Hi all,


Thank you so much for the amazing reviews, I really appreciate them!  D.G glad to see you're back and feeling better.  I am terribly jealous, I would love to get Lasik!

Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but things have been unbelievably busy lately, combined with the holiday and that I was sick last week.  I am going away this weekend, but I hope to get the next chapter up ASAP.

Important warning:  This is an R rated chapter.  If you might be offended by it, please don't read it.

All relative disclaimers apply…yadda yadda yadda…

Enjoy!
Failte

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

{{  "Wait, wait, wait," Darcy interrupted.  "You actually accepted a challenge from Lotor to duel?  Alone?"

"Yes," Allura said angrily.  "He did."

"Well, that was just stupid."

The Queen of Arus sighed, "I know!  I was so angry!  All he was doing was proving what a macho, arrogant, idiot he could be."

Keith sat back and grinned, "But she gave me one hell of a good luck present."

"I was terrified I would never see you again."

"I knew what I was doing."


Allura snorted in a most unladylike fashion.

"And I had to do it.  I had to let Lotor know that he couldn't keep pushing us around and that he couldn't have you."

"Well, you obviously survived, what happened?"  Becca asked.

"I practiced and planned and went in there and kicked Lotor's ass," Keith said smugly.

"Yup," Lance agreed cheerfully.  "And now we'll tell you what really happened…}}

Allura stood beside the weight bench in the gym and watched Keith as he practiced hand-to-hand with Hunk.  Every day since he agreed to meet Lotor, he had practiced extensively, hand-to-hand with Hunk and fencing with Lance.  She knew that in a fair fight, he would defeat Lotor without a problem.  Keith was strong, quick, and good.  But then this was Lotor, which meant it wouldn't be a fair fight.

With a grunt, Keith flipped Hunk onto his back and pinned him with an arm to the throat. 

"Alright, alright," Hunk panted.  "I need a break."

With a smile, Keith stood and offered his friend a hand.  "Feeling a bit winded, man?  Do I need to up our daily workouts?"

"I thought you had already."

Allura watched the two men chatting and laughing as though they didn't have a care in the world.  This was killing her.  She had made it quite clear what she thought of Keith accepting Lotor's challenge.  She had asked, pleaded, commanded, and begged him to not go through with it.  But he assured her repeatedly that he knew what he was doing and that this was just something he had to do. 

"Hey there."

Allura snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Keith grinning at her as he threw a towel over his shoulder. 

"What's up?"  He asked.

"I just stopped by to see how things were going."

He nodded, "Everything is going fine, Allura, really.  I'm going to go grab a shower and then we're going to have a meeting in the conference room in half an hour."

"What about?"

"You'll find out then."

"Keith, I…"

"I know, I know," he interrupted.  "You think this is stupid and if I loved you I wouldn't go through with it.  But because I do love you and I do want us to have a future together, I am going to do this.  I need you to trust me."

"Okay, but what I was going to say is that I have to make a call and I will meet you in the conference room."

"Oh."

"But I do think this is stupid and I am still upset with you for going through with it."

"I know," he leaned in to kiss her.

Allura placed a hand on his chest and stopped him, "You're sweaty and I'm angry."

"Come one, don't be angry, babe, I want you to understand that I need to do this and I'm doing it for us."

She sighed and crossed her arms, "You're still sweaty."

"I'm going to shower, wanna wash my back?"

A smile played at the corners of her mouth, "No."

He took a small step closer, "How 'bout my front?"

A full fledged smile crossed her lips as she took a step back, "I'll see you in the conference room in thirty minutes."

Before she could get any further, he grabbed her arms and pulled her roughly against him, pressing his lips to hers in a powerful kiss.  Allura grabbed the front of his shirt as her knees weakened and she gave herself to him.  Keith slowly pulled back and looked down at her through half closed eyes, a satisfied grin on his face.  "Thirty minutes."

"What?  Oh, yeah," she mumbled, taking a shaky step backwards.

"Come on, don't make me hose you off."

Both Keith and Allura looked up to see Lance standing beside them. 

"What do you want, Lieutenant?"  Keith asked.

"This came for you," Lance held a folded piece of paper out to him.

Keith took it and skimmed it.  He nodded and looked up at the two of them, "Conference room, thirty minutes, be there."  With that, he turned and jogged to the showers.

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

"Alright, Chief, fill us in," Lance said as he fell into his seat between Allura and Hunk at the table in the conference room.

Keith scowled at him, "Alright, I will get right to the point."  He looked around the table, Allura sat at the head and he sat to her left.  Across from him was Lance and Hunk and beside him were Pidge and Koran.  Clearing his throat, Keith continued.

"As you all know, I am going tomorrow to Planet Dewhur to face Lotor in a one-on-one fight.  I know you all think this is pretty stupid, but it is something I have to do.  All precautions have been taken.  I am taking Hunk with me and leaving Lance as my second-in-command.  Sven and Romelle will be arriving in the morning so that you will have four Lion pilots if the need arises."

He held up the folded piece of paper Lance had delivered to him earlier, "I have also spoken to the Garrison and there will be at least a dozen fighters within a fifteen minute flight from here for the next two days.   Hunk and I will be escorted by half a dozen Garrison fighters, but I will keep my word, and they will be circling just outside the atmosphere and will only come if they are called.  I will only be armed with my hands and my sword, Hunk will have a loaded blaster.  Not only if Lotor steps out of line, but because Dewhur is a wild planet and there are some animals we may need to worry about.  I will be sending the coordinates of our meeting place to Doom this evening and, if all goes well, I will be home tomorrow evening."

Silence hung heavy in the air as they all absorbed what he had just told them.  Pidge let out a low whistle while Allura watched him with her steady gaze.  Koran broke the silence when he cleared his throat.


"It appears, Captain, that you have thought this through.  I believe we will be safe here and we wish you the best of luck in this endeavor."

"Thank you, Koran," Keith said graciously before looking at his team.

"Well, I guess you are really going to do this," Allura said.

He nodded.

She looked at the rest of the men, "And you are all alright with this?"

Hunk nodded, "Yes, I feel better knowing I will be there to back Keith up if he needs me."

"If this is where Keith thinks I need to be, then I'll stay," Lance added.

"Well," Allura looked up at her fiancé.  "I guess it's all set then."

Keith nodded slowly, "If you don't approve of how I've handle this, please bring them up now."

"No, it appears you have tied up all the loose ends and have planned this out well.  I have no complaints."

"Then if no one else has anything to say, I guess you're dismissed for dinner."

All talking at once, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge left the room.  Koran followed them silently, leaving Keith and Allura alone.

"I wish you would have discussed this with me before you made all these plans," she admitted tersely.

"I wanted to, Allura, but you've been angry with me and I wasn't too sure how to approach you about this."

"You can always talk to me, Keith."

"What would you like me to do differently?"

"Not go."

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, "I can't."

Allura looked down at her hands, clasped in the skirt of her gown, "I'm scared, Keith."

"I'll be fine."

"But what if…"

"Allura, don't."  He knelt in front of her and took her hands.  "This could be it, baby, we could be done with him forever.  Imagine what our lives could be without him."


"Will you kill him?"  She whispered.

"Only if I have to.  I plan on turning him over to the Garrison to be put away for a long, long time far away from here."

She leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead, "I have some work to do, I'll see you at dinner."

Keith watched her leave the room feeling helpless and a little lost.

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

Keith groaned as he stretched his arms over his head.  He was sitting at the desk in his bedroom, dressed for bed, and writing letters.  Placing the last envelope in a small metal box, he pushed the lid down and heard the click of the lock.  The only key had been given to Lance with instructions that if anything happened to him the next day, Lance was to open the box.  It contained letters to his loved ones, explaining why he had done what he had and why it had been important.  The most difficult had been the one to Allura.  He had started and thrown away at least eight letters before finally allowing himself to open up completely and pour his heart out.  It had been the most intense, difficult letter he had ever written and it had left him exhausted.

Glancing at the clock beside his bed, he saw that it was only nine thirty.  He had retired to his room after dinner, claiming he needed to rest and prepare.  He had meditated and written the letters, but he was not yet tired.  Figuring the sleep would come, he prepared for bed, brushing his teeth, washing his face.  He was just pulling back the covers of his bed when there was a knock on the door.  It was a knock he had been hoping for, even expecting, but he found he was feeling nervous.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Allura said quietly.

Crossing to open the door, Keith ran a nervous hand through his hair.  She stood on the other side of the door wearing a dark plum colored velvet robe with black lace on the lapels and where the bell cuffs met the puffed sleeves.  It made her look soft and romantic with her hair cascading past her shoulders in thick waves.

"Uh, hi," he whispered, sweeping his eyes up and down her body again.

"Hi."

"Uh, what do you need?"

"Can I come in?"

"What, oh, uh, of course," he stepped aside and let her in.

"How are you doing?"  She asked, gesturing to a guard behind her who walked in, carrying a long wooden box. 

"Fine.  You?"  He asked, watching the guard set the box on his desk and leave the room.

"Oh, I've been better.  I've been thinking about what you said earlier," Allura said, running her finger over the elaborate vine and leaf design carved in the top of the box.  "I want you to have this."

Keith crossed to stand beside her.  The box stretched over the top of the desk, at least five and a half feet long, elaborately carved with two old fashioned latches holding it shut.  "What is it?"

Allura flipped the latches open and pushed the lid up.  Lying on a bed of dark purple silk was a beautiful, deadly looking sword.  The leaf and vine design was carved into the gleaming silver blade.  The hilt was gold, ending in a medallion with Black Lion carved into it, rearing up on her legs, her head thrown back and her mouth open in a roar.  As Keith studied it, he saw more details, the black onyx stones inlaid in the sides of the hilt, the tiny interlocking A's beneath Black, the cross guard of the hilt was formed by two lion paws going in opposite directions.  It was amazing.

"It was my father's."

Keith raised his gaze to Allura's.

"It was my father's," she repeated.  "I want you to take it with you tomorrow."

"Allura, I can't…"

"You can and you will.  It was a gift from the ruler of a planet he had helped.  Pick it up."

Keith slowly reached out his hand and wrapped it around the grip.  An electric jolt shot up his arm and he jumped back.

"Keith?"

He shook his head and grabbed the handle again.  The jolt shocked him, but he held on, feeling a warmth spread up his arm.  Lifting the sword from its bed of silk, Keith realized that nothing had ever fit his hand so well.  Beneath the sword was a leather sheath, the leaf and vine design again copied into the leather.

"It was the Planet Malse.  The vine and leaf pattern is part of their coat of arms, it was incorporated with Black to signify the partnership of our two planets."

"Thank you," Keith whispered, turning from her to practice a few thrusts and swings.  It felt more like an extension of his arm than a weapon.

"I truly believe you were meant to have it."

Carefully laying the sword back in its case, Keith closed the lid and locked the latches.  He turned to the woman beside him and smiled, "Thank you, Allura.  This really means a lot to me."

Allura slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, "I want you to be safe, Keith, I want you to take this sword and have my father look out for you in this battle."

Keith kissed the top of her head, tightening his arms around her, "I'll be fine, baby."

She tilted her head back to look at him, "Promise you'll come back to me."

"I promise," he breathed, capturing her lips with his.

Pushing away from him, Allura looked up at him through her lashes as her hands went to the belt of her robe, "And you always keep your promises?"

"You know I do."

"I just wanted to show you what you have waiting for you when you return," she said huskily, pulling at the belt, her robe falling to a puddle at her feet.

Keith sucked in a sharp breath, grasping the edge of his desk as his knees buckled.  "What are you doing to me?"

Blushing slightly, but holding her head high, Allura put her hands on her hips, feeling the soft satin of the short, low cut black nightie beneath her hands.  "I want to make love with you."

"Allura…"

"I was thinking," she stepped forward, tracing a finger down his chest, "You are going off to face certain danger tomorrow, I want you to go with the memory of what you have to come home to."

Keith swallowed hard, his eyes skimming over the creamy white skin of her shoulders and the swell of her breasts, barely covered by black satin.  "I know what I have to come home to, Angel, and I will make sure I am back tomorrow night to enjoy it."

Standing on her toes, Allura kissed him, gently sucking on his lower lip.  She pressed her body against his, deepening the kiss as he groaned.  "Make love to me, Keith," she breathed against his mouth.

"I'm trying real hard to be a gentleman," Keith admitted, breaking contact and coming up for air.

"Maybe I don't want you to be a gentleman."

Throwing all his reservations aside, Keith tightened his arm around her waist and reached around with his other hand to punch in the code to lock the door.  After the lock clicked, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up.  Allura wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands fisted in his hair, their mouths fused together. 

"Are you sure?"  He asked one last time as they fell onto his bed.

"Yes, please," she pleaded, tugging the t-shirt over his head.

Keith shifted so Allura was lying in the middle of his bed, her hair spilled out around her, the skirt of her nightie had slid up, exposing long expanse of smooth, white leg.  He ran his hand lightly up her leg and leaned down to kiss her, "I love you, Angel."

"I love you too," she murmured as he moved his mouth down her throat and to her shoulder.

His mouth moved slowly, tenderly over her flesh.  A gasp escaped her lips as he lowered the thin strap to expose her to him.

"You okay?"  Keith asked, worriedly.

"I'm great," she assured him.

"I'll be gentle."

"I know you will."

With gentle fingers and a hungry mouth, Keith explored every inch of her body.  He was rewarded with gasps and moans of pleasure as she quietly urged him on.  Her inexperienced hands drove him to the edge and back as she took her turn to discover his body.  Her curiosity and excitement was tempered by her naiveté and love.  When they finally joined together, they were both driven over the edge into excruciating pleasure.

Long after Allura should have been tucked into her own bed, they were cuddled together, warm and cozy beneath the maroon comforter on Keith's bed.  Allura sighed longingly as he ran his fingertips up and down her back.

Keith smiled and tightened his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder, "How you doing, beautiful?"

"I don't ever want this night to end," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck.

"We have our whole lives together to relive this night."

"You'll be careful tomorrow?"

"You know I will."

She lifted her head and brushed the hair off his forehead, "I need you to come back to me."

"This is the only place I want to be," he said, kissing her.

Allura laid her head down on his chest, wrapping her arm tightly around him, "Sleep, Keith, I want you rested for tomorrow."

He rubbed his hand over the arm across his waist, "I have a feeling I'll sleep very well tonight."

"Well, you did have quite a workout tonight."

"You sound happy."

"I'm always happy when I'm with you."

Keith wrapped his arms around her tightly, "I was afraid you would regret this."

"I don't regret anything I do with you," Allura told him, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Go to sleep, Angel."

"I love you, Keith."

"I love you, too."

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

Allura woke the next morning to find Keith still asleep.  Propping her head up with her hand, she watched him sleep.  His face was relaxed, his mouth curved up in a slight smile.  He had one hand resting on his stomach, the other was stretched out beside him, it had been under her head.  He looked young and handsome.  Her heart raced as she watched him.

She softly traced her finger down his cheek, watching his eyelids flutter.  Her lips followed the same trail her finger had gone down, Keith responded with a low moan.

"Good morning," she whispered into his ear.

"No, it's not morning yet," he murmured.


"Yes, unfortunately, it is."

Keith's eyes slowly opened and he was greeted by the sight of a beautifully rumpled Princess.  "Good morning."

"Hi."

He glanced at the clock and groaned.

"You can still back out," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

"No, I gave my word."

"We could stay here forever," Allura continued, drawing circles on his chest with her fingertips.  "I'm perfectly happy here with you."

"Nanny would notice you missing."

"Screw Nanny."

"Allura!"

"Don't go, Keith."

"I'll be back for dinner tonight."

With a groan, she turned and buried her face in his chest, mumbling something he couldn't understand.

Keith pushed her hair behind her ear, "What was that?"

"I can't believe we did it."

"Are…are you sorry we did?"  He asked nervously.

"Not at all, I just can't believe it," she averted her gaze.  "I was just wondering how, uh, how it…"

"You were amazing," Keith whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I was nervous."

"I couldn't tell."

"Was it…was it enough to entice you to come back in one piece tonight?"

"And then some," he ran his fingers up and down her arm.  "You know you didn't have to come to me last night, I was willing to wait until you were ready."

"I was ready."

Keith sighed deeply and reached over to pick up his communicator when it beeped, "Whitaker."

"Hey, Cap, the ship is going to leave in an hour," Hunk said.  "And Nanny is down here worrying that you won't get anything to eat, so you may want to hurry."

"Thanks, Hunk."

"Is your communicator not working right?"

Keith smirked, "No, Hunk, its fine.  I just didn't feel like opening the visuals."

"Ah, gotcha."

"I'll be down in twenty minutes."

"Alright, see you then."

Keith snapped the communicator shut and slid it back onto his bedside table.  "Come on, Angel," he nudged Allura.  "We have to get moving."

She sat up and stretched, surprising Keith with her lack of modesty.  Slipping out of the bed, Allura snatched up her fallen robe and wrapped it around her before turning back to him, "I'll see you downstairs."

"Uh, yeah," he mumbled watching the sway of her hips as she swept from the room.  A huge grin split his face as he remembered back on the night before.  If that was what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life, everything was just going to be fine.  Coming to Arus was definitely the best decision he had ever made.