"His name is Landor."  Keith told everyone at a meeting two days before the wedding.  "He is Zarkon's son, his mother was one of the harem.  When she found out she was pregnant, she somehow found a way to escape.  For seven years she lived on the run before Zarkon found and shot her. At first he didn't know the boy was his, she had dyed his hair and told him his father had been a soldier who had died in battle.  It was Haggar who had finally told him that Landor was his son.  Lotor found him last month, living in poverty on a planet in the Vartel Galaxy.  Apparently, Landor is as bitter and angry as Lotor.  He never knew who his father was.  Lotor took him in and told him how Voltron killed his father and destroyed their home and lives."

            "So he hates us as well."  Hunk muttered.

            "Yeah and we have reason to believe he is mentally unstable."

            "Lotor's brother? No."  Lance said, sarcastically.

            "The good news," Keith continued, ignoring Lance.  "Is that it appears that they are not preparing for a trip.  If they were planning on coming here to disrupt the wedding, they would have to leave tonight.  So I am cautiously optimistic."

            Hunk looked at Darcy, "What's it called in books when someone makes a statement like that and we know something is coming?"
            "You mean foreshadowing?"  She asked.

            "Yeah, you're foreshadowing, Captain."

            Keith smirked, "Don't worry; we're still going to be on high alert.  Guards will surround the perimeter, three will be on duty in Castle Control, and the seven of us will be on duty and armed.  Now, unless anyone has any questions," Keith paused a moment before continuing.  "You're all dismissed."

**********************

            The night before the wedding, the men kidnapped Rankin and dragged him into the rec room.  Keith refused to tell Allura what was going to happen, saying that what went on behind the closed doors of a bachelor party was not for the faint of heart.

            Allura, Romelle, and Darcy grabbed Paget after dinner and took her to the observation deck.  They pulled the chairs into a circle around a table in front of the window.  Nanny had whipped up a plate of treats: petit fours, fudge, and cookies.  A bottle of strong, Arusian wine sat on the table for Darcy and Paget, while Allura and Romelle shared a bottle of sparkling cider.

            "What do you think the men are doing?"  Paget asked.

            "Getting drunk?"  Allura suggested.

            "Rankin doesn't drink."

            "I bet they can convince him to on his last night of bachelorhood."  Romelle said.

            "Are you nervous?" Allura asked.

            "I thought I would be, but after everything we have been through to get to this point, I'm just so happy we're finally getting married."  Paget told her.

            "I wasn't really nervous until I got my dress on.  I thought I was going to pass out."  Allura said.

            "What?"  Romelle asked, laughing.  "You were so nervous, you were throwing up the night before."

            "I wasn't nervous, I ate something bad."  Allura muttered.  "Besides, if I remember correctly, you were so terrified, you couldn't stop crying for two days before your wedding."

            "I wasn't scared," Romelle protested.  "I was just really happy."

            Darcy and Paget exchanged looks.

            "Wanna crack open the wine?"  Darcy asked her.

            "Yeah, I think I could use some."

            Allura watched as they filled their glasses, "So you think you're ready?"

            Paget nodded, "Yeah, I have been waiting so long for this.  We're finally free, we can marry and get a home of our own."

            "I'm so glad you're coming back to Pollux with us."  Romelle said.

            "So am I.  Rankin is so excited about his job."

            "How can you tell?"  Allura clapped her hand over her mouth.  "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

            Paget smiled at her, "Its okay, Rankin can be hard to read sometimes, he's been through a lot. But underneath his tough exterior, he is really a good man."

            "We know he is.  Sven wouldn't have asked him to join the Polluxian military if he didn't have faith in him."  Romelle said.

            Paget and Darcy were feeling rather relaxed as they finished off the bottle of wine.

            "The next party we have will be for Darcy and Lance."  Paget raised her empty glass in salute.

            Darcy's eyes widened, "Don't rush it, Paget."
            Allura laughed, "Darcy, I would give anything to have a camera right now.  Your expression is priceless."

            "Don't you have something for Paget?"  Darcy asked Romelle, trying to change the subject.

            "Why yes, I do."  Romelle picked up a gift bag she had hidden beside her chair.  "Paget, this is a little something from us for your wedding night."

            "Ooohhhh!  I love prethents."  Paget slurred as she grabbed the bag and pulled out the tissue.  "What is it?"  She held up the scandalously small white negligee.

            Allura raised an eyebrow, "Do we need to give you a lesson on the facts of life?"

            Paget stood, swaying a little, and held her present up in front of her, "Nooo!  I know about that!  But this is so skimpy, it kinda seems pointless to even wear it."

            "Trust us, Rankin will love it.  It covers just enough."  Romelle told her.

            "So this is for Rankin, not me?"

            "Rankin will like it so much, what he does for you will be the real present."  Allura smiled, slyly.

            Paget turned bright red, "You guys are horrible!"

            "And you're drunk."  Allura added.

            "I am not!"  Paget said, a little too loudly.  "I've never been drunk before, but I don't think I'm drunk.  I just feel really good."

            "Shhh."  Darcy held a finger to her lips.  "They think you're drunk because you're bein' loud."

            Paget fell back into her seat, "But I only had two and a half glasses of wine."

            "You're a small person, Paget, and you don't drink.  I'm a little surprised you haven't passed out yet."  Allura told her.

            "Then Darcy's drunk too." Paget pouted.

            "No I'm not," Darcy stood.  "See I can stand and not fall down."

            "But can you walk a straight line?"  Romelle asked.

            Darcy stood and placed her feet heel to toe and took three steps before starting to tip over.

            Romelle steadied her, "You're drunk."

            "No, I walked a straight line.  You didn't say how long the line had to be."  Darcy sat on the arm of Allura's chair.

            "She's got you there."  Allura said.

            Darcy leaned in closer to Allura and whispered, "Don't tell Romelle, I'm feeling rather tipsy.  But I'm not drunk."

            "Okay, I won't tell her."  Allura whispered back.

            Darcy patted her on the head, "You're a good person, Allura."
            "Okay!"  Paget said, once again unable to control the volume of her voice.  "What's your advice?"

            "What?"  Romelle asked.

            "You're two old married ladies.  What, um, what advice do you have for me and any other not married yet ladies."  Paget said.

            "You want advice?"  Romelle exchanged looks with Allura.  "Okay, um, you need a lot of patience.  You have to work at making a marriage work.  But I think you and Rankin have something special, you guys will be alright."

            "But it can be hard being married to a military man," Allura added.  "It's hard watching him go off to battle, knowing he can be wounded, or worse."

            The four women fell silent, each thinking of the man in their lives. 

            "But we'll defeat Lotor and see an end to all this crap!"  Darcy declared, draining the last bit of wine from her glass.

            "Hear, hear!"  Paget raised the empty glass she still clutched in her hand.

            "What is it about men in the military?"  Darcy asked.  "It seems we've all fallen for them."

            "Because they look so hot in their dress uniforms."  Allura said.

            "There is something about cocky flyboys."  Darcy muttered.

            "Their strength."  Romelle whispered.

            "And goodness."  Allura added.

            "And smarts."  Paget declared.

            "And his warped sense of humor."  Darcy said.

            Allura shook her head, "No, that's just Lance."

            Romelle held up her glass of cider, "To our men."

            The other three raised their glasses in unison. "Our men." 

************************

            Romelle helped Paget to her room while Allura took Darcy's arm.

            "I can make it to my room."  Darcy told her.

            "I know you can."

            "Really, Allura, I'm fine."  Darcy misjudged the doorway and walked into the jam.

            Allura watched her, smiling, "You sure?"

            Darcy rubbed the knee she had slammed into doorway.  "No."

            "Come on, you need to get some sleep.  We have to get up early."

            "There's a wedding tomorrow."

            "I know, Paget's getting married."  Allura steered her down the hall.

            "Thank you, Allura."

            "For what?"
            "For being such a good friend.  I love you."  Darcy threw her arms around her. 

            Allura hugged her back, "I love you too, Darcy."

            "But not in the same way I love Lance."  Darcy whispered.

            Allura laughed, "I know.  Oh, I am going to have so much fun reminding you about your behavior tonight."

            "Where do you think Lance is right now?"  Darcy asked as she held the wall for support.

            "He's probably passed out drunk."

            "Yeah, I bet he's a cute drunk."

            Allura laughed, "Do you remember the code to unlock your door?"

            "Yeah, um, it's, um…" Darcy stared at the keypad for a moment.  "It's 9-9-8-5, no, wait.  That's Lance's code.  2-7-6-3.  Yeah, that's it."
            Allura punched in the code and helped Darcy into her room.  "Where are your pajamas, Darcy?"

            "In the drawer."  Darcy fell back on her bed.

            Allura pulled open the top drawer, then the second, then the third before finding a nightshirt.  "Come on, Darc, let's get you in bed."  She turned and found Darcy sound asleep on the bed.  She threw a throw blanket over her and sighed, "I don't know how you will be able to keep up with Lance if you're such a lightweight."

************************

            Darcy woke to the sound of her alarm.  Her mouth was dry and tasted funny.  Overcome with the need to brush her teeth, she pulled herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom.  Her head was fuzzy and she felt like she was moving in slow motion. 

            I guess it could be worse, she thought.  At least I'm not totally hungover.

            After a quick shower, she felt better and more clearheaded.  Her dress uniform had been cleaned and pressed.  It consisted of a long, blue skirt with a red stripe down both sides.  It was cut in a plain way that allowed for quick, easy movement.  There was a dress shirt under a dark blue jacket that buttoned up to her chin and a wide white belt cinched her waist.  Sergeant stripes adorned the upper arms and a few medals were pinned to her chest.  She knew that soldiers like Keith and Lance would have more medals, but she had only been out of the Academy for a year and a half, she still had plenty of time to earn more.

            It wasn't exactly what she wanted to wear to a friend's wedding, but it was necessary.  She made up for it by doing up her makeup and curling her hair.  It had grown since she had arrived and it now brushed her shoulders and today it fell in thick waves.  When on duty she couldn't wear necklaces or dangling earrings, they would be too easy for someone to pull.

            Darcy stood in front of the full length mirror on the closet door.  She did feel important when she wore her dress uniform.  It had been a long trip to earn it.

            She was about to head down to Paget's room and see if she could help when there was a knock on her door.  "Come in."  She called out.

            The door slid open and Lance stumbled in.  He was pale and his eyes red.  He was dressed in his uniform, but his shirt was untucked and his jacket unbuttoned. 

            "Are you okay?"  She asked him.

            He nodded and fell back on her bed, "I'll give you a hundred dollars to shoot me right now and put me out of my misery."

            Darcy crossed to the bed and looked down at him, "Are you that hungover?"

            With his arm slung over his eyes, he nodded.

            "Well that's just stupid.  You knew today would be a big day, why would you get that drunk?"

            "Aren't you going to pity me?"  He removed his arm and opened one eye.  "I came here because I thought you would pity me.  Get me coffee, take care of me."
            Darcy sat on the bed and leaned back beside him, "Poor baby, I'm sorry.  If you're ever sick I will gladly care for you, but when you do something like this, I have no sympathy for you.  You brought this on yourself."
            "It was a bachelor party," he whined.

            She smiled and kissed his cheek, "I know.  Why don't you go downstairs and get some coffee, I want to check on Paget."

            He held up his hand, "Can you help me up?"

            Darcy took both hands and yanked as hard as she could.  He stumbled forward and she caught him around the waist.  Lance put his arms around her neck and leaned all his weight on her.  She stumbled under his weight and they fell against the wall, Lance pinning her.

            "Lance, behave yourself."  She said as he nuzzled her neck.

            "Let's skip the wedding," he murmured.

            "No, come on.  It's in a couple of hours.  Pull yourself together and let's go see what we can do to help."

            Lance mumbled under his breath as he tucked in his shirt.  Darcy buttoned his jacket up for him.

            "Come on," she buttoned the last button and gave him a quick kiss.  "Go get some coffee and aspirin.  I'll see you at the ceremony."

            "Save a dance for me, beautiful."

            She smiled, "I will."