Beginner's Resistance
Ch. 14: Escapism Part II
Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron or Voltron Force or it's characters. It all belongs to World Events Production and whoever they decide to license it too. But I do own Bernice, Ethel, Cheryl, Alex, Diana, Octavius, and Siod. I'm almost done with this story!
"Owww," Diana moaned painfully. "I haven't felt this much pain in years," she continued to herself. Another moan escapes her lips before she decided to hold her breath. Seconds later, Diana released her breath, convinced that she was alone in her dungeon. No matter how much pain Diana was in, she decided that she will not allow Wade the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. As she alternated between wondering about the near future and coaching herself to stay positive, the vibration of her voice continued to hum in her throat. Tired of speaking, Diana finally came to a final thought out loud, "I don't know how much more torture I can handle at this point."
A few moments later, Diana slowly began to attempt blocking out the pain as the hood and googles were removed from her head once again. She was staring face to face with a new robot. At least, Diana thought it was a robot anyway. Whatever it was, it quickly took off the earmuffs as well before speaking. "I'm sorry for the treatment you've endured here."
Diana was surprised to hear a natural voice. "You're definitely not a robot," She managed to say. "And here I thought that only robots operated this place. I'm guessing that Wade has you working against your will."
"You can say that. This is my punishment for resisting to work with Wade. My name is Kloak. My time is short, but let me give you this painkiller to ease your pain."
"Thank you, Kloak. I know it's not easy." Kloak didn't respond to Diana's statement as he gave her a painkiller shot. Moments later, the pain subsided and Diana was able to relax again. "Nobody deserves being stuck here, especially you."
"I have no choice. My skills and technology cost me my family and friends as well as my people as a whole. I got to go. Wade's about to send his robots this way." Without another word, Kloak placed the earmuffs, goggles, and hood back on Diana again before leaving the room.
"Kloak, Wade is going to pay for doing this to you. We're going to bust you out, too," Diana promised mentally as she closed her eyes, only to have the hood and accessories off of her head again, staring face to screen with one of Wade's droids. The screen flickered on as it broadcast Daniel and Keith entering the Void.
"See, Diana. Keith is already captured and he has no way of escaping me this time." Diana rolled her eyes at Wade's commentary. "He also has no idea that I know his plan and that I'm actually here in person. This is your last chance to speak up...or face the consequences."
"I have nothing to say to you, Wade," Diana responded. "And you continue to waste your time."
"Have it your way, then." The screen went blank before the robot placed the earmuffs, goggles, and hood back on.
Meanwhile in Red Lion, Lance focused on fighting with the team against some of Wade's fleet. Thanks to Wade, Lance trained most of the human pilots they were up against. Lance could pinpoint each pilot and their weaknesses and gave the commands during the fight. "He would use my former students as a distraction," Lance commented as he destroyed another fighter. "I really hate doing this to my former students. Hopefully they know that it's not personal…just business."
"It wouldn't be Wade if he didn't use something dear against us," Pidge added. "Those were some of my last Alliance designs. I hate destroying my work." Pidge cut through some of the ships.
"I personally made them," Hunk added. "I worked so hard on them, too."
"We're running out of time," Allura stated as she piloted Black Lion through and around some of the ships, destroying them with her ion knife.
"Hunk, blast that last group. I'll take the point position. Everyone else fall in next to me when the coast is clear." Lance commanded as he sped past the last group. When the ships were destroyed, the lions stopped as the Void cloaked itself from view. "Damn! Now we got to play the Waiting Game," Lance muttered as Larmina asked Pidge what to do. Pidge stated that for now all they could is wait for Keith before disconnecting.
A few seconds later, Lance wasn't surprised when Larmina showed up on his screen. "So, Lance…"
"Yes, Larmina?" Lance smirked at the young woman.
"What do we do now?"
"Like Pidge said, we play the waiting game. Take turns looking for Keith and try to be patient."
"That's not exactly her strong suit," Vince stated from behind Larmina.
"She definitely got that from her Aunt," Lance replied chuckling at Larmina's eye roll and Vince's confusion. "Not Princess Allura—her other aunt, Diana." Lance disconnected the call and stared through space.
After Lance disconnected the call, Vince asked Larmina about her family tree. "How are you related to both Princess Allura and Marchioness Diana? And why is Lance so moody suddenly?"
"Well, for starters Marchioness Diana is my maternal aunt while Princess Allura is my paternal aunt," Larmina said. "My father was born before King Alfor met my grandmother, while my mother was born before Diana's parents met on Earth. My parents met and fell in love at the Galaxy Alliance Academy. They got married, had me, then moved to Arus before they died."
"Ok, that explains your family tree. But why is Lance so moody…even for him?"
"Because Aunt Diana and Lance are in a personal relationship. Remember when Keith took over our lesson a few weeks ago when Lance asked Aunt Allura if she knew something?"
"Yes."
"Apparently, they had one of their famous arguments and somebody ended it nastily. I'll let you fill in the blanks," Larmina finished.
"Oh. I was better off not knowing that." Vince answered as he checked one of the small screens. "Gossiping isn't my thing."
"You think it's one of mine? I'm so insulted," Larmina shot back as she looked in front of her again.
"Are you two finished gossiping?" Allura asked giving them a look of disapproval. "I heard everything and I hope that it won't be repeated."
"It won't, Aunty Allura." Larmina promised.
"Good, now if you could get into position, it'll be great."
"Yes, ma'am." Both cadets answered as they moved Blue Lion to it's position under Green Lion. While the on and off conversations between the pilots continued, Lance started to pray harder for Diana—hoping that she could continue to handle whatever torture Wade was putting her through a little bit longer.
Back in The Void, Daniel was pushed into the open yard where all the other prisoners were located. As Daniel made his way deeper in the open area, Ethel watched as Daniel eluded Octavius and then protected by Manset and Siod, the arachnid being. "Isn't he kind of young to be in here?" Ethel said out loud to the team.
"Who—wow! I didn't know you can throw juveniles in with the adults." Bernice replied. "I mean he barely looks like a middle school student…"
"He's a first year cadet!" Cheryl and Alex stated at the same time in shock. "I wonder what he did to get in here," Cheryl continued on as the group watch Manset's continuing conversation with Daniel. Just as she was going to say something else, Manset nodded his head towards the group before moving towards the middle.
"We better meet him in the middle. I don't know what's going on with the kid, but he can't be too bad if Manset is talking to him," Alex stated as they left the stands to meet Manset in the middle. As the group arrived in the middle they could hear Daniel reiterate that he didn't know Keith's plan for The Void, other than getting all the political prisoners free.
Manset turned around and smiled at the team. "Ah, ladies. This is Daniel. He's a friend of a friend…if you catch my meaning. Daniel, these are more friends of friends. Ethel, Princess Bernice, Cheryl, and Alex."
"You're part of the Den Resistance?" Daniel asked amazed.
"Ssshhh. Everybody doesn't need to know that, kid," Ethel replied. "Support comes in all shapes and sizes. How does a cadet like you know about the resistance?"
"I'm on the Voltron Force. I can pilot a lion and everything!"
"They start young, don't they? You don't even look like you're past junior high yet." Bernice added in.
"Give me some credit! I did complete my first-term as a cadet in GA. Lance recruited me, so apparently I have some kind of skill."
"Now it makes sense," Cheryl stated.
"Time is running short. I guess you want us to watch his back?" Alex asked, noticing that they were about to receive some attention from the other prisoners.
"Yes. Keith is here, too. We're getting out of here soon, ladies."
"Where is he?" Ethel asked.
"He ran into a complication, but I'm sure he'll find a way," Manset said. "Keith has a way of getting out of trouble." The group nodded their heads before separating—Manset and Daniel trailing him went to the tables for food, while the rest of the team went back to their favorite benches again.
"So…now what?" Alex asked. "I still can't get Diana out of my mind. What do we do while we wait?"
"What else…tell another story," Bernice stated. "I'm sure we all have at least one more story to tell."
"We shared how we got into the resistance, what happened at the celebration, how we met the Voltron Force, and how our folks felt about everything. What's left to tell?" Cheryl asked as she finished listing all the stories they shared so far in the last few days.
"We didn't share rescue stories yet. Sure, Manset has in a way, but we haven't. I'm sure that Diana has saved each one of us at least once—whether it was a mission or just everyday things." Bernice pointed out, thinking about a good rescue story.
"You got a point there. Diana does have a knack for excellent timing," Ethel added.
"Angelic timing at that," Alex agreed with the sentiment. "So who goes first?" Bernice started her story first, followed by Ethel. Once Ethel finished her story, she decided to check on Daniel. As everyone takes the chance to share their thoughts on Ethel's story, Ethel notices that Daniel's missing. Ethel swept through the open yard again, only to find Manset talking with another prisoner, but still no Daniel.
"Where did he go?"
"Where did who go, Ethel?" Alex asked, searching for the yard. "Never mind. I see Manset and no Daniel."
"I hope that Wade isn't torturing him yet. I mean, he's still a kid." Cheryl added as Manset made his way to the team.
"Manset, have you seen Daniel?"
"He went to shut down the Void."
"Is he crazy?"
"A space mouse came from the vents and dropped two of those Voltron Force bands. He took one of them, told me to guard the second one with my life, and scared the wits out of Octavius. It won't be too much longer before we're out of here." Manset said as he walked away from the group.
"Alright, let's finish up these stories!"
Meanwhile in Red Lion, Lance continued to focus his thoughts on Diana again. The team has been waiting to hear from Keith or Daniel for about three hours. Every thirty minutes, the team changed positions and turns looking for any physical signs of their missing teammates. Fifteen minutes after each check-in Larmina or one of the original pilots would call and check on Lance. Those calls were starting to annoy him…all he wants to do is get his lover away from here as soon as possible. Talking to the others seemed like a waste of time for him. His screen came alive and Hunk's face filled the view. "So…how are you handling things this time?"
"About the same as the last conversation. And the conversation before that. And before that one, too. I'm peachy considering that my woman is in that cloaked prison."
"At least she's not al—" Hunk started then stopped. "I mean it's not like Wade will—ohh, never mind." Hunk started to say something else when Lance cut him off.
"Not helping at all, Hunk. Just leave me be right now."
"We would…but there's nothing else to do," was Hunk's response.
"This waiting game is such a snart. I'm worried about all the prisoners…especially Keith and Diana." Larmina chimed in. "By the way…anything yet?"
"Have you heard of a principle called patience?" Allura asked. "Nothing has changed yet. Anyway, I'm just as concerned for the prisoners including Diana and her team."
"We all are," Pidge stated. "And I haven't seen Lance be this moody since when we first landed on Arus."
"Just for the record, I'm not moody or worried. I'm just overly concerned. I know that Diana will make it through this and Keith always find a way." Everybody rolled their eyes at Lance before he continued. "Of course, I will feel better when the political prisoners are free from that hell over there."
"Especially a certain half-Arusian, half-Earth woman." Hunk said as he disconnected.
"Again, not helping. What are you looking at?" Lance asked the rest.
"Gauging you on the moodiness scale," Pidge stated. "It's starting to peak." Lance rolled his eyes as Allura signaled that she was leaving the conversation.
"By the way…anything yet?" Larmina asked as Pidge checked his screens to appear busy.
"Nothing." Pidge stated as he disconnected the call. Sighing, Larmina shut her link off as well.
Free to let his mind wander, Lance thought about Diana and the near future. As he continued to stare into the expanse of space and where the cloaked prison was floating, Lance started to coach himself about seriously taking the next step in his relationship with Diana—marriage. The night before Diana left, they had a serious talk about "settling down" and where their relationship continued to head. Lance and Diana both vowed that no matter what happens they will remain steadfast and work through any issues together. After that vow, that's when Lance explored the possibility of marriage, to which he was surprised by Diana's enthusiasm and how she could see herself as the future Mrs. McClain. He also learned that Diana was ready to live in Arus full-time and was exploring whether to live in her family's house or at the Castle of Lions. Diana's quick response to Lance's suggestion turned into a tickle fight that ended with Diana laying against his bed and Lance hovering over her. That's when she stated that she wanted a serious proposal to which Lance responded with a long lingering kiss that ended going much further. "Mrs. McClain, I need you to hold on just a little bit longer for me, sweetheart," Lance stated before praying again for Diana`s relative wellbeing.
With his enhanced speed, Daniel almost ran past the first interesting room he saw. He blinked his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. On the door, the sign said Sensory Depravation. "Sensory Depravation? I'm guessing that this isn't a spa suite." After looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear, Daniel tested the door and learned that it was locked. "And of course it would be one of the locks only Pidge would be able to pick. Sighing, Daniel turned to leave when he heard the squeak from a space mouse. He turned back as the mouse climbed up the wall and broke into the control panel. A few moments later, both the door and panel opened.
Nodding his thanks to the mouse as it ran inside, Daniel followed. He looked at the prisoner in shock. "I wonder what you did to Wade for this?" As Daniel started his approach to the hard table the prisoner was laying on, a feminine voice sounded in his ears. A feminine combination of both Arusian and Floridian accents sounded in his ears.
"All I have to do is hang tough."
"I heard this voice before," Daniel said as he ran to the table. "Whoever you are, you definitely are well-built." Daniel paused for a few moments before talking again. "Are you ok?" The prisoner didn't answer, so Daniel asked again. Without receiving an answer, Daniel finally decided to take the hood off and was surprised to find Diana's face with the googles and ear muffs on. "So, that'll explain why I didn't get an answer. Luckily for me she didn't hear my last comment." Daniel quickly took off the earmuffs and googles.
Diana squinted her eyes a couple of times before focusing on Daniel. "Daniel! What are you doing here? Where's Lance and everyone else? What's going on?"
"Whoa…slow down," Daniel said as he quickly ran around the table to release Diana's arms and legs. "Keith is wherever Wade keeps the high risk prisoners at. The rest of your team is in the Open Yard with the other prisoners along with Manset. Lance and everybody else should be waiting on us outside." Daniel took a breath, as Diana winced in pain as her feet touched the floor and she leaned against the table. "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine when I get out of here. How did you get here?" Diana asked as she looked at Daniel.
"Long story short, I followed Keith and got caught along with him. Got separated, met Manset and your team. Space mouse squeaked by with our Voltcoms, followed a map and found you while trying to find Keith." Daniel took a quick breath.
"Let's go before Wade comes back here," Diana said, wincing in pain. She took a few more slow steps before stopping a few feet away from the door. Daniel started to ask Diana if she was going to be ok when she cut him off. "I'm really in pain, but we got to get out of here." Just as Daniel was about to help her, the space mouse returned with another, smaller voltcom. With a smile, Diana bent slightly so the mouse could drop it in her hand. "Thanks, Squeaky." A squeak was the response before it scurried out the door. With a smile, Diana put the voltcom on her arm. Instantly, Diana's outfit changed from the prison gear to a purple Voltron Force uniform. "Let's get a move on. My adrenaline can only last for so long."
They dashed out of the room and took a left path head back towards the open yard. A couple of minutes later, the mouse reappeared and chirped to Diana. She nodded her head in understanding and turned to Daniel. "Time is running out, Daniel. I only have enough energy to get to the Open Yard. Do you think you have enough speed and intelligence to find Keith and the Generator?"
"Hey! I'm a lot smarter than people give me credit far! As for speed…" He lifted his claws in view. "These babies give me all the speed I need."
"That's why I tried to make sure they put you in all the challenging sections in the Academy with Vince." Diana took a moment before smirking at Daniel. "Take care, Junior."
"Aww, gee thanks, Mom," Daniel responded before taking off in the opposite direction. Diana shook her head before running after her small guide. Every so often, Squeaky would stop and check to see if Diana was still following him. As they progressed through the tunnels and vents, Diana noticed that her energy was waning. After 15 minutes, Diana stopped and kneeled to take a breath. Squeaky mimed his concern and voiced an opinion.
"I know, Squeaky. The pain shot that Kloak gave me is wearing off and my adrenaline is also dropping." Diana said in between gasps. Squeaky made another sound, miming encouragement. "Define only a little more to go." Two more short squeaks before the mouse ran ahead. Diana shook her head and slowly stood up before dashing through the last sections of vents before reaching the open yard. When she made it out of the vents, her Voltron uniform disappeared and she was back to her prison garb.
Across the yard, Alex just happened to look at the vent when Diana cleared the vent on hands and knees. With a concerned look, Alex nudged Ethel to look Diana`s way. Ethel nodded and they both went to the vent to help Diana. "Diana! How do you get back here?" Alex asked as Ethel helped her pull Diana to a standing position.
"Long story short. Daniel found me and followed a space mouse here. Right now, I'm in pain and out of adrenaline," Diana answered between breaths. Alex took one arm and placed it around her shoulder while Ethel took the other one and helped Diana to the benches on the other side. Once they made it, Alex and everyone took off the prison tops to make a pillow for Diana. Diana assured everyone that she was fine outside of the pain from all of Wade's torture. Suddenly the doors to the yard open and the group moved to hide Diana from sight.
A big group of Wade droids entered first, followed by Keith and Chief Kalon and a few more droids. Wade followed them along with more droids behind him. As Wade started to address everyone in the yard, Manset cleverly moved to Keith and handed him his Voltcom before being pushed away by the droids. When Wade was finished talking, everyone could hear the dome opening and watched as Keith and Kalum went out into space.
After watching Wade pitch a tantrum, everyone watched anxiously as the gravity anklets were disengaged and Manset called out for everyone to grab hold of something heavy to anchor themselves to. As everyone moved to be anchored to the Void, Diana gritted her teeth through pain to hold on the bleacher as she anxiously watched Daniel let Manset filled the dome opening. Settled against the bleachers again, everyone else watched Daniel as he moved to fight against the droids when Kloak appeared. Daniel nodded to Kloak before a slight nod to Diana before he ran out to help Keith and Kalon against Wade. Once he made it into the yard, Manset ran to check on Diana and noticed that she was in pain.
"It seems that you're in pain, Diana. Let me help."
Diana raised her eyebrow. "Unless you have some strong pain relievers, nothing's going to help."
"Hey, trust me. Remember, I did graduate from med school with honors. Unfortunately, the medical boards frown on smuggling as a side business. Need I mentioned that I was finished with my residency on humanoid medicine." Diana rolled her eyes before answering.
"It feels like I have pain everywhere…but the most pain is coming from my sides and legs. The skin on my arms, back, and legs are inflamed from all those lashings I took."
"I'll give you a shot to deaden the pain until you can get to a more private place for further care." Manset said, as he produced a small kit from his pocket. A few moments later, he had a needle prepared and was swabbing the inside of her elbow, before inserting the needle into her vein. Diana watched as Voltron cut through the barrier and Wade leaving the scene. Diana smiled as she watched Red Lion grabbed one side of the dome. A few moments later, Lance called her Voltcom.
"Diana! Diana come in."
"Hearing your voice is music to my ears, Lance."
"You have no idea how much of a symphony I'm hearing from my side. Are you ok?"
"I'll be better once I get to see you," Diana replied. At the same time, the rest of the original Voltron Force was calling Ethel, Bernice, Cheryl, and Alex and they walked away to give Diana some privacy. "I was in pain, but Manset gave me a shot so I can focus on other things. Like hearing your very sexy voice."
"You make a strong temptation. We can't get to Chemme soon enough. If I was you I would get some rest…you're going to need it when I see you."
"What claims you make, Commander McClain."
"It is more than a claim, Lady Smythe-Williams. It's a guaranteed promise."
"I look forward to that, Mr. McClain," Diana said yawning.
"Believe me, I will definitely see you at Chemme. I love you."
"I love you Lance," Diana said breathlessly in response to Lance deepening his voice when he said I love you. They disconnected while Manset and the rest of the crew playfully batted their eyes at Diana. She rolled her eyes as Manset walked away to check on other prisoners. "Before I go to sleep and forget…I believe these were our last missions. I promise that if anything, we'll just support the effort." Diana yawned before continuing. "I believe that Wade's day is coming soon." The crew nodded their heads announcing that they believe that they did their duty and it's time to focus on other things from the support end. Diana kept fighting to stay up, but when they promised to watch over her, Diana finally closed her eyes to sleep.
Minutes later, Diana started to dream and re-experiencing the whippings across her back, legs, and arms back in the sensory deprivation room. As the dream continued, she started moving left to right on the bench. Alarmed, Cheryl woke Diana up. After assuring Cheryl and Lance she was going to be ok, Diana went back to sleep when she heard that they still had three more hours before landing on Chemme. This time, she slept longer, but ultimately was woken up by Alex. This time, Diana assured Alex, Cheryl, and Lance that she'll be fine. She went back to sleep again, only to face another nightmare. This time, she was catching Wade watching her in every room she ever had in her life on Earth, Arus, and even when travelling in space. Diana woke-up screaming, alerting Ethel who calmed Diana down. Diana explained the dream and how she had it before in the past. Lance heard the conversation and it tore his heart to hear that Diana was still having that dream. After that, Diana was able to finally sleep fitfully in peace with no more nightmares of the past.
Once Voltron landed in a large field next to Chemme's Main Planetary Governing building, Lance ran out of Red Lion and into the Void to see Diana. He heard Keith's assignments for the team: He and Daniel will take Chief Kalon to Ariel, while Allura and Larmina will talk to the rulers on Chemme and secure travel plans for all the political prisoners. Hunk, Pidge, and Vince are to separate the political prisoners from the criminal prisoners and help Chemme find places for the criminal prisoners until they can have their retrials. Keith also remarked that as soon as Lance can, he can help them out.
When Lance found Diana in the bleachers, Manset was watching over her as the rest of her crew were talking with Hunk, Pidge, and Vince. "Manset, how's she doing?"
"Mentally, she's showing signs of PTSD—not only from the week in the sensory deprivation tank, but probably from everything she experienced from Wade. Probably from their first interaction. Physically, she complained of being pain near her ribs. She also experienced pain in her legs as well as the effects of being whipped up and down her back, legs, and arms. I also see signs of waterboarding and I believe he had her hooded, ear muffed, and googled."
Lance slammed his fist to his other hand. "Wade is going to pay for this dearly. He's beyond crossing the line with me. Did she at least finally have some peaceful sleep?"
"For now she has. We need to get her to a sterile and clean facility so she can get a comprehensive medical exam. It's going to take a while for her to be the Diana everyone loves and know." Manset replied. "She specifically asked for something to deaden the pain. You know how she feels about taking medicine herself."
Once Manset finished talking to Lance, he gently moved Diana into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. A few moments later, Diana woke-up and smiled at Lance. She noticed that he was actually holding her and she could smell the smoky cologne she gave him months ago. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming. I can't take another dream right now."
Lance chuckled softly. "You're not dreaming, Diana. You're safe in my arms." Diana smiled as she snuggled deeper into his arms.
"I'm so happy to see you. Lance, I don't ever want to go through that again."
"Trust me, you won't Diana. I promise, Wade won't ever do this again—to you or to anyone else."
"I know that, Lance. I'm talking about something else—us. I don't ever want to be away from you this long again. I can't live without you in my life." Lance nodded his head as he gently stood up, still carrying Diana. Vince ran to tell Lance that they took care of everybody else, and he could go head and get Diana to the hospital for a check-up. Diana stated that she would be fine—just some pain on her sides and that arms, legs, and back still feel hot. The discussion between the Voltron Force members, the crew, and Diana continued, as Diana stated that she is going to refuse medical treatment and that she'll be fine since Lance is carrying her.
Finally Lance put his foot down. "Obliviously, My Lady has decided that she will be fine. I have a fully stocked med kit in my lion and if need be, I can take care of her. Let's just go home to Arus and figure out everything else there." Sighing everyone else gave up. "Allura, Bernice, and Larmina will ride together. Pidge, Vince, and Alex are riding in Green Lion. Hunk, Alex, and Manset can ride in Yellow. Diana and I will ride in Red Lion. Let's go, people and Dradine." Everybody went into their assigned Lions before taking off for Arus. After setting his lion on autopilot, Lance went to work on patching up Diana's body. He whistled as he took off Diana's prison gear, admiring her body still. The first thing he did was place bandages around Diana's ribs.
"I hope you know that it's only fun to see your body when you're up," Lance said as he continued to wrap a compression bandage around Diana's ribs. The next thing he did was lay Diana down on the co-pilot's chair. "You know, I'm only supposed to put sunscreen on your back. At least whatever balm was put on your back and legs are helping your healing factor to kick in. I'll put on some new balm before putting on your Voltron uniform." He continued to carefully apply the balm all over Diana's back, legs, and arms before putting on her Voltcom and allowing her Voltron uniform to cover her body. For the rest of the flight, Diana slept peacefully in Lance's arms.
When they arrived on Arus, Lance took Diana straight to the residential wing with Allura trailing behind them as Larmina and Vince took Bernice, Ethel, Cheryl, and Alex to their rooms in the Visitor's wing. As Lance and Allura went to the end of the hall, Allura and Lance were having a conversation about where Diana was going to sleep. "I mean it, Lance. Diana should stay in the Medical Wing tonight at least."
"She'll be fine with me. You know how she hates being the patient—even with all her medical education. If she gets worse and needs more medical attention than I can give her, I'll personally take her to the doctor." Allura narrowed her eyes. "Not a moment sooner or a moment later."
Allura threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, just be discreet…whatever you two do." Allura said as she left the wing to check on Keith's progress to Ariel in Castle Control. Lance turned around and was about to take Diana into his room, when Larmina and Vince walked up.
"Aren't you going the wrong way with my Aunt Diana?" Larmina asked hand on her hip. "I thought you were going to take her to the Med Wing."
Lance sighed as he turned around with Diana still in his arms, holding on to him. "Do you really think your aunt is going to stay in the Med Wing?" Lance walked across the hall to Diana's room and used one of his fingers to let himself into her room. Diana's sitting room was filled with a soft violet lounge sectional and matching love seat. The sitting room also featured small black bookcases, end tables, and lamps. The walls were covered with black wallpaper and all the art featured a dark sunset at the beach.
Across from her sitting area was a small office area similar to Lance's. In the bookcase behind her desk were several books on behavioral health, public policy, Arusian and Earth histories, and a few other things she thought was interesting to read. The bookshelves also featured several pictures with Diana, usually in groups. Like a picture with Bernice, Ethel, Cheryl, and Alex one of the few times they were on Earth together. Another photo featured Diana and Allura in the center, Lance and Keith standing besides them, and Pidge with Hunk bookending them while enjoying some down time at the beach before Wade turned everything upside down. Another picture was of a smiling Diana and Allura with a frowning Larmina dressed for an afternoon tea a couple of years ago. There was also a picture of a young Diana with her parents on their last trip to Hawaii together. On Diana's desk was a couple of pictures in a place of honor where everyone could see it. One picture was of Lance and Diana dancing at last year's Military Gala—the photographer caught the most romantic moment of the evening when they were dancing the waltz. The other photo was a picture of Diana's parents doing the same dance at their last ball together.
Walking past the front of Diana's room, Lance gently placed Diana into her bed and tucked the covers around her. As Lance turned to leave, Diana finally woke-up. "Lance?" Lance turned back to Diana with a smile.
"Welcome back to Arus." Lance said as he kissed Diana on her forehead again.
"Aunt Diana, how are you feeling?" Larmina asked, as she ran to hug Diana. After Diana hugged her back, Larmina moved to the side of the bed.
"Feeling better now that I'm home. Even better since I'm not in the Med Wing." Diana replied with a smile. Larmina told Diana how much she missed her before leaving the room with Vince trailing behind her.
"Thank you, Lance for not taking me to the Med Wing," Diana stated. "You must have patched me up in Red Lion." Lance nodded his head, confirming her suspicions. Lance then told her that the doctor will check on her in a few hours, just to do a quick exam. "Lance, one more thing. I was serious about what I said earlier. I don't want to experience being tortured like that again. I also meant what I said about us."
"I know, sweetheart. You won't have to be tortured again—Wade is definitely going to pay. He's beyond crossing the line with the both of us." Lance paused. "As for us, it's about time that you decided we were settled down." Diana laughed at his statement.
"I think everybody else saw through that years ago," Diana replied with a smile and a yawn. "Before I attempt to go back to sleep, I want to know something."
"What's that beautiful?" Lance asked as he sat next to Diana on the bed, his head mere inches away from Diana's head.
"What and who exactly did you share the story about the first time we met? There's so many stories and I would like to have a straight answer."
"Does it matter?" Diana narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Ok, so I mostly told the truth to everyone, but I did throw some liberal stories out there just to give people something to talk about. I need you to know one thing before you nap again."
"And what would that be?" Diana asked between yawns.
"Truthfully, I cherish the day we first met. It's the 2nd most cherished memory in my life"
"What is the most cherished moment, then?"
"Riding in Red Lion for the first time," Lance answered, laughing at the look Diana was giving him. "If it wasn't for Red Lion, I never would have met you. It wasn't like I had a sparkling record with the Alliance. Wade would have kicked me out if it wasn't for some of the instructors." Diana yawned and rolled her eyes before going back to sleep. "Sleep well, Diana. If you need me, just let me know."