Part Four: Filia & Xellos - Allies
Xellos nearly fell off the roof where he was fixing it when he saw who Lina's mystery guests were three days later. "Filia? What are you doing here?" he demanded, phasing off the roof and onto the ground in front of the dragon maiden.
"I'm staying with Lina. And I didn't want to leave Val all alone at the shop, so I brought him here with me," Filia replied. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm staying with Lina to protect her from Dynast should he make another attempt to get her," Xellos replied.
"Oh," Filia said. She shifted Val from one hip to the other.
Xellos sighed and picked up Filia's bags. "This is the last time I'm going to do this," he told her and walked into the cottage.
Filia stared after Xellos in amazement. Then she slowly followed him inside.
Lina looked up when Filia walked into the kitchen. "I've been learning to cook since Xellos can't," she explained when she saw Filia's look of surprise. "It's for the safety of everyone." She looked at Filia. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Except... Xellos carried my bags inside for me. Without being asked," Filia said, totally bewildered.
Lina smiled. "That's interesting. He didn't do that when Amelia or Sylphiel were here for a visit," she said.
"Where's Gourry?" Filia asked. "I'm surprised he's not hovering over you."
Lina's smile faded a bit at the mention of Gourry, but then it brightened again. "He's helping Sylph for a while. He'll be back before the new year," she replied. She put a hand over her ever-expanding waistline and her smile grew. "They sure are a lively bunch," she said to Filia.
Filia smiled in return. "Have you chosen names for them yet?" she asked.
Lina nodded. "I'll tell you them later. Right now I've got to work on getting supper ready. Why don't you go and get settled in your room?" she suggested, going back to cutting carrots.
Filia nodded and left the kitchen, heading up the stairs to the second guestroom. She set Val on the bed and began to unpack.
"What made you decide to come here?" Xellos asked.
Filia turned around to see Xellos sitting on her bed with Val in his lap. She forced herself to stay where she was and not take Val from him. "Lina asked me to come for a visit so I came," she replied. "Are you staying here because you want to, or are you under orders?"
"Both. But mostly because I want to be here. Dynast can't get his hands on Lina or her children," Xellos replied.
Filia was startled. She had expected Xellos to avoid giving an honest answer.
Xellos opened his eyes to look at Filia. "It's going to take the both of us to protect them. Are you willing to work with me?" he asked.
Filia didn't hesitate. "I'll help you," she said.
"Good. See you at supper," Xellos said and disappeared.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was the third week into Filia's visit when the first attempt on Lina was made. Luckily, Xellos had been expecting such a thing and took care of the attacking monster.
Filia looked down at Lina, who had been pushed into her arms by Xellos, and realized that the threat against Lina was very real and very close. She looked up when she heard Val crying for her. She passed Lina off to Xellos and went to get Val.
Xellos picked Lina up and put her on her bed. "I'll check to make sure they're all gone," he said and left.
Filia walked back into Lina's room with Val. "Where'd Xellos go?" she asked as Lina took Val from her.
"He's checking to make sure te coast is clear," Lina replied. She cuddled Val to her, trying to hide her shaking hands. Now that she had her babies to look out for, she had to be a lot more careful. She wanted to have Gourry here to protect her.
Filia could see how scared Lina was and did her best to try and soothe her friend. She stayed with Lina until she fell asleep, then she took Val and went back to her room. She wasn't surprised to see Xellos waiting for her. "What is your plan?" she asked.
Xellos nearly fell off the roof where he was fixing it when he saw who Lina's mystery guests were three days later. "Filia? What are you doing here?" he demanded, phasing off the roof and onto the ground in front of the dragon maiden.
"I'm staying with Lina. And I didn't want to leave Val all alone at the shop, so I brought him here with me," Filia replied. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm staying with Lina to protect her from Dynast should he make another attempt to get her," Xellos replied.
"Oh," Filia said. She shifted Val from one hip to the other.
Xellos sighed and picked up Filia's bags. "This is the last time I'm going to do this," he told her and walked into the cottage.
Filia stared after Xellos in amazement. Then she slowly followed him inside.
Lina looked up when Filia walked into the kitchen. "I've been learning to cook since Xellos can't," she explained when she saw Filia's look of surprise. "It's for the safety of everyone." She looked at Filia. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Except... Xellos carried my bags inside for me. Without being asked," Filia said, totally bewildered.
Lina smiled. "That's interesting. He didn't do that when Amelia or Sylphiel were here for a visit," she said.
"Where's Gourry?" Filia asked. "I'm surprised he's not hovering over you."
Lina's smile faded a bit at the mention of Gourry, but then it brightened again. "He's helping Sylph for a while. He'll be back before the new year," she replied. She put a hand over her ever-expanding waistline and her smile grew. "They sure are a lively bunch," she said to Filia.
Filia smiled in return. "Have you chosen names for them yet?" she asked.
Lina nodded. "I'll tell you them later. Right now I've got to work on getting supper ready. Why don't you go and get settled in your room?" she suggested, going back to cutting carrots.
Filia nodded and left the kitchen, heading up the stairs to the second guestroom. She set Val on the bed and began to unpack.
"What made you decide to come here?" Xellos asked.
Filia turned around to see Xellos sitting on her bed with Val in his lap. She forced herself to stay where she was and not take Val from him. "Lina asked me to come for a visit so I came," she replied. "Are you staying here because you want to, or are you under orders?"
"Both. But mostly because I want to be here. Dynast can't get his hands on Lina or her children," Xellos replied.
Filia was startled. She had expected Xellos to avoid giving an honest answer.
Xellos opened his eyes to look at Filia. "It's going to take the both of us to protect them. Are you willing to work with me?" he asked.
Filia didn't hesitate. "I'll help you," she said.
"Good. See you at supper," Xellos said and disappeared.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was the third week into Filia's visit when the first attempt on Lina was made. Luckily, Xellos had been expecting such a thing and took care of the attacking monster.
Filia looked down at Lina, who had been pushed into her arms by Xellos, and realized that the threat against Lina was very real and very close. She looked up when she heard Val crying for her. She passed Lina off to Xellos and went to get Val.
Xellos picked Lina up and put her on her bed. "I'll check to make sure they're all gone," he said and left.
Filia walked back into Lina's room with Val. "Where'd Xellos go?" she asked as Lina took Val from her.
"He's checking to make sure te coast is clear," Lina replied. She cuddled Val to her, trying to hide her shaking hands. Now that she had her babies to look out for, she had to be a lot more careful. She wanted to have Gourry here to protect her.
Filia could see how scared Lina was and did her best to try and soothe her friend. She stayed with Lina until she fell asleep, then she took Val and went back to her room. She wasn't surprised to see Xellos waiting for her. "What is your plan?" she asked.