Voltron the Next Generation
Chapter 2
"I do"
By: Cindra
Notes: I put colons between conversations noting silent thought between two characters.
' Is what I call the Heartlink or private communication between two characters usually a couple. Or rarely 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
(Weeks later)
Andromeda was completely mended and working out in the Castle Gym. She was wearing attire that neither of her parents would approve of. A jet-black leotard covered with sheer black netting. It had convent patches of red material across her breasts, and the lower half of the leotard looked like she had added her red bikini bottoms. Her master's degree black belt was tied at her waist and she finished off the outfit with a waist length red satin jacket.
She was alone and unaware of anything but her movements and the beat of the music. She had found a place that specialized in old classic rock 'n roll music, when she had attended the academy on Earth, and had bought the vender's entire collection. The song that she was working out to was from the 1980's titled 'Hero'.
"At least I can still practice!" Andy took out her aggression on a practice dummy. "Mom is driving me crazy with wedding preparations, fittings for my gown, and anything else that she can come up with!" She continued to kill the practice dummy until it was scattered across the room. She then walked over to shut off the music, grabbed her towel, and then exited the gym just as her Uncles were passing by.
*Holy hell! What the hell is she not wearing!* Lance eyed her outfit with disapproval. "Andromeda, may I ask you a question?" He frowned down at his niece.
"Sure, Uncle Lance." She smiled up at him, wiping the sweat from her brow with her towel.
"What are you wearing?" He folded his arms across his chest and glared down at her.
"My new look. Do you like it?" She turned around in a circle to give them the full effect of her outfit.
"Where is the rest of the thing?!" Lance snarled.
"Yes, you seem to have left the rest of it in your closet!" Patrick grabbed hold of her arm.
"Let go of my arm, Uncle Patrick. This is the whole outfit and it makes me feel free to express myself." She easily freed herself of her Uncle's grasp and with a toss of her long mane of raven black hair continued on her way down the corridor.
"Keith is gonna flip out about this." Lance shook his head in defeat.
"Wrong, Lance. Keith will go over the fine edge of sanity about this." Patrick corrected him, as they headed for the safety of their own homes.
"Keith, is this necessary?" Eric groaned, as he took the main computer console in Black lion apart. *It's weird calling him anything but sir or your majesty, let alone being treated like a son of sorts and one of the family.*
"Yes this is, Eric, even this old boy needs an overhaul every once in a while." Keith handed Eric some more tools.
"We've gone over him with the scanner and it came up negative, besides I don't think he likes being taken apart like this." Eric got up to stretch and all thoughts of overhauling Blacky slipped from his mind.
"Stop complaining and maybe this will go faster." Keith glared at him. "What are you staring at, Eric?"
Eric was staring out the head of Black Lion and was getting his first look of Andy and her new look, for she was walking down the Castle Bridge. "If you wanna tear him apart then fine have at it, but I've got better things to do, and this isn't one of them." Eric jumped out onto the platform and then went to stalk his prey.
"Eric, get back here!" Keith gazed out at the bridge to see his daughter strolling along in her new look. "Andromeda!" He shouted down at her.
"Hi, Daddy!" She called up to him and waved.
"Get back in the castle and put something decent on!" He shouted down at her.
"What? I can't hear you?" Andy shouted back and continued on her way.
"Stop her!" He motioned to her guards, but they were just gawking at her.
Eric was busy setting up a romantic picnic for two and was bound and determined to have some quality time alone with his fiancé. He also couldn't wait to get a closer look at her new look.
:What are you up to, Eric?: A familiar voice growled in his head.
:None of your business, Darian, so get lost.: Eric growled in frustration.
:What's wrong, kid, are the walls closing in on you?: Darian laughed sympathetically.
"No, Darian! I would however like to have a few hours alone with Andromeda! If you people would just leave us alone!" Eric's roar echoed through the forest. Eric used his instincts to zero in on where Darian was hiding in the shadows and slugged him right in the jaw.
"Nice shot, Eric, there aren't many people who can do that and actually make contact." Darian grinned appearing before him.
"Thanks! Now get lost!" He raised his fists to strike at Darian again. "Please, Darian! If you ever cared about being a guy then leave." Eric wasn't above begging.
"Eric, I understand what you're going through, but I promised her parents that I would keep an eye on the two of you."
"Let me put it this way, you may be immortal, but I'm willing to bet that a silver bullet dead center in the heart is more than enough to kill even you and guess what I have in this gun." Eric pulled a gun from the holster on his belt, it was an ancient relic, but it still worked.
Darian's face paled at the sight of the gun in Eric's hand. "Well, on second thought Allana might need me alive to help her handle our kids." Darian vanished fleeing for his life.
"Finally, I thought he would never leave. It's a good thing that he didn't figure out that I was bluffing." Eric sighed in relief, as he continued to prepare for Andy's arrival. He decided to take a quick swim before she arrived to work off some of his restless energy.
Andy was enjoying her first taste of real freedom, all of her meditating on healing her arm, and some help from modern day medicine had healed her arm completely. These last few weeks of doing nothing, but royal duties had bored her out of her mind. She hadn't been able to spend any time with Eric, because her dad had been keeping him so busy that he hadn't had time to even say hello let alone spend some time with her and she missed him terribly.
"What, in Merlin's name, are you wearing?" Darian's voice echoed around her.
"This is my new look. Don't you like it?" She winked at him when he appeared in front of her.
"Where is the rest of it?!"
"This is the whole outfit!" She snapped at him in annoyance. "I don't see why everyone seems to have a problem with it? What's so wrong about my new look!"
"What's wrong!?" Darian bellowed down at her. "It barely covers your upper body that's what's wrong!"
"Are you trying to tell me that this outfit reveals too much?"
"Yes, Andromeda, a blind man would stop and stare not to mention drool at you as you walked by." He told her.
"What do you mean by that, Uncle Darian? This outfit covers as much as my bikini! So I see nothing wrong with what I'm wearing and I would like you to leave me alone!" She tried to get passed him, but Darian easily detained her.
"Why the sudden need to change, Andy?" Darian tried to use reverse psychology on her.
"I'm my own person, Uncle Darian. I don't like trying to be what I'm not. I hate being the Crowned Princess of Arus."
"The fact is that you are the Crowned Princess and there's nothing that you can do about it." He tried to reason with her.
"I don't want the job! Let Alex or Ariel have it!"
"Andromeda, you are a strong, intelligent, natural born leader, and that's why they chose you as the Crowned Princess and future Queen of Arus."
"I don't wanna be Queen!"
"Face it, little blossom, you're the next in line and will be Queen one day and there's nothing that you can say or do about it." With that said he vanished from sight.
"The future isn't set in stone, Uncle Darian!" She went running to her sanctuary, not stopping until she reached the edge of the pool of water. Only then did she finally allow herself to breakdown in tears.
"Andromeda, why are you crying?" Eric swam over to where she was crying.
"Eric, where are you?" She glanced around to look for him, but he was nowhere in sight.
"Right here, angel." He answered softly, rising from the water in front of her, causing her to stare at him with wide amber eyes.
"Andy?" He frowned at her wide-eyed expression.
"Can I ask you something?" She stood up so he could see the full effect of her new look. "Do you like my new look?" She whimpered softly, her eyes pleading with him for approval.
"Wow." Eric whistled and then let his eyes roam over her features. "I like it, Andy. Is this the new you?" He grinned wolfishly down at her.
"This is my way of expressing the need to be free." She flew into his arms.
"Can you tell me why you were crying?" He growled into her hair, as he inhaled the scent of her rose scented shampoo.
"I had a little chat with Uncle Darian a few minutes ago." She whimpered, her voice muffled by his chest.
"Darian made you cry…" His eyes narrowed.
"No, what he did was make me face facts and that's what made me burst into tears." She looked up at him and he could see that she was on the verge of tears again.
"What's making you so miserable, baby?" He hated seeing her so miserable like this.
"I told him that I didn't want to be the Crowned Princess. I'm not cutout to have all of that on my shoulders; dealing with running the kingdom would only give me a constant migraine." She looked up at him for some reaction to what she was saying, but his face remained unreadable.
*Sweetie, you don't really have a choice and you're beyond selling yourself short.*
"What did Darian say, angel?" He asked her softly.
*What I didn't want to hear*
"He said that I have no choice in the matter. I was intelligent, strong, and a natural leader. I would be Queen, whether I liked the idea or not." A stray tear slid down her cheek and Eric brushed it gently away with the pad of his thumb.
"Dromi, you're running away from a situation that was handed to you at birth. Like it or not as Crowned Princess of Planet Arus you are destined to inherit the throne, and that means being Queen. Hey, with me by your side how could you not win?" He smiled down at her and she smiled back at him.
*Oh Eric!*
"What would I ever do without you." She sighed, relaxing in the safety of his embrace.
"You'll never have to find that out, because I plan on never letting you go." He sealed his vow with a kiss and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck eagerly kissing him back. "Easy, sweetness, remember about your arm." He growled into her ear.
"My arm is fine, Eric."
"In that case come here." He began to trail kisses down her neck.
"Being in your arms like this feels wonderful," She sighed, running her fingers through his hair.
"Oh, it gets better." He growled kissing her until her mind went numb; while he let his hands wander up her body.
Andy's body stiffened in surprise, but then she relaxed completely losing herself in the strange new intense sensations that were rocking her body and instinctively pressed even closer to him. "Show me." She purred.
"Andy, we have to stop. " Eric growled hoarsely, as he reluctantly tore his mouth from hers.
"But I don't wanna stop." She raked her nails up and down his back.
"Neither do I, but we only have nine days until the wedding. I want you to be sure about this." Eric growled hoarsely, willing his body to stay in control.
Andy stepped out of his arms and looked up at him. "I have never been so sure of anything in my life." She shed her jacket and let it fall to the grass.
*Oh Hell! Please anything but that, I can't take much more of this! I'm trying to honor your parents wishes!*
"Andromeda…" Eric groaned, turning his back on her.
She peeled the leotard off her body, letting it join her jacket on the grass, then shed her boots, and dove cleanly into the water.
"I'm warning you, Andy… you..." He turned around to face her, only to gaze hungrily at her skinny-dipping in the clear blue water.
"Come here, Eric." She called to him, as she splashed playfully in the water.
"This is torture, Andy." He groaned hoarsely, as he watched her swim.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes, more than life and all the Voltrons in the universe."
"Then come here and show me how much you love me." She stood under the spray of the waterfall and then turned to crook her little finger at him and suddenly found herself crushed against his body.
Keith paced the control room, as he restlessly watched the screens for any sign of Andromeda or Eric, but all the screens showed no trace of either of them. "How can my daughter parade around in almost nothing and then disappear off the face of Arus!" Keith snarled in frustration, slamming his fist down on the computer console.
"Hey, Keith! Lay off the console will ya!" Patrick grabbed him by the arm before he could strike the console again.
"Let go of my arm, Patrick Scott!"
"Not until you clam down and face the fact that sooner or later Eric and Andromeda will be...How shall I put this." Patrick frowned, "Making love to each other."
"I can't handle this, Patrick! She's my little girl and the thought of some guy with his hands all over her makes my blood boil!" Keith raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Keith, she's eighteen and about to become the wife of a twenty-three year old male! It's going to happen whether it be now or in a week's time!" Patrick snarled at Keith in frustration.
"Wait till your daughters start dating! Then and only then will I listen to a lecture from you about what I should be feeling!" He stalked out of the room.
"Computer have the satellite scan by the waterfall." Patrick barked out the order and received an interesting view on the screen. "What is it about that waterfall?" He shook his head and shut off the screen.
"Where on Arus is, Andromeda? She has to attend the final fitting for her gown." Allura walked into the Dayroom, eyeing her two oldest daughters.
"I haven't seen her all day." Ariel shrugged her shoulders.
"I saw her this morning at breakfast and she told me that, she was going to go workout in the gym, after her appointment with Doc Stevens." Alex glanced up at her.
"I'll go ask your father, if he's seen her." She frowned, as if on cue Keith walked passed the Dayroom. "Keith, have you seen Andy?" Allura asked him and he turned to give her a very dark look.
"No, Allura, not since she strolled by Black Lion wearing almost nothing."
"What do you mean by almost nothing?" Allura tried not to panic.
"Let's just say that when Andy walked down the bridge, leading into the forest, all the castle guards, not to mention her royal guards, deserted their posts to drool as she walked by." Keith gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Keith, what was she wearing?" Allura did not like what she was hearing one bit.
"It was a sheer leotard with convenient patches on all the important areas of the female form." Keith watched, as temper flared in her eyes.
"Was she wearing a cover up?" Alex frowned.
"Yes, Lexi, she was wearing a red satin jacket." Keith sighed in defeat.
"Did Eric see her, Daddy?" Ariel asked and all heads turned to Keith for his answer.
"Yes." He muttered darkly.
Allura felt the panic set in, just as Andy walked down the hall towards her room.
She didn't even notice the stares, as she walked by wearing Eric's leather flight jacket.
"Andromeda, would you please come here." Allura called to her, but Andy went into her room as if she hadn't even heard her.
"Mom, it's like she didn't even hear you."
"I know that Eric loves her, but Nate says that not even death would make Eric part with that jacket." Ariel saw the panic in their eyes. "It was his father's jacket."
"Excuse us, girls, your father and I need to have a little heart-to-heart chat with your baby sister." Allura grabbed Keith and dragged him with her to Andy's room.
"Andromeda. May we come in? Your mother and I want to have a chat with you." Keith knocked on her door.
"Sure, Daddy." She called softly, now dressed in a red silk kimono, she sat down at her vanity, and began brushing her hair.
"Andy, whatever gave you the idea that it was fitting to go running around clad in nearly nothing?" Keith frowned down at her innocent face. *I know that look young lady, what have you been up to.*
"Daddy, relax. There was nothing wrong with my outfit and after three weeks of dresses I felt like I needed a change." She rolled her eyes at him.
"What have you been up to today?" Allura folded her arms across her chest and frowned down at her daughter.
"What kind of question is that, mother? I'm eighteen and have spent months away from home since I was nine-years-old. So in answering, I will say that I went for a walk and leave it at that."
"Where were you, Andromeda Marie?!"
"We know that you weren't alone, because of that heirloom jacket that you were wearing when you returned home." Allura snapped at her.
"If you don't stop badgering me, I will find a nice little chapel, take my sisters and the guys along for witnesses, and elope without yours or Daddy's permission!" She threatened them, her temper was reaching the breaking point. "If I am with my fiancé and what I do in my spare time is none of your business! If you want me to alienate you completely then continue with the third-degree!"
"Andromeda, you will not speak to us in that tone of voice! Is that understood!?" Keith narrowed his eyes at her.
"What is so different about my romance with Eric, compared to you and mom? When you were told not to be with each other, you openly defied Uncle Koran and my sisters and I were the result of that union! Don't think that I'll feel the least bit guilty if I choose to act on any of the feelings that I have for my future husband! I love you both more than anything, but I won't let you come between Eric and I! He is more important to me than anything in the universe!" She saw that her parents were giving her a strange yet understanding look.
"Did anything happen between the two of you today?' Keith looked her in the eyes and waited for her to respond.
"I love you, Daddy, but that's none of your business." She gave her father a kiss on the cheek.
"Keith, leave us alone for a little while." Allura smiled at her husband.
"Sure, Hon. Andy, I only put barriers in your way so you won't get hurt." He kissed his daughter on the top of her head and then left her room in search of Captain Eric Lawson and the truth.
"Well? Was it everything that you expected it to be?" Allura asked abruptly, causing her daughter to blush crimson from the roots of her hair to her toenails.
"How could you know?" Andy stared at her mother in shock and her mother gave her a knowing smile.
"Andromeda, even as a little girl you never could pull anything on me. You inherited that alluring cunning nature of yours from me." She shook her head at her daughter and Andy sighed in relief.
"I've never felt that wonderful in my entire life." She sighed dreamily.
"Did Eric seduce you?" Allura asked her softly and Andy's blush deepened an even deeper shade of red.
:I can't believe that I'm carrying on a conversation like this with my own mother!: She thought.
:Talk, Andromeda Marie, and I mean everything!: Her mother broke into her thoughts.
"Not exactly... He wanted us to honor your wishes and wait until the honeymoon." She whimpered softy, wincing when she saw the look that her mother was giving her.
"Go on..."
"Well...I...um...sort of took things into my own hands." She smiled, giving her mother a guilty-as-charged look.
"What did you do, Andromeda?"
"I stripped down to nothing while his back was turned, dove into the water, and then went skinny-dipping." Her mother was now smiling at her.
"And then he let down his iron control over his feelings and attacked you." Allura finished for her daughter.
"Not exactly, he was being a perfect gentleman until I seduced him from the water."
"Where exactly were the two of you?" Allura was frowning once more at her daughter.
"I was walking to my favorite spot, and might I add in a very good mood, when Uncle Darian popped by to give me one of his you-have-to-start-acting-responsibly lectures. It ruined my mood completely and sent me fleeing to the waterfall, the one by the meadow where we want our new home to be built at." Andy tried to explain. "Anyway, that's when I interrupted Eric's swim."
"Continue, Andromeda."
"Well, I sat down on the grass and started crying, because Uncle Darian's words hit home this time. Eric was swimming in the water and heard me crying."
"So he stopped swimming and went to see why you were so upset." She finished for her daughter.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened..." She frowned at her mother's serene face, "Why are you being so calm about all of this?"
"Sweetie, for the first time in years the two of us have something in common." She laughed when she gaped at her in shock. "I seduced your father the first time we made love in almost the same exact way."
"Mother, you didn't." Andy gasped in disbelief.
"I didn't have a choice. Koran and Nanny refused to give us their blessing. So much to your father's surprise, I took matters into my own hands." Allura grinned.
"Tell me more, Momma. What did Daddy do?"
"He was a gentleman, sidestepping every one of my advances, until I let my nightgown fall to the floor, and as a result you and your sisters were born nine months later." Allura smiled then one major factor struck her and that smile turned to worry.
"Don't worry, Mom. Remember when I was having those problems when I first hit my teens?" She asked her mother and Allura nodded. "Well, while I was at the academy Max's mom put me on birth control medication to solve them and I've been taking it since."
"I knew that they had you taking some kind of medicine, but I had no idea what kind, only that they had corrected your problem and that you were going to be all right."
"I thought you knew, Mom, after all I was only thirteen at the time." She frowned at her in confusion.
"I was just relieved that you were going to be fine and that they had solved your problem." Allura hugged her daughter fiercely.
"I'm a lot smarter than you guys think and I'm soooo not ready for a baby just yet." She frowned up at her mother.
"Yes and one day you will make a wonderful mother and a beautiful, intelligent, and strong Queen." She smiled at her.
"Mom? Why did you choose me?" She asked her mother and Allura arched a brow at her in surprise.
"Because, you possess an equal part of your father and I, and that is why we have put you into certain situations. Which, you passed with flying colors. Where your sisters showed signs of weakness, you showed strength and the ability to rule justly and fairly." Allura explained proudly.
"All I've ever wanted to do was lead Voltron and being Queen was never part of the picture." Andy sighed in frustration.
"When did you decide that, sweetie? You have always been the next in line to the throne." Allura laughed at her daughter's lost expression. "Now get dressed, you have a final fitting to attend."
Keith found Eric working out in the castle gym and he seemed to be feeling very nervous about something.
"Hello, sir." He greeted Keith when he walked over to the computer controlling the anti-gravity weights that he was using and upped the weight to three hundred, instead of two hundred fifty pounds. *Shit, he knows!*
"I would like to ask you a question." He growled softly, upping the weight another fifty pounds. "And I would like an honest answer."
"I make it a point to always be honest..." He groaned, but continued to press the weight, sweat was creasing his brow. "Life is less complicated that way."
"Did something serious happen between you and my daughter?" He asked softly, his fingers were once again at the computer's controls.
"You mean did we consummate our relationship?" Eric growled, trying to keep his temper in check.
"That is exactly what I mean." He had deadly intentions on his mind.
"I have no intention of telling you anything." Eric gritted his teeth when Keith continued to increase the weight.
"I told you what would happen if you tried anything with Andy before the two of you were married." Keith threatened Eric.
"What if your daughter was the one who tried something on me?!" Eric ground out as Keith increased the weight even more.
"Are you saying that Andy seduced you and that you lost total control?" Keith frowned in remembrance.
"Yeah, that may have happened." Eric was barely pressing the weight.
"Let me tell you a little secret, but first what exactly did my daughter do?" Keith asked him curiously.
"She stripped in front of me, dove into the pool of water by the waterfall, and then continued to seduce me from the water. I guess, the breaking point was when she stood under the waterfall and crooked her little finger at me." Eric told Keith everything and felt relief when all the weight that he was barely holding above his chin vanished.
"My god! She is exactly like her mother." Keith groaned in frustration.
"Huh? I don't think I follow, sir?" Eric frowned in confusion.
"Allura did the same thing to me, not exactly in the same way, but similar when she was Andromeda's age. So I understand completely why you lost control around my daughter." Keith grinned at him.
"You do?" Eric eyed him warily.
"Yes, I do, but I also know that you will have to go through what I went through. So, I would suggest that you go to your quarters and try to get some sleep, because from now until say at least seven days from now, you will be pulling graveyard." Keith grinned at Eric.
"I guess that it could have been worse." Eric groaned then headed for his room and a hot shower.
"Oh and one more thing," Keith called after him. "You will also continue your daily routine with the team."
"Sure, Keith, whatever you say. You're the boss." Eric grumbled.
"Yes and don't you ever forget it." Keith grinned and went in search of his wife.
(Several days later)
"Daddy, you and I are going to have a talk." Andy was dressed for war in her full ninja body armor.
"Andy, why are you dressed for all-out war?" Keith eyed her warily.
"I want you to stop torturing Eric or I will personally throw you into the castle brig until you finally come to your senses."
"How exactly do you intend to do that?"
"With this," Andy produced a lethal looking dart gun and pointed it at her father.
"Now, Dromi, let's not overreact." He tried to disarm her, but she easily avoided him.
"Bad move, Daddy." Andy shot her father with a tranq dart and he was out in moments. "Okay, guys, Dad's out cold, now let's get him safely locked up in the castle brig."
"Andy, this isn't a good idea." Ariel frowned at her sister.
"Quit feeling guilty and let's get Daddy out of here." She hissed at her sister.
"Just remember this was all your idea and we never had any part of it." Nathan was carrying Keith over his shoulder.
"Whatever, Nathan! Now let's go before someone catches us." Andy hissed.
"We're caught, here comes Eric." Nate glared at Andy.
"Leave him to me." Andy smiled as Eric sleepwalked by them, but saw what they were up to, and instantly woke himself up.
"Andromeda Marie, where are you going with your father?" Eric growled, glaring at Nate, who shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"Until he comes to his senses he's going to spend some quality time in the castle brig." Andy smiled at him.
"You will take your father back to his room and then you and I are going to talk." Eric ordered. "And don't even think of telling me no, because that is a direct order from a superior officer."
"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Lion, but if you won't forget that you saw us, I will just have to do this." She shot him with a dart.
"Nate, put him in my quarters and then take Daddy to the brig." Andy ordered him softly.
"Why I ever go along with your brainstorms is beyond me." He snarled in frustration.
"Because, Nathan Scott, if you don't go along with me, I will cause you great pain." Andy smiled sweetly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Nate groaned in defeat as they reached her quarters.
"So be a good boy and set him down on my bed." Andy grinned when Ariel started to giggle.
"Ariel, this is not funny! We just kidnapped two people against their own wills!"' Nate snarled down at his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry, Nathan; it's just the look on your face was so funny." She kissed him on the cheek.
"Enough, the two of you can kiss and make up, after Daddy is safely behind bars." They left her room and continued down various corridors until they reached the brig. "Just put him down on the cot and I will do the rest." Andy ordered him and Nate did as he was told, before leaving the scene of the crime.
"Now to make sure there is no way for you to escape." She frowned down at her father's sleeping face and then bound him to the cot.
(A few hours later)
A very grouchy lion has awakened to find himself bound to a cot in the castle brig.
"What the hell!" Keith roared in fury. "Oh that does it! She will be lucky if she ever steps foot in a lion again!"
(After another few hours of brooding)
"Hello, Daddy." Lilly smiled at him, as she happily licked away on a huge lollipop.
"Would, precious, little angel, please let daddy out of here." Keith called softly to his three-year-old daughter. He was now free from his binds that had snapped when his temper exploded.
"No, Daddy. I promise Dromi. I watch you, till you come to your senses." Lilly concentrated on what her sister had said to her and tried to repeat the words.
*Why that little pain!* Keith seethed.
"Lilly, would you do me a big favor?"
"Lilly loves helping, Daddy!" Lilly squealed in delight.
"Come here, angel, and Daddy will tell you what he wants you to do."
"Ok, Daddy," She happily walked up to the energy bars.
"That's my big girl! Now do you see all of those pretty lights up there?" He pointed out the control panel to her.
"Uh-huh." Lilly nodded her little head and her blonde curls bounced with her every movement.
"Do Daddy a really, really, big favor and touch that pretty blue one." Keith directed his child.
"Ok, Daddy." She went to do as she was told, but was gently pulled away by Bella. "Bella, let go it tickles!" Lilly giggled, but the cat continued to keep her away from her father.
"Grizabella! Let her go at once!" Keith barked at the large feline, who merely glared at him, and went to growl what sounded like something profane at Keith.
"Daddy, no yell at kitty!" Lilly scolded her father, hugging the cat around her neck.
"I'm sorry, baby, but Bella won't let you do that really big favor for me." Keith tried to lure her back over to him.
"If Bella no wants me help, then I no help my Daddy." Lilly climbed onto Bella's back and rode out of the room.
"Lilly! Please come back!" Keith pleaded with her, but she was gone.
Eric slowly awakened out of his drug-induced sleep and was not happy with his bride-to-be.
"Hello, Eric." Andy smiled over at him and walked over to her bed. She had changed into her red silk kimono.
*I won't kill her... I love her...I am going to marry her...* Eric chanted in his head.
"Don't come near me, Andromeda Marie." Eric glared murderously at her.
"Eric, you aren't mad at me are you?" She asked, as she got on her bed, and began to crawl towards him.
"Andromeda, I am way beyond mad, so heed my warning, and don't even try to touch me." He was seeing her through a red haze.
"You know that I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to teach my father a lesson, about interfering with our lives." She reached out to brush a lock of red-gold hair from his forehead, only to find herself pinned underneath Eric's body staring directly into his very furious almost frightening gaze.
"This time, princess, you have pushed me too far, its time for you too take some of your own medicine." Eric growled down at her and Andy began to feel real fear for the third time in her life.
"Now, Eric, let's not be too hasty. You love me and could never cause me any harm." Andy whimpered softly, sheer panic shined in her eyes.
"You have this insane idea that you should always have your own way, no matter who you have to hurt. Well, from now on we are going to be doing things my way." He growled down at her, he was deadly serious.
"Oh really and what, oh master, is going to be your way?" Andy scowled when he gave her one of his lethal grins.
"From this moment on we will be working as a team and you will never and I mean never pull a stunt like this again!"
"Are you clipping my wings?" Andy whimpered.
"Oh no, my sweet, that's too gentle of a punishment. I'm declawing you."
"You sound like a lion tamer trying to tame a lioness."
"I'm going to leash you until you, my love, learn some control and start obeying orders." He waited for her to react to what he was saying.
"And what exactly are you going to use for a leash?" She challenged him, but regretted her words instantly when he gave her another deadly grin.
"Why, darling, I thought that you would never ask, because from now on we are going to sleep, eat, play, work, and bathe together. Just consider me your shadow from this moment on." He sealed his demands with a kiss.
'You would give up all of your free time, every waking minute of the day, even after everything that I've done to you?' Tears shined in her eyes.
'Yes, you little idiot, I love you!' Eric frowned down at her.
'You're talking to me in my head!' Her eyes widened in surprise.
'I do it all the time. Who do you think gave you that pep talk when you were fighting Shaitan?'
'I thought that I was imagining things…' She frowned. 'So this is why you always know where I am all the time or what I'm going to do before I do it!'
'Yeah! Believe you me, it's come in handy quite a few times.'
"Eric, I can't help it. Things hit me and I end up in trouble again, because I plow through anyone that gets in my way." She whimpered.
"When are you gonna learn the ones who stand in your way are the people who love you?" Eric kissed her tears away.
"Eric! I've really done it this time! Daddy's gonna kill me for locking him up in the brig!" She wailed, realizing what she had done to her father.
"We are gonna explain to your father that you were merely having a prewedding anxiety attack." Eric cuddled her in his arms.
"Like my father is gonna go for that! I'll be lucky to fly anything again." Andy whimpered miserably.
"Daddy?" Andromeda called into the room before she stepped foot in it.
"Andromeda Marie, what brings you to the scene of the crime?" Keith growled softly at his daughter.
"Are you gonna hurt me, if I let you out of that cell?" She eyed him with wary eyes.
"You are in big trouble, Andromeda, and this time you're not going to get away with a slap on the wrist." Keith promised her in a lethal tone.
"Daddy, you have every right to be angry with me, but first just try to listen to what I have to say." She pleaded with him.
"Be my guest, daughter. It's not like I can stop you or anything."
"Why do you always interfere between Eric and me?"
"You've always been blinded when it comes to your emotions. You're more vulnerable now because you're in love with Eric, and I feel the need to protect you." Keith growled softly.
"I don't wanna be locked up in a tower, Daddy. This is the first time in my whole life that I feel like I've finally found where I belong and every time that you try to protect me from him its only pushing me further away from you."
"You never talk to me anymore! I feel threatened by everything that's been happening! It feels like you're abandoning me!" Keith finally let her know his true feelings about this whole situation.
"Daddy, the only reason that I don't talk to you anymore, is because I don't feel like arguing about the same situation over and over again!"
"Why did you set up this little plan of yours?" Keith sighed in defeat.
"To get you to listen to me, instead of playing the high-and-mighty ruler. But, I thought you would've been out of that cell the minute you woke up." Andy walked over to the cell next to his, activated the cell, and escaped it in seconds to stand in front of her father, who was now red faced with embarrassment.
Keith swore fluently for five whole minutes before escaping from his cell.
"I'm in big trouble aren't I?" She pouted up at her father.
"Yes you are, Andromeda." Keith put his arm around her shoulders and they both walked from the room by a very uneasy Eric. "Are you in on this?" Keith gave him a deadly look.
"No, sir, I was also an innocent victim." Eric growled, as his simmering anger towards Andy began to heat up again.
"She didn't." Keith glared down her.
"Yes, sir, she most certainly did, but she and I have come to an understanding. Haven't we, Andromeda?"
"Yes, Eric, we have." She nodded, trying not to grind her teeth in frustration.
"Son, let me give you some advice. If your understanding is what I think it is, then you have no idea who you're dealing with." Keith gave him fair warning.
"Yes I do, Keith. Andy and I are equals in a way that goes way beyond what you have with Allura." Eric dared Andy to say anything by giving her a warning glare.
"Why you arrogant, male, chauvinistic, asinine, jerk!" She hissed under her breath.
"What was that, my sweet? I didn't quite hear all of what you said." Eric glowered down at her.
"Oh nothing, Lion. Like he said, Daddy, we have an understanding." She smiled shakily, well aware that Eric was in no mood to argue right now.
"See, Keith, I have everything under control." He tried not to chuckle at Keith's stunned expression.
"Eric, I do believe that I may have underestimated you." He then turned to his daughter and pronounced his judgment. "From this moment you are grounded from all activities concerning the Voltron Force and I expect the key to your lion and all of your uniforms on my desk in my chambers in one hour."
"Daddy! You can't possibly mean this!" Andy shouted, tears streamed down her face.
"I meant every word, Andromeda! It's about time that you learned that you can't get away with whatever you want anymore and this is the only way that I know the punishment will finally hit home!"
"Why don't you just lock me up in a tower and throw away the key!"
"Because, then you would never have learned anything and then just pull something like this again!" Keith roared, as he glared murderously down into her eyes.
"As you wish, father! I mean, your majesty!" She wrenched herself free of her father and then stomped down the hallway.
"Andromeda! Did I say that you could leave?" Keith snarled at her and she turned on her heel to glare at him.
"Is there something else that you wanted, your majesty?"
"Oh, yes, young lady, I am far from finished! I want you to be dressed as a proper lady when you drop off your uniforms on my desk. And from this moment on until I say otherwise you will act like the Crowned Princess of Arus and that means no fighting period." He growled at her. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, father, crystal clear." She whimpered, amazed at how bad her punishment really was.
"Good. I expect to see you in my chambers in no less than one hour!" He ordered her and then Andy ran down the corridor in tears.
"Was that really necessary, sir? Taking everything that she loves away from her?" Eric felt Andy's pain like his own and he fought the urge to run after her.
"Yes, Eric, it was. She pushed me too far this time." Keith growled.
"She has lost her freedom, her hard earned position on the team, and her dignity all in one day." Eric muttered, "I doubt that she'll ever pull anything on either of us again. She did however, not lose her honor, because she let the two people that helped her off scot-free." With those words said he went to go comfort his love.
Allura was on her way to see Andy, when she raced past her in tears. "Andromeda Marie, what is wrong?" Allura raced after her daughter.
"Your husband is the cruelest dictator in the far galaxy!" She ran into her room.
"Why? What did you do this time?" Allura followed her into her room.
"He started all of this, mom! I merely tried to get his full attention!" She threw herself on her bed.
:What did you do to him, to make him so angry with you?: Allura frowned at her.
:He wouldn't listen to me, so I shot him in the arm with a tranquilizer dart.:
"You did what!" Allura cried out in shock.
:That's not the worst of it. Eric got in my way and he got shot too.:
"Andromeda? What happened after you drugged your father?" Allura pulled her into her arms.
"I tied him up and left him in a cell in the castle brig."
"Oh dear, Andromeda, you really did get yourself into trouble this time. No wonder your father is furious with you." Allura shook her head in frustration.
"He took Voltron away and from now on I have to act and dress like the Crowned Princess. That isn't the worst part! I can't even be a ninja anymore!" She sobbed against her mother's shoulder.
"What did you do with Eric?" Allura frowned down at her daughter's tear-stained face.
"I put him in here and then went to make sure that Daddy was tied up. Then I came back and waited for Eric to wake up."
"Oh bad move, sweetie." Allura shook her head at her.
"Well, when he woke up I tried to apologize and he told me not to touch him, but I didn't listen. I had no idea that he was that angry with me." She shivered when she remembered the look that he had given her with his eyes.
"He didn't hurt you did he?"
"Not a chance, mom. He would never physically hurt me or anything like that! He just told me that he was now my shadow and that he was clipping my wings or was it declawing me." Andy whimpered miserably.
"What else, sweetheart?"
"He said that he was going to be my permanent shadow, so that means that I have lost my freedom as well!"
"Andromeda, Eric loves you and this way he will know that you're safe. As for what your father did to you, well, you deserve every punishment that he gave you." Allura glared down at her.
Andy eyed her warily.
"You are eighteen, about to be married, and you carry on your father's legacy. I expect you to start acting like the Crowned Princess, or have you learned nothing from everything that has happened today? You are not a child anymore, so start acting like the woman that you are destined to be!" She left her daughter to think about those words.
(One hour later)
Andy arrived at her father's chambers in full royal attire, from her perfectly braided hair, to the crown on her head. Her ruby red gown covered her from her neck to her toes and it sparkled and winked from the hand sewn jewels that had been painstakingly sewn into the delicate fabric of the gown. She had added a velvet cape around her shoulders, to complete her look. Two maids carried her uniforms, weapons, and lastly her ceremonial sword.
"I believe that these are what you asked me to bring you, father." Andy breezed into her father's royal chambers, motioning to her helpers to place them on his desk.
"I did not ask for this back." He cradled her sword in his hands.
"You said no more fighting. So, I have no use for this or any of these things." She motioned for the rest of her stuff to be placed on his desk.
:What is going on here, Andromeda?: Keith frowned at her and she gave him a serene smile.
:Why, father, exactly what you asked me to do. I am now a properly behaved Crowned Princess.: She curtsied in front of him.
"All right, young lady, what are you up to?" Keith growled.
Andy arched a delicate brow at her father, "Why, father, whatever do you mean?"
:You know perfectly well what I mean:
:I've grown up and none of these toys are worth my time anymore.: She smiled and made to leave her father's chambers.
"Hello Anthony, Andrew, welcome back home. I hope you enjoyed your time at Grandpa's." She smiled at her little brothers and then glided out of her father's chambers.
"Wow, talk about HOT!" Ten year-old Drew and Tony wolf whistled.
"That, boys, was your big sister Andromeda." Keith pouted, holding her sword in his hands.
"No way! She was wearing a dress!" They echoed.
"Yes way, now go find your cousins while your old man has a nervous breakdown."
"Hi, mom!" They greeted Allura with two big bear hugs.
"Hello, boys, welcome home." She hugged them back and kissed each of them on the cheek.
"Uncle Lance, is gonna referee our soccer match, so we'll see you guys later." They ran down the hallway.
Allura walked into the room and eyed the arsenal on Keith's desk. "Want to tell me why there's an arsenal on your desk?"
"Our daughter just quit her life's dream." Keith groaned.
"You did ask her to give up her place on the team and to stop being a ninja." Allura reminded him.
"Temporarily, Allura, not for all time and if you ask me she's more lethal as a princess, than she is as a ninja." Keith rubbed his temples, trying to ward off the headache pounding between his eyes.
"She is quite a sight and this will take some getting used to." Allura agreed.
"No it won't! I want my real daughter back! Not some stuffy, perfectly clothed, well behaved doll!" Keith bellowed.
"She is not stuffy! She is regal and for the first time in her life she is acting like an adult!" Allura snapped at him.
"She belongs on the Voltron force, defending the universe! She does not belong filing her nails and bored out of her mind!"
"She is the Crowned Princess and belongs both here and on the Voltron Force!" She glowered down at her husband.
"She actually followed one of my punishments word for word!" Keith eyed his wife's guilty look, "Wait a second! Did you talk to her after she and I came to an understanding?" Keith stood up and glowered down at his wife.
"I simply said that she should stop acting like a child and start acting like the grown woman that she has become." Allura smiled at him, "To be honest with you, Keith, she was just following the influence of her father."
"Are you saying that I've been acting like a spoiled brat, who isn't getting his way?!"
"You have been acting like the lion with a thorn in his paw, only Andy isn't a dainty little mouse who will take the roar of the lion and remove the thorn." Allura told him.
"So I deserved what she did to me!" He growled in a hurt voice.
"Not in the way that she carried out her punishment for your actions, but you both are at fault."
"Andromeda needs to be herself and I need to let her live her own life and watch helplessly as she leaves the nest."
"Yes and that means as an equal member of Voltron Force and as the heir to the throne. Now why don't you take these to her and go apologize for the way that you've been acting lately. Oh, I just want you to know that Eric has moved in with our daughter and all because you were acting like a child that has lost his favorite toy." Allura smiled serenely up at him.
"I'm fine, Allura. I'm calm and in complete control." Keith told her through his fake smile.
"That's my guy. Now go make peace with our daughter." She gave him a big kiss then pushed him out the door towards their daughter's room.
"Hello and who do we have here?" Eric whistled when Andy entered their room.
"Are you addressing me in that tone of voice?" She gave him a regal glare and Eric threw his head back with laughter.
"Sorry, princess." Eric winked at her. "My, my, aren't we in all of our finery tonight."
"This is the proper attire for a Crowned Princess of Arus." She smiled down at him.
"Did your devious plan work? Are you free and clear yet?" He pulled her down next to him on the bed.
"I don't have the slightest idea, Eric."
"Now you listen to me, brat! It's me and I know you better than your entire family, including your sisters, so cut the act and answer the question." He nuzzled her ear.
"Look, Captain, I did exactly as I was told and if he changes his mind then he will have done it on his own."
"Love, you make your sisters look like wallflowers." Eric growled against her neck.
"I really am good at this aren't I?"
"Darling, you excel at everything you do." He pulled her down, so she was lying on top of him, and kissed her until they were both mindless.
"Andromeda? May I come in for a little while? I think you and I need to talk." Keith knocked on her locked door. *So what if they locked the door! It doesn't mean anything!* He tried not to panic.
"Yes, father, you may enter my room." She answered him.
"I swore that I would never do what Koran and Nanny did when Allura and I became engaged. Yet here I am acting like a dictator and enough for you to throw me into a cell in the brig, just to get my attention." Keith apologized to his daughter. "It's just that no matter how old that you get, I will still think of you as my little shadow."
"Daddy, I know that it's hard to let me go, but no matter what you are never going to lose me." Andy got up off her bed and went to hug her father.
"Just think of the son that you're gaining." Eric grinned from where he was lounging on her bed.
"Out! You have two days until the big day. Now go to your own quarters and get ready for those wonderfully boring prewedding celebrations." Keith let go of Andy and went to drag Eric out of her room. He chuckled when the two of them gave him a look of pure misery.
"I told you that we should have eloped in a nice quiet little chapel." Eric groaned, as Keith dragged him from the room, he was however, allowed to kiss her good-bye.
'See you in a few hours.' Andy smiled at him.
(A few hours later)
All the younger children of the castle were out playing soccer on the soccer field near the castle. Hazar and Merla's nine-year-old twin daughters Nichelle and Phillippa were the acting goalies, and the twins were showing off for the two girls.
Hazar, Nate, and Chris were coaching Drew's team and Lance, Hunk, and Patrick were coaching Tony's.
"Hey! Play fair, Andrew!" Nichelle shouted, just missing the soccer ball as Drew scored another goal.
"I am playing fair! You just can't guard your goal, unlike your sister now she knows how to play!" Drew winked at Philly.
"Quit flirting with the twins and play!" Matt shouted at Nichelle and she threw him the ball.
"Daddy! Come and play with us." Christy called to her father.
"Yeah, Dad, then maybe these two show-off's will finally start playing, instead of trying to impress their girlfriends!" Mathew growled, clearly not happy with his two cousins. Matt at eleven wasn't nearly as girl crazy as the twins were, but then he had yet to meet anyone remotely interesting to him.
"Hey! Can we play?" Eric and Andy had decided to ditch their formal party and join in on the fun going on outside.
"Yes!" Drew ran over to his sister.
"Hey! I want Dromi!" Tony growled in protest.
"Now look, you two, we'll let the goalies decide." She frowned down at her brothers.
"I want Eric." Philly called out and her twin shouted with glee.
"You can be on my team." Shell smiled at Andy.
'Well, babe, I'll try not to trounce you too badly.' Eric grinned over at her and pulled off his T-shirt so he was only dressed in sneakers and his shorts.
"Two can play at that game." She called sweetly and pleaded off her workout suit revealing a brief tank top and very skimpy shorts. 'Let the games begin.' She winked over at him.
"All is fair in love and war!" Patrick, Hunk, Lance, Hazar, Nate, Chris, and Darian shouted over at Eric and the soccer game began.
After a few hours of tie games and after a search for the missing couple, Keith and Ally decided to turn their formal prewedding party into a summer barbecue.
The day of the wedding dawned crystal clear blue skies and all the guards were decked out in their formal uniforms. The final preparations for the wedding were completed and Voltron himself stood guard in front of the cathedral. However, inside the Castle of Lions the scene is utter chaos.
"Mother! I can't find anything!" Andy wailed at the top of her lungs.
"Calm down, Andromeda, let us do all the work." Alex tried to calm down her sister.
"Calm down! Are you the one who is getting married in less than two hours?"
"Sit down and let us do your hair and make-up." Ariel commanded her sister.
"Why did I agree to do this?" Andy wailed, as she was dragged over and then tied to a chair. "Let me out of this right now!" She screamed at them.
"Sit there, do not move, and please be quiet!" Alex snarled down at her sister as she braided Andy's hair into a crown on the top of her head, while Ariel applied her make-up.
"Hi, is everything okay in here?" Myria, Sheena, Allana, and Cassie asked as they entered her room.
"By the looks of things not very well," Allana frowned, as they took in the sight of Dromi tied to her chair.
"Did you bring the dress?" Ariel asked, as she slicked Andy's lips with red gloss.
"Yes and a few other necessities." Myria grinned at them, holding up a white lace teddy.
"I want my mom and I mean now!"
"Your wish is our command." Cassie grinned at her niece, as Allura breezed into the room.
"All right, everyone, give Andy your gifts and then leave." Allura smiled at them.
"Something new," Sheena smiled at Andy and placed a small gold medallion in Andy's palm.
"Thank you, Aunt Sheena." Andy loved the bejeweled medallion. "I love it."
"Something blue," Myria and Cassie grinned and held up two lacy blue garters and then left her to get dressed.
"Something borrowed." Allana smiled opening a jewelry case revealing beautiful ruby diamond earrings. "They were my mother's favorite pair."
"Thank you, Aunt Allana." Andy freed herself so she could hug her.
"Now for your something old," Allura opened a large jewelry case revealing a very old diamond ruby necklace. "This was your grandmother's favorite and she was a scrapper just like you." Allura and Andy hugged each other.
"Mom, I can't do this." She whimpered.
"Yes you can, sweetheart, now lets get you dressed." She pushed her daughter towards the Japanese dressing screen in the corner of her room and in a few minutes Andy emerged dressed her wedding gown.
"Mom, will you do me a favor." Andy's head was beginning to pound.
"Sure, honey, what is it." Allura asked.
"Will you redo my hair; these braids are so tight they're giving me a headache."
"Sure, baby, now I want you to sit down and relax, everything is going to be fine."
"Will somebody help me with this tie?" Eric roared in frustration.
"Calm down, Eric, and let me tie it for you." Nathan grinned at his best friend.
"I've gotta make sure that Andy hasn't gotten cold feet." Eric headed for the door, but Darian blocked his way.
"No!" Chris growled.
"You can't see her for another...jeez, thirty minutes!" Lance eyed his watch.
"Come on, buddy, we have to get you to the church on time." Nathan finished tying his friend's tie.
"I'm late!" Eric raced from the room.
"Hey, wait for us!" The rest of the guys chased after the groom.
Keith silently paced the hallway outside Andy's room and was keeping a constant eye on the time. "Are you ladies ready? We need to get someone to the church on time."
"Come in, Keith. She's ready." Allura called softly.
"It's about..." Keith lost track of what he was going to say when he took in the sight of his baby in her wedding gown. "Oh, baby, you look beautiful." He whispered hoarsely.
"Why thank you, Daddy." Andy smiled at her father.
"Shall we go, ladies?" Keith walked over and kissed his daughter on the cheek.
"Have you seen, Lilly?" Allura frowned at him.
"She's right here." Andy lifted the skirts of her gown just enough to reveal her baby sister dressed in a beautiful flower girl dress.
"Me pretty, Daddy." Lilly blinked up at her parents.
"Yes you are, angel." Keith chuckled.
"Dromi, looks pretty like my stories." Lilly chattered.
"Well, this princess in going to be late for her own wedding." Allura ushered them all out of the room.
(At the Cathedral there are several people who are getting nervous, about the late arrival of the bride.)
"I knew it! She's going to be late for her own wedding." Alex paced the front of the cathedral in her maid of honor gown.
"Calm down, Lexi, she's with mom and Dad! She also has time left to make it here on time, so quit worrying over nothing!" Ariel hissed at her sister.
"Listen to your sister, Alex, besides you're making the groom very nervous." Nate glared at her.
"I've never seen him this unglued before." Chris grinned at Nate.
King Oran came outside to usher the groom and his best men back inside the cathedral. "Okay, everyone, Andromeda is on her way so we need to get this young man back inside the cathedral."
"Come on, buddy, let's get this show moving." Nate tried to move him, only to find that Eric had his eyes glued on the carriage as it slowly made its way to the cathedral. "Will someone grab his other arm? I'm not joking he doesn't wanna move!"
"Come on, Eric!" Chris and Nate dragged him inside.
"He is so gone." Ariel giggled.
"Oh to be in love," Alex sighed dreamily, as the glass carriage driven by four white horses, finally arrived at the cathedral steps and the crowd went wild.
"Oh wow, she looks so beautiful!" Myria exclaimed, as Andy was helped out of the carriage.
"She's even wearing grandma's crown." Alex sighed with envy, as her sister stepped regally from the carriage.
"You didn't think that I would miss my own wedding did you?" Andy smiled as everyone took their places.
"Well, boys, are you ready to walk your mom up the aisle?" Allura asked the twins as they fidgeted in their prince attire.
"Yes, mom, we're ready." They both muttered at the same time.
"Okay, everyone, lets get my baby girl married." Keith took his daughter's hand in his and kissed it, as the rest of the wedding party made their way up the aisle.
"I'm scared, Daddy." She whimpered, her hand was trembling in his gentle grasp.
"You're going to be fine and so is that young man that you're about to marry." Keith told her softy, as they stood at the entrance of the cathedral's open doors and the wedding march began to play. :Have you seen Lilly?:
:Yes and she has a case of stage fright: Andy giggled and everyone turned in her direction, as Lilly crawled out from under Andy's skirts, her tiny hands clutched at her basket of flowers in sheer terror.
"Please no make me do this! I scared, Dromi!" She whimpered.
"You're a brave girl just like your big sister." Andy knelt down so her little sister could look her eye to eye.
"Dromi, no be brave! You be scared told Daddy so!" Lilly exclaimed out loud her voice echoing through the cathedral.
"I know that I said that I was scared, but my fear was just nerves." She smiled down at her sister; her face had blushed crimson with embarrassment.
"I nervous!" She crawled back under her sister's skirts.
"Lilly, come out here now!" Keith growled, his voice could barely be heard over everyone's laughter; even Eric could barely contain his own laughter.
Alex and Ariel cringed with embarrassment.
"No, Daddy! I afraid!" Lilly whimpered from under Andy's skirts.
"Lilly, think of this as a mission that only you can do and I need you to walk down that aisle and complete your mission by throwing rose petals on that carpet." Andy grinned when Lilly crawled back out from under her gown.
"I try, Dromi?" She gulped, as she began what seemed to her an endless trek up the long aisle, carefully spreading her rose petals as the wedding march rang once more through the cathedral.
All eyes were once again entranced with the beautiful bride, as she glided down the aisle on the arm of her father, finally reaching her destination beside Eric who immediately took her hand in his own.
'You look beautiful.' He couldn't take his eyes off her.
'You're not so bad yourself.' She smiled at him through her veil and the ceremony began.
It didn't take long to hear the Arch Bishop say "I now pronounce you husband and wife, Crowned Prince and Crowned Princess. You may now kiss your bride."
Eric lifted her veil to reveal her beautiful face smiling up at him and took no time claiming her lips with his own.
The whole church rang out with applause and cheers as the newlyweds ran down the aisle and out the doors into the warm sunlight.
'What do you say, shall we ditch the reception and go straight to the honeymoon?' Eric pulled her to him for another kiss and the crowd went wild.
'This would be the shortest marriage in history.' She laughed and he twirled her around in his arms.
'Well, I suppose that we could stay for the first dance and cutting the cake.' He grinned down at her.
'We don't have to go there now.' Andy purred and they both vanished from sight.
"She wouldn't!" Allura fumed.
"She would, but not to worry. Sheena will drag them back to the castle for the reception." Keith assured his wife.
(A little while later in a nice secluded part of the forest and the location of their soon to be new home, the newlyweds have decided to hide out by their waterfall.)
"I like your idea, sweetness. I like your idea a lot." He grinned down at her smiling face.
"Not so fast, you two." Sheena's voice echoed around them.
"Why us?! Go away!" Eric groaned in frustration.
"This is the greatest day in your lives and it won't hurt you to humor your parents by attending the reception like a normal newly wedded couple." Sheena lectured them.
"Fine, Aunt Sheena, you win." Andy pouted at her Aunt. "But I'm not going to dance with this thing trailing me everywhere I go." She unhooked the train of her gown.
"Maybe not to dance in, but you'll still need this for your official wedding photos." Sheena gathered the discarded train.
"Nice trick, love, I hope that no one wants to dance with you, because I'm not going to let you out of my sight or out of my reach." He growled into her ear and helped her into the air-Limo.
"I'll strangle them if they skip out of their wedding reception!" Allura fumed.
"I sent Sheena after them, so they should be here any minute now." Keith pulled her into his arms for a kiss.
"See, just like clock work." Keith smiled at Eric and Andy as they made their way over to them.
"Hi Mom! Hi Daddy!" Andy smiled at them.
"Hello, you two," Allura glared at her daughter.
"Tried to escape did we?' Keith grinned.
"No we just wanted time for us." Eric growled.
"Shall we eat, I'm starving." Andy ran over to raid the huge buffet and dragged Eric with her.
"That's the first time that she has ever retreated." Allura laughed.
"Don't be so sure, Allura, she's just regrouping." Keith chuckled.
Andy and Eric danced and danced, shot holo-disc after holo-disc, and took great pleasure in smashing cake in each other's faces. They were also more than ready to ditch the reception and start their honeymoon.
"Sit down, my lovely, it's time for me to throw the garter." Eric grinned, as Andy held up her leg and wolf whistles and catcalls rang out throughout the ballroom.
"Will all of you please shut up!" Andy was blushing crimson.
"Okay, guys, anybody single line up right here." Eric slipped the bit of lace down her silk encased leg.
"That garter is mine." Nate growled in sheer concentration.
"On the contrary, my friend, that bit of lace is going to be mine." Chris frowned.
"Well, don't keep us all in suspense, Eric, throw it." Andy winked at her husband and he tossed the garter at the group of eagerly awaiting bachelors.
Nathan and Christophe dove to catch it, tackling anyone in their way.
"I've got it!" Nate shouted and grabbed part of the garter.
"No it's going to be mine!" Chris shouted in triumph, as he grabbed the other part of the garter, tearing the bit of elastic and lace in two pieces.
"Yes! Once again history has been set on its ear!" Eric laughed at the two men who each held part of the garter.
"Mother, may I have that other bouquet please." Andy called over to her mother and Ally got the extra set of flowers.
"Okay, everyone! Line up. I'm going to throw the bouquet." Andy called to any single girl within hearing distance.
"You'd better not catch it, Ariel." Alex hissed at her sister.
"Of course, I'm going to catch it." Ariel winked at her sister.
"Good luck, ladies!" She threw both bouquets at her sisters who each conveniently caught the set of flowers being thrown at them.
"Andy and I are going to be leaving as soon as she gets something from her old room." Eric told everyone, grinning at the thought of a few months alone with his wife.
"Dromi! Me go too!" Lilly chased after her sister.
"Oh, Lilly, I'm coming back. I promise." She knelt down next to her. "I'm just going away for a little while."
"Dromi, no like me no more!" Lilly burst into tears.
"No, angel, I love you very much. I was so proud of you today and I want you to be good while I'm away." She held back her tears.
"Don't leave me, Dromi!" She sobbed, not understanding why she was going away.
"Oh, Lilly, I'm not going to desert you. I think you and I need to have a little talk in my room." Andy picked up her sister and carried her down the hallway.
"I love you, Dromi." She whimpered softly.
"I love you to...!" Andy glared at the teen that was in her room holding her sword in his hands. "I wasn't expecting you here today."
"I couldn't resist the chance to spoil your precious wedding day." Jace smirked.
"I bet that you feel really powerful holding that sword, while I have an almost four-year-old child in my arms." She sent a mental cry of help to her husband, sisters, and parents. :I am in major trouble here and I could use a little help!:
"Actually, this is much easier, because you will either come quietly with me or I will harm the little angel in your arms." Jace sneered.
"What's wrong, Jace? Are you afraid that you're outmatched? In case you don't remember, I bested you with one arm in a sling." She taunted him to come closer to her and shifted Lilly so she was now clinging to her back.
"Me no like him." Lilly clung to her sister.
"Let's see what you've learned, since our last meeting." She challenged him.
"I've learned to bring along back-up." He grinned when Shaitan appeared behind Andromeda.
"Hello there, little one, you and your sister are going on a little trip." He plucked Lilly from Andromeda's back.
"Let her go, Shaitan!" Andy shouted at the man holding her baby sister in his arms. 'Eric, help me!'
"I don't think so." He shot a dart at her arm. "Look, Lilly, your sister has gone night-night."
She collapsed on the floor.
"Dromi!" Lilly wailed.
"Time for your nap as well," Shaitan gave her a sedative and the child went limp in his arms.
"Andy!" Eric shouted, as a feeling of sheer terror ripped at his very soul.
"What's wrong?" Nate and Chris raced to their friend.
"Andy's in trouble! Someone has kidnapped my wife!" Eric roared in fury, as he raced out of the ballroom and straight to Andy's old room. To his horror he found a little hair ribbon lying on the floor. Whoever had taken his wife had taken his baby sister-in-law as well.
"Someone left a calling card." Nate bent to pick up a small dart that lay on the carpeting. He examined it carefully and found that it had Shaitan's mark etched into the side of the dart.
"Who did this?" Eric roared in frustration.
"Shaitan did this and no wonder she couldn't fight! She had Lilly with her!" Nathan snarled.
"We have to find them!" Christophe ran over to the window and scanned the area for any sign of Shaitan.
"He dies for this!" Eric stalked from the room.
Jace and Shaitan reached their hidden base somewhere on Arus and Shaitan seemed to have gained a fondness for the little angel sleeping peacefully in his arms, while Jace couldn't keep his eyes off Andromeda.
"Put our guest in her room and make sure that she's immobilized." He ordered two of his men.
"I'll put her there myself!" Jace snarled at the man that had gone to take Andy out of his arms.
"Jace, do you have a fondness for Andromeda?" Shaitan arched a dark eyebrow at his nephew.
"Yeah, Uncle, you could say that."
"That is not expectable! She is not yours for the taking, besides she would end you in minutes! You're a boy, no matter the attitude, and have years to go before you can even think of handling a woman like her."
"Age is only in the mind, Uncle." Jace stalked from the room with Andy in his arms.
"Don't worry, little one. Your sister is perfectly safe. This is only a training mission for my foolish nephew and so far the little fool is failing." Shaitan growled down at the little girl in his arms.
"I want to know where my daughters are and I want to know now!" Keith roared at the two young men standing in front of him.
"Calm down, sir." Nate noticed that they were beginning to draw a crowd.
"Calm down!" He roared at him. "How the hell am I expected to calm down when my daughters are missing?!"
"All right, Boys, where are my babies?" Allura stalked over to them.
"Andy and Lilly have been kidnapped by Shaitan." Chris told her.
"No! Why today!" She forced herself not to panic.
"Shaitan doesn't care who he hurts and he's more than capable of doing something like this!" Keith snarled.
"Where's Eric?" Allura frowned.
"I believe that he's hot on their trail." Chris watched as Voltron took off.
"He can't operate him without all of us with him!" Nate shouted.
"Oh yes he can!" Keith ran from the room.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Nate and Chris shouted.
"Oh no, you don't! I'm going to!" Allura raced after Keith with Sheena on her heels.
"So sleeping beauty finally awakens." Jace growled softly.
"Oh my head…" She moaned, reaching up to hold her head only to find that she couldn't move. "Oh, it's you." Andy narrowed her eyes at him.
"So you're still a hellcat even under the influence of a tranq dart." Jace grinned evilly at her.
"If you want to see a hellcat, Jace, just untie me and I will show you." She hissed at him and started to work on her binds.
"You can't escape those, my Uncle made sure of it."
"Well, junior, your Uncle and Daddy never taught you rule number one, a Shadow Warrior is a master at the art of escaping, and I happen to excel in that particular skill." She nailed him in the face with her foot. She used that distraction to free herself. 'Eric, where are you! I need some back-up here!'
"You little bitch!" Jace wiped the blood from his bleeding broken nose.
"You poor, stupid, infantile fool!" She blocked any of his attempts to subdue her. "Your Uncle has his work cut out for him, if he's trying to train you to take over in your father's place." She nailed him four times, twice in the chest, and twice in the face.
Jace went down for the count.
"Be glad that I let you live. I don't kill. Especially, little boys like you!" She left him bound and gagged on the bed and went to find her sister.
Shaitan was trying to amuse his three-year-old captive. She was in no mood to humor her captor.
"I no wanna play!" She frowned up at him.
"What do you want to do?" Shaitan was beginning to lose his patience with her.
"I want my sissy now!" She screamed at him.
"Your sissy isn't here right now."
"Want Dromi!"
"Stop this at once!"
"Want Dromi now!"
"This is no way for a future opponent to act!" He snarled at her and Lilly stopped her screaming to stare up at him.
"What mean by that?" She frowned.
"Well, someday you will be my opponent or something like that." He tried to explain to her.
"Want Dromi!"
"Stop it, young lady!"
"No! I Want Dromi!"
"Master, the outside perimeter alarms just went off." One of his men ran in to tell Shaitan.
"Who the hell set it off?" He growled.
"Voltron, master, he's on top of our base!"
"Daddy!" She squealed. "You be in trouble now!"
"Why what a change once help arrives." He chuckled down at the child, as a sword sliced through the base. "What the hell!" He roared in surprise.
"Daddy!" She shouted with glee.
"Shaitan, would you please be so kind as to let my sister go." Andy growled from the entrance to the main room.
"Where is my nephew?" He kept a firm hold on Lilly.
"We switched places," She drew out her sword. "I see that you've got yourself some company." She commented, pointing to the blazing sword.
"I seem to have upset your husband."
"Dromi!" She tried to wriggle free. "Let go! Want Dromi!"
"You heard her, Shaitan, let her go!" Andy glared at him.
"Or what, Andromeda? What could you possibly do to me while I still have her in my arms?" He grinned evilly at her.
"I will tear you in half for kidnapping my wife!" Eric roared, as he landed behind Shaitan.
"Captain Lawson, welcome to the party."
"You no be my, Daddy!" Lilly glared at Eric.
"The little angel doesn't like you anymore." Shaitan grinned.
"I will only repeat this one more time, let my baby sister go!" Andy ordered him.
"Let me go!" Lilly bit down hard on his hand.
"Ouch, why you, little devil." He chuckled letting go of her and she landed with a thud on the floor.
"I no likes you!" She kicked him in the shin.
"Oh no! You've wounded me!" Shaitan acted like he was injured and vanished.
"I beat him, Dromi!" She squealed in delight, when Andy scooped her up in her arms.
"You sure did, kiddo." She hugged her fiercely.
"Are you two okay?" Eric walked over to them.
"We're fine, Eric." She ran into his arms and let him hug her fiercely.
"Let go of my Sissy!" Lilly snapped at Eric.
"Lilly? Why are you so mad at me?" Eric frowned down at her.
"You take my sissy away from me!"
"Oh sweetie, I love your sister. She and I are married now, just like your Mommy and Daddy." Eric tried to explain things to her.
"You have babies like Momma and Daddy?" She blinked up at them and Andy blushed crimson.
"Well...yes...maybe someday." Eric was also blushing crimson.
"Why you not say this?" She smiled at them and gave Eric a big kiss on the cheek. "I love Eric, he big bro now."
"I love you too, little sister." He kissed her on the top of her head.
"So what's with the new outfit?" She smiled at him, as she set Lilly down on her feet.
"You like?" He pulled her to him for a long kiss.
"I'll show you how much later." She purred into his ear.
"I thought that you were..." Eric hugged her to him.
"I'm fine, Eric, no one hurt me and this wasn't your fault."
"I will never let this happen to you again."
'Don't make promises that you can't keep.'
'Oh no, you see, I'm so sure that I'm willing to stake my life on it.' He smiled down at her. "Now let's get Lilly back home."
"Well, there's the big guy. Now where the hell is Eric?" Nathan frowned, as two figures, one with a child on their back appeared next to the sword.
"It's Shaitan and he's still got Andy and Lilly!" Nate and the others took off running towards them.
"I'll tear him in two!" Keith snarled.
The two in question spotted the rescue party and couldn't figure out why they were charging angrily at them.
"Daddy looks mad at you." Lilly frowned at Eric.
"Lilly, I haven't done anything to anger him…" Eric frowned.
"Eric, darling, I just realized something." Andy frowned at him, as she took in his black fully outfitted ninja attire complete with black mask he looked exactly like Shaitan.
"I will give you two seconds to let my daughters go!" Keith aimed his weapon at Eric.
"I've always wanted to waste you, Shaitan, and now I'm gonna get the chance!" Nate aimed another bigger deadlier weapon at him.
"You have gone to far this time!" Sheena drew her sword.
"Want down." Lilly squirmed in Eric's arms.
"Not quite yet, angel."
"Want down now!"
"I will give you a huge lollipop if you stop squirming." Eric begged the little girl.
"No! Want daddy!" She demanded.
"Fine, angel, go see Daddy," Eric gave up and set her down on her feet.
"Daddy! Mommy!" She squealed, as Allura scooped her up into her arms.
"Take off the mask, Eric!" Andy hissed at her husband, fearing for his life.
"I'm trying!" Eric went to pull off the mask, but it refused to budge. 'Shit, it's not budging!'
'Eric! This isn't funny! You look like Shaitan!' She hissed at him, just before he was attacked by Nate and Chris. "Stop it, Nathan! That's Eric!" She pulled Nate off him.
"Andy, you've been drugged, but it's going to be okay. Does Eric need medical assistance?" Keith pulled her into his arms.
"Let me go that's Eric!" She screamed at her father.
"Sure it is, Andy." Sheena tried to calm her down.
"Eric, don't just lie there! Fight them back!" She screamed at him before Sheena gave her a sedative.
"Let go of my wife!" Eric roared, clearly having had enough and threw Nate and Chris off him. "I think that she's been through enough for one day!" He ripped off his mask and glared murderously at his friends and family.
"Oh shit!" Nate swore, as Eric's fist connected with his nose.
"You really are, Eric!" Chris winced, as he was thrown over Eric's shoulder.
"Get away from my wife and ask before you jump to anymore major conclusions!" He snarled at Keith and the others. "Does Shaitan wear the key to Black Lion?"
"Eric, you have every right to be angry with us." Sheena frowned.
"Why the hell are you dressed like him in the first place?!" Keith bellowed.
"I wanted to get in undetected."
"With Voltron? I don't think so…" Nate wheezed from his broken nose.
"Now, I'm taking my wife as faraway from all of you people as I possibly can!" He took Andy from Keith and took off with Voltron.
(A few hours later)
Andy awoke in a huge bed wearing nothing but her white lace teddy, while Eric after taking a hot shower to relax his aching muscles, silently watched over her as she slept.
"No stop that's Eric!" She tossed and turned in her sleep. "Daddy, don't give me that shot! I'm telling you that it's Eric that Nate's fighting! Fight back, Eric!" She cried out in her sleep and then sat straight up in bed as if jolted awake by her dream.
"Its okay, angel. I'm here. You and I are both safe and sound away from those lunatics that we call our family." He crawled under the covers and pulled her trembling body into his arms.
"I'm cursed." Andy whimpered. "I killed Rand and now I'm paying for it."
"Now, now, that's not true, Andromeda. You are not cursed." Eric soothed her with his voice, tucking her head under his chin.
"Yes it is, Eric, and the worst part is that I endangered my baby sister!" She burst into tears.
"She's fine and nothing happened to her or you."
"They all want revenge." She shivered, as chills racked her body. "Eric, I was helpless when they took Lilly and I hate feeling helpless!" She sobbed against his chest.
"Sweetie, it's natural for you to feel helpless in a situation like that." Eric rocked her in his arms.
"I'm ruining our honeymoon! You must hate me!"
"You aren't ruining anything and I don't hate you." Eric scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the master bathroom and the hot bubble bath that awaited them.
"Bubbles!" She sniffled, snapping out of her misery, when he set her down on her feet by the huge sunken tub. "I love bubble baths." She peeled off the scrap of lace that she was wearing and dove into the tub.
Creating a splash so big the wave splashed Eric, standing outside the tub glaring down at the beauty encased in bubbles.
"Oops! Did I do that?" She giggled then splashed him again, this time right in his face.
"Andromeda, I would seriously discipline you if you weren't so high on those drugs that were given to you." He growled down at the nymph in the water.
"Oh Eric! I'm so scared!" She taunted him, splashing him again.
"Andromeda Marie Edwards-Lawson, stop that immediately or else."
"Eric, you're so stuffy. You need to loosen up, Captain, and play with me." She grinned up at him and splashed him again, this time soaking him completely.
"Stuffy! Andromeda Marie, you really are gonna get what's coming to you." He promised, as he reached for the belt of his robe.
"Do you think that you're up to the job?" She challenged, looking up at him with innocent amber eyes.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm more than up to the job." He dropped his robe and stepped into the tub.
"What are you up to?" She was pulled into his arms.
"Let's see, we need a little of this." He growled, as he dumped some shampoo in her hair and began to wash it.
"That feels heavenly." She purred, as his hands massaged her scalp.
"You like that do you." He growled in her ear.
"Uh-huh." She purred contently.
"Then you're gonna love this." He grinned at her and with the pressure of his palm dunked her head under the water.
Andy came up sputtering, "What was that for!" She glared daggers at him.
"I was merely rinsing you hair out." He growled innocently and began to lather his hands with a sweet scented soap.
"Now what are you up to?" She asked, as she finished rinsing out her hair.
"Come here, Andromeda. I'm not finished with you yet." He pulled her back onto his lap. "Now stay put." He growled his order into her ear and began to wash her back.
"Eric, I can wash my body myself." She whispered breathlessly, as he ran the soap over her shoulders.
"Oh, but this is so much more enjoyable." He continued to explore her skin with the scented soap.
"Are you trying to seduce me?"
He began to rinse off the soap and then explored her freshly cleaned skin with his mouth.
"Eric." She moaned.
"Yes." He looked up at her with darkened liquid gold eyes.
"Make love to me." She whimpered.
"As you wish, my love."
Next
chapter three
I in no way own any of the original characters in this story and Voltron. The new characters on the other hand are mine and under no circumstances are they to be used without my permission.
Cindra©1998-2015