Luna opened the door to her cottage as Lina, Gourry, Zel and Amelia approached. "You're early." She said.
"We wanted to talk before the interview." Lina said as Freddie and Bertie came running out of the house and up to Gourry.
"Uncle Gourry! Uncle Gourry!" they cried, and he knelt down to give them hugs as they started to climb over him.
"About what?" Luna asked.
"The skill set you mentioned."
"Ah," Luna said, "Come in."
"You're not sending the boys off with someone?" Zelgadis asked.
"Why? This is a good opportunity to see Miss Traver's skills with children in action." Luna said as she held the door open for them and they filed in.
"That's actually real clever Miss Luna." Amelia said.
"Of course it is." Luna said sharply. "I've never have a bad idea."
"Sure you haven't." Lina muttered as she sat down on the sofa.
Luna glared at her, and Lina returned it as she put her hands on her stomach, "What are you going to do? You can't exact stun me right now!"
"I'll just curse you with a prolonged labor." Luna said.
"Not even you could be that mean!" Lina replied.
"Don't tempt me."
"Those tend to be dangerous for the mother and the baby." Amelia pointed out.
"I suppose you're right." Luna sighed, "I'm just at a loss as to how to keep her in line right now…"
"What did you say?" Lina asked dangerously.
"Anyway," Amelia cut in as Luna set out some drinks and cookies, "What is this about a special skill set?"
"Good question." Luna said, "Well, between the fact that we have no idea what to expect from a child who possesses a fragment of the Lord of Nightmares, and the fact that this child will be a target for anyone who wants to attack Zeferia, we need someone with a very diverse skill set. For one they will have to know how to take care of a kid and keep them in line. And, in addition to being able to tolerate wiping butts, and they'll also need to serve as a bodyguard."
"Huh?" Gourry said as Freddie and Bertie started arguing loudly.
"Go play in your room!" Luna snapped.
"We wanna be with you!" Freddie said.
Luna put a hand to her temples and Lina reflected that if she'd talked to her like that she would be quivering in her boots. Amazingly, Luna's boys were oblivious to her fearsomeness! Before Lina could even ponder the implications of this, Gourry cut in, "Hey, where's that dragon toy you were showing me last time?"
"I know!" Freddie said, and he went running off to his room, and Bertie joined him.
Luna sighed in relief as she continued, "Think of it. A regular nanny would cave if some lowlife broke into Maninstit to steal your baby. But someone trained in combat with a few notches on their belt? They would be able to take him down!"
"But why not just hire a bodyguard and a nanny?" Gourry asked.
"This is more efficient. I want this baby surrounded by as many layers of protection as possible!" Luna said, "And once again, given the special nature of your baby, I worry a regular nanny would run away screaming."
"Just what do you think I'm going to pop out?" Lina yelled.
"A baby." Luna said simply. "A rascally one at that."
Lina and Gourry looked at each other as Lina wrapped her hands around her belly and shook her head. "Well, all things considered," Zel began weightily, and though he didn't directly allude to the spy, the presence hung over their heads, "I can't say it's a bad idea."
Lina sighed, and nodded, "That is true."
"Exactly." Luna said, "Of course, given the fact that most combat veterans don't exactly want to retire to changing diapers, finding someone was challenging. Finally Mae Travers wrote. She even claims to have experience fighting demons and to have destroyed a low ranking Mazoku."
"Is she a sorceress?" Lina asked as Luna handed her a letter that Mae had written detailing her achievements. "Whoa, her handwriting is terrible!"
"I know." Luna said, "So what we know is a bit patchy. I asked her to bring her credentials and I will verify her references."
"Well, I would be curious to know why such an accomplished heroine wants to be a nanny." Zelgadis said. "It just seems fishy."
"You do have a point." Luna conceded, and then she grimaced as the boys came running out of their room with their toy dragon. Gourry stood up and then walked over and sat down with them on the floor and asked them a question about it, allowing Luna to continue, "I've had rotten luck finding a wet nurse with combat experience. I even asked one of the Ceiphied Knights who just had a baby and she said no. Hopefully Mae will work out and someone else will turn up. In the meantime, trust me, I will be checking her out thoroughly. If I like what I see in the interview."
Just then someone knocked at the door, and Luna smiled as she stood up, "Good timing! That must be Miss Travers. Stay here."
"It can't be, there's a huge man outside!" Amelia said as she looked out the window.
Luna rolled her eyes, "Must be someone who is lost. I'll send him away, one moment." She opened the door and sternly asked, "Can I help you?"
"Ms. Luna Inverse?" the man asked, his voice deep and gruff. He was also so tall that Lina couldn't even see his face because the door wasn't large enough.
"Yes?" Luna said.
"Moe Travers!" he said as he held out his hand, and Lina looked at Gourry while Amelia looked at Zelgadis in surprise as they mouthed, "Moe?"
Meanwhile, Luna's mouth dropped, "Moe? I'm sorry, I thought your name was Mae."
He laughed, a loud boisterous sound that would have rivaled Prince Phil's. "Sorry, my handwriting is terrible. No, Moe, not Mae. I believe we have an interview?"
It was rare that Lina saw Luna at a loss for words, and she watched as she nodded weakly and stepped aside to let Moe in. He ducked so he could fit under the doorframe, and when he tried to stand to his full height his head brushed the ceiling. Lina's eyes widened as it sunk in that he was three heads taller than Gourry! Slowly she stood up as she tried to process what she was seeing as she wondered if this was some sort of joke. His head was shaved and he had a black handlebar mustache and well chiseled features. His arms were so muscular that they were about as large as her waist! Lina could barely comprehend how large he was, and his doe skin breeches and white shirt seemed to strain to contain him. He looked more like a highway man than a potential nanny!
But then he shifted, and she saw a little baby cradled in his arms, and for a moment she'd wondered what village he had taken it from. He smiled warmly, "Sorry I had to bring her along. My neighbor had a last minute emergency and asked if I could help and I just couldn't say no. This is Melanie."
Luna closed the door behind her and walked over in shock. Gourry and Zelgadis were both staring at Moe in open mouth shock. Only Amelia seemed to mask her surprise. "That's no problem." She said cheerfully, "Do you watch her often?"
"Oh, people are always calling on me to babysit!" Moe said with a smile, and then he offered Amelia his hand. "I'm Moe."
"Princess Amelia." She said, "This is my husband, Duke Zelgadis. And that is Dame Lina and Sir Gourry."
Moe's hand was so large it completely swallowed Lina's when he shook it. "It is an honor to meet you! The stories of your adventures are incredible."
"Thank you." Lina said as she tried to figure him out.
"Have a seat." Luna said as she finally found her voice.
Moe sat down, and for a moment Lina feared that Luna's couch would collapse under his weight. Somehow it held up. As soon as he sat down the baby started crying. Without missing a beat he extended his arm, laid her face down on it and rubbed her back as she balanced on it. Soon the cries were replaced with a gummy smile. "Helps with the gas." He explained.
"Oh." Lina said.
"So, what made you decide to become a nanny for our family?" Luna asked, the disbelief clinging to her every word as her sons peered at Moe from beside her.
"Well, during the last demon uprising I saw a lot of horrible things. Villages destroyed. Families and children torn apart. I've been following the Eternal Queen's plans to counter the menace that Mazoku pose, and I fully support them! And I figure this is a good way for me to contribute to the fight. I'm a warrior who knows how to take care of babies after all! And I just love them!"
Melanie started to coo, and Moe picked her up and made echoed the cute noises right back at her. Melanie laughed and reached her pudgy fists out to grab his mustache, and he grinned indulgently as she yanked it. He leaned forward to give it some pull and then managed to disentangle it from her hands as she sneezed on his face. Without skipping a beat he grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped himself clean as he sat Melanie on his knee, and she promptly started drooling all over him. Lina had to hand it to Moe. She wouldn't be that composed if someone else's baby sneezed on her face and drooled all over her pants!
"You seem to be very good with babies. Where did you learn to take care of them?" Amelia asked.
"Well, I was the oldest of twelve boys, and since Momma didn't have any daughters, she relied on me to help. I never minded. Since I grew up neighbors started asking me to watch their kids, I've just always done it." Moe explained.
Just then Bertie screamed, "No push!" as he shoved Freddie against the couch, and for a moment it looked as though the twins were about to fight.
"Ah! I forgot." Moe said as he somehow managed to juggle the baby while he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag, "Hey boys, I wonder what goodies are in here?"
He set it on the ground, and Freddie and Bertie approached it cautiously. Then one reached in and pulled out a toy monkey and squealed with delight. Soon they were pulling out blocks and balls and other toys. Moe smiled, "Kids can never resist the lure of exploring a bag of toys. That should keep them busy for awhile."
Luna shook her head in disbelief as she watched her sons play peacefully with each other as Zelgadis asked, "What sort of combat experience do you have?"
"Well, I'm a swordsman, and I was trained in how to channel your will into objects so I can take on demons. I have a sword that amplifies it a little, though it's nothing compared to the items I've heard that Sir Gourry wields."
"May I see it?" Luna asked.
Moe shrugged, and took his sword from his belt and handed it to her. "Ah, here are my credentials as well." He said as he handed a folder to Amelia.
Lina peered over Amelia's shoulder to read it and found a letter from the mayor of a fairly renowned city describing how Moe had saved them from a demon attack. Amelia flipped it to reveal another, and then another. The tributes to his prowess on the battlefield were interspersed by glowing testimonials from parents about how good he was with their children. Amelia and Lina looked at each other, and then Amelia handed it to Zelgadis, who passed it to Luna, who returned Moe's sword to him. "I am going to want to see a demonstration of your power."
"Naturally." Moe said as he stood up.
"This way to the back yard." Luna said as everyone else got up and followed them.
Moe grabbed a basket from somewhere and then grabbed a blanket and set it on the floor. He set Melanie on it and in a swift motion swaddled her within. Lina shook her head as she tried to figure out how he'd done it as he put Melanie in the basket and set it on the porch as she drifted off to sleep while he walked with Luna to the yard. Luna indicated a large tree, "I've been meaning to have that removed."
"Right." Moe said, and he walked over, grabbed his sword, and struck it deep into the tree and channeled his will into it. It disintegrated into dust, but while he was distracted Luna used the opportunity to charge at him, her own sword drawn. Despite his size he managed to turn to parry. They pulled back, and Luna, while small was fast, and swiftly attacked again. He parried and brought his sword around for an attack, which she dodged. Given that they were using real swords they had to hold back, so they stopped and looked at each other and nodded. "Well done." She said.
"May I?" Gourry asked.
"Sure." Luna said, "Better use another sword."
Zelgadis handed Gourry the Sword of Amplification to use, and Gourry walked into the yard and assumed a fighting stance. As they watched Lina realized that they had found a swordsman on Gourry and Luna's level. That he actually wanted a job as a nanny still stretched all belief! That said, Lina couldn't sense any malevolence from him. His references were also impressive. If they checked out.
Once Gourry finished, he walked back to her and met her eye, and she could tell he was impressed. He wrapped an arm around her as Luna asked, "Does anyone else want to challenge him?"
"I think we've seen enough." Zelgadis said.
"Very well." Luna said as she stared at Moe and raised an eyebrow, "I have one final challenge for you. I didn't make my boys clean their room this past week."
"Don't worry, I will get it in order." Moe said with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He picked up the basket without waking Melanie as he walked back into the house and called, "Hey boys, let's go for a toy round up!"
"I'll give him an hour." Luna said as they started to file back into the house.
"That bad?" Lina asked.
"The mess that two toddler boys can make…" Luna said heavily.
"I think you may be setting the bar too high here." Amelia said, but from the bedroom they heard the sounds of Freddie and Bertie laughing and the plunk of toys being thrown into a box.
"What do you think of Moe?" Luna asked.
"Well, he checks off all the boxes." Lina said, "And he may look like a bandit, but he seems so sincere!"
"He'd be a wonderful ally of justice!" Amelia said, obviously thoroughly struck.
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." Zelgadis said, "He seems a bit too good to be true."
"Oh, I'm not making an offer until I've checked out each and every one of these references." Luna said.
"I can tell about people." Lina said, "I don't think he's playing us or an enemy trying to get close."
"I'll second that." Gourry said.
Just then Moe came out of the boys' room with Freddie balanced on one shoulder and Bertie on the other, "All done!"
"What?" Luna said, "No way!"
"Come and see Mommy!" Bertie said.
Luna looked bewildered, but followed them into the room, and once again her jaw dropped as she saw the spic and span room, with the beds made and toys in place. "But how did you do this so fast?" she asked.
"Oh, you just turn it to a game!" Moe said. "The boys were great helpers."
"You got my boys to clean their room without raising your voice?" Luna said incredulously.
"Yeah!" Moe said with a laugh.
"It was fun!" Freddie said.
"Can we play toy round up again tomorrow?" Bertie said.
"You're hired." Luna said, "Once I get these references checked. You're hired. And you can stay with us until Lina's baby is due in the fall."
"I still can't get over how tall he is!" Lina said as she walked with Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia to the lake. "I don't even know if the bed we have in the nanny's quarters is large enough for him."
"Well, there's plenty of time to order one." Amelia said, "Though it might have to be custom. I just wonder what he does to make his muscles so big!"
"I know!" Lina exclaimed, "But he was so gentle with that baby?"
"We don't have competition, do we?" Gourry asked chidingly.
"I'm starting to wonder the same thing." Zelgadis added.
Lina held Gourry's hand and stood on her toes to kiss him, "There's such a thing as too much, you know?"
"Exactly." Amelia added as she kissed Zel.
Gourry chuckled a little as he squeezed her hand, and then Amelia suddenly squealed and pointed, "Look!"
Lina looked where she was pointing, and then grinned as she saw Sylphiel and Rick sitting on a blanket with the picnic lunch they had packed forgotten. They seemed to be far more interested in kissing each other than eating. Lina cleared her throat as they approached, and Sylphiel and Rick pulled away from each other as Sylphiel exclaimed in embarrassment.
"Don't mind us!" Amelia said. "Go back to enjoying yourselves."
"Right." Rick said with a wink as Lina could not resist smirking. "Have fun yourself."
Once they had gotten a bit away Amelia said, "You don't think we should have invited them with us?"
Lina waved her away, "Once they get a bit used to each other perhaps."
"I didn't think Sylphiel would be the type to move that fast." Zelgadis said.
"She was overly cautious in the past and that brought her trouble." Amelia said, "Looks like she's not making that mistake again!"
"She's moving on." Lina said as she squeezed Gourry's hand again. "Oh, I hope they work out once the initial rush fades. It just makes things so much less awkward."
"Agreed." Gourry said.
AN: Awhile back ago I read an article about a marine who later got a job as a nanny, and I guess it stuck in my mind. I started thinking about what to do that would be completely unexpected rather than some Mary Poppins clone and thus Moe was born. I hope ya'll laughed as much reading this as I did writing it!
