AN: Chapter title from "I'm Not That Girl" from "Wicked."

Lina woke to the sounds of Min and Attie squabbling as they got ready for the day. Relieved that Dianna had not struck in the night, Lina reached back to pat the bed beside her and found that Gourry had already gotten up. She sat up and grabbed her robe and walked out of her room and found Gourry clearing away the breakfast dishes. "Morning!" Gourry said when he noticed she was up.

As they had made it through the night with no meltdowns, Lina decided it was time to forgive him. Especially as he had gotten up early to make a good breakfast! She walked up and wrapped her arms around him and then stood on her toes to give him a kiss, "Looks delicious."

"Thanks," he said as he took a moment to run his hand through her hair, "The girls have all eaten. There should be enough left for you. I've got to run. Yearly inventory."

"Tell my folks I said 'hi!'" Lina said as she went and kissed Dianna on the cheek. For a moment Lina wondered if she should compliment Dianna on her restraint for not attacking them all in the night, but she settled instead for giving her a longer hug than usual. That Dianna hadn't lashed out in a jealous rage over the ball was an encouraging sign, but Lina couldn't quite let her guard fully down.

"I will," Gourry said as he finished his orange juice, "And Di, good luck on your interview!"

"I'll stop in on the store before I go." Dianna said, "See you!"

Lina started to load up her plate as she sat down. The nice thing about being the boss was that she could come into work whenever she damn well pleased so long as she produced results, and Lina took full advantage of it in the morning. And, dim as Gourry could be at times, she did have to admit fixing breakfast was a good idea on his part. It gave her a reason to hang around in the house during the morning to ensure that Dianna didn't cause trouble without making it look as though that was the reason she was doing it. While Min was big and strong enough to protect herself from Dianna now, Lina didn't like to take any chances.

Dianna sat down with her at the table sipping coffee as she perused a book while Min and Attie got ready. Lina thought about grilling her to see if she was ready for her interview, "Have you prepared enough for your interview? Do you need me to throw some mock questions your way?"

"It's all under control." Dianna said as she turned a page in her book.

From Min and Atties' room Lina heard Attie ask, "Can you show me how you do your hair like that?" Somehow Min had developed a talent for coaxing her long hair into elaborate up dos.

Min sighed in aggravation, "Perhaps if you took more care in your appearance I would. Honestly Attie, the morning has barely begun and your tunic is covered in coffee stains. You're a hopeless slob!"

Dianna bit her lip as she stood up, and Lina felt herself go on alert. While Dianna had been bitterly jealous of Min from the moment she was born, she was fiercely protective of Attie. Lina got to her feet as Min emerged from the room, looking way more beautiful than anyone had any business to so early in the morning. "Worried that Attie will give you a run for your money if you spill your secrets?" Dianna asked.

Min glared at her, "I've got more important things to worry about."

And then she walked around her and out of the house. Lina breathed a sigh of relief as Dianna walked into the room that Attie and Min shared. With Min gone Lina briefly debated getting dressed and going to work. Dianna was seldom cruel to Attie. And like all of their daughters, Attie had hit her growth spurt early and had likely reached her full height at the age of twelve like the other two had, so she was roughly Dianna's height. Still, Attie was Lina's baby. So Lina stayed close as Dianna said, "Living so close to such a perfect creature sure sucks."

"At least you don't have to share a room with her!" Attie replied.

"Look, we may not be able to manage the fancy updos, but we can look better than she does and we can be smart about it and save time."

"Huh?" Attie said.

"Look, get a fresh tunic on. Take this one for instance. The color works so well with your complexion it will look like you're wearing make up, and you'll have saved a ton of time by not having to apply it like Min does. So now all you have to worry about it keeping it clean."

"That's easy for you. You're so graceful." Attie said.

Dianna sighed, "Most people are awkward at your age. I was come to think of it. You'll grow out of it. You might want to don fresh clothes after breakfast, not sure what we'll do after lunch though. But we'll work something out. Now, for the hair. I don't know why Min wastes so much time tossing it to gravity defying feats, we were rather blessed here. I could braid it for you, get it out of your face, and then tomorrow it will be extra curly if you get it a little damp in the evening and let it dry overnight. At least your hair will hold a curl. And I know Min sure wishes hers did!"

Attie laughed a little, "Do it!"

Lina relaxed as she went into her room to change as Dianna got Attie ready. As soon as Lina stepped out of her room she was nearly bowled over by Attie, who had raced to hug her, looking rather pretty in a pale green tunic and with her hair expertly braided. "Have a good day, Mom!"

"You too." Lina said.

Attie raced out of the house as Dianna came out of the room. Lina smiled at her and put an arm around her, "Thank you. I know Min can get a little high strung at times, and it's hard living in your sister's shadow."

"You were able to get away from Aunt Luna." Dianna pointed out.

"But I didn't have another imperfect sister to commiserate with." Lina stroked her hair, "You have been doing such a good job of controlling him lately."

"I keep telling you, he's not going to be a problem anymore." Dianna said sharply, "Your perfect sister taught me perfectly well how to control him. When are you going to believe that?"

"Dianna, you're so young. And we have no way of knowing what life will throw at you."

"Just you watch. Whatever is thrown in my path, I can handle it! Shabranigdu is completely under my control now, and that's how it's going to stay!"

Lina decided to back off and talk to Luna and Gourry and see if they could reach her. The last thing she wanted to do was to fight with her before her big interview. "Right then. I have to head off for work. Good luck today!"

Dianna grinned as she found Kenneth high on a ladder, his back towards her and unaware that she was even there. She grabbed the rungs and shook them a bit, and he cried out in shock but somehow managed to hang on as she laughed. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"You sure should see the look on your face!" Dianna said. And then she held out a small box she had wrapped in a napkin, "I brought you lunch."

He wiped the sweat from his brow as he started to climb down, "How did you find me?"

"I stopped by my grandparents' store and asked my dad where you would be. He told me he'd gotten you a day job cleaning out the Carter's barn." Dianna explained, "Come on. You're owed a break."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to break my neck next time." He said as his feet touched the ground.

"Hey, I can cast Resurrection." Dianna said as she sat on some hay and patted the spot beside her, "Even if I broke every single bone in your body I could heal you in about an hour."

He looked at her warily and didn't sit down, "Is that a threat?"

"It's a fact, nothing more." Dianna said as she smiled, "And don't worry. I don't want to break your bones. I want to share my lunch with you. Don't worry, I'm a better cook than my mom. You are so filthy though. I guess that happens when you work hard. Anyway, you don't want to eat lunch while covered in horse shit. Aqua Create!"

Kenneth cried out as he was doused in water. Dianna laughed as he looked confused and he wiped his face. "Well, at least I'm clean now." He conceded as he broke into a small smile.

"Here," she said as she handed him a towel.

"Thanks," he said as he started to towel off, and Dianna watched him hungrily. "I'm not sure if you're quite sane, but you may be useful to have around."

He sat down beside her and Dianna unpacked their lunch and handed him a sandwich, "Now that your hands are clean, you may eat."

He looked at her warily, "Is this where you try to worm out of me how I got to this point?"

"That's really no concern of mine, is it?" Dianna asked, and he softened a little. "If you don't want to tell me something, then don't. My parents taught me to mind my business."

"Thanks," he said as he grabbed the sandwich she had offered, "I'm not complaining. I am grateful. Still, I don't know why your family is being so nice to me."

Dianna shrugged, "Dad always says he could have ended up on the streets if he'd not had a positive male influence in his life. And he likes to help others like he was helped. Min likes how it feeds into her image to help those who are less fortunate. She's ambitious like that. And Attie is just the soul of human goodness."

"What about you?" Kenneth asked as he took a bite of the sandwich.

Dianna smiled cryptically, "You're going to hear a lot of horrible things about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I was a horrible little girl." Dianna said.

"We all do stupid things when we're kids."

Dianna chuckled, "Most kids didn't do the things I did when I was little. If you ask around town you'll hear all sorts of wretched things about me. It's only a matter of time before you learn all of the sordid details."

Kenneth stared at her as though he wasn't sure if he should believe her or not. "Like what?"

She smiled at him as she sat her water jug down, "I won't ask you how you came to this point, if you won't ask me about my crimes. All I can say is I'm a different person now. I worked so hard at it too, becoming a better person. You're going to hear a lot about me, and a lot of it is true. But I've changed and I control my anger a lot better now. But people are slow to forgive, to see all of the changes I've made. So all I ask is that you judge me by who I am now, and not the naughty girl I was."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

She ran a hand through her long, blond hair and said, "Because I like you. And if you like me then I want you to know that there are some things about me you will never know, that will always be hidden. My past is not something to revisit. My present and future is what matters."

He stared at her in shock, and she laughed a little, "I'm coming on strong, aren't I? Look, I figure it's best to be upfront. You're going to hear it all eventually. I wouldn't blame you if you ran, most people would. If you want to give it a chance, though, those are the terms."

"I have nothing to offer you, though." He said, "I own nothing."

"I'm not wanting anything material." Dianna said. "I want someone who doesn't know who I was. And given the size of this town, that person is you. And lucky for me, I think we'll get along. With Dad's help you'll get that job, and I'm about to go for an interview for a midwifery position. Together that will be enough to support ourselves."

"You're moving so fast!"

"Hey, if we decide we aren't compatible along the way it will be no hard feelings. But sometimes you look at someone, and you know that they're the person that you are meant to be with. And when I saw you, I knew." Dianna smiled a little, "A chorus of angels rang in my head the moment I saw you. It has to mean something."

Kenneth looked at her as though he was wondering what the catch was as she said, "Did you like your lunch?"

"It was delicious. Best meal I've had since I can remember, actually." He said. "Who taught you?"

"My aunt, Luna." Dianna explained as she stood up. "Now I'm about to go in for my interview. Do you want to give me a kiss for luck or save that until later?"

He blushed, and she ran her fingers through his hair. "You are adorable! Just wish me luck, then. I'll see you tonight!"

"Good luck." He said. She turned around and started to walk away. He'd let her go a good distance when he cried, "Dianna?"

She turned around to look at him, "Yes?"

He walked closer to her, "It's not that I'm not very interested. Your family has been kind. Your mother is a legend and I'd have no doubt many people would want to marry into it. And you yourself are stunning. But I'm wondering, what's the catch? This feels too good to be true, and after everything I've been through I can't trust that the fairytale ending is in sight."

"There's no catch, silly." Dianna said with a smile, "But I can't blame you for thinking that there is one. I'll see you tonight!"

Dianna did her best to hide her nerves as she sat across from the head midwife, Julienne. So far Julienne had grilled her on her knowledge of White Magic and midwifery, and Dianna had felt as though she had been proficient with her answers. But she could also sense Julienne's hesitancy. And as the older woman took a deep breath, Dianna braced herself for some choppy waters. "You were rather highly recommended by Monica Joan." Julienne said.

"I am honored that she thinks so highly of me." Dianna replied.

"To be honest, the only reason that you were granted this interview was because she states that your talent is extraordinary and unlike any that she has seen."

"Thank you." Dianna said as she sensed a "but" coming.

"But," Julienne said, "There are some rather disquieting rumors about you."

Dianna's hands grasped her knees as Julienne continued, "My niece recalls times where you choked other students, flew into violent rages, beat other children up. She states that many people her age are terrified of you."

"I'm afraid that when I was a child I had a bad rage within me," Dianna said, "My parents and my Aunt Luna helped me learn to control it. I've not flown into a rage for three years and it won't ever happen again."

"That may be, and I am glad that you have been so successful in controlling it," Julienne said, "But when a woman is delivering a baby it is absolutely paramount that she be able to trust her midwife. It is such a vulnerable time and if she's worried that the person delivering her is unsteady or liable to attack, then she won't feel safe enough to deliver."

"Right now, people my age are only just starting to settle down and have babies." Dianna said, "Let me deliver the older women. They won't know the rumors about me so much, let me prove myself there."

"How do I know you won't fly into a rage?"

"Because I was taught better ways." Dianna said, "Taking a moment to catch my breath, finding safe places to channel my rage…"

"I feel it is too great a risk." Julienne said firmly.

"Let someone shadow me then."

"And spread my resources thin?" Julienne responded.

Dianna took a deep breath as she struggled against her tears, "Look, this means so much to me. How can I prove to you that I can do this?"

Julienne sighed, "I'll give it some thought. But I would encourage you to take some time to open your mind to other possibilities. I will let you know by the end of the week."

I hate you, Dianna told her passenger as she walked swiftly through town, desperate to get away from the crowds and to a place of solace where she could break down. If it wasn't for you I'd have that job! Hell as soon as Kenneth finds out what I've done he won't want anything to do with me, just like everyone else. You can take all of this from me, though, and I still won't give you what you want! I will never align with you!

Dianna realized she was passing her grandparents' store. She knew she should see her father and talk to him. But the truth was that she was also mad at her parents. If they'd not been heroes who had taken down Shabranigdu then this wouldn't have happened to her. She wouldn't have paid the price for their achievements, doomed by their success before she ever got a start in life. It wasn't fair!

She wiped away the tears from her face, and looked up and saw Drake Cecil standing outside the silversmith's with several other classmates. Dianna thought of all that Min had, all because she wasn't cursed. Not for the first time, Dianna wondered how she would have been different if she hadn't have been cursed. Would she have been popular like Min? She was certainly talented. Would Min have grown up in her shadow like her mother had grown up in Luna's, and not the other way around?

The urge to take something from Min rose so strong that before she knew it she was standing in front of Drake. She grabbed his hand. "I'm so glad I found you, Drake, you have to come with me!"

"What?" he said, the hesitancy written all over his body language even as he followed her.

"Min desperately wants to see you." Dianna explained.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's fine." Dianna said as she headed towards the woods, "She has something she wants to share with you."

Drake's eyes widened as he realized where they were going, "I don't think we should…"

"You wouldn't want to let her down? She so wants to see you, somewhere private. I'd hate to have to break it to her that you aren't interested." Dianna said, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort.

"I don't like those woods." He said.

"Are you a coward then?" Dianna asked, "Is that what I should tell Min?"

"No," Drake said.

Dianna smiled malevolently as her grip on his hand tightened, "Follow me then."