Beyond A Sky So Blue -- Part XI

It was easy to trace his brother’s movement from the house to the desert. Vash tried to ignore the drops of blood that ran beside his brother’s footprints, but each one was a stab to his heart. ‘Please, Meryl, be okay.’

Yet as distressing as the blood was, he was more alarmed when they disappeared. Did it mean that Meryl’s wound finally clotted? Or did it mean something much worse? He pushed to keep going so he couldn’t dwell on such thoughts.

Eventually, the footprints disappeared in the desert as well. He stopped. In desperation, he reached out for Knives. As he expected, he felt no trace of his brother.

He did, however, feel someone else.

It was faint but he knew it well. If the baby was alive, Meryl had to be, too. With a relieved sigh, he closed his eyes and concentrated. The contact was to the southwest, deeper into the desert.

‘I’m coming,’ he sent, along with comfort and reassurance. He wished that he could communicate with Meryl as well. But at least he knew that she was safe.

For now, anyway, came the unbidden thought.

It spurred him to get moving. Despite the protest of his tired muscle, he began to pick up the pace. He had to get to them and soon before Knives did whatever he was planning to do.

* * * * *

Milly frowned as Ben once again moved to avoid her. She tried to keep her usual happy expression on as she went to one of the crew leaders with her question. As she walked back to her spot, she risked a glance in Ben’s direction.

The reaction was the same. Every time she caught had his eye that day he would quickly break the contact. He was avoiding her. He was doing it deliberately.

But why?

It had to be about the night before. She thought he understood when she said that she couldn’t tell him because it meant telling other people’s secrets. She had hoped that he knew that she would do anything to avoid lying to him.

Remembering the events of the previous night, she realized that even then he had been distant. He had been so quiet as they walked to her house. She thought that he was still overwhelmed by what she had told him.

Was that it? Was he avoiding her because of what he now knew? Because he knew of the danger associated with her?

“Hey, Milly, you can stop!”

She glanced at Joe, who was giving her a weird look. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her work. The stone she was to split in half was now rumble at her feet.

* * * * *

Ben was glad that day was finally over. Milly had given him one last glance before heading home. The expression on her face tore at his heart.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Joe demanded, looking from Milly’s slumped shoulders to Ben’s pained gaze. “You’ve been avoiding her all day.”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Fine,” Joe spat, “you guys are fighting and it’s none of my business. But, Ben, please, fix it. That girl is the best thing to happen to you in a long, long time. Try to remember that.”

He didn’t need remembering. He knew that Milly was good, far too good, for him. He knew he was screwing things up between them.

Joe waited for some response from his friend. Finding none, he shook his head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

God, there was going to be a tomorrow, Ben realized. Another day of trying to distance himself from Milly and trying not to see her confusion and heartache. He didn’t think he could take it.

With a plan quickly forming in his head, he trotted after Joe. “Hey, wait up!”

His friend stopped. Ben quickly caught up with him. “What do you want?”

“I need a favor.”

Joe eyed him dubiously. “What kind of favor?”

“Do you think you can run things here for a couple of days?”

“Why, so you can avoid Milly? I don’t think so, Ben.”

“No,” Ben said quickly. “I need to do something before I can patch things up with her. Please, Joe, I need you to do this.”

“You swear that you’re not doing to avoid Milly.”

“I swear.” He realized that Joe was giving in.

“Just for a few days, Ben. That’s it.”

“Thanks, man,” Ben said, cuffing Joe on the shoulder. “That should be enough.”

Joe watched Ben walk away, wondering what his friend had planned. Suddenly something occurred to him. “Hey, Ben, what do I tell Milly?”

* * * * *

Milly was one of the first to arrive at work the next morning. In spite of herself, she glanced around for Ben. Instead, she found Joe in the foreman’s usual spot.

“Hey, Milly,” the man greeted, looking up from the project plans. “Need something?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Is Ben here?”

“Nope, he’s gone to see about some new equipment. He’ll be back in a couple of days.”

“Okay.” Mechanically, she left and began to work. Her body went through the motions of lifting the hammer and digging with the shovel. Her mind was a million iles away.

She was startled when someone touched her shoulder. It was Joe. “Hey, you okay?”

“Of course,” she replied. She reached up to wipe the sweat from her face and found more moisture than she should. She didn’t need a mirror to know her eyes were red.

“You sure?” Joe pressed.

Milly shook her head. “Actually, I think I should go home.”

Joe squeezed her shoulder. “Go ahead. See you back tomorrow.”

Once back in her house, she surrendered to the tears. First Nicholas, now Ben. Why did she keep losing the men she loved right after she found them?


Searching It was easy to trace his brother’s movement from the house to the desert. Vash tried to ignore the drops of blood that ran beside his brother’s footprints, but each one was a stab to his heart. ‘Please, Meryl, be okay.’ Yet as distressing as the blood was, he was more alarmed when they disappeared. Did it mean that Meryl’s wound finally clotted? Or did it mean something much worse? He pushed to keep going so he couldn’t dwell on such thoughts. Eventually, the footprints disappeared in the desert as well. He stopped. In desperation, he reached out for Knives. As he expected, he felt no trace of his brother. He did, however, feel someone else. It was faint but he knew it well. If the baby was alive, Meryl had to be, too. With a relieved sigh, he closed his eyes and concentrated. The contact was to the southwest, deeper into the desert. ‘I’m coming,’ he sent, along with comfort and reassurance. He wished that he could communicate with Meryl as well. But at least he knew that she was safe. For now, anyway, came the unbidden thought. It spurred him to get moving. Despite the protest of his tired muscle, he began to pick up the pace. He had to get to them and soon before Knives did whatever he was planning to do. * * * * * Milly frowned as Ben once again moved to avoid her. She tried to keep her usual happy expression on as she went to one of the crew leaders with her question. As she walked back to her spot, she risked a glance in Ben’s direction. The reaction was the same. Every time she caught had his eye that day he would quickly break the contact. He was avoiding her. He was doing it deliberately. But why? It had to be about the night before. She thought he understood when she said that she couldn’t tell him because it meant telling other people’s secrets. She had hoped that he knew that she would do anything to avoid lying to him. Remembering the events of the previous night, she realized that even then he had been distant. He had been so quiet as they walked to her house. She thought that he was still overwhelmed by what she had told him. Was that it? Was he avoiding her because of what he now knew? Because he knew of the danger associated with her? “Hey, Milly, you can stop!” She glanced at Joe, who was giving her a weird look. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her work. The stone she was to split in half was now rumble at her feet. * * * * * Ben was glad that day was finally over. Milly had given him one last glance before heading home. The expression on her face tore at his heart. “Okay, what’s going on?” Joe demanded, looking from Milly’s slumped shoulders to Ben’s pained gaze. “You’ve been avoiding her all day.” Ben shook his head. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Fine,” Joe spat, “you guys are fighting and it’s none of my business. But, Ben, please, fix it. That girl is the best thing to happen to you in a long, long time. Try to remember that.” He didn’t need remembering. He knew that Milly was good, far too good, for him. He knew he was screwing things up between them. Joe waited for some response from his friend. Finding none, he shook his head. “I’ll see you in the morning.” God, there was going to be a tomorrow, Ben realized. Another day of trying to distance himself from Milly and trying not to see her confusion and heartache. He didn’t think he could take it. With a plan quickly forming in his head, he trotted after Joe. “Hey, wait up!” His friend stopped. Ben quickly caught up with him. “What do you want?” “I need a favor.” Joe eyed him dubiously. “What kind of favor?” “Do you think you can run things here for a couple of days?” “Why, so you can avoid Milly? I don’t think so, Ben.” “No,” Ben said quickly. “I need to do something before I can patch things up with her. Please, Joe, I need you to do this.” “You swear that you’re not doing to avoid Milly.” “I swear.” He realized that Joe was giving in. “Just for a few days, Ben. That’s it.” “Thanks, man,” Ben said, cuffing Joe on the shoulder. “That should be enough.” Joe watched Ben walk away, wondering what his friend had planned. Suddenly something occurred to him. “Hey, Ben, what do I tell Milly?” * * * * * Milly was one of the first to arrive at work the next morning. In spite of herself, she glanced around for Ben. Instead, she found Joe in the foreman’s usual spot. “Hey, Milly,” the man greeted, looking up from the project plans. “Need something?” She hesitated for a moment. “Is Ben here?” “Nope, he’s gone to see about some new equipment. He’ll be back in a couple of days.” “Okay.” Mechanically, she left and began to work. Her body went through the motions of lifting the hammer and digging with the shovel. Her mind was a million iles away. She was startled when someone touched her shoulder. It was Joe. “Hey, you okay?” “Of course,” she replied. She reached up to wipe the sweat from her face and found more moisture than she should. She didn’t need a mirror to know her eyes were red. “You sure?” Joe pressed. Milly shook her head. “Actually, I think I should go home.” Joe squeezed her shoulder. “Go ahead. See you back tomorrow.” Once back in her house, she surrendered to the tears. First Nicholas, now Ben. Why did she keep losing the men she loved right after she found them?


Part XI: Searching Back