Chapter Four

Lance loosened his hold on his wife and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Link lingered for a moment before moving away. She hadn't gotten much sleep since he and Jack had found her, only a few minutes of rest here and there, and it showed. He'd seen her work her fingers to the bone and come home, barely able to hold her head up but none of that compared to the woman he was looking at now. Her hair was matted, the shadows under her eyes had never been darker and her clothes so wrinkled that the best they could do is throw them out. Yet, he never thought she looked more beautiful. When he looked down at her, he only saw the years they had together and the gratitude he had for whomever was up there for sparing her. He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face up for a kiss.

"You really scared me back there, sweetheart," he said with a sigh.

"I know...I was scared too, but it's not over yet, Lance. Do you really think Keith will be able to get Allura out in time?"

"It does sound impossible but if anyone can do it, it's him. He's got Alana and Archent with him and I think that together, they've got a good shot at it."

Her gray eyes were sad.

"But you don't really think he can, do you?"

He moved away from her and picked up a datapad from the bed. She'd stopped by, needing to feel him before going back out to the people and sorting out the chaos that Merla had wrought on them, but she found him distracted and his exhaustion nearly meeting hers. He kept his spirits up but she suspected it was more for them than for himself and when no one was looking, even the Great Lance Branegan had to sit down and cover his face with his hands.

"I believe in him," Lance said firmly.

"And I believe in you," she said, coming up behind him and putting her arms around his waist. "So then this will happen."

He turned and put an arm around her.

"Where's Jack and Jason?" she asked.

"Jack's with the team and Jay...I think he's in the thick of it in Voltronia base."

"I haven't seen him."

"He's there, staying out of your way so that he won't be a distraction."

"He's a good boy."

"Going off with Romelle the way he did, yeah, I'd say we raised ourselves a good one. And Jack's not too shabby either."

That brought a tired laugh from Link.

"We raised ourselves a couple of heroes," she said.

"Yeah, who knew?"

She kissed his cheek.

"Considering who their father is, I'm not surprised," she said softly. "Okay, I have to go back."

"Call me when you're ready to go to bed, alright? I miss sleeping next to you."

"Me, too. But I doubt you'll be getting any sleep soon, my Love."

His smile was wry and she could see that it wilted in the corners. All of a sudden, she had the urge to get into bed with him and pull the covers over their heads--oh if only it were that easy to shut out the world.

"A man can hope."

Jack paced up and down the length of the room with all the intensity of a caged lion. His gray eyes were stormy and the hands he had in his pockets were balled into tight fists. Bethie was doing the same, except walking in the opposite route. When they passed each other, they exchanged impatient glances. Keith had gone over the plan with them several times the night before and Lance had reiterated the same plan just a few minutes earlier before he ran off to take care of the soldiers who would be on the ground. Glancing at his watch, Jack saw that they had a little over two hours before it was time for them to get in the Lions. Of course, that was if they did not get a call from Keith telling them to move. Not knowing what was happening in the castle put him on the edge and he wished he had been able to go with them, but that was impossible. He thought that Bethie felt the same but the way that her hand kept drifting to her midsection made him wonder if she was now less willing to put herself on the line. She caught his eyes on her action and frowned, curious. He shook his head and continued pacing.

Ethan was at the control panel, one leg up on his seat and his arm resting casually on his bent knee. There was a stillness about him that contrasted sharply with his sister's restlessness. Occassionally, he would flush but only when his mind would drift to what had happened with Olivia the night before. He was slightly embarrassed about the way he acted, but when he thought about how she responded, he could not regret anything. He realized that he loved her when he woke up that morning and found her curled up against him, her long chestnut hair fanned out on the pillow underneath her head. There was passion between them, without a doubt, but there was also respect and a wealth of emotions. Her kindness, her intelligence, her beauty...Olivia was everything he could ask for. He was young but he knew what he wanted and it was her.

Jordan was on the floor, cross-legged, as her finger tapped restlessly against her thigh. She was worried about the small team infiltrating the castle and though her uncle and Archent were strong soldiers, the latter's hesitation to kill was cause for concern. Jordan knew that Archent would not put the King or his daughter in any danger, but that did not hold for himself. She was afraid his more peaceful inclinations would result in his injury--or worse, death. He was an interesting man and she would not mind getting to know him better. There was nothing romantic about it, just plain curiosity on her part and she knew that he did not see her as more than a kid. Ever since she had helped him do the body count on Voltronia base, they had several meals together and she learned more about him. A gentleman farmer, a reluctant soldier...she knew she would learn a lot from him.

Matt was standing at the control panel, looking at schematics of the Lions to make sure that he had not missed anything. He was sure if he did not have that to distract him, he would be racing Jack and Bethie. Seeing his parents had been a comfort, but he did not lose sight of what they were doing. He still could not believe that he'd been flying the Yellow Lion for months now, that his life had changed to the point where he did not recognize it anymore. He had become a soldier without realizing it and that did not bother him. He was proud of what they had accomplished and only hoped that they could see it through.

The doors slid open and Lance came through. His eyebrows arched at the silence and palpable tension in the room.

"Did you hear anything?" Jack asked.

"No," he said. "And that's a good thing. How are the rest of you holding up?"

"The waiting might kill me," Bethie said. "Are the troops ready?"

"Locked and loaded."

They stared at each other.

"We never were good at doing nothing," Lance said dryly.

"Do they still need help outside?" Matt asked.

"No. Everything's finally settling down."

"Does that mean Mom's finally going to get some rest?" Jack asked.

"I hope so. She might not get up for days..."

As if on cue, the doors opened again and Link came in. Her eyes held an artificial brightness that told them she'd just had a cup of coffee...a strong cup at that but her smile was still weary. Jack jumped to action even as Lance was taking her arm and they had her in a chair before she could say a word.

"If only they had been this attentive before," she said, giving them an amused look.

"You should get some rest, Aunt Link," Bethie said.

"I tried, but I kept thinking of you and Keith and his team...there's too much happening."

"You won't do anyone any good if you're dead on your feet, Mom," Jack argued.

"I've been dead on my feet, Jackson. Seems like I did my job just fine then and waiting with you will not cost me nearly as much."

He sat next to her on the floor and Link tousled his hair like she used to do when he had barely come up to her waist. He smiled up at her and she remembered the small boy he had been and had a hard time marrying the image of that boy with this man she had raised. Jack exceeded even her greatest expectations by becoming the pilot of the Black Lion and leader of the Voltron Force and she'd been as surprised as the others that the role fit him so well. Maybe it was the easy way with which he dealt with his team or the quick way his mind worked, but he just fit. And she was proud of her boy. Both of them. Jason had grown up strong and independent, in the shadow of his father and his older brother, and he did not hesitate to go halfway across the galaxy, right into the unknown and danger. Still, she wished they had both stayed small...though when they had been small, she'd wished they would just grow up, especially when they broke every single picture frame in the house and anything else they could get their hands on. Raising two boys, three if she counted her husband, had been difficult but she wouldn't change a thing. Perhaps it was because she was tired, but her emotions bubbled over and her eyes filled with tears.

"Mom?"

Jack felt a small panic at the sight of his mother's tears. He'd never been good with crying women and his mother was on a whole different level. Awkwardly, he took her hand but that only seemed to make her cry harder. He looked up at his father and saw that he was just as lost. Lance put an arm around Link's shoulders and with the same awkwardness his son seemed to have inherited from him, he patted her shoulder.

He was opening him mouth to say something inane when the communicator in his pocket beeped. His eyes widened and his hand shot into his pocket to fish it out. Thumbing it on, it only took one word to get the room's occupants to jump into action.

"GO!" Keith yelled.