"Lina, Lina, can you say Lina?" said Lina to little Dana.
"Zelais!" answered the baby.
Let me guess, Amelia has been teaching her how to speak.
"Lina, say Lina..."
He had finally found them, the group his Lina-chan traveled with. After he had finished the Mazoku business that had separated him from her in the first place, he had spent several days begin Xellas-sama to give him allowance to go visit her...well, them.
Ah, Lina-chan finally!
Xellos chose to appear in seeing distance from Lina but not to close, he didn't want to startle her and get on her bad side right at the beginning. He had plans for himself and Lina.
Xellos looked at Lina, she was sitting under a tree a small baby in her arms. Lina has a baby? You leave the girl alone for a year and look what she does!! The baby had the same fiery hair as the sorceress had but the child's eyes were a tone blue he had seen before...
"Hi Xellos!" said a voice behind him.
The trickster whirled around and saw the blond swordsman standing there, some firewood in his arms. Now there was a person stupid enough to give him information about the father of Lina's child.
"Aw, Gourry-kun, tell me whose child is that with Lina?"
Gourry considered the question for a while. Typical... thought Xellos.
"Dana belongs to Zelgadis." he finally answered.
So Lina-chan has chosen the chimera, speak of lack of options... He teleported next to Lina and grabbed the child of her arms.
"Ne, Lina-chan what a cute little baby..."
Lina jumped up to her feet, Zelgadis would not take it well if he came back from his search for baby-food and found Dana in certain trickster priest's arms.
"Give her back to me!!" she snapped.
The tone in Lina's voice woke Amelia from her sleep. Zelgadis had left some minutes earlier and because she was asleep, he had left Dana with Lina.
"But Lina-chan, you know how much I love little girls."
For dinner, probably, thought Lina. She couldn't attack him without hurting Dana. The little girl on the other hand didn't seem to mind being in a total strangers arms, she giggled as she reached with her hands for one of the jewel that were attacked on his cape.
"Let go of Dana now, Mazoku!" said a voice behind the trickster as a hand grabbed him by the hair and a blade was put at his throat, "My sword might not kill you, but you can bet it would hurt alot even a Mazoku cannot enjoy unlimited pain."
"Zelais!" Dana smiled from her position in Xellos' arms as she saw him.
So, Stone-Boy has come to save his offspring, how amusing, I never thought he cares for anything beside his cure.....
Lina took Dana of Xellos' arms, the baby giggled, she didn't seem to understand all the fuss around her. Zelgadis reluzantly released the Mazoku.
"So Lina-chan, you've chosen him over me...well, should you change your mind, Filia will know where to find me." Xellos leaned to her and kissed her cheek, "Bye Lina-chan, till we meet again..." and he disappeared.
Lina's face was all red from blushing different shades of red, she didn't understand what the Mazoku meant and concluded that he got weirder every time they met.
Zelgadis and Amelia rushed towards a very stunned Lina, to make sure that both Dana and the sorceress were all right. Gourry just stood aside, he hadn't realized that the girl had been in any danger.
"Zelais!" said Dana as Zelgadis took her with relief in his arms.
Zelgadis turned his back at the weeping child in the Innkeepers arms and walked towards Lina, Amelia and Gourry on the road.
"Zelais!" he heard Dana whimper behind him as he walked away.
Dana will be better of with the Innkeepers being than with me... I will only put her in danger... I'm a sorcerer not a father...
"Zelais!!" he heard her voice again calling him louder.
I promised I would take care of her, here she will have the best care she can get....
"ZELAIS!!"
Who am I trying to fool? I will miss her... He had almost reached the others when he turned around and ran back to the weeping child. He took her from the woman's arms and whirled her in the air.
Dana giggled, "Zelais."
"Thank you very much, but I could never forgive myself if I left her." Zelgadis told Dana's short time fostermother before he hurried to meet the others. He could see approval in their smiles.
"I'll take care of you, I promise." he told the baby.
Dana smiled and grabbed at his brooch.