R&R

Routine:

Timeskip

Episode 22: The Calm Before the Storm

Kimmy is at the front steps when they arrive, and they are not surprised when she rushes past Lance and Ilana and launches herself into Newton's already open arms. Tears run down her face as she sobs into the pseudo-chest of his hologram, but there is a heart wrenching look on Newton's face that even Lance and Ilana forgot that this was an image fabricated by a machine. It is a look of regret, tenderness, and guilt that neither could imagine from anything other than a human being.

Lance has to resist the urge to pull Ilana into his own arms at the sight of such a bittersweet reunion, and it suddenly hits him how truly close he had come to losing the only people that he held close to his long hardened heart. He looks at Ilana and sees her glazed and teary eyes as she holds her hands to her chest, so he succumbs to his urges and places an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. He feels his heart flutter as she wraps her own arm around his lower back and leans her head against his shoulder.

"I still can't believe he's here… it feels so unreal…" Ilana's voice was barely a whisper, but neither could tear their gaze from the sight of Octus as he and Kimmy held each other. Each of them felt that if they looked away even for a second, he might disappear as fast as he had come.

"I'm just glad he's back," Lance answers curtly, but even he couldn't help but wonder how it was made possible when he himself had tried so hard to bring Octus back.

By midnight Kimmy still refuses to leave, not wanting to tear herself away from Newton. Lance and Ilana have a thousand questions swimming in their heads, but they know they can't bring them up in front of her, not to mention it was hard enough coming up with a story of why they left on such a short notice. After stuttering and blundering for an excuse, they just told her that it was complicated and it wasn't something they could share with her. They could tell she wasn't happy, but in the end her happiness at seeing Newton again won out and she let it go.

Still, Lance and Ilana were exhausted and were fighting sleep as they sat in the living room and relieved the events of the day as the news replayed the fights with Titan and the three monsters. The world was relieved as it was devastated at the consequences. The damages done to the cities would cost a fortune in restoration, and many people blamed Titan as much as they were thankful. Lance couldn't help but agree with those that blamed them. After all, the monsters were only there because they were sent to kill them. These people were casualties of a war they weren't even aware of.

And it seemed unfair.

But he himself had a mission; to keep the princess safe. And that would always be his highest priority. And it wasn't just because it was his mission, but because he would never allow any harm to come to her as long as he could help it. She had somehow snuck her way into his heart, where he wouldn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way if it meant she would be safe, mission or no mission.

He glances over and sees Ilana dosed off on the couch, her head cradled in her arms as she leans on the arm of the couch. He stares at the serene expression on her face, glad to see that the stress from the nights spent at the inns seems to have dissolved away. He stands up and moves toward her, then takes her lithe form into his arms.

"I'll take her to bed, and I'll see you in the morning Newton. Goodnight Kimmy," without another glance, he makes his way up the stairs, two pairs of eyes following him.

"He really cares for her, doesn't he?" Kimmy has a contemplative look on her face.

"He does, more than you can imagine." But Kimmy already knows. She has seen and recognized the looks that she often saw between Lance and Ilana. They were looks that did not seem right between a brother and sister. But she did not judge, because she felt this "family" had more to them than everyone could see, including her.

It was something she only now was beginning to accept.

He says it without thinking, but Octus has seen their development, and he is happy that Lance has found something to cherish in a life that has only robbed him. What better than the warmth of Ilana?

And every princess needs a knight.

"Newton?"

"Yes Kimmy?"

"Promise me you won't ever put me through something like that ever again."

He calculates in his mind the likelihood that he can avoid a scenario similar to what he has put her through, and he is not happy with the answer he receives.

"The chances of being able to keep such a promise are quite low…"

And he tells her because she deserves to know that someday he might not come back, because she deserves to choose whether she wants to keep him in her life or not. And if she decides that she cannot handle the thought of a blurry future with him, than he would accept her choice. After all, it was hard enough feeling the sobs that shook her body when he held her close, and he never wanted to be the cause of such strong emotions from the girl he had learned to care for beyond mathematical reasoning.

He expects her to be angry, to perhaps cry or storm out, but she only sighs as she continues to hold on to him.

"I know…"

Lance settles Ilana into her bed, gently pulling the cover over her. She stirs and he pauses in his movements, only to gently stroke her cheek. He sees her eyes flutter and begins to pull away, not wanting to wake her. But it's too late, her eyes flutter open and he sees her eyes drowsily settle on his figure.

"I'm sorry for waking you," he says softly.

She only smiles warmly and reaches out with her hand to grab his arm.

"Stay," she whispers back. It is not a request, but he could not have done anything other than oblige.

She makes room for him on the bed and he slips in beside her, only to soon after feel the warmth of her hand on his chest as she closes any distance between them.

He doesn't know what to say. He can only feel. Feel the warmth that seeps from her body even through their layers of clothes, the motion of her hand as it gently strokes his chest subconsciously. And still he feels numb. The events of the day are still struggling to process through his brain, and he doesn't feel quite awake. His mind feels as if he is walking through fog.

But at least he feels her.

He doesn't remember the last time they laid together like that. He had been too absorbed in trying to fix Octus to worry about resting. She had tried to coax him to relax countless times, but even her inviting form couldn't take him away from his task. Only now does the guilt hit him. For making her worry, for the concern he didn't alleviate, for forgetting that he wasn't the only one that was suffering at the thought of Octus being gone forever.

"Ilana?"

"Yeah Lance?"

"I'm sorry."

He feels her head look up at him, and he sees her brown eyes looking questionably at him.

"Why?"

He pauses. He is not a man of many words, and he doesn't know how to tell her the thoughts that had just run through his head.

"I'm sorry for forgetting we're a team, even without Octus."

She does not say anything, but he is not worried. He had given her an answer, and she could take it however she wanted. But he is happy when she leans up and kisses him, her lips touching his for the first time in a long time.

It is like tasting water after a severe drought, and he has forgotten what it felt like to be kissed. He had forgotten about the very idea of kissing. Now that Octus did not occupy his entire being, all the moments between Ilana and him rush back. From the first time in the training room, to the night before they went off into space.

She pulls back, and the peck that she gives him is suddenly not enough. So when she lies back down, he moves to hover over her and stares her deeply in the eyes.

She can see the lust in his eyes, and it sends a jolt of electricity through her body. She has forgotten that look, and the effect it has on her. The only memories of him that she has are where his eyes are full of stress, focus, fatigue, and frustration. But this is the look that makes her feel alive; like the woman she wants to be. So she meets him half way as he leans down towards her.

Their tongues clash immediately, and they both moan at the feel. Ilana wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer, the feeling of his hard body against her heating her core instantly after so long without it. She flips them over so that she is on top now, and he takes advantage of this new position as he runs his hands up her body and pulls her closer.

No matter how much time has passed, they find that they still remember each other's bodies as if it was yesterday. She kisses her favorite spot on his neck and he is on fire. He absently grinds himself into her and she almost bites him at the pleasure it sends through her. She is hypersensitive and loving every thrust against her core. She tugs at his shirt, and he recognizes this as her signature clue that she is impatient. Something that always makes him chuckle in amusement.

But he obliges, because he has learned that an impatient princess is not a happy princess.

So he easily removes her clothing and flips them back over so that she is under him again. Even in the dark he can see the flushed look on her face, her hooded eyes, and naked body; a sight that he never tires of.

But he decides he'll make her wait just a little bit longer.

"I don't think I've given you enough attention recently," he grins and kisses her on the lips before moving down her body, leaving trails of kisses as he strokes her naked flesh. She wants to fight him on the matter, to impatient for foreplay. But her dispute dies on her tongue when she feels his fingers slip inside of her.

Instead she moans and arches against his hand, wanting only to feel more. Lance has had enough experience by now to know exactly what she likes, and it doesn't take him long to have her riding the waves of pleasure as her orgasm hits.

He does this for at least an hour, but they have both lost track of time. The euphoria coursing through her system makes it hard to care care, and she is beginning to feel numb from it all. So she finally coaxes him back on top of her. She is surprised how much she still wants him, even after waves of pleasure. But she knows that she will not be fully satisfied until he's satisfied too.

"Are you still….?" He asks.

And she nods reassuringly, not needing him to finish the sentence to know what he was asking. She kisses him passionately and presses herself against him, grinding against him suggestively and urgently.

He doesn't hesitate in entering her, and he almost finishes there and then. It has been far too long, and even though his mind forgot, his body didn't. It only takes a few more thrusts, but it is one of the best releases he remembers.

All is right in their lives again.

He lays back on the bed and pulls her against him and immediately drifts of to sleep. Sleep is just around the corner for her too, but she can't help back think back to his question.

Ilana finds Octus in his "dad" hologram waiting outside the school for her. She has been called out of class, only to receive a text from Octus that he is outside. She is confused at why he would take her out of school in the middle of class. She expects Lance to already be in the car but finds that he isn't.

"What's wrong?" she asks as she settles into the passenger seat.

"You have a doctor's appointment," he says simply. Ilana furrows her eyebrows, his answer only bringing up more questions.

"But I'm not sick…" she says. Does Octus see something she does not with his sensors?

"Well, you could say these are preventative measures," he responds.

"Preventative to what?"

She does not expect his answer.

"Pregnancy."

She does not know what to say, and she can feel her blood rush to her face. She tries to say something but she knows she must look like a fish out of water in that moment.

"It has come to my attention that you and Lance have begun what you would call a sexual relationship. It is to my knowledge that such actions come with the risk of pregnancy. In this planet, it is customary for a couple to have children after they have been wedded, or within their capabilities to support a child. Women of your age who become pregnant might then be shunned by society or become a primary target of rumors and gossip, not to mention find it difficult to further their education and careers. In order to avoid these situations, women will find contraceptive means to avoid becoming pregnant. Although education and careers do not apply in your situation, you are still a princess, and I decided that it would be best if you participated in this practice while you are involved with Lance in such a way. Not to mention that it appears that men also experience a greater sense of pleasure when their partner is using oral contraceptives."

Ilana is still at a loss for words. It wasn't like she and Lance had not thought about that either. They used protection… most of the time. Okay so maybe Octus has a point. Bringing a child into this foreign world was the last thing she wanted to do. Especially when she was a princess out of wedlock, and when her world needed her most. And it was thoughts like those that sometimes made her feel like a horrible and selfish princess to begin with…

Still, it was not something that was easy to say out loud. So she just twiddles her hands on her lap and looks out the window, wanting to be anywhere but in that car.

"…okay."

The ride is silent and answering the doctor's questions with Octus in the room was the most humiliating experience she has ever had to go through. Especially when he is the one answering most of the questions, some of which she doesn't want to know how he knows.

She is given a prescription and Octus drives her to the pharmacy to get her pills. She looks at the tiny colored pellets, not sure how to feel about this gift from Octus.

But it isn't long before she feels her heart swell with gratitude as she thinks of how thoughtful (although embarrassing)Octus was with his actions.

"Thanks Octus… for being so considerate of us, and not being against us."

"Of course Ilana, you two are like family to me, and I am just glad that you two are happy."

"That really means a lot to me. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for everything."

"Well… you can promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"You won't miss a day as long as you can help it."

And she laughs, because although it seems like such a common sense thing, nothing is ever simple when it comes from Octus. So she tells him she'll try her hardest every day.

When she tells Lance he seems happier than she was, and only every so sympathetic to what she had to go through with Octus. But now they can enjoy their activities a little more, and worry less that there was the risk they created a new challenge for them to deal with.

If it weren't for the fact that Octus in the house with them the memory would have reopened the wound of losing him. But the only reason she had managed to take the pellet everyday was to ensure that she keep her promise to him, and in a way it made her feel just a little bit closer to him while he was gone.

But he is back. And she can be happy and satisfied once more.

With a feeling of pure contentment and a smile on her face, she joins Lance in the best sleep they've had in a long time.

They wake up to the smell of fresh food in the morning and no matter how comfortable they are, they know they have to get up.

Octus is back after all.

They come down to find Kimmy in the kitchen with Octus. They are tempted to ask if she stayed the night but decide against it. And maybe it's obvious what the answer is since she is in the same outfit as the day before.

For a moment they wonder what they did, but no matter how many human tendencies Octus may have, they simply cannot imagine him doing that with Kimmy.

"Good morning Newton, Kimmy," Ilana is the first to greet them, and the pair turn back from the pans of pancakes and bacon to the give their own greetings.

Lance and Ilana sit at the already set table and it isn't long before their plates are stacked with pancakes, bacon, and fruit. Kimmy stands proudly above them as she ushers Newton to sit as well and places food in front of him.

"Consider this my welcome home gift to all of you, a nice healthy breakfast."

"Wow, thanks Kimmy. This looks delicious!" Ilana smiles brightly at Kimmy, for the first time managing to see a genuine change in the girl she used to be to the girl she seemed to be becoming.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it, it's mostly for my sugar bear," she dismisses Ilana and leans down to peck Newton on the cheek, who in turn grins.

Lance frowns, not entirely trusting Kimmy. She had already left Newton once, what if it happened again? It would take more than breakfast to win him over in this matter. Lance was nothing if not loyal to his friends, and even if Newton was quick to get back with her, he would always be incredulous on the matter.

Still, he manages to mumble a thank you before he begins eating.

Kimmy finally left around noon, and the two humanoids felt a little relieved to finally get Octus to themselves. Still, they would have liked to be spared from that particularly passionate goodbye… did Octus even have a tongue? Could he actually make one?

Not something they wanted to think too long on…

Regardless, the three Galalunian's decided to spend the remainder of the day in the backyard. They prepared a small picnic and settled under the tree outside for the perfect evening.

"We really are glad you're back Octus. You have no idea how devastated we were. We thought we'd never see you again."

"Well, as you have pointed out before Ilana, I do not have an imagination."

So they told him everything. They told him how enraged Lance had become when he could not be revived. How he blew the entire station to bits with the G3 spacecraft, how they had left Sherman in hopes of finding a way to bring him back, how much sleep they had lost, and how helpless they felt without him.

"I don't think I had ever been angrier in my life. I literally saw red. I couldn't think of anything more than destroying that thing."

"And you have no idea how hard I tried to make him get some sleep. I tried everything! But he simply wouldn't give up…"

"Wow, I didn't realize you guys cared so much…" Octus was smiling in his Newton hologram, clearly touched at the sentimental stories his comrades were sharing.

"Of course we do Octus; we're more than just a team. We're a family now," Ilana smiles and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Always," Lance follows, and places a hand on his other shoulder.

"Mind, body, and heart as one," Octus finishes.

And they have never been more content on earth than in that moment.

But even if none of them brought it up, there was still one question burning inside them all.

Who brought Octus back?

.

One month.

.

.

Two months.

.

.

Three months.

.

Four months passed in silence. There were no new Mutraddi creatures, and while such news should be relieving, it only served to add worry to the trio with each uneventful day that passed. It's as if they could feel something brewing just above the atmosphere, and the feeling only got stronger with each day.

It simply did not make sense that no monsters had been sent after them. Did the war finally become too much for the Mutraddi that they no longer felt they were a concern? Did their people have an advantage over them?

That was the only scenario they wanted to imagine.

And the most frustrating thing of all was that all they could do was wait.

Lance took to training more than usual, and Ilana soon joined him in order to fight the restlessness that grew with every passing day. Something told her she needed to prepare herself for what was coming. Every month so far the news would give an update on the restorations of the cities that had experienced damage due to the monster attacks, and they would show their relief of the peace that had followed.

Everyone expected the attacks to be a thing of the past, that they had received the worst of it.

Not the three of them.

Oh no, it was just the opposite.

This was the calm before the storm.

They were at a carnival when it happened. Octus froze up just as he always did, and Lance and Ilana felt their blood start pumping immediately. Kimmy didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Just go…" she said, but made sure to place a kiss on Newton's lips first.

And they went. They ran out of everyone's view, activated their armor, and followed Octus into the sky.

"Be safe…" Kimmy whispered after them.

Octus stops unexpectedly in midair. Lance and Ilana stop flying and turn to look at Octus with bewilderment.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Ilana asks, already feeling a sense of foreboding.

"My system is detecting multiple signatures …"

Lance already knows where this is going.

"How many of them are there Octus?"

They don't like the answer they receive.

"Dozens."

Ilana feels her heart drop at the news, and Lance curses under his breath. This was the last thing they needed. Were they even prepared for this? Three Mutraddi creatures had been enough, but dozens?

"There's more." Octus continues.

They don't ask what it is, and just wait for him to tell them the rest.

"They aren't Mutraddi creatures. I'm reading all mechanical signatures. It's an entire space armada."

"No…" Ilana gasps, her eyes wide.

It could only mean one thing; they had brought the war to them.

TBC

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnn.

Okay, so this is my attempt to continue the series, but in the same universe where Routine takes place, because uhh, that would be more fun for me! Smut smut smutt. As you already saw.

Regardless, that's not the only mature theme I plan on bringing in. Trust me... I have quite the setup thought up. Plenty of drama, action, heartbreak, angst, with a hint of humor if the situation allows.

As for the armada?

Come now, how long before Modula decides that he has to take matters into his own hands when even three monsters aren't enough? And of course a double invasion would take time to plan and formulate. Especially when you decide you're going to take on two fronts.

That being said, let the war on Earth begin.

Allies will form, loyalties will be tested, secrets revealed, losses experienced, and a whole lot of emotional roller coasters.

I hope you stick around for the ride.

...

Wow that's cheesy.

Review! :)