::GRINZ:: You're ALL gonna hate me at the end of this. ^___^ Of course this is kinda anghsty. It's in the Slayers world with a little bit of changes here and there... Like Zel being human and all of them growing up in Zelfelia (even Xellos... will wonders never cease?). (I have now found a better way to get imput and replies on stories... hehe... you'll understand when you finish this up.)
Johnny's daddy was takin' him fishin',
When he was eight years old,
"Come on son! We want an early start so we can catch dinner tonight!" A tall man with short dirty blonde hair and green eyes looked back to his eight year old son.
Gourry looked up towards his fathers voice, his blue eyes bright with anticipation and enjoyment as he ran on the wooden dock to their family boat. His blonde hair reached his shoulders and he was four foot five and slim and agile for his age. "Comin' tousan!"
He jumped up next to his father who was preparing to leave when they heard a high voice call at them.
A little girl came through the front gate,
Holdin' a fishing pole.
"Ohaio gozaimous!!! May I come too?!?" Gourry groaned and let his head hit the side of the boat. In front of the dock gates was a three foot girl in a tank top and pink shorts with little tennis shoes on. Her red hair reached her shoulders in waves and resting against her small shoulder was a red fishing pole and a small bag on her side.
His dad looked down and smiled,
Said, "We can't leave her behind,
Son I know you don't want her to go,
But someday you'll change your mind."
"Sure Lina-chan! Just be careful not to slip on the dock! And close the gate behind you too!" his father waved at her with a smile and turned to his son as Gourry made a noise of objection.
"LINA?!? You can't be serious! She's five years old! She's a brat! She's gonna be a problem all day! She's a complete tom boy and beats guys up! She's a terror! You can't let her come!" his father cut in before he could go any further.
"Gourry, I know you don't like her too much, but she's a good girl at heart, and besides we can't leave her behind. She'd be alone the entire day with no friends. We don't want to leave her here alone."
Gourry turned to her and saw she was re-closing the gate already and saw there was very little time left to argue this out with his father.
And Johnny said:
"Take Jimmy Johnson,
Take Tommy Thompson,
Take my best friend Bo.
Take anyody that you want,
As long as she don't go.
Take any boy in the world,
Daddy, please don't take the girl."
"Dad PLEASE.... I promise I'll behave if you get Zelgadis or Xellos to come! I'll be good, I'll do my chores better, even if you ask Milgazia-san to come! Anyone but her! Tousan, please don't take the girl!" Gourry's face fell as his father shook his head and Lina stopped in front of the boat with a happy face. He sighed disgustedly and held out a hand for her to take. "Come on grab my hand and jump in."
Lina looked at his hand with a frown than to his face and ignoring his proffered hand, jumped into the boat landing next to him. "I can take care of my self."
"I was only trying to be polite little girl!" he stuck his tongue out at her and she stuck her own out in retaliation. The father smirked and rolled his eyes and as soon as the rope to the dock was taken in, he set to getting the boat to move outwards.
By the end of the day Lina had a pile of fish as tall as she was, in the front of the boat while Gourry and his father had about two buckets total together. Gourry left his father who was steering and went to go check on Lina, finding her in the back of the boat curled up fast asleep, he went over to her and looked down at her for a moment and took off his jacket, placing it on top of her body.
I guess she is KINDA cute when she's asleep. he thought to himself before leaving her to her rest.
Same old boy, Same sweet girl, ten years down the road,
He held her tight and kissed her lips,
In front of a picture show.
Gourry stretched and placed his hand on Lina's arm as he helped steer her out of the theatre. He had decided that he would treat her to the play 'Romeo and Juliet' on her sixteenth birthday, unsure of what to give her. She had her hair pulled back so that it was held back in braids, and some of it was let loose to hang round her face in curled fiery tendrils.
He wore a blue silk shirt which tucked into his black pants and wore a simple jacket. Her dress was baby blue and modest. As they exited the doors the spring wind sent a cool breeze swishing the trees and sending a small shiver of cold through both of them.
"Thank you for tonight Gourry.... Dinner and the play was wonderful." she said after a moment. He stopped just before the main street and looked down to her.
"You're welcome Lina... though to be honest I didn't just do this to give you a birthday present... I wanted to take you out so I could have a good time with you too." Lina blushed slightly and he brought her to him in an embrace. "And I'm hoping that you won't beat me into a pulp if I try and kiss you...." he whispered this softly and he felt her stiffen in his arms. "Lina -- ?"
"If you don't I'll have to beat you up..." she said with light note in her voice. He smiled and stepped back then lifted her head up to him and bent down to kiss her lips. As he felt the warmth of her lips meet his in a sweet return of love, he held her to him tightly lifting her up towards him, her hands holding onto his upper arms, as if he were the only thing keeping her up.
After a short eternity he let her down slowly and both blushed as they realized that people were watching them.
"Umm -- lets go Gourry." Lina grabbed his hand and both began to walk away from the bright lights of the theatre. He switched over so that he was walking on the outside of her next to the main road. Soon they were left in the dark with the full moon shining on the road.
Stranger came and pulled a gun,
Grabbed her by the arm,
Said, "If you do what I tell you to there won't be any harm."
As they walked by one of the open alleys a man with dark brown hair snuck up and seized Lina's upper arm, and yanked her harshly towards him, catching her and Gourry off gaurd, causing Gourry to release her hand.
"Gourry!" she was cut off as her other arm was wrenched behind her with the other, rendering her unable to use magic. If she hadn't been so small he wouldn't of been able to hold both wrists in one hand, but that thought was cut off as she felt cool metal being pressed against her head.
"Give me your valubles or your girlfriend gets hurt." the man snarled. Gourry looked at Lina then to the man, unsure of what to do exactly. If he tried anything Lina would get hurt, and she couldn't use magic with her hands pinned. Much to his chargrin a second man was right behind the first one.
And Johnny said:
"Take my money, take my wallet, take my credit cards.
Here's the watch that my grandpa gave me,
Here's the key to my car,
Mister give it a whirl,
But please don't take the girl."
"You heard my brother, hurry it up. Or Caleb and I may just have to take this sweet little morsal in place of the gold..." he ran a hand down Lina's cheek, and Gourry felt a flash of anger and protectiveness, but the only way he could help her was to do what they wanted. He pulled out his pouch of silver and copper and then a watch from his coat.
"Wait! Here, here's my money, theres enough in it, and this watch was given to me by grandpa, you can get lots for it." he held out the items which were taken from him by the second man.
"What's that at your side." Caleb looked to Gourry's belt. "Pull it out slowly."
Gourry did so, unlatching it from his belt, showing the hilt to the hikari no ken. Lina almost objected verbally but was cut off by Gourry.
"Its a handle -- you can take it if you want but please don't take Lina." Lina choked and the second bandit laughed.
"Thats utterly useless. Don't you follow us or you will lose your lives." Caleb then shoved Lina towards Gourry who got knocked over by her. He caught her and wrapped his arms around her protectively as they fell and she lifted herself up to look at the bandits.
Unfortunately for her they were gone. "THOSE CREEPS! They robbed us! And you -- You almost gave them the Sword of Light! How could you have done that?!?" she glared at him after she had gotten off and sat next to him.
Gourry frowned and stood up, grabbing her own arm and pulling her up a little harshly causing her to wince. He glared at her, "Why?!?" he spoke in disbelief and anger, "I offered my sword because they just happened to have the very life of the woman that I love in their hands! I will not lose you on an account of greediness! Whether it's yours or mine!"
Lina's breath caught in her throat as she looked up to his towering height and could see in his eyes something she hadn't noticed before. His blue eyes held her silent and in place for the longest of moments before she turned her crimson eyes downwards.
"I -- I'm sorry...." she whispered. She felt his grip loosen and his arms went around her, as he lowered down to her height and buried his head into her hair.
"I don't want to lose you Lina... you're my life..." his voice was sincere and she nearly melted right there.
"I'm sorry..." she repeated as they held each other tightly in the dark.
Same old boy, same sweet girl,
Five years down the road,
Four years after this incident Lina and Gourry had grown extreamely close to each other and had gone wandering the land with their home friends Amelia and Zelgadis. Zelgadis and Amelia were their best friends and Xellos ... was there because who else could bug Zelgadis?
By the fourth year of traveling a month after Lina's twentieth birthday they returned home. Gourry had bought a ring months prior but found when her birthday had happened, he had lost his courage to ask her to marry him. So after that he suggested going back home, hoping he would gain the bravery to ask her.
He walked out the door of his house and saw Lina sitting down on the blanket spread out on the grass. She was looking up into the dark of the night, staring at the starry sky. As he reached the blanket, he placed the ring in his pocket. Lina looked to him then back to the sky.
"It's very pretty..." she said refering to the stars.
"Not as beautiful as the sight before me." he returned as he sat down next to her. She blushed and scooted over wrapping her arms around her knees. "Lina-chan?"
"Hai?" she asked.
"I kinda wanted to give you something for your birthday... but I kinda lost the nerve and never did..."
"Presant?!? Where?" she got onto her knees and then tried peering around him.
"HEY! Close your eyes first and give me your right hand." he ordered. She pouted cutely but did as he asked. "No peeking either." she then felt a cool metal slip onto her ring finger. It couldn't be... she opened her eyes and saw a silver band with a tiny red gem imedded in it, blue stones surrounded it.
"It's beautiful Gourry -- " she looked to his face and he kissed her gently.
"Lina will you marry me?" he asked quickly, but steadily, before he could back out again. She looked at him then threw herself into his arms with a small laugh.
"Of course I will jelly fish brains."
"Hey -- " he said woundedly before her lips pressed themselves against his own in a loving kiss.
There's going to be a little one,
Says it's time to go.
By the next year she was pregnant and irritable half the time, oh the joys of pregnancy. As summer was ending as well as her last month of torture she waddled through the grape vineyard her family owned. She was ready to eat her snatch of grapes she had found when a sharp pain stabbed her lower body and she felt her water break soaking parts of her dress and the ground beneath her.
"Oh crap..." she bent over breathing in deeply trying to relieve the pain as soon as she could. Ok the contractions were bound to start... she was a good twenty minutes from her house. When she was able to stand up she began walking as well as she could. Ten minutes into her walk her first contraction hit. "ITAI!" she winced and stopped. "This sucks.... this really sucks..." she gritted out.
"Lina whats wrong? Why is your dress soaked -- " she turned to see Zelgadis behind her with a perplexed look on his face.
"My water broak Zel... and the contractions just started... I need to get to the house... I need Gourry and a Doctor." Zelgadis' eyes widened for a moment and he went over to her. And supporting most of her weight, he helped to get her to the house.
He opened the back door and saw Xellos, Gourry, Luna, Filia, and Amelia sitting around eating snacks. At the sight of Lina leaning on Zelgadis and breathing somewhat unsteady, sweat on her face, Gourry stood up quickly.
"Whats wrong?!? Did you get hurt Lina?" he went over to her and she shook her head.
"The baby -- it's coming -- you've gotta get a birth mother or doctor... at this point I don't care which." Gourry picked her up with some difficulty and helped carry her to their bedroom while Amelia ran for a midwife.
Zelgadis and Filia helped remove the good sheets and grabbed a protective covering for the bed and gathered pillows for her to lean on while Lina went behind a dressing screen with Gourry to get out of her dress to slip on a loose and short night gown. They got her onto the bed, and then grabbed her a blanket and left her with Gourry.
"Gourry -- I'm scared -- " she looked up to her husband who frowned and kissed her forhead.
"I'm here... don't worry..." he whispered soothingly to her trying to calm her fears when Amelia came in with two women.
"I've got them -- " she gasped out. "I ran the whole way -- "
After fourteen hours of screams, contractions, and lots of pain later, Lina's first baby girl was brought into the world. Gourry held Lina's hand tightly as she sobbed from relief and the dulling pain in her legs, back, and everything else that was a part of her.
The younger woman Asha bathed the baby and wrapped it up placing it in a basinet while the older one frowned and pulled Gourry by the arm.
"Sir please come with me... Asha cast a healing spell on her -- " she opened then shut the door so they could stand alone in the hall.
"Healing spell? Why would she need a healing spell? Is she hurt?"
Doctor says the baby's fine,
But you'll have to go...
"I'm sorry -- but your wife is extreamly small... she was already having a rough time with the pregnancy... We will do our best... but she was hemmoraging from the looks of it for about two hours -- I didn't know until -- I'm sorry.... We will do what we can... But I am not sure if she'll live -- " she tried to speak with compassion to him but he had gone into shock and was staring at nothing. "I must go back in to help her -- please let us to help her... its best you wait -- " she then went back in and Gourry fell to his knees tears falling from his face.
Johnny hit his knees,
And there he prayed:
"Take the very breath you gave me,
Take the heart from my chest,
I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me,
Make this my last request.
Take me out of this world,
God please don't take the girl...."
Gourry's head lowered as he began praying, begging whoever was listening, to let her live, even if he took her place... Don't let her die... she's my life.... he pleaded silently. Not Lina -- she still has a life to live --
He looked up towards the door as it slowly opened and saw Asha look down at him as he looked to her, pleading with his eyes, mind, heart, and soul in one glace, to make it better, whether she had the power or not....
"Gourry-sama -- " she began as she wiped her hands off on her apron....
Johnny's daddy was takin' him fishin',
When he was eight years old.....