A/N: Hopefully this chapter's not too short for your tastes! It's also the beginning of the end. I'd wager we have less than 10 chapters to go, although you know how long-winded I can get.... Anyhow, this takes place when Gorran's about 20 and Lecia's about 25. Just so you can get your timelines straight. I know I've been jumping forward time-wise in leaps and bounds. Thanks for your continued support and great reviews!! They make my day!
Lina let her eyes slide over her husband's naked body, watching as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. Her hair cascaded over her like a coppery shawl, obscuring her view a bit, but she didn't need her eyes to see with her mind's eye. She was remembering the days when his chest hadn't risen or fallen at all, the days when he was a Monster. Even though it had been years since he had been in stasis for so long, he still refused to talk about it with her. She had finally pried the details out of him, and the loneliness, the oblivion of it all had frightened her so she had never pressured him about it. Ever since then there had been a shadow in his eyes, a shadow that she wondered would ever lift.
Reaching out a hand, she traced the lines of his toned arm, rewarded as his amethyst eyes fluttered open and his full lips curled into a smile. His large hand with its slender fingers covered hers, gently stroking her skin. "I love you," he whispered. "I love making love with you first thing in the morning."
Lina couldn't help but smile in return. She had been with him for so many years, and yet she still wanted him as much as ever. He had filled her life and soul, had given her the children that meant so much to her. Hopefully the years of strife were behind him. Nearing fifty years old, she found that while an occasional adventure was fun, she preferred a quiet life of study and slow accumulation of power. Although she was aging, her skin was only lined around the corners of her mouth and slightly at her eyes. She looked like a woman half her age.
Xellos took a deep breath and rolled over onto his side, his head supported by his arm. His long limbs took up the length of the bed, his thick hair falling into his face like a curtain. She reached out to touch the silky, cool hair, stroking the silvery strands gently. The streaks in his dark hair were the only signs of aging he exhibited at all, and she wondered how long he would live. She wondered how long she would live, and the life spans of their partly-Monster children.
"Gorran still having trouble with white magic?" Xellos murmured, caressing her pale shoulder with his fingers. As always, she felt that she would fall into the love pooling in his dark eyes.
"No," she replied. "Now that he's with Kerra, that business seems to have cleared up. Filia's happy."
"He's still doing the runes."
Lina shrugged, which was awkward in her position. "And he's still alive. You can't stop him anymore than you could stop me from doing what I do."
"You don't do anything dangerous."
"Anymore."
A chuckle sounded deep in his chest, making her smile in return. Dammit, he was such an irritating man, but she loved him so. He was charming, and even after nearly three decades she fell in love with him more every day. "Lecia will be home soon."
"And Val. And Zel's family. And Gourry."
"What do you think of Scundabran?"
Lina's face broke out in a grin. "It's wonderful. Gorran's so damn good with it. If Lecia had half the discipline Gorran does, she'd have taken over the world."
Xellos' smile fell away. "How do you feel, knowing that your children have even more power than you do?"
"I feel fortunate that we've been able to protect them," she replied. "I hope we can always do so."
He scooted farther up the bed. "You've been touched by the mother of all things. You'll live a long time."
"You, too," she murmured, twisting to kiss him on the mouth. Moments alone were precious once more, since Gorran had finished his studies and was home, Kerra visiting with him. Gorran had been coming home on the weekends on and off from his training with Gourry after Lecia left home, but after a couple of years had stayed in Seyruun, only coming home once a month. Xellos had been nearly inconsolable after Lecia had left, and Gorran's defection was no easier on him. Lina hated to admit it, but she missed the sound of her children's voices echoing throughout the house, the never-ending chaos of young ones ruling her days. She missed the chubby, soft arms of her toddlers, the sense of wonder they had as they turned into their own people. Pulling away from Xellos, she wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn't spent it with him. Probably wonderful, but would she have appreciated it as much, knowing what the alternatives were?
"What?" he cooed, his strong arms pulling her slight body against his.
"Thinking," she sighed, closing her eyes and reveling in his scent and the feeling of his smooth skin pressing against her.
"About what?"
"Children."
A soft laugh escaped him. "Lina Inverse, the enemy of all who live, reminiscing about babies?"
"I didn't say babies," she growled.
He kissed the top of her head. "If you had told me human babies grew up I wouldn't have been so eager to have them. I know they're both adults now, but I still hear children's footsteps in this house."
She shifted and looked into his eyes, fingers moving up to toy with the beginnings of stubble on his cheeks. "I don't know if I can live here anymore," she said softly. "I don't know what I want to now that they're grown. Part of me wants to go to Seyruun, but the rest of me wants to wander and never come back."
He sighed. "We have time to decide. We don't ever have to get rid of this place where the memories are so dear, if we don't want to."
"Let's always keep this place," she mumbled, burrowing against his chest.
"Forever," he replied.
Lina let him hold her for a while, then began to feel restless as the sun rose higher in the sky. Pushing away from him, she sat on the edge of the bed, braiding her hair. Her stomach rumbled, making her blush, but Xellos merely laughed it off. "I'll have breakfast ready in a bit," he said, pulling on some clothes and retreating from the room. Lina sighed and tugged on a robe, shuffling out to the balcony. The morning light was just starting to turn golden, having cleared the roofs of the houses. Gorran was in the garden, going through his sword forms. His shirt was off and his sun-kissed skin glistened with sweat; Lina wagered he had been up since before dawn. Young muscles rippled as he swung the heavy Scundabran in slow arcs, his cheeks pink with the effort. Her son was tall like his father, and was a good blend between Xellos and her own father in build. He had Xellos' length of limb but was slightly more bulky, which made him an impressive specimen of manhood. Lina was proud to have mothered such an attractive boy.
As she watched Gorran ceased his movements, his handsome face breaking out in a white smile, his cheeks dimpled slightly as he sheathed his sword and pushed sweat-darkened coppery curls away from his forehead. Lina smiled as Kerra bounded into the yard, her black hair flying behind her like streamers as she ran to the young man. She threw her arms around him and kissed his shining face, and their laughter wafted up to her and warmed her heart.
Gorran murmured a spell and opened his hands, doves appearing from nowhere and flying into the sky before disappearing into nothing once more. Kerra laughed and took his hand, her blue eyes shining, but Lina shuddered to think that her son could cast a summoning spell so casually. Summoning spells were extremely difficult, and for him to have summoned multiple creatures at once so easily spoke of intense power, more than a human being had a right to have. She couldn't help but feel that something was on the horizon, a feeling that she knew her husband shared. It vibrated through the connection in their rings, even in his sleep.
Leaving the window, she dressed just in time to hear shouts of joy coming from the front porch. Racing down the stairs, she skidded to a stop in time to see Gorran whooping and swinging Lecia around by the waist. She was laughing, her dark hair rippling through the air, her hands clasping his wrists. He hugged her tightly and she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing so hard her body shook. After a moment he released her and took Val's hand, pumping it heartily before also pulling him into an embrace. Suddenly Xellos was in the middle of the fray, apron covered with flour, and was hugging and kissing and half-crying. Kerra giggled from the side, dark blue eyes dancing. Val grinned and ran a hand through his sea-green hair, his high cheekbones and straight nose making seem more handsome as he matured. Lina thought her daughter had found a lovely man to be with. She enjoyed Val's sharp wit and sarcasm, and was happy that he had a gentle soul. He worshipped Lecia, but also didn't let her yank him around too terribly much, and she knew he matched her power. There was no one better for her, and no one better to have as a surrogate son. Kerra was lovely, too, and had seemed as much a part of the family during her life as Val seemed during his.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" she finally said, and was crushed by a hug from her daughter and Val. She laughed, stroking Lecia's silky hair. "I'm so happy you're home. We've missed you."
"I've missed you, too," Lecia replied, her voice catching a bit. "I adore wandering the world, but there's no better place than home."
"That's why we're throwing the party," Gorran explained. "We haven't had one in such a long time. Gourry and Sylphiel haven't ever been here."
"Alfred's started seeing Amaida Gabriev, so it'll be fine," Kerra reassured Lecia.
"Good," the young woman said, flashing them another brilliant smile. She took Gorran by the hand. "Breakfast time!" she announced, and they all herded off to the kitchen, forcing a giggling Xellos in front of them to do all the work, although Gorran and Kerra would help.
Lina leaned against the banister, smiling to herself. Her chaos, her loves, were back, and she wouldn't have it any other way. It would only get better as more people arrived.
Gourry and Sylphiel were the next to show up, explaining that Amaida had elected to travel with Alfred. Lina hugged Gourry tightly, genuinely happy to see him, then was caught up in a sobbing Sylphiel's arms. Xellos also embraced Gourry, the two men smiling at one another, and even though she knew Xellos was half-acting, she knew that they really did get along. Gorran burst from the house and led his teacher inside, giving him the full tour, and Xellos immediately spirited Sylphiel to the kitchen to show off his domain. Lina was left standing on the porch, staring off into the horizon. A scorching wind was blowing in from somewhere, drying out the land. Squinting into it, she swore for a moment she saw something flicker, then decided it must have been the heat waves emanating from the ground. The only thing left to do was wait for Zel and Amelia's family, she decided, and went inside.
"And so you have to fillet it this way," Xellos was telling Gourry, who stood holding a knife as he watched Xellos slice through the meat.
"What the?" Lina grumbled, glancing at Sylphiel as the woman put a hand on her arm.
"I mentioned that I was tired of dear Gourry never helping cook the meals, so Mister Xellos is trying to teach him something useful," she whispered.
Lina grinned. "Good luck" she chuckled.
"Perfect!" Xellos chirped, and the woman were dumbstruck as the slender man walked the hulking swordsman through the entire process. Lunch turned out to be delicious, and Gourry was beaming.
"He's not just a master of blades, it turns out," Xellos chortled at the table, and the mood he generated set the tone for the next several days.
"So why are you having a party?" Gourry asked Xellos as they sat in the garden sipping tea.
"It was Gorran's idea. He wants to set out on a career, but he hasn't told anyone what it is yet. He wants to announce it to all of us at once. It was as good an excuse as any to have you all over," Xellos explained.
Lina sat across from them, glancing up from her book every so often. Sylphiel was playing some sort of game with the young adults, surprisingly quick for her ample housewife's frame. Filia was there too, being overly aggressive as usual, but Val was often able to outmaneuver her with the ball. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so content and complete, and she hoped the feeling would never end.
Her contentment only intensified when Ameila and Zelgadis showed up with their three children and Amaida. Alfred was somewhat distant but still polite, spending most of the time wandering around with Amaida on his arm. Lecia exchanged a few brief words with him, Lina noticed, and left it at that. Val was always present, a golden eye fixed on the human man. Roddy, however, had a way of always lightening the mood, and so the happy atmosphere continued. They chatted all day, then rose early the next morning to begin their party.
"I can't believe he's so tall!" Ameila twittered as she bustled about the kitchen, handing sacks of spices for Zelgadis to measure out. Gourry and Xellos were at the counter, cutting up meat as Sylphiel and Celdra prepared the marinade. "He's such a lovely boy, Lina."
"He's stronger than Rezo," Zelgadis murmured. "Absolutely incredible that he has that sort of facility with white magic, considering his heritage."
"You better mean that in a nice way," Lina growled.
He smirked. "Of course."
"It just goes to show that it's the user's ability to conduct the magic that matters, not how many vows you take or how many prayers you offer to the gods," Xellos said.
"Mister Xellos, are you putting down the holy orders?" Sylphiel gasped.
Lina knew that was exactly what Xellos was doing, but was relieved when Xellos bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Sylphiel. Please forgive me."
"I do," she said with a sigh, "if only to be sure we get your fabulous bundt cake later."
"You will, in spades!" Xellos chuckled, Gourry laughing with him.
The meal was finally prepared and they began to cook over an open fire on the terrace, wine flowing freely. The sun was beginning to dip near the horizon when Gorran stood up in front of the group. "Thank you all for coming," he said with a grin. "I'm fortunate that my parents agreed to have you all here, and feed you! You are legendary not just for your abilities and deeds, but for your appetites as well."
Everyone laughed and Lina beamed. Gorran had inherited Xellos' flair for turning a phrase. "We're taking it out of your allowance, you know," Xellos commented brightly, his dark eyes twinkling, and she knew he was in his element.
"Oh dear, it seems I've mortgaged my future," Gorran mock-sighed. "But what I really wanted you all here for was for this moment. I want to tell you what I intend to do for the rest of my life."
"Do you know?" Lina heard Lecia as Kerra.
"No," the younger woman replied softly. "He wouldn't tell me, only said that it would change his life."
"And what is it?" Sylphiel asked.
"Will you become a mercenary?" Gourry said.
"A traveling priest?" Zelgadis offered.
"A champion of justice!" Amelia cried.
"A good boy and stay at home until you grow old?" Xellos added, earning another round of laughs from everyone.
"Some of you are close," Gorran admitted. "But the first thing I intend to do is this." Lina gasped as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and approached Kerra's chair, bending down on one knee. He gestured briefly in the air and muttered some words, and suddenly the garden twinkled with small lights, as if the stars had come to play in their landscape. A crown of lights settled on Kerra's head, glittering in her dark hair and illuminating her fair skin. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted as she stared at Gorran, who flipped open the ring box. Nothing was inside, but a single sparkle drifted down and nestled inside the velvet. There was a flash of light and suddenly a ring appeared, its sapphire gleaming in a white-gold setting. "Kerra, will you marry me?"
Xellos burst out into tears. "My baby's getting married!" he blubbered, a stupid grin on his face.
"She hasn't accepted yet!" Lina snapped, watching Kerra's face intently. She didn't know what she'd do if the girl refused her darling son.
"Yes!" Kerra cried, flinging herself onto Gorran, who laughed and beamed, his arms wrapping around her tightly. The sparkles rose higher into the air and exploded in glittering showers.
"Pretty bit of magic," Zelgadis murmured, smiling at Lina. "I guess he almost deserves her."
"And she's a wonderful girl. She's almost good enough for him," Lina smirked in return.
Gourry rose with a whoop, his white-streaked braid swinging about. "Congratulations, my boy!" he said, hauling Gorran up to standing and clapping him on the back.
Gorran smiled, his cheeks flushed. Lina hazarded a look at Lecia, who was smiling, but her expression was distant. Val was gazing at her, brow furrowed and golden eyes clouded. Lina cast Xellos a glance, but he was too busy dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. Snarling, she prodded him through the rings, making jump. His attention immediately swung in her direction, and she motioned toward their daughter with a jerk of her head. He nodded, and she tried to think of what she would ask when they got Lecia alone.
"But what else will you do?" Amelia asked. "I'm so excited to have you as another son, Gorran, but you wanted to tell us something else?"
Gorran brushed himself off, holding Kerra's hand. "I'm going to follow in Rezo's footsteps," he announced. "Minus the possession by Shabranigdo, of course."
Kerra squealed. "We're going to do it! We really are!"
"Didn't I promise you an adventure?" he asked with a gentle smile.
"You're an adventure, all by yourself!" she replied, standing on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.
"Congratulations!" Gourry cried. "May your quest be a wonderful one!"
"And productive!" Amelia added.
"And safe," Filia counseled.
Everyone joined in a toast, chattering until long past the time when the stars came out. Finally they began to yawn and gradually retired. Lina grabbed Xellos by the wrist and laid in wait for their daughter. Lecia and Val were among the last few to head for bed, and so they ended up waiting for quite some time. Xellos began to whine, but she silenced him with a kiss and a promise of a greater reward later. Finally Lecia came inside, and Lina stepped into the hall to meet her. "What is it?" she asked. "You should have been happier than anyone for your brother. I know you love him more than anything."
"I do, Mom," she said, shaking her head. "I just have this terrible feeling. I don't know how to describe it."
"I know how," Gorran murmured, suddenly appearing behind his sister. His amethyst eyes looked almost black in the dim light of the hallway. "I've been dreaming of wolves."