Keith kept his promise. The next month or so the two texted day and night and it feelt like he had never left. Lance was able to leave the hospital about a week after Keith left and had rented his own apartment near the beach. Lance would send pics of his garden he had started. The sprout from Shiro had bloomed once Keith left so Lance planted it and decided to grow a whole bunch of flowers. He never imagined liking gardening but he was in his garden more than anywhere else. Lance took some time off work but returned starting with an easier schedule but Pidge and Hunk were glad to have him back. Hunk missed Keith he would always ask Lance to tell him hi and to come visit soon. Keith missed those three but was glad to be home. Everything was good until Keith started getting busier and busier. Ignoring calls and texting a short apology as to why he couldn't talk. They talked less and less until it became radio silence from Keith. It took Lance a while to accept it and move on. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong but Pidge reassured him that people just grow apart. It was hard not talking to Keith, Shiro had been caught a couple states over and arrested and now it seemed Lance was in court every week trying to get him behind bars. It was hard going in there and having to relive every moment with Shiro. Hun and Pidge were there every time and he knew he wouldn't have been able to without them. It's been two months of constant battling in the court and Lance was getting more and more frustrated. Shiro had pleaded insanity so know the court had to rule out any mental disorders and due to his PTSD they may let him off easier than Lance and his Lawyer had wanted. Apparently attempted murder and rape was excusable if you pretended to be incapable of right and wrong. Everyone knew Shiro was plenty in control of what he did but legality was hard to fight against. Lance was still seeing his therapist, even more now that he had to see Shiro so much. His nightmares were awful and he could barely sleep anymore to scared to be thrown into another painful memory. Lance couldn't even take baths anymore his anxiety flaring up to the point he felt as if he was drowning. The garden had been his Therapist's idea and he was glad because it seemed to be the only place his mind was at ease. Lance wrote Keith a letter every night telling him about his day and that he missed him before sealing it in an envelope and tossing it into a drawer full of all the others he had been to scared to send. Keith was always on his mind but he knew he didn't want to talk to him anymore so he left him be.

Lance stood up from his desk and stretched his muscles stiff from sitting for too long. He sighed and walked into the kitchen pouring himself some orange juice. He leaned against the counter and stared at the calendar hung on the fridge. Tomorrow was hopefully the last trial. Hopefully Shiro would be sentenced and shipped out finally. His stomach was a ball of dread feeling something bad would happen but he had to stay optimistic. There was no way they would let him walk after what he did. Right?

Lance groaned hearing a the doorbell. Lance had finally been able to doze off a few hours before but he was exhausted.. He willed himself off the couch and zombie walked to the door. He looked through the peep hole and saw Pidge's face smashed against it.

"It's us you dingus! You have court in less than an hour!" He heard her call through the door. Oh yeah. Lance opened up the door and let the two friends in. Hunk had brought breakfast and coffee thankfully.

"Here you go" He said handing Lance's his. Lance thanked him before taking a seat on the couch. He started with the coffee needing to be woken up.

"You ready for today?" Hunk asked sitting next to him. Lance felt sick just thinking about it. He had to close his eyes for a second and listened to his breathing and heartbeat before finally calming down. It was a technique he had learned through is Therapist Coran. If he ever felt the panic creep in just to ground himself by hearing he was alive and okay.

"I'm ready for this to be over." He replied. Hunk rested a comforting hand on his shoulder earning a smile from Lance. Pidge sat across from them eating her muffin. Once Lance finished his croissant he made his way into his room and changed. Half an hour later the three were heading down the elevator. Pidge slipped her hand into Lance's seeing he was already pale and about to puke.

"It'll be okay." Hunk said grabbing his other hand. Lance's legs felt like lead as they got closer and closer to the courthouse. Everything in him screamed and begged just to turn and go back home but he had t do this. Had to see this through. See his abuser finally get the justice he deserved. He had too. Hunk drove letting Lance sit up front. They pulled into the parking lot not much later and he parked and turned off the car.

"Alright. Let's do this" He said with an encouraging smile. Lance returned it his a little more nervous. He had his two best friends behind him, he could do this.

The courtroom was eerily quiet as the brought Shiro out his time. Lance's whole body prickled feeling his cold gaze on him but he refused to look over at him. He would probably fall apart if he saw him. He wished Pidge and Hunk were closer so he could reach out for support. It was only him an his Lawyer up front so he just had to focus on his breathing and to not throw up in front of a hundred people. The judge walked in and everyone stood. Once she motioned for them to sit down the sentencing began. Lance couldn't hear what the judge was saying. It was mumbled gibberish. He could only hear the blood pounding in his ears and felt his chest about to explode. This was it, this determined whether Shiro lived or died, whether he would walk out of prison in 5 years or never. This was it and all Lance wished for was that Keith was here. His mind flickered between how happy they had been to the feeling of his fingers around his throat. It was overwhelming all the feelings bubbling up at once. He assumed he must have been visually shaking because his lawyer rested a reassuring hand on his knee. Matt was probably the best lawyer he could have asked for, luckily Pidge was his sister so he got a good rate, lord knows the coffee shop doesn't pay him well enough. It helped having a friend beside him though. Lance finally tuned back in in time to hear what was probably the best and worst news.

"-defendant is here by convicted and found guilty to first degree attempted murder and rape and will be sentenced to death by the state of California. That is all." And with one more smack of the mallet Shiro's fate was sealed and Lance was just left trembling unable to hold in the tears anymore.