WEP owns everything except the voices in my head. I just like to borrow their toys, cuz they're better than mine...
CubbieBlueMako - Keith tries to mind his moods for Allura, but the longer he goes without sleep, the harder that may become...
Paulina Ann - luckily I did not feel inclined to include Nanny in this story, but someone will notice where she spent the night...
Sunshineleo - there is a little more drama coming... Can't make it *too* easy for the lovebirds to finally get things sorted out now can we?
Smithy - thanks for continuing to follow along on this little adventure...
Wade Wells - Thanks! I think you'll like this chapter too...
Forever4Blue - I think if Keith needs help dressing, there will be a line forming to help him... or would that be hinder and take advantage of him... Maybe two lines would form? ;)
On with the show...
Lotor enters Haggar's laboratory, striding to take up a position beside her. "So, old witch, is the captain ready to surrender yet?"
The crone looks away from her crystal ball and faces the prince. "Not yet, sire. There seems to be a complication that I did not foresee." She hesitates, not wanting to explain further. When Lotor gestures impatiently for her to continue, she reluctantly elaborates. "It appears that a bond has been forming between the captain and the princess that allows her to counteract some of the effects of my spells. I will have to make adjustments to the magic in order to compensate for her presence."
"A bond between them? I won't have it! Find a way to break that connection!" His voice rises in volume until he is nearly shouting at the stooped form in front of him. "She is meant to be mine, not his. I thought you said this was supposed to be his nightmare! I will not let it become mine! Fix this or I will make it your nightmare, crone!"
"As you wish, sire," Haggar simpers, bowing her cloaked head. "I was researching additional spells when you arrived."
As Haggar turns back to her crystal ball and ancient tomes, Lotor makes his way from the room, an angry scowl on his face.
Warm morning sunshine spills through the windows of the castle signaling the start of a new day. Allura stretches and yawns, then snuggles deeper beneath the blankets, sighing contentedly. Rolling over, she slowly opens her eyes only to realize that she's not in her room. A brief moment of panic sets in before she takes in her surroundings and recognizes where she is. Slipping out of the bed, she quietly pads over to the couch. As she approaches, she sees Keith sitting with his back against the sofa's armrest, his legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles. He looks up as she draws near and smiles gently at her. "Morning, Princess. You sleep alright?"
"Yes, I did, thank you. Not that I remember falling asleep in the first place. Did you manage to get any sleep last night, Keith?"
"An hour or so after we talked." He blushes slightly, refusing to meet her gaze. "Then I had another nightmare and woke up to find you sprawled on the floor leaning against the couch. I knew there was no way you could be comfortable like that, so I put you into my bed. I was afraid you'd wake up if I carried you all the way back to your room. I hope you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind. I was very comfortable." A rose flush colors her cheeks as she answers him. "Do you want to talk about the dreams that you're having? Maybe I can help figure out how to stop them? I sat up with you for a while after you fell asleep and you were very restless. I did what I could to calm you for as long as I could." She watches him fidget uneasily at the mention of his nightmares. If only she knew how to ease his anxiety.
"That's the thing." He shrugs in defeat. "Once I wake up, I don't remember the dreams at all. I just know that they are intense and unsettling. And afterwards I always have a feeling of impending doom and can't fall asleep again." He pauses for a minute as he stares outside. "You know, I've stared out that window for so long that I think I can actually see that tree over there growing." He points to a slender sapling outside the window and shakes his head slowly. She frowns at the random change in conversation, realizing that lack of sleep is affecting his thought processes more than she initially estimated.
Allura sighs as she studies his face, then slips onto the couch, squeezing between the armrest and his feet. When he begins to move in an effort to provide her with more room to sit, she instead pulls his feet onto her lap. "Keith, there has to be something we can do to help you sleep better, besides having me sit up with you all night. Maybe Dr. Gorma can give you some sleeping pills or something." She knows he won't agree, but she is determined to help him through this.
"You know that's not the answer, Allura." He shakes his head, trying to stop his sigh from turning into a yawn. "I need to be able to wake up at a moment's notice in case of an emergency or attack. Sleeping pills won't allow for that." He rubs at his face with one hand, letting out a deep breath. "I just have to let this run its course. It's what I've always done in the past, though the nightmares are a new added pleasure." He grimaces and leans his head back against the wall.
As they continue to talk, Allura begins absentmindedly rubbing Keith's feet and calves. She notices that his replies start to grow slurred and he begins to mumble. His eyes drift close and before long, his breathing steadies. Realizing that he has fallen asleep again, she slips out from underneath his legs and heads back to his bed for pillows and a blanket. After tucking him in and propping the cushions behind him, she makes her way back into her seat, waiting to see if the nightmares return.
Stretching and yawning, Lance wanders into the dining room, rubbing his bleary eyes. Looking around, he sees Pidge and Hunk have already arrived. "Morning, guys. Any sign of Keith or the princess yet?"
"No, but maybe it means Keith's finally sleeping again." Pidge raises his eyes hopefully. "I sure hope so at least…"
"Yeah, me too. After all, when his mood flips again, I'm the one with the target on my back, handshake or no handshake." Lance eyes the door warily as he takes his seat at the table.
"I wonder where the princess is though. She's usually here by now." Hunk sighs as he waits for breakfast to be served.
When the three men finish eating their morning meal, their two missing teammates still have not arrived. "OK, I can understand Keith not showing up this morning if he's finally getting some sleep, but where's Allura?" Lance furrows his brow as he taps his lips with his index finger.
"I'll go check on her, Lance." Hunk stands up from the table and starts making his way out of the room before anyone can stop him.
As the door closes, Lance and Pidge turn to face each other. "I guess we can go check on Keith then," Lance says as he rises from his seat. "You coming, Pidge?"
"Sure, though I'm not getting between the two of you if you set him off again." Pidge shakes his head and giggles as he ducks past Lance's half-hearted slap.
As they exit the dining room and turn towards their captain's quarters, Hunk races at them from the direction of Allura's royal suite.
The two smaller men manage to narrowly avoid being run over and turn to their hefty companion. "What gives, Hunk? Where's the fire?" Lance brushes the sleeves of his jacket, glaring.
"The princess… she wasn't… in her room…" Hunk manages to pant out as he gasps for breath.
"Not in her room? Well then where is she?" a worried look settles on Pidge's face.
"Her bed had been… slept in, but not… made. No sign of a struggle." Hunk's breathing slows as he finishes his sentence. "She obviously left of her own free will, but where would she have gone?"
"We'd better go get Keith. He'll never forgive us if we don't, whether he's asleep or not." Lance sighs heavily and resumes his journey.
Arriving at the captain's door, Lance knocks gently. Not knowing what mood Keith will be in when he answers the door has him apprehensive. He's surprised when the missing princess greets them a few seconds later. Taking advantage of his stunned reaction, she slips past him into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
"Princess!"
"Shhh, Pidge. Keith's sleeping and I'd like to keep from waking him up. What's all the fuss about?"
"We were worried when neither one of you showed up for breakfast. We hoped it meant that Keith was finally getting some rest, but we didn't know where you were. And then when we checked your room, there was no sign of you. We were actually coming to get Keith to help search for you." Lance utters reproachfully as he catches Allura's eyes.
"Oh, I completely lost track of the time. I didn't mean to worry you boys."
"Princess, what where you doin' in Keith's room anyway?" Hunk looks at her with his eyebrows raised.
She blushes faintly before answering quietly. "I had asked Chitter to keep an eye on Keith and make sure he was sleeping. Around two this morning, he came and told me that Keith had had a nightmare and been awake for an hour. I came to check on him and we talked for a while." She turns a slightly brighter shade of pink, and then looks at Lance. "You should have told me, either one of you…" Tilting her head down, she pins Pidge with her azure gaze before waggling her finger in front of each of them.
"He told you? He actually told you?" Lance breathes incredulously. "I didn't think he'd ever do it… Maybe there something to be said for sleep deprivation after all…"
"He didn't want to. I had to drag it out of him." She glares at them each once more before resuming her story. "Anyway, he finally fell asleep, but almost immediately started having horrible nightmares. It was all I could do to keep calming him back down so he wouldn't wake up completely. Eventually, I fell asleep too. When I woke up, he was already wide-awake thanks to another bad dream, so we talked some more until he dozed back off. Now I really need to get back in there before he wakes up again."
The sound of a door opening causes the four figures to turn slowly in unison. "Too late, he's already awake," he growls. "Did I call a meeting outside my room this morning and somehow forget about it?" Keith grunts as he stands in his doorway, blinking at the crowded hallway, a scowl plastered on his face.
"Uh, no, we, um, we were just looking for the princess." Pidge stammers. "Found her. OK, Hunk, it's your turn to hide."
The three men turn and take off down the hallway without another word. Allura watches them disappear before slowly turning to face Keith again. "Another nightmare?" Her eyes search his face in concern.
"Yeah," he intones quietly. He leans against the doorframe and closes his eyes, swallowing heavily, his arms crossed before him.
"Oh, Keith" She closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around him, holding him close. "We'll figure this out. I promise."