WEP owns everything except the voices in my head. Sometimes I can't help but do what the voices tell me...
As I watch the princess lead Keith into Black Lion, I lean back in my seat and grin. Turning around, I plan to brag about the success of my scheme to Pidge and Hunk, but I stop midway when I catch sight of Nanny and Coran among the crowd that had gathered to watch the ceremony. Taking in the furious expressions on their faces, I start to wonder if maybe this whole thing was a mistake after all. No, those two needed to come to terms with their feelings already, the rest will just have to find a way to work itself out.
I wait a few minutes for the crowd to disperse before I initiate contact with the Black Lion. Keith and Allura need to be warned about what is waiting for them when they get back to the castle. It takes a few seconds for Keith to answer my hail and I can't keep myself from smiling at the success of my plan despite the complications that I just discovered.
"What is it, Lance?" I'd swear I'd interrupted something from the tone of his voice, but the princess is nowhere to be seen. I begin to wonder just what they were in the middle of.
"Hey, nice performance! I couldn't have choreographed it better myself. Was that spin move planned or did you actually get creative out there, Keith?" I just can't help myself as I poke at him a bit.
"Did you have a reason for calling other than to remind me of how annoying you can be at times?" Did he just growl at me again? He's gonna tear out his throat lining if he doesn't stop doing that every time I talk to him. You'd think he'd be happy after what I arranged for him.
Completely ignoring his implied threat, I try to keep myself from laughing. I almost manage to pull it off. "Actually, I did have a couple of reasons to contact you. First, you're welcome for this. Now both you and the princess owe me and I have every intention of collecting." Keith actually has the audacity to roll his eyes and snort at me. He thinks I'm kidding; just wait until he sees my upcoming vacation request. Maybe I'll have to insist on no more late night patrol shifts for a while too. I start to think of all the other things I could ask him for, when I am drawn back to reality at a sound from the viewscreen. "Second, Nanny and Coran saw that whole show and they are not happy with you, Keith. I've never seen Nanny turn that shade of purple before. You'd swear you did more than kiss the princess out there." I take another look around the cockpit of Black Lion and check my sensors before continuing. "Speaking of Allura, where's she hiding in there?"
As I watch, the princess slowly stands up from her place of concealment behind Keith's chair and lounges nonchalantly against the headrest. "I'm right here, Lance. Nanny didn't *really* turn purple, did she?" There is a hint of trepidation in her tone and I hesitate for a moment before answering her.
"Well, remember when Hunk got into the desserts a couple of weeks ago and wiped out everything that she'd prepared for Coran's birthday?" Boy was that a sight, Hunk with frosting smeared all over his face running through the castle corridors with Nanny and her rolling pin right on his heels.
"Yes…"
"That was nothing compared to this. So again, whose idea was it to do the flying spin move? Personally, I think it made for a great show and I tip my hat to you, but I don't think Nanny shares my view." I look back and forth between Keith and Allura waiting for one of them to take responsibility.
"Oh, dear, I didn't think she'd react that badly. For the record, the move was my idea. Keith didn't know it was going to happen until I was already in the air… I was counting on his quick reflexes to kick in at the right moment."
"Well I hope it was worth it because I don't think she's ever going to let the two of you be in the same room together again without her to act as a buffer between you. When I set you two up like this, I was only expecting you to kiss her on the cheek, Keith. Princess, I certainly wasn't expecting you to get so creative when I gave you the opportunity…"
As I speak, I watch Keith's glare intensify as he obviously tries to invent new and creative ways to torture me in thanks. So much for that vacation request. As I finish, he turns his head and aims his angry scowl on the princess. That can't be a good sign.
"Wait a minute. You were in on this? You helped him fake his injury to get me out here and then used the opportunity to put me into spot number one on Nanny's hit list? I expect this kind of behavior from Lance, but you Allura?" Uh-oh, I can hear the pain in his voice as he accuses her and what does he mean he expects this from me? I'd be insulted, but I know it's not the first time that I've tried to help him when he won't help himself and he's smart enough to have figured out at least some of my patterns. I'm actually kind of surprised that he didn't see this one coming.
I turn my attention back to the couple on the viewscreen in time to hear the end of what Allura is saying, "Don't be mad at him, Keith. I'm glad he did it. When I told you boys about the reenactment, I was really hoping you'd volunteer."
"See, Keith. I told you she wanted it to be you." He turns and once again focuses his anger on me. At least it's not aimed at her anymore.
"With friends like the two of you, who needs enemies like Zarkon? Nanny's going to have my head over this and I had nothing to do with it!" He tosses his hands into the air and springs from his chair to start pacing like a caged animal, his frustration almost palpable through the viewscreen. Allura slips into his vacated seat and pulls her knees to her chest in an effort to give him space. I watch as he clenches and unclenches his fists, while low, threatening sounds issue from his vicinity.
He finally comes to a stop at the back of the cockpit and Allura approaches him slowly. She reaches out and touches his arm only to have him shrug her away even as she speaks quietly to him.
"Just give him a few minutes, Princess. He'll come around." I know he's just reacting to being caught off guard more than anything else.
The princess turns back to face the monitor before addressing me quietly. "Lance, do you think he'll forgive me? I know I was being selfish. I just wanted to kiss him once, and when the opportunity presented itself, I guess I got a little carried away…" She looks down at her hands and I can't help but laugh.
Allura looks up at me in confusion, so I try to reassure her. "Allura, of course he'll forgive you. He loves you. I don't think there is much you could do that he wouldn't forgive. He may be my best friend, but do you think I would have given him my opportunity to kiss you otherwise?" I look her in the eyes, letting her see the truth in my words.
There is a noise from the back of Black Lion's cabin and we both look to see Keith turning to rejoin the conversation. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to blow up like that. Any other surprises you want to spring on me today?" He lets out a deep sigh and drops back into the command chair apparently resigned to his fate.
"It's OK, Keith. I guess we did kinda gang up on you, huh?" The princess reaches up to stroke his cheek and I can't help but feel like I'm intruding on a private moment.
"Yeah, sorry, Keith. I was just trying to do you guys a favor. You've both been dancing around your feelings for so long; I just wanted to give you a little push. I had no idea twinkle toes over there was going to become an acrobat…" I watch as the princess's cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink as Keith smiles at her.
"Well, I guess now the big question is how do I keep Nanny from strangling me in my sleep or poisoning my food?" He raises his eyebrow as he looks to Allura for help. I can tell that I'm no longer needed.
"Look, I better sign off. I'll see if I can run interference for a while. Maybe there are more desserts Hunk can polish off before you get back." I toss off a salute of sorts and close the connection.
Sitting back in my seat, I let out a deep sigh as I try to come up with something to help diffuse the situation. I call Pidge and Hunk, asking them to meet me in the lounge when I notice a strange reading on one of the sensors. Pulling up more information, I can see that the disturbance is in the vicinity of the Black and Blue lions. My first thought is that they must be launching to head back and the system just needs to be recalibrated. I'll ask Pidge to take a look at it when I get to the lounge, but just as I am about to stand, another signal catches my eye. This doesn't look like a bad reading on two lions launching, it looks like something is burrowing beneath the Black Lion!
I pull up an image of the lions at the bridge site and can't do anything but gasp as I watch the Black Lion disappear from view. No one is going to believe this. I'm not sure I believe it. The ground opened up, swallowed the lion, and then closed again as if nothing had ever happened. The image of the land on the viewscreen doesn't look like it's ever been disturbed. I frantically switch screens trying to find the missing lion, but it's no use. I attempt to open a channel to them, but all I get is static. Keith and the princess have somehow vanished without a trace.