Unraveling the Knot
Planet Tarsus:Planet Tarsus, Dr. David Hawkins' Underground Medicial Complex:
"Look, Keith.." Lance picked up a piece of cloth. It was quite small, but Keith recognized the color of it. Allura had quite a few flightsuits in different colors and Keith was quite that this was from one of those suits.
"Definite signs of a struggle.." Lance said grimly. "Those large footprints are here and the smaller ones have got to be Allura's."
Keith nodded and took pictures with his palm cam. He also slipped the small piece of fabric in a small pouch.
It was then that Hunk appeared. "Hey guys. Listen. I found a life support pod over on the other side of the room. Looked like whatever was it in broke out, knocked a lot of things over so I followed the trail."
"And it winds up here.." Lance grimaced. "I'm telling you that Lotor probably attacked the princess. She obviously fought back with that fire extinguisher. See, that blood there? It's Drule blood."
Hunk squatted down and peered at the dirt that was just beyond where he stood.
"Yeah, but see these footprints?" He pointed out. For once, Lance's intuition was wrong - which was a rarity in itself.
"Bare feet.." Keith looked closely. "Now if you were in a regen tank, you more than likely wouldn't have anything on."
"What are you saying?" Lance was a little suspicious. Oh man...
"I'm saying whoever attacked Allura WASN'T Lotor." Keith didn't want to admit that, but the tracks weren't lying. He took more pictures of the cam and collected the lone spot of blood from the dirt near the fire extinguisher.
Lance looked down again. Sherlock Holmes he was not, but what Keith said felt right to him. The bare prints seemed to stop where the fire extinguisher had been.
"I hate to admit it, but I think you're right." Lance grimaced. "Maybe it's superficial evidence, but those tracks stop where the fire extinguisher was. Maybe whoever was attacking the princess - hey wait. What's this?" Lance picked up a ring. It was quite large, but it was clearly a pinkie ring. The stone was blood red.
"This certainly isn't the princess'.." Keith looked closely.
"Hey, ain't that Zarkon's ring?" Hunk said to their surprise. "I seen him wearin' it at them newsconferences." "No - way.." Lance held his breath as he looked closely at the ring. "You'd think he'd notice something like that..wait. See that outline? A 'Z' !" He handed Keith the ring.
"He might not notice it if he were in a great hurry to leave.." Keith's eyes filled with anger. Zarkon! He - no they had all known that his turning good was all an act and yet Allura might have paid the price for their reluctance to confront Amalgamus with it.
"You think he got the princess?" Hunk's brows furrowed. He'd turn over the universe if it meant getting Allura back.
"No.." Keith said. "Not unless she's hidden away somewhere. I think Lotor might have kept Zarkon from attacking Allura."
"And now HE'S got her.." Lance said. "No better off."
"At least we know Lotor won't hurt her." Keith said.
"He better NOT." Hunk stood up.
"Hey, guys. I got Dr. Hawkins out and I was able to do a bio-scan autopsy on him. I'm no doctor, but I think I know what killed him." Pidge's voice came over Keith's com.
"I told you guys he's morbid!" Lance replied.
"We'll be right there." Keith said, ignoring Lance's comment as he carefully placed the ring in his pouch and sealed it shut.
Planet Aden:
Allura sighed as she woke up again. She felt the unaccustomed warmth of strong arms around her waist and snuggled against the warmth.
"Keep doing that and I won't let you go back to sleep." A low male voice replied.
"Lotor!" Allura flushed. "I was only getting warm."
"Oh I have better ways to warm us both up." Allura heard a soft chuckle and a soft kiss on her shoulder.
"Maybe YOU better get back to your bunk." Allura shifted a little.
"And deprive you of warmth? Never. I would not want you to get cold, my sweet."
"You're SO caring, Lotor." Allura couldn't help but smile.
"Let me show you just how caring I can be.." His tone was half playful, half serious.
"Oh no." Allura turned around to where she was facing him. "If you can't sleep, maybe you'd like to talk for awhile."
"Talk? Hm. What should I talk about? How lovely your eyes are or the way your hair shines like the sun."
Allura was exasperated. "Surely you have more to talk about."
"Certainly." She saw his teasing smile. "Let's see..I can talk about your skin which is like fine silk, or the sweet way you always smell when you come from bathing. The way your voice sounds when you are angry or sad or happy..."
"Lotor.." She flushed. "You talk as if I'm perfect."
"I never said you were." He managed to plant a kiss on her forehead. "But you are perfect the way you are. Once I wanted to bend you because I was taught that that was the only way to be a man - to bend and break to one's own will. But I'm beginning to believe that being a man is much more than that, even if I can no longer see."
"Lotor, I'm sure that we can do something about your eyes." Allura's hand went up to touch his face.
"Perhaps it's because I don't wish to see.." Lotor said thoughtfully. "Perhaps I don't wish to see the face that condemned others to death or slavery at a mere whim or because he wished to gain the approval of a father who couldn't love, only destroy."
Allura shivered.
"I don't know what is wrong with me." Lotor said softly.
"Perhaps you have gained a conscience." Allura stroked his face gently.
"Or perhaps it's been resurrected.." He said soberly.
"Perhaps.." Allura said warmly. Maybe there was hope for him.
"Allura, I do love you.." Allura felt the emotion in his voice.
"I - I know.." She stopped stroking his face.
"You do?" He sounded surprised.
"The fact that we're sleeping together and you haven't forced yourself on me.." Allura trailed off.
"Believe me, my sweet.. at one time I would have without a second thought. And if you but say the word I would love you.." She felt his hand slide across her back slowly.
"I - can't, Lotor. I just - " Allura didn't know what to say. Her emotions were divided. "I know.." He placed a finger to her lips. "Let's just try to sleep, all right? I will protect you."
Something in Allura melted in the way he said that. She could more than protect herself but to hear someone else say that and mean it, well it just caught at her.
"We'll protect each other, how's that?" Allura whispered back.
"Yes.." Lotor kissed her forehead.
And again they drifted off to sleep..
Blind Faith - Chapter Twenty-Seven
Blind Faith Menu
Home