Chapter Text
For the last half hour or so - Nai couldn't be sure - Vash had been staring at him with weeping puppy eyes. And, for the duration of that time, Nai had done his best to pretend he wasn't there. It was only when Vash began actually whimpering like a wounded animal that Nai finally had enough.
"Fine!" he snapped, bringing their sand cruiser to an abrupt halt. "You can drive."
"Yes!" Vash cheered, throwing his hands up and consequently hitting the ceiling. "Oww."
Before he could regret the choice, Nai unfastened his belt and relinquished his seat, stepping out of the car so they could change places. He expected Vash to do the same, but evidently his brother couldn't be bothered with the business of getting out when the seat was directly next to him.
Through the windshield, Nai watched with a long-suffering expression as Vash contorted and twisted his long body, clamoring over the gear shift to somehow squeeze himself into the drivers seat. It was impressive, really. Both his idiocy and the fact that he actually managed to do it.
"Ready!"
Nai glared dubiously at his brother for a beat before rounding the front of the vehicle to take his seat.
"Listen Vash," he began while fastening his belt, "I know you're excited, but-"
Bla bla bla - Vash was having none of it! He punched the gas and the cruiser leapt forward like a wild tomas. Nai clutched the grab handle for leverage as he was jerked back.
"Son of a bitch Vash!" he snarled between his teeth.
"It's alright it's a sand cruiser!" came Vash's confident assurance. "This is literally what it's made for!"
Over the arid desert they sped, their advance marked by a rising cloud of dust and dirt. Although it had been a while, Vash remembered the landscape well. They passed LR Town - which looked lively, even from a distance (a good sign the old town was recovering) - and were soon riding alongside a mountainous eastern skyline that would guide them the rest of the way.
Before long, Vash’s keen eyes picked out the faint outline of buildings nestled against the rocky backdrop, and he knew they were almost there!
Only...as the got closer, he noticed that the village silhouette didn't quite match his memory. There were a lot more buildings now, certainly more than he remembered. And, strangest of all, there was a large sign hoisted on top of two stone pillars with the words SPRING VALLEY embossed in steel.
Vash pulled the cruiser up to the entryway, stopping just outside.
"Spring Valley?" he questioned quietly, drawing a curious glance from Nai.
"What? What's wrong?"
Vash didn't answer. Instead, he leaned out the window to pan the horizon while consulting a mental map of the land that had been burned into his mind from decades of travel.
"We're in the right place," he mused to himself. "I'm sure of it, but..."
But the town didn't look right. From what he could see, the buildings were crisp and new, made of fresh clay and wood, though sun baked enough to show at least a years worth of age, two at most. A far cry from the worn, dust-eaten village he'd left three years prior.
What was going on?
Still unsure, but beholden to a desperate need for answers, Vash drove slowly onward, following the paved roadway through town.
As they cruised along, more concerning discoveries revealed themselves. There were way more people milling around than before. Plus a slew of purveyors and stores that he couldn't recall either. Every which way Vash looked was something strange, making him all the more uneasy.
Did something happen to the old village? Or, had he been away so long that his internal map could no longer be trusted? That wouldn't make any sense though!
"Does any of this look familiar to you?" Vash asked.
Nai shot an incredulous glare his way.
"Let me think." He tapped his chin mockingly, then tossed his hands in a huff. "Oh wait, I was unconscious the last time I was here!" Honestly, did he leave his brain back on Ship 3 or something?
A bashful laugh was Vash's first response.
"Right right, sorry."
Almost immediately after, his sheepish grin dropped and he returned to his troubled thoughts.
Eventually, after having gone in at least two circles with nothing being any clearer, Vash spied an older man leaning against a tomas post, puffing lazily on a pipe. He rolled the cruiser to a stop in front of him and leaned out the window with a pleasant smile in greeting.
"'Scuse me, sir?"
At this, the older man lifted his head enough for an eye to peek out from beneath the rim of his hat. The first thing he noticed was how familiar this youngster looked, though he couldn't figure out why right off.
"We're looking for a village that used to be around here," Vash explained. "Small place, didn't really have a name or anything-"
The man interrupted him with a whistle to vouchsafe his surprise.
"Lord's sakes, you really been gone a while huh?" he said with a deep throaty chuckle, convinced now that he must have seen this spikey-haired lad somewhere around town ages ago and simply forgot. "Well, good news, you're in the right place alright. Everything sorta exploded after we struck water. Really put us on the map y'know?"
Vash beamed as the man confirmed they were in the right village, and that it was, apparently, doing very well!
"That's great! Nai we made it!" Vash excitedly shook his brother's shoulder, but his elation didn't catch.
"Wonderful," Nai offered passionlessly.
"Hey," ignoring him, Vash returned to the man on the other side of the window, "do you know if John Tunstall still lives around here?"
John Tunstall had been the kindly old man who owned the house they stayed in while he was on the mend. If he wanted to find the girls, Mr. Tunstall was his best bet.
On hearing the name, the smoking man barked a laugh.
"Yeah, not even a typhoon could run that old codger out of town." He shook his head good-naturedly, then leaned closer to Vash, pointing down a nearby street. "You just take a right here, and you'll hit the main road. Turn left on that and keep goin' til you get to the old part of town. He's still in the same old house, you'll find it eventually."
"Thanks mister!" Vash called over his shoulder before driving off down the instructed path with renewed hope.
One right, then a left, then driving, driving, driving - and sure enough, things started to look familiar! Vash recognized the old saloon, the seamstress, the apothecary and the department store. It was all just as he remembered! This really was the old village after all!
And there, a block and a half ahead of them, was John Tunstall's house. Vash would know that porch from anywhere. Like an excited child, he bounced in his seat. Nai groaned and slumped against the window, dropping his head in his palm. This was going to be a long day.
Vash brought the cruiser to a stop in front of the stairs and hopped out of the car with such swiftness Nai actually had to double check to make sure he turned the damn thing off and took the keys. With a single stride of his long legs, Vash cleared the stairway and rushed the door. Nai followed him at a more reasonable pace.
Familiarity emboldened Vash, and he walked right in without so much as a knock!
"Hello!" he called, his greeting echoing through the foyer. "Anybody home?"
"Yeah yeah!" came a rough-voiced reply from somewhere deep inside the house, followed by the telltale shuffling of boots.
Patiently Vash waited, Nai reluctantly by his side, until old John, looking even older now, hobbled into view.
"I'm here, hol-" he paused when his gray eyes landed on the men, and recognition lit his features. "Say! I remember you! Vash right? The one those two young ladies brought in. Thought you was dead I did!" he chortled before turning his attention to Nai. "Oh and you must be the other blond fella he brought in. Thought you was dead too."
Vash clasped his brother's shoulder and laughed.
"Yep that's us!"
"Well damn you boys been gone a while aint'cha!" John remarked, folding his arms as he took them in.
"Yeah, we had some uh...things to do." Small talk was all well and good, but Vash had an agenda. He entertained the old man for a little, and then got right to the reason for their unexpected visit. "Anyway, so, those girls, are they still here?"
Old John held his stomach and bellowed a great laugh.
"I ain't never been good at keepin' women 'round that long!" Then he settled down to give a proper answer. "They moved out shortly after you two left, some 3 years ago now." One of John's brows quirked upwards. Jokes aside, he found it a strange assumption that two young women would stay in an old man's house for that long.
Hearing that they'd left, Vash's smile fell along with his heart.
"Oh. I see."
Of course she hadn't stayed. They - they hadn't stayed. And why would they? After all the times he'd run off, then leaving so suddenly in the middle of the night? And he'd been gone so long this time. Whatever the reason, he couldn't reasonably expect her to-
"Yeah they got their own place a little further up the road now, just off Union Street," John concluded, ignorant of the disappointment his earlier statement caused. "Not far at all."
Vash's eyes sparkled and a smile broke wide on his face.
They stayed! Meryl she-she waited for him!
"Really!? That's great! Thanks for the info old man!"
In a blink, Vash whirled back around, dashing out the front door. Nai stayed where he was, staring blankly into the mid-distance. John looked between him and the open door, confused, until Vash poked his head nervously back inside.
"Where's Union Street?"
Nai heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. Vash really must have left his brain back on the ship to be acting like such a moron (well, more than usual, at any rate).
Johns directions were easy to follow, and indeed, he was right when he said they hadn't gone far. Matter of fact, they'd even passed the house on the way over. Although, Vash would never have realized it just from looking. Mostly because he didn't expect it to be so big!
The house they pulled up to was two stories and, going by the amount of windows, contained multiple rooms. Like John's, it also had a wooden porch, except this one only spanned half the front of the house to the doorway.
For the first few minutes, after they parked and left the car, Vash just stood there, lost in a flurry of thoughts. He still couldn't believe they were finally here, after all this time. So many nights he'd dreamt of this very moment, imagining and reimagining it in his head. Now, he stood on the cusp of turning those dreams into reality, and a whirlwind of emotions was tearing him up inside. Excitement at seeing them again, seeing her again, and apprehension for the same reason. After three years away, with no word on when he was coming back or if he was even alive, Vash figured he was in for an earful from Meryl. But even that filled him with nostalgia and longing. Good or bad, he looked forward to being fussed over again.
Then he took in the house as a whole. Their house. Home. At long last. This was the door he'd come through at the end of every day. This was the porch from where he'd watch the world march by. And somewhere inside was a table where he'd eat his meals with Nai, Milly, and Meryl. Home. Home. Ho-
"For crying out loud!" Nai had enough standing around and took the initiative.
"H-hey! I wasn't done basking yet!" Vash hurried after him, but his brother still beat him to the door. Before Vash could stop him - not that he wanted to, honestly - Nai rapped his knuckles against the wood.
And then they waited.
It wasn't until his keen ears caught the sounds of shuffling from inside, that Vash realized he'd been holding his breath. Someone was coming! He heard the door knob turn, and with a creak it opened inward, revealing the perplexed face of Milly Thompson.
The second he saw her, Vash's heart swelled with joy. Sweet, affable Milly! She looked a little gentler now, a little more tired, and there was a pervading patience in her eyes that he hadn't recalled before. Her golden brown hair flowed over one shoulder in a loose ponytail, and she wore a simple green and taupe dress beneath a stained apron. Little changes, subtle changes, but she was still and all wonderfully Milly.
Once Milly realized who was staring back at her, the confusion fell away with a gasp. Her blue eyes widened, and her hands came up to cup the sides of her face in surprise.
"Oh my gosh!" Her voice was like a melody Vash hadn't heard in ages. "Vash!"
"Milly!"
Vash stole through the door at speed to gather the tall woman in his arms. He twirled her about, the two of them laughing joyfully at being reunited after so many years apart. Milly clung to him, her head resting over his shoulder, feet kicked up behind her. When Vash set her down, Milly grabbed his hands, giving them a light squeeze as if to make sure he was really there.
"I cant believe it's really you!" she practically gushed.
"Yup, its me alright!"
Vash gave her hands a quick squeeze back before reaching over to snag an unenthusiastic Nai around the shoulder, pulling him closer. Up until then, he'd been off to the side, trying his darndest to melt into the background.
"We're back from our very insightful journey of brotherly bonding! You remember my brother Nai?"
"Of course!" Milly flashed Nai a Duchenne smile, brimming with honest delight. "Hello Mr. Nai, its good to see you again! And conscious this time!"
"I'm conscious alright," was his dry rejoinder.
Milly tilted her head, not really understanding the joke (if there was one). Vash belted out a laugh and slammed his palm playfully, with just the slightest hint of warning, into his brother's back. As to be expected, this earned him a scowl. Nai was behaving! He just hated these long, drawn out, mushy introductions!
"Isn't he a riot?" Vash's laughter faded, and he looked over Milly's shoulder, scanning eagerly as he asked, "Is Meryl here too?"
A knowing light shone in Milly's eyes, and she wished she could say yes. But regrettably, she had to shake her head and deliver the unfortunate news.
"No, she's still working," Milly admitted before quickly grabbing Vash's arm. "But don't just stand there, come inside! I've got so much to tell you two!"
With a tug, she pulled him tripping into the doorway. Nai followed after them with yet another sigh. How lucky for him that this woman happened to have the same insufferable amount of energy as his twin.
On the other side of the doorway was a large kitchen framed by counterspace, with a little round table and chairs set in the center. Nestled in the far corner was a warm, wood-burning stove that filled the space with comforting heat. The kitchen looked well-lived-in, with a percolator on the counter, cups, some stray pots and pans, dish rags, and covered containers of flour, sugar and spices. Bread and cold cuts sat out, signs that Milly had been in the middle of making something before being called away.
Vash marveled at the room, taking in every detail. Through a nearby entryway he caught a glimpse of what he assumed was a living room, and the bottom portion of a staircase. He could already tell it was a large house from the outside, but being inside and seeing how spacious it was, impressed him all the more. Privately, Nai appraised the kitchen, finding it equally to his liking, though his expression remained neutral.
"Wow," Vash said with a whistle as he gazed about. "You guys sure got a nice place!"
"Well, we wanted to make sure it was big enough for everyone," Milly replied while clearing the table of a small mess she'd neglected from that morning. "Especially after -" Suddenly she gasped, her face shining with renewed excitement. "Oh! That's right I almost forgot!" Putting the small pile of dishes and napkins on the counter, she hurried out of the room, stopping only briefly at the entryway. "Stay right here."
Vash and Nai traded perplexed glances, the former shrugging his ignorance.
When Milly appeared again, she was not alone. Nestled in her arms was a small girl, no older than three, with messy chocolate brown hair and misty blue eyes. They darted between the two men before she tucked her head beneath Milly's, looking at them shyly from over her shoulder.
Nai grimaced - great, children. Vash, however, was instantly spellbound. He stared at the small girl in wonder, his mind frozen as he struggled to process this unexpected turn of events.
"Our family grew a little while you were away," Milly said, gazing adoringly at the small girl in her arms. "This is Hope."
Tentatively Vash approached, bending down just-so, to be on the child's level.
"Hey there Hope," he cooed.
As he drew closer, she hid her face in Milly's chest.
"She's a little shy," Milly explained, smoothing her hair down with a comforting pat.
"Aw, that's okay," Vash replied, grinning. "We'll be best friends soon enough won't we?"
The little girl peeked at him over her shoulder, and his expression softened.
"You have such a pretty name, too."
"Thanks!" came Milly's cheerful response. Then her voice dipped somberly, and a wistful mist came over her. "I like to think he would have liked it too."
He?
Vash's mind raced. Pieces began weaving themselves together in his head. The haunting familiarity of the child's face came into focus. Those sharp little eyes - the color was different, but he knew he'd seen them before. Realization came immediately afterward. His heart shuddered and constricted, pain and wonder, happiness and sadness, swirling in his chest.
This was...Wolfwood's...
"Is she...?"
Milly's head inclined in a nod.
"She is."
Vash felt breathless and full all at once.
"Wow."
Although he'd never asked about it directly, Vash noticed the chemistry between Wolfwood and Milly right away. And he did recall that, when he took up the miserable task of relaying his best friend's death, Milly had been in his room. It was only one night - that he was aware of - but through that night, Wolfwood would now live on in the form of this adorable little girl in Milly's arms.
"Hope, this is your new uncle, Vash," Milly said, turning Hope just a little so she couldn't hide as easily. "And this is your other new uncle, Nai."
"Aww Unky Nai!" Vash squealed.
Nai fixed a glare on his brother.
"Don't make me beat you in front of a child."
Vash ignored his threat and took to fussing over Hope, tweaking his voice in a goofy sort of way.
"Unky Nai sure is gwumpy inn't he Hope?"
Hope giggled as Vash tickled her neck. Milly felt a gleeful flutter in her chest, like a part of her that had been missing was finally found again.
"Meryl is going to be so jealous I got to welcome you home first!"
Home. That word again. Vash swooned.
"When does she get home?"
"Not until late," Milly sighed, shifting Hope to her other arm.
Almost reflexively, the child stared up at the quiet blond stranger in her kitchen. Nai's mouth drew into a thin line as he stared back.
"Between Bernardelli and now SVT," Milly went on, "she usually doesn't get home until it's dark."
As the two talked, Hope reached for Nai, who was now casting pleading glances at Milly and Vash to do something. Unfortunately, neither noticed his plight.
"SVT?" Vash asked.
"Mhm Spring Valley Tribunal! She does some journalism for the town on the side now."
Hope continued to paw at the air in front of Nai's face, and he could do little more than stand there in obvious discomfort.
"Never stands still does she?" Vash sighed nostalgically. Meryl always was a bit of a workaholic.
"It was sort of our only option after Hope was born," Milly admitted with a loving glance at her daughter. "I tried taking her to work with me, but that didn't work out."
This pulled Nai's attention, and his brows came together in astonishment. Really? She tried bringing an infant to work with her?
"Shocking." Nai rolled his eyes. Wow, what a surprise that didn't pan out.
Sweet as she was, Milly missed his sarcasm completely.
"I know I was surprised too! She's so little I didn't think she'd be any trouble." And this was a genuine response. "So its just been Meryl doing all the work. Oh, but I cook and clean and stuff! I think that helps a little." She hoped it did, anyway.
"I bet she appreciates it," Vash offered soothingly.
Milly smiled in appreciation, though she preferred not to dwell on the guilt she'd been silently nursing.
"Anyway, things should be a lot easier now that you're both back!"
"Yeah. Sorry we had to disappear on you girls like that," Vash said, his gaze dodging sheepishly to the side. Milly promptly shook her head.
"You don't have to apologize, you explained everything in the note you left us. I'm glad everything seems to have worked out, and you look a lot happier Mr. Nai!"
Confusion wrinkled Nai's face, and he began wondering if there was something dreadfully wrong with it for her to say that. He was fairly certain he hadn't smiled once since they got there.
"Have either of you had lunch?" Milly asked between them. "I was just making a sandwich. If you're hungry I can make more."
"No, that-" Nai raised a hand in polite refusal, only to be drowned out by an eager exclaim from Vash.
"Yes please!"
Nai dropped his hands and surrendered with a huff. Sandwiches it was.
"Great! Have a seat and I'll tell you both everything you've missed!"
As Milly detailed the last few years of their absence, Vash struggled to focus. Yes, he wanted to know everything. Every detail, from the discovery of Hope to the minutiae of their daily lives. But no matter how hard he tried, one thought kept stealing his attention: he was home.
Really home.
That night ages ago, when Meryl invited him to live a normal life in this little village with her and Milly, giving him permission to just be, he hadn't truly grasped the reality of it. Of course he accepted; all he'd ever wanted was to live a peaceful life with humans. But now it was happening. Really happening. Everything, from her offer to his promise to return, all of it was being fulfilled, right now.
More than a few times Vash had to manufacture a cough or pretend to have something in his eye so nobody would realize he was on the verge of tears. Nai knew, obviously, as evidenced by the way he frowned whenever Vash's emotions peaked or swayed. To his credit though, he said nothing. And Milly remained blissfully ignorant.
After a while, everything became a bit too much, and Vash invented an excuse to get out of the house. Betraying her cleverness, Milly casually mentioned Meryl's usual route home from her studio off Third Street. Vash feigned ignorance, to which she laughed, shrugged, and bid him a good walk. Nai made one desperate mental plea for Vash to stay, which he answered with a Cheshire cat grin and a parting wave as he slipped out the front door. A little time alone with Milly and Hope would be good for him.
From the house, Vash walked some distance up the road until he came to a monument they'd passed on the way over. He gave the structure only a fleeting glance, far more interested in the benches around it. The day was hot, and after being in a car for hours, he was eager to sit in the open air and feel the breeze rush over him. Besides, he thought, what better way to sample the spirit of a town than with quiet meditation?
Vash fell back against the bench and let his long legs stretch out in front of him. Once comfortable, he heightened his senses, more than any human could ever experience. He tilted his head up and sucked in a breath, taking in whatever the wind offered: the hot, dust filled air, the scent of fresh baked goods and sizzling meat.
And then there was sound.
Vash let his mind wander over the conversations in passing: people greeting one another, haggling over prices, children laughing, plans being made, wares being sold - it all came as a beautiful melody into his ears. The hum of the village. The sounds of people going about their daily routines - a symphony of life. Spring Valley almost seemed to breath, like a living thing itself.
Spring Valley. The village that was going to be his home.
Vash opened his eyes and stared at the sky, wincing slightly under the glare of the twin suns. Clouds lazily passed across a canvas of the purest blue, urged on by a gentle wind. He felt his heart beat steadily as the day's warmth seeped into him. And in this way, he realized a sense of peace that he'd never known before.
A slow dawning brightened his face.
This is really it.
For the first time since...
Since those wonderful, nostalgic days with Rem and Nai, when there was only them, and peace, and love.
There's no one to run from. No one to fight. No one to worry about.
Vash's eyes widened, glistening with a gathering of tears.
I'm free.
Free.
After decades upon decades of running, moving from place to place to place, saying goodbye to people he loved; after a lifetime of putting everyone's needs before his own...it was done.
Vash's chest rocked with a laugh, then another, and another still, until his throat was alive with the sound of it. Understandably, a few people looked at him strangely, wondering what this grown man could possibly be laughing at by himself. Vash paid them no mind, lost to the world in his celebration of freedom after fighting for so long. For Rem, for Nai, for peace.
But oh, what a cost there was to pay.
Without warning, the tides turned on him, and Vash's laughter steadily devolved into woebegone tears. He pitched forward, burying his head in his hands as he sobbed. He thought of Brad, of the boy he was, the man he'd become and the man he'd never get to be. And then he thought of Wolfwood. His best friend. His guide. The brother he'd always wished Nai would have been.
"Wolfwood." Vash whimpered through tears. "I wish you could have seen her."
Hope. He would never know she had his eyes. He'd never get to see her grow up. He'd never get to teach her about the world. Coming to terms with the loss and the knowledge that his brother had a hand in it, hadn't been easy. If it wasn't for that deep love he had for Nai, that inexplicable kinship that bound them, he didn't think he would have been able to do it. Not like holding a grudge would have brought Wolfwood back, anyway. And then there was the unspoken promise to Rem.
All in all, whatever the reasons, Vash didn't regret his decision to forgive Nai, nor did he resent him. Instead, Vash mourned the loss of someone he loved, choosing to channel his sadness into making sure the family Wolfwood left behind was taken care of.
"But don't worry. I'll look after her for you. And Milly too. I promise."
Eventually his tears dried, and Vash was once again reclining on the bench, though more reserved in his posture. With renewed focus, he stared down the dust-laden road and the various shops and residences that lined the busy thoroughfare of his new home.
Their home.
His home with her.
A smile broke onto Vash's face as he thought of Meryl. Damn, it had just been so long since he'd seen her. Yet not a single detail of her face had he forgotten. She'd been on his mind every night since he left, with very little exception. And now, at long last, he'd see her again. The one he asked to wait - the one who waited for him.
Vash felt an exultancy come over him, and a chill ran up his back. He was excited! All that stood between them now was a collection of hours!
Vash stood, searching the street for any signs that could tell him where he was or where to go. When nothing obvious revealed itself, he asked the owner of a nearby shop where he might find Third Street.
After being pointed in the right direction, Vash scampered off to steak out a rendezvous. All the while, he couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like. Not just seeing her again, but living with her. Living with Milly and Hope and Nai and...her. Rest at last. Peace at last. And lov-well...peace at least. Vash could be certain of that much.
But he didn't want to think about anything too messy. Right now, all he wanted to focus on was seeing Meryl again.
Vash waited out the hours in a small gap between stores along the route Milly told him about. The suns dipped somberly beyond the sight of the shortest buildings. The sky turned red - pale yellow - faded blue. Traffic of all kinds thinned. Buildings darkened and windows poured light onto the street. And still he waited.
And then...there she was, just ahead of him, up the road.
Meryl.
Vash saw the light from a nearby window illuminate her face and instantly recognized her. She really hadn't changed at all.
Meryl was small as ever, just a wisp of a thing, with short dark hair and stormy lilac eyes that were currently hazed over, probably with a million thoughts. Over one shoulder hung a large leather bag that hadn't been closed all the way, revealing the edge of an overstuffed binder. Besides her usual gold-bar earrings, her outfit was different - an off-white collared blouse was tucked into a short lavender skirt and dark leggings with matching low-heeled shoes. As a final touch, in place of her usual lavallière was a charcoal tie that, in his opinion, really brought the whole outfit together.
Damn if she wasn't gorgeous! Vash nearly melted at the sight of her, taking her in as an observer from the shadows for as long as he could. Just watching, embracing the finer details of her face, her body, her clothes, the way she carried herself, everything. Everything he'd missed; drinking her in as a parched man does a tall glass of cold water.
Suddenly she stopped. Her eyes snapped up, narrowing suspiciously at the strange figure looming in the shadows.
So he'd been found out. Vash smiled to himself - even in times of peace she was ever alert to her surroundings. Good girl.
"Hey Meryl."
That voice.
His voice.
Meryl felt it pass through her like an arrow, and a tremble of nerves rocked her from top to bottom. Her breath caught in a half-choked gasp, and her heart pounded against her ribs.
It couldn't be him. It couldn't be, until...it was.
Until he stepped out of the darkness, and the light of the moons revealed his smiling face. A face that she'd never forget, even if she never saw it again.
"Long time no see."
There was no mistaking him.
Even without the red coat and orange-tinted glasses, Meryl knew it was him. Vash had come back. At long long last, he'd finally come home!
Meryl's arms dropped and her bag hit the floor with a resounding thud, abandoned as she bolted for him, her face strained with emotion. At the last second she sprang, and Vash reached out to catch her without a second thought. He pulled her close, and her arms flew around his waist in a tight embrace. Against his chest he barely heard her laugh, or sob, he couldn't be sure which. Maybe both.
"I can't believe it!" Finally Meryl looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling with tears and unparalleled joy and...love.
Vash felt breathless, untethered from the world, as if he were freefalling. Feeling her body against his, having her, real, solid, in his arms right now, breathed renewed life into those quiet feelings he harbored for her. They rushed upon him like a rising tide, and Vash felt that if he didn't do something soon, he might well drown in them.
So he forced a laugh and pulled her in, hiding his head over the curve of her shoulder as he sent them both into a twirl. It was all he could do in the moment, otherwise she'd surely see the rush of blood coloring his cheeks. Neither could his eyes be trusted, because he was fighting a tide of emotion behind them. If she saw all that, well, there'd be no helping either of them.
"Put me down!" But the laugh in her voice begged him to ignore the request. And Vash definitely wasn't ready to show his face just yet.
Vash indulged her for another twirl, and one more for good measure, before steeling himself and plopping her down roughly on her feet. Meryl looked up at him, radiant and brimming with what he could only describe as pure bliss. The sight of it filled him in a way he didn't know was possible.
"You're really here." She spoke as if she didn't believe it, but was ready to submit to the fantasy with all of herself.
"You waited." The words leapt from Vash's mouth without permission. A mixture of surprise and relief and a reverent thankfulness that breathed love into them, also without his permission.
For a brief instant, neither of them could do anything, both finding something within the quick exchange that took them by surprise. Meryl was first to break the tension, pretending to do so for practical reasons, and not because she was struggling with her own feelings.
"Well, its not like we could just leave you with no way to find us, unlike somebody I know." A snarky laugh separated her excuse. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
To this Vash couldn't help but grin. She was small (terribly cute) and her facade fell flat. And, as the words flowed effortlessly, familiarly, between them, Vash realized how badly he'd missed these moments with her. He couldn't help indulge in them.
"Better than whoever that guy was," he snickered. Then his expression softened apologetically. "Sorry to surprise you like this, Milly told me you were working late. I can't believe you're still doing two jobs." Vash poked at her forehead teasingly. "You'll get wrinkles if you don't slow down."
Meryl swatted his hand away and glared at him with eyes that held more cheer than annoyance. She couldn't believe how easy it was to fall back into their usual banter. As if they hadn't spent the last few years apart. Or, maybe, she thought, he was just as eager as she was to pick up where they'd left off.
"Oh wow, slow down?" she remarked with manufactured enlightenment. "Gee I never would have thought of that! How silly of me, assuming I'd need to make money to support two women and a child!"
Vash laughed and scratched at the back of his head ashamedly.
"Oh right, guess I sort of put you guys in a bind huh?"
Maybe not directly, but he hadn't exactly left them any money (not that he had much back then). And he did kind of leave in the middle of the night. No forewarning, no way for them to prepare. Plus, after Hope was born, they probably could've really used the extra help. For those things at least, Vash felt guilty.
"A little bit, yes," Meryl responded curtly, favoring him with a familiar glare.
"So cold." Vash visibly shuddered at her frosty response.
Meryl merely scoffed.
"I'm not going to sugar coat it." Just because he was home now, and she was over the moons, didn't mean she was going to excuse what he'd done. His leaving really did put them in a bind. Although... "But I know you had a good reason," she relented with a sigh. Then her gaze softened and she looked at him with warm, embracing eyes. "So I forgive you."
Vash could hardly stand it, the attention she was giving him. So he defaulted to humor to settle his nerves and avoid the churning swell of feelings within.
"Thank you, oh merciful one," he said, bowing graciously toward her with arms out as if in worship.
Meryl's face went red from embarrassment, and she immediately checked to make sure nobody was watching.
"Cut that out!" she smacked his head for good measure.
Vash merely laughed and righted himself, wearing a foolish grin that Meryl hadn't realized she missed so terribly until that moment. But, like Vash, she could scarcely handle such a sight and switched topics.
"So how is your brother? Is he...?" Unable to pick a singular question, she left the statement open.
"He's with me. He's," Vash's smile broadened as he said that wonderful word again, "home with Milly right now."
Meryl sucked in a small gasp. She hadn't expected that! Especially based off of Nai's murderous history.
"And that's....?" she looked at Vash expectantly.
"Don't worry, he's calmed down," Vash assured her, watching as Meryl released a pent up sight of relief. Knowing what she did, he didn't blame her for being worried. "I wouldn't have brought him back if I didn't trust he'd be okay around you two - oh, three now." The image of little Hope flashed in his mind, along with the memory of Wolfwood. "I still can't believe it."
"It was a surprise for us too," Meryl revealed with a deep nod. "And a bit of an adjustment."
It had certainly been a life-altering occasion, the day Milly realized she was pregnant. There was a lot of crying and celebration on both their parts.
"I bet." Vash laughed a little under his breath, still somewhat reeling from the unexpected news.
Meryl looked at him squarely then. Vash caught her gaze in the moonslight, and he could just make out a hint of worry in them.
"So...is it actually over? Really over?"
Everything? The running, the fighting, fearing for their lives, fearing for his life, the rivalries and the unknowns?
"I think so. Oh, well, maybe except for glory hunters." People who chased clout rather than double-dollars. Even if his bounty was removed, nothing could separate Vash the Stampede from his reputation.
Meryl blanched.
"That's not funny!" she groaned, her voice thick with dread and preemptive exhaustion.
Vash laughed, and for a split second, Meryl looked like she'd clock him good. But it passed almost as fast, and her features relaxed into a dreamy expression that held more affection than she meant to display.
"Well, even so, for all the trouble you're worth I'm...I'm glad you're back."
'I'm glad you're back.'
Those words echoed through Vash's mind, like a sweet melody that raised his spirits and made his heart skip. Yes indeed. He was back. Back to a place that he'd been missing for too long, a place that, before now, had existed only in dreams. But she made it real. He had a home to come back to, and it was all because of her.
"Yeah," he breathed. "Me too."
Meryl's heart jumped in her throat. The cool color of his eyes in no way tempered their warmth, and the way he looked at her, as if she were something precious and beloved, made her blood rush and gather in the most inconvenient places, coloring her cheeks and even her ears to a much rosier hue.
If he saw, he didn't say anything (and he certainly saw). Meryl did her best to carry on, despite her body's betrayal. She huffed, planted her hands on her hips, and turned away from him with a forced frown.
"Guess this means I'll have more work on my plate," she lamented while simultaneously struggling to bring her wild emotions to heel.
"I'll do anything I can to help!" Vash declared with an almost comical over-abundance of certitude.
Meryl smirked up at him and crossed her arms, her nerves settled by his antics.
"Oh I know it, don't think you're just going to be sitting around the house all day!"
Some of the frustration of being forced into the role of breadwinner, while Vash and Nai were out gallivanting cross the desert, leaked into her voice. Vash cowered away from her - mostly for show but, not entirely.
"Scary as ever," he barely whispered, tossing an impish glance over his shoulder.
Sure enough, Meryl was glaring daggers at him.
"I can hear you!" she barked.
The anger in her voice sent Vash running with a yelp. Meryl heaved a sigh and shook her head, fighting against the smile that threatened to ruin her facade. Retracing her steps, she stooped down to pick up her abandoned work bag, then followed him up the quiet street toward home.
Later that night, after Hope was put to bed, the four of them met for their first 'family meeting' in the kitchen. Milly had called it that, and Vash embraced the term happily. Meryl and Nai couldn't care less what it was called; Meryl's only objective was to iron out the details and make sure everyone knew what would be expected going forward. Adding two men to heir household was going to be a change for all of them, even if it was planned for.
There was very little to go over with regard to living arrangements. They were all adults, and Meryl figured they understood good and well how to live agreeably with each other. If they ate something, they'd be cleaning up after themselves. Of course they were welcome to anything (food was communal), but if they depleted something, they were expected to replenish it.
Besides that, Meryl was clear in her expectations that the brothers pull their own weight. No lazing about on her and Milly's dime (Milly would be going back to work as a day laborer). While the women were out, the men's primary job would be minding the house and taking care of Hope.
Nai had mixed feelings on the whole thing. On the one hand, he did indeed know how to be a good housemate. And as long as nobody messed with his things, he couldn't foresee any issues. Meryl even sweetened the deal by revealing that he and Vash had their own rooms waiting. Having his own space, for once, was exciting in a way. Not so much this whole business of childcare and housework. It was demeaning, especially for an esteemed agronomist, such as himself.
And what of Vash? He had absolutely no opinion. About a quarter of the way through Meryl's spiel, he'd completely tuned out. Lost down winding trails in his mind, steeped in daydreams and fantasies of the future. He watched her talk with his head in his hand, eyes hazy and a smile brushed on his face. There were a few times Meryl asked if he was listening, and reflexively he nodded without even hearing her. He was listening, in a way - listening to her voice, to the elated hum of her heart that only a plant could notice. Otherwise, for the most part, he was unequivocally lost.
Because he had finally made it. He was finally here; home. The home that he'd longed for, that he'd dreamed of since the day of the Big Fall, was finally found in a little town called Spring Valley. And he could think of nothing else.