W-A-R-N-I-N-G- Another 'similar but different chapter ahead! Thank you to all who are reading/reviewing/following...this story was my 'baby' and I'm glad I didn't let it go :-)
Cubbie and Chris: This story has P!NK written all over it! All humor, romance, and girls being naughty...hope you enjoy!
KathDMD: *evil giggles and grins* oh...I'm going to give you so much more LOL! Luv u!
JustLucky05: Thank you! Although "Madness" is soon to get more serious...GMN will stay humorous...the story takes a completely different turn...think you'll have fun with it :-)
Drowningblonde: This one will, truly, remain lighthearted and a true ode to 20somethings..things will get spicy down the line ;-) Yes...this one is all about fun...
FroofyB: Madness will deal with both Allura's and Keith's issues and is about to take a serious turn as more things are revealed. GMN, however, is all about fun, humor, and lighthearted romance. Keith and Dylan will have many challenges...but all in fun! Glad you like!
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OCs are mine...
Spring Break: Give Me Novocaine
Chapter 4
The Hangar, located less than one hundred feet away from the back entrance of the Galaxy Garrison headquarters, was the stereotypical hangout for the Alliance elite, as they called themselves; they being Jeff, Lisa, Ginger, Cliff, Shannon and Crik (along with the rest of the Vehicle team), and back in the day, Keith, Lance, and Sven - and, when they weren't building something, Hunk and Pidge. The reason for its popularity among Space Academy cadets and Garrison employees alike was because it held fast to the tradition of serving alcohol to all military personnel aged eighteen and older. The owner's general belief was simple: if a soldier was old enough to die for his country, he (or she) was sure as hell old enough to have a drink. Luckily, the government agreed, and now it was just one of the many bars and lounges in the area that catered to a younger crowd.
Tonight, since he happened to be in town, Liam decided to join his old classmates, although the gang highly suspected that it was just so he could meet the famed Princess Allura and try to sink his claws into her. Of course, it didn't hurt that he knew that Ginger and Lisa would be there, dressed to impress.
Commander Liam Lochlan had tied with Jeff at the Number Four spot in overall Alliance rankings. He had turned down a position on the S.S. Explorer as a member of Jeff's Air Team in order to command the Infinity, the Alliance fleet responsible for minimizing Drule presence in the Orion quadrant on the border of the Milky Way and the Denubian.
As he entered The Hangar, the first person he saw was Lisa. She was dressed lusciously in a pair of deep-blue skinny jeans and a sleeveless white lace top with a high neckline and a borderline-open back. On her feet, she wore strappy fuchsia glitter-and-satin platform heels. Though she hadn't brought a sweater or jacket to keep her warm against the night's cooling temperatures, she had her boyfriend Jeff, which was almost as good.
It made him angry to know that she was off-limits.
"Gee, Liam. How nice of you to grace us with your presence." Lisa raised a dubious eyebrow as she lifted a glass of chardonnay to her lips.
"Oh, come on now, Love. Did you honestly think that my brother from down under here would pass up the opportunity to finally meet the beautiful Princess?" Cliff piped up. "Unfortunately for him, she's not his type - not even close." He playfully slapped Liam on the back.
"Yeah? We'll just see about that, mate. No woman can resist my exquisite charm. Isn't that right, girls?" Liam shot a presumptive smile at Lisa and Ginger. They both rolled their eyes at him.
"Been there, done that, and it wasn't much to write home about," Ginger barked at him as she took a sip from her drink. "Seriously, boy, you so need to get over yourself."
"That's not quite how I remember it, Gingie." He had to admit, she still looked incredible - she still had those gorgeous blonde curls and that killer toned body. Speaking of her body, she'd dressed it in a basic white form-fitting tank top, covered by a black long-sleeved cardigan with leather panels along the front as well as a pair of tight black low-rise skinny jeans. She was nearly five inches taller from the strappy red patent leather designer sandals on her feet, which showcased the gorgeous red pedicure she'd gotten earlier in the day. "Shall I refresh your memory?"
"You know, Liam, when you and I were dating, you said that you would die for me. I think it's time for me to take you up on that offer," Ginger snorted.
Liam laughed. "Good one, Gingie. That's why I will always treasure my original misconception of you." The sarcasm in his words stung. "I thought you were such a nice, quiet girl in the beginning."
"OK, you two, knock it off!" Jeff cried out, shooting them both a dirty look. His gaze then settled on Liam. "Seriously, Liam, back off. We know why you're really here tonight, and it's not because of our scintillating company." He draped his arm around Lisa's shoulders. "The Princess is off-limits."
"Is that so, Jeffrey? Does that order come directly from you, or a certain other raven-haired Captain?" Liam cracked smugly.
"Liam, I love ya, but back off, mate. Just be cordial for once in your bloody life." Nobody missed the irritated tone in Cliff's voice.
"Ha. I should've guessed." Liam snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Is Kogane worried that I might steal his little Princess' virtue? Because God knows that Mr. Protocol never will."
He laughed to himself for a moment. Once he looked up, he noticed all the serious faces glaring back at him. "What? Oh, relax, mates, don't go pop-a-vein. Geez, lighten up!"
"Look, Liam," Lisa scowled, "despite the fact that you are the worst kind of man whore we have ever met, you are our friend, and God knows why, but we do love you. We also know that this stupid competition thing you've had going on with Keith for years has tended to get out of hand. The Princess is NOT to be part of it - that's all. Are we clear?" She put her hand over his.
"Crystal, Love. Don't worry, I will try my best to turn off my animal magnetism when her Highness arrives. Lord knows it will be hard, but I'll take one for the team." Liam gave a mock sacrificial sigh.
The rest of them couldn't help but laugh at his antics. It was true; he was the worst kind of player. Lance and Cliff were insatiable flirts and got around as well, but they always treated women with respect. Liam, on the other hand, had no problem in using women just to get what he wanted, and since he was very attractive, most of his conquests were willing participants. With his muscular build, shoulder-length chocolate-brown hair and sapphire eyes - not to mention the accent from Down Under - he was definitely a dream to look at. Most girls didn't mind being used by the suave Commander and were easily swayed by his super-cheesy one-liners...and they were most definitely cheesy.
"Where are they?" Ignoring Liam now, Ginger began to grow worried and impatient.
"Geni just texted me," Lisa told her. "They should be coming in any minute. Oh, and she said that there's been some kind of change."
Ginger furrowed her eyebrows. "What change?"
"I'm not sure. She said she'd explain when she gets here."
Cliff rolled his eyes before picking up his glass.
XXXXXXXXXX
Outside The Hangar, Allura and Geni were having one last chat before they walked in. "OK, Lura-lu. This is it. The deception begins. Are you ready?" Geni held onto her roommate's shoulders.
"Relax, Geni, I'm fine. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I plan to enjoy every moment of it - so let's go already!"
Geni grabbed her arm to stop her one more time. "Wait! One more thing!"
"What?"
"I didn't get a chance to warn you about Liam."
"Liam? Why does that name sound familiar?" Allura furiously tried to remember why she knew that name.
Geni rolled her eyes, which seemed to be a common occurrence whenever anyone discussed Liam. "I'm sure you must have heard about him at some point from Lance or Keith. Liam and Keith have had this Academy competition thing going on for years. Liam loves to do anything that'll piss Keith off. Anyway, that's not the point..."
Allura interrupted her. "What is the point, Gen? Get to it! I want to go inside."
Geni flinched. "OK, so Liam is really good looking, and he knows it. Let's just say the universe does not have enough room to accommodate his overabundant ego." She saw that Allura was growing impatient and let out a sigh. "Just watch out for him, Allura. As soon as he takes a look at you, he's going to do everything in his power to get into your panties."
Allura gasped and flushed bright red. "Geni, geez!"
"I'm serious, Allura! I know you can handle him, but the more you turn him down, the more annoying and pushy he becomes. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."
"Well, thanks for that. Now let's go inside before they send out a search-and-rescue team. Oh, and Gen?"
"Yeah, Allura?"
"Stop calling me Allura. From this point on, call me Dylan, even when it's just the two of us. We can't risk a slip-up."
"You got it, MacKenzie," she winked. "All right, let's go. We've got some explaining to do."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Hey! There's Geni!" Ginger yelled loud enough for her friends to hear her over the roar of the music. She then turned her head in the direction of the guys, who were all staring blankly in Geni's direction, their jaws dropping to the floor.
"Who the hell is that hottie with her?" Jeff asked after he'd picked his jaw back up.
In response, Lisa smacked him upside the head.
"OUCH!"
"You deserved that," she informed him.
Liam cleared his throat. "Is that not Princess Allura?" he asked, trying not to sound impressed - though secretly, he was blown away.
"Don't know who that vision is, mate, but it is definitely not our Lura-lu," Cliff replied. He, like the rest of the guys in their crew, was stunned by the beauty standing next to Geni. He was in awe of both of them, actually.
Both women were dressed to impress in tight-fitting denim and heels. Geni wore her slim-fitting jeans with a pair of violet chunky-heeled sandals On top, she wore a silky white tank top with a satin-trimmed V-neckline that accentuated the curves of her upper body.
Allura - or Dylan, rather - wore a new pair of denim, this time her new designer straight leg jeans in a deep indigo color and brilliant crystal embellishments. On her feet, she wore those insane heels that she had fallen in love with at St. Jimmy's - high platform sandals with thin straps of black and neon yellow Her torso was fitted in a sleeveless, body-conscious colorblock tank, white with black trim and a racerback neckline . It accentuated her sculpted arms and back while outlining her insanely well-toned midsection. "When you have a body like yours, you have to show it off every chance you get!" Geni had told her when they were shopping.
Allura had decided to take her advice. After all, she wasn't Allura, Princess of Arus and heir to the throne anymore. She was now 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie, a super-sexy hotshot fly-girl, and she was going to relish every moment of her new-found persona. Being 'Dylan' gave her the chance to be herself, to be the person she really would be if she could express it. It would still take a lot of getting used to, being able to let herself be free without consequence.
As the girls approached the table, Allura was instantly uncomfortable with the lustful looks that the guys were sending her, but she shook it off quickly. Even though she didn't know Liam - He is quite handsome, by the way - she knew Jeff and Cliff well enough, and understood that they meant no disrespect.
Geni ended the gawking by speaking up. "Hel-loooo! Earth to seemingly mature men! Stop gawking at my roommate! Eyes up, jackasses!"
Ginger and Lisa laughed whole-heartedly, agreeing with Geni's assessment. "Hey, Geni!" they greeted her, standing up to hug her.
Lisa then turned to Allura. "You'll have to forgive these idiots," she smiled. "From the way they're acting, you'd think they have never seen a beautiful woman before."
Allura shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "That's OK. I've learned to ignore it by now. Boys will be boys - one track mind and all," she finished carefully, making sure that she didn't sound full of herself.
"Aw, crap!" Geni smacked her palm to her forehead. "I'm sorry, everybody - I'm so rude! So this is my new roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie, and she's super awesome. Dylan, I'd like you to meet Jeff, Cliff, Lisa, and Ginger."
As the members of the Vehicle Team all took turns to greet her, someone loudly cleared his throat.
"Oh yeah...and that would be Liam." She gave the customary eye roll.
Not one to undermine his reputation, Liam grabbed the dark-haired girl's hand and brought it to his lips. Locking his eyes on hers, he placed a feather-light kiss upon it. "I must be dead, Love, because I do believe that I've seen an angel."
Now it was Allura's turn to roll her eyes as she pulled her hand away from him. "Wow. You know, Liam, whoever told you to 'just be yourself' gave you some really bad advice. I would consider rethinking that friendship." She sarcastically patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.
"Hmm. We've got a spunky one, I see," he smirked, allowing a sly grin to creep over his face. "And just so you know, I love spunky."
"Yeah, I bet you like all kinds of spunky," Allura retorted in a low, husky tone. She smirked back at him, then turned away from him to face the rest of the group. "It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you. Geni has told me so much about you that I feel I already know you all." She shot them a captivating smile.
Jeff scrunched up his face. "I hate to interrupt this introduction, Gen, but where's Allura? Keith said she was with you. Is she alright?" The concern was evident in his voice.
"Yeah, I thought she was rooming with you while she attended the program," Lisa added.
"She was supposed to, and she was with me until this afternoon, but there has been a slight change in plans." Geni paused to gather her thoughts before she continued the story.
"Is she alright? Did something happen? Does Keith know? Oh, God!" Ginger started to panic.
"NO! Gingie, no. Allura's fine. It's just that Admiral Graham decided that she needed to be transferred to the 'other side' for her own safety." Geni mentally prepared herself for the inevitable onslaught of questions.
Allura took a seat next to Geni and listened intently to the group's conversation about her.
"What? What a bloody crock of shit!" Cliff cried out, angry as hell. "Like we couldn't take care of her? Aw hell, now she's got to be surrounded by all those anal bastards." He slammed his fist on the table.
"I'm sure she's used to it, mate. She works with Kogane, remember?" Liam spat out.
His friends shot him a dirty look in reply.
"Oh, come on! It's not like it's a lie."
They all shrugged in reluctant agreement.
Geni ignored him and responded to Cliff and the rest of her friends. "Look, I guess there was some kind of incident. Graham pulled Lura-lu into the office this afternoon and explained his concerns. He gave her the option to go back to Arus, but this program was just too important to her. As much as she hated to do it, she decided to transfer over so she could at least undergo the training and earn her rank legitimately."
"Why didn't Keith say something to me when I spoke to him earlier?" Jeff asked. "It sounded like he thought she was with you."
"Well, that's because he doesn't know yet..." Geni began.
"WHAT?" Jeff and Cliff both yelled at the same time, cutting Geni off.
"Dude, does Graham have, like, a death wish or something?" Ginger added, promptly tipping her head back to finish her drink. Allura giggled to herself.
"He didn't even bother to consult with Keith before approaching Allura?" Lisa raised both eyebrows.
Cliff ran an agitated hand through his blond locks. "Oh man, the shit is gonna hit the proverbial fan when Kogane gets wind of this."
Liam rolled his eyes at everyone's reaction. He was obviously annoyed, so he got up from his seat and turned to the group. "This is all getting a bit irritating, so I'm going to get a drink. Gen, Dylan, can I get you anything?"
Geni hesitated a moment, but she knew that she and Allura could definitely use a drink. "For once, I will take you up on that, Aussie boy. Can you get me a Captain and Coke?"
"Got it." He turned to Allura and asked, "And how 'bout you, Love?"
"I'll have the same, thanks," she replied.
He nodded and threw her a wink as he walked toward the bar.
After he left, Geni picked up where she left off. "Look, the Admiral knows how Allura feels about everyone controlling her life. He wanted to give her the opportunity to make her own decision. You know that if he had talked to Keith first, he probably would have made sure that Allura went back to Arus. It's common knowledge that he thinks that he is the only one who can protect her."
"Oh, come on, Gen. That's bullshit." Jeff was agitated. "He knows that we can protect Allura. That's why he arranged this. He knew we would be here supervising the Spring program."
Geni exhaled. "Jeff, I'm not saying that. Of course he knows you guys can protect her under normal circumstances. But right now, no one knows much about this 'threat' that the Admiral mentioned. For that reason alone, Keith would have forced her to come back." She shrugged. "Besides, the Admiral said he would contact Keith first thing Monday morning."
"Will the Force be able to contact her?" Lisa asked.
"No. Same rules apply to her as to every other royal," Geni replied.
Cliff laughed hysterically. "HA! I give it one month tops before he drags McClain out of bed and comes out here himself. There is no way he's just going to sit back and take this one on the chin, not knowing what's happening."
Allura sat back, taking in all of the dialogue, trying to digest everything they were saying about her Captain, the Commander of the Voltron Force. She wanted to jump in so badly!
But Cliff's last comment made her eyes grow wide. Would he? No, he wouldn't. No way! He would recognize her for sure. Maybe not from a distance, but the minute he laid eyes on her - dye job or not - he would know. Of that, she was certain.
Damn it!
Her mind raced as the conversation continued around her. Thankfully, Liam returned with their drinks, which Allura began to consume all too eagerly.
"I say two months - that is, if Allura contacts the castle on schedule once a week," Jeff wagered.
"Does Kogane know I'm in town?" Liam suddenly shot out.
"No, actually, he doesn't," Jeff replied.
Liam chuckled. "Tell him. The first time the Princess doesn't check in, his Yank ass will be on the first jet out."
Lisa cringed. "I hate to agree with him, but the mere thought of Liam going anywhere near her will do it for sure."
They all gave a hesitant nod in agreement.
Geni glanced over at Allura, who looked as though she was about to implode. "Hey Dylan, you OK?" she asked with a hint of concern, knowing that the conversation was getting to her. "You've been pretty quiet."
Allura clutched her drink in her hands. "Hmm? Oh. No, I'm fine. I'm just...surprised, that's all."
"Surprised by what, Lieutenant?" Jeff prodded.
Allura gathered her thoughts carefully before she spoke. "Well, to be honest, although I have never met Captain Kogane personally, I have heard many things about him. I mean, he still holds the highest ranking scores in Alliance history, and is known as a brilliant military strategist. Hell, he even made Captain at such a young age!"
"And?" Liam did not seem impressed.
"And I won't even bring up all that his team has accomplished under his command on Arus." She took a huge gulp of her drink. "This is all common knowledge, and yet you still think he would drop everything and storm the Academy because he has no control over the Princess' security, or simply because he is worried that your pretty friend over there might hit on her? That doesn't sound like the Captain that I have heard of."
Suddenly, Liam reached out and grabbed her hand. With glittering eyes, he whispered, "So, you think I'm pretty, do you?"
Allura rolled her eyes and fought the urge to gag.
"Look, Dylan, everything you have heard about Kogane is true. Having said that, however, he has this sickeningly annoying sense of honor, duty, and control." Whether they liked it or not, Liam's words rung true.
"Yes, but it goes deeper than that, mate," Cliff reminded his fellow Aussie. "Kogane feels personally responsible for the Princess' safety and well-being. He has good reason not to trust 'outsiders,' because she's been abducted while in the care of others. Sure, it's happened when she's been with the Force as well, but they have Keith, and he always gets to her straight away." He took a swallow of his beer - Foster's, of course. "Here, at the Royal Academy, she's not a priority, she's just another royal. Security for her will be no different than any other royal in attendance. Who's going to protect her from a royal with a grudge? That's what Keith will think. He will not be able to relax until he knows for sure that she'll be properly protected, even if that means coming here himself. Now, Allura knows him better than anyone. If she knows what's good for her, she'll check in like clockwork!"
Allura nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, enough about that! Why don't you tell us about yourself, Dylan?" Liam was eager to get off the subject. Allura was grateful for the change and actually flashed him a smile.
"Hmm, tell you about myself." She tapped her finger on her chin. "Let's see. I'm originally from Michigan. Both of my parents were in the military - they began their careers as Marines before joining the Garrison. I began training at a young age. Because of this, I have become a rather skilled pilot, if I do say so myself. And I will…gladly." She paused to wink at them. "I am also a pretty good shot, fare well in hand-to-hand, and have trained in various forms of martial arts. Like your friend Kogane, I too take my work very seriously, and I don't play games when it comes to leadership and strategy...but when I am off, I am off. My love for the rules does not translate into my life off-base. I guess that just about sums it up."
As she finished her story, she looked at the group of friends listening to her. Part of her felt guilty for not telling them the truth, especially after seeing their concern. However, she knew that the fewer people that knew the truth, the less likely it would be that a slip-up would occur. The only reason they hadn't recognized her was that their contact with her over the years had been minimal at best.
"Well, Dylan, we are happy to have you as part of our little dysfunctional family and look forward to getting to know you better. Welcome!" Lisa offered kindly, raising her chardonnay.
"I'll drink to that!" Ginger toasted. "Cheers, everyone, and welcome to the Academy, 2nd Lieutenant Dylan MacKenzie!" In solidarity, everyone raised their glasses, and Allura blushed furiously.
If she thought she'd have a problem fitting in, well, she was more than happy to be wrong.
XXXXXXXXXX
The following evening in the Castle of Lions, the walls shook with the sound of the Captain's voice.
"You did WHAT?"