It wasn't long before Zelgadis and Amelia caught up with the others at the doctor's home. When they got there, Lina and Gourry were alone in the parlor, Filia had gone up to settle Xellos. The four sat down in silence. It only took five minutes of silence to finally make Amelia take the initiative.
"All right. While we wait for Ms. Filia, why don't you tell us just what is going on, Ms. Inverse."
Lina smiled. "All right, but it's pretty complicated."
"We don't rightly care how complicated it is," Greywords said coldly. Zelgadis' eyes narrowed. "My club was burned to the ground in some inexplicable way by your silent partner. I've known Xellos for a long time, but I never knew him to make objects self-combust."
Lina sighed and then nodded. She crossed her arms and leaned back. "All right. I'll tell you the situation as I know it. If you tell me how you know Xellos."
Zelgadis nodded curtly.
Lina then began. "Lately, thing is my company have begun to go wrong. I'm sure you've heard about it on the media. My company has been suffering though severe sabotages and I still have no idea why. Xellos told me this afternoon that he found out who the saboteur was and that he set up a meeting at the Chimera." Lina shrugged. "You know the rest. The saboteur and Xellos obviously know each other and decided they really didn't enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately, their disagreement resulted in the destruction of the Chimera." Lina gave a small smile and then met Zelgadis' narrowed eyes. "But putting all that aside, I believe the only person who could answer all our questions is Xellos."
Amelia nodded in agreement and Gourry looked about the room curiously. Lina lifted an eyebrow as she watched her husband for a moment, but shook her head. She would ask him later. She then turned her gaze back to Zelgadis. His blue black eyes glittered as he leaned back on the seat, Amelia putting a hand over his.
"I believe it is now my turn. Although I have nothing to do with your situation except for the fact that my club got burned down in Xellos' little argument; I'll tell you about my connection to Xellos." Zelgadis closed his eyes and sighed. "You could say I sold my soul to that particular devil." His eyes slowly opened and they were glassy. Zelgadis' mind traveled back through the unpleasant memories. "After I had just been transformed, I was in dire straits. The Chimera hadn't yet opened and because of my appearance all the workers left. Even the people I had hired to work at the club once it opened, suddenly declined all involvement. I was suddenly losing all my invested money and all my respect. Then Xellos appeared and offered me a deal. Somehow, he had known about my previous, unsavory occupation as a hitman and asked me to kill someone. I hated the fact that I had to resort to the career I had given up in order to fund my clean slate. It ate at me, but I really had no choice. That and he promised me he would also help me in finding a cure. Amazingly enough, he kept part of his word. As I was doing some of his dirty work, he spoke to the people constructing and cleaning up the Chimera and got the project moving again. He hired some new people to work there when in opened, telling them all about my situation and appearance. Somehow they all stayed."
Zelgadis paused for a moment and his eyes returned to the present. He gave a light, humorless smile and continued. "But that wasn't the end. Since then, he has occasionally used the Chimera as a base for some of his operations and had even told me to kill Lina Inverse if she didn't accept his proposal of a partnership." Lina smirked as she though of what she was going to do to Xellos. Zelgadis saw her smile and smirked himself. "But he was the one who told me to hire Amelia. If he hadn't convinced me to hire her, who knows where I would be now. All in all, I still believe he's a demon incarnate and likes to live up to his reputation."
"Mr. Xellos certainly has a history, doesn't he?"
The four turned to the woman standing before the stairs. Filia smiled at all of them. She stepped into the room and it was then that everyone noticed the tea tray in her hands.
She walked toward them and gave them each a cup. Afterwards, she placed the tray on the table and took a sip from her cup. She looked up and saw four expectant faces. She smiled.
"He'll live."
They sighed in relief. Lina was the first to speak. "Good. Once he's recovered, I'm going to drill him for information. That man knows too much and it's about time he shared it with us. And after I get everything I want, I'm going to kill him." She cracked her knuckles with an evil gleam in her eye.
"Ms. Filia?"
The blonde turned to the dark haired young woman. "Yes?"
"What was wrong with him? You said that the paramedics wouldn't know what do. How did you know?"
Everyone's attention was now focused on Filia. She blinked in surprise for a beat and then smiled. "Well… It's happened to me before. I've had that strange kind of injury. Actually, the only injury I ever had was like that and I found a way to treat myself, though it took a lot of pain and confusion. So when I saw his injury, I was surprised, but I did know how to treat him. Right now, he's resting up. I'll keep watch on him." She stood up and smiled. "You all should really get some sleep now. I'm sure by tomorrow he'll be up and about and if you really want to question him, you all should get some sleep as well."
"But Zelgadis and I are used to sleeping during the day and being awake at night," Amelia mentioned.
Filia only smiled. "I assumed as much. The tea you all drank should help you sleeping. It's a calming herbal brew that will put anyone to sleep in no time. I have two guestrooms. Just settle down and tomorrow when Mr. Xellos is better we can discuss this situation more thoroughly."
The group nodded in agreement and separated. Lina and Gourry were half way to the guestroom when she suddenly remembered Gourry's neutral behavior throughout the conversation. Lina turned to Gourry in question. "You were awfully quiet. What's wrong?"
Gourry blinked for a minute. "Not sure. It was weird, Lina. I felt like if I'd done all that before. It was like that…that…thing. You know, the thing when you feel like you've done something just like it before."
"You mean déjà vu, right, Gourry?" She smiled at him and then turned serious. "It's strange…but," she looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "I felt the same way too. I felt as if I knew them all, but that we've gotten together like this many times before. That the kind of situation we now find ourselves in…is nothing out of the ordinary for us." She gave him a crooked smile. "Though it is actually really out of the ordinary for us."
Gourry nodded. "Yup. That's it. Felt just like that. But, Lina…"
She murmured a "hmmm?" as they reached the guestroom and she opened the door. She turned to him and looked up. "What, Gourry?"
His puzzled looked belied the foreboding in his eyes. "We just saw that guy and Xellos burn down the club by fighting with each other… Why aren't we worried?"
Lina's eyes widened as she realized what Gourry was saying. They were curious as to what was going on, upset that Xellos had left them all in the dark, but not one of them was worried. Lina noticed then that it hadn't been just herself and Gourry. She hadn't gotten any 'worried' vibes from Amelia, Zelgadis, or Filia. And Filia knew the least of what was going on! Above all, none of them had questioned the blasts that had burnt the Chimera to the ground or Xellos' injury. What kind of injury does that, and how could the entire club just blow up like it did? It was as if this was the most ordinary thing in the world! Just want was going on?
Lina shook her head and cast it aside. She would discuss this with everyone tomorrow and maybe Xellos' answers would clear up some of the questions. She turned to Gourry with a smile.
"You're right, Gourry. That's unusual. But I figure Xellos can tell us tomorrow, or at least give us some hints."
"I sure hope so, Lina."
"It's strange, Zelgadis," Amelia said snuggling into his arms as they sat on the bed, the tea starting to affect their wakefulness.
"What's strange?"
"This feeling of déjà vu I get when I'm around them. I happened to me when I first met you—and now with them. But it's more pronounced now. Especially that entire time we were in there with them discussing the situation. It almost seems like we've done that so many times before with them. Including with Ms. Filia."
"Hmmm… I thought it was only I. When I first met Xellos, it was the same as well. I felt as if I knew him, definitely didn't like him, but knew him. It was there with you and now with them. But…we don't…" His arms tightened around her.
Amelia sighed and leaned back against his chest. "I don't understand. Not one of them even uttered a shocked gasp when you said you were a hired assassin, not one of them questioned our involvement, and we've welcomed Ms. Filia into this as if she's supposed be a part of it. I don't understand what's going on at all."
Zelgadis nodded slightly and then leaned back onto the bed, pulling Amelia with him. They snuggled together and Zelgadis whispered, "Xellos is the key. He knows what's going on. I know it."
Amelia nodded in agreement. "I think so too. The only other thing that confuses me is that—"
"We're not upset."
She blinked and looked into his eyes. "Yes… All of this has happened so suddenly, and no one, not even us with the Chimera burning down, are even a little bit distressed."
He only shook his head. "I have no idea why not one of us is concerned with the outcome of this situation. It is almost as if we've been through much worse— 'we' of course meaning all of us."
Amelia sighed. "Well, hopefully most, if not all, of our questions will be answered tomorrow morning. Till then, let's sleep."
Zelgadis nodded. But despite their attempts, they both lay awake a while longer, thinking about the strangeness of it all before sleep finally stole over them.
Filia looked down at the man sleeping on her bed and shook her head. It just couldn't be. She kept having this feeling that she knew him before, and knew him quite well. But she just couldn't figure out from where she knew him. If that bit of confusion wasn't bad enough, her lower gut kept insisting she knew him quite…ahem…intimately as well. Filia, now is not the time to get hot and bothered. Sure he was good looking…but…
She gave a light exasperated sigh at herself and shook her head again. She turned back to the injured man. It would look like this Mr. Xellos would sleep through the night she really had nothing to worry about. She could leave him for the night and sleep somewhere else more comfortably. But then why couldn't she get the will to go?
A moment after that thought crossed her mind, Xellos' eyes snapped open. Filia was startled out her thoughts as she quickly bent over him.
"Mr. Xellos? What's wrong? Are you feeling any pain? Are you all right?"
Xellos turned his gaze to the voice he hadn't heard in ages. He saw large blue eyes looking down at him in worry, long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and onto the bed. Worry? Oh yes. That's right. She didn't remember him, didn't know what he was. An evil smile formed on his face as his body hardened. How many chances would he ever have to get Filia like this?
He said nothing, the smile still in place, as his eyes drifted from her face down her body. She only wore a light pink negligee in which her breasts were pressed against the cloth, her nipples suddenly hardening as his gaze lingered on them.
Filia blushed and made a move to grab her robe when Xellos grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. Her eyes were wide in shock as he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her onto the bed, rolling over and placing her beneath him. Her legs were spread deftly and one of his hands settled on her heat. The other was working its way beneath her negligee to remove it.
She gasped in surprise and her slight arousal transformed dramatically into a need that had her moaning. "Xellos…? What are you…?" she gasped as one of his fingers brushed a nipple and the other caressed her through her panties.
"Can't you tell, Filia darling? I'm going to take you. I've been much too long without your wild heat, Filia."
"But," the negligee was tossed aside and Xellos bent his head to suckle on her breast. She gave a light cry and her hands went into his hair. She amazingly managed to regain speech for an instant before her mind was lost again. "You don't know me…"
Xellos smiled against her breast, his hand sliding beneath her underwear, preparing to remove it. "Oh, but Filia, I do. I know all about you , my innocent dragon." He purred as he leisurely licked a nipple and his finger pressed inside of her. She gave a cry just as Xellos' other hand found a certain nerve underneath her knees. "I know your body as well as my own, Filia. And I know what makes you wild in my arms." He put a slight amount of pressure on that spot, just enough to make her arch her back, allowing him to suckle on the underside of her breasts. Something he knew made her go crazy.
Filia was now heaving with the pleasure he was giving her, her mind gone and her body writhing beneath his. Her hands went wild on him and his groans of ecstasy only stimulated her more. Before long he was as nude as she and he was just as gone.
Xellos wasted no more time. He wanted Filia…now! He nails were raking down his back, her teeth and tongue biting and licking his neck and ears, her legs tightly wrapped around his waist. He lowered his head to her lips and just as their lips touched he slammed himself into her completely hitting the nerve within her body that gave her the utmost pleasure just as the other hand pressed against her raw nubbin in a rough caress. Filia exploded with her orgasm, Xellos thrusting into her as the waves consumed her. She was thrashing beneath him in the throws of her passion and it only heightened his pleasure. He let out a groan of completion when his climax hit him, spilling himself into her.
Filia didn't know what hit her.