Chapter 5 : Getting Back To Normal

Sweat poured off her face as she bolted forwards. "Here we go again…" She thinks to herself, "Another sleepless night…"

Throwing off the covers she climbs out of bed, heading to her closet she puts on her bikini top and a jacket. Walking out of her room she walks to the elevator and pushes the button for the pool. The elevator stops and she walks out onto the pools 'ceiling' as Lance called it. Lifting up her arms she take a deep breath and then exhales through her nose.

Concentrating on the water she starts the basic exercises she did when she first learned to bend water, push and pull. After doing that for a couple minutes she starts to play around with the water, moving it from one place to another, doing little dances. It was the perfect distraction from the constant nightmares.

After she got done with water she moved onto the element she had learned first, fire. She shot a few fire blasts at the pool tuning it to steam. Getting down into a meditative sitting she starts to mediate, knowing she'd be free to do this there and she wouldn't be disturbed by anyone in the castle.

A few hours later she was brought out of her meditating by her stomach grumbling. Getting up off the floor of the pool she heads to kitchen and finds Hunk making breakfast. "Hi, Hunk."

Hunk turns around at the new voice and once he sees it's Aria he asks, "Aria, hey, how did you sleep?"

"Um.." She starts, "It was okay."

It was an obvious lie. But she just hoped he wouldn't ask about it. Hoped he believed it. Wanting to change the subject before he asked about her lie she asks, "So what are you making?"

"Well, Coran and I went to the space mall and we got some stuff that was more like earth food so I was planning on making some casual breakfast foods like eggs, sausage, bacon, stuff like that." Hunk replies getting the a few bowls out.

Hunk continues to get things out and she says to him, "Alright just come and get me when you're done."

"Okay I'll have someone come and get you." Hunk replies as he goes back to stirring and she heads out of the kitchen.

Walking out into the hallway she heads to the bridge to find Allura and Coran doing something on their holographic computers. She hesitantly walks into the room and when she's seen Allura says brightly, "Oh, hello Aria. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, I just wanted to talk to you and Coran…" She says to them. "I'm sure you guys already know this because of the healing pod but...um...I'm pregnant."

Allura tried to act surprised but she couldn't hold back anymore, "Yes we know, would you like to have a check up to see it?"

"Yes, please. The druids there just confirmed it." Aria replies a sad smile covers her face.

Coran wraps his arm around hers and along with Allura they walk to the medical bay. Once there she lays propped up some on her back and Coran starts to get things ready. A few seconds later Keith and Lance come running into the room and get on either side of her. Confused she asks, "W-What are y-you doing h-here?"

"Allura alerted us, telling us what she and Coran are doing." Lance replies placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She looks to Keith and he bends down to her level and asks her, "Did you really think you'd do this by yourself?"

A giant smile forms in her face and Coran says, "Can you please lift up your shirt, Miss Aria."

She nods and does as instructed and lifts her shirt so Coran could put the gel on her lower abdomen. He puts the gel on her stomach and then puts the wand on the gel, moving it around in a circular motion until everyone in the room hears a certain sound. A tiny heartbeat. Look up at the screen they they see a tiny moving thing on the screen.

"It appears that your child is growing twice the speed. So instead of being due in your normal human time span it will be half that. So I will need to monitor you once every day to make sure everything's in order." Coran says cheeringly. His words did nothing but freak her out.

He take the machine out of the room and Allura quietly follows him. She wipes the gel off her stomach and sits up. Getting up off the cot she throws away the paper towel and the two boys quickly go after her. They wrap their arms around hers and quickly stop her. Since they were both taller than her they pick her up by her arms.

"All right spill." Lance says to her as she squirms in their grasps.

Continuing her squirming she says between huffs, "There is nothing to spill. So Put. Me. Down!"

"Nope. Not until you tell us what's wrong.."Keith tells her, his face only showed concern for the girl who was squirming and kicking in his and Lance's grasps.

Sighing in defeat she stops squirming. The two boys notice she stopped and put her down but they never take their hands off her. "Fine..Fine..I'm just scared…"

She crosses her arms and looks down at the ground, "Okay...I'm just scared…"

"Why are you scared, hermanita?" Lance asks taking his arm away from hers and grabs her hand.

Keith follows his suit and she says, "Everyone leaves me...I-I...I-I was with t-that...t-that monster for over a-a month. H-He took e-everything from me! I t-thought for sure y-you guys would c-come..b-but you didn't.. He got me to b-believe that you'd a-abandoned me too."

More tears came and she continues, "I just don't want you guys to leave me too."

Lance attacks her in a hug and Keith hugs her from behind forming a little hug train. "I promise you we aren't going anywhere. We are staying put and we are with you til we're dead or you don't need us anymore."

"I'm never not gonna need you guys…" They pull away and she gently nudges Lance's shoulder. "Who's gonna be uncle Lance?"

A small smile appears on Lance's face as he hears these words. Aria and Lance always had a brotherly relationship, she came to him for everything. He was there for her when no one was. But the look the was on Keith's faces was different, he looked a little upset. He wondered why she didn't say anything about him. Did he not mean anything to her?

Her eyes flash and she then says before she runs down the hallway, "Ooo Hunks done with the food."

Keith gives Lance an uneasy look and Lance says to him before he too runs after Hunks cooking, "She's probably just confused as to where you want to stand with this whole Lotor's baby thing. Just talk to her about it."

Later that evening after hours of trying to go to sleep she gets out of bed and wraps the blanket around herself. She walks out into the hallway and moves down the hall to Keith's room. Not being able to sleep was messing with her and she knew she'd be able to sleep with him. She knocks on the door and it opens, allowing her to walk in. After walking in the door shuts behind her.

Keith stood near his bed, his hair in a shaggy mess, his shirt was missing, his shoes were off and her was standing in his socks, his eyes looked a little dazed as he looks at her. "What's up?"

Hearing his voice made goosebumps form on her skin, "I-I can't sleep...you were the one I always came too.."

"I get it." He says sitting down on the edge of the bed. Aria could hear the small hints of anger in the three words that were said.

"Why are you mad?" Aria asks, confused as to what Keith was angry with her.

He looks up at her and then asks repeating her question, "Why am I mad? Do I not mean anything to you? Am I not good enough?"

"What the hell are you even talking about?" It only takes her a couple of seconds to realize why he's so mad. "Really? Is this about what I said to Lance about being "Uncle Lance"."

Keith stays quiet confirming her suspicion, "Wow...I didn't call you anything because I have no idea what you even want to be called. I'm not expecting you to be this kids dad or whatever because I wouldn't ask you or any-."

Her rambling gets cut off by Keith's lips being pressed against her. She softens into the kiss and gently presses her lips to his, returning it. Pulling away for air he says, "Does that answer where I stand."

She nods and moves past him climbing into his bed. He could see in her eyes how tired she is, it looked like she hadn't been getting enough sleep. She lays down and curls up under the blankets. He sits back down on the bed and then lays down next to her. He understood the whole nightmare thing, he got them when found out he was half Galra and when he lost his dad.

Keith's head hits the pillow and he closes his eyes. Moments later he feels something cuddle up next to him and when he reopens his eyes he sees Aria snuggled up into his side. A small smile appeared on her face, he had guessed that she could finally get a good night's sleep. He closes his eyes again and goes to sleep easily.

Everything was turning out okay.

Word Count : 1651