Okay, I think this chapter should be rated R, there is some innuendo.  Consider yourself warned :-)

            All relative disclaimers apply.

            Thank you all for reviewing my story.  RedLion, you have been very kind and helpful with your support!  Thank you!

            Enjoy!

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            "You go ahead to my room and pick out a movie.  I'll meet you there."  Lance said as they entered the castle.

            Darcy had been to his room a few times.  It wasn't easy for them to really date, there wasn't a lot of privacy while you're living in a castle full of people.  She punched in the code that Lance had given her the week before, but felt a little odd walking into his room without him, like she was invading his privacy.  There were family pictures hanging on the one wall.  One taken with his parents and three siblings at his graduation from the Academy.  Two little girls he had explained were his nieces, Lorna's children, Chelsea and Sabrina.  A vacation picture in Disney World of him and his brother and sisters when he was about six. There were also some pictures of his Academy Days with Keith and Sven and a portrait from Keith and Allura's wedding, where Lance had stood as best man.

            His televiewer was on the wall opposite his bed.  Beside the screen was his extensive collection of movie disks.  Lance was a big fan of classic Terran movies.  There were bookshelves on either side of the televiewer stacked with everything from magazines to novels to military manuals. His bed was huge and covered in a warm, plaid comforter.  There was a large window on the wall opposite the door and a desk in front of the window.  Lance had told her he liked being able to look out over the meadow and woods while he worked. His stereo sat on top of a dresser and a he had CD holders that he had built himself on either side of the dresser holding nearly four hundred CDs.  In a corner sat an acoustic guitar on a stand and a stack of music books.  It was a warmly, cluttered room.  She felt comfortable and cozy in here with him.

            Lance entered the room carrying a couple of bottles of water and some plastic containers of food.  He saw her standing with a hand on the small of her back, she was bent forward slightly, flipping through his movie disks.  After setting the snacks on the bedside table, he went into his bathroom and came back with a couple of asprin.

            "Here."  He came up behind her and offered her two small pills and a bottle of water.

            She looked at him, "What's that?"

            "Asprin.  For your, uh, tush."

            "My tush?"  She asked, amused.

            "Alright, your ass.  Just take them."

            "I'm fine, Lance."

            "No you're not, I can tell.  You don't have to act tough all the time.  It's okay to admit you're in pain, I won't think any less of you."

            To shut him up, she took the pills threw them back and chased them with water.  "Are you happy?"

            "Yes.  And I still think you're tough, Sweetie."  He kissed the tip of her nose. 

            Darcy rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile from coming.

            "Have you picked a movie?"

            "No.  I don't recognize many of these."

            "What are you in the mood for?"

            "A brainless comedy."

            Lance rubbed his chin, "I have just the movie.  Make yourself comfortable.  I grabbed a few things from the kitchen, help yourself."

            Darcy sat gingerly on the bed, her backside was still tender so she took one of his pillows and laid on her side, watching him dig out a movie.  Giving in to a purely female instinct, she turned her head into his pillow and breathed in his scent. 

            Lance turned and saw her lying on his bed, his heart lurched and lust shot right down to his loins. 

            "Are you hungry?"  He asked lightly.

            "Not right now.  Maybe later."

            Lance crossed over, lowered the lights and locked the door.

            "What movie did you pick?"    

            He piled some pillows up against the headboard and stretched out beside her on the bed, "It's an old Terran comedy.  Have you ever heard of Adam Sandler?"

            "No."


            "No?  He was a comic genius from the late 20th, early 21st centuries.  I have all 87 of his movies.  I picked 'Happy Gilmore', you'll like it, trust me."

            Darcy settled in and watched the movie, trying not to be distracted by his closeness.  Lance spent more time watching her than the movie, wishing she would tell him the whole story of what had happened in the garden with Jesse.

            He reached out and stroked her hair, "Darcy?"

            "Hm?"

            "Do you remember when you told me how important honesty is to you?"

            She stiffened slightly, knowing what was coming next.  "Yes."

            "You didn't really fall, did you?"

            Darcy rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows.  "Lance, it is all over.  I don't want you upset, just let it go."

            Lance stroked her cheek with his finger, "You're in pain.  If he caused it, I want him to be punished."

            "No, Lance.  Just let it go.  Please.  I don't want any trouble."

            "We could talk to Keith and it would be handled through the proper channels in the Garrison."

            Her eyes widened, "No."

            "Honey, you can't let him get away with this."


            "You don't understand Lance."

            He sat up against the headboard, "Then tell me, help me understand."

            She crossed her arms and laid her head on them, studying the colors in his comforter.  "When he made all those allegations against me, my name was dragged through the mud.  He made my life a living hell.  I couldn't go anywhere without people pointing and laughing."  Her voice shook slightly and she turned her head so she was facing away from him.  "I lost friends."

            "Darc," he reached out and stroked her back.  "That won't happen."

            "I don't want to go through that again.  I just want him to leave me alone.  I thought that if I came all the way out here, I wouldn't have to deal with it again."

            Lance slid down the bed until he was lying beside her, "You aren't alone in this Darcy."

            "I thought it wouldn't hurt anymore."  She whispered. 

            Lance put his arm around her waist and laid his cheek on her back.

            She found comfort in his weight on her. 

            "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."  He said.

            She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, touched by his concern.

            "Do you want me to talk to Keith?  Jesse has to listen to him, if Keith tells him to back off, he will."


            Darcy shook her head, "No.  I can handle it myself."

            She felt the weight leave her back as he lifted his head.  He laid across her back and rested his chin on her shoulder.

            "No you can't."  He whispered into her ear.  "I won't let you.  You aren't in this on your own anymore.  I'm along for the ride."

            She squeezed her eyes closed.  The only thing more difficult for her than asking for help, was just accepting it from someone.

            "You're a very independent person, Darcy, I understand that."  He continued.  "But please don't try to take this on by yourself.  You're hurt and I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to see that.  Let me help you through this.  Please."

            She turned her head toward him, his chin still on her shoulder.  Resting her forehead on his cheek, she sighed.  His closeness, his comfort eased her pain like nothing else.

            "I think I'm in love with you."  Lance whispered.

            A tear slid out from under her closed eyelid.

            "This is all new to me.  I never thought it would happen like this, this quickly.  But you mean more to me than anything else in this world.  I feel your pain as my own and it kills me to see you like this.  I have never felt anything like this before."

            Darcy slowly lifted her head.  Lance rolled onto his back, looking up at her.  Silent tears ran down her cheeks, he reached up and brushed them away.

            Too afraid to speak, she took his face in her hands and kissed him.  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him.

            "Lance," her voice shook when she was finally able to speak again.  "You mean more to me than anyone ever has.  You are so important to me."

            "But you don't love me?"  He felt his world crumbling around him.

            "I don't know.  I was always the 'friend', I was never pretty or popular enough to have boys coming after me.  That's how I fell for Jesse, for some reason he liked me, or I thought he did."

            "For some reason?  I can give you a hundred reasons why a guy would like you.  But I want to be the only one who loves you."

            "I have never felt anything this strong before and I don't know how to handle it."

            "I think you love me, but you're too afraid to say it." 

            She smiled at him, weakly.  "You're awfully confident."

            "I'm not going to pressure you, Darcy, but I want you to remember one thing."

            "What?"

            He reached past her and grabbed a box of tissues from his bedside table and handed them to her. "I am not Jesse McCormick."

            "Oh Lance," she cupped his cheek in her hand.  "I know you're not.  When I'm with you I forget he even exists."

            He gently stroked her back while she laid her head on his chest and calmed down.

            "How's your butt?"  He asked after a few minutes.

            "It's okay."

            "Want me to check for a bruise?"


            She chuckled, "You just want to get into my pants."

            "Yeah, you're point being?"  He teased.

            Darcy lifted her head up to look at him.  "What if I said yes?"

            Surprise crossed Lance's face, "Honey, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

            "What if I wanted to?  Really wanted to?"

            "You've had a long, tiring, difficult day.  I want you to make this decision with a clear mind."

            She began undoing the buttons of his shirt, "Lance, I was serious when I said that I have very strong feelings for you.  What you have said to me tonight has really…affected me."

            The corner of Lance's mouth quirked up, "So all I had to do is tell you I loved you and we could have skipped the formalities and gone straight to bed."


            "No."  She slid open his shirt, exposing his chest and abdomen.  "I would have to believe it."  Darcy bent her head and placed small kisses across his chest.

            Lance closed his eyes and groaned, "Darcy, if you keep this up, I won't be able to stop."


            She kissed her way up to his neck, "I don't want you to."

            "Oh, God Darcy, I want you so badly," he whispered.  "But I want you for the right reasons, not because you are trying to forget a bad day."

            Lance yelped and opened his eyes when she bit his neck, hard. 

            She lifted her head to look at him, "Lance, I am thinking more clearly than I have in years.  You opened feelings in me I forgot were there."

            He slid a hand under her sweater and she gasped when she felt his warm, callused hand touch the smooth, cool skin of her back. 

            "Are you sure about this?"  He asked.

            She looked into his eyes, "I have never been more sure of anything in my life."

            He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss that left her breathless.

            A ball of heat formed in her stomach and it spread to every part of her body.  His other hand stroked her, everywhere he touched was sensitive and sent desire pooling below her belly.  He slowly slid our from under her.

            "Stay right here," Lance said as he stood.  "Don't lose the mood."  He bent over and kissed her again.  "Think sexy thoughts.  I'll be right back."

            "Where are you going?" 

            "Just wait, I'll be right back."

            Lance ran down the hall toward the north wing.  It was still early and he could still hear people outside.  Keith and Allura's room was deserted.  He sneaked into their bathroom and found their stash.  He hadn't thought Darcy would be ready so soon and he wasn't prepared.  He pocketed a couple of condoms with the plan to buy some in town as soon as possible and headed back to his room.

            Darcy was lying on her side, sound asleep.  He looked at her peaceful, tear stained face and tried not to feel to disappointed.  It wasn't the right time anyway.  When they did make love, he wanted it to be a special time, not one marred by a jackass who had upset her.

            Lance tossed the condoms into the drawer of the bedside table and laid down beside her.  After restarting the movie, he settled back against the pillows.

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            When Darcy woke a couple hours later, she found herself wrapped around Lance.  Her head was on his chest, he had taken his shirt off and she could feel the scar on his left pec press against her cheek.  She was comforted by the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest and the steady beat of his heart.  Her left arm was around his waist and her leg was tangled between his.

            The televiewer was still on, the sound down low, showing an old sitcom.  Not sure if he was asleep, Darcy started to pull away but was stopped when the arm he had around her tightened.

            "Where are you going?"

            "I have to use the bathroom." She told him.

            She blinked in the harsh light of the bathroom and waited a moment for her eyes to adjust.  She snarled in disgust when she looked in the mirror.  Her hair was messed up and her face was pale and her eyes red and swollen.  She splashed some cold water on her face and patted it dry with a towel. Using Lance's brush, she tried to smooth her hair down. 

            After this little ritual, she felt better, lighter so she went back into his room.

            "What time is it?"

            He looked at the clock beside his bed.  "It's eight o'clock."

            "It's still early.  Want to watch another movie?"

            Lance looked up at her, "You're feeling better."

            She sat beside him and took his hand in both of hers, "I feel so much better, Lance.  I feel closer to you and like this huge weight has been lifted off my chest.  Thank you so much."

            He reached up and cupped her cheek, "I love you."

            She closed her eyes and leaned against his hand, "I will never get tired of hearing you say that."

            "And someday you will realize that love is not something to be afraid of and you'll say it to me."

            She nodded.

            "Then I'll make you repeat it a hundred times."

            Darcy laughed.  "I'm starving, what did you bring?"

            Lance sat up, turned on the light on the bedside table and picked up the containers he had brought in earlier.  "Um, let's see.  We have a couple of peanut butter sandwiches, I love peanut butter, my mother sends me a couple of jars every so often.  And here are some cookies and brownies."

            "Very healthy."  Darcy said as she reached past the sandwiches and grabbed a big chocolate cookie.

            "What movie do you want to watch now?"

            "Anything is good for me, as long as it isn't boring."

            He looked at her in mock disgust, "There is not one boring movie in my collection."

            Overcome by her feelings, Darcy leaned over and kissed him so hard they fell back on the bed. 

            "Wow."  He blinked at her when she pulled back.

            "Are you upset about earlier?"

            "Not at all."  He assured her.

            "But I got your hopes up."

            "Darcy, tonight was just not the right time.  I knew that, I just let you seduce me."

            She groaned and buried her face in his chest, mumbling something he couldn't understand.

            "What was that?"  He asked.

            She lifted her head, "I made a total ass out of myself."

            "No, I didn't think that at all.  I was too busy thinking how incredibly sexy you are."

            She swatted his arm, "Oh, stop it."

            "I mean it.  You are the sexiest babe I have ever known."

            "Really?"

            "Yeah," he reached up and pushed her hair out of her face.  "You have this hot body and beautiful face."

            "Is that all?"

            "Well, you smell good."

            "Uh huh."

            "Oh, yeah, and you're smart and a good pilot, blah, blah blah."

            She laughed.  "So you only want me for my body?"


            "You have a problem with that?"

            Darcy shook her head, "No, I was just double checking.  As long as you don't have a problem with me using you for your body."

            "Nope, that's fine with me."

            "Good," she sat up.  "Go put another movie in."