Voltron: Defender of the Outback

Chapter Four : A Terrace For Three

The months seemed to fly by, Austin helping plan the baby's room and getting Krolia the right books and other baby stuff so they would be ready for anything. What they weren't ready for was hormones, midnight snacking, and finding Krolia standing on the roof whenever Austin returned from the store.

"Krolia! Get off the roof!" Austin shouted, this was the third time this month she had gotten up there. How she did it, he had no idea. He didn't have a ladder, or any loose footholds on the side of the house. And how she did it while six months pregnant was an even bigger question.

"Why is it such a big deal Austin? I've been doing this since before the baby." Krolia replied.

"I know Krolia! But babies are very fragile and over exertion could be harmful to both of you!" He tried. It was the same argument as before, but still it happened like clockwork.

"I'll tell you what, I'll build a terrace up there so it'll be safer for you to keep going up and then we won't have to fight about it." Austin sighed, completely giving in. There was no winning here, and he knew it. He also knew that once the kid was born, she and the kid would be an unstoppable dictatorship. A beloved one that he would love with all his heart, but a dictatorship nonetheless.

"Fine." Krolia agreed, sliding down off the roof as she had before and landing lightly on her feet, the dust barely stirred under her. Even with the weight of another life, she still was as deathly graceful as always. "Did you get the strawberries?"

"Of course I did my love, I wouldn't dare forget your favorite snack." Austin reassured her, grabbing a large brown bag from the front seat and handing it to Krolia. "Once I get all the groceries in, I'll start planning the terrace, okay?"

"Okay." Krolia nodded before kissing Austin's cheek lovingly. "I'm going to sit in the armchair for a little, my feet are killing me."

"Probably because you were on the roof for who knows how long." Austin murmured to himself once she was out of earshot.

Later that day, Krolia got a surprise visit from her friend Lati, who told her some unsettling news.

"As much as I wanted this to be a purely a visiting trip, Kolivan actually told me to come and convince you to return." Lati apologised. "But don't worry, I'm gonna tell him that you've been working on a way to get the lion faster or some other lie to keep him out of your hair." She promised with a mischievous smile.

"Thank you Lati, it's great to have friends like you." Austin said as he put an arm around Krolia and let her lean into his touch.

"Of course! Besides, I love kids so much and I don't want anything to happen to any of you." Lati giggled as she knelt down so that she was eye level with Krolia's rounded belly. "Sure is tiny though, but I'm sure they'll grow up big and strong!"

"Human babies are pretty little." Austin shrugged, "But they grow fast."

"I wish I could stay here for the birth, but someone has to fill your shoes at the Blade after all." Lati bounced back up to her feet and began to tell a story about the mission to this weird sand planet with creatures that looked kinda human like, but they had these ugly tails and an awful sense of humor.

After a while, Krolia had to excuse herself for a moment so Lati was left alone with Austin.

"Listen here and listen close Austin." Lati's voice turned dark and serious once Kroli was out of earshot. "Krolia is my best friend, and if you break her heart, I break your neck one, one segment at a time. I know this is a little late for that speech, but I still want you to hear that. Because I know what humans are like, I never told her this but I have visited this planet before and the second you think you find someone better, you go for it. Stay true to her, this is all she has." She hissed, the fierceness in her eyes burned through Austin's skull.