Chapter Four

"Dust that shelf, polish those floors, move that ass, move that ass, move that ass," Xelloss was enjoying himself as he watched Filia work in the antique shop.

"Stop it," Filia was not amused.

K-chan, Zelgadiss, and Lina sat in the corner where Sylphiel was polishing furniture. Amazingly each was occupied with a candle. Lina was wavering hers back and forth watching it's center with interest, K-chan was moving her finger through the flame quickly, and Zel was making finger prints in the wax.

"Would you please refrain from doing that?" Sylphiel disliked the idea of working off the price of candles.

"Sorry," each put their candle down.

"Sooo..." K-chan stood and went to the bookcase "Let's see what's for sale," randomly she selected a book "Nifty ol' book...THAT'S CRUMBLING IN MY HAND!...ick," K-chan put the book back on the shelf and rushed into the back, behind the black fabric, to find the bathroom.

"Oookay," Lina watched her go and then looked at Zelgadiss "Zel?"

"Yes?" he looked at her sleepily.

"Tell me why we're here again,"

"Beats me," Zel said but he was glaring at Xelloss.

"Ah ha," Lina closed her eyes and laid her head down on Lina's lap "Well wake me up when he's done,"

Zel blushed but nodded "O-okay,"

"Thanks,"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE?!" Sam was about to have a conniption as she saw the camo clad teen enter her bedroom.

"Oh...uh...sorry-hey uh...do you have a sink?"

"Yes!" Sam threw her cigarette onto the side desk and wrapped her blue silken sheets further around her body.

"Can I use it?" K-chan was covering her eyes.

"NO!" Sam ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Okay," K-chan started to go out the door, thanking God that she hadn't seen anything, when she saw a vase of flowers. Quickly she looked from side to side, to the flowers out of the water, dumped the water onto her hands, and replaced the flowers.

"I SAW THAT!"

"Damnit!"

"Work faster!" Xelloss cheered.

"I thought I said-" Filia spun around, and almost cried. In her motion she had just knocked over a large white vase "Oh no!"

"Uh oh," Xelloss looked at the porcelain fragments on the floor and Filia trying to pick them all up before anyone found out.

"I can't believe this," Filia kept looking nervously towards the back as she moved, not at all watching what she was doing.

"Hey...uh...Filia...if you...don't look out you're going to-"

"Oh just-OW!" Filia drew back her hand quickly, nursing it with the uninjured one "This is horrible!"

Filia looked like she was losing it Xelloss observed and then from the back-"What's going on out there?!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Filia closed her eyes. She was going to be in debt to this woman forever! That vase had been huge! It had also been old. Very old. It was probobly worth much more than the mace.

"Oh my-who did this?" came Sam's voice.

"It was my fault," Xelloss sighed slideing from his perch on the grand piano.

"Huh?" Filia opened her eyes in disbelief. Had the Nagomi actually taken the blame for this? This whole ordeal had been his fault...well maybe not entirely...yes-yes it was...but...but he was actually admitting to it?!

"Well don't just sit there! Clean it up!" Filia was brought back to the present happenings as Sam yelled.

"Yes Lord!" Xelloss said as he looked at Sam for the first time. Yes Lord?! Okay take the blame for Filia and mistake a store owner for-okay that was creepy...I'm sick...I need to go to home Xelloss kneeled across from Filia and began to pick up the porcelain.

Now satisfied Sam went into the back room.

"I'm glad to see the right person got the blame," Filia said a bit shakily as she stood and sat where Xelloss had been.

"Gee thanks," Xelloss pulled the trashcan toward himself and began tossing in the pieces.

Filia didn't have a come back. Instead she busied herself by wrapping one of the unused rags she had been carrying in her skirt pocket to dust with "There," she tied off the cloth by pulling it with her teeth "Hey...uh Xelloss...if you...don't look out you're going to-"

"OW!"

"I tried to warn you." Filia looked at his hand.

Xelloss looked angrily at her and continued working.

"Lina," Zel shook Lina by the shoulder. Lina did nothing "Lina!" Lina did nothing "LINA!" Lina did nothing. Zel was getting annoyed. He had been sitting there for around an hour. Sylphiel had left, K-chan had left, and his ass was falling asleep "Oopsy," Zel stood up as fast as he could causing Lina to fall hard to the floor "Now how did that happen?"

Lina rose sleepily "What happened?" she asked standing herself and coming almost completely awake.

"It's time to go," Zel said smiling nervously.

"Okay," Zelgadiss and Lina made their way to the front "Are you two staying?"

Xelloss was still picking up the pieces "A little longer," Filia said for him.

"I hate this store," Xelloss said under his breath.

"I don't know I kinda like it," Lina said truthfully as she looked around the store to prove her point.

"I hate that store," Lina was cursing as she drug a sword and book of Black Magic down the street.

Zelgadiss nodded "I'm sensing a Needful Things pattern going on here," He too had bought a sword and book only his was of Shamanic Magic.

"Stupid debt," Lina moved everything over to one hand and then the other "Stupid crap," she looked around "Stupid heavy crap," Lina tried to situate it.

"What time is it?" Zel asked looking at the street lights.

"I don't know," Lina looked as well "Late?" she guessed looking up hopefully at him.

Zel laughed and stepped out of the brilliance of a street light and onto the sidewalk beside the railing.

"I knew I was right," she stepped up after him. It wasn't that she was following him. Their apartment buildings were next door to each other.

"Ohhh pretty," Lina stopped around the middle of the bridge.

"Huh?" Zel walked back to her "Pretty?" he looked at her skeptically.

"Hey I am a girl if you haven't noticed! I have my dreams," she sighed and looked at the water.

Zel looked at the water. The light of the city skimmed the surface making it shimmer and look as if the world was moving around them. It was quiet beautiful but just admitting that was no fun "Ah yes street lights and...Would ya look at that...the roar of traffic completes it,"

"Hey!" Lina glared at him then looked straight ahead again. Suddenly she saw couples by the lake. Lina frowned. It figured. Everywhere she looked there was someone kissing or holding hands. Why didn't she have anyone? She was pretty! Lina was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the oh-so-heavy bag slipping forward "Whoa,"

"Lina!" Zel wrapped an arm around Lina's waste on instinct and pulled her body against his.

Lina felt her face go red and her heartbeat quicken but she didn't pull away...and she didn't know why. She didn't hear the traffic, didn't hear the normal shouting, talking about the city, she didn't even see the other couples. All she saw was the light reflecting from the water. The light was spinning but not as fast as her mind. She couldn't even focus on one idea. Of course this burst of emotion was short-lived.

"Sylphiel?! Hi Lina. Have you seen Sylphiel?!"

"EYAHHHHHHHH!" Lina jumped out of an equally red Zelgadiss's arms and almost fell of the side of the bridge again.

"What' wrong Lina?" Gourry was wearing a red football jersey and panting.

"N-nothing," she pulled herself off the railing "Sylphiel went home a while ago,"

"Oh," Gourry looked disappointed "I was supposed to meet her...somewhere...oh well," Gourry sighed.

"I'll help you look!" Lina began to walk up to him but then remembered Zel "Oh,"

"It's okay," Zel smiled weakly and began to walk away.

"You owe me a lunch for helping you look," Lina began to walk in the opposite direction with Gourry.

"I don't think I have that much money," Gourry said truthfully only to be hit over the head by Lina.

Well I'm doing my best to get out a chapter a day As long as you guys keep reading I'll keep staying up and-yawn-updating.