DISCLAIMER :
VOLTRON AND ITS ELEMENTS ARE OWNED BY WEP.
Mystery of the Christmas Star
Chapter Thirteen
Emily was removing her make-up, when Ray came in. "Hi Em. What are you up to?"
"Getting ready for the Third Ghost mark. I figured that I should take this make-up off, and make it easier for Margie to clean the costume." Emily was barely aware of anything happening around her.
"I told you to forget about that part. Bob finally showed up while you were on stage. It seems that his car had a flat. He has agreed to take the part, so you relax – Lord knows that you deserve it more than the rest of us."
Before anymore could be said, Helen and Danny showed up with a gang of reporters. With her hypodermic needles lying on the table – four empty and one full – this didn't look very good for Emily. Helen wanted revenge, and it seemed that she had it.
Helen grinned evilly as Danny pronounced clearly to the reporters, "see it's just like we told you. Ms. Emily Heavner is a known drug addict."
"And she was put in my place, just because I was late due to the weather." Helen was at least accomplished in playing the role of the innocent victim.
Ol' Ray wasn't about to stand for it – not in one of his productions! "And it's not like these people can't smell you're two's combined breath. It's enough to drive off a herd of buffalo! You're just trying to hurt Emily's good reputation."
"Like any girl who boards and takes care of an enemy can be seen as having a good reputation. Look at the needles! Four of the five are empty," Helen pouted.
Emily grabbed a hold of Ray's arm to force herself into a standing position. The cheering outside told them all that the performance was nearly over, and the curtain calls would shortly begin. But, none of them cared about that.
"Helen is just out to get back at me. I was asked to read her lines at nearly every rehearsal, and take her place tonight. All because she couldn't stay sober enough to do one show. If she had been a little more considerate of the others in our cast, there might have only been one empty needle tonight. See, I'm dying." Emily didn't care who knew anymore. After tonight, she wouldn't be here for people like Helen and Danny to push around.
A man shot his hand up, "Ms. Heavner? Richard McSalster of the Daily Gazette. What is it that you are dying from?"
After swallowing, Emily decided that the truth had to all come out. Damn Helen and Danny for forcing this on her! "I lived in a little town called Joston Flats the night that Zarcon sprayed Florida with the heavy bio-toxin called Hab-Guhmuh, which causes Chandal Syndrome. This causes red blood cells to literally shred in the blood stream at ever increasing rates. Stress intensifies this effect.
"I was playing on the front porch that early evening; and though my adopted grandmother dragged me inside at the start of the attack – we were both infected. She died two years ago. Now I'm starting to suffer the final symptoms of the disease."
And then up went another hand, "Kyle Thompson from the Alliance Star. Ms. Heavner, if you knew the danger before tonight's performance, why did you put yourself at such risk?"
"Because I had little chance of finding a blood match when I was first diagnosed two days after the attack. That hope has shrunk to nothing in the past few years. A man with a known alcohol addiction and criminal background supposedly adopted me. It has always been suspected that I was kidnapped at a young age, and most orphanage records have been lost or destroyed in the war with Zarcon. There's no way of finding my family or home world with so many yet to have been searched."
Another hand shot up, without a name or a paper. "Who's this enemy you were suppose to have helped? Ms. Heavner?"
They all began to call out her name, but Emily barely heard them. She could feel that the end was coming, and very fast. Ray saw it too and ended the press conference. "Can't you all see that Emily is tired? Hank, get these two drunks out of here and move the cast party to the backstage area surrounding Emily's dressing room."
Ray quickly shut the door and helped Emily back into her dressing chair. Ten minutes later, when someone announced that Emily couldn't make it to the curtain call due to illness, Lotor and the others went into a panic. He grabbed the roses, and then showed the team a shortcut to the backstage area that avoided the crowds.
Once they got backstage, they spotted the press – all of who were waiting for a glimpse of Allura and her fiancé. Keith barely had time to nudge Lotor towards the dressing rooms before the team was swamped.
Lotor knock on the door with Emily's name on the star, so proud of his love's performance. He was ushered into the room by Ray. The worried former Prince lingered by the door while Ray handed Emily the roses. "Hey Em, look what just came for you."
"White Ice Roses! They have to be from Lotor. He knows that these are my favorite, and was on Arus – the only place to find them." At first Emily had looked half-dead. But, the surge of joy those flowers returned some of the life to her beautiful face.
"That's not all you have recently arrived from Arus," Lotor whispered softly as he came forward.
Emily rushed from the chair and into her love's arms. "Lotor! I thought that you were going to go off with your friends and then meet up with me later."
"I want to be with you. How bad is it?" He stared down on her in worry. Lotor felt that Emily's temperature was high. It could've been from the stage, or her excitement of seeing him again – though something told Lotor that it was neither of them.
Emily snuggled into his arms, "let's not think about that. I just want to enjoy the rest of the night with you, my only love."
As another knock came to the door, Lotor realized that even Emily knew that she was in the disease's final stage. He carried her back to her chair as Ray let the team in. "Look who else is here, Em."
"Wow, I've never met a real Princess before." She sighed as she saw Allura and the team walk in. When she tried to settle in a more comfortable position, Emily accidentally knocked her purse off of the table, her keys rolled out of the pocket to the floor. Allura noticed something shinning on the key chain – it couldn't be what she thought she saw!
"I'll get them," Allura volunteered and was bent over grabbing the purse and keys just as Emily whispered hoarsely, "I can get them."
But, that was all that Emily was able to get out. She fainted into Lotor's loving arms. Emily was at death's door – a place that Allura and Keith had found themselves only two days earlier.
Allura was in shock when the light hit that gold chain and charm. Frantically, she searched her purse for her own – they were identical! Lotor was gently shaking Emily, "Emily, hang on. Please, don't go! Not yet, we're so close to finding your family!"
"Lotor, we have found her family – and her name isn't Emily, it's Lauren! Our Aunt Orla had these bracelets specially made for only my baby sister and myself. Lauren, please hold on!" Allura blurted through her frightened tears.
Keith finally understood what their families had meant. Lotor did need their help – to save Allura's baby sister!
Keith and Lotor hurriedly created the serum – using Allura's blood as a blueprint for Lauren's body to repair itself. Allura held tight to her sister's limp body. For a moment, Lauren opened her eyes and smiled up at Allura. "I'm not alone anymore? You'll stay with me sissy?"
"Always. You've not been alone a day in your life, Lauren. Mom and Dad have watched out for you for years now. Please hold on sissy. I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you – I should've fought that jerk off." Allura had for years held that guilt in her heart – that she escaped and Lauren had been taken.
Lauren smiled and chocked a giggle. "You weren't supposed to go then. See you soon sissy."
Then her body went still and grew heavy in Allura's arms. Remembering how it felt when Keith died, Allura knew that the fight was over – and that they had lost.
Lotor wasn't ready to give up. He injected the serum into Lauren's vein and then hoped that the slight heartbeat she had would be enough.
Lauren grimaced twice. Her heartbeat soon turned into a slight murmur. Before long it and Lauren were gone – they had lost.
Do you really think I would leave ya guys like that? Only one miracle? No, way – but Lauren does deserve to see her folks again, right? And maybe a little more?