"I don't think I have it in me to write another lesson plan." Leia groused at the breakfast table. "Who knew those things took so much time and effort to prepare?"
"I was used to Rezo treating me like a workhorse growing up." Zelgadis said as he spread jam on his toast, "But this combination of teaching, preparing to teach and all of the grading! Why did I assign such complex homework? It's like I forgot I would have to grade it when I assigned it! It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"I'm used to working hard myself, a store doesn't become profitable with no elbow grease." Leia replied, "But this is a different type of exhaustion! Would it really be so bad if we played games until finals?"
"That's the good thing about my insomnia. I have plenty of time with nothing better to do." Lina said as she ate her eggs.
"Rub it in." Leia said as she sipped her coffee.
"At least we don't have the pressure of getting good grades." Gourry said, "I walked by the stairwell and Danielle was crying to Mara Jade and certain she was going to fail everything. And she's one of our best students!"
"It's just the strain of the how hard she's been working, and the anxiety." Sylphiel said. "She'll be fine once exams are over."
"Unfortunately for Susan and Marcus it'll just be more anxiety." Lina said. "I'd wanted to wait to tell them until after exams were over so they wouldn't have this weighing over them, but I can't exactly keep things from Susan, can I?"
"How did they take their assignment?" Zelgadis asked as he set his utensils down and pushed his plate away.
"Well, as soon as Susan saw me, she just nodded and said that she understood and expected that something like this would happen eventually. She does want to help her countryfolk. Marcus is relieved she won't be going there alone." Lina explained, "And like every other student here they want to prove themselves. Still. What really sucks is that we won't be able to risk the vision spells with them. Servants get so little privacy and free time we just can't risk it."
"They'll have more cover than Owen and Nerys, though." Leia said, "Their mission wasn't exactly a secret. This one is."
"There is that." Lina said, "And Susan and Marcus have proven themselves in the past. If I have to send someone out, I can't think of two people I have more confidence in."
"Well, I guess we'd best get classes started." Gourry said as he stood up.
"Yes," Lina said as she glanced at the clock and stood up to give Gourry a quick kiss. "Two weeks, and we'll be on break!"
Beside him, Lina muttered under her breath as she graded papers. "Kara's handwriting is so damn hard to read! And I think she does it on purpose!"
Gourry moved his hand to the side of her stomach as he drifted off to sleep as he mumbled, "Why?"
"So she can fudge the fact that she has no idea what she's talking about!"
"How does that work?" Gourry asked.
"She's testing my patience! I'm betting she figures if she makes reading her papers difficult enough that I'll give up and settle for a B so I can move on. Well if she thinks poor handwriting will deter me, she's wrong! I won't rest until I decipher what the hell it is she is saying and give her the miserable grade she deserves!"
"If you're that sure she deserves it, why don't you just give her an F and move on?" he asked, and then his eyes shot open as he felt her stomach move beneath his hand.
"Because, then she'll come up crying about her grade and she'll ask me to justify it, and then I'll look rather silly if I'm not able to!" Lina said as Gourry sat up, "What?"
"I think I felt him move!"
Lina smiled and put her hand over his, "Well, he's kicking up a storm. He always does when I lay down."
"Wow, that's incredible!" he said, "It doesn't hurt you, does it?"
She shrugged, "Just a butterfly flutter really. It's distracting at the most."
He leaned forward to kiss her and then cuddled up to her again as she continued to whine about Kara as he continued to feel the life within as his heart raced. Given that Lina's pregnancy was something that was happening to her it was sometimes hard to believe that it was real, even as she grew bigger and he heard the heartbeat. But now he could feel their child moving within her. Gently he poked at her stomach to see if he would respond.
"What are you doing?" Lina said sharply.
"Playing." He said as he waited a for a kick in response but felt nothing.
"Well now you've gone and scared him away." Lina said.
"Oh," Gourry said sadly as he tried poking her stomach again but got no response.
"You're just going to have to settle down. If I'm moving, he's quiet. If I'm still, he'll move." Lina said.
"Wow." Gourry said as he rested his hand on her stomach again, "Does that mean anything about what he'll be like?"
Lina shrugged, "No idea really. Maybe?"
"But what if this means he'll be withdrawn?"
"What are you talking about?" Lina asked, "Anyway, much as I love talking to you I really need to get these damn papers graded!"
"Right," he said, "Night."
Settling back down and going to sleep was hard with the excitement coursing through him. There really was a baby in there getting larger and stronger by the day! And if he was patient perhaps he could feel it again. At some point before that happened he drifted off to a world where his mother was still alive and he was trapped in the home he grew up in. When he woke he felt tense and anxious, and the sense of grief that had flowed off and on had returned.
Right now the baby was a pleasant fantasy that he could control. But what would happen when the baby was here? What if the baby didn't like him? Or want anything to do with him? Or worse, what if he inherited the worst personality traits of his family? While his confidence in his ability to protect his child from his family was getting stronger, and what if the horrors he had survived as a child replayed as a parent?
He turned and looked at Lina, who was sleeping on her back with the papers set to her side. He took a deep breath and got out of bed and went to take a bath as he cautioned himself about ruining everything with his worries. Still, they were difficult to shake as the morning passed slowly. He so desperately wanted his kids to have a happier childhood than he did, but what if he messed it up? Given what he had grown up with, he had very little experience of what being in a happy family was like.
And as Han muttered about being busy with grading and writing an exam, Gourry was worried he would cancel their weekly fishing trip. So he was relieved when after dinner Han told him to get the fishing rods. Once they were at the lake Han wasted little time in grabbing a cigarette and putting it in his mouth as he sighed, "I'm jonsing so hard for a smoke!" he whined, "Getting through this final week is killing me!"
"Why don't you have it then?" Gourry asked as he got the bait on the hook, "I won't tell Leia."
Han shook his head as he threw his line in, "She has the nose of a bloodhound! She'll know, and then she'll make me sleep on the couch. Do you know the reason she held out against me so long was because I smoked and she didn't want to kiss someone who tasted like an ashtray?"
"So did you quit for her?" Gourry asked.
"No, she eventually came around. And I could hold onto the habit with her constant disapproval. But then the girls came along. I could hold on with one, maybe two of them being so against it. But all three of them hated it and they hatched a plan among them to immediately leave if I lit up. After about a month I caved. If they hated it that much then it wasn't worth holding onto."
"I bet that made them happy." Gourry said.
"Yeah, for awhile we celebrated every month that I'd quit, and then every year. Until Lina left really." Han said.
They were silent for a moment, and then Gourry asked, "How did you keep things happy in your family?"
"That's something you're worried about?" Han asked in surprise.
"Well, yeah."
Han shook his head as he stared at the lake, "Well, you seem to do a good job of being happy with Lina. Why don't you just do whatever it is you do with her with your kids?"
Gourry sighed, "My parents were a loving couple. Both were also ambitious. And my father was just good at turning his head when my mother's ruthlessness took over."
"Lucky for you that you've never been overly ambitious." Han replied.
Gourry wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but before he could think about it too much Han said, "Some people see their children as extensions of themselves, as pawns. Others see their children as independent people. People who see their children as pawns raise unhappy children. But those who see their children as people are more concerned about their growth and happiness than their accomplishments. And that you're even worried about this tells me which group you fall in."
"Oh!" Gourry said as he felt a little better. "But…"
His voice trailed off as he wondered if he should say his next thought out loud.
"What is it?" Han asked.
Gourry scratched his nose. "Luna."
"Ah." Han said as he spit his cigarette out and ran a hand through his hair. "If she gets too overbearing, let Leia and me know. We'll tell her to back off."
"Right." Gourry said. "Thanks."
Han clapped him on the back, and Gourry smiled a little. "Hey, I was wondering, does how active the baby is before it's born say anything about what they will be like?"
Han laughed, "Given that we thought Lina would be so calm because she moved so infrequently that there were several times Leia panicked over her worry that she had died, no."
Gourry laughed a bit as he decided he was being silly and getting himself worked up over nothing. What would be would be. Just then Han said, "Look, things weren't too happy when I was growing up. But it's possible to change things and raise a happy family. You have more control over that now than you did as a child. You and Lina will set the tone for the family."
Gourry smiled as he thought about it, and then he agreed, "I'd not thought of it that way. But you're right. Right now, I feel as though everything will be okay."
As Lina walked into to give the first of the exams she felt as though the anxiety that the students were emitting was so thick that she could swim through it. The signs of students frantically engaged in last minute test prep were everywhere. Jean-Luc muttered chants under his breath and Danielle tore through her notes. A few, such as Gomez and Nerys, appeared unflappable as they looked ready to just get it over with. Lina took a deep breath as she set the exam on her desk and said, "Time to put the books and notes away. Fresh parchment and quills only."
And then Lina happened to catch Pippi's eye, and wished she hadn't. The girl was staring as her as though she was an executioner about to dispense the final punishment. To Lina's horror several other students were looking at her with the same expression. Lina shook her head as she marveled at how worked up these otherwise brave students were over a mere test.
"Okay, listen up!" Lina yelled as she slammed her hand on the desk, "all of you have been in this class for several months now, and if I don't say so myself, I'm a damn good teacher! In fact, I'm so damn good that there's no way in hell any of you are going to fail this test! Unless, that is, you stop believing in yourself. And if you stop believing in yourself then you have an even bigger problem, because you stopped believing in me and I'm going to have to kick your ass!"
A few whispered to each other, but Lina continued, "You all already did a hard thing just by getting into this school! If my sister didn't think you could do this you wouldn't be here, so don't make this harder than it need be. Stop making this test out to be Dynast Grausherra and kick its butt!"
"Yes! Let's get this done and over with! And then we can enjoy our break!" Gomez said enthusiastically, and a few other students smiled in newfound confidence as Lina felt the energy in the classroom shift.
"There you go!" Lina said as she grabbed the exam and turned to the chalkboard and started to write the questions on it.
Once the exams were completed, the students wasted little time in blowing off steam. Currently they were running amok through the manor and the grounds and kicking up the loudest ruckus. It was taking all of Lina's patience to not yell at them to keep it down, even if they deserved their celebration, because while their work was over, for the teachers, there was now a stack of exams to grade and scores to tally. Lina sighed as she looked at the pile of papers on her desk and wanted to cry, "Why did I decide on giving an essay exam?"
"At least my class was just practical." Gourry said with a smile as he glanced up from his roster, "I just have to assign grades!"
"Rub it in." Lina said. "Oh, but I don't want to do this anymore! It's so beautiful outside! I just want to go to the lake and cool off in the water!"
"A bunch of the kids were planning a day there. I don't think it would be the relaxing soak you're wanting." Gourry said. "Ah! All done!"
"Rub it in." Lina muttered as she gathered her hair in a ponytail to get it off her sweaty neck. "Oh, but when these kids leave we are going to the lake!"
He smiled, "Of course."
Lina looked at the pile, "Well, this isn't going to grade itself! The sooner I start, the sooner I'll be done and I can celebrate!"
"And then we can celebrate together." He said as he walked up behind her and used the opportunity of her exposed neck to plant a kiss on it as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Hold it! You may be done, but I'm not! So don't tempt me!"
He chuckled, and kissed her cheek, "I'll leave you alone then."
"Thanks." Lina said as he walked out, and she stared resolutely at the papers before her. She reminded herself that getting started was the hard part and picked up the first one and focused. Soon it was graded and she was on to the next one, finally in the zone. And then the noise from downstairs reached a thundering crescendo of joyous cries and screams, breaking her precious concentration. Lina moaned and stood up and swiftly walked to the stairs, and found that she was joined by Zelgadis and her parents, all of whom screamed, "Keep it down!"
Susan and Marcus left for Dils early in the morning. Unlike Nerys and Owen's departure, there was no announcements or fanfare. Given that their mission was to spy, the less people who knew the better. Lina started the rumor that they were visiting Susan's sick aunt to explain their early departure. Meanwhile, she ticked off the minutes until the rest of the kids were gone!
The morning was a tiring whirlwind of students packing and rushing to and from the dining room for a quick breakfast as they loaded the wagons. Once full, Lina, Gourry and the others came out to watch as they road off into the distance. Once they were finally out of view Lina could not help cheering in joy as she started jumping up and down and was soon joined by the others. "Let the fun commence!" Amelia said.
Lina looked at Amelia and Zelgadis and said, "Hey, Gourry and I were thinking of relaxing by the lake. Want to join us?"
"You bet!" Amelia said.
Just then Jeeves came up and handed Lina a missive, "This just came in for you."
Lina groaned as she recognized Luna's handwriting. "Sis? This had better not be more work!"
"What does it say?" Amelia asked as Lina opened it.
"That she is interviewing a nanny for us next week and she wants us to join her for it." Lina said.
"What?" Amelia said as she looked at the letter.
"She said given the special nature of my impending arrival, the nanny will have to have a special skill set." Lina explained.
Amelia looked a bit annoyed at Luna's intrusion, but after a moment said, "Well, I guess I can't argue with that. But what sort of a skill set is she looking for?"
"No idea." Lina said as she scanned the letter for clues, "But whatever it is, it must be rare. She said there was only one person who met her qualifications who was interested in the job and cautions we still may need to keep looking."
"This sounds like it should be interesting." Gourry said.
"You want to come along?" Lina asked.
"Well, I do want to know what sort of person she wants to trust our baby to." He said.
"How about you, Zel?" Lina asked.
"Count me in as well. I want to know more about this skill set."
"Alright." Lina said as she put a hand on her stomach, "Next week we go down to Zefiel City and meet Mae Travers!"
