Keith looked down at the ring resting on his palm.  The gold circle was so small, reminding him if her delicate fingers.  Fingers that were often wrapped around the steering stick of one of the most powerful machines in the universe or could drive him crazy when she ran them over his back or through his hair or warm his heart when she entwined then with his larger fingers.

There was no way she had just broken up with him.  He shook his head, trying to clear the fog.  That did not just happen.

The silence was broken by the beeping of the replacement communicator Koran had given him.  Whenever a communicator was taken, it had to be deactivated and then a new one was assigned.

Letting out a breath, Keith slipped the ring into his pocket and pulled out his communicator.  "Whitaker."

"Miss Remikade said she's ready to talk, Captain," Koran told him.

Keith closed his eyes, the last thing he wanted to do was talk to Euclida.  He wanted to sit down some place quiet and try to figure out what had just happened.  Either that or go have a stiff drink. 

"I'll be right there."

Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Sven, Romelle, and Koran were all gathered in Castle Control when Keith walked in. 

"Where's Allura?"  Romelle asked.

Keith shrugged, "I, uh, I don't know.  I'm, uh, I'm going to go…talk to Euclida."

Sven walked over to him and lowered his voice, "Are you okay, Keit?"

He looked up at his friend, a lost look in his eyes, "What?  Oh…yeah."

"Keit."

"Um," he rubbed the back of his neck.  "I, uh, I think Allura just broke up with me."

"What?"  Lance asked, shocked.

Romelle let out a small gasp and rushed from the room.

"Vhat happened?"  Sven asked.

Keith shook his head, "I have to go talk to Euclida."

"I can do that, Captain," Koran offered kindly.

"No, I have to."

Hunk stepped forward, "Keith…"

"I can do my job," he snapped at his friends.  "I'll let you know what I find out.  Lance, come witness this with me."

"Yes, sir."  With a shrug to his friends, Lance followed their Commander.

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

Romelle gathered her skirt in her hands and hurried down the hall to Allura's room.  She knocked on the door and waited.  She knocked again and called out, "Allura, it's me."

A sniffle was the response from the other side of the door, "Please, Romelle, leave me alone."

"No."

"I don't need…"

"Yes you do.  Now open the door before I go get one of the guys to open it for me."

The door slid open and Romelle stepped in.  Allura was turned from the door, clutching a box of tissues in her hands and sniffling.

"What happened?"  Romelle crossed to her cousin and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  "Tell me what happened."

"Keith and I are through," Allura whispered, tears running down her face.


"Why?  What happened?"

Allura shuffled over to close and lock the door.  "He's slipping away from me."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I don't know how to explain it," Allura stopped and pressed a hand to her mouth, swallowing a sob.  "I just know it.  I felt it when we went to Doom and when I saw him with Euclida, I knew it."

"No, he isn't.  You guys are perfect together, you love each other.  He is not slipping away."

Allura sank onto the edge of her bed and wiped her nose with a tissue, "Then why isn't he here?"

"Because he has to go talk to…" Romelle trailed off.  "Oh, Allura, he has work to do, you have to understand that.  This isn't about you two, this is about L-Lotor."  She still had problems saying his name out loud.

Allura shook her head.

"Just yesterday you were telling me how much you love him."  Romelle sat on the bed beside her.  "If you're letting this happen, you're pushing him away and then you're letting Lotor win."

"But I'm not pushing him away!"  Allura stood and began pacing.  "You just don't get it, Romelle!  Let him go and be with Euclida, they're perfect together!"

Romelle watched her cousin pace, confused by her behavior.  "Allura…"

"Just leave me alone."

"Allura…"

"Please, Romelle, just go," Allura whispered, her back to her cousin as she stared out the window in front of her.

"I don't think you should be alone right now."

"No, that is what I need."

"Alright," Romelle stood.  "If you need me or if you want to talk, just let me know."


Allura nodded.

Romelle opened her mouth to speak again, but thought better of it.  She slipped silently from the room.

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

"I saw him in my dreams at night," Euclida whispered.  She was sitting up in her bed, her father standing beside her while she told Keith and Lance everything she knew.  "And then it started during the day.  It was like my mind would start to wander and I would see him in front of me clear as day.  Then when he came to me for real, I don't know, it was…I was confused."


Keith nodded slowly, "Did he drug you?"

"When…when I realized where I was and what he was doing, I tried to get away.  That's when the…the w-witch did something to me and I got very tired."

"But Dr. Gorma said you were fine?"

Euclida nodded.

"When can I take her home?"  Calren asked.


Keith looked up at him, "I would like to have her stay a while, keep her under doctor's care for now."  He turned back to her, "Did Lotor say anything to you?  Anything that might tell us why he took you, why he did this?"

Euclida looked down as she toyed with the edge of her blanket, "I, uh, I can't remember hearing him say anything about it.  He just kept promising me everything I ever wanted.  He promised to make me happy."

"What did he promise you?"

Her cheeks darkened to a deep red and she refused to lift her head to meet his gaze.

With a sigh Keith nodded, "Alright, we won't question you any further.  Thank you for your help, Euclida."

Calren noticed how distant and cold the Captain seemed, "What is it?  Do you know how he did this?  Or why?"

"He did something similar to the Princess, but with her it was the witch.  Haggar had actually entered the Princess' mind."

"Is that what you think happened to Euclida?"

Keith shook his head, "No, I think this was different.  This sounds more like a manipulation than an intrusion.  But that's why I'd like to have you both stay a little while longer."

"And if it is an intrusion?"

"Then we will get her the help she needs."

Calren nodded, laying a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Just, uh, just let us know if you need anything.  That button will alert the nurses and Dr. Gorma, they can get a hold of us at any time."  Keith told her.

"Thank you, Keith, for everything," she whispered.

He nodded and left the room. 

"Hey," Lance jogged to keep up with his Commander as they left the hospital.  "How're you doing, man?"

Keith slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ring.  He held it up for Lance to see, "How do you think I'm doing?"

"Shit," Lance murmured.  "What happened?"

"She's jealous of Euclida."


"What?"

"She actually thinks there is something going on with Euclida and me."


"Is there?"

Keith stopped abruptly and glared at Lance, "How can you ask that?"

Taking a small step back, Lance told him, "Well, you two were rather cozy."


"She was scared, what was I supposed to do?"

Lance held his hands up in defense, "I'm just saying that it probably didn't look that innocent to Allura."

Keith let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair, "I don't know, Lance."

"You don't know about what?"

"I'm beginning to wonder about Allura and me."

"What are you talking about?"

Keith lowered his voice, "What if our feelings are just the effect of being thrown together in a highly emotional situation?"

"What?"

"I've been thinking about this.  Koran told me once that he was afraid that Allura's feelings for me were just hero worship.  What if they are?  What if my feelings are just tied up in her being a damsel in distress?  I swoop in and save her and then we live happily ever after.  Is what we have for real?"

Lance stared at his friend, his mouth hanging open in shock.  "You can't mean that, Keith.  What you and Allura have is special, it is real.  If you look deep down inside you, you will see that."

The Captain lowered his head and stared at the ring in his hand.

Lance shook his head, "If you end this relationship then you are an idiot and a jackass.  You will regret it the rest of your life and you know it."

Without a word, Keith left his friend standing alone in the hallway as he made his way to his study.

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

Allura was curled up in bed, hugging a pillow.  She had cried herself dry and was waiting, bitterly, for Keith to come.  But he hadn't.  And it was killing her.

A sharp knock on the door had her sitting upright and running her hands over her hair, trying to smooth it down.  "Come in!"

The door slid open and Lance walked in, or rather stalked in.  He shut the door and angrily paced the floor, muttering under his breath.  Allura watched him and waited for him to speak.

"What do you want?"  She finally asked.

"You are two of the stupidest, moronic…morons I have ever met!"

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you break up with him?"

Allura hugged her pillow to her chest, "We, uh, we need time apart."

"Why?"

"I don't want to tie him down so young, especially when he still has feelings for another woman.  He will just resent me later."

Lance sat on the bed in front of her and took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.  "Do you really want to break up with him?"

"It's right," she whispered.


"How do you know that?"

"Because I feel it."

Lance dropped his hands and lowered his head.  Allura watched as he rubbed the back of his neck.  After a few moments, he looked up at her.

"Just answer me this, Allura," he said lowly.  "Do you remember when you thought Keith was dead?"


She nodded.

"Do you remember what it was like to think you would never see him again?  Do you remember how devastated you were?"

Tears escaped down her cheeks as she nodded again.

"Now, do you really want him out of your life?"

"Oh, Lance, what have I done?"  She cried, burying her face in her pillow.

He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her in a brotherly hug, "It's not too late to fix it.  He's in his study."

"But does he want to see me?"  She hiccupped.

"He always wants to see you."

Ten minutes later, Allura stood in front of the closed door to Keith's study.  She had quickly washed her face and brushed her hair, trying to put on a brave face.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" 

"It's me," she said quietly, almost afraid he hadn't heard her.

The door slid open and Keith looked down at her.  His face was drawn and his body tense.  "Allura."

"Keith."

He watched her silently as she studied him.  "What do you want?"

"C-can we talk?"

He stepped aside to let her in.

Allura sat on the edge of the couch and smoothed her skirt over her legs, "How, uh, how's Euclida?"

Keith leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Dr. Gorma said she's fine.  I asked her and her father to stay a little longer so he can keep an eye on her."

"Good, I'm glad to hear she'll be alright."

An awkward silence filled the room as they avoided looking at each other, neither sure what to say.

"Allura…"

"Keith…"

The Princess smiled nervously, "Sorry, what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that I think you're right."

"What?"

He cleared his throat, "I, uh, think you were right.  We need some time."

Allura felt her heart constrict, "What?"

"There is a lot going on, Allura.  Maybe we need some time to work out our feelings and decide what we really want."

"Oh."

"What were you going to say?"  Keith asked.

"Just that…that I…nothing," she stood on shaky legs.  "I just wanted to know how everything went with…with Euclida.  I have to go meet with Koran."  Without another word, she hurried from the room.

"Whoa," Lance grabbed Allura by the shoulders as she raced down the hall in tears.  "What happened?  Didn't you talk to Keith?"

"Yes I talked to him," she spat.  "And he doesn't love me!  We're through!"  Allura pulled herself from Lance's grasp and ran down the hall.

Lance watched her go and turned to see the door to Keith's office slide shut.  He threw his hands in the air.  If the two of them weren't able to see their mistake now, they would learn as time went on.

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

Nearly a week later, Keith sat in his study staring at Allura's engagement ring.  It had been a hard few days full of soul searching and intense emotions.  He had taken to eating his meals in his study and avoiding the Princess at all costs.  It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be since she was obviously avoiding him.  Aside from morning practice and necessary meetings, they didn't see each other at all.

He missed her terribly.  The way she felt, the way she tasted.  He missed talking to her, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile. 

Sven and Romelle had returned to Pollux when it had become obvious that Allura didn't want to help with wedding plans at the moment and that neither she nor Keith wanted to talk.  They both just wanted to return to normal.

But without her, his life wasn't normal, it was empty. 

Swallowing hard, Keith slipped the ring into a small compartment in the middle drawer of his desk.  He wanted to go to her, but he was afraid to.  He knew she had been spending a lot of time with Lance and it bugged the hell out of him.  He remembered what it was like when they had first come to Arus and she and Lance had formed a fast friendship.  It was jealousy, he realized and he hated it.

Euclida had returned home.  She was fine, still a little shaken, but fine.  With her out of the castle, Keith realized just how much he missed Allura.  It was like a fog had lifted from his mind.  But it didn't make sense.  He didn't have feelings for Euclida, did he?  No, he didn't.  He knew Lotor had had something to do with it, but he couldn't figure it out.

Keith pulled a notepad out of his desk and looked at the notes he had jotted down:

            Euclida has mind manipulated by Haggar

            Thought she and I could be together

            Allura breaks up with me, jealous of Euclida

           

What if Haggar had gotten to Allura too?  But then wouldn't his mind have been manipulated as well? 

Keith jumped to his feet.  That had to be it!  He hadn't even given thought to Euclida before they arrived on Doom to rescue her.  He had felt a pull towards her, he couldn't deny that.  And when she was gone, the pull went as well.  What if Allura had felt something on Doom?  It wasn't real! 

Yanking open the drawer, he grabbed the ring and stuffed it into his pocket.  It was time to end his misery, to end the longest week of his life.  He had to talk to her. They had to work it out.

He checked her study and found it empty.  She wasn't in her room or the rec room.  He passed Pidge who told him he had seen her and Lance talking on the Observation Deck.

With a spring in his step that had disappeared a week before, Keith jogged toward the Observation Deck.

His heart stopped and his throat closed.

Allura and Lance stood in front of the windows in an intimate embrace.  They had yet to see the Captain as Lance stroked Allura's back and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Well isn't this cozy?"  Keith asked bitterly.

The two broke apart quickly.

"Keith, it isn't…"  Lance's words went unsaid as Keith's fist connected with his jaw. 

Allura screamed as Lance stumbled back and fell against the wall, holding his chin, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.