In Sickness & In Health

When the reception was finished Keith and Eimear left, to head over to her house. Aiden, Renson, and the flower girls had been at the luncheon, but were then taken home by their respective nannies. Keith was sitting next to her in the hovercar, telling her about the diary that the court librarian had given him. Eimear was excited at the thought of reading about her grandmother.

The car pulled up in front of the house, and Keith helped Eimear out of the car. He was looking forward to the talk they were going to have. She had already suggested that they have some wine and cheese in the backyard, which he thought sounded perfect. When they got inside Aiden came barreling down the staircase to greet them.

"Mum, Commander Keith you are here!" He exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around his Mother, who hugged him back. She went to kiss him on his forehead, and Keith saw her look very concerned all of a sudden.

"Aiden, you are really hot! How do you feel?" Eimear asked, as she put her hand on his forehead. Keith looked at the boy and noticed a slight glassiness in the eyes.

"Actually, I've been rather cold and my joints hurt, but I think it is because Renson and I were rough housing." Aiden informed, as he stepped back from his Mother and turned to Keith. Just then a strange look came over his face.

"Oh, my stomach doesn't feel so." He didn't finish what he was saying, as he bent over slightly while grabbing his stomach. Aiden proceeded to throw up right a Keith's feet, with some of it getting on his dress shoes. Keith reached out to support the boy, and gently patted his back.

"Aiden, what is wrong." Eimear reached out to hold her son and then saw Keith's shoes "Keith, I'm sorry about this." The worry in her voice was clear as she said it.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I think we need to get Aiden upstairs though. He has all the symptoms of a fever." Keith smiled at her, as he continued to support the boy. Aiden by now was done throwing up, and managed to stand upright, but was still holding on to Keith's arm. Keith took his shoes off, and then picked the boy up.

"Eimear, why don't you lead the way, and show me where his room is." Keith asked her encouragingly, and she nodded her head. Aiden had his arms wrapped around Keith's neck, and his head was on the man's shoulder. Keith could feel how hot the boy felt, and it concerned him since the symptoms had all developed so fast.

They went to Aiden's room and Keith smiled when he saw the Voltron picture on the board above the boy's desk. Keith sat Aiden down on his bed, and took off his shoes and socks. Just then the boy's nanny came in, and Eimear told the woman what was going on. Keith turned his back while the nanny helped the boy into some pajamas, and then put him into bed.

"You might want to call the doctor, Eimear, I'm a little concerned about how fast he came down with this." Keith told her, and then turned to look at Aiden as the boy said something.

"Commander Keith, will you keep me company. I'm sorry about throwing up on you." The boy's voice was weak and tired as he held out his hand. Keith pulled up chair and sat down next to the bed, taking the boy's hand.

"As long as it is fine with your mother and nanny I am happy to stay. As far as the throwing up, don't worry about it, Aiden. It has happened to me before." Keith chuckled as he said it, remembering a certain cadet McClain after a round of jagermeister one night. He looked over at Eimear and the nanny, to make sure it was ok with them. He was more concerned about the nanny than Eimear, hoping this woman wasn't like Allura's old nanny.

"Commander, if it makes His Grace feel better I am fine with it. Let me go get some cold water and a cloth, to put on his head. Your Ladyship, I think the Commander is right, you should call the doctor." The woman was middle aged, and calm. She smiled at Keith kindly, thinking what a nice man he was, and how gentle he was being with her charge.

It was several hours later after the doctor had been to see Aiden, and confirmed Keith's fear. The boy had zeden fever, which could be fatal in children. Keith had been concerned with how fast the boy had gotten sick, and he remembered reading that there had been outbreaks of the disease recently. He was sitting by Aiden's bed, taking turns with the nanny and Eimear in putting cold compresses on his head. By now the boy was delirious, and the fever was spiking dangerously.

"Keith the fever isn't coming down!" Eimear was frantic with worry, as she looked at the thermometer that she had just taken out of Aiden's mouth. She was still in the skirt and blouse she'd worn to the wedding, while her hair was slowly coming loosening from the French twist that it had been in, as she kept nervously rubbing the back of her head. Keith could see the fear dilating her pupils too.

"Eimear, the doctor said it would take most of the night before it broke. It will be fine, let's just keep putting the cold clothes on his head." Keith reached across the bed and took her hand as he said it, giving her a reassuring look. Eimear raised her head and gave him a small smile, understanding what he was trying to do. She couldn't believe how wonderful he had been about it all, and how willing he was to sit by Aiden's bed.

The nanny saw the Commander reach over to Her Ladyship, and how he was talking to her. She decided that she needed to go get some fresh water, to give the couple some privacy. She had wondered about the man's feelings about Her Ladyship, but having seen how he was just looking at her now, she knew how much he loved her.

Keith heard the nanny excuse herself, and when she was gone he reached over and hugged Eimear. She collapsed against him gratefully, and he felt his shirt getting wet. Keith stroked her hair while she cried for a bit, until she felt better. She was warm and soft in his arms, and he just wanted to protect her so badly.

"Keith, I can't lose him! What if he doesn't recover?" Eimear voiced her greatest fear, trembling as she did so.

"Honey, we aren't going to lose him. He was in good shape before he got the fever, and he will be able to fight it off. The best thing we can do is stay calm, and try to get his body temperature to drop some." Keith gently told her, as he held her against him. He felt her start to breathe more slowly, so he held her and continued to softly rub her back.

"Thank you for staying with us, Keith. You didn't need to, and you missed the party at the castle." Eimear apologized as she raised her head to look up at him. He was so handsome, and his blue eyes were soft and gentle as he looked at her. She liked the way the crinkled around the corners as he smiled at her.

"Eimear, I would rather be with you and Aiden than anywhere else, and I mean that with all my heart." Keith said reverently, as he kissed her lightly on the lips. It was just for a moment, but it felt like the world stopped for both of them. Aiden started to thrash just then, and Eimear adjusted the compress on his head, as Keith held his hands. When the thrashing stopped, they heard Aiden take a deep breath, and mumble some.

It took several more hours for the fever to break, but it finally did around 5:00am. Aiden woke up for a little bit, and asked his Mother to sleep with him. Eimear told the nanny she could go to bed, and Keith said he would stay in the chair, in case anything was needed. Aiden smiled at him happily before he fell back asleep. Eimear curled up next to Aiden, putting her arms around him, and mouthing 'thank you' to Keith.

It was around 10:00am when Keith shifted in the armchair, and realized that the reason why he was sore was because he had slept in an awkward position. The events of yesterday came back to him, as he looked at Eimear and Aiden curled up together in bed. Her pale blonde hair was loose, and some of it was next to Aiden's head, where it matched his hair exactly. Her skirt and blouse were wrinkled badly, with the blouse being untucked.

Keith heard a rustle in the doorway and saw the nanny, whose name was Mildred, standing there. She looked at him enquiringly, and he put his finger to his lips, and gestured to the bed with his head. Mildred nodded, and excused herself, thinking what a happy family they looked like. Her Ladyship had been alone for too long, and His Grace needed a father in his life, in Mildred's opinion.

"Commander Keith?" Aiden croaked softly, and Keith reached to get the boy some water, from the carafe by the nightstand.

"Drink a little of this, Aiden." Keith instructed the boy, as he helped him to sit up, being careful not to disturb Eimear. The boy took several sips, and then looked at his mother in puzzlement.

"Aiden, you've been very sick, with zeden fever. That is why your mother is here, because we stayed with you all night, as well as your Nanny. Let's stay quiet so your Mom can rest, and you should too, ok?" Keith whispered to the young man, who nodded his head in understanding. He felt tired and sore, and was very willing to go back to sleep, especially since his Mum and Commander Keith were with him.

A little later Eimear woke up, and looked at Aiden sleeping with relief, as she felt his forehead. She looked over at Keith with sleepy eyes, and smiled at him. He looked handsome sitting there in his white open neck shirt, his dress pants, and his unshaven face. She looked down at her wrinkled blouse and skirt, and went to smooth her messy hair.

"Eimear, you look beautiful!" Keith lovingly told her, as he reached out to hold her hand. He wanted to pull her close to him, and just hold her, but knew it would have to wait for a better time. She gave him a bemused look, as she pondered what he was saying. Aiden woke up before she could follow up on what Keith had said though.

"Mum, I'm really hungry. Can I get something to eat?" Aiden asked, as he sat up against the pillows. He looked at his Mum and Commander Keith holding hands, and beamed at them. It was just like what he'd seen in his dream, the boy thought.

"Well if he is hungry that is a good sign!" Keith declared, and Eimear laughed as she summoned Mildred and Philips. In no time they had toast, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and some coffee for Keith and Eimear. Aiden was privately thinking that it would be a good thing if Commander Keith had breakfast with them every morning.

Late that afternoon Keith was heading back to the Castle for a shower and change of clothes. Then he was going to go back to Eimear's, to have dinner with her and Aiden. As he walked into the Castle it occurred to him that after being gone for over twenty-four hours, and returning wearing the same clothes he wore to the wedding, people would draw one conclusion.

Keith had meant to call, or send a message to the team, but he'd never had the chance. As he walked into the Control Room his heart sank when he saw Allura, Lance, Hunk, Daniel, and Vince all there. He hoped that Lance would be a little tactful in his remarks, because of the boys being there. Of course, considering how Vince was now, he might say something before Lance had the chance to. Keith had been shocked, at Pidge's bachelor party, to see how much Vince had changed.

"Keith, it is good to see you! How is Aiden doing?" Allura walked up to him and gave him a light hug, and Lance came up behind her and slapped him on the back. The other team members turned to look at him with concern.

"He is doing better now that the fever has broken. I was going to take a shower and change my clothes before going back over there. By the way, how did you know about Aiden?" Keith was puzzled at that fact, but relived that everyone knew he had not been at Eimear's for another reason.

"Phillips, her house manager called and told Higgins what was going on." Allura informed him, and added "We were really worried when we heard it was zeden fever."

Keith was grateful that Phillips had done what he had, to protect Eimear's reputation, as well as his. He then thought of something and asked "Aiden is very concerned about Renson, since they were together so much yesterday. Have you heard how he is?"

"Eimear is going to be getting an apology from the Lindseys. It seems that Renson had the fever several days ago, and they thought he was over it." Lance offered up in a 'can you believe that' voice.

"That is good that Aiden is going to be all right. He is a nice kid." Daniel said, and Vince nodded his head. Daniel saw what was in Vince's brain and thought to him 'damn it to hell Keith wasn't having sex with her while her kid was sick! Stop it!'

"You are right about that, he is. If you'll excuse me I want to go get cleaned up." Keith started to walk away but was stopped by Allura's voice.

"Before you go back over Keith, stop by the kitchen. I'll have Higgins put together some food to take over to Eimear. I'm sure the staff has been too upset to do much." Allura explained to him, and he smiled at her.

Keith felt like their relationship was back on track, in fact, a better track than the one it had been on before. The situation had been unfair to both of them, and he was glad that it was resolved. He also thought that it was very considerate of her to think of sending some food over to the house. He told her that before he excused himself and headed to his quarters.

When he got back to the house Phillips let him in, and Eimear came into the hall to greet him. He saw that she had changed her clothes, and her pale blond hair was softly curling around her shoulders. She told him that the doctor had been again, and Aiden was resting quietly now.

Keith was glad to hear it, and even happier when Eimear led him into the front room while arranging for tea to be brought up. Eimear told Phillips that she would let him know when to bring it up, and shut the door after the man left the room.

He looked at Eimear, incredible in a grey sweater that clung to her body, and felt his mind shutting down. Keith saw her grey-blue eyes looking at him with admiration and felt a dam burst in his body as a hard rush of longing over took him. He took her into his arms hard and fast, as he started kissing her like a hungry man. All that he could think of was touching her, possessing her mind, body, and soul.

After Phillips left, Eimear turned to look at Keith, who was standing next to her. Before she realized what was happening, she was in Keith's arms, being kissed like she'd never been kissed before. Eimear felt a wave of pleasure wash over her, as she fell against his hard body. Her hands were around his waist, and moving up and down his back, as his tongue plundered her mouth. Keith's hands were in her hair and on her neck, pushing her closer to him as he took total control of her being.

When the kiss stopped she was surprised to find herself in the sofa, being held tightly in Keith's arms. He was looking at her with love, and she was blown away by the feelings coursing through her body. Eimear reached up to kiss him, moving against him to get as close as possible. Her body was on fire, and he felt her passion, which only spurred him on.

"I've never felt anything like this." Eimear managed to get out, when the kiss stopped. She looked at Keith, who looked shocked and happy at the same time. They were wrapped up in each other, partially reclined on the sofa, breathing heavily.

"Honey, neither have I. Eimear, I've been such a fool, and you have been so patient about it. I love you so much." Keith declared, looking her straight in the eyes as he did so. Eimear looked up at the handsome, strong man, who had been so kind with her and Aiden.

"Keith, I have always admired your strength, and the interest you took in Aiden. The first time I met you I was a bitch, but you were kind anyway. I realized I was in love with you when we left the Chapter House. I was so afraid I wouldn't see you again, and then when you said you wanted to spent time with me I was happy." Eimear confessed in a soft voice, as she looked at him.

Keith processed what she had just told him, and his eyes widened as he understood the implication of it. "Eimear, did you say that you love me?" He asked, not believing it could be this easy. She felt the same way about him that he did about her.

"Yes, I love you! And I think I heard you say that you love me too? No one has ever told me that before." Confessing it was not as hard as she thought it would have been. She had been concerned about betraying Percy, but now knew that Keith needed to know what that relationship had been like.

"Eimear, I am planning on telling you I love you a great deal, just so you know. I want to make you happy, care about you, and just be with you." Keith vowed to her. He knew that they would have to talk more about her relationship with Percy, but he was ready for that now. He wanted to know what she had been through, so he could understand better, because he loved her.

"I also would like to re-invite you to come to earth with me in a couple of weeks. I only have meetings for two days, and then afterwards we could go do some fun things. It has been a long time since I've had a vacation. Eimear, I am also interested in what you would find fun to do." Keith smiled at her, pulling her close. She didn't get the chance to respond though, as he started kissing her again.

Down in the kitchen, Phillips having the tea tray all set to go, sat down to watch the newsfeeds. Mrs. Hagan, the cook, and Flora, the housemaid looked at him in surprise. Mrs. Hagan wondered why he wasn't concerned that Her Ladyship had not called for tea. Phillips though doubted that she would be calling anytime soon.

"I think you are going to find that there will be some changes coming in household matters." Phillips announced, thinking about how Commander Kogane had looked at Her Ladyship when she came into the hall. He also knew that a man didn't sit up all night with a woman and her sick child for a casual relationship.

Upstairs Keith and Eimear were sitting on the sofa talking about what they would do on earth. He was pleased to find out that her thoughts were very similar to his. Keith had his arms around her, keeping her close, as he stroked her hair. He couldn't believe what a damn idiot he had been, and thanked providence for bringing him to his senses.

"Mum, Commander Keith, hello!" They hadn't heard the door open until Aiden started talking. He was standing there in his pajamas, looking at them quite happily. Eimear was all set to move away from Keith, but he kept his arms around her. He was pretty sure that Aiden was not going to have a problem with their relationship.

"Aiden, you should be resting. And you need to give Commander Kogane his badge back." Eimear informed her son, and Keith turned to look at the boy, loosening his arms around her as he did so. Aiden did have the gold lion badge, hanging from its black ribbon around his neck. He looked pleased and happy as he fingered.

"Oh, it is fine for me to wear it, Mum. I'm going to pilot Black one day, you know. He came to me while I was sick and told me that, which is why I had to get well." Aiden informed them in a matter of fact tone, and Keith felt his heart almost stop beating. He took his arms off of Eimear, and put them on his legs as he looked at the boy.

"Black Lion came to you when you were sick? How did you know it was Black?" Keith asked very slowly, wondering if the boy had imagined it during the high fever he had run.

"Yes, he did come to me. I knew it was him because we talked the day you took me flying in him. It is really neat how it works, to talk all in your mind." The boy told Keith, as if he would know what he was saying. Keith looked at Aiden in shock, as he tried to put it all together. His lion had talked to Aiden, and not told him about it.

"Commander Keith, I didn't say anything that day because Black asked me not to. He said that you weren't ready yet, but I would know when the time was right. And it is now!" Aiden explained proudly, as he came over to the sofa and hugged his mother and Keith. Eimear didn't understand what was going on, but Keith mouthed 'I'll explain later' to her, so she nodded her head.

He stayed for tea, dinner, and after helping tuck Aiden into bed spent some time on the sofa with Eimear. It was hard to say goodbye to her, and he was now inpatient for the trip to earth. When he arrived back at the Castle, he went to see his lion; they needed to have a serious talk.

'I see that Aiden talked to you' Black thought in his brain, after Keith had sat down in the pilot's chair. 'Yes, he did and I'm not sure I wanted to hear it from him. Why didn't you tell me about it?' Keith responded back to the mighty lion spirit. 'It was a journey you needed to make by yourself. I could not interfere; you needed to find your own way and listen to your heart' Black explained in an almost bored tone.

'What if I had not come to the correct conclusion? What if I had not realized how stupid I was being? Would you have stepped in?' Keith really wondered how it would have played out, if he had not overheard the conversation between Allura and Larmina. 'I don't really know, since it didn't come to that point. You have learned what you needed, and will carry those lessons with you on the next journey' Black put it out there, and Keith sighed.

'You are very close to finding out about your family, but I need to warn you' Black spoke in his head, and Keith felt the warning in the words. 'What do you need to warn me about?' Keith questioned, and Black sighed in his brain. 'You have shown humility and wisdom in understanding what happened with the Queen Lioness and Red's pilot. You will need all of that, and more when it comes to your family's history' Black's thoughts were very heavy, and Keith felt almost like his body was weighed down.

Before he could respond though Black was in his brain again 'I am done for now and want to rest. I am proud of what you have done so far, and that you will guide my future pilot well. I trust your judgment, which is why you pilot me'.

Keith sat there, knowing he would get no more from the lion. He was now concerned about what had happened with his father and grandfathers. He remembered how he had told Eimear once, about an instructor at the academy who had told him not to ask questions he didn't want to hear the answers to. Keith decided to go to bed, thinking about how much fun he and Eimear were going to have, instead of dwelling on Black's warning.