Okay! Like I promised, a new Slayers fic! -dances- I have barely a clue to anything about any back story that drives characters (origins, reasons for being out in the world, etc.), have no clue to ages (even though I'm told I guess really well) and I completely do not own Slayers or any of the sequels and so on and so forth. Except Skin Deep. I OWNS THAT FICLET! I OWNS IT! WHY AM I YELLING! Ummm… just don't mind me, I'll sit in the corner and talk to myself now as you read. No, I'm not crazy, I thinks they called that "gifted"… plays Louis Armstrong Oh yeah…

Dream A Little Dream of Me

Lina Inverse just could not sleep. She tossed and turned, but failed to fall victim to slumber. Sitting up, she brushed her fire-red hair from her face and looked into the cold and inky cave that she and her traveling party were resting in as rain poured in bucketfuls outside. Amelia, Princess of Seiryuun, was nestled soundly against Zelgadis the Stone Chimera on the other side of the small grotto while Gourry Gabriev was snoring softly besides her.

Leaning back, Lina wondered how her little traveling party would fare in the days ahead on their journey towards the nearest city. It was a long time since they had left the mountain village they had seen last and it would be longer still until they reached their destination. Images of her defeating powerful demons and receiving great praise, as well as monetary reward, danced happily through her mind as she sat in her boredom.

Then out of nowhere, Gourry shifted in his spot, causing Lina to slightly jump. He rolled over and ended up facing her, his face covered by his long, golden hair.

I wonder how he can sleep so calmly, Lina wondered. She looked at the swordsman and smiled lightly. She could barely imagine how it would be now if she had to travel without Gourry. He was always there for her since the very beginning of their adventures together. Yes, he mistook her at first for a young girl, but the yogurt-brain was forgiven anyways. He had this quality that Lina just could not pinpoint about him that made his presence welcomed.

Without realizing it, Lina started to drift off into sleep. Before she was even out for a second though, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Lina," it said. It sounded like…

"Groddy? Is that you?" she asked, jolting awake.

"Lina, it's me," Gourry said with a small laugh. "I'm hungry. Where's the food bag?"

"Oh," Lina pouted as she pointed to the food bag next to Zelgadis. She watched Gourry for a bit as he ate. It bugged her that she had called him by another name, one that was for a man that was long dead.

Why did I say Groddy? she wondered. Groddy lived his life and died after I went back in time to help him. That was so long ago too. I was traveling with Naga even. Why did his name pop into my head?

Lina shook her head and sighed. All this time with Gourry and Amelia must have made her crazy in the head.

"What's the matter Lina?" Gourry asked between bites of a sandwich. Lina looked up to find he looked concerned.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Something's wrong, I know it. I can sense these things you know. Almost like I've got magic powers." He took another bit of sandwich and sat down next to Lina.

"You of all people can sense stuff like that?" Lina asked suspiciously.

"Yup!" Gourry said, grinning broadly. "All the people in my family with blonde hair and blue eyes can. I guess we had a powerful seer or something back in my family's history."

Lina tried her best not to laugh. Seers could rarely be powerful enough to pass down such power to offspring and the only other creature that could possibly do that was an elf. It seemed nearly impossible for the idiotic, bumbling Gourry to be descended from such a creature, unless a severe coincidence had happened.

"Gourry?"

"Yes Lina?"

"Was there ever a Groddy Gabriev?"

"I don't know. Why?"

Damn it, Lina thought. There goes learning about family history.

"Did your parents tell you anything about your ancestors?"

"Ummm… not really. I think I learned a legend or two, but nothing telling the names of my ancestors," he replied, a bit oblivious.

I don't think I blame them.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

Facing Gourry, Lina found there to be a worried look upon his face. It was true that she never really asked questions like this from him, but it was not all that unusual for a friend to ask another friend such a question.

"I was just curious, that's all," she replied, quickly turning away from Gourry's eyes. Her cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment. They both sat silently for a long time, just her and Gourry, still and hushed as statues.

"Did I ever tell you why I am out here Lina?" Gourry said, breaking the stillness. Lina looked over to see him staring into the depths of the cave, a serious look seeping through across his face. "I know your sister told you to go and become stronger, but I never did tell you why I am out and about and away from home, did I?"

"No," Lina whispered. She now regretted bringing up the topic. She could feel it was something she was going to feel sorry talking about.

"It is for my brother Gregory. He was put under the spell of a demon and now cannot wake up from his eternal slumber. There is no cure for the curse he was scarred with, but if I can kill the demon, he will be set free."

"Wow. Why did you never tell me Gourry?" Lina asked. She was stunned at Gourry's heavy burden. It was such a large responsibility for someone as sharp as he was. Why was he the only one who could kill the demon?

"I never had the heart. Besides, if I did want to tell you, we would become sidetracked and I would forget what I wanted to say. It is alright though. I have faith that I will avenge Gregory soon. It is a shame our father had to die before I could free my brother."

Lina felt positively awful. Her and the adventures she led her friends on was in the way of Gourry getting his brother back. To make it worse, his father had died with a son under a demon's sleeping curse and another running around not doing anything to help. She stood up and rushed out of the cave and into the blanket of rain that poured from the clouds.

"Lina?" Gourry asked, turning around. He was able to just catch a glimpse of her back as she ran off into the stormy night. Scrambling, Gourry followed her, worrying about her safety during the now-thundering squall.

Lina did not want to be found. She wanted to run away and stay away until dawn. She could not face Gourry, not now. It was strange how she felt so bad, even though she had done worse things in the past and not feel a bit of remorse. She could hear his voice calling for her in the night. His voice, so clear in the hazy surroundings. It seemed to come from every which way. Lina could not make out even how far away Gourry was.

"There you are!" he said, grabbing Lina by the arm. She turned around and smacked him out of reflex, sending him into the muddy puddle a few feet away.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Gourry!" she cried as she went to go help him up. He frowned seriously and brushed some of the mud off him.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just don't go running off like that again. You could get hurt out here."

"Hurt?"

"Lina, I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to you," he said sternly. "I probably would never forgive myself because I would have been able to prevent it by being with you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"Gourry…?"

Lina did not know what to say. She did not know what to do. She was the Lina Inverse, one of the most powerful and feared mages in the entire world and an unknown swordsman who possessed the legendary Sword of Light had her at his mercy. It was a crying shame he was too dull to realize it.

"Wait! Gourry! The rain!" she yelled, pushing him away. The two ran towards a nearby tree and sat down at its base, both soaking wet. They both took off their armor and Lina her cape in an effort to dry them before they tried head back to the cave with Amelia and Zelgadis.

"You should not be out here all alone Lina," Gourry insisted as he wrung out his long hair.

"Well, am I?" she replied.

"You were."

"I'll be fine. I have been before. Why is now any different?"

"I just… I'm just afraid I'm going to loose you, that's all."

"Gourry, you won't loose me. I'm right here."

He looked her straight in the eyes. It was a piercing stare, one that meant he was dead serious about what he was saying. Then, Gourry looked away, trying not to look at Lina. It seemed as if he was ashamed now. It was such strange behavior in Lina's mind. She sat down next to him and was about to touch his shoulder when he cleared his throat.

"Do you want to know the only family legend I can recall?" he said.

"Huh? I thought you…?"

"I can only remember one. Besides, you asked me earlier."

"Alright. Go on."

"Many generations ago, one of my ancestors from the Gabriev line defeated a very powerful demon with the Sword of Light, for otherwise the demon would have killed his lover. He did not defeat the creature alone though, since he had help. A sorceress who claimed to be from the future used her powerful magic to enhance the sword's strength. With that, the beast could be slain. The sorceress vanished into the air not long afterwards. The day of my ancestor's wedding to his beloved soon came and on that day, the bride's mother had a vision. 'Down the line this bond creates, their descendant shall gaze upon the sorceress who helped us. He shall be the gifted son and have become heir to the line. He shall fall in love with the sorceress and they shall live together in happiness in return for her kindness.' That's all I really can remember. I haven't heard the story since my grandfather told it to Gregory and me when we were both children."

"Oh, my…" Lina gasped.

How could that be? Gourry had just described the quest of young Groddy Gabriev many years ago and how he had defeated the dimension-hopping demon with her help. It was becoming more and more clear to Lina that before that adventure of hers, Gourry did not exist. Only after she returned was he an actual human being.

"The sorceress," Gourry continued, "she is supposed to be a red-haired maiden with a fiery temper, a short stature and small breasts." He looked off into the distance absentmindedly and turned towards Lina to say something else, but…

"SMALL!" she yelled, smacking him upside the head. " How dare you!"

"Lina! I said nothing about you!"

"Yes you did!"

"What?"

"Gourry," Lina said, slumping into the slightly wet dirt next to him. "I am the sorceress."

"What?" Gourry's eyes grew wide in amazement. Slowly, he shifted away from Lina until he was able to stand. "You…?"

"Yes," Lina sighed. She got up and stood square in front of Gourry. "His name was Groddy. He had blue hair that was long like yours and his love was a blonde haired elven girl. He was shorter than even me and I really bugged him to give me the Sword of Light as payment for my troubles. He really was not willing to give it up, so I vanished without it."

"Lina," Gourry said. "I can't believe you can go through time!"

"I can't," she groaned. "I had help."

"Oh."

"Gourry, don't you feel even mildly awkward now?" Lina asked, a bit stunned that Gourry did not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable being alone with her since they now knew she had made sure that he was born in the first place.

"Lina, why would I be uncomfortable around you?"

"The legend… it… it…"

"I love you Lina. Even if the legend was lost to the ages and I did not know it, I would still love you," he said. He held her like he did in the rain, close and tight.

He loves me? Lina thought. How can Gourry love me if he barely knows how to lace up his own boots? This is just way too random of a statement.

"How can you?" she asked aloud.

"I don't know," he answered. "I just can. I feel it deep in my heart."

"You feel the story, that's what you feel," Lina sighed. This frustrated poor Gourry, for he wanted to prove to her that he wasn't making a random and spurious statement. Quickly, he took and kissed her.

What? He's kissing me? He must be serious…

Lina kissed Gourry back. It was a slight bit strange, but not something she felt would regret. With his armor gone, she could feel his sculpted chest underneath his shirt, still wet from rain. He could grip her shoulders without having to move her armor. They could both feel the rush, but Lina could feel something else too. Her balance was leaving her, as well as Gourry. He seemed almost ready to fall down and pin her to the ground. Lina had to stop before they did something horrible.

"Gourry," she said, pushing him away. "We can't do this. Not now. We can't."

"Can't do what?"

"Did you not feel it?"

He stared at her with a blank face.

"Feel what Lina?"

"We were about to fall down. We can't do anything like that. Not at our age. That is wrong, plain and simple. It would only cause trouble."

Gourry still looked confounded.

"I was just kissing you though," he said.

"Yes, but what is the step after kissing?"

"There's something else?"

Lina sighed and smacked her forehead in disbelief.

Well, so much for a honeymoon with this one, she moaned sarcastically to herself.

"Did I say something wrong Lina?" Gourry asked.

"No, not at all," she replied. She took and felt her cloak to see if it was dry. "Hey, we can leave now. Our stuff's dry."

"Yay!" Gourry cried happily, seemingly forgetting the past few moments. He went and put his armor on and once he helped Lina with hers, they set out to find where Amelia and Zelgadis were. Lucky for them, the rain was starting to subside and the night was slightly less wet than before.

"Hey, look," Lina said as the clouds started to part. There were the stars in the clear night sky. Billions of white specks littering the deep indigo plain. Gourry looked up and smiled.

"The heavens never cease to amaze me," he sighed.

"Neither do you," Lina laughed. She and Gourry searched for the cave and it was not until dawn's twilight that they found it.

"I hope Zelgadis doesn't want to head out early today," Gourry chuckled. He stretched and gave out a great yawn.

"Yeah, I know."

Lina smiled as Gourry laid down in the soft earth and went near instantly to sleep. She sat down next to him and tried to sleep sitting up, how she normally slept out in the wilderness, yet she couldn't sleep. Gourry then shifted again in his spot, now laying on his back. Lina slowly knelt down, rested her head on his chest as a pillow and directly fell into a deep sleep.

Alright then! Smashing, yes? Not as sad as the other fiction. Nor as well… near lemony. Eh, whatever. I wrote Lina/Gourry! -dances- Yes, yes, yes! Heh, baka Gourry. There is more he can get out of Lina than a measly kiss. -snickers- I, being myself, think it was a touching creature. Why I am calling a fanfiction a creature is entirely beyond me, but you all get the idea, right? -laughs nervously- Hopefully, you liked the fic, if you did, review please. If you did not like it, flame me. Pyromaniac that I am! -grins- Me is liking reviews, so I can better my one-shot technique before I take creative writing next year and have the teacher ask why I even bothered taking the class. Writing this one was tough though, for it didn't come as easily as the Amelia/Zelgadis one. All-nighter was pulled to finish this, for I actually got on a roll at a certain point. Please review now! Domo Arigato! -bowsmakes clicking noise-