#absolem0

With Coran visiting his cousin, she could only concluded it was an intruder.

But a non-magical one, she thought.  Otherwise it shouldn’t have been able to get through my protection wards.

Squinting in the darkness, Allura fumbled her way to her coat rack and reached for her housecoat.  She glanced over to to the small round bed that was set in the corner of the room and did a quick head count.

All five cats were sleeping, which meant none of them had sensed it, at least not yet.

Allura chewed her bottom lip.  She knew they would insist on helping, but it felt wrong to awake them.  Allura had spent the afternoon experimenting from her father’s spellbook and they had assisted her in doing so.  Keith and Pidge had been quite vital to put out that small fire out, and Allura didn’t know what they would have done if Hunk hadn’t grabbed the silver tray to block that sleeping spell from hitting her.  

It had been a long afternoon, and they had all been exhausted by the end of it.  Lance in particular had demanded a bath as payment and an extra fluffy pillow to sleep on.

Allura drummed her fingers against her elbow and then nodded to herself.

The intruder isn’t magical, she silently argued.  I should be able to handle it alone without disturbing them.

Allura stole one more glance to them before she crept into the room and exited into the dark hallway.  She reached for the small lantern that sat on the side table and flicked her fingers to light it.

Quietly, Allura picked up the hem of her nightgown and carefully carried the lantern as she walked.  The light from her lantern flickered as she went by the family portraits and almost seemed to make the eyes of her father’s shine.  She gave a wistful smile, but didn’t pause as she kept on going.

Noises were coming from the dining room.  Someone with a deep male voice cursed and was swiftly followed by the sound of clanking of metal and glass.  Allura swallowed and discreetly peeked inside.

A young man wearing dark clothes, gloves and a mask was raiding her china cabinet.  She cringed as she watched him pick up a candle stick holder, examine it and then toss it into the large sack he held.

Allura’s grip tightened on her lantern.  So, it was a robber?  That hadn’t been as bad as she had been fearing, but it was hardly something to take lightly.

Allura straightened her posture before she entered and cleared her throat.

The robber halted immediately and whirled around.

“I will give one, and only one warning,” Allura announced in a firm tone, “put don’t my belongings and leave my home this instant.”

The robber grumbled as he reached inside his coat.  “Lady, be smart and turn right around as if you didn’t see me.”

“And let you rob me?” Allura said as she set the lantern on top of a nearby shelf and crossed her arms.  “I’m hardly the type of person to allow that!”

The man shook his head sadly as he set the bag down.  “Look, girlie, we both know you are currently the only person in this whole manor.”

Allura raised an eyebrow.  “So, what?”

Part of her felt tempted to insist that wasn’t even close to being true, but she kept her mouth shut.

“Sssoo,” the robber continued with his hand still in his coat, “I’m a lot bigger than you, and it wouldn’t take much to win against you in a fight.”  

His hidden hand jumped back out with fingers curled around the handle of a large knife.  He chuckled as the lantern’s flame bounced off the blade.  Allura’s body stiffened.

She had been expecting him to be armed, but she didn’t imagine him to be carrying such a large knife.

“Unless you want me to cut at that pretty face of yours,” the robber continued as he pointed to the china cabinet, “ come here and tell me which of this junk is the most valuable.”

Allura felt sweat drip from her brow.  What should she do?  Attack with a spell?  But she needed a few minutes to cast, and the robber would no doubt strike before she could finish.  She glanced around the room.  Perhaps she could hit with something-

“Don’t try anything funny,” the robber said as he stepped forward and seized her wrist.  “I got my eyes on you.”

Allura fumed as she squirmed and winced as he gave her a tight squeeze.  “Unhand me,” she demanded.

“You’re in no position to give orders,” the robber continued.  “Now just-”

A meow cut him off.

Both Allura and the robber turned their hands as a large black cat hopped up onto the table.  The streaks of white in his fur almost seemed to shimmer as the cat arched his back and hissed at the robber.

“Shiro,” Allura whispered.

The robber blinked and then laughed.  “Aw, cute, your little kitty is trying to scare me off.”  

He let go of Allura as he approached the cat and waved the tip of the knife in the cat’s face.

“What you going to do, little fella?” He snickered.  “Hiss at me to death-”

Shiro jumped off the table, transformed into a lion in midair and knocked the table over as he landed on the floor.

The robber was still as a statue as the knife slipped from his fingers and onto the floor.  Allura didn’t waste a moment to seize it as the robber stared bewildered at the creature before him.

“But..but...how,” he stammered, but wasn’t given a moment to question before Shiro roared at him.

The robber cried out before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed onto the floor.  Hovering over the man, Shiro growled as Allura checked his pulse.

“Looks like he fainted,” Allura said with a relieved sigh, “that makes things easier.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed and they stayed that way as his body morphed back into his human form wearing his black shirt and pants, but no shoes.

I really need to find away for them to keep their footwear when they transform, she thought, but tossed it aside as Shiro kneeled next to her.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, checking her over.

“I’m fine,” Allura said as she stood, “but how did you-”

“I woke up and realized you had left the room,” Shiro explained as he crossed his arms.  “I figured something must have been up so I went looking for you.”

“I’m glad that you did,” Allura replied with a smile, but dropped it as Shiro kept his frown.

Uh oh, he wasn’t happy.

“Allura, what were you thinking?” Shiro said as he raised a hand up.  “You know it’s our job to take care of intruders.”

“Magical intruders,” Allura replied hotly, “but since I didn’t detect anything, I assumed I could take care of it.”  

“Doesn’t change how dangerous it was,” Shiro replied.

“I can take care of myself.”  She placed her hands onto her hips.  “I’m not a helpless child.”

Shiro sighed as his eyes softened.  “I never said you were.”  He shook his head.  “Okay, let’s save this talk for the morning.”  He glanced to the robber.  “And we need to take care of this guy.”

“Agreed,” Allura stated as she rooted through his bag.  “By the looks of it, he didn’t try to take any of my magical items.”

“So, likely he has no idea he just tried to rob a witch,” Shiro stated as he picked up the guy and swung him over his shoulder.  “In that case, I’m going to tie him up and just place him in front of the police station with a note attached.”

Allura frowned, but nodded.  

She hated for Shiro to go to so much trouble, but last thing Allura needed was for any of the local law enforcement to go stomping through her home and raise unneeded questions.

“Alright,” Allura stated as she hugged herself, “and what should I do?”

“Go back to bed,” Shiro instructed with a grunt as he left the room, “oh and prepare yourself.”

Allura tilted her head.  “For what?”

Shiro glanced back with a smirk.  “For the others to be cranky you didn’t wake them up for this. ”

Allura rolled her eyes.  “I believe you are exaggerating.  I’m sure they’ll understand just fine.”

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Keith glared at her with his red cat eyes all morning.  He glared at the foot of her bed when she awoke, as he followed her into the kitchen and was now glaring at her as she sat in her favorite chair in the study.

Allura twitched an eye and sighed as she set her cup of coffee on the side table.

“Keith,” she asked as she folded her hands into her lap, “if you’re going to be glare at me all day, would you please do it in your human form?”

Keith leapt into a nearby chair and transformed into his human form with his arms still crossed, and wearing his red shirt and black pants.

He didn’t say a word as he kept glaring at her.

“I was implying for you to speak as well,” Allura said.

“Well, sorry, I don’t feel much like talking when I’m annoyed,” Keith said briskly as he leaned back into the chair.

“I’m with Keith.”

Allura jumped as Pidge appeared from behind her wearing her human form and green dress.  Allura hadn’t even realized Pidge had transformed.  Last she had checked, the tiny cat had been sitting and surveying from the top of her bookshelf.

“Why did you think it was a good idea to deal with an intruder by yourself?” Pidge continued as she moved to stand beside Keith.

Allura rubbed her eyes.  “As I explained, I thought I could handle it by myself.”

Pidge snorted.  “Yeah, it sounded like you totally had it under control by Shiro’s account.”

“Guys,” Hunk whined as he poked his head in and carried a tray full of pancakes.  “I hate fighting this early in the morning.”

“We’re not fighting, we are having a discussion,” Allura retorted with a huff.

“Could have fooled me,” Hunk replied as he set the tray down on one of the side tables and took a seat.  “Although..they do have a point.”  He pointed to himself.  “Isn’t it kind of our job to deal with that sort of thing?”

Allura traced her finger around the brim of her cup.  Hunk wasn’t wrong.  It was traditionally part of a familiar’s job to act as a bodyguard when danger was afoot.

“It is,” Allura said as she blushed, “but you lot deal with enough trouble as is and I thought I could deal with it myself.”

Heaven knows they had encountered enough danger in the past to fill up seven books alone, especially with the threat of Haggar and Zarkon always looming over them.

“No one is saying you can’t,” Keith said in a more gentle tone, “but you’re the one that told me we’re a team.”

Allura’s blushed deepened.  She had told Keith that, particularly when he had tired to fight off a werewolf all by himself.

“Alright, perhaps it was a bad call,” Allura muttered as she reached for her cup, “I’ll try to be more careful in the future.”

“That’s all we ask,” Shiro said as he stepped into the room and slumped into a chair.  “And I just finished changing the locks.  Hopefully, we don’t have to worry about any future break ins.”

“That would be nice,” Allura said as she glanced around, but then tilted her head.  “Wait...where’s Lance?”

Shiro arched an eyebrow as he leaned forward.  “No idea, I figured he was with you guys.”

“And we thought he was with you,” Pidge said.  “So where-”

A slim cat dashed into the room, jumped over Keith’s chair, and hopped into the far chair in the corner.

“Lance, there you are,” Allura called out and saw he was panting.  “Where have you been?”

Lance’s ears twitched before he transformed.  His blue shirt was sweat stained and mud clung to his pants.  “Uh..me...nowhere.”

Keith crossed his arms and pointed to his pants.  “The evidence says otherwise.”

Lance glanced down and gave a nervous smile.  “Oh..uh...just went for a walk.”

“A walk?” Allura muttered, but then her brain clicked.  “Where exactly?”

Lance shut his mouth as he stared up at the ceiling.  “Oh...around…”

“Such as Mister Warden’s yard?” Allura asked.

“....I..might have.”

Allura groaned.  “Please, tell me you didn’t go taunt Laika again.”

Lance sheepishly rubbed his neck.  “Okay….I won’t.”

Shiro sighed as he scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand.  “Lance, how many times do we have to tell you not to tease he?.”

“She is an easy target though,” Pidge said with a smirk.

“She’s a dog,” Hunk replied as he squeezed his eyes shut, “they’re all easy targets.”

“Nevertheless,” Allura replied as she set down her cup.  “Lance, I have gotten too many complaints about you from Mister Warden and it’s only going to lead to trouble.”

Lance said nothing as he drummed his fingers against his knee.

Shiro locked his gaze upon him as he rose.  “Lance, did something happen?”

“Define ‘something’.”

“Lance.”

Lance cleared his throat.  “Okay, so in my defense Mister Warden should fix that loose board in his fence.”

The group went silent.

“Why?” Pidge asked.

Lance chuckled nervously.  “Well, because Laika might have been able to slip from her leash and chased after me.”

Allura paled.  “Are you alright?”

Laika was a very large and energetic dog.  She was friendly, except it wasn’t hard to imagine her getting carried away and accidentally hurting Lance without meaning to.

Lance waved a hand.  “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, but..I can’t say the same for Coran’s marigolds.”

“...What?”

Lance tugged at his shirt collar.  “I managed to lose Laika in the garden and I last saw her digging quite happily in it.”

Allura moaned as she buried her face.  “Oh, Lance.”

“Coran, is going to kill you,” Hunk stated, “you know that right?”

Lance sunk deeper into the chair.  “Maybe he won’t notice?”

Shiro tugged at his arm.  “Come on, let’s take Laika home and then try to fix the damage you caused.”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Lance argued as Shiro dragged him away.  “Laika’s the one digging!”