Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Mine ❯ Blessing in Disguise ( Chapter 14 )

 

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 14: Blessing in Disguise

 

 

 

“Damn… damn… damn… why can anything go smoothly for once,” the blonde complained as he started to look for shelter that would be big enough protect the truck. “I can't believe that it caught up to us already.”

 

“What?!” Meryl screeched. “You mean that you knew that there was a sandstorm coming and you didn't tell me?”

 

“Well… umm… yeah. I was kinda hoping that we could have gotten past it.”

 

“You were hoping?!”

 

“Oh come on insurance girl, cut me some slack here! I just wanna get to New Oregon, so, could you please look for something that would be big enough for us to hide behind?” Vash pleaded as he continued to look around for shelter.

 

“How long do we have?” the short-girl asked as she intently scanned the dessert terrain.

 

“If my calculations are correct… maybe seven minutes before the winds really pick up and maybe another four or five before the storm hits.”

 

“Damn it Vash! You do realize that fifteen minutes ago we pasted several rock formations that could have harbored us until the storm blew over,” Meryl griped as she started to fiddle with the blue knotted buttons on her shirt, while continuing to mumble how she could not believe that such a dim-witted idiot could have possibly made it 130 years on a desert planet. Especially, without knowing to seek shelter just as soon as the threat of a sandstorm had been observed.

 

“Meryl… that's not nice,” the blonde whined as the clear blue sky faded away and the wind started the shake the truck. “There! Do you see that?” he yelled after a two tense minutes and pointed at passenger side of the windshield. Sure enough, approximately five iles east was a large rocky form of gray and taupe, jutting out of the sandy surface.

 

“Where? I don't… wait… there it is!” the petite woman cried. “It definitely looks big enough, but can we make?”

 

“Let's hope so!”

 

Vash immediately veered the rig toward the protrusion and accelerated, ignoring the bumps and divots they crossed in order to take the shortest route possible to safety. As they approached the formation, the gusts of wind and swirling sand began to engulf speeding vehicle, making it almost impossible to see past the hood of the truck, at least to the human eye. Fortunately, a human wasn't driving, a Plant was and he could still make out the formation coming closer with every tense breath.

 

“Hang on Meryl,” the outlaw advised as he made quick right and then a sharp left once he reached the point where he could travel on the eastern side of the formation and to a safe zone. The formation itself had been impressive. Its length going for iles over the landscape, while the western side gradually inclined upward to fifteen stories and the eastern side looked almost as if someone cut the mountain in half. The sheer wall was ominously tall and the base was littered with smaller mounds of rock and crevices of various shapes and sizes.

 

Vash knew that they were out of danger, but he still felt the need to make absolutely certain that everything would be completely secure. So, he looked for the best possible place to settle while waiting for the pending storm to pass. About a half an isle up the barrier he saw it, a massive cave that would safely nestle the truck and its occupants. `Now, is it deep enough?' he thought to himself, stopping in front of the opening and jumping out of the truck to inspect his find.

 

“Vash?” Meryl quickly called, wondering where he was going in such treacherous weather. He looked back to her and smiled, while telling her not to worry and that he would be back in a minute. Leaving the door open, he strode into the cave's mouth to assess its size and deemed it large enough back the truck into it. He then turned and jogged back to the driver's side and asked Meryl if she could back the truck into cave with him guiding her.

 

With a nod, the short-girl moved into the driver's seat and shut the door before adjusting the seat so she could reach the pedals. Then putting the truck in drive, she turned the wheel to the right and hit the gas. Once she had the back of the truck lined up with the cave's entrance, she followed Vash's mental commands and eased the vehicle in just as the wall of sand flew around the encasement.

 

“And stop. Good job short-girl! Why don't you come on back here for a minute and we can tell the big-girl and my brother, if he's awake, what's going on.”

 

“Okay, I'll be right there,” she mentally replied as she turned the truck off. Opening the door, she exited the cab and walked around to the back and met up with her traveling companions. There she saw Vash waiting with the doors open and a big smile on his face. She immediately asked him what the smile was for.

 

With a chuckle, he answered with, “Gee… if you ever decide get out of the insurance business you could always take up driving truck!”

 

“Yeah, I guess so… you helped though!” she added, while chuckling herself. “We do make pretty good team, sometimes.”

 

“Yep, sure do!” Vash immediately agreed as picked the smaller woman up by the waist, helping her onto the truck's bed. He then followed by climbing up himself, after she was settled next to Milly.

 

“Hi Sempai, Mr. Vash!” Milly chirped in greeting as both the Plant and smaller insurance girl got comfortable. Once she had their complete attention, inquisitively asked, “Gee… it got pretty bumpy and windy! Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, all is well, Milly,” Vash answered before shrugging his shoulders and adding, “We just ran into a little bad weather, is all.”

 

“A little bad weather, Vash?” Meryl injected with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

 

Vash just laughed goofily and added, “Okay, okay… it's a big sandstorm and we may be here awhile.”

 

“Oh! What do you guys wanna do?” Milly asked.

 

“Well, unfortunately, there isn't much we can do until it passes,” Meryl sighed.

 

“Yeah, short-girl is right. I think that if it doesn't pass with in the next hour or so. Then we might as well stay here for the night and finish the trip in the morning. Besides, we're only a couple of hours out of New Oregon and we if get moving at dawn, we'll be there before ten,” the outlaw advised as he looked between the two woman before adding internally, `Well… hopefully.'

 

“That sounds good, Mr. Vash. Would you two like some dinner? We still have some fruit and that nice sour-dough bread left,” the brunette said with a big smile as she brought out the basket. Both replied with a `yes' and after the evening prayer, the three began to eat.

 

“So how has my brother been?” Vash asked Milly as he handed one of the canteens over to her.

 

“Oh fine, Mr. Vash. I changed his bandages about two hours ago and the wounds looked really good. He didn't even wake or anything,” the big-girl advised right after she took a sip from the offered container of water.

 

“That's good… real good!” Vash absently muttered as he glanced over to his sleeping twin before returning his attention back to the brunette. He just realized that he never thanked her for being so forgiving while tending to his psychopathic brother, in spite of everything that happened to her, especially Wolfwood's death. “Hey, Milly?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Vash?”

 

“Ummm… thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For everything… I…I mean this must be pretty hard for you,” the blonde clarified as he looked to his hands that were resting upon his lap, while both women watched intently.

 

With a warm smile, Milly reached over to the blonde's clasped hands and held them within her own and agreed that it was hard, but she new that it would get better with… time. She also advised Vash that, even though she knew that his brother ultimately ordered the death of her love, she knew that Knives' actions alone weren't entirely responsible for the outcome. Everyone, in a sense, was… Nicholas included.

 

Vash raised his aqua orbs back to the woman that held his hands and smiled while thinking, `she really is amazing!' He looked over the smaller woman sitting next to her and wondered how he got so lucky to have two wonderful women assigned to him. Then he glanced behind them and out one of the slits in the encasement. “Well, I suppose I should take a look and see if there is any hope that this storm will blow over soon,” the outlaw sighed as he got up and hopped down from bed.

 

After the blonde left, Milly's gaze moved to her partner. With concern apparent, she rapidly asked Meryl if Mr. Vash was right when he said she was in trouble earlier. And, if that was the case, then if was she alright. The petite beauty met her partner's gaze and sighed out a `yes' before telling her what had happened in the saloon a few hours ago.

 

“And he did what?” the big-girl incredulously asked, her sky-blue eyes going wide.

 

“I know… It's unbelievable, but yes, he told that guy that he would kill him if he ever touched me again.”

 

“Wow Sempai, that's amazing! Who would have thought that Mr. Vash would be so possessive?”

 

“Yeah, I was quite surprised myself,” the smaller woman mumbled, still not sure how she should react to Vash's peculiar behavior.

 

“Surprised? What about? Is it perhaps because you two cannot believe how such a handsome and strong man could be so sweet and incredibly smart at the same time?” Vash conceitedly interrupted as he stood outside the end of the truck. “Or is it because you two are still so surprised to be blessed with the presence of such a perfect male after all these years?”

 

“Ugh…what an ego!” Meryl moaned before replying, “No… actually, we can't believe that such a normally spiky-headed, pea-brained idiot could have survived so long without someone deflating his big air-filled head!”

 

“Hey! That's not nice insurance girl!”

 

“No, but it was pretty funny,” Meryl retorted with a smirk as her silver orbs twinkled with amusement. While Milly just giggled and asked if it was okay to leave.

 

“Not yet big-girl, it looks like we will be here for the night.” Vash replied before adding, “You might as well stay back here while Meryl and I will bunk down in the cab. That way if it does lighten up we can take off.”

 

“Okie Dokie, Mr. Vash! I guess I'll go and brush my teeth and… stuff,” Milly chirped, reaching over and grabbing her travel bag out of her suitcase before moving to leave the truck.

 

“That's a good idea, Milly, I'll join you.” Meryl agreed, while grabbing her own bag and a canteen.

 

“Hey, what about me?” Vash whined.

 

“You can go over to the other side of the cave,” the petite woman ordered as she hopped down from the bed with Vash's assistance.

 

“But, I wanna go with you, Meryl.”

 

“No!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because.”

 

“Because why?”

 

“Because I said so, Vash!” Meryl growled.

 

“Oh come one short-girl,” the blonde over animatedly cried as he stuck his lip out to pout.

 

“No Vash and that's final!”

 

“But why?”

 

“Because I have to pee, you idiot!”

 

“Oooooh… gotcha,” he said. The little imaginary light bulb finally turned on over his head. “I'll meet you in the cab in ten, then,” he smiled as he hopped onto the bed and grabbed his own toothbrush and other necessary items.

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

Vash looked out the windshield as he leaned back against the driver's side headrest and clutched his pillow. Finally, he saw the flickering of what looked like one of the five moons trying to peek out through the grainy, swirling storm. It actually seemed as if the sandstorm was beginning to die down, since its wind's began to blow relentlessly over four hours ago. He knew that, even though it was too late to finish the trek tonight, they should be able to in the morning, at first light. With a small smile gracing his lips, the blonde man turned his attention over to the passenger side so he could observe the sleeping woman beside him. Well, as best as he could, since there wasn't any moonlight yet.

 

Even with his heightened sight, he could only make out that her form was propped up against the passenger door with a white pillow cushioning her head and shoulder, while his brown blanket kept her warm from the dropping temperatures. He also knew that she had her legs curled up on the bench seat and her boots off. Not because he could see them, he could feel them. Unable to resist the temptation to touch her, occasionally, he would lightly caress one of her crossed ankles lovingly.

 

He loved listening to her sleep. Her deep and even breaths were calming, while every once in awhile she would sigh softly, either shifting her legs or tilting head slightly. He distinctly remembered the last time he was able to watch her sleep without her knowing. It was the night he carried her up to her room, so she wouldn't have to sleep on the couch. The outlaw recalled how he was unable to resist temptation as he kneeled next to the bed for a few minutes, while taking everything in. Just like how he did when they spent the night with the orphaned children. His suspicions were confirmed, she truly was an angel sent from heaven to bless his pain-filled life.

 

`Rem if you had anything to do with her being sent to me, well… thank you, thank you so much!' Vash whispered internally as a tear slipped down his cheek. At that very moment, he felt a light breeze flow through the cab as the twinkling sound of laughter and a `your welcome' danced along the flow. An involuntary shiver ran along his spine as he thought, `Ooooooh… eeerrrie!'

 

“Vash…”

 

“Shhh… go to sleep, Meryl,” the blonde whispered.

 

“Are you cold, Vash?”

 

“I'm all right, you?”

 

“I'm fine. I thought I felt you shiver.”

 

“Don't worry… I'm fine.”

 

“Can't you sleep?” she prodded.

 

“No, not really… I'm not very comfortable,” he admitted before adding with a light chuckle, “These damn long legs of mine.”

 

“Oh yeah…” she smiled. “Even though, I wouldn't know what you mean from experience. It would be nice to stretch out. I'm not comfortable either.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

They both sat in silence for about a minute, until Vash came up with an idea. He instantly opened the driver's side door and hopped out, taking his pillow with him. Meryl quickly sat up, asking him where he was going while saying that she didn't mean for him to leave her alone. He just smiled and told her to hold on. He then rushed around the front of the truck to the passenger side door before opening it to get back in.

 

“Vash…what are you doing?” Meryl stammered, wide-eyed as she instinctively scooted over to let Vash sit on the seat.

 

“Well, you said that you weren't comfy and we know that I'm not, so I came up with a brilliant idea,” he proudly answered as he took his pillow and hers, that coincidentally fell to the floor when she sat up, and propped them against the passenger door. He then picked her little body up, with the blanket in tow, and set her on his lap. The very next instant, he twisted while bringing his long legs up, stretching them out toward the driver's side door and proceeded to lean back against the fluffy mass behind him.

 

“Vash…” the blushing woman warned in a tone that warned a smack in the head was coming if he didn't explain.

 

“Meryl, please just lie down and get comfortable. I would never do anything… without your permission and, besides, I just want to hold you… okay?” the outlaw pleaded.

 

With a sigh, Meryl said it was all right and decided to get comfortable. Once she had the blanket situated, she slid herself toward the seat's back and stretched out down his lean form, ending up lying parallel to his left side. Her right arm and shoulder fit perfectly in the open space between the bench and his ribcage, while her left arm lay over his abdomen, reaching to his right side. She also had her left leg, which was bent slightly at the knee, over his left hip and lying between his legs. Finally, the petite woman laid her cheek on his broad chest and smiled.

 

“Are you comfy now, Meryl?” Vash hopefully asked as he brought his left arm down and wrapped it around her petite form.

 

“Hmmm… yes, very much so,” she purred as she started to lightly move her fingers up and down on his right side. “You?”

 

“Oh yeah… definitely!” he whispered, while caressing the small of her back and side with his left hand. Then he thought of something that could be quite uncomfortable for the woman in his arms. “My… ahhh… my grate isn't bothering you, is it?”

 

“Oh no… not at all!”

 

He smiled and said good as he closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of having her so close to him. `This has to be the best day of my life,' he thought to himself as he decided to make it even better. Especially, since it was still pitch black out and he couldn't chicken out while looking at her. Well… hopefully.

 

“Mmmm…Meryl?” Vash quietly began as he reached for her left hand with his right and brought it to his chest to hold.

 

“Hmmm…”

 

“I… aaah… I wanna tell you some… thing…”

 

Meryl's heart started to beat rapidly as she waited eagerly to hear what the blonde man holding her had to say. She just wished that she could see him, even if he was only cast in shadows. She raised her head slightly to try to look into his aqua eyes and nervously breathed, “What, is it Vash?”

 

“I… really… ahhh…” he stuttered as he looked to gaze upon the outline her beautiful face. Then as if on cue, the wind slowed and three of the five moons peeked through the darkness, casting their reflected light upon the truck. `Oh shit! I can see her… can't chicken out…just three words say them damn it!' he thought wildly, since he now had a somewhat clear view of her blushed cheeks and her now heather colored orbs that, in return, stared intently into his own jade colored ones.

 

“Well… what I mean… is… I… aaah… Oh hell… I'm crazy about you short-girl!” Vash stammered out quickly while mentally berating himself for not saying that he loved her.

 

“You are?”

 

“Yeah… you have no idea…” he groaned.

 

“Oh Vash…” she whispered with tears in her eyes. She pulled her left hand away from his while moving herself up his chest a little in order to place her hand on his face. With her watery gaze still connected with his, she simply gave him a brilliant smile and admitted, “I'm crazy about you, too.”

 

“Oh God… Meryl,” he happily breathed as he closed the distance between them and kissed her.