Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, settings, etc involving Voltron: Defender of the Universe, Voltron: The Third Dimension, Voltron Force, or Voltron: Legendary Defender. These stories are for entertainment purposes only and are to be viewed as parodies and satire.

Author's Notes: When I started this chapter, it was intended to highlight Allura's devolving mental state, however as the plot unfolded, I changed the perspective to highlight more of why Allura is struggling; to show that she's really just a pawn in her own life. As the audience we clearly see it and there are hints that Allura's aware of it. But not everyone is out to use her or to harm her. I also used this chapter to show that there is some history between Lotor and Merla; a bit of a throwback to the later episodes of the original Voltron series.

Popstar Princess:

Lunch Date

The stairwell door opened and Lance stepped out into the lobby. "You two were just going to leave me behind like that?" he said as he approached Allura and Nanny.

"Allura isn't feeling well. I wanted to get her outside as quickly as possible," Nanny answered.

"Uh huh," Lance responded. He turned his attention away from Nanny and to Allura. "Now, will you please explain to me what this infection is?"

"The way the doctor explained it to me is that it's athlete's foot between your legs," Allura stated.

Lance's mouth dropped open. "How does that happen?"

"Well," Allura explained, "if a guy has athlete's foot and then he places that foot…"

"Stop!" Lance yelled. "I…don't want to know any more."

Allura shrugged and turned her attention to the lobby door and the swarm of reporters still milling about outside.

"Allura, we should get going." Nanny told her.

Allura silently nodded.

"Where are you headed?" Lance asked.

"There is a restaurant called Matthew's that I've heard is really good. I think it would be a nice treat for Allura."

"That sounds like a great idea," Lance said. He noticed that Allura's eyes were unfocused and she seemed to be looking off into space. "Allura," he said as he snapped his fingers to get her attention. "When we go outside, try to smile and look happy. Remember, you just came from seeing the baby for the first time, you need to appear excited and full of joy."

"If you say so," Allura answered softly.

Allura was once again bombarded by reporters as she, Nanny and Lance exited the medical building. Allura was still feeling the effects of her hangover and just wanted to leave, however Nanny was holding her hand tightly and deliberately slowing her up.

"Allura, look up and smile for the cameras," Nanny whispered to her. Nanny, of course, was smiling and waving and eating up the attention.

It took all of Allura's mental strength to muster a smile for the group of lecherous privacy invaders. She half-heartedly waved and grinned through gritted teeth.

"Allura, is the baby alright?" one reporter yelled out.

"When will we get to see the pictures?" yelled out another reporter.

"The pictures of the baby will be posted soon on all of Allura's social media," Lance responded from behind the pop star.

"Afterwards, digital copies will be sent out to local news sites," Nanny chimed in with glee.

Allura was barely able to hold in her disgust as she climbed into the waiting car. Nanny continued to wave to the reporters.

Lance slid up next to Nanny and whispered to her, "take Allura to the restaurant. I'll meet you there."

With reluctance, Nanny entered the car. As the door closed, Lance turned around to answer a few more questions in an attempt to bide Allura time to leave the scene.

"That could have gone better," Nanny stated as the vehicle began to move. She looked over at Allura. "Had you just been a bit more energetic and receptive to them."

"None of them should have been here, anyway. How did they know this was the doctor's office I was visiting?" Allura asked while she stared out the window.

"I told them," Nanny said matter-of-factly.

"You did?" Allura asked as she turned to face Nanny. The frustration in her voice was not subtle.

"You seem surprised, my child. How else do you think we're going to get you back in the public view."

"Don't you mean, get YOU back in the public view?"

A look of shock came over Nanny's face. "I can't believe you would accuse me of trying to use you to satisfy my own craving for attention. After all the years that I've spent taking care of you after your parents died, raising you as my own child…"

Allura felt as though the air was being let out of her. "I'm sorry, Nanny. I shouldn't accuse you of such a thing."

"It's ok, child. You're just under a lot of stress." Nanny slid her arm around Allura and hugged her tightly. "Let's get you something to eat and then we'll go do a little bit of shopping. That always makes you feel better."

"Where are we going to, again?" Allura asked as she pulled out of the hug.

"Matthew's Restaurant," Nanny answered her. "Lotor is having a lunch engagement downtown and I thought it would be nice if we surprised him."

Allura smiled faintly then turned back towards the window. Her mind drifted as she watched the scenery pass by.

It was not unusual for Matthew's to be crowded during the late morning. It was a popular location for marketing executives to discuss the roll out of new products, for agents to work out new contract deals for their clients, or for desperate screen writers trying to pitch their reboot angle to a greedy movie producer. For those who wanted to enjoy the fresh air and not feel so cramped, the patio seating located at the rear of the building was their preferred choice; surrounded by a ten foot high privacy fence to keep out those who were seeking to get inside information for their blogs and social media videos.

It was here that Lotor sat, at the back corner of the patio, and waited for his lunch guest to arrive. The large table umbrella and the gentle breeze kept him cool from the harsh West Coast sun. He took a sip of his drink and over the rim of his glass he saw her, standing in the door way between the restaurant and the patio. He set his drink down calmly and watched as she approached; his mind blocking out all sound except for the clicking of her heels on the concrete.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for very long," she said upon reaching the table.

"Some people are worth the wait," Lotor remarked. "It's good to see you, Merla."

"It's good to see you too, Lotor." Merla had just come from the studio of 'Good Morning Galra' and was dressed in a black flowing skirt, a light purple blouse and she had her hair in a ponytail.

Lotor stood and the two embraced each other. After a few moments they pulled apart and Lotor kindly pulled a chair out for Merla.

"Thank you," Merla stated as she sat down.

Lotor waved a waiter over as he returned to his seat.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked the waiter.

"Would you be so kind as to bring this lovely lady a refreshment?" Lotor asked.

"Of course," the waiter responded. "What would you like ma'am?"

"I'll have what he's having," Merla quipped.

"One pink lemonade coming right up," the waiter said and then bounded towards the kitchen.

"Pink lemonade?" Merla asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lotor shrugged. "What can I say, I've made some changes since we last saw one another."

"I'll say," Merla remarked. "You've cleaned yourself up, kept a low profile, and have found a new, younger love."

Lotor shifted slightly in his seat. "That's why I invited you to lunch. I want to talk to you about Allura."

"I had a feeling this was more of a business meeting than a personal one," Merla remarked. Before she could continue the waiter returned with her drink. She thanked the young man, who then left to attend to another table.

"I need a favor," Lotor stated.

"A favor," Merla responded with a smile. "I didn't realize we were still granting each other favors."

"I need you to give Allura some slack," Lotor stated matter-of-factly.

Merla's smile disappeared. "You know I can't do that."

"You can't, or you won't?"

Merla leaned forward as she spoke. "Look, Allura is the hot ticket item in town right now. Everything she does brings in the ratings and the social media clicks. If I back off, her story will get passed on to someone else and…"

"…and they will get all the ratings and attention that you feel you should be getting," Lotor finished saying for her.

"Precisely," Merla responded. "So I'm not going to do it."

There was a long moment of silence as the two just stared at each other.

Merla was the first to break the silence. "Tell me something, why are you involved with Allura? She's become such a mess."

"She's not a mess," Lotor countered.

"Lotor, the girl is a train wreck. Every media outlet in the city has people following her just to see how much further over the edge she'll lean until she falls. And when she hits the bottom, she'll hit hard." Merla stopped for a moment and looked at Lotor sympathetically. "If you're not careful, when she goes over, she'll pull you over with her."

"I appreciate your concern for my well-being," Lotor said. He calmly took a sip of his drink and let out a heavy sigh. "Allura's problems are not of her making."

"What do you mean?" Merla gave Lotor a quizzical look.

"Allura is traveling down a path influenced by the choices of everyone around her and not by her own. Deep down she's a good woman, I just don't want to see her end up like so many others in this town."

"You don't want her to go through what you went through."

Lotor gave Merla a look of acknowledgement.

Merla pondered over Lotor's words. "Look, I can't back off the story but maybe I can help you."

"What do you have in mind?" Lotor asked.

"If what you say is true and Allura is a victim in all of this, then maybe we can run a story focusing on the abuse she has endured."

"An exposé would definitely capture the attention of your audience and empower Allura's fans to support her and help get her out of this mess," Lotor responded.

"I get my ratings and you can be the hero that helps Allura take back her life; we all win."

Lotor pondered the idea for a moment. "Are you sure your boss will let you do this?"

"I've got him wrapped around my pretty blue finger," Merla said with grin. "It's the suits above him that might be an issue."

"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but, I didn't think it would be this easy to convince you to help," Lotor stated.

"Well, if it was anyone else, I'd adamantly refuse. I guess I still have a soft spot for you after all these years." Merla reached over and placed her hand over Lotor's.

"Whatever your reason for helping may be, thank you," Lotor gave Merla's hand a gentle squeeze.

"You're welcome. Now, I'm going to make a phone call and see what I can work out," Merla stated as she stood. "In the meantime you can order us lunch." With a smile Merla turned and headed back into the restaurant. Once inside, she headed for a set of stairs that led up to an area with various VIP rooms; often rented out for business meetings that required a bit more privacy. Merla took her cell phone out of her purse and proceeded to call her producer.

Lotor called the waiter over and placed the lunch order. The young man went inside and Lotor sipped on his drink as he pondered the future.