Voltron New BeginningsAlpha Omega

by Cindra

My spin off to Voltron New Beginnings where Keith's son's are sent to Earth to form a new Elite team. This story and Gen X go hand in hand with each other.

4. Chapter Four

Alpha Omega

Chapter four

Forever Yours

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(A year after Shawn, Lilly, Dex, and Tam arrived on Earth after their adventure in the past.)

"Escorting dignitaries to council meetings and training nonstop isn't my idea of being on Derek's team." Shawn was bored out of his mind and wanted to finally see some action.

'Our last adventure should have satisfied you for a few years.' Lilly hissed at him. "Felecia is the leader of Earth and we should be honored that we were given this assignment."

"Thank you Lillyan." Felicia looked up from the Data pad that she was reading. "Watch it Shawn Alexander."

"Sorry ma'am no offence intended." Shawn apologized.

"Shawn try and remember that everything comes to those who wait. Your training is crucial before becoming an active member on Derek and Kane's team." Felicia knew that he was bored out of his mind and more than ready to join the team, but Lilly was not and the two of them were a team.

"It's been a year even Dex and Tam are full medical officers now. If I don't at least get to go on patrol soon I'm gonna go stir crazy." Shawn voiced his feelings.

Lilly ignored Shawn's venting and focused on the scenery going by them instead. She wasn't expecting to see Aaron or Ren getting out of an Air Limo in front of the Avalonian Embassy. "Stop the car Shawn! I'm getting out!" She snarled.

"Lilly what's wrong?" Felecia eyed her with concern.

"I saw them Shawn!!" She tried to open her door, but Shawn had locked it. "Stop the blasted car and let me out!" She glared at him.

"Calm down Lilly. Who did you see?" Shawn continued on course.

"Ren and Aaron were getting out of a limo in front of the Avalonian Embassy! Turn this blasted thing around and let me out!" Lilly snapped angrily at him.

"Forget it Lilly. We follow orders!" Shawn snapped back. "I'm not gonna change my mind Lillyan so calm the hell down!"

Felecia used the telecom in the limo to call Mark.

"What's wrong beautiful?" Marks face appeared on the smaller screen.

"Lilly just spotted Ren and Aaron in front of the Avalonian Embassy." Felecia had hoped that Lilly's reaction would have been less out of control.

"Not good. How's she taking it?" Mark swore under his breath it appeared as though their peaceful lull was about to be a thing of the past.

"She wants to find them and pay them back." Felecia hissed.

"Well no way that's gonna happen. She keeps failing the Hades Program because of her fear of Ren. She isn't near ready for something like that yet. Your meeting just got canceled. Tell Shawn to get his tail back to the base." Jeff's face appeared next to Marks on split screen.

"Look Uncle Jeff. I know that I freeze up in the simulations, but I'm over that now!" Lilly joined in their chat from the monitor on the front dashboard.

"Like hell you are! Shawn your orders are to return to base now move!" Jeff ordered him sharply.

"There is no way in hell that I'm letting him get away!" Lilly screamed at her Uncle in frustration.

"Not to worry Uncle Jeff we're returning to base. Lillyan Allura I would suggest that you calm down." Shawn set the limo on auto pilot so that he could focus on Lilly. "He wants you to do something stupid like go after him! You aren't ready for a confrontation like that and I won't let you get hurt again!"

Lilly turned ice princess on him. "Why Shawn because you failed not once but four times so far!?"

Shawn felt as if she had taken a katana and shoved it clean through his heart. "Wrong I didn't fail you not once! The first time you got caught and I took a bullet for you! The second time you and Tam were caught off guard! The third time you decided you had something to prove and tried to handle my Uncle Adrian's goon squad on your own! Lastly Uncle kidnapped you because you threw a snit and left the car!!" Shawn all but roared at her. "I love you Lillyan Allura, but I won't let you get yourself caught just to ease your anger towards him! So shut up and let me drive home in peace! Push me and so help me I will take you over my knee when we reach the base and tan your hide until you won't be able to sit down for a week!" He disengaged the auto-pilot.

Lilly glared angrily out the window.

Felecia put a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "You alright Shawn?"

"I'm fine Felecia." He snarled bitterly. "Although it's clear as day now that the only reason I'm here and not an active member of the team is because of that brat sulking in the seat next to me. I for one am sick of babysitting the spoiled rotten brat and am gonna request a change of detail from Uncle Jeff as soon as we get back! I aced the Hades Program and by damn I deserve an active place on the team!"

Lilly shot him a furious hurt look.

"We'll talk kid. See you back at the base." Jeff ended his end of the conference call.

"I'll see you in a while love." Mark signed off as well.

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"Problems?" Derek arched a brow at Jeff.

"Maybe that remains to be seen as of yet. Lilly spotted Ren and Aaron in the city." Jeff raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"She didn't go after him did she?" Derek growled.

"No. They were driving Felecia to Alliance Center and Shawn followed orders." Jeff got up to pace his office.

"Lilly ripped out his heart and fed it back to him for it too." Felicia walked into Jeff's office.

"Where did they go?" Derek arched a brow at his sister.

"Shawn threw her over his shoulder and headed for the holo-suite." Felecia sighed in frustration. "He wants to teach her a lesson."

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"You were out of line and out of control Lillyan!" Shawn snarled as he set her down on her feet.

"You can stow the lectures McCloud! I'm not in the mood!" She turned on her heel to stalk out of the holo-suite.

"Iris lock the door and open it only on my command." Shawn growled.

Iris the holo-suits computer locked them in.

"What the hell are you up to McCloud!" Lilly hissed at him.

"Iris access Lt. Lillyan Allura Edwards final exam in the Hades Program." Shawn ignored her completely. "Make sure that you make Ren as real as possible!"

"Let me out of here Shawn!"

"Not a chance Edwards." He sneered coldly. "Go ahead smart ass. Show me how you would have taken him on. Don't worry I won't even try and come to your rescue you. After all I've failed four time already no need adding a fifth." He stood back against the wall folded his arms across his chest and watched as the room changed around him.

Lilly faced off with Ren and found herself at his mercy in less than ten minutes. "Enough Shawn! I get it!" Lilly shouted.

"Are you talking to me Edwards? I failed your highness four times remember." Shawn was as cold with her as she had been with him in the car.

"I'm sorry! I was angry! You were right! I didn't mean any of what I said in the car. You always come to my rescue and none of it was your fault. I saw Ren and I just wanted to lash out and hurt someone…" Lilly ignored the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you so much Shawn. Please make him disappear!"

"Iris change program to resemble a nice tranquil summer day on the castle lawn on Arus." He ordered softly.

"Home. I wish we could go back home." She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "I'm not ready for any of this yet."

"No maybe not alone, but as part of a team you are." Shawn pulled her into his arms.

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Avalonian Embassy

"She didn't fall for it." Aaron smirked. "I win our wager."

"McCloud was driving. I hadn't planned on that." Ren scowled.

"She would have shot you on sight." Aaron chuckled.

"I saw the results of her final exam. She failed it because she froze as soon as she confronted me." Ren grinned evilly.

"Yeah and McCloud ripped the steel door off its hinges to rescue her!" Aaron shot that bit into play.

"I'll take care of McCloud."

"You can't kill an immortal, but he can and will kill you!" Arislan growled.

"Hello big brother. How long have you been standing there?" Aaron narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Need I remind you that both of the princesses are out-of-bounds?" Arislan glared at the two of them.

"Yes we know all that already." Aaron rolled her eyes at his brother.

Arislan stalked over to him and picked him with one hand by his throat. "A twelve-year-old bested you, Baby brother! I seriously doubt that Princess Tamara would have any problem doing the same!"

"A twelve-year-old traitor!" Ren sneered.

"So what if we didn't have permission to nab the girls! Shaitan and his brat shouldn't have taken sides!" Aaron muttered hoarsely.

"I told them to throw you into an arena and have Andromeda beat some sense into your worthless hides! No one tries to anger her or that lion of a husband of hers unless they know what they're about!" Arislan sent him flying across the room into a wall.

"What's the matter big brother? Does the all powerful Arislan fear a female?" Aaron found that highly amusing.

"Hell yes I'm wary of a woman who knows over fifty-thousand ways to kill a man slowly and extremely painfully." Arislan stalked over and punched him in the gut. "Ask Shaitan, Khan, or Rand if you don't believe me smart ass! Keith, Sheena, and Rohan McCloud personally saw to her training!"

"Well she's on Arus and we're two universes away on Earth for her to do anything to us. I've already arrange to have McCloud's ship sabotaged. He won't have any weapons capability when I take extreme pleasure in personally shooting him down." Ren wasn't about to let anything or anyone deny him what he knew was to be his.

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Lilly glared at Jeff and Felecia. "Shawn's on the team and I'm still grounded on shore duty! It's not fair!" She slapped her hands down on his desk.

"Your actions in the car this week prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you aren't ready for active duty yet!" Jeff glared back at her and pointed to the seat that she had sprung out of. "Sit back down Lillyan Allura."

"But Uncle Jeff I'm ready to become an active member of the team!"

"You are not! You young lady have to pass the Hades program first and as of yet that hasn't happened!" Felecia shot her a look and Lilly sat down.

"I past all the other trials that you've put me through! I matched Zach and Jay's scores! It's not fair that I'm the one that gets left behind because I can't get passed my fear of Ren!"

"Fear is the one factor that could and will get you killed or captured again during a mission! I can't afford for you to freeze up and then get either you or one of us killed!" Derek walked out of the shadows.

"I don't really give a damn what all of you overprotective men think! Until you go through all of the hell that I have had to endure then as far as I'm concerned you can all go to hell!" Lilly screamed at them.

"Lillyan Allura!" Jeff and Felecia narrowed their eyes at her.

"My vacation was hell because of Shawn's Uncle Adrian! I faced vampires and didn't even flinch!" She sat down, folded her arms across her chest, and glared out the seascape view from Jeff's office.

"You also nearly got yourself killed trying to prove yourself and then got yourself captured because of that firebrand temper and stubbornness of yours! I agree with Uncle Jeff, Felecia, and Derek on this matter." Drew also stepped out of the shadows with Kane.

"I'll do one better by suggesting that she be kept off duty until further notice!" Kane wasn't about to lose anyone else.

"That's an excellent suggestion Kane. Lt. Lillyan Edwards you are on suspension until I deem otherwise." Jeff pronounced sentence.

"But!"

"Don't make me call Dad. He'll order you to return home and your career on the team will be nothing but a pipe dream." Drew stalked over to glower down into his baby sisters eyes. "You knew that you were still under probation even while you were on vacation and broke that without even thinking about it! Throw a snit and the only way you'll be seeing Shawn are on visits while he is on leave!"

"Fine Andrew you win. I'll just be bored out of my mind doing nothing but lounging on the beach in front of mine and Tam's beach house working on my tan!" Lilly muttered under her breath.

"Don't worry Lilly I have a job in mind to keep you busy." Felecia smiled serenely at her.

"But if I'm off the team then my time is my own!" Lilly protested.

"Lillyan!"

"Fine but I don't have to like it!"

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Tammy watched in quiet amusement while Lilly threw fragile things against the wall.

"Babysit! I went from a junior officer to babysitting my niece and baby sister-in-law!" She fumed.

"But you adore little Thea and Ginny. Don't you?" Tammy said something now that she had run out of things to throw.

"Yes of course I do. But I came here to gain experience on Alpha Omega not childcare!" She stalked over to the wall and activated the cleaning droid to clean up all the shrapnel on the floor.

"You lost your temper with Uncle Jeff and the others. You knew that was a not the brightest of moves. You just have to grit your teeth. Plaster a smile on your face and show them that you can take anything that they throw at you. Earn their trust and respect again." Tammy lectured her.

"I'm seventeen today and no one even remembered. I'm gonna eat a whole tub of rocky road. You're the only one who cares that and the family back home." She eyed the pile of presents on the common room table. "Even Shawn forgot. Drew raked me over the coals an hour ago. So I know that he forgot and he's my brother!" Lilly ran from the room in tears.

"We have a date with our guys tonight remember." Tammy left the room to go get ready for Dex.

"You go! I'm staying here! I'd rather die than here Shawn's reaction to this mess!" Lilly ran from the kitchen to her room with her tub of ice cream, with Jara hot on her tail, and locked herself into her room.

Tammy walked over to the tele-monitor in the kitchen and punched in Shawn and Dex's number.

"Hi gorgeous. You okay? You seem troubled about something." Dex smiled at her then the smile turned to a frown.

"Lilly locked herself in her room with a tub of rocky road. She's had the worst day of her life and now everyone has forgotten her birthday. Her emotions are so off the charts that she's giving me a migraine." Tammy rubbed at her temples with her fingers.

"I'll page Shawn on his wrist-com. No scratch that he just walked in." Tam could see him motioning to someone.

"We'll be there in a half hour." Shawn grinned at Tam then the grin faded into a frown. "What's wrong? Zach and Jay have been keeping me busy all afternoon."

"Lilly had it out with Jeff and the others. The result of her actions landed her off the team and on Babysitting duty." Tammy filled him in. "She's lucky that she backed down otherwise she'd be on a shuttle back home by now."

"Let me guess. She's locked herself in her room with a tub of rocky road." Shawn groaned. "She's so off the charts that she's blocking me out. I'll be there in ten minutes. I just have to shower and change." Shawn ended the call.

"I'll never stop being amazed at how fast guys can get ready and always look like dream hunks." Tam ran to get dressed.

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Lilly eyed a small box on her pillow with a red bow on it and a small card. Happy seventeenth, my princess. Until we meet again. Love Ren! Lily read the card then threw the box at the door. Sapphire earrings glistened on her carpet. "He was in my bedroom! Worse yet he remembered my birthday and no one else here besides Tammy did." She cautiously left her bed to walk over and picked up the earrings.

Shawn knocked on her door but didn't announce that it was him.

Lilly stalked over to the glass doors that led out onto the back deck, opened them, and then threw the earrings out onto the sand. "Go away Tamara!!" She glared at her door when the knocks became more insistent. "I'm not going!!"

They were pounding on her door now.

"Tamara Andria I don't wanna go anywhere tonight. It's bad enough that Ren remembered my birthday and Shawn forgot!" She snarled out biting back a scream when Shawn kicked the door open.

She instinctively launched herself at the intruder. Only to find herself in the hallway on top of Shawn.

Shawn forgot himself and kissed her until she had melted in his arms. "This hasn't really been your week. Has it heart of mine." He kissed away the chocolate wring around her mouth. "Rocky Road huh." He cradled her face between his hands so that he could look into her miserable azure eyes.

Lilly was so thrilled that it was Shawn and not Ren that she lowered her lips to his own and kissed him until the two of them were both shaking and panting for air.

Shawn rolled them so that she was pinned under him. "I planned a surprise beach party, heart of mine. I didn't forget. How did Ren remember your birthday?"

"I found a box on my pillow. He was in my home. In my bedroom…" Lilly buried her face against his chest.

Shawn pulled her up with him to their feet, then into his arms, and back into her room. "Where is the box, love?" He asked gently.

Lilly pointed down at the carpet. "It had sapphire earrings in it. I tossed them outside onto the beach."

Shawn carried her over to the bed and set her down on it. Before walking outside to go collect the items in question and then proceeded to put them back in the box. "Cheer up flower. We have a party to go to where you happen to be the guest of honor." He set the ice cream out of Jara's reach. "No cat that's not good for you."

Jara growled something profane at him.

Tammy raced passed the door. "Dex is here. I'll see the two of you there." She called out as she rushed out the door to meet Dex.

"I spoke to your Dad about your nightmares and the trouble that you've been having in the Hades program regarding confronting Ren. I offered up a solution and both your parents agreed to it. Whatever happens between us is up to us now. Didn't you open their gift to you yet?" Shawn arched a brow at her. He was floored that the gifts were still sitting on the table. Lilly wasn't one to forgo unwrapping gifts.

"I haven't really been in the mood." She left her room to go into the common room and rifle through the pile of presents on the table. She found the gift in question and wasted no time reading the note before opening the box. In it was her signature perfume that her mother had had created for her previous birthday, a bouquet of flowers lilies of course, and a brand new diadem with both hers and Shawn's family crests on the bejeweled item pillowed on a pink silk pillow.

"Shawn?" With trembling hands she reached down to pick up the diadem.

Shawn took off her old one and then taking the item out of her fingers replaced with the new one. "Call them heart of mine. You know your dying to." He kissed the top of her head.

Lilly raced over to the tele-com and called home.

"Hey beautiful. Aren't you supposed to be at a party?" Jace smiled warmly at her.

"I'm the guest of honor so they can wait a bit. Could you please transfer me to Momma and Daddy?" Lilly kept nervously glancing over at Shawn who was looking at the latest holo-cubes of the nieces, nephews, cousins, and siblings back home.

"Not a problem sweetie. Happy Birthday we all miss you guys." He then transferred the call to her parent's wing.

"Hi baby. I hear that you aren't having that great of a week." Keith couldn't help but see that his baby girl wasn't happy.

"And today went from bad to worse." Allura remembered all to well those days when she had been her age.

"The two of you are they best parents in the universe. This had been really hard on me and nothing has gone right since I got here. Drew's paranoid about me even dating Shawn. They all are. I'm not over my attack with Ren and it cost me the team. I've been demoted to babysitting Thea and Ginny. It made me so depressed that I ate half a tub of rocky road. If that's not enough to stress me out Ren managed to break into the beach house and leave a birthday present on my pillow. Knowing that the two of you trust me is the best present that I could have ever want and it made this day a little brighter for me." Lilly finished amazingly all in one breath.

"We just want you to be happy and Shawn showed us what he was planning on giving and that was more than enough to convince the two of us. Just be safe, happy, and always know that we love you." Allura smiled at her.

"Happy Birthday Baby. We miss all of you terribly. Oh and before I forget Drew has a present for Ninjara from Midnight." Keith reached up and scratched the jet black cub perched on his shoulder. "Meet Blacky."

"Lilly we gotta get going." Shawn whispered in her ear.

"Take care of her Shawn." Keith ordered hoarsely.

"I will." Shawn was holding Lilly in his arms.

"Bye Mom. Bye Dad. Love you." Lilly smiled happily.

"Bye baby we love you." They ended the call.

"That must be some present to get Daddy on your side."

"That's for me to know and you to find out." He kissed her and then sent her off to her room to get changed.

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(Shawn and Dex's beach bachelor pad)

"Just remember it was your idea to leave the two of them alone." Dex growled in Tam's ear as the two of them kept watch at the front door.

"Don't worry Dex. They'll be here." Tam reached up to reassuringly pat his cheek. "Is that Midnight sitting beside Drew and Philly with a bowtie around his neck?"

"Yep he's Jara's present." Dex smirked.

Tammy spotted the birthday girl and Shawn driving towards the house in Shawn's pride and joy. She grabbed Dex by the arm and raced to the back deck. "She's here. Kill the lights and the music!" Tam hissed.

The beach went silent and dark.

"I don't care Shawn! I've had a rotten day and just wanna go back home!" Lilly sounded furious.

Shawn led her up the path that led to the beach. "Come on Lilly I went through a lot of trouble planning your birthday dinner."

As soon as they appeared with cat in tow behind the house the lights came on and everyone yelled "Surprise!! Happy Birthday Lilly!!"

The party was once again in full swing.

"A surprise party and here I thought that all of you had forgotten my birthday!" Lilly played along and acted delightfully surprise. "Jara look it's Midnight!" She unleashed her cat and the two were reunited at last.

Jeff, Derek, Felicia, Kane, and Drew walked over to her. "Still mad at us?"

"No all of you were right. Maybe I'm not ready to be an active member of the team yet. The order wasn't really necessary though I adore the two of them and would have willingly watched over them orders or not." Lilly gave each of them a hug.

"Active duty or not that team cyber suit is yours when you're ready to put it on and join the team." They laughed when she squealed in delight.

She and raced over to check out her new cyber suit. "You don't know what this means to me!"

Shawn on the other hand wasn't smiling. "Ren left these on her pillow. Care to explain how he got on this high security base not to mention was able to break into her place, and leave these sparklies on her pillow." He produced the items in question as evidence.

"Heads are gonna roll for this one." Jeff swore under his breath.

"It's a travesty that the base with the highest security on the planet failed to keep Ren out." Shawn narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not possible Sam wouldn't have allowed anyone unauthorized entry. The kid had to have used base personnel. Meaning that we have a serious breach in our midst. Killian must have men planted on the base." Derek snarled.

"It's clear as day that Lilly is a target again." Drew muttered darkly.

"Then the solution is to have her under twenty-four hour watch." Felecia frowned.

"Not a chance in hell. She'd ditch them and run off in a temper." Shawn shot down that plan. "Besides don't all of you think that you've done enough for one day? What she needs is someone with her that she trusts and feels safe with."

"Not a chance kid. That would be you and we aren't about to face Keith's wrath." Derek narrowed his eyes at him.

"That's what you don't quite understand. You see Colonel I beat all of you to the punch and got permission from both Uncle Keith and Aunt Allura." Shawn couldn't help but act a little smug as he took in their dumbfounded faces. All of them that is, except for Drew because he was well appraised on the situation. "Call them yourself if you don't believe me. Now if you'll excuse me my princess awaits." He left them and went to go join Lilly.

"That explains the addition of Shawn's family crest of her diadem." Felecia couldn't help but smirk at the brooding expressions on the men around her. "Drew you don't seem the least bit upset." She arched a brow at him.

"I told you that Mom and Dad had a change of heart about the two of them. I just never said about what." Drew didn't wait for them to take out their frustrations on him and raced to join his pregnant wife. "Later Philly needs me."

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Lilly was dancing with Shawn to a classic romantic Clay Aiken love song. 'Shawn when are you gonna give me my present?' She ran her fingers through his dark blonde hair then let them trail down to his shoulders running her fingers down his back.

'Two can play at this game, heart of mine.' His hands began an exploration of their own as they brushed along her sides.

'You never play fair.' She pouted as she lovingly reached down and fondly squeezed his bum.

Spinning her away from him he inhaled sharply. 'By the gods Lilly don't start something unless you know damn well that you are gonna follow through and finish it!' He let go of her and raced towards the ocean to cool off.

"Shawn get back here! I want my present!" She shouted at him.

"Oh really and what present is that? Him or what's in the box on the gift table with the rest of your presents." Tammy winked at her best friend. "You two were so hot that the sand was turning to glass at your feet." She teased.

"I dirty danced in front of everyone and my present was over there in plain sight the whole time!" Lilly blushed crimson as she took in the knowing looks from the female members of the family and the dark parental looks from the men. It was too much for her to face at that moment so she dashed into the ocean just as Shawn was walking out of it.

"Lilly what's wrong?" Shawn easily caught her in his arms.

"What's wrong?! You made me think that you had my present and we practically seduced each other in front of everyone. I'm mortified Shawn!" She hissed at him.

"I never once hinted where your present was. You just assumed that I had it on my person. Which mind you would have been quite a feat seeing as I'm wearing swimming trunks." Shawn's heart stopped as the realization hit him that his princess was wet and the bikini that she was wearing should have had a warning label on it warning not to get it wet. "You're uh…wet…" He growled hoarsely.

"Of course I'm wet! I'm in the ocean! I want you to quit stalling and get me my present now!" She glared regally up at him oblivious of the war that was waging inside Shawn.

"As you wish Princess." Shawn swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the water. "I have other plans for us later."

"Plans?" Lilly squeaked as she stared up into his fathomless sea green eyes full of desire and love for her. "So that's why the party is so early."

'We're off for the next three days. So we're gonna have a late dinner and then go where that leads us.' Shawn growled huskily in her mind.

'What?!' Lilly gulped nervously as Shawn set her down in a lounge.

He picked up a small ring box from the mountain of gifts on the table. "This ring was my Grandmothers wear it always and be mine forever until the end of time." He opened up the box revealing a brilliant Paraiba Tourmaline the color of glacial ice set off by a spray of flawless champagne diamonds.

Lilly's hand trembled as he slipped it on her finger. "I saw this when I was seven. It was in a special case and everything."

"I wanted to have a ring made or you, but Dad insisted that I give you this one. When I saw it I had to agree with him that it was perfect or you." He knelt down next to her. "There's more."

"More?" Lilly's eyes widened when he set a very large but not heavy box on her lap and opened it. She pulled out a beautiful pink ball gown. "It's gorgeous! I saw this at Selena's, but when it I went back to buy the dress it was gone." The box also contained satin slippers and all the accessories as well as undergarments that she would need for the gown.

"I know." He winked at her. "Tammy told me all about how furious you were that the exclusive boutique had sold the gown under your nose."

Lilly opened her presents one by one saving Andy's present to her for last. It was a box nearly as big as the one from Shawn.

Shawn peered over her shoulder and his face broke out in a wolfish grin. "That's gotta be my favorite." He eyed the contents inside the box. The contents consisted of pink baby doll pajamas, two different length pink silk kimonos, a long white sheer silk nightgown ensemble, teddies, and more.

Lilly rummaged around the box for the card from her sister. It's time that you graduated to a more femme fatale nighttime wardrobe. Trust me little sister you can never have too much lingerie. Shawn might enjoy some of my choices too. I love you, Lil. Don't let them push you around. I'm always here for you if you need to vent or just talk. Love, Dromi. She closed the box and set it aside knowing full well that she was blushing the color of a ripe tomato. "Cake anyone." She squeaked. Needing space from Shawn she sprang from the lounge and ran over to blow out the candles on her cake.

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A hour or so later she was dressed in the gown and he was dressed in formal dinner attire.

"Nice boat." Lilly eyed the yacht moored at one of the piers on the island base.

"Only the best for my princess," He took her hand and escorted her onto the yacht.

"Where are we going Shawn?"

"It's all part of the surprise. Now I want you to go bellow deck and stay there until I come get you." He motioned for her to go down the stairs that lead to the lower deck of the boat.

"Shawn I'm starving. I only got one piece of cake and you whisked me away before I could raid the food buffet." She grumbled as she went down bellow.

A little while later Shawn moored the yacht on a private dock. He then went down bellow and found her fuming mad at him. "Turn around love." He ordered softly.

"What on Arus are you up to Shawn?" She wasn't happy in the least when he blindfolded her.

"Trust me." He growled huskily in her ear then took her hand in his own and led her up on deck, and then down the gangplank onto the dock.

They walked for a few minutes until she heard a door opening. It was only then did he remove the blindfold. She was standing in a beautiful room filled with vases and vases of roses. There were various size candles lit all around the room. Soft music floated through the air, and a table was set for two and a buffet was set up with enough food to last them days. She was already loading down her plate with food. "I haven't eaten since breakfast." She sat down at the table to eat her dinner not so much as commenting on her surroundings.

Shawn didn't miss a beat. He fixed himself a plate and sat down to eat his own dinner. "I'd hoped that I had enough food prepared." It never ceased to amaze him just how much she could eat and never gain a single ounce. "Am I forgiven?"

Lilly now having finished her meal was able to focus on her surroundings. "Is this a solarium? Did you lease a house for the weekend?" She got up and walked around the room.

"At last she realizes that I'm here too." He chuckled. "Now to answer your questions yes this is the solarium and no I didn't lease this house. It's ours."

"Ours?" She echoed.

Shawn nodded. "It's on the more private part of the base, but not so far away from the family. It's just enough so that we can have a place of our own.

"I love it so far. Show me more." She smiled happily at him.

"Much more." Shawn opened French doors and led her into the Great Room. More candles lit up the room and there was a fire in the fireplace. "Shall we dance?" He pulled her into his arms and began to slow dance with her to the music.

"Shawn you must have been planning this for months. Did you and Daddy come to an understanding when you talked after Dria's wedding?"

"I'll never tell." He nuzzled her neck.

Lilly pulled back from him until their eyes met. "Months…You've had months knowing that Daddy had changed his mind."

"I'd rather cut off my arm before I pushed you into anything that you weren't ready for. Instead of resorting to cold showers I had this place to focus on. We can just sit by the fire and relax. What happens next is entirely up to you." He cradled her face in his hands.

Lilly stood on tip toe and placed her lips on his own.

"Are you sure?" Shawn searched her eyes for any sign of fear and saw only love shinning for him in her eyes.

"Shawn I love you so much. I want to spend eternity with you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the feeling in her heart.

Shawn swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to the candle lit master bedroom suite. He laid her down on the rose petal strewn bed then laid down beside her. He kissed her until they were both mindless and the two of them were swept away in each others arms.

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Elsewhere at the beach house

Tammy was exhausted she had been pulling double duty working half the week at the hospital and undergoing training sessions with Derek the rest of the week. Dex was just as busy as she was spending nearly all of his time at the hospital making dating each other a challenge. She thanked the gods for cleaning droids because she just didn't have the energy to clean up the after party mess. In fact all of that dancing all be that having been a blast had made her already tender muscles sore as hell. "I won't be able to move tomorrow." She collapsed onto one of the double lounges.

"You've more than proved to Derek and the others that you can be more than just the team medical officer. Is it still so necessary for you to do both?" Dex sat down beside her.

"It's just something in my genes I guess that drives me to do both." Tamara sighed. "Your one to talk seeing as you spend just as much if not more time at the hospital. God's everything hurts." She moaned in misery.

Dex lowered the lounge. "Roll over." He ordered softly.

Tammy opened one eye to eye him speculatively. "What are you up to?"

Dex rolled his eyes at her. He had hoped that she had passed the being wary of him stage by now. "Trust me, love. I know the perfect diagnosis to ease your distress." He reached over to pick up a bottle of essential oil from the table beside the lounge.

"Dex I don't really think that even a massage would help right now. But if you wanna take a shot at it by all means work your magic." Tammy rolled onto her stomach.

"Oh yea of little faith," Dex poured some of the oil onto his palms. "Just close your eyes, relax, and let my hands work their magic." He went to work massaging her shoulder blades.

"Dex you really do have the magic touched." She purred contently letting her body relax.

The back strap of her bikini top was in the way so he unclasped it so that he could continue to massage down her spine and then down her arms and legs until she was fully relaxed on the lounge. "You okay love?" He asked softly.

Tamara didn't move.

"Tamara?" He bent down and trailed a line of kisses across her shoulder blades.

She sighed in her sleep.

"Finally alone and she falls asleep on me. Only because of exhaustion, but it doesn't help my ego any." Not really thinking all that clearly he turned her back over on her back and her bikini top slipped off her. Dex drank in the sight before his eyes before coming back to his senses enough to cover her with a towel. Before going back into the house to go get a t-shirt to put on her. Looks like you'll be living in a cold shower tonight. He chanted medical terminology in his mind anything to rein in his primal urge to take what his body was screaming that it wanted as he dressed her in one of his t-shirts.

"Time for bed, love." He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the house.

She snuggled against the crook of his neck.

It warmed him to know that she trusted him completely and the urge to protect her was nearly overpowering in his mind.

He paused in front of Shawn's empty room and found Jara and Midnight sleeping contently on the bed.

Midnight opened up his eyes and fixed him with what he could have sworn was a smug look.

"Smart ass. See if I feed you any tuna anytime soon." Dex muttered darkly as he continued down the hallway to his room.

He set her down in the center of the bed and then tucked her in before heading for the bathroom and a glacially cold shower.

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(Shawn and Lilly's Hideaway)

Shawn awoke before dawn smiling down at the gorgeous female sleeping contently in his arms. He reluctantly untangled himself from her arms and got out of bed. He pulled on a robe then went about the task of preparing and then administering the serum.

Lilly felt enveloped in a warm glow as the serum raced through her veins. It was a soothing experience nothing searing just a comfortable warmth. "I feel wonderful." She purred contently in her sleep.

Shawn joined her back in bed. "I love you, Lilly." He nuzzled her neck.

Opening her eyes she snuggled against him. "Love me, Shawn."

"How long have you been awake?" He growled between kisses.

"Was that the serum that you just gave me?" Lilly matched his kisses with searing one of her own.

"Yeah there's no turning back now. You're mine forever now, heart of my heart."

"And your mine forever."

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(Beach House)

Dex awoke with Tammy spooned against him still dead to the world. "Time for cold shower number fifty," He untangled himself and reluctantly left his bed. He glanced back at Tammy. She had turned on her side and was hugging his pillow in her sleep. Instinct screamed at him to kiss her awake and then go where that lead them. Instead he ran for the shower, but left the door open incase she woke up.

Tammy stirred waking refreshed and feeling wonderful, but not in her own bed. She sat up all too aware that her bikini top had been replaced by a t-shirt that smelled of Dex's aftershave. "I don't remember anything after him massaging me." She hugged his pillow to her.

Dex stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "I'm sorry if I woke you." He wasn't the least bit sorry, but the gentle in him made him say the words. "Sweetheart what's wrong?" He asked in a soft soothing tone.

Tammy bit down on her lower lip in frustration. She couldn't find the words to ask him if anything had happened between them. It didn't help that he look devastatingly handsome standing there fresh from his shower in nothing but a towel. "I'm sorry that I can't remember…" she whimpered miserably.

Dex frowned at her in confusion. "Don't remember what Sweetheart?"

Tammy threw the pillow at him in frustration. "We slept together and I don't remember one second of it!" She burst into tears.

"No honey all we did was sleep nothing happened." He raked his fingers through his hair. Wanting so much to walk over to the bed and gather her in his arms, but not trusting himself not to give into the urge to show her much more than just comfort. "You feel asleep, so I dressed you in one of my t-shirts, and put you to bed." He told himself the hell with it and joined her on the bed and pulled her into his arms.

"You dressed me?" Tammy turned in his arms so that she was looking up at him. "What happened to my top?"

"I unclasped the back of it when I was giving you that massage and when I went to roll you over so that I could pick you up in my arms it slipped off you. Not that you noticed. You sleep like the dead nothing wakes you. I covered you with a towel, went back into the house to get a shirt for you to wear, dressed you. Do you have any idea how much control it takes just to dress you in a t-shirt without giving into my primal instinct to pounce?!" Not trusting himself he let her go so that he could leave the bed and prowl his room. "I picked you up, and got you settled in my bed. I on the other hand took an enumerable number of cold showers."

"Where did you sleep?" She arched a brow at him. Ignoring the instinct to just spring from the bed and pounce on him. He just looked so yummy in a temper with the towel beginning to slip at his waist.

"I crawled into my bed and attempted to get some sleep. I barely got even an hour when I awoke with you practically plastered against me still dead to the world. Now being the complete gentleman that my parents raised me to be…" Her innocent questions were beyond getting on his nerves. "I disentangled myself from you. Got out of bed and into another glacially cold shower. Forgive me for thinking that you might just panic if you awoke to find yourself in my arms in bed!" Dex stalked over to glower down at her in frustration oblivious that he was dangerously close to losing his towel altogether. His mouth went dry when his eyes met hers. Desire, love, and something wicked shined in her darkened sapphire blue eyes.

"Darling. You are my prince charming and I love you for not taking advantage of me, but I'm wide awake now and might I add immensely enjoying my view." She couldn't resist pointing to the towel at his feet.

Dex went from gentleman to rouge in seconds. He was looking at her as if he wanted to devour every last inch of her as he wrapped the towel back around his waist and then pounced so that she was pinned beneath him on the bed. "You started this sweetheart. Now are we going to continue with this or..." He growled between mind numbing kisses and her response was to go on an attack of her own.

"Dex stop being so noble already and ravish me." She raked her fingers through his hair as his hands and lips explored her body. "I really think that you and I should get married." She laughed when he locked eyes with her in surprised delight. "Now Dex. We can't live in sin. Our families would not be pleased."

"I was planning on asking you after the party." He smiled down at her. "But seeing as you beat me to the punch. Yes Tamara. Of course I'll marry you. You are my life. I love you." He chuckled when she threw her arms around him and then groaned when she playfully nipped his neck.

"Good we can discuss the other details and you can give me my ring much later. Now my darling handsome prince, show me how much you love me." She purred in his ear and that was the last of the conversation for many hours.

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Days later back at the base.

Jeff called Kane and Derek to his office when their four missing lovebirds hadn't surfaced for days. He'd called in Drew, but he had flatly told him to leave them be and that when the four of them wanted to resurface they would.

"Okay here's the plan. Kane I want you to go get Shawn and Lilly. Derek your to go get Dex and Tammy. I've been more than patient and given the four of them alone time. Now it's time for the four of them to rejoin reality." Jeff sounded out his battle plan.

"I'm gonna need a garrison of MP's." Kane wasn't all that pleased with the plan.

"The four of them aren't exactly dossal pushovers, Jeff." Derek growled.

"Listen you two chickens! I'm your commander and chief and what I say goes! Now get your asses in gear and go get them!" Jeff was not in the mood for insubordination.

"Look I know that their like your own kids, but if Keith let go then so can you. Hell even Drew is okay with it." Kane narrowed his eyes at him.

"Dragging back four lovebirds from their nests isn't part of our job description. If you want them back then go get them yourself!" Derek raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"That's what I have the two of you for. Now move your sorry asses and do as I say or you will be on graveyard for the next six months!" Jeff completely lost his temper with them.

The two of them saluted him and grumbled a yes sir before stalking out of his office.

Three of the four in question were walking towards them.

"Nice of the three of you to finally rejoin the world." Kane arched a brow at them. "Shawn seeing as you decided to ditch three days of duty you have patrol as in yesterday. Now move."

"Yeah Angelica and Fawn persuaded us to resurface again seeing as Uncle Jeff was on the warpath. Lil's watching the munchkins." Shawn saluted the two of them. "See ya later." Grinning like a Cheshire cat he vanished.

"Tam you've more than proven to me with your training that you can more than hold your own on the team. So why don't you focus on the medical side of things for now." Derek tried to keep a straight face when Tammy's face lit up in delight.

"That's great because I was gonna talk to you about that. I went through the training because, well, I guess it's the Wayne in me that wanted to prove myself. It's just that I really like healing and helping people more than fighting them. Don't get me wrong or anything. I'll step up and pull my weight on the team when you need me, but for now studying medicine is fine with me." Tammy gave into impulse and hugged him.

"I've no doubts that either you or Dex wouldn't be able to pull your own weight on the team and it's more than fine with me that you focus on medicine until situations deem otherwise." Derek affectionately hugged her back.

"Dex passed his trail by fire in the Hades program on the first try and so did you. So I agree with Derek completely. Not that we'd ever put the two of you in a situation where you'd have to break your oath…" Kane added hastily when Tamar narrowed her eyes at the two of them and then at Dex who shrugged his shoulders as if what Kane was saying wasn't eye opening information.

"Let's go Dexter you and I are gonna talk about what you've been doing in your free time." Tamara reached up and grabbed him by the ear.

"Ouch hey sweetheart let go of the ear!" Dex yelped in pain as he led him towards the lift. "So I can defend myself it's not that big of a deal!"

"Defending yourself I understand! But holding your own in the Hades program not so much!" Tamara hissed shoving him into the lift.

"So you can do both and that's okay, but I can't! No that's not okay sweetheart!" He snarled back as the lift doors closed.

"Hardly even a week and already trouble in paradise." Derek smirked. "You did that on purpose didn't you?"

"Yeah I know it was bad form, but you were singing Tam's praises so much that I thought that Dex deserved his due." Kane grinned sheepishly.

"No you just wanted him to squirm." Derek chuckled.

"What the hell are you two standing around here for!?" Jeff stood in his office doorway. "Go get the kids!"

"Yeah about that Jeff it seems as though our wives managed to beat us both to the punch." Derek shrugged his shoulders.

"Shawn should be getting ready for patrol and Dex and Tam are headed for the Medical Complex." Kane nodded. "Oh and baby sister is currently watching the munchkins. So that about covers that."

"Fine then the three of us can put our heads together in the Situation Room and brainstorm what Arislan, Khan, Shaitan, and the rest of their organization are up to this time." Jeff stalked down the corridor.

"That's easy no good." Derek muttered under his breath.

"That and the punks still have their eyes on Tam and Lilly." Kane grumbled.

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Lilly took her two charges on a little adventure. They had stopped by the children's museum and had stopped to have a picnic lunch at Alliance Park. The park was quiet which was fine with her. Oh there was a father wrestling in the lush green grass with his son and the usual occasional couples young and old that walked the winding shaded paths of the park.

Ginny and Thea were happily swinging and Lilly was content to sit on a bench nearby and film the two of them happily playing with her holo-recorder.

She was so absorbed in capturing the two of them with her camera that she barely noticed the distinguished older man who sat down next to her.

"Beautiful day isn't it." The man's started up a conversation his voice strangely was eerily familiar to her.

"Yes it's a lovely day to spend at the park." She nodded absently still focused on the girls and less on the silent alarm bells going off in her head.

"Those two are adorable. Are they yours?" He asked casually.

Lilly giggled and shook her head no. "Whatever gave you that idea?" Her eyes danced with amusement then that amusement turned to alarm when she recognized the man as Khan. She immediately went to jump to her feet, but Kahn had a firm hold on her elbow.

The father and son, she now recognized as Shaitan and Ryan, had moved towards the swings. Draken and Marisa were standing directly behind the girls.

"What do you want, Kahn." She glared at him.

"I only wish to get to know my granddaughter. You and little Ginny will be our honored guests for the duration and no one is going to harm either of you." Khan stood pulling her up to her feet and led her towards the swings.

"Thea! Ginny! Come her please." She called to the girls.

The two of them easily sprang from their swings and raced happily over to her. Totally unaware of the four shadows following behind them.

"What's wrong Auntie Lilly?" Thea even at five could easily sense that something was wrong and that her Aunt wasn't uncomfortable around the strange man holding her by the arm.

"Who you be?" Ginny frowned at him.

Lilly wrenched her arm free and scooped the girls up into her arms. "Remember your other grandparents and how they aren't very good people?" She whispered softly.

Thea nodded.

"We in trouble?" The girls whimpered.

"Yes angels we're in big trouble, but not to worry I won't let them hurt either of you." She kissed the tops of their heads.

"That was very intelligent of you to come quietly." Kahn smiled at her and it made Lilly's blood run cold as memories of that time when she was seven flashed in her mind.

:You are nothing but a bully. You know damn well that I can't do anything to stop you without endangering or frightening the girls! I also know that Derek, Kane, and Shawn are going to tear you apart for this one!: Lilly snarled in his mind as he escorted her to a waiting limo.

:I see that Andy has taught you well. Just do as I say and this will be over before you know it. I'll have spent time with Thea and the three of you will be safely on your way back to that island base that the Alliance's most highly kept secrets are kept on.: He opened the limo door and motioned for her to get in.

:Yeah right like I believe that all you want is an afternoon to bond with your granddaughter.: Lilly got in making sure to settle the girls protectively beside her. Crap he's using that uber powerful mind of his to block me from sending an SOS to Shawn. Fine I'll just have to fend for myself for now.

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Shawn was on his way back to base when he acquired a hostile craft hell-bent on shooting him down. He took evasive maneuvers to attempt to lose the hostile, but whoever was piloting it was a pro. "Identify yourself so that I know who the hell I'm gonna take great pleasure in shooting down." Shawn hailed his pursuer after the scan on the craft came back with an unregistered identification.

"Try it McCloud if you dare." Ren's amused snarl echoed over his com.

Shawn temper when meltdown and he went to activate his ships weapons systems, only to find that they had been rendered useless. "This shows just how much of a coward you really are Ren! The only way that you ever even had a chance to win was to sabotage my ship!" Shawn gritted his teeth as he barely avoided Ren's ships barrage of laser fire. Knowing that he was in trouble he switched his ships com system to alpha omega's private frequency. "I've run into a hostile pest on the way back to patrol. My weapons systems have been sabotage…Send…" His mayday was cut short when Ren successfully managed a direct hit on his communications array followed by two direct crippling hits. Shawn gritted his teeth in concentration maneuvering his ship to skim the water, so that he could activate his escape hatch. He then set the ship on auto pilot and vanished. Using his natural ability to hide to dive into the ocean which was the better bet rather than being blown out of the sky.

"All too easy and now Lilly is all mine." He dealt Shawn's wounded ship the final fatal blows. Watching gleefully as it blew up into thousands of fiery pieces that showered the ocean bellow.

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Fawn and Angel raced into the Situation Room.

"Shawn just went down." Fawn forced herself to stay focused and not think of the possibility of losing another loved one.

"He was on his way back to base when he encountered a hostile. His last hale was sketchy because of the static, but his weapons systems had been compromised and the hostile wasn't someone unfamiliar to him. His description was that he had encountered a hostile pest." Angel took over filling in the rest of the details.

"Ira we need to narrow down where to search." Jeff growled.

"I'm already a head of you Marshall. I've factored in all of Lt. McCloud's stats and all indications point to him being able to easily survive a crash of this origin. My system is linked to all Alliance ships on this base and his ships computer indicated that the Lt. activated his escape hatch prior to his ships demise." Ira informed Jeff of his findings.

"Who the hell shot him down?" Derek snarled.

"Colonel Knight the answer to that question is quite elementary. My scan of the area indicated an unidentified craft leaving the scene at high speed. The pilot is on visual now. I identify the hostile as Prince Ren of Avalon." Ira answered smartly.

"Damn it to hell if he went after Shawn then that means that he's targeting Lilly!" Drew swore under his breath.

"She's spending the day in Alliance City with the munchkins." Pippa also had a bad feeling about this.

"Ira has there been any activity around the Avalonian Embassy?" Kane growled darkly as he cuddled Fawn close to him.

"The Avalonian Embassy has been unusually active. Recent activity includes a variety of colorful all be that lethal individuals. Consisting on Khan Shey Lee, Prince Draken and Princess Marisa, Shaitan and his son Ryan. All who left the Embassy a little after noon in a luxury stretch air limo." Ira answered quietly as not to anger Kane more than he already was. "They stopped at Alliance Park where…This is not good…not good at all…they proceeded to collect Princess Lilly and the munchkins. They disembarked from the park and returned to the private parking garage at the Embassy."

"First things first I'll go pick up Shawn. It should be easy to spot him. I'll just follow the trail of casualties. I'm betting that in the mood that he's in right now that he's toasted enough to put the great whites on the endangered species list." Kane focused on what was imperative and that was getting to Shawn.

"I'm going with you." Fawn followed after him.

"Fine then the rest of you head for the Intrepid we'll rendezvous with Kane and then focus on rescuing Lilly and the girls." Jeff having been a seasoned pro at situations like this one easily reined in his temper and focused on the situation at hand. "Pick up Dex and Tammy on your way."

"Lilly's a tough kid. She'll be fine Jeff." Derek growled. "Her focus should be back especially now that she's a new woman."

"I hope she tears the little piss ante in half." Drew snarled.

"If you ask me this is just the test she needed to move on and gain her focus again." Angel smiled. "This way she gets pay back too."

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Ren stepped into the great room of the penthouse with a satisfied smile on his face. "I did it."

"Did what Ren? What are you smiling about?" Aaron frowned. "Your parents were looking for you and weren't happy to find that you'd gone off."

"My plan worked flawlessly." Ren was still gloating over his victory. "I watched as his ship went down in flames. Shawn is nothing but ashes in the sea or if he did manage to escape he'll be shark bait. It was glorious."

"Did you bring back any proof, because they won't believe you without it?"

"Feast your eyes on this." He slipped a holo disk into the player.

"Son of a bitch! You did it! You actually did it!" Aaron replayed the footage.

Kahn walked into the room. "So the wayward son finally returns. What have you been up to this time?"

"See for yourself." Ren checked the urge to add old man to his retort.

"Ren were you out shooting down civilians again. I told you while we were here that you were to keep a low profile." Khan narrowed his eyes at the young pup.

"I couldn't pass up the chance to rid myself of Lt. McCloud once and for all." Ren was basking in his victory. "Lilly is mine now."

"Nothing is ever that easy. You underestimate Shawn and that will be your end." Khan took the disk from the player. "Don't even think of it Lillyan is off limits."

"It's not like you wouldn't have done the same thing to get Lawson out of the way! I know that he's gone! He was in shark infested waters that I baited myself!" Ren snarled.

"I should have thrown you to the lions when I had the chance." Kahn snarled down at him. "If you compromise this time that I am spending with Athena I will personally end your life!" He grabbed him by the throat and threw him across the room.

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Lilly glared at Ryan. "How could you!"

"Easily. You see Lil's. This is my family and I happen to like being a part of it." He met her look with one of his own. "So, uh, how are the twins?"

"Jessie and Jasmine? Why do you care?" Lilly snapped.

"Look the two of them are friends of mine." Ryan narrowed his eyes at her.

"The two of them are flourishing back home." She got up to pace. "So this is what you do now? Kidnap people and terrify innocent five-year-olds?"

"They have a right to see their granddaughter, Lilly." Ryan stalked over to glower down at her. He towered over her at a little over six feet tall.

"Not like this Ryan!" Lilly hissed at him. "They had their chance and blew it! You have taken those two babies away from their parents. How does it feel to be just like your mother, Ryan!?" Lilly was in a temper so her newly acquired fangs were beginning to immerge.

Ryan took a few steps back from her and swore under his breath. "Since when are you able to sport fangs like Shawn?"

Lilly bit down on her lip in frustration piercing her lip with her fangs. "Ouch! Wow I do have fangs. That's gonna take some getting used to." She did however like the fact that the cut on her lip healed a few seconds later. "Now the uber healing factor I like."

"This is fantastic! Ren's gonna go mental when he finds out that you and Shawn went for it!" Ryan despised Ren with a passion.

"So you and Ren aren't buddies?"

"Hell no! I hate the bastard and his lackey. The guys a colossal moron!!" Ryan snarled.

"Moron though he may be. He still managed to plan and flawlessly execute Tamara and my kidnapping. He may be slime and lower than pond scum, but Ren is no fool. It seems to me that you're jealous of him." Lilly smirked when Ryan's faced flushed an angry shade of red.

"Cut it out, Lilly! You know me better than that!" Ryan growled.

"No I thought I knew you right now you're on the top of my shit list!" Lilly hissed coldly. "In fact you rank just above pond scum!"

"Don't push it princess!" Ryan snapped darkly.

"Let's dance kiddo. Show me what you've got." Lilly challenged.

"Temper, temper kid. She has a bite that's far worse than her bark. Keith must be getting weak in his old age or did you and young Shawn disobey his wishes?" Kahn stepped between the two of them and couldn't help but notice the addition of fangs to her perfect smile.

"Where the hell is my niece and baby-sister-in-aw!?" Lilly hissed through her fangs her eyes blazing with temper.

"The two little angels are taking their afternoon nap." Khan answered softly.

"I hope that Kane, Derek, and Shawn make all of you pay!" Lilly hissed.

"Kane and the others perhaps, but Shawn met his demise a few hours ago." Khan was all too happy to put the disk in the player and play it for her.

Lilly felt like tearing the something in half as she watched Shawn's ship burst into flames and the pieces scatter into the ocean. "Who did this!?! Damn it to hell answer me! Who the hell was flying the other craft!" She punched her fist into the wall leaving a hole where her fist had been.

"Ren enacted another one of his rather rash plans. He arranged to have Shawn's ship's weapons systems sabotaged and then followed through by personally shooting him down himself. If that footage is accurate all signs point to his demise." Khan played the footage over and over just to rub the wound raw.

"I don't believe you! Shawn and I are soul bonded now more than ever I would feel if he were gone!" She picked up the player and threw it against the wall. "Where did you get this!!? Where the hell is Ren!!" She grabbed Kahn by the neck, slammed him against the wall, and started strangling him. "Talk old man or I'll break your sorry neck!!" Lilly was seeing him through tears of rage.

Ryan managed to get control of the situation by putting her in a neck lock and placing pressure on her carotid artery until she went limp in his arms.

"Well put her with the girls. They can nap together." Khan croaked hoarsely.

"I've got her master Khan." Ryan easily picked up Lilly in his arms.

"Ryan make sure that Ren stays clear of her." Khan went off to brood.

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Shawn was swimming towards the direction of the island he had pasted two of the marker buoys and wasn't the least bit tired after wrestling with a group of great white sharks. Gods where is a rescue party when you need one. Lilly must be going insane with worry. Not that I can reassure her because for some reason our link is being blocked.

Kane followed the trail of casualties until he caught sight of Shawn. "I've found him and boy does he look steamed." He radioed the Intrepid.

Fawn opened the lower hatch. "Wouldn't you if you'd just warred with a school of sharks?"

"Finally. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go one on one with a school of great whites!?" Shawn grumbled as he dried himself off in the back of the ship with the towels that Fawn had given him.

"We saw them a ways back. In fact that's how we found you. We followed the trail of casualties." Kane put the ship on auto-pilot and turned to get a good look at him. "Anything severed or broken?"

"Besides my pride and a few bruises no. I should have done the pre-flight on my ship." Shawn grumbled as Fawn fussed over him. "Really Fawn I'm fine."

"You're bleeding that is not fine." Fawn growled.

"They'll heal." Shawn stalked put a pair of headsets on. "Tell Lil's that I'm fine. Just a dozen or so superficial wounds."

"Nice to hear it kid. I relay the message. Now get back here we have a situation." Jeff sighed in relief.

Shawn narrowed his eyes at Kane and Fawn. "What's going on?"

"Trouble." Kane sat back down in the pilot seat. "Roger that Jeff we are en route to the Intrepid."

"Obviously, but what kind of trouble?" Shawn sat down beside him. Now that he was focused he easily honed in on Lilly's sleeping mind. "I thought that Lil's was watching the kids all afternoon and how the hell did she learn about my crash?"

"Shawn I need you focused." Kane narrowed his eyes at him.

"Son of a bitch! That bastard went home with a trophy! What did he do email her the footage?!" Shawn snarled.

"Shawn, Lilly isn't on the base." Fawn bit down on her lip. "Khan and the others kidnapped her and the girls at the park."

"Fantastic this day just keeps getting better and better! The bastard is dead if he so much as lays a finger on her!" Shawn barely waited for Kane to land the ship in the landing bay before stalking off the ship with murder on his mind.

"Shawn we can't go in there with guns blazing!" Kane stalked after him.

"I'm a McCloud there isn't a building in the world that I can't enter without being seen." Shawn jumped into ship and shot out of the hanger to go rescue his soul mate and her two charges.

"I'm sorry Kane." Fawn winced at the look that he shot her.

"I know that Fawn, but now he's going to go in there in a full temper and bungle the whole rescue mission!" Kane shouted in frustration.

Fawn ran out of the hanger bay in tears.

"I'm sorry angel." Kane chased after her. "I'm just worried about the girls."

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Ren narrowed his eyes at the teenager guarding the room where his little niece was sleeping. "Move kid. I wanna check on my niece."

"Yeah right Ren. I wasn't born yesterday. I know who you wanna see and it isn't Thea." Ryan sneered.

"Look brat. I know you must really feel special getting stuck with guarding two five-year-olds. Can I see my niece if I promise not to wake her?" Ren rolled his eyes at him.

"The only reason that you wanna go in there is because Lilly is inside sleeping the two munchkins." Ryan snapped at him.

"Did you just say Lilly? My Lilly? She's in there napping with the two rugrats?" Ren slammed Ryan against the door.

"Shit you really did wanna check on Athena and had no clue that Lilly was even here with them." Ryan gulped thinking that Khan was going to take great pleasure skinning him alive and also realizing that Ren was no pushover.

Ren head butted the annoying pest. "Next time move."

Ryan slid unconscious to the floor.

Ren opened the door and stepped inside the darkened room. Thea and Ginny were watching over Lilly as she slept. Lilly was hugging a pillow to her and crying in her sleep.

"Why she so sad?" Ginny whimpered.

"I no know. Must be bad though." Thea whimpered back.

"Uh-huh, somethin must be wrong with Uncle Shawn. Cuz she keeps sayin his name." Ginny agreed.

Thea narrowed her sea green eyes at the stranger in the room. "Did you make Aunt Lilly sad?"

Ren walked over to the bed. "No but if the princess is sad I might be able to help her."

"You have momma's eyes." Thea wasn't about to trust anyone.

"Yes I know. Your momma is my big sister. I'm your Uncle Ren." He smiled down at her.

"You hurt Aunt Lilly! You bad!! Stay away!!" Thea got between Lilly and Ren.

"Aunt Lilly wake up!" Ginny shook Lilly awake.

Lilly blinked her eyes open. "My head is pounding." She groaned then focused on the girls. "What's wrong baby?" She sat up and waited for the room to stop spinning enough to clearly focus on Thea and Ren. "You really have a death wish! Back away from my niece!" Her eyes instantly blazed with temper. "Girls go find Thea's grandfather! Now!"

The girls scrambled off the bed and ran from the room.

"The two of us need our privacy. Don't we my love." Ren locked the door.

"You killed Shawn."

"Yes and it was glorious. I personally watched the sharks eat their dinner." Ren grinned.

"Sharks!"

"Great Whites. I baited the waters myself." Ren continued to dig his own grave.

Lilly saw him through a red haze and launched herself at him. "I only had less than a week with my lover and will take great pleasure avenging his death!"

Ren barely had time to block her attacks. "You slept with McCloud!?"

"Yes you moron! I'm engaged to him and you ruined everything!" Lilly's kick hit pay dirt and Ren crashed into a table.

"Lucky shot Lilly." Ren vaulted back up to his feet and landed a right cross across her face. "It's a pity that I'm going to have to bruise such perfection."

Lilly retaliated by whipping a kick at into his solar plexus sending him flying backwards gasping for air. "You will beg me to kill you!" Lilly slammed two more kicks two his midsection, another to his groin, and then spun kicked him in the face with such force that he went flying into the door that splintered on impact. "Get up! I'm far from finished with you!" She slammed her fists into his face.

"Lilly you…are…killing…me…" Ren was barely conscious.

"That's the idea, Ren! You killed Shawn so I'm avenging my loves death!" She went to land what might have been the fatal blow, but her hand was restrained by a delightfully familiar grip. "Shawn!" She whirled around to throw herself into his arms. "You're alive!"

"He isn't worth killing, Lil's. Let him suffer knowing that he no longer has any chance in hell of touching, hurting, or scaring you again." Shawn punched Ren, easily breaking his jaw, and rendering him unconscious.

"I thought that I'd lost you!" Lilly showered him with happy kisses.

"I snuck up the elevator shaft. I'm the advanced rescue party." Shawn silenced her with a kiss. 'Where are the girls?'

'I sent them out of the room.' Lilly cuddled against his chest.

'Wait here.' Shawn growled.

'No way! Where you go I go.!' Lilly growled.

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Athena chose the penthouses security and computer room to hide in. "Momma and Daddy will be here soon." Thea walked over to the computer console.

"How they know to be here?" Ginny frowned. "Big brother not know where we are."

"I'm good at puters." Thea had memorized how the computer worked and began keying things into the computer.

Ginny instantly recognized the logo that flashed on the screen. "That be momma's puter!"

"Uh-huh let's see if Momma and Grams are there." Thea keyed in another command.

Felicia's face replaced the logo on the screen. "Thank heavens! Fawn it's the girls." Felecia called Fawn over beside her.

"Grams we in bad Gramps house and Uncle Ren is gonna hurt Aunt Lilly!" Thea was near tears.

"Calm down sweetie." Fawn soothed her daughter. "Daddy is on the way. Now what's happened to Lilly. Is Ren with her?"

"She told us to leave." Ginny whimpered. "She was really mad at him. Cuz somethin bad happened to Uncle Shawn."

"We ran in here to hide." Thea sniffled.

"It's okay girls. Shawn's fine." Felicia reassured them. "Now stay there okay."

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Shawn and Lilly skulked around the penthouse with dead weight. Shawn was carrying Ren over his shoulder.

"We should have left him there to rot." Lilly snarled.

"He tried to protect you, so the kid can't be that far gone." Shawn growled.

"He knocked me out while I was strangling Khan." Lilly hissed back.

"He hit you!"

"No he knocked me out by applying pressure to my carotid artery."

"New plan. Think hostage."

"We can't sink that low! We're the good guys!"

"Let's check in here." He paused in front of the control room doors and opened the door.

"Hurry someone's coming!" Lilly shoved him inside and locked the door behind her. To her relief she was tackled by the girls.

"You're not hurt!" The girls clung to her.

"Nope barely a scratch." She hugged him back.

"We called for help." They both pointed at the computer screen.

"Lilly! Thank heavens that you're alright." Fawn cried out in relief.

"Did you kill Ren?" Felecia could see all the signs.

"No, but he won't be able to function for at least a year." Lilly smirked.

Shawn was busy barricading the doors. "We're in trouble! They found Ren and Ryan's missing. Tell the others to…" Shawn in all essence wasn't nearly up for a rescue mission and now that his adrenaline rush was all but depleted passed out cold from his ordeal.

"Shawn!" Lilly raced over to him.

"Uncle Shawn wake up!" Thea raced over to try and shake him awake.

Shawn lay motionless.

Khan was standing just outside the door. "Lilly no one is angry at you or giving Ren what was coming to him. Open the door. I promise that you won't be harmed."

Ryan began to stir and Lilly punched him rendering him unconscious once more. "Not a chance! I remember what you do to people when you say that! You cut off their hands!" Lilly shouted back.

"Open this door!" Khan bellowed.

"Drop dead! I called for Alpha Omega! They should be here any minute now! If I were you I would leave while I still had a chance!"

Lilly snapped back. "Oh and Ren must have put Ryan in her before seeing me. So he's stuck in here with me!"

"I want my son back, Lillyan Allura!" Shaitan bellowed.

"Sorry! He stays!"

"Then we'll break down the door and collect you that way!"

"Knock yourselves out, but it would take a laser torch and I really don't think that you have time for that!" Lilly winced when Shaitan slammed a furious kick into the door.

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"Shawn's down no surprise there. He's holed up with Lil's and the girls in this room. Ryan's with them." Derek and the team were on the roof going over the building schematics on the data pad. "Khan and the others are most likely trying to find them."

"Khan and Shaitan are snarling at Lilly through the door." Drew relayed what Ira was relaying to him. "Yeah Shawn's out of it and so is Ryan. The girls and Lil's are fine though."

Tammy was perched near the edge of the roof with Dex. "Draken and Marisa just left with Aaron and…" She gleefully recorded the scene of Ren being carried out in a stretcher. "Ren's been worked over but good. They're carrying him out on a stretcher."

"Shawn must have gone into shock. We need to get them out of there ASAP." Dex growled.

"Kane I want you to cut a hole in the side of the penthouse exactly where they're holed up. The rest of us will take care of Shaitan and the old man." Derek growled.

"Drew tell them to tell Lilly to put on Shawn's head set. I want to know about Shawn's condition." Dex was beyond worried about his best friend. "The idiot should have gotten checked out before dashing off the save Lilly."

"Let's do this by the numbers. No hero's. I want everyone to come through this without a scratch." Derek ordered and the team sprang into action like a well oiled machine.

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"He isn't moving and has a strong pulse." Lilly relayed the information to Dex. "I don't think that his healing factor can cope with the injuries that he must have sustained from the crash."

"Easy Lilly. Shawn abandoned ship before it blew up. It's more likely exhaustion that he succumbed to." Dex tried to reassure her. "He'll feel like you did after Avalon. Now don't be alarmed, but Kane is in the process of cutting you out an escape route and if you hear all hell break loose well that's Derek and the rest of the team."

"Tell him to hurry, because Shaitan has nearly finished cutting out the door!" Lilly panicked as a heat seared outline was now visible on the door.

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Moments later the cavalry had arrived.

"Can't you creeps leave her alone?" Tammy kicked the laser torch out of Shaitan's hands.

"You must be Tamara. You are the very image of your mother." Khan eyed the near mirror image of Andria curiously.

"So what if I am! Back the hell away from that door!" She snarled.

Shaitan instantly recognized that voice. "My god you even sound like her."

"Andria was my second child." Kahn decided that seeing as he had a say in Andria's creation that Tammy was his granddaughter. "That would make you my eldest granddaughter"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Tammy scowled. "You weren't her father. Grandpa Keith was."

"Andria is a clone of Andromeda that I commissioned one of my scientist to create. So the two of you mine." Khan smiled.

"That's enough Khan!" Derek and Drew caught up with Tam.

"I feel sick!" Tammy raced vanished from the hallway.

"That's strange. If she's anything like Dromi she's got an iron constitution. Dromi's only ever sick like that unless she gets upset when she's with child." Shaitan frowned.

"Shut up Shaitan before I make you eat those words!" Drew snarled.

"Don't get any ideas old timer. Tamara is off limits." Derek narrowed his eyes at Khan.

"You have no rights here! Now leave!" Khan snarled.

"Wrong old man. I'm the son of the former rulers of Avalon and was born there. I have legal jurisdiction over your sorry hide." Derek resisted the urge to shoot fire his weapon at Khan's knee caps. "We're here to take back what's rightfully ours and then we're leaving. You have half a day to pack up and leave or we come back and take out your worthless hides."

Tammy stalked back over to them. "You tried to kill my many-great-grandmother and you used her as a weapon. So as far as I'm concerned you're nothing to me. Kane's has Lilly, Shawn, Ryan, and the girls. Let's leave this place the stench is nauseating here!" She stalked back down the hallway.

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(At the base Medical Complex)

Lilly glared at Colonel Monica Sinclair. "I'm fine. It's Shawn that needed attention."

"Alec is with him. He's in excellent hands, so lie back down and relax." Monica ordered in a gentle but firm tone. "You seem to have acquired Shawn's healing factor as well as many other traits of his. Your vision is better than 20-20 and I surmise that you have excellent night vision as well."

"Shawn and I bonded our souls. So am I fine or what?"

"You'll be happy to know that you aren't pregnant. Somehow the two of you managed to break the family tradition." Monica gave her the rest of the good news.

"That's a relief. I really wasn't ready for that yet." Lilly sighed in relief.

"None of us ever are sweetie." Monica winked at her.

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Dex watched Colonel Alec Sinclair work on Shawn.

"He's going to be fine, Dex. He needs rest for a day or two but then he should be completely recovered." Alec turned to give Dex the good news.

"Anyone else would have drowned or been shark food." Dex sighed in relief.

"Shawn isn't anybody. He's his father's son." Alec updated Shawn's chart. "With that healing factor of his it's not surprising that he came through this with only minor injuries."

"Daddy after the day Shawn's had he has a right to be a little out of it." Angelica rolled her eyes at her father.

"Have you told Derek yet?" Alec frowned at his baby girl.

"Not until I absolutely have to. He'll beach me and I'll be bored out of my mind." Angel sulked.

"You'll be showing in two weeks, Angel." Alec pulled his daughter into his arms for a hug. "What's wrong baby."

"Daddy, I'm terrified about becoming a parent. Babies are so tiny and fragile." She sniffled.

"You love children and they adore you. Now I want you to go home put your feet up and relax. No more missions for you either young lady." He kissed the top of her head.

"Yes Daddy." She sighed.

Derek joined them in Shawn's hospital room. "How's he doing?"

"He'll be fine, son. Oh, and Angelica has something to tell you. Don't you Angelica." Alec left the room to see to his other patients.

"Is it about the baby, my love?" Derek pulled her into his arms.

"You've known?" Angelica stared wide eyed up at him. "All of this time I've been so careful not to even give the slightest hint and you've known!"

Derek narrowed his eyes at her. "You can't hide anything from me. So exactly how long were you going to wait before you told me?"

"I was gonna tell you tonight." Angel decided the best line of defense was to tell a little white lie.

"Excuse us, Dex." Derek picked her up and vanished.

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Kane and Drew escorted Ryan to Jeff in binds.

"Behave kid." Drew warned.

"I'm barely thirteen what the hell can I do." Ryan glared at him.

"Plenty. Don't think for a second that I think that you're on the straight and narrow, Kid." Kane shoved him through the doorway into Jeff's office.

"Hello Ryan. Enjoying your visit?" Mark was sitting in Jeff's office.

"Not really no seeing as I'm walking around in handcuffs." Ryan snapped. "Don't I at least get a phone call?"

"Ryan you're not under arrest. We've taken you into protective custody." Jeff motioned for him to sit. "The cuffs are just a precaution."

"Why the hell for!?! My Dad wouldn't hurt me ever!" Ryan glared at him. "I demand my one call! I wanna call Andromeda!"

"Sorry Ryan, but that not going to happen. You see she doesn't take kindly to people who try to harm members of her family. You were seen on four days ago on the base. We have security footage of you in the hanger bay as well as days before outside Lilly and Tamara's beach house." Jeff stalked around his desk to glower down at the teen. "In case you need me to spell it out for you, son. You're in major hot water young man."

"I knew that I should have taken care of those guards." Ryan grumbled.

"Jeff the kid needs to be taught a lesson." Kane boxed Ryan's ears.

"Look I only do minor jobs like that for profit. It wasn't like I was gonna really let Ren kill Shawn or anything like that. I didn't compromise his emergency com or hatch so that he couldn't easily escape. Lil's loves jewelry so what's the harm with leaving her Ren's gift?" Ryan rolled his eyes at them as if he hadn't committed a major crime.

"Shawn is gonna murder him when he wakes up." Drew couldn't believe the nerve of this brat or how brainwashed he had become.

"Shawn's okay? That's great it killed me to see Lilly cry like that."

"That does it!" Kane lost his temper and dragged Ryan from Jeff's office and down the various corridors until they were standing in front of the Holo-suite. "Start praying kid." He freed him from his cuffs, shoved him into the room, and then locked him in. "Iris activate Hades Program level Nightshade and have Ira contact me if it looks as if he's gonna die."

"Major Hunter level Nightshade requires cyber armor." Ira answered him not Iris.

"Override safety protocol authorization code Hunter Delta Omega 2070. Make it as real as possible the kid is Shaitan's son and not your ordinary teenager." Kane waited for Ira to comply with his order.

"Override initiated." Ira sighed.

"Good. Just so you know, Ira. The kid in there is responsible for kidnapping Lilly and the girl's, he sabotaged Shawn's ship, broke into Lilly's beach house, and doesn't even think he did anything wrong." Kane filled in some of the missing data for the AI.

"In that case I won't inform you to come get him until he's learned his lesson and I'll add General Lawson to the mix." Ira growled.

"Give him hell, Ira. Give him hell." Kane left to go see if Tamara was handling the shocking truth that Khan had revealed to her.

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Dex and Tammy's beach house.

Tammy ran down the beach trying to block out her feelings of betrayal. She'd always thought that Andria being a clone of Andromeda had been an urban myth. It was all real. Khan was her grandfather!? The very thought of it made her want to scream. It was clear as day that the run wasn't helping so she gave that up to swim out her frustrations in the ocean.

Dex arrived home to find Tammy gone. He poured himself something cold to drink and stepped outside onto the deck to see if she was out on the beach. Something in his gut told him that something was off with her. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her yet and knew that she was beyond upset about something that happened during the mission. So much so that she hadn't even checked on Shawn or Lilly or with Monica at the Medical Center. "Where are you?" He surveyed the beach and then the ocean.

Kane walked around the house and joined Dex on the deck. "Hi Dex. Is Tammy around?"

"She left a note saying that she went for a run, but I can't spot her anywhere." Dex went into the house returning a moment or two later with his field glasses. "Son a bitch what's she thinking!" He stripped down to his shorts and took off at a run towards the water. "She already probably ran until she was exhausted! If she gets a cramp she'll drown!"

Kane was right behind him. "Khan had a chat with her and from what I've heard she didn't take it very well." Kane was a stronger swimmer than Dex and streaked past him in the water. Tam was still yards in front of them and she was in trouble. She'd gone under a second time. Kane dove under and so did Dex when she didn't resurface a third time with them only feet away.

"I can't find her!" Dex surfaced for air then dove down again.

Kane surfaced beside him, took in a deep breath, and dove back under water. He surfaced with Tammy's limp body in his arms. "Don't do this to me kid." He ordered her hoarsely as he and Dex swam towards shore. It was too choppy to even attempt resuscitating her.

The two immediately preformed CPR as soon as they hit the beach.

"Come on Tamara breathe!" Dex blew breath into her lungs.

"It's not all that bad kiddo. I mean is it so bad having me for an Uncle?" Kane was trying desperately to stay focused and not panic. She still wasn't responding.

'I won't let you leave me now breath!' Dex ordered heart linking with her as he breathed his life's breath into her lungs.

Tammy began coughing up water.

"That's it sweetie breathe and get that nasty salt water out of your lungs." Kane rolled her onto her side and massaged her back.

"That was really stupid…" she croaked out between coughing fits. 'I'm sorry…'

Dex had been so relieved that she was breathing again that he himself had been holding his breath. 'You nearly drown and you're sorry!'

"Breathe Dex! She's gonna be fine!" Kane whacked him on the back.

Dex vaulted to his feet and paced in front of them. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He let his temper fly.

Tammy had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

"Easy Dex. She doesn't need this right now." Kane narrowed his eyes at the furious twenty-one year-old who had gone on to swear at her in dozens of dialects. "Fine throw a tantrum, but I'm taking my niece to the Medical Center! Meet us there after you've cooled off!"

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Lilly was on her way to the Medical Center to check on Shawn when she couldn't help but notice that someone had left the Holo-suite program running on the highest level of difficulty. "Um Iris? Is someone in there?"

"Major Hunter shoved someone in there and I have been unable to contact him." Ira answered. "Might I add Lt. Edwards that it's good to have you back."

"Thanks Ira it's good to be back. End program please." Lilly sighed.

Ryan was barely conscious. "Thank God! I was about to be sliced and diced by Dromi and Eric! I'm really sorry about Shawn and breaking into your house! I'll never touch his ship again!"

Lilly stalked back out of the room and locked it down again. "Ira resume program, but add Uncle Rohan, Daddy, Chris, and Nate to the mix!" Lilly stalked down the corridor towards the lift.

"As you wish princess." Ira sighed.

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Thea and Ginny were watching Shawn sleep.

"He been sleepin an awful long time, momma." Thea and Ginny looked worriedly at Fawn.

"I know girls, but he needs his rest." Fawn scooped up Thea for a cuddle.

Lilly walked into the room and tried her best to ignore all the medical monitors around Shawn's bed. "Hey munchkins are you guarding Shawn for me?" She scooped Ginny up in her arms.

"Uh-huh we protect him too." Ginny nodded her raven black curls bouncing around her face.

"Let's go get that ice cream and let Lilly sit with Shawn." Fawn knew that Lilly needed some alone time with Shawn.

"Eat some for me too." Lilly set Ginny down on her feet.

"Okay." The girls never turned down ice cream and the three of them left the room.

Lilly walked up to the head of Shawn's hospital bed and bent to give him a kiss.

The monitors reacted to Shawn's increased pulse rate.

"Please wake up." She sat down on the stool beside the bed. "I can't feel you with me and it's really scaring me." She burst into tears sobbing against his chest half on and half off the bed.

Shawn was gradually starting to awaken. 'Please stop the waterworks, heart of mine. It tears me up when you cry.'

Lilly sat up and stared down at his sleeping face. "Shawn?" she sniffled.

'Give me a minute to wake up, sweetheart.' He growled soothingly.

She buried her face against his chest. "I thought that I was gonna lose you."

Shawn opened his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "Not gonna happen you and I are forever."

"Don't you ever do that to me again." Lilly sat up so that she could kiss him.

"You've had a hard day sweetheart, so crawl in here and nap for a while." Ignoring his protesting muscles Shawn pulled her beside him on the bed.

"You need to be careful or your body is gonna make you pay." Using his chest as a pillow she yawned as she curled up against him.

I'll take it easy as long as you stay here in my arms." Shawn growled against her hair his arms securely around her waist.

"I love you so much, Shawn." Lilly settled off to sleep. "I'm so happy that you're mine."

"As I am that you are mine." Shawn yawned. "I love you, Lilly."

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Tammy awakened with Kane, Dex, and Monica staring down at her. "I wasn't trying to drown myself." Her voice sounded raw and hoarse from swallowing so much salt water. "I went for a run and when that didn't work to clear my head dove into the water for a swim. I had a lot on my mind and wasn't really thinking of the repercussions that could occur because of my rash actions."

"Can I tell you something that I know Khan didn't mention to you?" Kane was sitting on one side of her bed.

"What?" Tammy frowned.

"While in a way Khan was a sort of surrogate father figure, seeing as he ordered her creation. He neglected to mention that genetically Andromeda is you're grandmother, because Andria is a clone of her." Kane wasn't sure if he'd made the situation even worse seeing as she was on the verge of tears.

"Why didn't she tell me the truth?" Tammy sniffled.

"Andria became an identical sister to her, so she stopped thinking of her as ever being a clone and part of the family instead." Kane explained.

"Fine that makes it a little better." Tammy threw off the covers and attempted to get out of bed. "Where's Lilly?" Her legs were barely able to hold her up so she collapsed in Dex's arms.

"She's with Shawn. Now back to bed you go." He set her back in bed.

"Sweetie you have to take it easy. You're weak from your ordeal and need your rest." Monica soothingly stroked her hair.

"I don't wanna rest!" Tammy folded her arms across her chest and pouted. 'Dex, I wanna see that she's okay for myself. I wanna see Shawn too!'

"It's alright for the two of you to go. She's my other half so I'll watch over her now." Dex turned to smile at Monica and Kane. 'I'll think about it.'

"Lilly and Shawn are fine." Monica assured her as she updated her chart. "Shawn needs rest and Lilly seems to have gained her confidence back again." Monica left to finish her rounds.

"I'll check in on you later." Kane bent to kiss Tammy on the top of her head and then left.

"Next time find me when you get upset and we'll find some other to find a solution to the problem that doesn't include exercising yourself to death." Dex got in beside her and pulled her in his arms.

"It wasn't something that I wanted to talk about. Just the thought of it makes my stomach roll." Tammy buried her face against his chest.

"Let's just nap for a while and then later I'll take you to see Shawn and Lilly." Dex cuddled her close to him.

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Kane walked by the holo-suite. "Ira end program." He waited for a few minutes before walking inside.

Ryan was unconscious.

"Come on Ryan. By the looks of you I think you've more than learned your lesson." Kane pulled him up to his feet.

"Lilly increased the program." Ryan moaned in pain. "I'll behave. I promise just don't put me back in there again."

Mark had come to collect him when Ira informed him that he had been in subjected to the Hades Programs highest level for going on five hours. "Let's go get you looked at." He fixed his son with a look.

"Fine just get me as far from that place as possible." Ryan whined.

Kane was carrying him over his shoulder. "Don't look at me like that Dad. I lost track of the time. Ryan was an afterthought in my after I rescued Tam from drowning."

"Is she okay?" Mark stopped in his tracks looking anxiously at him.

"Yeah she's shaken up and weak as a kitten her ordeal." Kane reassured his father. "Dex is more shaken up about it than she is and is watching over her while she rests at the medical center."

"I'll look on her after we drop Ryan off for Alec to check over. I want to check on Shawn too." Mark was relieved that this day was nearly over. "It took Jeff and I on hour to convince the family back on Arus from seeing for themselves that everyone was alright. Andy was highly emotional."

"Could be that Sammy's on the way." Kane smirked.

"Yeah but she's in denial. Eric was all smiles though." Mark chuckled.

"Yeah he's been looking forward to her birth for years." Kane laughed.

"MK's into that phase where he wants to test everyone." Mark sighed.

"Sounds like you'll be getting you're shot at reining him in earlier than planned." Kane frowned.

"Yeah he'll be the youngest member ever to attend the academy, but Eric and Andy have to wanna let him go first. He's finished school, is a master level in all martial arts, learning marksmanship, and more." Mark had been keeping an eye on his great nephew.

"Add the fact that he has a photographic memory, an intelligence that's off the charts, is a volatile blending of his parents power wise, and we've got one hell of a wild card in the making." Kane swore under his breath.

"He'll be joining us before years end." Mark was dead certain of that.

"Well then let's join the calm while we still have it." Kane wasn't looking forward to reining in his nephew.

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Next

Chapter Five

I don't own the Original Voltron Characters, or the DC characters, but everything else is mine!! Do not use any of my original characters!! They are mine! There are to many plagiarizers out there and I am sick of them stealing other peoples ideas!! It takes a lot of hard work to write a story and that work should be respected.

Cindra©1999-2007

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