Hi all,

I wanted to thank you all so much for your kind, and helpful, reviews.  I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reviews.

This chapter is rated R, for reasons you will see.  I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you!

Failte

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            It was nearing midnight; Darcy was sitting up in bed trying to read.  She hadn't seen or spoken to Lance since they met in Castle Control earlier in the evening.  He had locked himself into Keith's office to type up the report.  Later on, she had run into Allura on her way to her room, apparently Keith was feeling well enough to call Lance into his hospital room so they could go over the report.

            Darcy wanted to find him, to see how he was holding up.  It had been a long day and she knew he hadn't had a lot of sleep the night before. 

            The knock on her door was so quiet she wasn't sure if she had really heard it or imagined it. Throwing the covers back, she crossed to the door and opened it.  What she saw made her heart skip a beat.  Lance stood in her doorway looking utterly exhausted.  His hair was disheveled and his clothes wrinkled.  His jacket was unbuttoned and shirt untucked.  He was pale and a five o'clock shadow was beginning to cover his face.

            "Oh, honey," Darcy sighed as she took his hand and pulled him into the room.

            "I wasn't sure if you were still up."  His voice was hoarse with fatigue.

            "You should be in bed, what're you doing here?"

            He gave her a weak smile, "I wanted to see you."  He felt his spirits lift at the sight of her.  She stood before him, her hair pulled back and her face scrubbed clean of any makeup.  She wore a dark red, satin night shirt, the kind that resembled an oversized men's shirt.  It skimmed her knees and buttoned from her throat down.  He found it's simple modesty very attractive.

            She returned his smile and gave him a gentle kiss, "Why don't you sit down.  Is there anything I can get you?"

            He shook his head, "I'm fine."  Spotting the bottle of water she had on her bedside table, he took it and drained it.

            Darcy slid her fingers under the collar of his jacket and started to pull it off his shoulders, "Do you want me to get you…" her voice trailed off when she saw his arm.  "Oh my God, Lance, what happened to your arm?"

            Lance turned his head and looked at his left arm.  The sleeve of his shirt was streaked with a dark brown stain.  "Oh, Lotor grazed my arm.  I guess I forgot about it."

            She felt her stomach turn, "You forgot about it?"

            He gave her a tired look, "I've had other things on my mind."

            "Come on," taking his hand she dragged him toward the bathroom.  "I can't believe you didn't get this looked at.  What if it gets infected?  Take your shirt off."

            "Darcy, I'm…"
            "Don't tell me you're fine."  She said as she opened the medicine cabinet behind her mirror.  "Take off your shirt and sit down."

            Taking notice of her tone, Lance unbuttoned his shirt and sat on the closed lid of her toilet.  He watched as she took out a small first aid kit and moistened a washcloth with warm soapy water.  Without saying a word, she took his arm and began cleaning off the dry blood.

            "It doesn't look too deep."  He said.

            She nodded as she patted his arm dry.  He flinched as she cleaned it with antiseptic and taped a piece of gauze over it. He watched as she packed up the first aid kit and carefully folded the washcloth.

            "Darcy, it's been a long day.  If you're pissed at me, just tell me why and let's get this over with."

            Before he could say anything else, she fisted her hands in his hair and brought her mouth down on his.  It was an intense kiss, filled with all the fear she had felt when she saw the blood and all the love she felt when she saw him.  He reached up and slid his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap, deepening the kiss.

            "I'm not pissed, Lance," she whispered as she pulled back to look at him.  "I saw the blood and it…it scared me."

            "I'm alright, baby."

            "We're insane, Lance.  We both know how dangerous this is."

            He tugged the scrunchie from her hair and watched it fall around her face.  His hand cupped the back of her head, where Landor's gun had been pressed against her skull.  Very slowly, he pushed her head forward until their foreheads touched, "Are you sorry we got involved?"

            "No, honey, that's not what I meant.  I love you.  I just didn't know how hard it would be."

            "Nothing worthwhile is ever easy."

            "And you are very worthwhile," she kissed him again. 

            "We're worthwhile," he corrected her.  "I'm just easy."
            Darcy smiled at him, "I am so proud of you."

            "What?"  He asked, a little surprised.

            "The way you handled everything today, you amaze me."

            "You never know what you're capable of until you are forced into a situation like this."

            "Will you go see Dr. Gorma tomorrow and have your arm looked at?"

            "Its fine, it's not too deep and you took care of it.  This isn't the first time I've been injured and it won't be the last." 

            She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her, "Promise me something."

            "Anything."

            "The next time you're injured, you will go straight to the doctor.  No report, no interview, nothing is as important as you are."

            To her surprise, he smiled at her.

            "What?"  She asked.  "You think that's funny?"

            Lance shook his head, "No, it just feels really good to have someone worry about me."

            She rolled her eyes, "Honey, you give me plenty to worry about."

            He raised his eyebrows and ran his hand up her leg, "Oh, I can give you more to worry about."

            Darcy stood and took his hands, "Come with me."

            "Where are you taking me?"

            "I'm going to nurse you back to health."  She teased, leading him to her bed.

            Lance leaned in and kissed her, gently at first and deepened it as he heard her moan softly.  She ran her hands over his back, feeling his muscles tighten as her fingers raced over his skin.  Without breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned forward, lowering her onto the bed beneath him.

            He lifted his head and looked at her, "I love you."

            She smiled, "I know."

            Very slowly, he began unbuttoning her nightshirt.  He placed little kisses along the narrow strip of flesh he exposed, over her scar and down her flat stomach.  He felt her muscles constrict and her breathing quicken.  He kissed his way back up to her mouth.

            "Lance."  She whispered.

            He lifted his head, her eyes were half closed and her cheeks pink.  "You are so beautiful."  He whispered.

            "Lance, I, uh, I…" 

            He watched as her cheeks reddened.

            "What?"  He brushed the hair from her face.

            "I, uh, I think I should tell you, I've never, uh…actually done this before."  She mumbled.

            "Really?"  He looked at her red face and the way she averted her gaze.  Jesse lied.  He thought.  A slow smile spread across his lips.

            The blush spread until her whole face and neck were red, "So I've never gone all the way before.  It's not funny."

            "No, it's not."  He whispered and nuzzled her throat.  "It's not funny.  I am so happy that you're sharing this with me."

            "You're making fun of me."

            Lance pulled back and looked at her seriously, "I would never make fun of you.  I mean that, Darcy, this means a lot to me."

            Noticing her discomfort he stroked her cheek, "We don't have to do this now, babe, I want your first time to be special.  On your terms."

            She locked her eyes with his, "You are unbelievable."

            Reluctantly, Lance eased off of her and pulled her nightshirt together.

            She grabbed his arm, "Don't go anywhere."

            For the first time in his life, Lance thought more about pleasing her than himself.  He had been with women before, but it had never been like this.  He couldn't get enough of her.  He studied, worshipped, and loved her body.  

            Darcy was left breathless. Lance was a gentle, passionate lover.  Never had she thought it could be like this.

            As morning raced closer, Darcy cuddled up to him, his hand stroking her back.  She was worn out and a little sore, but she had never felt better or more relaxed in her life.  She traced lazy circles on his chest with her fingertip and sighed.

            "Are you okay?"  His voice was low and husky.

            She smiled and tilted her head up toward him, "I'm fantastic."

            Placing a kiss on her forehead, he replied, "No regrets?"

            "Absolutely not.  You?"
            "Just that I wasn't more rested.  If I had my 'A' game on, you'd be so worn out right now we wouldn't be having this conversation."

            "Lance," she turned her head and kissed his chest.  "If that wasn't your 'A' game, I don't think I could survive your 'A' Game."

            He chuckled softly and ran his hand through her hair, "If you can survive being shot in the chest, you can survive my 'A' game."

            "Is that the prerequisite?"

            "Well, it helps to know you can handle it, I wouldn't want to hurt you."

            Darcy yawned, "I think we should try and get some sleep before practice."

            "Don't worry about it, practice was cancelled for tomorrow."

            "What?"

            "Keith's out of commission, I'm in charge.  After the day we all had, I figured we could all use a day off and I don't feel like getting out of bed before nine."

            She lifted her head and grinned mischievously at him, "But that's seven hours away, what'll we do with all that time?"

            Running a finger up her arm, he smiled when she shivered, "I think we can find something to do."

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

            Lance groaned and tried to bury his head further into his pillow.  Something tickled his nose.  Somewhere his communicator was beeping.

            The room was dark and cozy.  Raindrops were gently tapping against the window.  His arm was wrapped securely around Darcy's waist, holding her against him.  Her hair was tickling his nose and her body warmed his.  He did not want to get out of bed.

            "Are you going to answer that?"  Darcy asked, her voice muffled against her pillow.

            "No."  He mumbled into her hair.

            "Lance, you have to."

            With a groan, he muttered something that sounded like "Damn responsibilities," and rolled over.  He groped around the bedside table, trying to find his communicator.

            "Here."  Darcy picked it up off the table on her side of the bed and handed it to him.  She clutched the blankets to her, feeling the cold that replaced the warmth of his body against hers.

            "Yeah, Collier here." 

            "Sir?  We need you in Castle Control."

            Lance turned and focused on the clock, it was eight o'clock.  "Is it important?"

            "We just received a package from an intel agent."

            Lance's eyes widened and he sat up, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

            "What is it?"  Darcy asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

            "A package from intel, they may have information on whether Lotor survived or not."

            She sat up, holding the covers to her, "I'll go with you."

            He reached down and picked up the pants he had dropped on the floor, "You don't need to, go back to sleep."

            "No, I want to."  She made no move to get out of bed.

            He smiled down at her, "You'll have to throw some clothes on, I don't want those guards ogling you."

            She blushed, feeling silly, "I, uh, I was waiting for you to turn around."

            His smile grew to a grin, "Honey, I've seen it already."

            "Lance."

            He picked up the robe she had thrown over her chair and tossed it to her, "I'm going to my room for a quick shower.  I'll meet you down there in fifteen minutes."  He leaned down and kissed her before leaving.

            Darcy stretched luxuriously.  She felt wonderful.  Padding into the bathroom, she turned on the shower, letting the water heat up.  Turning around, she saw Lance's shirt on the floor beside the toilet.  She picked it up. The sight of the dried blood brought a lump to her throat.

            He's fine. She assured herself.  Bringing the collar up, she breathed in his scent as Allura's words to Paget the night before the wedding came to mind.  It's hard watching him go off to battle, knowing he can be wounded, or worse.  She stuffed it into the trashcan under her sink.  He's fine, we're fine.  Stepping under the hot stream of water, she pushed aside all thoughts of the dangers they had to face.

            Lance was going over the papers he had pulled out of the large envelope a guard had handed him.  Darcy tried to read his expression, but found him too engrossed in the paperwork.

            "What's it say?"  She asked him.

            "Landor has been spotted, unharmed at the castle on Doom.  They haven't seen Lotor, but some soldiers were seen digging what may be a grave near Zarkon's memorial."

            "You think he's dead?"

            Lance shrugged, "It certainly looks that way."

            "That's good, isn't it?"

            "Yeah, it is.  This just seems unreal.  All the years we've been fighting.  All the battles, the injuries, the damage, its over."

            "You almost sound sorry."

            He smiled at her, "Not sorry, overwhelmed.  It's over.  The people of Arus no longer have to fear him.  We can finish rebuilding; get some semblance of normalcy back into their lives."

            "What do you do now?"

            "I think I should go see if Keith is up."

            Darcy looked at her watch, "Its 8:30."

            Lance rolled his eyes, "True, he's probably been up for an hour now."

            They ran into Allura who was leaving the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

            "You guys are up early," she commented.  "I thought you cancelled practice."

            "I did," Lance said. "But we got some information from intel.  Is Keith up?"

            Allura smiled, "Its 8:30, Lance.  He's been up for over two hours now."

            "Where is he?"

            "He's in his study practicing how to write with his left hand."

            Lance and Darcy followed her down the hall toward Keith's office.  He was bent over his desk, a pen clutched in his left hand awkwardly.

            "Is that really necessary, Captain?  You can type with your left hand."  Lance commented as they entered the room.

            "I need to be able to sign my signature and since it will be a while before my right hand is completely healed, this is something I need to be able to do."  Keith set the pen down and accepted the mug Allura handed him.  "What are you doing up this early?"

            "I could ask you the same thing.  You are allowed to take some time off after being shot."  Lance stood in front of Keith's desk and set the intel report down in front of him.  "I thought you might be interested in this."

            Keith scanned it and looked up at his second-in-command, "When did this come in?"

            "Half an hour ago.  What do you think?"

            Allura stood behind Keith and read the report over his shoulder, "He's dead?"

            "It looks that way.  But I won't believe it until we see a body."  Keith said.

            "You think he's just doing this to lull us into a false sense of security."

            "It could be.  We can't lower our guard."

            "What about Landor?"  Allura asked.

            "I can't believe he is capable of much, especially without Lotor."  Keith told her.

            "What do you want to do about this?"  Lance asked him.

            Keith rubbed his chin, "I think we should call a meeting and tell the others what we've found.  Make it for ten."
            Lance nodded, "Are you sure you're up to all this, Cap?"

            Keith looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "You would be surprised, Lieutenant, what one can do on these wonderful pain relievers Dr. Gorma prescribes."

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

            Hunk, Pidge, Sven, Romelle, Dante, Caleb, Allura, and Darcy sat silently around the table in the conference room, listening to what Keith and Lance had to tell them.

            "We will not let our guard down, we have to know for sure if Lotor is dead."  Keith concluded.

            "It certainly seems like it to me."  Hunk said.

            "What do we do now, Cap?"  Pidge asked.     

            "We continue what we've been doing.  Protect and rebuild Arus.  But I think that we can take today off to celebrate."

            Hunk looked out the window, where a slow steady rain had been falling since before sunup.  "What a beautiful day for that."  He mumbled.

            "How's your hand?"  Sven asked.

            Keith held up his thickly bandaged hand, "It's going to take a while.  Dr. Gorma said I should be able to start physical therapy in a month or so."

            "Why don't you have it replaced with a robotic hand, like Luke Skywalker?"  Pidge suggested.

            "Who's Luke Skywalker?"  Darcy asked.

            Silence filled the room as every male head turned to look at her.  Allura put her face in her hands and groaned.  Romelle rolled her eyes heavenward.

            "What?"  Darcy asked, uncomfortably.

            "You don't know who Luke Skywalker is?"  Pidge asked.

            She shook her head.

            "Star Wars?"

            She thought for a moment, "Wasn't there something in the late twentieth century with U.S. President Ronald Reagan…"

            She was interrupted when Keith and Lance laughed out loud.

            "They're movies."  Allura told her.

            "Movies?" Pidge asked, incredulously.  "They are not just movies."

            "They're theatrical events."  Hunk added.

            "The greatest movies ever made."  Lance said.

            "Well, I admit there are a lot of movies I haven't seen."  Darcy said.  "What's the big deal?"

            "The three original Star Wars movies are the three greatest movies ever made.  They are the reason most of us entered the Academy."  Pidge explained.

            "Maybe we just found the way we're going to spend our day off."  Hunk said.

            "That's over thirteen hours."  Allura pointed out.

             "Nah, just six," Pidge told her.  "We'll start her out with the original three movies, we'll save the prequels for a later date."

            "I don't know," Darcy said.  "To be honest, I'm not a big fan of sci-fi."

            "They aren't just sci-fi movies.  There's action, adventure, romance, Wookies, and comedy!"  Hunk declared.

            "Wookies?"  Darcy asked.

            "That's it," Keith stood.  "You're all dismissed.  We will reconvene in the rec room after lunch for a Star Wars marathon."

            "Is that an order, Captain?"  Darcy asked.

            Keith walked over and placed his left hand on her shoulder, "Darcy, if you want to be a member of the Voltron Force you have to be able to tell me who Yoda and Admiral Ackbar are and what a tauntaun is."

            She turned to Allura as the others began to file out, "Is he serious?"
            Allura smiled, "Yeah, I think he is.  I had to watch them when I joined the team.  But don't worry, they're actually good movies, the boys just take them a little too seriously.  Come on, Darcy, it's a rainy day, what else are you going to do?"

            Darcy looked up and met Lance's gaze, "Oh, I think I could find something to do."

            "There will be a test after the movies," Keith told her as he left.

            She looked up at Lance, "Well, I guess there goes our plans to spend the day in bed."

            He raised an eyebrow, "Those were the plans for today?"

            Darcy just smiled in response.

            "As wonderful as that sounds, honey, and since that sounds too good to be true, I know you only said that to try and get out of the movies," he raised his hand as she tried to protest.  "But I cannot get involved with someone who has never seen the Star Wars movies."

            She laughed, resigned to the fact that there was no way she was going to get out of this, "Alright, if it's that important to you."

            "Keith and I are going to contact the Garrison and hand over the report.  Wanna do lunch afterwards?"

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

            It was nearly one o'clock when Lance and Darcy entered the rec room.  Pidge, Hunk, and Caleb had rearranged the furniture to make room for a couple of overstuffed chairs from the observation deck.

            "We call the loveseat," Lance leapt over the coffee table and landed on the small sofa.

            "Lance," Pidge fell back onto one of the easy chairs. "Explain to Hunk why Empire Strikes Back is better than A New Hope."

            "Better story, better action.  A New Hope introduced the characters and started the story, Empire expanded on it and is the best of the three.  And the carbon freezing was cool."

            "I'm partial to Return of the Jedi myself," Allura said as she entered the room.

            "What?"  Pidge and Hunk asked in unison.

            "Come on, the Ewoks alone make it the best movie."

            Lance rolled his eyes, "That is such a girly answer."
            Allura stuck her tongue out at him.

            "You have to admit that the whole escape from Jabba over the Dune Sea is pretty cool."  Keith said as he sat back on the couch.

            "I'll grant you that," Pidge said.

            "And I like the little guy that sits with Jabba and laughs maliciously."  Allura added.

            "Salacious Crumb."  All the guys said at ones.  

            "Nothing you guys have said in the last two minutes has made any sense to me." Darcy said.

            "I felt the same way," Allura told her.  "Then I let Keith talk me into watching these movies."

            "Hey, you said you really liked the Star Wars movies."  Keith said.

            Allura rolled her eyes, "You mean I said I really liked the movies that the guy I had a crush on liked?  Oh, surprise."

            "You don't like them?" 

            "No, I do. I just will never understand the obsession you guys have with them."

            "It's a healthy obsession."  Pidge said.

            "What're we waiting for?"  Lance asked.

            "Sven, Romelle, and Dante."  Hunk told him.

            "What about Rankin and Paget?"  Pidge asked.

            "They, uh, they want to spend their first day as husband and wife alone."  Keith said.

            "Alright, start the movie," Dante entered the room.

            "Where are Sven and Romelle?"  Allura asked.

            "Right here," they followed Dante into the room.  Romelle holding a baby monitor in her hand.

            "Why didn't you bring Erik?"  Hunk asked.  "It's never too early to get him into the classics."

            "Dere is a little violence, so ve tought ve vould vait until he vas six months old before ve introduced him to Star Vars."  Sven explained, dryly.

            Darcy settled onto the loveseat beside Lance and watched as Pidge loaded the movie disk and Hunk lowered the lights.

            "Welcome to our world," Lance whispered into her ear, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.