Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ The Resurrection Of Nicholas D. Wolfwood ❯ The Story Is Told ( Chapter 17 )

The Resurrection Of Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Part Seventeen: The Story Is Told

By Bekka Mouri

(Trigun doesn't belong to me and I am not making any money from this so please don't sue.)

" I really thought I was going to die there, " Wolfwood sighed.

" But it all seems so… so… " Meryl shook her head as she tried to find the right word to describe Wolfwood's survival. " I thought we were the only people in the town. "

" The lady who saved me was just passing through when she saw me stumble into the church. She followed me inside but hid when she saw needle noggin. He didn't hang around long and she did everything she could, hoping she could save me once he had left, " Wolfwood reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigarette.

Meryl lifted her hand, " Could you please not do that in here, Mr. Wolfwood? "

Wolfwood put the cigarette away and sighed. " At any rate, the next thing I remembered was waking up in this room just before two kids came in. Apparently, I had not been as badly injured as I first thought but I was injured bad enough to put me in a coma for almost a month. The lady who rescued me said I had lost a lot of blood and my body probably did that so it could replace what I lost. "

" So who lived with her? You said you woke up before two kids came in, " Meryl said. " Were they her children? "

" As it turned out, she had a small orphanage. She had seven kids there and the older ones helped her care for me. They really pushed me to get better and, before I knew it, I was back to my old self again, " Wolfwood looked down at the table.

Meryl blinked, " But it's only been four months since you were shot, give or take a week or two. "

Wolfwood nodded, " Yeah, I know. I guess that woman must have had some pretty fantastic medicine. One of the kids told me she made it all herself. "

" I want to meet this lady and thank her for saving you. It's the least we can do, " Milly said quietly.

" I am afraid that isn't possible, honey, " Wolfwood looked at her.

Milly looked confused, " Why? "

" I really have no idea how to get back to her house. I didn't have a map when I left and just rode until I found a town. I don't know how many iles I traveled before I finally got to Steele, " Wolfwood noticed Cathy was starting to nod off to sleep. " Is there a problem, Cathy? "

Cathy shook her head, " No, Mr. Preacher. Your story is interesting but I am getting so sleepy. "

" Oh, " Wolfwood glanced over at the clock. Dinner had been long since finished and the hour was getting very late. " I guess that's only logical. "

Meryl stood to her feet, " Would you like to go to the guest room, Cathy? I am sure you are exhausted after everything you went through to catch up with these two. "

" That sounds really good," Cathy said.

Meryl smiled. " Come on. "

Cathy stood and followed Meryl as she led her to another part of the house. Meryl opened the door to a room between two others and motioned for Cathy to go inside. " It isn't much but it is place to sleep. "

" Thank you, Miss Meryl, " Cathy said and placed her backpack on the floor next to the single bed that sat in the middle of the room.

" Please, call me Meryl, " Meryl said. " It's okay. "

" Then thank you, Meryl. I really don't mean to impose on you, " Cathy looked down at the floor. " I really thought you didn't like me when we first met. "

" After I realized why Vash had brought you back with him, I decided he made the right choice. How could he just leave you if you had no place to go? "

" You're right. I don't think he would have left me if he had known that stuff at the time but I didn't mention it because I was certain the preacher hated me, " Cathy shook her head.

" Oh, Mr. Wolfwood likes kids and he's usually really nice to them. I don't think he hates you, " Meryl tried to assure Cathy.

Cathy looked at Meryl, " You don't know what happened back there. "

" No, I don't but I am certain he doesn't hate you. Can I ask you something? " Meryl said.

" Shoot, " Cathy replied.

" Why do you call him Mr. Preacher? I know you know what his name is but I haven't heard you call him anything but Mr. Preacher. "

Cathy sighed, " I can't bring myself to use his name because of the way I acted back in Winston. I did something that I later realized was so not right so I don't deserve to call him by his name at all. I mean it would have been hilarious if my father didn't get shot the very next morning. "

Meryl noticed tears welling up in Cathy's eyes and she hugged the girl. " I will listen if you want to tell me what happened. "

" My dad said that he was happy I was growing up to be such a nice person but he never really knew the truth, " Cathy sniffled.

" It's okay. Can you tell me what you did to make you feel so bad? " Meryl patted Cathy's shoulder.

" The preacher and Mr. Valentinez… I mean, Vash, got really drunk and I pulled a prank on them. I told my dad I had just made them comfortable but I had actually stripped them and put them in bed together, " Cathy confessed. " It was supposed to be funny. "

Meryl blinked; she was a little surprised that Cathy could handle two grown men on her own. She had also thought it was a little odd she had been able to handle Wolfwood's cross with no great effort. " I guess it wasn't though, huh? "

" No. McGee and his gang attacked the next morning and my father died thinking I had done something nice. I lied to him and that was the last time I saw him alive. "

Meryl sighed, " I don't know what to say but I am glad you were honest with me. I think I understand a little better now. Just be nice and try to get on Mr. Wolfwood's good side, okay? He'll be over it before you know it. "

" I hope so, " Cathy sniffled.

**

Milly was left alone with Wolfwood and Vash. She smiled, " Can I get either of you anything to drink? "

Vash shook his head, " Nope. I'm fine. "

Wolfwood smiled at Milly, " No, honey. I'm okay. "

" How was the trip on the sand steamer? " Milly asked. " I read that Brilliant Dynamites Neon was captured trying to hijack one just a few days ago. Was that the one you were on? "

Wolfwood nodded, " Yes. It was a pretty close call for Vash and myself as well. "

" Oh, I know. I read that the steamer was full of graduating Cavalry officers as well as a lot of undercover investigators. They had been planning the operation for a very long time because it seemed there was someone related to the steamer company was passing along information to the Bad Lads. They had been pulling small operations outside the canyon but Brilliant told the inside man he wanted a spectacular raid, " Milly looked at the table as she tried to recall more details.

" I wish someone had told us that, " Wolfwood shook his head. He pointed at Vash, " This idiot nearly got discovered. "

" Hey! If we hadn't been there, Brilliant would have used those dynamos to blow the Marshall to bits! " Vash said.

" That is true, " Wolfwood sighed.

Milly smiled as she looked up, " I knew it had to be Mr. Vash on the steamer because there was a little side note about a case of tomato sauce that had been broken into. I'm sure it didn't make sense to a lot of people but it made sense to Meryl and me. "

" That tomato sauce is what saved the Marshall's life, " Vash smiled.

" Yes, in a strange, Vash The Stampede sort of way, " Wolfwood added.

Meryl returned a few moments later and yawned. " I don't know about you guys but today has been one heck of a day and I am ready to get some sleep. "

" Yeah, I guess it has, " Vash looked at Wolfwood. " You want to go see my place now? We'll sleep there tonight… "

" No! Please stay! " Milly said, startling everyone. She realized she had said it very loud and blushed. " I'm sorry. I meant to say… well… "

Meryl sighed, " Ever since the… Wait. Vash, come with me for a minute. "

Vash looked puzzled, " Uh, okay. "

He followed Meryl out into the hall and she looked at him, her eyes deadly serious. She arched an eyebrow as she leaned closer to him, " Does he know or did you not tell him? "

" About what? " Vash asked slowly.

" You know, " Meryl put a hand over her eyes and sighed. " The kids… his kids at the orphanage. "

Vash nodded, " Yeah. He knows, he read it in the paper I think. "

" Well, Milly's been afraid to sleep since it happened and she's been getting four hours a night maybe… and I have been scared too. I would really like it if you two stayed here tonight, " Meryl mumbled towards the end of the sentence.

" Huh? I didn't catch that last part, " Vash said.

Meryl clenched her fists at her sides, " Could the two of you sleep here tonight? "

" I guess it will be okay, " Vash felt his face heat up. It was obvious where Wolfwood would end up but he didn't know where he was going to sleep. " But where will I sleep? "

" Could you please sleep in my room? " Meryl heard herself say the words but they didn't feel like they were coming from her mouth. Before Vash had gone to fight Knives, the two of them had gotten closer but her displeasure over his living arrangements had pushed them apart. He had also started acting like he was afraid to get close to her for some reason and Knives' disappearance didn't help.

Vash was certain he was as red as his trademark coat now. She had just asked him to sleep in her room so he knew she had to be frightened. He forced his voice to come back to him and said, " Uh… okay. "

" Thank you, Vash. Let's go ask Wolfwood if he'll be okay with staying here tonight, " Meryl looked towards the living room.

" Something tells me he won't mind a bit, " Vash said quietly.

" Let's go ask anyway, " Meryl walked towards the living room.

Vash followed her quietly, ~Man, she just asked me to sleep in her room. I guess she's not mad at me anymore… ~

Milly stood to her feet when Vash and Meryl returned. " Meryl? Can they stay for tonight? I mean I would feel safer if they were here. "

Meryl nodded her head, " Yes, they can stay. "

Milly sighed, " Thank you, Meryl. "

" I would like the couch, " Wolfwood glanced over at Milly. ~I would really like to be with alone with her though. ~

Milly looked a little hurt, " You're not going to sleep in my room? "

Wolfwood looked a little surprised that Milly had been so forward. He ran a hand through his hair, " I guess if that's what you want. "

" I do, " Milly blushed and looked down at the floor. " I would feel a lot safer. "

" I'll go then, " Wolfwood smiled.

Meryl sighed and looked at Vash, " Then I guess we should all go to bed then. We'll have all day tomorrow for more talking and I am really exhausted. "

" I am too, " Vash yawned and waited for Meryl to leave the room. If Wolfwood saw them leave together, he would never live through the taunting and he didn't want Meryl to think he was too eager to be alone with her. Meryl looked at him and he nodded, hoping she would get the message. He motioned to Wolfwood with his eyes and Meryl realized what he was trying to say.

Meryl turned and walked from the room. Milly looked at Vash as he seemed to be looking at the clock and she looked at Wolfwood. After a few minutes, Vash turned to leave the room. He turned left and Milly called out to him, " Meryl's room is to the right, Mr. Vash. "

Vash froze in the hall and turned on his heel. He dashed passed the living room, sure that Wolfwood and Milly were going to start laughing at him. He slowed down and looked for Meryl's door. It was the only one slightly open so he went to it and slipped inside.

**

" They need to give it up and admit they like each other, " Wolfwood sighed after he had heard a door shut.

Milly put an arm around Wolfwood and leaned her head against his shoulder, " I don't know why they keep trying to deny it. Even I can see there's something there and they already fight like a married couple. "

Wolfwood wrapped an arm around Milly's waist and sighed, " And I thought you always overlooked the obvious. "

Milly pulled away and slapped him playfully, " That was so not nice! "

Wolfwood hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. " I was just playing. You really are a smart girl. You are a very beautiful one too. "

Milly blushed as Wolfwood's lips brushed against hers. " Thank you, Nicholas, " She whispered as if she were afraid someone would hear her call him by his given name. He had insisted that she call him by it that night in Tonim Town and refused to speak it after Vash had returned with the news. She felt like she was flying as he kissed her and was so happy to have him with her again.

A long moment passed as they kissed, each of them savoring just like it was their first. Wolfwood pulled away with a sigh and smiled. " Perhaps we should take this to your room. I don't how much longer I can control myself. "

Milly blushed again, " That sounds good. "

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