Chapter 17: Reconnecting Part 2 – Havana Nights
When Pidge and Hunk bring their family for a little vacation at the McClain farm, Lance is determined to make sure his two best friends have the opportunity to reconnect and rekindle the passion in their relationship without children underfoot.

July 05th, 2335

"You know, Lance. Your farm gives tropical resorts a run for their money," Katie chuckled as she lay out on a beach chair, under a huge umbrella. In front of her, the beautiful Caribbean waves rolled gently into shore along the expanse of shimmering beach. Behind her, the juniberry fields gave off their glorious, delicate scent that mixed with the salty ocean tang. The constant breeze kept the summer heat from being oppressive.

The ice cold fresh-made pineapple coconut juice also helped.

"Don't say that to Aleki," Hunk chuckled. "He'll be hurt."

"Family resorts excepted," Katie amended. "Still, this is incredibly relaxing."

Beside her, under a second umbrella, were other beach chairs, though at the moment no one was lounging in them. Lance and Hunk were getting the kids ready to go out on the water. Lance, because he was reviewing basic surfing with Caitlin. Hunk was still putting sunscreen on Kale, who didn't mind, but found the whole prospect interesting. Earth's sun was much stronger than the one that had shown on Taklis, and the atmospheres different. They hadn't had any such things before coming back to Earth.

"Mommy, are you coming in the water too?" Caitlin asked as Lance picked up both surfboards.

"In a little bit," Katie promised. "I want to take some video of you surfing first, if that's okay?"

Caitlin's eyes lit up. "Sure! Then I can see myself."

"Which is a great way to learn what you're doing right," Lance grinned. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah! Let's go."

Katie pulled out her communicator and swapped it over to the recording setting. She hated to step out of the shade, but she had enough sunblock on herself to blanch an elephant, so at least she wasn't likely to burn while she got the video she wanted of her daughter, and of Hunk and Kale playing in the surf. This was Kale's first time at a beach, and a farm too for that matter. Lance had already promised both kids they could help him with all the evening animal chores.

Katie was bracing to have to talk the children out of a kitten. Fortunately, the kittens were far too young to even discuss taking one home with them.

Since it was going to take Lance and Caitlin a few minutes to catch their first wave, she focused video first on Hunk and Kale, who were playing in the gentle surf. Kale definitely found the ocean more interesting—and a little more intimidating—than the pool on the Atlas, or the streams and small ponds of Taklis where she had taught him to tread and float from infancy for his own safety.

The safety floaties were a new concept, but as soon as he learned to trust them, Kale was clearly having a blast, splashing and jumping into the little waves. Hunk was keeping an eye on the water for larger waves, and making sure Kale didn't get pulled out as they played. When they started to roll in, he let Kale float through them if they were small enough, and if anything larger started to pull him out he picked the boy up and spun him, making a game out of it.

Katie could have watched them for a lifetime.

"Mommy! Look at me!"

Caitlin's enthusiastic shout made her turn, tracking the camera as well to center on Caitlin, who was standing on her own surf board, not too far from Lance. They came in on a wave that was probably the very smallest it was possible to surf on, maybe one or two feet tall. From the look of wild joy on Caitlin's face, it might as well have been a tube. There was fierce concentration there too.

Katie had no idea how she and Hunk had managed to create this outdoorsy athlete child, but she felt a swell of pride. "I'm watching!" she shouted back, unsure if Caitlin could even hear her over the water.

As the wave started to break, Lance moved to Katie's left, and Caitlin a little to the right as they rode the wave. Then they came into shore.

Caitlin grinned as she ran up to her, carrying her board. "Did you like it?"

"You were great," Katie assured her, beaming.

"She's a natural." Lance joined them. "She's also good at listening to her teacher."

"That's because Uncle Lance makes everything fun," Caitlin replied. "Can we go again?"

"Of course. It wouldn't be practice if we only did it once. This time though, you're going to pick the wave. Do you remember what we talked about?"

Caitlin nodded. "Yeah. Let's go!"

As they headed back out to the water again, Katie watched as Lance and Caitlin pointed at the next incoming waves, discussing options, then started paddling out towards one that looked about the same size as the one they had just ridden. Katie didn't know much about the finer points of surfing, but she understood wave mechanics.

The sun was still high in the summer sky when it was almost time for dinner. Not that they had much argument from the kids that it was time to go in. Both of them were tired out and happy.

By the time everyone was rinsed off and in dry clothes, it was time for dinner, to be followed by the promised evening animal chores.

It had been such a long time since Katie had eaten at the McClain family farm, though she knew Lance's mother's cooking was always worth it. Still, she was a little relieved when there was not an epic pile of food at the dinner table. There was plenty, but it was the right amount for the number of people sitting around the table, and tonight it was full of seafood dishes and roasted vegetables, with fresh seasonal fruit for dessert.

Kale gave the shrimp on his plate a decidedly curious but concerned look, while Caitlin dug right in—with good manners. "Try it. They're delicious!" she encouraged her brother.

Kale stabbed a shrimp with his fork, stared at it for another minute, then stuck it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and swallowed. Then he grinned, and went for another.

"It's so nice to see how well they get along," Mrs. McClain smiled from across the table.

"It's been great," Katie agreed, "and a bit of a relief," she added honestly. "Being siblings didn't guarantee they were just going to get along immediately, but Kale's always been pretty easy going, and the moment they met, Caitlin wanted to show him everything. So far, she's been incredibly patient with him. I know at some point they'll find something to disagree about—

it's what siblings do—but at least they like they each other. It's made introducing Kale to Earth a lot easier."

Lance's mother smiled sympathetically. "I'd imagine it's quite an adjustment. Lance took his father and I to Altea for a quick visit several years ago. It was our first time off-planet, if you can believe it. And it was wonderful—Altea was absolutely beautiful, and of course they're lovely folks—but it was still such a dramatic difference, even after as many races as we've gotten used to seeing here on Earth. Growing up elsewhere, I would imagine Earth seems equally new and strange."

"Some things. I talked about Earth all the time, and showed him lots of pictures of places, and friends and family, just so he would be familiar with them. But, he's not even three yet. I wasn't ever sure how much of that was really sticking while we were busy living day to day. Maybe some of it did, because the adjustment has been faster than I anticipated so far."

The dinner chat continued until everyone was done eating, and then the whole family followed Lance out to help with the evening chores, which turned out to be fun for everyone, and it went much faster with the additional help.

Katie had learned to milk a cow on the Castle of Lions, and apparently both Hunk and Caitlin were now old pros at helping Lance with the animals. They took care of the cows, and the pigs, and fed the chickens, before going into the second barn, where they were met by dogs, and Lance showed them Miss Maisy Meow and her pile of six tiny kittens.

Katie privately thought Miss Maisy Meow looked like she needed a pot of coffee and a vacation, but the cat patiently lay there while all six babies suckled away. She didn't seem at all upset to have them scritch her ears, or gently pet her kittens. The kittens ignored them, focused entirely on eating. Thankfully, they were still way too young to take home, and the children didn't ask.

Afterwards, they tucked the kids into bed in the guest room, promised them they would be close if they needed anything and then slipped back downstairs for some of that rare adult time that already seemed like a memory.

Lance was finishing up the dinner dishes when they came down.

"Look at you, a model of responsibility," Katie chuckled.

"I've always been responsible," Lance countered, grinning. "So, what do you two have planned for the rest of the night?"

"Got any recommendations?" Katie asked him.

"I do, actually. Wait for me out back and I'll show you my favorite spot on the whole farm."

"You mean there's a spot on this farm we haven't seen?" Hunk asked skeptically.

"The property is a lot bigger than just the part we're actively farming," Lance pointed out. "I'll be just a minute." Then he vanished upstairs.

Katie looked at Hunk. "I wonder what he's up to."

"We'll find out soon enough." Hunk shrugged.

Together they stepped back outside. It was a really lovely night. The sun was down now, and the sky was a multitude of stars. The scent of the ocean in the distance, and the ever-present juniberries, tickled Katie's nose. "You know, even just taking a walk around here would be very romantic."

Hunk grinned. "I'm not opposed to getting lost in the fields for a few hours."

"I'm pretty sure that's how I ended up the youngest of five."

Katie turned around and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at Lance. "So, what was it you went to get?"

"First, something for tomorrow night." Out of his pocket, Lance proffered two tickets. Katie took them, and looked at them, Hunk looking over her shoulder.

They were for dinner and a show at a nightclub in Havana called El Castilo. Katie had never heard of the place, but given the quality of the tickets, she doubted this place was cheap.

"Oh!" Hunk exclaimed. "This is your Great-Aunt's place, isn't it?"

Lance nodded. "That's right! Great-Aunt Ivelisse and her husband Rodolfo have owned El Castilo for forty years."

"Is it actually a castle?" Katie asked, half-joking.

"It shares the property with a castle." Lance surprised her. "Morro Castle. It's an old historic landmark. It was starting to fall apart though, and the government was selling most of the lot for development. Ivelisse loves that old castle, so she and Rodolfo bought the property, and talked some big philanthropist into helping restore the castle itself. They built the nightclub right next door, with complimentary architecture, and put lights up along the outside of the castle so people can walk out at night and admire the view, too. Or they can have the party outside if it's big enough." He winked. "It's been ages since I visited, and when I mentioned you were going to be here, she insisted you should have a good time."

It wasn't their usual modus operandi, but then sometimes it was just fun to do something new. Besides which, Katie had spent the past three years doing a lot of things she never thought she would do. Like washing reusable cloth diapers… "It sounds great."

Hunk looked startled. "Really? I mean, I'm always up for dinner and a show."

"Yes, really. It'll be fun. Though I didn't really pack anything appropriate for a swanky Havana nightclub." Not that she thought anything she had back home would have been right for it anyway, but she'd at least have maybe packed something dressier if she had known they were going to be going anywhere besides the farm, and the beach.

"Don't worry. It's only a couple of hours to Havana. You can shop tomorrow around here, or wait until we get to the city. There are probably better options in Havana, honestly. Unless you want to try borrowing something from one of the girls in the family."

"I'm pretty sure no one in your family is as short as I am, unless they're a minor."

"That's a valid point."

"We can shop in Havana," Hunk agreed, this time startling Katie. Though she suspected he hadn't brought anything that nice either.

"It's settled then." Katie nodded. "Now, where is this best spot on the farm?"

"Follow me."

They walked for several minutes, out through the juniberry fields. These were also gorgeous under the starlight, and full of fireflies. Katie would not have been at all surprised if Lance had a favorite patch of flowers, or something, but they did not stop there. Nor did they go all the way down to the beach. Instead, they walked down towards the edge of the farm into an area that was really more cultivated park than farm.

As they moved down the walkway through the trees, Katie realized that she did, in fact, recognize the place… from a photograph.

When they stopped, surrounded by thick trees, in the center stood a huge, ancient tree that stood even healthier and more vibrant than the rest. All around them fireflies danced through the trunks. Stars peeked through the plants, and they were still close enough to hear the soft wash of ocean water, and smell the flowers. It was stunning.

"This is Allura's tree," Katie knew, all at once.

Lance nodded, looking up at the tree with as much love as he had looked at Allura. "Yeah. We stood here on our first date, and I told her I loved her, and that I'd go anywhere to be with her… that I wanted to be her family and I'd never leave her alone again."

That was absolutely the most romantic thing she'd ever heard… with perhaps the exception of a few of their own mushy interactions. Katie couldn't help smiling. "A bit gutsy proposing on your first date." She had always known it had gone well, but neither Lance nor Allura had ever confided precisely what they said to each other that night.

Lance smiled. "I know, right? That wasn't where I thought that evening was going, but it was just… the right moment. I needed her to know how I felt, and that I was absolutely serious… in a way I'd never been serious about anything else in my entire life. When I come here, it's the place I can feel her presence most. Like she left a bit of herself—of us—in this tree when she brought it back to life. That moment will always be right here."

"You're right, this is the best place on the farm," Katie agreed. Or at least, farm adjacent, but that hardly mattered. "It's beautiful."

"It is." Lance turned abruptly. "And with that note, I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone for a while to enjoy it. Don't worry about the kids. If they need anything, Uncle Lance has got it under control."

Katie watched him go. She felt Hunk's arm slip around her shoulders, and she looked up at him, and smiled. "Well, that was subtle. You think it was an order, or a friendly suggestion?"

Hunk grinned and leaned in to kiss her. "I think it's an excellent opportunity."

July 6th, 2335

Hunk was relieved that Rachel had offered to keep an eye on Caitlin and Kale today, even if he was beginning to wonder if he'd have to be concerned about Orfeo trying to make a pass at his daughter in a few years. For now, at least, they were just kids having fun.

Lance's family farm owned multiple perfectly normal land vehicles. Lance drove them into Havana after lunch. As he had warned, it was a couple of hours of driving, but much of the road was along the coast, and the ocean views and fresh air were nice.

Then came the part of the afternoon Hunk had been quietly dreading. Grateful he had at least packed his one pair of slacks on the off chance they ended up going somewhere nice, he was entirely doubtful he was going to find anything that fit in any of these stores, let alone something appropriate for a classy establishment like where they were going tonight. He had looked it up.

Katie looked around at the stores that lined the street as she got out of the car. "Wow. Where do we start?"

Lance pointed at the one in front of them. "I would start there. Veronica loves the place, and Great-Aunt Ivelisse is friends with the owner, who is also the primary designer. I'm sure she'll be able to find you exactly what you want."

"Sounds good. See you later."

As Katie vanished inside, Lance gestured down the street. "You and I are going this way."

"What's this way?" Hunk asked, sure he wasn't going to be thrilled with the answer.

"My favorite tailor," Lance replied, grinning. "You didn't think I was going to waste time taking you someplace with standard off-the-rack, did you?"

Given how rarely Hunk could find clothes off-the-rack –well except when he was visiting his family, where most of the local clothing stores all had sections for big-and-tall—that would definitely have been pointless and frustrating. "I hadn't really thought about it. Though I didn't think we'd be going anywhere fancy this week either. You could have warned me."

"I didn't know," Lance admitted. "Ivelisse showed up unexpectedly before you got here, having come out to visit family and invite me up. When I mentioned you were coming, she insisted my friends should have the best time and gave me the other tickets to the new show opening tonight." He shrugged. "And honestly, if we don't find anything what you're wearing right now would still get you in the door. You're a personal guest of the owner."

"Then why are we spending time and money suffering through clothes shopping?"

"You know, for all Pidge hates clothes shopping, she didn't look too upset about this."

"No, she didn't." Hunk had found it odd, honestly, but then there were a lot of little things about Katie that were different. Nothing important, but things that surprised him more because he hadn't been there to see them happening.

"In fact, she looked like she wanted to," Lance continued.

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"I'm just saying, it's been three years, and that is way too long between romantic evenings. It's never the wrong time to make a little effort and show the person you love a good time, and if anyone needs a little time to reconnect one-on-one, it's you two."

"I'm not sure whether I should say thank you, or feel insulted."

"When you see your wife next, I'm pretty sure you'll be thanking me," Lance replied without hesitation. "All right, here we are."

Hunk sighed. Might as well get it over with. "Sure, why not?"

Katie was grateful they would be meeting Lance's great-aunt and great-uncle at their place first, and that he had already arranged for them to change into formals there instead of driving across a chunk of Cuba in them. He had brought his suit in a bag, so she had no idea what he was wearing.

As much as she generally hated shopping for clothes, it had been so long since she'd been shopping, for much of anything, that the experience was less arduous. It might have helped that the store owner had been expecting her, and everything brought out for her to try on was based on her descriptions of her preferences, and with her build and measurements in mind. Anything, she had been assured, could be altered on the spot today if she liked it.

Service like this almost makes it kind of fun.

Katie hadn't worn a real dress, a fancy dress, in years. Even if she had known they were doing this, she wouldn't have had anything appropriate in the closet back home. Nor would she have known where to find something for this particular situation. Though her friends would have been thrilled to turn her into a dress-up doll.

Somehow, being in here alone with only the designer and the other store employees, without anyone else to see her try them on, was very freeing. She tried on at least a dozen things she would never have dared to let them see her in. They would have taken pictures and she would never have lived them down.

Though she had no idea that some of these styles would look as amazing on her as they did on other women. She had never bothered to try them.

Hunk would die if he saw me in some of these. Some of them were incredible, and fit just fine, but were a little too daring for her personal tastes. Low backs, slit skirts, plunging necklines… thankfully not on the same dresses.

Finally, she settled on a clear favorite. Though it needed a couple of quick tucks in a couple of places, it was flattering and while fitted not so much so that she couldn't wear it again later. If she ever had a reason to wear it later. It was definitely fashionable. Though it was not unreasonable attire for a formal diplomatic function either.

Still, it was going to be worth it to see the look on Hunk's face.

The dress was—perhaps unsurprising—green. Though it was a deep emerald satin that shifted to near black depending on how the light hit it, and had that sheen finish. The skirt flared at the hips, and fell to just below the knee. Not that she expected to get to try it out, but she was certain it was made for dancing. The real shocker would be the fact that it was absolutely strapless. Though it came with a matching wrap, clutch purse, and gloves—if desired—for cold weather. It was of course, not at all cold today, but they might be useful on another evening.

What shocked her was that it was actually comfortable. Well, that, and the fact that it wasn't going to cost her a couple of limbs to pay for it. Not that it was cheap, but it was hardly extravagant.

It was only as she left the shop that Katie realized she had spent nearly two hours in the store. She checked her communicator but had no missed calls. Quickly she dialed Hunk.

"Hey, Pidge."

"Hi. Sorry it took me so long. Are you guys really still shopping?" She had expected them to be waiting for her impatiently.

"Not really. Are you by the car? We'll be there in about five minutes."

"Okay. See you soon then." Not really? She wondered what that meant.

They arrived only a few minutes later. Hunk also had a garment bag, so she couldn't see what he had purchased any more than he could see her dress. She decided not to say anything. It was only as they got into the car and Lance drove toward his Great-Aunt's that she noticed that Hunk looked… cleaner? That was the first word that came to mind. Then it occurred to her that his hair looked recently trimmed. Not that there was much length missing, since it hadn't been all that much longer than he usually wore it, but neater. Well, a haircut wouldn't be shopping, per say. She decided not to say anything for the moment.

As it turned out, Ivelisse and Rodolfo lived in an apartment directly attached to the nightclub, though it was more of an upstairs penthouse style location. Of course, if she owned a building that big, that's where Katie would have chosen to put her house too. It would have an excellent view of the castle, and the ocean, and a perfectly brief commute downstairs to work.

Katie wasn't sure which side of Lance's family this particular Great-Aunt was on, but it was definitely the side from which Lance and Veronica got their height and appearance. Great-Aunt Ivelisse met them at the door; a tall, slender woman whom age barely seemed to touch. It wasn't that her hair wasn't white—it was pure as snow—or that there were no lines on her thin face, but they were all laugh lines. Even though she clearly wasn't dressed for work yet, she made slacks and a knit top look like high fashion.

"Lance, I'm so glad you came," she hugged her grand-nephew first, then she beamed at Hunk and Katie, shaking their hands warmly. "It's such a pleasure. I've heard so much about you. Please, come in and get comfortable."

They followed her and Lance to the elevator, and up to the apartment which was elegantly appointed, but not at all ostentatious. The exterior walls were full of large windows to make the most of the views, and everything was lightly-stained wood or painted white, except for the bold splashes of color found in paintings on the walls, and throw pillows. The kitchen was contemporary and understated. "Tea? Coffee?" Ivelisse offered as they all settled down on the comfortable living room furniture.

"Coffee would be lovely," Katie nodded. She wanted to be awake tonight, and having two energetic kids meant that if they didn't sleep in, neither did their parents. She and Hunk had been up with the sun like everyone else on the farm.

"Coffee, please." Hunk requested the same.

As they all sat around, sipping coffee and nibbling fresh fruit and small cookies, they got to know Lance's fascinating Great-Aunt… who might not be a mermaid, but was definitely interesting, and in truth there was a mermaid in her story. Ivelisse talked about meeting Rodolfo, many years ago, when he was just an aspiring actor with no interest in being a farmer. They had fallen hard for each other, and Ivelisse had left the farm at eighteen to join the same touring show company in which Rodolfo was a member. Her first role had been as a mermaid. They both loved their work, but it was hard to make a living as a touring actor in the Caribbean. The company had gone to all the islands that would offer them a venue, and had even toured in Central and South America, and a few times in North America, though mostly in coastal cities.

It also made them miss Cuba, and so their plan—their baby in a way, for they had never managed to have any children—had been hatched. A venue that offered not only a steady income nearer to home, but an opportunity to encourage and promote talent. So, this nightclub, unlike many, was also a fully functioning theatre. Ivelisse managed the business, and Rodolfo managed the stage.

"Which is why Rodolfo isn't here yet," she came to the end of the tale. "He's downstairs overseeing final spot rehearsals for tonight's opening of our newest production. We have some exciting new talent this season." Her eyes twinkled. "I don't suppose either of you are theatrically inclined?"

Katie briefly wondered if Lance had ever told her about The Voltron Show. She had personally always been rather glad Earth hadn't been part of the greater space community during that time.

"No, not a bit," Hunk replied with a regretful shrug and a smile.

"I'm a very enthusiastic audience," Katie commented at almost the same time.

Ivelisse chuckled. "Well, and we certainly need enthusiastic audiences. I've tried to talk Lance into joining our merry band more than once, but he insists he's happier digging in the dirt than amongst the stars."

"Hey, if you ever take a show on a galactic tour, call me," Lance replied with one of his winning grins. "Though calling my careful cultivation of the most beautiful flowers in the universe digging in the dirt… you wound me."

The last words had enough of a playful tone it was clear Lance was not in the least offended, and he knew she was teasing him as well.

Ivelisse smiled. "See, acting gold. No, of course I didn't mean it, dear boy. Everyone should pursue what they love. I do hope you'll all give us your honest opinions on the show after it's done. Our writer is rather enthused about his re-envisioning of an old classic for the modern setting."

"That sounds interesting. What's the show?" Katie asked curiously.

"Space Pirates of Penzance."

Despite not being part of the show, Katie couldn't help feeling like she was dressing for a production herself as she slipped on the dress that she had bought earlier that day. In a way, she probably was. Tonight, they were the honored guests of the proprietors of the establishment, and there was always their fame as Paladins of Voltron. While that was hardly the focus here, it was sometimes hard not to be recognized, especially since the very public announcement of her and Coran having been found and retrieved. She liked how they had not used the word rescued.

More importantly, it was really their first date since her return. They had spent a lot of time together, but most of it with the kids. Their time alone had been stolen moments, often superseded by the necessities of regular life. They were the same people, but life had thrown a lot at them lately, both apart and together, and reconnecting with something new and fun and exciting was a good place to start.

Katie was relieved to find it looked as good as it had in the store, under their very carefully positioned lights. Completed with shoes and what little jewelry she had with her—her wedding ring, and a simple gold necklace—and her hair brushed into something vaguely resembling styled, she had to admit she kind of liked the look.

Time to see what Hunk thought…and what he was wearing.

When she stepped out into the living room, the boys hadn't yet entered, but a moment after she did, Ivelisse joined her, and Katie saw her in a completely different light. Now she looked like the owner of a high-end nightclub, in a floor-length sequined dress of deep burgundy. With full make-up and jewels glittering on her fingers, earrings, and neck. Her white hair looked like a stylistic choice more than a sign of age and she carried herself like a show-woman. Ivelisse smiled. "Well now, you look ravishing."

"Thank you. You too." Next to her, Katie felt for a moment like she was pretending. Sophistication had never been something she cared to worry about. Then she gave herself a mental shake.

"It's part of the fun of my work," Ivelisse replied with a slight shrug. "Every night I get to step out and be queen of my own little kingdom, but a queen who makes sure her guests are having the time of their lives. Excitement, mystery, delight, romance… whatever they're looking for."

"Even if what they're after is just a night without the kids?" Katie asked with a grin.

Ivelisse chuckled. "Especially then."

"…Katie?"

Well now, that was an interesting tone of voice. She turned, and smiled at the stunned expression on Hunk's face. Then she almost swallowed her own tongue as a clever quip died in her mouth.

How did tailors do that? The suit on her husband fit him to perfection. The light camel suit, with the dark golden contrasting dress-shirt, contrasted attractively with his dark complexion. The silk tie in Ombre stripes of gold and black-to-gray diagonal on white set it all off. She had no idea how they had whipped up a complimentary headband in the same deep gold as the shirt, but she suspected no one would have talked Hunk out of wearing one.

She regained her composure in a moment, but she was going to enjoy admiring him this evening. She also wouldn't mind him looking at her that way all night either. "Yellow?" she finally asked to break the silence, with a knowing smile.

Hunk finally blinked, and he nodded. "Gold, actually. Green?"

"Hey, I look great in green." She crossed the distance between them.

"No… you look amazing." Hunk leaned down and kissed her. "No fair," he whispered when their lips parted. "I'm not going to be able to look at anything else all evening."

"Wasn't that the idea?" she whispered back. "You look fantastic, by the way."

"Thanks." His grinned widened.

"Do I need to get you two a room somewhere?" Lance's voice startled her.

"Very funny," Katie rolled her eyes, but she and Hunk did step a little further apart. Hunk straightened up. It was then that Katie noticed Ivelisse had politely absented herself from the room. "Is it time to go?"

Lance joined them in a midnight-blue pinstripe suit. "It is. They're opening the club in a few minutes. We're welcome to go down through the family entrance instead of waiting in the line outside. You've got one of the best tables in the house."

"You're not sitting with us?" Katie asked as they went down the stairs and came out through the side door.

"It wouldn't be much of a romantic date with me tagging along," Lance pointed out. "I'm here to see Ivelisse and Rodolfo, who I guess we'll introduce you to later. But for now, welcome to El Castillo."

They stepped out into the main room, and Katie gasped just a little at the décor. She had expected something very modern when the place was described as a nightclub, but there was something classic about the interior design of El Castillo. It had a large vaulted ceiling, with stained glass windows, with a classic Italian castle-style interior. Katie might have found that odd, except she knew that the castle next door had been designed by an Italian architect. Lights positioned outside the windows meant patterns of colored light splashed everywhere despite the setting sun. The high ceiling also allowed for the right acoustics and placement for lighting for the full stage set in one wall. The floor, instead of having theatre seating, had dining tables set on multiple tiers, and an open dance floor between the tables and raised stage. The bar ran along one long wall, all in deep stained mahogany hardwood. Through the door to the kitchen, Katie could already smell food cooking. Pre-preparations she presumed.

Much of the lighting in the room was lamps designed and colored like even firelight. It was a warm glow. Low mood lighting that she suspected could be dimmed or turned off completely save for safety lighting, during performances. The thick velvet curtains hanging across the stage were a dark burgundy. Set up in the wooden rafters—which as best she could tell were there more as set pieces than any actual structural necessity of the building, which was fully modern on the outside—there were stage lights and a spot hidden.

The tables were covered in creamy damask table-cloths, lit with very realistic fake candles in crystal-cut glass holders, and sparkled with polished clean tableware. The artwork on the faux-stone walls varied from old paintings from Caribbean artists, to classic theatre posters from the past four hundred years. Several of them were of musical productions Katie had heard of, though she had to admit she hadn't seen many.

The one beside the table to which Lance led them—which was right in the center, along the first wall that separated them from the second tier of tables above—was a poster of a production called Guys and Dolls.

"Have you seen any of these shows?" Katie asked Lance curiously as she and Hunk took their seats.

"Not all of them," Lance admitted, "But Ivelisse has dozens of recordings of stage productions, or old movies made out of them. I've seen that one," he pointed at the Guys and Dolls poster. He grinned. "It's a family favorite. It's got a scene here in Havana, with a full musical number."

"Oh, really?" She might have to look that one up later.

"Yep." Lance looked up. "Well, it looks like they're starting to let folks in. Enjoy the show. I'm going to go find Rodolfo. Oh, and Auntie said order anything you like this evening. It's on the house… so long as she can get Hunk's professional opinion on the food." He added the last with a wink, and then headed towards the side stage door.

"Well, that's nice of her."

Hunk nodded, then smiled. "Maybe we can get a tour of the kitchen later, when they're done for the night."

Katie chuckled. "I'm sure they'd love to have you, presuming we like the food." She reached for a menu.

"If the smells from the kitchen are any indication, I'm pretty confident we will." Hunk opened his own menu and poured over it enthusiastically.

Katie was glad Lance had told her it was on the house first. Even knowing what to expect, she would have winced a little at the prices otherwise. Not that they weren't fair for the dishes being offered, but she would never have spent this extravagantly otherwise.

Clearly Ivelisse and Rodolfo's idea of a nightclub was something much older than what Katie had envisioned. She had seen them more like this one in very old movies. Though the old-style feel was definitely a façade. Underneath it all, was very sophisticated and modern technology making everything run smoothly.

A waiter appeared and took their drink and appetizer orders, then disappeared. Around them, tables were starting to fill up. From the program, Katie knew that the show didn't start until eight, so they had over an hour to eat and chat over the main portion of their meal.

The waiter returned much faster than she would have expected. "One virgin pina colada, and one mojito, and one appetizer plate," he smiled as he set them down next to the glasses of water already on the table.

The appetizer plate held small grilled pork medallions topped with pineapple, bite-sized pastelitos de carne—little beef stuffed pastries about two bites in size—and devilled crab croquettes.

Katie took a sip of her pina colada, enjoying the refreshing flavor of pineapple and coconut. Then she sampled the pork and pineapple. "This is delicious."

Hunk nodded. He had started with a crab croquette. "Excellent flavor. Lightly seasoned, perfect consistency." He sipped his drink, then looked at it a moment.

"Potent?" Katie asked curiously.

Hunk nodded. "I'm thinking she must use the same local rum Lance's family has at parties. It's got a kick, but it's incredibly smooth. It sneaks up on you. Definitely something to take down slowly." He set it down and reached for the water, sipping it next before reaching for one of the beef pastries.

Katie nodded, deciding it best not to comment on the subject further. She sampled the crab croquette on her plate. It really was delightful. When dinner arrived, it was just as tasty. Hunk's plate held a sirloin dish with garlic, lime, onions, and spices. Katie's seafood and rice dish had a flavorful coconut milk sauce over shrimp and lobster meat. They tasted each other's dishes, and discussed the finer points of each.

Afterwards, they finished off the meal with a delightful cheesecake with a guava topping. They were just finishing when the lights dimmed, and the spot lit on the curtain. A moment later, Ivelisse stepped out onto the stage on the arm of a man Katie presumed must be her husband, Rodolfo. The older gentleman was slightly shorter than his stately wife, but still looked dashing in a tuxedo.

"Good evening, friends!" Ivelisse spoke into a microphone. "Welcome to a new season of thrills and romance at El Castillo. Tonight, you are the fortunate few who will have the pleasure to witness perhaps our greatest new production ever. Which, as many of you know, is quite a feat. Wait no longer. Rodolfo and I are pleased to present to you… Space Pirates of Penzance!"

The crowd burst into applause, and Katie and Hunk clapped with them, though Katie had no idea what they were about to witness. She had no basis for comparison for live performance besides the absolute ridiculousness that had been their own traveling recruitment show. Thankfully, Coran had never made them sing.

Five minutes in, she was sure Coran would have loved it.

Katie had only ever heard one song from the original production, because it just never seemed to die, but the entire rest of the story was new, so she couldn't have said how much of it was accurate to the original play. However, the music was lively and fun, and the story was one of a ship of space pirates crashing on a beautiful planet that looked suspiciously like Altea, in the least that it had mountainous backdrops filled with what looked like juniberries. A handsome young man was freed of his indentured time as a pirate, and almost immediately saw and fell in love with one of the beautiful princesses on the planet. From there it turned into an amusing romp as the various pirates fell for the girls, and the girls likewise the pirates—save one sensible sister who thought it was all nonsense and reported them to the space police—while the king of the pirates got in a duel with the girls' father, the planet's king. The premise was a bit silly, but the music was good, and several of the songs Katie were convinced could not have been part of the original production. The acting was also excellent, since they were able to play their parts convincingly. It was easy to laugh, gasp, and cry at the right points.

Then somehow at the end everything sorted itself out into a happy ending, in song of course.

"That was surprisingly moving," Hunk admitted as the lights came up and the cast came out and made their bows.

"It was… good, in a crazy kind of way," Katie agreed as they clapped. "And weirdly believable. I mean, we saw much crazier things in space."

"Is it just me, or do the two romantic leads look vaguely like Lance and Allura?"

Katie smiled. "I noticed that, too. I suspect it was Ivelisse's doing. Though of course if you needed a beautiful alien princess, Allura's likeness would be logical inspiration." She wondered what Lance thought of it. At that thought she look around at what she could see of the crowd. She couldn't see Lance from their seats, however.

The actors finished, and the stage curtains closed, then down in the orchestra pit, the band swapped over to dance music, and couples began to take to the floor. In the style of the venue, it was a variant on the waltz. It seemed that, even hundreds of years after their inception, waltzes would simply never die. Katie supposed it was because several of them were very basic and not complicated to teach. Even she could do a basic waltz.

Katie glanced over at Hunk, debating if she should even ask. The last time they had actually danced—in any seriousness—had been at their own wedding. She had been gone on Taklis for almost half their marriage. But she remembered the look on his face as he begged off on Altea…and hesitated. Then she shook herself. What was she afraid of? She had not spent all that time—and money—on clothes shopping only to waste the evening. So, she stood, and reached out, taking his hand. Meeting his eyes, she looked deeply into them. "Dance with me."

Not a question. Not really even a request.

Hunk looked shocked, though he did not let go of her hand. He hesitated too… then he nodded. "As you wish."

From the moment he had seen her in that stunning dress, Hunk had been in a little bit of a daze. Maybe it was the setting, but somehow the evening felt a little like a first date all over again, without the disastrous awkwardness. He felt the same duality he had at several points during their trip home, that this was both absolutely his Katie, and yet at moments a dumbfounding mystery. Like tonight: she had surprised him by choosing a dress he would never have expected and putting far more effort into an evening out than she ever had in all the time he had known her.

Which meant, he suspected, that she cared very much about how tonight went. Well, he felt the same. Otherwise, he would not have put up with letting Lance's tailor friend take detailed measurements and spend all that time altering a suit so he wouldn't look like a yellow pumpkin. The admiring expression in her eyes when she looked at him had been both a pleasure and a relief. He had not disappointed.

Hunk had sworn to himself that was the one thing tonight he would not do… disappoint Katie and ruin a potentially perfect romantic evening. How hard could that be?

The first part of the evening was easy. They enjoyed the exquisite food, and watched what turned out to be a humorous, but also emotional and well-performed production. He only ordered one drink, determined that would be only one tonight. He did not order everything on the menu that looked delicious, though he could probably have realistically eaten half the list of dishes and still found room for more.

Despite the fact that Katie had not said another word about his eating habits, or perhaps because of it, Hunk had felt all too keenly since they got home that he had disappointed her or that, for some reason, she felt responsible. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but he just couldn't bring himself to even broach the subject. It was easier, however slightly, to demonstrate in actions what he couldn't put in words. Easier in theory. In practice the beast that lived deep down in his insides demanded more… and he did his best to ignore it.

Then Katie shocked him by asking him to dance. His immediate instinct had been what it always was, to beg off… but there was such a beautiful smile on her face, and hope in her eyes. Hunk took her hand, and followed her out onto the dance floor. It's just a waltz, he reminded himself. Simple steps… nice and slow. He took Katie in his arms, and just focused on her smile, on her eyes, on keeping his feet moving without stepping on hers until, ever so slowly, the music took control. He could feel the connection with the rhythm, and with his partner. When the music ended, Katie was still there in his arms, leaning into him. She looked up. Standing in a splash of stained glass, the colors caught her light brown eyes, turning them a dozen shades. They sparkled with joy. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He wanted to say something more eloquent, or clever…but it was all that came to his mind. At least that was appropriate to say out loud in a public place. "What would you like to do now?"

Katie grinned. "I heard there are gardens along the castle walls with a great view of the ocean…with lots of little private spots."

His heart fluttered. "Then by all means, let's explore them." He offered her his arm, and they stepped out by way of the balcony doors that were only accessible once someone had entered the club. Stepping out onto a terrace, his face was immediately hit with bright moonlight and the salty smell of the water. They were not the only couple out here, but there were few, mostly talking quietly.

They headed towards the end of the terrace, where a flight of stairs took them down to the gardens below, planted along the edges of the castle. Katie edged a little closer to his side as the cool breeze hit her bare shoulders. Hunk looked for one of these private little nooks she had mentioned. While he would have preferred a truly private setting, he was certain he could find them a little spot where they could keep each other warm.

"You told them it was on the house?"

"I'll cover the tab, Auntie," Lance promised as he watched Katie and Hunk slip out the back, arm-in-arm. "They were just much less likely to argue with me saying it was part of the invitation than if I offered to cover it. Besides, I can guarantee you that sometime tonight Hunk is going to want to meet your kitchen staff."

"Well, I look forward to his thoughts on the cuisine," Ivelisse nodded. "Though I'd be surprised if he thinks of anything but his wife this evening."

"Well, you may have a point there, but that's as it should be."

"You've gone through quite a bit of trouble setting this up tonight," Ivelisse observed.

"Not trouble," Lance shook his head. "They're my best friends. But as much time as they've spent apart, they needed a place to get to know each other again without too many expectations. This isn't the kind of thing they would ever have come up with on their own, so they won't be looking for familiar patterns as much. They can get used to the changes in each other a little at a time. It's not something as easy to do in the middle of everyday life. Their focus has been entirely on their kids. Which…while that's important, I can tell they haven't spent much time on themselves, and there's tension there. They've always been perfect for each other, but they need time to find themselves again, to get comfortable with the changes in each other."

"You are far too wise to be alone, dear boy."

"You said something similar to me at Veronica's wedding." While most of his family had long stopped trying to talk him around to dating, or finding someone else to share his life with, Ivelisse seemed to have no such concerns about speaking her mind. "I've told you; I'm not interested in looking. It wouldn't be fair to anyone to expect me to feel about them anywhere nearly the way I felt for Allura… and still do. I love her with every part of my being. That hasn't changed. If I meet a woman I can fall in love with, I won't fight it, but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life looking. If I do, I'll just compare them to Allura, and there just is no comparison. As you should know, since you stole her likeness for your princess." If she thought he hadn't noticed how much the actress playing the princess had been done up to resemble Allura—however vaguely as a high concept—she was very mistaken. He wasn't angry, but it had caught him off guard.

Ivelisse chuckled. "Guilty as charged. Can you blame us? It was Rodolfo's idea actually. He saw the picture at your mother's house and immediately showed images to our costume designers. Who better for our space princess to look like than an actual princess? I hope we didn't overstep."

"No. I think Allura would have been flattered," Lance admitted. "And when I was circulating through the crowd earlier, I heard a lot of people complimenting the character designs. It was an excellent choice." Lance straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall. "It looks like they'll be a while. Is there anything I can do to help out, Auntie?"

Ivelisse smiled. "Always."

Katie had never been concerned with romance as a teenager, though she had to admit there was something exciting about slipping off from a party, into a hidden corner for a clandestine romantic rendezvous. Not that either of them was inclined to anything they might regret being caught in the middle of in a public place. Still, kissing Hunk under the moon in a tropical floral paradise came close to many of the better dreams she'd had in Taklis.

They had found a beautiful vine-wrapped lattice over a secluded bench, and tucked themselves into its darkness. Sitting on Hunk's lap made it much easier to wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss him properly.

The passion with which he returned her embrace made her wish they were closer to a private room. If only she dared risk it here… but common sense kept intruding its ugly head to remind her that the moment they did, they would be found out, and embarrassing themselves—or Lance as a guest of his family—was not on her to do list.

"This is wonderful," she sighed, snuggling against him later, when there was no longer any way to avoid needing to catch their breath. "I'm so glad we came."

"So am I," Hunk agreed, holding her close. Against his warmth, she didn't feel the chill from the sea at all. "It's been a long time since we did something new together, just us."

"It's been a while since there's been a just us," Katie pointed out gently. "I knew, logically, that whenever I came home, there would be readjustments to make, but I admit…all of them that I thought of had to do with making sure Kale adjusted easily to our life…and Caitlin got used to having me around again. For some reason I just thought you and I would be exactly the same as always… because we always were."

Hunk squeezed her shoulders and responded softly. "I always knew… if you ever came home… I'd take you back no matter what and thank the universe. Somehow, I always imagined the worst. That you came back to me emotionally whole, and with Kale… somehow it was the one thing I wasn't ready for. Not that I'm unhappy… I was thrilled! But… I think I just wasn't ready for this kind of different. And there's nothing wrong with that. There's not. I… I love that you're even more adventurous, and willing to try things you didn't do before. I just felt…stuck… for so long, and you kept moving forward without me. I guess I just need to accept that it's going to take me a while to catch up."

Katie listened, afraid to interrupt in case Hunk shut down again. Instead, she just looked up at him with understanding, and squeezed the fingers of the hand that was intertwined with hers.

"I'm… not proud of myself. You were right before. I put everything I had into taking care of Caitlin. She was my only motivation. Without her I… I don't know where I'd be now. I love you, but I didn't realize how much losing you would really hurt until I had you ripped away without warning. It destroyed me…" his arm around her tightened, and he turned, hugging her close with both arms. He didn't crush her, but it was a near thing. "I couldn't care anymore…about anything. Only Caitlin… No one else mattered. When the Coalition stopped diverting resources to search for you… I even got in a shouting match with your father."

"You… wow." Katie had never imagined what might bring her father and Hunk—both very easy going and generally mild-mannered men—to blows. Not even verbal ones. "He hasn't mentioned it."

"I'm surprised Caitlin hasn't." Hunk looked ashamed. "It happened at the dinner table. Your mother, Matt, Veronica… Caitlin… I went off in front of all of them. It's still the only time she's ever heard me raise my voice."

"Maybe she doesn't remember it," Katie suggested generously. "Even if she does, you can't have traumatized her. She adores you, and she's certainly not hesitant about anyone or anything that I've seen."

"I hope that's the case." Hunk shook his head, then leaned back, resting it against the stone wall behind them. "Gods I'm sorry… dumping all this on you right now. We should be enjoying the moonlight and I'm ruining the evening."

"No, you're not," Katie objected at once. "Why would you even think that? I want to know what you're thinking… how you're feeling. All the time, like it used to be. I love you, and I married you and promised to be with you forever, no matter what kind of a mess either one of us is." She smiled. "I'm proud of what you accomplished with our daughter. It was incredibly painful and difficult, but you're still here. You don't have to pretend with me. I'm here to stick this out through th—well, whatever comes our way," she finished.

Apparently, Hunk caught the words she'd almost said anyway. "Definitely more of the former… in my case."

"You did tell me when we first got together there were certain things on which you made no promises," she reminded him. "I'm here for you. We've got the rest of our lives to keep moving forward, one step at a time. There's nothing to rush. As long as I've got you, and the kids, I'm good."

Hunk sat up and looked at her, a little dumbstruck. Then he smiled. "I do not deserve you."

"Don't be silly. Of course, you do. We deserve each other, because everyone deserves to be happy, and to have someone who loves and supports them no matter the ups and downs of life." Katie leaned in and kissed him again. "We've just defeated seemingly insurmountable odds again. The way I see it the universe probably owes us way more than what we have already… but I'm perfectly content just having you… and having you all to myself."

"Sharing me with the kids doesn't count?"

"Nope. They're part of both of us. Package deal."

"I like that deal."