x

As Color Fades Away

Chapter Thirty-Two

Zarkon was furious.

He had been so close, the Black Lion within his grasp, and then those cursed Paladins had somehow overcome all of their injuries, their failures and fought back. They'd taken his Lion from him.

Broken sentries scattered the ground around the enraged Galran, an outlet for his roaring anger. He blasted one already prostrate on the ground, not even the resulting explosion cooling his temper. Haggar should have been there, he seethed. She should have been assisting him in the collection of the Black Lion rather than going after the Blue Paladin that she had become obsessed with.

Still… his lip curled into a dark grin. If he had to lose out on the Black Lion, again, at least she had lost something too.

Because if Zarkon was furious, than Haggar was beyond rage. And hearing the Druid's shrieks of despair and anger was more than enough punishment to appease Zarkon.

Haggar had awoken alone in the destroyed hallway, body wracked with a pain she had not encountered for ages and she swore a painful death upon the Green Paladin. But that pain was nothing compared to the absolute agony that overtook her when she realized her Lance was gone. He and his quintessence were gone.

She had the barest drop of it in her possession, gathered in the instant before he repelled her back in his mindscape. And that drop taunted her, its power pushing against the confines but useless all on its own. It was delicious. Intoxicating. And it had been stolen from her.

Her Lance was an unexpected prize of this ruse. What had started as a simple trap and an opportunity to gain information had turned into a lust that could not be sated. She had to have him. She needed his quintessence. She could not live knowing that it existed outside of her.

There was only one viable solution. She would just have to go after him herself.

And, she thought, she may have an ally in her excursion.

She'd gone then to the officer's quarters, lip curled in distaste, and all but the brooding Galran she sought had vacated, mumbled excuses. She sneered. Pathetic, the lot of them.

One was not quite so pathetic though, although his quick knockout on the bridge during the trade had done nothing for his image. But she supposed everyone perched there had been caught unawares by the barrage and she had been fortunate she had been able to shield herself as had. The fact he lived spoke to his own strength.

Theodek was an interesting specimen of Galran for sure. He had been assigned to assist her, yes, and she had written him off as nothing but the ordinary brutes that populated the ranks, but she had discovered his reasons for torturing her Lance ran much deeper than that. It had been thrilling to watch as he exacted his revenge for his fallen brother.

But...

He had not yet completed his revenge and the thought had to be just killing him inside. Still, he was so loyal to the emperor – and that was an excellent trait, to be sure – that he would never venture off on his own. But with a little outside view he may sing a different tune. And as much as she was loathe to admit it, she could not do this alone. She needed someone at the very least who was a skilled pilot as she would be likely too occupied with preparations to fly a craft after her Lance. And so…

"Commander Theodek," she called, voice a low rasp.

He ignored her.

She frowned, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Commander," she repeated, sharper. "You will listen to me. Now."

The Galran's head slowly lifted, yellow eyes narrowed.

"You will come with me on a retrieval mission," she said, meeting his gaze without a flinch.

Theodek growled, hand tightening about the gun he had been cleaning. She dared mock him, knowing that such a mission was how his brother had lost his life?

She chuckled, the sound low and dark. "Come now, I am not your enemy. We have a common goal, do we not?"

"You promised me his life, witch," he spat, no longer caring for the rudeness of it, "and you have gone back on your oath. What makes you think I would help you?"

"His life is still yours," she said placatingly, spreading her long fingers out before her. "I shall retrieve his quintessence, by force as it looks to be, and you may do with his body as you like after. His blood for your brother's."

His fists clenched at the reminder of his lost kin. Kin who had not yet been fully avenged, would not be avenged until the human ceased to draw breath.

He wanted the boy dead. He wanted him to suffer. What Haggar proposed was beyond tempting... but it was impossible. He knew the tracker had been disabled and their fleet had been unable to follow the Altean ship as it fled through a wormhole. They could be hiding anywhere in the universe.

"How?" he asked instead, not yet committing to anything.

Haggar removed a long chain from her neck, a small glass vial with a drop of ethereal blue shining at the end. "With this."

"Quintessence?"

"I can track my Lance," she said, gazing at the vial with a longing that made the commander feel more than uncomfortable. "Soon he will be back within my embrace."

"How long?" Theodek asked, contemplating. There was something else to this, he knew. The witch was not a generous sort to include him merely for his opportunity for revenge. She had use of him. He just wasn't sure of what.

At that a frown crossed her lips. "I will need time. Several quintants. It will be difficult to track it with such a small amount and in such a vast area, but it is possible."

Theodek gave a slow nod. "I shall alert Emperor Zarkon," Theodek said, rising to his feet. Surely their lord would relish the opportunity to track down the Black Lion this way. It was no secret after all that his previous method of using the Druids' power was at a stalemate. And besides, with the mission approved by the emperor there would be none of Haggar's trickery aimed at him.

A wave of magic crashed down upon him, rendering him inert. "What is the meaning of this?" he snarled. "You dare go against Emperor Zarkon?"

He was right. The witch was up to something.

"I would dream of no such thing," Haggar said, waving a hand but not releasing him from her hold. "But this is an operation of stealth. Several thousand Galran warships would hinder my plans. And yours as well, Commander. If the entire fleet were to come then I daresay you would be forced to command them rather than exact your revenge."

Theodek huffed, seeing her logic. But still. This was near treason. Abandoning post and going off on an unapproved mission? Haggar may be able to get away with it, but he? A mere commander amongst hundreds?

"Oh, do not think so poorly of me," Haggar sneered, releasing him at last from her magic. "Everything I do is to assist my lord. Have you not heard my mention of my Lance's quintessence? Once I have it in my possession I will use it to dismantle the Paladins of Voltron from within and return with the Black Lion as a prize for Emperor Zarkon. And if you play your cards right, Commander, this could be a boon to advance you within the ranks. Perhaps even to the main fleet."

That gave him pause. He knew, knew, he should inform Zarkon of these plans, but the witch was right. If he did that then his brother would not be avenged by him, and that was the most important thing to him. But the promotion dangled like a carrot before him and he wanted it. Badly. He had been working to advance up the ranks, but there were so many Galra just like him eager to do anything for the Empire that he was one of hundreds.

This though. This was different. It would give him an edge. And when he advanced, just as his brother had hoped to help him, it would be like having him at his side again.

And that, he decided, was worth everything, even trusting the witch against his better instinct. What she spoke was truth, for now. He would go along with her plans for now, and should she show any signs of deceit... his hand tightened on the gigantic blaster. She would not live long enough to regret it.

"Fine," he bit out, trying not to show his pleasure at the thought. Haggar just laughed.

"Amuse yourself until then," she said. "Dream of revenge, ready your weapons, but do also prepare us a ship. As soon as my tracking is complete we will leave."

He offered her a short bow in answer and she swept from the room with a please smile. A dark grin pulled at his teeth. "Soon, brother," he promised, to the empty room. "Soon you shall be avenged."

xxx

The entire room was perfectly silent as Lance finally drifted off, broken only by the high squeaks of the mice as they popped up from where they'd hidden under the bed in all of the commotion. They scurried immediately to Allura, clambering up her legs to nestle against her neck.

"All is well," she assured them, but they could tell she was not being entirely truthful. Their own gazes drifted to that of the kind human who loved to play with them and sneak them food. They chirruped to one another, but did not dare approach to offer their own comfort in case it was anything but.

"Well," Coran said, clapping his hands together lightly so as not to rouse the sleeping occupant, "it seems we have some more to discuss. But Number One, Number Four, please sit down before you collapse."

Keith sank back from where he stood, just making it onto the chair and Shiro followed none too gracefully to the floor, the adrenaline that had moved him earlier all but gone and only Allura's quick reaction speed prevented him from smashing his head against the foot of the bed. Pidge felt like collapsing too, guilt gnawing at her stomach and making her legs shake. She still wasn't sure what exactly she'd done, but both times she'd touched Lance he had been terrified.

She tucked the offending hands to her chest, cradling left over right and feeling the tremble course through her. Was he scared of her? Was it because he remembered her when she disabled the collar and caused him such pain? Did he associate such a thing with her now?

She wasn't completely able to hold back the sob at the thought, drawing every eye in the room. Pidge tilted her head down like Lance had so they could not see her face. "I'm… I'm so sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to… to do that."

A pair of strong arms wrapped about her then and she sank into Hunk's embrace. "Oh Pidge," he murmured. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But—"

"You didn't," he insisted. "We… we need to talk about what happened, but it isn't your fault. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, not quite believing it but trusting Hunk.

"Number Two, your assistance again please," Coran requested. "Princess, Number Five, how about you retrieve some nourishment from the kitchen? We all need to keep up our own strength."

Allura nodded, seeing the wisdom of the suggestion. "Excellent suggestion, Coran. We shall return shortly." And gently steering Pidge from the room with the mice scampering to rest in the brunette's hair, the two left.

"Coran—" Shiro started, but was cut off by the advisor.

"Shiro," he said seriously. "Your body is very weak right now. Sit there and rest. Number Two and I will assist Lance." He turned to look at Keith. "You too, my boy. Stay right there and do not move."

Keith barely managed a nod, curled up on his side so he could watch the bed but so his head was cushioned on the armrest. Coran estimated he'd be asleep within a few minutes. Piloting the castle ship, then straight into a mission and battling Haggar and following it all with severe injuries? It was a wonder he was even awake now and a testament to both his strength and his stubbornness.

"What do you need me to do?" Hunk asked, making his way to the Altean's side.

"All of his bandages need changed," Coran frowned. "I have an antiseptic cream we shall apply too; my hope is that in addition to assisting in the prevention – or worsening – of infection it may help to clot the wounds."

"Good idea," Hunk said.

The two worked in silence, each taking a side and gingerly working to first unwrap the bloodied bandages and then replace them with clean new ones and a healthy coverage of antiseptic. Lance stirred once or twice, particularly when Hunk was dabbing the paste around the worst of the wound in his left hand and trying very hard not to vomit, but Coran's soft tones had him sinking back under within seconds.

They bandaged a few new injuries too that Lance had given himself in his attempt to get away and Coran did what he could for the small puncture wounds Lance had inflicted on his scalp.

Bruises were starting to show more now and Coran estimated that the boy had a few cracked if not broken ribs, which only further hindered his breathing.

Still, he did what he could, propping Lance somewhat up on the pillows to relieve some of the strain. His back was relatively unscathed, minus any exit wounds, which led him to believe that most of the injuries had been inflicted while Lance was held down. It made his blood just boil that Lance had been kept so defenseless.

Hunk finished off their re-bandaging with a cold wash cloth that he placed over Lance's forehead in an attempt to control the fever that only seemed to be growing in intensity. On one hand it was good that his body was fighting the infection, but too much higher and it would become dangerous. And Hunk was loathe to have to place Lance in a bath given his current fear of water. He wouldn't do that to him again.

Allura and Pidge returned bearing steaming cups that smelled vaguely of strawberries and an assortment of what looked like rolls and some type of jerky that Hunk had been drying for the past few weeks.

The mice bore a cup over to Shiro, who very carefully accepted it from them. His hand was shaking slightly and a bit of hot liquid spilled over the edge, landing on his wrist. He hissed lightly, but shook his head as Coran made to come over. "It's fine. I'm fine. Just clumsy."

"You are exhausted," Allura countered. "Shiro, you must rest."

"No," he said firmly. "Not now. Not until Lance is all right." Both of their eyes flicked to Keith then – who should also be in bed resting – who had stirred as the mice pushed a roll against his mouth and nose.

As if sensing the stares, around the bread Keith mumbled, "'m awake," and slowly pushed himself to some semblance of sitting.

"Both of you," Allura decided. "As soon as we all speak you are then to retire to sleep." She held up a hand against the incoming protests. "You may stay here, but you will sleep." She looked about the room, meeting each set of eyes. "That goes for everyone. Myself and Coran shall watch over Lance in the interim. It has been a long day and you must let your bodies rest."

"What about you?" Pidge countered. "You've been in the thick of things too."

"Alteans do not require as much sleep as humans," Allura explained. "Truly, I am all right for now. I promise I will rest later."

"We shall make this a quick discussion then," Coran said, swallowing down a bite of jerky. "As we all have seen, touch seems to be an issue. It is not due merely to the saliidda as I had thought earlier. Lance's head seems to be the source of the most distress" – Pidge lowered her eyes guiltily – "so I would recommend we all avoid that area and in general as much contact as possible until Lance is ready. Without his sight he likely feels even more vulnerable to have hands coming out of nowhere."

"If it doesn't hurt him though, what is it?" Shiro asked, knowing some concept was floating just out of reach. His head pulsed and he pushed his hand to it to ward off the oncoming headache. "Lance loves – loved –things like that." Love. Touch. Shiro's stomach curled with a dread he could not quite explain and his head ached more.

Coran sighed, his voice sad. "I have an idea and it is one we may not like. Given that most of us have tuned in to one video feed or another" – Pidge ducked her head even further – "we have heard the… possessive… nature that Haggar speaks of Lance with, yes?" Nods all around the room.

"We have heard her address Number One on multiple occasions as well with such a possession – my Shiro," Coran said, throwing a sympathetic look at Shiro whose eyes were widening with realization and something tight was taking up residence in his chest. "I believe that Haggar may have used a similar address towards Lance, possibly calling him 'my Lance,' and given his reaction to any addresses even hinting at such I believe she did so many, many times."

"He's not yours," Keith and Shiro breathed as one, before startled eyes met each other in question.

"What did you say?" Shiro demanded before Keith could ask the same.

My Shiro, my champion, he could hear her whisper. He shook his head, trying to dislodge it and tune back into Keith who was speaking.

"Haggar said that when I ran into her in the hall. She asked where her Lance was," Keith said. "That's what I told her. He's not yours."

"She said something similar to me," Shiro managed, feeling even more sick now and the pressure at his temples building. He tried to ignore it. "I said the same thing back."

He heard Haggar's whispers again and shuddered.

Not now.

"It is why he reacted so strongly to my own words," Coran said, moustache drooping. "And even to the Blue Lion's address."

"What are you saying, Coran?" Allura asked, voice sharp with worry. "What does this have to do with his fear of touch?"

"I do not think it is the violent wounds or torture that Lance underwent that made him have a negative reaction to touch," Coran said softly. "I believe it to be the opposite. That Haggar may have performed gestures, such as playing with his hair, as another form of torture. Coupled with her possessiveness I fear she may have treated Lance as an object or pet rather than a person and he in turn now associates any kindness or endearment with her actions."

Allura's hand had gone to her mouth in horror and Hunk and Pidge both looked ill, Pidge glancing at her hands again as if they were the cause of the pain. Keith's lips drawn thin, a tremble to his body that had nothing to do with his injuries. Beads of sweat were dotting Shiro's forehead and he felt acid trying to creep up his throat.

He knew exactly what Coran was saying.

"So… so what you are saying," Hunk whispered, "is that we can't comfort him? Because… because he associates it with Haggar?"

"That is just my observation," Coran said. "There could be other reasons."

"No," Shiro said, tongue thick. "I'm sure…" his head gave another pulse and he didn't manage to finish his words before what felt like starbursts flashed in his mind and he felt phantom hands card through his hair, words meant to be soothing but anything but echoing about his mind as he trembled on a table, fresh agony dripping from what used to be his arm. He sucked in a harsh breath, swallowing down acid, as reality came back, leaving him with another memory even as the pounding in his head lessened.

"Shiro?" Keith murmured. "Did—?" Had he remembered something?

"Yes, no… I don't want to…" he trailed off, clenching his fists so hard the metal of his prosthetic whined. "I don't want to talk about it," he finished quickly, air suddenly hard to come by. He knew and they knew now that Coran's observations were absolutely correct. And, Shiro thought with horror, he had no doubts Lance had undergone something even more than he had when it came to that side of Haggar. She had been possessive of her champion... from what little he'd seen she was obsessed with Lance.

Movement to his right had him lifting his head and he only startled a bit when Pidge wormed her way under his arm, snuggling up to his side, and ticks later all four mice were pressed against his leg.

"Shiro," Allura called gently, and it took all of his inner strength to look up and meet her intense gaze. But there was no judgment there or disappointment that someone like him was their leader. Just a tenderness and understanding that almost had Shiro ducking his head again. "We are here for you."

He managed a nod, speech locked up for the moment.

Coran fortunately saved him from any more introspection, gently clearing his throat to move back to their discussion about Lance.

"For now, given what we have observed, it is my recommendation we keep any contact to a minimum unless Lance requests it," he said. "Any touch should be announced beforehand so he knows to expect it. On that note, we do need to remove collar and the manacles as well, but I think it would be best if we were to do so either while he is conscious and mostly coherent or completely sedated. On that end though, I am not sure it is safe to continue to administer the sedative. I may even be pushing my luck now, but his body needs the rest. As loathe as I am to say, we will likely need to remove these items while Lance is awake."

"How exactly are we removing the collar?" Pidge asked, her tone darkening on the last word. "I didn't get a good look at it, but I didn't see a latch. And there is no give either."

"We will have to cut it off," Coran replied. "The manacles do not look to be too much of an issue and I think we may even be able to pull them free with a clamp. However, the collar is made of udiuum steel; it is a favored metal for crystal conduction, and is nearly indestructible. The only device that we have on hand right now to cut through would be Number One's arm."

Shiro's eyes widened and glanced down to the arm in question that was wrapped securely about Pidge. He remembered the fear when the same thought had crossed his mind and the way his hand had shaken even as he drilled through the chain links, which must have been made of the same material given the trouble he'd had.

That was the metal surrounding Lance's neck? His very vulnerable neck? He couldn't… he couldn't… His vision tunneled in on the weapon that had become fused to him, that Haggar had forced upon him, everything else fading out. He couldn't do this. He'd kill Lance. He couldn't…

Memories of Lance's face, screwed up in horror and Keith's pleas for him to stop filled his mind, as metal shrieked and sparks flew and Lance whimpered and cried. No. He couldn't do this. He couldn't. Not again.

Not again not again not again not aga—

"Deep breaths, Shiro. That's it, there you go," Hunk's gentle tones broke through the spiraling thoughts and Shiro blinked, disoriented, as Hunk's face hovered above his. He'd fallen over?

Yes, it appeared he had, as Pidge and Keith's worried faces joined Hunk and he was aware his head was pillowed on something soft – a blanket upon further inspection. He felt a flush stain his cheeks. Had he fainted?

"You gave too much blood," Pidge told him matter-of-factly, although there was still a tremble in her voice. "I told you so," she added without any heat.

"That is enough for now," Coran said. "I am sorry for the distress, Shiro. Number Five is right and you need to rest. Do not think any further on such matters. We will discuss these things later."

"Everyone should find a spot to sleep. Shiro you are to remain there," Allura ordered, more shaken than she would admit. It was too much like the first transmission Haggar had sent, where Shiro had fallen to his memories and even her coaxing could not wake him. She had never seen him so vulnerable and she wished with all her heart that he never had to go through that again. Even now, months away from his Galran captivity, Shiro suffered. She hated to think of what that meant for Lance.

Pidge remained at Shiro's side, curling up so that her back was flush to his prosthetic and Hunk threw a large quilt over the both of them with a sad smile. Coran helped guide Keith, who was more than stumbling at this point, back to the overlarge chair and arranged him so he was lying as comfortably as possible.

Hunk returned to his chair by Lance's head and after a few seconds consideration placed one of his hands just next to Lance's shoulder. He'd promised he wouldn't leave his side and although Lance wasn't keen on touch, he didn't want him to wake and feel alone. The mice seemed to have the same idea and gathered themselves on a spare pillow on the bed.

Allura dimmed the lights in the room; still plenty bright enough for her and Coran to maneuver but a little more comfortable for those sleeping. She really needn't have bothered, as in under two dobashes everyone was sound asleep as exhaustion won the battle against everything else.

She slumped down next to Coran on a matching ottoman that had been dragged to the side of the bed opposite Hunk, and gratefully leaned into his embrace.

"And how are you, Allura?" he asked quietly, the use of her given name not going amiss by either. Despite their familiarity he normally referred to her as princess as both a sign of respect and a term of endearment, a flash to happier times where she had swung about his neck in wild hugs and he'd tucked her into bed after regaling her with stories. His little princess, who was his daughter in all but blood.

"I am tired," she admitted. "You?"

"The same," he responded and she could hear it in just those two syllables. "I should check the crystals—"

"Stay," she commanded, gripping his sleeve before he could even think of getting up. "Just for a few more dobashes."

They lapsed into a companionable silence, broken only by the still harsh gasps and small coughs that still wracked Lance. Coran leaned forward and carefully re-wet the cloth, making sure to squeeze out all excess water. He left his hand gently resting on Lance's forehead atop the cloth, his own eyes closed in pain as the boy shuddered unconsciously under the touch.

"Oh, Coran," Allura whispered.

"He has been through so much," Coran said, sinking back onto the seat, his hands trembling. "I wish there was something more I could do."

Allura took one of his hands between her own, merely holding it. "You are giving all of yourself. There is no more any could ask for."

"I fear for him, Allura. Lance is strong, but he is still a child. What the Druid has done to him…" His eyes hardened. "She has taken his light and darkened it. I fear that much of this is beyond my expertise and…" he broke off. "I do not entirely know what to do. And that thought frightens me."

"He is still full of light," Allura said gently. "Underneath the fear he still reaches for us, he still holds to life. And we will be there in whatever capacity we can to help him. His will is strong and he will be all right."

Coran opened his mouth and then snapped it closed.

Allura raised an eyebrow at the action. "Something you wish to tell me?"

"No, Princess." Seeing her gaze narrow he added, "If it becomes of importance I shall keep you informed. But right now you need not concern yourself. As you said, Lance will be all right."

"Indeed I did," she murmured. "And I believe that with all my heart."

They remained silent again before Coran stood. "I will go check on the crystals now. And perhaps find a change of clothes." He had already removed his overcoat following his impromptu bath, but there were a few dark streaks that stained his shirt.

"Take your time. Perhaps a hot shower too?"

Coran chuckled without humor. "I should be saying the same to you, Princess. I was not even in the battle; you must be even more exhausted than myself."

She shook her head. "The hardest part of any battle falls on those forced to wait. Normally both of us remain on the ship while the Paladins fight. But you were here all alone and—" The rest of her words lodged in her throat as the too-recent memory of her near encounter with death struck her. Alone. He would have been alone for forever. The last Altean, the last of Team Voltron. Coran would have been here, waiting and waiting and never knowing what had happened to them.

"Allura, what is wrong?" Coran dropped in front of her, gently holding her by both upper arms, fear growing as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Allura?"

"I thought I was going to die," she cried softly, no longer able to hold back the fear, the memory. She trembled. "Zarkon he… and then you'd have been left all alone. I tried to send a message, but..." She shook her head, recalling the systems going dark around her and the realization that she was not going to be able to say goodbye.

"What?" Coran breathed, fear morphing to horror. Allura had said nothing of the sort in the debriefing. But then again… she wouldn't have. She was too much like Shiro at times, he thought sadly. Too willing to take on the world's burdens and share none of that weight. And although he could never blame Alfor for how things had turned out, he cursed that someone as young as Allura had to bear all of their mistakes.

"I am so sorry. It was beyond selfish of me to leave you here by yourself. I did not… I did not think it would…" she swallowed thickly. "I am so sorry, Coran. If Blue had not… had not… he would have k-killed me." The stutter felt foreign on her tongue and Allura hiccuped back her next sob.

"Shh," Coran soothed, pulling her into a hug, one hand going to rub her back. "No need for apologies, Allura. I am just glad you're safe."

"But Coran… you would have been all alone." And that thought hurt her more than anything else, even over the fear of death.

"There, there," he comforted. "It's all right."

He honestly was not sure what his course of action would have been had all of the Paladins and his princess been taken out. Perhaps he'd have tried to unite those he could opposed to Zarkon, join with the elusive Blades of Marmora, and bided his time.

But more than likely he'd have taken the castle and committed one final attack. He had been a soldier long before he was an advisor. Even if he could not save the universe as was Alfor's goal, he would be sure to take Zarkon out with him and avenge his fallen comrades. Yes, he thought, heart clenching. That would have been his recourse. And then... then he would not have been alone for very long at all.

Allura's hiccuped sobs gave way to shuddering breaths and Coran released her from the embrace, hands going back to her shoulders and searching crystal-lined eyes for answers. "You are all right?" he asked.

She managed a nod. "I am not hurt."

"That isn't what I asked," he chided gently.

She sniffled. "I know. I…" she trailed off.

"It is all right to be scared. If you were not you would not make such a good leader. It is only natural to fear death. And the fact that you were scared not only for yourself, but for your team and even the fate of myself… You have a strong, beautiful, courageous heart, Allura. Do not ever think otherwise."

A watery smiled turned up her lips. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Coran chuckled. "I haven't the faintest clue. Why, I should have thrust you back into your father's arms as soon as he insisted I hold you because you repaid my kindness by yanking so hard on my moustache that half of it came right out."

Allura's eyes widened and she let out a sound between a sob and a laugh. "That is not true!" Her gaze narrowed playfully. "As I recall I ripped the whole thing out."

"A true hellion."

Her face sobered, although it still remained fond. "I am serious, Coran. I could not have even attempted this without you."

He took both of her hands in his. "I am with you until the end, Princess. Whatever that may be." His eyes crinkled into a smile. "So let us look for a happy one, hmm?"

She smiled and Coran was pleased to see that there was a twinkle back in her eyes that had been absent of late. "Perhaps you should look for the shower first?"

"So cruel." Still he rose. "You will be all right while I'm gone? I should be back in under thirty dobashes."

"Please, take your time. I shall awaken Hunk if necessary."

"Then I will see you soon."

Allura rose to her feet after her fellow Altean left, glancing around the room full of sleeping Paladins. A small smile tugged her lips upward as in the course of their slumber Pidge had wrapped all of her arms and legs about Shiro's right arm like some type of slothie-bear. Allura crossed to readjust the blankets over them and then continued on to her dresser on the far wall.

She removed one of her belted tunics and equally soft leggings. She rarely wore such casual outfits these days, but her armor was much too constricting and her flowing dresses would do no good if she needed to respond to Lance in an emergency.

Stepping behind the screen by her closet, Allura made quick work of shedding her battlesuit, massaging her neck as the high collar came off, and pulled on her new outfit. She shook her hair out of the pins, a cascade of white flowing down her back.

The entire process took under two dobashes and she silently made her way back to the available chair. Lance had not so much as shifted, although as she settled Plachu pulled himself away from his siblings and darted over to scurry up her arm to nuzzle her cheek.

"Thank you, my friend," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on the velvety head. "You will keep me company?"

Plachu chirped and nestled into the hair on her shoulder.

Speaking with Coran had helped her more than she had thought. The fear that had been trembling in the back of her mind since she faced her own death had receded, allowing her to fully focus on what was most important: healing her family.

She knew it was not going to be easy. The wounds Haggar had inflicted ran deep and they had just barely scratched the surface. And although she was not sure she could claim to know Lance as she had previously thought, she did know that he was as kind and loyal and strong as her original assessment had been, if not even moreso.

He would get through this. They all would. And knowing her family was safe and whole and loved… that would be more than enough for her happy ending.

Author's Notes:

I've had a number of questions about Haggar and Theodek and as you can see they are not out of our story yet. I do so hate loose ends and leaving our main villains unaccounted for would be the height of poor writing xD So it's not yet over for Lance. Watch out, sweetie!

Some more lovely bonding moments between our Voltron family while Lance is (once again) unconscious. He needs the rest though and they need to sort out some stuff. Like, no more head touching, Pidge! Poor thing she just wants to comfort him and Haggar's ruined that for all of them. Boooo! Also, as y'all know, I'm a sucker for Coran so he and Allura get a nice moment together. All the Coran love.

Also! After all the fun I had at the last one I've opted to do another Q&A session! (disclaimer; I'm also being forced into a few 12-hour shifts for the next few Saturdays and need something to keep me happy xD) Details are on my profile, but it will be set for Saturday, Sept 30 at 1130 CST to 1330/1400 CST. This time around though I'm also actually looking for some assistance (for research purposes for the fic) so there are a few questions on the document. If you'd like to answer those and post your answers on the google doc I'd appreciate it! Also space for you to leave questions ahead of time if you can't make the chat.

Last but not least, the hugest of thanks to the amazing reviewers. If you are are a reviewer go ahead and give yourself a hug and then multiply that by 10,000 because you deserve all of the hugs. All my love and hugs to: Skiewrites 2.0, lovemelau, Jennyfish26, CrispyFics, WhiteTails, Alexa, FanaticFangirl2602, Guest, Belletiger BT, Finnesotan, DoctorMerlinReid, Arrowshaft, Oliviadbell, Junko123, WindGemini, llamamoose23, Sirrius The Moonblade, fakeyourdecaf, Guest, KarleighH, wingedflower, Shadow Gray, IceAurora, Eeveecat1248, JustADamFrenchFry, StrawberryFever3, TheTheoryofFangirling, Justanangryfangirl, Wolf of the Demise, White Space Lion, chaboiemma, ShadowWolf, Adrianna Agray, Shadows Demons, sally3015, rwbygirl, Guest, PaintedWings45, hobbes101, Merlin's Knight, Spacenerd7, Jadegem02, Guest, imagine forevermore, HetaRosFangirl, Death Jump, Pheonixwarrior123, WhiteWolf100101, dragoscilvio, LishaChan, vickydd and Lasagna!

As always, if you've got a tick please do drop a comment below and make the authoress beyond happy! Muchas gracias! See y'all next chapter!