AN: So, in feeling overwhelmed by the real life project I'm undertaking, I forgot that a group therapy curriculum is not nearly as intense as a lesson plan for teaching and given that I have four years of putting therapy groups together I actually got that done rather quickly. What I didn't factor in was how overwhelming it is to find a space for the group and to promote it, things that don't come to me naturally and also rely on factors beyond my superhuman ability to sit down and focus and crank something out, so the networking has left me emotionally drained and more likely to read during my downtime than write. However, stepping out of my comfort zone is starting to net some results, so I'm riding that encouragement and I managed to get this done. Thus having a better grip on what things will be like until I get my group off the ground it seems as though updates will be slower, but they will still happen. So enjoy! Oh, and there's probably more than you want to know about the physicalness of being postpartum unless you've been postpartum, and then you may laugh in solidarity. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Greater Beast Zelas did her best to mask how terrified she was as she checked in on her priest, yet the fact that, several days after the attack, he continued to radiate a tremendous amount of pain was unavoidable. "Have you recovered even a bit of your strength, Xellos?" she asked as she drew close to him.

"Perhaps a little." He said, his voice strained from the effort of talking, the funnel of the black tornado that characterized his typical form was not even spinning and it was obviously a struggle for him to just maintain a coherent shape. "The attack was like nothing I have experienced before."

Indeed. Before the birth of the Inverse children Zelas had fully expected to take Xellos down a notch if he failed. Now after the fact, it seemed as though there was little that she could do that would be worse than what had been down to him. Even through the worst battles of the Kouma War he had never sustained injuries such as there. And the passage of time, thus far, had done little to restore his strength. The fear that he was permanently crippled gripped her. And the fact that they faced an impossible quandary was hardly his fault. Newborns were typically weak and helpless, and while they'd had every reason to expect them to be powerful adults, no one had thought that it would manifest at such a young age. But if the Inverse newborns were already so powerful, how to procure them without being seriously maimed or killed in the process was a riddle that didn't seem to have an answer. Not one that didn't involve killing them. And that was not an acceptable solution.

Zelas frowned, torn between how useful Xellos had been to her until lately. Did this new conundrum require a new intelligence? Should she turn him to pasture and let him get back to destroying Claire Bible manuscripts while she found someone else to handle the big tasks? But then, the Mazoku race had suffered heavy casualties ever since Lina Inverse broke on the scene. She could hardly say that Xellos alone was failing.

"If you go to the abandoned farm outside the outskirts of town, you may find something there to help you heal." Zelas finally said.

"Thank you, Lord Greater Beast Zelas." He said, and then he disappeared.

Lina snapped awake at the sound of a baby gurgling, and she sat up and saw Gourry sitting beside her and cradling one of the babies. "Morning, sunshine." He said brightly as he arranged the blankets around the infant as he smiled tenderly, and Lina could see that already Aurelia had her father wrapped around her little finger. "Did you get some good rest?"

She replied by gasping as she realized her breasts were leaking, indeed, it looked as though they had already leaked through her nightdress as she slept and were so swollen and firm that she was surprised she'd slept through the discomfort! "Hand her over!" Lina ordered as she looked around the room to see who else was there, and relaxed a bit when she saw Karina with Midas.

But Gourry cradled Aurelia closer, "But they've been eating so much I've not had much time with them!"

"If you don't hand her over I'm going to burst!" Lina yelled as she pulled her soaked nightgown from her chest and winced at the sticky feeling of the milk on her skin. After she nursed she needed a bath!

"Here," Karina said as she walked up, "This one should be ready for a feeding. Ten minutes on each side should reduce the pressure."

Lina took Midas and rushed to get him latched on, and marveled at how hard her breasts were! And then she sighed in relief as he started nursing eagerly. The relief was short lived as she came to grips with the fact that her gown was still wet and sticky and her skin still coated with milk, and it grew worse as she realized she really needed to pee, and that birthing two babies had severely undermined her ability to control it! But then she reflected that at least she was wearing a thick layer of pads to catch all the blood so at least she was protected. Granted, it was obviously time to change it. She leaned back against the bed and reflected that she had rarely felt so gross. And she was a fighter who was used to being covered in guts and gore!

Someone knocked on the door, and then Luna walked in, "Oh good, you're up. The Eternal Queen shall be up shortly to meet them."

"What!?" Lina exclaimed, "Why didn't anyone tell me she was coming?"

"Well you had to have figured she would eventually." Luna pointed out calmly.

"But with enough time for me to have a bath! I'm filthy! And my gown is a mess!" Lina said, and she ran her free hand through her hair and it didn't take long for it to catch on the tangles.

"Oh, she's had babies. She won't mind." Luna said with a wave of her hand.

"I'll go and fetch your brush." Karina said as she walked over to the bathroom, but before she got back there was a knock at the door.

Luna went and opened it, and the Eternal Queen walked in, looking as flawless as always. "So these are the babies that felled Xellos within their first hour of life."

Lina remained tense as the Eternal Queen looked at them while Gourry stood up as he held Aurelia and bowed. "Yes, your majesty." He said.

"Lady Lina, you are looking well. How are you feeling?" The Eternal Queen said as she drew closer.

"Good." Lina replied as she reflected that she had never been so grateful to hear a lie.

"I brought another wet nurse so you won't have to do that anymore."

"Thank you, your majesty." Lina said, even though truth be told, she had mixed feelings about giving up nursing them. For one, the compulsion to be the one who took care of them was strong, and even though she knew her duties were important, completely entrusting her children to the care of strangers was hard to seriously think about. And for another, she liked how busty she was now and didn't want to give it up. But she wasn't about to tell the Eternal Queen that.

"May I?" The Eternal Queen asked as she looked at Gourry and held her arms open, and Gourry walked forward and handed Aurelia to her. "Which one is this?"

"Aurelia." Gourry said, "Though I've taken to calling her Rellie."

Lina glared at him and wondered where he'd come up with that, but bit her tongue and settled for hoping Aurelia didn't spit up all over the Eternal Queen, who smiled as she looked at the baby. "Well done! Beauty as well as strength! Luna is planning a naming ceremony and parade for them in about a month."

"Right, your majesty." Lina said.

"Well, I shall give you some time." The Eternal Queen said as she handed Aurelia back to Gourry, "I am going to stop by and see Princess Amelia and Prince Philionel and congratulate them on their arrival. And, less fortunately, to deliver some bad news."

"Bad news?" Lina repeated.

"King Eldoran has taken a bad turn." The Eternal Queen explained as Aurelia gurgled cheerfully, the sound of a young life an eerily discordant background noise as the Queen made her announcement, "They are wanting Prince Philionel to return home as soon as possible so he can ascend to the throne once he dies."

Lina felt better after she'd taken a bath and had dawned a fresh gown, even if she still felt as though the twins had clawed the inside of her stomach to shreds on their way out. For whatever reason she only noticed it when she walked and not even the healing spell Sylphiel had given her had completely eased it. Her mother said it would get better with time and cautioned that the pain after birth would get stronger with each subsequent pregnancy, and if that wasn't an incentive to stop at two she didn't know what was!

Lina frowned as she heard voices from her room, and then she heard Prince Phil's booming growl and figured that the Saillune royal family had decided to pay their respects. She grabbed her robe and put it on in case she started leaking breastmilk again and then opened the door. Prince Phil held Justina proudly as Zelgadis stood with his arm wrapped around Amelia, and Lina was amazed that she was wearing a dress and nice shoes. "Hey!" Lina said as she walked up to them and looked at Justina and decided with satisfaction that it was no contest. Midas and Aurelia were cuter. "Congrats!"

"Thanks!" Amelia said as she rushed forward and hugged Lina, "You too! And a double surprise!"

Lina chuckled as Gourry wrapped an arm around her, "Surprise indeed. I still can't believe it."

"You weathered it all so well." Amelia said as she pulled away, "Twin pregnancies are usually difficult, but you breezed through it. Meanwhile I could barely handle one!"

Lina was surprised at the vehemence that settled into Zelgadis' face as Amelia spoke, and Lina rushed in to say, "Well, it was a blessed pregnancy, so that made it easier. And I did nearly lose them early on, so really, what's the point in comparing?"

"I guess you're right." Amelia said, but given the way she lowered her head Lina wondered if her words had really sunk in.

"Lady Lina, Sir Gourry." Phil said, "I was hoping to stay another day, but it looks as though I am needed back home now. Thank you for letting me stay here for your hospitality and allowing me the chance to be here for the birth of my beloved granddaughter."

"No problem." Lina said as she reached out her hand to let him shake it. "I wish you were leaving under better circumstances."

"As do I." Phil said heavily as he looked at the ground, "Every crowned prince knows this day will come and what it means. At least my father is dying from natural causes. That is a comfort."

"I wish I could go down and see grandfather one less time." Amelia said, and her voice cracked a little. But even though there were plenty of people to watch Justina, traveling during her confinement was unthinkable. And Lina had a feeling that if Amelia's stomach hurt as much as hers did, then Amelia had to have at some level been grateful for the excuse to not walk all day for hours on end for a week.

"You rest up and get to feeling better." Phil said as he handed Justina to Zelgadis and then hugged Amelia, and Lina wondered if Amelia had suffered some injury that she'd not been told about. "Lady Lina, Sir Gourry, your children are beautiful and they have already proven to be assets to their kingdom. Raise them well."

"Thank you." Gourry said as he tightened his grip around Lina and smiled, the glow of new fatherhood still radiating from him. "We look forward to word of the arrival of your newest child."

"Thanks." Phil said, and then he turned to Zelgadis and gave him a hug, even if he was careful to not squash Justina, and to Lina's surprise, Zel returned it. "Take care of them."

"I will." Zelgadis said.

Phil patted Justina on the head, "I will return to see you, little one!"

Justina merely blinked at him curiously as Amelia erupted into tears, and Lina reflected that it was a good thing that Justina arrived before Phil left. He gave Amelia a smile and then walked out, and she collapsed onto the couch as though devoid of energy. Lina looked around awkwardly and tried to think of something to say to break the tension in the room. "Where's Naga? Or did they already say goodbye?" Lina asked.

"Things between the two of them are tense, to say the least." Zelgadis said as he hoisted Justina to his shoulder and judging by the way that Amelia seemed to shrink further into herself, Lina suspected she'd hit a sensitive topic.

"Huh," Lina replied as she looked around the room, "Gourry, where are the twins? I need to nurse before I start leaking again."

Zelgadis blushed as Gourry shifted a little, "Karina took them to the nursery after Prince Phil came by."

"Huh?" Lina said as her eyes narrowed.

"Well, now that they have the new wet nurse…" Gourry said said nervously.

"There's a tea that you can drink that will help you dry up." Amelia offered, her voice low and toneless, and Lina sat down beside her and winced as pain erupted along her tail bone, a part of her body that she had certainly never given much thought to before. It dulled quickly, allowing Lina to return to the converstion.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet." Lina said as she stared down at her chest and admired her breasts. For once she looked down and could enjoy the view rather than lament the fact that she could see her feet. Sure, she wasn't happy with the fact that she still looked pregnant, but the added boobage more than made up for the extra belly in her case. Though, as she glanced as Amelia who, nursing or not, was still busty she doubted she would understand. She smiled a little and decided she definitely was not ready to stop yet. "Gourry, go get one."

"Right." He said.

"I'll go with you." Zelgadis said, "Drop Jus off."

"Sounds good." Gourry said, "See you two in a bit."

"Bye." Lina said as she waited with Amelia until they were gone, and then Lina said, "Well, I heard that yours came rather fast."

Amelia's smile was strained, "That's an understatement."

Lina chuckled a little, "Lucky you! And one and done!"

Amelia burst into tears, and Lina stiffened as she wondered what she had said as she awkwardly flailed for something to say, but Amelia beat her to it, "I'm sorry, it's just, it came on so fast and so intense I really thought I was going to die! It's stupid, I mean, I thought with my background and stuff I'd be better prepared for it than I was and that I wouldn't have panicked like I did. But everything about being pregnant and birthing a child was so hard! I don't think I did it well at all."

"You have a healthy baby and you survived!" Lina said incredulously, "What more can you expect?"

"But you had it so easy…"

"I had a blessed pregnancy!" Lina nearly shouted. Hadn't she just reminded Amelia of this? "It's not an accomplishment, I just lucked out."

Amelia put her hands on her knees and squeezed them, "I just feel that someone else would have done it better than me."

"But you did it all on your own! With none of the potion! And only Naga to help you!" Lina countered incredulously, "I mean I got to a point where I begged for the potion. But you had to do it all without it!"

"As most women do." Amelia added.

"So what? It doesn't make it even less amazing." Lina replied. "And what's even more amazing is that you didn't kill Naga! I can't imagine that she'd be that much help with delivering a baby."

Amelia was silent for a moment, and then she burst into laughter, and Lina relaxed a little. "Well, come to think of it, Sis is lucky that I was in too much pain to throw a spell at her."

"There's nothing like it, is there? I mean, I've been through a lot, but contractions…"

"Like a lightning flash of crushing pain." Amelia said.

"Huh. It wasn't a lightning flash for me. There was a slow build up, and the build up was nice enough." Lina said, and then she lowered her voice, "Sort of like when you're peaking? But then it took a left turn somewhere and radiated pain everywhere."

"At least you were eased into it." Amelia said as she smiled and her voice became a bit more animated, "In more ways than one. Now that I think of it some of the women I've worked with said that contractions feel different with different pregnancies and some are easier to cope with than others. I guess it is just luck."

The door opened, and Gourry and Zelgadis walked in. Zelgadis relaxed a bit as he saw that Amelia was smiling as Gourry walked over to Lina and handed Aurelia to her, "Karina says that Rellie hasn't been fed in awhile."

"Rails!" Lina snapped, "I was going to call her Rails!"

Gourry shrugged as Lina took her, "Are you fine? Zel and I wanted to go for a walk."

"We're good, go on ahead." Lina said as Aurelia started nuzzling at her robe.

"We'll give you lots of time to talk." Zelgadis said as Gourry opened the door and he followed him out.

"Wow." Amelia said as they left and Lina got Aurelia latched on, "Feeding her yourself! Especially now that the Eternal Queen brought you back up."

Lina shrugged, "It's a way to thumb my nose at Sis. Much as she may want to she can't make me stop."

"That makes sense. Have you given any thought to when you will return to your duties?"

Lina groaned, "Once my stomach no longer feels like someone grated it from the inside out."

Amelia nodded as she caressed her own stomach, "I know exactly what you mean."

When Xellos materialized, Zelas was relieved to see that he was looking a little better. The funnel was spinning and he was definitely able to maintain his form. "Did your snack do the trick?" she asked.

"It has helped me to regain some strength." He said, and she noted that his voice was no longer strained. "How can I make this right?"

"The humans are starting to get complacent." Zelas said. "Lina Inverse has started to rely on the help somewhat, but still keeps one baby with her at all time. And the Ceiphied Knight has yet to make any move to leave."

"She has her own children. I doubt she will stay much longer."

Zelas nodded, "Indeed. Rest up, get better. Because as soon as the Ceiphied Knight leaves we will attack. Once we kill their parents and the other caregivers protecting them, those babies will have no choice but to depend on us for their survival."

"In other words." Xellos said, "Prepare for a massacre."