Author's Note: I don't know about the rest of you, but I am really happy with how these chapters are turning out. The characters and I have been working together, and no one has been harmed in the making of this book. For now, anyway.
Thank you to everyone who's following along - I don't know what I'd do without you guys offering suggestions! And, as always, I own nothing except my characters.
To Cha - Good to hear from you! I'm glad you liked the Keith-and-Chris scenario; it'll make things that much sweeter when Chris marries Jeff.
To Emie Mac - Hold onto your hat, because if you think the bar scene with Sven and Aidan was hostile, the bachelor party is gonna make that look tame. And just because Keith's feeling better and happier, don't let that fool you into thinking that the notorious Crankypants is gone for good.
To bknbu - Sven will make the trip to Earth a fascinating one, as well as cause some emotional drama when he gets to the Garrison. As for Keith and Christiane, they're in a good place right now, and it will get even better for the wedding.
To Sally On - It will be interesting to see who Lenora chooses. Yes, Sven is The One, and she knows this, but she does love Jon very much. Hmm, the commander or the Viking? We're all dying to find out! Thanks for the compliments and the correspondence; you know you're fantastic.
To Wade Wells - As we discussed, your favorite king makes an appearance in this chapter. And wait 'til next chapter, when Keith finally decides to make things better with Allura. They may not kiss and make up right off the bat, but it'll happen, I promise! Thank you for being so wonderful!
Title Song: "She Is" by The Fray
It was time to leave Arus. The Vehicle Voltron mecha, as well as the three Albegas mecha, were in proper storage in the stellar ship's hangar. Captain Newley watched as a somber crew boarded the Explorer. He had no idea that everyone would enjoy their short respite on Arus so much, especially since it hadn't been that long since they left Earth.
"I kinda hate to go," Tangor told Wolo as they boarded the ship. "This lake is so peaceful. I wouldn't mind spending a few more days relaxing by it."
"Same here," Zandee agreed, joining up with them on the gangplank. "It's not often we get nice pit stops like we did here."
It was easy enough for them to board the Explorer. They, along with Hutch, Marvin, Modoch, Crik, and Shannon, had no ties to Arus other than the fact that it was part of the planetary Alliance. They had no investments, no shared histories with the planet or its citizens.
It was different for the rest of the Vehicle Team.
"Hunk, it was really good to see you again," Rocky told his old Academy classmate, offering his arm for a handshake. "I haven't met another one like you since you left."
"Same here, Rock," Hunk replied sadly, shaking Rocky's hand with his free arm. The other arm was wrapped around Cinda, who looked just as distraught as she had on the day they all found out who was going to Arus in the first place. Spending a little quality time together had been great, but it made Cinda's departure that much worse.
Ginger felt the same way as her longtime friend. She and Lance gripped hands, both working hard to ensure that their faces didn't betray the feelings under the surface. The Red Lion pilot brought her hand to his lips for a kiss, then said, "Hey Gin, you'd better go say good-bye to the rest of the team."
She nodded, then moved towards Keith for a farewell hug. As the Voltron captain embraced his old floormate, Shannon stealthily crept up behind Lance. "You didn't think I'd let you get away without a warning, did you?" the Irishman hissed at him in a low voice. "That's a good woman you got there, Lance McClain. I'd better not hear any stories about you hurting my Cupcake. Because if you do, you'll have to answer to me."
"Calm down, Irish." Lance clutched the lighter in the pocket of his leather jacket. For some reason, gripping it always calmed him down. "I would never hurt Ginger. Never. She is..." His voice trailed off as he watched Ginger hug Pidge and Hunk good-bye. "She is everything to me."
"Good." Shannon still looked hurt, but he had his pride. He knew when he'd lost, and he wasn't about to make a fool out of himself by fighting for Ginger. She'd obviously made her choice, and he would abide by it. "I hope you mean it."
"I do." Lance glared at him. "Oh, and Shannon? If I ever hear you call my girl Cupcake again, I will personally pummel you into next week."
Chip and Pidge had been standing nearby, silently communicating as only twins could, until they witnessed the spectacle between the two pilots. "Aw, heck," Chip muttered, "they couldn't even hold out until we were gone? Cripes." He sighed. "I'm gonna miss you, Darrell."
"I know, Chip. I'll miss you too."
"Dedicate a song to me at your next Stereolactic concert, you hear?" he whispered.
Pidge laughed. "You got it."
"The poor twins," Jeff murmured, watching Chip say good-bye to his brother. He then turned to Keith. "It's been good to see you, my friend." He shook his old roommate's hand heartily, knowing that the next time they saw each other, it would be at his wedding.
"Not my friend." Keith shook his head emphatically. "My brother."
Half of Jeff's mouth curled up. "My brother," he corrected himself. "I do love her, you know. More than anything. She is my entire world."
"I know."
"Ah. My two boys." Christiane came up next to Jeff, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. She then turned her attention to her brother. "Keith, this was...I don't know how to describe it, exactly. But I think it was exactly what we both needed."
Keith nodded, then opened his arms to embrace her.
"Remember what I told you, Akira-chan," she whispered. "Don't blow it with Allura. Make things right with her."
He nodded. "Things will be better by your wedding, Eiko-chan." He smiled. "Wow. My sister is getting married. Seven hells."
"There's an event I wouldn't miss for the world," Morgan chimed in, a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "We're aiming for three to four weeks, Keith. I hope you and Allura will make it. I mean, I am helping to plan it and everything." She shot her Amigo an evil grin.
"Of course we'll be there." Keith still had his arms around Christiane, and kissed her forehead before letting her go. "I'll see you then, Morgan."
He hadn't meant to hug her, but he did, tightly enough for him to realize that there might always be a spark or two between them. She hugged him back equally hard, hoping that he would heed his sister's advice and repair his relationship with the princess. She knew that Allura was a good woman, someone Keith desperately needed in his life. She was everything he needed.
When all of the good-byes were said and all of the hugs completed, the remainder of the Vehicle Team and Albegas crew loaded onto the Explorer. With a final handshake, Commander Hawkins followed the last of them up the gangplank. Sven was right by his side. Larmina swallowed worriedly as she watched them, thinking that nothing good could come out of the Space Marshal's loves being together in such close quarters.
Once the Explorer took off, Keith felt sad, but grateful that he'd had such tremendous opportunities. Having his sister back in his life felt better than he could imagine, and seeing his old Academy friends again made him realize how lucky he was to have family. Yes, he had flesh-and-blood family with his sister, and he and his Voltron teammates had formed their own tight-knit circle, but everything began with that family of fourteen on their dorm floor. And now his old roommate and best friend was marrying his sister, and having Jeff as a brother-in-law was better than anything he ever could have hoped for, for both himself and Christiane.
He and the rest of the team watched as the Explorer lifted into the sky, and they stayed there for a long time, watching the huge stellar ship disappear into the atmosphere. Lance looked distraught, and he unapologetically lit a cigarette as Ginger left him. Hunk looked just as crushed, having finally been happy doing his mechanical and engineering work with Cinda. Pidge was heartbroken at his twin brother leaving him yet again, and even Larmina looked a little sad as she realized that her last links to the Space Marshal were gone. It was a depressing scene, and Keith realized that he was looking forward to going to his sister's wedding, he was so eager to see them all again.
When the Explorer was finally out of sight and the Voltron Force retreated back to the castle, Keith knew where he needed to go, and what he needed to do.
Keith headed straight to the catacombs and the site of King Alfor's tomb. As he sunk to his knees in prayer, a smile curled onto his lips. Christiane had no idea who the anonymous man in her vision was, but he did. It was none other than Alfor himself.
He was still on his knees, deep in prayer and thought, his eyes closed, when he felt the deceased king's spirit descend upon him.
"You are lucky to have such a remarkable sister, Captain Kogane."
Keith opened his eyes and looked up at the floating apparition above him. "I am indeed, Your Majesty."
He was unsure if apparitions could smile, but if they could, Alfor was. "It is good to be in the presence of a seer. She is very loving and intuitive, and she cares for you a great deal. She also cares deeply for her soon-to-be husband, as he does for her."
"Thank you. I know that, but it doesn't hurt to hear you reinforce it."
"There is a reason I must reinforce those ideas." There was a hint of warning behind Alfor's words. "I understand that the seer has come to the correct conclusion that you and my daughter are made for each other. I believe it is about time that you realized that she is everything for you, Keith Akira Kogane."
Keith coughed. "I agree, Your Majesty."
There was that smile again. "Indeed, that is the best place to start. Farewell, my child, and good luck."
The captain stared at the deceased king's tomb for a long, long time. As he rose to his feet, he understood. If Allura was his everything, then there was only one way to set things to right. He headed back to the castle to find Allura, thinking about how Alfor had called him my child.
"I said, Marvin, that there is no way your hand couldda had six aces!"
As Hutch began to pummel his partner in crime - actually, his partner in just about everything - Cliff sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe this," he muttered to Aidan, who watched the spectacle with interest. "It's not like we've been on this mission for that long. It hasn't even been a week since we left Earth."
"I don't know, Mate," Aidan offered. "They're entertaining me. I say, let 'em kill each other."
"Oh, Aidan, you would say that," Lisa admonished, coming up next to him. The Albegas captain wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. Cliff noted that Lisa looked much, much happier than she had when the Explorer lifted off. She also looked happier with Aidan than she ever had with Jeff. Maybe there really was something to their relationship. Maybe his former roommate was really it for the well-liked Sea Team member.
As Sven also moved next to Aidan - without any of the usual animosity leftover from their Academy days - Cliff came to the same realization as Keith, that all seven hells had indeed frozen over.
"Is this all you guys do on the Explorer?" Morgan asked Jeff as she watched Marvin narrowly dodge Hutch's fist. "Watch these two idiots fight?"
"And drink. Don't forget drink," Cliff added, motioning towards her Amigo. "Let's just say that over the past few days, Captain Aki here has been an exemplary model for the drinking that goes on aboard this ship."
"I will beat you, Clifford Jack," Jeff threatened jokingly. "And I don't care if your Mate is here with you. The two of you versus me and the Viking? Yeah, we'll see who wins out then."
Sven cleared his throat. "Break your teammates up, Cliff. Even if this is how they work off their frustration and boredom, it sets a bad example for the rest of the team." He then looked over at Jeff. "And did Lance manage to steal back his beanbag chair, or it still in your quarters?"
"Oh, I've still got it, don't worry." Jeff wrapped a protective arm around his fiancée. "Though I'd like to know how in seven hells he found out that I had it."
"That would be Rackens' fault," Taye cut in, his hand wrapped around a mug of Guinness Stout. "He's the one who blabbed."
"Bloody Brit." Jeff swiped Taye's beer and took a sip before returning it. "I have half a mind to go yell at him. Anybody know where he is? Morganza, did you lose track of your husband?"
Morgan sighed. "He's with his brother on the bridge. Why, were you expecting him to be anywhere else?"
Crik laughed. He was holding his own drink, some sort of bourbon substitute that Sammy had concocted with the rations, and he stared at Cinda as he replied. He knew how his fellow Miran felt about leaving Arus and especially Hunk, and his sixth sense told him to keep an eye on her. "Well, now it makes sense why the commander hasn't asked any of the three of us to join him on the bridge. He's got his brother there, why would he need us?"
As everyone else laughed, Sven stayed silent, wrapping his arms around his torso. Just a little while longer, he told himself, absently staring out into the common area. Lenora is my everything. She is worth it.
He knew how his friends felt about the commander, and that did make him feel guilty. Had things been different, Sven was sure he would have liked the man, too. As it was, though, Commander Hawkins was the only thing standing between him and his elskede, and therefore he couldn't like him. He could only hope that the trip back to Earth was brief, and he didn't have to wait too much longer until he was alone with the Space Marshal.