They all filed into the dining room and found their seats around the elaborately set table. The younger children, Tess, Charlotte, Nicky, Luke, Tori, Mykel, Casey, and Natalia, all sat at another table in the corner, Tess grumbling about sitting at the 'kiddie table'.
Gideon rounded the main table and found the place setting with his name, between Lynnai and Brina. He pulled the chair to his right out and smiled at Lynnai. She shivered and glanced over her shoulder at him when his hand traced her spine as she slid into the seat. Gideon winked at her and took his place beside her.
Brina noticed the simple, loving interaction between Gideon and Lynnai and turned her eyes to Declan who was in the process of pulling out his own chair. He was about to lower himself down when he saw her standing beside her chair, looking at him. Thinking quickly, he smiled sweetly grabbed the back of her chair, pulling it out with a flourish.
"Your seat, M'Lady," Declan said dramatically.
"Why, thank you, good sir," she replied, slipping into her seat and smoothing her skirt.
The noise level was almost deafening as everyone was speaking and laughing at once. Keith took his seat at the head of the table, Allura would sit at the opposite end. To his right was his eldest son and to his left was his eldest daughter. Now that Darcy, Sky, and Erik were back, it felt as though the family was finally all together again. He looked around, seeing Tristan hold Cady's chair for her while the twins settled into their seats. Lance, Darcy, Sky, Erik, Hunk, and Pidge all found their seats while Allura and Paton settled the younger children at the other table. Becca set baby Ben in a carrier beside her chair where he slept peacefully, lulled by the voices and laughter that bounced off the walls and surrounded them. They hadn't all gotten together like this in a long time and Keith suddenly realized how terribly he had missed it.
Nanny appeared in the door and clapped her hands sharply, "Sit down, sit down. The first course is about to be served."
A butler moved around the table pouring wine into some glasses while a maid filled the children's glasses with milk before moving around the adult's table and filling water glasses. Nanny stood in the doorway using the cane she now carried to direct the maids who entered carrying full salad plates.
Keith waited until everyone was seated and had salads in front of them before clearing his throat and raising his glass.
The twins both groaned.
He looked at them, "What is your problem?"
"Nothing, Dad," Gideon mumbled.
"Just having to sit through another of your long, boring, pointless toasts," Declan added.
Erik tried to cover his laugh with a cough while Tristan bit his lip and looked up at the chandelier.
"Boys," Allura attempted to sound threatening but failed as she tried not to laugh. "That was uncalled for."
Lance shrugged, "Oh, I don't know about that."
"He can be pretty long winded," Hunk said.
Pidge nodded, "And often pointless."
"Don't listen to them, Daddy," Cady cooed. "You're an eloquent speaker."
"Thank you, sweetheart," Keith tipped his glass to her.
"Suck up," Gideon and Delcan said at the same time.
"Cut her some slack guys," Lance said. "She's probably just buttering him up so Tristan can ask him for Cady's hand."
Silence dropped like a ton of bricks. All eyes shifted quickly to Cady and her boyfriend. Tristan took a nervous sip from his wine glass as his face flooded with color and Cady fussed with the napkin she had on her lap.
"Uh, I was kidding," Lance said, shattering the uncomfortable quiet. "Is there something you guys want to tell us?"
"No," Cady squeaked. "Weren't you going to say something, Dad?"
"Yeah, Uncle Keith, we always learn something from your words of wisdom," Sky spoke up.
Erik snorted and she kicked him under the table.
"I'm beginning to think the moment has passed," Keith commented.
"Just get on with it, man, so we can eat," Lance said, popping a cherry tomato into his mouth.
Rolling his eyes, Keith raised his glass and waited for the others to follow suit. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad to have the whole gang back together again. There are some changes that are going to take place in the coming days, but I know we'll come through it all stronger and closer. Here's to the Voltron Force, old and new."
Everyone chanted, "Here, here" as glasses clinked together.
"I tried to keep it short," Keith added. "So let's get to it. Eat up."
"Here, here," the twins called out, tapping their glasses together.
Out of habit, Sky plucked the tomatoes from her salad and tossed them onto Erik's plate. This little bit of normalcy, of being home and getting back to the way things were before, gave Erik a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. He noticed that no one was giving him strange looks or staring at him, it seemed as though they had just accepted him as he was. He thought he should be glad, but part of him wished someone would address the incident or his injuries. At that moment, he realized how his father must have felt.
During one of their talks in the hospital room on Terra, Sven had opened up to his son and explained how hard it had been to adjust. His wounds had always been like an elephant in the room, they were there, everyone knew about them, but they all made a point to talk about everything but his injuries and what he had endured. Sven had told Erik that it didn't mean the others didn't care, they just wanted him to feel normal, accepted.
Glancing around the table, a little uneasily, Erik speared a tomato with his fork and bit into it.
"So who's going to fly Blue?" Sky asked nonchalantly.
"Let's wait for the main course," Keith responded.
"Come on, Dad, why are you making us wait?" Gideon asked.
"Because I can."
"We know you haven't been training anyone," Cady said.
"And no one has been interviewed," Brina added.
Allura looked around the table, "How do you know all that?"
"There is very little that goes on in this castle that we don't know about," Cady informed her.
"What have you heard from the Garrison about Vinn?" Erik asked, deciding to change the subject.
Keith shook his head, "I contacted Admiral LaShawn last week and he said they were still considering my request."
"But there haven't been any threats, have there?"
"No, nothing like the global threats from Vinn or Doom."
"Why do I think there is a 'but' coming?"
Keith nodded toward Paton, "We've been having some unrest in Alforia."
"It hasn't been anything too bad," the chief of police explained. "Some thefts, petty vandalism, a few threats among people. Some of the citizens of Alforia have been acting up, but it's nothing we can't handle."
"When did this all start?" Darcy asked.
"It has been building for a while," Paton admitted. "But it started small and we didn't really think anything of it. Some mailboxes were knocked over, a broken store window, some vandalism done to cars. We figured it was just some restless kids."
"And you think differently now?" Erik asked.
"We put more men out to patrol on foot and more undercover men mingling in stores and in the park. We actually brought in three adults, two men and a woman."
"What were they doing?" Sky asked.
"We couldn't get anything out of them. In the end, all we could do was fine them and let them go," Paton sighed. "We are still patrolling on foot and for a while things had calmed down. But over the last couple of weeks, more and more stores have started reporting thefts of small items."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Declan asked.
She shook her head, "Thank you, Dec, but no. This is for the police to deal with, not the Force. I've been giving Allura regular updates and if, for any reason, I believe we need your help, I will ask for it."
"I have a question," Sky spoke up.
Keith nodded, "What is it?"
"I didn't think too much about it before, well, I had other things on my mind, but I thought Vinn was going to be put into some psych hospital for the rest of his life. So why is he being sent to Zettle?"
"That's what we thought too," Keith concurred. "But it was decided that because he was considered so dangerous, he will still be under psychiatric care it will be within the confines of a maximum security facility."
Maids moved around the table, carrying away the empty salad plates and preparing for the main course.
"But wouldn't it make more sense to keep him at the hospital if he's so dangerous?" Erik asked.
Keith shrugged, "I would think so, but I can't get a straight from anyone at the Garrison. All I've been able to get is bits and pieces from friends who work there and all their information is on the sly, none of its official. The hospital is overcrowded and they needed to make sure he was under maximum security as well as medical attention."
"That's just bogus," Declan muttered.
"Yeah, it is."
Sky grinned as a plate full of baked chicken, pasta, and Nanny's homemade tomato sauce was set in front of her. "Okay, Uncle Keith, main course is here."
"Geez, Schuyler, you really got your father's patience," Hunk teased her.
"No, we're all dying to know," Declan said. "Sky's just the only one willing to voice it."
"All right, all right," Keith conceded. "Since we won't have a moment's peace to eat until this is announced, I guess we can discuss it now. Gid, pass me the cheese, please. Allura, Lance, and I have been discussing this topic at great length. We finally came to a decision and after sharing it with Hunk and Pidge and taking into consideration their input, we have decided to treat the situation with Blue as we did when we found Brina to fly Green. We will start accepting applications from pilots within the Air Brigade and from the best students at the University. Whoever proves to be the best pilot and develops a connection with Blue will be the next pilot. I know this isn't the easiest way, but for now, it is the best."
"But we have to start full team practices," Declan pointed out. "How long do you think it'll take?"
"Well, for now, much to my chagrin, Allura will be flying Blue, just until we find a replacement."
"Go, Mom," Gideon grinned.
"Aunt Allura's a great pilot, why don't you want her flying?" Sky asked.
"Yeah, sweetheart, why don't you want me flying?" Allura asked innocently.
Keith scowled, "I know that Allura is an amazing pilot, I just don't like the idea of her, as the ruling monarch, putting her life in danger."
Allura sipped her wine and winked at Sky, "He thinks I'm too old."
"I didn't say that," her husband protested.
"But you're thinking it, just as Koran thought I was too young and inexperienced to fly the first time around. I proved him wrong and I'll do the same to you."
Keith looked as though he was about to say something, but he pursed his lips and glared down at his plate, violently stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork.
Declan cleared his throat, "So, uh, we're still practicing tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yup," Allura declared happily. "I'll see you in the sky at 0600 sharp."
Cady glanced at Tristan out of the corner of her eye, noticing how he wasn't really joining in on the conversation. Turning to her father, she asked, "So, anyone can apply, Dad?"
Keith nodded, "Anyone with flight experience through the Brigade or the University. Whoever applies will have to go through rigorous interviews and tests. Only a handful will actually be able try flying Blue before we choose the next pilot."
"Will we get a say in who is chosen?" Declan asked.
"After we have it narrowed down, you can go through the applications with us and meet the candidates, but, ultimately, the decision will be up to Blue."
"Mooom!"
Allura looked over her shoulder, "What is it, Nicky?"
"Can I have dessert now?"
"Did you clean your plate?"
"No," Charlotte tattled. "He hid his chicken under the rest of his spaghetti."
Allura looked at Keith and rolled her eyes, "Nicky, I want six more bites of chicken and Charlotte, don't tattle."
After dinner, they all retired to the rec room for dessert, coffee, and conversation. Trays with slices of chocolate, whipped cream cake, the recipe courtesy of Keith's mother many years before. Coffee, tea, and milk were also served as Keith picked up the remote and turned the music on low.
"So, when do you start accepting applications?" Erik asked.
"We're going to post the opening tomorrow and start collecting applications as soon as they start coming in. Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Allura and I will start to sort through them and, hopefully, by the end of the week we'll be able to sit down with you guys and discuss our options." Keith explained.
"I'm glad to hear we'll have a say in who's joining us," Sky said.
Lance nodded, "When we were looking for a pilot for Green, you were just starting out as a team. Now that you're more settled and comfortable together, we can use your input to pick a pilot. We were very lucky last time finding Brina, we can only hope to find someone like her this time around."
Declan winked at her, "I don't think we could find anyone even close to as wonderful as Brina is."
"Oh, please," Gideon snorted. "Are you in trouble again or are you just sucking up for the fun of it?"
"Boys, lets not pick on each other tonight, let's try to behave," Allura sighed.
"Mom, Nicky is trying to take my frosting," Charlotte whined, holding her plate out of her younger brother's reach.
"Nicholas, do you want to go to bed early?" Keith asked sternly.
Nicky hung his head a poked at his cake with his fork, "No, Daddy."
"Then keep your fork to yourself."
Sky smiled and slid a little closer to Erik on the couch, "It's good to be home, huh?"
"Yeah, babe, it is," he pressed a quick kiss to her hair.
"Sky?"
She looked over to see Tess sitting on the floor by the table, starring at her intently, "What Tess?"
"When are you getting married?"
"Uh, well, we haven't set a date yet, but it'll be after I finish school, why?"
"I was just wondering."
Sky smiled, "Do you guys want to help plan the wedding?"
"Can we?" Charlotte asked excitedly.
"Sure, we'll have to get some books and magazines. We have plenty of time to plan and study and…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lance interrupted, waving his hands. "Before you start plotting, we need to set limits, I'm not exactly made of money."
Sky dismissed him with a flick of her wrist, "Don't worry, Dad, we'll keep it small and have Greedo and Figment act as ring dog and flower dog, it won't cost you much."
Darcy gasped, "You are not having the dogs in the wedding!"
The younger children giggled.
"We have to cut corners so Dad isn't left broke," Sky explained.
Darcy shook her head, "We will not cut corners for our only daughter's wedding, we can mortgage the house or sell your father's car…"
"I'll sooner sell you than my car," Lance interrupted.
"I think my parents are going to insist on helping as well," Erik spoke up.
"Oh no," Lance shook his head. "We're paying for our daughter's wedding, Sven can pay for a huge, elaborate rehearsal meal. And I mean huge."
Darcy elbowed him in the ribs, "Stop it."
Tristan lowered his head and whispered into Cady's ear, "We're eloping."
"That sounds good to me," she murmured.
With practice planned for early the next morning, the gang broke up and went their separate ways at an early hour. Lance and Darcy bade everyone good night and began their walk home, followed soon by Hunk, Paton and their three children. Gideon borrowed a car again to take Lynnai home while the others all retired to their rooms.
Declan walked Brina to her door, pausing to give her a gentle, drawn out kiss. "Good night, Pookie."
She laughed, "Please, don't ever call me that again."
"I'm still trying to right my wrongs and make you see how much you mean to me."
"Well, hon, calling me Pookie will only make me break up with you."
He nodded slowly, "Punkin'?"
Brina rolled her eyes and shook her head, "My aunt used to call me that when I was little."
"Sweetie pie, honey bunch?"
"Now you're just being silly."
He slipped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, "I'll see you in the morning."
Brina pulled back and looked at him, "You're going to do great, Dec, I know you will."
He bit his lip and studied her face. His heart clenched when he suddenly realized she believed in him. Completely. She was going to follow him into battle if she needed to. She was going to listen to him and follow his command and she was going to do it with total trust in him, not just because he was her boyfriend. Declan wove his fingers into her thick, titian hair and tilted her head back, pressing his lips to hers with urgency and passion.
"Love you," he breathed when they broke apart.
"Uh, yeah." Brina's brain couldn't seem to form a complete thought.
Declan chuckled, "It's a good thing I know you want me or I might be insulted by that."
"Yeah."
"Good night, Brin."
"Good night, Dec."
He winked and released her, turning to walk to his room when he heard her call his name.
"I love you too, Commander."
Declan smiled and gave her a small salute before disappearing into his room.
Sky and Erik entered the hallway just as Brina's door slid shut. Neither said anything as they approached the doors to their side-by-side rooms. They stopped in front of her door where Erik leaned over and kissed her forehead, mumbling a quiet 'good night'.
"Hey, wait," she grabbed his arm. "What's the hurry?"
"I want to get up early tomorrow morning too," he snapped. "I want to be in the control room to watch practice."
She rolled her eyes, "Would you stop being so damn defensive, please? Geez, I was going to ask you to come in."
He looked down at the floor and then up at her, "I don't think so."
Sky reached up and slipped his glasses off, forcing him to look her in the eye, "Why not?"
"I'm just…not tonight, Sky."
"All right," she folded the dark glasses and handed them to him. "But you can't hide from me forever. Eventually, this tension is going to snap and then we'll see if there is still going to be a wedding. I love you, Erik, more than you could possibly know, but I will not allow you to continue to push me away. If you need time and space, that's fine, but I wish you would talk to me. Let me help you."
"I know," he sighed. "I just need some time and I would appreciate it if you would just stop…" Erik stopped himself from using the word 'nag' but not before his meaning was made clear.
Sky threw her hands up, "Fine, whatever, good night."
"Sky…" he broke off when her door slid shut in his face. The lock beeped as she set it but Erik knew he could still enter her room, he knew the code. He should walk in there, tell her how much he loved her and make love to her like he hadn't done in several weeks. But he didn't think he was able to do that. His fear of losing her was doing internal battle with his fear of letting her down and neither one was winning.
With his shoulders slumped, fingering his glasses, he slipped into his room, shutting and locking the door behind him.
It was part of their nightly routine now for Tristan to walk Cady to her room and share a good night kiss before he returned to his barracks. He was a member of the Arusian Air Brigade, and as such, he stayed with his teammates at the barracks about a mile from the castle. Since they were in peace times, his training and practice was usually finished by late afternoon, although he was on call at all times, he was given his evenings to spend with Cady.
"Did you want to come in?" The Princess asked coyly as they stood in front of her room.
"I would love to, but you know that if I joined you, I wouldn't be able to leave."
After returning to Arus, they had both agreed that it would be unseemly if he didn't return to his bunk at night. By now, almost everyone knew they were seeing each other and if Tristan failed to return to his bunk, the Princess' reputation would be called into question.
Cady laced her fingers together behind his neck and stood on her toes, brushing her lips over his. "You've been rather distracted tonight."
"I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful you are."
She rolled her eyes, "Of all the men who tried to court me, I had to pick the one with the weakest lines."
He grinned at her, resting his hands on her hips, "And luckily, you fell for every one of them, hook, line, and sinker."
"Hook, line and what?"
"It's a fishing analogy."
"Oh, ew."
Tristan couldn't help but smile as his pretty girlfriend wrinkled her nose, "Have a good night, Princess."
"Wait," she tightened her arms around him. "Are you thinking about applying for the Blue pilot position?"
He licked his lips and swallowed, "Uh, I don't really know."
"Do you want to?"
Tristan looked up and down the hall, glad to see it deserted, "I don't know, Cady."
Noticing his nervousness, she took his hand and pulled him toward her door, "Come on."
"Cady…"
"Oh, stop it. You're not spending the night, but we're going to talk. Come on."
Tristan allowed her to pull him in to the pink and white room. Cady sat on the edge of her canopy bed and motioned for him to sit across from her in the plush, white chair that sat beside the window overlooking the lake.
"Talk to me, Tristan, what's on your mind."
He shrugged, "I don't know, I was thinking about it, but…"
"But?"
"It's terrifying, Cady."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. What if I apply and they turn me down? What if I apply and make it as far as flying Blue and she doesn't accept me? What if I try and fail? What would your father think of me?"
"What if you don't fail? What if this is why Grandfather Alfor was calling you to Arus? What if this is truly what you are meant to do?"
"Wouldn't I have received a calling from Blue?"
"Not necessarily. My father and the original Force didn't. They found their places after being assigned here. Maybe that's what will happen with you."
Tristan rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hands over his face, "It's really nerve wracking, Cady, it's a huge chance."
Cady gracefully slid to her knees in front of, taking his hands in hers, "Honey, you took a huge chance when you went against your family's wishes and became a pilot, you took a huge chance when you came to Arus, and you took a huge chance when you came back to Arus to tell me how you felt. Why should this chance be any more difficult?"
"If I fail, how can I ask your father's permission to marry you?" He asked quietly.
Cady scowled at him and stood, her hands on her hips, "Oh really, Tristan! Of course he will agree! And while it would be nice to have my father's permission, even if he were to deny it, then you and I would run off to some planet where we would spend the rest of our lives together making passionate love all night and you waiting on me hand and foot all day."
Tristan chuckled, "Waiting on you? All day?"
"Well, yeah, I would be the one defying my parents and leaving my family. You'd owe me."
He stood and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, "Yeah, I guess I would. At least the all night passionate love making sessions would make my slavery worthwhile."
"Are you going to apply?"
"Do you want me to?"
"This isn't about me. I know you love to fly and if you think you're the one to fly Blue, then I then I think you should apply. If you would be doing it in an attempt to suck up to my father, then don't do it."
He buried his face in her mass of blonde curls that had now grown past her chin. "I'm going to do it."
"Good for you, hon."
"This is just between us, okay?"
"Of course."
"I have to go now."
"Really?"
"If I don't go now, I won't be going at all."
Cady smiled, "That's okay."
He leaned back and met her smile with one of his own, "No, it isn't. Good night, Beautiful."
"Good night."
Tristan brushed his lips over hers, "See you tomorrow."
"See you."
He kissed her again, a little longer. "Maybe we can go out tomorrow night."
"Maybe."
"There's a new movie I've wanted to see."
"Okay."
"My treat."
Smiling, she stepped out of his embrace, "Damn right it is and you're stalling."
"Damn right I am."
Cady shoved him gently toward the door, "Good night, Tristan."
With obvious reluctance, he crossed the room and opened the door, "Love you."
"Love you. Good night."
Tristan slid the door shut behind him and waited to hear her lock it. He hurried down the hall and toward a back door, hoping to avoid anyone since it was later than he had realized. But, of course, luck was not on his side.
Gideon had just parked the car in the garage and was heading back to his room when he saw Tristan moving stealthily through the hall. "Little late to be skulking around the castle, isn't it, Lieutenant?"
Tristan jumped and scowled at his future brother-in-law, "I could be saying the same thing about you, Gid."
"No, not really, this is my home, I can be found skulking around here whenever I want. But seeing you here, at this time, makes me wonder if you're taking advantage of my sister."
"If you must know, she was taking advantage of me."
Gideon raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest, "Watch it, Tristan, I'm not afraid to take you out back and teach you a few lessons about respecting Cady."
"Oh, please, Gideon, I would think you know me better than that by now. Why is everyone expecting me to hurt or upset Cady? I love her. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her. I am not going to hurt her."
"Tristan, I know you mean well, but I've known Cady my entire life. She's a bit flighty and a total romantic. She views the world with rose colored lenses and she is easily hurt. I know you're a good man and I know you have good intentions, but she is my sister and if you hurt her, intentionally or not, I will cause you great pain. I won't kill you because I know Dec will want a chance at you too, but I will cause you pain."
Tristan thought he should have been insulted but he wasn't. Instead he grinned and offered Gideon his hand, "Thank you, Gid. I can't tell you how much it means to me that if anything should happen, if for some reason I couldn't be there, Cady has some amazing protectors, as Erik has already proven."
Gideon swallowed some pride and found his opinion of Tristan changed for the better as he shook hands with the older man. "She's important to all of us."
"That means a lot to me," Tristan said. "Good night, Gid."
"Good night, Tristan." The young prince watched his sister's boyfriend as he jogged down the hall and out of sight. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having him as a brother, Gideon thought as he made his way to his room.