A/N: Insert usual disclaimer stuff here. This is the sequel to Penance and Pursuit of Merit.
Again, I went back and chopped this fic up into chapters. If you want to read the thing straight through, with no chapter divisions, just head on over to my site, Because I chopped it up, some of the chapter transitions may be strange. Sorry about that.
Reviews are always welcome and encouraged!
It was time, she decided as she heard Gourry come into the room after a day of training students. He had cried when he saw her walking across the lawn to him, crushing her to him and squeezing the breath from her. He had, of course, wanted to know where she had been and what she had done, but she wouldn't talk about it. She also didn't want to be held by him or kissed, something he obviously didn't understand but respected nonetheless. In fact, she felt rather bad about refusing his offers of physical affection, but she still wasn't ready. After all, she had only had her baby two months ago, and although the pain of childbirth had long since worn off, she was waiting until everything she did didn't remind her of the daughter she had left behind and the child's missing father.
Now her mind was made up. She had come to realize that the wounds she had received from her experiences with Xellos would never completely fade, just as the wounds from leaving Gourry had never faded. Both men would be in her heart for as long as she lived, and Gourry was just as good a man as any. "I'm really happy you're here," Gourry said as he hung his cloak on the hook next to the door. "I like having my own house and all, but it gets lonely sometimes."
"Why don't you travel, then?" she asked from her chair next to the fire, glancing up from her book.
"Well, Zel and Amelia went through all sorts of trouble to get students for me. I can't just up and leave," he replied, taking the chair opposite hers. He smiled at her, handsome face seeming lit from within by the expression. Gourry had a wonderful grin. Xellos had never grinned.
"I guess," Lina said, closing the book. She set the volume down in the chair and moved over to the window, watching the sun travel towards the western horizon.
"Are you okay?" Gourry asked, coming up behind her. He placed his warm, calloused hands on her shoulders, his rough skin feeling nice against her flesh.
She just had to give in, it wouldn't be difficult, she told herself. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, relaxing. Just give in. "I'm fine," she murmured, focusing on Gourry's earthy scent. He smelled like cut grass and leather, reminding her of the early days of summer.
"All right," he replied, sounding dubious, and when she didn't answer he slid his arms around her. A sigh stirred her hair as he pressed his cheek against her head, and she remembered how content she had been with him, at the beginning. He was a comforting presence, to say the least. "Lina, you've been here a couple of weeks now," he began haltingly. She turned in his embrace and looked into his kind eyes, knowing what he was going to say. "And I just want you to know that it doesn't matter where you were or what you did. I love you, no matter what, and I always will."
She blinked up at him, feeling the strange urge to start weeping. "Do you promise?" she whispered.
He smiled and bent his head, his golden hair falling around them like a curtain. "I promise," he murmured, and slowly bent to kiss her. His lips were soft and warm, and she pushed all comparisons with Xellos out of her head. His kiss wasn't full of heat and passion, but it was full of kindness and love. He really, truly loved her, and she wasn't going to let that be taken from her yet again. She would start over fresh, and Gourry was her chance to do so. Turning up the heat of their kiss, she untucked his shirt and ran her hands over his unbelievably muscular torso. He sighed against her and broke their embrace, picking her up easily. "We still have a while before supper," he said softly.
"All right," she said, feeling reassured by his massiveness, and let him carry her up the stairs to his room.
It was strange to make love to such a tall, heavy man after nearly a year with Xellos. Although the dark-haired man was very muscular and strong, he was wiry and slender where Gourry was packed with dense muscle. She grunted as he moved powerfully against her, his large hands gripping her waist. Her hands gripped fistfuls of his hair as he panted next to her ear, his body tense. A moan escaped her and she clutched at his back, carried along by his forceful movements. There was a tenderness to Gourry's lovemaking that had been lacking in Xellos', it had a fuzzy, soft edge that she hadn't realized she missed. She came gently and relaxed into the pillows, waiting until Gourry finished as well and collapsed on top of her, pressing her into the mattress with his weight. "Gods, I missed you," he murmured into her ear, kissing her jaw.
"I missed you, too," she replied, stroking his unruly hair.
"Do you think you'll stay?" he asked, voice a little uncertain.
"Yes," she replied. "This time I'll stay."
"That makes me happy."
"Me, too." She would do her best to be happy with Gourry. He was a good man, strong and yet gentle, and he would do right by her. Gourry always did what was right. She never had to worry again, if she didn't want to. He would care for her with everything he was. She had been wrong; he would never try to own her, or pressure her into doing things she didn't want to do. First of all, she would never, ever have another baby. She had already visited the midwife and apothecary, and as long as she kept to her schedule she would never have such an accident again. The heavens only knew how she had managed to be so careless before. Perhaps a small part of her hadn't really believed that Xellos was human enough to reproduce, or that they would ever become lovers. None of that mattered now, however. She was with the man who belonged with her, and if she had anything to say about it she would never let him go.
Four months later it was almost as if she had never left him. They bickered over food and went for long walks in the countryside. Once in a while she'd start a conversation he had no hope of following, but that was okay. It sort of bothered her that she couldn't use him as a sounding board for her magical theories, but he made up for it in other ways. All the old pressure that she had once felt he put upon her was completely gone, and she had to admit that she liked the luxuries of his new lifestyle. Besides, if she itched for adventure she could aways get on the road again. After all, she did have a place to come back to. She had a home, and with a strong and gentle man. The deep, smooth tones of his voice soothed her to sleep each night, and she awoke every morning in his brawny embrace. She really couldn't have been happier, she told herself. He even made love to her whenever she liked, and it was always sweet and nice. She appreciated it, and accepted the fact that mind-blowing sessions weren't the norm with Gourry. He touched a deep place within her, and the fact that he was capable of doing that much meant a lot to her. Lina was finally happy again, the first time she had been truly happy since before Xellos had gone away.
She wondered sometimes about her daughter, and hoped the girl was all right. Perhaps she'd even go back for her someday. At times she found herself staring out the window, watching the sun set or the falling rain, pushing away the memories of dark hair and eyes that brushed at the fringes of her mind. Once she had removed the ring from around her neck, sliding it off of its chain and around her finger, holding her hand out in front of her and examining the effect. Tentatively she searched out the ring's magic, wondering if it was actually for real, but she felt only cold metal and an aching darkness. It seemed Xellos had lied to her after all. Not surprising, considering he was a Monster. She had hastily taken the ring off of her finger, running the chain through it and refastening it around her neck, fighting down disappointment.
One morning she awoke to Gourry's kisses, his large hands gently moving her hair aside so he could better get at her neck. "Good morning," he murmured against her skin.
"Hi," she replied, stretching and smiling. She looked down and saw his fingers fumbling at the catch of her necklace. Eyes wide, she snatched it away from him, gripping the ring in her fist. "What are you doing?" she asked sharply.
"What do you mean?" he replied, brows furrowing in confusion. "It was in my way, so I thought I'd move it."
"Well, I don't want you to," she muttered, looking down at the ring, and thought for a moment that it sparkled, something it hadn't done in months.
"Okay," Gourry said. "I'm sorry."
She sighed and rolled onto her side, looking at the patterns the sun was making on the floor. "It's all right," she said softly.
He draped a large arm over her and pulled her close. "Where did you get that thing, anyway?" he asked. "You never ever take it off."
"It was a gift. It's a rare precious metal."
"It doesn't look very rare. I guess it must mean a lot to you."
She closed her fist around the ring once again. "I suppose it does," she replied.
"Well, if you ever want to tell me its story, I'll be happy to listen," he said, gently nuzzling her neck.
"Okay. Maybe someday."
"Okay." He was silent for a few moments, then squeezed her tenderly. "Lina, I love you with all my heart."
For some reason tears sprang to her eyes and she nodded. "I know, Gourry," she replied. "I love you, too." As soon as she said the words, she realized they were true.
