Hi all!

Here is another story in my series, it falls between "Holiday on Arus" and "A Long Awaited Love Story", the children are all young. I came up with this idea and I was going to wait to post it, but, well, I am a very impatient person.

This story is a bit of a departure from my other stories, a little more suspense than romance, but with my warped sense of humor still making its mark. So, I hope you all enjoy it!

Thanks!

Failte

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"Red shoes, red shoes."

Darcy looked down at her daughter and smiled as Schuyler did a little dance, singing a song about her new red sneakers. She clutched her small hand in hers, knowing that if she were to let go, Sky would have wandered off. It had happened before. She would see something that caught her attention and just go off to explore. The fact that her four year old daughter was so fearless and full of wanderlust gave Darcy reason to worry. Schuyler was just way too much like her father, which only endeared her to Darcy even more.

"Mommy?"

"What, Sky?" Darcy asked as they made their way down the main street of Alforia.

"I wanna show Daddy my new red shoes."

"Not now, honey, he's working. We'll show him tonight at the picnic."

"Can we go to da castle now?"

"We have to go buy the stuff we need to make Grandma's brownies and then we have to go home and bake them before we go to the castle."

Sky thought about this a moment, stopping her dance and just walking, "Can I lick da spoon?"

"Sure."

"Daddy's workin' with Uncle Keith."

"Yup.":

"An' Uncle Pidge an' Uncle Hunk."

"That's right."

"Daddy said I'm ready to start flyin' Red."

"He did, did he?"

"Uh huh, he said I could this weekend."

Darcy smiled. Lance got a kick out of taking their daughter up in his Lion and turning on the autopilot, letting her think she was actually flying Red. She knew it made Keith uneasy, not that Lance would ever let anything happen to Red, especially when Sky was with him, but the Commander was afraid he was treating his Lion like a toy.

"What's that music, Mommy?"

Darcy looked ahead and saw a crowd gathered along the side of the road, quick, playful music floating towards them. "I don't know, Sky, do you want to go explore?"

"Yeah!"

Swinging the little girl up onto her hip, Darcy walked over to the edge of the sidewalk and joined the rest of the townsfolk. She was greeted by a few people who recognized her as the wife of the second-in-command to the Voltron Force and a former member of the Force herself.

"What's going on?" Darcy asked the woman standing next to her.

"A parade," the lady told her. "A circus has come to Arus. It's the first time since before the wars with Doom."

"Circus," Sky repeated. "What's dat, Mommy?"

"It's so much fun, Sky, there are games and animals and clowns that make you laugh and acrobats doing tricks. You'll love it."

The music grew louder as the parade came closer. Two clowns led the way carrying a banner that read 'Muskerry Bros. Intergalactic Circus'. More clowns followed riding unicycles and other contraptions Darcy had never seen before, including a few hover vehicles. Men and women of various planet-nationalities were dressed in flashy, glittery outfits and did flips and cartwheels down the street. A band skipped and danced down next, playing every imaginable instrument and then some.

Schuyler bounced in Darcy's arms and clapped along with the music, laughing when a clown walked by on his hands.

But it was what came next that had Schuyler going ridged and gasping with excitement. "Mommy what's dat!"

"Those are elephants, Sky," Darcy whispered.

A line of five elephants, tail to trunk, passed them on the street. With huge, awe-filled eyes, Sky watched the large, gray animals thunder by, her hands clasped together as she whispered reverently, "Elly-fants."

The parade turned down the next street and began its return to the large field behind the University where they circus was setting up. Bringing up the rear of the parade were about half a dozen kids about ten to twelve years old, carrying scoopers to clean up after the elephants. Darcy felt bad seeing them with that job, but then they were probably the children of the performers and this was how they got their start in the circus, all the way at the bottom.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?" Darcy replied as they made their way to the grocery store.

"Can I have an elly-fant?"

"Um, well, sweetie, I don't think we have room for an elephant."

"He could sleep in da backyard."

"What about Chewy? I don't think he would like it if you got an elephant."

Sky twirled a lock of her hair while she thought about that. "No, Chewy wants an elly-fant too."

"Oh, he does?"

"Uh huh, dogs like elly-fants. They're friends."

"Well, we'll talk to Daddy about it, but I don't think we can get one."

……………………………………………………………………………..

"Are you going to run home and get Darcy and Sky?" Keith asked.

"Nah," Lance shook his head. "They're going to head up here as soon as their done baking the brownies."

"Oh, I love her brownies."

"Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!" Lance teased.

Keith rolled his eyes, "Keep your mind out of the gutter for ten minutes, would you?"

Pidge walked into Castle Control, "How's it going guys?"

"Good, all clear and we've finished our classes for the day," Keith told him. "Where's Hunk?"

"We just finished setting up the tables out by the lake and now he's helping Nanny in hopes of getting some samples."

The door slid open and Schuyler skipped in followed by Darcy and Allura, who was cradling the youngest Whitaker, eleven month old Tess.

"There's my girl!" Lance crouched down to catch his daughter as she launched herself at him.

"Hi Daddy!" Schuyler hugged him tightly before holding her foot out for him to see. "Look, Daddy, red shoes!"

"Those are pretty cool, Shortstuff, where'd you get 'em?"

"Mommy and me went shopping."

"Oh yeah? What else did you get?"

"We saw elly-fants and cowns!"

"You did?" Lance looked up as Darcy, perplexed.

Taking pity on her husband, she kissed his cheek and whispered, "Elephants and clowns."

"Oh that's right!" He smacked his forehead with the heel of his palm. "I completely forgot the circus was coming. What do you think, Sky, should we go to the circus?"

"Can I see da elly-fants?"

"Sure."

"Mommy got me a book all about da circus! It shows people riding elly-fants, can I ride an elly-fant?"

"We'll see."

The door slid open and Becca walked in.

"Aun' Becca!" Schuyler squealed, wiggling out of her father's grasp and running over to show her aunt her new shoes.

"Someone has had a big day," Lance whispered to Darcy.

"She hasn't stopped talking about elephants all day," she smiled. "It looks like we're raising a little Republican."

Allura laughed as Keith took Tess from her, "It has been over a decade since a circus of any kind has come to Arus. I was so excited to see that Muskerry Brothers was touring. I agreed to let them come right away."

"Mommy!"

"Sky!" Darcy replied, mocking her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Aun' Becca says dat Cady and da boys are outside with Nanny an' Uncle Hunk, can I go too?"

"I don't know, did you say hi to Aunt Allura, Uncle Keith, and Uncle Pidge?"

"No."

"Sky, where are your manners?"

"An elly-fant ate 'em."

Darcy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing (Lance wasn't so successful, turning away to laugh), "Schuyler."

The little girl went to each of the adults and greeted them with a hug. "Can I go now?"

"Alright, but you listen to Nanny, young lady."

"Yes, Mommy," she turned to run from the room, but quickly turned back. "I need my circus book."

Darcy slid the small, pink backpack that held all the things Schuyler just had to bring with her off her shoulder and handed it to her daughter who ran from the room at full speed. She turned back to her husband, "Real good Lance."

"Oh come on! Her manners were eaten by an elephant? That was great!" He laughed.

Keith chuckled, "It was pretty quick."

"What can I say," Lance stood a little taller and puffed out his chest. "I have one smart, witty daughter."

"She really takes after her mother," Becca added.

He slid his arm around Darcy's shoulders and gave her a kiss, "I can't argue with that."

"Come on," Becca took Pidge's hand. "I am starving and Nanny said dinner should be set out by the time we get out to the picnic tables."

…………………………………………………………………….

About three hours later, the sun was starting to set and Arusian firebugs were dotting the night air with their blinking, blue backsides. Cady, Sky, Declan, and Gideon were running around, trying to capture as many as they could and hurrying back to put them in the jar Hunk had found and punched holes into the lid.

Allura sat back on an Adirondack chair beside Paton, Hunk's wife, chatting and watched as Keith held Tess's hands and helped her toddle around the grass. Pidge sat back against a tree with Becca sitting between his legs, her head resting against his chest as she turned and talked to her sister who was sitting beside them with Lance lying on the ground, his head on Darcy's lap, his eyes closed. Hunk rejoined the group, one of Darcy's brownies in his hand and another jar for firebugs in his other.

"So you guys are going to take Sky to the circus?" Becca asked.

Darcy nodded, "Probably tomorrow night. I have an early class and Lance should be done with work early."

"How're your classes going?"

Darcy grinned, happy with her job as a teacher for the Arusian military, teaching flight instruction and some military tactics to the cadets before they moved on to more training. She only taught three times a week, giving her plenty of time with Sky, who got to play at the castle with Cady and the twins while she was teaching. "Good, I have a great group of students right now, no one scoring below 77%. How're things going with Dr. Gorma?"

"Great, he is going to make me a full fledged partner in the castle hospital as opposed to a subordinate. He said he's really pleased with my work."

"That's great! I knew you would do well. When will you take over for him?"

"Well, he isn't quite ready yet, so I'll continue to assist him until then."

Darcy lowered her voice and leaned closer to her sister, "So you're happy here?"

Becca smiled, "Very."

Darcy's next question was stopped when there was a thump and the sound of Schuyler crying.

Lance's eyes flew open and he sat up, disoriented. "Wha's goin' on?"

Darcy pushed herself up and hurried over to where Sky was sitting on the ground, clutching her leg and howling like a banshee. "What happened?"

"I fall down!" She wailed.

"She tripped over a rock," Cady explained.

Lance crouched down beside her, "Let me see, Sky."

Her pants were torn and her knee was skinned, but there was hardly a drop of blood. It was nothing that deserved the amount of sound coming out of the little girl.

"Sky, stop screaming," Darcy said, running her hand over her silky, dark head.

"Do you want me to kiss and make it all better?" Lance asked.

Sky shook her head and wiped her nose on the back of her hand, "It won't work, Daddy, your kisses aren't magic."

Chuckles and giggles surrounded them as everyone heard his daughter's response.

"Come on, Sky," Becca picked her niece up. "I'll take you to the hospital and get you cleaned up, okay?"

Sky nodded, "I think I broke it."

"I don't think it's that bad, but you might need a band-aid."

The little girl's face lit up, "Yeah, I do."

"But if I can give you some auntly advice, sweetie, never tell a man his kisses aren't magic, okay?"

Sky nodded, not understanding what she meant, but loving the attention.

"Will Sky be okay?" Declan asked his mother worriedly.

"She'll be fine, honey," Allura assured him. "You guys just need to be more careful and watch where you're going."

"Man," Keith slung an arm around Lance's shoulder. "Shot down by your own daughter. That's gotta hurt."

With a smile, Darcy kissed her husband, "That seemed pretty magical to me, babe."

"We got, like, a hundred firebugs, Dad!" Gideon held up a jar where a dozen insects flew around.

"Wow, what are you going to do with all of those?" Keith asked.

"I'm gonna put 'em in our room so we can see with the lights off."

"It's getting late kiddos," Keith told his brood.

"No," Cady whined. "It's too early for bed."

"Alright, but you guys need to calm down a bit."

"Show us the stars, Daddy."

"Alright, come over here, away from the trees." Keith handed Tess over to Allura and led the other three over toward the meadow. He laid on the grass, Cady laid on his right, her head on his shoulder, and the twins laid on his left, resting their heads on his stomach. He studied the sky a moment before pointing out constellations and far off planets.

Allura cradled her baby daughter against her shoulder and carried her back over to the chair she had just vacated, rubbing Tess's back. "What time is it?"

"It's just after eight," Pidge told her, checking his watch.

"Already? Where did the day go?"

"Yeah, we'll have to head home when Sky is done sucking as much sympathy as she can from her aunt," Darcy said.

"Our little drama queen," Lance sighed.

"That she gets from her father," Hunk said.

"Hey, just because I have a flair for dramatics doesn't necessarily mean I'm a drama queen," Lance said, sitting back against a tree.

"Yeah it does," Pidge corrected.

"Here comes the poor injured child now," Paton said with a smile.

They all watched as Schuyler walked toward them with an exaggerated limp, the large, bright orange bandage on her knee was visible from halfway across the yard. Becca was right behind her, her hands in her pockets and a small smile on her lips.

"How are you doing, baby," Darcy asked.

"It hurts," Sky spoke with a practiced quiver in her voice.

"Does it hurt too much to go to the circus tomorrow?"

"No, it'll be okay by then."

"We don't want the elephants to hurt your knee," Lance told her.

Schuyler sighed dramatically and fell back on her father's lap, causing him to tense and make a noise halfway between a groan and a squeak. Hunk and Pidge both groaned and crossed their legs in sympathy.

"Schuyler," Lance croaked as he shifted her on his lap. "What has Daddy told you about jumping on him like that?"

"Um…don't do it?"

"That's right. So why did you do it?"

She laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Daddy, I forgot."

"It's alright, honey," Darcy assured her. "You just landed where Daddy keeps his brain and now he's having trouble thinking straight."

Becca, Paton, and Allura laughed, earning scowls from the three men.

"Why does it seem like my manhood is being called into question this evening?" Lance asked.

Darcy smiled flirtatiously at him, "Because it is, sweetie."

"Are you okay, Sky?" Cady asked her friend.

"Yeah," Sky sighed. "But I hafta wear a band-aid for, like, a month."

Darcy looked at Becca who shook her head.

Keith made his way over with both boys on his back.

"Mommy!" Gideon shouted. "We saw Poll-x!"

"That's where Aun' Romy and Uncle Sven and Uncle Bandor and Erik and Delora are!" Declan added.

"Wow," Allura gasped in awe. "That's great."

"I think we better head home, so Sky can rest her knee and we can go to the circus tomorrow," Darcy said, standing.

"Can we go to the circus tomorrow, too?" Cady asked her father.

"Not tomorrow, Cady Bear, but we can probably go the day after."

Her lower lip began to quiver, "But I want to go tomorrow."

"We can't, Mommy has meetings and I have work to do. I promise we'll go the next night, unless you throw a tantrum and then we just won't go at all." Keith told her.

The little girl bit her lip to stop it from shaking and she nodded.

Lance crouched down so Schuyler could wrap her arms around his neck and she could get a piggyback ride home.

"This was fun," Darcy said, giving Allura a quick hug and kissing the top of Tess' head.

"It was," the Queen agreed. "And with the weather getting nicer, we should do it more often."

Paton joined them, "We can switch houses too. We can all meet at our house one night, then Lance and Darcy's another, and then the castle on another."

"That's a great idea!" Darcy exclaimed. "Next one we'll do at our house. We can officially christen the barbeque for the season."

Allura nodded, "I just love it when we can all get together for fun, not for work."

"Come on, Mommy," Schuyler reached out and tapped Darcy's shoulder.

"What's the hurry, Sky?"

"Daddy and I hafta take Chewy for a, uh, a walk an'…an' da sooner I go to sleep da sooner it'll be tomorrow an'…an' tomorrow is, um…is circus day!"

"Alright, you thank Aunt Allura and Uncle Keith for the picnic."

Sky blew a kiss to Allura, "I had fun Aun' Lura, even dough I falled down."

Smiling, Allura blew her a kiss back, "I'm glad you had fun, sweetie, even though you fell down, and next time you'll have to bring Chewy."

"Can I?" Sky gasped.

"Of course you can."

Ten minutes later, Darcy and Lance had gathered all of Sky's things and they were starting the hike home. Their house was only about a mile away from the castle and it was just too beautiful an evening to waste in a car. Securing his daughter with one arm, Lance laced his fingers through Darcy's with his other hand as they walked the familiar path along the road. They talked of work, plans for the next day and any other little thing that came to mind. After four years of marriage and one precocious daughter, they had settled into a happy existence together in what had quickly become the life they both wanted.