Lance's back was scorching to the touch. If you were to hold your hand a few centimetres from his skin, you would feel a gentle warmth envelope your fingers. Normally, Lance would berate himself for sitting under a hot shower for over a varga, but that side of Lance had curled up in the deepest corner of his mind. The Lance currently at the helm appeared to be completely void of all feeling. He was tightly rolling bandages around his hands. Scratches adorned them, as if Lance had tried to fend off a pack of starving lions with them. Despite the agony that must have been present, Lance did not wince, or flinch, or moan. In fact, he seemed to be completely ignoring his physical pain. The torturing hallucinations had long since passed, but the damaging effects still lingered. It pulsed in the back of his mind, just like the throbbing in his blistered back; he didn't even register the sensation.

I can't tell the team. He thought desperately. I just can't. I'm already useless enough; an unnecessary seventh wheel. I can't give them a reason to throw me away like a worn gear!

After all, what use was a soldier who fight?

Because Lance was a soldier now. He was fighting a war to protect people and liberate enslaved planets. Every single living person-and alien-in the whole Universe was depending on him! They needed the blue paladin to remain strong and determined, and Lance was used to being depended on (he was the oldest of seven after all), but this was different. It wasn't just his family depending on him, but also his friends and countless strangers.

In times of weakness such as these, Lance wished that he could be as tough as Shiro, who had braved through the Galra's sick games and twisted experiments. However, while Lance had wished to be as tough as Shiro for a really long time, he wished that he could be just like his Papa even more.

Papa had been a good man. He had loved Lance just as strongly as his siblings that followed. Where Mama was stern, Papa was laid back. When Lance got into fights, Mama would treat his wounds with gentle words, then tell him off, then cook him a plate of garlic knots. Papa, on the other hand, was nothing but comforting. He would hold his son tightly and whisper his wise advice. One of Lance's favourites was: "Keep your eyes on the target Lance and she'll notice you eventually. It worked with your Mama!"

They were all so happy back then. The nine of them lived together, supporting each other. Even here, in the blackest depths of space, Lance could still see them. Such joyous memories brought a watery smile to his face.

Mama would always shake her head with a smile and comment on how Lance was just like his Papa. Of course, she was just referring to his cheesy flirting and bright smiles, but after his Papa died, Lance also took on his responsible, caring and protective nature. He would keep telling himself that he had no time to grieve, that he needed to look after everyone-even if it meant giving up on his Garrison dream! It wasn't until he worked himself to the point of illness that he slowed down. Mama told him: "Hijo, por favour, I know you want us to be happy, but I want you to be happy too, and your Papa would be saying the exact same thing if he was here now! Alejandro, please, I want you to stop working so hard! I just want my beautiful, perfect, happy son back!"

So Lance finally decided to let go and grieve. He was stuck in a whirlpool of misery and darkness for days before running out of tears. By that time, his voice was hoarse from so much crying, and his toes were bruised from kicking his chair frequently. He promised his Mama that he would try to continue with his life, but he just didn't know where to start.

The day before he was due to go back to school, Lance was sat up a little before his bedtime switching through the TV channels. Static gave way to a new image with every click of the remote, but he couldn't focus on anything that came up. That was until Lance stumbled upon the Galaxy Garrison Channel. Lance had used to beg for the remote to put this channel on. Seeing so many successful pilots talking about how you can live through one of the greatest educations ever really made him feel motivated! Today Lance felt empty.

On the screen was a pilot Lance had never seen before. He was young-far younger than many of the others-and he had a cool cut of raven hair. His eyes were a peculiar grey colour, and he gave off a relaxing aura. The pilot's name took up the majority of the bottom corner of the screen: Takashi Shirogane.

"-at advice would you like give to give to our future pilots?" The interviewer's voice suddenly cut in.

Shiro's eyes flicked to look directly at the viewers-at Lance- and with a gentle smile, began to speak in a low tone; a tone that painfully reminded Lance of his Papa.

Becoming a pilot isn't the easiest feat. It requires a lot of time dedicated to working hard and developing your skills. Don't just expect to just simply pass by sailing through though. There will be times where you achieve a victory, and there will be times where you fall so low that you think you can't get back up again. But that isn't true. Everyone can drag themselves up from any low. My advice is that you keep your eyes on your goal and learn to divide your time wisely. And remember that, above all-"

Lance scoffed. 'You can drag yourself up from any low'?Yeah right!

Lance primed the remote to and pressed down on the butto-

"-patience yields focus." Shiro finished.

Lance suddenly paused.

'Patience yields focus'.

"Papa, are we there yet?" Lance whined. "My feet are really aching!"

Señor Mclain chuckled and looked back at his oldest child, whose angelic face was composed of bright red cheeks and the most adorable pout!

"We're not too far now hijo." He replied.

"You said that half an hour ago!" Lance groaned, slouching forwards. "We've been hiking these stupid hills all day! I just want to get back home and have some garlic knots!"

Lance suddenly jerked forwards as his foot caught a protruding stone. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he felt himself fall closer and closer to the rock face… only to be stopped by a yanking force on his bag. Señor Mclain pulled him son upright and balanced him on his feet.

"That happened because you weren't concentrating on your path!" He huffed. "I know, it's been a long day,"

Lance raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

"But," His Papa continued. "Rushing in to everything will not guarantee you an easy route. Remember Lance, la paciencia cede el foco."

Patience yields focus.

That was one of the last lessons Lance had ever received from his Papa, and it was one he hadn't taken very seriously. But now, to hear those words repeated by Takashi Shirogane was like someone flashing a beacon at him from the distance. Papa had always said that he would always guide him, no matter how far apart they were.

"There is no point in trying to rush your life." Shiro began to conclude. "While it is important that you focus on your goals, you also need to savour what you have. That way you can achieve your dreams and keep your loved ones by your side."

Lance woke up early the next day. He ate a large, nutritious meal, had a thorough wash, dressed in his smart uniform and rushed out of the house with his bag on his back while the rest of the family were just sitting down for dinner. None of the children could believe that Lance wanted to catch up on his knowledge in the school library. After all, their eldest brother was a scientifically-proven lazy bones!

"Lance, where are you going?" His Mama called as he raced out of the door.

"If I'm going to get in to the Garrison, I need to be the best student in my class!" Lance yelled back before the door closed behind his with a loud bang.

Señora Mclain smiled as small tears gathered in her eyes. She thanked whatever angel had listened to her for making her precious pearl so happy!

Ever since then, Lance looked up to Shiro the way he had to his Papa. When Shiro had disappeared on the Kerberos mission, Lance had been devastated that he had lost another father figure. But even so, Lance trudged on, braving through all the downgrading statements fired his way, from students and teachers alike. Now he was in space under Shiro's command, and he was piloting one of the most epic ships in the Universe! This was better than anything he had ever dreamed of!

Except that Lance didn't feel like he was as close to his leader as he could have been. Keith was the only one he ever hung around with because of their brotherly relationship from before Kerberos. Actually, he had a strong relationship with Pidge as well because her brother had been a member of his crew. Even Hunk had gotten close to Shiro when he would come to see what he and Pidge were up to. Outside of missions, meals and training sessions, Lance and Shiro rarely interacted or talked. Lance had even begun to call Shiro their 'Space Dad' to make everyone feel more like a family, but the more he tried, the further he felt from the team.

Does Shiro even think as me as family? Lance thought. Because Hunk still does (at least, Lance thinks so) and Pidge and Keith kind of tolerated him. No. he has far too many responsibilities leading Voltron. He doesn't need to deal with my issues as well.

When Lance snapped out of his deep thoughts, he realised that he had dressed himself and was now floating through the halls like a melancholy shadow. The hallway he was in was identical to every other one on the Castle Ship. The grey walls were lightly kissed by teal blue lights, and shadows crawled from the untouched corners. It reminded Lance of when the lights turned off on him during that time when the Castle had been infected by the crystal's venom. Just to satisfy his curiosity, Lance walked around the corner and found himself at the airlocks.

Lance shuddered as he remembered how he had almost been sucked out in to space. He remembered how the air had suddenly been sucked from him, and he was so close to suffocating when Keith got him out. But there were no haunted holograms this time; they should be safe to walk past.

Lance looked out through the airlocks to see the glimmering stars against and black void. He could also make out some colours where there were galaxies and planets. He stopped at the airlock he had almost died in, staring out into the meadow of glimmering jewels. Lance smiled sadly. He and his Papa used to stargaze sometimes after his younger siblings had gone to bed. They would draw out constellations with their fingers, and even make up some of their own. Lance placed a palm on the airlock window as if he was reaching out for them.

Suddenly a dark figure jumped up and slammed into the window, blood dripping down his body from his head like a fountain. Where there should have been eyes, there were only black holes, and the mouth was stretched wide in an eternal scream of agony! Purple fur was matted together and a handprint was left on the window from where he had hit it.

Lance screamed in terror and fell to the ground instantly, crawling backwards until he slammed into the wall. His eyes were permanently locked wide, never leaving the Galra that stood in the airlock. Lance recognised him immediately.

"Why did you kill me!?" The Galra cried, tears beginning to drip from his holes. "Why did you take me from my people? My friends? My family?"

Lance could only sit there in silence, mouth gaping and wavering.

"I was just following my orders!" The Galra continued to punch the airlock door. "I was just like you! Why couldn't you understand that I was only doing my duty? WHY DID YOU CONDEMN ME LIKE THIS!?"

"LO SIENTO!" Lance yelled, burying his head in his knees and his hands in his hair. He began rocking back and forth again, tears continuously streaming down his cheeks.

"Lo siento. Lo siento." He whimpered. "I'm sorry. Please, just leave me be! I'm sorry! I didn't want to kill you! I didn't want to kill!" I…I just…"

Lance began to weep tears he thought he didn't have.

Shiro was worried about Lance.

Shiro knew that he didn't spend nearly enough time with Lance, but between organising new missions and going to Pidge and Hunk for system updates, Shiro didn't really get any spare time to spend with the blue paladin. Despite this, Shiro could tell that Lance was really off. He'd put up is happy, unaffected as if nothing had happened, but his eyes told the black paladin everything. And if there was one thing that fighting in the arena had taught Shiro, it was to read the opponents' eyes in particular because you could see what they were thinking or planning.

When Shiro saw Lance's eyes, he saw a disturbing amount of sadness and guilt.

Shiro wasn't sure what exactly he should do. While he showered, he thought about getting Hunk to talk to him, but then Lance would probably reapply his mask to spare his best friend from worrying. Keith definitely wasn't an option right now and Pidge was out of action. That meant that Coran was busy watching over her, and Allura was currently finding a safe quadrant to leave the ship during the night cycle.

As he dressed, Shiro concluded that he had to be the one to talk to Lance.

Shiro went to Lance's room first, but found it empty. He then began to head for the bridge. Recently, Lance had begun to watch the constellation map more seriously. Allura, Pidge and Keith thought that he was just passing the time, but Shiro knew that Lance was actually watching the red. He was making sure that the red-the Galra-never reached his home. The fact sent a surge of pride through Shiro. Even so far away from home, the blue paladin remained loyal to his people and family.

Before Shiro reached the bridge, he heard yelling. It didn't sound like an argument. No, there was too much terror and desperation for this to be an argument. Shiro immediately followed the voice, and the closer he got to the source, the faster he ran. Because that was Lance's voice, and he was near the airlocks.

Shiro skidded round the corner and slid to a halt when he spotted Lance curled up in a tight, defensive ball against the wall. He was rocking backwards and forwards, head in hand. Beneath his wet sniffles, there was a constant stream of mumbling. Shiro took a wary step forwards and knelt down next to the teen.

"Lance?" He said quietly.

In a flash, Lance's face had turned to look directly at Shiro. The black paladin suppressed a gasp when he met the youth's tortured and terrified expression. His eyes were so wide that none of his tranquil blues could be made out. The white surroundings were tinged red-clear proof that he had been crying for quite a while before now as well. Lance's cheeks were drenched with tears and his lips quivered with shaky breaths.

"Sh-Shiro?" Lance whispered brokenly.

Shiro had no time to prepare for Lance's sudden lunge. His hands tightly grasped his shirt and he pressed against the older man's chest. Shiro wrapped around Lance, and he could feel his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shiro looked down and saw that Lance was not burying his face or looking at him. Instead, Lance was staring at the airlock. Shiro followed his gaze to the window, but saw nothing that could explain the blue paladin's current condition.

"Lance?" Shiro repeated.

"C-can't you see him?" Lance whimpered.

"Who?" Shiro asked gently.

"He-he won't stop following me!" Lance wept. "He'll follow me forever! He'll never let me go!"

"Who?" Shiro implored. "And why?"

"B-because I k-killed him!" Lance's body stiffened. "Oh God, I killed him!"

"Lan-"

Shiro attempted to comfort the child in his arms, but Lance suddenly cried: "You were hurting Pidge! I didn't want to kill you! I just wanted to protect her! Please, I'm sorry, I didn't want to kill you! I just wanted to keep Pidge safe!"

"Lance!"

Shiro placed his hand on Lance's cheek and turned his head to face him with little force.

"There's no one there." Shiro said. "No one is in the airlock Lance. He isn't here."

"No, he is!" Lance insisted. "He'll always be in my mind-my memories! He'll always be here to blame me remind me that I have blood on my hands!"

"Oh Lance."

Shiro embraced Lance with a warm and shielding hug. He deeply wished that he could act as a barrier between Lance and his ghost. Lance just continued to cry in to Shiro's shirt, creating a wet patch that kept on spreading. The black paladin gently swept his fingers through Lance's soft, chocolate hair, hoping that he was offering some sort of comfort.

"Ssh, ssh. It's going to be alright Lance." Shiro whispered as he gently swayed the blue paladin in his arms. "I'll help you through this Lance. Ore wa anata i yakusoku shimasu Lance. Kimi o mamoru."

Woohoo! Third chapter, and it's a biggie! Well, thanks for reading, and don't forget to give your opinion on whether or not I should use a cover (I talk about it in the previous chapter). I don't think this story will have more than one or two more chapters because I end up losing the flow when I write really long stories, and I don't want that to happen to my first.

And we're now seeing some SpaceDad! Shiro! Honestly, Space Dad Shiro is just the best! I really want to see more of it in future seasons, along with some character and backstory development for Lance and Hunk. On a further note, I have gone back to the previous chapters and fixed a few grammar mistakes.

Until the next chapter my wonderful readers!

Hijo - Son

Señor – Mr

La paciencia cede el foco - Patience yields focus

Señora – Mrs

Lo siento – I'm sorry

Ore wa anata i yakusoku shimasu Lance. Kimi o mamoru. – I promise you Lance. I'll protect you. (Thank you anon)