Pidge's mind reals in shock and she sways unsteadily on her feet. 'Okay I'm fine, it's fine, we're fine.' She repeats to herself, squeezing her eyes shut tight.
Another round of roars fill the castle, then silence hangs over the odd pair like a thick fog. Naturally, Lotor is the first to break it.
The prince takes a step toward Pidge, his arms out stretched. "What do I do? What do you need?" He asks, his face pale and his eyes big.
Pidge tries to take a deep breath to calm herself but is cut off as another cramp, scratch that a contraction, seizes in her belly. She gasps, placing one hand on the table next to her, and the other bellow her large bump. Her hair covers her face, sticking to her forehead, as sweat drips down her chin.
"I'll go get Allura or Shiro." The Prince says taking a step back toward the door, ready to bolt.
Pidge throws her head up and looks up at the Prince with panic in her honey colored eyes. "No, don't leave me." She practically sobs, she hated to be weak around the Galran but at this point she's desperate.
Lotor looks at the door once more before hurrying over to Pidge's side. He places both hands on Pidge's shoulders, "Alright, I won't." He tells her, his voice still weavering slightly but regaining a little bit of his smooth demeanor. "But we cannot just stay here." He adds, scooping Pidge up gently into a princess hold.
The Green paladin squeaks in surprise and clings to his arm. "Please don't drop me." She tells him, feeling small and vulnerable in the larger mans arms.
Lotor ignores her comment and takes off out of the room. His long strides clearing the room with ease. Though he does try to keep his steps soft as to not hurt the pregnant woman.
The journey seemed to take hours for Pidge, who still had no idea where the Prince was taking her. "Where are we going?" She asks in between her painful contractions.
Before he could answer her a door opens in front of them and they step through without hesitating.
Harsh lights blind Pidge and she brings an arm in a weak attempt to cover eyes. When she looks again she finds herself staring at the ceiling of a very familiar room, Lotor had brought her to the bridge.
"Katie!" Shiro's voice comes from across the room and the Black Paladin comes running over to them. He immediately takes Pidge from Lotor, adopting the same hold. He brings Pidge close to him as he buries his face into her honey brown hair that now goes well past her shoulders. "Are you okay?" He asks, pulling back and looking at Pidge with concern flashing in his dark eyes.
Pidge takes a deep breath, taking in his comforting scent. "I am now." She replies still disoriented, her unfocused gaze travels from Shiro to the rest of the room where the team anxiously stands around. Keith has a hand on Lance chest almost as if to hold him back from charging forward. Hunk stands on the other side of Keith wringing his hands nervously. "We heard the Lions so we all came here." He said to no one in particular.
"Pidge is most certainly is not okay." Lotor states, still standing in front of Shiro. "She has gone into labor and having contractions quite regularly." He informs the team.
Gasps fill the rooms and Allura goes over to Pidge placing a soft hand on the Paladin's swollen belly. "He's right, we have to get Pidge to the Birthing pod immediately." She tells them, her voice commanding.
Allura leads the way and the rest follow like an oddly timed parade. Pidge's consciousness goes in and out, all she can focus on is the rhythmic steps of her lover and his strong comforting smell. If she could stay in his arms forever she would. "Stay awake Katie." He tells her. His whole chest rumbling with his words.
Pidge wanted to listen to him, she really did, but she just couldn't keep her eyes open, she was so tired.
~•~•~
When Pidge opened her eyes she found herself running through what she assumed was the Castle of Lions. Her legs seemed to work on their own and they pumped faster until she was almost flying down the hall. She wondered briefly where she was running to but she found that it really didn't matter, it felt too good to wonder why all she wanted to focus on was going faster. Her muscles worked with ease thanks to the years of endless missions and training with the team she could almost feel them running next to her now. A smile spreads across her face so big her cheeks hurt, the wind whipped her hair back and forth. Faster and faster she went her arms working at her side. Until suddenly she came to a dead end, she planted her feet throwing her weight back onto her heels and came to a skidding halt her chest heaving.
Pidge didn't remember the castle having a hallway that led to nowhere. She turned around in confusion and found two different a hallways behind her. One way was dimly lite by florescence purple lights and the other was brightly lit with green lights. She took a step forward but a roar sent her flying backward pinning her to the back wall. Her ears rung with the sound and she could feel it's hot breath on her face. She shrunk against the wall covering her ears. Why was the lion angry at her? What had she done to upset it so much?
~•~•~
Pidge jolted awake, the roar still echoing around her. 'A dream?'
"Good your awake, Pidge I need you to focus now it's almost time to push." Allura tells her, placing a hand over Pidge's smaller one.
Pidge felt her chest tighten and she looks around frantically. She looked down in confusion when she felt something hold her back from getting up. She found her self already in the birthing pod Allura had shown to her earlier that week. The metal surrounded her lower torso, opening back up midway down her thighs. The material she sat on was soft, but squishy. She whimpered softly, panic rising in her chest, finding it harder to breathe. What if she messes up and hurts her Little Lion?
Shiro, who had been standing behind Pidge's head places his hands on either side of her face. His metal hand felt wonderful on her hot skin. "It's okay Katie, we are here with you. You can do this." He tells her bringing his head down to touch their foreheads together.
A tear leaks out of Pidge's eyes and she brings her free hand to cup Shiro's flesh one. She swallows her panic like a particularly gooey meal Coran had them choke down after training. "I'm ready." She says, looking at Allura with determination burning in her honey color eyes.
Allura nods and positions herself to help the baby. "Alright Pidge, push whenever you feel right." She tells her.
A machine beeps steadily next to the pod, taking her and the baby's vitals. Pidge uses the beeping to count to ten and then begins.
Pain burns through Pidge and she clinches her jaw to stop herself from screaming. She pushes with all her might, the world around her turning white with her efforts.
She was only dimly aware of the beeping and whirling noises that sounded around the room. "What is that? Is something wrong?" Shiro yells over the noise, his voice shaking.
"No, no nothing is wrong it's just the pod helping her." Allura tells him, not taking her eyes or concentration off of Pidge.
The pain seems to ease for just a second only to come back twice as fierce. Unable to stop herself Pidge lets out a scream just as the castle explodes with a united roar of all five lions.
Pidge is left trembling, she felt more exhausted than she ever remembered being. She blinks looking around confused, "Why?" She murmured softly.
"Are the Lions roaring?" Allura finishes Pidge's question, as she's bent out of sight. "Well, they were just welcoming the baby." She tells her simply.
The roars fade and the room is silent for just a second before a single cry fills it. The pod collapses on itself pulling away from Pidge's body.
"You've done wonderfully, Katie." She tells the Paladin, her voice heavy with emotion as she comes back into view. "Here is your son." She hands the towel wrapped baby to his mother.
"A boy?" Pidge murmurs sitting up and taking her baby, she pulls the soft towel away from his face and stares at his small features. She runs a hand over her son's head and tiny black strands stick up straight. Pidge laughs and the baby scrunches up his face, punching little fists in the air.
"A boy Katie." Shiro confirms, wrapping his arms around the two and pushing his nose into Pidge's hair once more.
The new mother keeps one hand on her baby and the other to Shiro's head, stroking his hair. "We need a name." She tells him gently not taking her eyes away from the precious bundle she held.
"What do you think about, Maes?" He suggests lifting his head and looking down at his son. The baby opens his mouth in a tiny yawn, sticking out his pink tongue.
"Maes? I like that. Welcome to the Castle of lions Maes, you're going to be great." She tells her son, kissing him gently.
"Congratulations, now if you would let me take Maes I'll clean him up and have him back in no time at all." Allura says coming around to Pidges side and reaching forward toward the baby.
Pidge would've liked to refuse, but she handed over her precious baby without any complaints. Allura takes Maes gently and choos at him softly.
"Shiro why don't you go and tell the team the wonderful news, they all have been waiting patiently." Allura tells the new dad.
Shiro gives Pidge a lingering look, as if he would rather not leave her so soon but he sighs and gets to his feet. "I'll be right back." He tells Pidge, leaning down and kissing her forehead.
Just as he left the room the machine starts beeping again, the metal enveloping her once more, only it wasn't stopping at its previous location and instead began to rise up along the rest of her body.
Pidge goes numb from the waist down, sleep pulling on ever cell of her body, but she tries to fight it. "It's Alright Pidge it works like a cryopod. Rest now and you will be better in no time." Allura reassures her. "Maes will be fine, as soon as you wake up I'll give him back."
Not having much choice Pidge is pulled into sleep.
~*~*~
WELCOME BABY MAES
I can't wait to develop you more and give you lots of friends to play with!
I hope y'all enjoyed this long anticipated chapter, please leave a like and comment (;
~Dearest