The restaurant's aroma smelled of fresh parsley and Xtra Real Cheese. Lance and Keith were fighting over something random. Shiro balanced Katie in his left arm while trying to break up the fight.

"Lance, Keith, behave," Shiro warned.

"It's not fair!" Lance huffed and pouted.

A waiter came over and looked down at the family, giving them a strange look. "Table for five?"

"Yes, and a high chair please," Shiro added as Katie reached for shiny object.

"Very good sir," the waiter twirled his peppered mustache and led them to a cherry-red booth, where a hand woven basket of garlic bread was waiting for them. Hunk grabbed the whole thing and hid it under the table as everyone was settling down. Shiro buckled Katie in as she clapped her tiny hands. She pointed to the basket, making bubbly sounds.

"Wasn't there a bread basket there?" Lanced asked.

"No," Hunk squinted as he shovelled a whole piece into his mouth.

"HUNK!"

Katie reached for the basket, but Shiro grabbed it from Hunk and placed it on the table. He rolled his eyes, swallowing the bread.

"He got all the good ones," Lance whined and stood up from from the booth, looking in. "These are all too crispy."

"Boys, you will spoil your dinner," Allura chided, rolling her own beautiful eyes.

Shiro caught her look and blushed.

"Oo! Dinner!" Lance exclaimed and furtively looked over the menu. "I bet I can impress you with my reading skills!"

"What reading skills?" Keith laughed.

"Let me know if you boys need help," Shiro said, pointing to the kids menu.

"We could share a pizza," Allura said sweetly.

"Extra mushrooms and cheese?" Shiro pleaded.

"Sounds delightful," Allura blinked.

"SoUndS DeLiGhtFul," Lance mouthed to himself, making a dumb face. Keith elbowed him.

Shiro and Allura looked into each other eyes, not noticing the kids' antics. Katie was attempting to reach for the pizza-slice-themed salt shaker. Lance scooted it close into her reach. She grabbed it and shook it crazily.

"Dad! Katie got the salt" Lance shouted.

Shiro blinked and then snatched it quickly from his daughter's grasp, before she learned how to dump more out. "Katie? How did she get this?"

"No idea," Lance smiled.

"I have an idea," Keith muttered.

"Guys, be polite, there's the waiter," Hunk whispered.

The waiter looked at him with a smile. "May I take your orders?"

"Yes, please," Shiro nodded. "We would like one large pepperoni pizza and one medium mushroom pizza with extra cheese."

"And to drink?" the waiter's smile didn't falter.

"Four waters, and one small milk please."

Lance slammed his fist on the table.

"Four waters," Shiro repeated while glaring at Lance.

"But I want soda," Lance protested quietly.

"The last time you had soda, you nearly…" Shiro stopped himself and shuddered noticeably.

"It could not have been that bad," Allura giggled.

"It was," Keith confirmed.

"Is that all sir?" the waiter asked.

Shiro nodded, smiling back pleasantly, and then turned his attention back to Allura.

"This is nice," Allura said. "Gives me more time with you and the kids."

"It's great to be here with you," Shiro replied.

"Gross, are you gonna kiss-"

"Shut up," Keith growled at Lance. Shiro exhaled and rubbed his temples at his kids for ruining the moment. "If I give you each 25 cents, will you go play in the arcade?"

"YES!" both Keith and Lance shot up at the same time but then exchanged a dirty look. Shiro was so going to ground them later.

Katie bounced up and down, clapping her hands, agreeing with her brothers.

"You're too young, Katie," Allura giggled and tickled her. "So cute."

Shiro looked upon her thoughtfully. She was truly amazing with kids.

"Can we please have the money, daddy?" Lance asked and smiled brightly.

Shiro blushed, and then reached into his wallet to dig the silver coins out. "One for each of you."

"Thanks!" Lance and Keith grabbed the coins and ran off to the arcade. Hunk was too busy watching the pizza man toss the dough. He had a longing look in his eyes.

The waiter came a few moments later, gently setting plastic plates and drinks on the table. "Your pizzas should be ready soon," he informed them and then walked away.

Shiro placed the milk into a bottle and gave it to Katie, who saw it and wanted it. She stretched out her little hands and seemed to wiggle her fingers. Once she had the milk, she drank it happily. Allura looked at Shiro laughing. She had a lovely laugh.

"I'm glad you enjoy spending time with my kids," Shiro said, addressing what she had said earlier. "I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't agree to have dinner with four noisy children that weren't their own."

"It shows that you care about your kids, other than dumping them with some random sitter," Allura said slowly. "Besides, they're great kids. Very… er… well behaved?"

They blinked and then laughed again.

Katie once again clapped her hands and spit milk bubbles out of her mouth.

"Thanks. I would not trust just anyone with my kids," he wiped the milk off of Katie's chin while she looked at him adoringly.

"I am glad," Allura smiled warmly. She paused. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you come across each of them? They were adopted, correct?"

Shiro dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I found Keith when he was only four years old. He had been abandoned by his parents and had been living in an alleyway for a couple of months. He was skin-and-bones - it was a heartbreaking sight. I desperately wanted to help him, and even though I had never considered adoption before, I felt really moved to. He was a tough case at first, and it took him a long while to open up to me, but I promised him that I would take care of him. I promised him I would love him. Now he's just a regular kid," Shiro smiled.

"Oh poor thing," Allura gasped. "He must be so grateful. You would think he was your biological son. You did you did some amazing work," she said, touched. "What about Lance?"

"Lance came about a year later. I had been thinking about adoption again, because I felt like Keith needed someone else to be there for him. I visited a run-down orphanage in Florida and was immediately met by a cute little guy with dark brown hair. Apparently, no one had wanted to adopt him. They did not believe me at first when I said I might want him. They laughed at me. However, Lance stuck to me like glue - he was really clingy, and despite being shy at first, his mouth was like a motorboat."

"He is very lively," Allura beamed. She had her chin resting on her hands, and looked deeply fascinated. "Do you know why he was there?"

"I think his family had too many siblings and gave him up," Shiro scratched his head. "They did not tell me the details."

"What about Hunk?" Allura asked. The boy in question, having heard his name, shook his head and looked at the two adults with big eyes. "Can you please tell the pizza man to hurry up?" he asked with a droopy lower lip. "They'll be here in a minute, gummy bear," Allura poked. "Gummy bear?" Hunk screwed up his face. "That's not my name."

Shiro talked to Allura more quietly as Hunk continued to stare at the chefs. "I adopted Hunk within the next month. He was at the same orphanage. Lance was talking about how he really missed his friend, and I figured one more kid couldn't hurt. And man am I glad he convinced me. I can't imagine Hunk in any other family. He is truly the sweetest five-year-old alive."

"But Katie's story is scary, and fairly recent. According to the orphanage, her house was a mess, and the parents were nowhere to be found. A neighbor heard her crying and called the police. When Katie was found alone in her crib, she was placed in the hands of an orphanage, but apparently refused to eat for days. They were worried they were going to lose her. I happened to be walking by the orphanage about six months ago when-"

The pizzas were delivered mid-sentence, causing Hunk to squeal with excitement.

Even more quietly, Shiro continued, "-when Katie was starting to cry through an open window. The boys heard her and demanded I go in and see. When I approached her crib, Katie stopped crying and looked at me. She started to speak and reached her small grubby hands towards me. Next thing I know, I have a baby girl."

"Is that her real name or one you gave her?" Allura asked, taking a mouthful of pizza. She covered her mouth delicately as she chewed.

"I think that's what they came up with," Shiro shrugged and leaned back. "But she likes it."

"No wonder she is so close to you," Allura commented.

"But she likes you too, and she is picky, aren't you Kaite?" Shiro made a face at her.

On que, Katie finished gulping her milk and started to hit her wooden high chair with the empty bottle. She grinned, seeing if anyone was watching.

At that exact moment a loud boom echoed from the arcade.

"What do you mean we need more coins?!" Lance shrieked.

Shiro sighed. "I swear I raised them better than this. Can you watch Hunk and Katie?"

Allura nodded and scooted next to Katie and started to play.

Shiro bolted into the arcade. "Lance, I can hear you from across the restaurant," he scolded, taking his son by the hand. "It's time to go eat."

"But Keith cheated," Lance complained as he was dragged back to the table. Keith trailed behind with an obvious smirk.