Allura gasped as she awoke. She sat up, panting hard. Once again, she had a horrible nightmare, and once again, had no memory of it.

"Hey! Hey babe, are you okay?" Allura whipped around to see, Keith?!

"Wh-why are you here?" She asked, shocked.

"You weren't returning my calls, and I needed to see you." He answered. "Anyway, are you alright? You sounded like you were having an awful nightmare." He said and gently rubs her back. Allura sighed heavily.

"Yeah, but I don't remember what it was about." She admitted.

"That might be for the best." He said in a comforting tone.

"Maybe." She agreed and Keith hugs her. Suddenly, from next door, a guitar was heard playing.

"You got a musician neighbor or something?" Keith asked, gesturing to the wall.

"Huh? Oh, yes. He performs at the bar." Allura replied.

"At least wait a little before practicing man, there are some people who like to sleep in after all." Keith said, then sighed. "At least it's a lot better than before." He said while rubbing the back of his neck, confusing Allura.

"Before? You've heard it before?" She asked.

"Yeah, the last few times I've been here, dude was here playing. At least it sounds better now. So it's not too annoying." Keith replied. "I'm gonna take a shower." He said and got up. "You can join me if you want." He with a seductive tone and Allura blushed.

"Oh! No! No! No thank you!" She replied embarrassed. Keith laughs and goes into the bathroom. Allura sighed and rubs her head. She got up from her bed, then hears her door bell. "I'll get it!" She called to Keith as she heard him step into the shower. She quickly grabbed a robe and tied it on, then opened the door.

"Hey, Allura." The woman froze, seeing Shiro standing there. "May I come in?" He asks. "Wait, is someone here?" He asks when he hears the shower. Allura was internally panicking. She quickly pushes Shiro out the door and close it. "Hey! What's wrong?" He asked.

"I-It's nothing! Romelle crashed here last night, and she's taking a shower, so..." She quickly lied. Shiro blushed.

"Oh, uhh... Yeah, that'd be awkward." Thank god he bought it. "Anyway, I got this for you." He said, handing her a takeout box from the café.

"Thank you." Allura replied, taking the box.

"Oh, and this was in your mail." Shiro added giving her an envelope. Allura took it and opened it to find it was from the hospital. She read the results. "Allura?" Shiro asked her, when she froze.

"I'm pregnant." She replied. The tests confirmed it.

"That's amazing." Shiro said, then noticed her down expression. "Not?" He asked, but she didn't reply. "Allura, is something wrong? If you're not ready yet..."

"Oh!" She said, snapping out of it. "Th-that's not it!" Lie. "It's just, seeing the results, it, somehow reminded me of mother." She admitted. That part was true.

"Oh, I see." Shiro said. "It has been, two years now, right?" He asked.

"Yes, and the anniversary is coming up." She said, saddened.

"Hey, how about we visit her and do something social then?" He suggested.

"I'll see about that." Allura said.

"See you later." The man said and leaves. Allura watching and completing.

~V~

*Phone Dialing*

"Hello? Allura? Honey? Is something wrong?" Alfor asked as he answered.

"No, I... I just wanted to talk, that's all father." Allura replied. She was at work, and was on break, so she decided to call her dad.

"Oh, I see." The man said, and it went quiet.

"Father, I, I was recently, reminded of mother." Allura admitted.

"Oh, yeah, the anniversary is coming up." He said.

"Shiro was saying how we could do something for it." She said.

"I see." The older man said, and it went quiet. "Hey, I've been really busy lately, but I have this weekend off. So maybe we can meet up. For lunch or something, and we can just, talk." He suggested. Allura thought about it and replied.

"Alright, sure, I would like that." She replied. "Oh, and father." She began.

"Yes?" The man said.

"Uh... Nevermind. See you this weekend." She said and hung up. She felt down, unable to tell her father the news.

~V~

"So...? You still doing the double-tango, even with this?" Romelle asked. Allura met up with her at the sushi bar and told her the latest news.

"No funny! And don't call it that!" Allura rebuffed. "You only find this amusing because you're not in it!" She added, annoyed.

"Hey, verity's the spice of life. You need to enjoy it more!" Romelle rebuffed.

"You're not, helping..." Allura retorted. This wasn't what she needed.

"What I mean, is you have options you have to decide on." The blonde said and picked up some sushi. "Maybe Shiro, wouldn't mind not having the baby. Or maybe he could raise it himself." She said.

"What, are you nuts?! He wouldn't want that!" Allura retorted.

"What do you want then?" Romelle asked and Allura froze. What did she want? Come to think of it, what did want out of all this.

"What I want? I'm not sure, my mind and heart are torn here." She replied.

"Well, you got to decide. If you're caught, you can't call it an accident then." The blonde said. Allura sighed, she knew that, but what could she do? "Anyway, here. I heard it helps." The other girl said as she got some sushi for her friend. "You going to the bar tonight?" She asked.

"Maybe. You?" Allura replied then asked.

"I got extra work, so I won't make it." The blonde replied. "Well, gotta lay off the booze then." She said.

"I know." Allura groaned and ate her sushi.

~V~

"Forget the guitar! Why doncha you come with me!" A drunk man says, his words slurred from his drunkenness, to Lance as he got ready for his performance.

"Sorry, it's my job. I got to perform." Lance replied.

"Huh?! You talkin' bac to me too, lil' boy?!" The drunkard said, getting close to Lance, his breath rank. "You all just gotta shup up and do as I say." He added.

"Excuse me, but what right do you have to decide for others? People should be free to live their lives how they want, shouldn't they?" Lance rebuffed. This seem to tick off the guy.

"Huh? Who do ya think ya are?!" The man slurred, just then Allura came in.

"Leave him alone, and give it rest would you. You're bothering the other patrons here." She said with a firm voice.

"Shat up, you lil' bitch! Who do you think you're talkin' to here?!" He yells/slurs.

"A drunk off his ass jerk, who's bothering everyone." Allura replied. "Boss himself said he was ready to throw you out." She added, that finally got the man to leave. "You alright, Lance?" She asked as she approached the boy.

"Yeah, thanks for that." He thanks her with a bright smile. Allura returns it.

"Ignore people like him." She advises and walks up to Lance. "You know, you say some really thoughtful stuff. It's like you have a whole another perspective on the world. One, not a lot of people see." She says.

"Really? I never thought of it like that. I just say what I believe and think." Lance replied while tuning his guitar. "I think you're very interesting yourself." He says, strumming a few cords. The sound resented with Allura, and suddenly flashes ran through her mind. She was nearly knocked off from the intensity.

"Wha-? What was that?" She quietly thought, while rubbing her temples.

"So, about your mom..." Lance's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"Huh? What about my mother? Wait, how do you know about her?" She asked. When had she mentioned her mother to him?

"I hope you don't mind, but I heard you talking earlier to that man, Shiro." Lance replied. "You were talking about an anniversary and going to visit her. Can I meet her too?" He asked. Allura felt sadden, especially with his enthusiastic expression.

"Oh, no, I'm afraid not. She, she passed away, 2 years ago, almost 3 now." She answered with a glum expression.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Lance apologized, feeling guilty.

"Don't be, it's alright." She replied, trying to play it off.

"Is it really?" Lance asked. Allura froze and looks at him, then looks to the side.

"Honestly. I don't know." She admitted. "Everything lately has just been a lot. I don't feel ready." She continues, then feels something take hold of her hand. She looks down to see it was Lance.

"Hey, I'm here for you." He says with an uplifting smile and Allura felt her heart soar. He then looks down with a more melancholic expression. "Do you think, my mom is still out there?" He asked. Allura was a little startled, but quickly regained her composure.

"She must be." She said, squeezing Lance's hand. "She's properly out there. Most likely worried about you." She said. "I promise you, we'll find her." She promises.

"Thanks, 'Lura." Lance said back, now cheerful again, and Allura smiled in return.

With that, she went to her seat, finding herself alone this night. She made sure not to consume any alcohol, just some water with a lemon would do. She got up and went to the bar to find a familiar face.

"Matt?" Allura asked surprised.

"A-Allura?" He said surprised. Matt was Pidge's older brother and Shiro's best friend as well as his coworker. "Wow. Fancy meeting you here." He said. It had been a good while since last they saw each other.

"I should say the same thing." Allura replied as she sat down next to him. "It's been a while hasn't it. How is work?" She asked.

"It's going fine really." Matt replied and took a drink. He then glanced at Lance as he started playing. "By the way, who's that?" He asks.

"That's Lance, Boss recently hired him as entertainment." Allura replied. "He wasn't too good at first, but he's gotten better. It's really beautiful." She adds with a wishful smile as she listened to the music. Matt stared at her, then looks down with an almost disappointed expression.

"Hey, Allura..." Matt spoke, snapping her out of her daze. "How is it going? With you and Shiro, I mean." He asks. Allura looks at him, a little baffled. That came out of nowhere.

"Okay, I guess." She answers unsure, Matt looks at her confused. "It's just, quite a bit going right now." She admitted.

"Hmm, I see." Matt says and goes back to his drink. Allura decides to get up and walks around the bar a little more. She spots the police officer she talked to before, Thace, she believes his name was, and sits down at his booth.

"Huh? Oh, you here about the deaths on the news?" He asked. "Sorry, but I don't have a lot on the subject right now. What we do know is that it seems to be people around your age. So you might be careful. Though I'm not much help since I'm busy with a different case." He tells her.

"Hmm... I see." Allura replied. Just then, her phone started ringing. She takes it out to see it was Shiro. "Excuse me, I need to take this." She says, getting up and walking to the front door, then answers the call. "Hello?" She greets.

"Hey, Allura. I thought I'd call to check on you." Shiro said on the other line.

"That's very considerate, but I promise I can handle myself." Allura says back.

"I know. I guess I'm just a little paranoid with the baby." Shiro admits. Allura looks down and touches her stomach. "...lura? Allura?! You still there?" Her boyfriend's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"Oh, yes, sorry, what was that?" She asked.

"I was asking if you ate the cake yet?" Shiro said.

"Oh, not yet. I had to go to work quickly." She replied.

"Don't push yourself too hard. See you later then." He said and hung up. Allura sighed as he closed her phone and put it away.

She walks to the bathroom to clear her mind. She sighs as she walks up to the sink and washes her face. As she did, she heard a creepy chuckle behind her, making her jump.

"Who's there?" She asks while looking around, but finds no one.

"Well, well." A disembodied voice said. "Tonight is the Quadrangle. Hope you survive." The voice laughed as it faded away.

Allura quickly exited the bathroom and went back to her booth. Time passed, and gradually the other patrons left the bar, along with Nyma and Lance, but Allura stayed, not ready to return home just yet. She sighed as she laid her head on the table, lost in her thoughts. She faintly hears the door bells ring and footsteps, but didn't pay either any mind.

"Allura?" Until she hears a familiar voice. She looks up to see Keith, standing there looking worried. "Are you okay?" He asked as he sits down next to her. She knew it was wrong, knew it would hurt Shiro, but she throws herself at the younger boy and hugs him while crying a little. Keith was stunned for a brief moment, before returning the hug.

"Hey, it's okay." He soothes, holding her securely and petting her head. "Is this about your nightmare earlier?" He asks.

"I guess, but mostly it's just, a lot of things have been too much lately." She replies.

"Hey, I'll take you home." He says and gets up, Allura follows him.

"I can go myself. I don't want to bother you." She says, and leaves before he has a chance to say anything. She returns home and quickly changes and goes to bed. The events of the past few days, all swirling around in her head. She eventually falls asleep.

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