Insert usual disclaimers here.
Allura paced the length of the living room. She glanced again at the clock on the wall and sighed. We've never been apart like this before. As long as we were both on the planet, we never spent the night apart. She stood in front of the large window, her arms wrapped around herself. She stared out over the lake as the sky started to turn pink in the distance. He's not coming. He's really not coming. She dropped down onto the window seat, her head on her arms, and wept softly.
Lance found her in the garden the next morning. She was kneeling in the dirt, pulling out weeds with a vengeance. "Hey."
She didn't look up at him, but pulled viciously at another batch of weeds. "Allura?" He crouched down next to her, tilting her head up to look at him. "What's wrong?"
She looked up at him, her face pale and her blue eyes rimmed with red. "He never came home last night Lance." A stray tear trickled down her cheek.
He pulled her into his arms. "Oh sweetheart, it'll be alright." He told her softly, rubbing his hands across her hair.
She shook her head. "No, not this time."
"Sure it will. Keith will come around, he always does." Lance grinned at her.
Instead of smiling back, Allura got to her feet. "Maybe I don't want him to come around this time." She said quietly.
Lance gave her a startled look. "Allura, you can't mean that. This is how he is, you know that. Look, I'll go find him and pound some sense into him."
"No."
"Allura honey he's had a bad scare, losing the baby, almost losing you as well, then finding out it wasn't an accident after all, that Lotor might behind all this." Lance shook his head. "He'll come around. He just needs a little prompting."
Allura whirled on him angrily. "Stop defending him!" She cried, startling Lance into silence. "Do you know what he said to me! He told me he wasn't sure why he was upset about the baby since it wasn't even his!"
Lance was shocked. "WHAT!"
She continued. "He accused me of…with you…" Her face turned red as her voice trailed off.
"That goddamned son of a bitch." Lance got to his feet, his green eyes blazing. "I'll kill him."
Allura turned away. "Forget it Lance. He's not worth it."
Lance grew still, trying to control his temper. "What brought this on?"
She shook her head. "Things have been strained between us for a long time now. He and I are so busy, we never have time for each other." She sat down on a stone bench. "He's always off negotiating one treaty or another, maintaining peace, commanding the Team, and I'm trying to keep my planet and people together." She sighed. "It's a wonder we ever managed to have a child in the first place."
Lance sat down next to her. "That doesn't give him the right to accuse you of unfaithfulness." He said furiously.
"This isn't the first time we've argued about this, but this is the worst it's ever been." She said quietly.
"You've fought like this before?" Lance asked. Allura nodded. "Over me?" She nodded again. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"He's very jealous of you Lance. He always has been." She told him.
Lance snorted and paced the short stone walk. "I mean, in school I used to kid around with him every time I got the girl, we all did. He never took it seriously and gave back as good as he got."
"He's envious of the closeness you and I have."
"And I'm not over him and my wife!" Lance sat back down again. "Allura, he's being an ass."
"I know. And that's why I'm done." She turned to him, her eyes filled with tears, but bright with conviction. "I'm finished fighting Lance, I just can't do it anymore. I was up all night thinking. He and I are through." She said quietly.
Despite his anger, Lance's heart broke. "Allura, no…don't say that. You know you don't mean it."
She stood and held herself proudly. "Yes, Lance. I do mean it. I'm tired of being on the bottom of his list of responsibilities. I thought he would change when we had Aria, but he's only gotten worse. He's so centered around his work and duty, that there's no room for anyone else." She held up her hand as Lance tried to speak. "Don't! My mind is made up Lance. It's over." Without another word, she walked back into the Castle.
Lance watched her go, his temper barely in check. I don't care what she says. Keith Montgomery, you have alot to answer for.