Hi!

All relative disclaimers apply…you know the spiel…

Thank you all for your reviews.  They are helpful and very much appreciated.

Anony~ Thanks for the proofreading  :) It is so easy to miss a mistake like that, that's why we depend on our reviewers.  Thanks!

RedLion2~ As always, thank you for your review and support!

Enjoy,

Failte

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Nurse Jewelia ran full force down the hall and into Castle Control.  Lt. Audric was on duty and looked to be a million miles away.  He slowly turned the chair to face the door when he heard it slide open.

The look of sheer panic on the young nurse's face had Pidge on his feet, "What's wrong?"

She gasped for breath, "Dr. Gorma…Pvt. Blaide…the prisoner got out…"

"What?  Cheyen escaped?"

She nodded.

Pidge turned to the console and sounded the alarms.  He grabbed his communicator and called Keith, they were all in the dining room having dinner.

"Whitaker."

"Keith, Nurse Jewelia is here, she says Cheyen escaped."

"What?"  Keith was on his feet, his chair clattered to the floor.  "We'll be right there."

Pidge turned back to the nurse who had composed herself, "What happened?"

"Dr. Gorma went in to check on the patient while I went to get some more bandages.  It was just Dr. Gorma and I and the patient and Pvt. Blaide, who was guarding the patient.  I noticed the door was open and I went in to find Dr. Gorma and Pvt. Blaide, but the patient was gone.  He had shot Pvt. Blaide and grazed Dr. Gorma's leg.  Dr. Gorma is seeing to the Private and he sent me to find help."  She explained, her hands shaking.

As she told her story, Pidge went about putting the castle into lockdown.  No one could leave or enter the castle. 

Keith, Lance, Hunk, Caleb, and Dante ran as fast as they could into Castle Control.  Darcy stayed to watch over Allura and the children in the locked dining room.  Pidge quickly briefed them on what he knew.


"Alright, Hunk, Caleb, Dante, take five guards each, I want a full sweep of the castle."

"Becca."  Pidge whispered.

"What about her?"  Lance asked.  "I thought you said she was alright."

"She's in my room.  Alone."  Without waiting for permission to leave, Pidge took off running with Lance at his heels. 

Keith told Hunk to stay in Castle Control and sent Caleb and Dante out with guards to carry on with the castle wide sweep.

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

Becca watched Cheyen as he lurched further into the room.  His face was an ashen gray and he moved slowly, one arm wrapped gingerly around his stomach and the other clutching a blaster.

"What do you want?"  She asked, her voice shaking.

"If I'm going down I'm taking Audric and you down with me."  He snarled.

"Why?"

"Why?"  His voice rose to near hysterics.  "That son of a bitch killed my master!"

"Pidge didn't kill Landor."

"Landor?  Landor was a fool and a waste!  He killed Lotor, the King of Doom!  And you!  You shot me!  You little wench!"  He lurched closer.

Becca scanned the room, trying to find either something she could use as a weapon or some way around him to the door.  "But I thought you were sent here by Landor."

"That was a cover, in case I was discovered before his Excellence was well enough to make his presence known again."

She knew that if she kept him talking, it would distract him until help came.

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Pidge never considered himself a religious man, he was a man of science.  But as he ran from Castle Control, he silently chanted every prayer he knew and some he made up on the way.  He didn't know if there was a God or if He knew Pidge existed, but Pidge pleaded with him to spare Becca. 

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

The alarms were silent, so Becca knew they were coming, if they figured out where he was.  She had no way of telling them he was here and that he was armed.

"You don't want to do this."  She said, trying to think of a way to keep him talking.

"Don't tell me what I want," he growled, falling against the desk.

"You're in pain, let me help you."


"I'm in pain because you shot me!"

"I'm sorry," she said weakly.

"No you're not."  He was growing even paler and his legs shook with the exertion of walking. 

Becca heard the sound of running feet.  They were coming.

"I am sorry, really I am.  Please sit down.  We'll get you help."  She told him.

"Stupid bitch," he raised his arm, pointing the blaster at her.

She heard the sound of the code being entered to open the door.  As it slid open she shouted, "He has a gun!"

Pidge and Lance entered the room, weapons drawn.

"Drop the gun, Cheyen!"  Lance demanded.

"Go ahead, shoot me," Cheyen laughed maniacally.  "But I won't be going alone."  He raised the blaster and fired.

At the same instant Pidge and Lance both fired.

Pidge leapt over the fallen body of Cheyen and fell to his knees beside Becca, "Oh, God, oh Becca, oh God."  He laid his weapon down and tried to figure out how to touch her.

"I'm okay," Becca was on her knees, feeling the burning pain in her left arm.

"No, you're not.  You were hit."  Pidge's voice and hands shook convulsively at the sight of her blood.

"Pidge.  Pidge, I was grazed.  I'm fine."  She brought her right hand up to cup his chin and forced him to look at her.  "I'm fine."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug, unable to find his voice.

Becca wrapped her right arm around him, trying to ignore the pain in her left.  "I'm okay.  Everything is alright."  She repeated over and over, trying to calm him with words and reassurances.

"Pidge."

They pulled apart and looked up at Keith.  Lance had contacted him after the shots were exchanged.

"Take her to the hospital wing and get her arm checked out.  We're going to get this cleaned up."

Pidge stood and offered Becca a hand, helping her to her feet.  He ran a shaky hand through his hair and looked down at the bleeding form on the floor, "Is he…?"

"Yeah, he's dead." Keith told him.

"Good."  Pidge said seriously.

"Come on," Becca pulled on his hand.  She wanted to get away from the sight as much as she wanted to get him away from it.

He was stiffly silent as they walked quickly to the hospital wing.  Becca didn't mind.  The pain in her arm was becoming unbearable.  It was an intense burning sensation.  If this was what it was like to be grazed by a blaster, she could only imagine how painful it was to take a full shot.  The thought of the pain Pidge must have experienced when he was shot in the shoulder brought tears to her eyes. 

"I'm sure they'll be able to give you something for the pain," Pidge said, noticing her tears.

"It's not that," she whispered.


"What is it?"

She shook her head.

Nurse Jewelia met them in the waiting room.  "Captain Whitaker said you were coming.  Come with me and I'll see to your wound."

"How's Dr. Gorma?"  Pidge asked as they followed her.

"He'll be fine.  Nurse Helene is seeing to him."

"He was hurt?"  Becca asked.


"The Doctor's leg was grazed when the patient escaped.  Sit on the table please."  Jewelia turned to get out bandages.

Becca sat on the table, clutching Pidge's hand in hers.

"Can you remove your shirt?"  The nurse asked.  "Or would you rather I cut it off."

Becca looked down at the old Buffalo Bills sweatshirt she was wearing.  She loved this shirt, it was oversized and old enough to be worn to just the right comfort.

"I'll buy you a new shirt," Pidge whispered.

She smiled weakly, "I, uh, I think it'll need to be cut off."

Starting at the cuff, Nurse Jewelia carefully cut up the length of the sleeve, splitting it cleanly in two.  "Oh, it doesn't look that bad.  Just a graze.  I'm sure it hurts, but we have something that should help."

They watched in silence as she cleaned, applied a salve, and bandaged Becca's arm.  Nurse Jewelia kept up a constant stream of chatter, trying to ease the tension that filled the room.


"There you go, good as new.  You'll be a little sore, but you'll be fine."

"Thanks," Becca murmured.

Nurse Jewelia nodded to them and slipped from the room.

"Are you, uh, are you okay?"  Pidge asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine."  She tried to sound more confident than she was.  "I'm a little pissed about this shirt, I've had it for years.  My father gave it to me for Christmas, he picked it out himself, you know, not something Mom picked out and put his name on…"

"Becca, you're babbling."  Pidge interrupted.

She blushed, "Sorry."

He nodded and took a deep breath, "Come on, I'll take you back to your room so you can get a clean shirt."

"Thanks."  She slid off the bed and followed him out the door.

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"We're going to set you up in a guest room," Keith told Pidge.  "We want to clean up the mess."

"Yeah, here," Hunk held out a duffle bag.  "I grabbed some clothes and stuff for you."

"Thanks, man," Pidge took the bag from him.

"How's Becca?"  Lance asked.

"She's fine.  It was just a flesh wound."

"How're you?"

Pidge flashed his friends a weak smile, "I'm alright."

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

Becca stood in her room trying to pull her arm through the tattered sleeve of her shirt.  Her arm throbbed and was painfully stiff.  Tears of frustration burned her eyes as she gingerly pulled the shirt over her head.

"Bec?  Are you okay?"  Darcy called through the door.

"Can you come in here please," Becca called back.

The door slid open and Darcy walked in, Schuyler on her hip.  "How are you?"

"Sore and pissed off."                                                                                                                                            

"How bad is it?"

"Just a graze, nothing all that bad."

"Do you need help?"

Becca sat on the edge of her bed and nodded.

"If it makes you feel better, you won't have to worry about Cheyen again."  Darcy told her as she set the baby down.  "The men who were going to take him to Zettle for containment are now taking his body."

Becca nodded, "I can't say I'm sorry about that."

"It'll be easier for you to wear a shirt like this, rather than one that you have to pull down over your head," Darcy held up a button down shirt.

Becca stood and let her sister help her slide her arm into the sleeve.  "Where's Pidge?"

"He was talking to the guys out in the hall.  They're setting him up in a guest room for the night."

"Why?"

"There was quite a mess to clean up and Keith wants it all gone before Pidge moves back in."

Becca nodded, concentrating on buttoning up her shirt.

"You sure you okay, Bec?"

"Yeah, come on, lets go see what's going on."  Becca stood and crossed to the door.


The guys were still standing in the hall talking.

"How're you feeling, Becca?"  Keith asked her.

"I'm alright," she smiled weakly at them.

"Come on," Keith said to Lance and Hunk.  "Let's get this taken care of.  Pidge, go grab something to eat."

Pidge looked up, surprised, "But, I have to…"

"It's alright, Pidge, we've got you covered for the rest of tonight."

"Let me know if you need anything," Darcy whispered to Becca as she passed on her way to her room.

Becca nodded.

"How're you feeling?"  Pidge asked when he and Becca were alone.

"I'm alright, a little sore, but alright."

He nodded, "Want to go get something to eat?"

She shook her head, "I'm not really hungry."

"Neither am I."

They stood a moment in awkward silence.

"We need to talk," Becca said quietly.

Pidge nodded.

"We can go to my room."

Pidge walked around her room, seeing her suitcases piled in the corner, reminding him of how short their time together was.

"What is it, Pidge?"  She asked, sinking down on the edge of her bed.

"I shouldn't have let you stay alone tonight.  I told Darcy and Lance that we were going to eat later so they didn't need to come and get you."  He paced the room, gesturing wildly with his hands.  "If I hadn't said anything, they would have stopped by and asked if you wanted to go.  They probably would've seen Cheyen or or seeing them might have discouraged him from entering the room or he might have seen that I wasn't there and he might have waited until I got back…"

"Pidge," Becca stood and stepped in front of him so he had to stop pacing.  "Stop it.  This wasn't your fault.  I'm fine, it's over, let's move on.  Don't beat yourself up over it."

He let out a breath and gave her a defeated look, "I'm sorry."

She reached out and cupped his cheek, "Why would you be sorry?  None of this was your fault."

"Because you came here to spend the summer and so far you've been stuck in the castle, threatened, shot at…"

"And fallen madly in love with a cute computer jockey."

He smiled softly, "I'm sorry you've had such a lousy vacation."

She stepped closer to him, "It's been the best vacation of my life."

Pidge closed the gap between them, resting his forehead against hers.  "How do you feel, really?"

"I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow.

"A little sore, but I'm fine."   She leaned against him, wrapping her right arm tightly around his waist.

Pidge buried his face in her hair, still cursing himself for letting her get involved with this mess.  He shouldn't have left her alone while Cheyen was still in the castle. 

"Stop it," she whispered against his throat.

"Hm?"

"You're still worrying about it.  Stop it."

He kissed the top of her head, then her temple, her cheek and finally her mouth.

"Mm," Becca pulled back and smiled mischievously at him, "I think I know how to get your mind off it."

He smirked, "Oh yeah?"

"Mm hm."  She took his hands and led him to the bed.

"Becca."

"Hm?"  She kissed the pulse point on his throat while she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

Pidge sat on the bed, pulling her on his lap, "Bec, I just want to hold you."

"What?"

"I just…I just want to hold you."  He whispered into her hair.

They slid back onto her bed, stretching out together.  Becca laid on her right side, her head on his shoulder and her left arm lying carefully across his stomach.  Pidge wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently stroking her hair.

"Will you stop feeling so guilty?"  She asked.

"I can't promise, but I'll try."