Lina glanced down and realized she was currently topless. She hastily ran upstairs and yanked on a shirt, then downstairs again to nudge the prone Zelgadis.

"Oy. Zelly. Oy." She finally shrugged and headed to the kitchen. Moments later she returned with a bucket of ice water, which she ceremoniously dumped over Zelgadis.

"YIKE!!" He yelped, leaping about a foot in the air from his horizontal position. He sputtered as she giggled maniacally.

"What?"

"You look like a drowned rat." Lina snickered.

He glowered. "Gee, thanks a bunch. I love you too."

"Heeheeheehee…"

Zel shook his head and headed to the bathroom to dry off.

* * *

BRIIIIIING!!

Zel picked up the receiver. "Hello? Lina? Yeah, the little hellcat's here. Hold on." He turned to Lina and held the phone to her. "For you."

Lina looked at the phone. "No one should have this number except my sister."

"Well, take the damn thing before I have to listen to any of that insidious laughing again!" He tossed it towards her.

"Insidious…laughing…?" Lina caught the phone reflexively and put it to her ear.

"OH HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!" Came the voice from the receiver, "Lina Inverse! I can't believe you moved and didn't tell me, your greatest and most beautiful rival!"

Lina screamed once and fainted.

* * *

Lina woke up on the couch and looked around. She saw Felia. "Ummmm…hi?"

"Oh good, you're finally up." Felia looked a bit worried. "Ummm….could you do me a teensy little favor?"

"Xellos teensy or Gourry teensy?"

"What?"

"Is it really teensy or are you just saying that?"

Felia fidgeted. "ah…well…my little nephew is coming from England to visit me, and…er…"

"Xellos asked you out on a date?" Lina joked.

"Umm…yes."

Lina fell off the couch. "WHAT??"

Felia grimaced. "Could you…ah…watch little Val on Friday while I go? Please?"

Lina shrugged. "To see a golden girl like you date a weasel like him, sure. This is a once in a lifetime."

"Oh, thank you!" Felia raced from the room before Lina could think it over.

Zel, who had been blending into the wall (he was good at that) grinned. "You're gonna tote that toddler around on your outing with Naga?"

"WHAT???"

He grinned and took a swig from the industrial sized coffee cup. "You fainted and I told her you'd go shopping with her on Friday."

"YOU WHAT?? How could you?"

"It was the only way to get her off the phone."

"You could hang up."

"She kept calling back."

"Leave it off the hook."

"Operator called and told me to hang up my phone."

"Unplug it."

"She threatened to come over."

"Ohhh nooooo…"

"Yeah, I thought it best you agreed."

"No skin off your back. AAARGH!" Lina paced the room, then spun and faced Zel. "You're taking care of the runt!"

"No way! You're the one who agreed to it. Besides, I don't do well with kids."

"You don't do well with adults either…"

"As if you would know."

"ANYWAY, you're the one who agreed I would go shopping with Naga!"

"You need to be there."

"Then you're coming too!"

"Hey, wait a minute--"

"If I suffer, you suffer. Deal with it."