Fully clothed, fresh from the shower, Pidge steps out from the bathroom and lifts her hands above her head in a big stretch. Grunting she lowers them slowly, resting them over her large belly. Rover 2 flies over to her beeping in delight, "Hey Rover 2. Do you know where Shiro went?" She asks the small robot. When she had got into the shower Shiro had been sprawled on their bed absorbed in a book, but now the man was no where to be seen.
Rover 2 makes a whirling sound in response to Pidge's question, rushing out the door only to pause on the other side to wait for the pregnant woman. "So you do know then?" The green paladin chuckles. Together the pair makes their way through the castle with Rover 2 hovering up and down in front of Pidge, leading the way.
Soon it isn't hard to figure out that the robot was leading Pidge to Black's hanger. "Of course, I should have known." She says, picking up the pace now that she knew where she was going. Rover 2 lets Pidge take the lead and floats just above her shoulder, his usual spot.
Pidge steps through the Black Lion's hanger entrance, peering in curiously. Inside she finds Shiro and Keith sparing on a mat that they must have dragged from the training deck. Lance and Hunk, who were lounging on a comfy looking couch, each lift a hand in greeting to the green paladin as they play with a deck of cards they bought from the earth store at the space mall. The Black Lion recognizes the mother to be's appearance and lowers its very large head, making a noise that Pidge took to be a welcoming purr.
Pidge walks over to the lion and leans against its warm metal, the strong vibrations coming from the lion feel great on her sore back. "Why is everyone in Black's hanger?" Pidge asks, raising her voice so that it could be heard over the lion's rumbles.
"Well, we all noticed that you always came in here, so we thought we would to." Lance answers her with a shrug. Then as if thinking better of it, adds quickly. "We don't have to be in here if you don't want us to be." In case the small paladin was in one of her moods, he didn't feel like facing an angry pigeon. Hunk nods in agreement, though his eyes and attention were still focused on their card game.
"Do I really?" Pidge replies in confusion, ignoring Lance's added end comment. I guess I do come here a lot. She realizes silently. Something about this room just seemed to pull her in, especially since she became pregnant. Before she could put a finger on why this was the case, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud and feral growl.
Pidge's eyes snap up to the sounds source, finding that Shiro had won the sparing match and currently had Keith pinned to the mat. Keith, who the sound had come from, glared up at the older man with cat like eyes. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, the growl sounding again from deep within his chest. Shiro chuckled as he let the red paladin go, giving him a hand getting up. Keith takes it, and stalks over to his water pouch.
Shiro makes his way over to Pidge with a friendly smile on his face. "Hello." He greets her, leaning down for a kiss. Pidge wrinkles her nose, her sense of smell growing more sensitive the farther she got along in the pregnancy, but decides to kiss the man anyway. Their lips connect in a soft peck.
"Hello." She responds, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away. Rover 2 swoops down in between them beeping, "Rover 2 says you smell." Pidge smirks.
Shiro grins at the insult, "Well then tell Rover 2 that I will be sure to shower as soon as possible." He says slinging a hand behind his head.
Pidge snorts in laughter, then jumps in surprise at Lance's voice that comes from just behind her. "Man, I wish Keith would kiss me every time I walked into a room." He complains, throwing his head back dramatically, and shoving his hands in his pockets.
Pidge turns to face him her head shaking disapprovingly. "How can he? You two are always in the same room." She says putting a hand on her hip. Shiro chuckles and moves to stand beside her.
Hunk, who had followed Lance from the couch, puts a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Well at least you guys have your significant other with you in the castle. Shay and I barely see each other in person." He points out, a pained look flashing across his face. "But I guess we do video chat every night, thanks to that new system Pidge and I installed." He adds, bringing his hand up to his chin in thought.
"Yeah, maybe it's better that way Hunk." Lance says, moving a hand out of his pocket to knock Hunk's from his shoulder. "Just look at what happened with Shiro and Pidge, it's a good thing that Keith and I can't get pregnant." He had just finished that sentence when his eyes widen as a familiar knife sores by Lances head, banging harmlessly off of Black and on to the floor.
All paladins whip their heads to see who threw it, Keith stands across the room breathing hard with his eyes closed and a face as red as a tomato. He takes a deep breath then opens his eyes, they burned with a unique purple fire. Taking large strides, he cross the room in no time, stomping straight up to Lance, and smashing his lips against his boyfriend's.
When Keith pulls away his face is no longer red. He stares intensely at Lance, who now was just as red as Keith was a second ago.
Silence stretches for a good while before the whole room bursts into laughter. Keith looks embarrassed for a second longer then joins in. Pidge forgets about Shiro's sweaty smell and leans on him while she tries not to cramp from laughing too hard. The large man's shoulders shake and he wraps an arm securely around Pidge's waist. Hunk gives up and collapses on the floor gasping for breath, and Lance and Keith support each other as they laugh.
The room only gets silent when the hanger door opens and Allura walks in with a dreamy smile on her face, a look that could only be caused by a certain Galran prince. The paladins exchange a knowing look and the room explodes once more.
Allura jumps, startled by their laughter, then bows her head in embarrassment. She makes her way over to Pidge and lays a hand on her very large belly. The laughter fades away as the team waits for an update on the baby.
"Healthy and happy." The princess reassures them. "You should be coming up on your due date soon." She adds to Pidge with a smile.
The baby gives a particularly rough kick, as if backing up Allura's words. Pidge would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous for the day to come. But like she said before, she was ready to have her little lion out.
*~*~*
Pidge flops back first onto the bed that she and Shiro share. Shiro puts his hands under her arms and gently brings her up half onto the pillows, and half on his chest.
The couple is quiet for a moment just listening to each other breathing before Pidge, who has zero patience for silence, ruins it. "So Allura and Lotor, huh?" She says, leaning her head back to look at Shiro's face.
The man's face is unreadable, "Yeah, I guess." He shrugs as if he didn't really care.
"You don't think it's dangerous for her to trust him so blindly?" She pushes, still looking at him intently waiting for a reaction.
Shiro finally looks down at her, his eyes communicating kindness and love. "Katie, I think you are being to hard on Lotor. He already gave us plenty of reasons to trust him again." He tells her.
"Like what." Pidge answers stubbornly. Her heart melted at his look but she won't be so easily convinced.
Shiro brings his metal hand up to his face and scratches his chin comically. "Well, he hasn't killed us yet, so that's one." Pidge elbows him in the side, he winces. "Okay okay, but seriously he has been a huge help to Coran with improvements and check ups around the castle. He is always willing to go on patrol if he's needed. Plus he helps keep Allura from over working herself, he really seems to care for her." He finishes.
Pidge looks away, Shiro left her no room to argue. "Yeah but..." She trails off.
"Katie, you have to give him a chance." Shiro says, squeezing her shoulders with his human arm.
"I'll try." Pidge settles further into the bed, bring up the covers to her chin. Turning her head she nuzzles against Shiro's bare chest, breathing in his soothing scent. Soon they are both fast asleep, wrapped in each others arms with their baby in between them.
*~*~*
Pidge is rudely awaken some time in the night as the baby decides to do a mini tango in her belly. Pidge huffs in frustration and glares up at the ceiling. She wiggles as best as she can with her enormous belly and tries to go back to sleep. The baby bounces and kicks even more as their mother moves, leaving Pidge's efforts to sleep futile.
Shiro, who had been asleep next to her, pulls the smaller women closer to his chest and leans his head down to her swollen belly. "Let you mother sleep, little lion." He tells the baby in a sleep heavy voice. Immediately the kicking stops, only to start up again when Shiro stops talking.
Pidge can't help but chuckle, "I think they like to listen to you talk." She tells Shiro in an equally sleepy voice.
The black paladin looks up at Pidge and they share a smile before Shiro turns back to their baby. He strokes Pidge's belly lightly and begins to quietly tell the baby stories of Voltron.
Pidge laughs at his choice in story as he launches into the time when they first got their butts handed to them when battling the fierce Princess Allura. "Then, she put up the castle's shield and fired missiles at our lions." Shiro tells the baby his eyes drooping sleepily, but his voice clear.
Pidge fell asleep somewhere in between the team forming Voltron for the first time and fighting their first robobeast.
*~*~*
When Pidge wakes up again it is very early in the morning, Shiro still slept soundly beside her. She looks over at their clock, the time read 4:45am. Pidge is wide awake, which is surprising because usually she's dead to the world until around 9 or 10. She gently lifts Shiro's left arm off her belly and pulls herself to her feet. Her bladder screams at her and she quickly goes to relieve herself.
Pidge comes back out into the room and can't help but pause to look at Shiro's sleeping form. She moves a pillow to where she usually sleeps and his arm immediately goes over it, his foot peaking over from under their blankets. Pidge smiles moving toward the door, but before she could make it into the hallway she is hit with a body clinching cramp. She holds onto the door post and waits for it to pass. When it does Pidge continues down the hallway not worried, it had just felt like an intense period cramp.
Because it was so early Pidge didn't think anyone would be awake. So she tried to keep her steps as quiet as a heavily pregnant women can, and walked down the hall. She was just about to turn toward the kitchen for a morning snack when she saw the Bridge room lights were on.
She walked in cautiously and found Lotor, with his back toward her, lounging in the Black paladins chair. Pidge fidgets uneasily and is about to turn on her heels to exit, but remembers Shiro asking her to give the prince a chance. The green paladin sighs and moves further into the room.
She clears her throat to alert the Half-Galran to her presence, Lotor jumps a little and whips around to face her. He recovers quickly and gives her a smile, one Pidge does not return. "Good morning Katie. You are up awfully early today." He says, the words flowing effortlessly off is tongue.
"It's Pidge. And yes I am." She replied curtly.
"Pidge, of course." He shoots back unfazed. "My apologies, when Allura speaks of you she uses the name Katie."
Pidge stays quiet, she knows it's silly to be picky about who gets to call her Katie, but she just feels as though someone needs to earn the right to call her by it.
"So, how are you feeling." Lotor asks, breaking the thick silence with ease.
"I feel fine." She snaps, then adds. "I'm uncomfortable, but that's to be expected at my stage."
Lotor nods in sympathy. "Yes, I'm sure you are. Well can I get you anything or help you anywhere?" He offers, getting to his feet and walking over to where Pidge stood.
Pidge let's out a sigh, and looks up as the prince nears her. "Yes I am actually a little thirsty." She admits, attempting to make good on her promise to Shiro and give him a chance.
The prince stops infront of her and offers an arm, "Then please, allow me to take you to the kitchen." He says.
Pidge is about to grab on reluctantly, when another intense cramp takes hold of her body. She leans over and holds her breath, waiting for it to pass.
Lotor puts his hand on her shoulder "Are you okay?" He asks, concern making his voice high.
The cramp finally passes and Pidge knocks Lotor's hand off her shoulder. "I'm fine, really. I'm just thirsty." She grunts, starting off toward the kitchen.
Lotor quickly puts a hand on her arm. "Please let me go, you can stay here and I can bring you back something to drink. Just tell me what to bring." He tells her, his purple and yellow eyes wide.
"I'm fine." Pidge replies stubbornly. "Now I am going to the kitchen." She adds taking off down the hallway. She still feels a little unsteady, but not enough to were she would let the galran Prince treat her like a helpless girl. Lotor follows closely behind, keeping a watchful eye on the pregnant woman, much to her annoyance.
They finally make it to the kitchen and Pidge sinks into the closest chair, sweat drips from her forehead and into her eyes. She whipes it away irritably, since when did she get this tired from just walking down the hall?
Lotor disappears into the back and reappears a moment later with a pouch of water. "Here." He says placing it on the table in front of her.
Pidge goes to grab it but is hit with yet another cramp. The paladin bites her lip to stop from shouting out.
Lotor waits for it to be done then whips toward the door. "That's it, I'm going to get Shiro or Allura."
Pidge raises a hand and grabs the water. "No don't." She orders him, before bringing to straw to her lips. She takes a few gulps before setting it back on the table. "There's no need to bother them at this hour, besides I'm going back to bed anyway." She says getting to her feet, the walking she had done and these weird cramps had really worn her out.
"Alright, let me help you." Lotor nods, moving back toward her.
Pidge has just taken one step toward Lotor when the whole Castle begins to rattle under the sound of one of the Lions roaring.
Lotor jumps into action, taking a protective stance in front of Pidge. "What is happening?" He demands, his eyes on the doorway as if he expected trouble to jump threw it at any second.
Pidge barely had time to focus on the Lion's roar. Instead she was more worried about rush of hot liquid that ran down her legs. Her eyes widen as she looks at the Prince, panic seizing her chest. "I'm going into labor."
*~*~*
Whaaat? Dearest wrote a long chapter? Yes my friends it is true.
I hope y'all had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it! A special thanks goes to ninja_nerd18 for editing this long chapter.
Please feel free to comment things or characters you want to see more of! I can't promise that I will have time or space to fit everything in but your ideas definitely help to get me in the writing mood!
Also this is your last chance to get your votes in as to what the gender of the baby is! You can also leave some name guesses if you would like! (I already have everything picked and planned out, but I love hearing what you guys have to say)
Thanks for reading! Please like a comment and a vote <3
~Dearest