(The usual Voltron related relative disclaimers apply! In addition, the poem 'A Reason For Giving' is the creation and sole property of Lynne Beireis and is not to be duplicated without her express written consent. Thank you! :)

"Lance, you're next!" The Big Man proclaimed, reseating himself.

The pilot of Red Lion carefully opened his gift, saving the lion-printed paper, which he proclaimed as 'too cool to tear'. Inside he found a music player and a series of packaged flat disks. He gaped at them, then at the grinning Princess.

" 'The Complete Anthology of Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong!' Princess, you remembered! But how in the universe did you find this? His recordings are so popular with collectors on Terra, they are as scarce as hen's teeth! " He asked her, incredulously.

"I have my ways," Allura replied, mysteriously. Deep inside she groaned, however, for now she only had a few weeks to find another suitable birthday present for Lance. "I hope you enjoy them!"

"Thank you Princess, you know I will!" Lance set down his gifts, rose and kissed her hand in the same fashion as Hunk had. "If everyone will bear with me for a moment, I have something for you, too!"

He walked to the small box that had been delivered to him, and brought it back into the circle. Kneeling next to his prize, he produced a small pocketknife and neatly sliced through the bindings on the package, folded back the lids, and drew out a piece of paper that looked like an invoice.

After taking a minute to read the paper's content with a completely neutral expression, Lance folded and stuck it in his pocket. He then reached carefully into the box and withdrew a cellophane-wrapped mass of leaves and berries, which he promptly presented to the Princess with a flourish.

"Milady, here is the object of my quest, and I would present it to you as a gift in the hopes that you would look upon me with favor once again." He intoned, with a humble look, though the blue eyes danced with mischief as they met Allura's.

"Mistletoe!" The Princess exclaimed excitedly. "Lance, you did it! And just for me," she added, batting her eyelashes at her friend who managed to look modest and smug all at once.

Coran sensed a movement in the overstuffed chair and immediately went to join Santa Claus, who appeared to be getting ready to make a pithy statement. He sat on the arm of the chair as its occupant glared up at him, with an outraged look he recognized all too well.

"I know you know it's mistletoe, and what that entails, but it's all in fun, Hannah! Just sit back and enjoy!" He hissed into her ear. "You have brought Allura up well, she will not let this turn into a improper display!" ~I hope!~ He added silently, with a wry smile. He relaxed when Nanny nodded her assent, but he remained next to her- just in case.

"For this gift, I look upon you with favor once again my noble knight! Go forth, knowing that you have done well this day." Allura intoned solemnly, waving around the now unwrapped plant.

"You are most kind, my thanks, Your Highness. You are as wise as you are beautiful. I am but a lowly man, smitten by your charms, and humbled by your words." Lance bowed more deeply with each compliment, while Keith suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and Allura giggled.

"Better keep those berries away from the mice," Pidge advised with unromantic concern, as Lance finally reseated himself. "They're poisonous."

"No worries, they're synthetic, little buddy." Hunk informed him. "Regulations forbid the berries being left on when it's harvested."

"Care to try it out, Princess?" Lance asked innocently. "Maybe on Santa?"

Allura looked shocked, then inexplicably started to chortle. Her teammates looked on in bemusement as the peals of her unrestrained laughter bounced around the room. Santa, nudged by the Royal Diplomat, emitted a feeble 'ho ho ho', then fell silent.

Coran hastily spoke up. "I think maybe the mistletoe tradition can wait for a while, Keith still hasn't opened his gift!"

Lance lifted a hand to his head. "Oh silly me, that's right, I have something for the Captain too! There was an extra package of mistletoe in the box!"

He lifted the other plant out, and then discarded the wrappings. "Here you go Chief, I present this to you on behalf of the entire team, with our highest regards and best wishes that whoever you use it on will return the favor tenfold. Oh, and here is the invoice too, you probably will have to make a note of this gift somewhere due to some obscure Officer's regulation."

Allura had stopped laughing, and was looking back and forth between the two men, a blush coming and going in her cheeks as the mistletoe and paper were handed over to the equally red faced Captain, who tried hard not to give himself away by sneaking a look at the Princess. Upon receiving the invoice, he opened it and read:

Dear Lieutenant,
I was able to procure two sprigs of the mistletoe after all, so please give the extra to Captain Powell, with my compliments and profuse apologies for telling him he had to cancel his order to fill yours.
Sincerely,
Raymond Howard
Garrison Quartermaster, Diamond Galaxy Division.

Keith shot a look at his best friend who met his gaze seriously, lifting one brow in inquiry. "Is the invoice out of order?" Lance asked blandly.

"No. It's just fine," Keith said, his lips curving upwards. "Thank you Lieutenant!"

"Now open your gift from the Princess!" Pidge interrupted impatiently. "I want to see what you got!"

"Okay!" Keith now risked a look at Allura, who smiled uncertainly at him, anxiety in her eyes. "I'm sure whatever it is, I'll like it," he added kindly, trying to ease her worry.

He opened the package, like Lance, carefully laying aside the paper for safekeeping. He lifted the lid of the revealed wooden crate, and rooted through the shredded packing material inside until his fingers located what felt like a figurine.

"What's this?" He pulled forth the figure and drew in a swift breath. Carefully, but with suddenly unsteady fingers, he set it on the floor next to him and fished in the package again and again until he had pulled forth several exquisitely painted porcelain statuettes, ranging in size from five inches to one inch, who were obviously representations of the people and angels from the story of the Nativity.

He set aside the crate and simply stared at the priceless gift beside him, before lifting up the representation of the baby Jesus to examine it more closely. The baby's face beamed at him, filled with love and tranquility. "Gristuusaaq suu' ug," he murmured. "Christ is born."

The room was totally silent, as its occupants watched their normally impassive leader try to gain control of his emotions.

He finally looked up at Allura, his shimmering eyes full of a quiet joy. "How did you do this? How did you know? We've never really discussed religion."

She swallowed hard. "Sven and I made it-a long time ago."

His brows shot up. "Sven...and you made this?"

"Yes, soon after you boys arrived here. Sven helped me with the design and in making the figures-he's quite gifted with pottery techniques- but I did all the painting. He told me how much your faith means to you. I was going to make a present of it to you earlier, but then Sven went down, and...well, it just didn't seem like the right time, then. After the last few days, however, I thought it would now bring you comfort. Do you like it?" She looked at him, her eyes uncertain, but full of love.

Keith's gaze overflowed with emotion. As a few tears wended their way down his lean cheeks, he managed to say, in a surprisingly steady voice, "Yes, Princess, I like it very much. I don't think I've ever gotten anything that I've liked better. You are an amazing woman."

He reached for her hand, and went to bring it to his lips as his friends had, but at the last minute, turned it over to press a lingering, intimate kiss in the center of her palm.

Nanny sat bolt upright at the forward gesture, but then relaxed as she saw the purity of the love the Captain felt for her dear one as he gazed at Allura. Somehow she wasn't surprised, now that she saw them together in this setting, it was obvious.

"So that's how the vind blows," she whispered to Coran, her accent coming back in full force.

"Yes." He whispered back.

Nanny thought a moment. "She could definitely do vorse," she finally offered.

"Yes, she could," he agreed, soberly.

"Vhat do you think? Vould it vork? I know what I have said about commoners, but he's quite a man..." She shook her head in regret.

"It would work, trust me, but let's not rush things." The Royal Diplomat advised. "Let them have this time together without interference, because if they ever marry, their time will scarcely be their own."

"Too true." Santa Nanny agreed. "Vell then, my first act of non interference vill be to leave. Old habits die hard y'know." She gathered up the now empty sack and rose to her feet, drawing the attention of the others in the room.

"Captain, I hope you can find a suitable setting for those lovely pieces. And now, I must go. It has been a pleasure to be with you on such a special day."

Allura stood as well, and went to escort her disguised governess to the door, as the others called their farewells.

"Thank you Nanny," she whispered as they walked. "You were magnificent, and none of them knows who you are!"

"You are very velcome, child. Now mind your manners with that plant that Lance gave Keit. He may be the Captain, and a gentleman, but he's still a man! Oh and here's the bottle of schnapps you left in my room. Und before you ask, no, I didn't haf any more. Decided it vould be a mistake."

And with that pert remark, and a last hearty 'Merry Christmas everyone', Santa Nanny handed over the bottle and jingled away up the corridor, leaving Allura to gawk helplessly at the back of her father's robes.

"So what did Nanny tell you?" A soft voice asked her from behind.

Allura turned swiftly, and was disconcerted to see Keith standing close behind her; very close. The babble within the room had resumed, so they could converse safely, at least for a moment.

"How did you know it was her?" The Princess asked with a touch of chagrin. "She's disguised so well..."

"I couldn't tell by her looks, but her reactions gave her away, especially her reactions to Lance's antics." Keith told her, laughing quietly. "Hearing her accent right now just confirmed it!"

"You won't tell the others, will you? I promised her that no one would tease her." Allura pleaded as she unobtrusively set the schnapps bottle down on a nearby shelf inside the door.

"Are you kidding? I love that crotchety, misguided woman, even if she did tick me off with all that commoner stuff. Underneath that proper exterior lurks a fun loving girl."

"Thank you," Allura said, with a warm smile.

"And now, I think it's time to go," Keith informed her briskly. Suddenly she noticed he was holding the crate, the mistletoe and figurines placed inside it.

Her eyes filled with disappointment, and her lips trembled. "But why? There's no reason you need to be on duty to-"

"I didn't mean me, I meant us." The Captain interrupted. "I have something for you, but I am not giving it to you here," this said with a meaningful look back toward the chattering group behind them.

"Oh, but it would be rude-"

"I've already cleared it with Coran, and we will be coming back here-." there was a very pregnant pause - "...eventually." White teeth were now bared in the most deliciously wicked smile Allura had ever seen, and the brown eyes had darkened with passion. It made her knees weak.

"All right, just let me say my-"

"No time, come along," He cut in, taking her elbow and hustling her down the hall, the crate tucked under his other arm.

The Princess had no time to worry about her hostess duties, because she was too busy wondering where they were going. When he finally steered her into the corridor wing that led to his quarters, she felt immediate heat rise in her cheeks.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make improper advances or anything," he assured her, with a droll look that irritated her. They stopped outside the door to his quarters.

"Oh, that's too bad, I was rather wishing that we could try out this mistletoe in your room," She blurted out, defiantly.

His beautifully masculine eyebrows shot up, and color flooded his face. "Don't tempt me like that, Allura, I am human," was his only reply, although the look he gave her made her feel as though she were naked and he was enjoying every inch of her.

"Sorry, I was only teasing."

"Uh-huh," he said skeptically, shooting her a bone-melting smile. He punched in the code to his door and it slid open. "Wait here," he said briefly.

The Princess managed to get a peek of the bedroom within, which was as orderly as she always imagined it would be. Keith had set his gift carefully on his bed, and was now at his desk, taking a ribbon bound roll of parchment out of a drawer. He shut the drawer and turned, meeting her gaze. She sensed at once his mood and demeanor had drastically changed; he was deadly serious now, and he seemed a little nervous as he rejoined her out in the hallway.

"Let's go." He said, taking her arm again.

Soon they were entering the Princess' private lounge, in which large windows happened to give a stunning view of the majestic Black Lion, still standing watch at the castle gates. The sky was just darkening to orange and purplish hues, making a striking background for the noble Guardian.

Keith walked her over to and seated her on a long, low settee, before kneeling in front of her, much as he had when pledging fealty to her that fateful day the Space Explorers finally escaped the clutches of Doom and arrived on Arus. He took one of her hands and gently placed the roll of paper in it, folding her fingers over it.

"Allura, I have been thinking about us, and how I feel about what's happened between us. I might not normally have had the courage to give you this just yet, but when you gave me that crèche, it seemed to be a sign that now is the time. Anyway, I am not a man who can be verbally elegant, so I wrote down what I wanted to say." He swallowed hard, and continued. "And before you think that this has something to do with what happened with Lotor today, I want to inform you that I wrote this last night. Okay, you can read it now."

She smiled at his unconsciously commanding tone. "I am just so happy that you wrote something for me, Keith." She untied the ribbon and unrolled the parchment. "It's a poem!" She exclaimed, in astonishment. "No one's ever written a poem for me before!"

Allura leaned forward and hugged him fiercely.

"Yeah, well, just remember, it's a first effort, so be gentle." He murmured into her hair, while patting her back.

"If you wrote it, I'll love it," She declared, reluctantly drawing away. Her eyes sought out the top of the page and she began to read aloud:

"Does that mean you like it?" He asked hopefully.

She raised her eyes to his. "I love you too," she whispered.

The next second she was in his embrace, being kissed with a ferocity that she welcomed with open arms and a full heart.

"Say it," she commanded, when they finally broke apart.

"I love you, Allura. I think I always have." He said softly, stroking her cheek with a fingertip. "I don't know what my future holds, but whatever it is, I want it to include you."

"I feel the same way, I have for a long time." She replied, bending forward to draw him up beside her. She kissed him then, her heart on fire with a love that blazed on her lips.

They were gasping when they drew apart this time.

"My Princess, I don't know why you thought you ever needed mistletoe," Keith breathed. "Just kiss me like that again and I'll follow you anywhere."

"How about down Castle Hill?"

He groaned. "Yeah, even there." His groan then changed to a laugh. "Jingles the Elf isn't going to be too happy I stole his intended."

"Nuts to Jingles," she said succinctly. "We have thirteen days of peace, let's make the most of them."

He agreed wholeheartedly, and then covered her mouth with his.


It was quite a while later that Keith and Allura joined the others for the feast. Both were flushed with happiness, and it didn't take a psychic to see that they had declared their love to one another. Keith proudly seated his beloved, tossed the unused mistletoe to Lance, and took his place at her right side, as their teammates cheered and exchanged high fives.

Nanny, seated at the table for once, wiped her streaming nut-brown eyes, which now had returned to normal, as had the rest of her. "My baby is in love. There's going to be no dealing with her now." She said sadly to Coran. She adjusted the sapphire pendant that Allura had presented to her before the feast began. "I hope he makes her happy."

Coran smiled as he glanced down at his gift from Allura; an audio version of the entire mystery series he had been trying to read for so long. "He will. And I know she'll make him happy too." He picked up his glass of punch. "Here's to the spirit of giving."

"Salut!" Nanny responded, clinking glasses with him.

They picked up their forks and joined the feast, Louis Armstrong singing in the background.

For this moment in time, it truly was a wonderful world.

The End.