Two - Matters of the Heart
Lina awoke less than fifteen minutes later in Gourry's arms. He'd moved them from the scene of the crime to her own room. Zelgadiss wasn't around.
Lina sat up in her bed, gripping the sheets. Gourry stood over her, a concerned look on his face.
"Gourry..." Lina reached up and placed a hand to the side of her face as she remembered what had happened. The light faded from her eyes as she gazed straight ahead. Her hand dropped limply on the bed beside her.
Gourry sat down at the foot of bed and watched her silently.
Lina glanced up at him, the vacant look still in her eyes. She was trying to make sense of the visions she'd just had. She knew she didn't kill Amelia. How could she?! Amelia was her best friend. Her little sister... and now... she was gone. Lina choked on a sob and buried her face in her hands. How could she have seen those things? Those horrible visions...
A pained look crossed Gourry's face. 'Poor Lina...' He thought. He knew he needed to comfort her. She was crying, for god's sake. But what if she just fire-balled him or something? He frowned, gathering up his courage. 'Be a man, Gourry Gabriev!' Gourry encouraged himself and stood suddenly. He walked over to Lina and dropped a hand on her shoulder abruptly. "Lina..." He said in almost a whisper.
Lina's body shook from the impact. She gasped and looked up at him, startled. But her eyes softened and then overflowed with tears. Lina threw herself into Gourry's abdomen, small hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. "Oh, Gourry!" Lina cried uncharacteristically.
"Lina," Gourry blinked then sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her. He just sat there, letting her cry into his chest. He even felt the warm tears seeping through the fabric after a while.
Gourry looked down at her, brushing her long wispy bangs from her eyes. Lina looked up at him. Her nose was red from crying. Her face was soaked with salty tears.
"It'll be ok, Lina," He said, although he didn't believe his own words. Lina didn't look like she believed him either. He decided to try again in his attempt to make her feel better. "We'll get through this together."
Lina looked kind of surprised at that but he smiled. "Don't cry, Lina." Gourry lifted a hand and gently wiped her face.
She closed her eyes as his calloused hand ran across her smooth skin. Her thin eyebrows creased as Gourry took his hand away. Lina opened her eyes, looking up at him almost pleadingly.
"I didn't do it." She said suddenly.
Gourry blinked at her. "Huh?"
Lina looked down and shook her head. "I... I don't know... Never mind." She was coming back to her senses now.
Her heart had already moved past Amelia's death. It had gotten used to putting all negative memories behind as soon as possible. That was how Lina survived. That was how she protected herself from depression and made it possible to keep going. Her heart had already forgotten the tragedy but her mind would not.
Lina stood, sliding off of the bed. Gourry watched her curiously. Lina walked over to the window. She placed her hands on the windowsill as she looked out.
Gourry stood and walked over to her. "Lina? Uh... are you okay?" He approached her cautiously.
Lina turned around to face him and he froze. The look on her face scared him. Her red eyes were dangerously narrowed, a gloved hand rested on her hip in classic Lina stance.
"There's only one way to end this, Gourry." Lina spoke in her usual strong voice. When he didn't comment, she continued. "Revenge, Jellyfish Brains! We can't just let whoever did this get away! Amelia-" Her voice broke and she looked at the floor. Her cocky stance fading.
Gourry blinked, but said nothing. After a few seconds of silence, Lina swallowed hard and looked up. She had to ignore the horrible feeling in her stomach and move on. She couldn't let anything, not even death, slow her down.
"We'll find out who did this, Gourry. And we'll make them pay." Determination shone in her ruby eyes as she looked up at him. "I won't rest until we do."
Gourry nodded firmly in reply. A slow grin spread across her face. She knew they would win. And revenge was always sweet.
Lina awoke less than fifteen minutes later in Gourry's arms. He'd moved them from the scene of the crime to her own room. Zelgadiss wasn't around.
Lina sat up in her bed, gripping the sheets. Gourry stood over her, a concerned look on his face.
"Gourry..." Lina reached up and placed a hand to the side of her face as she remembered what had happened. The light faded from her eyes as she gazed straight ahead. Her hand dropped limply on the bed beside her.
Gourry sat down at the foot of bed and watched her silently.
Lina glanced up at him, the vacant look still in her eyes. She was trying to make sense of the visions she'd just had. She knew she didn't kill Amelia. How could she?! Amelia was her best friend. Her little sister... and now... she was gone. Lina choked on a sob and buried her face in her hands. How could she have seen those things? Those horrible visions...
A pained look crossed Gourry's face. 'Poor Lina...' He thought. He knew he needed to comfort her. She was crying, for god's sake. But what if she just fire-balled him or something? He frowned, gathering up his courage. 'Be a man, Gourry Gabriev!' Gourry encouraged himself and stood suddenly. He walked over to Lina and dropped a hand on her shoulder abruptly. "Lina..." He said in almost a whisper.
Lina's body shook from the impact. She gasped and looked up at him, startled. But her eyes softened and then overflowed with tears. Lina threw herself into Gourry's abdomen, small hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. "Oh, Gourry!" Lina cried uncharacteristically.
"Lina," Gourry blinked then sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her. He just sat there, letting her cry into his chest. He even felt the warm tears seeping through the fabric after a while.
Gourry looked down at her, brushing her long wispy bangs from her eyes. Lina looked up at him. Her nose was red from crying. Her face was soaked with salty tears.
"It'll be ok, Lina," He said, although he didn't believe his own words. Lina didn't look like she believed him either. He decided to try again in his attempt to make her feel better. "We'll get through this together."
Lina looked kind of surprised at that but he smiled. "Don't cry, Lina." Gourry lifted a hand and gently wiped her face.
She closed her eyes as his calloused hand ran across her smooth skin. Her thin eyebrows creased as Gourry took his hand away. Lina opened her eyes, looking up at him almost pleadingly.
"I didn't do it." She said suddenly.
Gourry blinked at her. "Huh?"
Lina looked down and shook her head. "I... I don't know... Never mind." She was coming back to her senses now.
Her heart had already moved past Amelia's death. It had gotten used to putting all negative memories behind as soon as possible. That was how Lina survived. That was how she protected herself from depression and made it possible to keep going. Her heart had already forgotten the tragedy but her mind would not.
Lina stood, sliding off of the bed. Gourry watched her curiously. Lina walked over to the window. She placed her hands on the windowsill as she looked out.
Gourry stood and walked over to her. "Lina? Uh... are you okay?" He approached her cautiously.
Lina turned around to face him and he froze. The look on her face scared him. Her red eyes were dangerously narrowed, a gloved hand rested on her hip in classic Lina stance.
"There's only one way to end this, Gourry." Lina spoke in her usual strong voice. When he didn't comment, she continued. "Revenge, Jellyfish Brains! We can't just let whoever did this get away! Amelia-" Her voice broke and she looked at the floor. Her cocky stance fading.
Gourry blinked, but said nothing. After a few seconds of silence, Lina swallowed hard and looked up. She had to ignore the horrible feeling in her stomach and move on. She couldn't let anything, not even death, slow her down.
"We'll find out who did this, Gourry. And we'll make them pay." Determination shone in her ruby eyes as she looked up at him. "I won't rest until we do."
Gourry nodded firmly in reply. A slow grin spread across her face. She knew they would win. And revenge was always sweet.