A/N: Hey guys! Here's the first chapter!
Enjoy! :)
Knock, knock knock.Katie groaned, pulling the covers up above her head.
Knock, knock, knock. "Pidge! Pidge, you're late! " Katie sat up groggily, recognizing the deep voice calling her name from outside her bedroom door. She supposed you couldn't really call it a bedroom; it was all, from floor to ceiling, made of a polli-carbonate mix that was next to inpentatrable and was her quarters on board. And if that wasn't enough to disqualify it from being called a bedroom, it was also treacherously messy; the floor was entirely covered with many clothes, wires, gadgets, gizmos, tools, and pizza boxes.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stepped down on a pair of pants she'd taken off sometime last night, due to the heat. She tromped over to the door, tripping halfway there on an empty Doritos chip bag, and falling flat onto the floor.
"Kate! Are you alright?"
Yep. It's Keith. Only Keith calls her by her first name, Katie thought, and felt a sudden irrational anxiety rise up in her. No! Stop it! It's just Keith! Katie chastised, as she scrambled to get back up, but as she reached for the door, she hesitated, turning back and standing in front of her tall mirror that Allura had brought her. She grimaced at the sight of herself; her hair, which she had been diligently trying to grow out and was now down to her shoulders in a messy bob, was tosseled and her eyes slightly puffy from sleep deprivation. Her lips were swollen from biting them in her consentration last night while she had been working on Green. The white, chunky, oversized sweater she was wearing stopped just below her butt and as Keith called her again, her face went red. She raced around the room, digging through the piles off clothes until she found a pair of pants; unfortunately, they were a pair of loose red sports shorts and the sweater covered them, but just as she was bending down to find a different pair, the door began to open, so she pulled them on as fast a she could and stood up. Standing in the doorway was Keith, his black messy hair was shorter since he'd cut it two weeks ago, but still shaggy on the top and he wore his red and white suit, Katie could make out the black spandex material under the Paladins' suit. His dark eyes were wide and his face tinted a rising shade of red, as he looked Katie over. She blushed, brushing her bangs away from her eyes slightly, and rocking back and forth in her heels, pulling at the sweater uncomfortably. "What do you need? What am I missing?" She rambled.
He kept his eyes locked on hers, restraining from looking at her slim, pale legs. "Remember, Kate? I told you last night, we had a meeting at six, concerning the Klauseans."
Her eyes widened and she ran out of the room, she could hear Keith's deep laughter echoing down the hall from behind her. But she was too rushed to join in his laughter. She raced down the hallway, her socked feet causing her to slide as she turned the corner and almost hit the wall. Her delay was enough for Keith to catch up to her, not that he was that far behind with his long legs. She ran through the halls, nearly falling on her face a couple times until she stood outside the meeting room, and bursting through the doors, stood staring back at Lance, Allura, Hunk, and Coran. She felt extremely awkward as she realized that in her haste she had ran out wearing the oversized sweater. It was too big for her and hung off of her small, lithe form, exposing her shoulder and bra strap. She pulled it up quickly, blushing scarlet. She'd never have worn this out of her room, it was so comfortable as pajamas, but only ever pajamas.
Allura, noticing how uncomfortable she was, stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her in a side hug reassuringly. She walked with Allura over to the meeting table, thankful for the cover it provided, blocking her legs from view. Lance, Coran, and Hunk all looked considerably shocked at her state. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I slept in. I totally forgot about the meeting. And I only ever wear this stupid sweater as pj's and I have shorts on under it. I swear!" She rambled, making sure that the sweater wasn't falling off of her shoulders.
"There's no need to explain yourself, Pidge." Allura said tenderly, rubbing her arm. Pidge smiled up at her thankfully. Her eyes locked on something behind her, making Katie look back to see Keith with an unsure expression on his face. He held a red blanket in his hands and wrapped it around her shoulders, avoiding her eyes. She blushed, feeling extremely awkward and, looking down at her socked feet, pulled the blanket further around her.
"Alright." Allura began, smirking slightly at Keith and Pidges' discomfort. "Concerning the Klauseans, Coran and I spoke to them this morning. They are concerned that the galra mercenaries are planning something. They believe that they may have someone working for them inside the Klausean royal court and have asked us to take action."
"What do you mean take action?" Pidge asked, thankful for the change of subject. "Surely they don't mean, 'VOLTRON! Legendary defenders!'" She said, waving her hands in mock awe. "At least not out of the blue just showing up. That'll scare the mercenaries off and we'll never have any proof of what they're doing."
Hunk nodded, crossing his big beefy arms over his chest. "I think Pidge is right. We'd just scare them off."
Allura nodded. "I was thinking we should send someone to Klausea undercover. Prince Cereico suggested it and King Mavoi agreed."
Lance sat up from his chair on the other side of the circular table with interest. "Oooh. Undercover." He raised his eyebrows and lifting his hand in the air, said enthusiastically, "I volunteer!"
Allura's eyes softened a she looked over at him. "I'm sorry, Lance. But the royal family and their most trusted member of the Klausean royal court discussed it with me last night." She said sympathetically.
"Wait. I thought you were going to wait for me to be there with you?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
She smiled tenderly. "You fell asleep after training and I didn't have the heart to wake you. You looked so peaceful."
Lance didn't make an answer, he only sat smiling fondly at Allura, with a look of love and admiration playing in his eyes.
Pidge couldn't help smiling and feeling a little uncomfortable at their antics. Ever since they'd started dating, things had been considerably different.
"Okay, lovebirds! Anyways, who do they want us to send?" Hunk asked, after bringing their attention back to the meeting subject, but not really feeling weirded out by their friends. Hunk really didn't mind, most of the time. Every once and a while they would stumble in on Allura and Lance kissing and he would get really awkward, but not usually.
"Well, they said it would be useful to send someone who knew technology well and could improve the city's security systems." She said, slowly. Pidge hadn't realized that Allura was looking at her and when she looked up everyone's eyes were on her.
"What?" Pidge asked, admittedly she had been fiddling with a piece of wire that had been stuck in her sweater and hadn't really been paying attention. She heard Keith chuckle from across the table. She looked up at Allura who was looking at her warily and then it hit her. "No. No way. I am not going undercover. I draw the line there!"
Allura pressed on as Pidge began to turn away. "Pidge. Pidge!" Pidge continued pacing. "Katie!" Pidge stopped at the sound of her given name, turning around and facing Allura with a desperate look. "You are the only one aboard who has the knowledge and skill that they require. And you won't be alone."
Lance perked up, but one look from Allura let him know that he wasn't going. And Pidge didn't miss the smirk that played on Alluras lips at Lance's pout.
"Ok. Ok. I'll go. You don't have to beg me." Hunk chuckled, putting his hands up.
Allura smiled at him kindly, knowing he was only trying to make a joke of it. "Actually, I'm sending Keith along with you, Kate. He's excellent at hand to hand combat, he has substantial undercover experience, will be able to spy out any odd behavior and will make a very good body guard for you."
"Why would I need a body guard? I can take care of myself." She defended, before adding, "No offense, Keith."
"None taken." He answered, with a slight smirk. Barely noticable, but still there. At least enough for Pidge to see it.
"You'll need a body guard because you're going undercover as a member of the royal court." Allura answered, folding her hands together in anticipation for Pidges response.
It was exactly what she was expecting.
"What?! I barely know how to hold a good conversation and I'm supposed to go undercover as a member of the royal court. I might as well go undercover as royalty. Find out the extent of my deplorable social skills!" She threw her hands up in the air in dramatic despair.
"Well..., actually, you will be under the allias of Princess Elizabella Eils-Devika of Taurielias." Allura said slowly, watching Pidge warily, with her eyebrows raised. When Pidge didn't say or do anything, she hesitantly continued. "I know that this is something that you've never done before and that it'll probably be out of your comfort zone, but you are the only one who can fill the position they're asking for."
Pidge sighed, and running a hand through her hair. She looked like she was having a silent argument with herself, until her expression changed and she looked set on something. They all waited patiently for her to speak. "When do we have to leave?" She asked, somewhat grumpily.
"Tomorrow afternoon, just in time for the engagement party they're throwing for Princess Tulithe, Prince Ceceiro's eldest sister. The debriefing will start at six am tomorrow morning and will go until nine. Then you will get ready in traditional Taurielias attire, we are having a stylist and makeup artist fly out to prepare you both. They will go with you."
Keith stepped forward for the first time. "I don't know much about Taurielias tradition or attire, but I am not wearing makeup."
Allura laughed. "The men in Taurielias do not wear makeup. Don't worry, Keith."
"Wait. That means..." Pidge's eyes widened as she came to a realization. "I have to wear makeup?!" She glared at the boys as they snickered from across the table.
"Calm down, Kate. It'll only be for a couple weeks, tops." Allura assured, not being able to restrain her smile.
Pidge groaned and, wrapping the blanket around her tighter, she shuffled over to the lounge area that was in the meeting room and callapsed on the soft, white couch, saying, "Wake me up an hour before debriefing."
She heard them laughing quietly and after at least an hour of hearing them talking about things and asking questions, which half of it she didn't catch because she was drifting in and out of sleep, they adjourned the meeting and in a drowsy, almost asleep state, she felt someone drape a thick blanket over her. She curled into its warmth, her cold feet starting to warm up and fell asleep.
There's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! I will be updating within the next two weeks!
Next chapter: Keith and Pidge get debreifed, and try to get used to the wardrobe changes and new alliases.
Allura and Lance talk about his sisters, Veronica's, wedding.