Hi!

Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews!  I really do appreciate them.

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Enjoy,

Failte

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"So they broke into your room too?"  Keith asked.

Nearly every seat around the table in the conference room was taken.  Allura sat at the head of the table with Keith beside her.  Next to him sat Lance, then Darcy, Hunk, Dante, Caleb, Koran, Becca, and Pidge.  Nanny was locked in Schuyler's nursery with the two babies.  Since it was well known that Nanny would protect the children with the ferocity of a mother bear protecting her cubs, they felt safe leaving them with her.

"It looks that way," Pidge said.

"I think we should reconsider you girls taking the kids to Pollux."  Keith told Allura.

She shook her head, "I can't."

"This is getting more dangerous," he pointed out.  "We can't place a guard on you right now and it'll be difficult to place a Force member with you at all times."

Darcy cleared her throat, "Keith, I may be retired, but I am a trained soldier.  I can stand in as a guard."

"No."  Lance said before Keith had a chance to respond.

"You know Darcy's a good soldier," Allura said, ignoring Lance.

Keith rubbed his chin.  "It would help to have an extra set of hands."

"No!"  Lance said louder.

"What is your problem?"  Darcy asked him.


"You aren't as strong as you were, we have the baby to think about.  We can handle this without you."

"I'm strong enough, just ask Dr. Gorma.  And none of this will affect Schuyler, if anything this will help.  Like Keith said, it would help to have an extra pair of hands."

"No."

"Is this some kind of Neanderthal man thing?"  Darcy asked.  "You don't want your woman wielding a gun?"

"No, I don't want my woman wielding a gun, but not because you are a woman."

"Why then?"

"Enough!"  Keith slammed his fist on the table.  "You guys can argue this out later.  Right now, we need to figure out what is happening and why Becca and Pidge have been targeted."

"I think we might have a Doom loyalist in our ranks," Hunk spoke up.

"What?"  Keith turned to the large man.

"Think about, Pidge killed Lotor.  What if this is someone trying to seek revenge for that?"

"But why would they have waited so long?"  Dante asked.  "Lotor was killed, what?  Six months ago?"

"Five and a half."  Lance and Darcy said at the same time.

"We've been planning this system upgrade for nearly a year," Pidge said.  "Maybe they've been planning this for a while."

"So we should be looking at guards hired over the past year," Caleb said.  "Someone Lotor would have planted."

"That's a good place to start, but this person could've been planted a while ago and told to lie in wait until an opportunity to infiltrate us arose."  Dante pointed out.

"I'll put together a list of the people hired this past year," Keith ran his hand through his hair.  "Then, Pidge, I want to go over it with you, see who sticks out as a computer whiz."

"No problem," Pidge said.

"I'm going to start that now, I'm not going to get any sleep anyway."

"Keith…"  Allura began.

He shook his head, "I want you and Cady to move in with Darcy for tonight.  I think we should keep you girls together and have someone posted with you."

"Yeah, because we're nothing but helpless females," Darcy muttered.

"Darcy," Lance warned.

"If we're done here," she pushed her chair back and stood.  "I want to check on Schuyler."

"Yeah, go ahead."  Keith waved her off.

Lance looked at Allura, "Feel free to come on over, you guys can bunk with us for now."  He followed his wife out of the room.

"You guys can all go for now," Keith dismissed them.  "I'll meet with you first thing in the morning, Pidge."

"That's alright, Cap, I'll help you out now."

Keith nodded, "Hunk, would you please escort Allura and Becca to Schuyler's nursery.  Allura, when you get the baby, tell Nanny you need a couple of cots."

Allura's jaw twitched, but she nodded.  She hated having to live in fear, but knowing that it was her home that was unsafe made it a thousand times worse. 

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

"You're being ridiculous, Lance."  Darcy said as she changed into her pajamas.  She was trying to keep her voice down since Allura and Becca were getting settled in the nursery.

"No, I'm not, Darcy.  You're out of practice, you're not as strong as you were, we have to think about Schuyler…"

"I am thinking about her.  I can handle this, Lance.  I've been working out, I know how to fire a blaster, but if you're worried about that I can start target practice again tomorrow morning."

He sank down on their bed, "I don't want you doing this, Darc."

"I can handle it."  She sat down beside him.

"I know you can, I just don't want you to."

"Why?"

"I had just hoped you wouldn't need to face this type of horror again."

Darcy wrapped her arm around his shoulders and laid her cheek against his shoulder.  "I know that, honey, but you guys need some help, Allura is totally unfit to fight and I am a fully trained soldier."

Lance smiled weakly, "I can't help but think of something Sven told me once."

"What?"

"About how I've stopped seeing you as a soldier, but as de voman I love."  He replied in a bad imitation of Sven's accent.

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

"Are they still fighting?"  Becca whispered.

Allura stopped rocking Cady and listened, "No, I think they're making up now."

Becca rolled her eyes, "So we won't be hearing from them for a while."

The door between the rooms slid open and Darcy walked in with a smile on her face, "You guys settling in alright?"

"Yes," Allura whispered, gently laying Cady down in the travel crib they had brought with them.

"Good," Darcy crossed the room to make sure the door was locked.  "This won't be a permanent thing.  I know how uncomfortable those cots can be.  Do you want to take over our bed, Allura?"

"No, no, I'm fine."  The Queen assured her.

She walked over to the crib and checked to make sure Schuyler was alright.  "I will be taking over as your guard, we'll figure everything out tomorrow.  Good night, guys."

"Good night," Allura said, sitting down on her bed.

Becca yawned, "Good night."

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Schuyler was the first to wake the next morning, followed very quickly by Cady. 

Becca groaned and wrapped her pillow around her head.  But she wasn't allowed to go back to sleep.  It had been decided that for now, Darcy was watching out for the two women, so she had to get up.

"Oh, suck it up," Darcy said cheerfully as she changed Schuyler.

"How can you be so happy this early?"  Becca mumbled from her cot.

"Would you rather I was angry and surly?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry I can't accommodate you."

"What?  Did you get some last night?"  Becca asked sarcastically.

Darcy turned with a smile on her face, "Jealous?"

Becca turned her face into her pillow and groaned, "I don't want to hear about it."

"You brought it up."

Before Becca could answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"  Darcy asked.

"It's me," Keith called back.

Allura crossed and opened the door, "Is everything alright?"

He shrugged, looking exhausted, "We're working on it.  I thought I would escort you and Cady back to our room so you can get dressed."

"This is ridiculous," Allura sighed.  "Needing an escort to walk down the hall."

"It's just for a little while," he turned to Darcy.  "Did you and Lance work things out?"

"Yeah," she lifted Schuyler off the changing table.  "I'll work as a guard just until this threat has passed."

Keith nodded, "Sounds good.  Hang with Becca for now and I'll come for you when we need you."

"Yes sir," she nodded.

"How're you doing this morning, Becca?"  He asked.

"I could use a couple more hours to sleep in," she replied.

Keith flashed her a weak smile as he lifted Cady out of Allura's arms, "Not when you have two little, living alarm clocks."

"And that's why I don't have kids."

He chuckled, "We'll keep you posted, Darc."

"Yes, sir."

"What do I do now?"  Becca asked her sister after Keith and Allura left.

"Just hang out, relax, stay with me."

Becca fell back on her cot and threw her arm over her eyes, "Great."

Darcy sat on the edge of the cot, setting Schuyler on Becca's stomach, "It's for your own good, Becs."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she sat up and tickled her niece.

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

Keith, Lance, and Pidge sat in Keith's study, going over the list of guards in front of them.  This was their second day of narrowing down the lists.  They had whittled it down to a list of eleven guards who had been hired over the past year who had great knowledge of computers.   The next day, Keith was going to start 'work evaluations' and sit down and talk to these guards to see if they say anything that leads them to think this was the person.

Pidge's mind was elsewhere.  He was staring past the desk to the window.

"You okay, man?"  Lance asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Uh, yeah," Pidge chewed on the end of his pen, looking at his two teammates. 

"Alright then, we'll start the evaluations tomorrow, going in alphabetical order."  Keith said.

"Do you, uh, do you guys think whoever is doing this really is after me because I shot Lotor?"

Keith laid his papers down and looked at Pidge, "We don't know for sure, but it is a possibility."

"So if Becca's in danger, then it's because of me?"

Lance leaned forward, "No, if she's in danger it's because of whoever is doing this."

Pidge looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"Listen, man, I know what you're thinking, I was thinking the same thing back when Lotor was after me.  But you can't let whoever this is come between you."

Pidge nodded.

"You're exhausted, Pidge," Keith said.  "Why don't you go get some sleep."

"I'm no more tired than you are," Pidge pointed out.

Keith looked at Lance and realized he was right.  "Alright, Dante and Caleb are on duty over night tonight.  I think if we're going to start the evaluations tomorrow we should all get a good night's sleep.  Meet back here at 0700 tomorrow morning."

Pidge piled his notes together and handed them to Keith.  Instead of going straight to his room though, he went for a walk to try and clear his mind.  It was cool outside, a slight nip in the air.  He made his way out and around the lake.

This is the second time someone I care about is in danger because of me, he thought.  It would be easy to think I could protect her, but I wasn't able to protect Renata.  What is with me?   Every time I fall in love with someone, they're going to be threatened?  He reached down and picked up a rock, skipping it across the lake.  He started when he realized what he had just thought.  Am I in love with her?  I've known her for a year, she is an amazing friend and I am having a great time with her.

Pidge sank to his knees beside the lake.  He knew it was true and had been true before she had even set foot on Arus a couple weeks before.  I am in love with her.  I wasn't sure if what I felt for Renata was love, but I know this is.  Oh God, what do I do if something happens to her?  It would be all my fault…again.

Becca was up in the nursery with Darcy.  Keith had just come and taken Allura and Cady back to their room and she was kind of hoping Pidge would come and break her out of what was beginning to feel more and more like a prison.  Lance was in their room taking a shower and Darcy was changing Schuyler into her pajamas.

"I was thinking," Darcy said.  "Once I put Schuyler down, we can leave Lance on Dad duty and we can get out of this room.  I swear, the walls are starting to close in on me.  The only place, besides these rooms, I've gone to in the last two days was when we escorted Allura to her study.  That was a fun field trip."

"Okay," Becca sat in the rocking chair, tapping her fingers impatiently on the arm.

"We can raid the kitchen and then take over the rec room."

"Sounds good."

"Or we can steal Black Lion and scamper through Alforia."

"Mm hm."

Darcy settled the baby on her hip and turned to her sister, "Want to talk about it, Becs?"

"What?"

"Whatever's on your mind."

Becca stood, allowing her sister to take over the rocking chair, "Nothing really."

"You know you're safe, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Then what is it?"  Darcy kept her voice low while she rocked her daughter.

"Is Pidge in danger?"

"He's a very talented soldier.  He can take care of himself and he has the entire Force to back him up."

Lance entered the nursery, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just try to allay some of Becca's fears."  Darcy told him.

Lance threw an arm around his sister-in-law's shoulders, "Everything will be fine, you have nothing to worry about.  I'm just sorry this happened on your vacation."

She shrugged, "It makes for a more exciting vacation.  I kind of wish I was still in grade school so I could write a 'What I Did Over My Summer Holiday' essay."

"Thatta girl," Lance grinned at her.  "I bet not one of your friends back on Terra have…" He stopped when there was a knock on the door.

Lance unholstered his weapon and crept to the door.  A tense silence hung in the air.  Darcy had stopped rocking and was clutching Schuyler to her shoulder, looking ready to run at any moment.

"Who is it?"  Lance asked through the door.

"It's me."  Pidge said.

Lance turned the safety back on and slid the gun into his holster, punching in the code to open the door.  "You okay, man?"

"Yeah, I was, uh, I was hoping I could talk to Becca."

"Looks like you found your escape," Darcy whispered.

Lance grabbed Becca's arm as she walked by, "Just knock on our door when you come back."  He lowered his voice, "If you come back tonight."

She blushed and pulled her arm from his grasp, "Okay."

Becca followed Pidge out of the room.  "Thank you.  The walls were starting to close in on me."  She went to take his hand, but noticed they were stuffed deep in his pockets, so she threaded her arm through his.

Pidge stiffened when he felt her touch him. This is not going to be easy, he thought as he smelled her shampoo when she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It's not that I don't enjoy being with Darcy and Schuyler, it's just that I wish we could get out more.  We've spent two days in the nursery and Allura's study."  She lifted her head and whispered into his ear, "I was really hoping you would come and break me out."

"Yeah," he mumbled, punching in the new code that unlocked and opened the door.  Out of habit, he did a quick sweep of the room before shutting and locking the door.  "We, uh, we need to talk, Bec."

Becca felt herself go cold with dread.  "Okay."

Pidge led her over to the chair beside the window and began to pace in front of her.  "I've been doing a lot of thinking, Bec, and I feel it would be best if we didn't see each other any more."

Her mouth fell open, "What?"

"Well, I mean I'd like us to still be friends, your friendship is important to me.  I just don't think we should have ever gone beyond being friends."

Becca bit her lip to stop it from trembling, "Are you serious?"

"Yes."  He looked over her shoulder, out the window, unable to look her in the eye.  "I am."

"If, uh, if that's how you feel."  Becca's voice shook as she stood.

He nodded, still unable to look at her.

"I hope," she stopped and cleared her throat.  "I hope we can still be friends."

"I'll, uh, I'll walk you back to Lance's room."

She shook her head, "No, I think I can walk twenty feet without you."

"Becca…"

"No, Pidge."

He watched from the doorway as she walked down the hall and knocked on Lance and Darcy's door.  When the door shut behind her, Pidge turned and went back into his room.  Falling back across his bed, he threw an arm over his eyes and fought the feelings of dread and pain that rose up within him.