Over thirty two hours after opening her gifts, Tess stepped off the transport ship and onto solid ground. She had never had the interest her brothers had in flying and this trip did nothing to change her mind.

"Well," she muttered under her breath. "If you want to travel, get used to it."

Making her way through the crowds to the meeting room where her aunt was to meet her, Tess pulled her communicator out of her pocket. She found a quiet corner and dialed up the castle.

"Castle Control, Arus."

Tess smiled. "Hey Uncle Lance."

He grinned at her. "Hey there, Tessy, did you make it safe and sound?"

There was a twenty second delay that made a real conversation nearly impossible. "I did, just looking for Aunt Dana now."

"Let me get your parents, they want to see you."

It took a couple of minutes, but Keith and Allura appeared in the tiny screen.

"You made it!" Allura cried. "How was the trip?"

"Fine. Glad to be on solid ground."

"Okay, we just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you need to talk to us, call any time." Keith told her.

"Have fun!" Allura added.

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

Tess snapped the communicator shut and slid it back into her pocket.

People were arriving from all over, ships landed and passengers disembarked. The noise was deafening as people yelled and cried and hugged. Tess wove through the crowd and spotted her aunt standing beside a newsstand.

"Aunt Dana!"

Keith's younger sister looked more and more like their mother with each passing year. Her face was soft and sweet, her hair still dark and thick, pulled back into a ponytail. The grin that crossed her face when she saw her niece was identical to her brother's. "Tess! How are you?"

Tess greeted her aunt with an enthusiastic hug. "I'm great! So glad to be here! How are you?"

"Wonderful, just wonderful! Come on, let's get your bags and then head home, I want you to get all settled in before dinner tonight."

"Where's Uncle Harry?"

"He couldn't get off work today, but he's hoping to get home early."

"Oh, he doesn't have to do that. I don't want you guys to disrupt your life for me."

Dana rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly. You're our guest and we're thrilled to have you here. Our home is your home, I know it's no castle, but I hope you can be comfortable."

Tess laughed. "I'll try."

"Good. If you need to go anywhere, feel free to use my car. Houten is a little town, but we're centrally located, we're really not far from anywhere."

"Great. I want to explore."

"You just let me know what you're looking for and I'll let you know where you can find it."

When her uncle arrived home that evening, they decided to take their niece to their favorite restaurant for dinner.

"We're going to get you some good, old-fashioned Terran food," Harry told her.

"I don't know if it can compete with Nanny's cooking."

"Nanny is still cooking?" Dana asked as they piled into the car.

"Not as much anymore, but she still hangs out in the kitchen and makes sure her recipes are followed exactly." Tess explained.

"We're taking you to Flynn's, it's a bar that just opened up about three years ago. The owner is a young man who came over from Ireland after graduating school to help his uncle open the place. Unfortunately, his uncle had a heart attack and died suddenly about three weeks before it was to open. But Griff decided to open it any way, he runs it now and he is doing a great job." Harry explained as they made their way out of their neighborhood.

Houten was a very small town of close neighborhoods surrounding a small Main Street that was home to local shops and restaurants. The street was lined with old-fashioned streetlamps with large flower baskets hanging from them. The traffic moved slowly as pedestrians crossed the street and filled the sidewalks.

The stores were all locally owned and most had silly names, like The Wooly Bully Yarn Shoppe; Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails (pet grooming); All That Glitters (jewelry store); and A Pinch of Sugar (bakery). The storefronts were decorated with awnings and flower pots with several of them putting out water bowls for the people walking their dogs.

Tess was utterly charmed by the sweet town. It seemed her aunt and uncle knew every person who passed, waving and calling out greetings through their open windows.

"There's a bookstore right there, Tess," Dana said, pointing to a shop with a green awning, Page Turners. "It's right next to Flynn's. On the other side is a sweet little gift shop and there is a clothing boutique two doors down from there. We'll have to go shopping."

"Sounds like a plan," Tess said as her uncle pulled into a parking space in front of the bar.

Flynn's had the dark wood appearance of an aged pub, making it appear much older than it was. The weather was beautiful and people sat at small, umbrella shaded tables in front. One young couple had a small dog resting under their table.

"Do you like beer?" Harry asked.

"I do. I've only just come of drinking age seven months ago, but the twins have made it their job to educate me on quality beer." Tess told him.

"Good boys."

Tess looked up at the sign that hung above the entrance and stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth falling open. The carved wooden sign swung from a metal arm that stuck straight out above the door. Flynn's was carved in elegant script and underneath that was an elaborate design of entwined loops.

"Tess?"

Shaking her head, Tess turned to her aunt who was holding the door open for her.

"You okay?"

"Uh, yeah, Aunt Dana, sorry, I guess I am tired."

"Oh, dear. We'll eat quickly so you can get to bed early."

Tess nodded and followed her into the dimly lit bar, her right hand unconsciously moving to touch the watchband on her left wrist. Beneath the watchband, on the inside of her wrist just over her pulse point was a birthmark in the exact same shape of the entwined loops. Her mother had called it a "Love Knot."

Declan followed Brina into the house behind Gideon and Lynnai. It was a nice house, painted white with black shutters, a large wraparound porch, and a red front door. The real estate agent stood in the front hall and greeted them as they entered.

"Look at this living room!" Lynnai gasped, running over to the fireplace. "Think about it, Gid, we could put the Christmas tree here."

"You're already planning Christmas?" Gideon asked.

"I plan out Christmas in every house we see."

"Would you keep this paint color?" Brina asked, running her hand over the taupe colored wall.

Lynnai tilted her head, studying the wall. "Probably not. I do like the chair railing. I think I'd like to paint vertical stripes on the wall below the chair railing and solid above the railing. Oh! This means we can start looking at paint colors!"

"Yay, you get to start looking at paint colors," Declan whispered to his brother.

Gideon grinned at him, "Yes, I do."

"Come on! This is only the first room! Oh! Built-ins!" Lynnai crossed into the adjoining room.

"Dec, come with me." Gideon inclined his head to the front hall.

"Where?"

"We had looked this place up online and there should be…here." Gideon opened a door in the hallway and flipped up the light switch.

Declan followed his brother down a set of carpeted steps to a huge finished basement. "Whoa."

"Yeah, whoa." Gideon grinned. "I'm thinking pool table over here, fooseball there…"

"Nah, air hockey."

"Ohhhh…air hockey, I like the way you think. And in the alcove over there will be the big screen TV and a big couch. Surround sound, speakers throughout the room. And over there?" He pointed to the far wall and looked at his brother. "Bar."

"Lynnai know about this?"

"Any house with a finished basement, the basement is mine."

"I can't believe you guys are looking at a house already."

"Lynnai's pregnant."

Declan looked around at his brother, a small smile on his lips. "I figured it was something like that. When did you find out?"

"She took a test a couple days ago. We swore Becca to secrecy until we could tell everyone. How long have you known?"

"A few weeks ago, I had a feeling some little person was going to come into your life."

"Becca thinks she's about four weeks, so it's still early. We don't want word getting out to the press just yet."

"I get it. This is great news! Congrats, man!" Declan threw his arms around his brother in a back slapping hug.

"Yeah, thanks. We're pretty excited."

He released his brother. "When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?"

"We're planning on having Lynnai's parents up to the castle for dinner and tell everyone at once."

"That's a great idea."

Gideon studied his brother. "Talk to me, Dec."

"What about?"

"Come on, you can't hide from me."

"I'm just worried about Tess."

Gideon shook his head. "It's not that."

Declan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do."

"About what?"

"We're in peace times, there are no threats, we spend all day training and preparing for a non-existent battle. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels, man."

"You need a purpose."

"I do. But not a war, I don't want anyone to attack us or anything, but what am I working towards?"

"The security of Arus and the safety of our people."

"Arus is secure and our people are safe."

"Come on, Declan, you know we can't let our guard down."

"I know, I guess I'm just…I don't know…antsy."

"You're actually telling me you are bored leading the Voltron Force?"

"What? No! Of course not."

"Well, I guess Tess isn't the only one going on a journey of self discovery, huh?"

"Don't mock me, Gideon."

"Oh, come on, you know I'm not."

"Yeah, I know." Declan muttered.

"Have you talked to Dad about this?"

"No."

"Maybe you should."

"And say what? That I'm not feeling fulfilled in my duties as Black's pilot? Yeah, that'll go over well."

"I don't think flying Black and leading the Force isn't fulfilling for you, I think you're just not sure what you want. What about you and Brina?"

"What about us?"

"Do you think, maybe, you're ready for the next step?"

"I'm perfectly happy with where we are."

"Are you? You don't seem perfectly happy."

"My relationship with Brina is the one thing I'm not doubting right now."

"There are a lot of changes going on," Gideon said. "You never did like that."

"Gideon, you down there?" Lynnai called from the top of the steps.

"Yeah!" He called back. "We're planning my man cave."

Lynnai all but skipped down the stairs. "You have to come and see the kitchen. Where's the TV going?"

He took her hand and pulled her over to the alcove. "Here, with a couch there."

"I don't want a couch down here, I want big comfy theater seats."

"But it's harder to make out in theater seats than a couch."

"True."

Brina sidled up to her boyfriend. "How're you doing?"

"I'm great. Looks like this is where I'll be hanging out when I'm not up at the castle." Declan said.

"I think they need to see the rest of the place before you start hanging out down here."

"Gid's ready to buy the place based on this room alone."

"Come on!" Lynnai pulled Gideon toward the stairs. "You have to see the kitchen and then we have to check out the bedrooms, pick which would be the best nursery."

Brina's eyes widened. "Nursery?"

Declan winked at her. "Come on, let's go see the rest of the house, if I'm going to be hanging out with Gid at his new house, I get a say in what house they buy."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite customers!"

Harry laughed as they were greeted by a middle aged waitress. "Oh, Cathy, you're only saying that so I'll tip you better."

She grinned at him. "It can only help. Table for two?"

"Three tonight," Dana spoke up. "Our niece, Tess, is visiting for the summer."

Cathy pulled another menu off the pile and nodded to Tess. "Welcome to Flynn's, Tess."

"Oh, uh, thank you," Tess mumbled, still feeling flustered.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's been traveling all day," Dana whispered, conspiratorially.

"Oh, well, then come with me, we'll get you settled. You'll feel so much better when you get some food in you." Cathy led them through the half filled restaurant to a booth near the bar. "Can I get you a drink?"

After they placed their orders, Dana and Harry opened their menus, discussing what they might try. Tess stared at the menu in her hands. The cover was exactly like the sign out front. She knew the Love Knot, she had seen it every day of her life. When she was 13 her mother had told her the story of how she had the same birthmark on the back of her neck and that it had led her to Keith. Allura was convinced that this meant the Love Knot would lead Tess to find her soul mate. Tess had laughed it off. She knew that there was magic on Arus and there was magic in the royal family, but she didn't believe she lived in an actual fairy tale.

But this changed things. Other than the birthmark on her wrist, the birthmark on her mother's neck, and the scar on her father's chest, Tess had never seen the Love Knot before today. She had seen various Celtic knots, like the pendent Sky wore that Erik had given her years before, but none of them looked like this.

"Tess?"

She looked up at her aunt. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you okay? Do you want to go home?"

"No, I'm sorry, I'm fine." She flipped open the menu. "What do you recommend?"

Cathy appeared at their table and set their drinks in front of them. "If you're looking for something good, the burgers are the best in town and the shepherd's pie is to die for."

"Is Griff in tonight?" Harry asked.

Cathy shook her head. "Not yet. Mike called off sick tonight so Griff is going to cover the late shift on the bar, so he took a break between shifts, he'll be in in a couple of hours."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry we'll miss him. Be sure to tell him we stopped in."

"I will. He'll be sorry he missed you as well. He's been awful busy, though."

"Still working on starting up his brewery?"

"Yup, he met with the owners of the house behind this building, looks like he'll be buying that and turning it into the brewery."

"Good for him! He knows his beer, I'm sure he'll come up with some great things."

Cathy pulled the small pad out of her apron. "You guys ready to order or do you need more time?"

Dana looked at Tess, who nodded. "It looks like we're ready."

After they placed their orders, Harry looked across the table to his niece. "Griff, the guy who owns this place, is planning on starting his own brewery. He has done so much for this town, he's helped quite a bit with the Main Street revitalization."

"It's good for everyone's business for Main Street to be a place where people actually want to hang out," Dana added.

Tess cleared her throat. "The owner is named Griff?"

"Griffin McManus." Harry told her.

"Where did the name Flynn's come from?"

"Oh, Flynn was his uncle. They had planned on naming the place Irish Rose Bar and Grille, but after Flynn died, Griff decided to name it after him." Dana explained.

"What, uh, what is this?" Tess asked, pointing to the Love Knot printed on the napkin under her drink.

"Oh, I don't know, just a Celtic knot, I suppose. Griff came here from County Cork, Ireland about 6 years ago."

Tess looked around the warmly decorated pub and saw an Irish flag hanging behind the bar, shamrocks carved in wooden pillars, a large antique map of Ireland was framed and hanging on one wall, and signs of various Irish beers hanging throughout the room.

"You seem to know him well."

"Small town, everyone knows everyone," Harry told her. "And your aunt is on the town revitalization committee."

"Oh, Tess, tomorrow you should go check out Page Turners," Dana told her. "I know you enjoy reading and they have a great selection. New books, some old ones. I bet you'll have a lot in common with the owner's daughter, she's about your age."

"Yeah, okay, thanks. I'll check it out."

After returning to the castle, Declan changed into workout gear and headed out back for a run. It was a beautiful day and running around the lake and up through the woods would help him clear his mind, try and come up with a way to figure out what he wanted to do next.

"There are a lot of changes going on. You never did like that."

Gideon's words echoed through his mind as he stretched. No, Declan didn't like change, but there was nothing he could do about it. They were all getting older and starting their own lives. Cady was out of the castle with a family of her own, Gideon was about to move out and start his family, and Sky and Erik were probably going to as well.

He was perfectly happy in his relationship with Brina, but was he holding back on taking the next step because he was afraid of how things might change? Declan knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with her, so why not make it official? What could go wrong?

Maybe he felt stuck because he was afraid to make changes in what seemed so perfect right now.

Afraid?

Declan slowed to a jog.

Was he afraid?

Nothing will every change if you stay in one place in your life because it feels safe. Maybe it was time for him to stop being afraid and to make some changes in his life.