Intermission

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the bus operator announced pleasantly from the front of the bus. “I’m Kiri, and I’ll be your driver this evening. If you have any concerns, please feel free to come forward and speak to me. Smoking and the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on this vehicle. There is a washroom in the back of the bus for your convenience. We will be stopping once in May City for refueling, and then we become the express bus to December. I hope you enjoy the trip, and thank you for riding with Sandworm Express.”

Meryl had quite purposefully chosen to sit next to Milly on the bus ride. Ever since her date with Vash, Knives had been acting strangely: a little too polite, a little too thoughtful, a little too… well, creepy. She didn’t like it. Was he jealous of him? Or of her? The thought was frightening.

Knives had already leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, a perfect semblance of a quiet state of repose. She mistrusted it, as she mistrusted most of what he did recently. He and his brother were in the seat beside hers and Milly’s, so she could reach over and touch Knives, who had insisted on having the aisle seat, if she wished. Vash was scanning the horizon, sadness etched onto his face. She remembered. It had been a long bus ride when they had found the priest, half-dead, in the ravished desert.

Milly also seemed to be remembering, gazing down at her hands, eyes looking a little lost. Meryl didn’t want to guess what she could be thinking, because she was sure she could never understand. After all, when she thought she had lost the man she loved, he had come back. With baggage.

The bus groaned forward, a loud hiss of air issuing from the back as the driver took off the parking brake. Meryl tried to settle herself into her seat, but she never seemed to be able to get comfortable on a bus. How many trips had she taken in buses like this to find Vash? How many to chase him? Never any to flee from him.

The trip to May City was six hours. She had chosen to purchase tickets that would allow them to travel in the nighttime. If they slept, they would get there faster.

She forgot she could never sleep on a bus.

The night wore on, dragging its heels. She shifted her weight, stood up, stretched, sat, shifted her weight, turned, leaned against Milly, shifted her weight. Nothing was working. She would die of sleep deprivation. Had it only been a few hours since they had gotten on the bus? How did bus drivers do it? Did they live off caffeine?

And then she noticed luminescent blue eyes regarding her in the near-darkness. The silence was disturbed only by rumble of the bus over road and the noises of sleep that other passengers occasionally made. Until he spoke.

“Can’t get to sleep, Meryl?” It was that icy tone he used when he had first awoken. She couldn’t help but shiver.

“Yes. I don’t sleep well on moving vehicles.”

“You can sit here if you want.”

Was this a trap? “No, I’m fine here.”

“I’m sure my brother wouldn’t mind if I switched seats with you.”

Yes, she was definitely uneasy now. “I’m sure he wouldn’t, but I’m fine here. I’m comfortable.”

“You don’t seem comfortable.”

She kept her voice measured and even. “Knives, why don’t you try and get some sleep? We have a very long bus ride coming up, and even during our stop-over in May City we won’t have much time.”

He watched her, his gaze unwavering. She felt her throat constrict. “Yes. Perhaps I will. I hope you sleep then, Meryl. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

She blinked as he turned away. Where had he heard that one?

But he was behaving outwardly remarkably well. There had been no death threats, no tense moments where she feared he would blow up everyone around. Nothing. Surprisingly nothing.

Had he passed the point of threats then?

Maybe all he was waiting for now was to pounce, to destroy, as they headed deeper and deeper into civilization. There would be another July, another August. But it would be December.

A sudden thought struck her as immensely funny. Shouldn’t it be September next? Going out of order was so messy, and Knives certainly wasn’t a slob! A choked giggle escaped her throat, and blue eyes found their way back to her.

“You’re being too loud for me to sleep,” he said stoically.

“Sorry.” She straightened out her face from the laugh.

“I’ll talk to you about boring things, and then you’ll want to sleep.” He blinked once, the lights vanishing momentarily.

“How about interesting things? I like those better.” She was almost giggling again. Being tired made her a little crazy. Usually the symptoms were more of the grumpy variety, but today it appeared to be hysteria.

Knives must have sensed this. He sighed and rubbed his forehead lightly with two fingers. “We should have taken a sand steamer.”

“No way! I always get attacked by bandits in those things!” The giggle escaped. “One time, Milly and I went undercover and saved Vash. It was really funny, but not so funny at the time.”

“I bet.”

“No, really! We were all dramatic! ‘I’m Derringer Meryl! I’m Stun gun Milly!’ Maybe I should have gone into acting.” At this new concept, she had to put a hand over her mouth to keep quiet. Oh God, this stress was really getting to her.

Knives’ face suddenly looked very gentle. “Meryl, maybe you should try and sleep. You’ll be very irritable in the morning if you don’t sleep at all. There are three more hours to May City. Are you sure you don’t want to sit here?”

Suddenly sober and feeling weepy, she nodded. Being overtired was so stupid! She had to be responsible! She had to take care of everyone, and she wasn’t doing it.

Without hesitation, the tall man stood, swaying slightly with the motion of the bus, but not holding on to anything to keep his balance. “Sit here please.”

She looked up at him, mute and puzzled, still feeling the down from the rush of her giggles.

He sighed, and took her arms, pulling her up, and then placed her squarely next to Vash. She blinked in surprise, and looked up at him again, but he was already asleep next to Milly.

She was sure he wasn’t really asleep, but it was kind of him to pretend. She looked over to Vash, who was snoring quietly, head lolled backwards, mouth agape, and leaned her head gently against his shoulder. She felt like crying again, but only because she was grateful and so, so happy. Even if she didn’t sleep, this would be enough. He would always be enough.

And within minutes, her breath quieted and evened out. And so she did not see the look in Knives’ eyes.
 
 
 

[Notes: For once, afterwards! I really am a bus driver, in order to pay for my lovely college eddicayshun. Does this make TK a Mary Sue now? XD I sure hope so! Anyway, many hearts to Jaina and Arafel and NoseKizzie (Fwee? o.o). And you! (Oh, the CHEESE! It OOZES!) No omake this time, cuz I posted before Jaina could proof. ^_^ YAY UNBETAED STUFF! Hope it kinda made sense anyway.]