Hi All!
Well, I am back from my wonderful little vacation and feeling great.  I'm planning on getting back to churning this out at my old pace, I have some plans on the direction of this story. 

Thank you for the thoughtful, helpful reviews.  I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

All relative disclaimers apply….

Enjoy!
Failte

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Dr. Gorma called for a gurney and took Keith back to the hospital wing.  The pain was making him incoherent.  He mumbled unintelligible words, his eyes were squeezed shut and his fists pressed against his forehead.

"What is it?"  Allura cried, rushing along side them.

"I don't know.  He may be relapsing."  Dr. Gorma told her.

When they reached the hospital, Nurse Helene stopped Allura from following them any further, saying the doctor needed to examine him.  She sank down in one of the waiting room chairs, cradling Cady against her shoulder.  The little girl had wakened at the sound of her father's cries of anguish and begun wailing.  Not knowing what else to do, Allura carried her with them.

She stood and paced with the fussing baby, trying to calm her.  For fifteen agonizing minutes, they walked, wearing a grove into the floor. 

"Your Highness?"

She turned and looked at Dr. Gorma as he came from the examining room.  "Yes, Doctor?"

"I had to sedate him.  I don't know what is causing the pain, I need you to tell me what he ate tonight, what you did."

She told him what they had had for dinner and that they spent the rest of the night looking at pictures, watching movie disks and talking.

"Hm."  Dr. Gorma rubbed his chin.

"What do you think it is?"

"I'm wondering if he was trying to remember too much and it's causing this pain."

Guilt washed over Allura as she thought of all the times she had pushed him into remembering. 

"Doctor," Nurse Jewelia stuck her head out of Keith's door.  "He's asking for you."

He nodded, "I'll be right there."  He turned to Allura, "I'll be back as soon as I can tell you anything, Your Highness."

"I'm going to find Nanny and leave Cady with her, I'll be right back."  She told him.

Nanny had finished cleaning up the kitchen and was heading back to her room for the night when Allura rounded the corner.

"Ach, Your Highness!  What are you doing?"  Nanny asked sternly.

"Keith is back in the hospital, can you please watch Cady for me?"  Allura pleaded.

"Of course!  Poor baby, what is wrong with the Captain?"

"We don't know."

"Hurry along then, I got the Princess."  Nanny cradled Cady to her bosom.

Allura turned on her heel and rushed back to the hospital.  Nanny patted Cady's back and hummed softly as she made her way to the nursery.

"Nanny," Romelle greeted her.  She was sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery, rocking Erik to sleep.

"Princess."

"I thought Cady was going to sleep in the north tower tonight."

Nanny paced the floor with Cady, keeping her voice low, "The Captain had to go back into the hospital.  Her Majesty asked me to watch Cady for tonight."

"Oh no," Romelle gasped.  "I'll have to go check on her, would you mind keeping an eye on Erik, once he's asleep, he should stay asleep.  I'm sure Allura doesn't want to be alone right now."

Nanny smiled softly at the young woman, "You're a good friend, Princess."

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Darcy moaned and opened her eyes.  Her head throbbed and she couldn't move her arms and legs.  As the fog lifted from her mind, she realized she was spread eagle on a bed, her arms and legs tied to the bedposts.  It was dark in the room but she could tell she was in one of the guest rooms.

"So, you're awake."

She shifted her eyes to the figure cloaked in shadows.

"What are you doing?"  Darcy croaked.

"My master wants you, so I got you for him."  Fatina explained in a monotone voice.

"What?"

"My master.  I was only supposed to distract the men and make it easier for him to get you, but if I am able to hand you over to him, maybe he will make me his wife." 

"Who is your master?"

Fatina just smiled in response.

Darcy's eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings.  She felt relief when she spotted the clock.  It was nearly 9:30, Lance would have realized something was wrong by now. 

"What are you so happy about?"  Fatina asked, calmly.

"You're an idiot.  By now Lance knows something is wrong and he'll come looking for me."

"I've already contacted my master, he is on his way."

Darcy was about to respond when she heard something.  Voices.  Fatina noticed how she cocked her head and listened.  She turned and grabbed a scarf off a chair, but not before Darcy shouted.

"Help!"  Darcy called.  "I'm in here!"

"Shut up," Fatina hissed.  She punched Darcy hard in the stomach.  When her mouth flew open to gasp, Fatina shoved the scarf into her mouth, gagging her. 

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Hunk wandered into the south tower, he knocked on Sven and Romelle's door, but found the room empty.  He smiled when he came upon Pidge and Renata standing outside Renata's room, sharing a quiet kiss goodnight.  Hunk cleared his throat and grinned as they jumped apart like two naughty children.

"I'm sorry to bother you guys, but have you seen Darcy?"

"Uh, no," Pidge mumbled.  "Is everything alright?"

"She disappeared."

"What do you mean, disappeared?"

"She was supposed to meet Lance at nine and I found her communicator on the floor outside Castle Control."

Pidge and Renata exchanged looks.  "We'll help you look."  He told Hunk.

"Thanks.  I'll finish with this hall if you guys…" Hunk stopped when he heard someone calling for help.  "Did you guys hear that?"

"What?"  Pidge asked.

"I swear I heard someone call for help."  Hunk surveyed the hall.  "Who else is in this hall?  Romelle and Sven's room was empty.  Where's Fatina staying?"

"That room," Renata pointed to the door diagonal from hers.

Hunk crossed over and knocked loudly.  Pidge took Renata's hand and followed.

Fatina opened the door a crack and looked out.

"Is everything alright?"  Hunk asked her.

She looked up at him, her green eyes glowed and Hunk's mind went blank.  "Everything is fine."

Renata leaned forward a little when she heard a muffled yell.  "What was that?"

"What was what?"  Hunk mumbled.

"I didn't hear anything," Pidge said, watching Fatina.

Renata looked at the two men as they stared blankly at Fatina.  Sighing, she tried to push her way into the room.  Fatina pushed her back, sending her into Pidge.

"Nata!  What are you doing?"

"Someone's in there," she insisted.

"It's just me and I am very tired."  Fatina said sternly.

"Come on," Hunk said.  "We have to keep looking."

"No!"  Renata grabbed Pidge's face in her hands and forced him to look at her, breaking his gaze with Fatina.  "Go in there!"

"Nata…"

Renata shoved him, hard, into Fatina sending them both stumbling into the room.

Darcy strained against her restraints, tears streaming down her face.

"What the…" Hunk looked around.  He quickly flipped on the lights and grabbed Fatina's arm before she could run.  Careful not to look in her eyes, he pushed her into a chair and trained his blaster on her.  "Pidge, Renata, untie her."

Already a step ahead of him, Pidge pulled the knife from his belt and sliced through the ropes holding her.  Renata knelt on the bed and removed the scarf from her muth.

"It's okay," Renata whispered.  "It's okay, you're safe now."

Hunk grabbed his communicator off his belt and dialed up Lance, "We found her Lance.  We're in the south tower, Fatina's room."

"Is she alright?"

Hunk looked over at the bed, Darcy was curled up in the fetal position, quietly sobbing.  Renata sat beside her stroking her hair and whispering comforting words.  "She, uh, she looks okay, a little shaken up though."

"I'll be right there."  Lance snapped his communicator shut and turned his chair, wishing he had the strength to get up and run.

Hunk dialed up Castle Control and asked Caleb to send up two female guards to collect Fatina and escort her to the dungeons.

"I'm going to find Lance."  Pidge said, feeling a little uncomfortable watching Darcy cry.  "I think you guys can handle this."

Hunk nodded.  Renata kept an eye on Fatina while Hunk kept his blaster trained on her.

Two guards raced past Pidge as he hurried down the hall.  He ran into Lance at the intersection of the north and east wings.

"How is she?"  Lance asked.

"Well, she seems okay, but she's crying.  I never saw her cry before, she doesn't seem like the crying type."  Pidge jogged alongside him.

"Hormones," Lance muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing.  Did Fatina touch her?"

"She was tied to the bed, but she seemed alright otherwise.  She said something about being punched in the stomach…"

Lance sucked in a sharp breath.

"…but she's gotten worse in workouts.  I once saw Dante flip her and she landed on the weight bench, remember that?  If she could shake that off I'm sure a hit to the stomach didn't hurt her too bad…" Pidge prattled on.

"She's pregnant you moron," Lance snapped.

"…I mean, hell, she was shot in the chest, so I'm sure this is nothing and …what?"

"She's pregnant."

The only people who knew about the Ttechken plant besides Lance and Darcy, where Dr. Gorma, Nurse Helene, Allura, and Keith.  They had decided it was personal and not something they needed to share with everyone, so Pidge was unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"How far along is she?"

"A little over a month."

Pidge nodded, "I'm sure they'll be fine.  Congratulations, man."

"Yeah, thanks."  Lance steered his way into the room.

The two guards had secured Fatina's hands behind her back.  One stood with her while the other talked with Hunk, getting their instructions.  Darcy was laying on her back now, one hand resting gingerly on her stomach.  She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still wet.  Renata sat beside her, holding her other hand.

Lance wheeled the chair over to the bedside.  He heard Hunk as he passed, "Take her down to the dungeons, have her keep her head down.  She is to have only female guards on her at all times."

"Yes, sir."  The guard saluted and turned to help her partner.

Lance pushed himself out of the chair and sat on the edge of bed.  He lifted Darcy's hand from her stomach and held it gently in both of his, "How you feeling, Darc?"

Renata quietly got up and motioned for Pidge and Hunk to follow her.

"She hit me, Lance," Darcy whispered hollowly.  "She tied me to the bed and then she punched me in the stomach."

He carefully lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it up a bit.  There would be a bruise.  Very lightly, he brushed his fingers over her abdomen.  She sucked in her stomach and tears slid out of her eyes and back into her hair.

"Come on," Lance took her hands in his.  "Let's get you to Dr. Gorma, you need to get checked out."

Darcy nodded and gingerly sat up, tears once again running down her cheeks.  "I'm sorry Lance."

"Shhh," he pulled her into a hug, running a hand over her hair.  "It's alright, don't worry about it."

"No," she pulled back and looked at him, her eyes wide and wet.  "I was a bitch to you."

Smiling softly, Lance leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.  "You didn't say anything I didn't deserve.  You're not a bitch."  He took her hand again and looked down.  It was the first time he saw the rope burns on her wrists.  She had been tied tightly and struggled against her bindings.  "Oh, baby," he brought her wrists to his mouth and placed tender kisses on her pulse points.  "What happened?"

"I don't know.  Caleb came and relieved me from Castle Control at five of nine.  I was going to go straight to your room, the next thing I knew I woke up in here, tied to the bed.  She kept talking about her master and how she was supposed to distract you guys so he could get me, but if she got me for him, then he would marry her."  Darcy whispered, not looking at him, but looking at their hands as she played with his fingers.

"Her master?"

"She didn't say who, but I think it was Lotor."

Lance nodded, "Can you stand?  We need to get you to the hospital."

"Yeah.  Lance?"

"What?"

"I…"

He looked up, her lower lip was trembling and she was blinking furiously, she looked incredibly young.  Lance reached up and stroked her cheek.  "What is it?"

"I…I don't want to lose this baby."  She whispered.

He hugged her tightly, "It'll be alright," he said helplessly.          

"What if this is the only chance we'll ever have?"

"We won't know until we talk to Dr. Gorma."  He stood and held out his hands for her.  "You take the wheelchair."

"But you can't make it all the way down there without it."  She protested.

"Don't worry about me."

Darcy stood and shook her head, "I can walk."

"Don't be so damn difficult, Darcy! Get in the chair."  He was trying his best to keep his patience.

She narrowed her eyes, "You don't have to yell."

"Darcy," he spoke slowly.  "If Lotor is coming, we need to prepare.  You need to go see Dr. Gorma."

"No, you need me to fly."

"No!  You're grounded and don't try to argue.  Sven can fly Yellow for now.  I will not allow you to put our child's life in danger because of your overblown sense of duty!"

"You won't allow me to do my job?"  She asked, incredulously.

"You're grounded."  He spoke through gritted teeth.  "That's an order.  Don't argue.  It's for your own good."

"Fine."  Darcy stood a little straighter.  "But I am walking to the hospital and you can kiss my ass."

He shrugged, "Whatever it takes to get you to the hospital."

An explosion rocked the castle.  The window shattered.  Lance threw Darcy back on the bed, shielding her with his body.  Small shards of glass showered down on them.

"Dammit."  Lance snarled as the castle alarms went off.  "Come on, I'm taking you to the hospital on my way to Castle Control."

The fight had gone out of her.  He looked up at her wide, empty eyes.  "It'll be okay, Darc, we beat him before and we'll do it again.  It'll just be a lot easier if I know you're being looked after."

She nodded.

Lance took her hand, "Come on."

"He's after you."  Darcy whispered.

"I'll be fine.  He hasn't gotten me yet."

"Please be careful."

Another explosion rocked the castle.

"Don't worry…"

The pitch of the alarms changed.

"I…I've never heard that alarm before."  Darcy said nervously.

"Don't worry about it."

"No," she shook her head.  "Go on to Castle Control.  See what's going on.  I can get to the hospital wing."

"You promise?  I don't want you sneaking off to the Lions."

"I want to make sure the baby's okay."

Darcy stood unsteadily and watched as Lance settled back in the chair.

"Wait, here, take this."  He held out his blaster for her.

"No, you need it."

"Take it!  Don't argue, I have to go."

Darcy accepted the weapon and followed him out of the room.  When they reached the intersection of the south and east towers, they turned in opposite directions.

"Lance!"  She called impulsively.

"What?"  He asked impatiently.

"I love you."

His expression softened, "I love you too, Darc.  Go see Dr. Gorma.  

She arrived in the hospital.  Two guards were posted outside the door.  Wondering why they were there, Darcy shuffled into the waiting room.

Allura was pacing the floor wringing her hands, "He's in the castle!"

"Allura?"  Darcy was shocked to see her there.

"Keith has had some kind of relapse…"  She was interrupted by Keith screaming in pain.  "Oh, God, what's happening?"

"I have to see to the children," Romelle pushed past Darcy and ran out of the room.

"What's wrong?"  Allura asked.

"I'm pregnant," Darcy told her.

"Oh my God…I thought…"  Keith screamed again and Allura moaned.  "What is going on?"

Darcy turned to face her, "Fatina captured me and tied me up in her room.  She kept talking about her master and how he wanted me.  I think she works for Lotor and they're after Lance.  Did you say he was in the castle?"

"Those alarms, they mean the castle has been breeched."  Allura whispered.

"Fatina did this.  I've never heard those alarms before."

"They haven't been able to get into the castle in years.  We haven't needed to sound them."

"Sergeant," Dr Gorma came out of Keith's room.  "Is everything alright?"

She almost gave him the automatic response that she was fine.  "I was, uh, I was punched in the stomach, Lance wants me checked out."

"Oh dear, come with me," Dr. Gorma held open the door to the room next to Keith's.  "I'll examine you quickly."

"Allura, come with me."  Darcy said.

She shook her head, "I need to be with Keith."

"Please, I'd like to keep an eye on you."  Darcy protested.

"But…"

"The Captain is unconscious, I had to give him more pain killers."  Dr. Gorma told her.

Allura looked at Keith's closed door and then back at Darcy, "Alright."