(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val
Chapter 43
THE SLAYERS
Author's note: Bows to all the creative teams which have produced Haunted Junction, Oh! My Goddess, RayEarth, Utena, Clamp School, Clover, and Lain.
The Cyberia Dance club for teenagers was located downtown not far from the music store where Val worked. The Slayers added to the line-up outside waiting to get in: Lina, Gourry, Val, Zel, and Xelloss.
"Xelloss!" shouted a blue-haired kid, running their way.
"Kazumi!" Xelloss was back. "No shrine duties tonight?"
Kazumi was the first-year priest at the shrine who had met Xelloss the evening he took Sylphiel to the ice cream parlor. Like all the newbies, Kazumi had shrine responsibilities frequently. In his wake were Haruto, a tall blonde priest, and Asahina, a blood-red-haired priestesses. These kids were all from that weird 'haunted' school at the junction to the road to Atlas City.
"No! Besides I wouldn't miss coming here tonight, Ora's gonna be here to sing her new hit 'Clover'. And Lain…" Kazumi said dreamily.
"Did you say 'Lain'? Xelloss, didn't you say you knew a girl named Lain once?" asked Zel.
Xelloss shook his head, "Can't be the same one. The Lain I knew was…in for good," his eyes clouded over a second, then brightened as he introduced his shrine friends to his band.
The line moved up the street.
"Keiichi, look! It's a rainbow at night!" chimed out an unearthly, beautiful voice from an equally unearthly beautiful girl. She was tall and Nordic, with long, long brown hair and shining eyes.
Zelgadiss whipped around and saw a familiar face, "Keiichi?"
The nervous-looking young guy with unkempt black hair brightened at the approach of his old friend. "Zelgadiss! Long time no see. How're ya doing?" Still driving the professor around?"
"No, he married someone who does that now. Tonight it's part of my band dragging me out. Oh, everybody, this is Keiichi Morisato, fixing his motorcycle. He was one of my father's minions in the Chemistry lab, most importantly, the unlucky one to who got to teach me how to drive," Zel smiled.
"And this is my, er…friend, Belldandy. There, got it!" He raised his arms in triumph. "Now we'll be able to get home, too. So, what were you saying, Belldandy?" Keiichi asked, rubbing some grease off his hands with a handkerchief.
"See? If this girl stands first," Belldandy said gently rearranging Asahina and Lina. "And this boy's next," she nudged Haruto next to Gourry. "And then THIS boy stands next to your friend…Zel-ga-diss and this really tall boy," she continued, guiding Kazumi between Val and Zel. "Do you see it now? The rainbow of hair! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, lavender, and purple.
Without warning, a cute kid with black hair—but obviously related to the spellbinding Belldandy--seemed to pop up as if from a puddle. She snapped several pictures with a very odd-looking camera and gave one to everyone, smiling and chatting all the while.
"Thank you, Skuld! You're so sweet tonight!" Belldandy gushed and clasped her lily-white hands together.
"Oh, Skuld…I though you were going to stay home with Urd tonight!" whined Keiichi.
Lina was laughing with her new friend, Asahina. She decided that they had a lot in common besides great red hair. Asahina seemed to be the only competent one of her friends, especially compared to the tall, lanky, blonde Haruto. Haruto and Gourry also seemed to be getting along well, Gourry laughing at some story the other was relating about ghosts haunting their school.
Asahina nodded toward Gourry and asked, "So, Lina, is that guy your boyfriend?"
"Good friend and band member, that's all," Lina added with a quick blush. "So are the other guys with me."
Asahina nodded, "No kidding? Me too, though, actually I prefer younger guys myself, but… I've never been here before. What's it like?"
"Don't know. First time for me too, but Val…Yo, Val! So what's it like inside?" Lina yelled over the crowd's noise to the tall punk glowering overhead.
"Lina, you're holding up the line. Better move," Zel cautioned her. Two big guys rolled up and greeted Keiichi and Belldandy. "Come on! Git in line!"
"Otaki! Tamiya! Put us down!" Keiichi yelped.
Lina leaned in and checked out the guys' jacket insignia, "'Oh! My Goddess Mobile Repair Crew?' What's with that?"
Keiichi ruffled his hair and recited his blurb, "If you have a breakdown just give us a call. We'll come fix it or tow it in no time at all!" He smiled and handed Zel a business card.
"Ah, thanks," Zel said, pocketing the card. Never know!
Before they could say anything more, the line moved along quickly, bringing them past the entrance and into the cavernous interior of club Cyberia.
The club was dark, loud, and throbbing, like the stomach of a man-eating beast, full of its thrashing victims. Crowds of people—all young, mostly cute, dressed in things you'd be thrown out of church in—were clustered around, dancing and trying to chat over the ear-numbing boom of the heavy techno. On the far-left wall, a snack bar with a few slim tables was installed, on the north wall was the DJ booth with the main wall of speakers, a bandstand behind it. No band was onstage right then, just skeletal equipment, mic stands, keyboard, drumset, and lots of wires. All other walls were empty save for the light shows being beamed from the booth, and the monstrous shadows of the dancers. A disco ball hung from the ceiling, and a television set at the snack bar showed cryptic images of industrial scenes and past performances.
Zelgadiss found it to be everything he dreaded it would be, and stuck near Xelloss and Val who were walking up to the DJ's control booth.
Val knew the DJ, a hip guy named JJ, and made idle talk with him. But sitting in a foldout chair beside him was a pale, wraith-like girl with hair that looked like she'd taken a pair of pruning shears to it…
Allen entered with Filia on his arm, smiling proudly to have such a catch to show off tonight. She was an unknown in this crowd; a new fish in the sea. Allen gazed about, trolling for familiar faces. Filia strode along, allowing him to guide her through the tightly clustered schools of fish. She didn't like this as much as she had hoped, but soon they would dance, he promised. He stopped so abruptly that she nearly collided into his friend.
A tall girl with waist-length hair that was such a stunning blue that it hardly looked dyed turned around. "Hey, Allen! Promise me a dance, right? I mean, if you don't mind," she addressed Filia.
"Umi! I haven't seen you at the club for a while. Been travelling again?" he asked.
"Oh, you could say that. Fuu and Hikaru are here, too, somewhere…"
"Well, find me later and we'll see about that dance," he smiled and left her.
"She seems nice," Filia commented with the coolness that made it an accusation.
"Yes, she is. She does fencing on the girl's team, very graceful. Along with the two she mentioned, she does a lot of travelling. They all have boyfriends in some other state or country, they won't say which."
"Ah. Oh, look, there's Mat from the football team!" If Allen could show off Filia, she could do the same with him: turn-about is fair play, as they say. But somehow, it didn't quite seem right to her, and when a few minutes later, they neared a group of very severe, sophisticated-looking people, she began to have second thoughts about the whole thing.
"Ah, over here, Filia, there are some friends from the club I'd like to introduce you to."
There were four; all tall, thin, and richly dressed. There was a girl and three boys, one of which had to be out of high school. He was cut out of the same cloth as Allen, with sweeping long hair and princely bearing, and able to pull off wearing a white suit and dyed red hair that rivaled Allen's in length. There was a cut to his chin, a sweep of his brow, which seemed to show a cruel, cavalier attitude, far colder than Allen's noble face. His chiseled lips curled into a smile at the sight of him.
"Allen! Haven't seen you here for awhile. There was a brief meeting at the club, but we hardly had time to chat. Join the circle, and introduce this ravishing lady."
"This is Filia Ul Copt, heiress of the Cephied clan."
The others nodded approval.
"Filia, these are Juri—" an icy girl with a straight figure and grim brow inclined her head, her yellow curls bobbing, "Miki—" a delicate boy with short blue hair and very big eyes looked up from the stop-watch he'd been playing with and smiled at Filia, "Saionji--" wavy green hair and piercing eyes warned her that he was not approachable, "and my friend, Touga Kiryuu, captain of the upper-division fencing team—the one that Inu fellow is on."
Touga was the hawk-like redhead. His eyes had found Filia and did not leave her. "Charmed, I'm sure," he said, and bowed to kiss her hand.
Dashing behavior like that may have impressed other girls, as he had intended, but Filia was too stubborn to be melted by it.
"Or not." She removed her hand. "Forgive me, but I'm just not used to such forward behavior," she added, to soothe his ego.
"Really?" Touga gave Allen a mildly surprised look. "Ah, well, then you must forgive me, too. I'm just so used to it, I often forget that some people might not feel comfortable. Of course, you are with Allen…"
"Touga!" A shrill voice split the racket in the room and demanded all of their attention.
"Nanami," Juri hissed in irritation.
"Touga's little sister," Allen informed Filia.
Nanami was blond and shrewish. She marched up to Touga and grabbed his arm, distancing him from Filia. "Who's SHE?" she whined.
"Her? Oh, she's with Allen," he assured the parasite.
"Really? Well, you better stay away from my big brother," she narrowed lavender eyes at Filia. "If you know what's good for you. Stick to your own social class, don't leech off of him!"
"Nanami!" Touga warned her with her name.
"Oh, I'm sorry, big brother! But I'm just protecting you!" She looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes.
It made Filia sick. All of these people to whom Allen had introduced her were so fake, all about appearances with no substance beneath. She didn't want this world. Miki was like a spineless version of Zel, Touga's red hair reminded her of Lina, and Saionji's arrogant glower made her think of…another one of her friends.
Xelloss nearly choked. "Lain?"
The girl looked up. "You…Xelloss? Is it really you?" she asked, her face lighting up.
Lina knew personal business when she saw it, and escorted a protesting Zel out of Xelloss' way.
"They said there was a Lain here, but I never thought—"
"That they'd let me out?" she asked, and smiled sadly. "They didn't want to, but they couldn't come up with any excuses to keep me any longer. But I'm okay now. I really am. Its fun to come here, and I have friends," she nodded towards a group of young girls and JJ.
"It's…really good to see you. I wanted to thank you for helping me. I'm really grateful for what you did for me," he smiled and brushed a hand through his hair.
"You're welcome. It's good to see you, too. You look happy."
"I am."
"That's good. If you aren't happy, there's no reason to live."
"I never expected you to be here…I never expected to see you again," Xelloss admitted. He was nearly crying to see her, for it brought back all those hospital memories, all those terrible, horrifying days of confusion and…
"I did. You see, we are all connected…" she said dreamily.
"Lina, I don't think we should get too separated from Xelloss. He doesn't know how to get by in a place like this, and you know what kind of people he seems to attract…like fleas to a dog…"
"Zel, you sound like a parent. He'll be fine. He's talking to an old friend, and Val's right there. Besides, he won't let us get too far away. I made a deal with him. Anyway, let's see if I can find a good group to dance with…"
The evening was looking like a long, dark tunnel…maybe a well, with water to drown in at the bottom. Zel felt his defenses kicking in. Whenever someone bumped into him, he was ready to attack; he jumped so many times he was nearly a twitching mass of nerves.
"Zel, you look like a dork. If you don't calm down, they're going to think you're a junkie and throw you out!" Lina admonished. "Relax! At least look like you're enjoying yourself!"
"I'm not that good of an actor."
"You're really starting to tick me off, you know that? Oh, all right. I'll find someone for you to talk to."
Gourry, who'd been in a fog of confusion, sensed movement and stepped to one side. Zel was shouting at Lina and did not.
"I can do that myself—" CRASH! Zel saw a flash of red hair amidst the shock of someone ramming into him. "Shit, Lina watch where y-"
However, it wasn't Lina.
"I'm so sorry! I saw everybody and I tried to run over but I musta stepped on something somebody spilled and I slipped and…OH! I know you, kinda. Fencing?" she said breathlessly.
"Hikaru!" cried a pair of tall, gorgeous girls. Nearly eye-level with Gourry, but dwarfing Zel, Lina, and Zel's inadvertent assailant, they gushed about their good luck of finding the wayward Hikaru.
"That's the problem with short girls," the one with long, too-perfect-to-be-dyed hair said. "You can't find them in crowds, so you loose them so easily."
"Umi! Fuu!" Hikaru cried. "Just a minute, I'm apologizing to Mr.…"
"I'm Zelgadiss. It's okay, I don't mind," he hoped Lina hadn't heard that crack about short girls, though with these two Amazons, she might have met her match…
"So," Lain said, quietly, "did you ever find…your face?"
"You mean someone selling that video tape of my torture over the Internet? No. Better than that, though, we caught the evil stepfather and the tape, so it's all over," Xelloss smiled.
"So your past is really behind you now? Your future…" she began.
"Is stormy, too. But there's some light. I have…real good friends. They're helping me through it. And 'it' is a long hard road…"
"It has to be. Quick fixes don't work. The best way is if you live out your life simply, without trying to influence too much of it."
"Yes, but if you don't influence anything, then it's like you've never been!"
"Maybe it's better that way."
"May be." He smiled and looked up at her. "JJ's asking for you. Will you be here again?"
"I'm always here. Come and see me if you ever want to; I'm always here."
"I will. Thank you, Lain. For everything. And, if you wanted to know, my one goal in life IS to live simply."
"Then I'm sure you'll be happy. Just remember to connect with people."
"I will."
And he went to find Lina shaking his head and wondering if he understood one word of that conversation correctly.
"Hey" Lina piped up. "I've heard of you guys! You're part of the girl's fencing team, right?"
"That's right; we lost the last championship, but damned if we're gonna lose the next one!" blue-haired Umi declared.
"Well, we're at a disadvantage, as you know us, but we don't know you," Fuu, with short curly hair and wide glasses commented shyly.
"I know of Mr. Zelgadiss! And you, too!" Hikaru pointed at a confused Gourry. "They're on the champion boy's fencing team!"
"That's right! I didn't know anybody cared about that stuff. This is Gourry," Zel introduced his dazed friend. "And this is Lina. She really should join you guys, but I haven't been able to convince her to—"
"That," Lina butted in, "Is because I don't think it's fair that the boys' and girls' teams are separate!"
The other girls agreed heartily, and there was a great discussion among Lina and the Amazons. Lina required Gourry to make supporting statements occasionally, but Zel seemed to be off the hook. So, apparently, was Hikaru.
Hikaru turned back to Zel, "Oh! And look! I got dog hair all over you! See? It's on me too! I just love my dog, Hikari, but he sleeps on my clothes, if I've left them out, and he loves to sleep on my feet at night."
He shook his head, not bothering to try and brush himself off, "That's all right, Hikaru. My dog does the same thing. I probably transferred his loose hair to you as well."
"Oh, won't our dogs be mad?!" she giggled. "We come home smelling of some strange dog, and we didn't include them!"
"YOUR dog? That's MY dog, little brother!" Xelloss popped up out of nowhere.
Zel sighed. Leave it to Xelloss to complicate matters! "Correction, stepbrother. And Xelloss, he's more mine than yours. Beast," and he added for Hikaru's benefit, "is a wolf who's mostly blind and he sleeps on the foot of MY bed. You don't even know where his food is stored!" he directed back at Xelloss.
"Ha! Well, that's fine. You can be Beast's slave if you want to, then!"
Hikaru went indignant, which she managed to make very cute. "Being nice to your dog isn't being a slave! It's being friends, best friends!"
"She's right," Zel smiled wryly, "Beast is our friend. He even saved us, remember? We OWE Beast—"
"Oh, gods, Amelia has corrupted you with her goodness!" Xelloss joked.
"Amelia! You mean, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun?" Hikaru asked. "You know her?"
As it turned out, Hikaru was a fellow-freshman friend of Amelia's, and part of all the student government activities. Fuu was, of course, the Junior class president, Zel realized, and all three were really big on that kind of thing.
"It makes sense," Xelloss whispered to Zel, "she's almost as annoyingly cheerful as Amelia, just as cute, and is drawn to you!"
Zel elbowed him in the ribs as punishment, and continued talking to the nice kid about dogs. It was the first decent conversation he'd had in days; no underworld crime organizations, no secret agendas, no mixed-up family nonsense, not even teen angst. Just a cute kid and her dog. It almost made him miss Amelia…
"So, there's this girl, Utena something, who's really into this revolutionizing the fencing clubs thing, and we're thinking of going in on it! She's so intense, and really cool! She's got so much charisma! You should meet her, Lina."
"You're very charismatic, too," Fuu added to Umi's spiel. "Together, you could really change things!"
"Damn straight!" Lina grinned. "I'll have to talk to you fencing girls more often! Anybody else I should know about?"
"There's a girl named Juri on the other team here tonight, but she's not very nice. There she is, hanging with those rich kinds," Umi pointed to a group across the hall—
And there amongst Juri, Miki, Touga, and Saionji, were Allen and Filia.
Oh, crap thought Lina. This could not be good. But she decided to keep it under her hat for as long as possible. Just enjoy the evening…
Lain had returned to her booth to adjust the stage lighting and fade out the techno music. JJ announced, "Welcome to JJ's Cyberia. If you attend to the stage, you will find tonight's guest singer, the up-and-coming Diva extrordinaire, Ora!"
A black-haired temptress in boudoir underwear stepped out onto the stage amid cheers and Lain's light show. "I'd like to begin with my newest hit, and for a special treat, I'd like to sing it as a duet with the other co-writer, Sue!"
A light swung up to illuminate the stage while a tiny girl nearly flew out and down to perch on the stage… The band began a simple backup and the lady and child sang 'CLOVER'.
Xelloss closed in on Lina to listen a moment, then asked, "Would you like to dance, Lina?" He smiled down at her, head titled to the side, then reached out with a hand.
"Sure, why not," she smiled. A promise was a promise.
Val let his friend JJ return to his deejay duties while he roamed the floor hunting for action. It wasn't necessary. The 'action' found him. Numerous punks and druggies from his past swarmed around, attempting to re-kindle friendships he'd ignored lately.
"Where ya been?" "Haven't seen ya all year!" "What'sup?"
Oh yeah! Val thought I don't hav'ta even answer and all's cool. Bein' 'round those over-achiever dudes at home is wearin'. I forgot how easy this was.
After awhile, his activities started to leak out. "Gotta band again. Slayers. Yeah we get gigs! Couple in December, one at the beach and the high school. It's a start."
"Dude, like, that's effort, ya know…?" moaned one slouchy kid.
"You still at that same place with that Gaav dude?" asked another.
"Nah," Val said coolly, "I hung out with Sano fer awhile. Now I gotta room with a couple of the band guys." Yeah, that sounded cool, as long as they didn't know that the band guys were the two nerdiest guys in the building.
When he let 'You can check out Macross Recording Studio at their web site' escape his lips, some of his old chums started to think something was up.
"Where you get yer hands on a computer?" asked one kid suspiciously.
"You stealing those now?" laughed another, saving Val the embarrassment of having to come up with a better cover-up.
Oh boy.
A couple girls nestled in, begging drugs off of him.
His hands flew up, "I ain't sellin' no more. If I blow probation, I screw over my chance fer a driver's license an' gradua…—er, could lose my job."
"You graduating?" one girl asked in an obvious sneer.
"Me? Nah…got me a job and a band. No time fer school," Val smirked. Yeah, that was cool too. I'm not graduating, this year—next year, he thought to himself.
Filia was bored. If she didn't get to dance soon she'd start folding those damned paper cranes out of napkins for excitement. Listening to boring kids gossip and posture, oozing attitude and self-importance, was wearing thin with Filia. She was a young woman of substance; besides, the gossip didn't include anyone she knew! Concealing a yawn, Filia turned away and feigned interest in people watching elsewhere. She spied Val not far away girdled about by a rough-looking bunch of kids. Oh, Gods, what's he doing here? Not…not…drugs again! she wondered.
"Knock it off! I said I gave that up! I got nothin', now leave off!" he sneered, alas, out of ear-shot of Filia.
She shuddered and sniffed, Disgusting people! Filia looked back to Allen and snuggled up. "Time for dancing," she purred.
"You seem eager. All right, my Filia-dear, whatever you want," Allen said smoothly and guided her through the crowd to the open dance floor.
Val's eyes caught and followed the beautiful pair, narrowing in concentration. He was struck. How could they be there?
"Oooooooh, looks like Allen's got a new piece of arm candy," chuckled a punk he scarcely knew. "Wonder how long she'll stay skinny—"
Val growled deep in his throat, then snarled, "She doesn't know what she's getting' into with that …NO! She ain't my nothin', but she's in the band, a singer, so I don't want her hurt. Get it now?"
Having someone else at whom to direct his anger saved Val from channeling his rage at himself. Still, his fists and jaw clenched tight of their own accord, and he saw flames in the darkness. What could he do? Nothing. He could beat up Allen, but that would drive Filia away permanently. He could rag on her, but that was equally counter-productive. None of the schlock around him could compare to her, none of them could replace her, and none of them could help him regain her.
Just to rub salt in the wound, there went Xelloss, waltzing Lina around the room. Why did girls always go for those guys? The ones that were gentlemen on the outside and scum within (well, maybe Xelloss wasn't scum, but he was pretty evil and sneaky). At least he, Val, was honest! He didn't put up any appearance of being a gentleman or anything that he was not.
"So," Lina said,"how was the reunion?"
Xelloss smiled. "You mean with Lain? It was very uplifting, in a sense. You wouldn't believe how refreshing it was to talk to someone who only remembers me as a mental patient!"
Lina laughed grimly. "Ah, Xelloss. That's when you know you're in too deep."
"Oh, I already knew that. But there's nothing we can do now."
"I guess not. It'll be okay, right?" she asked, attempting to catch his eye.
Xelloss was surprised to see fear in Lina's eyes, as she added, awaiting his confirmation, "Right?"
"Right," he assured her. "Everything will be all right. I'm…sure everything will be all right."
"Thanks. I'll take your word for it. And if you're lying to me," she winked, "I'll beat the crap outta you!"
"I won't resist," he chuckled back.
The song ended and Lina and Xelloss returned to Gourry and Zel's hangout near Hikaru. Xelloss was about to return to the dance floor, alone if necessary, but paused by Gourry and whispered, "Don't miss your chance this time, okay?"
Gourry took the hint and immediately asked Lina to dance.
"Ah, sure, why not? Hey, Zel why don't you and Hikaru get in some exercise too?" Lina grinned and winked at her blushing friend.
Zelgadiss could have killed Lina, if he'd had a sword, or arrows, or some kind of magical spell to attack with. But he didn't. Sigh…
"Sounds good to me. Come on!" the other little red-head cried, dragging Zel to the crowded dance area by the hand.
"Oh…joy…"
Val had gone to bury his anger in a soda and watch the video of an awful band torturing their instruments (and their audience in the process). Ah, hell, it's no good! I'm gonna find her and…ask her ta dance, anythin', get her over to Lina. Let Lina pound some sense into her… Decision made, Val left his stool and cast about for Filia. Either his 'dragon-sense' wasn't working or she wasn't in the building. Nor was Allen.
"So, my Filia, are you having a good time tonight?" Allen asked, eyes warm and inviting.
"Hmmm, it's okay, Allen. Not really my kind of place, but interesting," she managed to find something nice to say. He was only trying to share his interests with her, and the other activities had been fine. This was, too, but… She couldn't put her finger on why, but she wasn't particularly happy.
Allen could tell. He wasn't an insensitive clod. "Filia, why don't we go outside for some fresh air?"
She nodded. That would help. "Thanks, Allen. I'd love to," she added gratefully. "Oh my! Allen it's so cold! My coat's in your car."
"No problem. I'll need mine too," he smiled and together they trotted to the lot where his car was parked. Zel's was in the space next to Allen's.
Filia felt her stomach lurch at the sight. She wondered what they thought of the place… Cyberia.
"Come on inside and get out of the wind," Allen called from within the luxurious car. Buttery soft, leather seats warmed electronically, hugged her body. Allen pushed in a CD and adjusted the volume to just cover the car's drowsily humming heater. "How's that, better?"
"Hmmm, yesss," she close her eyes and sank dreamily into the comfort. He really is a thoughtful guy. And so… close! All of a sudden he seemed, very close.
"Filia, you are the most beautiful…woman… that I've ever seen. I admired you from the instant I set eyes on you, " he whispered, leaning closer and nuzzling her ear with his nose briefly. "You know, at first I just wanted you, but now… Filia, I need you…"
Filia raised an informed eyebrow, "Sex. Is that what this is all about?"
He lowered his gaze a moment then met her steely one, "Well, now that you've put that idea into my head…"
Val circled the club floor one more time, then, nabbing Gourry and Lina, pushed through the mob to the door. "One second she was here, the next…gone, with him. Ya gotta be sure she's…okay and all," he jabbered to them.
"Shit, Val! It's freezing out here! So they left! It was noisy! Maybe she got sick or hungry or…" Lina groused, hugging herself and hopping around to generate some warmth.
"Take my coat, Lina," Gourry offered. "We can look around for a few minutes, but I don't see anyone out here."
Val scanned the block and across the street. He could see the parking lot and then he froze. "Filia!" he gasped and loped off.
"Come on, Filia. You're not a little girl anymore. Time to grow up, " he said intimidatingly and then crushed her lips in a searing kiss.
The windows were fogged but not her brain. This was not what Filia wanted. He was gentle and not too pushy, but the direction was wrong and the speed was dizzying.
"Allen, stop it! That's enough, now, I want to go home!" she insisted.
"But it's so early! We have plenty of time…"
"No!"
Val hesitated a second or two outside the familiar BMW. They were in there, he knew. Should he embarrass her and put a stop to their evening? He knew that she would never, ever speak to him again if he did.
"No! Get away, that's enough!"
That was her voice coming from inside the car, and that was all it took to put an end to his indecision. Val ripped open the unlocked door and grabbed the other kid's collar and yanked him off his passenger. "She said 'no'! Even I could hear her and I was outside!" He growled fiercely into the shocked face of the handsome accoster.
"Val!" Filia gasped.
"You better get your hands off me, Val Gaav, or I'll have your butt behind bars before…" Allen sneered, recovering his wits.
"I think not, buster. 'Cause Gourry and I aren't gonna let anything happen, right?" Lina flashed her fangs and grinned at Gourry.
He nodded and frowned, "Filia? You wanna come home with us?"
Filia was straightening her clothes and hair, "Yeah, sure, Gourry. Give me a moment."
Val stood, arms crossed, keeping an eye on Allen, who was urging her to let him drive her home 'AT LEAST'.
"Allen, I don't want to argue with you right now," she began.
"I'm happy to take you home, no hard feelings, right?" he persisted. "Besides, your friends are having a good time in there and now you're going to inconvenience them."
Good point.
"Filia, make up your mind!" Lina shouted. "I wanna go home, I'm freezing, I've danced, and Zel wanted to go before he came, so Gourry's going to go let Zel and Xelloss know we're going… You'd be doing Zel a favor, ya know."
Gourry shrugged his shoulders and started back to get Zel and Xelloss.
"Filia, I don't want you leaving while you're upset. Let me drive you home and try to make up for my…error in judgement," Allen tried again.
She sighed, "Allen, I'm going to have Zelgadiss drive me home. You can do what you want, tell your friends what you will, but after tonight… I'm not all that comfortable being alone with you. Good night."
Gourry returned, his face wearing a harried expression, "Ah Lina? Gotta problem. Val? Zel can't find Xelloss."
Lina grumbled something about 'that idiot' not making any distinction between Xelloss and Zel. "Come on…Filia? I can use the help."
So Gourry led Lina and Filia back to the club, with a silent, scowling Val following behind.
A frantic Zelgadiss met them at the door. "He was dancing around like a lunatic. I was overheated and bought a soda. When I finished, he was gone. Gourry came by and said Lina wanted to go, but I can't find him! Anywhere!"
Val glowered down at Zel a moment then glanced around over the heads of the others.
"Is your Xelloss-sense tingling?" Lina chuckled.
"Ya don't get it. He's so damned naïve…Over there! Shit!" Val cursed. "Gourry, see where I'm pointing? Yeah, the knot of girls. Hopefully we can get him outta here before he drinks anything!"
Gourry lurched left, Val right, and Zel plowed through the middle of the dance floor to the other side of the club like wolves on a hunt. Zel was intercepted by two bunches of girls who had to admire his earrings and other jewelry. Gourry was too kind to push everyone out of his way with Val's wild abandon. As a result, Val reached the poor kid first.
He knocked the mostly full beverage cup out of his hand. Xelloss gasped, stunned by Val's unexpected appearance and by the sight of his drink sailing through the air.
"Vally? Where's my drink going?"
"Ya drink any of that yet?"
"Not much…not much chance of me finishing that now either. You owe this girl a replacement," Xelloss indicated the slinky one to his right.
Val grasped the girl by the arm, yanked her to the side and questioned her privately. Satisfied with the answers, he grunted something unintelligible and pushed her away. "Xelloss, we gotta go. NOW. We're takin' Filia home. Everyone's waitin'," Val explained, ignoring Xelloss' questions. Gourry and Zel charged in about this time.
"Sorry ta haveta go so soon, but Lina says…" Gourry started.
Zelgadiss wrenched Xelloss away from his new companions, snarling, "You are not a priest yet. Say good night, the car leaves in 5, 4, 3 minutes."
"O-kay, do-kay, but you don't have to be such a grouch, little brother!" he grinned and danced off between Val and Gourry.
Val opened the car door to the back and Filia slid into the middle. He sank into the front seat with a sigh. Gourry and Xelloss entered the back seat from opposite sides. Lina peered into the back, "Well? Make room for me…"
Val interrupted in a muted voice, "If they won't, I will."
"No thanks. Scoot over everybody!"
It was a tight squeeze, but it didn't last long. Zelgadiss dropped off Lina and Gourry first, and then drove the long road out to the settlement. Val got out and opened Filia's door, "I'll walk ya to the door," he said simply.
"That's not necessary, Val," Filia murmured.
"Yeah, I know, but it's what I'm gonna do."
The porch light was on. Her mother opened the door, "Filia? You're home awfully early. Everything… oh, it's you, Val." She had been expecting the gallant and knightly Allen. She got the gruff and uncomfortable Val. In her eyes, the trade was unequal and disheartening.
"Ah, yeah. Filia wanted to leave early, so Zel drove her home. Ah, goodnight, Filia, Mrs. Ul Copt." He couldn't say any more. His throat tightened too much.
"Goodnight, Val. And thank you, even if it wasn't necessary. Thank you for caring," Filia added gently, then stepped inside the house and closed the door.
When Val returned to the car, it was empty. Xelloss was sitting on the curb, head between knees panting.
"Sick," Zel informed him.
"Lemme look at your eyes, kid," he said, kneeling at Xelloss' feet. "Not dilated. Yer gonna be sick again soon so let me go back and get ya some water. Oh, yeah, Filia will love this…and her mom more, I bet. What? Those girls slipped drugs into yer drink, but the one I talked to said it wasn't much and you'd only had a sip, right? Let it be a lesson, dude. Don't accept drinks or food or nothin' from strangers, got it? Didn't ya watch 'Sesame Street' when you were little? Right, now I'll go face the wrath of the dragon lady. Why 'dragon lady'? She collects those dragon pictures in a book and her bedroom walls are covered with…I'll go get that water now."
Zel said nothing. He just stood watch over his impulsive friend. "Oh, no, here comes Filia and her mother with Val."
Xelloss groaned.
Val yanked him to his feet and half-carried him to the house. Mrs. Ul Copt led them to a cozy den with a fire burning low in the fireplace. She was at the waddle-stage, heavy with Filia's sibling-to-be. Filia was rapidly filling her mother in on who these guys were.
Her mother just waved her off. "That's right just stretch out on that couch. I'm so sorry, I do recognize you from the play…was that back in December? Oh how time flies! But I can't seem to keep names straight. Filia-dear, please get the mint blend ready. Now, dear, you just rest a bit. Did you eat something that didn't settle right? You have to be so careful eating out. Oh, dear, I have to sit too. Why, thank you, Val. Why don't you and that other boy…yes, Zelgadiss, go on out to the kitchen and see what's keeping that girl of mine!"
Filia stomped in carrying a tray of jiggling teacups, pot, sugar, and milk. "It still has to brew awhile, mother. Oh, I brought you a cup too. Do you want it here or…what's wrong?"
"Just a contraction, dear. They come and go for a few weeks before…"
"But the baby's due this week, Mom, and that's the second time that happened since I've been home! Where's Dad?"
"Well, maybe I should give him a call, just in case. He and Milgasia are in town tonight. Another city council meeting…Oh, yes, bathroom's down the hall. Filia? Help your friend there, and hurry dear!"
As it turned out, getting a call through to city hall at midnight on a Friday night was difficult.
"Mom, it's too late for a meeting. Be reasonable. I'm sure they're on their way home by now!" Filia said.
"She's probably right," Zel agreed. "I have the mayor's number. I'm giving them a call to find out…Yes, I'm sorry to call so late, Mayor Phil. This is Zelgadiss. No, I'm fine. But, Filia's mother is trying to locate her husband, who was at the city council meeting tonight. What? No, I haven't looked outside. Oh. No, he wasn't alone. Milgasia from the settlement was travelling with him. Emergency? I don't know, she might be having a baby…I'll ask."
Zel turned to Filia's mother. "I have the Mayor on the line. Apparently it's been snowing this past hour and the road is closed this way due to a big-rig that's fallen over at the turn and is blocking traffic. We missed it by half an hour or so, I guess. Your husband's caught in that, most likely, since the meeting broke up about an hour ago. Anyway, the Mayor's going to check on that and get back to us. He wants to know if you have a doctor here or what?"
"Milgasia. He's the clan's doctor," she said weakly through another contraction.
"Oh, joy…" Zel drew a deep breath, "Mayor? Oh, ah, sure, Phil. Milgasia is the only doctor. I'm calling Dr. Adams. All right, thanks."
"Please, be on call…Hello? Thank the gods, this is Zelgadiss. No I'm fine. Um…I'm out at Filia's at the settlement and her mother's having contractions and is due any time, I guess, and her Father is with her doctor stuck out on the highway behind a big-rig accident and it's snowing and making a real mess of things and I'm here with Val and Xelloss, who is sick because he drank something some girl drugged, but not much, Val says, and…all right," Zel stopped racing and took another deep breath. "Mrs. Ul Copt? This is Dr. Adams, the best. He'd like to speak to you, please, ah, thanks."
They spoke in private a few moments, and then "…I will, and thank you so much. I will. Zelgadiss? Dr. Adams would like to speak to you again," she said, handing the cellphone back to him.
"Yes, all right. I have a pencil and… a paper. Boil water, towels, oh please, no… Oh, I'm fine. There's another contraction, so that's 15 minutes apart. Is that good? Oh. What else? Filia? What's the house number? And the phone number so he can call us back before my cellphone dies. All right, got that? So, you'll call back in 15 minutes or so? Good. Bye," Zel shut off his cellphone and shook his head. "Well, Filia, unless there's a miraculous breakthrough in highway clearing science in the next hour or so, we'll be delivering your baby brother or sister OURSELVES!"
Val helped Filia fill huge pasta and soup stock pots with water and put them on to boil. Filia's mother paced. Xelloss was asleep, thankfully. Zel wished he were nearly anyplace else right now.
Ring, Ring
Zel picked up the phone after Filia's mother waved at him. "Hello. Thanks. I'll ask. Mrs. Ul Copt? The doctor wants to know when your last contraction was…oh…that makes them about 8 minutes apart. What next? Towels, chairs, basin…basin? Ohhh, shit…no, I'm fine. All right. I'll put her on while I take care of that. Filia? Take this for me. Val? I need your help. Mrs. Ul Copt? The doctor has some suggestions for setting up your bed or any other bed you want. Fine. And some towels and, that's right, one of those."
"It'll be all right, dear. Don't you worry, I've done this before, you know. Too bad the midwife is out of town, though," Mrs. Ul Copt said reassuringly.
"I've never done anything like this," Zel moaned.
"I've dug bullets outta guys before. That counts for somethin'," Val chuckled nervously, then added defensively, "At least Xelly-I–faint-at-the-sight-of-blood is quiet."
"There is that!" Zel smiled faintly. "All right, here's the set up. Two chairs at the foot of the bed like the picture I've drawn. Got it, Val? Yeah, for her feet. Towels and gulp! basin below, towels over bed. Drop cloth? All right, under the towels on the floor. Gods, I hope there's not that much…whatever. That's it. Oh, thanks, blanket for the…baby. Sterilized water is for cleaning her and it off, I guess. He hasn't gone into the details yet thank Gods or I might lose it! ."
Val was talking, mostly listening to Mrs. Ul Copt complain about her back every few minutes, and keeping pace with her circling the front room. "Was that another, Mrs. Ul Copt? Okay, I'll tell her. Filia, tell the doctor they're about 5 minutes apart now!"
"I can't believe this! What if I hadn't come home with you guys! I would still be…at the club and mom ALL ALONE!" Filia wailed and passed the phone back to Zel. "Why does this have to happen now, of all times? What other girl my age has to…"
"GETS to help bring her baby brother or sister into the world, ya mean?" Val corrected her with an odd expression of annoyance and amusement. "Not many, I guess."
"Filia, hold on to the phone again, I have to go check on the invalid in the other room to be sure he's still conscious and breathing. What a night! I can't believe that this is all happening. It's like some bad soap opera has taken over my existence and is determined to turn my life into a…" Zel groused out of their hearing and into the den where Xelloss was slumbering away with a smile on his face.
"…living nightmare. All right, you bane-of-my-existence, you're alive. Pulse is fine. Don't wake up under any circumstances or I'll have to kill you. Glad you agree. Hey, you're not so bad when you're asleep. Sweet dreams. Damn, wait until Lina hears about this night. Will she have a field day with the jokes! 'Zel, you did what? What an odd way to choose to spend your Friday night? Blah, blah, blah…' " Zel's voice returned to the kitchen where Filia was standing with the phone and excitedly waving him to hurry over.
"Hurry, Zel!" she squealed.
Val was helping her mother onto the bed and shouted out from the bedroom, "Filia! Bring us some ice in here, will ya? She needs water!"
"Oooooooo, this is all happening soo fast! I can't believe it!" she giggled and began smashing a bag full of ice cubes with a mallet that reminded Zel of the mace he'd drawn in her hand for her Valentine card.
"Ah, Filia, that's probably enough. You don't need to turn the ice into water for her," he said gently.
"Oh! I guess I got carried away. That's so much fun and it really lets me get out my inner feelings! I'm coming! I'm coming! What, Val? Ohhhhhh, Zel. Two minutes!" she screamed as she ran down the hall.
"Hear that? Yes. Two. Now what? Oh. All right. I'll pick this up in the bedroom then, just a minute. Val? Can you pick up the extension by the bed and hold onto it for me? Good. Thanks! I'll be right back, doctor, DON'T GO ANYWHERE!"
Click!
"I'm back, now what? Oh. Filia, bring in the sterilized water and put some in a smaller pot to cool, right away. Got that?" Zel stood trembling by the bed. He hated hospitals and basins, especially basins, and sterile cloth and bandages and…
"What? You want me to do WHAT??? I'll get Filia. Oh, Gods, no…Filia, let me carry that. This is really important now. You, I repeat, YOU, need to help your mother out of her underwear and wash her off with a clean cloth with that sterilized water, get it? No, that's not all! Then you, oh no you don't! You're not leaving me with all of this! That's right! YOU have to check to see how far she's dilated. The cervix, stupid! Sorry, I won't yell. The opening has to be big enough for the baby to pass through eventually and the doctor wants to know how far along it is, all right? All right, let's go."
Filia did as she was told. Her mother remained calm and practically regal. She was a real lady with class and poise, until the next set of contractions came, and then she could holler with the best of them.
"Doctor? Four fingers, how's that? Oh, I'd say a minute or less now. Me? Oh, I'd say I have a dangerously elevated heart rate and a…all right. Filia, check again. Seven, maybe? Oh. Filia, you sit on the bed and hold your mother's head and coach her on breathing."
"BREATHING? She's not gonna stop breathing, is she?" Filia's voice wavered in near panic.
"No," Zel frowned, biting back the 'you idiot' part with the supreme control for which he was famous. "Take the phone and listen to what the doctor has to say, while I talk to Val."
Val moved around the bed to the foot alongside Zel and awaited orders. Zel spoke to him in a low voice, "Oh, ah, if all goes according to plan—"
"Whose plan?" Val moaned.
"GOD'S plan, you know, that other guy's… I don't know whose plan, I certainly don't have one! I'm calm, I'm calm… All right, the head, the baby's head should be appearing real soon. When that happens I need you to prepare to catch it. Why? So it doesn't fall onto the floor! Oh, because I'm going to be busy doing about twelve other things a doctor ought to be doing. Like gulp helping her push out the placenta and…stuff… all right? "
Val nodded. He was white as a sheet and was afraid Zelgadiss would think he was chicken if he said no, or if he tried to say anything and gave away how much he was shaking. "Hope I don't drop it," he whispered, not knowing that he'd said that aloud.
"You won't. That's Filia's little sibling. If you let anything happen to him- or her- your death with come only at the end of a long and tortuous series of vengeful acts the kind of which you can only begin to imagine," Zel smirked, gaining a bit of courage from that performance.
Val smiled back, "Thanks fer the reminder. Ah, I think ya have head…"
Zel reminded Filia, "Keep him informed! Head, yes, I see it! Wow! Keep pushing, Mrs. Ul Copt, it's coming! Again, wow, that's great! I have a shoulder! Keep it up, Mrs. Ul Copt!"
In another room, Xelloss stirred. "Where am I?" he wondered. He felt a little faint and queasy, but otherwise fine. He stood and opened the door. Voices. "Zelgadiss is here, but who's doing all that screaming?" He padded down the hallway to an open door from which both light and voices emerged.
"Say, what's going on in…" he paused and gaped open-mouthed as a slippery, wet, and shiny newborn baby literally popped out from between Filia's mothers legs.
"CATCH HIM!" shouted Zel.
Filia looked up in time to see Xelloss' face transform into the ghastly pale night-of-the-living-dead mask she'd seen before. With a word to her mother, "Super!" she slid off the bed and tore across the room.
"On it!" replied Val, positioning his huge hands (compared to Zel's) and a towel at ready.
Xelloss felt his world fade away. Filia saw his eyes roll back into his head. She was a step away from him.
"All right!" Zel and Val shouted together. "Gottem, Mrs. Ul Copt! You've got a boy!" Val grinned, gently cradling the squirmy, red mass and clearing the tiny mouth of goopy stuff.
"Waaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!" the baby cried.
Filia caught Xelloss' slumping form and gently lowered him, unconscious, to the bedroom carpet. "So do I! And he's about the weirdest boy ever!"
Everyone laughed.
Zel picked up the phone and listened to the doctor's directions. "Cut the cord… I don't have a knife. I forgot that!"
"No problem, I got one here," Val proclaimed, pulling a switchblade from some dark recess in his jacket. "I got it. You take care of the next part." Val dipped the blade into the hot water, wiped it off on a towel, and then neatly sliced through the cord.
"Can you tie it off too?" Zel asked, returning to the phone.
"Do it right!" Filia cried out. "I don't want to look at my bother's nasty little 'OUTTIE' for the rest of my life. Tiny, tight, and an 'INNIE'!" she insisted.
"Innie, got it! Shit, who knew that mattered? There, take a look. That okay by you?" he grinned, though, knowing how excited she was about her little brother and that somehow, by some miracle or freak of nature, he, Val, was now a part of her family's history. Never thought I'd have anything to thank that Schezar creep for.
While Val fussed with cleaning the baby, Zel had Filia help hold her mother's trembling legs as her final contractions expelled the bloody waste materials. Filia carefully washed her mother and stuffed clean towels over the soreness to control the bleeding. Zel removed the soiled towels, and stuffed them into the wash with some bleach and detergent. He saved the 'basin' for the doctor to 'measure' or some other horrendous ritual he didn't want to know about.
When he returned to the bedroom, Filia's mother was resting comfortably, babe in arms. Filia was off to one side of the bed cooing at the ugly tike. Val was sitting on a chair, taking turns watching the room's inhabitants and staring out the window. Xelloss was still out cold on the floor.
"Here," Val said.
Zel sighed and caught the chair pillow that Val had tossed his way, and then crammed it under the purple-haired head, "That's more than you deserve. Remember I warned you to stay asleep. Guess I won't kill you, though, since you did your best to vacate the scene. Some conditioning you've been through…
"Well, that was something," Zel said to all that were listening. "Wait, I hear something. Val, in that field out there, is that…"
"Oh, yeah, arriv'n in style, Mrs. Ul Copt! There's Doctor Adams… yeah, I guess ya might say he was pretty young… and Milgasia and yer husband and the Mayor too! Helicopter transport and all! I'll go get the door," Val said, vacating his chair in a rush of excitement.
Soon the room was a mass of activity. Val handled the door as scores of anxious neighbors pressed for details.
"Er, ah, we were kinda busy or we would'a come asked fer help," he kindly told one pushy woman. "A boy! Size? Looks small tuh me…What, I got no measurin' tape! The doctor's here now and is takin' care of everythin'. Hair? He ain't got no hair yet! Eyes? Two. He's got all the right stuff in the right numbers in the right places, all right???!!!! Ah, she's doing fine. Oh, ah, me and Zel and Filia helped out, but Mrs. Ul Copt did most of it, ya know. Tell ya what. If ya promise to stay out here and not come barging in on these poor folks, I'll go and ask, 'KAY? Great…"
Val entered the busy bedroom and waited for a chance to speak.
"Yes, Val?" Filia's mother asked, kindly noticing his presence.
"Well, there's all these folks outside who I've been keeping busy, but they'd all like to know some stuff before going home fer the night."
"Tell them that he's going to the hospital for a check up in the morning, but that he and I are marvelous. He has a name, but that will have to wait too. Thank them all and wish them a good night, thank you dear," she smiled at Val.
"Ah, sure, you're welcome," he mumbled and left the room.
She looked at her daughter, who was radiant with excitement and joy and something else, perhaps, and sighed. Her attention was drawn back to her son who chose this time to squawk. "Boys can be so troubling, but rewarding when they surprise you,"
Milgasia and Zel lugged the semi-conscious Xelloss back into the den. Val closed the front door and ambled into the den where the clan leader, Milgasia, was talking to Zelgadiss. He stopped when Val stepped in. "Ah, good to see you again, Val. Quite a night's entertainment?"
"You could say that," Val said meekly.
"Ohhh," Xelloss moaned and opened his eyes again. "Tell me this has been a drug-induced dream…Ah, hello?" His eye's widened as he caught sight of Milgasia, whom he recognized from descriptions alone.
Zel jumped to explain what his friend had missed nearly entirely. "So now I guess we should all just go home, "Zel finished with a yawn. The adrenaline rush, which had been keeping him going all night, had worn off and he was looking at Xelloss' cozy spot on the couch with envy.
"It's too late for that. You should all get some sleep, besides, the roads are still closed and the snow is piling up. It's turning out to be the biggest snowstorm of the century," Milgasia informed them. "You boys," indicating Val and Zel, "Should come stay at my place for the night. I have the most room."
Filia was listening by the door. She had wanted a chance to personally thank her friends for all that they had done for her family, and had come, by chance, to the den.
"What about Xelloss?" Zel asked, preparing for some kind of a scene.
"He can fly back with the Mayor, if he's going back tonight," Milgasia noted. "I'll go find out."
"He's not going anywhere tonight," Filia told them. "No one is. The Mayor's staying in here, I presume, the doctor's staying on the daybed in the baby's room, and my friends can crash on the floor in the front room with some blankets. Thank you for offering rooms for them, but Xelloss was sick tonight and will stay here in case he needs the doctor. If he hadn't been sick, they would have left earlier and my mother and I would have been alone!" Filia was tired and not thinking as much as feeling right now or she wouldn't have stood up to her leader in that manner. Impertinence was not a desirable quality in the clan.
Milgasia frowned down at her. "You don't know this boy, Filia. He must not stay in the settlement tonight or any other night!"
"He's my stepbrother," Zel began.
"And my foster brother, ya might say," added Val.
"That's okay, guys," Xelloss interrupted. "I'm not welcome. I understand. The Draconians are close enough to walk to... Zel, what's Van's number?" he asked whipping out his cellphone.
"Nonsense! It's the middle of the night, Xelloss!" snapped Filia. "This is my house. He is my friend. And…I DO know who Xelloss Metallium is and HE is a blameless pawn in this game, or was. And from what I understand, he's going to risk his life to get Wolf…"
"Please! Stop!" Xelloss leapt over the couch to stumble near Filia. Smashing his hand over her mouth the smiled, "You see, sir, now that's…a secret!"
Releasing her, he continued, "But I pose no threat here. Just one syndicate member among oh, so many holy Cephied Believers, right?"
His friends couldn't believe that he would reveal his underworld ties so openly, practically flaunting them in the face of a powerful enemy.
Milgasia backed down, "You and your 'brothers' may stay at my place, where I can keep an eye on you. Not here, Filia. Your family should have some privacy tonight. I'll bring the boys over before the ride to town leaves."
And that was that. Everyone was too tired to complain or unwilling to argue. Zel, Val, and Xelloss gratefully accepted blankets and a warm floor for the night in Milgasia's home. Whatever the morning would bring, they didn't particularly care to ponder.
(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val