Pidge stalked from Castle Control feeling irrationally angry and frustrated.  Screw Dante! None of this is his business, he had no right to stick his nose in our lives!

He stormed into the kitchen, startling Nanny who was starting her dinner preparations.  He mumbled an apology and left.  Where is she?  He arrived at her door in record time, not even realizing that's where he was headed.

Becca jumped, surprised by the loud, insistent knock. She crept over to the door, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Pidge's tone was low and clipped.

With a shaking hand, Becca typed in the code to unlock and open the door.  She didn't know what was going on and his tone worried her.

Pidge watched the door slide open in front of him.  She stood before him, barefoot and her blouse untucked.  Her hair was down, framing her face in thick, loose waves. 

"You asked me a question earlier," he stepped into the room, the door closing behind him.

She instinctively took a step back from him.  "Yes."

"I think I have your answer." 

Before she could respond, Pidge cupped the back of her head and held her in place while his lips descended upon hers.  Once she got over her initial shock, Becca gave herself into the kiss.  She wrapped her arms around him while Pidge snaked his other arm around her waist, pressing her body to his.  He turned around and pressed her back against the door, pinning her with his body.  She responded by fisting her hand in his hair, tilting her head and deepening the kiss.

Pidge lifted his head and looked down at Becca.  Her eyes were still closed and her cheeks flushed.  They were both breathless.  He rested his forehead against hers and watched as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Wow."  She breathed.

"I'm sorry.  I don't know…"

"Don't be sorry," Becca whispered, gripping his shoulders when she felt him start to move away.  "Don't go anywhere, I don't think I can stand just yet."

Pidge smirked, "Left you weak in the knees, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"I think I have some."  He placed small kisses along her jaw.

"Now, I'm not complaining or anything, but can I ask what brought this on?"  She asked, tilting her head back.

"I was tired of beating around the bush.  If one more person felt the need to point out how we felt about each other, I was going to scream."

Becca pushed him back a little so she could look him in the eye, "How do we feel about each other?"

He studied her, absorbing every detail of her face.  The bump in the middle of her slightly upturned nose, the way the corners of her mouth naturally turned up, the tiny scar on her chin.  "I like you, Rebecca, a lot.  So much so that it frightened me, it still does.  I didn't know what to do with my feelings."  He laid it all out for her.

Becca clasped her hands behind his neck, feeling the heat rise to her face.  She toyed with the hair that brushed his collar and watched as he admitted his feelings for her.  Dark pink spots appeared on his cheeks, but his eyes retained contact with hers, attesting to his earnestness.

She blinked her eyes rapidly, "I like you too, Pidge.  A lot."  She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

"So, does that answer your question?"  He asked when he pulled back.

"Oh, yeah," she purred.

"I hate to do this, but I have to go back to Castle Control."

"You do?" She pouted.

"Yes, I do.  What are you going to do now?"

"I was just going to hang out until you came to visit."

Pidge stepped back, running his hand through his hair, "I think you should go hang out with Darcy for now."

"What's going on Pidge?"

"I can't really discuss it with you."

"Why not?"

"I just need you to trust me on this.  When I can, I will tell you all about it, okay."

She nodded.

He looked around her room.  "I don't think you should stay here alone."

"Pidge!"

He looked back at her, his face bright red, "That's not what I meant.  There's an empty room in the hall with us, next to Caleb's room.  I think you should move in there.  I'll talk to Nanny about having it made up."

"You're scaring me."

"I don't mean to," he put his hands on her shoulders.  "You have nothing to be scared of as long as I…we, are around.  Can you pack all your stuff together quickly?"

"Uh, I guess."

"I'll help you, then we'll take your stuff to our hall.  You can hang out with Darcy and Schuyler and I'll find Nanny on my way back to Castle Control."

Becca nodded, "Okay."

Pidge pulled two suitcases and a duffle bag out of the closet while Becca went to pack her toiletries in the bathroom.  When she walked back into the bedroom, she saw Pidge holding up a rather short, green satin nightgown with spaghetti straps he had found hanging in her closet.

"Find something you like?"  She asked, dumping her make-up in an open suitcase.

"Uh, yeah."  He was surprised to realize his shyness was no longer there.

"It's a little early in our relationship," she teased snatching it out of his hand and folding it.

"Relationship?"

Becca felt herself blush at her own assumption.  He caught sight of her red face and grinned.

"Becs," he took her hand and turned her to face him.  "I'm kidding.  I want to have a relationship with you."

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a relationship with you."  She stuck her nose in the air and turned her back to him.

"Well, maybe you don't have a choice."

She gasped, turning back to him, her hands on her hips.  "My, aren't you sure of yourself?"

"Yup.  I made you weak in the knees."

"No you didn't, I only said that to make you feel better about bursting into my room and taking advantage of me."

"Taking advantage of you!"  He cried, incredulously.  "You enjoyed it!"

"I never knew you were so conceited."

Pidge took a step closer to her, "It's not conceit when it's true."

"Oh yeah?"

He leaned towards her, his mouth hovering above hers, "Yeah."

They both jumped when his communicator beeped.  Smiling, Pidge gave her a quick kiss before flipping it open, "Audric."

"Pidge, where are you?"  Keith asked.

"The south wing.  I'll be heading back to Castle Control in about ten minutes, I want to move Becca to the empty room by Caleb's so she isn't up here all alone."

"Sounds good.  Hurry up, as soon as you're done get down here."

"Will do, sir."

Becca had returned to packing, throwing her clothes in her bags, feeling guilty about tying him up when he had work to do.

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

About an hour later, Lance stood in front of the door to their bedroom.  They had found nothing yet and Allura refused to go to Pollux, at least for now.  With a deep sigh he unlocked the door and watched it slide open in front of him. 

Darcy was reclining on their bed, propped up with a couple of pillows, and Schuyler was sleeping on her chest.  Beside her, Becca was sitting up against the headboard.  The televiewer was turned on to some talk show with the audio turned down low.

"Will you look at that woman," Becca whispered.  "What a skank."

"What do you expect of a woman who goes on television to air her dirty laundry?"  Darcy whispered back.  She looked up and smiled when the door slid open.  "Hey there, hot stuff."

Lance crossed to the bed, looking very tired, "Hey beautiful, how's the kid?"  He leaned down and gave her a kiss.

"She woke up a little while ago and was really fussy, she just fell asleep."

Lance walked around to the other side of the bed, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "Outta my bed, kiddo."

Becca slid off the bed, careful not to disturb the baby.  "I was just keeping it warm for you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Go find your boyfriend."

"Lance!"  Becca hissed, blushing.

"Oh stop pretending," Lance sat on the side of the bed and started untying his boots.  "Pidge let it out in Castle Control, he had a little explaining to do after he apologized to Dante."

"Apologize, for what?"  Becca sat on the desk chair and pulled her sandals on.

Lance leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, "For punching him."

"What?"  She cried, a little too loudly.

"Shhhh."  Darcy and Lance whispered at the same time.

"Sorry.  Why did he punch Dante?"

"Dante was baiting him.  Picking on him for dragging his feet with you when it was so obvious you guys liked each other."

"I can't believe he hit him."

"I think it's sweet," Darcy murmured.  "It shows how he feels for you."

"Darcy Elizabeth Barlow!  There is no reason for that kind of violence.  He knows…


"Collier."  Lance yawned.

"What?"

"Her name is Collier now.  If you're going to yell at her, call her the proper name."

"Collier.  Sorry."

"It's alright, just don't do it again."  He laid his head on Darcy's shoulder and watched Schuyler sleep.

"Darcy, he knows better than to do that.  Dante is his friend and teammate.  Besides, I don't see why you all think you have the right to interfere in our business."  Becca stood, hands on her hips, facing them.

"Because we were all sick of watching you guys dance around each other."  Darcy told her.

"Pidge is looking for you."  Lance said.

With a dramatic sigh, Becca turned on her heel, "Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted."

"Then you would've left five minutes ago," Lance muttered.

Darcy smacked his arm, "Lance."

"What?  I was kidding.  Love you, Becs."

Becca snorted, "Yeah, right.  Love you too, Lance."  She blew him a kiss and swept out of the room.

"Should I be jealous?"

Becca stifled a scream and turned to see Pidge standing across the hall in his open doorway.  "Geez, Pidge, you scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry."

"It's alright.  How'd everything go in Castle Control?"


He sighed and rolled his eyes.  "Don't ask."

"That bad?"

"Rebecca."  He warned.

"I know, I know.  You can't talk about it."  She sighed.

"Come here."

She took the hand he offered her and he pulled her into a hug.   "I think we can think of something else to talk about," he whispered.

Becca tilted her head back and looked up at him, "Oh, yeah?  Like what?"

"We'll think of something," he brushed a light kiss over her lips.

They jumped apart at the sound of applause.

Hunk and Caleb stood in the hall, watching them.


"It's about damn time," Hunk said.

"Mind your own business, Big Man."  Pidge muttered.

"As a matter of security it is the business of everyone in the Force to know what is going on within the castle's walls."  Caleb said.

"Smartass."

"Come on, Nanny sent us to get you guys, dinner's ready."  Hunk knocked on Lance and Darcy's door.

"Who is it?"  Lance called.

"It's me, Lieutenant."

The door slid open, "What's up, Hunk?"

"We're celebrating the fact that Pidge has finally seen the light."

"You're celebrating the fact he's molesting my sister-in-law?"

"No one is being molested," Pidge said.

"Why not?"  Lance and Hunk asked at the same time.

"It's time for dinner," Pidge told Lance.

"Um," Lance looked over his shoulder where Darcy was still lying with Schuyler.  "I think I'll bring some food back here."

"What's wrong?"  Hunk asked.

"Sick baby."

"Little Sky's sick?  What is it?"

"Ear infection and low fever.  She'll be fine." 

"We can bring you something up," Caleb offered.

"Thanks, we appreciate that."

"I think," Pidge whispered to Becca.  "That after we eat, we should ditch the others and go find some place to talk."

"I'd like that."

"Come on you guys, before I have to turn a hose on you!"  Hunk called over his shoulder.

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

Keith stood over Cady's crib and watched her sleep.  She was so beautiful.  Her blonde hair fell in ringlets and her eyes were the same shade of blue as Allura's.  She was sleeping on her back, her pink blankie pulled up to her chest, one hand fisted, resting beside her face.  He watched as her chest rose and fell in a smooth rhythm. 

Sleep just wouldn't come for Keith.  He couldn't stop thinking about their breach in security. Who was it?  Was his family in danger?  Why wouldn't Allura just go to Pollux?  Didn't she understand how important she was?  Screw her people, they would be just fine if she took some time to go to Pollux.

Keith looked down, realizing he was gripping the railing of the crib so tightly his knuckles had turned white.  He felt so frustrated, so helpless.  He didn't want to admit that he couldn't trust one of the people in the castle, but it had to be someone.  All the guards were familiar with computers, it was necessary since the castle was almost entirely run by computers.  More than half of them had degrees in computer technology.

Cady sighed and whimpered in her sleep.  Keith stopped and looked down at her.  How could he protect her if he didn't know who he was protecting her from?

He sensed her before he saw her.  "You should be in bed."

Allura had wakened to find the bed empty beside her.  It was a horrible feeling.  "You weren't in bed."  She came to stand beside him.

"I couldn't sleep."

She laid her head against his arm, "Talk to me Keith."

"I just have a lot on my mind."

"We'll find who this is."

"I know."

"We need you rested, honey."

He turned and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her soft, golden hair.  Breathing in her scent, he tried to draw strength from her, the love he felt and the love she returned.

Allura stroked his back, feeling the shiver that ran through him.  It worried her whenever she saw him like this.  "Come back to bed, Keith," she murmured against his shoulder.

He nodded.  Taking her hand in his he led her from the nursery back into their room.  It was easier for him to worry and fuss over someone else.  He peeled the robe off her shoulders and helped her to the bed.    "Go back to sleep, I'm just going to run down to Castle Control and see how everything is going."

Allura sighed, but she nodded.  "Hurry back."

"I will."

"And bring me a popsicle."

"Orange?"

"Grape."

"You hate grape."

She shrugged and pulled the covers over her legs, "I'm hungry for grape."

Keith dropped a kiss on her head, "Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes."

The castle was always quiet this time of night, particularly since Doom had been defeated.  He entered Castle Control to find Pvt. Whitman was monitoring the screens.  Private Miele Whitman.  Keith had known him for two years.  His father had been a castle guard who had died during a Doom attack four years earlier.  Whitman had told him he wanted to be a castle guard to continue what his father had started.  It was a privilege to serve the royal family and he wanted to honor his father's memory.  Could it be him?

Keith shook his head, "How's it going, Private."

Whitman jumped to his feet and saluted, "Everything is clear, sir."

"Good, good.  At ease.  You came on at one, didn't you?"

"Yes sir, I relieved Lt. Addison.  He said everything had been clear."

"Has anyone else stopped in here since you came on?"

Pvt. Whitman looked confused, "Uh, no sir."

"I was just wondering.  See tomorrow, Private."

"Good night, sir."

Keith left Castle Control in search of a grape popsicle.