"TOUSAN!!!"

The sound of bones popping as Prince Phil gave his daughter a hug was audible to even those in the next room without sensitive hearing. Zelgadis grimaced as Lina and Gourry stared at the hall way the young girl had just run through.

"Is he-?" Gourry asked of Lina, pointing toward the door. Lina sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. 

"Probably."

Gourry grimaced. One always felt like jelly after one of Phil's hugs.

"No wonder Amelia has no problem recovering from falls." Zelgadis remarked. "She's probably grown up tougher than the rest of us just to survive her father's hugs."

Lina glared at the lounging chimera. Zelgadis shrugged and gave a her a 'What? It's true!' look. Lina rolled her eyes, mutely agreeing with him. 

"There has to be a way of getting around Phil without him giving one of his traditional welcome back hugs." She murmured. They didn't mind Phil so much, but his hugs could be murder. Literally. The Crown Prince was -strong-.

"We could always hide." Gourry suggested, peering down the hall. Amelia's bouncing voice echoed as she talked to her father. 

"Not without hurting Amelia's feelings." Lina dismissed that idea. "Too bad none of us are strong enough to hug him -back-."

Zelgadis snorted.

It was the wrong move. Lina's eyes narrowed at the chimera speculatively. Gourry turned to look at what the red-head was looking at. Zelgadis looked up to see what they had gotten quiet about.

And gulped. "Uh-oh."

Lina fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Ne, Zelgadis... Just how strong are you?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I'm rather fond of my vertebrae, thank you."

"So are we. Gourry?"

"Right." Gourry shot Zel a quick apologetic look as he grabbed the chimera's arm. Lina grabbed his other as they pulled him toward the hall way. Prince Phil's voice started to come closer.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain." Lina assured him as he tried to wiggle free. Unfortunately, when Lina and Gourry were determined, there wasn't much ANYONE could do about it. Zelgadis began to whimper.

It turned into a full blown yell as he was suddenly thrown at Phil, narrowing missing Amelia.

"Zelgadis! Nice to see you again!" Phil roared, catching the flying Shamanist. 

*Crack!*

"No, no no! THIS is how you do it!" 

*POP! *CRACK!*

"AHH!"

Lina and Gourry grimaced at the sound. "Poor Zel..." Lina murmured, having some second thoughts.

"Huh?" Amelia blinked, watching their expressions with befuddlement. "Tousan's not hurting him, he's helping."

Lina and Gourry stared at her with looks of skepticism and confusion, respectively.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Amelia remarked innocently. "Before he took over the throne, Tousan studied to be a chiropractor. He's just putting his back in alignment."

Fin.