Chapter Forty Nine

Jea glanced up as Laguna spoke. "What happened to Phalyssa?"

"She's not back yet?" the ranger asked, cutting up carrots in her stewpot. Frowning, the half elf looked around the room.

"Where'd she go?" Laguna asked.

Jea looked hard at Shikatsu. "She and Aruka went to find the baths to clean up. I think she was also trying to end a murderous temptation."

The assassin gulped. "Um…Yeah…I should be going now…I have business to attend to…in the city…" The dark skinned man scurried off.

Jea snorted. As she threw the last bits of meat and vegetables into the "Crockpot" she hissed the magic phrase to activate it. Then she rose gracefully to her feet.

"C'mon, Lover. Let's go find them before she kills anyone," the woman quipped.

The paladin grinned at her joke and followed her into the hall.

* * * * * *

The couple had split up to find their errant teenage daughter before real trouble started. Laguna walked down halls, poking his head into each room. For fifteen long minutes, he had no luck at all. Suddenly, his luck changed—for the worse. He poked his head into the men's bath….

And beheld his "little girl" engaged in an activity no father ever wishes to hear of his daughter doing, let alone catch her at. His jaw dropped.

After picking up the pieces of his exploded head, (Not really of course, but the idea is there…Adam's exact statement, it kinda sums up Laguna's reaction perfectly.), Laguna ran from the room to find Jea.

Phalyssa and Aruka looked at each other. "Um…" Phalyssa began, "…oops…I think we've been caught…" She moved to put her clean clothes on, and Aruka shrugged into his clean pants nervously.

* * * * * *

Jea was inspecting another hall when she heard a familiar scream. "JEEEAAAAAA!!!!"

Shaking her head to clear the ringing, she walked unhurriedly towards the screamer, as Laguna came barreling around the corner. He stopped before her, cringing and panting.

The ranger woman raised her eyebrows. Laguna was almost never this uncomposed. The last time he'd been this scared, Phalyssa had been seven, and had broken her arm during a training session. "Laguna, what is it?" she asked, concerned.

"Found…them…baths…gonna KILL…Aruka…"

Jea's worry dropped away. "Lead the way, Lover, but don't kill him yet." She marched determinedly behind her husband, the wheels in her head already turning.

* * * * * *

Phalyssa and Aruka were perched on a bench when the adults entered. "Um…hi…Mom," Phalyssa said nervously.

Jea raised one eyebrow at her daughter. "Hello, Phalyssa." She picked up the girl's shredded clothing, and looked questioningly at her. "I'm waiting for an explanation—and don't try to lie. I can cast a confession spell…"

Phalyssa nodded, acquiescing to her mother. "Well, ya see…It was kinda like this…"

The silver haired teen gave a vague overview of what happened, not volunteering any info. She didn't resist, however when Jea probed further with one specific question.

"How far did you go?" Jea asked bluntly, not wasting time on being subtle.

Phalyssa's cheeks flared red. "Not that far, Mom."

The ranger/druid nodded. "C'mon, both of you. You too, Laguna. Let's go back to camp. I imagine we're all hungry—and besides," she said with an evil, sadistic grin, "I need to decide on a suitable…punishment…"

The two teens gulped, casting uneasy glances at each other. Laguna glared hard at Aruka as they walked down the hallway; the lion teen squeaked nervously.

Phalyssa squeezed his hand reassuringly, smiling as he tentatively put his tail around her waist. Stroking his tail lightly, she was smugly pleased when he responded to the gentle touch.

"Phalyssa," he murmured quietly in her ear, "you really shouldn't do that in public…"

"Why not?" she asked, slightly confused. The girl knew his tail was sensitive, like her ears, but…

"Because," he whispered back, turning pink, "its like me grabbing your…chest…It's not polite."

The silver haired teen blushed as she pictured his analogy, then almost burst out laughing at the imaginary people's expressions in her little scene. It was almost too funny. At Aruka's puzzled stare, she explained her giggle quietly.