Hello,
I am so sorry about the delay in the updates of this story. My computer died and took with it all the stories I have written. It took me a week to get my computer fixed and returned to me, in that time I continued writing on my work computer. It was difficult trying to remember and rewrite everything, I guess I just had to learn the hard way to back everything up on disk.
Thank you so much for your patience. To try and make up for the wait, I am posting the next three chapters. I hope to get back on my quick update schedule.
Enjoy,
Failte
**************************
The next morning dawned bright, painfully bright for those who had a little too much to drink the night before.
Keith sat at the table, feeding Cady her breakfast. Lance was kicked back at the table, sipping a glass of juice and watching the girls. Becca leaned her head back, holding her cool glass to her head, after taking a second dose of pain killers. Darcy had her arms folded on the table and her head resting on them. Lawrence had taken Leslie home about ten minutes earlier.
"First hangover?" Lance asked Darcy.
She groaned and turned her head so she was face down.
Chuckling, Lance reached over and massaged the back of her neck. "How's Allura holding up?"
Keith lifted Cady out of the highchair and wiped her face clean, "She's in pain, but she wouldn't admit it. I left the aspirin on the bedside table when I came downstairs." Looking at Cady he said, "Mommy's a lightweight, isn't she?"
Cady bounced on his lap and gripped his finger.
Molly entered the kitchen followed closely by Allura. She looked around and took in the pale, hungover girls in the kitchen. With her hands on her hips, she shook her head, "I don't want to know what you did to these girls."
Lance shrugged, "We didn't force them to drink."
"You just supplied the alcohol," Allura muttered as she laid her head on Keith shoulder.
"When do you have to be at the airport?" Molly asked, pulling open the refrigerator.
"In a couple of hours," Keith replied.
"Good, you have time for breakfast. You girls will feel better after you have something to eat."
********************************
Hugs were exchanged and tears flowed as they saw their families off at the airport. Keith, Allura, and Cady escorted his family to their gate while Lance and Darcy walked her family to their gate.
Mr. Barlow shook Lance's hand, "It was nice seeing you again, son."
"And you sir. We'll have to do this more often."
Lucy pulled Darcy into a tight hug, "Oh, honey, have a safe trip home. Let us know as soon as you're back on Arus so we know you made it. And try to get more sleep, you look tired. And make sure you eat properly."
Darcy rolled her eyes and smiled, "Yes Mom."
Becca stepped forward and hugged her sister, "It was great seeing you again, Darc."
Darcy slipped a small bottle of pain pills into Becca's hand, "You'll have to come to Arus some time soon, maybe this summer."
Closing her hand tightly over the bottle, Becca smiled, "That would be great."
The slightly garbled voice over the intercom called for final boarding.
"Good-bye, Dad." Darcy hugged and kissed her father before he ushered her mother and sister toward the gate.
Lance took her hand and they crossed to the window. Watching their plane take off, Darcy sighed, feeling like a deflated balloon. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, "We'll see them again soon."
Darcy nodded and then looked up at him, "So, my dad called you son."
"Yeah, I guess he did."
"I guess this means he has finally accepted you."
"What can I say, I'm one charming lad."
She kissed his cheek, "Yes you are."
"Come on, let's go find Keith and Allura."
*****************************
The day was spent lounging around and catching up on much needed rest. While the others relaxed, watching movies and playing board games, Lance was behaving strangely. He seemed to be having trouble sitting still. Every time the phone rang he jumped and ran to the kitchen.
"What is with you?" Keith asked when Lance entered the family room after the latest phone call.
"Nothing," Lance sat on the floor next to Cady who was playing with a little baby gym. "Why?"
"You can't sit still." Darcy said.
"I'm sitting still right now." To prove his point, he leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs out in front of him.
The phone rang and they watched as Lance jumped, but didn't stand. He glanced toward the kitchen and waited.
"Lance! Telephone!" Molly called.
"What is going on with him?" Allura whispered to Darcy.
"I have no idea."
"I have to run out," Lance said from the doorway. "Mom needs me to pick something up at the store."
"Want company?" Darcy asked.
"Uh, no. Stay here, relax. I'll be back in a few minutes." He left.
Both women turned to Keith who just shrugged.
It was nearly an hour before Lance returned. He disappeared to his bedroom and then came downstairs, not saying a word to anyone.
"Are you okay?" Darcy asked him as they all sat down to dinner.
He flashed her a smile, "I'm great. Why?"
"You've been acting strange all day."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You've been…"
Lance silenced her with a kiss. "Don't worry about it."
Darcy blushed bright red when she caught Molly watching them, smiling.
*************************
"Wanna go for a walk?" Lance asked Darcy as they finished loading the dishes into the dishwasher.
"Sure," she placed her hands on her stomach. "I think I need to work off some of what we just ate."
"I have to, uh, run to the bathroom first." He told her.
"I'll meet you on the porch."
He nodded and ran upstairs.
Darcy shut the dishwasher and turned the dial, starting the cycle. It was warm enough that she didn't need a jacket, so she settled on the front porch swing. Pushing off, she started the swing moving gently. The sun was just starting to set, pinks and oranges streaked the sky.
"Ready?" Lance pushed open the screen door.
"Yup. Where we going?"
He took her hand and led her down the porch steps, "I thought I would show you my neighborhood."
They walked the length of his development. It was a good sized neighborhood, they lived two blocks from the elementary school Lance and his brother and sisters had attended. He pointed to the houses where his friends had lived when he was growing up, even the house of his first girlfriend.
"Did you ride by her house on your bike?" Darcy asked.
"A few times."
"What was her name?"
"Um, Dawn. Dawn Roberts."
"Was she your first love?"
"She was my first kiss," he pointed toward a line of trees separating their neighborhood from the next. "When we were younger, the trees extended all the way up to the hill back there. It was great. There was a stream where we found turtles and we had a tree fort. Come on, I want to show you."
Following him, they made their way to the tree line and up to a large oak tree with old planks of rotting wood hanging from it and smaller wooden planks nailed into the trunk.
"This was your tree fort?"
"Yup. You ever had one?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Well, Becca and I had been allowed to turn the basement into a playhouse."
Lance shook his head, "I can't believe you never had a tree fort."
She smiled at him, "And yet I somehow survived."
"Come here." Taking her hand, he led her through the trees to a large maple with an old swing hanging from a low branch. Lance walked around behind it, "Have a seat."
Darcy looked at it skeptically, "Is it safe."
Lance grabbed the chains and yanked on them, "Yup."
Gingerly, she sat on the wooden plank and felt him pull the chains back. Letting go, he let her sail forward.
"I haven't been on a swing in ages," she told him.
"We'll have to put one in for Cady. There are plenty of trees around the castle."
"Is this where you brought all the girls you were trying to charm?"
Lance grabbed the chains and pulled her back against him, "Just you. And Dawn Roberts."
Darcy elbowed him in the stomach.
"Oooff." Lance fell back dramatically, pulling Darcy off the swing with him. They landed on the ground and Lance rolled over until he had her pinned to the ground. "I have a confession to make." He whispered.
"You brought other girls here?" Darcy smiled and brushed the hair off his forehead.
"Okay, two confessions. Let's do one at a time. Do you remember the picnic when your father and I went off to talk?"
"Yeah."
"He didn't want to talk to me, I wanted to talk to him." Lance rolled off her and sat up.
Darcy felt
her heart race, "Oh?" She asked lightly.
"What about?"
Lance looked down at her, "I
asked his permission."
Feeling the heat rise to her face, Darcy pushed herself into a sitting position, facing him. Swallowing around the lump in her throat, she asked, "What, uh, what did he say?"
He reached out and toyed with a lock of her hair. "He said that he and your mother raised a good, kind, intelligent woman and that if you loved me enough to accept me, they would too."
Unable to find her voice, Darcy watched him, waiting for him to continue.
"I never saw this coming," Lance began. "My whole world turned upside down when you came to Arus. I thought you were an interesting, pretty girl and I'd flirt with you, see what would happen. I never thought I would fall completely, head over heels in love with you. All I wanted to do was fly and fight. I'm a damn good pilot and soldier, and I have done everything I ever wanted to do. But it's just not enough anymore. I asked you a question about a year ago and you said you needed more time. So I gave you a year, well, I don't want to wait anymore." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, burgundy box. Holding his hands out to her, he flipped open the box and showed her the ring. The band was thick and had words inscribed around it. The diamond was nearly a full carat in size.
Taking the ring from the velvet,
Lance held it out for her inspection. "I
wanted to get you something different, something you would like. It's a Posey ring. With your love of books and words, it seemed
right."
She took the ring from his
hand and read the inscription. It was
Latin. She swallowed hard and cleared
her throat, when she read the words out loud, her
voice was raw with emotion. "Amor Vincit Omnia. Love
conquers all."
"It seemed fitting, after everything we've been through." Lance whispered. "So, will you?"
Lifting her gaze from the ring to his face, she asked, a little bewildered, "What?"
He sighed and smiled nervously, "Will you marry me?"
She had been hoping for this, thinking about this moment, even expecting it. But now that he had actually asked her, presented her with a beautiful ring, she was overwhelmed. Tears filled her eyes and she felt her lower lip tremble.
Lance watched the emotions play across her face. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling and her cheeks were pink, her eyes wet. "Darc?"
She nodded.
"Yes?" He whispered.
"Yes." She whispered back.
Lifting the ring from her hand, he slid it onto her finger before kissing her. "I love you," he whispered, wiping the tear from her cheek.
"I love you too."
Lance leaned back against the trunk of the maple, taking her hand, he pulled her between his legs so she settled back against his chest. Taking his hand, she laced her fingers through his, watching the way the waning light played across the diamond of her ring. He watched the way she studied it, butterflies dancing in his stomach. He hadn't been sure if picking out the ring without her had been a good idea and he was terrified she wouldn't like it.
"What are you thinking?" He whispered, nervously.
Holding her hand up in front of them she said, "That if I want to properly show off this ring I'll need a manicure."
He chuckled. "Maybe if you didn't chew your nails…"
She looked at him over her shoulder, "I don't chew my nails."
Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her fingers before running the pad of his thumb over her ragged nails. "I'm sure there will be time before the graduation for you to get one."
"I have to call my parents and tell them."
"You can do that when we get back."
"Is this what had you acting so strangely all day?" She asked him.
"I had found out about Posey rings a while ago, when I was trying to find a ring for you and I found a jeweler in town who sold them. He was going to call me when he found the one I wanted."
"How long have you been planning this?"
"A year now."
"Really?"
"Well, not quite," he admitted. "I was going to ask you when we got back on Arus, but the other night Leslie asked me when I was going to pop the question. I told her that I wanted to ask your father for his permission and that I would wait until we got back home since I didn't want to steal her thunder. We're here to celebrate her graduation. She smacked me upside the head and told me to get on with it."
"I can't believe you asked my father for his permission," Darcy smiled. "That is so sweet, so old-fashioned."
He kissed the top of her head, "I thought you'd appreciate that."
Darcy stretched her arms out in front of her, feeling giddy when she saw the ring, "Maybe we should head back and tell your family."
"Or we could just stay here." He wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"No, I want to show off." She got to her feet and offered him a hand.
"So that's all I am to you, huh? Arm candy you can just show off?" He asked, standing and wrapping his arms around her waist.
She slid her arms around his neck, "No. I want to show off the ring, you're just icing on the cake."
"So I'm second fiddle to the ring?"
"Uh huh."
"Oh well, whatever it takes." He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers.
"You're so easy," she murmured against his lips.
"You know it." He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue over hers.
"Mmm." She moaned. "Come on, let's go tell them."
They took their time walking back to his house. Everyone had moved out to the front porch to watch the sunset. Lance's parents occupied the deacon bench, while Keith and Allura, holding Cady, sat on the porch swing.
"We were starting to worry about you guys," Molly said as they walked up the steps.
"Did you get lost?" Felix sat back and puffed on his pipe.
"Nope," Lance said. "We got engaged."
"You did?" Molly asked, excitedly.
"Well, that isn't exactly how I had planned to tell you all." Darcy said, dryly.
"Why beat around the bush?" Lance asked.
"You're serious," Keith said, incredulously.
"Hell yeah we're serious," Lance took Darcy's left hand and held it out for them all to see.
Molly stood and clapped her hands, "This is wonderful news!"
Everyone stood, hugging and talking.
Allura cradled Cady against her shoulder and walked up to Darcy, "Let me see."
Darcy held out her hand and allowed Allura to inspect her ring.
Squinting in the low light, Allura tried to read the inscription. "What does it say?"
Lance slid an arm around Darcy's shoulders, "Amor Vincit Omnia."
"It's Latin," Keith explained. "Love conquers all."
Allura smiled at Darcy, "How fitting."
They all stayed up late, celebrating Lance and Darcy's news. Lawrence picked up Leslie and they arrived with a bottle of champagne. Darcy's parents were called, as well as Lance's grandparents, his sister, and the gang on Arus. It was after midnight when they all retired to their rooms, tired and happy.
****************************
Keith woke with a start. Turning his head to the bedside table, the clock read 3:17 AM. Something wasn't right. Allura wasn't in bed. He sat straight up and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. In the shadows, he saw her standing over Cady's crib.
"Are you okay?" He whispered, walking up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders.
Allura shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What is it, honey?"
"Nothing."
Keith leaned over her shoulder and looked down at Cady. The moonlight played across her delicate features. Her pale blonde hair curled around her soft face. Behind her closed eyelids were bright blue eyes. "Talk to me Allura."
"It's silly, Keith, really. Just a dream."
"You had a nightmare?"
She nodded.
"You haven't had a nightmare in a long time. Why didn't you wake me?"
"Because it was nothing. I have nothing to fear. Lotor's dead. Landor is locked up. We're safe."
Keith kissed her temple and wrapped his arms around her, "If it scared you, then it's something. I don't want you to worry."
"I know."
"Come back to bed, Cady's going to have us up in a little while, anyway."
Allura nodded, "Alright."
Keith kissed her again and turned back toward the bed.
Allura pulled the blanket up to Cady's chin and stoked her soft cheek. "Sleep well, baby girl," she whispered.
