Hi all, I wrote this fic years ago, but never added it to my account. So, in time for the holidays, please enjoy this little entry.

Allura's First Christmas

Allura slowly opened her eyes, fighting the want or was it the need to fall back asleep. She suddenly realized just how cold she was feeling, and the warmth of her blankets only invited the her to surrender to its lulling effects on her. But her fight with sleep would suddenly come to and end as the door to her bedroom swished open and the entry of her long time nurse mother was cause for her to finally rise.

"AH girl! What are you still doing asleep?" she said frantically as she rushed to Allura's closet and started to look through her clothes.

Allura let out a groan, pulling her covers over her head. "Nanny, please just five more minutes!"

Nanny pulled out Allura's jump-suit and threw it on her bed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Allura! Half the morning is gone and you're missing out on the most splendid of events."

"What could be more splendid that sleeping in five minutes more?" Allura groaned.

Nanny walked over to the side of her bed and yanked the covers down to her bare feet.

"My girl .its snowing!"

"Snowing?"

Allura stood at the window of her room smiling to herself as she watched the billow of snow cover the ground below her. The small white flakes still fell to the ground, not heavy to worry her, but enough for those who were venturous enough to have a hard time in the cold white softness.

She let out a sigh remembering the last time it had snowed on Arus. She was just a little girl then, but it brought back some of the most happiest moments of her young life. She quickly rummaged through and old chest of clothes, pulled out and old thick jacket and quickly left her room.

She was surprised that she did not find any of the other members anywhere in the Castle. She made her way to the control room smiling that Coran was there as usual. He smiled at her seeing that she carried her jacket in one arm.

"The others went out to find something," he said.

"Something?

"They didn't say, but said it would be surprise," he said.

"Something to do with an old Earth tradition that happens around this time."

"Oh?" Allura asked. "This time on Earth?"

Coran slowly nodded.

Allura thought to herself for the moment, then smiled. "I'll be outside for a bit," she said. "I haven't seen snow in such a long time."

"Did you want me or Nanny to join you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Im only going to the garden," she said. "If you need me, you know where I'll be."

Coran nodded.

"Do you have any idea what this surprise is supposed to be?"

Coran smiled. "I have no idea whatsoever." he said.

She nodded as she kissed him on his cheek.

"I'll call if you something comes up."

She nodded before turning to leave.

"LANCE! BE CAREFUL!"

Lance nearly tripped over Pidge as he gathered together the makeshift streamer. Lance made his quick apology to the young member before handing Hunk a pair of shears.

"Think you can handle this one buddy?"

"Tree trimming?" Hunk asked as he took the shears. "that's nothing..its the sap that's hard to work with."

Lance smiled as he joined Pidge in making some of the decorations. "I can't believe we are actually doing this."

Pidge smiled as he handed Lance one end of the garland he was making. "Can you imagine how surprise the Princess will be when we show her?"

"I bet she will be elated," he said.

The door to the room slid open, as Keith walked in with a box of items. He walked over to where Lance and Pidge were, placing the box down.

"This is all that I could find in the storage area," he said. "I hope this is enough."

Pidge looked through the box and smiled. "I can work with this," he said. "What about Nanny?"

"After some convincing, I got her to finally agree on a menu," Keith said as he seated himself on the ground next to Pidge. "Believe me, you do not want to get into an argument with her on what to serve to eat."

"What did you convince her to make?"

"The traditional meal," he said as he rummaged through the box. "You guys had better appreciate it later. I had to fight with her for almost a half hour."

Lance smiled. "And Im sure that you stayed calm throughout the whole ordeal," he said. "Well as long as we can pull this off without Allura finding out before we are ready for it."

"We can always use Pidge to distract her for a bit," Hunk said as he threw down the branches he cut. "Pidge is great for distraction."

"I am not " Pidge said.

Keith laughed to himself. "Well, if worst comes to worst, we could always say we are learning some gardening tips."

"In the Castle?" Lance asked.

"It's snowing outside " Keith offered.

Lance smiled. "Yeah she'll believe that one." he said. "Well .its going to be her first Christmas let's make this one that she will remember."

"Come on guys..we have to finish this, and I don't think Coran can distract Allura with any more boring paperwork as it is," Pidge said. "Lance you finish the streamers and decorations, I'll work on these lights."

"And I thought I was a slave driver," Keith said with a smile.

Allura smiled as she seated herself before the snow covered rose bush in her garden and slowly but carefully plucked one of the late blooming flowers and proceeded to remove the thorns. The pale color of the snow heightened the deep rich red the bloom held. She smiled as she looked over the flower.

Snow was a very rare occasion on Arus, coming as quickly as it leaves. Allura looked around her at the snow covered grounds of her garden, knowing that within a few days, snow would leave and the land would return to normal. There was no actual winter on Arus, and these small flurries came but once a decade. Allura had been a young girl the last time it snowed on Arus. She was happy that it came again.

"Allura?"

She quickly turned around smiling as Keith approached her.

"Good afternoon," she said as he kneeled on the ground next her.

She smiled seeing how the snow greatly contrasted against the color of his hair. "Isn't this wonderful?"

"Snow?" he asked then smiled. "I lived most of my life shoveling this out of driveways and sidewalks."

"Shoveling?"

He let out a laugh. "Ah that's right, you don't have the pleasure of experiencing winter here on Arus," he said. "Don't worry, you haven't missed much."

She smiled. "Oh I don't know," she said turning back to the rose bush to pluck another flower. "I think its quite beautiful."

"Well it can be," he said with a shrug. "And speaking of something positive that can happen with the coming of snow "

She watched as he stood and then offer his hand to her.

"What is it?"

He smiled as he took her hand. "A surprise."