Wow! Thanks for the great reviews! I really do appreciate them!
All relative disclaimers apply…you know how it goes…
Enjoy,
Failte
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"Who do you need to shop for?" Pidge asked Becca as they wandered through a gift shop in town.
"I couldn't find anything for my parents, so I thought I would come here and find them something special, something we don't have on Terra."
"How about this?" Pidge held up a small white blob of porcelain.
She leaned over to study it, "What is it?"
"I'm not sure, but it's by a local artist."
Becca wrinkled her nose, "Um, I don't think so."
"Well, while you're looking, see if you can help me find something."
"For who?"
Pidge shrugged, "Hunk, Lance and Darcy, Keith and Allura, your parents, Cady, Sky, whoever."
Becca shook her head and walked over to a display of frames and photo albums.
He picked up a candle holder. Allura loves crap like this, he thought.
"Can I help you?"
Pidge turned to see a young saleswoman standing beside him. He smiled, "No, thank you, I'm just looking around."
"Okay, well, my name is Pieatra, if you need anything, just ask for me. Pieatra." She smiled prettily at him.
He nodded, "Yeah, thanks, I will."
Pidge watched as she walked back to the counter, looking over her shoulder at him before turning to her coworker and they giggled. He rolled his eyes and went to find Becca.
"What do you think of this?"
She showed him a hand tooled, leather frame. "For my parents."
"That's, uh, that's nice."
She looked up at him, "You okay?"
His gaze shifted over to the counter and then back to her, "Yeah, I'm fine."
Becca looked over his shoulder and saw the two girls at the counter. As soon as she looked over, they turned away and started talking quietly. Smiling, she turned back to Pidge, "Want me to go beat them up?"
"What?" He asked, surprised.
"Those girls, you want me to go beat them up? You can't do it, I mean you're a guy and you're about ten times stronger than they are. If I beat them up, it would be a fair fight."
Pidge laughed, "You're something else."
"You aren't comfortable with your celebrity, are you?" She asked, seriously.
He flinched.
She laid a gentle hand on his arm, "You're an amazing man and an incredible soldier. What you and the rest of the Force did for Arus is unbelievable."
Pidge blushed, "We were just doing our job."
"And they're grateful and in awe of you."
"I just wish I could go out and not have people look at me and whisper," he ran a hand through his hair. "We've been here for years, the novelty should've worn off by now."
"They look at you and whisper because you're so cute," Becca smiled. "Have girls always done that?"
He shrugged again, "There were always girls hitting on us, they think it's really cool to date a member of the Voltron Force. Dante is really loving it."
Becca bit her lip, suddenly understanding his uneasiness when they had first started going out, his questioning her feelings for him. "Pidge," she squeezed his arm. "You know I…"
"I know," he interrupted. "You gonna buy that?"
"Yeah. Did you find anything?"
He cast a glance around, seeing a leather bound photo album with a gold embossed cover. Thinking of all the pictures Lance had been taking of Schuyler, he grabbed it. "Yup, let's go check out."
"Will this be everything?" Pieatra asked sweetly, taking the album from Pidge.
"Uh, yeah, that's it for now," he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.
"You're Lt. Audric with the Voltron Force, aren't you?" She asked, ringing up his purchase.
He nodded, looking down at his wallet, fishing out some bills.
"This is a lovely album, is it for a friend?"
He sighed, "Yeah."
"Would you like it wrapped?"
Becca slid her arm through his and leaned against him, "Don't worry about it, honey, we'll wrap it later."
Pieatra's eyes flitted over to Becca for a moment and then back to the register, "It's free, Lieutenant."
"No, it's alright," Pidge handed her the money.
Becca giggled as they left the store.
"It's not funny," he scolded her.
She took his hand, "I love you, Pidge, I do. And not because you're on the Force, but because after everything you've done, you still think you were just doing your job."
"I know," he kissed her on the top of her head. "I love you too."
"Pid!"
They looked up to see Keith walking towards them, pushing Cady in a stroller.
"Hi there, Cady Bear," Pidge crouched down in front of her. "Whatcha got there?"
"'Noman!" She shrieked, holding up a stuffed snowman.
"Very pretty," he tapped her nose and stood.
"Pitty pitty pitty," Cady chanted.
"What're you guys doing out?" Pidge asked Keith.
"Giving Allura a bit of a break and picking up her Christmas present," he explained. "You guys doing a little shopping?"
"Yeah, and watching the girls hit on Pidge," Becca told him.
"Ah, so you're seeing the downside of dating a member of the Voltron Force," Keith smiled.
Pidge scowled, "You heading back to the castle?"
"In a minute, I want to check on the present Allura and I are getting Lance and Darcy."
"Oh, what are you getting them?" Becca asked.
"Can you keep a secret?"
She nodded.
"Come with me." Keith led them down
three stores and stopped in front of a small shop, pointing at the window.
"You're kidding?" Becca gasped.
"Nope. Why? You think they won't like it?"
"They'll love it! I know Darcy will flip out!"
"What made you pick that?" Pidge asked, leaning forward to examine it.
"Lance has been dropping hints, especially since they're now in the planning stages for the house."
Becca grinned at him, "It's perfect."
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Darcy lifted Schuyler off her parent's bed after changing her diaper and looked at her daughter. She had just wakened from her nap and still had that heavy-lidded, tired look. She wore red corduroy overalls over a red, white and green striped turtleneck, her dark hair falling around her face. Darcy smiled at her and was rewarded with a tired smile.
Darcy was a sucker for the holidays and she did have a tendency to get nostalgic and sentimental. Last year at Christmas she had been about seven month pregnant and blamed her emotions on hormones. She couldn't use that excuse this year. Instead, she found herself feeling a bit overwhelmed with unexplainable emotion. Her heart pounded as she settled her daughter on her hip. Deep down, she knew it was a combination of excitement, nostalgia, thankfulness, and love. Her life had taken so many turns in the past couple of years and she now found herself settled on a planet, married to the most amazing man she had ever known, and with the most beautiful daughter in the world. Throw all that together with the holidays and Darcy found herself feeling a little weepy.
"Schuyler," Darcy kissed her daughter's cheek and leaned over to pick up the little stuffed mouse the little girl always slept with. "Nana and Pappy are almost here."
"How's Lance doing?" Lucy asked as she put aside the diaper bag.
"He was sleeping when I left him."
"Where are you going to sleep tonight?"
Darcy tickled Schuyler's nose with her mouse and smiled when she giggled, "I'll sleep in the nursery. Where's Dad?"
"Keith took him down to the control room to show him what they do."
"So in other words, he's quizzing Keith about Pidge."
"Yup."
Darcy's communicator beeped and she unclipped it from her belt, "Yeah?"
"Hey, Darc, the ship just entered Arusian airspace, they should be landing within fifteen minutes." Keith told her.
"Alright, we'll be down in a minute," She snapped the communicator shut and turned to her mother. "Lance's parents are landing, do you want to come greet them with us?"
"Sure," Lucy grabbed her coat off the hook on the back of the door.
"I have to stop by the nursery and pick up Schuyler's coat," Darcy told her mother as they headed down the hallway.
"Where are Lance's parents going to be staying?"
"The same hall as you guys, a few doors down. Keith's mother will be staying there too."
"I've been wondering, but I didn't want to seem tactless," Lucy lowered her voice. "What happened to Keith's father?"
"He died when Keith was fourteen, he was in his first year at the Academy."
"Oh, poor Keith," Lucy sighed. "He is such a good father himself."
"Yeah, he is," Darcy stopped in front of the nursery door and handed Schuyler to her mother. "I'll be right back."
"Darcy?"
She heard Lance's muffled voice as she entered the nursery. "Yeah, Lance." She grabbed Schuyler's coat and hat and walked into their room, "How're you feeling?"
The blankets moved as he shrugged inside his cocoon.
Sitting on the side of the bed, Darcy pushed the blankets
away from his pale face, "Keith just told me your parent's ship has entered
Arusian airspace, they'll be on the ground in a couple of minutes."
He nodded, "Tell 'em I'm sorry I can't meet them."
"They'll understand, honey, don't worry about it," she stroked his warm cheek. "Just rest so you can be better for Christmas."
"I love you, Darc."
She smiled at him, "I love you too."
"And I'd love you even more if you brought me some juice."
"Smooth, Collier," she laughed. "I'll get some juice."
"Thank you," he mumbled.
Darcy stood and got her coat from the closet, "Is there anything else you need?"
"Don't forget the straw."
"Okay."
"A bendy straw."
"Okay, Lance." Darcy slid her coat on and met her mother in the hall.
"Is everything alright?" Lucy asked.
"Yeah, he's still whining." Darcy took Schuyler and set her on the floor, gently guiding her arms into the sleeves of her coat. After zippering up the coat, tying her hat under her chin and tugging the mittens on her little hands, Darcy lifted Schuyler up and turned to her mother, "I think we're finally ready."
Lucy clucked her tongue, "Such a beautiful little girl."
"You're a little biased, Mom," Darcy teased.
"Not in the least," Lucy insisted, watching as Schuyler tilted her head back and babbled.
"They're just about to land," Keith told Darcy as they entered Castle Control.
Darcy nodded, "Thanks Keith." She looked down at Schuyler, jiggling her, "Ready to see Nana and Pappy, Sky?"
The little girl clapped her hands and squealed.
"The main tarmac," Keith called after them.
The ship had just touched down as Darcy, her daughter, and her mother walked outside. They watched the door on the ship slide open and the steps glide down to the ground.
"I told you to double check your bag," Molly Collier scolded her husband as the descended the steps.
"I figured you packed it, you never forgot it before," Felix Collier told his wife.
"This is Schuyler's first Christmas, all I asked was for you to pack the camera and what was the one thing you forgot?"
"I'm sure we can pick up a camera in town and if I know my son, Lance has already stockpiled film."
"He has," Darcy spoke up.
"Oh! Oh, Darcy hi!" Molly dropped the bag in her hand and ran toward them. "How are you? Oh, Schuyler! My little angel! How are you? Look at those mittens, so cute. Where's Lance?"
Darcy had thought she was used to Lance's mother and her rapid fire way of talking, "Hi, Molly, Felix. Lance is sick, he's in bed right now."
Concern crossed Molly's face, "What's wrong with him?"
"Just a little bug, he'll be fine in a few days," Darcy assured her.
"Is he whining yet," Felix asked, giving her a hug.
"When isn't he?" Darcy quipped.
"True, true," Molly turned to Darcy's mother. "Lucy, it's wonderful to see you again."
"And you, Molly, how was your trip?"
"Very nice, but long. Oh, how I wish they didn't live so far away."
Darcy rolled her eyes. Their parents had moved on to subtle ways of asking them to move back to Terra.
"Come on," Felix draped an arm over Darcy's shoulder. "Let's get inside where it's warm, I want to spend some time with that beautiful granddaughter of mine."