The Slayers: Lina Zelgadiss Xelloss Gourry Amelia Val Filia Sylphiel

~*~ Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special! ~*~

Part Fourteen

After dropping off Val's necessities at the Gabriev's, Zel and Xelloss had Gourry drop them off at Amelia's, their temporary home.

From the car Gourry asked, "I'll meet ya over at the house, yer new place… Val's place… after dinner to go over stuff, okay?"

"Call us before you leave?" Xelloss asked.

"Sure, Val and me will pick you up, but we'll call first," Gourry agreed and drove away leaving Zel and Xelloss with a mountain of bags and packages to heft. Luckily, the coach house was not far from the Mayor's mansion. Once, it had been the building which housed the Mayor's fine horse-drawn carriages, but that was a long time ago. Now, it stood as an unattached building separated by tennis courts and a spa, and connected to the mansion by a stone pathway. Perfect. It afforded the boys privacy, while allowing them quick access to company and a kitchen.

"I'm taking a shower," Xelloss announced. He dropped his bags of new clothes near one of the beds, tore open the sack of toiletries, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Zelgadiss barely had time to drop his belongings on the floor before having to answer the light rap at their door.

"Hello, Amelia."

"Hi, Mr. Zelgadiss! I saw all those piles of things you were unloading from the car and hurried to help, but it looks like you got it all in without me," she said cheerfully.

"In… but until we move into our own place most of the things should just stay in the sacks," Zel answered.

"Have you had lunch? It's late enough for an early dinner! There's tons of stuff for sandwiches in the kitchen, and no one there, if you'd like to do some of your own cooking, that is…" she smiled. Gotcha this time, Zel!

Zel's eyes lit up. "Yes, I'd like that! I was going to clean up after Xelloss, but...He may be an hour in there. I'm going. I'm going to fix us lunch…you too? Good, lunch for three. No, you stay here and let Xelloss know…you'll probably have to guide him to the kitchen too. Thanks, Amelia!" Zel smiled quickly and scampered off like a happy puppy.

When Xelloss stopped singing, checked that his hair was perfect, and wrapped a towel around his waist, he opened the door from the bathroom and shouted to the absent Zel, "Your turn! I feel almost normal now! I can't wait to put on clean clothes and…"

He gasped, "Amelia! Don't move… Do not turn around!"

"He, he, he…"

"Stop giggling!" he insisted, a bit peeved. "What are you doing here and where is Zelgadiss? DON'T TURN AROUND!"

Amelia had seated herself with her back to the bathroom door on purpose, and she had no intention of turning around and embarrassing them both, but…she found his reaction funny enough to send her into a giggling fit. Xelloss gave up and simply ransacked a couple of his bags for underwear, shorts, and a t-shirt. "Okay…I'm decent."

Amelia turned and covered her eyes, "Sure?" She giggled a bit more.

Xelloss crossed his arms over his chest and smiled, "I'm dressed."

She uncovered her eyes and smiled, "Oh! You look nice! I'm here to lead you to food. Mr. Zelgadiss is preparing our lunner now."

"Lunner? Oh, I get it lunch x dinner. Great! I'm starving," he said. He noticed that she was nearly at the main house, and he started skipping to catch up with her. "Sooooo, Ameeeeee-liaaaa! Do you think this color green looks good on me?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, I do! Oh, and thanks for the beach house. I think the beach is my favorite place to go and not have to work or anything!"

"So, it's okay with your dad?" Xelloss asked.

"Yeah, Miss Lina told him Professor Rezo was going to be…that's not true, is it?" Amelia frowned.

"Noooo…" Xelloss smiled sensually. "Does it matter? He gave up his place so you girls could have a place to yourselves, so it's almost as good, right?"

"We'll see…" she smiled and winked back.

Xelloss chuckled a bit. He liked Amelia, as a friend, and thought Zel was lucky to have her like him a bit more than that. Why his friend didn't pursue her he couldn't really understand. She was funny, smart, and cute…and loyal, honest, a person of integrity and courage. Yes, Amelia was terrific and perfect for Zelgadiss, he thought.

When they entered the kitchen, they could hear Mayor Phil talking to someone—Zel, of course.

"All right, just so we have everything straight. That Lina, leave it to her to… Ah, my darling daughter and…Xelloss. You look better today, young man!" Phil boomed with his mighty lungs.

"Thanks, I'm thoroughly clean at last!" Xelloss chuckled. "Smells good, what's for lunner?"

Zel gave him a quizzical look, "Stir-fry. There was already some steamed rice so it came together fast. Wait--lunner? Oh…lunch and dinner combined, huh?"

"Yes, that's one of my words!" Amelia cried out. Zelgadiss was smiling and she had something to do with it!

Xelloss looked at the Mayor, "Will you be joining us, Sir?"

"Yes, Zelgadiss and I were just discussing the beach trip. It seems your friend Lina gave me some incorrect information, which has been cleared up. Yes, my dear, you'll still be able to go. I am glad that the misinformation wasn't intentional, and that Zelgadiss has been very up-front about it all."

Zel dished up bowls of rice while Amelia found glasses and lemonade. Xelloss dug up chopsticks and forks. He gave Zel a sly grin and whispered, "Up-front? How refreshing, better than ass-backward."

Zel nudged him out of his way, muttering, "I explained that it began as a guys-only thing, but that Lina had been promised a beach vacation too. Well, then one thing led to another. Its not that we didn't want you along, Amelia, but…things were suddenly more complicated."

The mayor stared at the kids for more explanation. Xelloss cleared his throat, "I guess Amelia didn't share the news with you yet?"

Amelia shook her head, "I haven't had a chance to talk to you daddy about anything since we've been back."

Xelloss said, " Then let me be the one with the breaking news story! We all met Sylphiel at the airport like we planned, but… She's engaged! She brought along some guy from Japan and introduced him as her fiancée! Her father looked stunned, but her mother was pleased, I think. I mean…she had to know, right? Maybe her father knew too but I don't think he expected her to just blurt it out to…all of us like that. She should have kept it private, for his sake, until her family could decide what to do."

"Well, of course she should have!" Phil agreed whole-heartedly. "That young thing, engaged?! That's preposterous! Nels Lahda must be beside himself right now. That man had his worries with her in the past, but lately," Phil's dark eyes scanned Xelloss' purple ones briefly, "…he was thinking that her judgement was improving. Well, I'm very sorry to hear the news. I take it then that you're not inviting her on this beach trip?"

Amelia gave Xelloss a quick glance to be sure he was not too upset before saying anything more, "That's right, daddy. We haven't talked to her since Miss Lina went ballistic at the airport and… Miss Lina told me that she doesn't want Miss Sylphiel in the band anymore. Anyone who would treat her family and Mr. Xelloss so…thoughtlessly! Daddy, she was leading Xelloss on! We all thought that she liked him! Can you imagine anything more unjust?!"

Before Amelia could get carried away with her 'justice' theme, Xelloss stopped her with a hand to her arm. "It's okay... I was going to ask her out, but…I mean, it wasn't like Val and Filia. I certainly wasn't in love with her, but I thought she was more principled…like you, Miss Amelia!" Xelloss smiled.

No one had anything to add. As Xelloss finished his first serving and helped himself to a second, he said to his other friend, "Zelgadiss? This is good. I really missed your cooking."

Zel sighed, "Me, too…"

"Well, there was a time not too long ago when I was afraid I'd never taste your cooking again. Our friendship was really on the line then, I'm glad you forgave me," Xelloss said.

Zel could barely answer a second time, "Me, too…"

Xelloss had learned that life was too short to put off saying the things that needed to be said, the nice things, the sincerely meant things. He decided that he should begin that day with these two friends.

~*~

Gourry walked the other three guys through Val's old place, now soon to be their new home. "Most everything is done. Ya know, if ya knew the paint yer wanted fer the rest of the house, then it could be painted…maybe while were at the beach. But yer got that decorator comin' over sometime, huh?" Gourry asked.

"Well, we could leave her key somehow and she could still come tomorrow as planned and she could tell them how much of what to get…" Val was thinking aloud.

"Sure, we could tell her to do the kitchen like one in Provence, the den like an English library, and the front room…in modern comfort with a giant screen TV, huge couches and plush chairs…built-in cooler…whatever!" Xelloss laughed.

"Fine with me," Val said. What-ever or where-ever 'Provence' was, he didn't care. Xelloss had good taste and if he thought it was a livable look, then fine. Let the dude go for it.

"Yeah, me, too… Shit, I have got to stop saying that," Zel sputtered. "Yeah, go ahead, sounds fine, Xelloss. Tell her to guess and order whatever. If we don't like it, we can replace it later, right? I mean, none of us want to go out shopping for lamps and coffee tables, right? Right?!"

"No, as long as it works and doesn't look… ya know, no ruffles or flower stuff," Val said.

"Agreed," Xelloss smiled. "I think she has a good idea of our tastes from going over our room plans. I'll give her a call right now and…hope she's still at the shop."

He pulled out his cellphone and punched a few numbers. "Hello? This is Xelloss Metallium. Two friends and I were in earlier. I'm hoping that the salesperson that helped us is still in the shop? Good!" He stepped away from the others to sit on the floor while he described his idea over the cellphone.

After a few minutes, he placed his hand over the mouthpiece and shouted to Gourry, "She can come tomorrow morning and understands the situation. She's confident that she can meet our needs. Will there be workmen here that can let her in?"

"I'll make sure that there is. My dad might do it for me," Gourry assured him. He was in the kitchen where he and Zel were showing Val the new layout.

When Xelloss finished his call, he found the others looking from room to room at the nearly completed house.

"Don't look anythin' like what it was. Great job, Gourry," Val smiled. "Oh, here he comes…Hey, man, we were thinkin' of goin' out to play some pool. Wanna come?"

"The pool parlor out where you used to live with Sano? Yeah, I don't know…go on ahead. I have another thing to do first and if that doesn't pan out then I'll hop a bus out there. Thanks though!" Xelloss smiled and waved then hopped down the steps and down the sidewalk.

"You know where he's goin'?" Val asked Zel.

"No. There's his empty lot, my father's place, Gourry's, Lina's, the corner markets, the park…he likes the swings there…any number of places he might go. Just let him go, all right? He needs to do things on his own," Zel advised. I am NOT my brother's keeper!

~*~

Xelloss knocked on the door just as Luna was opening it on her way out.

"Who's this? Xelloss? Why, you're the last person I expected to see here tonight! Listen I'm going to work and Lina's in her room. She's not supposed to have any boy friends over when I'm not here, but…seeing as it is you…I trust you. Go on, but don't stay too late. And by that I mean, when I get home at 1:00 AM, you'd better be gone, get it? All right, you can go in. Be sure to knock first, ha, ha, ha!" Luna laughed boisterously and slammed the door on her way out.

Xelloss smiled. Imagine, one of the Knight's of Cephied trusted him, once the head of all the syndicate operations on the continent. Well, things get weird at times. He knocked on Lina's bedroom door.

"Huh?" she said as she opened her door. "Xelloss? What are you doing here?"

"My, my…" he smiled engagingly. "And I am glad to see you, too, Miss Lina! I was in the neighborhood and wanted to talk. Your sister let me in."

"You could have called first…" Lina grumbled as she straightened her disheveled hair a bit.

"Dead batteries," he said and held up his cellphone. "I'm on my way to get new ones. Care to join me? Nice warm evening, not completely dark for an hour…I'll buy you a snack?"

"You had me with 'warm evening'. I could use the exercise. Snack you say? Let's go!" Lina said as she slipped on a pair of sandals.

They talked about the beach and clothes shopping and other light topics. Just two friends, no angst, no stress. Xelloss bought his batteries and looked over the corner markets. "Look, that one's new! ICE CREAM! Want some?" he shouted joyfully.

Of course she did. Lina could eat anytime, anywhere, anything. Xelloss picked out hot fudge sundaes with everything on top for both of them. While they were waiting, he asked about Luna and Julian.

"Well, at least he doesn't make a pest of himself. He lives out at the settlement part time until he moves back home, but I think he's looking for a pace to rent in Seyruun. The tennis pro thing is a lark this summer. He's a business major just graduated from college and looking for work. He and my sis seem to get along pretty good, which is strange since I never remember her dating the 'pretty' guys before."

"Maybe she was too busy working and worrying about taking care of her house and little troublesome sister?" Xelloss smiled.

"You're probably not far off the mark. She knows I can take care of myself now and is doing stuff on her own. That plus…with that money thingy from Zel and you…my college is taken care of…and the house…it's nice," her voice trailed off.

The sundaes arrived and silence settled over the pair for awhile. When they were done, Xelloss suggested a walk to the park. There were other kids, a few couples, joggers running through the park.

"Nice night, huh?" Lina's eye twinkled.

"Yep."

"So…what were ya doin' in the old neighborhood?"

He explained about Val's place and fixing it up. "I wasn't exactly in the neighborhood…"

"I'd say not," she agreed, looking at him with amusement. "About a mile out of your way to my place, maybe two."

"I know…" he tilted his head to one side. "The swings are free."

"Last one there is a turgid fluke!" Lina shouted and ran to snatch up the nearest end one. She left him the one in the middle, his favorite.

"Turgid Fluke?! Where'd that come from?" Xelloss laughed as he kicked and started up his swing.

"Just made it up! Great band name, huh?" she laughed. "Swollen Fin, Big Limb, Turgid Fluke…ha, ha…"

After awhile, they started back to her house. They wandered by the ruins left of Xelloss' house and paused a moment. "Have you any idea what to do with it?" she asked.

"No. Sell it, maybe. I don't want to build another. Maybe someone else will want to live there. I don't. Never again. I wasn't born there, but I've buried a lot of memories there, some good, most bad. Time to move on, don't you think?" Xelloss sighed and walked past his haunted house.

"Yeah, I would do the same I think," she sighed. "Xelloss, what are you going to do?"

"Do? How do you mean? With my life? In a year? Tomorrow? Right now?" He smiled thinking about what he was tempted to do.

"All of the above," she chuckled.

"Okay… I'm going to… build a recording studio and make beautiful music, for starters… Um…I'm going to do something interesting with my dance studio. Yes, I own the one...I once attended. A musical dance version of something I like, I just haven't decided what that might be. I'm going to finish with high school for good and take my friends to Japan next summer… How am I doing so far?" he grinned.

"Great. You haven't mentioned romance yet, I'm impressed," she laughed quietly.

He made a face at her and continued, "Very well…I'm going to avoid getting a sunburn and still have a good time at the beach. And tonight…I'm going to stop at this house and say hello to my dad, then walk you the rest of the way home. Okay?"

"Sure…" she smiled. "Let's say hi to Rezo."

The kids stopped by, much to the old man's surprise. They thanked him profusely for the beach house accommodations, collected Beast, and his food. "Glad you stopped by for the keys…and that damned dog," Rezo said. "I wasn't sure I'd be in, in the morning when you stopped by. You sure there's room for him where you're staying?"

"Yes. Zelgadiss will sleep with him and I'll sleep outside, since it's warm enough. We'll call you when we get back, but our new place won't be quite ready so we'll still be at the Mayor's." Xelloss snatched up the keys from the table where he'd dropped them and smiled, "Bye, dad!" said.

"You call him 'dad', huh? Zel doesn't care?" Lina asked.

"Nope. He calls him 'father'. Val calls him Rezo, mostly, but jokes around and calls him dad too. Mrs. Gabriev's our shared 'mom' now, too. Neat huh? Gives us family to talk to and people who care about us and all. I mean, Val and I may be getting on in years, but we still need…people in our lives to call mom and dad, I think," Xelloss said.

"Yeah, I do know what ya mean. I have a mom, but not in my life, except for Gourry's mom too. She's really a great person, isn't she? I don't know how she does it with so many kids and troubles and she always listens and has good things to say about everyone. Luna's always been my 'parent' kinda father/mother, tough and nurturing. Hey, maybe ole Rezo wants to adopt a daughter too, eh?" Lina chuckled.

"Who knows? " Xelloss smiled. "In a few years we'll all be married and have new families…in-laws and children of our own. How odd that will be!"

"No end of odd," Lina growled. "Make that a lot of years in the future. I got college and book signings and plenty to do without a bunch of pesky kids under my feet."

Xelloss chuckled a bit as they stepped up to her front door. "Yours would be little pests too! Hot-tempered, red-headed, tough, little buggers…all of them!" he teased.

"You weren't hoping to come in, were you?" she gave him a smirky grin. "Or did you think insulting my theoretical, future progeny would buy you points?"

"My sparkling wit and personality aren't enough?" he smiled goofily.

She stared at him thoughtfully.

"Um, I like movies. Do you have some we could watch?" he smiled, but there was a note of apprehension in his question. He was hoping that she'd ask him in, but with Lina you never did know what she would do next. She might just slam the door in his face.

"Yeah, well…don't you and Zel have anything to do?" Lina mumbled.

"The 'boys' are schmoozing at the pool parlor tonight. Last time I went, I couldn't get the smell of cigarette smoke out of my hair for a week!" He rolled his eyes and sent Lina into a coughing fit.

"Ha, ha… okay, come in… One movie, just one!" Lina said.

"Whatcha got!" he asked as he danced over to the couch and plopped down in the middle. "Ooooo Sound of Music!"

"What? We don't have all night to watch that!" Lina snorted.

"I have until 1:00 AM or Luna turns me into a eunuch or something," he smiled.

"Heh, heh, whatever! Don't think she won't, either! Here, how about The Matrix instead?" Lina shoved a tape into the player and pressed the 'on' button.

"Never seen it," Xelloss smiled. "But I heard its good."

"You're probably the only guy in Seyruun who hasn't. Its sci-fi and action combined. Want some popcorn?" she asked.

Before he could answer, she was in the kitchen stuffing a bag into the microwave and raiding the refrigerator for pop. She returned to the couch in a couple minutes juggling a huge plastic bowl and a soda can. "I only found the one can so we gotta share, okay?"

"I don't mind," he smiled. Hmmm, no glasses, eh? That's almost like sharing a kiss.

"You wouldn't, like think of moving over a bit, huh?" she asked. He was still centered on the couch.

Xelloss reached up, took the bowl with one hand, and patted the cushion beside him with his other. "Plenty of room. Sit down and…nice clothes, huh? Is that guy considered good-looking? Do you think I'd look better with my hair cut like his?"

Lina sighed and squeezed in between Xelloss and … "Oh, yuck! Beast! Why do you have to be on the couch too? Oh! You eat popcorn? Why don't you go sit on Xelloss? Isn't this your mutt?"

"No. I'm not a dog person, I guess. He loves Zelgadiss, though, and you, too." Xelloss gave her a little wink then reached for the bowl of popcorn that Lina was guarding. "Lina, I'll hold the popcorn, then he can't eat it all, okay?"

Surprisingly, she parted with the popcorn after stuffing her mouth full. Xelloss tried again to reveal her tastes in guys. "So, what do you think? About that guy?"

"Keanu Reeves? Yeah, he's pretty cute, kinda like you. Hair? That's your call. Soda?" she held the can out under his nose.

"Thanks," he said then took a sip. "So…I'm cute?" He frowned a bit and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Puppies are cute…little, tiny flowery stickers are cute…some girls… Aren't I a lot more…"

"What? Masculine? Are you searching for compliments or somethin'? Okay…let's see…you looked pretty tough when you were threatening to kill Filia…and when you were about to break DarkStar's neck," she said.

There, that was enough of that, she thought. Time to move his attention back on the movie. "Look at him…see, he can fight like you, but with special effects to look cool."

Xelloss was soon absorbed by the story. They watched it through to the end without much more comment. Xelloss checked his watch, still some more time before he'd have to leave.

"Wanna listen to some music?" Lina asked. "I got some more downloads. Maybe you'd like to hear the ones I think the band should do?"

"Music? Yeah!" He smiled and carried the empty snack containers into the kitchen. He washed and dried the bowl, found a cupboard into which to store it, and tossed out the can. When he left the kitchen, Lina was plugging her CD player into an open socket in the front room. Okay, so they weren't going to her room, but then it seemed all the girls had drawn the line at that. Of course, no one had given a second thought to plowing through his loft, when he had a loft. He sighed, saddened by the memory.

"Xelloss? Somethin' wrong? Ya look…a bit down all of a sudden," Lina observed as she selected a tune to play.

Shaking his head a little, he said, "I just thought about listening to my music in the loft and remembered…" Tears trickled down his cheek. He wiped them off quickly with a sleeve. "I'm okay, Lina. Go on, tell me about this song."

Lina played the song and watched her friend. "Xelloss, you've been holding in a lot of stuff for a long time, haven't ya?"

He nodded, "Oh, please, Lina… Don't ask me to talk about all that now." He did not want to break down and start crying around Lina. He wanted her to think better of him than that. He wouldn't be a weak wimp around her, no way!

"I liked that place, too, ya know? Didn't we all have the best of times there? Practicing… remember the picnic? Zelgadiss was trying to hide your mother from us!" Lina chuckled. "You were busy picking up after all of us and lighting candles and…it was cool, huh?"

"Yeah," he smiled through a few tears threatening to fall. "Remember the night the power went out and everyone camped out on the beanbag chairs?" He giggled a bit.

"Uh, huh! You told the scariest story! Gods, that squeal of Sylph's!" Lina sucked in her breath. She hadn't meant to mention that person. She decided not to apologize and carried on gamely. "And the look on Zel's face when he woke up in the morning with Amelia asleep only a few inches away! That was priceless!"

Xelloss half-smiled. "Things will never be like that again, will they?"

Lina looked him in the eye and shook her head. "Things never are the same. Change is good, Xelloss. We can remember the good stuff, but not relive it. That's all done and over. We gotta move on and make new things to remember, right? I was writing about that stuff, ya know, for my book about us. We weren't happy all the time back then, either!"

He nodded, "My first friends, my first overnight, my first party, my first school dance, my first kiss with a beautiful girl…" he smiled at Lina and looked away. "There were some terrific moments." He paused and looked down at his hands, "Lina? Where are we going to practice, do you think?"

"I don't know… We'll have to talk about it at the beach house tomorrow," Lina decided. It was too difficult for her to solve alone.

"Oh, one to dance to!" Xelloss said jovially. "Would you care for the next dance, my lady?" he jested.

"Oh, sure, what the heck!" she laughed and let him hold her gently and lead her around the front room in time with the song. Something was in her eye, however, making her blink and start to squint.

"Don't move," he said as he moved closer. "I see it. I'll get it. Just close your eyes."

She felt a warm, moist caress briefly, then opened her eyes to see his retreating face centimeters from hers.

"Xelloss…" she growled in warning. "What was your tongue doing in the vicinity of my face?"

"It was an eyelash!" he gasped defensively. "It was partly in and partly out of your eye, see?" He held up his index finger with a pale brown lash glued to it as proof.

"My hands were all salty from the popcorn, see? I didn't want to get salt in your eye! Honest!" Well, he didn't think he'd washed it all off…

Lina drew a deep breath, "You look too pathetic right now to be trying to make some move on me. So help me, Xelloss! I don't know why I let you off so easily sometimes!"

"Because…I'm so charming? Sexy? You like me?" Xelloss fluttered his eyelashes and smiled fetchingly.

"Bah! More like…pushy and…exciting," she said reluctantly adding fuel to the fire. "I never was travelling so far…or in so much danger, before I got you as a friend."

Xelloss smiled warmly, "Hmmm, I like that…"

"And," she added with a warning glare, "…frivolous."

Xelloss frowned slightly.

"I mean, if it were Gourry, I'd have do something more assertive to put him off. Coming from him I'd be more like making a commitment or somethin' if I let him get away with half the stuff I let you slip past me. But with you…"

Xelloss straightened, "It's a brief indulgence. I'm just for fun…"

"Sorta. Practice. It's kinda exciting and then we just leave it at that. AND… since you know I'm not interested in having a boyfriend, then I'm safe for you, too."

"Oh," Xelloss said. He was disappointed and trying to hide it from Lina. He had this strong attachment to her and he just couldn't figure out how to get her to feel the same way about him. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't ever going to happen, he realized.

"Come on, what do you think? We kiss and get married tomorrow? I've got plans, college, stuff. You know that! I keep tellin' ya. I don't want a boyfriend to eat up my spare time and I don't wanna mess with the band…or my other friends," Lina shouted.

"Oh, like…Gourry and Zelgadiss?"

"Yeah, like with them."

Xelloss looked wistful then smiled slightly, "Would you like another dance, Lina?"

"Sure, why not?" she said with a toss of her hair.

They swirled around the room a few more times, then Xelloss checked his watch. Oopsie! Breathlessly he said in a rush of words, "Time to go. Thank you, for the company, Lina. Don't forget to pack tonight, if you haven't done so already. We'll be getting an early start."

Lina groaned.

"Apparently, Filia isn't coming along, and we have to drop her at the settlement on our way. Oh, she wants to come with us, but her folks would really like to spend some time with her and all. Some other stuff Val can explain having to do with clan celebrations and her role in them," Xelloss explained rapidly. His time was running out.

While he moved to the door, they could hear Luna's car pull up into the driveway. "Bye, now!" he called and started down the walk.

"That's cutting it pret-ty close, Mr. Metallium," Luna observed.

"Really? Time certainly does fly," he smiled sweetly.

"So, where are you going now?"

"Um…Wow, for a minute there I forgot where I was staying!" he giggled. "Um, the coach house at Amelia's."

"You're walking? You do know that the buses stop running at midnight in summer, right?" she asked.

"Oh… I didn't know that. Well, I'd best be going then," he tipped an invisible hat to her and swirled around to head down the street.

Luna sighed, "Ah, come on. Get in the car, ya big goofus, and I'll drop ya off. Yeah, that stinkin' dog of yours, too. No wonder the syndicate fell, with you at the helm!"

That sent Xelloss cackling and sobbing in a state of near hysteria. She was soooo funny.

~*~

"Where have you been?" Zel gasped as Xelloss stumbled over the scattered clothes and packages on the floor of their room. "I was about to start calling the police!"

"Liiii-na's," Xelloss sang.

Woof!

"Beast!" Zel sounded practically joyful. "You picked up Beast!"

"Yeah, pretty nice guy, aren't I?" Xelloss smiled. "I took a walk, stopped in a the corner market. Did you know a new ice cream parlor opened there? Yeah, I bought a treat for Lina. Then we stopped at dad's to thank him for the beach place and got the keys and the dog. Then… we watched the Matrix and listened to some music she'd downloaded. A couple for the band…if there ever is a band again."

Zel looked up from Beast when he heard that. "What do you mean if? Doesn't Lina want to keep the band together?" Zel asked with a touch of desperation in his voice.

"It's not that. We have no place to practice, Zelgadiss! Think of it! We may have a place to live soon, but no studio!" Xelloss cried out. He felt guilty about his role in all that too. It was his fault that their place was destroyed. "I'll think of something, though. If the band falls apart, it will be my fault. I can't let that happen!"

Zel sighed. "We're a team, Xelloss. The band fails because everyone in it decides to break up, not because Xelloss can't think up a solution to a practice room problem at… nearly 1:30 AM. Now go to bed and go to sleep, so I can. And forget about it!"

Beast whined and snuggled onto Zel's narrow bed. They wrestled for space a few minutes, then, having transferred the bulk of the dog to the foot of his bed and retreating into near-fetal position, Zel closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

"I can hear you still thinking about it!" he said to Xelloss.

Xelloss chuckled, "Even elves can't hear through my demon-shielded skull, Zel-gaaaaaaa-diss."

"This one can, and did. Now, think about the beach and the cry of sea gulls, or something. Good night."

"I think I'll try sleeping outside on the grass," Xelloss said. He grappled with a blanket and pillow and noisily blazed a trail from his bed, though the piles of new clothes, and out the door.

Woooowowoooooo!

"Dammit Xelloss! Now Beast wants out too!"

oof!

Xelloss was knocked aside by the wolf dog in its haste to reach the sweet-smelling night air first. "Hey! Who said you could join me? I'm trying to get away from your doggy-ness! Zel-gaaaaa-diss!" Xelloss whined.

In the end, all three fell asleep outside the building on the grass, side-by-side.

"Oh how cute!" Amelia squealed when she found them the next morning. She ran back into the house, grabbed her camera, and ran back to snap several pictures. Quickly, she hid the camera behind her back at they awoke to find her standing above them.

"Gaaaah!" Zel gasped. "Oh…" he took a deep breath to control his language. "What time is it, Amelia?"

"We leave in an hour. Breakfast is waiting. Have you packed yet?" she asked.

Xelloss opened his eyes a crack. There was much too much talking going on and one voice was far too cheerful. "Um… what are you doing in our room?"

She giggled. "You've forgotten where you are, Mr. Xelloss? You're outside! Time for breakfast! You know, it's the most important meal of the day." She hopped over the dog and Xelloss and peeked into the coach house. What a mess!

"You haven't even begun to pack! Wait…you haven't anything to pack into! I'll go and bring back a couple duffel bags while you two get dressed. Better hurry!" she laughed at Zel's wide-eyed expression, and skipped off.

"Come on, sport. She'll be baaa-aaack!" Zel joked. He picked up his things and stepped into the coach house to dress and sort his clothes.

"I need a shower," Xelloss moaned and slammed the door behind him. "Don't let her in!"

One hour later, Gourry drove up with Lina, Filia, and Val in Val's Suburban. They loaded up Amelia, Beast Xelloss, Zel, and their bags and took off to the settlement.

"I wish I could go too," Filia said. "But I haven't been home and I have duties."

"I thought you were leaving the clan," Lina said.

"No, not the clan exactly, but my priestess duties. I'm reconsidering all that, though. Milgasia has made me promise to speak to him about it. That's another reason I have to go home, to meet with him. They really want Val there too, but…" Filia gazed into his unusual golden-hued eyes, leaving him nearly unable to concentrate on whatever was being said. "You'll come visit after the beach trip, right?"

"Ah…whaaa?" he managed to say.

"Good thing he's not driving," Xelloss said with a wink to Filia.

She stuck out her tongue and Xelloss tried to pinch it, which led to some shrieking, punching, and mayhem.

"Children, behave or you'll have to be separated," Zel shouted from the middle seat.

"Or I'll separate your head from your body at the neck, he means!" Lina corrected from beside him.

"Mr. Gourry, Would you like me to put on some music?" Amelia asked. He nodded gratefully, and she chose a CD from the pile and shoved it in. It was her first time to sit in the front passenger seat and she was enjoying the view and the control over the music selection.

"Eeeeewwwwwww! What's that noise?" Xelloss wailed from the far back where he was shoved up against the side of the car, with Filia beside him and Val on her other side. Some modern boy-band Amelia liked harmonized through the car's speakers.

"Hey, short-stuff! Not in my ear, okay!" Filia snorted at Xelloss, giving him a little smack on the arm as well.

"Short Stuff? I'm not short!" he snorted back, straightening up as he spoke.

"Well, you're inches shorter than me and a foot shorter than Val!"

"Only with those boots on!" Xelloss insisted. "You're just an Amazon!"

"Not really. Lina and Amelia are stumps. I'm regal, Val is lanky and Gourry is…" Filia was saying. Val was studying her closely.

"Gourry is… what?" he asked.

"A magnificent hunk of manhood," she grinned.

Both Val and Xelloss choked and sputtered.

Val eventually blurted out, "Ya gotta be kiddin'."

Xelloss chortled, "Oh, Gooooour-reee! Filly here thinks you are—and I quote—'one magnificent hunk of manhood.' What do think of that?!"

Gourry simply smiled and shook his head.

"He thinks she's lovely for recognizing at last what everyone has been saying about him for years," Zel shouted back.

Lina punched him and gave him a perplexed look, "Gods, Zel, what's gotten into you?"

"A boy and his dog. It just doesn't get any better," he smirked over at her rubbing his arm. "Does it boy?" he murmured to the dog.

"Yeah, well…" Lina looked down at her feet, which were resting on the dog's back. "He does make a pretty good footrest."

"Are we there yet?" yelled Xelloss.

No, they weren't, but soon, too soon for some, they were driving up to Filia's house, past the guard gate, past the orchards heavy with fruit, past the summer gardens and flower gardens. By mutual agreement— stay put, or meet the wrath of Lina— Val, and only Val was allowed to walk Filia up to her door and see her off. Everyone else had to remain in the car.

A few minutes later, they were tooling down the road, with Xelloss in the driver's seat. Yes, the beach vacation was a good idea. They were all going to have a good time. A good relaxing time.

Val noticed that Gourry was sitting in back. Good, he'd leave him in peace to stare gloomily out the window for awhile.

"So, why were you and Mr. Zelgadiss sleeping outside last night?" Amelia asked Xelloss.

"You aren't supposed to talk to him when he's driving!" Zel said with his trademark smirk.

Xelloss matched him smirk for smirk in the rear-view mirror.

"Funny, Zelly. I don't like the smell of dog, or Beast either," he smiled at Amelia.

Zel opened his mouth to say something, but Lina mashed Amelia's purse in his face to shut him up.

"…And, I was worrying about the band. Without my place, we haven't anywhere to practice!" he said to Amelia in particular. She seemed sensitive to his problems, whereas no one else was.

"Oh, Mr. Xelloss. Miss Lina and I already solved that problem," Amelia announced proudly.

"YOU DID?!" both Zel and Xel said in unison.

"Of course, you idiots!" Lina growled. "You don't think I'd let that get past me, do ya? After Xelloss mentioned it last night…"

Gourry and Val passed looks of incredulity back and forth, "Lina and Xelloss…last night…while we were playing pool?"

"I called Amelia…"

"That was, like, after 1:00 in the morning!" Xelloss gasped.

Again, Gourry and Val passed looks of incredulity back and forth, "Xelloss and Lina at 1:00 AM!"

"Yes, my cellphone went off and I nearly jumped out of my skin!" Amelia cried out. "I thought we were about to be attacked or the Martians were coming or something!"

"…And asked her if she could think of a place we could use for practices. And she did!" Lina stopped. She scanned Zel's curious face, then grinned.

"And…it's a secret!" she laughed and laughed.

Xelloss made a face in the mirror at her.

Amelia poked his shoulder playfully, "Not really! The coach house! It's perfect. Big, we can add soundproofing if we want, but there are no neighbors to bother so it's not necessary. The place where we did the video taping with Kiki is right next door, if we need to do that, too! We can paint it and fix it up any way we want to!"

Val, Gourry, and Zel simultaneously said, "Do whatever you want!"

"We've been making too many in-ter-ior de-cor decisions as of late," Val growled.

"It works for me!" Xelloss smiled. "It's about equal-distant to all our homes, save for the clan-girl."

"And we can have the van service home on practice days!" Amelia giggled. "Daddy was so pleased when I asked him this morning. He feels better knowing I'm not spending most of my time in some boy's bedroom!"

They all laughed at that one. Yes, the more they talked about it, the better it sounded. So, they agreed to adopt the Mayor's coach house as their band's new practice location, just as the beach dune's appeared on the horizon.

Life was wonderful, wasn't it?!

~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Fourteen. ~*~