By the time that Shiro had finally carried the last bag of groceries to the large long table sitting on the far side of Alfor's backyard, he decided that he was actually quite glad that the party was going to be over soon. In just a few hours, all the stress of party-planning would be gone from both him and Allura, and the two could maybe, finally enjoy a normal date that didn't involve a notepad and/or packs of party streamers.

To her credit, Allura had tried her hardest to be as available to Takashi as possible. And he couldn't blame her for caring so much about the get-together. Not only were all the children coming (and she had been especially excited to get a signed permission slip from Keith's guardian), but most of the parents were, as well; and it was increasingly obvious that she wanted to impress everyone. Takashi had tried to remind her that the children wouldn't care – so long as they had some games and pizza, they would be completely content. And the parents would be happy with her effort alone.

And Allura kindly informed Shiro that she would tape his mouth shut with her animal-themed duct tape if he tried to say that just one more time. He quickly gave up on the notion of convincing her of anything that she already assumed and decided to use his effort on helping her set everything up for the party.

Her father had been more than happy to lend his backyard. The man, who introduced himself as Alfor, was entirely more intimidating than Takashi had anticipated. He hadn't expected to meet the older man so quickly, and he certainly wasn't at his best version of himself when they actually met – he had been painting a cornhole board with a fun galaxy motif; he would have rather met the man dressed in a nice button-down shirt and not the Disney Land t-shirt he had bought during his sophomore year's Spring Break.

Alfor was nice enough, though. He was a tall man with soft-looking white hair and wrinkles around his eyes. One glance at Allura's father informed Takashi of whom the young woman inherited most of her looks from. He had offered a hand for the other man to shake, and Alfor's strong grip nearly frightened Shiro. He hoped that he made a good first impression, that his paint-covered shirt and lopsided smile didn't deter Alfor.

The two did find a certain camaraderie rather quickly, though. Both happened to be quite terrified of Allura, especially when she was on her party-planning rampage. She quickly got the two to work, suggesting that Shiro return to his painting and that her father help her set up a few tables for reference. The older man glanced back down at Shiro, giving him a sympathetic look, and muttered a soft, "She's always been this way."

Takashi laughed lightly, shaking his head. "I like it; she has a direction."

"If you two have the time to talk, you have the time to paint!" Allura reminded them from afar. Her tone was light, but there was a certain tightness to her voice that let the two men know that she was this close to blowing up at both of them. With a resigned sigh, Alfor followed his daughter back inside his house, going to grab a few tables.

And his house – Takashi had never been rendered speechless by a home, but this one was just incredible. It gave the young man the distinct impression that Allura had grown up with money, that she was used to nice things, and that she deserved an expensive lifestyle. But the building was still interiorly decorated with incredibly personal items; there were about twenty picture frames scattered along the wall, a few family pictures sitting on coffee and side tables, and sweet knick-knacks that seemed to characterize neither Alfor nor Allura that filled up the rest of the empty space.

The older man told Shiro to make himself comfortable, and he certainly tried, but there was no feasible way to feel at home in a house in which a down payment for it might have covered some or all of his college tuition. Even as he thought that, though, a childhood picture of Allura reminded Takashi that this house was everything that his apartment was for Katie – it was home. It was lived in. It was a safe place.

Shiro knew that he would probably never feel relaxed enough to kick his feet up and onto the coffee table, but he figured that he could at least lean against the couch without feeling as if he were going to rub his poverty onto it.

After he had finished painting the board, Takashi decided to call Mrs. Garrett to see how Katie was doing. He was so grateful for her, for her husband, and for the McLanes. They were like angels – angels who were qualified to babysit a four year old. On that particular Saturday, Mrs. McLane had offered to watch Katie for Takashi, but he didn't want to burden her, especially so close to her due date.

Granted, he didn't exactly know when she was due, but he knew that she was uncomfortable, and that her baby belly was large enough to knock Lance down if she turned too sharply.

And as it turned out, the Garretts lived closer to Shiro's apartment than Lance's family did. And in the distance between the two homes was a park, and both Katie and Hunk loved to go there. It made sense for the Garretts to watch Katie as often as they did, and Hunk's mother sweetly informed Shiro that, once Allura's party was over and he had more free time, she was sure that he would be more than happy to watch Hunk on occasion.

He quickly agreed, her sense of humor refreshing. That, and he liked all the students; to Takashi's surprise, he liked the constant noise that children brought to a home. He liked the talking, the laughing, the excited whispering – he didn't so much like whining, but he assumed that few parents did – and he thought to himself that he would be quite open to having Hunk and Lance and Keith over for a play date with Katie at any time.

When he ended his phone call with Mrs. Garrett, one in which the woman told him that Katie was doing just fine and that she and Hunk were getting ready to have lunch, Takashi decided that it might be best if he partake in a snack of his own. He had worked hard already, and he knew for a fact that Allura had more things planned for him to work on.

As if she read his mind, Allura walked outside, sliding the door shut behind her. She smiled encouragingly, her tense mood from earlier apparently abated. She had a plate of tiny sandwiches balanced on one hand and two bottles of water in the other. She sat the items on the table that she and her father had carried out earlier, motioning for Takashi to join her. He did so, wiping his hand on his shirt. "What've you got there?" he asked, as if the answer weren't so obvious. The question was meant to be coy, and it obviously did its job, because Allura smiled in response.

"I guess you've done enough to deserve a break, and I'd hate to overwork you when I still have so much to get done." She handed him a sandwich, and he took it, nodding in thanks.

The sandwich was turkey and cheddar, and Takashi would have sworn that he had never eaten anything more delicious. Not because they were extraordinarily delicious, but because they were from her. He glanced up at her, humming as if to show her his gratitude.

"Well, you can thank the store for those," Allura told him, and he then gave her a quizzical look. Allura? With store-bought deli meat and processed cheese? He didn't want to assume that granola bars and power drinks were all that Allura partook in; but when she ate, she mostly ate that. Noticing his dubious expression, Allura sighed heavily. "They weren't my first choice, either, but with how busy I've been, the sandwiches just seemed easier. And you want to know something? They taste delicious."

Takashi swallowed his bite, smiling almost sympathetically. "Well, now you know that you have other options when you don't have a lot of time. I'm sure they won't kill you," he chuckled, and Allura rolled her eyes in response.

"You don't know that. I might have poisoned that one because I knew you'd say that." Still, she smiled, too, leaning forward to chastely peck his lips.

That was another thing they had been doing more of lately – kissing. After dates, in front of her door, in front of his door, after school when Katie wasn't looking – they didn't overdo it, and both had agreed to take their relationship slowly, but they still enjoyed the innocence and amenities that a "girlfriend/boyfriend" relationship brought.

And although she assuredly expected it, Katie had yet to be informed of the relationship upgrade. Allura suggested that they gradually incorporate aspects of it so that the little girl didn't feel overwhelmed with another big change to her life. She had just gotten completely comfortable with having Shiro as her primary guardian – she didn't need the sudden addition of Allura.

Another thing the two agreed on – Katie came first, always and without question. They were never going to do anything that didn't have the child's best interest at heart.

That was probably what Takashi had decided was the best thing about Allura; she loved Katie so much and made sure to include her in everything, even if the little girl wasn't present. She asked questions, she got to personally know Katie, and she never intruded. Allura was careful, and Katie absolutely loved her.

Shiro was absolutely certain that Katie was going to be just fine with the relationship; but he appreciated Allura's concern, and he was quite content to go at a pace that she felt comfortable with.

This didn't mean, of course, that the two didn't enjoy their quiet moments together. In fact, they quite did. When Mrs. Garrett had Katie over at her house, Allura was able to spend time at Takashi's apartment. He had been a bit self-conscious at first, especially because her old house had been tremendously grand, and her apartment was actually quite nice, and his couch was his own bed. But Allura had appreciated it all the same, readily made herself at home, and asked him about a thousand questions about it.

All in all, Shiro liked their relationship, but he was more than ready to have Allura's party over with so that she wasn't as stressed.

When the day finally came, Takashi woke up an hour earlier than he usually did. He didn't wake Katie yet, just shuffled into his kitchenette to make himself some coffee. Once he was seated on his bed/couch, he checked his phone for e-mails, text messages, and a quick scroll through his Facebook feed. Reminding himself that he really did need to delete the latter app, because he never really used it anymore, he ultimately chose to keep it on his phone for at least another day and settled back against the cushions.

It wasn't hard to convince himself that it was going to be a good day. Allura had put so much work into this party, and he was more than confident in her abilities as a planner. And the children practically buzzed with excitement every time the party was mentioned, and their parents had been more than happy to offer their help to set up for the get-together.

Finishing his cup of coffee with one large gulp, and somewhat regretting the decision when the hot liquid burned his throat, Takashi stood up, sitting the cup on the coffee table. He checked his phone for the time, then decided that he might as well wake Katie up.

When he opened her bedroom door, the young man was quite surprised to see his ward already sitting up in bed. She was speaking excitedly with her little green lion, informing the animal that they were going to have a very fun day at Miss Allura's house. Katie didn't notice Shiro for a few extra moments, but when she did make eye contact with her guardian, she hardly seem phased, just sat up a bit straighter and grabbed for her glasses. Straightening them on her face, the young child offered a wide smile, kicking her legs over the side of the bed.

"Someone looks ready for today," Takashi laughed, walking over and ruffling Katie's hair. She didn't swipe him away, just laughed lightly, her voice light and sweet and still able to instantly brighten Takashi's day. Without Katie's knowledge, he glanced down at her fondly, his hand lingering for just a bit longer than he intended to.

How – how did he manage to be so lucky? In such an unfortunate circumstance, both Katie and Takashi could have chosen to suffer from such huge losses. But they found each other, didn't they? Katie had been an absolute dream – she was so passive, so easy-going, and so understanding for her age. And, while he didn't like to be arrogant in any way, Takashi also knew that he gave his best effort to take care of Katie. He never wanted to let her down, to disrespect the Holts' memory.

And, he thought to himself as Katie began to pull a dinosaur-printed shirt over her head, grumbling to herself when she had to tug at it to get it to lie flat, he was doing a pretty good job.

In another half an hour, Katie had nibbled on a Pop Tart, and the two hurried out the door, Takashi closing it behind him. They didn't have to rush to Allura's house; they just wanted to. And it occurred to Takashi, as he and Katie were sitting on the bus and both of them were practically vibrating with excitement, they were very much alike. For as little as a four year old and a college student could have in common, they both got excited fairly easily and found it impossible not to be helpful. That, and both of them seemed to be quite fond of Allura (though for entirely different reasons).

Alfor's home wasn't too far away from a bus stop. The affluent area was only a few minutes' walk away, but neither Katie nor Takashi seemed to mind to a high degree. They made it to the walkway, and Shiro was a bit surprised to already see Allura setting up. She had balloons everywhere, but the young woman was currently trying to pin up a banner to the top of the home's front door. She had a stool to stand on, but of course Allura had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach. Not bothering to excuse himself from Katie, Takashi hurried over, just to provide a bit of a buffer for Allura in case she stumbled.

He didn't say anything, but Allura glanced down, a smile working its way onto her lips. She wasn't dressed for the day – her hair was pulled into an incredibly messy bun that still seemed intentional, and she was only wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt with a baggy pair of charcoal-colored sweatpants. Honestly, Allura should have looked unkempt or at least a bit less than perfect. But when Takashi looked up at her, he could have sworn that she was a super model who had just walked off the catwalk. He knew that it was the "honeymoon period" that guided his thought processes, but he truly couldn't help but think that Allura was absolutely the most stunning thing at every single moment.

"You're here early," she mentioned off-handedly, sticking a final pin against the banner, leaning back just a bit to see her handiwork. Her feet hung precariously over the edge of the stool, and Shiro was certain that she was going to tip backwards. But she didn't, just readjusted herself, then held out a hand for Takashi to take. He did so, of course, and Allura hopped down, placing her hands on her hips. "I think that looks pretty good, don't you think?" she asked.

"Your father won't mind?"

"Of course not. They're just little pins, they'll hardly make a mark." She seemed so sure of that statement, and Takashi just nodded, sure that, even if Alfor did mind his home being marred for a kindergarten party, he wasn't going to be the one to inform his daughter of this fact.

"Did you need any help setting things up?"

Allura didn't answer him immediately, because she had to greet Katie first. The little girl ran up to her teacher, holding up the stuffed green lion. "Green can come, right?" she asked, her face alight.

With a light giggle, Allura nodded, kneeling down so that she and Katie were eye-level. "Of course Green can. The lions are practically guests of honor – they're the ones that save the universe every day, right?"

"Right!"

"Then I think it's only fair if we hold a party in their honor." The young woman stood back up, giving Shiro an appraising look. "But I think someone forgot his legendary defender." While her expression was decidedly dramatic and theatrical just for the sake of being so, Takashi couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious.

He was glad, then, when Katie rummaged around in her backpack, pulling out the purple lion. "I didn't!" she proudly exclaimed, and Allura clapped her hands together, obviously impressed.

"What a relief!" She laughed again, then made her way back inside the house, making sure to keep the door open so that Katie and Shiro could follow if they wanted to. The little girl ran in, absolutely in awe at the magnificence of the home. After she entered the home, however, Katie kept to Takashi's side, perhaps so that she didn't break anything but also perhaps so that she didn't get lost. It was a long hallway, after all.

Allura was in the kitchen, pulling out bags of vegetables and fruits so that she could prepare trays for the party. She set them on the nearby island, grabbing a knife from a drawer. "You two can feel free to make yourselves comfortable, or you could take some of the games outside. It's up to you, we've got plenty of time."

She shouldn't have offered the opportunity for Takashi to be helpful, because the young man was already at her side, looking around for the games she mentioned. Katie was right next to him, looking up at the two adults expectantly. Laughing lightly at the eagerness to help, Allura put down the bell pepper that she was holding, wiping her hands off and leading them to a small storage room. "Alright, so you can just go ahead and set those on the tables outside for me, okay?" she asked, looking mostly at Katie, who seemed to be taking this new responsibility completely seriously. The little girl nodded, picking up a few board games that probably weren't going to be played anyway, leading Shiro out of the home and into the backyard.

The preparatory work for the party went at about the same pace for the rest of the morning. The get-together officially started at noon, but all of the non-food items were completely set out before ten. Once she had assured herself that everything was properly done, Allura began to actually work on the food. She cut up celery, cucumber, peppers, and a head of broccoli, placing them on a large tray next to a pile of baby carrots. Stuffing the first tray into the refrigerator, the young woman quickly started a fruit tray. She was quite adept, moving fluidly along the kitchen's island, occasionally handing Katie a grape or an apple slice to nibble on while the little girl watched.

Takashi had sat down on a bar stool, admiring how easily Katie and Allura interacted with each other; but as soon as he saw that the girls were done preparing the trays, he hopped up, grabbing one so that he and Allura could walk them outside. The young woman seemed appreciative, nearly leaning over to peck his cheek; but she remembered Katie's presence and the room and stopped herself, deciding to just pat his shoulder.

Shiro didn't even think much of it, until he heard Katie giggling to herself. He glanced over, a bit confused. She quickly amended herself by explaining her laughter, exclaiming, "She almost kissed you!" before laughing again.

His face felt a bit warmer, and when Takashi glanced over at Allura, he could see that she clearly felt just as embarrassed, but the young teacher quickly recovered, slapping a light smile on her face. She looked to Shiro, as if asking for permission to oust their relationship to the child whose opinion on this subject mattered the absolute most.

But he beat Allura to the punch, kneeling down so that he and Katie were eye-level. The little girl still was still smiling, anticipating what her guardian was going to tell her. She already knew, how could she not? Shiro and Allura were far too obvious with their feelings.

"So, Katie, for a while now, Miss Allura and I have been seeing each other-"

"I know."

"And I really like her-"

"Well, yeah."

"But I need to make sure that you're okay with everything. Because we both really care about you, Katie – you're the most important part of this, okay?"

She nodded, not at all bothered. "I like Miss Allura. You can kiss her."

Relieved over how easily Katie took the news, and a bit embarrassed for having any doubt with how calm she would react, Takashi smiled, ruffling the top of the little girl's head. She flattened her unruly hair with a huff, then quickly ran out of the room so that she could set up for the party more. Once Katie left, Allura crossed the kitchen to meet Takashi, pecking him on the cheek. "Very brave out there, I was a bit worried myself," she laughed. And he didn't even care that she was teasing. Takashi took that opportunity to kiss Allura, holding her close against him.

"You keep this up, and we might not make it to the party," the young woman reminded him, pulling away so that she could bring a few more things outside. He followed, practically grinning, looking forward to this party more than he could hope to articulate.

Stopping in the doorway, Allura made a noise of surprise. "I forgot, I have to shower-" she handed Takashi the package of hamburger buns she was carrying, quickly running back into the house and up the stairs. Vaguely, Shiro thought of quipping a cute "Can I join you?" but he didn't feel like being smacked that badly. He had to laugh lightly, though, because Allura could be so organized about some things but completely forgetful about others.

He was glad she remembered, though, when he saw her reemerge nearly an hour later. Her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulder, and she wore a sleeveless mint dress and a pair of strappy sandals. Allura smiled, pleased with her own quick work, walking by Shiro. "I know what you were thinking," she whispered playfully. "Maybe next time."

He chased her into the backyard, unable to hide his smile. "That'd better be a promise."

Only the Garrets arrived early, and Hunk's father quickly busied himself with helping Alfor set up chairs around the backyard. The two older man made small talk as they worked, and Mrs. Garret joined Allura at the edge of the yard, asking the teacher if she needed any help with setting up the party.

Allura, of course, told her that Takashi had already done all the grunt work, but she made sure to add that he had been an absolute peach about it. Mrs. Garret patted Shiro's shoulder, telling the young man that he was certainly one of the finest examples of the modern-American youth that she had ever witnessed. He refrained from informing her that he got most of his politeness from his grandparents, both of whom were full-blooded Japanese, and instead chose to thank the woman.

Katie and Hunk had found themselves a comfortable spot on the ground to play on, and the little boy rummaged around in his backpack to present his stuffed yellow lion and his pet rock Shay. He couldn't have come to the best party of the year without bringing either of his trusted companions; and along with Katie's green lion, the two hurriedly worked through another adventure of "Lions in Space."

They didn't have to play by themselves for very long, though, because a loud and very boisterous child soon entered the scene. Lance was dragging his father to his friends, opting not to pull around his extremely pregnant mother. She sat herself down at one of the tables, thanking Takashi when he quickly ran over a glass of water. He was reminded of the fact that he knew nothing of babies, especially when he thought she was absolute ready to pop, but she insisted that she still had a few more weeks to go for this one.

Mr. McClain was definitely the suit-and-tie type, and Shiro thought that he looked incredibly uncomfortable in an orange sherbet-colored polo shirt with khaki shorts. Still, he dutifully followed his son, amicably greeting Katie and Hunk. They had never met Lance's father before, and they were certainly surprised to see such a quiet and studious-looking man turn out to be their loud-mouthed friend's dad. Katie later said that Mr. McClain looked like a nerd, but Takashi maintained that the operative word was studious.

About ten minutes had passed, and when Takashi glanced over at Allura, he could tell that she was bothered by something. Obviously, she was worried that Keith was never going to show up. The little boy had said that he would, and he even had a signed permission slip from his guardian. But he had also said that he would just be dropped off and picked up, and perhaps his foster parent had just thought that the party might be too much of a hassle. But the young woman's worries were quieted when she heard a car door shut, followed by the faint sound of a doorbell.

She all but ran back inside her father's house, and it was only a minute or two later that Allura came back out, leading Keith by the hand. In his other hand he gripped the red lion tightly, using that encumbered hand to wave to his friends when they noticed him. Allura let Keith go play with them, returning to Shiros' side. She looked absolutely relieved.

"If we're being honest," she muttered so that no one else could hear, "I wasn't actually sure if he was going to come."

He nodded, throwing his arm around her shoulder. "Allura, we all really appreciate everything you've done. Not just today, either. You've absolutely changed everything, and not just for me – look at how much they all like each other." He gestured to the children, all of whom were engaging in a make-pretend intergalactic space battle. Watching the scene, Allura's face softened into a light smile; she glanced back up at Shiro, then let out a long sigh.

"I'm glad. Honestly, I was worried that I was never going to get the hang of this teaching thing. But you've all made it so easy for me."

Absentmindedly, he pressed his lips against the top of her head, freezing when he noticed Mrs. Garret giving the two a very knowing look. She smiled to herself, not saying anything, just preparing herself and her husband a plate of food. Allura had obviously seen Hunk's mother watching them, too, but she just laughed at Shiro's expression. "I wouldn't worry about it," she assured him. After all, her father knew about them, and he didn't seem to mind. And Katie was alright with it. Truly, those were the only people that actually mattered.

The group ate at around the same time, the children gabbing excitedly to each other as they nibbled on carrots and pretzels and potato chips. They hadn't been too excited about the vegetables, but when Lance had voluntarily ate some, they all followed suit. And Mr. Garret brought them all a hamburger, careful to make sure that none of them had any food allergies or dietary restrictions.

The adults were all gathered at the same table, all of them wanting to ask about Takashi and Allura's relationship but careful enough to refrain from doing so. Even Mrs. Garret, who was practically buzzing with curiosity as she ate her pasta salad, kept herself from asking. It was Katie who mentioned it, Lance who relayed the information, and Allura and Takashi that suffered from the embarrassment.

It wasn't that bad, honestly. Everyone was quite happy for him; and Alfor, who had decided to join the party (but stuck to eating just the vegetables), joked that as long as Takashi could keep himself from breaking Allura's heart, they'd have no problem at all. Pleasantly, Shiro responded that he'd never dream of doing so. He thought much too highly of Allura.

All had been going well, and lunch was about over. Allura had stood to begin clearing hers and Takashi's places, assuring the man that he didn't have to get up. But Mr. McClain's sudden movement to look worriedly at his wife paused the moment.

The young woman's face was scrunched up in pain, alerting her husband that something was wrong. Mrs. McClain was not the type of person to panic, however, and she kept her breathing to as steady of a pace as possible. Her hand resting against her stomach, she managed a short, "I think she's coming." She was careful not to make any sudden movements so that the children weren't alarmed, but her husband was not so calm. He jumped to his feet, wildly looking around for his car keys. "Where did I put those-" he nearly screeched, and his reaction made the rest of the adults flinch.

Mrs. Garret recovered the quickest, standing and rummaging around in her purse for her keys. She retrieved the bundle of keys and fuzzy keychains, thrusting them at her husband. "Take the van, dear." Her voice was even despite the tenseness of the situation, and her composure helped Mr. Garret to act in kind. He held them in his hand, motioning for Mr. McClain to help the laboring woman to her feet. She gasped at the movement, leaning heavily against her husband, but powered through the pain, shuffling across the backyard.

Alfor led them through the doorway, opening all the doors for them in order to save time. And Takashi – he felt absolutely useless. He hadn't moved much more than a few flinches, but neither had Allura. The teacher stood motionless, eyes wide. She certainly hadn't been expecting that, and the young woman had always prided herself on how easily she moved in intense situations. But, finally catching her own stride, she took in a deep breath, following her father.

Still sitting at the children's table, Lance looked absolutely devastated, and for very good reason – his mother seemed to be in a lot of pain, and then she and his dad had just run out of the backyard without even looking back at him. But his feelings of abandonment subsided when a very pregnant and heavily-breathing Mrs. McClain shuffled back into the backyard. She had broken away from the men in order to find her son. Lance ran up to his mother, grateful when the woman ran a hand through his hair.

"Everything's gonna be just fine, sweetie," she told him, slowly leaning down to press a soft kiss against the top of his head. "Daddy and I are just going to the hospital so we can have the baby, okay?" When her son nodded, she smiled, brushing his hair away from his face again. "You are just my brave little boy, aren't you?"

Allura ran back outside, joining Mrs. McClain. "I can take him to the hospital for you, if it's alright," she offered, putting her arms around the older woman's shoulder. Lance's mother nodded, patting Allura's arm.

"Thank you so much-" she agreed, reverting back to her heavy breathing. "Charles!" she called; and as if he were programmed to respond to his wife's call, Mr. McClain hurried back into the backyard, helping her to the Garret's van.

Takashi blinked. Charles? Huh.

Allura finally stopped beside Takashi, letting out a long breath. She looked up at him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well, I felt like an idiot," she told him, snorting lightly when he nodded.

"At least you did better than I did."

The children were watching the two, and Lance was shuffling on his feet. He looked rather upset, his eyes wide and teary, and the little boy clutched his blue lion against his chest. Stepping away from Shiro, Allura knelt down, offering a small smile. "Alright, so I promised your mom that I'd take you to the hospital, okay?" She glanced over at Hunk. "And…since your parents are with them, I'm assuming that I can take you, too." The child in question nodded seriously, as if he were a little soldier given a task. "Keith, I'm going to call your…" she trailed off, knowing that he didn't like to call his foster parent an actual parent. So she stopped her thought there.

Takashi glanced over at Katie, then back at Allura. "Should we head home, or did you want us to come with you? I mean, does your car even have room for that-"

She nodded, trying to put him at ease. "I'll take my father's car. Alright, you watch the children, and I'm going to go make a phone call." She excused herself, grabbing her cell phone, dialing a number, and putting it to her ear.

Allura talked for a few minutes, and Takashi sat beside the children. "I know things got a little crazy there, but you're gonna have a new…sister, Lance?" he asked, and Lance inclined his head in agreement. "That's really exciting, I bet you're looking forward to it." He smiled, clapping the young boy on the shoulder. When he heard Allura returning, Takashi pushed himself off the ground, giving her an inquisitive look.

"Alright, so we're going to drop Keith off at his house first, and then the rest of us can head to the hospital," she explained in an even tone. "So, do we all have everything?" she asked, watching in approval as Katie and Hunk both zipped up their backpacks. Lance and Keith hadn't brought any, but they had their stuffed lions. Clapping her hands together, Allura smiled. "Alright, then, let's get going."

Her father's car, which she failed to mention to Shiro, was a large Cadillac. The young man practically had to look up at it, and he glanced at Allura worriedly. "How often have you driven this thing?"

"The monster, you mean? A few times."

"Are you…comfortable with it?" he hesitantly asked.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be driving four little children in it. Have some faith in me, Shiro," she suggested, unlocking the doors. She opened the backseat, offering a hand to Hunk. "Up and in." After hoisting the children into the car, Allura closed the door. Yes, she was definitely nervous that there weren't any booster seats in the car, but she determined to herself that she'd drive as carefully and slowly as the law allowed. She trusted herself as a driver, and this was really the only option they had to transport all the children without having to wait at her father's house for hours on end.

Alfor was watching from his home's doorway, smiling at the humor of such a tiny woman like Allura to be driving the Cadillac. His daughter noticed his observing, and she crossed the driveway to kiss his cheek. "Thank you so much for everything, father," she muttered, hugging him. He returned the movement, then let his hands rest on her shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you," he told her, leaving out a direct context. Was he proud of her for her party planning? For her resourcefulness? Or just in general. The answer to everything, of course, was yes.

Allura smiled, a bit flustered by her father's compliment. But she pulled away, waving as she pulled herself into the driver's seat. The older man did feel a bit of sympathy for Takashi. He looked just a bit nervous sitting beside Allura. But she was a good driver, and she performed even better under pressure. They'd be fine. The car pulled out of the driveway, and once it was out of sight, Alfor sighed heavily, going to call Coran to help him clean up his backyard.

The ride to the hospital was relatively easy. Allura, much to Shiro's surprise (though he'd never admit it), was an absolutely fantastic driver. And although they made it to Keith's house in hardly any time at all, she was still extremely careful, even looking for cars on a sidewalk when she helped Keith down.

The little boy gave his temporary farewell to his friends, following his teacher to his house. To Allura's relief, it wasn't that bad. The neighborhood was a little underdeveloped, but the home seemed to be standing unburdened. The young woman rang the doorbell, waiting patiently by her student's side. He didn't seem to be nervous, just a little disappointed.

Allura could hear a sort of ambling noise of someone coming to the door, and the man that answered was incredibly large, perhaps even moreso than Alfor. Allura tried to seem nonchalant, but she was certain that her eyes widened at the hulking figure. Even so, she cleared her throat, extending her hand and a warm smile. "Hello! I'm Miss Allura, I don't think we've actually met. Anyway, thank you so much for letting Keith come over today, I hope he had a lot of fun."

"I did," the child quietly interjected.

The man gave Allura an appraising look before nodding and opening the door wider so that Keith could walk in. Keith looked up at Allura, pausing before wrapping his arms around her legs. She made a noise of surprise, but her expression quickly softened to one of extreme fondness. Allura rested a hand against the top of his head, definitely sad to see him go. "I'll see you later, then," she muttered, ushering him inside. He glanced back at her before running into the home. The man in the doorway didn't extend any other formalities to Allura, just closed the door in front of the teacher's face.

She blinked, immediately irate, but decided against causing a scene. Allura stood in front of the door for a few moments, trying to recapture her composure. She was certain that Shiro had seen the display, and she didn't want to talk about it at all. The young woman could only hope that, no matter what kind of man just shut the door was, he'd give Keith a chance at a very good life. The child was smart, observant, and kind – he had no sense of humor, of course, but he was still humorous. Keith couldn't make a joke, not like Lance could, and he hardly picked up on them – but he gave good one-liners for a four year-old.

Shaking those thoughts aside, and trying to stifle the other ones that surfaced in her mind, Allura rejoined Takashi in the car, letting herself have one long sigh before putting the car into 'drive' and going to the hospital.

Mr. Garret was waiting in the lobby for the group to appear. As soon as he saw his son, he lifted Hunk into his arms, kissing the little boy's cheek. Katie stuck to Shiro's side, and Lance was practically vibrating with excitement. Allura greeted Hunk's father and asked about Mrs. McClain.

The older man laughed easily, bouncing Hunk just a little bit. "That little girl sure was ready to be here," he joked; and when he smiled, Allura noticed that the wrinkles around his eyes folded together. It was a nice look – the kind of look that happy aging brought to someone.

"Can I go?" Lance asked hurriedly, pulling gently on Mr. Garret's pant leg.

"You know what, little man? Let's go find a nurse, and we'll get you in there."

Of course, it wasn't hard at all to locate a hospital worker. And she had been more than happy to let Lance in to see his mother. Watching from the doorway, Takashi had to commend Mrs. McClain – she looked tired, but she had obviously managed to push the baby out easily enough. She was more than happy to see her son; and when the nurse was conscientious enough to bring in the baby, Lance's mother held the newborn while the older child greeted her.

Mr. McClain had been standing off to the side. He still looked incredibly nervous, but his face relaxed into a light smile when he saw his children interacting with each other. Already, Lance was incredibly gentle, running a finger lightly across his little sister's soft arm. He broke into a grin, looking back up at his mom. "I like her!"

"I hope so, she took long enough to get here," Mrs. McClain laughed, pecking her son on the cheek.

Takashi couldn't help but smile as he watched the scene. This family – they were so happy, so peaceful. And when he glanced over at the Garrets, noticing the way Hunk's mother ruffled her son's hair while his father held him. The little boy giggled, glad for the attention. And, Shiro almost felt bad for how little Katie had that. She had lost her parents and brother; and all she had was a close family friend to take care of her. She lived in this tiny little apartment now, subsisted on Pop-Tarts, and had to take a bus everywhere.

But he felt a tiny hand grasp his.

Katie was looking up at him, smiling lightly. She squeezed his hand, and he could've sworn that his heart constricted a little. "Love you, Shiro," she muttered.

He nodded, taking a few moments to compose himself before responding with a still-tight, "I love you, too, Katie."

Pleased, Katie released his hand, joining Hunk when his father let him down. The two found a few chairs to sit in, talking excitedly about lance's new baby sister. Takashi didn't have to stand by himself for any considerable length of time, because Allura put her hand on Takashi's shoulder. "She's not the only one," the young woman whispered, blue eyes gazing into his. She hadn't directly said the words, but she had left the subject open for his discretion.

He didn't have to think the matter over, though, because Takashi turned her to face him, tilting her chin up. "I think I'm going to start sounding like a broken record pretty soon, but I love you, Allura."

She leaned up to kiss him, and he wrapped his arm loosely around her waist, letting her go after a few moments. Their moment was broken by several pairs of eyes staring at them, and Allura laughed, turning to the side. "If you're a record, then it's my favorite song."

A.N.: Holy smokes, cheesy one-liners! Anyway, I'm super sorry that I haven't updated in way over a month – I've had some crazy long papers due in the past few weeks, but the semester's almost over, yay! I hope everyone else's school/work has been going well! Hopefully a longer chapter helps make up for my lack of activity.

I picked the title for this chapter from a quote from John Herschel – "The barrier has begun to yield." Thanks, everyone, for all your support – I appreciate everyone's support so much, and I hope you guys enjoy this and look forward to more!