Hi hi I don't own slayers u.u Thanks to those that did review And thanks for taking the time to read my story Please review

Echoe Shayne

"Ok I can see that I'm not wanted here." Xellos said disappearing once again.

Zel sat down on the bed next to Lina her skin was still pale but a red mark graced one of her cheeks he had meant to cast recovery on it but that isn't what he was doing instead he found himself leaning closer to her kissing her cheek gently. Shocked he straitened back up watching her to see if she was going to wake up. 'I guess that I'm no prince' Why? Had he really just done what he thought he did? Why did he do it? If Lina found out. how he felt. How he felt he didn't know how he felt. Lina was his friend she was the only one that had always treated him like a human being. She was his friend he had come to consider her his best friend still there was always something else there.

Amelia sat in the lobby her nerves racked how could she just sit here like this but what else was there that she could do? guilt she felt so guilty how could she have said those things? She hadn't meant to say them she had heard Sylphiel and jumped in without even thinking about it. Poor Sylphiel if she felt this bad she couldn't even begin to think how bad Sylphiel felt. She had to make up for it some how she had to fix this great injustice. Jumping up out of the chair with one hand raised toward the ceiling

"I will right these great injustices." she said saying her thoughts out loud making it her mission.

Sylphiel looked at Amelia as she bolted from her chair smiling at her words. It felt awkward on her lips it was the first time that she had smiled in a long time. Val rolled his eyes and got up leaving the room.

Zel heard the knock on the door but didn't say anything afraid that the person would come in and take one look at his face and know everything. Despite this he heard the door open he turned expecting it to be a Filia, Amelia or maybe even a Sylphiel that had gotten tired of him not letting her in. Instead it was a young boy with aqua hair 'Val' his mind told him. Val looked at the man sitting next to a very pail woman who he had learned was named Lina. The man looked so sad taking his time before turning his attention to him. "Can I stay here with you a while I'm getting tired of hearing about injustice." Zel knew that if he was in Val position that he would want out too so he nodded. Seeing the man nod he took a seat next to Lina. Val looked down her face was pail and there was a faint pink mark on her cheek. It was already beginning to fade but still it made him mad.

" He deserved what he got."

Zel saw that he was looking at Lina's cheek.

"Yeah he did." he smiled a little half smile which was all he could manage I think I like him.

"You know I don't understand." not seeing what he was saying Zel waited for him to explain.

"I asked my mom and she said that Lina wasn't a bad person. I don't see why they had to get so mad at her." His mom 'he must talking about Filia.' " I mean that they may have came for her but it wasn't like she intended to ruin the wedding."

He was amazed at how wise the boy was for his young age but than again he was thinking with the mind of a child he had to remember that. He wasn't a criminal mastermind that had turned good. He was a eight or nine year old boy. The world hadn't left it's mark yet on how cruel it could really be.

"But I do know one thing they are sorry for what they did."

"What do you mean I don't know where he's at" Filia yelled looking at Gourry but he just sat there blinking at her. Seeing his blank expression she turned to Sylphiel and Amelia who where sitting there hoping that Filia wouldn't be to mad that they had lost her son.

"I mean I go out for a minute and you guys lose him?" No that she could really blame them he did have the tendency to wonder.

"Val." she yelled at the top of her lungs knowing what kind of mischief that boy could get into without even trying.

They where interrupted by the sound of someone yelling Val's name. "Uh oh I never told anyone where I was going." Zel shook his head. "I better go I have to get to her before her tail starts showing or I'll be in big trouble." With that he leapt of the bed and ran out the door closing it again behind him.

Vals words came back to him. 'But I do know one thing they are sorry for what they did.' That may be true. Zel didn't like to think of himself as the kind of person that would hold a grudge other than that he had with Rezo he had been pretty good at that. Though now when it came to Lina he didn't think that he would be able to forgive either of them. He had almost lost her if she didn't wake up there was still a chance that he might lose her. He was being unfair and he knew it. One day he might be able to say that he could forgive them but he didn't know if he would ever mean it. Then there was Lina to deal with. How did he really feel about her? She was his friend right? His thoughts from earlier came back to him. He had kissed her. The truth was that he... That Lina was special. Shaking his head he tried to bring himself to reality but reality hurt. He was tired he was so tired. Laying down on the bed he closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

"Where where you?" Filia asked seeing Val come running toward her. Val let his breath out seeing that she wasn't upset enough for her tail to show yet. Glancing at the other people in the room he saw that they had quieted down a bit Amelia was no longer spouting about justice and for once Sylphiel actually looked rational. But she had lost the glow that had been around her when he first met her. The only one that hadn't majorly changed was the blond swords man. he would sit there with a blank look on his face most of the time. Every now and thought he would look up at him and think that he was the saddest person in the world. He knew now that, that assumption had been wrong the man that they called Zelgadiss was. When he had walked into that room today he could almost feel the pain radiating out of him. He cared very much for Lina he could tell but he had no idea what was going on the way Amelia acted you would think that Zelgadiss was hers. Maybe he was and Lina was a close friend and he would have acted like this no matter what even if it had been somebody else. But something in the back of his mind that yes he might have been worried but he wouldn't have gone overboard like he did for anyone but Lina. Being to young to grasp what that exactly meant and the others being to wrapped up in what was happening to really take a look at what was going on it went unnoticed by every except the little boy who didn't even fully understand.

Xellos had healed himself but he swore that he could still feel his face throbbing. Damn that Zelgadiss did he have to attack him like that? Though now that he had the time to think about it he was sorry for slapping Lina. If he would have known that it wasn't a joke than he would have never done it. He had expected her to pop up laughing instead she had laid there motionless and a very mad chimera had tackled him. If he had been paying attention he would have noticed that something was really wrong. But of course he didn't pay attention he never paid attention life was joke to him. Rubbing his hand over his right eye just to make sure that it wasn't swollen he continued to sit there wondering if Filia was going to show up.

Filia nerves where racked they where still there they didn't usually leave till late. Today when she had been out she had run into Xellos that was why it had taken her longer. She had been walking back when all the sudden there he was right in front of her.

*~*~*~* flash back*~*~* "Filia Darling there you are." Xelloss said suddenly appearing in her path. Filia had been looking at the ground. Not paying attention just wanting to get back. Then she heard Xelloss's voice but before she could think of where he was she had bumped into him losing her balance she started to fall back. Xellos reached out catching her. 'After all you have to keep the person you want to talk happy' "What do you want Xellos." She said looking at him with venom before pulling out of his grasp. He looked at her and considered saying his favorite answer. But above all else he knew how to get what he wanted and Making Filia mad would get him no where. "I'm just concerned that's all." "Yeah right." She scoffed in his face before starting to walk away from him. "I want to know what happened to Lina and your going to tell me Filia." There was something in his voice some seriousness that was never there that made her turn to face the purple haired priest. "I don't have time to tell you I have to get back." "Fine than meet me on the north outskirts of town at sunset." "I might consider it." She said turning around and starting to walk back to the inn." "No you will be there Filia."

~*~*~*~*~*

Should she go should she? Xellos couldn't be trusted. Yet he had seamed so concerned and that was so unlike him. Than again if the others found out they would be mad especially after what he had done this afternoon. It would be like conspiring with the Enemy what would Zelgadiss think if he ever found out no doubt that he would be furious. The sun out side was starting to set. All she could do was sit there and look at it.

"Gah." He turned around and hit the tree she wasn't coming. The sun had gone down hours ago and still there was no sign of Filia. He had been so sure that she would come but he guessed that he was wrong still he would wait a little longer. No he knew he would wait there all night. So he let himself sink to the ground his back leaning against the tree that he had moments ago hit.

She was still sitting there the sun had set hours ago. Gourry and Sylphiel where sleep and so was Val. Looking back out the window she made up her mind. getting up she started walking toward the door. Standing in the doorway she looked back one more time just to make sure that every one was asleep.

"What you don't know wont hurt you." she whispered into the dark.

Xelloss was sitting there fuming when Filia finally came back into view but he didn't want her to know about his current mood so he forced his normal smile on his face. At first she saw him he was sitting against three with a mixture of emotions on his face. but when he saw her he was suddenly in front of her with his regular smile.

"What took you so long?" he asked in a cheerful voice.

She just looked at him maybe it was a mistake coming out here he was just smiling being his usual self like he had no care in the world. He couldn't stand her silence letting the smile drop off his face he frowned.

"Please tell me what happened Filia." There it was the seriousness again. Looking up at him she saw that he was no longer smiling.

"Tell me."

"Maybe it's my secret." she said

"Don't play games with me I'm not in the mood for them." 'imagine that who would have ever thought I would say that.' Xelloss thought shock at his own words

Val woke up looking to the chair that his mother had occupied he found that it was empty. With a sleepy grin he got up walking up the stairs. Zel look up at the knock and watched as a very sleepy looking Val walked into the room "Any change he asked looking at the bed." where both of them still resided. Sadly he shook his head. "Oh." Val took the spot that he had occupied earlier "I bet she was energetic." Val said looking down at the petite red head Zel head snapped up to look at him about to ask where he had gotten that from but his gold eyes looked miles and miles away.

~*~*~Flash*~*~ Crimson eyes looking up at him. ~*~*~*~*

Where had that come from he looked down at dark eyelashes resting on pail cheeks where her eyes red like rubies? He struggled to remember he knew that he had seen her at the wedding but where her eyes that color? ~*~Flash~*~

The crimson eyes narrow. *~*~*~*

Could it be?

~*~Flash~*~ The eyes flash with determination the scene pan back and a face comes into focus it is that of a lovely red head glaring with those soulful eyes, eyes that refused to give up. The set of her jaw in a mocking smile like she scoffs at anything that tries to get in her way. *~*~*~*

Zel watched in amusement as Val got up off the bed and started walking toward the door. When he got there he just stood looking at them.

"I wouldn't worry."

He was taken back at the voice it wasn't the voice of a child. It wasn't Val's voice it was deeper older it was the voice that he remembered from not to long ago. It was Valgav's voice. Blinking he saw a tall lithe framed man with the same aqua hair as the boy that had stood there seconds ago. He should have felt threatened but he didn't so he sat where he was in a state of readiness just incase he was wrong.

"Lina's going to live."

He turned his back from them and took a step over the threshold there he paused.

"If I know Lina Inverse she doesn't know when to give up."

Blinking the small boy was standing there again.

"Well I should go if mom gets back before I do she'll get worried." then he took off running down the stairs. He should have been scared he should have been worried. Instead he felt better now that he had heard someone tell him that Lina was going to be ok.

Amelia walked up the stairs carrying a try of food like she did every morning and just like every other morning she paused outside the door listening. But unlike every morning she didn't hear rustling from inside usually when she got up here Zelgadiss would be pacing back and forth. Opening the door she stood there. Zelgadiss was kneeling next to the bed his head turned toward the door. As she let her eyes play over the scene they drifted to see that Zel was holding. onto Lina's hand. His thumb making small circular motions as if caressing her skin. 'He's so caring' she thought tilting her head to side as she continued to look at them. 'He must be really tired not to have woken up.' setting the tray down on a table next to the door she backed out of the room.

Xellos sat there dazed he had been sitting there since Filia left. Some part of him still thought it was a joke. No he knew that it wasn't but he wanted to believe it was. He had heard everything. Wow who would have thought Sylphiel had it in her. He smiled letting out a breath of air in a rush. Who would have thought it, him sitting here because he was worried. Things like this weren't supposed to happen. He was carefree. He never had to think about anybody but himself innless maybe he had to do something for Zelas. Despite that his thoughts where plagued with a certain red head. His thoughts kept drifting back to the scar that Filia had told him about. Did she know what that meant? She said it like she thought it was something important but he didn't think she knew exactly what.

Inside the room Zel was still asleep his hand, clutching onto Lina's. "Lina." he mumbled in his sleep.

End of part 3 ^.^