Gen X

Chapter 7

"Truce"

By Cindra

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Notes: I put colons between conversations denoting silent thought between two characters.

' Is what I call the Heartlink or private communication between a two characters usually a couple. Or in rare cases parent to sibling. (This is usually the way that soul mates talk to each other when they don't want anyone to know what they are saying.)

( )Twin link can't be heard by anyone but the other twin…or only if someone is extremely strong in his or her mental abilities.

or italics That represents thoughts of the characters

Now on with the story

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(A Year and a half later)

It was nearing the end of Lilly and Tamara's senior years at the academy and they were competing against one another at a track and field event. The only problem was that the two girls were constantly at each other's throats and this race was not exception. Neither one of the girls wanted to let the other pass by them, so an inevitable battle was about to commence.

"Get out of my way Tamara or I'll go right through you!" Lilly snarled at her opponent.

"Not even on your best day princess! I'm gonna win this race and there's nothing that you can do about it!" Tamara upped her speed.

Lilly easily matched the speed that Tam was running and even upped the speed another notch. "I don't see that happening seeing as I'm the one that's going to win this race!" Lilly cleared another hurtle in front of her and only had one more to go.

"Think again Little Miss Perfect Princess!" Tamara on purposely kicked a hurtle sending it flying in front of Lilly's path.

Lilly went flying and hit the clay surface of the track hard. "YOU BITCH!" Lilly ignored the pain that she was in and tackled Tam, thus sending them both flying into a mud puddle in the infield.

"MY HAIR!! MY CLOTHES!! THESE ARE DESIGNER ORIGINALS!!!" Tamara punched her in the face.

"YOU ASKED FOR IT YOU BITCH!! I'VE TRIED TO TOLERATE YOU, BUT THIS IS IT!!! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!" Lilly punched her in the eye and Tamara landed back into the puddle with a huge splash.

Tamara sprang back to her feet and punched her back.

Lilly became even more furious and pounced on her sending them back into the puddle.

"LET GO OF MY HAIR!!" Tamara screeched in pain when Lilly yanked hard on her ponytail. "I SAID LET GO OF MY HAIR!" Tam yanked hard on Lilly's pigtails.

Darian, Dex, Shawn, and Jace ran across the infield to break up the catfight.

"Girls break it up!" Darian tried to separate the two of them, only to have one of them fling mud in his face, and they went at it again.

Shawn grabbed Lilly by the waist and she punched him in the eye, causing him to fall back against the grass. "She's dead!" He snarled and got back up to his feet.

Dex grabbed hold of Tamara and pulled her away from Lilly, only to receive a punch to his eye for his actions. He however didn't let go of her waist. "That's enough Tamara!!" He snarled.

"LET GO OF ME DEX!!" She struggled to get free.

Lilly went after her again, only this time Shawn managed to tackle her to the grass. "Lilly back off!!" Shawn hissed at her through his fangs.

Lilly pounded her fists against the grass. "LET GO OF ME SHAWN!! I'M NOT THROUGH WITH HER YET!!"

Jace glared down at her. "You two are in enough trouble, so don't push it! This violates your probation girls!"

"SHE STARTED IT JACE!!" Lilly had dug her nails into the ground and was clawing her way towards Tam and Tam was doing the same towards her.

"WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT!!" Tamara screeched.

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP THIS AT ONCE AND TRY TO ACT LIKE THE YOUNG ADULTS THAT YOU ARE!" Darian roared. "THIS IS A TRACK NOT A MUD WRESTLING RING!"

"SHE TRIPPED ME!!!" Lilly winced when she tried to move her legs. "I'M BLEEDING!!!" Her legs, arms, and knees where all scrapped up and bleeding.

Tamara had suffered similar injuries, but not as bad. "YOU'VE MARRED ME!!"

'Don't you dare even think about it Lillian Allura!!' Shawn glared down at her with one eye, because his other was swollen shut. "Let's go and I mean now!!" He got to his feet and tossed her up over his shoulder.

Dex threw Tamara over his shoulder and got to his feet. "Are they really worth it Shawn?" He snarled at his best friend.

Shawn swatted Lilly on the rear and she stopped struggling. "Behave brat! Yes Dex, they happen to be worth every pain in the ass bratty princess minute!"

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Eric, Andy, Allura, and Keith were all waiting for them to arrive at the medical center.

"This isn't working. The two of them are going to kill each other before they ever become friends." Allura sighed in frustration.

"Mom's right Daddy, it's been over a year and they still hate each other on sight." Tony now two-years-old was sound asleep in her arms.

"They have no choice Andromeda. Shawn and Dex are best friends and those two have to learn to tolerate each other." Eric dreaded the thought of the summer ahead when the four of them graduated from the academy and joined the team.

"The two of them are just too competitive. What caused the fight this time?" Keith growled.

"Tamara made Lilly trip and that's when Lilly attacked her." Andy defended her sister.

"They were running the race and then it became all out war." Darian entered the room.

"What happened to you?" Andy tried not to laugh at his mud-splattered appearance.

"Shawn and Dex got it worse. The girls gave each of them black eyes." Darian tried not to chuckle.

"Don't look at me Uncle Darian. I never pulled a stunt like this." Andy rolled her eyes at him.

"That's because you were never allowed to go with your feelings towards Alex." Eric reminded her.

"Very funny lion." She stuck her tongue at him.

Eric walked over behind her and growled into her ear. "You know what that does to me."

Andy blushed crimson. "Behave." She hissed.

"Then you follow your own advice." He growled. 'Otherwise, you and I are going to hand Tony to Mom and Dad, so that we can find an empty room.'

The boys arrived with their two furious girls.

"This is all we need…parents." Shawn rolled his eyes in defeat.

"Very funny Shawn!" Lilly snarled at him.

"Put her down Shawn." Keith growled softly.

"DADDY!!!! SHE STARTED IT!!!" Lilly wailed up at her father, as soon as Shawn set her down.

"YOU TAUNTED ME FIRST!!" Tammy snarled.

"YOU CAUSED ME TO TRIP!!" Lilly wanted to claw her eyes out.

Lilly scared Tony, who was awake, and clinging to his Mother. "MOMMA!!!!" He wailed.

"Thanks a lot you two!! You woke Tony up!!" Andy glowered at them.

"Stop snarling at me! I happen to be hurt thanks to little miss heiress!!" Lilly growled.

"Me!? You're the spoiled little miss perfect princess!" Tam growled back.

"We saw what happened, so save the snarling for someone who gives a damn! I'm so disappointed in you Lillian Allura. You were taught discipline and control and this is how you act?" Keith was not at all pleased with either of them.

"You both made complete spectacles of yourselves!" Allura pointed at the Tele-monitor.

"It was televised!?" The two girls cried out in unison.

"Oh yes you two! In fact you two are going to be on every station in the three galaxies!" Allura snarled. "Jeff warned you both what would happen if either of you broke your probation! The two of you are going to be suspended!"

"SUSPENDED!!? YOU CAN'T MEAN THAT!! THAT MEANS I WON'T GRADUATE EARLY WITH DEX AND SHAWN!" Lilly wailed.

"You should have thought about that before the two of you went at each others throats again! You not only broke your probation, but attacked Darian and the boys as well!" Eric narrowed his eyes at them.

"I have to graduate to be in the time trials with the rest of this team this summer!!" Lilly was close to tears.

"No more Voltron or anything of that nature, but you will continue with your ballet and more refined classes." Allura laid down the law. "I have almost lost Andromeda time and time again. I will not allow it to happen again! You had your chance young lady and you blew it!"

"You can't mean this!! I've worked my tail off doing both for the two of you and now it's over! Just like that?" She felt like her world was crumbling around her.

"Everything was my fault Grandmother. Don't do this to her. I'll even face the music with Uncle Jeff." Tam was actually feeling guilty.

"It's a little late Tamara and I don't want nor do I need any of your help!" She snarled.

"The two of you are going to have to learn to get along, because you are going to be roommates from now on!" Keith had heard and seen more than enough.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!? THOSE TWO ARE GONNA MURDER EACH OTHER!!" Dex and Shawn exclaimed in unison.

"You and Shawn happen to be best friends, so those two are going to need to become friends in order to be with the two of you." Keith spelled it out for them.

"YOU WERE NEVER THIS CRUEL TO DROMI!!!" Lilly screamed at them.

"I was always kept in line by task master Lawson. I went through endless drills just to make him happy!! I wasn't crazy enough nor was I stupid enough to pull a stunt like this!!" Andy glared at her. "I'm sorry Lil, maybe they will have a change of heart, but for now just take your medicine like the young woman that you are and maybe you will get off on good behavior."

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(Months later)

Lilly and Tamara were watching, as Shawn and Dex graduated with top honors from the academy.

"I'm sorry Lil you should be up there with them." Tam sighed.

"We both should be up there Tamara, but this is only a setback." Lilly vowed.

"They barely talk to us now and it's been months. How long can the two of them hold a grudge against us?" Tamara stared longingly at Dex.

"I don't know Tam, but it seems like it's taking a very long time." Lilly fingered her betrothal ring and looked longingly over at her prince.

Shawn automatically turned to look at her.

"Why don't the two of you go over and say hello to the boys." Allura smiled down at them.

"Why? We'll just argue about the fight or about my cutting my hair on a whim." Lilly shook head in frustration. She had cut her hair, so that it was now chin length in a pageboy style.

Tam had also made some changes in her look. She had cut her hair, so that it barely brushed her shoulders. "I like it Lilly. When you cut it yourself now that was a disaster." Tam chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad." Lilly giggled.

"Come on Lilly we have ballet in ten minutes and Aunt Allana won't like it if we're late." Tam waved at the boys and headed for the studio with Lilly in tow.

"Not even a graduation will upset her schedule." Lilly grinned.

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Shawn watched them leave and felt the urge to tear something in two. "Where the hell are they off to!?"

"Ballet," Dex went over their schedule in his head. "They have rehearsal this afternoon."

"Mother is here Dexter!" Shawn pointed in the direction of his mother, who was kissing his father and sibling's goodbye before she came over to see them.

"I'm so proud of two of you." She gave them both a hug. "I'll see the two of you at home for your graduation bash."

"Where are you going? Why are you leaving?" Shawn pouted.

"Tamara and Lilly have ballet rehearsal today and since I happen to be their teacher and mentor I should be there." Allana rolled here eyes at her oldest.

"She's supposed to be here with me! I had plans to win her back!!" He snarled.

"She happens to love ballet. They both do. In fact the two of them are my finest students, besides you'll see her at the party." Allana assured him. "If you really want to see Lilly you can watch them while they rehearse." She left them and headed for her car.

"Out with it Dexter! What are they rehearsing?" Shawn narrowed his eyes at his best friend.

"Sleeping Beauty." Dex eyed him warily.

"NO ONE KISSES MY PRINCESS BUT ME!!!" Shawn stalked towards his car.

"It's not like you can take the other dancers place Shawn! I mean what do you know about ballet?" Dex chased after him.

"My mother was a prima ballerina! Do you think that I wasn't forced to learn to dance? Besides it helps me with my sports." Shawn's face turned a bright red.

"THIS IS RICH SHAWN! I CAN JUST SEE YOU IN A LEOTARD AND TIGHTS!!" Dex was laughing, so hard that he could barely breathe.

"HEY! A LOT OF GREAT ATHLETES TAKE BALLET!" Shawn floored the air car towards the theater.

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Lilly and Tammy flew across the stage like graceful swans.

Their partners Flynn and William moved with just as much grace, as they caught them in their arms.

"Lilly? I was wondering if you would like to go out with me to the opening night party?" William asked, as he twirled her around in his arms.

"Oh William, I'd really like to, but I have a really full schedule." She tried to let him down easy.

"I see, so you already have a boyfriend." William frowned.

"I'm betrothed to a prince. He's a Lt. in the Galaxy Alliance and is training to be on the Voltron Force." Lilly sighed.

"Then why hasn't he come to watch you dance?" William spun her away from him.

"He's not into the ballet. He's into sports like soccer, fencing, and martial arts." Lilly leapt high into the air and landed perfectly on her toes.

"I really didn't picture you as one to date a jock." William smirked.

"Prince Shawn Alexander McCloud is not a jock, William! He happens to be devastatingly handsome and is most certainly not a jock." Lilly accidentally hit him in the nose with her foot when she leapt away.

Knocking him flat.

"You hit my nose!" He wheezed nasally, as his nose began to bleed.

Lilly landed on her toes. "I wonder why William. You had it so stuck up in the air." She rolled her eyes at him.

Tamara smirked in amusement. "Was he trying to get fresh with you?"

Lilly blotted at her face with her towel. "Nope I just slipped."

"Like I really believe that, so tell me what he said." Tam arched a brow at her.

"I need some juice." Lilly walked off the stage.

"Lilly come on talk to me. I'm dying to know what caused you to break poor William's nose." Tam pleaded.

Allana walked over to her students. "Take a five minute break and then we will do the finale."

"I DON'T WANT TO DANCE WITH HER ANYMORE! SHE'S DANGEROUS!" William stalked off the stage.

"Oh Honestly! Boys can be such babies!" Lilly rolled her eyes at Tam.

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Shawn was in the back studio stretching out his muscles. "I hope that I can still do this." He set his leg up on the bar and stretched it out.

"That looks painful." Dex winced when Shawn brought his leg up even higher until his knee was almost touching his nose.

"Not really. Still think that ballet is just for pansies?" Shawn walked over to a mat and did the splits.

"No I can't even imagine how sore that made you before you got used to that." He winced.

Allana walked into the studio and grinned at her son. "Wonderful Shawn! You must have been reading my mind."

"I won't have any guy kissing my Lilly." He growled.

"Of course not son, now put this on." She pushed him into the men's dressing area.

"Mother? What are you up to?" He protested.

"Just indulge me." She left him to get dressed

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Lilly frowned at Allana. "I can wear my costume if you want me to, but dress rehearsal is next week, and William is being a baby. Who are you going get to be the Prince to my sleeping beauty?"

"Just improvise." Allana winked at her.

"He has to kiss me to awaken me from my slumber." Lilly frowned.

"Just indulge me." She closed Lilly's dressing room door.

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Tam spied Dex in the audience, but he hadn't seen her yet. "Well...well…well…he sure looks like he's uncomfortable about being here." She grinned.

"Here I am with the blackmail chance of a lifetime and no holo-cam." Dex muttered to himself.

Tam snuck up behind his seat and placed her hands over his eyes. "Guess who." She whispered into his ear.

Dex chuckled and brought her hands down to his lips. "They have very beautiful hands, arms, and flawless silky skin." He placed a kiss in the center of her palm, then at her pulse point, and felt her pulse quicken. He then placed her arms around his neck pulling her over the seat and onto his lap. "Hello beautiful lady." He kissed her on the nose. "I missed you."

Tamara's heart skipped a beat, as she looked into the aquamarine eyes gazing into her sapphire blue ones. "I missed you more." She whispered.

Dex did what he had been dying to do for the past few months he kissed her senseless.

WOW!!! Tam felt that she was melting in his arms and she eagerly kissed him back.

The only thing that broke off the kiss was the sound of music coming from the direction of the stage. "Do I have to let you go now?" He reluctantly broke off the kiss.

"No this is where the prince awakens his princess, but William is being a baby, so there's no one that's going to be…Who's the hunk that just came on stage?" She eyed the new arrival.

"It's a surprise angel. Just keep watching." Dex settled her in his lap, so that they could both watch the stage.

"IS THAT SHAWN!?" Tam gaped at Dex and then back at the stage.

"Oh yeah that's Shawn alright." Dex grinned.

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Lilly lay motionless on the bed, as she waited for her prince to awaken her.

Shawn easily danced the finale and then went to awaken his sleeping princess. He put his arms down either side of her and then kissed her with an undying need.

Lilly's eyes flew open the moment that his lips touched her own and she eagerly kissed him back.

Shawn pulled her up to her feet and the two of them danced the finale.

Dex was awed by the emotion that was being portrayed up on the stage. "Those two are amazing together."

"I'll say. I had no idea that Shawn was a dancer." Tamara was still in shock.

The two ended the scene with a heart-stopping kiss and the curtain was slowly lowered in front of them. 'I've missed you so much beautiful flower.' He smiled down at her.

'You are just full of surprises aren't you?' She loved being in his arms again.

"My princess wouldn't come to me, so I being the handsome prince came to her." He kissed her on the nose.

"Yes…but ballet?" She arched a brow at him.

"Mother asked me learn and I can't say no to her." He shrugged his shoulders. "This actually gave me an edge in the various sports that I like to play."

'I was going to be at your party. You didn't have to reveal this side of you to anyone.' She kissed him.

"I wasn't gonna let anyone kiss you, but me." He twirled her around in his arms.

"You mean to tell me that you missed seeing me hurting William a little while ago?" She arched a brow up at him.

"WHY?! DID HE TOUCH YOU!? I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR HIM IN TWO!!!" Shawn roared.

'Easy there fangs…He made a snide comment about something and I called him on it.' She stood on her toes and kissed him on the nose. "He did try and ask me out though." She winked at him.

Shawn scanned the theater for this William, but spied Dex and Tammy making out in the second row instead. "Well I'll be damned." He chuckled.

"What's wrong Shawn?" Lilly followed his gaze and spotted the couple making out in the second row. "Way to go Tammy!" She wolf whistled.

Shawn wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "That looks like fun shall we find a nice quiet balcony ourselves?" He swept her up into his arms and flew them up to one of the balconies.

'Your Mom is going to catch us.' Lilly was lost in his kisses.

'Who do you think arranged this little set up?' Shawn pulled her down with him into one of the seats.

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(A Half Hour later)

Ren spotted Shawn's new hotrod next to Lilly's ice blue one. "I'll just wait in the back seat of Lilly's car and wait for my prize to return."

He didn't have to wait very long before rehearsal was over and the two couples reluctantly parted, so that they could go and get ready for the party.

Lilly and Tammy threw their gear into the back seat and hopped into the car. She was so happy that she ignored any of the warning signs that were going off in her head. "So Tam are you and Dex an item now or what?" She winked at her friend.

"This really is happening extremely fast, so it's hard to say how I'm feeling right now." She sighed.

"Don't worry Tam, Dex is a complete gentleman, and doesn't give his affections to just any girl. In fact I have it on record that he's had it bad for you ever since you slapped him in the face that first time at the medical center." Lilly grinned.

"Do you really think so Lil?" Tamara eyed her friend hopefully.

"I know so Tam." Lilly smiled.

"You know I like having a best friend a lot more than I like having you for a rival. I can tell you anything and you'll be honest with me. I've never really had a true best friend before." Tam enjoyed the ride.

"The feeling is mutual Tam. This is way better than the two of us fighting all of the time." Lilly agreed.

Ren sat up in the back seat and aimed a weapon at the two of them. "Hello love. Did you miss me?"

"REN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAR!?" Lilly glared at him through the rear view mirror.

"I have come to collect what belongs to me." He reached out and ran his fingers along the nape of her neck.

"Ren get with the program! I hate you and everything that your family stands for." Lilly narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just keep driving princess or I shoot your friend." He had the gun pointed at Tammy's head.

"You win for now." She did as she was told.

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Jenna had little Victoria dressed in a cute party dress. "How's my precious little angel." She cooed at her baby girl.

"Love mama and dada." Tori kicked her tiny legs and chattered up at her mother.

"Daddy loves his baby girl too." Matt smiled at his two beautiful girls. "She just gets prettier everyday." He picked up his baby girl in his arms.

"And bigger…this little one is growing like a weed and she's so curious about everything." Jen watched, as Tori grabbed at the shiny buttons on Matt's shirt. "She's just a precious little angel yes she is."

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Andy sat in her lair and stared at the various screens. "What keeps nagging at me?"

"Angel go get dolled up or we'll be late for Shawn and Dex's graduation bash." Eric walked into the lair in search of his wife.

Andy ignored him and continued to scan the planet. "I have really bad feeling that something has happened to one of us." She slammed her fist down onto the console in front of her.

"Easy there love or you are gonna hurt Hal." Eric turned her chair around, so that she was looking at him. "Everything is fine now go and make yourself gorgeous. The kids and I are all ready and we're just waiting on you."

"If you say so Lion, but I just know that something is wrong." She let him lead her out of the lair.

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Ren shot the two with the tranq gun as soon as they arrived at his ship and someone was impatiently pacing in front of it.

"I thought that we were here, so that we could get the new clearance codes for Arus's dome! Not take home royal baggage!" Prince Aaron snarled.

"The base was too secure, besides I had to collect what belongs to me." Ren glared at his friend.

"They both belong to you?" Aaron arched a brow at him and then looked down at Tam.

"No I brought her for you." Ren grinned.

"My brother will have our hides if we call attention to his latest scheme." Aaron narrowed his eyes at Ren.

"Will you chill already? No one is going to find out anything, besides we're going to Avalon not your home planet." Ren rolled his eyes at his friend.

"That doesn't do us any good. Khan is gonna be really pissed at us when they come looking for them." Aaron muttered. "I'd rather face my older brother's wrath." He secured both girls in the back of the ship.

"Khan and my parents are in the near universe plotting with Killian. Rand and Sheena are away with their rugrat Adrian and Shaitan is busy training Ryan." Ren rolled his eyes at him.

"So that's the infamous Tamara Wayne. She sure doesn't look like trouble times ten." Aaron grinned at Ren.

"These two are both trouble times ten and that's what makes them a challenge." Ren chuckled.

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(Few hours later)

Shawn left his graduation bash and went to stare up at the stars. He just wasn't in the mood for a party. "WHERE ARE YOU?" He shouted up at the star lit sky.

Andy walked outside just in time to hear his shout of frustration. "She's just late Shawn, but she is coming." She assured him.

"Something is wrong Andy! There's no answer in her room and Uncle Liam hasn't seen either of them since they left this morning to attend my graduation! Call me paranoid, but that tells me that their both in trouble!" Shawn hissed at her through his fangs.

"Shawn have you told my father about this?" Andy had that feeling again that something was terribly wrong with one of her loved ones.

"NO ONE SEEMS TO THINK THAT TWO HOURS LATE IS A BIG DEAL! IF THEY KNEW THAT WE HAD KISSED AND MADE OUT THEN THEY WOULD KNOW THAT SHE WOULDN'T BE LATE FOR MY PARTY!!" Shawn shouted at her just as Keith and his father walked outside for some fresh air.

"That had better be all that the two of you did!" Keith glared murderously at him.

"Easy Daddy, remember that he knows how to control himself. Besides, he loves Lilly, and is willing to wait an eternity for her if he has to." Andy smiled at her father.

"My relationship with Lilly has nothing to do with nor is any of your business! She and Tammy aren't here and that means that something has happened to them!" Shawn was on the verge of losing his temper with them.

Dex had just gotten some very bad news and was almost in too much of a shock to tell them. "They…jjjust…found…tttheir…car…in the lake." Dex barely managed to tell them. "There were no signs of either of them and their dancing gear was still in the back seat of the car. They found the car in very deep icy cold water. They must have lost control, and were launched out into the lake…there is no way that they could have survived the impact of hitting the water, let alone the temperature of the lake." Dex felt dead inside.

Keith fell to his knees, as the agonizing loss of yet two more of his children ripped through him "NO!!! NOT MY BABY GIRL! NOT MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THEM FROM US TOO!!!"

And couldn't feel either her sister or her niece. "NO LILLY!!! TAMMY!!! THEY CAN'T BE GONE!!! THEY JUST CAN'T!!!" Tears flowed down her cheeks, as the loss of the girls tore through her very soul. "I WON'T LET IT BE TRUE!!" She ran down the sloping lawn and into the woods in tears.

Shawn felt his blood turn to ice. "SHE ISN'T DEAD! I WOULD KNOW IF SHE WERE DEAD!!!" He shouted angrily at all of them, but he too couldn't feel her anywhere on the planet. "WE HAVE TOO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TOO!! LAURIE!! WE HELD OUR DAUGHTER IN OUR ARMS!! WHY DID YOU LET US SEE HER IF YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE MY FLOWER AWAY FROM ME!!?"

Elsewhere, inside Darian's castle Allura fainted, and everyone got deadly silent. Ariel screamed and fainted in Nate's arms. Eric raced out of the castle in search of his wife and saw her run blindly into the woods. Darian felt Allana's trembling hand on his shoulder, as they watched their son's world crash around him. Farla and Faron could do nothing to comfort their son. Gwen cuddled little Tony in her arms. Dex stood staring into the dark woods, as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. While Shawn tore at the grass with his fingers wanting desperately to hurt something anything.

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(Avalon)

Lilly awakened with a very bad headache in what looked like a very plush bedroom fit for a princess. Her muscles screamed at her when she tried to sit up and she was wearing a pink filmy harem outfit. She glanced over towards the open doorway of the adjoining room and saw that Tam was beginning to wake up and that she also was wearing a similar outfit, only hers was red. "A female better have dressed us in these!" She snarled under her breath. She reached up and felt her neck and swore when she felt the choker that had been placed around her throat.

Lilly got up and stalked over to the walk in closet, where she found gowns, and more harem attire. "We must be in Khan's old palace." She called over to Tam.

Tam walked over to Lilly. "My head's coming off." She moaned. "Who is this guy and why is he so obsessed with you?"

"Ren is Fawn's long lost little brother and he seems to think that he has some sort of claim over me. I told him to get lost, but who listens to me these days." Lilly frowned when she found no weapons anywhere in the room.

"Is he the guy that kidnapped you and almost smashed the two of you into that asteroid field?" Tam arched a brow at him.

"That's him, only this time he actually planned this whole thing." Lilly continued to search for anything that she could use to help them escape. "I have to find a computer. He must have ditched my car and when they find it in the lake they'll…" Her voice trailed off.

"Think that we both died." Tamara eyed the now open doorway to their room with wary eyes. "Uh… Lil we have company."

"Are we searching for something my pet?" Ren walked over to her.

"The servants said that the two of you were awake." Aaron eyed what Lilly had done to their quarters.

"Who are you?" Lilly narrowed her eyes at Aaron.

"I'm Prince Aaron of the House of Arcane. Your cousin was once betrothed to my older brother Arislan." Aaron arched a brow at her.

"Can't you creeps leave us alone? We're both just helpless, innocent sixteen-year-olds!" Tam glared at them.

"Innocent maybe, but helpless no I don't think so." Ren chuckled. "The two of you will be joining us for dinner in one hour. The servants will show you the way. Don't make us come and get you." He narrowed his eyes at Lilly and then he and Aaron left the room.

"He must have Khan's palace all to himself. Come on Tam we have to get these chokers off of us before we have to join them for dinner." Lilly clawed at the velvety collar around her delicate throat.

"So that's why there are no locks on anything. If we resist them we get to see how long we can hold our breaths." Tam growled.

Lilly looked down at what she was wearing and growled. "He had better not have destroyed my favorite shirt and jeans!" She searched in the walk in closet and found them in the very back. "If I am going to be stuck here then I am going to wear my own clothes!" She stalked out of the closet with her clothes in her arms.

"Lilly that isn't a very good idea." Tamara hissed at her friend.

"Why did you say that Tam?" Lilly dropped the bundle of clothes in her arms and then found herself being crushed against Ren.

"Because pet I never really left." He kissed her brutally on the mouth.

Lilly broke free of her captor and slapped him hard in the face. "Hands off you beast!!" She snarled.

"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN PRINCESS!!" He snarled down at her and punched her hard across the face.

Lilly went flying backwards into the vanity, hitting her arm, and sending a priceless vase flying, as well as hot searing pain up her arm when it hit full force into the vanity. "You must feel really big…hitting a girl! This must compensate for being the weak link of your family!" She wiped the blood off her cut lip with her good hand.

"Leave us alone. Aaron. I'm sure that Tamara would love to see the gardens. Lilly and I need to get something's straight." He narrowed his eyes down at Lilly.

Tammy found herself being dragged out of the room. "NO!! LET GO OF ME!! HE'S GOING TO HURT LILLY!!" She screamed at Aaron.

"He won't harm his treasure too badly." Aaron tossed her up over his shoulder and carried her out of the room.

"Everyone on your planet thinks that the two of you are dead. Your car was found in very deep cold water, so no one is going to come and rescue you. They will mourn your deaths and then get on with their lives. Shawn will find someone else to love and you will be mine." He watched, as Lilly's face paled at his words.

"NEVER!!! I WILL NEVER BE YOURS!!" She snarled at him. "I LOVE SHAWN!!"

Ren grabbed her by her chin and made her look up at him. "YOU WILL NEVER MENTION HIS NAME AROUND ME!!" He roared down at her.

"Or what Ren?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Shawn and I are soul mates and no one will ever replace him in my life!"

Ren having had more than enough disobedience from her took hold of her, threw her down on the bed, and then pinned her against the mattress with his body. "Then I will have no choice, but to take what's mine!" He began to explore her exposed skin with his mouth despite Lilly's attempts to get free. He was just too strong and was becoming more brutal with her every time she tried to struggle.

Lilly felt terror for the third time in her life, as he continued to attack her. "Please Ren…" She whimpered. "I won't mention him again…just don't hurt my anymore."

Ren saw the terror in her face and stopped his harsh trail of brutal kisses against her alabaster skin. "We will stop for now and I will see you in one hour. Don't make me come and get you or we will finish what I started!" He kissed her once more before getting off the bed and stalking out of the room.

Lilly curled up in a ball and cried her eyes out. "Please Shawn come and rescue me before he follows through with his threats and hurts me!" She sobbed into a pillow.

Tam was thrown back into the room. "Oh Lilly! What did he do to you?" She raced over to the bed when she saw Lilly's ripped clothing and bruised skin.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed in terror when Tam touched her shoulder.

"It's me Lilly! It's Tamara. I won't let him hurt you anymore." She held open her arms to her friend and Lilly flew into them.

"Tammy! He almost...Everyone at home thinks that we're dead!! I can't stay here Tammy! I have to get out of here before he really hurts me!!" Ow!! I must have broken something when I hit that table!!" She cradled her injured arm against her. "I just want to go home!!" She sobbed against Tam's shoulder.

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(Arus)

Andy ran until she couldn't run anymore then fell to her knees and cried over the loss of her sister and her niece. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM FROM US!?" She shouted up at the sky.

"Oh sweetie there you are." Eric having finally tracked her down pulled her into his arms and rocked her.

"THEY CAN'T BE GONE!! I WON'T LET THEM BE GONE!!" She pounded her fists against his chest.

"Andy this isn't your fault." He continued to rock her in his arms.

"I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG! I SHOULD HAVE FELT THAT THEY WERE IN DANGER!!" She sobbed.

Eric gathered her up into his arms, "Come on love lets go home. I've been searching for you all night and it's almost dawn." He signaled Blacky to come and get them.

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Shawn sat in the castle's Situation Room and ordered E to scan the lake for any signs of the girls. "Every square inch Einstein."

"I understand Master Shawn, but this will take time. My sensors indicate that your body needs rest." E frowned at him with concern.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR SENSORS ARE TELLING YOU! I AM FINE E NOW DO AS I SAID!" He raked his fingers through his already mused sandy blonde hair.

"Take it easy Shawn." Nate placed a hand on his chair. "You look like hell kid. Why don't you go and take a quick shower while I stay here by E."

Shawn stood up and glared murderously at Nate. "I'M FINE NATE!"

"NO KID YOU AREN'T FINE!! YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO SLEEP AND ARE RUNNING ON FUMES!! THIS WAS A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY, BUT YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT SHE IS GONE!" Nate shouted at him.

"NO!! SHE'S ALIVE!! THEY ARE BOTH ALIVE! I WON'T LET HER BE DEAD! I WON'T LET HER!!" He ran from the room in tears.

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Dex stared out at the point where the girls had lost control of their car. Every Galaxy Garrison officer and soldier was out on the lake searching for their bodies. "IF BOTH OF YOU ARE GONE THEN WHY DOES A PART OF ME STILL FEEL THAT TAM'S ALIVE!" He shouted up at the sky.

"Maybe because she'll always be a part of your heart." Farla tried to console her son.

"This just seems too easy to me. I mean her car was brand new. Why would it careen off the road like that? Air cars don't do that! Sure they still have tires, but only when the hover system goes off-line!" He continued to pace the grass until he came across the landing site of Ren's ship. "What the hell!?"

"What is it son?" Faron growled softly.

"THESE MARKS ARE NEW! THEY AREN'T DEAD! SOMEONE SET THIS ALL UP AND I KNOW WHO THAT SOMEONE IS!" Dex raced over to his car jumped into the driver's seat and headed for the castle.

"DEXTER! GET BACK HERE!!" Farla shouted after her son.

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Andy emerged from her shower dressed in her favorite red silk kimono. Her parents were waiting for her in her room.

"Come here baby." Keith and Allura held out their arms and she flew into them.

"They can't be gone!"

"We know baby we know." Allura blinked back tears of her own.

"We have to assume the worst, but I have everyone searching the planet as well as the lake for them." Keith continued to rock her in his arms. "Plus Shawn has E hard at work."

"I just can't understand this! That car was brand new! How could they have lost control like that?" Andy got up and began to pace her room.

Eric raced into their room with good news. "Good News everyone. E and Hal both found that there are no signs of either of them on Arus. That means that they are still alive, but in trouble."

"Thank Arus!" Allura sighed in relief.

"That means that some maniac has them. My spies have informed me that most of our major enemies aren't in this part of the galaxy. That would give the younger generation free reign." Andy headed back to the lair. "Hal I need Ren's current location ASAP!"

"Yes mistress anything else oh mighty one!?" Hal glared at her.

"Watch it Hal or I'll reprogram you into a female!" She snarled at the face on the screen. "I'm going to link you up with E and then maybe you will be able to find Ren!"

"I am more than capable of locating Ren! He's on Avalon…I am linking up to Khan's mainframe and will have a visual for you in moments. So far there is no sign of either of the princesses. I do however know that he has a friend and here is a visual of one of the palace wings."

"Lilly! Tammy! What on Arus are they wearing? Hal can you zoom in on my sister…something is wrong." Andy frowned.

"Tammy looks furious and Lilly looks terrified." Eric, Keith, and Allura joined her in the lair.

"I have only seen that look three times in my life once with Myria, once with Alex, and then with Sheena. They were almost…" He was so furious that he couldn't say the words.

"ANDY LOOKED LIKE THAT WHEN SHE WAS CAPTURED BY SHAITAN AND HE ATTEMPTED TO RAPE MY WIFE! THAT KID IS STEAKS!" Eric's eyes were blazing and his fangs had emerged.

"Who's going to tell Shawn?" Andy wanted to jump through the screen and kill Ren with her bare hands.

Keith's wrist-com went off and he barked into it. "What!?"

"Uh sire? We just found Prince Nathan unconscious in the Situation Room and someone has taken off with Blacky." The terrified palace guard reported to him.

"That's just great Andy! Shawn saw everything!" Eric turned to glare at his wife, but she was already in the corner of the lair gearing up, and on her way to get her sister. "Hold it right there Andromeda Marie!"

"Get back here Tony! Momma and Daddy are really busy!" Jessie chased after her baby brother, as the little one made a be-line straight into the lair and straight for his Momma. "Hi...Um…did you and Momma find Aunt Lilly and Tammy yet?" She eyed her father with wary eyes.

"MOMMA!!" Tony clung to Andy's leg.

Jasmine came in with Michael hot on her heels.

"Blacky just took off and neither of you are in him, so who boosted him?" Michael frowned at the two of them.

"That isn't your concern young man and I thought that I told you that anything concerning Blacky was off limits to you." Eric narrowed his eyes down at his son.

"Seriously father that tactic isn't going to work. I will eventually take Blacky away from you and there isn't anything that you or anyone can do about it." Michael met his father's glare with one of his own.

Keith and Allura gave each other a knowing look.

"That sounds familiar…" Keith chuckled.

"Like mother like son." Allura smirked.

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Tamara dragged her friend into the shower and turned on the water so that it was steaming hot. "Snap out of it Lilly! We are in major trouble here and I'm not gonna be able to get us out of here by myself!" She shook her none too gently.

Lilly slowly came out of her shock and glared at Tammy. "What's going on? Why am I standing in the shower with my clothes on? The last thing that I remember is that creep had his hands all over me and he even kissed me!!" She shivered, as she thought of how close she had come to being attacked by Ren. "I'm fine I can handle this." She pulled herself together. "Tam, I need something dry to put on."

Tam threw her the clothes that she had been wearing when Ren had kidnapped them. "We have less than ten minutes, so you don't have much time."

Lilly dressed in record time and then immediately began searching for something to cut the collars off of them. She used a piece of the shattered vase to remove hers and then motioned for Tammy to do the same. "Damn it I seriously messed up my arm when it hit the table!" She winced in pain.

Tammy tore up her slave outfit and was using that to wrap Lilly's arm. "Hold still and I will have it set and put in a splint in a second."

"My arm is gonna have to wait! We're out of time!" She kicked open the balcony doors and raced outside.

"Lilly we can't jump! It's a fifty foot drop!" Tammy hissed.

"Then we're just gonna have to go up!" Lilly ignored the hot searing pain that was shooting up her arm and began to climb up to the roof.

Tamara was right behind her. "This is gonna be a challenge."

Lilly helped her up onto the roof. "The hanger bay is way over on that side of the palace." She pointed towards the building at the far side of the palace.

"We've got our work cut out for us then." Tamara gritted her teeth and carefully followed her friend across the slippery tiled shingles on the roof.

"Shit we just ran out of time!" Lilly winced when she heard the sound of furniture being smashed and Ren's roar of fury. "You should have woken me sooner!"

"You were mentally gone Lilly!" Tammy and Lilly stopped dead in their tracks when they came across a gap in the roof. "Now what are we supposed to do genius? Leap across the roof?" She glared at Lilly.

"It's amazing what terror can make someone do!" Lilly leapt over onto the other roof.

"Here they come and they aren't in a good mood either!" Tammy gritted her teeth and leapt next to Lilly.

"YOU TWO CAN'T RUN FOREVER!!!" Ren roared.

Lilly and Tammy ignored them, as they raced across the rooftop, and prepared to jump across an even wider gap. "That was way too close!" Tam winced, as she jarred her leg when she landed on the other roof.

"It gets worse. We have only two more jumps before we have to climb down one of the trellises." Lilly gasped in air both of them were almost out of energy.

"Why do you say that?" Tammy panted.

"Because the last jump is a gap that is over fifty feet wide and it happens to be the entrance to the palace courtyard." Lilly glanced behind them and saw that the boys had decided to take the faster route to the courtyard.

"Like we needed another challenge…damn it to bloody hell those two jerks decided to take a short cut!" Tammy and Lilly raced across the rooftops praying that they would be able to beat their pursuers to the hanger so that they could escape.

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Shaitan heard someone shouting and looked up at the roof tops on the vast palace. "What's that pain in the ass up to now and who the hell are those girls?" Shaitan was not at all pleased with what the two teenagers were up to.

Ryan was also interested in the activity that was going on up on the roof. "Dad? Why are Ren and Aaron chasing after those two girls?" He frowned.

"Why does that little blonde look familiar to me?" Shaitan frowned.

"Ren has this major thing for Lilly. I'll bet that those two are up to something again." Ryan filled in some of the blanks for his father.

"If that's Lilly then that must be Tamara Wayne with her. I had no idea how much that little flower had grown." Shaitan was not about to let Ren and Aaron have their way with those two girls. He had no wish to have the wrath of Arus descend on him.

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Shawn raced Blacky straight towards Avalon, only to find himself struck by the Narnia's tractor beam, and pulled into the hanger bay.

"Going somewhere?" Eric's not so happy face appeared on the monitor.

"YES UNCLE ERIC! LILLY NEEDS ME!" Shawn snarled.

"GOING IN THERE WITH BOTH BARRELS BLAZING WILL ONLY GET THEM BOTH KILLED!" Eric roared at him. "NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LION NOW MISTER!"

"I was doing fine by myself!" Shawn stalked out of the lion and over to where the others were waiting for him. "You're with them too?" He glared at Dex.

"I'm here to make sure that you don't end up getting yourself killed and I'm also going to help rescue my princess." Dex met Shawn's glare with one of his own.

"Just come out and say it Dex! You're here so that you can give the girls immediate medical attention if we don't find them before Ren and his friend get to them!" Shawn snarled.

"The two of them have managed to keep one step ahead of Ren and Aaron. In fact they're running across the roof on there way towards an escape route." Andy informed him.

"Now I know why they forced us to study all of those places and planets." Shawn eyed the screen.

"Don't just stand there and watch on the monitor kid! We need to get into the cats and get them out of there!" Eric snarled at him.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Shawn raced for Ty.

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Lilly ignored the stinging sensation of the thorns, as she made her way down the rose covered trellis. "We're almost there Tam." She winced in pain when a thorn bit into her palm.

"Hurry Lilly! Those creeps are heading this way!" Tam jumped down the rest of the way and landed on the grass.

"Damn it they took a short cut!!" Lilly jumped down next to Tam and the two of them took off running across the field.

Tam glanced behind her and saw that some other guy and a kid were chasing them. "We have more company…some really hot older guy and a kid." Tam wheezed.

"Shaitan and Ryan? This is just great!! Like I needed another challenge!" She continued to run even though her body was screaming for her to stop.

"Care to fill me in on what the hell is going on little flower?" Shaitan appeared next to her.

"Ren wants to hurt me…" She gasped in air. "Aaron really wants to get to know Tamara! Do I have to paint a picture for you!?" Lilly snarled.

Shaitan felt like tearing Ren and Aaron in half. "Ryan is playing with them at the moment, so the two of you are safe." He grabbed the two of them and forced them to stop running.

"Ryan?! He can't handle them! He's barely a teenager!! Those two are eighteen!!" Lilly gasped for air.

"Ryan is my son…" Shaitan noticed that Lilly was in really rough shape. "Did that little brat hurt you!?"

"Yes hurt me! He will also do much more than that if he catches me!!" Lilly snarled at him in frustration.

"Andy trained you little flower. You could have easily handled him blindfolded." Shaitan narrowed his eyes at her. "Did the pain in the ass drug the two of you?! I'm not in the mood to have the wrath of Andy and Eric fall upon me!"

"Look you idiot!! I happen to be tired!! My arm is killing me and now that I have finally stopped I know that I won't be able to move for at least a few weeks!! I could careless if my sister and brother-in-law kill you!! You were supposed to keep an eye on them and look at what came out of that!!!" Lilly snarled at him.

"Look you moron we couldn't take on anyone if we wanted to!" Tam growled.

Shaitan looked up at the sky just in time to see the cats fly over head. "I'll be taking my leave now, until we meet again little one." Shaitan made his escape. "Ryan! Let Lilly's family deal with them! We're out of here!"

"Just when I was really starting to have some fun!" Ryan slammed a kick into Aaron's groin. "I will wipe the floor with you later! That's if they don't kill you first!" He vanished.

Lilly couldn't believe her own eyes. Shawn and the others were all running towards them. "Tam the rescue party finally decided to show up." She groaned.

"That's great Lil, but we just have one problem." Tam noticed that Ren was still hell bent on getting his princess. "Ren is still after us."

Shawn literally flew at Ren and tackled him to the grass. "OH NO YOU DON'T!! YOU HAVE HURT HER ENOUGH!!" He slammed his fist into Ren's face.

YOU!!? BUT HOW?!" Ren was barely able to block Shawn's attacks.

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" Shawn grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground with one hand.

'Shawn!! He isn't worth it! Let them deal with him! I wanna go home!!' She collapsed on the grass and curled up in a ball.

Shawn literally threw Ren down the courtyard and then went to gather Lilly up into his arms. 'I thought that I'd lost you.' He buried his face in her hair.

Lilly buried her face against his shoulder "I just wanna go home." She sobbed.

Dex found to his surprise that Tamara actually allowed him to carry her. "I couldn't move even if my life depended on it." She moaned in pain.

Dex cuddled her even closer to him. "Don't worry princess, I'll keep you safe." He for the first time in his life had to fight off the urge to kill the boy lying sprawled face down on the grass.

"S...nice." She whimpered in her sleep.

Eric and Andy could see that Lilly was in need of immediate medical attention. "Shawn we need to get Lilly up to the ship, so that they can check her out, and make sure that she's okay." Andy placed a hand on his shoulder.

Shawn sprang to his feet and took off running towards Ty.

"Let's go home." Eric and the others headed for their cats.

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Ashley and Max were waiting for them in the hanger bay. "How are they?" Ash eyed Tam and checked on her vitals. "You might feel like hell, but otherwise you'll be fine. All you need is complete bedrest for a few days." She smiled down at Tam's sleeping form and then gave Dex a reassuring look.

Keith and Allura were standing behind Max, as he checked over their daughter. "I AM GOING TO TEAR THOSE TWO IN HALF!" He eyed the bruises on his daughter's delicate skin and recalled seeing similar bruises on his sister after her first encounter with Shaitan.

Allura was more concerned with her daughter and ignored her husbands comment. "I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT OUR CHILD IS A HELL OF A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOING DOWN THERE AND KILLING THOSE TWO BOYS!!" She glared at him.

"Shawn sent him flying one hundred feet across the courtyard. He'll be lucky if he can walk again." Andy growled.

Max was trying to pry Shawn away from Lilly and wasn't having any luck. "My scan showed that she has a broken arm, is suffering from severe exhaustion, and is going into shock." He glared at the others. "Will someone please get Shawn away from her, so that I can help her!!

"WHAT DID HE DO TO HER? WHY WOULD SHE GO INTO SHOCK LIKE THIS? WHY IS HER SKIN SHOWING BRUISES ON SKIN WHICH WAS OFF LIMITS TO TOUCH!? SHE JUST MANAGED TO FALL ASLEEP AND SHE KEPT A DEATH GRIP AROUND MY NECK! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!!" Shawn was in total fangs mode.

Eric knew that Shawn wasn't in any mood to be dealt with and had Ash prepare a very heavy sedative for him. "You need sleep kid. Let Max take care of Lilly for a while." He moved Max out of the way, so that he could give Shawn the shot. "You need to be strong for Lilly and to do that you need rest."

"I don't wanna sleep Uncle…" Shawn was instantly affected by the shot and fell back into his Uncle's arms.

"She's all yours Max." Eric slung Shawn over his shoulder and carried him out of the hanger.

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(Days Later on Arus)

Tamara finally opened her eyes.

"So sleeping beauty finally awakens," Dex smiled down at her. He hadn't shaved, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were completely bloodshot.

Tam reached up to brush the bangs out of his eyes, only to wince, as pain shot up her arm. "I feel about as bad as you look." She whimpered.

"You've been out for five days. I've been sleeping in those two chairs, so I don't really give a damn about how I look." He carefully picked up her wrist and checked her pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel as if my hand is going to fall off." She whimpered.

"Everything hurts like hell doesn't it." Dex gave her a worried look.

"PLEASE DO ME THE BIGGEST FAVOR OF MY LIFE AND KILL ME! I HURT!" She burst into tears.

Max peaked into the room. "Don't worry. You aren't going to die. Next time try not to sprint across Khan's palace." He shined a light into her eyes and checked her vitals. "You just overexerted your body and it's going to take time before you're back on your feet again." He produced something that would ease her pain.

"I'm fine. I don't need a shot." She pulled the covers over her head.

"Here we go again." Max rolled his eyes at Dex.

"Tamara sweetheart, why are you hiding?" Dex pulled back the covers until he could see her terrified face.

"I don't like needles and I'm not your sweetheart." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You hurt don't you?" Dex tried to soothe her with his voice.

"Yes." She sniffled.

"I care about you, Tamara. I would never allow anyone to hurt you." Dex watched, as Tam slowly lowered the blanket.

"Hold my hand."

He took her hand in his own and kissed it. "That's my girl. Just close your eyes and it will be over before you know it."

Max used the distraction and gave her both shots. "All finished Tamara." He chuckled when he saw that the two of them no longer knew that he was even there. "I'm going to check on Lilly and I want you to go to the doctor's lounge and get some sleep." He narrowed his eyes at Dex.

"I'm fine Max." Dex growled.

"That wasn't a request young man." Max wasn't taking no for an answer. "Now say good night to Tam and I'll personally escort you there myself."

"He's right Dex you need to get some rest. I'll be fine." Tam smiled up at him.

Dex gave her a kiss. "I'll be back my princess." He let Max drag him away.

"Wow and he's all mine." Tam sighed dreamily.

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Shawn was driving everyone crazy. "She hasn't woken up yet!" He had returned to Lilly's side after being dragged off by his father and Uncle. Who had literally threw him into a shower and forced him to shave.

"She went through hell Shawn. She's not going to want to see anyone when she wakes up." Ash tried to make him understand how Lilly was going to react around him.

Myria joined in the conversation. "I didn't want to see anyone. I was a real bitch for weeks, but Patrick never let any of that bother him, and was there for me the entire time."

Shawn narrowed his eyes at Myria. "This is different Myria. You hated Pidge. Lilly and I love each other. I carried her and she was clinging to me. I know that she isn't going to push me away." He entered Lilly's room.

Lilly was caught in another horrible nightmare and was crying out in her sleep. "Don't hurt me anymore…I won't say it again…Please just leave me alone!"

Shawn raced to her side and tried to calm her down. "It's okay little flower. You're safe and sound at home."

Lilly flinched when he touched her and curled up into a ball under the covers. "I won't say his name again…" She whimpered.

Shawn felt as if he had been staked straight through the heart. She was hurt for saying his name around Ren. "Open you eyes love…you're safe." He used his voice to soothe away her fears.

Lilly slowly opened her eyes and saw where she was. "I'm home." She whimpered hoarsely.

Shawn had gotten off the bed and walked over to stare out the window. "You've been asleep for five days and they repaired your broken arm."

"I was having a bad dream, but I heard your voice, and knew that you were there to protect me." She whispered.

"I'm sorry Lilly…" Shawn whispered hoarsely. "He hurt you because of me."

"That is not true Shawn..." She couldn't understand why Shawn was being so distant.

"You cried out in your sleep…" He blinked back his tears. "I heard every word that you said."

"Ren hurt me because he's a cruel beast. He warned me not to mention you, but that's like asking me not to breathe. I don't blame you and he didn't assault me." She whimpered shakily, as she too blinked back tears. "He had his hands all over me and his mouth was on my skin! I have never been so scared!!"

Shawn crawled into bed with her and cuddled her in his arms. "They found your car and assumed that you were dead. I wanted to die, but I knew that you were still alive. Nothing was going to take you from me. When I found out where you were…I decked Nate and stole Blacky."

Lilly started to cuddle up against him only to find that every part of her body was crying out in agony. "I HURT SHAWN MAKE IT STOP!" She sobbed against chest.

Shawn instantly felt her pain, as if it were his own. "ASHLEY GET IN HERE!!" Shawn shouted.

"Easy Shawn, she's going to be fine. She just needs time to heal." Ash walked over and smiled down at Lilly. "Welcome back sweetie."

Keith and Allura raced into the room.

"She's in pain do something!" Allura glared at her.

"DADDY!!!" Lilly caught sight of her father and burst into tears.

Ashley used that distraction to give Lilly her shots. "Relax sweetie, you're only making it worse."

She cuddled closer to Shawn. "Don't leave me." She felt him attempting to get up off the bed.

"It's okay angel, I'm not going anywhere." Shawn made himself comfortable. "Tell Uncle Eric that he'll have to chew me out later." He grinned at a not so happy Keith.

"If I promise that he'll be right back, as soon as he talks to Eric?" Keith attempted to get Shawn away from his baby girl.

"NO!! If big brother wants to see Shawn he can come here. Where's my baby kitty?" She yawned sleepily.

"She's prowling the corridor until Max gives the okay." Allura smiled down at her daughter.

"You're awake!" Andy and Eric walked into the room followed by a very large snow-white leopard cub, she immediately knocked Shawn off the bed. "Someone wanted to see you."

"Oh I missed my baby kitty." She cuddled next to Jara.

Shawn glared at Ninjara. "Nice going Uncle Eric." He snarled at his uncle.

Eric met his look with an even deadlier one. "Hey squirt can I stake…" Shawn stared wide-eyed in terror at his Uncle. "I mean steal him away from you for a few minutes?" He bent down and kissed Lilly on the forehead.

"Promise not to hurt him?" She frowned at him.

"I promise that he'll be perfectly fine." He narrowed his eyes at Shawn. "Let's go kid." He dragged him out of the room and tossed him into the doctor's lounge.

"Lilly was in danger and I had to get to her!" Shawn pleaded his case.

Eric let him sweat for a few minutes and then let him have it. "You knocked out Nate! Then you stole my lion!!! You know better than that!!! You could have gotten yourself killed!! We are a team and if you want to eventually be on that team!! You had better start acting like the junior officer that you are!! I want you to watch over Lilly for now! Do you think that you can handle that kid?"

"Yes sir!" Shawn tried not to jump for joy.

"Dismissed." Eric chuckled to himself when Shawn all but flew out of the room.

"It's about time!! I'm trying to get some sleep in here." Dex groaned.

"Sorry about that Dex…Take it nice and slow with Tam or you will have to deal with me." With that said he left the room.

"I am so dead." Dex groaned and fell back to sleep.

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On to Chapter Eight

Cindra©1999-2007

DISCLAIMER I in no way own any of the original characters in this story and Voltron is the property of World Events Productions, ltd. (So nobody sue me okay ;) The new characters on the other hand are mine and under no circumstances are they to be used without my permission.