Hola, todos! (hello, all!)... I hope I translated that right, haha.

Sorry for that cliffhanger, and the long wait! Thank you all for your support, and yes, yes I am getting more sleep. Thank you for the concern. It was touching.

Btw, this chapter is a byproduct of my frustration at not being able to watch season 6 yet, so please, no spoilers!

Please R&R and F&F, and please, everyone, enjoy chapter four!

(and please, don't hurt me for what happens…)

Disclaimer: I no own VLD

The Shadow in His Eyes

Chapter Four: Now or Never

Lance

~Previously~

"Tell them the truth, Lance," Keith spoke louder now. "At this point, there's no going back. They deserve to know why they're now in a warzone."

Lance felt it in the pit of his stomach. He felt the harsh truth of Keith's words, and the subtle instructions in the nuances they carried beneath. And as Keith gave him a quick peck on the cheek and promptly disappeared downstairs, lugging the Galra soldier down with him, the full reality of the situation crashed upon him, heavy and tumultuous as a tsunami.

He turned to face his family, to do something harder than anything during his travels in space. More painful than any of his many war wounds.

He was going to lie to them, again. Just when he might have had his only chance to tell the truth.

~Now~

It wasn't lying, not exactly. Or, at the very least, that's what others always told Lance. Keith had said it, the whole team had said it, even his family would probably say it later, when- no, if- Lance ever actually told them what he considered the ugly truth.

Because really, what else do you call hiding the truth if not "a lie?"

Omission of information?

White lies, maybe?

A "softer version" of events?

However it was phrased, however it was presented, it didn't change how Lance saw it: telling his family about his time at war, on the frontlines, in space, and making it seem like anything less than the brutal and terrible world he lived was a blatant lie.

But he could never tell them. Lance knew that. Lance didn't want them to know, didn't even want them to imagine the hell he's seen.

He didn't want them to hate him, or fear him, or God forbid pity him. He didn't want them to worry, not like that. Never like that.

So, when Keith told him to tell his family the truth, and when his eyes told him to tell them the soft truth, Lance agreed wholeheartedly. He turned to his family, took a steadying breath, and began his explanation.

And his apology.

Keith

The basement steps were dark and foreign as Keith lugged the injured, unconscious, and profusely bleeding soldier down, down, into the shadowy recesses of the room. The metal armor was cool against his fingers, but the hot blood that coated it made his weighty cargo slippery in his hands. Keith managed to find an old wooden chair, and deposited the Galra soldier on it as he searched for some rope, or perhaps zip-ties.

Keith padded through the cluttered basement, peering at piles and shelves, pushing clumps of junk and long forgotten knick-knacks aside in the half light during his search. His fingers brushed something unexpected as he picked up a bundle of zip-ties from a cardboard box. There, just under where the zip-ties had been, was a family picture. Keith gingerly picked it up, the task at hand momentarily forgotten.

The picture was like a window to the past, one that Keith felt he had been searching for for a very long time. It showed Lance, young and happy, smiling that carefree smile of his that was unmatchable in its brilliance. He was in his cadet uniform from the Garrison, surrounded by his family, all smiling broadly as well. It was taken at what looked like a party, and there was a small bit of inked writing scrawled in the corner that gave the date. At that, the realization hit Keith. This must have been the last time Lance had seen his family. From before he was whisked off to space to fight a war that the barely had any part of, and may have been a little bit Keith's fault.

Now, Keith knew that wasn't true, but the guilt always had a way of sneaking up on him, no matter how irrational it was.

He set the picture down as gently as he could, and couldn't help but wonder why such a beautiful picture was shoved down in this clogged basement. As he did so, he heard chatter from upstairs.

Keith only hoped Lance was alright, and that he could repair whatever connections had been severed with his family, and especially any that Keith may have played a part of.

Lance

"So, um…" Lance was at a loss for words, for once. How would he even say something so momentous to his family? Hey guys, sorry I haven't seen you in years, I was actually just fighting a war in space, haha, no worries. A sliver of fear shot through Lance. He wondered briefly if they would believe him, if they would label him crazy, if they would call him out as the liar he was but for all the wrong reasons, for making something absurd up to cover up something criminal.

Lance nearly sighed in relief and almost slapped himself all at once when he remembered that oh yeah, we're being attacked by aliens!

Which he had brought right to their doorstep.

Guilt joined the irrational fear already residing in his heart. Hearing the hum of spacecraft overhead, Lance swallowed it down. Now was no time for hesitation and stupid second guessing. Idiota. Now was the time for action.

"Spit it out, Lance!" Abuela bit out. Lance tried to hide his flinch.

"I…" Lance swallowed. No, not outright. He would ease them into it, somehow. "You heard what that soldier said, about the Paladins of Voltron?"

Abuela's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What about it? What does that have to do with you? You obviously know something about these monsters at our door, so please, enlighten us!" she spat out, one question after another so fast Lance felt his head start to spin.

Lance opened his mouth to respond, feeling angry and to blame all at once.

Abuela beat him to it.

"Just who do you think you are?" Abuela spat vehemently.

There was a pause, the hushed whispers of the other family members, halted. Lance hadn't realized they'd been going on until they stopped. Well, this wasn't how he's exactly planned it happening, but it was now or never.

"I'm a Paladin of Voltron."

Okay, okay! I'm really, really, really sorry this one is so short! It's like half the size of my normal chapters!

… Please forgive me. The next ones will be good I promise.

As always, hope you enjoyed, don't forget to tell me what y'all think, and thank you all so much for being so patient with my procrastinating self.

(also i tried to keep up with my chapter title number wordplay thing but it didnt work i couldnt find anything with 4 im sorry dear readers i have failed you)

Love you all, my wonderful readers,

~TheFullmetalSociopath