Wow.

Wow, wow, wow.

It has been almost two years since I've touched this, and I am honestly ashamed of myself.

You all gave so many positive and encouraging reviews and I just dropped the ball big time. I had written this down to the first line break a week after I posted chapter three, and then I just...never did anything else with it.

So I'm not sure why the last two days have been insanely inspired days, but here we are with a second story completed. Whatever it is, I hope it lasts a good long while.

You all have been so incredible for such a long time.

I hope this is a worthy end to your far too lengthy wait!

At Last I Think We're Whole

Thanks to the wonders of Altean medicine, the infection was burned out of Lance's back in just under three varga. Coran and Allura wasted no time packing the boy into a pod and starting the healing cycle.

Once they were sure everything was operating as it should, they allowed the other Paladins back in. Pidge, once she'd cried herself out, had dragged Keith all over the Castle, collecting the softest pillows and blankets she could find. She and Hunk rigged up a giant blanket nest on the floor of the pod room, set off to the side so they were out of the way.

All of them, Paladins and Alteans alike, piled together once they'd changed out of their armor, curling close and wrapping up in blankets to keep out the chill of the Castle.

"How long will he be in there?" Keith asked softly, glancing up at Lance's pod.

"Four quintents," Allura answered, just as soft. She curled closer to Shiro and rested her head on his shoulder, yawning. "I think. But by the time he's out, all of his prosthetics should have been integrated into his body properly. The spinal implant won't give him any pain or cause stiffness in his back anymore. The pod will heal his muscles around it, so it'll work like his original spine would have. The same thing will happen with his leg. Unfortunately, his arm was replaced too long ago for us to be able to make it work better. Much like with your own, Shiro. They replaced his collarbone with a metal one and bolted this one in. There's really nothing we can do about it."

Pidge blanched and Hunk had to swallow heavily several times. Keith just shut his eyes, ducking his head down and tipping over against Hunk.

"We should have found him sooner," Shiro whispered, staring up at Lance, at his gaunt face and the scars that just littered his body and the cold metal where warm, real limbs used to be.

Allura sniffled, wiping her face. "I know," she said hoarsely.

Coran was silent, simply rubbing Hunk's back with one hand while the other entwined with Allura's.

Nobody else spoke that night.

There really wasn't anything to say.

The four days crept by at a glacial place.

The Castle maintenance bots were re-wired by Pidge and Coran to bring platters of food goo to the medbay, because none of them were willing to leave. Allura had hidden the Castle in a massive nebula famous for its instrument-scrambling magnetic storms, so they were safe from any pursuit.

They sat together, quiet and anxious.

And they waited.

It was cold.

Why was it cold?

And the pain…

The pain was gone.

For the first time in who-knew-how-long, there was no pain anywhere in his body.

He was—falling?!

Why was he falling?!

And then something caught him.

No.

Someone.

Someone warm and gentle, with a comforting scent and a deep voice that was babbling away at a million miles an hour, voice thick and choked with tears and so, so familiar.

"Hunk," Lance choked out, his own tears immediately flooding his eyes.

Hunk's response didn't have words, but those great arms held on tighter.

Lance scrambled to get his feet under him and flung himself forward, metal and flesh arms alike wrapping around the broad shoulders of his brother. "HUNK!"

"LANCE!" Hunk sobbed, right in his ear, and picked him up. "Lance, Lance, Lance, you're here!"

Lance let out some sort of high-pitched keen in answer, far too overwhelmed to answer verbally.

He'd been dreaming of this moment since he'd been taken.

"Hola, hermano," he said, voice wavering with emotion. "Man, I love you. I missed you. So much. "

Hunk shuddered, hugging him tighter for just a moment. "I have missed you every single day," he said, his voice raw. "I love you so much, hermano."

Lance felt new tears well up and a helpless smile spread over his entire face. "Ah, Hunk," he half-whined. "You're making me cry! Don't make me cry! Do you know how long it's been since I was able to do my skincare routine?! I'll get wrinkles! Wrinkles, Hunk!"

Someone snorted, and Lance startled.

He pried open his teary eyes and raised his head from Hunk's shoulder.

And oh.

There they were.

His family.

They were backed against the wall, making sure not to crowd or overwhelm him, but there they were.

Coran was in a puddle of tears and Allura was literally glowing, hopping up and down with her hands clasped at her chest. Shiro's wide smile looked like it was about to split his face, and his hand on Keith's shoulder was clearly the only thing keeping the Red Paladin from tackling Lance. Pidge had both of her arms wrapped around Shiro's unoccupied one, nearly vibrating in place. And every single one of them had tears streaming down their faces as they watched the reunion.

"Oh," Lance said, his voice cracking and more tears welling up faster than he could wipe them away. "Oh, hi."

Hunk pushed him to arm's length and planted a kiss on his forehead, dark eyes shining with tears and joy and relief. Then he stepped slightly to the side.

Lance stumbled towards his family, arms open, and they all surged forwards at once.

He went down under a pile of people he loved, laughing and crying and hugging everyone as many times as he could. Everyone was in tears, everyone was shouting and talking all at once, and Lance didn't think he'd ever been happier in his life.

Eventually, Hunk waded back in.

"Alright, alright!" he said, laughing his great big laugh that always made Lance smile, too. "Let's not totally overwhelm him, guys. Let him breathe."

"It's fine, really," Lance said, grinning up at his best friend and wiping his eyes. "I missed them, too."

He turned around and flung his arms out wide and Keith got there first.

He slammed into Lance full-force, picking him straight up and spinning him around.

"MULLET!" Lance cheered.

"Don't you ever do that again!" the older boy said hoarsely, pulling Lance impossibly closer. He was shaking, and Lance's heart broke a little.

"I can't make that promise," he said softly, hugging back just as tight. "You guys are my people, Keith."

"Yeah, well you're our people," Keith shot back. "You're part of my people, okay? And I can't—I've lost—I don't want to lose you."

Oh, Lance had missed this hotheaded, frustrating, incredibly sweet boy he had somehow been given the privilege to call his friend.

"I don't wanna lose you, either," he said roughly.

A much smaller weight landed on Lance's back before they could say anything else, scrambling up to wind tiny arms around his neck. To hug or to strangle was anyone's guess.

"Pidge!"

"You idiot!" the smallest Paladin hollered, right in his ear. "What were you thinking! You are the most selfless, brave, stupid, reckless, moron I have ever met!"

Lance burst out laughing. "Sorry, Gremlin!" he said, letting go of Keith and holding out his arms once more.

Pidge slid down his back and threw herself against his side as hard as she could. He pulled her in tight, bending to kiss her messy hair as she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.

"I missed you," she said plaintively, and he was helpless against the tears that surged up when her voice cracked.

"Missed you, too, Pidgeon," he whispered, and she held on tighter and didn't say anything about the tears she could feel falling on her hair.

When Pidge let go, sniffling but smiling widely up at him, Lance's attention was immediately drawn by the two hands gently framing his face. Allura pulled him down to press a kiss to both of his cheeks. Her brilliant eyes were brighter than he'd ever seen them, and her smile outshone the stars.

He grinned down at her, not even trying to hide his tears. "Hey, 'Lura."

"Oh, I have missed that smile," she said, her voice wobbling with emotion. "I have missed your laughter and your jokes and your horrible flirting—"

"Hey!"

"—and the way you light the Castle up like a crystal," she finished. She embraced him tightly, laughing in delight when he picked her up and spun her once before setting her down again.

"Welcome home, Lance," she said, and Lance beamed at her.

"Good to be back, Princess," he said, and winked, just because he could.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, but her smile got even wider.

Then she took a step to the side and Coran was there.

"Oh, my boy," he said softly, wrapping him up in a hug that had Lance crumpling into him, hiding his face in the older Altean's shoulder. "Oh, my dear boy."

Lance didn't say anything—he couldn't. Tears shook his whole body, but Coran planted his feet and held steady.

"We've got you now," Coran murmured, running a gentle hand up and down Lance's mutilated back. "We've got you now, lad, and we are never letting you go again."

"Never," agreed another voice, and Lance raised his gaze to meet Shiro's.

Tears were falling down their leader's face, and his charcoal eyes were warm and compassionate.

"Shiro," Lance croaked, and Coran let him go after one last squeeze.

Shiro took one step forward and wrapped Lance up in the best hug he'd gotten since the last time he'd seen his dad, back on earth.

"Hey, kiddo," the Black Paladin said, metal hand gently cradling Lance's head and flesh-and-blood arm firm against his back. "Oh, we have missed you."

"I missed you, too, Shiro," Lance whispered. He buried his face in Shiro's shoulder and sagged against him, exhausted from the healing and the emotions and…and everything. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Shiro said softly, rubbing Lance's back. "That's okay. You can rest now, Lance. You're home. We've got you."

Lance nodded without looking up. "I knew you were coming," he said.

Shiro stopped breathing, and Lance held on tighter.

"I knew you were coming," he said again, his own voice cracking. "I never lost faith that you were coming for me. You wouldn't leave me there. I knew it. I just had to hold on until you got there. You wouldn't leave me there."

Shiro let out a wordless sound and pulled Lance straight off his feet.

"I would never," he choked out, trembling. "Not you. Not any of you. I will always come for every single one you."

More arms wrapped around them both as the rest of their family drew close once more.

"We know, Shiro," Hunk said with his wonderful, sunshine smile.

"We'd come for you, too," Pidge chimed in, nudging her glasses back up her nose before shoving her way between Lance and Shiro to latch onto both of them at the same time.

"Of course we would!" Coran and Allura exclaimed in unison, looking utterly offended at the very idea of doing anything else.

"It's what family does," Keith said softly, amethyst eyes shining. He raised his head determinedly, meeting their gazes one at a time and ending with Lance. "And we're a family now. Aren't we?"

The Lance of before would have said something sarcastic. He would have mocked Keith to hide his own emotions. He would have picked a fight, made light of the moment. He would have tried to look more mature and in control of himself than he really was. He would have tried to look bigger, stronger, more impressive.

That Lance was a child and a fool.

This Lance knew better.

He offered a smile, brilliant and broken and teary and a little bit crooked.

"Yeah. We are."

Keith smiled back, small and sweet and real. He leaned closer, letting their foreheads rest together.

"Welcome home, brother," he said, quiet but oh-so-sincere.

Lance sniffed and slumped over, letting his head fall to Keith's shoulder—he knew his brother wouldn't let him fall.

His eyes were starting to close of their own volition, and Shiro chuckled.

"I think we've worn him out," their leader said. A cool hand ran through Lance's hair. "Let's get him over to the bed, guys. We can talk more once he's rested."

Strong arms scooped Lance up against a soft vest—definitely Hunk. Lance hummed and snuggled closer to his brother's warmth, and Hunk held him tighter. Then he was laid down on something divinely soft that smelled fresh and clean. The mattress and blankets shifted around him as the others piled on, curling up all together.

Lance ended up sprawled out on top of Hunk with Keith on one side and Allura on the other. Coran was behind the princess, one arm over her to gently grip Lance's wrist, fingers lingering on his pulse. Shiro was on Keith's other side, and his left hand had reached over to settle firmly on the left side of Lance's chest, right over his heart. Pidge had made herself at home curled up on top of Lance's stomach like a cat, her head tucked against his shoulder, but she was so small it literally didn't bother him. One of her tiny hands was linked with Shiro's on Lance's chest.

They were warm and comfortable and familiar, and for the first time since he'd been captured, there was no fear, pain, or despair clouding Lance's mind.

He was safe.

He was home.

He was loved.

And surrounded by the strong, unwavering heartbeats of his family, happy and at peace, Lance closed his eyes and went to sleep.

So huge shout out to everyone who reviewed the last three chapters.

I realized today that something went wrong with my notifications for FF. I checked my profile and my email, and I have not been getting notifications for reviews or PMs for some reason.

I had well over a dozen PMs in my inbox that I had no idea were there. I've answered all of them now, but some of them were nearly a year ago, and I feel kind of terrible about that.

I'm also not sure how many reviews I missed. I tried to go back and see which ones I answered, but I'm pretty certain I missed at least a few. So if you have an account with PMs enabled and you have posted a review to one of my stories since April of 2022 and I did not respond to you, it means I didn't get a notification for it and I didn't see it. So if you should be so gracious as to post your thoughts on this chapter, put in a line about not getting a response last time and I'll go find your previous review and respond to it as well.

You guys are all marvelous and I love you!

I would love to know what you thought about this extremely late conclusion to the story. Hope it was worth it!

Love you all!