[August 8] [Slayers] The Waiting Game

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

Title: The Waiting Game
Day/Theme: August 8: "To love is to kiss, to touch hand or arm or to send letters whose spells are stronger than witchcraft. Love is nothing but this.
Series: Slayers
Character/Pairing: Lina, Amelia and Emilie (OC) with mentions of Lina/Gourry and Amelia/Zelgadiss
Rating: PG
Warning: This story contains a good amount of pure fluff. It's set five years after the end of Slayers TRY and the novels.


"You're being antsy."

"I'm not antsy!"

Amelia glanced down at her sleeping goddaughter, tucked into a nest of soft blankets in a basket that rested on the sofa next to her. "Your mama misses your papa."

Lina glared viciously at Amelia. "I haven't said a thing!"

"No. But you're wearing a hole in the carpet because of all of your pacing. Relax, Lina-san. These things take time." Amelia turned a page in her book. "After all, diplomatic missions sometimes don't go as planned. According to the council, I'm the poster girl for that one." She gave Lina a small smile. "And I wonder who caused every single one of my diplomatic missions to go awry."

"Gourry. And he's not here."

"Lina-san!" Amelia rolled her eyes and stared down at her goddaughter once more. "Well, we know at least your mama hasn't changed one bit. You'll get used to her blaming your papa for her faults."

"Geez, Amelia, she's two months old! Don't go poisoning my kid at that age!" Lina conceded defeat, stalked over and plopped onto the sofa on the other side of the sleeping basket.

"You mean you haven't heard the stuff Xelloss-san's been telling her?" Amelia knew that she was baiting Lina, but she was relieved to see the anger snapping in her friend's eyes.

The diplomatic mission had run long and that did worry Amelia. She knew there had been a point in her life that she would had been more vocal about it, but there was no point in dwelling on it. Her father was on a mission to spread justice in the Alliance of Costal States, to one particularly small country that was showing signs of hostility. Zelgadiss had gone along with him and both men requested that Gourry accompany them as their bodyguard.

He had hesitated, had not wanted to leave his wife and newborn daughter. Lina had ordered him to go, partially because they could use the money and partially because he fretted about her so much that she nearly hurt him on several occasions. Amelia had offered to let Lina and Emilie stay at the palace for the duration of the mission. It wasn't suppose to take any longer than two weeks.

That had been a month ago.

Lina didn't say anything for a long while. Amelia turned back to her book and tried to focus on the page. Her thoughts kept drifting to her father, Zelgadiss and Gourry. It had been the first time she'd been separated from her husband since their wedding, and probably the first time Lina and Gourry had been apart since just after the explosion during the middle of their adventures with Darkstar. Amelia worried her lip. It wouldn't be so bad if they got some word that everything was going as planned.

"We're going after them." Lina shot to her feet, headed for the door. "Enough with this sitting here, fretting over them like...like wives. We're going after them and kicking their asses once we do, then we're kicking the asses of the people that have held them up and and then I want to stop by a bandit camp to kick some bandit ass for good measure."

Amelia lowered her book. "And just what do you suggest we do with Emilie?"

Lina froze, turned back and stared at the basket containing her child. Several emotions passed over her face before she rolled her eyes. "She's got two other godmothers. Filia and Sylphiel will probably have a fit over the chance to take care of her and we won't be gone long."

"Lina-san."

Lina flinched at the warning in Amelia's voice, then sighed. "Look, I don't do the 'being left behind' thing very well."

"And I'm sure Daddy would had wanted you to go along as well had Emilie been older. You were still recovering from her birth, Lina-san. It was dangerous for you to leave the kingdom because you still needed medical supervision."

Lina glared at Amelia, only because she happened to be right. With a sigh, she studied the sleeping infant on the sofa. She wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to be tied down, to having to stop and wait for others. Now she had to consider that whatever she did would affect her child. She loved Emilie, she really and truly loved her. Yet, a small part of her resented her for being there because it prevented her from following her instincts and leaping into action.

"Amelia-sama?" A servant stepped into the room. "I've several missives for you. I felt it was imperative you see these right away." He handed a thick envelope and two thin ones to Amelia.

Amelia smiled, relieved when she saw Saillune's seal affixed to the thick one. She opened that one first and pulled out the new treaties. Then she opened the second one and saw a combined letter from her father and Zelgadiss. "They're okay," she said after skimming the letter. "Daddy wanted to check some of the towns on the southwest portion of the kingdom and so he decided to lengthen his journey. He didn't want what happened a few years ago to happen again. Actually, according to this, they should be back any day now."

"Haven't they heard of decent mail service here?" Lina stomped back to the sofa and flopped on it again. This time, the move jostled Emilie awake and she started at her mother with sleepy blue eyes. Lina glanced down at her and grinned as the baby's face screwed up, insulted that her precious nap had been interrupted.

"Considering this was sent a week ago, I think our mail service is fine. It takes about a week to get mail from one side of the kingdom to the other at times. You have weather conditions, sleeping..."

"I got it, I got it." Lina picked up Emilie just seconds before she let out a piercing wail. "Fine! I interrupted your sleep! Sorry!"

Takes after someone I know. Amelia shot a wry grin at Lina and opened the third letter. She scanned it, then her smile grew wider. "Lina-san?"

"What? Would you stop screaming, I said I was sorry!"

"I don't think Emilie's going to listen to you. This letter's actually for you." Amelia passed the letter to Lina, who shifted the baby to one arm so she could take it.

Lina stared at it, then lifted an eyebrow. Emilie quietened down and also appeared to be transfixed with the letter. "You know," Lina said after a minute, "this is the first letter that Gourry's ever written me."

"He's never needed to before now, has he?"

"No." Lina stared at the very brief missive once more. "I shouldn't be surprised. He doesn't wax eloquence."

"Gourry-san doesn't seem like the type to write a poetic love letter."

Amelia had been spot on with that one. Lina read the letter for the third time. No, it had been short, to the point and very...well...very much like Gourry.

Lina -

Zel's writing tell you we're running late. Prince Phil wants to go deliver some sort of justice. I miss both of you. Don't do anything rash.

He hadn't signed it, hadn't used any endearments. It warmed her heart all the same.

-----

When Lina woke, it was dark. She didn't remember stretching out on the sofa, after Amelia had left to see to her duties. She didn't remember falling asleep with Emilie snuggled on her chest, having decided to give her own nap a second try. It took her a moment to remember where she was and why she was there. Then she remembered the missives and knew they would be going home soon.

Light spilled into the room, but she didn't bother to acknowledge it. Probably just Amelia, she decided, closing her eyes once more. A moment later, the scent of cloves, sweat and man waffed around her and a large hand settled on top of her hand that rest on Emilie's back. Before she could open her eyes and react, a pair of warm lips met hers. They kissed, softly, deeply. Awareness blossomed deep inside her, quickly turning into an aching need she hadn't felt since reaching her seventh month of pregnancy. She lifted her free hand, to run it through long locks of hair that needed washing. She could taste the dirt on his lips and knew they had hurried to come back.

After a moment, he pulled away and gave her such a beautiful smile that her throat tightened. "We're back."

She returned his smile. "Welcome home."