Hi all!
Thank you so much for your wonderful support and reviews! I just love getting them :-)
Enjoy!
Failte
"Don't you want to dress up a bit more?" Cady asked.
Sky rolled her eyes, "It's not a real date, Cady."
"But that jacket is so…so, I don't know, boyish."
Sky examined herself in the mirror. She was dressed casually in blue jeans, a white blouse, and a brown blazer. Around her neck she wore the necklace Erik had given her and low heeled black boots on her feet. "The blazer is necessary to hide my blaster. Now, hair. Up or down?"
Cady tapped her finger against her lips and thought a moment. "Wear it down."
Letting her hair fall, Sky ran her fingers through it and turned to her friend. "Why don't you go talk to Tristan?"
"He and Captain Psycho-Hose-Beast are meeting to prepare their detailed weekly report to send into the Garrison," Cady sat in the chair beside Sky's window. "If I didn't know better, I would say he was avoiding me."
"You're being too sensitive," her friend sighed.
"Why? Do you know something?"Sky turned to her friend, "Cady, I have never seen you like this about a guy."
"I've never known a guy like Tristan."
"Well then you need to grow a backbone and just talk to him. You are driving me nuts." Sky said as she went to answer the knock on her door.
Erik stood on the other side, his hands behind his back, looking very handsome in a pair of khaki slacks, a blue button down shirt, and a black leather jacket that hid the weapon he wore in a shoulder holster. He let out a low whistle, "Looking good, Sunny."
"You're not so bad yourself," she smiled.
"I thought that since this is the closest thing we've had to a first date I should get your flowers or candy. Then I thought you probably wouldn't go for that old cliché," he said."Oh I don't know," she replied, sounding a little disappointed. "A girl likes getting flowers and candy sometimes."
"Yeah, then I got to thinking that you've been spending enough time with Cady that you would like that girly stuff." Erik brought his hands out from behind his back. In his left hand he held a white rose he had cut from Allura's garden, in his right he held a candy bar he had lifted from Gideon's room.
"You're so thoughtful," Sky kissed his cheek. "Shall we go? We have to meet with Keith and my dad before we head out."
"Have fun!" Cady called from the chair where she was still sitting and pouting.
"We will," Erik said, taking Sky's hand. "Maybe we'll get to shoot someone."
"Not funny, Romeo," Sky muttered before calling over her shoulder. "Make sure to lock my door when you leave, I don't trust the twins."
"You really do look nice," Erik whispered as the walked down the hall.
"It is nice to be able to wear something other than flightsuits and workout gear. We'll have to do this more often.""I'm all for it."
Keith, Lance, and Pidge were all standing in Castle Control speaking quietly.
"Ah, good, you're here," Keith said when he saw them. "And you two look nice. Now, you know what we're looking for, right?""Anything or anyone out of the ordinary," Sky said. "Anyone with the same coloring as Vinn's species."
"Or who appears to be behaving strangely," Erik added.
Keith nodded, "If something does raise your suspicion, make a note of it. You are not to try to apprehend anyone, this is strictly a covert surveillance operation. Understand?""Yes, sir," both pilots responded.
"Any questions?" Lance asked.
"No, sir," Erik replied.
"All right, just keep in mind that this is a mission, not a date."
"You're going to be driven into town," Pidge said. "Check in hourly, we will be waiting to hear from you. Call up here if you want to report something or when you're ready to come home."
"You've been fully briefed and we know you know what you're doing. Just be careful," Keith warned.
"And behave yourselves," Lance added.
Sky rolled her eyes, "Oh for…come on, Dad! We know what we're doing, we're professionals. And besides, we'll be out in public so it's not like we'll be making out in the middle of the street!"Keith hid his mouth with his hand, trying to bite back his laughter.
Lance opened his mouth to respond when Sky glared at him with an expression reminiscent of Darcy. He snapped his mouth shut and pursed his lips.
Clearing his throat, Keith said, "Okay, you, uh, you guys can head out now. We'll expect to hear from you at 6:30."
"Yes, sir," Erik checked his watch.
The two of them had been briefed earlier in the day. They knew who and what they were looking for. Keith and his team were sure that Sky knew Arus well enough that she would notice anything really out of the ordinary and Erik, well, Erik was going along to cover Sky. The two of them had a short list of places to investigate.
"Where do you want to start?" Erik asked as the two of them made their way down to the garage.
"I was thinking about starting in the park. Or did you want to eat first?"
He shook his head, "No, I think the park is a good place to start. We can move up Main from there to Third, then Third to Arianna Avenue and down to Ninth. We can hit one of the cafés there."
"Sounds good to me," Sky smiled up at him and slipped her hand into his.
The guard driving pulled the car to a stop on the edge of the park. "Just contact Castle Control when you want me to pick you up," he said as they climbed out of the car.
"Will do, thanks Private," Erik saluted him before shutting the door.It was a beautiful evening in that time just as summer turned into autumn. A slight breeze hinted at the cooler weather that was expected in the coming weeks. Sky stepped closer to Erik, lacing her fingers through his as they meandered through the almost deserted park. It broke her heart a bit to see this. Normally the park was filled with families and children running around, couples walking hand-in-hand, or people picnicking. There was even a small band shell where plays and concerts were put on. But right now there were barely a handful of people and they were all hurrying to get where they needed to go rather than taking their time and enjoying the beauty around them.
Erik squeezed her hand when he heard her sigh wistfully, "No one wants to be far from home right now. Everyone is afraid to be away from shelter in case there's an attack."
"I know. It just really bothers me that they don't feel safe here. My parents have told me all sorts of stories about Doom and what it was like then. I hate to think it could be like that again."
"It won't, Sunny, we'll make sure it isn't."
They circled the main area of the park, past the empty swings, around the band shell, and down the bike path. There was nothing out of the ordinary and they only passed about three people.
"Have you given any thought about your birthday?" Sky asked as they did a little window shopping. Well, not really window shopping. She was scanning the inside of stores through the windows while Erik kept an eye on the sidewalks and streets.
"No, I haven't."
"It's next week and I've been distracted. I need some ideas from you or else you won't be getting anything from me." She teased.
Erik looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. Without a word, he looked at the window they had stopped in front of and then back at her.
Sky looked up and noticed they were standing in front of the small window of a tiny shop with the words 'Evening Ladies' painted across the glass and dressmaker's dummy wearing a sheer, silken nightgown behind it. Blushing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street.
"Come on, you asked me what I wanted."
"No."
"There could be a Bittor hiding in that store."
Sky turned around to face him, seeing the small smile on his lips, "If you really want a nightie like that you'll need to give me your size."
He laughed and tugged her into a hug, "You're my size, Sunny." Erik gave her a quick kiss and released her before they were caught.
Not that that was a problem since Third Street was as empty as the park had been.
"This is so sad," she mumbled as the continued. "This has got to be affecting the economy."
"It is," Erik sighed. "I overheard Aunt Allura and Uncle Keith talking about it the other night. She's really worried about it, but he kept reminding her that Arus made it through Doom and they'll make it through Vinn."
They turned down Arianna Avenue, named after Allura's mother. Neither of them expected to see many people down this street, it was all homes, no stores or restaurants. Tall, elegant homes with big porches and full of happy families. But the front yards were free of children playing and no one sat on the front porches, everyone feeling safer inside.
Erik and Sky continued down several more blocks, peering down streets as they passed. As they drew closer to Ninth Street, more and more people came into sight. Ninth was known for its restaurants, clubs, and cafes and was popular with couples and the younger people of Alforia. It wasn't as crowded as it usually is, but there were more people here than they had seen over the past hour.
"I'm going to check in with Castle Control," Erik said, releasing her hand and moving over to stand under a tree.
Sky wandered a little ways down the street, smiling and nodding to a few people she recognized. While Cady was her best friend and she had spent most of her time with the kids up at the castle, she did have some friends from school who she hadn't spoken to in a long time. Standing on the edge of the sidewalk, she slipped her hands into her pockets and surveyed the area. The quiet rumble of voices was carried by on the evening breeze.
Her eyes scanned the street. There were familiar faces mingling with strangers, but none that stuck out as unusual or threatening. She saw people of various nationalities and planetalities, but none with the rose complexion of Vinn or the shade of blue hair. In fact, she saw three different people with blue hair, but they were all dark, midnight shades of blue and had pale skintones.
She jumped slightly as she felt Erik slip his arms under hers and around her waist, pulling her back against him.
"Hungry?" He whispered into her ear.
"Yeah."
"You see anything?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
Erik kissed her temple and unwound his arms, "We'll eat at the Arusian Café, we can sit outside and watch."
"Okay, I am starved," she said dramatically.
He took her hand and laughed, "Why am I not surprised?"
"Is that who I think it is?" Sky whispered as they drew closer to the café.
He tensed beside her, "Who? Where?"
"At the café," she hissed out of the side of her mouth. "The table in the corner. Come on, Erik, there are only four tables taken."
"Oh man."
"Yeah. How can he do this to Cady?"
"Just because she has a crush on him doesn't mean he feels the same way," Erik replied.
Sky continued to glare at the small table where Lt. Tristan Alexander was sitting with a pretty brunette. "I thought you said he might like her."
"He didn't come right out and say that, Sky. Come on, give him a break, it's not like he can easily start a relationship, this is a temporary assignment."
"He's supposed to be working with Klari on their weekly report. Oh, Erik, that's Marina, she works in the castle."
"Maybe it would be best if Cady never found out about this."
"I can't lie to her, she's my best friend."
"I thought I was your best friend."
"You're my boyfriend, you're a different kind of best friend."
"You don't have to lie to her, Sky, just don't mention it to her."
"That's a lie of omission."
"Schuyler," he sighed deeply. "She has a crush on him, it'll pass."
"Should we go say hi to him?"
"It would be the nice thing to do."
Sky straightened her shoulders and walked over to the table with Erik at her heels. "Tristan, what a surprise to see you here. And Marina, how are you?"
Tristan jumped to his feet, looking like a little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Um, Schuyler, Erik, hi. What are you guys doing here?"
Erik slid his arm around Sky, "Just a night out on the town. It's nice to see you get to have a little time off."
"Yes, I needed a little fresh air and Marina told me about the outdoor cafes down in town."
"Well, it was nice seeing you," Erik tightened his arm around Sky and pulled her back a little. "Marina, Tristan, enjoy your meal, we'll see you guys later."
"Cady is going to be devastated," Sky whispered as they crossed to another table.
"She'll be fine. Keep your mind on the mission, Sunny."
The sun was setting and streetlamps were coming on. Small decorative lights on the store fronts flickered on as waiters and waitresses moved from table to table and lit candles. As dusk approached, more people left the restaurants and clubs to head home. Erik and Sky watched the crowds over the tops of their menus, not seeing anything unusual.
"Are you ready to order?"
Sky looked up at their waitress and her eyes widened. She kicked Erik under the table. When he looked up, the shock didn't register on his face as it had on hers. Their waitress was a plain woman with limp, pale blue hair and a washed out rose colored complexion. Very similar to Vinn's.
"Yes, I'm ready," Erik looked across the table. "Are you ready, Sky?"
"Uh, yeah, I am," she looked back down at her menu.
After they both ordered and the waitress gathered their menus, Sky looked up at Erik. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
Rising from his seat, he said, "I'll be right back, Sky, I'm going to call in and report this. Just stay here and leave Tristan alone."
"I will," she gasped. "I can behave myself sometimes."
Smiling, he bent and kissed her forehead, "If you do behave yourself, I'll take you for ice cream after dinner."
"I'm going to hold you to that." Sky watched him move into the restaurant to the bathroom where he could report in private.
Three women sat at a table nearby and they all stopped talking to watch Erik walk past and Sky bit back the urge to lean over and tell them Yeah, he's mine. But she turned her mind back to the task at hand and took in her surroundings.
Reaching out, Sky twirled the stem of the purple flower in the bud vase on the table. Their waitress came back and set two glasses down, Sky smiled and thanked her, but the girl didn't even acknowledge her. She's not getting much of a tip if she keeps acting like that, Sky thought.
Erik slipped into his seat and leaned forward to whisper, "I just spoke to Uncle Keith, he said to keep an eye on her, but not to overreact. They will probably send someone to question her tomorrow."
"Did he think it was anything we should worry about?"
"No. But he doesn't want us to stay out much longer. We won't see much after dark and they don't think it's safe. There has been talk of putting a curfew into effect, I wonder…" Erik stopped and looked up.
The three women who had watched him walk into the restaurant were standing beside their table looking at the two of them expectantly.
"Can we help you?" Sky asked, confused.
"Aren't you two members of the new Voltron Force?" The blonde asked.
"Yes," Erik smiled at her. "I'm Erik Johansson and this is Schuyler Collier. What can we do for you?"
The girls stepped aside to let their waitress set their meals down. "My name is Harrai and these are my friends Kammy and Elane. We were wondering if you had any plans for tonight."
"We were going to head home soon."
"Well, we're having a little get together and we wanted to invite you. Both of you," she added quickly.
"Thanks, but we can't we're on duty," Sky said.
"Maybe some other time," Erik added.
"Oh, okay, um, good luck with this battle."
"Thank you," Erik winked at her.
She blushed a little, "I guess we'll see you around."
"Bye," Erik waved at them.
"See ya," Sky said.As soon as the girls left, shooting glances over their shoulders, Sky kicked Erik under the table.
"Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed his shin.
"For flirting."
"Oh, stop it, I was not," he took her hand. "I was being nice."
"So are you planning to go to one of their 'get-togethers'?"
He brought her hand closer, "Would you go with me?"
"No," she snorted.
Erik pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "Then, no, I won't."
"What were you saying about a curfew?" She asked, digging into her plate of pasta.
"It was an idea Uncle Keith was throwing around," he explained, cutting his steak. "Just to try and keep everyone safe until the threat has passed."
"I imagine Aunt Allura didn't like that very much."
"No, she doesn't want the people of Arus to feel like prisoners. She wants them to have free reign as long as they can."
Sky twirled the pasta around her fork and brought it up to her mouth. Glancing around, she noticed something that caught her attention. "Erik?"
"Hm?"
She continued to look over his shoulder at the reflection in the window behind him, "Just over my left shoulder."
Very subtly, he shifted his gaze and swore under his breath.
Standing in the doorway to the restaurant was their waitress, leaning close and speaking lowly to a man with the same coloring as her.
"What do you make of it?" Sky whispered.
"They're just talking," Erik turned his eyes back to his plate. "Let's not jump to conclusions."
"The only two people we've seen of Vinn's planetality are together."
Erik took the hint and excused himself from the table. He smiled his incredibly friendly, incredibly sexy smile to their waitress as he passed and disappeared back into the restaurant.
"Sky?"
She looked up to see Tristan standing beside her table, Marina waiting a few feet away.
"Yes?"
"Um, I just wanted to, uh, just don't mention this to Cady, okay?"
Sky's eyes flickered angrily, "I'm not going to lie to my best friend."
"It, uh, it isn't what it looks like."
"So you're using Marina to…to scratch an itch while you're on assignment?"
"No, just trust me, please."
She rose to her feet and glared at him, "Why should I trust you? You and your Captain come to our planet and try to push us around and now, even though you obviously know how she feels, you're messing around on my best friend."
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "It's complicated. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm only here for a short time and, well, she's not really my type, but, I…I can't get involved with her."
Sky narrowed her eyes and clenched her hands in fists.
"Easy, tiger," Erik whispered and laid a hand on her arm. "What's going on?""Well, it appears that the respectable Lt. Alexander is using Marina to release his stress because Cady isn't good enough for him."
"No," Tristan growled. "I didn't say that, that's not what I meant. This is all coming out wrong."
Erik let go of Sky and took a step back, "Lieutenant, one thing you should know about Sky is that she is fiercely loyal and if you cross one of her friends, she will wipe the floor with you. And since it seems like you're putting down someone I care a great deal about, I'm ready to let her kick your ass."
The Lieutenant held his hands up in front of him, "You guys have it all wrong. I…." He stopped when something caught his attention. In one fluid movement, he unholstered his weapon and aimed it at Sky.
Erik grabbed her and pulled her behind him while drawing his weapon and turning it on Tristan. In a flash, Marina was at Tristan's side, a blaster in her hand.