Okay I'm reposting chapter four. Chapter five is now only a lemon. I chose to make the lemon longer because I had a complaint about it. o.O It got to be too long so I split up the chapters.

I also chose to add more Zel and Lina stuff at the bottom of this chapter just so the story would advance more than it had before.

Lina has always been unpredictable and will continue to be so. That means she doesn't always want to do what I tell her to. She will continue to go her own way and so this fic will continue.

I also want to give my thanks to Ysengrinn. She is truly a wonderful critic and has made me strive to make this fic better than it would have been. Thank you, Ysengrinn! Your criticism is always welcome.

Please read, enjoy and review.

Samanda

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or any of it's characters. I do however own Ayame since she was created from my imagination.

Sapphire And Sakura Blossoms

Chapter Four: Holding Hands Under The Sakura Trees

Ayame was compassionate. "If that is so well then your cure has been with you this whole time, Miss Lina."

Lina was pale and still with shock as she absorbed this shock. She saw Zel watching her in concern but she couldn't respond quite yet. Finally she got her mind around the fact hat all she had to do was, well, lose her innocence to get her voice back.

No Lina signed finally. I can't do that.

Zel's face was expressionless. "I know."

Ayame wandered away to give the two a little privacy to work things out. Zel looked down at his feet then stood up. He started walking back to the house when Lina patted his shoulder. He turned around and looked at her.

I said that wrong, Zel She knew she had hurt him and she attempted to explain why. "It's not because of you. It's just that I was raised that 'it' came after marriage and not before. And the only reason you got married was because of love.

Zel was silent. He knew that Lina was speaking from her heart and he couldn't fault her for that. It was just that he hadn't expected her automatic denial to hurt so much when it came. On some level he was always fighting the negativity he felt about not being human anymore and Lina had accidentally brushed up against that wound.

He finally nodded to her. "I see what you mean, Lina. I know what it's like to be cursed and obsessed to find a cure. But I don't understand how you can pass up the cure so easily. I would snatch it up."

Lina smiled up at him. It's not easy. I want to be speak again just like you want to be human. But we don't need it to be normal, Zel. You are wonderful the way you are and that won't change.

Zel turned red and looked away. "I think it's time for us to go back into the house."

No please. Lina caught his arm. Let's stay out here a little longer.

"Okay," Zel agreed with a small smile.

He offered her one of the sakura blossoms he had picked earlier before Ayame had broken the news. Lina was delighted and tucked it into hair beside her right ear.

"You look b-beautiful," Zel stammered.

Lina blushed and smiled happily.

Zel knew he'd never forget the picture she made at that moment with the sakura blossom in her hair and the happy smile on her elfin face. The random petals that clung to her hair looked like a pagan crown and she a radiant princess in the company of her prince charming.

Zel blushed at his lovesick thoughts but brushed away Lina's concerns of a fever when they came. He resolved to keep himself in line from now until he could convince Lina that the two of them belonged together.

****************

Ayame had returned to the house. She and Sylphiel had gone into the kitchen area to gossip and exchange recipes, leaving Amelia and Gourry to entertain themselves.

After twenty minutes of silence Gourry finally spoke up. "Amelia, what's wrong?"

Amelia looked up from the porcelain figurines she had been admiring. "Nothing." She muttered.

"It's not nothing," Gourry pointed out gently. "Otherwise you would be talking about something or being happy."

Amelia walked away from the window and sat in the chair closest to Gourry. "Do you really want to know what's going on?" She asked in a low voice.

Gourry nodded and Amelia battled tears as she continued. "It's Mister Zelgaddis. I think he has feelings for Miss Lina."

Amelia searched his sympathetic face but detected no shock. "Don't you see? I think that they are in love but are not ready to admit it yet. I have lost Mister Zelgaddis and you have lost Miss Lina."

Gourry's voice was kind. "Amelia, you can't lose something that you never had in the first place."

"No," Amelia insisted, almost in tears. "He could have loved me if Miss Lina had not have taken him away from me."

"No, Amelia." Gourry's voice was firm now. "Ever since Zel joined Lina and I, there has been something building between them. Most people think I'm dumb but I know love when I see it. They were meant to be."

Amelia looked up at him in disbelief. "You are not…angry?"

"Why should I be?" Gourry gave her a smile. "I'm happy she found her love. You should be too."

Amelia lost her battle with the tears she was trying to suppress. She brought her hands to her face as a broken sound escaped her throat. Gourry drew her close and gently hugged the small girl. Amelia sobbed as the tears ran down her face in a torrent that seemed like it would never end.

Gourry rocked Amelia in his arms as he said kndly. "I'm her for you, Amelia."

Then he said in a softer tone of voice that she couldn't hear over her own sobs. "I've found my love too."

But somehow Amelia's ears picked up his confession and she looked up at him. Her eyes were large and liquid with emotion and Gourry caught his breath at her beauty.

"You…you do?" Amelia said in a small voice.

Gourry gulped and he nodded. Amelia's face lit up with a force equivalent to the sun literally blinding poor Gourry.

Amelia burst into fresh tears and kissed him. "Oh I'm so happy."

Meanwhile Gourry was like "Great I'm blind."

***********

Ayame and Syphiel had caught the end of the scene and their mouths hung open in shock.

Ayame thought. It looks like she got over her crush on Mister Zelgaddis rather quickly.

Syphiel closed her mouth first. "Well I always thought that Gourry would choose Lina over me. I never thought that it would be Amelia."

"I'm sorry," Ayame squeezed her hand gently.

Syphiel gave her a sad little smile. "I'll be fine. I don't think I will go any farther with the group at least for now."

"You're welcome to stay here for a bit before you go home," Ayame offered her.

"Thank you," Syphiel said gratefully.

*******************

Ayame popped her head into the parlor where her two guests sat. "Oh pardon me," She said as she spotted Amelia sitting on Gourry's lap and receiving a kiss. "I just thought I'd tell you that Syphiel and I are going to the market for a bit and your other friends decided to take a walk around town."

Ayame left without waiting for an answer while Amelia just blushed.

******************

Lina and Zel strolled out in the garden. He was attentive as she spoke through graceful hand gestures to him but eventually they worked their ways back to the sakura trees.

Zel sensed something important was going on inside the cottage so he asked if they could stay out a bit longer.

Lina asked Zel. Did you hear anything just now?

Zel's hearing was legendary in their group but at that moment he wished he didn't have it. He blushed and stammered. "N-no, Lina. I didn't hear anything."

You liar, Zel. Tell me. She insisted.

"I swear, it was nothing!"

Whatever. Lina shrugged.

Disdaining the chair she had sat in before, she chose to sit on the ground and lean against the trunk of one of the trees. Zel joined her and they sat peacefully to watch the nature surrounding them.

Zel began to drift off into his own thoughts and Lina observing this left him to them.

Lina was definitely a different person than six months ago. No longer as brash because her confidence in the form of her magic had disappeared. This left her more vulnerable physically as she had to stave off her attackers with her sword. She would never be excellent like Zel or la crème de la crème like Gourry but she was a good fighter. She could take care of herself.

She was also a little more fragile. Zel sometimes had to restrain Gourry from saying something that would make Lina withdraw emotionally from the group. Even he and Amelia had occasionally put their feet in their mouths. It was frustrating but then Lina had always been frustrating.

Lina had been his first friend as well as non-judgmental about his appearance and that by itself said a great deal. She made him angry at times but she was also the only one who could make him laugh.

Zel had liked the old Lina Inverse a hell of a lot. But he had fallen in love with the Lina Inverse she had become. She was still being shaped but he knew that in the end he knew that the future Lina would be more mature but she would still have everything about her that made him fall in love with her in the first place.

Zel came out of his thoughts slowly. He looked over at Lina and saw that she was sleeping. It was only two and he decided he would wake her in a couple of hours before dinner. Just in case.

He smiled tenderly at her and whispered. "I love you Lina Inverse."

****************

Zel woke her at five in the evening. Lina yawned and looked over at him.

What's with you? She asked.

Zel smiled at her. "Nothing. Ready to go in?"

Yes. Oh and it's dinner time. Lina was ecstatic.

"I think that tomorrow morning will be a good time to move on." Zel commented.

Sounds good to me. Lina shrugged.

"Do you have any place you want to go in particular?" Zel asked her.

Nope as long as it's with you and the others. Lina told him.

Zel blushed lightly and nodded his head. A small silence fell between them only to be broken by Ayame's call.

"Dinner time, Zelgaddis-san, Lina-san." Ayame called.

"Coming," Zelgaddis called back then asked Lina. "Ready?"

He stood up then held his hand out to her. Lina reddened slightly but took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. When he would have pulled away she held tighter to his hand. He blushed bright red but let her have her way.

They walked back to the house hand in hand to a group that waited for them patiently.