It's Sunday (Monday)! Your PMs have done so much to encourage me...especially considering my nerves, so...THANK YOU ALL...and to those who continue to read/follow/review/favorite/support...really makes me feel good and gives me so much to look forward to!
A.N. The 'date' holds a special/somber place in my heart and is yet another tribute...
1868: I can imagine! Yes...many ways to go from here and, I have to say, had a couple different alternates but I have finally picked one :-) This is the only story that I began posting before completing so..it's been interesting to say the least! Hope you approve!
Cubbie and Chris: Thank you luv! There will be more KA sweetness and fun to come..I swear it! xoxo
JustLucky05: You make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! I have to say...for a brief moment...I toyed with the idea of a pregnancy...but...it didn't sit well with me...I want them to find each other again and the pregnancy would serve to complicate things too much...Although things may be obvious to us...those too have no clue LOL- but, never fear! Lancelot will let his curiosity get the best of him ;-)
KathDMD: Poker night woo hoo! I actually went out to a local bar in CHI and tried Malort (research of course ;-) ) Holy mama! It was potent! LOL Coopers...give me the date and it could VERY WELL be possible! I'm so in...Will email you! As for Keith...no cranky pants here...especially once Allura starts trying to bring out his laid-back fun-loving academy side... *super hugs to my Bella* xoxoxo
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Voltron or its characters. All OCs belong to me...
"Whatsername"
Chapter 7
May 14, 2101. Keith couldn't sit still. He continued to pace the hall and gnaw at the inside of his cheek in anticipation of their arrival. Sven, dressed in a pale blue cotton button down shirt and navy blue dress slacks, leaned against the wall and stared at his friend in amusement. He looked up at the clock on the wall and then back over at Keith.
"You sure it was a good idea to have Lance pick her up? Senior Suave may have convinced her to elope with him instead, you know." snickered Sven, earning him a disgruntled look.
The Alpha Team commander stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. He wore tailored black dress pants and a soft ecru button down shirt with a black silk tie. As nervous as he was, he still managed to pull off looking exquisite and debonair.
"You've got all the paper work, right?"
"Ja, already submitted it to the clerk. All that's left is for the two of you to sign on the dotted line"
"You told them that a notarized copy must be forwarded to Graham ASAP?"
"Done…"
"How 'bout the rings? You have them right? Ugh!…do you think they're too simple? Do you think she'll hate them?"
Sven slapped his palm over his face "Åh, för Guds skull! Keith, relax! Everything is in order…and she'll love the rings!"
Before Keith could continue his tirade of nerves, the doors swung open and he instantly felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. Where is she? Oh God…she changed her mind…
Lance, dressed in black dress slacks and a silky button down maroon shirt, whipped off his sunglasses and addressed his friends.
"Sorry we're late boys, but I had to do some shopping." He said as he placed his sunglasses atop his head.
Keith narrowed his gaze. "Shopping? You went...shopping! Where's Leah?" he yelled.
Lance raised his hand up. "Chill out bro! After all, I had to make sure that my future-kinda-sister-in-law didn't miss out thanks to all this ridiculous rushing. Consider it my wedding gift to you." He winked and patted Keith's arms before rushing out of the hall.
Keith nervously looked over at Sven who rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. The young captain tugged at his collar "He dressed her in a gold bikini didn't he?"
The Swede gave a hearty laugh "Ah min broder…it is McClain…anything's possible"
Lance appeared once again. "Gentlemen, may I introduce the most beautiful last minute bride in the universe…Lady Leah" He flittered his hand as he bowed.
Allura turned the corner and entered the hall wearing a stunning short white strapless wedding dress, with pleated bodice and flare chiffon skirt that came just above her knee. On her feet she wore a pair of high end crystal dart sandals with a four inch heel. Her golden blond tresses were pulled up on the sides, held together by an exquisite barrette adorned with crystal blue sapphires. She stopped in the middle of the hall and twirled around, her flowing dress giving her the appearance of an angel.
"Well? What do you think?" she asked. Not that she had to- Keith's silly grin and twinkly eyes spoke volumes.
"Oj joj woman! You look incredible!" gasped Sven.
Lance leaned over to Keith who couldn't tear his eyes off her. "You're welcome, brother" he snickered.
Keith flashed a smile that brightened the room as he slowly approached his bride. He reached out and took her hands in his.
"You're so beautiful" he sighed.
The princess looked at him through hooded eyes as a light blush spread across her cheeks. She removed one of her hands from his and traced her finger down the length of his tie.
"You're not so bad yourself, handsome."
A short and stubby little clerk stepped out into the hall, announcing in a nasally voice "Kogane …room five"
"Come on you two…oogle each other later!" yelled Lance.
Keith looked at him over his shoulder and nodded then turned back to Allura. "Ready, Milady?" he asked as he offered his arm to her.
The princess ran her arm through his. "Let's get married" she smiled. The couple and their two friends entered room five and closed the door behind them.
Xxxxx
Pidge leaned back against his chair in the control room. For the most part, things had been uneventful on Arus which, for a planet at war, was a good thing. After checking the monitors and assuring that everything seemed clear, the Green Lion pilot decided to sit back, relax, and catch up on his comic book reading.
"Robotech…ha! They've got nothing on us!" he snickered to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a blip on one of the screens. He gently placed his comic on the console and pulled up the flashing sector.
"Sector 8A…the briefing room…what could possibly…?" Pidge's eyes widened in sudden realization as he spun around in his chair and activated his com unit. Keith's voice instantly filled the vacant control room.
"Kogane here…what's going on, Stokker?"
"Keith, there is an indication of a minor power surge in Sector 8A…the briefing room…I think this is it!"
There was a moment of silence. "Pidge, get the rest of the team. I'll swing by and get Coran. Make sure Gorma is on standby, just in case."
"Copy that, Chief. Meet you there." Pidge immediately called a guard over to cover his place and ran out of castle control.
Xxxxx
After City Hall, the small group made their way over to Run-A-Ways for an impromptu Newlywed celebration. Mateo had a special section ready for them, complete with high-end champagne and a selection of his best appetizers, with Becs volunteering to be their personal server for the duration. The bride-groom didn't want too many people to know about their nuptials and were pleased with the intimate setting Mateo created.
Keith smiled at the beautiful woman in his arms, leaning in to place yet another tender kiss on her lips. The young bride giggled as she gently tangled her fingers into his hair and drew him closer, deepening their embrace.
"Seriously…enough with the PDA already! Geez!" snorted Lance as he slammed his champagne glass down on the table.
"Ja broder…let us get a kiss in too" Sven winked.
Allura laughed and threw her arms around Sven, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Feel better?"
"You know, Leah…if you ever get sick of him…I'll be just around the corner." Grinned Sven.
Keith grabbed her arm and yanked her back against him, wrapping her up in a possessive embrace. "Back off, Thor…find you own."
"Please Kogane! Holgersson and like our freedom…besides, I hear the Denubian women are really hot." Snickered Lance.
Keith slapped him upside the head. "Damn it, Lance! Keep your voice down!"
"Shit…sorry…anywho…" he rolled his eyes before looking over at Allura. "So, Leah, how does it feel to be Mrs. Kogane?"
Allura gave Keith a tight squeeze and leaned back to look at him. "It feels….right." she smiled and gave him a light kiss. "I don't think I have ever been this happy in my entire life." The princess bit her bottom lip.
Keith pressed another kiss on her fore head. "Either have I, Milady, either have I."
Becca leaned in, placing some more appetizers on their table "You know, you two really do look good together…always figured you'd be the first to get serious, Kogane." she winked.
"Yeah, thank God Leah showed up…you were really starting to get annoying with all your protocol shit." Lance added, taking another sip from his champagne.
Sven snickered "Ha! And you think that's going to change? He's Commander Uptight for a reason…"
"I'm sorry…what time did I say practice was in the morning? 0400?" chided the captain.
Completely bypassing his threat, Lance and Sven continued to mock him. The princess laughed as the three friends continued to engage in the Battle-of-the-one-liners. Could it ever be more perfect than this? She sighed. Keith took her hand in his and smiled as he looked at her. She was glowing, absolutely glowing. As he held her gaze, he noticed a slight flicker against the wall behind her. That's strange… he thought, his brow furrowed.
Allura noticed his distraction, fleeting as it was. "Keith? What is it?"
"Not sure. I could swear I saw something on the wall…some kind of spark."
Sven arched a brow "Where?"
"Over there…to the right of the restroom"
"I don't see anything…just an older guy leaning against the wall...looks kinda smug if you ask me…pfft...don't make me have to kick some ass!" Said Lance as he took a swig of the frothy beer he'd just ordered.
Allura held a pinched expression and turned to look over her shoulder. When her eyes locked onto the man he mentioned, her breath stopped.
"Leah…are you ok?" Keith asked, trying to get her attention.
"Oh God..." she whispered.
Keith looked up and noticed the man looking at her with a level of scrutiny. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Leah…do you know him?"
"I…I…Keith…"
"Keith…look!" yelled Sven as he pointed in the direction behind Allura. The captain looked up and saw a glowing hole starting to form in the wall.
The distinguished gentleman approached and extended his hand, reaching out to Allura. "It's time…you must come home."
"I am home!"
"Please dearest, don't make this more difficult."
Allura shook her head violently. "No! I'm not going back! Ever!" she yelled.
Alfor sadly looked to the ground and closed his eyes. "Then, you leave them no choice."
The patrons in the bar began to scatter, frantically running toward the exits in all directions as the portal grew in size. Allura threw herself into Keith's arms.
"Leah…who is he? What's going on?" he yelled, in order to be heard over the chaos.
"Keith, please! I can't explain now…there's no time just…don't let me go…don't let go!"
Keith wrapped his arms around her tightly as the ground began to rumble. "I won't, I swear it." he said, increasing his hold on her.
"Keith man…grab her and let's get outta here…fast!" screamed Lance as debris began to swirl around them.
The Alpha Captain nodded and turned toward Allura "Hold on!" He shifted to follow Sven and Lance when a massive explosion hit Run-A-Ways, the aftershock causing him to momentarily lose his grip.
"Keith!" she pleaded as she felt herself thrust away from him.
"Leah!" he yelled frantically, trying with all he had to grab on. Sven and Lance fought through the smoke and debris and ran to his side trying to help him find her. It was too late. There was a second explosion, and a third, and a forth, then everything went dark.
Xxxxx
Keith and Coran reached the entrance to the briefing room, and were almost immediately joined by Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and Dr. Gorma. Having heard the commotion over the comms, Sven and Romelle showed up as well.
"I don't think we should all go in there, she might be over whelmed. Who knows what the hell she's been through over the last two months." Suggested Hunk.
"You raise a valid point, Sergeant." Agreed Coran and turned to look at Keith. "What do you think, Captain?"
"Sven, Lance, and Hunk, you three come in with me in case someone else is with her. The rest of you, wait just inside the doorway. Hunk's right. We don't want to overwhelm her."
They all nodded in agreement just as a wind seemed to kick in out of nowhere. Coran looked toward the entrance and noticed a glow begin to appear. He looked at the captain and motioned that it was time.
"Ok you three, follow me. Just stay up against the wall. Last thing we need is for anyone else to get sucked back into that thing."
The group began to shuffle back into the entrance as the portal appeared along the far wall, swirling once more in various shades of the sunset. They all heard Allura in the distance and instantly tensed at her faint words.
"Let me go…please…don't do this…" her panic stricken voice echoed throughout the room. Romelle went to lunge forward but was immediately stopped by Coran.
Keith and Lance slowly made their way closer to the portal with Hunk and Sven in tow. The captain halted them as he noticed two silhouettes approach the entrance to the portal. He shielded his eyes and looked toward the light, then turned toward the men "It's Alfor, for sure." The group slightly relaxed their stance until they heard Allura's bloodcurdling screams. Flashes of light engulfed the room and in an instant the portal had disappeared. The entire group looked on with their jaws dropped as the princess struggled to break away from Alfor's grasp. Keith drew his weapon why would she be fighting her father? As the king's form began to return to its ghostly state, he lost his grip on Allura, who broke away and threw herself against the wall- pounding upon it in sheer desperation.
"No! No! Send me back damn it! I want to go back!" she cried before spinning around to look at her father. Her tear stained eyes narrowed as she spat "How could you! How could you allow them to do this to me! I was finally happy…why?" she shook.
Alfor reached out to her "I had no idea…Allura, I didn't know…"
Sven leaned into Keith, who had put away his weapon but remained completely taken aback. "Å fy fan! What the hell is she wearing?" He asked with hesitation.
Keith shook his head. He didn't know what to say or what to think- all he knew was that he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Damn…even all crazy she looks hot..." whispered Lance.
The captain growled, slapped him across the head, and turned his focus back to the argument. Allura leaned against the wall and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand as her chest continued to heave from crying.
"I've sacrificed everything for them, for the sake of Arus…not this too…not this." The princess let out a heart wrenching sob as she slid down the wall into a heap on the floor.
"I'm sorry my dearest, I'm so sorry" whispered Alfor as he dissipated.
Keith couldn't take anymore. He ran to Allura and knelt beside her, scooping her up into his arms in hopes of providing her with some comfort. At first, the princess relaxed into the warmth of his embrace. Maybe… She pulled back slightly to look at him, grasping his face within her palms "Keith" she choked, looking into his eyes, searching for the loving gaze she had grown accustom to; instead, all she found was confusion and concern. It's not him she thought and lowered her gaze, trying to hide the reflection of the emotional pain she was in.
Keith took her hands, overwhelmed by the look of desperation in her eyes. "Allura" he whispered, using his hand to push her loose hair out of her eyes. "Are you…" The captain didn't have a chance to ask the question as the princess pushed him away and raised herself up off the floor. Lance walked over to Keith and offered his hand to help him up.
Allura stood silent. She looked lost, completely broken, as she wrapped her arms around herself. How can this be happening? What must he be thinking? I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. She began to tremble as fresh tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Keith saw the state she was in and his heart shattered for her, wishing that there was something he could do to help her. The group looked upon her, everyone afraid to speak. Coran motioned to Romelle, who nodded in understanding.
The Polluxian princess slowly made her way toward Allura and put her arm around her. "Allura, do you want me to take you to your room so you can change…relax a bit?"
Allura looked down at her dress and gracefully smoothed out the elegant chiffon skirt before looking at her cousin.
Romelle gave her a warm smile. "You look stunning! That's quite an amazing dress, Allura. Let's go hang it up so it doesn't get ruined."
The princess let out a light whimper and inhaled deeply. "It's already ruined…everything is ruined…" she whispered.
Flashes of Keith- looking so dapper in his dress clothes, agreeing to marry her, vowing to spend the rest of his life with her as he placed a simple onyx band on her finger, cascaded through her mind as the tears flowed from her eyes once again. Without hesitation, she ran out of the briefing room- wanting more than anything to get away…to hide...to be alone.
Romelle slumped her shoulders and rubbed her face in her palms before facing everyone "I'll go check on her." She turned to the doctor "Dr. Gorma, maybe send Nurse Serina to examine her in her quarters?" The doctor nodded. Romelle ran after Allura but paused at the door, turning to everyone once more "and for the love of God, no one tell Nanny she's back yet!"
Once Romelle and Gorma were gone, everyone walked over to the rec room where they collectively let out a breath. Coran began to pace, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of what happened. Keith leaned his forearm against the window, completely lost in thought, while the remaining occupants each found a chair to throw themselves on.
"Um…I hate to point this out again…but did any one besides Sven and me notice that Lura-lu's wearing a wedding dress?"
Coran squeezed his eyes shut and clenched at his chest. "I think I need to sit down" he said. Keith ran over to the advisor and helped him to a seat while throwing Lance a deadly stare.
"What? Just stating the obvious…" he shrugged.
Keith walked over to the desk and leaned against it, closing his eyes and crossing his arms in front of him.
Coran wearily looked at the captain before turning his attention back to the rest of the group. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander, I think we all noticed."
Hunk threw his arms up "What does that mean?"
"I think it means she got hitched…just sayin'…" snorted Lance.
"Or was about to…" offered Pidge.
"For all our sakes, I hope it was the later." Groaned Coran. "I'm not sure how I would explain the other option."
"Explain to who, Coran?" asked Sven.
The Minister arched a brow "Oh come now, Commander. You are Prince Consort. You live in a castle. Half the staff just saw the Crown Princess of Arus run down the halls in a wedding dress after being gone for two months…"
Sven grimaced "Point taken."
Keith listened to the debate as though it was a series of echoes through his head. Married? She got married? His heart broke a little at the thought that Allura may be in love with someone else. I waited too long…but…I thought for sure that… He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind. What he felt was not important at the moment. The only thing he cared about was Allura and how this would affect her. As the conversation continued around him, the captain remained oblivious and slowly walked out of the rec room, ignoring the calls from his friends and team mates.
"What's up with him? You think he'd be relieved that she's back." Said Pidge
Sven grimaced while Lance dropped into a chair and rubbed the back of his head. Hunk shook his head and Coran rubbed the bridge of his nose. The advisor thought about the princess and the commander. This doesn't make sense. Those two are destined for each other…I know it. How can this be? What a blow this must be to him….
"You know, your deities have some fucked up timing, Coran." spat the Red Lion pilot.
Sven snapped his gaze over to him and narrowed his eyes. "Lance!"
Coran waved him off "Relax Commander Holgersson, for once…I happen to agree…"
"So, what happens now?" shrugged Hunk
Coran looked up at the men in the room. "We wait until she's ready to tell us what happened…then we go from there. If you'd all excuse me. I suddenly feel a splitting headache coming on."
