~*~ Where We Could Live ~*~

"Knives!" Vash shouted, chasing his brother across the lawn, through the sprinklers, wearing no more than a towel. "Get back HEEEEEEEERE!" Vash's pleas, of course, were lost on Knives who just laughed as he ran off with Vash's favorite coat that the slightly younger of the twins had received as a Christmas gift from his best friend that winter.

Rem watched the exchange between the twins with a small smile threatening the corners of her lips. Honestly, the two of them were her most important people, but they were both so energetic, sometimes. They had both just turned eighteen a week ago, but they both refused to move out of the house that they shared with their caretaker, and both wanted to go to university as close to home as possible to continue to be with Rem.

"You can't have it 'till you admit what you feel for him!" Knives shouted back. His hair was drawn back, for once, keeping the ridiculously long blond hair under control, even if only barely. Vash had decided to cut his long blonde hair off when he was younger, but Knives had kept his, saying that it was more attractive to have longer hair. He was wearing a pair of khaki pants and a simple white T-shirt that was getting soaked by the sprinklers.

"What do you mean by that?!" Vash demanded, stopping and folding his arms over his chest with a pout. He then shook his head, looking quite serious. Of course, this effect was lost when he was suddenly nailed with a sprinkler from behind, causing him to squeal like a girl and jump. Knives began to laugh, also stopping, and trying to keep his laughter under control. "Damnit, Knives! Now I have to dry off again. And I'm going to be late!"

"For your date, you mean?" Knives asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"KNIVES!"

"Those two are noisier than normal today," a voice commented behind Rem. She turned to see Meryl walk in. The petite woman was a friend of Vash's, a couple years his senior, who had just gone into the insurance field. Her partner in crime (or work, as the case was), Millie, was towering over her, a few steps behind her. Millie had been in the business for almost ten years, so it only made sense that she would be paired with a newbie. So far, they seemed to get along masterfully.

"Yes, well, Knives is being a brat," Rem said with a laugh. "But, I suppose boys will be boys." Rem stood from where she had been sitting by the window on the kitchen counter to watch the boys. "What brings you two here?" A moment after she said this, all three woman paused at a strange sound from outside. They all crowded around the window to see what was going on. Someone had disconnected the sprinkler from the hose, and now Vash was trying his damnedest to keep the wildly squirming hose under control long enough to strangle Knives with it. He was failing, but he had managed to make the both of them even more soaked. Rem sighed heavily.

"Oh my," Millie said, putting a hand to her cheek. "Will they be okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about them," Rem replied, rubbing her temples with one hand.

"Oh, yeah," Meryl said suddenly. "I was going to tell you why we came. How you seen Mr. Bluesummers anywhere around?" Meryl asked politely. Rem looked at her strangely. "Well, he seems to go where the twins go. And, we're actually looking for Mr.Midvalley. And, we all know he will be wherever Mr. Bluesummers is." Rem nodded to the logic, unable to deny the facts presented.

Legato Bluesummers had a strange sort of hero worship for Knives, and he loved more than anything to torment Vash. For a sixteen-year-old high school junior, he sure had some spunk. Midvalley was one of his classmates that was well known for his skill with a saxophone. The two of them were seen together all the time, though Midvalley would occasionally abandon Legato for Knives. Then again, Legato was the same way. Midvalley, as sad as it was, was notoriously slutty at school. Rem had received the full report from Vash one day when he was particularly annoyed with Legato, Knives, and Midvalley.

"No, I haven't seen either of them today. I think Midvalley might be on vacation, though. Knives mentioned something about how he and Legato were going camping together this weekend because they would get the time alone. I don't think they would be able to get away with camping alone together without Midvalley. He would get very jealous. And, you know how boys their age are when they're jealous. Even Knives and Legato wouldn't want to face Midvalley's wrath." Rem delivered this all pretty calmly, but it was to a gaping Meryl and a snickering Millie. Apparently, the thought of them being romantically interested in on another never occured to Meryl.

"Very true," Millie agreed through her laughter. "So, has Father Wolfwood been by today?" Meryl started at the mention of the name, looking at Millie strangely. Rem patiently shook her head. It was now Millie's turn to look surprised. "Mr.Preist hasn't been by to check up on Mr.Vash? That is surprising." Meryl continued to look at Millie as though the tall girl had lost her mind.

"He'll be by soon, I assume. Vash was putting quite a bit of energy into getting ready until Knives began to torment him." No sooner had Rem said this than Vash stormed through the door, soaked head to toe, carrying an equally soaked red coat in one arm while desperately trying to keep the towel around his waist with the other. As always, he naked chest was a startling sight. There were scars from his delicate hip bones to his broad shoulders. They were left over from when he had protected the children of the orphanage from a robber. That night was the night he met Wolfwood. Ever since, he had been very close to the man who was five years his senior. "Oh, hi, Vash." Rem said with a smile. The blonde stopped in his tracks, surveying the room, and then flashed a smile.

"I didn't know you insurace girls were coming," he said pleasantly. Then, he walked out of the room with a slight bounce in his step. Meryl looked disappointed, but neither Rem nor Millie saw her expression as she watched Vash go.

"Well, thanks for your help, Rem," Millie said pleasantly. "We'll be going now." She and Meryl excused themselves, leaving through the kitchen door from whence they came.

Rem turned her attention back out to the lawn. Knives, who was already throughly soaked, had removed his shirt and pulled his hair into a makeshift braid. He sad in the grass, right beside the sprinkler, and watched car pass on the street beyond the sidewalk. Knives, Rem knew, really was a brat. But, he always meant well. And, more than anything else, he wished for Vash's happiness. Deep down, Knives was an innocent little boy just as Vash appeared to be. Whereas deep down, Vash had a very dark side that was left over from the emotional and physical scars of his past.

Knives stood suddenly, and Rem saw him run to greet someone. The man was dressed in a nice black sports coat with dark jeans and a white T-shirt. He had dark sunglasses over his eyes, and lazily held a cigarette in his mouth. He smiled kindly to Knives, following the boy back to the house where Knives guided him in. "Rem, Father Woldwood is here," Knives said as he walked inside, obviously not expecting Rem to be standing right beside the door. "Oh, there you are."

"Nicholas," Rem said pleasantly, taking Wolfwood into a hug. The man whispered her name back to her and held her tight against his chest. "It's always a pleasure to have you here."

Wolfwood removed his sunglasses, going to the table to put out his cigarette in the ashtray that had been left there specifically for him. He folded his sunglasses and slipped them into his pocket before turning back to the others. "Thank you, Rem. I've been so busy with the new church lately that I hardly have time to come visit you guys anymore. I was going through withdrawl."

"You see Vash every day!" Knives said with a laugh of disbelief. Rem gave him a reproving look, but she was also trying pretty hard to keep her amusement under control, letting no more than a smile slip. Wolfwood jsut smirked at the comment, shaking his head at that.

"Nick, you're early!" Vash had come back into the kitchen, now wearing a red T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts with sneakers. He had a towel in his hair, desperately trying to quickly dry the blonde mass. "I thought you were coming at noon!" Vash looked down at his watch. "It's just past eleven."

"Daylight savings time, Vash," Wolfwood replied simply, watching as Vash's fae twisted in mock horror and he quickly changed his watch. "Honestly, I would think you could keep track of these things," Wolfwood added, crossing the room to take Vash's wrist and holding it up to compare their watches. He adjusted Vash's watch while Vash looked on dumbly. "There, now they're synchronized. So you have no excuse to be late to our meetings."

"Neither do you!' Vash replied. "You're late," he added triumphantly.

"Am I ever anything else?" Wolfwood asked. Vash considered this for a moment, his pride deflating. He opened his mouth, possibly to shoot out some comeback, but Wolfwood interrupted. "Shall we get going? There will be a lot of people at the amusement park by now, you know." Wolfwood dragged the protesting Vash out the door by the arm. "See you later, Rem," Wolfwood said as he went through the door.

"Ah-- Nick! By Rem!" Vash was then dragged through the door.

"Have fun, boys!" Rem called after them.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Knives called.

"KNIVES!"

Rem smiled, pulling Knives into a headlock. "Be nice to your brother!"

"I am being nice," Knives insited. They glared at eachother for a moment before Rem pulled Knives into a hug from behind, which was just really loosening the headlock. Knives put his hands up, gently draping his fingers over Rem's arms. "Do you think they'll ever figure it out?"

"Give them some time," Rem replied calmly. "That man-- Nicholas D. Wolfwood-- he is a selfish man. He wants only for himself and the people he loves to be happy." Rem put her cheek against Knives'. "That's why I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually. Vash is only this happy when he's with Nicholas and visa versa. Right?"

Knives thought on this for a moment and then nodded with a smile. "I guess so."

~*~ The end ~*~