Hi all!

Once again, sorry for the delay, but work has been ridiculous lately. I also had to do some quick editing of my other stories. I had to pull my song fics and remove any song lyrics I had used in other stories. I am thinking about reposting my song fics sans the lyrics, I really like those stories and I think they can stand alone.

Any way, thank you so much for the great reviews. I hope to have the next couple of chapters up more quickly. I know exactly what is going to happen, I just need the time to sort through my thoughts and get them all organized in story form :)

Thanks for everything!
Enjoy,

Failte


After they had all been dismissed from the Garrison, Tristan called his father and asked him to look into the Garrison run mental hospital. When he, Cady, Erik, and Sky returned to Boston with Keith and Allura a few days later, Vince Alexander would have a full report waiting for them.

They had all stayed in New York for four more days, seeing shows, shopping, and sampling the food from all over the world. Sven, Romelle, and Delora decided to fly back to Norway with his parents and visit for a few days before returning to Pollux. Keith and Allura accompanied the kids to Boston so they could meet Tristan's parents before heading to Albany to see Keith's mother.

They pulled into the long, curving driveway in front of the Alexander estate around mid-afternoon. The front door swung open and Josie stood, framed in the doorway, wearing a silk raspberry suit. Her hair was swept up in an elaborate twist while diamonds hung from her ears, around her neck and were draped around her wrists. Every movement sparkled.

Tristan whispered in Cady's ear, "I'll bet you anything she's been watching from the front window for the past hour."

"Be nice," she whispered back. "Let's try and make this as unawkward as possible."

"Is unawkward even a word?"

"If it isn't, it should be."

"I think we should look it up."

"I think you're stalling."

Tristan scowled at her as they climbed out of the car and joined the others.

Josie moved elegantly down the front steps, eyeing the royalty that were going to be staying with her and her husband. They weren't exactly as she had imagined them. Queen Allura wore a pair of green jeans and a green and white striped sweater under a thick, pink coat. Her boots came up above her ankles and were suited more for hiking than wearing to a stylish party. The only jewelry Josie could see were a very simple engagement and wedding ring set and a necklace of a gold heart with what appeared to have half a dozen small diamonds in it. Her hair had obviously been a golden blonde at one time but was lightening with a little gray and pulled back into a thick braid that fell halfway down her back.

Josie felt a little cheated. This was not the Queen she had imagined. She turned her attention to the Prince Consort.

Keith wasn't dressed much better. He wore khaki cargo pants and a black sweater. His hair was black, streaked with gray, and a little too long for a man his age.

They were certainly a very attractive couple, but not exactly royal looking. The two of them looked more like they belonged in a shopping mall than sitting on thrones.

Josie Alexander pasted the largest, friendliest smile she could muster onto her face and extended her hands, "Welcome to our home, your highness!"

Allura smiled graciously and took Josie's hand in hers, "It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Alexander, but please, call me Allura. And this is my husband, Keith."

"Keith, it is an honor to meet you both and to have you in our home. Please, call me Josie. My husband, Vince, is still at the office, unfortunately, but he will be joining us later with the information on the Garrison hospital." She hooked her arms through theirs and led them up the steps. "Come now, we'll get you settled in. Tristan, darling, bring their bags in, please. You can leave them in the foyer, Henry will make sure everything will get where it needs to be."

Cady, Erik, and Sky stood beside the car, all of them a little surprised at being ignored.

"Don't take it personally," Tristan said, as though reading their minds. "She's just too wrapped up in having royalty in her house."

"Hey," Erik said. "What are Cady and I? Chipped liver?"

"The expression is 'chopped liver'," Tristan corrected as he pulled a couple of bags out of the back of the car. "And you aren't, but you guys are a prince and a princess, now there is a queen in the house."

The four of them entered the house and heard Josie's voice coming from the front parlor, telling Keith and Allura about the portrait of her father-in-law hanging above the fireplace.

"Come on, lets take our stuff upstairs," Tristan whispered. "She'll be in there for hours sharing the history of the Alexander family."

They left Keith and Allura's bags in the foyer and marched up the stairs. Cady, Erik, and Sky turned left while Tristan went to the right.

Cady set her bags on her bed and began weeding through them. She pulled out the laundry basket Josie had left in the closet and filled it. "I can't believe I brought this many clothes," she murmured as she pressed down on the pile, trying to cram one more shirt into the basket.

"Do you want another basket?" Tristan asked from the doorway.

"How did you finish unpacking so quickly?"

"I didn't, I just don't feel like doing it right now," he told her as he sat on the side of her bed.

"I don't either," she admitted. "I just want to curl up and take a nap."

"Then do it."

"That would be rude. We just got back, my parents are here, I have to unpack."

"You can put that off until later."

Cady sighed and put her hands on her hips, "I don't remember taking this much stuff."

"Because you bought twice as much as you took with you," he reminded her. "And you're leaving it up to me to find a way to get this all back to Arus."

"I have faith in you. Where are my parents going to be staying?"

"There's another bedroom on the other end of the hall. It's bigger than any of these, almost as big as mine."

Cady pushed aside the full laundry basket and kicked her suitcases away so she could crawl onto the bed, "What does your mother have planned for tonight?"

"I think tonight she and my father are taking us to the Country Club for dinner. I told her to make it an early evening since we'll all probably want to hit the sack early."

She curled up on top of the quilt and closed her eyes, "How long do we have before dinner?"

Tristan wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "Enough."

"You better not let my father catch you in here."

"I won't."

"He'll kick your butt."

"I know."

"And you'll lose your job."

Tristan chuckled softly, "I'll keep that in mind."


They're back, Brian thought gleefully.

He had spent the last week thinking and planning. He had notes stacked neatly on the shelf in his apartment, including some sketches he had carefully drawn late at night. It was going to be perfect.

For a fleeting moment, after seeing that the Queen had come too, he thought about dropping his original plans and pursuing her. But no, this was going to be better. This was going to be his swan song. This would be his last job, but he knew he would go down in history. He could finally retire, finally rest, and know that years from now, people would still be talking about him.

"Sebold!"

Brian looked away from the window he was standing in front of and turned to his boss, "Yes, Mr. Harris?"

"Stop lallygagging, we just received word that the Alexanders are coming tonight with some important guests. We need to set up the Palmer room for them, make sure there are fresh flowers in there and new candles." Mr. Harris demanded.

Brian felt his heart beat faster and his mouth began to water, They were coming here! Tonight!

"Yes sir, I'll go to the nursery now."

"Thank you, Sebold." Mr. Harris turned on his heel and hurried back toward the kitchen.

Brian allowed the grin that had been threatening to split his face come out in full force. He placed his hand over his heart and took a deep breath.


Cady woke feeling a little disoriented. She was alone in her room, her shoes had been removed, and a blanket had been laid on top of her. She sat up and stretched, feeling disappointed that Tristan wasn't there. But she knew it was for the best. Even though they hadn't done anything improper, Cady knew that if her father had caught them, he would have chased Tristan out of the house and down the street, threatening bodily harm.

She glanced at the clock and saw that she had been sleeping for over an hour. Wondering what time they were going to have dinner, Cady pushed the blanket aside and stood.

Following the sound of voices, Cady made her way downstairs and into the den. The room was crowded with her parents sharing the leather couch with Josie. Erik was sitting in the arm chair in front of the window with Sky sitting on his lap. Tristan sat in the chair opposite them. They all had their attention on Keith as he told a story about the original Voltron Force.

Allura noticed her daughter in the doorway and motioned for her to come in. "Cady, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Did you have a good nap?" Josie asked.

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you." She stopped beside Tristan's chair when he reached up and grabbed her hand. Realizing there were no other seats available, Cady sat on the arm of his chair.

"We were just filling Josie in on some of our adventures," Keith told her.

Josie shivered elegantly, "I was so worried when Tristan told us he wanted to join the Garrison that something would happen to him. It is such a comfort to know he is with such good company, such talented soldiers."

"Don't worry," Keith assured her. "We have his back. Tristan is a terrific pilot and an asset to the Arusian military."

"He's an asset to Arus, period," Cady said, leaning down to kiss him.

"Oh please," Erik called out.

Josie smiled softly, "And I am so glad that Tristan and Cady found each other."

"You and me both," the Arusian Princess said.

"I just wish he wasn't so far away."

Allura gently patted Josie's hand, "The door is always open, Josie. You and your husband are welcome to visit any time."

"And you know we'll be back to visit," Tristan added.

Josie stood at the sound of the front door opening and closing. "That would be Vince. Please, stay seated, I'll bring him in here."

Cady leaned down and whispered to Tristan, "When are we going to eat?"

"You hungry?" He asked.

"She wants to know how much time she has to get ready to go to the club," Sky teased.

"Well, what are you wearing?" Cady asked her.

Allura looked at Tristan, "Are there any dress rules we need to know about?"

"No jeans, no sneakers off the golf course, all men must wear a collared shirt, um, it's been a while," he sighed. "I think that's it."

"Come on," Erik groaned. "I never understood dress codes at restaurants. They're getting our money, our patronage, they shouldn't care how we dress."

Sky elbowed him in the side, "I think it's nice. It's an excuse to dress up, to pretend we're grownups."

"I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but you are a grownup," Allura told her.

Sky scowled, "I don't think I'm ready to be grownup yet."

Keith raised an eyebrow, "If you aren't ready to be grownup, then you aren't ready to get married."

"That's why we're waiting two years," she quipped. "Give us a little more time to mature."

"You're going to need more than just two years for that," Tristan teased.

"Allura, Keith, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Vince," Josie said as she reentered the room, her hand tucked into his arm.

Keith stood and offered his hand, "Vince, it's nice to meet you."

"And you, Keith," Vince said warmly, shaking his hand before turned to Allura and taking the hand she offered. He brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, "It's a pleasure, Allura."

"It certainly is, Vince. You have a lovely home and we have had such a wonderful time with your wife," she said graciously.

"I called the club and they will have the Palmer room will be ready at 7:30," Vince told his wife.

"Wonderful," Josie exclaimed. "We'll leave here at 7:00."

Vince held up the briefcase he held in his hand and told Keith, "I have the report on the Garrison's hospital, I thought we could go over it after we returned tonight."

Keith nodded, "That would be great, thank you for everything."

"It's not a problem, I'm glad I could help."

Cady checked her watch, "Well, we have just over an hour before we leave, so if you'll excuse me, I am going to go dress."


Sky smoothed her hands over her skirt and raised her hand to knock on Cady's door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Sky called through the closed door.

The door was yanked open and Cady looked her best friend over, taking in the black knee length skirt and red sweater. "Hm, that's what you're wearing?"

Sky looked down, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Oh nothing," Cady turned back to her room. "You look nice."

"So do you," Sky assured her as she took in the princess' appearance. Cady wore a dark green cocktail length dress with long sleeves, an empire waist and lattice design covering the bodice. It was a very feminine, very pretty dress. "Is that one of your new dresses?"

"Yes? What's wrong? Doesn't it look all right?" Cady asked nervously.

"Oh for, Pete's sake, Cady. You look great, you always do. Why are you so nervous?"

"I'm not nervous," she sighed, sitting down and sliding black high heeled shoes on. "You spent more time with everyone, how are they getting along?"

"They're getting along fine. But then who wouldn't love your parents?"

Cady sat at the vanity and studied her reflection. Now that her hair was shorter, she was having a hard time finding new ways to style it. "What should I do with my hair?"

"I think you should really impress Josie and wear your circlet," Sky teased.

"You're a real riot, Schuyler."

"It looks fine the way it is."

"No, this is how I wore it all day," she muttered, running her fingers through her curls.

Sky walked over to the dresser and started shifting through the jewelry box Cady had brought with her, "What jewelry are you wearing?"

"Um, my choker with the emerald and gold filigree pendent and my little gold drop earrings."

"Then use these," she pulled out two diamond encrusted combs. "Pull your hair back above our ears, it'll show off your earrings."

"Oh, good idea, Sky."

Erik peeked around the ajar door, "You girls decent?"

"It's too late to be asking that, isn't it," Cady asked as she brushed back her hair. "You're all ready in."

He whistled softly, "Looking hot, Sunny."

Sky spun on her toes, "Why, thank you."

"You all about ready?" Tristan asked from the doorway.

Cady pushed the second comb into place, "What time is it?"

"Ten of seven."

Sky brushed some imaginary lint off Erik's sweater, "And look, Cady is the last one ready."

Cady took the hand Tristan offered and stood, "Beauty can not be rushed, Schuyler."

"Oh, you guys look great," Allura gasped as they all met up in the hallway. "Cady, that dress was a perfect buy."

"I'll say," Tristan agreed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get going so I can show off my beautiful girlfriend."

"Tristan, dear," Josie hurried from her room, attaching an earring. "The article your father and I were interviewed for is on the counter in the kitchen, you'll have to check it out when we get back."

"How did it turn out?" He asked.

"Very nice. We sent a copy of it to your grandmother, she loved it."

"Shall we go?" Vince asked, following his wife from their room.


The Freedom Hills Country Club was buzzing with activity when they arrived. A large party was taking place in the lounge, the bar was quite crowded and loud. Josie scowled in their direction, upset at the amount of noise. They walked through the second lobby and were greeted at the entrance to the main dining room by a main in a suit.

"Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, it is truly a pleasure, as always," he gushed. "It has been way too long."

"Harris," Josie took his hands in her. "It's so nice to see you and we really appreciate your help at such a short notice."

"Not a problem, not a problem at all."

"Harris, you remember our son, Tristan."

"Of course, how are you?"

Tristan smiled, "I'm fine, thank you."

"So good to see you again."

"And this is his girlfriend, Princess Cadence of Arus," Josie continued. "And her parents, Queen Allura and Prince Consort Keith Whitaker and friends of theirs, Prince Erik of Pollux and his girlfriend, Schuyler Collier."

Harris all but fluttered with excitement as he was introduced to all the royalty, "It is truly, truly a pleasure to meet all of you."

Sky smiled and nodded to the maitre d'. She was starting to get used to Josie's need to show them all off, at first it had annoyed her, but she realized now that it made the woman feel better, so what was the harm. They were going home in a few days any way.

Her attention was suddenly caught by a passing busboy. She wasn't sure why. It might have been his size, he was well over six feet tall and built like a tree trunk. He walked with a slouch and kept glancing at them. She knew he was probably just curious, but something about him had her feeling uneasy.

Sky snapped out of it when she felt Erik take her elbow and gently guide her. They followed the others through the main dining room and to a smaller room. The Palmer room was used for small, private parties. The wall was solid windows that extended up into the ceiling. It was a clear, beautiful evening and they could just see the ocean in the distance. One long table was in the center, set for eight with fine china and shining crystal.

A single sheet menu was placed on each plate listing the appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and available wines. As they were all seated, a waiter made his way around the table and filled their water glasses. Vince sat at the head of the table with Josie on his right and Keith on his left. Allura sat beside Keith with Cady on her other side and Tristan at the other end of the table with Sky to his left and Erik beside her.

"Would you like to select a wine to sample while you're looking over the menu?" Harris asked Vince.

Tristan's father glanced at the menu and then looked up at the others, "Would you all like to try a white or red wine?"

"I'm more partial to white wine," Allura said. The others all nodded their heads in agreement.

"All right then," Vince looked back at the menu. "We'll try the Getly '95."

"Very good sir," Harris bowed slightly and hurried from the room.

"This is all just beautiful," Allura sighed.

"We can walk off some of this supper later and go on a little tour," Josie said.

"Do you golf, Keith?" Vince asked.

Smiling sheepishly, the Voltron Commander shook his head, "I'm sorry to say that is one sport I never picked up."

"That's a shame, it's quite relaxing. Maybe we can hit the links before you leave."

"Sure, I'll give it a shot."

Tristan leaned toward Cady, holding his menu up to hide his face. "This hasn't been too painful," he whispered.

"No, they seem to be getting along fine," she whispered back.

"Maybe your father will be a regular golfer by the time he heads back to Arus."

"Or are you just hoping he will be putting a golf course in at the castle?"

"I wouldn't mind that."

Allura leaned over and whispered, "I hate to break up this romantic little tête-à-tête, but you're being rude."

Cady smiled and sat up straight, "Sorry, Mom." She looked around and caught Josie looking at her, she smiled at the older woman who returned her smile, a little hesitantly.

Sky looked from her menu to Erik's, "What are you getting?"

"I'm thinking seafood," he replied dryly.

"They do know there is food other than fish, right?"

"Not in New England, there isn't. Oh, wait, there's steak."

"Where?"

"There," he pointed at the filet mignon halfway down the menu.

A waiter stood between them and filled their glasses with the selected wine.

"Go easy on that," Erik whispered to her. "You are a bit of a lightweight."

"I'm a lady," she replied haughtily. "I know how to handle my liquor."

He snorted quietly.

Vince cleared his throat and raised his glass, "I would like to propose a toast. Here's to our newly extended family. Welcome, Cady, Keith, and Allura. And congratulations to Erik and Schuyler on their engagement."

The others all raised their glasses in unison.

It grew progressively darker as the evening wore on. More lights were turned on as they ate their meals of lobster, fish, and steak. Both Tristan and Cady were relieved to see their parents getting along so well. Keith and Vince made plans to go golfing the next day while Allura and Josie discussed going shopping with the girls. Keith showed them both his wallet full of pictures of their other five children while Allura told them all about Arus.

"Would you like to see a dessert tray?" Harris asked.

Vince nodded, "Sure. It won't hurt to look."

"I will explode if I eat one more thing," Sky sighed, resting her hand on her stomach.

"They have a peanut butter pie," Erik told her as the tray came by them.

She sat up, "Really? Split it with me."

"I was thinking about the chocolate cake."

"Oh."

"I'll split it with you," Allura offered.

"Thanks, Aunt Allura."

"Like you couldn't eat it all yourself," Erik muttered.

Sky kicked him under the table.

"I'll be right back with your desserts," the waiter vowed, bowing slightly and hurrying out with the display tray.

"This has been delightful," Allura said, sipping her wine. "Thank you so much for dinner."

"It's our pleasure," Josie assured her. "This has been fun. I guess it was a stroke of luck that our Tristan ended up on Arus."

"It wasn't luck," Cady told him quietly. "It was magic."

He winked at her.


The party in the lounge had broken up by the time they finished their meal. They broke up into two groups. Vince took Keith, Erik, and Sky on a tour of the gym and golf course while Josie and Tristan showed Allura and Cady grounds. The plan was to meet back at the pro shop in half an hour.

"I wish you could be here to see the garden in bloom," Josie said as they stood in front of the windows overlooking the Club's award winning gardens.

"Oh, I'm sure it's just lovely. Do you garden, Josie?" Allura asked.

"No, I'm afraid I don't have a green thumb."

"I just love to garden. When you visit Arus, I would love to show my gardens."

"We'll have to plan a trip sometime this summer."

"That would be great."

Cady and Tristan hung back a little from their mothers. They walked hand in hand, Cady studying the art on the walls and the classic decorations. Tristan studied her.

"Hey," she whispered quietly.

"Hey what?"

"Is there a ladies room around here?"

"Uh yeah," he looked around. "The closest one is up the steps by the kitchen. Come on, I'll take you."

"Where are you going?" Josie asked as they turned around.

"I'm taking Cady up to the bathroom. We'll meet you at the pro shop." Tristan told her.

"Okay, dear."

"I've never been in a Country Club before," Cady told him. "This place is lovely."

"Yeah it's nice. We used to come here every summer to swim." He chuckled. "Well, except for the summer when Owen and I were banned from the pool."

They stopped in front of restroom doors. "What happened?" She asked.

"Well, we were young and had just discovered girls. Being the quick, smart men that we were, we thought that if we pretended to be lifeguards and went into the girl's changing room…"

"Okay," Cady held up her hands. "I don't want to know. I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here."

Tristan leaned against the wall. It was quiet, the club closed in half an hour and the kitchen had closed fifteen minutes earlier. He nodded to a couple of woman who left the kitchen and headed out, followed a few moments later by the head chef.

He checked his watch. Tristan knew the old stereotypes about women taking forever in the bathroom, but this was ridiculous.

Two more minutes, he thought, pacing in front of the door. Then I am going in.

Another woman came out of the kitchen, reaching back to turn off the lights, before turning toward him. She smiled and passed him on her way into the bathroom. Tristan stopped pacing and studied the painting hanging on the wall, a vase tipped over on a table with a spray of yellow roses spilled across the table.

The woman came back out of the bathroom.

"Excuse me," Tristan stopped her.

"Yes?"

"I'm, uh, I'm waiting for my girlfriend, was she…"

"There was no one in there."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "Are you sure this was where you were supposed to meet her?"

"There is no one in there?" He asked.

She shook her head.

Without another thought, Tristan pushed open the door and entered. The lights automatically turned on, flooding the room with fluorescent light. The woman followed him in.

"Cady!"

No answer.

The two of the checked every stall. No one.

"There's another restroom in the changing rooms, are you sure she came in here?" The woman asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." He replied tersely. "I stood in front of the door when she came in, but she never came out."

"When was that?"

He glanced at his watch, ignoring the way his heart raced and the worry thatwashed over him. "Uh, eight minutes ago."

"Hm, that is strange."

Tristan stood in front of the sinks, his hands on his hips looking around. Something sparkling caught his eye, he leaned down and picked it up. A diamond encrusted comb. Clutching it in his hand, he looked around and saw another door, there was no knob or handle. "Where does that door go?"

"The kitchen."

He walked over and pushed it. It was locked.

"It's always locked," she told him. "We don't even know why it's there."

"Who has a key?"

"Uh, the manager I guess. I don't know, it's always locked."

Tristan pulled his communicator out and dialed up Keith.

"Whitaker."

"Keith, Cady's missing."

At first, Keith thought he misheard, "What?"

"Cady's gone. She went into the bathroom and disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?"

Tristan snapped, "She's fucking gone! She walked into the bathroom eight minutes ago and disappeared!"

"Okay, calm down. Where are you?"


Three minutes later, the doors to the club were locked and everybody who was still in the building was gathered in the main dining room, a handful of guests and a dozen employees. Keith was organizing a search of the building, splitting up the volunteers into pairs. Josie sat with Allura, patting her arm, trying to offer comfort.

Keith was hesitant to include Allura or Sky in the search. He didn't know what had happened to Cady, where she was, who had her. What if the same person who had her went after one of them? But Sky was not about to allow him to leave her out. In the end, he paired her with himself and Erik with one of the busboys.

Sky watched Erik and the busboy hurry from the dining room. He was the same guy she had seen earlier. The big guy who had left her feeling unsettled and it took every ounce of self control to stop from running after them.

"Come on, Schuyler, we're going to check the lounge and front lobby area," Keith said hurriedly, grabbing her arm.

Ten minutes later, the search parties slowly trickled back into the dining room. Allura paced the floor, looking up expectantly as each group returned. But none of them found Cady or any sign of her. She looked down at the comb she held in her hand. Tristan had given it to her saying that when she came back, Cady would be looking for it.

Keith stormed in with Sky at his heels. He looked around and his heart sank. With a nod, he signaled to Harris to call the police. It was official, Cady was missing.

"I take it no one found anything?" He asked, his voice raw.

Around the room, heads shook sadly.

"Where's Erik?" Sky asked.

Keith scanned the room. Neither Erik nor the busboy he had gone with were back. "They were sent to check the men's locker room. Stay here, Sky," he waved over a waiter. "We're going to look for him."

"Uncle Keith…"

"Don't argue with me," he snapped. "Stay with Allura and wait for the police."

Biting her lip, she watched him and the waiter run across the room. Just as they were about to cross through the doorway, the busboy who had been with Erik burst in.

"That…that man I was with," he gasped breathlessly. "Erik. I can't find him."

Keith took his shoulder, "Brian, right?"

He nodded.

"Tell me what happened," Keith demanded.

"We were in the locker room, I heard a noise in the shower area. I ran over and…and there was a shower curtain on the floor, like someone ripped it down, but there was no one around. I looked all around the locker room, but he's gone."

Sky gripped the back of the chair beside her, trying to steady herself.

Keith rubbed his hand over his face, trying to get a grasp on what had happened. How was it that both Cady and Erik just disappeared into thin air? Who would take them? How could they take them without anyone noticing?

He looked around the room. Someone in this room knows what is going on, he thought. Someone in here knows where they are or saw something they aren't admitting.