Author's Note: I lost my father-in-law to lymphoma on 4/26/12. He fought bravely and suffered for thirty months. So I'm really grateful that I have both this story and especially my readers because I found it easier to cope with tragedy when I was focusing on my writing in the off-times. This story, and this chapter especially, will always be extremely important and special to me.

On a happier note, I think I've told everybody about my obsession with wedding gowns, fancy dresses, and shoes - let's not forget shoes! Because I love to dress my ladies up like paper dolls, I wanted to give a good visual on the Galaxy Garrison's version of a royal wedding. And since we're here, as an added bonus to all of my KAers, I'm giving you a special gift in this chapter. ;)

On Ginger: Marciano's Kendry Maxi Dress (see the Guess by Marciano website)

On Lisa: From J. Crew, the silk chiffon Taryn long dress in the dark eggplant color (see the J. Crew website)

On Cinda: Shoshanna's Alexis Gown in the Northern Lights print (Look #105 in the Fall 2012 collection on the Shoshanna website )

On Kelly: Topshop's pale pink limited edition Halter Pleat Maxi Dress (see the website for Topshop)

On Christiane: Ann Taylor's Silk Strips V-Neck Gown (see the Ann Taylor website)

On Morgan: Ann Taylor's Floral Brush Print Strapless Gown (see the Ann Taylor website)

On Lenora: Carmen Marc Valvo 'Cody' silk gazar gown (see the Nordstrom website), Christian Louboutin Floral-Print Peep Toe Platform Pumps (see the Saks Fifth Avenue website), and Tiffany Lucida platinum solitaire engagement ring with full-circle diamond Lucida band ring (see the Tiffany website)

Title Song: "Marry the Night" by Lady Gaga

Carl Scroggins had been properly waked, and funeral arrangements were made and carried out. The flags on all Garrison grounds - headquarters, Academy, GP - were all flown at half-mast until after the burial. There was a period of overcast weather and rain, none of which was really surprising, given the circumstances.

In five weeks, no one had found Wade. There wasn't even a clue as to how he got away, who helped him or where he went. Surveillance and scans turned up nothing. Even the NYPD blotter, which was normally painstakingly precise, only fleetingly picked up the transport vehicle before it disappeared. It was as though Wade didn't even exist. It made the Space Marshal more certain than ever of dark magic and foul play.

Unfortunately, Wade's disappearance needed to fall on the back burner for the Garrison. The upgrades were nearly completed on the S.S. Explorer and the Vehicle Voltron mecha. The technicians working on these projects were fairly certain that the Explorer could resume its mission in as little as a few days.

Not that the Explorer would fly within a few days. Not when its commander was on the brink of marrying the Space Marshal.

The day before the wedding, Lenora removed her necklace. She kissed each of the three pendants before slipping the entire thing into the robin's-egg-blue Tiffany box. She wouldn't wear it now. Jon already disliked Aidan enough, and Sven - well, she was never going to see him again, so what was the point? At least she knew he was alive and well; she'd never have to wonder what happened to him ever again.

Then there was her mother's cross.

She had debated with Morgan over a bottle of Cakebread Cellars cabernet sauvignon about whether or not she should continue to wear the cross. After all, it was a graduation gift from her deceased mother. But in the end, they had both decided against it. It was a reminder of a time when she was so sure about life and her future, one which included becoming Mrs. Holgersson. And that was obviously not happening.

Off it went.

Once she'd packed the necklace away, she got everything together to prepare for the big day. Her Carmen Marc Valvo wedding gown had already been delivered to Morgan's house, but her Christian Louboutin shoes were hidden in her closet at the triplex. There was no veil; she was no virgin. She wouldn't be wearing much jewelry, just the diamond stud earrings Jon had purchased for her thirtieth birthday. And underneath it all would be the cream-colored Classic Corset from Agent Provocateur and matching Tie-Side underwear.

She was ready. She had her bags packed. Now all she had to do was wait for Jon to come home so she could kiss him good-bye.

When he finally walked in, exhausted from doing the preliminary screenings on the newly-renovated and updated Explorer, half of his mouth curled up into a grin. "You do realize," he mentioned as he enveloped her in his arms, "that at this time tomorrow you're going to be my wife?"

"I do." She smiled up at him.

"I hope that's what you tell me at the altar tomorrow."

She laughed. "I hadn't planned on saying anything else." She then cradled his face in her hands and looked at him lovingly. "Kiss me good-bye. I'm on my way to Morgan's for the night. And since this is my last kiss as a single girl, you'd better make it a good one."

He did.

"Okay, nobody's allowed to get wasted tonight, myself included," Morgan warned everyone as she poured a bottle of Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards chardonnay. Lenora sat on the living room floor, surrounded by Christiane, Jeff, Lisa, Ginger, Kelly, Cinda, and David. "There's gonna be enough drinking tomorrow."

"I love how it's just a ladies' night," Ginger joked. "Nobody here but us girls."

"I'll have you know that I take no offense to that," Jeff retorted, sipping his chardonnay. "As a rent-paying member of this household, I reserve the right to go wherever the alcohol is being poured."

"That's my Amigo," Morgan announced proudly.

"So what does that make me? Your husband? Remember me?" David chimed in. "Just remember, the man whose name is on the deed to the house can all too easily kick you all out of it."

"Oh, David, you wouldn't do that," Lisa said soothingly. "You enjoy having all of your wife's girlfriends over. Especially when one of them is getting married tomorrow." She glared pointedly at Jeff.

David sighed. "And that's where I'm the sucker. Seven hells." But he smiled as he said it; he obviously didn't care.

Lenora quietly sipped the chardonnay, feeling butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't that she wasn't excited about getting married; she was very excited for her new life with Jon to begin. It was just that with less than twenty-four hours to go before she said her marriage vows, she was thinking about Sven again. She wondered, had he felt these same feelings for her the night before he married his princess?

Gods. He'd married a princess. He'd married a woman who was so much better than she was. Higher-ranked, more sophisticated, maybe more educated, definitely more beautiful. And that princess had given him the ultimate gift of love, something Lenora had not and never could now: a child.

It hurt too much for her to think about.

"Len? You okay?"

Lenora looked over at Kelly, who stared back at her with a concerned look on her face. Since she'd been promoted to First Officer, Kelly and Lenora had spent far too much time together, and they were growing tighter than they had been as students. In a way, it saddened the Space Marshal as to how allegiances had changed. Their bonds to each other were still tight, but their priorities had shifted. Morgan and Christiane were becoming closer than ever, same as Kelly and Lenora. And Ginger, Lisa and Cinda were bonded for life due to their shared experiences on the Explorer and as part of the Vehicle Team. "Yeah, Kell. I'm okay. Maybe just freaking a little, but otherwise okay."

"Uh-oh, pre-wedding jitters!" Morgan exclaimed, exchanging a look with David. "It's okay, Len. I had 'em, too. So did David. And look at us now! Our fifth anniversary is right around the corner." She smiled. "Hey, does that really mean it took five years for somebody else to get married? What's wrong with you people! Why did I have to wait that long for another party?"

Lenora smiled sadly. "It shouldn't have been so long," she replied carefully.

"Uh-oh. Don't go there." Morgan crossed her arms.

Cinda swallowed. "Too late. I think we're there already."

Ginger sipped her wine. "Well then, since we are, I'll be the first one to say it. Len, I always thought that when it came to this moment right here - the one we're in right now - it would be Sven at the other end of the aisle. Sorry."

"Yeah, me too," Lisa agreed sadly. "I think we all figured it would be Sven."

Morgan gulped the rest of her chardonnay. "Seven hells. Now I need more wine. I am not drunk enough for this conversation."

Christiane giggled. "Hey, I thought you said that nobody was allowed to get drunk tonight."

David leaned over and asked Jeff in a whisper, "Which one was Sven again? That was Lance's roommate, no?" He grinned as he brought up Lance's name. "Oh, I so thoroughly enjoyed beating that arrogant boy every time during our shooting matches. Every time."

"Yeah. Lance's roommate," Jeff answered. He looked across the room at Lenora, who was staring down into her wineglass absently. He thought about when Graham had sent her, his lieutenant at the time, to get a first-hand account of their mission on the Explorer. That first night she was there, the ship had passed by Planet Ebb, and he had spent the entire night on the floor with Lenora in front of her quarter's window, trying to comfort her as she gripped Sven's wedding band between her fingers. He wondered if she remembered that night, too.

Lenora sipped the rest of her wine, spinning the stem of the wineglass between her fingers afterwards. How much did she want to tell them about Sven? Did she want to tell them that he was still alive? That she had seen him, that he still loved her? That he was married and a father? She certainly wasn't going to tell them about the night she'd spent in bed with him.

The better part of her judgment ruled that she said nothing. So she kept her mouth shut and changed the subject. "So where are you ladies staying tonight?"

"Taye's," Kelly answered. "I think he's gonna ask me to move in soon."

"Ooh. I'm going to Aidan's," Lisa replied, turning pink.

"I'm going home to an empty apartment. Blech," Ginger answered, making a face. "At least I have gin there. Hey Cinda, instead of going back to Jersey, you wanna come back to my place? Lisa's not using her bed."

Cinda smiled. "If it's okay with Lisa, it's cool with me."

Lisa nodded. "I've got no problems with it. I think the sheets are still freshly washed, too. I did laundry the last time I was there."

Christiane giggled again. Alcohol in any amount seemed to have an effect on her laughter. "Lucky for me, I don't have to go back to the Valley anymore. I have officially moved into the Rackens' household."

"Ah, splittin' the rent with Jeff." Lenora tossed a mischievous glance at the Vehicle Voltron captain. "Man, you moved fast."

"Hey, I gotta lock down a good thing when I see it," Jeff replied with a wink.

Lisa chucked her empty wineglass in his direction.

"Whoa! No violence in this house, please," David threw out, retrieving the thrown wineglass. "Not even if Jeff deserves it. Which he usually does."

"Hey! Thanks a lot, Rackens!"

The entire living room erupted into peals of laughter, and Lenora's sadness over Sven began to fade away. Things would work out exactly the way they were supposed to. She just had to have faith.

She needed to marry Jon. It was the only way she would be able to move on from her past.

Once Keith and Allura finally went out on their first date, everything seamlessly fell into place. Allura had been cautious and wary, since she always put her people first, but when their first date at a local carnival went well, she gained more confidence. Her people seemed to warm to the idea of their princess and the captain of the Voltron Force having a romantic relationship, so Allura felt more confident to bring the idea up to the rest of their team, cadets included. And when their teammates accepted their new relationship without hesitation, it was time for them to tell their two harshest critics: Coran and Nanny.

Coran also seemed to take the news well. Believing Keith to be a noble warrior, as well as a champion of Arus, he couldn't have been more delighted in the fact that Allura was finally considering a consort, and that the man in particular was Voltron's captain.

Nanny, on the other hand, was a harder sell.

The older woman had her heart set on her little princess marrying another prince. Erimar in particular. She remembered when Allura and Erimar used to play together as children, and she still believed that they would be the perfect couple. Many people probably believed that the princess of Arus and the prince of Tyvel would make the perfect couple.

Allura was not one of them.

Luckily, though, Nanny had eventually come onboard, being pacified by the idea that her little princess might finally be getting married. The idea of a royal wedding excited her to no end, and she decided that it would be worth it to drop the fact that Keith wasn't a royal if it meant that Allura would finally be getting married.

Regardless of what anyone else thought - or knew about - Keith had still been sleeping in Allura's bedroom. Every night after the ball, for six weeks now, he'd snuck into her room after everyone was asleep to spend the night with her. No one had caught on yet, but it was just a matter of time.

Tonight was no different.

He waited for the majority of the Voltron Force members to go to bed; he could distinctly hear Hunk snoring. Once he was sure that his friends were asleep, he crept silently into his girlfriend's - I can call her my girlfriend now - bedroom. He was getting so tired of sneaking around. If they were dating, then he had every right to be there, even if she was the princess.

Allura left her bedroom door unlocked as she always did, and Keith let himself in. He was all set to resume their usual routine of stripping down to their underwear and holding her all night, but something was different tonight. Allura wasn't in her pajamas. She was wearing lingerie.

Specifically, the black-and-pink Fifi slip from Agent Provocateur.

She laughed as Keith's jaw fell to the floor and his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "Where in seven hells did you get that thing? It's gorgeous, don't get me wrong, and you look amazing in it, but how...?"

"Do you think I forgot about my friend Len?" Allura asked teasingly, drawing Keith in for a quick kiss. "We've been corresponding since she returned to Earth. There have been a lot of things happening, some of them good, but most of them not." She paused again to nip his earlobe with her teeth as she reached for his waist. "But I won't go into those now. What I will go into is how she asked if we've closed the deal yet, and then asked why not."

"That blasted girl." He shook his head, grinning. "Always interfering in my love life."

"Well," she offered in a long, drawn-out breath, "perhaps it's because she loves her friends and wants them all to be happy?"

Keith grinned. "Hmm. Remind me to thank her."

Allura wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly purring. "She also told me to tell you that it's too expensive to destroy, so take it easy on the Agent Provocateur." Wickedly, she raised her eyebrows. "Take it out on me instead."

"Trust me, you don't want me to promise that. I might do something terrible, like take your virginity."

She shot him a wounded look. "Keith, I'm twenty-eight years old. Do you really think I'm still a virgin?"

"I don't know for sure, but I'm about to find out." He kissed her again, then scooped her up and carried her over to her bed. "And I promise that once I know the answer, I won't tell Nanny."

After Morgan had made breakfast for everyone, she and the bride went off to the salon to get their hair, nails, and make-up done for the wedding. They were lucky that the ceremony wasn't until four p.m., so they sat back and drank mimosas with their breakfast, hanging out and laughing with David, Jeff and Christiane until it was time to get ready.

Carlo, Jon's personal driver, came to pick David up at noon, and the girls helped Christiane get ready. She looked beautiful in her pale lavender gown, one that she borrowed from Morgan's closet, with its strategically-placed silk strips, V-neck, and empire waist. She didn't wear much make-up, and she let her blue-black hair ripple down her back.

"Wow. You look gorgeous," Jeff gushed, placing a dramatic kiss on her lips. "I am the luckiest guy. Next to Dave and the commander, of course."

"Good answer, Amigo," Morgan replied, wrapping her arm around him. As the matron of honor, she looked exquisite in her strapless ivory gown, covered with a black graphic brush-stroke print. She was wearing her gift from Lenora, a delicate David Yurman Petite Pavé Bead necklace. Her black bob was blown out impeccably and had received a silicone spray treatment to ensure it remained frizz-free. "And I have to say, you look pretty darn good, too."

"Thanks, Morganza." He kissed the side of her face. "You look totally hot, by the way. If I were a single guy and you weren't married, I'd totally be hitting on you all night."

"Aw, thanks, Jeffie." She seemed pleased. "Now scram. I've gotta get the bride ready. She's in the bathroom, putting on her undergarments."

"All right. We're off. See you at the church, Len!" he hollered at the bathroom door.

Morgan escorted Jeff and Christiane to the front door, then locked it behind them. She made her way back to the bathroom, where she called out, "Okay, Len, they're gone. You can come outta the bathroom now."

The door to the master bathroom opened and Lenora stepped out, clad only in her Agent Provocateur corset and tie-side panties. Her make-up was elegant and spare, and her thick chestnut hair was pulled into a sleek low chignon. "Wow, Baby," Morgan muttered. "You look so hot, I wanna do you."

Without saying it out loud, Morgan understood. She now knew why Sven had never dated another girl during their five years at the Academy. She knew why Aidan was having such a hard time moving past their relationship. And she knew why Jon was so protective of her, to the point where he was possessive. Her old Academy roommate was worthy of obsession.

Who knew?

"Before I put that dress on," Lenora smiled mischievously, "I just want to make sure I look good tonight when it comes off."

"Seven hells, Baby, seven hells. That's all I can say. Seven hells."

"Thanks."

"Now let's get you into this dress before the driver comes back to take us to the church. If he sees you like this, we're never gonna make it there."

"Now you're talking."

Morgan helped Lenora into her wedding gown, the entire time thinking that Jon had no idea what he was in for.

David peeked his head out into the chapel from the holding area behind the altar. Jon, clad in his Hugo Boss tuxedo - his usual label - looked fairly confident and not too nervous for a man about to make the commitment of a lifetime. "Well, it looks like there's about fifty people out there, Jon. Almost time for our women to come down the aisle."

He saw plenty of familiar faces seated in the chapel. The men were all dressed in suits, ties and button-downs in a vast array of different colors; he especially liked Hutch's dark-purple shirt and coordinating tie. He matched Lisa, who wore a strapless dark-purple gown, better than Aidan did. Aidan, decked in white and tan, looked like he went better with Ginger, wearing a plunging V-neck gown with aquamarine, tan and ivory stripes.

Lieutenants Brown and Stebbins sat with Captain Newley, Commander Steele and Space Marshal Graham near the front of the chapel. The Vehicle Team spread throughout the chapel - Hutch and Marvin, Crik with Wolo and Cinda, Lisa and Ginger with Aidan, Modoch with Zandee and Tangor, Chip and Rocky, Cliff and Shannon, Jeff and Christiane. Taye and Kelly, clad in a pale-pink pleated halter gown, stayed close to Jeff and Christiane and as far away from Modoch as they could.

David saw plenty of unfamiliar faces in the crowd as well; higher-ups that Jon and Lenora worked with behind the scenes and members of the bridge crew on the Explorer. All told, there were around fifty guests, and a few curious Academy students who had wandered in to see what was going on. It was fewer than the originally-planned seventy-five guests, but then, the wedding did get moved up by ten weeks.

Then he saw the photographer, and he knew the ceremony was imminent. "Photographer's here," he announced, ducking back to where the groom was standing. "It's still not too late if you want to back out."

Jon smiled at the joke. "I know. But I don't."

"Len's a good girl. I love her, and I'm not just saying that because she's my wife's best friend. I'm saying that because I honestly think of her as my sister. You're a lucky man, Jon."

He nodded in agreement. "You're right, Dave. I really am. Now let's get out there before she decides to change her mind."

The organist began to play, and all heads whipped around in time to see Morgan began her descent down the aisle, carrying a small bouquet of calla lillies tied with a black ribbon. "You know, Dave," Jon murmured, "I'd say that you are a lucky man, too."

"Definitely."

As Lenora began her walk down the aisle, the guests stood. She looked radiant in her diamonds and her simple cream-colored spaghetti-strap gown, and she felt regal as the dimensional rosette on her lower back spread out into a train of gossamer-organza ruffles behind her. The Christian Louboutin shoes on her feet, four-and-a-half-inch platform heels with an abstract floral print in various shades of red and pink, peeked out from underneath. She too carried a bouquet of calla lillies, hers tied with an ivory ribbon.

As she walked, she glanced over at Graham. If things had worked out differently, he might be the one walking her down the aisle right now. But if things had worked out differently, well, she might not be walking down the aisle right now at all.

Jon couldn't even get the words out as he took her hand. "You're literally taking my breath away right now," he whispered to her. "Let's skip the reception and go straight home."

"Stop," she grinned.

They weren't having a full mass, just the readings followed by the gospel and a short homily by the chaplain. Then, standing before their closest friends and the people they considered family, Jon and Lenora took their marriage vows and exchanged rings. Applause and whistles broke out as the chaplain announced, "I now pronounce you husband and wife," and Jon leaned in to kiss her.

It was done. They were finally married.