[ vash's face illuminates with a smile, visible to the little girl even in the dark of the collapse, cottoning on to claude's tactic in a tick. ]

Hear that? It's been awful hot lately. I'd love a popsicle right about now. What's your favorite flavor?

[ through her hiccups, she manages to tell him that it's cherry. ]

What a coincidence! That's mine, too. C'mon, let's go get some, yeah? One for you, your friend, the other guy, and me.

[ he wiggles his fingers in her direction, and after a moment, she finally takes his hands. he shifts them to his wrists so he can get his hands firmly around her skinny forearms. ]

Thatta' girl.

[ he army-crawls backwards using just his knees, and soon he and the child are free from the precarious rubble-- only for him to get slammed from two directions as both children cling to him and each other, their bawling reaching new heights.

vash sighs as the tension of the situation breaks. he manages to look at claude over the two little heads crowding him. ]

Thank you. For your help, and your quick thinking.