They hadn't even been waiting for an hour before Amelia knocked, and Gourry was certain that the worst had happened. But when the door opened, Amelia was smiling. "Everything went perfectly! Miss Sylphiel is waking Lina now."

He felt tears of relief slide down his face as Leia pulled him into a hug, "There, everything will be fine."

He nodded and patted her back, and then they followed Amelia down the hallway. Lina was already awake when he opened the door. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he made it to her bedside and grabbed her hand as her parents crowded around the other side.

"Surprisingly normal." Lina said, "I don't even feel the stitches."

"We are so lucky that you were here." Leia said as she turned to Sylphiel and clasped her hands, "Thank you so much."

"Yes," Lina added, "Thank you."

Sylphiel smiled slightly as she nodded, "I'm going to monitor you closely for the next twenty-four hours just in case anything starts again, but I don't think that it will. And I must strongly urge the importance of staying off your feet until I give you the clear in about three days."

"After this scare, not a problem." Lina said, "But after that I'll be fully mobile, right?"

"You can even fight a Mazoku if you need to." Sylphiel said, "When you get to be thirty-seven weeks pregnant your midwife will have to remove the stitches so everything will be ready when he's big enough to come out."

"Will the baby come immediately after the stitches are removed?" Leia asked.

"No," Sylphiel said, "But likely shortly sometime after that."

"Why did this happen?" Gourry asked.

"Sometimes the neck of the womb just isn't strong enough to support the weight of the baby." Sylphiel explained, "If you have other children you'll likely have to do this again."

"Let's just focus on seeing this one safely out." Lina said as she rubbed her stomach. "Hey, can we hear the heartbeat again? My dad didn't get to hear it earlier."

"Of course," Sylphiel said, even as her eyes seemed to dim a bit as Han put his hand on Lina's shoulder and beamed at his daughter. "I can even show you how to cast it."

"It was so lucky you were here." Amelia said as she walked with Sylphiel into her room, "I'm not sure if I could have done that on my own. Justice has a way of working miracles!"

Sylphiel closed her eyes in a grimace, and Amelia stuttered, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. It must be hard for you, seeing them like this."

Sylphiel shut the door behind them and walked to the window, "Respectfully, Princess, what's hard is that I am the only one who remembers it happened. Four years ago tomorrow."

"Huh?" Amelia said.

"Sairaag was destroyed. And only a handful of survivors, people I barely knew before its destruction, and myself, we're the only ones who remember."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

Tears started to flow down Sylphiel's cheeks. "Duke Zelgadis, Dame Lina, Sir Gourry, they were all there when it happened. But at most it is a horrific memory to them, one of many I suppose. For me, I lost everything. They moved past it, and I haven't."

"But you can rebuild."

"It won't bring the people back." Sylphiel said.

"You miss your family?" Amelia said knowingly.

"It doesn't usually overwhelm me, but if I do have a child, my parents won't be there to meet him, or her. It doesn't usually affect me when I'm working, but seeing Dame Lina with her parents today…"

"I understand." Amelia said as she caressed her belly, "I've been missing my mother a lot, and regretting that she won't get to meet her. And I'm so worried my daddy won't be able to be here when she's born. Miss Leia has been stepping in, so to say, and it helps, but it's also not the same."

Sylphiel sat down on a chair by the window, and Amelia took a seat on the opposite side, "Have you found someone to settle down with?"

Sylphiel was silent for a moment, and then she said, "That's a complicated question."

"Huh?" Amelia said.

"Let's just say, I've been silly and foolish."

"Given all that you've been through…" Amelia said.

"I let myself get caught up in some silly fantasy rather than face the hard reality." Sylphiel snapped, and then her face softened in remorse, "I'm sorry. I'm just so mad at myself right now, and I keep snapping."

"What happened?" Amelia asked.

"You know, when Copy Rezo came to Sairaag, he'd told us a bunch of horrible rumors about Dame Lina so that we would believe that she had Sir Gourry under some sort of spell. And I wanted it to be true, because then he wouldn't be traveling with her because he liked her. The problem was it wasn't true. Still, I latched onto every one of her faults, and I was sure that one day Sir Gourry would tire of them, because his destiny had to be with me."

"Destiny?" Amelia repeated.

"Sir Gourry was descended from the Swordsman of Light who had saved Sairaag once. He had the Sword of Light. He'd saved it again the first time he visited Sairaag. Even though it was destroyed the second time he visited, I was so certain that to rebuild it I would need his help. That a man wielding the Sword of Light would have to be integral to the story of rebuilding Sairaag, and that he would be so enamored with me for all my help and assistance….and it's so silly now that I think about it now."

"No," Amelia said, "It does sound like something you'd read in a book."

"Men came to court me in Saillune, but I turned them away to focus on learning the Dragon Slave and become more useful. My uncle wrote me that one of them had just gotten married. I should have taken that chance at love while it was available. Especially since Sir Gourry didn't look at me twice after Hellmaster was defeated, even though I'd been kinder to him than Lina. It started to sink in, I would need to rebuild Sairaag alone. And perhaps one day he would realize his destiny lay there."

"But he married Lina instead." Amelia said.

"Seeing this, all that they have accomplished together. And seeing how it isn't a lark on his part, that he has good reasons for being with her, and seeing what is possible to love about her. It's more than that, though. She has her parents and a school who adores her. My parents will never know my children, and should anything happen to me, well, my Uncle Grey would likely shed a few tears, but I'd otherwise go unremarked. But I've spent the past few years in this fantasy of what I could build without actually doing anything substantial."

"Well, sometimes things happen quicker for some than others." Amelia said, "And losing your entire city, that would take awhile for anyone to come back from. And I know it's early in the process, but you're getting the ball rolling, and after this you can do whatever you want…"

"Except I can't." Sylphiel said.

"Huh?" Amelia said.

"My father didn't have a title, but his grandfather was the younger son of a baron. No titles or land passed to them, but the barony was destroyed when Copy Rezo destroyed the city, and I was the only survivor. So the prince is insisting that when Sairaag is rebuilt, I should be installed as the baroness."

"But you've not claimed it?" Amelia asked.

"The prince is wanting to marry me to his best friend, a younger son of a noble lord who doesn't have a rank of his own. I've not met him, so I don't know what type of man he is, but I never wanted an arranged marriage. He can't force me, but…"

"As a noble, any marriage you make would have to be approved by the king." Amelia said as it dawned on her.

"So he can ensure that no one else can marry me." Sylphiel said. "Goodness knows I have a lot to keep me busy. But I want children, desperately. After losing my entire family like that with only a distant uncle and cousin to fall back on…"

"No one could blame you for wanting children!"

"So I've thought about refusing the barony so they can't control me. But I worry about losing funding and support for rebuilding Sairaag should I do that."

"Surely after all you've done here…" Amelia said.

"I'm sorry, Pirncess, but the world doesn't dispense justice equally. I should have given more time to the men who came calling when I was in Saillune rather than taking a gamble on someone who never looked at me twice. I just never saw how my ability to marry for love would be curtailed." Sylphiel said. "Perhaps the princes' friend won't be so bad. I've been putting off meeting him. I should just get it over with and see what sort of man he is before I make my decision."

Amelia thought for a moment, "Are you sure that you have no surviving relatives with a better claim to the barony?"

"Huh?" Sylphiel said.

"You see it happen all the time." Amelia said matter-of-factly, "Some lord dies with no children. And rather than thoroughly check the family tree the ruling family often finds the first person who would be of use to them to inherit, rather than the rightful heir. Then when the rightful heir catches wind of it a nasty struggle ensues."

"I definitely wouldn't want to take the barony if some distant cousin is the true owner." Sylphiel said as she started to brighten.

"I know you wouldn't. So all we have to do is track down your great-grandfather's descendants. Surely one of them got out of Sairaag, and has a better claim to the barony than you."

"But the Prince said he'd researched…" Sylphiel said.

Amelia waved her finger at her, "Always double check. In fact, there's a Duke I'd stayed with after we split up after Hellmaster was defeated before I set off to Saillune who owes me a favor. What was your great-grandfather's name? I'll write to him immediately."

"Gourry," Lina sang sweetly as she put her hand over her husband's, "You're not going to eat that roast beef are you?"

Gourry looked at Lina warily as she continued, "I mean, you wouldn't want little Dimmy to go hungry, would you?"

He shook his head and put a slice on her plate, "It's a good thing Nelly gave me extra. It's also a good thing he'll be born in the fall. If you were pregnant during the winter you'd eat through all of the food supplies in a week and create a famine!"

"Hey!" she said. "Growing a baby takes a lot of energy! And I still don't eat as much as you do!"

"Whatever you say," he said as he leaned over to rub her head as he reflected that it was nice having dinner just the two of them. Everyone else had gone down to the dining room, but since Lina had had to have her meals sent up, he had decided to eat with her. "What's your take on the incident with Ambassador Gelo?"

Lina exhaled, "It's rather scary when you think of it. I mean, I was completely blindsided when Sis was taken over. I'm almost to the point where I want to cast a Flow Break spell every time I enter a room, just in case."

"I'm surprised it's only recently become a problem." Gourry said.

"Well, sorcerers like Eris who could do stuff like this were rather rare. But Mazoku, with their larger magic capacity, and their sudden interest in our politics, on the other hand, well, let's just say it's a bad combination."

Someone knocked, and Lina said, "Come in."

The Eternal Queen walked in, and Gourry sat up in the chair by the bed as Lina wiped her mouth with a napkin, "Welcome back, your majesty. Please have a seat."

"Thanks." The Eternal Queen said as she grabbed a chair and pulled it by the bed, "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Lina said, "It was lucky that Sylphiel was here."

"Indeed. This child means so much for our world, and it means so much for you. I am afraid I've been tasking you with too much."

"Oh, I don't think that had much to do with it." Lina said.

"Still, I will ask the ambassadors to leave within the week and leave you to running the school and preparing for your arrival."

"Thank you, ma'am." Lina said, even if she did feel conflicted. She didn't want to be treated any different!

Sensing her reticence, the Eternal Queen smiled, "And if you aren't ready for things to slow down now, once that child gets larger you will be."

Lina smiled, "I suppose you're right."

"Now about your mother," The Eternal Queen said as she looked at Gourry, "She is currently staying with my great-grandson who resides in a nice manor in town and she will not trouble you."

We've heard that before. Lina thought, but she managed to keep her words polite and simple, "Thank you."

"I'll let you get your rest." The Eternal Queen said as she got up and walked out.

Lina looked at Gourry and asked, "What did she do this time anyway?"

Gourry exhaled, "Well, let's just say that the whole school knows you're pregnant now."

"What!?" Lina exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Lina. She just threw it out there. They are all excited for you."

"Well, I guess what's done is done." Lina said irritatedly, "I think there's something more you're not telling me."

"Let's just say it got real ugly, and leave it at that." He said. He really did not want to rehash it.

She looked at him, and he patted her hand, "Just rest up. Worry about it another day, okay? And hey, these potatoes are delicious!"

"Is this okay?" Gourry asked, before he started kissing her. The dinner dishes had been cleared away and the house had quieted for the night.

"Nothing below the waist and I'm sure we'll be fine." Lina said as she pulled him to her and deepened the kiss.

Someone knocked, and they shared an annoyed glance, even as they sat up in bed and Gourry wrapped an arm around her, "Come in." Lina said.

Sylphiel opened the door and poked her head in, and Lina tensed. Well, this is awkward.

"I'm just checking in to see how you are doing." Sylphiel said as she entered Lina's room as Lina thought to herself, Well, since she knows I'm pregnant with Gourry's child it's not as if it's any big surprise to her that we share a bed.

"We're doing great. We really can't thank you enough."

"Yes," Gourry added, "Thank you for taking good care of her."

"I'm happy I was able to help." Sylphiel said as she smiled, "I am surprised you're still up. Usually an ordeal like that makes people sleepy."

"Oh, I guess we never got around to explaining." Lina said, and then she decided that the situation with Sylphiel was merely a bottomless pit of awkwardness. At least in this case it wasn't sexual. She had once promised Sylphiel that she would never cast the Giga Slave, and even though everything had worked out, she didn't like bringing it up. "But this is a blessed pregnancy."

"Is it?" Sylphiel asked, then she sighed, "Of course. A spell like that would have altered you in some way."

She looked at them for a moment, and Lina was suddenly very cognizant of the fact that Gourry was in bed with her. Fully clothed, thank goodness. Sylphiel quietly said, "I would advise against resuming marital relations at the moment. Wait for five days, and then you can proceed as normal."

Lina blushed. Even though Sylphiel had been as professional as possible, it was weird, "Um, thanks. Hey, I know you've already done so much for us. But this made me realize I don't know enough about what is happening to me. I mean, I never really read much about pregnancy growing up, I was too busy studying magic and the like. And because I didn't know what was normal and what wasn't I could easily have lost this baby, if you hadn't have been there and noticed what was going on. Are there any books that you would recommend? I mean, I stay up all night reading now anyway so I might as well beef up my knowledge here."

"Of course." Sylphiel said, "I remember seeing a copy of one in your library. I'll go and get it for you and then I'll turn in for the night. I wish I was a bit closer in case anything does go wrong."

"You can use Gourry's room for the night." Lina said, "It's not like he ever sleeps there, so…"

Lina suddenly blushed as Sylphiel's face went slightly taunt, "Thank you. I will be back, and then I'll be right down the hall should you need me."

"Right," Lina said.

Xellos caught a glimpse of his reflection as he walked by the fountain. He then smiled at the man who walked past and stopped him, "Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of the manor house?"

"Three blocks down that way." The man said as he pointed.

"Thank you." Xellos replied as he set off in that direction. He then dawdled for a bit. Depending on who you asked, it was either late at night or early in the morning so few people were out and about. Still, it was important that people saw him. Or rather, the person they thought he was. The more people who remembered seeing a dumb blonde wandering around town and asking for the location of the house where Guloisa was staying at, the better. The Eternal Queen taking her out of Maninstit did create a barrier, but not an insurmountable one. Especially for a Mazoku of his power who could alter his appearance to look like anyone he wanted.

An old woman finally shuffled down the street, and he asked her for directions. After ensuring that a few other people saw him, he easily found the manor house, and he walked through the lawns to where Guloisa's window was. He picked up some pebbles as he walked by, and then threw them at her window. He waited until he saw her face appear and made sure that she got a good look at him. She opened it and yelled, "Gourry?"

Fooled his own mother, Xellos thought as he grinned and turned around. He slowly started walking away. When he got to the edge of the grounds he waited, and after several minutes he heard the door open, and Guloisa cry, "Gourry, wait!"

He kept walking again. While imitating a physical appearance was easy, he was less sure about being able to imitate Gourry's voice with the accuracy needed to fool her. If anything, though, staying silent seemed to infuriate Guloisa, "Why won't you talk to me? Cat got your tongue? Tell me, what news is there? Did the baby make it? Why won't you answer me!?"

Xellos saw a few lights go on in the buildings they passed by, and faces pressed against windows. Someone opened one and called out at them to keep it down. Xellos smiled. This was working out better than he could have possibly expected!

He let Guloisa catch up to him. She grabbed his arm, "Why did you come out here?"

"Shh," he said, and he kept walking.

"Well what kind of an answer is that!?" she replied.

He grinned as they reached the outskirts of town, and sensing something was wrong she backed away as a wave of fear ran through her, "What's…"

He unsheathed his sword. He didn't like to use such crude weapons, but in this case, there was little choice. Guloisa's eyes widened, and she said, "You wouldn't."

He grinned, "I said I would do what I needed to keep my family safe from you."

And then he swung.

Xellos had every reason to expect Gourry's room to be empty. The swordsman had not stayed there once since Xellos had started observing them. While Xellos had every reason to believe that Gourry was enjoying his bed with Lina in the next room, he still checked from the astral plane to ensure it was empty before he materialized within to plant to evidence he needed.

He was caught off guard when the bathroom door opened, and the Shrine Maiden, dressed in a long flowing nightdress, walked in, her path lit by a light spell. "Who are you? Get out, now!" she said.

Before Xellos could consider what to do, an ethereal otherworldly screaming resounded from Lina's room, and soon the ghostly wail of Guloisa Gabriev could be heard demanding, "Gourry Gabriev, what did you do to me!?"

AN: Figuring out the timeline for Slayers can be tricky. Sairaag was destroyed a few months after Lina and Gourry met (and in the novels, Amelia was not part of the group then). Hellmaster was defeated either 6 months to a year after Lina and Gourry met, and the amount of time they traveled together after that is either 1-2 years…depending on the book. I guess when you're a hopeless adventuress you're not checking a calendar much. So figuring out how long Sairaag has been destroyed is rather imprecise, and I'm probably wrong.