The next day, after three hours of grueling practice, the team took a break and returned to the castle.

"Half an hour, then we're meeting back here to go for target practice before the afternoon meeting," Declan announced.

The four other Force members nodded and went their separate ways. Sky returned to her bedroom to check on Figment. Nicky should be up and done with his chores, so she could drop the puppy off with him. She hated leaving Figment in her crate and now that they were so busy, Nicky had promised to walk her with Speck.

Figment's bark greeted her as she slid the door open. "I hear ya, baby," Sky said as she crossed to the crate. "This won't be for much longer, I hope. I know you hate being in the crate, but as soon as you're officially housebroken we'll get rid of it. And you're almost there, aren't you?"

She stood, cradling the squirming puppy to her shoulder and turned, surprised to see a box sitting on her bed. "Who's that from, Figment?"

The little dog licked her hand in response.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, huh?" Setting the puppy on the bed, Sky leaned over and read the label. It was from Erik. Her heart skipped a beat and she gnawed on her lower lip, debating whether or not to open it. When Figment began chewing on the corner of the box, she snapped out of her trance and retrieved a pair of scissors from her desk. A folded piece of paper sat atop the packaging with a note written in handwriting she knew all too well.

Dear Sunny,

I've been trying to think of ways to prove to you how much I love you. I know what you're thinking, no, I am not trying to buy your love. I am just trying to show you, in a small way, how much you mean to me. You are always in my thoughts. I just hope you can forgive me enough to let me explain everything to you. We're coming to Arus for the engagement ball in a couple weeks, we'll be there the night before. Please, set aside some time, I really need to talk to you.

I love you,

Erik

With trembling hands, she pulled the packaging aside. Inside she found what appeared to be every dog toy sold on Pollux. There were balls in various shapes and colors, a couple of stuffed toys that squeaked, bags of treats and a few rawhide chew toys. With a yap of excitement, Figment jumped into the box and burrowed deep in, surfacing with a little stuffed monkey in her mouth, her body shaking with enthusiasm.

"That's just a low-down, dirty trick," Sky sighed. "Trying to get to me through you."

The gifts continued to arrive, almost every day. By the end of the week, Sky was starting to look forward to them but Cady appeared to be even more excited than her friend. Every day she knocked on Sky's door curious to see if she got anything. There were flowers, her favorite, Terran lilies, by the dozens; a warm sweatshirt with the picture of a Jack Russell Terrier, the spitting image of Figment, emblazoned across the front; a small elephant carved out of marble with sapphire eyes; and, her favorite gift of all, a book of Polluxian poetry. Erik had inscribed on the title page of the book, Sky, with all my love, Erik and marked several pages, highlighting various love poems.

She had to admit that he was doing a good job at wooing her, if for no other reason than the fact that he was proving how well he knew her. Sky was finding herself even more confused. When he had left Arus, he had been angry, quiet, and miserable. Now he was suddenly acting like his old self. Her curiosity about his behavior was making it so that she couldn't wait to speak with him the night before the ball.

Moving quickly, Allura and her cabinet were able to compose a new set of laws and pass them through the planet's senate within a week and a half. The crackdown was immediate. The police brought in everyone Dones had mentioned and questioned them extensively. Most of them had been released due to lack of evidence. But they did find a drug lab in the basement of a house on the outskirts of town.

Allura had also decided that arresting the perpetrators wasn't enough, she was going to offer them the opportunity to get clean in a new detox center. She had requested that it be built within a month and hired contractors to add a new wing onto the current hospital in town. She and Becca were going to start interviewing doctors and psychologists to run the center by the end of the week.

Of course there were repercussions. People argued, fought back, and declared the new laws unfair. Allura had gone on the televiewer the night they had been passed to tell the people of Arus about the laws and to promise to end the drug and gang related problems before they got any bigger. She also promised to have the new laws printed and available at the police station for anyone who wished to read them in depth.

The Force spent several hours a day at practice, including more hand-to-hand and target practice. They were on call if Paton or any of the officers needed them for backup.

"Sky, there you are," Cady breezed into the rec room. "I need your help."

Sky looked up from where she was playing with Figment, "What?"

"I need to go into town and Dad won't let me go anywhere without a guard," the princess grumbled, falling onto the sofa.

"Tristan can't take you?"

"I don't want him to."

"Why not?"

"I need shoes for my ball gown and I don't want him to see."

"I hate to break it to you, Cady, but he isn't going to notice your shoes."

"I have to take the dress to compare, I want shoes just the right color."

"Have you spoken with your father yet about going into town?"

"No, but if you go, he can't say no."

"He can still say no," Sky sighed and flipped Figment on her back so she could scratch her tummy, "All right, give me another hour and we can go."

"An hour?" Cady checked her watch and a slow smile spread across her face. "Oh, I see, you want to wait until after the mail arrives. Waiting for another package, huh?"

Sky blushed slightly, "No, I just thought we could wait until after lunch."

"I take it you've forgiven him, then?"

"It's not that simple, Cady. We have a lot to talk about and I want to know what happened to make him change his behavior. I mean, I love him, but I can't just keep letting him back only to…to hurt me again. I am so confused right now."

"Have you tried calling him?"

"No. I emailed him to thank him, but he just wrote back to tell me that it wasn't necessary to thank him, he was doing it to grovel and soften me up so I would actually talk to him when he comes for the ball."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

Sky looked down at Figment who was chewing enthusiastically on a piece of bone, "Yeah, I think I owe him that much."

Cady grinned, "I knew you guys would get back together."

"I didn't say that. We're just going to talk. I just don't like the way he is going about it, he doesn't have to butter me up with stuff, I just want him to be honest with me, let me help him."

"You'll get back together, I know it, and some day you'll laugh about this little tiff."

"Whatever," Sky muttered, pulling her communicator from her waistband as it beeped. "Collier."

"Conference room, five minutes." Keith snapped before ending the connection.

"I wonder what that's about," she mumbled, standing.

"I'll go with you," Cady said. "When the meeting's over, we can talk to my father about going in to town."

Minutes later, Sky and Cady were the last to arrive in the conference room. The rest of the Force was already seated around the table while Keith, Hunk, Paton, Lance, Pidge, and Allura stand at the head of the table, talking quietly.

"Good, everyone's here," Keith said, looking grim. "Have a seat, girls."

"What's going on?" Declan asked.

"I've been corresponding with the Garrison ever since we got back, in hopes of finding a better place for them to send Vinn," he began. "The warden of the prison on Zettle has been in touch with me, giving me updates on Vinn's behavior, psychological evaluations, and any discussion of moving him. As you may, or may not know, all correspondence sent to and from inmates are carefully monitored. For a couple of months now, Vinn has been under speculation. I was sent some of the letters along with a note from the warden explaining their theories of what is going on." Keith opened a folder lying on the table and pushed leafs of paper toward the seated Force members. "They believe he was conducting business behind bars done through coded messages with his men on the outside."

"What kind of business?" Cady asked.

"Drug trafficking."

"You think he's behind all the problems here?" Tristan asked, picking up one of the letters.

"At least the drug problems," Paton told him. "The other issues seem to have evolved from that."

"What are they going to do?" Sky asked.

"We have to wait until we have concrete proof that Vinn really is behind all this. We're hoping one of the men we catch here will crack and name him." Keith explained.

"What can we do to help?" Declan asked.

"I'm hoping to put more pressure on the Garrison to have him moved, the warden is going to start a full fledged investigation into Vinn and she is in the process of getting permission to halt his correspondence in the midst of the investigation." Keith explained. "I wanted you all aware of what was going on while we work with the Garrison on this matter."

"Cady, Tristan," Allura spoke up. "We're thinking about postponing the engagement ball."

Tristan nodded, "Whatever needs to be done."

Cady shook her head, "Oh no! If we postpone, then we're letting them beat us. We will not postpone anything, you guys are just going to have to figure all this out before then."

Hunk and Lance both chuckled quietly.

Keith shook his head, "Cady, we'll do whatever needs to be done to keep you all safe and rid Arus of this problem. If we have to postpone the ball, we will."

She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back against her chair with a huff.

Ignoring his daughter's mini-tantrum, Keith looked at the others, "If you have any questions, just let me know. For now you're dismissed, stay close to the castle until further notice."

With a scowl on her face, Cady was the first to storm out of the room. Tristan looked pleadingly at Sky.

"She's your fiancée, your problem," Sky said cheerfully.

"There's still time to back out," Gideon said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Tristan shook his head, "You guys are of no help. Now I have to try and unruffle some ruffled feathers."

"I think there's cheesecake in the kitchen!" Declan yelled after him.

"Spoiled brat," Gideon mumbled.

"Boys," Allura appeared beside them. "Don't talk like that. It's hard when something so important to you is disrupted by an evilness you can't control. It isn't the postponement of the ball that upsets Cady, it's the fact that these problems are interfering with our lives. If we have to postpone the ball, who's to say we won't try to postpone the wedding? Try and have a little patience with your sister, planning a wedding, wanting it to be perfect, it's very stressful for a woman."

Tristan knocked on Cady's door. There was no answer. He knocked again, "Cady? Are you in there?" He hesitated a moment and listened for sound. There was none. "Great," he mumbled. "Now where did she go?"

He checked the kitchen, the rec room, and the observation deck but to no avail. He began to worry as he retraced his steps through the castle. She wouldn't do anything as stupid as going out alone, would she? Tristan asked himself. She is too damn impulsive and thickheaded sometimes.

"Tristan."

He turned sharply and saw the object of his worry walking swiftly towards him. "Cady, where the hell have you been?"

She arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You storm out of the meeting, don't tell anyone where you're going, and I just spent twenty minutes searching the castle for you."

"I can take care of myself."

Tristan rubbed his hand over his face and took a moment to rein in his temper, "Okay, sorry, I overreacted. Where have you been?"

"The library."

"The library?"

"I do read, you know," she said haughtily. "I decided I wanted to know more about what was going on, so I looked up asperaine benziontate to learn more about it and I decided to look through some history books to see if Arus has ever had a problem with gangs before and how they handled it."

He raised both eyebrows, surprised, "Wow. Okay. But wouldn't your mother have already looked into that?"

"Yes, but I want to do it myself. I just took the books to my room. What are your plans now?"

"I uh, I think I'm clear for now, why?"

"I thought you could help me out. Dad told me how he suggested you learn more about Arusian history if you're planning to someday be Prince Consort. This would be a great way to learn."

"Okay, sure, I guess."

"Well, I wanted to go in to town, but since Dad is cracking down, I don't think he'll let me right now."

"You're right."

"And I want this all taken care of so that none of this nonsense will interfere with our ball or wedding. Come on," she held her hand out to him. "Let's go educate ourselves on the history of Arus."

Tristan shook his head slowly as he allowed her to pull him down the hall. "Sometimes, Cady, you confuse the hell out of me."

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Hot Stuff."

Thirty minutes later, Tristan was settled in the plush arm chair beside the window in Cady's room while she was lying on her stomach on her bed, each holding a book from King Alfor's library. Tristan was studying Arusian law records while Cady was reading up on history.

The Princess found herself distracted by having him there. She looked up when she heard him clear his throat and watched as he turned the page, his eyes shifting from side to side, absorbing the information laid out before him. His concentration fascinated her, he was so handsome, so focused. As if sensing her, he looked up and met her gaze.

"Problem?" He asked lightly.

"No."

"You don't appear to be getting any work done."

"Uh," she looked down at the book in front of her. "About seven hundred years ago, King Alessondro signed a royal decree allowing a full exporting/importing deal with Planet T'Sanqo."

"And that has to do with what we're researching…how?"

"It included exporting/importing plant life."

"Does it say what plant life?"

"No. But I'm sure we can find out."

"Then find out."

"Maybe," she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Maybe I shouldn't have invited you to help me."

"Why?"

"You are very distracting."

Tristan chuckled, "I'm just sitting here, reading."

"Yeah, but you're doing it looking all cute," she teased, crossing over to him.

"Would you rather I did it looking all ugly?"

Cady pulled the book from his hand and tossed it on the bed, "That would help."

"Well, I can't do much reading if you keep throwing my books away."

She sat on his lap and slid her arms around his neck, "Well, then I guess you won't be doing any reading right now."

"Cady," he brought his arms up around her waist. "I thought you wanted to do some research."

She kissed him quickly, "Study break. I think I'll need one every half hour."

"How did you ever pass any class?" He asked as she undid the top three buttons of his shirt and slipped her hand in to stroke his chest.

Cady caught his earlobe between his teeth before whispering, "My tutor is an unattractive man of sixty-eight years."

Tristan laughed, slipping his hands under the back of her blouse, "I guess I'm glad for that."

"Go away!" Cady shouted when someone knocked at the door.

Tristan jumped to his feet, unceremoniously dumping Cady on the floor.

"Ow, geez, Tristan, what is your problem?"

"That could be your father," he hissed, buttoning his shirt.

Rolling her eyes, she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Tess!"

Cady glared at him, "Okay, go away, Tess!"

Tristan pulled her to her feet and went to open the door, "Hey, Tess, how's it going?"

The younger Princess looked from him to her sister and back again, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes," Cady muttered.

"No, not really, we're doing some research." Tristan stepped aside to let her in.

Resigned, Cady sat on her bed and smiled at her sister, "What's up, Tessy?"

"Can I, uh, can I talk to you. Alone, please."

Tristan grabbed the book he had been reading and dropped a kiss on Cady's head, "I can take a hint, I'll leave you girls alone to chat."

"This better be important," Cady sighed as the door slid shut behind Tristan.

"It is, I need your help, Cady."

Irritation turned to concern, "What's wrong, Tess?"

"Um, okay," Tess paced the floor, twisting her hands. "Remember how I told you about Kasen?"

Cady grinned, Kansen was the boy in Tess' math class she had met last year. "Yes."

"Um, well, he's emailed me a couple of time since school ended."

"And?"

Blushing, the younger sister twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger, "And he asked me out."

Cady jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together, "Oh Tess! This is wonderful! Have you thought about what you're going to wear? Oh, we'll have to go shopping. You and I."

Tess' face lit up, "So you think Dad will let me go?"

"Oh. Yeah. Forgot about that. Huh, well, normally he would agree as long as you had a chaperone…"

Tess groaned, "No one else I know has to have a chaperone."

"How many other Princesses do you know?"

"Maybe you could be my chaperone."

"Okay, if we can convince Dad, we could make it a double date. You and Kasen and me and Tristan."

"Really? That would be great!"

"But…"

"But?"

Cady gave her an understanding look, "There are some problems going on right now, you know that. We're under maximum security and none of us can go into town without a couple of guards. I don't think Dad will allow you to go just now."

Tess' face fell, "That's not fair."

"I know. I was planning to go shopping today, but that fell through. Maybe you can invite Kasen to the engagement ball."

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Tess replied sarcastically. "There would be no pressure there, introducing him to the entire family, including the twins, at what will be one of the most important events of the year."

"Hm," Cady rested her chin on her fist while she thought. "Okay, Tess, let me think on it. Tell him, for now, that you would like to go out with him, but some family obligations are keeping you busy the next couple of weeks."

"Couple of weeks?" Tess whined.

"I'm sorry, Tessy, but things are kind of crazy right now. Let me talk to Mom and Dad, feel them out and see if they're willing to let you start going on dates. You can't rush Dad, he's too overprotective."

"But I'm fifteen, all my friends are dating."

"Don't whine Tess, you're not like other fifteen year olds and you know it."

"Fine," Tess crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "I really hate being a Princess."

"No you don't," Cady corrected her gently. "You hate being a teenager, there's a difference."

"When Gideon was my age, he and Lynnai went out on dates."

"Yes, but Mom and Dad have known Lynnai since she was four and, you probably don't remember, but the two of them went on their first official date when they were fifteen and Mom and Dad went as chaperones. They didn't go out alone until Gid was sixteen."

Tess pouted.

Cady laughed and stood, "Don't give up, we'll figure something out, you have me on your side and we will find a way to make this work."

"Thanks, Cady," she mumbled.

"No." Keith didn't even look up from the papers on his desk when he answered his eldest daughter's request.

"Come on, Dad, Tristan and I would go with her," Cady pleaded.

"No, Cady, not until can get a better handle on what's happening in town."

"Dad, this is really important to her."

Keith sat back in his desk chair and looked up at her, "I know, Cady, but with all that's going on right now, and since we're still planning on holding the ball, I would like to be able to worry about one thing, one daughter, at a time."

"Okay, the ball is next week, after that, can we actually discuss a double date with Tristan and I going as chaperone and guard?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm getting to old for this."

"You're the one who went and had six kids."

He chuckled, "And three of them had to be girls."

Cady sat on the edge of his desk, "And thankfully, you don't need to worry about me courting anymore, now you can get started with Tess and prepare for Charlotte."

"I don't even want to think about Charlotte dating yet."

"Then think about Tess."

"You're driving me nuts, Cady."

"Just talk about it with Mom, see what she thinks. Tess is a good girl, she's smart and she can handle herself."

"I know, she's an amazing girl, but she's still just a girl."

"Come on, Dad, all of her friends are starting to date."

"And if all her friends jumped off a bridge…"

"Oh, stop that," Cady interrupted. "She'd have chaperones and a guard. Let her have her first date."

Keith rubbed his chin, "Let me talk to your mother. And if, if, we let her go out with this boy, we want to meet him."

"Of course."

"We'll talk about it."

"Thanks, Daddy," she jumped down and kissed the top of his head.

"I said we'll talk about it!" He called after her as she left. "Nothing is definite yet, don't get Tess' hopes up!"

"Yes, Daddy!" Cady called over her shoulder.

"Ew, lobster?"

"Yes, lobster."

Cady wrinkled her nose, "I don't think there's enough time to have it shipped here."

Tristan grinned, "Your mother asked me a couple weeks ago what I would like served and she ordered it in time."

"I'm not eating bugs."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"Lobsters are big bugs."

Tristan laughed and tightened his arm around her. It was late at night and he sneaked into her room, wanting to see her. The past few days had been busy, Cady was working on last minute plans for the ball and Tristan was working with the rest of the Force. They hadn't had time alone in almost a week.

"I guess it's a good thing you ordered chicken," he teased.

Cady slid her arm across his chest and pressed herself closer, nestling her head against his shoulder, "We will be able to have the ball, right?"

"Your parents are doing everything in their power and Paton said they brought in two more suspects today. No one has reported any problems in town in almost a week, no thefts, no vandalism, no harassments. If it continues like this, we can."

"And no hard evidence against Vinn?"

He ran his fingers gently through her hair, "We have some circumstantial, including proof that he has ties to Planet X'tpol, the planet we believe the drugs originated from."

"I can't believe these people would stay so loyal to him."

"They're addicted, if he continues to supply them with what they need, they'll stay loyal."

"I just don't understand why they would choose to be loyal to someone who is only going to hurt them when they could be loyal to my parents who just want to help them."

"Because it's not always so black and white."

"People are stupid."

Tristan chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "So, I heard we're escorting Tess on her first date."

"Yeah, but Dad wants us to wait until it's safer."

"I never had to act as a chaperone before."

"We just give them a ride, sit at least three tables away in the restaurant, and, if they go see a movie, we sit a couple of rows behind them."

"Is that what your chaperone did?"

"That's what I wish my chaperone did. My parents chaperoned me on my first dates and they sat at the table with us."

"Ow."

"Yeah. What about you?"

"Nope."

"No chaperone?"

"Nope."

"Lucky you."

Tristan ran his fingertips up and down her spine, feeling her shiver, "I am now."

"I was reading some more this afternoon."

"Find anything new?"

"The new laws and regulations Mom drew up are more fair than previous attempts to control importing."

"So you think it'll work?"

"It'll certainly help, especially if we can prove just where the plants are…what are you doing?"

"I'd think it was pretty obvious," he mumbled, as his hands moved gently over her body.

"Tristan, its…oh…"

Grinning, he kissed her, "Is that a good 'oh'?"

"Mm hm," she sighed and rolled onto her back, giving him better access.

He caught her lips again in a lingering kiss, "Let's discuss this tomorrow. I know a better way to spend our time in bed."

Cady sighed in disappointment when she woke to an empty bed the next morning. She had a vague memory of Tristan kissing her forehead and whispering that he loved her before he left.

I don't care what's going on, she thought grumpily. But when we get married, we are going to spend at least three straight days in bed, no matter where we go on our honeymoon. Honeymoon? We haven't even given that any thought. Maybe we could go back to his parent's house on Cape Cod.

With that happy thought in her head, she got up and wrapped her robe around her. The ball was just three days away and it had taken a lot of convincing to keep her father from postponing the ball and the fact that there were fewer reported incidents downtown and six gang leaders were under arrest and awaiting trial helped.

After a quick shower and a fresh dress, Cady left her room in search of some breakfast.

"Cady!"

She turned to see Tess hurrying down the hall. "Hey, Tess, what's up?"

"I was looking everywhere for you. Mom said that if things continue as they have been and it's safe, we can go shopping for a new outfit next week."

"Cool, any idea what you want to get?"

Tess fell into step beside her sister as they headed towards the kitchen, "I don't know. Something totally new and different."

"How're you going to wear your hair?"

"I don't know, what do you think? Should I try it up? I only ever pull it back into a ponytail, but maybe I could try something new."

"You don't want to be too fancy, it might intimidate him. You want simple and pretty and, well, you're already very pretty Tess."

The younger girl sighed, twirling a lock of her straight, dark hair. "I wish I looked more like you."

"Don't ever say that," Cady reprimanded, wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders. "You are beautiful Tess, you have amazing eyes and lovely hair. You should never wish to be anyone other than who you are because you're a great person."

Tess rolled her eyes, "You sound like Dad."

"Our father is a very smart man. Just don't tell him I said that or else he'll never let me live it down."

Tess giggled, "Yeah, the last thing we need is him spouting out more useless advice."

Cady laughed, "Now you have to be nice to me or else I'll tell him you said that."

Declan and Gideon stood in the kitchen sipping coffee when their sisters entered.

"How was practice?" Cady asked, getting out some plates.

"Fine. Your man is getting better," Declan said.

"Of course he is, he's incredible."

Gideon rolled his eyes, "Please don't start gushing, it's too early."

"So, Tess," Declan began, teasingly. "I hear you have a date."

"It's none of your business," she mumbled.

"Oh, it is definitely our business," Gideon said. "We can't let our sister date just anyone."

"If I had to go through this, so do you," Cady told her, taking out the makings for pancakes.

Declan wrapped a tight arm around Tess' shoulders, "So, who is this boy?"

"None of your business," she repeated.

"You can just tell us and get it over with, or we will find out our own way. Either way, we will find out." Gideon said.

"Kasen," Cady supplied.

"Is that first or last name?" Declan asked.

"First."

"Why are you helping them?" Tess cried. "I thought you were on my side."

"I am, Tess, but I want to know who this boy is too."

"Maybe Brina and I will come along and help you and Tristan chaperone," Declan said, offhanded.

Gideon nodded, "Let's make it a family affair. Lynnai and I will come too."

"No!" Tess shouted, pushing her brother away. "Why do you have to embarrass me?"

"It's a brother's right. What's his last name?"

"Why? Are you going to run a background check?"

Gideon shrugged, "If need be."

"You guys suck," she whined.

"Last chance, Tess, or we find out for ourselves and then we hunt him down and give him the third degree," Declan warned.

"Fine," she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them. "His last name is Martyn."

Her three siblings all paused in what they were doing and looked at her.

"Does…does he have an older brother?" Cady asked.

"Uh, yeah, and a younger sister."

Declan stepped closer to her "What's his brother's name?"

"Um, Mike or, no, it's Mytch."

"You're going out with Mytch Martyn's younger brother?" Gideon asked, surprised.