"Thank goodness you're home!" Leia said as she rushed over to greet them as they walked into the foyer, still dressed in her day clothes despite the later hour.

"What happened?" Lina asked.

"We don't know. Jean-Luc and Indy went out to explore like they always do. We noticed they hadn't come home at dinner and we started to get worried. Your father left to go to the village and gather some people to look for them. So far there's been no word."

"Surely someone must know which direction they headed off in?" Zelgadis said.

"Several students said they saw them heading towards the forest."

"Great," Lina said, "There are so many places to get lost there, and it's haunted."

"Huh?" Leia said.

"I'll explain later. I'm going out there." Lina said as she turned to go back out the door. As expected, Gourry turned to walk beside her.

"We're coming, too." Zel and Amelia said.

They'd been able to find Han and the other villagers easily enough. The light spells and the lanterns made it easy to track them down. Unfortunately, none of them had been able to find a scent of either of the boys, and what worried Lina was that both Indy and Jean-Luc should have been able to do a light spell of their own to make it easy for someone to track them down.

They searched through the night, and Lina was thankful that the quirk of her pregnancy made it so she didn't fatigue easily. Gourry, as ever, was a machine. Eventually some people from the party left to either catch a bit of rest or get some food. As dawn broke, Lina felt her stomach rumble, and decided it was their turn to get some breakfast. She and Gourry kept their eyes peeled on the way back to Maninstit, but saw no one.

Honor was waiting in the foyer for them when they got back, looking pensive. "If you have news about Indy and Jean-Luc, you'd better spit it out, no matter how much it incriminates you." Lina said.

"Oh, it's nothing like that." Honor said, "I'm not even sure it's related. But yesterday my cat, Nimitz, went missing."

"Do you really think a missing cat ranks high on my priorities right now?!" Lina snapped.

"Sorry, I just thought there might be a connection."

"And what connection would that be?" Lina asked.

"I'll go join the search party." Honor said as people started crowding in the foyer.

"You do that." Lina said as someone knocked at the door. Jeeves went to open it.

Leia came up and asked her, "Any luck?"

"None."

"Why don't you stay here for a bit and get some rest, and I'll go out and join the party?" Leia suggested.

"No, there's no way I'll be able to rest until they are found."

"Until who is found?" a haughty looking noble woman Lina had never seen before asked. There was something familiar looking about her, as well as the man who stood beside her, but Lina was too stressed to think about it that much.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Lina asked snarkily.

"John and Darling Neverland." The woman replied, and Lina felt her stomach sink. "And who are you?"

"Dame Lina Inverse." Lina said as she shook her head, "And I'm afraid you've come at a rather bad time."

"It had better be for that rude introduction!" John said.

"Is Peter alright?" Darling asked.

"Peter's fine." Lina said.

"Where is he?"

"Running around the manor somewhere."

"You ought to keep better tabs on them!"

"It's a weekend!" Lina said.

"That's no excuse." Darling said.

Just then Peter came into the foyer. "Peter!" Darling exclaimed as she went up to hug him.

Peter took a step back as he blushed, "What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to make sure you were being taken care of." She said as she held him in an embrace, and Lina noted that Peter looked as though he wished he could teleport away.

"Are they taking good care of you?" Darling asked as she started to pepper his face with kisses.

"Gah! Mom, stop!" Peter yelled as he pulled away, "I'm fine! It's great here! You don't need to worry!"

"If everything's fine why are you talking about finding someone?" John asked.

"Two students got lost in the woods yesterday." Gourry explained quietly, "We're currently looking for them."

"You lost two of your students!?" Darling said accusingly.

Lina tried, and failed, to keep from rolling her eyes, "So kids have never got lost in the woods playing where you're from?"

"I don't like your attitude…"

"Honestly dealing with you is just eating away time I don't have." Lina said as she turned to go to the dining room.

"Well I never!" Lina heard Darling say as Gourry followed her.

"Mrs. Neverland," Leia said, "The boys will be found. You know how mischievous they can be."

"That's why you keep a vigilant eye on them at all times!" Darling said. "Peter, come, I don't like it here."

"No!" he said.

"You're not going to intervene?" Gourry asked as the door closed behind them.

"I'm going to fuel up and get back on the hunt for Indy and Jean-Luc." Lina said as she grabbed an apple muffin that was on the table and devoured it, "Peter will be fine either way. Worse comes to worse Sis will have to do damage control, or we just lose Peter as a student. The worst case scenario with Indy and jean-Luc is a bit more dire."

"You don't think it is that bad?" Gourry asked as started to scarf down some eggs.

"No, but I'm not going to bet on it." Lina said, pausing only to chug some water, "The stakes are too high."

They ate quickly, even for them, and then went back into the foyer, where Peter was having a blazing row with his parents as he yelled, "No, I won't go back! And even if you make me I'll just run away and come back here!"

"Oh stop that nonsense!" John said as he grabbed him.

"Diem Wind!" Peter yelled, and the spell sent his parents flying backwards. While they were stunned, he ran out the door.

"Where are you going!?" Darling asked as she stood up and teetered on her heels.

"I thought it was just a matter of keeping a close eye on them at all times." Lina said smugly as she walked to the door.

"Oh, you stuck up overbearing witch!"

If Lina hadn't been so worried about finding Jean-Luc and Indy, she would have put her in her place. But soon her attention was distracted by another matter. Nimitz was walking up to the house, and beside him was a large golden dog. Lina knelt down and reached out a hand to pet the dog. "Lina?" Gourry asked.

"I think he can help." Lina explained. "Do you know where our lost boys are?"

The dog turned around and started walking towards the forest. "Let's go." Lina said.

The dog walked at a brisk pace, but not so fast that they couldn't keep up. He seemed so sure of where he was going that Lina had every confidence that he would take them right to Indy and Jean-Luc. About forty minutes later the dog set by an old, decrepit well, and as they got closer Gourry said, "I can hear them singing!"

Lina's heart raced as she called, "Indiana! Jean-Luc!"

"We're here." They cried.

Lina looked down into the well. She couldn't see them. Just darkness. "Well what are you doing in there?"

"We wanted to see what was in it. We heard rumors of treasure."

"Why didn't you just levitate out?"

"Something about this place cancels your magic." Indy explained, "We can't even cast a light spell!"

Lina looked at Gourry, "Go get some rope, and get the others."

"Right." He said as he went off.

"You won't believe the cool stuff we've found down here." Indy said.

"That's nice, but are you alright?" Lina asked. "And how can you even see in there?"

"We're fine, just hungry."

Lina shook her head. "Figures. You've had us all in a right state!"

"See, Indy," Jean-Luc said, "I told you, she does care."

Gourry was on his way back to the well with some rope and a group of helpers when he heard something splashing in the creek ahead. "Keep an eye out." He cautioned to the others.

When the foliage cleared, though, Gourry could see Peter sheepishly make his way to the shore. "You alright?" he asked.

"Fine." Peter said, "I just got a bit careless."

"Come on." Gourry said, "We found Jean-Luc and Indy. They're fine, but they're going to need some help getting out of the well they're stuck in."

"What, and then you'll make me go back to my parents'?" Peter said.

"Once things settle down I'm sure they'll see reason." Gourry said.

"No they won't," Peter said petulantly, even as he started to walk with the group. "They never let me do anything fun in case I get hurt."

"They must care a great deal about you." Gourry said.

"My brother, James, died. Since then they barely let me out of their sight."

"So they don't want to go through their worst nightmare again."

"Well, no!" Peter said, "But that doesn't make it easy for me!"

"It's hard for everyone." Gourry agreed as he patted him on the back, "We'll talk to them."

"What can we say that will change their minds?"

They got into a clearing, and Gourry glanced at the sun to see what time it was. It was still before noon. He looked back to the ground and frowned. Peter's shadow seemed odd. Especially when he compared the dimensions to the others in the group. He shook his head. It was probably some illusion. "Well, you can help us rescue Indy and Jean-Luc, and then you can tell your parents about how you were able to help. Then they can see all that you are learning and gain confidence that you can take care of yourself."

"You think it will be that easy?" Peter asked.

Gourry chuckled, "No. But just because something won't be easy doesn't mean it isn't worth trying."

"Look at this box of jewels we found!" Indy said proudly once they were out of the well and on their way back to Maninstit.

Lina glanced at it as they walked, "That is a good haul. How did you know it would be there anyway?"

"We talked to the locals, who said there were rumors that when Queen Carliena conquered the chiefdom that was here the Chieftess threw her jewels into a well."

"Talking to the locals!" Lina cried, "Damn, I don't know why I overlooked that one! Anyway, I need you to take those jewels to Princess Amelia."

"But I found them!" Indy said.

"Let me finish!" Lina snapped, "We think they may be the key to help to close the portal and allow the Sad Lady to cross over."

"Oh, okay. That sounds fun!" Indy said.

Lina sighed, and Gourry came up and asked, "Hey Lina, what happened to that dog?"

Startled, Lina looked around, "I guess he wandered off once we found them. That's too bad. I would have liked to thank him, strange as it seems."

"What is it about this place that is attracting animals that are so useful?" he asked.

Lina shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine there. But I'm not going to complain."

By the time they'd gotten back to Maninstit, Leia had managed to calm the Neverlands down enough that she'd been able to give them a tour. They were in her office drinking tea when Lina and Gourry brought Peter in. "Look who we found." Gourry said jovially.

"Peter!" Darling and John cried as they got up to hug him.

"And Indy and Jean-Luc?" Leia asked.

"Are safe and well." Lina said, "They'd found some treasure at the bottom of the well and had gotten stuck procuring it."

"And Peter helped us to get them from the bottom of the well." Gourry said. "He got some life skills in that will help him in the real world."

"There, you see?" Leia said, "Everyone is safe and sound, and knowledge was advanced. Further, as I was telling you, who better to oversee the training of a magically inclined little boy then a fully trained sorceress?"

"Little boy?" Peter repeated distastefully.

Leia ignored him as she continued, "Lina would have been able to prepare herself for that Diem Wind. Honestly, though, raising pubescent sorcerers is quite, quite taxing. Especially once they get to be more powerful than you. You get all of the snark and the moodiness and disrespect and they can lodge a Dil Brand at you if you try to call them out on it!"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Darling said.

"And I'm sure your home has so many lovely things in it. You look like a woman of fine taste. Do you want to know how many things our Lina destroyed before we decided to send her off on her journey?"

Lina blushed, but managed to bite her tongue. Darling and John looked at each other, and John then looked at Peter, "Do you like it here?"

"Yes!" Peter said emphatically, "I have so many friends and the classes are fun. And we're going to start having Capture the Flag challenges. I don't want to miss all that!"

"Well, then you can stay. But we'll be checking in periodically to make sure everything is okay."

Leia winked over at Lina, and Lina reminded herself to thank her later for her ability to smooth things over and put out another crisis.

"Another day ends, with all students accounted for." Lina said to Gourry as she brushed her hair. "Though, I'm nervous now that Nerys and Owen have reached the Elmekian border. At least your old friend has reported making contact with them."

"It's hard to let someone else take the risk." Gourry said as he collapsed into the bed. "I am going to sleep so good tonight!"

She smiled as she set the brush down. He'd had a bit of a nap in the afternoon, but all told they'd only had about two hours sleep in the past two days, "So will I, come to think of it."

She crawled into bed with him and cuddled up. "Gourry?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll be good parents?"

"We'll be wonderful parents!" he said.

"You it's no question. But what about me? I mean, I'm not exactly nurturing."

"I wouldn't have married you if I hadn't thought you could do it." He said.

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not." She said.

"It's a compliment." He said, "Just, can we go to sleep? We didn't get any sleep last night!"

"Right, right. Night, love."

"Night, love."

She was quiet for a moment, and then she asked, "Gourry?"

"Hm?"

"You don't think we're going to turn into the Darlings? So scared of something happening to our kid that we panic at the thought of letting him do something on his own?"

He started to rub her back, "These past two years I've been panicking at the thought of letting you do something on your own! I think I've learned to deal with it."

She chuckled a bit. "Well, when you put it like that. I guess I've done the same. Night."

Lina woke with a gasp as she felt a cold, bony hand wrap around her ankle. Her eyes shot open, but she couldn't see much in the dark. Was it Gourry? But both of his arms were wrapped around her. Lina felt her heart sink as she noticed a familiar chill in the air. "Gourry," she whispered, "Something has grabbed my leg."

The hand pulled with such a force that had Lina not grabbed a hold of Gourry she would have flown from the bed! Gourry managed to quickly grab one of the bed posts with one hand as he held to her with the other as the ghost continued to pull on her leg. Lina was terrified it would fling her on the hard floor and she would hurt the baby! But she couldn't turn around and cast a spell. She needed both of her hands to hold onto Gourry!

"Lina! What's happening?" he asked.

"FIRST YOU TAKE MY HOME, AND NOW YOU TAKE MY JEWELS!" The Sad Lady roared, answering that question for them as she yanked on Lina even harder.

Lina felt her grip on Gourry slip a bit, and out of desperation she yelled, "I know where Iceni and Prasutagus are!"

The Sad Lady stopped pulling. "What?"

Lina took a deep breath, "The jewels, I'm using them to reunite you."

The Sad Lady released her grip on Lina and stared at them icily. Then she said, "Three days. Or then you know what it's like to lose a child."

"Right." Lina said as she exhaled, "I will get right on that!"

The Sad Lady vanished, and Lina cuddled up to Gourry. She wasn't sure if he was trembling or if it was her, or perhaps both. "How did she get out of the parlor?" Gourry asked.

"Something about those jewels the boys found must have helped her pull herself out." Lina said. "Damn, there's no way I'm getting anymore sleep tonight. Time to hit the books."