Disclaimer

I, WFCBarly, hereby proclaim that I do not own the rights to the Slayers or to the Warcraft series. The story is entirely mine though to do with how I wish. Please Read and Review.

"I love you," was the last thing Lina said as she stood before him with a concerned look on her face. Gourry couldn't believe what he had just heard. She actually said she loved him yet what suprised him most was what happened next.

Chapter 6

Love
Relationships and hardships

"Gourry," she said as she looked him in the eye, "I love you."

"Lina," Gourry said as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her embracing her in a protective hug. "I love you too," Gourry said as he withdrew a little and looked her straight into her eyes, "I was just afraid of losing you so much that I never spoke up."

"Since when have you ever been worried about something you said before?" she asked as a smile came to her lips.

"Well this I was afraid might drive you away," he continued as he stared at her ruby flame colored eyes.

"Lets see now," Lina said as she turned around, backing out of Gourry's embrace and started to count things on her fingers, "I've fireballed you, hit you, slamed you into the ground, threw you into the air and many more stuff just from what you said but you always stuck around. So what were you so afraid of?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you were so afraid of," Gourry said as he pointed out Lina's major flaw in her story making her turn around in shock.

"What gave you the idea that I was afraid?" Lina asked as she balled her right hand into a fist, "I've faced Ruby Eye Shabranigdo, Copy Rezo, Hellmaster Phibriso, Valgaav, and even Dark Star himself. All without showing an ounce of fear. What makes you think I was afraid to admit my fellings."

"The same reason I have," Gourry said as he sat back down on the bench stretching his arms out along the top rim.

"And that is," she said as she easied her anger and listened.

"We were both afraid of losing one another," he said as he looked up at Lina.

Lina just stood there in suprise cause even to her she thought she was never afraid. The first time she noticed how she really felt for this man was when she was fighting against Hellmaster Phibriso. When Gourry got encased in the crystal and then watching it crack was all that it took. She knew she would do anything for this man. She only used the Gora Nova as an excuse to stay close to him and to forever be by his side. A tear came down from her eye as she thought of the second time she thought she lost him. Gourry just sat there looking on at the sight. Just after the explosion that happened when they fought Dark Star for the first time and everyone got seperated. She thought she had lost everyone for good that is until she found both Zelgadiss and Filia and then hope appeared in her heart once again. Shortly after on Filia's advice they waited in a nice quiet place till both Amelia and Gourry showed up. Her face let out a smile and a small giggle as she remembered the outfit that he wore that day.

"Whats on your mind, Lina?" he asked as he got up and placed his hand on her shoulder snapping her back to reality.

"I was just remembering the adventures we had together," she said as she looked him in the eye and leaped foward placing her head up against breastplate.

Gourry wrapped his arms around her and stood there for a while. "You were thinking about all the times that you thought you almost lost me," he said as he looked at her red hair from above.

"How do you know that?" she said as she tilted her head up and looked at his face and saw something she never saw before. 'I've seen his face many times but not like this,' she thought as a blush appeared on her face.

"Hey Amelia," a voice said from down the road, "You got to see this."

"What?" Lina said in suprise as she looked down the road to see Malas standing down there holding a hand over her mouth laughing.

"What is it?" Amelia said as she reached the top of the hill, "Did you find them?"

"Oh I found them alright," Malas said as she pointed down the street at the couple in the tight embrace, "Cute is it not?"

Amelia just blushed at the sight she saw. She had known that they had a thing for each other but she didn't expect it to come out now of all times.

"Umm... hehehehe," Lina said in embarrisment as she freed one hand as started to rub the back of her head.

"Is something the matter, Lina?" Gourry asked as he noticed her rubbing the back of her head with an embarrised look on her face and traced her look only to find Amelia and Malas heading their way.

"Could you two please get a room," Amelia said as she reached them both first, "I mean we all knew of your feelings for each other but now I see you were trying to hide this from us all along."

"No Amelia you don't understand," Lina said as she waved her free hand out in front of her and sweatdropped in embarrisment.

"What don't they understand?" Gourry asked as he looked back at Lina.

"You're not helping you know," she said while gritting her teeth as she looked back up at him yet all her anger and embarrisment went away when she saw the smile on his face.

"How can I help then?" he asked as he let go of Lina and looked towards the two arrivies while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"We came down here to tell you two lovebirds that Barly is missing," Malas said as she brushed her hair back and waited for a reply.

Both Lina and Gourry stood speechless at the arrival of the news. "Wasn't he suppose to be unconsious just now?" Gourry asked as he was the first to speak first.

"He was," Lina said as she looked at Gourry and then back towards Amelia and Malas, "When I left he was still motionless in his bed."

"Just so you know that was about an hour ago," Malas said as she looked up at the sun and then to her shadow on the ground, "Yep about an hour ago."

"Its really been an hour?" Lina said in shock as she looked at the suns position.

"Well you going to help us find him or not?" Malas asked as she crossed her hands over her chest and placed a very determined look on her face.

"I can't go anywhere for the next three days," Gourry said as he took a glace over at the blacksmith shop.

"And I take it you don't want to go anywhere without your Gourry by yourside," Malas said in a teasing voice towards Lina with a mysterious look on her face now, "Am I right?"

"Do you know where he went?" Lina said after taking a long sigh. Of course she didn't want to leave Gourry's side especially since she just admitted how she felt for her protecter.

"All we know is when we entered the room he was gone and the window was wide open," Malas said as she looked back towards the direction of the inn, "Who knows where he could have gone."

"Well could he still be around the town somewhere?" Gourry asked as he looked all confused as usual.

"You might be on to something there, Gourry," Lina said as she held her chin in her hand in deep thought. Her other arm was holding the elbow area stiff.

"Who me?" he asked as he looked stunned for once.

"Looks like we will need two groups for this one," Lina said as she looked at the two standing before her.

"You mean we make two search parties?" Amelia asked as she looked Lina in the face and sighed, "I take it you and Gourry and a few others will look around the town while Me and Malas with the rest will go look around outside of town."

"Great to hear you volunteer," Lina said with a big smile on her face and slapped Amelia right in the back.

"Why did you have to volunteer me?" Malas said in a whisper towards Amelia as he picked her up off the ground.

"I'm not doing this alone," Amelia whispered back as she dusted herself off.

"Well now that thats settled," Lina said as she grabbed both by the shoulders, "Lets get back to the inn and get this search started."

"Shes a handfull isn't she?" Malas said in a low enough tone so that Lina or Gourry couldn't hear yet high enough for Amelia to understand as they walked back down the street.

"You don't know the half of it," Amelia replied as she looked back at the two walking behind them. They were walking like usual like nothing had just happened. She sweatdropped.

"Whats wrong?" Malas said as she looked at her walking compainion as she saw the event unfold

"Will those two just stop pretending," Amelia said in a growl as she turned foward and took off at a faster pace.

'Whats eating her?' Malas thought as she tried to pickup the pace to keep up with her.

"Hey you two wait up," Gourry said as he saw them leave his sight.

"Lets go, Gourry," Lina said as she picked up the pace, "Raywing!"

"Hey wait for me!" Gourry yelled as he started to run at full speed just to keep up.

A short while later

"Were back," Lina said as she was the first to bust through the door to the room that Amelia told them they were meeting in. "So can someone please tell me whats going on here?" Lina half yelled, half asked the question.

"Lina, Gourry," Max said as he was the first to get up and look at them, "These people are our guests."

Five figures sat along with the others around the room. One was the one she saw earlier that told her where to find Gourry but who the other four dressed entirely in black from head to toe was a mystery even to her.

"Did I miss something?" Gourry asked as he took in the scene while scratching the back of his head.

"No," Max said as he motioned them both in, "Your just in time."

"In time for what?" Lina said in annoyance as she eyed each one when she got the chance. One had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a medium to large build. Another had red eyes, red hair, and short stature like herself with the small chest to boot. The third had rock hard skin and dark blue eyes to match while also being of small to medium build. The fouth was a busty female with raven hair and raven colored eyes. The last one had dark brown eyes and light brown hair that was almost to the color of blonde. She was the second tallest of the group. "So who are these people?" Lina said as she turned her attention towards Max and sat down in one of the chairs, "This had better be good."

Authors notes

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you think I may be a little off with Lina's reaction towards how she feels about Gourry then you have all the right to complain. At least put it into a review for me TT.

I made Lina act like a real lady for once due to real life experiances. I know of tomboys that turn a different shade when the one they love is close by and that is what inspired me to have Lina act that way as well. The next chapter will put the real story into motion. Chapter 7 Black wanders The messangers of Truth is next. See you next time.