Hey You guys, I'm back again. Sorry I took so long. My cpu had a virus and well, the chapter I had ready was erased so after my cpu was finally fixed, I had to write it all over again. Well, here we have it! Now Aside from me not owing slayers and its characters, On with the fic!

Mariah Sunshine

The Palace shook unmercifully as the thunder and lightning soared across the sky. Maids ran back and forth, repairing windows and cleaning debris that rained heavily through each window. Patience swept across the hall, and Carol worked overtime, bringing tea to settle the crowned Highnesses and ambassadors of the castle. Her gown was simple. Long, and pink, that swished whenever she walked. The bow on her back bounced heavily as she dogged broken branches and stepped over puddles as she made her way through the long a hallway and up the flights of stairs. The tray managed not to spill a drop, and her arms remained unburned as she swerved the silver tray to the Gabriev door. She slowed to a stop, and lifted the golden knob on the door that depicted Lina with a fireball and Gourry with his sword. She waited patiently for an answer but after finding none, opened the door and entered.

The room was unusually bright, and it seemed Lina had been using a very strong light spell. Her kind ambassador was out of the room, possibly in the shower, and her fair ambassador, Lina, was seated by the window engrossed in both the locket and the Cherry Blossom that had magically flown into the room. Lina looked up as the door opened with a look of both annoyance and anger on her face. She had been deep in thought and such interruptions would surely cost the life of someone. Before she could be persecuted, Carol bowed low to the ground and announced the tea that had been ordered for the entire Palace. Lina began to object the tea but decided it best to just accept it. After all tea and toast sounded settling to her stomach, and she was positive Gourry would want some after he returned from his baths. She raised her gloved hand and shooed away the pesky maid. Once Carol had made her way out of the room, she turned her eyes back to the locket.

She felt magical powers bouncing off of it. As the night dragged on it seemed to become more and more magical. She was almost sure that this locket had to have been truly created by the Priestess. Engraved on the outside had been the mark of cherry blossom, and next to it, had been a tiny streak of lightning, supposedly symbolizing light in the old days. She saw a button on the side of the locket, one that had never really been noticed, and pressed it slightly. It opened up and small drops of water that were caught inside, dripped out and down her arms. Lina had expected some picture, of the priestess...the mother, hell even the baby, but nothing was inside. She shook her head, and decided that these sort of magical items were best if they were not tied to the past owners…. It would be more willing to help her with her cause. She knew how these things worked. If these felt even the smallest connection to the elder owners, it would work against the new. She would need something. Something to place inside of the locket so that it would remember her as its own owner…amid all the chaos of the old spirits and old belongings. She knew just the thing too!

She stood, and walked over to the baby bag, on the other side of the room. It was a pretty blue bag that had pink and white flowers embroidered all over it. It was a gift from the maids quarters, congratulating the new parents on the beautiful baby. She knelt on the floor and unzipped the tiny pink zipper and for the first time in 3 days opened the bag. Baby clothes and clean diapers littered the bottom of the bag, as well as empty bottles, and little toys that were picked up in the market more than a week ago. Lina reached in, and lifted the item that was on the very top of the pile, a bib. It was the one she splurged on, with the embroided Lina, Gourry and tiny Mariah in the very far right corner. It had a bit of spit up on it, from when Gourry decided to bounce Mariah right after her meal, but it would work anyway. A small smile came to Lina's lips as she lifter her tiny dagger and began to shred the bib. She carefully cut out the three of them making it as tiny as possible. Her dagger was the best that money could buy. It had been specifically made for her hands, and was encrusted with diamonds, but most importantly, rubies and sapphires. Gourry had it engraved for her last birthday making it one of her most cherished possessions. When she had freed the handiwork of its cloth prison, she immediately set it inside the locket, and clasped it around her neck. There, the locket now was the ally of the Gabriev family, and would be sure to assist them in anyway necessary tomorrow when they faced Laad.

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. Laad. That named belonged to Mariah. She wasn't a real Gabriev…. She was a Laad. Her eyes clouded over, and she slowly felt something tug at her heart. The baby she had called her own…. Really wasn't her own… now was she? All those mornings of waking up with her, and all those nights of happy baths, and late night feedings… were for someone else's child… and she was really… about to go after the real father of the child… and take away what really belonged to him? Her little Mariah… really wasn't HER Mariah. She was Rhina's…and Laad's Mariah. Her happy baby that bounced when she sang, and her sweet little one that loved to tug and suck on her red tresses. She wasn't hers. The one that Gourry fought over her with, and the one that refused to be around anyone else beside her. She wasn't hers! She was actually, about to go out, and fight, and possibly… lose her life…for something that truly had no right belonging to her. Was she really going to try to take away a child from her only parent left in the world!

Gourry was in the bath for a very long time. He always liked to think while he was relaxing in his hot water. He thought about his family from time to time. He thought about his old dog Rex, hell he even thought about the stupid little hamster his brother had. But no matter how much he thought, his mind always came back to Lina. Gods, he loved that woman. Her bright red eyes, her sweet cherry lips, her smooth apricot skin. She was more beauty than necessary for one person…and he had her all to himself. Gourry stood, and using a bucket beside him quickly washed the soapy residue from his skin. Alright! He was clean. Now all he needed was his towel, and he could get ready for bed. His towel was the one on the right, the blue one with the name Gourry embroidered on the bottom right corner, and he reached for it, and quickly wrapped it around his waist. His hair was soaking wet, and normally he would use Lina's towel to dry it. Whenever she found out, she had a fit, and would often fireball him like crazy, so today he opted to just take one from the dresser.

He whistled as he opened and closed the bright blue door to the bathroom and entered the tiny room that he shared with Lina. She sitting on the floor by the baby bag with all types of cloth shredded around her. She was also deep in thought again, which wasn't always a good sign. He walked to the tiny dresser and opened it, pulling out a white fluffy towel, and began vigorously drying his hair. He always tried to stay out of Lina's way when she thought. He was no good at thinking and she always grew aggravated when he bugged her about such things. It always meant she would have to explain it to him, and that would take hours upon hours.

He bent down lower at the dresser and pulled out his jellyfish boxers. They were Lina's favorite, so he would wear those tonight in hopes of cheering her up. She had been real quiet these past few days, and he was always trying to cheer her up. She knew that Lina missed Mariah. He missed his little brunette too, but patience always overcame him when it came to matters like these. Lina…well she was another story. She never was one for patience, and always had to have what she wanted right then and there or there would be hell to pay, and he doesn't use that phrase lightly. He glanced down at his little redhead. She was still sitting on the floor deep in thought surrounded by Mariah's little expensive bib…minus the thread. Her face… she looked so sad. Her eyes looked filled to the brim, almost as if she would cry at any second. Before his thoughts could get any further, she spoke.

Gourry?

Hm, Lina?

Mariah… she…she was ours right? I mean…the guy who took her away…her father. He didn't know what was best for Mariah…right? We have every right to go get her back... right?

Gourry's brain struggled to understand, what exactly Lina was asking him. She had asked him…if it was okay, to go get Mariah back…even though the person that took her was… her real father. Gourry's face clouded over heavily with thought. Could Lina…actually have a point? No… wait… No, that can't be right. She is the baby's godmother and had just about every right to that child as that father did.

Lina, you're the baby's godmother…you have a duty to make sure that Mariah is safe and sound, no matter from whom.

But Gourry…I …He…she's not ours. She's a Laad she's not a Gabriev, she doesn't really belong to us.

Gourry's faced wretched in pain as he watched his wife struggle for words in front of him. He could tell she was at her breaking point, and she was looking to him…for an answer, a real reason… to keep going.

Lina…a last name doesn't make a family. It's the people in it okay? A Laad she is.. You're right. But she bare's your name in the middle, and if we can bring her back home, I'll make sure she bares our last name too.

No… noo.. Gourry you just don't get it. She isn't my child. She isn't our flesh and blood. I can't just take a child and call her mine when she isn't.

Gourry had just about had it. How could she actually deny a child that she had grown to love, because of its blood. That was utterly and totally ridiculous and this was not the Lina he knew.

Lina she is! That's our flesh and blood! That's your baby! You're the one that stayed up late nights with her, and you're the one that rocked her to sleep. You're the one that picked her up when no one else wanted to because she had a stinky diaper, and you're the one that made sure she was happy, no matter what. Its too late to start wondering whose the mother, because your already the mother and I'm already the father. I'm going tomorrow night to go get her back, whether you're with me…or not.

Lina stood and walked to the window. Gourry was right… right? He always knew what he was saying, always. Mariah was HERS. Hers and Gourry's. Right? She was the godmother to the child…she was… the mother to the child…he's right. No matter what, that baby still sees her as mommy, and its what the baby thinks…that matters the most here.

She stared out the window, into the rain and chaos that was outside her window. Well, she had found her reason. She had found her cause, and yet she felt a low sinking feeling in her body. It was almost like… something for her, was still missing. She felt both helpless and scared. She didn't know, if she could do it again. If she could face him.

Gourry could sense her emotions. He could sense the fear, rising in her, and he knew that if Mariah and Lina had any chance, he would have to squash that right now. He made his way over to her and stopped when he was directly behind her. God, he could smell that wonderful scent of roses, and peppermint with that oh so wondrous hint of lilac. The way the lightning rolled off her skin and overplayed her facial feature was intoxicating. The way face was round and full she was utterly beautiful. He reached out his arm and pulled her into him hoping to let her know, she was not alone.

When Gourry reached out for her, her breath stopped in mid-throat and she waited for his touch. His skin was always as smooth as hers, and she couldn't wait to feel him and know him again. L-Sama and his scent. Gourry smelled of fresh water and sawdust, like he always did after a bath, and his skin was so soft and warm. Lina was overcome by his comfort and she closed her eyes as he slowly dragged her into his arms, and carefully held her against his bare chest. Her mind suddenly stopped working and when it did, the only thing that flashed to her was that…. It would be okay.

Hey here we have it! The next chapter. I think the chapter that follows may or may not be a lemon, it all depends on what my reviewer's think. So you guys, time to let me know what you want. Don't worry the climax is coming, hold tight! Well, I have much work to do, see ya!