AN: This is a prompt I received for WAF, but when I was thinking about it, I realized it would be way to long to be a one shot. So, here we are! I struggled a lot, but I hope it didn't turn out to be terrible. I'm not too good at fight scenes. I'm not going to use the format like I used for my other VLD fics, so what you need to know is that this takes place sometime after they've all been found and maybe a few years after that. This is completely written, but I'll only post one a week (maybe more if I get enough people asking for it!) but there's only 3 chapters. Anyways, hope you enjoy and have a blessed day!

"What do we do with her?" the pale pink creature with a cracking voice asked.

Pidge couldn't see who the alien was talking to, which made things even more frightening. The hole that she was looking through was way too small to see anything but a dimly lit room and the torso of the jerk that stuffed her in the stupid box. Ratty clothes and a black satchel. It was just like in the horror movies she used to watch back home on earth, only this was real.

And that was terrifying.

"I haven't decided yet. We could sell her and make a good profit, that would suit us just fine for right now." a gruff-sounding voice came from somewhere in front of the small prison she was in. His voice made a shiver run down her spine. He sounded evil.

"But...?" the pink man quarried, his voice holding joyful anticipation. The tone made Pidge want to punch the guy; even more than how she'd been wanting to since she was caught.

How could you be happy about taking someone prisoner and trying to decide how to use them? How was that a nice thing to think about?

"But..." the unseen voice trailed off without giving any more information as the man gave a dark chuckle.

Suddenly, the man slammed his hand down on the top of the crate, causing it to shake violently and Pidge to scream. She scrambled away from the hole she had been looking through, though she didn't get too far. The crate was tiny, not even enough room to unbend her knees or sit up straight. Her back collided painfully against the back of her wooden prison and she had to bite her lip to keep back a whimper, knowing full well that there were definitely some sort of splinters now where her clothes her torn.

She could hear the pink creature cackling at her reaction, or maybe just because in his twisted mind he though this was a great little show. But to her, it was like time slowed down.

She could only stare at the completely white eye that was staring right back at her.

And to think, her teammates could have prevented this had she not thrown a fit.

•••

The green paladin stomped her way down the hallway, anger clearly written on her face. Stumbling behind her was her teammate, trying desperately to think of a way to fix the mess he'd made without making her any more frustrated with him.

"C–C'mon, Pidge! You–I mean, you really know that I uh, I didn't mean to—" Lance's stammering was cut off by an annoyed groan.

"Yes, Lance, I know." she stopped dead in her tracks, almost causing the taller of the two to run into her. The blue paladin almost sighed in relief, assuming that she'd understood and was going to forgive him and all this could be in the past. However, he stopped himself when he noticed her sweet smile.

It was way to sweet to be real.

Like, it was shockingly sweet.

"I know that we stopped on this planet to take a break. I know that you were flirting with one of the girls not even ten minutes after we got off the ship. I know that you came with me because Shiro banned you from flirting and you didn't want to be bored." her smile got even sweeter, of that was possible.

It made Lance's stomach drop.

"I also know that I found a guy that was selling drawings in order to save up to make his own robot. I know that we were having a nice conversation. I know that you decided that I, apparently, wasn't allowed to have any friends except you and the team because..." she trailed off, cocking a hip and tapping her chin with a finger.

Lance gulped. He knew that look. That wasn't a good look.

"This part, I don't know. What to remind me what happened, Lance?" she hissed out his name as if it was venom. Her tone made the young woman seem deadly and the look she was giving him didn't help him feel any better.

With a shaking smile, he replied, "I uh, I..." he trailed off, her gaze on him making him feel even more ashamed.

This didn't mean anything to Pidge.

She let out a quick breath, face confronting to that of pure anger.

"You showed up and starting going on about how I shouldn't talk to guys I don't know, or interact with species we weren't completely sure about right in front of him! You made me look like a toddler!" her voice made him cringe. Some because of how loud she was, and also because he knew she had a right to be angry.

"Look, I didn't mean—"

"You didn't mean to?! Were you really going say that?" Pidge scoffed and rolled her eyes at him before glaring at him. "You did mean to, Lance. This isn't the first time you've stopped me from making new friends!" she threw her hands in the air. "You always get between me whenever someone shows any interest in me or my creations. Does it really bug you that much that I'm not your's? You don't own me!"

"Hey!" Lance shouted, feeling defensive. "I don't act like that because I think I own you, I'm just doing that to protect you—"

"Oh, protect me?" she let out an empty chuckle. "From what? A seductive alien that'll try to steal my lion?" the blue paladin grit his teeth at this. "Because, if my memory is correct, you're the one that almost ruined everything because you could just keep it in—"

"Pidge!" both paladins snapped this heads toward the new voice. Pidge stopped there, but she didn't cool down any. Crossing her arms over her chest, she cast Lance one more glare before completely turning towards their leader.

As Shiro came closer, it was obvious to see that he was not happy with what he had just heard. Pidge was looking straight at him, her eyes hard and gaze unwavering while Lance wouldn't catch his eye.

Based on what part he'd heard, he really didn't understand why it wasn't reversed. Shouldn't Pidge be the one avoiding him since she was spewing a bunch of hateful words?

"What's going on here?" the black paladin asked once he was close enough to them. Lance still wasn't meeting his eye, and Pidge looked like she was ready to blow.

"Lance thought that since he's got such a big family, it's okay to treat me like one of his baby sisters. Except, you know, when they were actually babies, not almost adults." to be quite honest, Shiro was taken aback by the young woman's answer. She usually wasn't someone to sound so... so angry.

Just, angry.

Not annoyed or frustrated, she sounded purely angry.

Lance sighed before finally looking at Shiro. "I may have—"

"You did, no "may have" crap, you did," Pidge cut in.

"I did make a scene in front of a guy Pidge was trying to talk to because I," he took a deep breath, not really wanting to say it out loud. A jab in the ribs from the mad paladin next to him made him talk. "I got too over protective and freaked out."

Pidge scoffed again. "You can say that again."

Lance looked like he was about to reply, but Shiro cut him off before he got the chance to defend himself.

"Lance, it's wrong for you to embarrass Pidge like that when she's just trying to talk to someone. She deserves an apology. Not," he said sharply when the young man looked like he was about to argue. "Not, a "sorry but I was in the right" type of apology, a proper apology." the man said sternly, his tone leaving no room for any type of fighting.

The blue paladin grumbled before turning to face Pidge. "I'm sorry for what I did, it was out of line."

It was quiet for a few moments, Pidge obviously still not too happy with him. Lance groaned.

"I'm sorry! Okay? I'm sorry! What do you want me to say? That I regret it? That I don't care of some creep runs off with you? I'm just trying to keep you safe!"

That wasn't a smart thing to say.

"Keep me safe?! I'm a paladin, just as much as you are! I've fought against the Galra, too! I've saved you guys on more than one occasion! I can handle myself! And who are you to judge people, or aliens, by their looks?! Vinny was just telling me about his plans for his robot! Not trying to lure me into some sort of hypnotizing trick!" the petite woman was fuming now, face getting red and eyes ablaze.

Shiro looked shocked at her outrage, truly not knowing what to say in reply to what she said. Yeah, she had a point, but also... Pidge was just a little sister to all of them.

"Pidge, I'm sure that Lance was just trying—" he wasn't able to finish his sentence.

"No! I don't want to hear it! Every time he, or Keith, or Hunk, or anybody stops me from making a new friend you always defend them!" the two males could only stand in complete and utter disbelief. "You go on about how they're "just protective" and they're "just looking out for me" when I'm perfectly able to take care of myself!"

All could be heard was Pidge labored breathing for a few moments.

Soon enough, she turned her heel and began towards the entrance of the castle ship. This caused the guys to break out of their trance.

"Where are you going?" Lance called out but made no move to go after her.

"To go find Vinny. Do not follow me."

•••

Pidge jogged back to the plaza where she'd last seen Vinny, hoping he was still there with a small smile on her face.

She always knew that her friends meant well, but really... There were limits. And they had been passed more than one time. Who could blame her for getting angry? She didn't have an unlimited supply of patience. Hopefully her little conversation with the boys could be enough that they'd tell the other guys to hold back for a while, too.

Really, she wasn't asking for a lot; just some time to talk with a nice guy about robots. It wasn't like she agreed to travel the entire universe with him.

The small girl's eyes darted all over the crowded area, searching for the alien in question. Her eyes landed on a familiar black satchel and her grin widened.

"Vinny!" she yelled, waving her arms above her head to get his attention. It took a few seconds, but soon his brown slit eyes caught sight of her. A smile of his own came to his face as he began towards her.

"Hey there, little lady. I was beginning to think you ditched me." he said it with a chuckle, but she could tell there was a tad of anxiety laced in with what he said. Like he was actually thinking that she'd left him here waiting, not just as a joke to make her laugh.

She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck. She didn't really want to tell him that she almost did because her friends thought she should hang out with him. Instead, she decided to just smile at him and change the subject.

"Well, tall man," he jokingly rolled his eyes at her comeback to his nickname, "I do think that you were going to show me that workshop."

"I said that, did I?" he asked, his cracking voice feigning ignorance. Pidge scoffed, whacking him in the arm. He chuckled once more then said, "I did. Now, shall we be on our way?" he asked her, holding out a pale pink hand for her to take.

She did without hesitation.

—

"... But, she could bring a lot of profit to us if we keep her for ourselves to do with as we please."