Lina's eyes felt as though they were lined with weights, and she fought to keep them open. She did not want to slip into the oblivion of sleep only to face what she had lost when she woke up. But every part of her was heavy and laden with grief, leaving her with little energy to fight against it. Gradually her eyes shut and she slumped forward onto the desk.

"Lina!" Gourry said. Lina jumped awake. She'd not heard him approach, hadn't even thought it possible for him to be up and about after the concoction Sylphiel had given him. And his voice sounded strange. Weak and shaky. Strangled even, as though his throat was swollen. "Am I dreaming?"

"I wish this were only a nightmare." Lina said as she stared at the map and wondered if she was hallucinating the strange light that was falling on it.

Before she could think too much about it Gourry said, "No, you're glowing."

"Wha…?" Lina looked down and saw that he was right. But how?

The light leapt from her body and shot forward so that it was hovering over the desk as it formed a golden disc. Fully awake now, Lina watched, certain for a moment that this was some sort of signal that the Lord of Nightmares was about to descend to the earth to admonish her in person for losing something so precious. But then a portal opened up, and at the center Lina could see her babies, wailing as they glowed hot with rage.

"Lina! The twins!" Gourry exclaimed as he pointed.

Lina jumped up on the chair, ready to fling herself into the portal to get them back! Gourry bounded to her and grabbed her arm, "Wait."

"You wait!"

"Let me tie this around you." He said as he grabbed some rope that was in the basket by the door, "In case it closes."

Lina bit her lip, hating the delay. But he actually had a good point. Gourry worked fast and knotted it efficiently, and taking only a moment to exchange a glance, Lina turned and reached into the portal and managed to grab both of them. She didn't worry about hurting herself. Somehow the effects that were so deleterious to Mazoku never affected her when they glowed. What was difficult was getting a good hold on both of them when they were squirming so much, but Lina did not want to risk losing either of them! Fortunately the portal was a good height and she was able to get her upper body and both arms in to pull them to her. And then she leaned backwards quickly, so fast that her balance became precarious as Gourry suddenly grabbed and steadied her.

Lina turned towards him, and he wrapped his arms around them, pressing their children between them, as he pulled them down from the chair and they collapsed to the floor together. The twins screamed loudly as Lina laughed in a mix of exhalation and relief. "We got them back!" Lina said as Gourry grabbed one and she held the other one close, too heady to even work to calm the babies down. "We got them back!"

Gourry turned to look at the portal as it closed behind them, but then he seemed satisfied that no attack was coming as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. It was unbelievable! Fear shot through Lina as she wondered if she'd gotten the wrong baby and she took time to gaze at the child in her arms. But it was that same mix of her and Gourry's features that defined Midas.

"What happened?" Rick shouted as he appeared in the doorway, Sylphiel behind him, who gasped. From the other side of the hallway the wet nurses appeared.

"You got them back?" Sylphiel said.

"It's them?" Lina said, as she started to hold Midas forward, but then hesitated. Would she lose them again if she let go?

"How?" Marlena asked.

But the babies were screaming too loudly. Sylphiel stepped forward and knelt down and put a hand on Midas's head as she gazed at him for a moment before she did the same with Aurelia. Then she smiled, "You did get them back!"

The confirmation from Sylphiel, the one who had delivered them, soothed Lina's anxieties that this wasn't real. Lina repositioned Midas and pulled down her shirt and got him latched on, and then sighed in relief. She'd been too grief stricken to realize how badly she'd needed to nurse, and the letdown effect was strong as she felt her other breast leak. She looked over at Gourry as she moved to a more comfortable sitting position and said, "Hand her over."

Gourry did, and she got Aurelia latched on as a silence fell across the room. Her arms would hurt after holding both of them, but she would never be more grateful for it. Sylphiel was the one who broke the silence as she asked, "We are so happy that the twins ae back. How did you do it?"

"I didn't." Lina said, "I don't think so at least."

"I was dreaming," Gourry said, "Dreaming that the twins were looking for us. When I woke up, well, I wasn't really sure I had actually woken up. But I felt like I had to find Lina, absolutely had to find her. And when I did, she was glowing. Like she was when someone would attack when she was pregnant."

"But you didn't make yourself glow?" Rick asked.

Lina shook her head, "I didn't cast a spell or anything. I think I'd fallen asleep and I woke up when Gourry came in. As soon as I noticed the glow a portal opened up to where the twins were. And I reached in and grabbed them. It closed up as soon as we got them back."

"But how?"

"That's a good question." Lina said, and then she went silent as she thought.

"Was it Ceiphied?" Connie asked as she clasped her hands together in a display of piety.

"I don't think so." Lina said. "He's not exactly known for uniting lost children with their parents. I don't think it was the Lord of Nightmares either. I don't think they care to be honest."

"Well, perhaps the Mazoku got fed up with raising babies." Marlena suggested.

Lina smiled at the thought, "I think they would have tried a bit longer. No, they wouldn't have. I think, well, there's never been babies like them born before. We still just learning about their capabilities."

"So you think they opened the portal? You don't think it was something you did somehow." Sylphiel said.

"I didn't gained powers from channeling the Lord of Nightmares." Lina said, "I guess it's possible I may have and not known. But I think it's more likely that it was them. Though, I get that it's hard to believe that a little baby that can't even crawl can navigate something like the astral plane."

Sylphiel shook her head, "It should be impossible, humans navigating the astral plane. But then, as you said, there have never been babies like them born before. And if there is still some of the Lord of Nightmare's power in you it could have acted like a beacon that showed them how to get home."

"Lina," Gourry said, "If the twins did that thing with the astral plane and got back to us, then does that mean that if the Mazoku try this again then the twins will still find a way home?"

Lina smiled, "I think so. I don't want to test it out, but I think there's a good chance of that."

Gourry smiled as he reached out to put a hand on Midas's head, "I can sleep better at night knowing that."

"Me too." Lina said as a lot of her anxieties started to abate. Yes, because of their nature the twins were under greater threat. But they were also more able to take care of themselves than most babies. And that, so far, had worked out in their favor.

"So you don't think the Mazoku will come back for them?" Connie asked.

"They won't attack directly after what happened last time," Lina said, "And they don't want to risk inadvertently harming them. And I doubt they could have foreseen the twins having this ability. They could pull us all into strange space again, but if the twins make another portal there then it wouldn't end any better for them. Hopefully they'll have to go back to the drawing board at the least, if they don't abandon the idea of kidnapping them altogether. For now, I think we can enjoy the rest of our time here in peace."

"I'm glad to hear it." Connie said. "If you'll excuse me, I must get some rest. I am overjoyed that you have been reunited with your children."

"Thank you." Gourry said as he wrapped an arm around Lina and his eyes glistened with tears.

"I'm turning in as well. Do you want me to take the children to the nursery?" Marlena said as she followed Connie down the hallway.

"No, we want to keep them close tonight." Lina said as she unlatched Aurelia and handed her to Gourry and winched at the ache in her arm. Then she managed to stand up while keeping Midas latched on.

"I understand. Good night."

Sylphiel smiled at them as she said, "Do you need me for anything?"

"We're good. Get some rest." Lina said as Gourry stood up.

Sylphiel turned and walked ahead of them with Rick towards the wing that contained their chambers. As they got to the hallway Rick said, "I wonder where Naga and Moe went off to."

"You don't think they've been pulled into subspace?" Sylphiel asked.

Lina felt her stomach tighten as they stopped in their tracks. "Well, usually I'd say that Naga had drunk herself into such a stupor that not even all that commotion could wake her but…I think we should check on her."

"I think they're fine." Gourry said as he blushed, "And that we should keep walking."

"Huh?" Lina said as they walked by the door to Naga's room. "But how can you…?"

Before Lina could finish her question, Naga started moaning, load enough that the sound permeated the hallway. Rick put his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh as Sylphiel grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway. But she faltered as Moe's booming voice echoed into the hallway as he asked, "How do you like that, Princess?"

"Oh ho ho! Don't you ever call me 'princess' again!"

Lina felt her face heat as Moe asked, "Should I call you Queen then?"

And then they started laughing. Both of them. Their obnoxious laughs competing with each other in aggravation as they boomed down the hallway until Lina yelled, "There are innocent children here! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Whoa, poor Lina, I think she's lost her grip on reality." Naga said.

Lina shook her head and continued down the hallway with Gourry as she said, "Well, they're safe and accounted for."

"Yep." Gourry said as he nodded, his face still a charming shade of ruby red.

"But I must say, the thin walls are in the definite cons list of this place versus Maninstit."

Gourry smiled as he ran his free hand through her hair. "Yep."

"It is beautiful here." Lina said as she finished her sandwich and then glanced at the river.

She and Gourry had decided to spend the day with the twins. Not out of fear. But out of a desire to be close as a family. The hard thing was that there was not much that two months old babies could do aside from eat, sleep, poop and observe. But, Lina reflected as she watched them on the picnic blanket as they watched as a crane swooped over the river before it flew away, they were observant!

"I wouldn't mind having more lunches here." Gourry said as he wiped his mouth after he finished drinking his tea. "Though I also liked lunches at Maninstit."

Lina smiled, "Hm. I think we have a big decision to make."

"You mean whether or not to stay at Maninstit?" he asked.

Lina nodded. "Which one are you leaning towards?"

"Whichever one you are." Gourry said.

Lina looked at him sharply. "Oh come on! You must have a preference!"

He set his cup down and brushed his hair from his eyes. Then he picked up Aurelia's hands and pulled her up to a sitting position. She favored him with a gummy smile and then she started to look around from her new vantage point. "Well, I'd prefer whichever is safest. I never want to go through something like that again."

Lina felt her stomach twist, and she tickled Midas's belly to distract her from the feeling, "Me too."

Gourry looked at her. "What?"

"What do you mean what?" she asked.

"That face you're making…"

"Well why don't you just come out and say it!" Lina exclaimed.

"Say what?" Gourry asked.

"That I screwed up and we nearly lost our children because of it!"

Gourry looked at her as though she had started speaking Dragon. Lina huffed and hugged herself and said, "You could barely look at me after we were pulled into strange space!"

Gourry went pale, "Lina…I was so ashamed of myself for not being able to protect us all that I could barely look at you. I thought you had every reason to be mad at me but I wasn't brave enough to face you."

Lina moved closer to him, "No, I wasn't mad and disappointed at you! You were mad and disappointed with me!"

Gourry shook his head as he pulled Aurelia close to him, "No, no, I'm absolutely sure that you were the one who was mad and disappointed with me!"

Lina moved even closer to him as they locked eyes with each other. And then she bopped him on the head. But gently. It broke the tension and they both laughed as she leaned forward to give him a peck on the lips, followed by a longer, more tender kiss. They smiled at each other as they pulled away, and then Lina lied down on the blanket and picked Midas up and placed him on her chest.

"Idiot. I never blamed you. You're just the brawns. I'm the brains!" Lina said.

"But I'm still your guardian. And theirs. If I can't keep you all safe, then what good am I?"

"Well, it's like a certain mentor once told me." Lina said, "You can be the best, and you're still not going to win every battle."

"That's true." Gourry said, "It's easy to know in your head, but hard to accept in your heart."

"I can't argue with you there." Lina said as she stroked Midas's soft hair. "Which brings us back to safety. I mean, after this, I do feel a lot more secure. I mean, I think the Mazoku will have no choice but to retreat for a bit at least. But then, I don't want to get complacent."

"There's too much to lose if we do." Gourry said as he patted Aurelia on the back.

"And this whole ordeal has brought me face to face with the fact that Maninstit is the safest place for us. There are so many layers of protection there that we can't replicate here."

"So you're wanting to go back to Maninstit?" Gourry asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I would also miss teaching and the kids."

Gourry smiled, "Me too."

"The only thing is Sis. And I think I just have to grow a spine and tell her to butt out."

Gourry put a hand on her shoulder and said, "If it helps, I'll cut her hand off the next time she tries to get out that butter knife to use on you."

Lina smiled, "That ought to teach her a lesson!"

Gourry started sniffing the air, and then he turned Aurelia around and checked her diaper. "It's her." Gourry said as he laid her on the blanket and reached into the basket for a fresh diaper. "With all that, there's another reason to go back to Maninstit."

"You're about to say something sweetly sentimental about how you love my mom and dad, aren't you?"

"Well, it's not that I don't love them. I mean that is a reason to go back, for me at least. But I was actually about to say that at Maninstit Naga's room is in a different wing than ours, and the walls are thicker. If this fling with Moe lasts…"

Lina blushed as she remembered the previous night. Fortunately they were so tired they quickly fell asleep even with all of the ruckus down the hallway. But they would not be able to count on that every night. "Yeah, good point. Definitely Maninstit. Thanks to last night I can not unsee things I've not actually seen!"

AN: So, um, I feel like I wrote Desolation five years too early or something. That fic is well suited to the current times, though it is also very grim and definitely one of my most morbid fics. I'd actually thought of doing something with a plague sticking Maninstit because, medieval times and plague, you know. But now I think I'll keep Slayers, Neverending light and fluffy for a bit for a break from the headlines.

I hope everyone is well. We're fine, things are starting to settle down a bit now that I'm in a routine. Fortunately my daughter loves homeschooling. My son is a bit harder to motivate but we get it done. Though they miss their friends. I miss my alone time, but things could be a lot worse. One day at a time.