Author's Note: Happy Black Friday! I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying the turkey coma instead of fighting the crazy crowds shopping.
This chapter (and the next one, too) is for all of my K/A fans out there. Thank you so much for reading!
Jeff's and Chris' "honeymoon" suite is based on the Cupids and Roses Room in the Silas W. Robbins bed and breakfast located in Wethersfield, CT.
To Emie Mac - Glad you approve! I'm proud of Crankypants, too. And I have to say, ModCloth can be one heck of an expensive addiction...
To Smithy - So true about the knee injuries. My husband messed up his knee when he was 16 and was told that he was looking at a total knee replacement when he turned 40. Guess who's on the wrong side of 35?
To bknbu - I am also happy with how the Lion Force and the Vehicle Team members all get along. The old guard and the new, right? And as for a baby for Jon and Len...well, they are married, right?
To Sally On - Don't write my boy Aidan off just yet! I have a saying: "I love bad/arrogant boys. It's so much more satisfying when I break them." Remember I said that! (PS - Thanks for the credit on the phrase "closing the deal;" you're awesome!)
Title Song: "Turning Tables" by Adele
There hadn't been money for a honeymoon, so their friends had gifted them with two nights at a beautiful bed and breakfast near the Connecticut border. On their first morning as husband and wife, Jeff and Christiane awoke in a luxurious silk-swathed king-sized bed. They felt incredibly lucky. Not only were they married, but they had this gorgeous room to themselves for the weekend.
"You know," Jeff grumbled, "this suite is bigger than our entire apartment. It's gonna be a huge let-down when we go home in a couple of days."
Christiane sighed. "Yeah. Best to just enjoy it now while we can."
The mint-green room, with a ceiling painted to resemble the sky on a lightly-cloudy summer day, was decorated with fresh roses. The scent filled the air as he leaned into her for a kiss. "That's exactly what I was planning on doing, Chris."
She giggled. "Good. And how exactly do you plan on enjoying it, Mr. Aki?"
He moved to position himself over her. "Instead of telling you, Mrs. Aki, why don't I show you?"
"I think I'd much prefer it that way." She ruffled his black hair before kissing him again. For now, things were absolutely perfect. Everything was right with the universe. And it was about time.
Black Lion was not happy.
Since Keith and Allura left for Earth with Larmina, Lance had done what his captain had asked and piloted Black. He had to admit, it was exciting. Black was more powerful than Red, and a little tougher to control since its favored pilot wasn't in the cockpit. Trying to explain to Black that Keith wasn't even on the planet didn't help.
He shook it off. Vince and Daniel were flying remarkably well. Red seemed to have taken Daniel under his wing and was far more protective of the cadet than Black was being to him. Blue seemed to tolerate Vince; the lion seemed to know that Green had already marked that particular cadet, but didn't hold it against him. Besides, if any cadet had designs on Blue, it was definitely Larmina.
"Hey, little buddies, keep doin' what yer doin'," Hunk encouraged them, running Yellow Lion around them in circles. "Pidge and I aren't gonna shoot at you today. We just want you to get really, really good at flying the lions around before we start shootin'."
"Cool, thanks," Vince grunted. Blue was a little different from Green, and therefore a little tougher to maneuver than he was used to.
"You know, Hunk, I think I'm good with Red," Daniel replied. He wasn't being arrogant, he was simply enjoying how well he and the lion meshed together. "I wouldn't mind taking a few shots with you if that's okay."
"I'll see what Lance thinks." Hunk opened up a private channel to communicate with their acting captain. "Hey Lance? Is that cool? Can Danny Boy and I shoot at each other, or do you still want me to hold off?"
Lance didn't answer.
It was as if everything had stopped, time included. Lance had held conversations with Red Lion before, but he had never had a conversation with anyone else's lion. So of course Black would pick that moment to speak to him.
Red has chosen him to be the next.
"Um...okay," Lance stuttered, gripping the controls.
Green is unhappy that his next pilot is currently with Blue. Do not worry; Green is always unhappy. Green Lion will not be happy again until the Female pilots him.
"Dude, this is too weird for me." And yet it made sense to him. He remembered. He knew who the female in question was, and he wasn't surprised that Black was filling him in. Though he was surprised that Green had been unhappy the entire time. The lion seemed to like Pidge well enough.
Things continued to shock him every day.
"Uh, Lance? Yoo-hoo, Lance? You in there, Buddy?"
Hunk's words shook the trance right out of him. Suddenly, Black was silent, and the only voice he heard was that of the Yellow Lion's pilot through the intercom. He felt a sense of dread as the entirety of Black's words sunk in, not just about Green Lion, but about Red, too. He wondered if Red booting him out of the cockpit in favor of Daniel was imminent.
He'd have to ask Black about that later.
"Yeah, Hunk. Sorry about that. What did you say?"
"Do you mind if Daniel and I shoot at each other?"
Lance grinned. "If Dan-Man feels confident with the controls, then go for it."
"Cool. I'll try not to hurt your lion too bad."
Through the monitors, Lance watched as Yellow and Red took off to a separate area to practice. He wondered if this was how Keith felt sometimes, having to be so responsible for the safety and well-being of his entire team. Then his mind shifted back to Black's conversation. Again, he wondered how much time he had left as the pilot of Red Lion, and if he would leave to role under good circumstances.
For the first time ever, it dawned on him that his time as a Voltron pilot was limited. The countdown had begun.
Larmina's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she took in the expanse of yoga-related clothing and items. It had been the only way to get her and Allura out shopping; Lenora had to promise a shopping trip to all of the yoga places just to convince the cadet to go. But now that she had seen the array of mats, gym bags, water bottles, yoga props, and - of course - yoga pants and tank tops, she was so glad she'd agreed to go.
Looking up at Lenora, she mouthed, "I am in heaven."
"I love this place too, Mina," she agreed, moving over to a rack to ruffle through tank tops. "Jon always laughs and says that I live in this stuff, but I think it's because he'd rather I wore, um..." She was going to say Agent Provocateur before she stopped, realizing that she was speaking with a seventeen-year-old. "I think he'd rather I wore something a little dressier around the triplex."
Allura snorted.
The princess was bored. Allura wasn't one for yoga, and frankly, she didn't understand the contentment that came from bending over forwards, sideways and backwards on a mat. She'd rather fly Blue Lion, or spar with Hunk, or shoot with Lance than twist herself into the proverbial pretzel.
On the other hand, it had been a long while since she'd had the pleasure of shopping with a female around her age. It might be nice to look at jewelry, or shoes, or purses, or dresses instead. Moving over to the Space Marshal, who was now searching through an assortment of zip-up hoodies with thumbholes in the sleeves, she asked, "So, do you think we'll get to doing some more shopping today?"
Lenora winked. "As in, for all of the girlie stuff that you and I love? Of course. I've been dying to get you into a pair of Christian Louboutin or Manolo Blahnik heels, anyway."
"Now we're talking. Besides, Keith's taking me to Per Se for dinner tonight. I need to look good."
"Trust me, when I'm done with you, you're gonna look better than good. Keith'll have to pick his jaw up from off the floor."
Allura smiled to herself. That was exactly what she wanted. As much as she liked Morgan, she wanted Keith to have one date with her on Earth. That way, he would never remember the navigator as the only woman he'd ever loved on the planet. He would have one really good date with her that would obliterate his memories of any others.
She couldn't wait for the evening to begin.
Once their joint session with Dr. Deldosa was finished, Sven stood up from his chair and exhaled shakily. They'd had a particularly difficult session, and Romelle was starting to wonder what the point of saving their marriage was. It was quite obvious that they both wanted to be with different people.
At the same time, she understood the need they had to cling to each other. Perhaps it wasn't the healthiest thing for them, but right now, it was all they had.
Lenora had rejected Sven, and Erimar was angry with Romelle. The objects of their affection - a phrase that Emma had coined and Dr. Deldosa agreed was the perfect expression to use - were unattainable. Besides Erik, all they had left was each other. And they had a bond. Ignoring their sacred bond of marriage, they were united in the fact that they had created a child.
She wondered, was it enough?
Looking up at her husband, she recognized him cursing in his native language under his breath. Briefly, she was reminded of how Lenora had spoken to him in Norwegian, how he had thought enough to teach his girlfriend the language but not his wife. It was a painful thought, and she chewed on her lip to ignore the hurt.
Attempting to calm himself, Sven reached down and took her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. Romelle locked eyes with him and wondered why she couldn't look at him without feeling a mixed jumble of emotions. How long would this go on for? Would they live like this forever? Or just until they separated for good?
"Come on, Romelle. Let's go for a walk."
She nodded. She couldn't think of anything else to say.
Outside, the weather was not as bright and sunny as it normally was, but some of the gardens were sheltered in greenhouses, so that was where they decided to walk. Romelle took her husband's arm as they wandered through the endless assortment of native plants and flowers. They looked so pretty and so protected.
"We're going to get through this, Romelle." He looked over at her seriously. "I know it's bad now, but we're going to get through this, and then we'll look back at this time and laugh." He smiled wryly. "Or think about how stupid we both were."
She managed a laugh. "I hope you're right, Sven." She laid her head against his shoulder and tried to conjure up the feelings she'd had for him on their wedding day. It was difficult. The past two years of her life had been in a constant state of turmoil, and her husband was at the center of the commotion. She didn't know how she would ever forgive him. And she didn't know how she would ever be able to get Erimar out of her head.
She supposed that was why they were still in counseling.
As they walked along in the silence, she came to a realization so profound she nearly choked on it. Yes, she knew he loved the Space Marshal. But it dawned on her how much he must have loved the woman if he'd been with her for five years and still loved her eleven years after he left her. She knew how passionate she was about Erimar and how strong her feelings were for him, but she had only known him for a short time. Whatever she felt for Erimar was multiplied by sixteen years for Sven. No wonder it was so difficult for him to move on. How could he simply let go when the woman was so ingrained in him?
She would have to be patient with him. And with herself, as well. They couldn't fix their situation overnight, but she was sure that if they worked hard enough, they would eventually get there.
When she hopped out of the cab on Madison Avenue, she knew. She knew exactly why her old boyfriend had wanted her company. She knew exactly what his intentions were. And it felt extremely awkward.
He waited for her in front of the David Yurman townhouse.
His turquoise eyes gleamed at her as she approached. "Morgan. Thank you so much for coming. You have no idea how much I needed your help with this."
She shrugged. "No problem, Akira-chan. I've got your back."
"And I've got yours." He patted the small of her back in reference to her tattoo.
"Actually, you don't anymore." She shrugged. "It's an R now, not a K."
"Oh." He looked slightly disappointed. "Well, let's go in. I think the top floor is where they keep their selection of diamonds."
"Hmph." Morgan snorted. "I've just gotta know one thing, Kogane."
"Just one?"
"Shut up." Her mouth pressed into a firm line for a moment. "I know you. I mean, I know you. You're not like Jon Hawkins, where you inherited a boatload of money and residences and stuff like that. How in seven hells can you afford a diamond from this place?"
He laughed. "I spoke with Coran last week - he's the royal castle diplomat and strategist on Arus - and I told him that I would be using this trip to purchase Allura's engagement ring. He was so excited that he wired money from the royal treasury into an account here in New York for me to use. It took awhile - I didn't exactly have a bank account - but we opened one up and made it work."
"Huh. Maybe you're more like Jon Hawkins than I thought."
"That wouldn't be such a bad thing." They stepped into the elevator to take them to the top floor. "The commander is a good guy. I know that Sven would kill me if he heard me say this, but I think he's the right choice for Len. They look good together, and they complement each other well enough." Then, quietly and uncomfortably, Keith added, "Sometimes it's good for us to grow up and move on."
"For some of us." Morgan grinned to herself. "You know that Ginger's still hung up on Lance, right?"
"And he's still hung up on her. Idiots." He grinned back. "And you know there's something going on between Cinda and Hunk, right?"
"Yup." The bell dinged at the top floor, and the doors opened. "Now, let's forget about those idiots for a moment and focus on the two idiots in question: you and Allura."
"That's the plan."
It was almost surreal as Keith looked through an array of diamonds with his ex-girlfriend by his side. More than once, he admired her own engagement ring, using it as a guide for what he might want to choose for the princess. Together, they decided on the DY Classic Solitaire four-prong setting with a triple-row pavé diamond band and a 2.25-carat center stone. As Morgan looked over wedding bands by herself, Keith spoke with the salesman and arranged for the wire transfer from the bank. Once the ring was paid for, the salesman wrapped it up in a black box, then placed it in a bag.
"Let's get lunch," Morgan suggested as they spilled back out onto the street. She held the shopping bag in her hand; she had a bad feeling about leaving it with Keith. "Bergdorf Goodman is just a few blocks away. They have a great little café on the seventh floor."
"But what if Len's taken the girls to shop there?" He looked panic-stricken for a moment.
"I can call her right now." She attempted to soothe him. "Besides, if I know Len, they're probably at Lululemon, checking out yoga gear. And from there, they'd either go to Neiman Marcus or Saks. But definitely not Barneys. Blech."
"You know, I am so glad I'm not a woman."
"Only a guy would say that." They trudged through the first floor to the bank of elevators, and took one to the seventh floor. Surprisingly, the café wasn't too busy, and the hostess seated them at a small table for two by the window. When the waiter came around, Morgan ordered two glasses of champagne.
"What's this for?" he asked as he picked up his flute.
She tapped her glass against his. "I'm proud of you, Akira-chan," she gushed, her violet eyes suddenly flooding with tears. "You've overcome your past and your intimacy issues. You've changed. And I couldn't be happier for you and Allura. To you. To your happiness. For always. Cheers."
Keith wiped a stray tear off her face. "You know, Morgan, I'd be lying if I said a small part of me didn't wish it was you."
"I'd be lying, too." She sniffed, then took a sip of her champagne. It was delicious, and she knew that Jon would be proud of her. "But David is my whole world, and I can see in your eyes that Allura means the same to you. So we are much better off like this, Keith. We really are."
He reached across the table for her hand, then pressed a kiss onto it. "I love you for that, Morgan Feld Rackens."
"Thanks, Akira-chan. I love you back."
Keith never thought that he would finally make amends with the woman he had hurt, but he was wrong. Sitting across the table from each other with Allura's engagement ring between them, it was the first time anything had ever been so right between the two of them. He silently toasted her with the rest of the champagne in his flute, then looked through the menu for lunch. He decided he had to eat light - after all, he still had dinner plans.