand through his blonde locks. “God, why did I have to fall for someone so damn stubborn?!”

 

“That's because you wouldn't be happy with anyone else, Mr. Vash,” Milly declared over her shoulder, while heading to the back of the truck, leaving gunman.

 

“So true, so true,” Vash mumbled to himself.

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

Meryl quickly used the restroom and walked over to the tiny sink to wash her hands. She checked her appearance in the mirror and decided that she should at very least wash her face. After all, she hadn't been able to use a real bathroom since they stopped in Keybas over a day and a half ago. That much grime was never good for the complexion.

 

Using the cleanser and washcloth in her bag, she washed her face and decided to go ahead and give herself a quick `once over' with the damp cloth so she could feel reasonably fresh. Once that task was completed, she pulled out her hairbrush. “Man…what I would do for a nice long shower, right now,” she mumbled to herself as quickly brushed her cropped raven hair. `I can't wait until we get there!' she thought as she returned the brush back to her case and proceeded to pull out her toothbrush and toothpaste.

 

A few minutes later, a somewhat refreshed insurance girl walked out of the bathroom and headed up to the corner of the bar where she ordered a dozen doughnuts and a coffee, black, to go. The bartender advised her that he just put a fresh pot and that it would be done momentarily, while the doughnuts were in the back. So, she placed her bag on the stool next to her and stood there to wait patiently. That was until…

 

“Can I buy ya' a drink?”

 

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Meryl looked over her shoulder and saw a burly man with shoulder length scraggily brown hair, wearing a dingy white shirt with a brown vest lying over the cotton tee. She also noticed the two six-shooters on his denim clad hips. She returned her gaze back to the bar and sternly replied, “No, thank you.”

 

“Oh come on darlin, you've got to be the purdiest thing I've seen in ages,” the man smiled as he moved closer to the insurance girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. “One drink won't hurt ya'.”

 

She felt the hand on her shoulder and swung around, effectively removing the hand and glaring at the big man before her. The petite woman instinctively reached behind her back to grab a couple of derringers, but came up short. `Oh shit,' Meryl thought as she realized that she hadn't worn her cloak for the entire trip. So, to cover up her miscalculation, she placed her hands on her shapely hips and snidely replied that she had told him no thank you and she meant it.

 

“Wow, you're a bitchy one aren't ya',” the man commented as his dark eyes gleamed with malicious intent. “I'm thinkin you need a man to teach ya' a lesson!” With that last exclamation, he grabbed the short-girl by the forearms and pushed her up against the nearest wall, causing Meryl to see stars right after her head slammed up against the sandstone.

 

In a slight daze, she looked up to the Neanderthal that restrained her and saw him smile, showing his brown and decaying teeth. She shook her head and blinked a few times to clear her head and returned her now somewhat cleared gaze to the man before her and seethed, “You had better put me down, asshole, or I'm gonna make you regret it!” He chuckled as he moved closer, letting her smell his pungent breath, and asked how. She just smiled and spit in his face. Then with a low growl, she swiftly thrust her left knee upward and into his groin.

 

“You Bitch,” he hissed through clenched brittle teeth, while closing his eyes to overcome the pain.

 

Unfortunately, he didn't let go as she hoped and when he opened his eyes, the petite woman saw that he was furious. He immediately pulled his hand back to slap her and Meryl could only close her eyes and wait for the blow as she thought, `I'm sorry Vash, I should have listened.'

 

However, the dreaded blow never came and the very next instant, she felt herself being let go and sliding down the wall. She promptly opened her stormy orbs and saw her savior. It was Vash and he looked absolutely livid. She noticed that his aqua orbs glowed with rage while he had the brute of man's right wrist locked in his hand. In a flash, he brought his left fist up and punched the man in the face, causing him to fly into an unoccupied table next to the wall.

 

“Vash…” Meryl cried, but he didn't seem to hear her as he stalked the man getting up from the now broken table. Vash pulled the man up the rest of the way and punched him again, slamming him into the wall where the outraged Plant saw the man shake his head momentarily.

 

Upon clearing his fuzzy head, the dark-haired man piercingly glared back, calling Vash a bastard before going for his guns, drawing them quickly. The very next instant, a gun went off and both revolvers were shot out of his grasp. He looked down to his empty hands in disbelief before quickly returning his gaze to the blonde man that he was fighting. And instantly saw a smoking nine-millimeter in the blonde's right hand.

 

“How in the hell did you do that,” the brute murmured as he slumped against the wall in defeat.

 

With the gun still in hand, Vash angrily strode up to the now cowering man and stuck the gun right between his eyes. “Don't you ever touch what is mine again! If you do, I'll hunt you down and kill you. Got that?” he breathed menacingly.

 

“Yeah… uhhh… yeah.”

 

Meryl heard Vash's caustic words and was absolutely shocked. She could not believe that he would actually say something like that and cautiously walked up to where he held the other man against the wall, with what she assumed was one of Wolfwood's guns.

 

“Vash…” she pleaded while placing her tiny hand on his extended arm. “Vash, it's over. Please… let's go.”

 

He closed his eyes for a moment and simply nodded his head in agreement. Lowering the gun, the outlaw returned it to the waistband of his slate colored pants.

 

The defeated man slid down the wall and gasped, “You're VVV…Vash the SSS…Stampede?”

 

“Yes…Yes I am,” Vash simply replied before turning to collect his insurance girl, who walked over to grab her things from the bar. He came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips and asked if she was okay. Meryl nodded and started to pay for her cup of coffee and the bag of doughnuts.

 

“No miss, it's on the house,” the bartender advised. “I'm sorry I didn't notice him sooner. I was in the back and by the time I did and got my shot gun, you… aaah… your boyfriend had already grabbed him.”

 

“Oh, well… thank you,” Meryl softly replied as she put her money away.

 

“Actually, I should thank you,” the bartender said as he looked at Vash.

 

“Why?” the blonde gunman curiously asked.

 

“Every time that bastard stops here, he harasses the patrons, to the point, that all the regulars will leave just as soon as they see his rig. Well, that is until now. I think you scared him good Mr. Vash the Stampede!”

 

Vash simply gave the man behind the bar a small smile and thanked him again for the gifts before escorting his Meryl back to the truck, so, they could get on the road.

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

It was Meryl's turn to look out the passenger window and watch as the sandy terrain and occasional mesa flew by. They had been traveling for another two hours and neither she nor Vash had spoken a word, since the incident in the saloon. With a deep sigh, she shifted her uneasy eyes over to the man driving and wondered if he was still mad at her. After all, she hadn't seen him that angry since he fought Monev the Gale almost three years ago and, quite frankly, it scared her. Was he really that upset because that guy touched her? Or was it because she didn't listen to him, again? Either way, it was time they talked about it.

 

“Ummm…Vash?” Meryl softly began as she turned to sit sideways on the truck's bench seat.

 

“Yeah, Meryl?”

 

“What time is it?”

 

“About seven.”

 

“Oh,” she quietly murmured, while studiing his face to see if there was any indication if whether he was still pissed off or not. `I wish he would take those damn glasses, off!' she thought to herself, since she couldn't really tell if he was angry or not. Sighing again, Meryl decided that she was just going to have to suck it up and apologize. Something, the petite beauty was never good at. But, she knew that she had to stick one into their conversation eventually. The entire situation was her fault, in any case, and Vash really deserved one. “About how much longer?” she then asked, while trying to gauge the best time to grovel.

 

“About three hours.”

 

“Oh… okay,” the raven-haired woman murmured as she looked down in between them and saw the unopened bag of doughnuts. `He didn't even touch the doughnuts. He must be really pissed!' she added internally, while deciding that it was past time to apologize. `Here goes nothing, she then thought before speaking out loud, “Ummm…Vash?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I…I'm… sorry,” she whispered, her grey eyes darting up to his face to see his reaction.

 

Vash looked over the woman beside him and sighed. It wasn't her fault, it was his. He was the one that lost it when he saw that bastard touching her. “Meryl, you don't have to be sorry. I'm the one that should be apologizing to you,” he quietly pointed out as he glanced at her for a moment before returning attention back to driving.

 

“BBB…But, I'm the one who didn't listen. Aren't you mad at me?”

 

Vash sighed again as he removed his sunglasses and placed them on the dash. He looked over at Meryl again before answering, “No, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for the way that I reacted back there. When I saw what he was going to do to you, I… ahhh… I lost it!”

 

“But, if I would have waited for you…” Meryl began, only to be cut off.

 

“No Meryl, please! I…I threatened to kill him and I would have gladly done it if he had harmed you. I…I guess it scared me, after I thought about it. I don't know what's wrong with mmm…me. I… aaah… I mean, all I www…wanted to do was protect yyy…you,” Vash exclaimed brokenly as his aqua eyes glistened with tears.

 

“Oh Vash… It will be all right,” Meryl breathed as she moved the bag between them and scooted over to sit right next to him. He immediately raised his arm and wrapped it around her in a comforting embrace, while she laid her head on his chest and wrapped her right arm around his waist.

 

“Vash?” Meryl started after a few minutes of silence.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Where did you get the gun?” the petite woman asked as she brushed her thumb along his ribcage tenderly.

 

“I had Milly grab it from the Cross Punisher.”

 

“Oh… when?”

 

“Right before I ran into the saloon,” Vash sighed as he started to return the light caress by moving his own thumb in a circular motion on her hip.

 

“But… how did you…”

 

“Know?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well, I just felt that you were in trouble and went running,” he simply supplied before adding, “Another advantage to being a Plant I guess. I can sense that kind of stuff.”

 

“I'm glad.”

 

“Yeah… me too.”

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

Both occupants of the truck's cab stayed nestled together, until Vash's stomach decided to protest the `mini fast' it had to endure because of its owner's brooding. With a loud grumble coming from his belly, Vash quickly asked, “Hey, short-girl could I have a doughnut? I'm starving!” They both just laughed as Meryl pulled away to grab the bag and sat it, once again, in between them.

 

“Here you go,” she smiled as she opened the bag for him, so, all he had to do was reach in and grab one (or two).

 

“You're a lifesaver!” he exclaimed as he grabbed a doughnut and took a bite of the glazed perfection. “Ahhhh… these are great! Want one?”

 

“Sure, why not!” the insurance girl answered has she reached into the bag.

 

“Really?”

 

“Really,” she confirmed and took a bite. “Wow, this is good!”

 

Vash could only stare in awe. There was his short-girl eating a doughnut. `Oh god… she has some glaze on the side of her mouth… I wonder if she would let me kiss it off… ugh… she's killing me!' Vash thought as a groan escaped his lips.

 

“Vash?”

 

“Yeah…” he whispered breathlessly, while openingly gawking at her.

 

“Don't you think you should be watching in front of you?” Meryl suggested with a smirk, while realizing that getting revenge from all of the earlier advances he made was sweet, quite literally, as a matter of fact, as she took another bite.

 

“Huh? Oh… ahhh… yeah,” he laughed goofily as he turned his attention to the open desert in front of them. “Sorry, short-girl.”

 

Meryl just sat there and watched him in companionable silence as he polished off the rest of the doughnuts and washed them down with some water. She couldn't help but think how handsome he looked with his hair down and disheveled while wearing `normal' clothing. He definitely didn't look like Vash the Stampede any longer and maybe he could actually lead a normal life and be just Vash. `One could hope…' she pondered before adding with an internal gleam, `Though I hate to admit it, I liked the spikes and red coat. Oh… the fantasies!'

 

Vash handed the canteen back to Meryl and replied with a thank you as he continued to watch their surroundings. “What are you thinking about?” he asked, a few minutes later, glancing over at her.

 

“Well, I was wondering if you are going to get to lead a normal life now.”

 

“I hope so. I'm really looking forward to getting up, going to work, and coming home,” Vash said as he internally added, `to you and our kids.'

 

“That sounds nice.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“So Vash… umm… you know your telepathic abilities?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

 

“Yeah, what about them?”

 

“Well, how extensive are they?”

 

“I'm not sure. Knives would know more about that. Right now, about all I can do is read people's minds and send some thoughts.”

 

“Can someone who isn't a telepath send you a message when you aren't reading their mind?”

 

“I don't know really… never tried. Why ya' wanna?”

 

“Ummm… sure.”

 

“Okie Dokie, why don't you try focusing your thoughts on me. Does that make sense?”

 

“I think so… ready?”

 

“Yup,” he agreed, right before Meryl closed her eyes in concentration, trying to send a thought to Vash. After thinking really hard about sending the message, she opened her eyes and asked if he got it. With a big smile on his face and his eyes sparkling brightly, he audaciously exclaimed, “Sure did… you sent that you can't wait to get me naked and jump on my bones!”

 

“What?! I did not… you're such a pervert!” the blushing woman exclaimed as she smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “I sent that I can't believe you ate all of the doughnuts!”

 

“Oh… must have gotten my wires crossed,” he chuckled.

 

“You really are something else…” Meryl added as she looked at him and laughed herself. Then something out of the driver's side window caught her attention. “What time is it again?”

 

“Oh it's about 7:30 now…why?”

 

“Ummm… the suns shouldn't be setting yet, right?”

 

“Right…”

 

“Then why is it getting darker?”

 

Vash immediately looked out the window and saw the twin balls of fire being eclipsed by a swirling wall of sand.

 

“Ooooooh… crap!”