An interesting plot that just appeared in my head today. I had to sit down and write part of it or risk losing the idea forever. As far as I know, this is the first Slayers fic to have Lina working as an art gallery owner with Amelia as her assistant. The rest of the characters should make themselves known in the next chapters and entwine themselves in the story.

Samanda

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers.

Dance Of The Dead

Chapter One

Written By:

Samanda Hime-sama

Lina Inverse took a deep breath and got ready for the daily battle. She squared her shoulders and pulled out her key ring. She sent aa silent prayer up to heaven as she inserted the key into the lock. She wiggled it a little as she turned they key and was rewarded with a click from the lock itself. She swung open the door and went inside.

"For once it opened on the first try. It must be an omen." She muttered to herself as she kicked the door shut with her foot.

"Hey boss." A petite raven haired girl skidded across the floor and stopped in front of her.

Lina sighed. "Hello, Amelia. How was everything while I was gone?"

"Great!" Amelia said enthusiastically.

Amelia was wearing a cute little business number from Armani today, Lina noted with a pang of jealousy. Complete with a small slit in the back of the skirt and perfectly matching accessories.

Lina often wondered what went on in her assistant's head. If she were rich trust fund kid like Amelia and or had an even richer daddy to take care of her (like Amelia did), she wouldn't be working. She'd be sitting out on a beach somewhere drinking margaritas or just be out spending her money somewhere.

But Amelia had explained to Lina once so earnestly that being rich got boring after a while. Same boring people and no new stuff to buy that you didn't already own; got old. Amelia's cure for that was getting a job.

And Lina really shouldn't complain. After all it was Amelia's socialite friends and connections that kept Lina's little art gallery going in the first crucial year of business when most small business owners go under.

The two of them were a great team. Lina had the eye for what would sell and the ability to predict future trends. Amelia had the diplomacy, customer service skills and connections. So Lina was grateful to Amelia and suffered through the girl's perpetual sunniness or the occasional trouble the girl caused in her efforts to please.

"Ugh." Lina groaned and eyed the peppy Amelia. "Morning people make me sick."

"Let me get the receipts for the last week." Amelia offered then rushed off.

Lina followed her back into the office. "So what did we get rid of?"

"First things, first." Amelia smiled. "How was your vacation?"

Lina laughed. "Hawaii was wonderful. I swam, rented a jet ski and ate some delicious food."

"Great!" Amelia was smiling. "I swear, Lina, you love food more than anything else."

"Except for money." Lina grinned. "And speaking of that... what did we sell?"

"We moved that creepy snake sculpture." Amelia paused. "You know, the latest one that Val did?"

"Everything he makes is creepy or weird." Lina shrugged. "It's a good thing that your dad's pal, Phibrizzo, loves his work so much."

Amelia shivered. "Yeah but don't except any invites to his house."

"And?" Lina prompted.

"We sold Dancing In The Wind, Shaker, Martini To Mouth, and Checkered Crawlies, which was also bought by Phibrizzo." Amelia reported.

"Good." Lina was rubbing her hands together while greedy thoughts ran through her head.

Amelia added. "I also sold Dance Of The Dead to that nice FBI agent that's in town for the Gourmet Coffee Festival."

"What?" Lina blew up. "I told you not to sell that yet!"

Amelia got defensive. "He wanted to know if we had anything close to Milvier's style in the back so I showed him the Dilgear we had in the back."

"I told you not to sell that yet!" Lina yelled at her assistant. "I wanted to check out its provenance further before I put it up for sale."

Amelia cowered but asked innocently. "Why? It seemed fine to me."

"That's why I'm the boss." Lina glowered at her. "I didn't have a chance to get a good look at it or trace the provenance before I left for vacation. I would have taken it with me if I knew you were going to do this."

Amelia's eyes started to water. "Am I in trouble?"

"We both will be unless we get it back." Lina answered. "I'm not sure if it's a fake."

Amelia burst into tears and cried on Lina. Lina patted her back grudgingly. "Great. I knew by how easy the lock gave that it was an omen. Too bad it wasn't for anything good."

"Now." Lina said firmly. "Who was this FBI agent you sold it to?"

End Chapter One

All names of the paintings are made up so don't go looking for any of these guys. And you ought to recognize some of the names I used as minor Slayers characters with the exception of Milviers, which as far as I know is imaginary.

Shame on you if you don't already know who the FBI agent is going to be. Who would be the only one in the whole series caught dead at a coffee festival? Answer me that.

Glossary:

Provenance: A history of an art item. Who owned it before and such.