A Meeting in the Blue Lion Fan Fic Challenge

Here is my responce to a Fan Fic Challenge Elizabeth posed on the KAEX Yahoo Group

The Challenge...

"I got this idea after watching a Voltron episode.

It was the episode in the 2nd season I think, where Voltron goes to another planet that had separated from the alliance to convince them to rejoin. Anyway, they are talking about mistakes, and Keith says 'Even I have made mistakes'. One of the other VF members says 'yeah, like the time you accidentally got in the Blue Lion with the princess.' I think she says something about him saying it was dark...

So here is the challenge for anyone willing.

Write a story where Keith ends up in the Lion with Allura.

It can be this specific time, a flashback of this time, maybe it happening again with different results. Anything would be fine. I think it would be a funny and cute story, and would love to hear others ideas about it. Hopefully someone likes this idea. Look forward to reading any stories.

Thanks,"

Elizabeth

*RUBS HANDS TOGETHER* bwahahahahaha

What really happened that day! *Pisst* Don't tell Keith I told you. He's still really embarrassed about it.

The Voltron commander wandered the quiet halls of the castle. His right hand absentmindedly going to the back of his neck to work out the tension that was always there. He reached the empty rec room and literally collapsed lengthwise onto the sofa, one arm and leg dangling to the floor, the other arm draped lifeless across his face. And with that, he let out an epic breath.

Robeasts he could fight any day. A dual with Lotor... no problem! Trip to the pit of skulls, sure, he can handle that. Hell, he'd even rather tell Nanny breakfast was bland than face the day that was ahead. He was actually starting to hope for some huge attack so he wouldn't have to face it.

He grit his teeth as he heard his teammate's voices approaching, to late to bolt so he figured he'd just play dead.

Lance, Hunk and Pidge were soon in the room and in their normal fashion disregarded that Keith might actually be sleeping and just shoved in around him as if he was just part of the furniture, not even changing the volume of their conversation, Lance even just pushing Keith's hips aside to make room to sit. Keith didn't react, he'd rather bear it than be drug into whatever tale Lance was regaling the other two with.

"So the Lance dilemma, as always..." Lance's smile laced his words as he spoke... "Which lucky lady is going to be my Valentine tomorrow?"

Keith tried not to groan aloud but by the elbow to the ribs Lance gave him some of must have slipped out so he gave up his ruse, rolled over to face the back of the sofa while grabbing a pillow and tried to smother his head.

Lance leaned back using Keith as a cushion just to spite him. "There's Holly and Mary, ohhh and Dianna mmmmmm can't forget Dianna." He then poked Keith in the ribs with and index finger repeatedly, "Hey, what was that nurses name that had the goo goo eyes for you?"

After a barrage of poking Keith muttered into the pillows. "Sara."

"Ahhh yesssssss Sara. She got a great set of...." Lance laughed then poked again. "Didn't she?"

Keith didn't answer. He just rolled his lidded eyes and hoped they'd leave soon.

"I'll say she did!" Pidge almost squealed.

"PIDGE!" Hunk spring up wrapping the younger's mouth with his huge hand. "Your to young to notice!"

Lance just looked on with pride. "So Pipsqueak, who you gonna ask to be your valentine?"

Hunk released Pidge from his grasp and grinned. "I know who, the same gal I'm goona ask!"

"Suddup!" Pidge wined, a wave of crimson washing over his face. "And so what!"

Lance beamed. "So our pretty princess is going to have two valentines eh, maybe I should get in this action. Not like Prince Poopy Pants here is gonna do anything." He repeatedly poked Keith in the ribs again. "So I say game on! A contest to win a Valentines day date with our lovely princess. Losers have to stay away...Is it a bet?"

The three pilots were quiet a moment, Lance giving a sidewise glance to Keith still buried in a cushion. They all then extended their arms forward and shared a group handshake. "Deal!" They said in unison.

Lance then slowly stretched up to his feet, "And let the best pilot win!"

"Class will always win!" Hunk boasted.

Pidge laughed "With Princess, cute wins!" Pidge batted his girlish eyes for emphasis.

"HAHAHAHHA..." Lance let out a roar of laughter... "Well in this case..." he bolted out the door then yelled from halfway down the hall... "SPEED WINS!"

The other two shared a few curses then took off after him, finally leaving Keith alone. And suddenly Keith was feeling very alone indeed.

This was like that stupid bridge thing all over again. His place not allowing him to take part yet his heart screaming out to connect. Last night his heart was the stronger... He sat up a bit on the sofa and reached into his back pocket pulling out a piece of folded paper. Silly it was for him to do, he was tired, and daydreaming a bit, on the outside scrawled in his hand it said "Forever Yours..." and on the inside "perhaps one day you could be..." He didn't have the balls even in his flight of fancy to finish the sentence. He griped the paper tightly and closed his eyes, now with those three vying for her attentions what hope does he have of even a moment with her.

"Yeahowwwwwwwwww!" Keith yelled, his hand snapping to his ear and coming away with blood. "Squeak! What the?"

He turned to see the young mouse who just ran to the arm of the sofa now defiantly staring him down, his two siblings flanking him. Then two of them acted out a play for him... one acting out handing the note and the other swooning and falling faint to be caught by the third.

"Oh please, not you too." Keith then looked up to the ceiling and screamed. "Why does this have to be so complicated!"

"Complicated?" Allura's melodic voice rang into the room she gliding in behind it. Regarding Keith's furrowed brow she quickly grew concerned and rushed to his side kneeling in front of him "Keith? Are you ok?" Her eyes locked on his face so she didn't notice the death grip his hands had on the paper front of him.

Keith's completion turned from a red frustration to a flush of embarrassment then drained of all color.

"Keith!" Allura's hand went to his brow. "You're Sick!" He brushed her hand aside with his nonchalantly trying to play the cool commandeer and slipping the paper in his back pocket in the same movement. But for some reason his hand on hers remained, he couldn't quite let it go. "I'm fine Princess... I just.... well I...." he then got lost in her eyes... "I..."

 

It was at this moment that three conspirators decided to take the issue into there own hands, err paws. And it was also this moment when three Lion Pilots had done a loop of the castle to find their query exactly where they started and almost into he arms of valentine enemy number one.

"Princesses!" they all chimed in, pouring it on thick and descended on her.

Keith leaned back thankful for the diversion shook his head clear, then mumbled something about getting a report done stood up and wandered out the room.

Allura sadly watched him go, the other three Pilots seemed oblivious to him as they continued to pour on the charm. And no one noticed a mouse scurrying across the floor with a folded paper in his mouth, followed closely by his siblings.

 

It wasn't till well after midnight Keith realized the paper was no longer in his pocket. He raced back to the rec room and searched everywhere tossing cushions aside finally giving up he fell atop them. `Oh well, the gig is up now, with my luck Lance has it and I'm dead meat.'

He sat there the few hours till morning contemplating his fate and watched the sun slowly coming up on the horizon. He then stood up and made his way to control for really morning practice. He was first there as usual and raised the shoots to the lions and waited for the team to show up in their usual just in the knick of time style and wondered when Lance would spring his discovery on him.

It was then a laughing squeak caught his attention. He glanced down and not ten feet from him was a tiny mouse waving his note over its head, laughing at him. Keith didn't think twice, he lunged at the mouse, sliding belly first across the slick floor.

"GIVE ME THAT!" Keith ordered but the mouse had already moved heading straight for... "OH NOOOOOO" shoot number four. "Noooooooooo" Keith scrambled across the floor looking very much like a dog on tile finally getting to all fours. He scrambled to the shoot, slowly closing in on the mouse. He reached out for the tail as the mouse jumped just missing it but in his panic he also completely misjudged his momentum and he fell into the opening after the mouse.

Riding the tubes on a T-bar is one thing, riding them on your belly is quite another, a quite bused and disheveled Keith laded with a thump at the bottom in the changing area. The mouse squealed and ran out the side door and down the second tube that leads to the Blue. Keith took off running after him, hopping against hope he could catch the mouse before he hid the note.

Black and blue and out of breath he finally reached the Blue. Cursing and swearing and threatening to get a cat he climbed the access ladder to the empty cockpit and with a leap from the top rung he intercepted the note as it was being stuffed into the Lion's key slot. "NO YOU DON'T!" He growled at the mouse, clinching the stolen note in his fist. "Allura does not need to see..."

Now... Keith could have had time to make a clean getaway... but...

Keith being Keith is always a stickler for starting practice on time, no matter what, and those who are late are always made an example of. So, the one morning their `by the book' captain is late for practice does the team wait for him? HELL NO! As soon as the clock ticked they were in the shoots and heading to their Lions they were not gonna let him let this one down. By the time Keith realized, it was too late to move out of the way. The Blue's lift was activating and very surprised princess in her command chair was soon pinning him against the controls.

She couldn't help but to flush at the position that this had put them in, he now having to squeeze into the chair in front of her, her arms and legs wrapping around him. Her face was brushing against his hair and she soon realized that she didn't mind this one bit.

The Blue's coms sensing the pilot's chair sprang to life and in front of him where suddenly the faces of the other three pilots. What played out on those faces was a jumble of emotions, surprise, shock amusement, jealousy, but finally settling on riotous laughter.

Then, to add insult to injury Coran's booming voice cut thought he laughter like a knife. "Captain Keith Paladin! Why are you in the Blue Lion WITH her Royal Highness?"

There was a long silence that hung in the air as Keith tried to get his head about him. Battered up by the journey there, the relief of finding the note, then the shock of Allura's arrival, followed buy the intoxicating fragrance and warmth of her enveloping him was almost to much to take. He was actuality woozy. He rubbed his temples and all he could think to say was a half muttered "I mustta got lost in the dark."

His answer was met by silence and then an explosion of riotous laughter, Coran's voice was barely audible through it. "Captain, you are obviously weary and overworked. I am ordering you to stand down and get some rest."

"Yes sir" Keith softly replied and then flopped his hand down to kill the com. He closed his eyes contemplating what would have been worse, her seeing the note or this. This! `crap' the thought, realizing the note was still in his hand. He fumbled a bit and managed to stuff it up the sleeve of his uniform.

"Keith?" Allura's voice was soft, soothing and from their positioning right in his ear. "Are you alright?"

It took ever bit of conviction he had not to just relax into her and snuggle in. Lord knows that what he really wanted to do. He swallowed and stiffened his posture and turned a bit to face her as best he could. "My apologies, Princess... I didn't meant to..."

"Shhhhhhh" She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Coran is right, you are overworked, come on lets get you to bed." She gave him a soft smile and then keyed the coms to audio only, "I will be helping the commander back, I expect the three of you to continue with full practice in our absence."

It took a while for Lance to finality get his laughter contained enough to respond, "Yes your highness." he eventually managed.

Allura smiled and gave Keith a hug, completely taking him off guard and he stiffened beneath her arms. "You have been ordered to a day of rest and I am going to personally oversee that you do it. Now hold on" She keyed the chair to disembark and soon it was carrying them back to control.

Allura didn't even bother changing out of her flight suit and was shortly dragging Keith by the wrist through control under the curious eyes of Coran, down the corridors of the castle to his quarters.

To the chagrin of three other pilots who each thought they had wooed valentine status out of their fair princess the previous day, Keith had somehow wiled a whole day with her without event trying, no flowers, no chocolates no nothing. And if you were to ask a certain fair-haired Princess, she couldn't be happier about it.

Keith spent the day in his bed being read to and papered by the one woman he himself didn't have the courage to give a silly valentine.

He managed to slip that valentine into one of the books he keeps by his bed, perhaps one day...

Oh and cheese treats normally left by the commander were withheld for a month.