Title: Centralia
By: UsagiRyu
Fandon: Voltron Defender of the Universe
Categories: H/C, MPREG, Action/Adventure
Rating: M
Pairings: Keith/Lance, Hunk/Pidge, Sven/Romelle, Allura/OMC
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Voltron or any related characters. I am doing this for fun.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This site contains graphic birth scenes since this is an MPREG story. Centralia is loosely based on a real town in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. I'm pretty sure though, that a Robeast did not cause the coal fire in the real Centralia.
In the shiny building of FireFly Productions on Earth, new director Ashton Lindon leaned against her boss' desk and smiled. "Darrick, I'm telling you, my sources say that this place is like a real, live Hell. And no one has gone in to film and tell the story of Centralia on Arus."
"Why hasn't anyone done a documentary on this place before?" Darrick asked.
"Because Queen Allura declared it off limits and said that it was too dangerous to be there. They even moved the people out of the town and resettled them; no one was allowed to stay."
"Who is your source?"
"A guy who used to live there and had to be forcibly removed by soldiers," Ashton answered.
"Go there but check in every five hours with me while you are on Arus," Darrick Teague ordered.
"We're ready to go," Ashton answered. "Let's go, guys."
On Arus, Ashton and her crew landed at the Arus Space Port. They gathered their items and met up with an Arusian with light brown hair and golden brown eyes. He held out his hand. "I'm Bromley Eplinene."
"Hello, Mr. Eplinene," Ashton shook hands with the man. "We're ready to go."
"My hover-truck is this way."
"Thank you." Ashton and her crew loaded up their gear into the beat up hover-truck and squeezed in the back seat. Bromley drove up into the Terixd Mountains where the remains of the small mining town of Centralia rested. Thick white smoke tinged with gray and blue billowed out of cracks in the ground as they drove deeper and Ashton filmed out the window. They stopped at a burned out house.
"This house was in my family for over 500 years. My great-whatever grandfather built it with his brothers and their houses were next door. I grew up here and lived here with my children and my wife. My wife died of lung cancer last year," Bromley sighed.
Ashton filmed the man talking while her crew fanned out to film the burned out, smoky town. "How are your children doing?"
"Two boys, twins, both are so sickly. Queen Allura has been great about seeing that everyone has health care but still, this was our home and they never tried to put out the fire that Doom Robeast started that blasted day."
"What day was it?"
"It was the true end of the Doom Wars, Voltron defeated both Zarkon and Lotor but their fleet did so much damage to our planet. A Robeast that had fire in its eyes fired a rocket and it hit the mine. It exploded in the coal seam and set it on fire. We begged Queen Allura to save our town but she said it would be better if we were all relocated. I don't care; this is my home, my town. We…my family and I were among the last to leave," Bromley sighed. "The soldiers forced us out and packed up everything we owned. Now we live two hundred kilometers from here in a town that is not our town! Centralia is our town, not any other town! And soldiers led by Captain Keith Kogane took us out of our house and packed up our things!"
Ashton frowned. "It was Captain Kogane who led the soldiers?"
"Yes, he said it was for our own good and that our illnesses were from the fire, but it couldn't be put out!" Bromley snarled. He stormed up the street. "Up here was where my boys played with their friends ever day after school!" He pointed to a rusty and charred playground. "Their school was right next door to the playground!" The school building sagged, most of it gone due to weather, battle damage and the on-going fire. "They wouldn't even let our 125 year old mayor stay in his house. The big dumb one on the Voltron Force, Hunk I think, carried him out like a baby!"
He ran back to his house and opened the door. A dash up the stairs showed a large master bedroom. "Both of my boys were born here, we were married in the backyard, my wife and I." He pointed to a bedroom across the hallway. "My boys' room. They loved to play in here when it was cold or rainy. We had a shelter in the basement for when attacks came at night."
The boards creaked under their feet. Ashton shook her head. "Maybe we should go back outside, Mr. Eplinene."
"This house was built to last far longer than Queen Allura let it last!" Bromley snapped.
"Why wasn't the town torn down?" the cameraman asked.
"Queen Allura claims that the ground is too unstable and that the machinery would fall into subsidence holes."
The team looked at each other. They scurried down the cracking steps and outside. Bromley pointed to the mountain at the end of the town. "That's where the Robeast fired the rocket. Come on, I'll show you the Pit of Hell."
The crew followed the man up the crumbling streets. Just as they entered the mine, pushing aside blockades with warnings in several languages on them to do so, the ground underneath the hover truck collapsed. A small explosion echoed through the town as the fuel overheated. Thomas, the lead cameraman, spun around.
"The fuck was that?" he demanded.
"You hear a lot of explosions around here, you get used to it," Bromley waved his hand in dismissal. "Follow me." He led the group deeper into the mine. "I used to work here as did a lot of the town. Hell, we were the main Jeweled Coal producer for the entire planet! Now is it all going to burn up!"
Ashton frowned. "What is so special of about Jeweled Coal?"
Bromley picked up a lump of black, glittering coal. "This is what's so special about it. It burns clean and hot and for a long time. Five kilograms of the stuff could heat your house for the entire winter. And we provided for the whole quadrant. A lot of us had no other training then working in the mines."
"What do you do now for a living?" Ashton asked.
"I've been retrained to work in construction, helping with the rebuild of the planet since the damn war. Why the hell should I help others rebuild their towns when I lost mine completely?" Bromley kicked at the wall. "I hate where I live now!" Before he could continue his rant, the ground shuddered and fell in, taking Bromley with it. The film crew gathered around the hole and saw the Arusian man hanging onto a ledge.
"Mr. Eplinene! Take my hand!" Thomas, the tallest one there, yelled and reached down.
Bromley coughed as the gasses filled his nose. He reached up just as the ledge broke and he fell into the pit. The film crew watched in horror as the man fell onto glowing coals 50 meters below them. Bromley screamed as his skin crackled and peeled away, blood boiling and his hair igniting until he finally fell silent.
Ashton vomited. "How do we get out of here?"
"I don't know," Thomas frowned.
"I don't want to stay here. Let's try going that way," Ashton pointed in a direction away from Bromley's pyre. The crew scurried away, deeper into the mine.
In the Castle of Lions, Keith and Lance snuggled together in their room, Lance's hand resting on the gentle curve of Keith's stomach. "I'm starting to get really fat."
"Being six months pregnant with twins does that, Love," Lance kissed him. "Besides it's only your belly growing, the rest of you is still toned."
Before Keith could retort, Coran's voice echoed over their Voltcoms. "Captain Kogane, Commander McLain, please report to the Command Center."
"Well, duty calls," Keith stood up slowly.
"I wish Duty could call someone else," Lance grumbled. "I was looking forward to having a sexathon with you since our Mischief was going to be staying with her Onkel Sven and Auntie Romelle for a few days."
Keith rubbed his belly. "Hard to believe she's five years old, it seems like yesterday I was giving birth to her." He picked up a picture of himself, drenched in sweat and exhausted holding a newborn Larmina. Even at birth McClain red hair covered her head. He put the picture down with a fond smile. "Let's see what Coran wants then we can return for that sexathon."
"Aye, aye Captain," Lance teased his husband then kissed him. They strolled to the Control Room holding hands. They stopped as Larmina and a gaggle of children ran past them.
"No running in the halls, Mischief, you know that," Keith called out.
Larmina sighed. "Papa, I accidently set Erik's hair on fire. We were running to get Onkel Sven."
Keith rubbed his eyes. "Looks like your Fire abilities are coming in. After we speak with Coran, your Daddy will start training to use it. How is Erik?"
"He's OK. Wet, mad and bald but OK. Mira put the fire out but she used ice."
"That's Mira," Lance snickered. "Excuse us, but Pappy Coran called us to the Control Room."
"We can join you," Mira spoke up. "'Sides, Erik used bad words when Mina set his hair on fire."
They entered the Control Room to find the team waiting for them with an amused Sven and Romelle and a still angry Erik. Coran shook his head and said "I just received a call from a Darrick Teague of FireFly Productions. Apparently he had sent a film crew to Arus and they failed to meet their first check in after letting him know they landed."
"Coran, do you have a record of this crew's destination?"
Coran frowned. "They were joining a Bromley Eplinene for a trip to Centralia."
"WHAT?" Allura shouted.
"According to Mr. Teague, Mr. Eplinene spun a story of being neglected by the Crown and accused the Voltron Force of using violence to coerce them to leave their town."
Keith paced and muttered "Eplinene, I know that name. Coran call up his records, focus on criminal ones."
Coran pulled up Bromley's records. "Captain, Mr. Eplinene has a PFA against him via his wife who recently died of lung cancer caused by the smoke from the mine fire. He has two sons who are now in his custody despite his wife's family trying to get custody. He has been arrested several times starting in his teen years before the War and is known in Centralia as the local trouble maker and drunk."
"Then how the hell did he get custody of those boys?" Lance demanded.
"Officially, he used the age of her parents and his sons' delicate health as the reasons."
"And unofficially?" Lance growled.
"Her parents said that they were threatened but nothing could be proved. The grandparents died two days ago, ending the custody dispute," Coran read the reports.
"Then he calls in a film crew, the bastard," Lance rumbled. "And now we have to rescue their asses. I say leave them, they broke the law with their stupidity and I don't fancy risking my life after surviving fighting the Drules!"
Keith rubbed his forehead. "Lance, I don't like the idea either but the thought of leaving anyone trapped there is worse."
Lance spun around. "Hell no, you are NOT going to Centralia! You are six months pregnant! I'll bloody go, I'm a Fire Adept so I'll do better but you are not setting foot there! Promise me, Keith Akira, no matter what happens, you will stay in the castle!" He grabbed Keith and held him close, titling his head up so they were eye to eye. "I want your word that you will stay here."
Keith blinked his eyes as tears formed in them. "Come back to me then, Love," he kissed Lance. "I love you."
"I'll come with you, Lance. I'm an Earth Adept so I can help. Pidge, please, stay with Keith," Hunk hugged his slender mate.
Pidge pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'll stay, for our kids' sake, but dammit, you better come back also or I'll be pissed!"
"Wild Drules couldn't keep me away from you," Hunk vowed.
The children, Larmina, Erik, Mira and the six children Hunk and Pidge adopted, watched in amazement. Lance ruffled Larmina's hair. "Watch after your Papa while I'm on this mission, OK?"
"I will, Daddy."
Hunk turned to Vika, at 15 the oldest of the children he and Pidge adopted, and engulfed her in one of his patented hugs. "Help Pidge, keep him distracted, OK?"
"I will, Dad," Vika returned the hug. "Just come back, OK?"
Lance straightened himself. "We'll take Red, he'll handle the heat and fire better than any of the Lions and he's one of the lightest."
Hunk nodded in agreement and they rushed to Red Lion's entry chute. Once inside, they flew to Centralia and scanned the smoking ground. "There's a hole with the remains of a hover-truck, but no signs of life. Idiots probably went into the mine," Lance snarled. "Great." He landed Red at the mouth of the mine and the pair exited carefully. "They cut the lines holding these barriers in place and moved them aside. We find them alive, their asses are heading to jail," Lance grumbled. He took pictures of the damage with his Voltcom. They set their Voltcoms to scan for life forms. Two miles into the mine, they found Eplinene's remains. "Well fuck that takes care of that asshole" Lance shook his head.
"Poor kids, I'll talk to Pidge but I think we can adopt them."
"Six kids aren't enough?" Lance laughed.
"We wanted a large family," Hunk shrugged.
Lance snickered and scanned the area. "They are deeper in the mine, about five miles down. We better get them and slap the cuffs on them." They trotted down into the mine, finding the group in a cul-de-sac. "Alright, idiots, we're here to get you out and put you in jail for violating a hell of a lot of laws, so line up, stay between Hunk and I at all time," Lance ordered. Timidly, the film crew nodded. "Hunk, I'll take point and for the love of the Goddess, if you film anything while we are getting out of here, I'll shove the cameras up places that will require surgery to remove!"
They marched up to the entrance of the mine. Suddenly, the ground beneath Lance opened up. He fell, catching a ledge ten feet from the bottom. He coughed and gagged as hot gases filled his lungs. Hunk called upon his ability to communicate with the land and extended a ledge underneath Lance, closing off the hole and giving him a study place to stand. "Hang in there, Lance!"
In the Castle of Lion's Control Room, Keith launched to his feet, screaming "LANCE!" as he felt Lance's fear through their soul bond.
Sven raced to Keith's side and eased him back into his chair. "Don't tink about breaking your vord vith Lance, Kiet."
Just then, Hunk's voice echoed in the room. "Castle Control, I need assistance here, Lance fell into a hole, I blocked off the worst of the fire and he's in no danger of falling, but I can't get him out on my own."
Sven clicked on his Voltcom. "I'm coming, Hunk. I vill take Green since she is light as vell. Hang in there, min venn." He grabbed his spare climbing gear he always kept in the Control Room and raced to the elevator and rode to Green Lion. Sven landed far away from Red and rushed in following Hunk's signal. Reaching the subsidence, Sven hooked up his gear and handed the end to Hunk. "I do not trust anyting around here to hold my veight and Lance's."
"Got it," Hunk nodded and braced himself, drawing upon the Earth to hold him steady.
Sven fixed the oxygen mask onto his face and hooked a spare onto his belt. He carefully climbed down to where Lance stood, wheezing and gagging. Immediately, he slapped the second mask onto Lance's face and strapped the Red Lion pilot to his chest. Slowly Sven made the unsteady climb back out of the subsidence hole. Once free of the hole, he unstrapped Lance but hooked the oxygen tank to Lance's belt. Using Lance's Voltcom, Hunk placed Lance in stasis then scooped up Lance and Sven glared at the film crew. "Vith me and keep up!" Sven snarled. The group ran to keep up with Hunk and Sven.
Once they reached the Lions, Hunk carried Lance aboard Red through the mouth. Before the film crew could board, Red Lion slammed his mouth shut. Red's rich voice filled the area. "No one hurts my Knight then assumes I'll give them a ride. Ride in Green or burn for all I care." Red Lion roared then took off. Sven dashed into Green Lion followed by the cowed film crew. Green Lion jumped into the air just as the entire town, weakened by years of intense underground fire, crumbled into a giant subsidence hole.
At the Castle of Lions, Red landed at the front of the Castle with a team waiting for Lance including his very worried husband. "Oh, Lance," Keith kissed his husband's forehead.
The medical team rushed Lance to the Castle Infirmary and Dr. Gorma immediately threaded a tube down his throat as nurses drew blood and took Lance's blood pressure and pulse. Keith was escorted out as x-rays were taken of Lance's chest. Once Lance was settled into a room, Keith and Larmina rushed to his side. Larmina clambered onto his bed and hugged her Daddy. "Daddy, no more getting hurt OK?" she kissed his lightly burned cheek.
Lance hugged her and signed, using the special code they taught her before she could speak, "I promise I'll try, Mischief."
Keith kissed his husband. "Mischief and I will stay with you. Sven mentioned wanting to have a poker game in here."
At the mention of poker, Larmina scowled. "Onkel Sven owes me 10 pounds of candy still," she pointed out. "Unpaid candy debts are bad!"
Both men laughed. "He's slowly paying it off, Mischief. He's doing a payment plan, remember?"
"Still," she crossed her arms over her chest, looking just like Lance at that moment. Before Keith could comment, a very Lance-like evil grin spread across her face. "'Cuse me, Papa, Daddy, I gotta talk to Onkel Sven."
"OK, Mischief," Keith kissed her unruly red hair. "Go easy on your Onkel."
Larmina smirked. "He shoulda paid me back in full then!" she scooted off Lance's hospital bed and ran to the Castle laundry. She searched through the clean tee shirts for a bright pink men's tee that would fit her beloved Onkel. Once in possession of such a tee shirt, she skipped off to Pidge and Hunk's apartment. "Uncle Pidge, c'n you help me?"
"Sure, Mischief, what's up?" Pidge asked.
"Can you write on this shirt 'A five year old girl kicked my bottom in poker' using rainbow glitter ink and write it in English, Norwegian, Balterian, Polluxian and Arusian?" Larmina handed the shirt to her uncle.
"Ah, is this for your Onkel to wear?"
"Yep, part of the default for not paying back the candy debt!" Larmina scowled.
"OK, let me do this for you then," Pidge snickered. He quickly applied the ink and let it dry. "Here you go, Mischief."
"Thank you, Uncle Pidge," Larmina hugged him. She ran to Sven and Romelle's apartment and knocked. When Sven opened the door for her, Larmina looked up at him with her big green eyes and said "Onkel Sven, if you teach me to ride horsies, I promise to forgive your candy debt."
"Dat is fair but I must have your Daddies' permission first," Sven pointed out.
"OK, Papa is with Daddy in his hospital room."
Sven smiled sadly. "I figured he vold be."
Once in Lance's hospital room, Sven smiled at his old friends. "Keit, Lance, Mischief said that if I teach her to ride, she'll forgive my candy debt. Is that alright vith the two of you?"
Keith and Lance looked at each other and nodded. "That's fine with us; we know she's safe with her Onkel."
Larmina smirked. "Oh, Onkel Sven, one more thing, you have to wear this while you teach me!" She held up the tee shirt.
Sven blushed as Keith snickered and Lance gave his daughter thumbs up. "Yes, Mischief." He took off his Academy tee shirt and put on the bright pink one. "Let's go, Mischief."
Keith giggled and snapped pictures of Sven in the pink tee. He spun his fingers in a "turn around" gesture. Sven frowned at his old friend. As soon as Keith could read the back he howled with laughter. "Oh, Sven, did you read the BACK of the shirt?" he snickered.
Resigned, Sven asked "Vhat does it say?"
"I owed 20 pounds of candy to Larmina "Mischief" Kogane-McClain," Keith read after taking the picture. He quickly attached them to a message to the members of the Vehicle Voltron team. Sven groaned as he heard the message's beep indicating it had been sent.
"I vill never hear de end of dis, vill I?"
Lance signed "No way, Brother, I'm sure Cliff and Jeff will have something to say about this…especially of your obscene candy debt."
"Lance, you might be in hospital but I can still freeze your butt," Sven, an Ice Adept, reminded his friend.
Keith shook his head. "Be nice to the patient. Now go and teach your niece to ride. Have fun, Sweetie," Keith hugged her daughter. A sharp kick startled Larmina.
"Papa, the babies kicked me! Well, one of them did," Larmina rubbed Keith's belly.
"They are starting to get cramped in there and they have three months to go," Keith answered. "Now hug your Daddy and go have fun learning to ride with your Onkel."
"'Kay, Papa!" Larmina ran to Lance's side, hugged him then joined Sven and tugged on his arm. "Come on, Onkel!"
"I'm coming, Mischief," Sven laughed as he left.
Pidge and Hunk entered the Bromley house, finding it dark and quiet. "Where are the boys? Their neighbors said they never watched them, so they have to be here," Pidge frowned.
"Do you think Eplinene locked them in somewhere?" Hunk said softly.
Pidge ran a scan off his Voltcom. "You're right. They're in the attic. Let's go." At the attic door, Pidge scanned then picked the lock. He eased the door open. "Finn, Sean? It's Pidge and Hunk Garret-Stoker from the Voltron Force," Pidge called out.
Finn and Sean Eplinene huddled together on the room's single bed as the large man from the Voltron Force and his slender; shoulder height mate knelt in front of them. "Boys, would you like to live with us in the Castle of Lions?"
"What about Father?" Finn, the older boy, asked.
"He passed away in Centralia and Hunk and I want to adopt you, make you part of our family," Pidge explained.
Sean coughed and wheezed. Finn hugged his little brother closer. "But, why us?"
"Because Hunk and I want a large family," Pidge explained. "And we learned that you need a family who loves you." Sean's eyes welled up with tears.
"But we're weak and bad, Father said so," Sean whispered.
"Your father was wrong," Pidge squeezed the boy's hand.
Finn bit his lip. "C'n Sean have medicine? I won't ask for any as long as Sean can have it. He's sick."
Hunk gently ran his hand over Finn's curly hair. "You both will be treated by Dr. Gorma and get whatever medicine you need. And a lot of good food too."
Pidge smiled at his husband. "Hunk is the best cook in the Castle, really. And I think you two could both use some good doses of Grandma Garret's chicken soup."
"Grandma Garret?" Sean asked, confused.
Hunk grinned. "My grandmother and she's almost 100 and still as strong as an Oak but not as tall. And I'm willing to bet that she'll fly up to meet you guys and make the soup herself. She is a great woman. She loves being a great-grandma. She has…" Hunk paused to count out in his head all his nephews and cousins. "20 great-grandkids, 22 now," a wide smile creased Hunk's face.
Finn sniffled. "You won't hurt us?"
"Never, we both swear that," Pidge promised with Hunk nodding in agreement.
The boys tried to stand up to join Hunk and Pidge, only to collapse in a heap. Hunk scooped them up and carried them out to Yellow Lion. Outside, members of the displaced Centralia gathered. An elderly man limped forward. "Hello again, Voltron Force."
Hunk dipped his head in greeting while Pidge shook hands with Morcant Dellen, Centralia's mayor of one hundred years. "You taking little Finn and Sean?"
"Yes, Bromley died in the mine and Pidge and I have more than enough love for two more children, especially ones who need it," Hunk answered.
"So I don't have to tell you to treat those boys well then," Morcant smiled sadly. "We've tried to help but Bromley Eplinene was a dangerous man." He shook his gray head. "You said more children. How many do you have?"
Pidge called up pictures on his Voltcom. "Six. This is Vince, he was found after the last battle in the remains of a space vessel but we could never identify where the ship came from. He's so smart. And this is Vika, she's so much like Hunk, steady, creative and gentle. Vika has four younger siblings we also adopted, Karri who is eight and an outdoors girl, and two more boys, Brynmor and yes is he only five but he's almost as tall as me, we think he's going to be nearing seven feet and the baby of the family, Heulog and I haven't seen a day where he doesn't smile or laugh. He's the family clown," Pidge finished showing the pictures, pride shining on his face. "And this is our niece, Larmina, Keith and Lance's daughter and Sven and Romelle's children Erik and Mira."
"So they'll be around other children?"
"Not just the children of the Force, but the children of everyone who lives there," Hunk promised. "And, please, feel free to visit Finn and Sean to check up on them at any time you wish."
Morcant's smile brightened. "Thank you so much, Master Sargent Garret-Stoker, Lieutenant Garret-Stoker. And thank Queen Allura for all she's done for us since the fire started."
"You're welcome, Mayor Dellen."
Hunk carried the boys up the ramp in Yellow Lion's mouth, followed by Pidge. Pidge flew while Hunk held the boys who seemed to find comfort in his strength. Once in the Castle, Hunk and Pidge took Finn and Sean to Dr. Gorma. Walking past Lance's room, they poked their heads in.
"Hi, Keith, how are you and Lance doing?" Pidge asked.
Lance signed "I'm fine, but Dr. Gorma insists I need this tube and IVs."
"Lance, trust the doctor," Keith sighed and rubbed his side. Everyone's eyes flew to him. "I'm alright, just tired and have a back ache. These boys are getting so heavy." He winced as his sides and back cramped. "Damn!"
"I'm getting Dr. Gorma!" Pidge yelled and rushed to the Doctor's nearby office. "Dr. Gorma, Keith is having pre-term contractions!"
Gorma jumped to his feet and ordered a nurse to attend to him along with a second bed to be brought into Lance's room. Hunk set the boys down on Lance's bed then gently eased Keith back in the recliner that he sat in, elevating his feet. Lance clung to Keith's hand, sending silent support.
Dr. Gorma raced in with the nurse. "Keith, when did the contractions start?" he asked as he ran scanners over Keith's body.
"I've had a backache all day but the cramping just started," Keith answered honestly. He winced as Gorma probed his tender stomach. Orderlies brought in a bed and Hunk helped the orderlies move Keith onto the bed. Then he scooped up his new sons.
"Let's go and let Dr. Gorma work on the Captain," Hunk whispered to his new sons.
Sean looked over Hunk's shoulder and called out "I hope you feel better, Captain."
Despite his worry, Keith smiled at the boy. "Thank you, Sean."
Once Hunk was gone, an orderly closed the door and Dr. Gorma quickly examined Keith. "The heartbeats are strong, that's good," he murmured. "And you are not dilated at all." A nurse set up an IV and Dr. Gorma injected Keith with purple medication. "This will stop the contractions and strengthen the membrane that holds in the amniotic fluids." He put the syringe into a SHARPS box. "Captain, I am restricting you to complete bedrest for the duration of your pregnancy."
Keith sat up and Lance pushed him back down. "Doctor, Lance is injured so I have to take up his duty as well so I can't be on restriction at all!"
"I'm sorry but unless you want these boys to born early, you will go on bedrest," Gorma growled.
Keith bowed his head. "Yes, Doctor. But may I at least do the paper work, things like that? I can do that laying down."
"You may since I know you'll do it anyway," Gorma chuckled.
Keith sighed. "I need to contact Uncle Andrew and have him send someone to help us since I know Sven can't spend all these months on Arus." He smiled and accessed his bond with Lance. *Koibito, how about we ask Uncle Andrew to send us Devon Gyles? He's a damn good pilot and a damn good man.*
*You sense something, Mo grá?*
*I do, he's the man for Allura,* Keith smirked.
Allura, Sven and Romelle joined them in their hospital room. Allura hugged Keith and Lance. "Oh, Keith, don't make me give a Royal Order to make you stay in bed," she teased.
"I'll behave, Queen Allura," Keith promised.
She kissed his forehead. "Good man. I'm assigning a personal nurse to help care for you. She was the nurse that cared for you when you had the sword cut."
Keith perked up. "I love Nurse Glory!" he exclaimed. "She is amazing and Larmina will like her."
"Good, now rest, I'll bring your data-pad to you," Allura ruffled his long, black hair. "But I won't have you over doing it in bed either. Five hours a day and that is it," she ordered.
"Yes, Queen Allura," Keith smiled at his old friend. "Allura, Uncle Andrew is sending over someone to help us out. His name is Lieutenant Commander Devon Gyles, we went to the Academy with him and he's a damn good man."
"He must be if you requested him. Is Space Marshal Graham coming over as well?" Allura asked.
"No, I told him to wait until the boys are here. After all, he is their grandfather," Keith smiled gently. "And Larmina will enjoy spending time with him as well."
Larmina crawled into bed with her fathers. "Papa, why are you lying in bed with an I.V.?"
Keith hugged his daughter. "Well, the babies got very excited and wanted to be born now but it's too early so I have to stay in bed and keep calm until it's time for them to be born," he explained. "That will keep the babies calm."
Larmina snuggled into his side. "I'll help take care of you, Papa. You too, Daddy."
"Thank you, Mischief," Keith kissed her forehead.
Larmina snuggled in between her fathers and said "I can read the babies a story that will keep them calm right?"
Keith stroked her fiery hair. "I think they'd love for their big sister to read to them."
Larmina turned her green eyes onto Allura. "Auntie, can you find my e-reader?" she battered her eyes.
"Oh, alright, I think Keith might like it if the twins give his ribs a break," Allura snickered and hurried to Keith and Lance's apartment and grabbed Larmina's flaming unicorn themed e-reader. She returned with the e-reader and ruffled Larmina's hair. "Have fun reading, Mischief."
"I will, Auntie Allura," Larmina clicked on the e-reader and started reading to her Papa's enlarged stomach. Much to Keith's dismay, the babies he carried kicked and punched to get closer to their sister's voice. Lance reached over and rubbed Keith's belly to calm the babies.
*Mo grá, I know I will be back on my feet soon. I'm a Fire Adept.*
*Doesn't matter, Koibito, you still need to recover from those gases,* Keith scolded through his bond.
Lance squeezed Keith's hand. *Rest, my love.*
Larmina read until she yawned and snuggled up against her Daddy. Lance held her close as she slept. The family rested until Dr. Gorma strolled in to examine Lance. He ran a scanner over Lance's throat and chest. "I'm surprised, Commander, your throat is healed enough and the swelling is down that I can take the tube out."
Lance held up a thumbs up and pointed to the tube. Dr. Gorma rolled his eyes and carefully removed it, causing Lance to cough and gag. A nurse gave him a glass of water. Lance sipped it gratefully. "Well, Doc, can I be discharged so I can care for Keith?" he asked, his voice raspy.
"Give yourself sometime to rest, Commander. You and the Captain will be discharged in two days. Give Nurse Glory time to arrive and get settled in," Dr. Gorma said.
"Yes, Dr. Gorma," Lance groaned, waking his daughter up.
"Daddy, no tube!" she exclaimed and hugged him tight.
"That's right; Daddy is getting better, now we can focus on getting the nursery ready for the boys. And, of course taking care of Papa."
Larmina paused and asked "Daddy, how did the babies get inside Papa? How did I get inside Papa when I was a baby? And how did I get out?"
Lance and Keith winced. "Larmina, we'll talk about this when you are older," Lance said.
"I just hope the twins wait to be born in the med bay unlike our Mischief here," Keith laughed, ruffling his daughter's hair.
"Where was I born?" Larmina asked.
"In our big bed," Lance answered. "You see, we had seen Dr. Gorma the day before and he said it wasn't time to get you out of Papa's tummy, but the very next morning, you decided that it was time and you were impatient then like you are now and decided to come out before Papa and I could get up that morning. So I delivered you and held you as soon you were born."
Keith chuckled as the memory of that day flashed over him.
Lance mumbled and moaned on his side of the bed as the flu he picked up from the school children ravaged his head and stomach. Keith rubbed his husband's back then struggled to find a comfortable spot in their massive bed. His gravid stomach quivered. "Come on, Mina, settle down and let Papa sleep," he murmured as he felt a kick to his ribs. He rubbed his lower back and groaned. "You're a week over due, please come soon, baby girl." He winced as the backache increased. He struggled out of the bed and grabbed an instant heating pad. He settled it on his lower back and sighed with relief.
During the night, cramps and kicks kept him up. An hour before the sun rose, the first powerful contraction ripped through Keith's belly. "LANCE!" he screamed as he gripped his husband's right hand.
Lance tried to jerk away and reach for his gun, but Keith squeezed harder as the pain tore through him. "Honey?" Lance strolled Keith's hair.
"I think Larmina wants out now," Keith gasped.
Lance grabbed his com and radioed for the Med Bay. "Dr. Gorma, Keith's in labour!"
"I'm on the way!" Gorma's voice echoed over the com.
"Breathe, Keith, breathe," Lance coached Keith through a powerful contraction. Keith wailed as his water ruptured. "Gorma, Keith's waters have broken!" Lance yelled into the com.
"L…Lance," Keith panted. "Larmina wants out now!"
"Oh fuck no," Lance shook his head and spread his husband's legs. In the birthing canal, Lance saw a head coated in red curls emerging from within his husband. "Keith, with the next contraction you have to push!"
Keith nodded and grunted as the next pain started. He curled up forward and bore down, forcing his daughter from his body. Lance kept up a steady stream of soothing words through their bond. Keith gasped out "It's burning, oh sweet Goddess, it's burning!"
"The head is coming out, Keith, so don't push or you'll tear," Lance instructed his husband. Keith moaned. Carefully, Lance eased his daughter's head out, accompanied by a scream from Keith. "You're doing great, Mo grá, now push again so we can get her shoulders out." Keith grunted and pushed, screeching as Larmina's shoulders left his body and tore him. With her shoulders free, the rest of the baby's body tumbled into Lance's shaking hands with a wail as she took her first breath. Lance severed the umbilical cord with a wisp of Fire. He laid the baby on Keith's heaving chest. "Welcome to the world, Larmina Deidre Kogane-McClain."
Keith cuddled his daughter close. "I love you, Larmina," he whispered into his daughter's tiny ear. He never noticed Lance taking his picture.
Keith chuckled. "Even as a newborn, your hair was covered in red the same red your great-grandma had."
Lance smiled. "Grammy McClain had that red hair until the day she died. She was 110 years old when she passed and as ornery as you are now."
Larmina stiffly sat up. "I'm not ornery, Daddy, I'm a Mischief!"
The two men shared a look. "That you are, Larmina, that you are," Lance hugged her.
Just then Coran paged Lance "Commander McClain, Lieutenant Commander Gyles' shuttle is about to land."
"Thank you, Coran," Lance clicked off his com. He kissed Keith. "I'll bring Devon in to see you as soon as I can."
"Thanks, Sweetie," Keith hugged his husband.
"Daddy, can I come and see Uncle Devon?" Larmina asked. "I haven't seen him since I was born!"
The men exchanged eye rolls. "OK, Larmina but you have to listen to me at all times," Lance said. "Then you come home and get ready to go to school tomorrow."
Larmina sulked. "I need to stay and help care for Papa, so I can't go to school."
Keith hugged her. "Honey, I will be in bed for the next three months and I need to know that everyone is doing their job, including you. That means going to school. Besides, Finn and Sean will be starting at your school soon and they'll need a friend and protector. And I know you can be their friend and protector, just like you are Vince's."
Larmina pet Keith's enlarged stomach after the twins kicked her. "OK, Papa, I'll protect them."
"That's my girl, now go and see Uncle Devon," Keith ruffled her curls.
"Let's go, Daddy!" Larmina ordered.
"Yes, Miss Mischief," Lance laughed, following his daughter. "Now, you remember how to greet an officer, kiddo?"
"I salute, Daddy, right?" Larmina made an Academy perfect salute.
"Wonderful salute, Cadet," Lance returned it. "You picked it up faster than I did. Took me forever to learn how to salute." Larmina giggled as she held onto her Daddy's hand and skipped. "You know, if you are very good when we greet Uncle Devon, I'll take you up for a ride in Red. I'm sure you would both like that."
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Larmina squealed. "I love Red. He tells the best stories!"
Lance paused. "What kind of stories does Red tell?"
"All sorts! Daddy, did you really put a spider in Uncle Hunk's bed when you were at the Academy?"
"OK, I am having a talk with that bloody metal kitten," Lance grumbled. Devon's shuttle landed and he stood at the door. Lance smiled. "Dev, welcome to Arus!" he called out to his friend.
Devon ran down the ramp, stopping at the bottom to salute Lance. "Thank you, Lance."
Larmina saluted Devon. "Hi, Uncle Devon!" she chirped.
"Is this little firecracker baby Larmina?" Devon laughed and scooped up the girl.
"Uncle Devon, I'm not a firecracker!" Larmina protested.
"From the stories I've heard I think you are," Devon kissed her cheek then put her down. "You did a prefect salute. Your Papa must be proud of you for that."
"He taught me," Larmina nodded. "Papa is in bed because the babies inside him are too excited and he has to stay calm so the babies stay calm," she announced to Devon.
"Well, I'll help to keep him calm, Mischief," Devon said with a small smile.
Once in the Castle, Lance and Larmina showed Devon his rooms then took him to see Keith. "Keith!" Devon hugged his old friend and fellow Spirit Adept. "You look good, buddy. And do these two little Spirits have names yet?" He patted Keith's belly.
"No, we have a few ideas, but nothing seems to fit them," Keith answered. "So we are going to wait until we see them face to face to make the decision."
Larmina frowned. "Daddy, how does Uncle Devon know that the babies are Spirits?"
"Because, Little Mischief, I am a Spirit Adept like your Papa," Devon explained. "Just like you and your Daddy are Fires."
"But why am I a Fire?" Larmina demanded. "Why wasn't I a Spirit like Papa?"
"We don't know why beings have these Elemental abilities, but some do and they run in families," Lance explained. "The McClains are a long line of Fires but my mother's sides of the family were either nulls or Winds if they had any Abilities."
Larmina bit her lip. "But, Daddy, why? Where did the Abilities come from before we had them?"
Devon scooped her up. "You know, Mischief, they have been asking that for millennia and no one has figured it out yet. Since you are as smart as your Papa, I bet you might be the one to find out. Now, I don't know about you, Mischief, but I'm very hungry since the food on the shuttle was horrible."
"Daddy always said that Intergalactic shuttles serve…"
"Larmina!" Keith scolded from the bed. "You know not to swear."
"Bad food," Larmina finished lamely.
"That's a credit in the swear jar and your Daddy will have to pay five," Keith scowled.
"Go easy on them, Keith," Devon laughed. "And, I brought a metric ton of that miso ramen you were begging for. Cravings, at least this better than chocolate with wasabi that you claimed you were dying for when you were pregnant with Larmina."
"I like wasabi chocolate," Larmina piped up.
"And, that's why I craved it, sweetie," Keith smiled. "You are like your Daddy, if you are not spewing out fire after eating it, it's not hot enough. And I think that when I was carrying you was the only time I actually thought about eating meat," Keith, a life-long vegetarian, added with a chuckle.
Larmina giggled. "Hotter the better, Papa! Right, Daddy?" she turned to her sire.
"Very much so," the Red Lion pilot agreed. "Why don't you show your Uncle Devon where the cafeteria is so he can get a good meal in him and introduce him to your Auntie Allura? Do you remember how to make introductions to royalty?"
"I do, Daddy!" Larmina hugged her Papa and kissed his large baby belly. "C'mon, Uncle Devon!" She grabbed Devon's hand and dragged him out of Keith's hospital room. Devon stumbled to keep up with the strong girl.
"Mischief, honey, slow down!" Devon yelped as he skidded into the cafeteria, landing on his face. Devon heard a light laughter that sped up his heart.
"Auntie Allura, may I present Devon Gyles, he'll be flying in Black until the babies come out of Papa's tummy," Larmina announced.
Devon groaned and pushed himself up, looking into Allura's bright blue eyes. "Greetings, Your Highness," he stood up and bowed.
"Please, Devon, call me Allura," she held out a hand for him to shake.
"I'm Devon," he blushed. "I'm sorry I toppled like that. Mischief is stronger than I thought."
"She is very strong for a five year old, but she uses her strength to protect the other children, especially Vince," Allura explained. "He's smaller and frailer than her and well, she's his protector."
Larmina blushed. "OK, I'm gonna go and visit with Papa and the babies, Auntie," she hugged her aunt. She glared at Devon. "You be nice to my auntie, Uncle Devon!"
"I will, Firecracker," Devon hugged the girl then Allura hugged her. "Tell your Papa that I'll be over later to go over flight routines."
"I will," Larmina skipped out of the cafeteria. She grinned as she ran into her parents' room. "Daddy, Papa, Uncle Devon has met Auntie Allura."
"Very good, Mischief," Lance scooped up his daughter. "Let's order dinner so we can eat it with your Papa."
"Can I have ice cream?"
"You can have two scoops since you were a good girl today," Lance kissed the top of his daughter's head. Larmina grinned and snuggled up to her Daddy.
Two weeks passed and finally Finn and Sean were strong enough to attend school. Lance arranged for the boys to be placed in the same class as Larmina and Vince. The boys, naturally timid, stayed close to the children from the Castle. At afternoon recess, Vince, Larmina and the twins explored a wooded area of the school playground with plans of making a fort for the autumn and then spring seasons. Northern Arus was too cold in the winter for Outdoor Recess. Larmina crawled up a tree to get a ball for Vince when she saw a large Sixth-grader, Daniel Chandler, rush over to the Kindergarteners. He snorted and kicked Finn, knocking the boy down. "Pathetic loser!" he grunted before grabbing Sean and throwing him into Vince. "Stupid unwanted brats! I don't know why you come here, this is for rich kids, not beggars or freaks like you guys!"
Larmina jumped down from the tree and swung her right fist into Daniel's stomach, following up with a hard knee shot to the 12 year old's groin. Daniel fell to his knees, grabbing Larmina on the way down, pulling on her arm and twisting it until it broke. Larmina growled, tears falling down her face. She palm struck Daniel in the mouth, breaking teeth and knocking the bigger boy out cold. Larmina panted through her pain and turned to her cousins. "You all OK?" she demanded.
Vince sat up, helping Sean up. "I think so. Just winded. What about you, Mina? I heard your arm snap."
"It's nothing; I'm just tired of Chandler here hurting the little kids!" Larmina yelled and kicked Chandler in the ribs, waking him up. She knelt down and grabbed Daniel by his black hair with her good arm. "This is your last warning, Chandler. Hurt my friends again and I will Burn you into cinders," she hissed in his ear, Fire smoldering in her eyes. She stood up. "You may go now to your daddy and cry like the baby you are!"
Lance stumbled in a swing, missing almost taking Hunk's head off by a few centimeters. He stilled, holding up a hand to stall Hunk's yelps. *Red, what is it?*
*Fire Brother, your little Fire Sprite is hurt. A bully at the school broke her arm while she was protecting Vince, Finn and Sean. She handled herself well.*
*Mo gra, Larmina is hurt; I'm heading off to the school. Stay in bed and I'll update you, I promise love.*
*I can feel her pain, Koibito,* Keith whispered. *So can our boys inside me. Hurry, please.*
Lance did not answer, instead rushed to his car and sped to the primary school. At the primary school, Lance stormed into the Headmaster's office. "Where is my daughter?" he demanded.
The Headmaster jumped up. "Who the hell are you?"
"I am Commander Lance McClain-Kogane," Lance announced. "Second in command of the Voltron Force and the Arusian Military! So, answer my question, . ?"
The Headmaster gulped and stammered "This way, sir." He led Lance into the inner office.
"Daddy!" Larmina jumped up from her seat. She hugged him with one arm, feeling her father's healing Fire flood her body.
"What happened, Larmina?" Lance asked. "I know what Red told me but I want to hear it from you."
"Vince's newest machine accidently tossed our ball into the tree, so I climbed it and got it," Larmina answered. "While I was up there, I saw Daniel kick Finn and throw Sean into Vince. That's when I jumped down off the tree and punched Daniel in the stomach and kicked him. He grabbed my arm and broke it, so I hit him in the mouth and knocked him out. I told him to leave us alone or I'd Burn him," she added with a lioness-like growl.
Lance smiled at his daughter. "Red is very proud of you, Mischief. So am I. You did all the right things to protect yourself and Vince, Finn and Sean."
Larmina hugged Lance. "Thank you, Daddy. Is Papa mad at me?"
"No, he's worried about you. Let's get all of you together and I'll take you back to the Castle," Lance answered.
Vince, Finn and Sean hugged Lance and lined up behind Larmina. Headmaster Chandler sputtered. "Commander, you cannot take out children that are not yours!"
"Check their files, all children from the Castle of Lions can be removed from the school by a member of the Voltron Force, of which I am second in command! SO, Headmaster, gather up the rest of the Garret-Stoker children and I'll take them home."
Chandler grumbled and put out the call on the intercom. Once gathered, Lance took the children home, dropping Hunk and Pidge's off at their apartment. "Come on Mischief, let's get your arm checked out then we'll go and see your Papa."
Dr. Gorma nodded his head as the father and daughter pair entered the Med Bay. "I was warned that you were coming, Larmina. I hope you took down the boy who broke your arm," Gorma said, scanning the girl's arm.
"I did," Larmina grinned. "I think he'll stop picking on little kids."
"You are definitely like your fathers," Gorma smiled at the red-headed girl. "Here we go," He wrapped Larmina's broken arm in an instant-set cast. "Two weeks and your arm will be as good as new. What colour do you want it?"
"Red!" Larmina exclaimed. "Just like Red Lion!"
"One Red Lion cast coming up!" Gorma took out spray paints and covered the cast to look like the Red Lion. "There. Good to go."
"What do you say, Larmina?" Lance prompted his daughter.
"Thank you, Dr. Gorma!" Larmina hugged him. "Let's go and see Papa!"
"OK, Mischief," Lance accepted the script for mild painkillers that Larmina might need and scooped up his daughter. "Let's show Papa your cast, he'll like it. And I know Red does."
Larmina nodded. "Yup, he's super proud!"
"I know," Lance opened the door to their apartment. "Mo gra, we're home!" He kissed Keith on the lips. "Check out our little Fire Sprite's cast."
"I know. Red has been bragging to the other Lions about it," Keith chuckled. "Are you OK, Honey?" He hugged his daughter close to his side.
"I am, Papa," Larmina rested her head on his round stomach. The twin boys Keith carried kicked and shifted inside him. "And I promise I'll always protect my baby brothers. I won't let rotten brats like Daniel hurt them!" She looked up at Keith. "Papa, one of the twins…he's been here before," she whispered.
Keith and Lance paled. "What do you mean, Larmina?" Lance knelt beside his daughter.
"He just said that he was going to my little brother but he got sick and couldn't be my baby brother and he's back and he's going to always be my baby brother," Larmina struggled to explain the feelings and words she picked up from one of the twins.
Keith closed his eyes in pain. "Oh, Goddess, our little angel," he sobbed in Lance's arms.
"I know. We're getting a second chance," Lance kissed Keith's forehead.
Larmina frowned. "Daddy, Papa, I don't remember you having babies in your tummy before," she hesitated. "I don't remember you being sick either."
Keith held his daughter. "You weren't even two years old, sweetheart, and I got very sick while I was pregnant. Your little brother got sick from me, from being inside me, and he died. He is buried in the Angel Garden. Lance can take you there to see his headstone, if you want to see it."
Larmina snuggled against Keith. "Maybe later, I'm sleepy. Papa, I'm glad you are not sick even if you have to stay in bed all the time."
"So am I, Mischief," Keith hugged her.
Larmina looked at Keith's belly. "Papa, how do the babies get out of your tummy? Through your belly button? Cuz that's what Willie Desmond said."
"We'll explain it later, Larmina," Lance answered. "I promise."
*I'm not ready to have to give her The Talk,* Lance spoke through their bond.
*Me either. Distract her, do we have any candy?* Keith asked.
"Mischief, how about you and I go and get big ice cream sundaes for you, me and your Papa?" Lance suggested.
"I like that!" Larmina climbed off the bed and rushed out of the door. "Hurry up, Daddy!"
"Coming," Lance chuckled and kissed his husband. "We'll be back with ice cream."
"Thank you; can you put gummy worms in mine? And sprinkles."
"Of course."
In the Castle kitchen, Allura and Devon shared tea while Larmina burst in yelling "ICE CREAM!" Devon jumped, blinking his eyes.
"Well, that is a good idea, Miss Mischief," Allura chuckled. "Let me get it out and we can carry it up to your apartment."
"I'll Hunk, Pidge and their family as well."
"Yay!" Larmina danced around. "Ice cream party!"
The families gathered in the Kogane-McClain apartment. Nanny and Coran joined them, the siren call of ice cream too much for them to resist.
Three months passed quietly for the members of the Voltron Force. Headmaster Chandler quickly retired and Allura appointed a new Headmistress who had the children's best interest at heart. Sven and Romelle, with Erik and Mira in tow, returned to the Castle of Lions to support Keith and Lance as Keith's due date inched closer and closer.
"I'm excited for you, Keith," Allura hugged her best friend. "I can't wait to have babies of my own, as much as I love spoiling my nieces and nephews."
"Devon still having cold feet?"
"He's having the whole 'I'm just a pilot' problem that Sven had for a while."
"Let Viking talk to him, if anyone can straighten the kid out, it's our Viking," Lance responded. "Maybe we can enlist the kids also. Got to admit Larmina is adorable and convince Devon, all she has to do is flash her puppy dog eyes at him."
"Just like you would do to get out of trouble, Koibito," Keith laughed at his husband then gasped. Everyone stared at him. "I…I think it might be time. My waters just broke."
"Damn!" Lance grabbed his com and ordered Gorma to send a stretcher up for Keith.
"I'll get Larmina and she'll stay with me, like we planned," Allura hugged both them then rushed out of the room to get her neice.
"Keith, were you having contractions at all?" Lance demanded.
"No, just a really bad backache," Keith winced through another contraction. "That really hurt, damn!"
Orderlies entered the apartment and helped Keith into a wheelchair. Lance held his hand while they scurried over to the Med Bay. Dr. Gorma waited in a private room for the pregnant pilot. Lance helped Keith change into a hospital gown and into the bed. "Captain, I need to examine you to see how far along you are. Commander McClain said your waters have already broken?"
Keith nodded. "Yes. My back's been hurting all day, but I just thought it was end of pregnancy back aches. I had them all the time when I was carrying Larmina."
Gorma examined Keith. "You are almost four centimeters and everything looks good. Now we have to wait. Do you want an epidural?"
"No," Keith shook his head. "Only if I need surgery."
"OK. A nurse will come in and check on you regularly, Captain. Hopefully you'll deliver as quickly as you did Larmina."
Keith arched up. "I hope so as well. Please hurry up, boys."
"Have you picked out names?"
Lance nodded. "Carrick for the first born and Dylan for the second. Both will have the middle names Akira and Charles."
Gorma wrote down the names. "We will have it all ready, as soon as these guys decide to make their appearance into the world."
Keith smiled weakly at the doctor, panting through a contraction. Lance mopped the sweat off his husband and placed a cool cloth on his forehead. "I'm so excited, Mo gra, our sons will be here soon."
"Me too," Keith bit his lip.
As the pain increased, Keith curled up in the bed the best he could, moaning through the more painful contractions. Lance rubbed Keith's lower back through the contractions, whispering calming words into Keith's mind.
Larmina sat next to Vince, Finn and Sean, chattering away, excited. "I'm gonna be a big sister soon! I hope Dr. Gorma takes the babies out of Papa's tummy soon!"
Erik, eating ice cream loaded with chocolate chips, responded "When Mira was born, she was all red and wrinkly for a while then she just cried and I couldn't play with her. Babies are smelly too," he held his nose in memory.
Mira stuck her tongue out at her older brother. "You want smelly, just stick your nose in your own socks, Erik," she snorted. "I wish I could be a big sister, you are lucky 'Mina," Mira hugged her cousin.
Devon watched the children of the Force play, a wistful gaze covering his face. Sven saw the look and motioned for the temporary pilot to follow him out of the Royal Apartment's living room. "Vhy haven't you proposed to Allura? I see de bond between the two of you and the Love. Vhy hold back?"
"Sven, I'm a pilot, not even a high ranking one. Also, I'm only here until Keith recovers from the birth."
"Dat is ridiculas," Sven rubbed his eyes. "Allura loves you and she doesn't care about you being a pilot. She's a pilot herself and a warrior, much like Romelle. I tink she'd be happier with you than some idiot prince that thinks he has a right to being King of Arus. You respect her as a fellow sister-in-arms, correct?"
"I do, she's amazing with her sword and blaster and Black tells me that Blue loves having Allura fly her. Apparently, Queen Orla piloted Blue for a while in the early Doom War," Devon sighed. "Allura is amazing, so strong yet she has so much love in her heart and does what is the best for her people."
"And, Allura is happy with you. She loves you, Devon," Sven pointed out. "Now, go and propose and marry her. She vants a family, her parents died vhen she vas young and she vas an only child."
"I know. She told me one night when we were on patrol together," Devon took a simple ring out of his pocket and fiddled with it. Sven looked at it and Devon blushed. "This was my great-great-grandmother's engagement ring. It's been passed through my family for generations."
"Vell, vhat are you vaiting for?" Sven pushed Devon into the Royal Apartment.
Devon blushed and cleared his throat, drawing all attention to him. "Allura, my love," he knelt in front of Allura, holding up the ring. "Will you honour me by becoming my life partner for this life and every life after this?"
Allura sniffled and hugged him tight. "Oh, Devon, thank you! You are a wonderful man and you will be a great King to the people of Arus." She kissed him as Devon slid the ring onto her left ring finger.
Romelle hugged her cousin. "Oh, Allura, I'm so happy for you! And I know Keith and Lance will be too," she paused. "Black just told me that Red and Black are telling them right now. It is strange to hear those Lions in my head."
"You get used to it," Pidge helped himself to a large cookie filled with fruit, nuts and spices. "I would miss Green so much if I ever lost that bond with her. She is so wise and so sweet. She has really taken to Vince and is protective now of Finn and Sean."
"The Lions are part of our family, but they can't come in the Castle," Larmina pouted. "It's not fair. It's their Castle too."
The Spirits of the Lions popped into Allura's room. "Thank you for thinking of us, little Fire Sprite," Red groomed her.
"RED!" Larmina squealed and hugged her Lion. "Are my baby brothers here?"
"Not yet, it takes time to be born," Black answered.
"I want them here!" Larmina whined softly. "Is Papa OK?"
"He's fine," Black promised.
Propped up in bed, Keith relaxed against the heavy pillows that supported him. "Is it time yet?" he asked Lance with a whine.
"Doctor Gorma said a few more minutes at least," Lance responded.
"I keep feeling like I have to push!" Keith grunted. "LANCE!" Keith yelled, arching up his back.
Lance hit the buzzer for Dr. Gorma and eased Keith back down. Dr. Gorma and two of his aides rushed into the room, Keith moaning as he gave in and born down. "It burns, it fucking burns!"
Dr. Gorma eased Keith's legs into stirrups. "The first baby is ready, I can see his head. On the next contraction, push!"
Keith screamed and pushed hard, driving the baby's head from his body. His stretched out skin tore, bleeding heavily. The baby's shoulders twisted then slid out. Keith threw his head back, panting. Dr. Gorma cut the cord and laid the baby on Keith's chest. The baby cried, waving his fists around.
"Hello, Carrick, welcome to the outside world," Keith whispered.
"He looks a lot like you," Lance sniffled and picked up his son. "Especially all that black hair. Oh, little Carrick, hello. I think your brother will be joining us soon."
Keith nodded. "I think so too, ouch!" He grunted and pushed, forcing the second baby down the birth canal. Keith moaned as another head and set of shoulders breeched the opening, ripping it farther.
Dr. Gorma quickly delivered the second child, cutting the cord so the nurse would weigh and clean the baby. "It's another boy, identical to his brother," Gorma exclaimed. "Just breathe and let your body expel the afterbirth, then I'll clean and stitch you up. You tore worse than you did when Larmina was born."
Keith sobbed. "Doctor, can you give him something the pain now? Keith, please, let them give you something," Lance begged. Keith whimpered and passed out. "Doctor!"
"I'm aware, Commander," Gorma replied tersely. "Get the A negative blood on rapid infusion!" Gorma pressed on Keith's stomach, urging the afterbirth to detach. Quickly, the mass of tissues and cords plopped out of Keith's body. Gorma grabbed suctioned out more clotted blood then packed clean, sterile gauze into Keith's womb. Once he finished, he injected a pain killer into Keith's IV.
Lance accepted warm, herbal infused water from a nurse and cleaned the sweat and blood of his husband, briefly waking him up. Orderlies changed the sheets and Lance put a clean gown on Keith. "Rest my love. I'll call Larmina and let her know that she's a big sister but she will come down tomorrow. Just sleep," Lance kissed Keith.
Keith smiled weakly and drifted off to sleep. Lance clicked on his Voltcom. "Mischief?" Lance called softly.
"*Daddy! Is Papa OK? Did Dr. Gorma get the babies out?*"
"Yes, honey, you have two baby brothers, their names are Carrick and Dylan. Here's a picture," Lance took a picture of the twins cuddling together. "You can visit your Papa tomorrow, he's very tired."
"Why is Papa tired?"
"Getting babies of a person is hard work so now Papa and the babies are going to bed now. As should you. We love you, Mischief," Lance smiled gently.
"Night, Daddy! I'm a Big Sister now!" Larmina exclaimed to the people in Allura's living room. All wore pyjamas and had bowls of snacks with hot chocolate. Larmina clicked a button on her small Voltcom and projected the picture of the babies. "Daddy said that Papa is sleeping and so are the babies but I can see them tomorrow. I hope Dr. Gorma irons the babies so they don't stay all wrinkly," she commented.
The adults chuckled. "Honey, they are wrinkled because when the boys were inside your Papa; they were in a sack of fluid that protected them. Just like when you spend a lot of time in bath or the lake, you get wrinkled but you unwrinkled on your own," Devon explained to the children. "How about we make signs to put up in the boys' nursey, welcoming them to the family?"
"YAY!" The children rushed for the art supplies and went to work drawing, painting and colouring.
"Good idea, Devon," Allura kissed him.
"It gives them something to do until Larmina can see her fathers."
"Yes. And Larmina has a scrapbook made up of the things we created for her when she was born. She treasures it," Pidge agreed.
"Let's make our own pictures," Hunk hugged his husband.
The next day, Allura took Larmina to the Med Bay so that she could visit Keith and the twins. Larmina gently climbed into bed with her Papa. "Papa, you allowed out of bed now?"
Keith chuckled softly. "Soon. Dr. Gorma wants me to rest for a bit since it is tiring to get two babies out of me."
"Oh, too bad. Can I play with my baby brothers?" Larmina begged.
"They are too little, Mischief," Lance shook his head. "But you can hold them and I'll take your picture."
"OK!"
Lance positioned the baby boys in Larmina's arms as she leaned back against Keith. The babies yawned as Larmina looked down at them. Lance took several pictures without Larmina noticing. "I think our daughter is going to be a great big sister," he smiled at his still tired husband.
"We always knew she would," Keith smiled and kissed Larmina's red head.
"I promise, Papa, Daddy, that I will take good care of my baby brothers," Larmina vowed. "Just like I take care of Vince, Sean and Finn. I won't let anyone hurt them."
Keith and Lance beamed at their daughter, love flowing through their bonds with each other and their children. The babies squeaked and sucked their thumbs, content in this new world.
THE END