Epilogue
Space Family

Lance took his time returning to the castle. Days of poor sleep and stress were beginning to catch up with him. If his ride hadn't been a sentient robot lion, it probably wouldn't have been safe for him to fly. As it was, he longed for the safety and solitude of Blue's cockpit. He needed her if he was going to regain enough balance to face the inquisition that was surely waiting for him when he rejoined the others.

Eventually, though, she guided him back to the hanger. When they landed, he leaned back in the seat and breathed out. "Girl, I don't know if I can do this."

A rumbling sound filled his ears and heart. He felt her answer. Maybe there would be ramifications. Maybe there should be, because he had been wrong. But his friends wouldn't be angry. They loved him.

"I don't know about that," Lance said, rubbing his eyes. "This was my chance to do something right for a change, and I blew it." Blue was not subtle about how she felt about that. She gave him a firm nudge, and he reluctantly sat up. "Alright, I'm going."

He made his way down the hatch, but before he could even plant his feet on solid ground he was enveloped in an embrace. Lance gasped around the fabric of his buddy's tunic. "Hunk, that hurts." The grip loosened only slightly, which just went to show how upset his friend was. Usually that kind of talk would have Hunk withdrawing immediately.

Surprise, surprise, it was Keith who came to his rescue. "If you keep this up, he's going to suffocate, and that's not happening until I get a chance to murder him at least once or twice for all of this."

Lance took a deeper breath as Hunk withdrew to arm's length. Guilty, he looked at his old friend. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have told you."

"Why didn't you? We've always told each other everything. Did you think I wouldn't care?"

His denial was an immediate, "No!" Lance had actually feared the opposite, that Hunk would care so much he wouldn't let Lance go on playing the long game. He'd feared his friend's belief in others, because Hunk was always better at that than Lance. He wouldn't have doubted Allura and Shiro, but Lance hadn't been willing to take the risk.

Perhaps Hunk knew what he was thinking, because he sighed. "Come here." He reached for another hug. With their faces pressed together, he whispered, "You and me, later. But that can wait. Right now I'm just glad you're okay."

Lance soaked in the comfort of the familiar embrace. When he drew back he felt both stronger and more wobbly than before. He looked sideways at Keith and Pidge. "Um, I guess I owe you guys an apology, too."

Keith acknowledged him with a stiff, uncomfortable roll of his shoulders, but Lance thought he looked not-unhappy. "What are teammates for?"

"Probably not for dragging you out of messy, forced courtships on alien planets," Lance said. "But thanks anyway."

"We do need to talk about this," Pidge said. "It could have been really bad."

Lance cringed. "I know."

"'Do you?" she insisted.

Hunk seemed to catch her drift. "She's right, Lance. This wasn't the kind of secret you should have kept."

He decided to be honest. "At first, I thought I was overreacting. Leh'n was nice to me. We flirted, danced. It even felt nice when she told me I was beautiful." He looked down, feeling miserable. "Maybe I led her on."

More squeezing. It was Hunk's natural reaction to messy situations. Lance just felt disgusted with himself. He couldn't seem to say what he wanted to say. How could he make them understand? Pidge came to the rescue. "Lance, I want you to pretend your little sister was in your place. Now think about what you just said."

Lance did. Someone had been flattering, preferential. But did that mean that Leh'n was entitled to assume he wanted to be in a relationship with her? It was at this point that realization began to dawn. He blinked, peering at Pidge. She was smirking, the brat.

"Sounds pretty dumb, right?"

"Maybe," he admitted. "I still feel responsible."

Keith crossed his arms. "It's her fault. Let's all agree to that."

"Hear, hear," Pidge said, but she also took her time pinning Lance under a stern look. "Seriously, Cassanova. If you're going to keep being so…well, Lance-ish, this might happen again. But we're not cool with someone messing with you. Got it?"

Lance was fighting an emotional scene. "Um, okay?"

Pidge pinched him with her sharp fingernails. "Boys," was her parting epitaph. "It's like trying to reason with a bunch of toddlers."

"My mama always said boys were worse during puberty," Lance commented. "More crying. More hitting stuff. Way more hygiene issues."

"Well, you do stink," Pidge said, glaring in particular at Keith. "Especially you. Didn't anyone ever tell you to shower after a workout?"

Keith was defensive. "I shower."

"Like, what, two times a week?"

"I lived in a desert. There was a limited amount of water."

"Well, what's your excuse now?"

The bickering was comforting white noise as Lance just breathed, letting his heartrate return to normal. He looked at Hunk, who still had an arm thrown around him. He didn't look like he was going to be budging anytime soon, either. His buddy asked, "Are you ready to head to the bridge?"

"Are Shiro and Allura there?"

Hunk shrugged. "Not sure. They were going to take a diagnostic flight around the castle before coming in. They might be done by now."

Lance straightened his shoulders. It was now or never. "Let's go."

Out in the depths of space, the Black Lion made a slow circuit around the castle nacelles. Ostensibly, it was to help them prioritize repair efforts, but in truth Shiro kept thinking about how Lance had looked standing in the center of the hall, his shoulders tucked in and his lips drawn tight. Worse still, this had all been going on under his watch.

"Not one time did I ask him for details. The only thing I was really worried about was whether he would manage to offend her somehow. I never even considered the wisdom of sending off a sixteen-year-old kid alone with a stranger. I put him in a vulnerable position, and it didn't even cross my mind."

Allura stared out the viewport. "I didn't handle this well myself. He's so responsive to praise. I was happy to have a reason."

"Did we overlook him?"

"I spoke with him the night after his day in the city. He seemed fine. A little tired, but I thought his injuries were bothering him." Allura shook her head. "Perhaps there were signs I missed."

Shiro pressed his lips together, wondering the same thing. He considered himself responsible for the younger pilots on his team. However, he couldn't help thinking that sometimes he paid less attention to Hunk and Lance. The two of them had been friends at the garrison, and even in space Shiro saw all the little ways they maintained their mutual support system. Keith and Pidge always seemed to need him more. He'd certainly made them more of a priority on this mission.

"Adolescents are often secretive," Allura said. Her hand rested on his shoulder. "But there was something to what Leh'n said. They are soldiers as well as children. We may need to be clear about where privacy ends and where full disclosure must begin."

"Maybe. But giving demerits isn't going to work here. This is more than just a military failure. It's a personal one. We're all each other has out here."

"Family," Allura whispered the word.

Shiro sighed, leaning back. He directed his thoughts toward the Black Lion. "Any suggestions?"

A deep, resonate hum answered. It was soothing, but not very helpful.

Coran was waiting for them when they reached the bridge. He ruffled Lance's hair. "Allura filled me in on some of the particulars, my boy. A difficult mission, I understand."

He was using the soft voice he sometimes did when Lance was sick or lonely. It almost set him off again right there, but Lance swallowed the lump in his throat and made an effort. "It wasn't so bad. Everything turned out alright. And, hey, not a scratch on us! That's a good thing, right?"

He got no immediate answer, but, thank Alfor, Coran didn't push it. Instead, he threaded his arm behind Lance's back. "I've prepared warm to soothe the nerves, and I'm sure the princess and Shiro will be joining us at any moment."

Lance, who had perked up at the mention of food, immediately felt his stomach clench with dread. "I'm-I'm not hungry."

"It's tea," Coran said kindly. "A variety that I find particularly calming. Won't you try it?"

"As long as it's not a 'paladin special'," Pidge said. She inhaled the steam from the pot and gave Lance a nod. "Doesn't smell poisoned."

Coran puffed out his chest. "I have pledged my life to the service of Voltron's paladins. I would never poison you."

Keith poked the edge of the pot, eyeing it dubiously. "Hm."

Lance was so distracted by the warm cup that Coran placed in his hand that he didn't noticed Shiro and Allura come in until they were already behind him. Shiro's hand on his back startled him so badly that he almost dropped his drink and made a mess, but fortunately he caught it with only minimal sloshing. "Sorry, sorry!"

Shiro frowned. "Did you burn yourself?"

It stung, a little, but he had much bigger worries. "No."

Instead of taking his word for it, Shiro took the cup away and spread his red fingers. "Lance."

He wilted. How had he already managed to make things worse? "It's really fine. It won't even blister." He winced when a cool cloth was produced. "Ouch. I mean, thanks."

Shiro guided him over to the couches, maneuvered him into a seat. He didn't expect for Shiro and Allura to join him, but they did. The princess perched lightly on the edge of the cushion. "Lance," she said, reaching to take his hand gently onto her lap. "I think it's right that I begin by apologizing."

He was already shaking his head. "It's my fault."

"No," Shiro interrupted. "Mistakes were made, but I'm more worried about the reasons behind them. Why didn't you come to me or Allura when you realized that Leh'n was a threat?"

Lance shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't really think about her as a threat."

"Maybe at first," Pidge spoke up, joining them. "But after that second time, it was stupid to keep quiet."

"Why didn't you come talk to me?" Shiro asked her.

Pidge's face turned dark red, but it was Lance who answered. "I made her promise. Keith, too."

Shiro looked at them levelly. "Hunk, did you know?"

Hunk shook his head. He snuck a glance at Lance, which made him feel like the scum of the Earth. He should have told Hunk. If this ended up damaging their friendship, Lance would never forgive himself.

Shiro had other concerns. He massaged his forehead. "So all three of you were aware of what Leh'n might be thinking."

Lance knew he needed to give some kind of explanation. "Pidge and Keith were just doing what I asked. And I didn't tell you because I wanted to help us get the alliance."

"Oh, Lance," Allura said.

He bowed his head. "I was trying not to ruin everything or make a big scene, although it seems like I did that anyway. At least the queen turned out to be pretty cool. It came out okay, didn't it?"

When he looked up, everyone was staring at him, and they all looked sad. Uncomfortable with those looks, he tried to squirm away, but Shiro pressed close. "What happened on Eylül wasn't okay."

Allura edged closer. "Lance, if we've given you the impression that a mission is more important than your wellbeing, then we've been wrong."

"But the missions are more important," Lance said. "What we're doing out here, it's life or death. I think we all know that we're probably not going to get through this war without getting hurt. I mean, look at us."

They were a mess. Hunk still had his head pinned together with stitches. Keith was wobbling around like a one-legged pirate, and Lance felt, if anything, worse than he had before this all started. And they'd gotten off lightly this time.

Allura looked at Coran, as if hoping he might offer some insight. He gave his moustaches a thoughtful tweak, then came forward to kneel in front of Lance. "My boy, I won't insult you by sugar-coating the matter. You're right. We're at war, and casualties are inevitable. It's quite possible that, before this is all over, one of us may even lose our life. However, that only makes it more imperative that we protect one another. Our resources," he said, touching Lance's knee, "are much too precious not to defend like the treasures they are."

Lance said, "But –"

"No buts," Coran said. "Shiro and Allura aren't perfect. None of us are, but they would never have allowed anyone, royalty or no, to put you in a position where you had to barter with your safety. You should have trusted them."

He looked down.

"We should also have been more aware," Shiro said. "I took responsibility as your commanding officer, and I should never have let you go off with Leh'n on your own. I sometimes forget how young you are. All of you. It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry, Lance."

"I'm sorry, too," Keith spoke up. He kicked the couch with his heel. "I should have punched her."

Lance sighed. "Again with the punching."

"A little punching would be satisfying," Allura said. "However, a diplomat makes allowances. We'll see how Queen Léomel handles things. Frankly, I'm not sure I could make a reasonable judgement right now."

Shiro's grip on Lance increased in strength, and he gave a tight nod. "Right."

"In that case, perhaps it's best to put this behind us," Coran said. "I've stabilized systems for a planetary landing. The castle is ready to manufacture replacement parts. There are no threats within the farthest range of our sensors, and everyone has had a very trying day. Perhaps it's a good time for a rest period."

Lance found himself nodding. Now that the worst was over, he was utterly exhausted. It had been days since he'd done more than toss and turn. He was ready for his blanket, his soft pajamas, and the familiar hum of the castle-ship. Hunk came over and hauled him up. "Come on," he said. "Sleepover time."

Something warm trickled into Lance's heart, melting the last icy tendrils. Hunk wasn't mad at him. He offered up a smile that was no doubt completely pathetic, but it was his friend and he didn't care. "Okay, buddy. My place or yours?"

Pidge jumped up. "I'm coming. And don't think you can steal my headphones again, Lance."

"But I need those headphones," Lance whined. "Keith, tell her."

"He kicks," was Keith's only comment as he drew himself off the couch and began following after them.

Which left the adults behind. Shiro, Allura, and Coran listened until the sounds of the departing teens faded, and then, as one, they sighed. "We've got our work cut out for us, don't we?" Shiro said. He was twenty-two-years-old and felt like he'd earned every one of his white hairs.

"Fight a war, overtake a ten thousand-year-old despot, keep an ancient magical robot warrior intact, and raise four moody, self-destructive teenagers," Coran agreed. "Not your average calling."

Allura folded her hands in her lap. "Did we say what we needed to say?"

Shiro took her hand. "I hope so."

Author's Note: "Wouldn't it be fun to write a little story about aliens with, like, really big and strong women who think the tiny paladins are just adorable?" the author said to herself. Sixty pages later… Honestly, though, this piece of work was a real surprise to me. A goofy, light-hearted romp was all I had in mind, and how it ended up turning into this I still have no idea. Do me a favor and try not to take it too seriously, okay?

Thanks to all the reviewers of this story, particularly those who reviewed several times: Arisprite, dragoscilvio, Gemini, kinosternon, KnightOwl247, Laura of Maychoria, Lovely Pencil, Mists, NekoraNeko709, Nmirah, PuppetMaster55, SiriuslySarcastic, TheRedScreech, WinterGreenReads. You are wonderful!