Hi all!

And here is the first chapter of the K & A story I've been promising.  This chapter is mainly just to set the scene and reacquaint you with the characters.  The action will follow soon.

It sort of follows my other stories in that the characters I've created will make an appearance, so it helps if you have read my other stories (New Arrivals, Home Sweet Home, Of Love and Bugs). 

Once again I have taken a lot of liberties, so it won't follow the show word for word and I don't own Voltron or any of the characters you know from the show. 

Enjoy,

Failte

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Keith meandered down the main road toward Alforia, his hands in his pockets. He had told Allura he would pick up the kids today, it was a big day after all. Today was their tenth anniversary. Sven and Romelle were flying in with their two kids, Lance and Darcy would be up at the castle with their daughter. Hunk and Paton would arrive later and Pidge and Becca were already there.  Caleb and Dante had both been invited, but both men had been reassigned by the Garrison many years before.  The visited as often as they could but the visits had become more rare as of late.  Caleb was assigned to a peace keeping mission on the other side of the Weberion Galaxy, forty seven hours away.  Dante was leading a group in an exploratory mission through the Lederer Universe and was unable to get away.

He checked his watch. School would let out in about ten minutes. He and Allura had decided when Cady, their oldest, was ready to start school that she would go to the public school. Allura felt it showed her faith in their education system and she wanted her children to grow up with plenty of interaction with the other town's children. The school was a mile and a half away and either Keith or Allura, sometimes both of them, would drop them off and pick them up every day. But on beautiful days like today, Keith enjoyed the walk.

Allura was tied up with last minute arrangements for the next night's celebration. Whereas tonight was going to be a small dinner with family and close friends, the next night was going to be a ball where dignitaries, friends, and the press would come to celebrate their anniversary.

Keith had hoped they would reach this milestone quietly, maybe even get away for the weekend, just the two of them. But when you're married to the planet's monarch, it's never that simple. The arrival of their tenth wedding anniversary was also the tenth anniversary of Allura becoming the full-fledged Queen of Arus. Never again was his life, or any major milestone in it, including the birth of their children and their wedding anniversaries, ever going to pass quietly.

It had been a hard adjustment for a man who had once closely guarded his privacy. He went from being just another Garrison pilot to the Prince Consort to one of the most powerful women in the galaxy. Not that he ever felt second to Allura. Their lives were a partnership. She ruled Arus as justly and kindly as her father had, but she always spoke with him concerning major decisions. She had placed the military in his hands, giving him full jurisdiction over it, although he would never make a major decision without speaking with her first. They disagreed sometimes and a few times they had even fought, but it was never anything they couldn't talk through.

When he had accepted this potentially suicidal mission to lead a ragtag group of space explorers in search of the legendary fairy-tale of Voltron, Keith could never have imagined himself ending up like this. Finding Voltron and using him to defeat the worst enemy the Garrison had ever been up against. Falling in love with the Princess, marrying her, and having four children.

When Allura announced she was pregnant with their youngest, Lance had given him a box of condoms and instructions on how to use them.  Four children. Geez, when did that happen? His whole world changed when Cady had been born nine years ago. She had been followed two years later by their twin boys, Gideon and Declan, and four years ago, Tess entered their lives. And he couldn't be happier.  Family had always been important to him, especially since he had lost his father at a young age and Allura had always wanted a big family.

Keith walked past small groups of children as he neared the schoolyard. A few smiled shyly and he waved in return. It had taken him a while, but he had grown comfortable in his celebrity status. Not that he enjoyed it, per se, but it was just something he had to get used to.

"Dad!"

He grinned at the sight of a dark haired little boy running toward him, "Hey, Gid, how was school?"

Gideon stopped in front of his father, his brother right behind him, "It was good, Dad and guess what!"

"What?"

"Dec has a girlfriend."

Keith raised an eyebrow and looked at his other son, "You have a girlfriend?"

"No," Declan kicked at the dirt and stared at his feet.

The boys were fraternal twins, they took after him with his dark hair and features but they had their mother's big blue eyes.  Tess was a comfortable combination of the two of them with her blonde hair, brown eyes, and soft features. Cady, however, was a little Allura. She had the long, thick, blonde curls, big blue eyes, and the ability to get him to agree to just about anything by smiling at him.

"Yes he does!" Gideon punched his brother in the arm. "It's Savi Bunderman."

"Bunkerlan," Declan corrected, punching Gideon back.

Keith bit his cheek to keep from smiling, "Is it serious?"

"No, she's not my girlfriend!" Declan face turned bright red.

"Who? Savi Bunkerlan?" Cady came up behind them, digging in her bookbag.

"Yeah," Gideon told her.

"Hi, Cady, how was school?" Keith asked, trying to take the heat off his son.

"Good, look," she held out a piece of paper with a gold star out for him to see.

Keith scanned it and grinned at her, "Way to go, sweetie, we'll put this on the fridge."

She beamed at him.

"Where's Tessy?" Declan asked.

"She stayed home to help Mom plan tomorrow's party." Keith told them.

"Do I hafta wear a suit?" Gideon whined.

"If I have to, you have to," Keith cuffed him gently on the head. He looked up and stopped when he saw Darcy, Lance's wife, standing beside a little dark haired girl. Her hand rested on the girl's shoulder as she spoke to a teacher. "Is Sky in trouble again?"

Cady looked over, "Yeah, she got into a fight."

Keith looked down at her, "A fight?"

"Yeah, with a fourth grader."

He watched as another woman walked up with a boy. The boy looked miserable and had a bruise on his cheek. "A fourth grade boy?"

"Yup," Cady took his hand.

Keith couldn't help but smile. Lance will be so proud, He thought.

"Come on, Daddy," she tugged on his hand.

"Just a second, Cady, I want to talk to Aunt Darcy." He watched as Darcy clutched Sky's shoulder and steered her away from the school, speaking lowly to her.

"You are in big trouble, young lady. What have we told you about fighting?"

"I know," Schuyler mumbled.

Darcy looked up and saw Keith watching her, wonderingly. She let go of her daughter's shoulder, "Hi Keith."

"Hi Darc, everything alright?"

"Go ahead, walk with Cady," Darcy fell in step with Keith, behind the children. "She hit a boy."

"I heard it was a fourth grader."

"Yeah, he's about two inches taller than her and outweighs her by about fifteen pounds."

"Lance will be proud."

Darcy rolled her eyes, "That's part of the problem. It's hard to discipline her when Lance is in the background cheering her on."

Keith smiled, "Did she say what caused the fight?"

"No, neither one of them would say what caused it."

"You guys are still coming tonight, aren't you?"

"Of course, we wouldn't miss this for the world," Darcy grinned as a thought occurred to her. "As a matter of fact, we'll be getting there early so Schuyler can help Nanny."

"Ouch," Keith winced. "So begins the punishment, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Darcy stopped in front of the house she shared with her husband and daughter.  "Schuyler Grace! Come back here! We're not heading up to the castle just yet."

Schuyler wrinkled her nose in disgust as she did every time her mother used her middle name, "See you later, Cady." She waved to her friend.

"Bye Sky!" The three Whitaker children called after her.

"You need to get washed up and changed," Darcy told her daughter as they entered the house.

"Do I hafta dress up?"  Schuyler stopped and petted the big golden mutt who greeted her at the door.  "Hi Chewy."

"Yes."

"Tonight and tomorrow?" Sky whined.

"Yes. I'm sure Erik can't wait to see you in a dress," Darcy teased.

Sky wrinkled her nose again, "Oh yuck!"

The sound of running water drew Darcy's attention, "Sounds like Daddy's home."

"Are you, uh," Sky looked at her feet. "Are you gonna tell Daddy about the fight?"

"Yes."

"Oh man!" She kicked a kitchen chair as she passed.

"Then you shouldn't have gotten into a fight. Go get dressed while I talk to your father." Darcy gave the girl a gentle push in the direction of her room while she went to the bedroom she shared with Lance. He walked out of the adjoining bathroom, shirtless and rubbing his wet hair with a towel.

"Hi there, Beautiful," he greeted her as she shut the door behind her.

"Hey, how was work?"

"Good, we have a great new class of recruits," he let the towel fall across his shoulders. "We spent most of the day going over everything with the guards for this weekend." He crossed to her and kissed her gently, backing her up against the door.

"Lance," she murmured against his lips. Putting her hands on his damp chest, she tried to push him away.

"That's not really the greeting I was hoping for," he told her, looking down at her mischievously. "You used to swoon."

"I never swooned."

In one swift movement, Lance wrapped his arm around her waist twirled her around and dipped her dramatically. "You swooned," he corrected, bringing his lips down on hers for a deep kiss. He pulled back when she began to laugh. "What?"

"I'll swoon later, honey, we need to talk."

"Uh oh," he brought her upright. "What'd she do now?"

"She got into a fight."

Concern crossed his face, "Is she alright?"

"She's fine. She hit a boy."

The concern was quickly replaced by a grin, "A boy? Why? Was he getting fresh?"

Darcy rolled her eyes, "For Pete's sake, Lance! No he wasn't getting fresh, she's only eight and he's only in fourth grade."

"My daughter beat up a fourth grade boy?" His chest puffed out with pride.

"This isn't something to be proud of, Lance. We need to talk to her. She can't keep picking fights."

"I'm sure she had a good reason, what happened?"

"She wouldn't say."

Lance nodded and crossed to open the door, "Schuyler! Come here, please."

With her head down and her dress unzipped in the back, Schuyler shuffled into her parent's room.  Chewy followed at her heels, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth giving him a goofy expression that fit his personality. Darcy tugged the zipper up as the little girl turned to face her father.

Lance sat on the edge of the bed, "What happened, Sky?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, looking at her feet.

He put his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him, "You don't just hit a boy for nothing. What happened? Was he picking on you?"

She shook her head.

"Was he picking on Cady?"

Schuyler hesitated before shaking her head again.

Having grown up together, the two girls had forged a deep friendship but they were complete opposites. Whereas Schuyler was the tomboy and troublemaker, Cady was a quintessential princess. More often then not, Schuyler found herself standing up for the prim and proper girl.

"Schuyler," Lance lowered his tone.

She sighed dramatically, "He made fun of Uncle Keith and Cady got sad."

Lance glanced at Darcy over her head and then back down at his daughter, "He made fun of Uncle Keith? What did he say?"

Schuyler played with them hem of her dress and looked at the floor, "He said that Uncle Keith shouldn't've married Aunt 'Lura. He said Uncle Keith was a nobody and he shouldn't've married a Queen. He's a distrace..."

"Disgrace," Darcy corrected quietly.

Schuyler nodded, "A disgrace to Arus and the royal family."

Lance looked back at Darcy, "It sounds like he was just repeating what he heard."

Darcy nodded and sank down on the bed beside Lance, taking the girl's hand in hers, "Sky, I know you were upset about what you heard, but you still should not have hit him. There is never an excuse to hit."

"But," she looked up at her parents. "But I was defending Uncle Keith, just like you guys defended Arus."

"That's different," Darcy said slowly.

"How?"

Darcy looked up at Lance, but saw him staring at the wall over Schuyler's head, his lips pursed.  She knew he was trying not to laugh.  "Because, Schuyler, we were trained soldiers hired to do a job.  Arus was in danger, we came to save the lives of the people here.  We didn't defend Arus because Doom was making fun of them."

Lance took a deep breath to keep the laughter from his voice and lifted his daughter onto his lap, "Sky, do you think Uncle Keith should not have married Aunt Allura?"

"No."


"Do you believe what that boy said?"

"No."

"You are a very smart girl, Sky, you know the truth.  Next time that boy, or anyone else, says something mean about Uncle Keith or Aunt Allura, just remember that you know them better than they do.  Think about how much you love them and walk away.  Do you understand?"

She nodded, scratching Chewy's head as he laid it on her knee.

"We know you meant well," Darcy added gently.  "But the best thing you can do is walk away when someone says something mean like that.  You know better."

Sky looked up her parents with wide eyes and her lower lip sticking out, "Am I still in trouble?"

Lance looked at Darcy over the top of their daughter's head and smiled.

"Yes," Darcy insisted.  "We're going to head up to the castle early and you are going to help Nanny get ready for dinner.  You will do as you're told and you will do it properly.  Understand?"

"Yes, Mom," she cast her eyes down.

"And if I find out you hit anyone again, it will be a long, long time before you're in Red again."  Darcy added.

Schuyler whipped her head up, a look of shock on her face.  But she saw by her mother's expression just how serious she was, so Schuyler nodded.

"Alright," Lance set Schuyler on her feet and stood.  "I need to finish getting ready so we can leave."

"Go find your shoes," Darcy said, running her hand over Schuyler's head.  "And then I'll do your hair."

Lance closed the door behind her and turned to face his wife, a huge grin on his face, "My God, I love that kid."

"Good," Darcy said, snaking her arms around his waist.  "'Cause we're stuck with her for a while."

He kissed her, "My daughter beat up a forth grade boy."

"You don't need to brag about that."

"I think I do."

"Lance," she shook her head.

"She's going to make a great soldier."

"What if she decides she doesn't want to be a soldier?"

Lance looked down at her, scandalized, "What else would she do?"

"I don't know?  She could move to Pollux and marry Erik."

"No.  That boy will never be allowed to touch our daughter."

"She's going to grow up sometime, Lance, and some boy is going to sweep in and steal her away."

"Nope."

Darcy grinned up at him, "Starting to sympathize with my father?"

Lance mumbled incoherently and went in search of a shirt to wear.

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"Sven!  Glad to see you again, buddy," Keith pulled Sven into a one-armed hug while holding Tess with his other.

Their ship had just landed, and Keith, Tess, Pidge, Cady, and the boys were out by the tarmac to greet them. 

"Keit, good to see you.  And is dis Tess?  You've gotten so big."  Sven tickled the chin of Keith and Allura's youngest.

Tess looked at him with her big brown eyes, "No I didn't I'm still da smallest."

Sven smiled at her, "But you're bigger than you were de last time I saw you."

She considered this a moment, but looked confused.

"Tess, you remember your cousins, Erik and Delora," Keith set her on the ground, but she quickly turned to hug his legs.

"Keith, it's so good to see you again.  Where's Allura?"  Romelle asked as she hugged him.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," he picked Tess up again.  "She asked me to come meet you guys because she had something to see to, but she'll explain it later."

"Has everyone else arrived?"  Romelle asked.

"We're still waiting for Lance, Darcy, and Schuyler.  Hunk and Paton are in the rec room."  Keith told her.

"How is Paton?"  Sven asked as they made their way into the castle.

"Very pregnant," said Keith.

"Captain," Koran greeted them in Castle Control.  "Her Majesty would like to talk to you."

"Is everything alright?"  Keith asked, handing Tess to Pidge.

"She didn't say what was wrong, just that she needed to speak to you and she's in her study."

Keith turned to his friends, "Make yourselves at home, you know where everything is.  I'll find you later."  He hurried out of the room and down the hall towards her study.  She was acting very secretive and he hadn't really seen her since he had returned home with the kids.

"Come in," Allura called when he knocked.

"Hey, baby, are you okay?"  He asked, closing the door behind him.

She stood and walked around to the front of her desk, "I'm great."

"You've had me worried, I haven't seen you all afternoon and now you ask to speak to me alone when our guests have just arrived."

"Yeah, I guess I have been rude," Allura leaned against her desk and picked up a folder.  "I'll go meet them in a minute, I just wanted to give you an early Anniversary present."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Oh yeah."

Wordlessly, she held the folder out to him. 

"What's that?"

"There's only one way to find out."

Bewildered, Keith took the folder from her and flipped it open.  A quick laugh escaped his lips, "Is this for real?"

"Yup."

"You're okay with this?"

"I'm great with this.  What about you?"

"I'm thrilled.  You're sure?"

"Becca tested me twice."

Keith stepped closer and pulled her into a tight hug, "Baby number five.  Lance is going to want to know why we didn't use the condoms he gave us."

"I think we should tell the kids before we tell anyone else," Allura told him, turning to kiss his cheek.

He kissed her long and hard.  "Happy Anniversary, Angel."

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

After dinner that night, the entire gang retired to the rec room, just like old times.  Before dinner, Allura and Keith had taken their kids aside and told them the news.  Cady was excited and told them she hoped it would be another girl, the boys, however wanted a brother and the three of them started arguing.  Tess wasn't too sure what she thought about it.  Now they were just waiting for the right opportunity to tell their friends.

"I can't believe it's been ten years," Sven said, sitting back on the sofa, slinging his arm across Romelle's shoulders.

"You can't believe it?"  Lance scoffed.  "Who thought Keith could snag the Princess?"

"I knew it," Hunk spoke up.  "The moment they set eyes on each other, they were both in trouble."

"What do you mean they were in trouble?" Cady asked.  She was sitting on the floor with Gideon, Declan, Erik, Delora and Schuyler, playing a board game.  Tess was sitting on the loveseat between her parents.

"It was love at first sight," Hunk told her.

"Well," Keith rubbed the back of his neck.  "I don't think it was really love at first sight, I mean I was certainly attracted to her, Allura is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.  But love came later, after I got to know her and I saw how smart and strong and classy she is."

Smiling, Allura leaned over and kissed him gently, ignoring the groans of "Yuck!" and "Gross!" from her sons and Schuyler.

"It was love at first sight for me," she whispered.  "But then I realized Lance was the wrong one for me and I decided to give you a chance."

The guys all laughed.

"You almost married Aunt 'Lura?"  Schuyler gasped at her father.

"Never," Keith said.

Lance tweaked his daughter's nose, "Nope.  I never even noticed women before I met your mother."

This set the gang off once again, laughing hysterically.  Pidge choked on his drink and Sven almost fell to the floor.

Becca patted Pidge on the back, "I can't believe you would lie to your own daughter."

"Hey!" Lance looked up at his sister-in-law.  "You didn't even know me back then."

"I've heard stories," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Remind me to take you out back and beat you up later, Pidge."

Becca sat back in the big, overstuffed chair where she was cuddled with Pidge.  The two of them had married in a simple ceremony on Terra a year earlier and were living in the wing once occupied by the Voltron Force.  Dr. Gorma was in the process of turning his practice over to her and it was decided she needed to stay in the Castle for the time being.  "How exactly did you guys get together?"  She asked.

"It vasn't easy," Sven said.  "Dey are two of de most stubborn, thick-headed people you'll ever meet.  Keit tought he vasn't good enough for a Princess and Allura tought she didn't have a chance vith Keit.  It vas pathetic, really."

"It was not!"  Allura huffed.  "There was a lot going on.  We were at war, almost always under attack, I had a planet to rebuild.  Romance had to be put on the backburner for a while."

"Nope, you were just pigheaded."  Lance said.


The children looked at each other and giggled.

"Yeah, well, we can't all bully women into loving us," Keith told his second-in-command.

"Hey!  I didn't bully anyone." Lance threw his arm around Darcy's shoulders.

She turned and kissed his cheek, "Yes you did, sweetie."

"Okay," Becca spoke up.  "This sounds like it has the makings of an interesting story."

Lance and Sven looked at each other.  Sven nodded to his friend, so Lance began.


"The first time we laid eyes on Allura, Koran introduced her as she came down the stairs and we were all knocked for a loop…"

"Hey," Keith interrupted.  "If you're going to tell the story of how we got together, I think we should be the ones telling it."

"Yeah right," Lance snorted.  "You would sugar coat it and change things.  Becca wants to hear the real story and I know we want to tell it."

"Yeah, Daddy, let Uncle Lance tell it," Cady said, climbing onto her father's lap.

"Any way, as I was saying, when Koran introduced us to Allura we were all pleasantly surprised.  A beautiful, smart young woman…"